Word Count: 2,858 Words
******
In that instant, Xiao Yan recalled the words his elder brothers had once spoken to him back in the days of the mercenary company.
"Her name is Qing Lin. She's half Snake-Person and half human. When she was twelve, her mother died tragically in the desert. First Brother and I found her there. Back then, your eldest brother was worried you might be devastated after Nalan Yanran broke off the engagement, so he planned to raise her as a child bride for you."
Xiao Yan had never been devastated by the broken engagement with Nalan Yanran, so naturally Xiao Li and Xiao Ding eventually stopped mentioning this arrangement to Qing Lin.
Later, when the Sky Serpent Mansion took her away, the matter faded entirely from memory. Now she stood as the Saintess of the Sky Serpent Mansion within the Yan Alliance and the ruler of the Sky Serpent Empire. Her status had grown so lofty that even his brothers had long since let those early promises go.
Yet Xiao Yan understood exactly what Qing Lin meant when she whispered that she had 'grown up.'
Qing Lin's delicate arms tightened around his waist, her soft curves pressing fully against his back. Through their bare skin, he could feel her rapid heartbeat and the faint trembling running through her body.
"Young Master Xiao Yan... Qing Lin doesn't need status or recognition. I just want to belong to you. I want to give you everything I am. That's all I've ever wanted..."
The blood pool's crimson water lapped gently around them, its faint ripples catching the dim light like liquid rubies. Steam rose in thin veils between their bodies, turning the cave into something almost dreamlike.
Xiao Yan's scalp tingled. A wave of heat washed over him, and for a moment the Fallen Heart Flame in his body stirred, showing clear signs of surging upward!
Qing Lin felt the undeniable evidence of his reaction through their close contact. Her face flushed scarlet, but rather than retreat in embarrassment, she seemed emboldened. "Young Master has saved Qing Lin so many times. Let Qing Lin repay you properly…"
Her slender hand slid from behind him, exploring with an innocent, reckless boldness. A warm, expectant heat pulsed between their bodies.
Just as Xiao Yan's last threads of self-control threatened to snap, he sensed Cai Lin's familiar aura approaching the cave from outside. The sensation hit him like a bucket of ice water, instantly dousing the flames of passion. He jolted back to his senses. If Cai Lin saw them like this, it would be a true catastrophe!
"Q-Qing Lin, get out and change your clothes first! Some things… er… these matters need careful consideration!" He carefully disentangled himself from her embrace. For once, the normally eloquent Tenth Tianzun found himself at a loss for words!
Even in ancient times, taking a concubine required the wife's consent! Getting caught in a scene like this…
That would be a disaster!
Splash!
Water erupted as he swept Qing Lin up and out of the blood pool in a single fluid motion. Crimson droplets streamed down her smooth, flawless skin like liquid rubies, accentuating every elegant line of her figure in the dim light. He kept his gaze fixed rigidly ahead while hastily draping his robe over her trembling body. Then, with a heavy thump, he sat cross-legged above the pool, urgently activated the Vajra Glass Body, and began channeling the blood pool's energy into tempering his physique.
A short while later, Cai Lin stepped into the cave.
The entire space blazed with golden splendor from Xiao Yan's cultivation. His expression was taut with concentration, beads of sweat the size of soybeans forming continuously on his brow as if the body-tempering was causing him immense agony.
As his wife, how could Cai Lin not understand Xiao Yan's habits? Yet she said nothing. She walked quietly to where Qing Lin stood, cheeks still flushed, eyes showing a mixture of regret and disappointment. One glance told her everything: the girl wore only Xiao Yan's oversized robe, and aside from that single garment, nothing at all.
Cai Lin cast a sidelong look at the meditating Xiao Yan, then pulled a neatly folded set of clothes from her storage ring and handed them to Qing Lin. "Sister Qing Lin, change into these."
"Oh… Sister Cai Lin." Qing Lin's voice was barely more than a whisper.
Cai Lin added a gentle spiritual transmission, her tone surprisingly mild. "Loving this man is the easy part. If you want to walk beside him, seize every chance to strengthen yourself. The right opportunity will come on its own."
Qing Lin's eyes glimmered with sudden hope and relief. She nodded firmly, the hesitation in her gaze replaced by quiet determination.
The soft rustle of fabric followed as Qing Lin hurriedly dressed behind him. Xiao Yan, of course, did not dare move a muscle.
After changing, Qing Lin gazed deeply at Xiao Yan before speaking gently. "Young Master Xiao Yan, Qing Lin will stand guard for you outside."
"Mm. I'll absorb the blood pool's energy and come out soon. It shouldn't take long." Xiao Yan kept his eyes tightly shut, nodding slowly.
From beginning to end, Cai Lin did not say a single word to Xiao Yan. She simply turned and left the cave together with Qing Lin.
The moment he sensed the two of them leave, Xiao Yan felt as though he had been granted a royal pardon. Even in that bone-piercing blood pool, cold sweat had broken out across his back!
Far too dangerous!
'If Cai Lin had found out, that would have been disastrous… But how am I supposed to explain Qing Lin's matter now?'
Just then, Cai Lin's spiritual voice slid into his consciousness. "Regarding Qing Lin's matter, I agree."
!!!!!??
…
One day later, within the blood pool, energy continued pouring into Xiao Yan's body as he sat cross-legged, suspended within the crimson liquid. His entire form radiated blinding golden light, eyes sealed shut in deep concentration.
The pool's water had already dropped by nearly half, its bloody hue fading significantly. Clearly, in the span of a single day, most of its energy had vanished under Xiao Yan's relentless absorption.
His cultivation at Two-Change Dou Venerate was rising slowly, though this was not his main goal. Tempering the Vajra Glass Body took precedence.
Already at minor mastery and on the verge of major mastery, his Vajra Glass Body could now push forward recklessly with the blood pool's support. He formed a hand seal and his body began to expand.
"Vajra Glass Body!"
Golden light erupted from within at his shout. Under this brilliant vajra radiance, his body swelled almost instantly—ten feet, thirty feet, fifty feet, seventy feet, eighty feet!
The expansion slowed briefly. Then, with a low roar, his frame suddenly shot up again, directly reaching a height of ninety-nine feet!
Inside the cave, the giant whose entire body looked cast from solid gold planted his feet. An indomitable, tyrannical aura surged from within him. He bent his knees slightly, then viciously stomped down!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
That single stomp drove the ground down more than thirty feet. The golden giant that was Xiao Yan shot upward like a cannonball and slammed violently into the cave ceiling. Terrifying force blasted outward in all directions. In an instant, it carved a massive tunnel through the surrounding rock. Like a pangolin, Xiao Yan pierced straight through the mountain at lightning speed, rushing toward the summit!
ROAR!
The massive golden body, now covered in Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor, hovered high in the sky. A breath that had been trapped in his chest finally exploded out as an earth-shaking dragon's roar, echoing far across the heavens.
"Xiao Yan has come out of seclusion!"
"Such powerful vitality! Grandmaster Xiao Yan's physical strength has reached this level?!"
"This cultivation speed is simply unreasonable."
The Flower Sect elders all nodded in genuine admiration. Xiao Yan's cultivation realm had not risen by much, but his combat strength had certainly soared. Progress of this speed inevitably made others feel ashamed of their own inadequacy.
Xiao Yan retracted his Vajra Glass Body and glanced at the remaining half of the blood pool before collecting it into his ring. This portion would go to Cai Lin. They were husband and wife; he figured she wouldn't mind that he had used it first.
"Did anything happen these past few days?"
He asked the question casually. When he saw everyone shake their heads, he smiled and turned his gaze toward the depths of the Ancient Wasteland Region. His eyes narrowed slightly. "We've delayed for some time. We need to reach the Ancient Region Stage quickly. Arriving too late won't do us any good."
"Mm."
Cai Lin and the others all nodded. Over these three days, nearly a dozen groups had passed by. Judging by their direction, they were clearly headed toward the Ancient Region Stage as well. That place had likely already become an assembly ground for countless experts.
"Let's go. Time is of the essence. We'll head straight there." Understanding the urgency, Xiao Yan waved his hand. There was no reason to dawdle. They would rush directly to the Ancient Region Stage.
"The Ancient Heaven Demon Python's strength ranks highly in this Ancient Wasteland Region. If we encounter other ferocious beasts along the way, we can use its fierce reputation to pass quickly and avoid trouble." Qing Lin summoned the Ancient Heaven Demon Python and had everyone mount its broad back.
Under her control, the once incomparably brutal Heaven Demon Python became extremely docile. It didn't react at all as Xiao Yan and the others stepped onto it. Once Qing Lin blew a clear whistle, dense black mist surged from the python's body and formed a billowing black cloud. The Heaven Demon Python rode upon that cloud, its massive form undulating as it shot like lightning toward the depths of the Ancient Wasteland Region.
Along the way, Xiao Yan sensed several magical beasts nearby whose strength matched the Ancient Heaven Demon Python, but none of them were easily provoked. After those super ferocious beasts released a few warning roars, they ultimately chose not to attack.
The journey proceeded smoothly overall.
The Ancient Region Stage was said to have once been a giant battlefield in primordial times, where earth-shaking wars had erupted. Countless powerful magical beasts and human experts had perished here, giving birth to the Ancient Wasteland Region's unique environment.
This history had left the place with a faint but unmistakable pressure that made it the only location in the region where ferocious beasts dared not tread.
When Xiao Yan's group approached the Ancient Region Stage's vicinity, they stored away the Heaven Demon Python. Its huge size drew too much attention, and they naturally wanted to avoid inviting unnecessary trouble.
After flying for another ten minutes or so, a massive plaza suddenly appeared before them.
They all froze for a moment at the sight of a plaza appearing in such a barren wilderness. Only after noticing the dense crowds upon it did they realize this must be the so-called Ancient Region Stage.
"Despite the extreme dangers in the outer regions, so many people have still made it here." Xiao Yan looked at the surrounding masses. Many among them possessed strength approaching Tian He Zi's level, almost half a step into the Half-Saint realm.
Even without obtaining the Bodhisattva Heart, just acquiring a Bodhisattva Seed would be enough for them to break through to Half-Saint, perhaps even to Dou Saint!
One could well imagine that after the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree event, the Dou Qi Continent would see a considerable number of new Half-Saint experts emerge.
Yun Yun explained softly, "Many major factions preserve ancient texts that record methods for entering the Ancient Region Stage."
"The real danger lies beyond this point. Few records exist, and even Half-Saint experts can perish inside."
"Mm."
Everyone nodded at her reminder. For experienced factions, entering the first half wasn't difficult. The true challenge lay in the latter half. That was a genuine land of death where anything could happen.
Xiao Yan led Cai Lin and the others directly into the plaza, heading toward its center.
Under normal circumstances, the Dou God Clans would never pass up such an opportunity. The Bodhisattva Heart and Bodhisattva Seeds held immense value for their younger generation members who had reached peak Dou Venerate. New Dou Saint experts might well emerge because of them. Even if the Dou God Clans possessed their own inheritances for breaking through, such methods surely were not plentiful. They could not possibly ignore the Bodhisattva Ancient Tree.
Besides, how could Xun Er not guess that Xiao Yan would come compete for it?
As their group walked through the plaza, they attracted numerous strange looks thanks to the stunning beauty of Cai Lin, Yun Yun, Little Fairy Doctor, and Qing Lin. Most teams that had reached this point possessed considerable strength and included all sorts of people. If not for everyone maintaining some shred of rationality, someone would likely have already been unable to resist approaching them. Even so, the licentious gazes of a few caused ice to creep across the women's faces.
As they walked inward, Xiao Yan didn't spot any familiar figures, which left him slightly surprised. Moreover, as they neared the plaza's center, he discovered an interesting pattern: the closer to the middle, the stronger the people or teams became. Those on the outskirts were the weakest. He couldn't tell whether this arrangement had formed naturally or by unspoken rule.
Soon, Xiao Yan passed through the crowd and reached the center of the Ancient Region Stage. His gaze swept across the stone platform, and a gentle smile unconsciously appeared on his face.
The sight of that peerlessly beautiful girl in green robes sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed in meditation always brought a unique tenderness to his eyes.
But as Xiao Yan arrived at the Ancient Region Stage, there was no doubt that one woman in a multicolored dress noticed him even earlier than Xun Er did.
The instant he stepped into the area, at a high point on the stone platform, a young lady in colorful clothes whose entire being radiated noble bearing suddenly opened her eyes as if sensing something.
Her jewel-bright pupils instantly turned toward the area below the platform. Her gaze locked onto that slender figure, and pure terror immediately bloomed across her face.
Her once-lovely features twisted with fear. Her body began to tremble uncontrollably, her arms wrapping tightly around herself as if she had plunged into freezing water!
"Mm? Qing Er, what's wrong?" The man with unique colorful pupils sitting beside Feng Qing Er frowned slightly and spoke with gentle concern.
This man with his special multicolored eyes was none other than the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe's Young Tribe Leader, Jiu Feng!
Jiu Feng had even been internally designated as the next Tribe Leader. After all, positions of power were not held forever. In some clans, leaders stepped down after a term to become Grand Elders, guarding the tribe from behind the scenes.
At this moment, however, Feng Qing Er's breathing had grown ragged. The terror she had just barely managed to bury resurfaced in full force. She didn't even register Jiu Feng's words.
Jiu Feng saw her ignore him. The moment he reached out to touch her shoulder, she suddenly screamed.
"Don't touch me!"
!?
The stunned expressions on Jiu Feng's face and those of the surrounding Heaven Demon Phoenix elders finally jolted Feng Qing Er back to awareness. An elder beside her immediately spoke up. "My apologies, Young Tribe Leader. Qing Er may be at a critical juncture in her cultivation. Physical contact could trigger bloodline conflict."
"Oh? That does make sense. After all, Little Sister Qing Er's bloodline strength is no weaker than mine now. She's just a step away from full ancestral reversion. If she obtains the Bodhisattva Heart this time, she'll be able to revert and even surpass an ordinary Ancient Heaven Phoenix to possess a royal bloodline."
Although Jiu Feng's tone was warm, a thread of killing intent flickered in his colorful pupils.
He had indeed been internally designated Young Tribe Leader, but now this Feng Qing Er had appeared out of nowhere!
After receiving medicinal pills from Xiao Yan, Feng Qing Er's bloodline hadn't fully reverted into an Ancient Heaven Phoenix, but it had still advanced considerably. After accepting the clan's top inheritance, her cultivation had even risen to the peak of the 9-star Dou Venerate stage.
If Jiu Feng weren't an Eight-Change Dou Venerate, Feng Qing Er might not be the so-called Saintess at all, but the Young Tribe Leader herself!
One had to understand, the Heaven Demon Phoenix Tribe had never had a title like 'Saintess' before. They had created it specifically for her!
Feng Qing Er nodded apologetically to Jiu Feng, then her gaze drifted subtly back toward the plaza's center, to Xiao Yan, who was looking at Xun Er with gentle eyes.
Though she did not exist in his gaze at all, her own eyes were filled completely with his figure.