Chapter 261: Ling Shuangxue's Decision
Luo Wusheng was momentarily stunned.
The black broken sword in his hand transmitted a faint sense of weakness. Before he could react, it slipped from his grip and disappeared, burrowing into his side where the connection between them grew faint.
Yet, the slight sting from it brought him back to his senses.
'…So this is the new authority the broken sword unlocked in this secret realm? A new scene?'
A bathing pool?
His gaze wandered across the room.
Although it was still a chamber with white brick walls and gilded decorations, the scene before him had shifted from what it had been before.
The jade pillars and intricate carvings were now gone, replaced by a stone pool framed with green stones.
On each side of the pool stood tall, person-sized rocks with small sword-shaped grooves cut into them.
From these, streams of water trickled forth, flowing into the pool, creating gentle ripples across its surface.
Flowers floated atop the water, casting a delicate fragrance, adding an air of elegance and tranquility to the scene.
But the most captivating sight was yet to be revealed above the pool's surface.
Through the hazy mist rising from the water, a figure stood—a woman ethereal as a fairy. Her attire was familiar to Luo Wusheng, though the sash at her waist had somehow been undone, leaving her robes loose, held up only by a single hand adorned with a ring of starlight, outlining her graceful curves.
His gaze traveled from the surface of the water upward.
A pair of pale, delicate feet peeked out from under her hem, toes dipping lightly into the water, perfectly shaped.
With her robes loosely clasped by her hand, her slender, shapely legs and the elegant curve of her hips and waist were partially revealed, tracing her alluring figure.
Her attire slipped from her shoulders slightly, revealing a stretch of skin kissed by water vapor, glowing with a faint blush.
Just as he began to let his gaze rise toward her neck, the lady in the pool moved. She took a slight step backward, disappearing into a thick veil of mist.
Before he could react, he felt a pair of soft arms encircle his waist from behind.
Warm breath brushed against his ear, carrying a damp heat.
"—indeed impatient."
Ling Shuangxue's voice drifted softly into his ear, bypassing the air itself, sparking a tingling sensation that rivaled the effects of a potent elixir.
Though her question seemed out of place, he instinctively understood her meaning.
'Even if triggering this scene was unintentional… it works out fine.'
Luo Wusheng had steeled himself.
The bullet was already in the chamber; there was no turning back.
He gently clasped the soft, slender hands that had come to rest on his front.
"If the fairy wants me to wait a bit longer, I can be patient…"
The body pressed against his back seemed to press closer.
"There's no need."
Her response was simple yet crystal clear.
Luo Wusheng sensed a subtle change in her aura.
Though she had initially appeared calm, he could tell she had now steeled herself as he had.
Of course, as a woman revealing herself to this extent, her intentions were beyond words.
Since that was the case, perhaps he should take the initiative…
"Well then… seeing as we're here, shall we bathe first, or…"
He trailed off without explicitly mentioning dual cultivation, as he felt her tremble slightly at the suggestion.
Indeed, she wasn't as calm as she appeared.
His intuition was correct.
Ling Shuangxue's aura was subtly different from when they had first met.
There was a hint of softness in her demeanor that echoed her once more vulnerable self, though now, instead of icy detachment, her strength had melted into gentle grace.
Her calm surface masked an undercurrent of nervousness, hesitancy, and shyness, tempered by a warmth she had never shown anyone before.
As the peak master of the Frosty Now Peak, she had once focused solely on her swordsmanship, and for the first time, she now found herself falling for a man.
She didn't want to leave this moment with any regrets.
So, as she had in her sword training, she severed all distractions, offering her most composed self.
Yet the unexpected nature of this situation left her preparation incomplete, and she paused for a fleeting moment of hesitation, which Luo Wusheng, now entirely focused on her, caught.
'Perhaps I rushed things… I should help her relax a little more first. It's also a good chance to ask about her identity…'
Luo Wusheng sighed inwardly.
This being his first time, he was bound to make mistakes. He'd take this lesson to heart and strive to do better next time. With a wealth of theoretical knowledge, all he needed was practical experience to be invincible.
As he thought about it, he glanced around the pool.
This setting was indeed charming, yet the lighting was oddly bright… While some might prefer such an atmosphere for this sort of affair, both he and the lady were new to this, and even he felt slightly inhibited.
But how to…
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the light in the bathhouse suddenly dimmed.
The previously illuminated hall sank into darkness, only for a soft glow to rise from the pool.
The edges of the chamber shimmered with a vivid, flame-like light, set to the perfect brightness, casting a dreamy haze over the space.
Luo Wusheng blinked in surprise.
He was sure that the broken sword was still retracted into his dantian
He quickly realized what had happened.
Now that the sword had accepted him as its owner, he could control parts of the secret realm, though at a lower level than the sword itself. Adjusting the lighting was well within his power.
'This setup has a nice ambiance.'
In the now-darkened space, Ling Shuangxue found herself slipping back into a more familiar state.
She knew her momentary hesitation had invited more caution from him. And she knew that the more words they exchanged, the longer they delayed, risking the loss of her carefully composed mindset.
Sensing the warmth radiating from the man beside her, Ling Shuangxue exhaled a warm breath.
"…Begin the technique."
Her voice, laced with a faint allure, reached Luo Wusheng's ears.
This was the initial signal from the Joyful Lotus Domain dual cultivation technique, where spiritual power prepared for the upcoming union of yin and yang.
He felt the softness behind him shift to his side, and a gentle force pressed him to sit on the ground.
At that moment, he understood Ling Shuangxue's decision.
The technique they'd recently studied began to flow within him. Without thinking, he grasped her hand, delicate and boneless.
This touch seemed to ignite something.
In each other's minds, fragments of memories surfaced like fuel, fanning the flame in their hearts.
<+>
Note: Link to the character Illustration:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lkIcPnCxeyuyZA4Kkb621dPC05UvWjhD
- - - - - - - - - -
Note: If you want to see more chapters of this story, please join my Patreon[1], for $5 each month, you can read all of the available chapters.
Patreon Account: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024[2]
Latest Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 430: The Reason[3]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-430-140786233[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024
[2] https://www.patreon.com/user?u=93297024
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-430-140786233
[4] https://www.patreon.com/posts/chapter-430-140786233