Chapter 86:
“…”
Chen Xi remained silent, her eyes closed as she continued meditating.
Awkward silence filled the chamber. This scenario wasn’t in the script. He had to improvise. He shuffled closer to his Beautiful Sect Master and gently shook her leg, like a child pleading with their mother.
“Master~ Please talk to me. I know I was wrong~”
After a long silence, Chen Xi finally opened her eyes, her gaze piercing. She stared at him, making him squirm under her scrutiny, before speaking in a cool, even tone.
“Do you even care about this master anymore?”
She’s reacting! Progress! Yan Zhen quickly declared his loyalty. “You’re always in my heart, Master.”
She scoffed. “So not in your eyes then?”
Oh, no! Think fast! He frantically searched his mind for cheesy pickup lines. “Of course you’re in my eyes, Master! And in my hands, and in my mouth! Every part of me, every moment of my existence, is filled with your presence!”
“Smooth talker. You’re probably cursing me in your mind right now.” Her expression remained stern, her eyes sharp and accusing, as if she could see right through him. “I refused to help you with such a brutal training method because I was worried about your body. And what did you do? You went and found someone else to help you, ignoring my words completely… Have you found a new, younger, prettier instructor and decided you don’t need this old master anymore? You ungrateful little wolf!”
“Master, how could I possibly not want you?” Yan Zhen cried out, feeling utterly wronged. “You helped me open my meridians, taught me cultivation techniques and bestowed upon me your Extreme Flame. You’ve shared your knowledge of Mystic Refining and dedicated yourself to my growth. Your kindness is as vast as the mountains, your love as deep as the ocean. How could I ever forget that? I love you and respect you more than anyone, Master! You’ll always hold the first place in my heart, above everyone else, even my grandfather! I mean it!”
He didn’t care if it sounded cheesy. He just needed to shower her with compliments and soothe her anger.
As expected, her expression softened, though she continued to feign displeasure. “Then why didn’t you listen to me?”
“I… I really want to face Xiao Mie head-on.” He lowered his head. “This is the first time I’ve encountered such a strong opponent. I want to use this opportunity to hone my skills, to become stronger, to live up to your expectations, Master.”
“Hmm.”
“Master~ If you’re still angry, you can hit me. Just please don’t ignore me.” He looked up at her with pleading eyes, like a puppy afraid of being abandoned.
Chen Xi’s heart melted. Her anger had long dissipated. She had only been putting on a show to make him understand the seriousness of his actions.
“Silly child, how could I ever ignore you?” She gently stroked his head, her smile returning. “I’m just afraid you will ignore me, leaving me forgotten in this Fire Refining Starry Sky.”
“I would never!” he blurted out. “You’re the most important person to me, Master. I’ll always be with you.”
“Zhen’er…”
His heartfelt confession, devoid of any romantic implications, struck a chord within her. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. As long as he was by her side, everything would be alright.
She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close, her flawless face pressed against his. She closed her eyes, savoring his warmth.
“You’re the most important person to me too, Zhen’er. And I’ll always be with you.”
Yan Zhen’s face flushed. Hearing her echo his words made him feel strangely shy.
Hesitantly, he returned her embrace, his arms circling her slender waist.
“I’m sorry, Master. I won’t make you angry again.”
“Good boy.”
They held each other for a long time, their silence speaking volumes.
…
Having successfully appeased his Beautiful Sect Master, Yan Zhen felt a wave of relief.
No matter how he looked at it, she was the most important person in his life. He couldn’t bear to hurt her.
[Ding! Friendly System Reminder: The Host’s behavior towards his master is excessively soft and adorable, deviating from the established protagonist persona. Please be advised. Please be advised.]
— System, don’t be so rigid! You need to be flexible! My master was angry! If I hadn’t acted cute and apologetic, do you think I could have won her forgiveness? Honestly!
After a brief pause, the system responded.
[The Host’s reasoning is sound. The system understands.]
— Good. Since you’re stuck with me, you might as well learn a thing or two about human relationships and improve your AI.
[…The Host is incredibly wise.]
— Hey!
His stomach rumbling, Yan Zhen headed to the kitchen in search of food.
…
The next few days passed in a similar fashion. After school, he would immediately enter the Crystal Stone Space to train under his Beautiful Sect Master’s guidance.
Her Mystic Power beatings were far more effective than Instructor Yu Xuan’s. Not only was she more powerful, but her exceptional control over Spiritual Power allowed her to precisely adjust the intensity of her attacks, pushing him to his absolute limit without causing lasting harm.
Beatings, followed by medicinal baths.
After a week of this grueling training, Yan Zhen sensed a distinct shift in his body, a clear improvement in his physical strength.
If he wasn’t mistaken, he had finally crossed the threshold into the realm of Body Tempering.
Like Soul Refining, Body Tempering also had five stages:
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Initial Stage: Blood and Qi Radiance – A faint glow emanates from beneath the skin.
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Minor Completion: Blood and Qi as Flames – A visible fiery aura surrounds the body.
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Intermediate Completion: Blood and Qi as Smoke Signals – The internal organs blaze like signal fires.
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Major Completion: Blood and Qi Piercing the Heavens – A crimson glow, like the setting sun, illuminates a corner of the sky.
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Perfection: Saintly Physique – Physical strength rivals that of a Mystic Saint. Fists and feet can shatter the void, their power reaching the heavens.
Having entered the initial stage, a faint, warm glow now flowed beneath his skin.
It was still too weak to be clearly visible.
“Strange.”
He was puzzled. The script stated that at this point, he would still be a hair’s breadth away from reaching the initial stage, only achieving the breakthrough during his duel with Xiao Mie. How had he already crossed the threshold?
The only difference was that in the script, he had only been trained by his Beautiful Sect Master. In reality, he had endured beatings from both Instructor Yu Xuan and his Beautiful Sect Master. Could it be that the combination was more effective?
Well, as long as I can use the Triple Burst “Eight Extremes Explosion” without any problems.
Three days remained until his duel with Xiao Mie. He would use the remaining time to consolidate his strength.
…
Time flew by.
Three days later, Yan Zhen woke up early and made his way to the dining room.
As usual, Mi Xue’er was arguing with Xiao Xinyan. However, the topic of their argument was different this time.
“Little Brother Yan Zhen will definitely win! Your precious Brother Xiao Mie is about to drop from first place to third! Let’s see how smug you are then!”
“Brother Xiao Mie will never lose! Yan Zhen might be strong, but he’s still no match for Brother Xiao Mie! You can’t even see that! Typical airhead!”
“Heh, wanna bet?”
“Bring it on! I’m not afraid of you!”
“The loser does all the chores for a month!”
“I’m going to win for sure!”
Mi Xue’er didn’t bother arguing further, only giving her a look that clearly said, “You poor, delusional fool.”
Yan Meng’er also looked at Xiao Xinyan with pity.
Yan Ruyu, too, had long foreseen the outcome of the duel.
Instructor Yu Xuan attempted to intervene. “Xinyan, maybe you should reconsider…”
Xiao Xinyan pouted. “Do you also think Yan Zhen will win, Instructor? You have too much faith in him.”
Instructor Yu Xuan simply smiled, her silence speaking volumes.
