Chapter 314: Testing in Secret, Awakening and Confidential Talks
Lin Tianlu’s expression turned serious, and he asked in a deep voice:
“What are you trying to do, Miss Youluo?”
“You’ve already seen it, Master Lin, why bother asking?”
The smile on Youluo’s face became even more seductive and sinister, a cold glint in her eyes: “Naturally, I’m here to take a look at the secrets hidden within the eight clans’ secret realm while you’re all resting.”
Lin Tianlu stared at her intently for a moment.
After a period of silence, Youluo couldn’t help but chuckle softly: “What? Do you really not believe what you just saw, Master Lin? Do you think I have some ulterior motive for sneaking around like this?”
“With your personality, Miss, it wouldn’t be surprising.”
Lin Tianlu sighed helplessly.
“After all, you’re quite curious, and seeing the eight clans’ secret realm, which everyone desires, right before your eyes, and with Miss Chi unconscious, you naturally couldn’t resist taking a peek.”
Youluo’s eyes flickered, and she chuckled: “You don’t suspect me of having ulterior motives, Master Lin, of secretly colluding with some faction, trying to get my hands on the eight clans’ secret realm first?”
“If you truly had ulterior motives, Miss, you wouldn’t have made such a commotion and let me notice so easily.”
Lin Tianlu released her wrist and said seriously: “But the eight clans’ secret realm is a relic of our predecessors, and Miss Chi has diligently guarded it for four thousand years. I hope you won’t do anything reckless, Miss Youluo.”
Youluo frowned slightly and rubbed her wrist resentfully.
After a moment of thought, she sighed softly: “You really trust me.”
“I’ve been traveling with you along the way, Miss, I can see your true nature clearly.” Lin Tianlu put on a serious expression: “But don’t betray our trust.”
“…Sigh!”
Youluo sighed deeply and muttered: “I understand, there’s no need to repeat yourself.”
Seeing that she had relented, Lin Tianlu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it hadn’t escalated into an unnecessary conflict, at least for now—
“—Just kidding~”
But at this moment, Youluo suddenly grinned mischievously, her figure dissipating like a bubble.
Lin Tianlu’s expression froze.
Then, he sighed helplessly, preparing to capture her by force.
But at that very moment, as if sensing something, he paused and instinctively reached behind him.
“Don’t.”
Slap!
His hand sank into something soft and incredibly supple, making him freeze.
Youluo, who had been approaching him from behind with a playful smile, froze, her movements stopping abruptly.
“Cough!”
Lin Tianlu reacted quickly, retracting his left hand with lightning speed, about to apologize.
But Youluo calmly straightened her slightly disheveled clothes, a faint blush on her cheeks, and said softly: “I wanted to tease you a bit more, Master Lin, but I didn’t expect you to see through my trick so easily. How disappointing.”
“Uh, I apologize for my rudeness just now, Miss, please don’t mind.”
“I was deliberately trying to distract you, why did you react so honestly?”
Youluo chuckled softly, a hint of flirtation in her eyes: “There’s no need to apologize for playing around with me, Master Lin. It’s you constantly holding back that makes me feel a bit embarrassed.”
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but laugh: “So you weren’t actually trying to open the secret realm just now, Miss, but to attack me?”
“I just wanted to see if you would panic when faced with a surprise attack, Master Lin.”
Youluo sighed, a disappointed look on her face: “I didn’t expect you to react so quickly, I couldn’t even touch you.”
“Then what about the secret realm just now…”
“Although I was curious, since you were angry, Master Lin, I naturally wouldn’t continue to probe.” She sighed and looked up at him with sweet and gentle eyes: “If I truly angered you, I’m afraid you would easily destroy me with just a few moves.”
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but chuckle.
This woman’s personality was still so unpredictable.
“Now that we’re done playing around, you should go back and rest, Miss.”
“Hmph~ Don’t you find this pond quite warm and pleasant, Master Lin, just like a hot spring?”
But Youluo smiled and stirred the water with her hand: “The moonlight is beautiful, and the atmosphere is just right, why don’t we enjoy ourselves here for a while?”
Lin Tianlu paused slightly.
Only then did he realize that Youluo’s entire body was soaked, her black and gold silk robe clinging tightly to her skin, the satin sash around her waist and abdomen, the semi-transparent fabric accentuating her voluptuous and sexy figure, her alluring curves clearly outlined, as if she were draped in a faint moonlight, shimmering and translucent.
“Hu~”
Youluo seemed to sense his gaze, a blush appearing on her cheeks, and she smiled charmingly, scooping up some water and letting it slide down her arm and chest, dripping back into the pond. The silk robe floating on the water surface swayed, revealing her smooth and round thighs, their plump curves like pudding, incredibly seductive and alluring.
“How about it? Would you like to join me in the water, Master Lin, and enjoy a bit of—”
“Don’t soak for too long, Miss, don’t catch a cold!”
Lin Tianlu immediately put on a serious expression and cupped his hands: “If you notice anything unusual, just call out, I’ll be waiting in the peach blossom garden outside.”
Saying this, he hurriedly left the pond.
Youluo blinked repeatedly, staring blankly at Lin Tianlu as he hurriedly left, shaking the water off his clothes without looking back.
“…”
After a while, she tilted her head listlessly, letting out a series of wry chuckles.
“This fool, he doesn’t appreciate a woman’s beauty at all. He could have at least stopped and said a few words of praise, what a waste of effort.”
She smoothed her skirt, which was floating on the water, and chuckled: “I even soaked myself for him, wasn’t that just asking for trouble?”
However—
Having her body touched by this boy, she wondered who was truly at a disadvantage.
Her face flushed, and she couldn’t help but giggle softly.
“This clueless bookworm!”
After sighing inwardly, Youluo gradually calmed down, raising her head and looking towards where the halo had dissipated, a glint appearing in her eyes.
“These eight clans have been hiding for so many years, I didn’t expect the entrance to the secret realm they’ve been seeking for thousands of years to be hidden in such a barren mountain, truly unpredictable.”
A look of reminiscence and mockery appeared on her face.
“How powerful and influential the eight clans were thousands of years ago, yet they’ve ended up in such a desolate and insignificant state, relying on past favors to protect their secret realm and tombs for four thousand years, truly laughable and pathetic.”
“If I could, I would really like to pry open the gate to the secret realm and see how pitiful you eight clans look inside your tombs.”
Youluo flicked her fingers, creating ripples on the water, and lowered her eyes, chuckling self-deprecatingly.
“However, my current situation is probably no different from yours.”
She looked at the entrance to the secret realm close at hand, staring silently for a long time.
In the end, only a soft sigh escaped her lips.
“Forget it, that scholar saw through my thoughts, and instead of exposing me, he showed understanding and tolerance. If I continued to probe and test him, I might truly hurt his feelings.”
Youluo touched her lips, which were glistening with water droplets, a warmth spreading through her heart for no reason. She closed her eyes with a chuckle, spread her arms, and leaned back into the pond.
“Wan Sheng Immortal Sect, Northern Yu Divine Palace… I truly haven’t followed the wrong person.”
“With the ancient realm and the Netherworld gradually revealing themselves, a great storm is brewing in the demon and ghost world.”
“And the Luo Xing—”
In the gradually calming pond, Youluo opened her eyes, her expression calm and silent, like a ghost submerged in water.
“Resting on your laurels, ignorant of the outside world, can you truly seize this opportunity?”
…
Two days passed quietly, the sun setting and the moon rising, the dreamlike moonscape of the mountain peak reappearing.
During this time, Lin Tianlu and his group continued to stay in the mountain palace. Although the living conditions couldn’t compare to those in the town, Mao Ruoyu and Cheng Yishi weren’t delicate young ladies who couldn’t endure hardship. They even had time to clean the stone palace, resting at sunset and being active during the day, adapting quite well.
Thankfully, Immortal Phoenix Mountain hadn’t been targeted by the ancient realm or other factions yet and remained peaceful, the anticipated threat hadn’t arrived.
And according to Chi Lingyuan, the eight clans’ secret realm would be completely sealed in just one day, remaining closed for thousands of years, bringing peace of mind.
“But I wonder when those two will wake up.”
Lin Tianlu rubbed his chin, sitting at the stone table in the garden, idly playing with the Go stones.
It had been two days since Chi Lingyuan fell into a coma, she was still unconscious.
To learn about the secrets of the past, he had to wait patiently—
“I didn’t expect you to be thinking of me after just meeting me, Master Lin.”
A soft and seductive chuckle echoed from beside him, bringing a captivating fragrance of fine wine, refreshing and invigorating.
Lin Tianlu exclaimed softly and turned to look, seeing a familiar and voluptuous figure approaching gracefully, a beautiful jade pot in her hand, which she placed on the stone table with a smile.
“Miss Chi?!”
He couldn’t help but look surprised: “You’ve recovered?”
The beautiful face before him was indeed Chi Lingyuan, who had been unconscious in the stone palace for the past two days.
“I just woke up, my body is still weak and tired, so I came out for some fresh air.”
Chi Lingyuan smiled faintly. Her usually rosy skin was still slightly pale, her golden eyelashes trembling slightly, a lazy and weak look in her eyes that she hadn’t had before, making one want to cherish and protect her.
Lin Tianlu quickly stood up and helped her sit down opposite him.
“You should be more careful, Miss Chi, don’t overexert yourself.”
“I’m not that fragile.”
Chi Lingyuan chuckled softly, touching her long, red hair: “It’s quite interesting to experience this feeling of weakness for once.”
Lin Tianlu frowned: “I didn’t know that your act of kindness would have such a severe backlash, Miss Chi. How are you feeling now?”
“There’s no need to worry.”
Chi Lingyuan leaned against the stone table, resting her chin on her hand, and said softly and sweetly: “Although I transferred all my Extreme Profound Energy, it was my own cultivation. I’ll recover completely in ten days or half a month.
If it meant sacrificing half my life, I would have thought twice before helping~”
Seeing her still smiling gently, Lin Tianlu felt relieved.
“It’s good that you’re alright, Miss.”
“Helping you wasn’t a bad thing for me either.”
Chi Lingyuan smiled like an innocent young girl, taking out two delicate porcelain cups and filling them with clear and fragrant wine.
Lin Tianlu sniffed the aroma and asked in surprise: “This wine is…”
“I usually cultivate quietly in this mountain, and occasionally, I’ll have a few sips to relax.” Chi Lingyuan’s golden eyes flickered, and she smiled softly: “Try it, how does it taste?”
“Thank you, Miss.”
Faced with her generous hospitality, Lin Tianlu quickly raised his cup and took a sip.
Feeling the warmth spreading through his throat and the unique and wonderful taste and aroma, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of joy, exclaiming: “This is truly good wine!”
“Do you usually drink, Master Lin?”
“I rarely drink, only during gatherings and banquets.” Lin Tianlu looked at the clear and clean wine in his cup, marveling: “But this wine, Miss, is the most amazing I’ve tasted recently.”
He had also tasted many fine wines brewed from spiritual herbs and medicines in Lunar Valley.
But unlike those rich and nourishing wines with natural aromas, this one was sweeter and smoother, like sugar water or honey, yet also clear and refreshing. A sip made him feel comfortable and refreshed, as if his entire body was soaking in a warm spring, a warm flame flickering in his belly.
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but ask curiously: “Where did you buy this wine, Miss? Or did you brew it yourself in this mountain?”
“I made it myself in my free time.”
Chi Lingyuan narrowed her golden eyes slightly, a playful and teasing smile appearing on her lips: “But the most important ingredient in this wine is… phoenix saliva.”
“Phoenix saliva?”
Lin Tianlu was stunned.
After realizing what she meant, he quickly put down his cup with a subtle expression.
“—Miss, I think I’ll retract my previous praise.”
Seeing his awkward expression, Chi Lingyuan couldn’t help but chuckle: “You find my saliva so disgusting, Master Lin? You just praised the wine moments ago~”
“…”
Lin Tianlu was speechless, his face stiff.
He didn’t even know how to respond.
He had never known that saliva could be used to brew wine.
“Alright, there’s no need to be so concerned. My saliva, after transforming into my phoenix form, isn’t dirty or impure. Your expression hurts my feelings, Master Lin~”
“Cough! I don’t find it disgusting.” Lin Tianlu touched his lips and chuckled awkwardly: “As long as you don’t mind—”
“If I minded, why would I offer it to you?”
Chi Lingyuan smiled seductively, and her delicate, bare feet under the stone table playfully brushed against his legs: “Seeing you enjoy it so much makes me very happy, it’s the first time in thousands of years.”
This seductive gesture made Lin Tianlu gasp.
This wasn’t the noble and transcendent Chihuang Phoenix at all, but more like a clingy and seductive fox spirit, her every smile, frown, and gesture filled with alluring charm. If he wasn’t careful, he might be completely captivated.
But it wasn’t a deliberate or pretentious act, but rather a charm honed over thousands of years, like aged wine, becoming more mature, fragrant, and seductive with the passage of time.
Four thousand years of seclusion and self-cultivation had also given her the innocence and purity of a young girl, her eyes sparkling with sincerity and brightness.
Such a beauty, even without her extraordinary cultivation, was enough to captivate the world, her charm and allure enough to cause chaos and disorder.
Lin Tianlu took a deep breath to calm himself, and after a moment of thought, he broke the silence: “I don’t mean to overthink things, but since the moment we met, you seem to be particularly close to me, Miss. Could you explain why?”
“Ah… so you’re concerned about that.”
Chi Lingyuan’s golden eyes shimmered with a gentle light, and she rested her chin on her hand, murmuring: “However, if you’re asking for a reason, I can’t give you a definite answer right now.”
Lin Tianlu was surprised: “Why?”
“You should know, sir, that I’ve been asleep for four thousand years.”
Chi Lingyuan took a sip of wine, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks, and explained softly: “Since I woke up, my mind has been hazy and empty. I only remember some simple impressions of ancient times, but I don’t know what happened to make me fall asleep, lose my cultivation, and even damage my phoenix origin.”
“But if I see something familiar, I still have some vague impressions. For example, when I saw the Heart Sea Soul Pendant, I knew how to help repair and nurture it.”
Chi Lingyuan looked at him intently, her lips moving slightly: “And when I saw you, I felt a strange sense of familiarity, making me let go of my guard and trust and rely on you completely.”
There were such strange and inexplicable things in this world?
Lin Tianlu was even more surprised.
“But I was just an ordinary mortal in the past, only twenty years old since birth, it seems unlikely that I have any connection with you, Miss… could it be related to the Wan Sheng Immortal Sect?”
“Yes, or perhaps not, both are possible.”
Chi Lingyuan quickly regained her lazy and seductive smile: “However, I don’t care much about those vague memories from the past. Now, being able to see your face and talk to you makes me feel warm and comfortable, and that’s enough.”
Lin Tianlu couldn’t help but chuckle: “You’re quite open-minded and optimistic, Miss.”
Chi Lingyuan chuckled softly: “If I dwelled on everything, I would have gone crazy in the past four thousand years~”
This otherworldly and carefree state of mind, befitting her extraordinary martial arts realm, was truly admirable.
However—
“I still have one question.”
Lin Tianlu gestured towards the garden beside them, puzzled: “Did you personally create this peach blossom garden, these stone tables and stools, Miss?”
“Indeed.”
Chi Lingyuan nodded slightly and said frankly: “I’ve had similar dreams every night for the past four thousand years, sometimes long, sometimes short, but I always wake up in this peach blossom garden. And in the seat you’re sitting in, there’s a blurry figure of a white-haired expert, I—”
As she said this, she suddenly froze, staring blankly at the man before her.
Lin Tianlu was slightly confused, but he quickly reacted, a look of surprise and uncertainty appearing on his face.
Could this garden… truly be related to him?
