“Oh? The reward’s here?”
Ye Luqing raised an eyebrow and sat up from the bed.
With a thought, the system page opened before her.
Inside the inventory, a blue spirit essence stood out prominently.
“This is…”
She focused her intent on the essence and immediately saw its description.
【Water-Wood Infant】
【An indispensable “Form Infant” for breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage. Can be directly used after refining.】
“Ah, this…”
Ye Luqing’s mouth hung open slightly. She hadn’t expected the System to just give her a Form Infant.
And for some reason, she felt an inexplicable affinity with this Water-Wood Infant, as if refining it with her true spiritual power and true qi would produce exactly this template.
This truly was a good item. She had just checked the prices of the “Yang Essence of the Sun” and “Lunar Yin Qi” in the Corruption Value shop, and combined they cost nearly a thousand points.
But she still sensed something off.
“What does this have to do with dealing with Xiao Qingxuan?”
She had asked the System for compensation to handle Xiao Qingxuan.
Could there be some hidden trick within the Form Infant?
“Forget it, having it is better than nothing…”
She muttered, summoning the Form Infant into reality and beginning the refinement.
The next day, early morning.
Ye Luqing let out a huge yawn.
She had stayed up all night refining the Form Infant. Fortunately, the process went smoothly, and she successfully imprinted it with her aura.
As for the next step—fusing the Form Infant with her consciousness—it would take longer and required a secluded environment free from disturbance.
That was because after fusing the Form Infant with her consciousness, she would need to immediately release it outward, roam the world, absorb the world’s qi, and attempt to perceive the Power of Heaven and Earth.
This step was extremely critical. How well one perceived the Power of Heaven and Earth would affect future progress toward the Spirit Transformation stage.
The manifestation of Spirit Transformation’s status, “Power of Heaven and Earth,” required a solid foundation laid during the Nascent Soul stage.
Ye Luqing stood up and stretched lazily. Conservatively estimated, the process of fusing the Form Infant and sensing the Power of Heaven and Earth would take at least a full day and night.
With only four days left until the Sect Grand Tournament, she still had many things to do.
For instance, learning offensive techniques and divine abilities, strengthening her coordination with Little Ying, training Pei Ruyi—ah, no, she meant making good use of Pei Ruyi. All of these would boost her combat power more than breaking through to Nascent Soul.
For Ye Luqing, she already possessed Nascent Soul–level spiritual power and true qi. Even if she broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, she would only be at the early stage, and her Nascent Soul wouldn’t have transformed into a primordial spirit yet, so its uses were quite limited.
Thinking this, she went to the master bedroom where Ying Qianqian had rested the previous night.
Little Ying was still asleep. The extra practice yesterday had taken a heavy toll on this Golden Core Peak Stage junior sister; a simple bath couldn’t fully restore her.
Golden Core cultivators usually didn’t need sleep unless their spiritual power was greatly depleted.
Now that Ying Qianqian had slept so long, she was about seventy to eighty percent recovered.
“Little Ying, time to wake up.”
Ye Luqing pinched Ying Qianqian’s small cheek. Knowing her junior sister’s diligent nature, sleeping too long would only make her feel guilty.
“Mm…”
Ying Qianqian rubbed her sleepy eyes and looked up in a daze.
“Senior Sister Ye?”
Since breaking through to Golden Core, she rarely rested. It was the first time she’d slept so deeply.
Seeing Ye Luqing already dressed, sitting beside her with a smile, chin propped on her hand as she watched, Ying Qianqian immediately felt two blushes rush to her cheeks.
“Last night… I couldn’t have slept with Senior Sister Ye, could I?” she wondered.
She subconsciously touched the edge of the bed. The spot her hand reached was indeed cold.
Moreover, only her own aura lingered on the bed.
Noticing Ying Qianqian’s little movement, Ye Luqing chuckled lightly:
“I didn’t sleep here last night. I cultivated in the side room.”
“Oh, I see…”
Ying Qianqian’s brows lowered slightly, her expression somewhat disappointed.
Seeing this, Ye Luqing’s mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
This little junior sister actually wanted to sleep with her? And she still wanted to top her, huh.
Her Corruption Value was only at Phase 1 but not yet full. If it reached the later stages, wouldn’t she really end up getting topped?
At this thought, Ye Luqing suddenly felt uneasy. She immediately stood up, ready to leave.
“During the day, we’ll practice separately. Little Ying, you continue studying spell arrays. I need to work on offensive techniques too.”
“Same time tonight, at the White Jade Platform.”
With that, Ye Luqing circulated her true qi and flew off into the distance.
Because she left in such a fluster, she completely missed Ying Qianqian’s trembling body and increasingly flushed cheeks.
The excuse that Senior Sister Ye cultivated in the side room last night naturally wasn’t something Ying Qianqian believed.
From the way Senior Sister Ye often patted her head and pinched her cheeks, it was clear she liked her. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have bathed together last night.
Even though she liked her, she only engaged in light teasing, never taking advantage in intimate situations like sleeping together.
Such a gentlemanly, upright manner greatly fueled Ying Qianqian’s desire to “bully” her.
A senior sister unwilling to lay a hand on her own junior sister—if forced to sleep with her, or even “accidentally” deflowered by her…
Clearly reluctant yet helplessly succumbing to the most primal desires, letting originally ambiguous feelings swell boundlessly.
The moment she imagined that chivalrous, self-controlled Senior Sister Ye turning into a blushing mess, powerless against desire and falling into corruption, Ying Qianqian became so turned on she couldn’t control herself.
And given Senior Sister Ye’s personality, after such an incident, she would definitely take responsibility for her.
That way, she could get Senior Sister Ye before Xiao Qingxuan.
With that thought, she lay back down on the bed, pressing the blanket beneath her.
She clamped the blanket tightly between her legs, burying her head into it as well, breathing heavily as if trying to catch any trace of Ye Luqing’s scent within.
“Huff… huff…”
“Senior Sister Ye… Senior Sister…”
Looking at the system notification, Ye Luqing fell into deep thought.
【Detected Ying Qianqian’s Corruption Value has increased to 63% (Phase 1)】
What the hell.
Why did it increase even without sleeping together?
And just going to wake her up was enough to raise the Corruption Value by 10%?
“I can’t let Little Ying stay in my courtyard anymore…”
Last time Ying Qianqian wanted to stay overnight, Ye Luqing tactfully refused. Now it seemed that was truly the right choice.
If she had really let her sleep there, she’d definitely get hit with “Junior Sister’s Forbidden Massage 2.”
“Not just sleeping, bathing is off-limits too.”
Last night she got away with it because Ying Qianqian had no energy. Otherwise, those little hands would’ve outdone her in the bathtub.
She sighed and descended from Azure Sky Peak, heading toward Heavenly Sword Peak.
She had just visited the White Jade Platform to review the One Qi Sword Art she learned last night, only to find the effect greatly diminished.
Without Xiao Qingxuan’s sword qi and guidance, the sword art she performed was utterly unsightly.
An originally Profound-Tier Superior sword art in her hands couldn’t even compare to a Yellow-grade Superior one.
After mulling it over, Ye Luqing decided to go to Heavenly Sword Peak to find Xiao Qingxuan.
With a bit of luck, she might even manage to raise this Destined Female Lead’s Blackening Value.
