Ye Luqing’s consciousness slowly withdrew from the sword diagram, and she gradually woke up.
She was delighted to discover that her Sword Intent was already halfway formed!
“Could I be a genius in the way of the sword too?”
A smug smile tugged at the corner of her lips. At this rate, if she used her nightly sleep time to practice swordsmanship, she was confident she could train the One Qi Sword Art to the Minor Achievement stage before the Grand Tournament.
If she kept at her previous pace, it would take two or three months to reach Minor Achievement, and by then, the Grand Tournament would be long over.
Ye Luqing looked over at Ying Qianqian beside her, noticing the pink-haired girl breathing softly, a fine sheen of sweat on her forehead, but her blue eyes were exceptionally bright.
Why did Ying Qianqian look even more tired than her?
A little puzzled, she asked, “Little Ying, you…”
Ying Qianqian smiled sheepishly and returned the Seven Emotions Branch to Ye Luqing.
“I was cultivating just now. I think I overdid it a bit.”
Cultivating the sword path was also cultivation, so it wasn’t exactly a lie.
“I see.”
Ye Luqing nodded slightly and hefted the Seven Emotions Branch. Finding it had absorbed quite a few emotions and was heavier than before, she didn’t doubt Ying Qianqian’s words.
“By the way, Senior Sister Ye, could we move our practice time a bit earlier tomorrow, maybe to the afternoon?” Ying Qianqian asked.
“Earlier? Why?”
“I feel like the auxiliary formations for the Yin-Yang Meridian Array are almost ready.” Ying Qianqian’s eyes flickered to the left. “And… I want to practice some other things at night.”
Ye Luqing paused, then understood.
‘She saw me practicing swordsmanship and wants to find something besides Formation Arts to supplement her skills too?’
With that thought, Ye Luqing readily agreed.
“Mm, no problem. We’ll practice in the afternoon tomorrow.”
“If you have any trouble with formations, you can come find me anytime.”
She ruffled Ying Qianqian’s little head. Her talent in the Formation Arts lineage was the only thing she could use to help Little Ying now.
Ying Qianqian didn’t stay in the courtyard but immediately returned to the White Jade Platform.
Her progress with the Yin-Yang Meridian Array wasn’t as “almost ready” as she had claimed; it already required a massive amount of practice time.
And now she had to learn the One Qi Sword Art on top of it, so naturally, she had to redouble her efforts.
Her goal was to carve out half a shichen each day to cultivate the One Qi Sword Art while fully comprehending the Yin-Yang Meridian Array, ensuring she could push this sword art to the Major Achievement or even Perfection stage by the Grand Tournament.
If her sword was to be drawn, it would be drawn to shock the world!
…………
Jade Water Lakeside, late afternoon, three quarters past the hour of Wei.
Pei Ruyi came to Ye Luqing’s courtyard as promised.
Since Ye Luqing had raised her Corruption Value to the second stage the day before, Pei Ruyi’s desire, which had been on the verge of erupting into self-destruction, had suddenly subsided, replaced by an emptiness that craved orders.
Ye Luqing leaned against the doorframe, looking at Pei Ruyi outside the courtyard with an amused half-smile.
The next moment, Pei Ruyi’s data flashed before her eyes.
[Name: Pei Ruyi]
[Cultivation: Early Nascent Soul Stage]
[Blackening Value: 0%]
[Devilification Value: 0%]
[Corruption Value: 12% (Second Stage)]
In just half a day, Pei Ruyi’s Corruption Value had increased by 11%.
This value wasn’t just due to her betrayal of Xiao Qingxuan at the Sword Testing Platform. As someone with a huge gap between her cold exterior and passionate interior, she would also self-justify her actions.
Entering the house, Ye Luqing activated the Dual Cultivation True Qi she had prepared in advance. The room was instantly filled with a strange, flowery fragrance.
Pei Ruyi frowned slightly and instinctively held her breath.
As a Sword Cultivator, her Sword Heart was frantically warning her of the danger in this place.
However, Ye Luqing simply walked up to Pei Ruyi, extended a jade-like finger, and lightly poked Pei Ruyi’s taut, well-trained lower abdomen.
In the next second, Pei Ruyi’s defense instantly crumbled.
“Mmph… ah…”
It was a sword body forged through countless trials, yet Ye Luqing had effortlessly poked through its weak point. Just as she was about to hold her breath again, the emotions in her mind felt as if they had been stirred, making it impossible to stay calm.
The Six Desires Triggering Array—for the current Pei Ruyi, being controlled was just a matter of a single thought from Ye Luqing.
As copious amounts of Dual Cultivation True Qi were inhaled into her body and flowed into her Dantian Qi Sea, Pei Ruyi’s expression became increasingly alluring.
“Junior Sister Ye, your… your methods are definitely not of the Righteous Path. Come with me now to confess to Senior Sister Xiao, and there’s still time…”
As if clinging to her last shred of clarity, Pei Ruyi, her face flushed crimson, gritted her teeth and forced the words out.
Ye Luqing extended her hand, and Pei Ruyi subconsciously cooperated by lowering her head and bringing her face closer.
Her mouth spoke of stubbornness, but her body was exceedingly honest.
From the upright, aloof Sword Cultivator who had just entered the door to the exquisitely charming, wanton immortal before her, it had only taken a few breaths.
Seeing this scene, for a fleeting moment, Ye Luqing understood Ying Qianqian’s pleasure.
However, her attention was now focused on Pei Ruyi’s words.
“Heh… Senior Sister Xiao, still thinking about that Senior Sister Xiao of yours.”
A shadow flickered across Ye Luqing’s face. She didn’t want to hear Xiao Qingxuan’s name right now.
“You really need to be properly controlled.”
“Your master is right in front of you, and you still dare to mention another woman’s name.”
The hand caressing Pei Ruyi’s pretty face slid through locks of ink-black hair and wrapped around the back of her neck.
With a slight pull, she drew Pei Ruyi’s head closer.
Their foreheads touched. Looking at this body, so similar in form to Xiao Qingxuan’s, Ye Luqing let out a cold laugh.
“Since you like Xiao Qingxuan so much, I’ll grant your wish today.”
She took out Xiao Qingxuan’s clothes and personally dressed Pei Ruyi in them.
In addition, she brought out a white lace ribbon, using it to cover Pei Ruyi’s eyes.
The ribbon emitted a faint, alluring fragrance of Verdant Wood Flowers, inviting speculation as to where exactly the ribbon had been taken from.
“Gulp!”
The moment the ribbon covered her, Pei Ruyi felt her sight was completely blinded. Her Nascent Soul stage mental energy seemed entirely sealed, unable to probe the outside world.
This was no ordinary ribbon, but a ribbon imbued with the power of the Dual Cultivation secret technique, the “Binding Silk Art.”
Strands of silk condensed from Dual Cultivation True Qi intertwined, forming a large pink net that directly covered Pei Ruyi’s Spiritual Platform.
Her instincts sensed the danger, but the wisps of Dual Cultivation True Qi made her unable to stop.
By the time she realized it, her four senses besides sight had degraded to the level of an ordinary human’s.
“Come.”
Ye Luqing took Pei Ruyi’s hand and led her to the center of the empty room.
With her mental energy sealed and unable to perceive her surroundings, Pei Ruyi felt as if she were locked in a pitch-black room where she couldn’t see her own hand.
Coupled with the Six Desires Triggering Array amplifying the fear in her heart, she now lacked a sense of security to an extreme degree, stumbling and staggering behind Ye Luqing.
Biting her red lip, she desperately clutched Ye Luqing’s hand, as if trying to hold onto the only candle in the dark.
But Ye Luqing deliberately pulled her hand away, watching Pei Ruyi fumble in panic.
“Junior Sister Ye…”
“Junior Sister Ye… where are you…”
“Don’t… don’t leave me…”
With her eyes covered, Pei Ruyi’s blue irises were hidden, making her look even more like Xiao Qingxuan.
Watching “Xiao Qingxuan” so utterly discomposed filled Ye Luqing with a dark thrill.
A few minutes later, listening to the calls that gradually became tinged with sobs, she finally took Pei Ruyi’s hand again.
She had been left long enough. It was time to begin the next step.
