“……”
Chen Xi ignored him and calmly closed her eyes to meditate.
Yan Zhen felt awkward. This development wasn’t in any script—he had to improvise on the spot. He scooted closer to his beautiful master and gently shook her jade-like legs with both hands, acting just like he used to when spoiling for attention from his mother as a child.
“Master, pay some attention to me. Your disciple knows he was wrong~”
After a good long while, Chen Xi—who had only been pretending to cultivate—finally opened her eyes. Her gaze fixed on Yan Zhen, staring at him until goosebumps prickled his skin, before she finally spoke in a flat tone.
“Do you even have this master in your heart anymore?”
She had reacted! Yan Zhen immediately professed his sincerity.
“I’ve always kept Master right here in my heart.”
Chen Xi let out another cold snort.
“So you don’t have her in your eyes, then?”
Ah, this… Yan Zhen’s mind raced as he rummaged through his mental collection of cheesy lines.
“Of course she’s in my eyes too! I hold her in the palm of my hand, keep her forever on my lips—your disciple has Master’s figure filling every part of him, every moment of the day!”
“Sweet words, but who knows if you’re secretly resenting this master in your heart.” Chen Xi kept her pretty face taut, her eyes sharp as cold blades, looking right through him. “This master was worried about your body, so she refused to help with such brutal forging. But what do you do? You run off and find someone else to do it, treating my words like a breeze in your ears… Have you decided that your gentle, beautiful new mentor is enough, and you don’t need your master anymore? You little ingrate!”
“Master, how could I ever not want you?”
Yan Zhen cried out in protest.
“You helped me unblock every Mystic Gate in my body, taught me techniques and the extreme flame, and showed me the path of art refining. You’ve poured everything into raising me—your grace towers like mountains, your affection runs deeper than oceans. How could I ever forget? I love and respect you most of all, Master. You’re always number one in my heart. No one can compare—not even Grandpa. It’s the honest truth!”
No holds barred, Yan Zhen unleashed a torrent of flattery on his beautiful master to calm her down.
It worked. Her expression softened quite a bit, though she kept up the pretense of anger with a hum.
“Then why won’t you obey?”
“I-I really want to go head-to-head with Big Brother Xiao Mie,” Yan Zhen said, hanging his head. “This is the first time I’ve run into an opponent this tough. I want to seize the chance to hone myself, get stronger, and live up to everything you’ve invested in me.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Master~~~ If you’re still upset, just hit me. Anything but ignoring me.”
As he spoke, Yan Zhen gazed up at his beautiful master with pitiful eyes, like a pet terrified of abandonment.
Chen Xi couldn’t hold out against that look. Her irritation had evaporated ages ago—she’d only kept up the stern face to drive the point home.
“Silly child, how could this master ever ignore you?” Her slender hand ruffled his hair affectionately, and her familiar smile returned. “I’m the one afraid you’ll forget about this master, leave me behind in this Fire Refining Starry Sky.”
“I’d never!” Yan Zhen blurted. “You’re the most important person in my life, Master. I’ll stay by your side forever.”
“Zhen’er…”
It wasn’t some flowery declaration of passion, but the raw sincerity pierced straight to Chen Xi’s heart. Suddenly, nothing else mattered—as long as he was with her.
With that, she extended a pale arm from her flowing sleeve and drew Yan Zhen into her embrace. Her flawless, saintly features pressed gently against his smooth cheek as she closed her eyes, savoring the warmth of his body.
“Zhen’er is this master’s most important person too. We’ll always be together.”
Yan Zhen’s face flushed hot. It hadn’t felt awkward saying it, but hearing her echo it back was embarrassingly sweet.
After a moment’s hesitation, he wrapped his arms around his beautiful master’s slim waist, holding her close.
“I’m sorry, Master. I won’t make you mad again.”
“Mm, good boy.”
Master and disciple savored the tender moment for quite some time.
…
With his beautiful master’s mood settled, Yan Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.
From every perspective, she was the most vital presence in his life. He could never bear to hurt her.
[Ding! System gentle reminder: Host’s behavior in front of Master was too soft and cute, slightly deviating from the protagonist’s persona. Please take note, please take note.]
—System-chan, don’t be so inflexible. You have to know when to adapt. Master was furious—if I didn’t go soft and cute to win her forgiveness, was I supposed to clash with her head-on like iron bars? Come on.
System-chan fell silent for a beat before responding.
【Host has a point. System understands.】
—That’s more like it. You’re learning. Since you’re stuck with me, pick up some social savvy and smarten up that A.I. of yours.
【…Host is a genius.】
—Hey!
Yan Zhen patted his rumbling stomach and headed to the kitchen for a bite.
In the days that followed, Yan Zhen fell back into his old rhythm: straight to the Crystal Stone Space after classes for training under his beautiful master.
Her mystic power lashes cut far sharper than Mentor Yu Xuan’s. Her higher realm gave her an edge, but more than that, her immense spiritual power let her calibrate every strike’s force and Yan Zhen’s absolute limits with surgical precision.
Lash after lash, followed by a soak in the medicinal bath.
Seven days of this, and Yan Zhen sensed his physical strength had climbed to a definite new tier—noticeably tougher than before.
If he wasn’t mistaken, he’d successfully crossed the Body Refining Threshold.
Body refining, like soul refining, encompassed five realms.
Body Refining Entry: vital energy glow, the light shimmering faintly beneath the skin.
Body Refining Minor Accomplishment: blood qi blazes like flame, its glow manifesting on the body’s surface.
Body Refining Mid Accomplishment: blood qi wolf smoke, as if beacon fires had ignited within the organs.
Body Refining Great Accomplishment: blood qi surges to the heavens, its crimson light painting the sky like a lingering sunset.
Body Refining Perfection: fleshly body saint, the body’s might rivaling Mystic Saint power—fists and feet at one with the cosmos, shattering the void.
Having stepped into Body Refining Entry, Yan Zhen’s blood qi now produced a faint glow circulating under his skin.
The light was still too dim to see clearly.
“Strange.”
Yan Zhen frowned in confusion. The script had him just a hair shy of Body Refining Entry at this point—only breaking through during his clash with Xiao Mie. Yet here he was, having slipped into it by accident?
If there was a difference, the script had him lashed only by his beautiful master, while reality started with Mentor Yu Xuan’s beatings before hers. Did the extra session make it more effective?
Whatever. As long as he could unleash the Three Heavy Strikes of Eight Extremes Explosion beyond his current level, it was fine.
Three days remained until his showdown with Xiao Mie. He’d use the time to solidify his gains.
Time slipped by in a flash.
Three days later, Yan Zhen rose early and made his way to the dining hall.
Mi Xue’er was at it again with Xiao Xinyan, though their squabble had taken a new turn.
“Little Brother Yan Zhen is definitely gonna win. Your Big Brother Xiao Mie drops from number one to number three on the board—can’t wait to see you eat crow.”
“Big Brother Xiao Mie won’t lose. Yan Zhen’s tough, sure, but he’s still a ways off. Can’t even tell that much? Pretty boy vase.”
“Heh, wanna bet?”
“Bet! Afraid? Me? Never!”
“Loser handles all the household chores for a month!”
“My win’s in the bag!”
Mi Xue’er said nothing more, eyeing her like an idiot.
Yan Meng’er cast a sympathetic glance Xiao Xinyan’s way.
Yan Ruyu had seen the outcome in her dreams long ago.
Mentor Yu Xuan tried to intervene.
“Xin Yan, maybe let it go?”
Xiao Xinyan sounded a bit aggrieved.
“Even you think Yan Zhen can win, Mentor? That’s way too much faith in him.”
Mentor Yu Xuan just smiled and said nothing.
