“Master, when are we going to start learning the movement technique?”
“Zhen’er, don’t be impatient. This Master will teach you right now. Look up.”
Yan Zhen tilted his head back and gazed upward. Above the altar floated sphere after sphere of varying colors. Some glowed brightly, while others remained dim, densely filling his entire field of vision.
The spheres weren’t motionless. Instead, they slowly rotated clockwise, forming a massive vortex that resembled a galaxy shrunken countless times over.
Though Yan Zhen had already read the corresponding description in the script, seeing the real thing with his own eyes still left him awestruck.
Chen Xi was quite pleased with her disciple’s reaction. She began to explain.
“This is the All-Heavens Star Combat Great Array. There are one hundred and eight glowing main stars—or constant stars—along with three hundred and sixty-five dim secondary stars, or planets. Together, they conform to the orbital laws of the stars in the heavens.”
Whoa, awesome!
That was the only thought in Yan Zhen’s mind.
“Zhen’er, come here. Follow this Master into the array.”
Chen Xi took Yan Zhen’s hand. With a light tap of her toes, the two of them soared into the air, transforming into twin streaks of rainbow light as they plunged into the starry river array.
When they reappeared, Yan Zhen was already inside the array. His feet rested on a small celestial body too wide for him to encircle with his arms, and it carried him along in an orbital path like a carousel ride.
All around him stretched a sea of starlight, as gorgeous as an ocean of jewels.
Yet Yan Zhen knew full well that this array was extraordinarily powerful. Later on, the Beautiful Female Master would even use it to trap and slay a Mystic Saint.
“Master, we’re going to learn the movement technique here?”
“That’s right.” Chen Xi smiled faintly. “Zhen’er, watch closely. Starlight will condense between the main stars and secondary stars, forming meteors with long trailing tails of light. These will attack us within the array.”
Even as she spoke, a massive globe of starlight hurtled straight toward Yan Zhen and Chen Xi. She waved it away with a casual flick of her hand.
“These meteors might seem utterly random, but they actually follow the immutable laws of celestial motion. What you need to do, Zhen’er, is use the various celestial bodies as footholds within the array to dodge the killing stars’ assaults. Once you can evade seven of them in a single go, you’ll have mastered the basics of the Starry Sky Dance.”
“Master, those meteors pack quite a punch. If one hits me, will I just get wiped out on the spot?”
“Not at all.” Chen Xi chuckled softly. “The meteors in the array are formed from this Master’s Stellar Mystic Power, which has powerful healing properties. They’ll mend all your wounds almost instantly after striking you. However, the pain in that split second is entirely real.”
It was like the meteors struck straight at his pain receptors. No lasting injuries, but the agony was unavoidable. Yan Zhen shuddered at the thought.
“If you don’t want to feel that pain, then dodge every incoming meteor as best you can. With the mind technique and footwork this Master taught you, and given your aptitude, you should master it in two or three days.”
And so, Yan Zhen began his grueling movement technique training.
It wasn’t actually all that painful. This technique harmonized deeply with array principles and relied heavily on insight. The Beautiful Female Master mostly just watched, offering little verbal guidance—which was perfect for triggering the System’s skip function.
One-click skip. Exhaustion washed over him, experience flooded into his mind, and at the same time, the lingering phantom pain from the array turned his face pale.
Why did he still have to suffer the pain after skipping?
“Your first training session, and you dodged five meteors in a row. You haven’t disappointed this Master.”
The Beautiful Female Master brought Yan Zhen back to the altar.
“That’s enough training for today. Zhen’er, you still have to treat Ji Ya tonight. Remember not to overindulge this time. Treatment is treatment, and intimacy is intimacy. Trying to do both will leave you utterly drained.”
Yan Zhen nodded awkwardly to show that he understood.
Chen Xi affectionately stroked her disciple’s head.
“Go on.”
Yan Zhen departed the Crystal Stone Space and reappeared in the bathroom.
“Who’s there!?”
A voice laced with chilling killing intent rang out inside the room. A wave of Baleful Qi surged toward him, startling Yan Zhen.
Focusing his eyes, he saw Yi Xian’er soaking naked in the bath. One arm covered her impressively ample bosom, while her other hand had already gathered Baleful Qi. Her pair of purple-black beautiful eyes gleamed sharply like lightning.
But her expression soon softened, and the killing intent along with the Baleful Qi gradually dissipated.
“Yan Zhen?”
“Sorry, Xian’er. I didn’t realize you were in here.” Yan Zhen promptly admitted his fault and turned to leave. “I’ll head out right now.”
“. . . Wait!”
He had barely taken a step when she called out to him. Yan Zhen didn’t turn around, keeping his back to her.
Splashing water sounds followed.
Then came the noise of her climbing out, dripping wet.
Followed by pattering footsteps—drawing closer and closer.
Yan Zhen suddenly felt under immense pressure.
“What’s wrong, Xian’er?”
“Your aura is all disordered. You must be exhausted, right? Let me help you bathe.”
Yi Xian’er’s voice came from right behind his ear. A pair of small hands reached around from his sides, trying to untie his belt.
Yan Zhen hurriedly grabbed her fair wrists, stopping her.
“I’ll handle it myself later. Xian’er, you go ahead and finish your bath. Don’t worry about me.”
Yi Xian’er didn’t press forcefully, but neither did she let go right away. Instead, she murmured wistfully.
“The day before yesterday when I first arrived, Sister Ji Ya helped you bathe, didn’t she? Can’t I do it?”
Yan Zhen’s expression froze. After a long moment, the hand gripping her wrist slowly relaxed.
Yi Xian’er undid his belt for him, stripped off his outer robes and trousers, then removed his boxer shorts. She held them up for a look and spotted the chubby long-trunked little elephant embroidered on them. A smile tugged at her lips.
She remembered that in his previous life, he had always worn ones just like these—never changing the style. Even his swim trunks had featured a similar pattern.
Yi Xian’er had assumed he liked long-trunked little elephants as pets, so she’d specially gifted him elephant-themed trinkets, and even live baby elephants once. But he hadn’t cared much for any of it—except for these elephant boxer shorts, which he adored.
She clutched the boxer shorts and sneakily brought her nose close to the long-trunked little elephant pattern while Yan Zhen still had his back to her, inhaling deeply.
A faint sweaty scent filled her nostrils. Yan Zhen’s distinctive smell ignited waves of emotion and desire within the Baleful Qi girl. A drunken flush colored her beautiful face, and the purple-black eyes that had blazed with killing intent moments ago now turned hazy and entranced.
But the man himself was right there in front of her—no need to get sidetracked. Yi Xian’er casually tossed the boxer shorts aside, then took Yan Zhen’s hand and led him into the water together.
Yan Zhen sat primly in the bath, his face flushed bright red. Yi Xian’er was nestled in his lap, her small hands gently scrubbing his arms.
With her movements, that pair of generously sized E-cups, usually so well-concealed, bobbed up and down on the water’s surface. Their pronounced presence set his heart racing.
Last night, he’d been hopped up on drugs and dove into Yi Xian’er’s embrace in a daze. She’d clamped her legs around him, and he’d lost all sense of direction.
Exhausted at the time, he’d passed out right away. When he woke at dawn and found her gone, he hadn’t felt too awkward about it.
But now, pressed naked against each other like this, Yan Zhen felt distinctly ill at ease.
