Hearing the sound of the door latching shut, Zi Xunyi’s slender hand tightened involuntarily. In her mind, the image surfaced of Yan Zhen boldly pinning her against the wall.
Her future husband grabbed a lock of her silky hair, bringing it to his nose and sniffing it teasingly. In that deep, magnetic voice laced with playful huskiness, he murmured:
“No more talking, my beloved Zi Ji. Let’s get started right now. Your husband will take good care of you~”
But Zi Xunyi was overcome with shyness:
“Wait, Yan Zhen… my husband, we can’t. I’m not mentally prepared yet.”
Yet her future husband yearned too desperately for her flawless body. Unable to contain the fire of desire any longer, he transformed into a ravenous little wolf dog and claimed her right there on the spot!
Slurp slurp slurp~~~
Her entire body was licked from head to toe, not a single spot missed.
“—N-No!”
Zi Xunyi cried out in alarm, her hands clutching tightly over her chest as if bracing for an assault.
Yan Zhen, who had just turned around, slowly formed a question mark with his expression.
“What’s wrong?”
Zi Xunyi snapped back to reality, her face flushing crimson as she shook her head.
“It’s nothing. I was just figuring out how to bring it up.”
Yan Zhen smiled faintly.
“Just say whatever’s on your mind. No need to be so reserved between husband and wife.”
“It’s… about creating a body for Ling’er. There are some details we need to confirm.” Zi Xunyi chose her words carefully. “Though my future self will indeed give birth to Ling’er, getting pregnant isn’t something you can just will into existence, right? What if it doesn’t happen? The God Race has always struggled with fertility… And there’s no guarantee it’ll be a girl. What if it’s a boy? Would Ling’er’s soul not match? Besides, implanting Ling’er’s consciousness into the fetus would require at least a Sixth- or Seventh-Tier Pill Refiner, wouldn’t it?”
“Have a seat. We’ll go through them one by one.” Yan Zhen gestured for Zi Xunyi to sit, then poured her a cup of tea. “First, the Pill Refiner issue. My master is a high-rank one, so that’s not a problem.”
“Your master?”
“That’s right. You’ve probably heard of her. She’s from the Eighth Continent, once a God Maiden candidate of the Star God Clan. She’s known as the Flame Saint.”
“You mean the Flame Saint?” Zi Xunyi’s eyes widened in shock, her voice rising involuntarily. “The Pill Refiner with two Extreme Flames?!”
“Exactly. Her name is Chen Xi—’chen’ as in sealed away, ‘xi’ as in morning light. You can call her Master Chen Xi.”
Zi Xunyi’s heart raced, unable to calm down for a long time. The Technique Saint Lord was a legendary figure on the Eighth Continent, and she never would have imagined her as Yan Zhen’s master.
“No wonder you possess three Extreme Flames and cultivate something as Mystic as the Ancestral Symbol Scripture.”
The Ancestral Symbol Scripture had been created by the Ancestral God himself. Fragments were held by each of the Ten Great God Clans, and as a former God Maiden candidate of the Star God Clan, Master Chen Xi would naturally have had access to it.
Of course, considering that Yan Zhen was the Flame Emperor reborn, Zi Xunyi quickly made sense of it.
“Where is Master Chen Xi now? Could I… meet her?”
Yan Zhen answered honestly:
“She’s currently in the Fire Refining Starry Sky—right here in the crystal pendant around my neck. You can see her anytime if you want. But for now, let’s focus on Ling’er.”
Zi Xunyi couldn’t help glancing at the crystal pendant hanging from Yan Zhen’s neck before setting aside her curiosity to listen intently.
“Second, the matter of the baby’s gender. True, the odds are fifty-fifty, but since we had a daughter in our past life, it shouldn’t change now. If you’re still worried, we can ask my master. She might have a way—as far as I know, gender is determined by chromosomes, with boys having a special Y chromosome. Given the strength of her spiritual power, she could detect it directly.”
Master Chen Xi’s divine soul had reached the half-step Mystic Realm. When she unleashed her spiritual power fully, it could envelop an entire nation. And in terms of precision, scanning atoms and molecules was child’s play—checking chromosomes and DNA would be even simpler.
Zi Xunyi didn’t fully grasp the details, but Yan Zhen’s confidence was reassuring, so she nodded along knowingly.
“As for the God Race’s fertility issues, there’s a special Dual Cultivation secret method that guarantees conception on the first try,” Yan Zhen continued. “Use that, and you’ll be pregnant in no time. Once the fetus forms, we can transplant Ling’er’s soul into it.”
“So you’ve thought of everything.”
“It’s for Ling’er’s sake, after all. We have to be thorough.”
“That leaves just one last issue.”
“What’s that?”
“How to keep the baby safe.” Zi Xunyi’s face clouded with worry. “The Heavenly God Clan is the God Race branch closest to humans, with pregnancies only two months longer than ours. But in about half a year, my clan will send someone to bring me back for the marriage. If I’m visibly pregnant by then, both you and the child would be in grave danger.”
“No need to worry about that either. Humans have methods to extend pregnancies for stronger offspring, like mimicking the Dragon God Clan. Dragon God Clan pregnancies last nearly ten years, birthing children with Third-Tier strength right away—comparable to a human Mystic Master. Humans can’t match that fully, but three to five years is feasible.” Yan Zhen suddenly took Zi Xunyi’s hand, his gaze solemn as he made his vow. “Within five years, I’ll advance to the Mystic Ancestor Realm, claim the Jialan Holy Son position, and then formally propose to the Heavenly God Clan. Wait for me, Zi Ji.”
Zi Xunyi trembled lightly, instinctively pulling back at first, but she ultimately let him hold her hand. With a shy hum, she assented.
The atmosphere gradually grew charged with intimacy.
Yan Zhen clasped Zi Xunyi’s small hand, their fingers intertwining. He leaned in slowly.
Her breath hitched, her heart pounding wildly. Like a fugitive, she squeezed her eyes shut.
Mwah.
Yan Zhen’s lips met Zi Xunyi’s, capturing those soft, tangerine-like petals. He suckled gently, his movements delicate and tender, as if afraid to startle the little white rabbit in his arms.
A tingling, itchy sensation spread from her lips, warming her cheeks and body. Unbidden, Zi Xunyi mimicked the version of herself from her dream, parting her rosy lips to respond to his kiss.
—This was a true lover’s kiss, far more intoxicating than the mere echo from her dream.
She forgot to breathe, lost in the greedy savoring of each other’s lips.
Zi Xunyi immersed herself completely in her first kiss until a desperate need for air forced them apart.
Both their faces were flushed, breaths coming in soft pants as they gazed at one another, eyes brimming with fervent desire.
But Yan Zhen clung to a thread of reason, aware that Huangfu Wenqing was in the next room. He couldn’t let it go further.
He gently released her hand and said warmly:
“It’s not the right time yet. In a few days, once things are settled, we’ll do our formal dual cultivation.”
Zi Xunyi blinked, still dazed from their heated kiss, her cheeks still glowing pink. It took her a moment to murmur:
“Then… I’ll head back to my room.”
“Sleep well. If Long Ying’s snoring bothers you, just send her over here.”
“…”
Zi Xunyi rose slowly to her feet and took a step forward before freezing in place.
Yan Zhen looked puzzled.
“What’s the matter, Zi Ji?”
After a long pause, she turned back, her voice barely above a whisper:
“So… should we do some practice runs first?”
