Dean Little Aunt shot to her feet.
“No time like the present. Let’s get started right away. I want to see if this little scoundrel can really help us break through our bottlenecks!”
Mentor Yu Xuan laughed, however.
“Hold on, Little Aunt. Yan Zhen is worn out. Let him grab something to eat and rest up a bit. We can do it tonight.”
Speak of the devil—Yen Zhen’s stomach chose that exact moment to let out two loud growls, perfectly audible to everyone.
There was no helping it. He’d just wrung Mentor Yu Xuan out completely, then donated a good deal of his blood to Yu Shizun. Now he was both exhausted and ravenous.
Tch. Dean Little Aunt pursed her lips, shooting Yan Zhen a disdainful look that seemed to say, “How are you this pathetic?”
Yan Zhen paid it no mind. After the hellish romantic battlefield he’d endured earlier, these veteran virgins had no idea what he’d been through.
“Perfect timing, anyway. It’s mealtime. Let’s have a simple lunch together.”
Family Head Yu Lu summoned a servant girl and instructed the kitchen to prepare the midday meal. The group then moved to the dining hall for a quiet repast.
It was obvious that Mentor Yu Xuan’s revelations had hit too hard. The four beautiful elders were still processing it all, their minds buzzing with unanswered questions.
For instance, why had she been reborn?
Or, in her previous life, had Yan Zhen truly married into the Yu Family?
But right now, they had their own crises to resolve. Questions would have to wait.
The Yu Family hadn’t produced a Mystic Venerable in ages. If this “curse” could truly be lifted, every cultivator at Mystic Ancestor Peak in the clan would have a shot at breaking through!
At that point, the Yu Family might well gain more than one Mystic Venerable, cementing its place as a true top-tier power on Jialan Continent!
Yan Zhen wasn’t pondering such grand matters. Once he’d eaten his fill, he left the dining hall with Mentor Yu Xuan and headed back to her room.
Not the guest quarters—her personal boudoir.
Evidently, Mentor Yu Xuan was done with the pretense. She wanted to spend some quality time getting lovey-dovey with her man.
Yan Zhen would be leaving soon, after all.
He’d stick around an extra couple of days to treat Mother and the others, but that was the extent of it.
So Mentor Yu Xuan resolved to stay glued to him for every possible second.
Inside the room, she helped Yan Zhen out of his outer robes and shoes before slipping under the covers with him.
“I’ll hold you while you sleep.”
“Shouldn’t it be the other way around? I should be the one holding you, Mentor.”
“No. I’m holding you. Now be good.”
“Then at least let me have a little nibble.”
“Mmm, if you’re gentle, that might not be out of the question— Ah!”
Slurp, slurp.
“Yan Zhen… mm~ Stop fooling around and rest…”
Night fell over the Yu Family Mansion, lanterns blooming to life everywhere and bathing the estate in light as bright as day.
Yan Zhen vaguely registered a familiar commotion. He cracked his eyes open, spat out the pink, sweetly tender cherry fruit from his mouth, sat up, and stretched with a massive yawn. His spiritual sense swept outward.
Dean Little Aunt had grown impatient and come looking for them.
Yan Zhen shook Mentor Yu Xuan’s shoulder. Her voluptuous bosom jiggled along with the motion, tracing a pair of vivid red arcs in the air.
“Wake up, Mentor. Little Aunt and the others are here.”
She was a light sleeper and came awake in an instant. Hearing Dean Little Aunt’s voice, she bolted upright—only to realize her wardrobe had malfunctioned in the most revealing way. She spun around, hastily donned her undergarment, and smoothed out her disheveled dress and hair.
Dean Little Aunt was already knocking at the door. Mentor Yu Xuan grabbed Yan Zhen’s hand and pulled him toward it, playfully chiding him along the way.
“This is all your fault. We were supposed to be sleeping, but you just had to keep fooling around.”
Yan Zhen put on his most innocent expression. In truth, she’d been the one clutching his head in place, refusing to let him stop.
He opened the door to find not just Dean Little Aunt, but all four beautiful elders waiting outside.
They had clearly bathed recently, their hair cascading loosely and tied into simple ponytails that draped over their chests or backs. They wore only loose silk night robes that revealed little skin, yet radiated an inexplicable sensuality and refined nobility. Family Head Mother-in-Law, in particular, embodied the very picture of elegant nobility.
“Mother, Big Aunt, Little Aunt, Aunt.”
Dean Little Aunt could hardly contain her eagerness.
“Everything’s prepared. When do we begin?”
“Right now. Let’s head to White Jade Spring.”
“Can’t we use the array instead?”
“It’s nighttime. The Yang Gathering Array won’t be effective. Besides—”
Mentor Yu Xuan leaned in close to whisper a few words in her little aunt’s ear.
Dean Little Aunt’s pretty face flushed crimson. She raised no further objections.
—Besides, as the Extreme Flame entered their bodies, they might lose control and experience an… arousal reaction. To spare everyone the awkwardness, it was best done submerged in the milky waters of White Jade Spring.
—They themselves wouldn’t even need to undress. Only Yan Zhen would, and bare skin would let him absorb the spring’s abundant energy more efficiently.
The back mountains lay shrouded in night.
A cool breeze whispered along the mountain path as the group made their way forward.
They passed through the Peach Blossom Maze and arrived once more at White Jade Spring, one of the Yu Family’s two forbidden zones.
Gurgle, gurgle. Bubbles rose from the milky-white waters, sending plumes of steam curling into the air like mist and transforming the pool into a scene straight out of a fairy realm.
“Yan Zhen, wait here on the shore for a moment. We’ll head to the deep water area underwater and make preparations. Then you can undress and join us—but don’t strip completely.”
Yan Zhen felt a vein throb in his forehead. He knew better than to go full monty.
“Got it, Mentor. Go on and prepare.”
In a series of blurs, the women appeared atop the first rocky outcrop, then vanished again to materialize on the central one.
Moments later, only Mentor Aunt remained perched there. The other four—including Mentor Yu Xuan—had submerged into the milky hot spring.
After a long pause, Mentor Aunt seemed to receive some signal from below. She turned and called out to Yan Zhen.
“You can come down now.”
Yan Zhen stripped off his clothes in short order, leaving only his favorite Long-Trunked Little Elephant Boxer Shorts. He leaped into the pool like a darting fish and swam straight to the central rock formation. Glancing up at Mentor Aunt, he watched as she followed suit and jumped in after him.
Under her guidance, he dove down nearly ten meters before finally spotting them.
Though they had entered the water fully clothed, a sheath of Water Mystic Force kept every one of them perfectly dry, standing at the pool’s bottom like a school of alluring mermaids.
Two arrays were inscribed on the pool floor: one large and one small. The larger array featured two empty slots. Dean Little Aunt occupied one, leaving the spot directly opposite her for Yan Zhen.
The smaller array lay positioned just behind Yan Zhen’s designated slot.
Mentor Yu Xuan took charge, sending her voice directly into their minds.
“Yan Zhen, take the spot across from Little Aunt. Aunt, position yourself behind Yan Zhen. Help gather the White Jade Spring’s energy and replenish his mystic power.”
They were all cultivators of the Timely Rain Scripture, their Water Mystic Force highly compatible. To avoid interfering with Yan Zhen and Dean Little Aunt’s dual cultivation, only Shui Bailan could serve as his power bank.
Shui Bailan had no objections—in fact, she seemed rather pleased. She settled cross-legged onto the smaller array behind Yan Zhen and pressed her jade palm against his back.
Yan Zhen, meanwhile, aligned his palms opposite Dean Little Aunt’s.
With her own niece, elder sister, and close friend looking on, Dean Yu Qing’s heart fluttered as her palms met Yan Zhen’s. She bit her lip, steadying her nerves to keep from panicking.
Shui Bailan, stationed behind him, entertained no stray thoughts. She simply noted how unexpectedly broad and solid Yan Zhen’s back felt.
With the arrays thrumming to life, their first dual cultivation session officially commenced.
