The bottom of the inflatable water pool was soft and cushiony. Sitting on it caused one’s buttocks to sink in slightly, offering an incredibly relaxing sensation.
Yan Zhen had already settled into a meditative posture, his upper body held perfectly straight as he silently adjusted his breathing.
He had barely entered the state when a fragrant, soft, and tender body pressed against his back. A pair of fair, slender arms wrapped around his waist, the girl’s voluptuous figure clinging tightly to him. Her pointed chin rested on his shoulder, and a melodious voice whispered in his ear:
“How does it feel, Yan Zhen?”
“V-Very… very good.”
Yan Zhen swallowed hard before answering. Inwardly, though, he wondered just how she managed to conceal it all on a normal day.
“Should I scrub your back first? Do you prefer a towel, my hands, or… something like this?”
She arched her waist gently against him.
Yan Zhen’s head pounded like a bucket in size, for he could feel the icy killing intent emanating from nearby.
—A Mystic Ancestor expert. Terrifying!
“N-No need. Let’s just start cultivating.”
“But if you don’t wash up properly, it could affect the transmission of the Baleful Qi.”
“…Uh, my back isn’t that dirty.”
“Who says it isn’t? It’s covered in snake stench. Let me clean it for you.”
With that, Yi Xian’er extended her vivid red tongue and began licking at Yan Zhen’s shoulder and neck, just like a cat savoring a treat.
So soft. So ticklish. So pleasurable~
Yet Yan Zhen didn’t dare show any sign of enjoyment. The Sovereign Lady at his side had unleashed a tangible Mystic Ancestor pressure, forcing a sheen of cold sweat onto his skin.
“Enough playing around, Xian’er. Let’s begin and see how it goes.”
“Then I’ll circulate my energy while I wash you.”
Yi Xian’er refused to give up. She seemed utterly addicted.
After a full year apart, she could barely contain her desires during this intimate reunion with her lover—especially with that certain snake woman forced to watch from the sidelines, her face twisted in impotent fury and resentment, like a pitiful bamboo viper.
Heh.
Embracing her beloved while watching her rival’s distorted expression? It was double the bliss.
Mmm, so soft, so sweet, so fragrant.
“Thousand Fiends, you’re going too far!” Cai Lian finally snapped. “If you’re not going to cultivate, then let him go. Stop with those shameless little moves!”
Yi Xian’er withdrew her pink tongue and licked her lips, smiling faintly.
“I know you’re in a hurry, but take it easy. This is just preparation work. You’re not seriously getting jealous over this too, are you, Myriad Snake? That would be awfully petty.”
Worried that Cai Lian’s anger might harm the baby, Yan Zhen hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
“Come on, Xian’er, let’s get started. I can’t wait any longer.”
“Sigh, alright, whatever you say. After all, you’re the man of the house~” Yi Xian’er replied in a sweetly compliant tone that made his head spin. “Here I go, then. The Baleful Qi will bring intense pain when it enters your body, but you can’t use Extreme Flame to block it. If it’s too much, just say the word, and I’ll dial back the intensity.”
“Bring it on. I can handle it!”
Yi Xian’er was just about to circulate her energy when Cai Lian cut in.
“Wait!”
“What is it?”
Cai Lian pursed her lips. A flash of light enveloped her body, leaving her clad only in a tube top and intimate pants. Another flash, and she was utterly bare, revealing a devilishly alluring figure—plump where it should be, slender where it counted, perfectly proportioned with snow-white skin. She was a vision of breathtaking beauty.
Yi Xian’er blinked in astonishment.
“What… what are you doing?”
A faint blush colored Cai Lian’s pretty face. She snorted coldly, lifted her long legs, and stepped into the pool. Swimming right up to Yan Zhen, she came to a stop and said coolly:
“This Sovereign is simply changing positions to supervise you two.”
Yan Zhen stared dumbly at the stunning, icy beauty who had suddenly appeared before him. His heart began to stir restlessly, a voice echoing in his mind: Let loose… Go completely wild~
—It sounded just like Second Master!
Seeing Yan Zhen’s attention snap toward Cai Lian, Yi Xian’er frowned at once.
Men were visual creatures, after all. With this snake woman sitting naked right in front of him, how could Yan Zhen’s focus stay on her at his back?
“Myriad Snake, you’re distracting him. Move away, now!”
“So much nonsense. Get on with it, or forget cultivating altogether. This Sovereign has all the time in the world.”
“You!”
“Ahem, Xian’er, it’s fine. I’ll just close my eyes. Let’s start.”
“…”
Yi Xian’er bit her lip. Truth be told, Cai Lian’s boldness had shocked her. She never would have imagined the snake woman going this far.
In her previous life, Yi Xian’er would have stormed out the door and only returned once it was over.
After a moment’s reflection, however, she understood the reason. Cai Lian was vying for his affection.
In that past life, she and Yan Zhen had never shared a sweet romance. Cai Lian had known his heart belonged to the irreplaceable Yun Xiu and Jiu Youyue, so she’d spared herself the humiliation, content to love and give in silence.
But things were different after rebirth. Their union hadn’t been some twist of fate but a deliberate choice. While she gave selflessly, she now craved his love in return—to become the singular presence in his heart. Her tolerance had grown accordingly.
Yi Xian’er suddenly realized that Zi Xunyi must have felt the same in the previous life. That was how she’d so readily accepted Cai Lian, even humbly calling her “sister.”
Such a choice was meant to showcase her magnanimity and gentleness, preserving their harmony and earning even more of Yan Zhen’s affection.
The same principle applied here.
By yielding to her rival’s provocation, she ensured Yan Zhen would feel greater pity for the tolerant one.
With that figured out, Yi Xian’er composed herself. She began circulating her Baleful Qi, which gathered over her skin. Her flawless, snow-white flesh was soon cloaked in a layer of gray-black energy.
Through their skin-to-skin contact, thin strands of the gray-black killing aura seeped into Yan Zhen’s body. The pain felt like razor blades slicing into his flesh, drawing a muffled grunt from his lips.
Thankfully, Yi Xian’er was controlling it carefully, so it wasn’t as agonizing as the Extreme Flame’s invasion.
With system-chan still upgrading, the “skip” function was unavailable. He had no choice but to endure it himself.
Gritting his teeth against the agony, Yan Zhen circulated his Body Refining Technique, the Primordial Dharma Body Atlas. He drew in the medicinal essence from the pool water, converting it into roaring, flame-like blood energy to combat the Baleful Qi.
Yan Zhen’s blood energy carried the nature of Yang Gang. When it clashed against the Baleful Qi in a storm of Gangsha, the pain doubled—putting it on par with the Extreme Flame’s entry.
—Damn it! Here’s the trial that was missing from refining the Extreme Flame!
“Urgh!”
A low groan of agony escaped him.
Seeing Yan Zhen’s face flushed red all the way to his neck, Yi Xian’er lowered her head once more. She licked along both sides of his shoulder and neck, using the soothing numbness and pleasure to ease his suffering without interrupting his cultivation.
Cai Lian took immediate offense. She opened her mouth to speak but held back, fearing she’d disturb him. Instead, she sent a mental transmission:
“Thousand Fiends, cease that indecent behavior at once. Don’t distract him from his cultivation!”
Yi Xian’er transmitted back:
“I’m only making it bearable for him. What kind of nonsense is in your head? Can’t you see how much pain he’s in?”
Cai Lian froze for a moment. Glancing at her husband’s face—flushing red one instant, paling the next—her heart ached.
She bit her lip, then knelt forward herself. Lowering her head to Yan Zhen’s chest, she mimicked Yi Xian’er to help alleviate his pain.
