“Don’t say that, Mentor,” Yan Zhen said, tightening his arms around her to draw Mentor Yu Xuan even closer, letting her warmth and fragrance envelop him. “This isn’t anyone’s fault. It’s just how fate played out.”
Mentor Yu Xuan shot him a coquettish glare.
“Everyone likes you. Aren’t you feeling pretty smug about it?”
Cai Lian spoke coldly from the side.
“Of course he’s smug. In fact, he was probably scheming this from the very beginning.”
“I’m not! I didn’t! I’m innocent!” Yan Zhen fired off his triple denial. “Cai Lian, how can you doubt your own husband’s character like that?”
The Sovereign Lady snorted disdainfully.
Mentor Yu Xuan covered her mouth and giggled.
“See? Even Sister Cai Lian isn’t on your side, you naughty disciple~”
Yan Zhen pouted.
“You’re all ganging up on me. I protest!”
“Are you mad already? Such a sore loser.” Mentor Yu Xuan teased him. “How about a little kiss?”
Yan Zhen couldn’t hold back any longer. He leaned in and captured those tender, glistening red lips, sucking on them like sweet jelly.
Cai Lian, watching from beside them as the pair grew intimate, shifted uncomfortably and tried to wriggle free. But Yan Zhen’s arm held her firmly in place, and soon enough, that mischievous hand of his began to wander.
A sidelong glance made Cai Lian flush with embarrassment. His other hand had slipped into Little Xuan’er’s collar, drawing a soft, unwilling hum from the gentle and virtuous beauty.
Yan Zhen soon released his dazed Mentor Wife, his gaze burning with desire as he turned toward his Snake Wife and leaned in for another kiss.
Cai Lian’s heart pounded wildly, her face a deep crimson as she tried to stop him.
“Y-You aren’t supposed to be doing this! Didn’t you say you needed to refine your body?”
“Cai Lian is more important than body refining.”
“…”
Before she could argue back, her lips fell. She let out a hum much like Little Xuan’er’s earlier one.
Meanwhile, Mentor Yu Xuan wasn’t about to be left out. She nipped at Yan Zhen’s ear and blew softly into it.
It was a long time before Yan Zhen finally let go of Cai Lian Wife. He stroked her alluring, seductive features and said tenderly.
“How about the three of us have some fun together tonight?”
Cai Lian mumbled her objection.
“It’s not even nighttime yet.”
“Then I’ll turn off the lights.”
“Nyaa~”
“Good girl, Cai Lian—Hiss! Mentor? Oh, oh, Mentor’s a good girl too. Mentor’s a good girl.”
The long night stretched on amid flickering red candlelight. Yan Zhen sat boldly on the edge of the bed like a king on his throne, looking down contentedly at his Snake Wife and Mentor Wife kneeling obediently between his knees to serve him. Satisfaction filled his heart.
The next morning, after a night of relentless activity, Yan Zhen finally climbed out of bed. He grabbed the teapot from the table and gulped down more than half of it before letting out a long sigh of relief. He felt refreshed and full of vigor.
It was a shame both women were still out cold, dead to the world. Otherwise, he could have gone another round.
Yan Zhen glanced at the battlefield on the bed. The sheets were soaked through, littered with traces of their passion. Mentor Yu Xuan lay sprawled atop Cai Lian, their flawless, snow-white bodies pressed breast to breast in deep slumber, forming a breathtakingly alluring vista.
Yan Zhen walked back and pulled the covers over them. Then he headed to the bathroom for a quick wash, scrubbing away the lingering scents before stepping out. He dried off with steam and changed into fresh clothes.
As for the used garments, he ran cleansing talismans and dust-cleaning talismans over them before hanging them up to air.
With all that done, Yan Zhen raised his right hand and stared at the Star Shifting Fire Seal in his palm. Suddenly, he felt a twinge of reluctance to face the Beautiful Female Master.
To soothe his two wives’ feelings, he had gone all out to please them, completely forgetting about conserving his energy. The Beautiful Female Master was sure to be upset.
“Guess I should check on Long Ying first.”
Yan Zhen quietly lowered his hand and headed to Cai Lian’s cave abode. There, he found Long Ying shrunk down to her loli form, sleeping soundly. He carefully tucked her in before slipping out of the room.
Back in his own cave abode, Yan Zhen hesitated for a long moment before finally activating the Star Shifting Fire Seal and vanishing into the Fire Refining Starry Sky.
The Beautiful Female Master sat cross-legged on the altar as always, her white bangs framing her slightly closed eyes. Her exquisitely beautiful immortal visage was serene and elegant.
A black robe with wide sleeves hugged her impossibly perfect figure, her chest swelling prominently—massive and full beyond compare.
Yan Zhen watched the Beautiful Female Master in silence. Moments later, she withdrew from her meditation on her own and opened her eyes. Those blue, glass-like orbs reflected his figure, and a doting smile curved her lips.
“Zhen’er, are you back from the Yu Family?”
“I got back yesterday,” Yan Zhen said as he knelt before the Beautiful Female Master. “I was caught up handling some things, so I didn’t come to pay my respects.”
“No matter. Now that you’re back, let’s start on your body refining… You haven’t broken your vows these past few days, have you?”
“Er, well… just a tiny bit.”
Chen Xi’s brows furrowed. She carefully examined her disciple’s aura, and her expression darkened.
“Zhen’er~~~ Why won’t you listen to your master?”
Yan Zhen admitted his fault honestly.
“My bad.”
“No slacking off. I’m not joking around.” Chen Xi’s tone was gentle yet firm. “You have so many beauties around you now. To avoid hindering your cultivation, you must learn to restrain yourself and not get lost in romantic indulgences. Understood?”
“I understand, Master.”
“Since you didn’t conserve your energy, let’s train your divine soul instead. Didn’t you need to forge proposal rings for those other girls?”
“I think I’ve got the basics of forging down. A bit more practice, and I should be able to try making a fifth-tier Mystic artifact.”
“Then let’s get started.”
No sooner said than done. Under the Beautiful Female Master’s guidance, Yan Zhen hammered the fire crystal stones again and again, shaping them into rings.
Once his spiritual power was depleted, he rested his head on her ample thigh for a head massage while activating the power of his water symbol to recover faster.
Three days later, Yan Zhen finally forged a successful fourth-tier fire mystic ring. He tried for a fifth-tier one next, but it refused to take shape.
A fifth-tier Mystic artifact could draw on the power of heaven and earth on its own, and that wasn’t easy to achieve.
“Whether it’s Mystic pills or Mystic artifacts, the fifth tier is a major hurdle,” Chen Xi said. “Even with your Nether Realm divine soul, Zhen’er, it won’t happen overnight. Take a break.”
Yan Zhen agreed. He left the Fire Refining Starry Sky, planning to gather materials for forging the proposal ring.
He would use the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire to gather earth power and condense supreme jade stone.
It seemed cost-free, but it was actually quite troublesome.
First, he needed a spot rich in mineral deposits, where the earth power was dense enough to produce supreme jade stone.
Alternatively, he could buy a large quantity of jade stones and refine their essence with the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire before fusing it into supreme jade stone.
Jialan Holy Land had mines under the control of Sunny Supreme—one of the Jialan Seven Sages—but Yan Zhen had no idea of their exact locations. So, the alternative it was.
When Yan Zhen emerged, his cave abode was empty. Everyone must have gone off to cultivate.
He stepped outside, summoned his flying skiff, and prepared to head to the Merchant Alliance for a bulk purchase of jade stones. Before he could set off, Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt gracefully landed before him.
