Chapter 262
“From today onwards, I, this young lady, will protect Sister Qian Nian's happiness. No one is allowed to touch the Governor's treasured sword except for Sister Qian Nian!”
…
In the depths of Ling Mountain, two figures hurried through the forest.
Chen Huai'an noticed that Li Qingran beside him had slowed her pace, her delicate brows slightly furrowed, and he asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
“It’s nothing, just a little bug…”
Li Qingran smiled, her gaze drifting towards the killing formation in the distance.
Even though Lin Hao was already dead, she still channeled her spiritual power to expand the formation's range a bit more.
Since this was a junior that her master wanted to protect, she felt it was her duty to look after her as well.
Besides, she quite liked that little girl.
“A bug? Where is it?”
Chen Huai'an pretended to be concerned, but in reality, he took the opportunity to stare intently at Li Qingran.
“It’s—” Li Qingran paused, tilting her head and blinking her bright eyes, a mischievous smile playing at the corners of her mouth.
“It’s in my eye, oh dear, it’s a bit uncomfortable…”
She rubbed her eyes in distress, but the smile on her lips resembled that of a little fox that had just tasted honey.
However, Chen Huai'an was too flustered to notice these details.
“Did it get in your eye? Let me take a look?”
Li Qingran lowered her hands, her slightly reddened eyes glistening as she gazed at him, biting her lip softly, she murmured, “Um~ Master… could you blow on it for me?”
…
…
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Chapter 280: Fire Cloud
A little bug had gotten into the disciple's eye.
Of course, it needed to be blown away.
Chen Huai'an didn’t think much about how a bug could get into the eye of someone at the Golden Core stage. He took a couple of steps closer, then suddenly halted—not because he had figured something out, but because he was pondering what he had eaten for lunch and whether there might be any lingering taste in his mouth.
Others at the Qi Refinement stage would have already started fasting intermittently. As long as they didn’t eat, they wouldn’t need to relieve themselves, which was akin to entering a “pseudo” state of not leaking.
But Chen Huai'an couldn’t accept a life without food.
Leaving behind cola and fried chicken would be like asking him to die.
He had eaten wontons for lunch and tofu pudding for dinner.
Not a big deal.
Chen Huai'an leaned in a bit closer.
Li Qingran also quietly stepped forward half a pace, closing the distance to its limit.
Mo Shumei had once said that one must take the initiative and keep control in their own hands. This was the moment when her master was at his most vulnerable, making it the easiest time for her to approach him.
From the way her master looked at her, she could tell.
He wasn’t a cold, unfeeling stone.
He could also be dazzled by a pretty girl.
It was just that his immense power restrained his desires.
Now that she was at the Golden Core stage and her master was at the ninth level of Qi Refinement…
This was the best opportunity!
Charge—!
Chen Huai'an bent down, holding his breath, “Where’s the bug? I can’t find it…” His voice was low but slightly trembling.
He could clearly see the fine hairs on Li Qingran’s face and his own reflection in her slightly moist eyes.
“It’s one of those… really tiny bugs. How about you get a bit closer to take a look, Master?”
Get closer?
Chen Huai'an’s heart raced. If he got any closer, their noses would be touching. Wouldn’t that be considered an offense?
Never mind, since it was Li Qingran’s request…
Chen Huai'an slowly leaned in, his breath becoming increasingly unstable.
Li Qingran looked at her blushing master, her small hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, silently calculating the distance.
As soon as she stood on her tiptoes, she would be at eye level with her master.
If she could find an excuse, like tripping over a rock, she could lean forward and achieve her goal.
This was also what Mo Shumei had taught her—no matter what, just get the relationship sticky first.
And as long as she could get a kiss, no matter where it landed, she could naturally cling to her master.
“Still can’t see the bug?”
Chen Huai'an’s nose was less than a piece of paper away from Li Qingran’s forehead.
Those big, bright eyes of hers—where could one find a tiny bug?
Besides, what kind of bug could possibly be so formidable against a Golden Core cultivator?!
He snapped back to reality.
And after a brief moment of hesitation, Li Qingran finally stood on her tiptoes and took a step forward.
“Oh no~” She pretended to twist her ankle and lunged forward.
In an instant, the two were pressed together.
Then…
Li Qingran passed right through him.
Chen Huai'an: “…”
Li Qingran: “…”
Chen Huai'an stood frozen in place.
Li Qingran was caught in a forward lunge, her body embedded into Chen Huai'an’s form.
The sound of insects ceased, and the surrounding air grew eerily quiet.
“Um, Li Qingran…” Chen Huai'an was the first to break the silence, “Let’s just say, if a manifestation descends, that bug shouldn’t fly into your eye. Is it possible that it’s your true form…”
“Master, please, don’t talk right now…”
Li Qingran lowered her head, her face instantly flushed, her ears burning, her gaze darting around as if she wished to find a crack in the ground to hide in.
“Alright, then I won’t say anything.”
Chen Huai'an touched his nose, acquiescing.
The dragon spirit in his dantian glimmered brightly, and he felt the call from deep within the mountain, more urgent than before.
It seemed like someone was in distress.
But when he arrived at Ling Mountain, the location of that call was no longer as clear as it had been before.
It felt like it was coming from all directions, making it impossible to tell which way to go—he was just spinning around like a headless fly.
A clearer hint would be nice.
“Roar—!”
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted nearby.
The sound was like a lion’s roar amplified a thousandfold, filled with rage and murderous intent.
Chen Huai'an looked up and saw a mass of fire clouds racing towards them at incredible speed, quickly dyeing half the sky red.
“Don’t let that beast escape!” a cultivator shouted.
“Beast, don’t run!”
Behind the fire clouds were several figures flying through the air.
Below the fire clouds, many figures were moving through the forest.
The ones flying above were Foundation Establishment cultivators, who would refer to themselves as ‘Ascenders.’
The ones running on the ground were all at the Qi Refinement stage, a total of dozens of people relentlessly pursuing the fire clouds.
The fire clouds circled in the air, initially flying west, but suddenly veered east—right towards Chen Huai'an and Li Qingran.
“Oh no!” As the fire clouds drew closer, Chen Huai'an felt a sense of foreboding.
Though the fire clouds were injured, the aura they emitted was something he couldn’t handle right now.
“Master, please stay behind me.”
Li Qingran stood firm in front of Chen Huai'an, her sword unsheathed, her gaze fierce, pointing at the fire clouds and the figures pursuing them. The sword intent and killing intent around her intertwined, revealing her fierce spirit. In that moment, she was no longer the shy little disciple in front of her master, but a sharpened sword ready for battle.
【Sir, save me!】
A weak voice echoed in Chen Huai'an’s mind.
He focused on the mass of fire clouds, already knowing the source of the voice.
“Qingran, let that fire cloud in.”
“Understood! Master!”
Li Qingran didn’t hesitate.
Even though the fire clouds were filled with demonic energy, they showed no intent to harm her or her master.
It was clear that the fire cloud recognized her master, as it only fled towards him when it spotted him.
The fire clouds flew in front of Chen Huai'an, rapidly shrinking into a small red star that darted into his dantian.
The pursuers soon arrived.
They didn’t see the fire clouds disappear before Chen Huai'an; they only knew that when they reached this spot, the fire clouds had vanished.
“Hey! You two, did you see the Xuanfeng Fire Cloud Snake?”
The leader, dressed in a short shirt with a hint of modern style—like sneakers on his feet—was clearly an Ascender from a hidden sect.
Chen Huai'an shook his head, “I didn’t see any phoenix or snake, just a piece of fire cloud that flew overhead and disappeared on the other side of the mountain.”
“Is that so?” The man squinted, his gaze landing on Li Qingran, and a look of astonishment flickered in his eyes.
What a beautiful girl!
She was a thousand times more stunning than the women in the sect who had been tempered by spiritual energy for ten years.
The difference was like comparing artificially crafted jade to a naturally formed masterpiece.
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