Intense crimson fire engulfed Yun Wuji and Ling Xian, radiating outward as waves of scarlet light that bathed the humble wooden house.
Strangely enough, the fire that should have been more than sufficient to turn any Divine Extinction Realm practitioner into a badly fried burger patty failed to damage the furniture or scorch the wooden walls.
Unlike the flame around her, Ling Xian's old face glowed with a soft white light. Her expression looked peaceful, as if she had been brought back to the most precious moments of her life.
"Alright, it looks like you'll be better soon," Yun Wuji said as he retracted his hands. As he did, the crimson flame died down, and the scene inside the wooden house returned to normal.
Despite his dragging out the treatment longer than necessary, the chaotic elemental conflicts within Ling Xian's body had subsided significantly. She no longer had to endure the pain caused by the rampant elements in her body and profound veins, nor did she need to expend a great deal of strength and mental effort constantly keeping them in check.
"It's all thanks to you, Wuji," Ling Xian stared at his smiling face, her eyes flashing with a complex look. Spending this period of time with him, immersed in his soothing, sacred Light aura, these moments echoed the time when Mo Su saved her life for the first time.
Although looks were not everything in the world of cultivation, they still played a significant role in human interactions, whether with men or women. An ugly person would have a much, much harder time dealing with others, especially with all those arrogant young masters wandering around, or the self-righteous jade beauties who would kill him just because he happened to glance their way.
Dian Jiuzhi, for example, was the son of a Divine Regent, but because he had an abnormally large head, he was scorned even by his own mother, who treated him like vermin. He was trampled by his siblings and even the servants, while his own father never cared about him at all. Hell, the man could not even be bothered to remember his name.
All of that stemmed primarily from his looks and secondarily from his trashy talent. He was treated so badly that even the way the Xiao Clan treated Yun Che when he was crippled looked gentle by comparison. At least, Yun Che had Xiao Lingxi and Xiao Lie protecting him.
Thus, no matter how people try to spin it, looks play a massive role in this world. Many of Yun Wuji's schemes succeeded precisely because of his charm, his acting, and his Light Profound Energy.
Although Ling Xian thought she no longer valued something as fleeting as looks, since she no longer cared about her own appearance, she instinctively developed favorable feelings for Yun Wuji, who was even more handsome than Mo Su.
The way he smiled at her right now reminded her of her younger days, filled with recklessness and boundless energy.
These two are similar, she thought. One was the son of a Creation God, while the other was the inheritor of a Creation God, a person who had even inherited the Profound Veins of the Creation God of Elements.
'What am I thinking? If I had descendants, they would be older than this boy!' Shocked by her own thoughts, Ling Xian bit her lower lip to banish the ridiculous notions. She was over three million years old; if she had children, they would have been older than Yun Wuji's oldest ancestors.
"Senior, you seem to have something weighing on your mind. I shall not bother you anymore," Yun Wuji's voice brought the Vermillion Bird back to her senses as he stood up. With that warm smile that once again sent her into a daze, he said, "See you next week."
"Alright," Ling Xian said, a flicker of reluctance crossing her gaze as she watched his departing back. Even though she knew harboring such ridiculous emotions was foolish, and that her tired heart should have already locked up and given up on all these flimsy, exhausting feelings, deep down, she still wanted to accompany him a little longer.
Smiling meaningfully at the silent Su Shang, Yun Wuji stepped out of the wooden house.
"See you tonight," the moment he closed the door, her voice transmitted to him.
"..." Chuckling to himself, Yun Wuji continued on, soon leaving the sea of flowers behind.
"Su Shang," back in the wooden house, sensing Yun Wuji's aura fading, Ling Xian suddenly called out to the absentminded, horny woman.
"Master?" Startled, Su Shang quickly answered.
"Come sit," Ling Xian patted the space beside her.
"What is it, master?" Su Shang's heart skipped a beat as she sat down cautiously.
Staring at her visibly nervous servant, Ling Xian smiled kindly and patted her shoulder. "Su Shang, you've served me for quite a long time, haven't you?"
"Yes, master," Su Shang answered softly, lowering her head. She had been serving under Ling Xian since she was five years old. It could be said that Ling Xian was not only her master but also the mother who had raised her from a young age.
"Time sure flies fast. It feels like just yesterday that I picked you up. You were still a snotty, chubby little girl, and now you've grown into a graceful beauty," Ling Xian said, letting out a long sigh.
For Su Shang, tens of thousands of years was a long time, but to Ling Xian it was barely a blink of an eye. She had seen many of the servants she had raised and trained pass away from old age over her long life.
"The matter of you and Wuji… it seems you two are getting along very well," Su Shang had not yet started to relax when her expression suddenly stiffened at Ling Xian's words.
"M-master… I… I…" Panicked, Su Shang opened her mouth to speak, trying to explain herself.
Unlike the Knights, the Pure Land's guards were usually not allowed to leave the Pure Land for their entire lives.
For Su Shang, who was one of the Guard Commanders, this restriction was even stricter. Without her master Ling Xian's permission, she was not allowed to leave at all, and not that she had ever wanted to in the first place.
From this angle, it seemed that falling in love with Yun Wuji was an act of betrayal to the Pure Land and, more importantly, to Ling Xian.
Even though there was a possibility that her master would neither blame her nor make things difficult, she still felt guilty. This was why she had asked Yun Wuji multiple times not to tell Ling Xian about their relationship.
"Don't worry, I am not angry at you," Ling Xian affectionately ruffled Su Shang's hair. "On the contrary, I am happy that you found your love. You won't have to spend your life lonely." She, who had spent the majority of her life in unrequited love, saw Su Shang's successful love story, even if it was quiet and uneventful, as something that made up for some of her own regrets.
"Master!" Su Shang's eyes reddened. She held Ling Xian's hand and exclaimed, overwhelmed with emotion.
...
"Supreme One!"
Returning to the Divine Temple, Yun Wuji walked past the maids bowing to him. His eyes lingered on their skimpy outfits that barely covered their sensitive areas. "Good work," he said, and as he walked, he casually patted the butt of one of them before entering the main hall and sitting on his throne.
"Hmm~" Watching his back disappear, the maid let out a suppressed moan. Her legs gave way, and she slumped to the floor, eyes fixed on him. Her infatuated gaze looked as if she were staring up at a god in a dream.
"..." The other maids stared at her with deep envy and jealousy. It should have been them, not her.
These women had all been handpicked by Shenwu Qing and Shenwu Youluan. They were not only beauties among a million, but their talents ranked among the very best in the countless numbers of people across the Divine Kingdom and its territories.
Not only that, a third requirement was that all of them held Yun Wuji in deep admiration and reverence, with the majority of them even worshipping him as a god, though he was also their True God after all.
Leaving behind the small commotion he had caused, Yun Wuji suddenly called out Li Suo from the Primordial Seal of Life and Death.
A white light flashed, and the mesmerizingly beautiful figure of Li Suo appeared. Her face was still stunning enough to mesmerize the world, and the smile she reserved only for Yun Wuji was enough to start bloody wars. However, there was a change in her body.
A large, visible bulge in her stomach clearly showed that she was pregnant, and she had been for quite some time.
"How are you feeling? Any discomfort?" Pulling her into his arms and settling her in his lap, Yun Wuji caressed her belly and asked, "Is she being naughty?"
...
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