"Sky Origin Fruit, Sixty-Year Wind Lotus Grass, Nine-Leaf Blood Jade Flower, Jade Coral…"
"Tsk, tsk… these are all rare medicinal ingredients."
The hall grew quiet for a moment as Nalan Su muttered the names under his breath, his face full of shock.
As expected of the royal family—their generosity was unmatched.
"It seems the royal family is going all out to win Chen Mo over. Well, a nineteen-year-old third-tier alchemist, possibly backed by an extraordinary force… If they can recruit him, maybe they could solve their current crisis," Nalan Jie thought to himself.
Yun Yun calmly sipped her tea, unruffled. Knowing the truth of the matter, she had no doubt Princess Yao Ye would fail to recruit Chen Mo.
Sure enough…
Chen Mo glanced indifferently at Yao Ye, feigning ignorance. "Princess Yao Ye, what do you mean by this?"
"This is but a small token of goodwill from the royal family. I hope Mister Chen Mo will accept it," Yao Ye replied with a faint smile, though his lack of interest unsettled her.
"I can't accept something I didn't earn."
If he took their gift, it would make it harder to refuse any future requests.
Although Chen Mo once held a grudge with Jia Xing Tian, he wouldn't lump Yao Ye in with him. The matter with the royal family had been settled—unless they came to provoke him, he had no reason to trouble them.
He wasn't a saint, but this was a principle he lived by. Of course, settled or not, he had no intention of helping them either. To him, the matter was over. To them? Likely not.
Seeing his firm refusal, Yao Ye frowned slightly. After a moment of hesitation, she said, "There's a matter I wish to ask Mister Chen Mo's help with—"
"I won't be able to help you." Chen Mo raised a hand, cutting her off. Straightening his clothes, he stood and said, "Princess Yao Ye, I have other matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving now."
Without another glance at her changing expression, he strode toward the hall's exit.
"Impudent! How dare you disrespect the princess!"
One of the armored guards behind Yao Ye shouted.
He stomped forward, pale yellow Dou Qi erupting from his body as he charged toward Chen Mo with explosive speed.
"Stop!" Yao Ye's face turned pale. She hadn't expected her most trusted commander to attack without her order.
But it was too late. The man was a Nine-Star Dou Ling, personally guided by Jia Xing Tian himself, fast enough to surpass even an ordinary one-star Dou Wang's reaction speed.
Nalan Jie's smiling face stiffened, his eyes narrowing sharply as he rose from his seat.
Yet, before anyone could react further—
Black and white Dou Qi erupted violently from Chen Mo's body. His frame twisted unnaturally fast, his palm rotating before clenching into a fist. With a piercing whistle, he punched backward with immense force.
Boom!
A muffled explosion resounded, raw energy bursting from his fist like a shockwave. Tables, chairs, and teacups shattered instantly under the pressure.
The armored commander's body shot backward like a broken kite, smashing into the distant wall with a bone-crunching impact that left deep cracks in the stone.
He collapsed to the floor, his armor splintered. Blood mixed with bits of organ sprayed from his mouth before his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.
"Commander!" the other guard rushed forward, panic flashing in his eyes. He knew well that the man had acted solely out of admiration for the princess, trying to "protect" her dignity.
Yao Ye's pupils contracted, her body stiffening in astonishment.
The entire hall fell silent.
Except for Yun Yun, everyone stared at Chen Mo in shock. A youth who looked like he should only excel at refining pills had just overpowered a Nine-Star Dou Ling in one blow.
At nineteen years old… was this even human?
Nalan Jie nearly spat out his tea. That strike, though brief, displayed reflexes and power beyond comprehension.
From Dou Qi activation to turning and landing the punch, it hadn't even taken two seconds.
And his feet hadn't budged an inch. The stone beneath him remained intact, meaning Chen Mo had held back considerably—it was as if he had swatted a fly.
"What do you think you're doing?!"
Nalan Yanran's voice suddenly rang out from outside.
Hearing the commotion and seeing their commander sprawled and bleeding, the twenty black-robed royal guards rushed in, surrounding Chen Mo in an instant.
Chen Mo's sword-like brows furrowed, Dou Qi beginning to surge—
"Stand down!" Yao Ye barked sharply.
Well-trained, the guards hesitated only a moment before retreating.
Yao Ye stepped forward, her icy demeanor melting into awkward humility. "Mister Chen Mo, I sincerely apologize. I… I don't know what came over him." Though it wasn't her fault, these were her men. She continued earnestly, "If we've offended you in any way, please accept this chest of herbs as an apology."
She gestured to the now-scattered box of medicinal treasures.
Chen Mo glanced at the once-proud princess, now looking like a child who'd been scolded, and decided not to press the issue further. "Princess Yao Ye, you should discipline your subordinates better. If you don't restrain them, you'll invite real disaster someday."
He waved his hand, Dou Qi wrapping around the chest as he stored it in his spatial ring, then turned and left the hall without looking back.
At the doorway, Nalan Yanran stood frozen, staring between Chen Mo's departing figure and the wrecked hall, utterly bewildered. She glanced at Nalan Su for an explanation.
After hearing the brief retelling, her red lips parted in disbelief, her beautiful eyes wide. "H-how is that even possible?"
Later that night, in his room, Chen Mo sat cross-legged on the bed. The temperature in the chamber soared as heaven and earth energy surged violently, visible ripples of power radiating from his body. His robes swelled without wind, faint silver light flickering across his face.
Energy poured into his body, the silver glow intensifying until it nearly enveloped his entire face. His aura steadily climbed higher and higher.
Finally, when it reached a threshold, the fluctuations stopped abruptly. The bulging robes deflated slowly as his aura stabilized.
Chen Mo's eyes snapped open, silver flames flickering before vanishing, leaving behind a razor-sharp gleam.
"Eight-Star Dou Ling, huh?"
"I didn't expect the beast flame of that eighth-rank Iceflame Flood Dragon alone wouldn't be enough to push me to Eight-Star… Only after swallowing a bottle of Companion Amethyst Source did I barely break through."
Clenching his fist, Chen Mo reveled in the intoxicating sense of power surging through his veins. I wonder how many times I can unleash the Great Celestial Art – Starfall now?
"And after refining that beast flame, my Undying Demon Flame has grown much stronger too."
Summoning the black-blue flame, Chen Mo smiled in satisfaction at its intensified ferocity before extinguishing it. With a light push, he vaulted from the bed, flipping midair before landing gracefully. Dusting himself off, he exited the room.
After asking around, he soon found Ya Fei, who had just concluded an auction. Dressed in a tight red qipao with a white fur shawl draped over her shoulders, she exuded elegance and charm. The natural allure of her Spirit Enchantress Physique made every glance, every smile, drip with intoxicating seduction.
The curves of her figure drew more than a few hungry stares from nearby men.
"You're here?" she greeted him with a bright smile.
"Of course. I missed you," Chen Mo replied, a hint of jealousy in his tone. Without caring for the eyes around them, he pulled her into his arms and led her away.
Startled by his sudden possessiveness, Ya Fei soon felt his jealousy and giggled softly. "Are you jealous?"
"What do you think?"
Once they were alone, Chen Mo claimed her lips in a heated kiss before murmuring against them, "You seductive little vixen… I wish I could lock you away where only I can see you."
[Ding! Gained 2 Affection Points. Intimacy bonus triggered – Acquired Ruyi Phoenix Feather Robe.]
Hearing his heartfelt words, Ya Fei's eyes softened as she wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him back before whispering with a playful pout, "You're so selfish… What if I get bored to death, only being seen by you?"
"Love is selfish," Chen Mo said without thinking. But the words sparked a memory—the Queen… her pained expression as she watched him with Die. The realization hit him hard.
He deserved a beating.
So, he slapped himself.
Smack! A crisp sound echoed as his cheek reddened.
"What are you doing?" Ya Fei cupped his face, worried.
"I deserved that," Chen Mo muttered.
"Did you… do something unfaithful?" she asked, suspicion in her eyes.
"…," Chen Mo stayed silent.
"Really?" Her brows drew together.
"Uh… Baby, I have a gift for you!" he said hurriedly, changing the subject.
"Who is it?" she narrowed her eyes.
"Who's what?" he stammered under her stare.
"You've fallen for another woman, haven't you?"
"N-no, of course not!"
"Tell me the truth. As long as your heart's still with me, I won't blame you."
"Really?"
"Mhm."
"…Yun Yun."
"You bastard! I'll bite you to death!" Ya Fei grabbed his hand and sank her teeth into the flesh beneath his thumb.
"Hisss~ Love, didn't you say you wouldn't blame me?"
"Hmph! You actually believed that? I just wanted you to confess." After leaving a deep bite mark, she finally let go, glaring at him.
"You're ruthless…" he muttered.
She ignored it, declaring, "I'll punish you."
"Eh?"
"You're not allowed to touch me for a whole month."
"Noooo, spare me!" Chen Mo wailed dramatically.
"No negotiation. That's what you get for flirting behind my back." She started to walk away but returned moments later.
"Does that mean you've forgiven me?" he asked hopefully.
"In your dreams. Hand over the gift!" she demanded, palm outstretched.
"If I give you the gift, can you shorten the punishment?" he bargained.
"Depends on my mood." She rolled her eyes, then asked curiously, "So… does the Misty Cloud Sect's master like you?"
"…Not sure yet."
Chen Mo obediently handed over the Ruyi Phoenix Feather Robe. According to the system, it was a one-time life-saving treasure that could block a fatal strike of any level once before vanishing. When not in use, it could transform into any clothing based on one's thoughts.
Of course, when Chen Mo first pulled it out, it had taken the form of a rather revealing bikini.
Ya Fei's charming eyes narrowed with a frosty edge. "This is your gift?"
"Just hold it and see," Chen Mo explained the robe's function.
Skeptical, she accepted it—and a moment later, the garment shifted into a crimson qipao.
"…," Chen Mo muttered, "You really love qipaos, huh?"
"Mind your business," Ya Fei said, cheeks tinged pink.
"As long as you like it," he replied warmly.
Over the next several days, Ya Fei kept her word, denying Chen Mo any intimacy, forcing him to "reflect" at Nalan Manor.
Aside from his own cultivation, he spent most of his time helping Yun Yun overcome her sword technique bottleneck. Though her progress was slow, her fondness for him grew steadily.
In ten days, her affection reached eighty points.
But with Nalan Yanran constantly around, it was hard for Chen Mo to get closer to Yun Yun and trigger the system's rewards.
Finally, after sending Yanran away on an errand, Yun Yun said softly, "Chen Mo, I'll be leaving tomorrow. Master summoned me back for an important matter."
"What matter?" Chen Mo asked.
"I'm not sure yet." She shook her head, then looked at him seriously. "Either way, thank you for guiding me these past days. I've learned so much. I truly appreciate it."
"I told you before, there's no need to be so formal," Chen Mo replied gently.
Yun Yun glanced sideways at him, then lifted her gaze to the darkening night sky, a faint sadness in her expression. "I wonder when we'll meet again…"
"It won't be too long," Chen Mo said softly. His eyes lingered on her serene, noble profile, his heart stirring uncontrollably.
He whispered, "Yun Yun-jie…"
"Hm? Wha—"
Before she could finish, Chen Mo pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips fiercely against hers.
****
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