Time flowed like fine sand slipping through one's fingers—always vanishing before one realized.
For nearly two months, Wang Jianqiang had all but become "the master of time."On one hand, he buried himself in alchemy. On the other, he kept up his "deep exchanges" with Wang Yuyao. At times, he even offered gentle comfort to his niece Chen Jiaojiao. And that overly attentive nephew-in-law of his? He frequently found excuses to visit, leaving Jiaojiao in his company.
By day he cultivated with iron will; by night he was not without the warmth of jade in his arms. Life was arranged to near perfection.
After refining nearly one hundred and fifty flawless Cloudmist Pills, his cultivation finally surged into the ninth level of Qi Refining.Feeling the surging spiritual power within, joy and bitterness welled up in him at once.
Others break through with three or five pills. I need a hundred… truly, a Five-Spirit Wasted Root is still a wasted root.
Yet complaints aside, the reality of stepping into the ninth level of Qi Refining filled his heart with deep satisfaction.
Since Cloudmist Pills could no longer push his realm higher in the short term, he simply halted his refining, turned his thoughts, and headed toward the Outer Affairs Hall.
…
Within the hall, Dong Yueru was as cold as ever. But when she glanced at his aura, her gaze flickered slightly.Wang Jianqiang spared no pleasantries and spoke directly:"This disciple wishes to purchase a set of Qianyuan Spirit Formation flags."
When the flags were presented, and he heard the price—one hundred thousand spirit stones—his heart gave a start. Yet he calmly laid down thirty-five flawless Cloudmist Pills.
What others saw as an astronomical price, he could now shoulder with ease.With a sweep of his sleeve, both materials and flags vanished into his storage pouch. He cupped his hands and took his leave.
Dong Yueru gazed at his departing back, her expression complicated.Five-Spirit Wasted Root… could he truly reach the peak of Qi Refining? If he cannot refine a flawless Foundation Pill, all this brilliance will still end in silence.
She sighed inwardly, about to turn away—when suddenly, a playful laugh, laced with charm, shattered the air beside her.
"Hehe… no wonder Senior Sister lingers so long in the Outer Sect. Hiding a lover, are we?"
The air froze. The world peeled away, forcibly sealed from all else.
A scarlet shadow descended from the void.
She wore a gauzy crimson dress, half-transparent like mist, revealing seductive curves that could steal a soul. Pale, slender legs showed boldly beneath the hem; her bare feet touched the ground with a dancer's grace, like a painting of alluring temptation come alive.
Yan Qingxuan.
Her laughter was sultry but not vulgar, laced with teasing mockery:"Never thought Senior Sister's tastes would be so peculiar… falling for an old man? Tsk, tsk."
Dong Yueru's face was expressionless as she met her gaze coldly."Yan Qingxuan. What are you doing here?"
Yan Qingxuan's lips curved. Beneath the mischief in her eyes, a faint heaviness gradually surfaced."Master has ordered: if you cannot break through within three years, you are to enter the Yin-Yang Hall."
Her voice fell, and her figure blurred, dissolving into nothing. The clamor of the hall returned as if nothing had happened.Only Dong Yueru stood rooted in place, jade hand trembling, unable to recover for a long while.
…
At that same moment, Wang Jianqiang had already returned to his residence.
The newly purchased materials quickly became three hundred and eighty flawless Cloudmist Pills. He exhaled deeply in relief.
Next, he withdrew the Qianyuan Spirit Formation flags. After three days of refining, sixteen banners rose in unison, forming a complete spirit array.Pills floated within it, their medicinal power converging into a rushing torrent that poured into his meridians.
Three days of arduous cultivation brought his realm to the very edge of mid-stage Qi Refining Ninth Level.At this pace, within ten days he would surely step into the Tenth Level.
Delight surged in his chest—when suddenly, a familiar voice called from outside the door:
"Senior Brother, are you there?"
Wang Yuyao.
Her voice carried faint urgency wrapped in softness, like a needle piercing straight into his heart.
He arched his brow, and at once, the image of that graceful, alluring matron surfaced in his mind.
Half a month without meeting, and now to hear her voice—it stirred in him a craving, a sense of "newlyweds reunited after long parting."
Without hesitation, he swept his sleeve, retracting the array and all its flags.His heart leapt ahead of his steps as he strode swiftly toward the door.
—And beyond it stood the very woman he most longed to see.
Wang Jianqiang walked quickly to the door and pushed it open.
The breeze lifted the hem of his robe, and a familiar figure stood quietly outside.
Wang Yuyao was dressed in plain garments, yet her graceful, voluptuous figure could not be concealed. Her long hair lifted lightly in the wind, and in her eyes flickered both shyness and urgency.
The moment she saw Wang Jianqiang, she bit softly at her lip before speaking:"Senior Brother… it's been half a month since we last met. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"
Wang Jianqiang looked at her, sighing inwardly: in the day she was the gentle junior sister, yet in the quiet of night she was the woman who understood him most.At this instant, just that one word "Senior Brother" stirred a warmth within his chest.
"How could it be a disturbance? You came—I could not be more pleased."His voice was low and steady, tinged with an unspoken tenderness.
Wang Yuyao's eyes curved slightly as she stepped inside.She softly shut the door behind her, cutting off the outside world; the room immediately sank into silence.
The candlelight flickered warmly. Turning back, her sleeve brushed lightly through the air, carrying a faint fragrance that reached Wang Jianqiang's senses.
Their gazes met, wordless for a long breath.The air itself seemed to ignite, the atmosphere between them thick with unspoken intimacy.
"Senior Brother, I heard you've been in seclusion cultivating again. I was worried you might exhaust yourself too much…"Her voice was soft as she reached out, adjusting his collar.Her fingertips brushed across his chest, smooth and warm, sending a spark of current through his body.
Wang Jianqiang's heart clenched; suddenly, he caught her hand.Palm to palm, the delicate softness under his touch made his breath falter.
Wang Yuyao lowered her head, the tips of her ears burning red, yet she did not pull away.Instead, she let his hand hold hers, her voice dropping until it was barely audible between them:"Senior Brother… if cultivation wears you down too much, you should also… allow yourself to relax a little."
In that moment, silence spoke louder than words.The distance between their hearts shrank under the wavering candlelight, as though they were only a breath away from crossing that final boundary.