Luo Luo realized for the first time that even tongues could grow tired.
Just like how practicing swordsmanship for too long would leave her arms sore, she sat dazedly on the bed, feeling as though her lips and tongue no longer belonged to her.
They were numb, heavy, and throbbed faintly with pain.
Each pulse of discomfort sent a delicate shiver through her heart.
"I didn’t even move much," she thought in confusion.
Li Zhaoye had been the one doing all the work through the night—kissing, nipping—so why was she the one left exhausted?
The bed was saturated with his scent. Every breath she took summoned memories of the night’s heart-pounding moments, sending tingles from her tailbone to the nape of her neck.
She didn’t dare dwell on it further.
Shifting slightly, she realized soreness lingered in many places.
In the first half of the night, he had guided her hands over his lean, hard muscles. In the latter half, he took matters into his own hands, claiming his due from her body.
His kisses were fierce, his touch unrestrained.
Even without looking, she knew bruises must have bloomed under his grip.
Outside the pavilion, Li Zhaoye’s composed voice carried through: "I devised a new sword technique last night. You all go ahead—Luo Luo and I will practice it a bit more."
"Ohhh!" A junior disciple quickly replied, "No wonder your robes are drenched, Senior Brother! Your dedication is admirable!"
Li Zhaoye’s tone was steady, betraying no guilt: "Mn. It’s nothing."
"We’ll return to training first!"
"Mn. Go on."
Luo Luo’s ears pricked up nervously.
After a long pause, Li Zhaoye finally sauntered in, lazily dragging his feet.
Her gaze landed on the half-open collar of his robe, and her ears burned instantly. "You went out to meet people dressed like this?"
Li Zhaoye scoffed silently. "Only thieves feel guilty. I always dress like this."
Luo Luo: "…"
True. When he practiced swords, his robes were perpetually loose and disheveled.
He strode to the bed, glanced down at her, then scooped her up effortlessly into his arms.
Luo Luo gasped at the sudden weightlessness, clutching his shoulders.
"Where are we going?" she asked cautiously.
Her clothes were crumpled from his earlier handling, her hair a tangled mess. If they went out like this, wouldn’t everyone guess what had happened?
He clicked his tongue. "Aren’t you uncomfortable, drenched in sweat? Bath time."
Luo Luo blinked. "Oh."
So he was taking her to bathe.
Before she could relax, her body stiffened again.
B-bathe?
Li Zhaoye smirked. "There’s a natural hot spring behind the pavilion. I claimed the best spot—first come, first served."
Luo Luo buried her face against his chest, her thoughts in disarray.
Even though they’d touched everywhere last night, doing this in broad daylight…
Then again, when he was injured before, he’d shamelessly wandered around shirtless in front of her.
So she’d both seen and touched him.
Maybe bathing together wasn’t… such a big deal?
A steaming pool came into view.
Peeking out, Luo Luo gaped—it looked like something out of a fairy tale.
The milky-white stone edges resembled translucent jade. Mist curled over the clear, azure water, so vivid it seemed unreal for such a shallow spring.
Li Zhaoye shrugged off his outer robe and tossed hers aside.
Holding her, he descended the steps into the water.
Warmth enveloped her as the blue-tinged spring lapped at her skin. The mist seeped into her lungs, melting her fatigue.
"Let go," Li Zhaoye said, nodding at her hands still gripping his shoulders. "You expect me to wash you too?"
Luo Luo: "…Oh."
He steadied her against the pool’s edge, then turned and sloshed to the far side.
The thick mist soon obscured him, leaving only a silhouette.
Plop.
His soaked underrobe landed on the stones.
He dunked his head, scrubbing roughly while muttering sword mantras under his breath.
Luo Luo: "…"
Same old Li Zhaoye. He always brainstormed swordplay during baths.
After a moment’s hesitation, she quietly shed her damp clothes underwater.
The heat cradled her, seeping into every pore until she nearly purred with contentment.
Across the pool, Li Zhaoye finished washing his hair and shook it out like a dog.
Luo Luo: "…"
She’d just begun rinsing her own hair when a sharp swish cut through the mist.
Li Zhaoye’s fingers sliced the air, executing two flawless opening moves.
A beat of silence—then the water beneath him erupted.
Splash!
A curtain of droplets arced upward, hanging like a beaded screen.
Before Luo Luo could admire it, the cascade crashed down—
Right onto her head.
Li Zhaoye pivoted, already choreographing the next strike.
Dripping, Luo Luo bit back a protest. He’d lied about inventing a new technique last night, so now he had to improvise one. Saving face mattered.
Thud.
Another underwater burst sent ripples outward.
Through the swirling mist, his figure flickered—bare-chested, clad only in loose white trousers.
Every movement was poetry.
As droplets fell like rain, each lethal stance froze midair, currents swirling around him.
Then—
Silence.
The pool’s surface still quivered when Luo Luo’s fingers itched to respond. She slashed a counter-wave toward him.
Boom!
A razor-sharp jet shot through the water.
Li Zhaoye’s brow arched, beads clinging to his lashes.
With a laugh, he didn’t dodge—just drove a knee forward.
The surge crested like a shark’s fin, racing toward her.
Luo Luo rode the momentum sideways.
The wave smashed against the wall behind her.
She replayed his moves in her mind, mirroring each one.
The azure pool made every ripple visible, every adjustment precise.
They fell into perfect sync—one attacking, one defending, refining each motion until the water itself flowed harmoniously.
Then—
A shared epiphany.
Channeling ambient energy, they struck as one.
BOOM—!
The entire pool launched skyward.
Identical poses: right knee grounded, left arm extended like a blade, fingers poised.
"Magnificent!" Li Zhaoye crowed.
Crash!
The waterfall descended.
Weakened from exertion, Luo Luo was swept under by the deluge.
Gulp!
Disoriented in the foam, she flailed—
Until a shadow cut through the chaos.
With a soft "snap," he seized her wrist and pulled her forcefully into his embrace. His body radiated heat, even hotter than the pool water.
Fresh from a fight, Luo Luo's aggression hadn't yet subsided. The searing touch of his body provoked her, and she instinctively struck back. The moment their bodies pressed together, she twisted his wrist, leveraging the water to pivot and flip him over her shoulder in a swift throw.
Her other hand wasn’t idle either—she aimed two fingers at the pressure point beneath his ribs.
Her fingers pierced through the water, only to land with a "snap" against his palm. Li Zhaoye’s combat instincts were razor-sharp; as he twisted midair, he had already anticipated her next move.
A low chuckle escaped him as his fingers clamped around hers.
Luo Luo wasn’t one to surrender. With her right hand restrained, her left shot toward the numbing point at his elbow.
Amid the swirling bubbles, her eyes gleamed bright, lips pressed tight, brimming with killing intent.
Li Zhaoye countered every move.
In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over a dozen underwater strikes, each one ruthless and real.
He hadn’t even noticed she wasn’t wearing clothes.
Fighting her, he never let his guard down—complacency meant defeat.
Right now, he knew she genuinely wanted to drown him in the pool.
After another relentless exchange, Luo Luo finally ran out of breath, releasing a tiny bubble.
It drifted past his dark, fathomless eyes.
Suddenly, Luo Luo froze.
Beneath the pale blue water, his face looked even paler, eerily reminiscent of the time she had seen him inside a fish’s belly—his spirit shattered, devoid of any color.
As she hesitated, Li Zhaoye paused too.
He noticed her eyes shimmering with liquid—more fluid than the water around them.
Her lips parted slightly, the rosy hue untouched by the water. He had never seen anything more vibrant than the bloom of her mouth.
In that blank moment of thought, he dragged her closer and kissed her.
His killing intent was at its peak, and the kiss carried an unapologetic aggression.
He pried her lips apart, invading without restraint.
What little breath she had left was stolen from her.
Luo Luo shuddered, instinctively retaliating—she bit down hard.
Pain only fueled Li Zhaoye’s frenzy.
A silent, dark laugh rumbled through him as his bloodied tongue teased hers. One hand gripped her waist, the other her throat, pinning her against the pool wall, forcing her to yield as he kissed her deeper, wilder.
Her feeble slap against his chest lacked strength. Her fingers curled weakly, barely grazing his shoulder.
His body pressed closer, the hilt of his sword digging into her.
Startled by the discomfort, Luo Luo reflexively summoned her own sword, Changtian, back to her spiritual repository.
"Clang!"
Changtian sliced through the water, vanishing into her body in a streak of light.
His lips moved against hers, relentless.
The fingers at her throat loosened, then tightened again.
Luo Luo: "...Huh?"
Hadn’t she recalled Changtian? Why was his sword still there? Did he have another one?
As the thought flickered through her mind, Li Zhaoye’s rough kiss abruptly stilled.
He pulled back slightly, his dark eyes flickering as he stared down at her.
His gaze dipped, taking in the expanse of bare skin.
She had actually discarded all her clothes outside the pool, completely defenseless against him.
Through the thin fabric between them, she hadn’t realized what his real weapon was.
He tilted his head, barely suppressing the wicked urge rising in him.
He wanted to make her cry.
Leaning in again, he met her dazed eyes through the rippling water.
She had forgotten to regulate her breathing and was on the verge of passing out.
Her small hands clung to his shoulders, fingers weakly scratching.
Seizing the opportunity, he guided her hand downward.
As his lips sealed over hers again, he covered her hand with his, fingers interlacing, forcing her grip tighter.
He listened, savoring the frantic rhythm of her trapped heartbeat.
Luo Luo’s reactions were always delayed. Deprived of air, her mind moved even slower.
Just as his patience was thinning, she finally began to process things.
'Where did this enormous sword come from…?'
'So hot—fire-attribute?'
'Can’t even grip it with one hand—must be a heavy sword.'
'Is he teaching me dual-wielding?'
Li Zhaoye: "..."
With mischief in mind, he guided her hand, slowly demonstrating how to "wield" it properly.
He leaned in, kissing her senseless, until all reason fled her mind.
The warm water surged around them in waves, until finally—just as she was about to faint—Li Zhaoye reined in his impulses and pulled her to the surface.
"Splash!"
Dazed, Luo Luo blinked up at him.
He deposited her at the pool’s edge, wrapping her in one of his robes and drying her haphazardly.
"Here."
A fresh robe landed on her.
Eyebrow arched, he asked, "Can you dress yourself?"
Luo Luo nodded hurriedly.
With a hum, he turned and strode behind a jade screen.
Her gaze followed him stupidly.
Broad shoulders, narrow waist, long legs—his physique was distractingly perfect.
But where was the sword?
He glanced back, smirking. "What sword? That’s my brother."
She blinked, the sensations she had ignored earlier now flooding her mind.
"Boom!"
A thunderbolt of realization struck.
By the time his figure disappeared behind the screen, Luo Luo finally understood what kind of "sword" she had been handling.
She stood frozen, fragmented words flashing through her mind.
Hot iron. Pillar. Carved dragon.
"Still spacing out? Need me to dress you?" His lazy, laughter-laced voice drifted from behind the screen.
Luo Luo: "...N-no, I’m fine!"
Li Zhaoye had successfully reduced her to a stumbling, flustered mess.
Luo Luo was carried to the training grounds and placed beneath a spirit epiphyllum tree.
Though epiphyllum flowers were said to bloom for only a moment, those on Winter Lord Peak flourished endlessly, branches heavy with blossoms as if they cost nothing.
The disciples training there immediately straightened at Li Zhaoye’s approach, swords at their sides.
He strode to the center, summoning Changtian from Luo Luo’s spiritual repository into his hand with a flick of his wrist.
Luo Luo: "?"
Changtian was in her repository?
That meant every chaotic thought she’d had on the way here had been heard by him.
Li Zhaoye was truly a bastard!
Wait—no, she had recalled Changtian herself.
Luo Luo’s mind spun.
Meanwhile, Li Zhaoye executed a fluid sword flourish, the blade singing crisply through the air as he demonstrated the techniques he had perfected in the hot spring.
Even underwater, Luo Luo had sensed the brilliance of these moves.
Now, with a sword in hand, each strike was breathtaking.
The disciples watched, awestruck.
Only after he sheathed his blade did the crowd erupt in delayed cheers.
"Incredible!"
"Truly worthy of being the champion of Qingyun twice! So strong!"
"Please accept this bow from your junior disciple!"
Li Zhaoye remained utterly composed, casually twirling his sword as he instructed each disciple in their cultivation.
This guy could always put on such a dignified front in public—as if he hadn’t been the one leading the charge in stealing chickens and dogs just days ago.
Luo Luo found it amusing, but her gaze kept drifting toward him unintentionally.
No matter how many people surrounded him, Li Zhaoye always stood out the most.
"Little junior-niece!" Master Fuling of Laojun Peak approached Luo Luo’s wheelchair, clasping his hands behind his back with a sigh. "The two of you really had quite the fruitful night!"
Luo Luo instinctively straightened in her seat.
He’s talking about sword techniques! Sword techniques! Don’t blush, don’t you dare blush!
She chuckled awkwardly. "Ah, well, it was alright. Heh."
Master Fuling: "He’s fine—thick-skinned and sturdy, built to endure. But you? Don’t just follow his reckless lead. You know your own condition."
Luo Luo: "...Mhm. Yeah."
She guiltily twisted the blanket draped over her lap, fingers nervously kneading two little swirls into the fabric.
Master Fuling: "Give me your hand."
Luo Luo: "Huh?"
Master Fuling: "Why so slow? I’m checking your pulse! Need to prescribe the right medicine!"
The old master physician deftly reached under the blanket, pulled out Luo Luo’s wrist, and pressed it against the armrest of her wheelchair.
"Hmm... weak qi and blood." Master Fuling swayed his head thoughtfully. "Injuries not fully healed, suppressed by elixirs... your meridians are unstable. Not good, not good. It’ll take some effort to replenish... Huh?!"
Luo Luo’s heart skipped a beat.
Master Fuling lifted his fingers in disbelief, then pressed down again with utmost seriousness. "Tsk... How is this possible? Your kidney deficiency is this severe?!"
Luo Luo: "..."
"This makes no sense." Master Fuling frowned in confusion. "Weren’t you both supposed to be untouched? How did this..."
Luo Luo hurriedly explained: "Sword practice! It’s from sword practice!"
Master Fuling stared in shock at Li Zhaoye, who moved like a dragon across the training field. "This sword technique?"
Luo Luo could only brace herself and nod. "Mhm."
Master Fuling looked dazed. "Indeed... sacrifice brings reward. A formidable technique, but it drains kidney qi... Fine, I’ll add an extra herb to your elixir to replenish it."
Luo Luo: "...Yeah."
She glanced toward the field and secretly crossed her fingers in her heart: Senior brothers and sisters, my deepest apologies. But hey, boosting kidney qi can’t hurt... right?
On the training grounds, Li Zhaoye gradually began revealing his true nature—his strikes growing heavier and heavier.
One after another, howls of agony erupted across the field.
"I can’t take it anymore, Senior Brother! I’m done! Seriously done!" Zhao Yu collapsed onto his back like a boneless lump of mud.
Li Zhaoye smirked coldly.
A few thin threads shot out, latching onto Zhao Yu’s limbs and hoisting him up like a puppet.
"Eh? Wait—WAH!"
"Whoosh—CLANG!"
The 300-pound disciple was hurled like a raging tiger at another exhausted disciple.
The impact nearly buried the poor victim into the ground.
"You fat sneak! Cheap shot?!"
Zhao Yu: "No no no—!"
Before he could finish, another vicious strike came swinging from an impossible angle.
The other disciple barely dodged with an undignified roll, scrambling up with a roar. "You’re dead, fatty! I’ll end you today!"
"Ahhh! Mercy!"
Li Zhaoye withdrew his threads with a serene smile, vanishing into the background.
Under his "guidance," the field soon erupted into a frenzied, all-out brawl.
"Scree—scree—scree—"
A crane soared from the distance, gliding over the training grounds before landing beside Xu Junzhu.
Moments later, Xu Junzhu approached Luo Luo with a grave expression.
"The Divine Palace is stirring," she said. "Word came last night—Master Yuan has dispatched forces there, likely targeting Senior Brother Li."
Luo Luo pressed her lips together and nodded. "With the three True Breaths gone, their only hope is to sacrifice the Divine Lord. Soon, Li Zhaoye and I will become enemies of the world."
Her gaze drifted toward him amidst the crowd.
He must have been refining this sword technique for a while—a partial repayment for their life-and-death bond.
But when the storm arrived, they would have to leave. Staying would only drag others into their ruin.
"We." A voice as clear as ice whispered beside her ear.
Luo Luo startled, half-convinced she’d heard Master Lingxue speaking.
She looked up into Xu Junzhu’s steady eyes.
Luo Luo blinked. "...Huh?"
"We," Xu Junzhu repeated firmly. "Enemies of the world—together."
Luo Luo froze, her lashes fluttering in disbelief.
"Heh." Xu Junlan’s smirk appeared beside them. "You think you can leave anyone out of something this epic?"
Luo Luo bit her lip.
Touched but ever the blunt realist, she couldn’t help saying, "But the weak would just become cannon fodder."
Xu Junlan: "...Luo Luo, you %&$#!!"
Had Xu Junzhu not restrained her, she might’ve kicked Luo Luo’s wheelchair.
"My thoughts are this," Xu Junzhu said calmly, holding back her sister. "Last night, I inherited Master’s cultivation. My spiritual power ceiling is now staggering—but my own comprehension lags behind. If I can achieve enlightenment, reaching Harmony Dao isn’t impossible."
Luo Luo gasped. "Master Lingxue’s cultivation was that profound?"
Xu Junzhu nodded. "She could’ve attempted Harmony Dao long ago, but unresolved regrets held her back."
Luo Luo understood.
She too had once stagnated at Golden Core’s peak, her foundation rock-solid.
Master Lingxue had been the same.
"When Master departed, she burned her soul—pushing her power even further," Xu Junzhu said tightly. "Now this heaven-defying strength resides in me... like a child wielding a divine weapon."
"So...?"
"I need a sparring partner who can match me." Xu Junzhu met her eyes. "Your fire spiritual power and my ice spiritual power are natural opposites, perfectly balanced. If we advance together, we’ll amplify each other’s progress."
Luo Luo hesitated. "But I just reached Nascent Soul."
"I know." Xu Junzhu sighed. "And I know you and Senior Brother Li are people of unshakable principles... This request will trouble you greatly. But Luo Luo, with danger at our doorstep, perhaps we can’t afford to be so rigid."
Luo Luo frowned. "Senior Sister, what exactly are you suggesting?"
Xu Junzhu closed her eyes briefly. "Don’t misunderstand—I mean no disrespect. None at all."
More confused than ever, Luo Luo nodded. "Of course not. Just say it."
Xu Junzhu clenched her jaw.
Steeling herself, she spoke: "Luo Luo, I want to pour all my resources into you—spirit stones, elixirs, everything—to help you break through at the fastest possible speed."
Luo Luo stared at her, utterly motionless.
Xu Junzhu sighed, "I know this goes against your principles and dishonors your convictions... But Luo Luo, now is not the time to dwell on such things..."
Luo Luo stood stiffly, replying woodenly, "Eldest Senior Sister, are you offering me spirit stones and elixirs?"
Xu Junzhu looked ashamed. "Yes, but... please don’t misunderstand. I just feel I must do everything I can to help." She urged, "Even if you don’t think of yourself, think of Eldest Senior Brother. His current status is... a serious complication. For his sake, at least—"
Luo Luo’s pupils trembled in shock.
With a loud bang, she slammed her hands on the chair and sprang up, exclaiming, "Wait—are you telling me this is actually a GOOD thing?!!!"
Xu Junzhu & Xu Junlan: "..."
