On the quiet hillside of the back mountain, soft green grass carpeted the ground. Amidst the dancing shadows of the trees, Yuan Shu sat cross-legged, quietly cultivating.
Footsteps approached from behind, neither heavy nor light, stopping just two paces away from her.
Yuan Shu awakened from her cultivation. Glancing back from the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the hem of a familiar robe.
"Second Senior Brother?"
Yuan Shu was a little surprised. She hadn't expected Zhai Shuo to be the first one to find her.
Zhai Shuo was dressed in an outfit with red and white martial sleeves.
Standing behind her at a towering height of over two meters, he blocked out a large swath of sunlight, casting Yuan Shu in his shadow.
He lowered his eyes, looking at the little woman who was tilting her head up at him.
Her eyes were curved in a soft smile, her expression calm. It seemed she hadn't been overly affected by the harsh words Lu Guichen had spoken in the Azure Cloud Hall.
Or perhaps she was actually heartbroken but just skilled at hiding her true feelings?
Whichever it was, Zhai Shuo's heart ached for her.
"Shushu, I will go beg Master again. I'll ask him to let you stay."
He crouched down in front of her and reached out to hold the hands resting on her knees, speaking with utmost earnestness, "I have other ways. Please don't be sad."
If he volunteered to leave Azure Cloud Peak and used the debt of gratitude Lu Guichen owed the senior who had raised him to make him keep Yuan Shu, it might just work!
After all, Lu Guichen loathed him for using that favor far more than he loathed Yuan Shu!
Zhai Shuo spent most of the year away on missions and was long accustomed to life outside the sect. Even if he left the Falling Immortal Sect, he would live perfectly well.
He knew how hard-won Yuan Shu's status as a core disciple was. If she were driven down the mountain, she would likely never get another opportunity like this in her lifetime!
Zhai Shuo's gaze was sincere, faintly revealing a resolute determination.
Yuan Shu understood what this guy was thinking with just one look.
He had probably decided to pay some sort of price to exchange with Lu Guichen for her right to stay on Azure Cloud Peak.
She couldn't help but curl her lips into a soft chuckle and said,
"Second Senior Brother, the sect rules state that only core disciples who fail to reach the Foundation Establishment realm within ten years of joining the mountain are expelled. I still have five days left until my ten-year mark!"
"Lu Guichen is in such a rush to drive me down the mountain. Do you really think he cares for me at all?"
"Since that's the case, why should I stay on Azure Cloud Peak just to suffer their disdain?"
With that, Yuan Shu raised her hand, condensing a ball of pure spiritual energy in her palm.
"Bang!"
The spiritual energy burst open, sending out rippling shockwaves.
In an instant, Zhai Shuo's eyes widened.
"Shushu, you..."
"That's right. I've already broken through to the Foundation Establishment realm. The reason I didn't say it in the great hall was because I no longer wish to stay on Azure Cloud Peak."
"Second Senior Brother, you don't need to run around on my behalf, nor do you need to sacrifice anything. I am choosing not to stay."
Zhai Shuo looked shocked. If he remembered correctly, the last time they traveled together in the Death Demon Forest, Yuan Shu was still only in the Qi Condensation realm, right?
It had only been a few days, and she had already broken through to Foundation Establishment?
Moreover, it didn't look like she had just entered the realm.
That burst of spiritual energy just now could probably only be unleashed by someone in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
How... how had she cultivated?
Could this be the reason she had been in secluded meditation recently?
Zhai Shuo's mind was full of questions, but he astutely caught the main point of Yuan Shu's words.
"You're saying you did it on purpose? You don't want to stay on Azure Cloud Peak?"
"Yes." Yuan Shu nodded, her voice firm. "Second Senior Brother, don't worry about it. This is my own choice."
Zhai Shuo's heart immediately relaxed. If Yuan Shu had already reached Foundation Establishment, then even if she left Azure Cloud Peak, she could still stay in the disciple courtyard.
Although she wouldn't be a core disciple, she at least wouldn't be driven down the mountain.
"Shushu, you're amazing!"
Zhai Shuo sighed in genuine admiration and couldn't resist reaching out to pull her into his arms.
"Shushu, I've compiled some cultivation insights, along with some pills and spiritual items you might need right now. They're for you."
Zhai Shuo handed over a Qiankun bag. Yuan Shu smiled, her eyes curving, and politely declined, "Second Senior Brother, I'm not lacking in pills."
But Zhai Shuo stuffed it into her pocket without leaving any room for argument.
"What you have is yours, and what I give you is from me. If you don't need them, you can exchange them for some spirit stones to keep on hand. Who complains about having too much money?"
Yuan Shu tilted her head in thought and nodded. "That's true."
Zhai Shuo smiled. He buried his rugged, handsome face into the crook of Yuan Shu's neck and took a deep breath. "Shushu, let me hold you."
Counting the time, it had been over ten days since he last saw Yuan Shu after they parted ways.
All that accompanied him were the memories of those few days of intimate interaction with her.
Zhai Shuo was very tall and large. When he held Yuan Shu in his arms, her feet left the ground.
Yuan Shu quickly raised her arms to wrap around his neck.
Zhai Shuo hastily tightened his arms around her to keep her from sliding down.
Yuan Shu tilted her head. The hand resting on his chest gave a light, teasing scratch. Narrowing her eyes, she suddenly spoke with a wicked smile, "Just a hug? Don't you want a kiss?"
Zhai Shuo's body tensed. It was hard to tell if he was stimulated by that bold hand on his chest or startled by Yuan Shu's words.
He lifted his head from the crook of her neck, gazing down at the devastatingly beautiful little face in his arms.
He lowered his head and kissed her.
He proved with his actions that, compared to a hug, he actually wanted a kiss much more.
He had just been afraid of being too abrupt and scaring her.
He hadn't expected Shushu to be even bolder than him. What reservations could he possibly have left?
A few shallow tastes were far from enough to quench the thirst of his longing.
Zhai Shuo soon took the initiative to pry open her lips and teeth, deepening the kiss.
An intense, masculine scent lingered at the tip of Yuan Shu's nose, and her mouth was completely filled with his presence.
Zhai Shuo's kissing skills were improving, and he seemed adept at utilizing his physical advantages.
The proportionately enlarged softness tangled with hers, making even her breaths tremble uncontrollably.
In just a moment, a soft moan escaped the corners of Yuan Shu's lips. To Zhai Shuo's ears, it sounded like encouraging applause.
Holding Yuan Shu, he slowly backed up until he pressed her against the trunk of a tree behind them.
The dancing shadows of the leaves fell upon them, dappling both of their bodies with spots of light!
Yuan Shu's hand slipped inside Zhai Shuo's lapels, unhurriedly brushing over the scar previously left on his chest, wandering deeper.
Zhai Shuo's body trembled slightly as his soft kisses trailed down her neck, claiming territory inch by inch.
Yuan Shu was beginning to taste the benefits of his proportionately large size.
She suddenly understood why some of her sisters from the Joyous Sect paid special attention to the length of a man's tongue.
Yuan Shu's inner fire had been stoked, and her body was shaking slightly.
Zhai Shuo lifted his head, his crimson eyes looking deeply at Yuan Shu. His voice was incredibly hoarse. "Shushu, may I?"
Yuan Shu glanced down at his ready-and-waiting state. She pinched his chin, leaned in close, and spoke in a sultry tone, "What do you think?"
A top-tier Fire Spirit Root delivering himself right to her doorstep—there was no reason to refuse!
Besides, ever since they returned from the Death Demon Forest last time, she had been coveting this proportionately large man for quite a while.
She wondered if he was unusually endowed in other areas as well.
Zhai Shuo's throat tightened. He lowered his head and captured Yuan Shu's small mouth, kissing her with deep passion while wrapping one arm around her waist.
...
