Early morning, at the core disciples' courtyard.
Shen Qi pushed open the courtyard door with hurried steps. The moment he stepped inside, he immediately shut the door with one hand.
Stumbling, he leaned against the door behind him, clutching his chest with one hand, panting with a pained expression.
He could feel the Buddhist Ice Heart Seal at his chest trembling violently.
The dark element spiritual root inside his body had grown restless the moment he lost his primal yang.
Now, gathering into a single force, it was frantically crashing against the Buddhist Ice Heart Seal!
It seemed as if a consciousness was reawakening, trying to break through the Buddhist Ice Heart Seal to seize his body and dominate his everything!
Pain shot through his mind like needle pricks, making him dizzy with agony.
Shen Qi stumbled and dropped to one knee, his entire body trembling from the pain.
Yet, he gritted his teeth tightly, silently enduring it all.
He had wanted to stay in Yuan Shu's courtyard a little longer, but he couldn't.
After losing his primal yang, the effect of the Buddhist Ice Heart Seal in his body would weaken, and the dark element spiritual energy would become uncontrollable.
He was afraid—afraid that Yuan Shu would be terrified if she saw him lose control!
He didn't want Yuan Shu to see him like this; he didn't want to frighten her.
He had to, he absolutely had to hold on!
Shen Qi gasped heavily for air, as if this could slightly alleviate the pain inside his body.
He gritted his teeth and persevered. He didn't know how long had passed, but the Buddhist Ice Heart Seal inside him ultimately couldn't withstand the attacks of the dark element spiritual energy and cracked open.
Tendrils of dark element spiritual energy seeped out from the golden Buddhist seal.
As the impact of the dark element spiritual energy grew fiercer, the cracks on the golden Buddhist seal also widened.
Gradually, more and more dark element spiritual energy leaked out.
"Bang!"
With a crisp shatter, the dark element spiritual energy broke through the confinement of the Buddhist seal, surging completely into his meridians and running wild!
Shen Qi's expression changed.
Just as expected, after losing his primal yang, this body of his could no longer bear it!
He wondered when he would be able to see Yuan Shu next.
And that depended on when he could fully gather and control the unruly dark element spiritual energy raging within him!
A bitter smile appeared on Shen Qi's face.
The supreme-grade dark spiritual root in his body was not innate.
Rather, when he was young, his soul was seized by a dark element spiritual entity, which coincidentally fused with his body to form this supreme-grade dark spiritual root.
Because of this, the supreme-grade dark spiritual root inherently possessed a spiritual consciousness that refused to submit to him.
Had he not accidentally obtained the Buddhist Ice Heart Seal from an eminent Buddhist monk to suppress the dark element spiritual energy in his body, he probably would never have grown properly to his current level of strength!
His outstanding cultivation talent was all thanks to the supreme-grade dark spiritual root.
Yet, because of the existence of the Buddhist Ice Heart Seal, he could only maintain a tranquil mind, focus his spirit, and suppress his desires.
But now, he had actively broken this rule and released that consciousness!
Yuan Shu would never know that those two times, he didn't want to run away; he simply couldn't stay.
He couldn't stay, couldn't indulge, couldn't have her!
But later, asking him to calm his mind, focus his spirit, suppress his desires, and forget her like before...
He realized he could no longer do it.
Cultivators cultivate their hearts.
His heart was no longer tranquil. If he didn't break through and merely continued to suppress it, he would only trap himself, unable to make any further progress from now on.
Therefore, after understanding his own heart, Shen Qi had decided that he no longer wanted this Buddhist Ice Heart Seal.
He wanted Yuan Shu!
At the same time, he also wanted to see if his many years of hard cultivation would allow him to clash head-on with that dark element consciousness.
If he could thoroughly subdue it, it would definitely be beneficial to his cultivation!
It was just... so painful!
Once released, the dark element spiritual energy rampaged through his meridians, completely disregarding whether his body could withstand it!
Shen Qi sat directly on the ground, crossing his legs to circulate his energy. Taking a deep breath, he sank his divine sense into his dantian.
He began to wrestle for the control of the spiritual energy against the consciousness of the dark element.
This process lasted for a full two hours, until the sun in the sky rose above the treetops.
Exhaling a breath of impure air, Shen Qi slowly opened his eyes and muttered in a low voice.
"I actually managed to temporarily suppress it?"
Shen Qi withdrew from his introspective state in surprise. Before this, he thought such agony would last for at least many days.
To think it only took a few hours?
If he could suppress the dark spirit on his first try, it would be much easier in the future!
As long as he completely wore away the consciousness attached to the dark spirit, the dark element spiritual energy in his body would be entirely his to use.
He would never be affected by the dark element spiritual energy's riots again!
"But what is this?"
Shen Qi murmured. The moment he raised his hand, a wisp of crimson energy condensed at his fingertips.
Did he have this thing in his body before?
Fortunately, this wisp of crimson energy didn't cause him any harm.
Furthermore, it had been a great help when he was suppressing the dark element spiritual energy just now.
Shen Qi thought about it for a long time but couldn't figure it out, so he stopped dwelling on it.
He stood up, changed into clean clothes, went inside the room, and sat cross-legged to continue consolidating the suppression in his body.
...
In Yuan Shu's room, Yuan Shu was sitting cross-legged in meditation, looking inward at the foundation of the Divine Acacia Tree in her body.
A supreme-grade water spiritual root diamond-shaped foundation had fully matured. Its crystal-clear appearance looked like a dazzling dark blue gemstone.
A speck of supreme-grade gold spiritual root foundation emitted a blinding golden light, still far from condensing into a golden diamond-shaped foundation.
But Yin Ruobai had been out recently.
Since Yuan Shu couldn't find him, she naturally had no way to make this foundation condense into shape.
A speck of supreme-grade dark spiritual root foundation exuded a captivating black light. Sensing Yuan Shu's gaze, it even specifically flashed its light.
It certainly knew how to read the room better than its master!
Yuan Shu smiled, her consciousness gently brushing over the dark element foundation.
For the Divine Acacia Tree to level up, one layer of the foundation needed to reach five, which meant five men with supreme-grade spiritual roots.
She had already acquired three, and was still short of two. Where should she go to find them?
Yuan Shu stroked her chin, and a person suddenly flashed into her mind.
Calculating the time, her Third Senior Brother should be finding out around these two days that the good friend who saved him back then was now plagued by severe illness and seeking medical help everywhere, right?
"Knock, knock, knock!"
A knock sounded from outside the door.
Yuan Shu's brows twitched. She exited her cultivation state and said, "Come in."
Yun Sheng entered, carrying a carefully prepared breakfast.
Seeing that Yuan Shu was only wearing a thin undergarment, he quickly set down the tray in his hands, walked to the side to grab an outer robe, and draped it over her.
Yuan Shu looked up at him and didn't refuse.
"Miss Yuan, let me feed you."
Yun Sheng sat on the edge of Yuan Shu's bed, picked up the spirit-sprout lotus root and seed soup, and fed her spoonful by spoonful.
The lotus root soup with added spirit sprouts was sweet and glutinous. Yuan Shu ate two small bowls.
When Yun Sheng was about to feed her more, she reached out and stopped him.
"That's enough."
Yun Sheng nodded and put the things away. "Miss Yuan, the medicinal bath is ready. Shall I carry you there?"
After receiving Yuan Shu's permission, Yun Sheng bent down, picked her up, and walked toward the adjacent bathing room.
Yun Sheng had drawn the water long ago. It must have been boiling hot at the time, but after cooling until now, the water temperature was just right.
Yuan Shu stood on the floor mat and spread her arms.
Seeing this, Yun Sheng hurried forward to undress her.
Even though he had seen it several times already, Yun Sheng's Adam's apple still bobbed uncontrollably.
Afraid that Yuan Shu would see it and feel disgusted, he hastily lowered his head.
