By the bedside, candlelight flickered softly.
Fang Xuan lay half-reclined on the bed, sleeping soundly.
Ning Xian rested against him, her arm gently circling his waist, her chin tucked into his shoulder.
Moonlight streamed through the window paper.
She inhaled his familiar, comforting scent, yet her heart felt little peace.
The burst of power a moment ago, tearing open space and shattering the jade seal, had seemed a forceful display, allowing Fang Xuan to escape calmly.
But only she knew that what had surged through her in that instant was… more of… an unease.
She didn't want Fang Xuan to meet those people.
She… was afraid.
Afraid that those so-called clan members would appear and use bloodline, responsibility, or something else he might care about, to pull him away from her.
Her departure from that place was less about solving a problem and more about escaping that possibility.
She feared he would return to his original life trajectory.
A path without her, or one where she was merely a passerby.
And she, in turn, would revert to that solitary soul, wandering alone through long stretches of time and a sea of blood feuds.
She held Fang Xuan’s arm tightly, her fingertips gripping slightly, as if the warmth in her embrace would vanish if she let go.
Her eyes lowered, lashes casting delicate, fragile shadows beneath them.
She couldn’t truly keep him locked by her side.
Not that she couldn’t do it, but… she couldn’t bear to.
She couldn’t bear to strip him of his freedom, his choices, even if those choices might lead him away from her.
She buried her face deep into his warm embrace again, rubbing against him as if seeking comfort.
His familiar body temperature and heartbeat transmitted through the fabric, calming her anxious heart slightly.
Thankfully, at least for now… he was still in her arms.
.......
Although he had drunk quite a bit of Celestial Drunk, cultivators, after all, possessed extraordinary physiques, so Fang Xuan didn't sleep for too long.
He could have woken up at any moment, but he just wanted to lounge on his senior sister's lap a little longer.
At this moment, he vaguely roused.
Once his consciousness cleared, the first thing he felt was the warm, soft, jade-like sensation in his arms.
And the cool, unique fragrance of Ning Xian lingering at his nose.
Hmm? Senior Sister?
He stirred, realizing Ning Xian was holding him tightly.
And the surroundings… didn’t seem to be the tiled roof of the Drunken Immortal Restaurant.
The courtyard? When had they returned?
He only remembered that he had apparently fallen asleep with his head on his senior sister’s lap…
.......
Just as he was about to release her and get up.
“Don’t move…” Ning Xian’s cool voice sounded in his ear.
She sensed Fang Xuan had woken up. Not only did she not let go, but she tightened her arms around him.
Then she lifted her head, leaned in, and lightly pressed a kiss to his lips.
The kiss was soft, brief, yet carried a hint of anxious reassurance…
After the kiss, she buried her flushed face back into his embrace, her voice muffled, and uncharacteristically soft and sweet: “Let me hold you a little longer, okay…?”
It wasn't a command, but a question, even… a cautious plea.
Fang Xuan paused slightly, then wrapped his arms around her, pulling her whole body even closer.
“For Senior Sister, you can hold me for as long as you wish…”
Ning Xian didn’t speak, just let out a soft “mm” in his arms, her embrace tightening further.
To her… this period felt increasingly like a beautiful dream she didn't want to wake from.
The more she gained, the clearer that underlying fear of loss in her heart seemed to become…
.......
“You can… reshape your body now.”
After a long while, Ning Xian finally spoke in his embrace, her voice muffled and listless, discussing a serious matter.
“Okay, I’ll listen to Senior Sister,” Fang Xuan replied.
Ning Xian was silent for a moment, then suddenly whispered, “Aren’t you going to ask… what if I harbor ill intentions…?”
“Huh?” This time, Fang Xuan was genuinely surprised; he had never even considered such a possibility.
His Senior Sister would harm him? He'd sooner believe he was actually Qin Shi Huang.
“If Senior Sister wants my heart, I wouldn’t hesitate to pluck it out right now.”
Ning Xian turned her face away, pressing her re-heated cheek back into his embrace: “You only know how to say such sweet things.”
“Senior Sister,” Fang Xuan leaned close to her ear, his warm breath fanning her skin, then spoke with a smile.
“I don’t just talk… I also act…”
........
In the latter half of the night, the moonlight became even more… tender.
Finally, as dawn approached.
Fang Xuan at last managed to comfort his dispirited and anxious Senior Sister until she felt reassured and deeply content, falling into a deep sleep.
He gently exhaled, carefully extracting his somewhat numb arm, and tucked the quilt around her.
In his heart, he couldn't help but savor the moment.
Cough… Lately, it seems he’d been… a little too indulgent.
.......
He opened the system interface.
【Host: Fang Xuan (bound as Ning Xian’s training target)】
【Current training progress: 8%】
【Hint: Reach 10% progress to unlock a phased reward upgrade. Host, please continue your efforts and deepen your training relationship with your master!】
Almost 10%? Fang Xuan looked at the panel.
The last system upgrade had rewarded him with an M-physique, which sounded embarrassing but was actually very useful.
It not only allowed health-lock but also provided a burst of power, truly formidable.
And it had also unlocked the training task guidance function.
He had to admit, sometimes the system understood better than he did how to be thoroughly trained by his Senior Sister.
So, he was quite looking forward to the next upgrade’s reward…
.......
He glanced out the window again; the sky was already showing a hazy white light.
He turned to look at Ning Xian, who was sound asleep on the bed. Even in sleep, she seemed to subconsciously seek security, curling slightly towards him.
Fang Xuan reached out, intending to smooth her slightly furrowed brow.
However, just as his hand extended, Ning Xian unconsciously rubbed her small face against his hand, and her brows naturally relaxed.
Fang Xuan smiled, withdrew his hand, and quietly got up.
He gently pushed open the door and stepped out…
.......
The morning air carried the freshness of bamboo leaves, invigorating his lungs and lifting his spirits.
As was his routine, he practiced his sword for a while.
He walked to the open ground in front of the bamboo forest, holding his black sword, Yunchang. He didn't immediately swing it, but closed his eyes, his mind calm.
With a slight shift of his will, two distinctly different sword intents began to gather within his body.
These two sword intents initially acted independently, not interfering with each other.
But today, Fang Xuan suddenly felt inspired and tried to guide them to slowly approach each other.
There was no rejection or conflict as he had imagined, nor any earth-shattering explosion.
The two sword intents naturally intertwined, and a completely new sword intent condensed in the air, subtly resonating with the black sword.
Fang Xuan opened his eyes, a cold glint flashing and vanishing in their depths.
He made a grasping motion at the ethereal sword intent.
“Om—”
Centered on him, a gentle breeze instantly swept past.
In that instant, the entire bamboo forest trembled in unison.
Dewdrops gathered on the leaf tips cascaded down, like a fine rain.
After the breeze passed, the bamboo forest appeared even more vibrantly green and full of life, as if it had been purified by refined spiritual energy.
Fang Xuan slowly opened his hand, and the integrated sword intent quietly dispersed.
“It wasn’t an explosion, and the fusion… went quite well?” he muttered softly to himself.
Generally, shouldn't something like this cause an explosion, which he could then unleash on anyone?
But now it seemed, besides diligently pursuing the path of training, his legitimate sword cultivation had also stumbled upon a new insight.
Could it be… he was truly a genius?
Hahaha.
He was a seventeen-year-old genius… no, he was probably eighteen now.
An eighteen-year-old Nascent Soul Realm genius cultivator, and his cute senior sister, only half a month away from the Transformation Realm.
.......
Fang Xuan put away his sword, the corner of his mouth slightly upturned.
Too bad he wasn’t a Dragon King, otherwise his smile could reach the heavens…
Rate on N.U.
