"Brother Qingchen," a graceful girl in a purple dress said, blinking her clear eyes, "Mother said that the only way to heal me completely is for you and me to become Dao companions..." She avoided his gaze, tilting her head, not daring to look directly at Ye Qingchen.
Her figure was curvy, her snow-white cheeks so tender they seemed they could be broken by a touch, and her features were flawless. After speaking, the girl's cheeks turned a crimson red, like a ripening apple that made one want to take a bite and savor her sweetness.
"Dao companions... You mean Dual Cultivation? That's not possible, we're both still so young..." Ye Qingchen panicked, hastily refusing.
Despite his young age, his experiences were plentiful. The years of forbearance, in particular, had granted him a maturity beyond his years, a clear sense of what he should and shouldn't do. Even though Li Susu was his fiancée, how could he take advantage of her while helping her heal?
"I'm already sixteen, not young anymore..." Li Susu said urgently, cutting him off. As if to prove her point, she puffed out her chest, creating a startling curve.
"You have been healing me for ten years, delaying your own cultivation. You were a genius, but now you're mistaken for a waste!
"You've endured endless mockery, yet you never abandoned me!
"I am so moved by your kindness that I just want to give myself to you as soon as possible..."
Ten years ago, Ye Qingchen awakened the Seven-star Willow Wood Martial Soul, the highest-grade Martial Soul seen in Qingyun Town in a century. He was hailed as the town's greatest prodigy of the last hundred years. The Li Family, seeking to add to their own prestige, arranged a child betrothal between him and the Family Head's daughter, Li Susu, who possessed the Six-star Vermilion Bird Martial Soul.
Li Susu had a congenitally weak body, unable to support the Six-star Vermilion Bird Martial Soul. It needed to be nourished by a powerful Wood Attribute Martial Soul. Upon learning this, Ye Qingchen didn't hesitate to help her. For ten years, he infused all the Martial Soul Force cultivated from his Willow Wood Martial Soul into Li Susu's body every day to nourish her.
With Ye Qingchen's help, Li Susu had broken through to the Seventh Layer of Martial Apprentice over the last decade. She became the darling of Qingyun Town, a goddess in the eyes of countless young men. Meanwhile, Ye Qingchen's Cultivation remained stagnant at the First Layer of Martial Apprentice, causing everyone to mistake him for a waste.
"Actually, the mockery and humiliation over the years have helped me grow quickly, so it's been a good thing for me. Besides, there's another secret reason I've been helping you..."
Just as Ye Qingchen started to explain, Li Susu pressed a slender, jade-like finger to his lips, stopping him. She didn't speak again but stared at him, her eyes brimming with emotion. She slowly let her purple dress slide off, revealing her snow-white, rounded shoulders. The next moment, an enticing, jade-like body that made the blood race appeared before Ye Qingchen. With her lying there so alluringly, his blood surged, and his breathing involuntarily grew ragged. At seventeen, Ye Qingchen was at the peak of his youthful vigor. To be honest, with a girl presenting herself so openly, it would be a lie to say he wasn't moved.
"Brother Qingchen, you... be gentle later. This is Su Su's first time. I'm scared... scared it'll hurt..." Li Susu's voice was extremely shy, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, but each word struck Ye Qingchen's heart like a drumbeat, driving him wild.
WHIRR!
His head swam with heat. After a moment of resistance, Ye Qingchen lost all reason and pounced. The sensation of smooth, delicate skin under his fingertips was like an electric shock, and an indescribable pleasure erupted from the depths of his soul. He felt incredibly exhilarated.
As this state persisted, deep in his mind, next to the small sliver of Willow Wood, a black eye with overlapping pupils materialized. The second Martial Soul, Double Pupils, had awakened!
"My second Martial Soul has finally awakened!" Ye Qingchen trembled, his face filled with endless joy as he noticed the change within his sea of consciousness.
Dual Martial Spirits—a Martial Artist possessing two Martial Souls—was an incredibly rare occurrence, with only one appearing in ten million. Every Martial Artist with Dual Martial Spirits is an extraordinary, monstrous talent.
Ten years ago, when Ye Qingchen had first awakened his Seven-star Willow Wood Martial Soul, he had also discovered the existence of this second Martial Soul. For some unknown reason, however, he had never been able to awaken it. While he was nourishing Li Susu's Martial Soul, this second soul was also continuously absorbing the Soul Power he worked so hard to cultivate, which was another reason his Cultivation had stagnated. Ye Qingchen had never expected that performing Dual Cultivation with Li Susu today would also awaken his second Martial Soul. It was truly a double blessing. He was in high spirits and looked down at Li Susu, who was snuggled in his arms like a kitten. He wanted to share his joy with her.
Just at that moment, he suddenly heard her voice in his mind.
I've suffered for ten years, but today I'm finally free! I'll never have to feign affection for Ye Qingchen again! How could I, the proud daughter of heaven, ever marry a piece of trash that even the Ye Family abandoned? Hmph! Just having this pauper touch me is disgusting! If it wasn't for the fact that fusing with his Willow Wood Martial Soul to make it my second requires our bodies and minds to be in sync, why would I have let him take my innocence? The moment this is over, I'll kill him!
Ye Qingchen's pupils constricted. He could actually hear Li Susu's inner thoughts. Her words were like sharp spikes, each one piercing his heart. Li Susu wanted to steal his Martial Soul! She even wanted to kill him! Ye Qingchen shuddered, his joy instantly turning to ash. He felt as if he had plunged from heaven straight into Hell. A towering inferno of rage ignited within him.
For ten years, he had selflessly given everything so that Li Susu wouldn't be consumed by the backlash of her Vermilion Bird Martial Soul and burn to death. He never imagined she would repay his kindness with such treachery, plotting to steal his Martial Soul. Such an ungrateful heart! Worse than pigs and dogs!
"Brother Qingchen, I want it!" Seeing Ye Qingchen freeze, Li Susu pushed him down, attempting to force herself on him.
Ye Qingchen's heart lurched. If Li Susu succeeded, his Martial Soul would be stolen! But the disparity in their strength was too great; he couldn't resist.
At this critical juncture, the Dual Pupil Martial Soul deep within his mind trembled slightly. The next moment, he could clearly see the flow of the Cultivation Technique inside Li Susu's body. It was her Dual Cultivation Method! Steeling his heart, Ye Qingchen replicated the technique he saw and roared, "You want it? Then I'll give it to you—"
He turned the tables, shifting from passive to dominant. He pulled Li Susu's supple waist tight and thrust fiercely. Li Susu let out a soft cry, a piercing pain shooting through her body as she felt something break through. Ye Qingchen showed no mercy, launching into a frenzied conquest. Specks of crimson stained the bedsheets while the girl's soft pants and moans echoed through the room. Outside, rain lashed against falling leaves in a sudden squall. Inside, the bed curtains swayed amid a fierce embrace.
An hour later, the battle finally ceased.
This good-for-nothing! Has he never seen a woman in his life? He doesn't know the first thing about being tender! Li Susu's body ached as if it were about to fall apart. She shot Ye Qingchen a disdainful glance, but her heart swelled with pride. Just now, I felt a stream of pure energy erupt from his body, and I absorbed it all, merging it into mine! The Dual Cultivation is complete; the great task is accomplished! But she failed to notice that, at the same time, the pure energy within her own body was also pouring out like a torrential river...
She quickly pulled on her purple dress, her gentle and pure demeanor vanishing, replaced by a cold glare as she looked at Ye Qingchen. "Ye Qingchen, you fool! Did you really think a waste like you could make me fall in love with you?
"Heh, let me tell you the truth. I've been using you for these past ten years! This Dual Cultivation was only to steal your Martial Soul!
"Now that you're useless to me, you can go die!"
Li Susu was in high spirits, feeling utterly triumphant. Her gaze, fixed on Ye Qingchen, was filled with undisguised murderous intent.
Ye Qingchen dressed unhurriedly, feeling an unprecedented fullness in his body. "Li Susu, you truly chill my heart and disappoint me," he said calmly. "Are you sure you can kill me in your current state?"
"What a joke! Killing a waste like you is as easy as flipping my hand!" Li Susu sneered. But as she tried to mobilize her Spiritual Power, she felt something was wrong. Her expression suddenly stiffened. She had discovered that her Cultivation had actually dropped from the Seventh Layer of Martial Apprentice to the Fourth Layer!