"Xishui… have you succeeded?" Long Xiaoyao's voice trembled with emotion.
What stirred him wasn't just that Ye Xishui had broken through to a new realm, but the fact that she, the woman he had adored for so many years, had reached such heights.
For someone like Long Xiaoyao, a self-admitted simp, the stronger and more unattainable his goddess became, the more captivated he was. While he might be slightly better than Earth's most devoted simps, he was undeniably a certified veteran in the art of admiration.
The barrier of Rank 99 had long been considered the ultimate limit for human soul masters. Those who reached this pinnacle were known as Limit Douluos because their cultivation marked the universally accepted peak of human potential.
For Ye Xishui to surpass this threshold was nothing short of miraculous to Long Xiaoyao.
Even if Ye Xishui had achieved it with Qian Ran's help, it didn't diminish the significance of her accomplishment.
After all, legendary figures like Tang San and Qian Renxue had relied on divine inheritance from the God Realm to ascend to godhood. Yet Ye Xishui had become the first human to break through Rank 99 entirely on her own merit—or so it seemed to those unaware of Enlightenment Tea's secrets.
Ye Xishui, too, felt a deep sense of pride. Even though her breakthrough relied on Qian Ran's miraculous tea, so what? Every great cultivator depended on opportunities and fortuitous encounters to succeed.
In her mind, the tea was her fortuitous encounter, one she had worked hard to secure. If Long Xiaoyao and the others couldn't obtain such opportunities, that was their own shortcoming.
Casting a glance at Long Xiaoyao, Ye Xishui knew there was no way Qian Ran would ever give him a sip of Enlightenment Tea. Qian Ran was far too shrewd and stingy to make such generous offers.
As for Ye Xishui herself? She had no intention of sharing such a priceless treasure with Long Xiaoyao either.
She couldn't afford to be as selfless as Long Xiaoyao was to her.
Even if Long Xiaoyao were to break through to the demigod realm, what difference would it make? A demigod, for all its grandeur, was little more than a glorified Limit Douluo. Without achieving godhood before the end of their lifespan, all their efforts would be for naught.
Limited resources had to be used where they would yield the greatest benefit. If Ye Xishui reached godhood, she vowed to repay Long Xiaoyao. For now, she glanced at him with a tinge of guilt.
Long Xiaoyao had given her so much, yet she had done so little for him in return. She couldn't even bring herself to display the same allure she showed Qian Ran, donning outfits like the black-silk one-piece swimsuit he had coaxed her into wearing.
Back at the Holy Spirit Sect, she was once again cloaked in her signature black robes, her ethereal figure hidden from view.
Poor Long Xiaoyao would never imagine that his dignified and conservative goddess had ever worn something so provocative—and not for him, but for another man.
Even her more restrained outfits, like the white blouse and slim black pants that highlighted her perfect figure, were stunning. Yet these, too, were beyond Long Xiaoyao's reach.
Sometimes, the "goddess" a simp admires is only cold and aloof in front of them, while in someone else's presence… well, the story changes entirely.
"Xiaoyao, yes, I have taken that step," Ye Xishui said proudly, sitting atop her grand throne. Crossing her legs elegantly, she exuded a commanding aura. It didn't matter how she had achieved it; simply reaching this stage was enough to make her hold her head high.
For her, this was a small step on the path to godhood, but for the world of human soul masters, it was a monumental leap.
"Demigod?" Long Xiaoyao's eyes sparkled with awe. His gaze drifted to her crossed legs and the slight sway of her black high heels, utterly captivated.
Beautiful!
Having spent most of his life following Ye Xishui, Long Xiaoyao had only experienced two versions of her: the innocent, carefree girl she was in her youth, and the cold, corrupt dark soul master she became.
The sensual, confident phase of her life was one he never got to witness—until now.
Becoming a dark soul master had hardened Ye Xishui's personality, and her attire had always been austere and emblematic of her position. She'd never ventured into the realm of seductive elegance.
But thanks to Qian Ran's subtle influence, Ye Xishui's allure had blossomed in ways Long Xiaoyao could never have imagined.
To him, even the simple motion of her heel swaying was enough to ensnare his heart entirely.
"Demigod? Is that true, Mother?" Zhongli Wu and Feng Ling were stunned by Long Xiaoyao's declaration.
They, too, had noticed Ye Xishui's increased strength but hadn't realized she had reached such a pivotal milestone.
A demigod—this was no ordinary achievement. It meant she had the potential to ascend to godhood.
"Yes," Ye Xishui affirmed with a smile that radiated pride and joy. It had been far too long since she'd felt this elated.
A hundred years ago, after Zhongli Laogui's death, she had accepted his inheritance and quickly ascended to become a Limit Douluo.
But the frustration of being stuck at Rank 99 for nearly a century was indescribable. It was this very stagnation that had driven her to pursue advancements in soul engineering, hoping to strengthen herself through alternative means.
With Qian Ran's assistance, that century-old bottleneck had shattered in just a month. The rapid progress left her in a euphoric state, opening her heart to Qian Ran's antics. Otherwise, her younger self would never have tolerated his brazenness.
"Was it because of Qian Ran? Does that boy truly possess the secret to godhood?" Zhongli Wu asked, his voice trembling with excitement.
Feng Ling stood frozen in disbelief. Just a few days ago, Zhongli Wu had mentioned that Qian Ran possessed pills capable of restoring youth, and she had been scheming ways to obtain them. Now, this revelation?
Qian Ran's connection to the legendary Spirit Hall of ten thousand years ago had always been a subject of intrigue for the Holy Spirit Sect. When they learned that Spirit Hall still had successors, they speculated that Qian Ran might hold secrets to godhood.
Now, seeing Ye Xishui's breakthrough, Zhongli Wu's excitement soared.
What cultivator didn't dream of godhood? What soul master didn't crave greater power?
Ye Xishui glanced at Zhongli Wu but chose not to elaborate. She knew Qian Ran's path had nothing to do with Spirit Hall. While Spirit Hall's legacy included the Angel God's inheritance, there was no way someone as irreverent as Qian Ran could align with such a righteous legacy.
The Enlightenment Tea Qian Ran provided was a far greater secret than anything Spirit Hall ever possessed.
(End of Chapter)