Translator: CinderTL
"What's this...?" Xu Sanyan murmured, examining the golden orb curiously. He wondered if it was covered in her saliva. If it was, he didn't want it.
As the orb emerged, Zuoqiu Zhen's face turned deathly pale, as if she had expended a great deal of energy.
This object is a condensed fragment of my soul, temporarily entrusted to you as a restraint. Return it to me once matters are resolved. Can you accept this arrangement?
Xu Sanyan took the orb with both hands, scrutinizing it closely. He was deeply intrigued by her ability to separate her soul from her body—he wondered what technique she had used.
Though Xu Sanyan had reached the Soul Refining Realm, he lacked legendary abilities such as "soul projection" or "astral travel." The ultimate goal of cultivating the divine soul in the Soul Refining Realm was merely to prepare for breaking through to the void harmony realm.
Void harmony, as it was called, required the peak stage of Essence Preservation, Qi Absorption, and Soul Refinement. When these three were perfected, forming a flawless, unified whole, one could merge with the heavenly dao and attempt to break through to the void harmony realm.
"Essence Preservation" encompasses the three realms before the Celestial Being Realm: Qi Refinement, Inner Qi, and Celestial Being, all within the realm of mortals.
"Qi Absorption" includes the Foundation Establishment and Dao Seeking stages, focusing on cultivating spiritual power and seeking one's own path, forming the backbone of the World of Immortal Cultivation.
"Soul Refinement," as the name suggests, involves cultivating the divine soul.
Divine soul techniques are notoriously unpredictable and difficult to defend against, with the Lu Clan's reputation being particularly renowned. Xu Sanyan's mastery of the Lu Clan's Spirit Refining Force had proven invaluable throughout his journey.
"This thing... how did you extract it?" Xu Sanyan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Want to learn? I'll teach you," Zuoqiu Zhen replied with a weary smile.
"Tch, never mind."
Xu Sanyan flipped his hand, storing the golden orb, signaling his agreement to her terms. He then changed the subject, "Oh, what about the ten soul crystals you promised earlier? When will you give them to me?"
"After this is over, along with the second half of the Soul-Gathering Brilliance-Preserving Grand Formation."
Xu Sanyan nodded in agreement. "Alright, then it's settled."
"Mm."
Zuoqiu Zhen pushed open the window and leaped out. As her skirt billowed, a pair of snow-white, powerful thighs were revealed, the pale blue veins beneath the skin making them appear even more dazzlingly pure.
Xu Sanyan squinted, stroked his chin, and turned to push open the door. He beckoned to Wang Zixuan in the distance.
"Brother Lin, what's wrong?" Wang Zixuan hurried over.
Xu Sanyan grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms. With a flick of his sleeve, the wooden door slammed shut with a resounding bang.
"I'm feeling quite... fiery right now..."
"Mmm~"
In the garden,
Lin Fan had just finished tidying up and stepped out of his room. Witnessing this scene, he felt deeply awkward, lowering his head and unsure where to look. His gaze finally landed on Chunmei's calf beside him.
After a moment's hesitation, he realized that was inappropriate and hastily looked up at the sky.
"Hehe," Chunmei giggled, covering her mouth. She had never encountered such a bashful cultivator before. "Young master, if you want to look, just look," she whispered.
"Uh, I'll just go for a walk."
Being caught peeking left Lin Fan thoroughly embarrassed. The faint slurping sounds drifting from inside only made him more flustered.
Though still a virgin, he wasn't entirely clueless. He might not have eaten pork, but he'd seen pigs run. He knew exactly what those sounds meant.
As dusk settled the next evening, Xu Sanyan sat in the stone pavilion in the courtyard, watching the lingering afterglow fade from the horizon. He knew the time was approaching.
Behind him, Lin Fan stood as still as a wooden post. Xu Sanyan had been sitting there all afternoon, and Lin Fan had remained standing the entire time.
Suddenly, Xu Sanyan asked, "Do you prefer men or women?"
"Huh?" Lin Fan blinked in surprise. "Are you asking me?"
"Who else would I be asking? Is there anyone else here?" Xu Sanyan glanced at him sideways.
Lin Fan lowered his voice. "Of course I prefer women."
"Then why did you chase Chunmei out of your room last night?"
"Uh..."
Lin Fan finally realized that nothing escaped the holy son's notice.
"Brother, you see, I'm already betrothed to Zuoqiu Yi, the seventh of the Huai Lake Seven Heroes. How could I possibly meet with another woman? That would be a betrayal of her trust."
"Tsk..." Xu Sanyan clicked his tongue. "Just have some fun. Don't take it so seriously. What happens between us stays between us. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
Lin Fan lowered his head, silent. He clearly disapproved of Xu Sanyan's words but couldn't bring himself to contradict him directly.
"Besides," Xu Sanyan continued, "you could always wear a fish bladder. Wearing one is practically the same as not going in at all."
"Huh?" Lin Fan looked confused.
Xu Sanyan picked up his teacup and took a sip, about to impart some useful knowledge to Lin Fan, when the sky suddenly darkened completely.
In an instant, faint crimson lights began to flicker across the inner city, like streaks of light darting through the void, forming an intricate and vast network that enveloped the entire city.
Xu Sanyan abruptly stood up, his gaze fixed on the glowing patterns flowing across the brick walls. He knew the time had come; Zuoqiu Zhen had begun her move.
Pillars of fiery red light erupted across the inner city, shooting skyward and illuminating Thousand Autumns City as if it were dusk. Xu Sanyan silently counted thirty-six such pillars.
Lin Fan's pupils reflected the crimson glow on the horizon as he murmured, "What's happening...?"
"Come with me," Xu Sanyan said, slinging the secret realm fruit over his shoulder and striding away.
Lin Fan snapped out of his daze and hurried after him.
Chaos erupted within the inner city. Countless shouts and cries of alarm mingled into a cacophony. For the first time, Xu Sanyan realized just how many members the Wang Family actually had.
"What's going on?"
"Why has the Great Formation activated?"
"Are we under attack?"
"I don't know! Report to the clan head immediately!"
"..."
Xu Sanyan ignored the chaotic clamor, weaving through the Wang Family members as he made his way toward the ancestral hall.
Red light blazed across the inner city. Xu Sanyan recognized these as formation patterns—countless lines of energy that enveloped the entire city, with thirty-six towering pillars of light piercing the sky as formation cores.
The entire inner city served as the formation base!
What a grand design! Xu Sanyan marveled inwardly.
Having gained a decent understanding of formations himself, he was no longer the clueless "Xiao Bai" he once was. This allowed him to truly appreciate the Great Formation's intricacies.
This formation wasn't merely to sustain the Eighth-Generation Ancestor; it likely served defensive purposes as well—a multi-functional marvel crafted by four immortals working in concert.
Yet even such a grand formation was dismissed as insignificant by Zuoqiu Zhen.
Of course, her disdain wasn't for the formation itself, but for the Wang Family.
Xu Sanyan halted, swiftly concealing his presence behind a tree. Lin Fan mimicked his actions. They waited until the Wang Family disciples ahead had moved far enough away before emerging from their hiding place.
Lin Fan felt deeply uneasy, as if he were a looter preying on disaster. This made him profoundly uncomfortable.
Throughout his life, he had always acted with integrity and lived with unwavering honesty. When had he ever stooped to such morally questionable deeds?
Sensing his discomfort, Xu Sanyan paused, considered briefly, and turned back to say, "Zuoqiu Yi's sister needs this Great Formation to sustain her life."
Lin Fan trembled violently, his voice suddenly energized. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's hurry!"
"Tch..." Xu Sanyan clicked his tongue.
What a pathetic simp.
(End of the Chapter)
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