Although Lu Chen's muscles were clearly defined, they didn't carry the exaggerated bulk of modern bodybuilders. Instead, his physique held a natural balance—lean, powerful, and sculpted with perfect symmetry. It was a body shaped by true combat, not vanity.
Chu Yuqin couldn't help but feel a bit dazed as she looked at him.
"Chen'er," she asked hesitantly, "you're already a warrior, I know... but I don't recall ever seeing you practice martial arts. How did your body become this strong?"
Lu Chen smiled faintly. "Aunt Chu, who told you I haven't been practicing? Haven't I been training every single day?"
She blinked. "Then how come I never saw it?"
Lu Chen responded calmly, "I usually train inside my room. Most of my exercises require Wang Qingci's cooperation, so it makes sense you wouldn't have noticed."
Chu Yuqin's eyes widened slightly before narrowing in realization. She rolled her eyes and gave him a half-smile. "You little rascal. That's what you call training?"
With a completely straight face, Lu Chen replied, "Aunt Chu, you don't understand. Martial cultivation takes many forms. It's not always about swinging fists and sabers."
Chu Yuqin snorted lightly, clearly choosing not to pursue the topic any further.
"Chen'er, tell me honestly. You're not feeling well somewhere, are you?"
Her eyes lingered thoughtfully on his abdomen, narrowing in slight concern.
Lu Chen suddenly reached out and gently guided her hand onto his chest. "It's here," he said. "This spot hurts from time to time. Especially when I train. The pain gets so intense I can't even move."
Startled by the sudden touch, Chu Yuqin instinctively tried to pull her hand back, but after hearing his words, her resistance faded. She began to examine his condition seriously.
With her cultivation level, transferring internal energy to another person wasn't difficult. It was a useful method to identify internal anomalies or blockages. She allowed her qi to flow into Lu Chen's body.
After a while, her brows furrowed lightly. "Strange... there doesn't seem to be anything wrong?"
Lu Chen frowned as if confused. "That can't be right, Aunt Chu. You must've missed something. The pain was real."
Just then, as if recalling something, Lu Chen's expression shifted to feigned surprise. "Huh? That's strange..."
"Aunt Chu, ever since your hand touched my dantian just now, that burning pain vanished completely."
Chu Yuqin gave him a suspicious look. "Is that true?"
"How could I lie to you?" Lu Chen asked, appearing completely earnest.
As if to further prove his point, he lowered his gaze and gestured toward his chest. "Aunt Chu, look. There's something unusual happening here."
She followed his gaze—and froze.
A faint green glow pulsed from Lu Chen's chest, soft but distinctly noticeable in the dim light.
"What… is that?" she murmured, astonished. It was the first time she had seen anything like it.
"It's incredible," Lu Chen continued. "The qi that had accumulated and blocked my dantian is dispersing, and my internal energy is flowing freely again."
"Really?" Chu Yuqin asked, deeply puzzled. "But I didn't do anything... I just examined your condition. I didn't even attempt to circulate your qi."
And yet Lu Chen's internal energy was stabilizing on its own? How was this possible?
"I know what's going on," Lu Chen suddenly said.
Her eyes turned to him sharply. "You do? What is it?"
"There's a special technique in the immortal arts I inherited," Lu Chen said slowly. "It's said that if a woman who shares a spiritual connection with me is close by, she can help me cultivate just by being near."
"Aunt Chu... you touched my body just now. That connection must have activated the latent part of the cultivation method. It calmed the chaotic qi in my body."
Chu Yuqin stared at him in disbelief. "Chen'er... you're not lying to me, are you?"
"Why does this sound suspiciously like a Technique from the Demonic Cult?"
Lu Chen's gaze turned solemn. "Aunt Chu, have you ever wondered where the demonic cult technique actually originated?"
He continued, "The Demonic Cult's Technique harms both practitioners. But the method I inherited—it's pure. It benefits both parties. You saw it yourself: you touched my chest, and my internal energy stabilized. You weren't harmed at all, were you?"
Locking eyes with her, his voice dropped lower, firmer.
"I suspect the Demonic cult Technique was derived from this immortal method. Someone must've stolen a fragment of it long ago—an incomplete piece. That's why the Demonic Cult's version is so flawed and dangerous."
Chu Yuqin frowned. As absurd as his words sounded, they weren't entirely without logic.
"...So what now?" she asked softly, her cheeks slightly flushed. Her hand still rested on his bare chest, and with the two of them so close, an awkward tension filled the air.
Lu Chen's masculine scent lingered between them, his warmth radiating through her palm, affecting her heart more than she cared to admit.
"If your presence can stabilize my internal energy," Lu Chen said, "then maybe... stay close to me for a bit longer?"
Chu Yuqin hesitated. But after a moment, she sighed and nodded. "Alright. But if you feel better, let Auntie know right away."
Just then, Lu Chen suddenly let out a soft groan and tightened his grip on her hand, pressing it firmly against his chest.
Alarmed, Chu Yuqin stepped closer instinctively, supporting him with her free hand. "Chen'er? What's wrong now?"
Lu Chen grimaced. "I think... there are too many impurities in my body from previous training. They're resisting the flow of qi. The pain's returning."
Her face turned pale. "Then what should we do?"
"You could hold me..." Lu Chen said, his voice low and full of strain. "Your presence might activate the cultivation technique again... and ease the pain."
Chu Yuqin hesitated.
He wasn't a child anymore—he had grown up into a man. Was it appropriate to hold him like this?
But seeing the anguish on his face, her heart wavered.
"Chen'er," she whispered, "tell me if it starts to help."
And with that, she slowly wrapped her arms around his body.
Lu Chen closed his eyes, circulating his internal energy with precision. His thoughts cleared. His pain began to ease, but not just because of her presence.
He had already reached the ninth rank. Yet even now, he nearly lost control. She really was something else—worthy of a beauty above 90 point.
They stayed in that quiet embrace for a while, until something began to change.
Chu Yuqin's breathing grew shallower. Her body was heating up, trembling slightly in his arms.
She clenched her teeth, whispering to herself, This is Yue'er's child... I mustn't think like this...
But the more she resisted, the harder it became to focus. Her calm crumbled.
Soon, her strength left her completely, and Lu Chen took the lead, his arms now fully embracing her soft, slender frame.
He smiled inwardly. My dear Aunt Chu, you avoided me for over half a year... but today, you won't be able to escape.
Just as that thought crossed his mind, a voice suddenly called out from behind the door.
"My Lord, are you in there?"
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