"Finally done..."
Gu...
Ming Qi swallowed a long gulp of wine and let out a long sigh.
To be honest, he'd been genuinely worried for a while. If anything went wrong with Meng Ling's body rebuilding, he'd feel like he owed her even more. Only by helping her recover could he make up for his debt.
Whether it was the ancient demon or the blood-stained demon harp, past lives were out of the question; only this life mattered.
For Ming Qi, both the ancient demon and the blood-stained demon harp were equivalent to Meng Ling's past lives. They had nothing to do with him anymore. The Meng Ling he saw now was her present life. Ming Qi only knew that in this life, Meng Ling was a good girl, kind-hearted and had never done anything wrong.
"Thank you."
Meng Ling spoke, her voice unchanged.
"Thank me?"
Ming Qi put down the bottle, rubbed his chin, and smiled, "You can't thank me. If it weren't for your help, I'd probably still be struggling in the Acquired Realm. Now that you've recovered, it's a good thing. Shouldn't we celebrate properly?"
"Celebrate? How?"
Meng Ling asked curiously.
"Uh..."
Ming Qi had originally said this out of interest, but now that he thought about it, he really didn't know what else to celebrate with.
Scratching his head, Ming Qi pointed to the Calming Stone beside him and said, "Take this with you. It will suppress your demonic nature and prevent you from losing your mind."
Meng Ling knew about the awakening of her demonic nature, and she knew that she had relied entirely on this Calming Stone to maintain her sanity and avoid being consumed by it.
After putting away the Calming Stone, Meng Ling sat down on the stone in front of Ming Qi, holding her original magic harp.
"Being able to reshape my body means a lot to me. I'm so happy. I'll play a tune for you..."
Before Ming Qi could speak, Meng Ling's fingers brushed across the strings, and elegant music emanated from the guqin.
The melodious sound was soothing, and from the very beginning, Ming Qi was unconsciously immersed in it, lost in the wonderful atmosphere.
The ethereal, soaring sound, imbued with a magical power, resonated throughout the Valley of Despair, its gentle, elegant melody soothing and refreshing.
Ming Qi sipped his wine while admiring the beautiful music. Although he was also proficient in the art, his own level seemed far inferior to Ming Qi's.
At the end of the song, Meng Ling paused, her sparkling red eyes fixed on Ming Qi.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing the strange look in Meng Ling's eyes, Ming Qi asked with a smile.
Meng Ling remained silent, simply watching. After a long moment, her hand brushed across the strings again, and the sound of the guqin began to rise.
Beautiful notes danced joyfully, seemingly possessed of a spirit, swirling endlessly around the two of them, yet failing to spread beyond their surroundings.
"Hmm?"
Ming Qi soon sensed something very strange about Meng Ling's playing this time. Not only was the tone of the music distinct, but even the technique and artistic conception were completely different.
The first piece was like a clear spring, while this one felt like a strong drink.
The intense impact was like being guzzled down with a large quantity of liquor. Within just a few minutes, Ming Qi felt an indescribable strangeness throughout his body.
The scorching heat that gradually gathered and rose within him filled Ming Qi with a wave of surprise.
"There seems to be something wrong with this music," Ming Qi thought, looking up at Meng Ling before him.
Meng Ling's ten fingers flew, each tip brimming with energy, and they quickly tapped the strings of the magic harp.
"What kind of music is this?"
Ming Qi could already sense it. This piece of music seemed to stir up instinctive desires. He wondered why Meng Ling had suddenly chosen to play such a piece.
However, Meng Ling didn't answer him, her complete concentration on the music.
As the music continued, Ming Qi could even see Meng Ling's face turn red, her bloodshot eyes flickering.
Needless to say, playing such a piece, Meng Ling showed no intention of avoiding it.
"Could it be..."
Ming Qi's heart stirred, and he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion. But then, a question immediately occurred to him: why would Meng Ling do this?
Despite many questions, Meng Ling had no intention of answering him. She simply focused on playing the piano.
After a short while, the lingering music, like a passionate and alluring fragrance, completely captivated the two of them.
Amidst the melody of the guqin, Meng Ling suddenly stretched out her arms, sending streams of energy emanating from them, rippling across the strings. She stood up and walked towards Ming Qi.
"Meng Ling, you..."
Ming Qi felt a little uneasy.
"This is the second body I've sculpted. I think it's incredibly perfect..."
Meng Ling spoke softly, her arms stretched out as if to embrace everything. Her steps were light and graceful, her flowing red hair like a blooming red lotus, and a faint blush graced her delicate features.
She took a few steps to Ming Qi's side, reaching out with both hands and carefully caressing the young man's cheek.
The warmth of her palms instantly gave Ming Qi an electric shock. Almost subconsciously, he opened his arms and embraced the beauty so close to him.
Although Meng Ling had already left the guqin, the guqin, fueled by her energy, still radiated its enchanting, spellbinding sound, accelerating both their bodies and minds, seemingly on the verge of a complete boil.
Bathed in the sound of the zither, a soft moan echoed, their bodies, already scorching hot, pressed tightly together.
With the bright moon in the sky and a beautiful woman in his arms, Ming Qi felt as if in a deep dream.
But at this moment, the sensation of the girl's scorching body in his arms was so clear, as if deliberately reminding him that this was no dream at all.
The night breeze unbuttoned his long gown, and the loose garments were a breath of serenity.
The zither music seemed to have reached its climax unnoticed, its enchanting notes washing over the two of them like a violent storm, blending seamlessly without any hindrance.
The enchanting moans and graceful movements lingered in his ears.
It was as if a long-suppressed rage had found its true home at this moment. The restless passions and thoughts, the fiery molten lava coursing through his blood, clashed madly with his fiery thoughts.
Warmth and passion merged seamlessly in an instant, their entwined bodies tumbling past, sweeping away the fallen leaves and grass.
A beautiful woman beneath the moonlight, a poetic scene. The air was filled with a faint crimson, as vibrant as spring peach blossoms...
At some point, within this small space, a pervasive red drizzle began to fall, dripping onto the ground, painting the entire space a magnificent crimson.
The crimson drizzle continued in bursts, the moon gradually setting in the west, the stars gradually fading.
The earth's darkest hour arrived, and the two, nestled in the wilderness, gradually calmed down amidst the blood-red drizzle.
...
And then, from the silent valley, where not even the chirping of insects could be heard, a blood-red shadow suddenly soared.
The blood-red shadow soared into the air, lingering for a moment before suddenly turning and swiftly flying in an indistinct, unseen direction.
The crisp chirping of birds echoed in his ears, and Ming Qi awoke as if from a dream, his entire body aching. Looking again, he was startled to discover nothing but a robe covering his body!
"Where's Meng Ling?"
Ming Qi quickly dressed, shook his head, and began to reflect on last night's events.
Although he had slept deeply, he remembered the events of last night vividly—a perfect first time, something he would never forget. But Meng Ling was gone!
He scanned the surroundings, only to see traces of the red rain.
Bang!
A hand, seemingly unprovoked, grabbed a huge rock, crushed it, and then carelessly scattered it.
The shattered debris scattered like swords.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
With a wave of his hand, the flying debris formed a pattern and sank into the soil.
"Hmm!"
This venting of his anger instantly made Ming Qi realize something: he had already reached the fourth level of the Xiantian Weapon Control Realm!
Without further thought, he knew that this unexpected breakthrough was entirely due to the blessing of last night's passionate love affair with Meng Ling.
"I'm leaving..."
Just as Ming Qi was reeling from Meng Ling's disappearance, her voice suddenly echoed in his ears and mind.
"Maybe you'll miss me again, maybe even a lot, but none of that matters anymore, because I have to go..."
"Why...?"
Looking up at the sky, Ming Qi sighed. He knew it was no use asking now; Meng Ling was probably already thousands, if not tens of thousands, of miles away.
"The first body I forged was taken away by Young Master Wushuang on the day of his coming-of-age ceremony. This time, I'm giving it to you, because I'm about to see him again..."
"Young Master Wushuang? Who is Young Master Wushuang?"
It seemed that the demon soldier Mieshen, whom he encountered that day in the underground cave, had also mentioned Young Master Wushuang.
"I hate him, but I must find him because I don't want you to die..."
These were the only words that lingered in his ears. Ming Qi stood in the mountains for a long time, convinced that Meng Ling's voice was gone, before he finally regained his composure.
She had left, and she was going to find the person she hated the most, for the sole reason of not wanting to bring him to his death.
Instantly, as if never before, Ming Qi's mind was suddenly overwhelmed by a thirst for power, an overwhelming and uncontrollable desire. He knew that if he were strong enough, Meng Ling wouldn't have left so suddenly, and that Young Master Wushuang wouldn't have posed a threat to him.
In the final analysis, he was still too weak.
After a long pause, Ming Qi calmed his somewhat restless mind and found a quiet spot to continue researching the secrets of the Ancient Spiritual Mirror.
Having now entered the Artifact Control Realm, he needed some transitional time to adjust. This was the perfect opportunity to study the Ancient Spiritual Mirror and strive to unravel its secrets.