After the soul-shaking experience in the library, Ji Lin woke up early the next morning and immediately went to Chiyou's core to check on Cangxuan and Danzhu.
However, the two souls within the sealing crystal showed no signs of waking.
Ji Lin was naturally frantic, assuming that Ye Feng had used some special method to imprison the sisters in his world.
"Do I look like some kind of Evil Executive? I wouldn't do something like that."
Ye Feng gestured for Ji Lin to relax.
"Out there, they have simply fallen into a 'deep sleep,' which is why they keep appearing here. It's not something I did."
"How long will Cangxuan and Danzhu be asleep?"
"Their physical bodies are gone, after all. Until their naked souls find a medium to attach to, they will likely remain asleep."
A shadow fell over Ji Lin's eyes. "Is that so? A medium for their souls to attach to..."
"Actually, solving this isn't difficult at all. In fact, it's quite simple."
Ji Lin's beautiful eyes widened as she looked at Ye Feng, then she lowered her head slightly. "What... should this servant do?"
Ye Feng took out a ferocious-looking bingtanghulu. The beads, like large and small pearls, were simply strung together, yet they exuded a shockingly oppressive aura.
Ji Lin's pupils contracted slightly.
"Come here, Ah Lin. I'll feed you the bingtanghulu. Ah, this isn't the same one Jingliu had. It's a special version that can be 'conditioned.' Don't worry, it's delicious."
"..."
Seeing Ji Lin rooted to the spot, Ye Feng unhurriedly tapped the bingtanghulu against his palm.
"It makes no difference to me. But, Ah Lin, are you really okay with Cangxuan and Danzhu being unable to leave my world?"
"This... This servant understands..."
The beauty, wearing only a silk dudou, bit her lip. Her long, fair thighs crossed as her black hair swayed. Slowly and fearfully, she walked over to Ye Feng and stood there timidly, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"That's more like it."
Ye Feng stroked Ji Lin's thigh and "plop," fed her the bingtanghulu.
Ji Lin kept her head down, her fists clenched tightly. She curled her jade-like feet, the smooth arches of her soles tightening into a taut curve like the crescent moon.
"Alright, that's done."
Ye Feng patted Ji Lin's backside and smiled. "Next, you just need to go find Chiyuan and borrow Fenghuang Down."
Ji Lin shuddered.
Find who?
"Chiyuan. Her Fenghuang Down can nurture consciousness. It's the most perfect vessel for Cangxuan and Danzhu."
Panic rose in Ji Lin's heart as the full realization dawned on her—
Biting her lip, Ji Lin's voice trembled with each word she spoke:
"May I ask... will this... bingtanghulu... manifest in the outside world?"
A layer of mist welled up in Ji Lin's bright eyes as she looked at Ye Feng.
"This servant... has to go find Chiyuan... like this?"
"You don't have to. It makes no difference to me."
Ji Lin clenched her fists. Though she was clearly furious, she gave off an incredibly pitiful and helpless impression, making one want to bully her.
Yes, Ye Feng loved to bully Ji Lin's dignity, Ji Lin's elegance, Ji Lin's purity.
It was mainly because of her status as a married woman; without that added layer, Ye Feng wouldn't find it nearly as exciting.
"Master... Master, your tastes are too wicked!"
"You think this is wicked? I haven't even written tally marks all over your lily-white thighs and painted them with words that belong exclusively to me, then made you wear a pure white dress to meet her on a bright and breezy morning. That's a classic from the 'Pure Girlfriend's Corruption' series, you know."
"?!"
Just imagining it for a moment:
Ji Lin, dressed in a white palatial gown, with skin like snow and pearly teeth, as fresh and pure as a lily.
But beneath the clothes, her flawless skin would be covered in markings that belonged to Ye Feng.
Ji Lin was slightly stunned.
As she thought, she had underestimated her Master's wicked tastes.
Then again, he was the Master who could come up with the "biological detector."
The corners of Ye Feng's mouth curled up into a slightly evil smile. "But then again, your body is occupied by the Dark Ji Lin, so you can't wear a dress right now. I wonder in what form the bingtanghulu will manifest on the Xuanyuan Sword."
---o---
On Chiyou's small island.
Inside the quiet cave, the Xuanyuan Sword let out a low, trembling hum.
The sacred golden sword now had demonic, circuit-like patterns etched onto its body, giving it a somewhat bewitching quality.
At this moment, at the end of the hilt, four prongs protruded, forming a small, crown-like recess.
The recess was not large, a perfectly regular circle.
Just then, a hard, rod-like gelatinous object squeezed into the recess, fitting snugly against the inner wall.
The fit was so tight that it looked as if the hilt would crack open if the object were even a fraction larger.
Clang.
The Xuanyuan Sword fell to the rocky ground, its blade trembling as if in a spasm.
'...How can it... still... vibrate?'
The tip of the Xuanyuan Sword writhed on the hard rock floor, carving irregular marks into its surface.
The more intensely the blade writhed, the more violently the bingtanghulu lodged inside it vibrated.
Voom~ Voom~ Voom~
The blade trembled in response, the vibrations growing stronger and stronger.
Finally, the Xuanyuan Sword let out a sharp hum, erupting in a brilliant golden light that illuminated the entire cave.
An unknown amount of time passed before the Xuanyuan Sword managed to float up again, looking battered. Its tip drooped, giving it an air of utter exhaustion.
'Is this... what Master called... conditioning mode?'
Ji Lin was panting.
The collision of one inorganic object with another was all the more intense.
But Ji Lin's soul could feel it.
She could clearly sense the bingtanghulu's presence, like a fishbone stuck in her throat... no, it was a more profound sense of being "stuffed."
The constant, strange sensation made it difficult for her to maintain her balance.
And the more the blade trembled, the more the bingtanghulu's vibrations intensified.
And the more the vibrations intensified, the more the blade trembled...
In this way, the effects endlessly compounded, spiraling upwards until they finally breached a point of excitement that even an inorganic object could feel.
Ji Lin spent the entire morning just to barely regain her balance.
Although there was still a slight tremor as she floated in the air, she could more or less ignore it.
And now, the problem was...
Ji Lin looked toward the two Honkai energy crystals in the depths of the cave.
"Cangxuan, Danzhu..."
They slumbered there.
Fenghuang Down... was finding Chiyuan truly the only way?
But, in this state...
Ji Lin was overwhelmed with shame.
In an instant, her resolve hardened.
This was not the time to be thinking about such things.
Besides, Chiyuan might find it strange, but she wouldn't necessarily be able to tell what was going on.
Right! I have to go!
Compared to Cangxuan and Danzhu remaining in their endless sleep, her own fears seemed insignificant.
Ji Lin commanded the Xuanyuan Sword and flew towards St. Freya High School.
PS: We'll gradually be adding elements from Star Rail. For those reading this book, I assume no one really minds the chronological order or some minor, non-essential settings, right?