The aura of the Undead Bird was absolute, a primal suppression that froze the souls of the lesser beasts. Yet, the Golden Roosters at the Golden Core realm remained frenzied and relentless. Enraged by their persistence, Su Miaoqing unleashed a torrent of golden fire, slaughtering the remaining creatures before she finally consented to retreat.
It took some time to reach the edge of the territory where the Golden Roosters were scarce. Su Miaoqing instinctively tried to fly across the boundary to escape this hellscape, but Xiao Yifeng intercepted her.
"Senior Sister, wait," he called out, his voice cutting through the roar of flames. "We stop at the foot of the mountain to recover. The beasts here are few and terrified of your aura. But once we cross this boundary... the things lurking ahead won't be so easily frightened."
As the adrenaline faded, a distinct chill washed over Xiao Yifeng. During the entanglement with the Golden Core beasts, the intense heat had reduced their garments to nothing more than drifting ash. They hovered in the air, stark naked, shrouded only by layers of spiraling flame that served as a makeshift curtain against the world.
Hearing his logic, Su Miaoqing dove toward the mountain’s base. The moment her feet touched the ground, the majestic wings of flame upon her back dissipated. She unceremoniously tossed Xiao Yifeng aside and turned her back to him, curling into a tight ball. Yet, the glow of the firelight still danced across the smooth, creamy jade of her exposed back.
Xiao Yifeng tumbled away and scrambled to don a fresh outer robe. When he turned back, his expression sobered.
The Undead Bird aura clinging to Su Miaoqing was still terrifyingly dense. The flames rising from her skin were growing erratic, threatening to consume her sanity once more. It was clear she had lost control; the Undead Bird Source Blood was burning of its own accord, turning her into a living torch.
Her clothes had long since disintegrated, unable to withstand the temperature of her own bloodline. Fortunately, aside from Xiao Yifeng, the mountain was desolate. Had there been an audience, her shame might have driven her to suicide.
At this moment, Su Miaoqing wished for nothing more than for the flames to burn brighter, to create a wall of fire thick enough to scorch away any prying gazes.
"Senior Sister, you need to stand up," Xiao Yifeng commanded, his voice firm.
"You rogue! I am not standing up!" Su Miaoqing cried out, her voice trembling with a mix of fury and tears. Her face was already burning hotter than the flames around her. Flying through the air naked while clutching Xiao Yifeng had been humiliating enough; she wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it. And now this scoundrel wanted her to stand up? Hadn't he seen enough?
"Senior Sister, if you stay curled up like that, I can't suppress the Source Blood," Xiao Yifeng said, a bitter smile touching his lips.
Su Miaoqing remained silent for a long moment. "Then close your eyes."
"Alright, alright. My eyes are closed," Xiao Yifeng promised quickly, shutting them tight.
Su Miaoqing turned her head cautiously. Seeing his eyes were indeed shut, she finally let out a breath and stood up. She used her hands to cover her vitals, her heart pounding. The memory of their descent, where he had undoubtedly seen everything, made her too ashamed to even look in his direction.
"Senior Sister, take my hand and place it on your forehead," Xiao Yifeng instructed. He bit down on his fingertip, drawing blood.
Su Miaoqing had no choice. She shuffled forward, freed one hand to grasp his wrist, and guided his bleeding finger to the center of her brow.
Immediately, Xiao Yifeng felt a scorching heat surge through his fingertip, threatening to incinerate his meridian. He gritted his teeth and took a step forward, forcing himself into the radius of the golden flames. Internally, he began to chant the Ice Heart Mantra and the Formless Heart Sutra. He didn't care if Su Miaoqing noticed the anomaly of his techniques; survival came first.
Under the dual suppression of these top-tier cultivation methods and Su Miaoqing’s own willpower, the riotous Source Blood was gradually subdued.
The terrifying, incinerating aura faded. Su Miaoqing’s cultivation base settled back to the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, though the spiritual pressure suggested she was on the verge of breaking through to the eighth.
"I'm changing clothes now," she warned, her voice sharp. "Turn around. If you open your eyes, I'll kill you!"
"I know, I know. Senior Sister, do you have so little trust in me?" Xiao Yifeng sighed, turning his back to her with a helpless shrug.
"Hmph!" Su Miaoqing snorted coldly.
Trust you? Trust you, my foot! Don't I know you’re always sneaking glances at my chest and hips?
She moved with frantic speed, donning a fresh white dress. She even waved a hand in front of Xiao Yifeng’s face to ensure he wasn't peeking through slit eyelids.
Only then did she speak. "It's done."
Xiao Yifeng opened his eyes and exhaled, wiping sweat from his brow. "That was close. We owe it to you this time, Senior Sister. Without that power, we would have been bird feed up there."
Su Miaoqing stared at him intently. Suddenly, she asked, "Was it nice to look at?"
"Nice—uh, not nice!"
Caught off guard, Xiao Yifeng’s honest reflex betrayed him before his brain could catch up. He hurriedly corrected himself, his expression shifting to one of exaggerated innocence. "Senior Sister, I didn't see anything. I swear."
Su Miaoqing’s face turned the color of a ripe crimson fruit. "You liar!"
She kicked him hard in the shin. Turning sideways, she crossed her arms over her chest, her voice choked with tears. "You saw everything! How am I supposed to marry anyone now?"
Xiao Yifeng was speechless. He laughed awkwardly, rubbing his leg, knowing that any defense he offered would only dig his grave deeper.
Seeing his silence, Su Miaoqing’s temper flared again. She kicked him twice more for good measure, leaving Xiao Yifeng completely bewildered, before running to the side and squatting down, burying her face in her knees.
Xiao Yifeng glanced around the desolate landscape. This was no time for a lover's spat.
"Senior Sister, stop sulking," he advised gently. "We need to recover our strength. The most important thing is moving forward. Once we're back at the Sect, you can kill me or slice me into pieces—I won't complain. But right now, our enemies are likely catching up."
Su Miaoqing looked up, eyes red. "Who wants to kill you!"
She huffed, walked a short distance away, sat cross-legged, and began to regulate her breathing.
Xiao Yifeng shook his head and summoned Little Ice. The icy serpent materialized, coiling around them to stand guard.
He sat down to meditate, trying to calm his heart. Yet, the moment he closed his eyes, the vivid image of creamy white skin amidst golden flames flashed in his mind. The impression was too deep to erase easily.
Sinful, truly sinful, Xiao Yifeng chanted internally, though he couldn't help but give his Senior Sister a mental thumbs-up.
Senior Sister’s figure is truly a calamity-toppling weapon. I wonder which lucky bastard will marry her in the future? Could it really be that brat Xuanyi?
It dawned on him then. The little girl he had grown up with was no longer a child. She had grown into a woman capable of unsettling his Dao heart.
He shook his head violently, physically tossing the distracting thoughts aside. He recited the Clear Heart Mantra once more, forcing himself into a state of tranquility to recover his spiritual energy.
They meditated for the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Xiao Yifeng sensed it was time to move; he had recovered barely thirty percent of his strength, but lingering here was too dangerous.
"Senior Sister, let's go," he said, rising to his feet. He leapt onto Little Ice’s broad head.
He hadn't given the stone tablets to Little Ice, not out of stinginess, but because Demon Beasts could not refine them. The serpent had to continue enduring the suppression of the Immortal Talisman.
Su Miaoqing followed, landing lightly beside him. Xiao Yifeng pointed the way, and Little Ice surged forward into the gloom.
Xiao Yifeng wisely made no mention of the earlier incident, knowing it would only reignite Su Miaoqing’s embarrassment. Instead, he shifted to business. "Senior Sister, be on guard. According to the layout of the Underworld, the area ahead should be the Wilderness."
Su Miaoqing gave a cold "Hmm," her expression tight with nervous tension.
Xiao Yifeng retrieved all the Golden Core Talismans he had hoarded and pressed them into her hands. "Senior Sister, this Wilderness is treacherous. Take these Talismans. Keep them close, just to be safe."
Su Miaoqing frowned, looking at the stack of high-level talismans. "We are together. If you have them, isn't it the same? Why go through the trouble of splitting them?"
"Senior Sister, please," Xiao Yifeng’s voice was grave. "We don't know what will happen. We might get separated."
Seeing the seriousness in his eyes, Su Miaoqing accepted the talismans. "You think we’ll get separated? If that happens, where do we meet?"
"You really are ice-snow clever, Senior Sister," Xiao Yifeng smiled bitterly. "The Wilderness is known for its 'Ghost Walls'—labyrinths that distort space. I don't know how long it will take to cross. If we lose each other, we meet at the Fengdu Hall."
Su Miaoqing nodded slowly. She kept most of the stack but handed three talismans back to him. "If we separate, you need protection too. Take these back. I still have the Coiling Dragon Pendant."
Xiao Yifeng tried to refuse, but she insisted. He shook his head and stored them away. "I'll be fine on my own. Senior Sister... don't you have anything you want to ask me?"
He was referring to the techniques he had just used—methods a Qi Refining disciple shouldn't know.
Su Miaoqing looked at him, her gaze soft and complex.
"Everyone has their own secrets," she said quietly, her voice drifting in the wind. "If you want to tell me, you will do so naturally."