43: Chapter 43: Finding Each Other and Snuggling Together

Her expression stunned Xiao Yuan a little.

He did not expect that this vicious woman, as tough as a hedgehog, would still have such a tender, girlish side. This shy appearance made Xiao Yuan's heart warm up.

The corners of his mouth hooked up slightly, and immediately, he reached out and scooped Su Li up by her waist, walking toward the earthen bed ahead.

(Ten thousand words omitted here... Dear reader lords, please use your imagination.)

When everything in the stone chamber returned to peace, Xiao Yuan felt the abundant energy on the small tripod, and in his heart, he gained enough confidence to Cultivate all Five Elements Spiritual Root to the 18th layer of Qi Condensation.

At this time, the petite woman lying on his body moved, lifting her hazy and soul-stirring eyes to look at Xiao Yuan.

Meeting Xiao Yuan's half-smiling gaze, she instantly became too shy to raise her head. Where was her icy demeanor from outside the mine, when she seriously injured a peer with a single finger and stubbornly faced four Qi Condensation 9th Layer without retreating?

Xiao Yuan gently stroked her beautiful hair and asked softly, "What are you thinking about? Are you thinking about the grievances in your heart?!"

Su Li shook her head, which was resting against Xiao Yuan's chest, her voice carrying a trace of complexity and fatigue.

"Nothing!"

"If you are not willing to say it, it doesn't matter..." Xiao Yuan knew this girl was probably letting her imagination run wild.

As his voice fell, the entire stone chamber fell into a dead silence.

Xiao Yuan was actually very curious, how did she, an Inner Sect Disciple, end up in the mine? And she stayed there for five years, with her sentence piling up to sixteen years?"

The stone chamber remained silent like this, as if both of them were enjoying the tranquility of this moment.

At this time, Su Li's muffled voice sounded, "I... injured someone."

Hearing this, Xiao Yuan looked at Su Li with a faint smile.

It seemed that what had just happened had shortened the distance between them, and also made her willing to open her heart.

He asked calmly, "Who?"

"Sun Yue, the grandson of Inner Sect Elder Sun Rui." Su Li's voice was very cold, "He killed my sister, and Sun Rui shielded him. I severely injured him in public, and then... was exiled here with a ten-year sentence. Later, because of a few conflicts, another six years were added successively."

She spoke very concisely, but Xiao Yuan could hear the blood feud and despair behind it.

Even when he heard about this matter, he felt indignant in his heart. The one who harmed others lived at ease, while the victim paid such a huge price.

Just by severely injuring the other party, she had to pay a ten-year sentence, but what about the murderer who harmed Su Li's sister? They were probably living more comfortably than anyone else!

Even Su Li's added six-year sentence probably had Sun Rui and his grandson pulling strings behind the scenes.

"So you want to go out and take revenge?" he asked.

Su Li nodded, a bone-deep hatred flashing in her eyes, "As long as I can get out... I will definitely slaughter that Sun Yue and that old thing!"

Xiao Yuan looked at her and suddenly asked, "If I say that I can make you Breakthrough to Half-step Foundation Establishment within a year, and make you Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment within five years, do you believe it?"

Su Li was stunned.

One year? Half-step Foundation Establishment? Five-year Foundation Establishment?!

Even with a Heavenly Spiritual Root, going from Qi Refining Stage 8 to Foundation Establishment would be impossible without three to five years.

Let alone the fact that she had a three-element Spiritual Root and Medium Grade Aptitude.

Not to mention that Foundation Establishment requires a foundation establishment pill.

However, before she could voice the doubts in her heart, Xiao Yuan had already taken out a jade bottle and handed it to Su Li.

Su Li took the jade bottle in confusion. The moment she opened it, a rich medicinal fragrance permeated the entire stone chamber. She instantly sat up in astonishment, no longer caring about the spring scenery on her body.

"This is... this is a perfect quality marrow cleansing pill!" she exclaimed.

In this mine, she had relied entirely on her own perseverance to Breakthrough her cultivation to Qi Refining Stage 8. If she hadn't had a chance encounter in the past and learned a powerful offensive sword technique, with her cultivation, she would have died in the mine long ago.

She craved sufficient Cultivation resources every moment. Raising her cultivation level would prevent her from hiding everywhere in this mine to avoid covert attacks, and allow her to get enough Spirit Stone early on to leave this place.

She never expected that Xiao Yuan could casually produce perfect-grade marrow cleansing pills, and there were even ten of them.

Even though her Aptitude was only a three-attribute Medium Grade Spiritual Root, with these ten perfect marrow cleansing pills, her cultivation would also have a chance to Breakthrough to the Qi Condensation 9th Layer.

After the shock, her gaze toward Xiao Yuan became complicated, grateful, and appreciative. Now she finally believed Xiao Yuan's words.

At the very least, Xiao Yuan had the ability to push her cultivation to Half-step Foundation Establishment. As for Foundation Establishment, she could sense that since Xiao Yuan dared to say this, he definitely had the certainty to get a foundation establishment pill for her.

"Thank you..." Her hoarse voice carried a trace of indescribable gratitude.

...

Days in the Thunder Pool Valley passed extremely fast.

From her initial vigilance and restraint to gradually getting used to it, and now to... being shocked to numbness, Su Li changed completely.

On the first day, she watched Xiao Yuan walk within a hundred meters of the Thunder Pool, sit cross-legged, and let the remaining power of the silver thunder strike his body—not one or two bolts, but the continuous kind!

Crackle! Crackle!

Electric light leaped across his body, his skin emitted a faint golden and earthy dual-color halo, and even his hair stood slightly on end.

Su Li watched with her heart in her throat. That was thunder that even Foundation Establishment Cultivator dared not approach easily! This guy actually used it as a massage?

Xiao Yuan, however, looked like he was enjoying it, and even took time to turn his head and grin at her, "Don't just watch, you should try it too. Stand further away and adapt slowly."

Although the Body Tempering effect of the thunder had weakened, it did not make Xiao Yuan give up Body Tempering.

Su Li: "..." Thanks, I don't want to turn into a roasted chicken for now.

On the third day, Xiao Yuan took her out to "mine".

Su Li originally thought it was ordinary mining—finding a mining tunnel, swinging a pickaxe, and considering it lucky to dig out a few Spirit Stones after a day's work.

As a result, Xiao Yuan led her winding through the mining tunnels, suddenly stopped, and pointed at an unremarkable rock wall in front of them: "Dig here."

Su Li was half-doubtful, and with one swing of the pickaxe—

Clatter!

Spirit Stone raw ores poured down like a waterfall! A rough glance showed at least two to three thousand pieces!

Su Li: "???"

"You... how do you know there are ores here?" Her voice trembled.

Xiao Yuan smiled mysteriously, "Intuition."

Su Li: "..." Can intuition be accurate to this extent?

On the seventh day, Xiao Yuan took her to another fork in the road and pointed at a collapsed mining tunnel: "Clean it up, there is good stuff below."

The two spent half an hour clearing the rubble and dug down more than ten meters—

A natural small mine pit was exposed, densely packed with Spirit Stones inside! Full forty to fifty thousand pieces!

Su Li stood by the edge of the mine pit with her mouth open, unable to close it for a long time.

In her five years in this mine, the largest deposit she found was only a thousand-plus pieces. Finding thirty to forty thousand last time was due to her exploding luck, but in the end, it was almost snatched away by others.

But this guy just pointed casually, and it started at tens of thousands?

"Who... exactly are you?" She couldn't help asking again.