Chapter 168 Fairy Master

Inside the bath, the water was not ordinary warm water, but rather drawn from the Cold Jade Spirit Spring deep underground. The spring water was pale blue, suffused with ice-water attribute Spiritual Qi so dense it had almost solidified. Floating on the surface were fine frost and several never-withering Ice Soul lotus petals. The cold air was bone-chilling; ordinary Cultivators would be injured upon contact.

But for Luo Li, who Cultivates the ice attribute, this was an excellent place for Cultivation and bathing.

Luo Li stepped barefoot onto the smooth, ice-cold cold jade floor. Her slender feet were like jade, forming a stark contrast with the dark floor. She stood at the edge of the pool, her ice-blue eyes sweeping over the mist-filled water. The ripples in her eyes, caused by thoughts of a certain someone, were gradually covered by her familiar coldness.

She lifted her fair hand and slowly untied the tight, sturdy sash at her waist. With a gentle pull, her ice-blue flowing Fairy dress seemed to lose its support and slowly slid down from her smooth, rounded shoulders.

First exposed was her snow-white neck, with lines as beautiful as a swan's, followed by her delicate collarbones with an alluring curve. Her skin glowed with a pearlescent soft light in the cold mist. The dress continued to slide down, passing over the mountains that, while not as tempestuous as Chi Lianer's, were perfectly shaped, proud, and upright. The crimson tips peeking through the cold mist were like red plum blossoms in the snow, cold, elegant, and alluring. The dress passed over her flat, firm, and toned abdomen, crossed her slender, willow-like waist, and finally piled onto the cold jade tiles at her feet like flowing water.

A breathtaking figure, as if carved from ice and jade, flawless and exquisite, was completely exposed to the cold light and mist. Her skin was whiter than snow, smooth and delicate. Under the mist of the cold spring and the shimmering light refracted by ice crystals, she seemed enveloped in a holy, cold halo. Her figure was tall and graceful, with heart-stopping curves; every part was just right—not a bit too plump, not a bit too thin—truly the Creator's most perfect masterpiece. Yet, this perfect body exuded a bone-chilling cold that kept strangers at a distance, like a work of art carved from ten-thousand-year black ice. Beautiful, yes, but cold, devoid of warmth.

Luo Li seemed accustomed to this, her expression calm as she moved with lotus-like steps, slowly entering the Cold Jade Spirit Spring.

"Hiss—"

The extreme cold instantly enveloped her entire body, eliciting an almost inaudible sigh from her. This cold spring, capable of freezing metal and iron, was as comfortable as a hot spring to her. It not only cleansed away dust but also nourished her and helped stabilize her Cultivation. The cold spring water rose past her slender neck, revealing only that breathtakingly beautiful face; everything below her shoulders was submerged in the pale blue spring. Beneath the water, her exquisite, undulating curves were vaguely visible, adding a touch of mysterious allure.

She closed her eyes slightly, allowing the pure, icy Spiritual Qi to seep through her pores into her limbs and bones, cleansing her Meridians and stabilizing the Qi that had been somewhat restless when she just came out of seclusion. However, her mind struggled to be as completely calm as usual.

The face of that Wicked Disciple always intruded into her mind at inappropriate times. His cynical smile, his unbridled gaze, his bold and transgressive touches, and those several times... scenes where their Qi intertwined and they almost lost control...

"Hmph..." Luo Li let out a soft huff. Whether out of annoyance or shame, two faint blushes rose on her beautiful face, fortunately hidden by the cold mist. She sank half her face into the water, revealing only her soul-stirring beautiful eyes, staring blankly into the swirling mist. That brat... what is he doing now? Could he really have sensed her coming out of seclusion and be rushing over? If he saw her after bathing... would he stare with wide eyes like before?

As her thoughts drifted, she didn't even notice that she had unconsciously scooped up a handful of cold spring water and poured it slowly from her neck. The water flowed down, eventually submerging into the deep, narrow valley of her cleavage. Beneath her frozen heart lake, it seemed a scorching undercurrent was quietly surging, forming a strange and romantic contrast with the coldness surrounding her.

Just as Luo Li's mind was slightly rippling, immersed in some unspeakable thoughts—

"Rip!"

The space beside the bath, as if scorched by an invisible fire, split open without warning into a narrow, long fissure with dark red flame patterns flowing along its edges! A scorching, overbearing, and terrifying heat wave carrying the Aura of burning everything to ashes instantly broke through the cold Restriction around the bath, evaporating much of the misty cold fog!

Luo Li's slightly unfocused beautiful eyes suddenly narrowed!

Someone had forcibly torn through space to break into her Heartless Peak bath Forbidden Ground! Who was so bold?!

Boundless cold and killing intent instantly erupted from her body! With her at the center, the pool water visibly froze into a thick layer of ice, and countless sharp ice crystals condensed out of thin air, aimed at the spatial rift! She raised her jade hand, and an ice-blue gauze dress, instantly condensed from icy Spiritual Qi, wrapped around her exposed charms. Although hurried, the key areas were covered.

However, before she could strike like thunder, a figure stepped calmly out from the churning flame fissure.

The person who arrived was also a peerlessly graceful woman, dressed in a deep red palace gown woven with mysterious dark golden patterns. The hem of the skirt did not sway but hung solemnly, embroidered with gold thread and secret silver in the shape of a flaming Phoenix proudly spreading its wings, looking down upon all living beings. It was lifelike, as if it could spread its wings and fly away at any moment to burn the eight wildernesses. Her face was extremely beautiful but completely different from Luo Li's coldness. It was a beauty that was highly aggressive and full of absolute control, like a scorching sun hanging high in the Nine Heavens, dazzling and blinding, making one dare not look directly at her. Her brows were like distant mountains holding authority, her eyes like a Phoenix's eyes containing spirit, naturally upturned at the corners. When not smiling, majesty was inherent; when she looked around, it seemed as if flames were burning deep in her pupils, carrying an indifference and nobility that saw through everything and controlled everything. Under the corner of her left eye, a vermilion tear mole was as red as blood. In the Spiritual Qi mist where the steaming heat and icy cold intertwined, it appeared even more dazzlingly red and eerily enchanting, adding a heart-stopping, soul-snatching, and unique charm to her highly oppressive face. Her nose was high and straight, her lips were a full and powerful vermilion, and her jawline was clear and beautiful, combining into a perfect yet distant face.

Her figure was extremely tall and proud, with perfect proportions. The peaks on her chest, even wrapped in the solemn palace gown, still showed a heart-stopping curve, while her waist was cinched extremely slender, tightly outlined by a wide belt inlaid with flame spirit jade, further highlighting her upright and majestic bearing.

There was no trace of frivolous charm about her body, only a scorching and majestic Aura like a blazing furnace or an emperor descending upon the world. It was as if wherever she stood, it was the center of rules and power. Her hot, overbearing, and unquestionable Aura formed a sharp contrast with Luo Li's pure, cold chill—diametrically opposed yet equally oppressive.

It was none other than the Heavenly Demon Sect's other Vice Sect Master, Luo Li's Senior Sister, and the other Revered Master of the Saint Xiao Ming—Luo Hongyi!

When Luo Li saw who it was, her tense mind suddenly relaxed. The biting killing intent and coldness receded like a tide, but a trace of annoyance and helplessness surfaced on her beautiful face. She glared at her suddenly appearing Senior Sister, her beautiful eyes still carrying lingering vigilance and a hint of dissatisfaction at being disturbed. Her voice remained cold, but it lacked that bone-chilling intensity: "Senior Sister! You scared me!"

Luo Hongyi stepped fully out of the spatial rift. Her majestic Phoenix eyes first swept over Luo Li's figure, which, although draped in ice silk, could not hide its graceful contours. Then she looked at her slightly flushed cheeks (whether from the heat or annoyance, it was unknown) and the fleeting panic in her eyes, similar to being interrupted while "daydreaming." A trace of understanding and a faint playfulness flashed in her eyes.

"Yo, yo, yo~" Luo Hongyi's red lips curled into a teasing, half-smile. This smile did not appear friendly; instead, due to her extremely gorgeous appearance and absolute majestic temperament, it formed a strange and heart-palpitating charm. She swayed her waist, slowly walked to the edge of the bath, looked down at her Junior Sister in the water, and said with a smile, "Our ice-mountain beauty, the Heartless Peak Revered Master, can even daydream while bathing alone, and her face is so flushed. Could it be that you are thinking of your 'precious disciple'? Oh no, it should be 'our' disciple~"

She deliberately emphasized "precious disciple" and "our," the teasing in her eyes almost overflowing.

Luo Li was called out on her thoughts, especially since those unspeakable, shameful images in her mind seemed to have been seen through by her Senior Sister. The blush on her face instantly deepened, even staining her fair, jade-like neck and delicate collarbones with a faint pink. She forced herself to calm down, turned her face away to avoid her Senior Sister's fiery gaze that seemed to see through everything, and said with a voice that had a hint of imperceptible trembling, trying to change the subject: "Senior Sister! You... you rushed here by tearing through space to my bath just to say this? There must be something important in the Sect, right?"

Although her tone was cold, that hint of shyness could not be hidden no matter what.

Seeing her Junior Sister's rare, shy, young-girl demeanor, Luo Hongyi was even more certain, and couldn't help but giggle, her body shaking with laughter, and the amazingly full pair on her chest swaying with heart-stopping curves. That laughter seemed to have magic, soft and alluring to the bone. If an ordinary male Cultivator heard it, they would likely instantly blush, their heart rate would accelerate, and they would wish to pull the owner of that laughter into their arms and "punish" her properly.

She laughed for quite a while before barely stopping, but the mischief in her eyes remained undiminished.

She leaned in closer, lowering her voice with a hint of mystery: "Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Look at that guilty little expression of yours~"

She paused, the teasing expression on her face quickly receding, replaced by a rare touch of seriousness and gravity, "There is indeed an important matter. You must tidy up quickly, change your clothes, and come to my Vice Sect Master sleeping chamber immediately."

Having said that, she did not delay any longer, her jade hand casually sweeping through the space in front of her.

"Boom!"

A ball of intense, crimson flame exploded out of thin air, instantly swallowing her figure.

The flames burned violently, scorching the surrounding cold mist until it hissed, and the space was once again burned into a hole.

The next moment, the flames and Luo Hongyi's figure disappeared together, leaving behind only the lingering scorching heat in the air and the traces of space that had been burned and distorted, slowly calming down.

Luo Li sat dazed in the cold spring, where ice layers were gradually re-forming, the blush on her stunningly beautiful face not yet faded, but her gaze had quickly returned to its usual coldness and sharpness.

She had not seen Senior Sister's serious expression like that for a long time; going to her sleeping chamber must mean there was something important to tell her...

"Could it be... that something terrible has happened to the Sect? It wouldn't be that Xiao Ming has met with an accident, would it?"

Luo Li's delicate brows furrowed slightly, a trace of unease welling up in her heart.

She could no longer care about continuing her bath or indulging in romantic thoughts; she stood up abruptly from the cold spring, splashing water everywhere.

Her perfect jade body was exposed to the air once again, water droplets sliding down those breathtaking curves.

With a wave of her slender hand, a brand-new blue and white long dress flew onto her body, perfectly wrapping around that intoxicating, delicate figure.

Her wet long hair was instantly steamed dry and neatly pinned up with a jade hairpin.

The dignity and coldness of the Heartless Peak Revered Master returned to her once more.

Yet deep in her eyes, the ripple caused by a certain someone, along with the gravity brought by Senior Sister, intertwined into complex emotions.

She took one last look at the calm pool water, her figure flickering as she turned into a stream of ice-blue light, silently leaving the bath and speeding toward the Sect's main peak, in the direction of Luo Hongyi's sleeping chamber.

Deep within the Vice Sect Master's main hall, inside the Revered Master sleeping chamber.

The space rippled slightly, as if water waves were pierced by intense heat, and a ball of flame with dark golden patterns flowing along its edges emerged from thin air, rapidly expanding into a portal.

Luo Hongyi's tall, proud figure, exuding an Aura of dignity, stepped out calmly from the flames, her bare feet landing silently on the warm, moist jade floor.

The sleeping chamber was as warm as spring, completely different from the demonic atmosphere outside.

The floor was paved with solid, high-grade warm jade, continuously emitting a warm Spiritual Qi that made one feel comfortable throughout, dispelling all cold and sinister Auras.

The furnishings in the hall were magnificent and grand, fitting her noble status as Vice Sect Master, yet they also revealed a touch of feminine delicacy in the details.

The most eye-catching feature was the incredibly wide soft couch in the center of the hall, covered with the complete fur of an unknown Vicious Beast, sleek and glossy, shimmering with a dull luster under the soft light of the pearls on the ceiling, showcasing luxury and power.

Luo Hongyi did not walk toward the soft couch; she stood where she was, and in her dignified Phoenix eyes, there rippled a faint smile, almost mischievous and completely different from her usual self, adding a touch of vivid, worldly vitality to her excessively beautiful and oppressive face.

"Sigh..." A barely audible light sigh, carrying a hint of playfulness, escaped from her full red lips, "My little Junior Sister, usually so cold like a block of ten-thousand-year black ice, keeping everyone at a distance. Who would have thought that while bathing, she would actually reveal such... hmm, the demeanor of a young girl in love."

In her mind, she recalled Luo Li soaking in the cold spring, with her icy skin and jade bones, her curves faintly visible, and the moving blush that flew onto her face when she was interrupted, which was completely inconsistent with her cold temperament.

Even as a woman, and one who was accustomed to seeing stunning beauties, Luo Hongyi had to admit that her Junior Sister's appearance and figure, coupled with that occasional shy and annoyed look of an ice-cold beauty, were truly Peerless Grade, enough to drive men in the world crazy.

"And..." Luo Hongyi tilted her head slightly, a flash of doubt crossing her Phoenix eyes, which was immediately replaced by understanding, her smile deepening, "It seems... her figure is more slender than the last time I saw her? More... mature? (It should be!) Is it because her Cultivation Technique has improved again, or is it due to the 'Spirit Refining Heaven Pool' Body Tempering last time? Or could it be..."

She did not continue, only the smile at the corner of her lips became somewhat meaningful.

Shaking her head, she suppressed these pointless thoughts for the moment, the faint smile on Luo Hongyi's face quickly receding, restoring her usual calmness and dignity.

She took a step, her bare feet treading on the warm jade, her fair, exquisite, and perfectly shaped jade feet appearing and disappearing alternately on the dark floor, as she walked silently toward a seemingly ordinary wall inside the sleeping chamber.

Her hand formed a mysterious incantation gesture, and pure, intense fire-type Spiritual Qi flowed from her fingertips, outlining a complex and obscure mark that she gently pressed onto a certain spot on the wall.

"Hum—"

A slight hum came from inside the wall, and immediately, the solid wall slid open silently to both sides, revealing a deep staircase behind it that sloped downwards, leading to an unknown destination.

On the walls on both sides of the staircase were embedded fluorescent stones that could emit light on their own, giving off a soft and steady glow that illuminated the path ahead, but also made the end of the staircase appear even more deep and dark.

Luo Hongyi did not hesitate at all and stepped onto the staircase. The secret door closed quietly behind her, seamless and leaving no trace.

Walking down the spiraling staircase for about a hundred steps, the view suddenly opened up to a secret room that was not too large, but was filled with layers upon layers of powerful Restrictions.

The light of the Restrictions flowed, hidden but not released, yet it emitted a heart-palpitating fluctuation, clearly possessing extremely strong protective and isolation effects, sufficient to withstand the vast majority of prying eyes and impacts.

In the center of the secret room, there was a circular white jade altar about a foot high.

The altar had a simple and ancient design, its surface smooth as a mirror, with Spiritual Qi faintly contained within.

At this moment, the altar was emitting a stable and mysterious spatial fluctuation, the light flickering uncertainly, as rhythmic as breathing, while strands of silver-white runes appeared and flowed on the surface of the altar and in the surrounding Void Realm, forming an extremely complex and precise Formation pattern.

This was clearly an extremely rare directional teleportation channel built in an independent secret room! (Clearly, it had already been activated!)

Luo Hongyi walked to the altar, her Phoenix eyes gazing at the runes and spatial fluctuations running stably on the altar, light flickering in her eyes, her expression complex.

There was reminiscence, determination, and also a trace of imperceptible anticipation.

"The fluctuations are finally about to stabilize..." She whispered to herself, a wisp of fire-red Qi as thin as a hair condensing at her fingertip, which she gently probed into the Spiritual Qi field around the altar to sense, "It seems that the other side is also almost prepared. In at most half a month, the channel will be completely stabilized and ready for teleportation."

Where this altar led was one of the Sect's greatest secrets (known only to the Sect Masters of past generations), and it was also the matter she needed to tell her Junior Sister about when she had her come over.

Thinking of this, her gaze involuntarily fell upon the index finger of her left hand.

There, she wore a smooth, warm white jade ring.

The ring's style was simple, yet it contained an inner treasure light, and the mysterious patterns on it seemed to implicitly match some kind of Dao trajectory; it was precisely what that Rebellious Disciple, Xiao Ming, had "presented" to her, saying that wearing it would allow her to "think of your good disciple at all times."

Looking at this ring, the stern dignity belonging to the Vice Sect Master in Luo Hongyi's eyes faded away unknowingly, and the lines on her stunningly beautiful face softened.

She stretched out her right hand and used her fingertips to gently stroke the ring, her movements carrying a sense of cherishing that she herself had not even noticed.

"This bastard Rebellious Disciple..." She murmured softly to the ring, as if speaking to the person who had given it to her.

The voice was so gentle that outsiders could never imagine, shedding all the dignity and superiority of being a Vice Sect Master, leaving only a hint of faint, hidden tenderness, and a trace of extremely faint resentment and annoyance that even she herself had not clearly defined, "You have been out for so long without a word; if I could not sense that you were living well within the Righteous Path Sect, I would have thought you were dead! I fear you have been dazzled by the flashy world outside and have forgotten about home... and your Revered Masters?"

"Half a month left..." She estimated the time for the teleportation Formation to completely stabilize, her voice even softer, as if telling a secret known only to herself, and also as if making a decision, "In half a month, this channel will briefly and stably open. By then, your Fairy Revered Master will be going to the Upper Realm. If you don't come back by then, and you miss it, you really won't even be able to find a place to cry."

She said the four words "Fairy Revered Master" somewhat vaguely, her Phoenix eyes shimmering with emotion, not knowing whether she was referring to her cold and elegant Junior Sister Luo Li, or... speaking of herself. Perhaps, it was both?

This rare, gentle whisper and small complaint, so different from her usual image, existed only in this absolutely secret room, and in the blink of an eye, it dissipated into the air, as if it had never appeared.

Luo Hongyi took a deep breath, and when she raised her eyes again, they had returned to absolute clarity, calmness, and the decisiveness belonging to the Vice Sect Master.

She took one last deep look at the gradually stabilizing teleportation altar, gently stroked the white jade ring on her finger with her thumb, as if drawing a trace of invisible strength from it, then turned around and left the secret room without hesitation.

Footsteps echoed in the empty staircase, gradually fading away. The secret room returned to silence, with only the runes on the white jade altar flickering on and off with the subtle spatial fluctuations, as if silently counting down to some moment.