21: Are you showing concern for me?

Tang Wu's pig-like screams still echoed across the Yanfa Terrace as he was carried away in a frantic scramble by his pale-faced lackeys.

On the ground, only a pool of eye-catching mangled flesh and several broken pieces of bracers remained.

The spectating Disciples were still immersed in the earth-shattering Heavenly Tribulation and that crisp, almost cruel punch from just now, not yet fully recovered.

Their gazes toward the figure in green on the field contained awe, fear, and more of a complex emotion like they were looking at an immortal or a monster.

Luo Qingxue quickly walked to Lu Yu's side, her ice-blue eyes scanning him rapidly. After confirming that aside from his slightly disheveled clothes and his somewhat unsettled aura, there were no other obvious injuries, she let out a nearly imperceptible sigh of relief.

But as she was halfway through that sigh, she remembered his crazy act of forcefully enduring thirty-seven bolts of Heavenly Tribulation, especially swallowing the lightning ball at the end, and her heart tightened again. She couldn't help but whisper in a scolding tone.

"You... you're being reckless. That last bolt of lightning, how could you dare..."

"I'm fine, I knew what I was doing."

Lu Yu smiled and stretched his neck, his bones making a slight cracking sound. His whole body exuded a sense of comfort like he had just finished high-intensity exercise.

"Isn't this great? It saved at least several years of painstaking effort."

He was referring to refining a portion of Leng Qingshuang's Yin Origin and using the heavenly lightning to forge a supreme Physical Body.

Luo Qingxue looked at his nonchalant expression and thought of the ruthlessness with which he had crippled Tang Wu with a single punch. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

She found herself increasingly unable to understand this nominal fiancé of hers.

If you called him reckless, his response during the tribulation was precise and powerful. If you called him ruthless, he had spared Tang Wu's life... "Why didn't you..."

She glanced in the direction Tang Wu was carried away, her unspoken words obvious: Why didn't you just kill him?

In that situation, "accidentally" killing an opponent who had forced a fight first—even the Grand Elder wouldn't be able to find much fault on the surface.

Lu Yu naturally understood what she meant.

He glanced at the surrounding crowd, which had begun to buzz with discussion but dared not approach. He took Luo Qingxue's soft hand and led her a few steps toward a less crowded area before lowering his voice.

"Killing him is easy, just a matter of a slap. But what then?"

His gaze turned slightly cold. "Tang Wu is currently the most direct link we know of to the Demon Domain. If we kill him, that link is broken. His so-called Revered Master behind him and other potential hidden moles in the Canglan Sacred Sect would become even more secretive. Trying to ferret them out then would be as difficult as reaching the heavens. It's better to keep Tang Wu alive and let him continue to lure out those traitors hidden within your Sect."

Luo Qingxue was as bright as ice and snow; she understood the implications immediately.

Keeping Tang Wu alive was like keeping a piece of bait that constantly emitted a foul odor; it would always attract some big fish hiding underwater.

Her Revered Master had been planning for three years and had endured until now. What she sought was definitely not just the life of a small fry like Tang Wu, but to use him to pull out the hidden tumor by its roots!

Lu Yu curled his lips into a mocking smile.

"Besides, he's the Grand Elder's precious grandson. Tearing off the mask now would mean going into an all-out war with the Grand Elder's faction."

"The time isn't right. Startling the snake would be more loss than gain. Crippling one of his arms is just interest, and it's enough to make him and the people behind him ache for a while. Next, they'll be the ones anxious to make a move."

His analysis was clear and logical, completely unlike his fierce and wild behavior during the tribulation battle. He seemed more like a calculating strategist.

Listening to him and looking at his calm profile, the shock Luo Qingxue felt from his powerful strength was gradually replaced by a more complex emotion—a mixture of admiration, relief, and a hidden, indescribable throb of excitement.

He not only possessed power that crushed his peers but also the brains and Heart-Nature to match it.

"You... have thought things through."

She said softly, acknowledging his methods.

Her ice-blue eyes lowered, looking at the tips of her shoes embroidered with water patterns. Her ears felt slightly warm.

Having approached him in a moment of urgency, she only now realized they were a bit too close. She could smell the increasingly crisp and pure masculine scent on him after it had been tempered by the Lightning Tribulation.

It was also mixed with a faint scent like fresh earth after rain. It wasn't unpleasant; instead, it made her heart skip a beat.

Lu Yu also noticed her discomfort and that rare, maiden-like shyness.

His heart stirred, and he suddenly felt a bit mischievous.

He leaned in slightly, close to her ear, and said with a hint of a smile in a voice only the two of them could hear.

"Is Qingxue worried about me?"

As the warm breath brushed against her ear, Luo Qingxue's body froze instantly. Her fair cheeks turned completely red in a flash, the flush spreading all the way to her neck.

Like a startled rabbit, she suddenly took half a step back and raised her watery eyes to glare at Lu Yu. That look was less about anger and more about flustered embarrassment.

"You... what nonsense are you talking about! Who's worried about you! I'm just... just afraid your recklessness would ruin Revered Master's great plans!"

Despite her words, her stuttering tone and the blush on her delicate face were completely unconvincing.

Seeing her like this, the hostility Lu Yu felt from Tang Wu and the Heavenly Tribulation dissipated quite a bit, and his smile became more genuine.

"Fine, fine. I was reckless. Qingxue is the one who understands the big picture."

He stopped while he was ahead, not teasing her further to avoid truly upsetting her.

"Let's go. There are too many eyes here. Let's head back first."

The two left the Yanfa Terrace side by side, leaving behind countless complex gazes and intensifying discussions.

It was predictable that the news of "Tianyan Divine Son Lu Yu undergoing the terrifying Four-in-One Heavenly Tribulation and crippling the Nascent Soul Perfection Tang Wu with one punch" would soon spread like the wind throughout the entire Canglan Sacred Sect and even further.

Near the guest courtyard, Luo Qingxue stopped, seeming to want to say something but hesitating.

"What is it?"

Lu Yu asked.

"You... just had a Breakthrough. Your Realm still needs to be stabilized. For the next few days, if there's nothing important, it's best not to go out."

Luo Qingxue avoided his gaze, her voice returning to its usual coldness, but if one listened carefully, a hint of concern could still be detected.

"Regarding Tang Wu's matter, the Grand Elder's side will definitely not let it go. Although they won't dare do anything on the surface, their secret methods..."

"I know."

Lu Yu nodded.

"I'll be careful. You should be too. Tang Wu suffered such a huge loss; he might take his anger out on you or try to find a Breakthrough point through you."

"He wouldn't dare."

Luo Qingxue's tone turned cold, carrying the confidence and a hint of pride belonging to a Saintess.

But then, she glanced at Lu Yu again, her ice-blue eyes shimmering as she added softly.

"Thanks for the reminder."

"Why are you being so polite with me?"

Lu Yu smiled. Suddenly remembering something, he pulled a small jade bottle out of his Storage Pouch and pressed it into Luo Qingxue's hand.

"This is for you."

"This is?"

Luo Qingxue was puzzled.

"It's not some precious treasure. It's just a 'heart-clearing pill' I refined for fun these past few days. I used a recipe from our Heavenly Evolution Immortal Sect and added some auxiliary materials with Yang Flame attributes," Lu Yu said casually.

"I see that you Cultivate an ice-based Cultivation Technique, and your personality is also... well, cold. Taking one occasionally might help harmonize the excessive cold Qi in your body and could also assist your state of mind. Of course, if you think it's useless, just throw it away."

His words were half-true.

He did refine the Medicinal Pill. Although his Alchemy skills weren't top-tier, he still had some ability. The grade of this Medicinal Pill wasn't high, but it was effective in harmonizing Yin and Yang and calming the mind.

A deeper reason was that he noticed that because Luo Qingxue had been Cultivating a cold-based Cultivation Technique for a long time, combined with the pressure from the Sect, a very faint trace of cold Qi seemed to be stagnant deep within her heart meridians. It was usually fine, but if she encountered intense emotional fluctuations or extreme situations, it might become a hidden danger.

The Yang Flame attribute in this Medicinal Pill could slowly dissolve that stagnation.

Luo Qingxue held the jade bottle, which still carried the warmth of his palm, her fingertips curling slightly.

She hadn't expected Lu Yu to notice these details, let alone prepare a Medicinal Pill specifically for her.

This attentiveness and... faint care made that strange throb in her heart deepen a bit more.

She pursed her lips, carefully put away the jade bottle, and said in a low voice.

"Thank you..."

"I said don't be so polite."

Lu Yu waved his hand. "Go back quickly. You've been out for a long time; the eyes on your side must be getting anxious."

Luo Qingxue nodded and turned to leave. After walking a few steps, she couldn't help but look back.

She saw that Lu Yu had already entered the guest courtyard and was stretching while saying something to his Little Apprentice, Lin Wanqiu. His profile looked exceptionally soft in the afterglow of the setting sun, a complete contrast to the domineering figure on the Yanfa Terrace who had summoned heavenly lightning and crushed his enemy with a punch.

She watched silently for a moment before turning into a streak of ice-blue light and departing. However, the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into a faint arc that even she hadn't noticed.

Tingtao Pavilion, top floor.

Leng Qingshuang stood by the window, having already seen everything that happened on the Yanfa Terrace.

From Lu Yu summoning the Heavenly Tribulation to his enduring the thirty-seven bolts of lightning, to his crippling Tang Wu with one punch, and his subsequent low-voiced conversation with Luo Qingxue... she had seen it all.

There was no expression on her face, but her fingers gripping the windowsill tightened slightly, her knuckles turning white. It was unclear whether it was because of Lu Yu's tribulation or because she felt a bit jealous seeing him talk so intimately with her dear Disciple.

"Thirty-seven bolts combined into one Heavenly Tribulation... swallowing the Zixiao aura to forge a supreme Physical Body Foundation..."

She whispered to herself, her ice-blue eyes churning with complex and difficult-to-discern emotions.

There was shock, sighs of admiration, a sense of realization that things were as expected, and... a faint, hidden throb of excitement and lingering fear that she herself was unwilling to admit.

That last bolt of lightning had made even her heart jump; this kid actually dared to swallow it!

But more than that, it was a sense of control, as the chess game proceeded in the predetermined direction and even exceeded expectations.

Lu Yu's performance was even more outstanding than she had anticipated—stunning, even.

His way of crippling Tang Wu while sparing his life also perfectly aligned with her strategy of "luring the snake out of its hole and not rushing to close the net."

"Meng Li... this apprentice of yours is truly extraordinary."

She looked toward Lu Yu's guest courtyard, her voice so low only she could hear it.

Recalling the absurdity and necessity inside the Tingtao Pavilion that night, a very faint blush actually crept onto her pale face, but it was quickly suppressed by her usual coldness.

Just then, a trusted maid's soft report came from outside the pavilion.

"Holy Revered Master, the Grand Elder... requests an audience outside the hall. His expression... is extremely unpleasant."

Leng Qingshuang's gaze instantly became cold and sharp, like ten-thousand-year-old ice.

The bait had been bitten hard; the one fishing was indeed unable to sit still.

She straightened her unwrinkled robes and turned around, her voice returning to the supreme majesty and calm belonging to the Canglan Holy Master:

"Let him in."