41: Late at night, at a hot spring, a lone man and a lone woman!

The warm current instantly enveloped him, dispelling the chill of the night wind and relaxing his tense nerves.

The steam was quite thick; under the moonlight, only a hazy, fair silhouette could be seen nearby, leaning against the stone wall of the pool, her jet-black hair floating on the surface like scattered seaweed.

The two were separated by a short distance, and neither spoke first. Both Leng Qingshuang and Lu Yu were facing such a situation for the first time and were somewhat unsure of how to act.

Only the sound of the water rippling slightly and the sound of their own heartbeats were amplified in the quiet night.

After a while, Leng Qingshuang's voice rang out again, clearer this time, yet still carrying the moisture of the steam.

"Come closer."

This voice sounded more like an order, carrying a sense of dominance.

Lu Yu swallowed, paddled through the water, and slowly moved closer.

As the distance closed, the stunning face behind the steam gradually became clear.

She had her eyes closed, her cheeks tinged with a faint pink, whether from the steam of the hot spring or some other reason, and tiny water droplets hung from her long eyelashes.

The plain green robe... was already gone.

Lu Yu's gaze drifted downward; the light underwater was dim, but he could vaguely see that breathtakingly white curve appearing and disappearing amidst the ripples.

The water temperature felt a bit too high; it was burning.

"What are you looking at?"

Leng Qingshuang suddenly opened her eyes, her ice-blue pupils misty in the steam, lacking their usual coldness and instead filled with a hazy charm, the corners of her mouth curling slightly.

She seemed to have noticed Lu Yu's gaze, the flush on her face deepening, but she didn't hide. Instead, she turned her body slightly to lean more comfortably against the stone wall, making the scenery beneath the water... even more suggestive.

"No... nothing."

Lu Yu coughed dryly, feeling like a green youth and a bit embarrassed. Was he being teased by Sister Leng right now?

But he was no naive boy!

He composed himself and, mimicking her, leaned against the stone wall on the opposite side of Leng Qingshuang, letting the warm spring water submerge his shoulders.

Then they looked at each other, a direct confrontation!

The hot spring wasn't large; sitting face-to-face, they could touch each other if they stretched their legs straight.

The atmosphere gradually became a bit more ambiguous, and a flush appeared on Leng Qingshuang's forcedly calm face.

Needless to say, soaking in this hot spring was truly comfortable; the fatigue and tension accumulated from the day's fighting were slowly melting away.

"Your Nine Yang Haori Body."

Leng Qingshuang spoke, turning the topic to cultivation.

"After your Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul, how does it feel? Does it still conflict with my... profound yin cold jade origin?"

"It's very good."

Lu Yu moved his arms, splashing water lightly, and smiled slightly.

"Not only is there no conflict, it seems... even more harmonious, as if it were naturally paired with my Physique. Not only has my cultivation speed greatly increased, but the circulation of my spiritual power is much smoother."

"Is that so?"

Leng Qingshuang seemed to smile, very faintly, but Lu Yu caught it.

She extended her finger, and a speck of extremely pure, chilly ice-blue spiritual light condensed at the tip, like a star under the moonlight.

"My Cold Jade Spiritual Power seems to have become... a bit more active as well."

The speck of light at her fingertip danced gently and slowly floated toward Lu Yu.

Lu Yu understood and also raised his hand, a speck of warm golden-red Blazing Sun Spiritual Power lighting up at his fingertip.

The two spiritual powers, completely opposite in nature yet having once deeply merged, slowly approached each other in the warm steam. There was no collision or repulsion; instead, they touched gently like old friends meeting after a long separation.

Then... they naturally intertwined.

Ice blue and golden-red interlaced, rotating and merging above the water's surface, emitting a strange, calming aura of balance.

Strands of pure spiritual power were subsequently fed back into their bodies.

It wasn't an active technique, but more like a comfortable resonance originating from instinct.

Leng Qingshuang sighed softly and closed her eyes, her long eyelashes drooping, a relaxed expression appearing on her face.

Lu Yu also felt comfortable all over; some minor hidden injuries from the day's battle seemed to be quietly repaired under the nourishment of this spiritual Fusion.

The water was warm, the spiritual power was gentle, and the person beside him... was no longer that high and mighty, awe-inspiring Holy Lord.

He looked up slightly, watching Leng Qingshuang's profile close at hand—the sideburns dampened by steam, the slightly trembling eyelashes, and... the collarbone faintly visible beneath the waterline.

"Sister Leng."

He called out softly.

Lu Yu's heart stirred, and for some reason, a thought suddenly emerged.

"Can I call you... Shuanger?"

His foot under the water seemed to be kicked lightly.

It wasn't hard, but it carried a hint of warning.

"Show some respect."

Leng Qingshuang finally opened her eyes and glared at him.

But there was no anger in those eyes; instead, they were shimmering like water, making Lu Yu's heart skip a beat.

"Then what should I call you?"

Lu Yu pushed his luck, no longer sitting face-to-face but moving closer to her. Their arms were almost touching, and they could feel the temperature of each other's skin.

"Anyway, it's just the two of us now. Tell me, besides Sister Leng, what else can I call you?"

Warm breath brushed against her ear, carrying the unique refreshing scent of a young man mixed with steam.

Leng Qingshuang's body stiffened imperceptibly, and the flush at the base of her ears spread rapidly. She turned her face away, her voice as low as a mosquito's hum.

"As... as you wish."

Success!

Lu Yu was overjoyed inside, but he had to keep a straight face.

He cleared his throat and, in a tone he thought was gentle but was actually a bit sappy, called out softly,

"Shuangshuang?"

"..."

Leng Qingshuang's shoulders shook, and she almost slipped into the water. She snapped her head back, her ice-blue eyes wide and round, her cheeks crimson, both embarrassed and annoyed.

"This is even worse than Shuanger just now!"

In that state, she didn't have even a hint of the Holy Lord's majesty; she was the spitting image of a teased young girl.

Lu Yu couldn't help but laugh, and the bit of tension and concern in his heart completely vanished.

He suddenly realized that Leng Qingshuang, once she shed that icy outer shell, was quite... cute.

"Alright, Sister Leng, I feel that Sister Leng sounds better after all."

He stopped while he was ahead but moved even closer. The distance between them was so small they could feel each other's heartbeats and body heat.

The water rippled, and their skin occasionally brushed against each other underwater, bringing a slight shiver.

Leng Qingshuang didn't dodge anymore; she just lowered her head, looking at the intertwined ice-blue and golden-red spiritual light between them, her fingers unconsciously paddling the water.

The atmosphere, amid the misty steam, the warm spring water, and the silently flowing ambiguity, quietly changed.

Lu Yu looked at her enticingly flushed neck close at hand and the breathtaking silhouette beneath the water; his Adam's apple bobbed again.

He felt his Blazing Sun Spiritual Power starting to surge somewhat uncontrollably.

As if sensing his change, the pure Profound Yin Spiritual Power within Leng Qingshuang also rippled slightly, as if attracted.

The spiritual light between them intertwined even more tightly, and strands of spiritual power escaped and exchanged between them uncontrollably.

It brought a comfort more deep-seated than even the hot spring soak.

Leng Qingshuang's breathing quickened slightly; she looked up, her ice-blue eyes filled with mist, and looked at Lu Yu.

In those eyes, there was confusion and struggle, which were finally completely occupied by Lu Yu's face.

Their eyes met.

The string of reason in his mind snapped with a pop.