69: Chapter 69 Master's Shock: Wan'er, how did your cultivation level increase so dramatically overnight?

In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon the window lattices of the Listening Sword Pavilion.

Inside the room, a faint, lingering scent of intimacy still permeated the air.

Xu Chen leaned lazily against the headboard, watching the graceful figure grooming herself before the bronze mirror, a satisfied smile playing on his lips.

At this moment, Nangong Waner had long lost the icy demeanor she had yesterday, which used to keep people a thousand miles away. She had changed into a pale green sword attendant's gown; though she remained pure and ethereal, a hint of the charm and gentleness of a newlywed woman now graced her brow.

That feeling was like a precious sword hidden in its scabbard—less of a sharp, murderous aura, and more of a warm, jade-like quality.

“Husband... is my hair messy?”

Nangong Waner saw Xu Chen staring at her through the bronze mirror. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she asked with a bit of shyness.

“It's not messy.”

Xu Chen stood up and walked behind her, taking the wooden comb from her hand and gently combing through her waterfall-like black hair.

“What's messy is my heart.”

If this cheesy pick-up line were said at any other time, Nangong Waner would surely have drawn her sword to strike him. But right now, she only lowered her head sweetly, her heart feeling as sweet as if she had eaten honey.

“By the way.”

Xu Chen put down the wooden comb and rested his hands on her fragrant shoulders, feeling the thick aura of a Dao Severing King at the peak beneath his palms.

“When you go to see your master later, have you thought about how to explain things?”

At the mention of her master, Nangong Waner's body visibly stiffened for a moment.

She hadn't returned all night, and... and that kind of thing had happened. If her master, who treated her like her own child, found out, she would probably tear the Listening Sword Pavilion apart.

“I... I'll just say I was practicing my swordplay?”

Nangong Waner said, her voice lacking confidence.

“Mhm, you were indeed practicing your swordplay.”

Xu Chen held back a laugh and nodded solemnly.

“It's just that you were practicing 'Dual Swords Merged as One'.”

“You! Don't talk nonsense!”

Nangong Waner glared at him in shame and indignation, then took a deep breath and picked up the Azure Lotus Sword beside her.

“I... I'm going to pay my respects to Master first.”

“If Master gets angry... you have to come save me.”

With that, she fled the room like a kitten that had done something wrong.

Watching her departing figure, Xu Chen stroked his chin. The smile in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by the sharp glint of a hunter spotting his prey.

“The little one is taken care of.”

“Next...”

“It's time for that master who still retains her charm.”

...

The back mountain of the Sword Sect, the residence of the Supreme Elder—Forgetting Love Peak.

This place was shrouded in mist all year round and was where Ye Qingwu went into seclusion to comprehend the Dao.

At this moment, Ye Qingwu was pacing anxiously back and forth in the courtyard. Her snow-white palace dress swayed gently with her steps, revealing the restlessness in her heart.

“What time is it already? Why isn't she back yet?”

She looked up at the sky, her brow furrowed.

Although she had been a bit worried when Nangong Waner went to the appointment last night, she thought that since Xu Chen was the Young Master of the Imperial Clan, he wouldn't do anything out of line on the Sword Sect's territory. Moreover, Nangong Waner had a fierce personality; if she had truly been wronged, she would have caused a huge scene long ago.

But the fact that there had been no news all night was truly unsettling.

“Could that kid really have some secret method for guiding one's sword path?”

Ye Qingwu muttered to herself, her suspicion growing.

Just then.

“Master, your disciple has come to pay her respects.”

A familiar voice rang out from outside the courtyard.

Ye Qingwu felt a surge of joy and quickly turned around.

She saw Nangong Waner walking in with her head lowered and small, hurried steps.

“Waner, you...”

Ye Qingwu was about to ask “How was last night,” but before the words could leave her mouth, she froze.

As a Saint-level powerhouse, her perception was incredibly sharp.

With just one look, she noticed the earth-shattering change in her disciple.

Not only had her temperament become gentler, but more terrifyingly... her cultivation!

Nangong Waner, who was only at the early stage of the Dao Severing King realm yesterday, was now surrounded by a terrifying aura that was perfect and complete, even faintly touching the threshold of the Saint realm!

The peak of the Dao Severing King realm?!

“This... how is this possible?!”

Ye Qingwu cried out in shock. In a flash, she was in front of Nangong Waner, grabbing her shoulders and looking her up and down incessantly.

“Waner, your cultivation... how did it skyrocket by three minor realms overnight?”

“Did you eat some immortal pill or miraculous medicine? Or did that kid Xu Chen perform a power transfer on you?”

This simply defied the common knowledge of the cultivation world!

Even the Imperial Clan shouldn't have such exaggerated methods, right? Breaking through three realms in one night, with an incredibly solid foundation and no signs of instability—even the sword path bottleneck that had troubled Waner for years had completely vanished!

“Master... I...”

Nangong Waner's face was as red as a ripe apple, and she stammered for a long time, unable to speak.

She couldn't very well say she had broken through after sleeping with Xu Chen once, could she? That would be too embarrassing!

Seeing her disciple like this, a sudden sense of foreboding rose in Ye Qingwu's heart.

She looked down, her gaze landing on Nangong Waner's slightly disheveled appearance.

That was... a sign that her Primal Yin was lost!

“Waner!”

Ye Qingwu's face changed drastically, and her voice instantly rose an octave.

“Where is your Cinnabar mole?!”

“Is it... did that bastard Xu Chen force you?!”

A terrifying Saint's pressure erupted from Ye Qingwu, instantly dispersing the surrounding clouds and mist.

She was trembling with rage.

That Xu Chen!

To claim he was guiding her sword path when he actually had such foul intentions! He dared to lay his hands on her precious disciple! This wasn't practicing the sword; this was clearly Essence harvesting!

“No... it's not like that, Master!”

Seeing that her master was truly enraged, Nangong Waner quickly grabbed her sleeve, so anxious she was on the verge of tears.

“It wasn't forced... it was... it was my own choice.”

“And... and Young Master Xu really was guiding my sword path!”

“Look!”

To prove her innocence, Nangong Waner flicked the Azure Lotus Sword.

Buzz!

A vast and pure sword intent soared into the sky.

That sword intent was a perfect blend of hardness and softness, smooth and transparent, far more sophisticated than her previous simple sharpness.

“This...”

Ye Qingwu was stunned once again.

An expert could tell the quality of a move as soon as it was made.

This was indeed the manifestation of a great mastery of the sword path! This level of control over sword intent was something even she, as the master, felt slightly inferior to!

“What on earth is going on?”

Ye Qingwu was completely bewildered.

Could sleeping with a man really increase one's cultivation and help one comprehend the sword path?

“Master, actually...”

Just as Nangong Waner was about to brace herself and explain the so-called “Sword Heart Clarity”...

“Actually, this is my unique 'Yin-Yang Sword Path'.”

A lazy voice drifted from the courtyard entrance.

Xu Chen walked in grandly, fanning himself with a folding fan. He had changed into a moon-white robe today, looking quite respectable, with the air of a grandmaster.

“Xu Chen!”

Upon seeing the person in question, Ye Qingwu glared with her beautiful eyes. Though her anger had subsided slightly, she remained highly vigilant.

“Stop talking nonsense!”

“What Yin-Yang Sword Path? I think you used some heterodox Essence harvesting technique!”

“To harm Waner like this... although her cultivation has increased, her foundation will surely run into problems in the future!”

“Harm?”

Xu Chen walked up to the two of them, glanced at the blushing Nangong Waner, and then looked directly into Ye Qingwu's skeptical, beautiful eyes.

“Senior, you can eat whatever you want, but you shouldn't say whatever you want.”

“You are a sword cultivator too. See for yourself—how much more stable is Waner's foundation now than before?”

“Is her sword heart not more clear?”

Ye Qingwu was speechless.

Indeed, no matter how she checked, Nangong Waner's condition was better than ever—so good that she even felt a bit of envy.

“But that's still no excuse for you to... to mess around!”

Ye Qingwu gritted her teeth, her cheeks flushing slightly.

“Waner was a pure maiden. If you do this... where will our Sword Sect's reputation go?”

“That's why I've come to take responsibility, haven't I?”

Xu Chen closed his folding fan and said with a smile:

“Waner is already my Personal sword attendant, and from now on, she belongs to the Xu Family.”

“As for this cultivation method...”

Xu Chen paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping over Ye Qingwu's curvaceous figure, and said meaningfully:

“I possess a special constitution that can help sword cultivators clear their meridians and resonate with their sword hearts.”

“As long as one has... ahem, 'deep communication' with me, they can obtain these benefits.”

“A special constitution?”

Ye Qingwu's brow furrowed as she looked at him suspiciously.

“What kind of constitution is so powerful?”

“This is a secret of my Xu Family that is never shared with outsiders.”

Xu Chen gave a mysterious smile and took a step closer.

“If Senior is truly curious, or perhaps...”

“...also wishes to break through the bottleneck that hasn't budged for years.”

“I wouldn't mind giving Senior some... private guidance as well.”

“In your dreams!”

Ye Qingwu was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. She suddenly retreated a step and shouted with a face full of red.

“I am Waner's master! You... you are simply outrageous!”

“What's wrong with being her master?”

Xu Chen shrugged, looking indifferent.

“In the path of the sword, the one who attains mastery is the teacher.”

“Besides, Senior has been stuck at the early stage of the Saint realm for hundreds of years, hasn't she?”

“Do you not want to see the scenery beyond the Saint realm?”

This sentence accurately struck Ye Qingwu's weakness.

She had indeed been stuck at the bottleneck for too long. Seeing her disciple make such rapid progress overnight, it would be a lie to say she wasn't tempted.

But... such a shameful method...

A battle raged within Ye Qingwu's heart.

She looked at Xu Chen's handsome face, then at her radiant disciple beside him, and an incredibly bold, even somewhat absurd thought surfaced in her mind.

What if...

...she personally investigated this so-called “special constitution”?

Just to investigate! Definitely not for that kind of thing!

Right! It was to verify if this technique had any side effects, to protect her disciple!

Thinking this, Ye Qingwu took a deep breath and forcibly regained her dignity as a Supreme Elder.

“Hmph! Glib talk!”

“However, for Waner's safety, I must find out exactly what is going on with this so-called constitution of yours.”

“Xu Chen, tonight...”

Ye Qingwu gritted her teeth and said the words that made even her own heart race and face flush:

“Come to my room.”

“I will personally... examine your body!”