7: Chapter 7 Call me... call me Ruyan

Liu Ruyan's sentence trailed off halfway, her gaze drifting elsewhere. Her fingers subconsciously twisted the corner of her clothes, and her body shifted slightly.

That posture of feigned refusal, like a fully ripened peach, exuded an alluring aura.

Especially the way Liu Ruyan bit her lower lip, her eyes filled with mist and shyness.

It caused Ye Yun, who had just experienced the affairs of the flesh, to feel a sudden surge of heat in his heart, instantly igniting the dryness within his body.

Ye Yun's breathing grew somewhat ragged, and his grip on her wrist tightened. His voice carried a hint of husky seduction.

“Aunt Liu, for the sake of my quick recovery and so the Ye Family can leave behind a Bloodline, please suffer this grievance one more time, alright?”

Liu Ruyan looked at his pale yet determined face and the blood constantly seeping from his back; the shyness and resistance in her heart were gradually replaced by worry and heartache.

She knew Ye Yun was telling the truth. Right now, there were no other ways to heal his injuries except for this seemingly absurd method.

Furthermore, having experienced the pain of her clan's extermination and having depended on each other for survival, her feelings for Ye Yun had long since surpassed simple emotion.

That complex sentiment spread through her heart, making it impossible for her to find the cruelty to refuse him.

She gently bit her lower lip and looked up, her eyes filled with deep shyness and a hint of silent consent. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

“The... then alright... but you must be gentle, don't hurt me...”

After saying this, Liu Ruyan lowered her head again. Her cheeks were so red they looked like they could drip water. Her hands nervously gripped her skirt, and her body trembled slightly.

That bashful and seductive appearance made it impossible for Ye Yun to restrain himself any longer.

“Aunt Liu...”

Ye Yun called out softly, his voice carrying an uncontrollable heat.

Liu Ruyan's body suddenly stiffened. She looked up, her eyes holding a trace of pleading and shyness as she gently shook her head.

“Don't... don't call me Aunt Liu.”

“Then what should I call you?”

Ye Yun's gaze locked tightly onto her eyes.

Liu Ruyan's cheeks turned even redder, almost burying her face in her chest. Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

“Call... call me Ruyan...”

“Ruyan...”

Ye Yun whispered the name. These two words were like a magic incantation, instantly igniting the atmosphere between them.

He no longer hesitated. Forcing his body to stand up, he gently gathered Liu Ruyan into his arms.

Liu Ruyan's body stiffened for a moment, then she went limp against his chest, her hands hesitantly wrapping around his waist.

Her cheek pressed against his chest, feeling his slightly hurried heartbeat.

Inside the cavern, the water vapor swirled as an ambiguous atmosphere gradually permeated the air.

Ye Yun lowered his head and kissed her lips. Liu Ruyan trembled slightly, passively enduring and responding with greenness.

The power of the Hehuan Daoist Body quietly circulated. Ye Yun could clearly feel the injuries within his body slowly healing.

Meanwhile, Liu Ruyan's body also gradually relaxed, the shyness in her eyes slowly replaced by tenderness.

The Tai Xuan Hehuan Scripture within Ye Yun's body operated frantically, absorbing the Origin power from Liu Ruyan and the energy brought by the Dual Cultivation.

The wound on his back healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the Mystic Power within his Meridians became increasingly surging.

[Dual Cultivation started! Critical Hit Multiplier triggered: 5x (Ordinary Critical Hit)!]

[Plundering target's cultivation + self-combat insights + 5x critical hit boost. Cultivation is continuously rising...]

[Congratulations to the Host for breaking through to the Second Layer of the Martial Master Realm!]

[Congratulations to the Host for breaking through to the Third Layer of the Martial Master Realm!]

[Injuries have completely healed!]

The System's notification sounded in his mind. Ye Yun felt a vast power sweep through his entire body. The sharp pain in his back vanished completely, replaced by abundant Mystic Power racing through his Meridians.

His aura instantly exploded, leaping directly from the Peak of the First Layer Martial Master Realm to the Third Layer Martial Master Realm.

His entire temperament became increasingly steady and powerful, and the color returned to his face.

Liu Ruyan leaned in his arms, feeling the majestic aura emanating from his body. Her cheeks still carried a lingering flush, and her eyes were full of shock and relief.

She could clearly feel that the Inner Strength within her own body had also grown significantly.

Her cultivation at the Second Layer Martial Master Realm became more stable, and the fatigue from the previous battle was swept away.

“Your injuries... are healed?”

Liu Ruyan looked up, stroking Ye Yun's back in disbelief. The wound there had completely closed, leaving only a faint scar.

Ye Yun nodded and held her tightly, his voice gentle yet firm.

“I'm healed, and I've broken through to the Third Layer Martial Master Realm. Ruyan, I will protect you even better from now on.”

Tears welled up in Liu Ruyan's eyes. She gave a soft “Mhm” and buried her head in his chest, savoring this regained sense of security.

...

Meanwhile, within Qingyun City, in the meeting hall of the Zhao Family manor, the atmosphere was so heavy it almost solidified.

The Zhao Family Head Zhao strong, the Sun Family Head Sun Tao, and the Lin Family Head Lin Yue sat around a round table.

There wasn't a trace of joy on their faces from having destroyed the Ye Family; instead, they were filled with gloom.

A blueprint of the Ye Family's old manor was spread out on the table, with several key areas circled in red ink—clearly traces of a search.

“Has everything been searched?”

Zhao strong's voice was low, carrying a hint of suppressed fury. He was burly, and the flesh on his face twitched slightly from anger.

“We've searched everywhere. The Ye Family's old manor, secret rooms, even their ancestral graves were dug up. We found no trace of the Mysterious Grade Technique at all!”

Sun Tao sighed, his tone full of unwillingness.

“That is a Cultivation Technique that can allow one to break through to the Martial Spirit Realm! Ye Canglan relied on that technique to secure the position of the number one Family in Qingyun City while only at the Peak of the Martial Master Realm. How could it just vanish into thin air?”

Lin Yue was the most sinister of the three. He gently tapped his finger on the table, his gaze sharp.

“Ye Canglan was a cautious man; he would definitely hide the technique in the safest place. Now that everyone in the Ye Family is dead except for that trash Ye Yun and that woman Liu Ruyan, if the technique isn't on them, who else could have it?”

“You mean the technique is in the hands of Ye Yun and Liu Ruyan?”

A flash of greed crossed Zhao strong's eyes.

“That woman is the number one beauty of Qingyun City. If we can capture her, not only can we get the technique, we can also...”

He didn't finish his sentence, but the lewdness in his tone was self-evident.

Sun Tao and Lin Yue also showed knowing smiles, their eyes filled with covetousness for Liu Ruyan.

Just then, a Martial Artist covered in wounds and dressed in rags stumbled into the hall.

It was one of the members of the Three Great Families who had luckily escaped from Black Wind Ridge earlier.

“Fa... Family Head! This is bad!”

The Martial Artist knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, his face filled with lingering terror.

“What's the panic?” Zhao strong frowned and shouted sternly.

“Are those two pieces of trash, Ye Yun and Liu Ruyan, dead?”

“N-no!” The Martial Artist shook his head repeatedly, his voice trembling.

“Steward Zhao, Captain Sun, and the others... they're all dead! Killed by that trash Ye Yun!”

“What?!”

The three of them stood up simultaneously, their faces filled with unbelievable shock.

“Say that again!” Sun Tao rushed to the Martial Artist, grabbed him by the collar, and looked at him fiercely.

“Sun Kui was at the Third Layer of the Martial Master Realm! Zhao Hu was also at the Second Layer of the Martial Master Realm! How could they be killed by a piece of trash at the Peak of the Third Layer of the Martial Artist realm?”

“It's true!”

The Martial Artist was scared out of his wits and hurriedly explained.