43: Chapter 43 He actually wanted to push Qingyue aside and take her place.

The water vapor gradually dispersed.

Leng Qingyue stood up from the warm spring water.

Water droplets silently slid down her fair and delicate skin.

With a light lift of her slender hand, a plain white dress was draped neatly over her body.

"Rumeng, I'm heading back first."

Leng Qingyue tied her belt and turned to look at Liu Rumeng, who was still blowing bubbles in the water.

Liu Rumeng rolled her eyes and waved her hand irritably:

"Go, go, hurry back and accompany your lover boy. Don't be an eyesore here."

Leng Qingyue pursed her lips and smiled, then took to the air on her sword.

She flew until that streak of light completely disappeared into the horizon.

The disdain on Liu Rumeng's face vanished.

She leaped out of the water, her fiery red gauze dress instantly clinging to her plump, graceful body.

"I'd like to see what kind of heavenly methods this old lecher actually has!"

Liu Rumeng's hands quickly formed seals.

A faint, transparent halo enveloped her entire body.

This was the unique breath-concealing technique of Baihua Peak.

Once activated, all presence vanished, making it difficult even for Divine Sense to detect her.

She had absolute confidence in this secret technique.

Calculating the time, Leng Qingyue had already flown ten miles away.

Liu Rumeng tapped her toes, ascended on her sword, and followed from a distance.

Lianxiang Peak, Medicinal Garden Pavilion.

By this time, Cao Kun had already returned from the Outer Sect Scripture Pavilion.

He was leaning comfortably on a soft couch on the second floor.

He summoned the System panel and quickly scanned through the mall.

"Oh, found it."

[beast-bewitching incense: Price 500 task points.]

[Can greatly stimulate the instinctive desires of special Physiques; has a miraculous effect on uncontracted Jade Beasts.]

"Exchange."

Looking at the small wooden box that appeared out of thin air in his hand,

A wicked smile curled at the corners of Cao Kun's mouth.

This incense was specifically prepared for Liu Rumeng.

Just as he tucked the wooden box away, the sound of rushing air came from outside the pavilion.

The door was pushed open.

Leng Qingyue walked in quickly, bringing a pleasant, faint fragrance with her as she threw herself directly into Cao Kun's arms.

"Senior Brother Cao!"

Leng Qingyue looked up, her cool face full of joy.

"My Realm has completely stabilized! Even my Ice Spirit Body is much purer than before!"

Cao Kun naturally pulled her slender waist closer, his fingers gently playing with her soft, long hair.

"It's good that it's stabilized. Have you gone to see Revered Master?"

At the mention of Yu Linglong, Leng Qingyue's eyes dimmed slightly.

She pressed her face against Cao Kun's chest and said in a muffled voice, "I've seen her. But... Revered Master didn't agree to us becoming Dao Companions."

"She scolded me, saying that Dual Cultivation would shake my Dao Heart, and told me not to be tied down by romantic feelings."

After hearing this, Cao Kun almost laughed out loud in his heart.

Good grief, was this cheap Revered Master of his secretly getting jealous of her own disciple?

Talk about a narrow-minded perspective.

"It's fine." Cao Kun patted Leng Qingyue's back, his tone gentle.

"The matter of being Dao Companions can wait; we have plenty of time."

"Revered Master is also thinking of your cultivation. Take it slow; she'll agree one day."

Leng Qingyue nodded obediently, the disappointment in her heart instantly smoothed over by Cao Kun's tenderness.

"However..." Cao Kun's tone shifted as his palm slowly slid down her waist, squeezing a touch of softness.

"Since the cold poison is cleared and you've had a Breakthrough in your Realm, shouldn't Junior Sister pay some compensation?"

Hearing this, two patches of crimson flushed across Leng Qingyue's cheeks.

She shyly closed her eyes.

An hour later.

Just as Cao Kun was preparing for a hat trick,

A crisp notification sound suddenly rang in his mind.

[Ding! Crimson Flame Spirit Beast detected within 20 meters of the host!]

Cao Kun's movements paused.

That was damn fast.

However, since the audience was in place, the show naturally had to be performed brilliantly.

Cao Kun pulled Leng Qingyue up.

Leng Qingyue opened her eyes, her face full of confusion: "Senior Brother?"

"The Spiritual Qi inside this room is too stagnant."

"You've just had a Breakthrough, and your Ice Spirit Body needs to be closer to the natural Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to converge. Let's go outside to Cultivate."

Leng Qingyue was stunned.

Go outside?

In broad daylight, in the medicinal garden?

Although no one usually came to this back mountain, this was simply too...

"But..." Leng Qingyue was still hesitating, but Cao Kun had already led her out of the pavilion without allowing any argument.

Outside the medicinal garden, in the shadow of a towering ancient tree's canopy,

Liu Rumeng had retracted all her presence, staring intently at the pavilion.

When she saw the door open and Cao Kun lead Leng Qingyue out,

Liu Rumeng's eyes widened.

What is this old lecher trying to do?

In the next second, she witnessed a scene that shattered her worldview.

Cao Kun sat down directly at the jade stone table in the courtyard, pulled Leng Qingyue into his lap, and lowered his head to kiss her.

Leng Qingyue struggled symbolically twice before completely softening in Cao Kun's arms, allowing him to do as he pleased.

Hiding in the tree, Liu Rumeng's face turned so red it looked like it might bleed.

"Shameless! Vile! In broad daylight, they actually..."

She gritted her teeth, wishing she could rush down and cleave Cao Kun in two with her sword.

Just then, Cao Kun's fingertips moved slightly.

A wisp of colorless and odorless beast-bewitching incense mixed into the air, dispersing silently.

Immediately following that, the Chaos Unity Art within Cao Kun's body began to circulate.

Dominant Solar Essence radiated from his body, colliding and merging with the extreme cold Qi on Leng Qingyue.

One Yin and one Yang, two completely different forces entangled in mid-air, turning into waves of white mist that shrouded their figures in a hazy blur.

A light breeze blew past.

A trace of the escaping white mist floated toward the tree canopy where Liu Rumeng was hiding.

Liu Rumeng was just about to turn and leave, not wanting to watch this eyesore of a scene any longer.

Suddenly, her whole body trembled.

That trace of white mist followed her breath and entered her body.

Her originally calm Crimson Flame Spiritual Body was like dry wood meeting a raging fire, boiling over instantly!

So hot!

Liu Rumeng clutched her chest tightly.

An unprecedented surge of heat rose from her Dantian, sweeping through her entire body.

Her legs grew weak uncontrollably, and she could only barely stay standing by leaning against the rough tree trunk.

That escaping Solar Essence held a fatal attraction for her Crimson Flame Spiritual Body.

It was like a traveler in the desert who had been thirsty for three days and nights suddenly seeing a clear spring.

Every cell in her body was screaming frantically: Get closer to him! Absorb that power!

"This... what is this..."

Liu Rumeng gasped for air.

Fine beads of sweat broke out on her forehead.

She forced her spiritual power to circulate, attempting to suppress this strange agitation.

But the Crimson Flame Spiritual Body was completely out of control.

It greedily captured every wisp of Solar Essence drifting in the air.

Her gaze pierced through the white mist.

Liu Rumeng saw clearly that Leng Qingyue had her eyes closed, greedily absorbing the spiritual power Cao Kun was passing over.

As the spiritual power poured in, Leng Qingyue's originally somewhat unstable Late Stage Foundation Establishment aura was becoming solid and heavy at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Liu Rumeng was stunned.

She finally understood why Leng Qingyue's cold poison could be cured.

Why she could break through in just a few short days.

Why her usually cold and proud best friend would be so devoted to this man.

This wasn't some evil energy-plundering technique at all!

This was the highest level of Dual Cultivation!

That dominant and pure Solar Essence was simply the ultimate tonic that all special Physiques dreamed of!

If... if the one absorbing that power was herself...

As soon as this thought popped up, Liu Rumeng broke into a cold sweat from the shock.

Insane! What on earth am I thinking!

Reason finally triumphed over instinct.

She bit her lower lip hard until she tasted a hint of blood, only then barely regaining a shred of clarity.

She couldn't stay any longer.

If she kept watching, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to stop herself from rushing down, pushing Leng Qingyue aside, and taking her place.

Liu Rumeng turned around with difficulty, preparing to slip away quietly.

At the moment she turned around,

Cao Kun stopped his movements and seemingly casually looked up, his gaze passing through the layers of white mist to land precisely on the tree canopy where Liu Rumeng was hiding.

Their eyes met.

Liu Rumeng's heart skipped a beat.

*Thump!*

Was she discovered?!

Liu Rumeng held her breath, not daring to move an inch.

Impossible!

She immediately rejected this suspicion in her heart.

This breath-concealing technique was one of the top Secret Manuals of Baihua Peak.

Even a Cultivator at the Early Stage Golden Core would absolutely not be able to detect her presence as long as she didn't use spiritual power.

How could Cao Kun, a mere Late Stage Foundation Establishment, see through it?

It must be a coincidence.

He just happened to look over randomly.

Liu Rumeng comforted herself.

But the pressure brought by that one glance felt like a mountain weighing on her heart.

She didn't dare stay any longer, and enduring the heat in her body, she activated her secret technique and fled Lianxiang Peak as if for her life.

Returning to her own Immortal Cave,

Liu Rumeng stumbled as she pushed open the stone door and turned the Formation up to maximum power.

She leaned against the cold stone door, panting heavily.

Her originally elegant fiery red gauze dress was now completely soaked with cold sweat, clinging wetly to her striking curves.

"Damn it... damn it..."

Liu Rumeng walked to the jade bed and sat down cross-legged.

She forced herself to close her eyes, wanting to use Cultivation to quiet her agitated heart.

But it was useless.

As soon as she closed her eyes, the scene she saw outside the medicinal garden filled her mind.

...

"Whew—"

Liu Rumeng opened her eyes irritably.

The agitation in her body had not only failed to subside but showed signs of intensifying.

She looked down at her trembling hands.

What lingered in her mind, impossible to dispel, was that final look Cao Kun had given the tree canopy.

Liu Rumeng