79: Chapter 79 Don't worry, I have experience.

Xiao Ye grinned, revealing a row of white teeth. His smile was blindingly bright under the sunlight. "Don't worry, I have experience. You saw that tree just now; I shook it very gently."

Mu Wanqing: "..."

She always felt that this sentence...

...was a bit off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it for a moment.

Gentle? That tree was almost shaken bald by you, and you call that gentle?

In the distance, Lu Manman finally scrambled up from the ground, clutching her waist and limping.

However, her ears were perked up, having heard the deal between the two of them crystal clear.

She looked at Mu Wanqing with immense envy, her gaze like someone seeing meat in another's bowl while their own only had cabbage.

She just didn't understand—why was Xiao Ye so rough with her?

If you gave me those kinds of benefits, would I even bother running? I would have fallen for you long ago!

Lu Manman resentfully held her waist as she limped away from the bald tree, muttering under her breath. Her voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for those nearby to hear: "This is unfair... so unfair... We're both beauties, so why is there such a huge gap..."

She looked down at herself, then up at Mu Wanqing, silently summarizing in her heart: Is it because her chest isn't as big as mine? Impossible, I'm clearly a size larger than her. Then is it because she's fairer than me? That's not right either; my skin is pretty fair too.

After thinking for a long time, she reached a conclusion that made her even more depressed: It's probably because she "delivered herself to his door," while I was "dragged back"?

"If I had known, I wouldn't have run..." Lu Manman sighed toward the heavens, her heart filled with regret. "Why did I run? I just ran away from a fortune!"

In the distance, Xiao Ye had already begun setting up a new barrier.

A pale golden light shield slowly rose, enveloping him and Mu Wanqing.

"Ding—Congratulations to the Host, Harem +1! Reward: spirit ascension pill ×1! Divine-Grade Sword Array—Seven Kill Sword Array!"

"Seven Kill Sword Array: Drawing upon the Star Power of the Big Dipper's Seven Kills, it gathers seven natal killing swords to form an array. The seven swords correspond to the positions of the Big Dipper stars. Once deployed, it locks down space and isolates Spiritual Qi, leaving those within the array with no escape and no way to recover. Thus, it is named 'Absolute Life Seven Kills.'"

Xiao Ye looked at the long string of chuunibyou-inducing descriptions on the System panel and stopped his movements.

"Another sword array?" His lips twitched as he couldn't help but complain in his heart. "System, are you trying to force me to be a 'sword-man'? First Sword Intent, then sword techniques, and now a sword array. Do you want me to carve the word 'sword' on my forehead?"

Mu Wanqing was closing her eyes in enjoyment when she suddenly felt the movement stop. She turned back dissatisfied, her eyes hazy and her voice slightly raspy. "What's wrong? Why did you stop?"

"Oh~ It's nothing, nothing," Xiao Ye snapped back to reality and chuckled.

He dove back into the battle. "Let's continue! Full speed ahead!"

Mu Wanqing: "..."

This guy... is he blaming me?

The rest of the day passed in silence.

——

Afterward, Mu Wanqing sat cross-legged, swallowed the two spirit ascension pills she had just received, and closed her eyes to begin refining them.

A moment later, she snapped her eyes open, and her aura completely changed—her Spiritual Root had been directly upgraded from Heaven-Grade Low Grade to Heaven-Grade High Grade.

At this moment, she was high-spirited, walking with a spring in her step and her chin held high as if she had reached the Peak of her life.

She even began to fantasize about the day she would climb to the top of the Great Qian Empire Prodigy List—What was Qian Long? What was Tang Shisan? They were all just little brothers!

On the side, Lu Manman was incredibly envious, her eyes turning red like a rabbit's.

She grabbed Xiao Ye's arm, rubbing it against her "D-class weapons" on her chest. Her gaze flickered upward piteously, and her voice was sweet enough to melt: "Brother Ye~ I can do it too~ I want it too~"

Xiao Ye's arm felt numb from her rubbing. He sighed and reached out to pat her head, just about to offer a few words of comfort—but before he could speak, Lu Manman "whoosh"ed down and squatted. Her movements were so fast it was as if she had rehearsed them.

Xiao Ye: "..."

He was speechless. Looking down at Lu Manman, his lips twitched as he ranted wildly in his heart: What is with these women?

When I want them to be proactive, they're all shy and hesitant.

Now that I've finally entered Sage Mode, you're suddenly doing all this "swallowing" and "rubbing."

"You guys are really—" Xiao Ye took a deep breath and sighed to the heavens, "Too 'shameless'!!"

Mu Wanqing stood to the side, watching this scene with a curl of her lip. "Heh, men!"

Xiao Ye glared at her, and Mu Wanqing immediately shut her mouth, turning away to pretend to look at the scenery.

A breeze blew from the depths of the dense forest, bringing the rustling of leaves and a faint, indistinct... "slurping" sound.

Afterward, Lu Manman got her wish and received a spirit ascension pill. She swallowed it on the spot and sat cross-legged to refine it.

A moment later, she snapped her eyes open, looking radiant. The smile on her face was as if she had just picked up five million dollars.

"Hahaha—I have an Earth-Grade High Grade Spiritual Root now too!" Lu Manman stood up with her hands on her hips, laughing uncontrollably.

"Alright, alright, stop showing off." Xiao Ye smacked the back of her head. "Lead the way; let's go dig up your golden bead grass."

Lu Manman pouted aggrievedly but still obediently led the way, muttering softly, "Smacking me when you're using me, and smacking me when you're not. Aren't you afraid of smacking me into a pregnancy!"

The three of them traversed the dense forest, twisting and turning until they reached a secluded mountain hollow.

A glittering golden bead grass was growing in a rock crevice by the stream. Its well-developed root System had even cracked the stone, looking quite aged.

"It's here!" Lu Manman pointed at the golden bead grass, puffing out her chest as if claiming credit.

Xiao Ye knelt down, pulled out his star-chasing sword, and spent a long time digging. Mud flew everywhere until he finally unearthed two glittering golden beads from the rock crevice. They were of superior quality and perfect appearance, shimmering with an enticing luster under the sun.

"Not bad, two of them." Xiao Ye nodded with satisfaction, wiped the golden beads clean, put them into his Storage Pouch, and brushed the mud off his hands. "Let's go find a place to perform Alchemy."

The three of them found a hidden cave. Xiao Ye sat cross-legged, summoned the zishan tripod, and went all out.

Half a day later, two round, full, and golden-glowing dust-descending pills were fresh out of the oven. The medicinal fragrance permeated the air, even attracting butterflies outside the cave.

He gave one to Mu Wanqing.

As for the remaining one, Xiao Ye weighed it in his hand, looked at the nearby Lu Manman who was staring wide-eyed and almost drooling, and directly put it into his Storage Pouch without any intention of giving it to her.

"Brother Ye~" Lu Manman looked at him longingly, her voice sweet enough to melt, her eyes filled with "I want it too," "I also..."