199: Leng Qingqiu's obsession

Inside the master bedroom, the lingering romance had not yet dissipated, and a warm fragrance still permeated the air.

Chen Jun was about to rest, tidying up the slightly disheveled bed and his thoughts.

Liu Ruyan was content, the radiant glow in her eyes and brows betraying the surging emotions within her.

Chu Yueyao, on the other hand, was more reserved, leaning by his side, the deep excitement hidden in her clear eyes flowing like a silent, deep stream, surging ceaselessly.

Just as Chen Jun thought this night's 'relay advancement battle' could finally come to an end—

"Leng Qingqiu... requests an audience with Chen Jun!"

A clear, cold, and isolated female voice, as if from the depths of a ten-thousand-year ice plain, penetrated the alert network set up by Liu Ruyan outside the manor, ignoring the internal energy flow guidance regulated by Chu Yueyao.

It clearly resounded in the ears of everyone in the master bedroom.

This voice carried a sense of urgency that had been suppressed for too long, mixed with determination, aloofness, and an indescribable... do-or-die desperation!

Instantly, the remaining ambiguity and laziness in the bedroom were washed away completely!

Liu Ruyan, like a Starry Sky Thunder Beast whose tail had been stepped on, suddenly sprang up halfway from the bed, her heroic eyebrows furrowed, her eyes instantly switching to 'Chief Guard Officer' alert mode, and she spat in a low voice:

"This old ice block! In the middle of the night, what bad luck is she bringing now?!" She instinctively reached for the miniature sword by her pillow.

Chu Yueyao also instantly reined in all her tenderness, a layer of frost covering her gentle face. She gently pressed Liu Ruyan's restless hand, her voice still calm, but her tone had taken on the authority of an Acting Leader:

"Venerable Leng's late-night visit must be for an important matter. However, this action is overly disrespectful and disturbs Ancestor Chen's rest."

The two women's gazes, by chance, turned to Chen Jun, carrying inquiry and a hint of shared animosity.

Chen Jun lay in the middle, feeling the instantly tense atmosphere on both sides, and the cold Aura outside the door, condensed and unyielding like a polar storm.

The helplessness that had just subsided in his heart surged back like a tide in the star sea.

Aunt Leng... this Aunt Leng, who had spared no effort and poured massive resources into him when he was 'insignificant' to help him improve his Physique, holding the belief that 'Qingqiu's life, never to lose to another,' yet repeatedly 'failed to obtain from others' at critical moments... she finally came.

And she chose such a moment... when all 'competitors' seemed to have 'settled the dust'.

Chen Jun rubbed his increasingly throbbing temples, sighing inwardly, "Is she calculating the timing to 'fill in the gaps' or... is she unwilling to be left behind and wants to make that final 'sprint'?"

He sighed helplessly, his voice carrying a clear trace of fatigue, and said faintly to the outside of the door: "Aunt Leng, Senior, please come in."

His voice was calm, yet it naturally carried a hint of the 'Ancestor Chen's' authority, causing Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao by his side to temporarily suppress their displeasure, though their eyes remained vigilantly fixed on the doorway.

"Creak—"

The bedroom door was gently pushed open, not fully, just enough for one person to pass through.

A tall, graceful figure, pure white as snow, silently glided into the room, like an ice spring flowing under the moonlight.

It was Leng Qingqiu.

Today, she wore a plain white, wide-sleeved flowing immortal dress, cut with extreme simplicity but made of incredibly exquisite material.

The hem of the skirt was embroidered with faint ice crystal snowflake patterns in the same color of dark silver threads, and as she walked, it was like cold plum blossoms blooming in snow, with a subtle, cool fragrance.

Her ice-blue long hair was not tied up high as usual; instead, it was loosely gathered into a falling horse bun with a simple white jade hairpin, a few strands falling by her cheeks, further accentuating her snow-like skin and clear, peerless beauty.

However, the frost gathered between her brows and the stubbornness hidden deep in her eyes were more intense than ever before.

Her gaze, like two ice-soul cold blades forged a thousand times, first quickly swept over Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao, who were nestled beside Chen Jun on the bed, their clothes slightly disheveled.

A flicker of extremely subtle, complex light instantly passed through her eyes: there was astonishment, understanding, and even a sting of being overtaken by latecomers, along with... unwillingness!

Liu Ruyan felt uncomfortable under her gaze, stiffened her neck, and glared back, conveying with her eyes, "What are you looking at? This lady got back on the train with her own abilities!"

Chu Yueyao, on the other hand, slightly lowered her eyes, avoiding her gaze, but the steady Aura of an Acting Leader quietly emanated from her, silently declaring her presence.

Leng Qingqiu's gaze finally settled on Chen Jun's face, as if wanting to penetrate his seemingly calm exterior and reach the deepest part of his life's Origin.

"Unseen for several centuries," she began, her voice still clear and cold like striking jade chimes, but with less condescending scrutiny than before, and a hint of an indescribable... heaviness:

"Observing your complexion, it seems you are surrounded by 'lush greenery and fading reds,' nourished to have 'profound foundations'?"

Her words were veiled, but who present could not discern their deeper meaning?

It clearly implied that Chen Jun was now 'surrounded by beauties,' and thanks to the care of the women, his state was far from what it used to be.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jun glanced at his remaining Lifespan, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He could only offer a bitter smile: "Aunt Leng, you jest... I was fortunate that my special Physique recovered."

However, Leng Qingqiu clearly wasn't buying it.

She took two light steps forward, stopping about ten feet from the bed.

"Fortunate?" Leng Qingqiu's ice-blue eyes narrowed slightly, her tone carrying a hint of inquiry, "To be able to have Leader Yun Xi reside in Stargazing Pavilion, to make Yan Ji content with a side room, and even General Liu and Pavilion Master Chu... so dedicated. Chen Jun, your 'fortune' is perhaps too astonishing."

Liu Ruyan was furious upon hearing this, almost jumping up again, but Chu Yueyao stopped her with a glance.

Chu Yueyao slowly spoke, her voice gentle but with an undeniable power:

"Venerable Leng, Ancestor Chen is the pillar of our Federation, and even more so... the one we willingly follow. To receive Ancestor Chen's favor is our good fortune. If Venerable has an important matter, please speak directly. At such a late hour, disturbing Ancestor Chen's rest is hardly the way of a guest."

Leng Qingqiu's gaze turned to Chu Yueyao, the coldness in her eyes intensifying: "Acting Leader Chu is quite protective. When I am reminiscing with Chen Jun, when is it your turn to comment?"

Seeing sparks fly, Chen Jun had to mediate again.

He gently patted the hands of the two beauties by his pillow, signaling them to calm down, then looked at Leng Qingqiu, his tone carrying genuine helplessness:

"Aunt Leng, I have always kept the kindness of your past assistance in mind and dare not forget it. If Senior has any guidance tonight, please speak without reservation. However..." He paused, his gaze sweeping over Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao by his side, the implication clear—the current situation was simply not suitable for a deep conversation.

How intelligent was Leng Qingqiu? She naturally understood Chen Jun's hint.

She looked at Chen Jun's seemingly gentle eyes, then felt the watchful and hostile gazes of the two 'newly promoted contributors' on the bed. The accumulated frustration and unwillingness of hundreds of years in her heart almost broke through the ice!

She took a deep breath, the cold air seemingly condensing into frost in her lungs.

Tens of thousands of years of cultivation allowed her to forcefully suppress her almost out-of-control emotions, but the stubbornness in her icy eyes burned even more fiercely.

"Guidance is too much to claim," Leng Qingqiu's voice returned to its usual coldness, but every word seemed to carry ice shards, "I came today for only one thing."

Her gaze was firmly fixed on Chen Jun, and she spoke each word clearly:

"Chen Jun, observing your current state, it far surpasses the past. I... also wish to emulate Yun Xi, Yan Ji, and the others, to seek an opportunity for 'advancement,' and to... rekindle our past connection, to comprehend the Great Dao together!"

Upon these words, the entire room fell silent!

The two women were shocked... When... when did this old ice block's shamelessness become so thick?!!!

Chen Jun also felt a jolt in his heart.

He looked at Leng Qingqiu's resolute posture of 'Qingqiu's life, never to lose to another,' and his heart was truly a mix of emotions.

There was helplessness, emotion, and even a hint of... admiration for her persistent spirit?

But... more than that, there was a rational refusal.

His System interface clearly showed: [Remaining Lifespan]: 4 years... +15... +15... (99.9 billion... years)

A mere four years of System-acknowledged Lifespan!

Let alone triggering the third tier [Absolute Guarantee] which required 1000 years of Lifespan, even the lowest tier of 10 years of consumption, he did not have... Without the blessing of System-acknowledged Lifespan, combining with Leng Qingqiu would simply not be able to conceive offspring.

This would be meaningless to him, to Leng Qingqiu, and to the Federation, purely a waste of time and energy, and might even further imbalance Leng Qingqiu's already prejudiced mindset.

He could not agree.

At least, not until the System-acknowledged Lifespan recovered to a sufficient level.

Chen Jun's face showed an extremely troubled expression. He gently pushed aside Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao, who were leaning by his side, sat up straight, and met Leng Qingqiu's piercing gaze with sincerity.

"Aunt Leng," his voice carried a hint of imperceptible apology, "I know your intentions. However... if I may be frank, this matter... I'm afraid it cannot continue."

"Why?!" Leng Qingqiu's pupils constricted, and the cold Qi around her uncontrollably dispersed, causing the temperature in the bedroom to plummet, with a thin layer of frost condensing on the bed curtains:

"Is it because I offended you in the past? Or do you think I am not only inferior to Yun Xi, inferior to Yan Ji, but also inferior to the likes of Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao?!"

"Hey! What do you mean, old ice block?!" Liu Ruyan instantly bristled.

"Venerable Leng, please be careful with your words!" Chu Yueyao's face also clouded with frost.

Chen Jun quickly raised his hand to stop the imminent conflict. He shook his head with a bitter smile, his tone full of genuine... 'powerlessness':

"Aunt Leng, you've misunderstood! That's absolutely not what I meant! Aunt Leng's grace is unmatched in the Star Sea, and I have always held you in high regard, how could I possibly disrespect you? It's just..."

He paused at just the right moment, a perfectly timed expression of 'difficulty in speaking' and 'fatigue' on his face:

"It's just that my special Physique... well, 'helping others advance,' though seemingly easy, has actually almost exhausted the 'spiritual essence' of my Origin that I had accumulated for a long time."

He deliberately used the rather mysterious term 'spiritual essence' to refer to the 'acknowledged Lifespan' required for the System's functions.

"Currently, my internal 'spiritual essence' is on the verge of depletion and requires time for quiet recovery. It is truly... truly impossible to perform such a mentally and physically draining act of conceiving supreme Aptitude again." Chen Jun said, cooperatively rubbing his temples, looking as if his 'body had been hollowed out':

"If I were to force it, not only would it be futile and unable to help Aunt Leng 'advance,' but it might even harm Aunt Leng, which is absolutely not what I wish."

Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao, upon hearing this, immediately showed expressions of heartache and understanding, their gazes towards Chen Jun filled with tenderness and gratitude, as if saying, "Look, Ancestor Chen is so exhausted all for our sake!"

However, Leng Qingqiu was not so easily dismissed.

She stared intently at Chen Jun, her ice-blue eyes filled with suspicion and unwillingness!

"Spiritual essence depleted? I observe your Aura, it is perfectly round and full, your life's fire burns as brightly as a constant sun! In this state, you tell me your spiritual essence is depleted?!"

She took a step forward: "Chen Jun! Do you think I have no more use? Or do you believe I am not as good as them at currying favor and am unworthy of your 'favor'?"

"Leng Qingqiu! You are insolent!" Liu Ruyan could no longer hold back, she suddenly stood up, her Stellar Level Peak Aura erupting, and the Evil Qi forged from mountains of corpses and seas of blood rushed towards Leng Qingqiu as if substantial!

Chu Yueyao also slowly stood up, the energy around her held back but ready to burst, her voice icy: "Venerable Leng, Ancestor Chen has already explained his difficulties. If you continue to be unreasonable, do not blame Yue Yao for disregarding past affections!"

Seeing a conflict about to erupt, Chen Jun suddenly coughed twice, his voice hoarse:

"Enough!"

This sound was not loud, but it contained an invisible majesty that instantly suppressed the Aura of Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao, and also caused Leng Qingqiu's imminent cold Qi to pause.

All three looked at him in unison.

Chen Jun took a breath, his gaze carrying a hint of... misunderstood heartache, as he looked at Leng Qingqiu:

"Aunt Leng, do... do you really want to force me to tell the truth?"

He slowly raised his hand, pointing to his chest, his voice heavy with sorrow:

"Do you know that every time I use the power of this 'Physique' to help others improve their Aptitude, what I consume is not ordinary energy, but... but the 'core imprint' of my life's Origin! Each time, it is burning my future potential and... Lifespan!"

His words were half-true, half-false. The System indeed consumed 'Lifespan,' but it had nothing to do with his own life potential; it was purely a System rule.

However, it was enough to fool Leng Qingqiu, who was unaware of the inside story.

Not only could it prevent Leng Qingqiu from falling into obsession, but it could also exaggerate his 'sacrifice,' making his bed companions more harmonious, killing two birds with one stone.

"Yun Xi, Yan Ji, and even Ruyan, Yue Yao, what they gained was all exchanged at the great cost of my own self! Now, my internal 'core imprint' has become dim! Even if I were to... hmm, combine with you again, there would be no result, and it would only deepen your obsession, which is not what I wish."

These words, like a thunderclap from Nine Heavens, struck Leng Qingqiu's heart fiercely!

Her delicate body trembled violently, and she staggered back half a step, her ice-blue eyes filled with unbelievable shock and... a hint of panic!

Consuming the core imprint of life's Origin?!

Burning potential and Lifespan?!

How... how could this be?!

What he said... is it true?

His special Physique was not a heavenly blessing, but a... curse that used his own life as fuel to illuminate the future of others?!

"You... what you said... is it true?" Her voice carried a tremor she herself hadn't noticed.

Chen Jun nodded heavily: "I... why would I deceive Aunt Leng?"

Inside the bedroom, a deathly silence fell.

Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao were also shaken by Chen Jun's words. Their gazes towards Chen Jun were filled with unprecedented heartache, guilt, and an intense, unwavering tenderness.

So... Ancestor Chen had paid such a heavy price for them!

Leng Qingqiu stood rooted to the spot, as if she had turned into an ice sculpture.

For a long, long time.

She slowly raised her head, her ice-blue eyes looking at Chen Jun, then at Liu Ruyan and Chu Yueyao by his side, who were both wary and heartbroken. A bitter, almost imperceptible curve appeared at the corner of her mouth.

"So... that's how it is..."

She murmured softly, her voice so light it seemed it could shatter at any moment.

"Qingqiu's life, never to lose to another... but it turns out, it was ultimately... something that could not be forced."

She looked deeply, deeply at Chen Jun, her gaze complex and hard to decipher...