363: Chapter 363 Why did you hit me!

Li Shengyuan watched Su Wanqing's "ready to die" expression, his brow furrowing deeper and deeper.

She spoke with righteous indignation, saying things like "the calamity brought by my clan should be ended by my clan," and "I will be the first person"...

These words sounded heroic and grand, but to him, they were grating!

Before Su Wanqing could finish, he suddenly reached out and pulled her into his embrace.

Caught off guard, Su Wanqing crashed into his arms, her nose bumping against his chest as a strange masculine scent washed over her.

Before her mind could react, her body had already stiffened.

Immediately after...

There was a crisp sound.

Su Wanqing's pupils dilated suddenly, and her cheeks flushed deep red, the color spreading from her neck to the tips of her ears.

She looked down in disbelief, feeling a slight sting. Stunned, she felt as if she had been struck by lightning, completely dazed.

He... he actually hit her?!

"You... what are you doing..."

Su Wanqing struggled to look up and demand why Li Shengyuan was hitting her, her voice filled with shame and annoyance. But before she could finish, there were two more swats, neither light nor heavy, with just enough force for her to feel them clearly without causing actual pain.

Su Wanqing's struggle and resistance instantly lost all strength.

Biting her lip, she buried her flushed face deep in Li Shengyuan's chest, not daring to look up or speak, only breathing softly.

Her ears were so red they looked ready to bleed, and her heart raced as if it were about to jump out of her chest.

She couldn't face anyone now...

Su Wanqing's mind was a mess of shame and shock, with an indescribable, strange emotion quietly spreading through her...

She didn't know what was wrong with her. She should have been angry, yet when he pulled and held her, she didn't even have the strength to push him away.

It must be because the power of the Gu God affected me too deeply just now, and I haven't recovered yet... Su Wanqing comforted herself in her heart.

Seeing her settle down, Li Shengyuan let out a satisfied snort and said in a low voice:

"This is punishment for trying to be a hero in front of me!"

He paused, his voice softening slightly but still carrying an unquestionable confidence. "With me here, if I still let something happen to you, wouldn't that be embarrassing? How could I show my face? How would I face that old man the Chancellor, or your Senior Brother and the others?"

Buried in Li Shengyuan's embrace, Su Wanqing's voice was muffled, tinged with a bit of grievance and shyness. "But... you still shouldn't hit me..."

Li Shengyuan looked down at her reddened ears and also felt that those few swats might have been a bit much, but he kept his face stern.

"A few years apart and you've learned to play the hero? This is to teach you a lesson, so you'll think twice next time!"

Su Wanqing remained silent in his arms for a moment before letting out a muffled "oh," her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.

"In the future... I won't."

Seeing her obediently admit her mistake, Li Shengyuan's expression softened. He wrapped his arm around her waist and didn't let go.

He looked down, his gaze falling on her blushing earlobes before moving to the pert bottom he had just struck, and said softly:

"Aren't you going to get up? Did I hit you too hard? How about... I rub it for you?"

Su Wanqing's body jolted. A certain image flashed through her mind, and terrified, she twisted her slender waist, hurriedly breaking free from Li Shengyuan's embrace. She retreated several steps, speaking quickly:

"N-no need!"

Once she was steady, Su Wanqing realized her face was burning hot; she had thought the heat was just from Li Shengyuan's body temperature earlier.

For a moment, her eyes darted around, not daring to look at Li Shengyuan, her heart pounding like a frantic deer.

She stole a glance at Li Shengyuan and quickly looked away, feeling both ashamed and annoyed, yet somehow unable to get angry...

Li Shengyuan looked at her reaction, feeling a bit strange.

He looked down at his hand, thinking: Is she that sensitive? Did I hit her too hard?

Su Wanqing felt his gaze lingering on her and then staring at his hand. The flush on her face deepened, and she couldn't help but huff:

"Stop looking!"

Li Shengyuan withdrew his gaze, his expression calm. "I was just seeing that your complexion is rosy; you must have mostly recovered."

Su Wanqing grumbled inwardly: My rosy complexion is because of you!

But she opened her mouth and ultimately didn't dare to retort, simply turning her head away and avoiding his gaze.

Li Shengyuan stopped teasing her and said seriously, "How do we suppress the Gu God's will next? Tell me what to do, and I'll take action."

Hearing this, the flush on Su Wanqing's face gradually faded, and her expression became serious and solemn.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the messy thoughts from earlier, and said gravely, "I will control the altar, and you use the bagua plate given by Teacher Chancellor. Together, we will suppress the Gu God's consciousness!"

Li Shengyuan shook his head, his tone calm but unquestionable. "No need! Just tell me how to control the altar, and I will do it all myself!"

As soon as he spoke, he looked up slightly, and a majestic pressure erupted from him, as deep as an abyss and as grand as a mountain, vast and boundless.

The bagua plate rotated in his palm, the pressure it released suppressing the power of the Gu God below!

That was a Realm truly belonging to the First Grade, a supreme aura forged through life-and-death battles, devouring the blood and Qi of the Demon Cult Leader, and the fusion of Dual Cultivation with the Dragon Emperor!

Su Wanqing stared at him blankly, her heart suddenly skipping a beat.

This aura and pressure were something she had only occasionally felt from Teacher Chancellor.

Su Wanqing had met Li Shengyuan a few times in the capital. Back then, he was just a fledgling youth; although he was already showing promise, he was nowhere near like this...

Over these years, she had been cultivating diligently in the Southern Borders, though she had heard of Li Shengyuan's exploits.

Repelling enemies in the Northern Borders, crushing the Demon Cult in Jiangnan, slaying the Demon Cult Leader in the Demon Domain...

But hearing about it was just hearsay; it was nowhere near as shocking as seeing it with her own eyes and feeling it personally.

He... has actually become powerful to such an extent.

Su Wanqing felt the shock of seeing an old companion after many years, only to find they had reached a level that surpassed heaven and earth.

She lowered her eyes and took a deep breath, suppressing that strange throb of emotion in her heart.

Su Wanqing didn't refuse again, only nodding gently, her tone solemn and serious:

"Alright, I will tell you the method to control the altar... to suppress the Gu God's consciousness!"