6: Chapter 6 The Saintess's Cave

Upon hearing the Saintess's soft rebuke, which carried a hint of shame and annoyance, Ye Xiaoyao felt a jolt in his heart. Like he had been electrocuted, he quickly moved his hand away from her slender, soft waist, his movement so fast it almost left an afterimage.

He wore an expression of perfectly measured apology and a hint of grievance, quickly explaining, "Ah, I am truly sorry, Your Highness Saintess! This is my first time standing on a Flying Sword; I had no footing and lost my balance for a moment. It was absolutely not my intention to offend! Please punish me, Your Highness!"

Ye Xiaoyao's tone was sincere, but his heart was pounding.

Although that sensation just now was truly wondrous, carrying the unique warmth and elasticity of a young maiden, how could he dare to harbor any romantic thoughts?

This was a Saintess at the Foundation Establishment Great Perfection; her status was exalted. Pinching him, a small shrimp at the Qi Refining Third Layer, to death would probably be easier than crushing an ant.

If she deemed him a Rake and flew into a rage out of shame, casting a Spell his way, he could simply go and claim the achievement for failing the Transmigration speedrun.

To Ye Xiaoyao's surprise, the Saintess did not continue to lash out after hearing his explanation.

She only remained silent for a moment. With her back to him, her voice had already returned to its previous calm, even carrying a hint of indifference that revealed no emotion: "Stand firm."

Just those three light words, neither pursuing the matter nor offering comfort.

Ye Xiaoyao felt even more puzzled.

Why was the Saintess's attitude a bit...

All thunder and no rain?

According to common sense, if a high and mighty Saintess had her waist touched by an outer sect male Disciple, even if she didn't cripple him immediately, she should at least rebuke him with cold words, right?

How could it just be brushed over so lightly?

Little did he know, the Saintess was currently undergoing an intense internal struggle.

'Forget it, forget it. Those who accomplish great things do not fuss over trifles. This brat possesses the Pure Yang Sacred Body and is key to the plan... Letting him take a little advantage for now, what does it matter?

If I am too harsh with him now and cause him to develop resistance, it will only be troublesome for future actions. Hmph~, let him be smug for a moment; there will always be a time to collect with interest!'

The Saintess said no more and focused on steering the Flying Sword.

The massive gray sword turned into a streak of light, carrying the two of them as they sped toward the mist-shrouded Saintess Peak, under the gaze of many who were either shocked, jealous, or bewildered.

Along the way, both were lost in their own thoughts, silent and wordless.

The only sounds by their ears were the whistling wind and the faint friction between his feet and the sword body as Ye Xiaoyao struggled to maintain his balance.

Of course, there was also the faint, lingering fragrance wafting from the Saintess, carrying the pure scent unique to a maiden.

...

On the other side, the Social Hall plaza.

Not until the figures of the Saintess and Ye Xiaoyao had completely disappeared on the horizon did the frozen atmosphere in the plaza suddenly erupt.

The long-suppressed discussions, like a breached dam, instantly flooded the entire venue.

A male Body Cultivator Disciple with a full beard and knotted muscles rubbed his eyes hard and exclaimed in a muffled voice:

"Oh my dear mother! The Saintess... did she really choose this Junior Brother Ye at the Qi Refining Third Layer? Am I dreaming?"

Beside him, a tall male Cultivator, thin as a bamboo pole with a horse-like face, sighed sourly, his tone full of envy, jealousy, and hatred:

"Sigh! Which immortal tomb did this Junior Brother Ye step on to have such blue smoke rising? This luck is simply Heaven-Defying!"

A female Cultivator with heavy makeup and daring attire heard this, curled her lips in disdain, and flicked the silk handkerchief in her hand.

"What do you stinky men know? Junior Brother Ye is naturally gifted! He has the looks and the figure, and he looks clean and refreshing. Unlike you lot, each one of you is so rough you could be used to sharpen knives. The Saintess is a woman too; what's wrong with liking someone good-looking?"

As she spoke, her eyes darted around, carrying an air of charm.

The short, wretched-looking male Cultivator who had been tapped by Lu Guan's fan earlier heard the beautiful female Cultivator's words, immediately leaned forward, winked suggestively, and chuckled strangely:

"Hehehe, you little flirt, you certainly know a lot! Seems like you're quite experienced!"

"Pah! Nothing good ever comes out of a dog's mouth!"

The beautiful female Cultivator spat, then wiggled her voluptuous waist and walked away.

In the crowd, a male Disciple with a cultivation level at the Qi Refinement Stage Great Perfection and a Sharp Mouth and Monkey Cheeks appearance frowned gloomily and muttered stubbornly:

"I don't believe it... There is definitely something wrong here! What kind of person is the Saintess? How could she genuinely fancy such a piece of trash? There must be something special about that brat that caught the Saintess's eye! Yes, she must be plotting something from him, absolutely not liking him!"

He tried to use this thought to console his shattered dream of the Saintess.

Amidst this noisy discussion, Ye Xiaoyao's only good friend, Chen Shi, finally recovered from the massive surprise. A heartfelt smile bloomed on his face, and he pumped his fist, whispering to himself:

"Brother Ye! Well done! I knew you weren't something to be trapped in a pond! Before you went on stage, I said I believed in you, but I didn't expect you to give us such a huge surprise—and it's the Saintess! That's great!"

He was genuinely happy for Ye Xiaoyao.

Both entered the sect at the same time and were grassroots with no background in a Cultivation Family. For three years, they had supported each other, and their bond was deep. Seeing his brother have such a miraculous encounter, Chen Shi was even happier than if he had found a Dao Companion himself.

On the matchmaking stage, the middle-aged Elder presiding over the event had long since left quietly.

Only Cao Sini, Lu Guan, and Zhang Jiba remained.

Like three stone statues of different shapes, they were left in disarray in the wind.

Cao Sini's pretty face was frosty, her full chest rising and falling slightly; she was clearly holding back a surge of resentment.

Too lazy to say another word, she stomped her delicate foot, took out a flying carpet Magical Artifact embroidered with exquisite patterns from her Storage Pouch, and injected Spiritual Qi into it, causing the flying carpet to instantly expand.

She leaped lightly onto the flying carpet, not even glancing at the people below, and turned into a streak of light, leaving directly.

Seeing this, Zhang Jiba was unwilling to give up.

He hurriedly took out his signature small sword flight Magical Artifact, which still looked somewhat shabby even after being enlarged, jumped onto it in a panic, and chased after the direction Cao Sini had left, wobbling, while shouting loudly:

"Fairy Cao! Wait for me! Consider me again! I am really very gentle..."

The voice gradually faded along with his receding figure.

Lu Guan stood in place, his face so gloomy it could wring out water, his eyes staring viciously in the direction where Ye Xiaoyao and the Saintess had disappeared.

Why?

Among the three of us, I clearly have the highest cultivation and the strongest background.

Why was it that, in the end, that piece of trash at the Qi Refining Third Layer came out on top, and was even chosen by the Saintess?

Heavens, are you blind!

He roared madly in his heart.

But soon, his eyeballs rolled around, as if he had thought of something, and a strange, calculating sneer actually appeared on his face.

Lu Guan chuckled softly twice and also turned to leave this place that made him feel so humiliated.

...

Yin Yang Sect, Saintess Peak.

The Saintess steered the Flying Sword and landed steadily in front of her Immortal Cave.

Here, the Spiritual Qi was dense, and the environment was quiet and secluded, completely different from the clamor of the outer sect.

She extended her slender hand and pressed gently on the Restriction light barrier at the entrance of the Immortal Cave, which rippled like water.

The light barrier was like the surface of a lake into which a huge stone had been thrown, rippling in circles, and then silently opened an entrance for people to pass through.

The Saintess stepped into the Immortal Cave barefoot, her gait light.

Her black skirt hem brushed across the ground without making a sound.

Ye Xiaoyao dared not dally, quickly gathered his thoughts, and followed quickly.

The moment he stepped into the Immortal Cave, he couldn't help but mutter to himself: She brought me directly to her lair? Is the progress a bit too fast?

Could it be... she wants to engage in deep communication and Yin and Yang harmonization between Dao Companions right now?

With my meager cultivation, is it enough for her to... do that?

Will I be drained dry?

He quickly shook his head, casting aside those unreliable, slightly dirty, and dangerous thoughts.

Calm down, Ye Xiaoyao!

What kind of person is the Saintess? How could she be so impatient?

There must be some other important matter.

For me to have such wild thoughts is simply a blasphemy against the Saintess's noble character!

Forcing down the distracting thoughts in his heart, Ye Xiaoyao began to curiously examine this legendary Saintess's Immortal Cave.

The interior of the Immortal Cave was far more spacious than it looked from the outside, truly a hidden world of its own.

The first thing that caught his eye was a neatly planned square Spiritual Plant field.

Between the ridges, all kinds of Spiritual Plants were planted, some just breaking through the soil, their tender sprouts weak.

Others were lush with branches and leaves, emitting a rich medicinal fragrance; looking at their form and Spiritual Qi, they were at least several hundred years old.

Most of the Spiritual Plants, Ye Xiaoyao had never even seen before; he could only feel the pure Spiritual Qi contained within them.

Not far from the Spiritual Plant field was a circular, clear pond.

The pond water was emerald green, revealing the colorful spiritual sand paved at the bottom.

Some aquatic Spiritual Plants with strange shapes grew in the water, swaying with the waves.

There were also many colorful, low-rank Spirit Fish of varying sizes swimming and playing, adding a touch of vitality to this quiet Immortal Cave.

Ye Xiaoyao guessed in his heart.

'These Spirit Fish are of too low a rank and almost useless for a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's cultivation. I guess the Saintess keeps them for viewing and to relieve boredom, right? After all, even big shots need some life pleasures.'

'However... if they were caught and made into a spirit meal, the taste should be pretty good, right?'

He quickly stopped this slightly foodie thought; after all, thinking about eating someone's ornamental Spirit Fish in a Foundation Establishment Cultivator's Immortal Cave was really quite improper.

Continuing forward, he saw an elegant residence situated within, with white walls and blue tiles, its style simple yet not lacking in charm.

That place must be the core where the Saintess practiced and lived daily.