163: Nu Qiru Yan

“Your lips curled slightly upwards as you slowly stepped forward, your hands forming a spell —”

“A faint light flowed from your fingertips, outlining profound runes in the Void Realm, gradually condensing into two captivating characters: Slave Contract.”

“Seeing those two characters, Liu Ruyan’s face instantly changed drastically.”

““You... you actually dare to humiliate me with a Slave Contract! I’d rather die than let you succeed.””

“Her voice trembled, and a look of determination flashed in her eyes. Her Spiritual Qi instantly surged violently—she was actually going to self-detonate her Nascent Soul!”

“Your gaze turned cold, and the already formed Slave Contract transformed into a streak of light, shooting directly towards her glabella.”

“At the same time, a powerful surge of Nascent Soul Power suppressed her rampaging cultivation, forcefully stifling the self-detonation in its infancy.”

“Her pupils constricted sharply, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes, filled with a mix of fear and towering hatred, stared fixedly at you.”

“The power of the Slave Contract had already taken root deep within her Sea of Consciousness like a vine, firmly imprinted on the core of her Divine Soul.”

“You clearly perceived the drastic changes in the emotions within her eyes—”

“From terror and anger, to struggle and pain, and finally, a hint of strange happiness and satisfaction emerged, ultimately transforming into a gentle affection like water.”

“Her taut body suddenly relaxed, her mind completely open, no longer offering any resistance.”

“You chuckled softly and waved your hand, releasing the restriction on her cultivation.”

“She obediently knelt on the ground, lifting her face, her eyes filled with adoration as she softly called out, “Master...””

“You nodded in satisfaction, walked to the side of the bed, and beckoned to her: “Come here, I’ll detoxify you.””

“Her eyes sparkled with joy. She deftly removed her outer robe, revealing her beautifully sculpted, fair jade neck and collarbones, and with light steps, came before you, once again obediently kneeling at your feet.”

“You reached out to help her up, then smoothly pressed her down onto the brocade couch—”

“Her heart pounded like a drum, her cheeks flushed, and her gaze shyly turned away, not daring to meet yours.”

“Naturally, you no longer stood on ceremony and began to dissolve the toxins in her body.”

“Three days later,”

“The toxins in Liu Ruyan’s body were completely cleared.”

“She gazed at you, her eyes full of tenderness.”

“You remembered how she had almost killed you, and anger immediately surged in your heart.”

“You also thought of Liu Jinfeng, and a knot of resentment in your heart became even harder to dispel.”

“What angered you the most was that after you helped her detoxify, she actually made a Breakthrough from Middle Stage Nascent Soul to Late Nascent Soul Stage in one fell swoop.”

“This saved her at least a dozen years of arduous cultivation.”

“This made you even more furious.”

“So you said indifferently: “Kneel down and get into position!””

“Liu Ruyan’s eyes lit up, and she happily got down on all fours.”

“You looked at a rattan cane by the wall, summoned it with a flick of your hand, and raised it high—”

““Crack!””

““Ah—!””

“The crisp sound of the whip, accompanied by her delicate cries, echoed in the Immortal Cave.”

“Fortunately, the Immortal Cave had a Formation to shield sounds and Divine Sense, otherwise, what if her cries were heard outside?”

“After one lash, you felt greatly relieved.”

“Finally, you had avenged yourself against this woman.”

“You secretly rejoiced, determined to make Liu Jinfeng experience this taste in the future.”

“Although Liu Ruyan took a lash, she looked at you excitedly instead.”

““Master, did your servant do something wrong?” she asked, licking her lips.”

““No, you’re very good, keep lying there!” you said indifferently.”

“She nodded, adjusting her posture.”

“You raised your hand, lifted the rattan cane, and brought it down fiercely—”

““Crack!””

““Ah—!””

“Three hours later, the bulk of the resentment in your heart had finally been vented, and you stopped.”

“After all, she was a Nascent Soul Cultivator; this whipping was merely superficial injury to her. Lying on the bed, applying some medicine, and meditating for a bit would suffice.”

“After all, you only whipped her in an ordinary way, without using any power.”

“Looking at her like this, you completely confirmed that she had been controlled by the Slave Contract.”

“Otherwise, with her proud personality, she would rather die than submit.”

“You couldn’t help but marvel at the power of the Slave Contract Secret Method.”

“But you didn’t forget the main task, so you asked: “Do you know how to refine a grotto-heaven magical treasure?””

“Because there was a world of difference between refining an ordinary Magic Treasure and a grotto-heaven magical treasure, you specifically asked.”

“Liu Ruyan leaned against your leg and softly replied: “Master, grotto-heaven magical treasures all have Artifact Spirits. You need to find the Artifact Spirit’s main body, subdue it, and sign a servant contract.””

“You suddenly understood and directly asked: “Then do you know where the Artifact Spirit of the qingming mirror is?””

“Liu Ruyan shook her head: “Master, it is said that the qingming mirror’s Artifact Spirit was once injured and fell into a deep sleep. Even if it awakens, it will be difficult to find, unless it actively reveals itself.””

“You frowned: “Is there really no way at all?””

“Liu Ruyan pondered for a moment and said: “The Artifact Spirit of the qingming mirror must be within the Tianhuang Secret Realm. There, it can appear anywhere it wishes. With your current strength, Master, even if you encounter it, you won’t be able to capture it.””

“She paused, then continued: “However, Artifact Spirits usually favor Innate Dao Bodies, and it needs to recover from its injuries, so it is very likely to choose to inhabit someone with an Innate Dao Body, as this would allow it to recover quickly.””

““Innate Dao Body?” you asked with surprise in your tone.”

““An Innate Dao Body is a special Physique born Innate, such as my Primordial Immortal Body, and the Chaos Body, Spotless Sword Body, Immortal Spirit Body, and so on, all belong to Innate Dao Bodies,” she explained in detail.”

““Inhabit a body? Innate Dao Body?” you repeated softly.”

“As you thought about it, your eyes lit up—you suddenly remembered the pair of children that Steward Jia had adopted back then.”

“At that time, the little girl seemed to be able to see the Evil Qi on you, but she was just an ordinary person, how could she have seen it?”

“This indicated that there must be something unusual about her; the “Artifact Spirit” was very likely inhabiting her.”

“After some consideration, you decided to make finding the “Artifact Spirit” of the qingming mirror your primary goal.”

“You imagined—once you refined the qingming mirror, you would be able to hide freely in the vast Zixiao Immortal Domain, no longer needing to worry about the Liu Clan Immortal Family’s threat to the Tianhuang Continent.”

“At that time, you would find an inconspicuous small Sect, peacefully raise your strength, and then return to the Liu Clan once you were strong enough.”

“Thinking of this, your mood immediately brightened, and a knowing smile appeared on your face.”

““Master, what makes you so happy?” Liu Ruyan gazed at you with starry eyes, her gaze full of tenderness.”

““Don’t call me Master anymore, just call me Qin Chen,” you said indifferently.”

“It wasn’t that you disliked the address “Master,” but you were worried that others hearing it might cause trouble.”

“Liu Ruyan leaned against your leg with a blissful expression, gently nodding.”

“You smelled the faint fragrance emanating from her, and your spirits immediately lifted.”

“But you were eager to find the “Artifact Spirit” of the qingming mirror and also worried that something might happen to that pair of siblings, so you immediately stood up and said: “Let’s go, accompany me to the Tianhuang Secret Realm for some training.””

“Although Liu Ruyan didn’t understand the reason, she complied with all your requests without any objection.”

“She immediately “took” you out of the Immortal Cave, controlled her spirit boat, and flew directly towards the Qingming Hall.”