71: Chapter 71 Tang Xiaowu, I, Tang Liu, misjudged you! (5/5 chapters still owed)

Chen Shanzhi opened his eyes with some satisfaction, and the dark golden flame mark on his forehead instantly vanished.

He let out a long breath of turbid air and looked down.

At this moment, Tang Xiaowu in his arms was like a pool of spring water, limply slumped against his chest.

Her face was flushed, like a ripe peach, radiating an astonishing allure.

Chen Shanzhi keenly felt a sensation from the place that had just been strengthened by that golden mist.

Suddenly, a surge of...

Although the two had maintained intimate contact with negative distance before.

But because he had focused his mind on frantically devouring the golden characters.

He hadn't dared to get distracted to carefully experience that ultimate pleasure.

Now that the First Transformation was successfully completed and the cultivation of the technique had ended.

Naturally, he had to make up for this lesson and properly feel the beauty of this body.

Chen Shanzhi lowered his head and took Tang Xiaowu's translucent earlobe, which was slightly red from sweating, into his mouth.

Then a wicked smile curled at the corner of his mouth...

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, Tang Xiaowu let out a cry of surprise and then bit her lower lip hard.

That bone-deep numbness spread through her body like an electric current, causing sweet, soft moans to escape her nose uncontrollably.

"Chen... Chen Shanzhi... slow... slow down..."

Tang Xiaowu's eyes were filled with mist, and her hands weakly pushed against Chen Shanzhi's chest, which was as hard as iron. Her voice was so soft it could practically drip water.

However, her slender waist, though her words said otherwise, rarely began to cater to Chen Shanzhi's movements.

...

After a bout of clouds and rain like a violent storm.

The carved wooden bed made a series of overburdened creaks and finally came to a rest.

Tang Xiaowu was drenched in fragrant sweat, as if she had just been fished out of the water.

She was like a lump of soft mud, her whole body twitching slightly involuntarily, limply slumped on Chen Shanzhi's firm and broad chest.

"Huff... huff..."

Tang Xiaowu was panting heavily, her full chest rising and falling with her breath.

She raised her small face, which carried a hint of blurriness and fatigue.

Looking at Chen Shanzhi's well-defined face, she panted and asked somewhat weakly:

"Chen Shanzhi, you... you've mastered the First Transformation?"

"Mhm."

Chen Shanzhi rested his hands behind his head, feeling the warm and soft beauty in his arms, and nodded slightly in a very 'Versailles' manner.

"Then those characters in your mind..."

Tang Xiaowu swallowed, her tone carrying a hint of tension, "How many did you absorb?"

"I absorbed them all."

Chen Shanzhi glanced at her and said as if it were a matter of course, "How could I master the First Transformation without absorbing them all?"

His tone even carried a hint of confusion, as if to say: Isn't this as simple as eating or drinking water?

Although she had already guessed this most impossible answer in her heart.

But when she heard Chen Shanzhi's casual words with her own ears.

Tang Xiaowu still froze completely.

"You... you absorbed them all?"

Tang Xiaowu's voice instantly rose several octaves as she cried out in shock:

"Twelve golden characters, you absorbed every single one? How did you do it?"

"Is it that hard?"

Seeing Tang Xiaowu's shocked expression as if she had seen a ghost, Chen Shanzhi was first stunned.

Then he keenly sensed something was wrong.

Frowning slightly, he quickly asked:

"Xiaowu, you mean... to master this First Transformation...

One actually doesn't need to absorb all those golden characters?"

Tang Xiaowu stared fixedly into Chen Shanzhi's eyes.

She took several deep breaths, her chest heaving violently for a long time.

Only then did she force herself to barely calm down from the extreme shock.

"Of course you don't!"

Tang Xiaowu bit her red lip and then said hoarsely, "This 'Nine-Turn Golden Body Art of the Witch God' is the supreme Legacy of my Wu Clan."

"Everyone's Aptitude is different, so the amount they can endure and comprehend is naturally different."

"However, one thing is certain.

The better one's Aptitude and the more compatible they are with this Cultivation Technique, the more golden characters they can absorb!

And the technique's route map they comprehend will be even more powerful."

At this point, a hint of complexity flashed in Tang Xiaowu's eyes.

"As the Saintess of the Witch Clan, I possess the purest Bloodline."

"Because of the special nature of the first three transformations, which require contact before they can be gradually learned.

So I have been helped by Grandpa Divine Shaman since I was a child, using his cultivation to let me directly Cultivate this Fourth Transformation!"

"But even so..."

Tang Xiaowu paused, her tone becoming extremely defeated:

"Just these past two days, cultivating this First Transformation."

"Of those last twelve golden characters, I pushed myself to the limit and only absorbed ten!"

"That was already my limit. Even half a character more, and I fear I would have exploded and died on the spot!"

"And..."

Tang Xiaowu looked at Chen Shanzhi as if she were looking at a monster.

"According to Grandpa Divine Shaman, in our Wu Clan's thousands of years of history.

The most brilliant Divine Shamans and Clan Chiefs of past generations could... at most only absorb eleven!"

"No one has ever... been able to absorb all twelve golden characters!"

"You are the first!"

After hearing this, Chen Shanzhi was also secretly amazed.

Good heavens, so that last rampaging Big Boss he fought to the death in his Sea of Consciousness.

Was supposed to be an unbeatable scripted death in the original setting?

If he hadn't had that mass of golden flame acting as an infinite health pack to keep him going.

He really might have met his end in there!

At this point, Tang Xiaowu looked up with extreme complexity and gave Chen Shanzhi a deep look.

Her eyes were filled with conflict, shock, and an indescribable sense of destiny.

From the time the two of them triggered the century-old forgotten story of betrayal in the Zhenguo Marquis Mansion's Secret Realm.

To this time, when Chen Shanzhi, an outsider, actually showed an unprecedented, perfect compatibility with the Wu Clan's supreme technique!

Was all of this really just a coincidence?

Could it be... that everything that happened between her and this originally loathsome, profligate Heir Apparent...

Was not a coincidence, but predestined by fate?

Tang Xiaowu's gaze gradually became hazy.

She was like a tired little bird that had finally found a safe harbor.

She slowly buried her head against Chen Shanzhi's firm and burning chest.

Listening to his strong and powerful heartbeat, which sounded like a war drum.

Tang Xiaowu closed her eyes, and a translucent teardrop slid from the corner of her eye.

She murmured to herself in a voice only she could hear:

"Chen Shanzhi..."

"So, are you the one who can save my Wu Clan from its dire straits?"

...

At the same time.

The capital, a small courtyard in the east of the city.

Tang Liu stood like a stone statue, staring fixedly at Tang Xiaowu's door.

His expression was unsettled, filled with extreme conflict.

Since returning from that secluded residence in the south of the city, his mind had been like a revolving lantern.

Frantically replaying the last sentence left by that dark figure.

"That foster sister of yours has no ordinary identity..."

"If you want to Breakthrough, you can completely go find her..."

The word 'Breakthrough' seemed to have a lethal magic, constantly tearing at Tang Liu's sanity.

He needed power too much right now!

Without power, what would he use to kill Chen Shanzhi in the Martial Arts Demonstration?

What would he use to counter the mysterious Treasure Artifact on that profligate Heir Apparent?

"Right!"

A hint of ruthlessness suddenly flashed in Tang Liu's eyes, as if he were trying hard to convince himself.

"Since Xiaowu has already degraded herself and climbed onto the high branch of that Heir Apparent, Chen Shanzhi!"

"What good things does the Marquis Mansion not have?"

"Most likely, she no longer cares for these scraps in her own room!"

"Instead of leaving them here to gather dust, it's better to use them to help me Breakthrough to the Xuanguan Eight Apertures!"

"When I 'accidentally' wring off Chen Shanzhi's dog head in front of everyone at the Four Seas Academy's Martial Arts Demonstration arena!"

"Won't I be saving Xiaowu then?

Helping her escape from that bastard's clutches?"

"I'm doing this for her own good!"

Thinking this, Tang Liu seemed to have finally found a grand and reasonable excuse for his shameless banditry.

He reached out with a clear conscience, prepared to push open Tang Xiaowu's door directly.

"Huh?"

Tang Liu's hand paused as he found the door wouldn't budge.

Tang Liu was stunned for a moment and looked down.

Only then did he realize that a very thick copper lock was hanging on the two wooden doors!

It was actually locked from the outside?

Tang Liu's face instantly darkened, and a surge of intense anger and jealousy surfaced in his eyes.

"In this courtyard before, Xiaowu never closed her door and had no defenses against me!"

"Now, for those unspeakable secrets, for Chen Shanzhi, she actually wants to guard against me like this?!"

Jealousy makes one unrecognizable.

Tang Liu snorted coldly, and the true essence of his Xuanguan Seven Apertures surged violently.

He directly raised his right hand, fingers forming a claw, and gripped the copper lock fiercely!

"Crack!"

A burst of brute force erupted, and the sturdy copper lock was instantly shattered into several pieces of scrap iron, falling to the ground.

Tang Liu kicked open the door and strode inside.

Entering the room, Tang Liu looked around.

He found the furnishings were extremely simple, just a typical layout for a young woman's bedroom.

A bed, a wardrobe, a dressing table, and nothing else.

Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

But when Tang Liu thought of Xiaowu's seemingly hidden Xuanguan Peak strength.

And recalled the confident words of that dark figure.

Tang Liu felt that there must be something fishy in this seemingly ordinary room!

If she hadn't hidden something good, why would she guard against him?

Why would she lock it before leaving?

"Since you're guarding against me, I'll find it myself!"

Thinking this, Tang Liu no longer hesitated.

He immediately closed his eyes and began to fully circulate the mysterious Divine Turtle Art within him.

Although this Cultivation Technique was extremely slow to practice, it had an incredibly potent auxiliary trait.

Its perception of spiritual energy fluctuations was exceptionally keen!

Even the weakest Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi could not escape his perception.

Tang Liu was like a police dog, following the base of the walls and starting to sense each piece of furniture in the room one by one.

Under the bed... nothing.

The wardrobe... nothing.

Finally, when his hand hovered over the surface of the drawer beneath the dressing table.

"Hum..."

The true essence of the Divine Turtle Art trembled slightly!

From that closed drawer, a faint but extremely pure fluctuation of spiritual energy emanated!

"Found it!"

Tang Liu's eyes lit up instantly, flashing with a hint of greed.

He pulled open the drawer.

Inside, there were no rouge or powders, but instead, several exquisite white porcelain bottles were neatly arranged.

Tang Liu impatiently picked up a bottle, pulled out the stopper, and sniffed it.

"xuanyuan pill?"

Tang Liu's pupils constricted.

This was an Advanced resource distributed every month to the Heaven Class of Four Seas Academy, a Yellow Rank top-grade Medicinal Pill!

Specifically used to enhance the true essence within Profound Gate Realm Martial Artists.

There were a full five bottles in this drawer!

These few bottles of pills would be a fortune if sold on the black market.

For any other Xuanguan Seven Apertures Martial Artist, these pills would be enough to Breakthrough to the Xuanguan Eight Apertures.

But for Tang Liu, who practiced the Divine Turtle Art.

These pills were not enough!

"Something is better than nothing."

Tang Liu unceremoniously stuffed all these bottles of xuanyuan pills into his robes.

Having made a start, Tang Liu's greed was completely ignited.

He continued to circulate the Divine Turtle Art, searching through Xiaowu's bedroom one by one like a thief.

A moment later, when he walked to an inconspicuous corner of the room.

Tang Liu's figure suddenly froze!

"Such strong spiritual energy fluctuations!"

Tang Liu took a deep breath, his heart racing uncontrollably.

Here, a spiritual energy fluctuation emanated that was countless times purer than all those xuanyuan pills combined!

It even caused the Divine Turtle Art's true essence in his body to faintly produce a yearning throb!

He quickly crouched down.

Without any hesitation, he directly circulated his true essence and struck the wall in that corner with a palm.

"Bang!"

The plaster fell, and the bricks shattered.

An extremely well-hidden crevice in the wall was revealed.

And within that crevice sat a simple and ancient red sandalwood box!

Tang Liu's breathing was ragged as he reached out and took the wooden box, his hands trembling as he flipped open the lid.

What met his eyes was a mutton-fat jade bottle radiating a faint luster.

There was no label on it, but that heart-pounding spiritual energy was emanating from this jade bottle.

Tang Liu swallowed and impatiently pulled the stopper from the jade bottle.

An extremely dense spiritual mist, carrying the aura of nature's creation, instantly gushed out from the bottle's mouth!

Just from one sniff.

Tang Liu felt the true essence that had been stagnant for a long time.

Like parched land meeting sweet rain, it began to tumble and roar frantically!

Tang Liu's eyes instantly widened, his eyeballs nearly falling into the bottle!

"This... this is..."

"Yunze Water?"

Tang Liu cried out in shock, his hands even trembling slightly.

This was an extremely rare essence of heaven and earth!

For other Martial Artists, this might just be a great tonic.

But for him, who practiced the water-attribute Divine Turtle Art.

It was simply a priceless treasure!

With just this one bottle of Yunze Water, he could Breakthrough to the Xuanguan Eight Apertures without any suspense.

But after the initial ecstasy.

What followed was an extremely intense, overwhelming rage at being betrayed!

Tang Liu gripped the jade bottle in his hand tightly, veins popping on the back of his hand.

Xiaowu had actually been hiding a treasure of this level all along?

She clearly knew his cultivation was extremely slow, clearly knew he dreamed of becoming stronger, clearly knew that this Yunze Water would be a transformative help to him!

But what about her?

She would rather hide this thing in a wall crevice to gather dust than give it to him, her brother, to use?

"Bitch!"

Tang Liu shook with rage, his eyes full of gloom and anger.

"To think that for all these years, I've treated you with all my heart and soul, protecting you with everything I had!"

"I never imagined you would guard against me like this! Keeping such a major trump card behind my back!"

"If it hadn't been for that mysterious person's reminder, I would still be like a fool, kept in the dark by you, played like a monkey!"

Tang Liu completely categorized Tang Xiaowu's actions as betrayal and selfishness.

He snorted coldly.

With a clear conscience, he tucked the precious jade bottle against his chest.

Afterward, he searched the room carefully several more times, ensuring he hadn't missed even a single stone with spiritual energy.

Only then did Tang Liu stride out of Tang Xiaowu's bedroom without looking back.

He reached back and pulled the damaged door shut.

He went straight back to his own room and closed the door with a "bang".

Tang Liu sat cross-legged on the bed, lining up the xuanyuan pills and the Yunze Water, his eyes flashing with a cruel murderous intent.

"Chen Shanzhi... wash your neck and wait for me!"

"Once I Breakthrough to the Xuanguan Eight Apertures, the Four Seas Academy's Martial Arts Demonstration arena will be your burial ground!"