67: Chapter 67 Xu Ruyu, resigned to her fate, begins to rebel in her sleep.

The process of Madam Qingli setting up the "Taixu Fox Shadow Sound-Proofing Array" was less like establishing a Formation and more like an open performance of a conspiracy.

Under Xu Ruyu's gaze, she didn't use any traditional Formation artifacts like Formation Plates or Formation Flags. She simply extended her slender, jade-like fingers elegantly, tracing mysterious runes that shimmered with a faint pink light in the Void Realm.

Those runes moved like living creatures, automatically branding themselves onto the side hall's walls, floor, ceiling, and even the window frames. They connected to one another, forming a flickering net of light that covered the entire room.

A sweet, cloying, yet not unpleasant fragrance filled the air, identical to the scent on Madam Qingli's body. It was clear that this Formation itself bore her strong personal mark.

Although the entire process was as smooth as flowing water and the Formation appearing in the void was pleasing to the eye, this method of setting it up made the watching Xu Ruyu's heart jump with fear.

He didn't understand Formations, but he could guess with his toes that a Formation personally set up by Madam Qingli to "protect" him from "disturbances" would have questionable protective effects. Only the smiling Taihu Clan powerhouse herself knew how many potential "backdoors" and "tricks" were hidden inside.

"There, all done, my Xiao Yuer."

Madam Qingli clapped her hands. For a powerhouse like her, who was about to cross into the Saint Realm, setting up a sound-proofing array was nothing more than a trivial task.

Looking at the casually arranged Formation, Madam Qingli turned and gave Xu Ruyu a beaming smile. "This 'Taixu Fox Shadow Sound-Proofing Array' is complete."

"From this moment on, unless someone's cultivation far exceeds my own or they receive my personal permission, no sound, Divine Sense, or even energy fluctuations can enter or leave this array."

"You can... Cultivate here in peace, or sleep in peace, or even... dream boldly."

She placed special emphasis on the words "dream boldly." As her eyes twinkled, a wave of charm emanated from her, along with an indescribable hint of mischief.

Xu Ruyu's mouth twitched, and he squeezed out a smile that looked worse than crying. "Th-thank you for your trouble, Senior..."

Although Xu Ruyu said this, he was thinking: This array is to keep outsiders out, but do you, the one who set it up, count as an 'insider'? The 'backdoor' you left for yourself is probably wider than the front door, isn't it?

Madam Qingli seemed to see through his silent complaints but didn't point it out. She simply giggled, her body swaying as she vanished into the room like a bubble merging into the air.

The pink light net covering the room flickered slightly before fading from view, as if it had never existed. Only the lingering sweet fragrance in the air proved everything that had just happened.

Xu Ruyu stood alone in the now-silent side hall, looking around with extremely complicated emotions.

This Forbidden Array was like a magnificent golden birdcage, isolating him from the outside world while also leaving him completely exposed to the cage owner's gaze.

A sense of security? Not a shred of it.

All he felt was a sense of confinement with nowhere to run.

Nightfall eventually arrived.

Perhaps it was because too much had happened during the day, keeping his nerves taut; perhaps the 'Taixu Fox Shadow Sound-Proofing Array' really had some soothing effect; or perhaps his subconscious knew that struggling was useless, so he just gave up...

After simply eating some wild fruit he'd found on the back mountain, Xu Ruyu actually felt a strong wave of drowsiness wash over him.

He resignedly lay back on the hard wooden bed that had carried too many "stories," staring at the dim ceiling. Various thoughts flashed chaotically through his mind—the progress of his air-based cultivation, the schemes of his Revered Master and Madam Qingli, the life-and-death appointment three months away...

Eventually, all his thoughts turned into heavy exhaustion.

"Forget it, whatever happens, happens..."

Xu Ruyu closed his eyes, muttered a self-deprecating line, and his consciousness soon sank into darkness.

He didn't know how long he had been asleep.

In his hazy state, that familiar ethereal fragrance once again drifted into his nostrils, awakening some instinctive memory from his slumber.

Here we go again...

Xu Ruyu thought vaguely in his groggy consciousness, with a sense of resignation that bordered on numbness.

He didn't even bother to distinguish whether the fragrance was reality or a dream, but his body reacted first—heating up slightly, his heartbeat accelerating.

Next, he felt the mattress beside him sink slightly. A cool and soft body, carrying that unique cold fragrance, quietly drew close.

Unlike the previous two times of testing and somewhat unfamiliar guidance, this time, the other party seemed... exceptionally proactive?

Those cool hands no longer just lingered; instead, with an indisputable force and a clear sense of purpose, they easily untied his already loose belt and caressed his warm chest, fingertips sliding downward with an electric touch...

Xu Ruyu let out an unconscious muffled groan in his sleep. His body instinctively tensed for a moment, only to slowly relax under that familiar fragrance and touch...

What surprised his groggy consciousness even more was that while the movements of the person on top of him still carried the dominance of a superior, they seemed... to lack the previous hesitation and awkwardness, replaced by a certain fluidity and even... urgency?

At one point, he even felt in his daze that the distribution of weight and the manner of contact had changed significantly.

In Xu Ruyu's half-awake, chaotic consciousness, this subtle change was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, stirring up layers of ripples.

A mixture of humiliation, anger, and resentment began to churn in the deepest part of his heart.

What did he, Xu Ruyu, count for in front of these so-called powerhouses?

A plaything to be summoned and dismissed at will? A tool to be taken from and manipulated at any time, without even the right to refuse or the right to know?

During the day, he was teased at will by Madam Qingli, and at night, he was to be taken by his Revered Master in this manner?

Based on what?!

Just because he had Transmigrated and inexplicably "inherited" her cultivation? But was that his fault? It was clearly his Revered Master's own mistake, so why should he bear the consequences of someone else's "error"?

Was it simply because he was weak and had no power to resist?

But he was a person too; he had his own dignity!

Even if he had to "sacrifice his charms," couldn't there be some basic respect?!

Couldn't they... stop doing this whenever his consciousness was unclear?!

In his sleep, Xu Ruyu's brow furrowed tightly, and his jaw clenched unconsciously.

The vast, dormant Saint Realm Power within him that didn't belong to him seemed to be triggered by the strong unwillingness and resentment in his heart, beginning to stir in extremely subtle waves.

And the meager amount of "Taixu True Qi" he had cultivated himself also seemed to sense its Revered Master's mood, darting restlessly through his Meridians.

"Mm~"

The person on top of him seemed to notice his subtle resistance and the abnormal fluctuation of power within him. Their movements paused slightly, and they let out a very soft nasal sound.

But immediately after, those burning fingers pressed down on one of his Acupoints with an even stronger sense of soothing. Simultaneously, another even purer force, originating from the same source as the Saint Realm Power in his body, tried to permeate him, seeking to calm his restless aura.

This attempt to "control" and "soothe" him completely ignited the anger and instinct for resistance that had accumulated in Xu Ruyu's subconscious!

"Get lost!!"

A muffled yet violent low roar actually burst forth from Xu Ruyu's tightly clenched teeth!