My senior brother didn't lie to me!

The night was as dark as ink, and the evening breeze of Purple Bamboo Peak carried a unique coolness, rustling through the dense bamboo forest.

Lin Waner, clutching the hot Medicinal Pill bottle, fled back to her Immortal Cave like a startled fawn.

With a bang.

She closed the bamboo door, leaned against it, and panted heavily.

Her heart was beating so fast.

Thump, thump, as if it was about to leap out of her throat.

The girl's cheeks were still flushed, her mind filled with Su Ye's gentle and jade-like face, and that incredibly embarrassing phrase: "remove all clothing."

"Lin Waner, you... you're really letting yourself down!"

She raised her hand and gently patted her burning cheeks, trying to calm herself down.

"Senior Brother is doing that to heal you, to save your life!"

"How could you think of Senior Brother in such a vulgar way?"

"If Senior Brother knew you hesitated just now, how sad he would be..."

She repeatedly rationalized to herself until the feeling of shyness was gradually replaced by a craving for strength and a blind admiration for Su Ye.

She walked to the meditation cushion, sat down cross-legged, and carefully unplugged the jade bottle.

Instantly.

A refreshing medicinal fragrance filled the entire bamboo house.

It was the unique scent of an Earth Rank Medicinal Pill. Just a single whiff made Lin Waner feel her spiritual power flow more smoothly.

"Is this... a top-grade Earth Rank Marrow Cleansing Pill?"

She poured out a round Medicinal Pill, on which cloud-like pill patterns flowed. It was crystal clear, as if not of the Mortal world.

A hint of determination flashed in Lin Waner's eyes.

To not become a cripple.

To always stay by Senior Brother's side.

She would risk it all!

She tilted her head back and put the Medicinal Pill into her mouth.

The Medicinal Pill melted upon entry, transforming into a warm torrent that rushed down her throat directly into her abdominal Qi Sea.

Boom!

The next moment, the gentle warmth suddenly became violent, like a bursting river, fiercely scouring her limbs and bones.

"Ugh..."

Lin Waner groaned, her delicate brows instantly furrowing tightly.

Pain!

So much pain!

It felt as if countless tiny knives were scraping her bones, and flames were burning in her Meridians.

Is this Marrow Cleansing and Bone Forging?

She gritted her teeth, desperately holding onto a sliver of clarity in her spiritual platform, not daring to relax in the slightest.

The medicinal power was incredibly overbearing. Wherever it passed, the Impurities and filth in her Meridians, usually hard to detect, were forcibly stripped away.

Especially deep within her Qi Sea.

There seemed to be a stubborn block of ice, constantly obstructing the circulation of her spiritual power.

That was the root cause of her "dull Aptitude."

At this moment, under the impact of that vast medicinal power, that "block of ice" actually began to show cracks.

Crack.

A faint shattering sound echoed within her body.

Immediately after.

Her Ninth-Grade Water Spiritual Root, which had been like stagnant water, greedily absorbed the medicinal power of the Marrow Cleansing Pill, as if a parched land had finally received sweet rain.

An unprecedented sense of clarity instantly swept through her entire body.

That feeling was like having a huge stone, which had been weighing on her heart for over a decade, finally removed.

"It's... it's clear?!"

Lin Waner suddenly opened her eyes, filled with disbelief.

She could clearly feel that the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth seemed to be summoned, madly converging towards her Immortal Cave.

Her cultivation, which had been stagnant due to blocked Meridians, now began to rise like a rocket.

Foundation Establishment Fifth Heaven Peak... the barrier was pierced through like thin paper!

Boom!

A powerful wave of Qi spread out from her, making the furnishings in the bamboo house rattle.

Foundation Establishment Sixth Heaven!

Moreover, her aura was solid, without any hint of instability, and was even subtly advancing towards the Seventh Heaven!

Lin Waner stared blankly at her hands.

A layer of dark, foul-smelling, greasy Impurities covered the surface of her skin—this was the stagnant toxins expelled from her body.

But this did not hide the ecstasy in her heart at this moment.

"It's true..."

"Everything Senior Brother said is true!"

"My Spiritual Root is really clear, and the Bottleneck that troubled me for three years has actually been broken just like that!"

Tears streamed uncontrollably from the corners of her eyes—tears of excitement.

Three years.

Since entering the Foundation Establishment Stage, she had never again experienced the exhilarating sensation of spiritual power surging.

Every time she Cultivated, it was like carrying a thousand-pound burden through a swamp.

Although Revered Master doted on her and spent countless Spirit Medicines, it only resulted in a helpless sigh.

Only Senior Brother!

Only Senior Brother saw the crux of her problem at a glance!

Only Senior Brother unhesitatingly brought out a top-grade Earth Rank Medicinal Pill!

"Senior Brother... is truly like a parent who gave me a second life..."

Lin Waner clenched her fists tightly, unaware that her fingernails were digging into her palms.

At this moment, Su Ye's image in her heart had grown to an unshakable height.

Even if Su Ye asked her to die now, she would probably do so without hesitation.

Let alone just... removing clothes for treatment.

"There are still a few hours until midnight."

Lin Waner glanced at the moonlight outside the window, a blush reappearing on her face, but her eyes held less shyness and more anticipation and a sense of sacredness.

"I must quickly bathe and change, and make myself sparkling clean."

"I absolutely cannot go see Senior Brother with this foul-smelling grime."

"Waner wants to show Senior Brother her best side..."

The girl stood up, formed a Dust Cleansing Art, and then hurried towards the clear spring behind the Immortal Cave.

Her light footsteps were like a moth drawn to a flame, carrying a resolute determination... Meanwhile.

At the summit of Purple Bamboo Peak, on the white jade steps leading to Cold Jade Palace.

Su Ye walked with his hands behind his back, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

The night wind rustled his moon-white robe, making a flapping sound, and also made the smile at the corner of his mouth a little cold.

The surrounding temperature gradually dropped as the altitude increased.

Here, a thin layer of white frost had already formed on the ground.

This was the Forbidden Ground of Purple Bamboo Peak, and also one of the coldest places in the entire Taichu Holy Land.

Because beneath Cold Jade Palace, a Nine Nether Cold Vein was suppressed.

This was precisely why Revered Master Yun Yuzhen Cultivated here; the Taiyin Sacred Body loved extreme cold the most.

"Affection level ninety..."

"Foundation Establishment Sixth Heaven..."

Su Ye narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling the spiritual power fluctuations coming from the mountainside, and the smile at the corner of his mouth deepened.

The System did not prompt him, but with his powerful Divine Sense, he still clearly captured Lin Waner's Breakthrough aura.

"That girl really didn't disappoint me."

"Primal Water Body... if fully Awakened, it might even make the Taiyin Sacred Body inferior by three points."

"It's a pity that in the original work, this Physique ultimately benefited that useless protagonist."

Su Ye sneered, a bloodthirsty red glint flashing in his eyes.

Now.

This beautiful jade was already in his hands ahead of time.

Only waiting for midnight tonight, under the guise of "healing," to plant a Heart Demon Great Oath, and then with his own methods... this Lin Waner would completely become his plaything, never to rise again.

"But for now..."

Su Ye looked up, his gaze falling on the magnificent and cold palace ahead.

Cold Jade Palace was entirely built from ten-thousand-year-old profound ice, emitting a faint blue light under the moonlight, like a Guanghan Immortal Palace fallen to the Mortal world.

Only at this moment.

The outer perimeter of this once sacred and inviolable palace was shrouded in a faint golden light curtain, invisible to the naked eye.

Dragon Trapping Formation.

This was a Heaven Rank trapping Formation he had set up, after spending all the resources he had plundered over the past few years, and secretly tampering with the Cold Jade Palace's original mountain-protecting Grand Formation under the guise of "repairing the Formation."

If Yun Yuzhen were in her prime, this Formation naturally couldn't trap her.

She could even crush this Formation with a single finger if she slightly used her Tribulation Transcendence Realm cultivation.

But unfortunately.

At this time, Yun Yuzhen had her primordial yin stolen, and was in a weak period due to the onset of the Cold Poison, having lost all her cultivation.

Coupled with Su Ye's provoking words and threats using the shadow recording stone... that high and mighty Revered Master was now nothing more than a tiger with its teeth pulled, a Phoenix with broken wings.

"Revered Master, oh Revered Master..."

"Your Disciple has come to see you."

Su Ye reached out and gently tapped the light curtain.

Buzz!

The light curtain rippled, automatically splitting open a gap for him to pass through.

Since he had set up this Formation, it naturally held no defenses against him.

Stepping through the gate of Cold Jade Palace.

A bone-chilling coldness assailed him. If it were an ordinary Golden Core Cultivator, their blood would probably freeze instantly.

But Su Ye had the overbearing Bloodline of the Supreme Bone flowing within him, and was protected by the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art. This bit of cold Qi was merely a gentle breeze to him.

The main hall was empty.

Only a few luminous pearls emitted soft light.

No maidservants, no pageboys.

Because Yun Yuzhen preferred quiet, normally, no outsiders were allowed to step half a pace into Cold Jade Palace except for her three Personal Disciples.

This greatly facilitated Su Ye's actions.

"Hmm?"

Su Ye's gaze swept across the empty main hall, his eyebrows slightly raised.

Not in the sleeping quarters?

Could it be that she couldn't take it anymore and was hiding in a corner crying?

No.

With Yun Yuzhen's cold and arrogant nature, even if she died, she wouldn't show such a weak side.

Just then.

A faint sound of water, vaguely, came from the back of the main hall.

Splash... The crisp sound of water was exceptionally clear in this silent palace.

A hint of surprise flashed in Su Ye's eyes, quickly turning into a playful, eerie glow.

That was... the direction of the Cold Pool.

The Cold Pool was formed by drawing water from the Nine Nether Cold Vein, emitting bone-chilling cold Qi. It was where Yun Yuzhen usually Cultivated and bathed.

"At a time like this, she still has the mood to bathe?"

"It seems Revered Master's state of mind is even tougher than I imagined."

Su Ye chuckled softly, lightened his steps, and walked towards the back of the main hall like a ghost.

Passing through a long ice crystal corridor.

The view ahead suddenly opened up.

It was a huge open-air pool, surrounded by white jade railings. The water was a deep ink blue, and large chunks of floating ice drifted on the surface.

White cold mist billowed, shrouding the entire Cold Pool in a hazy, ethereal wonderland.

Su Ye stopped, his figure hidden behind a massive ice pillar.

His gaze, piercing through layers of mist, landed on the center of the Cold Pool.

There.

A stunningly beautiful back was quietly leaning against the white jade steps at the edge of the pool.

Her ink-black hair cascaded like a waterfall, wet and spread over her smooth, jade-like back. The strong contrast of black and white impacted one's visual nerves.

Even just a back view exuded a breathtaking beauty. It was none other than the number one beauty of Taichu Holy Land, the Peak Master of Purple Bamboo Peak, Yun Yuzhen.

It was the number one beauty of Taichu Holy Land, the Peak Master of Purple Bamboo Peak, Yun Yuzhen.

Only at this moment.

This Great Power of Tribulation Crossing Realm, who was usually majestic and inviolable, appeared exceptionally weak.

Her arms rested weakly on the edge of the pool, and faint golden spiritual power chains were vaguely visible on her fair wrists—these were the materialized Restrictions of the Dragon Trapping Formation, tightly suppressing the flow of spiritual power within her.

Splash.

Yun Yuzhen seemed to want to cup a handful of water to wash her body.

But her movements were extremely slow, even with a hint of trembling.

That was not due to the cold.

The Taiyin Sacred Body feared no cold.

That was because... of humiliation.

Su Ye could clearly see several glaring red marks on her snow-white, fragrant shoulder.

Those were his "masterpieces" from last night...

Yun Yuzhen held a silk scarf, wiping those red marks over and over again, almost masochistically, as if trying to scrub off that layer of skin.

"Dirty..."

"So dirty..."

A whisper, as faint as a mosquito, mixed with endless pain and hatred, drifted into Su Ye's ears with the cold wind.

Her voice was hoarse, with a hint of a sob, completely lacking her usual high and mighty demeanor.

Su Ye watched this scene, and his desire for conquest instantly swelled to its Peak.

The pleasure of pulling a goddess from her altar and watching her struggle in the mud made his entire body's blood boil.

"Revered Master, are you despising your Disciple?"

Su Ye no longer concealed himself, slowly walking out from behind the ice pillar.

His voice wasn't loud, but to Yun Yuzhen, it was like a clap of thunder.

The beautiful figure in the Cold Pool trembled violently.

Yun Yuzhen abruptly turned her head.

Her peerlessly beautiful face, capable of toppling nations, was now filled with terror and panic. In her usually clear eyes, Su Ye's half-smiling figure was reflected.

"Su... Su Ye?!"

"You... how did you get in?!"

She subconsciously tried to cover her chest with her hands and sink into the water.

But the chains of the Dragon Trapping Formation instantly tightened, emitting a harsh metallic scraping sound, firmly pinning her in place, unable to move.

"Who let you in! Get out! Get out of here!"

Yun Yuzhen shrieked, trying to intimidate this Rebellious Disciple with her former authority.

But her voice was trembling, her face pale, not only lacking any deterrent power but also exuding a sense of fragility that made one want to cruelly bully her.

Su Ye ignored her scolding, stepping down the stairs one by one, approaching the Cold Pool.

At this moment, he was no longer the gentle and jade-like Senior Brother in front of Lin Waner.

Instead, he was a vicious wolf who had finally bared his fangs.

"This is Purple Bamboo Peak, and I am the current acting Peak Revered Master."

"Revered Master, I can come and go from your Cold Jade Palace as I please."

Su Ye reached the edge of the pool, looking down at the panicked beauty in the water.

His gaze was extremely aggressive, brazenly scanning her perfect, delicate body, as if admiring a private item that belonged only to him.

"What's more..."

Su Ye slowly squatted down, reached out, and, ignoring the humiliation and resistance in Yun Yuzhen's eyes, gently pinched her delicate chin.

The icy touch of his fingertips made Yun Yuzhen shiver.

"Last night, Revered Master was still beneath your Disciple, so why are you... so distant today?"

"You... you beast!"

Yun Yuzhen trembled with rage, tears glistening in her eyes, biting her lips tightly until she tasted blood.

"I... I will kill you! I must kill you!"

"Kill me?"

Su Ye chuckled as if he had heard a funny joke, his finger gently stroking the tear that slid down her cheek.

"Revered Master is now even weaker than a Mortal, how can you kill me?"

"Moreover..."

Su Ye leaned close to her ear, his warm breath fanning her sensitive earlobe, his tone like a devil's whisper.

"Has Revered Master forgotten that the shadow recording stone is still in my hands?"

"If Second Junior Sister and Third Junior Sister saw their most beloved Revered Master, in such a wanton state beneath your Disciple..."

"What do you think they would think?"

These words were like a bolt from the blue, instantly shattering all of Yun Yuzhen's psychological defenses.

Her pupils contracted violently, her face instantly turning ashen, and the hatred in her eyes gradually replaced by despair.

"No... don't..."

"Please... don't show them..."

That was her last shred of dignity.

And her last bit of decorum as a Revered Master in front of her Disciples.

Watching this once arrogant Mahayana Realm expert now humbly begging for mercy before him.

Su Ye's sense of pleasure reached its Peak.

"Then it depends on Revered Master's performance."

Su Ye released his grip, stood up, and slowly tidied his sleeves.

His gaze passed over Yun Yuzhen and looked at the bottomless Cold Pool.

"Coincidentally, your Disciple just finished guiding Junior Sister in Cultivation and worked up a sweat."

"Although the water in this Cold Pool is a bit cold, since Revered Master is already bathing, then your Disciple..."

Su Ye's lips curled into a wicked smile, and his hand rested on his belt.

"...will also come down and join Revered Master for a 'mandarin duck bath.'"