25: Chapter 25 The Master Deceiver Gu Yi and the Onlooker Ji Meier

"Please, Senior Sister... remove your outer garments and enter the Formation."

Gu Yi's voice echoed across the bottom of the desolate Guhan Cliff, his tone heavy with a forced sense of helplessness, as if he were suppressing anxiety for the sake of the bigger picture.

The mist from the surrounding hot springs seemed to grow unusually thick at that moment.

From the pool not far away, a faint ripple occasionally broke the surface—the result of Fei Yuechan, hiding underwater, nearly losing control of her True Qi due to those shocking words.

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue stood silently at the edge of the black-and-white advanced yin-yang harmonization array disk.

Her face, usually as cold and detached as ten-thousand-year black ice, was now flushed with an intense, indelible crimson.

Even though she had prepared herself deep down to sacrifice everything to save Revered Master, when truly faced with the step of "disrobing," the reserve and intense shame ingrained in the bones of a Sword Cultivator remained like an unbridgeable chasm before her.

She was an incredibly pure Sword Cultivator.

A Sword Cultivator's body was always wrapped tightly in cold, hard Sword Intent and thick, plain white Dharma robes; this was the outermost armor they used to resist this cruel world of cultivation. To have to strip away this armor in front of a Junior Brother was no different from exposing her most fragile Soul directly to the air.

"Junior Brother Gu..."

In Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's usually clear and steady voice, there was a faint, imperceptible tremor: "Must... must we really remove our clothing?"

Gu Yi did not urge her, nor did he show any signs of impatience.

Frowning tightly, he shifted his gaze away from Senior Sister Mu Qingxue and stared instead at the intertwining black and white light in the center of the Formation Plate, his expression one of endurance and pain.

"If Senior Sister finds this embarrassing, you may turn and leave now, and we can pretend nothing happened tonight."

Gu Yi's voice sounded somewhat hoarse, as if he were forcibly suppressing some great pain: "I have already explained that the convergence of Yin and Yang cannot tolerate the slightest obstruction. Every extra layer of clothing will cause the flow of Qi to become sluggish. Revered Master's Meridians have already been scorched to fragility by the fire poison; if the flow of Yin and Yang Qi encounters even the slightest stagnation, Revered Master's Meridians will be severed on the spot."

He took a deep breath, his broad chest heaving violently, assuming a tragic posture as if ready to die heroically at any moment.

"Senior Sister, this concerns Revered Master's life and death; I dare not take any chances. If you are unwilling, I will forcibly burn all the Pure Yang True Blood in my body. Even if I have to exhaust my very last breath, I will drag Revered Master back from the gates of hell!"

These righteous words, carrying a hint of determination, were like a heavy hammer, serving as the final force to break down Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's psychological defenses.

If Junior Brother Gu could risk his own life for Revered Master, what was there to hesitate about when it came to removing a few outer garments? If Revered Master truly met with an accident because of her own reserve, Senior Sister Mu Qingxue would not be able to atone for it even with a hundred deaths.

"I... I will remove them."

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue bit her lower lip hard, a flash of fatalistic determination crossing her clear eyes. She raised her slightly trembling hands, unfastened the white jade longsword that never left her side, and placed it gently on the bluestone slab nearby.

This seemingly simple action signified that this pure and icy Genius of the Sword Dao had completely let down all her defenses.

Just as Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's long, fair fingers slowly touched the ribbon at her waist that bound her flowing moon-white dress.

Deep within Gu Yi's Sea of Consciousness, a ripple suddenly spread.

"Giggle, giggle..."

A soft, bone-melting laughter, carrying three parts laziness and seven parts mockery, echoed in Gu Yi's mind along with a fluctuation of Divine Sense.

"Little troublemaker, this excuse you've concocted is truly high-sounding."

The illusory yet extremely enchanting figure of Ji Meier slowly condensed and took shape in Gu Yi's Sea of Consciousness.

This remnant Soul of an ancient powerhouse who had reached the Dao Integration Stage in her previous life was currently half-reclined on a chaise longue formed by Divine Sense.

Her Soul-stealing fox eyes were peering through Gu Yi's vision, excitedly observing the cold, beautiful woman outside who was currently stiff-bodied and preparing to disrobe.

Gu Yi rolled his eyes inwardly.

This old enchantress didn't wake up early or late, but chose this most critical juncture to come out and watch the show.

"Look at how you've swindled that pure and icy Sword Cultivator; with that tragic, heroic look, one would think she was heading to the execution ground." Ji Meier's laughter was full of mischief and playfulness, her translucent, proud figure rising and falling slightly. "I, your elder sister, want to see how this high-mountain flower will maintain her cold, aloof demeanor once your scorching Pure Yang Qi enters her."

"If you've woken up, just stay quiet and watch the show. This is a life-or-death 'healing' moment; don't disturb my Dao Heart." Gu Yi retorted seriously in his mind, while his external expression maintained that heavy, solemn look of worry for Revered Master.

"Life-or-death? Pfft—"

Ji Meier laughed until she swayed in the Sea of Consciousness, her long jade fingers lightly tapping her red lips, her gaze at Gu Yi full of mockery. "That Soul Transformation Stage aura hiding in the pool, although intentionally concealed, how could it escape my perception? You have already eaten and wiped clean that high-and-mighty beautiful Revered Master, and now you've spun some ghost story about the Formation's backlash, tricking this female disciple who is as pure as a blank sheet of paper into the pit. You truly are a little demon star who consumes people without spitting out the bones."

"You are too kind, you are too kind. It's all thanks to Senior Sister's filial piety."

Gu Yi accepted this evaluation without false modesty in his mind, while his gaze remained respectfully fixed on the tips of Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's feet, not taking a single extra look, perfectly maintaining the gentlemanly demeanor of not looking at impropriety.

In reality.

Accompanied by a very faint sound of fabric rubbing, the white ribbon at Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's waist slipped away quietly.

The swirling mist by the hot spring pool seemed to become scalding at that moment.

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling violently like leaves in the wind. She grabbed the lapels of her outer robe with both hands and slowly pulled them apart.

That simple, conservative moon-white dress slid down her rounded, fragrant shoulders, finally piling up on the warm jade floor by her feet.

When that shell used to disguise her coldness and majesty was stripped away, what was presented in the air was a perfect, delicate body that would drive all male creatures in the world crazy.

She complied and removed all her outer garments and armor, leaving only a tight-fitting moon-white silk dudou and a thin pair of underpants.

The perfect figure brought about by years of practicing the sword was revealed in its entirety at this moment.

Without a single ounce of excess fat, her slender waist that could be encircled by a hand, her long, straight legs, and those unexpectedly proud curves beneath her cold exterior, all radiated a breathtaking beauty amidst the swirling hot spring mist.

Especially her snow-white skin, which was flushed with a seductive pink due to extreme shame, paired with her ice-mountain face that never melted for ten thousand years, created an extremely strong visual contrast that could simply suck a person's Soul away.

Gu Yi's Adam's apple rolled up and down involuntarily, and his breathing stalled slightly.

Even with his astonishing self-control, when seeing this Senior Sister, who was usually inviolable and stern, reveal such a fragile and enchanting posture, a strong desire for conquest couldn't help but rise in his heart.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk..."

In the Sea of Consciousness, Ji Meier's voice, which loved to stir up trouble, sounded again.

"I couldn't tell, this little girl who only knows how to hold a broken sword every day actually hides such a figure. The lines on her waist are firm yet flexible; it's clearly a top-tier physique polished by years of martial arts and sword practice. And that contour at her chest—oh my, it's barely contained even with just a dudou on; her assets are truly ample. Little troublemaker, you've really struck gold today."

While commenting, Ji Meier let out bursts of sultry laughter that made one blush in Gu Yi's Sea of Consciousness. "Look at that aggrieved expression of hers—almost crying but forced to clench her teeth and endure it; it's a hundred times more alluring than those who deliberately fawn. Even I, a woman, feel my heart itching when I see it. You, with your hot-blooded male vitality, can actually stand here with a straight face acting like a Saint? Don't you find it uncomfortable to hold it in?"

Gu Yi's hands, hidden under his wide sleeves, were clenched into tight fists.

He was more than just uncomfortable; he wanted to drag this ancient powerhouse in his head, who was full of dirty talk and loved to stir up trouble, out and beat her up.

This extreme visual impact, combined with an enchantress born with seductive bones in his mind constantly teasing and fanning the flames, would have caused any normal man to lose control long ago.

But Gu Yi could not.

He had to carry out this noble persona of being "righteous and sacrificing everything for Revered Master" to the end. Even if the fire in his heart had been stoked by Ji Meier until it was about to burn through his skull, his face still had to wear that heavy, focused expression without a shred of distraction.

He clenched his back teeth, pressed his tongue against his upper palate, and with the powerful control of his Creation Immortal Body, forcibly suppressed the heat in his eyes. Even his gaze toward Senior Sister Mu Qingxue was filled with the professionalism and purity of looking at a "healing ingredient."

"Since Senior Sister is ready, please enter the Formation."

Gu Yi's voice did not tremble in the slightest; it was as calm as an ancient well. He raised his hand and pointed to the area on the left side of the Formation Plate that was emitting a faint black glow.

"That is the location of the Yin Formation Eye. After entering the Formation, Senior Sister only needs to sit cross-legged and completely empty your Lingtai. Do not resist the intrusion of any external Qi; I will guide your Extreme Yin power with my Origin True Qi."

Hearing Gu Yi's calm, water-like voice, the intense shame in Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's heart miraculously subsided a little.

She opened her eyes slightly and stole a glance at Gu Yi.

She found that Gu Yi was not like those lecherous scoundrels, lingering with disgusting, lewd gazes on her body. His eyes were extremely clear, even revealing a solemnity as if he were ready to die for Revered Master at any moment.

This made Senior Sister Mu Qingxue feel at ease, while her admiration for Gu Yi deepened, and a faint sense of guilt even arose.

In order to save Revered Master, Junior Brother Gu could remain calm and steadfast in his Dao Heart even in such an awkward situation. By comparison, she was still being coy and entangled in external worldly reputation; she was truly unworthy of being a Sword Cultivator and failed Revered Master's kindness.

"I understand."

Senior Sister Mu Qingxue took a deep breath and severed the last shred of distracting thoughts in her heart.

With her fair, jade-like bare feet, she stepped onto the warm bluestone slab and walked step by step into the advanced yin-yang harmonization array disk that was emitting a black-and-white glow.

The range of the Formation Plate was not large.

When Senior Sister Mu Qingxue sat cross-legged at the Yin Formation Eye, the strange energy rising from the bottom of the Formation Plate immediately enveloped her entire body.

The water vapor by the hot spring pool, under the traction of this Formation energy, turned into tiny, crystal-clear dewdrops that adhered to Senior Sister Mu Qingxue's thin, moon-white silk dudou.

The fabric, which was already extremely tight-fitting, became slightly translucent after being dampened by the water vapor, clinging tightly to her skin and outlining those perfect curves even more breathtakingly.

"Oh my, this poor thing doesn't even know she's truly entered a wolf's den."

In the Sea of Consciousness, Ji Meier began her live commentary again, her voice so sultry it reached into one's bones. "Little troublemaker, the foreplay is done, and the Formation is set. Aren't you going to enter the Formation quickly? I, your elder sister, can't wait to see this good show."

Gu Yi took a deep breath and blocked out all the blood-pumping images in his mind.

He took a step and walked to the Yang Formation Eye on the right side of the Formation Plate, which was emitting a white glow, and sat opposite Senior Sister Mu Qingxue, who was wearing only her undergarments. The distance between them was less than a foot, and they could hear each other's breathing clearly.

Gu Yi looked at the pure Senior Sister before him, who had her eyes tightly closed and long eyelashes trembling slightly, and then used his peripheral vision to glance extremely covertly at the mist-filled hot spring pool beside him.

Beneath the surface of the pool, those beautiful eyes belonging to Revered Master were staring fixedly at him.