120: Don't look at me like that.

Time flew by, and a month passed.

Cao Bu traveled back and forth between the outside world and the Time Wheel Emperor Palace.

All in all, he had stayed in the Time Wheel Emperor Palace for a full five years.

The Emperor Palace was connected to the outside world; although the Yin and Yang Spiritual Qi was thin, it was enough to support his cultivation.

Now, his cultivation had steadily reached the Ninth Level Void Breaking Realm.

In addition, all his various methods had improved.

He had cultivated the "Primordial Indestructible Scripture" to the Peak of the eighth level, and his Physical Body strength was comparable to the Peak World King level.

The two Emperor Arts, One Sword Separates Worlds and Traceless Sword Evasion, had both reached the Major Achievement Realm.

He had thoroughly comprehended the runes engraved on the emperor bone; it was a supreme technique called "Cloud Dispelling Palm," which he had also cultivated to the Major Achievement stage.

Furthermore...

Ye Linglong, Su Li, Gu Chuyan, and Yan Ruyu had all entered the Time Wheel Emperor Palace to Cultivate, and each of their cultivations had significantly improved.

Su Li broke through a minor Realm, reaching the Eighth Level Quasi-Emperor.

Relying on the resources provided by Su Li, Ye Linglong's cultivation soared from the Peak World King all the way to the Realm Emperor Third Level.

Gu Chuyan's cultivation method primarily focused on devouring, requiring her to transform the absorbed Spiritual Qi into Devilish Qi; since she lacked a special Physique, her progress was relatively slow, eventually reaching the Fifth Level Void Breaking Realm.

Yan Ruyu's cultivation was lower, so she had the most Breakthroughs.

Breaking through from the Peak of the Divine Power Realm to the Fifth Level Void Breaking Realm, she was now exactly on par with Gu Chuyan.

Such progress was entirely thanks to her Taiyin Divine Body.

On this day, Cao Bu walked out of the Cangfeng Residence, carrying a Jade Slip as he headed towards the Lingxiao Courtyard where the Clan Chief resided.

Before long, he knocked on the courtyard gate.

A pretty little Maidservant opened the door, and upon seeing Cao Bu, she quickly bowed: "Greetings, Ninth Elder."

Cao Bu nodded slightly: "I have important matters to discuss with the Clan Chief; go and report my arrival."

The Maidservant replied: "The Clan Chief has gone to see Matriarch Leng."

"Then what about the Madam? Is she here?" Cao Bu asked again.

"The Madam is currently cultivating in the meditation room," the Maidservant answered truthfully.

"In that case, go and inform the Madam that I have the preliminary draft for the Heavenly Pride Battle that needs her review; additionally, several registration points need to be arranged in various provinces, and these matters also require her and the Clan Chief's inspection."

Hearing this, the Maidservant hurriedly complied: "Ninth Elder, please follow me to the guest hall to wait."

Cao Bu nodded and followed the Maidservant into the courtyard and arrived at the main hall.

"Please wait a moment, Ninth Elder, I will go inform the Madam immediately." The Maidservant curtsied and turned to leave quickly.

Cao Bu stood at the entrance of the main hall, his gaze sweeping over the layout of the Lingxiao Courtyard.

It was truly worthy of being the Clan Chief's residence; whether in terms of scale or furnishings, it was much more grand than the other courtyards in the Gu Clan.

Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind.

If he could become the Gu Clan's Clan Chief, would it increase his Inheritance Progress?

Once this thought surfaced, he could no longer suppress it.

It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to try taking the position of Clan Chief.

Just then, a series of soft footsteps came from outside the hall.

Cao Bu looked over and saw a figure dressed in a light pink dress slowly approaching.

The woman's figure was petite and exquisite, yet she possessed full curves that were completely inconsistent with her slender frame, the arc of her chest being particularly eye-catching.

She had a round baby face, her cheeks flushed with a natural pink hue, making her look much younger than her actual age.

Her brows were curved like crescents, her almond eyes large and bright, with long eyelashes that flickered with vitality every time she blinked.

Her small nose was slightly upturned, and her lips were as full as cherries, their color vivid and alluring; she looked both charming and somewhat seductive.

The newcomer was none other than Yun Shang.

A faint, imperceptible glint flashed in the depths of Cao Bu's eyes.

Not having seen her for a month, this woman had become even more alluring.

Especially that sense of contrast between maturity and innocence; it was simply lethal, making it hard to maintain self-control.

"Big Brother, I heard you were looking for me for something?"

Seeing Cao Bu from afar, a bright smile immediately bloomed on Yun Shang's face.

For some reason, looking at Cao Bu now, she felt that his aura was exceptionally attractive.

Coupled with the ambiguous past between them, she would occasionally think of the scene from back then.

Whenever she thought of it, her heart would feel a mysterious flutter.

Unfortunately, given her current status, some things could only be thought about.

If she actually dared to take action, the gossip and spit of the entire Gu Clan would be enough to drown her alive.

As for her relationship with Gu Feng, she had already sent a message to her parents at the Yunxiao Pavilion, asking them to step in and resolve it.

No matter what, she could no longer live with Gu Feng.

Especially when she thought about Gu Feng having touched an un-morphed Yao Beast, her sense of repulsion grew even stronger.

Because of this, she had been in seclusion for the past month; even when Gu Feng came looking for her, she refused to see him.

Seeing Yun Shang approach, Cao Bu raised his hand and handed over the Jade Slip.

"These are the matters related to the Heavenly Pride Battle; it's just a preliminary draft, so Brother Feng needs to look it over."

"Find an opportunity to give it to him. If he feels it's not detailed enough or has deficiencies, I will revise it."

Just as Yun Shang stepped into the main hall and reached out to take the Jade Slip...

Cao Bu's hand seemed to slip, and as the Jade Slip fell, they both leaned down almost simultaneously to pick it up.

Yun Shang's fingertips touched the Jade Slip first, and Cao Bu's palm happened to cover the back of her hand.

A warm sensation was felt, and both of them froze in place.

He didn't immediately withdraw his hand, and she didn't pull away either.

The Jade Slip lying quietly on the ground became the pretext for this brief contact.

He could smell the faint fragrance in her hair, and she could feel the temperature of his palm.

Their eyes met, and in the breath shared at such close proximity, a silent undercurrent surged.

Finally, it was Yun Shang who forced herself to remain calm, gripping the Jade Slip as she stood up.

Only then did Cao Bu reluctantly let go of her hand.

Yun Shang stole a glance at Cao Bu; recalling the familiar sensation from just now, her cheeks were instantly dyed with a layer of crimson.

Cao Bu stared fixedly at her, his Adam's apple bobbing unconsciously.

Noticing his gaze, Yun Shang's face turned even redder.

She couldn't help but lower her head, almost burying it in her chest, her hands tightly clutching the Jade Slip, unable to hide her inner turmoil.

"Big Brother, you... don't look at me like that." Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of panic.

Cao Bu smiled and quickly looked away.

"Younger Brothers Wife, I'll leave the Jade Slip to you, then. I'll be going now."

Having said that, he turned and left decisively.

His visit today was originally intended to test whether this woman was distancing herself from him.

Now it seemed everything was within his expectations.

Not long after Cao Bu walked out of the Lingxiao Courtyard, Gu Feng returned.

He looked at Cao Bu's departing back, frowned, and asked the nearby Maidservant: "Was Cao Bu just here?"

The Maidservant nodded: "Reporting to the Clan Chief, it was about the Heavenly Pride Battle. Since you weren't here, I informed the Madam."

Gu Feng pressed: "Did the Madam see him?"

The Maidservant replied: "She did."

"How long did they stay?" Gu Feng asked next.

"Only for a few breaths of time," the Maidservant answered.

Hearing this, Gu Feng secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

But immediately after, his expression became exceptionally grim.

For the past month, he had wanted to see Yun Shang, but this woman had been deliberately avoiding him.

He hadn't expected that as soon as Cao Bu arrived, she would actually come out on her own.

This was simply preposterous!

Gu Feng immediately stomped inside in a huff; after a few steps, he saw Yun Shang walking towards him from the direction of the main hall, looking dazed.

He stood in the path she was taking, and seeing her flushed cheeks and distracted expression, a surge of anger instantly rushed to his heart.

A moment later.

Yun Shang's footsteps paused as a familiar figure came into view.

Seeing it was Gu Feng, she casually tossed the Jade Slip toward him and turned to leave.

Gu Feng didn't catch it, and the Jade Slip clattered on the ground.

He questioned her angrily: "Your face is so red—what were you two just doing?"