196: Chapter 196 Golden Lotus Washing Water

Tianyuan Floating Island, Moonshadow Mountain.

At the source of the Tianyuan River, a white ribbon of water cascaded down from the peak of Moonshadow Mountain, crashing into the deep pool below with a roar and splashing up thousands of jade-like droplets. The mist was thick, refracting colorful rainbows in the sunlight. The pool water was crystal clear, polished smooth as jade by the waterfall.

Ling Hao lay on his back in the center of the pool, letting the water flow gently over his body. The ripples reflected the light of the sky and the passing clouds.

Not far away, on a piece of bluestone polished smooth by the current, Hua Youyou sat sideways. Her light cyan gauze dress was soaked through, clinging tightly to her exquisite curves.

Her damp long hair was draped over her shoulders, with a few strands sticking to her flushed cheeks. Her jade feet, wrapped in nearly transparent flesh-colored thin silk, had delicate ankles, and a small golden bell was tied to one of them.

At this moment, those jade feet were immersed in the cool pool water, the thin silk soaked through and clinging to her skin, outlining the flawless curve of her arches and the rounded contours of her toes.

Her toes tapped lightly, creating gentle ripples.

Beside the bluestone, there was another protruding purple stone.

Hua Youyou stepped lightly onto it with her jade foot, causing the golden bell on her ankle to chime softly. Her gaze fell on Ling Hao, filled with tenderness.

Ling Hao's lazy voice drifted over:

"Aside from the Southeast, East, and South directions, how is the situation in the other regions?"

Hua Youyou's movements faltered slightly, and the sole of her foot slowly ground against the purple stone:

"The order from the Cangwu Yuji Platform has already been issued, and the sixth-grade and seventh-grade Cultivator nations have all sent people. However... most are still dragging their feet and watching from the Northwest, West, and North, moving very slowly."

"And the resonance dao towers and world-suppressing monuments, have they all been properly deployed?" Ling Hao asked further.

"Yes, as per the Sect Master's instructions, they have been placed at the key nodes."

As she answered, her arch tightened slightly, and through the wet thin silk, the sole of her foot felt the contours of the stone more clearly.

So hard...

Hearing this, a deep light flashed in Ling Hao's eyes. Taking this opportunity to fill the entire Southeast of Cangwu with resonance dao towers and world-suppressing monuments... would completely bring this region under the Law network of the Moonshadow Sect.

As for deeper schemes... they would always be useful.

A curve appeared at the corner of his mouth. The world-suppressing monument suppresses erosion qi and stabilizes space, while the resonance dao tower boosts Cultivators (Moonshadow) and organizes the Law... This is a great thing that benefits all living beings in Cangwu, isn't it? Who could refuse?

Ling Hao's gaze swept over Hua Youyou's jade feet, which were moving slightly, the golden bell on them trembling.

He curled his lips into a smile. This girl had actually learned from Yu Linglong and started wearing a golden bell on her ankle.

"Not bad."

Hua Youyou felt Ling Hao's gaze, her cheeks heating up slightly, her jade feet still resting on that purple stone.

Ling Hao closed his eyes slightly, feeling the comfort of the water and the breeze, while Hua Youyou lowered her eyes, looking at her own jade feet and the purple stone, her fingertips unconsciously drawing circles on the water surface.

The sound of water gurgled, the waterfall roared on, yet this place seemed to be wrapped in an invisible tranquility. By the pool, only the faint sound of the breeze brushing over the water remained, along with the silent resonance flowing between the two.

The golden bell on her ankle emitted a few faint and crisp "ding-a-ling" sounds with Hua Youyou's subtle movements.

The bell ringing seemed especially ethereal by the vast waterfall pool, even attracting a spirit bird with purple-red feathers to land on Hua Youyou.

The spirit bird tilted its little head and looked over curiously. It seemed attracted by the crisp ringing, hopping lightly a few times, its little head nodding bit by bit, as if dancing clumsily to the rhythm of the bell.

Hua Youyou's attention was drawn by this little bird, her lips curling up unconsciously, her toes curling slightly, creating a small ripple. The golden bell also emitted a clearer "ding-dong" with it.

The bell was crisp, the bird chirped.

The spirit bird hopped lightly with the lingering sound of the bell, its movements agile and elegant, each jump perfectly matching the rhythm of the ringing.

This was a dance that belonged solely to it.

After a long while, Ling Hao's voice sounded again:

"Youyou, I remember you are still an Elder of the Golden Lotus Workshop?"

Hua Youyou heard this, raised her eyes, and seeing her own Sect Master still lying in the water with his eyes closed, her jade feet couldn't help but soften a little:

"Yes, I am. Following Elder Sister Yu Qing, I have learned a lot and met many people."

"Your qualifications, ability, and vision are all sufficient."

"From now on, you will be the Second Elder, in charge of all external affairs. I will speak to Ling Shuang."

Hua Youyou's heart skipped a beat:

"Second... Second Elder?... Can I really do it, Youyou?"

There was huge surprise and a trace of trepidation in her voice.

"If I say you can, then you naturally can." Ling Hao opened his eyes and looked at her with deep, encouraging, and trusting eyes, "Believe in yourself."

This sudden immense trust and importance stirred up turbulent waves in Hua Youyou's heart. Joy and excitement instantly engulfed her.

"Sect Master!"

She exclaimed softly, leaning forward slightly, her jade feet kicking hard, stomping heavily on the top of the protruding purple stone.

Splash! A large spray of water splashed up!

The purple-red bird by the pool was startled by this movement and took flight with a flutter of wings.

Ling Hao smiled slightly:

"No need to be so excited."

He paused, his gaze shifting slightly downward, landing on the pair of jade feet Hua Youyou had submerged in the water. The originally flesh-colored transparent thin silk was now stained with some fine sand from the bottom of the pool and some faint murky water marks, appearing somewhat abrupt in the clear pool water.

"Youyou, your stockings..."

"...are a bit dirty."

Hua Youyou followed his gaze and looked down, only to see that her thin, cicada-wing-like stockings, especially the parts in contact with the protrusions on the soles, were indeed stained with some dirt, the color much darker. Her cheeks instantly flushed with an even deeper red, and she hurriedly lifted her feet from the water.

"Ah... yes... they are stained with some..."

Hua Youyou stretched out her slender jade fingers, hooked the edge of the now wet and slippery thin silk at her toes, and pulled it down bit by bit, slowly. The thin silk made a faint sticky sound as it peeled away from her skin, which was especially clear in the quieted sound of water.

Hua Youyou put her jade feet back into the water, her toes like shells, gently stirring the water, meticulously rubbing the stained parts.

The clear pool water gently wrapped around her feet, the current sliding between her toes, washing away the marks on the thin silk.

Those murky imprints quickly faded and dissipated under the washing of the running water, finally dissolving completely into the clear stream, carried away by the rushing water to the deep downstream.

After cleaning them, Hua Youyou's gaze fell on Ling Hao, who was leaning against the smooth rock wall by the pool.

"Sect Master..."

She called out softly, her voice lingering and poignant, her eyes filled with affection, almost dripping with water.

Ling Hao curled his lips,

"I forgot, Youyou, you didn't really get to enjoy anything just now."

Hua Youyou threw herself into Ling Hao's arms, her full breasts pressing against Ling Hao's cheek.

The pool water rippled, more violently than before, and the two figures gradually submerged into the mist-filled vortex.

...

A long time later, Hua Youyou tidied up her soaked gauze dress, the flush on her face not yet faded, but her eyes were brighter than ever. She gave a graceful bow to Ling Hao, her voice clear and melodious:

"Youyou will certainly not fail the Sect Master's trust!"

After saying that, she turned into a light cyan stream of light and fluttered away.

Withdrawing his gaze, Ling Hao looked up at the southeastern sky, murmuring to himself.

"Calculating the time... Xiao He and Yingying should have almost reached the Southeast Main Rift. Xiaoxue, Yu Qing, Xiao Wei, and Xiao Changning must have also arrived at their respective target areas..."

"It's time to go and see."