223: Chapter 223 I'm not playing along anymore.

As Ling Hao continued his input and kneading, those faint golden lotus phantoms deep within the soles of Yu Linglong's feet emerged once again.

This time, the golden lotus radiance was stable, the lotus petals unfurled, and the edges shimmered with a trace of Chaos Qi that shared the same source as Ling Hao's spiritual power, appearing vibrant and even more solid than last time.

The entire process was long and... pleasurable?

When Ling Hao released his hands, Yu Linglong was already drenched in fragrant sweat, her body weak, as if she had just escaped from an intense battle, or perhaps as if she had just experienced a hearty... certain kind of experience.

She panted rapidly, her chest heaving slightly, her eyes dazed with a hint of satisfied emptiness.

"How does it feel?"

Ling Hao's voice carried a smile as he appreciated her rare, lazy, and enchanting demeanor at this moment.

Yu Linglong came back to her senses, feeling the lightness and vitality in the soles of her feet. The persistent, slightly numbing sense of emptiness had completely vanished, and her Origin was full and stable.

"It is... passable. Sect Master's technique is so-so."

Only her slightly hoarse voice weakened the strength of her words.

"Your Origin is stable, but it still needs consolidation."

Ling Hao found it amusing to watch her pretending to be calm. "How about this: every seven days, you come to me for treatment for a period of time."

Thinking of the heart-fluttering sensation from just a moment ago, Yu Linglong subconsciously wanted to refuse, but the comfort radiating from the soles of her feet made her swallow the words on the tip of her tongue, and she replied in a low voice: "...Mm."

Immediately after, as if she had remembered something, her peach-blossom eyes slanted at Ling Hao: "Sect Master, you wouldn't be using this as an excuse to do that..."

"Do what?"

Ling Hao leaned forward, moving closer to her. The hot spring vapor was thick, his scalding breath almost spraying onto her face, his gaze falling on her vivid lips. "Is Elder Linglong implying something?"

He paused, his eyes thoughtful. "However, I have discovered that your Golden Lotus Dao Body's craving for Chaos Qi seems to be more than just simple restoration...?"

Yu Linglong's heart jumped violently. This thought made her instantly forget to tease, and a trace of shock and doubt flashed across her enchanting face.

Ling Hao captured the change in her expression and continued the previous topic: "Speaking of which, your Revered Master and the others agreed to relocate the entire Sect so quickly, even willing to let the Disciples freely choose to join the Moonshadow Sect... In this, did you, as their Senior Sister, say some 'good words' behind the scenes?"

Yu Linglong immediately acted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her peach-blossom eyes widening as she flatly denied it: "No! What does it have to do with me! It was a decision they made after weighing the pros and cons themselves!"

She remembered that she had indeed played a little trick when she was at the Hundred Flowers Valley in the Wutong Divine Dynasty, but right now, in front of Ling Hao, she could not admit it even if it killed her.

"Is that so?"

Ling Hao smiled wickedly and moved a step closer, almost brushing against her skirt hem soaked by the spring water. "Why do I feel... that you, Linglong, deserve the most credit? Could it be... you want to repay me for the benefit of healing your injuries?"

"You!"

Yu Linglong was flustered by his sudden closeness and that scalding gaze, and the sensitive nerves on the soles of her feet, which had just been soothed, seemed to be ignited once again.

She stood up abruptly, splashing water everywhere, and kicked her wet jade-like foot against Ling Hao's chest: "Ling Hao! You... stop being so conceited! I... I am not playing along anymore!"

Before she finished speaking, she had already turned into a streak of moon-white light, rushing out of the hot spring pool, her bare feet stepping on the air, leaving behind only the hurried and panicked tinkling of the golden bells on her ankles as she quickly disappeared into the spiritual mist of Panlong Peak.

Ling Hao watched the fleeing figure and couldn't help but chuckle softly. He lowered his head and rubbed the place where he had been kicked; that spot still retained a bit of warmth, wetness, and a tingling sensation, and he thought to himself.

"This kick... if I were still at the Soul Transformation stage, I'm afraid my ribs would have cracked in a few places, right? This woman, she certainly has a lot of strength when she gets angry out of shame."

She had even discarded her usual lazy and enchanting demeanor.

Retracting his gaze, Ling Hao looked toward Hundred Flowers Peak. From there, the crisp laughter of women could be vaguely heard, mixed with the gentle voice of Yu Lingling.

"With the integration of the Hundred Flowers Sect, one Void Tempering, two Body Integration, five hundred Soul Transformation, seven hundred Nascent Soul... plus the Loose Cultivators who have come to join, the Sect's mid-tier combat power finally has a decent Foundation."

Ling Hao muttered to himself, a satisfied curve playing on the corners of his mouth.

He looked down at the Moonshadow Sect bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.

Tianyuan Floating Island hung in the sky, the spiritual light of the taiyin zhoutian instrument faintly appearing. Tianyuan Peak was towering, and the Twin Lakes were sparkling.

Along the mountain paths by the lake, various colorful, light skirts fluttered like butterflies, and the crisp, melodious sounds of laughter and conversation intertwined with the tinkling of jade pendants to form a rhythm.

Above the various peaks, among the pavilions and towers, figures could be seen everywhere sitting cross-legged in meditation or sparring and discussing the Dao, with the colorful spiritual light of techniques flashing from time to time.

In the air, graceful figures riding various Magic Treasures shuttled back and forth, their sleeves fluttering, adorning the sky dyed by the sunset with vitality.

The entire Sect was immersed in a scene that was peaceful and harmonious, yet full of vibrant Dao rhymes.

This was the Sect he had built with his own hands, and it was also a paradise for countless female cultivators to pursue the Dao.

"The years are peaceful..."

Ling Hao stretched lazily and muttered to himself, "However, Xiao He and the other girls should also work harder to push for the Soul Transformation stage. Hmm... I will go back and 'guide' them properly."

The spring water was warm, soaking his body, and it also reflected the expectations for the future in Ling Hao's eyes.

...

The Southeast was now peaceful, and there would be no war in the short term.

Time passed swiftly, and half a year flowed by quietly amidst the peace and harmony of the Moonshadow Sect and the diligent cultivation of the Disciples.

On Hundred Flowers Peak, Yu Lingling had fully adapted to her role as Peak Revered Master. With the Moonshadow Sect's comprehensive contribution system and resource support, the original Hundred Flowers Sect Disciples gradually recovered their Lunar True Essence, and their cultivation levels improved steadily.

The number of those passing the tests of the Ten Thousand Flower Heavenly Steps or the Nine-Turn Corridor increased day by day, and they truly integrated into the big family of the Moonshadow Sect.

On Hundred Flowers Peak, one could often see female cultivators discussing Cultivation Techniques together and carrying out missions, with a harmonious atmosphere.

Yu Linglong also "kept her promise" and would "punctually" seek out Ling Hao every seven days.

The two would be at the hot spring pool by the Golden Lotus Workshop, at the Star-Plucking Eave Pavilion, at the waterfall at the source of the Tianyuan River, or even in a small courtyard within Hundred Flowers Peak.

The process of foot treatment was still just as ambiguous, but Yu Linglong was now able to maintain a superficial laziness under the familiar touch and kneading, having grown accustomed to the temperature of Ling Hao's palms, the strength of his fingertips, and even... the unique scalding sensation when he approached.

A tacit mode of interaction had formed between the two.

Yu Zhaohua resided in the meditation Immortal Cave on Hundred Flowers Peak, occasionally appearing in the Scripture Pavilion to explain the essence of the Linglong Blessed Land's Legacy or other Cultivation Techniques to interested Disciples.

She was indifferent, and when her ice-blue eyes swept over them, the Disciples would involuntarily hold their breath and focus.

However, as time went on and they had more contact, the Disciples gradually understood that although this Supreme Elder did not smile often, she was not heartless.

And Chi Wanhe, Qin Zhaoxue, and others, under Ling Hao's "special guidance," had made rapid progress in their cultivation and had already touched the threshold of the Soul Transformation stage.