Beneath the water, Ling Xiaodong and Mu Qinghe clung tightly to each other, holding their breath and concentrating deeply.
Leaping into the water at the instant the concealment curse took effect was an extremely risky gamble. If those two Shan Gui lost their trail and went searching elsewhere, they would be completely safe.
But if they were discovered, Ling Xiaodong and Mu Qinghe would be trapped in this small courtyard, forced to fight the two ghosts up close.
Just as the ripples on the pond’s surface began to calm, two Shan Gui—one following the other—pursued into the courtyard. Their yellow cat-like eyes glowed faintly in the darkness, searching everywhere. Upon failing to find any trace of the two, they lowered their heads and sniffed around like dogs, trying to detect their scent.
Ling Xiaodong, submerged underwater, could clearly hear the two ghosts’ low breathing overhead and the crisp sounds of their claws striking the ground.
While Ling Xiaodong focused on analyzing the movements of the two Shan Gui above, a sudden sharp pain in his arm caught his attention. It was Mu Qinghe’s hands tightly gripping his arm, her nails digging so deeply they might have drawn blood.
Was she really this nervous?
Ling Xiaodong’s Yin-Yang eyes could see even underwater, and when he looked at Mu Qinghe’s pale, delicate face, he realized something was wrong.
When he had jumped into the water earlier for speed and silence, he hadn’t reminded Mu Qinghe to prepare to hold her breath. Now, it seemed Mu Qinghe was close to suffocating.
What could they do? The two Shan Gui above were still searching and hadn’t left.
Wait! The Taiqing Jiuxuan contains a Water Avoidance Spell. How was it cast again?
Ling Xiaodong frantically searched his mind for any information about the Water Avoidance Spell. But seeing Mu Qinghe’s face grow paler by the second, her grip on his arm weakening, time was running out.
With no other choice, Ling Xiaodong steeled himself. Forgetting all hesitation, he lifted Mu Qinghe’s veil, pressed his lips to hers, and breathed his own breath into her mouth directly.
Mu Qinghe clung to him like a drowning person grabbing the last straw, greedily absorbing the clear breath he passed on. Her complexion softened slightly.
But the two Shan Gui above still refused to leave. At this rate, Ling Xiaodong doubted he could hold out much longer.
In this critical moment, although he hadn’t recalled the Water Avoidance Spell, another technique from the Taiqing Jiuxuan suddenly came to mind—the Embryonic Breath Technique.
“Life begins with the fetus of hidden Qi; Qi lives through the fetus. Qi enters the body, called birth; the spirit leaves the form, called death. Understanding spirit and Qi can bring longevity: firmly guard the void to nurture spirit and Qi; where spirit moves, Qi moves; where spirit rests, Qi rests. If longevity is desired, spirit and Qi must unite.”
Cultivators often conceal their Qi beneath the navel, guarding the spirit within the body. Spirit and Qi merge to form the mystical embryo—the lower dantian.
Following the Embryonic Breath Technique’s instructions, Ling Xiaodong guided the turbid breath Mu Qinghe had given him into his lower dantian, merging it with his spiritual energy and the lingering Hongmeng purple Qi, transforming this turbid Qi from acquired to innate, then purifying it back into clear breath and returning it to Mu Qinghe.
This circulation formed a continuous cycle—endless and life-sustaining.
The suffocation crisis eased. Ling Xiaodong calmed down and noticed the softness against his lips. Mu Qinghe’s lips were cool and, upon closer tasting, faintly sweet.
Earlier, Mu Qinghe had inhaled deeply, sucking away all the saliva in his mouth, leaving Ling Xiaodong parched. Fortunately, they were still underwater.
As he gently tilted his head back to part from her soft lips and drink some pond water to moisten his mouth, Mu Qinghe pressed her lips tightly against his again.
Her oxygen-starved mind was blank except for the instinct to take every last breath she could.
Ling Xiaodong tried tilting his head side to side, but no matter how he moved, Mu Qinghe clung tightly to his lips, even more insistently than the two Shan Gui pursuing them. It seemed she had yet to recover from her earlier suffocation.
He found it amusing. “Not letting go so soon? Fine, what’s taken must be returned!”
Instead of pulling back, Ling Xiaodong advanced, teasing her mouth open with his tongue and shamelessly exploring the fragrant depths inside.
Mu Qinghe was startled but clung even tighter to his arm, eyes wide in surprise, yet no sound escaped her.
Who was this Ling Xiaodong? Even with deadly enemies overhead, he remained calm and daring. Seeing Mu Qinghe’s flustered, flushed expression only made him more playful.
Ling Xiaodong continued his conquest inside her mouth, relentless and victorious, chasing her soft, lilac tongue up and down, teasing and tangling.
Mu Qinghe’s tender tongue instinctively shied away, shy and hesitant, but their two slippery tongues gradually intertwined tightly. Their saliva mixed freely inside their mouths.
Mu Qinghe’s entire body went soft as if without bones, her cheeks burning red. She allowed Ling Xiaodong to do as he pleased in her mouth, powerless to resist.
When she gave up struggling, Ling Xiaodong found it boring, withdrew his tongue obediently, and resumed breathing energy into her.
Ling Xiaodong and Mu Qinghe stayed submerged until the ghostly aura above disappeared. They lingered underwater a moment longer, repeatedly ensuring the two Shan Gui had not turned back before slowly climbing out of the pond.
Ling Xiaodong wrung out his waterlogged sleeve, looking at Mu Qinghe nervously. Truth be told, he was a little flustered—breathing energy could be explained, but slipping his tongue into her mouth was harder to justify.
He had expected Mu Qinghe to scold him for his rashness once ashore, but when he looked at her, she instead avoided his gaze, silent and lowered her head, playing with her fingers. The veil hid any expression on her face.
Quiet as if nothing had happened.
Since the young lady didn’t pursue it, Ling Xiaodong wouldn’t stir up trouble.
“Miss Mu, let’s go. Those two Shan Gui should have left,” Ling Xiaodong said softly.
Mu Qinghe kept her head turned away and replied quietly, “Mm.”
Ling Xiaodong placed his hand on the small gate of the courtyard, about to push it open, when suddenly alarm bells rang in his mind. He shouted, “Retreat!”
He spun around, grabbing Mu Qinghe and leaping back to the pond’s edge. The next moment, wood chips flew as the fierce Shan Gui slammed into the gate with mocking yellow cat eyes.
At the same time, low beast roars rose in succession. Four more Shan Gui, their bodies engulfed in blue flames, leapt onto the courtyard wall, forming a siege.
They hadn’t left earlier—they had returned with reinforcements.
The two Shan Gui had already cornered Ling Xiaodong and Mu Qinghe in a desperate situation. Now their numbers had more than doubled—five in total—creating a thoroughly hopeless scenario.
The five Shan Gui ignored Mu Qinghe entirely and instead circled Ling Xiaodong. In their eyes, he was the greater threat. If he died, the injured Mu Qinghe would be helpless.
With bloodthirsty howls, the five Shan Gui lunged at Ling Xiaodong—but all missed.
Ling Xiaodong moved nimbly between their attacks, not even a sleeve grazed. Though he couldn’t defeat them, dodging their slow strikes was easy.
Mu Qinghe gritted her teeth, helplessly watching Ling Xiaodong barely maneuver through the five ghosts’ siege. Several close calls had her heart pounding with fear.
Recalling her grandmaster-level skills were useless here, Mu Qinghe hated herself for not bringing the Demon-Slaying Talisman and Spirit-Summoning Talisman her Yimu had entrusted her with before leaving, which led to their current predicament.
As she anxiously observed the battle, a blue flame flickered up from the ground—there was a sixth Shan Gui lurking underground!
“Watch out!”
Mu Qinghe saw the sixth Shan Gui’s pitch-black, razor-sharp claw emerge from below, aiming directly for Ling Xiaodong’s back, who was completely unaware!
Ignoring the pain in her injured calf, Mu Qinghe pushed off the ground with all her strength, charging into the circle of five Shan Gui, placing herself behind Ling Xiaodong, trying to take the deadly blow with her body!
Because she knew she wouldn’t die. If she suffered a fatal blow, she would be transported back to the Luo Sect headquarters. With her Yimu’s extraordinary methods, bringing the dead back to life—flesh and bone intact—was no problem.
Moreover, if she left, Ling Xiaodong could abandon his burden and escape alone. Everything was perfectly planned.
But from Ling Xiaodong’s perspective, things were different. With his eyesight, he had long detected the sixth Shan Gui underground. Just as he prepared to dodge the attack from behind, he caught sight of Mu Qinghe rushing to shield him.
Ling Xiaodong cursed inwardly. This foolish woman was only causing him trouble!
Dodging the sneak attack would have been easy, but Mu Qinghe’s sudden charge disrupted his movements. He could only spin around, pulling her into his arms, turning his back to the Shan Gui’s claws, intending to take the fatal strike himself.
At this critical moment, a sharp female voice rang out from outside the courtyard.
“Chì!”
A flash of golden light appeared! A bolt of lightning struck the leaping Shan Gui out of nowhere, sending it flying, leaving a deep, charred scar across its back.
The struck Shan Gui howled in pain, rolling on the ground as its blue ghostly flames flickered erratically, the wound smoking ominously.
Ling Xiaodong held Mu Qinghe tightly in his arms, turning to look at the woman standing outside the gate.