Ji Shiyu had been badgered by Ruan Yu until her throat was dry.
Hearing that a powerful sword cultivator like herself was ranked last made her even more displeased.
She desperately needed some Spirit Tea to cool her temper.
Just then, she noticed a cup of water in Yun Liu’s hand.
It smelled surprisingly fragrant and was exceptionally tempting, so she snatched the cup and downed it in one go.
The ‘Great Filial Daughter’ didn’t care if the young man had touched it or not.
What belonged to her Master was hers, and it was even better since he had touched it!
Ge Lan was still pondering the true motives of the Messenger of Bright Light.
In that brief moment of distraction, the cup was already empty by the time she tried to take it back.
The first cup of the Qingxia Secret Treasure had somehow ended up in the blonde girl’s stomach!
“Burp! What is this stuff? It tastes a bit strange.”
Ji Shiyu smacked her lips, feeling a wave of coolness surge from her Qi Sea to the top of her head.
Her entire spirit felt invigorated, and she was filled with a mysterious, comfortable excitement.
Ge Lan’s face turned pale.
This was no small joke.
“Are you… all right?”
“I feel great!”
Ji Shiyu’s expression remained normal, but she suddenly did two somersaults as if she had an endless amount of energy to burn.
She couldn’t wait for the Great Competition to start tonight so she could beat up any ‘father-stealers’ that showed up, one by one or in pairs.
Ge Lan touched Ji Shiyu’s forehead and checked her meridians, but after a long while, there was still no adverse reaction.
‘Strange… Is it because the dosage was too low?’
In the past, there had been cases where Clear Mist Peak disciples accidentally consumed Tree Sea Soul Essence.
Fortunately, no men were allowed in the Master’s Sect.
Even so, the scenes in the girls’ dormitory that night had been too scandalous to describe.
“What’s strange?”
“Nothing. It’s getting late. Don’t go running around in the middle of the night. Hurry back to your dormitory and sleep. Remember to lock the door!”
Without time to overthink it, Ge Lan breathed a sigh of relief.
She pushed Ji Shiyu and the bird out, then bolted the door behind them.
His Second Mother’s behavior was truly bizarre, and Yun Liu couldn’t help but feel suspicious as he stared thoughtfully at the empty cup.
At first glance, it looked like a regular cup of Spirit Tea with no abnormal spiritual energy fluctuations.
A faint trace of the girl’s lipstick remained on the rim.
The mother and son stared at each other.
Some people claimed it was late, yet they refused to leave, having just driven away everyone who was in the way.
There was definitely something fishy going on!
“What… what do you want? I’ll provide the betrothal gift… Sister Qin is at a critical juncture for her Nascent Soul advancement. How about several Heavenly Path Soul-Nurturing Pills?”
Seeing Ge Lan staring at him intently, Yun Liu panicked slightly and shrunk back.
A real man knows when to yield!
Martial Aunt had only recovered to the Nascent Soul Stage at most, so he could talk back to her, but Second Mother was a genuine Lianxu Stage powerhouse.
Resistance was futile.
“I don’t want anything. We can talk about other things later. Here, drink this cup of tea first. Be a good boy.”
Ge Lan smiled warmly as she poured another cup and brought it to the young man’s lips.
“This is my private, secret collection. I specially prepared it for you and Xiang’er. It’s very beneficial for the body.”
Only Yun could know how terrified he felt at this moment.
The woman’s current seductive expression was exactly like a femme fatale serving a poisoned bowl of medicine to her husband!
‘Does she really want to serve up a Master-disciple bowl?’
Yun Liu instinctively looked toward those two towering, unreachable peaks.
“A private collection… it isn’t breast milk tea, is it?”
“Where is your head at!”
Ge Lan raised her hand and flicked his forehead, unable to decide whether to be angry or amused by the boy’s thoughts.
“Thank you, Second Mother. I’ll remember to drink it. It’s late, so you should rest early too. I’m really fine. The instability in my Innate Spiritual Foundation is just a… side effect of repairing my Qi Sea. Yes!”
Yun Liu shook his head with a mix of relief and regret, offering a random excuse.
Both mother and son had their own hidden agendas.
There might even be guests visiting later tonight.
It would be a disaster if Ge Lan caught them.
“No, it won’t work once it’s cold!”
The tea was at his lips.
Just as Yun Liu tried to stall, he was suppressed by an overwhelming, mountain-like aura.
Ge Lan pressed closer, her intention clear — she wouldn’t leave until she saw him drink it with her own eyes.
Although he didn’t suspect his Second Mother would harm him, something felt wrong.
Yun Liu had a sudden idea.
“Since it’s so precious, I’d feel bad enjoying it alone. Why don’t you have a cup first?”
“Huh? I… I’m not thirsty, thank you.”
Ge Lan paused, clearly flustered.
This was far too suspicious!
Yun Liu crossed his arms and looked at Ge Lan with a smile, making it clear that if she didn’t drink, he wouldn’t either.
‘This brat is trying to play games with me?’
Ge Lan’s scalp tingled.
Steeling her heart, she gritted her teeth and downed the tea.
She even turned the cup upside down to show not a single drop was left, just like a seasoned drinker at a banquet.
“Now it’s your turn! Bottoms up!”
“Are you… all right?”
Yun Liu looked Ge Lan up and down, asking the same question she had asked earlier.
Ji Shiyu was immune to almost all poisons and had high resistance to status effects, but he didn’t.
He wanted to see how Second Mother would react, but Ge Lan lunged at him fiercely, planting one leg directly on the desk.
“I told you to drink, so drink! Stop talking so much!”
The fierce Second Mother cornered him, pulling the young man into her embrace.
She forced his mouth open and poured the tea in as if she were nursing an infant.
Cup after cup, half a pot went down.
Not a single drop was wasted, and she even made the rebellious son lick the rim of the cup clean before she finally stopped.
Yun Liu almost choked while buried against her.
Wiping the corner of his mouth, he coughed irritably, “Cough, cough! Are you satisfied now!?”
“That’s a good, obedient boy. When I have milk in the future, I’ll make up for everything I’ve owed you over the years. You stay here tonight and wait patiently. You aren’t allowed to go anywhere!”
After giving her instructions, Ge Lan patted her dress and left to catch the others.
She would leave the rest of the work to Xiang’er.
‘That’s really not necessary…’
Yun Liu cleared his throat.
There was no reason to compete with a future younger brother for milk, and he had heard that stuff tasted quite fishy.
In his past life, Second Mother had died in the tragedy of Qingxia, never having married.
If everything was heading toward a better future, perhaps she would find a good home as well.
Thinking of this, the young man stretched and laughed happily.
Soon, Yun Liu noticed something unusual.
His pale complexion gradually took on a healthy flush.
His senses became increasingly sharp; the world around him seemed to slow down, allowing him to see every detail with absolute clarity.
The drifting clouds on the horizon, the flying cranes in the wind, and even the flapping wings of a tiny insect nearby seemed to slow down several times over.
This was a premonition of his Divine Soul improving.
Given that his Divine Sense was already several Great Realms ahead of his cultivation, it shouldn’t have been possible for this to happen at his current stage.
He was greatly astonished.
At the same time, a vigorous surge of life force coursed through his meridians.
Even someone as steady as him felt the urge to stand up and jump around.
No wonder Shiyu had been so hyper after just one cup.
The most obvious effect was the accelerated collapse of his Innate Spiritual Foundation.
The foundation built by the Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment was crumbling, and the depths of his Jade Palace were shaking continuously.
Yun Liu was overjoyed.
He knew this meant the Heavenly Walk Method was evolving toward the peak of Foundation Establishment.
Dan Forming was imminent.
He had prepared many Spirit Pills and Divine Medicines previously, but they had shown little effect.
He had originally planned to enter the Sword Furnace to use Xiao Luran’s opportunity to break through, but half a pot of tea had saved him all that trouble.
“It really is good stuff. Second Mother didn’t lie to me.”
Yun Liu clenched his fists and smiled.
At this moment, he felt like chasing Ge Lan down just to give her a few kisses.