Ye Luqing’s consciousness slowly peeled away from the sword diagram, gradually awakening.
She was delighted to find that her sword intent was already halfway formed!
“Could it be that I’m a genius in swordsmanship too?”
She curled her lips in satisfaction.
At this rate, if she used her sleeping hours every night to practice swordsmanship, she was confident she could bring the Yiqi Sword Formula to minor completion before the Competition.
If it was her previous speed, it would have taken two or three months just to reach minor completion—by then, the Competition would have long ended.
Ye Luqing looked at Ying Qianqian beside her.
The pink-haired girl’s breath was shallow, sweat beaded lightly on her forehead, but her blue eyes were clear as ever.
Why did Ying Qianqian look even more exhausted than herself?
She asked in confusion, “Little Sakura, what’s wrong with you…”
Ying Qianqian smiled awkwardly, handing the Emotion Branch back to Ye Luqing.
“I was just cultivating a little too hard just now.”
Cultivating swordsmanship also counted as cultivation, so it wasn’t a lie.
“I see.”
Ye Luqing nodded slightly.
She weighed the Emotion Branch in her hand, noticing it was heavier with emotions absorbed than before, but didn’t doubt Ying Qianqian’s words.
“By the way, Senior Sister Ye, can we move tomorrow’s practice time forward to the afternoon?” Ying Qianqian asked.
“Move it earlier? Why?”
“I feel the auxiliary formation of the Yin-Yang Meridian Formation is almost complete.”
Ying Qianqian glanced left.
“And… I want to practice some other things at night.”
Ye Luqing was stunned for a moment, then understood.
‘Is she seeing me practice swordsmanship and wants to supplement with something besides formations too?’
Thinking this, Ye Luqing readily agreed.
“Sure, no problem. Let’s practice in the afternoon tomorrow.”
“If there’s anything you don’t understand about formations, you can come to me anytime.”
She rubbed Ying Qianqian’s small head.
In the path of formation arts, it was the only thing she could help Little Sakura with right now.
Ying Qianqian didn’t linger in the courtyard and immediately returned to the Baiyu Platform.
Her Yin-Yang Meridian Formation wasn’t “almost complete” as she claimed; it still required a lot of practice.
Now that she wanted to learn the Yiqi Sword Formula as well, she needed to work even harder.
Her goal was to spend half an hour each day on the Yiqi Sword Formula while fully comprehending the Yin-Yang Meridian Formation, ensuring she could push this sword art to mastery or even perfection by the time of the Competition.
If her sword was drawn, it would astonish all!
***
By the Azure Water Lake, at three quarters past the afternoon.
Ruyi Pei arrived at Ye Luqing’s courtyard as promised.
Ever since Ye Luqing increased the Corruption Value to level two yesterday, the desire in Ruyi Pei that was on the verge of erupting and even leading to self-destruction suddenly subsided, replaced by a hollow craving for orders.
Ye Luqing leaned against the door frame, smiling faintly at Ruyi Pei outside the courtyard.
In the next moment, Ruyi Pei’s data flashed across her eyes.
[Name: Ruyi Pei]
[Cultivation: Yuan Ying Stage]
[Blackening Value: None]
[Demonization Value: None]
[Corruption Value: 12% (Stage 2)]
In just half a day, Ruyi Pei’s Corruption Value had increased by 11%.
This value was not only due to her betrayal of Xiao Qingxuan on the Sword Trial Platform, but also from her contrasting nature—cold on the outside, fiery inside—leading her to self-captivate.
Entering the house, Ye Luqing activated the Hehuan True Qi she had prepared in advance, filling the room with a strange floral scent.
Ruyi Pei frowned slightly and instinctively held her breath.
As a Sword Cultivator, her Sword Heart was wildly warning her of danger in this place.
However, Ye Luqing merely walked up to Ruyi Pei, stretched out a jade finger, and lightly pressed against Ruyi Pei’s taut abdomen, honed through years of training.
In the next second, Ruyi Pei instantly lost control.
“Mm…ah…”
Despite her body being forged through countless trials, her weakness was effortlessly exploited by Ye Luqing.
Just as she tried to regain composure, her emotions were stirred into chaos within her mind, making calm impossible.
For the current Ruyi Pei, under the Six Desires Marionette Array, being controlled was as easy as a thought for Ye Luqing.
As a torrent of Hehuan True Qi flowed into her, filling her Dan Tian Qi Sea, Ruyi Pei’s expression became more and more alluring.
“Junior Sister Ye, your… your methods are anything but righteous. If you come with me to Senior Sister Xiao now and confess, there’s still time…”
Maintaining the last trace of clarity, Ruyi Pei, her face flushed, gritted her teeth in defiance:
Ye Luqing extended her hand, and Ruyi Pei instinctively lowered her head, leaning in.
Her words remained tough, but her body was betraying her utterly.
From the upright, stoic Sword Cultivator at the door, she had transformed into a seductive immortal in a matter of moments.
Seeing this scene, Ye Luqing suddenly understood a bit of Ying Qianqian’s amusement.
Yet now, all her attention was on Ruyi Pei’s words.
“Heh…Senior Sister Xiao, still thinking of your Senior Sister Xiao.”
A shadow passed over Ye Luqing’s face.
She didn’t want to hear Xiao Qingxuan’s name right now.
“It seems I must properly control you.”
“With your master right in front of you, you still dare mention another woman’s name.”
Her hand stroked Ruyi Pei’s beautiful face, running through her ink-black hair and around her neck.
With a slight force, she pulled Ruyi Pei’s head closer.
Their foreheads touched.
Looking at this figure so similar to Xiao Qingxuan’s, Ye Luqing sneered.
“Since you like Xiao Qingxuan so much, I’ll fulfill your wish today.”
She took out Xiao Qingxuan’s clothes and personally dressed Ruyi Pei in them.
Additionally, she produced a white lace ribbon with a floral border, laying it over Ruyi Pei’s eyes.
The ribbon emitted a faint Qingmu Flower Fragrance, leaving one to imagine just where this ribbon had come from.
“Gulp!”
The moment the ribbon covered her eyes, Ruyi Pei felt her sight instantly cut off, her spiritual sense at the Yuan Ying Stage sealed away, unable to sense her surroundings.
This was no ordinary ribbon, but one imbued with the Hehuan Secret Technique: Entangling Silk Art.
Strands of silk formed from Hehuan True Qi wove together into a pink web, directly shrouding Ruyi Pei’s Spiritual Platform.
Her instincts screamed danger, but the threads of Hehuan True Qi ensnared her senses.
By the time she realized it, all her senses but sight had dulled to that of an ordinary person.
“Come.”
Ye Luqing took Ruyi Pei’s hand and led her to the center of the empty room.
With her spiritual power sealed, Ruyi Pei, unable to sense her surroundings, was like a person locked in a pitch-black room.
On top of that, the Six Desires Marionette Array amplified her inner fears.
She clung to Ye Luqing’s hand, lips trembling, desperate to grasp the only light in the darkness.
But Ye Luqing deliberately pulled her hand away, watching Ruyi Pei fumble in panic.
“Junior Sister Ye…”
“Junior Sister Ye…where are you…”
“Don’t…don’t leave me…”
With her blue eyes covered, Ruyi Pei resembled Xiao Qingxuan even more.
Seeing “Xiao Qingxuan” in such a helpless state, Ye Luqing felt a wicked thrill.
A few minutes passed.
Only when Ruyi Pei’s quiet cries turned to sobs did Ye Luqing take her hand again.
She had left her long enough.
It was time for the next step.
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