The night in the Violet Blossom Secret Realm was so quiet that only the soft crackling of the campfire remained.
Yan Hua once again demonstrated her astonishing speed, catching a pile of plump Spiritual Fish with her bare hands.
Bai Yue found a few sturdy branches, cleaned and gutted the fish, skewered them one by one, and set them over the fire to roast slowly.
Soon, fat dripped into the flames with a sizzling sound, and the rich aroma of fish mingled with a faint spiritual energy, spreading through the forest.
“Ah-woo~”
Yan Hua was the first to give in, grabbing a golden, crispy Spiritual Fish and stuffing it into her mouth.
She panted from the heat but couldn’t bear to spit it out.
Oil dripped from her mouth as she ate, like a greedy little kitten.
Bai Yue laughed and pulled out a clean handkerchief, gently wiping the oil from the corner of her mouth.
As the night deepened, the group decided to spend the night in the secret realm.
It was Su Qiuyue’s turn to enter her Master’s Sea of Consciousness for restoration.
The familiar scene appeared once again.
A pure white hospital room, with a faint trace of disinfectant in the air, overlaid by the unique aura of her Master.
Her Master, Bai Yue, lay quietly on the hospital bed, breathing evenly, her sleeping face peaceful.
With the experience from last time, Su Qiuyue felt less uneasy.
Bai Yue’s long eyelashes cast a small shadow under her eyes, fluttered lightly, and then opened.
“Qiuyue, you’re here. Come lie down and sleep together.”
Bai Yue invited with a smile.
Su Qiuyue slowly lay down beside Bai Yue.
She had just settled in, not yet found a comfortable position, when a warm, soft arm wrapped around her, pulling her into an embrace.
This embrace carried the power to soothe all restlessness.
Su Qiuyue’s whole body froze.
“Thump, thump, thump.”
Her heart pounded fiercely.
A sleepy voice sounded by her ear, warm breath brushing her ear, bringing a subtle flutter.
“Qiuyue, your heart is beating so fast.”
A warm fingertip, with a slight coolness, lightly tapped the center of her chest.
“Like a drum.”
The finger began to trace circles around her heart, slow and unhurried.
One circle.
Then another.
“Master won’t eat you, so what are you afraid of?”
The laughter in Bai Yue’s voice tickled Su Qiuyue’s restless heart like a feather.
Each movement of that circling finger sent ripples through Su Qiuyue’s heart.
The ticklish sensation spread from her chest, flowing through her limbs, making her whole body go soft, as if she might melt into her Master’s embrace.
“Master…”
Su Qiuyue’s voice was as soft as a mosquito’s, tinged with a hint of coquettishness.
“Don’t… don’t draw anymore, it tickles.”
Bai Yue seemed to chuckle softly, the laughter passing through their close bodies directly into Su Qiuyue.
“Oh? It tickles?”
The mischievous finger stopped.
Su Qiuyue finally relaxed.
The next second, the finger moved again.
“No more circles, then I’ll draw a square for you.”
“…”
Su Qiuyue gave up completely.
What could she do? She was in despair too.
She could only let her Master’s finger draw a square, stroke by stroke, over her heart with utmost seriousness.
As her Master’s fingertip moved, Su Qiuyue was surprised to find that pure, warm currents were flowing from her Master’s finger into her.
Wherever the warmth passed, her damaged Soul Body seemed to be nourished, and tiny cracks were being repaired.
The sensation of her Soul Body being healed was simply too comfortable.
It was like cracked earth after a long drought finally receiving its first spring rain.
Su Qiuyue couldn’t help but let out a soft moan of comfort, her body relaxing further as she unconsciously nestled deeper into her Master’s warm embrace, seeking a more secure position.
Her Master’s methods of healing were always so… strange.
But just as effective.
The pleasant scent of her Master lingered at her nose, steady heartbeats sounded in her ears, her body was wrapped in a warm embrace, and her Soul Body was nourished by the comforting current.
An unprecedented sense of security swept over her.
After being tense for so long, Su Qiuyue finally relaxed completely.
Without realizing it, she fell asleep in her Master’s arms.
***
When Su Qiuyue’s consciousness returned, she was already back outside.
She looked inward at her own face.
The scar that had once been hideous and tormented her day and night had vanished.
It was completely gone, not even a trace left.
Su Qiuyue stared at her own face, a strange emotion flickering in her eyes.
At the same time, she could sense that, after this night, her damaged soul had mostly recovered.
Just one more time, and she could return to her previous state.
She couldn’t wait to tell her Master this good news.
However, Bai Yue was still asleep, with a faint, almost imperceptible fatigue between her brows.
Su Qiuyue’s excitement immediately calmed.
Her Master must have expended a great deal of energy to restore her soul.
She couldn’t disturb her Master’s rest.
Su Qiuyue quietly floated to the side, gazing at Bai Yue’s sleeping face, her heart filled with admiration.
This good news—she would wait until her Master woke up tomorrow to share it.
***
The next morning.
When Bai Yue learned that the scar on Su Qiuyue’s face had disappeared and her Soul Body was nearly healed, she was truly happy for her.
“That’s wonderful, Qiuyue.”
Bai Yue ruffled her hair.
“As your Master, I don’t want you to live under the shadow of hatred. Being able to erase the scars of your past for you makes me happier than anything.”
Bai Yue’s gentle words sent another wave through Su Qiuyue’s heart.
Everyone had woken up, so they began a new round of cultivation.
Practicing the Chanyuan Sword Formula together not only increased its power, but also deepened everyone’s understanding of the sword.
Mu Chenxi looked at Bai Yue, who was sitting cross-legged and absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, her heart stirred.
She walked behind Bai Yue and tentatively placed a palm on Bai Yue’s back.
A pure, icy spiritual energy slowly flowed in.
Bai Yue’s body trembled, but she didn’t resist.
The cold spiritual energy entered her meridians and, as if finding a kindred spirit, merged obediently with her own power, quickly being refined.
“It really works!”
Mu Chenxi was surprised and delighted.
She no longer hesitated and increased the flow of spiritual energy.
Bai Yue felt torrents of powerful, pure energy pouring into her body, the bottleneck of her Golden Core’s early stage shattering almost instantly.
Her cultivation soared until it finally halted at the Golden Core mid-stage.
“Stop, stop for a moment!”
Bai Yue quickly called out.
A swelling pain spread through her meridians—a sign that her cultivation had increased too rapidly for her body to adapt.
Mu Chenxi immediately withdrew her hand.
“Senior Sister, are you alright?”
“I’m fine, just a bit bloated.”
Bai Yue couldn’t help but laugh at the surging power in her body.
While others struggled with cultivation, she was being fattened up by her disciples.
This blissful trouble was truly… addictive.
“Once Master adapts, I’ll continue.”
Mu Chenxi said earnestly.
Bai Yue nodded.
After the cultivation session, it was time to eat fish again.
Aside from Su Qiuyue, who was still in Soul Body form and couldn’t eat, the others filled their bellies.
Especially Yan Hua, who rubbed her little stomach and burped contentedly, filling the air with a joyful mood.