"Begin the trial!"
Xiao Qingluan sat cross-legged and muttered silently in her heart.
The next second, she appeared in a vast white space, and in front of her, a huge Yin-Yang Celestial Ruler stretched across it! One black and one white, exuding a mysterious charm.
Xiao Qingluan slowly walked to one end of the Heavenly Ruler, and opposite her, a figure condensed, which was the shadow of Chen Ye.
[Ding!]
[The second trial is about martial arts!]
[Both sides' cultivation is suppressed at the Qi Gathering Realm, and they are not allowed to use physical fitness, mysterious weapons, magical powers, etc., and can only use martial arts!]
[If the host wins, she will get a Divine Sea Treasure Blossom!]
Divine Sea Treasure Blossom...
This is a top-grade elixir. Once taken, it can allow a warrior to give birth to spiritual consciousness or even a Divine Soul in advance! Once a warrior possesses a Divine Soul in advance, his combat power will be greatly increased. Before he is promoted to the Divine Sea Realm, his practice will advance by leaps and bounds.
Xiao Qingluan is confident that if she obtains this Divine Sea Treasure Blossom...
She could even advance to the Spirit Spring Realm within a year!
Within three years, become the Martial Sovereign!
Become the Transcendent within five years!
Within a hundred years, she will be able to recover her peak cultivation! Fight back to Qingluan Continent!
"I must get this precious blossom of the Divine Sea Spirit!"
"Senior Brother, I'm sorry!"
Xiao Qingluan said, holding the sword and attacking Chen Ye. As soon as she attacked, she used the Phoenix Sword Technique. The sword energy intertwined and transformed into a phoenix shadow!
But Chen Ye blocked it with his sword. With a clang, he actually blocked her sword.
Xiao Qingluan changed her tactics again. In the blink of an eye, she used thirteen swords!
But…
All blocked! And Chen Ye still stood there, not taking a single step back.
She was shocked.
"What? Senior Brother actually has such attainments in swordsmanship?!"
"No, I have never seen Brother practice martial arts. He has never even touched a sword. How can he have such sword skills?"
Not only that, she also vaguely sensed a familiar aura from Chen Ye's swordsmanship. Wait, isn't this her Phoenix Sword Technique?!
She was even more shocked.
More than a dozen swords were blocked by Chen Ye. While she was stunned, Chen Ye had already counterattacked. He held a long sword in his hand, condensed his energy into the sword tip, and struck out with one sword. Xiao Qingluan was pushed back more than ten steps.
She was shocked but didn't dare to be careless at all. She immediately used the strongest move of the Phoenix Sword Technique, "Phoenix Dances in the Sky!!"
She leaped up, sword energy burst out, and transformed into a phoenix shadow burning with flames.
Chen Ye made the same move. He also leaped up, and the sword energy condensed into the shadow of a phoenix. Not only that, the phoenix he condensed was even more lifelike than Xiao Qingluan's! Moreover, there was also a sharp Sword Intent in the air!
"Sword Intent?! It's actually Sword Intent!!"
Xiao Qingluan's pupils shrank slightly. Only by practicing the Transcendent Dharma to perfection can you comprehend the artistic conception! Because only the Transcendent can master the artistic conception! And Chen Ye… was not a Transcendent, but he had cultivated a Transcendent method to perfection and successfully mastered the sword intent! This is something she can't do even now!
The two phoenix shadows collided head-on, but Xiao Qingluan's phoenix fell apart at the first touch, and she was hit head-on by Chen Ye's sword energy! The whole person flew out of the Heavenly Ruler!
[Trial Failed!]
Xiao Qingluan returned to awareness, completely stunned.
"Why has Senior Brother never practiced swordsmanship, yet has such a high level of swordsmanship and mastered the sword intent?"
"Moreover, he knows my Phoenix Sword Technique?!"
"What on earth is going on?"
She thought she knew her senior brother well enough. But now it seems that what she knows might just be the tip of the iceberg!
"My dear senior brother, you have many surprises that I don't know about!"
[Penalty Task]
[Give Chen Ye a goodnight kiss for three consecutive days! After completing the task, you can get the petals of the Divine Sea Treasure Blossom!]
The petals of the Divine Sea Treasure Blossom. Although not as good as a whole blossom, they are still beneficial. Even if they cannot allow Xiao Qingluan to condense a Divine Soul in advance, they can still give birth to spiritual consciousness. It will be of great benefit before she advances to the Soul Formation Realm.
But more importantly... This punishment task made Xiao Qingluan blush!
Goodnight kiss?!
The Yin-Yang Celestial Ruler actually wants her to kiss Chen Ye?!
"Last time it was a massage, this time it's a goodnight kiss. Could this artifact be matchmaking us?!"
"Is this a punishment?? This is clearly a reward!"
But how? She looked at herself in the mirror—a girl of twelve or thirteen—and suddenly had an idea. She jumped out of bed and walked toward Chen Ye's room.
She knocked on the door.
Creak.
Chen Ye opened the door. "Junior Sister isn't asleep yet? What's the matter?"
"Senior Brother, can you squat down?"
Chen Ye did not doubt her. He squatted down to meet her eye level. Xiao Qingluan suddenly leaned in and kissed his forehead.
He froze, staring at her blushing face. "Junior Sister, you… what are you doing?"
"Senior Brother, this is a goodnight kiss. When my mother was alive, she would always say goodnight to me like this before bed. But now… she's gone…"
Sadness tinged her eyes—truthful, as this body's parents had died in a Demonic Disaster before Shen Ziling brought her to Jade Bamboo Peak.
Seeing her grief, Chen Ye sighed and hugged her involuntarily.
She's seeking comfort in family loss… Poor child.
"Junior Sister, don't be sad. Jade Bamboo Peak is your home. Senior Brother and Master are your family."
"Woo woo, Senior Brother…"
Xiao Qingluan rubbed her head against Chen Ye's chest.
Senior Brother is family. As for that scoundrel Master? Forget her.
After comforting Xiao Qingluan and sending her back to sleep, Chen Ye returned to his room. At dawn, they washed and departed for the royal capital amid the townspeople's grateful waves.
Along the way, they passed villages and towns, slaying demonic beasts and demons. Xiao Qingluan fought with fierce bravery, outpacing grown warriors in dedication. Yet nightly, the fierce slayer became an obedient girl clinging to Chen Ye, kissing his forehead before bed.
Chen Ye—kissed repeatedly—puzzled over her sudden clinginess but dismissed it as trauma from losing her parents.
Soon, they arrived at Luowangdu.
Over the capital hung a churning shroud of demonic miasma!