Chapter 30 Lotus Dew

Under the moonlight, vine branches entwined, the hot spring waters shrouded in a hazy mist of warmth.

The young girl’s delicate face before him seemed flushed by the steam, her eyes dazed and confused, her slender fingers clutching his hand tightly.

Seeing this, Xie Lingyu belatedly realized that the soft whimpers and moans the girl had made earlier, which he had mistaken for pain from her wound, were actually for another reason.

He gently touched his fingertip, dipped it into the Lotus Dew from the lotus heart, and applied it to the wound, massaging it in slow circles. “Does my junior sister still want it like this?”

The dazed little fox trembled, her fingers tightening around his clothes as she nodded with a soft hum.

She didn’t know how to express it and grew a bit impatient. After thinking for a moment, she spoke in a sticky, slurred voice, “Keep… applying the medicine.”

But Xie Lingyu stopped. “Does my junior sister’s wound no longer hurt?”

“It doesn’t hurt.”

Only after receiving her reply did the young man resume his actions, his fingertip slowly spreading the medicine as the slightly reddened wound gradually deepened into a crimson blush.

But the application was unusually slow.

Sang Ying grew both anxious and dissatisfied with his leisurely pace. Clutching his clothes, she couldn’t help but complain, “Xie Lingyu, hurry up… Can you even do this properly?”

The young man in her blurred vision chuckled softly. With one hand slowly applying the medicine, he exerted a bit more pressure. His free hand lifted her small face. “Is this how the young lady asks for help?”

Sang Ying whimpered softly, her eyes dazed, ignoring his words.

A sudden coolness washed over the wound as cold air rushed in, and the long fingers applying the medicine abruptly withdrew.

Sang Ying immediately opened her eyes to look at him, grabbing his fingers, her nose tinged red. “Hmm… then what do you want?”

She sniffled. “I… I can increase your allowance. Two hundred…” She paused, muttering softly, her words barely audible. “No, that would just let him go fool around at the inn…”

After thinking for a moment, she lifted her small face. “One hundred ninety-nine, that’s the most!”

“That doesn’t sound very appealing.”

Xie Lingyu lifted her chin with his knuckle, gently stroking her lips as he spoke in a low voice, “How about this? If my junior sister gives me a kiss, I’ll help you apply the medicine. What do you say?”

A… kiss?

Sang Ying thought with her muddled mind—they had already kissed several times before, so one more wouldn’t matter.

Without much thought, she reached out, grabbed his collar, pulled him closer, and pressed her soft lips firmly against his thin ones.

The young man being kissed showed no reaction. Sang Ying didn’t know how to kiss properly, so she simply held the position for a while, feeling it was enough, then released his collar and pulled back.

But as soon as she moved away slightly, the young man cupped the back of her head and kissed her again, pressing down so hard it almost hurt her lips.

The kiss was fierce, as if driven by some emotion, forceful and demanding, his lips devouring hers.

Sang Ying suddenly whimpered, her body trembling slightly.

But it wasn’t because of the fierce kiss—it was because of the young man’s fingers.

He truly honored their agreement. She gave him a kiss, and he began applying the medicine for her. Two long fingers pressed together, coated with the sweet Lotus Dew, probed into the pitiful wound, spreading the healing ointment and Lotus Dew evenly along the inner walls of the injury.

The faint scent of medicine and Lotus Dew intertwined with the White Sandalwood fragrance emanating from him.

Warm Spiritual Power enveloped his distinct, knuckled fingers, soothing the wound with a heat that felt almost scalding.

Spiritual Power dispersed, aiding the wound in absorbing the golden lotus ointment, yet it also produced more Lotus Dew, dripping down along his fingers.

At the same time, he was kissing her, lips pressed together, his tongue pushing against her lips in an attempt to enter. But Sang Ying was dazed, biting down on her pearly teeth from the pain of the wound.

The young man kissed her for a while, then pressed his fingers firmly. Sang Ying let out a soft “mmph” and opened her mouth, allowing him to easily slip inside, his tongue tangling with her small one.

Sang Ying’s eyes brimmed with moisture, veiled in a misty haze, her eyelashes trembling as his kisses left her increasingly disoriented.

Like an innocent little animal, she whimpered softly, naive and pure.

Of course, that was if one ignored the fact that she had begged the young man to help apply the medicine.

They kissed like this for quite some time.

When the kiss finally parted slightly, Xie Lingyu gently kissed the corner of her lips, his thumb pressing lightly to soothe her, his voice low. “Does Shimei like this?”

Sang Ying’s consciousness was focused elsewhere, and she didn’t quite catch what he was saying. All she knew was to clutch his clothes, murmuring incoherently.

She only felt that the ointment hadn’t been applied enough, or perhaps his technique was lacking—he was simply too clumsy. Otherwise, why would she still be in such discomfort?

Her head rested on his shoulder as she sniffled, like an anxious little creature, biting and tugging at his clothes, leaving several tooth marks.

“Uncomfortable…”

Xie Lingyu was always worried about accidentally hurting her, holding back his strength. After all, he was a Divine Transformation Stage cultivator who practiced swordplay regularly, so his strength was considerable.

Yet her body was even more fragile than most, and she had never experienced anything like this before. Applying the medicine could only be done superficially; otherwise, her wound might tear again like yesterday.

Moreover… she seemed somewhat slow to respond, taking a long time to…

He had vaguely noticed this yesterday, and today only confirmed it further.

Seeing that after applying the medicine for a while, she grew increasingly restless, he sighed softly and withdrew his fingers.

Sang Ying, already dissatisfied, grew even more so, clutching his clothes tightly. “Xie Lingyu… mmph!”

Her trailing tone suddenly shifted.

This time, it was because the young man kissed her again.

He lowered his head, supporting the curve of her waist, his warm lips pressing against her small mouth, soft and tender, licking away the sweet Lotus Dew around her lips.

After savoring her lips for a moment, he parted her slightly reddened lips, his tongue slipping inside, gently sweeping across her mouth.

The moonlight was cool yet gentle, spilling over the hot spring and reflecting the faint shadows of Vine Branches and a crescent moon.

The area around the hot spring was rich in spiritual energy, with floating fire elements in the aura drifting like beings with a naive consciousness, hovering near the two by the spring.

Drawn by the young man’s surging water attribute spiritual power, some slipped into the young girl’s body, while others brushed against her small face.

Qinglong belonged to water and also favored it.

In the lotus pond, blooming golden lotuses grew, and Qinglong frolicked among the numerous flowers.

Its long Dragon Tail toyed with a fully bloomed lotus, while its mouth held another half-open blossom. Its slender tongue parted the golden lotus petals, delving into the heart of the lotus, greedily lapping up the sweet Lotus Dew.

Everything happened quickly.

An unexpected event and an unusual sensation.

When Sang Ying blinked her damp eyelashes, her consciousness slowly returning, her moist eyes looked down to find her hand tightly clutching his hair.

Xie Lingyu’s hair had always been jet-black and smooth, like brocade, but the strands she held in her palm were now crumpled and messy, like seaweed.

The young man slowly rose, but the strands of hair she held tugged at him. He paused, “Shimei, you’re being rather unkind. I helped you, and now you’re pulling my hair.”

Sang Ying belatedly realized what had just happened, her face burning as if on fire. She quickly let go. Watching the young man stand before her, her gaze fell on his lips, which were faintly glistening, and she felt her mind go blank.

How had things come to this…?

She had actually begged him to apply the medicine for her, even going so far as to take the initiative to kiss him. Yet even that wasn’t enough—she kept pestering him, and then he… he kissed her back. Before long, her memory went blank.

Sang Ying was utterly stunned.

It had all started with just applying some medicine. She hadn’t even let him see the wound, covering his eyes instead. How had it turned into this…? Now, forget about seeing it—she had already kissed him.

She could still remember the sensation—warm, with his breath brushing against her skin.

Xie Lingyu knelt half-upright before her, leisurely wiping his fingers.

He glanced up at her, clearly noticing she had returned to her senses, and deliberately asked, “Shimei, you were trembling quite violently earlier. Are you still unwell?”

Forget trembling—Sang Ying’s hands were shaking now.

A blush crept up her cheeks, and her voice trembled, “I… I just…”

Xie Lingyu was patient, recounting, “I had already finished applying the medicine for you, but you insisted I apply more, so I…”

Before he could finish, the crimson-faced girl covered his mouth in a fluster.

“Alright, that’s enough, I understand!”

If he continued, he would mention how she still wasn’t satisfied and how he had kissed her.

Sang Ying’s eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her face burning with embarrassment and frustration. “Even… even so, how could you kiss me?!”

Xie Lingyu looked up, pulling her hand away. “Why not?”

Sang Ying bit her lip, her eyelashes trembling, her voice so soft it was almost inaudible, as if squeezed through clenched teeth. “…It’s unclean.”

Xie Lingyu suddenly laughed, his refined features softening like jade. He had thought she disliked his closeness, but it turned out to be for this reason.

I, the one involved, haven’t said anything, yet Shimei is already disdaining on my behalf?”

Sang Ying’s face flushed redder. Just thinking about what had happened made her feel as if the sky had fallen. Why had she acted so unlike herself, even taking the initiative to beg him to apply the medicine?

This hazy, confused state felt just like after she had taken that medicine yesterday, but that medicine’s effects should have already worn off.

“Shimei, would you like to soak in the hot spring?”

…She did want to find a place to hide right now.

Sang Ying avoided his gaze, mumbling an affirmative as she tried to stand, leaning on the rock.

Before she could fully straighten, her legs suddenly gave way, and she sat back down.

A low chuckle came from the young man before her, making Sang Ying’s ears burn even hotter. Before she could say anything, his arm tightened around her waist, and he lifted her up.

It wasn’t a bridal carry but more like holding a child—Sang Ying sat on one of his arms, leaning against him as he carried her toward the moonlit hot spring.

The young man slowly waded into the water, afraid the temperature might be too much for her. He placed her on the edge of the spring, letting only her calves soak in the warm water.

The swirling mist and the fire element spiritual power danced and floated upon the water’s surface.

Sang Ying’s mind was still preoccupied with what had just happened. Shyly lowering her head, she dared not look at him, slowly swaying her calves and stirring ripples in the water, disturbing its tranquility.

Just like the turmoil in her heart.

Xie Lingyu, who sat before her, was much the same.

Seemingly calm, yet anything but.

Seeing her evasive gaze, Xie Lingyu remained silent. He knew things had progressed too quickly between them. It had only been two days since she had discovered his true nature beneath the disguise and learned of his long-hidden, dark desires for her.

That she did not despise or loathe him was already the best outcome he could have hoped for.

Not to mention, she had asked him to take responsibility and agreed to be with him.

Fearing she might regret it, Xie Lingyu intended to take things slowly, giving her time to adjust and gradually adapt. He never expected her to take the initiative like this today.

This, however, revealed one thing to him: though his junior sister was shy, she enjoyed such matters.

Xie Lingyu lowered his gaze in contemplation. He was not well-versed in these matters, merely observing her reactions and acting accordingly. There must have been something he did inadequately, which was why she had remained unsatisfied earlier. It was his fault.

Due to the Tide Heat Period, the dragon clan had extensive research on Dual Cultivation methods. However, he had left home at a young age and never studied them. It seemed he would need to find time to return to the Yun Ling Realm.

The young woman sat quietly by the hot spring for a while longer. Xie Lingyu thought it was about time and was about to ask her to come down when he looked up and saw her staring blankly at a handful of red, fiery spiritual power bubbles in her palms.

Noticing his gaze, she looked back at him in confusion. “Xie Lingyu… I think… I can see them?”

In the Cultivation World, spiritual energy contained six elemental forces: the five elements—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—as well as the thunder element.

A cultivator’s spiritual root was also categorized based on these elements. The most common were the five spiritual roots of metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Occasionally, rare mutated spiritual roots appeared, such as the ice spiritual root, though these were ultimately derived from water elemental spiritual power.

As for the thunder spiritual root, it was rarer still. To this day, not a single case had been recorded in the world, leading many to doubt its existence.

A cultivator’s talent was determined by their ability to perceive elemental spiritual power.

Some were born with exceptional talent, able to sense elemental abilities from birth. For instance, the Azure Dragon clan possessed a natural affinity for water elements, facing almost no obstacles when guiding qi into their bodies for cultivation. Their cultivation speed was thousands, even tens of thousands, of times faster than that of ordinary people.

Others, however, had poor talent and were completely unable to perceive elemental abilities. Sang Ying was one such case. As a child, she had not been found to possess a spiritual root, and her perception of elemental spiritual power was almost zero. When Xiao Lingzhou had described what elemental spiritual power was like to her as a child, she could only rely on her imagination.

Over the years, she had taken many elixirs and nurtured her body, yet she had still not reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

Xie Lingyu was also stunned. He reached out and grasped her wrist, using his spiritual power to examine her body.

There was no mistake. Traces of fire element spiritual power were indeed active within her meridians, softening the stiff channels and moving toward her dantian.

Sang Ying watched him nervously, hope rising within her, yet fearing it might all be an illusion.

For so many years, she had already come to accept this reality. But if… if she could truly perceive elemental spiritual power, then she could cultivate. Even if her progress might not be fast, at least there was hope.

“…Xie Lingyu?”

Xie Lingyu withdrew his hand and looked up at her, his usually expressionless eyes now revealing surprise. “Though the reason is temporarily unknown, junior sister’s body has greatly improved its sensitivity to fire elements. Even without guiding qi into the body, elemental spiritual power is actively merging into your meridians.”

He paused, contemplating. “And it seems this has been happening for some time. Though sparse, there is indeed some elemental spiritual power in your dantian that doesn’t originate from here.”

Sang Ying held these floating fire element bubbles, attempting to guide qi into her body. A few scattered bubbles melted into her palm—warm yet somewhat scorching—flowing along into her meridians, creating a warm sensation.

…Why does this feeling seem familiar?

Sang Ying recalled that when she was injured in the Demon Realm last time and Shen Ying used her innate healing ability to help clear the residual demonic energy, it felt exactly like this.

“Ah, right.”

Sang Ying suddenly remembered, her watery eyes widening. “Just now when you kissed me, during that very comfortable moment, there were many bubbles flying before my eyes. That’s when they merged in!”

Xie Lingyu was taken aback.

Sang Ying blurted it all out, then realized what she had said. Her face flushed crimson as she covered it with her hands. “No, that’s not…”

Xie Lingyu pondered. Everything must have a cause; it couldn’t be coincidence. At that time, he had indeed momentarily lost control, and his body had mobilized water attribute spiritual power.

“Junior sister.”

Sang Ying slightly separated her fingers, revealing one eye. “What is it?”

“Let’s try again.” He raised his dark eyes to look at her.

Sang Ying’s ears instantly burned bright red, her body tensing as she stammered, “No… mmm!”

Before she could finish speaking, the young man cupped the back of her head and kissed her. Sang Ying inexplicably felt relieved—so it was this kind of kiss… Wait, what was she thinking? It was all this bad dragon’s fault!

Since this was just an experiment, the kiss wasn’t particularly intense.

The young man mobilized all his water attribute spiritual power, carefully observing their surroundings. Sure enough, he saw many fire element bubbles drifting toward them, slowly merging into the girl’s body—several times more than the elemental spiritual power she had just guided into herself.

Xie Lingyu then tried many variations. When the two weren’t in contact, this spiritual power would only be attracted but wouldn’t be absorbed by Sang Ying.

Even holding hands wasn’t very effective—the efficiency was much lower than during kissing, with only a few bubbles being absorbed.

Xie Lingyu released her. “It seems the closer we are, the higher the cultivation efficiency becomes.”

Sang Ying blinked in confusion. What kind of principle was this…?

If she hadn’t seen it with her own eyes, she would have thought this was just a lie made up by this bad dragon to get intimate with her. After all, what kind of cultivation method in this world allowed one to cultivate simply through close contact?

She swung her calf slightly, speaking suspiciously: “Are you really not tricking me?”

Her ankle was suddenly grasped underwater.

Warm, jade-like dragon scales pressed against her ankle bone as the Dragon Tail tightened around her calf.

Sang Ying was startled. “What are you doing?”

The young man before her, his white robes soaked through by the hot spring water, faintly revealed his firm chest. He reached out to clasp her waist, pulling her into the hot spring.

Suddenly submerged, Sang Ying instinctively clung to him. “Xie Lingyu, I can’t swim! Let go of me!”

The young man leaned close to her ear, his clear voice low. “Whether it’s a lie or not, junior sister has indeed benefited and improved her cultivation base from this, haven’t you?”

…That was certainly true.

Underwater, the Dragon Tail wound its way up along her calf, stirring up splashes.

Xie Lingyu gently bit her ear, whispering seductively, “And just now, junior sister said… it felt really good.”

“So, how about… one more time?”

Sang Ying’s face flushed hot, her heart pounding like a drum.

…

Outside the Restrictive Barrier, a girl crouched in the dense grass, her movements furtive and her aura concealed.

“Tsk, so stingy. Blocking everything off so tightly, not even a peek allowed.”

She let out a long sigh, conjured a cloud to lie on, and drifted off to sleep, blocking out the incessant chatter of the system in her mind. Yawning, she muttered to herself.

“The Jade Token was clearly meant for her, but you snatched it up so quickly.”

“And so early in the morning, already this clingy. Ugh.”

“Whatever, if it doesn’t work this time, there’s always next.”

Lying on the cloud, the girl gazed absently at the bright, clear moon in the sky.

Her expression gradually softened as she took out a green jade sword tassel, gently swaying it under the moonlight.