Fortunately, Li Nianāer didnāt hear Cheng Luās complaints. Otherwise, she would have undoubtedly lost her temper, starting a huge fight with him and possibly even coming to blows.
Li Nianāer pulled Ye Qingchen along. He could feel her soft, seemingly boneless hand, and a captivating feminine fragrance wafted through the air, making his mind wander. As Ye Qingchen was a full head taller than Li Nianāer, he had a clear view of the magnificent curves of her chest, even from behind.
However, Ye Qingchen quickly cleared his mind of such distracting thoughts. Since they had already left the grounds of the Divine Wood Academy, he discreetly pulled his hand away.
In terms of looks, Li Nianāer was certainly no less stunning than beauties like Xiao Xiao, Zi Xing, and Xue Zhao. In fact, her voluptuous figure was arguably even superior to theirs. Still, she was his Senior Sister, so Ye Qingchen wouldnāt harbor any improper thoughts about her.
Only after Ye Qingchen withdrew his hand did Li Nianāer realize her own actions had been overly affectionate. She had never taken the initiative to hold a boyās hand before, and her face couldnāt help but flush a faint red.
But then, a sense of indignation welled up inside her.
Iām the one holding your hand; youāre the one benefiting! I didnāt even pull away, yet you dared to let go first. Are you looking down on this young lady?
The more Li Nianāer stewed on it, the angrier she became. She shot Ye Qingchen a glare.
"Junior Brother, give me your hand!"
Ye Qingchen felt a shiver run down his spine from her glare, but under her imperious gaze, he could only obey and stretch out his hand.
Li Nianāer snatched it and huffed, "From now on, youāre not allowed to pull your hand away without my permission. Got it?"
The corner of Ye Qingchenās mouth twitched.
I was just being considerate by pulling my hand back, and thatās what set this firecracker off?
"Understood, Senior Sister!" he replied, nodding obediently, as docile as a new bride.
Seeing Ye Qingchenās submissive demeanor, Li Nianāer was instantly filled with satisfaction. A smug twinkle appeared in her beautiful eyes as she changed direction. Trailing behind her, Ye Qingchen sensed the triumphant aura she was emanating and, without overthinking it, quickened his pace to keep up.
Soon, they arrived before a waterfall.
A hundred-zhang-high waterfall cascaded down the cliff, plunging into the deep pool below with a deafening roar. Li Nianāer pointed at it and began to speak, but the sound was so overwhelming that Ye Qingchen couldnāt hear her, despite standing right beside her.
Realizing this, Li Nianāer had no choice but to convey her message through a mental transmission. "Take off your clothes!"
Her words made Ye Qingchenās jaw drop. He glanced at the deserted surroundings and awkwardly transmitted back, "Senior Sister Nianāer, this... this isnāt very appropriate, is it?"
What kind of training is Senior Sister planning? Sheās starting by telling me to undress... Could it be the legendary Dual Cultivation Method? I absolutely cannot do anything to betray Qin Yue. But then again, if it really is the Dual Cultivation Method, it could greatly enhance my strength, giving me a better chance of rescuing her. Besides, this is a kind gesture from my Senior Sister. If I refuse her outright, Iāll surely hurt her pride. Sigh... alright. Itās all for Qin Yue and for Senior Sisterās pride! Iāll just have to endure this little grievance!
Having found a way to justify it to himself, Ye Qingchen nodded at Li Nianāer. Then, with a look of resignation, he closed his eyes and began to slowly remove his long robe.
At first, Li Nianāer didnāt understand. But when he closed his eyes with that resigned expression, she recalled the ambiguity of her mental message and instantly understood the misunderstanding. Her face flushed crimson.
Though Ye Qingchenās eyes were closed, his hands moved swiftly. If Li Nianāer hadnāt stopped him in time, he would have been stark naked in moments. As it was, he now stood bare-chested in only a pair of shorts. The sharp, defined lines of his muscles made his physique look like a masterpiece of art.
Li Nianāer couldnāt help but let her gaze drift toward his chiseled, block-like abs. Her face grew even redder. She let out a soft huff before transmitting her next message.
"Junior Brother, in a moment, I want you to jump into the deep pool. Donāt use your Spiritual Energy to resist the water. Instead, focus on carefully sensing the natureās spiritual energy around you. When you canāt hold on any longer, just wave to me, and Senior Sister will pull you out."
Her words made Ye Qingchenās eyes snap open, and he gave her a strange look.
So it wasnāt Dual Cultivation; she just wanted me to jump off a cliff! To think I was agonizing over it for so long...
He was speechless. Still, seeing Li Nianāerās crimson face, he kept his thoughts to himself. He simply nodded and, without hesitation, jumped.
This time, it was Li Nianāerās turn to be surprised.
I was just angry with him and wanted to use this to scare him a little. After all, the impact of a waterfall from this height is terrifying. I figured that once I told him he couldnāt use Spiritual Energy and had to rely solely on his physical body, he would surely back down. Then I could scold him, vent my frustration, and the matter would be settled. After that, Iād take him to do some real training.
But she never expected the blockhead to actually jump, showing no regard for the danger.
Li Nianāer quickly turned her gaze to the deep pool. By now, Ye Qingchen was floating on top of it, striving to swim towards the center of the waterfall.
"That silly boy! He actually listened and didnāt use any Spiritual Energy! Heās trying to get himself killed!" Li Nianāer stomped her foot in frustration when she sensed the absence of Spiritual Energy fluctuations around him. Though she complained, her hands were already forming a Seal Formula, ready to intervene and rescue him at a momentās notice.
What Li Nianāer didnāt know was that Ye Qingchenās body had been tempered by the Fen Tian Earth Fire, making it incredibly tough. Furthermore, after he joined the Divine Wood Academy, Elder Yang had performed the Divine Light Bestowal on him, increasing his physical strength yet again.
Therefore, a waterfall that would be daunting to others was nothing remarkable to Ye Qingchen. Besides, compared to the training demands made by his Senior Brother Qin Chuan, this request from his Senior Sister was relatively normal.
While the waterfallās impact didnāt cause him any substantial harm, its force still pushed him to the bottom of the pool. Since he couldnāt use Spiritual Energy, he was unable to fight the pressure and swim back to the surface.
However, as a powerful expert of the Martial King Realm, holding his breath underwater was effortless. So, Ye Qingchen simply gave up trying to swim up. Instead, he closed his eyes at the bottom of the pool and began to sense the natureās spiritual energy around him.
Watching from above, Li Nianāer saw the waterfall slam Ye Qingchen to the bottom of the pool, and she began to worry. At first, she wasnāt overly concerned; if he were truly in danger, he could always use his Spiritual Energy to leap back to the cliffside.
But time ticked by, and Ye Qingchen still didnāt reappear. Slowly, Li Nianāer found it harder and harder to remain calm...