Chapter 332: Fleeting Romance

Morning.

The bells on the Cang Xia Ridge rang once more.

Shangguan Yan’Er, like an octopus, tightly embraced Shen Xuan.

Afraid he would secretly leave.

"Wake up, it’s time to go to Wusheng Pass!"

"No, let me sleep a bit more!"

Under Shen Xuan’s repeated urging,

Shangguan Yan’Er unwillingly opened her eyes.

She kissed Shen Xuan’s cheek, her smile blossoming like a flower, vivid and lively, like a joyful little bird.

"Shen Lang, you’re amazing!"

Shangguan Yan’Er’s voice was filled with admiration and respect.

Her voice was soft and enchanting, warming his heart.

The fresh fragrance of her body grew more intense, making Shen Xuan’s heart unconsciously brim with excitement.

Originally, Shangguan Yan’Er’s ivory-like long legs were wrapped around Shen Xuan’s waist.

At this moment, sensing something unusual, her pretty face turned red again.

Like a startled little white rabbit, she sprung up suddenly.

"No way!"

Shen Xuan looked at the beauty before him, a mix of grace and charm; recalling last night’s mesmerizing expressions filled his heart with a gentle smile.

Even with his seasoned experience, these tender moments stirred a ripple.

Shangguan Yan’Er was inexperienced, still hesitant with many things.

No rush, guidance can come gradually.

"Get up already!"

"If you’re late, and Bai Family Stronghold enforces military law, I won’t be able to save you!"

Shen Xuan smiled and stood up.

Shangguan Yan’Er was slightly taken aback, a blush spreading across her jade-like visage, as her mood turned complex.

Last night’s experience broadened her understanding.

She had assumed it would be a brief moment of intimacy.

Instead, it was an ebb and flow, with rises and falls, spring after spring, exhausting her throughout the night.

By now, Shangguan Yan’Er was sore all over, mentally worn out.

Yet the Shen Xuan before her was energetic and spirited, appearing as usual.

How could this be!

She was utterly exhausted!

Shen Lang wasn’t entirely satisfied, though.

Despite not saying it aloud,

his gaze seemed playful.

As if saying, that’s all you’ve got?

This left Shangguan Yan’Er confused.

Wasn’t it said that in dual cultivation, the male cultivator would concede and admit defeat?

Why didn’t it work that way for her?

"Hurry and get up, I’ll go with you."

Hearing this, Shangguan Yan’Er felt a sweet joy in her heart.

Shen Lang still cares for me!

Given Shangguan Yan’Er’s current state,

once at Wusheng Pass, she might not even manage against a Tier Two Low Tier Demon Beast.

Soon, Shangguan Yan’Er dressed herself and styled her hair before the mirror.

The bells continued, seemingly urging her on.

"Let’s go!"

Shen Xuan took Shangguan Yan’Er’s hand, transformed into an Escape Light, and flew straight to Wusheng Pass.

...

On Wusheng Pass.

A dozen Golden Body Realm Barbarian War Generals, each leading hundreds of elite Barbarian Warriors, fought fiercely alongside Celestial Fortune Commerce Association cultivators against attacking demon beasts, struggling to defend the walls.

Except on Shangguan Yan’Er’s side.

The Barbarian War General surnamed Xiao and his Barbarian Warriors, in groups of three to five, idly leaned against the wall resting.

It’s not that they didn’t want to fight.

It’s that they didn’t need to fight.

On their section of the wall, floated dozens of transparent Dark Ice Fish.

Whenever a demon beast leapt up, it was instantly pierced and frozen into an ice sculpture by the Dark Ice Fish.

If it were a Tier Two Demon Beast, a dozen or so Dark Ice Fish would attack at once.

In mere seconds, they could kill it.

The demon beast corpses were collected into Shangguan Yan’Er’s Storage Pouch, adding to her battle merits.

This scene left other Barbarian Generals and cultivators envious.

Though Shen Xuan did not appear.

They all knew, the mysterious Loose Cultivator was nearby, Concealing Breath and Invisible, helping Shangguan Yan’Er guard the pass and gain battle merits.

This battle was even more fierce than yesterday.

The sound of fighting continued without cease.

People kept falling.

Demon beast corpses covered the walls of Wusheng Pass.

Yet on Shangguan Yan’Er’s side, it remained quiet.

Demon beasts voluntarily avoided it.

Not until dusk did the beast horde retreat again.

...

In the middle of the night.

Guest room.

Shangguan Yan’Er’s hair was already tied up.

Her jade hand gently wiped the moisture from her cherry lips.

Her forehead lightly leaned against Shen Xuan’s chest.

"Shen Lang, I’m so tired, Yan’Er did her best!"

Shen Xuan gently stroked Shangguan Yan’Er’s fair neck.

"Not bad."

Shangguan Yan’Er opened her mouth and bit Shen Xuan’s arm hard.

Yet, it felt like biting into solid iron, making her teeth ache, prompting a surprised exclamation.

"Why is it so hard!"

Shangguan Yan’Er reluctantly released her bite.

"Didn’t I tell you?"

"Against you, I only used thirty percent of my strength."

Shen Xuan’s words carried a sense of pride.

This made Shangguan Yan’Er gnash her teeth in frustration.

"Shen Lang, have you refined your body?"

"Hmm."

"Could it be the Bai Family Stronghold’s Body Refining Technique?"

"What do you think?"

Shangguan Yan’Er’s eyes showed a trace of excitement.

"It’s said the Bai Family Stronghold’s Body Refining Technique is the highest tier in the entire Song Country and has never been shared."

"Why would they be willing to offer it?"

Shen Xuan smiled.

"What’s there to be unwilling? You’re from a commerce family; surely you know that as long as the price is high enough, anything can be sold."

"I’ve heard the Bai Family’s refining technique can simulate a True Spirit’s descendant. What did you simulate?"

"Want to know?"

Shangguan Yan’Er smiled brightly: "I do!"

"Not telling you!"

Shangguan Yan’Er hit Shen Xuan in frustration.

But Shen Xuan’s body was so tough,

her little pink fists, instead of hurting him, only left her with numb hands.

"Alright, rest now, tomorrow we have the battlefield again."

Shen Xuan held Shangguan Yan’Er close, patting her jade-like back to calm her.

Moonlight like water, beloved in his arms, spring feeling lingered.

However, these tender moments can’t last forever.

Shen Xuan can only cherish them while they last.

...

Wusheng Pass held out for eight days.

Shangguan Yan’Er went through seven days with ease.

At that moment, she understood what Shen Xuan meant by the ’package service’ of singing, playing music, and more.

During the day she rested at Wusheng Pass.

At night, she diligently practiced and applied the ’package service’ of singing and playing.

Under her full exertion.

Her skills increased dramatically, earning genuine praise from Shen Xuan.

Seeing the satisfaction on Shen Xuan’s face.

Shangguan Yan’Er felt a sense of fulfillment.

Turns out, the books were written so cryptically.

The knowledge gained from reading is shallow; true understanding comes from hands-on experience.

"Perhaps, he wasn’t entirely satisfied."

"But, it was only to make me feel better."

Shangguan Yan’Er thought wistfully.

She had never seen anyone with such robust physical qualities.

Like an ever-energetic beast, brimming with endless vitality.

After a brief rest.

Shen Xuan rose and practiced his cultivation.

Once again reshaping her understanding.

Shen Xuan’s body emitted waves of extreme cold mist.

Transforming into the outline of a Frost Snow Flood Dragon.

"So, it was a Frost Snow Flood Dragon!"

"No wonder he’s so formidable!"

Shangguan Yan’Er widened her eyes, curiously gazing at Shen Xuan in cultivation.

At this moment, Shen Xuan felt a slight excitement inside.

He had broken through to the Sixth Transformation!

This breakthrough was slightly more challenging than imagined.

The Profound Ice Spirit Lotus blossomed thrice repeatedly before it could merge and refine the Frost Snow Flood Dragon Essence Blood.

It becomes increasingly difficult to merge and refine as it progresses.

"It seems the realm cultivation is always a threshold, limiting the cultivator’s potential."

Shen Xuan estimated that with two more uses of the Mysterious Jade Talisman, he could completely refine the Frost Snow Flood Dragon.

[Nine Revolutions True Spirit Technique] Breaking through to the Seventh Transformation.

Equivalent to a Body Refiner in the middle stage of the Golden Body Realm.

"Huh, what’s this?"

Half-human, half-snake Shen Xuan experienced an epiphany.

Divine Dragon’s Suppression, Ice and Snow Cold Domain, Extreme Cold Ice Blade, Dragon Blood Boiling, Call the Wind and Summon the Rain, Overturning Rivers and Seas, Soaring Clouds and Mist, Wishful Size, Angry Roar...

The activation and usage skills of various bloodline talent skills appeared one by one in Shen Xuan’s sea of consciousness.

Even [Soaring Clouds and Mist] and [Wishful Size] gained some skill level.

Shen Xuan was overjoyed.

The [Nine Revolutions True Spirit Technique] said that one can only comprehend a few bloodline talent skills of the True Spirit descendants.

But why hadn’t he missed a single one?

This led Shen Xuan into contemplation.

He tried it out.

While he could activate and use them.

It was limited to his half-human, half-snake state.

That is to say, he can unleash the power of these skills only after executing the [Nine Revolutions True Spirit Technique].

With so many bloodline talent skills, just the activation and usage skills alone, Shen Xuan couldn’t possibly train each one.

His focus landed on [Ice and Snow Cold Domain] and [Extreme Cold Ice Blade].

An attack skill, and an auxiliary skill.

These two, as the main cultivation skills for the [Nine Revolutions True Spirit Technique].

The remaining skills, either inherently possessed, like Overturning Rivers and Seas, Soaring Clouds and Mist, Wishful Size.

Or are auxiliary skills, less impactful, like Divine Dragon’s Suppression, Call the Wind and Summon the Rain, Angry Roar.

As for Dragon Blood Boiling, it should be similar to his Demon Blood Boiling.

"No wonder it’s the top Body Refining Technique of Song Country!"

"It’s worth it!"

Shen Xuan mused silently.

The next day.

The bell of the vibrant morning didn’t ring as expected.

A Communication Talisman flew to the front of Shen Xuan’s residence.

Shen Xuan’s Divine Sense casually scanned it and handed it to Shangguan Yan’Er beside him.

"Retreat?"

"Abandoning Wusheng Pass?"

Shangguan Yan’Er appeared confused.

"It should be that it can’t be defended!"

Shen Xuan said calmly.

Although he was also at Wusheng Pass, he only guarded the section Shangguan Yan’Er was responsible for.

The other Barbarian War Generals and elite warriors suffered massive losses.

In about ten days, nearly half was lost.

Bai Family Stronghold was severely damaged, and its strength significantly reduced.

Without decades of recuperation, it can’t recover its pre-war power.

Shen Xuan knew full well

This was exactly the intention behind the Demon King’s small beast tide.

The Human Race and the Demon Race coexisted temporarily in peace.

At the border between Wilderness, both races expanded too quickly.

If they didn’t expand outward, the resources of the original territory couldn’t meet the growth of the elite of both races.

Hence, they initiated a small beast tide to voluntarily eliminate some young and Low Tier Demon Beasts.

It’s akin to voluntarily unleashing a natural disaster, wherein survival depends on fitness within this territory.

The top levels of both sides had already reached an understanding regarding this.

Thus, the Bai Family Stronghold won’t be overrun.

The Heaven Gate Pass will be the last battleground for this small beast tide.

The Communication Talisman was sent by Bai Tiancheng.

The message was simple.

Elder Bai, along with a group of elders, personally stationed at Heaven Gate Pass.

According to the agreement between both parties, they asked Shen Xuan to step forth to deal with those high-ranking Demon Beasts.

Bai Tiancheng specifically pointed out three targets.

The Thunder Beast King, Wind-splitting Eagle King, Earth Bear King.

The kings of these Demon Beast groups hadn’t reached the Demon King Realm.

But they were all Tier Two Top Grade.

Equivalent to the Human Race Foundation Establishment Perfection.

In single combat, aside from Elder Bai, no one in Bai Family Stronghold could match them.

"Shoot the horse before shooting the man, capture the king before capturing the thief!"

"I thought it was going to be a chaotic battle. Ultimately, both sides’ top combat powers decide the victory!"

"Two against three, quite troublesome!"

Shen Xuan thought to himself.

In battles of this level, Bai Tiancheng definitely can’t take the stage.

"No wonder Elder Bai is so eager!"

"Thunder Beast, Tier Two Top Grade, this is beyond the norm!"

Shen Xuan focused intently, casting a [Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil].

"A minor misfortune! Safe despite danger!"

Then he cast a [Wealth Attraction].

"Gold and Jade Overflowing the Hall, prosperity everywhere!"

Shen Xuan was filled with joy.

"Thunder Beast King, you are destined to me!"