457 - 467

Chapter 457 Yiren"s Ability

By the time Xuefeng and Yiren walked up to the ladies, they were all done with the first challenge just as he expected. Yi and Princess Shan were also experienced with fighting so they didn't have many problems. Only Yiren and Tianshi were the least used to it which required his attention.

"I guess I will test my limits too," Xuefeng muttered as he grabbed his own plate and walked a bit further away,

The girls stopped what they were doing and immediately cheered for him, "You can do it!" There was no doubt in their voice that he will succeed.

He felt as if he had a personal cheerleading squad. Ling who was staying inside Xuefeng the whole time left her space, joining the others in cheering.

He created an earth pillar on the ground and attached his plate onto it. He wanted to start slow so he pulled out his Black Flames Slayer instead of trying out from his Elements. He buffed it to the limits by sharpening the blade with the addition of both Air Qi and his ability before slashing at the plate.

Ding!

The sound of a metal hitting metal resounded throughout the Training Grounds as the blade bounced off the Plate, leaving a small mark on it. Too bad, the plate didn't break. Xuefeng didn't stop at that, slashing at the same spot and only after a third time, the plate finally broke.

"I guess it takes me three attacks to break through the plate without using any skills," Xuefeng muttered to himself, already expecting such a result. "I guess I will need to study some better skills before we depart."

Even though Elements provided him with immense power, it didn't necessarily equate to better penetration. It would naturally work against an opponent who has a whole body he needs to protect but once he has to face a protective shield, it doesn't matter how much Elemental Qi he has, it would be useless without proper skill.

This whole time Xuefeng used all elements crudely, creating his own skills and combinations which naturally improved his power output but at the same time created a false image and limited him. There is only so much he can do while shaping his Qi randomly.

"Why don't you visit my family's Treasury? We have many great skills of rank 8 or 9. You will find both sword skills and elemental skills as well, though those are much rarer," Xiao Wen suggested kindly, seeing Xuefeng was struggling. "You are strong but that's all thanks to the number of Elements and your endless Qi. You should work on your skillset too."

"Auch, that hurts. I guess I relied too much on it," Xuefeng lamented as he caught his chest, pretending to be in pain.

"Don't you still have your old set? If I'm correct, all your skills are rank 6 or 5 if not lower. Even your

sword seems to be only rank 5. It has a great function of converting any Qi into flames but the blade itself is weak. With a better sword, you would be able to break this plate by only using a simple skill as the sharpness of the blade would do the work for you," Wuying called out sweetly, glancing at Xuefeng's Black Flame Slayer.

"Ugh, another arrow shot in my heart," Xuefeng grunted but the girls didn't seem to be done.

"You can see Xiao Wen. She broke her plate with just one casual swing yet you needed three. You really need a good Spirit Sword Art first. I would give you mine but it was tailored for me so it won't match you," Princess Shan added, siding with the rest. "You know that we want the best for you."

"Ah, I feel like it turned into an intervention," Xuefeng commented, hiding his beloved flaming sword in case they plan on stealing it from him. He was already attached to it after such a long time of using it.

"I agree with them. You need a better sword, one that can represent you better. As for the skills, how about, we visit the Inheritance Grounds? There is one for each element and for a Sword Art you can follow Xiao Wen advice." Yi shared her opinion too, smiling gently at him.

"Sigh… I know already… I will get it done as soon as possible," Xuefeng replied defeated, knowing he didn't stand a chance against them all.

Now that Drakos left him, he wouldn't have a way to counter Fate Qi anymore so his power diminished greatly. He could only improve quickly else he would be the one who lags behind his wives. Even if he mastered all Elemental Domains, he couldn't always battle a small fishing boat with a big flagship every time.

Just as he felt a bit down, Ling suddenly dove into his arms, hugging him warmly. "Xuefeng, I'm here for you to help. We will help you get the best skills we can," Ling assured him, looking deeply into his eyes.

'I will also help!' Little Ming called out in his mind, making him much warmer.

Before he spoke, others also walked up and hugged them, created one big hug.

"We all love you and want the best for you. We will push each other to work even harder," Xiao Wen stated officially, saying what everyone thought in their minds.

"I know…" Xuefeng muttered, his smile returning to his face. "Let's do it all together."

Drakos who was left alone wrapped his hands together and called out sarcastically, "Yeah, I knew Xuefeng would be the weakest. Maybe we should postpone this trip? I was worried about the girls but it seems you are the main problem."

Xuefeng didn't fall for Drakos' provocation and replied while enjoying the warm bodies hugging him, "There is no need. I will handle it within a week, don't you worry."

To his surprise, someone else jumped in to defend him.

"Little Blue!" Yiren cried out angrily as she let go of Xuefeng and walked up to Drakos.

"Yes?" He replied without fear but then stepped back when Yiren approached him. "What do you want…?"

"Didn't I tell you something earlier?" Yiren asked with a stomp as if she was throwing a tantrum. "I told you to be nice to Xuefeng, didn't I?"

"But I was ni—" Drakos tried to protest but Yiren cut him off.

"No. You were making fun of him. Apologize now," Yiren demanded, glaring at the small blue dragon.

Drakos remained stubborn and shook his head. "Nah ah, I'm not going to apol—"

"Apologize now." Yiren cut him off once again, this time even more sternly, her voice having a weird vibrating vibe in it.

As if she threw a magical charm at Drakos, his eyes suddenly changed from arrogant to submissive as he looked at Yiren pitifully, "Fine… I'm sorry."

"Pffft, Yiren, what did you do to him?" Xuefeng burst out laughing, not expecting Yiren to tame Drakos so fast.

Yiren gave Drakos a pat as a reward and called out to Xuefeng, "It's part of my new ability. I found out I can somehow influence Spirit Beasts after I activate it. I think it's because of my Bloodline. Little Blue becomes a nice pet when I use it."

"Hey! Who did you call a pet!?" Drakos complained as he woke up from his daze only to get scolded once again.

"Be nice!" Yiren warned with her finger and Drakos looked down, defeated once again.

"Okay…"

"Hahaha, nice!" Xuefeng laughed, not feeling any bad for Drakos and the girls finally let go of him. "That's a nice ability that we can use in the near future."

"Yes! I thought so too," Yiren nodded, grinning to herself.

"Anyway, I know my shortcomings. You guys continue testing your limits and meanwhile I will go check on Tianshi. When you know you can't break any stronger plates, you can finish for today."

Chapter 458 Guil

Xuefeng gave everyone a cheering kiss and grasped Ling's waist as they flew away from the training grounds. She refused to return to her world and instead hugged into his body shamelessly. He would never say no to her softness so he let her cuddle into his arms as she wished.

Though, Ling's goal was different from his thoughts. Just as they distanced themselves from the girls' sights, Ling hid into Xuefeng's neck mid-air and apologized with guilt, "I'm sorry... I am not a good Spirit…"

"What are you talking about?" Xuefeng was totally dumbfounded, not understanding her sudden change. "Did something happen?"

"Because of me, you are lagging behind everyone… I should have been the one to correct your path long time ago yet I failed to notice anything... I'm so useless…" Ling muttered ashamed, squeezing his neck in regret. "I want you to be the very best. Like no one ever was."

"Hey, hey… It's not your fault," Xuefeng disagreed right away as he rubbed her back to cheer her up yet Ling was firm.

She pulled away and caught his face with her hands. Ling's looked angry at herself as she shook her head, "No. I am here to support you but I didn't lead you well. You are not familiar with cultivation like everyone else is so I should have been the one to correct your path."

'You forgot about me. You are not the only one at fault,' Little Ming suddenly joined their conversation, sharing part of the blame. To top it off, her small body appeared right in front of them and hugged Xuefeng for the first time in the outside world.

Ling made space for Little Ming and they both cuddled into his chest while looking at him pitifully. They looked as if they waited for his punishment, willing to accept it no matter what he asks them to do.

"Sigh… Girls," Xuefeng started as he took a deep breath, "Listen, we are a team. All of us put effort to improve. If you are guilty of something then it's my fault as well. If either one of us fails, everyone fails. Right now it's not the time to blame anyone but find solutions, okay?"

He embraced Little Ming as well, holding onto her slim waist that he could feel clearly despite her pink hoodie and smiled, "I'm glad you finally came out."

Little Ming immediately blushed and avoided his gaze before hugging him, something she wanted to do for a long time. "I'm going to swap with my sister now so I wanted to say my goodbyes…" Little Ming muttered out of nowhere.

"Huh? Why?" Xuefeng asked in surprise but Little Ming's reasoning was simple.

"I don't know any high ranked Arts but my sister does. I

want her to help you…"

Xuefeng could figure that she really wanted to stay with him so giving that up for the better good was really admirable.

"Thank you—" Xuefeng said as he leaned over to kiss her on the head when Little Ming suddenly looked up.

Mhmm…

She closed the distance between their faces before Xuefeng could react and kissed him lightly on the lips. Xuefeng's eyes widened immediately but the sensation on his lips didn't last for long.

"Little Ming…?" Xuefeng asked surprised as his lips were freed but she didn't respond right away, suddenly disappearing.

'I wanted to have a kiss before I leave... See you later," Little Ming explained sweetly in his mind before her voice was replaced by that of Ming. 'If you wanted to learn some arts, you could have told me earlier.'

"Ah, she left so fast…" Xuefeng muttered focusing his attention of Ling and greeted in his mind, 'Welcome back Ming. I would be glad to learn from you,'

He didn't comment on the kiss, choosing to wait for Little Ming to come back first.

'Sure, anytime,' Ming replied casually. 'Just call me when you are ready. I'm still tired so I will rest now.'

"I can learn Arts from Ming and attack inheritance grounds to get skills for my other elements," Xuefeng shared his plans as he once again swung with his wings and flew towards the palace.

"The highest ranked skills I know came from Thunder Goddess… I can share those with you…" Ling reported softly, still cuddling into his chest with her hands slipping underneath his jacket when she stopped, turning her head in the direction of the palace.

"Did something happen?" Xuefeng asked alarmed, noticing her sudden change.

"Someone is breaking through to the God Stage in the palace," Ling explained and pointed in a certain direction. "Look, isn't it Jiao on the balcony?"

Xuefeng followed her hand with his gaze and spotted the blonde beauty Jiao on one of the balconies, sitting cross legged as if she was cultivating.

"She didn't tell me anything about it…" Xuefeng replied and instinctively flew towards Jiao, wanting to talk to her. He knew she would leave to Heaven Realm once she broke through.

Ling didn't question his decision and simply entered inside him to not disturb him. The closer he got, the more pressure he felt, crushing against his body from Jiao's direction.

To his surprise, there were no phenomenons in the sky which meant that Jiao didn't absorb natural Essence from the air but instead used a supplement to advance. Recalling Lisa's Ascension Pill, he could easily guess what Jiao took.

Bang!

Just as he got closer to her, able to see her face clearly, he heard an explosion and in the next second was hit by a wave of explosive energy which pushed him back. At the same time, Jiao's eyes snapped open and she looked at the sky. It was all black due to late hours but something was slowly changing.

A white light appeared a few hundred meters above the palace and it started enlarging to the size of one meter in diameter, just enough for one person to pass through it.

'She succeeded and Heaven Realm opened its door for her. Being a God Stage cultivator, she can't stay in the Earth Realm for too long,' Ling explained just before Xuefeng called out from the distance.

"Jiao!"

She was about to fly to the sky when she heard Xuefeng's shout and stopped herself midway, glancing in his direction. A complicated emotions appeared on her face as her mouth opened to say something only to close right after. Instead, she bent her knees and launched herself in the sky, heading straight towards the door of light.

"Damn it," Xuefeng cursed under his breath and exploded forth, chasing after her. He would it hard to believe that even with his Golden Wings, he couldn't catch up with her, their gap only getting bigger.

He didn't plan on giving up this easily and suddenly turned into living rocket, bursting with both Air and Fire Qi out of his limbs. He quickly gained momentum and surpassed Jiao speed, closing the gap momentarily. Too bad, the door weren't far to begin with.

"Jiao! Wait!" Xuefeng cried out for the last time, right when she was about to enter through the door but she didn't stop, forcing Xuefeng to go on the extreme.

He extended his arm in the last moment and teleported himself right behind her with all leftover Spirit Qi he had. He grabbed blindly right after and caught her slim ankle. Unfortunately, the momentum he built up was too much, pushing the two of them right through the door of light.

Chapter 459 Stronger Than Ever

The moment Xuefeng passed through the door, an instant regret filled his mind, realizing what he actually did.

'Xuefeng, you need to leave the passage quickly before you activate its defenses,' Ling warned right away, saving the scolding for later. 'No one below God Realm can enter Heaven Realm. We will be punished.'

Xuefeng got uneasy, knowing he messed up for real with her confirmation and looked around. The place was filled with blinding light but he could see another exit above him. He immediately looked down and only relaxed when he saw the door was still there with the view of the Palace below it.

'Is the other exit leading to Heaven Realm?' Xuefeng asked in his mind but he didn't receive an answer as Jiao scolded him first.

"Xuefeng! Why did you follow me?! You can't ascend with me!" She cried out in panic, lowering herself to look at his face. Her expression showed genuine concern as she knew Xuefeng's real stage.

Her worry wasn't baseless as at the same time, an explosion resounded throughout the passage.

Bang!

They looked at the direction of the sound and saw a white chain heading straight towards their direction.

"Watch out!" Xuefeng shouted as he pushed Jiao away from danger and dodged the chain by lifting his legs in the last second.

'Xuefeng! Leave now!' Ling ordered sternly, her voice showing no playfulness anymore. 'Don't worry about her, the chains are aimed at you!'

Unfortunately, it was already too late to exit the passage on his own accord.

Bang! Bang!

Two more chains were sent out from two different directions, even faster than the first one. He swung his wings, flying higher yet the chains chased after him, catching up in no time and wrapped around his legs like two snakes.

Aaaaaargh!

Immense pain caused Xuefeng to scream his lungs out. The sounds of his leg bones cracking and muscles twisting filled the passage, only slightly masked by his screams.

"Xuefeng!" Jiao screamed terrified, tears gushing out uncontrollably. "I told you to leave! Why do you care so much about me?!"

Xuefeng would love to reply but the pain he felt was too much. He gritted his teeth, trying to battle it when a sudden relief filled him, coming from the inside of him.

'Thank you Ling…' Xuefeng muttered in his mind, finally regaining some clarity but

Ling only scolded him, 'Go settle your matter with her fast! I will try to keep you alive!'

The chains kept pulling him down in the direction of the door so he swung with his wings to keep balance. Thanks to Ling, at least he didn't feel any pain as she ran their Regeneration Ability on full mode.

Xuefeng ignored Jiao's silly question and asked her what he came here for, "Why didn't you tell me anything? Are you going to leave just like that?"

He already went this far, so he didn't plan to leave without getting his answers. Xuefeng knew that Jiao reached a Monarch stage already but he didn't expect she would just Ascend without saying goodbye.

Bang!

Another chain blasted from the wall, joining the other two before Jiao could even reply and caught onto his thigh, smashing it to bits. It regenerated quickly but the pulling force made it harder to stay in the air.

"I can't stay here any longer... Quick, tell me." Xuefeng commented, talking through the pressure. He could see Jiao suffered just by watching him receive so much pain.

"I-I didn't know what to tell you…" Jiao stuttered, guilt all over her face. "You told me to think of what I want and I finally realized what it is. Only by leaving I can accomplish it. I never thought you will chase after me like that…"

'You have around a minute! Those chains increase in power!' Ling warned, finding it hard to deal with them which Xuefeng felt through the pain returning to his legs.

"Couldn't you just tell me first?" Xuefeng asked with a disappointed look. "I thought we are friends..."

Bang!

When he heard yet another explosion, Xuefeng was already prepared for the pain to come. When Jiao heard him grunt and saw as he spurt blood from his mouth when a fist-sized chain pierced his stomach, she finally broke.

"Xuefeng!" Jiao cried out and caught him as he started falling and called out emotionally, "I don't want to be just friends with you!"

She hugged into his chest and added in tears, "Your scolding cleared my mind... I wanted to receive a place in your heart without putting much work, thinking my beauty was enough to take over any man's mind. I was wrong... Without ambition and hard work I became like an empty vessel, practically useless."

"I never said you were useless..." Xuefeng commented weakly, tasting his own blood on his tongue.

"Of course you didn't. I just discovered the truth. The current me never deserved your feelings. If I told you my plans, I don't think I would be able to leave. Because of that I shamelessly thought it would be best to just leave. I'm sorry... I regret it now," Jiao confessed, squeezing him without realizing she was hurting him.

"Cough, cough…" Xuefeng almost choked of blood and commented sarcastically as he pulled her away, only using her as support, "I think you forgot I have a chain stabbed through my belly…"

They were already closing in towards the exit which was probably the reason why no other chains attacked him anymore. Their main task seemed to be throwing any intruders outside the passage.

"I'm sorry… It's all my fault you suffered so much…" Jiao apologized again but Xuefeng pinched her cheek in return, using the pitiful strength he had left.

"Stop apologizing... I came on my own," Xuefeng commanded before slowly letting go of her, allowing the chains to pull him down freely. "Go on and fulfill your goals. You have my blessing."

"No!" Jiao tried to catch him but his hand slipped from her fingers. The chains finally launched him out of the passage and only her voice reached him when he was falling towards the palace.

"In Heaven Realm! I will find you again! Stronger than ever! I promise!"

Chapter 460 Cancelled.

The doors of light closed right after Jiao's words escaped from the passage and darkness engulfed the sky once again. Xuefeng was falling with a bloody hole in his stomach but that wasn't his main concern. His mind was still thinking about Jiao.

Although their relationship wasn't that greatly developed, he still considered her a friend. For her to simply leave alone and venture into a dangerous world of Heaven Realm was just foolish. He didn't waste time scolding her in the passage as that wouldn't change anything and instead tried to understand her decision but he still found her behavior unnecessary.

"Sigh… So stupid," Xuefeng commented as he slowly stabilized his fall, suspending mid-air while Ling tried her hardest to repair his body.

He tried to help understand her mistakes and accepted her under his roof so the least she could do was inform him what she decided to do. He didn't share the same feelings as she did for him yet that wasn't the reason to leave.

'Don't bother with her,' Ling called out unhappily. "If the only way for her to regret is seeing you in pain, I don't want you to see her ever again.'

'Some people just need a small push. If my sacrifice can fix her behavior and motivate her to great things then I will take it. I will consider it a parting gift for her. What she can achieve now depends solely on her,' Xuefeng explained it from his perspective, still not regretting his actions.

If he let her leave just like that, he wouldn't be called Xuefeng.

'She has little chances to survive,' Ling commented, recounting him the reality of the Heaven Realm. 'That place is too dangerous for a lone women. You are left with only a few options to survive. You can either join a powerful organization that will protect you, acquire a bloodline of another race and seek their help or find a strong male cultivator who will protect you in exchange for your body.'

Xuefeng already knew the world there was brutal but hearing it again only made him worry more. Although it was fully her decision to leave alone, he still couldn't help but feel guilty, knowing he had the power to stop her.

Ling still wasn't done talking critically of Jiao, 'Just as Thunder Goddess, if Jiao refuses to join any forces, she would be hunted down for her beauty. Even if she survives and you meet her in the future, she wouldn't be the same person anymore, already dirtied by the brutality of that Realm. The best chance she had was staying with us but she threw it away.'

Xuefeng was silenced by her reasoning, knowing she was probably right. In his current situation, there is nothing he could do now other than lamenting and crying over spilled milk which he would never do. He already had his plans so he couldn't follow after her to help.

'Forget about her. It would be for the best,' Ling advised, making Xuefeng sigh yet again.

'How are my injuries?' Xuefeng asked, diverting his attention from this event. Jiao matter would for sure return to him in the

future so it was pointless to trouble himself with it now.

At the same time, he looked around and realized there were already many guards nearby, flying to him to check the situation. Ascension was never a trivial deal and seemed to alarm people.

"Young Master, are you okay?!" they called out anxiously from the distance. Seeing what state Xuefeng's clothes were, anyone would think that he was mortally wounded.

"I'm fine! Don't worry!" Xuefeng shouted back to them as he waved, which assured them.

'Fine? You call that fine?' Ling countered him in a scolding tone, "What if I told you that you almost ruined your whole cultivation with this move? I repaired your crushed legs but your dantain is damaged. If I didn't shift the chain a bit before it reached us, you would be pierced right through your dantain. Heaven Punishment is not a joke!'

Oof…

Xuefeng sucked in cold air, not expecting the damage would be this big.

Ling didn't leave it at that and continued, 'I can't help but get angry at you for risking your life for someone like her. She acted selfishly yet you followed after her, suffering because of her. Just wait for the time I'm done healing your injuries and I will come out to kick your butt. Humpf!'

It was the first time he heard Ling this mad at him, to the point he could feel the anger in her voice. Too bad, she wasn't the only woman in his life with such tendencies. He couldn't avoid the consequences.

"Xuefeng!"

He heard a familiar voice from below and saw a group of girls rushing to him with a worried expression on her faces. He already knew that based on Ling's reaction, the rest wouldn't be happy as well.

Xiao Wen was the first to reach him and questioned right away, "Are you okay?! What happened?! Yiren almost passed out from the pain."

Xuefeng immediately glanced at Yiren and she was pale, hugging onto Wuying as support.

"Yir—" He called out as he quickly flew up to her but she cut him off, assuring him, "I'm alright… Don't worry about me. Wen already healed me. How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay, just slightly injured..." Xuefeng muttered, caressing Yiren's cheeks with guilt. "Ling is taking good care of me."

Ling who was mentioned suddenly appeared next to them and exposed his deeds for him.

"This dummy entered the passage leading to Heaven Realm as he chased after Jiao who tried to leave without saying anything and got injured in the process. I stabilized his dantain but I will still need more time to fully restore it," Ling recounted shortly and added while glaring at Xuefeng, "He doesn't listen to me so I will need your help to set him straight."

Xiao Wen was the only one from the girls who knew the severity of his actions and quickly frowned, grabbing onto his face upset. "You did what…?"

Gulp.

Xuefeng swallowed his saliva, seeing Xiao Wen's eyes were even sterner than Ling's.

"I cannot explain… I saw Jiao Ascending without telling us anything and I instinctively chased after her, wanting to understand what happened. I didn't think I would fly into the passage by accident," Xuefeng tried his best to describe the situation and Xiao Wen looked at Ling for confirmation.

Ling nodded after which Xuefeng got grabbed by his hand and pulled him down towards the palace.

"We are going back!"

———

In the next moment, Xuefeng found himself sitting at the end of the bed with seven of his women glaring at him as if they debated on his punishment. When Xiao Wen explained to the rest what exactly happened and the dangers he faced, even Yiren got upset with him.

Xuefeng looked at them all and apologized sincerely, "I'm sorry."

"Do you even know what you apologize for?" Nuwa asked sternly, not letting him off this easily.

"I know… I was too rush, acting without thinking once again which led to me getting injured," Xuefeng confessed and tried to stand up to give them a hug yet he was put back down by Xiao Wen's leg.

"That's not all," she said with a shake of her head. "You need to understand that you are not alone. Did you think what will happen once you die? Both me and Yiren will immediately follow your footsteps while the rest will be left by themselves. Don't ever risk your life like this ever again, you hear me?"

"I promise," Xuefeng vowed to which Yiren dove into his arms, hugging him tightly. Her act broke the cold atmosphere in the room and one by one they joined them.

It was hard for anyone to be mad at him for too long.

"What are we going to do about Jiao then?" Nuwa asked, recalling the last issue. "We gave her the chance yet she didn't change. What do you think?"

The girls looked at each other as if they were talking through their eyes and spoke at the same time without asking Xuefeng for his opinion.

"Cancelled."

Just as they decided, the barrier around Tianshi, who was breaking through on the bed, cracked and broke. She opened her eyes and looked at them, surprised at their cuddling session.

"Did I miss something?"

Chapter 461 Tianshi"s Ability

"Ah, you are such a dummy sometimes…" Tianshi muttered with a sigh after hearing the explanation from Xiao Wen and hugged Xuefeng from behind. "She is not worth your pain. Don't think about her anymore."

Even though she was upset with his decision, she couldn't get mad at him for too long. Xuefeng was cuddling with Yiren as Ling was checking up on her injuries so she pulled away and massaged his tense shoulders.

"I could see that Jiao was slowly improving her behavior but in the end, she chose to resolve her problems on her own. You can't be blamed for that. We can only hope she will be fine and find someone who can protect her," Tianshi commented.

Looking at the girls, she added, "Though, I disagree with everyone. Canceling her will not bring us any good. If by any chance she survives in the Heaven Realm, she would be a good asset to have. We should still remain friendly with her."

It wasn't a popular opinion but once everyone valued the pros and cons, they realized it was still an option.

"I would only agree to Jiao being our friend and only if she changes her attitude," Nuwa responded first. "I disliked her from the very beginning so I don't think I will get along with her anyway."

"I think we should put this decision on hold but I agree with Nuwa. Either she changes or it's a big no," Wuying chose her side and Princess Shan joined them as well. "I'm of the same opinion."

"I'm fine with it. We can wait and see but I still don't like what she did," Xiao Wen expressed as Tianshi's gaze fell on her and Yi nodded when it was her turn.

Tianshi didn't disturb Ling and Yiren before announcing with the majority of the votes, "I guess we are mostly decided. We will put this matter on hold. We can't change anything now and thinking about the matter will only make us upset. We have more important things to do now."

With Tianshi taking the stance for everyone, they nodded, making it official. For a short moment she felt as if she took the leading role from Nuwa or Xiao Wen and she had to admit, she didn't dislike it. Being the first woman Xuefeng ever liked, she had some responsibilities.

Not leaving her temporary position, Tianshi kissed Xuefeng's neck to gain his attention and muttered into his ear, "And if you, mister 'I like to do things without thinking', decide to risk your like in such a stupid manner once again, I will personally find a rope and bind you to my hand so you don't do anything foolish again. Are we clear?"

Her words were harsh yet soft approach didn't seem to work with Xuefeng so she had to use other methods to persuade him to be a good boy. She didn't want to lose him for the second time in her lifetime.

"Cough… Yes," Xuefeng agreed as he cleared his throat and asked her to change the topic, "How was your breakthrough?"

Tianshi grinned when she heard his agreement and resumed her massage as she replied calmly,

"Everything worked well. My foretelling ability improved a lot and just as we expected, my second ability doesn't provide me with any attack abilities but rather acts as a supporting ability."

"Oh, what is it?" Xuefeng asked curiously. He wanted to fully turn to Tianshi but he had Yiren on his lap as Ling examined her.

"Still not sure but it seems to be some kind of mental ability," Tianshi explained vaguely and grasped his head gently, "Let me test it on you. Don't resist."

When Tianshi caught his head, he immediately felt as if someone was knocking into his mind, wishing to enter. He had connected his mind with both Yiren and Nuwa before but this sensation was much different compared to his bloodline connection.

'Enter?' Xuefeng spoke in his mind, wishing for Tianshi to enter his mind and out of nowhere, he heard her sweet voice, 'Yey, I came inside you pretty easily. Can you hear me?'

'Yeah, I can. It feels weird, you sound as if you were creating thoughts in my mind,' Xuefeng commented on the strange feeling, sensing as if he had no full control over his mind anymore.

'Don't worry, I don't have access to your mind. It's more like a chat room between us. I can convey my thoughts to you and vice-versa," Tianshi assured him and suggested, "Try opening your eyes."

To his surprise, he heard her voice normally, outside of his mind. Xuefeng opened his eyes and felt Tianshi let go of his head before speaking again in his mind, 'Isn't it cool? Now our minds are connected and we can talk as we do other things. We can communicate without anyone knowing anything and surprise our enemies or even use it to talk about our secrets.'

"Tianshi, this is amazing!" Xuefeng called out excitedly, realizing how many advantages such ability gave them and quickly added, "Wait, how big of a distance can we separate with this connection? Can you connect multiple people at the same time? Does it consume a lot of Fate Qi?"

Tianshi smiled and said, "The first two can be easily checked and the cost is minimal, at least if it's just the two of us."

The girls who were listening to them were confused and curious about what they were talking about but Tianshi didn't keep them waiting as she reached out to them, "Everyone, come sit around me."

They didn't question her and all sat on the bed where Tianshi repeated the process, connecting everyone.

'Whoa… Isn't that kind of broken…? This ability would be great in times of war.' Xiao Wen commented shocked.

All of them heard each other's thoughts as if they were sitting in the same room, talking to each other.

'It seems only if we form words with thoughts will they come through. We can't send images,' Wuying reported after a couple of tries.

'I think the best part is that we can talk about Xuefeng without him knowing,' Xiao Wen said with an evil smile and everyone shared it. Sometimes they wanted to discuss something just between them so such ability came in handy.

Xuefeng rolled his eyes and asked, 'About this, is there a way to cut the connection?'

He knew his mind would explode if he listened to them all at once.

'Let me try,' Tianshi muttered and suddenly his mind got clear. He was just about to report it when the girls started to laugh.

"What happened?" He asked curiously but Tianshi only shook her head, "Nothing~ We were just joking around."

"Fine, don't tell me, I have Yiren with me to keep me company." Xuefeng pretended to pout and hugged onto Yiren, asking Ling, "How is she?"

At the same time, Ling let go of Yiren's hand and described, "Her dantain is also damaged but not as bad as in your case. I was able to heal it already. I still need to work on yours for a bit."

She didn't stay for long as she gave him a quick kiss and returned to his body. He immediately felt a warm feeling heaving towards his dantain which meant Ling got to work right away.

'I love you!' Xuefeng expressed his love but Ling wanted more, presenting her demands. 'I want cuddles and your body as payment. I will claim it when I'm done with you.'

He couldn't reject her, recalling how much she helped him this time and agreed, 'Sure, It's a deal.'

"Xuefeng…" Yiren muttered as she finally could relax, no longer in any pain and rotated her body on his lap. He quickly leaned over with his lips and kissed her lightly while apologizing yet again, "I'm sorry… You had to go through a lot of pain because of me…"

Yiren accepted the kiss and bit him on her own while embracing him by the neck. "It's okay… It doesn't hurt anymore. Your kisses steal all the pain away."

He still felt bad for his actions and asked, rubbing her warmly on her back, "Is there anything you want? I want to fulfill your wish."

Xuefeng thought she will need time to consider what she wants yet Yiren was quick as she leaned over to his ear and whispered her wish.

"That's it?" Xuefeng asked to confirm and Yiren nodded happily, "Yes… and you have to do what I ask you to..."

"Alright, let's go."

Chapter 462 Only Mine… Just This Once ** - Yiren POV

"Carry me please." Yiren whispered her first order, wrapping her legs around Xuefeng's waist. She was rarely shameless so this time she decided to go all out.

After what happened today, she deserved some pampering and special attention. She didn't tell him exactly how much pain she felt but she almost felt as if her organs were being ripped apart. If not for Xiao Wen's quick help, she would have passed out immediately.

He seemed to know that as he immediately agreed and played along while leaning over, "My Princess, please embrace me tightly."

She coiled around his neck and grasped onto his shiny white hair just as he suggested. Her face closed in without waiting for his permission until their noses rubbed against one another, their lips just inch away from connecting.

Her sisters gawked at her, stopping their chat and Nuwa joined them, looking with surprised gaze at her daughter but Yiren didn't care about them, only thinking about him. She wanted Xuefeng.

"I want a kiss…"

Yiren's lips trembled as she whispered her wish, too quiet for anyone to hear yet Xuefeng seemed to understand it.

He pressed on her back and kissed her, gently at first but he added intensity which made her grasp onto his warm body as if he was the last thing that kept her from melting.

"One more…"

She repeated her order when he dared to pull away and Xuefeng attacked without hesitation, parting her shaking lips which sent tingling sensation across her skin, the pleasure she almost forgot how much she loved.

She wanted to dominate him, for the first time in her life, she wanted him to think only about her. Just for this short moment.

Yiren didn't realize when but her tiny tongue suddenly slipped into his mouth, kidnapped by the whirlpool of his passion which exploded her heart from within. At one moment it was gently inviting her to dance before demanding more and more, causing her to finally melt into his body.

Despite that, she still gripped onto his hair and rubbed on his long ears, sharing the waves of flames that filled him.

She wanted everything he had, to lick, breathe and eat him whole. With just one whiff she inhaled it all, his shampoo, their special oils she rubbed on him this morning or his manly scent that only he had.

He stood up, carrying her with him and their lips stayed connected. She felt wonderful, forgetting about the pain from before as the touch from his hands masked it with their warm, roaming freely on her back.

"Where are you two going?" Nuwa asked, seeing they didn't seem willing to share their plans and Yiren halted her passion, announcing to the rest.

"We will take a shower. Xuefeng is only mine for the next thirty minutes."

Yiren was always first to share and sacrifice her own sweet time for others but sometimes even she wanted to be selfish.

Xuefeng couldn't comment as his lips were covered once again. His only option was following her desires till she was fully satisfied and pay back the rest on a later date.

Thud.

The doors to the bathroom closed and

she dropped down from him, separating from his lips while looking at his stars from up close.

She was out of breath yet happy, feeling his heart beat as fast as her own.

"Yiren…" Xuefeng whispered her name yet she placed her finger on his lips.

"Don't talk…" Yiren replied back, playing with his lips. "Let your body and emotions speak for you… I can feel anything you do…"

As she spoke, her finger traveled down on his chin and landed on his chest as she grasped into his shirt. It was already ruined so she cut it gently in the middle, sliding it off his torso.

His hands were still gripping onto her dress, feeling as if he was a moment away from ripping it away.

Yiren couldn't wait anymore. She stood on her toes and kissed his neck, licking it as her hands roamed on his body, caressing every corner of it as if to save his imagine permanently into her mind. She sucked and bit on his skin, leaving one mark after another until his whole neck was covered in her scent.

Ah…

He moaned softly when she kissed his earlobe which caused her desire to the peak.

"Make me scream your name…"

She didn't need to ask twice as his pants fell down on their own and her body lifted, carried by him effortlessly across the room. His passionate gaze made her feel weak, forced to cling onto him as he placed her beneath the shower.

Droplets of hot water began falling down on their heads, wetting his naked body and her dress which he left for last to take off, moving around her body with an unhurried manner. He scooped her golden hair off her face, and leaned down, kissing her deeply, unbothered by the falling water.

His hands trailed down on her neck, then shoulders, lowering her dress as they traveled down, stopping by her breasts. His tongue mimicked the actions of his fingers as he pressed, twisted, dancing round and round.

Mhmm…

Her first sound of pleasure tried to find an outlet but he blocked all exits, pushing her limits again and again. One hand lingered on her breast, teasing and pulling while the other moved further, dropping her dress on the floor. The next thing she remembered was his fingers entering inside her, stirring and rubbing.

She wanted him to hear her cries for more, so she caught his ears, pulling his hungry lips away and placed them on her neck. Each time she rubbed his special spots, her body shivered, legs stiffening. Being this close to him sent his pleasure straight onto her without any delay, making her bless their connection.

Ahh!

Her loud moan was like music to his ears, his moves intensifying each time she cried her lungs out. He lifted her leg up right after she came, barely able to stand on her own as her muscles shuddered constantly and dropped down on the floor. She leaned on the wall for support just in time to receive another explosion to her already broken mind as his tongue drove inside her.

"Xuefeng~!"

He fulfilled her wish but he didn't stop, squeezing her thigh that he placed on his shoulder and listened to her raw, uncontrolled cries of pleasure as he claimed her with his tongue.

Yiren was already on the brink, gushing out while grasping onto his hair, pulling and pressing him closer before showering him with high-pitched moans each time he reached the right spot.

When his face leveled up with her own, staring into her exhausted eyes with desire and love, she knew it was just the beginning. She lifted her trembling arms and embraced his neck, returning the same loving gaze.

"Please… Feel good with me…"

With how hard he has gotten, rubbing and knocking against her entrance, she knew he would push inside her very soon.

"You are only mine… Just this once…"

Ahh~!

She screamed with pleasure as her entrance parted and he slid inside her with ease, reaching all the way to her end, pulsing and throbbing. She has never been this ready to receive his love like she was that day, taking him whole each second as he plundered her insides.

At one moment he pushed slowly, teasing her entrance while waiting for her to beg for more before giving her full, hard thrusts that she couldn't handle anymore, her legs bending under his force. He grabbed her second leg and lifted her without slowing down the movement, pounding in the rhythm of her moans.

Even though their bodies were connected with soul, mind and flesh, all she thought was… him. She was weak, already exhausted but she didn't let go of him.

She would never let go.

Her body shivered each time they came together but she stubbornly clung onto him, her lips next to his ear. Each time she moaned, Xuefeng thrusted with new energy, creating a vicious circle of pleasure that none of them wanted to end.

He was hers and she was his. Forever and ever.

"Xuefeng, I love you!"

Her one last cry, aimed straight at his heart, left her mouth and a tremor run through Xuefeng's body, exploding with ecstasy.

He felt the same.

Yiren could feel it clearly.

"I love you too."

Chapter 463 Sleepless Night **

When Yiren and Xuefeng finally left the bathroom, there was something different about them. Or rather, something changed in Yiren. Her gaze at Xuefeng while hugging onto him was filled with love and devotion, much stronger than the usual.

All others naturally spotted that difference and stared at the two with their hands wrapped under their chests. They were all undressed in bed, waiting for Xuefeng to come back but now they wanted to know the details.

Xuefeng noticed the strange gazes and questioned with a smile as he walked up to the bed, "What? Why do you all look at us like that? We were quick."

"What trick did you use to make Yiren so lovestruck? We can all see it clearly," Xiao Wen asked, pulling him onto the bed where all the girls got hold of him. "Speak up, we want the same."

"Huh, I didn't do anything different than usual…" Xuefeng got confused and looked at Yiren. "Am I right?"

The girls switched their target at Yiren but she only smiled mysteriously, hopping on the bed and nodded, "Mhmm, just the usual… Isn't it natural I look at him with love? He is after all the man we decided to spend the rest of our lives with. There is no one else I love more."

The girls were still suspicious but before they could question him more, Xuefeng pushed Xiao Wen onto the bed and reached out to the closest girls, Wuying and Tianshi. He slipped his hands in between their legs and smiled, still full of energy.

"You wanted the same, let me give you the same."

———

Although Xuefeng was willing, it was actually hard for him to satisfy all of them in a single night. It was already late already and there were only so many hours of the night they could use. Xuefeng already forgot how it feels like to sleep as each night for him was a constant marathon of passion.

"Is it morning already…?" Xuefeng asked as he pulled his lips from Tianshi. Sun rays were already piercing through the windows yet he only noticed them now, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the steamy kiss.

"Ah, I'm not done yet. Let me finish…" Nuwa complained while her hips continued to move rhythmically, riding on him to her heart content. It was finally her turn so she wouldn't let him go easily.

"Don't worry, it's still early…" Tianshi assured, placing Xuefeng's hand back on her chest and stole his lips once again.

Having her fill, she pulled away and his lips were immediately seized by Wuying who was in charge of lending her legs as his pillow. The third in turn was Yi who wanted to get at least something, being the only one who still didn't get to taste Xuefeng in bed.

She noticed his apologetic look and Yi requested, "I want our first time to be special… There is no need to hurry." He squeezed on her nipple as

if he understood and suddenly let go of the girls, sitting up.

"It's time to get to work. Everyone needs to improve diametrically for our next expedition. We will rest and enjoy ourselves plenty after we come back," Xuefeng decided, grasping onto Nuwa's bottom. "It's time to end the party."

"No!" Nuwa refused and hugged onto his chest so he wouldn't let go of her. "I want more."

Smack!

"Ahh!" Nuwa cried out in pleasure after Xuefeng slapped her butt as punishment for talking back.

A red mark of his hand appeared on her skin but Nuwa didn't care. Each of his smacks gave her even more pleasure as his manhood throbbed inside her.

"This is your second round. Look how patient others are," Xuefeng scolded as he squeezed Yi's thigh, showing that he talked about her.

Too bad, Nuwa was a really hard nut to crack.

She looked up, entangled her hands around his head and complained unhappily, stalling for more time, "You promised to give me a lot of pleasure. I'm just claiming what you owe me…"

Nuwa didn't let him speak back and kissed him deeply while invading his mouth with her tongue. Xuefeng already knew she would simply do what she wanted if he didn't do anything so he acted.

Nuwa landed on her back out of nowhere and Xuefeng thrust with power, weakening her defenses.

"Ahh! Yes! More!" Nuwa cried out, allowing Xuefeng to slip away from her embrace. He immediately used this chance to pin her wrists to the bed, temporarily taming her.

Sex with Nuwa was a never-ending battle and a trap she set up for him. She was never fully satisfied. No matter how much she came, she wanted more and more.

"You are a bad girl," Xuefeng scolded lightly but Nuwa wrapped her legs around him and agreed with him playfully, "Yes, I'm a selfish, bad girl. You need to punish me~"

Xuefeng rolled his eyes at her shamelessness and gave up arguing with her. It was an endless back and forth with her. Unless he got stronger, he would never tame her. The only way to defeat her was to make her come.

Without saying anything, Xuefeng grabbed her arms for support and started pounding as he announced to the rest, "I will visit Lisa today, study under her until lunchtime before we all gather and visit the Inheritance Grounds. I want to complete all of them."

"We can stay here and cultivate until then," Tianshi proposed, sneaking in behind him. Although he was occupied with Nuwa, it didn't mean she couldn't disturb them a little.

As she expected, Xuefeng freed one of his hands and embraced her. "Yes, you all need to increase your cultivation bases, especially you. I expect you to break through to Saint Stage before we depart. You still have a few days," Xuefeng informed, finishing with a kiss.

Tianshi already knew what he would say so she smiled and replied, "Mhmm, I will work hard. Though, I only recently entered Emperor Stage so I still need a whole stage to cross."

As if she thought of something, she kissed him gently and asked, "Will you maybe help me with Dual Cultivation?"

"Mhmm!" Nuwa cried out at this very moment, looking like she was reaching her ecstasy. Her lips were tightly shut, trying to suppress her sounds and only gushing juices acted as a sign of her eruption.

Tianshi saw he didn't finish yet so she sat across Nuwa's belly and hanged herself on his neck, staring into his eyes with a smile.

"Sure," Xuefeng agreed and performed a quick switch which widened Tianshi's eyes.

When he burst inside her, Tianshi was focused, already planning on absorbing every drop which would get her even closer to her goal. She didn't have Elven Bloodline and only recently acquired a Fate Spirit so her cultivation was lacking behind everyone.

"Focus on absorbing it and continue pushing through. I will help you later."

———

Even though they decided to leave the bed, it took Xuefeng more than an hour to free himself from the girls, constantly getting teased and assaulted by them. Just a moment ago he could still hear them chatting in his head but he suddenly lost the signal.

"It seems the distance for communication is at most a few kilometers. Still something," Xuefeng commented as he headed towards Lisa's mansion.

He already learned from the girls that Drakos left to find the Hidden Realm entrance so he was now moving solo. He already considered him a buddy, despite his cute and little form.

He spotted Lisa in front of her mansion exchanging goods with the manager but when he landed, the man excused himself, leaving them alone.

"I'm back early," Xuefeng announced with a smile, thinking Lisa would be happy to see him yet she only glanced at him casually, looking as if she had something on her mind.

"Did something happen?" Xuefeng asked as he approached and Lisa shrugged, no longer paying him attention. "You tell me. Aren't you the reason she left to Heaven Realm like an idiot because she tried to prove heaven knows what?"

Chapter 464 Spit It Out!

"Hey, I also didn't know anything about it," Xuefeng called out and grabbed Lisa's wrist to stop her. He wanted to explain but she didn't seem to care.

Lisa turned her head around and glared at him, ordering sharply, "Let go. I don't want to talk to you."

"Will you please listen to me?" Xuefeng pleaded without releasing her. He already guessed she placed all the blame on him so he tried to clear his name.

Lisa looked at him conflicted and replied, "No. We were meant to enter the Heaven Realm together, as sisters, yet she was determined to leave now because she wanted to improve herself for you. She thought she can do it all by herself and impress you when you two meet again. How foolish is that?"

"Then why are you blaming me? Do you think I wanted her to leave?" Xuefeng questioned, pulling her closer and locked her second hand. "When I came back in the evening, I saw her in the process of ascending, already in the God Stage. Guess what I did?"

"What?" Lisa got her attention grabbed. "If she already advanced, it was already too late."

She stopped struggling so Xuefeng let go of her and described what happened, "I tried to stop her and learn why she was leaving without telling me anything. I even accidentally entered into the passage with her where I almost died from the Heavenly Chains. Don't blame me for her decision. I tried to help her."

Lisa's eyes widened as she suddenly turned even angrier at him.

"You did what?!" Lisa cried out and pulled him into her mansion, slamming him against the doors. "Dummy! What were you thinking?! What if something happened to you?! You could die there!"

"Ah, I was already scolded by everyone, please don't be another one. I heard enough," Xuefeng sighed, not in a mood to listen to another lecture.

His response made her even more annoyed but there was nothing she could do. Who she was to him to receive the right to scold him. Lisa only glared at him and finally stomped with her foot, walking away upset.

"Hey—" Xuefeng tried to stop her again but before he said anything, Lisa threw a ring at him which he caught on instinct.

"There is a letter inside addressed to you. If you want to learn why she did it, you should read it," Lisa commented as she halted in front of her workshop. "I don't blame you for her decision. I blame you for not stopping her before it was too late. Don't worry, I blame myself too. I was the one who gave her the pill. Now there is nothing we can do to save her

unless we follow after her."

Thud.

Lisa closed the doors behind her as she entered the workshop, leaving Xuefeng alone in the corridor. He could only sigh to himself and look inside the ring. He took out a white paper from it and saw neat writing on one page.

With his strengthened sense of smell, he immediately smelled Jiao's perfumes on it which confirmed it was her writing.

'Hi, Xuefeng…

If you are reading this, I am probably gone by that time. Long story short, I left for Heaven Realm. I know you probably can't believe it but I had to do it.

Please, don't blame yourself. It's all my fault and my decision in the first place. I was never someone who deserved even one sun ray yet I wanted the whole sun.

Because of this, I decided to leave. I don't really know what I'm hoping for but I want to change. I want to become someone worthy of your trust, friendship, and love…'

At that moment, Xuefeng paused, touching the paper. He noticed the paper was puckered at a few spots. He quickly realized what those spots meant.

Tears.

Jiao was crying as she wrote this letter. Xuefeng quickly checked the second part of the letter.

'I'm really sorry…

I'm sorry I'm leaving without saying goodbye...

I'm sorry I failed to earn your trust…

I'm sorry I didn't live up to your expectations…

When I didn't deserve to see you at my best, I don't deserve to see you at my lowest too…

I'm really sorry… I can't…

I really can't gather the courage to meet you…

I was never good for you but that will change. I will work hard to prove myself. Prove I can stay by your side and be with you.

Please forgive me for leaving. Just this last time. Forgive me.

I will come back stronger than ever. Don't forget me.

Look, I'm shameless again… Anyway, thank you for your kindness. Despite my ugly character, you didn't push me away as everyone suggested. Thank you.'

Ah...

Xuefeng couldn't help but sigh when he reached this part. He still believed Jiao was one big dummy but it was too late to lament about it. His opinion didn't change after he read the letter. He hoped she will succeed and actually improve.

Bam!

Just as he wanted to continue to read the last part of the letter, he heard a small explosion from the inside of Lisa's workshop. He immediately entered inside and got hit by an intense pill aroma. It was strong and earthy but at the same time refreshing.

"What?" Lisa asked from her crouched position as she was reaching out towards her cauldron. It was obvious she was creating some strong pills but that assured him. At least she returned to her job instead of worrying about her sister.

"Nothing, you can continue," Xuefeng responded and returned to the letter.

'Even if I am the last person would like to give favors to, I hope you can accept one of my selfish wishes.

Can you take care of my sister, Lisa? I know that she loves me dearly even though she doesn't show it on the outside but this is why I'm worried about her. She is even more stubborn than me so I am afraid she will follow me to the Heaven Realm. I hope you can stop her.'

Xuefeng side glanced at Lisa but he didn't notice any strange behavior. She was packing pills she just made into a small vial so he looked back at the letter.

'If you read this letter, you should be read her. If you notice any red pills with a strong, earthy smell around her, please stop her. It's an Ascension Pill. One needs to keep it under their tongue for better effects so even if she takes one, you can still stop her before she reaches breakthrough.

I'm sorry and thank you!'

Xuefeng didn't believe that Lisa would actually do it but the aroma he felt from before made him worried. He looked back at Lisa and suddenly paled.

She had a red colored pill in her hand which she put into her mouth right in front of him. It was the very same pill with a strong and earthy smell she just made.

He immediately rushed to Lisa as he cried out, "Lisa! Stop it!"

She looked at him with a questioning gaze when he grabbed her shoulder and ordered her.

"Quickly, spit it out!"

Chapter 465 Just Leave...

Lisa's eyes widened, not knowing what Xuefeng was doing but his demand was unreasonable so she shook her head, rejecting him. She tried to push him away to the safe distance but he didn't stop, embracing her by the waist and ordered seriously.

"Spit it out! I won't let you risk your life like her. You are not ready for this."

"Mhmm?!" Lisa questioned with her mouth full, still not getting him.

What risk? What life?

'What do you mean?!' Lisa cried out in her mind as she pushed on Xuefeng's chest.

Because her dress was thin and she had nothing underneath it, she felt as if his hands touched her directly on the skin. He didn't seem to care about that was he gripped her strongly, increasing the effect.

How did he expect her to spit out a pill like that? Doesn't he know how embarrassing it would look like? Lisa was raised in a respected family. Even if she was naughty from time to time, it didn't mean she would dare to spit left and right.

"Okay, you give me no choice," Xuefeng announced before grabbing both of her hands and pulling towards the doors. He gave her no chance to resist at all, using more strength than usual.

He raised her arms upwards and pinned them both right above her head, using only one hand to hold her. Lisa gave up on resisting as she trusted he wouldn't do anything to her so he locked her in place with little to no effort.

'What does he want…?' Lisa thought as she looked up in search of his eyes when she felt his warm hand holding onto her cheeks, squeezing them.

"This is your last chance. Are you going to spit it out or not?" Xuefeng asked sternly, creating a small bowl out of his hand right in front of her mouth.

'Does he want me to spit onto his hand…? Nooooooo!' Lisa instantly rejected this idea and shook her head, knocking his hand away.

Her lips pressed tightly, entering into complete lockdown and she glared at him, flushing all around. Both her cheeks and ears creeped with redness as hearth pumped more blood, beating faster than ever. She has never been so embarrassed in her life than at this moment.

"Fine, you asked for it," Xuefeng muttered and suddenly held onto her chin, stopping her tantrum. She thought he will try to squeeze the pill out of her mouth but instead Xuefeng leaned over and pressed his lips against her own.

"..."

Lisa wanted to move, do something but her body suddenly froze and mind turned blank. She couldn't feel anything other than the softness and warmth pressing against her.

'He kissed me…' Lisa's finally thought, realizing what was happening. His right hand was pinning her hands to the door while the other held her chin firmly, allowing little to no movement.

Xuefeng didn't pull away from her for even a second and instead pushed harder, trying to part her lips away with gentle kisses. The more time passed, the harder it was for her to resist.

As the last line of defense, she swung the knee at his crotch but he suddenly moved forward and caught it in between of his thighs. His body was now completely covering her own, from her legs up to her arms and face.

'What's up with him…? If he wanted to kiss me, he didn't need to force himself like this…' Lisa muttered in her mind, not understanding him. If he asked her properly, she would probably give in. There was no need to create such a play just to kiss her.

It was her last contemplation before her body finally broke and her lips parted.

"Ah…" Lisa let out a weak sound of defeat when a slimy object slipped into her mouth.

She immediately identified it as Xuefeng's tongue and flushed even more, not knowing what exactly she should do. It was her first kiss yet Xuefeng expected so much from her right off the bat.

He pressed against her tongue, teasing it from all sides before lifting it up, revealing a small pill underneath. To her surprise, his tongue wrapped around the pill and he pulled it out of her mouth. Right when the pill was out of her mouth, Xuefeng released her chin, drawing away.

She instinctively followed after him but because he held her hands, she was forced back.

'Did he just kiss me for the pill…?' Lisa finally realized something was wrong with Xuefeng's behavior. The whole time she thought she was his goal but he was holding onto the pill he just pulled from her mouth and stared at it with interest.

"..."

Lisa was momentarily speechless. She watched him lick the pill as if testing its purpose and suddenly felt like crying. He played with her feelings from start to finish. He didn't care about her from the very beginning.

"This is not an Ascension Pill, right?" Xuefeng asked troubled. "It doesn't contain a lot of Spirit Essence inside…"

"You…" Lisa tried to scold him but she was lost for words. Her mind got quickly overwhelmed by a mix of emotions, making her upset, embarrassed and most importantly angry.

"Of course it's not! It's a chill pill to calm my mind!" Lisa cried out, the anger taking over her other pent up emotions. "Did you think I would randomly eat an Ascension Pill?!"

"My bad then. I'm sorry. I thought you are trying to follow your sister and risk your life as well…" Xuefeng apologized and let go of her, showing signs of regret. Unfortunately, it was already too late.

"You think I would go to Heaven Realm on my own? Do I look like an idiot?" Lisa questioned annoyed. "I would become a slave in the very first day. I know my limits."

Xuefeng scratched his head and passed her the letter, "Jiao mentioned an red pill with a strong, earthy aroma. She said there is a chance you would follow her so she asked me to stop you in case you consume one. I thought—"

"You thought what? Tell me, I'm interested in your answer. Go ahead," Lisa cut him off. "Couldn't you just ask me? Do you know how many pills with a strong earthy aroma I can make? More than a hundred!"

"I'm sorry, I overreacted as usual… I didn't want to lose another friend…" Xuefeng replied softly, rubbing his eyelids with a deep sigh. He seemed to be tired from everything but it didn't change the fact that he messed up again.

Lisa quickly read the letter before burning it. "So now what? You think I will be satisfied with your sorry?" Lisa asked upset, her anger slowly diminishing. "You forced yourself on me and took away my first kiss. Can you explain that?"

"It wasn't my intention. I just wanted to protect you from making a mistake. That was all that was on my mind." Xuefeng tried to explain but Lisa didn't' buy that.

"And? Doesn't it matter now? You already did it and we can't go back in time. Tell me rather what you want to do now. I'm waiting," Lisa demanded, her eyes getting wetter as she spoke.

"I…" Xuefeng started speaking when Lisa wiped her eye and saw tears on her hand, making him stop.

"Oh, perfect. Now I'm crying. Thank you. I have not cried in years," Lisa commented, showing a fake smile before opening the doors for him. "It's best if you leave. I'm not in the mood to teach you today. You got your kiss so you should be satisfied."

She didn't look at him anymore, turning with her back to him and tried to stop crying, covering her face with her sleeve.

"Lisa…" Xuefeng muttered as he started walking up to her but she stopped him. "Don't bother. I'm just your friend anyway. You have so many women already. Why would you care about me."

All she received was silence, confirming her guess. She was just a normal friend for him.

'Once he leaves, he will forget about me quickly…' Lisa muttered to herself and called out to chase him away, "Forget about this kiss. I don't care anymore. We are at most friends and I'm your teacher. Come back tomorrow. I should be fine by then and we can continu—"

She didn't get to finish her words as Xuefeng didn't seem to stop his movements and she felt his chest pushing against her back. His arms embraced her tiny body and he just hugged her without saying anything.

Lisa didn't know why but her chest started hurting and tears fell even more intensely.

"Let go of me. Your women are waiting. Go hug them instead," Lisa ordered as she tried to shrug him off, contrary to how she really felt.

She just knew it was the right thing to do. Too bad, Xuefeng didn't listen, tightening his hug instead. He caught her wrists so she doesn't struggle and they just stayed like this is silence.

"Why? I said you shouldn't worry about me. I'm fine," Lisa finally spoke but Xuefeng countered, shutting her down.

"Then why are you crying?"

Yes, why?

She didn't know.

Maybe because there was no one in her life for a long time. She was all alone. Only her and the pills. There was no one she could talk to and no one that could brighten her day.

Then…

Xuefeng appeared. They didn't know each other for long yet his humor, his smile and his banter made her every day happier. She would wake up excited to meet him, looking forward to their lesson.

But…

She was quick to realize it would end soon. The moment he left for the first time, it struck her harder than she thought. Wouldn't he leave for good one day? She would be alone once again.

She thought she would at least have her sister after they finally reunited yet she also left. Her plan to follow her for adventures as duo got ruined as quickly as it arised.

Why was she crying?

Yeah… He was the reason...

Sniff...

"Please… If you plan to one day leave me… Do it now… I don't want to get attached only to lose you… Please… Just leave now..."

Chapter 466 Decision

"Xuefeng, it's your turn. You already know the basics. You should be able to create this Rank two pill."

Showcasing ten pills that she just created, Lisa grabbed Xuefeng's hand and pulled him onto her spot. Her face was full of smiles and eyes shining. There were some leftover tear stains under her eyes, but she was much better already, recovering her cheerful mood.

"Sure," Xuefeng agreed, sitting down on the small stool in front of the cauldron when Lisa sneaked behind him and hugged him.

Before he was able to comment, Lisa explained herself, "Don't get me wrong… It's just easier to control and teach you in this position… It's not like I want to hug you or anything…"

"Oh really? Then why are your hands squeezing my chest?"

Lisa immediately disagreed, twisting facts, "They are not! I'm just checking if your body is ready. You need to be prepared in both mind and body to create amazing pills. I'm doing you a favor!"

"Okay, then how is my body? Is it ready?"

"Mhmm, I think it's good, but I will still need to inspect and check on you while you work. We need to make sure nothing bad happens," Lisa replied with a nod and placed her head on his shoulder. "Don't mind me, just focus on your job. I will assist you."

Xuefeng only smiled and pretended he didn't see right through her. He focused on the cauldron and all the ingredients before starting this new challenge.

Just a few minutes ago, Lisa was crying in his arms, asking him to leave before it's too late yet now she was a cuddly cat who took every opportunity she could get to hug him. Xuefeng was thinking about his decision but he didn't regret it.

His heart was like a broken glass and each girl held one-piece hostage. Only when they were together would the glass be able to fill with water of feelings with everyone getting some. Unfortunately, almost all big pieces were already taken away and he could feel there was very little space left.

Even though he knew all that, Xuefeng couldn't get himself to let go of Lisa's body; he didn't want to leave her alone.

When he heard her crying words, he squeezed her body tighter and whispered into her ear, "What if I don't let go…?"

Lisa sniffed softly and pleaded quietly, "You have to… You will hurt me… I don't like when it hurts… Please… Just leave..."

"I will hug you until you stop crying..." Xuefeng decided, not letting her go.

"Will you leave if I stop crying…?" Lisa asked back weakly but Xuefeng only shook his head in response.

"Why…?"

"I don't feel like leaving," Xuefeng replied simply.

They stayed like this for some time before Lisa finally calm down a bit.

"So, you won't leave me…?" She asked with hope in her voice and Xuefeng turned it around.

"How about you won't leave me instead?"

"What do you mean…?" Lisa turned her to the side and Xuefeng finally let go of her, allowing her to look at him.

Xuefeng sighed deeply as he peeked into her eyes and confessed honestly, "I won't lie to you. My heart already belongs to many women and it's filled with feelings for them. If I told you I love you right now, I would not be honest with you. What you want requires time."

"…"

Lisa responded with silence, waiting for him to continue as she stared into his eyes.

"If you want to find love in my heart, it's too late to just ask for it. If that was the case, would any relationship with my

wives be real? I value each and every one of them, even if it sometimes doesn't look like this. I can't promise I will find feelings for you if you follow me, but your chances are much greater this way. Do you understand?"

Xuefeng knew his wives deserved more than what he offered them, so he proceeded with caution. He also treated this as a test. If Lisa could drop everything and follow him without a certainty that he will replicate her feelings, it would show she actually cared for him.

"I understand," Lisa replied after a pause and finally cheered up, smiling ever so slightly.

"Mhmm, that's good," Xuefeng nodded, patting her on the head. "I know it's unfair to you so I will understand if you—"

"I will follow you," Lisa announced firmly before he even finished and grabbed onto his shirt, clutching it with her small fingers as if he was her last hope. "I want to stay with you."

"Are you sure?" Xuefeng asked to confirm while describing what would await her on such path. "Our journey will be tough, filled with pain, hardships and survival. I'm not the safest person to be around. Once I enter Heaven Realm, I will be targeted by many people. Everyone will try to kill us. Do you still want to join me?"

Lisa didn't take time to think but instead asked back, "Will you try to protect me if you can? Will there be love, friendship and kindness in our group? Will there be many happy and funny moments while our adventure bountiful with twists and turns?"

"Yes," Xuefeng nodded. Everything she described was bound to happen.

She smiled brightly when she heard it and hugged into his chest. "Then I want to follow you. Even if you won't love me in the end, at least I can say I tried. I don't want to regret not taking this opportunity. It sounds much better than how I imagined my life in the future."

Lisa wiped her eyes with shirt by rubbed against his chest and continued, "It was filled with pills, loneliness and boredom. I have been making pills my whole life. I honestly don't know anything else. I love it but I know it's not everything. Would I be stupid not to follow you? I get friends; I get to do what I love and I there is you. I can spend time with someone that makes me happy."

She looked up after her speech and ended with a rhetorical question.

"Isn't the choice obvious?"

———

"Come on, control your fire! Don't lose focus or you will burn the herbs! Each pill requires different flame temperature. I already told you about it."

"No, no! This is Wild Spearmint! Did you forget the recipe? You should add it last. Now it's time for Thorn Grass. Add it quickly and increase the flames! There is no time to hesitate!"

"Ah! Xuefeng! I told you to mix them properly first before separating them. Look how many impurities are left. Your healing pills turned into poison."

Lisa acted all cute and cuddly later but the moment he started making his pills, she turned into a devil mode, shouting and yelling. He couldn't count how many times he was pinched and poked in the ribs by her.

"What happened? You weren't this terrible last time?" Lisa questioned, giving him a glare. "If you were anyone else, I would already throw you out. Did you forget everything I taught you?"

Gulp…

Xuefeng swallowed and scratched his head embarrassedly.

'How do I tell her that you were helping me at the start but now I decided to do everything myself?' Xuefeng asked in his mind, not expecting alchemy would be this hard.

It seemed pretty easy with Ling's help but now he realized it wasn't the case.

It was extremely hard!

Just the technique to balance the flames, it's temperature and intensity, was hard to perform yet he needed to focus on everything else as well at the same time. It was too complicated.

'I don't mind helping, you know?' Ling informed but Xuefeng rejected immediately. 'No, I don't to rely on you for everything. I want to find something I'm good at without anyone's help.'

"Hey, I'm talking to you," Lisa reminded herself to him, seeing he didn't respond. "If you have any problems, you should tell me. I thought we have those basics behind us…"

"Lisa, I think I'm not really suited for alchemy. I don't see myself mastering it quickly." Xuefeng replied honestly.

Lisa looked at him as if that was obvious and asked, "Dummy, you thought you can master alchemy in a few weeks? I spent years and there is still a lot for me to learn."

"Actually, yes," Xuefeng nodded.

He received a weird stare from Lisa until she finally sighed and commented, "Well, it shouldn't matter much in our situation. If I follow you, wouldn't we have an alchemist already? If you don't think alchemy suits you, there is always Artefact Crafting left which is as popular. Maybe you like it better."

"Mhmm, I thought the same. I am yet to try it so maybe," Xuefeng agreed with her and stood up.

She was quick to realize what did it mean and asked, tugging on his sleeve, "Can I follow you and live in your Palace? I won't get to meet with you otherwise."

Xuefeng blink in surprise but he didn't mind that. He would have to share his decision with the rest anyway so it would be best if they all got to know each other.

He asked just to be sure, "Don't you have any pending orders?"

"I can finish them all today and then move tomorrow…" Lisa suggested, looking at him with hope.

"Sure. We will find place to create a workshop for you," Xuefeng assured her and she brightened, giving him one last excited hug before pushing him out of the room. "Go, go. I will work now. We will meet tomorrow."

Chapter 467: Inheritance Trials

'I guess I'm only left with Artefact Crafting. I will have to ask Xiao Feng to teach me later,' Xuefeng muttered to himself as he left Lisa's mansion.

Even though he could perform alchemy with Ling's help, he wanted to find something that he could do on his own. Maybe it was his own ego that suffered each time he required help from others or maybe it was his ambition that forced him to become more independent.

'But first, it's time to visit some Inheritance Trials. Let's see how dangerous they really are…' Xuefeng decided and launched himself into the sky, heading back to the palace to fetch his women.

'Ling, do you think we can speedrun those Inheritances? How much time is required to finish them?' Xuefeng asked curiously, wanting to go through all nine as fast as he could. 'You should have some experience about it from Thunder Goddess.'

'Indeed, I do, but only for Lightning Inheritance Trial,' Ling reported. 'First of all, It's not that easy as you think it is. There is a reason why many fail it. If you had to fight multiple opponents that are mostly above your stage then it wouldn't be a problem but each Inheritance Trial have a different tests. You can't just use your battle skills to pass them.'

'Well, I already expected it,' Xuefeng nodded, not expecting it to be easy.

'Second of all, once you die inside the Inheritance Trial, you will die in real life. Thankfully, you can resign anytime and save yourself in dire situations. Each trial takes place in a different space and once you break the token you receive, you are sent back outside. The only limit is that you only have nine tries,' Ling explained further.

'Nine tries?' Xuefeng got surprised, not expecting so many. 'We don't have that much time so let's try to clear them all at the first try.'

'Mhmm. We can try from the Lightning Trial if you want. It is very simple as the trial consists of Lightning Tribulation in the midst of battling lightning monsters. Knowing your resistance to elements with your Royal Forest Elf Bloodline, it shouldn't be that hard,' Ling proposed.

Xuefeng was about to agree when Ming suddenly added, appearing out of nowhere, 'I will be teaching you skills in the middle of your Trials so choose something else. You already have a good Lightning skill so we can touch something else at first. My skills are much better compared to those you can find that those Inheritance Trials but they could be a good testing grounds for you.'

"Oh!" Xuefeng exclaimed, recalling he actually has Ming who was supposed to teach him and asked, 'What do you suggest then?'

'Let's start from the Metal, Ether or Blood. You did not master those three yet so it's a good opportunity to try them.' Ming proposed. 'Other six can be finished afterwards as you won't need to use much effort for them.'

'Can I pass the trial if I don't have the particular element?' Xuefeng asked, noticing his Palace in the distance. He had to make up his mind.

'You don't need to know any elements to pass the trial. The trial itself is used as a tool to master the element,' Ling

explained. 'As a reward for passing, you receive the skills and an art to refine the Essence of that element. In addition, you get some Essence in a liquid form which is much easier to refine. It will be really beneficial for you as you can use it to make your Qi thicker, allowing your Dantain to store even more of it.'

'That's really great! I will choose Metal Trail and then move onto Ether Element. I need to master them anyway if I want learn Artefact Crafting,' Xuefeng decided after hearing the explanation, already excited to try the trials.

He was within the range of Tianshi's ability so he called out to inform the girls, 'Everyone, I finished early. Let's gather outside and visit some Inheritance Trials.'

It turned out all of the girls were still connected in the link and he received back a mix of female voices. With all of them speaking at the same time, he didn't understand much but thankfully, Tianshi muffled everyone else and replied for them all, 'We will be ready in a second.'

'Thank you,' Xuefeng responded with gratitude, rubbing his temple.

He thought this will be a blessing but knowing how many women he had to handle at the same time, he was afraid his mind will explode. One should never underestimate the power of women's gossips.

They didn't let him wait long as within minutes, everyone was ready and arrived next to him. He didn't want to hide anything from them so he decided to confess before it's too late.

"I decided to recruit Lisa into our group," Xuefeng mentioned as they flew towards the inheritance grounds. "I am not suited for Alchemy so she will join our group just in case we need an Alchemist in the future."

To his surprise, his wives were surprisingly quiet but he then realized they were just talking in private. "She will come to the palace tomorrow so you all can meet. She is not a bad person," he added before they finished their conference.

Nuwa was the first one to comment, "It's okay. Tomorrow we were supposed to meet with Wu anyway so we will just take Lisa as well and have a women's only day."

The rest nodded in agreement but Xuefeng questioned, "Wait, I can't join you all?"

They only smiled and shook their heads.

"Nope."

———

The nine Inheritance Grounds were all located in different places of the Capital. Knowing Xuefeng picked Metal Inheritance Trial, they decided to avoid splitting up and try it all at the same time. There was no limit to how many people could take part in the trials so it wasn't an issue.

They arrived at the place, a big metal structure, a temple with three entrances. Naturally, there were many cultivators surrounding the temple, some were watching while the others were preparing themselves to take part in the trial.

Xiao Wen was the most knowledge person about the matter so she was the one explaining as they traveled.

"The Metal Inheritance Trial belongs to one of the hardest but it's also the safest. The rules are simple. You have to control a metal golem to beat your opponents. Once your golem is destroyed, you will be automatically ejected from the Trial. We can all try it without worrying about our lives," Xiao described.

Xuefeng immediately liked this idea. He didn't need to worry about leaving them alone which was perfect.

"Why are there three entrances?" Yiren asked curiously with Xuefeng nodding, also wanting to know.

"The middle one is the real entrance while the other two are exits. The right one is for winners and the left one is for losers," Xiao Wen answered and just as she said it, one man left through the right exit, having a grin on his face.

Xiao Wen gathered their attention and pointed at metal board next to the temple, explaining, "Look, someone passed the trial. Whenever one does, their name appears on the leaderboard and their score is calculated. Top one hundred all-time best scores are stored for new generation to beat. No one knows how the score is calculated but people proved the faster you clear the trial, the better score you will achieve."

The man was also looking at the leaderboard where his name appeared at the top with his name on it. The score was still zero but in the next second, it started going up until it stopped around three hundred. Even through his number was too low to spot on the top one hundred, he still looked happy, getting back pats from his buddies.

Xiao Wen shrugged as if she expected it and commented, "The lowest score in top one hundred is one thousand and thirty eight. You need to know that when I went through the trial for the first time, I failed. I only passed on the second try but my score only reached five hundred plus. It's really hard to get on the leaderboard."

"Alright. Let's do this," Xuefeng called out all fired up to give it a try. Looking at the leaderboard, he suddenly thought of an idea.

"If any of you pass the Trial, I want you to do something for me. You should—" Xuefeng spoke out loud while finishing the rest of the sentence in his mind.

Tianshi passed the message to everyone and they all nodded, grinning.

"Sure!"

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