Chapter 178: Embers of Trust

Dear Readers,

Thank you for journeying through Lan An and Shui Niang Qing's fiery bond! If this tale of trust and temptation captivates you, please shower it with Power Stones! Your support fuels this xianxia epic. Share with fellow cultivators, and let's ascend the rankings together!

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Shui Niang Qing huffed, her chest heaving with indignation. Did this man intend to infuriate her to death? He painted her portrait, showed it to her, only to snatch it back.

"Hmph!"

With a cold snort, she turned to gaze at the sea, ignoring him.

Lan An admired her exquisite profile, her glossy purple lips ripe as grapes, tempting him to steal a taste.

"Hehe, isn't it because you're too beautiful? I must keep this painting as a memento, to gaze upon whenever I miss you," he said shamelessly, adding, "Of course, if I could see you every day, I wouldn't need it. I'd gift it to you then."

"Dream on!" Shui Niang Qing scoffed. This rogue's flirting was masterful; how many women had fallen for it? Fortunately, her heart was steadfast, unmoved by sweet words.

"No longer calling me Lady Shui? Who's your 'you'? Men with honeyed tongues are never trustworthy," she retorted, turning to mock him. Even her worry for Shui Mo Er momentarily eased.

"Have you tasted my lips to know they're sweet?" Lan An asked, his pale eyes twinkling with feigned innocence.

"You…" Shui Niang Qing choked, her fair cheeks flushing a charming pink.

Realizing she couldn't outwit him verbally, her mood for sea-gazing soured. She shifted to serious matters. "You can still flee. The Black Sharks target me, or rather, the Lan Hong Sect. You're merely caught in their net."

"Why flee? Dying beside you would be a joy. Why escape when it's a wish fulfilled?" Lan An replied carelessly.

Shui Niang Qing's body trembled, her cold eyes locking onto him. "If you're not serious, we have nothing more to say."

She turned back to the sea.

Lan An reached out, gently turning her to face him, his gaze earnest. "Who said I'm not serious? Lan An is utterly sincere."

Shui Niang Qing bit her lip, meeting his eyes. Within them, a crescent moon gleamed, enigmatic yet sincere.

But this was no time for romance. She shook off his hand, saying coldly, "Go die alone. I, Shui Niang Qing, cannot die yet. I have my mother, my brother, and the Lan Hong Sect."

Seeing her eyes glisten, Lan An smiled. "I never said we'd die this time."

Her eyes sparked. "You have a plan?"

"We can try something… but we must wait until nightfall," Lan An said, nodding with a grin, ceasing his teasing.

Shui Niang Qing's heart lightened, a radiant smile blooming unconsciously, like a hundred flowers in spring, laced with the scent of orchids.

Lan An was captivated, breathing in her allure.

Sensing her eased mood, Shui Niang Qing faced him calmly, brushing her smoky-gray hair. "Possessing Water and Thunder spiritual energy explains your unique hair color. It's beautiful," he praised.

She smirked proudly. Her dual attributes and distinctive hair were among her prides. This man had a keen eye.

Lan An said no more. Sometimes, a man's silence spoke louder.

They stood quietly, watching the sea as dusk fell.

The ship had drifted far from Hong Island.

Finally, Lan An asked casually, "It seems your relationship with your father isn't close?"

"No," Shui Niang Qing shook her head, her gaze distant with memories. "My bond with my father was always strong… but he's no longer…"

She trailed off, walking away.

Lan An watched her retreating figure enter her cabin, vanishing from sight.

Suddenly, a peerless figure appeared beside him, then tore through the void and vanished.

Night descended.

In a cabin amidst the boundless sea, waves lapped rhythmically against the hull, a soothing melody.

Lan An and Shui Niang Qing sat cross-legged, facing each other.

Under her curious, expectant gaze, a rustling sound broke the silence.

Lan An began removing his robes.

Slap

Shui Niang Qing raised her hand to strike, but he caught it.

"What are you doing? Why hit me?" Lan An asked, bewildered.

"Why are you undressing? Don't think I'm defenseless!" Shui Niang Qing assumed a defensive stance.

Lan An rolled his eyes. "A Void Refiner with such a fragile mindset? I know a female expert who views the body as mere skin."

"I don't care!" Shui Niang Qing gritted her teeth, snorting. "Give me a valid reason for undressing, or I won't let this go."

Lan An chuckled wryly. Not every Void Refiner shared Yue Qi's enlightened perspective.

"How can I break the seal without removing my clothes? They'd burn anyway, so why not now?"

Shui Niang Qing inhaled deeply, eager to see how he'd undo an Earth-grade Supreme seal.

She sat patiently, watching as he stored his robes in his ring, revealing toned, healthy skin.

His muscles were defined yet sleek, veins faintly visible, his skin fair as a woman's. Tall and balanced, he resembled a sculpted statue.

Men weren't alone in admiring bodies; women appreciated them too. Lan An's wives often relished tracing his muscles during intimate moments.

Though robust, Lan An wasn't bulky like a war god, but agile and graceful. In loose robes, he appeared scholarly and ethereal.

Shui Niang Qing silently admitted his physique was striking.

If Lan An knew her thoughts, he'd scoff. A Body Cultivator's form, if not appealing, would mock his training.

Clad only in undergarments, a prominent bulge drew her gaze, her cheeks flushing as she stole glances.

On his back, arcane runes formed a black "Seal" character, the Sealing Talisman's core.

"Step back. It'll get hot," Lan An warned.

Shui Niang Qing pouted inwardly. A Strange Water bearer fearing heat?

Unaware he hadn't used Strange Flames against Hei Ao, she doubted his fire's potency.

Lan An, noting her skepticism, smiled mysteriously. "I warned you. Don't blame me if something happens."

"Break your seal already. Less talk!" she snapped.

Lan An nodded, taking a deep breath.

Within his dantian, the Flame Heart Cauldron spun rapidly.

The air's temperature soared abruptly.

"Out!"

With a soft shout, Shui Niang Qing summoned a verdant water aura, brimming with vital energy, to shield herself.

But at her Qi Refining strength, it was futile.

Under her shocked gaze, Lan An smirked faintly.

From deep within, three Strange Flames erupted, converging fiercely on his back, incinerating the seal's power.

Purple, Golden, and Sky-Blue.

The flames illuminated the cabin vibrantly.

Whoosh

The intense heat vaporized Shui Niang Qing's robes, revealing her flushed, sweat-glistened skin.

Yet, she was transfixed, her grape-ripe lips agape, stunned by the spectacle.

Even her vanished attire went unnoticed.

"How… how is this possible? This is madness… am I dreaming?" she muttered, her eyes locked on his back, where the flames devoured the seal.

"A mere Earth-grade Supreme seal dares to bind three Strange Flames?" Lan An sneered disdainfully.

His undergarments had burned away, leaving him bare before Shui Niang Qing's exquisite form.

Tall and slender, over a meter seventy, her skin was fair yet vibrant, a mark of her seaside heritage.

Her full, pert breasts pressed together, not as ample as Yue Qi or Zi Yin's, but Lan An was confident his skilled hands could enhance them.

Her rosy nipples, slightly larger than red beans, gleamed enticingly.

Her smooth abdomen, adorned with a delicate navel, led to a mysterious patch of smoky-gray hair, captivating Lan An.

Her rounded hips rested on the floor, her crossed legs teasingly concealing more.

His searing gaze jolted Shui Niang Qing from her daze, fear and shame surging. She clamped her legs shut, shielding her chest.

"Pity," Lan An sighed as she hid her sensitive areas. The seal's power waned.

His cultivation stirred.

Foundation Establishment… Golden Core… Nascent Soul…

As the "Seal" character vanished, the Strange Flames receded, and Lan An's strength returned. He teased, "Who am I, you ask?"

Shui Niang Qing, for the first time, lost her composure, staring at the nude man before her, feeling as if in a dream.

In Lan Zhou Continent, where Water Spiritual Roots dominated, Strange Flames were exceedingly rare. That one youth wielded three, mastering them, defied belief.

Her knowledge recognized their origins—three top-ten Strange Flames. Such a feat was heaven-defying.

The Golden Crow Void Flame, famed as the Twin Moon Fairy's, why was it his?

For the first time, Shui Niang Qing found a man incomprehensible, sparking curiosity a dangerous allure for a woman.

Lan An, feeling his arousal, drew her delicate form into his arms.

In that moment, her cool softness soothed his core, her fragrance intoxicating.

Shui Niang Qing snapped to awareness, the touch of skin trembling her. She met his gaze coldly. "If you want me, you may take me, but you'll never have my heart."

With their strength disparity, resistance was futile. She steeled herself to navigate this moment.

"Niang Qing, your beauty overwhelms my control," Lan An murmured, gazing into her eyes.

Her expression shifted. Though shameless, he wasn't a hypocrite cloaking his desire in righteousness.

"What do you want?" she asked, panting, glaring.

"I want you… from the moment I saw you, I wanted you as mine. Not by force, but by your willing surrender of all you are," Lan An said, tightening his hold on her slender waist, his breath quickening.

"Hmph, we've only just met. I know nothing of you. That's far too soon," Shui Niang Qing huffed, feeling his arousal glide against her skin, goosebumps rising.

"I know," Lan An admitted, his eyes roving her form. "But right now, it's unbearable, like I'm going mad."

His restraint was weak, never tempered in matters of intimacy.

Normally, he could endure when women were clothed. But alone with a nude Shui Niang Qing, after suppressing desire with Ji Ya, the beast within roared.

Even a genius, Lan An was a youth under twenty, at the peak of vigor and impulse.

The Dragon Immortal Sacred Canon didn't curb desire.

Sensing his genuine distress, Shui Niang Qing softened, whispering, "You could take me, but as I said, I'd hate you forever."

Lan An kissed her smooth forehead, whispering, "Darling, help me. I don't want your hatred, but I'm truly struggling."

Her eyes flickered. "Help how?"

He leaned close, murmuring in her ear.

"Outrageous!" she snapped, her face crimson.

"Would you let me suffer so?" Lan An pleaded, caressing her waist pitifully.

Shui Niang Qing sighed, her resolve wavering. "Just this once," she muttered.

Lan An nodded eagerly, planting a kiss on her forehead.

She sat up, biting her lip, her hand hesitantly touching his hardness.

Lan An inhaled sharply, urging breathlessly, "Move, darling."

Shui Niang Qing felt its heat and firmness, too large to grasp fully. Her soft hand gently squeezed, then stroked slowly.

Lan An sighed in bliss, stroking her hair, marveling at the Water Dragon Immortal Fairy serving him so intimately.

After a while, her hand tired, yet his arousal stood firm.

Recalling his suggestion, she bit her lip, meeting his encouraging gaze.

"I love you," he whispered.

Her body quivered, a warmth stirring within.

Under his expectant eyes, she parted her glossy purple lips.

Lowering her head, she drew closer.

"Oh, Niang Qing, you're divine," Lan An groaned, enveloped by her soft lips, a sensation unparalleled.

Encouraged, her silken tongue curled around him, her head moving gently.

Soft, wet sounds filled the cabin.

Lan An shivered, caressing her hair, watching the once-aloof beauty tend to him, his sense of conquest soaring.

As her lips grew numb, his hardness swelled, pulsing fiercely.

Her eyes widened, too late to withdraw, as a torrent of warmth flooded her mouth.

She frowned, tasting its surprising mildness, swallowing slowly.

Lan An trembled, withdrawing gently.

Her purple lips glistened with traces of his essence, her flushed cheeks a vision of beauty.