Chapter 255: Ascending to Heaven

Chapter 255 -250: Ascending to Heaven

With all this back and forth, the two had shared quite a few intimate moments. The Master’s expression remained cold, but her gaze was quietly changing.

As the Conscious Fish saw it, the crimson light began to contract with all its might. From a thousand-mile expanse, it instantly shrank to a mere few hundred feet, covering only the Imperial Palace.

An incredibly thick crimson barrier formed over it, just barely managing to block the power of the Circulation of Stars Demon Suppression Array. Then, the crimson light shot southward at an incredible speed, carrying several thousand Demon Sect Disciples with it, vanishing over the horizon in an instant and leaving only scorched earth behind.

It was over!

Finally, the dust settled.

The most fertile and prosperous region of the Yong Kingdom had been turned into a wasteland. Tens of millions of people died overnight, and thousands of years of history were destroyed in an instant. The lives of several thousand Tai Xu Sect disciples were also lost here.

Whether or not the Demon Sect had taken the infant girl was no longer important.

…

Yun Ci’s body was completely limp. She remained in whatever position Chen Qingyang placed her, as even speaking required a monumental effort.

He fumbled in his sleeve and produced an Elixir—a Qihuang Replenishing Truth Pill. He held it up, gazing at the Master’s crimson lips, but hesitated to act.

Finally, he paid her no mind. He pinched her cheeks with his other hand, and when her mouth opened, he gently pushed the Elixir in. It slid down her tongue.

Once it reached her throat, Yun Ci swallowed obligingly. A faint halo of light shimmered around her before she returned to her previous state.

Chen Qingyang now only had one last Qihuang Replenishing Truth Pill in his sleeve. Using the same method as before, he pinched her face and let the pill slide down her throat.

Throughout the entire process, the most Yun Ci did was glance up at him.

After another halo of light faded, her complexion seemed to have improved slightly. Unfortunately, Chen Qingyang had no more Elixirs to give her.

“Master, your injuries are grave and won’t heal anytime soon. We can’t stay here, so please forgive my impertinence.”

Not bothering to wait for her consent, he scooped her up in his arms again and, using the Wind Control Skill, flew toward a city a hundred miles away.

After a short rest, Chen Qingyang had recovered a bit of strength. He flew unsteadily through the night until dawn, and then until noon, before finally landing outside the city.

Afterward, he found an inn, rented one of their best rooms, and placed Yun Ci on the soft chaise. At least it was more comfortable than lying on a tree trunk.

“Master, how are your injuries? Is there anything else you need me to do?”

She just shook her head gently, not saying a word.

“In that case, we’ll stay here for a few days. I don’t have any more Elixirs, so you’ll have to rely on yourself to recover, Master.”

As his voice fell, he took out twenty Top Grade Spirit Stones and placed them by the head of the bed.

He was so generous, so willing to pay such a steep price, because Chen Qingyang already saw this as an investment.

‘With her talent, it’s almost certain she’ll reach the Life Light Realm in the future. Plus, she’s the Peak Master of the Four Golden Peaks. After the meticulous care I’ve given her today, she’ll have to repay me eventually, right?’

The Master lay quietly. Her pristine white Daoist Robe was stained with blood across the chest, turning what should have been a sacred image into a disheveled one.

Chen Qingyang still felt she wouldn’t be comfortable sleeping like that. ‘Might as well see this through to the end.’ With great enthusiasm, he helped her remove the outer Daoist Robe.

He didn’t dare meet the Master’s gaze as he did this, but he could feel her body stiffen and her eyes glaring at him.

‘Whatever. My intentions are good, anyway.’

Her undergarments revealed an alluring collarbone and two arms as flawless as white jade. Fortunately, the blood hadn’t soaked through.

He then covered her with the blanket. “I’ll be in the room next door. If you need anything, just call out. I’ll definitely hear you.”

Regardless of what she might think, he returned to his room and began to meditate. A full day and night passed in this state of deep breathing. He consumed a considerable number of Spirit Stones, and only then did his True Essence recover slightly.

His meridians still throbbed with a dull pain. If he had only reached the Sixth Realm of Essence Condensation earlier, he wouldn’t have been in such a bind. ‘Time was just too tight. Even if I’d wanted to break through, there wasn’t a chance.’

He wasn’t sure if Yun Ci had recovered, and he didn’t dare use his Conscious Fish to check on her again. He stood at her door and called out, “Master, are you feeling any better?”

He waited a moment, but there was no response.

So he pushed the door open and entered. He found Yun Ci sitting upright on the bed, engaged in meditative breathing.

She wore a skirt on her lower body, revealing two bare, jade-like feet. They were fair and delicate, almost translucent, with a faint pink blush on the soles. Each toenail was small and perfectly neat.

She was still wearing the same undergarment on top, her arms and collarbone exposed. Even… the curve of her chest was rather prominent.

Naturally, Chen Qingyang didn’t dare stare. After a single glance, he lowered his head. Just as he was about to retreat, he heard a rustling sound.

When he looked up again, Yun Ci had used her Universe in the Sleeve to pull out a long dress and was draping it over herself. It was the color of moonlight, not as solemn as her Daoist Robe, and it gave her a more relaxed, maiden-like air. However, the icy chill on her face remained.

“You saved my life. I’m indebted to you. Go on, tell me. How do you want me to repay you?”

After going to so much trouble, Chen Qingyang naturally wanted her to repay him, but he couldn’t say that directly. “I wonder, how is your Cultivation recovery, Master? And your injuries?”

Yun Ci nodded lightly. Her long hair, now unbound, cascaded down to her waist, lending her an ethereal charm. “Much better. But to make a full recovery, I will need a long period of quiet recuperation.”

Chen Qingyang said, “That’s good. At least we made it out alive. I’m sure you have many things to attend to when you return, Master. Everything else can be put aside for now.”

Yun Ci understood his meaning. “I’ll owe you a favor for this. If you ever need anything, you can come find me. I will not refuse anything within my power to do. However, there is one matter I must state plainly upfront.”

Chen Qingyang said, “Please, Master, I’m listening.”

“The fact that you owe me Elixirs for a hundred years is a separate issue. You still have to give me those Elixirs every year. Of course, if you were to make canceling that debt your condition today, I would agree to it.”

‘She really keeps her accounts separate and crystal clear. But that just shows how principled Yun Ci is. Dealing with someone like this doesn’t feel dangerous.’

“Of course. What you say makes perfect sense, Master.”

Yun Ci nodded lightly once more. She glanced his way, then looked away again, the simple gesture filled with a cold and stunning beauty. After a moment’s thought, she couldn’t help but ask, “It seems to me you have a lot of secrets?”

‘Chen Qingyang wasn’t afraid of her questions; in fact, he was afraid she *wouldn’t* ask. As long as she asked, he could explain everything.’ “I’m not sure what you mean, Master?”

Yun Ci shook her head. “Never mind. I shouldn’t be so nosy. You’re not my Disciple, so it’s not my place to worry. If you hadn’t saved me, I would have surely perished without a trace.”

Chen Qingyang said, “You are most reasonable, Master. I hid my Cultivation out of necessity. I must ask you to keep this a secret for me.”

Yun Ci turned her head. “I am a little curious. That flame you have… where does it come from? What kind of Dharma Gate is it? As I was falling, was that what caught me?”

The Conscious Fish was Chen Qingyang’s greatest secret to date, so he had to provide a convincing explanation for the fire to protect it.

“I was originally Cultivating the Danxia Nourishing Truth Sword Manual. Later, my master, Master Jing Yuan, saw I had some talent in the Alchemy Dao and had me cultivate the Nanming Red Emperor’s Celestial Burning and Sea Boiling Daoist Truth. I also absorbed the Power of Li Yang Earth Fire, which is how I have my current abilities.”

“That was the technique I used to catch you as you fell, preventing you from hitting the ground.”

Yun Ci shook her head. “You have a unique fiery aura about you that doesn’t come from the Li Yang Earth Fire. I’ve pointed this out before. It seems you’re unwilling to tell me the truth… Let me ask you this, then. How did you end up in the Yong Kingdom?”

‘The unique fiery aura she’s talking about must come from that True Dragon.’

‘Once the floodgates of her questions were open, they kept coming. But as long as she kept asking, Chen Qingyang was confident he could weave a complete and believable story.’

“I was on my way to retrieve an Immortal Grass, but through a series of mishaps, I ended up here. After I got trapped, I decided not to flee. I was planning to fight the Demon Sect when I happened to run into you, Master, which led to all this…”

“And that Demon Sect Disciple who tried to stop us? I’d run into him a few times in the city… As for why I hid my Cultivation, well, I’m sure you can understand why, Master…”

And with that, all the pieces of his story fit together.

After listening to his explanation, Yun Ci padded barefoot across the wooden floor and pushed open the window. A fresh breeze blew in, catching her loose hair and making it dance.

After changing into the moonlight-white dress, her figure, which had seemed so slender before, now appeared fuller and more shapely.

“I understand. You truly are the greatest variable in my life. Otherwise…”

Here, her tone shifted. “I need to make a trip to White Cloud Mountain. It’s the nearest Dao Field, belonging to Xuanwei Master. Only then can I return to the Sect. You can either come with me, or head back on your own first.”

‘Those four stalks of Immortal Grass are still back in the ruins. I have to go back for them, no matter what.’ “Master, let us part ways here, then.”

Yun Ci turned back to him, giving him another deep, searching look. “Mm. Alright.”