Chapter 556: Restoring Divine Techniques, Time Passes in a Flash

“You promised you wouldn’t do anything weird to me again!”

Chen Dong nodded. “But my Divine Technique has recovered. It might be due to the time that has passed, but I think I can restore a hundred years of your lifespan this time!”

Zisang Jin’s large, almond-shaped eyes filled with suspicion. ‘Is this guy trying to trick me?’

Chen Dong sighed. “Sigh… inside this Divine Palace, my Divine Technique recovers so slowly! I can only use it once right now. Who knows how long it’ll be until the next time!”

“You’re lying. How long has it been since you last used your Divine Technique?”

Chen Dong shook his head. “There’s something you don’t understand. The recovery of this Divine Technique of mine isn’t based on my cultivation level at all…”

Zisang Jin figured that made sense. A Divine Technique that could offset the price of using Dao Essence was something she had never even heard of. ‘The recovery for such a strange Divine Technique must be different, too,’ she thought.

Chen Dong continued, “Besides, last time… you really drained me dry…”

Zisang Jin, already feeling sullied in body and mind, flushed beet-red at his words. She spat, “What kind of nonsense are you talking about? What do you mean you were ‘drained dry’? Can’t you speak properly!”

Chen Dong was unfazed. “If you don’t want to recover, then forget it. It’s not like you’re going anywhere in this Divine Palace…”

Before Chen Dong could finish, Zisang Jin jogged over, tackled him to the ground, and kissed him!

Now it was Chen Dong’s turn to stare wide-eyed. ‘I can’t believe Zisang Jin is so direct. It seems all women, no matter who they are, care immensely about their appearance.’

Chen Dong hadn’t been lying to Zisang Jin. Perhaps it was due to the Joyful Fragrance, or perhaps because he had taken liberties with her, but right now, there was a segment of Red Dust Dao Radiance in his sea of consciousness. By his estimation, it was just enough to restore over a hundred years of Zisang Jin’s lifespan.

‘We’ve already kissed. If I don’t use the “Emotion-for-Life” technique now, she’ll beat me to death once she recovers her cultivation.’

The memory of Zisang Jin’s former power still lingered. As Chen Dong savored the sweet, soft sensation, he activated his “Emotion-for-Life” Divine Technique.

The white hair on Zisang Jin’s forehead visibly turned back to black, and the wrinkles on her face faded significantly. Her appearance changed from that of a woman in her forties to one in her thirties. And a woman in her thirties possessed a perfect, mature charm. At that, Chen Dong’s state of mind took a turn.

Zisang Jin, who had been enjoying the sensation, felt something foreign. Her brow furrowed, and she pushed Chen Dong away. She glanced at the ‘turn’ his state of mind had taken, her face turning red with anger.

“You disgusting man!”

Without another word, her embroidered slipper stamped against Chen Dong’s face.

In that instant, Zisang Jin’s heart was in turmoil. Chen Dong was sober now, not under the control of the Joyful Fragrance. That meant his reaction was genuine—he desired her.

At this thought, Zisang Jin’s face grew even redder. She stamped her foot, snorted coldly, and kicked Chen Dong again.

Then she scrambled away. ‘He already has Junior Sister Tian, that Dao Companion named Murong, and he’s even hooked up with Yun Mengshang from the Fox Demon Race. Now he’s coming on to me? What a shameless, despicable, lecherous man!’

Zisang Jin was furious, but the feeling of the kiss left her wanting more. She wanted it to stop, yet she also wanted it to continue…

‘If it weren’t for recovering from the cost of using Dao Essence, I would never let that shameless man touch me!’ Zisang Jin resolved firmly in her heart.

Chen Dong rubbed his face as he watched Zisang Jin’s indignant figure retreat. He felt deeply wronged. ‘Who did I even provoke? This must be a lingering side effect of the Joyful Fragrance!’

「Three years passed in a flash.」

Chen Dong had now thoroughly explored the vast Divine Palace. Aside from the Dao Storage Hall, there were many other halls designed to aid in cultivation, but they were all non-functional due to the lack of Spiritual Qi.

The craftsmanship of these halls was so advanced that Chen Dong had no way to repair them.

Over these three years, You never appeared again, having seemingly vanished. Liu Ling, however, frequently discussed plans with Chen Dong on how to form an alliance with the Demon Race.

But Liu Ling always avoided Zisang Jin. She had already had several encounters with her; unless absolutely necessary, she couldn’t risk strengthening Zisang Jin’s memories. Zisang Jin was already a Late-stage Nascent Soul cultivator and was beginning to advance her divine soul. If they interacted too many times and Zisang Jin were to remember what happened in the Land of Extinct Demons, it would be bad if she grew suspicious.

Liu Ling had learned of the treacherous nature of Cultivators over her long life. For her, unless she had no other choice, she would never reveal herself to any Cultivator. She could, however, trust Chen Dong completely, as he was bound by a Celestial Dao-level Beast Taming Contract. Until Chen Dong reached the stage of immortal ascension and passed his Immortal Tribulation, it was impossible for him to betray her.

At this moment, Liu Ling was still in the form of a Jade Pendant, hidden on Chen Dong’s person. Chen Dong was comprehending a Tier Eight Array Jade Slip pressed to his forehead. Not far away, Zisang Jin—with a few strands of white still in her hair and a light green silk scarf covering her face—was also comprehending a Secret Technique.

Her cultivation had already recovered two years prior. After immersing herself in comprehending Dao Essence for a year, she successfully used the Power of Dao Essence to break the seal on her divine soul and Nascent Soul. From that moment on, Chen Dong no longer dared to tease her. He wouldn’t dare provoke a woman with a temper fiery enough to break bones at the slightest provocation.

As for the silk scarf on her face, it was, in Zisang Jin’s own words, to “guard against disgusting men.”

This left Chen Dong at a loss for whether to laugh or cry. ‘Her face is delicate and cute, sure, but how can it compare to her exquisite figure and youthful aura? She hasn’t even fully recovered from the price of using Dao Essence, and now by covering her face, she’s just making a man’s imagination run wild.’

Still, Chen Dong wasn’t some lecherous fiend; he merely admired her from time to time in his leisure.

The past three years had been incredibly fruitful, greatly expanding Chen Dong’s understanding of cultivation. Although he hadn’t focused on dedicated training, the number of Secret Techniques he now grasped was immense.