Chapter 436: Chen Erniu, I'm Blind

Looking at Zi Xuan, Xu Qing hesitated, recalling the captain’s words about mountains and bonds.

He had originally thought the captain's words made sense. Lately, he had been busy with his cultivation and insights, so he had only inquired about the Heavenly Dao from Senior Immortal Zi Xuan through a voice transmission, without much conversation or meeting her in person.

Now, looking at Senior Immortal Zi Xuan, Xu Qing clasped his hands and bowed.

"Greetings, Senior."

Hearing Xu Qing's address, Senior Immortal Zi Xuan raised an eyebrow. After observing him for a few moments, many conjectures arose in her mind. She felt something was off.

She had sensed a change in Xu Qing's mood about two months ago, and now the feeling was even stronger. After all, women were generally more attuned to details than men.

"Could it be that rascal Chen Erniu is being troublesome again?"

Zi Xuan immediately grasped the core issue but showed no outward reaction. She stepped into the Sword Pavilion, raised her jade hand, and gently waved it. Instantly, the Sword Pavilion door behind her closed with a soft thud.

Alone with him in the room, Zi Xuan's expression softened. She sat cross-legged and took out a pill bottle from her person.

"Xu Qing, you mentioned earlier via voice transmission that you were going out. Are you traveling far, leaving Fenghai County?"

Xu Qing nodded.

"In that case, the protections you have might not be enough. Come here and sit down," Zi Xuan said softly, looking at Xu Qing.

That gaze made Xu Qing sigh inwardly. He silently walked over and sat cross-legged opposite Zi Xuan.

At such close proximity, the familiar fragrance once again enveloped him, entering Xu Qing's nostrils and lingering in his mind.

"You should have protective items given by your master, but if you leave Fenghai County, you'll still lack methods of concealment."

Zi Xuan placed the pill bottle she was holding to the side.

"Inside this pill bottle is the blood of the Sword Emperor that I received after the ruler of the Spirit Sound Forbidden Zone wreaked havoc in Yinghuang Province and was suppressed by the combined efforts of Yinghuang Province's sects and the Sword-Holding Court."

"For years, I've gained insights through this blood, with some success. There's not much left now, but today I will use the Sword Emperor's blood, combined with my own Dao, to draw a Concealing Void Talisman for you."

"Because the Sword Emperor's blood is used as material, this talisman will be of extremely high rank once formed. For a short period, it can conceal all your aura, making it impossible for outsiders to discern your human identity or your true appearance."

Xu Qing's mind was shaken by these words. He looked at the pill bottle Senior Immortal Zi Xuan had placed aside, fully aware of its immense value. A wave of emotion surged within him regarding her words.

"Unless you provoke a Fourth-Stage Void Return Realm existence, but such beings are typically high-ranking figures everywhere, so the likelihood of you encountering one isn't very high."

"But remember, this blood talisman dissipates constantly and won't last long; it will disappear within three months at most," Senior Immortal Zi Xuan said gently, full of careful instructions.

Xu Qing opened his mouth to say something, but before he could, Zi Xuan's lips curled into a smile.

"No need for formalities. Take off your clothes."

Xu Qing was stunned.

"Why are you staring? Of course, the talisman needs to be drawn on your body," Zi Xuan said, blinking with a playful glint in her eyes.

If it were anyone else, Xu Qing wouldn't have hesitated, but he always felt nervous around Senior Immortal Zi Xuan. Nevertheless, understanding the importance of the Concealing Void Talisman, he took a deep breath, removed his Daoist robe, revealing his well-defined upper body.

Zi Xuan's gaze swept over him, her pretty face flushing slightly. She raised her right hand and pointed at Xu Qing's shoulder. Immediately, Xu Qing, still cross-legged, turned his body so his back was facing Zi Xuan.

"Try to relax your mind."

Zi Xuan's breath was like orchids, her voice like a feather brushing against Xu Qing, passing through his mind and stirring ripples.

Xu Qing was extremely nervous. He had never experienced anything like this in his life. His heart instinctively quickened, and his body stiffened. Behind him, Senior Immortal Zi Xuan picked up the pill bottle. After pouring out a drop of golden blood, her expression became solemn.

"Xu Qing, this talisman is complex and must be completed in one continuous stroke, without interruption."

As she spoke, Zi Xuan raised her slender, pale finger, dipped it in the Sword Emperor's blood from the Spirit Sound Forbidden Zone, and gently touched it to Xu Qing's back, beginning to draw the runes.

Her finger glided, sometimes slowly, sometimes swiftly, across Xu Qing's back. Wherever it passed, in addition to leaving golden traces, it also caused a slight tremor in Xu Qing's skin.

Every hair on his body stood on end at that moment.

The sensation of her finger moving across his body was like hair gently caressing and lingering, seeping from his skin into his heart, creating more and more ripples until Xu Qing's scalp couldn't help but tingle.

His heart pounded faster and faster, and his breathing became uncontrollably rapid.

Finally, Xu Qing gritted his teeth, took several deep breaths, and mentally recited the Scripture of Flora, which appeared in his mind.

This method indeed worked, and gradually, his inner turmoil subsided.

Thus, time slowly passed.

After reciting the Scripture of Flora three times, as dawn broke outside, a faint sweat appeared on Xu Qing's forehead. Zi Xuan had finally completed drawing more than half of the Concealing Void Talisman for him.

"Next, your front," Zi Xuan's voice had a subtle difference, too. Before Xu Qing could discern it, his body immediately turned halfway around with a gentle touch from Zi Xuan.

He was now facing Zi Xuan.

Her delicate, fragrant breath inevitably fell upon Xu Qing's face. He could even see Zi Xuan's subtly trembling eyelashes, the fine down on her face, and the blush rapidly rising on her skin.

"She's nervous too?"

Xu Qing was momentarily stunned.

He had never seen Zi Xuan's expression like this before. As his thoughts emerged, Zi Xuan let out a slight cough, her pretty face flushed, her eyelashes trembling slightly, but her eyes were bright. Her finger touched Xu Qing's chest.

She began drawing the talisman.

The moment of contact sent a jolt through Xu Qing's mind. He then closed his eyes, calmed his breath, concentrated his thoughts, and continued reciting the Scripture of Flora, striving to keep himself calm.

Zi Xuan's fingers glided over him like flowing water, becoming an obstacle to his recitation. As golden runes appeared one after another on Xu Qing's body, the intense sensation made his mind feel like a surging tide, with waves constantly rising.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, as the sky outside brightened, Zi Xuan's finger returned to Xu Qing's chest and paused slightly. "Xu Qing, your heart is beating so fast."

Zi Xuan's voice was very soft, yet in the quiet Sword Pavilion, it clearly echoed in Xu Qing's ears.

Xu Qing took a deep breath, opened his eyes, and saw Zi Xuan's face flushed crimson.

"Don't move, this is the final stroke." As their eyes met, Zi Xuan's voice trembled slightly.

Her finger moved slightly, gliding from Xu Qing's chest to his neck, to his chin, and finally behind his ear. Her body slowly drew closer with the movement.

Xu Qing's entire body was completely rigid. The Scripture of Flora couldn't form in his mind, and his eyes were filled with bewilderment.

Just as Zi Xuan drew closer, the captain's cheerful voice suddenly came from outside the Sword Pavilion.

"Xiao A-Qing, how are you doing? Come out, let's go, it's time to do something big!"

"Huh? Why is there an extra layer of protection here?"

"Xiao A-Qing, what are you doing?"

As the captain's voice drifted in, Zi Xuan quickly retracted her finger and stood up, somewhat nervously. Although she usually teased Xu Qing and acted like an older sister, she had never experienced what Xu Qing was currently going through either.

Now, blushing, she tidied her hair to conceal her inner turmoil, then coughed lightly. Without daring to look at Xu Qing, she spoke quickly.

"Xu Qing, be safe on your journey."

With that, Zi Xuan turned. Her graceful figure showed a hint of haste as she walked towards the Sword Pavilion door. With a wave of her hand, the door opened, revealing the captain outside, whose face was full of surprise.

The next instant, the captain's expression shifted from surprise to shock. His eyes widened, and he stared blankly at Zi Xuan, then glanced at Xu Qing, who was getting dressed inside the doorway.

"I didn't see anything! I saw nothing!"

The captain quickly retreated a few steps, closing his eyes. His mind was in a turmoil, secretly wondering if something indescribable had happened between those two.

"Chen Erniu," Zi Xuan said blandly, not waiting for the captain to ponder further.

The captain loudly responded.

"Last month, the Eight Sect Alliance sent word that the ancient snake skeleton in the secret realm had accumulated more filth."

The captain's heart trembled. He recognized the implied warning in her words and quickly pondered if he had made any mistakes. He soon found the reason, muttering to himself that he must have stumbled upon something good... and witnessed something he shouldn't have. So he quickly spoke.

"Senior Immortal, I had some trouble with my cultivation yesterday, and for some reason, my eyes stopped working."

Zi Xuan snorted coldly and continued.

"Also, I have a close friend named Li Shitao. A few days ago, she told me she saw a shifty-eyed fellow secretly watching her while eating a peach in the Fengxing Palace. Was that you?"

"Absolutely not this disciple! This disciple would never peek, and I only eat apples!" the captain declared solemnly, without hesitation.

Zi Xuan said no more. After these two brief exchanges, she walked away with a quickened heartbeat.

Only after Zi Xuan had left did the captain open his eyes. After looking around, he quickly stepped into the Sword Pavilion and looked at Xu Qing incredulously.

"What just happened?!" Xu Qing had already put on his Daoist robe and looked as usual. Hearing the question, he was surprised.

"What's wrong?"

"Uh..." The captain paused, examined Xu Qing carefully for a few moments, then leaned in and whispered,

"You and Senior Immortal Zi Xuan..."

"Senior Brother, we should leave," Xu Qing said, stepping out of the Sword Pavilion.

The captain, behind him, looked at Senior Immortal Zi Xuan's fading figure, then at Xu Qing. He took out a peach, took a bite, chuckled, and quickly followed.

There was no snow today, but the wind was considerable. Yet, this didn't diminish the clear sky; in fact, the sparse clouds made it appear even more azure.

Consequently, the morning sun's rays were exceptionally dazzling, falling upon the ground and the two figures walking away, casting their long shadows.

The gentle breeze carried sounds.

"Little Junior Brother, tell Senior Brother, did you... become an adult last night?"

"Little Junior Brother, why are you not saying anything? Are you shy?"

"Oh well, never mind, Senior Brother won't tease you anymore. My dear Little Junior Brother, just remember to introduce my 'Taotao' to me when we return. I want to become an adult too."

The teasing words, laced with laughter, echoed. As the two figures moved further away, the laughter gradually faded into whispers.