It was unclear how much time had passed. On the ice bed within the stone chamber, Wan Yunting and Zhou Ruoxi lay entwined, their clothes disheveled, as if everything that shouldn't have been done had been done.
"Ugh..."
Gradually, Wan Yunting's sword-like eyebrows furrowed, and he slowly opened his eyes. He looked at the dim light of the stone chamber, and his expression suddenly stiffened. He seemed to recall something, lowered his head, and found himself embracing Zhou Ruoxi. Her small head rested on his chest, her soft, flowing hair scattered across him, feeling very comfortable.
"It's over..."
In an instant, the scene of their intimacy surged into Wan Yunting's mind like a tide. He remembered everything. A bitter expression filled his face as he looked at his Senior Sister Zhou in his arms. He was rigid, afraid to move, fearful that the woman would wake up.
"Mmm... it hurts..."
However, what was meant to happen eventually did. Zhou Ruoxi soon woke up. She felt a stinging sensation, causing her delicate eyebrows to furrow. Her long, exquisite eyelashes fluttered as she slowly opened her eyes. But the first thing she saw was the man's firm chest.
Zhou Ruoxi's beautiful eyes instantly froze, her expression stiffening. The scene of their intimacy surged into her mind like a tide, and she understood why she felt the sting.
For a moment, both remained in that position, neither moving, as if the air had grown still. This lasted for a full three minutes.
"Um, Senior Sister Zhou, you..."
Unable to bear it any longer, Wan Yunting, knowing he had to face it eventually, wanted to explain. "Please don't say anything, I understand..."
Shyly, Zhou Ruoxi buried her head in his chest. She didn't know if she should be happy or sad at that moment. She pursed her red lips, her mind a jumble. She knew this was not Wan Yunting's fault. If anyone was to blame, it was the Peerless Yin-Yang cultivation technique. She never expected Kang Guangling to have laced it with an aphrodisiac!
This aphrodisiac flower possessed aphrodisiac properties and was a key ingredient in ancient times for producing love potions.
However, the aphrodisiac flower on the Peerless Yin-Yang cultivation technique was not planted by Kang Guangling. Instead, the founder of the Peerless Yin-Yang cultivation technique had tampered with the manual itself, soaking all the paper in aphrodisiac flower juice, completely integrating the medicinal properties of the flower with the manual.
Even after countless years, the aphrodisiac flower's effects from the Peerless Yin-Yang cultivation technique manual still took hold.
The reason Wan Yunting and Zhou Ruoxi's medicinal effects only manifested after an hour was because the aphrodisiac flower's properties on the Peerless Yin-Yang cultivation technique manual had significantly weakened over time.
"I'm sorry, Senior Sister Zhou. I, I will take responsibility for you!"
Looking at Zhou Ruoxi, whose head was still buried in his chest, Wan Yunting, after a long silence, could only utter those words.
He felt helpless, finding himself in this situation with Zhou Ruoxi due to the cultivation technique, and their intimate encounter.
Suddenly, Zhou Ruoxi struggled to sit up. She pursed her lips, lowered her head, and silently pulled up her clothes.
Wan Yunting also quickly sat up. Seeing Zhou Ruoxi with her head lowered, unable to see her expression or hear her speak, made Wan Yunting anxious. He knew it was the young lady's first time, and she had inexplicably ended up in such a situation with him. She must have felt humiliated and distressed.
"Senior Sister Zhou, if you feel humiliated, then I will end my life to atone for it!"
As he spoke, Wan Yunting got up, went directly to the stone platform, opened the sword box, took out the Gentleman's Sword, and with a swish, drew it, placing it at his throat, ready to end himself.
"Don't..."
Zhou Ruoxi quickly cried out to stop him. Wan Yunting, with the sword at his throat, turned his head to look at her. He saw Zhou Ruoxi's beautiful, tear-filled eyes, her lips pursed, and she shook her head, saying, "Junior Brother Wan, I don't want you to take responsibility, nor do I want you to atone. Let's just... pretend that nothing happened between us..."
As she spoke, Zhou Ruoxi lowered her head again, but her heart did not feel that way; it was very complex.
Seeing the tears that slipped down as she lowered her head, Wan Yunting put down the Gentleman's Sword and went over, sitting beside the ice bed. He was anxious and looked at Zhou Ruoxi, somewhat at a loss. He knew that this Senior Sister Zhou was very pure and had never dated or been in a relationship with other men.
Therefore, Wan Yunting felt very guilty at that moment. He comforted her, "Senior Sister, I know you are feeling very sad right now, but don't worry, I will definitely take responsibility for you. Please don't cry, alright? I hate seeing women cry the most..."
Zhou Ruoxi raised her head. Her dreamlike, pure-as-water aura, her tear-streaked, pitiable, and delicate appearance, and her soulful, watery eyes looked at Wan Yunting before her. Her parted red lips trembled slightly, and she shook her head, saying, "Junior Brother, I... I truly don't blame you..."
Wan Yunting's expression stiffened. Looking at Zhou Ruoxi, whose pretty face was shy and moving, her autumn eyes filled with affection, how could he not see that she already had feelings for him?
In fact, Wan Yunting also had feelings for Zhou Ruoxi. The first time they met, their subsequent interactions, and when he jumped off the cliff into the valley, Zhou Ruoxi had fearlessly followed. This had given Wan Yunting a feeling he couldn't quite describe for her.
Now, because of the aphrodisiac flower on the Peerless Yin-Yang cultivation technique, they had inexplicably become intimate, seemingly pulling them closer. Seeing Zhou Ruoxi now, with her affectionate gaze and pitiable appearance, Wan Yunting couldn't help but move closer and pull her into his embrace.
Zhou Ruoxi's beautiful eyes widened in surprise. She seemed not to have expected Wan Yunting to hold her. She didn't resist, her heart racing and her face blushing. Her delicate body trembled slightly, but as she leaned into the man's embrace, Zhou Ruoxi instantly felt an unprecedented feeling.
She felt the man's embrace was very comfortable, warm, and gave her a sense of security, an indescribable feeling. Zhou Ruoxi's heart pounded, and she even thought, if only she could stay in this man's embrace forever.
"Senior Sister, thank you!"
Suddenly, Wan Yunting turned his face and whispered softly to her rosy earlobe, "Thank you for jumping down here with me without hesitation. Without you, I would have died long ago."
Hearing the man's magnetic voice, accompanied by warm breath, made Zhou Ruoxi's earlobes turn red, and her delicate body trembled slightly. She felt as if Wan Yunting was speaking words of love to her, making her dazed and somewhat flustered. She didn't know what to say, "Jun... Junior Brother, don't... don't say that..."
Wan Yunting suddenly pulled her up. Seeing Zhou Ruoxi's face flushed with shyness and embarrassment, Wan Yunting showed a gentle smile and said, "Senior Sister, actually, I liked you the moment I first met you."
These words completely stunned Zhou Ruoxi. Especially Wan Yunting's sincere and passionate gaze made Zhou Ruoxi's face turn from shyly red to flushed. Her beautiful eyes dared not meet his, "Junior Brother, what nonsense are you talking about..."
Looking at the shy and lovely appearance of this Senior Sister Zhou, Wan Yunting's heart nearly melted. Facing such a pure and beautiful woman, he found it truly hard to resist. He immediately embraced Zhou Ruoxi again and smiled gently, "Senior Sister, don't worry, I will treat you well from now on..."
Leaning in the man's embrace, Zhou Ruoxi's expression slightly stiffened. Her heart trembling with emotion, a smile of sweetness involuntarily appeared on her face. She softly hummed in acknowledgment.
The next morning, the forests of the Kunlun Mountain range were as they were every day. It had rained cold rain last night. Lao Er Ma Sai and Lao San Liu Hongwei, who had not left the valley, were in misery.
They had originally planned to climb down into the valley to search for Wan Yunting and Zhou Ruoxi, but it had suddenly started raining. Thus, the two of them could only set up tents and take shelter in the forest near the top of the valley.
In the morning, they woke up and circled the valley again. At the same time, Ma Sai found a path that could lead down into the valley. However, the rain last night had been heavy, and the valley was now shrouded in thick mist, with the stone walls wet and slippery. Climbing down like this would be very dangerous.
Therefore, Ma Sai and Liu Hongwei dared not take the risk. They could only wait for the sun to come out, for the stone walls of the valley to dry, before climbing down, to see if Wan Yunting and Zhou Ruoxi were dead or alive.
On the other side, Wu Wei Zi, leading Li Zihang and Xu Lingwei, Jiang Tingxia and Duan Yingying, and Chen Bin and Lin Jie with Peng Lei, the three of them responsible for escorting Lu Bao, had changed their route the previous day and continued deeper into the Kunlun Mountain range towards the north, searching for the small valley that Wu Wei Zi and his Uncle-Master Ren Dao Ren had visited in the past.
Behind them, Lei Laohu, who had lost track, led Wu Laosi and Lao Qi and Lao Ba. They returned the way they came, intending to wait in the forests at the junction of the Kunlun Mountains and Wuliang Mountain for Wu Wei Zi and his party to return after collecting herbs, and then ambush them.
"Stop!"
Suddenly, Lei Laohu, who was walking at the front, raised his hand. Wu Laosi and Lao Qi and Lao Ba, who were following, immediately stopped. They looked at Lei Laohu. His tiger-like eyes were wide open, and his ears twitched, as if he had heard movement ahead. "Someone ahead!"
"Huh? How can there be someone?"
Wu Laosi's eyes widened, and he asked in confusion.
Lao Qi and Lao Ba exchanged glances and said, "Could it be some local farmers gathering supplies?"
"No, there are ten people, and two dogs!"
Lei Laohu narrowed his eyes. He tilted his head, his right ear straining to listen in the direction ahead. He could discern the movement of a group of people leading two dogs walking on the snow a few hundred meters away. He immediately opened his eyes and said to Wu Laosi, "Go ahead and see who it is."
"Yes, Big Brother."
Wu Laosi nodded, took off his backpack and handed it to Lao Qi to hold, and quickly ran forward.
"Let's go."
Lei Laohu signaled Lao Qi and Lao Ba to move in another direction, avoiding the group approaching ahead, wanting to see who they were.