"Ah! My clothes..."
Only then did Liu Erlong belatedly notice something was wrong.
Her clothes were clearly on fire, yet she hadn't noticed at all. Her gaze had long since been utterly captured by Xiao Yexuan.
Watching Xiao Yexuan focus on refining pills, Liu Erlong felt happier than she ever had before.
Her whole heart seemed ready to melt, yearning to merge into Xiao Yexuan's body.
Although Xiao Yexuan was putting on the air of an upright gentleman, the moment he caught sight of his teacher on fire from the corner of his eye, he couldn't just stand by.
He quickly grabbed the fan beside him and hurried over, beating at the flames on Liu Erlong.
But the gusts from the fan didn't put out the fire. Instead, they melted the burning fabric into scalding scraps that stuck to Liu Erlong's skin, bringing a piercing pain.
Xiao Yexuan's heart tightened, and he immediately realized what he had to do.
To put out the fire, he first had to remove all the flammable clothing!
He didn't have time to think. Grabbing the remnants of Liu Erlong's clothes, he swiftly stripped away the smoking scraps.
As the last piece of fabric came off, her shapely, alluring body was laid bare before Xiao Yexuan.
Xiao Yexuan's Adam's apple bobbed as he stared. He swallowed instinctively, inwardly crying out that the story had taken a turn far too suddenly.
But he remembered the persona he had to maintain: a calm, steady, good student.
His teacher was covered in burns. How could he let himself be distracted by such a bewitching sight?
Xiao Yexuan hurriedly grabbed Liu Erlong by the arm, his voice urgent and tinged with panic:
"Master! We need to get out of here!"
"You have so many burns. You need to rinse them with cold water immediately, or your skin will be permanently scarred!"
Women were naturally fond of beauty, and they treasured their looks and skin above all else. They couldn't bear even the slightest damage.
Hearing that, Liu Erlong couldn't spare a thought for anything else. Without another word, she followed Xiao Yexuan as he rushed outside.
Xiao Yexuan sprinted all the way, his fan swishing nonstop in his hand.
The gale stirred the flowers and plants lining the path, and countless colorful petals were swept up in the air.
They fluttered down over Liu Erlong, conveniently covering her beautiful body from head to toe.
Before long, Xiao Yexuan had led Liu Erlong to the riverbank.
Watching Liu Erlong plunge into the icy river, Xiao Yexuan finally let out the breath he'd been holding.
As it turned out, Xiao Yexuan's worries had been entirely unnecessary.
Liu Erlong's Martial Soul was a Fire Dragon, and her body naturally had an extremely strong resistance to fire.
She had only soaked in the river for a little while before the burning pain vanished without a trace. Her skin regained its original smoothness and softness, and she emerged from the water without a scratch.
A blush rose on Liu Erlong's cheeks. Remembering the heart-stopping scene from moments ago, she felt a strange ripple stir within her.
Although Xiao Yexuan had taken some liberties with her, he had clearly been saving her.
Besides, she had already been quite fond of Xiao Yexuan. She didn't feel offended at all; instead, she was secretly pleased, even hoping he might take things "a step further."
But she was still Xiao Yexuan's master, and she had to maintain the dignity of an elder.
Liu Erlong quickly put her clothes back on, cleared her throat, and did her best to look stern and proper:
"Xiaoxuan, I'm glad you're devoted to studying pills."
"But you can't neglect today's cultivation, either."
"And you need to take a medicinal bath."
"You've exhausted yourself quite a bit training today, and your body needs nourishment."
"A medicinal bath may not work as quickly or conveniently as taking pills directly, but there are no shortcuts in cultivation. We can spare the herbs!"
Listening to Liu Erlong's reminders, Xiao Yexuan nodded to himself.
He knew that the flames he used to refine pills depended entirely on Liu Erlong's Soul Power, and she obviously couldn't keep it up for long.
So he stopped fixating on pill refinement. After Liu Erlong went out, he readily agreed, took off his outer clothes, and lay down in the medicinal tub that had already been prepared nearby.
Xiao Yexuan stretched comfortably. It felt as if every pore on his body were opening beneath the nourishing medicinal bath.
As he soaked, he reviewed everything that had happened that day.
He never would have guessed that on his very first day at Blue Tyrant Academy, he would win the favor of Zhu Zhuqing, Rongrong, and Xiao Wu—and even become Liu Erlong's disciple, growing far closer to her than he'd imagined.
Xiao Yexuan had thought the day's events would come to an end with this relaxing medicinal bath.
But just then, a soft click sounded, and someone pushed open the door from outside.
Liu Erlong walked straight in.
Xiao Yexuan's body jolted, and his heart gave a thump.
He was still taking a bath!
He couldn't help wondering if Liu Erlong, single for more than forty years, had finally lost control in the face of this tempting little treat and decided to take him by force.
Truthfully, Xiao Yexuan would have been more than happy if something happened, but he still had to maintain his public image.
He hurriedly scrabbled deeper into the tub, hiding all but his wet little head. His face was full of fear and embarrassment, and his voice trembled slightly:
"Master! I... I'm taking a bath!"
"W-why did you suddenly barge in?"
Liu Erlong touched her burning nose, her cheeks so red they looked ready to drip blood.
She hurried to the side of the tub and gently dipped her fair, jade-like hand into the medicinal bath, sending ripples across the warm water.
Her voice held a hint of bashfulness, and she swallowed unconsciously:
"Xiaoxuan, your constitution is far too frail. A medicinal bath alone won't be enough to make you stronger."
"Fortunately, I've learned a massage technique that works alongside a medicinal bath. It can help you absorb the essence of the medicinal liquid faster."
"It can also loosen your meridians as I massage you, making your physical foundation sturdier."
"Master's going to give me a massage?"
Xiao Yexuan's eyes lit up, and his voice brimmed with delight. "You're so good to me, Master!"
After all, when an elder bestowed a gift, one shouldn't refuse it.
His teacher was only trying to help. If he turned her down, wouldn't that be a slap in Liu Erlong's face?
Seeing how readily Xiao Yexuan agreed, Liu Erlong's smile grew brighter, and the charm in her eyes and brows deepened.
Her hand slowly sank beneath the water, like a nimble little fish, and gently slid across Xiao Yexuan's back.
The touch of her fingertips was soft and warm, bringing a tingling itch that made Xiao Yexuan shiver.
Xiao Yexuan could clearly feel a restrained tremble in Liu Erlong's fingertips. She was obviously doing her best to hold something back.
Liu Erlong knew her little disciple was innocent by nature, with a touch of childish naivety.
Although she felt somewhat impatient, she had no intention of actually forcing Xiao Yexuan to do anything.
Her palms kneaded and pressed gently against Xiao Yexuan's body, applying just the right amount of pressure.
She precisely targeted every blocked meridian, helping Xiao Yexuan clear the obstructions and expel impurities from his body.
At first, the ticklish sensation made Xiao Yexuan feel a little awkward.
But as Liu Erlong's technique grew more practiced, a warm current flowed along his meridians and through his whole body. It felt so good that he couldn't help letting out a sigh.
Xiao Yexuan simply sat cross-legged in the tub and closed his eyes, focusing on circulating his Soul Power. With the combined nourishment of the medicinal bath and the massage, he began to cultivate.
Meanwhile, Liu Erlong's gaze grew more and more peculiar...
Before you continue