Temptation, Yue Shen's Lipstick

Inside the Hunting Soul Forest, ancient trees towered into the sky.

Yue Shen frowned slightly, her slender fingers curling and flicking. A faint blue halo of soul power rippled out from her like water, and wherever it passed, the unpleasant, pungent odor seemed to be dispelled by an invisible force.

Zhao Linchuan released his hand from his nose and mouth, took a deep breath of the now-freshened air, and muttered under his breath:

"Tsk, that master... he truly lives up to the title of 'master.' Even his farts have more presence and travel further than anyone else's. The stench could drift all the way over from that far away."

He cast his gaze not far ahead, where the carcasses of several Nether Wolves lay sprawled on the ground, their blood not yet fully congealed.

Above the corpses hovered several extremely faint white rings that looked as if they might dissipate at any moment; their light was so dim it was almost impossible to notice in the gloomy woods.

"Do you see them, Yue Shen?" Zhao Linchuan gestured for her to look. "Those white rings are the 'soul rings' of this world. White represents a lifespan of under a hundred years; they are the lowest grade and possess the weakest energy."

"However, they are also the primary soul rings that the vast majority of bottom-tier soul masters on this continent will ever be able to encounter and absorb in their entire lives."

Yue Shen nodded in silence. Her cold, clear eyes lingered on the white soul rings for a moment before she withdrew her gaze and turned to Zhao Linchuan. Her posture grew increasingly respectful, though her voice carried a hint of hard-to-conceal urgency.

"Young Master, the internal energy within this concubine's body has been completely converted into soul power, and its circulation is unimpeded."

"I wonder... when may I begin to acquire a soul ring?"

The completion of her power conversion had ignited an urgent craving for even greater strength.

"No rush," Zhao Linchuan said, his tone turning more serious. "The absorption of a soul ring is by no means a simple infusion of energy."

"The upper limit of a soul ring's age is closely related to the soul master's own physical fitness, the resilience of their meridians, and the strength of their mental power. Among these, physical fitness is the foundation of foundations."

His gaze swept over Yue Shen's figure, which, while slender, appeared somewhat fragile.

"Your Yin-Yang School heritage leans heavily toward mental cultivation and esoteric arts, leaving a deficiency in the tempering of the physical body itself."

"The body is like a vessel, while soul power and soul ring energy are like water."

"If the vessel itself is not sturdy enough and has limited capacity, forcibly injecting too much or overly violent 'water' will only result in the vessel shattering, all previous efforts being wasted, and even damage to your very foundation."

"More importantly," Zhao Linchuan emphasized, "every time you absorb a soul ring—especially when absorbing a high-quality ring beyond your age limit—it brings a comprehensive, deep-level tempering and sublimation to the soul master's body!"

"This improvement is permanent and directly relates to the ceiling of your future growth."

"Imagine if your first soul ring were ten thousand years old, or even..."

He paused, leaving the rest unsaid, but the implication was self-evident. "Then, from the very starting stage, your 'vessel' would be expanded and reinforced to what degree?"

"Your potential for absorbing higher-age soul rings later on, the total volume and quality of your own soul power, and even your cultivation speed would far exceed those who started with ten-year or hundred-year rings."

"One step fast, every step fast; one step strong, every step strong."

"The height of the starting point often determines the distance of the finish line."

Yue Shen's eyes flickered, revealing a look of contemplation.

These words were profound yet simple, corroborating the theories she had read last night and giving her a more essential understanding of the soul master cultivation system.

Yet, the deep-seated craving for powerful strength still made her unable to resist cautiously testing the waters:

"Young Master, then... if one could obtain a hundred-thousand-year-level ring as their first... wouldn't that be..."

She did not finish her sentence, but the burning intensity in her eyes said it all.

Hearing this, Zhao Linchuan suddenly turned around and looked up at her face-to-face.

Because of the height difference, he had to look up.

There was no expression on his face as he calmly spat out two words: "Kneel down."

Yue Shen was startled, not understanding why, but she did not refuse. She followed his instruction, bending her knees and crouching down so that her line of sight was level with Zhao Linchuan's.

In her cold, clear eyes, which resembled frozen pools, Zhao Linchuan's approaching face was reflected.

Immediately following this, something happened that made her mind go blank and her blood feel as if it were flowing backward!

Zhao Linchuan reached out, his slightly immature fingers gently lifting her smooth chin, and then, before Yue Shen's eyes, which were wide with astonishment, he kissed her directly!

The moment their lips touched, a strange, warm, soft, and slightly cool sensation washed over her.

"Mm! You... Young Master! What are you... doing?!" Yue Shen's brain descended into chaotic turmoil. A shocking flush spread across her cheeks at a visible speed, creeping all the way to her earlobes and neck.

Her heartbeat was like an out-of-control war drum, pounding frantically in her chest as if it wanted to break free from its restraints.

Her entire body stiffened, her hands hanging helplessly in mid-air. Pushing him away felt wrong, and reciprocating felt even more so; she could only passively endure this sudden, light-handed violation.

The kiss was neither deep nor rough; it could even be called gentle, yet it made Yue Shen's heart and soul tremble violently.

After a long while, their lips parted.

Zhao Linchuan stepped back, tilted his head slightly, and licked his lower lip with the tip of his tongue, as if savoring something.

As for Yue Shen, it was as if all her strength had been drained away. Her legs, which had been supporting her, went soft, and she fell backward onto the ground.

She barely managed to prop herself up with one hand while the other unconsciously clutched her wildly beating chest, gasping for air as she tried to calm the shame and confusion that threatened to explode within her.

Those eyes, usually cold and self-restrained, were now veiled in a shimmering, watery luster, the corners reddened with panic and disbelief.

After a long while, Yue Shen's breathing finally steadied, though the flush on her face had not yet fully faded.

She dared not look at Zhao Linchuan again, keeping her head low as her fingers unconsciously tugged at the hem of her skirt.

Zhao Linchuan spoke then, his voice calm as he broke the silence, "Nothing, I just wanted to taste your lip balm."

Yue Shen's body trembled once more. She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the churning emotions within her heart, and strove to make her voice sound steady and submissive.

"Re... returning to the Young Master, your subordinate... has not applied any lip balm. If the Young Master wishes to taste, your subordinate... can apply some for you next time."

As the words left her lips, she felt they were utterly absurd, and her cheeks burned fiercely.

Zhao Linchuan suddenly stepped forward again, reached out once more, and used his fingertips to gently lift her lowered chin, forcing her to meet his gaze.

He looked deep into her eyes, which were feigning composure yet unable to hide their turbulence, and asked softly, "Yue Shen, living like this... are you tired?"

Yue Shen's pupils constricted. She quickly turned her head away, avoiding his gaze that seemed capable of peering into the depths of her soul, and pressed her lips tightly together, unwilling—and not knowing how—to answer that question.

Was she tired?

In the days of walking on thin ice and calculating every step within the Yin-Yang School.

After arriving in this strange world, with her craving for power and her cautious, meticulous schemes... how could she not be tired?

Yet, she had long since grown accustomed to burying all her emotions deep within.