Absorbing the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone, Bathing Together in the Lake!

Hearing Dai Mobai's words, a trace of warmth rose in Li Yue's heart.

She knew he was concerned for her, so she did not refuse and merely nodded gently.

However, she did not leave immediately.

Only after Dai Mobai sat cross-legged and took the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone into his hand did she quietly retreat two steps. With one hand resting on her sword, she stood guard in a corner of the stone chamber, moving so lightly that she made almost no sound.

Seeing this, Dai Mobai did not urge her further.

He withdrew his gaze and focused all his attention on the Soul Bone in his hand.

After taking a deep breath, he picked up the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone and slowly pressed it against his right leg.

The instant it made contact, the Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone melted like ice and snow meeting fire.

It transformed into a warm stream of fluid and silently seeped into Dai Mobai's right leg.

Dai Mobai felt a warm current surge into his right leg, and a tingling sensation instantly spread throughout his body.

Then, blue-gold light emerged from his right leg.

He looked down and saw that his entire right leg had turned transparent.

Deep within it, his leg bones and meridians had all become translucent blue-gold, with golden patterns of light slowly flowing within.

A dense aura of life surged through his body, continuously washing over every part of him.

He could clearly feel his body becoming younger and more vigorous.

Riding that all-encompassing sense of comfort, Dai Mobai closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and began fully absorbing the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

Li Yue remained at his side, her gaze fixed unblinkingly on him.

Only when his aura had completely stabilized and there was no longer any possibility of an accident did Li Yue finally relax.

After standing there for a while longer and confirming that everything was safe, she turned and quietly headed toward the cave entrance.

At some point, the blue-gold radiance in the stone chamber suddenly contracted.

All the overflowing light seemed to be violently pulled back by an invisible hand, entirely converging into Dai Mobai's body.

His transparent right leg returned to normal as well, leaving only a faint, lustrous glow on the surface of his skin.

Dai Mobai opened his eyes.

Two beams of blue-gold light shot from his pupils, crackling as if tangible. They stretched several yards before slowly dissipating into the air.

Where the light passed, two shallow scorch marks were left on the stone wall.

He lowered his head to look at his hands, then moved his right leg.

Although his Soul Power Level had not changed noticeably, the circulation speed and capacity of his Soul Power had increased by an entire fold.

The Soul Power rushing through his meridians flowed far more smoothly than before, with almost no stagnation at all.

This feeling of being reborn was completely different from simply advancing in level.

He slowly rose and looked up at the skylight in the ceiling.

The sunlight streaming down had shifted in angle, its color changing from the blazing white of noon to the warm pale gold of afternoon.

He swept his gaze around, but Li Yue was nowhere in the cave.

The faint, cool fragrance she carried still lingered in the air, but she had been gone for some time.

Dai Mobai stretched, and a series of soft cracks sounded from his bones.

He walked toward the cave entrance and stepped back onto the platform behind the waterfall.

Mist rushed toward his face, carrying a refreshing chill.

Blue-gold light shimmered from his right leg as Dai Mobai stepped through the air and passed through the roaring waterfall.

He looked around, searching for Li Yue.

But when he saw the azure lake in the valley, he could no longer look away.

Within the crystal-clear water, a mermaid-like figure appeared and disappeared from view.

It was Li Yue.

She parted the lake water and swam slowly.

Her glossy black hair was soaked, strands clinging to her snow-white back. The stark contrast of black and white was breathtaking.

The warm afternoon sunlight spilled down from the sky, coating her back with a faint golden glow. Droplets rolled down her smooth skin, each one reflecting glimmers like scattered gold.

The lake was deep, yet extraordinarily clear—clear enough that Dai Mobai could vaguely see certain things.

Beneath the water's surface was Li Yue's indistinct figure, her graceful body blurred into a hazy outline by the rippling water. It was visible, yet impossible to see clearly.

Dai Mobai hovered in midair, unconsciously softening his breathing.

It was not as if he had never seen more before, yet the scene before him still drew him in uncontrollably.

For some reason, the image of Li Xiaoyao first encountering Ling'er surfaced in his mind.

Back then, Li Xiaoyao had probably been just like him now—standing foolishly in the distance, not knowing where to look, yet unable to bear looking away.

Li Yue swam freely through the lake.

A faint smile rested on her face, which was usually as cold as frost.

The lake water was at just the right temperature, neither cold nor hot. The gentle current wrapped around her body, washing away the exhaustion of days spent crossing mountains and ridges.

At that moment, she was truly relaxed.

However, she did not allow herself to indulge in that comfort for long.

Judging by the time, His Highness should be waking soon.

With that thought, Li Yue wiped the smile from her face, turned, and slowly swam toward the shore.

The water parted and closed behind her, leaving two spreading trails of ripples.

But just then, she suddenly heard the sound of wind behind her.

Her pupils contracted, and she instinctively sank swiftly into the water, leaving only her head above the surface.

At the same time, she had already turned around, her beautiful eyes filled with icy light.

"Who?!"

She demanded sharply, her hand instinctively reaching for her waist, only to grasp empty air.

However, when she clearly saw the figure hovering in the air not far away, the frost in her eyes instantly receded like a tide.

In its place, a faint blush swiftly rose to her cheeks.

It was Dai Mobai.

He hovered in the air nearby, his gold and red mismatched eyes carrying undisguised possessiveness.

"Your Highness..."

Li Yue's voice unconsciously lowered, becoming so soft it was nearly drowned out by the roar of the waterfall.

At that moment, she was like a little girl caught doing something wrong. She submerged everything below her neck in the water, exposing only half her head, and did not even dare meet Dai Mobai's eyes directly.

"How's the lake water?"

Dai Mobai looked down at her, his tone carrying a teasing smile.

Li Yue raised her head. Her wet black hair floated across the surface like ink-dark lotus petals, making her face appear even fairer.

She steadied herself and answered with feigned composure.

"The temperature is suitable. Does Your Highness wish to bathe?"

"I've just absorbed a Soul Bone. I really do need to relax properly."

Dai Mobai nodded solemnly.

"Then Li Yue will make room for Your Highness."

As she spoke, Li Yue swam toward the shore.

She swam quickly, water splashing behind her. Clearly, she wanted to escape this blush-inducing lake as soon as possible.

Yet after only a few strokes, she heard a splash from behind her.

It was the sound of something heavy entering the water.

The next instant, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her securely in an embrace.

A warm chest pressed against her bare back, and her body suddenly stiffened.

Dai Mobai's voice sounded beside her ear, his breath brushing across her wet earlobe.

"I'm not the kind of person who takes what others enjoy. So—"

"Let's bathe together."

Li Yue opened her mouth, but before she could make a sound, a large hand had already gripped her chin and forcibly turned her head to the side.

She watched Dai Mobai's face draw nearer and nearer.

Then, every word that had reached her throat was completely silenced by him.

The sun sank in the west, dyeing half the sky a magnificent orange-red.

The azure lake was coated in faint golden ripples. The valley was utterly silent, save for the unchanging roar of the waterfall echoing through it.

The lake surface was calm as a mirror, reflecting the cliff walls, waterfall, and evening clouds filling the sky. It seemed as though the years were peaceful and still.

Only in one place did something occasionally stir the lake water, sending ripple after ripple across the surface.

Circle after circle spread outward, struck the shore, and returned, intertwining with new ripples and lingering for a long time.