Pure Cultivation Sect, Sheltering from the Storm

That terrifying roar seemed to come from the deepest depths of hell, carrying endless brutality and hunger as it made the entire massive karst cavern quake violently.

The mineral vein had completely collapsed!

"Over here!"

At the critical moment, Su Yan's cool voice rang out. She was clearly more familiar with the terrain here than anyone else.

She grabbed the still-dazed Guo Hongtao with one hand and pointed with the other at a narrow hidden passage exposed by the collapse.

"Brother Yuan, hurry!" Dragged along by Su Yan, Guo Hongtao still frantically scooped up the three largest and brightest Yin-Yang Spirit Crystals from the pile, clutching them tighter than he would his own sons.

Jiang Yuan brought up the rear, slashing apart a falling boulder with his sword before following the two of them into the hidden passage.

Behind them lay boundless darkness and the increasingly frenzied roars of that unknown beast.

Inside the hidden passage, the three fled for their lives without looking back. Only after the rumbling behind them was completely cut off by thick layers of rock did they dare stop and catch their breath.

Having narrowly escaped, Guo Hongtao plopped down on the ground and hugged the three spirit crystals as he grinned foolishly.

"Hehe, we're rich. This time, we're really rich!"

After passing through the long hidden passage, their view suddenly opened up.

A main peak shrouded in clouds and mist, suffused with ethereal immortal aura, appeared before them.

This was the main peak of the Pure Cultivation Academy.

Led by Su Yan, the three soon arrived at a solemn and imposing hall.

A woman dressed in a plain white robe sat in the seat of honor within the hall.

She was the sect master of the Pure Cultivation Academy. She resembled Su Yan by seventy percent, but possessed a few more traces of majesty and mature charm tempered by time.

The sect master did not waste words. Her gaze lingered on Jiang Yuan for a moment, as though confirming something.

"An ancient martial arts token."

Jiang Yuan's heart stirred. He took out the ancient token he had obtained from Chu He.

Upon seeing the token, the sect master's expression shifted slightly, and she nodded.

"The Evil Union Sect has colluded with Celestial Pivot Industries, poisoning this secret realm. Their actions have enraged both man and heaven."

"I will give you thirty days. During that time, the Pure Cultivation Academy will provide you with all necessary assistance."

"Within thirty days, wipe out every stronghold of the Evil Union Sect and sever their ties with Celestial Pivot Industries."

"In exchange, once this matter is settled, thirty percent of the Yin-Yang Spirit Crystal vein in this secret realm will belong to you."

The terms were exceptionally generous.

Jiang Yuan did not hesitate.

"Fine."

With a flick of her slender hand, the sect master produced an entirely azure token in her palm.

"Seal the alliance with blood."

Jiang Yuan did as instructed, forcing a drop of golden blood from his fingertip and letting it fall onto the token.

Bzzzz!

The instant the azure token came into contact with Jiang Yuan's blood, azure light surged from it!

A warm wave of spiritual energy spread outward from the token, making the air throughout the hall warm and moist.

Everyone in the hall, Su Yan included, revealed astonished expressions.

This alliance token had reacted so intensely to Jiang Yuan's pure yang blood!

The sect master studied Jiang Yuan, her gaze moving between the lingering bloodstains on his lapel and the tear in the fabric at his shoulder.

"Come with me."

The sect master turned and walked toward the rear of the hall, her plain white robe brushing the edge of the stone platform.

Su Yan instinctively stepped forward to follow.

Without looking back, the sect master spoke in a cool voice.

"You guard the entrance to the stone chamber."

The forbidden ground lay behind the main peak.

A flight of stone steps wound downward into the depths of the mountain.

The farther down they went, the hotter and more humid the air became. Fine droplets of water seeped from the stone walls on both sides.

The concentration of Twin-Star Spiritual Energy rose sharply here, nearly becoming tangible.

At the end of the stone steps was a huge natural hot spring.

The water's surface was broad, and the pool was clear to the bottom. Crimson and azure light seeped upward from the depths, making the entire spring resemble a living gemstone buried inside the mountain.

The rising vapor brushed against their skin. Merely standing there for a moment soaked their clothes until they became semi-transparent, clinging tightly to the curves of their backs, waists, and abdomens.

The sect master casually removed her outer robe and tossed it onto a nearby stone platform.

The thin gauze lining beneath had become almost completely transparent after being touched by the damp vapor.

The delicate contour of her collarbones and the two shallow dimples at her waist were clearly visible through the hazy mist.

Without any hesitation, she was the first to step into the spring.

The warm water instantly rose past her slender waist.

She turned around in the water and extended one hand toward Jiang Yuan on the shore.

"Come down."

"I'll teach you the qi-guiding method of the Pure Cultivation Union lineage."

"Don't worry. We'll only test the paths of your meridians. I won't touch your origin."

Several crystalline droplets still clung to her fingertips.

Light filtering through cracks in the cave ceiling shone down at an odd angle, turning those droplets into tiny, glittering crimson and azure points of light.

Jiang Yuan stood by the pool for two seconds before finally undoing his upper garment and stepping into the water.

The moment the warm spirit spring rose over his chest, the Nine Yang Inner Force within him began to stir on its own. Fine ripples spread across the calm water from his body.

The sect master swam over, carrying a damp fragrance with her.

Beneath the water, the sect master's leg inadvertently brushed lightly against the side of Jiang Yuan's calf near his knee as she moved.

The startling heat from that point of contact caught her completely off guard, and a suppressed moan escaped her lips.

An unnatural flush quickly spread across her usually dignified face.

She forcibly steadied her mind, as well as her slightly weakened hand, and finished examining the final branch of his meridians.

She withdrew her hand, her palm carrying the scorching heat of the spirit spring as it left Jiang Yuan's firm chest, and she retreated half a step.

"Your body has a very high compatibility with my Pure Cultivation technique..."

After saying that, she immediately turned around, put on her outer robe, and hurried toward the stone steps.

Her water-soaked lining clung tightly to her curving hips, outlining a breathtaking silhouette.

Water dripped all the way down, leaving a string of intermittent dark marks on the dry stone steps.

At the entrance to the stone chamber, Su Yan stood with her back against the cool rock wall, her face turned to one side and the tips of her ears red enough to bleed.

As the sect master hurried past her, several droplets shaken from her clothes landed right on the back of Su Yan's hand.

Su Yan's fingers curled reflexively, but she did not wipe away the droplets.

Only after the sect master's figure had completely vanished above the stone steps did she speak in a low voice.

"Elder Gu is challenging us outside the mountain gate. Steward He has also brought over a hundred evil cultivators and surrounded the entrance to the main peak."

Su Yan's voice was several pitches lower than usual. Her eyes remained fixed on the ground, and she did not dare meet Jiang Yuan's gaze.

Jiang Yuan dried his upper body and fastened his lapels again.

When he passed Su Yan's side, the lingering moist warmth around him lightly brushed her temples.

Su Yan's body stiffened, but she did not move away. Her hands hanging at her sides unconsciously clenched the edges of her clothing.

Just then, Elder Gu's cold, piercing laughter and curses faintly drifted over from the direction of the mountain gate.

"You bitches from the Pure Cultivation Academy have some nerve! At a time like this, you still dare touch my furnace?"

"Where did you touch him? His collarbone, or his dantian?"

"I can smell that pure yang aura on him from eight hundred miles away! Every inch of his meridians is sweet! When you examined his meridians, did your hand... tremble? Hahahaha!"

That laughter, wrapped in a soft and sinister true qi, actually pierced through the thick mountain walls and reached them clearly.

Su Yan's face instantly turned deathly pale.

But she still gritted her teeth, raised her foot, and followed Jiang Yuan.