Oh~ ho ho ho~
Two hours later...
The two of them moved to a nearby stone platform.
The Ice Empress lounged lazily in Chen Jie's arms, her back pressed firmly against his chest.
A faint blush colored her cheeks, and a lingering trace of pleasure remained in her eyes. Her breathing still rose and fell unevenly. She lifted her gaze toward him, her voice carrying a hint of fond recollection:
"Little Jie, you've improved quite a bit since half a month ago. I can feel my own power growing rapidly, too. In a few more months, I'll break through to five hundred thousand years of cultivation."
A mischievous smirk curled Chen Jie's lips. Keeping his chest pressed against her back, he teased softly:
"That's your reward for sticking with your cultivation. By the way, do you know why the Snow Empress didn't come out just now?"
The blush had yet to leave the Ice Empress's cheeks. At his question, she pursed her lips slightly, sounding both helpless and amused:
"She's recently awakened a new trait. She likes secretly peeking at us, and she also likes playing the helpless..."
Chen Jie's wicked grin deepened. Pressed against her warm back, he spoke with playful amusement:
"Who would've thought? Xue'er always looks so cool and dignified, so high above everyone, but she's this adventurous in private."
The Ice Empress's eyes darted mischievously. Leaning close to his ear, she teased:
"Next time, we'll have to give her a proper lesson and let her taste some real..."
Chen Jie gently stroked the Ice Empress's smooth, delicate back, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath his fingertips as he reflected inwardly.
He hadn't expected the petite Ice Empress to possess such formidable staying power. Among all the women, no one except the Snow Empress could rival her.
If the Snow Empress went all out, twelve hours would leave him struggling to keep up; the Ice Empress could last a full nine hours as well.
As for Sister Nannan, Xiao Ya, and the others, four hours was their absolute limit.
He drew back his gaze and gently patted the Ice Empress's back, saying softly, "We'll play again later. I have something important to do now, so I need to head out first."
The Ice Empress pouted slightly at his words and leaned against his shoulder, her tone tinged with reproach:
"I know. You're going to keep that girl with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda company, right? I won't stop you from finding someone else, but you have to make it up to me properly when you return."
Chen Jie raised a hand and ruffled her hair, reminding her with a hint of helplessness, "Don't get greedy. Refine the pure yang essence I passed to you today first. Then we can talk about next time."
The Ice Empress raised her slender fingers beside her cheeks, curling them gently inward to mimic a kitten extending its paws. She puffed out her cheeks slightly, parted her red lips, and declared with a petulant look:
"I am greedy! Just you wait. One day, I'll gobble you up completely!"
Night lay heavy, and the evening breeze swept across Sea God Square.
A towering statue of Tang San stood near the front of the square. Several stone statues of other predecessors separated it from Ning Rongrong's statue farther back. The stone figures stood in a staggered arrangement, cold moonlight spilling over their surfaces and lending them a faint gray-white sheen.
Chen Jie left the Sumeru Micro-World and arrived at the square.
Under the moonlight, he immediately spotted the figure waiting beside the statues.
Her silky, pale golden hair stirred in the night breeze. Her features were cool, her purple eyes serene.
She still wore the academy's standard blue-and-white uniform. Her full breasts pulled the fitted white top slightly taut, outlining striking curves.
Beneath her short, navy-blue pleated skirt, black stockings encased her long, shapely legs. She stood tall, her mature figure particularly eye-catching.
It was Ning Tian.
Chen Jie walked toward her. Only as he drew closer did he realize that Ning Tian had already been waiting for quite some time.
"You're here pretty early," Chen Jie said slowly.
Ning Tian immediately turned at the sound of his voice.
Her golden hair slipped gently over her shoulders. As she looked at Chen Jie, a flicker of urgency swept across her otherwise cool face.
She hurried forward and reached out, gripping Chen Jie's arm tightly, her breathing slightly quickened.
"Do you really have aromatic silk beauty? If you do, our Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect is willing to pay any price for it!"
Her brows drew tightly together, her voice earnest and excited.
"For so long, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda has been constrained by its number of floors, unable to break through. Aromatic silk beauty is our only hope of breaking those shackles! As long as you're willing to part with this immortal herb, we can negotiate any terms, whether it's precious soul bones, cultivation manuals treasured by the sect, or the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's wholehearted support in the future."
Chen Jie gently raised his hand and removed Ning Tian's hand from his arm.
His gaze swept across her cool face before he said flatly:
"None of those are what I want."
As his words fell, Chen Jie's gaze shifted slightly downward, settling on the chest that stretched Ning Tian's uniform taut.
Ning Tian suddenly stiffened.
The urgency instantly faded from her face. Shock flashed through her purple eyes, followed by understanding.
Beneath the moonlight, a deep blush rushed over her fair cheeks, spreading all the way to the tips of her ears.
Flustered, she instinctively folded her arms across her chest, trying to conceal those proud curves. Her golden hair swayed gently with her hurried movements.
She forced down her embarrassment, her brows knitting slightly as she spoke in a strained voice:
"That's out of the question..."
Chen Jie merely withdrew his gaze and continued calmly:
"If those things are all the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect can offer, then we have nothing to discuss."
Ning Tian froze.
Looking into Chen Jie's calm eyes, she suddenly realized that what the man before her wanted had never been soul bones, cultivation methods, or promises from her sect.
She pressed her lips tightly together. The flush on her cheeks lingered, her heart a tangle of shame and confusion, her eyes filled with conflict.
She looked up at Chen Jie, her voice soft and somewhat pleading:
"Could you let me think about it? This is too important. I can't give you an answer right away."
Chen Jie's expression remained indifferent. With a certainty that brooked no argument, he refused flatly:
"No. There's no time for you to hesitate. If I don't have your answer later, I'll simply sell it to someone else."
Ning Tian clenched her teeth, the crimson blush still lingering on her cheeks. After a fierce inner struggle, she looked up at Chen Jie. Her voice trembled slightly, but she had made her decision:
"Then I agree. But you have to promise that you really can take out the aromatic silk beauty and let me see it."
Chen Jie's expression did not change at her words.
He made a show of reaching toward the soul tool at his waist while secretly activating his spiritual power.
From the outside, a soft spiritual glow flashed around the soul tool, as though an immortal herb had just been taken out.
In reality, this was an aromatic silk beauty he had deliberately conjured with his spiritual power, not a physical object.
The immortal herb hovered quietly before his palm.
Its roots, stems, and leaves resembled a finely woven curtain of vines, unfurling strand by strand in layers. At its tip bloomed a dazzling golden tulip.
Through the power of his mind, a rich, mellow floral fragrance spread through the night breeze, carrying an air of magnificent luxury. A lustrous glow flowed over its golden petals, and he imitated the aura of an immortal-grade herb with lifelike precision.
Ning Tian's breath abruptly caught. Her purple eyes widened, her gaze locking firmly onto the "immortal herb."
A tremor ran through her heart. It looks exactly like the description in the sect's ancient records, without the slightest difference! This really is aromatic silk beauty!
The evening breeze lifted her pale golden hair. The lingering blush had yet to leave her cheeks, and her hands unconsciously clenched tightly. Unable to tear her gaze away for even a moment, she spoke with excitement:
"That's right, this is aromatic silk beauty! Only after seeing it with my own eyes do I know the rumors really were true."
Before you continue