As night gradually fell, the last streak of twilight on the horizon quietly vanished.
Chen Xuanqing looked around, turning to the three people beside him with a hint of helplessness on his face.
"Time is tight, so it looks like we'll have to make do with what's around us tonight and build a simple wooden house to rest in."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing nodded, extending her slender hands and curling her fingertips slightly as if they had transformed into sharp cat claws.
With a gentle wave of her hand, a tree toppled over on cue. The cut on the trunk was flat and smooth, demonstrating her extraordinary strength.
Xiao Wu and Meng Yiran tacitly began collecting branches and leaves in preparation for building the cabin.
As for the massive Er Ming, he became the main muscle of the operation. Relying on his robust physique, he hoisted the tree trunks together one by one, and the embryonic form of the wooden house gradually took shape.
After a spell of busyness, before nightfall finally descended, the group successfully put together a wooden house that was crude yet sturdy enough to shelter them from the wind and rain.
As night fell, everyone sat around the outside of the wooden house, raising their cups in a toast to celebrate their housewarming.
In the glow of the campfire outside the cabin, Chen Xuanqing, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Meng Yiran sat together, enjoying the pleasure brought by barbecue and alcohol.
The night breeze brushed gently by, sweeping away the fatigue of the day and leaving only the cheerful laughter of the four people.
Xiao Wu picked up her wine glass, gratitude flashing in her eyes. "Brother Xuanqing, if you hadn't appeared in time that day, I'm afraid the Titled Douluo really would have killed me. Thank you for saving my life."
Chen Xuanqing smiled slightly and patted Xiao Wu's shoulder. "Xiao Wu, we don't need to say thank you between us. As long as you're by my side, I'll always protect you."
Zhu Zhuqing put down the roast meat in her hand and sighed. "I used to think my family's interests were above everything else, but when I truly escaped, I realized those so-called interests were nothing more than shackles binding me. Fortunately I met you all, otherwise I really wouldn't have known what to do."
Chen Xuanqing teased, "Zhuqing, saying it like that-do you feel like me rescuing you from your family was some kind of deception?"
Zhu Zhuqing glared at him, a trace of a smile curving the corner of her lips. "Hmph, who says it wasn't? You had me completely wrapped around your finger. But I don't regret it, at least now I can live freely."
Listening to their conversation, a warm current surged in Meng Yiran's heart.
She raised her glass to Chen Xuanqing. "Xuanqing, I'm really happy to have met you. Your appearance made my world no longer lonely."
Chen Xuanqing smiled in response. "I'm also very happy to have a friend like you. Thank you for being willing to come and live with me in the Star Dou Great Forest."
As the night grew deeper, the group's topics gradually turned more relaxed. Under the influence of the alcohol, their laughter grew heartier and their spirits more carefree.
In the end, everyone was full of food and drink, feeling somewhat drowsy and hazy as they supported one another back into the wooden house.
When the three of them stepped into that simple yet cozy cabin, their gazes almost unanimously landed on the large wooden bed that occupied most of the space.
An indescribably subtle atmosphere seemed to permeate the air, making their hearts beat faster.
A faint flush bloomed across Xiao Wu's cheeks. She playfully pointed at Chen Xuanqing, a mischievous curve tugging at the corner of her lips. "Brother Xuanqing, you're up to no good again. It looks like Xiao Wu will just have to leave herself at your mercy tonight."
Her words carried a hint of banter, yet also held a teasing undertone.
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing and Meng Yiran simultaneously turned their gazes toward Chen Xuanqing.
Suspicion flashed in the eyes of the two women, as though they had concluded this was entirely Chen Xuanqing's handiwork.
Chen Xuanqing shook his head helplessly, spreading his hands. "I'm wronged! Even more wronged than Dou E! You two, Xiao Wu and Yiran, are the ones who set up this room, so how can you say I'm the one making mischief?"
His tone carried a trace of innocence and grievance, as if he had truly been misunderstood.
Hearing this, a blush inevitably crept onto Meng Yiran's face.
Realizing she had jumped to the wrong conclusion, she lowered her head, not daring to look at Chen Xuanqing anymore.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, maintained her skeptical attitude, her gaze sweeping back and forth over Chen Xuanqing as if trying to find a flaw.
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's suspicious look, Chen Xuanqing pulled her straight into his arms.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Three crisp slapping sounds echoed inside the wooden house. Zhu Zhuqing felt a tingling sensation ripple up from her lower back; she froze slightly before a blush bloomed across her face.
The effects of the alcohol accelerated her heartbeat. She raised her head and shot Chen Xuanqing a sideways glance.
That look held both bashfulness and gentle reproach. Watching Zhu Zhuqing's alluring expression, Chen Xuanqing couldn't help but feel a ripple of desire stir in his heart.
A slightly tipsy Meng Yiran seemed to cast aside her usual reserve. Gathering her courage, she gently leaned against Chen Xuanqing and whispered softly in his ear.
Chen Xuanqing could clearly feel the faint fragrance radiating from her body, as well as the warmth of her breath against his ear, causing his blood to surge.
Meng Yiran murmured softly, "I'm already sixteen. If Brother Xuanqing wants to, Yiran won't mind."
Hearing his good sister be so understanding, Chen Xuanqing no longer held back, directly tossing all three women onto the bed.
Feeling their burning, delicate bodies and the effects of the alcohol...
Early the next morning, Chen Xuanqing got up from the bed, stepped outside, and stretched his stiff body.
"System, did you embezzle my quest rewards?"
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the quest. Reward: two lucky draw chances.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a bottle of Purple Dragon Core.]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining a low-tier Immortal Sword, the Azure Gleam Sword.]
For the system's rewards, this was the first time Chen Xuanqing felt they were so considerate. An Immortal Sword! A sword immortal-wasn't that every man's dream?
"System, explain this properly to me!"
[Ding! The Purple Dragon Core is a casual practice pill used by powerhouses in the immortal cultivation world. Those who consume it gain the effects of strengthening their bone structure and reinforcing their physical bodies, and the pill also contains a wisp of true dragon aura with boundless marvelous uses.]
[Ding! This Immortal Sword is named the Azure Gleam Sword, a growth-type Immortal Sword. The Azure Gleam Sword is about three feet long with a pale cyan hue throughout. The hilt is carved from the bone of a Strange Beast, offering a warm and delicate tactile feel.]
[The Azure Gleam Sword possesses the special property of absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. When it absorbs this spiritual energy, a spiritual energy circulation forms within the blade, making it tougher and sharper while enhancing the sword's sentience.]
[Secondly, the spiritual energy absorbed by the Azure Gleam Sword possesses a purifying and refining effect. Furthermore, the master of the sword can also use the sword's absorption of spiritual energy for mutual complementation.]
[In addition, as the master's cultivation level increases and the sword undergoes trials, the spiritual energy absorbed by the Azure Gleam Sword will gradually become purer and more powerful. This growth-type characteristic gives the Azure Gleam Sword limitless potential, and in the future, it has the possibility of becoming an Immortal Sword of an even higher grade.]
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