Xingxiu felt the icy touch of Hun Changqing's fingers against her cheek. Rather than relaxing because he was wiping the filth from her face, she felt the humiliation in her heart grow even more intense.
She would rather have had even more grime on her face than be touched again by the man she hated to the bone. But she could not lash out now. Forcing down the turmoil within her, she spoke with a trace of resentment.
"The Dou Sheng's cave abode is in a swamp. A tribe of magical beasts lives there, guarding the entrance.
"When I investigated back then, I discovered that the strongest among them was a Nine-Star Dou Zun. There were also several high-rank Dou Zun and some low- and mid-rank Dou Zun. With my strength, I couldn't fight my way past that tribe, and I didn't want to share the cave abode with anyone else. So I stayed here to cultivate for the time being, planning to explore the swamp once I was strong enough. Who would have thought that before I even got inside..."
Her voice trailed off. She looked up at Hun Changqing, the meaning in her eyes plain enough.
Hun Changqing ignored her resentful gaze. He slowly rose and rubbed his chin, dim light flickering within his deep, pitch-black eyes.
"A Nine-Star Dou Zun..."
Hun Changqing murmured to himself. A Nine-Star Dou Zun would be troublesome. The gap between each level of the Dou Zun realm was terrifying. Even with her ninth-grade bloodline fully activated, Xingxiu had only come infinitely close to Eight-Star Dou Zun, still falling just short. She could only be considered a Seven-Star Dou Zun Peak.
After invoking the manifestation of his Supreme Yin True Body, Hun Changqing had gained an enormous boost, soaring straight to the level