MTLNOVEL Ch. 39
“Brother Li, is there anything else you’d like to eat? Tomorrow, Sister will cook it for you…”
After several cups of wine, Tan Qingxue seemed especially enthusiastic, even a little eager to please.
But Li An said, “Sister Qingxue, there’s no need for trouble. I’ll likely go into seclusion for a few days to focus on cultivation.”
As he spoke, he stood up. “Sister Qingxue, I don’t hold my liquor well. I’ll take my leave first…”
He left immediately.
After he left—
Tan Qingxue sat where she was, her face both red and hot.
Clearly, she had been rejected...
She couldn’t help but feel a little self-mocking, yet her eyes remained determined.
The next day, she cooked another table full of dishes, but Li An had truly gone into seclusion—his door remained closed.
On the third day, it was still the same…
Li An was indeed deliberately avoiding Tan Qingxue.
Although he had saved her, he didn’t want to form any deeper entanglement.
He could clearly see Tan Qingxue’s intentions. Having had many wives and concubines in his past life, a woman’s emotional stirring was no mystery to him.
Was Tan Qingxue sincere or pretending? After experiencing life and death, Li An could certainly tell—she had likely developed some genuine feelings.
Between life and death lies great terror, but also great opportunity. With fortune, one could see their true heart and break free from hollow desires.
The difference was—Tan Qingxue, having survived death, had become disillusioned with the Immortal Path. She no longer pursued it bitterly and instead regained a more genuine disposition.
The Tan Qingxue of the past was somewhat distorted. Though she was naturally simple-hearted, she had become neither this nor that in the struggle for the Talisman Hall’s legacy and status in the Clear Sun Sect.
Now that she had awakened and let go of many things, she had instead become more pure.
As for Li An—his previous life ended in failure before he reached the midway point of cultivation, leaving behind a tremendous obsession!
Because he had once glimpsed a higher realm, seen a more beautiful world—yet failed to step into it. That, in itself, was a profound pain.
Thus, in this life, Li An appeared cold and obsessed, pursuing nothing but the breakthrough of the shackles he failed to overcome before.
“Fellow Daoist Li, you seem troubled lately?”
Inside the storage ring, Gu Hong noticed Li An’s furrowed brow and couldn’t help but speak.
“Yes. Now that I’m being hunted by Demon Cultivators, how can I not be troubled?”
Li An sighed deeply. “My strength is far too lacking… Daoist Gu, do you know of any methods to rapidly improve one’s cultivation?”
Gu Hong said, “You’re currently at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining. The most useful to you is the Spirit-Rush Pill, but it’s only effective when breaking through bottlenecks. Taking it during normal times is useless. At your current pace, it’ll still take years to reach the peak of the Fourth Layer.”
Li An frowned. “Any other methods?”
Gu Hong replied, “There’s also the Vitality-Stimulating Pill. It can accelerate daily cultivation, but its medicinal toxicity is heavier than most other pills… I wouldn’t recommend it.”
Li An nodded thoughtfully.
…
On the seventh day, Li An finally emerged from seclusion.
It was already evening. As he stepped out, he found Tan Qingxue still sitting beside the flowerbed outside his room. When she saw him, her tired face revealed a hint of joy. “Brother Li, you’re finally out…”
Li An said, “Sister Qingxue, you…”
“I thought your cultivation needed quiet, so I stayed here to avoid disturbing you.”
Tan Qingxue said, “How was it? Did your cultivation go well?”
Li An sighed lightly. “I gained a bit.”
“These past few days in seclusion, you must be starving, right? Come, let me make you something delicious.”
Tan Qingxue smiled, but there was a trace of anxiety in her eyes.
Li An paused in silence for a moment, then nodded.
Tan Qingxue was overjoyed. “Wait here, it won’t take long!”
…
Not long after.
The meal today was prepared with extra care. Every dish was exquisite, and the spirit wine was a fifty-year-old aged brew—rich and mellow.
The two drank heavily and chatted idly. Having known each other for years, there was plenty to talk and laugh about. At some point, Tan Qingxue was already tipsy. Her face was flushed as she got up to pour Li An more wine, but her hand slipped, and the wine spilled all over Li An.
“So sorry, Brother Li…”
She quickly pulled out a handkerchief and leaned in to wipe him down.
She wore a thin robe, the neckline low. As she bent over, the layers of green leaves shifted, and between them, the ripened peaches beneath could faintly be seen.
The aroma of spirit wine lingered. The candlelight flickered. Li An felt his heart stir.
As Tan Qingxue wiped the spilled wine, she seemed to notice a certain change. Her face instantly flushed red, the wine rushing to her head. Suddenly, she wrapped her arms around Li An’s neck and straddled his lap.
Her breath was audible.
“Sister Qingxue…”
Li An spoke a little hoarsely.
“Call me only Qingxue…”
Tan Qingxue whispered, and then her red lips pressed down.
Li An wrapped an arm around her waist. With a flicker of body-shifting movement, the side of the table was suddenly empty, and the shadows on the bed began to sway…
…
The next morning.
Sunlight streamed into the room. Tan Qingxue lazily woke up. Looking at Li An’s sleeping face beside her, she smiled gently, eyes like blooming flowers.
“Brother Li…”
She breathed softly by his ear, but Li An didn’t stir.
“Hah, pretending to sleep? Don’t think I can’t tell…”
She suddenly buried her head under the covers.
Even with Li An’s strong self-control, he couldn’t help a soft groan and lightly stroked the smooth curve of her back.
…
For three days straight, neither Li An nor Tan Qingxue left the house.
On the fourth day, hunger finally got the better of them. Tan Qingxue got up, dressed, and went to cook.
Li An sat on the bed and checked inwardly.
Within his body, a faint black aura had begun to form, circling within his dantian.
His cultivation had risen by a small margin!
“Yin-Yang Demonic Qi…”
Li An nodded with satisfaction.
For the past three days, he had been crazily cultivating the Yin-Yang Demonic Furnace Technique.
Tan Qingxue possessed a Lower-Grade Yellow-Class Metal Spiritual Root—same grade as Li An’s, but with slightly better sensitivity.
Li An initially had a sensitivity rating of only about 30.
After years of cultivating the Life Nursing Immortal Forging Art, he had raised it to the 40s.
Tan Qingxue, however, was around 50—nearing a Mid-Grade Yellow-Class Spiritual Root.
Plus, with her cultivation at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining—stronger than Li An—the effects of the Yin-Yang Demonic Furnace Technique were excellent.
However, wary of side effects, Li An didn’t use the Yin-Yang Demonic Qi to alter his Spiritual Root. Instead, he refined it into his spiritual energy to increase cultivation.
“Shifting Body Art…”
He murmured, and with a thought, all five fingers suddenly lengthened to twice their size.
With Yin-Yang Demonic Qi, one could fundamentally reshape the physical body.
Combined with the Life Seed’s concealment of life aura, he could perfectly transform into another person—completely undetectable.
That was what Li An valued most.
Safety. Perfect for lying low!
However, the current quantity of Yin-Yang Demonic Qi was still limited. He could only transform specific parts of his body—far from complete transformation.
“Darling, come eat~”
Tan Qingxue walked in, carrying the dishes.
Li An stood. Tan Qingxue served him rice, and just as she handed him the bowl, Li An pulled her gently by the waist. She once again sat on his lap…
“What, it can grow from cultivation too?!”
Tan Qingxue’s face burned red, her breath growing hot. “Darling, can we take a break today?”
“No.”
…
(End of Chapter)