Chapter 92: Xuanhuan Cultivation BL (VIII)

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Chapter 92: Xuanhuan Cultivation BL (VIII)

Miao Lichen arrived at the center of the Dankou Secret Realm and extended his hand. A barrier that would have been nearly impossible for anyone else in this world to breach posed no obstacle to him. He did not even need the system’s assistance. As the internal energy gathered in his palm dissipated, he was already standing within the barrier. Before him lay an exceptionally luxurious courtyard, filled with spiritual herbs that would be considered priceless treasures outside, yet they failed to draw even a glance from him.

He walked straight toward the center of the barrier and stopped before a building. The faint aura within told him the building wasn’t empty. More than one person was inside. He pushed the door open and entered without anyone stopping him. Miao Lichen glanced at Jiang Lingwen. The fact that he could calmly accept an inheritance while someone else remained by his side spoke volumes about the trust he placed in that person.

His gaze shifted to the youth reclining in a chair. His skin was as smooth and lustrous as polished jade, so flawless it seemed as though a touch might break it. His delicate features were almost unreal, like a fragile beauty that had stepped out of a painting. Even in sleep, he radiated a calming presence, accompanied by a peculiar charm that quietly captivated those around him.

After circulating his internal energy through his body once, the faint haze clouding Miao Lichen’s mind vanished, and his eyes regained their clarity. It was obvious that this person was the key figure who had altered the story’s course, and there seemed to be something extraordinary about him. To influence Miao Lichen’s mind in a single instant, even if only briefly, was no small feat.

Turning his attention back to Jiang Lingwen, Miao Lichen recalled that, as the protagonist of this novel, Jiang Lingwen had never intended to share the inheritance he obtained. After receiving the jade slip’s legacy, along with the memories and power left behind by that senior cultivator, he had immediately destroyed the jade slip containing only the alchemy and artifact forging knowledge. There was no way Miao Lichen could obtain those inheritances now. While they were not indispensable to him, it was still the first time something he wanted had slipped beyond his reach.

Miao Lichen placed a hand on Jiang Lingwen’s shoulder. The barrier surrounding Jiang Lingwen blocked him for only an instant before allowing his movement to continue unhindered. His fingertips touched Jiang Lingwen’s body, and from the point of contact, golden light began to emerge, faintly enveloping them both as it circulated between them. The golden radiance surrounding them grew ever brighter without becoming dazzling. Instead, it became gentler, flowing even faster between them.

After a long while, Jiang Lingwen slowly opened his eyes, only to meet another pair that had just done the same. The trace of confusion in those eyes lasted only an instant before they returned to their usual calm indifference, though his own reflection could still be faintly seen within them. That fleeting moment of innocence, so pure it seemed untouched by this world, lasted only an instant, yet etched itself deeply into his memory.

Miao Lichen took a step back, widening the distance between them. His earlier action had not been done on a whim. He had sensed that the energy surrounding Jiang Lingwen possessed unusual properties. That proved to be true. The golden light flowing into his body had not been absorbed by the Qixiu internal energy. Instead, it strengthened his comparatively delicate physique and drew him into a meditative state without his noticing. Though unexpected, the gains were considerable, enough to barely compensate for missing out on the alchemy and artifact forging inheritance.

Jiang Lingwen concealed the trace of amazement in his eyes. With a slight lean forward, he could easily bring the person before him within his control and do whatever he pleased, perhaps even leave marks on that seemingly flawless body to claim it as his own. Yet, at that moment, he felt no such urge. Instead, his thoughts drifted back to their first meeting.

Miao Lichen truly had not disappointed him. Once the veil shrouding that hazy beauty had been lifted, what lay beneath was no cold stone but an even more vivid landscape painting, making him all the more captivating. A warm smile once again curved Jiang Lingwen’s lips, gentle and kind enough to inspire goodwill in anyone who saw it.

∇ Capture Target Jiang Lingwen Favorability: 20.

“To have reached this place, your abilities are quite impressive.” Even after receiving guidance from others, it had taken him considerable time to find a way through the barrier. Compared to this formation, the ones he created himself were pitifully fragile. Still, they were more than enough to keep out a seer with little cultivation.

Miao Lichen nodded, his brows knitting together slightly as though considering something. After a long silence, he looked back at Jiang Lingwen and lightly pressed his lips together. “Master, why are you here? Doesn’t the Dankou Secret Realm only permit Golden Core cultivators to enter? If I remember correctly, you were already a Nascent Soul cultivator when I first entered the Heavenly Sword Sect.”

The trace of interest and admiration had not yet faded from Jiang Lingwen’s eyes before that single word struck him like a bolt from the blue. Master? He certainly did not remember taking anyone besides Feng Yingruo as his disciple. Wait, perhaps he had.

After a moment’s thought, he finally recalled the group of youths he had casually taken in. One of them had indeed worn red, though those red clothes had been tattered and utterly unremarkable. Among all those children, the boy in red had been the thinnest and least noticeable. Could someone really change so much in only two years? And advance from a complete beginner to the Golden Core stage?

In the cultivation world, opportunities were both the rarest and the most abundant thing. Just as he himself had advanced to Fusion stage after spending only a few days in this secret realm, leaving him only one step away from the Tribulation stage, Miao Lichen had likely encountered a similar stroke of fortune.

But Master? He truly had not been a qualified one. He had never fulfilled any of a Master’s responsibilities.

His gaze swept over Miao Lichen. Even with the insight of a Fusion cultivator, all he could perceive was a Foundation Establishment cultivator with a Five-Element Spiritual Root. Outside this realm, such talent would never have attracted the attention of any cultivator. But this was the Dankou Secret Realm. Here, the better one was at concealing one’s true strength, the more dangerous one became.

‘That head of snow-white hair…’ The smile on Jiang Lingwen’s lips grew more genuine. When they first met, Miao Lichen still had black hair. So he was still just a child after all, pushing himself too hard until he’d damaged his own body. He would have to remind him later that cultivation could not be rushed. If one’s foundation was unstable, higher cultivation would only bring greater harm.

∇ Capture Target Jiang Lingwen Favorability: 30.

Having unconsciously begun to see himself as Miao Lichen’s Master, Jiang Lingwen failed to notice that his attitude toward Miao Lichen had already become far gentler than it was toward anyone else. Feng Yingruo was also his disciple, yet the only warmth he ever showed him was through material support. With Miao Lichen, despite having met him only twice, he had already begun thinking about the boy’s future. The only question was how long that gentleness would last. A day, a year, or perhaps forever?

“Feng Yingruo?!” The youth beside them, awakened by their conversation, instinctively blurted out the name the moment he heard the word “Master.” His gaze toward Miao Lichen immediately became guarded. Red robes, exquisite features… just as expected of the Phoenix’s Child, known in the novel as its most beautiful supporting male character.

But why was he here? Shouldn’t he still have been at the Foundation Establishment stage before fully awakening his phoenix bloodline? Or had his own arrival caused the butterfly effect, allowing Feng Yingruo’s bloodline to awaken ahead of schedule? Thinking of the overwhelming superiority of phoenix bloodlines, even though the inheritance he had received was by no means weak, he still felt apprehensive.

The phoenix was recognized as one of the supreme rulers of the Spirit Realm. Once its bloodline awakened, it immediately possessed the cultivation of the Tribulation stage. Even without further cultivation, it would naturally advance to the Mahayana stage before ascending to the Immortal Realm. Otherwise, in the ancient cultivation era, the phoenix and the dragon would never have been hailed as the two supreme divine beasts. By comparison, the bloodline he had inherited belonged to the Peacock Tribe. It was indeed exceptional among spirits, but to put it bluntly, it was still far inferior to a phoenix bloodline.

Still, recalling the protagonist’s settings in the novel restored his confidence. The phoenix bloodline was certainly powerful, but a phoenix that had lost the most important part of its bloodline was far less terrifying than it seemed. Every use of Phoenix Flame burned not only the enemy but also the wielder. Using it beyond one’s limits could even trigger premature Nirvana or outright death. And if a phoenix could not use Phoenix Flame, was it truly still a phoenix?

“Feng Yingruo? My name is Miao Lichen.” Miao Lichen pressed his lips together slightly. Although his expression hardly changed, it was obvious he was anything but pleased. A transmigrator who couldn’t even keep what he knew to himself? Was he really not afraid someone would pry every secret from him before disposing of the body?

A shadow flickered across Jiang Lingwen’s expression. He already knew that the guy named Kong Xuan possessed knowledge beyond ordinary people, enough that he had almost accepted the possibility that he truly was a legendary seer. Still, there were some things one did not appreciate hearing spoken aloud by another. Until yesterday, everyone had believed Jiang Lingwen had only one disciple: Feng Yingruo. By saying it so bluntly, what exactly was Kong Xuan implying? That he had poor judgment?

Hearing the unfamiliar name, Kong Xuan’s expression darkened further. If he himself could transmigrate into this world, then someone else certainly could as well. Moreover, this Miao Lichen was only slightly less handsome than he was. If this newcomer also had his sights set on Jiang Lingwen, then he would become Kong Xuan’s greatest obstacle. More importantly, he had no idea how long Miao Lichen had already been by Jiang Lingwen’s side, nor whether he could still compete with him now.

Then he remembered his body’s unique trait, and his confidence immediately returned. Not everyone could appreciate Jiang Lingwen’s particular tastes. Only he was truly suited to Jiang Lingwen. And he believed Jiang Lingwen would eventually come to the same conclusion.

That was right. Kong Xuan was a transmigrator with masochistic tendencies. Despite possessing the appearance of a porcelain doll, what he enjoyed most was the pleasure of being abused. Yet because his innocent looks deceived others, very few people were ever willing to lay a hand on him. As a result, he became the very image of a shut-in. As for hurting himself, that was hardly something anyone else could stop.

When he had stumbled across this novel, Kong Xuan had immediately made Jiang Lingwen the object of his fantasies. A Dom who could discipline anyone, regardless of who they were, perfectly matched his tastes. Thus, when he realized he had transmigrated into this world, he felt no confusion whatsoever. Instead, he believed it was heaven’s gift to him.

He was determined to make the man of his dreams his own. It could not truly be called love. Rather, it was attraction born from perfectly complementary inclinations. Yet, in a sense, the two of them really were a perfect match.

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