Chapter 158: Back to the Furnace, You’re Beyond Saving
The next day, Chen Yin woke up in the pond.
His head was pounding, his mind foggy, his body wrinkled from soaking in the water.
He sat up and tried to recall what had happened the previous night, but his memory was blank.
He could only remember taking the pill and the explosive surge of energy in his meridians and dantian.
He quickly checked his internal state.
…As expected.
His dantian was shattered, his meridians in ruins. He was practically crippled.
If it weren’t for the “Forgotten Everlasting Heart Sutra” still functioning, he would have thought he was done for.
But even with its regenerative abilities, such severe injuries would take at least two or three days to heal.
It was almost as bad as the time he had fallen from the Heavenly Path Perilous Domain.
However, every cloud has a silver lining. To his surprise, he had broken through not one, but two realms, reaching the peak of the Boundless Realm, just a step away from the Supreme Clarity Realm.
His dantian was overflowing with spiritual energy.
He had gone from the early Entering Gate Realm to the peak of Boundless Realm in just a few days.
A meteoric rise in cultivation.
There was another change. His spiritual energy, which had turned blue due to the scroll’s intervention, was now even purer, radiating a vibrant life force and an indescribable beauty.
Even if you gave a dog a mohawk, it was still a dog. But at least the blue spiritual energy looked nice, right?
Actually, Chen Yin couldn’t tell the difference.
Unlike the System Shop, which had descriptions for its items, he couldn’t sense any practical changes in his spiritual energy.
All he felt was an excruciating pain throughout his body.
It felt like a C4 had exploded inside him.
He tried to move, but his body refused to obey.
So, he simply lay there, giving up.
…Giving up was truly the most comfortable thing in the world.
As he stared at the clouds drifting lazily across the sky, enjoying his moment of blissful surrender, a voice suddenly rang out beside him.
“Brat, you’re not dead yet?”
“…Even a human centipede’s blessing would be more auspicious than yours.”
A pair of small, delicate feet in embroidered shoes, the hem of a flowing robe trailing behind them, appeared before him.
Master sat down beside him and said casually, “You know, just being alive is already a miracle.”
“Any other cultivator would have been obliterated by that much energy.”
Chen Yin couldn’t argue with that and just pouted.
“It’s your fault for rushing me. I couldn’t find any better solutions, so I had to try those pills.”
“And you, as my Master,” he complained, “don’t even know how to comfort your disciple.”
“Comfort you? Are you a three-year-old?” Master scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“Even if you don’t comfort me, there’s no need to insult me!”
Master continued to bicker with him, her eyes twinkling with amusement.
Finally, as Chen Yin sulked and turned his head away, a small hand gently touched his forehead.
Chen Yin blinked.
Master’s hand was soft and slightly cool, like a summer pudding.
Her hand was so small that it could barely cover his forehead.
He looked up and saw her cheerful smile, blocking the sunlight, as she said softly:
“You’ve worked hard, brat.”
Chen Yin stared at her for a long time, several minutes passing in silence.
Finally, he closed his eyes and chuckled. “You’re being so gentle, it’s making me uncomfortable.”
“What? Are you a masochist? Do you need to be insulted to feel good?”
“…Can’t you just be nice for a little longer?”
Before he could finish his sentence, a pair of small hands cupped his face.
Master knelt beside the pond, her robes spread out around her, and gently placed his head on her lap.
“Just for today, consider this Master being merciful and taking care of her injured disciple.” Her sweet voice echoed in his ears.
He paused, then asked hesitantly:
“Are you feeling alright? Did you take the wrong medicine or something?”
“…If you don’t want to lie here, then get off.”
“…I’m sorry.”
But he had to admit, Master’s lap was incredibly comfortable.
His mind, which had been foggy and sluggish, suddenly felt clear and refreshed.
Even through her robes, he could feel the soft, smooth texture of her thighs against his neck.
His head rested against her stomach, soft and fragrant.
Chen Yin suddenly thought that maybe staying like this forever wouldn’t be so bad.
“By the way, why am I in the pond?”
“I kicked you in. To cool you down.”
“Why?”
“You took an aphrodisiac last night and went on a rampage down the mountain, deflowering over a dozen women, even grandmas weren’t safe. To prevent the authorities from arresting you, I beat you up and threw you into the pond to extinguish your flames.”
Chen Yin’s eyes widened in horror. “Holy shit, is that true?”
“No.”
Master lowered her eyes casually. “But learn your lesson. Don’t just swallow any pill you find. If something happens, you’ll regret it for the rest of your life.”
Chen Yin shrank back, slightly intimidated by her words.
If he had really done such a thing, even reincarnation wouldn’t be enough to atone for his sins.
“But reaching the Grand Clarity Realm is so difficult.”
He complained, enjoying the comfort of her lap, “Even with all these pills, it’ll still take me a year or two. How am I supposed to do it in one year?”
Master hesitated.
“If you feel too much pressure, you don’t have to push yourself.”
“I can ask Qingmei Niang to find a hidden realm for you to hide in.”
Chen Yin didn’t know what she meant by “that time.”
But he shook his head. “No.”
“I don’t like hiding.”
Master lowered her head, her hair brushing against his cheek, the faint fragrance of Mist Yu flowers tickling his skin.
“It will be very dangerous.”
“Then we’ll die together. I can brag about dying with the Number One Immortal of the cultivation world, Yu Ling. Worth it.”
“You don’t actually think that’s romantic, do you?”
“So you’re not denying the dying together part?” Chen Yin asked with a playful smile.
Master froze, then, amused and slightly annoyed, she pinched his ear.
“You brat, trying to take advantage of your Master now, are you?”
Chen Yin winced, then said with a pitiful expression, “I was just trying to cheer you up, seeing you so down.”
Master paused. After a long silence, she lowered her head.
“Is it… that obvious?”
“Not really.” Chen Yin hesitated, then said calmly, “But I’m your disciple.”
Ten years had passed since she had taken him in.
Twenty years, counting both his lives.
…Perhaps no one knew her better than he did.
It wasn’t that she didn’t feel sadness.
It was just that only he noticed when she was unhappy.
Master’s lips parted slightly, then she closed them again.
“Where did you learn these cheesy pick-up lines, you brat?”
“I invented them myself.” Chen Yin puffed out his chest proudly.
“No wonder you can’t find a wife. You’re hopeless. Just reincarnate.”
Chen Yin slumped back dejectedly.
The wind was gentle, the clouds drifted lazily across the sky, and the goldfish in the pond swam around them, their movements carefree and unhurried.
After lying there for a while, Chen Yin suddenly asked, “What happened last night?”
“What do you remember?”
“Nothing.”
“Then nothing happened.” Master’s expression was calm.
Chen Yin chuckled wryly. Seriously?
“If nothing happened, why are you acting so strange today? Why are you being so nice and letting me rest on your lap?”
“If you don’t want to lie here, then get off.” Master frowned.
“…Why are you being so mean?”
Chen Yin sighed. “I really don’t remember anything. Did I… hurt you?” he asked cautiously.
He was truly afraid.
If he had hurt Master or Xiang’er in his delirium, he would never forgive himself.
Master looked at him, her usually fearless disciple now looking at her timidly, and couldn’t help but giggle.
“You brat, you think you can hurt me? You really think I’m that weak?”
“Then why…”
Before Chen Yin could finish his sentence, she interrupted him.
“If you don’t remember anything, then nothing happened.”
Master gently covered his eyes with her hand.
“Don’t think about it, okay?”
Chen Yin nodded reluctantly.
…Crap.
Now he was really curious. It seemed he had done something significant.
Did he really do something bad?
The next moment, her hand pinched his ear.
“Didn’t I tell you not to think about it?”
“Ouch, ouch, ouch… How did you know I was thinking about it?”
“I have superpowers.” Master snorted.
Chen Yin narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “Then do you know what I’m thinking about right now?”
Master thought for a moment, then frowned in disgust.
“…I hope it’s not something indecent.”
“Oops, you guessed it.”
Chen Yin grinned lewdly. “I was thinking about how soft and fragrant Master’s thighs are, heehee… Master, my dear Master, heehee…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he was kicked into the pond.
Master stood up, brushed the dust off her dress, and glared at him, her voice cold and indifferent.
“Back to the furnace, you’re beyond saving.”
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