Chapter 92: Overdoing It
"Alright, from now on we are family, so there's no need to be so formal." Qin Xuan gave Nong Yu a loving, reassuring hug and comforted her. He then chuckled, "You take A Yan into the room first. Ling Yuan and Jingni should be back soon, and I have important matters to discuss with them."
He spoke very seriously, but Nong Yu's cheeks flushed. She imagined a scene of one dragon and two phoenixes and guessed roughly what was about to happen.
"Nong Yu bids farewell." Nong Yu hurriedly pulled away from Qin Xuan's embrace, curtsied gracefully, picked up A Yan, and scurried into her own room.
She was worried that if she didn't leave soon, she might also be dragged into the battlefield.
A night of intense battle commenced.
The air in the grand suite, usually still and silent, was now thick with a mixture of fiery, divine aura and cold, sharp killing intent.
Qin Xuan, relying on his self-created Spirit Ability, the Reincarnation Divine Art (Lao Ai Edition), faced his two new "partners."
[Inorin's Note: The "Lao Ai Edition" is a joking reference to Lao Ai, a historical figure from China's Warring States period famed for his exceptional virility, which he used to gain political influence. The name implies this is a powerful dual cultivation technique.]
Ling Yuan, still proud and fiery, had entered the "battle" with the competitive spirit of a Titled Douluo, eager to prove her dominance. Jingni, in contrast, was a silent and accepting participant, her loyalty absolute, her actions following Qin Xuan's lead.
It was a clash of domains on a different kind of battlefield. Ling Yuan's "Fire Spirit Iris" energy was hot, aggressive, and wild, threatening to consume everything. Jingni's "Slaughter God Domain" was cold, precise, and sharp, a chilling counter-force.
Qin Xuan, positioned between them, acted as the nexus. His own Suzaku Domain and the profound, circulating power of his divine art became a vortex, drawing in both the fire and the ice. He didn't just participate; he controlled the flow, absorbing, refining, and blending their clashing powers.
The "battle" was arduous. Ling Yuan, proud as she was, was the first to falter, her fiery aura dimming as she was overwhelmed by the combined, circulating power. Jingni, with her Demigod-level physique, lasted longer, her endurance astonishing.
But in the end, Qin Xuan's technique proved superior. He fought one against two and achieved ultimate victory.
The next morning, as the first ray of sunlight shone directly into the room, Qin Xuan opened his eyes, feeling refreshed. He said, "I'm going out to practice my sword. You two sleep a bit longer."
It must be said that ever since he took Nong Yu as his personal maid, with someone to look after A Yan, Qin Xuan felt much more at ease.
He felt relieved leaving A Yan to her care.
He no longer had to suddenly take care of A Yan when he was halfway through something. He could fully unleash the power of the Reincarnation Divine Art.
However, no matter how comfortable he felt, he never slacked off in his cultivation. At most, he just shifted his usual free time to the evenings.
Qin Xuan deeply understood the importance of strength in this World.
He never regarded others as protagonists, nor did he regard himself as one. The Douluo Continent would continue to spin regardless of who left it.
The reason he could possess everything he had now, in the final analysis, was entirely due to the talent and strength he displayed.
Currently, his talent was sufficient, but if his strength couldn't keep up, it would mean that everything he had obtained now would eventually leave him.
"Go away, don't disturb me. This old lady needs more sleep. I don't know what you little rascal ate…"
Ling Yuan lay on the inner side of the bed, tangled in the silk quilt, her armor and robes discarded. The quilt concealed her vital parts, but her exposed shoulders and arms were flushed. A charming, deep blush adorned her pretty face, complemented by her brown, ear-length short hair, making her look even more enchanting and thoroughly conquered.
She waved her slender, lotus root-like arm, mumbling in her sleep.
Jingni, however, got up with Qin Xuan. Almost the instant she woke up, her assassin's discipline took over. She put on her clothes, then naturally took out a brand new, form-fitting long robe from her storage tool and draped it over Qin Xuan.
"I'll go with you."
It wasn't the first time Qin Xuan had heard such words. He smiled gently, adjusted his clothes as she helped fasten the clasps, and the two came to the adjacent cultivation room.
In the huge cultivation room, which covered over a thousand square meters and was thirty meters high, four clones were scattered in various corners.
Some practiced the lightness skills of Mo Ya and Bai Feng. One clone, shrouded in shadow, practiced the "Crow" stealth and silent movement techniques of Mo Ya. Another, a blur of white, practiced the impossibly fast, phoenix-like agility of Bai Feng.
The other two clones were actively sparring, one using the lethal, precise assassination sword techniques Jingni had learned in the Net Trap, while the other clone parried, testing its defenses. They practiced against each other to improve their lightness skills and swordsmanship.
In the central area, Qin Xuan's main body and Jingni's sword light crisscrossed. Although neither of them used Spirit Power, their sword shadows were almost impossible for the naked eye to discern.
His Horizontal Sword Technique, wide and devastating, clashed with her Vertical Sword Technique, a blur of precise, fatal thrusts.
"It seems your Vertical Sword Technique is very proficient. How about it, have you sensed anything?" Qin Xuan asked while practicing the Horizontal Sword Technique with Jingni.
"Mmm, your guess is correct. The Vertical and Horizontal Sword Techniques indeed have the potential to promote a Martial Soul Fusion Technique. Ever since cultivating the Vertical Sword Technique, the mutual sensing between our Spirits has become vaguely perceptible. However, this might require a long period of integration," Jingni said.
Qin Xuan smiled, "This kind of thing can't be rushed. A Martial Soul Fusion Technique is not an overnight process, and its conditions for use are extremely strict. It not only requires the Spirits to be compatible but also requires a meeting of minds."
He deflected a thrust, his voice dropping to a teasing murmur. "Our minds, through these past six months of... in-depth communication... if not perfectly aligned, are not far off."
"In-depth communication?" Jingni paused, and having been exposed to Qin Xuan's way of speaking for over half a year, she quickly understood his meaning. Her pretty face flushed slightly, and she rarely uttered a light "Pah, you're so improper."
As she spoke, the momentum of her sword accelerated. Relying on her physique, which had reached the Demigod level, and her Mental Force at the Super Douluo level, she instantly gained the upper hand.
Qin Xuan suddenly found himself on the defensive, his sword a blur as he struggled to parry the lightning-fast, precise strikes.
"Hey, hey, are you trying to murder your husband?" he complained, parrying a thrust that nearly slipped past his guard. "It's one thing to overpower me with physique, but do you need to use Mental Force too? That's not fair!"
"Who told you to be so improper? Let's see if you dare to mess around like last night again."
Recalling yesterday, when Qin Xuan was halfway through performing his Reincarnation Divine Art and secretly let Ling Yuan in during the night, Jingni's cheeks couldn't help but burn intensely, wishing she could find a hole to crawl into.
This scoundrel! It was one thing when he did it in front of A Yan before—after all, A Yan was still young and didn't understand anything—but pulling Ling Yuan into it as well truly made her embarrassed.
"Then next time I'll give you a heads-up."
"You're still talking…"
The two playfully bickered, their blades a blur of steel. In an instant, the two who had originally come together for a transaction, emitted the sour scent of love in the cultivation room.
Finally, under the dual exhaustion from the clones and Jingni's relentless (and slightly vengeful) assault, three hours later, Qin Xuan's physical strength and Spirit Power were both depleted. Supported by Jingni, he walked out of the cultivation room.
"Sister Jingni, husband, do you usually cultivate so diligently?" Ling Yuan, who was teasing A Yan in the living room, asked. She was quite surprised to see Qin Xuan's Spirit Power and steps unsteady, gasping for breath.
That's right, Ling Yuan had already started calling Jingni "Sister."
Although Jingni had not yet been crowned, her becoming a High Priest of Spirit Hall was already a foregone conclusion.
Ling Yuan knew that in terms of beauty, strength, or talent, she was inferior to Jingni. So, she let go of the idea of being the main wife.
Moreover, in this World where the strong are respected, calling a powerful level 97 Peak Douluo "Sister" was not shameful.
How many people wished to call her that but weren't qualified? Qian Daoliu wasn't the oldest among the seven High Priests, but he was still the eldest brother.
As for "husband," uh uh uh, Qin Xuan had asked her to call him that last night, and she hadn't changed it yet. She'd be careful in the future, careful in the future…
"You go ask him yourself." Jingni's eyes gradually regained some of their usual coldness. Although she said that, she still gently helped Qin Xuan to sit on the sofa next to Ling Yuan.
Although Jingni had no ill intentions, the absolute disparity in strength and status still made Ling Yuan feel instinctively more awe.
Qin Xuan saw through Ling Yuan's thoughts. After regaining some strength, he held Ling Yuan's small hand and gently comforted her, "Don't think too much. She's just a bit thin-skinned because of what happened last night, and she's a little embarrassed."
Ling Yuan suddenly understood. Then, recalling the madness of last night, she stood up and apologized to Jingni, "I'm sorry, Sister Jingni."
After all, last night, she and Qin Xuan had indeed gone a bit too far.
Not to mention, this whole matter was because she had unilaterally agreed to Qin Xuan's request beforehand.
If you make a mistake, admit it and take responsibility. If you're in this game, if you make a mistake, you have to admit it, and stand firm when you get hit.
As one of the instigators, she had to take responsibility for this matter.
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