Chapter 51 Detailed "That's... Junior Sister missing me?"...

When the group arrived at the inn, Simmons packed up the miscellaneous items, waved to the three of them, and said, "Please rest first, I'll come find you later."

After saying that, she went to the backyard of the inn. Qiao Yanshen handed the innkeeper some silver, asking her to arrange accommodation, and casually asked, "Why is the city under lockdown recently?"

After thinking carefully for a moment, the shopkeeper replied, "The notice says that foreign spies have recently entered the city, so only those with travel permits are allowed to enter and exit the city."

Qiao Yanshen frowned upon hearing this, feeling that the reason was too hasty.

In addition, the defenses observed earlier were not very strong; a few people standing there could be considered as guarding the city. There were no defenses or troops patrolling the civilian population. It could be said that there were some precautions, but not many.

One possibility is that word leaked out, and the royal family learned that only Qin Shiying was sent to investigate. Therefore, they decided to seal off the city first and then make preventative arrangements. Were those demonic cultivators on the river the royal family's spies? Could they have been their so-called secret guards?

For ordinary people to collude with demonic cultivators is a short-term gain for both parties and not a sustainable practice, unless the former can provide the latter with the flesh and blood materials for cultivation in the long term.

The flesh and blood materials needed by demonic cultivators, if enough to support a whole team, are definitely not something the royal family can openly resolve.

As the conjecture began to spiral towards one extreme, Qiao Yanshen stopped in time—the current intelligence was insufficient, so it was better to learn more before making any inferences.

After a long and arduous journey, Qin Shiying hadn't had a proper rest in a long time and was so sleepy that she was mumbling incoherently. After getting the keys, they went upstairs and returned to their respective rooms. The rooms were adjacent to each other, so they could look after each other in case of any emergency.

After closing the door, Shen Lixia took off her outer robe, performed a hand seal to cleanse herself, and collapsed onto the bed, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

The burning pain lingered. She pressed her hand to her chest, closed her eyes, and examined her internal state. She saw that her spiritual energy had gradually transformed from qi to liquid, flowing into a concrete form and solidifying into a firm foundation. The bright red of her fire spiritual root was illuminated by the divine fire's righteous energy, making it much brighter than before. However, the metal spiritual root side was not suppressed by this; instead, it pressed even more sharply, attempting to occupy more space and make the overall spiritual energy appear golden. These two spiritual energies had harmonized slightly during her body tempering and enlightenment, but only slightly.

Like two separated rivers, once their waters collide, a violent reaction will occur.

Shen Lixia tried to mobilize her spiritual energy to balance and transform it into a gentle cycle, but unexpectedly the two separated and clashed fiercely in her meridians. A scalding and sharp pain immediately shot through her, causing her to gasp.

What the hell? It's like the plaintiff and defendant teaming up to fight on the bench because the judge was making dumplings.

Am I being too innocent?

It's time to tell these two who's always fighting who the real master is. Shen Lixia thought to herself as she sprang up, kicked off her boots, and sat cross-legged on the bed, beginning to contemplate a method for maintaining balance. If she wanted to withstand the divine fire, the only way forward right now was indeed to increase her cultivation level.

Even if Qiao Yanshen could regulate her breathing, he couldn't fundamentally make the divine fire obey his commands. He couldn't bring himself to tell Yan Xueya or the sect leader. Putting himself in her shoes, if a master suddenly heard his disciple scratching his head and saying that he was the Heavenly God Ling Guang, or some kind of Vermilion Bird Lord, his first reaction wouldn't be surprise, but shock.

He'd probably just be seen as insane and have his head smashed by a sword.

Just like when she suddenly told her supervisor that she was actually the reincarnation of a famous scholar, she laughed three times and never had to worry about her thesis again.

It's best to have fewer dreams like that.

Shen Lixia sighed helplessly and quietly observed the changes in the spiritual energy within her body with her divine sense.

The clash between the golden and fire spiritual energies was severe, like a double-sided curved pipe; as one side rose, the other fell. Ordinary people with dual spiritual roots had never experienced such a confrontation, so she had no one to refer to. She asked the divine fire to herself, but perhaps because its previous encounter in her sea of ​​consciousness had expended considerable energy, the remnant soul no longer paid her any attention, offering only two answers to all of Shen Lixia's questions: burn, or get lost.

Oh right, she forgot that it was precisely because of this divine fire that the two spiritual roots were fighting so fiercely.

However, during the previous special training, Yan Xueya had told her about a method, which was that in addition to frequently adjusting her breathing with Qiao Yanshen, she could try to merge the two spiritual energies. Just as the ultimate goal of the Great Dao is to return to oneness, perhaps the two will eventually combine and return to oneness, rather than one diminishing the other.

Judging from the pain I just experienced, it would be a miracle if this method even worked. But since I'm a cultivator, I naturally bear the responsibility of exorcising ghosts—

After convincing herself with a whole bunch of fallacies to try a few more times, Shen Lixia finally began to circulate her spiritual energy once again, attempting to harmonize the two. This time, she slowed down considerably, no longer rushing to introduce spiritual energy into her body as usual, but instead adjusting her internal circulation, carefully guiding the two flowing streams of spiritual energy to touch.

The clash of spiritual energies, despite her extreme caution, still triggered a fierce exchange.

It's even more exciting than doing a chemistry experiment.

Shen Lixia's lips twitched, realizing that she had gotten used to the pain without her noticing, as if she had developed a tolerance for pain by being tempered by the divine fire.

If only my senior sister were here... she would probably be able to come up with a solution.

The moment the thought crossed her mind, Shen Lixia opened her eyes and slapped her cheeks twice.

Why do I keep thinking about my senior sister even though we've only been apart for a short while?

Qiao Yanshen was right next door; she could just get out of bed and look for him.

Realizing this, even her attempts to ask for help were silenced. A strange emotion froze Shen Lixia in place, preventing her from moving an inch.

She shook her head and muttered, "Senior Sister is human too, she needs to rest."

Although Qiao Yanshen's usual level of diligence in cultivation far exceeds that of ordinary people—for Shen Lixia, who has not yet gone into seclusion, her cultivation state of not being distracted for two days and two nights is already terrifying.

Taking a deep breath, Shen Lixia continued her attempt to fuse the two spiritual energies. This time, she proceeded more slowly, carefully separating a portion of the energy before combining them, as if she were performing delicate handicrafts. This time, she finally achieved some success; the two colors no longer repelled each other, yet they still resisted each other and refused to come closer.

Perhaps it should be more detailed.

This was the smallest thing Shen Lixia could manage. A person's character is reflected in their life and, in turn, influenced by their daily actions. Her usual style was efficiency-oriented, and after pondering for a while, sweat was already trickling down her forehead.

However, she has no shortage of thoughtful people around her.

When Tang Huairou brews tea, he always checks each tea set carefully, wiping each item meticulously at the beginning and end, showing exceptional care; Lin Yuxian sets up her array with meticulous precision, the intricate and complex strokes that meander when she draws her spiritual energy...

There's also Qiao Yanshen.

Her meticulousness was different from the other two.

If Tang Huairou is considerate, and Lin Yuxian is meticulous, then Qiao Yanshen's attentiveness is more like a sensitivity. She possesses both qualities, but not primarily; it's just that her excessive sensitivity compels her to be both considerate and meticulous. She observes every change in the emotions and behaviors of those around her, ponders them repeatedly, and carefully reads their expressions and demeanor, resulting in this meticulousness. It's like a sudden rain, a fine, dense net; most passersby, without umbrellas, are thoroughly soaked. Her emotions and actions are all carefully considered, to the point that it's hard to tell whether they are instinctive or intentional, just like her smile always lingering on her lips, just the right amount to make one feel gentle.

Such sensitivity couldn't be innate; it must have come from something. Shen Lixia hadn't considered it before, but now, upon reflection, she realized that spiritual energy was like physical strength. How could someone who could even control their strength so finely as to be as gentle and yielding as others imagined? Thinking of this, she recalled how Qiao Yanshen had used spiritual energy as a needle to try and unblock her meridians when they first met. A sharp, piercing pain shot through her chest, as if a needle had pierced her skin that day, causing her to feel a sudden, burning sensation, as if her skin had been broken and blood was seeping out. Something hot flowed through her heart, burning her with an unusual intensity.

She recalled those familiar blue eyes, which were once again shrouded in mist. No one would ever have eyes like those again, eyes that didn't explicitly reject others, not with icy coldness, but with a sense of distance. Distant to the point of being elusive, blurry when the other person thought they were close, only to realize later that countless turbulent undercurrents separated them.

Thinking of this, her previous anxiety was soothed by the coldness, and the sudden calm made her loosen her clenched fist, but she couldn't shake the image of Qiao Yanshen from her mind.

Fine, then I'll learn from my senior sister's thoughtfulness. Shen Lixia closed her eyes, unaware that the golden light in her eyes had softened and been completely concealed.

The spiritual energy was divided into extremely fine particles, like needles or a carving knife. Connecting the two, she suddenly understood. Like carving wood, she gently and continuously separated the extremely fine spiritual energy, allowing the two faint colors to combine. The ethereal feeling was unlike holding a tangible object in her hand. As soon as the impatience surged, she subconsciously thought of Qiao Yanshen's calm voice, which seemed to have gained even more patience.

With her attention completely focused on the fusion of spiritual energy, Shen Lixia naturally had no time to pay attention to the thoughts in her head. She instinctively thought, "Senior Sister speaks so nicely. If there were something in this world that could record audio, I would definitely beg Qiao Yanshen to record a few sentences and listen to them over and over again, cherishing them."

The fusion was more successful than expected. Afterwards, it gradually increased, and although it failed a few times, the chances of success eventually began to rise. The intertwined spiritual energy meandered out a third path and circulated in the meridians. Some of the spiritual energy had already begun to explore this golden-red river without guidance, gradually expanding it.

With her cultivation level stabilized, Shen Lixia exhaled the turbid air, and her body felt much lighter. The liquid spiritual power in her body also gradually increased, and her perception of the flow of spiritual energy around her became clearer.

Without thinking, she raised her hand, and flames suddenly ignited in it. Previously only as high as her forearm, they were now so intense that they seemed capable of filling the room. Startled, she quickly withdrew her hand to avoid burning anything that shouldn't be burned.

Looking around to make sure nothing was on fire, the boy breathed a sigh of relief, got out of bed, and put on his boots. It was bright outside; it seemed to be noon.

That inexplicable awkwardness had vanished. She had made a breakthrough, and her first reaction was to go find Qiao Yanshen.

Even though Qiao Yanshen was distant, she could still sense the sincerity beneath his tight defenses. Since her senior sister was so wary, she would take the initiative to slowly approach her, like a cat showing its soft belly to make amends.

Because she possessed a sincerity unique to Qiao Yanshen—even when everyone else was wary, she was the one closest to the real Qiao Yanshen, even after all the wariness.

She was almost certain of it.

Shen Lixia herself was not unaware that she was extremely adaptable and quick to change her mind. Just as Qiao Yanshen said, she had never been afraid of unknown powers or strange things, and accepted them naturally. She was half-convinced by what the remnant soul of the divine fire said, and she did not give up the idea that the other party had possessed her, but in the end she did not dwell on it, but chose to keep it to herself.

Since fate had bestowed this gift upon her and she had no choice but to accept it, she accepted it openly and honestly, while also being prepared to pay the price later.

Just as Yan Xueya once said, she had a clear sense of love, hate, gain, and loss, and possessed a pure and natural naiveté. This naiveté was not annoying, but rather so vivid that it was enviable, destined to reduce many regrets in life.

She strode out of the room and stopped in front of Qiao Yanshen's door, already having prepared many things to say to her, hoping to earn some praise. Meanwhile, Shenhuo, on the other hand, had awakened, and perhaps influenced by Shen Lixia's emotions, it made her feel burning hot, like the dizziness caused by excessive heating.

She knocked on the door and heard footsteps coming from inside. In that brief moment, a strong sense of anticipation arose within her. Each step was a tease, stirring her heartstrings.

As the wooden door closed, Qiao Yanshen's face appeared behind it. When the two looked at each other, Shen Lixia's emotions, which had been churning since the beginning, suddenly reached a critical point, making her unable to speak the moment their eyes met. All her carefully crafted words dissolved in the sudden silence.

The woman with eyes as clear as autumn water blinked, showing no signs of drowsiness, and smiled as she called to her:

"Leaving Summer".

She opened the door to let Shen Lixia pass, and only closed it after the boy came in.

Turning her head, she noticed that the other person's ears were red, and Qiao Yan thought it was caused by the divine fire—after all, she could also sense that Shen Lixia's emotions were fluctuating at the same time.

"Do you need to regulate your breathing?" She circulated her spiritual energy, reached out and took the boy's trembling little finger, and asked softly.

Shen Lixia shook her head, replying vaguely, "No...it's just me..."

That's it, she really forgot everything she had thought of. She didn't want to admit that the moment the door opened, only one thought remained—

I want to see her.

But we have to admit it.

Qiao Yanshen's eyes crinkled into a smile, his voice tinged with a mischievous amusement, "So... Junior Sister missed me?"

She took it as a joke, but Shen Lixia stiffened. Realizing she had crossed the line, she quickly changed the subject and used her spiritual power to draw the papers on the table next to her into her hand, handing them to Shen Lixia.

"It just so happens that Master sent a letter and asked us to read it together. I thought you were resting just now, so I didn't want to disturb you."

Shen Lixia reached out and took the letter, swallowing her affirmative answer with difficulty.