Chapter Sixteen: Suspicion of M-attributes
Fang Li practically dragged herself back to her small courtyard.
Every step I took pulled at my aching muscles and the burning, bruised marks under my skin.
That barbarian Ji Qianqiu has no sense of restraint when he attacks; he's practically using her as a human punching bag.
Although I knew in my heart that this would be beneficial in actual combat, the feeling of my whole body falling apart was really unpleasant.
All she wanted to do now was get back quickly, meditate, and use her meager spiritual power to relieve the excruciating pain.
As soon as she turned into the bamboo path, she saw Xie Chen standing outside her courtyard gate, dressed in a green robe, with his hands behind his back.
Fang Li paused, her guard immediately on high alert.
Why is he here again?
"Junior Sister, did you just return from the training grounds?" His gaze fell on her slightly swollen wrist, his brows furrowing slightly. "Junior Brother Ji... sigh, he was far too reckless and didn't know his own limitations."
Fang Li forced a smile, which could barely be considered a response.
She simply didn't have the energy to deal with him.
Xie Chen seemed oblivious to her aloofness. He took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and handed it to her: "This is a blood-activating powder. It can reduce swelling and relieve pain when applied externally. It works faster than the basic ointment provided by the sect. Junior Sister has just broken through and it's not good to carry around injuries. Applying this will make you feel more comfortable tomorrow."
The porcelain bottle was pure white and had a faint medicinal fragrance; it was clear at a glance that it was no ordinary item.
Fang Li hesitated; she really needed the medicine.
With her meager spiritual power and the ordinary medicine provided by the sect, her injuries would cause her pain for at least several days, severely impacting her cultivation efficiency.
Answer or not answer?
If I accept, it's like owing him a favor, and this smiling fox's favor is probably hard to repay.
If you don't accept the offer, you'll suffer and it will delay your cultivation.
Just as she was weighing the pros and cons, Xie Chen directly shoved the porcelain bottle into her hand, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her palm: "Take it, it's just a bottle of ointment, junior sister, don't worry about it."
Fang Li held the slightly cool porcelain bottle, feeling the warmth of the ointment in her palm: "Then thank you very much, Senior Brother. I will definitely return the favor another day."
"Junior sister, you're too kind." Xie Chen's smile deepened. Just as he was about to say something, the sound of clothes rustling through the air came from not far away.
A sudden chill swept in from the intersection!
The two sensed something at the same time and turned to look.
Shen Yunzhou had appeared there at some point, dressed in a cool white robe. His gaze fell on Fang Li's hand, which had just received the porcelain bottle from Xie Chen, as well as on Xie Chen's still-present worried expression, before finally settling on Fang Li's face.
With an indescribable sense of scrutiny and disgust.
Fang Li was puzzled by his gaze and subconsciously wanted to roll her eyes, but fortunately she managed to hold back in time.
Shen Yunzhou said nothing, as if he would find it disgusting to look at him even once. He let out a short, cold snort from his nose, flicked his sleeve, and turned to leave.
Filled with boundless rage, they quickly disappeared at the end of the road.
Fang Li: "..." She was speechless.
She had absolutely no idea what was wrong with this senior brother.
I only took a bottle of wound medicine, what did that have to do with him? And why did he have to take gunpowder?
Does accepting Xie Chen's gift violate the sect rules?
She turned to look at Xie Chen, only to see him staring in the direction Shen Yunzhou had left, a hint of triumphant amusement in his eyes.
When I looked again, he had regained his gentle smile: "Senior Brother is probably tired from practicing swordsmanship, Junior Sister, don't take it to heart. Remember to apply the ointment on time, I'll take my leave now."
Xie Chen turned and left, his back to Xie Chen in his green robes, his figure composed, gently tapping his jade fan in his palm, lost in thought.
For the next few days, Fang Li's life became a fixed cycle.
Cultivate, recover, and then.
He was captured by Ji Qianqiu to be his sparring partner.
Before dawn, Ji Qianqiu's banging on the door rang out precisely on time: "Fang Li! Practice your boxing!"
"Fang Li! Today I'll test my newly mastered sword technique!"
At first, she couldn't even withstand three moves from Ji Qianqiu, and was often forced into a corner by the heavy sword, where she could only dodge in a sorry state.
Later on, I gradually became able to predict some of his simple attack trajectories and dodge them in a sorry state.
Later on, he was occasionally able to barely deflect his powerful but non-lethal attacks with the blade of his sword.
The progress was visible to the naked eye; she became increasingly adept at mastering the power of her new breakthrough, and her spiritual energy flowed more smoothly.
His movements became more agile as he was pushed to the limit time and time again, and his reaction speed in actual combat improved by more than one level.
But the pain was real.
Every day, her body was covered with old wounds that had not yet healed, and new bruises and purple welts.
The happiness was real, and this tangible feeling of becoming stronger fascinated her.
This is much more grounded than the vague and unrealistic attempts to please others and beg for their favor in my previous life.
She experienced both pain and pleasure, enduring the torturous training brought on by her violent third senior brother with complex emotions.
One evening, Fang Li was struggling to parry Ji Qianqiu's straight punch when her arm went numb from the impact.
[Ding~ Detected that the host has recently been experiencing high-frequency, high-intensity physical shocks and mental stress, accompanied by an increase in strength. Data analysis suggests a possible masochistic tendency! System reminder: Sadomasochism is also an important branch of the plot. The target Ji Qianqiu's affection level is unknown. It is recommended that the host consider activating the hidden route of "falling in love after being hit" or "hitting is affection, scolding is love," which may offer an alternative path to collect extreme emotional energy~]
The mechanical voice in my head suddenly popped up again, making the most outrageous suggestions in the flattest tone.
Upon hearing this, Fang Li almost couldn't catch her breath. She dodged the punch in a very awkward manner and almost got punched in the face.
"Get out!" she roared viciously in her mind. "You're the masochist! Your whole family is masochistic! Shut up! If you say another word, I'll find a magnet to pull you out and smash you to pieces!"
System: [...Suggestion received. Low energy, entering power-saving mode.]
The mechanical sound vanished instantly, and it disappeared in a flash.
Fang Li was so angry she gritted her teeth, and she blamed that damn system for this.
After venting her anger, she still had to concentrate fully to deal with Ji Qianqiu's relentless attacks.
The days flew by in this cycle of being beaten, healing, cultivating oneself, and being beaten again.
Physical aches and pains became the norm, but the pressure during battles seemed to have decreased slightly without me even realizing it.
She became more and more adept at dodging, and the numbness in her arms lessened as she parried.
Until this day.
Ji Qianqiu continued his relentless attack, his fists whistling through the air.
Fang Li subconsciously turned to the side, twisted her waist, and channeled her spiritual energy into her legs, making her a fraction faster than before, and narrowly avoided the attack.
At the same time, the spiritual energy within the body accelerated its circulation on its own, one cycle, two cycles, faster and faster, as if being pulled by something, rushing towards a certain critical point.
A familiar feeling of spiritual energy brimming and about to burst forth faintly wafted over.
Fang Li suddenly leaped backward, creating distance. She was slightly out of breath, and an incredulous look of surprise appeared on her face.
She realized that she seemed to be about to break through a small realm!
How long has it been since the seventh floor was built?
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