Chapter 96: First Wisp of Precious Qi

Chen Lingxi looked down at Lin Longyue kneeling before him. His eyes were as calm as water, betraying no emotion.

He fell silent for a moment before speaking, his tone flat. "Are you not afraid I am scheming for your Precious Body as well?"

Lin Longyue remained kneeling on the floor, keeping her head bowed. "If the General intended to scheme against me, you would not have wasted so much breath. Imperial Consort Chun and Crown Prince Ying Chi both wish to use me as medicine. I am truly grateful that the General told me."

She paused, raising her head just enough to meet his gaze. "I know the General possesses vast magical powers and is a living immortal. I beg the General to save me."

With that, she lowered her head once more, pressing her forehead heavily against the bluestone floor.

Chen Lingxi thought for a moment. "Is that precious qi still there?"

He suddenly stepped forward. Forming his fingers into a sword hand, he pressed them against Lin Longyue's bare neck.

Spiritual qi flowed into Lin Longyue's body.

Lin Longyue's body trembled violently.

She remained bowed, her fingers curling slightly. She felt a warm current surge into her body from Chen Lingxi's fingers.

It actually brought a trace of relaxation and comfort to her exhausted body!

Then, an incredibly faint flush suddenly appeared on her pale cheeks.

She felt a little flustered.

Yet she tried her best to focus on the warm current.

The warmth seeped through her skin like a fine, gentle spring, flowing silently through her meridians and sinking straight into the depths of her body.

But her mind was surging with emotion; she was far from at peace.

She remembered that day in Chu Linzi's courtyard villa. With a single cold snort from this man, his subordinates had suppressed a courtyard full of experts, crushing them utterly.

That aura, those methods, the calm indifference with which he decided life and death at the snap of his fingers—it made this young lady of the Marquis Manor, who had prided herself on being second to none since childhood, realize for the first time that the strong of this world could truly reach such terrifying heights.

What stirred her even more was that this Ghost-Faced General had laid bare the schemes of the Crown Prince and the Imperial Consort, granting her a sliver of hope.

This chance at survival rests entirely upon the General,

Lin Longyue thought.

And now, this very person was right in front of her, his fingers pressed against her neck.

The strange, warm current surging into her made her body feel vastly different.

At the same time, Chen Lingxi's Art of Qi Observation was silently operating within her body.

He saw that within the deepest crevices of her body, the wisp of precious qi that had been hidden away for so long had suddenly become unusually active.

Before this, no matter what method he used to investigate, the precious qi had acted like a startled fish. Every time his spiritual qi drew near, it would silently sink into a bottomless undercurrent, retracting its radiance and concealing its presence.

But now, it had floated up on its own.

Why is this?

Chen Lingxi frowned, but then he caught sight of Lin Longyue's flushed cheeks and sensed her quickening, heavy breathing.

Could it be that this precious qi is stimulated by— He couldn't help but freeze, finding the idea a bit absurd.

However, as even Lin Longyue's earlobes began to flush red, the precious qi grew even more active.

The spiritual essence contained within it was astonishingly dense.

It rose from the undercurrent like a bright moon that had slumbered for eternities, finally revealing its first ray of clear light from beneath the sea.

Can I guide this precious qi? Or perhaps... harvest a wisp of it?

At the thought, Chen Lingxi manipulated his spiritual qi to swim forward. The instant it gently collided with the precious qi...

An indescribable sense of comfort poured back through his fingertips. It was like a stream of spring water wrapped in boundless vitality, rushing along his meridians and surging into his sea of qi.

The stream of spiritual qi within his sea of qi leaped with joy, circulating on its own and greedily devouring the few wisps of precious qi that had poured in.

The precious qi also seemed to follow Chen Lingxi's qi as it roamed.

Chen Lingxi controlled the qi to touch the foul formation inside Lin Longyue's body. Surprisingly, the formation began to vibrate and disintegrate bit by bit.

Though it was extremely slow.

At the same time, his spiritual qi silently blended with the precious qi.

The two did not originally share the same source, but they were surprisingly compatible. It was like two streams flowing from different directions, naturally merging into one upon entering the same lake.

It is just... this spiritual qi and precious qi are blending far too slowly. At this sluggish pace, even a few months wouldn't be enough to harvest a single wisp of precious qi.

Chen Lingxi frowned. If only this precious qi could be a bit more active—

Meanwhile, Lin Longyue looked inexplicably delighted.

As the precious qi circulated, her perception of her own body became increasingly clear.

She had never felt the changes within her body so distinctly.

She sensed the precious qi, and through the precious qi, she sensed the foul formation. More than that, she sensed the immortal-like aura that the Ghost-Faced General was transferring into her body!

The General didn't lie to me! she thought. He is transferring immortal qi to guide the flow of qi in my body.

Moreover, this flow of qi in me... seems to circulate because of me—because of my own stirring.

Stirring?

She couldn't help but raise her head to look at the tall figure in front of her.

He was still wearing that green-faced, fanged ghost mask. Beneath the mask, his eyes were as deep as a bottomless, freezing abyss.

He stood there, his back straight as a pine, his whole body enveloped in an indescribable charm. He was otherworldly and transcendent, like a true deity descending into the mortal realm.

Such an extraordinary figure—

When this thought surfaced in her mind, for the first time in her life, a trace of desire surged intensely within her heart.

The desire was incredibly unfamiliar, yet so vivid. It was like a cluster of flames that had been suppressed for a long time finally breaking through the soil, burning fiercely in her chest.

Her precious qi became even more blazing, surging through her meridians like a tidal wave and converging with the spiritual qi Chen Lingxi was transferring into her.

At the point of convergence, the precious qi acted as if it possessed its own sentience. It actively wrapped around Chen Lingxi's spiritual qi, dragging it wisp by wisp and guiding it toward the deepest parts of her body.

Chen Lingxi also sensed this strange movement, but he did not resist.

The Six Qi True Method circulated slowly within him, gradually refining the few wisps of precious qi that had surged into his sea of qi. He then transferred spiritual qi back into Lin Longyue's body, traveling down along her meridians and entering the crevices in the deepest parts of her body.

The precious qi seemed to have received a summons, becoming increasingly active.

It nourished Lin Longyue's meridians, her bones, and her dried-up blood-qi, allowing her declining aura to recover at an extremely rapid pace.

Lin Longyue felt an indescribable sense of comfort spreading from the deepest parts of her body.

She could clearly sense her blood-qi growing stronger and stronger.

Her blood-qi, which had regressed so much, was now recovering at a visible rate. The silver marrow regenerated within her bone cavities, surging like a tide.

The feeling of possessing strength once again made her entire body tremble slightly.

And so—

A flash of longing suddenly crossed her eyes.

She took a deep breath, lowered her head again, and bowed gracefully.

Her robes outlined her lovely curves. Prostrate on the floor, she raised her head once more, tilting her face up to look at the Ghost-Faced General standing before her.

She bit her lip lightly. Those eyes, which usually held only coldness, now seemed covered in a faint, thin layer of mist. Her gaze was somewhat hazy, yet it carried an indescribable something.

"I beg the General to aid me further," she said, her tone much firmer.

There was not the slightest bit of shyness or coyness in her tone, only an extremely candid, almost unquestionable clarity.

Chen Lingxi frowned slightly. He looked down at Lin Longyue, his deep eyes betraying no emotion.

Lin Longyue met his gaze. Seeming to see through his hesitation, she said, "I know the General is not someone who takes advantage of others in times of peril. It is Longyue who merely begs the General to aid me with immortal qi."

After speaking, she didn't avert her eyes, simply staring at him fixedly.

Chen Lingxi remained silent for several breaths, offering no reply.

Lin Longyue seemed to have anticipated his reaction, adding, "This is not a matter of romantic entanglement between a man and a woman.

"As the General aids me with immortal qi, I can also feel that my body is beneficial to the General's immortal qi.

"This is mutually beneficial. Afterward, Longyue will definitely not drag the General down, much less harbor any improper thoughts."

She paused slightly, her tone carrying a hint of pleading. "I implore the General... save my life."

The cold winter wind blew into the hall. The agarwood in the incense burner continued to burn silently.

Chen Lingxi looked at Lin Longyue kneeling before him.

Under the Art of Qi Observation, he saw that the foul formation was being melted away by the precious qi, but the speed was extremely slow.

At this sluggish pace, by the time the Crown Prince discovers it, he will definitely patch up the formation.

If the formation is allowed to persist, it will inevitably devour all the vital essence and spiritual qi within her body. Lin Longyue will undoubtedly die.

When that time comes, Crown Prince Ying Chi will only need to absorb the accumulation of the formation to greatly increase his cultivation.

And that mysterious precious qi will dissipate between heaven and earth, never to be obtained again.

If the precious qi is gone, that would be far too much of a pity.

I am not a pedantic man. Lin Longyue has the ambition to inherit the noble title and wants to survive, and I also need that precious qi to make great strides in my cultivation.

Since that is the case, why overthink it?

Chen Lingxi reluctantly reasoned to himself, Since it is mutually beneficial, it is just like a transaction. What is there to worry about?

And so—

He bypassed Lin Longyue and walked toward her bedchamber.

Lin Longyue was still kneeling before the heated couch. She blanked out for a moment, and then the flush on her pale face deepened.

A look of pleasant surprise appeared in her eyes. She hurriedly straightened up, leaning on the heated couch to force herself to stand. Taking a deep breath, she quickly followed him.

Upon arriving at the rosewood moon-gate canopy bed, she gently pinched her fingers together, untying her silk sash. Her robes slid from her shoulders, revealing an astonishingly beautiful and alluring figure forged through years of arduous martial arts training.

Her years of martial practice made her figure slender and well-proportioned, without the slightest bit of excess. Even though she had grown weak and lost much weight recently due to the erosion of the Crown Prince's formation, her lines and frame still possessed an indescribable charm where heroic spirit and soft beauty intertwined.

Her movements were composed, devoid of any coyness or shyness. She merely glanced at Chen Lingxi as she took off her inner garments. Her eyes were a mix of clarity and haze, her voice steady. "I ask the General to aid me."

Within the canopy of the bed, Chen Lingxi circulated the Six Qi True Method.

Spiritual qi entered Lin Longyue's body, and both the spiritual qi and precious qi continuously circulated.

The precious qi was incredibly active now. She felt as though her entire body was enveloped in a gentle warmth. The Crown Prince's formation inside her was being peeled away and shattered by the combined efforts of the precious qi and spiritual qi. With every breath, an inexpressible pleasure surged from her limbs and bones.

Chen Lingxi was also immersed in this bizarre communion.

The spiritual qi and precious qi intertwined. The precious qi gathered more and more within his meridians, surging along them and pouring into his sea of qi.

As the precious qi flowed in, the Six Qi True Method continuously refined it, until—the Six Qi True Method's First Wisp of Origin Qi was forged!

The next day, Lin Longyue woke up from a deep slumber.

She opened her eyes, feeling incredibly light and refreshed.

Throwing off the brocade quilt, she stood barefoot on the bluestone floor and looked down at her hands.

Silver light circulated beneath her skin, and silver marrow surged deep within her bones. Her blood-qi, which had originally regressed to Silver Bone Small Success, had now returned to great completion.

Not only that, but the blood-qi essence contained within the silver marrow even showed faint signs of turning a pale gold.

Though that pale gold was extremely faint, it genuinely existed deep within her bone marrow.

She licked her lips and muttered to herself, "If this is the case, just a few more times and the sinister poison can be thoroughly wiped out, and I might even—step into the Golden Body."

Lin Longyue thought of that ghost-faced figure again, thinking back to last night—

I wonder if the General... will come again tonight.

At this moment, Chen Lingxi was inside that cave on Mount Qiaoji.

He sat cross-legged in the cave, his eyes closed as he circulated the Six Qi True Method, his consciousness sinking into his sea of qi.

Within his sea of qi, the stream of spiritual qi was still slowly circulating.

Only, within this stream, aside from his own hazy green spiritual qi, there was now an extremely faint, incredibly thin wisp of golden aura.

The aura was minuscule, like a single thread of gold mixed into a piece of green silk; one wouldn't notice it at all without looking closely.

Yet the power it contained was wonderfully profound.

"Precious qi!"

He muttered to himself, his voice echoing in the cave, carrying a trace of uncontainable delight.

He had originally thought that this precious qi was marvelous, but he had never imagined—it would be this marvelous.