Chapter 707: Elopement

The Hundred Spirit Continent — within a bustling second-tier city.

Inside one of the city's grandest inns, the faint sound of splashing water drifted through the corridors, carrying with it a rich fragrance and rippling waves of Spiritual Energy. The scent alone was enough to refresh the soul.

Outside the room, Liu Xi sat quietly on a wooden chair. His posture was upright, his expression composed, a soft smile resting on his lips as though completely indifferent to the sounds from within. Yet beneath that calm surface, his heart itched restlessly. The person bathing inside was none other than Qing Yanjing.

He had only meant to tease her at first, to see how far her restraint could hold. But who would have thought that what began as lighthearted mischief would end with him tormenting himself instead? The "medicine" he had refined for her was not an ordinary pill at all — he had deliberately replaced the Pill Recipe with a medicinal liquid, one that required full-body absorption during a spiritual bath. It was the perfect excuse. This was her final use of it, and the strongest.

The medicinal essence contained within that jade-green liquid was enough to heal even a Heavenly Sovereign's internal injuries, and right now, it was working its power on her flawless skin. Just imagining the scene made Liu Xi's throat tighten. He had, after all, "accidentally" brushed against her more than once these past days. He knew her silhouette better than anyone.

"Ah… I'm really committing sins here," Liu Xi muttered, rubbing his forehead with a helpless sigh, though the corners of his lips betrayed a faint smirk.

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Inside the room, mist curled through the air like veils of emerald fog.

Qing Yanjing sat within a bath of luminous green liquid, her delicate body glimmering faintly under the Spiritual light. The fluid rippled softly as streams of radiant energy seeped into her snow-white skin, fusing seamlessly into her meridians.

The medicinal power coursed through her body, melting away the remaining injuries left from her escape. Muscles, bones, meridians — all regenerated under the essence's nourishment, her inner foundation reforged stronger than ever before.

It was, after all, Liu Xi's handiwork. His concoctions never failed to astound. Not only did the liquid heal her wounds completely, it also tempered her bloodline and deepened her Spiritual foundation.

As the daughter of the Ancient Buddha Clan's leader, Qing Yanjing possessed Eight Divine Veins — her talent in the path of Spiritual Arrays was among the most dazzling in the Great Thousand Worlds. Yet her physical cultivation was comparatively weaker. This medicine balanced that flaw perfectly, opening a clear path toward a higher realm.

By the time the last trace of the green radiance had merged into her body, the bathwater was clear once more. Qing Yanjing slowly opened her bright eyes. A gentle exhale left her lips, and when she felt the vast ocean of Spiritual Energy surging within, her expression softened in wonder.

Her strength had increased dramatically. She could faintly touch the barrier to the Heavenly Sovereign realm — the true threshold that separated ordinary experts from those who ruled the Great Thousand Worlds. For the first time, she felt hope that she could stand on her own, free from the shadows of her clan's political chains.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips. "This debt I owe him… is too great."

Her gaze turned toward the wall beyond which Liu Xi sat. Countless emotions shimmered in those deep eyes — gratitude, admiration, warmth, and something more tender. To think that the man known as Qing Lian, whose name shook the world, had walked such a lonely and bitter path before his rise.

'I can't let him keep being dragged into my troubles,' she thought, her heart trembling. 'But if I ever have a future beyond this… I'll use it to stay by his side.'

Rising from the bath, her fair body gleamed with crystalline droplets. One gesture from her slender fingers, and her garments floated from nearby hangers, dressing her in layers of silk that clung perfectly to her graceful form.

She walked toward the window, pausing to glance once more toward the outer room. Her gaze softened — as though she could pierce through walls and see the man waiting patiently beyond.

'I should leave before he gets further entangled with me…'

Just as she drew a breath to steel her resolve—

"Thinking of leaving me so easily? The world's not that kind, you know."

The familiar voice came suddenly, rich and teasing.

Qing Yanjing's heart skipped a beat. Space rippled before her eyes, and from the distortion stepped Liu Xi, his figure forming like a mirage turning real.

"I must go," she said, shaking her head. "You don't understand, the Ancient Buddha Clan and the Ancient Maha Clan aren't forces you can simply brush aside. Their roots run deep, and even Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereigns tread carefully around them. If I stay, I'll bring you endless trouble."

Liu Xi didn't answer. He simply walked forward, step by step, his gaze firm yet warm. Qing Yanjing's body tensed, but she didn't move. The next moment, she found herself pulled into his embrace.

He lowered his head, his breath brushing against her ear, the faint scent of lotus and flame mingling in the air between them. "If you dare say you're leaving again," he murmured, "I'll lock you away in a little dark room. No food, no water… and after that—well, you'll see."

His childish threat broke the heaviness instantly. Despite herself, Qing Yanjing laughed softly.

Her arms lifted, hesitantly at first, then she returned the embrace, closing her eyes as his warmth enveloped her. Her breathing steadied, her heart beating in rhythm with his.

"Still," she whispered, "you don't understand. You're strong, but the clan still holds the Ancestral Pagoda. The Grand Elder is a Saint Grade Heavenly Sovereign, and the Maha Clan's strength surpasses even ours. You can't—"

Liu Xi's expression shifted where she couldn't see, his lips curving faintly. 'This silly, gentle woman… She really believes all that. Too trusting for her own good.'

His tone grew serious, though the warmth never faded. "Do you think it's by chance no one's found us? I've erased every trace of our existence. But if you leave me, your aura will surface — and once it does, you'll be hunted down before you know it. What then?"

Her bright eyes fluttered open, confusion and realization flickering across them.

Liu Xi smiled slightly, tightening his embrace. "Didn't you run away from home for freedom? In that case… Why not make it official? Let's elope."

"E… Elope?!"

Her words trembled, her face flushed crimson. Her heart pounded wildly, threatening to burst through her chest.

To the proud daughter of the Ancient Buddha Clan, who had been treasured and protected all her life, escaping marriage had already been a rebellion beyond imagining. But to elope—that was something no one in her clan's history had dared.

Yet… the thought stirred something thrilling in her chest.

Liu Xi's calm smile deepened. He looked every bit the refined scholar, but beneath that gentle façade was the strength of a man who could crush Saints with a single palm.

'Just this once,' he thought in amusement. 'I'll play along.'

He could already picture the furious faces of the Maha and Buddha Clans when they discovered the truth. The idea alone was enough to make him laugh inwardly.

Still, Qing Yanjing stood there, silent and dazed.

He lifted her chin gently. Her lips were parted slightly, her eyes wide, trembling with confusion and shyness. Without hesitation, Liu Xi leaned down and captured her lips.

The kiss lingered long and deep, stealing her breath and scattering her thoughts. When he finally drew back, her cheeks were flushed like peach blossoms, her body trembling softly in his arms.

Liu Xi's gaze locked onto hers, his voice low and commanding. "Promise me."

"Mm…"

Her quiet, breathless response was all he needed.

The world outside seemed to fade into silence, leaving only the sound of two hearts beating in unison beneath the endless Great Thousand skies.

(End of Chapter)

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