"No, focus on getting stronger." Lilith didn't elaborate further, as if she understood that explaining more to Ye Chuan in his current state would be futile. She spread her palm, revealing a luminous orb that materialized in her hand.
"Take this."
The orb exuded an unusual aura. Ye Chuan instinctively reached out and took it. As the orb merged into his body, he realized it was a spell.
[Spell: Causality Reversal (Passive) Red
When suffering a fatal blow, reverses causality to transfer the damage to the attacker and fully restores the user's condition.
Cooldown: 100 hours]
"Huh?" Ye Chuan was momentarily stunned. This seemed like an incredibly overpowered spell.
Legendary-tier!
Another legendary-tier item?
And wasn’t this essentially a life-saving spell? Not only did it negate a fatal hit, but it also reflected the damage back and fully restored his condition.
This was insane.
"Lilith…" Ye Chuan started to speak, only to see her dissolve into a streak of violet light and retreat back into his jade pendant.
"Granny Lilith?"
"...Call me that again and see what happens." Ye Chuan could almost picture the irritated expression on Lilith’s face inside the pendant.
Shrugging, he decided not to press further since she clearly wasn’t in the mood to talk.
As expected, Lilith truly cared for him—even the random treasures she handed out included two legendary-tier items.
After collecting himself, Ye Chuan pushed open his door, planning to take a shower—
Only to come face-to-face with Bai Qianshuang stepping out of the bathroom, her hair damp and steam still rising around her, clearly fresh from a bath.
"Ye Chuan…" Bai Qianshuang held a towel in her hand, her cool eyes flickering slightly. For some reason, the teardrop mole under her eye seemed even more captivating now.
"Can I go to your room?"
"Sure, just let me shower first." Ye Chuan glanced toward his room. "You can go in and sit down."
"Mm, alright."
After finishing his shower, Ye Chuan returned to his room to find Bai Qianshuang sitting obediently on the edge of his bed. She was in her pajamas, stretching her legs slightly. When she noticed him, she spoke up.
"Ye Chuan, I’ll be leaving for a while soon."
"Why?" Ye Chuan froze.
Was his cash cow about to fly away?!
Panic set in!
Bai Qianshuang was his daily source of pills—Ye Chuan relied on her output to unlock new alchemy recipes. Plus, with so few ways to earn points, only a handful like her could accumulate them steadily. How could she just leave?!
"Did something make you uncomfortable here?" Ye Chuan took her small hand in his. "If it’s just about living conditions, we can fix that, Qianshuang."
Bai Qianshuang trembled slightly at his touch, her gaze drifting away uneasily.
Even so, she didn’t pull back, merely replying in a soft voice,
"You’ve misunderstood, Ye Chuan. It’s not about discomfort. I’m just one step away from the Nascent Soul realm… Breaking through to Nascent Soul triggers celestial phenomena, and with the world so unstable right now, I’m worried you might get targeted because of me."
"That’s all?" Ye Chuan blinked.
What kind of reason was that?
It was just some celestial phenomenon—no big deal.
"Mm." Bai Qianshuang nodded lightly.
"Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your breakthrough." Ye Chuan’s aura suddenly surged, no longer concealed. "I’m a Crystal Phase powerhouse—who dares mess with me?"
The revelation of his late-stage Crystal Phase strength surprised Bai Qianshuang. "You… have already reached this level?"
She found Ye Chuan’s talent terrifying. Without formal guidance or following the orthodox path of cultivation, he was nearly catching up to her.
Meanwhile, Ye Chuan thought Bai Qianshuang’s growth rate was absurd—even with his system, her progress felt unreal.
Both silently acknowledged how monstrous the other was.
"Don’t worry about burdening anyone. This is your home. If anyone causes trouble, I’ll wipe them out." Ye Chuan stroked the back of her hand gently.
"Didn’t we promise to stay together for life? You even swore an oath to the heavens."
Bai Qianshuang paused. "That’s true…"
The reminder of her heavenly oath made her freeze, her hand still in his grasp. She had vowed to protect Ye Chuan until the end of his lifespan.
But the problem was—
Ye Chuan’s cultivation speed wasn’t slow either.
At this rate, wouldn’t she end up staying with him for millions of years?
That… wasn’t what she’d initially imagined.
The thought inexplicably made her face heat up, her vision growing slightly hazy.
"Hm?" Ye Chuan noticed the girl’s flustered expression—and he’d only held her hand.
Was she really this sensitive?
Seeing her reaction, he smoothly wrapped an arm around Bai Qianshuang’s waist and pulled her into his embrace. Feeling the soft pressure against his chest, he gazed at her tenderly.
"Qianshuang, don’t go. I’ll protect you during your breakthrough."
Bai Qianshuang could practically feel his breath against her skin. The next second, she abruptly pushed him away. "I—I need to go cultivate!"
With that, the usually composed Bai Qianshuang bolted from the room like a flustered schoolgirl, stumbling slightly in her haste.
Lan Xiaoke happened to be passing by in the hallway and blinked in surprise at the sight. "Huh?"
She phased her head through the wall, peering at Ye Chuan, who was now sitting on his bed. "What did you do? That’s the first time I’ve seen Qianshuang’s face so red."
"Nothing much." Ye Chuan spread his hands. "Just hugged her."
"That’s all?"
"Of course."
"If you’ve got a hugging addiction, I’ll let you hug me too—ten bucks a pop." Lan Xiaoke grinned like a little miser, though she was clearly joking.
"Oh?" Ye Chuan beckoned. "Come here, then."
Lan Xiaoke stiffened. "Eh… I was kidding."
"Then I’ll start kidding about your allowance too."
Oh no!
Lan Xiaoke realized she’d misspoken. Scratching her head awkwardly, she floated over reluctantly.
Looking at the white-haired girl, Ye Chuan pulled her into a hug. She felt cool to the touch, like holding a water pillow.
"Ehh—" Lan Xiaoke blinked.
Ye Chuan then took her hand and said with exaggerated sincerity, "Don’t go."
Lan Xiaoke tilted her head. "Well, duh, I wasn’t planning to. Hehe, not with all that allowance money…"
The next moment, Ye Chuan released her without warning, sending her tumbling onto the bed.
"Why aren’t you blushing?" He poked her cheek.
"Why would I blush?" Lan Xiaoke sprawled on the bed, puzzled.
"Guess compared to Qianshuang, you’ve got thicker skin." Ye Chuan rested his chin on his hand, smirking knowingly.