The Skyward Acceleration

From a dead stop to meteor-like speed, even a cultivator like Yuan Xing took a moment to recover.

When he finally came to, he realized he was lying down. The surface beneath him was soft and quite comfortable, but the wind whistling past his ears told him he wasn’t in a bed; he was on a high-speed flying artifact.

He sat up and saw that he was indeed on a broad, colorful silk brocade, which was dragging him through the sky at a blistering pace. He touched his chest and felt that his small sword had already shrunk back to its miniature form and returned to him.

“Awake? There’s still some distance to Storm Valley. You can sleep a bit more.”

A crisp, pleasant voice drifted back to him. It was a woman, and the voice sounded familiar.

Yuan Xing’s heart stirred. He quickly turned to look. The figure was sitting cross-legged at the front of the artifact, steering it, so Yuan Xing could only see her back. She was slender with a graceful curve—a truly remarkable figure. The emerald-green dress and waist-length, glossy black hair confirmed his suspicion.

This was the woman he had used as an excuse to touch in the tavern. Back then, she had been the most eye-catching person in the room. Although the others were indifferent to her beauty, Yuan Xing hadn’t forgotten her. He had made up the “poison” lie to get her away from the tavern, simply because he didn’t want to see such a beautiful woman killed in the impending brawl. Unexpectedly, she had returned and seized the opportunity to kidnap him.

As he was thinking, the woman noticed he hadn’t replied and turned her head. Yuan Xing was struck once again by her beauty. Even seeing her for a second time, he couldn’t help but marvel.

She’s truly stunning. Such a face could never exist in the mortal world, he thought.

Cultivators, especially when breaking through realms, undergo a process of marrow cleansing that removes all impurities, bringing the body to a state of physical perfection. This woman was the pinnacle of that process. Her fair face was flushed and supple, her skin as moist as fine jade. Her large eyes, delicate nose, and cherry-red lips formed a perfect oval face.

To be honest, Yuan Xing was genuinely moved. But no matter how stirred his heart was, he didn’t dare show it. He had to act as if nothing were wrong, or she would grow suspicious.

However, her suspicion wouldn’t be about lust. In this world, people possessed the Immortal Gene. They had no biological need to reproduce, and thus, no culture of romance or love. Even if a man and a woman lay in the same bed, no “impure” thoughts would cross their minds. Their only concern would be whether the other person intended to kill them. In such a society, if you acted “strangely” during a physical encounter, they wouldn’t think you were a pervert—they would think you were preparing a hidden attack.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Still not fully awake?” The woman giggled as she saw Yuan Xing staring blankly at her.

“Ahem…” Yuan Xing coughed dryly, snapping back to reality. “Miss, I thought you were gone. Why did you come back?”

“Hehe.” The woman smirked proudly and turned back to steer the artifact. “Let me tell you, I’m exceptionally clever. There’s no way you could fool me that easily. I figured out the ‘poison’ thing was a lie soon after leaving. When I came back, I saw the tavern in ruins. I hid and watched, and I heard about your Spirit Tracking Talisman. Hmph. If you wanted to cooperate with someone, why not just ask me directly?”

Yuan Xing’s gaze shifted from her profile to her slender arms, then to her legs tucked neatly in her cultivation robes. He laughed. “Find you? With those little arms and legs, you look far too weak. Wouldn’t that be a waste of my time?”

“Hey, don’t judge a book by its cover with your rookie eyes.” The woman raised a small fist, unwilling to concede. “I, Xiao Siyu, am extremely powerful. In a one-on-one fight, I don’t think anyone in that tavern was my match.”

Her words were boastful, but likely true. The Morning and Evening Dew was essential for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, so everyone here was at the Qi Refining stage. Xiao Siyu was at the Late-stage of Qi Refining; theoretically, she was among the strongest. With a top-grade artifact and a high-level technique, she was essentially invincible in this region.

Xiao Siyu… Yuan Xing memorized her name and continued laughing. “Anyone can brag. If you ask me, I could snap that little hand of yours with just a bit of force.”

“Haha!” Xiao Siyu laughed as if she had heard the funniest joke in the world. She extended her hand confidently toward him. “Then try it.”

“Alright, I’ll try.”

Yuan Xing moved to sit beside her. She smiled and held her hand out directly in front of him. Yuan Xing took it, examining it closely. The hand was fair, with tiny veins visible through the skin. Under the sunlight, it had a warm luster like white jade.

As expected, she doesn’t disappoint. This hand, like Xiao Siyu herself, has no flaws, Yuan Xing praised inwardly. He couldn’t help but gently knead and stroke it.

After a few moments, Yuan Xing suddenly felt a sharp pain in his palm. He snapped back to reality and saw that the “little hand” he was playing with had tightened into a vice-like grip, her strength making his bones creak.

“Heh, is this your ‘force’?” Xiao Siyu’s voice came from beside him, sounding slightly cold.

Yuan Xing smiled bitterly. This was the result of his complacency. People in this world had no concept of romantic touch. Any incomprehensible behavior was instinctively viewed as a precursor to a malicious strike. When Xiao Siyu saw him rubbing her hand without an obvious aggressive intent, she suspected a hidden “technique” and turned defense into offense.

In this world, no matter what Yuan Xing wanted to do, he had to frame it through the perspective of the locals and provide a “practical” excuse. Even then, he had to stay alert. Fortunately, Xiao Siyu needed him, so she only gave him a small warning. In any other scenario, she would have already gone all out to kill him.

The conditions were harsh. Even though there were beauties everywhere, Yuan Xing could only occasionally get a small taste. Now that Xiao Siyu was on guard, he let go and nodded with a strained smile. “Mm, not bad. You do have some strength.”

“Hmph, I told you I was strong.” Xiao Siyu immediately brightened up again. “So, are you willing to cooperate with me?”

“Mm, of course. To a happy cooperation.” Yuan Xing smiled.

“Then sit tight. I’m going to speed up to enter the Storm Valley.” Xiao Siyu withdrew her hand and grabbed the front of the brocade with both hands.

Yuan Xing moved to sit directly behind her. When everything was ready, Xiao Siyu channeled her Qi, and the artifact suddenly accelerated, charging toward the dark, wind-ravaged valley in the distance.

Even though he was prepared, the sudden jerk caught Yuan Xing off guard. He quickly reached forward to grab something to steady himself. Xiao Siyu was right in front of him. Whether by coincidence or on purpose, his hands passed under her armpits and reached her front… finding a surprising softness.

Ah, in this cold and cruel world, only this place has a bit of warmth, Yuan Xing’s eyes narrowed slightly in satisfaction.

“Hey?” Xiao Siyu was startled at first, looking down at the hands clutching her chest. “What are you doing?”

“Holding onto you during acceleration is a basic survival instinct, isn’t it?” Yuan Xing said smoothly.

“But…” Xiao Siyu hesitated, considering the physics of the situation. After a moment, she corrected him, “You’re holding on too high up. Your hands will get tired from the tension. Move them down a bit, to the waist.”

“It’s fine. I think this position is good. There’s… more to grip here. It makes my hold more secure,” Yuan Xing replied, suppressing a laugh.

“Well…” Xiao Siyu felt something was slightly odd, but according to her “Immortal Gene” logic, his words made sense. If he felt more secure there, then that was the most efficient way to travel. She said helplessly, “Suit yourself. Tell me if your hands get tired, and I’ll slow down so you can switch positions.”

“I will,” Yuan Xing smiled.

Xiao Siyu said no more and accelerated to full speed.