A Consuming Thirst and a Shattered Truth

“You! Don’t you dare slander me!” Mu Qingli’s face flushed crimson. Were it not for the numerous disciples surrounding them, she would have undoubtedly plunged her sword into Qing You’s detestable face. “What does that have to do with me? Profound Yin energy isn’t solely produced by the Bright Jade Profound Yin, besides—”

Suddenly, Lin Mo came to Mu Qingli’s mind.

Yet, what exactly had Lin Mo done?

‘Could it be… that he did something to Ji Xue… which caused the ‘Nine Heavens Phoenix Flame Art’ to mutate?’

This matter undoubtedly involved Lin Mo, but what could he have done to allow two disparate forces to merge without causing an explosion?

To intertwine two inherently opposing forces was a feat even she wasn’t certain she could accomplish.

However, recalling Lin Mo’s previous creation of ice crystal clusters, where ice and fire seamlessly merged, made this otherwise irrational notion gradually seem plausible.

‘Did Lin Mo possess some unique power within his body, capable of effortlessly fusing two distinct forces?’

As she pondered, the abstract problem inexplicably transformed into a tangible person.

The contour of that youth’s profile, visible when his head was slightly bowed, bearing a hint of carefree innocence; the smooth, subtly vulnerable line of his neck, extending from the slightly open collar… a mere fleeting image in her mind, yet an unfamiliar, searing anxiety inexplicably spread silently through her entire being.

Deep within her lower abdomen, a smoldering furnace seemed to ignite, flickering with ambiguous sparks. It wasn’t a dry heat, but a heavy, scorching yearning, accompanied by a disquieting tingle that burned her very heart, making it tremble silently.

“Thirst…” This word didn’t emerge from her throat, but rather bloomed from the depths of her bone marrow, from every pulsating crevice of her engorged muscles.

This indescribable craving resonated with startling clarity amidst the boisterous dining hall. It screamed, seizing her entire focus, urging her to abandon all this trivial noise and meaningless identity, to simply flash into the Hall of Clarity!

To touch that warm body, to press him forcefully into her embrace, to firmly bind that young yet resilient life force within the territory measured by her arms!

She needed to bury her face in the hollow of his neck, where the faint scent of herbs and soapberries lingered, and with each greedy, silent inhale, affirm the tangible reality of an existence that made her very soul tremble.

That scent, crisp yet imbued with a subtle, almost bone-deep allure, was both her sole solace against the nameless inferno raging within her and the very source that ignited it.

While she had managed to endure it before, a brief glimpse moments ago had suddenly set her ablaze, like dry tinder catching a spark, instantly becoming a raging wildfire.

She felt somewhat restless.

In the days since Lin Mo left, she hadn’t been idle, yet despite poring over countless ancient texts until they were worn, she had found none of the answers she sought.

‘Could it truly be Lin Mo’s unique power… that wasn’t only useful to her, but also to others…?’

Mu Qingli was utterly bewildered, her brows furrowed deeply, her delicate willow-like eyebrows appearing almost twisted in distress.

“Enough, stop teasing her,” Xian Chengyue declared, setting down her bowl and chopsticks. As she continued to pick at the small dishes on the table, she transmitted her voice, “In any case, my suggestion is to keep this matter under wraps for now and observe it. After all, we don’t know if this direction is good or bad. To be honest, that nascent Fire Phoenix truly does look like… it’s a pregnancy. Even the spiritual energy resembles what one sees after a dual cultivation between a man and a woman… by all appearances, it’s…”

“Are you implying that the Imperial Princess and Lin Wan’er engaged in dual cultivation?” Qing You sighed. “Wouldn’t that be even more absurd? How could two women possibly dual cultivate?”

‘Dual cultivation…?’

That phrase suddenly struck her with profound enlightenment!

‘Could it… could it be… dual cultivation?’

‘Her Lin Mo… and that… Imperial Princess dual cultivated?’

The words echoed in her mind, and though she herself hadn’t realized it, her thoughts splintered like thin ice, the cracks instantly spreading throughout her consciousness.

‘My… Lin Mo… with that Imperial Princess…’

‘No! Impossible! Absolutely not!’

Yet, no matter how she tried to reject the thought, the events unfolding within her only served to solidify it.

‘After all… if she herself could barely control her impulses, how could a young girl like Ji Xue possibly restrain herself?’

The agonizing torment and urgency of burning desire…

‘The imagery of Lin Mo…’

“Crack—!” A crisp shattering sound echoed. It was the ceramic bowl, clutched in her hand for an unknown duration, now unconsciously crushed to pieces.

“…Qing You, even a joke should be told in moderation.” Xian Chengyue glared at Qing You, her gaze sharp.

“…Alright, alright. In any case, I also agree with observing. There’s still time until the Hall of Clarity closes, so we can wait for the assessment before reporting this matter to the Imperial Dynasty.”

A flash of light emanated from Qing You’s storage ring, and a spirit stone appeared on the table. Picking it up, she rose and handed it to Shu Yao.

“The acting sect master was contemplating a crucial point in a cultivation technique just now, momentarily lost in thought and forgetting to fully control her strength,” Qing You stated, her voice even and calm, betraying no hint of emotion.

“Oh… oh… no, there’s no need, Grand Elder! I—” Shu Yao felt the spirit stone offered to her was like a scorching flame she dared not touch, her voice trembling with fright as she frantically waved her hands, speaking incoherently. “No… there’s no need, Grand Elder! How—how could I possibly accept your…”

“Take it.” These two words fell like unyielding ice kernels striking the ground, carrying an undeniable weight that instantly froze all of Shu Yao’s unspoken excuses.

Her tone didn’t rise, yet it naturally carried an air of decisive authority. “Damaged property, compensated according to regulations, is only proper and right.”

Turning back to her seat, Xian Chengyue’s reprimand immediately echoed in her mind: “When you two bicker, do not drag disciples into it and needlessly ruin someone’s reputation! Ji Xue is still a maiden; how could she possibly have dual cultivated?”

“…This disciple will remember,” Qing You replied without refuting, then turned to Mu Qingli and said, “My words were disrespectful; I hope the acting sect master will not take offense.”

Yet, at this moment, Mu Qingli’s internal turmoil had already ceased. The phrase “still a maiden” instantly dispelled all her apprehension and unease!

‘So… that means… her Lin Mo didn’t dual cultivate with Ji Xue?’

Instantly, a sense of relief permeated her entire being, and a smile unconsciously bloomed on her face. “No one is perfect; everyone makes mistakes. Grand Elder Qing You is too reserved.”

Mu Qingli chuckled, her mood shifting rapidly.

‘It was truly wonderful that her Lin Mo had not been defiled by another woman.’

“Very well, concerning Ji Xue’s matter, we shall table it for now. Do both of you agree?”

In response to Xian Chengyue, both nodded in agreement.

However, Qing You remained somewhat perplexed. “Why isn’t such a matter being discussed at a meeting? By all reason and custom, an event concerning the sect’s future should be deliberated upon collectively, shouldn’t it, Pavilion Master?”

At this point, Mu Qingli also found herself somewhat confused.

“…The sect is not at peace. For now, I only trust the two of you.”

‘Not at peace?’

‘The sect… could there be an internal spy?’