The sensation was incredibly clear, so clear that she could distinguish the lines on his palm, warm and broad.
Er’er’s face grew hot.
Immortals had no taboos about physical contact, and the great master surely didn’t mind it either, but this gesture was so intimate, intimate to the point where he could control every strand of spiritual energy flowing through her body.
Even the most difficult-to-merge spiritual energy was refined by him, carrying the unique burning sensation from his body, leaping through the air, and surging back into her body.
With ear tips burning red, Er’er tried to remain calm, but couldn’t help her mind becoming chaotic.
The spiritual energy she was absorbing suddenly lost its original trajectory, splashing everywhere like a shattered water jar. Er’er inwardly exclaimed, “Oh no,” but it was too late to stop it. Her throat tasted sweet, and her head began to fall.
Li Ye’s expression changed.
His left hand caught her and pulled her to his chest, while his right hand quickly formed a seal to stabilize the scattered spiritual energy.
“What are you doing!” he lowered his head and shouted angrily. “After all this time, how can you make such a big mistake during the simplest breathing exercise?”
…
…
Already uncomfortable from the lack of spiritual energy, Er’er was completely stunned when he yelled at her: “I…”
“I’ve been lenient with you lately, and this is how you repay me? With no drive to improve?” Li Ye was furious. He waved his hand to collect her spiritual energy, intending to return it to her body, but too much had scattered, and it couldn’t be returned all at once.
Seeing this situation, his tone became harsher: “Do you think that with me protecting you, you have nothing to worry about?”
Er’er: “…”
She dared not think that way, and it wasn’t intentional either. Weakly struggling to climb out of his embrace, Er’er said softly: “You were… too close to me.”
Slightly choked, Li Ye’s expression was unfriendly: “If your immortal energy wasn’t so weak, would I need to help you regulate your breath?”
She curled her limbs and turned her head away.
The room fell silent, with only scattered spiritual energy floating about, slowly gathering toward Li Ye’s palm.
Gradually, Li Ye realized something was amiss.
Had he been too harsh? But shouldn’t those who weren’t serious about cultivation be scolded? The entire Nine Heavens knew he was extremely strict about cultivation matters. As someone by his side, she should naturally be held to high standards too.
However, thinking about it, this little one seemed to always lack confidence. His words might have been hurtful.
Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, Li Ye pressed his lips together in silence. After a good while, he finally spoke again: “It’s partly my fault for not noticing earlier that you were distracted.”
The person before him hung her head without making a sound.
Shifting slightly, Li Ye continued: “Your constitution is special. To have achieved this level of cultivation is already remarkable. I shouldn’t judge you by the standards of a supreme deity.”
Shaking her head, Er’er took the spiritual energy from his palm and began to regulate her breathing again, slowly taking back the scattered energy bit by bit.
This time she was very serious, her eyes unwavering as she absorbed the spiritual energy and expelled the impurities, like a silkworm eating mulberry leaves, consuming rapidly mouthful by mouthful.
Two hours later, when the spiritual energy had returned, Er’er finally heaved a long sigh.
The flush on her face had completely faded, and her lips were even a bit pale. Er’er pressed them together and cupped her hands toward him: “Thank you, Supreme Deity. I can manage by myself now, no need to trouble you further.”
His heart sank, and Li Ye was displeased: “Are you sulking at me?”
“No.” She quickly waved her hands and looked up. “It’s just that when you’re in front of me, I easily get distracted.”
His eyebrows twitched slightly as Li Ye rubbed his thumb.
These words somehow made him strangely happy.
However, he couldn’t show his happiness too obviously. He cleared his throat, maintaining a stern face, and said seriously: “This is how it always is when helping someone regulate their breath. You’re already an upper immortal and will inevitably be mentored by others. You must get used to it.”
Is that so? Er’er scratched her head. Why hadn’t Taihe Xianshi taught her that immortals could still be mentored like this?
But what the great master said must be right. Without thinking too much, she crossed her legs again: “When we return, I’ll find someone else to get used to this. Tomorrow you need to rush to the netherworld, so don’t waste your spiritual energy on me.”
“…” Find someone else to get used to it?
Besides him, who would be willing to spend so much effort helping her cultivate?
…Wait, there actually might be someone.
That annoying senior brother of hers.
His misty eyes narrowed slightly, and the smile in Li Ye’s gaze dissipated, his face appearing cold and detached: “Others aren’t as powerful as I am. They can’t help you.”
Looking up perplexed, Er’er gazed at him: “Not even someone as powerful as Supreme Deity Xin Wu?”
“You want to find him?” Li Ye sneered.
“Not really.” She shrank her neck. “I’m just curious why only you can help me.”
There were so many powerful immortals. Even if not all could match him, surely helping a minor immortal like her should be easy for many?
The great master seemed unwilling to explain further. With a cold face, he sat back down in front of her: “Continue.”
Continue? Er’er lifted her unbearably sore arms and curved her eyebrows at him pleadingly: “Can we talk about it tomorrow?”
Li Ye glared at her sideways, his face clearly expressing “why are you so unmotivated,” “too difficult to teach,” “no ambition to progress,” and similar sentiments.
Er’er smiled apologetically, pulled back the bedding, and patted the bed: “A good sleep would be nice too.”
Putting on nightclothes with an irritated air, Li Ye lay down on the bed.
Er’er dodged left and right, carefully avoiding him, and lay down on the outer side of the bed. She pulled over a small quilt and comfortably wrapped herself up.
She was truly exhausted—sleeping was so much more comfortable.
The presence behind her felt a bit cold; it seemed the great master wasn’t very accustomed to the mortal way of resting. But she really didn’t have the courage to persuade him otherwise. She would speak again after she’d had enough sleep.
Closing her eyes, Er’er quickly entered dreamland.
Li Ye lay awake against the pillow, his face as dark as the night outside.
He didn’t know why, but his mood was very poor. He tried to find the reason, but after a long search, he still didn’t know what was bothering him, which made him even more annoyed. Nothing felt right.
The person beside him seemed to be asleep and rolled over toward him.
Warm fragrance drew near, and her restless hand slipped out from under the quilt, landing softly on his arm.
His brow relaxed slightly. Li Ye turned his head to look, and his expression finally softened.
Regardless, she had let down all her defenses with him. To sleep so freely by his side meant she truly didn’t see him as an outsider.
However…
She was treating him too familiarly. Her nightclothes were somewhat loose at the collar, and at a glance, one could see the milky hollow of her neck.
A dark shade tinged his misty eyes as Li Ye lowered his gaze, his Adam’s apple gently bobbing.
There were plenty of graceful female immortals in the Nine Heavens, and he wasn’t inexperienced. After cultivating for so many years, he should have purged all seven emotions and six desires. No matter what he saw, he shouldn’t have such worldly thoughts.
That’s what reason told him.
But for some unknown reason, Li Ye suddenly felt that even the thousands of years of snow in the Nine Heavens couldn’t compare to the beauty of this jade-like skin before him.
Someone once wanted to trade those thousands of years of snowy land for one of his immortal mountains, but he had refused at the time.
Yet if that person had offered what was before his eyes now, Li Ye thought he might have nodded in agreement.