“Can I interpret this as you encouraging me — urging me to put it into action?” Ye Fan smiled, his gaze carrying a hint of boldness.

Outside the window, ancient pines stood upright as a clear spring flowed past — utterly tranquil. Inside the room, candlelight flickered and swayed as Qin Yao sat in a rattan chair, her gauze skirt tracing the enticing curves of her jade-like figure.

Her eyes were like flowing water. “Don’t change the subject — where were you just now?”

“Even an old sweetheart doesn’t believe me now. Suspecting me like this — you’re really breaking my heart.” Ye Fan pulled up a rattan chair and sat down beside her.

“Just a little child — and calling me ‘old sweetheart’…” Qin Yao smiled lightly. Her white jade-like arm was half-bared, her skin crystalline and luminous. She smoothed her hair back and said: “How did you come to the Northern Region?”

“The people of Yao Guang Sacred Ground were kind enough to deliver me here. I rode post-haste searching for your whereabouts and finally found the Azure Flood Dragon King’s hidden dwelling with great difficulty.”

Qin Yao gave him a sideways glance. “Your mouth has grown oilier even if the rest of you hasn’t grown any taller.”

“You should have more confidence in your own charm.” Ye Fan stretched lazily in the rattan chair. “The night is deep — let us go and rest.”

Qin Yao let out a laugh. Her lips, a sensuous red, gleamed with an entrancing luster. She reached out one jade hand and pinched Ye Fan’s cheek. “You little child — stop being so glib and changing the subject on me.”

Ye Fan seized that smooth, glossy jade hand and pulled it toward him, drawing her close to his front. “You won’t even believe my sincere words?”

“What an eyeful for this Imperial Majesty!” At that very moment, the great black dog pushed aside the bead curtain and walked in, catching this scene at just the right moment. It grumbled: “This Emperor sees nothing — you two continue.”

With that, it raised its scruffy tail and swaggered back out with great self-importance.

Slap!

Qin Yao slapped Ye Fan’s hand away, turned around lightly, and sat back in the rattan chair, unable to stop laughing.

“What a perfect atmosphere, ruined by that wretched dog. This fellow is doing it out of revenge,” Ye Fan shook his head, exasperated.

“Perfect my foot!” Qin Yao stretched in languid ease, stifling a little yawn. “You really made quite a spectacle of yourself today — beating the invincible Golden-Winged Little Peng King until you broke dozens of his bones. You really had the nerve to strike that hard.”

“What’s there to hesitate about? If I hadn’t struck with full force, the one who’d be dead is certainly me.” Ye Fan said without a care, raising the tea from the table and taking a light sip.

“The Golden-Winged Little Peng King — what a figure he is. Undefeated since first walking the world, yet he was suppressed by an Archaic Sacred Physique. Your name will certainly spread far and wide and become known to many.”

Saying this, Qin Yao gave a faint shake of her head. “What a pity — you are an Archaic Sacred Physique, and can only stop at the Dao Palace Secret Realm. Otherwise, your future prospects would be limitless.”

“Nothing is absolute. Perhaps I can break the curse and enter the Four Extremes Secret Realm.” Ye Fan said casually.

“Be more realistic. Even ancient families with Archaic Sacred Physiques couldn’t sustain them — and you have no background whatsoever, cultivating on your own. This path is almost entirely cut off.”

“Do you know a great deal about Archaic Sacred Physiques? Can you explain it to me in detail?” Ye Fan asked.

Qin Yao’s black hair fell loose and cascading, half-concealing her snow-white neck. Her lovely face was rosy and delicate, pink and radiant. “My understanding of this physique type is limited — but I have seen another Archaic Sacred Physique. I don’t know if it would be of any help to you.”

“What?!” Ye Fan heard this and leapt to his feet with a start, thoroughly stunned.

“It’s just remains.” Qin Yao’s hair flowed like a waterfall, her skin surpassing snow. Her slender waist twisted like a water snake as she stifled one little yawn after another. “Let’s talk about it tomorrow — I’m going to sleep first.”

“I say, Immortal Qin Yao — you can’t leave a story half-told. Where are those remains of the Archaic Sacred Physique?”

Qin Yao rose to her feet, languidly stretching her arms above her head and stifling little yawns. She opened her mouth and said: “Right here in this small world…”