Wang Feng exhaled deeply, feeling his Dantian fill to the brim once more—only now, its capacity dwarfed its former self. His body pulsed with newfound strength, his reserves elevated to monstrous levels.
'With these reserves… even battling early-stage Separation and Reunion Realm cultivators for hours wouldn't be a challenge anymore.', Wang Feng thought with a smug gleam in his eyes. Though the breakthrough had already pushed his strength to a level where he might contend with even mid-tier—perhaps even 4th or 5th Stage—S&R Realm cultivators, what truly mattered wasn't just his raw power.
The real benefit lay in the tremendous expansion of his internal reserves, an enhancement that extended the duration of his combat capabilities drastically. He could fight longer, endure more, and outlast even stronger foes purely through attrition if needed.
Turning his attention inward, his consciousness swept through his Dantian. The seven attributed Qis swirled within, balanced and complete. A small but satisfied smile formed on his lips. 'Now that I've refined all seven attributes… I won't have to worry about modifying or recasting my technique after breaking into the Foundation Realm.'
That had been his plan all along—to complete the foundation of his elemental compatibility before crossing the next threshold. Once a cultivator constructed their foundation, their cultivation technique and Qi attributes became far more rigid. Changing them later required not only time and effort but also rare resources and potential risk.
With a quiet sigh, Wang Feng opened his eyes. The world returned to focus. A soft radiance filtered through the edges of the dissipating mist. He turned slightly and sensed Xia Ning Chang's still-consolidating aura, steady and rising. Her breakthrough had succeeded.
A gentle smile tugged at his lips as he shifted his gaze beyond the array, watching the first golden sliver of dawn break through the treetops.
He rose to his feet, stretching briefly. After a moment of contemplation, he waved his hand, recalling the formation flags and gathering the remaining Spirit Stones. The Shrouding Mist Array began to recede as the fog thinned, revealing the serene and quiet forest once again—its air now heavy with residual Qi.
Satisfied, Wang Feng sat down once more, folding his arms as he waited patiently for Xia Ning Chang to complete her consolidation.
It didn't take long.
Within an hour, her breathing evened out and her body pulsed with newly stabilized energy. Her pearly eyes fluttered open, gleaming with a radiant brilliance. The first thing she saw was Wang Feng, sitting just a few steps away, watching her with a warm, familiar smile.
"Congratulations on your breakthrough, Sister Xia," he said, his voice filled with genuine praise.
"Mhm," she replied softly, her voice laced with joy and a tinge of shyness. "Thank you… for your help, Brother Feng." Her gaze lingered on him for a heartbeat before her expression shifted, as if she had just noticed something new. "It seems I should be offering congratulations too," she added, her eyes scanning him with an appreciative look.
Wang Feng smirked, not needing to reply.
They exchanged a few more words, a light-hearted back-and-forth. But as they spoke, the air around them felt subtly different. The tension that once hummed beneath their conversations was gone. Instead, there was a gentle warmth, a quiet understanding, and a deepening sense of connection.
Their relationship had shifted—grown clearer, deeper.
Wang Feng felt it in the way she looked at him, no longer holding back the fondness in her eyes. He felt it in the way her voice lingered when she said his name. And Xia Ning Chang felt it too, in the ease of his smile and the tenderness behind his confident gaze.
As their conversation drifted into silence, Wang Feng took a step forward—then another. Slowly, he closed the space between them.
Xia Ning Chang noticed the approach, her cheeks flushing ever so slightly, but she made no move to retreat. Her eyes sparkled with quiet anticipation as she gazed up at him, a shy smile curling on her lips.
He stopped in front of her. The warmth of her breath brushed his skin. Their eyes met and held.
For a few heartbeats, they stood in silence—lost in each other, their surroundings fading to nothing.
Then, Wang Feng moved.
His left arm wrapped around her slender, willow-like waist, drawing her soft, supple body tightly against his own. Her curves molded into him with effortless grace, igniting a slow-burning heat between them. His right hand slid upward, fingers threading through her silken hair with reverent care, cradling the back of her head as he leaned in, his lips barely brushing hers—warm, inviting, electric.
Xia Ning Chang's breath caught in her throat, lashes fluttering as her world narrowed to the nearness of him. Her left arm curled around his neck, fingers tracing the line of his collar, while her right hand pressed firmly against his chest, feeling the thrum of his heart beneath her palm—steady, strong, and achingly close. She tilted her face toward his, lips parted, her breath mingling with his as her body melted into his hold.
Their lips met.
The first kiss was soft—a whisper of silk against silk—yet charged with a longing so deep it made her tremble. His mouth moved slowly against hers, savoring her taste, letting the kiss stretch and linger until she gasped faintly, her fingers tightening in his shirt. Their bodies pressed together, the warmth of his chest seeping into her, his scent—masculine and intoxicating—curling around her like smoke.
Then came the second kiss—deeper, more demanding. It wasn't hurried, but filled with hunger, a need to drown in each other, to lose themselves in the gentle storm that brewed between them. Her lips opened for him, and his tongue brushed lightly against hers, teasing, coaxing, setting her nerves ablaze.
Each kiss after was slower, more lingering, as if they wanted to memorize the shape of each other's mouths, the rhythm of each breath, the softness of skin against skin. There was no urgency—only a desperate need to savor. To feel. To pour every stolen glance, every quiet yearning, every breathless dream into a single, endless moment of closeness.
Eventually, they pulled apart, though barely. Wang Feng rested his forehead against hers. Their eyes met—heavy-lidded, soft, filled with emotion. Their hands roamed gently across each other's scalps, fingers threading through hair. Their breaths mingled, warm and uneven.
For a long moment, neither spoke. They simply stood there, lost in each other's presence, the silence between them laced with intimacy. Breathing slowed. Hearts steadied.
"Sighhh~ it feels…" Xia Ning Chang murmured, voice airy, her expression peaceful as she exhaled a breath of fulfillment.
"…complete. Fulfilled. Perfect," Wang Feng finished with a quiet chuckle, brushing his nose lightly against hers.
Xia Ning Chang giggled, her cheeks glowing a lovely rose hue. "All of those~," she said playfully. She gently pulled back, just enough to meet his gaze directly.
Wang Feng looked into her eyes and saw everything—affection, desire, shyness, longing, and deep, unwavering contentment. His heart stirred, but a question that had haunted him for so long rose once again.
"…how long?" he whispered, the words escaping him before he could think better of it.
She tilted her head slightly, confused. "What…?"
Wang Feng repeated himself, this time just a shade louder, "How long have you been watching me?"
Her expression stilled, if only for a brief second, before a subtle, mysterious smile formed on her lips. "What makes you ask that, Brother Feng?" Her voice remained composed, but he caught the sparkle of amusement dancing in her eyes.
'Ah, playing coy now, are we?', Wang Feng mused, his grin deepening as he began to speak.
"We first met at the Treasurer Hall. You took an interest in me because Old Meng treated me… differently. Your curiosity grew when I explained the new cultivation path to him. Our interactions grew from there, and eventually, you fell for me—leading us here…"
As he spoke, his hand glided slowly along her waist, his touch making her body tremble in response. She watched him intently, not looking away for even a heartbeat.
"But… is that really the whole story?" he asked, his voice lowering into a husky whisper as he leaned into her ear. His breath ghosted over her skin, sending delicious shivers down her spine.
"From the first time I saw you in that hall," he murmured, "your eyes held recognition. A trace of fondness. Directed at me…"
He moved around her in a slow, deliberate arc, his presence like a warm current against her skin. As he passed by, his fingers grazed her side—a featherlight touch that sent a shiver rippling through her. When he reached her back, his hands slid around her waist, drawing her into him with intimate ease.
His chest pressed against her spine, his breath warm against the curve of her neck. With tender possessiveness, he wrapped both arms around her, holding her flush against him. His chin came to rest on her shoulder.
"And for someone like you, who rarely speaks openly with strangers… you were oddly at ease around me. Even when I challenged you—provoked you—you didn't withdraw. Not truly."
His fingers traced slow, teasing patterns across her belly, causing her to shudder and instinctively lean back into him. Her breath hitched, her cheeks now bright red from a mixture of bashfulness and rising arousal.
"And when we trained," he continued in a sultry whisper, "you were unusually familiar with my style… my movements… even the techniques I had just developed…"
"A-Al… Alright! Stop~!" she gasped, grasping his hands to halt their wandering. A soft, involuntary moan escaped her lips, betraying her flustered state.
Wang Feng smirked, his lips brushing the shell of her ear. "Then tell me, Sister Xia… how long have you been watching me~?"
Xia Ning Chang trembled in his embrace, the warmth of his breath and the trail of his words igniting goosebumps across her skin. She tried to move away from his electrifying touch, but her half-hearted attempt faltered—ineffective and hesitant. Her glassy eyes turned to meet his smoldering gaze over her shoulder, her cheeks flushed, her breath coming in short, uneven draws.
"I…" she began, her hands tightening around his. "From…"
Wang Feng leaned in, his ear closer, not quite catching her whisper. "I didn't catch that…"
Xia Ning Chang bit her lip, hesitated, and then released a soft sigh. She repeated, her voice a hushed confession, "From… day one…"
A flicker of surprise—and something deeper—passed through Wang Feng's eyes. He looked down at her in quiet wonder, as if re-evaluating every moment they'd shared. Xia Ning Chang flushed a deeper shade of red, her feet shyly tracing circles into the earth.
"C-Can we… sit down first?" she asked, her voice small.
Wang Feng chuckled softly and pulled her gently by the waist. He leaned back against the sturdy trunk of the tree behind them, settling into a relaxed seat with Xia Ning Chang cradled in his lap, snug in the circle of his arms.
She blushed furiously, her body instinctively writhing as if to escape the intimate embrace—but despite her struggles, she found she couldn't break free without exerting her cultivation. And she wasn't about to do that. So she swallowed her embarrassment and allowed herself to sink into the comforting warmth of his chest.
Several moments passed in silence before she began again, quieter now, her voice tinged with guilt and vulnerability.
"I… sigh… The Dark Hall maintains a detailed archive on every disciple, starting from the moment they enter the sect."
"I was simply doing my duty—organizing the scrolls and records of the new initiates. While sorting through them, I came across a file… and something in it caught my attention."
She paused, turning her face slightly to glance at him. Her eyes shimmered beneath her long lashes.
"I saw the record of a new disciple—a boy of fourteen, nearly fifteen. The sole survivor of a beast tide. His village completely wiped out… and yet, he emerged alive, carrying the recommendation token of a Core Disciple."
Wang Feng's hold on her tightened subtly. His gaze darkened as his mind was pulled into the depths of memory—of bloodied earth, of screams swallowed by roaring beasts, of his parents' final moments. Of the promise he'd carved into his soul amidst the carnage: to become strong enough that no one he loved would ever suffer again.
He exhaled a shaky breath, trying to steady the storm within, and looked back at her. Xia Ning Chang was watching him, eyes filled with quiet empathy and understanding.
"I was… intrigued," she said softly. "But not just because of the tragedy or the recommendation token…"
She trailed off, shaking her head gently before continuing, "Anyway, after that, I kept an eye on him. I learned that he was gifted, fiercely driven. I'd catch glimpses of him during sparring sessions… or out training, always alone, always pushing himself."
Her lips curled into a soft, reminiscent smile. "A few months later, Master brought him up. Told me about his unique physique… his potential… and his fractured spirit. That's when I began to observe him more closely."
But Wang Feng was still caught on the words she hadn't spoken—on that half-stated thought: "I was intrigued, not because of..."
Before he could ask, Xia Ning Chang continued, her voice trembling slightly, "I watched that boy struggle, fight tooth and nail, cultivating day and night. Not because he had something to prove to others… but because he wanted to rise above his own helplessness. I saw the pain he carried, the past that haunted him."
Her voice softened, becoming a fragile whisper.
"And somehow… without realizing it… I grew fond of him."