Chapter 124: Challenging Once Again

At that very moment, another crisp sound of footsteps echoed across the smooth floor.

Chen Qi forced himself to raise his head and saw Yun Tianxin approaching from a small doorway with a look of deep concern, her dainty steps pattering against the ground.

A thought flickered through Chen Qi's mind. Feigning an inability to keep his balance, he stumbled toward Yun Tianxin.

Sure enough, the next second, Chen Qi felt his body collide with a soft and fragrant embrace as a familiar scent once again seeped into his heart.

Linger in Yun Tianxin's arms for a brief moment, Chen Qi knew he could not keep up the act indefinitely, and reluctantly pulled away with an expression of profound attachment.

After all, given his guess, Sect Master Yun was likely still observing them from the shadows, and he dared not push things too far.

Especially since he could feel his body gradually returning to normal. That overwhelmingly oppressive aura, which had nearly snuffed out his life, had ultimately left nothing more than a few superficial scrapes—thanks to Yun Yuxi's pinnacle-level control, which ensured not a single lasting aftereffect remained.

Yun Tianxin suddenly spoke, her face filled with grievance:

"I didn't tell Mother anything. Why did you just spill everything like beans tumbling out of a bag? And what was that you said about... pledging your lives to each other...?"

As she finished speaking, her pretty face flushed with embarrassment. When she had eavesdropped on that part earlier, she had nearly failed to restrain herself from appearing and interrupting them, but unfortunately, her advancing body had been firmly pinned in place by her mother's imposing aura.

Chen Qi wore a look of utter astonishment. He stood blankly for a moment, his expression shifting uncertainly before he asked with nervous hesitation:

"Then... does your mother know about what happened between the two of us, or not?"

Yun Tianxin cast a reproachful look at him, unable to resist hammering her delicate fists against Chen Qi's chest a few times. Her face grew even more vexed as she shot back repeatedly:

"What do you think? If she didn't know everything, would my mother have let me eavesdrop from behind?"

Chen Qi closed his eyes in agony, then mustered the courage to take Yun Tianxin's small hand in his, saying solemnly:

"Isn't this still a decent outcome? Can this be considered Sect Master Yun tacitly approving of us?"

Yun Tianxin instinctively tried to tug her slender hand free, but finding she couldn't pull it away, she rolled her beautiful eyes at Chen Qi and retorted tartly:

"In your dreams! Besides, we can't let the elders see us like this, or it'll stir up a whole mountain of complications."

Seeing that Chen Qi remained completely unfazed, Yun Tianxin grew thoroughly exasperated and pinched her fingernails hard into Chen Qi's wrist. Only when he pulled a pleading expression did she let out a cold huff and reiterate:

"Did you remember that?"

Chen Qi obediently nodded, enjoying the silky smoothness within his grasp, and suggested:

"Senior Sister, let's go out for a stroll!"

With that, he couldn't help casting a nervous glance into the distance, deeply afraid that suffocating pressure might reappear.

Seeing Chen Qi once again displaying the classic combination of a daring heart and cowardly execution, Yun Tianxin couldn't help covering her mouth with a chuckle, and walked side-by-side with Chen Qi toward a small side door.

Not far away, Yun Yuxi's snowy white robes fluttered as two figures were reflected in her eyes. Her gaze was profound and quiet, and she remained silent.

After a long while, she let out a soft sigh, her gaze softening with a hint of nostalgia.

......

Chen Qi walked alongside the woman, breathing in her orchid-like fragrance without a word, simply walking and wishing not to disturb the tranquility.

Hand in hand, the two stepped out of the grand hall and strolled along a secluded path. Along the way, the mountain was tranquil, the birds were silent, and exotic flowers dazzled the eyes.

Finding themselves completely alone in the absolute silence, Chen Qi tightened his grip on Yun Tianxin's hand, his mischievous desires flaring up. He had endured that previous atmosphere for far too long.

Yun Tianxin perceived it a step ahead. Pressing her other hand against Chen Qi's wrist, she warned him with a smile that was not quite a smile:

"Don't you dare pull any tricks, or I'm heading right back!"

Chen Qi straightened his expression, making a great show of trying to draw close to Yun Tianxin's body while simultaneously distancing himself by a fraction.

He was leaving this world tomorrow, but on this final day, there were still many important matters he needed to attend to.

Ceasing his playfulness, he asked with a gentle tone:

"Senior Sister, I didn't see your reflection in that Cloud Shadow Grotto. Just how many phantom figures did you defeat?"

His motive for asking was naturally to farm the hidden quest a second time. His current strength was worlds apart from when he first arrived, and he was certainly not willing to give up now.

Yun Tianxin did not answer directly, instead teasing with an amused smile:

"What? Junior Brother, you didn't even catch a glimpse of my reflection?"

Chen Qi's face turned slightly red as he sheepishly replied:

"Old Chi's shadow was too fierce. We battered each other to a standstill, and I only barely managed to snatch a narrow victory. I had no strength left to fight further."

Hearing this, Yun Tianxin nodded slightly and praised:

"Junior Brother, you're truly amazing. Back then, I was the same; relying on the Cloud-Mist Movement Technique and the Azure Cloud Finger, I barely managed to exhaust Old Chi's shadow before being defeated by the Third Generation Founder within a few moves."

"Hehe, I certainly couldn't compare to Senior Sister," Chen Qi said with a smile while stroking the woman's smooth hand.

Seeing that the main event had arrived, he dropped all pretense of modesty and brazenly asked:

"Then what weaknesses did Senior Sister and that Third Generation Founder have back then? I'd love to go and witness Senior Sister's immortal grace firsthand."

Yun Tianxin gave Chen Qi a peculiar look, yet she did not refuse.

Recalling the memory slightly, she slowly began to speak:

"That was roughly four years ago. I had only been practicing martial arts for half a year back then, and had barely achieved minor success in the Azure Cloud Finger and the Cloud-Mist Movement Technique, though the transition between the two was still somewhat unpolished."

With that, she playfully poked out her tongue and said with a hint of embarrassment: "So every time I consecutively fired off the Azure Cloud Finger, transforming my movement technique into cloud and mist would lag by a full breath."

Chen Qi's eyes lit up. Slowing the movement of his hand, he murmured to himself:

"Then as long as I defend against Senior Sister's attacks and seize the opening to counterattack, I can defeat Senior Sister?"

Just as he finished speaking, Chen Qi felt a slight pain on the back of his hand—Yun Tianxin had applied force to her fingers in displeasure. Wearing a mischievous smile, she said:

"Junior Brother, do you really want to defeat me that badly?"

Unable to answer, Chen Qi wore a mysterious expression and replied:

"Senior Sister, as for that... you'll find out later. Also, what was the fighting style of that Third Generation Founder? I'd like to try my hand at that too."

Yun Tianxin knitted her delicate brows, the look of recollection on her face growing heavier, tinged with a faint trace of lingering fear.

"I was defeated within just a few moves. The impression the Third Generation Founder left me with... was speed. A speed that completely transcended the Postnatal realm. It was so fast that the moment my Cloud-Mist Movement Technique had just solidified, his sword was already slashing across the bridge of my nose..."

"Alright, alright," Chen Qi said, casting a heart-ache-filled glance at the woman while patting his chest loudly. "I'll go beat him for you. Or would Senior Sister like to come and watch the battle in person?"

Hearing this, a look of temptation flickered across Yun Tianxin's face, though she remained hesitant and dared not nod easily.

Seeing that there was hope, Chen Qi leaned closer to Yun Tianxin and added fuel to the fire:

"I promise I won't do anything to Senior Sister, and I won't let anyone else find out."

At last, Yun Tianxin nodded. Extending the index finger of her other hand, she tapped it against Chen Qi's lips and smiled faintly:
"Then Junior Brother, we have an agreement, alright? Ah! What are you doing?"

Seeing Yun Tianxin's dignified composure entirely vanish as she hurriedly retracted the finger stained with Chen Qi's saliva, Chen Qi licked his lips with a reminiscent expression.

Furious at the sight, Yun Tianxin ignored him altogether and strode off toward the distance on her own.

Chen Qi quickly hurried after her, playing the part of cajoling and apologizing until he watched Yun Tianxin's anger slowly melt back into smiles. A strange stir touched his heart.

"Turns out women all over the world are exactly the same..."

After walking together for a while longer, Yun Tianxin's expression suddenly turned stern. She pushed Chen Qi back a couple of steps and said solemnly:

"From now on, we could be spotted by the elders at any moment. Junior Brother, remember not to stand too close."

Seeing Chen Qi's cheeky grin, Yun Tianxin grew displeased once more and stopped in her tracks until Chen Qi gave her his word again.

The rest of the journey was silent. Amidst Chen Qi's lingering disappointment and regret, the two arrived deep within the Cloud Shadow Grotto.

Leveraging Yun Tianxin's special status, the attendant at the entrance did not stop them, merely letting the two pass inside with a puzzled expression.

Before long, Chen Qi once again laid eyes on that bizarre stone wall.

The stone wall still quietly emitted a fluorescent glow, unchanging through the ages, mysterious and dreamlike.

Yet the moment Chen Qi drew near, as if sensing a familiar aura, the fluorescent glow shifted, slowly weaving a familiar human figure right in the center of the wall.

"Junior Brother, do your best!"

"I'm going to start making my push..." came the voice of encouragement from behind him. Chen Qi's expression darkened. Shaking off the sudden surge of wicked thoughts and internal commentary, he drew his saber from its scabbard.

Though he hadn't expected the figure to materialize so quickly this time, he was no longer the wet-behind-the-ears novice he had been a few days ago!

Even as the shadow's body had yet to fully condense its lower half, Chen Qi struck!

As he swung his blade, his gaze was gentle, but the edge of the saber viciously aimed for the figure's neck. The blood- Qi coating the blade sheared through the wind resistance generated by the high-speed motion, merging into a pale red streak of light.

This was Chen Qi's first strike under the mastery of Level 4 Basic Sabermanship—fast, and merciless.