When Lu Qingyun opened his eyes, he was coughing weakly but at the same time there was a surge of revitalizing energies that seemed to have flowed through him and that he could clearly feel the spiritual reservoir of his inner sea…
It was obvious to him that he had already attained to the fourth realm immortal celestial level…
What had happened to cause his sudden breakthrough? Was it because of Yan'Er?
As he reached into his inner cultivation sea to communicate with Yan'Er, Yan'Er replied delightfully. "Master, we are now at the fourth realm level and it is all thanks to you. Yan'Er is unable to breakthrough it on my own."
"Thanks to me? What did I do?" Lu Qingyun asked curiously.
Yan'Er said, "Just now a weird profound energy had invaded your body and because of that weird energy, it gave an extra push to us and enabled master's inner sea to expand rapidly."
Weird profound energy?
Lu Qingyun was not an expert in energy techniques so he could not fully understand it as well. However this weird profound energy was likely to be the profound force of Old Saint Wen who had injured him.
He was actually right even though he did not fully understand what was going on. Because of the multiple effects of the Triple Divine Essence Pills that he had consuming, his cultivation realm was at the peak of the third realm enlighten celestial level. Given the right condition, he would breakthrough to the fourth realm immortal celestial level.
And this right condition was the invasive profound energy of a seventh realm expert that had immediately stirred up his inner reservoir sea and awakened his potential for the fourth realm. However this was simply not enough for this invasive profound energy had actually caused him to have internal injuries and he could even lose his life.
It was the intervention of Qin Keqin that had helped him to neutralize the erratic profound energies that were running amok within him and had treated his internal injuries with her profound energies. Her soothing profound energies had not only totally treated his serious internal injury but had also stabilized his current realm level to the initial fourth realm cultivation level.
Unknown to him or even Yan'Er, and even Qin Keqin, the Annihilating God Seed within his inner cultivation sea was the main factor in absorbing both Zhou Hai and Qin Keqin profound energies that enabled this breakthrough as well. It did not just absorb their profound energies but were actually shaping the two profound energies as its own. This would cause Lu Qingyun profound energy strength to eventually have a solid foundation at the fourth realm without a need to lay any solid energy foundation.
The internal injuries that were caused by Old Saint Wen to him was actually not that serious as the bulk of the powerful martial force had already been deflected by Qin Keqin. His internal injuries were actually mostly self-inflicted because his broken heart could not bear the thought that the maiden of his heart had actually sacrificed her own chastity for the sake of everyone…
Yan'Er was extremely delightful as she was now bathed with new profound energies and this profound energy had doubled the energy vitalities of the third realm level.
The difference between a third and a fourth realm level was indeed a huge boundary, between the path of life and death!
As a fourth realm expert now, Lu Qingyun would no longer age anymore.
"Senior brother, you are awake?" Lie Xingyuan said tenderly as she looked at him with deep concern. "Are you feeling much better now? Is there anywhere that you feel uncomfortable with? Your internal injury isn't light at all. Luckily, Sect Leader Qin is here earlier to help you to clear your blocked energy channels."
She added melancholy, "She is really good with her profound energy arts."
Lie Xingyuan was the type that would not hesitate to hide the credits of others. Moreover, she knew that Qin Keqin was truly concerned for Lu Qingyun and she had never seen her so panicky before.
Lu Qingyun had a blanked expression when he had opened his eyes. It was because he was still badly shaken by what Qin Keqin had done for the sake of the others in the celestial clan. He really hated himself for being so weak.
He turned slowly to look at Lie Xingyuan to mutter, "Thank you Xingyuan, I'm alright now. Are you tired? Why don't you go take a rest?"
Lie Xingyuan smiled weakly, "I'm alright. Let me get you a refreshing cool drink. You must be feeling thirsty."
Lu Qingyun quietly nodded as he watched Lie Xingyuan. Earlier when Lie Xingyuan, Ouyang Xue and Leng Qiuyue had all gathered around him twice to help him, he was suddenly aware of their feelings.
He thought silently, "Xingyuan, I'm sorry. In my heart, there is only Keqin. She is my everything and everything to me. I really love her. Now that her reputation is destroyed, all the more I can't abandon her. I will not look down on her and will accept her for what she is."
"Keqin…" he melancholy muttered.
He turned to ask Xingyuan, "How long have I been unconsciousness? Where…is Keqin…"
Lie Xingyuan turned around to smile weakly. Only he could address Qin Keqin by her name. That was because he had a romantic fantasy about her. She really did not want to burst his romantic bubble to tell him who Qin Keqin really was. Moreover she had also promised her master not to tell anyone about Qin Keqin.
She could only answer after a brief hesitation, "Just a couple of hours only. Sect Leader Qin, she had just gone out."
Lu Qingyun's heart had immediately sunk to the abyss. She must have gone to meet that Old Saint Wen. She would probably not return this very night…
He muttered, "Xingyuan, I like to take a bath. Can you help me to get the tub ready?"
Lie Xingyuan replied without hesitation, "I will get it ready now."
As she left the room, Lu Qingyun got up with a sunken heart and he was weeping miserably. "Keqin, why can't I protect you and you have to suffer because of us…"
Slowly he inspected his spatial ring for his divine sword and had a determined look in his eyes, "Keqin, I will avenge your honor tonight."
With that, he had left the room quietly.
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When Zhou Hai had arrived at the Heavenly Lotus Teahouse, he was cordially invited to a reserved room and treated like a guest of great honor by the teahouse stewards.
He was smiling for today he finally got a personal date from the Great Saintess Fan Yuqing. Although he did not know why she had asked to meet him here or cared for the reasons, he knew of the reputation of the Heavenly Lotus Teahouse as the most luxurious and most expensive place in the entire New Empyrean City.
"Great Saintess Yuqing is generous indeed!"
As he sat down to sample the Heavenly Lotus Tea, the door had opened and three extremely beautiful maidens had walked in.
They were Qin Keqin, Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng.
Zhou Hai was astonished and startled for he had recognized Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng. In fact he was so startled that his countenance had turned pale immediately!
Qin Keqin was smiling alluringly, "What? You thought that I will be meeting you alone? I have brought my sisters along too."
Zhou Hai immediately stood up as he paid his humble respects to Feng Minyue and Xuan Danfeng, "Great Saintess Xuan, Great Saintess Feng. Elder Zhou Hai from the Divine Sovereign Clan pays my humble respect to you."
Even though he was an elder of one of the top three patriarch divine realms in the Nine Celestial Fraternity but in front of them, he was actually just an insignificant celestial cultivator.
The two of them were not just seventh realm great saintess but were also the ex-patriarch leaders of one of the nine patriarch divine realms.
Feng Minyue herself was the ex-patriarch leader of the Heavenly Fragrance Villa and the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Realm. She was also the most respected great saintess in the entire Heavenly Fragrance Divine Realm because she was the only seventh realm great saintess that was said to have currently existed in the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Realm. Although she was currently said to be missing and was in seclusion but because of her existence, the other divine realms did not dare to easily intrude into her domain.
As for Xuan Danfeng, she was the ex-patriarch leader of the Lofty Snow Palace, the leader of the Lofty Snow Divine Realm which was a middle tier divine realm. She had disappeared from the Nine Celestial Fraternity around the same time as Fan Yuqing and no one knew of her whereabouts. Moreover she was once the most beautiful maiden in the entire Nine Celestial Fraternity until she was replaced by Feng Minyue.
Zhou Hai was feeling quite giddy because in just a single night he had actually met the three most beautiful great saintesses of the Nine Celestial Fraternity.
Feng Minyue coolly said, "I am only here because my Sister Saintess Yuqing has asked me to come."
Xuan Danfeng was smiling, "I am only here because of the good wines."
Zhou Hai smiled as he said, "I didn't know that the three of you are together and in this small place."
Feng Minyue stole a glance at Qin Keqin but said nothing. The reason why Qin Keqin had chosen to be near the Heavenly Fragrance Divine Realm was because this divine realm was where Lu Qingyun's past reincarnation had once stayed and that she had a hope that one day he would be reincarnated again in the same divine realm.
Qin Keqin was laughing softly, "I hope that you don't tell anyone because we are enjoying our quiet lives."
Zhou Hai immediately responded jovially, "Of course I won't! I am so honored today that I have the chance to drink with the three greatest great saintess in the entire Nine Celestial Fraternity. If only your Sister Saintess Ye Jing is here as well then it would be most perfect!"
Qin Keqin chuckled at his response but she was actually thinking, "She will never have the chance! Not unless she actually acknowledges me as her senior protégé sister!"
Xuan Danfeng rolled her eyes and smiled, "Why don't we enjoy the good wines. This place is really good although it seems to be a little expensive."
Zhou Hai laughed jovially as he patted his chest, "Don't worry! Leave it to me! I will pay for all the tabs!"
Qin Keqin was smiling in her heart, "Heh! When you see the tabs, get ready for a good heart-attack!"
And the three great saintesses were exchanging sly and secret glances at one another. After tonight, this Zhou Hai would get the shock of his life and would be very poor. He was like a sheep that had suddenly dropped from the heavens to pay for their high maintenances.
If they did not leech him dry and high then this was not justifiable to them. After all, it was not every day that they would get a high roller customer to the Heavenly Lotus Teahouse.
Qin Keqin smiled, "We can chat and drink the whole night. You can tell us what has happened recently in the Nine Celestial Fraternity. After all, we have completely lost touch with the outside fraternity."
That was of course a blatant white lie. Her information network was almost everywhere and anything that happened to the nine patriarch clans and the patriarch divine realms, she had a better understanding than anyone else.
Zhou Hai laughed jovially, "Even if it is for three days and three nights, I will only be too glad. After all to have the three most beautiful great saintesses to drink with me is the dream of every man."
Xuan Danfeng chuckled, "Is it? I am a perfectly good drinker, you know. Let me pick the wines and we shall drink as we chat!"
She did not lie at all. She was really a good drinker. In fact, Xuan Danfeng was renowned for getting herself drunk on too many occasions because she really drinks a lot. She was very white because she had cultivated in the snowy mountains for many centuries. In fact, her cheeks were almost never rosy from drinking too many wines and had maintained its snowy white complexion.
"My sister saintesses have forbidden me to drink because finances are tight this month. If I don't drink to my heart's content tonight, I am not Xuan Danfeng at all!" she was smiling and thinking happily as she looked at Zhou Hai.
Feng Minyue was thinking, "Is it such a good idea to fleece from your own henchman, Sister Saintess Yuqing?"
But Qin Keqin almost knew what was in her mind as she stole a glance at her. It was as though she was saying wryly, "To have three great saintesses to be his hostesses, he is really lucky tonight. This will be a night that he will never forget. After all, the tab will be very, very expensive."
She had a soft chuckled as she added to herself, "This includes the tab for Lu Qingyun's internal injuries too. To think that I will be so lucky to have met you today. You are just the right person to solve our finances for this month. I didn't ask you to jump into this burning furnace but since you have offered to pay for the tab yourself then I won't decline."
At this moment, she had totally forgotten that Zhou Hai was the Devil Goddess' henchman and she was counting the money that could be regain back from her money losing alchemy crafting.