⁜ Asura POV
Mu Xue's big eyes were troubled as they rushed to a nearby lavatory; Asura crumbled against the wall, vomiting blood violently as his insides screamed in agony.
"Asura!"
Mu Xue cried as she hugged him, crying loudly, "You're hurt; why aren't you healing yourself!?"
Asura wiped his lips, chuckling weakly as he patted her head, "Sorry, but I can't... Haha... I..."
"Stupid! Idiot! Dummy!"
Mu Xue sobbed, punching his chest softly as Asura felt his body burning, his anima and lifeforce consumed in such a way that his body felt withered and brittle.
Using Liberación was always a double-edged sword, devouring and consuming all his anima to empower oneself, and it was impossible to control as his body couldn't cope, but he had to do it.
Today, the battle wasn't about winning but showing his worth, not to the king or the instructors but to the Princess who lacked solid allies.
Asura wanted her to owe him a favour; otherwise, her value as a monarch would plummet.
So he used Liberación, sacrificing his body and life force to win against her, showing his worth, but unfortunately, he couldn't keep it going for longer and realised from Vela's words that she needed to win the battle.
"You fool... I thought you were hurt... don't do this again!" Her soft blows became a gentle caress as she tried to infuse her mana into his body, desperately kissing and touching their skin together to transfer it into him. "Idiot, dummy, stupid... You were so amazing... but don't do that again!"
Asura chuckled as his body relaxed; the pain didn't ease as his life force was overdrawn, but he pretended it did, so Mu Xue would not worry more, "Thanks... haha..."
"We should go to the medical ward."
Asura nodded, "No, let's go somewhere else."
Mu Xue nodded as Asura grasped her hand, leaning on her shoulder as she helped him walk.
Asura's body was weak, his muscles constantly convulsing while he looked at Mu Xue with a thankful gaze as they reached their room, collapsing on the bed as Mu Xue began to strip him.
"Wait, wait... I'm injured, not dead!"
His cheeks reddened as Mu Xue giggled, "I know, Idiot... But your body is full of blood and sweat, right?"
She blushed, touching his naked chest, "Let me clean you."
Asura gulped, nodding as Mu Xue began to wash his body gently with a cloth, wiping the blood from his wounds while infusing the cloth with her mana, wishing to send his pain away with her gentle touch.
"Mu Xue, thank you."
Asura grasped her hand, pulling her close as their bodies touched, and their lips met, the kiss slow and sensual as her sweet taste entered his mouth, and her body became hot, pressing her chest against his as their tongues intertwined.
Her cheeks were flushed red as they pulled apart, with Asura gazing deeply into her eyes and stroking her face as she bit her lips shyly, "Asura..."
The next moment, she unfastened the cloth ribbon of her uniform, revealing her supple breasts to him as her smooth pale skin captivated him, causing his body to tremble as she climbed on top of him, "I'll help you recover..."
Mu Xue's face was bright red as Asura gulped; his body was still in pain and weakness, almost overwhelmed by his desires.
He placed his hands on her hips as she kissed him deeply, the icy mana soothing the burning feeling of his organs as she ground her soft mound against his crotch while he grabbed her soft buttocks.
"Mmm!"
Breaking their kiss with a long string of silver saliva dripping down her chin and heavy swaying chest as she sat up, her ice blue hair was undone, hanging freely behind her as her big innocent eyes stared at Asura, "Can I...?"
However, the moment she was about to remove her clothes completely, the image of Mu Xue overlapped with that woman for a mere moment, and he snapped out of his lust, knowing that the first time for a cultivator and knight was extremely important.
"Xue'er..."
Asura wrapped the thin silk quilt around her body and pulled her into his embrace, letting her face rest against his chest so she could hear his heartbeat.
"We have so much time ahead of us."
"Do you want to do it now at this moment?"
He looked down at her face that seemed to cry at any moment, knowing that rejecting her again would be something extremely hurtful, and he couldn't explain it well.
"Sorry, Asura... I was just so happy and wanted to help you."
"I know, but Xue'er." His hands gently cupped her cheeks, pulling her face closer to his. Their lips were about to touch each time they moved, but neither went further than this as they stared into each other's eyes. "I don't want our precious first time to be because of cultivation or to heal me..."
"But..."
"If you hug me like this, kiss me gently, I can heal just fine."
It wasn't just the vision of the duchess that caused him to feel this was too hasty, but his own heart and the image of his first time with Mu Xue were more romantic and passionate.
Something more than the one just now, to heal his wounds... A passion that could burn the atmosphere around them.
"Really...? It's not that you dislike Xue'er, right?"
Asura felt a chill down his spine as her eyes looked dull and strangely intense when she asked this question, but this wasn't the case, so the strange terror vanished when he kissed her softly.
Mu Xue's face blushed as Asura whispered, his voice hoarse and rough, "Never, I love you, Xue'er, but we have plenty of time. I want to give you a night, a moment you can never forget and will always remember as the moment in your life we became one forever."
She nodded, his serious eyes causing her eyes to water with her lips quivering as Asura wrapped his arms around her, embracing her tightly as he stroked her back lovingly.
"Okay... Asura..."
Mu Xue sniffed, burying her head in his shoulder, "Asura... I love you too; please stay by my side forever."
"Forever and always, Xue'er."
They spent the afternoon hugging and kissing passionately as he healed slowly while the two flirted until Mu Xue's second match came; she didn't feel tired from their cultivation and instead realised something special about their little cultivation...
"Your match will start soon; I'll stay here like you asked me to, so go and fight hard. Win for both of us, okay?"
"You are making me stronger too... I never realised until now... My magic is stronger, and mana flows smoother... Asura!"
Mu Xue's eyes lit up with excitement and joy, kissing him passionately, her body becoming heated before rushing off to her match with a new vigour!
'I have to settle things with that woman, or at least crush the engagement talks before I go further with Mu Xue...'
'It's unfair to drag this shadow. I want to give her everything I have.'
Asura chuckled, relaxing as he rested and waited for the assessment to continue. He would likely not get a top assessment in all grades as he lost, but at least he showed enough to stop those who doubted him, and soon...
"Amalia, you will come to test me, right?"
'My dear twin sister... I have not seen you in over two decades. I miss your scolding and fierce training that allowed me to survive that hell...'
'How can I let you die like that again?'
Knock Knock!
"Hello? Is anyone in there?"
And so, once again, the changes caused by his actions start to surface as the wooden door gently knocks again before an unexpected guest enters.
Not the one he anticipated.