Su Xiaobai, "....Did you purposefully lure me into the woods to do dirty things to me?"
"Shameless!" Ling Er gasped, squirming beneath him as his hand roamed her body. Her face was burning with embarrassment, but her body was responding in ways she didn't want to admit. "I... I never—!"
"You never what?" Su Xiaobai teased, his hand slipping further down, now tracing her soft abdomen, "You never wanted this? Never thought about me pinning you down like this?"
"Shut up!" Ling Er cried, her voice cracking as her hands gripped his sleeves. "You're... you're a pervert!"
Su Xiaobai chuckled,"Maybe I am," he whispered, his hands squeezing her soft skin, "But you're the one who's letting me do it, aren't you?"
Ling Er's eyes squeezed shut, her entire body trembling as his hand continued to move lower. "You... you're not supposed to..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.
Su Xiaobai smirked, his fingers slipping further down, dangerously close to her most sensitive area. "Oh, but I am," he said, his voice dripping with wicked intent. "And you're not stopping me."
Her breath hitched as his fingers brushed against her most intimate spot, a soft moan escaping her lips despite her attempts to hold it in. "You... bastard..." she whispered, her body arching beneath him.
Su Xiaobai grinned, pressing his lips against hers in a deep, dominating kiss, muffling any further protests.
His hand moved skillfully, teasing her body as he devoured her lips, his tongue sliding into her mouth.
"Mmmmphh..." Ling Er moaned into the kiss, her hands weakly pushing against him, but her body was no longer fighting.
She could feel the heat building inside her, the tension coiling tighter with each teasing touch.
Ling Er's face was flushed, her breath ragged as she tried to muster the strength to resist, "I... I hate you," she whispered, her voice shaky.
Fifteen minutes later...
"D-Don't come close to me again...!" Ling Er stammered, her voice shaky as she pushed herself up from the ground, her legs trembling beneath her.
Shiver... shiver...
Her entire body was still flushed from their earlier encounter, her face as red as molten iron as she hurriedly tugged her robe back into place, covering her bare skin.
Her eyes were filled with a mix of anger and embarrassment as she glared at Su Xiaobai.
Su Xiaobai raised his hands in a mock gesture of surrender, flashing her a playful grin. "Sure, sure," he said casually, as if nothing had just happened.
The teasing glint in his eyes, however, told her that he was far from being sincere.
Ling Er swallowed hard, her heart still pounding in her chest.
She didn't trust him for a second, but with no other choice and no one else to rely on in the middle of this desolate valley, she reluctantly resigned herself to her situation.
Reluctantly, she climbed onto his back, still shooting him suspicious glances as her cheeks continued to burn with embarrassment.
"Mmnngh! You again!?" she squeaked, startled, as Su Xiaobai's hands immediately found their way to her soft buttocks, grabbing and squeezing as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I have nowhere else to grab," Su Xiaobai replied, his voice full of faux innocence, as if he was making the most logical decision.
His hands squeezed her round bottom firmly, and he added, "You're soft, it's better than grabbing air."
Ling Er's face burned even hotter. "Shameless pervert...." she muttered under her breath, too embarrassed to look at him directly.
Her heart thudded wildly in her chest, and yet, her words failed to be as sharp as she intended.
Su Xiaobai felt quite pleased with himself. As he carried her on his back, he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at how easy it was to mess with her, all while pretending to be the 'good guy.'
'There's no one more righteous than Daddy Su!'
Despite his teasing, Su Xiaobai wasn't a complete fool.
He knew better than to take things too far.
Even though she wasn't fighting him off, and despite the playful exchanges, he had enough self-control to keep things in check.
After all, if she returned home after loosing her virgin essence, it would create no end of trouble for her.
For him?
He could always outrun the consequences, darting through the Immortal Rain Valley and beyond, escaping the wrath of Yue country's forces.
But for Ling Er, it would mean her reputation, her family's standing, and her future in cultivation would all be at risk.
Su Xiaobai wasn't heartless—just a bit 'evil'.
_______
"Woo-hoo!"
Hours later, Su Xiaobai threw himself into the pond, the cold water splashing around him as he plunged in headfirst.
The surface shimmered with the mystical energies left behind from the meteor showers, the celestial energy rippling through the waters.
With this, he could finally begin forging his Starry Veins!
The water was cool, yet invigorating.
Every droplet seemed to hum with energy, seeping into his skin and invigorating his meridians.
"..."
Ling Er sat by the edge of the pond, hugging herself tightly against the chilly wind.
She watched him from a distance, her body still buzzing from the earlier moments they had shared. Her lips pressed together as she forced a bitter smile.
Seeing him so carefree, jumping into the water with reckless jump, it was hard to believe just how intense things had been a little while ago.
Her body still tingled from his touch, the heat of his hands still lingering on her skin.
She shivered slightly, pulling her robe tighter around her shoulders.
Her thoughts were a mess, but she couldn't help but feel something strange—something she wasn't sure she wanted to acknowledge.
_____
Four days passed in a blur…
During those days, Su Xiaobai immersed himself in intense cultivation.
Each morning, he dived into the pond, soaking in the celestial energy and honing his body's ability to absorb the power of the Starry Veins.
His muscles ached, his mind was sharp, and his spirit burned with the determination to break through to the next level of power.
On the other hand, Ling Er found herself quietly watching him.
She didn't know why, but seeing his focus, his dedication, made her chest tighten with feelings she refused to explore.
He was shameless, vulgar even, but there was something undeniably magnetic about his confidence.
But outside the valley, things were stirring…
At the gates of the Xiantian Sect, the massive stone doors slowly creaked open for the first time in decades, revealing the grand inner courtyard.
A huge crowd had gathered—thousands of aspiring cultivators from across the land, all eager for a chance to prove themselves worthy of entering the sect.
The air was buzzing with excitement and anxiety.
Conversations rippled through the crowd, with everyone discussing the possibilities of being chosen.
"This year, the sect will only be selecting nine disciples!" a loud, booming voice echoed from the entrance. "Only the most worthy among you shall be allowed to stay!"
"What!?"
"Only nine!?"
"That's half of what they selected last time!"
Murmurs of disbelief spread like wildfire through the gathering crowd.
Tension filled the air, the prospect of getting into the sect now feeling even more impossible.
Some cultivators whispered, their eyes filled with dread.
Others steeled their nerves, determined to prove themselves.
"Silence!" the same authoritative voice bellowed again, sending a ripple of power through the crowd.
The voice belonged to an elder of the sect, his robes fluttering with the force of his presence. "Those who doubt their worth may leave now. The Xiantian Sect only seeks the strongest and most resolute! If you cannot meet this challenge, step aside!"
"..."
"..."
"..."
The crowd fell silent.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many, but the stakes had just been raised dramatically.