After she spoke, her normally cold cheeks unexpectedly flushed with a few strands of red, giving her less of an aloof air and a touch more approachability...
Xu Sheng simply laughed and replied, "No need to thank me, didn't you also eliminate the Yan Family for me?"
This woman was truly interesting. Despite her very cold demeanor, she could still feel shy over such a trivial matter—it was indeed intriguing!
Upon hearing Xu Sheng's words, the blush on her face faded once more, and her frosty demeanor returned...
Her tone very cold, she said, "I believe that with the neutralizing effect of this Fire Spirit Ganoderma, after absorbing the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Fruit, I should be able to reach a state where I won't damage my body and can still suppress my mind!"
Her words brimmed with confidence...
Seeing this, Xu Sheng spoke out, "Then allow me to congratulate you on your success in advance. If there is nothing else, I'll take my leave now!"
With that said, he slowly turned to leave...
There was no meaning for him to stay in Tianyuan City any longer, even though he had experienced the dangers of the Secret Realm, the seal within him remained unyielding...
Therefore, he must hurry to the heart of Central State; Tianyuan City was merely a borderland within it!
Suddenly, Zhou Qingruo bit her lip and called out to stop him, "Xu Sheng, wait!!"
Xu Sheng paused, his puzzled gaze turning towards Zhou Qingruo, as he asked, "Miss Qingruo, is there something else?"
Feeling Xu Sheng's gaze on her cheeks, she spoke with some hesitation, "Xu Sheng… don't get me wrong, I just want, I just want you to act as my protector, yes! As a protector!"
Xu Sheng exclaimed, "Protector?"
With her terrifying power, probably no one in the entire Tianyuan City would dare approach, right?
Yet she needed him, a weakling from the Earth Immortal Realm, to act as her protector...
Zhou Qingruo's Beautiful Eyes flickered as she explained, "Yes, as a protector. In this Tianyuan City, the process of my absorbing the Fire Spirit Ganoderma and Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Fruit will surely cause quite a stir, so I need you to act as protector for me."
Did she really want him to act as protector? Perhaps partly...
But, after these few days of interaction, she had indeed taken a liking to Xu Sheng...
Xu Sheng sighed and said helplessly, "Miss Qingruo, aren't you afraid I'll take advantage while you absorb the fruits?"
Upon hearing this, the earnestness shone in Zhou Qingruo's amber Beautiful Eyes, "I trust you are not that kind of person. Of course, should you make a move, I can assure you that I certainly won't be the one to die!"
Her serious words left Xu Sheng speechless...
"..."
Indeed, with Zhou Qingruo's ability to instantly kill those in the Heavenly Immortal Realm, or even a realm higher, he truly stood no chance against her!
So be it, he would just wait for Zhou Qingruo to finish absorbing the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Fruit before he left...
Thinking this, Xu Sheng's dark eyes glanced at her, and he said softly, "Fine, quickly absorb the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Fruit. I will act as your protector."
"Thank you,"
Zhou Qingruo said these brief words to him, then quickly sat down cross-legged on the ground, as terrifying Spirit Force Fluctuations burst forth from her body...
Subsequently, her slender, delicate fingers gently pointed towards the Fire Spirit Ganoderma and Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Fruit in front of her. Guided by her spiritual power, they floated in the air before her...
Suddenly, another terrifying surge of spiritual power burst forth, silently enveloping the two Natural and Earthly Treasures emitting strange lights, beginning to compress them...
Visibly, the two treasures began to fuse into one, solidifying continuously...
Xu Sheng, observing from the side, narrowed his beautiful eyes and thought to himself, "Is she planning to simplify the steps of alchemy, forcibly compressing the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Fruit and Fire Spirit Ganoderma together with her vast spiritual power?"
Only a powerhouse with immense cultivation level like Zhou Qingruo could achieve such a feat. If someone of weaker cultivation were to attempt this, they would likely dissipate the medicinal effects before achieving fusion!
Before long, the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Fruit and Fire Spirit Ganoderma had fused into one. Though the resulting shape was rather strange, it was difficult to distinguish between the extreme cold and scorching heat attributes any longer!
Zhou Qingruo reached out to grasp it, gently brought it to her lips, and upon contact with her skin, it rapidly transformed into deep blue and fiery red particles...
Silently, they poured into her lips and into her body...
The next moment, she felt as if her internals were divided, creating two distinct sensations of extreme cold and scorching heat...
Soon after, an ice-cold bone-chilling sensation and intense burning feeling struck simultaneously, causing even her delicate cheeks to involuntarily show signs of pain...
She couldn't help but let out a soft "hmm" from her mouth...
In this manner, the two forces inside her body counteracted each other, maintaining a relatively balanced state...
Although the pain did not subside, it wasn't enough to destroy the meridians inside her body...
Xu Sheng, on the other hand, pursed her lips and murmured, "Trouble is coming, I can feel it!"
...
As expected, due to Zhou Qingruo's actions, Tianyuan City was engulfed by a heart-throbbing oppressive force...
It made many people within the city cry out in alarm, "What... what is this power! It's terrifying! Could it be that a Great One from Central State has descended?"
"My heavens! This pressure, it's several times stronger than even the Wei Family Patriarch's strength!!"
"It's so crushing that my heart can barely breathe; who exactly of such might is attempting a breakthrough in our Tianyuan City?"
"Quick, let's go and see, there might be a chance to gain a breakthrough in our own cultivation!!"
Meanwhile, on the other side, the Lin Family Patriarch and Head of the Xu Family, who were waiting for their disciples to come out, had faces that were extremely unsightly...
Because the Secret Realm had closed and they still saw no sign of Lin Family Disciples or Xu Family Disciples emergin...
This also indicated something, what the Wei Family Patriarch said before could very likely be true!
Their respective Family's disciples may have perished in the jaws of Monster Beasts; otherwise, why had none emerged so far...
The Wei Family Patriarch, on the opposite side, couldn't help but wear a gleeful smile, saying leisurely, "Lin Family Head, Head of the Xu Family, there's no need to wait any longer. I had already informed you of the situation regarding the Lin and Xu Family Disciples!"
Just as the two Family Heads were about to retort, a terrifying pressure suddenly spread out, causing the faces of all three to change dramatically...
The Wei Family Patriarch swallowed hard and said in astonishment, "This... this pressure, it has far surpassed the Heavenly Immortal Realm. It must be some fearsome power breaking through in Tianyuan City!!"
He felt his own strength was as insignificant as an ant before this immense pressure!
The Lin Family Head and Xu Family Patriarch naturally also sensed something was amiss...
In an instant, without a second thought, they unleashed their spirit force fluctuation and rushed towards the source of the oppressive force...
They all understood one thing in their hearts!
If they could gain favor from this powerhouse, perhaps they could use their power to annihilate the other Clans and become the true and only ruler of Tianyuan City!
...