Chen Xuan picked up a branch and carefully lifted the fragile Lei Snake.
The snake's head drooped to one side, only twitching slightly after a long while. It was barely alive, but still breathing.
"Good, it's not completely dead," Chen Xuan sighed with relief.
He felt a bit speechless. How could this spirit beast be so fragile? Earlier, it dodged his attacks twice in a row and ran so fast that he thought it might be powerful. But it turned out to be so weak that he almost crushed it to death with a single move.
Luckily, this snake had an unusually strong life force. Even with its internal organs spilled out and its spine broken, it still hadn't died instantly and clung to life, barely breathing.
Chen Xuan lifted the limp snake and slowly stood up, retracing his steps back.
He mentally focused on the coordinates of the Flying Thunder God technique, and the next moment, he vanished from the spot.
At this time, Chen Yiyi was lying on a large rock, enjoying the view of the sky. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting a warm and pleasant glow over her.
Zhu Zhuqing, with her slender figure, leaned lightly against a tree, her long, straight legs resting naturally on the grass, quite eye-catching.
As a yellow light flashed, Chen Xuan suddenly appeared, having returned using his Flying Thunder God technique.
"Yiyi, come here," he called to his sister, tossing the limp Lei Snake onto the ground.
Chen Yiyi, already mentally prepared, took out the dagger Chen Xuan had given her and walked over to the fallen spirit beast.
With a swift motion, blood splattered as the Lei Snake was pierced through the head. Its body trembled a few times before falling completely still.
A purple spirit ring formed above the snake's body, gently rotating in the air.
Chen Xuan extended his finger, touching Yiyi's forehead, and infused her eyes with a cold, mysterious power.
He sealed part of his Mangekyō Sharingan's power within Chen Yiyi, a safeguard that could be of great help in a critical moment, serving as her last line of defense.
"Brother, I'm going to start absorbing it now," Chen Yiyi said as she sat down, carefully guiding the spirit ring into her body.
Chen Xuan stood guard nearby, knowing that all that was left was for her to absorb the ring.
"This is too dangerous," Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but voice her concern, worried that something might happen to Chen Yiyi.
There were precedents on the continent where people who tried to absorb a spirit ring beyond their level suffered severe consequences. Some couldn't bear the pressure and either exploded or lost their minds, living the rest of their lives in a daze.
"I believe in her," Chen Xuan replied.
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing didn't say anything more and also stood by, waiting for Chen Yiyi to finish absorbing the spirit ring.
Time slowly passed. Three hours went by, and Chen Yiyi was still in the process of absorbing the spirit ring.
The sun was setting, the sky glowing with vibrant hues of dusk, and the last rays of light bathed the scene.
At this point, Chen Xuan's confidence began to waver, his eyes filled with worry.
Sitting in front of the Lei Snake's corpse, Chen Yiyi's brows were furrowed in pain, her face drenched in sweat, as if she were locked in a fierce internal battle.
Her body trembled slightly, and arcs of electricity crackled across her skin, enveloping her.
Chen Yiyi bit her lip, clearly in pain, sweat pouring down her forehead as she struggled against the spirit snake, fighting a fierce battle in her mental world.
Another half an hour passed. The sun had set, night had fallen, and the sky was dark.
Zhu Zhuqing had already lit a campfire, its flickering light illuminating the surroundings, while the crackling of burning wood filled the air.
Sitting by the fire, Chen Xuan's face wasn't looking good. He was sensing the power he had sealed inside Yiyi. Since it hadn't been activated, it meant she wasn't in immediate danger yet.
This gave him some reassurance. If something went wrong, he would have been responsible for it.
As night deepened, a pale moon hung high in the sky, casting its soft glow like water over the three of them.
Several minutes later, Chen Xuan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them. He could feel that the power he had sealed within Yiyi had been triggered.
This meant that Chen Yiyi had failed to withstand the spirit beast's mental assault, which was both good and bad news.
"Was it still too much for her?" Chen Xuan muttered. If he hadn't set up this precaution, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Luckily, thanks to this, the crisis was averted, which was, in a sense, a good thing.
Chen Yiyi's body stopped trembling, her frown eased, and the arcs of electricity receded into her body.
Shortly after, she slowly opened her eyes, which sparkled brilliantly as if lightning was crackling within them.
Even Zhu Zhuqing, who was always cold and aloof, couldn't help but stand up in shock when she saw Chen Yiyi. Her eyes were filled with astonishment.
She was stunned, completely surprised. This little girl had actually done it.
Her first spirit ring was a millennium one, something unheard of across the entire continent, comparable to Tang San's ten-thousand-year spirit ring in rarity.
If word of this got out, it would cause a sensation.
Chen Xuan had considered this, which is why he didn't want his sister to reveal herself too early. He feared others might try to harm her.
He walked over and asked, "Yiyi, how do you feel?"
Chen Yiyi closed her eyes for a moment, carefully sensing the benefits of absorbing the millennium spirit ring, her face showing deep satisfaction.
Then, with a confident smile, she said to Chen Xuan, "Brother, I feel incredibly strong now! I could take you on, ten times over!"
As soon as she finished speaking, she playfully swung her fists at Chen Xuan, trying to show off her newfound strength.
"Little Xuan, from now on, I'll protect you! I'll be the big sister, and you'll be the little brother! Come on, call me 'big sis'!" Chen Yiyi was feeling invincible after gaining her power, unable to contain her overconfidence.
"You're really getting ahead of yourself, Chen Yiyi," Chen Xuan muttered, feeling a vein pop on his forehead. He had the urge to give her a good spanking.
And then he did just that. In a flash, he extended his hand, covering the ten-meter distance in an instant.
Before she could react, Chen Yiyi, who had been laughing just a second ago, found herself pinned down on the ground by her older brother.
Without saying a word, Chen Xuan raised his hand and started spanking her on her little bottom.
A crisp slapping sound echoed through the woods, surprisingly pleasant to the ear.
Chen Yiyi was stunned, in disbelief. She had just been spanked!
Then, her face turned beet red, overwhelmed with shame. How could she face anyone after this?
"Brother, I was wrong! Please stop spanking me!" Chen Yiyi begged for mercy, her face bright red. It was the first time she had been spanked, and in front of someone else, no less. It was beyond humiliating.
How could she ever show her face again?
"Weren't you just acting all tough? Being so cocky?" Chen Xuan wasn't ready to let up. He gave her a few more swats on her backside.
*Pffft!*
Watching the playful interaction between the siblings, Zhu Zhuqing, who had been silently observing, finally couldn't hold it in and let out a laugh.
Usually cold and aloof like a goddess, Zhu Zhuqing's smile was stunning, revealing bright teeth and rosy lips, no longer exuding that icy demeanor.
For someone who rarely smiled, this moment was breathtakingly beautiful, her laughter carrying a touch of elegance and charm.
However, both Chen Yiyi and Chen Xuan were now staring at her, wide-eyed and stunned.
"What's wrong?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, pursing her lips, confused by their reaction.
Chen Yiyi, still in a daze, murmured, "Sister Zhuqing, so you can smile after all!"
Zhu Zhuqing had always been so distant, with a goddess-like beauty, cold as ice.
Chen Xuan was equally surprised, but then he chuckled and said, "You really should smile more often. It makes you seem much more approachable."
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