Chapter 387 – At a Loss
For the next half a month, Mu Chen had seemingly spent every single day in Ling Xi's mountain peak residence, undergoing the same special and erotic method to cultivate.
However, it had to be said that this method of cultivation truly had extremely awesome benefits for Mu Chen. He never expected that the fusion of his and Ling Xi's Spiritual Energy would have such an enormous effect on him.
However, as this special method of cultivation continued, Mu Chen started to get slightly apprehensive with such a rapid increase of his strength. Every time he had cultivated this way, Ling Xi would become weak and frail. Obviously, although this method was beneficial for him, there wasn't any of that for Ling Xi.
This situation made him feel slightly regretful. If he had known about the consequences earlier, he wouldn't have gone to seek help from Ling Xi.
Therefore, as approximately half a month went by, finally, Mu Chen couldn't endure the guilt building up within his heart. The efficacy of this cultivating method with Ling Xi had also dropped. Being a resolute and decisive person, he didn't have any way to continue seeing Ling Xi's beautiful face grow weaker and paler as time went by, while remaining indifferent and unconcerned.
Within a little building in the Freshman region, Mu Chen sat on the roof. As he blankly stared at the sky, a somewhat absent-minded expression appeared within his eyes.
Sha. Sha.
Faint and gentle footsteps rang behind him as a familiar fragrance that caused his heart to relax followed suit. Nevertheless, this time, Mu Chen continued staring at the sky, lost in his thoughts.
Arriving beside Mu Chen, Luo Li took a seat. Staring at him with her clear and tranquil eyes, she asked in a soft voice, "What's the matter?"
For the past two days, she had noticed that Mu Chen was feeling uneasy about something, with his gaze turning blank and lost in thought at times. This caused her to feel slightly worried about this youth.
Hearing her voice, Mu Chen turned to look at Luo Li. This was the young girl who had weathered life-or-death moments time after time during the Spiritual Road with him, and was also the young girl that was firmly imprinted in his heart and mind. Tilting his body to the side, he placed his head on her long and slender legs, before muttering, "There's some stuff, and I don't know if I'm doing the right thing or not…"
Lowering her head, her big, clear eyes casted a doubtful look towards Mu Chen.
Turning silent awhile, Mu Chen finally took a deep breath, before starting to tell Luo Li the detailed happenings about the need for him to break through to Heavenly Completion Stage within a month and the matter with Ling Xi. In fact, he had even talked about the relationship between the latter and his mother, not wanting to hide anything from Luo Li.
In return, Luo Li continued to attentively listen to him in silence.
"Do I need such easily-obtained power?" Mu Chen muttered. If that was the case, breaking through to Heavenly Completion Stage truly would be a piece of cake for him.
Lightly blinking her beautiful eyes, Luo Li continued to stare at Mu Chen. After a moment, she spoke out in a soft voice, "Mu Chen, do you know why I started liking you?"
Mu Chen gawked, before looking at the absolutely beautiful face above him.
"I like you, not because of your appearance, not because of your skills and methods, and more so your talent. Instead, I like the boy that would face any difficulty he encountered within the Spiritual Road. Regardless of how life-threatening the situation was, or perhaps being encircled by various ways, he would always show a smile brimming with confidence and tell me, 'Don't be afraid, I'll bring you out of here'…"
"I love the self-believing smile of yours… In the past, due to the changes that happened in the Luo God Clan, I had no choice by to passively bear the responsibility of carrying on the inheritance for the sake of hundreds and thousands of people. Due to that, I was forced to cultivate. I tried to make myself capable of enduring it. However, within my heart, there wasn't any hope present. That was because, I was unable to believe that I am able to endure such a heavy responsibility…"
"However…after meeting you in the Spiritual Road, you've taught me that I need to believe in myself."
Luo Li's clear and limpid eyes stared at Mu Chen, with her soft and gentle voice akin to an alarm clock. Seeping, bit by bit, into the heart and mind of Mu Chen, it causing the confusion present within his eyes to dissipate, sliver by sliver. Within the depths of those black eyes, brilliance seemed to start condensing once again.
"Now…the person that had taught me to believe in myself, had started to stop believing in himself. What do you think I should do to remind him?" Luo Li's warm and delicate hands caressed Mu Chen's face as she spoke with a faint smile.
Hu.
A clump of white smoke left Mu Chen's mouth as he exhaled a long breath of air. At this moment, the pressure within his heart had completely dissipated, while the corners of his mouth started to slowly curl up.
Within the Spiritual Road, the number of times where he was placed within a life-or-death situation was uncountable. At that time, he was even incapable of using any Spiritual Energy. Nevertheless, there was not the slightest bit of tremble within his heart. That's because, he believed in himself, that in any situation, regardless of the difficulty, he would be able to overcome all obstacles and pass through!
In those situations, he was already able to rely on himself to overcome them. Why was a mere Heavenly Completion Stage able to force his self-confidence to such a low point now? In fact, why did he have the need to rely on a method that would cause harm to others to increase his own strength?!
His path towards supremacy didn't require all of that!
Slowly clenching his hands, the smile hanging at the corner of his mouth became haughty and brimming with confidence. Heavenly Completion Stage? I'll use my own strength and break through!
Looking at the familiar smile reappearing on Mu Chen's face, Luo Li started to faintly smile with him. This was the Mu Chen that she loved. Forever filled with confidence, with no difficulty able to obstruct his way.
"Luo Li."
Raising his head up, Mu Chen looked towards the figure dressed in a long black dress, with golden flower patterns outlining the frills. Her outfit had caused her to appear like a noble and respectable young girl of absolute beauty. This was the future Empress of the Luo God Clan.
He was loving her more and more.
"Yes?" Raising her clear and sparklingly big eyes, Luo Li looked towards Mu Chen.
"Thank you, but I really can't endure any longer."
With a smile, Mu Chen pressed his hands straight down on Luo Li's delicate shoulders. Lunging forward, a panicked cry rang out from the young girl as Mu Chen pushed her down.
As her bright and luxuriant hair spread out across the ground, akin to a silver river, Luo Li was a little startled as she looked towards Mu Chen, who had lunged onto her. At this moment, the latter was looking down at her, with his tall body pressing tightly on hers. The scorching-hot situation she was currently in caused her face to turn burning hot.
"Hehe." Looking at the face that was inches away from him, unable to hold it in, Mu Chen started to laugh evilly.
Feeling slightly peeved, Luo Li rolled her eyes, before showing a stern expression on her beautiful face while saying, "Don't think about asking me to console you again."
"Then, let me console you."
Lowering his head, under Luo Li's big eyes, which were slightly wide-open, he stuffed those rosy lips that were sufficient to cause people to melt within his mouth.
A smear of confusion immediately flashed within Luo Li's beautiful eyes. In the end, extending her slim and slender jade-like arms, she embraced Mu Chen's neck, giving in to Mu Chen for the picking.
After enjoying this little bit of warmth from her, Mu Chen was unwilling to relinquish it that quickly. Quietly slipping his hand within the young girl's dress, he took a grab at that perky lump of warm jade fat within his palm.
"Mu Chen! Mu Chen!"
However, just as Mu Chen's loins had started raging with intense fire, hurried cries rang out from below the building.
The cries immediately broke the fiery and intoxicating atmosphere, with Luo Li being the first to snap out of it. That absolutely beautiful and calm face of hers instantly turned scorching hot. Hastily shoving Mu Chen away, she stood up and arranged her dress. Filled with resentment, her beautiful eyes stared at Mu Chen as she thought, This fellow truly is such a bad guy.
Seeing her glare at him, Mu Chen gave a dry laugh, before looking down at Zhou Ling below him. Gnashing his teeth unhappily, he asked, "What's the matter?"
Luckily this fellow knew the rules, and never rushed up to the building. If he saw the scene of Luo Li being as soft as water just now, Mu Chen could guarantee that fellow's extermination.
"Su'er brought an Elder to find you…" Spotting the unhappy expression hanging on Mu Chen's face, Zhou Ling could only reply in the most straightforward and innocent manner.
Upon hearing this, Mu Chen instantly gawked. Elder? Look's like it's Elder Sister Ling Xi. Why did she come here for?
"Is that your Elder Sister Ling Xi?" Luo Li's charming face gradually recovered to normalcy. Moving closer to him, her beautiful eyes shot a look at Mu Chen, while an indescribable expression appeared within.
Feeling embarrassed, Mu Chen nodded his head.
"Let's go take a look. In any case, she's already here," said Luo Li with a faint smile.
Making a bitter laugh, Mu Chen held her hand, before shooting out of the building, descending towards the public square in the Freshman region. Within the centre of the public square, the familiar beautiful figure of Ling Xi was currently standing there.
In the surroundings of the public square, the crowds of the Goddess Luo Association were sneaking peeks as whispering sounds rang out.
"She's really an Elder of our Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy? Is that possible? How can she be that young?!"
"I've heard that she's a Spiritual Array Grandmaster, possessing extremely terrifying strength."
"Her age seems to not be that much older than us…can she be like Elder Zhu Tian?"
"I don't think so, the feeling's different…"
"Why's she finding Big Brother Mu Chen? Could it be…hehe…"
"Are you seeking your death? If Big Sis hear's that, won't she chop you up!?"
Upon hearing those whispers ringing within the public square, Mu Chen could only shake his head in helplessness. With a move, he appeared before Ling Xi and Su'er as he asked with a smile, "Elder Sister Ling Xi, is there something wrong, for you to suddenly come to the Freshman region?"
Raising her charming eyes, Ling Xi shot a look towards Mu Chen, before taking a look at Luo Li, who was standing beside him. Gently nodding her head, her eyebrows started to slightly knit up as she spoke out, "Why didn't you head to my place to cultivate?"
With a smile, Mu Chen replied, "Elder Sister Ling Xi. Let me handle my cultivate from this point onwards. I'm truly grateful for your help during the past half-month."
Ling Xi's eyebrows knitted more tightly as she asked, "If you rely on yourself, it'll be extremely difficult to break through to Heavenly Completion Stage within the next half-month. Why do you reject my offer? If you're afraid of me suffering a loss, you truly don't need to. My cultivation is just stopping for only a month."
Giving a slow shake of his head, Mu Chen replied with a soft voice, "Elder Sister Ling Xi, the only thing I'm doing is believing in myself."
Startled, Ling Xi looked towards Mu Chen. At this moment, the youth's eyes were sparkling with brightness, brimming with genuine self-confidence. Compared to the day when he had come to find her, this was clearly an entirely different expression.
"Elder Sister Ling Xi, I'm really grateful for your help. I know…that you helping me is really due to your relationship with my mum. You're only wishing to divert the feelings of gratitude to my mum towards me…"
Ling Xi had a cold and detached personality, and took deep precautions to isolate herself from others. Mu Chen wasn't being narcissistic when he said those words, since he knew about the true reason for her actions. If not for her relationship with his mum, the current Ling Xi might still be treating him with the icy and cold manner she had done during their first encounter; what's more, using such a method of self-hurt herself to help him.
Mu Chen continued speaking with earnesty, "However, don't spoil me too much, Elder Sister Ling Xi. I believe that if my mum knew that I had used such a method to gain strength, she might be extremely disappointed in me."
"Furthermore…"
Flinging his mouth aside, Mu Chen said in helplessness, "I also really don't want to see your weak appearance. That look isn't beautiful."
As Ling Xi gawked, she appeared startled as she looked towards the handsome youth in front of her. The latter's smile was as radiant as the sun, causing even her cold and frosted-over heart to faintly tremble.
After remaining silent for a long time, a gentle smile finally appeared on her face. This smile caused quite a few students to fixedly stare at her. Compared to Luo Li, Ling Xi clearly had a graceful bearing that was unique to her.
Slowly walking up, her jade-like hand extended out, touching Mu Chen's face. Within her eyes, genuine feelings of love and pampering radiated out, before she spoke out with a sigh, "You really are Aunt Jing's child. Those previous words might be due to Aunt Jing, however…"
A smile crept on her face as she continue, "Your Elder Sister really likes the current you."
Immediately, an embarrassed expression appeared on Mu Chen's face.
"Okay. I won't force you. I believe that you're able to succeed. However, it's best that you come to my place to cultivate. I'll try my best to help you, but I'll not use that method again."
This time, Mu Chen didn't continue rejecting her help, then smiled as he nodded his head.
As this incident took place within the Freshman region, Dean Tai Cang and the five Heavenly Seated Elders were sitting within a large hall in the central region of the Northern Heavens Spiritual Academy. In front of them was a glowing Spiritual Energy screen, with the scene happening within the Freshman region displayed on it.