Leaving the Divine Ruins

The effects of the medicine began to take hold. Fan Qiuming’s entire body flushed red, an intense heat surging through him... Every inch of his skin, every bone seemed to burn, and his joints began to crack and pop.

“This pill is even more potent than the herbs!” he thought to himself.

At that moment, black steam began to rise from his body. Coupled with his crimson skin, he looked almost as though he’d been steamed alive. The black vapor grew denser, clinging to his clothes and turning into a thick, tar-like residue. These were the impurities and toxins being forced out of his body. He circulated his spiritual energy to accelerate the process.

By the time his skin returned to its normal color, his clothes had been completely stained by the black vapor. Seeing that Shangguan Wanwan had yet to open her eyes, he left the spot and headed to the spirit pool behind the hall to wash himself.

“Ah... how refreshing. It’s been ages since I’ve felt this way.”

Fan Qiuming lounged in the spirit pool, stark naked, seizing the opportunity to swallow a few more Body Tempering Pills, hoping to strengthen himself as much as possible.

He had no idea how much time had passed when Shangguan Wanwan finally opened her eyes. In the divine ruins, the sun was already setting.

“No wonder those masters in novels can meditate for years or even decades. It really does take that long,” she mused. “Where’s Fan Qiuming?”

She noticed he was no longer beside her and stood up to search. Cautiously, she made her way to the back of the hall and found him in the spirit pool.

He was still soaking in the water, and when she saw he was wearing nothing at all, she quickly covered her eyes, her face instantly flushing crimson. Yet she couldn’t help peeking through her fingers.

“Wow! Such fair skin, and those muscles—what perfect lines! And his face... so handsome,” she thought to herself.

Just then, Fan Qiuming opened his eyes and, quite naturally, stood up and stretched.

Shangguan Wanwan instantly ducked behind a pillar, steam nearly rising from her head, her cheeks so red it seemed they might bleed.

“I saw it... I saw everything... so big...”

Fan Qiuming, meanwhile, hadn’t noticed her presence. After all, this floating island was his domain; he saw no reason to use his spiritual sense. He took out his sword robe from his storage ring and put it on, instantly transforming his appearance into that of a refined, ancient gentleman.

His physique had improved dramatically. Though his skin looked as soft and fair as a baby’s, he was now confident that even if Yu Wenhao tried to strike him, he wouldn’t bother dodging.

As he prepared to return to the hall, he caught sight of Shangguan Wanwan hiding behind a pillar, her face still bright red. He couldn’t help but wonder, “Did she just see everything...?”

He immediately activated the All-Seeing Pearl in his left eye—a miraculous artifact crafted from the mouth, eyes, tongue, and spirit of a mythic beast. Its golden iris revealed everything about Shangguan Wanwan, her status appearing before him like streaming bullet comments.

Name: Shangguan Wanwan
Gender: Female
Status: Shy, infatuated
Danger level: Virtually none
...

“Damn... she really did see everything!” he thought, his own face flushing with embarrassment.

He coughed twice on purpose. “What are you doing here?”

“N-nothing! I just got here, and I didn’t see anything, I swear!” she stammered, her cheeks still burning.

Fan Qiuming was now almost certain she had seen, but there was nothing to be done—he couldn’t very well erase her memory.

“So, how does it feel? Taking your first step into cultivation?” he quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on the awkwardness.

“I-it feels... wonderful.”

“If you’d like, you can stay in the divine ruins a couple more days and continue to advance. Outside, spiritual energy is scarce. You have a good foundation, so you can skip most of the body tempering phase.”

Fan Qiuming patiently explained the various matters she should be mindful of: overcoming inner demons, ensuring her body was free of hidden injuries, and so on.

Friday morning...

Fan Qiuming opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. He sprang up from the ground, flexed his fists, and casually punched at a nearby tree. Even without making contact, the force of his fist set the tree trembling.

Such power, even with a casual blow! If he fought seriously, he could easily defeat two Dongfang Jingmings at once.

“I’ve reached the peak of Body Tempering. I could break through to Qi Refining at any time, but I’ll consolidate my progress first.”

“It’s been five days since I left. I wonder how Fan Qiulin is doing.”

He looked out over the tranquil island below.

“Friday already? Time flies!” Shangguan Wanwan joined him, now dressed in a fresh set of clothes—taken from Fan Qiuming’s storage ring, though she had no idea why he owned women’s sword robes.

“This is the most beautiful divine ruin I’ve ever seen.”

“Come on, it’s time to go,” Fan Qiuming said, turning to leave. Shangguan Wanwan followed close behind.

“So, what are your plans? Heading back to your family?”

She shook her head. “I’m not going home until summer break ends. It’s so boring there—nothing but martial arts and classes every day.”

“You have classes? Which university?” Fan Qiuming was a bit surprised to learn she attended school too.

“I thought your family members didn’t bother with school, just inherited the family business.”

“How could we survive if no one managed the family’s businesses? Someone has to operate outside the clan. As for university? I’m at Shenghua, about to start my sophomore year.”

“I see... Wait, you’re at Shenghua too? How come I’ve never heard of you?”

“With your looks, I’d think you’d be famous on campus,” Fan Qiuming mused, searching his memories but finding no trace of her.

“Oh, that’s because I took a leave of absence my entire freshman year to train at home for family reasons. It’s normal you haven’t heard of me,” she replied, sticking out her tongue playfully, an impish charm lighting her features.

“Besides, it doesn’t really matter if I go to classes. For us clan kids, Shenghua is just for appearances—grades and diplomas don’t mean much.”

She seemed to know what he was about to ask and answered before he could.

“Having a family behind you is nice,” Fan Qiuming thought, feeling a tinge of complexity. A family could be both a source of freedom and a shackle; one could be sacrificed for the family’s interests at any moment—just like the recent struggle for the divine ruins.

They talked about many things as they walked: hopes, dreams, the future...

Once outside the divine ruins, the mist in Wutong Mountain had dissipated, and everything returned to normal. The first thing Fan Qiuming did was take out the core of the ruins and absorb the entrance back into it.

“At last, you’ve come out! I’ve been waiting forever!” came a voice from behind. It was Ximen Wending, his clothes in tatters, his body covered in wounds—he looked like a beggar.

“You set me up. Very clever,” he said, trembling with rage, fists clenched so tightly his nails dug into his palms. He looked half-mad.

“You filthy pair, I’ll see you both dead...” he shouted, charging at them, swinging a punch at Fan Qiuming’s face.

Fan Qiuming casually raised his right hand and caught the fist with ease, even stifling a yawn.

“Come on, you’re really weak.”

“You... impossible...” Ximen Wending stared in disbelief. He’d always held the upper hand against Dongfang Jingming, and just days ago, both Fan Qiuming and Shangguan Wanwan had fled from him. There was no reason he shouldn’t be able to defeat them now. Did they encounter some miraculous fortune inside the ruins?

“What’s impossible?” Fan Qiuming retorted, increasing his grip. Ximen Wending’s fist creaked under the pressure.

“Ahhh... let go!” Ximen Wending screamed, pain twisting his face.

“Let go, you bastard!”

“Let go? Just because you ask? Where’s my dignity?” Fan Qiuming only tightened his grip until Ximen Wending’s hand was completely deformed before finally releasing him.

“I’ll spare your life this time. Don’t come looking for trouble again. Get lost...” he said coldly, ignoring the kneeling, broken Ximen Wending and heading down the mountain, Shangguan Wanwan following close behind.

“You’re really just going to let him go?” she asked.

“Let it go. One should show mercy when possible, and besides, he helped delay Dongfang Jingming for us. He can keep his life.” Fan Qiuming thought it over. He had no real grudge against Ximen Wending—he’d only been tricked because of his own actions.

“I’m heading home now. Do you have a place to stay in Peng City?” Fan Qiuming asked her.

“No, I’ve been staying in hotels. My family has no business in Peng City, so we have no property here—only in Jinling and the Magic City...”

“Why not come to my place? I have a spare room. Besides, my cat can dance,” Fan Qiuming said, arching his eyebrow playfully.

“Sure, sure!” She agreed instantly, excited at the prospect of seeing a dancing cat—definitely not because he personally invited her. Definitely not.

“I’m home!” Fan Qiuming announced as he opened his door, but Fan Qiulin seemed to be out.

“Qiulin? Not here? Maybe she’s next door?”

He searched everywhere, but there was no sign of her. Given her mobility issues, she was unlikely to have gone far—she must be at Cat Shiyi’s house.

“Take a look around! I’m going to find my sister,” he called to Shangguan Wanwan and headed to Cat Shiyi’s door.

Knock, knock, knock...

“Coming!” came a sweet voice from inside. After a minute, the door opened.

“Shiyi, you’re back early today!” Qiulin said, but was stunned when she saw him.

“What’s wrong, spent five days with her and forgot your own brother?” Fan Qiuming teased, a hint of jealousy in his tone.

“Brother? You’re back?”

“Or am I dreaming?” he said, bending over to ruffle her face.

Qiulin, sitting in her wheelchair, hugged him around the waist.

“You’re finally back, brother!”

“Why are you so much paler... and more handsome? Did you secretly get plastic surgery without telling me?” Her thought process was still as quirky as ever—she was definitely his sister.

“And your clothes—did you travel to another world or something?”

“It’s a long story. How about you? How have you been these days? What have you been up to?” Fan Qiuming asked, eager for news.

“I’ve been helping Shiyi with her livestreams. Oh! Brother, come see—her fans are so enthusiastic!” She dragged him into the room.

Fan Qiuming was baffled. “Livestream? What kind of livestream?”

He found himself pulled in front of a camera.

His impression of livestreaming was limited to gaming or female streamers doing whatever it took to attract viewers. He didn’t hate it, but he wasn’t fond of it either.

But Qiulin’s livestream was just her reading books with her fans...

He couldn’t help but wonder how idle these people must be—wasn’t reading at school enough for them?

As he entered the camera’s view, the scrolling comments changed abruptly.

“Who’s that guy? Qiulin’s boyfriend? My heart is broken...”

“He’s a little handsome, but not as handsome as me.”

“Get real, the guy above!”

“Handsome enough to attract women, but too handsome and you attract men too!”

“Am I the ‘male crush’ myself?”

“Is the male crush right beside me?”