Chapter 9: [Only Seeking Self-Preservation]

"Telling me to come find you at the third watch tonight..."

This sentence lingered in his mind like a demonic incantation. Liu Xiahuai shook his head, standing on the glazed tiles as he gazed at the pale blue barrier surrounding Gu Man's room.

He had actually come, as if possessed by spirits. One must know that intruding into a woman's boudoir at midnight meant taking responsibility for her reputation.

Though it seemed a certain someone wouldn't give him that chance.

As expected of the Prime Minister, doting on his daughter to the point of obsession. Someone at Gu Man's Foundation Establishment stage would probably never know that three layers of barriers had been set up outside her boudoir.

Each barrier had been laid with the full power of a cultivator at the Illusory Spirit stage. It seemed Gu Chengfeng's cultivation was only at the middle of the Illusory Spirit stage.

For someone like him, on the verge of breaking through to the upper Illusory Spirit stage, there was no technical difficulty—it would just take some time.

"Huff... huff..."

"Ah-choo..."

Before Liu Xiahuai's fingers even touched the door, he heard the breathing from inside, and dark lines instantly slid down his forehead.

What exactly did this woman take him for? She summoned him, yet slept like a pig!

Since he had already set up a new barrier outside, Liu Xiahuai kicked the door open without hesitation. The noise startled Gu Man into bolting upright, her eyes hazy. "Who—who—"

"What do you think?"

Liu Xiahuai walked over with a dark expression, picked up a fire striker from the table, and lit the candle.

Only then did Gu Man see clearly that it was Liu Xiahuai. She instantly perked up, rubbed her eyes, tumbled off the bed, and scurried over to sit before him, grinning like an idiot.

"I knew you'd come."

"You..." Catching sight of the expansive spring scenery at her chest, Liu Xiahuai cut off his words and hastily averted his face, barking, "Hurry up and put your clothes on!"

Gu Man glanced down at her unfastened button, instantly understanding. She laughed rudely, "You're too pure. It's just one button."

Then she recalled that masked man in the Magic Beast Forest—that guy had rudely enjoyed her "delicacies," simply a giant pervert!

"If you don't put them on, I'm leaving!"

As Liu Xiahuai moved to stand, she excitedly grabbed him and pulled him close, accidentally pressing their noses together...

"You came all this way, why leave..."

"Of course it wasn't easy!!!" Recalling how he'd nearly suffered barrier backlash when breaking through, Liu Xiahuai's already iron-green face darkened further.

So scary...

She hadn't expected this Liu Xiahuai to be a smiling tiger—terrifying when angry. Seeing his expression remain unyielding, Gu Man could only release him. Like a puppy scolded by its master, she rolled back to her nest, found a piece of clothing, and threw it on.

Only when she had wrapped herself up tightly did Liu Xiahuai's taut nerves relax.

Just now, her warm breath had brushed his face, and he'd nearly lost control—nearly let her know the consequences of such unintentional temptation.

"Good now?" Gu Man spun around, confirming that besides her face, almost no other part of her was exposed to the air.

"Mm."

Seeing Liu Xiahuai still looking serious, Gu Man didn't dare joke further and cut straight to the point.

"Actually, I asked you here today because I want you to help me cultivate spells. For so many years I've been stuck at Foundation Establishment with no breakthrough. I refuse to believe I was born a waste."

After Liu Xiahuai left this afternoon, Gu Man had indirectly learned quite a bit from Xiaolan.

Turns out her inability to cultivate spells was because she couldn't form a Yuan Shen. Only with an independent Yuan Shen could one completely shed the animal body and become a "human."

Her two sisters, Gu Yifang and Gu Wanrou, had both formed their Yuan Shen by age seven and had now entered the next stage, Refining Spirit.

After Refining Spirit came Illusory Spirit. Each stage had early, middle, and late phases. Legend said only an extremely small number of people on the entire Tianyao Continent could break through Illusory Spirit to the next stage, Flying Spirit.

So far, besides the legendary Seven Young Masters spoken of in myths, there was only the Emperor of Tianyao.

She didn't need to be a genius—she just wanted to reach Refining Spirit. Otherwise, anyone on this continent could casually crush her to death.

Thinking this, Gu Man looked at the white-clad man before her, her eyes unconsciously filling with gratitude.

If he hadn't stayed by her side all these years, she couldn't have run rampant in Tianfang City for so long.

"I'll do whatever you ask, but this one thing I cannot help you with!"

"Why can't you help me?"