Chapter 89

He could only watch her from afar, unable to offer any help.

Once it began, it could not be ended. To onlookers, it seemed like just a short moment, but to the person involved, it was a long and arduous ordeal. The essence of vitality condensed into a Dao embryo, the mind and spirit were exhausted, followed by surging blood and qi, illusions clouding the eyes, and heart demons rising one after another. Once the true heart was lost, one would fall into the abyss, becoming a mere walking corpse.

If he really wanted to help her, it wasn't impossible. There were methods to calm the mind and spirit, elixirs, places rich in essence and qi, and the full support of teachers. But none of these were accessible to Wei Shizheng, and relying on external forces was not beneficial for the formation of a Dao embryo. Only by enduring hardships could one stabilize the Dao heart. Taking shortcuts was ultimately a great taboo in cultivation.

The Dao embryo stage was just the beginning.

How far could Qin Zhen go on this path? Wei Shizheng was worried, but also somewhat hopeful. Immortal Cloud Peak was just a stepping stone. He had connected with Ruan Jing, broadening his horizons beyond the confines of Immortal Capital. Being alone was too lonely, and he hoped to have someone by his side.

Qin Zhen's expression changed constantly, gradually becoming calm. Her breathing became long and deep, almost imperceptible. Sweat beads formed on her temples, and her body relaxed, swaying as if about to fall. Wei Shizheng quickly stepped forward to support her. Suddenly, Qin Zhen opened her eyes. Whether it was an illusion or not, he saw a faint red light flash and then disappear, her eyes still as clear as water.

She reached out to touch his cheek, but her arm felt heavy, as if weighed down by a thousand pounds. Wei Shizheng grabbed her hand and pressed it to his cheek, saying, "It's okay now, I'm back."

Qin Zhen's face lit up with a joyful smile, but she was still uneasy. "I just tried it casually, and it... seemed to work! Senior Brother, I'm tired... I want to sleep for a while..." She slowly leaned into Wei Shizheng's embrace, closed her eyes, and fell into a deep, contented sleep.

Although the Yin-Yang Ridge had a more concentrated fire qi, which was helpful for forming a Dao embryo, it was still incomparable to the Ghost Gate Abyss. The fact that she could break through the Dao embryo stage with just a casual attempt was unbelievable. But considering Qin Zhen's talent, it wasn't surprising that everything went smoothly. The gap between people was as vast as the stars in the sky.

He waved his hand, signaling the blue wolf to move away and not disturb them. The blue wolf slunk away, puzzled as to why they needed to be alone.

Qin Zhen's body was light and soft, almost weightless. She was a bit slender, her figure not fully developed. She curled up in his arms, her thumb in her mouth, looking innocent and endearing. In this world, a young girl didn't need red wine, Western cuisine, roses, or perfume. She didn't need romance or surprises. She was entirely devoted to him, her heart pure like a blank sheet of paper, as clear as a mountain spring, living and stopping as she pleased. All he needed to do was stay by her side, never leaving her.

Wei Shizheng liked this feeling very much.

Duty and responsibility were not the same as affection. At the core, affection was just a feeling. He felt a bit soft-hearted and a bit moved.

In the world he used to live in, pure feelings were rare. More often, they were transactions, intentional or unintentional. Romance and surprises were like sweet sugarcoats, but beneath them, youth and bodies were traded for money, power, and protection, for success, for the satisfaction of desires, for the envy of others, and for self-approval.

Holding the sleeping junior sister in his arms, Wei Shizheng thought a lot.

He was just thinking. When the junior sister woke up, they would have to face many impure things—choices, balances, calculations, deceptions, and killings. But it didn't matter. At this moment, he was detached from the world, belonging only to himself.

A brief comfort was enough to support him in facing this cold world.

Qin Zhen slept for about half an hour, slowly waking up. She felt her senior brother's warmth, her eyelashes trembling, unwilling to open her eyes. Time passed slowly, and Wei Shizheng looked down at her small face, his gaze intense, making her cheeks flush.

She finally couldn't bear it, wriggling out of his embrace and sitting beside him. She used her fingers to tidy her disheveled hair, tilting her head and asking, "Did I sleep for a long time?"

"Not really, just a while. Are you very tired?"

"A little. Senior Brother, I didn't wait for you; I formed a Dao embryo."

Wei Shizheng countered, "How do you know?"

Qin Zhen was momentarily speechless, hesitating for a moment before reciting, "Introducing the essence of vitality from the posterior heaven acupoint into the dantian, condensing it into a drop of mysterious essence, nurturing and strengthening it, that is the Dao embryo."

She paused, pointing to her flat abdomen, "It's right here, I can feel it."

Wei Shizheng placed his hand on her abdomen and asked, "What is the Dao embryo?"

Qin Zhen held her breath, feeling waves of heat, her heart racing, her body weakening, and a strange feeling rising in her heart. The Dao embryo in her dantian also throbbed weakly.

Wei Shizheng just covered her abdomen, feeling through her clothes the changes in her body. He found her reaction too strong and couldn't sense the Dao embryo, so he let go.

"It's like a drop of water, a part of the body, very mysterious," Qin Zhen explained with a red face, finally shaking her head, "I can't really explain it clearly..."

"Like a drop of water?" Wei Shizheng was taken aback, his mind stirring. The demon core in his dantian rotated, rapidly expanding and melting into a pea-sized water droplet. With another thought, the water droplet collapsed inward, solidifying again into a small demon core, as if controlled by his will.

"Ha ha..." He couldn't help but laugh, "In that case, I've also formed a Dao embryo!"

Qin Zhen jumped up, her face full of shock, "Senior Brother, you... you..."

"Just like you, I accidentally formed a Dao embryo."

Qin Zhen hugged his arm, her joy indescribable. They had finally taken this step together, becoming inner disciples of Immortal Capital, able to be together day and night. This was her long-cherished wish.

She suddenly remembered something, her smile fading as she bit her lip and asked, "Senior Brother, what were you worried about before?"

Wei Shizheng poked her nose with his finger, half-jokingly and half-seriously, "You know I practice the Moon Howl Technique, a body-cultivation method originating from the demon race. Forming a Dao embryo is extremely dangerous. A slight mistake could lead to the loss of reason, turning one into a violent, bloodthirsty monster. I was always worried... that I might hurt you."

Qin Zhen muttered, "Forming a Dao embryo is inherently dangerous, I know that..."

Wei Shizheng didn't let her dwell on it, saying, "Let's go, it's time to return to Heavenly Capital Peak. We've been here for about three years. It's time to see who stays and who leaves, both in the inner and outer sects."

The sunset filled the sky, the clouds like brocade. The two walked side by side on their way back.

(End of Chapter 1)

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