The Union

Han Li felt he had been having an extremely beautiful, extremely sensual spring dream. In the dream, he and a passionate, fiery woman whose face he could never quite make out had been tangled in ecstasy for a long time, allowing him to taste a woman's sweetness and softness for the first time. The woman demanded again and again, seemingly insatiable, plunging him deep into a gentle, tender trap from which he could not escape.

But no matter how beautiful a spring dream is, it always has a moment of waking. Han Li did not know how much time had passed before he finally stirred from the reverie.

When he opened his eyes, however, the first thing he saw was a face of breathtaking beauty and a pair of eyes as cold as frost. The face was both strange and familiar, and Han Li’s heart sank with a heavy thud.

"You're awake," the young woman, who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen, said flatly, her voice utterly devoid of emotion. A chill crept up Han Li’s spine.

Speaking of a chill, Han Li realized he was completely naked, pressed tightly against the same unclothed beauty.

The woman clearly sensed Han Li’s reaction. Her face flushed crimson for a moment, but then her delicate brows furrowed, her jade-like face instantly covered with a layer of frost, and she spat coldly:

"Haven't you had enough? Take your filthy hands off me. Now!"

Startled, Han Li instinctively withdrew his arms and released her.

As soon as she was free, the great beauty quickly pushed herself up with one hand, her curvaceous body rising from Han Li’s embrace.

But the moment her slender waist straightened, she let out an "Ah!" of pain, her face contorting. Her body swayed, and she tumbled back into Han Li’s arms, letting him once again taste the sensation of holding jade-soft flesh.

Han Li did not consider himself a petty man, but he certainly did not claim to be a gentleman.

So, when the beauty fell into his arms again, his mind now clear, he did not stand on ceremony. He wrapped both arms around her, pressing her tightly against him, and gently kissed her tempting, delicate lips. The reprimand she had been about to utter died in her throat, strangled by surprise. Under his passionate kiss, her furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and her mind began to drift.

What followed was a natural progression.

In silence, Han Li and the woman once more tasted the intoxicating pleasure of a man and a woman. This time, their shared experience was far more intoxicating than the half-awake blur that had come before. It made them both more intoxicated, more wild, more lost to themselves.

Now, the peerless beauty lay with her eyes closed, her head pillowed on Han Li’s chest. Her cheeks were flushed, and her chest rose and fell unevenly, showing she had not yet recovered from the immense stimulation.

Neither knew how much time passed before the beautiful woman’s breathing finally steadied. Her complexion returned to normal, and she gently opened her eyes.

Without saying a word to Han Li, she immediately brushed aside his mischievous hand, which was still wandering over her body, and stood up with a cold demeanor. She walked toward a storage pouch lying not far away. Han Li was momentarily stunned but hesitated and did not stop her.

The woman took a set of pure white robes from the pouch and quietly dressed herself. In no time, she was fully attired, and her entire aura transformed. She now appeared dignified and regal. She turned back to look at Han Li and was taken aback.

Han Li was already standing fully dressed not far behind her, watching her with a soft, appreciative gaze. It stirred something in her heart, a strange, unfamiliar feeling.

"You surely know who I am. What happened between us was nothing but a mistake. Treat it as a dream," the woman said, casually tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I know," Han Li replied calmly after a moment of silence, rubbing his nose.

"If a third person ever learns of what happened today, I will kill you," the beauty suddenly said, her tone cold.

"I will keep my mouth shut. If any rumors spread, you can kill me then," Han Li said with a faint smile, his voice warm.

"Hmph! See that you do." The woman felt a flicker of irritation rather than satisfaction that Han Li had agreed so readily. Her tone grew even more hostile.

After she said this, the two of them stood in a silent stalemate. Neither spoke another word.

Although the woman was a Core Formation cultivator, she had spent her entire life in cultivation. When it came to matters between men and women, she was not much more experienced than an ordinary young girl. So, even though she had instinctively forced Han Li to swear secrecy, her heart was still a mess of turmoil, unsure of how to face the situation.

Han Li was not much better off. He had never imagined that his first intimate encounter would be with a Core Formation female cultivator, and a peerless beauty at that. She was a far cry from the gentle, mild-mannered girl of his imagination. He could only laugh bitterly to himself, wondering if this encounter was a blessing or a curse.

Regardless, Han Li could tell that the woman had not developed the malicious thought of killing him to silence him. This relieved him and stirred a flicker of goodwill toward the great beauty with whom he had shared a physical bond. But it was only goodwill. If she did decide to turn hostile and strike, Han Li estimated he would not go down without a fight.

"What exactly was that orb that caused us to…?" Han Li finally broke the silence but trailed off before finishing. He was confident she would understand his meaning.

"That was the Ink Flood Dragon's Lust Sac. I didn't expect the beast to be a rare male, and it slipped my mind. The sac is filled with an aphrodisiacal mist that erupts upon contact with any female," the beauty said, a hint of a blush rising on her cheeks as she remembered touching the orb and causing it to burst.

"I see." Han Li finally understood. The mystery in his mind was solved.

"Then why has your appearance changed from before?"

"I practice a unique technique called the Maiden Rebirth Art. It's a wondrous method that preserves one’s youthful appearance, but every few decades, it undergoes a cycle of rebirth. When my cultivation recycles, my body reverts to its younger form. But after what happened between us, the technique was temporarily disrupted, and I grew a bit older," the woman explained, her tone dismissive.

"Will you be alright?" Han Li asked before he could stop himself.

"I'm fine. My technique has reached a high level. Even breaking my virgin's seal only cost me five or six years of cultivation. It's nothing to me." The woman looked at Han Li with a complex expression and spoke coldly.

Han Li fell silent. He knew she still harbored considerable resentment over losing her purity to him. He could only suffer in silence.

The woman did indeed feel deeply wronged.

She had stolen another glance at him and confirmed that this Yellow Maple Valley disciple was utterly ordinary, both in appearance and talent. There was nothing remarkable about him. That someone like this had taken her maidenhead was a bitter pill for her proud heart to swallow.

But when she thought of killing him to vent her frustration, she felt a pang of reluctance. He was, after all, the man who had taken her virginity. She felt something strange toward him, a mix of anger and hatred.

"What time is it now? It hasn't passed the five-day deadline for returning, has it?" Han Li suddenly remembered something and said, unable to hide his alarm.

The woman, whose mind had been in turmoil, was also startled by his words. But she quickly calmed herself and said coolly, "It hasn't been that long. The Ink Flood Dragon's aphrodisiac mist has a very low sedative content. At most, we've been unconscious for five or six hours."

"But if we want to get out, we need to prepare immediately. This forbidden ground is not easy to leave," the woman added, frowning.

"Before that, I'll be taking this golden treasure chest. You have no objections, do you?" The woman cast a cold glance at Han Li and spoke, her lips slightly parted.

Han Li smiled bitterly. Even though he couldn't sense her exact cultivation level, it was definitely above Foundation Establishment. How could he dare fight her for a treasure?

Seeing that Han Li remained silent, the woman let out a cold laugh. She leaped toward the white jade pavilion, smoothly retrieved the golden chest into her storage pouch, and flew back to Han Li's side.

"What about those spirit herbs?" Han Li asked curiously, noticing she hadn't picked them.

"I have no need for them. If you like, take them all." The woman glanced at him and said impatiently.

Hearing this, Han Li was overjoyed. He had been worrying about having too few herbs to hand over to his sect after leaving the forbidden land, which might arouse suspicion. Without any hesitation, he rushed over and, in the blink of an eye, gathered several dozen stalks.

The woman watched his actions coldly from where she stood, saying nothing. When Han Li returned, she finally spoke, her tone serious:

"We need to break the restriction and leave this place. This will require the combined efforts of both of us. Neither of us can leave here alive alone…"

(End of this chapter)