Han Li felt as though he was having an exceptionally vivid and sensuous dream. In this dream, he was with a peerless beauty whose passion was like fire, yet whose exquisite face he could never quite see clearly. Together, they engaged in an extended and passionate embrace, and for the first time, he tasted the sweetness and tenderness of a woman. The woman seemed insatiably hungry, demanding more and more, plunging him deep into a realm of tender pleasure from which he could not extricate himself.
However, no matter how wonderful a dream may be, there always comes a moment of awakening. After an indeterminate amount of time, Han Li finally stirred from his amorous dream.
But when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an extraordinarily beautiful face and a pair of eyes as cold and pure as snow. The face was both unfamiliar and familiar, causing his heart to clench and plummet.
"You're awake!" The young woman, who appeared to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, said in a flat, emotionless tone. Her words carried not a trace of feeling, sending a chill down Han Li's spine.
Speaking of the chill, Han Li then realized he was completely naked, tightly embracing this equally nude beauty. The sensation of her exceptionally soft and supple breasts against his skin sent a jolt through his mind, and he felt a stirring below, pressing against her shapely backside.
The woman clearly sensed Han Li's physical reaction. Her face flushed crimson, but then her willow-leaf brows immediately knitted together in anger, and her beautiful face was instantly covered in frost. She spoke in an icy tone:
"Enough! Take your dirty paws off me and let go right now!"
Startled, Han Li instinctively retracted his hands and released the woman.
The stunning beauty, upon being freed, quickly pushed herself up with one hand. Her curvaceous body immediately rose from Han Li's embrace.
However, the moment her slender waist straightened, she let out a sharp cry of pain, her beautiful face losing all color. She swayed and collapsed back into Han Li's arms, once again bestowing upon him the taste of holding soft jade in his embrace.
Han Li did not consider himself a petty man, but neither did he consider himself a gentleman.
So when the beauty fell into his arms again, now fully awake, he no longer held back. He wrapped both arms around her, pulling her tight against him, and gently pressed his lips to her alluring, rose-red mouth. The words she had been about to shout were caught in her throat, and under Han Li's passionate kiss, her brows gradually softened, and she became lost in a daze of pleasure.
What followed was only natural!
Han Li and the woman, without a word, once again tasted the exquisite pleasure of union between man and woman. This experience was far more intoxicating than their previous half-conscious encounter, making them even more intoxicated, frenzied, and lost to all sense.
However, as the woman had only recently lost her virginity, she soon could not endure Han Li's vigorous ministrations and began to plead for mercy. But Han Li, consumed by desire, had no thought for tenderness or pity. He indulged himself fully upon her body before finally bringing the stormy session to a satisfied end.
Now, the stunning beauty lay with her eyes tightly closed, her head pillowed on Han Li's chest. Her cheeks were flushed crimson, and her soft breasts rose and fell irregularly—she had clearly not yet recovered from the immense stimulation. Han Li had one arm wrapped around her, while his other hand ceaselessly caused trouble upon her plump and rounded curves, still savoring the experience.
After an indeterminate time, the beautiful woman's breathing finally steadied, and her complexion returned to normal. She gently opened her eyes.
This time, she did not say a single word to Han Li. She immediately pushed away his wandering hand, rose with a cold expression, and walked toward a storage pouch nearby. Han Li was momentarily stunned, hesitated for a moment, but did not stop her.
The woman took a set of pure white robes from the storage pouch and dressed herself gracefully. In a short while, she was fully attired, her entire bearing transforming to appear elegant and noble. She then turned to glance at Han Li, only to freeze in surprise.
Because Han Li was already standing a short distance behind her, fully dressed, watching her with a gentle and appreciative gaze. This made her heart skip a beat, and a strange feeling stirred within her.
"You know who I am, so I won't bother explaining! What happened between us today was just a mistake! Let's just consider it a dream!" The woman lightly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and said in a detached tone.
"I understand!" After a moment of silence, Han Li rubbed his nose and replied calmly.
"If what happened today ever reaches a third person's ears, I will kill you!" the stunning beauty suddenly declared in a cold voice.
"I will keep my lips sealed. If any rumors spread, you have my permission to kill me," Han Li said with a faint smile, his voice gentle.
"Hmph! As long as you understand!" Seeing that Han Li had agreed to everything without hesitation, the woman felt not the slightest happiness but rather a surge of annoyance. Her tone grew even more unfriendly.
After these words, the woman and Han Li fell into a stiff silence, neither speaking another word.
Although the woman was a Core Formation stage cultivator, she had spent her entire life in cultivation since childhood. Her understanding of matters between men and women was no different from that of an ordinary young girl. So although she subconsciously knew she had to keep this matter secret, her heart was in turmoil, unsure of how to face Han Li.
Han Li was no better off. He had never imagined that the first woman he would share an intimate relationship with would be a Core Formation female cultivator—and a peerless beauty at that. She was utterly unlike the gentle, modest woman he had always envisioned. He could only laugh bitterly to himself, wondering whether this amorous encounter would prove to be a blessing or a curse.
But regardless, Han Li could see that the woman had no intention of killing him to silence him. This brought him a measure of relief, and he found himself developing quite a bit of fondness for this beauty with whom he had shared a husband-and-wife experience. However, it was merely fondness—if she decided to turn on him again, Han Li was certain he would not simply stand there and await his death!
"That round ball... what exactly was it? How did it cause us to..." Han Li was the first to break the silence, but he trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. However, he believed the other party should understand what he meant.
"That was the Ink Dragon's lust-sac. I never expected that creature to be a rare male dragon. In a moment of carelessness, I forgot about this fact! That sac is filled with aphrodisiac mist, which immediately erupts upon contact with any female." As she spoke, a faint blush rose on the woman's face, remembering how she had touched the object with her hand, triggering the sac's explosion.
"So that's how it is!"
Han Li's puzzlement was finally resolved.
"Then, your current appearance—why are you different from before..."
"The technique I cultivate is the exclusive Yin Maiden Reincarnation Art. Although this technique is extraordinary and can preserve one's youthful appearance forever, it undergoes a reincarnation cycle every several decades. When the technique's power reincarnates, the person naturally reverts to a younger form. But after what happened between us, the technique was partially disrupted, so I've returned to an older form!" After a moment of silence, the woman gave Han Li a casual explanation.
"Will you be all right?" Han Li asked, unable to stop himself from expressing his concern.
"I'll be fine. My technique has reached great completion. Even losing my virginity only costs me five or six years of cultivation power—nothing significant to me!" The woman looked at Han Li with a complex expression and said coldly.
Hearing this, Han Li fell silent, knowing that the woman still harbored considerable resentment over losing her virginity to him. He could only face it with silence.
The woman did indeed feel very aggrieved.
She had secretly studied him again and confirmed once more that this disciple of the Yellow Maple Valley was utterly ordinary in both appearance and talent, with nothing remarkable about him whatsoever. Yet she had actually become intimate with such a man. How could this not be deeply frustrating for her, who had always been so proud?
But as for killing him to vent her anger... she found herself strangely reluctant. After all, he was the man who had taken her virginity, and she could not help but feel a certain strange connection to him. This made her simultaneously angry and resentful toward Han Li!
"What time is it now? We haven't missed the five-day return deadline, have we?" Han Li suddenly remembered something and blurted out involuntarily.
The woman, who had been in a state of agitation, was startled by his words but quickly composed herself. She said calmly:
"It couldn't have been that long. The Ink Dragon's aphrodisiac mist contains very little sedative component. We were unconscious for five or six hours at most."
"But if we're going to leave, we need to prepare immediately. This restricted area isn't easy to escape from," the woman said, furrowing her brows slightly.
"However, before that—I'll be taking this golden treasure chest. You have no objections, do you?" The woman gave Han Li a cold look and said, her rosy lips slightly parted.
Han Li gave a bitter smile. Although he could not sense the depth of the woman's cultivation power at the moment, it was certainly above the Foundation Establishment stage. How could he dare to fight her for treasure?
Seeing that Han Li remained silent, the woman let out a cold laugh. She then flew toward the white jade pavilion, effortlessly placing the golden chest into her storage pouch before flying back to Han Li's side.
"Those spiritual herbs...!" Han Li noticed that the woman had not gathered any of the spiritual herbs and asked, somewhat puzzled.
"I have no need for them. If you want them, take them all!" The woman glanced at Han Li and said dismissively.
Hearing this, Han Li was overjoyed. He had been worried about not having enough spiritual herbs to present to his sect upon leaving the restricted area, fearing it would arouse suspicion. Without any courtesy, he immediately dashed over and in the blink of an eye, harvested dozens of spiritual herbs.
The woman stood where she was, watching Han Li's actions with cold indifference, not saying a word. After Han Li returned with the herbs, she finally spoke with solemn gravity:
"To break the restriction and leave this place, the two of us must work together. It cannot be done by either of us alone..."