Yang Kai retrieved the incense burner, lit the exotic incense, and sat cross-legged at the cave entrance, cultivating the True Yang Technique.
Although the best way to obtain Yang Liquid was to directly consume yang-attribute spirit fruits or absorb the energy within Yangyan Stones, Yang Kai still needed to cultivate the True Yang Technique.
He intended to use the exotic incense's effect to suppress the circulation speed of the True Yang Technique, allowing his internal Yuan Qi to grow accustomed to the incense's restraint.
That way, when the time came to fight, his Yuan Qi would circulate far more rapidly, and his combat power would rise accordingly.
Suppression now meant explosive power when it mattered later.
Yang Kai cultivated for a full two days straight. Apart from occasionally adding herbs to the incense burner, he hadn't moved at all.
His internal Yuan Qi increased only marginally, and circulating the True Yang Technique was agonizingly difficult, but he bore it all with a willing heart.
The only problem was that whenever he circulated the True Yang Technique, he couldn't help but recall Su Yan's face. And whenever he thought of her, he remembered everything that had happened in the great hall — the warm, damp skin as smooth and delicate as the finest silk.
That was strange. Why did he keep thinking about these things? Yang Kai was utterly baffled. Was he really some kind of lecher who couldn't control himself once his inhibitions were broken?
That shouldn't be the case. When it came to willpower, Yang Kai was quite confident. Unable to figure out the reason, he could only try his best to keep his thoughts from wandering.
Two days later, late at night, Yang Kai was meditating when his eyes suddenly snapped open. He cocked his ear and listened carefully for a long while, a strange expression flickering across his face.
He had just heard what sounded like a fight coming from above, followed by a startled cry.
The cry rang faintly familiar, but he hadn't caught it clearly enough.
While he was still hesitating, small pebbles began trickling down in front of him.
Yang Kai's expression turned cold, and he immediately went on alert.
These falling pebbles could only mean someone was climbing down from above.
His cave dwelling had only been established for two days — how could someone have already found it? And who could it be?
But as the commotion overhead grew louder, Yang Kai's wariness gradually faded, replaced by a surge of wild elation.
He couldn't explain why, but he could feel that the visitor was Su Yan. The restless Yuan Qi and the quickening of his blood told him so.
Perhaps it was because of the Hehuan Technique. Their previous dual cultivation had fused their Yuan Qi, and it was precisely this bond that allowed them to sense each other when in close proximity.
Wasn't it supposed to happen only once a month? They had only been apart for ten days, yet she had already come to find him. A peculiar smile crept onto Yang Kai's face.
He sent a mental command to the Earth Demon, telling it not to return for now. Then he gazed at the cave entrance with eyes full of anticipation.
Moments later, a slender figure in white drifted gracefully inside.
Before she even touched the ground, Yang Kai reached out and pulled her into his embrace.
Su Yan's body was feverishly hot. Pressed against his chest, he could feel her heart pounding wildly. In the pale moonlight, he could even make out a faint blush on her face.
She still wore her hair in a married woman's bun, her appearance that of a young wife, which only made her look more mature and alluring.
Yang Kai lowered his head, about to kiss her.
"Wait." Su Yan felt the scorching heat radiating from him and, fighting the flutter in her chest, gave him a gentle push.
"What's wrong?" Yang Kai didn't force himself on her.
"I didn't come alone." Su Yan glanced at him with a slightly awkward expression.
Only then did Yang Kai notice that she was still holding someone in her hand. The person hung head-downward and hadn't moved at all — whether unconscious or otherwise, it was impossible to tell. If Su Yan hadn't pointed it out, Yang Kai wouldn't have even seen them.
"What's going on?" Yang Kai was stunned. The scene before him short-circuited his brain. Su Yan had come to find him, but she'd brought someone along?
"Do you recognize her?" Su Yan asked, biting her red lip. Her expression was a jumble of emotions — partly guilty, partly embarrassed.
"Let me see." Yang Kai reached out and lifted the person, cradling them horizontally in his arms.
"Be careful — it's a woman!" Su Yan warned with a helpless laugh.
"Oh..." Yang Kai's face flushed red. No wonder he'd felt something soft pressing against his arm — the person was a woman.
"Don't touch anywhere you shouldn't!" Su Yan shot him a reproachful glare.
Yang Kai was mortified. He hurriedly flipped the unknown woman over. Once he caught a clear look of her face, he froze as though struck by lightning, petrified on the spot.
"Junior Sister Xia?" It took him a long moment to recover enough to speak.
He had never expected that the person Su Yan had brought would turn out to be Xia Ningshang.
No wonder her silhouette had looked somewhat familiar.
Xia Ningshang's eyes were closed, and the veil still covered her face. Her breathing was steady, so she was clearly unharmed — merely unconscious.
"This... what exactly is going on?" Yang Kai simply couldn't make sense of it all. His mind was a chaotic mess.