Chapter 194: Don’t Go
Xiang Yu stared at Li Yao’s peaceful sleeping face, wondering just how much she had pushed herself that even someone of her cultivation level had fallen asleep. With her current strength, she was way past the point of requiring sleep.
"Xiang Yu, where is the Sect Master?" Elder Huang asked as she approached. She thought to herself that she had just seen the sect masters enjoying food by themselves. If the sect master didn’t pour a few drinks, would they think they were looking down on them?
Xiang Yu quickly pressed his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, his eyes darting meaningfully toward Li Yao’s still form. Elder Huang followed his gaze and immediately understood, lowering her voice.
Li Yao stirred slightly at the sound, her eyelids fluttering as if she might wake up. Both Xiang Yu and Elder Huang froze, watching nervously as her breathing deepened again and she settled back into sleep. Xiang Yu released a quiet breath of relief.
"Is she actually asleep?" Elder Huang whispered, genuine surprise coloring her voice. It was rare to see someone as powerful as Li Yao in such a vulnerable state.
"That’s right," Xiang Yu confirmed softly. "I’ll leave it to you to entertain the guests for now."
Elder Huang straightened up, placing her hand over her chest with a confident expression. "Leave it to me."
"Thank you," Xiang Yu said gratefully, then gestured toward the carefully arranged portions on the nearby table. "Your food is there, same portion as Master’s."
He then gently scooped Li Yao into a princess carry. Her head lolled against his shoulder as he balanced her weight, then reached for both their food portions with his free hand. Elder Huang watched them leave with a smile before turning to collect her own portion and Elder Guo’s.
Xiang Yu moved slowly not to wake Li Yao as he made his way to her chambers. He eased the door open with his shoulder, wincing slightly as it creaked, then padded across the room to her bed. With gentle care, he began lowering her onto the soft mattress.
Just as he was settling her down, Li Yao’s eyes suddenly snapped open, startling him.
"Senior brother?" she spoke softly, her voice thick with drowsiness.
"You’re awake?"
Li Yao quickly pushed herself up into a sitting position, running a hand through her disheveled hair. "Did I fall asleep? Sorry for causing you trouble," she said.
"It’s no problem at all," Xiang Yu replied with a gentle smile. He studied her carefully, noting that she wasn’t acting like her usual self.
"Here, eat something. It’ll make you feel better," he said, gesturing to the second-grade spiritual food he had brought.
"Okay," she agreed quietly.
Xiang Yu stood to leave, wanting to give her space to rest and recover, but her hand shot out to grasp his arm.
"Do you need something else?" he asked, turning back with concern.
"Let’s eat together," she said simply, her eyes carrying a vulnerability he rarely saw.
Xiang Yu’s expression softened. "Okay." He settled down beside her on the bed, placing his own portion on the small bedside table.
They ate in comfortable silence, the only sounds being the gentle clinking of utensils against bowls. Xiang Yu found himself stealing glances at Li Yao throughout the meal, he found her unusually quiet demeanor really hard to get used to and hoped she recovered soon.
Meanwhile, within Li Yao’s spiritual sea, the Empress stretched. "I’m finally alive again," she murmured with satisfaction. The second-grade spiritual food had worked wonders—not only had she recovered the lifespan she’d expended during the limit break, but she’d actually gained even more vitality than before.
Xiang Yu’s cooking skills seemed to have advanced yet again. Even an immortal sect would eagerly accept someone with such abilities. She couldn’t help but wonder what type of incredible inheritance he must have received to be able to reach such heights.
After finishing her meal, Li Yao leaned against Xiang Yu’s shoulder without warning.
"Yao Yao?" he called softly, but received no response.
Checking her breathing, he realized she had fallen asleep once again. With the same careful movements as before, he gently lowered her onto the bed, adjusting a pillow beneath her head and pulling a soft blanket over her sleeping form. Even though someone of Li Yao’s cultivation couldn’t get cold, right now she looked just like any ordinary girl.
As Xiang Yu turned to leave, he felt a gentle tug on his sleeve. Li Yao’s fingers had unconsciously grasped the fabric, and her lips moved in barely audible whispers.
"Don’t go. Don’t go. Please don’t go," she repeated, her expression twisted with distress even in sleep.
Xiang Yu’s heart clenched at the pitiful look on her face. She didn’t seem fully awake, but whatever she was dreaming about was clearly troubling her. Without hesitation, he sat back down on the edge of the bed, his hand moving to gently pat her head in soothing strokes.
"It’s okay, I’m here. I’m not going anywhere," he assured her in the softest voice he could manage.
Gradually, her expression relaxed under his touch, the worry lines smoothing from her face until she was sleeping peacefully once more. Xiang Yu remained there for several more minutes, continuing his gentle soothing until he was certain she was deeply asleep. Only then did he carefully extract himself from her grip and quietly left the room.
He directly made his way to the spirit vein. Once inside, he removed his clothes before diving into the spirit spring. The familiar tingling sensation of concentrated spiritual energy enveloped him as he settled into position.
It was time for his daily bloodline stimulation ritual.
Without hesitation, Xiang Yu released his control over both the dragon and phoenix bloodlines. Instantly, the two opposing forces began their clash within his body. Just like before, he positioned his Abyssal Void Flame protectively around his vital organs just in case something happened.
Since his earlier discovery that healing pills actually slowed his progress rather than helping it, he decided to forgo them entirely this time. His natural recovery abilities had advanced significantly thanks to his phoenix bloodline upgrade, making the pills unnecessary.
His body fell into the familiar cycle of destruction and regeneration, tissues breaking down and rebuilding themselves stronger than before.
The process continued its relentless rhythm until finally, the system reset notification appeared before his eyes.
[Calculating Settlement]
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Author’s Corner
She’s so me fr. That’s how I was feeling yesterday.