Chapter 1624: I

The seals on the Chaos Pearl have been broken.

A faint smile appeared on Lin Qianxue's exquisitely beautiful face.

The effort was worth it.

Not only did she help her little brother secure this ultimate treasure.

She herself also received the complete inheritance of the Twin Stars Scripture.

And a vast amount of cultivation resources sufficient to propel her toward the Eternal Peak within ten thousand years.

Not to mention the prodigy of a little brother beside her...

Thinking of this, Lin Qianxue's cheeks warmed slightly again.

She shook her head, temporarily suppressing those embarrassing images in her mind, and prepared to rise.

Yet the instant she lifted the silk coverlet and sat up, her gaze accidentally swept over the foot of the bed.

There, scattered on the floor, lay a milky-white battle robe.

It was the very one she had specifically worn for Xu Jingming last night.

But now, this thin, form-fitting battle robe was wrinkled beyond recognition.

Especially below the abdomen.

And torn open with a fist-sized hole!

The edges of the fabric bore faint traces of tearing, clearly ripped apart by brute force.

"This..." Lin Qianxue froze in shock.

Then she realized—her fair face flushed crimson in an instant.

She had clearly worn this robe last night, yet her little brother had ordered her not to take it off.

In the end, she'd had to tear a hole in it there, and then...

"What kind of fetish does my little brother have..."

Lin Qianxue spat softly under her breath, her pale golden eyes filled with flustered anger.

If not for the excessive stains that had later soaked into it—

Sticky enough that even she couldn't bear it—she doubted she could have taken the robe off at all.

Recalling fragments from last night, her ears burned too.

She instinctively pulled the thin coverlet higher, hiding half her face.

"You're such a bad boy!"

Blushing, Lin Qianxue reached out her slender hand and picked up the ruined battle robe.

She had intended to throw it away immediately, but hesitated.

Instead, she gently folded it and stored it inside her space ring.

After all, this was her first time with Xu Jingming.

Though the robe was torn, it had become a special memento.

Let it be... a keepsake.

She slipped quietly out of bed, bare feet touching the cold floor.

She walked to the window and pushed open the half-closed pane.

The morning breeze, carrying the fresh scent of trees, brushed against her face.

It dispersed the heat on her cheeks and gradually calmed her turbulent thoughts.

In the distance,

The forest within the World Ring emerged faintly through the morning mist, serene and peaceful.

A stark contrast to last night's passionate, sensual scenes.

"Hm? Sister, you're awake?"

Xu Jingming opened his eyes, sensing Lin Qianxue's movement.

His gaze naturally turned toward the window.

Lin Qianxue was still unclothed, her snow-white body standing there before the window.

Those long, fair, beautiful legs were unmistakable.

But even more breathtaking was her back.

Her smooth black hair spilled over her flawless back, the ends lightly brushing her waist hollow.

And even from behind, the full, proud curves of her chest still revealed a startlingly round silhouette on the side.

They trembled gently as she leaned forward slightly to gaze out the window.

Like a ripe peach, utterly alluring.

Even though he had already played with them countless times last night, they still sent Xu Jingming's blood surging.

Before he could speak, Lin Qianxue sensed his gaze and turned around.

Seeing him awake, her fair face instantly flushed crimson.

Yet she forced composure, refusing to look away, only instinctively brushing a strand of black hair to her chest.

Her pale golden eyes met his, and she asked softly:

"Little brother, how is the Chaos Pearl now?"

"It has completed soul-binding."

Xu Jingming stared without blinking.

At the same time, he shifted his intent—and a jet-black pearl materialized instantly in his palm.

At the same time, with a thought, a completely black bead appeared suddenly in his palm.

The bead was no larger than a ping-pong ball, yet as heavy as a mountain.

It emitted an ancient, vast pressure, causing the surrounding light to subtly collapse toward it.

"After completing soul recognition, this Chaos Pearl can be directly absorbed into the consciousness sea."

Xu Jingming explained with a smile, then added with a hint of regret:

"But I haven't broken through to the Eternal Life Stage, nor have I gained the recognition of the Fundamental Law—I still can't activate it."

Peak-grade treasures are certainly excellent.

But the requirements for use are too stringent.

Yet with his cultivation speed,

it shouldn't take long before he breaks through to the Eternal Life Stage.

"As long as it's recognized, that's enough—we can take it slow from now on."

Lin Qianxue's gaze settled on the Chaos Pearl, her eyes glinting with delight.

But then she pressed her lips together, a hint of hesitation crossing her expression:

"So, little brother, you've obtained the Chaos Pearl.

I've completed my task—after this..."

Before she could finish, Xu Jingming saw through her thoughts and smiled:

"What? Sister doesn't plan to take responsibility for me?"

Eat and run? How easy do you think that is?

Sister Lin—he's got you figured out!

"Take responsibility for you?"

Lin Qianxue's pale golden eyes widened slowly, a look of shock appearing on her fair oval face.

Then she blushed in annoyance:

"Last night's scene—you used me to death!

My whole body still aches—I'm being generous not to demand compensation from you!"

Remember,

she was a peak-level warrior of the universe.

And she cultivated the Star-Core Thunder Body!

If any other woman had been in her place, she'd have been utterly unable to endure it!

"So from your tone, you don't plan to take responsibility for me?"

Xu Jingming raised an eyebrow slightly.

Suddenly he rose from the bed and stepped toward her one step at a time.

His bare chest revealed clear muscle definition, each inch brimming with explosive power.

As he drew closer, the strong male scent overwhelmed her, making her heartbeat accelerate inexplicably.

"If that's the case,"

Xu Jingming stopped before her, gazing down at her gradually reddening face, his smile deepening:

"Then I'll take the loss—I'll be the one to take responsibility."

Before the words had fully left his mouth,

he reached out, wrapped his arms around her slender, supple waist, and pulled her into his embrace with a slight tug.

"Mmm..."

Lin Qianxue let out a soft cry, instinctively pressing her hands against his chest.

Her fingertips touched warm, firm muscle, and her breathing grew uneven.

Then she suddenly felt something hot pressed against her lower abdomen.

"Ah!"

Lin Qianxue gasped, realizing what it was.

Her body softened slightly, her cheeks flushed as she whispered:

"I give in... fine, you can take responsibility."

"That's more like it."

Xu Jingming smirked, flipped her over, and lifted her into his arms.

"L-Lightly... I haven't fully recovered yet..."

Lin Qianxue's eyes shimmered with hazy light, her voice fading.

An hour later.

Xu Jingming suddenly remembered something and asked:

"By the way, sister.

How is your Life Core injury now?"

Just now, during the union of yin and yang,

he had felt his own Life Core energy continuously flowing into Lin Qianxue's body.

Complementing the recovery power of the Yin Pole Star, together they nourished her damaged Life Core.

"Life Core?"

Beneath him, Lin Qianxue was still dazed.

After finally turning her awareness inward, a look of astonishment and delight suddenly appeared on her exquisite face:

"The cracks on my Life Core's surface have healed nearly twenty percent!"

"So fast?"

Xu Jingming was also somewhat surprised.

He had thought it would still take a considerable amount of time.

He hadn't expected that the Yin-Yang convergence of the Twin Stars Scripture could also heal the damage to the Life Core.

"Mm."

Lin Qianxue nodded, her gaze toward Xu Jingming filled with gratitude:

"Thanks to your Life Core, Xiao Shidi, and the Twin Stars Scripture..."

Mid-sentence, she felt a flush of embarrassment and quickly changed the subject:

"Um... aren't we still inside the Starfall Divine Palace?"

The secret realm will close in less than a month—shouldn't we leave?"

Xu Jingming gripped Lin Qianxue's long legs and smirked:

"No rush.

We've already obtained the core inheritance of the Starfall Divine Palace and the Chaos Pearl.

The other races outside are either dead or fled.

Even if more foreign races arrive, the remaining humans can handle them.

For this final month, we'll stay here and train properly.

Let's aim to fully restore your Life Core injury before we leave the secret realm."

After holding back for so long, he truly deserved to let loose.

"Mm~~"

Lin Qianxue let out a soft sigh, tacitly agreeing...