Chapter 271: Don't Move! Let Me Hold You for a While (Combined)

So…

You're going to conquer the Semiya Abyss, is it for that?

Lin Yue held an ornate glass bottle in her hand, staring fixedly at the boy before her, and spoke softly.

The liquid inside the bottle shimmered with a brilliant light, casting the girl's face—still pale from her recent severe injury—in an extraordinarily moving glow.

Hm. Qin Chuan looked at Lin Yue's face, identical to Yue Li's, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face. "Before today, I always thought there would be no chance to use it."

Drink it.

Lin Yue's gaze shifted from the boy to the glass bottle in her hand, and lines of text appeared before her eyes.

【【Red】】 Purifying Disease Spirit Water: One of the Nine Chief Priests of the Moon Spirit Clan, this powerful spirit water was concocted by the Blue Moon Chief Priest Kulai. It has the miraculous effect of curing all diseases, and those who drink it gain permanent benefits: longevity, and a 50% increase to their maximum life.

Cure all diseases…

Lin Yue lowered her eyes, pulled out the stopper, and without hesitation drank the spirit water in the bottle in one gulp.

Bright light shimmered across Lin Yue's body, as if a mysterious power was swiftly taking effect, eradicating all diseases within her at the root.

Watching this, Qin Chuan's face relaxed into a smile.

Although Kulai's gift was merely blue‑quality, the Abyss Undying Grass and Abyss Demon Blood Fruit were only purple‑quality, yet the final obtained Abyss Crimson Blood Marrow was red‑quality.

Moreover, among the red‑quality items, it belonged to the highest tier.

Thus the final obtained Purifying Disease Spirit Elixir was also red‑quality.

Concocting the Purifying Disease Spirit Water required no effort on his part; he merely needed to gather the four ingredients, and they would naturally merge into the water he needed.

Furthermore, a single batch produced more than one bottle.

He ended up with two bottles of such Purifying Disease Spirit Water.

Although he had no illness needing cure, considering its permanent bonus effect, Qin Chuan decided to keep the remaining bottle for himself.

Besides that, after seeing the item description for the Purifying Disease Spirit Water, Qin Chuan realized a problem he had never noticed before.

Kulai, whom he last encountered as a Moon Spirit in the Milian Demon Forest—a B‑rank dungeon he first conquered—was certainly no ordinary figure.

As a clue‑giving character in a B‑rank dungeon, the recipe for the potion she possessed required clearing the entire Semiya Abyss to obtain all necessary ingredients.

One of the Nine Chief Priests of the Moon Spirit Clan, the Blue Moon Chief Priest Kulai.

This was her true identity.

If nothing unexpected happens, she is very likely a being of the Mythic Stage.

Qin Chuan couldn't know why she appeared in the Milian Demon Forest, but regardless, he remembered this favor.

Setting aside his thoughts, Qin Chuan looked at the girl bathed in light before him, and his expression grew increasingly complex.

In fact, he should have noticed earlier that faint sense of familiarity about her.

But Lin Yue had repeatedly told him before the college entrance exam that she was going to Guangdong University, so he never considered the possibility that she might also be at Yan Da.

When he connected Zheng Xiaoyu's call and heard Zheng Xiaoyu say that Dai Lai had approached Lin Yue at Yan Da, the doubts he had previously overlooked resurfaced in his mind, and Qin Chuan realized he had almost missed something.

As it turned out, the girl he had longed for day and night had always been by his side.

The light gradually faded, and Lin Yue's complexion visibly flushed; she slowly opened her eyes, her face full of tension, then lifted the blanket and slowly lowered her legs onto the bed.

Slowly, slowly.

Qin Chuan snapped back to attention, hastily rose, and extended his hands to hover on either side of Lin Yue's body.

Only after Lin Yue steadied herself and walked a few steps like a normal person did he breathe a sigh of relief; just as he was about to lower his hands, Lin Yue grabbed them and wrapped them around her waist.

Lin Yue then turned her body toward him, bringing them so close they could feel each other's breath.

This was the second time they had been this close.

The first time was accidental; this time it was the girl's initiative.

Qin Chuan's body suddenly tensed, and his breathing felt somewhat halted.

Seeing the girl's reddened eye sockets, he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

In the next instant, he felt a slender, soft body lunge into his embrace, its arms slipping under his ribs and tightly wrapping around him from behind.

Lin Yue's cheek pressed against his shoulder joint, her breath brushing his collarbone, bringing a slight tingling sensation that made Qin Chuan shift slightly.

The next moment, Lin Yue's voice, choked with tears, came out muffled.

Don't move!

Let me… hold you for a while.

... Good." Feeling the dampness at his shoulder and the girl's slight trembling, Qin Chuan lowered his eyes and kept his arms locked around her waist without moving.

In the quietly settled ward, only the occasional soft sob could be heard.

After a while, Lin Yue finally emerged from the sudden outburst of emotion.

Recalling what she had just done, Lin Yue felt her cheeks grow warm, but she did not want to release this embrace—not only because it gave her an indescribable warmth, but also because she knew she must look awful after crying.

Tell me about your conquest of the Semiya Abyss, okay?

Okay." Qin Chuan nodded and began a simple recount.

As he spoke, his voice gradually grew softer.

Because he noticed that, as he spoke, the girl in his arms clung to him ever more tightly.

Does it hurt?" Lin Yue's voice trembled slightly.

It's fine; they could never hurt me." Qin Chuan's voice was full of ease, as if the person who had spent fifty seconds of stopped time in a single dungeon run were not him at all.

I'm sorry, I shouldn't have concealed my identity." Lin Yue pressed her cheek more firmly against Qin Chuan's shoulder, "If I hadn't hidden it, we could have faced this together."

The moment I learned your identity, I already understood why you hid it." Qin Chuan spoke softly, raising a hand to stroke Lin Yue's silky hair, "Given your personality, you certainly wouldn't tell me unless your illness was cured."

He had originally taken a liking to her because of her personality, so how could he then blame her?

Besides, the Semiya Abyss is a solo dungeon; no matter what, I still have to go." Qin Chuan gave a wry smile, "I just never imagined you'd always been by my side."

No wonder the top scorer of the Yanjing college entrance exam, whom I'd never met, lent me his notes every class.

"You're just too stupid!" Lin Yue gently bumped Qin Chuan's shoulder with her forehead, murmuring softly, "Every time I show you my notes, I worry you'll discover my identity, but seeing you not understand, I can't help myself."

"Who knew you didn't even notice at all!"

"I just thought I'd run into an enthusiastic classmate..." Qin Chuan's mouth twitched, and he weakly offered an excuse.

"What kind of idiot would be that enthusiastic?" Lin Yue was both annoyed and amused, "I don't care, you said you'd treat me to a meal, you can't stand me up."

"Fine, fine, any number of meals is fine." Qin Chuan gave a helpless smile.

The ward fell silent again, and after a while, Lin Yue spoke softly.

"Qin Chuan, close your eyes."

"Okay." Qin Chuan closed his eyes, his heartbeat suddenly quickened a bit, filled with a hint of anticipation and also an unfamiliar nervousness.

In the next instant, he felt Lin Yue break free from his embrace, followed by the sound of tissue being pulled and nose being blown, and then it seemed a hand holding a tissue was wiping his damp clothes at the shoulder.

Qin Chuan opened his eyes and saw the girl before him, her pretty face still streaked with a few tears, her nose and eye sockets slightly red, and he was momentarily speechless.

"What were you just looking forward to? Why does it look like you're pouting?" Lin Yue teased, glancing at Qin Chuan.

"I..." Qin Chuan felt like wanting to find a crack in the ground to hide, "I got sand in my mouth."

"Pfft~"

The girl couldn't help laughing out loud, then immediately reached out and put her arms around Qin Chuan's neck.

Qin Chuan only felt a jelly-like sensation flash across his lips, and before he could react, the girl had already released her hold on his neck.

"The stain on your clothes seems hard to wipe clean." The girl glanced aside, a blush creeping up her ears, "Just wash it yourself."

"Okay." Qin Chuan couldn't suppress the smile at the corner of his mouth, hastily agreed, then casually wiped at his collar, and the water flow instantly swept away the large tear stain just then.

"Knock knock knock~"

Outside the ward, a knocking sound came.

"Lin Yue, I am Su Yuanshan, the operations director of the Special Affairs Group's Yan Capital Headquarters. May I have a word with you?"

Su Yuanshan?

Qin Chuan was first surprised, then suddenly realized.

That's right, Lin Yue had struck and killed Da Ili, naturally exposing her identity.

The Special Affairs Group showing up was also to be expected.

He gave Lin Yue a questioning look, and Lin Yue pointed to the door outside, then pointed at him.

Have me step forward?

Qin Chuan gave Lin Yue a strange look, then spoke loudly, "Come in."

The knocking stopped abruptly.

After a moment, Su Yuanshan pushed the door open with a grin, stepped into the ward, and upon seeing Lin Yue standing again, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes before disappearing.

"It seems Lin Yue's condition no longer needs worrying about." He smiled, took out a document, and said, "I'm here this time mainly to represent the Special Affairs Group in inviting Lin Yue to become our Special Affairs collaborator."

"This is a cooperation agreement with few restrictions; Qin Chuan also signed it before."

"Let me take a look."

Before Su Yuanshan entered, Lin Yue had already wiped away all traces of her earlier tears; her voice had returned to its normal tone, with a hint of plainness. She took the agreement from Su Yuanshan's hand, glanced through it once, and signed her name.

"I probably won't have many occasions to act alone." Returning the agreement, Lin Yue spoke softly, "From now on, I'll act together with Qin Chuan."

"No problem." Su Yuanshan smiled, "The two of you joining forces is a good thing for the current situation."

"Then I won't disturb you further."

Su Yuanshan turned to say goodbye, and as he walked out the door, he thoughtfully closed it behind him.

After Su Yuanshan left, Qin Chuan couldn't help but look at Lin Yue, a hint of excitement on his face, "So we're going to act together from now on?"

"Could it be you don't want to act with me?" Lin Yue gave him a half-smile, "Do you think I'm weak?"

"Impossible." Qin Chuan shook his head like a rattle-drum, "Give me a bit more time, and you might even become stronger than me."

He had arrived a step late, but fortunately caught the moment Lin Yue slew the Storm Demon Lord.

Lin Yue's current situation is similar to when he first fought the Tide Demon Lord: both are Spirit Beasts that have broken through to the Epic stage and simultaneously mastered the corresponding Spirit Descent.

But the strength of the Tide Demon Lord back then and the Storm Demon Lord now is completely different.

At that time, the Tide Demon Lord had just emerged from the instance passage, merely relying on devouring demon beasts' flesh and blood to forcibly recover to the Legendary stage, whereas the Storm Demon Lord, upon appearing, already displayed its full strength due to unknown reasons, a strength only slightly weaker than the peak Tide Demon Lord.

Under these circumstances, Lin Yue being able to severely wound and kill her opponent means her strength has already surpassed Qin Chuan's at that time.

When supernatural values are equal, many factors determine strength superiority.

For example, Ji Huai, relying on absolute skill and profound cultivation methods, is hard to match at the same level.

But Lin Yue lacks skill, and her exposure to cultivation methods came much later than others'.

What she relies on is supernatural theory.

Knowledge is power; in the era of supernatural descent, that is certainly not an empty saying.

Skill and cultivation methods still offer the possibility to make up for and catch up with others.

But supernatural theory is a domain that is difficult to make up for.

After all…

Life may deceive you, but mathematics will not.

If mathematics says it won't happen, then it won't.

"In that case..." Lin Yue grabbed Qin Chuan's hand and initiated a dungeon party invitation.

"Let's go double queue!"

——

"Clang——"

Once again entering the Dream World, the iron hammer somehow produced a copper gong from somewhere, struck it hard, burst out laughing, and said, "Congratulations to the president and vice president for successfully saving the world!"

"Tie Chui, what's this?" Qin Chuan felt both amused and exasperated.

"Although where I live isn't where the Tidal Demon King appeared, the battle was broadcast across the whole White Bear Country." Tie Chui's expression grew a bit more solemn. "The situation back then was truly terrifying—even the Tsar Bomba couldn't do anything to them, and we were almost desperate."

"Fortunately, the president appeared in time, preventing Blue Star's power from being absorbed by another world."

"It really was dangerous back then." Qin Chuan nodded.

White Bear Country tried using the Tsar Bomba, so naturally they would have given the Yan Huang side a heads‑up in advance.

At that time Qin Chuan was up in the sky, waiting for the Tsar Bomba to explode before deciding whether to intervene.

Before the Descent, the nuclear weapon that made people tremble at the mere mention of it had no chance to detonate in the face of Dalaisayi—this came as a surprise to everyone.

"After the Descent, weapons and equipment must keep up with the times." Leonhart beside him shook his head slightly. "Things from the old era will eventually be discarded."

"Crack—"

A faint soft sound suddenly appeared, drawing everyone's attention.

"Cry!!!"

Xiao Qing let out a cry of surprise, leaping up from the crouched pit, and gazed in astonishment at the dragon egg twitching slightly in the pit.

"Is it about to hatch?" Yue Li exclaimed, rushing forward quickly.

Qin Chuan took a deep breath and followed closely behind.

Hong Ye and Evelyn widened their eyes, about to step forward to see what was happening, but Leonhart and Tie Chui instantly grabbed them.

"A newborn regards the first living being it sees as its parents." Leonhart smiled at Hong Ye. "At this moment we should still be standing back here."

On the other side, Tie Chui said the same thing in Russian.

Hong Ye and Evelyn suddenly felt their earlier action had been rash; they stood honestly in place, staring intently at the distant dragon egg.

(End of chapter)