Qin Li had a Breakthrough; he was no longer that useless person who couldn't even tie a chicken.
He should have been happy, but upon realizing that his mother was truly immersed in teaching Zhou Dage, Qin Li couldn't bring himself to be happy.
The pain of his most important person being slowly taken away constantly gnawed at his heart, and what made it even harder was that even after Breaking through to Qi Refining First Layer, he still needed this peculiar emotional power to continue Cultivating.
He even needed more, and stronger, emotional power.
Only then could his cultivation rapidly Breakthrough and he could become a truly powerful Cultivator sooner.
Qin Li thought of his fiancée, Xiao Muqing, who was still waiting for him. Although Muqing was 8 years older than him, she was already a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Cultivator at only 32 years old.
However, Qin Li knew that Xiao Muqing's father had been injured by a Demonic Path fiend from the Blood Sea Sect years ago, and his Lifespan was already running out.
Xiao Muqing's father was the Sect Master of Guiyuan Sect, and the only Core Formation Cultivator within Guiyuan Sect.
Once Uncle Xiao passed away, Guiyuan Sect, as a Core Formation power, would no longer have a Core Formation high-level Cultivator. At that time, Xiao Muqing, as the Sect Master's successor, would definitely face immense pressure from both external and internal sources.
As Xiao Muqing's fiancé, Qin Li had also studied swordsmanship with Uncle Xiao when he was young, and their relationship was deep, with frequent correspondence over the years.
Qin Li was quite satisfied with Xiao Muqing, this conservative and Genius fiancée who possessed both Water and Wood Dual Spiritual Root.
The reason he yearned for power so much was not only because he wanted to prove that the son of Luan Feng Immortal and Qingyan Daoist was not a good-for-nothing, but also because he wanted to use his own strength to provide a warm and reliable haven for his future wife, Xiao Muqing.
But power is never gained for free; everything in the world has a price tag.
To become stronger, Qin Li could only let his mother display her close-fitting Daoist robe in front of Zhou Dage, while carefully comprehending the peculiar emotion deep in his heart.
...
The morning's lecture ended. Nangong Wan and Zhou Fan sat side by side at the dining table, their arms touching. Luan Feng Immortal's pretty face was flushed with spring, and she spoke in a delicate tone.
"Disciple, your Master's old injury has flared up. I feel a bit weak in my hands and feet now. Could you please do me a favor and remove the veil covering my face?"
Zhou Fan glanced at his Master's son, who sat opposite him with a grim expression, and hesitated, saying, "Master, isn't this inappropriate? How can a Heavenly Immortal like you have such intimate contact with a crude martial artist like me, who comes from the Fan Realm?"
"Oh my, Disciple, are you not listening to your Master's words?"
Nangong Wan feigned a look of impending tears and moved her stool closer to Zhou Fan. A portion of her long, dark hair had already fallen onto Zhou Fan's lap.
"And what's wrong with a martial artist? Your Master is also a Body Refinement Cultivator. In the past, I actually always wanted to find a crude martial artist as my husband."
"It's just that the Pure Yang Body is rare in the world. Your Master was forced to marry someone with a mutated Fire Spiritual Root back then, and that person was Xiao Li's father."
Upon hearing this, Qin Li's eyes widened. It was one thing for his mother to be intimate with Zhou Dage in front of him, but now she was even insulting his deceased father?
Although he had never met his father since childhood, Qin Li still instinctively defended him as a son, saying, "Mother, didn't you always tell me before that you and father got together because of true love? What are you saying now?"
"Xiao Li, Mother didn't lie to you. Your father and I indeed got together because of true love, but after marriage, your father was really a bit useless."
Nangong Wan recalled the past, a hint of resentment appearing between her brows, and then complained in front of Zhou Fan and Qin Li.
"Before marriage, I thought that even if your father didn't have a Pure Yang Body, he at least had a mutated Fire Spiritual Root, and should be able to help me sort out and neutralize the excessive Yin Qi in my Body."
"But who would have thought that your father was just a showy, useless man, appearing normal on the outside, but in reality..."
At this point, Nangong Wan paused, still giving her son's father a little face in front of him, and then sighed.
"Anyway, married life was very unfulfilling. The reason you, Xiao Li, were able to be born was because I made your father accumulate for ten years using the Secret Method of Solidifying Origin."
"Otherwise, with his original weak and frail appearance, it's unknown whether you, Xiao Li, would have been born now if he hadn't done that."
For 24 years, from childhood to adulthood, Qin Li, who had always been a good boy, had never heard his mother say such things.
He looked at his mother, who was usually dignified and gentle, and at this moment, he felt both familiar and strange.
The "Qing Ni Jue" once again circulated rapidly within his Body. Qin Li watched with wide eyes as Zhou Dage, at his mother's active request, slowly unveiled his mother's stunning face, which had never been shown to outsiders.
"Fairy Master, you are so beautiful."
Zhou Fan was somewhat entranced. Although he had seen many beautiful women in the Fan Realm in the past, it was his first time seeing a charming and elegant mature Fairy like Nangong Wan.
The person before him had crescent-shaped eyebrows and a pair of Phoenix eyes like clear autumn water, filled with endless charm and tenderness.
Her nose bridge was high and exquisite, like a small hill, perfectly adding a touch of unattainable sacredness.
Her lips were rosy and inviting, slightly upturned, with a hint of alluring smile, as if hiding countless charms.
Her skin was as fair as jade, with a faint luster, and in the light, one could almost see its delicate texture.
Zhou Fan's involuntary praise was quite pleasing to Nangong Wan. After letting Zhou Fan admire her quietly for a moment, Nangong Wan saw that her foolish Disciple was still staring at her blankly.
She immediately chided playfully, "Foolish Disciple, am I that beautiful? You've been looking for so long and still haven't had enough?"
"Master, you are as beautiful as a Heavenly Immortal. Even if this Disciple were to look for a lifetime, it wouldn't be enough."
Upon hearing Zhou Fan's bold words, Nangong Wan's charming face instantly flushed with two blushes.
Then she said no more, allowing Zhou Fan to admire her even more captivating, girlish demeanor.
Qin Li watched this scene, and the pain and strangeness in his heart reached their peak.
The "Qing Ni Jue" circulated rapidly until his mother and Zhou Dage intimately finished their lunch. Only after they separated did Qin Li's cultivation stop rising.
After considerately escorting Zhou Fan to the room next to his own, Nangong Wan returned to the dining table. With a slight perception, she discovered that Qin Li's Realm had already risen to near Qi Refining Second Layer.
However, along with the increase in cultivation, there was also Qin Li's increasing estrangement from her.
Mother and son sat opposite each other across the dining table in silence. After a long silence, Nangong Wan was about to express her apology to her son.
Qin Li suddenly spoke, "Mother, I understand you. You were just acting, weren't you?"
"Mother, you must have deliberately spoken ill of father in front of Zhou Dage and me to help me improve my cultivation."
Qin Li tried hard to adjust his mindset, forcing an ugly smile onto his face.
"It must be like that, right?"