The Sacred Energy Pool.
A rare spring of purified energy, hidden deep within the sect grounds, reserved only for the most desperate, life-saving cases. Access was strictly controlled—only Liu Mo Fei and one elder held the authority to unlock its gates, and even then, only after lengthy deliberations with the elder council.
But today, there was no time for meetings. No time for formalities.
Today, Liu Mo Fei carried Jia Wei Xin straight in without hesitation.
The Sacred Pool could stabilize chaotic qi—but only under very specific, perilous conditions: Physical closeness. Skin-to-skin contact. Absolute synchronization of energy between healer and patient.
It was a secret technique that only Liu Mo Fei, with his profound cultivation, could perform successfully.
In the sect's long history, the Sacred Pool had been invoked rarely—and never lightly. In fact, Liu Mo Fei had turned down two previous desperate pleas from major sects offering unimaginable rewards. Why? Because in this world, pressing bare upper bodies together during healing was no small thing. It crossed lines that, once crossed, could never be undone.For a man and woman—especially unmarried—it almost always ended with marriage.
And Liu Mo Fei had never wanted anyone close enough to cross that line.
Until now.
Inside the misty, glowing cavern, he laid Jia Wei Xin gently down on the warm stone.
He hesitated, hand trembling slightly over the clasp of her robe.
His ears flushed scarlet.
Dammit.
Even for him—famously shameless—this was pushing it.
He squeezed his eyes shut, fumbling carefully to undo her outer and inner upper clothes.When he cracked one eye open by accident, he glimpsed smooth, pale shoulders... the delicate curve of her collarbone and upper chest, glowing under the sacred light.
His heart hammered violently against his ribs.
Focus. Save her first.
He snapped his eyes shut again and stripped off his own upper clothes, refusing to glance in her direction again.
Carefully, he lowered both of them into the sacred pool, cradling her gently on his lap. One arm wrapped securely around her waist; the other hand pressed over her heart.
Jia Wei Xin's soft back leaned against his bare chest, her skin still cold from the chaotic qi storm raging within her.
Ignoring the stirring heat that proximity stirred in his blood, Liu Mo Fei steadied himself.
He poured his purest energy into her chaotic dantian, weaving the two clashing forces—righteous and demonic—into a fragile, shimmering harmony.
---
At the same time, he fed her the High-Grade Spiritual Fruit.
It wasn't just any rare fruit—it was a once-in-a-decade treasure that the sect elders had gifted her after her astounding breakthrough and contributions to solving the sect's supply problems. There had been protests among some elders, of course—such treasures were not given lightly—but in the end, the majority had prevailed. After all, wasn't it wise to invest early in the future "big thigh" they could cling to later?
The transfusion was exhausting. Every second nerve-wracking.
One mistake... and she would die.
For the first time in decades, Liu Mo Fei's hands trembled slightly.
It wasn't because he doubted his own skills. It was because for the first time, he realized—what if he truly lost her?
"Stay with me," he thought fiercely, pressing his forehead gently against hers."Stay with me, Jia Wei Xin. You're definitely going to survive this. You're going to live... and you're going to be my wife."
---
Meanwhile, beyond the mountains—
Zhang Tian crushed the porcelain cup in his hand.
Three days ago, he had laughed when Liu Mo Fei dragged Jia Wei Xin back to the sect—thinking the righteous sifu was simply trying to guard her against kidnapping.
And admittedly, kidnapping her now was nearly impossible with the sect's double barriers, unlike the last time he snatched her away so easily.
Still, Zhang Tian had made plans: infiltrate quietly, find her weakness, lure her out.
But now—
The report from his shadow guards stabbed into him like a blade.
She had broken through abnormally—and her qi was spiraling wildly.
Because of him.
Because he—like a fool—had kept feeding her demonic energy while she slept, ate, and dreamed, thinking he was helping her.
His face twisted with horror—and rage.
This sect. That righteous sifu. This ridiculous farce.
He would not sit still anymore.
Jia Wei Xin... wait for me to get you out! Zhang Tian vowed fiercely, as if she could hear him. And this time—no sect, no rules, not even Jia Wei Xin herself—was going to stop him.
---
Back at the Sacred Pool—
As Liu Mo Fei poured the final threads of energy into her, Jia Wei Xin's body began to glow.Her qi stabilized, merged—and then, impossibly, surged upward once more.
She broke through. Level 4.
And then—
Level 5.
Stepping officially into the Intermediate Stage. In just five days.
In the world of cultivation, the Beginner Stage was considered the foundation—where disciples first learned to control and build their qi. Reaching the Intermediate Stage meant crossing a critical threshold:
Your qi would become richer, denser, and more potent.
You could start practicing advanced techniques.
Your body itself would undergo subtle strengthening.
Most importantly, your lifespan and combat potential would both increase significantly.
Normally, even talented disciples needed one to three years to cross this gap. And now—Jia Wei Xin had done it... in less than a week.
It was insane.It was unprecedented.It was Jia Wei Xin.
---
Liu Mo Fei leaned back slightly, arms still wrapped protectively around her. Even though her energy had stabilized, he didn't stop the slow, steady infusion—carefully reinforcing her newly harmonized core, just in case.
His gaze drifted down to her sleeping face, soft and peaceful against his chest.
Meanwhile, he was already plotting war in his head.
That damn Zhang Tian. That shameless bastard.
Next time he dared to pull something like this behind his back...
Liu Mo Fei's lips curved into a lazy, dangerous smirk.
Maybe he should just marry Jia Wei Xin the next day and wave the marriage certificate right in Zhang Tian's annoying face.If she refused...Well, he could always forge one. (Zhang Tian wouldn't dare to verify it anyway.)
Sigh. He would handle it later. First things first: protect the girl. Win the girl. Then bully the demon.
He tightened his arms around her slightly, heart soft and dangerous all at once.
"Sleep well, little troublemaker," he murmured against her hair."I'll handle that irritating demon for you."
---
And somewhere deep into the night, two powerful men—one righteous, one demonic—continued worrying, fighting, and plotting...for the same stubborn, reckless, heart-stealing girl.