After the Dual Cultivation Relationship Ended, the Heroine Panicked! - Chapter 8

The remaining thirty percent of the spiritual energy should have been nearly impossible to refine. However, as Xu Qing re-entered her meditative state and tightly focused her divine sense, she suddenly felt a familiar aura surrounding her.

Is this Bai Muyao’s spiritual energy?

Inside the treehouse, Bai Muyao was preparing to carve the jade. The spiritual energy she released had inadvertently drifted toward Xu Qing. Wrapped in this familiar aura, Xu Qing felt an unprecedented sense of tranquility. In this state, her divine sense became sharper, and all distracting thoughts were cast aside.

At the final moment, she successfully refined the remaining thirty percent of the lotus’s energy.

Upon completion, Xu Qing felt a sense of comfort throughout her body. She stood up, her physical form feeling light and agile. Her gaze was involuntarily drawn toward the treehouse.

Bai Muyao was still busy. Xu Qing moved toward her slowly and saw the girl focusing intently on carving the two pieces of jade. Looking at the rune patterns on the stones, Xu Qing’s brow furrowed slightly.

Orchid Spirit Pendants?

These runes had been lost to time for ten thousand years. How did Bai Muyao know of them? It seemed Bai Muyao held many secrets she was unaware of. However, Xu Qing did not wish to pry; it was normal for cultivators to have unique individual encounters.

To ensure perfection, Bai Muyao carved the low-grade jade first before starting on the high-grade one. This way, any mistakes made on the cheaper stone could be avoided on the superior one. While cautious, this approach consumed significantly more spiritual energy.

Sweat had already soaked Bai Muyao’s forehead. Carving both pieces was proving to be a grueling task. If she abandoned the low-grade stone and focused only on the jade Xu Qing had gifted her, it would be much easier. But Bai Muyao was unwilling; she didn’t want the gift from her Senior Sister to have a single flaw.

The spiritual energy within her body was nearly depleted…

Seeing this, Xu Qing gathered energy at her fingertips, prepared to lend her a hand. However.

The woman in black appeared beside Xu Qing like a ghost once more.

“Don’t help her…” “Let her fail. Let her realize how small and insignificant she is…” The voice said: “That way, she won’t dare to leave the sect so easily. She will stay by your side forever!”

Xu Qing let out a disdainful snort. “Boring.”

She had no need for such childish tactics. Just as Bai Muyao felt she was at her wit’s end, a warm stream of spiritual energy was slowly infused into her body.

It’s Senior Sister Xu Qing!

Bai Muyao was pleasantly surprised to find that Xu Qing had finished her cultivation and was now helping her. With Xu Qing’s assistance, the carving progressed much more smoothly.

A stick of incense’s time passed.

Bai Muyao finally finished carving the runes. She sat in the room, exhausted, her body so weak she nearly collapsed to the floor. Xu Qing arrived just in time to steady her.

Leaning into Xu Qing’s embrace gave her a sense of peace amidst her weakness. Xu Qing only let go once Bai Muyao had gradually recovered her strength.

Bai Muyao propped herself up and stood, wanting to bow and thank her. Xu Qing, however, turned her back and walked straight to the wooden table to sit down.

“Sleep if you want,” Xu Qing said faintly, picking up a book scroll to browse.

Not wanting to disturb her, Bai Muyao sat down quietly in a corner. She stared blankly into space, feeling as if she had returned to the days when they prepared for dual cultivation. For a moment, she even had the illusion that Xu Qing would pick up the black cloth to blindfold her eyes.

But today, they wouldn’t do those things anymore. Never again.

Bai Muyao lightly touched her chest, feeling the rapid heartbeat beneath her skin. Why? Today, the frequency of her heart was several degrees faster than usual. She didn’t dwell on these questions.

She pulled out the two carved spirit stones, her heart filled with joy. Having used the low-grade jade for trial and error, the runes on the high-grade stone were nearly perfect. She carefully pinched the jade between two fingers. After injecting a bit of energy, the stone emitted a soft glow. The clear, intricate lines of the runes were visible to the eye.

[System detected: Host has crafted an Orchid Spirit Pendant; Quality: Supreme]

[Functional Characteristics:

Spirit Power Enhancement: After wearing, the wearer’s cultivation is increased by one sub-stage (limit: below late-stage Nascent Soul), and spirit energy recovery speed is increased.

Perception Boost: The wearer’s perception range is doubled, becoming more sensitive to surrounding spirit energy fluctuations and the auras of living beings.

Protection Effect: When encountering danger, the pendant can automatically trigger a faint spirit shield, negating one magical or physical attack below intermediate rank; requires recharging before reuse.]

The System even had an explanation function. Comparing the two stones, the difference was clear. Truly, you get what you pay for. Although she couldn’t use both at once, having this pendant was entirely thanks to Xu Qing’s gift. Even when she ran out of energy at the end, it was Xu Qing who helped.

This debt… simply calling it a “debt” seemed too superficial. Bai Muyao secretly vowed to use Xu Qing’s kindness to work hard and improve herself, so that one day she could repay her handsomely.

While Bai Muyao was admiring the pendant, Xu Qing’s mind was not on her book at all. From the corner of her eye, she saw the girl smiling to herself at the jade stone.

She would smile at a stone, and she would smile at a friend she just met. Yet when facing Xu Qing, she was always so respectful and serious that it was irritating.

Xu Qing shook her head, deciding not to dwell on it and focus on her reading. But as she shifted her attention to the scroll—Wait, was she holding the book upside down?

Since when? Had it been upside down from the very beginning? She hadn’t even noticed!

A trace of heat rose to Xu Qing’s face. Fortunately, Bai Muyao wasn’t paying attention. She hurriedly closed the book and pressed it onto the table.

Bai Muyao, who had been entranced by the pendant, immediately retracted her joy and sat upright upon hearing the noise. Seeing Bai Muyao switch from happiness to a serious demeanor in an instant, the nameless fire in Xu Qing’s heart flared up again.

She couldn’t read the book anymore. Xu Qing stood up, and Bai Muyao seemed to hold her breath in that moment. She recalled yesterday, when Xu Qing stood up and said to her: “Bai Muyao, let’s begin.”

But today, Xu Qing just walked to the bed and lay down. Is she… going to sleep?

There was no communication between them; intentions had to be guessed. Bai Muyao felt conflicted—should she go to sleep too? Although she had lived here for thirteen years, every time she slept here, it was after dual cultivation. This current situation was unfamiliar and left her at a loss.

She couldn’t just sit there like a statue, could she? In the treehouse, there was nowhere to rest besides the bed. After hesitating, Bai Muyao also walked to the bed and lay down gently beside Xu Qing. She was careful, fearing she might disturb the other woman.

Lying on the bed, she stared at the wooden planks above, the scent of another person filling the air. This was the first time she and Xu Qing shared a bed without engaging in dual cultivation. For thirteen years, they often slept together, but it was always out of exhaustion after a session. Tonight was completely different.

For the first time, Bai Muyao felt that having another person sleeping beside her was actually quite comforting. The night was silent, and the two spent the long hours in wordless peace.

In the early morning, Bai Muyao woke up slowly. She remembered she was in the treehouse on the lonely mountain. The bedding here was much more comfortable than her own wooden bed. She got up, stretched her limbs, and looked around, but didn’t see Xu Qing.

Yesterday, she had spoken out loud while dazed and was caught by Xu Qing, giving herself a fright. She had to be smarter today! It seemed Xu Qing had left early.

Sitting on the bed, Bai Muyao sighed softly: “I wanted to say goodbye to Senior Sister Xu Qing…”

She intended to leave the lonely mountain and then immediately resign from the sect. However, as soon as the words left her mouth, a cold voice came from the inner side of the bed: “Goodbye?”

Bai Muyao’s heart leaped, nearly stopping. She turned around to see that Xu Qing hadn’t left; she just hadn’t gotten up yet!

She hadn’t become smarter at all!

“Senior Sister Xu Qing…!” In her panic, Bai Muyao didn’t know what to say.

Xu Qing rose slowly, sitting on the edge of the bed and murmuring softly, “So, you are leaving.”

Bai Muyao quickly scrambled off the bed and bowed respectfully. “I will keep Senior Sister’s care in my heart forever. I cannot thank you enough.”

Xu Qing turned her face away, seemingly avoiding Bai Muyao’s flattery. Bai Muyao planned to wait for Xu Qing to leave before she left as well.

Xu Qing stood up, her gaze locked onto Bai Muyao as if she had something to say. Bai Muyao waited quietly for her instructions.

“Make her stay!” “She is so submissive; how could she refuse?”

Xu Qing frowned and finally spoke: “Could you…”

Bai Muyao lowered her head, waiting with bated breath.

“Could you…” Xu Qing let out a light sigh. “Make me a meal for breakfast?”

Breakfast?

Bai Muyao responded immediately: “Of course! Please wait a moment, Senior Sister!”

She turned and walked out of the house, taking ingredients from the storage area and starting her work. Although she didn’t understand why Xu Qing suddenly wanted breakfast, since it was her wish, Bai Muyao was happy to fulfill it.

Inside the room, Xu Qing watched Bai Muyao’s busy silhouette. She thought of how soon this silhouette might leave the sect.

“Keep her!” “As long as you tell her… that you want her to stay!”