Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Ren Baqian caressed the empress until he was satisfied and then reluctantly released her from his embrace.
He was still feeling cold…
However, Lin Qiaole might not last very long.
Looking down at her lying on the floor, water could be seen flowing out of her mouth. When Ren Baqian pressed her stomach, yellow spring water spouted from her like a fountain.
The rest of the winged cavalry warriors were gathered by the side of the spring and were looking at the faces that emerged from the water. They were expressing their thoughts with gusto.
“I remember this guy—he was a high ranking officer from Great Xia who wasn’t very powerful and was cut down by me with one strike! I didn’t expect to see him here!”
“I have no impression of this guy! I have killed too many and can’t remember those people.”
“I can see Jing Tribe people here! At that time, I was in that city…”
“Do you think they can jump out?”
“They were cut down with one strike when they were alive—if they jump out after dying, they will still be cut down!”
Just as Ren Baqian was considering whether she needed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, Gong Zheng shouted, “She’s breathing! She seems to be fine!”
Looking at her carefully, he saw her chest rising and falling.
After all, she was a Spirit Wheel expert and highly resilient.
Ren Baqian regretted not hugging the empress longer. If he had known earlier that Lin Qiaole was so tough, he would have prolonged his embrace.
As he looked up at the empress, she gave him a cold stare. She was most likely telling him to know his own limits.
“Sir Gong Zheng, arrange for some logs to start a fire… Prepare more as I may have to use them in the future,” Ren Baqian said to Gong Zheng.
He had tested the temperature of the water and knew that a person would freeze after diving in and coming out of the spring. He deemed it prudent to prepare some firewood.
There was no firewood in this valley, and sparsely scattered trees could only be found far away.
Although he hoped to be embraced by the empress every time he came up, her body temperature wasn’t comparable to a bonfire.
If he had cultivated in the water for a while, he would be in no mood to ask for a hug.
Soon after, Lin Qiaole gradually woke up and looked ruefully at the empress.
“It hurts!”
“You won’t feel the pain after getting some candy.” Ren Baqian saw Lin Qiaole’s miserable condition and relented by giving her some White Rabbit Creamy Candy.
“Do you think I’m a fool?” Lin Qiaole rubbed the big bump on her head while giving him a baleful glare.
She was bashed in the head by a big piece of stone and received a large bump. Was a bunch of candy enough to stop the pain?
Ren Baqian gave her another bunch of candy.
Lin Qiaole started to become hesitant.
He gave her some more candy.
“The pain seems to be lessening!” Lin Qiaole stood up gleefully with the candy in her hands.
“Do you still want to catch a mangshan?” Ren Baqian thought of the earlier incident and felt that she was indeed a “talent.”
“I will not let him go!” Lin Qiaole said angrily as she unwrapped the candies.
Although her expression was fierce, it wasn’t convincing.
It was like a cat getting angry at someone, although her killing abilities were much more powerful than a cat.
Ren Baqian stood by the side of the spring and pondered. He took out a glass jar and filled it with water. Then, he sent someone to fetch the demonic butterflies that had controlled the people in that village and said to the empress, “Before I start cultivating, I will send these back for testing.”
“I will come as well,” the empress said as she held his hand immediately.
The two of them found a corner and disappeared from sight.
Just before they disappeared, that bichi rushed into Ren Baqian’s arms as usual.
Most of the winged cavalry warriors were becoming used to seeing this strange event, although they were occasionally curious about how they made themselves disappear and where they went to.
One day later, they came back with plenty of snacks and wine.
Although the spring water and demonic butterflies were sent to the Messier 87 department, it would take quite a long time to finish the analysis. Furthermore, these things weren’t “Made in Earth” and could contain many hidden ingredients that would take more than a day or two to verify.
It was more important to practice cultivation now. Even though this was a sped up method, there wasn’t much time left.
After resting for half a day by the side of the spring, Ren Baqian wore a pair of flowery Hawaiian shorts and prepared to dive.
A gloomy valley, a weird spring, and a pair of flamboyant Hawaiian shorts were a weird combination.
“Fasten the rope and pull on it if you have any problems.” The empress threw a roll of rope to him.
Ren Baqian tied the rope to his waist, gave the empress an okay sign, and promptly walked toward the center of the spring.
First step, second step, third step… The water was up to his knees, and the bone-piercing chill radiated up from his legs.
Ren Baqian shivered, jumped back to shore, and said, “Your Majesty, it’s very cold—please give me a hug.”
The empress immediately raised her eyebrows.
She curled a corner of her mouth and looked threatening.
“I have to work harder!” Ren Baqian turned and jumped back into the water, but after a few steps, his legs started to cramp.
Fortunately, this level of pain was nothing to him. He stretched his legs and then jumped back to the shore, explaining, “Cramps. I have to do some warmup exercises before going in since it’s extremely cold.”
In front of everyone, Ren Baqian brazenly did 13 sets of exercises meant for secondary students before nodding to the empress and saying, “There should be no problem now.”
The empress curled her lips. This type of action was useful for ordinary people, but it was useless for an Earth Wheel expert. It was better to practice the [Boxing of Death].
However, Ren Baqian didn’t jump back to the shore this time. Step by step, he calmly walked into the water until it reached his neck.
The faces in the water were rolling and roaring as they tried to rush up and tear his flesh. These were people that Ren Baqian had killed, so many of them were familiar faces, but Ren Baqian simply ignored them.
The ice-cold water was making his skin turn blue, but Ren Baqian was unaffected.
This type of cold and pain, when compared to being roasted or dismembered to death, wasn’t so severe.
While he recalled the cultivation method from memory, he put both hands across his lower abdomen and pressed seven times before stopping. This was to allow the essence qi to flow along his palm and abdomen, completing its cycle via the internal body.
The empress saw Ren Baqian remain motionless in the water and said to Gong Zheng, “It isn’t necessary for so many people to stay here. The rest can journey further to search for food and explore the surrounding area. Group them by one to three days of traveling distance.”
Leaving it to Gong Zheng to make the arrangements, the empress sat on a stone and held the rope while watching Ren Baqian inside the spring.
After one hour, she saw Ren Baqian collapse all of a sudden. She pulled on the rope and Ren Baqian came flying out.
The empress reeled him in while he was still airborne and felt an incredible chill in his ice-cold body.
Ren Baqian was blue from head to toe, his eyes were closed, and his teeth were chattering continuously.
She touched his body and only found some warmth in his chest and abdomen.
The empress was sad to see him in such a state. Without turning her head, she ordered, “Start a fire.”
Then, she hugged Ren Baqian very tightly.
She didn’t care about the ice-cold chill or the wetness of his body.
