The Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 1526 - Hellfire Phoenix's Nine Phantoms Slaughter, Qin King Manor

In the state of Nine Phantoms Slaughter, the Hellfire Phoenix's might had reached a terrifying degree. This was mainly due to the presence of Qing Shui's formations and halos. Otherwise, it would be impossible to achieve the level it had now.

It was precisely because of this that Qing Shui was intimidating. He could drastically increase his own strength, while weakening his opponents. The contrasting effects could deepen any discrepancies greatly.

The old man had spilled those threatening words, but all of a sudden, he found himself faced with the emergence of an overwhelming force that was impossible to defend against. That was when he knew the Leng Clan had dug itself into a mess.

Boom!

Instant kill! The consciousness of the old man began to dissipate. Qing Shui was confident from the start. It was only that he did not want to reveal too much too soon. In addition, he wanted to observe the extent of the Hellfire Phoenix's power.

Within a quarter of an hour, its consumption had increased tenfold, but this expense was still acceptable. A quarter of an hour was enough, and since it had already demonstrated its shocking power, it would be a pity to let it go to waste.

Within several breaths, the Hellfire Phoenix glided across the sky, breathing its Underworld Fireball endlessly, sounds of blasts engulfing the screams.

The distance was too much and resistance was futile. One by one, they seemed to evaporate into the air. "Soon, the area will be clean," Qing Shui thought and smiled. He decided that if he met any other opponents of such level in future, he would just unleash the Hellfire Phoenix and have it use the Nine Phantoms Slaughter to eliminate them.

"We shouldn't stay here any longer. Let's go!" Qing Shui spoke after some consideration. He wasn't afraid, but he didn't want to invite any more trouble. He didn't know anything about the Sacred Might Dynasty or the Leng Clan, but he did understand that the clan wasn't one that he'd want to be entangled with.

"Mmh. Let's go while there is still time. There's no need to attract more trouble." Qin Qing said softly.

They disappeared from their spot; as though they were just passerbys, they left no trace behind. Using the Nine Continents Steps, they left in haste.

"Have you heard of the Sacred Might Dynasty and the Leng Clan?"

They were at a completely different place when they landed, in the vast expanse of a wasteland that was filled only with hay and dead wood. Everywhere around them was desolate.

"The Sacred Might Dynasty is one of the bigger dynasties in this region, and the Leng Clan is the top aristocratic clan there." Qin Qing said without a hint of hesitance. It seemed like she was very familiar with the area as well.

"And in comparison to Great Qin Dynasty?" Qing Shui knew the Qin Qing was from the Great Qin Dynasty, and if he was right in his speculation, she should be part of the royal family.

"The Sacred Might Dynasty may be powerful, but they're still not as mighty as the Great Qin Dynasty." Qin Qing replied, with pride lacing her words. From this, Qing Shui was even more sure that she was part of the royal family in the Great Qin Dynasty, or at least from a large clan there.

Yet, it was strange that those people did not recognize Qin Qing if that was truly the case. Looking at the Azure Dragon that Qin Qing had summoned, the people from Leng Clan should have figured out her identity but they had said nothing about it. Qing Shui couldn't tell if they knew about Qin Qing's existence.

Or perhaps Qin Qing had always remained relatively low-key.

A week passed by in the blink of an eye. Qing Shui and Qin Qing entered the Great Qin Dynasty, which happened to be one of the most powerful dynasties in its proximity. In general, the bigger a dynasty's territory, the stronger it was.

Maple City!

It was spring there, and true to its name, everywhere was littered with countless huge, maple trees.

With a glance, you could see an extension of pavilions and lined trees. In the distance, the silhouette of a mountain peaked. The sky was cloudless and clear, making others feel a strange sensation.

It was as though you were in between heaven and earth, a little sentimental yet lonely at the same time. The loneliness stemmed from the heart, the kind faced by those who were superior. Even though Qing Shui had not attained that level of superiority, he was already feeling a hint of that loneliness.

Perhaps it wasn't the type of loneliness that came from being powerful…

"What's on your mind that got you so lost in thought?" Qin Qing could tell that Qing Shui's thoughts had drifted far away.

"I was wondering why I followed you here." Qing Shui answered softly.

"Did you get your answer?" Qin Qing laughed.

"I think I did." Qing Shui rubbed his head.

"Oh? Then can you tell me what it is?" Qin Qing had an inkling of what Qing Shui would say. Qing Shui didn't tease her usually, but seeing how lonely he looked, she wanted him to tease her, in order to relieve his own tension.

Qin Qing startled herself at this thought which had flooded her mind; she was afraid about the train of thoughts she was having… When had she started being so accommodating towards a man?

"I think I was afraid I would let you slip through my fingers," Qing Shui smiled and shook his head.

Qing Shui didn't go overboard in his words, but what he did say was enough to express his feelings. Qin Qing felt a hint of glee to hear them, but she wasn't sure why either.

She didn't detest Qing Shui. In fact, she was quite fond of him. The man had often surprised her and the truth behind her invitation this time was so he could help treat one of her family members.

However, when she had invited Qing Shui along previously, it had been a casual remark without divulging any details. Even when she had assisted him in the search for the Golden Bear Queen, she hadn't elaborated on why she was helping him. Qing Shui had even asked if she needed any help in return.

"Do you like me?"

Qing Shui didn't expect Qin Qing's straightforward question. Looking at the beautiful yet enchanting woman, he nodded, "Mmh, I think I like you."

"What do you like about me? My good looks?"

"It's true that I like beautiful women, but it's not like I would be attracted to just anyone." Qing Shui shook his head.

A faint smile remained on Qin Qing's face, "Then, what do you like about me?"

"Do you need a reason to like someone?" Qing Shui froze after the words left him… Why had he asked that question again?

"Yes!"

"I just like you for who you are, and I want to hold you in my arms... "

"Stop, stop! You're not allowed to continue anymore." Growing shy from his words, Qin Qing reprimanded him.

Although what Qing Shui said wasn't excessive, it still managed to leave her flustered. He had wanted to continue with his desire to touch and kiss her, all of those sweet nothings from his previous life, except that it was Qin Qing in front of him.

"So are you going to give me a chance?" Qing Shui laughed.

"You are shameless. You'll have to woo me if you like me, but I can't guarantee anything." Qin Qing smiled and looked over at Qing Shui. Her beautiful face and that smile was enough to make him lose himself in a trance.

He understood what she meant from her words. She was a reserved woman, and the statement meant that Qing Shui couldn't do as he pleased. Women like this cared a lot about the process: the feeling of being cared for and loved.

"I will definitely have you be my pampered wife willingly." Qing Shui said seriously, his gaze upon Qin Qing.

"I'm going to ignore you if you speak any more nonsense. Let's go, we'll be able to reach my home by tomorrow." Qin Qing scolded him but there was a feeling in her heart that wasn't there before: a little skip, a little worry…

Qing Shui, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. She was such a beautiful and powerful woman; her every word and frown, the switch between her pleased and annoyed expressions made Qing Shui even more satisfied. It was the highest point that could only be reached through the blend of spirit and desire between men and women; sometimes, such a spiritual interaction is in no way inferior to s**, which was an even higher level of communication.

However, Qing Shui still preferred to communicate body-to-body before reaching such spiritual fusion. He was still a man after all, and a man can't abandon his unfinished task. Still, it'll take time to win this woman over.

At the thought of Tantai Lingyan, Qing Shui shook his head. He'd still have to buck up. He didn't have to worry about not being allowed to pursue others here, just like he had been towards Qin Qing right now. She'd definitely not believe him if he said that he didn't have other women.

That was how the system worked in the Main Continent. Even if a woman was not willing to agree to it, she'd still acknowledge and accept it. Good-looking and powerful women would rarely be willing to be with an ordinary person, but rich ordinary people would have more than one woman by their side as well.

The strong women in this world had their own careers, just like the career women in his previous life. For example, a strong woman in this life will have her own pavilion, her own home, and she wouldn't have to mingle with the other women of a man. If they missed the man, then he could visit her on his own; the two didn't have to stick together at all times.

Qing Shui began to understand the system of the Main Continent as well, and how some of his women chose such a way too. This left Qing Shui a little helpless; if he wanted an enormous bed and have everyone sleep under the same roof, he assumed this would be a difficult wish to fulfill.

Since Qin Qing had said that, it means that she wasn't going to fuss about the fact that he had other women. The more powerful a woman was, the more assertive she would get, especially someone like Qin Qing who had kept her chastity for years; women like her would not be enamoured easily but once they did, their feelings wouldn't change.

It was complicated for Qin Qing as well. Just like Qing Shui had said before: did you really need a reason to like someone? She thought it necessary, but sometimes, you just can't find the right words to say or even know the answer yourself.

Does this count as not needing a reason?

Liking a person shouldn't be restricted to a certain feature, but the feeling of liking them as a whole: her beauty, her character, her outfit, her disposition, and many other things.

……

After their earlier interaction, the duo seemed to grow even closer, but not to the extent of holding hands. It was just a sprout. There was no telling as to whether it could grow into a tree.

Qin King City!

Qing Shui knew that Qin Qing could be regarded as part of the royal family, but she's no longer the direct descendant of the throne. Her father was the Qin King, and this city represented her father's standing in the dynasty.

Successor of Qin King City!

They could be considered part of the royal family, but their lineage within the royal family of Great Qin Dynasty had waned. Still, Qin Qing's family remained formidable, and so the royal family ties were still close-knit. They always remained part of it as a powerful force of the royal family composition.

Qin King Manor!

Qin Qing and Qing Shui stood in front of a huge mansion, looking at the majestic door ahead. There were three characters written in purple. They were elegant, unlike those showy, calligraphic strokes. These three words were modest, but Qing Shui could sense a kind of aloofness behind them; it was a type of self-confidence.

"Was this written by your family?" Qing Shui asked gently.

"My father wrote it. The characters before were worn out so we changed it. Why?" There was a hint of smile in Qin Qing's eyes when she glanced over.

"Your father is truly mighty." Qing Shui chuckled.