AST 926 – Raising, Finishing Touch, New Year Is Here
The union earlier was untiring and filled with wild demands. Mu Qing was currently lying in Qing Shui's arms. The flush on her face hadn't faded yet. Such a breathtaking sight was visually stunning.
"Are you satisfied?" Qing Shui's hand lingered on that fair skin that was as smooth as jade.
Mu Qing didn't say anything and only covered both Qing Shui's eyes bashfully……
Qing Shui laughed in amusement at her adorable action. He affectionately pulled her into a tight embrace, enjoying the warmth after all this rain and wind.
"Qing'er! What's your strength now?" Qing Shui asked with a smile.
When they were engaged in the embarrassing act earlier, she discovered that her dantian felt as if it had suddenly exploded. Her strength had improved by leaps and bounds, but then she was very quickly drowned by that wonderful sensation…..
She had only recalled it now that Qing Shui was asking her. She had never expected that her strength could be raised this way. But now that Qing Shui had asked her, Mu Qing looked at him in disbelief after she tried sensing it.
She slowly got up from lying on top of Qing Shui. Since she was completely naked, those perky and delicate breasts sprung in Qing Shui's face like a pair of rabbits. Her sensitive nipples even brushed the tip of Qing Shui's nose.
Qing Shui was dazed before burying his face in those soft and fair mounds, greedily breathing in their fragrance.
………
"More than 60 stars!" Mu Qing looked at the man who was riding on top of her. This man was like a tireless wild beast. He didn't really take a breather from the beginning until now.
Qing Shui was enjoying the pleasure that was highly addictive. He knew that Mu Qing was talking about the increase of her physical strength and cultivation arts. More than 60 stars. She was another step closer to the so-called Martial Emperor realm.
This was beyond Qing Shui's expectations. Mu Qing's strength was initially very powerful already. She was even stronger than him before he had broken through to Martial Emperor. However, that didn't mean that her destructive power was higher than his. But why was her strength raised more than twofold this time……?
Could this have something to do with him breaking through to Martial Emperor?
Qing Shui was a little puzzled, but then he was no longer surprised. When Mu Qing's strength was raised tremendously, he could feel it. Other than that, his strength had also had a tremendous breakthrough.
Now that his physical strength had also been increased by nearly ten stars, that meant his physical strength had achieved 70 stars in total. Nevertheless, this made Qing Shui feel excited. Although the increase wasn't as much as Mu Qing, it was still quite a lot.
He just didn't understand why Mu Qing would receive that much of an increase. It must've had something to do with him breaking through to Martial Emperor. Most importantly, Mu Qing's constitution was quite a rare gem and she could absorb energy. Her speed and ability of absorbing Spiritual Qi were overwhelmingly strong. Both her constitution and beauty were not in the least inferior to the ladies in the Portraits of Beauty. This was also the first time where Qing Shui's strength increase was less than his partner during a Duo Cultivation.
But Qing Shui didn't only get an increase in physical strength, his spirit energy also had a tremendous change. Compared to spirit energy, that increase of ten stars in strength was next to nothing.
For Qing Shui, the change in spirit energy this time was a good finishing touch to this phase and a perfect one at that. It kind of felt like bringing a painted dragon to life by drawing in the pupils of its eyes. This made him feel happier than getting his strength increased by 50 stars. The Primordial Flame Ball had been very powerful before, but somehow something was lacking and he couldn't put a finger on it. It was only now that Qing Shui felt it could display its mightiest prowess. It was just like how standing higher would allow one to see further, while standing at a lower place would hinder one from seeing further. This was a type of realm. Besides his 'vision' had also been increased immensely, so the benefit he had received this time was no doubt great.
The brightness of the Yin-Yang Image in his sea of consciousness had increased by one fold compared to before. Its size had only been increased a little but its thickness seemed to have increased by quite a lot, becoming increasingly corporeal
From now on, his spirit energy could be considered a big trump card. He couldn't tell how many times his spirit energy had been raised compared to when he was in the Crystal Palace. He was wondering if it could match that woman's spirit energy.
But at least he would definitely not be confined by her again.
Everything happened in just a brief moment. When he snapped back to reality, he carried on doing the most pleasurable thing in the world.
………
After exiting the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation, Mu Qing's countenance appeared to be slightly unnatural. She excused herself to the bedroom and fled with a red face after throwing a look at Qing Shui.
Qing Shui secretly reminded himself to give her happiness, as he watched her disappearing beautiful silhouette.
He then started to arrange the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation and was able to succeed very easily. He went in there to familiarize himself before coming out again. He stood there deep in thought. The realm of the formation seemed to have a relation to the spirit energy of the person who set it up. If a formation was under the spiritual sense of the person who set it up, then there was a trick to covering it up. Otherwise, the space beyond every gate of the formation was spacious. Attempting to cover it with spirit energy was easier said than done.
The days passed by!
Qing Shui had been very happy for the past few days. During the day, he spent his time with Mu Qing in the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation to raise her strength. At night, he spent his time in her bedroom, holding the woman that all the men in the capital city were infatuated with in his arms and making her writhe in pleasure…..
Mu Qing knew Qing Shui couldn't stay here for too long, so she had been sleeping with him every night. She wanted to engrave and deepen the mark that Qing Shui bestowed to her, so that it would last in her heart……
New Year had arrived without them realizing it!
New Year was tomorrow and it was celebrated throughout the World of the Nine Continents. New Year should be observed no matter where you were. This was a joyous day to be celebrated. Although it might be celebrated differently in some places, New Year celebrations were virtually the same. Firecrackers and fireworks were a staple.
The more flourishing a place was, the louder the firecrackers would seem to be and the more brilliant the fireworks would be. Qing Shui was a little speechless when he saw the firecrackers and fireworks that the Mu Clan were preparing. They were actually the size of an adult. These were definitely not allowed at all in his previous world.
Although New Year was coming, some people of the Mu Clan never stopped their cultivation. But Qing Shui did as he pleased. However, he wasn't interested in going out, because he still had to instruct the people of the Mu Clan.
Mu Qing looked at Qing Shui apologetically. They continued doing this until evening, before everyone stopped and went back home to freshen up. It was only now that the whole year had truly passed.
"Qing Shui, I haven't walked around the city's big streets for a very long time. Let's go together!" Mu Qing smiled when she found Qing Shui.
"Sure!" Qing Shui agreed. He wasn't going to stay much longer and he couldn't bring Mu Qing along with him when he left. So Qing Shui would agree to anything that Mu Qing asked for.
A happy smile appeared on the faces of the other people from the Mu Clan, as they watched Qing Shui and Mu Qing's retreating figures. The experienced people in particular could sense something going on between them, but they only had a little suspicion. It would be a wonderful thing if their suspicions were true.
Ever since he arrived in this city, this was officially his first time going out in the streets. Qing Shui basically wasn't worried now even if he left. With the current strength of the Mu Clan, if someone tried to swallow them now, they wouldn't be able to get away without getting a few of their teeth busted.
There were invincible powerful cultivators in the Mu Clan. It was also only a matter of time before Mu Qing set foot into the realm of Martial Emperor. It probably wouldn't take too long for someone with her gift. By the time Mu Qing became a Martial Emperor, her strength would already be terrifying if she was only relying on her Formation Techniques and Four Phases Steps in their current realm.
It wasn't like Qing Shui didn't want her to achieve the Nine Palace Steps realm, but he felt like it would be a difficult feat to achieve. The Four Phases Steps seemed to have already hindered her. This realm probably required a very long time to research and polish. The fact that Qing Shui's Nine Palace Steps was able to attain the large success stage had a close connection with his Ancient Strengthening Technique.
The Four Phases Steps must not be underestimated. Its prowess and profoundness were able to strengthen one's battle capabilities by a lot. With Mu Qing's current strength, she would be able to handle an early Martial Emperor cultivator with a strength of over 100 stars.
The big street was extremely lively now that it was nearly New Year. Some stores weren't really closed up completely because most of the owners lived inside the stores. Although things didn't sell off too fast during New Year, that was instead actually advantageous to some stores like inns and snack stalls……
Some stores that sold accessories and jewelry would also thrive better than usual during this period of time. Qing Shui only bought some little trinkets at some vendors stalls. These people lived on the bottom rung. Qing Shui had chosen to shop here rather than those luxury stores, because he didn't fancy any of the stuff sold in those huge stores.
The stuff there was expensive and the merchants were very cunning. Most importantly, Qing Shui didn't want to contribute any money to them, because the stuff sold there was inferior to the ones that Qing Shui forged himself. Besides, those cheap trinkets sold at the vendors stalls intrigued him more instead.
They also reminded him of the old madam from the Mo Clan. He was acquainted with her because of her small vendor stall. The precious Nine Continents Boots was a gift from the old madam, as well as the Nine Palace Pendant that was worn by Di Chen.
So, Qing Shui would rather shop at the street stalls with goods laid out on the ground. He was even willing to pay extra for the good stuff rather than to shop at those luxurious stores. Qing Shui and Mu Qing were currently buying some small trinkets from one of the vendors stalls. Mu Qing looked extremely happy while holding some of the stuff that Qing Shui had bought for her.
As long it was something from Qing Shui, she'd be happy to receive anything.
"How can you buy this kind of stuff from these trashy stalls for the capital city's number one beauty?"
A disdainful voice was heard after Qing Shui passed the money to the old woman who sold him the stuff.
If the person didn't mention 'the capital city's number one beauty', Qing Shui wouldn't have guessed that the person was talking about him. But now, he knew. He was sure that the previous statement was directed at himself.
Mu Qing frowned and was about to say something before Qing Shui pulled her hand and slowly turned around. He saw a frosty youth that was in his thirties but definitely didn't exceed forty years old. He was very good-looking and exuded a sharp yet effeminate aura. His lips were a little thin, causing him to appear somewhat unkind.
There were four people behind him, two youths and two elder men. When Qing Shui laid his eyes upon this youth, he was also shocked. This youth's strength was actually not in the least inferior to Mu Qing's current strength.
This capital city actually had another figure like this? Qing Shui was very surprised. It seemed like the strength of this big city truly shouldn't be underestimated.
"Qing Shui, they are from Poison Mountain Stockade," Mu Qing reminded him from one side.
Poison Mountain Stockade was a powerful sect in this region. As its name suggested, this was a sect that used poison. One would know that this sect must be very powerful just by looking at this young man.
When Qing Shui saw the youth, he understood why he could be this calm and collected. He was currently in the limelight of this region in the city and didn't expect that someone would still come to pick a fight with him. It seemed like there were many who wanted to use him as a stepping stone.
However, Qing Shui was hesitating now because the two elderly men behind him were also of Martial Emperor grade. It was very normal for this Poison Mountain Stockade to have a few Martial Emperors. After all, they were a famous big sect in this region. But they were all early Martial Emperors. This had also allowed Qing Shui to identify the current common strength. They were usually around Grade One and Grade Two Martial Emperor. Cultivators that were able to reach Grade Two Martial Emperor were all top-notch powerful cultivators.
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AST 927 – Enmity with the Poison Mountain Stockade, New Year, Marriage Proposal
He had gathered quite a bit of information on the Poison Mountain Stockade over this period of time. This sect was quite similar to the Sky Prison Sect in nature. After all, people who used poison weren't going to leave a very good impression on others. Not other powers would take the initiative to provoke poison-users. Even the powers of such scale like the Sky Prison Sect wouldn't provoke the Poison Mountain Stockade in the past. It was evident that the Poison Mountain Stockade was a dreadful sect.
That was because they use poison. If they didn't, then their strength would be reduced by a lot. He was guessing that they were almost the same as the current Mu Clan, with two peak Grade One Martial Emperor cultivators at most.
If they still had to rely on poison if they met him, then they could only blame themselves for having rotten luck. Qing Shui smiled at him. "She's my woman. What does bringing her to any place to buy things have anything to do with you?"
Mu Qing blushed at Qing Shui's words, yet she had a peculiar feeling in her heart. She felt very warm and happy.
As the master of the Poison Mountain Stockade, Gu Song had had his eyes set on the young miss from Mu Clan for a very long time. When he heard that the 'Flower Crusher' from the Sky Prison Sect had his eyes set on Mu Qing, he went to the Sky Penetrating Mountains once. This woman was already the woman that he had 'secretly chosen' long ago.
In the capital city, no one dared to snatch the woman that he, Gu Song, had set his eyes on. But then he heard that a young man had come to the Mu Clan and got very friendly with Mu Qing. Not only that, he was also very shocked to learn that he had helped Mu Clan to destroy the Sky Prison Sect.
Even so, he didn't believe it. He had a feeling that this was only a rumor because the Old Ancestor of the Mu Clan had passed away. They needed someone courageous to stand up, otherwise the Mu Clan would be in danger.
So he believed that this young man was capable, but definitely not as powerful as rumor had it. Besides, the Mu Clan had an alliance with the Godly Sword Clan. This made him even more suspicious. Perhaps the Mu Clan still had a powerful old man with them.
Gu Song had always been the strongest cultivator among the younger generation. Even without using poison, he could still rank in the top three. If he was using poison, even an early Martial Emperor cultivator wasn't his opponent.
He was conceited, but he believed that he had the right to be!
When Qing Shui claimed that Mu Qing was his woman, Gu Song's face turned ashen because he saw how Mu Qing's expression actually turned bashful and happy. With his countless experiences in reading women, it seemed like the most beautiful woman of the capital city had been snatched by the swiftest.
Gu Song trembled in rage. Although the Poison Mountain Stockade was dreaded by many, it wasn't like he could kill anyone he wanted. Even though poison was a terrifying thing, one would have better poison immunity as their strength increased. Powerful cultivators also carried decent antidotes on them or even accessories that could render poison ineffective.
Qing Shui looked at Mu Qing. She blinked those beautiful autumn-like eyes of hers instead. Back then Qing Shui would have never believed that a capable woman that was as independent and refined as her was capable of displaying such an adorable expression. Just like how he would never believe it if someone had told him now that the lady in the crystal coffin was capable of making such an expression either.
So Qing Shui was very shocked right now. Both of them looked at Gu Song. Gu Song's eyes looked as though there were flames burning within them. A fierce look flashed across his eyes.
Qing Shui had a very powerful spiritual sense. On top of that, his spirit energy was no longer the same as before, so he was able to immediately sense a wave of brutal aura spreading towards him.
Poison!
Qing Shui glanced at the Violet Jade Earrings that hung on Mu Qing's ears and then sensed the poison that was rushing towards them. He knew that everything would be fine, so he stared at Gu Song. "Poison isn't omnipotent. Do not bother me and Qing'er. Otherwise, don't blame me for being brutal."
They hadn't reached the point of having a conflict with each other yet, so Qing Shui didn't want more trouble. Besides, even in his absence the Mu Clan would still be able to handle the Poison Mountain Stockade because they still had the Godly Sword Clan on their side.
Gu Song didn't expect that the poison he unleashed would be like a stone dropped into the sea. Not only was it ineffective, but it was also discovered by his target. It seemed like his opponent was knowledgeable about poison too or had treasures that could prevent poison. He hesitated. After all, he wasn't an impetuous person. At first, he didn't really believe that Qing Shui had the strength to destroy the Sky Prison Sect. But after seeing how his poison was ineffective against him and also something that the two elderly men had told him, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"We are not his opponent. Don't bring trouble to the Poison Mountain Stockade. Otherwise, we may lose our lives here today."
"Let's go. We are going to meet again." Gu Song gave Qing Shui a look of resentment before he left with his people.
Qing Shui was initially thinking of making them stay. But then his opponent was quite powerful and he wasn't fully prepared for now. Besides, the poison from earlier was directed at him alone.
"Seems like they don't have the intention to lay a finger on the Mu Clan yet." This was also the reason why Qing Shui didn't escalate things.
The Mu Clan still needed time right now. Given enough time, they would be invincible in the capital city. Even the current Mu Clan wouldn't easily be devoured by anyone else. Perhaps in these few days time, he would leave something for the Mu Clan again.
"Seems like there's quite a number of people from the capital city pursuing Qing'er!" Qing Shui teased her. After the people around them had left, Qing Shui and Mu Qing were no longer in the mood to shop, so they turned back.
"This Gu Song is part of the Poison Mountain Stockade. His words are sharp and unkind and he is vicious and merciless. Qing Shui, you must be careful. I fear that he won't let you go when you try to leave," Mu Qing said with slight worry in her tone.
"Don't worry. Believe in your husband's abilities." Qing Shui looked at Mu Qing and smiled.
"I don't have a husband, you big meanie." Mu Qing's face turned red and hastily took a couple of steps forward. There was a hint of a smile on her flushed face and it was intoxicating.
By the time they returned to the Mu Residence, the sky had completely turned dark. Before they could make their way into the house, a trail of brilliant fireworks rose up into the sky in the distance!
That was like a signal. Countless fireworks immediately flew into the skies from the surroundings before they exploded and turned into countless specks of lights.
Qing Shui lifted his head up to watch the fireworks filling up the skies. They were still as stunning as always. He turned his head to the side to look at Mu Qing, who was standing beside him. She also lifted her head and was watching the skies. The brilliant fireworks illuminated her face, causing her to appear dreamily gorgeous right at this moment.
The fireworks in the skies were merely an ornament when they were compared to the beauty by his side. Sensing Qing Shui's gaze, Mu Qing turned her head around and caught Qing Shui staring at herself with slight infatuation. A wave of happiness rose up in her heart. So it seemed like he wasn't as unperturbed as he appeared to be after all…
"Are they pretty?" Mu Qing smiled and held Qing Shui's hand in hers.
"Yes they are, but you are prettier!" Qing Shui gave her a simple and honest smile.
"So a blockhead like you knows how to say something nice too," Mu Qing laughed tenderly before pulling Qing Shui towards Mu Residence.
When the Mu Clan's juniors saw that Mu Qing and Qing Shui had returned, they came over and surrounded them.
"Sister Mu Qing, you're back."
"Brother Qing Shui!"
……….
Mu Qing tried to pull her hand away when she saw the other people from the Mu Clan coming over, but Qing Shui held onto it. He had no intention of hiding their relationship. Since he had already taken advantage of this young miss, he had decided to do something here.
Before he left, he was going to ask the Mu Clan for Mu Qing's hand in marriage and hold a wedding reception to let everyone in the capital city know that she was Qing Shui's woman. This way, many would know how to behave in the future after witnessing his strength.
As soon as they saw Qing Shui and Mu Qing holding each other's hands tightly, they smiled coquettishly at them.
"Good one, Brother Qing Shui. We were just talking about how there's no one but Brother Qing Shui in this capital city who is worthy of our Sister Mu Qing," a youth chuckled. He was Mu Qing's younger male patrilineal cousin.
Qing Shui could only laugh along. This youth was indeed good at flattery, to be able to flatter both of them at the same time.
"Brother Qing Shui, when are you going to let us call you brother-in-law?" Mu Xue also giggled at Qing Shui and Mu Qing.
"You damn lass, stop your nonsense," Mu Qing quickly reprimanded her. Although she had an intimate relationship with Qing Shui, she didn't want to tie him down.
"I have already decided to bring up a marriage proposal to the seniors today. If everything goes well, we are going to hold a wedding reception the day after tomorrow," Qing Shui said in a serious tone.
"Alright, I'm going to tell Third Uncle." Mu Qing's male cousin from earlier ran away with a smile.
"Great. I was sure that Qing Shui would definitely be part of our family……"
………..
Qing Shui looked at Mu Qing who was standing beside him looking blank. "I had already decided on this that day in the formation," he said softly.
Qing Shui's words made Mu Qing give him a glare before she turned away bashfully. Those lips that curled up looking sexy and alluring. They were even more stunning under the skies that were filled with fireworks.
The Mu Clan had only started to light up their fireworks and firecrackers after Qing Shui and Mu Qing had returned. Everyone in the Mu Clan basically came out. The joyous occasion was celebrated along with brilliant fireworks and hearty laughter.
This continued for two hours before it was time for New Year's Eve dinner!
Everyone of different ages gathered in the great hall. The great hall was extremely lively. The dishes served on the table were also extremely sumptuous. They were exquisitely prepared and delicious, most likely the works of a famous chef. This wasn't too surprising, considering the abilities of Mu Clan. Besides, the Mu Clan owned inns and they also had a head chef stationed at their residence all year round.
Qing Shui had become the focal point, maybe because he had mentioned that he wanted to do a marriage proposal. Now, Qing Shui realized that the people around him were mostly staring at him. He must admit that he was impressed by how good the boasting skills of the youth from earlier was.
He could tell that everyone was waiting for him to make some declaration by the expressions on their faces. He stood up slowly. Mu Qian happened to be just right across him and naturally, Mu Qing was beside him.
"Senior, I would like to take Miss Mu Qing as my wife." Qing Shui wasn't too accustomed to things like this, so he could only summon up his courage and say it. He had no idea how other people would do a marriage proposal, but he knew that they would normally ask for blessings from the seniors first.
Mu Qing was so shy that she lowered her head. Mu Qian was also amused by his own daughter's expression. She had grown so much and he had never seen his eldest daughter looking this way ever since she had grown up. Although he was happy for her, as a father, the thoughts of his daughter marrying someone still made him felt a little reluctant even though he was happy.
It was said that a daughter was the lover of her father in their previous life. Father and daughter always had a special bond between them. A father's love was as great as the mountains. The husband that a daughter picked would unintentionally have some traits of her father in him. That was a formless influence. A daughter grew up with her father, so she would be influenced in some way by his speech and actions.
"I will leave Qing'er in your hands. I am not worried and I am happy. I don't have any other requests, I only hope that you will treat her well," Mu Qian chuckled.
"Daddy!" Mu Qing called out shyly.
"Uncle, I will not let anything happen to Qing'er as long as I am alive," Qing Shui promised earnestly.
"I was worried that Qing'er wouldn't get married. This is great." Mu Qian chuckled. He was very pleased that his daughter was able to find this kind of man. He was very satisfied.
"Daddy, is your daughter that bad?" Mu Qing pouted and huffed. Her beautiful face was flushed crimson.
"My daughter is the most beautiful. Come, let us toast to Qing'er for finding a good man."
……..
"Uncle, these are gifts for you all. Consider them presents from me for the marriage proposal. There's one for everyone in the Mu Clan. It can prevent poison and calm the mind. Wearing it will also give other additional effects." Qing Shui took out a slightly larger brocade box and passed it to Mu Qian.
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AST 926 – Raising, Finishing Touch, New Year Is Here
The union earlier was untiring and filled with wild demands. Mu Qing was currently lying in Qing Shui's arms. The flush on her face hadn't faded yet. Such a breathtaking sight was visually stunning.
"Are you satisfied?" Qing Shui's hand lingered on that fair skin that was as smooth as jade.
Mu Qing didn't say anything and only covered both Qing Shui's eyes bashfully……
Qing Shui laughed in amusement at her adorable action. He affectionately pulled her into a tight embrace, enjoying the warmth after all this rain and wind.
"Qing'er! What's your strength now?" Qing Shui asked with a smile.
When they were engaged in the embarrassing act earlier, she discovered that her dantian felt as if it had suddenly exploded. Her strength had improved by leaps and bounds, but then she was very quickly drowned by that wonderful sensation…..
She had only recalled it now that Qing Shui was asking her. She had never expected that her strength could be raised this way. But now that Qing Shui had asked her, Mu Qing looked at him in disbelief after she tried sensing it.
She slowly got up from lying on top of Qing Shui. Since she was completely naked, those perky and delicate breasts sprung in Qing Shui's face like a pair of rabbits. Her sensitive nipples even brushed the tip of Qing Shui's nose.
Qing Shui was dazed before burying his face in those soft and fair mounds, greedily breathing in their fragrance.
………
"More than 60 stars!" Mu Qing looked at the man who was riding on top of her. This man was like a tireless wild beast. He didn't really take a breather from the beginning until now.
Qing Shui was enjoying the pleasure that was highly addictive. He knew that Mu Qing was talking about the increase of her physical strength and cultivation arts. More than 60 stars. She was another step closer to the so-called Martial Emperor realm.
This was beyond Qing Shui's expectations. Mu Qing's strength was initially very powerful already. She was even stronger than him before he had broken through to Martial Emperor. However, that didn't mean that her destructive power was higher than his. But why was her strength raised more than twofold this time……?
Could this have something to do with him breaking through to Martial Emperor?
Qing Shui was a little puzzled, but then he was no longer surprised. When Mu Qing's strength was raised tremendously, he could feel it. Other than that, his strength had also had a tremendous breakthrough.
Now that his physical strength had also been increased by nearly ten stars, that meant his physical strength had achieved 70 stars in total. Nevertheless, this made Qing Shui feel excited. Although the increase wasn't as much as Mu Qing, it was still quite a lot.
He just didn't understand why Mu Qing would receive that much of an increase. It must've had something to do with him breaking through to Martial Emperor. Most importantly, Mu Qing's constitution was quite a rare gem and she could absorb energy. Her speed and ability of absorbing Spiritual Qi were overwhelmingly strong. Both her constitution and beauty were not in the least inferior to the ladies in the Portraits of Beauty. This was also the first time where Qing Shui's strength increase was less than his partner during a Duo Cultivation.
But Qing Shui didn't only get an increase in physical strength, his spirit energy also had a tremendous change. Compared to spirit energy, that increase of ten stars in strength was next to nothing.
For Qing Shui, the change in spirit energy this time was a good finishing touch to this phase and a perfect one at that. It kind of felt like bringing a painted dragon to life by drawing in the pupils of its eyes. This made him feel happier than getting his strength increased by 50 stars. The Primordial Flame Ball had been very powerful before, but somehow something was lacking and he couldn't put a finger on it. It was only now that Qing Shui felt it could display its mightiest prowess. It was just like how standing higher would allow one to see further, while standing at a lower place would hinder one from seeing further. This was a type of realm. Besides his 'vision' had also been increased immensely, so the benefit he had received this time was no doubt great.
The brightness of the Yin-Yang Image in his sea of consciousness had increased by one fold compared to before. Its size had only been increased a little but its thickness seemed to have increased by quite a lot, becoming increasingly corporeal
From now on, his spirit energy could be considered a big trump card. He couldn't tell how many times his spirit energy had been raised compared to when he was in the Crystal Palace. He was wondering if it could match that woman's spirit energy.
But at least he would definitely not be confined by her again.
Everything happened in just a brief moment. When he snapped back to reality, he carried on doing the most pleasurable thing in the world.
………
After exiting the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation, Mu Qing's countenance appeared to be slightly unnatural. She excused herself to the bedroom and fled with a red face after throwing a look at Qing Shui.
Qing Shui secretly reminded himself to give her happiness, as he watched her disappearing beautiful silhouette.
He then started to arrange the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation and was able to succeed very easily. He went in there to familiarize himself before coming out again. He stood there deep in thought. The realm of the formation seemed to have a relation to the spirit energy of the person who set it up. If a formation was under the spiritual sense of the person who set it up, then there was a trick to covering it up. Otherwise, the space beyond every gate of the formation was spacious. Attempting to cover it with spirit energy was easier said than done.
The days passed by!
Qing Shui had been very happy for the past few days. During the day, he spent his time with Mu Qing in the Nine Palace Eight Trigrams Formation to raise her strength. At night, he spent his time in her bedroom, holding the woman that all the men in the capital city were infatuated with in his arms and making her writhe in pleasure…..
Mu Qing knew Qing Shui couldn't stay here for too long, so she had been sleeping with him every night. She wanted to engrave and deepen the mark that Qing Shui bestowed to her, so that it would last in her heart……
New Year had arrived without them realizing it!
New Year was tomorrow and it was celebrated throughout the World of the Nine Continents. New Year should be observed no matter where you were. This was a joyous day to be celebrated. Although it might be celebrated differently in some places, New Year celebrations were virtually the same. Firecrackers and fireworks were a staple.
The more flourishing a place was, the louder the firecrackers would seem to be and the more brilliant the fireworks would be. Qing Shui was a little speechless when he saw the firecrackers and fireworks that the Mu Clan were preparing. They were actually the size of an adult. These were definitely not allowed at all in his previous world.
Although New Year was coming, some people of the Mu Clan never stopped their cultivation. But Qing Shui did as he pleased. However, he wasn't interested in going out, because he still had to instruct the people of the Mu Clan.
Mu Qing looked at Qing Shui apologetically. They continued doing this until evening, before everyone stopped and went back home to freshen up. It was only now that the whole year had truly passed.
"Qing Shui, I haven't walked around the city's big streets for a very long time. Let's go together!" Mu Qing smiled when she found Qing Shui.
"Sure!" Qing Shui agreed. He wasn't going to stay much longer and he couldn't bring Mu Qing along with him when he left. So Qing Shui would agree to anything that Mu Qing asked for.
A happy smile appeared on the faces of the other people from the Mu Clan, as they watched Qing Shui and Mu Qing's retreating figures. The experienced people in particular could sense something going on between them, but they only had a little suspicion. It would be a wonderful thing if their suspicions were true.
Ever since he arrived in this city, this was officially his first time going out in the streets. Qing Shui basically wasn't worried now even if he left. With the current strength of the Mu Clan, if someone tried to swallow them now, they wouldn't be able to get away without getting a few of their teeth busted.
There were invincible powerful cultivators in the Mu Clan. It was also only a matter of time before Mu Qing set foot into the realm of Martial Emperor. It probably wouldn't take too long for someone with her gift. By the time Mu Qing became a Martial Emperor, her strength would already be terrifying if she was only relying on her Formation Techniques and Four Phases Steps in their current realm.
It wasn't like Qing Shui didn't want her to achieve the Nine Palace Steps realm, but he felt like it would be a difficult feat to achieve. The Four Phases Steps seemed to have already hindered her. This realm probably required a very long time to research and polish. The fact that Qing Shui's Nine Palace Steps was able to attain the large success stage had a close connection with his Ancient Strengthening Technique.
The Four Phases Steps must not be underestimated. Its prowess and profoundness were able to strengthen one's battle capabilities by a lot. With Mu Qing's current strength, she would be able to handle an early Martial Emperor cultivator with a strength of over 100 stars.
The big street was extremely lively now that it was nearly New Year. Some stores weren't really closed up completely because most of the owners lived inside the stores. Although things didn't sell off too fast during New Year, that was instead actually advantageous to some stores like inns and snack stalls……
Some stores that sold accessories and jewelry would also thrive better than usual during this period of time. Qing Shui only bought some little trinkets at some vendors stalls. These people lived on the bottom rung. Qing Shui had chosen to shop here rather than those luxury stores, because he didn't fancy any of the stuff sold in those huge stores.
The stuff there was expensive and the merchants were very cunning. Most importantly, Qing Shui didn't want to contribute any money to them, because the stuff sold there was inferior to the ones that Qing Shui forged himself. Besides, those cheap trinkets sold at the vendors stalls intrigued him more instead.
They also reminded him of the old madam from the Mo Clan. He was acquainted with her because of her small vendor stall. The precious Nine Continents Boots was a gift from the old madam, as well as the Nine Palace Pendant that was worn by Di Chen.
So, Qing Shui would rather shop at the street stalls with goods laid out on the ground. He was even willing to pay extra for the good stuff rather than to shop at those luxurious stores. Qing Shui and Mu Qing were currently buying some small trinkets from one of the vendors stalls. Mu Qing looked extremely happy while holding some of the stuff that Qing Shui had bought for her.
As long it was something from Qing Shui, she'd be happy to receive anything.
"How can you buy this kind of stuff from these trashy stalls for the capital city's number one beauty?"
A disdainful voice was heard after Qing Shui passed the money to the old woman who sold him the stuff.
If the person didn't mention 'the capital city's number one beauty', Qing Shui wouldn't have guessed that the person was talking about him. But now, he knew. He was sure that the previous statement was directed at himself.
Mu Qing frowned and was about to say something before Qing Shui pulled her hand and slowly turned around. He saw a frosty youth that was in his thirties but definitely didn't exceed forty years old. He was very good-looking and exuded a sharp yet effeminate aura. His lips were a little thin, causing him to appear somewhat unkind.
There were four people behind him, two youths and two elder men. When Qing Shui laid his eyes upon this youth, he was also shocked. This youth's strength was actually not in the least inferior to Mu Qing's current strength.
This capital city actually had another figure like this? Qing Shui was very surprised. It seemed like the strength of this big city truly shouldn't be underestimated.
"Qing Shui, they are from Poison Mountain Stockade," Mu Qing reminded him from one side.
Poison Mountain Stockade was a powerful sect in this region. As its name suggested, this was a sect that used poison. One would know that this sect must be very powerful just by looking at this young man.
When Qing Shui saw the youth, he understood why he could be this calm and collected. He was currently in the limelight of this region in the city and didn't expect that someone would still come to pick a fight with him. It seemed like there were many who wanted to use him as a stepping stone.
However, Qing Shui was hesitating now because the two elderly men behind him were also of Martial Emperor grade. It was very normal for this Poison Mountain Stockade to have a few Martial Emperors. After all, they were a famous big sect in this region. But they were all early Martial Emperors. This had also allowed Qing Shui to identify the current common strength. They were usually around Grade One and Grade Two Martial Emperor. Cultivators that were able to reach Grade Two Martial Emperor were all top-notch powerful cultivators.
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AST 927 – Enmity with the Poison Mountain Stockade, New Year, Marriage Proposal
He had gathered quite a bit of information on the Poison Mountain Stockade over this period of time. This sect was quite similar to the Sky Prison Sect in nature. After all, people who used poison weren't going to leave a very good impression on others. Not other powers would take the initiative to provoke poison-users. Even the powers of such scale like the Sky Prison Sect wouldn't provoke the Poison Mountain Stockade in the past. It was evident that the Poison Mountain Stockade was a dreadful sect.
That was because they use poison. If they didn't, then their strength would be reduced by a lot. He was guessing that they were almost the same as the current Mu Clan, with two peak Grade One Martial Emperor cultivators at most.
If they still had to rely on poison if they met him, then they could only blame themselves for having rotten luck. Qing Shui smiled at him. "She's my woman. What does bringing her to any place to buy things have anything to do with you?"
Mu Qing blushed at Qing Shui's words, yet she had a peculiar feeling in her heart. She felt very warm and happy.
As the master of the Poison Mountain Stockade, Gu Song had had his eyes set on the young miss from Mu Clan for a very long time. When he heard that the 'Flower Crusher' from the Sky Prison Sect had his eyes set on Mu Qing, he went to the Sky Penetrating Mountains once. This woman was already the woman that he had 'secretly chosen' long ago.
In the capital city, no one dared to snatch the woman that he, Gu Song, had set his eyes on. But then he heard that a young man had come to the Mu Clan and got very friendly with Mu Qing. Not only that, he was also very shocked to learn that he had helped Mu Clan to destroy the Sky Prison Sect.
Even so, he didn't believe it. He had a feeling that this was only a rumor because the Old Ancestor of the Mu Clan had passed away. They needed someone courageous to stand up, otherwise the Mu Clan would be in danger.
So he believed that this young man was capable, but definitely not as powerful as rumor had it. Besides, the Mu Clan had an alliance with the Godly Sword Clan. This made him even more suspicious. Perhaps the Mu Clan still had a powerful old man with them.
Gu Song had always been the strongest cultivator among the younger generation. Even without using poison, he could still rank in the top three. If he was using poison, even an early Martial Emperor cultivator wasn't his opponent.
He was conceited, but he believed that he had the right to be!
When Qing Shui claimed that Mu Qing was his woman, Gu Song's face turned ashen because he saw how Mu Qing's expression actually turned bashful and happy. With his countless experiences in reading women, it seemed like the most beautiful woman of the capital city had been snatched by the swiftest.
Gu Song trembled in rage. Although the Poison Mountain Stockade was dreaded by many, it wasn't like he could kill anyone he wanted. Even though poison was a terrifying thing, one would have better poison immunity as their strength increased. Powerful cultivators also carried decent antidotes on them or even accessories that could render poison ineffective.
Qing Shui looked at Mu Qing. She blinked those beautiful autumn-like eyes of hers instead. Back then Qing Shui would have never believed that a capable woman that was as independent and refined as her was capable of displaying such an adorable expression. Just like how he would never believe it if someone had told him now that the lady in the crystal coffin was capable of making such an expression either.
So Qing Shui was very shocked right now. Both of them looked at Gu Song. Gu Song's eyes looked as though there were flames burning within them. A fierce look flashed across his eyes.
Qing Shui had a very powerful spiritual sense. On top of that, his spirit energy was no longer the same as before, so he was able to immediately sense a wave of brutal aura spreading towards him.
Poison!
Qing Shui glanced at the Violet Jade Earrings that hung on Mu Qing's ears and then sensed the poison that was rushing towards them. He knew that everything would be fine, so he stared at Gu Song. "Poison isn't omnipotent. Do not bother me and Qing'er. Otherwise, don't blame me for being brutal."
They hadn't reached the point of having a conflict with each other yet, so Qing Shui didn't want more trouble. Besides, even in his absence the Mu Clan would still be able to handle the Poison Mountain Stockade because they still had the Godly Sword Clan on their side.
Gu Song didn't expect that the poison he unleashed would be like a stone dropped into the sea. Not only was it ineffective, but it was also discovered by his target. It seemed like his opponent was knowledgeable about poison too or had treasures that could prevent poison. He hesitated. After all, he wasn't an impetuous person. At first, he didn't really believe that Qing Shui had the strength to destroy the Sky Prison Sect. But after seeing how his poison was ineffective against him and also something that the two elderly men had told him, he stopped dead in his tracks.
"We are not his opponent. Don't bring trouble to the Poison Mountain Stockade. Otherwise, we may lose our lives here today."
"Let's go. We are going to meet again." Gu Song gave Qing Shui a look of resentment before he left with his people.
Qing Shui was initially thinking of making them stay. But then his opponent was quite powerful and he wasn't fully prepared for now. Besides, the poison from earlier was directed at him alone.
"Seems like they don't have the intention to lay a finger on the Mu Clan yet." This was also the reason why Qing Shui didn't escalate things.
The Mu Clan still needed time right now. Given enough time, they would be invincible in the capital city. Even the current Mu Clan wouldn't easily be devoured by anyone else. Perhaps in these few days time, he would leave something for the Mu Clan again.
"Seems like there's quite a number of people from the capital city pursuing Qing'er!" Qing Shui teased her. After the people around them had left, Qing Shui and Mu Qing were no longer in the mood to shop, so they turned back.
"This Gu Song is part of the Poison Mountain Stockade. His words are sharp and unkind and he is vicious and merciless. Qing Shui, you must be careful. I fear that he won't let you go when you try to leave," Mu Qing said with slight worry in her tone.
"Don't worry. Believe in your husband's abilities." Qing Shui looked at Mu Qing and smiled.
"I don't have a husband, you big meanie." Mu Qing's face turned red and hastily took a couple of steps forward. There was a hint of a smile on her flushed face and it was intoxicating.
By the time they returned to the Mu Residence, the sky had completely turned dark. Before they could make their way into the house, a trail of brilliant fireworks rose up into the sky in the distance!
That was like a signal. Countless fireworks immediately flew into the skies from the surroundings before they exploded and turned into countless specks of lights.
Qing Shui lifted his head up to watch the fireworks filling up the skies. They were still as stunning as always. He turned his head to the side to look at Mu Qing, who was standing beside him. She also lifted her head and was watching the skies. The brilliant fireworks illuminated her face, causing her to appear dreamily gorgeous right at this moment.
The fireworks in the skies were merely an ornament when they were compared to the beauty by his side. Sensing Qing Shui's gaze, Mu Qing turned her head around and caught Qing Shui staring at herself with slight infatuation. A wave of happiness rose up in her heart. So it seemed like he wasn't as unperturbed as he appeared to be after all…
"Are they pretty?" Mu Qing smiled and held Qing Shui's hand in hers.
"Yes they are, but you are prettier!" Qing Shui gave her a simple and honest smile.
"So a blockhead like you knows how to say something nice too," Mu Qing laughed tenderly before pulling Qing Shui towards Mu Residence.
When the Mu Clan's juniors saw that Mu Qing and Qing Shui had returned, they came over and surrounded them.
"Sister Mu Qing, you're back."
"Brother Qing Shui!"
……….
Mu Qing tried to pull her hand away when she saw the other people from the Mu Clan coming over, but Qing Shui held onto it. He had no intention of hiding their relationship. Since he had already taken advantage of this young miss, he had decided to do something here.
Before he left, he was going to ask the Mu Clan for Mu Qing's hand in marriage and hold a wedding reception to let everyone in the capital city know that she was Qing Shui's woman. This way, many would know how to behave in the future after witnessing his strength.
As soon as they saw Qing Shui and Mu Qing holding each other's hands tightly, they smiled coquettishly at them.
"Good one, Brother Qing Shui. We were just talking about how there's no one but Brother Qing Shui in this capital city who is worthy of our Sister Mu Qing," a youth chuckled. He was Mu Qing's younger male patrilineal cousin.
Qing Shui could only laugh along. This youth was indeed good at flattery, to be able to flatter both of them at the same time.
"Brother Qing Shui, when are you going to let us call you brother-in-law?" Mu Xue also giggled at Qing Shui and Mu Qing.
"You damn lass, stop your nonsense," Mu Qing quickly reprimanded her. Although she had an intimate relationship with Qing Shui, she didn't want to tie him down.
"I have already decided to bring up a marriage proposal to the seniors today. If everything goes well, we are going to hold a wedding reception the day after tomorrow," Qing Shui said in a serious tone.
"Alright, I'm going to tell Third Uncle." Mu Qing's male cousin from earlier ran away with a smile.
"Great. I was sure that Qing Shui would definitely be part of our family……"
………..
Qing Shui looked at Mu Qing who was standing beside him looking blank. "I had already decided on this that day in the formation," he said softly.
Qing Shui's words made Mu Qing give him a glare before she turned away bashfully. Those lips that curled up looking sexy and alluring. They were even more stunning under the skies that were filled with fireworks.
The Mu Clan had only started to light up their fireworks and firecrackers after Qing Shui and Mu Qing had returned. Everyone in the Mu Clan basically came out. The joyous occasion was celebrated along with brilliant fireworks and hearty laughter.
This continued for two hours before it was time for New Year's Eve dinner!
Everyone of different ages gathered in the great hall. The great hall was extremely lively. The dishes served on the table were also extremely sumptuous. They were exquisitely prepared and delicious, most likely the works of a famous chef. This wasn't too surprising, considering the abilities of Mu Clan. Besides, the Mu Clan owned inns and they also had a head chef stationed at their residence all year round.
Qing Shui had become the focal point, maybe because he had mentioned that he wanted to do a marriage proposal. Now, Qing Shui realized that the people around him were mostly staring at him. He must admit that he was impressed by how good the boasting skills of the youth from earlier was.
He could tell that everyone was waiting for him to make some declaration by the expressions on their faces. He stood up slowly. Mu Qian happened to be just right across him and naturally, Mu Qing was beside him.
"Senior, I would like to take Miss Mu Qing as my wife." Qing Shui wasn't too accustomed to things like this, so he could only summon up his courage and say it. He had no idea how other people would do a marriage proposal, but he knew that they would normally ask for blessings from the seniors first.
Mu Qing was so shy that she lowered her head. Mu Qian was also amused by his own daughter's expression. She had grown so much and he had never seen his eldest daughter looking this way ever since she had grown up. Although he was happy for her, as a father, the thoughts of his daughter marrying someone still made him felt a little reluctant even though he was happy.
It was said that a daughter was the lover of her father in their previous life. Father and daughter always had a special bond between them. A father's love was as great as the mountains. The husband that a daughter picked would unintentionally have some traits of her father in him. That was a formless influence. A daughter grew up with her father, so she would be influenced in some way by his speech and actions.
"I will leave Qing'er in your hands. I am not worried and I am happy. I don't have any other requests, I only hope that you will treat her well," Mu Qian chuckled.
"Daddy!" Mu Qing called out shyly.
"Uncle, I will not let anything happen to Qing'er as long as I am alive," Qing Shui promised earnestly.
"I was worried that Qing'er wouldn't get married. This is great." Mu Qian chuckled. He was very pleased that his daughter was able to find this kind of man. He was very satisfied.
"Daddy, is your daughter that bad?" Mu Qing pouted and huffed. Her beautiful face was flushed crimson.
"My daughter is the most beautiful. Come, let us toast to Qing'er for finding a good man."
……..
"Uncle, these are gifts for you all. Consider them presents from me for the marriage proposal. There's one for everyone in the Mu Clan. It can prevent poison and calm the mind. Wearing it will also give other additional effects." Qing Shui took out a slightly larger brocade box and passed it to Mu Qian.
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