Chapter 23: Friends...

After placing the last spiritual stone, Jun watched in awe as they began glowing in unison with an intensified white glow.

"Maybe I should have told her where I was setting up the formation," he thought, as he sensed the spiritual energy inside the array start to bottom out.

Suddenly, the door of the house flew off its hinges, hurtling into the woods and shattering against a tree

Landing next to him, Jun noticed she held a sword in hand and draped only in a white towel that clung to her curves.

Her hair was damp, lending her an unexpectedly wild and alluring look. "Where is the enemy?" she demanded, her voice a mix of urgency and concern.

Jun, momentarily stunned by her presence, fumbled for words. "Ah, well, you see," he chuckled awkwardly, "I was testing a new array, I guess I forgot to tell you I was testing it on the house."

Realizing there was no threat, just her idiot partner, her expression shifted from alert to irritated. She glared at Jun, her stance exuding a blend of frustration and controlled power.

"Dammit, Jun, what the hell were you thinking trying out this array with me still in it?" she scolded, her voice sharp with reproach yet tinged with an underlying concern.

Jun, taken aback by her sudden appearance and then by her scolding, found himself momentarily at a loss for words.

He noticed how the towel accentuated her form, the droplets of water on her skin glistening in the dim light. Gathering his thoughts, he managed a sheepish smile. "Well, I guess I did get a bit too excited to test out my new array" Pausing a bit he continued "But on the bright side, I got to see an amazing sight"

Yinling, initially taken aback by Jun's comment, felt a smirk tugging at the corners of her mouth.

"Do you think you can smooth talk your way out of trouble, Jun?" she teased, her voice a melodious blend of mock annoyance and underlying warmth. The towel enveloped her more snugly as she shifted, accentuating her figure more.

Jun's eyes twinkled with a hint of mischief. He stepped closer, reducing the space between them, his voice dropping to a murmur. "I was hoping to impress you with the functions of my array. Who knows... next time you could be begging me to be inside of it."

Closing the gap between them, Yinling's eyes locked with his, an unspoken question danced in the air. She leaned in ever so slightly, her breath a whisper against his skin. "Then show me" she challenged softly, "let's see if your array is as remarkable as you claim."

The soft glow from the spiritual stones enveloped them in an ethereal light, creating an intimate cocoon around the two.

Their faces were mere inches apart now, the air charged with a palpable tension. Jun hesitated for a moment, caught in the gravity of her gaze. The line between friends and attraction blurred as he found himself drawn in by her presence, her intelligence, her beauty.

Yinling, equally captivated, found her heart beating faster. She could feel the warmth of his breath, and see the faintest glimmer of anticipation in his eyes.

Time seemed to stretch, the world around them fading. They hovered on the brink of a monumental decision. Yet, just as their faces inched closer, a rustle from outside shattered the spell, yanking them back to reality.

They stepped apart, a mix of relief and disappointment in their eyes. The ghost of their near-kiss lingered between them like an unsung melody, leaving them both wondering what might have been – and what might still be.

Turning to see what it was, he saw a small brown rabbit with a low cultivation. He didn't know if he should feel grateful or infuriated at this rabbit.

On one hand, he was this close to having his first kiss, but on the other hand, he felt terrified for their future. Would this change their dynamic or the way they spoke to each other?

Yinling was his first friend, and still his only friend in this lonely eternal world. He didn't want to ruin it over just his feelings getting in the way.

Seeing no danger ahead, he sighed and turned to see the completed formation.

"Well... the array appears to be done. Why don't we go over there and check it out" he suggested, attempting to break the awkward atmosphere.

"Ye.. yes, let's go check it out" Yinling replied, her voice laced with nervousness.

Stepping into the formation, Yinling immediately felt a surge of energy enveloping her, invigorating every pore. Instinctively, she began to circulate her cultivation technique. "Is this a spirit-gathering array?" she asked, her voice laced with astonishment.

"Yes, I believe it's called the Spirit Convergence Array, which is a low-rank 2 array, have you heard of it?" Jun questioned.

Shaking her head mindlessly, she replied "No... I only know a few"

"I can tell you are shocked" patting his chest a bit "You are now in the presence of a rank 2 array master, you should feel honored Yinling" Jun said with his chin higher than normal.

Coming out of her stupor, she looked at Jun as if she were meeting him for the first time, had she been with a rank 2 array master all this time without knowing?? 

Previously when he stated he was going out to test some arrays, she didn't think much of it and thought he was just a beginner, but now this... but he was the same age as her.

"I know you might be in shock, but it's impolite to stare so much, don't you think, Yinling?" Jun teased, his smile playful and mischievous.

Feeling her cheeks flush with a deep red, she quickly turned away, hiding her embarrassment.

Chuckling at her reaction, he focused back "Alright, enough talking let's try out the array" said Jun eager to try it out.

"Wait for me!! I need to change into some clothes" Yinling called out, dashing into her room.

Watching her go to her room, the towel outlining her figure, Jun felt a restlessness stirring within him, more intense than at any time during their stay together. Was she oblivious to the fatal allure of her beauty to him?

After five minutes, she returned in a tight-fitting white nightgown. Jun, struggling to keep his composure, closed his eyes briefly before asking, "Are you ready?"

"Yes now let's hurry up, I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakthrough" she said, settling onto the couch cross-legged next to Jun.

Refocusing, he decided to run the Azure Soul Cultivation technique, maybe by tomorrow morning, he can breakthrough.

So with that, Yinling and Jun focused on their cultivation without knowing the storm their previous actions caused throughout Sky Domain.