Chapter 100 - Being Called a Frivolous Playboy?

After finishing Lu Xueruo's treatment, Li Taixing gently laid her down to rest. Watching her sleep, he couldn't help but marvel. "Senior Sister Lu looks so peaceful and beautiful when she sleeps," he mused, captivated by her delicate features.

Then, unbidden, an image of his master's less-than-graceful sleeping face popped into his mind, prompting him to rub his forehead. 'They're both women—why is there such a huge difference?'

Just then, a faint sound reached him from outside the cave entrance. He listened closely and heard the scuffling of ferocious beasts crawling near the abyss, some even close enough to pass right by the cave's entrance. Li Taixing's expression hardened. "If they keep moving like this, the cave's bound to be discovered."

Knowing he couldn't stay hidden for long, he turned back to Lu Xueruo and sighed. "Senior Sister Lu, I'd love to let you rest longer, but we don't have that luxury now."

He moved closer and gently nudged her awake. "Senior Sister Lu, please wake up."

Lu Xueruo stirred, blinking her eyes open as she registered his voice. Fuzzy memories began to resurface—of the intense spiritual shock wave that had shattered her sea of consciousness, her body plummeting, and everything going dark.

"Junior Brother Li?" she murmured, realizing that it had been Li Taixing who'd rescued her.

"Yes, Senior Sister. Are you alright?"

Looking around in confusion, she asked, "Where are we? Are we safe?"

"For now, we're okay," he assured her.

A thought struck her, and she stared at him in astonishment. "Wait, my spiritual sea collapsed…how did you manage to save me?"

Embarrassed, Li Taixing scratched his head. "Ah, well…I just did my best."

"Come on, Junior Brother Li," she pressed. "What level is your cultivation, really?"

"Nascent Soul Realm," he admitted.

"What?" She blinked in shock. "You…you're not lying to me?"

"Why would I lie?" he replied innocently.

"I…can't believe it," she stammered, her face reflecting both gratitude and amazement. "You've only been in the Xuantian Sect for a few months, and with the Fifth Elder, no less…" Her voice trailed off, wanting to say something about her unreliable master but feeling it might be unfair. After all, if her master was so unreliable, how could his disciple be so strong?

Clearing her thoughts, she looked at him in admiration. "Thank you, Junior Brother Li." A soft blush rose on her cheeks.

"No need for thanks, Senior Sister," he replied modestly. "You've often looked after me, after all."

Thinking of how she'd flown him to safety and protected him all this time, Lu Xueruo blushed deeper and murmured, "So you've been hiding your strength all along? I always thought you were still in the Body Refining Realm."

"Sister, I never said I was in the Body Refining Realm," he protested with a helpless shrug. "You just assumed that."

Realizing her assumption, Lu Xueruo felt both annoyed and embarrassed. "Hmph! Taking advantage of your senior sister, were you?" she teased, trying to hide her awkwardness, though her heart was beating faster.

With a smile, he offered, "If I've wronged you, Senior Sister, how about I make it up to you?"

She raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Oh? How will you compensate me?"

Li Taixing spread his arms wide, still grinning. "Name it! As long as I have it, it's yours."

"That's quite generous," she replied, looking at him with a bit of curiosity.

'Of course, excluding irreplaceable treasures,' Li Taixing thought. Still, he'd happily give her anything from his stash of replenishable items.

Laughing, she said, "Alright then, I'll hold you to it. But I'll save that favor for later."

"Eh? Can't you decide now?" he asked, slightly worried. He wasn't fond of owing favors.

"Why?" she replied, feigning indifference. "You said I could ask for anything, didn't you?"

"But why not ask now?" he muttered weakly.

She shot him a playful glare. "Nope."

Switching topics, she assessed their situation. "In any case, we should leave here quickly."

Li Taixing nodded, confidence brimming. "Don't worry, Senior Sister. Leave it to me."

His self-assured tone drew a chuckle from her, though she hid her amusement. Recalling how she'd initially thought she was protecting him, she shook her head. "Here I was, thinking I was the one shielding you, and now I'm the one being protected. I feel like a fool."

"Not at all, Senior Sister," he said sincerely. "Besides, you're a great beauty."

She rolled her eyes at him, scoffing, "Flirtatious playboy."

"Uh…" Li Taixing's smile froze, realizing he might have gone a bit too far with the flattery.

Recovering, she straightened up and prepared herself. "Alright then, let's fight our way out."

Her renewed determination was evident, and though the journey ahead was dangerous, she now carried herself with a reinvigorated confidence, in no small part thanks to her newly strengthened spiritual sea. Besides, it was also a good way to brush past the awkward moment they'd just shared.

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