Chapter 58: Venturing Alone Through the World

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After Li Qiner finished refining, Chen Xiang stepped forward.
“How is it, Qiner?” Chen Xiang asked.
Li Qiner smiled gently, and Chen Xiang was momentarily stunned by her beauty.
“Master, I’ve completed the refinement, but there is something I must tell you,” Li Qiner said softly.
Chen Xiang’s body tensed, and with full confidence, he replied, “Qiner, whatever it is, just say it. Even if I have to brave mountains of blades or seas of fire, I’ll make it happen for you.”
Joking aside, he was determined to win Li Qiner’s favor. If it was just one thing, as long as it didn’t cross his boundaries, he would definitely do it.
Li Qiner’s heart fluttered with joy, though she kept it hidden and offered Chen Xiang a warm smile. “Thank you.”
Then she continued, “Actually, you don’t need to do anything, it’s my own matter. I’ve just calculated it; since the Yang Flame within me has existed since birth, and my Heavenly Heart Yin Meridian has been defective for years, it’s not something that can be easily perfected. So, if I want to fully restore my constitution, it will take some time.”
Chen Xiang was taken aback. So this was what she meant; it didn’t seem like a big deal, so he asked, “How long will it take?”
Li Qiner pondered, then replied, “At best, about a year. At worst, two to three years.”
“What? That long?” Chen Xiang was shocked. He’d thought it would only take a few days. How could this be? Were they to be separated even before their romance began? No, he couldn’t accept it!
Li Qiner nodded, troubled. “That’s the conclusion I reached while refining the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Essence. The Yang Flame has taken root deep within me—it can’t be easily removed.”
Chen Xiang frowned slightly, inwardly cursing Qiner’s father once again for using the Yang Flame Jade in the first place!
“System, do you have any way to help Qiner speed things up?” Chen Xiang pinned his hopes on the system.
“Ding. This system cannot be transferred for use by others,” the system replied.
Seeing the message, Chen Xiang felt disappointed. It seemed there was no way.
“It’s just a year, right? I’ll wait here for a year, Qiner. No matter what happens, nothing will tear us apart!” Chen Xiang declared with heartfelt emotion.
“Ah?” Li Qiner exclaimed in surprise, then hurriedly said, “No, master, you mustn’t stay here!”
Chen Xiang was stunned—this was awkward. He’d been rejected so quickly. Was his charm so lacking, or had Qiner’s standards suddenly risen?

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Li Qiner realized she hadn’t explained herself well, her cheeks flushed as she stammered, “Mas...master, that’s not what I meant. I meant...”
Her voice was so faint, it was barely audible at the end.
Chen Xiang grew anxious—what was she trying to say? Didn’t she know he was feeling sad, deeply troubled?
“Qiner, do you have some secret difficulty? It’s alright, you can tell me. Even if you have a hidden ailment, I won’t laugh at you,” Chen Xiang said with noble resolve.
Li Qiner was mortified, her face as red as an apple. What hidden ailment? If he kept guessing like this, who knew what he’d come up with next. She had to endure her embarrassment and whispered, “Because, when I purge the Yang Flame, I need to...remove all my clothing!”
“Pfft!” Though her voice was low, Chen Xiang’s hearing was exceptional; upon hearing her words, his blood surged, and as he imagined the scene, a warm stream immediately trickled from his nose.
“Master, what’s wrong?” Li Qiner saw the crimson and was startled, rushing forward to check on him.
Chen Xiang hurriedly covered his nose, took a deep breath, and wiped it away. “Nothing, haha, nothing at all.”
He then became serious, grasped Li Qiner’s delicate hand, and said gravely, “Qiner, please let me stay. I can’t bear to leave you alone in this frigid cave. Trust me, I’ll guard the cave well and won’t let any male creature enter!”
Chen Xiang spoke with conviction, but Li Qiner’s worry was about him! How could she let him stay here and watch her, exposed, for over a year?
She’d always been well-mannered, reserved about matters between men and women. Throwing herself into Chen Xiang’s arms earlier had already been the limit of what she could do. If he were to see her naked for the better part of a year, she would die of embarrassment!
Yet the thought of parting from Chen Xiang filled Li Qiner with reluctance. She didn’t answer directly, but softly said, “Master, when I have perfected my constitution... I will come to find you.”
Her words made her meaning clear.
Chen Xiang knew she wouldn’t let him stay, nor would he remain quietly to guard her—it would be far too boring! He could only sigh in resignation. “Alright, Qiner. I’ll venture out alone for now. When you’re ready, I’ll come back for you.”
He emphasized “alone,” biting the words hard. After all the effort to win her favor, all he’d managed was a touch of her hand and an embrace, only to be separated for so long—not even a kiss. It was truly lonely!
Seeing Chen Xiang’s forlorn expression, Li Qiner felt sympathy. Along their journey, she’d witnessed his many wonders and couldn’t help but compare him to other geniuses she’d met—none could match him. Aside from his odd ways, he was a genius among geniuses. Subtly, she’d grown fond of him.
Buoyed by her newfound confidence, Li Qiner did something she could hardly believe.
She swiftly pressed her lips to Chen Xiang’s in a brief, dragonfly-like kiss, then retreated to a corner, turning her back to him.
Chen Xiang stood frozen, wide-eyed like a wooden statue.

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He hadn’t even had time to savor it before it was gone—that was Chen Xiang’s feeling now.
“Ahem, Qiner, could you do it again? I didn’t react in time just now!” Chen Xiang grinned sheepishly.
“Hmph!” Li Qiner, hearing him, shot him a fierce glare, then turned away with a coquettish snort, refusing to pay him any more attention.
He hadn’t expected Qiner to show such girlish shyness—it was an eye-opener!
Seeing her attitude, Chen Xiang knew there was no hope, and he beat his chest in regret. Why did she have to ambush him when he wasn’t ready? Was he really so easy to tease? Just wait, I’ll get you back for this!
...
...
Outside the cave, Chen Xiang gazed blankly at the frozen cavern.
He had tried every trick and persuasion but failed to win a second kiss. In the end, Li Qiner feigned anger to make him leave.
He left her a soul-sensing jade token so she could summon him once her constitution was perfected. He also left her plenty of helpful elixirs, two army coats, and two electric blankets.
“Alas, who would have thought we’d be separated just after falling in love? How melancholy!” Chen Xiang sighed toward the sky.
But getting Qiner’s first kiss was not bad—her first kiss, right?
Taking advantage of his identity as a ‘Earth Spirit Array Master,’ he spent half a day setting up a high-level Earth Spirit array at the cave entrance. He’d wanted to set up a Heaven Spirit array, but the system shop was closed and he couldn’t do it himself, so he settled for the advanced Earth Spirit array.
The advanced Earth Spirit array could block even peak Infant Transformation experts, a level above the ‘Frozen God Array’ he’d previously broken. It should be enough to protect Li Qiner.
This advanced array was called ‘Life and Death Entrapment Array.’ Inside, danger lurked everywhere, and there were only two paths leading to two gates—one gate of life, one of death. The gate of death offered a slim chance for survival, while the gate of life was not necessarily safe, with only a fifty-fifty chance.
Chen Xiang infused his own aura into the array, so it wouldn’t block Li Qiner who carried his soul-sensing jade token.
“To be continued...”