Volume One: A Beauty’s Bane Chapter 41: Husband

The morning light gently spilled into the room, golden rays filtering through the gaps in the curtains to warm every corner. Outside the window, birds sang joyfully among the branches, their crisp chirping like celestial music, awakening the sleeping world.

Jiang Hao slowly opened his eyes, the scene before him appearing exceptionally tranquil. The lingering warmth of last night still remained in his heart, as if the longing and promises they shared were still rippling through the air.

"After this night, I feel as though I have truly become a man." As the sunlight fell upon his face, bringing a touch of warmth, Jiang Hao couldn't help but smile faintly.

He turned to look beside him. Qin Yumei lay quietly on the bed, her features appearing even softer in the morning light. Her long hair cascaded like a waterfall, shifting gently like flower petals in the morning breeze, exuding a sense of serenity and beauty. Her breathing was steady and calm, as if she were chasing dreams, and a trace of satisfied enchantment lingered between her brows.

Jiang Hao rose gently and walked to the window, afraid to disturb her slumber. The world outside seemed to have awakened; flowers and grass swayed in the light breeze, as if cheering for the new day. Jiang Hao took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air, and secretly vowed in his heart to protect this peace and beauty forever.

"I never imagined that, through the twists of fate, she would become the first woman in my life." Jiang Hao turned around, his gaze falling once more upon Qin Yumei, and a surge of warmth and resolve rose in his heart.

Just as Jiang Hao was lost in thought, the voice of Feng Ling'er reached his ears: "Kid, did you sleep with her last night?"

"Master? You’re finally awake!" Jiang Hao exclaimed, his heart stirring with excitement. He then shook his head and offered a wry smile: "Master, are you really going to lecture me?"

"If you hadn't suddenly gone silent last night, I wouldn't have had to resort to such means to save Yumei's life."

"We clearly agreed that once we reached the Happy Guest Pavilion and found a place to stay, you would help remove the poison from Yumei. I never expected you to just fall sound asleep until dawn."

At this moment, Jiang Hao grumbled to his master, Feng Ling'er, like a petty maiden.

"Heh!" Feng Ling'er gave a cold laugh and replied, "Stop putting on an act, you brat! You’ve reaped the benefits, so stop complaining!"

"Besides, I didn't want it to happen this way either. It’s just that casting the formation yesterday consumed too much spiritual energy, and I fell into an inexplicable, deep sleep. Even now, my energy has yet to recover."

"Hehe! Oh, right, Master, what was that formation you cast yesterday called? It was so powerful!" Jiang Hao scratched his head, offering a sheepish grin.

"To tell you the truth, what I cast yesterday wasn't an ordinary formation, but a barrier known as the 'Silent Seal'," Feng Ling'er said earnestly, as if she hadn't intended to reveal it before.

"The Silent Seal?" Jiang Hao was astonished.

"Exactly," Feng Ling'er continued. "This barrier requires immortal energy as a catalyst to construct a perfect sound-dampening screen. Neither internal nor external sounds can penetrate it, creating an absolutely quiet space, especially suitable for deep meditation or secret communication."

"The operation of the Silent Seal relies on exquisite formation design and the manipulation of immortal energy, which can effectively shield against all external interference."

Seeing this, Jiang Hao was stunned, muttering to himself: "My god! I never thought setting this thing up would require immortal energy. No wonder you said before that even experts in the Spirit Immortal Realm couldn't catch a glimpse of it."

At this moment, immortal energy felt so ethereal and remote to Jiang Hao that he didn't even dare to dream of it.

"Indeed. Otherwise, I wouldn't have fallen into such a deep sleep from exhaustion after casting it yesterday. Once I fully recover my strength, setting up such a barrier will be a mere flick of the finger," Feng Ling'er said dismissively.

Hearing this, Jiang Hao reflected, "Heaven truly favors me. After I survived such a disaster, it sent me a master with such extraordinary power."

"If one day I could marry a woman as powerful as Master, that would be even more perfect." At this thought, a faint blush appeared on Jiang Hao's face.

"Kid, what are you thinking about?" Feng Ling'er asked, noticing his distraction.

"Ah?" Jiang Hao snapped back to reality and hurriedly explained incoherently, "Master, I really wasn't thinking about anything!"

"Oh? Truly nothing?" Feng Ling'er questioned coldly.

Realizing he couldn't hide it, Jiang Hao improvised: "Well... I was just wondering what materials are needed to reshape your physical body, so that when Yumei wakes up, I can ask her."

"After being so busy last night, wasn't it all because I wanted to help you find those materials as soon as possible?" Fearing she wouldn't believe him, Jiang Hao continued to argue to prove his loyalty.

"Hmph, you still have some conscience," Feng Ling'er replied softly, then teased: "But don't make it sound so noble."

"Look at you. Yesterday you kept calling her 'Pavilion Master Qin,' but now you call her 'Yumei' so naturally."

"..." Jiang Hao looked blank, as if he hadn't even noticed the subtle change himself.

"Enough! Since things have come to this, I will no longer hide it," Feng Ling'er said, changing the subject.

"Listen closely. To reshape my body, I need five materials: a Seven-Colored Glazed Vine, an Eternal Undying Flower, a Universe Yin-Yang Fruit, the beast core of a Level Nine demonic beast, and one thousand pounds of spirit stones."

"My god!" Upon hearing the latter materials, Jiang Hao was completely stunned. His mouth hung open, his heart filled with shock and disbelief.

"What's wrong? Are you scared already?" Feng Ling'er's voice was as calm as water, as if she had already anticipated his reaction.

"Master, this... this is just too..." Jiang Hao stammered. If he hadn't heard it with his own ears, he wouldn't have believed it.

The first three materials Feng Ling'er mentioned were completely unheard of to him. As for the last two, while he had heard of them, they were utterly beyond the reach of someone with his current strength.

A single beast core from a Level Nine demonic beast was no small matter!

A Level Nine demonic beast is a terrifying existence comparable to a human cultivator in the Spirit Immortal Realm. It is said that such beasts are not only incredibly powerful but can also master human language. In other words, even before they take human form, they can speak human tongues fluently. Furthermore, at this level, both their strength and speed have reached their peak, and the spiritual energy within them has begun to transform into demonic energy. Their movements contain infinite power, enough to collapse mountains—absolutely terrifying!

Moreover, a Level Nine demonic beast can live for two thousand years! Trying to obtain the core of such a beast is like stealing a cub from a tiger's den. If Jiang Hao were still a prince of the Yanyang Kingdom, perhaps there would be a glimmer of hope if the entire nation pooled its resources to hunt one; but now, as a mere cultivator at the early stage of the Spirit Spring Realm, doing it alone was as difficult as ascending to the heavens.

Then there was the other material: one thousand pounds of spirit stones.

One must know that the price of a single pound of spirit stones is ten thousand gold coins! In this world, one hundred silver coins equal one gold coin, meaning one pound of spirit stones costs one million silver coins! One can imagine what an astronomical price one thousand pounds would be!

In Jiang Hao's memory, even in the Central Continent, gathering a thousand pounds of spirit stones would be an incredibly difficult task, let alone here in the desolate Eastern Wasteland, a hundred thousand miles away.

"Heh, I never expected to get any of these materials from this woman," Feng Ling'er said, her voice still calm.

"Master, then why did you..." Jiang Hao asked softly, still clearly reeling.

"Kid, although the materials for reshaping a body are hard to find, given this woman's status, there should be hope in finding some pills that can help restore my primordial spirit, right?" Feng Ling'er reminded him.

Hearing this, Jiang Hao suddenly realized and flattered her: "As expected, Master, you have thought of everything."

"Hmph! Stop with the flattery! She is about to wake up. You know what to ask, right?" Feng Ling'er instructed before falling silent.

"Master?" Just as Jiang Hao was about to speak, Qin Yumei's soft and enchanting voice came from behind him.

"Husband, why did you wake up so early?"

"Husband?" Jiang Hao froze, his mind in complete chaos.