Chapter 135: Cao Xuan's Dilemma, There is Still Plenty of Time Ahead

As cultivators trained, their bodies continually evolved. According to Darwin’s theory of evolution from his previous life, every breakthrough into a major realm was, in truth, an evolution from mortality toward transcendence.

Naturally, the blood within their bodies also became different from that of ordinary mortals under the nourishment of spiritual energy.

At this moment, Cao Xuan held a single drop of blood in his hand. With his Plant Affinity talent, he could sense the spiritual fluctuations of a “human treasure elixir” emanating from it.

If an ordinary drop of blood was already like this, then what about essence blood?

The most fundamental blood, gathered at the very center of a cultivator’s heart!

A flicker passed through Cao Xuan’s eyes. Even this ordinary drop of blood felt to him like a Golden Core–realm cultivation pill.

There was an immeasurable amount of blood in the body. If an ordinary drop of blood from a Void Refining cultivator was already so potent, then the essence blood from her heart was probably comparable to the medicinal power of the Void Refining realm itself.

“Qingyin, give me a drop of your essence blood!”

Fairy Qingyin’s eyes were vacant as she obeyed Cao Xuan’s command.

From her snow-white, jade-like left breast, a drop of crimson essence blood emerged through the flesh. Her complexion instantly grew somewhat pale.

Still, Fairy Qingyin was a Void Refining powerhouse. She took a deep breath, and the entire void trembled with it.

Then, within the main hall of the Azure Cloud Sect, everyone felt spiritual energy converging inside the hall before swiftly vanishing into some unknown corner of the void.

With one breath in and one breath out, Qingyin recovered.

Of course, this was because Cao Xuan had asked for only a single drop of essence blood. Had he asked for any more, Fairy Qingyin would soon have grown too weak to recover.

Ding! The host has obtained one drop of Qingyin’s blood!

Would you like to submit it for the mission?

Mission completion: High.

Cao Xuan nodded. That was more like it. Just as he had expected.

Ding! Since this is the first time the host has completed a mission using a higher-grade item, a special hint is being provided. Above the High completion grade, there are still the Supreme and Flawless grades!

Cao Xuan’s expression stiffened.

Supreme? Flawless? What was this nonsense? Did the system really think he was some kind of flawless spiritual root?

“Other than essence blood, what kind of blood could complete the mission even better?”

Suddenly, Cao Xuan’s body trembled.

“The Simp System… Could it be?”

His gaze instantly fell below Qingyin’s lower abdomen, where a dark shadow concealed something.

Cao Xuan murmured, “Don’t tell me… To complete the mission flawlessly, I need that drop of blood?”

“No, wait. Fairy Qingyin is a Void Refining cultivator. She must have cultivated for several thousand years at least!”

“That drop of blood may not even exist anymore.”

“But since the system issued this mission, I have to confirm it!”

With that thought, Cao Xuan immediately issued an order.

After hearing it, Fairy Qingyin flew woodenly into the air.

Cao Xuan walked beneath her.

“Separate your legs a little.”

Then, drawing on the knowledge he had learned in biology class in his previous life, as well as the experience he had gained from Lin Miaoxuan, Chen Qianru, and the other two women, he carefully examined the situation.

A moment later, understanding dawned on him.

“It’s still there!”

“As expected, the system would never assign a mission without reason.”

“I never imagined that after several thousand years, Fairy Qingyin would still be a virgin!”

Cao Xuan’s expression became complicated.

“System, aren’t you just messing with me? This isn’t a Simp System—it’s a Suicide System!”

“I’m only at the Foundation Establishment realm, while she’s a Void Refining powerhouse!”

“If not for this fortuitous encounter in this pocket dimension, I wouldn’t even have been able to obtain the single drop of ordinary blood required for the first level of the mission!”

Cao Xuan’s face twisted with indecision.

Should he do it or not?

When he had drawn out the essence blood earlier and the spiritual energy of the space had fluctuated, he had already noticed the difference.

If he merely took a look, she would not lose anything, and once they left, she naturally would not remember what had happened.

But if he actually did this, then after they left, even if Fairy Qingyin forgot because of the laws governing this place, she would certainly sense something wrong with her body.

This was not essence blood within the body, which could be restored through spiritual energy and true essence.

Once that thing was gone, it was gone.

Foundation Establishment cultivators could already regenerate severed limbs. Cao Xuan had once discussed this matter with Senior Sister Li Yao.

Senior Sister Li Yao had naturally been willing to satisfy her junior brother’s curiosity.

She circulated the true essence within her body, attempting to restore that membrane, but ultimately failed.

Li Yao had said in astonishment, “Junior Brother, if I hadn’t felt it there before, I might have suspected that the membrane had never existed at all!”

She then told Cao Xuan that circulating her true essence had indeed caused the wound to heal.

However, it had not restored it to its former state. Instead, it had healed into a state in which the membrane was absent.

“I feel that there isn’t a single wound anywhere on my body now. On the contrary, I feel that this is what a perfect state truly is!”

Afterward, Cao Xuan and his master, Yu Wan, conducted further research. Through dialectical comparison and multiple samples, he finally confirmed one thing.

It was like the Yin-Yang Taiji symbol left behind by the ancient sages. One fish was black and the other white, and each contained a small dot of the opposite color.

The black Yin-Yang fish represented a female cultivator, but it was not complete.

Cao Xuan had served as the finishing touch, giving both Li Yao and Yu Wan that additional “white dot.”

Thus, it was impossible to use true essence to restore them to their previous state—the pure black fish.

Therefore, Cao Xuan was certain that if he pursued the Flawless completion grade now, Fairy Qingyin would definitely sense something unusual about her body after they left.

Mortals and cultivators were different. Cultivators comprehended the laws of Heaven and Earth, and the changes caused by dual cultivation conformed to the Great Dao. There was no way she could fail to notice.

Cao Xuan gazed at the alluring sight before him. Fairy Qingyin’s eyes were vacant, and she sat there in a posture that left her entirely at his mercy.

The little demon in his heart whispered incessantly:

“This is a Fairy of the Void Refining realm! Such an opportunity is incredibly rare, and the system has issued the mission as well. Just follow your instincts!”

Cao Xuan followed the impulse in his heart and took a step forward.

Yet when he truly reached her, he suddenly stopped.

That faint obstruction served as his greatest warning.

“No. Breaking through the obstruction would be easy, but afterward, there would be no way to restore it.”

“I still need to cultivate at the Purple Sun Sacred Land. I cannot sacrifice the greater goal for a minor gain!”

At the final moment, reason overcame desire.

More precisely, he had chosen to follow his heart.

When facing Li Yao and Yu Wan, the disparity in strength between Cao Xuan and them was not great. He might even have held a slight advantage, allowing him to tease them shamelessly or even make a move directly—but only because his life was not in danger.

Fairy Qingyin was different.

If she had not been brainwashed and controlled by him, and if she had taken the initiative herself, he might have hesitated for a moment.

But at present, Fairy Qingyin was not acting of her own accord, and Cao Xuan had no idea what she truly thought of such matters.

What if she considered it extremely important, while his favorability had not yet reached the level required of a Dao companion?

Then, once the fury of a Void Refining powerhouse descended, she would hardly care whether he was a genius of the Immortal Path.

She could simply slap him into dust!

“There will always be another opportunity. How could a cultivator ever lack chances?”

Cao Xuan came to his senses in an instant and felt that his Dao heart had grown considerably stronger.

He no longer even admired the beautiful sight before him. Instead, he directly ordered, “Put your clothes back on and return to the way you looked when you first came in!”