Chapter 1049: Oh~~~~

"Gurgle."

His stomach was sending signals, craving the Sacred Relic Fruit.

Xu Xiaoshou picked up the Sacred Relic Fruit and glanced at Lei Xier, who was still in the Broken Tower, facing the wall in reflection. He frowned in thought but didn't go over to disturb her.

If it really was his junior sister who had returned, then Lei Xier's body should also be able to produce his junior sister's voice, right?

Just like before, when he occasionally heard a mature woman's tone from his junior sister's mouth.

But the current situation was that, even if Lei Xier showed any anomalies, she was speaking his junior sister's words in her own voice.

Xu Xiaoshou felt that this might not mean his junior sister had returned, but rather that Lei Xier was being influenced more deeply by another consciousness.

Or perhaps...

His junior sister had awakened, but not fully?

"Gurgle."

His stomach growled again with hunger.

The spiritual medicine aroma from Shennong Drug Garden was constantly stimulating his senses.

Xu Xiaoshou shook his head, deciding not to overthink.

"What's the point of thinking so much? What's meant to come back will come back!"

"But right now, not eating a few Sacred Relic Fruits would be letting down Hong Dang Ge's hard work!"

Back to reality.

Xu Xiaoshou looked at the Sacred Relic Fruit in his hand, his mouth watering uncontrollably.

During the fight with Shuang Dai, the opponent was on their last breath, so even with sacred power, they couldn't withstand Xu Xiaoshou's attacks, as he was already familiar with such forces.

But that didn't mean sacred power was weak!

This single Sacred Relic Fruit, if eaten, would produce a trace of sacred power even in the scenario where Shuang Dai's memories suggested wasting over 99 percent of the power.

It was equivalent to the initial stage of consuming sacred blood, the first moment of semi-sacred power attachment.

And as time passed, this trace of sacred power would grow on its own until it reached the peak stage, like when an ordinary person consumes sacred blood, withstands its power, and fully masters it.

Most crucially, the enhancement from sacred blood fades and comes with severe side effects.

Sacred Relic Fruit wouldn't!

"Shuang Dai wasted so much medicinal power and still had several chances to escape death while clinging to life. If the opponent wasn't me, they might have actually gotten away."

"Now, without the Void Attendants' pursuit interfering, and with the Breathing Method, I can absorb the Sacred Relic Fruit's power at 100 percent. What kind of enhancement will this bring?"

The head-sized Sacred Relic Fruit seemed to stare at Xu Xiaoshou, suddenly looking like it was smirking like a devil, saying: Come on, eat me, if you dare! See if I don't make you miserable!

Xu Xiaoshou's expression turned fierce as he psyched himself up, finally gritting his teeth and thinking, better to get it over with quickly and not give the Sacred Relic Fruit a chance to mock him.

He held the fruit up to his mouth and nose.

"Come on!"

"Let the storm come even fiercer!"

"Hiss."

He took a big bite.

The Sacred Relic Fruit turned into two streams of spiritual energy vortexes, surging into his mouth and nose.

"Mm."

Under the Dragon Apricot, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly stood straight, knees together, hands pressed to his thighs, twisting rigidly like he was possessed by some spirit.

"Mm-hmm."

He forcefully suppressed the expression that was about to burst into a grin, locking his face in place, his whole body tense and rigid as he struggled to hold back all the surging desires.

"Sss..."

Suddenly, every pore on his body opened wide.

A thick medicinal fragrance burst forth from every part of him, turning Xu Xiaoshou into a deflating ball that shot him high into the air.

The Breathing Method was still active.

Not wanting to waste even a bit of the medicinal power, Xu Xiaoshou drew the dissipating energy back into his body.

This time, he couldn't hold on.

The double assault of intense pleasure overwhelmed him, making every inch of his skin hypersensitive.

The moment his skin touched his clothes in mid-air, goosebumps erupted, and euphoria flooded his mind, filling his consciousness with bliss.

He completely lost control of his image.

"Gee gee gee..."

Outside Shennong Drug Garden, Tan Shen had been watching enviously as its master ate the sacred medicine.

But now, seeing this sight, the little white cat stood up on its hind legs in terror, tail straight up in the air, its tiny front paws pawing at nothing.

Poison?

So this is poison!

No wonder the master wouldn't let me eat it—turns out eating this poison turns you into this?

"Bang bang bang..."

Under the Dragon Apricot, Xu Xiaoshou fell from the sky, crashing into the ground, then bouncing back up, shooting into the air again.

It went on endlessly, in a loop.

He was like a human pile driver, each impact creating a deep pit.

And every time his skin touched the ground, a flood of "euphoria" washed over him, like a cat on catnip that had just guzzled a basin of cool water and then inhaled freezing air in the Arctic...

His entire state was one of experiencing joyful chills amid the scorching heat from the sacred medicine's power.

This mind-altering mix of ice and fire repeatedly battered his soul, like relentless waves crashing on the shore.

"The power of sacred medicine is incredible—nothing like Ling Dan or Yuan Ting Dan can compare."

The only shred of consciousness left in Xu Xiaoshou was filled with regret; he shouldn't have impulsively swallowed a whole Sacred Relic Fruit.

But his body was honest.

Even though he could relieve the bliss by letting some sacred medicine power escape through his pores, Xu Xiaoshou refused.

No matter how much, how intense, he would endure it all with his willpower and absorb everything!

Waste? Never!

Every grain is hard-earned—who knows the effort behind it!

"Meow meow meow."

Outside Shennong Drug Garden's barrier, Tan Shen watched worriedly as its master bounced between ground and sky. It wasn't even on a spring—how could this happen?

Too terrifying.

This poison is too terrifying.

Tan Shen had never seen any human beat its master this badly.

But people might not handle it, yet medicine could!

"Meow meow meow."

Tan Shen grew anxious.

It was worried but couldn't enter Shennong Drug Garden.

After thinking it over, the only one who could save its master was the female master.

So, Tan Shen watched for a bit longer before scampering to the Broken Tower, grabbing the female master's clothes in its mouth and tugging her outward, signaling to come quickly and save him.

Life is at stake!

Lei Xier returned to outside Shennong Drug Garden and saw Xu Xiaoshou, who was somehow managing to "play" himself to the skies. She fell silent for a moment.

While I was reflecting in the Broken Tower, you've been having this much fun here?

"Under curse, passive value, 1, 1, 1, 1..."

"Don't mind him. He's got a blissful constitution—the kind that gets high just from taking medicine. You'll get used to it."

Picking up Tan Shen, Lei Xier stopped looking at Xu Xiaoshou.

She'd known about this for a long time.

Even though this was the first time seeing such an exaggerated "bouncing act," with memories from Mu Zi Xi, Lei Xier knew Xu Xiaoshou was someone who did this kind of thing often.

It was common back at Ling Gong!

"What a pervert."

Blushing, she muttered softly, then turned to leave.

But the next second, she stopped, pulled out a recording bead, aimed it at Xu Xiaoshou's "joyful hopping," crouched down happily, and started recording.

"Hee hee, check-in number one thousand two hundred twenty-one, success!"

"Tsk tsk, this time he's really being a pervert... Oh, Xu Xiaoshou, when you become famous later, I'll be the only one with all your dark history."

"Then, I'll collect all these recording beads and invite Zhou Tian Can and Xin Gu Gu to watch at home..."

Whoosh.

She'd only recorded for less than three breaths when Lei Xier snapped back to her senses, standing up in disbelief and slapping herself hard.

What am I doing!

Lei Xier's face turned bright red.

Xu Xiaoshou doing something so embarrassing was one thing, but me recording it is even more embarrassing!

And Xu Xiaoshou in this state...

Just watching feels perverted—how could I record it?

"Huff..."

Lei Xier let out a heavy breath, forcing herself to calm down, and prepared to leave.

But glancing around...

Xu Xiaoshou clearly wasn't paying attention to anyone else, and there was no one else in Yuan Fu World.

"No outsiders around, so recording a little bit isn't too much, right?"

Lei Xier couldn't believe she was having such absurd thoughts without the other consciousness interfering.

She rubbed her burning face, and after thinking it over, the Sacred Relic Fruit suddenly seemed uninteresting.

In the end, she followed her inner impulse, squatted down, and repositioned the recording bead.

"Meow."

Tan Shen meowed curiously from the side, not understanding what was going on.

"Don't speak!"

Lei Xier trembled, startled, and when she saw it was just a cat, she thought for a moment, reached out, and covered Tan Shen's eyes.

"Kid, don't look."

"You'll get silenced."

"The sky is so blue..."

"The clouds are so white..."

"The breeze is so gentle..."

Under the Dragon Apricot, Xu Xiaoshou lay like a corpse in the deep pit, limp and exhausted on the ground, not daring to move a muscle.

He stared at the sky, maintaining this blank state for half a day already.

In fact, the Sacred Relic Fruit's power had been fully absorbed in less than a quarter of an hour.

But the aftereffects of the Breathing Method lingered, and he still hadn't recovered.

"It's been so long—things should be settling down now, right?"

He tried moving a finger, but it triggered a chain reaction; the sensation in his fingertip made his arm twitch, then his body squirmed, and he had another intimate encounter with the ground.

"Gee gee gee gee gee..."

Xu Xiaoshou's eyes rolled back, and he foamed at the mouth.

"Under stimulation, passive value, 1."

Tears streamed down as Xu Xiaoshou cried.

"Why?"

"Why in this huge Shennong Drug Garden, after just one Sacred Relic Fruit, am I hit with such huge aftereffects!"

"How long will it take to get through this?"

He had originally planned to eat the Sacred Relic Fruit, then the Dragon Apricot Seeds, and try out the "Dragon Ancestor Power."

But he never expected...

One Sacred Relic Fruit was enough to knock him out!

In his sacred sage mode, Xu Xiaoshou was left with nothing but soft sobs.

"Wah wah wah..."

Whoosh.

A fragrant breeze brushed by, and suddenly his view was filled with black, followed by silver hair cascading down as Lei Xier, in her black dress, leaned over with a smile on her lips: "Xu Xiaoshou, haven't recovered yet?"

"Still... gee gee gee..."

As soon as he opened his mouth, Xu Xiaoshou foamed again, so he could only transmit his voice helplessly: "It'll take a while..."

Lei Xier smiled brightly.

What kind of constitution is this?

Why does Xu Xiaoshou become... so adorable after taking medicine?

She hugged her chest and squatted down, smiling as she examined his utterly weak face. A mischievous glint flashed in her eyes, and she reached out to gently poke his cheek.

"Gee gee gee gee..."

As expected, the reactive Xu Xiaoshou let out another burst of laughter.

Lei Xier covered her mouth and laughed. What kind of freak is this? He's never been this weak in a fight, but one Sacred Relic Fruit leaves him this drained?

"Stop messing around..."

Xu Xiaoshou was going crazy; he couldn't fight back and had to endure it, transmitting his voice in protest.

Lei Xier said nothing, just smiled and poked his arm again.

Then his belly...

Then again...

"Lei Xier, are you done messing with me? Go eat the Sacred Relic Fruit already!" Xu Xiaoshou transmitted in furious exasperation, not daring to move a finger.

"I finished ages ago." Lei Xier tilted her head and chuckled softly, "I'm not like you—eating a Sacred Relic Fruit and ending up like this."

"I..." Xu Xiaoshou had no retort. "How much did you absorb? Did Zuo Sheng Dan help?"

"It helped, but I only absorbed about 60-70 percent—such a waste."

"Fortunately, Tan Shen absorbed the scattered power, but it didn't gain sacred power. I think it needs to eat the core of the Sacred Relic Fruit to get that."

Lei Xier manifested a faint sacred power but didn't release any pressure, then gently poked Xu Xiaoshou's face again.

It was soft.

No longer prickly.

It used to hurt, but now with sacred power, he wouldn't get injured—how fun.

Xu Xiaoshou wanted to cry but had no tears.

Why?

Everyone else can eat the fruit and start adapting to sacred power, but I'm stuck here getting teased.

This isn't fair!

Breathing Method, you're toxic!

"Enough playing—let me off the hook, okay? After eating the Sacred Relic Fruit, go eat the Dragon Apricot Seeds; it's good for you too." Xu Xiaoshou transmitted, tearfully.

"I need to wait a bit before eating more." Lei Xier shook her head. "The Sacred Relic Fruit's power is huge. I've only initially absorbed it; next, I have to spend time stabilizing my realm."

"You broke through?" Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. If it was a Throne Dao Realm breakthrough, that would mean Severing Dao— so fast?

"Not that dramatic. The Sacred Relic Fruit just remodeled my physical strength and expanded my qi sea, making the Throne Dao Realm more solid. To break through to Severing Dao, I still need heavenly dao insights." Lei Xier explained, then leaned in with a laugh and pinched Xu Xiaoshou's cheek.

She pulled it.

It snapped back.

"Under insult, passive value, 1."

Xu Xiaoshou had planned to just endure it, but seeing the info panel, he raged: "Get away from me!"

"Oh?" Lei Xier's eyebrows shot up. Even in this state, he dares to yell at me like that?

She extended both hands, pinching his cheeks on both sides, and gently pulled.

"Sorry, sorry..." Xu Xiaoshou apologized repeatedly.

Lei Xier finally felt her own cheeks heating up. While Xu Xiaoshou was still laughing uncontrollably and unaware, she quickly clapped her hands and stood up, like a task-completed machine, not saying another word as she sped away.

"Enough now? Satisfied? Can you stop nagging now?" Back in the Broken Tower, Lei Xier rubbed her flushed face and lightly scolded in her mind.

In the darkness, a green-skirted little loli with twin tails was jumping excitedly, her eyes curved like crescent moons.

"Enough, enough— just the right feel. I've finally pinched it back; I'll let you off today!"

"Too bad I couldn't do it myself, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, so I guess you get the benefit."

"Uh, I'm getting sleepy again..."

"What do you mean 'you get the benefit'? I'm you, and you're me..." Lei Xier patted her face to cool down, then grumbled, "Go to sleep already—who cares about that feel..."

Her mind finally quieted.

Lei Xier calmed down, spreading her slender fingers and silently examining them.

Their consciousnesses were linked, and so were their emotions, so she could fully feel that joy.

And honestly...

A sting-free Xu Xiaoshou was indeed fun to pinch.

In the darkness, Lei Xier smiled silently, rubbing her fingertips.

"So soft..."

After murmuring, Lei Xier instantly sobered, as if doused in ice water, her expression turning cold again.

"No, I can't stay around Xu Xiaoshou anymore. I'll get influenced and cause trouble..."

"The Lei family—hundreds of lives, a sacred emperor clan, one of the Dao lineages..."

"And, Ban Sheng Dao Xuanji..."

She pressed her hand to her chest, feeling the pounding heartbeat, and silently lifted her gaze.

Looking out from the darkness, Yuan Fu World's sky was just a framed sliver of light through the window.

Everything was far from resolved.

She could laugh because she hasn't accepted me yet, doesn't understand the past darkness.

What about me?

Lei Xier clenched her fist, her Shen Mo Pupils filling with endless weight—even these eyes were given by her brother to save her!

Lei Xier bit her lip, her face twisted in struggle and pain.

I know everything.

How can I still smile?