With a flash of light and a surge of spiritual energy, two figures appeared in the middle of a small teleportation array. Surrounding them was a blazing sun, hot desert heat, and a small outpost constructed out of sandstone.
"Lord Chen, welcome to our Bei Liu Outpost!"
Chen Wentian lifted the hood of his cloak and looked around. A small group of well-armed fighters in desert garb greeted them. At the front was a woman with wind-swept hair and a dusty appearance.
"Oh, you are Yingluo's fourth aunt, Jixiang?"
Bei Jixiang bowed deeply, "It is an honor to be remembered by Lord Chen."
He nodded and retrieved a small box from his spatial bag, "Take this little gift as my appreciation for your hard work."
"This… is too precious." She kept her head down, not daring to covet whatever was in his hands.
"It's customary to give a gift for an auspicious meeting, is it not? Take it. Congratulations on the pregnancy."
He pushed the box into Bei Jixiang's hand and walked away with his companion. Behind them, Bei Jixiang was still stunned even as she was being hugged by her husband.
"Master, you're so mean, surprising a pregnant woman like that."
Chen Wentian glanced over at Peng Lingxi and smiled, "Oh, is someone feeling a little envious?"
She nudged him with her elbow, "How can you… master, I have never even…"
Finding the remaining words too embarrassing to say out loud, she pouted and tried to ignore him. But it was futile as he hugged her to him and took to the sky.
Peng Lingxi laughed freely as the world below rushed by, waves and waves of yellow sand in all directions. The deep blue sky above was like an endless ocean, extending to the horizon. This was the Great Hui Desert and the location of her incomplete mission.
In the distance, Chen Wentian spotted a lonely table mountain and flew towards it. They landed on the flat top with a gentle gust of wind and looked around at the surroundings. The desert was too vast and what Peng Lingxi was looking for probably wasn't in a single location. Therefore, it didn't matter where they were.
Chen Wentian held her hand and transferred Tortoise Can Fly to her spatial bag. Afterward, he continued to hold her hand, unwilling to let go.
"We'll be heading off to the continent in two weeks. I'll come back to get you."
"Mmm." She nodded.
Instinctively, she leaned into him, savoring the feeling of his warm hands against hers.
"I'll miss you." He said softly.
She smiled, "Even just for two weeks?"
"Of course!"
He wasn't lying. He felt something different when he was with her. It was different from all of his other disciples.
"I know you want to stay here and search for Senior Dugu's legacy. But I don't want you to be lonely. I want you by my side. That's why you have to come with us."
She blushed, "Master, when did you become so clingy?"
"Haha, maybe I was always a clingy person? Do you dislike it?"
She shook her head, "I like it. I like everything about you."
His heart swelled with joy and he could himself back anymore. He let go of her hands and hugged her tight. Leaning in, he kissed her earnestly, conveying his emotions through his lips to hers.
Holding her, he finally felt like he understood a little why it felt different.
His relationships with his other disciples began due to physical attraction and lust. There was also the effect that his status as an immortal had on their view of him. With them, he felt strong and confident, a reflection of his immortal self. It was different with Peng Lingxi, who had loved him since he was a mortal. As a result, he was reminded of his past, when he was always struggling, against others and also himself, a mortal drifting in the wind.
But those feelings also made him happy, really happy, like he was suddenly young again. With her, he was like an inexperienced boy experiencing his first romance. Everything was innocent and of pure emotions, just like her love for him.
He finally let her lips go after a long kiss. Panting softly, they both enjoyed the sense of closeness.
"Thank you for your hard work during the bandit battle." He said.
"It was nothing. The senior sisters did most of the hard work. They even managed to achieve small breakthroughs during battle."
"Don't worry, your turn will come soon."
"Really?"
She knew he was just saying nice things but she still believed it wholeheartedly. She would believe everything he said, no matter what.
"I have something for you." He said and reached for his spatial bag, "I know you prefer simple attire and you are satisfied with an ordinary sword. So, I didn't get you anything too fancy. I thought about it for a long time and here it is."
He took out a soft waist belt. It had a gray color to match her outfit. It had a wide, feminine design. The material was covered in small gray scales that slightly shimmered under the sunlight.
"I named it the Wanderer's Sword Belt. It's made from the hide of a rare spirit beast known as the sword tail lizard. The belt also carries the spirit beast's soul and it can provide you support in your endeavors with the sword. It's not an overbearing kind of support. You won't notice it ordinarily but it will be there when you need it and so will I."
The beast's soul was only at the peak of the Spirit Initiate Realm but that was good enough for now. He handed over the belt and Peng Lingxi examined it with a wide smile. She ran her hand along the surface of the material, marveling at its intricate yet simple design.
"I have heard of the sword tail lizard before but have never seen it. And you used a design from the Tower of Swords for the belt? Really…"
"Do you like it?"
"Absolutely!"
She quickly undid the belt around her waist and put the new one on. It fit her perfectly, wrapping around her thin waist. It was even better than her old belt at highlighting the curves of her hips. The gentle swell of her breasts seemed even more pronounced even though it was probably a trick of the eye. All in all, her appearance became far less ambiguous and more feminine.
She did a twirl with the new belt for him to see and he couldn't get enough. She was the sword maiden that existed in every young male cultivator's dreams. Steadfast, charming, and talented, it was like she had stepped out of a painting.
When she faced him again, he pulled her towards him and hugged her slender waist. He leaned into her with warm fire in his eyes. She wanted it too and opened her lips to greet him.
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