The Ten Thousand Ways to Hug the Female Protagonist’s Thigh - Chapter 26.1

To her surprise, the spirit brought her to Wen Xuening’s side! Though inwardly overjoyed at her narrow escape, Wen Shu maintained a calm demeanor as she walked over to join Wen Xuening, saying simply, “It’s a long story.”

The night was deep, but Wen Xuening immediately recognized Wen Shu in the darkness. She conjured a small flame in her hand, illuminating the area. Under the bright light, she carefully examined Wen Shu from head to toe. Aside from the wrinkles in her cotton robe and a few snowflakes clinging to it, the girl appeared unharmed. Feeling relieved, Wen Xuening sighed and playfully tousled Wen Shu’s hair. “You really had me worried!”

They arrived behind a large boulder where Wen Xuening had set up her camp. After reinforcing the protective formation around the area, Wen Xuening sat cross-legged beside Wen Shu.

“How did you find me, Shu Shu?” Wen Xuening asked, her voice filled with surprise and relief.

With the protagonist’s figure by her side, Wen Shu felt a sense of security she hadn’t felt in a long time. Her racing heart began to calm, and after quickly organizing her thoughts, she recounted her recent encounter in detail.

Wen Shu’s narration was smooth and logical, avoiding any personal speculation. She omitted the detail that the spirit had taken on the appearance of her past self, instead saying that the spirit looked exactly like her. Finally, she pulled out the brush the spirit had given her and said, “I haven’t had a chance to examine it yet. I’m not sure what it’s for.”

Under the light of the flame, the brush appeared sharper. It wasn’t an ordinary brush; it was a jade-green jade brush. Unlike typical spirit brushes, it lacked any glow, making it appear not very interesting at first glance. However, the handle was made of thick, ancient jade and soft and smooth bristles. The entire brush exuded an aura of timelessness and weathered history.

Wen Xuening took the jade brush and examined it closely. For some reason, this seemingly ordinary brush gave her a faint sense of familiarity. The last time she had felt this way was when she had inherited the Divine Inheritance, but she could also sense that this object didn’t belong to her.

After a moment of thought, Wen Xuening handed the brush back to Wen Shu and said thoughtfully, “Shu Shu, this brush may look ordinary, but it’s likely extraordinary. Try dripping a drop of your heart’s essence blood onto it. I’ll protect you while you do it.”

Wen Shu nodded eagerly. If she was going to perform a blood-binding ritual under Wen Xuening’s protection, she was willing to believe that this jade brush might be the opportunity she had stumbled upon in this secret realm. Sitting upright, she took out a sharp blade, gritted her teeth, and, with a quick, precise motion, made a small incision over her heart.

Despite the intense pain, she managed to control the muscles and blood flow in her chest, successfully drawing a drop of essence from her heart. As soon as the blood was drawn, Wen Shu’s face turned pale. She quickly swallowed a pill Wen Xuening handed her, and as the pill took effect, her vitality began to recover.

As a cultivator in the Qi Refining stage, Wen Shu shouldn’t have been able to extract her heart’s essence blood casually. A cultivator’s essence blood, especially from the heart, was incredibly precious. If not for her recent breakthrough, which had stabilized her cultivation base, extracting such blood could have caused her to lose a cultivation level or, in severe cases, damage her foundation.

But trusting Wen Xuening completely, Wen Shu didn’t hesitate. She quickly dripped the essence blood onto the jade brush. Almost immediately, an indescribable sensation washed over her. Her head spun, and she felt drowsy, falling into a deep sleep.

Since beginning her cultivation journey, Wen Shu had replaced sleep with meditation to keep up with Wen Xuening’s progress. It had been a long time since she had last slept.