Chapter 449: Transformation

As she playfully pouted, a faint purple glow emanated from her fingertips, and Zuan's chest wound visibly healed.

Zuan was startled. "What kind of magic is that?"

Yun Yuqing smiled faintly. "You already know I'm a demon. Isn't it perfectly normal for me to know some magic?"

Zuan chuckled wryly. "Your explanation is certainly fresh and unconventional. But I don't understand something: your demon race possesses the 'Demon Eyes' and healing magic like this, so why did you lose the great war against humans back then?"

Yun Yuqing sighed. "While our races possess various extraordinary talents, your human race has an exceptional capacity for learning, not to mention your astonishing fertility. Over time, as you flourished and we didn't, your human race grew stronger and stronger, and naturally, we couldn't defeat you... But can we please not discuss this right now?"

Seeing her resentful gaze, Zuan agreed that discussing such matters at that moment was somewhat inappropriate.

"What's going on with your body?" Yun Yuqing suddenly asked, curious. "It feels almost as hard as a dragon's."

"Oh, you know about dragons too?" Zuan replied.

Yun Yuqing was initially stunned, then her face flushed. "I wasn't talking about that! Do you realize that the Night Elf's fatal sword strike only just managed to pierce your body? Now, as I'm healing you, I can feel the incredible resilience of your body, far surpassing that of an ordinary person."

"I don't know," Zuan chuckled, "maybe I'm just exceptionally gifted, haha." He certainly didn't want to reveal anything about the 'Primordial Chaos Scripture'; the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' alone had already attracted so many people. If they knew about the 'Primordial Chaos Scripture', it would be even worse.

"It's just the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture', what's there to keep secret?" Yun Yuqing rolled her eyes at him. She was about to get up, but his large hand gently pushed her back down.

She shivered. "You... what are you doing?"

"I should be asking you that," Zuan said curiously. "Why are you getting up when everything's fine?"

Yun Yuqing bit her lip tightly. "Of course, I need to deal with the corpse over there first. It feels extremely uncomfortable with him nearby."

Not only that, but if the scene wasn't handled properly, the Embroidered Uniform Guards and Prince Liang would undoubtedly discover something amiss later.

"Oh, that's what it is," Zuan said with an awkward smile. "I thought you were leaving, and I felt a bit reluctant."

Yun Yuqing's heart skipped a beat. Without a word, she walked directly to the Night Elf's corpse, and with a wave of her hand, a purple glow enveloped it, making it vanish instantly.

Seeing the bloodstains on the ground, she furrowed her delicate brows. She then took out a porcelain bottle and poured its contents onto the stains, which quickly disappeared without a trace.

Zuan watched from the side, secretly marveling. This woman was truly beautiful; even as she disposed of the body, her movements were so graceful. Especially now, with her dress loosely wrapped around her and its hem fluttering, she presented a picture of peerless beauty.

"What are you looking at?" Yun Yuqing turned around to find him staring intently at her, which immediately made her feel uneasy.

For some reason, this man was merely a prisoner, while she was a high-ranking princess whose cultivation far surpassed his. Yet, whenever they were together, she always felt he was the one taking the initiative.

Zuan stood up and walked directly towards her. "You are truly beautiful."

Sensing his heartfelt compliment, Yun Yuqing's lips curved slightly upward, clearly delighted. Yet, his close proximity created an intimidating sense of pressure, making her instinctively want to step back.

But a pair of large hands embraced her, pulling her back.

"Now that the other matters are taken care of," Zuan whispered into her ear, "we should continue."

His tone suggested no intention of asking for her opinion; he simply picked her up again.

Yun Yuqing's mind was in a turmoil. This man was completely different from Prince Wu; Prince Wu was typically considerate and gentle, but this man was forceful and domineering.

For some reason, as she inhaled his masculine scent, she didn't dislike it at all; instead, she felt a sense of anticipation.

But her womanly modesty made her instinctively resist. "I... I'll heal your wounds first."

"Just like before, you can heal while we continue; it won't conflict," Zuan said, pulling her back into his arms without further discussion.

Yun Yuqing's red lips parted slightly, her heart pounding. She could only repeatedly reassure herself, "All of this is to complete the mission."

***

After a while, seeing his wounds had completely healed, Zuan reached out and took her hand. "Thank you for the healing, Princess."

"Thank *you* for saving *my* life." Yun Yuqing's emotions were incredibly complex at that moment. It was the first time she had witnessed a man disregard his own life to save hers.

Given Zuan's cultivation level, the Night Elf assassin's sword strike would likely have blown off half his body, yet he had still unhesitatingly shielded her.

This left her momentarily unsure how to face him.

In the past, steeped in love, she would have believed her husband would sacrifice himself to save her in such a situation. But after the events of the past few days, she clearly understood that her husband prioritized himself above all else and likely wouldn't have shielded her from a sword.

Zuan gazed intently at the beautiful woman before him. Seeing her inviting red lips, he couldn't help but lean in to kiss her again.

Sensing his movement, Yun Yuqing instinctively recoiled.

However, Zuan didn't give up this time; he continued to lean in, having sensed that her resistance wasn't truly firm.

Finally, their lips met.

This time, Yun Yuqing was genuinely startled, struggling desperately and trying to push him away with her hands.

Yet, he remained unmoved.

After a while, the strength in her hands weakened, and eventually, she intertwined her fingers with his, gradually beginning to passionately return his kisses.

***

After an indeterminate amount of time, Zuan caressed the still-trembling beauty. "Princess, do you intend to cultivate this 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' yourself?"

"No..." Yun Yuqing instinctively replied.

"That's good," Zuan smiled. "Then I'll tell you the incantation."

Yun Yuqing sat upright, her long dark hair cascading down like a waterfall, making her skin appear even fairer. "This is something that saves your life. Are you really giving it to me so easily?"

She now realized that throughout the entire process, she had forgotten to even perceive the flow of vital energy within his body.

However, judging from the initial circumstances, even if she had tried to sense it carefully, she likely wouldn't have found anything. It seemed the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' was indeed miraculous and vastly different from ordinary cultivation techniques.

"I'm going to die soon anyway," Zuan smiled, "and since you've been so gentle with me, how could I let you down?" He then recited the incantation for the 'Phoenix Nirvana Scripture' to her.

Of course, he wasn't so infatuated as to lose his wits. The incantation he provided was naturally altered. She was clearly working for Prince Wu, so he would never benefit such ambitious schemers.

After he finished, he added, "Princess, do not practice this cultivation method yourself; it is not suitable for women."