Cheng Xiaofan couldn't help but wonder if his connection with Jingzi was preordained. If not, how else could she have appeared on this dragon boat? He was certain of one thing: this dragon boat and he shared an inseparable bond. Anyone who could appear on it must have an extraordinary connection with him.
He stepped forward and pulled Jingzi into his embrace. "Jingzi," he said, "I was dreaming too. I never expected we'd meet in such a peculiar setting. Come, let's go inside the cabin!"
"Yes, Master, I'll listen to you!" Jingzi nestled shyly in his arms.
With the first time, the second became natural. Everything was understood without words.
After an unknown amount of time, Cheng Xiaofan woke up. He smelled a fragrance on himself, one that only Jingzi possessed. It was then that Cheng Xiaofan knew his dream encounter with Jingzi was real. This further solidified his belief that his connection with her was not merely his imagination.
The night outside was still dark, the sky filled with countless stars. Below, a tapestry of lights gleamed. Heaven and earth reflected each other, blurring the lines between the earthly and the celestial. Dawn was still more than an hour away.
Unable to sleep, Cheng Xiaofan took out his phone, intending to video call Jingzi to see if she had also just woken up. The call connected immediately.
"Master, it's you calling!" As soon as the call was answered, Jingzi appeared on his screen. She was nestled in bed, half-covered by a quilt, her long, flowing hair cascading over her face, making her look exceptionally alluring and languid. This subtly enhanced her already exquisite beauty.
Cheng Xiaofan glanced at her and smiled. "Yes, I just woke up and called you. Did you stay up all night?"
"No, Master," Jingzi replied quickly. "I slept, but I just woke up from my dream when you called."
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled. "What a coincidence! It's as if we arranged to wake up at the same time!"
Jingzi smiled. "It really is too coincidental, Master. You must have called for a reason, right?"
"I called to tell you that I've finished my business here and plan to return tomorrow."
Jingzi looked surprised. "Master, didn't you say you wanted to see me before you left? Why the sudden change of plans?"
"Jingzi, please forgive me, Master. I have a lot of things to attend to when I get back. There will be plenty of time in the future, we'll meet again soon!" He added, "Besides, didn't we meet on the dragon boat in my dream just now!"
"Ah?" Jingzi's expression faltered slightly. "Master, I thought it was just a dream brought on by thinking of you. I never imagined it was real!"
Cheng Xiaofan smiled. "Of course, it's real. When you woke up just now, did you feel a new, strange power within you?"
On the video call, Jingzi moved her body and exclaimed, "Yes, yes, I really feel like I have a new power inside me. Master, did you give it to me?"
Cheng Xiaofan chuckled. "Besides the power I newly bestowed upon you, there's also a mysterious energy from the depths of the universe." He continued, "Do you know that the dragon boat you were on came from the deepest parts of the universe? When we were together, a mysterious and profound spiritual energy enveloped us."
Jingzi listened with a shocked expression. "Wow, such a magical thing exists?"
"Indeed," Cheng Xiaofan said. "So, you must cultivate diligently. You will achieve great things in the future!"
Jingzi nodded. "Master, I understand. The reason you are so powerful and received the Demon Bone Saber from the Demon Ancestor must be because you have an extraordinary background, perhaps from a planet in the depths of the universe!"
Cheng Xiaofan inwardly mused, *This girl's imagination is quite wild! Could she be right? Why do I always feel a sense of familiarity with the depths of the universe when I'm on the dragon boat? No, my ancestors are from Zhuxi Village. Or perhaps this is a multi-dimensional world created by quantum entanglement, and there's another me in the depths of the universe. There seems to be no other explanation.* He then cautioned himself, *I mustn't think too much about this, or my head might explode!*
"Master, what are you thinking about?" Jingzi asked curiously, noticing Cheng Xiaofan's prolonged silence.
Cheng Xiaofan smiled. "I'm thinking about what you just said. It does have some merit, because I sometimes wonder why I am so powerful." He let out a smile. "Alright, don't overthink it, Jingzi. It's almost dawn, I need to hang up now!"
Jingzi said with a hint of disappointment, "Okay, Master. Get some more sleep before daybreak!"
"Alright, you rest too!" Cheng Xiaofan replied, then decisively ended the call. He feared that if they talked any longer, his heart might soften, and he'd end up staying another day in the United States.
At that moment, Cheng Xiaofan realized that he could be ruthlessly decisive and unwavering in the face of enemies, but his heart melted like water in the presence of beautiful women. He sniffed himself, still carrying Jingzi's scent. To avoid detection by Melina and Mary, Cheng Xiaofan immediately went to the bathroom and took a thorough shower.
When he emerged from the bathroom, the sky was beginning to lighten. Cheng Xiaofan stood on the balcony, stretched his limbs, and inhaled deeply towards the east. A wisp of purple qi rose along the horizon and flew towards him. He then took another deep breath, drawing the purple qi into his body.
Purple qi is a sign of auspiciousness, appearing in the eastern sky before sunrise, though it is rare. Generally, purple qi is associated with nobility. For cultivators, purple qi is a vital energy that nourishes the body. Only divine beings who roam the clouds in the cultivation world can draw purple qi from the heavens into themselves. Everyone knows purple qi can nourish the body, but no one in the cultivation world had ever been seen to achieve it. Since becoming the inheritor of Shennong, Cheng Xiaofan had absorbed purple qi to nourish himself multiple times.
He performed several more breathing exercises facing the rising sun in the east before returning to his spot, standing silently for two minutes.
He went downstairs and encountered Melina and Mary. "Good morning!" Cheng Xiaofan greeted them.
Melina and Mary responded, "Good morning!"
Cheng Xiaofan immediately took a small bottle from his backpack and handed it to Mary, smiling. "Mission accomplished. I've refined the pills you needed overnight. Take one pill in the morning and one in the evening, and within three days, the toxins in your body will be completely purged!"