Tian Xuan City, hidden between the territories of three kingdoms, served as the sole passage connecting the northern and southern parts of the continent.
It wasn't until Lu Qingwan stood before the city gates that she understood why Feng Xiwu had said that even those who passed by the gates might not discover Tian Xuan City's location.
Taking a step forward, the towering city walls, reaching into the clouds, came into view.
Stepping back, her eyes met only a swirling mist and a wild, untamed forest.
"Is this the legendary defensive formation?"
Lu Qingwan, standing at the entrance of Tian Xuan City, wore an expression of someone seeing wonders for the first time.
Feng Xiwu looked at her indulgently, "Are you interested in formations?"
Lu Qingwan nodded vigorously, "Anything that can make me more awesome, I like it."
Defeated by her starry eyes, Feng Xiwu conceded, "The Tian Xuan Sect has a library. There should be some rare books on formations. If you're interested, you can take them out to have a look."
"No need."
Lu Qingwan grabbed Da Bai by the scruff of its neck. With this cheat artifact, she couldn't be bothered to pore over obscure ancient texts herself.
Feng Xiwu's eyes flickered upon seeing this. "If I recall correctly, you need to thoroughly resolve things of the same type, save people with them, before you can understand their principles and make them your own.
This formation has yet to be broken by anyone. Aren't you making things too difficult for yourself?"
Lu Qingwan deliberately blinked and put on a cute act, "So, can you find me a simpler formation for me to break?
I still understand a little about the Eight Trigrams and Five Elements, just not much."
Feng Xiwu watched her with sparkling eyes and asked with amusement, "Are you serious?"
"Of course, as serious as can be!"
She stood on her tiptoes and whispered into Feng Xiwu's ear, "It's been so long since I've been able to practice medicine and save people. I can't even take things out of my spatial dimension.
If I can unlock formation skills, I can cheat again! We're about to walk into a wolf's den and a tiger's lair. Won't you help me refresh my equipment?"
Feng Xiwu marveled at his own comprehension skills, managing to grasp the gist of her unfamiliar words and half-understood concepts.
Casually leaning to the side, his lips brushed against Lu Qingwan's cheek. Startled, she playfully punched him.
"What kind of childish tricks are you playing at a time like this? Your Highness, are you even an adult?"
Feng Xiwu ignored Lu Qingwan's teasing, inwardly delighted.
"Didn't I mention before that there were two hidden formations on either side of Tian Xuan City? The people of Tian Xuan Sect are quite capable; they still haven't managed to break them.
After we've explored Tian Xuan City, I'll take you to see them."
Lu Qingwan was satisfied now, hugging Feng Xiwu's arm and nodding vigorously. "Okay, okay, Your Highness is the best."
Even the tuft of hair on her head bobbed subserviently.
The two entered Tian Xuan City like conjoined twins, leaving Li Yang and the others staring dumbfounded.
"I only didn't follow the Princess for one night. What happened?"
Li Yang looked at their entwined arms in horror. "Did I misremember? Was the Princess's furious attack on His Highness yesterday just my hallucination?"
...
The companions were so shocked that they momentarily forgot to lower their voices, and their treasonous remarks were clearly heard by the couple ahead.
Lu Qingwan narrowed her eyes and smiled, leaning most of her weight onto Feng Xiwu as if she had no bones.
She giggled, "Your Highness, our companions are very concerned about our relationship. Why don't you explain it to them?"
Feng Xiwu's handsome face flushed crimson all the way to his ears.
Lu Qingwan, so close to him, found it impossible to pretend not to notice. She continued to giggle, her arm around his.
They had been married for nearly a year and had experienced all sorts of intimacies, yet they had never expected Feng Xiwu to be so sensitive to sweet words.
Yesterday, during dinner, Lu Qingwan had been provoked by Li Yang and wanted Feng Xiwu to stop hiding everything in his heart, so she had proactively said a few affectionate words.
As a result, he had been energized all night, like he'd had a shot of adrenaline.
Even today, he was clinging to her, as if wanting to hang her from his body, and showering her with sweet words like a loan shark.
Lu Qingwan only regretted not discovering his true nature sooner. If she had known how to tease him in various ways, how could he have kept it from her for so long?
"Stop laughing," Feng Xiwu growled, his face still a bright red, and squeezed Lu Qingwan's waist as a warning.
Lu Qingwan, still defiant and as if it weren't enough, leaned closer to his ear to continue her teasing, "Does Your Highness not like it? But I really like you, only you, I like you the most..."
Suddenly, her body was lifted, and the sensation of weightlessness made Lu Qingwan instinctively tighten her hold around Feng Xiwu's neck.
Then she saw him, with a crimson face, leap directly onto the rooftops of the buildings lining the street.
The scenery blurred past, and before Lu Qingwan could react, Li Yang and the other attendants were already far behind.
She wasn't afraid, tilting her feet and smiling radiantly, "Where is Your Highness taking your concubine? You're not planning to silence me and destroy the evidence, are you? I'm so scared..."
Her feigned tone, coupled with her expression of delight in stirring up trouble, made Feng Xiwu's liver ache.
As her feet touched the ground, Lu Qingwan blinked in surprise. Without warning, Feng Xiwu kissed her.
Lu Qingwan was stunned for a moment but didn't resist, responding to his kiss.
After a while, when she was almost suffocating, Feng Xiwu, as if on cue, released her.
His eyes were as serious as if he were about to announce some world-altering event, but what he said made Lu Qingwan gasp.
He said, "Every 'like' and every 'love' from me comes from the bottom of my heart. I treasure every 'like' and 'love' from you. Don't use that to tease me; I can't bear it."
As he spoke, he gently pecked Lu Qingwan's lips again, like a little beast. The intense love in his eyes almost seemed to burn her.
Lu Qingwan, who had been so arrogant all the way, instantly deflated. She drooped her eyelids and sheepishly admitted defeat, "I know. I won't say it again."
Feng Xiwu, afraid she would overcorrect and stop expressing her feelings, quickly added, "It's not that you can't say it, but don't joke about it."
"Oh, I know, you're so hard to please!" Lu Qingwan pouted playfully and bit Feng Xiwu's mouth, forcibly silencing him.
Amused and exasperated by her ravenous kiss, Feng Xiwu subtly regained control, tenderly cherishing the sweetness that was uniquely his.
In a haze of passion, he opened his eyes, and his gaze fell upon the magnificent city.
The pure black walls stood ten zhang high, reflecting a dazzling radiance under the sunlight.
Within the city lay well-arranged streets and alleys. Not far away, a tall peak rose abruptly, with rows of exquisite buildings stacked in layers like a delicate belt, dazzling and magnificent.