Lu Xiaoqing's gaze landed on Xiang Shaoyun. She stood up and moved her dainty body over to him before wrapping her arms around his neck. She planted a kiss on him. Her bluntness caught Xiang Shaoyun by complete surprise.

Xiang Shaoyun was no longer inexperienced with women, so he reacted naturally and wrapped his arms around her slender waist before giving her a warm response. The sacred elder stood awkwardly to the side. She had experienced a lot after living a long life, but this was her first time facing a situation this awkward.

When she couldn't take it anymore, she coughed and said, "There are other people here."

Her voice shocked Lu Xiaoqing, and Lu Xiaoqing bounced off Xiang Shaoyun like a startled rabbit with her face flushed red.

Xiang Shaoyun looked at the sacred elder and said, "Senior, I believe you are aware of the kind of situations where you should be tactful and ignore what you're not supposed to see, right?"

The sacred elder replied sternly, "You sure love to argue. Have you forgotten that this is our territory?"

Xiang Shaoyun replied unyieldingly, "So what? I'm your race's honored guest. Shouldn't you extend the required courtesy to your guest?"

His response shut the sacred elder's mouth. Inwardly, she thought, This is the first time I've seen a human so shameless.

"Which lord is this?" asked Lu Xiaoqing after giving the sacred elder a salute.

The sacred elder replied, "You can address me as the sacred elder. However, you are also qualified to know my name. I am Hua Yu."

"Xiaoqing dares not," replied Lu Xiaoqing with slight fear on her face.

A sacred elder had a status that was as revered as the patriarch. Lu Xiaoqing had awakened her bloodline and possessed a powerful physique unique to the race. Her temperament had also changed completely. However, she still revered an expert of this level.

"You have awakened the Pale Lotus Moon Physique, and the mission of bringing our race to greatness will fall on your shoulders. You should be clear about that. That gives you the qualification to be on equal footing with me. I will become your dao guardian until you surpass me in cultivation," said the sacred elder solemnly.

"This...I'm afraid I won't be able to meet your expectations," said Lu Xiaoqing after some hesitation.

"That's right. My Xiaoqing is going to leave with me. As for the mission and whatnot, someone else can do it," said Xiang Shaoyun.

He definitely didn't wish to see Lu Xiaoqing getting persuaded to stay by this sacred elder. If that happened, they would be separated once again.

"This has nothing to do with you. Let's go and talk," said the sacred elder, becoming tired of Xiang Shaoyun before she vanished into thin air together with Lu Xiaoqing.

Xiang Shaoyun was stunned. He had not expected the sacred elder to be so decisive and leave without giving him a chance anything more.

He roared furiously, "You better not lock her up, or you will regret it."

Perhaps he couldn't do anything to the flower fairies now, but that did not mean that he would remain forever helpless. If they left him with no choice, he would turn the flower fairy race upside down. He returned to his residence and waited there for Lu Xiaoqing. At the same time, he started cultivating, trying to advance by at least a stage in cultivation as soon as possible.

Earlier when he entered the human heaven unity state, his soul had recovered to its peak. His physical body had also recovered to its optimal condition. Both his water and wood stars had grown considerably. Coupled with his full lightning star and the unique energies in his gold, earth, and dark stars, he had long reached the peak of his current cultivation stage for all those energies. He now only lacked some wind, light, and flame energies to advance to the next stage.

He was someone who cultivated nine different powers. Each advancement required him to absorb nine different energies. Thus, advancement was much harder for him. If it wasn't for the fact that he had comprehended the nine profundities, his cultivation would be even more difficult. His goal now was to fully fill his water and wood stars up since he was in the optimal environment to cultivate them. 

The sacred elder and Lu Xiaoqing were at the flower fairies' forbidden zone. The sacred elder removed the energy around her and revealed a tender and beautiful face. She looked like she was as young as Lu Xiaoqing, and she had an incredibly alluring figure. On her forehead was a peony symbol.

She was probably good-looking enough to seduce even Xiang Shaoyun. After all, she was the prettiest one among the flower fairies. Only Lu Xiaoqing stood a chance to compete against her, but even that was on the premise she reached the same cultivation level one day and caught up to her in terms of temperament.

Hua Yu started her pitch. "I am more or less fully informed of your situation. Not only do you have the blood of our race in your veins, you carry human blood in you as well. However, you have awakened the Pale Lotus Moon Physique and have fully returned to your ancestry. I believe you don't even have much of your human blood left. You are now a full flower fairy, the hope of our race. The entire race will support you with all we have and help you reach the Saint Realm or beyond, granting you eternal youth and life." 

Hua Yu was someone who grew up among the flower fairies. This was her home, and it was only natural that she would do what was good for her race. She did not wish to see Lu Xiaoqing leave with Xiang Shaoyun.

Lu Xiaoqing looked at Hua Yu and smiled as she said, "Sacred elder, I understand your sincerity. However, even if I'm now a full flower fairy, I think and feel like a human. I will not be able to give up on the person I love. Also, I am not a great person like you, someone willing to guard the race for eternity. I only want to protect the one I love."

"You're referring to that human kid? Are you not afraid that I'll kill him?" said Hua Yu sinisterly.

"Sure you can, but you will pay a massive price for that. Also, he is the patriarch's benefactor. Killing him is the same as repaying a favor with betrayal. The heavens will curse us for that, and the fortune of our entire race will be adversely affected," replied Lu Xiaoqing nonchalantly.

"Looks like you have really obtained our race's most ancient inheritance. You will inevitably become the strongest expert of our race," said Hua Yu with a sigh. "I can allow that human to stay with you among our race. Is that enough?"

"Sacred elder, have you fallen in love before?" Lu Xiaoqing suddenly asked.

Her question came out of nowhere and caught the sacred elder by complete surprise.

Hua Yu replied solemnly, "In the flower fairy race, there is only familial affection, no romance."

"You're right. That's why you will never understand me. For the man I love, I will give up everything. I only want to stay by his side," declared Lu Xiaoqing.

Hua Yu blanked out and asked, "You can give up even eternal youth and life?"

"I would rather live a short but brilliant life with him than to live long alone," said Lu Xiaoqing with a look of yearning.