CHAPTER 34: FLAWLESS JADE BODY II

Time passed.

How long, Tian Lei couldn’t say.

But slowly, reality began to return.

His breath steadied. His heartbeat normalized. The oppressive gravity of the formation had vanished, and the flames—once holy and purifying—were now nothing more than gentle warmth lingering on his skin.

He opened his eyes.

At first, there was only silence. The light breeze of Mu Qinxue’s garden rustled through the trees, carrying the faint scent of spiritual herbs and mountain blossoms. The sky above had turned to the pale gold of late morning.

And then he felt it—himself.

Or rather... his new self.

Tian Lei blinked and looked down.

His body, once lean and toned through years of training, was now refined to another level entirely. Not muscular like a brute or overly chiseled like some warrior statue—but harmonious. Sculpted. Balanced. His skin shimmered faintly in the sunlight, like flawless jade kissed by divine light.

And also... he was naked.

"...Oh."

A moment of quiet mortification passed.

He stood up calmly, his movements naturally elegant and without the slightest resistance. Every joint, every muscle, moved like it had been reborn. It didn’t even feel like he was controlling his body—it felt like his body anticipated him. Like the world itself had synchronized with his breath.

But still... he was naked.

He reached into his storage ring, pulled out a fresh robe, and quickly slipped it on.

As he fastened the belt, he glanced up.

Mu Qinxue was still standing there. Still staring.

Right. At. Him.

He froze, halfway through tying the final knot.

"...Master?"

No reaction.

Her arms were still loosely folded, but her gaze remained firmly fixed on him, and her face—normally unreadable as a fog-covered lake—was blank.

Or rather... stunned.

"...Are you okay?"

Still no answer.

Tian Lei cleared his throat and finally finished tying his robes. "You know... you could’ve turned around," he mumbled, half-joking, half-desperate to break the tension. "Or... said something. I mean, I was kind of—uh..."

Mu Qinxue blinked.

Twice.

Then finally, as if waking from a dream, she exhaled. "You... really did it."

He tilted his head slightly, curious. "Did what?"

She took a step forward, her voice softer now, laced with disbelief.

"You achieved it. The Flawless Jade Body."

Tian Lei’s brows furrowed. "Is that... important?"

She gave him a flat look, the kind that said ’Did you really just ask that?’ and ’I’m too tired for this level of prodigy nonsense.’ at the same time.

"Tian Lei," she said, voice still composed but tight, "in over ten thousand years of our sect’s history, only three individuals have ever completed the full Three Source Cleansing and formed the Flawless Jade Body. Three. And now... you’re the fourth."

He rubbed the back of his neck, slightly sheepish. "Oh. That’s... cool."

Mu Qinxue almost stumbled.

She actually looked away for a second, inhaled slowly, and then turned her gaze back—this time more focused, more analytical.

No longer dazed. No longer confused.

Now, she looked like someone assessing a legendary artifact that had just walked into her courtyard wearing slippers and wondering why everyone was making a fuss.

"Do you have any idea what this means?" she asked. "That body of yours isn’t just beautiful—it’s a cultivation treasure. Your qi absorption will multiply. Your endurance, your meridian capacity, even your resistance to poison, mental attacks, and demonic corruption—it’s all elevated. Permanently."

Tian Lei blinked, then gave a small, amused smile.

"So... I’m special now?"

Mu Qinxue looked him dead in the eyes.

"You were always a little strange. Now you’re statistically terrifying."

Tian Lei chuckled softly, rubbing his chin. "I mean, I don’t feel that different."

"Give it time," she said, turning away, her voice once more cool and composed. But even as she faced the garden, the corner of her lips betrayed the faintest, faintest smile.

He raised a brow. "Was that a smile, Master?"

"No," she said immediately.

"You’re impressed."

"I’m calculating the long-term cost of you existing," she replied.

"You definitely stared at me while I was changing."

Mu Qinxue paused.

A beat.

Then, "I was in a daze. And you are my disciple. Modesty is irrelevant in the face of historic achievement."

"...So you admit you stared."

"Tian Lei."

He zipped his mouth shut. "Understood, Master."

Mu Qinxue exhaled softly, brushing her hair behind her ear as she looked back at him one final time.

There was pride in her eyes now—well hidden, but unmistakable.

"We’ll need to make arrangements," she said. "Resources. Advancement plans. Your cultivation path is no longer that of a regular core disciple."

"I’m ready," Tian Lei replied, a faint fire glowing in his now crystalline eyes.

"No," she said. "You’re beyond ready."

She turned back toward the sect’s core pagoda, her robes fluttering slightly as she walked ahead.

"Follow me, Tian Lei. I will now give you the Sect Teachings," Mu Qinxue said, her tone steady and composed.

Tian Lei nodded, quickly falling into step behind her. As they walked, he couldn’t help but notice something had changed—no, everything had changed. His senses felt sharper, his awareness more expanded. Even his footsteps were lighter, as though the very ground responded to him differently now.

’I should’ve read a few more eastern fantasy novels,’ he mused inwardly, sighing just a little. ’Maybe then I’d be more mentally prepared for having such a ridiculous physique...’

Still, he didn’t dwell on it long. He simply followed her lead, eyes scanning the surroundings as they passed through a quiet corridor that led to a small wooden house nestled in the depths of the sect’s inner forest.

The place was calm. Cozy.

But also... oddly distant.

It felt far removed from the sect, as though reality itself bent around it. Yet every time Tian Lei looked away, blinked, or shifted his gaze—there it was, right in front of him again, unchanged and impossibly still.

Finally, as they arrived just outside the house, he paused and tilted his head.

"Master... what is this place? Why do I feel we are moving in circles and taking turns even if house is in front of us?" he asked, his tone laced with curiosity.