Chapter 441: Want It? Then Beg Me.
Shen Anyu's eyes flashed, and in an instant, his spiritual power forcefully surged into An Zhiyue's soul, pounding her spirit and soul like a blacksmith forging a knife, again and again.
What followed was a storm of agony that transcended the physical realm. This was not the pain of a broken bone or a torn muscle; it was the deconstruction of one's very essence. An Zhiyue felt as if her consciousness was being ground between two celestial millstones, each rotation shearing away impurities but also threatening to obliterate her entirely. Her spirit screamed, a silent, piercing shriek that echoed only within the confines of her own mind. For a martial artist of her caliber, an iron-willed warrior who had faced death without flinching, this internal torment was a thousand times worse than any blade. Even the most iron-willed man would have been reduced to a screaming, writhing mess on the floor.
But An Zhiyue remained silent. Her only concessions to the cataclysm raging within were the violent, uncontrollable tremors that wracked her slender frame. A sheen of cold sweat erupted across her forehead, tracing paths down her temples and soaking the collar of her silken blouse. Her lips, bitten raw, were a stark crimson against her pale skin, a proof of the brutal force she was exerting to contain her agony. In a matter of seconds, the sweat had drenched her clothes completely, clinging to her skin and revealing the delicate, trembling curves of her body beneath. Yet, in the face of such a monumental struggle, no one present had the mind for such distractions.
The air in the room was thick with tension, so heavy it felt difficult to breathe. Liu Ruyan, Yang Luoluo, and Ruan Lingshan stood frozen, their gazes locked on An Zhiyue's struggling form.
'Master is… reshaping her very being,' Yang Luoluo thought, her heart pounding with a mixture of terror and awe. She had seen Shen Anyu perform miracles before, but this was different. This was creation through destruction, a divine act that was both terrifying and magnificent to behold. Her hands were clasped tightly before her chest, her knuckles white as she sent silent prayers for Sister An's success.
Ruan Lingshan, ever the devout follower, saw only the godlike power of her Master. Her pretty face was pale, her large eyes wide with a worshipful fear. In her mind, Shen Anyu was no longer just a man; he was a celestial being, capable of granting apotheosis or delivering damnation with a single thought. The raw, overwhelming pressure emanating from him made her want to fall to her knees.
Liu Ruyan, however, felt a far more complex storm of emotions. She watched her friend, her peer, the woman once called her equal, being forcibly elevated to a realm she could only dream of. A knot of envy, sharp and bitter, tightened in her gut. It wasn't jealousy—she wished An Zhiyue no ill—but a profound, desperate longing. 'He can do this… He can actually forge a Heavenly Human,' she realized, the thought shaking her to her core. The casual, almost effortless control Shen Anyu displayed made her own peak Grandmaster cultivation feel like a child's plaything.
As the final, thunderous blow of spiritual power struck, the grinding torment within An Zhiyue ceased. In its place, a new, vibrant energy began to coalesce. During this torturous process, her spirit and soul had been compressed, purified, and forged into something far more resilient and potent. The last vestiges of her weakness, the final bottleneck holding her back, had been utterly shattered.
A genuine, satisfied smile finally graced Shen Anyu's handsome face. He had succeeded.
On An Zhiyue's weary, pain-etched face, a new light ignited. Her phoenix-like brows lifted high, no longer furrowed in pain but arched in triumph. Her eyes, sharp and blazing with newfound power, snapped open. A single, resonant word escaped her bloodied lips:
"Open!"
In that single breath, the great, unyielding door to the Heavenly Human Secret Treasury, a barrier that had troubled her for years, was thrown wide open.
Boom!
A majestic, overwhelming wave of Martial Dao True Essence erupted from her body. The energy was so dense it was almost visible, twisting and intertwining in the air before coalescing into the phantom of a Female War God, clad from head to toe in resplendent, blood-red armor.
The phantom towered over them, standing a full ten feet tall. Its face was a blurry, ethereal visage that vaguely resembled An Zhiyue's own, but infused with an ancient, divine authority. In its hand, it held a long, blood-red spear that seemed to hum with latent power, its tip aimed at the heavens as if ready to pierce the firmament itself.
This was a manifestation of pure spiritual power, an intangible projection, yet at this stage of the Martial Dao, the spirit was a weapon. It could kill as surely as any blade, possessing terrifying destructive potential and a host of other incredible, wondrous uses.
Whoosh!
The instant the War God phantom materialized, a gale-force wind ripped through the luxurious suite. The heavy crystal chandeliers swayed violently, casting frantic, dancing shadows across the room. The marble floor beneath An Zhiyue's feet groaned under the immense pressure before spiderweb-like cracks tore across its polished surface, radiating outwards from where she stood.
"An'yu, I've broken through!" An Zhiyue's voice, now imbued with a new, powerful resonance, was filled with boundless joy and electrifying excitement. Her phoenix eyes locked onto Shen Anyu, shining with a gratitude so profound it was almost worship.
"Congratulations, Aunt, on successfully breaking through to the Heavenly Human realm," Shen Anyu said, his tone warm and his lips curved into an amused, handsome smile. The destiny of An Zhiyue had been completely rewritten. She was no longer just a peak Grandmaster; she was a true Heavenly Human!
"Congratulations, Zhiyue…!"
"Congratulations, Sister An…!"
"Congratulations…!"
The spell was broken. Liu Ruyan, Yang Luoluo, and Ruan Lingshan rushed forward, their faces beaming with relief and genuine happiness for their friend.
"Alright, we'll celebrate properly once Aunt has stabilized her cultivation. I'll even cook personally," Shen Anyu announced with a gentle smile, looking at the still-radiant An Zhiyue. "For now, you should go rest and consolidate your new power."
"Mm," An Zhiyue agreed, her phoenix eyes holding a soft, lingering smile as she nodded. The breakthrough, while harrowing, had been remarkably smooth under his guidance. After a few days of secluded cultivation to stabilize her newfound power, the title of Yanxia's Female War God would finally be hers by right, not just by reputation. Only a Heavenly Human could truly live up to such a name.
Shen Anyu watched her departing back, a flicker of anticipation in his eyes. He looked forward to seeing her future demeanor—heroic, graceful, a peerless beauty wielding world-shaking power.
'Why do I feel like I'm cultivating a collection?' The thought surfaced inexplicably, a tycoon's satisfaction at seeing a prized asset appreciate in value. He shook his head with a low chuckle, dismissing it.
"Sister An breaking through to Heavenly Human is so wonderful! Master Brother, you're so capable!" Yang Luoluo chirped, her beautiful eyes sparkling with pure admiration as she gazed at Shen Anyu. To casually assist someone in ascending to the Heavenly Human realm… his methods were truly miraculous.
"Yes, yes, Master is the most amazing person in the world!" the little maid, Ruan Lingshan, added, her cheeks flushed with infatuation. She gazed at him with adoring eyes, a secret, hopeful thought blooming in her mind: 'Will Master need me to serve him tonight…?'
Liu Ruyan's earlier pout had vanished completely. Her charming, fox-like eyes held an unusual, incandescent sparkle as she watched Shen Anyu. She had never imagined that An Zhiyue, her friend and rival, would achieve such a leap overnight. And Shen Anyu had truly done it. A fresh wave of unwillingness washed over her—not jealousy, but a fierce, burning envy and a deep, gnawing desire. They were once the two bright pearls of the Imperial Capital's noble families, and now one had ascended to the heavens while she remained grounded at the peak of the Grandmaster realm.
"Alright, it's getting late. Go back and rest," Shen Anyu said with a tired smile. The entire ordeal had been surprisingly draining, even more so than battling a Heavenly Human. After all, protecting a flickering flame through a storm required far more finesse and careful control than simply extinguishing it.
He then instructed Aunt Xiao to handle the cleanup of the damaged room and returned to his own suite.
…
Just as he was about to relax, a soft, deliberate knock sounded at his door.
A knowing smirk played on Shen Anyu's lips. He didn't need to open the door or even use his senses to know who was standing outside. The ambition and desire rolling off her were as potent as any perfume.
"Come in, the door's not locked."
The door swung open, and Liu Ruyan entered, hooking it shut with a graceful sweep of her foot. She leaned against it for a moment, her long, charming, fox-like eyes upturned as she stared at him. "You guessed I'd come?"
"A day without seeing you feels like three autumns. I can understand the sentiment," Shen Anyu replied playfully, his smile disarming.
Liu Ruyan narrowed her enchanting eyes, her gaze fixed on his handsome, half-smiling face. A moment later, a breathtaking smile bloomed on her own exquisite features, as dazzling as a field of peach blossoms in full spring. "Boyfriend," she purred, the word dripping with seductive intent, "I'm starting to like you a little."
She fluidly pushed off the door, gathering the loose strands of her silken hair. She produced a hair tie from her pocket and, with a few deft movements, swept her hair up into a high, severe ponytail that exposed the elegant, pale column of her neck. Then, she walked towards him, her hips swaying with a confident, mesmerizing rhythm. She twisted her waist and sat down beside him on the sofa, so close he could feel the warmth radiating from her thigh. Leaning in, she brought her red lips to his ear, her breath a warm, orchid-scented caress against his skin. "Guess what I came to you for tonight?"
Shen Anyu played along, his voice laced with amusement. "You want a Hundred-Year Zhu Fruit?"
Liu Ruyan's pearly white teeth gently bit down on her full lower lip, her charming eyes glistening with a dangerous light. Suddenly, she stood up, her jade-like hand shooting out to grasp his silk tie. She gave it a sharp tug, pulling him slightly forward. Her voice was a husky, demanding whisper, a strange mix of scolding and pleading. "Yes. I want a Hundred-Year Zhu Fruit."
"You can have it," Shen Anyu smiled, his composure utterly unruffled.
The simple, immediate agreement caught Liu Ruyan completely by surprise. Her charming eyes searched his, a flicker of disbelief in their depths. A smile touched her lips as she decided to push her luck. "And a Heavenly Human Breakthrough Pill."
"That too," Shen Anyu agreed without a single moment of hesitation. "When you reach the peak of the Grandmaster realm, I'll give it to you." He still had one on hand, was due to get another from a lottery draw, and, at worst, could simply purchase one from the System's store at an exorbitant price. The wool, after all, comes from the sheep; conquering a Destined Heroine like her would inherently bring a massive plunder of Destiny Points.
Liu Ruyan was stunned into silence. She had prepared herself for a long, difficult negotiation, perhaps even having to offer something of immense value or making a significant promise. She never imagined Shen Anyu would agree to give her two priceless, legendary treasures so easily. The Heavenly Human Breakthrough Pill, in particular, was a treasure whose value was simply immeasurable.
"An'yu… are you serious?" she asked, her voice laced with suspicion. This was too easy. Far too easy.
Shen Anyu smiled slightly, and leisurely said:
"But, there's a price."
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