"Congratulations on your breakthrough into the Foundation Establishment Realm and becoming a Spirit-Grade Forging Master."
A sweet, melodious voice suddenly whispered into Gu Yuan’s ears, sending a shiver down his spine.
His eyes snapped open. He turned his head almost mechanically... and froze.
A woman with long silver hair and deep purple eyes was squatting behind him, watching him with a gentle smile. Beside her stood another woman with fiery red hair, her posture elegant yet radiating a sharp, aggressive presence. Golden eyes locked onto him with intense scrutiny.
"Why...?"
Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to still be fighting in the Crimson Flame Sect?
Gu Yuan couldn’t bring himself to ask the question aloud, but Ji Yue seemed to understand it anyway.
"Hmm? Naturally, because it’s the promised time, so we came."
"We were a little late because of some unforeseen circumstances. But..."
Her smile didn’t change, yet Gu Yuan suddenly felt as though the hot forging room had turned cold.
"Did you think we would forget you, our husband?"
"Future one," Ji Yan corrected sharply when Gu Yuan failed to produce a single word.
Ji Yue looked at her sister, but only to give her a slow, amused blink.
"Well, it’s only a matter of time."
"Maybe, but he still hasn’t entered the inner sect."
Ji Yan shot back, refusing to yield.
To Ji Yue, however, it was already a settled matter.
"Reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm is the same thing. He can enter whenever he wishes now."
Silence descended over the forging room for several seconds, before Ji Yue turned her gaze back toward Gu Yuan.
"Oh, now that I think about it, why are you still here in the outer sect?"
"There was a war. You were trapped inside the Crimson Flame Sect. I was so worried about the two of you that I couldn’t think about anything else."
Gu Yuan’s reply came out smoothly, the lie flowing as naturally as water.
Ji Yue’s expression softened, looking genuinely touched.
Ji Yan, however, only sneered.
"Ha! Then why didn’t you come check on us yourself?"
"I was worried, yes, but I still had confidence that the two of you would claim victory."
Gu Yuan delivered his answer in a serious voice filled with conviction.
"That’s why I didn’t go. I was afraid you might interpret my arrival as a lack of belief in your strength."
Ji Yan blinked at him for a moment before she suddenly burst out laughing.
"Hahaha! It seems that in these last three years, your breakthroughs in cultivation and forging were the least of your achievements. Your mouth have improved the most! How much did you pay for those lessons? Let me join you next time."
Under the weight of those golden eyes glaring at him, Gu Yuan felt cold sweat form on his back.
Everything had happened too suddenly. He had not prepared himself for this meeting at all, and for a moment he once again found himself struggling to come up with the right answer.
It was then that two gentle hands suddenly reached out and pulled his head forward, pressing it firmly against something impossibly soft and warm.
Ji Yue had wrapped her arms around his head, holding it tightly against her chest as though shielding him from the angry lioness beside them.
"Yan, please stop picking on him," she said softly.
Ji Yan fell silent, though the frown on her face made her discomfort clear.
Ji Yue, on the other hand, gently patted Gu Yuan’s back and ruffled his hair, as though reassuring him that everything was fine and he had nothing to worry about. She continued like that for a while.
It was an action done out of goodwill. At least, that was what it seemed like. Yet Gu Yuan couldn’t bring himself to simply accept it.
He tried to pull away.
Unfortunately, against Ji Yue’s strength, his resistance proved completely meaningless.
She kept his head where it was, and only after his resistance finally ceased did she release him.
"Oh, sorry. Were you uncomfortable?"
"N-no," Gu Yuan said while still catching his breath.
Sensing the lingering awkwardness in the forging room, Ji Yue smoothly changed the subject.
"Anyway, I see you’re using a rather cheap talisman to conceal your cultivation. Is there a reason for that?"
"Well..."
It’s because I don’t want to enter the inner sect and become your Dao companion.
Gu Yuan naturally couldn’t say that aloud, so he remained silent.
Fortunately, Ji Yue did not press for an answer. She took his hand, turned it over, and placed a ring onto his palm.
"Use this treasure instead. It’s effect is permanent, and far better than that talisman."
It was a simple yet refined black jade ring. Faint fluctuations of power could be felt from within it. Gu Yuan stared at it for a moment before putting it away.
Ji Yue stood up and looked at him with a faint smile.
"Now that you’ve passed Yan’s test, whether you enter the inner sect is up to you. More importantly, we still need to complete the sacred ceremony... but that will have to be delayed. We’re busy at the moment and need to return to the Crimson Flame Sect."
"And whose fault is that?" Ji Yan muttered from the side.
Ji Yue paid her sister no mind. She looked Gu Yuan up and down, her eyes carrying a hint of amusement.
"It’s only been three years, yet you’ve changed so much. The last time we saw you, you were still a young boy. Now, you’ve grown into such a fine young man."
Her smile widened slightly. "And quite handsome at that. I’m almost worried about leaving you alone for too long."
Gu Yuan’s expression stiffened slightly at the unexpected praise. He quickly recovered and smiled.
"Senior Sisters are far more stunning than before. Standing in front of the two of you, this junior is completely overshadowed."
It was not even flattery this time. The two sisters truly were breathtaking, and Gu Yuan had no trouble saying it.
Ji Yue’s eyes curved into a smile. "Oh? You’ve learned how to flatter women too."
"I’m only telling the truth."
Ji Yan snorted from the side, though the corner of her lips seemed to rise slightly.
"It seems you really have changed." Ji Yue smiled and gave Gu Yuan one last look.
"Cultivate peacefully and wait for us. Hopefully, it won’t take long before we return."
With that, the Heavenly Twin Stars finally left the forging room.
They had stayed only for a short while, yet Gu Yuan couldn’t help but feel as though a storm had swept through the entire place.