Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

Ning Xuan approached slowly. The vines, as if sensing her presence, loosened their hold slightly. Di Youlin’s body swayed gently, the tattered remnants of his clothes sliding down with the motion to reveal more of his skin. His chest heaved, and his slightly ragged breaths betrayed his nervousness.

With a mere thought from Ning Xuan, the vines binding Di Youlin’s ankles released him. With a THUD, he was dropped to the floor. He had already shifted his body just before impact, landing on his knees at Ning Xuan’s feet.

"Greetings, Master." Although he hadn’t been here long, Di Youlin had already learned the basic etiquette required of him, thanks to Yan Fuzhen’s training and his own observations.

"You trespassed in my bedchambers, you trespassed in my laboratory, and now you even dare to barge into my training room." Ning Xuan’s voice was soft, but her fingers closed unceremoniously around his throat.

"You think that just because I can’t kill you, and because you have such a tough hide, you don’t have to fear punishment, is that it?" Ning Xuan tightened her grip. A flicker of fear appeared in Di Youlin’s phoenix eyes as they slowly became bloodshot.

As he suffocated, violent impulses surged through Di Youlin’s mind. His survival instinct screamed at him to swat Ning Xuan away, yet what little reason he had left forced him to relax and surrender himself to her completely.

Ning Xuan watched as the veins bulged on his hands and arms. The strain caused the wounds from the vines to bleed afresh. She saw him nearing the edge of consciousness from the lack of air and glanced at the magnificent wings that had unfurled uncontrollably on his back. With a soft chuckle, she released her grip.

She reached out and gently caressed his cheek, her fingertips weaving through his bewitching strands of hair. Di Youlin’s body trembled slightly, but he didn’t pull away, letting her fingers linger on his skin. Her hand moved from his cheek to his neck, then to his chest. His breathing grew heavier, and the skin that had been pale from asphyxiation gradually flushed red. Her hand lingered on his chest for a long time, its touch neither too light nor too heavy, neither too fast nor too slow, teasing him until he was tormented by an unbearable itch. He realized he preferred the feeling of suffocation to this torturous, halfway-there caress. Just as Di Youlin couldn’t resist leaning forward, wanting to press himself against her, her hand slid to his shoulder blades and, without warning, seized the base of his wings.

The base of his wings was a nexus of sensitive nerve endings. When Ning Xuan gripped them, Di Youlin’s entire body went rigid. It felt as though a bolt of electricity had shot through him. A paralyzing, tingling sensation spread from the roots of his wings through his entire frame. His breath caught in his throat, and he let out a muffled groan as the feathers on his wings flared, every single one standing on end.

Seeing his reaction and feeling the distinct heat under her palm, Ning Xuan squeezed harder. A sharp pain mingled with that electric jolt once again coursed through him. A broken moan escaped Di Youlin’s lips. He felt a searing heat spread from his core, making his blood boil and his bones feel like jelly. It was as if his entire body was on fire. His broad wings trembled violently. Di Youlin tried to retract them, but they refused to obey. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Master..." A plea laced Di Youlin’s hazy gaze and his hoarse, broken voice. He didn’t know what he was begging for, only that he was desperate for whatever Ning Xuan would do to him next.

Ning Xuan found his current state quite alluring. "Your wings are beautiful, and the feathers are so magnificent. By the way, do you molt? If I collected such pretty feathers, I could make a lovely fan. Your Level is so high, perhaps your feathers could even be refined into a Flying Artifact?"

As she spoke, her hands grew restless. While stroking the feathers, she wondered, ’Should I just pull a couple out now to have a look?’

As Ning Xuan held him down, rummaging through his wings to find the most beautiful feather, Di Youlin’s already chaotic mind finally shattered. His broad wings snapped shut, enveloping Ning Xuan and pulling her into a tight embrace. He clung to her like a drowning man clutching a piece of driftwood, his only hope for survival. His searing body pressed against hers, their breaths mingling as one.

Startled by his sudden move, Ning Xuan’s shock quickly turned to fury. She dug her fingers into the base of his wings and tried to shove him away with both hands. But to her surprise, though Di Youlin was trembling violently, he only held her tighter. His crimson lips desperately sought out her skin, latching onto her neck and sucking hard. Ning Xuan felt a sharp sting, sensing that something strange in her blood was being drawn into his mouth.

Ning Xuan summoned the Ghost-faced Red Vine, directing the thorny tendrils to attack Di Youlin. However, his skin had become as hard as steel; the vines couldn’t pierce it at all.

Ning Xuan wrenched an arm free and slapped him hard across the face. "Let go of me! Are you insane?"

Di Youlin’s hazy eyes gradually cleared. That single taste of Ning Xuan—of her pheromones—had restored his sanity. But his heart still pounded like a drum, and the tide of lust within him was difficult to suppress. His body ached with discomfort. He didn’t want to let go. Licking his lips, he wanted another taste.

Ning Xuan’s gaze turned icy. She twisted the green ring on her finger. "You had better think very carefully about what you are doing."

Di Youlin relaxed his wings, retracting them with a swift motion. "Master, Half-beastmen have heat cycles. I’ve come of age. Your... your vines were covered in your pheromones, and you were just... toying with me. That’s why I lost control for a moment and was disrespectful." Kneeling ramrod straight, he tilted up a face flushed with passion, desperately trying to explain himself.

Although he hadn’t spent much time with Ning Xuan, he had quickly learned to read her moods. He knew she was genuinely enraged by what had just happened. If he didn’t explain himself immediately, he feared he would not be able to bear the consequences of her wrath.

And just as he’d hoped, after his explanation, he keenly sensed the rising tide of her anger begin to subside.

Ning Xuan touched her neck and hissed in pain. This was the first time she’d ever been injured while toying with one of her pets.

"Spread your wings," Ning Xuan ordered, tapping him on the back.

Di Youlin looked at her, as if he wanted to say something, but held his tongue. Seeing her resolute expression, he had no choice but to obey. His magnificent wings unfolded, hanging loosely at his sides.

Ning Xuan located a red feather near the base of one wing and gave it a hard yank. Tears welled up in Di Youlin’s eyes from the pain, and his body trembled.

It took a great deal of effort, but Ning Xuan finally plucked out a blood-stained feather. The intense pain drained the color from Di Youlin’s face, and the inferno of lust that had consumed him finally began to recede.

"Does it hurt?" Ning Xuan asked.

Di Youlin looked up slightly, his phoenix eyes filled with a gentle, lingering affection. His voice was low and pleasant as he replied, "It doesn’t hurt. All that matters is that you are no longer angry."