《Sick Beauty [Rebirth]》 CH 1 Chapter 1 Diseased Bone It was late at night. Ye Yunlan was sitting by the window with his head down, reading. The candlelight reflected his face, and his eyelashes casted a thick shadow under his eyes. The candle wick burned with a crackling sound with occasional cicadas singing outside the window. The lingering pain in his body was still present and he felt a little nauseous in his chest. He frowned for a moment, then coughed. After a while, the coughing gradually stopped. He looked down. His palms were a dazzling bright red. The door was then suddenly pushed open with a creak. A man with a high crown and black clothes walked in with a medicine bowl. ¡°Junior Brother, I just heard you coughing again¡­¡± He Lanze was surprised when he saw Ye Yunlan sitting by the window. He hurriedly walked over to put down the medicine bowl. ¡°Because of your current injury, you can¡¯t leave the cold jade bed at will. Come, Let Senior Brother help you back to your bed to rest.¡± Ye Yunlan avoided his hand and called out calmly: ¡°Senior Brother.¡± He Lanze stopped moving, his face full of worry: ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Junior Brother?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him. He Lanze in his previous life had never shown such an expression to him. This person would only look at him with disgusted eyes, as if he was looking at a mouse in the depths of a gutter, or the dirty dust on the ground. The young admire the strong. He Lanze was a sword cultivator, and so was he. Towards this Senior Brother in his sect, he was full of longing. He had once waited outside He Lanze¡¯s door in the cold winter, hoping to get some guidance from the other party. However, after waiting for a long time with heavy snow falling on his shoulders, he only received the other party¡¯s ¡°get lost¡±. He had once prepared a gift for the other party¡¯s birthday. However, at the birthday banquet, the sword talisman he drew was thrown on the ground and sneered at by the receiving party, then trampled into a pile of waste paper by the surrounding disciples giving gifts to the other party. Later, in the Sect¡¯s Law Enforcement Hall, he was slandered for killing his fellow disciples. He Lanze didn¡¯t listen to his explanation and pierced his dantian with a sword and watched coldly as he was dragged down three thousand steps outside the mountain gate by angry disciples. The only thing he said to him during this period of time was when he tore his mask off in public. Looking at his burnt face, he sneered and spat out one word: ¡°Disgusting.¡± There was no expression on Ye Yunlan¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m fine, I can go by myself.¡± He Lanze stared greedily at Ye Yunlan¡¯s face. The warm yellow candlelight flickered. The appearance of the person in front was beautiful, but they still looked tired and pale, like snow that had not fallen off the branches of a tree. Only his scarlet mole at the outer corner of his eye became more vivid in the fire, like a silent drop of blood tear. Both fragile and scorching. ¡°You coughed up blood in your hand, are you okay?¡± He Lanze said with reproach. He held Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale and slender hand. This time he wouldn¡¯t let Ye Yunlan resist. He knelt to the ground on one knee, took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood on his hand. From the tip of the finger to the base, to every finger gap, to every line on the palm, and every inch of his skin. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t move, so he let him wipe it. He sat on the red sandalwood carved chair with a solemn appearance. No anger, no fury, his expression was not lively, so he even looked like a doll. But it was still breathtakingly beautiful. As soon as He Lanze lifted his eyes up, he could not help but gasp as he saw the splendid beauty rushing towards his face. In a daze, the other party¡¯s fingertips were removed from his palm. Ye Yunlan supported himself on the carved chair to get up. His plain white long sleeves fell down. He didn¡¯t cast his eyes on He Lanze. He just picked up the lamp and walked slowly into the inner room. A head full of fine black hair scattered behind him, swaying with his staggered pace. He Lanze recovered and hurriedly picked up the medicine bowl on the table and followed him into the inner room. There was a cold jade bed in the inner room exuding faint cold mist. Ye Yunlan was already sitting on the bed. The cold breath of the cold jade bed invaded his body, nourishing the broken meridians in his body. However, for this body that has been destroyed into ruins, no matter how nourishing it was, it was nothing but futile effort. He picked up the Queying Sword placed on the head of the bed. He slowly pulled it out, and laid it horizontally on his knees. With the long sword in hand, there seemed to be a noticeable difference to his whole person. Suddenly, the empty skin bag was filled with soul and his thin back became as straight as a sword. Ye Yunlan touched the point of the sword with his fingertips. He placed the candlelight on the bedside, and the shadow of the flame flickered on the sword. The beauty looked at the sword with the lamp, it was a beautiful scene. But, He Lanze felt a little chill. He thought it was caused by being too close to the cold jade bed, so he did not take it seriously. He only sighed secretly. Junior Brother was still unwilling to give up practicing his swordsmanship: ¡°Junior Brother, your body was hurt by divine fire essence. The damage is serious to your meridians. It is fine to practice the sword occasionally, but you must never use your spiritual power, otherwise the divine fire will reverse and it will even be difficult for the gods to save you.¡± If you can¡¯t use spiritual power, a cultivator would be equivalent to a mortal. In Sky Sect where strength was respected, Ye Yunlan was considered thoroughly crippled. ¡°I know.¡± Ye Yunlan responded. He Lanze pitied him. His tone softened, ¡°Senior Brother has already achieved something within the sword. Half a year ago, Senior Brother broke through to the Zongshi realm. If Junior Brother does not know something when practicing sword in the future, you can always come to me for questions.¡± Ye Yunlan did not respond. In his previous life, he had waited in the frozen snowy winds until late at night but could not obtain it, yet now He Lanze could casually promise him this? It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t need it anymore. The path of the sword was divided into five realms, namely the five realms of Qizong, Ningyi, Zongshi, Xiaosheng, and Dasheng. Being able to break through the realm of Zongshi, considering He Lanze¡¯s age, was considered a talent. However, in the last life, there was another realm outside the five realms, and it was only achieved by Ye Yunlan alone. The Venerable Realm. He Lanze sighed. Knowing that Ye Yunlan has been habitually silent, depressed because of his injury, he picked up the bowl of traditional Chinese medicine. He blew on it and scooped a spoonful of medicinal soup. He moved it towards Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips, ¡°Junior Brother, drink the medicine.¡± Ye Yunlan turned his head, ¡°I can drink it myself.¡± He Lanze¡¯s thin lips pressed together slightly. He was born extremely talented and looked down on the people of his generation. He had never shown such meticulous care to others, so he didn¡¯t expect that the other party would not appreciate it. But facing that face, he couldn¡¯t get angry. He Lanze could only pass the medicine bowl to Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t use the spoon. He pressed the bowl to his lips and drank. He raised his head slightly, revealing a long, white, slender neck. His adam¡¯s apple slowly moved. The sound of his swallowing was very soft. So soft that He Lanze had to listen very carefully to be able to hear it. The five fingers clasped on the black porcelain medicine bowl were long and pale, with distinct structure. They were hands that were very suitable for holding a sword, but also very suitable¡­ to hold something else. ¡°Junior Brother Ye,¡± when Ye Yunlan finished drinking the medicine, He Lanze suddenly spoke, with a slightly husky voice, ¡°I don¡¯t understand one thing. You obviously were born with a good appearance, so why did you always wear a mask before and refused to show your true appearance?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I just wanted to concentrate on practicing the sword.¡± He didn¡¯t lie. Someone once told him that a person¡¯s appearance was the most useless thing for cultivators, that it could even cause a disaster. That person had made a mask for him and told him to wear it as much as possible when he was out. He met that person when he was young. After being taken to the sect by that person, they took good care of him. Thus, he always listened to that person¡¯s words and arrangements. Every time he went out, he would seriously wear a mask. Later, his face was burned by the divine fire in the secret realm and the mask became a means to cover his scars. Even when he slept alone at night, he never took it off. ¡°Just wanted to concentrate on practicing swords and didn¡¯t want to be disturbed by other things? I thought Junior Brother¡­¡± He Lanze¡¯s voice became more and more muffled. He didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he took the medicine bowl in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand and stood up, ¡°It¡¯s getting late. Junior Brother, rest early. I will see you again tomorrow.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded. He Lanze went out in a hurry. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t look at him, he only resheathed the queying sword. The moment the long sword returned to its sheath, the spirit that supported him also disappeared. He leaned down, blew out the lamp lightly, then laid down on the bed wearily, closing his eyes. The cold jade bed was cold to the bones, but there still seemed to be flames in his body eroding his bones and burning his body. Falling into a drowsy sleep, he slept unsteadily. His weak soul could not carry the messy memories of more than three hundred years. Numerous pictures flashed into his dreams. All the past events that he had deliberately forgotten and had never forgotten were all coming up, not allowing him a second to breathe. When he woke up, it was already bright. It was early spring and it was raining outside the window. The sound of rain was endless. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t like the rain. He especially didn¡¯t like listening to the rain alone. There was a sudden knock on the door. Not He Lanze he hoped. After he was injured, He Lanze placed him in his own home to recuperate. When he had the time, he would come to see him. He Lanze had a habit. Before he entered the room, he would never knock on the door. An elegant voice sounded outside the door. ¡°Ah Lan, are you awake? Why don¡¯t you open the door for me?¡± Ye Yunlan slowly stood up from the cold jade bed. In the Sky Sect, there was only one person who would call him ¡®Ah Lan¡¯. ¡ª¡ª Sky Sect¡¯s Master¡¯s only personal disciple, today¡¯s No. 1 Beauty, and at the same time, the one who led him into the sect and cared for him. Rong Ran. CH 2 Chapter 2 Hidden Mistress Ye Yunlan opened the door. Rong Ran was standing in front of the door with a bamboo umbrella, smiling at him. He was dressed in blue clothes. Born refined and beautiful, the beauty of the world seemed to melt into his appearance. His eyes seemed to be full of spring air when he smiled. ¡°Ah Lan finally opened the door.¡± Rong Ran smiled and put away the bamboo umbrella in his hand, ¡°Quickly go in, it¡¯s raining. Careful or else you might catch a cold.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him silently for a long while, then turned and walked inside. He just got out of bed and went straight to open the door, so he didn¡¯t wear any shoes. Rong Ran put the bamboo umbrella by the door and turned his head to see the pair of bare feet. It was not as big and rough as the average man. The feet were white and narrow, a beautiful shape with the heels still slightly pink. He was not healed from his serious injury and was unsteady as he walked. Staggering, the back of his instep would be slightly arched causing his toes to tightly curl towards the ground to barely stabilize his figure. Rong Ran stared at him for a while before entering the house with Ye Yunlan. Intentionally or unconsciously, every step he took, he stepped on the place where Ye Yunlan had just walked, not a centimetre off. Sitting on the carved chair, Ye Yunlan looked sideways at the rain outside the window. His face was pale and indifferent. Rong Ran didn¡¯t care about Ye Yunlan¡¯s indifference. It was normal for Ye Yunlan to feel depressed since he was seriously injured and his path to cultivation was broken. No cultivator could easily accept it. He walked to a round table made of golden silk and sandalwood in the house. Taking a blue and white lotus patterned cup on the table, he picked up the teapot to fill it up. He found that the tea in the cup was still warm, and looked down. The bottom of the teapot had a formation carved by someone to keep the content warm. The light from the peripheral of his eye swept across to the corner of the wall. There was a purple sand backflow incense burner, and a waterfall of white incense pouring down. The smell that lingered was a very precious, concentrated incense for spiritual cultivation. Everything in this house was well arranged. The smile in Rong Ran¡¯s eyes slowly faded. He picked up the cup of tea and walked to the window. Leaning over, he handed it to Ye Yunlan. ¡°Ah Lan, take a sip of tea to warm up your body first.¡± He said softly, ¡°There was an accident in the Yaochi Secret Realm and I heard that you were seriously injured. I have been very worried these past few days.¡± Ye Yunlan took the cup of tea and held it in his hand, but didn¡¯t drink it. He looked down at the tea leaves floating in the cup. After a while, he opened his mouth, ¡°Senior Brother Rong, I couldn¡¯t find the Returning God Pill in the secret realm.¡± Rong Ran was taken aback, then quickly responded: ¡± Ah Lan, you¡­I just mentioned it casually at the beginning, why did you have to put it to heart? Returning god pill is very precious. Even if it was in the secret realm, it would be placed under a heavily restricted area. Obtaining it would be very difficult. When the divine fire got out of control and the Secret Realm collapsed, I was already very lucky that you were able to escape, so why would I still want you to find medicinal pills for me.¡± ¡°Ah Lan, you are my savior.¡± He leaned down and looked at Ye Yunlan directly with his soft eyes, his eyes full of sincerity, ¡°I took you into the sect only for the hope that you don¡¯t have to suffer anymore from this world. Do what you want to do. Live happily, I don¡¯t need you to do anything for me.¡± He spoke sincerely. Ye Yunlan recalled the scene when Rong Ran came to visit him in his previous life. In his previous life, He Lanze did not by any means stay to heal his injuries. Instead, he sat alone in his secluded area with his face covered in bandages. In order to obtain the Returning God Pill from the secret realm, he accidentally touched the divine fire, and his upper body was burnt. Fortunately, his internal injury was not serious, and he was able to move freely. After Rong Ran entered the door, he had gotten up to pour tea for the other party and took out the Returning God Pill to hand it to them. He thought the other party would be happy. However, after Rong Ran accepted the pill, he didn¡¯t say a word. He just stretched out his hand to caress his face, slowly rubbing it for a long time. He circled the area, then untied the bandage on his face. After a long while, Rong Ran sighed. ¡°Ah Lan, you can bandage it up again. Remember to put on a mask¡­ in front of me, you don¡¯t need to take it off anymore.¡± He stood up, ¡°I have something to do, so I will go first. Rest well.¡± After hearing this, although he was a little disappointed, he did what he was told. He had always listened to what Rong Ran said. He was lonely when he was young, so when others treated him a little bit kindly, he would always keep it in mind. Although he had saved Rong Ran¡¯s life inadvertently, after coming to Sky Sect, he never regarded himself as the other¡¯s savior and requested for anything. Rong Ran was kind to him, so he repaid him in his own way. The returning god pill was one of his ways of repaying him. However, after Rong Ran took the returning god pill and left, he never came to see him again. When they finally met again, it was at He Lanze¡¯s birthday banquet. The sword talisman he made by himself was thrown on the ground casually by He Lanze, while he stood there, watching his talisman paper being trampled by the surrounding disciples. At this moment, Rong Ran walked over to him and said softly, ¡°Ah Lan, why did you come to Senior Brother Helan¡¯s birthday party? You know that Senior Brother¡­ he doesn¡¯t like you very much.¡± He replied, ¡°Senior brother¡¯s swordsmanship is very strong.¡± He Lanze didn¡¯t like him, but that did not prevent him from thinking that the other party¡¯s swordsmanship was very strong. He wanted to be friends with the other party. Perhaps because of his childhood experience, he did not like to be alone. When Rong Ran was there, he had a companion by his side. When Rong Ran left, his world was empty. Until one occasion, when he was performing the mission of patrolling the Sect mountain, he encountered a powerful monster that exceeded his expectations. When he was having a life or death battle, he was casually saved by a sword move made by He Lanze who happened to pass by. It was at this time his eyes began to pay attention to this Senior Brother. He began to approach He Lanze. It¡¯s just that He Lanze no longer remembered saving him and his attitude was quite impatient. When he looked at the mask on his face, his eyes were even more contemptuous. The him at that time was stubborn and straightforward, sincere and enthusiastic. He thought that sincerity could resolve prejudice and with persistence, one would meet success. He hit a wall several times, but that couldn¡¯t stop his enthusiasm. ¡°Ah Lan admires Senior Brother Helan very much?¡± Rong Ran asked him softly, with a subtle tone. He nodded, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then do you know I have always liked Senior Brother Helan?¡± Rong Ran said, ¡°If you pester him like this, it will make me feel very troubled.¡± He was stunned. ¡°Ah Lan, you¡¯ve always been a good boy, would you want to snatch someone that your Senior Brother likes?¡± Rong Ran gently coaxed, ¡°Don¡¯t make me look down on you.¡± He opened his mouth, but before he could speak, Rong Ran turned and walked away. Later, when he was slandered for killing fellow disciples within the secret realm, he was tied up at the law enforcement hall to be tortured. On the recording stone, the image of his figure committing murder was clearly recorded. Only he knew that the person in the image was not him. This was because when that person was committing murder, he was trapped in a dangerous situation with Rong Ran. In order to protect Rongran, his spirit was infested by demonic energy in the secret realm. Later, the demonic energy in his spirit became one of the evidence that he became a demon and killed his fellow disciples. And the only Rongran who could prove his innocence just stood there quietly amongst the crowd, watching He Lanze raise his sword to abolish his dantian. He was dragged down three thousand steps by angry disciples and left under the mountain gate. At noon, the scorching sun burnt his body. He was dying. He listened to the voices of the people around him slowly changing from noisy to silent. Suddenly a long figure squatted down in front of him. Daylight swayed. In his blurred vision, the first thing he saw was the cold light from the tip of a knife. What followed was the pain of being cut apart on his face. Blood snaked down his neck. He finally saw what the person looked like. It was Rong Ran. Rong Ran¡¯s beautiful face still had a smile that could make one feel the spring breeze, but the movement in his hands did not stop. His limbs and throat were sealed by spiritual power. He was unable to move or make a sound. Blood slowly covered his eyelashes. ¡°You are crying. Why?¡± Rong Ran asked him softly, ¡°Your face has obviously been ruined a long time ago, I was just helping you to ruin it more thoroughly, so it¡¯s not an eye-sore.¡± ¡°Obviously Ah Lan did the wrong thing first.¡± He said, ¡°I taught you to cultivate obediently, yet you went out to seduce men everywhere? Even when you ruined your face, you still wouldn¡¯t give up. You were born to be a fickle wh*re.¡± The memory stopped within that bloody color. Ye Yunlan sat down. Rong Ran didn¡¯t get the response he wanted. He frowned, and went behind Ye Yunlan: ¡°Ah Lan, let me help you fix your hair, okay? Remember when you first entered the sect? You didn¡¯t know anything, I had to teach you everything¡­¡± He raised his hand to pick up Ye Yunlan¡¯s long hair. He could feel the fine black hair flowing down his hand like satin. He closed his five fingers to hold it tight. But he didn¡¯t catch anything. Ye Yunlan turned his head to the side. Bright vermilion mole at the end of his eye, long eyelashes like feathers, and dark heavy pupils. ¡°No,¡± he said. Rong Ran was taken aback. He sighed: ¡°Ah Lan has grown up in the end, you don¡¯t even need Senior Brother to worry about you anymore.¡± He put his hands on the carved chair, then he leaned over and stared at Ye Yunlan¡¯s face. He changed the topic with a smile, ¡°Speaking of which, Ah Lan, where¡¯s the mask I gave you? Why don¡¯t you have it on you?¡± Ye Yunlan replied, ¡°I dropped it in the secret realm.¡± Rongran¡¯s smile remained unchanged, ¡°Then I will make another one for Ah Lan after I go back. What style does Ah Lan like? Just tell your Senior Brother.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at Rong Ran quietly. ¡°No need.¡± He said. This was the second time he refused Rong Ran today. Rong Ran still wanted to talk, but he heard Ye Yunlan speak: ¡°Senior Brother Rong, I want to rest.¡± This was obviously him chasing out the guest. The smile faded on Rong Ran¡¯s face. ¡°Ah Lan, if you are not in a good mood, you can tell me. Don¡¯t let it suffocate within your heart.¡± After a while, he whispered, ¡°If you are like this, Senior Brother will be really worried.¡± ¡°I know your heart is uncomfortable.¡± He continued, ¡°Having divine fire entering your body and destroying your meridians, it is difficult to cure, but that doesn¡¯t mean there is no hope in curing it. If an expert who steps into the void tracing realm makes a move¡­¡± There was a pause and he did not continue. In the past three thousand years, no one in the world has reached the Void Tracing Realm. Even today¡¯s No. 1 person in the world, Sky Sect Master Qiyun Jun, had a cultivation base that was still nothing more than the transcendence realm. ¡°Actually, there is another way.¡± Rong Ran paused, leaning over to Ye Yunlan¡¯s ear. He muttered: ¡°If Ah Lan can find a person who is recognized by the divine fire and has dual cultivation with them, the divine fire will naturally be transferred over¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, the door was opened with a creak. He Lanze strode in, and was taken aback when he saw Rong Ran, ¡°Junior Brother Rong, why are you here?¡± Rong Ran didn¡¯t look panicked. He straightened up unhurriedly and replied with a smile: ¡°I heard that Ah Lan was injured. Unable to bear it, I came over to take a look. Senior Brother Helan really though? To watch him so strictly for several days, you haven¡¯t even let Junior Brother make an appearance. You really can¡¯t blame me for worrying.¡± His beautiful eyes looked forward showing his brilliance as he joked. ¡°Those who know what¡¯s happening will think that Senior Brother is kind, but those who don¡¯t know would think that Senior Brother was keeping a hidden mistress.¡± CH 3 Chapter 3 Nightingale ¡°¡­What keeping a hidden mistress? Don¡¯t speak nonsense!¡± He Lanze scolded, ¡°Junior Brother Ye was invaded by divine fire and was seriously injured. He requires the cold jade bed to recuperate, so I only kept him here to look after him.¡± Rong Ran smiled: ¡°I¡¯m just joking, what is Senior Brother Helan so nervous about?¡± He Lanze still wanted to speak, but he caught a glimpse of something white in his peripheral vision. It was Ye Yunlan¡¯s feet. Without boots, those feet were covered by the hem of his silk lower garment, only half of it exposed. Yet, it was dazzlingly white. Cyan veins faintly visible were like a dark river winding underneath his skin, depicting an unspeakable morbidity and fragility. He Lanze frowned deeply. Although he had set up a dust-removing formation everywhere in this room and he would not be dirtied even if he walked around barefoot, the ground was cold and Junior Brother Ye had not healed from his injuries. How can he be so unruly and not properly take care of his own body? Rong Ran¡¯s words were thrown to the back of his brain. He strode to Ye Yunlan¡¯s side and knelt down on one knee. Putting his sword on the ground, he held the opposite party¡¯s right foot. In his hand, it felt cold and smooth, as if he was holding a piece of cold jade. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t expect He Lanze¡¯s sudden move. He frowned slightly. His fingertips bent, wanting to grab the queting sword on his bedside. But, there was a slight pain in his chest. His face tightened. In the end he didn¡¯t move. He only put his pale hand on the carved chair and looked down at He Lanze with an indifferent expression. He Lanze took out a pair of snow-white cloud shoes from his storage ring. A clear aura lingered on them, showing it was a very precious high-grade spiritual weapon. He held Ye Yunlan¡¯s right foot and put on his boots. He said in a deep voice: ¡°The ground is cold. It¡¯s wrong for Junior Brother to go barefoot. Don¡¯t do that in the future. Besides, Senior Brother has warned you yesterday that your internal injuries have not healed, so you still have to stay on the cold jade bed to recuperate. Did you forget again?¡± Ye Yunlan remained silent, but Rong Ran on the side added in a word: ¡°Senior Brother Helan, now I know how caring you are towards Ah Lan.¡± He Lanze carefully sorted out the cloud shoes before getting up: ¡°I am his Senior Brother, of course I should be concerned for my Junior Brother.¡± ¡°But this is the first time I have seen Senior Brother He Lan willing to squat down and help another put on their boots.¡± Rong Ran smiled lightly. ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter, I did it casually. Junior Brother Ye is seriously injured, so naturally I have to take good care of him.¡± He Lanze answered without changing his face. He looked sideways at Rong Ran, with slightly raised eyebrows, ¡°But I am a little confused. Junior Brother Ye was obviously born with a good appearance, so why did Junior Brother Rong always tell people that Junior Brother Ye had to wear a mask to cover his ugly appearance?¡± Rongran¡¯s smile was unchanged, ¡°If I didn¡¯t say that, how could I prevent Ah Lan from being coveted by those p*rverted lechers? After all, Ah Lan put on a mask at the beginning to avoid the annoyance of others and to concentrate better on cultivating the sword.¡± He added an emphasis to ¡®p*rverted¡¯. He Lanze: ¡°¡­ wanting to concentrate on one¡¯s sword cultivation doesn¡¯t require wearing a mask. Hidden truths are a scoundrel¡¯s way of dealing with things. This will only provoke suspicion for nothing. Sky Sect disciples have always been upright.¡± ¡°Senior Brother is not unreasonable.¡± Rong Ran said, ¡°But now that something happened in the secret realm, the appearance of Junior Brother has been seen by many disciples. It really doesn¡¯t matter if he wears a mask or not.¡± He Lanze asked, ¡°Does Junior Brother Rong think it doesn¡¯t matter?¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Rong Ran smiled softly, ¡°What do you mean by this Senior Brother?¡± He Lanze narrowed his eyes slightly, then said indifferently: ¡°You should understand what I mean.¡± The undercurrent between the two people¡¯s words surged up violently, turning the atmosphere to become strange. Ye Yunlan was aware of it. He assumed that Rong Ran was probably the same as his previous life. He loved He Lanze so much that since He Lanze housed him to heal his injuries, it had aroused Rong Ran¡¯s anger, thus leading to his aggressive words. At this moment, Rong Ran¡¯s heart must be thinking about how to get rid of him. In the previous life, He Lanze hated him, yet Rong Ran still wanted to scratch his face to vent his anger. In this life, he was afraid that he would have his bones burnt to ashes and it still wouldn¡¯t be enough to curb his anger. Yet, he was too lazy to think about it. Three hundred years was too long. The world had gone by like a big dream. He turned his head to look at these past people, as if separated by a thick, distant veil. There was not much left of love and hate. After all, love and hate were a thing of luxury. A person¡¯s life only has a certain amount and once they were used up, there would be no more. He just felt it was noisy. Ye Yunlan supported his head with one hand and closed his eyes only to feel the pain in his chest become more intense. Since the injury, the meridians in his body have been broken and his qi and blood were not smooth. He couldn¡¯t help but cough again, leaving blood stains on his white robe. ¡°Ah Lan!¡± Rong Ran walked over to help soothe him, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, why are you suddenly coughing up blood?¡± He Lanze pursed his lips and stood aside watching Ye Yunlan. When the coughing stopped, he stepped forward and pried away Rong Ran. He forcibly picked up the person and walked over to the cold jade bed. ¡°Senior Brother Helan!¡± Rong Ran shouted after him. He Lanze ignored him. Too light he thought. How can he be so light? Putting the person down gently on the bed, he tried to wipe the blood from the other party¡¯s lips, but the other party slapped his hand away. Ye Yunlan laid sideways on the cold jade bed, his hair spread out like black algae. He lowered his eyes: ¡°Go, I want to rest.¡± His voice was hoarse, and his expression looked exhausted and fed up. After that, he closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t want to care about those people anymore. Rong Ran¡¯s original concern was stuck in his throat. He Lanze curled his eyebrows and gave a look to Rong Ran, ¡°Junior Brother Rong, since Junior Brother Ye has stated this, let¡¯s go out and let Junior Brother rest alone.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s five fingers were slightly clenched. He stared firmly at Ye Yunlan, his gaze staying on the red on his lips. Then he was pulled out by He Lanze next to him after a while. The door was gently closed by He Lanze. The rain was still falling. Rong Ran stood outside the door holding the bamboo umbrella in his hand. He did not open it. It¡¯s just that before the flying rain even approached, it had already been shattered away in the air by the spiritual power escaping from his body. ¡°Senior Brother Helan,¡± he asked, ¡°Tell me, what happened to Ah Lan¡¯s injury?¡± He Lanze explained, ¡°Junior Brother Ye was severely injured by the divine fire and his meridians were broken¡­¡± Rong Ran interrupted, ¡°I know his meridians were damaged, but wasn¡¯t the divine fire already suppressed? If he was properly being nourished, how can he continue to cough up blood¡ª¡ª¡± ¡°Even if it¡¯s suppressed, divine fire essence will occasionally release little bits of energy. With Junior Brother¡¯s body, how could he bear it? Coughing up blood is normal.¡± He Lanze said solemnly, ¡°That¡¯s why I told him not to leave the cold jade bed and asked him to rest in peace to avoid agitation. He must not use his spiritual energy in order to reduce the abnormal movement of the divine fire essence. This would allow him to suffer less.¡± Rong Ran grasped the handle on the bamboo umbrella more and more tightly, ¡°But if it is as you said, if this goes on, Ah Lan¡¯s body will only grow worse. Every time the divine fire essence energy slowly seeps out, the more his meridians will be damaged. If things go on like this, he¡­¡± He paused. He Lanze: ¡°If he takes in ling yao every day and lies down on the cold jade bed, he could live as an ordinary person for hundreds of years, there should be no problem.¡± Rong Yan¡¯s expression changed: ¡°I¡¯m going to find Master to help.¡± He Lanze shook his head: ¡°Junior Brother Rong, you don¡¯t have to do useless work anymore. You should know that when something happened in the secret realm, it was only after the disciples and I both pleaded did the lord make an exception once. He barely saved the life of Junior Brother Ye. Even if the Sect Master can suppress the Divine Fire Essence, he cannot get rid of it. If you ask again, the result would still be the same. What¡¯s more, the Sect Master has been cultivating the heartless path for a long time. Even if you are his only personal-disciple, I am afraid you still may not be able to invite him.¡± He paused, and said in a low voice, ¡°Nowadays, perhaps, the only way to remove the divine fire is with the help of dual cultivation¡­¡± ¡°I remember that Brother Helan has a fire spiritual root, it is very likely that you would be recognized by the divine fire in the future.¡± Rong Ran suddenly said, ¡°Having Ah Lan stay here, if there are no alternatives, were you planning to use this method to heal Ah Lan?¡± He Lanze answered without changing his face: ¡°That¡¯s a last resort.¡± Rong Ran was silent for a while, then turned and left. ¡°Wait!¡± He Lanze shouted to Rong Ran, ¡°Junior Brother Rong, I have thought about it, but I still feel that there is something I must remind you. Even though you are superb in formations and the restrictions I placed in the courtyard can¡¯t stop you, next time, before you come, it¡¯s better to tell me so that Junior Brother will not be frightened.¡± ¡°Frightened?¡± Rong Ran turned his head, staring straight at He Lanze. He smiled softly, ¡°Why would Ah Lan be frightened by me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s perfect, I also want to tell Senior Brother something.¡± ¡°I have raised a beautiful nightingale. Everyday, I feed it, raise it, and accompany it. Over time, that nightingale finally got acquainted with me and started to sing for me. It also allowed me to stroke its feathers.¡± ¡°It¡¯s very obedient. It would only eat food from my hands, and often does things to please me. As long as it could see me, it would be full of joy and flutter over intimately.¡± ¡°So, even if one day, it was accidentally injured and caught by a hunter¡­¡± Rong Ran smiled sweetly. ¡°It will fly back to me sooner or later.¡± CH 4 Chapter 4 Wolf Behaviour The sun was blazing. Rong Ran had already left, but the words still lingered in He Lanze¡¯s mind. He closed his eyes and leaned against the door. He waited for half an hour, then turned and opened the door again. He gently walked into the room. The person on the bed was already asleep. His eyes were closed and his long eyelashes casted a thick shadow like a crow¡¯s wing. He laid on his side, with his arms bent over the edge of the bed, breathing slowly and quietly. Only the dark red stain on his lips was unpleasant to the eyes. He Lanze dipped his handkerchief in water to wipe the blood on Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips. He moved cautiously for fear of awakening the person in the bed. After wiping it, his fingertips couldn¡¯t help but touch the mole at the end of the other party¡¯s eye. It was just a touch, but it was as if he was scalded. He quickly brought his hand back. He took a deep breath. He felt his throat dry with thirst. He Lanze couldn¡¯t help but recall the scene many years ago. In the early morning that day, he was returning back to the sect due to important matters. When his sword flew over the gate in a hurry, he caught a glimpse of a figure on the three thousand steps outside the gate. It was a young man in shabby clothes, walking up the mountain step by step. When the long sword flew across the sky, a gust of wind was brought up, which happened to pick up the young man¡¯s clothes and long hair. The young man seemed to feel something, and looked up at him. At that moment, the other party¡¯s eyes were filled with the morning light of dawn, yet the mole at the end of his eye seemed to be stained with the blood of the setting sun. The thrilling beauty was breathtaking and unforgettable at first sight. He Lanze never forgot. Only, after he finished dealing with the important matters and hurriedly returned to the mountain gate, the young man was already gone. During that period, He Lanze was keen to give pointers to his fellow sect members. His swordsmanship was superb, and he looked disdainfully at his peers. The disciples of the sect were all eager for his guidance, and countless people surrounded him. But the young man was the only one missing. He thought that the young man may not be a disciple of the Sky Sect. If so, how could he be silent and nameless with a face like that. Later, he decided to rest his mind and do closed door sword cultivation. Rong Ran was his good friend. They were both Senior Brothers within the sect and he was also the sect master¡¯s personal disciple. They often worked together during sect missions, so were quite familiar with each other. But it only ended there. Rong Ran was born beautiful, amazing at a glance, but He Lanze had seen the most beautiful scenery in the world before, so looking at other things, it felt eclipsed. Rong Ran had often followed a young man wearing a mask. He Lanze once asked the reason casually, yet Rong Ran had said that the young man was not good looking and did not want to let others see his true appearance. He also believed it. Until the divine fire in the secret realm got out of control and a group of disciples were trapped by the restraints when they were trying to escape. He broke the restraint with a sword, but he still lacked a little bit of strength. Time was running out and he was already considering launching a forbidden technique when a figure flew up not far away. It was the young man wearing the mask who often followed Rong Ran around. He Lanze remembered Rong Ran had said this person¡¯s name. Ye Yunlan. The name was pretty nice, but it¡¯s a pity that he was only a yes-man following behind Rong Ran, obeying his words and acting sneakily with his mask. He Lanze had never liked those kinds of people. And Ye Yunlan¡¯s cultivation was only at the golden core stage, he wouldn¡¯t be of much help even if he wanted to. The time couldn¡¯t be delayed any longer. He retracted his gaze, too lazy to pay attention to Ye Yunlan, and continued to draw his sword straight. The restrictions shook, but the power required to break the restriction was still a little short. Ye Yunlan came to him without making a sound. He just watched quietly. However, as he slashed down his sword, the other party drew his sword and shot out as well. The sword light was like a rainbow. Slashing out, there was no difference in strength as it overlapped with his sword! The sword lights overlapped, the power doubled, and the restriction broke open. He Lanze looked at the person beside him in surprise. Being able to use the Golden Core Stage cultivation base to issue such a sword attack and to be able to meld with his, this person¡¯s sword cultivation base was not bad, at least he has reached the Ningyi realm. He had overlooked him before. It¡¯s just that now was not the time to discuss sword cultivation. He Lanze hurriedly said ¡°Thank you¡±, then led the disciples who had escaped from the restrictions to rush into the secret realm. Ye Yunlan also followed him, but after a while, he turned around and swept towards the flames. He Lanze looked over in surprise. ¡ª¡ªThere was a young man lying in a pool of blood over there. With the speed that Ye Yunlan was flying, He Lanze estimated that he would still be able to save the boy before the flame arrived. But at this time, a change suddenly occurred. An illusory Fire Phoenix rushed out of the flames and slammed towards the young man. A phoenix was originally a sign of auspiciousness, but the fire phoenix had crimson eyes, and his face was full of brutality and madness. Seeing this, Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t stop, instead, he sped up. He was able to hug the boy into his arms before the fire phoenix arrived. However, at the same time, the Fire Phoenix crashed into his back! He Lanze saw Ye Yunlan stagger forward, spouting a mouthful of blood. The mask on his face also fell off. He Lanze was startled. He saw Ye Yunlan struggle to stabilize his figure. Then, he turned around, and rushed towards his direction again. Dancing white clothes, fluttering black hair. Behind the man was a sky full of flames and flying sparks. Blood slowly dripped down his lips. That face was familiar and unfamiliar. It had given him heart throbs and yearning dreams. It was the boy He Lanze caught a glimpse of many years ago and never forgot. He Lanze stared down at the person on the bed. Leaning down, his hands hung in the air, carefully tracing the opposite party¡¯s face. He had missed it once, this time, he was determined to never let this person leave his side so easily. ¡ª¡ª Ye Yunlan fell into a dream. He sat in front of the mirror, while someone behind him was combing his hair. The mask on his face reflected cold light in the mirror. He was dressed in a black robe, with his hands quietly folded on his knees. He loved wearing white clothes when he was young, but after being burnt by the divine fire, he just wore black in order to cover his wounds. Even so, the black burn on his neck was still conspicuous. A faint sandalwood scent came from the person behind him, which made people feel at ease. A head full of black hair was combed as smooth as satin. The person behind him leaned over and wrapped their arms around him, calling warmly: ¡°Yunlan.¡± The man¡¯s elegant sharp face was reflected in the mirror. The man turned his head to look at him with a smile, ¡°We are about to hold the ceremony to become Dao companions soon, Yunlan. I want to hear you call my name in advance, okay?¡± He whispered: ¡°Weiyuan.¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°You know this is not what I want to hear.¡± The heat the other party exhaled, covered his neck. Chest pressed against his back, he was firmly in his arms. He pursed his lips, then turned his head slightly. His ears were flushed, and his voice trembled: ¡°Husband¡­¡± ¡°Good.¡± Chen Weiyuan smiled and princess carried him. He struggled to get free for a bit, then did not move. He just gently tugged at the other¡¯s clothes, ¡°Where are you going to take me?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s elixir is finally ready, I will take you to get a medicated bath.¡± Chen Weiyuan lowered his head and explained, ¡°Your gold core was crippled. Since being rescued by me, your body has not been well. After thinking about it, I requested a medicine bath prescription from Lingshan medical hut. Soaking in it daily can strengthen the bones and extend your life.¡± He nodded. Soon, he was placed into the hot medicine pool. The medicine was intense. His skin felt like it was being pricked by needles. His knuckles on the edge of the pool turned white. He endured and endured. Finally, he couldn¡¯t help crying out in a low voice: ¡°WeiYuan¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan knelt down on one knee at the side of the pool. He leaned over and kissed his forehead. Through the mask, he could not feel the touch of the other party¡¯s lips. He only felt the other party¡¯s tenderness enveloping him like a cocoon. Then he heard the other party¡¯s voice. ¡°Yunlan, bear with it a little longer.¡± ¡°A cultivator has a long life. I love you. I have decided to spend my life with you hand in hand. From now on, we will be together in life and death.¡± ¡°Your body is not in good health and your life is limited. However, I¡¯m greedy. I just want us to hold hands for a longer time in this life.¡± ¡°So, for my sake, could you bear with it?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s palm was on the back of his hand. There was a moment of silence, then the trembling hand clasped the other party¡¯s hands. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± The screen changed suddenly. The world was shaking. He was curled up in the cramped darkness, his hands tied behind his back, he was unable to move. After a long time, accompanied with the sound of a box being creaked open, a dazzling light appeared in front of his eyes. In the dim vision, someone stood above looking at him. Someone said solemnly: ¡°Sect Master! This is a gift from the Immortal Dao. It must contain evil intentions. If you don¡¯t kill it directly, we might have future troubles.¡± ¡°Get back.¡± The man¡¯s low voice sounded faintly. He was carried out from the box. Except for the mask on his face, there was only a very thin, very transparent fabric on his body. The places burnt by the divine fire had been carefully tied up with bandages, except nothing covered his legs. His ankle revealed a white jade anklet that confined his spiritual power. Chen Weiyuan once said that of his entire body, what he liked the most was his legs. Only his legs had no scars. After his eyes adjusted to the strong light, his vision slowly became clear. Finally he could see the appearance of the man holding him. The man was tall, covered in a black robe, he wore a hideous ghost mask on his face. The mask was ferocious looking, full of resentment. At one glance it could scare people¡¯s spirits to go flying. His pupils constricted. The man raised his hand and squeezed his chin: ¡°Tell me, what exactly does Chen Weiyuan want to do by sending you to me? Let me guess¡­¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªHe wants you to kill me, yes or no?¡± He wanted to struggle, but his whole body was so soft he could barely lift a fingertip. The man lowered his head to smell his body: ¡°Such rare exquisite bones. Soaked in years of medicinal bath to be refined into a superb furnace, I am surprised Chen Weiyuan would be willing to part with you.¡± ¡°If I kill you now, It would indeed be a waste of a treasure.¡± ¡°How about I give you a chance? As long as you are obedient¡­¡± The man held his shoulder and exhaled hot air into his ear, his tone was low and bewitching, ¡°I won¡¯t kill you, I will only spoil you, how about that?¡± He trembled all over, but his throat was sealed by medicine and he couldn¡¯t make a sound. As soon as the man¡¯s fingers moved, a cold demonic energy wrapped around his legs and slid into his clothes. Those few pitch-black and twisted shadows were faintly revealed through the thin clothes. He trembled more severely. ¡°What a jerky reaction.¡± After a while, the man said in surprise, ¡°You have been married to Chen Weiyuan for so many years, yet he hasn¡¯t touched you?¡± ¡°¡­Hey, why are you crying?¡± The man sighed. He clasped his hand, leaned over and lowered his head, ¡°Obviously it was your Dao Companion who didn¡¯t want you anymore, it¡¯s not me who had taken you by force. Whether you want it or not, since you have fallen into this situation, isn¡¯t it better for you to be happy with me?¡± The hideous face touched the mask on his face and let out a soft noise. ¡°It¡¯s perfect that both our faces can¡¯t be seen in public, a perfect match.¡± ¡ª¡ª Ye Yunlan opened his eyes. What entered his vision were roof beams with the moonlight penetrating into the house through the window screens. After a long time, he sat up with his body supported. The chest pain had disappeared a lot, and his whole body was much more relaxed. He slowly raised his hand and touched his face. The touch his hand felt was smooth and delicate, but to him, it was very strange. What he was familiar with was his uneven skin that accompanied him for 300 years after being burnt by the divine fire. Suddenly, a slight wind blew on his cheeks. There was a chill on Ye Yunlan¡¯s back. He felt a horrible feeling of being watched. It was clear that the door was closed and the windows were closed, so where did the wind come from? Why does he have the feeling of being watched? The moonlight outside the window had dimmed for some time, so the light inside the room was also dim. After his injury, his eyesight was much worse than before. His vision was even more blurry than ordinary people. After observing the surroundings for a long time, he vaguely saw a black hole on the edge of the window. He took his queying sword by the head of his bed, got out, and walked to the window. He hesitated for a moment, then looked down at the hole. He directly made eye contact with the eye in the hole. That eye was dark and gleaming like a wolf, which made people¡¯s hearts jump. Ye Yunlan took a half step back subconsciously. He reached out and opened the window. The window opened wide, and a figure stood in the dark. Ye Yunlan finally realized that it was not an animal like a wolf who was peeping at him, but a pale, thin boy. The young boy had long eyes and thin lips. His hair hung on both sides of his cheeks. He clearly had a fierce, malicious appearance at a glance, but his devilish handsome looks could even make others ignore his shabby clothes. After being discovered by Ye Yunlan, the youth did not show any fear or panic. Instead, he lifted his head and stared at him. His figure was clearly reflected in those wolf-like eyes. Ye Yunlan frowned, and was about to speak, but heard the boy¡¯s hoarse voice call out to him. ¡°¡­Immortal Lord.¡± CH 5 Chapter 5 Searching for flowers Immortal Lord. Ye Yunlan chewed on the word. For him, this title was a bit strange. In his previous life, he was slandered for killing his fellow sect members. Everyone called him a traitor and said he was shameless. Later, he was made into a human furnace and sent to the demon sect. So the world also called him the demon lord¡¯s lapdog, a scum of the immortal dao. It was only when his swordsmanship became successful that no one dared to point at his nose and say nasty slurs at him. But behind his back, these people would still secretly call him ¡°Ghost Raksha.¡± Raksha was an evil spirit. According to legend, a male Raksha was extremely ugly, liked to eat people, and was hated by the world. No one had called him such a beautiful name such as ¡°Immortal Lord¡±. ¡­¡­no. Ye Yunlan suddenly remembered that there was one. He was burnt by the divine fire in his previous life and used to wear black clothes to cover himself. However, the demon lord had always liked him wearing white. When he was teasing him, he often asked in a low voice, ¡°Immortal Venerable, are you happy?¡± However, the ambiguous love words within the bedspreads could not be counted after all. Ye Yunlan stood in the room, looking down at the young man for a long while. Finally, he asked: ¡°You sneaked into this place late at night to peep in front of my window. What do you want?¡± ¡°I have a question.¡± The young man seemed to seldom speak, his voice was very hoarse and he spoke very slowly, ¡°I want¡­Immortal Lord to answer.¡± Being able to bypass the restriction set by He Lanze without being touched, standing in front of his window in the middle of the night and peeping, just to ask him a question? Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t believe it and frowned, ¡°You can ask.¡± The young man raised his face to look at him. That face was clearly handsome with a tinge of maliciousness, but at this time, there seemed to be some pure expectation in his eyes. ¡°Immortal Lord¡­ why did you save me before?¡± Save him? Ye Yunlan remembered that at the time the divine fire was out of control, he had rescued many people casually while trying to leave, so this teenager might be one of them. He replied indifferently: ¡°You don¡¯t need a reason to save someone.¡± The young man pursed his lips. He looked at him for a while, then said: ¡°The Immortal Lord is lying.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. He listened to the young man¡¯s sullen voice: ¡°Where would you find a person who would casually save others¡­ while putting their own life at stake?¡± The young man paused and said in a hoarse voice, ¡°When the blood of the Immortal Lord fell on me¡­ it was so hot.¡± Ye Yunlan was startled, ¡°¡­it¡¯s you.¡± He did save a lot of people in the secret realm, but was injured only for one. It was the young man who happened to catch a glimpse of him when he was about to leave the secret realm. He recalled the scene. In the blazing fire, the young man had fallen into a pool of blood. He was obviously seriously injured, but was still crawling forward with his hands. His five fingers dug until they were dripping blood on the ground, while his dragged body left a blood stain behind. As if sensing his gaze, the boy turned his head to look at him. That face stained with blood and mud had eyes that were dark and silent. There was no hope or prayer, just the reflection of the bloody sky. With that look, Ye Yunlan thought of himself in his previous life. In the first half of his life, he had asked for help countless times ¡­but was deceived by lies again and again, and was abandoned again and again. Later, he finally learned to be silent. Occasionally, he would also wonder whether everything that happened would be completely different if someone were willing to extend their hand to him in the first place. He turned to save the young man who was struggling and crawling on the ground. It was as if he crossed a torrent that spanned hundreds of years and he was attempting to save the young him. The Fire Phoenix transformed by the divine fire essence crashed into his body, and every inch of his meridians in his body were broken. The blood couldn¡¯t stop flowing from his lips, but he didn¡¯t care. Life and death, long ago, was no longer something he was attached to. The boy standing by the window was still watching him stubbornly. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°If you really want a reason, it¡¯s probably because I think you¡¯re a little similar to me.¡± ¡°Similar?¡± The boy blinked suspiciously. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to explain too much: ¡°I have answered your question, you should go.¡± ¡°No,¡± the boy shook his head, ¡°I have another question.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Speak.¡± The boy seriously asked: ¡°Immortal Lord, you saved me, so how can I¡­repay you?¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t need your repayment.¡± Ye Yunlan showed his fatigue and indifference. He leaned over the window sill and wanted to reach out to close the window, ¡°It¡¯s my own business to save people, and it¡¯s my own business to be injured. It has nothing to do with anyone. I don¡¯t know how you got in, but I suggest you hurry up and leave before you get discovered.¡± The sleeve of his shirt was suddenly grabbed by the boy. ¡°No one will find out.¡± The boy said, ¡°Before I came in, I had already investigated carefully around this area. There is only the Immortal Lord¡­ alone.¡± Ye Yunlan wanted to shake off the boy¡¯s hand, but his eyes noticed the boy¡¯s scarred fingers and twisted, broken nails. Most of his wounds have scabbed, yet they still look hideous. The boy pulled his sleeves. There was a coagulated blood stain on the plain white robe, leaving dark red marks. It was like cinnabar crushed on rice paper. Very obvious. ¡°Immortal Lord, tell me¡­what do you want?¡± The boy asked him unyieldingly. Because of their position, they were very close at this time. Ye Yunlan could even see each of the teenager¡¯s gently trembling eyelashes. ¡°¡­What can you give me?¡± Ye Yunlan asked after a long time. ¡°Everything.¡± The boy spoke without hesitation. A breeze blew by and the clouds were broken through by the moon. The moonlight poured over the thin shoulders of the teenager. Those eyes became brighter under the moonlight. He repeated earnestly: ¡°I can give the Immortal Lord¡­ everything.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was still cold: ¡°Including your life?¡± The boy nodded, ¡°Including my life.¡± ¡°¡­What do I want your life for?¡± Ye Yunlan looked away. He stood up straight and looked into the distance. His black hair flew as he gazed at the ice and snow on the distant mountains. ¡°If you want to repay me, please help me pick a branch of Xue Zhan flower and bring it over.¡± The Xue Zhan flower grows in the ice and snow. If the temperature became higher, they would wither instantly. Now that it¡¯s early spring, Qingyun Mountain had a humid and warm climate. The ice and snow had melted early on, so, where could he find a branch of Xue Zhan flower? Even if it was found, it would not be brought to him in a perfect state. Ye Yunlan saying this was to simply have the teenager get rid of his thoughts. In this life, he no longer wanted to involve himself with people. If it were not for the severe injury, he would not have even wanted to deal with He Lanze, who kept him at his to recuperate. He just wanted to be alone. To find a remote place and spend his life peacefully. However, to his surprise, the young man did not hesitate: ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned, but saw the young man staring at him firmly: ¡°Immortal Lord, wait for me.¡± After that, the youth finally let go of his sleeves. He turned his head and left. His figure was as vigorous as a wolf. He soon disappeared at the end of the courtyard wall. Ye Yunlan looked down at his ruffled sleeves, which still had the dark red blood stain from the young man¡¯s hands. He was silent for a long time before closing the window. The second day. Ye Yunlan put down the scroll, blew out the light, and walked into the inner room. He took his queying sword and sat on the bed quietly to wipe it. The windows were not closed tightly. The moonlight came in and sprinkled over his body. After wiping the sword, he looked sideways at the moonlight outside the window for a long time. The boy did not come. As he expected. He got out of bed, closed the window, and closed his eyes while lying on the bed. The wind continued to flow and throw chaos within his dreams, giving him a restless sleep as always. ¡­ A few more days passed. Ye Yunlan was leaning on his bed and flipping through a book when he heard a knocking on the window. That hand that flipped the page paused. He was silent for a moment, feeling a little surprised. He originally thought that the young man had already given up, and would not come again. Ye Yunlan got up and opened the window. Just opening a gap, his hand was caught. Because of his ice spirit roots, his body temperature was lower than that of an ordinary person, but the hand that grabbed him was even more frighteningly cold. ¡°Immortal Lord.¡± He heard the boy¡¯s hoarse voice, ¡°Xue Zhan flower ¡­I¡¯ve brought it here.¡± Ye Yunlan caught the other party¡¯s wolf-like glistening eyes from the dark window. He was slightly startled. He quietly broke away from that hand, opened the window, and said: ¡°Come in.¡± The boy turned and jumped into the room. He was still in the shabby clothes before, but water was dripping, drop by drop, at this time. The water fell onto the ground, and cold mist dispersed. Ye Yunlan watched the boy carefully take out a flower from his wet clothes and held it in front of him. That flower was pure white. With a sparkling, translucent shape, it was extremely beautiful. There were twelve petals gathered into a cup shape, with each petal resembling ice and snow. It was a Xue Zhan flower. Ye Yunlan looked down for a moment, ¡°You went to Wangyun Peak?¡± According to the season at this time, there would be no snow on Qingyun Mountain, except for one place. Wangyun Peak where the Sect Master of Sky Sect secludes. Wangyun Peak was cold all year round and there were many restrictions inside. No disciple dared to approach it. The teenager nodded. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, ¡°Xue Zhan flower would wither as soon as they leave the ice and snow, how did you bring it here?¡± ¡°The flowers I took in the first few days¡­ indeed all withered.¡± The boy answered, ¡°Later¡­I thought of a way.¡± ¡°I heard¡­ there are cold springs on Qingya Peak; the water of the cold springs could even condense ice souls. Even under the scorching sun, the chill would not dissipate.¡± ¡°So before I fetch the flowers, I first soaked in the cold spring for a long time. Then hiding the flower in my arms, the flower would not wither in the middle of the journey back.¡± The boy spoke and a smile appeared on his pale and handsome face. This smile seemed to diminish the malicious aura on the boy¡¯s body by a lot. He appeared like a wet and furry little wolf pup seeking praise. He said: ¡°Immortal Lord, Xue Zhan flower¡­is it pretty?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t expect that the teenager would come up with such a method. He took the snow-white flower and stroked one of the petals with his fingertips. The petals quivered slightly, then slowly turned into white flower juice, which flowed into the center of his palm. After a while, the flower that the young man had so painstakingly fetched withered in the palm of his hand. However, the young man¡¯s face did not show the slightest loss. He didn¡¯t even look at the flower, but looked up at him: ¡°If the Immortal Lord wants to see the flower, I can¡­ help the Immortal Lord to get it again.¡± The boy tugged at his sleeve, ¡°So¡­ in the future, can I see the Immortal Lord again?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a long time before finally raising his hand and touching the young boy¡¯s head. The boy¡¯s hair was wet and cold, but it still felt a little soft. Maybe it wasn¡¯t soft, but he was soft (soft-hearted). ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± Ye Yunlan asked. The youth: ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu. Ye Yunlan had no impression of this name in his previous life. Probably because¡­ Shen Shu in his previous life was not rescued from the secret realm. Shen Shu only survived because of himself. Ye Yunlan thought of this, and the tip of his heart trembled slightly. ¡°The cold spring easily invades the bones, causing one to catch a cold. You should go back and change your clothes,¡± he said, ¡°in the future, you don¡¯t have to bring that flower over.¡± The boy¡¯s hand pulling at his sleeve tightened. Ye Yunlan tilted his head. He pursed his lips, and continued: ¡°¡­that flower is fragile and difficult to grow, it is very easy to wither. In fact, I don¡¯t like it very much. If you come here in the future, please bring me some other flowers.¡± ¡ª When He Lanze entered the room with the medicinal soup, he smelt a very light floral scent. He saw Ye Yunlan standing by the window with his back to him, seeming to be playing with something. His black hair fell down like a waterfall and his figure was thin. He was obviously not far away, but he appeared like a cloud of smoke, able to dissipate if one did not pay attention carefully. He Lanze walked behind him and had the urge to hold that person tight. He whispered softly: ¡°Junior Brother Ye, it¡¯s time to drink your medicine.¡± Ye Yunlan responded faintly, ¡°Senior Brother, please put it on the table, I¡¯ll drink it later.¡± Only then did He Lanze notice that Ye Yunlan was playing with a few sticks of plum blossoms in a bottle. The plum blossom was bright. In contrast, it made his hands as pale as snow. His neck was slender and his eyelashes were like feathers. The person and flower, both an exquisite scenery. However, plum blossoms were not planted in the courtyard. He Lanze frowned, ¡°Did Junior Brother Rong come to see you again?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer. He looked down and carefully arranged the few plum blossoms. Seeing that he did not respond, He Lanze decided his guess was correct. He was silent for a moment: ¡°If Junior Brother Ye likes flowers, when Senior Brother comes to visit you in the future, Senior Brother could also bring some over. Junior brother has been resting here for a long time, if you are able to have some flowers to relieve your boredom, that would be good.¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head, ¡°No need to bother Senior Brother.¡± His fingertips left the plum blossom and picked up the medicine bowl on the table. He returned to the cold jade bed and sat down to drink the medicine. There was a faint fragrance floating between his swinging sleeves. It resembled the fragrance of plum blossoms and the unique cold fragrance of his body. Mixed with the slightly bitter medicinal scent from the bowl and floating in the afternoon sun, there was a sense of intoxication. He Lanze leaned against the outer wall, and did not follow Ye Yunlan into the inner room. He lowered his head and took a few deep breaths. He used to think that a beauty could teach one the concept of yearning, but he didn¡¯t know that after getting along for a while, even a hint of fragrance can provoke longing and unwillingness in his heart. He remembered what Rong Ran had said to him braggingly when he left. He slowly clenched his fists. At this moment, a soft voice sounded outside the door, ¡°Ah Lan, are you awake? Come and open the door for me.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take you to Master¡¯s for healing.¡± CH 6 Chapter 6 Nightmare Hearing Rong Ran¡¯s shout from outside the door, Ye Yunlan frowned. His hand holding the medicine bowl tightened. The navy blue meridians surfaced on the back of his pale hand and his fingertips shook imperceptibly. He reacted this way, not because of the arrival of Rong Ran, but because of the ¡°master¡± that came out of the other party¡¯s mouth. Rong Ran¡¯s master, Sky Sect¡¯s Master Qiyun Jun, was today¡¯s Supreme Immortal Dao, who cultivated in the Heartless Dao. His Xuan Qing Du Er sword¡¯s fame shook the world. ¡ª¡ªBut in his previous life, he was his deepest nightmare. If possible, Ye Yunlan would not want to see that man again in this life. But He Lanze had already walked over and opened the door. Outside the door, Rong Ran was still dressed in his blue outfit with a smile on his face. He was a little surprised when he saw He Lanze open the door, ¡°Brother He Lan is also at Ah Lan¡¯s room?¡± He Lanze stood by the door with his arms folded, his voice was not friendly, ¡°I thought that Junior Brother Rong had remembered my last reminder ¨C when you come to someone else¡¯s house, you should greet the host first. It¡¯s proper courtesy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m really sorry.¡± Rong Ran apologized.¡± It¡¯s just that I was finally able to convince my respected Master to heal Ah Lan. So due to a moment¡¯s delight, I couldn¡¯t wait to call Ah Lan over, thus I didn¡¯t tell Senior Brother first.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªSenior Brother cares a lot about Ah Lan¡¯s body, so you should be able to understand this right, my little lack of manners?¡± He spoke sincerely, so He Lanze had no option to refuse. He only snorted, ¡°Okay, you can come in.¡± Rong Ran smiled at He Lanze, then passed by him to walk into the house. He glanced around the room and stopped at the plum blossoms in the vase by the window. Following the faintly floating fragrance, he walked into the inner room and saw the man drinking medicine with his head hanging down on the cold jade bed. Rong Ran didn¡¯t notice Ye Yunlan¡¯s strangeness. He approached, his tone of voice was very concerned, ¡°Ah Lan is drinking medicine¡­then I¡¯ll wait until you finish drinking. Senior Brother will take you to heal your injuries.¡± Ye Yunlan only looked down at the medicine bowl, ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s smile stiffened. He didn¡¯t expect Ye Yunlan to refuse. ¡°Why won¡¯t you go?¡± He softened his voice, ¡°Although your injury has recovered a lot, it is only temporary. If the leaked energy of the divine fire essence is not resolved, it will accumulate over time. Sooner or later, it will cause your body to be unable to bear the burden, then it will be too late even if you want to heal it.¡± ¡°Ah Lan, you used to listen to your Senior Brother the most,¡± he went to shake Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand, ¡°this time, just listen to Senior Brother again and get healed, okay?¡± He wanted to pull Ye Yunlan up, but Ye Yunlan threw away his hand. The medicine bowl fell to the ground with a crisp cracking sound. ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Ye Yunlan repeated each word clearly. His voice was low and hoarse, with a strong sense of rejection. His narrow and long eyes lifted up, revealing a sharpness different from the past. Rong Ran was stunned. He had never seen Ye Yunlan resist so much before. He Lanze on the side was even more surprised. In his impression, Ye Yunlan has always been very indifferent to the people around him, as if there was nothing in this world worthy of his nostalgia, even death was nothing to fear. Tell him to drink medicine, he would take medicine. Tell him to rest and he would rest, just like a doll with no desire and hope- Very beautiful, but so beautiful that it felt lonely and estranged. However at this time, the tranquil beauty seemed to be stimulated. Even if it was just an angry refusal, it made them unable to avert their eyes. People can¡¯t help but¡­ want to see more of his expressions. He Lanze stepped forward and advised him together with Rong Ran: ¡°Junior Brother Ye, Qiyun Jun has ignored this world of things for some time now. Him willing to answer the call to help you heal is rare, you should not miss this opportunity.¡± Again hearing that familiar name, Ye Yunlan¡¯s brain hurt. The gloomy and dark light in the Buddha Pagoda of his previous life, the winding staircase, and the numerous expressions of Buddha statues on the wall¡­ it all rushed into his mind. He had once lived for more than 300 years in his previous life. But of that, more than a hundred years of it was spent in the Buddha Pagoda. And the person who suppressed him under the Pagoda was the Supreme Immortal Dao at that time, the world famous ¨C Qiyun Jun. Ye Yunlan¡¯s chest was tight and painful. Rong Ran and He Lanze were still persuading him one by one. He only felt bothered and upset. He repeated: ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± then suddenly coughed violently. The hot breath of divine fire essence leaked from his heart, sweeping across his broken meridians. The pain seeped into every inch of his flesh and blood. Blood kept pouring from his lips. He heard the panicked voices of Rong Ran and He Lanze. His consciousness became uncontrollably blurred. He fainted. ¡ª¡ª Ye Yunlan¡¯s nightmare. He felt that his body was falling again and again, to the bottom of the dark abyss. He kept falling and then shattered into pieces. He collapsed on the ground. In the dim light, the Buddhas all across the wall were watching him. They hid in the shadows, with expressions of pity, compassion, anger, and ridicule, all different expressions. However, when reflected in his pupils, they slowly become distorted and hideous. In the endless distance above, there was a tiny light. He raised his hand to grab it, but it was always too far to reach. He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed before he woke up in a cold sweat. He found himself wrapped in a soft object, and above his field of vision was an ethereal white jade dome. The divine fire essence at his heart vein was suppressed by a powerful spiritual force that did not belong to him. The scorching energy no longer flowed out, while the meridians in his body ached dully. He barely got up and his black hair slipped off his shoulders. When he looked down, he found that he was lying on a bed of clouds. ¡ª¡ªIt was not a magical tool that imitated clouds, but a cloud bed that was actually taken from the flowing clouds in the sky. This clearly transcended the six realms of the mortal body, a means that can only be possessed by an immortal. There is only one person in the entire Sky Sect who had such a cultivation base. Qiyun Jun. This place was the cave mansion of Qiyun Jun, Yuntian Palace. Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart sank. He was struggling to get off the cloud bed, but his whole body was painful and weak. Suddenly, he heard a man¡¯s cold voice: ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± Ye Yunlan raised his head and saw a tall man standing outside the palace gate. White-clothed crane cloak, a silver-haired crown, and a handsome, indifferent face that was like a ruthless immortal god from the nine heavens. Ye Yunlan subconsciously stretched out his hand to draw his sword, but was shocked by the lack of his queying sword. Qiyun Jun stepped into the palace. His footsteps were not rushed, his whole person seemed to be perfectly integrated into the surrounding space. The sound of his Dao was flawless and impeccable. The person walked to him, and a falling shadow enveloped him. The wrist on the cloud bed was grabbed by the other party. Qiyun Jun¡¯s slender fingers pressed into his pulse, and his cold spiritual power pierced into his body to investigate. Ye Yunlan trembled all over. ¡°Let go of me¨C!¡± He wanted to shake off the man¡¯s hand, but at this time, the gap between their cultivation bases was like heaven and earth. The power of the Transcendence Realm was far beyond the ability of this seriously injured, weak body. Without a sword in his hand, he was unable to use any forbidden technique, he couldn¡¯t get rid of the opponent at all. Qiyun Jun: ¡°Are you afraid of me?¡± Ye Yunlan stared at Qiyun Jun¡¯s hand that was pressing down on his pulse. ¡ª¡ªIt was this hand that slashed off his sword energy and shot him down from the top of the Buddha Pagoda again and again. He climbed up from the bottom of the nine hundred and ninety-nine floors of the Buddha Pagoda. He did not know how many times he had walked. He had also forgotten how many times he had been shot down by the opponent¡¯s sword energy. He was tortured by the dark and endless imprisonment that almost made him crazy. He had desperately wanted to die. He had knelt on the ground and begged the other party to let him out, but all he got was always the other side¡¯s cold sentence: ¡°Your demonic thoughts have not disappeared, go self-reflect.¡± This reflection lasted more than a hundred years. Even though he had been reborn, when Ye Yunlan saw this man again, he still felt distressed, so the spiritual power in his meridians surged uncontrollably. The spirit of divine fire essence was aroused, and he spat out another mouthful of blood. Qiyun Jun: ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± His Mortal Realm cultivation base was suppressed like water. The spiritual power surging in his meridians stopped for a moment. An icy and turbulent spiritual power was transferred from his wrist and injected into his heart, suppressing the restless spirit of the fire. It flowed through his broken meridians, alleviating the burning pain. Although this spiritual power was unfamiliar, because it was also an ice-attributed spiritual power, his body didn¡¯t repel it. The injury that was stimulated was suppressed immediately, but Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart was more depressed. He raised his head, stared at Qiyun Jun¡¯s eyes, and said each word clearly: ¡°Let me go.¡± He didn¡¯t want to stay with this person for a second longer. Qiyun Jun looked down at the person on the cloud bed. His white clothes were messy and black hair was scattered. His pale, sick state couldn¡¯t be concealed. Yet, the eyes looking at him were still extremely beautiful. His eyelashes trembled slightly and his eye sockets were reddish with a scarlet tear at the end of his eyes shining brightly. He cultivated the heartless dao, he only had thoughts towards heaven and earth, unable to see the common people. But the face of the person in front of him seemed to be detached from the mundane, the spirit of heaven and earth seemed to be poured all over the other party. He looked at heaven and the earth, but it was impossible to ignore the person in front of him. Qiyun Jun did not let go of Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand. He asked lightly: ¡°Why are you afraid of me?¡± Ye Yunlan did not answer: ¡°Let me leave here.¡± ¡°It was my personal-disciple who brought you, and begged me to heal you.¡± Qiyun Jun said, ¡°I owed him karma, the thing that I have promised him, I will do it.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°I am just an ordinary disciple in Sky Sect. Life or death, it is not something worthy of this immortal¡¯s care. Not to mention, my injury is my own business, it has nothing to do with Senior Brother Rong, and it has nothing to do with Sect Master.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s expression was cold. Normally, he would have already walked away when he heard such a refusal. He was the Sect Master of Sky Sect, a Supreme Immortal. He didn¡¯t have the time to spend on these unnecessary things. But he also remembered the ardent pleading of his personal disciple in front of him. He lowered his head and saw the pale face of the person in front of him. Like snow and the trembling white plum flower floating down, it was full of longing moonlight, making people unable to move their eyes away. ¡°If, as you said, your injury is your own business. Then me wanting to heal you is also my own business.¡± Qiyun Jun stared at Ye Yunlan. ¡°It has nothing to do with you.¡± CH 7 Chapter 7 Recklessness Ye Yunlan was sitting cross-legged on the cloud bed, his forehead and back were soaked with cold sweat, with a few strands of black hair stuck to his cheeks. The palms of the person behind him were pressed up against his back. A huge surge of spiritual power rushed through his meridians. The powerful cultivation base suppressed him so he was unable to move. Time became extremely long, like viscous sea water flowing by. After a long time, the talent behind him withdrew their spiritual power. The restriction that suppressed his movement was released, and Ye Yunlan¡¯s body softened. He barely supported his figure on the cloud bed with his hands. After a long delay, he turned his head to look at the person behind him and said in a husky voice: ¡°I never knew that the dignified Sky Sect Sect Master, the Supreme Immortal Dao, would also forcefully heal the unwilling.¡± Qiyun Jun furrowed his eyebrows slightly. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± his voice was cold, ¡°We should have never seen each other before, where does your fear of me come from?¡± A cultivator of the Transcendence Realm touched the realm of heavenly law and could sense the feelings of others towards him. If a mortal called his name directly, even if it was thousands of miles away, a cultivator of the Transcendence Realm could feel it. Ye Yunlan tried his best to calm his mind. His long eyelashes were lowered, his pupils slowly darkened, and he replied, ¡°Immortal Venerable seems to have misunderstood one matter.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°What matter?¡± ¡°Immortal Venerable and I have never met before. What I fear is naturally not Immortal Venerable.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°I just heard that Immortal Venerable cultivates in Heartless Dao. As we all know, those who cultivate Heartless Dao see the world, but don¡¯t see the common people.¡± Qi Yunjun: ¡°So what?¡± ¡°What I fear is precisely that. Heaven and earth are ruthless,¡± Ye Yunlan said indifferently, ¡°Heaven and earth are ruthless, only willing to distinguish between pure and impure, but not good or bad, not black and white, often making the innocent suffer. It teaches the innocent person to bear the crime. So how can a person not fear?¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s expression was slightly cold. He could hear that this person¡¯s words seemed to be saying that he was afraid of the world being ruthless, but in fact was secretly mocking him. The last person who dared to speak such words in front of him was sent for reincarnation a long time ago. As a sword cultivator, he had never been a gentle-tempered person. It was just. Qiyun Jun looked at the pale face of the person in front of him. This person was really afraid of him. When he was healing him just now and had his hands pressed up against this person¡¯s back, he could feel his thin back soaked with cold sweat, trembling. When he looked back at him, even his eye sockets were trembling and had some redness. This person didn¡¯t cry, but the teary mole at the end of his eye looked like a silent tear of blood. He looked¡­so fragile. He tried to explain, a rare moment for him: ¡°The so-called black and white, guilty and innocent, are just judgments by the world, one-sided words.¡± ¡°The reason why heaven and earth are ruthless is just because the way of heaven is fair.¡± The way of heaven is fair. Ye Yunlan listened, but he couldn¡¯t help but curl his mouth into a sneer. He seldom smiled and this smile was full of ridicule, yet it was still amazingly gorgeous, like a red plum crushed by the cold wind in the white snow. ¡°So this is what Immortal Venerable thinks.¡± He stopped continuing the subject. He looked away and turned towards the entrance: ¡°Could I dare ask Immortal Venerable, how long do you have to keep me for healing?¡± ¡°Seven days.¡± Qiyun Jun said, ¡°The divine fire essence in your body has leaked out. It requires my spiritual power to continuously penetrate your meridians for seven days before it can be suppressed. Then every other month, this needs to be done in order to ensure that the injury does not repeat itself. So, I would need to penetrate through it again to strengthen the meridians.¡± ¡°Immortal Venerable does not need to bother.¡± Ye Yunlan said blankly, ¡°For a disciple whose cultivation path has been broken, is it worth the effort?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°I said I owe this karma. What I promised will be done.¡± Ye Yunlan responded blankly: ¡°It turns out that I am just a tool for Immortal Venerable to complete his karma.¡± Qiyun Jun furrowed his eyebrows wanting to explain, but found that Ye Yunlan had not made a mistake. He was really just using Ye Yunlan to accomplish and finish this karma. ¡°I already know what Immortal Venerable needs.¡± Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes and looked tired. ¡°For these seven days, I will stay here to be healed as Immortal Venerable wishes.¡± ¡°If there is nothing wrong, Immortal Venerable please leave.¡± Qiyun Jun was silent for a moment, but finally didn¡¯t say anything. Before leaving, he said one thing: ¡°You are not healed, so rest well.¡± When his figure disappeared from his field of vision, Ye Yunlan slowly loosened his tightly clenched fists. His palms were full of sweat. He raised his head and looked up at the dome of the Yuntian Palace. The words left by the other party before leaving have completely changed in appearance. It creeped into his mind like a ghost, echoing again and again. ¡ª¡ªYour injury has not healed, so rest well. ¡ª¡ªYour demonic thoughts have not disappeared, so self reflect. Self reflect¡­ Self reflect¡­ Self reflect¡­ Self reflect¡­ Self reflect¡­ Self reflect¡­ Ye Yunlan shook his head, staggeredly got off the cloud bed, then walked out of the palace. A cold wind blew on his face. He shivered with the cold, but he felt much more awake. He rubbed his painful temples and decided to take a walk outside first. Yuntian Palace was huge. The entire thing was constructed of white jade, with carved columns and jade carvings. It had the aura of an immortal¡¯s home. It¡¯s just that it was too lonely. Ye Yunlan walked for a long time, but could not even see a shadow of a figure. The sky was snowing. Ye Yunlan was walking in the corridor paved with jade when he heard his footsteps echoing in his ears. Just like the echo he heard when he was locked up in the Pagoda Tower when he climbed layer after layer. He closed his eyes. He pulled his thoughts away from those dim and hazy memories. Suddenly, a large swath of bright colors came into view in front of him. Ye Yunlan stopped and saw a peach blossom forest not far away. Large tracts of bright red were dotted among the white jade Buildings. It was incompatible with the cold and dead Yuntian Palace. He hesitated, then stepped into the peach forest. Unlike the drifting snow outside, the peach forest was warm as spring. Someone must have arranged a time reversal formation. When the wind blew, peach blossoms fell on him one after another. He closed his eyes and smelt the delicate fragrance of peach blossoms. A small petal fell on his cheek, very softly. It seemed similar to a place he had been before, bringing back some memories from long ago to his mind. Back then, he also saved Rong Ran in such a peach blossom forest. When he was young, he was blind and abandoned by his relatives. So, he lived in the mountains and forests, living in a valley full of peach trees. One day, when he was walking through the peach forest, he was caught by something. He squatted to touch and felt blood on his hand. It was a seriously injured person, dying. He rescued the person and took care of them carefully. This person was Rong Ran. However, after Rong Ran woke up, he lost all his memories, even his own name. They lived together in the peach valley for three years. They depended on each other, just like family. Although Rong Ran had lost his memory, he still understood a lot more than him. He taught him to use wood and stone to make fires, build homes with grass and trees, and hunt animal skins for clothing. He no longer needed to live in caves and he no longer had a lack of food. Although he was the one who saved Rong Ran in the beginning, it was him who was taken care of later. Rong Ran often hunted some delicious wild animals and roasted them with him, while he would go to the mountains and forests to pick fresh wild fruits for the other party. At this time, the palm of the other party would always touch his head and gently rub it. Although he couldn¡¯t see Rong Ran¡¯s face, he felt that Rong Ran must be a good, very good person. Such a peaceful life lasted until a night of thunder and heavy rain. Rong Ran disappeared. He only left behind a bottle of pills and a piece of jade. It rained for nine days and nine nights. At first, he waited in the wooden house he and Rong Ran built together. Later, he stumbled into the rain to search. But no matter what, there was no trace of footprints. Blindness would magnify a person¡¯s perceptions. He ran in the rain, listening to the patter of rain hitting his back. At first he felt that it was noisy, but then later it became deafening, knocking against his heart. Since then, he no longer liked rainy days. He especially didn¡¯t like listening to the sound of rain. After nine days, the rain stopped. He still couldn¡¯t find Rong Ran, so he could only sit alone in the muddy peach blossom forest and open the pill bottle that he had been holding tightly in his hand for a long time. The pills were fragrant. He thought that this should be what Rong Ran left for him to eat. Even though at that time, he didn¡¯t even know what the pill was, he poured the pills into his throat. The pills melted in his mouth. Real quickly, he felt his exhaustion being swept away. The blank sheet of darkness that was his world slowly had light appear ¨C He could actually see things. After being able to see things, the first thing he did was to look down at the jade left by the other party. ¡ª¡ªIt was ink jade. The ink jade was engraved with very simple lines. Two ancient characters were vertically engraved in the middle. He couldn¡¯t read it. It was not until later, when he stumbled out of the peach valley and went to the mortal world where he asked someone did he find out that the two words were ¡°Sky Sect¡±. Sky Sect, the number one sect of the immortal dao. The reason he went out of the valley was to find Rong Ran, thus he went to Sky Sect without hesitation. After several months of trekking, he finally arrived. In the process of going to Sky Sect, he encountered a lot of dangers, but the ink jade was a peculiar thing. Whenever someone wanted to hurt him, it would emit a strong light. After the strong light disappeared, the thoughts of those who wanted to hurt him disappeared. He didn¡¯t know where those people had gone. When he later asked Rong Ran, he would just rub his head and tell him that he didn¡¯t need to know. He climbed the three thousand long steps up to the mountain gate. At the end of the long steps, he met Rong Ran. It was the first time he could see the other side¡¯s face clearly. It was as gentle and beautiful as he imagined. Rong Ran was stunned when he saw him. He immediately recognized the ink jade around his waist, and walked over with joy. ¡°You finally came.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s voice was like a spring breeze. ¡°¡ª¡ªI have been waiting for you for a long time.¡± ¡­¡­ Ye Yunlan suddenly noticed that there was someone staring at him. He opened his eyes, looked sideways and looked around. He found that the man in the white-clothed crane cloak was standing under the peach tree not far away with his sword. It was unclear how long he had been looking at him. The sword intent on the man¡¯s body had not disappeared, the meaning of solitary coldness overflowed from his body. This was clearly the appearance of having just finished practicing the sword. This was actually the place where Qiyun Jun practiced his sword normally. Ye Yunlan frowned. He stared at the long sword in the other party¡¯s hand. Xuan Qing Du Er sword. Back then, in the Buddha pagoda, he had felt the sword aura that the other party wielded countless times. However, he had never seen the true appearance of this fierce sword that was famous all over the world. After being severely injured by the divine fire, his eyesight has been poor. From such a distance, he could only vaguely see the simple shape of the long sword in Qiyun Jun¡¯s hand. The scabbard was engraved with a bright red, but he didn¡¯t know what pattern it was. On the hilt of the sword, there was an ink jade hanging. Looking at the shape, it vaguely¡­looked somewhat familiar. Ye Yunlan wanted to take a closer look, but heard Qiyun Jun speak: ¡°This is not a place you should come to.¡± He had already wanted to leave. Staying here was just due to a bit of curiosity about the Xuan Qing Du Er sword. So hearing this, he withdrew his gaze: ¡°I will not disturb the cultivation of the Immortal Venerable, I will leave now.¡± Qiyun Jun stood there, staring at the thin white shadow gradually disappearing. He looked down at the peach blossom in front of him and raised his hand to touch a small petal on it. He had seen someone in the peach forest from a distance. In a daze he thought he had actually reunited with the illusory figure in his dream. He only realized it was an illusion when they came closer. Suddenly he remembered that there was snow all year round in the Yuntian Palace. Except for the hall and this peach forest, all the other places were bitterly cold. Ye Yunlan could not use his spiritual power to protect his body. Moreover, he was hurt and could not bear the cold. Maybe he shouldn¡¯t have told him to leave. However, this thought went around in his mind for only a moment, then disappeared. ¡ª¡ª Ye Yunlan walked in the deserted white corridors. The cold wind passed through his robes and his face was even paler than the snow piled outside. Suddenly there were footsteps in the distance. He looked up. The visitor was dressed in a blue outfit. It was Rong Ran. ¡°Ah Lan, it took me so long to find you.¡± Rong Ran walked to him quickly. He was complaining, but there was a smile on his face, ¡°But being able to get out of bed and walk around, it seems that Master¡¯s healing was indeed effective. Now, I don¡¯t have to worry. Ah Lan, you must not know how worried I was when you were in a coma in Senior Brother Helan¡¯s house before.¡± Ye Yunlan was indifferent, ¡°Is that right?¡± Rong Ran¡¯s smile was slightly stiff, then he was speaking in a concerned manner again: ¡°Ah Lan, are you used to being in Yuntian Palace? Master does not like being disturbed and Yuntian Palace does not allow outsiders to enter and leave at will. If you need anything, you can tell your Senior Brother here and I will do it for you.¡± ¡°No need.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his eyes slightly to look at Rong Ran: ¡°Senior Brother Rong, I had said this before, I didn¡¯t want to come here to heal.¡± ¡°Ah Lan¡¯s reluctance is because of Master?¡± Rong Ran softly persuaded, ¡°Actually, although Master cultivates the heartless dao, he is very good to me and the other Sky Sect disciples. He is not as unkind as what the outsiders say. Ah Lan really doesn¡¯t have to put up such resistance.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like that.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°I just feel that the life-saving grace of Senior Brother Rong who took care of me over the years has already been paid off. If you help me in this way, I am afraid I can¡¯t accept it.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°Why would Ah Lan think like this? I take care of you, willingly. It has nothing to do with repaying one¡¯s saviour. Why should you take it to heart?¡± ¡°But Senior Brother,¡± Ye Yunlan said lightly, ¡°There are many things I have already decided for myself. I don¡¯t need to bother Senior Brother to advocate for me anymore.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s face turned pale. He finally understood what Ye Yunlan meant. ¡°Ah Lan suddenly saying this, could it be that Senior Brother did something wrong that made you angry?¡± He thought for a while, then anxiously explained, ¡°You were vomiting blood and unconscious at the time. Me sending you to Master¡¯s to heal your injuries, it was only because I was forced to do so. I wasn¡¯t disrespecting your wishes¡­ Ah Lan, you don¡¯t know how worried I was then¡­¡± Ye Yunlan walked past him. ¡°Ah Lan!¡± Rong Ran raised his voice and shouted. ¡°Are you going to have a temper with your Senior Brother because of this little thing?¡± Ye Yunlan just walked forward and didn¡¯t look back. Rong Ran stood there and waited for a long time. However, this time, Ye Yunlan was no longer the same as before, relying on him for everything. Before, as long as he showed himself being a little off, Ye Yunlan would take the initiative to approach him and please him. But when he turned around, he couldn¡¯t even see Ye Yunlan¡¯s back. Five fingers slowly squeezed into his flesh. Rong Ran suddenly realized one thing- The Nightingale he had raised for so many years had flown off. ¡ª¡ª Shen Shu was waiting for someone. He had always been good at waiting, very patient. Finally, he saw the familiar figure coming from among the wind and snow. His black hair was flying, while his white clothes fluttered in the wind. He couldn¡¯t help but think of the scene when the man flew over like a white gull in the blazing fire that day and hugged the seriously injured him into his arms. The flame hit the man¡¯s back, and blood dripped on his face. It was hot, he thought. How can human blood be so hot? It burnt the tip of his heart and made him toss and turn, staying awake throughout the night. ¡°¡­Shen Shu?¡± He heard the person¡¯s cold clear voice. Shen Shu ran over to meet Ye Yunlan¡¯s surprised gaze. He handed him a handful of bluebell flowers that he had been holding for a long time. The blue flowers were covered with some snow. It was tranquil and beautiful. Ye Yunlan hesitated for a moment, then took the flowers, ¡°How did you get into Yuntian Palace?¡± It was enough to sneak into He Lanze¡¯s courtyard before, but this place is Yuntian Palace. With so many restrictions, even he couldn¡¯t easily get in, so how did Shen Shu get in? ¡°Wang Yun peak¡­I¡¯ve been there a few times before and Yuntian Palace is on the top of Wang Yun Peak.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s voice was hoarse. His speaking speed was still very slow, ¡°It¡¯s just¡­I couldn¡¯t get in at first, so I waited outside for a few days.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Wait?¡± Shen Shu nodded, ¡°Waiting for someone.¡± ¡°Waiting for someone?¡± ¡°Waiting for someone¡­to go inside.¡± Shen Shu explained, ¡°I waited for someone¡­ in a blue outfit. I followed him and came in.¡± A person in blue¡­Rong Ran? Ye Yunlan: ¡°The last time you snuck into the yard to see me, could it be that you followed in secretly like this?¡± Shen Shu nodded. Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± He reached out and touched Shen Shu¡¯s head, slightly surprised. Regardless of whether it was Shen Shu being able to track Rong Ran without being noticed or Shen Shu being able to sneak a glance to figure out how to go through so many complicated restrictions, it all depended on powerful observation skills together with a strong memory ability. It must also have required extremely keen and innate perception of battle formations. He was a genius. Ye Yunlan was aware of this, then remembered the Demon Lord of his previous life. The Demon Lord was also a person who was very good at formations. Originally, he didn¡¯t know this. At the time he was sent to the Demon Sect, the other party had already cultivated a nine-turn celestial demon body. His strength was respected within the Demonic Dao, and he didn¡¯t need to use formation skills as a support. It was not until later when the Demon Lord broke through 90,000 restrictions outside the Buddha Pagoda to rescue him, that he knew that the other party would not lose to a formations expert in terms of formation skills. Ye Yunlan was in a daze. Shen Shu raised his face allowing Ye Yunlan to touch his head. His eyes focused on Ye Yunlan. His appearance was very well-behaved and quiet, but he felt the other party¡¯s movements slowing down. He saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s beautiful eyes reflecting his shadow, but the other person¡¯s eyes seemed to be looking through him, looking at other people. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes became dark. He stretched out his hand and pulled Ye Yunlan¡¯s sleeve. ¡°¡­Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan came back to his senses, ¡°What.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Since I brought flowers here this time, can Immortal Lord¡­give me a reward?¡± Ye Yunlan thought that Shen Shu was only thirteen or fourteen and still had a child¡¯s temperament, wanting to be praised for doing things. So he asked, ¡°What reward do you want?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I want Immortal Lord¡­ to hug me.¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. Shen Shu tightened his grip on his sleeves. He cautiously asked, ¡°Can¡¯t you?¡± His voice was hoarse, ¡°Just like¡­the time when Immortal Lord rescued me?¡± Ye Yunlan thought about the boy he held in his arms, covered in blood. At that time, the young boy was curled up in his arms with his bloody hands gripping his shirt tightly. ¡­It was as if he was the only support in this world keeping him afloat. With a soft heart, Ye Yunlan leaned over to embrace Shen Shu. The hot body temperature of the teenager passed over. He felt warmth within his stiff body in the cold weather. Very warm. He couldn¡¯t help but hug him tighter. Shen Shu stood on his tiptoe, and also stretched out his hands to wrap around his thin shoulders. The boy¡¯s breath sprayed on his neck, making him itch. After a long time, he heard the husky voice of the teenager. ¡°Immortal Lord¡­ is so fragrant.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t realize that there was any fragrance on his body. However, the Demon Lord, during the times of them mutually being in disarray, passionate, and bewildered, he had also often held him and said that he was fragrant. Now having it mentioned by Shen Shu, somehow his face became a little hot. He let go of the boy and got up: ¡°It¡¯s not early, you should go back. Yuntian Palace is not like the other places. If you break in without permission, you might get in trouble.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± Shen Shu said. ¡­ bold little wolf cub. ¡°I know you are not afraid,¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°but if you act like this, it will make people worry about you.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Immortal Lord¡­would worry about me?¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips and did not answer the question: ¡°I rescued you from the secret realm, so I don¡¯t want to see you acting recklessly and tormenting yourself.¡± ¡°Reckless, I don¡¯t know what you mean by reckless,¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°However, I will listen to Immortal Lord.¡± ¡°Then go back. You don¡¯t have to come here again these next few days.¡± Ye Yunlan paused and added, ¡°After seven days, I will leave here too.¡± Shen Shu nodded obediently. He turned around and walked a few steps, then turned back: ¡°After Immortal Lord leaves here, will he go back¡­ to the place before?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, then replied: ¡°I have my own residence.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Immortal Lord¡¯s own residence¡­¡­Where?¡± Ye Yunlan remembered that his residence was arranged by Rong Ran when he first entered the sect. It was very remote and there were no other disciples around. Usually, only Rong Ran would make a special trip to visit him. The remote place also suited his needs, so he didn¡¯t need to bother to replace it. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Yanhui peak, the green bamboo forest.¡± Shen Shu listened, thought about it, then said, ¡°Then I¡­I will go to Immortal Lord¡¯s residence and wait. I will prepare a¡­surprise for Immortal Lord.¡± ¡°At that time, can Immortal Lord give me another reward?¡± Surprise? Ye Yunlan looked at Shen Shu looking up at him seriously without blinking. His heart became soft again. He gently wiped off the snowflakes falling on the boy¡¯s cheeks with his fingers, and said, ¡°Okay.¡± CH 8 Chapter 8 Ocean of flower The gate of Yuntian Palace creaked. Ye Yunlan walked out from the inside, and the flying snow fell on his shoulders. As far as he could see, it was a vast expanse of snow. ¡°Your injury, you need to calm down and rest your mind. Don¡¯t worry too much and accidentally use your spiritual power.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s voice came from behind. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t comment. ¡°I have troubled Immortal Venerable these few days.¡± He said lightly, ¡°The karma on Immortal Venerable is gone, congratulations.¡± Qiyun Jun furrowed his eyebrows. Is this person always so stingy even when he speaks in front of other people? ¡°Every other month, you need to come to Yuntian Palace again.¡± He couldn¡¯t help reminding, ¡°Divine fire essence needs to be repeatedly suppressed with spiritual power, otherwise the consequences will be unpredictable if there is a backlash.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± Ye Yunlan said faintly as he walked away. Walking in the snow, the snow that hadn¡¯t even passed his ankles made it very difficult for him to walk. The cold wind blew against him and his figure became a little unstable. Suddenly, he heard Qiyun Jun say: ¡°Wait.¡± He stopped, ¡°Immortal Venerable, is there something the matter?¡± Qiyun Jun did not speak. A sword aura whizzed past his face! The familiar ice-cold sword intent made him stiff. In a trance, there seemed to be a pain rising from his limbs. ¡ª¡ª That was the pain he felt when he was knocked down from the Buddha pagoda by the opponent¡¯s sword qi time and time again. It was the pain from his broken bones. Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale fingers curled up. His thin lips pressed tightly, and his temple throbbed. His vision even blurred for a while before it became clear again. However, the snow on the road ahead had disappeared. Not only that, the blizzard in the sky above also separated in two. It revealed a calm gap, allowing him to pass through. One slash to cut apart the wind and snow. It was Qiyun Jun who cleared the way for him. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes, feeling a little ridiculous. He moved his stiff body and continued to walk forward without looking back, leaving only a cold phrase, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡ª¡ª Qingyun mountain, Wendao slope. Located at the junction of Qingyun¡¯s Six Peaks, Wendao slope has always been the place where Sky Sect disciples usually gather. Many disciples in the open field were competing against each other and exchanging pointers with the crowd of onlookers making loud applauses from time to time. Before the sword test rock, a group of young swordsmen were gathered there to compare their moves. But the most eye-catching thing there was on the wind pavilion. Some beautiful fairies were making tea and chatting. ¡°I see a beautiful woman in the distance, red sleeves full of fragrance, looking forward to romantic¡­¡± Not far away from the dense treetops, a handsome young man in a brown cloth robe was humming a little song with a brush in his hand. Then, there was a sharp call: ¡°Chen Xianyu! Are you here again to secretly paint Senior Sister Yin!¡± The young man¡¯s hand shook, then he saw a long whip lashing towards the treetops. He hurriedly jumped down from the tree, staggered forward and hugged the picture in his hand and ran. The squeaky voice from behind chased behind very close: ¡°You lustful lecherous disciple! See if I won¡¯t tear up your album of beauties this time!¡± Chen Xianyu ran madly, running straight to a place with no one ahead of him. Suddenly, a few figures appeared in the way. He was about to go around, when he heard a female voice call out: ¡°Junior Brother Chen, wait a minute.¡± Chen Xianyu stopped and looked up stiffly. Ahead, several beautiful fairies were looking at him with unimpressed eyes. At the head of the group, in a red dress, was Senior Sister Yin who he was secretly drawing. ¡°Senior sisters,¡± he swallowed, ¡°Do you need something?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rumoured that Brother Chen likes to paint beautiful people,¡± Senior Sister Yin said, ¡°A few sisters and I are very curious, so we came over to take a look.¡± ¡°Look¡­ ¡­¡± Chen Xianyu trembled, ¡°Senior Sister, what do you want to see?¡± Senior Sister Yin: ¡°I want to look at the beautiful book in your hand.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just an ordinary drawing book, in fact¡­ there is nothing to look at.¡± Chen Xianyu said bitterly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you secretly draw me?¡± Senior Sister Yin smiled faintly, ¡°not just me, but several sisters have been drawn by you. Coming to look at ourselves, is there something wrong?¡± ¡°It could be said like that, but I haven¡¯t finished painting the portrait of Senior Sister yet.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been hiding there sneakily for several days and you still haven¡¯t finished painting?¡± Senior Sister Yin groaned, ¡°Do you want me to stand here for a few hours and let you paint?¡± It was obviously a good thing that fell from the sky, but Chen Xianyu desperately shook his head: ¡°There is no need. Senior Sister might not know this, but a beauty only shows their hundred percent beauty when they are not aware of it. If they deliberately act it out, it would lose more than half of its grace¡± A girl next to Senior Sister Yin couldn¡¯t help but smile: ¡°This p*rvert¡¯s explanation does make sense, how interesting.¡± ¡°Even so, it¡¯s not an excuse for your wretched voy*urism!¡± The girl who ran after Chen Xianyu was angry. ¡°Xiao Wan.¡± Senior Sister Yin tried to appease her, ¡°The other female disciples and I actually don¡¯t care about this too much, you don¡¯t need to get angry about it. Although Junior Brother Chen is indeed acting a little bit vulgar, he hasn¡¯t done anything that could be labelled as voy*urism. He is still tactful with things.¡± Chen Xianyu nodded repeatedly, ¡°What Senior Sister said is correct, very correct.¡± Lin Xiaowan still looked upset. She slammed the whip in the palm of her other hand, ¡°Senior Sister is talking to me, what are you joining in for?¡± Chen Xianyu shrank his head back. ¡°Okay, Xiao Wan, don¡¯t scare him.¡± Senior Sister Yin smiled and said to Chen Xianyu, ¡°Junior Brother, can you show us the beautiful people in your book now?¡± Chen Xianyu frowned: ¡°But¡­I have painted too many beautiful people, Senior Sister will not be able to finish looking at it in this short time.¡± Lin Xiaowan didn¡¯t believe it, ¡°How many can there be?¡± Chen Xianyu sighed: ¡°There are so many that I can¡¯t remember myself. The flowers on Dongzhou Rock, the four beauties from Cangliu Mountains, the Seven Pearls of the South Sea¡­ I have painted them all.¡± The woman next to Senior Sister Yin laughed again: ¡°He¡¯s actually a fickle p*rvert.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him show off.¡± Lin Xiaowan snorted coldly, ¡°Dongzhou and South Sea are separated by millions of miles. He is just a little golden core disciple, it would take decades for him to journey there. Waiting for him to draw them one by one, he would have died long ago, how could he be jumping around like this? Chen Xianyu, be honest, how many people have you painted in the sect?¡± ¡°What I said is the truth¡­¡± Then, he heard the loud snap of the whip again. Chen Xianyu immediately changed his words, ¡°¡­hundreds.¡± ¡°That¡¯s really a lot.¡± Lin Xiaowan said, ¡°Then tell me, who is the best beauty you have painted in our sect?¡± This was a question looking for death. Feeling a few hot gazes falling on him, Chen Xianyu swallowed his saliva. He picked the least error-prone answer, ¡°Yes¡­it should be Rong Ran, Senior Brother Rong.¡± He showed a look of recollection, ¡°Senior Brother Rong¡­.even among the various beauties I have seen in the world, he is one of the most outstanding.¡± Senior Sister Yin and the women next to her were not surprised, they only sighed: ¡°It really is Senior Brother Rong.¡± Lin Xiaowan puffed her face: ¡°Chen Xianyu, if you have met this other person, you would never say that.¡± ¡°Who?¡± Chen Xianyu was quite interested. In the entire Sky Sect, except for the world-famous Qiyun Jun that he did not dare to spy, he had seen all the pretty beauties. Even if he hadn¡¯t painted them yet, he would never miss out on them. ¡°Ye Yunlan, Junior Brother Ye.¡± Lin Xiaowan said. Chen Xianyu had always remembered a beauty¡¯s name deeply, but he had no impression of this person. His interest diminished. Senior Sister Yin smiled: ¡°Xiao Wan, since you came back from the Yaochi Secret Realm, you have been chanting the name of Junior Brother Ye every day, you¡¯re going to bend our ears. We have seen Junior Brother Ye before. He seems difficult to get along with and tends to be antisocial¡­ is he really as good as you described him?¡± Lin Xiaowan: ¡°Even though Junior Brother Ye appears withdrawn, he is actually a very kind person. After the divine fire got out of control, everyone was running away. But, he kept trying to save people. In the end, he almost lost his life because he tried saving an outside disciple¡­¡± ¡°We also heard about this,¡± Senior Sister Yin said, ¡°I used to have some opinions, but they are indeed a bit one-sided.¡± ¡°That cannot be blamed on us.¡± The woman next to her said, ¡°Who taught him to wear a mask every day and be sneaky? He didn¡¯t even try to communicate with others. It was fine that Senior Brother Rong always spoiled him, but he¡¯s so unruly. He¡¯s reluctant to do even the simplest sect missions. He always leaves it up to Senior Brother Rong to help him complete it. Senior Brother Rong even sometimes has to assign it to other disciples to complete the task for him, then apologize for him afterwards. Acting in this way, it¡¯s hard not to look down on him.¡± ¡°Well, there must be a misunderstanding. Junior Brother Ye wouldn¡¯t be like that.¡± Lin Xiaowan blushed. Then she paused, and whispered. ¡°However, if it¡¯s Junior Brother Ye, I¡¯m also willing to spoil him and get used by him¡­¡± Chen Xianyu heard this and got goosebumps. With Lin Xiaowan¡¯s savage temperament, she actually dared to say ¡°spoil¡± and ¡°used by¡±? He didn¡¯t care about this person at first, but now he couldn¡¯t help but be curious. What kind of pretty face was this man with the surname Ye that Lin Xiaowan liked so much? ¡°But speaking of which, we really haven¡¯t seen the appearance of Junior Brother Ye with his mask off,¡± Senior Sister Yin said curiously. ¡°Xiao Wan, tell us, how is he compared to Senior Brother Rong?¡± Lin Xiaowan thought for a while, ¡°Senior Brother Rong, I¡¯ve seen him many times. I just feel that him standing there is like an extremely prosperous landscape painting in the world. The painter¡¯s skill is to the point of perfection. World-renowned, people can¡¯t help but stop to admire his work and praise it.¡± Chen Xianyu felt that was reasonable and nodded in agreement. But Lin Xiaowan immediately changed the topic, ¡°But Junior Brother Ye, he¡¯s like the moon in the bright sky floating in the distant mountains and snow. Heavenly craftsmanship, it would be hard to find another in the world. A glimpse of him would burn a little cinnabar in a person¡¯s heart.¡± She paused. ¡°A painting is a painting of the world, while the person is a celestial being. I think the two are incomparable, just incomparable.¡± ¡°Even Senior Brother Rong can¡¯t compare?¡± Senior Sister Yin didn¡¯t believe it. She raised her slender eyebrows and said jokingly: ¡°Xiao Wan, were you saved by a certain someone and have the eyes of a lover?¡± (beauty is in the eyes of the beholder; she thinks he looks that good because she fancies him) ¡°How could I lie to Senior Sister,¡± Lin Xiaowan puffed her cheeks, then turned to look at Chen Xianyu, ¡°Chen Xianyu, I dare bet that in your picture book, of all the beauties, no one can compare to Junior Brother Ye.¡± Although Chen Xianyu got goosebumps from hearing this, he subconsciously said at the same time: ¡°That might not be the case.¡± Seeing Lin Xiaowan look angrily over, his voice became quieter. ¡°Even if Senior Brother Rong can¡¯t compare, there must be one who can among the thousands of beauties in this book of mine.¡± ¡°Enough,¡± Lin Xiaowan said with disdain, ¡°You p*rvert, you don¡¯t even have much skill. It¡¯s fine for you to speak nonsense casually, but how many places have you actually been to? How many beauties have you seen? How many stunning pictures can there be in that thin whimsy picture book?¡± It¡¯s okay to insult his short-sightedness, but one cannot insult his picture book! Chen Xianyu turned red, ¡°My picture book really contains the beauties of the world. I said there must be a comparable person, and I am definitely not misleading you. This is because amongst the beautiful people I have painted, there is one that was recognized by the entire world as the number one beauty¡­¡± He opened the book with a bang. Only pages of vibrant colors and brilliance could be seen flowing within, this was not a low-grade device. The page was blank, but with Chen Xianyu¡¯s words, a beautiful portrait slowly appeared¡ª ¡°Lin Xiaowan, I will teach you today what is truly unparalleled in the world. I will teach you what it really means for ¡°¡¯with beautiful people, you can never forget them. You don¡¯t see them for a day and your thoughts¡­''¡± Chen Xianyu¡¯s voice stopped. He stared blankly into the distance. ¡°thoughts¡­¡± He whispered, ¡°would turn crazy¡­¡± The picture book in his hand dropped from his hand and fell to the ground. ¡ª¡ª To return to Yanhui peak from Wang Yun peak, Wendao slope must be passed through. When Ye Yunlan passed through Wendao slope, he suddenly heard a shout: ¡°Junior Brother Ye, please wait!¡± He was slightly startled. He raised his eyelids. His vision was very blurred because of the loss of sight. He only vaguely saw that there were many disciples gathered around, but couldn¡¯t tell who was calling him. He stopped and waited. But to his surprise, not only one person ran towards him, but a group. In a moment, dozens of fellow disciples surrounded him. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You¡­¡± He saw a girl squeeze to the front, looking at him with caring eyes, speak first: ¡°Junior Brother Ye, how is your injury? At that time when you were seriously injured and fell to the ground outside the secret realm, we were all so worried.¡± The person next to her followed up: ¡°Yes, yes, although Senior Brother said that there will be no concerns about your life, one day of not seeing Junior Brother was an extra day our hearts were restless.¡± ¡°Seeing you dying, we were all anxious to ask the Master to help. Fortunately when the secret realm situation happened, the sect master also arrived in the secret realm. Otherwise¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go beg together!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Ye Yunlan listened to the babbling voices, and had a headache. He has never dealt with so many people before. ¡­So many kind people were concerned and worried about him. After thinking about it, he lowered his eyes and whispered: ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No¡­ don¡¯t say thank you,¡± the pretty girl in front blushed, ¡°Junior Brother Ye saved me in the secret realm. If you want to say thank you, I should thank Junior Brother Ye first. My name is Lin Xiaowan. Junior Brother, in the future, can I visit you often?¡± ¡°Junior Brother Ye also saved me!¡± Someone next to her chipped in, ¡°My name is Tang Jia, I also want to visit Junior Brother often¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just you, there¡¯s me too! My name is Wang Yi¡­¡± ¡°Although Junior Brother Ye hasn¡¯t saved me, I also want to introduce myself to Junior Brother Ye.¡± A young disciple smiled at Ye Yunlan with a mouthful of white teeth, ¡°My name is Xue Bing.¡± ¡°Also me, also me¡­.¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips. He was abominable and was hated by people in the past. He had long been used to being alone. He had never encountered people so¡­ enthusiastic about him. He had just saved some people casually in the secret realm. He had also saved many people in his previous life, but when they woke up, they would see him and either scream and run away, or close their eyes as if waiting for death. They all acted like he was an evil spirit from h*ll, like a Raksha who ate human flesh. Initially, he would try to explain, but later on he gave up. In the final analysis, killing or saving people, getting injured or dying, it has always been a matter for him alone. He has long been accustomed to this. So he never thought that saving people in the secret realm would get so many people¡¯s attention. Too much he thought wearily. It¡¯s¡­too many. When He Lanze hurried over after hearing the news, what he saw was Ye Yunlan being surrounded by a group of people. However, even though there were obviously many people around him with eager expressions looking at him, there was still an unspeakable loneliness emitting from him. The image was as if he was separated from the world by an incomparably far distance. He Lanze¡¯s eyes were dim. He shouted in a deep voice: ¡°How is it proper of you guys to surround a wounded person like this?¡± The noisy disciples calmed down in a moment. ¡°Senior Brother.¡± Many disciples bowed and greeted him. He Lanze: ¡°Move aside.¡± The disciples stared at him with big eyes. In a moment, they forced a small path through. He Lanze stepped over and walked in front of Ye Yunlan. He had prepared many words of concern, but after seeing Ye Yunlan¡¯s dark eyes, he didn¡¯t say anything. He hesitated for a while, then handed over the queying sword in his hand. ¡°Junior Brother, this is your sword. It has been in my room for a few days. Now the item has returned to it¡¯s original owner.¡± Ye Yunlan took the queying sword, his long eyelashes trembled slightly. The sense of indifference from his body compared to the outside world seemed much less. He lowered his head and stroked the lines on the scabbard, ¡°Thank you, Senior Brother.¡± He Lanze¡¯s lips finally raised into a little smile, ¡°The injury of Junior Brother seems to be much better.¡± Ye Yunlan said ¡°En¡± softly. He Lanze: ¡°As long as you don¡¯t use spiritual power in the future, it¡¯s ok to practice swords occasionally. Senior Brother also has a lot of sword dao experience that Senior Brother wants to share with Junior Brother. Let¡¯s wait until the injury of Junior Brother¡¯s is better. It is best to focus on recuperation first.¡± He stretched out his hand wanting to support Ye Yunlan, ¡°Come, Junior Brother, let¡¯s go back first.¡± Ye Yunlan avoided him, ¡°Senior Brother, I want to go back to my own residence.¡± He Lanze was taken aback. He persuaded: ¡°The divine fire essence in Junior Brother has not been removed. Once the energy leaks, if there is no cold jade bed to recuperate with, I am afraid that there will be problems.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Sect Master has helped me suppress the divine fire.¡± ¡°But Junior Brother now has no cultivation base, if you live alone, if something happens and no one is there to take care of you, what would you do?¡± He Lanze frowned. ¡°Senior brother, even if there is no cultivation base,¡± Ye Yunlan said calmly, ¡°I am still a sword cultivator.¡± He Lanze was startled. Lin Xiaowan next to him interjected: ¡°In my opinion, since Junior Brother Ye is unwilling, please don¡¯t force it. Otherwise, I am afraid it will make us misunderstand whether Senior Brother has¡­selfish motives for Junior Brother Ye. After all, after Junior Brother was injured, Senior Brother also stopped us from visiting, only saying that Junior Brother Ye needs to rest in quiet¡­¡± ¡°Xiao Wan, don¡¯t be rude.¡± Senior Sister Yin walked over to interrupt her quickly. She apologized to He Lanze: ¡°Xiao Wan has always been outspoken, sometimes her words can be improper. I hope you can forgive her.¡± After saying that, a pair of beautiful eyes stopped on Ye Yunlan¡¯s body and didn¡¯t move. Even though Senior Sister Yin apologized, He Lanze¡¯s expression was still stiff under the gaze of everyone. At this point, he could no longer force Ye Yunlan to go back with him. He only said with a calm face: ¡°No matter what you think, I¡¯m just worried about Junior Brother Ye¡¯s body. But if Junior Brother Ye insists, I will respect his thoughts¡­so, I will just send Junior Brother Ye back to his residence.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t respond, but heard Lin Xiaowan say: ¡°I will also send Junior Brother off.¡± When she spoke, the disciples gathered next to each other and looked at each other, then followed along: ¡°We¡¯ll go too!¡± He Lanze¡¯s face darkened. Ye Yunlan frowned. He said nothing, and walked forward. After not even taking two steps, he saw a young man in a brown clothed robe staring at him in a daze at the side of the road. A picture book was scattered on the ground. Ye Yunlan paused ¡­.If so many of them walked over, the picture book would be trampled into a pile of waste paper. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t get used to a perfectly good item being trampled on. So when he passed by the young man, he leaned over and picked up the picture book on the ground. He handed it to the young man: ¡°Your stuff.¡± ¡°Ah¡­huh?¡± Chen Xianyu hurriedly took it. He lowered his head and saw that the book was stained with dust. He hurriedly wiped it with his sleeves distressingly. When he raised his head again, the person in front of him was already far away. Only a trace of cold scent was left behind. ¡ª¡ª Yanhui peak. A group of people walked to the green bamboo forest. Ye Yunlan stopped and turned around: ¡°It is enough to send me here. Everyone, please return.¡± Lin Xiaowan wanted to say something, but saw that Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression was drooping, he was very tired. She blushed with embarrassment. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t say anything just now, but she was very hot-headed to actually follow him all the way here with a group of people. She remembered Ye Yunlan wore a mask all year round, and became anxious. The reason why a good person like Junior Brother Ye wears a mask must not be because he was anti-social as rumored. It was probably because he was introverted and shy, and was not good at getting along with others. Her and her other fellow students being so abrupt, did she frighten him? Looking at Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale complexion, Lin Xiaowan regretted it even more. She hurriedly winked at the people around her. ¡°Junior Brother Ye take a good rest, we¡¯ll go first.¡± Soon, only He Lanze was left around. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Senior Brother, please return too.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Ye, take this.¡± He Lanze took out a piece of brilliant jade and handed it to him, ¡°This is a transmission jade. Through it, you can send me a message at any time.¡± Ye Yunlan was about to refuse, but he heard He Lanze continue to speak: ¡°Junior Brother, you must accept this, otherwise Senior Brother will never feel rest assured that you live alone.¡± He was really tired and didn¡¯t want to entangle with He Lanze anymore, so he took the jade in his hand, ¡°Thank you Senior Brother.¡± Seeing him accept it, He Lanze finally showed a smile on his face, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb Junior Brother¡¯s rest anymore. In a few days, I will come to see Junior Brother.¡± He nodded then turned around and walked into the green bamboo forest. Ye Yunlan¡¯s residence was deep in the bamboo forest. After about a quarter of an hour, a bamboo house was vaguely visible in the forest among the bamboo branches. Before he approached it, he smelt a faint fragrance of flowers. Ye Yunlan saw dozens of meters of land around the bamboo house surrounded by wooden fences. Through the gaps in the fence, he could see a large ocean of ??flowers swaying in the wind. He was slightly taken aback. He walked quickly, and found that the surrounding soil was newly renovated. In the depths of the ocean of ??flowers, a thin young man was kneeling on one knee, bowing his head to loosen the soil. Hearing the sound of footsteps, the young man looked back at him. He made eye contact with a pair of wolf like bright eyes, filled with the morning light. ¡°Immortal Lord.¡± The author has something to say: Shen Shu: You want me to bring a piece of flower for you? Then, I will plant an ocean of ??flowers for you. Immortal Lord, is this a pleasant surprise? CH 9 Ye Yunlan walked into the sea of ??flowers. A fragrant fragrance burst into the tip of his nose. It brought along the smell of morning dew, sunlight and other earthly scents. Soaked in the pleasant fragrance, even the breeze on his face seemed to become gentle. ¡°Shen Shu,¡± Ye Yunlan whispered, ¡°Are these flowers all planted by you?¡± Shen Shu had already gotten up and ran to him. The boy¡¯s long hair hung on his cheeks. His face was pale and sharp, and his clothes were very shabby. But when he looked up at him, his eyes were full of joy. He nodded when he heard the words, ¡°A¡­surprise for the Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°How did you think of planting flowers next to my residence?¡± ¡°Last time, Immortal Lord asked me to pick a flower, but later told me, you didn¡¯t like¡­ seeing the flower wither,¡± Shen Shu replied earnestly, ¡°At that time, I just thought, if I could plant flowers and plants around Immortal Lord¡¯s residence, then Immortal Lord would be able to see the flowers from time to time, and the flowers¡­ would not die.¡± ¡°Seven days was too short, so I was only able to go through Yanhui peak. Thus, whatever flowers I saw, I moved them here.¡± ¡°Immortal Lord, do you¡­like it?¡± The young man¡¯s eyes were too enthusiastic, Ye Yunlan was slightly startled. He subconsciously moved his eyes away. He leaned down and gently touched a star flower on his side. The flower was born white and gleaming, with five pointed corners, it was like a star in the sky. Ye Yunlan touched it. Feeling it was cute, he couldn¡¯t help but touch it again. The little flower swayed tremblingly. The dew on its petals flowed to his fingertips, seeping out a gentle fragrance. In his previous life, he withdrew himself due to the fear of the world. Wherever he passed by, the doors and windows of every house would close. Even the place where he lived was a hundred miles away from human population. Thus, he could only plant flowers and plants next to his residence. In his spare time, he would take a pot of wine, carry a qin, then sit alone and watch the flowers bloom and watch them change. This can be regarded as the last years of his life, his few pleasures that remained. ¡°I like it very much.¡± He said softly. Shen Shu¡¯s gaze moved to Ye Yunlan¡¯s slender fingertips. He thought it would be great if he was the flower. That way, Ye Yunlan would also touch his head with his palm, stare at him, and say to him, ¡°I like it very much.¡± He stared at Ye Yunlan for a while. Seeing that the other party¡¯s attention was still on the flower, he raised his voice: ¡°Immortal Lord, you promised¡­you would reward me.¡± Ye Yunlan paused his fingers and remembered Shen Shu¡¯s sparkling eyes that looked up at him brightly in YunTian palace. ¡°You¡­¡± He laughed, then his fingers moved away from the petals. He straightened up to face Shen Shu, ¡°Let¡¯s hear it, what kind of reward do you want this time?¡± Shen Shu said without hesitation: ¡°I want to ask the Immortal Lord to accept me as a disciple.¡± Ye Yunlan was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect that would be what Shen Shu wanted. Apprenticeship was an extremely important matter in the cultivation world. In a sense, the relationship between the master and the disciple is even closer than a blood relationship. This is because most cultivators have a long life while the bonds of blood are no more than a hundred years. The bond between the master and the disciple in the cultivation world is for life. Ye Yunlan had never accepted a disciple before. Therefore, he did not know what responsibilities a teacher had to bear, how to teach, and how to correctly lead a person on a smooth path that suited him. The path in his previous life was too bumpy. Within thorns and knives, he had crawled over this path with blood dripping everywhere. His whole body was covered in cuts and bruises. He didn¡¯t want anyone to follow the same path as him. ¡­Not to mention, in this life, he had already decided that he would no longer have anything to do with the world. He would just spend his life quietly. Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, ¡°Why do you want to have me as a teacher?¡± ¡°I heard others say that a master- disciple relationship is the closest relationship in the cultivation world besides dao companion.¡± Shen Shu said seriously, ¡°I want to be ¡­the person closest to the Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. Seeing that he hadn¡¯t answered for a long time, Shen Shu continued earnestly: ¡°If the Immortal Lord accepts me as a disciple, I will listen to the Immortal Lord¡¯s words carefully.¡± ¡°I will do what the Immortal Lord wants me to do.¡± ¡°I can help the Immortal Lord take care of the flowers and plants, clean the house, and find more flowers¡­¡± ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Ye Yunlan interrupted, ¡°You said you want to take me as a teacher, but until now, you have only said what you can do for me, you have not said what you want me to do for you.¡± Shen Shu was stunned. Ye Yunlan sighed. ¡°Becoming a teacher and accepting a disciple is not as simple as you think.¡± He said, ¡°Although I saved your life in the secret realm, I have already said that I don¡¯t need your repayment. If you are grateful and want to take me as a teacher, in Sky Sect, there are many people who can become your master. They can teach you much more than me.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°But I¡­ just want to become the disciple of the Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan has seen his stubbornness from the case of the flowers, and was not surprised by what he said. He only replied indifferently: ¡°I can¡¯t even use my spiritual power, I¡¯m already a useless person in Sky Sect. If you worship me as a teacher, everyone will laugh at you for taking a waste as a teacher.¡± Shen Shu was puzzled: ¡°Others will laugh at me, but what does it have to do with me? Not to mention the Immortal Lord¡­ is not a waste.¡± ¡°I have seen the Immortal Lord¡¯s sword.¡± He said, ¡°When the Immortal Lord carried me out of the secret realm, you used the sword to cut through all the obstacles on the road¡­ The sword light was very dazzling and brilliant. It was¡­ the sword technique of the nine heavens. .¡± He seriously stated: ¡°I really want to learn.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand held the queying Sword tightly. Everyone in the past has said that the sword technique of the Ghost Rakshasa was the sword of the ghosts in h*ll, that the asura sword he wielded was a sword of heinous murders, soaked in the wailing of countless souls. But Shen Shu said that his swordsmanship was the swordsmanship of the immortals in the nine heavens. After a long silence, Ye Yunlan let out a sigh. ¡°If you just want to learn the sword, come here everyday, I will teach you.¡± He said, ¡°As for other things¡­we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± Shen Shu wanted to say something, but he was keenly aware of the expression in front of him, one of fatigue and indifference. He remembered that when he first saw the other party, Ye Yunlan also looked like this when he wanted to close the window and reject him. Shen Shu was not afraid of rejection. But he was afraid that him asking for requests too frequently would cause the person in front of him to be fed up. And the other party did not completely reject him. What he had was patience and time. His eyes were dark and he nodded slightly. Ye Yunlan walked through the sea of ??flowers and pushed open the gate of the bamboo building. No one had been there for some days, so a thin layer of dust had accumulated on the ground. When the door was opened, the wind that accompanied brought up the dust that immersed in the warm yellow sunlight, floating. It was the changing of time of more than three hundred years. This was the first time Ye Yunlan has returned to his residence after being reborn. The furnishings inside were unfamiliar and familiar. He could vaguely see the traces of his life back then. When he was in Sky Sect, he stayed here for most of his years. He walked in and Shen Shu followed behind him. The wind chimes on the door made a crisp sound. The furnishings inside the house were very simple. There wasn¡¯t a bamboo screen outside. Stepping inside, it was raised one step, and the floor was covered with wood. There was also a low table in the middle with some tea sets. To the left was the study room, with a row of bookshelves on the wall, neatly lined with books. On the table, there were many stacks; pens, ink, paper and inkstone were scattered around, as well as an oil lamp. Further inside was the bedroom with an ordinary carved bed next to the wall. A mirror table was by the window, with something lying on the table. Ye Yunlan paused in his footsteps and walked over. He saw a silver mask and a letter. The letter said ¡°To my dear Ah Lan¡±. He picked up the mask, a cold touch came from his fingertips. This mask was meticulously crafted. The complicated and elegant lines were like vines twisting around each other, revealing a strange beauty, much more delicate than the masks he had worn before. He looked down for a moment, then turned around and handed the mask to Shen Shu: ¡°Throw it away for me.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Throw it away?¡± ¡°Just find a place to bury it.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t ask anything. He just nodded, took the mask and went out. Ye Yunlan opened the letter on the desk. The letter was a thick stack. The paper recalled memories. He looked down at a few lines. Before he finished reading, he walked to the study, lit the oil lamp, and burned the letter. He opened the window of the study room to ventilate. The light from his eyes fell on a guqin hanging on the wall. When he first entered the sect, he didn¡¯t know how to play the guqin. But Rong Ran said he wanted to listen, so he learned. Before the secret realm matter happened, Rong Ran would often give him music scores he wanted to hear and he would learn them one by one. Most of which were love songs such as Feng Xiwu and Xiangsi Yin. He couldn¡¯t play the lingering affection within it, but Rong Ran had always preferred that. Later, Rong Ran stopped asking him to play for him, so he just played for himself. In fact, he didn¡¯t like songs that were too touching. Instead, he preferred more elegant and tranquil ones. Ones like flowing water and high mountains, or like the clear breeze or bright moon. He once played such a tune to Rong Ran, but Rong Ran didn¡¯t like it. Chen¡­that man didn¡¯t like him playing the qin either. He had said that his qin sound was too lonely and difficult to get close to. Only the Demon Lord did not hate it. No matter what he played, he would like to listen. Especially¡­ when he received the backlash of the Nine-turn Celestial Demon body. The cultivation of the celestial demon body was secretive and treacherourous. It required one to gather evil thoughts and grievances in the world. Among the demon sects, countless demon cultivators had gone mad and lost their humanity due to the practice of this method. Because the risk was too great, the Celestial Demon Refining Method was regarded as a forbidden technique. Every cultivator was pursued and killed by both the Demon Sect and the Immortal Dao Sect if they practiced it. For thousands of years, only the Demon Lord had practiced it to great success. But in spite of this, the Demon Lord would still be backlashed by grievances and evil thoughts. At that time, the Demon Lord would lose all his reasoning. The Soul Refining Sect was once slaughtered by the Demon Lord overnight because of a rebellious word from their disciple. Since then, the Soul Refining Sect was removed from the Demon Sects. Therefore, when the night of the full moon approached and the Demon Lord summoned him, everyone looked at him with pity. They all thought he would be cruelly abused. Only he knew that the Demon Lord was asking him to play the qin again. He knelt down in the hall and played the qin. The Demon Lord sat on the high seat and stared at him. The cyan torch at the side of the wall burned, making a faint sound. He couldn¡¯t see the look of the person opposite who was wearing that terrifying, dark ghost mask. The moon gradually hung high in the sky, and countless shadows began to twist within the hall. Demons and monsters spread, while ghosts and shadows flickered in a sinister way. In the terrifying and strange scene, only the space half a foot around him, was there still clear peace. He was used to this. He bowed his head and played the qin. Most of the time, after half the night had passed by, those distorted shadows would gradually disappear. Once the first ray of sun shone in the early morning, the Demon Lord would use a low, tired voice to let him go back. However, occasionally, when he lowered his head to stroke the qin, he would be hugged by the Demon Lord from behind. The twisted shadows on the ground would climb all over, entangle his limbs, and slide nimbly into his clothes. The Demon Lord¡¯s hand would pass through his hair, hold his throat, and slowly caress it. He would tremble constantly because of those things. At those moments, he could only raise his head and make a low voice ¡­After that, he was forced to lie down on the qin, his black hair spread out, and the knuckles on the qin white. The moonlight coldly shone into the hall, and the distorted shadows of the entire hall fell on him. He and the Demon Lord were sinking into the shadows. Only the bright white qin was shining with the moonlight. It reflected the dark red eyes of the Demon Lord that seemed to have deposited countless blood. The strings made a messy sound, echoing in the hall. This qin was made by the Demon Lord. He went to Xuantian Mountain to fetch the ancient spirit wood, went to the extreme north to catch Ten Thousand Year old Ice Silkworms, then he drew fire from the ninth heaven. He made it just for him. The name of the qin was ¡°Moonlight¡±. The door suddenly creaked, it was Shen Shu who was back. Ye Yunlan recovered from his thoughts. He turned around and saw Shen Shu walking in with a wooden bucket full of water in his hand. A worn-out hand towel was placed on the rim of the bucket. After entering the house, Shen Shu put down the wooden bucket, picked up the towel, and helped him wipe the dusty tables and chairs. Ye Yunlan was startled, he whispered: ¡°Shen Shu, you don¡¯t have to do this for me.¡± Shen Shu only said: ¡°I will help the Immortal Lord clean the house, Immortal Lord¡­is there any reward for me?¡± Those eyes looked brightly over. He seemed to have completely forgotten the rejection of his apprenticeship. He seriously had a child¡¯s mentality. Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart softened. His eyes fell on the guqin hanging in the study. He walked over, held the qin in his arms, and said softly, ¡°Shen Shu, do you want to listen to the qin?¡± CH 10 Shen Shu looked at the person in front of him playing the qin. Sitting before the table, Ye Yunlan lowered his head. He rested his five slender, pale fingers on the strings with his eyelashes hanging down like unfolded butterfly wings. Sunlight seeped in from the window, shining on him. The scarlet mole at the end of his eye sank into the shadow of his peripheral, revealing a gentle, charming look. The thin dust floated gently in the air, accompanied by the sound of music. Shen Shu had never heard the qin before, but he felt that this music made people feel intoxicated. It seemed to be drifting from a distant place. Passing through the flowing water in the mountains, snowy forests and seas, it carried the natural wind of the sky and earth to his ears. He listened to the sound of the qin as if he had arrived in an empty and uninhabited realm. All the earthly disturbances were far away, leaving only the sound of the guqin, echoing leisurely. It was very beautiful. But very lonely. The person who was playing the qin, covered in warm yellow sunlight, gently lifted his fingertips on the strings. He was clearly right in front of him, but he still looked so ethereal and illusory. It was as if he could disappear in the blink of an eye. Shen Shu¡¯s pupils tightened. His five fingers shook subconsciously as if he wanted to try to grasp something. One piece was played. Ye Yunlan raised his head and saw that Shen Shu had stopped his hand movement and was looking straight at him. The young boy¡¯s eyes were sharp and narrow. He was born with a vicious aura, and his eyes looked dark with something surging within. For some reason, he felt it was a little familiar. He frowned. Rubbing his temples, he looked again. The boy¡¯s eyes were as bright and clear as usual. They were full of pure yearning for him. Just now, it was probably just his illusion. Ye Yunlan was not used to being stared at with such enthusiasm. He moved his eyes away, flicking his fingertips across the strings, and asked softly: ¡°Does it sound good?¡± Shen Shu blinked and said seriously: ¡°It sounded really good.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Qin music can calm your mind and cultivate your temperament. If you encounter difficulties in your practice in the future, you can come to me to listen to the qin. It may be a little helpful.¡± Shen Shu nodded. He hesitated, then said: ¡°Immortal Lord, in the future¡­ will you always be here?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡± Why do you suddenly ask this?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just a little scared,¡± Shen Shu said in a low voice, as if embarrassed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the Immortal Lord will leave sometime in the future¡­and I won¡¯t be able to find you anymore to listen to your qin.¡± Ye Yunlan smiled after listening. He hadn¡¯t noticed before that this little wolf cub was not only stubborn, but also very clingy. ¡°If there is no accident in the future, I won¡¯t leave here easily.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up. Ye Yunlan continued: ¡°It¡¯s just that, I think you also know thus, but everyone in this world will all have a day when they need to leave ¨C no matter how many promises or appointments have been made. Although I will not leave here, it¡¯s impossible for me to stay by your side for my entire life.¡± Shen Shu wondered, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°You are still young, so you don¡¯t understand. There are some things in this world that cannot be resolved with effort.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°For example, life and death¡­For example, fate.¡± It was unclear what he thought of, but his eyes were a little blank. He soon recovered and calmly said: ¡°My life is limited now, I cannot continue to cultivate. After a few hundred years, a flicker of a moment, the sand will return to the earth and the cycle will start all over again. If you are successful in your cultivation, by then, your path would have just begun.¡± Life is limited. Shen Shu focused on these words. He quickly thought of the reason why Ye Yunlan¡¯s life was limited. His hand slowly clenched into a fist. ¡°In the future, I will help Immortal Lord find the best healing elixir in this world. I will help Immortal Lord to heal his internal injuries.¡± He paused , ¡°Immortal Lord¡­will not die.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. After thinking about it, he didn¡¯t tell Shen Shu that his wounds were not curable by an elixir. No matter how good the elixir was for healing in this world, it would only barely help him prolong his life. While the only way to solve his injury¡­he would never try it in his life. ¡°Your thought, it¡¯s already enough.¡± He said, ¡°But you have to understand that in this world, there is no real ever-lasting thing. Even the strong who stepped into the void tracing realm will have their lifespan depleted. Human life, no matter if it is long or short, to the world, it is only a brief moment. I am not attached to it, and you¡­ don¡¯t have to be attached to me.¡± If you are too attached, you will become biased towards the demonic dao. The demonic dao is not a good place. Shen Shu: ¡°What if you become an immortal?¡± Being immortal and never aging is the ultimate goal of all cultivators. Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, but his tone became dim, ¡°¡­maybe.¡± Shen Shu couldn¡¯t hear Ye Yunlan¡¯s indifference, he only knew one thing. It turns out that if you want to stay by someone¡¯s side for a long time, you need not only patience and effort, but also strength. Enough to keep that person firmly under their wings while they fight the heavens and fate. After spending half a day, Shen Shu cleaned up the entire house. Ye Yunlan held the lamp and whispered softly: ¡°It¡¯s getting late, you should return.¡± Shen Shu nodded and left, rushing across the sea of ??flowers. It wasn¡¯t until he watched the young figure disappear completely into the night that Ye Yunlan blew out the lamp. He laid down on his bed, and went to sleep in his clothes. A faint floral fragrance floated in from the window, lingering on the tip of his nose. This night, the entangled nightmare of his previous life, reduced a lot. Waking up again, it was early morning. The birds were chattering outside the window. Ye Yunlan sat in front of the mirror, looking at himself. He touched the vermilion spot at the end of his eye with his fingertips, it felt very unfamiliar. To live a lifetime again, for him, was like a big dream. He couldn¡¯t help but be in a trance. This feeling has not disappeared. The door was knocked on suddenly. He walked over, opened it, and saw Shen Shu standing in front of the door holding a few spirit fruits in his hand. He handed it over when he saw him. ¡°This is a freshly picked spirit fruit¡­ Do you want to have a taste?¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. Generally speaking, after a cultivator reaches a certain realm, they could supplement themselves by absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. It was no longer necessary to eat. Basically, they would ¡°fast¡±. Regardless of his past and present, he had been fasting for a long time. Only after being seriously injured by the divine fire essence and unable to gather spiritual power, did he also begin to require food like a mortal. He Lanze didn¡¯t know how to cook. When he was recuperating at He Lanze¡¯s residence, he would eat a pigu pill. One pill could last him several days, there was no difference from his fasting before. He had long forgotten how food tasted. When Shen Shu saw that he was not responding, he whispered: ¡°These spirit fruits¡­I¡¯ve washed them many times carefully¡­they¡¯re very clean.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart softened hearing this. He raised his hand to pick up a spirit fruit and took a small bite. Shen Shu looked up at him. He whispered: ¡°Very sweet.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up Ye Yunlan turned around and fetched a bamboo bowl in the house. He put the remaining spirit fruit on the study room table. He planned to eat it while reading a book later. He heard Shen Shu speak again: ¡°Immortal Lord, I found an orchid on Qingya Peak yesterday. I have already brought it here¡­ I will plant it outside later.¡± ¡°I see.¡± He touched the young man¡¯s head. ¡°When you finish, I will go and look.¡± Sitting before the desk, he opened a scroll and read it. Occasionally he would take a spiritual fruit in his hand and slowly taste it. Shen Shu was busy outside in the sea of ??flowers. The birds chirped outside the window. It was quiet and peaceful, time passed by without knowing. Unsure of how long time had passed, when Ye Yunlan raised his head, he found the boy was looking at him with his head resting on the window edge. Seeing that he was discovered, the boy blinked slowly. ¡°You¡­¡± Ye Yunlan got up and walked over, ¡°The flowers are ready?¡± Shen Shu nodded and pointed to one place. Ye Yunlan raised his eyes and saw a blue and transparent orchid blooming in the sun. There seemed to be water waves flowing on the orchid¡¯s petals, the lines swayed like rippling layers, reflecting the faint blue light. He said: ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°In the future¡­I will find more beautiful flowers for the Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression was slightly relaxed, but he felt that some things still needed to be reminded, ¡°The matter of looking for flowers, it¡¯s no rush. Based on your age this year, this is when you should be laying down your foundation. You can¡¯t slack off everyday. Didn¡¯t you say you want to learn the sword from me? Why didn¡¯t I see you bring a sword over?¡± Shen Shu was silent. After a long while, he hung his head and said in a low voice: ¡°I don¡¯t have my own sword.¡± Ye Yunlan was taken aback. His eyes fell on Shen Shu¡¯s worn-out clothes. Only then did he notice that it had been several days, but what Shen Shu was wearing was still the same outfit as usual. It wasn¡¯t dirty, but the clothes have long been washed until they were discoloured, while the corners of the clothes were also tattered. Ye Yunlan pondered for a while, then changed the subject, ¡°Shen Shu, I remember you are an outer disciple?¡± Shen Shu nodded. ¡°I heard that there is a golden bell tree on the Outer Gates of ZangXiu Peak. The flowers are very beautiful. I have always wanted to see it.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°If you have some free time tomorrow, please help me pick a golden bell flower.¡± He paused and added, ¡°There will be rewards.¡± When he heard the word reward, Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Yunlan touched his head, ¡°You have been busy this entire time, go in and rest. I wanted to play a few tunes, so you might as well listen to them while you rest.¡± Shen Shu rubbed against his hands, ¡°En.¡± ¡ª¡ª It was late at night. Shen Shu had gone back. Ye Yunlan had blown out the lamp, but did not rest as usual. Instead, he took out his sword and walked out. The flowers swayed in front of him, reflecting the stars in the sky. He slowly pulled out the queying sword in his hand. The thin blade was shining under the moonlight, revealing a cold glow. Between the ups and downs of his breathing, the blade trembled slightly. He hadn¡¯t had this feeling of being connected to the heart of the sword for a long time. In his previous life, the queying Sword was long broken by He Lanze in front of the other disciples when he was expelled from the sect. His original sword cultivation was abolished at the same time as his golden core cultivation base. Later, when he held onto the Shura Sword, he was already embarking on a completely different path. The Shura Sword was the most evil sword in the world. It was originally made by the blood sacrifice of millions of people by the founder of the Blood Soul Sect thousands of years ago. Before it fell into his hands, it had gone through hundreds of masters. Each one well known for their fierceness. The previous master of the Shura Sword was the soul-killing ancestors of the Soul Refining Sect. He used the Shura Sword to purge thirteen cities of Xizhou with blood. And the previous one was the Demon Lord. The long sword in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand suddenly pointed in one direction. Although his vision was blurry, the aura of the surrounding spirits had become extremely clear the moment he shot his sword out. ¡ª¡ªThe sword that he held devoured the vitality of life. Death nirvana dao. A thousand feet away, a rat was curled up, shivering with cold. The queying sword trembled. Ye Yunlan used the force in his palm and navy blue winding veins appeared on the back of his hand, but he was still unable to stop the tremor of the sword. He frowned. After a while, he lowered the tip of his sword. In the distance, the rat fled. The sword body was still shaking. As the master of queying sword, Ye Yunlan knew that this was the lament calls that his queying sword was letting out from being unable to sustain his sword dao. ¡­a sword dao that was so hostile and unaccepting. Ye Yunlan stroked the long sword with his fingertips and sighed. ¡°I have wronged you.¡± He no longer poured his sword intent into the sword body, but placed the sword into its sheath. He carried it through the bamboo forest, and walked into the mountains. After searching for a long time, he chose a century-old black ironwood. In the night, a very thin sword light flashed across. The sword light was not dazzling, and there was no spiritual energy flowing, but a smooth gap appeared on the hard trunk. A piece of black iron wood fell from the tree. Ye Yunlan leaned over and picked up the piece of wood. The wood was really heavy. When he returned to the bamboo building, a thin layer of sweat was spilling out from the corner of his forehead. His face was too pale. He put the wood on the table, lit the lamp, took out a knife, and began to slowly carve it. In the middle of the night, the lights were still on. The wood had been carved into the shape of a longsword. Ye Yunlan brushed off the sawdust from the sword. He looked down for a long time, then carved the word ¡°Shu¡± on the sword. Then he wrapped the hilt of the sword with a navy blue cloth strip and tied a thin knot. He had never carved a sword for anyone in his life, but when the sword was actually made, he was still quite satisfied. It should be more than enough for Shen Shu to use in sword practice. When Ye Yunlan thought this, his eyes were soft under the light. ¡ª¡ª The next day. Ye Yunlan flipped through his book with the wooden sword beside him. After flipping through the book, he lifted his eyelids and looked at the windowsill. No one was at the windowsill. Outside the window, the blazing sun shone on the sea of ??flowers, countless bright colors bloomed before his eyes. It was past noon. Shen Shu still had not come. CH 11 Shuofeng cliff. The top of the cliff was an open land of red leaves. Only a tall giant tree stood in the center. The tree was full of red leaves and golden flowers. Looking into the distance, it seemed as if there were countless golden bells hanging on the tree. The breeze blew and the golden bells swayed. Shen Shu climbed along the branches, staring closely at a brilliantly blooming golden bell flower at the very top. He stretched his hand forward. Just when his fingertips touched the golden bell flower, a sword energy whizzed by. Shen Shu¡¯s pupils shrank. He quickly plucked the flower off, and retreated back. At the same time, the tree branch in front of him was cut off by the sword energy. ¡ª¡ªIf he was one step slower to retreat, it would have been his hand that was cut off. Giving him no time to think, the sword energy began to attack him one after another. Hitting near his feet, it forced him to retreat like a cat to a mouse. The trunk couldn¡¯t bear the violent attacks, and it split with a crack. Shen Shu jumped to another tree instantly. Accompanied by the sound of a tree trunk crashing to the ground, before he stood, another sword energy hit near his feet. He could only use his strength to leap again. He was in a sorry state being tossed around. Laughter of several disciples came from below. ¡°Senior Brother Yuan, did you see the appearance of that little animal scurrying around on the tree? Doesn¡¯t it look like a hairless monkey?¡± The leader snorted coldly, ¡°It¡¯s just a dog who can¡¯t learn.¡± The disciple next to him quickly agreed: ¡°Senior Brother Yuan is right, isn¡¯t this beast just a dog with no conscience? When Liu had an accident, he ran out of sight, causing us to have a hard time searching for him. If Senior Brother Ran didn¡¯t find out that he was here, who knows how long we would have been looking for.¡± When talking about Liu¡¯s matters, Senior Brother Yuan looked very ugly. He shouted sharply at the tree: ¡°Shen Shu, don¡¯t blame me for not reminding you. A dog just needs to obediently lie on the ground. If you don¡¯t come down now, when we break your leg, you won¡¯t even have the chance to be a dog in the future.¡± The disciples next to him discerned his words and also began to attack Shen Shu with sword energy. There were not many places to stand on the tree. Shen Shu¡¯s dodging movements became more and more difficult under the intense sword energy attacks. He narrowly avoided one, but was hit by another sword energy on his back. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fell from the golden bell tree several feet high. There was a thick layer of red leaves on the ground, but even so, there was still a heavy thump. Severe pain came from his limbs, but Shen Shu only frowned. He went to touch the golden bell flower in his arms. It seems that some have been crushed. Later¡­maybe he will pick another one, he thought. Several disciples have surrounded him. Headed by Yuan Yongzhi. Yuan Yongzhi looked handsome, but his appearance was very mean. His voice was cold and mocking, ¡°Nowadays even dogs can climb trees, Shen Shu, you really opened my eyes.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t speak. ¡°I heard Ran An say that you haven¡¯t thrown out the ashes in the medicine stove these few days. When Xu Ze¡¯s new medicine needed you, he couldn¡¯t find you anywhere. What¡¯s this all about?¡± Shen Shu slowly propped up his body and remained silent. Seeing his appearance, Yuan Yongzhi became angry. He kicked Shen Shu heavily, and cursed: ¡°Don¡¯t pretend to be dumb in front of me. Do you think that you can escape punishment in this way? Shen Shu, my Master brought you back from the deserted mountains and ridges to repay his gratitude. Yet you aren¡¯t grateful, and dare to run away? Ran An¡¯s right, you should be chained, just like a dog. This will help you remember.¡± Don¡¯t know how to be grateful. Shen Shu¡¯s eyelids slowly closed. He lowered his head to look at the golden bell flower in his hand. Sure enough, it was crumpled. Seeing his appearance of ignoring him, Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s expression became more and more gloomy. He noticed the flower in Shen Shu¡¯s hand, and sneered, ¡°Shen Shu, I was wondering why you snuck out¡­ It turned out you were in heat, and was eager to go out and find another b*tch to mate with. Knowing how to pluck flowers to please the other party, you¡¯re actually quite smart.¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± Shen Shu said. His voice was extremely cold and hoarse. His narrow, dark eyes lifted up, and his pupils were pitch black. Yuan Yongzhi was taken aback by his sudden speech. Since the little beast was brought back to the sect by his Master Liu Qing three years ago, he had barely spoken. If it wasn¡¯t for being flogged or trying out new medicine that caused him to occasionally let out pained groans, he almost thought that this animal was really mute. Those dark pupils looked a little unclear. Yuan Yongzhi remembered what Liu Qing had told them, all the weird incidents that had happened in recent years. Somehow his heart oozed a little bit of chill. However, his contemptuous heart dissipated his subconscious thoughts and he swung his sword at Shen Shu. However, Shen Shu suddenly stood up and jumped up, avoiding his sword light. He leaped out from the surrounding several disciples like a ghost. A blade slipped silently into Shen Shu¡¯s palm. The moment it passed by Yuan Yongzhi, it struck the back of his hand. ¡°Ah -!¡± Yuan Yongzhi uttered a painful cry as blood poured out from the back of his hand. The blade was jagged and uneven. Although the cut was not deep, it tore all the surrounding flesh and skin away, looking very hideous. The disciple beside him exclaimed: ¡°Senior Brother Yuan!¡± Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s face was distorted with pain, ¡°What are you still doing? Go get him!¡± Shen Shu rushed out of the encirclement, but did not escape. The blood on the blade was dripping bit by bit. He smelt blood and his eyes darkened, showing darkness and violence that could not be restrained. Everyone began to besiege Shen Shu, but Shen Shu¡¯s body skills were really ghostly. With the ground much more open than the trees, the dense sword energies found it hard to hit him. Instead, two disciples screamed and were caught by Shen Shu, scratched by his blade. In the chaos, Yuan Yongzhi couldn¡¯t even see Shen Shu¡¯s figure clearly, he only felt that a malicious gaze was locked on him. He was panting heavily and a chill went up his back. ¡°Shen Shu, you really have been hiding your strength before¨C¡± His eyes were full of jealousy, ¡°Tell me. Half a year ago, Senior Brother Zeng jumped off the cliff due to a demon in his heart. Two months ago, Senior Brother Lin¡¯s breathing technique went wrong and his heart was ruptured. Three weeks ago, Master lost consciousness because he got corrupted during training. Is it all related to you?¡± Shen Shu escaped a sword energy and tilted his head when he heard these words. ¡°It¡¯s their own¡­ dao instability, mistakes in practice, and temptation during training, what does it have to do with me¡­?¡± Yuan Yongzhi looked at his dark pupils. There seemed to be nothing inside, yet it seemed to have condensed the deepest darkness in the world inside of them. He suddenly felt a burst of horror. ¡°Master was right, you really are an evil spirit¡± Yuan Yongzhi had a twisted expression, ¡°Kill him!¡± ¡°Senior Brother Yuan, the sect has rules. Disciples must not kill each other, or else offenders will be immediately killed and kicked out of the sect!¡± A disciple hurriedly persuaded him. He whispered in Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s ear, ¡°Even if you want to kill him, you can¡¯t kill him here. You have to find a secret place, just like in the secret realm before¡­¡± Yuan Yongzhi took two breaths to stabilize his mind, then he saw a shadow under Shen Shu¡¯s feet twisting strangely. It was so quick, he thought it was an illusion. Amidst the darkness, he felt a cold and deep evil thought entangling him. Cold sweat gushed from the corner of his forehead. Yuan Yongzhi swallowed his saliva and squeezed the long sword in his hand, then there was blur in front of him. The ghostly figure passed by, and another scar appeared on the back of his hand, at the same place. The wound was torn open again, and the long sword fell to the ground. He was in cold sweat with pain. He had a sudden realization. Not only did he want to kill Shen Shu, but Shen Shu also wanted to kill him! This beast¡­! With extreme tension in his mind, he remembered what Liu Qing had said when he brought Shen Shu back¨C ¡°That wicked animal is an evil creature that cannot be tolerated by the world. When he was rescued by his Master in Cang mountain, he was poorly behaved and always thought of resisting.¡± ¡°However, the evil animal has long been tamed by his Master and turned into a useful dog. As my disciples, you can use him as much as you want. He has a different physique than ordinary people. No matter how you use him, he can¡¯t die.¡± When Liu Qing spoke those words, he was rolling a faint green bead in his hand. That round bead- Since Liu Qing went down the wrong path for cultivation, all the possessions of the other party were secretly taken by him. Yuan Yongzhi had no time to pick up his sword anymore. He hurriedly poured his spiritual sense into his storage ring and took out a bead. Seeing the bead, Shen Shu¡¯s pupils tightened. He swooshed over like an arrow off the string. Yuan Yongzhi shouted: ¡°Stop him!¡± Several disciples hurriedly stepped forward, but only felt a cold wind passing by. They couldn¡¯t even see Shen Shu¡¯s figure. Something slippery and cold got wrapped around Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s ankle. Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s legs softened and he knelt to the ground, watching a cold light approaching. It was clearly not a sword, just a mutilated, ridiculous blade. But it was faster and deadlier than a sword. At the moment of life and death, the blade stopped in front of his eyes. Yuan Yongzhi knelt on the ground, shaking non-stop. Shen Shu didn¡¯t move anymore. ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s not that he didn¡¯t want to move, it¡¯s that he¡­ couldn¡¯t move. Yuan Yongzhi escaped death. His head was covered with cold sweat, even his lower body was wet. He stubbornly held the bead in his hand, not daring to relax at all. His spiritual sense sensed what was in the ball. It took a long while before he finally understood the purpose of this thing. The fear of the evil and unknown quickly dissipated and was replaced by a burst of ecstasy. Yuan Yongzhi slowly stood up from the ground. He took a few breaths, then kicked Shen Shu¡¯s knees. Shen Shu knelt on the ground. He trembled, groaning with extreme pain. He had never made such a painful sound in the past, whether it was being punished, flogged, or testing medicine. The positions of the hunter and the prey were changed again. Yuan Yongzhi couldn¡¯t help but show a twisted smile on his face. ¡°Shen Shu, no wonder Master said that you were a good dog. It turns out that you are¡­¡± He narrowed his eyes and didn¡¯t go on. ¡°Take him back to the medicine room.¡± Yuan Yongzhi instructed the surrounding disciples. The surrounding disciples were stunned by the successive changes that had happened. At this time, they woke up and hurriedly lifted Shen Shu up. In the chaos, a golden bell flower fell to the ground. No one noticed. ¡ª¡ª The remnant sun was coloured in blood. Ye Yunlan closed the scroll in his hand and did not look at the windowsill anymore. The orange and red evening light reflected on his pale face and his long eyelashes. He was silent for a long while, then he picked up his queying sword on the table, and walked out the door. CH 12 The bitter fragrance of medicine wafted around the medicine house. The bottom of the bronze medicine furnace on the high platform in the middle of the mountain was burning with vigorous fire. The blue flame rose, making a crackling sound. There was a withered and scorched willow tree beside the medicine stove. Several crows stood on it¡¯s branch, staring directly at the two people passing by underneath. Yuan Yongzhi felt the deep chill of the sword point on his back. Cold sweat flowed down his cheeks drop by drop. Behind the willow, there was a narrow crack in the rock. The light was dim in the crevices. Ye Yunlan raised his sword and walked behind Yuan Yongzhi. He caught a glimpse of the sporadic dark red blood stains on the rock wall by the roadside, his eyes sank. This medicine house was full of strange things. Did Shen Shu grow up in such an environment? After walking through the cliff cracks for a while, the front became clear again. What appeared in front of them was a valley in the mountains. The setting sun shone down, and in the dim red light, there was a bloody smell that seemed to have lasted a long time in the valley. A mountain breeze from nowhere blew by. It was obviously the warm spring season, but Ye Yunlan felt a little cold. At this moment, he heard a roar that didn¡¯t sound like a human. He looked at where the voice came from, and saw a row of prison houses at the back mountain rock wall, dozens of them. ¡°What¡¯s in them?¡± he asked. Yuan Yongzhi swallowed and replied honestly: ¡°This¡­it¡¯s usually living creatures captured for refining medicine, such as spirit beasts and monsters. But sometimes Master will also use it for disciples who have committed some mistakes, to let them¡­ reflect on it.¡± It was normal for a Master to teach their disciples. But keeping the disciples in such a place would be wrong. According to the principles of the Five Elements Feng Shui, this valley in the mountain was a place where Yin Qi converges in Qingyun Mountain. Such a place is prone to evil. For practitioners, it is easy to get possessed by evil spirits and fall into demonic ways. Reflecting one¡¯s misdeeds is to make disciples realize their mistakes, it¡¯s not meant to ruin their humanity. ¡°Who is your master?¡± Ye Yunlan asked. Xue Zhong previously only told him the surname of the person in charge of the medicine house was Liu, but he did not tell him the specific name. Yuan Yongzhi wiped his sweat and replied, ¡°Master Liu Qing.¡± Liu Qing. Ye Yunlan frowned. It turned out to be him. He still had some impression of Liu Qing. It¡¯s just that this impression was not made by him when he stayed in Sky Sect, but years after when he arrived at the Demon Sect. This person was originally an elder of Xuanhu Peak, from the inner sect of Sky Sect. In Sky Sect, Xuanhu Peak was also called Medicine Peak because most of the disciples who practiced on Xuanhu Peak were medical practitioners. Liu Qing was a well-known medical practitioner in Medicine Peak. The ¡°Life-Returning Pill¡± he refined had the miraculous effect of regaining life and increasing longevity, which was hard to find in the world of cultivation. The reason why Liu Qing was demoted to the outside was not known to many people at first. It was only when Liu Qing got corrupted, fell into the devil¡¯s way, and rebelled against the Sky Sect, was it revealed that Liu Qing had used a living person to refine medicine. The life-returning pill was made with living people. Therefore, this pill was not a holy pill that took from the heavens and restored life. Instead, it was an evil pill that exchanged one life for another. After Liu Qing rebelled against the Sky Sect, he became a guardian of the Demon Soul Refining Sect. Later, the Demon Soul Refining Sect was destroyed by the Demon Lord, but the man survived. Not only did he survive, he became a loyal lackey beside the Demon Lord. Ye Yunlan saw Liu Qing once. He was covered in a black robe, never making a sound. He would only loyally complete the tasks assigned by the Demon Lord. Liu Qing had died in Qianshang Pond. The soul eater bug that was nurtured by the Demon Lord consumed his body and soul and died. His death was extremely miserable. The reason was simply due to him being seriously injured at the time. The Demon Lord had ordered Liu Qing to refine the life-returning pill for him, but he had refused the offer. At that time, the Demon Lord said to Liu Qing: ¡°Since Lan Er does not want you to concoct medicine for him, you are useless. Go to Qianshang Lake to receive punishment. It just so happens that the soul eater bug that this Lord raised recently is still missing some nourishment.¡± Then he heard Liu Qing¡¯s trembling voice for the first time. The voice was extremely hoarse: ¡°Your honor! I have followed your orders for so many years, you can¡¯t treat me like this¨C ¡± The Demon Lord waved impatiently. The guards, left and right, stepped out and dragged Liu Qing away. ¡°You said, you have been with me for so many years, but how can you forget my rules? I said I don¡¯t like hearing your voice.¡± The Demon Lord spoke coldly, then ordered the left and right guards, ¡°Take him and throw him into Qianshang Pond. You don¡¯t have to fish him out.¡± He was seriously injured and was held in the Demon Lord¡¯s arms. Hearing this, he felt it was wrong. He grabbed the sleeve of the Demon Lord and wanted to open his mouth to intercede. But, the Demon Lord raised his hand to pinch his chin. He pressed his fingertips against his pale, bloodless lips. His tone was indifferent, and it seemed to contain some hidden anger: ¡°Lan Er, don¡¯t make me angry anymore.¡± The Demon Lord had always been known for being cruel and violent. Yet, when he was sent to the demonic gates, the other party¡¯s attitude towards him was always gentle. He almost forgot that this man was a moody, life-threatening demon. Even though Liu Qing used living people to concoct medicine, death should given due to a crime. He shouldn¡¯t be thrown into Qianshang Pond and die from being devoured by insects because of such a trivial matter. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t understand. Liu Qing was just a negligible lapdog under the Demon Lord, just a plaything in the hands of the Demon Lord. Liu Qing¡¯s death made him feel a bit sad. He didn¡¯t use the life-returning pill, and the injury on his body could not be delayed any longer. The Demon Lord carried him back to the Demon Palace Hall. Passing through the curtains, he laid him on the bed. The lights in the hall were dim. The Demon Lord looked down at him, his ghost mask looked extremely evil and hideous. He couldn¡¯t clearly see the expression of the other party. He was unable to figure out the other party¡¯s thoughts. After a long time, the Demon Lord raised his sleeves and blew out the lights. The surroundings became completely dark. The mask was thrown on the ground with a crisp sound. The Demon Lord stretched his hand into his clothes and covered his waist wound with his palm. He asked him coldly, ¡°Does it hurt?¡± The wound was just a flesh injury, it had already slightly scabbed. The real injury was actually inside his body, but being touched this way, he still couldn¡¯t help but frown. ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt,¡± he said. The Demon Lord was agitated by his indifferent tone, his hands pressed slightly harder. He sneered: ¡°Now?¡± He trembled, smelling a faint bloody smell. The Demon Lord¡¯s cold fingertips touched his wounds, the young and tender flesh under the scab. Pain. He had realized that the Demon Lord was not in the right mood, but he was also angry in his heart, so he just turned his head and said in a more indifferent tone: ¡°¡­It doesn¡¯t hurt.¡± For a moment, the Demon Lord wanted to crush the person under him. But in the end he just took back his strength slowly. He took a deep breath: ¡°There was an assassination at the demonic palace yesterday. Why didn¡¯t you call me immediately?¡± He said, ¡°That person is dead.¡± ¡°I am asking you, why didn¡¯t you call me?¡± The Demon Lord asked. He just wanted to answer, when he shuddered. He noticed that the bleeding wound had been licked by something warm and wet. It was numbing and itchy, his hands could not help but clench the bed. ¡°I just don¡¯t think¡­ it¡¯s necessary.¡± The two white jade rings on his ankle that imprisoned his spiritual power have long been taken off by the Demon Lord. His cultivation base has recovered a lot, so he could still handle the strength of the assassin. What¡¯s more, yesterday was the night of the full moon. Every time it was the night of the full moon, the state of the Demon Lord was very wrong and he would always disappear for a period of time. He thought that the other party probably had no time to take care of these trivial matters. ¡°Not necessary?¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s lips were stained with blood. Hidden in the darkness, his voice was cold and deep, ¡°Heh, Senior Immortal always said that he doesn¡¯t feel pain¡­ Then when I come to help you heal, don¡¯t cry.¡± He didn¡¯t know how the Demon Lord would heal him. He only felt the weight of the opposite party and a hot touch. The Demon Lord had superb skills in playing with people and his body that had long been soaked in medicinal baths over the years was extremely sensitive. In the past, it would not be long before he softened into a pool of water for the other party to take as they wanted. But today was different. The Demon Lord sensed his resistance and coldness, and bit his shoulder, hard. The canine teeth grinded again and again through his clothes, as if trying to break him apart and eat him. He said hoarsely: ¡°What are you doing now?¡± While speaking, a few cold, slippery things got tangled up. He closed his eyes, and said in a low voice: ¡°Liu Qing¡­¡± ¡°You really are angry with me about that today.¡± The Demon Lord said solemnly. He frowned and endured the strange feeling of something curling around his body, ¡°Liu Qing did not commit a big mistake¡­¡± ¡°But you don¡¯t know it,¡± The Demon Lord sneered, ¡°Me letting him end his life in Qianshang Lake is already a kindness to him.¡± He bit his lip, tears were forced out from the end of his eyes. The Demon Lord¡¯s tone turned gentle, ¡°Are you afraid that I will treat you like Liu Qing?¡± He no longer bit his shoulders, but held his lips. He was like a hungry wolf, hunting. A faint smell of blood blended between his lips and teeth. ¡°But you¡¯re completely different.¡± ¡°Senior Immortal, I have said this before, I just need you to live nicely beside me.¡± The Demon Lord exhaled softly in his ear, ¡°I will never do this to you.¡± He didn¡¯t believe it. Firstly, the world recognizes the Demon Lord¡¯s temperament as being perverse and unpredictable. Secondly, since he was sent to the demon palace by Chen Weiyuan, his last point of trust in human nature has been lost. The movement of the Demon Lord continued. He thought that the other party was just angry and wanted to play tricks on him, but he didn¡¯t expect the Demon Lord to really start to heal him. He was the furnace of the Demon Lord. The top human furnace developed after years of soaking his exquisite bones in medicinal baths. Everyone in the demonic sect regarded him as the Demon Lord¡¯s forbidden meat. Everyone in the immortal sect regarded him as a traitor and scum. He had a bad reputation and an extremely humble status. He always thought that the Demon Lord loved him and cherished him because his body still had value in it. But now, the Demon Lord injected his cultivation base and spiritual power into his body in order to heal his physical injuries. But if this is the case, the Demon Lord would become his furnace instead. He didn¡¯t expect that the Demon Lord would use this method to heal him. He was hurt by the Demon Lord, his eyebrows were frowning, and tears couldn¡¯t stop streaming. The injury inside his body was getting better. ¡°You said you were not afraid of pain. But Senior Immortal, you have to remember,¡± The Demon Lord embraced him, kissing the tears in the corner of his eye, and whispered in his ear, ¡°Only I can hurt you in this world.¡± ¡°No one can bypass me and touch you at all¨Cunless they step on my corpse.¡± He had already lost his trust to the world, and did not take the Demon Lord¡¯s words to heart at that time. ¡­.However, the Demon Lord did as he said. He remembered that even at the times when there was no retreat and they had lost all hope of survival, this person¡­ still protected him. Ye Yunlan stopped. ¡°Your master Liu Qing, where is he now?¡± He asked Yuan Yongzhi. Cold sweat oozed out of Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s forehead. He wondered why Ye Yunlan asked this question. He said vaguely: ¡°Master¡­ Master, the old man made some small mistakes when he was in closed door training, and is recovering.¡± Ye Yunlan had some guesses in his heart. The tip of his sword reached Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s back, ¡°Say the truth.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t touch me!¡± Yuan Yongzhi raised his voice, ¡°My Master was originally an elder in the Inner Sect. Many elders on the other peaks rely on the pills made by my Master. If you hurt me, even if you are an inner disciple, you will definitely be severely punished!¡± Ye Yunlan ignored the threat in his words: ¡°Liu Qing is recuperating?¡± In the past, Liu Qing had betrayed Sky Sect. Thinking about it carefully, it should be in a few years time. Seeing Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s secretive attitude, Ye Yunlan turned sideways to the room that made the weird noise: ¡°He¡¯s gone crazy. Is he the one who¡¯s locked up there?¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± Yuan Yongzhi was shocked, ¡°Master¡¯s corruption into the demonic ways, only the medicine house disciple knows¡­right, did Shen Shu that evil creature tell you?¡± Hearing the word ¡°evil creature¡±, Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes sank slightly. ¡°I asked you to take care of your mouth, don¡¯t be unruly and bark everywhere.¡± Thinking of the purpose of his trip, he temporarily left the matter of Liu Qing behind. He pointed his long sword forward, ¡°Tell me, Where did you lock up Shen Shu?¡± Yuan Yongzhi felt a sharp pain at the center of his back and shuddered. A strong black aura floated in his eyes. He slowly rolled his eyes, ¡°Senior Brother, it¡¯s not because I¡¯m insecure. Senior Brother probably doesn¡¯t know that evil¡­ Shen Shu has evil things on his body, which will affect the luck of cultivators. In the past few years, the medicine house disciples have suffered a lot of hardships, and it is all caused by him. He was locked in here to face his punishment. He deserves it.¡± The bead slipped from the sleeve of his shirt and was pinched in his palm. ¡°So Senior Brother, I would like to advise you, in regard to Shen Shu, it is better to stay away¡­ Otherwise, Senior Brother, I am afraid that you won¡¯t even know how you¡¯d die.¡± Yuan Yongzhi thought if he said this, Ye Yunlan would hesitate. After all, the most taboo thing for a cultivator is his luck being affected. He didn¡¯t expect the other party to just have a cold voice and say: ¡°Are you teaching me how to do things?¡± Yuan Yongzhi choked. Suddenly he heard a sound of broken porcelain in the distance, then Ye Yunlan passed by him. He walked quickly to the end of the rock wall, and stepped into a cell. It was the cell that held Shen Shu. Yuan Yongzhi heard the sound of long swords colliding, and his heart burst. He followed him and found that the door of the cell was opened wide. The setting sun had gone into the west mountains, and in the dim light, the scene inside surprised him. The floor was filled with broken pieces of the medicine bowl. His junior brother Xu Ze lay on the ground, unconscious. While Ye Yunlan was holding the beast in his arms. The beast was covered with blood, his clothes were torn by a whip and a chain was hung on his thin wrists. He was resting on Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder. With long hair hanging down, it revealed his pale cheeks. He looked pitiful. When Ye Yunlan first came in, he saw Shen Shu curled up in the corner and a disciple was about to strike Shen Shu with his sword. Before he could think about it more, he took out his sword to rescue Shen Shu. When Shen Shu saw him coming, he stood up swaying and fell into his arms. His hands held his shirt and his body trembled, ¡°Immortal Lord.¡± He was like a scared little animal. The blood wetted his white clothes. He held the bruised boy in his arms. He had a slight pain in his heart, ¡°Tell me, what happened? Who caused your injuries?¡± The man he saved with his own life wasn¡¯t in front of him for a moment and then got wounded like this? Shen Shu replied hoarsely: ¡°Senior Brother Yuan locked me here and beat me with a whip. He said it was to punish me for going out privately¡­ Senior Brother Xu asked me to take medicine, if I refused, he would kill me.¡± Ye Yunlan listened, then turned his head to look at Yuan Yongzhi: ¡°This is what you meant by Shen Shu being punished to reflect on his mistakes? Is this not just you guys using this as an excuse to torture him and murder a fellow disciple?¡± Murdering a fellow disciple is a great crime in Sky Sect. Yuan Yongzhi didn¡¯t believe it: ¡°Impossible! I used a whip to teach him a lesson, that isn¡¯t fake. But Junior Brother Xu has been waiting for this beast to come back to test the medicine for several days, why would he intentionally kill him? Not to mention the chains on his body are broken. That is a chain made from Xuan steel, even if it is chopped with a sword, it would not be broken in a short while¡ª ¡± ¡°Test medicine?¡± Ye Yunlan caught a word in his statement, and his eyes became dark. ¡°You¡­forced Shen Shu to test medicine?¡± Trying medicine on a living person is the same as refining medicine with a living person. It was taboo. Liu Qing committed similar things but was only demoted to the outside because the returning god pill he made had something to do with many elders in the sect. For Yuan Yongzhi, he would not be so lucky. Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s expression changed. He had finally with great difficulty sat in the position of chief of the medicine house. His buttocks were not even warm yet! Rhis matter must not be known by outsiders¡ª¡ª! Seeing Shen Shu raising his head from Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulders to look at him, his eyes were sly and dark, a teasing, mockery expression was revealed. ¡°The chain on my body¡­ was cut off by Senior Brother Xu,¡± his voice was still weak, ¡°Senior Brother Xu said killing me was letting me off too easily. It would be more interesting to play out the roles of a cat and mouse¡­¡± Why would Xu Ze say such a thing! Yuan Yongzhi suddenly realized that the pitiful appearance of this beast was all pretend, he was just trying to push the blame on them! His heart was agitated. This beast was obviously already controlled by him, yet he dared to play this trick on him¡ª¡ª! The cat playing with the mouse, who is the cat and who is the mouse? Yuan Yongzhi looked at Xu Ze lying on the ground. His face completely sank. Raging emotions surged in his heart, making him almost lose his ability to judge the situation. He thought, since the matter of living people being medical test subjects has been exposed, there was no need to conceal Shen Shu¡¯s matters anymore. As long as Ye Yunlan can be kept here forever- no one would know what happened in the medicine house! The black energy in Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s eyes surged. He no longer hesitated. He poured his whole body¡¯s spiritual energy into the bead in his hand. Ye Yunlan realized that the body of the young man in his arms became stiff, then he trembled slightly. Shen Shu said hoarsely: ¡°Immortal Lord¡­leave¡­¡± Shen Shu stretched out his hand to push him away. He staggered back, then shrank into the dark corner alone. A gust of wind blew by, it was very cold. This was an extreme Yin place in the mountains. At this time, the surrounding Yin Qi was gathering frantically in this house. Not only yin qi, but the ghost qi and evil qi left by creatures who died in this valley began to spread here. The bright moon in the sky was covered by dark clouds. Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s face was crazy. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it¡­Shen Shu, Master has raised you for such a long time, now it¡¯s your turn to work for our teacher.¡± ¡°What did you do to him?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s appearance was cold. He raised his sword to point to Yuan Yongzhi. Endless death intent extended out. Yuan Yongzhi was sweating, he could not help but grasp the faint green bead in his hand, and shout: ¡°Get him for me!¡± An attack struck from the side. Ye Yunlan shifted sideways to dodge the blow. As his sleeves flew, he saw Shen Shu¡¯s face. Those eyes had lost all their brilliance, they were hollow and cold. He was holding the long sword Xu Ze dropped to the ground. Shen Shu¡¯s state was obviously abnormal. Ye Yunlan was able to perceive all the living things in his surroundings, but Shen Shu at this time was completely different from usual in his perception. If he really had to say it¡­At this moment, Shen Shu didn¡¯t seem to be a living person at all. Ye Yunlan was in the midst of observing him. In the dim environment, his eyesight was lacking, but Shen Shu¡¯s energy was like that of a demon. The long sword brought along a sinister energy, extremely fast and unpredictable. It made people unable to defend. However, the attacks were disordered with no real swordsmanship. Ye Yunlan dodged the sword sideways, a few black hairs floated down. He furrowed his eyebrows. He wanted to steady his vision to look, but his vision became more blurred. He didn¡¯t want to hurt the other party, so it made it difficult for him to make a move. He also didn¡¯t have any cultivation skills, so he gradually tired from parrying. Yuan Yongzhi could not help but be overjoyed. It stands to reason that Shen Shu¡¯s strength should be more than this after the secret technique was launched, but Yuan Yongzhi so excited, he couldn¡¯t think at all. The pleasure of holding a powerful evil spirit in his hands was too great. What made him even more excited was how after taking down the person in front of him he would be able to ravage him. Fear made his desire grow wilder. When this man put the sword on his neck, did he ever think that the person he had tried so hard to see would take him down and send him to his hand? Yuan Yongzhi could only feel the excitement and flow of the spiritual energy all over his body swelling in his meridians. It made his body light and fluttery. His heart beated rapidly, it even reverberated in his ears. Countless colorful and treacherous illusions emerged in his mind as if he had already climbed up to the clouds. Everything he had imagined was just at his fingertips. Suddenly, a sword light flashed across the dim space. Shen Shu¡¯s long sword was sent flying and fell to the ground with a ¡°clang¡±. He also fell to the ground, motionless. CH 13 The change happened so quickly, Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s dream seemed to have been pierced by this sword light. He returned to reality, feeling an unbearable emptiness. His swelling spiritual power rushed wildly in his meridians, the light and fluttery feeling had now disappeared. Instead, it was replaced by the pain of the rupturing of his meridians. His spiritual power going the wrong way, he had become corrupt. Yuan Yongzhi opened his eyes wide in horror. He couldn¡¯t control the blood pouring from his mouth. He couldn¡¯t figure out why he suddenly became corrupt. What¡¯s even more unclear is why Shen Shu fell down. The secret technique was activated and the filthy energy accumulated in the medicine house for many years has been absorbed by Shen Shu. No matter how strong Shen Shu was, he was still only at the Nascent Soul stage. Unless he could get rid of the filthy energy on Shen Shu, no one could hurt him. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t care about Yuan Yongzhi. He hurried forward to check Shen Shu¡¯s condition. With that move just now, he sent Shen Shu¡¯s sword flying, but didn¡¯t hurt Shen Shu. Shen Shu fell by himself. In the dim light, he saw a large swath of blood under Shen Shu. When he hugged Shen Shu, he only saw blood stains on the other party¡¯s clothes. Now that he looked carefully, he found that there was a wound on Shen Shu¡¯s abdomen that was pierced by a long sword. Viscous blood was pouring out from the wound. Was he hurt by that disciple earlier? Ye Yunlan frowned. He didn¡¯t think about whether Shen Shu would attack again and just helped him up. Such wounds needed to be bandaged immediately, otherwise Shen Shu who has lost too much blood would have his life at risk. He untied Shen Shu¡¯s clothes and tore a piece of his clothing to bandage the wound on his abdomen. The boy was pale and thin, with many welts and old wounds on his body. Ye Yunlan looked at it, and his brows became tighter and tighter. He had Shen Shu lean on his shoulders, then putting his hands behind him and using the clothes that had wrapped the wound, he wounded a knot. Turning his face to the side, he saw Shen Shu¡¯s long hair falling down to his cheeks. The back of his pale and slender neck revealed a weird mark. Ye Yunlan saw the mark clearly. His eyes were cold. At the same time, there was a sound of a heavy object falling on the side. It was Yuan Yongzhi who fell to the ground. A faint green bead rolled out of his hand, rolling to Ye Yunlan¡¯s feet. Ye Yunlan picked up the bead. When it came in contact with his hand, it was cold. Ye Yunlan recognized it was a soul refining bead before he even used his spiritual power to penetrate into it. Also seeing the puppet seal earlier, Shen Shu¡¯s identity was already self-evident. Shen Shu was a demonic puppet formed by refining a living person. Refining demonic puppets was a sinister technique within the Demon Sect. The puppets were molded through treasures of heaven and earth, then engraved with forbidden techniques. They were weapons created to help their master fight. However, demon puppets refined in this way have no intelligence and can only be regarded as artifacts. Their strength would be limited by the level of the heavenly materials and treasures used, so they were generally not too high and the things that could be done were limited. Thousands of years ago, the Soul Refining Sect invented the technique of refining living people. This technique was not spread outside. The outside world only knew that one of the steps of this technique was to torture a living person with extremely high talents for hundreds of days so they were in pain and despair. When they bore endless grievances and die, they would impose the forbidden technique to lock the three souls, then refine the corpse. The demon puppet refined in this way would then have spirituality. As long as it could absorb enough filthy energy, it could increase its strength infinitely until the upper limit that the demon puppet itself can support, but it would not have the shackles of a human. Demon puppets refined by using living people are divided into three classes: heaven, earth and human. The more powerful the living person¡¯s root aptitude, the deeper the grievances carried during the refining, the higher the rank of the demon puppet. Even the lowest-level, human-level demon puppet, can have a cultivation base that can reach the stage of transforming into a god. Demon puppets were not living creatures, they would never die. They would completely obey their master¡¯s orders. Therefore, a demon puppet was once a very popular tool in the Demon Sect. Every demon puppet made by the soul refining sect could be sold at a sky-high price. It¡¯s just that the probability of refining a successful demon puppet was terribly low, sometimes even among tens of thousands of people, it may not be possible to refine one. In his previous life, after the soul-refining sect was destroyed by the Demon Lord, this refining method was lost forever. ¡°Give my things¡­return it to me¡­¡± Yuan Yongzhi, who fell on the ground, struggled to speak. His face was twisted and hideous. Ye Yunlan said coldly: ¡°Does anyone from the sect know that you are collaborating with the demon sect privately to refine a demon puppet?¡± Yuan Yongzhi was taken aback, his mind became a little sober. A demon puppet was the most outstanding weapon in the world, but it is a thing of the demon sects. It is a taboo for a person in the Immortal Dao to come into contact with the demon sect. If he was discovered, it would not be as simple as being expelled from the sect. Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s expression turned more and more pale. He changed his words: ¡°These things were done by Liu Qing alone, it has nothing to do with our medicine house disciples¡­ My two Senior Brothers were both caught by Liu Qing when they discovered this. Liu Qing killed them to silence them. Senior Brother, this time I really didn¡¯t lie to you!¡± ¡°You said you didn¡¯t know anything about it?¡± The method of refining living beings was unique to the Soul Refining Sect. Although Liu Qing would rebel from their sect to join the Soul Refining Sect in the future, he was still a member of the Sky Sect. It is impossible to know the method of the Soul Refining Sect to refine the devil puppets¡­unless he was originally an undercover agent sent by the Soul Refining Sect. If so, the Demon sects¡¯ hands were too long. At this moment, Ye Yunlan heard another shrill shout from outside. Liu Qing being corrupted was definitely not pretend. The blood on Shen Shu¡¯s wound oozed out from the bandaged clothes. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to think about these trivial matters anymore. He took out the sound transmission spirit jade He Lanze gave him and briefly explained the matter here. He said indifferently: ¡°I have notified the law enforcement disciples to come, if there is anything that needs to be explained, you can go and speak to the people of the law enforcement hall.¡± Yuan Yongzhi shouted in horror: ¡± No¨C !¡± Ye Yunlan stopped listening, he only looked at the bright red blood on Shen Shu¡¯s wound. A demon puppet refined by that method would have their blood turn black. They would lose their body temperature and heartbeat, they couldn¡¯t be considered a living person. Shen Shu¡¯s blood was bright red, he should be only a semi-finished product. His refining process was not perfect, which means that he is still a person. He gently wiped the blood from Shen Shu¡¯s cheeks with his fingertips, then his spiritual consciousness penetrated the bead. Inside the round bead was a dark space. The space was full of interlaced chains, with a small figure wrapped by the chain in the center. It was Shen Shu. Shen Shu was much younger than he was now. This should be the part of Shen Shu that was forcibly pulled out by the refiner before the refining method began. The soul looked only about six or seven years old, with a pale little face and hollow eyes. It was like a lifeless puppet. If possible, Ye Yunlan wanted to destroy the Soul Refining bead and unlock the restriction. But by doing this, it would destroy a part of Shen Shu¡¯s soul altogether. The refining method of living beings was sinister. Even if the refining has not been completed, Shen Shu¡¯s life was now connected with this soul refining bead. This means that it would be difficult for him to escape being in control of others in this life. He held the Soul Refining bead in his palm. He slowly rubbed his fingertips on it. He was thinking. Suddenly he felt the unconscious teenager move in his arms. When he looked down, he saw Shen Shu¡¯s eyelashes trembling and slowly open. At the moment when he saw Ye Yunlan, a bright light appeared in Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. But immediately, he noticed the dark green bead in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand. The dark pupils contracted. He instinctively reached out to grab the bead, but was avoided by Ye Yunlan. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes darkened. He tilted his head and asked: ¡°Immortal Lord¡­even you want to use me?¡± Use. Shen Shu used this word very naturally. Ye Yunlan frowned subconsciously. He reached out his hand to touch Shen Shu¡¯s head, and explained softly: ¡°Your soul is connected to the soul refining bead. If you destroy it, you will suffer severe injuries, you might even die.¡± Shen Shu tilted his head and looked at him, ¡°Is that really the case?¡± The young man¡¯s tone was very light, he didn¡¯t seem to believe it very much, but he stopped trying to snatch the bead. He just raised his head and nudged his hand, a slight smile appeared on his pale face. He said in a hoarse voice: ¡°Immortal Lord saved me again¡­I¡¯m so happy.¡± Looking at him like this, Ye Yunlan somehow remembered the first time he met him. The other party had stubbornly asked how to repay him. ¡ª¡ªImmortal Lord, tell me, what do you want? ¡ª¡ªWhat can you give me? ¡ª¡ªEverything. I can give Immortal Lord everything. ¡ª¡ªIncluding your life? ¡ª¡ªIncluding my life. The Soul Refining bead in his hand became very heavy. Shen Shu¡¯s injury should not be moved. It will take time for the people from the law enforcement hall to come over. Ye Yunlan was afraid that Shen Shu would pass out again, so he was silent for a while: ¡°Shen Shu, tell me about your past.¡± ¡°My¡­. past?¡± ¡°What happened before you met me? Tell me about your former relatives and friends.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I¡­have no relatives and friends. Before¡­maybe, but I have forgotten it. I only remember, many years ago that night¡­there was a lot of blood. That blood filled the sky and everyone died.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t ask him which night it was, he just listened quietly. ¡°I was taken into the mountains, where¡­ there were many people my age. We were locked in a large wooden shed. Every once in a while¡­ someone would be taken away.¡± ¡°The people who were taken away¡­¡­never came back.¡± ¡°One day, they took me to a cave. In that cave¡­ it was full of bones and poisonous snakes. They broke my limbs, dug up my abdominal cavity and put the bead¡­ inside. They also had snakes crawl on me.¡± Shen Shu said, then suddenly grabbed his shirt, ¡°It hurts, Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan hugged him and whispered: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore, it¡¯s all over.¡± Shen Shu snuggled into Ye Yunlan¡¯s arms. Sniffing the faint and gentle fragrance of this person, he gave a low ¡°en¡±. He paused. A dark color flashed across his eyes, before he continued: ¡°It was Liu Qing¡­ who saved me. He secretly took me and the bead out of the cave.¡± ¡°In the beginning¡­ I was very grateful. But later, I found out that he didn¡¯t treat me as a human being, but as a¡­beast he was raising.¡± ¡°He took me back to Sky Sect. At first¡­for fear of me hurting others, he used a chain to chain me up. Later, I learned to behave, and he let me go.¡± Ye Yunlan listened to Shen Shu quietly, gently stroking Shen Shu¡¯s back. ¡°For so many years, everyone in the medicine house treated me like a beast, only Immortal Lord¡­¡± Shen Shu rubbed his cheek against him, ¡°¡­only Immortal Lord was willing to treat me as a human being. So¡­I, I want to stay with Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s long eyelashes trembled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t able to pick the golden bell flowers for Immortal Lord¡­ but can you reward me in advance?¡± Shen Shu said in a low voice, ¡°Take me back, okay?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, then understood Shen Shu¡¯s meaning. Shen Shu wanted him to take him back with him, then¡­ stay by his side for a long time. The boy¡¯s request was so straightforward. His body was covered with bruises, but he still remembered the flower that he had promised to pick for him. It¡¯s just that from his previous life to now, he had lived alone for decades. He had long forgotten what it felt like to have someone by his side. There was no person who could accompany him in this world forever, everyone would leave in the end. He once told Shen Shu this and at the same time he kept admonishing himself. He was determined to live this life peacefully by himself. It¡¯s just. He hugged Shen Shu. He looked at the old mottled wounds and winding bloodstains on the boy¡¯s body. Some strands of the other party¡¯s soft hair rubbed against his neck, causing it to be slightly itchy. Shen Shu was lonely since he was young and his relatives were all gone. The disciples of the medicine house treated him like a tool. They treated him like an animal. He even stumbles when communicating because he hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time. He should have died in the fire in the secret realm, but was saved by him. Shen Shu lived because of him. Even though he suffered hardship, he was still clean and pure, always obsessed with repaying him back. Even the Soul Refining bead, which controlled the life of his own soul, was handed over to him. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t intend to leave any fetters or concerns in the world. But if it was Shen Shu. If it was just Shen Shu¡­ He closed his eyes and took out the blood-stained golden bell flower from his arm. ¡°The golden bell flower you picked for me, I have received it.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes widened slightly. ¡°I said that I would give you a reward.¡± Ye Yunlan lowered his head and looked at Shen Shu¡¯s bright black eyes. What was reflected in it was his shadow. The other party looked up at him so wholeheartedly and expectantly. He thought that he should respond to this expectation. So he continued: ¡°¡­The reward is, after you get well, I will accept you as a disciple.¡± ¡ª¡ª The enforcement department came quickly. He Lanze led dozens of law enforcement disciples and blasted open the gate of the Medicine House, then followed the direction pointed out by Ye Yunlan to the valley in the mountain. His face was extremely cold and his heart was full of worry and anxiety. When he saw the blood on Ye Yunlan¡¯s body¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but change his face. He ordered the law enforcement disciples to tie up Yuan Yongzhi and Xu Ze, then walked quickly to Ye Yunlan¡¯s side. ¡°Junior Brother, are you hurt?¡± He Lanze asked. ¡°It¡¯s not me who¡¯s injured.¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head. He turned sideways, and allowed He Lanze to see the bleeding, pale boy in his arms. ¡°It¡¯s him. Does Senior Brother have healing medicine?¡± He Lanze frowned. He knelt down, and took out some medicine. He wanted to help the person take it but was stopped by a slender hand. He watched Ye Yunlan pinch the pill and carefully feed it into the boy¡¯s mouth. He didn¡¯t care that his fingertips were stained with fresh water. He couldn¡¯t help asking, ¡°Who is he?¡± ¡°His name is Shen Shu, he is also a disciple of the medicine house. In the secret realm, I saved his life.¡± He Lanze: ¡°He is the disciple you saved in exchange for that serious injury?¡± Ye Yunlan lowered his head to observe Shen Shu¡¯s injury: ¡°Yes.¡± He Lanze looked at Shen Shu. He was suddenly not pleasing to the eye. He was the one who caused Junior Brother Ye to be severely injured by the Divine Fire? Now it was also him who caused Junior Brother Ye to come to the medicine house and into danger? Yet, Junior Brother Ye still held this person in his arms so intimately¡­ His complexion changed: ¡°Junior Brother Ye, you said that someone in the medicine house was in collusion with the demon sect and used a living person to refine a demon puppet. Who was refined into a demon puppet?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°It¡¯s Shen Shu.¡± He Lanze had already guessed it. He frowned deeply at this moment: ¡°A demon puppet is bloodthirsty by nature, it is hard to control, not to mention trying to restrain it¡¯s nature. Junior Brother is weak, how can you be so close¡­¡± ¡°Shen Shu is a human.¡± Ye Yunlan interrupted, ¡°The demon puppet refining technique on him is not complete, it can be reversed.¡± ¡°Junior Brother means to protect him? But, a demon puppet is an evil, fierce thing. Even if it is only a semi-finished product, left alone, I am afraid the elders will not agree.¡± He Lanze said. ¡°Senior Brother,¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was slightly cold, ¡°Shen Shu is just an innocent victim. It is not his fault he was refined into a demon puppet.¡± ¡°Medicine house Liu Qing had long committed this crime as early as when he was in the inner sect. The fault of refining medicine with a living person was only expelling him to the outside. Medicine house disciples Yuan Yongzhi and Xu Ze both helped him to abuse Shen Shu. The former abused Shen Shu, and the latter forced Shen Shu to test medicine and even planned to kill him. Compared to these sc*mbags, what is wrong with Shen Shu?¡± Ye Yunlan has always been indifferent to personnel, it is rare for him to say such a long sentence. He Lanze was silent for a while. Not far away from the place where the disciples of the Law Enforcement were gathered, Yuan Yong Zhi tried to defend himself loudly: ¡°I haven¡¯t done it! Everything in the medicine house was done by Liu Qing! I don¡¯t know anything!¡± Xu Ze slowly came to his senses. Realizing that he had two charges of ¡°testing medicine with a living person¡± and ¡°murdering a member of the same sect¡± on him, his face turned pale. He hurriedly defended: ¡°I didn¡¯t try to kill a member of the same sect, it was Senior Brother Yuan who first tried to kill Junior Brother Shen. I saw Junior brother Shen was injured, so I wanted to take medicine to heal him. I was not forcing Junior Brother Shen to test the medicine for me. Moreover, I absolutely didn¡¯t want to take his life. It was obvious that he stabbed himself with a sword¡ª¡± He stopped suddenly. He didn¡¯t even believe these words, so how could others believe that Shen Shu, that beast, had indeed held his sword and stabbed himself in front of him? He stabbed hard, as if he didn¡¯t know pain at all. When Xu Ze thought of that scene, his blood ran cold. ¡°Xu Ze wanted to take Shen Shu¡¯s life with a sword, I saw it with my own eyes.¡± Ye Yunlan said. He Lanze naturally believed him. He deliberately wanted to ease the rigid atmosphere between the two of them, so he stood up. Raising his voice, he ordered the disciples of the law enforcement court, ¡°Take these two people back and put them in the water jail. They will await the trial in the law enforcement court.¡± Yuan Yongzhi and Xu Ze had no blood on their faces. But Ye Yunlan only felt that these words were familiar ¡­. After he was framed in his previous life, He Lanze also coldly sent him to the water prison to await trial. The water prison is the place where the Sky Sect convicts of serious crimes were held before trial. The water inside was cold to the bones and it sealed one¡¯s spiritual power. After a few days of soaking, his mind almost dissipated. Later, he was convicted and sentenced, and his dantian was abolished. The angry disciples dragged him down the stairs and threw him out in the hot sun. Rong Ran used a carving knife to vent on his face. His eyelashes were covered with blood, and he couldn¡¯t see the way forward, he could only crawl on the ground little by little. He was in a desperate situation and thought he would die there. Die outside the sect where he had lived for more than 20 years. No one cared. Quietly he would fade. When he crawled, he inadvertently grabbed the hem of a person¡¯s robe. The material was soft. His five fingers were trembling and he clenched it, ¡°Help¡­I¡­¡± The man paused and squatted down. A slender and strong hand lifted him from the ground. ¡°How pitiful.¡± A low male voice brushed his ears, it was very pleasant, ¡°You¡¯re hurt like this, but you still want to live?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­want.¡± ¡°If I save you, how can you repay me?¡± the man said. ¡°Anything¡­¡± The man laughed, ¡°I¡¯m just teasing, I don¡¯t need anything in return. But you have to remember the name of the person who saved you, I¡¯m called¨C¡° ¡­¡­Chen Weiyuan. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and tried his best to leave the name behind. He looked down at the boy in his arms. He Lanze¡¯s pill was very effective, the wounds on Shen Shu¡¯s body no longer bled, and his complexion improved a lot. The past was over. Reliving a lifetime, he can see his future. He should live his peaceful life, he won¡¯t have anything to do with anyone anymore. Shen Shu was the exception. But this exception was the only one. He Lanze sent someone to open the house where Liu Qing was detained and Liu Qing rushed out with a crazy look. He was arrested by He Lanze and the other law enforcement disciples who had already expected it. It was the first time that Ye Yunlan saw Liu Qing¡¯s true face that was usually covered by the black robe in his previous life, but he only glanced at it briefly. He lowered his head and touched Shen Shu¡¯s cheek with his fingers. The softness of his cheeks made his heart soft, he couldn¡¯t help but whisper. ¡°Get better quickly.¡± ¡ª¡ª Liu Qing¡¯s matters set off a firestorm in the sect. Using living people to refine medicine without authorization and colluding with the demon sect was taboo. All the disciples of the medicine house were picked off. The minor crimes resulted in direct expulsion from the sect, while the more serious ones, such as Yuan Yongzhi and Xu Ze, had their cultivation abolished and were stripped of all their wealth and tools before being expelled. Only the punishment for Liu Qing had been delayed. ¡°Some elders in the inner sect are protecting Liu Qing,¡± He Lanze said when visiting him. ¡°Although the reason is that Liu Qing has lost his mind and it would be wrong to kick him out of the sect, in fact, it is only because of Liu Qing¡¯s returning god pill. They don¡¯t know where it was taken. Until they find it, the elders will not expel Liu Qing from the sect.¡± ¡°As for the demon puppet, I have kept a portion of it a secret for you.¡± He Lanze said, ¡°We found evidence in Liu Qing¡¯s cave that he studied demonic magic, which proved that he had already rebelled against the sect. This matter cannot be faked. As for the rest, we¡­don¡¯t know anything.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, then said: ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°No need to thank me.¡± He Lanze said, ¡°I know that Junior Brother doesn¡¯t like trouble, so if some things can be avoided, they should be avoided. As far as I know, there is an elder in the inner sect who has coveted the demon puppets refined by the soul refining sect for a long time. He had always wanted to refine the puppet for the immortal sect. If Shen Shu¡¯s matter was known to him, I am afraid that even I would not be able to protect him. But the method of refining living people, no matter how you see it, it is a sin in the end. I¡­actually don¡¯t want the innocent to suffer.¡± This was his response for when Ye Yunlan criticized him. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother.¡± He Lanze¡¯s complexion melted. He stared at Ye Yunlan¡¯s face and whispered: ¡°Junior Brother, aren¡¯t you going to invite me in for a cup of tea?¡± The other party just helped him a lot, so Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t refuse him: ¡°Senior Brother, please come in.¡± The wind chime at the door made a crisp sound. Going around the bamboo screen, there was a wooden floor one step higher, with a low table in the middle. The two sat opposite each other at the low table. Ye Yunlan set about making tea. When he was making tea, his eyebrows were drooping and he was silent. The rising smoke enveloped his face, showing a little gentleness. He Lanze looked at him. He felt a sense of peace. He was born enthusiastic about the sword dao. He was clean, and he pursued the principle of respecting the strong. In his mind, only by reaching the summit can he achieve a happiness of a lifetime. But when he was sitting opposite Ye Yunlan at this moment, he felt that if he could accompany him hand in hand in this life, then even if he retired and became a mortal, a hundred years of his life would seem to be complete. He picked up the tea cup that Ye Yunlan handed over. He took a sip and felt that his mouth was slightly bitter, but the aftertaste was sweet. What came to mind when drinking tea was Ye Yunlan¡¯s white wrist that made the tea. He couldn¡¯t help sighing, ¡°Good tea.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Senior Brother is exaggerating. This tea is just ordinary Junshan silver needle, not some great spiritual tea.¡± He Lanze smiled, ¡°As long as it is made by Junior Brother himself, it is good tea.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. When He Lanze finally got up, he had already drunk three pots of tea. This made Ye Yunlan wonder whether this person was a tea craze in his previous life. He Lanze was sent away. When he turned back, he saw Shen Shu quietly standing at the door of the bedroom, standing there watching him. The other party¡¯s worn-out clothes were no longer usable. What Shen Shu was wearing right now was the clothes he wore when he was young. The boy¡¯s hair was hanging down. Dressed in white, his thin and tall figure was quite similar to that of his youth, but his temperament was completely different. Especially when those narrow eyes looked over. They would only remind people of wild, untamable creatures such as wild wolves, hawks, and falcons. Shen Shu was more suited for wearing black Ye Yunlan thought. He walked over and saw that Shen Shu was staring at him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Immortal Lord, my injury is healed.¡± Shen Shu said. Ye Yunlan paused, remembering what he had promised Shen Shu. He looked at Shen Shu¡¯s complexion. He saw that it was indeed much better than the previous few days: ¡°Go and help me pour a cup of tea.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up and he did as he was told. Ye Yunlan walked into the study, took out the carved wooden sword from the case, and placed it in his hand for a closer look. He paused for a moment with his eyes on the character ¡°Shu¡±. Then, he took the carving knife, and added a line of small characters beside it. ¡°Gift to my disciple.¡± As soon as he finished carving, Shen Shu walked in with his tea. Without hesitation, he walked directly to Ye Yunlan and knelt down. He held the cup of tea in both his hands, ¡°Please accept me as a disciple.¡± The words were very smooth, he was unsure how many times he must have practiced secretly. ¡°You are very clever.¡± Ye Yunlan smiled. He took the tea in Shen Shu¡¯s hand, took a sip, and gently exhaled: ¡°Get up.¡± Shen Shu stood up, blinked at him, and couldn¡¯t look more well behaved. Ye Yunlan handed him the wooden sword in his hand. ¡°This sword is for you to practice sword everyday. When you are successful in sword practice, I will find a suitable natal spirit sword for you.¡± Shen Shu took the wooden sword and held it in his hand, fondling it admiringly. He quickly noticed the words engraved on the sword. He raised his head and said, ¡°Is this what the Immortal Lord did for me personally?¡± The straightforward and warm eyes of the young man made Ye Yunlan want to turn his head to avoid him, but this time he restrained himself, to the point that he made direct eye contact. He said: ¡°Shen Shu, you should call me Master.¡± Shen Shu was taken aback, bright light streamed through his eyes. Sunlight came in from outside the window. The young man looked up at him, and shouted: ¡°Master.¡± Ye Yunlan was in a trance. He has never accepted a disciple in his life. But for some reason, he felt that he had traveled back hundreds of years and lived a lifetime, all for this call of ¡°Master¡±. CH 14 * cutting off the extra candle wick to maintain bright lighting ¡°There are nine realms to cultivation. Six as mortal and three when you transcend into an immortal.¡± ¡°The six realms as a mortal consists of qi refining, foundation establishment, golden core, nascent soul, demi-god, and ascension.¡± ¡°The three realms as immortal are transcendence, void tracing, and immortal ascension.¡± Taking into account Shen Shu¡¯s situation, Ye Yunlan decided to start with the most basic knowledge in the cultivation world. He had a lot of patience towards his only apprentice in his past and present life. What Shen Shu had missed out on and never been taught, he would fill in for the other party. The boy¡¯s eyes brightened when he heard this, and he asked curiously: ¡°Is there really a real immortal in this world?¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. This question, there¡¯s probably no one in the world who could give an accurate answer. In the tens of thousands of years recorded in human history books, there were only a handful who reached the void tracing realm, each a brilliant existence in their era. ¡­But nearly all fell under the tribulation of Immortality. The reason for saying ¡®nearly all¡¯ is because there was once a phoenix monster lord that went missing in their Immortal Tribulation, they did not leave bones like the rest. Many people have speculated that it had become a celestial being and have left. However, at that time no one saw the gate of the celestial world open. In the past three thousand years, in the world, there hasn¡¯t appeared a person exceeding the void tracing realm. So, are there really immortals in this world? More than one person has asked this question. Never aging and ascending to immortality was a dream pursued by countless practitioners. Ye Yunlan may be the only person in the world who knew the answer. However, he was silent for a while: ¡°Shen Shu, what do you think is an immortal?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Exceptionally talented, in control of the universe, that¡¯s an¡­ immortal?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°That¡¯s wrong. Only mortals would want to be exceptional and control the universe. But immortals won¡¯t.¡± There was a slight indifferent look in his eyes, ¡°¡­because immortals and humans are two completely different things. ¡° Shen Shu blinked, a little puzzled. Ye Yunlan did not continue to explain. Suddenly, ¡°Shen Shu, tell me, why do you want to cultivate?¡± Shen Shu thought for a while, and said straightforwardly: ¡°I want to gain power.¡± Ye Yunlan did not express an opinion. ¡°If it¡¯s just for power ¨C you already have power that can be easily controlled,¡± he said, ¡°Why continue to practice?¡± Shen Shu wanted to speak, but Ye Yunlan stopped him, ¡°Think clearly before answering, this is very important to you.¡± Shen Shu is a semi-finished product of a demon puppet. Even though it was only a semi-finished product, a demon puppet¡¯s ability to become stronger as long as it absorbs the world¡¯s filthy energy still remains in him. Relying on this method to become stronger, when more filthy energy is absorbed, the deeper the transformation will be into becoming a demon puppet¡­ until it is irreversible. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want Shen Shu to do that. Yuan Yongzhi had already activated the Qi Gathering Secret Method once, so Shen Shu had the power of a demon puppet in his body. If he wanted to return to the right way to cultivate, Ye Yunlan must first guide Shen Shu to give up this power. However, Shen Shu has suffered too much, it is inevitable that he would be obsessed with power. The guidance process may be very difficult, so he could not help frowning. After thinking about it, Shen Shu answered. ¡°I want power because¡­I want to use my power to protect Master.¡± ¡°That kind of power¡­ can¡¯t protect Master, I don¡¯t want it.¡± Ye Yunlan froze for a while, then whispered: ¡°You can¡¯t even protect yourself, why would your Master need your protection¡­¡± Even so, his frowning brows slowly loosened. It is a good thing that Shen Shu was not nostalgic for the power of the demon puppet. However, how he could get rid of the filthy energy in Shen Shu¡¯s body was still a difficult problem. When he was thinking deeply, his hand stroked the back of Shen Shu¡¯s head unconsciously. His hand was on top of the puppet mark on the back of the other party¡¯s neck, rubbing it again and again. Shen Shu didn¡¯t say a word, but leaned into his arms with his face pressed against his chest. Ye Yunlan liked to read papers and he would never forget them once read. There were a shocking number of secret methods in his mind. It was a little troublesome to sort them out to search for them. Most of this knowledge came from his previous life in the demon palace. After the Demon Lord allowed him to walk freely in the Demon Palace, the place he went to the most often was the library. In the library, there were magic techniques and original ancient books collected by the Demon Lord from various sects. He was fascinated by it and often forgot the time. Until he was hugged from behind. ¡°Senior Immortal, do you really like reading books that much?¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s chest was pressed against his back and his tone was deep, ¡°You are actually even ignoring the call of this Lord?¡± He was already familiar with this person¡¯s temperament. Knowing that outsiders were not there and this person still claimed to be his ¡°Lord¡± showed that he was a little angry. ¡°Lord.¡± He whispered. The Demon Lord snorted softly. He bit his earlobe and asked, ¡°Tell this Lord, does reading books please you more, or does this Lord please you more?¡± Him: ¡°¡­reading is different.¡± The Demon Lord did not intend to stop there. He continued to ask: ¡°How is it different?¡± He pursed his lips and his long eyelashes drooped. He said nothing. ¡°Heh.¡± The Demon Lord snorted, ¡°Everyone has their own hobbies, this Lord is not unreasonable. It just so happens that you like to read books and this Lord likes to listen to books.¡± ¡°Bring the book Yin Yang Scripture from the bookshelf over there and read it to me.¡± The bookshelf that the Demon Lord pointed to was the only one he hadn¡¯t touched in the library. Just because the bookshelf is full of¡­dual cultivation techniques. He took down the scripture that the Demon Lord mentioned. After only one glance, he felt hot on his face. ¡­¡­There were actually pictures. ¡°Don¡¯t try to slack off.¡± The Demon Lord seemed to have guessed his thoughts, ¡°All the contents in the book must be read carefully as a punishment for ignoring the call of this Lord today.¡± He had no choice but to read. His voice was low and trembling. The body temperature of the person behind him was hot. Some dark things spread to his heels. He was holding the book, his pale fingertips trembling, then suddenly he couldn¡¯t help but yell: ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± The Demon Lord let out an ¡°Oh¡±, then let go of him. He sat on the sandalwood armchair next to him: ¡°Keep reading. I know that Senior Immortal has a good memory. Once you read it once, you can remember it all.¡± The lights in the library were dim. The Demon Lord was sitting there with his head on one hand wearing his sinister ghost mask, as he watched Ye Yunlan holding the bookshelf while finishing reading the book. ¡°Senior Immortal, have you learned the new technique?¡± He suddenly spoke, then patted his legs, ¡°¡­Come and sit down, let¡¯s try.¡± The library was dimly lit, and the candlelight was shaking. He sat on the Demon Lord¡¯s lap, holding the Demon Lord¡¯s shoulders. Sweat condensed on his temples. He leaned his head and saw the shadows on the wall. After decades in the Demon palace, he had read all the books in the library. Including the books on the shelf that he usually would never touch. There were many ways to get rid of the filthy energy. Ye Yunlan selected several suitable ones for Shen Shu from his memory. Before teaching the other party, he remembered one more thing. ¡°The road to practice is arduous and long,¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°If you can really control your mind and use your own efforts to cultivate to the Nascent Soul Stage, then I will return the Soul Refining Bead to you.¡± Referring to the Soul Refining Bead, there was a dark color in Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. He was silent for a while, then said: ¡°It doesn¡¯t¡­ actually it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°As long as you hold the Soul Refining Bead, I will never defy any of your orders. I will never¡­ hurt you.¡± He raised his head, a little smile on his pale and gloomy face. His voice was a little unspeakable. ¡°Master, I am yours, my everything¡­ is at your disposal.¡± ¡°Shen Shu,¡± Ye Yunlan said seriously, staring at the young man, ¡°You have to understand, we are now Master and disciple. Between Master and disciple, there is never a relationship of being controlled and controlling.¡± ¡°You can learn to rely on me without any cost.¡± He paused and added, ¡°Occasionally, it doesn¡¯t even matter if you are a bit headstrong and throw a tantrum.¡± Shen Shu fixedly looked at him, then lowered his eyes, ¡°Master treats me¡­so well.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t know whether he understood or not. He sighed lightly in his heart, after all, Shen Shu was too deeply affected by his past experience. It is necessary to help Shen Shu get rid of the shackles of the demon puppet as soon as possible, and free Shen Shu from the part of him trapped in the Soul Refining Bead. In his memory, there was actually a way to lift the restriction on refining soul beads, but he lacked precious medicinal materials. That medicinal material was only found in the ancient ruins, but now it was still seven years away from the opening of the ancient secret realm. He had no way to tell Shen Shu in advance to give him vain hope. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were dark. The top priority now was to help Shen Shu get rid of the filthy energy in his body and lead him to the right path. ¡°Shen Shu,¡± he said, ¡°I will teach you a breathing technique. Long-term practice can get rid of the filthy energy in your body.¡± He walked to the bookcase, took out a piece of paper, and wrote the method from his memory. Then, he handed it to Shen Shu. ¡°Read it first, then ask me if you don¡¯t understand.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t take it. ¡°What?¡± Ye Yunlan asked, raising his eyes. Shen Shu was silent for a while before he whispered, ¡°Can Master read it to me first?¡± Ye Yunlan pondered for a moment. He was negligent. Shen Shu growing up in such an environment, how could he be literate? ¡°Come here.¡± He whispered. Shen Shu obediently walked to him. ¡°Sit on my lap,¡± he said. Shen Shu was taken aback. A little red appeared on the tips of his ears, but Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t notice it. He only said, ¡°Every morning from now on, follow me to learn to write letters for four hours.¡± ¡°¡­Yes, Master.¡± Shen Shu sat on Ye Yunlan¡¯s lap. The breath of the other party encircled him and their chest was pressed against his back, making him restless. The cold voice of the other party rang in his ears. ¡°Do you know how to write your own name?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°My name, is¡­Is it like this?¡± He held the pen and wrote a ¡°Shu¡± on the paper. It looked a bit decent, but he was holding the pen in the wrong position, and the order of the strokes were completely wrong. It was not like writing, on the contrary, it seemed like he was¡­drawing in a casual manner. Ye Yunlan glanced at the wooden sword on the side of the table, understanding something. ¡°You are really clever.¡± He said, holding Shen Shu¡¯s wrist and adjusting his pen holding position, leading him to slowly write his name. ¡°This word is Shen. This word is Shu. Shen is your surname, and Shu is your name. This is your name.¡± At the moment when he was held by that pale, slender, jade-like hand, Shen Shu froze. Even the shadows under his feet were distorted for a moment. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t notice that he was strange, and led him to finish writing, then asked him: ¡°Do you know how to write it now?¡± Shen Shu was silent for a while, then shook his head. Ye Yunlan patiently taught him again. This time, Shen Shu didn¡¯t lose his focus. Soon he was able to write his name smoothly. Seeing that he had learned it, Ye Yunlan wanted to teach him the chant on the paper, but he heard Shen Shu say: ¡°I want to¡­learn the name of master.¡± He was slightly taken aback, a little softness appeared in his eyes. He took Shen Shu¡¯s hand to write the three words Ye Yunlan. ¡°Master¡¯s name¡­ it looks really nice.¡± Shen Shu said hoarsely. Ye Yunlan laughed: ¡°It¡¯s just a name, there¡¯s nothing good or bad about it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty.¡± Shen Shu stubbornly said, ¡°Is Master¡¯s name given by Master¡¯s family?¡± Ye Yunlan looked faded. ¡°¡­I have no family.¡± When he said this a vague and long figure appeared in his mind. That person was actually not similar to him. His appearance followed his mother¡¯s, but that person¡¯s appearance followed his father¡¯s. He was extremely handsome and stern. That man was born with dazzling brilliance and was regarded as the young master by the whole family. Yet, after he was born, he didn¡¯t even have a name. Later, he had all his blood and power taken away, given to that man as a sacrifice. This caused his eyes to go blind. But the man only condescendingly looked down on him and ordered the people to exile him to the mountains and the forests. Shen Shu: ¡°Master?¡± Ye Yunlan quickly returned to his senses and skipped this topic. ¡°It¡¯s getting late, I¡¯ll teach you the chant on the paper.¡± He held the young man¡¯s hand, ¡°study it carefully.¡± ¡ª¡ª At night, the lights rustled in the air. Ye Yunlan sat reading under the lamp. The candlelight flickered, and the fire made a crackling sound. He usually liked to read books about spiritual cultivation, but today was different. Ye Yunlan looked down at the contents of the scroll. ¡°Teachers, to dispel doubts in giving moral and practical instructions. Students who are young and active have uncertain dispositions and may not walk the right path. Teachers should not be lazy nor strict. Strict, but neither angry nor harsh, nor lazy. Not lazy and dedication, it will be fruitful¡­[Note 1]¡± He pondered for a moment, lifted his pen, then left a note next to the page. The burning candle made a crackling sound. The candlelight slowly became dim without him noticing. Most of the pages were turned over, and every page on it was smeared with ink marks. The handwriting in front of him suddenly became a little fuzzy. Ye Yunlan stretched out his hand and rubbed the center of his eyebrows. He heard soft footsteps from outside. Shen Shu walked in, his hair was still moist. It was obvious that he had just finished taking a bath, ¡°Master, I have already heated the hot water for you.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°En. I¡¯ll finish reading this paragraph.¡± Shen Shu stopped talking. He looked at the dim light in the room, took the candlue cutter, walked to him, and leaned over to cut off the excess wick. The two of them were staggered, and their shadows overlapped, forming a ball on the wall. The light became bright again, reflecting Ye Yunlan¡¯s calm profile. Shen Shu took the paper with the chant written on it. He sat on the chair on the side to look. Time passed quietly. ¡°Master, I just tried the technique you taught me to breathe and I can already do it smoothly!¡± Shen Shu suddenly said. He had a brisk tone, like a child sharing his joy. Ye Yunlan looked away from the book. It was rare for him to experience a bit of joy from it. Perhaps this is what it feels like to be a teacher he thought. ¡°You did a good job.¡± His eyes were very soft under the light, ¡°It¡¯s late, go and rest.¡± ¡°Master told me to rest, but Master is still reading.¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°The hot water is going to be cold.¡± Ye Yunlan whispered: ¡°You go back to the room first, don¡¯t wait for me.¡± Since Shen Shu was injured, he has been living in his house. In the bamboo building, Ye Yunlan lived alone, there were no other people. He had to take care of Shen Shu¡¯s injuries, so he simply let Shen Shu live with him. Shen Shu: ¡°If Master doesn¡¯t come, I won¡¯t sleep.¡± Ye Yunlan said helplessly: ¡°You¡­¡± A little indulgence was slowly revealed between his brows. He finally put down the scroll in his hand, got up and walked out of the study. The opened book lay quietly on the table, stopping on one of the pages. ¡°To be a teacher, you need to uphold a heart of benevolence toward your disciple. The benevolent is also virtuous, the lover is also compassionate, the master is also the father, the disciple, the son. [Note 2] ¡­ A day as a teacher, a lifetime as a father for the master. CH 15 The steam evaporated. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and leaned on the tub, as if all the exhaustion accumulated in the day has dissolved in this pool of hot water. He was drowsy. Only thinking about Shen Shu who was still waiting for him in the room, did he barely lift his eyelids up. His lowered eyes saw his hair on the surface of the water like black algae. It reflected a face that had been tainted with heat. He looked like his mother. This face was really similar to his mother. Countless times, Ye Yunlan hoped that he didn¡¯t have the ability to remember. In this way, he would no longer be entangled by those complicated nightmares for such a long time. Those memories that he had finally suppressed would no longer be triggered by casual words of others. Familiar scenes that he occasionally sees would no longer make those nightmares all become clear again in his eyes, lingering. He watched the inverted figure in the water, then he stretched out his hand to disperse the water. He got up and walked out of the tub. He dried his long hair with a bath towel, and returned to the bedroom with good clothes. A faint candle was lit in the room. He stepped lightly. Before he reached the bed, he saw the boy poking his head out of the bed and blinking at him. His heart softened, and the anxieties accumulated in his chest became much less. ¡°Have you waited for a long time?¡± Ye Yunlan asked softly. ¡°No.¡± Shen Shu still looked very energetic, ¡°Master is not here, so I can¡¯t sleep. I was just practicing¡­ the chant given to me by the Immortal Lord.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were soft, but his mouth slightly rebuked, ¡°You are at the age of growth, if you do not get enough rest, beware that you won¡¯t be able to grow tall in the future. You might regret it later.¡± ¡°¡­but if I¡¯m too tall, I can¡¯t rest in the arms of Master.¡± Shen Shu seriously said, ¡°This way. ¡­¡­is fine.¡± ¡°Nonsense.¡± Ye Yunlan tapped his forehead with his finger, ¡°If you meet someone you like in the future, would you want to nestle in the arms of that girl and ask them to spoil you and indulge you? Instead, shouldn¡¯t you hold her and protect her?¡± Shen Shu pursed his mouth and said dully : ¡°I don¡¯t want a girl, I just want Master.¡± Ye Yunlan laughed helplessly, ¡°I forgot, at your age, you still don¡¯t understand this. You¡¯ll understand when you grow up. In this world of love, how can you refuse it and say you don¡¯t want it.¡± He stopped mentioning it. He sat on the side of the bed and rubbed the boy¡¯s head, ¡°Hurry up and go to sleep. Master¡­ will be here.¡± Shen Shu rubbed against his hand and closed his eyes obediently. He lowered his eyes to stare at Shen Shu for a moment. Seeing that the boy was really asleep, then did he take out his queying sword by the head of the bed. He put it on his lap, and began to wipe it slowly. Wiping the sword was his daily homework. Taking care of a sword was a sword cultivator¡¯s life. He must communicate with it frequently. Even if Ye Yunlan had mastered his sword dao to great success, he couldn¡¯t leave out this little effort. After wiping the sword, the boy was already in deep sleep. He was lying on his back, very quiet. Moonlight came in through the window, and the sea of ??flowers swayed outside the window. Before his rebirth, Ye Yunlan would never have thought that in this life he would still be able to get along with people at such a close distance, even¡­sleeping together. It doesn¡¯t feel that bad. After the bath, his slightly damp hair was already dry. He slowly retracted the sword into its sheath, then lay sideways on the bed, moving very lightly. Since the injury, he had always been very tired and lethargic. After a while, he fell into a dream. There was a faint cicada cry outside the window. The house was quiet and peaceful. Shen Shu, who should have fallen asleep, slowly opened his eyes. He turned his head and looked at the sleeping face of the person beside him. In the past few days, he has already discovered that when this person was asleep, his eyebrows were always frowning. He would toss and turn, as if he was always entangled by nightmares. He couldn¡¯t help but want to reach out to smooth his frown. But he didn¡¯t dare to stretch out his hand for fear of awakening the other party. He could only slowly trace this person¡¯s face with his eyes. After tracing it several times, it was still not enough, so he raised his head with his elbow and began to count the other¡¯s eyelashes one by one. Usually, he would never dare to look at him this presumptuously, lest he expose what he hid in front of this person. Only after nightfall would his suppressed mood be slightly indulged. Twisted black shadows spread from the ground, climbing on the bed frame of the carved bed, shaking and swaying with Shen Shu¡¯s breath. His eyes darkened. He thought: this person was usually cold and lonely, like a lotus blooming silently on a distant mountain. Even if his body was stained with blood, he would still appear noble and taintless, withdrawn from worldly affairs. ¡­But he was calculative and deliberately poured out lies. He did not tell the truth about many things. The most important one was his physique. That person only knew that he was a semi-finished demon puppet and that there was still an opportunity to reverse it. What he did not know was that he was not only a demon puppet, but also a natural¡­monster. The shadow on the bed frame squirmed frantically. If this person knew the truth, would he still treat him like this? Probably not, he thought. Master. He whispered this word and moved closer. He lowered his head to sniff the cold and gentle fragrance of the other person¡¯s body. Master. He chanted again from the bottom of his heart, then his pale face slowly showed a full smile. ¡ª¡ª Morning dawn. In the open space in front of the bamboo building, Ye Yunlan was teaching Shen Shu the sword. The filthy energy in Shen Shu¡¯s body has not been removed, so he couldn¡¯t practice shifting his qi yet. But, if he only learned the sword, it wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Sword Dao has five realms, namely qi release, solidified intent, great success, inferior immortalization, and immortalization.¡± Ye Yunlan recounted. ¡°Master,¡± Shen Shu questioned, ¡°You told me before¡­there are nine realms in cultivation, and now you say that there are five realms in sword dao. I don¡¯t understand. The realm of cultivation and the realm of sword dao, which is¡­ more important?¡± ¡°Practicing the nine realms represents the process of cultivating the cultivator between the heavens and the earth and detaching himself from the mortals. The five realms of sword dao represent the depth of the cultivator¡¯s understanding of sword.¡± ¡°If you ask which one is more important¡­.¡± Ye Yunlan said lightly, ¡°Cultivation is the foundation of everything. A mortal body is just a hundred-year-old skin bag without tempering. However, if you want to shed a mortal¡¯s flesh body and ascend to become an immortal, it is not enough to just accumulate cultivation.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s look was still a little confused. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an example.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°Sky Sect Sect Master Qiyun Jun¡­ is now in the transcendence realm. Before he reaches the transcendence realm, his sword dao must first reach immortalization, otherwise, he will not be able to smoothly go through his mortal catastrophe.¡± Shen Shu then realized: ¡°I understand.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°That¡¯s good if you understand. Now, let me see your sword.¡± Shen Shu nodded and did as he said. Ye Yunlan was watching. He had already experienced Shen Shu¡¯s sword as early as in the medicine house, but the light was dim at that time. Now seeing it closer, he saw more problems. Even though Shen Shu¡¯s movements were swift and powerful, he really hadn¡¯t held a sword before. ¡°When cultivating the sword and holding it, it requires tranquility and concentration. Imagine that the arm and the sword are connected, and the heart and the sword are one. This is an introduction to sword dao.¡± ¡°When holding the sword, the web between the thumb and forefinger of a hand needs to be on the edge of the sword, with five fingers tightened, and clasped on the hilt¡­ like this.¡± Ye Yunlan walked behind Shen Shu. He leaned over to hold his hand, and carefully adjusted his posture. Shen Shu stiffened slightly, ¡°Master¡­¡± Ye Yunlan was leading his five fingers to fasten the hilt of the sword, and turned his head to look at him, ¡°What.¡± The face that had the complexion of untouched snow was in front of him. The distance was only half an inch. His skin was immersed in the morning light. He was almost glowing. His long eyelashes were thick and fluttering. ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Shen Shu said dumbly, ¡°I just want to¡­ know when I will be able to have skills like master¡¯s excellent swordsmanship.¡± ¡°Sword dao is mainly in hardwork, then secondly in enlightenment.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°When I just started learning the sword, I swung the sword ten thousand times a day without feeling it was hard work. You can start from there.¡± As for enlightenment, he couldn¡¯t teach Shen Shu. His sword dao had been completely destroyed once. According to common sense, he would never make an inch of improvement in sword dao in his life. The reason why he was able to follow the death nirvana dao was because he had suffered hundreds of years of hardship. Suffering in the Buddha Pagoda, he finally realized it in his endless pain. ¡­.Later, he finally succeeded in sword dao to the great success realm. But it was after that man died. He was scorned and feared by the world throughout his life. Even though his swordsmanship was respected, he was always alone. Shen Shu was young. He shouldn¡¯t follow him on that path. After hearing his words, the young man said without hesitation: ¡°Okay.¡± Knowing his stubborn temperament, Ye Yunlan could not help but remind him, ¡°It is not easy to wield the sword ten thousand times. At the beginning, you can start with three thousand times a day, then accumulate more little by little. Adapt slowly.¡± Shen Shu nodded earnestly. Ye Yunlan added: ¡°The foundation of swordsmanship is basic movements such as stabs, chops, slashes, and swipes. If you can find the most accommodating power when you draw your sword during your continuous sword exercises, then you can be considered to have a solid foundation for swordsmanship. Look at me.¡± He drew out his queying sword and held it in his hand. He stabbed it diagonally in the air. The robes of his clothes fluttered. The narrow and indifferent eyes of his revealed a hidden force. The blood-red tear at the end of his eyes leaped like flames. Stab, chop, slash, and swipe, the queying sword seemed to lose weight in his hands. It was obviously the most simple and unpretentious sword technique, but it was completely flawless. When the wind blew, countless petals fluttered around him. When the dust returned to earth, it separated into two neat sections. While using the sword, Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold voice sounded. ¡°When the long sword is pierced forwards, the wrist does not move. The arm exerts strength and the heart is combined with the sword. Qi moves at will; when it is slashed vertically, the elbow is raised. When the qi intent is frozen¡­¡± He was explaining the main points, then frowned. He retracted the sword back into the sheath and said to Shen Shu: ¡°Wait here for a while to digest everything I said. I will be back soon.¡± Shen Shu slowly recovered his senses and said in a low voice: ¡°En.¡± Ye Yunlan turned and walked straight through the sea of ??flowers and walked into the bamboo forest. He had already noticed that there was someone in the bamboo forest, but he didn¡¯t bother to pay attention to them. However, when he used the sword, their gaze was too heated to be ignored. Ye Yunlan could think of only one person who would come to his remote residence. Rong Ran. He furrowed his eyebrows and held the queying sword in his hand. Suddenly, he heard a voice from the bamboo forest in front of him. ¡°There are beautiful women dancing in the distance. It is suspected that Luoshen has landed on earth. Fortunately, I had an encounter and now my heart and soul are eager to be immortal¡­¡± (Luoshen = goddess of the river known for her utmost beauty and tenderness) Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± Being able to recite such greasy poems, it shouldn¡¯t be Rong Ran. He stepped over and saw a young man in a brown cloth robe hidden by the bamboo leaves, squatting on the ground. He did not know what he was doing. This person should be the source of that hot gaze just now. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ye Yunlan asked. Chen Xianyu was taken aback. He raised his head to look at Ye Yunlan, his expression was stunned. He said blankly: ¡°Luo Shen¡­¡± ¡°Luo Shen?¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. ¡°Luo, no, that¡¯s not right, Junior Brother Ye¡­I, I was painting just now.¡± Chen Xianyu stammered a little. ¡°Painting?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was still cold. ¡°Yes, painting, I¡¯m painting¡­¡± Chen Xianyu looked around, ¡°Bamboo! I¡¯m painting the bamboo here!¡± Ye Yunlan looked at Chen Xianyu expressionlessly. He remembered that he had seen this person at Wendao slope. He had also helped him pick up his picture book. He didn¡¯t look at him carefully at the time, but now he realized that this person was quite familiar. ¡ª¡ªSimilar to someone he didn¡¯t want to meet again in this life. His tone couldn¡¯t help being more indifferent, ¡°Since you are just painting bamboo, why are you sneaking around here?¡± Chen Xianyu faltered. Ye Yunlan: ¡°This place is not far from where I live. I am a sword cultivator. I don¡¯t like to be disturbed by other people when I practice my sword. This bamboo forest is very vast. Can I bother you to find another place to paint?¡± Chen Xianyu frowned upon hearing this. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, although there are many bamboos in this bamboo forest, there is only one phoenix bamboo with such a beautiful posture. It teaches people to forget the vulgarity of life. If I go elsewhere, how can I find such a bamboo to paint?¡± Phoenix Bamboo is the sacred product of bamboo. But it was already extinct ten thousand years ago. This person was obviously talking nonsense. ¡°Where is the green-tailed phoenix bamboo in this green bamboo forest?¡± Ye Yunlan said coldly. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, can¡¯t you hear it?¡± Chen Xianyu¡¯s face was slightly red. He decided to break the jar (reveal the truth), ¡°What I originally painted was not the bamboo, but¡­but you, Junior Brother Ye.¡± ¡°Since I saw you at WenDao slope that day, I have not forgotten Junior Brother. I waited here for many days before I saw you come out, so I couldn¡¯t help but paint a portrait of you.¡± ¡°My name is Chen Xianyu. My nickname is ¡®painting craze. I often paint for Senior Brothers and Sisters, I¡¯m not¡­not a sneaky person.¡± Speaking of painting, Chen Xianyu spoke more fluently, ¡°Junior Brother, do you know Xu Qingyue, the first beauty in the cultivation world? Back then, he was famous for his Yaotai sword dance. I always thought that no one in the world could surpass it, until today, I saw Junior Brother use a sword and I knew I was wrong.¡± ¡°If Junior Brother can let me paint a complete picture of you, when your portraits spread, I am afraid that the name of the first beauty in the cultivation world will change hands. There will be countless people who will become crazy for you¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave any portraits in the world.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s words were like a bucket of ice water that woke up Chen Xianyu. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s meaningless.¡± Ye Yunlan said indifferently. Chen Xianyu: ¡°How can it be meaningless? Being in the world, who doesn¡¯t want to leave a trace of themselves. In this way, living in this world would not be in vain¡­¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Chen Xianyu still wanted to try to persuade him. Ye Yunlan only said: ¡°Brother Chen, please go back.¡± Chen Xianyu saw the fed up appearance of the person in front of him. He knew that he had completely annoyed the beauty and no amount of persuasion could be achieved. He wrinkled his face bitterly. But if such a beauty can¡¯t be included in his book of beauty, he was afraid he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep peacefully in this life. When Ye Yunlan returned to the bamboo house, he saw Shen Shu making gestures with a wooden sword. ¡°What did Master do?¡± Shen Shu asked curiously when he came back. Ye Yunlan said indifferently: ¡°Chased off an annoying bamboo rat.¡± Shen Shu blinked without asking much. Ye Yunlan looked at the sky to see it was not too early: ¡°Come, I will teach you a few swordplays.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Yunlan searched out the basic swordplay practiced by Sky Sect disciples from his memory. He hadn¡¯t used this sword technique for more than two hundred years, so he was a little rusty. It took a few moves to be smooth. But Shen Shu next to him eagerly followed him to learn the movements. After just a while, he was able to learn 70-80 percent of it. Ye Yunlan realized that it was not only formation techniques. Shen Shu might also have an excellent talent in sword dao. Facts have proved this. As long as he demonstrated the swordplay once, Shen Shu would be able to learn most of it. After a few minutes of in-depth explanation, there would be no defects. Teaching and teaching, Ye Yunlan was suddenly interested in fighting against each other. After teaching a set of sword techniques, he did not pull out his querying sword. Instead, he bent over and picked up the flowers on the ground. ¡°Want to try a newly learned swordplay?¡± Shen Shu nodded, his eyes sparkling, ¡°Yes!¡± Ye Yunlan had a slight smile in his eyes, ¡°Then make your move.¡± The master and disciple fought each other in the open space in front of the bamboo building. Two statures, one tall and one short, intertwined. The young man using the sword had a tinge of madness to it. Although there were still many flaws, it made him feel a sense of oppression that he hadn¡¯t felt for a long time. After a long time, the two people stopped. Shen Shu¡¯s face was flushed with sweat, his eyes were still filled with excitement. Although Ye Yunlan had not used all his strength, his back was soaked with sweat and his clothes stuck to his back. Sweat dripped down his cheeks. He panted and tried to steady his breathing. Seeing that Shen Shu wanted to continue, he had no choice but to shout: ¡°Stop.¡± Shen Shu stopped. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stop here for today.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his sleeve to wipe the sweat on his face. He felt a faint pain in his chest, but he didn¡¯t show any signs on his face. He only said: ¡°There are 17 flaws in the sword technique you just used. I will explain it to you carefully.¡± Shen Shu looked at the person in front of him. With a sweaty shirt and tired appearance, he decisively said: ¡°How about¡­I¡¯ll go boil water for Master first. Master will rest for a while, then talk to me. It just so happens that I am also very tired.¡± Ye Yunlan muttered to himself. He was indeed exhausted, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s do that, but you don¡¯t need to boil water. I remember that there is a hot spring in Yanhui Peak. Soaking in it has the effect of loosening the muscles and bones. It¡¯d be perfect for you and me to soak together and talk.¡± ¡°Soak¡­and talk? Shen Shu froze. Seeing that he did not respond, Ye Yunlan asked, ¡°What?¡± Shen Shu returned to his senses. ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing Master¡­.. let¡¯s go.¡± ¡ª¡ª Chen Xianyu wobbled back to his cave dwelling. He walked along and recited the poems of Luoshen that were recorded in ancient books. ¡°¡­like a light cloud covering the moon and snow that floats in the wind. The shoulders are narrow, and the waist is raw silk. The neck is stretched, the quality exposed¡­¡± Suddenly he heard a soft halt: ¡°Chen Xianyu! In broad daylight showing such a wretched expression on your face, which Senior Sister did you bother?¡± Chen Xianyu instinctively hugged the picture book in his arms, and said bitterly: ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything, Senior Sister Xiaowan, just let me go. What¡¯s more, I am not bothering them, I am just painting. Do you understand the dao of painting? Haven¡¯t you seen Senior Sister Yin and the others view my paintings, then praise me for being a painting craze.¡± ¡°Pei (sound of spitting), what painting craze, you are clearly just a love-struck fool!¡± Lin Xiaowan said angrily. She narrowed her eyes, ¡°I can see that you are ill at ease since seeing Junior Brother Ye last time. Were you disturbing Junior Brother Ye?¡± ¡°How could I?¡± Chen Xianyu stammered, then he stepped on his gaspedal, ¡°I¡¯m in a hurry to go back to my cave dwelling to do something, I will see you later Senior Sister.¡± ¡°You p*rvert, stay still for me! ¡°Lin Xiaowan behind him called out. Chen Xianyu ran wildly. After finally returning to his cave, he wiped the sweat from his head and slumped on his seat. His mind was full of the person he had finally seen today. He sighed. It would be great if he could draw the other party¡­ Suddenly, he took out a piece of gleaming spirit jade from his arms. After reading the news from spirit jade, sweat oozed from the corner of his forehead. His hands formed a seal and a secret technique was used. A water mirror unfolded before his eyes. A man in white gradually appeared in the water mirror. The man sat in a pavilion with a pond of green lotus behind him. He was playing chess with one hand. He was playing against himself and did not turn his eyes towards Chen Xianyu. Chen Xianyu bowed his head and shouted respectfully, ¡°Brother.¡± Time passed. Chen Xianyu¡¯s forehead sweat gathered more and more. It was not until the end of the game that the man looked sideways towards the water mirror. It gave birth to a handsome face that looked like a banished immortal, that also closely resembled Chen Xianyu. ¡ª¡ªIf you ask Chen Xianyu which person he feared the most in this world. That would be his elder brother. Chen Weiyuan. CH 16 Looking at the side of the water mirror, Chen Weiyuan said in a slow voice, ¡°Half a month ago, the stars shifted and the celestial phenomena changed. As a member of my Chen family, although you have been away from home for several years, your skills in astrology should not have been abandoned. Tell your brother, what do you think of this?¡± Although his brother¡¯s voice was very ordinary, even a bit gentle, Chen Xianyu still felt fear in his heart. He really has lived too long for his brother to actually ask him for his opinion. If he can answer the question, that¡¯s fine. However, he can¡¯t answer this question at all. Daily stargazing is a must-do activity for the disciples in the Chen family. However, performing the stargazing technique is tedious and time-consuming. He has been away from home for many years and has been left unattended, so he was usually quite lazy. In addition, he has been obsessed with painting the past half a month or so, thus he has completely forgotten it. ¡­Anyways, it is his brother who sits at the center of the astrolabe. It is his brother who will inherit the Tianji Pavilion in the future. All affairs in the clan will be arranged by his brother. As for him, he can be a salted fish with a peace of mind who will obey his brother¡¯s instructions to do things honestly. He never thought that his elder brother who was usually busy with things in the family, who had little communication with him, would suddenly come to him for questioning today. ¡°Brother, I know it was my mistake.¡± Knowing that his laziness couldn¡¯t be concealed, Chen Xianyu directly admitted his mistake. ¡°Mistake?¡± Chen Weiyuan asked, ¡°Your brother did not hold you accountable for anything, so why did you suddenly admit your mistake?¡± Chen Xianyu could only bitterly count his guilt: ¡°I was lazy and forgot to do my daily stargazing homework, I didn¡¯t even pay attention to major events such as the shifting of the stars. Not only did I fail to live up to my identity as a disciple of the Chen family, I also disappointed my brother. This is my big mistake.¡± Chen Weiyuan calmly listened to what he said. He squeezed his fingers on the board, and said: ¡°What else?¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± Chen Xianyu was at a loss. Chen Weiyuan said gently: ¡°Tian Xuan (Beta Ursae Majoris; name of a star), staying in Sky Sect for three years, it seems that you have been indulging in pleasure and forgot your home and duties. You have actually forgotten all the things that your brother has handed over to you to do.¡± Hearing this, Chen Xianyu had his back drenched with cold sweat for a moment. He said hurriedly: ¡°I, how would I dare forget what my elder brother instructed me to do¡­¡± He swallowed his saliva, ¡°I have always remembered what my elder brother instructed. For the past three years, I have paid attention to the people around me. I have carefully observed most of the tens of thousands of Sky Sect disciples, but I still haven¡¯t been able to find the reincarnation of the demon soul that my brother mentioned¨Cperhaps, it is hidden too deeply¡­¡± ¡°Thirteen years ago, the demonic star came to the world and swept across the West Continent and disappeared. Three years ago, it suddenly released its qi and was connected to the Eastern Continent¡¯s Qingyun Mountain. I would not have made a mistake in calculation.¡± Chen Weiyuan held a black chess piece from the chess pot, he held it in between his fingers. ¡°Since you said it was hidden deep and could not be found, then try to induce it to make a move¡ª¡ªbefore the demonic star accumulates enough power and is completely born.¡± Chen Weiyuan dropped the chess piece in his hand onto the chessboard with a crisp ring. ¡°According to the deduction, the three thousand years dim stars era will soon pass. Troubled times are coming. Tianxuan, you are one of the family¡¯s Big Dipper cardinals. When you take the responsibility of the family, don¡¯t indulge in beauty and indulge yourself. Some hobbies are just after all just a hobby. When it¡¯s time to let go, let it go.¡± Chen Xianyu understood what he meant and couldn¡¯t help holding the book of beauties in his arms tightly. He whispered in defense: ¡°I know that I bear the responsibility, but elder brother when I am running around drawing beauties, aren¡¯t I also assisting Tianji Pavilion¡¯s rankings¡­ Besides, beauty is indeed pleasing. When brother pursued Senior Brother Xu before, didn¡¯t you also spend a lot of time¡­ My painting and my brother¡¯s pursuit of people are actually the same thing.¡± When Chen Weiyuan heard these words, he only chuckled. He twirled a white piece, and landed it on the chessboard, ¡°How is it the same? Qingyue is your future sister-in-law. It doesn¡¯t matter how much time it takes. Not to mention he is the number one beauty in the dignified cultivation world, how can they be equated with other common people from your book.¡± If others dared to insult his book like this, Chen Xianyu would have been jumping with fury a long time ago. However, he didn¡¯t dare to be angry with his brother, so he could only whisper: ¡°In my book, there are actually people who are more beautiful than Senior Brother Xu¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan only smiled faintly when he heard that. He looked down at the chessboard without raising his eyelids. He didn¡¯t care at all. Chen Xianyu knew why he was like this. The book of beauty in his hand was actually composed of two artifacts, the original and the copy. He held the original, while Chen Weiyuan held the copy. The paintings drawn on the original would immediately appear on the copy. Therefore, Chen Weiyuan knew all the beauties he had painted. Tianji Pavilion would often use the portraits in his beauty book for reference when ranking the beauty list in the cultivation world. But that person¡­he hasn¡¯t had time to paint them completely. He was interrupted just as he sketched a little outline, so he hadn¡¯t even captured one percent of that person¡¯s complexion. Even though Chen Xianyu had always been afraid of his brother, he couldn¡¯t help but speak up for this beauty, ¡°I mean, brother, there really is a beauty better than Senior Brother Xu¡­ I saw him using the sword today. He had Luoshen¡¯s presence. Graceful and unparalleled in the world¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan only interrupted him lightly, ¡°Tianxuan, half a month later, it will be Qingyue¡¯s birthday. Although you are far away in Sky Sect and can¡¯t return home, you should prepare a gift in advance. I heard Qingyue say that he is very interested in Qingyun Mountain¡¯s Spring Mountain Condensation Dew. You can find some for him and ask someone to bring it back.¡± Chen Xianyu knew that his brother was not interested in listening to him boast about the other beauty, so he replied: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°As for the search for the reincarnation of the demon soul, you must carefully deliberate it. Be sure to find it before the demon star is born.¡± After that, Chen Weiyuan stretched out his hand and waved. The water mirror that had condensed in the air turned into water mist and dissipated. Chen Xianyu stood there with a bitter expression. ¡ª¡ª Tianji Pavillion. Chen Weiyuan sat in the stone pavilion and looked down at the black and white chess pieces on the chessboard. The world is like chess, there are trajectories to follow. If the demonic star is born, the world will be thrown into chaos. The elders in the clan who were like enemies to him was just another brand-new chess game. Nothing can go beyond his control. A stargazer warrior wearing a square scarf walked into the stone pavilion. He bowed and held a few golden pages in his hand, ¡°Young Pavilion Master.¡± Chen Weiyuan turned his head, ¡°Is it this month¡¯s list?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The stargazer warrior submitted the pages, ¡°Please review it.¡± Chen Weiyuan took the page and scanned it. There were five pages in the book. It consisted of the three lists of heaven, earth, and mortal, representing the strength of the cultivation world. In addition, there was the list for magic weapons and beauties. As always, there were only a few names on the Heaven list. Standing at the top of the list was Sky Sect¡¯s Sect Master, Qiyun Jun. Following that was the top 100 of the earth list and the mortal list. Divided by cultivation base, there has been many changes from the previous month. After that is the magic weapons list. At the top of the list was still the Shura sword that was contaminated with countless murders in the hands of the soul-devouring ancestors. It was then followed by the Xuan Qing Du Eh sword held by the master of Sky Sect, and Taiqing sect¡¯s sect master¡¯s treasured Thunder World Bell¡­ The ranking has not changed much from the past. The list of beauties was full of names, but the top position was still blank. He had always asked to write this name in himself. Although the person at the top of this list has not changed for seven years. Chen Weiyuan gathered spiritual power at his fingertips and used secret methods to carefully write Xu Qingyue¡¯s name at the top of the list of beauties. Immediately, the five pages of the book turned into golden light and blended into the world. At the same time, news of the update of the Tianji rankings spread in the realm of cultivation. ¡ª¡ª Yanhui peak. A pool of hot springs was nestled between the mountains and rocks. The steaming heat lingered all around. Shen Shu quickly took off his clothes and jumped into the spring water. The heat made him a little dizzy. His cheeks were hot, and the roots of his ears were about to drip blood. ¡°Why are you so anxious?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice came from the shore. Shen Shu pressed his lips together and didn¡¯t say anything. He didn¡¯t dare to raise his eyes to take a closer look. He could only suppress his mood, so that the shadows hidden in the dark would not reveal any of his flaws. His eyesight was very low. He could only see the hem of the man¡¯s robe, and hear the squeaky sound of clothes rubbing. Then, he saw the plain white clothes slowly fall to the ground. Like a piece of snow blown off by the wind from the top of a distant mountain. A pair of feet stepped on the uneven pebbles on the shore, walking towards the fog. But it also seemed to step on the tip of his heart. The other party reached the water. The sound of the water was soft, creating a soft ripple. Shen Shu¡¯s heart trembled. ¡°It¡¯s hot.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. ¡°Jumping in like a monkey just now, won¡¯t you be burned?¡± Shen Shu said hoarsely: ¡°I¡¯m¡­not afraid of being scalded. The shore is wet and slippery, Master¡­ be careful.¡± Slowly adjusting to the water temperature, Ye Yunlan finally soaked his whole body in the hot spring. He was resting on the edge of the pool, with long black hair scattered in the hot spring. Several strands floated in front of Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. Shen Shu stared at the strands of hair for a long while. Finally he couldn¡¯t help it. He raised his hand in the water and touched it lightly. Ye Yunlan did not notice his small movements. To him, this spring was actually a bit hot. It was so hot that his bones and muscles had all become soft. He didn¡¯t feel it when he was fighting against Shen Shu, but his shoulders immediately became sore as soon as he relaxed in this way. The bag of skin he has now is a bit too frail. He raised his hand and squeezed his right shoulder, but still felt uncomfortable. ¡°Shen Shu.¡± He suddenly called in a low voice, with a hint of laziness, ¡°Come here and massage your Master¡¯s shoulders.¡± CH 17 ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ªEarly in the morning, Ye Yunlan was sorting out the books on the shelves. He had already read most of them, so he called Shen Shu and said, ¡°Go to the Sect library for your Master to return these books, then borrow a few more.¡± He told him which ones he needed to borrow. After hearing the names of the books, Shen Shu nodded and went out. When he came back, he was empty-handed. ¡°What?¡± Shen Shu pursed his lips: ¡°The library disciple said it¡¯s okay to return books for someone¡­but I don¡¯t have an inner disciple token, I am not qualified to borrow books from the Sect Library.¡± Ye Yunlan furrowed his eyebrows. He had left Sky Sect too long and didn¡¯t remember. Even if he accepted Shen Shu as a disciple, the other party was not considered an inner disciple. He still needed to take Shen Shu to the Sect Internal Affairs Hall to register. This would allow Shen Shu to receive an inner disciple token, so he can move freely in the sect. ¡°I was negligent.¡± He said, ¡°Shen Shu, come with me.¡± The Internal Affairs Hall was on Qingya Peak. The rain was still falling outside and the mountain road was foggy. Ye Yunlan took a bamboo umbrella and opened it, then called Shen Shu. Shen Shu held his sleeves and leaned against him. The two, master and disciple, walked together on the mountain road. The two figures, one tall, one short, seemed very harmonious. There was a cold fragrance floating in the air. Shen Shu thought, if this road can go on forever, then he can walk with his Master for a long time, moving forward side by side. It¡¯s just that this harmony was interrupted by a voice. ¡°Ah Lan, why don¡¯t you introduce the boy next to you to your Senior Brother?¡± Rong Ran was standing in the rain on Qingya peak mountain road. He was holding an umbrella in his hand. Standing in the midst of the rain and fog, his appearance was extremely beautiful, as if he was a landscape painting. When his beautiful eyes looked at Ye Yunlan, it had a hint of ambiguity. Shen Shu tightened his grip on Ye Yunlan¡¯s sleeves. He had a natural perception of ¡°evil¡± in the world, and the person in front of him¡­ clearly had a strong desire for his Master. ¡°I¡¯m Master¡¯s disciple,¡± Shen Shu yelled before Ye Yunlan spoke. He tilted his head, ¡°Who¡­who are you?¡± ¡°Are you Ah Lan¡¯s disciple?¡± Rong Ran¡¯s expression changed slightly. He smiled and looked at Ye Yunlan again, ¡°Ah Lan, you have accepted a disciple? Why didn¡¯t you tell your Senior Brother so that Senior Brother can prepare a gift for your disciple.¡± He said casually, ¡°Ah Lan was in a hurry last time. Was it to find him?¡± He spoke while looking at Shen Shu. He found that this young man was thin. Apart from his attractive appearance, there was nothing outstanding about him. His cultivation level was even more humble. For this trash, Ye Yunlan did not listen to his apology and left? Rong Ran smiled without revealing any flaws, and said to Shen Shu: ¡°I am Ah Lan¡¯s Senior Brother. Ah Lan met me as soon as he entered the sect and was my lifesaver. Thinking about it, I have known Ah Lan for seven, eight years. You should call me Martial Uncle.¡± He took out a high-grade spirit sword from his storage ring and handed it to Shen Shu, ¡°Martial Nephew, this is a meeting gift for you.¡± Shen Shu did not take it immediately, but looked up at Ye Yunlan. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take it.¡± Ye Yunlan turned to Shen Shu, then turned back to look at Rong Ran, with a very cold expression, ¡°Senior Brother Rong, I said you don¡¯t owe me anything, you don¡¯t need to give my disciple such an expensive meeting gift.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°Accepting a disciple is a major event, it involves a cultivator¡¯s karma. If possible, Senior Brother also wants to help Ah Lan analyze him.¡± ¡°There is no need to bother Senior Brother.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°I am clear about how my disciple is.¡± Rong Ran smiled, ¡°Ah Lan has never accepted a disciple, so he might not know some things, so I still need to ask clearly. After all, not everyone was saved by Ah Lan like me and would wholeheartedly think for Ah Lan. Also, not everyone is like me and has been close to Ah Lan for so many years.¡± Shen Shu suddenly spoke seriously next to him: ¡°My life was also saved by Master. Master also has the grace of saving my life. Moreover, every day I with my Master¡­sleep together, and are¡­very close to each other.¡± Sleep together? Rong Ran¡¯s face was distorted for a moment. ¡°How can a master sleep with his disciple¡­¡± He didn¡¯t believe it. But Ye Yunlan spoke indifferently: ¡°My disciple was seriously injured before. For the convenience of taking care of him, I sleep with him at night. It is normal.¡± ¡°Master treats me very well.¡± Shen Shu continued, ¡°In the future. ¡­I will also think about Master wholeheartedly, and live up to¡­ Master¡¯s kindness to me.¡± The two seemed to echo one another, making Rong Ran almost unable to maintain a smile on his face. Seeing the indulgence and softness that Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression showed towards Shen Shu, it was even more eye piercing. Was the friendship between him and this person for so many years not as good as the ten to fifteen days that this kid had been with him? Ye Yunlan: ¡°I still have things to do with my disciple. If Senior Brother Rong has nothing to say, please get out of the way.¡± ¡°Every time I see you recently, you always say that you have something to do.¡± Rong Ran sighed, ¡°Junior Brother has grown and wants to leave Senior Brother and live his own life. Senior Brother is actually very pleased. It¡¯s just¡­ Senior Brother is just a little unwilling.¡± ¡°Ah Lan, will you be free in the future?¡± He pleaded softly, ¡°Can you meet Senior Brother at the Tingfeng Pavilion? I¡¯ll bring a pot of Qianhua wine and we can drink together again. After that, the past can be wiped, and Senior Brother will never pester you anymore.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while: ¡°Is what Senior Brother said true?¡± Rong Ran: ¡°Yes, do you not believe in Senior Brother?¡± Ye Yunlan long wanted to rid himself of being entangled with Rong Ran. If Rong Ran really does as he says, then this could be regarded as an opportunity. He thought for a while then said calmly. ¡°Then the day after tomorrow, I will see you at the Tingfeng pavilion.¡± When Rong Ran left, Shen Shu pulled Ye Yunlan¡¯s sleeves and whispered: ¡°The day after tomorrow¡­can Master not go?¡± ¡°Why?¡± Shen She couldn¡¯t tell Ye Yunlan about his perception of Rong Ran just now. He said: ¡°I don¡¯t like that Senior Brother just now.¡± ¡°Master also doesn¡¯t like him.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°But I¡¯m going there just to settle things of the past to save future troubles.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes darkened, and finally he didn¡¯t say anything. The two came to the Internal Affairs Hall on the top of Qingya Peak. After registering his identity, Shen Shu received a Qingyun Mountain Inner Sect disciple token. The token was in the color of green and white jade, with Shen Shu carved on it. Shen Shu stroked it, then said: ¡°It¡¯s not as good as the one master engraved on the sword for me.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± Ye Yunlan laughed. Since accepting a disciple, his mood always seems to be easily affected by Shen Shu. He stretched out his hand and stroked Shen Shu¡¯s head, ¡°From now on, you will be a disciple of your Master in Sky Sect. All the things of the past of the medicine house are no longer related to you. No one can bully you with Master here anymore.¡± ¡°En.¡± Shen Shu obediently replied, holding the token in his hand tightly. ¡ª¡ª Xuanhu peak. A group of people surrounded the main palace of the peak, and on the main seat sat a handsome middle-aged man. ¡°Where did he put the life-returning pill?¡± The man said solemnly, ¡°It has been seven days, did the interrogation find out nothing?¡± ¡°Please pardon us, Peak Master! The main reason is that Liu Qing has been corrupted. He has gone crazy and is talking nonsense, we can¡¯t interrogate anything out of him.¡± An elder wiped the sweat from his head. ¡°A bunch of useless people!¡± The man hit the armrest next to him, ¡°Continue to investigate! The medicine house will be searched thoroughly, do not let go of any clues.¡± When the crowd was swept away, a figure in white walked out. ¡°Father, calm down.¡± Rong Ran said softly. Everyone in Sky Sect knew that he was a direct disciple of Qiyun Jun, but few knew that the peak master of Xuanhu Peak was his father. When Peak Master Rong looked at his son, his anger was slightly subdued, but he still did not stop cursing, ¡°Heh, since Liu Qing¡¯s accident before, I took a lot of means to keep him at the outer gate of Sky Sect. Who knew that in a few years, such a big thing would happen again, worthless.¡± ¡°It¡¯s me who is useless. I haven¡¯t been able to find the Returning God Pill, so my father has to find the returning life pill to prolong his life. Rong Ran handed the storage pouch in his hand to Peak Master Rong, ¡°I still have some elixir here, they will all be given to Father for use.¡± ¡°You still have some heart,¡± Peak Master Rong said. Rong Ran gently responded: ¡°Can I meet my mother?¡± Even though he asked, he knew his father would definitely refuse. After all, he had only seen his mother a few times since he was born. Several times, it was when she was still sleeping and unconscious. Everyone said that Madam Rong was sick and that Peak Master Rong loved his wife eagerly, so only Peak Master Rong could enter Madam Rong¡¯s room. But he still remembered an occasional glimpse he had taken when he was a child. He saw that in the room where the fragrance of medicine wafted all year round, there were actually secrets that could not be told to outsiders. ¡°There are some birds in this world who are born eye-catching and unfaithful. If you want to love it and cherish it, you¡¯ll have to build a nest for it personally, so that it can¡¯t do without you. This way, it won¡¯t suffer from the danger from the outside world and will leave their body and mind to you.¡± His father once said this when he stroked his head when he was young. And now. Peak Master Rong said as expected: ¡°Your mother is weak, I am afraid that her illness will spread to you. It¡¯s not appropriate.¡± Rong Ran smiled and stopped mentioning the matter, but said: ¡°Father, I am actually here for something.¡± ¡°Speak.¡± To his son, Peak Master Rong has always been very indulgent. ¡°I want the Hehuan Love Gu.¡± ¡°What do you want that thing for?¡± Peak Master Rong asked, ¡°The Hehuan Love Gu will make the person who is poisoned by this Gu to love the person who bestowed it. They would be willing to make love and do all sorts of things. This type of gu is extremely precious. I only have one, I can¡¯t give it to you. However, I can give you another thing.¡± Peak Master Rong took out a porcelain bottle. He flicked his fingertips on the porcelain bottle. ¡°This Gu is called Illusion Gu. People inflicted with this Gu will fantasize the person in front of them as the one they love. It would blur reality with illusion, to create desires for those who are under this Gu.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s beautiful eyes turned slightly, ¡°It¡¯s still father who understands me best.¡± He took the small porcelain bottle. He wanted Ye Yunlan to snuggle in his arms, admiring him. He slowly showed a smile on his face. ¡°Ah Lan¡­¡± He whispered the name that had been lingering on the apex of his heart for a long time. ¡ª¡ªWhen Ye Yunlan arrived, he saw Rong Ran cooking wine in the Tingfeng Pavilion. ¡°Ah Lan, you are here.¡± Rong Ran smiled at him, ¡°Come, sit.¡± When he sat down, Rong Ran said, ¡°The scenery is very nice today.¡± He looked up and saw a hazy mist covering the distant mountains. The blue sky was vast and clear: ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°After coming out of the secret realm, you are finally willing to calm down and chat with me again.¡± Rong Ran sighed softly. Ye Yunlan looked at Rong Ran quietly. ¡°Senior Brother Rong, if you have anything to say, just take advantage of this opportunity to say it all.¡± He said, ¡°I have to go back to teach my disciple, and I don¡¯t have much time to spend here.¡± Hearing the word ¡°disciple¡±, Rong Ran¡¯s complexion froze for a moment, then he soon returned to normal. He smiled: ¡°Ah Lan really cares about his disciple.¡± ¡°He is my only disciple.¡± Ye Yunlan replied. Rong Ran looked fixedly at Ye Yunlan. Once upon a time, he was his only Senior Brother. He remembered what his father had said. There are many beautiful birds in this world who are eye-catching by birth. They are indeed fickle in love. He had been obviously guarding this person patiently, keeping watch every day, but he still let a beast who came from nowhere stealing his fish. He thought of the young man who was nestling beside Ye Yunlan and his eyes became dark. He could hardly suppress the fire of jealousy in his heart. The cooking action also sped up a bit. The white mist rose, blurring the sight of the two of them. The rich aroma of wine slowly flooded the area. ¡°Ah Lan, do you still remember these Qianhua wines were brewed and buried when you first joined the Sect? There are nine jars in total. We had made a previous arrangement to open one at the time of the full moon every year, and I will listen to you playing the qin. Let¡¯s drink together.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I have forgotten.¡± ¡°But I still remember it very clearly. Ah Lan, there is still a jar of Qianhua wine in my place. When the fifteenth full moon comes in the coming year, can I invite you again¡­¡± Rong Ran¡¯s tone had infinite tenderness. Up until now, he still hoped that Ye Yunlan would change his mind. ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t call me Ah Lan again.¡± Ye Yunlan said indifferently, ¡°I promised to come and meet with Senior Brother, so after this, Senior Brother and I will have nothing to do with each other anymore.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s eyes finally darkened completely, ¡°Okay¡­. Senior Brother will comply.¡± He poured a glass of wine and pushed it to Ye Yunlan, ¡°As Junior Brother wishes, after drinking this glass of wine, we will be done with each other.¡± ¡°Come, Junior Brother, please.¡± Ye Yunlan faintly glanced at the wine glass in his hand. The pale pink liquor shook in the glass. He was not a person who was incapable of drinking. In the past he often drank against the Demon Lord and he had never fallen behind. When that person was aroused, he liked to feed him a mouthful at a time. The liquor would then slip down the corners of his lips. He had no idea whether he drank more or wasted more. He held up the wine glass and took a sip. There was a sweet and greasy taste. The floral fragrance wrapped around the tip of his tongue. It¡¯s just that his memory was so clear that even a picture in a book that he read three hundred years ago, he would still remember clearly. He remembered the taste of the Qianhua wine, it shouldn¡¯t be so sweet. He frowned, ¡°What did you put in it?¡± Tingfeng Pavilion was located on Wendao Slope, so there were many disciples coming and going. Before he came, he wasn¡¯t worried that the other party would do anything like this. But he didn¡¯t expect Rong Ran to be so courageous and add drugs here. ¡°When did I add things in? Junior Brother must have misunderstood.¡± Rong Ran said innocently. ¡°It¡¯s just a small, fun-enhancing play thing that can make Junior Brother happy.¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes forcibly, feeling the scenery within his eyes seem to slowly blur and become shaky. A wave of restlessness rose from inside of his body. Rong Ran¡¯s voice spread over: ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I have already set up an array around Tingfeng Pavilion, no one can see what the people inside are doing.¡± ¡°Junior Brother will just rest here for a while because he doesn¡¯t have much alcohol tolerance.¡± Rong Ran spoke with a gentle smile. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡ª¡ªWhen Ye Yunlan went out, Shen Shu secretly followed behind this person. He remembered the evil thoughts that were revealed on Rong Ran¡¯s body, so he was not relieved. He had long discovered that his master, although he was not as frail as he usually displayed, he didn¡¯t care about many things. Especially his own life. He watched the man walk into Tingfeng Pavilion, then the scene inside was no longer clear. Obviously, there were arrays around the Tingfeng Pavilion. Although his eyes could clearly see the formation of the technique, it would take time to decipher it. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were dark. If he can, he wanted to directly crack it open with brute force, but that would expose the power he concealed. But if things are urgent, he can only do that. He had made all the preparations, but then he saw the enchantment dissipate. Ye Yunlan walked out holding his queying sword. His face was flushed, but his expression was cold and terrifying. In the Tingfeng Pavilion, the wine glass and cup shattered to the ground. Rong Ran was holding his stabbed arm with a pale expression on his face. When he wanted to reach out and touch the other party, his arm was caught off guard by a sword slash by the other party. Blood flowed. He couldn¡¯t figure it out. Was the illusion Gu useless to Ye Yunlan? How could it be useless? Even if Ye Yunlan really doesn¡¯t have a loved one in his heart, the desire for love is unavoidable. It is impossible for Ye Yunlan to not react. Ye Yunlan walked out of the Tingfeng Pavilion. Listening to the noise from Tingfeng pavilion, it attracted many surprised and puzzled eyes from Wendao Slope. Shen Shu didn¡¯t think much. He ran up quickly, ¡°Master.¡± He gripped the other party¡¯s hand. The cold and slippery hands of the other party were actually hot at this moment. Ye Yunlan took a deep breath, barely stopping himself from falling down. His voice was hoarse, ¡°Help me go back.¡± Shen Shu was obedient. He found that not only did Ye Yunlan¡¯s palms felt hot, but every part of his body was hot. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but after seeing Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion, he also knew that this was definitely not the time to question it. After returning to the bamboo building, Ye Yunlan immediately shut himself into his room. Shen Shu wanted to follow in to take care of him, but was rejected by Ye Yunlan. His eyes were profound and his thoughts turned sharply. He walked outside the bamboo building, and went to the man¡¯s bedroom window. The window sill still had not been repaired, it was just concealed. He leaned against the window, vaguely smelling a scent. It wasn¡¯t the cold and gentle fragrance that was on that person¡¯s body usually. It was the fragrance of a flower that was almost rotting after blooming to the extreme. It carried a little bit of fishiness. A little bit sweet. CH 18 Shen Shu¡¯s five senses were several times stronger than an ordinary person. His sense of hearing and his sense of smell. At this moment, he was hiding by the window secretly, sniffing the sweet smell. Then, he heard a faint sound coming from the room, his master¡¯s low, repressed breathing. He seemed to be suffering. It was the morning, so the sun was shining brightly. The dizzying heat filled the cramped space by the window, and a layer of sweat broke out on Shen Shu¡¯s back. He still couldn¡¯t understand what happened in Tingfeng pavilion that would make his master lock himself in a room and not allow him to enter. He remembered that when he had helped his master to come back, the other party¡¯s body was hot. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body was fragile and his body temperature was lower than that of ordinary people. When he snuggled against him usually, it was like snuggling against a piece of jade that was soft and cold. But the other party was¡­now hot. Not only was he hot, but he was shaking. What is it that could make that cold and self-sustaining person tremble? A dark shadow spread to the window, eagerly trying to reach in for a closer look. Shen Shu clenched his fists. He finally suppressed his thoughts, causing those shadows to retract into the corner. Since he almost exposed himself in the hot spring that day, he had begun to suppress this force. If he can¡¯t use it, then he shouldn¡¯t use it again. He didn¡¯t want to give that person any opportunity to dislike him. Shen Shu always knew that he was a monster. When he was born, he was called an evil spirit. His soul was already completely immersed in the yellow springos h*ll when he was thrown into the snake cave. But his master stretched out his hand to pull him from the yellow springs. He grabbed the man¡¯s hand and climbed onto the shore. Amid the boundless flames, he saw the brilliance of the world. He was already trying very hard to be a normal person. To be a disciple that would meet that person¡¯s satisfaction. He leaned against the outer wall of the bamboo building, listening attentively to the movement in the room, lest the person inside might disappear. The sweet smell was more intense, haunting the tip of his nose. Lingering. ¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan leaned against the bed. He was using his handkerchief to wipe the dirt off his hands, wiping every finger very carefully. After wiping his hands, the handkerchief was put aside by him. The unbearable irritability in his body still hadn¡¯t completely faded away. He leaned on the head of the bed. He raised his head slightly. One leg curled up and one hand on his knee, he looked up. He didn¡¯t move anymore. Not until the abnormality in his body completely subsided. His blush faded from his face and the sickly paleness he usually had was even more conspicuous. His body was extremely empty. When he thought of what had happened in Tingfeng Pavilion today, his face showed a deep annoyance. Especially when he caught a glimpse of someone he didn¡¯t want to see again in this life. What Rong Ran had done completely touched his bottom line. The sword slash in Tingfeng Pavilion was already a light punishment. If he was offended by someone like this in his previous life, he didn¡¯t even need to make a move. That person who left him the Shura sword would have taken the initiative to strike, strangling the opponent¡¯s soul to death. Ye Yunlan relaxed, then got up to organize his clothes. His eyes fell on the wet, dirty handkerchief. He frowned and threw the handkerchief out the window. Outside the window. When Shen Shu noticed the sound of footsteps in the house by the window, he leaned close to the wall, hiding his breath. The sound of footsteps went away, Ye Yunlan did not notice him. He exhaled, then saw a piece of handkerchief falling on the ground. After hesitating for a while, he leaned over and picked up the handkerchief. A sweet smell radiated from this piece of handkerchief. The palm of it was moist. What is this? Shen Shu wanted to take a closer look, but hearing a slight movement with his ears, he hurriedly put the handkerchief to his chest and walked back to the bamboo building quickly. Almost the moment he hurried back, the bedroom door was pushed open. Ye Yunlan walked out of the room, black hair scattered behind him. He was still pale, but for some reason, Shen Shu felt that his master was a little different from usual. Although he was as cold as ever, he felt something unspeakably¡­ charming. The man raised his eyes and glanced at him with a warning. His voice was hoarse: ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu remembered that he overheard the man¡¯s suppressed low breathing in the room just outside the window. He couldn¡¯t help but walk over quickly: ¡°Master, do you feel unwell¡­Is it better now?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s face was slightly stiff. He whispered: ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry.¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk more about what happened just now. He only said: ¡°Boil a bucket of hot water for Master, I want to take a bath.¡± Shen Shu pursed his lips. He wanted to ask a lot of questions, but seeing Ye Yunlan¡¯s tired complexion, he answered yes and went to prepare the hot water. Seeing Ye Yunlan go in for a bath, he took out the handkerchief from his sleeves and pinched it in his hand. The fragrance condensed on the cloth had not dispersed. When he approached Ye Yunlan, he also smelled the same smell. Although it wasn¡¯t the cold and gentle fragrance he was familiar with, but¡­ It was clearly the smell of Master. His eyes darkened. He thought about it and folded the handkerchief carefully. He put it in his chest again. ¡ª¡ªWhen Ye Yunlan came out after taking a shower, he heard the wind chimes ringing outside the bamboo building. He Lanze opened the door and walked in a little hurriedly, ¡°Junior Brother Ye, I heard that you and Junior Brother Rong had a dispute on Wendao Slope, and you also injured Junior Brother Rong with a sword¡­¡± His words stopped when he saw Ye Yunlan. The person in front of him should have just finished taking a bath. He was wearing only a plain blouse and had damp hair, a few of them stuck to his cheeks like black seaweed. However, his complexion was extremely pale and his thin lips were almost bloodless, even more than usual. It was almost morbid. Only the mole on the tail of his eye was as bright as ever. Ye Yunlan raised his eyelids and glanced at him, ¡°Senior Brother, are you here to find me to settle accounts for Rong Ran?¡± He Lanze noticed that Ye Yunlan no longer referred to Rong Ran as his Senior Brother, but directly by his name. He keenly realized that the two had a falling out like the rumors had said. Remembering the words that Rong Ran had shown off before him, then thinking of the rumors at this time, he couldn¡¯t help but feel a little joy in his heart. He cleared his throat and said in a deep voice: ¡°Naturally not. I¡¯m just worried about Junior Brother. After all, although the Sect allows disciples to compare notes, it is not allowed to directly hurt people. If Junior Brother Rong goes to the law enforcement hall to deal with this, I am afraid that later Junior Brother Ye will inevitably go to the Law Enforcement Hall.¡± Ye Yunlan only said coldly: ¡°Then let him go.¡± Seeing his indifferent attitude, He Lanze hesitated for a while, then asked: ¡°Will Junior Brother tell me what Junior Brother Rong did? How did he offend you?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°He added drugs to the wine.¡± He Lanze was startled, ¡°Drugs? What drugs did he give to Junior Brother?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were dark, thinking of the situation at the time. His tone became colder: ¡°Knockout drugs.¡± Although it was only two words, He Lanze understood some of the meaning. He darkened, and asked anxiously: ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything to Junior Brother, right? Junior Brother, you¡­is there any damage to your body?¡± But Ye Yunlan looked at him coldly, ¡°What does Senior Brother think? What do you think Rong Ran wants to do to me?¡± CH 19 He Lanze looked at the cold appearance of the person in front of him. He imagined this person¡¯s eyes becoming dazed and fragile because of the drug, then his Adam¡¯s apple moved. It was self-evident what exactly Rong Ran wanted to do with the medicine. His complexion changed and he said in a dumb voice: ¡°No matter what Rong Ran has done to Junior Brother, what Senior Brother is most worried about is your body, especially since you have been severely injured by the divine fire before. With the problem roots in your body, if there is any injury¡­that won¡¯t be good.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Senior Brother doesn¡¯t need to worry, I¡¯m fine.¡± He Lanze listened, but was still worried, ¡°If Junior Brother has any matters, don¡¯t deal with it on your own. Senior Brother can listen and will never broadcast it out. As for Junior Brother Rong¡¯s drugs, after Senior Brother returns to the law enforcement hall, Senior Brother will definitely investigate this to the end and give you an explanation. Senior Brother will return your innocence.¡± In his previous life, the one who indiscriminately accused him when he was being framed by others and expelled him from the sect was He Lanze. Yet, this life he said he would give him an explanation, and will return his innocence? The same was true for Rong Ran. In his previous life, he had clearly abandoned him like a shoe, but in this life he is putting up an act to try to detain him and even resorted to such tricks? After his rebirth, Ye Yunlan found that these people from the past had become a little ridiculous. ¡°Senior Brother is considerate.¡± He was not stingy or indifferent. He Lanze: ¡°Yes. As a Senior, naturally I can¡¯t let my Junior Brother suffer in vain.¡± Ye Yunlan was noncommittal. He raised his sleeves. His slender fingers drew aside the wet hair on his cheeks. The long hair that hadn¡¯t had time to dry after the bath was pressed against his back, making him feel a little uncomfortable. He glanced at the open door of the bamboo building and faintly said: ¡°I appreciate Senior Brother¡¯s kindness. It¡¯s just that when Senior Brother comes to find me in the future, can you knock on the door before entering? After all, this is no longer the residence of Senior Brother.¡± He Lanze was taken aback, he explained: ¡°The matter was so sudden, Senior Brother was in a hurry, so Senior Brother rushed in. I was negligent, and I will definitely pay attention in the future.¡± His eyes moved along Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand and saw a wet and winding liquid slide down this person¡¯s thin clothing. A transparent water stain was drawn, and the other party¡¯s narrowed waist was outlined. His adam¡¯s apple moved again. He walked over and held Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulders. He said in a deep voice: ¡°Junior Brother, wet hair is not good for your body, let me use my spiritual power to dry it for you.¡± Ye Yunlan was not allowed to refuse. He Lanze¡¯s hot fire spiritual power passed over his body surface and his whole body instantly became dry. Ye Yunlan frowned slightly. He Lanze was slightly taller than Ye Yunlan. He looked down at the person in front of him, his heart was filled with softness. He reached out to help him tidy his long hair. Suddenly, he heard the hoarse voice of a teenager coming from the side. ¡°Master¡­who is he?¡± The word ¡°Master¡± fell into his ears quite harshly. He Lanze subconsciously let go of Ye Yunlan. He turned sideways and saw a young man standing beside the bamboo screen not far away. He frowned. ¡°Is this the child that Junior Brother saved in the Medicine house?¡± He said, ¡°It seems that his injury has healed a lot. Did Junior Brother accept him as a disciple?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°En, Shen Shu, this is Senior Brother, He Lanze, your martial uncle.¡± Shen Shu stopped his gaze on the hand that He Lanze had used to touch Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder. He tilted his head and looked at He Lanze with dark eyes. He slowly said, ¡°Hello, Martial Uncle.¡± The boy¡¯s gloomy temperament caused He Lanze¡¯s brows to furrow deeply. ¡°Junior Brother, let me remind you that although he is not a complete demon puppet, if the people of the immortal sect are involved with things of the demon sect, it would not be appropriate. After all¡­¡± Ye Yunlan said calmly: ¡°Shen Shu is an obedient child. I am very satisfied with accepting him as a disciple.¡± Seeing that Ye Yunlan was protecting the young man like this, He Lanze didn¡¯t say more: ¡°Since Junior Brother has accepted him as a disciple and feels satisfied, Senior Brother won¡¯t stop you. And as Martial Uncle, I will give him a meeting gift.¡± As he said this, he dived into his divine consciousness to pick out gifts in his storage ring. ¡°No need, Senior Brother.¡± Ye Yunlan stopped him, paused, then said: ¡°If it is possible, I hope that when Senior Brother has free time in the future, he can come and compare notes with my disciple a few times.¡± He was speaking on behalf of Shen Shu. Sword practitioners need opponents, but his body is too weak now. He was unable to accompany Shen Shu to practice every day, at most it would be only occasional guidance. He Lanze was at great success realm for his sword dao and with his demi-god cultivation base, he barely met the standards as an opponent. He Lanze hesitated for a while, then readily agreed: ¡°Okay, I will come over to discuss with your disciple when I have time.¡± Immediately, the conversation changed, ¡°However, I have never been merciful with my sword. Although I can suppress my cultivation base for him to compare notes, I also hope that he can withstand my sword intent.¡± If someone asked him to compete with a kid who was just starting to learn the sword, He Lanze would never agree. However, it was Ye Yunlan who asked him. He didn¡¯t have any interest in fighting against children, but if he could take this opportunity to get closer to Ye Yunlan, he would be very happy. Ye Yunlan: ¡°I believe he can.¡± He Lanze looked down at Shen Shu, but still didn¡¯t understand how this young man could get such care and support from Ye Yunlan. After thinking about it, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Right, there is one thing I need to remind Junior Brother. In the past few days, people in the Sect have been investigating the news about the disciples of the medicine house. Junior Brother should pay more attention. Don¡¯t let your disciple expose his identity and get into trouble.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I know. Thank you Senior for reminding me. ¡° ¡°Between you and me, why bother to say thank you.¡± He Lanze stretched out his hand and gently stroked Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder, and said warmly: ¡°Pay more attention to your body, don¡¯t let Senior be worried.¡± Ye Yunlan turned sideways slightly to avoid him, making a faint ¡°En¡± sound. Seeing that there was really nothing to say, He Lanze bid farewell to Ye Yunlan and left reluctantly. As soon as the other party left the bamboo building, Ye Yunlan felt his sleeve being tugged. He looked down at the young man beside him, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°Master,¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°The uncle who was here just now, does he¡­like you?¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. It is not that he was not unaware of He Lanze¡¯s close attitude, but he didn¡¯t expect that even Shen Shu could see it. The reason, in fact, he knew something about it. He half-closed his eyes, and his five slender fingers touched his face. ¡°It¡¯s not me that he likes,¡± he calmly said. ¡°It¡¯s just this bag of skin.¡± ¡°This kind of like is no different from people who like to watch the flowers and the moon.¡± Even though he said this, Shen Shu thought about it just now. The person¡¯s repeated demeanor toward his master felt uncomfortable in his heart. He couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Then¡­ Master, does Master like that Martial Uncle?¡± Although Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t understand why Shen Shu would suddenly ask this question, he faintly replied: ¡°I do not feel love towards him.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Then¡­what about the others?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him, ¡°You are so young, why are you asking about this?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I¡¯m just thinking, Master is so good, you must be very popular. In the future, there will be many more people pursuing Master¡­ Master, will you become a dao companion with someone someday?¡± Ye Yunlan knocked his forehead, ¡°Your little brain, what are you thinking about all day long? Are you already thinking about finding a wife for your Master?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want Master to have a wife.¡± Shen Shu muffled: ¡°I¡¯m just scared that after Master has a dao companion, Master will¡­ just leave me alone.¡± So that¡¯s it. Ye Yunlan finally understood Shen Shu¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t help but laugh a little, ¡°Your Master doesn¡¯t plan on finding a dao companion.¡± ¡°Nevertheless,¡± he rubbed Shen Shu¡¯s head, ¡°When you grow up, once you understand love, you should find yourself a dao companion. As your Master, I can¡¯t always accompany you.¡± Shen Shu was very happy after hearing the beginning half, but his eyes slightly darkened after hearing the rest. ¡°Why¡­ do I have to look for a dao companion?¡± ¡°Since ancient times, cultivators cannot cultivate without the four: wealth, companion, law, and land. Companion refers to a dao companion. The path of cultivation is long. If one were to go on this path alone, it is quite lonely, unless what you are practicing is the heartless dao.¡± Ye Yunlan explained gently, ¡°If you are accompanied by a dao companion, when you cultivate, you can exchange each other¡¯s gains and move forward side by side. If you are misled and in a difficult situation, there would be someone to pull you out of it. It won¡¯t be likely to have no hope.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were slightly empty when he spoke. In his life, there have been two ceremonies where he formed a bond contract. The first time was with Chen Weiyuan. He and Chen Weiyuan met in the first half of their lives, when he was most desperate and was in a sorry state. The slender and powerful hands lifted him up and healed his whole body¡¯s pain. The Chen family was an aristocratic family in the realm of cultivation with extremely strict rules. Usually in the Chen family, it was mostly just the servants hanging around the courtyard. Thus, the only person he could communicate with was Chen Weiyuan. During the years he stayed with the Chen family, the other party used a gentle cocoon to cover him. On the day of the ceremony, he put on a complicated star feather robe, worshipped the three-life stone with the other party, and dripped their essence blood on the soul jade. The ceremony continued until late at night. The dazzling stars wandered above their head and the bright milky way poured over it. On the stargazing platform, they had a drink together. Chen Weiyuan held his hand. Gently in his ear, he whispered: ¡°Yunlan, it is the blessing of my life to meet you.¡± He whispered: ¡°It is also the blessing of my life.¡± He thought they could keep holding hands with each other. But in the end, the other party made him into a human furnace, wrapped him up in a box like a gift, then sent him to the demonic sect. And the soul jade that he thought symbolized the bond between dao companions and the lives of each other¡­ was just a scam carefully set up by the other party. And the second time, it was with the Demon Lord. It was an extremely grand wedding banquet. The Demon Lord announced the news of the ceremony of their bond to the entire spiritual world. The red silk covered the entire Demon Palace, and guests came in waves. Before the wedding banquet, he was wrapped in a bright red wedding gown and sat in front of the mirror, with long hair drawn high adorned with pearl hairpins. He looked sideways at the burning of the red candle, dripping red tears. The Demon Lord walked into the room. He didn¡¯t wear his black robe anymore, but changed into a bright red outfit. In contrast with his ghost mask, it made it a bit less hideous. The Demon Lord approached him and asked hoarsely: ¡°It¡¯s almost our big day. Lan Er, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± He didn¡¯t respond. The Demon Lord: ¡°Why do you still have a temper? Do you blame me for treating you like that before?¡± The red candle light dimmed, and the shadows in the room began to twist slightly. The Demon Lord¡¯s voice became deeper and deeper. He stretched out his hand to pinch his chin, ¡°Lan Er, is it really so difficult to answer the question I asked you before?¡± He still didn¡¯t speak. The Demon Lord leaned over to hug his body. He forced his voice to soften and coaxed: ¡°Senior Immortal, call me husband. After getting married, I won¡¯t force you again.¡± Such a close distance. He seemed to be awakened suddenly. The sharp blade hidden in the sleeve of his shirt shot out and pierced the other party¡¯s body. The blood flowed out, and the reflection on the sharp blade reflected the anger in the other party¡¯s eyes. Endless dark shadows spread from all over the room like a tide. ¡°Excellent,¡± he heard the icy voice of the Demon Lord, ¡°Now this Lord knows your answer.¡± The red wedding dress was torn, and countless shadows covered him, entangled. He opened his wide empty eyes, letting them play with him like a doll. The other party had blood dripping on him. It was scalding. The hotter thing was the other party¡¯s body. He seemed like he was going to be torn apart by the other party in the next instant, then was immediately embraced with all their strength. That strength seemed to completely rub the blood into him. It wanted to fall into the abyss with the other party, turning his bones to mud. The wedding banquet did not go on in the end. Ye Yunlan¡¯s long eyelashes drooped. He listened to Shen Shu ask, ¡°Then Master¡­Why don¡¯t you plan to find a dao companion?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, and replied, ¡°Because I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t understand what his master meant. He also didn¡¯t quite understand what having a dao companion meant to a cultivator. He just felt a little gloomy. Since seeing his dignified Martial Uncle fawn over his own Master, he had begun to feel upset. He tried his best to get close to this person and become this person¡¯s disciple. Everyone says that apart from a dao companion, a Master and disciple relationship is already the most intimate relationship in the realm of cultivation. ¡ª¡ªapart from a dao companion. This person said that there was no need for a dao companion now, but what about in the future? After all, everything in the future cannot be for certain. Shen Shu suddenly had a bold idea. If he and Master were both master and disciple as well as dao companions¡­ Wouldn¡¯t they be the closest people to each other in this world and no one can separate them anymore? This idea ignited like wildfire in his heart. It would be difficult to eliminate. ¡ª¡ªXuanhu peak. Under the snow white curtain, Peak Master Rong was sitting at the table, applying medicine to Rong Ran¡¯s arm. He applied the medicine prepared on the wound. Rong Ran frowned and let out a painful grunt. Peak Master Rong: ¡°This Shengji powder is indeed a bit painful. Be patient, this way when the injury heals, there will be no scars.¡± He gently touched the back of Rong Ran¡¯s hand, ¡°Ran Er, your hands are as delicate as your mother¡¯s. If it has scars, it would be a pity.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s appearance was gentle, ¡°I know, Father.¡± Then he asked, ¡°Father, under what circumstances would that illusion Gu not be effective for people?¡± Peak Master Rong squeezed his white and soft hand: ¡°There are two possibilities. One is that he has cultivated the heartless dao. Without love and thoughts, naturally one does not become affected by the illusion Gu. The second is that this person has a firm mind. Moreover, the person who was shown in the illusion Gu, although loved, must hate much more than love. Thus, he can resist the illusion Gu and stay awake.¡± Rong Ran frowned, his expression filled with gloom, ¡°No matter what the reason, the illusion Gu has expired now. What should I do, Father?¡± The desire he had for that person before was never this urgent. Perhaps he was used to seeing the bird in their cage being obedient and beautiful and didn¡¯t realize what was happening at the time. However seeing his bird leaving the cage, spreading their wings and flying¡­ it¡¯s hard to control his need to completely control them He was so scared. Scared that the bird would fly away and disappear. ¡°Why worry?¡± Peak Master Rong stretched out his hand and squeezed his snow-white cheeks, ¡°If the Illusion Gu is useless, you can still use Hehuan Love Gu. I can¡¯t give you this one in my hand, but Father can give you the formula for you to refine one yourself.¡± Rong Ran tilted his head, ¡°Father treats me very well.¡± ¡°After all, I only have you as a son, and you are so similar to your mother¡­¡± Peak Master Rong said favourably, ¡°It¡¯s just the process of refining the Hehuan love gu is complicated. It requires precious materials, and requires many years of refining. I¡¯m afraid you can¡¯t wait.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°If I can have that person be by my side for the rest of my life, I will be willing to work as hard as possible. After all, my Father once taught me that if I want to tame the bird, I must put in the effort.¡± Peak Master Rong smiled, ¡°It¡¯s good if you have this kind of awareness.¡± He paused, ¡°Actually, I have also heard of a kind of love gu that is even better than Hehuan love gu.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°What is it?¡± Peak Master Rong: ¡°There is a kind of technique in this world called Change Sentiment Curse.¡± ¡°Hehuan Love Gu relies on the connection between the child and mother Gu worms, so that the person will have illusory attachments and desires produced. This effect can be eliminated as long as the Gu is removed.¡± ¡°The change sentiment curse is completely different. The so-called change sentiment is the ability to forget all the memories of a person¡¯s loved ones. It would transfer one¡¯s truest love to the person who cast the spell, and after the spell is completed, there is almost no way to release the spell.¡± ¡°There is such a spell¡­¡± Rong Ran¡¯s beautiful eyes flowed, holding Peak Master Rong¡¯s hand: ¡°Father teach me.¡± Peak Master Rong: ¡°If your Father could, why would I still refine the Hehuan Love Gu.¡± ¡°The change sentiment curse, your father has only seen it accidentally in ancient books. Whether this world actually has its existence, this is something your Father doesn¡¯t know.¡± ¡ª ¡°Shen Shu, follow your Master to a place.¡± In the early morning, Ye Yunlan finished teaching Shen Shu¡¯s calligraphy and said this. Shen Shu blinked his eyes and looked at him, ¡°Where is Master going?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°To receive a sect mission.¡± For Shen Shu¡¯s cultivation to embark on its journey, he must first eliminate the filthy energy in his body. The breathing technique that Ye Yunlan taught him was just one way. Although the effect was good, it was too slow. With the aid of medicinal products, the process can be sped up several times. It could also help Shen Shu¡¯s muscles to be cleansed and have the foundation to be laid. He found a few suitable medicated bath prescriptions in his memory, but lacked the necessary medicinal materials. ¡ª¡ªIn the past, when he was practicing in Sky Sect, he followed Rong Ran around. The medicinal materials needed for cultivation, Rong Ran would have it prepared for him. He didn¡¯t store anything on his own body. Now if he wanted medicinal materials, he could only receive a sect mission and rely on meritorious service in exchange for it. The place to receive a sect mission is Xingquan Peak. The flow of people here was bustling. Qingyun Mountain Six Peaks disciples all come and go here, the flow of people can be compared to Wendao slope. Shen Shu seemed a little nervous. He clutched his sleeves and followed him. ¡°Junior Brother Ye!¡± Suddenly there was a girl¡¯s voice. Ye Yunlan looked sideways and saw a pretty girl in a blue outfit walking towards him. He remembered the girl he had seen while waiting on Wendao slope. The girl who helped him speak up to He Lanze, Lin Xiaowan. Next to Lin Xiaowan was a woman in red. The woman in red looked extremely delicate, like a blooming peony, but with a hint of heroism between her eyebrows. Lin Xiaowan walked over quickly and smiled: ¡°Does Junior Brother remember me? My name is Lin Xiaowan and this is Senior Sister Yin next to me.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded lightly. The woman in red also came over. Looking at Ye Yunlan boldly with beautiful eyes, her eyes were blazing, ¡°Junior Brother Ye, my name is Yin Ling. It¡¯s okay for Junior Brother to call me Ling Er.¡± Ling Er. Ye Yunlan was startled when he heard this name. He had no impression of the person in front of him, but he felt the name was somewhat familiar. A vague sense of pain spread in the bottom of his heart. Shen Shu was by his side, and for the first time saw his Master staring at someone baffled. To a woman. He looked at the two of them. His master was dressed in white, as if he was an immortal, while the woman next to him was tall and red, like fire. The two seemed to be a good match. ¡­It was clear that Ye Yunlan had said yesterday that he didn¡¯t need a dao companion, but is he already finding himself a Master¡¯ wife today? Shen Shu¡¯s hand that was gripping Ye Yunlan¡¯s clothing became tighter. Ye Yunlan whispered: ¡°Senior Sister Yin.¡± Yin Ling smiled, ¡°Rather than calling me Senior Sister, I hope that Junior Brother would call me Ling Er.¡± Her pink face was flushed, and her eyes were warm. Ye Yunlan had never been so bluntly taken liberties with by a woman in his previous life. He was slightly startled, avoiding the other¡¯s gaze. Lin Xiaowan looked at the two of them. Since Wendao slope that day, she has found that Senior Sister Yin was often preoccupied and inattentive. She would also pull her to speak about the details of the secret realm fire incident. As a woman, Lin Xiaowan knew that her Senior Sister had some budding feelings. It¡¯s just that Senior Sister Yin has always been bold, so Junior Brother Ye might be scared. She couldn¡¯t help trying to alleviate the awkward situation: ¡°Junior Brother Ye came to Xingquan Peak to take on a sect mission?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°En¡±. She hesitated for a while: ¡°Actually, I have always been wondering about something. Why is it that the sect task assigned by the sect to Junior Brother Ye has never been completed by Junior Brother before?¡± Ye Yunlan was startled, ¡°The assigned sect task?¡± ¡°Junior Brother Ye actually doesn¡¯t know?¡± Lin Xiaowan¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Sect disciples are assigned to a sect mission every month. Before, it was always Senior Brother Rong who helped you complete it. I thought it was because you had difficulties with your body¡­ but it was because no one notified you?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were heavy. He really didn¡¯t know about it. ¡°How can this be? Senior Brother Rong didn¡¯t tell you¡­¡± Lin Xiaowan couldn¡¯t help but suddenly remember the recent rumors between Rong Ran and Ye Yunlan, and hurriedly shut up. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, ¡°I understand, thank you Senior Sister for telling me.¡± After saying goodbye, he led Shen Shu to pick up a task. He then felt a scorching gaze on his back, warm and direct. ¡°Master, I want to borrow a book from the library.¡± After receiving the task, before returning to the bamboo building, Shen Shu asked Ye Yunlan this. Ye Yunlan was a little surprised. He immediately rubbed his head: ¡°You have learned a lot of words, you should start reading more. Reading makes people wise. If you can develop a hobby of reading, it will also have many benefits in the future.¡± Shen Shu nodded, ¡°Master is right.¡± That night, Shen Shu came back with a pile of books. The candle lights were shaking. Ye Yunlan buried his head in a book, and wrote a comment on the page of the book with a pen in his hand. He raised his head by chance and saw that Shen Shu was studying seriously. The light reflected on the serious face of the young man. The pale and treacherous appearance had disappeared a lot, now his handsome outline had already taken shape for the future. His eyes slowly softened. Shen Shu was looking at the scroll in his hand. After searching for a long time, he stopped on the chapter ¡°bond contract¡±. The contents on the pages of the book flowed word by word into his eyes. ¡­A drop of blood makes a contract, and lives become interdependent. Seeing the world, the sun and the moon, and passing through the years of spring and autumn¡­ A dao companion in the same boat through storms and hardships, husband and wife for life. CH 20 A few days later, Ye Yunlan went to Xingquan Peak again to submit the tasks he received a few days ago in exchange for merits. Considering his physical condition, he took on tasks that could be solved without the need to use his martial arts. Most of them were related to research on refining weapons, formation techniques, and alchemy. He had read countless books in his previous life, and walked alone in the world of cultivation for nearly a hundred years. Not to mention he was very proficient in all kinds of knowledge in the world of cultivation. He was not a complete master, but reached about 80%. In this world, there were very few problems that he could not solve. The person in charge of the task handover looked at the person in front of him, with a suspicious look, ¡°Are you sure that for these 20+ tasks¡­you want to submit them all together?¡± These 20+ tasks were in diverse areas, and involved all kinds of cultivation difficulties. Just reading it has him dazzled. How much energy does it take for a person to be proficient in so many kinds of knowledge and solve so many problems? They aren¡¯t here for an achievement right? In the past, it was not unheard of for Sky Sect disciples to accept tasks, arbitrarily attempt the test and gain merits. The result is that they would be directly forbidden to use meritorious bartering, ruining the easiest way to obtain spiritual resources in the sect. There would be no place to cry afterwards. He looked at the outstanding appearance of the person in front of him. He thought about it, then couldn¡¯t help reminding: ¡°You should think about it. Once you submit the task, if the elders fail to approve it, you will be severely punished.¡± Ye Yunlan calmly said: ¡°Hand it in.¡± The person in charge sighed, they had to put away the stack of paper that Ye Yunlan gave him. Usually, disciples use spirit recording jade slips to take note of it. Very few people use paper. He couldn¡¯t help but lower his head and glance at the paper, only to realize that this man¡¯s handwriting was as beautiful as the person himself. There was strong character and grace. ¡°Half of the merits have been credited to your sect disciple token, the other half will not be issued to you until the task review is passed.¡± The person in charge said. Ye Yunlan nodded slightly, ¡°Thank you.¡± Then he took out the sect disciple command and went to the Sect Treasure Pavilion where he bartered things with merit. Even if only half of the merits accumulated in the twenty plus missions were received, it was not a small number. Ye Yunlan first helped Shen Shu get enough medicinal materials, then his eyes fell on the long swords placed on the shelf. Sharp blades full of aura, they were all spirit swords of high grade. But they just couldn¡¯t make it into his eyesight. He was thinking. It is impossible for Shen Shu to continue to use the wooden sword he had carved. After his cultivation base slightly improves in the future, he must build his own natal spirit sword. The required materials must be prepared now. He promised to use the best materials for the other party. He looked at a piece of star meteorite iron. A small piece was worth the merits of more than 20 tasks and this was only a second-rate sword material. Ye Yunlan was a bit distressed. He couldn¡¯t help but miss the various materials in his storage in his previous life. Those were precious treasures accumulated little by little since he walked in the realm of cultivation for so many years. ¡­It¡¯s a pity that after he died, he didn¡¯t even have someone to pass it onto. Back to the bamboo building, Ye Yunlan called Shen Shu to boil hot water. He followed his memory of using medicinal herbs to create a medicated bath, then to Shen Shu said: ¡°Strip¡± Shen Shu¡¯s body was stiff. ¡°¡­¡­ Master?¡± ¡°Circulate the breathing technique I taught you. With the medicated bath, you can get rid of the qi in your body to the maximum effect. This medicated bath is prepared for you.¡± Shen Shu still didn¡¯t move. The roots of his ears slowly turned red. Although he had bathed in the hot spring with this person before, at that time, the hot spring was misty and everything was covered by rocks. It was different from this moment where his Master stood in front of him neatly dressed. But he asked him to undress. Shen Shu: ¡°Master, can I¡­ soak alone?¡± ¡°You have a special physique. As your Master, I need to pay attention to your situation at all times to prevent any accidents.¡± Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes to look at him, his eyes were cold and quiet, like the untainted ice and snow on the distant mountains. But the more it was like this, the more he felt ashamed. Shen Shu¡¯s cheeks slowly turned red. He hesitated for a moment, then finally took off his clothes quickly. He wanted to jump into the tub. ¡°Wait.¡± Ye Yunlan called him. Shen Shu froze in place. Ye Yunlan walked to his side, then Shen Shu felt the man¡¯s soft and slippery hand holding his shoulder. ¡°The water in this medicinal bath just started to boil, it¡¯s too hot. Do you want to cook yourself being this anxious?¡± Ye Yunlan whispered, ¡°Wait. Wait until the medicinal materials are completely melted in the water before you go in.¡± ¡°Right now, your Master will touch your root bones.¡± Root bones, spiritual roots, perception, they were all used to determine the aptitude of a cultivator and their basic qualifications. If it was a cultivator with a high level of cultivation, a glance with their spiritual sense would give them a rough idea of what the cultivator¡¯s spiritual roots were like, but the Ye Yunlan today can¡¯t. He can only use the most basic methods to touch and judge. This way when the other party really started to cultivate, then he could teach them the most suitable technique. Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand slowly stroked Shen Shu¡¯s back, descending along the Du Channel. He touched a cultivator¡¯s most important place, their spine. He noticed that the boy was thin. He was so young, but there were already many mottled scars on his back. Shen Shu trembled slightly. He turned his back to Ye Yunlan. Feeling the other person carefully touching his spine, cold fingertips brushing against his wounds like a breeze, it had a soft and soothing intent. ¡°You have very good root bones,¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°If you start spiritual cultivation, your cultivation will be able to advance by leaps and bounds.¡± As he said this, his gaze paused on the puppet mark on the back of Shen Shu¡¯s neck. That hideous rune was like an ugly spider stuck to the pale neck of a young man. It was extremely shocking. He continued: ¡°With such an aptitude, you deserve to shine in the cultivation world. Not as anyone¡¯s puppet or weapon. Shen Shu, as your Master, I hope that you can be yourself in the future.¡± ¡°I will Master.¡± Shen Shu agreed, his thin back trembling slightly under the palm of this person. ¡°Okay, now that the medicinal properties have been integrated, you can go in and soak in the medicinal bath.¡± After hearing this, Shen Shu hurriedly walked into the tub and immersed himself in the medicinal bath. He exhaled a deep breath, the warmth on his face calmed slightly. The water in the medicated bath was a little irritating. It turned into a hot current colliding with his meridians. There was a kind of pain like a needle being pierced into him. His pain sensations were several times that of an ordinary person, so it hurt even more. Although it did not exceed the limit of his tolerance, he still raised his eyes to look at Ye Yunlan: ¡°Master¡­it hurts.¡± ¡°Endure.¡± Ye Yunlan stroked his head, ¡°Circulate the breathing technique I taught you. Take this chance and expel the filthy energy from your body.¡± ¡°En¡­¡± Shen Shu obeyed and circulated the breathing technique. Under the stimulation of the medicine, something like black mist quickly escaped from him. The power summoned by Yuan Yongzhi¡¯s forbidden technique in his body was like water flowing out of a hole. He didn¡¯t feel sad at all. Power that cannot be completely controlled by him, he rather not have it. In this way, he can get closer to his Master. The medicated bath needed to be soaked for three hours. Shen Shu hung on the edge of the bathtub, watching Ye Yunlan standing nearby. Watching him in the mist, he observed his situation. ¡°Master¡­I still hurt.¡± He muffled. Ye Yunlan frowned, trying to distract him: ¡°Your Master will tell you a story.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up, he asked: ¡°What¡­story?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What do you want to hear?¡± Shen Shu thought about it. After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°I want to hear¡­ the story of master learning the sword. Has anyone taught you before?¡± ¡°Master¡¯s swordsmanship was mostly based on self-understanding and long-term practice.¡± Ye Yunlan replied, ¡°It¡¯s just that, if you ask if anyone has taught me¡­¡± A dark, evil figure appeared in his memory. After the man rescued him from the Pagoda Tower, he knew that his death was approaching. Thus, he passed on his lifelong sword dao experience and cultivation skills, as well as his own sword to him. Later, when he reached immortalization for his nirvana dao, stepping into void tracing realm, he was inseparable from the other party¡¯s karma. ¡°Yes.¡± He whispered. Shen Shu: ¡°What kind of person was he?¡± ¡°¡­a stubborn person who would behave unscrupulously.¡± Shen Shu blinked, ¡°Then should I call him¡­Martial Ancestor?¡± Ye Yunlan thought of his own and that person¡¯s past injustices. After being silent for a long time, he said: ¡°En.¡± Shen Shu looked at him in a daze, feeling a little uncomfortable in his heart. He knew that his Master was not as cold as his appearance. He would hide people in his heart and remember them forever. ¡°What is Martial Ancestor¡¯s name?¡± Shen Shu asked again. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes, ¡°He has no name, only a title.¡± ¡ª ¡°When you take out your sword, you need to calm your breath, stir your intent and concentrate your soul.¡± A breeze blew in the sea of ??flowers. Ye Yunlan held the flower branch in his hand and pointed it directly at Shen Shu. His black hair was flying and his sleeves fluttered. Under the sun, he was like a fallen immortal. Shen Shu stood opposite him, holding a wooden sword in both hands, eager to try. The two exchanged moves against each other. Ye Yunlan¡¯s swordsmanship was calm and graceful, while Shen Shu¡¯s movements were getting faster and faster. His swordsmanship was getting concentrated like fine rain. Regarding swordsmanship, Shen Shu had indeed somewhat a wild instinct. Suddenly, he took advantage of an insignificant pause in Ye Yunlan¡¯s movements, and picked out the flower branch in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand. This was the first time that Shen Shu had the upper hand when the master and disciple were in a contest. The air fell silent for a while. Sweat was dripping on Shen Shu¡¯s face, but his eyes were extremely bright. He looked at Ye Yunlan shiningly. Ye Yunlan looked down at the flower branch that fell on the ground: ¡°Not bad, you can already be considered a beginner in this set of swordsmanship.¡± His voice was slightly mute, and he said calmly: ¡°This is the end of today¡¯s sword training. Go boil water. Continue to soak in the medicated bath later. After two or three times of soaking, the filthy qi in your body will be eliminated, and then you can start real spiritual practice.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Okay Master.¡± When Shen Shu disappeared from his field of vision, Ye Yunlan frowned. The sudden pain in his chest when they were fighting didn¡¯t disappear. After enduring it, he coughed after all. His palm was stained with a brilliant red. ¡°Your sword intent is too strong. Even if you deliberately suppress it, fighting with others will drag out one¡¯s whole body¡¯s spiritual power, causing injuries.¡± A cold voice came from the side. Ye Yunlan turned to his side. He saw a man in a white-clothed crane cloak standing there holding a sword in the bamboo forest not far away. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been standing there. He pursed his lips, and silently held his queying sword in his hand. Qiyun Jun had already stepped forward towards him. He was tall, with a very high cultivation base. There was a strong sense of oppression. He spoke again: ¡°But, your sword is very good.¡± Ye Yunlan knew that he and Shen Shu¡¯s exchange must have been seen completely by the other party. Both were almighty swordsmen. Even if he had deliberately suppressed his strength when he fought Shen Shu, the other party should be able to see through a lot of things. ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡± Qiyun Jun continued to ask. He did not answer. He only looked at the sword in the other party¡¯s hand. Looking at the other party¡¯s sword hilt, an ink jade he was very familiar with was hanging from it. The author has something to say: Shen Shu: D*mn, there is someone in Master¡¯s heart. CH 21 Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t make a mistake. This ink jade was indeed the one that Rong Ran left him at the beginning. That year, after he came to Sky Sect, this ink jade was taken back by Rong Ran. But at this moment, this ink jade was hanging on the hilt of Qiyun Jun¡¯s sword. ¡­So after he returned the ink jade to Rong Ran, Rong Ran gave the ink jade to his own master? Seeing that he did not answer, but set his eyes on his sword, Qiyun Jun raised his long sword in front of him: ¡°My sword is named Xuan Qing Du Eh, It is made from Xuanqing jade, refined to kill all the demons of the world.¡± After he finished speaking, he repeated his question again. ¡°What¡¯s the name of your sword?¡± Ye Yunlan then withdrew his attention from the ink jade. Five fingers clasped the long sword: ¡°The name of this sword is queying.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°It could be considered a good sword.¡± He paused, then said, ¡°It¡¯s just not suitable for you.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s tone became cold. ¡°This is my natal sword.¡± ¡°If it doesn¡¯t fit, it¡¯ll always be unsuitable.¡± Qiyun Jun said, ¡°It¡¯s not good enough for you.¡± The man was born much taller than ordinary people. His appearance was apathetic. When he bowed his head to look at people, it was like an immortal looking down at the ants on the ground. Ye Yunlan said coldly: ¡°I have no cultivation base now. Queying sword in my hands cannot display an eleventh of its power. If this is the case, shouldn¡¯t it be I who am unworthy? Immortal Venerable is too nosy.¡± ¡°Inappropriate use of the sword will only impede your sword dao.¡± Qiyun Jun said. Ye Yunlan was not worried. In his previous life, this person was the same. He was stubborn and no matter how others explained, he only agreed with what he did. Therefore, he was trapped in the Buddha Pagoda for hundreds of years. No matter how he begged and cursed, all he got was ¡°your demonic thoughts have not disappeared¡± from the other party. Before he said the phrase ¡°what is it with you¡±, he heard Qiyun Jun continue: ¡°I have extreme desolate heavenly gold, abyss cold meteor, and frost iron. This can help you eliminate the connection with your current life sword, then re-build a suitable natal sword.¡± The list from Qiyun Jun¡¯s words were all rare tempered sword immortal materials. Any ordinary sword cultivator would be ecstatic to obtain one of these materials, but he casually said it in such a plain tone. ¡°There is only one condition.¡± He said. ¡°¡ª¡ªBe my disciple.¡± Ye Yunlan felt absurd. He lifted his eyelids, the tear at the tail of his eyes was scorching. The black pupils were tightly contracted, ¡°¡ª¡ªYou said you want to accept me to be your disciple?¡± Qiyun Jun looked down at the person in front of him and said calmly: ¡°Yes.¡± He cultivated the heartless dao. Since he set foot on this dao, he has completely cut off his emotions and desires. He would never accept disciples in this life, Rong Ran was the only exception. ¡­Until now when he saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword. He saw that in the sea of ??flowers, this person held a cyan flower branch in his hand. As his sleeves flew, a faint sword light was drawn. Although dim, it was timeless. There were thorns on the flower branch and the sword light seemed to have thorns as well. It pierced his eyes sharply. In recent years, he had rarely been surprised by anything. Last time, it was Ye Yunlan¡¯s face. This time, it was this person¡¯s sword. How does one¡¯s sword dao feel after reaching the peak? If it was up to him to answer, there is only one answer. Loneliness. The loneliness at the top. Since he reached the Transcendence Realm and immortalization in sword dao, almost no one in the world was worthy of his sword. But the path of sword cultivation requires opponents. In the person before him, he saw the potential for him to be his opponent. Thus, he regretted that this man¡¯s sword dao does not match his natal sword. Therefore, he wanted to accept him as a disciple. ¡ª¡ªHe would instruct a disciple to be good enough to become an opponent through his own hands and according to his own mind. Thinking of this, he felt that within his heartless, lonely world, he finally found a slight anticipation. But Ye Yunlan said: ¡°I don¡¯t need it.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°Why?¡± Ye Yunlan was really fed up with this man. At a glance, he felt that his chest was pent up with frustrations. He just wanted to turn around and leave. However, things about the Buddha Pagoda in his previous life cannot be stated. He was silent for a while: ¡°I remember that Rong Ran is a disciple of Immortal Venerable.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°Yes.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Immortal Venerable¡¯s disciple has moral misconduct. He is presumptuous and dares to make moves against members of his own sect. The ancients said that if a child is not taught properly, it is the father¡¯s fault. If the teaching is not strict, the teacher is lazy. I don¡¯t want to have Immortal Venerable as a Master and become a person like him.¡± Qiyun Jun frowned, ¡°What did he do?¡± Ye Yunlan asked back: ¡°Immortal Venerable is his Master, but doesn¡¯t even know what his disciple has done?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°I accepted him as a disciple, just to pay off karma. He does not have the qualifications to cultivate the sword. What I usually teach him is nothing more than some mind dao.¡± By saying this, he simply admitted that he really didn¡¯t teach him seriously. Qiyun Jun seemed to realize that he was a bit irresponsible when he said that, so he paused and said, ¡°If you become my disciple, I can teach you more than that.¡± ¡°I will find a way to solve the injury of the divine fire essence for you. You can read the Sky Sect sword techniques at any time. If there is anything you don¡¯t understand, you can ask me and I will teach you until you understand. I can create the most suitable natal sword for you. I will discuss and practice with you until you can stand shoulder to shoulder with me in the immortalization sword dao realm.¡± This is the opportunity that all sword cultivators in the world would dream of. However, Ye Yunlan was indifferent to this. His eyes made contact with the ink jade hanging on the hilt of Qiyun Jun¡¯s sword. His long eyelashes trembled slightly. ¡°Dare I ask what is the karma Immortal Venerable owed?¡± he asked suddenly. Qiyun Jun frowned, not knowing why Ye Yunlan asked this, but he replied: ¡°Saving grace.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes flashed, then asked: ¡°What kind of saving grace?¡± This was not something that can¡¯t be said. For the first time he wanted to take the initiative to accept a disciple. Qiyun Jun was very patient: ¡°Back then, I was severely injured and recuperated at Xuanhu Peak. Rong Ran was a disciple of Xuanhu Peak. This is the karma that was owed at that time.¡± Transcendence tribulation is the boundary between immortality and mortality. Only those who have survived the Tribulation of Transcendence are qualified to start climbing the steps to Immortality. When he crossed the calamity, the Nine Thousand Heavenly Tribulation crashed down, and Xuanqing Du Er Sword was almost completely exhausted in the thunder calamity. This was not the same as the tribulation recorded in the history books. The power was at least ten times that of the record. He tried his best to survive the last heavy catastrophe, but fell into a coma. When he woke up again, he was already at Xuanhu Peak. Three years have passed. He was missing three years of his memory. He only knew that Rong Qingjue and Rong Ran, that father son duo, rescued him. Rong Qingjue was the peak master of Xuanhu Peak. He had superb medical skills and a slight lack of moral character. However, treating his injuries for three years, he has worked hard. Rong Ran was the son of Rong Qingjue. With a beautiful appearance and gentle temperament, when he first woke up, he was taken care of by the other party. According to Rong Qingjue, for fear of implicating the safety of the sect, the incident of his injury should not be publicized. Therefore, for the past three years, he had been taken care of by his son. He accepted this situation and following Rong Ran¡¯s request, he accepted the other party as a personal disciple. Rong Ran had a good temperament. As a disciple, he was quite worry-free. Later, Rong Ran returned the Xuan Po Jade to him. Xuanpo Jade was a relic of his master and it had an extraordinary meaning to him. He originally thought that the Xuan Po Jade had been lost in the Heavenly Tribulation, but he did not expect that it was in Rong Ran¡¯s hands. This karma became more and more difficult to eliminate. He simply accepted the other party as a personal disciple, and would protect his life under his wings. As for the other meanings of the Xuanpo jade¡­ he didn¡¯t know what he was thinking during the years when he lost his memory, but he didn¡¯t want to know. After surpassing the mortal catastrophe, his heartless dao had almost reached great success. He was destined to have no love and desire for the people in this world. He would only accompany the sword in his hand for life. Ye Yunlan frowned. It was Xuanhu peak, not peach valley. Perhaps he was wrong. He looked at the Xuanqing Du Er Sword in Qiyun Jun¡¯s hand. Not only the ink jade, but also the pitch-black scabbard. He didn¡¯t look carefully last time. It was only now did he discover that a strange peach blossom was engraved on the dark, simple scabbard. Delicate and bright, extremely vivid. He thought of the peach forest that was outside of Yuntian Palace. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to talk to this person anymore. At this time, he was silent, but still said: ¡°Immortal Venerable seems to have a soft spot for peach blossoms?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°Immortal Venerable¡¯s place has snow all year round. I thought Immortal Venerable preferred ice lotus and snow lanterns instead of peaches.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s appearance was slightly cold, he said lightly: ¡°This has nothing to do with you.¡± Ye Yunlan was expressionless, ¡°If Immortal Venerable doesn¡¯t say it, how can you know that it has nothing to do with me?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°Me liking peach blossoms has nothing to do with anyone in the world.¡± It really has nothing to do with anyone in this world. It only related to himself. When the heartless dao was close to immortalization, a heart demon would descend. The Inner heart Demon Tribulation was silent and often difficult to detect. His heart demon catastrophe was a dream. There was often a peach forest in his dreams and a shadowy figure in the peach forest. That person would run in the peach forest, laugh lightly and beautifully, and would hold his sleeves acting adorably. Every time he heard that laugh, he felt soft in his heart. His heart would shake. He wanted to hold hands with him. But that was just a person he had imagined in the midst of his Heart Demon Tribulation. An illusory shadow. Carrying his only remaining love, desire, and thoughts in this life. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Since Immortal Venerable doesn¡¯t want to say anything, then we have nothing more to say.¡± While speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but cough. He raised his head, his eyes indifferent, ¡°Immortal Venerable, please go back. I won¡¯t worship you as a Master, and I don¡¯t need you to carve a sword for me.¡± Qiyun Jun frowned again. Ye Yunlan¡¯s repeated refusal had already made him unhappy. Although he really wanted to accept this person as a disciple, as the Sect Master of Sky Sect, the supreme swordsman, he still had to keep his face. No matter how much he appreciates him, he will never promise the same thing twice. He then remembered the purpose of his visit this time. ¡°The divine fire injury on your body has been induced, I need to suppress it with spiritual power.¡± Qiyun Jun said coldly, ¡°I said that your injury needs to be suppressed repeatedly every month. Now that one month has passed, why did I not see you come to Yuntian Palace?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t mean to go back ever since he stepped out of Yuntian Palace. At this moment, even though his chest was in pain and he coughed up blood in his mouth, he only said coldly: ¡°Yuntian Palace is snowing all year round, my body is chilled. I don¡¯t like that place, so I won¡¯t go. I don¡¯t need to waste Immortal Venerable¡¯s time anymore.¡± This person always stabbed at him with his words. Qiyun Jun wanted to turn around and leave, but he remembered the thin figure of this person walking in the wind and snow that day. He looked down at his pale complexion, then his gaze fixed on this person¡¯s red mole and finally said. ¡°Since you are afraid of the cold and don¡¯t want to go, then you will be healed at your residence.¡± Ye Yunlan wanted to refuse, but felt that his body was locked and could not move. As soon as Qiyun Jun stretched out his long arms, he carried him up and swept into the bamboo building. ¡ª¡ªShen Shu was boiling hot water. The firewood crackled and his forehead oozed hot sweat. His cheeks were slightly red. He was thinking about the match with his master just now. This was the first time he has picked the flower branch from the other party¡¯s hand. Although Shen Shu knew that his master had never used his full strength, the flaws just came suddenly. Even if they were deliberate, he was still very excited. The shadow beside the flame was also twisting happily. He once made a promise in front of Ye Yunlan, saying that he would use his own strength to be the person who will protect him in the future. This was not a lie. Today, he was one step closer to his goal. The tip of his ears suddenly moved. He heard sound coming from the bamboo building. There were footsteps. It¡¯s not his master¡¯s usual light, faint footsteps. It was calm and powerful, revealing an indescribable rhythm. It came from Master¡¯s bedroom. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes darkened, he stopped his hands. He walked quickly back to the bedroom and saw the carved bed in the bedroom where he often slept with master. At this moment, there were two people sitting cross-legged. A tall man with white hair. The other person was his respected Master. His master¡¯s clothes were messy, his back was pressed by the man¡¯s palms. His face was pale, and his cheeks were sweaty. The thin pale lips were stained with red blood. The author has something to say£º¡ª¡ªNo matter how much he appreciates him, he will never give the same promise again. Ye Yunlan: Remember what you said today. CH 22 The blood was dazzling. Shen Shu stared closely at Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale profile, then stared at the hand of the white-haired man clinging to Ye Yunlan¡¯s back. Sunlight came in from outside the window sill, reflecting the distortion of the young man¡¯s shadow. ¡°Who are you? What are you doing to Master?!¡± Ye Yunlan heard Shen Shu¡¯s voice. He raised his sweaty eyelashes, and looked at the teenager standing by the door. How did Shen Shu come here¡­ Everyone knows that the lord of Sky Sect, Qiyun Jun, hates demons. His Xuanqing Du Er sword was specially made for the purpose of killing demons. Most demons who dare to show themselves under his nose couldn¡¯t escape. Shen Shu was a semi-finished demon puppet and the filthy energy in his body has not been completely removed. If he is impulsive and exposes his identity in front of Qiyun Jun¡­ Ye Yunlan: ¡°Leave.¡± Shen Shu was taken aback, ¡°Master?¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes. A drop of sweat rolled down from his eyelashes and landed on the back of his fisted hand, making a silent splash of water. ¡°I said leave.¡± He repeated hoarsely. But this time, Shen Shu was not as obedient as usual. He stayed at the spot stubbornly: ¡°Master is injured, I¡­can¡¯t go.¡± He spoke and dark colors surged in his eyes. Ye Yunlan whispered: ¡°It¡¯s just a small injury.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s icy spiritual power washed through his body, suppressing the restless spirit of the divine fire. It¡¯s just that his meridians that have been damaged in his body were fragile. Pain was inevitable during such intense washing. He let out a low muffled grunt. Shen Shu: ¡°Master!¡± ¡°Control your mind.¡± The man behind him said. The heavy spiritual pressure locked his whole body. Ye Yunlan only felt his perception of the outside world become blurred, as if separated by a thick film. ¡ª¡ªHe couldn¡¯t hear Shen Shu¡¯s voice anymore. The back of Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand stretched tighter, revealing the blue and winding meridians. Queying was by his side. If he had just been reborn, he would have already used his sword to initiate a forbidden technique when Qiyun Jun force healed his wounds. Even if he might die with the other party, he would use this to break through the heart demon from being trapped in the Buddha Tower for a hundred years in his previous life. ¡ª¡ªHe was no longer the person who was suppressed in the Pagoda Tower and was helpless to fight back. But he can¡¯t now. Now he has something to be concerned about. In the long dark night, he received a Xuezhan flower. From then on, he had kept a little wolf pup by his side ever since. The little wolf cub was still immature and very clingy. He hadn¡¯t had enough time to grow up to become independent for the future. He looked at the boy standing by the door. The young man seemed to be saying something, but he couldn¡¯t hear it anymore. His vision was hazy. ¡°Listen to what your Master said.¡± Ye Yunlan spoke again, his voice low, ¡°Be good.¡± ¡°Sect Master¡­ is just helping your Master heal.¡± Healing? Shen Shu stopped when he wanted to rush to Ye Yunlan. He looked at the white-haired man sitting cross-legged on the bed. From beginning to end, this person never explained a word to him as if it was beneath him. ¡°Heal¡­Master¡¯s injury? Did it flare up again?¡± Shen Shu looked at the dazzling blood on Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips, his fists clenched. He remembered Ye Yunlan¡¯s stiffness and sluggishness at the sea of ??flowers when they were exchanging moves. Was it at that time? Or earlier? Ye Yunlan did not answer. He could not hear. ¡°Is it because of me, Master¡­¡± Shen Shu asked in a hoarse voice, but he saw the expressionless white-haired man turn his head and glance at him with a cold light. At a glance, there seemed to be endless frost and snow passing by. The black shadow at his feet stood still. ¡ª¡ªIt seemed to have encountered a natural enemy. ¡°Noisy,¡± the man said. Shen Shu was pushed out of the bedroom by a force, and the door slammed shut in front of him. That power seems to have no root and no source. There was no action made in front of him. It seemed to have come out of nowhere and everywhere in the world. He remembered what his Master said. Transcendence is the boundary between immortality and mortality. So this is the power of the Transcendence Realm? He looked at the door closed in front of him. His mind was on the pale profile of his Master in cold sweat when he was being healed. His five fingers slowly squeezed into his palm, oozing blood. He clearly said that he would protect his master. But he could only watch a strange man heal his master, while he stood on the side, unable to say a word of concern to his face. He thought of the evil intent Rong Ran had towards his master in Tingfeng Pavilion. He thought of He Lanze who had acted attentively in the bamboo house. He thought of Senior Sister Yin that they met in Xingquan Peak, who was teasing Master. The excitement that came from their competition had completely dissipated. Shen Shu once again deeply realized that he was too weak and small. The people who coveted his master were all too powerful. Suddenly, Shen Shu couldn¡¯t contain it and gave birth to a new kind of ambition to become stronger. Only by becoming stronger. Then could he stay with his Master forever. ¡ª¡ªAs the spiritual pressure that imprisoned his whole body slowly disappeared, the divine fire injury in his body stabilized again. But when Ye Yunlan perceived the spiritual power in his body that did not belong to him at all, he had a deep disgust in his eyebrows. ¡ª¡ªThis is why he was unwilling to go to Qiyun Jun to heal his injuries. ¡°That boy just now, is he your disciple?¡± Qiyun Jun stepped off the bed and asked. Ye Yunlan expressionlessly raised his hand to arrange his clothes, ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He is hostile, unstable, and meets the requirements to become a demon.¡± Qiyun Jun judged lightly. Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart was shocked, but the expression on his face didn¡¯t show any clues: ¡°So what?¡± ¡°If I were you, I would order him to go reflect. Until he clears his hostility, then could he be allowed to step onto the dao. Otherwise, with this kind of character, it will be very easy to get corrupted in the future.¡± Qiyun Jun said indifferently. Ye Yunlan said coldly: ¡°Immortal Venerable really has an all-seeing mind. You can judge a person¡¯s character just by seeing them once.¡± How could Qiyun Jun not hear the irony in his words? He only felt that this person that had clenched fists that revealed his cyan veins was clearly fragile. Yet, they were thorny and sharp, always thinking about hurting others. ¡­they didn¡¯t care if they would break their own foundation at all. He said: ¡°The reason why you refused me is because of him?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, ¡°Immortal Venerable thinking this way, it¡¯s not wrong.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°You have excellent sword dao talent. You should use a single-hearted devotion concentrating on it, instead of wasting your talents and focusing on other things.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Whether I am or not, it¡¯s my own business. There is no need to worry the Immortal Venerable. The healing is over, please return.¡± Qiyun Jun stared at the cold appearance of the person in front of him. Only his blood-stained lips had a slight arc of sarcasm. It was beautiful and frightening. It seems that he does not care about him at all. He still couldn¡¯t understand the origin of this person¡¯s disgusting attitude towards him. Suddenly, he thought about what this person would look like if he really laughed. ¡­Will it be as light and beautiful as the person in his dream? As if the entire peach blossom grove bloomed for him? ¡ª¡ªWhen Ye Yunlan walked out of the room, Shen Shu was no longer visible. He went to the bathroom and found the youth silently soaking in the barrels. He went over, and called: ¡°Shen Shu¡± Shen Shu whispered a response. ¡°Master¡± After this, it was silent again. He did not complain about the pain as usual, nor secretly looked up at him. Ye Yunlan: ¡°What¡¯s wrong.¡± Shen Shu shook his head, ¡°Nothing.¡± There was clearly something in his heart. Ye Yunlan was silent for a while: ¡°That person just now was the Sect Master of Sky Sect. He was entrusted to heal me, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Shen Shu muffledly said: ¡°I¡¯m not worried.¡± Saying one thing but meaning another. Ye Yunlan rubbed his head helplessly, and said softly, ¡°Tell Master what happened.¡± He coaxed and coaxed, then Shen Shu finally raised his head. He was taken aback. He saw that the boy¡¯s eyes were clearly red. ¡°The recurrence of Master¡¯s injury is related to me?¡± Shen Shu asked him. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment: ¡°The injury of Master¡¯s is not completely healed, it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°Master is lying to me again.¡± Shen Shu said. The steam was steaming from the wooden barrel, and the boy¡¯s eyes seemed to be stained with hazy mist. When he saw that he did not answer, his expression was slightly dim. ¡°I said it before, I will find the best elixir in the world for Master to heal your injuries.¡± He whispered, ¡°I will definitely do it.¡± ¡°So, the next time Master is injured, can you stop hiding it from me?¡± These years, Ye Yunlan had been walking alone in the world and has long been accustomed to shouldering everything by himself. At this moment, listening to the serious words of the young man, he was at a loss. As he delayed in answering, the boy stared at him unblinkingly. The rising heat condensed drops of water on the boy¡¯s eyelashes that ran down his pale cheeks. In the end his heart softened. Ye Yunlan reached out and wiped the wet marks on the boy¡¯s face with his fingers, and agreed. ¡°Good.¡± ¡ª¡ªTime flies. Winter. Qingyun Mountain was snowing. Ye Yunlan sat in front of the book table, reading the scrolls in his hand attentively. He was wrapped in a fluffy fox fur, long black hair draped behind him. A white face appeared within the fluff. The stove was burning incense in the room, and there were several red blossoms in a vase in the corner. The window was wide open, and the outside world could be seen wrapped in silver, but no wind or snow poured into the house. A layer of transparent ripples could be seen faintly. ¡ª¡ªIt was a barrier set up on the window that could block the wind and snow. The house was tranquil. Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps. The study door was pushed open. A young man in black came in with a celadon bowl in his hand. ¡°Master.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his head, ¡°Why did you come back so early today?¡± The young man: ¡°The mountain was cold and disciple was worried about Master¡¯s body, so he came back earlier.¡± He was dressed in black. He had a ponytail tying back his hair. The face was handsome and stern, and one could vaguely see the tenderness of when he was young. It¡¯s just that the gloomy and hostile spirit at the beginning seems to have disappeared with the passing of the years. He now seemed to be no different from any disciple cultivating in the immortal dao since childhood. He was even more stellar. Ye Yunlan looked at Shen Shu with a slight emotion in his heart. Three years ago, after the filthy qi in Shen Shu¡¯s body was removed, he taught Shen Shu the method of spiritual qi cultivation. Although he had already expected Shen Shu¡¯s aptitude, it was only three years before he broke through the three realms and was promoted to the Golden Core realm. With such aptitude, he was afraid that all the geniuses in the cultivation world could not hope to reach him. Seeing his disciple achieve success in his studies, as his Master, he was naturally gratified. It¡¯s just¡­ ¡°Master, this is the heart-hardening snow lotus. Adding it¡¯s root with an ice pear fruit and warmed with a small fire for twenty-four hours, it would be effective in nourishing the meridians and spleen.¡± Shen Shu walked over with the porcelain bowl leaning on the bookcase to look at him. Those dark eyes were narrower and sharper than when they were young, but the color of their pupils when they looked at him was still pure and serious. His voice was still between a youth and a juvenile, with a little hoarseness within the deep tone. ¡°I have taken out the lotus heart. Adding rock sugar, it won¡¯t be bitter.¡± Shen Shu picked up the porcelain spoon. He blew it gently with his lips, and asked him in a low voice. ¡°Master, have a taste, okay?¡± CH 23 *delusions/fantasies; wild and fanciful thoughts Being stared at by Shen Shu earnestly, Ye Yunlan pursed his lips with a headache. His disciple¡¯s cultivation base advancing by leaps and bounds was naturally good. However, since his injury relapsed three years ago and Shen Shu becoming aware of it, Shen Shu had begun to pay special attention to his body. He would often retrieve all kinds of elixir for him. Even though he had told Shen Shu that these spirit medicines could only relieve his injury a little, but could not cure his injuries completely, Shen Shu still tirelessly brought the spirit medicine back. Watching him take the spirit medicine, and seeing his complexion become a bit better, he would smile happily. When he casually said that the elixir was bitter, Shen Shu would try to get rid of the bitterness of the elixir. Later, he learned how to cook from out of nowhere, and the elixir he made each had different flavors. It was good enough to be called a delicacy. Whenever he saw Shen Shu bring the elixir back and have an expectant appearance, he couldn¡¯t say anything to reject it. He took the porcelain bowl, and lowered his head to see the pure white lotus petals and golden ice pear fruit in the bowl. It looked very attractive. He picked up the spoon. The taste of it was indeed wonderful. It was sweet and refreshing, dissolving instantly when it entered his mouth. The gentle and warm medicinal power infiltrated his fragmented meridians. He felt a little more comfortable and his appearance slightly relaxed. Shen Shu leaned against the table and looked down at his master. Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion was extremely white. His thin body was wrapped in thick fox fur with only a snowy white face exposed. His long eyelashes were drooping down, and his slender fingers were holding the porcelain bowl, spooning the sweet soup inside. It was like an elegant white crane drawing water by the river. The spoon slightly knocked against the bowl wall, making a fine crackling sound. The man¡¯s thin lips were stained with moisturizing liquid, tinting it pink. This made a person want to¡­ get intimate with him. Shen Shu didn¡¯t dare to look again. His adam¡¯s apple moved. He stared at the ground, remembering the first winter of living with his Master. At that time, the filthy energy in his body had just been removed and he just began to practice spiritual power. With spiritual protection, he didn¡¯t feel cold. But Ye Yunlan was different. Although his Master never said he was cold, Shen Shu knew that this person usually had cold limbs. It was even worse in winter. He used to quietly hold the other person¡¯s hand at night when they were asleep. However, no matter how he held it, it wouldn¡¯t get warm. Even if he went to bed earlier to warm it up for this person, when this person went to sleep by himself, there was always coldness in the blanket on that person¡¯s side. Many times, he wanted to hug the other party and warm him up. But, in the end, he just froze until dawn. Until he started to cultivate, the first thing he did was to go to the library to find formations to keep warm. He set up heaters around the bamboo building. After thinking about it, he still felt that it was not enough, so he went to the mountains to hunt. He personally made a fox fur coat for Ye Yunlan. He remembered that when his Master received the clothes, his indifferent expression was surprised, ¡°Shen Shu, you know how to¡­ make clothes?¡± ¡°No¡­but I can learn.¡± He said seriously, ¡°Master can carve a sword for me and I¡­can make clothes for Master.¡± His Master listened, then his lips seemed to curve upwards, ¡°You have been considerate.¡± He watched his Master get up and put the fox fur on. The white fur lined against the other party¡¯s skin and was as good-looking as he had imagined. Perhaps because of the fur, the lonely temperament of his master was much less. There was a rare illusion of softness and intimacy. From then on, he liked winter very much. He liked watching his Master wear his hand-made fox fur and stay in the warm house he had arranged, quietly and peacefully. Every now and then, a secret joy would linger in his heart. Ye Yunlan put down the porcelain bowl in his hand, making a soft noise on the book case. Shen Shu regained his senses from his thoughts. His eyes drooped slightly, he asked: ¡°Master, was it yummy?¡± Ye Yunlan let out a light ¡°En¡±. Seeing Shen Shu¡¯s face with joy and bright eyes, he thought he was still similar to the young him who would be extremely happy after receiving his reward. He said softly: ¡°You, if you spend so much time searching for elixirs, you should spend more time in your cultivation. Maybe in a few years, Senior Brother won¡¯t even have to suppress his cultivation to not be your opponent.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°It won¡¯t take a few years.¡± Ye Yunlan understood what he meant. He couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°You are confident.¡± But he didn¡¯t say that he was overestimating himself. He remembered when He Lanze first started to exchange notes with Shen Shu, he was very careless. Shen Shu had never learned the sword before. At that time, he had only learned a month¡¯s worth of martial arts. He Lanze whose sword dao had already reached the great success realm, suppressed his spiritual power cultivation base, but would still crush Shen Shu. He Lanze would only exchange notes with Shen Shu once, then after the exchange, would go into the bamboo building and chat with him on the excuse of being thirsty. For the sake of exchanging notes with Shen Shu, he would not refuse. After Shen Shu was defeated by He Lanze several times, he asked: ¡°Master, me being like this, does it make you embarrassed?¡± He rubbed the boy¡¯s head and comforted him patiently: ¡°It¡¯s just a waste of a few cans of tea leaves.¡± Shen Shu said nothing. He had already seen that Shen Shu was a rare genius in swordsmanship, with a wild instinct talent. He would be able to grow rapidly in battle. The time in which Shen Shu will be crushed by He Lanze won¡¯t be long. But he didn¡¯t expect it would be this fast. In three years. He watched from Shen Shu being defeated by He Lanze with one move, then to him lasting several moves, then later to where He Lanze would suppress his spiritual power cultivation base, but could still barely share the limelight with the opponent. He Lanze¡¯s attitude also went from being careless at the beginning to being focused afterwards. Every time Shen Shu exchanged pointers with He Lanze, he would not stop until he was exhausted. As his strength improved, after He Lanze and Shen Shu had a battle, there would be less and less time for He Lanze to find him for tea to chat. Ye Yunlan once persuaded Shen Shu: ¡°You don¡¯t have to fight as if your life depended on it every time you fight with He Lanze.¡± Shen Shu seriously said: ¡°I am saving tea for Master.¡± When he thought of Shen Shu¡¯s seriousness at the time, Ye Yunlan¡¯s face had a helpless smile. ¡°You are now a golden core. Such speed is rare amongst the younger generation in the cultivation world.¡± Ye Yunlan said. The reason why there are a few people in the realm of cultivation that have this speed is because there are a few families in the cultivation world who have deep inheritance. Because of their bloodline, resources, and cultivation since childhood, it is not the case in which there are no young people who have a better cultivation base than Shen Shu. But leaving many factors aside, Shen Shu had done well enough at his age. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing that your spiritual power cultivation base grows fast, but in this way, your foundation will easily become unstable. What you need to do now is to suppress your cultivation base, temper your mental state, refine your spiritual power, and make your realm completely stable.¡± ¡°So, your Master has a suggestion.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his head and looked at Shen Shu, ¡°Go and pick up a few sect missions outside Qingyun Mountain. Go see the world. Shen Shu, your future should not be limited to this square inch of land.¡± Shen Shu thought to himself, but I just want to be with you, Master. He was no longer the boy before who expressed his emotions straightforwardly. Over the years, he followed Ye Yunlan¡¯s expectations and grew into what the other party hoped for. After thinking for a while, he said: ¡°Master, I heard that after half a month, it will be the Tianchi Mountain conference. I want to participate.¡± The Tianchi Mountain conference was a grand meeting for the younger generation of disciples in the cultivation world. At that time, all major sects will dispatch disciples to participate, for the face of their sect. Shen Shu can indeed open his eyes and increase his knowledge if he went. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Why do you want to attend the conference?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I want to test my own strength. As Master said, I need to gain more experience. I can take this opportunity to temper myself and stabilize my cultivation.¡± There is another thing he didn¡¯t mention to Ye Yunlan, which is his real goal in regard to this gathering. He had heard that if he could get first place in this conference, he could get a nine-tier elixir. Elixirs are rare. The elixir he had found in the past few years were no more than sixth rank. If he can obtain the ninth rank elixir¡­ will the injury on his master¡¯s body improve? If it¡¯s like this, the annoying sect master who comes to heal his master every month will not be able to pester his master again in the future. Ye Yunlan was satisfied with his answer: ¡°Since you have decided, go and pack your things. As Master remembers it, the Sect has organized the Shenxing Flying Boat to go to the conference, don¡¯t miss it.¡± Shen Shu was silent for a moment: ¡°Master¡­can you accompany me? When I see other disciples in the sect, they are usually accompanied by their Masters when they go to the conference¡­¡± The martial arts competition at the Dao Conference was not just a casual exchange of pointers. If one party does not surrender in time, there is a possibility of serious injuries or death, it does require someone to take care of them. Ye Yunlan had never been to the Dao Conference in his previous life. In this life, he had also decided to spend the rest of his life in a remote place, no longer wanting to participate in anything of the cultivation world. He had already seen the vastness of the world, the changing mountains and rivers of the world, the countless scenery. He didn¡¯t feel nostalgic. But Shen Shu hasn¡¯t. Ye Yunlan thought for a while. If Shen Shu was alone, would he be bullied, deceived, or tempted? These¡­ he was actually quite worried about. It was indeed better to take care of him. This time, he was just going out to look after his apprentice. As long as he acted less publicly, there would probably be no problems. So he agreed. ¡°Okay, I will accompany you as your Master.¡± The shadow next to Shen Shu twisted excitedly. He picked up the porcelain bowl on the table, rubbed the edge of the bowl with his fingertips, and muttered joyfully. ¡°Master treats me so well.¡± ¡ª¡ªNight time. Shen Shu stepped out of the bamboo building and went to a small bamboo building next to it. Since he got older, his figure has also grown. The carved bed had become more and more cramped. A year and a half ago, he was ordered by Ye Yunlan to move out and build a small bamboo building next to him. He stood in front of the window, looking at the silhouette of his master in the window of the opposite bamboo building. He didn¡¯t lie down on the bed until the lights went out. After a while, he fell asleep. There was heavy snow flying in the dream. He was walking in the snow and suddenly smelt a sweet smell. Following the fragrance, he saw a half-covered window. His heart throbbed. A voice told him that he shouldn¡¯t open this window, but another voice urged him to open this window quickly. He opened the window. He saw a carved bed in the room. There was also a wet, wrinkled fox fur. There was a man lying on the fox fur, dazzling white. The man propped himself up with one hand and his black hair slipped off his shoulders. He turned sideways to look at him. He saw the other party¡¯s red eyes and misty eyes, as if he was suffering in pain. The cold voice trembled and called him. ¡°¡­Come, help me.¡± CH 24 Come¡­help me. He stood by the window, his steps were as if he was stuck in a swamp. He watched the person¡¯s face glowing red. Misty eyes seemed to contain spring water. The ice and snow in his eyes melted away, as if falling from the sky to the world of mortals. The boundless color seemed to be woven into a dense net to wrap around him. He felt his heart beat like a thunderstorm. His throat was so thirsty. The fragrance filled the tip of his nose, as if soaked with inevitable poison. Tempting him to get closer. Be more relaxed. ¡°¡­Help me.¡± The man trembled again. The net finally wrapped around him tightly, leading him to jump across the window sill and into the gentle warm tent. He knelt on the snow-white damp fox fur. He leaned over carefully, and said hoarsely: ¡°Disciple is here to help you¡­¡± ¡°¡­Master.¡± ¡ª¡ªBirds croak outside the window. Shen Shu woke up from his dream, with a sense of dampness in his quilt. He raised his hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose, and exhaled slowly. Three years later, he was no longer that boy who didn¡¯t understand anything. When he was in the library, searching for information about the Dao bond contract, he accidentally found a book about dual cultivation. ¡­ It turns out that in this world, people who are close to each other, not only embrace and hold hands with each other, but can also have more intimate contact. The memory of eavesdropping by the window has become his lingering dream for many years. He had imagined countless times. If he opened the window back then, what would the scene look like? Will that cold person staring at him with red eyes in his dream, tremblingly tell him, ¡°Help me.¡± Even so, Shen Shu did not dare to show any strange behaviour in front of that person. He was afraid of making the other party annoyed or fed up. Since he was born, he had been struggling to survive. No one has taught him etiquette and rules. Until he met Ye Yunlan. The other party saved his life, taught him how to write, and taught him swordsmanship. He wanted to be close with the other party. He wanted the other person to look at him alone. He wanted to be with the other party forever. No matter if it was Master and disciple, or dao companions. He felt that everything was normal. But he also knew that in the eyes of others, it is not normal for him to be like this. A disciple having fantasies towards his own Master is not in accordance with etiquette and norms. It is offensive. Not only will he be scorned by others, but they will also humiliate his Master. And he, no matter what, didn¡¯t want to disappoint and shame that person. He got up, retrieved a bucket of cold water from the well, and poured it all over his head. The twelfth lunar month of winter. The heat in his body faded instantly, so much that ice crystals condensed on his eyelashes. He didn¡¯t notice anything. He only changed into clean clothes, then walked into the bamboo building next to him. But he heard a man¡¯s low voice in the room. ¡°You said you want to go to the Tianchi Mountain conference? But once it starts, it will last for two months. If the injuries in your body are not suppressed by me, you may relapse again.¡± ¡°Listen to me, don¡¯t go.¡± Shen Shu paused and stopped in place. ¡ª¡ªbedroom. The white-haired crane-cloaked man leaned against the window with his sword in his arms. He was really tall, so when he leaned this way, he covered most of the sunlight coming in through the window. Ye Yunlan leaned on the bed. Just healed, the hair on his temples were still covered in sweat. But his expression was very indifferent, ¡°It¡¯s my injury, I have a sense of measure. Why should the Immortal Venerable be concerned about me.¡± ¡°You are the disciple of my Sky Sect. As Sect Lord, naturally, I have the qualifications to be concerned for you.¡± Qiyun Jun responded lightly. Ye Yunlan: ¡°There are thousands of disciples in Sky Sect, if the Sect Lord likes to be nosy, there are many others, why me?¡± He paused, and continued: ¡°Three years, no matter how big the karma is, it should have been paid off. Besides, my relationship with Rong Ran has long been broken off. These three years there has been no contact. Even if he had asked for my healing before to Immortal Venerable, you have done enough. This point, Immortal Venerable should know.¡± His eyes looked tired. Qiyun Jun frowned slightly. Every time he saw him, this person always looked like this. Three years have passed and he hasn¡¯t changed at all. He was obviously his Sect Master and has also saved his life. What¡¯s more, they were both sword cultivators. Even if this person does not want to be his disciple, he should appreciate him. Like how he admired this person. ¡°In the beginning, me healing you was indeed for karma.¡± Qiyun Jun said, ¡°Now, it¡¯s just because of pity.¡± ¡°What pity?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity that you have a talent for the sword.¡± A light flashed across Qiyun Jun¡¯s eyes. He paused, then continued, ¡°It¡¯s a pity¡­you.¡± Although Qiyun Jun¡¯s words were spoken in an indifferent tone, they sounded a little strange. Ye Yunlan frowned, ¡°What does Immortal Venerable mean?¡± Without further explanation, Qiyun Jun changed the subject. ¡°If you really insist on going to the conference, I won¡¯t stop you.¡± He threw a bottle of pills to him, ¡°This is the All-Spirit Recovery Pill I refined. When your injury is triggered, take it. Taking one pill may relieve one or two relapses.¡± When the pill arrived in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hands, before he refused, he felt a breeze pass by. The man by the window had disappeared. Qiyun Jun left as quietly as when he came. Transcendence realm, with just a thought, they could move thousands of miles in a flash. Such a technique was normal. Ye Yunlan leaned on the head of the bed for a while. He wanted to throw the pill bottle in his hand. After thinking for a while, he closed his eyes. All-Spirit Recovery Pill is the best healing pill. While the best healing pill in his hand is only medium-grade, he didn¡¯t want to keep the things given by Qiyun Jun, but Shen Shu might need it. The fighting during the conference is very dangerous. It is better to be safe. Healing his wounds was a waste of his state of mind. Him enduring not drawing his sword has consumed him a lot of effort. Ye Yunlan only felt a little tired. He couldn¡¯t help raising his hand to rub his temples. Instead of getting up and going to the study as usual, he leaned on his bed and closed his eyes to rest. After a long time, the door was knocked on. ¡°Master, I made you breakfast.¡± It was Shen Shu¡¯s voice. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Come in.¡± Shen Shu opened the door, and saw the man sitting on the side of the bed, wearing a white shirt, with long black hair snaking and winding down. He only raised his eyes and looked over quietly. It seems that every time he sees that Sect Master, Master¡¯s mood becomes very heavy. Thinking of the words that had just been overheard, Shen Shu¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly. ¡°This is a new pastry I learned to make, Master, want to try it?¡± He brought a plate of lotus leaf glutinous rice cake to the bed and naturally sat down next to Ye Yunlan. His black clothes still had some white flour powder on him. It was from earlier when he was making pastries and he was leaving in a hurry. Ye Yunlan barely ate food in his previous life. After he was reborn, he didn¡¯t know where Shen Shu had learned so many cooking skills. He was nurtured by his apprentice with a taste of yummy food. He rolled up his sleeves, picked up a piece of lotus leaf glutinous rice cake with his slender fingers, and pressed it to his lips to bite. ¡°Very good,¡± he said, his frowning eyebrows softened slightly. When Shen Shu saw this, his heart was slightly relaxed. He had already discovered that although he looked lonely and indifferent on the outside, in fact his Master liked to eat sweets a lot. So he also picked up a piece of glutinous rice cake and put it in his mouth. Shen Shu didn¡¯t like sweets. Or it could be said that he had no particular preference for most foods in this world. Because his five senses were too sensitive. This glutinous rice cake melted on the tip of his tongue. It was too sweet, yet he acted indifferent and only whispered. ¡°As long as Master likes it, then that would be the best.¡± ¡ª¡ªTwo days later. There were a lot of people on Wendao slope today. A sacred flying boat was parked on Wendao slope. This flying boat was huge and looked like it could hold a lot of people. The space inside was even bigger. Using the technique of Xuminagai seeds, it was more than ten times larger than what the outside world could see. The Dao Conference was a grand event for the immortals, many people visited Sky Sect at this time. Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu got on the flying boat, handed over their disciple tokens, and were assigned to a room in the flying boat. When they got on the flying boat, many around looked at him. Although Ye Yunlan was used to it since his rebirth, he still felt uncomfortable. He really didn¡¯t want to attract attention. He couldn¡¯t help thinking whether he should have brought a veil hat to cover his face a little when he went to the conference. Suddenly, Ye Yunlan frowned slightly. He looked sideways, feeling an unusually hot gaze, then he saw a familiar figure. It was Rong Ran. Three years ago, Rong Ran fell out with him and was later punished by Qiyun Jun to stay within his confinement and reflect. The law enforcement hall looked into it but the matter was settled with nothing definite. He Lanze had told him that it was Qiyun Jun who had stopped the dispute of the past. He hadn¡¯t seen the other party for a long time, and only felt that the other party seemed to have lost a lot of weight. He turned away. But he saw Rong Ran looking at him, slowly showing a soft smile to him and nodding at him. Shen Shu walked a few steps closer to him, seeming to block Rong Ran¡¯s hot gaze, either intentionally or unintentionally. In the past few years, Shen Shu had grown so fast that he was already as tall as him. He was dressed in black with his black hair tied behind his head. His face was handsome and stern, he was already a young and outstanding sword cultivator. ¡°Master, there are a lot of people here,¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°Let¡¯s enter our room. I practiced the sword yesterday, but I didn¡¯t quite understand a few techniques and wanted to ask Master for advice.¡± Ye Yunlan retracted his mind and nodded slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡ª¡ª-Flying boat, in a room. Chen Xianyu was holding the picture book in his hand and was carefully drawing, sometimes frowning, sometimes thinking, sometimes looking drunk. Then he felt a hot jade in his chest. He hurriedly collected his pen and used the water mirror technique. ¡°Brother.¡± A figure appeared in the water mirror. Inside, a handsome man in white clothes seemed to be standing on the top of the mountain, surrounded by clouds and mist. The breeze blew up his robe, and his eyes seemed to have fragments of stars. Chen Weiyuan said gently: ¡°Tianxuan, it has been three years. The power of the demonic star has been accumulating. The answer I want from you, it has not arrived.¡± Chen Xianyu: ¡°Brother, I have done my best. In your words, those with demonic souls enjoy killing and devouring evil spirits, so I secretly set up a nine-yin soul gathering formation in Qingyun Mountain. I released some rumors, so it should have attracted the demonic star, but the person you were looking for never showed up.¡± He scratched his head, ¡°I think that maybe the demonic star¡­ is not as we calculated of being born extremely evil and liking to kill¡­ Maybe, he is actually a normal person.¡± ¡°The demonic star was good at concealment before it was born. It is not surprising that you could not find it. It¡¯s just Tianxuan, you who have been wandering for several years, you seem to have forgotten many things from our family teachings.¡± Chen Weiyuan said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, you need to have some time to reflect. It¡¯s perfect that the dao conference will be starting. Once you come over to Tianchi Mountain, your brother will teach you in person.¡± Chen Xianyu listened with cold sweat, and hurriedly changed the subject, ¡°Tianji Pavilion has never participated in the Dao Conference¡­¡­Is elder brother accompanying Senior Brother Xu to participate?¡± ¡°Since Qingyue had made the rare decision to participate, your brother will accompany him.¡± Chen Weiyuan said indifferently, ¡°But this time I came to Tianchi Mountain for other important things to do.¡± Chen Xianyu nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chen Weiyuan said suddenly, ¡°There is one more thing.¡± He took out the copy of the Beauty Book, and at the same time he opened it. Chen Xianyu¡¯s original also started to turn its pages. Until it stayed on a page of a blurred portrait. Chen Xianyu blinked. In the past few years, he has revised and revised this painting dozens of times, but the person was hidden well. He would rarely see him. The person was not as easy to talk to as many of the Senior Sisters in the sect. He dare not go publicly to steal a look to paint him. Based on the impression in his mind, three years have passed, but he still hasn¡¯t been able to draw a tenth of that person. Chen Xianyu regarded this painting as the most satisfying work in his life, but at this time, it was still only half-finished. He did not expect that Chen Weiyuan would suddenly open the painting in front of him. He watched his brother¡¯s fingertips accustomed to playing chess trace the fuzzy portrait, and asked with interest. ¡°Who is he?¡± CH 25 Chen Xianyu knew that his elder brother usually looked down on the beauties he painted in the book of beauties. It is rare that he would ask questions today, so it raised a little interest in him, ¡°He is the person I mentioned to brother before, the beauty that can be comparable to Brother Xu.¡± ¡°Someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with Qingyue?¡± Chen Weiyuan raised his eyebrows, ¡°Tianxuan, do you have to compare your Senior Brother Xu with others at will?¡± Chen Xianyu defended: ¡°I know, I know. I respect Senior Brother Xu as much as I do my elder brother. But just now, I couldn¡¯t help it, so I compared him to Senior Brother Xu.¡± ¡°My painting skills are clumsy and I can¡¯t draw the real person in the painting. Once brother sees this person, you will know what I said is true. Just now, I saw that person on the Shenxing Flying Boat. Speaking about the conference, that person will also go to Tianchi Mountain. He is Sky Sect¡¯s Yanhui peak¡¯s disciple named Ye Yunlan. When elder brother arrives, he can take a closer look.¡± Chen Weiyuan was startled. Chen Xianyu: ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°Ye Yunlan¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan repeated it in a low voice, and said, ¡°It¡¯s a good name.¡± Chen Xianyu blinked in suspicion. His elder brother hadn¡¯t even seen the person, so why would he compliment the other¡¯s name for no reason? Chen Weiyuan stopped continuing this topic, but looked up to the sky. Even in the daytime, the starlight entwined like silk threads was still invisible in his eyes. He said: ¡°Tianxuan, that year, the astrological signs changed. It has been three years now, but the variables in the world have not yet been revealed. This is inconsistent with common sense. Please pay more attention to your surroundings. If you notice anything wrong, tell me as soon as possible.¡± Chen Xianyu: ¡°I will pay attention, brother.¡± Chen Weiyuan nodded, then he waved his sleeves to scatter the water mirror. The wind on the top of Tianchi Mountain made his robe flutter and dance. ¡°Ye Yunlan¡­¡± He whispered the name again, then his fingertips traced the picture book. The emotions in his star-filled eyes were hard to detect. Suddenly a pleasant voice came from behind. ¡°Senior Brother Chen, the wind is scorching and the fog is cold on the top of the mountain, why are you in a daze here?¡± The voice came with a laughing tone. Chen Weiyuan put away the picture book in his hand. His indifferent appearance showed a smile. He turned around, looked at the person, and said warmly: ¡°Qingyue, why did you come?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±Here, your elbow needs to be raised another half an inch. The energy will be condensed in the arm when it flows, then it will penetrate the sword in your hand.¡± Ye Yunlan stood in front of Shen Shu, pointing out his technique aloud, ¡°Do you still have something unclear about this sword move?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I understand, thank you Master.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded slightly. He looked up at the side window sill. Outside the window sill was a surging cloud. Bright sunlight shone on the endless open sea of ??clouds, displaying a magnificent sight. ¡°Tianchi Mountain is located in the Central Continent. The East Continent and Central Continent are separated by tens of thousands of miles. Even if it is a Shenxing flying boat, it will take three days to reach it. If you feel bored, you can go out for a walk.¡± Ye Yunlan said. Shen Shu: ¡°I don¡¯t feel bored. Three days of sun, with just a little practice, it will fly by quickly.¡± When he thought that he would be alone with his Master for three days, there wasn¡¯t enough time for him to be happy, so how could he still want to go out? He looked at the only carved wooden bed in the room, a gleam of light passed by in his dark eyes. He was about to speak, but the door of the room was knocked on. ¡°Is Junior Brother Ye here?¡± came a female voice, ¡°Can you open the door for Senior Sister?¡± Ye Yunlan frowned when he heard this voice. After hesitating for a moment, he walked over and opened the door. Standing outside the door was Senior Sister Yin in red. She had a glamorous appearance. She was very assertive, tall, and scorching hot like a fire. When she saw Ye Yunlan, she smiled: ¡°I heard people say that Junior Brother Ye was resting in this room, so I wanted to come and look for Junior Brother to chat. I hope I didn¡¯t disturb Junior Brother.¡± The affection in Yin Ling¡¯s eyes was not concealed. No matter who saw it, they can feel her affection towards Ye Yunlan. In the past few years, she had been really bold in pursuing him. Even when Ye Yunlan has clearly rejected her several times, her enthusiasm remained unabated. According to Yin Ling, as long as he does not find a dao companion, she will not give up. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, ¡°I have something to do, please go back, Senior Sister.¡± ¡°It¡¯s early morning, what does Junior Brother Ye have to do?¡± Senior Sister Yin glanced at him with a bit of resentment in her eyes. Ye Yunlan had never been approached by a woman before. He was really not good at dealing with such a passionate pursuit by a woman. He pursed his lips and didn¡¯t know what to say, so Shen Shu walked over. He folded his arms and said by the door: ¡°Master is giving me pointers, I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have time to chat with Senior Sister.¡± Senior Sister Yin glared at Shen Shu, ¡°Martial Nephew, you have grown up so much, how can you still be the same as before and bother your Master every day?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Because he is my master, I ask him for advice. It is only natural.¡± Senior Sister Yin snorted. She raised her hand, curled her long black hair on her cheeks, then raised her eyes to Ye Yunlan, ¡°Junior Brother Ye¡­¡± Ye Yunlan had a headache, ¡°I really don¡¯t have time today.¡± Senior Sister Yin: ¡°Junior Brother really didn¡¯t lie to me?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­serious.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Senior Sister Yin gave him a grieving look, ¡°I will wait for Junior Brother to have some time, then I¡¯ll come to chat with you again.¡± After finally sending Senior Sister Yin away, Ye Yunlan sat next to the pearwood round table in the room and rubbed his temples with his hand. Shen Shu walked over to him, but once again set his eyes on the carved bed in the room. Since he moved out of the bamboo building, he and his master have not slept in the same bed for more than a year. He took the teapot on the table and poured themselves tea: ¡°Master, disciple will first practice for a while. At night, is it possible ¡­¡­¡± Before he finished, the door was struck again. Shen Shu: ¡°¡­¡± Suddenly he wanted to smash the teacup in his hand. ¡°Is Junior Brother Ye inside?¡± This time there was a calm male voice coming from outside the door. Shen Shu could tell it was the voice of his cheap Martial Uncle. Before Ye Yunlan got up to open the door, he put down his teacup and walked over to open the door. He Lanze saw Shen Shu open the door and his long eyebrows raised slightly. His first sentence was: ¡°Why is Martial Nephew Shen here? I remember that there are many rooms in the Shenxing flying boat. As long as one has a disciple token, they can be assigned a room of their own.¡± The implication was asking him to stay in his own room. Shen Shu expressionlessly said, ¡°Shouldn¡¯t Martial Uncle be in your own room?¡± He Lanze choked. Three years later, he still couldn¡¯t get used to seeing the kid in front of him. He knew in his heart that this kid also couldn¡¯t get used to him either. He did not want to quarrel with this kid anymore, so he strode into the room, and called out: ¡°Junior Brother Ye.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his eyes slightly, ¡°Senior Brother.¡± He Lanze: ¡°I heard that Junior Brother was also on this Shenxing flying boat. It turns out that Junior Brother also wants to participate in the Tianchi Mountain dao conference. Why didn¡¯t Junior Brother tell me before? Also, your body¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not me who wants to participate, it¡¯s my disciple.¡± Ye Yunlan interrupted. ¡°Oh?¡± He Lanze looked at Shen Shu, ¡°Junior Brother is only going to accompany Martial Nephew to increase his knowledge?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± He Lanze said: ¡°If this is the case, Senior Brother will feel more at ease.¡± He thought for a while, then took out a white veil hat from his storage ring. He put it on the table, then hesitated for a moment: ¡°Junior Brother, Senior Brother knows that you like peace. There are many people in this conference. If you wear this, it may reduce a lot of disturbance.¡± This coincided with Ye Yunlan¡¯s previous thoughts. He took the veil hat, rubbed it in his hand, then replied: ¡°Thank you Senior Brother.¡± He Lanze looked at him with his head down, his quiet and pale face; then warmth flowed in his heart. He said softly: ¡°No need to say thank you.¡± He continued to discuss the topic of the Dao conference. After having a few conversations with Ye Yunlan, he then reluctantly left. After He Lanze left, Ye Yunlan remembered something. ¡°Shen Shu, Senior Brother reminded me that you also have a disciple token in your hand and can also be allocated a room on the Shenxing Flying Boat. If you get one, we won¡¯t have to be so crowded at night.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°¡­Yes, Master.¡± ¡ªThree days later. The huge Shenxing flying boat slowly descended at the foot of Tianchi Mountain, attracting many eyes from Tianchi Mountain. The Central Continent was a place where outstanding people gathered. Half of the six top sects in the Immortal Dao are located in the Central Continent. However, Sky Sect, the number one major sect of the immortal dao, was located in the Eastern Continent. Many people were curious about Sky Sect disciples. Sky Sect disciples filed out of the flying boat and flooded into Tianchi Mountain in groups. After a long time, when the crowds were getting thinner, a figure wearing a veiled hat walked off the flying boat, followed by a handsome young man in black. As soon as he got off the flying boat, he saw the distant mountains and green hills. Not far away was a small city. There was a subtle difference between the spiritual veins of the Central Continent and Eastern Continent. Cultivators may not adapt to them when they first arrive, but Ye Yunlan felt it was very familiar. At this time in his previous life, he had not been to the Central Continent. From the Eastern Continent Qingyun Mountain, to the North¡¯s Tianji Pavilion, then to the Western Continent¡¯s Buddha Pagoda. When he came to the Central Continent, he had already passed most of his life. At that time, the Demon Lord had just rescued him from the Buddha Pagoda. Together, they lived in the Central Continent for more than ten years. He was wasted in the Buddha Pagoda and his mind was very unstable. His cultivation was exhausted, and he had backlash from the intent of the Nirvana sword, making him weaker than a mortal. In order to take care of him, the Demon Lord bought a courtyard in a small city in the Central Continent, boiled medicine and made soup for him. He fed him, bite by bite. Later, his sanity gradually recovered and he was finally able to get out of his bed and walk around slowly. The other party helped him walk in the sparsely-traveled alley. Someone in the alley was selling mung bean and apricot blossom cakes. He stopped there, staring at the fireworks in the alleyway for a long time. That night, the Demon Lord brought back a few pieces of mung bean and apricot blossom cakes. He was very tired of drinking the bitter medicine, so he took the apricot blossom cake. After drinking the medicine, it was rare for him not to feel nausea or vomit. Seeing that he liked it, the Demon Lord planted an apricot tree in the courtyard where they lived. Every early spring, the apricot blossoms would be in full bloom. There was a wicker chair next to the apricot tree. When he was free, he would sit on the wicker chair, watching the Demon Lord crouching to pick the apricot flowers and turn them into dried flowers. Then he would see the smoke rising from the roof with a sweet fragrance of mung bean and apricot blossom cakes spreading over. Sometimes, the Demon Lord would sit next to him. He would take out the apricot blossoms from his hair, one by one, stare at him for a long while, then prop up the wicker chair with one knee to lean over to kiss him. He raised his head and looked at the treetops. The fine sunlight pierced his eyes through the gaps in the branches and leaves. The light and shadow swayed in a trance. Spiritual energy flowed into his dried up body through his meridians. He felt long-lost warmth. The memory of those hundred years in the cold death-like Buddha Pagoda, with this gentle surging warmth, seemed to be a dream in the afternoon sun. Later, he walked the world alone. Occasionally passing through the Central Continent, he would return to the courtyard and stay for a long time. In a wink of an eye, a few decades passed and everything in the courtyard has become decayed and obsolete. Only the apricot tree in the courtyard grew taller and more lush. The breeze blew. The apricot blossoms were all over his jacket. He closed his eyes. He seemed to be able to vaguely smell the sweet fragrance of mung bean and apricot blossom cakes from back then. ¡ª¡ªThere were towns under Tianchi Mountain. Because the dao conference will start soon, the town was very busy. Looking up, there was a bustling flow of people. Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu walked into the town and heard the noise around them. ¡°Selling spirit artifacts! Don¡¯t miss out by just walking by. High-grade spirit artifacts made by a refining master personally, selling now only for six hundred top-grade spirit stones!¡± ¡°Medium-grade spirit elixirs that can unblock spirit veins and stabilize one¡¯s foundation! It can be obtained for a thousand two hundred middle-grade spirit stones¨C¡± ¡°Selling steamed buns, three pieces for a coin, white and tender, just out of the oven!¡± There were mortals and cultivators living in this town. It was rare for them to gather together to set up stalls. ¡°Master, wait for me.¡± Shen Shu said suddenly. Ye Yunlan nodded. He saw the young man stride towards the stall selling the buns. He said a few words, then paid the money. He brought back a greased paper bag. ¡°It¡¯s noon, so I bought some cakes. Master, try some. If Master is not used to it, I will find something else for Master.¡± Shen Shu said. He saw a cake seller on the side, and remembered that his Master had always loved these sweets, so he definitely would like it. The problem of eating can be solved with a single bigu pill, but Ye Yunlan has been accustomed to Shen Shu¡¯s cooking for the past few years, thus he seldom ate the bland and tasteless bigu pill. He took the oily paper bag and opened it and was startled. The pastries wrapped in oil paper were small, green-bean coloured, and looked very soft and sweet. It was mung bean and apricot blossom cakes. CH 26 *Heaven¡¯s Secret/Fate Ye Yunlan looked down at the small cakes. After a long time, he took a piece and put it in his mouth. The fragrance of apricot blossoms and the sweetness of mung beans melted into his mouth. It was a taste that he had not tasted for many years. Coming across it after many years made him stop for a while. ¡°Master?¡± Shen Shu next to him looked at him doubtfully, ¡°Mung bean cake, is it delicious?¡± He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but the young man¡¯s slightly hoarse and low voice was vaguely similar to the person in his memory. He actually seemed to be bewitched. That person who was born in the Demon Abyss was a natural Demon, the respected Demon Lord. He had no blood relatives, had no mentor or disciple. He couldn¡¯t have any similarities or involvement with Shen Shu. Ye Yunlan slowly swallowed the mung bean cake in his mouth, and whispered: ¡°¡­It¡¯s not bad.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t think much: ¡°If Master likes it, I can make it for Master after we return.¡± Ye Yunlan lightly let out an ¡°En¡±. Holding the oil paper bag, he picked up the mung bean cake one by one and ate them. Shen Shu noticed that he was slightly different from usual. His master ate very slowly, almost chewing it like a little girl. It seemed to be difficult to swallow, like he was reluctant to finish eating it. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder why his Master was eating so slowly? Does it taste delicious or not? The meaning of ¡°not bad¡± is¡­ delicious, right? Seeing that Ye Yunlan finally finished eating the mung bean cake, Shen Shu habitually took out a handkerchief from his storage ring and handed it to Ye Yunlan, ¡°Master.¡± Over the years, Ye Yunlan had his food and daily living stuff taken care of by him. Many subtle details were arranged delicately by him. Ye Yunlan nodded. He took the handkerchief, lowered his head and slowly wiped his five fingers carefully, then handed the handkerchief back. The hand shimmered like white jade in the sun. Like a lotus flower, it was really beautiful. Shen Shu stared for a moment before he took the handkerchief back, but inadvertently touched the other¡¯s fingertips. A little coldness spread over, causing his heart to tremble slightly. He subconsciously wanted to hold the other party¡¯s hand, wanting to warm the other party¡¯s cold fingertips. His knuckles tightened slightly, but he didn¡¯t move. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You have been living on Qingyun Mountain since you arrived at Sky Sect. You have never been to the secular world. Today, you can take this opportunity to take a walk and take a look. There are many different things in the world. The more you see, the more it will benefit your cultivation in the future.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Yes, Master.¡± The master and disciple walked slowly on the noisy street. Shen Shu paid attention to the flow of people, and walked a little bit in front of Ye Yunlan to clear the way to prevent others from colliding into his master. Although it was winter, cultivators had their spiritual power to protect themselves, so most of them were not afraid of the cold. Most ordinary mortals on the street wore cotton-padded jackets. Thus, the snow-white fox fur wearing Ye Yunlan, who also had a veiled hat, was somewhat eye-catching. The wind blew and the white tulle rose slightly. The hazy outline behind the tulle was faintly visible. Shen Shu saw several young female cultivators who had gathered together stop by the roadside. They cast their curious eyes over, as if wanting to catch a glimpse of the true face of his master. Such gazes were not uncommon along the way. Shen Shu knew that it wasn¡¯t just the clothes. Ye Yunlan was tall and slender. Even if one couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, there was an ethereal image. It was as if he was walking through these years alone, far away from the turbid world. Everything in the world could no longer reach his eyes. Standing there, it was like a bright moon in the sky, causing people to yearn for it. Shen Shu¡¯s expression was slightly gloomy. He turned sideways slightly, blocking the sight of the female cultivators. However, a large group of people gathered not far away. ¡°Master, there are a lot of people ahead,¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°What are they looking at?¡± Ye Yunlan raised his eyes and glanced at the crowd. He saw a lake with clear water in front. A small bridge stretched out from the shore of the lake. At the end of the bridge was an exquisite white jade pavilion standing in the emerald green lake, showing the imposing aura of an immortal family. People gathered from the shore to the pavilion. Almost instantly, Ye Yunlan recognized what it was and couldn¡¯t help frowning. If possible, he would never want to meet that person again for the rest of his life. It¡¯s just that the other party¡¯s power was huge. When he was in Qingyun Mountain in the East Continent, he could still be out of sight. However, this place was in the Central Continent and there were some things that he could not avoid even if he tried to hide. ¡°That is Xuanji Pavilion.¡± Ye Yunlan said. Shen Shu: ¡°Xuanji Pavilion?¡± ¡°Have you ever heard of the Northern Territory¡¯s Tianji Pavilion?¡± Ye Yunlan looked cold when talking about the Tianji Pavilion. ¡°Tianji Pavilion has set up Xuanji Pavilions everywhere in the world, and placed Tianji stones in the pavilions. Every month, they publish the Tianji ranking list on the Heavenly Mystery Stone, and all cultivators in the world can take a look.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Tianji ranking list¡­what is it?¡± Ye Yunlan indifferently: ¡°Tianji ranking list is Tianji pavilion¡¯s ranking for the world¡¯s strength, artifact and appearance.¡± Shen Shu blinked with some suspicion, ¡°Why set up such a list?¡± ¡°The people in the Tianji Pavilion are good at astrology, divination, and deduction. The patriarch of Tianji Pavilion once said that to calculate the world¡¯s fate, the common people are important. By setting up a list of rankings including the world¡¯s cultivators, it would predict disasters and chaos in the world, stabilizing the order of the cultivation world. This is the purpose of the Tianji Pavilion.¡± At this point, Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression showed a trace of sarcasm, hidden underneath the veiled hat. Shen Shu couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°It sounds very powerful,¡± Shen Shu said. ¡°It¡¯s just, I can understand the strength and artifact ranking of cultivators, but beauty¡­ why should that be included in the ranking?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. He had asked Chen Weiyuan this question in his previous life. At that time, Chen Weiyuan half embraced him. He held his hand, kissed his fingertips, chuckled and asked, ¡°Yunlan, do you think that in this world beauty is useless?¡± He was seated by the other party on the high chair in the Tianji Pavilion. The other party was writing the list of rankings in front of him. The golden energy was flowing and within reach, but he did not reach out to touch it. He only whispered: ¡°Someone once told me that appearance for a cultivator is the most useless thing ever, it can even cause disasters.¡± ¡°Who said this to you? It seems like they are harboring some motives.¡± Chen Weiyuan shook his head and smiled. ¡°Although I have never valued one¡¯s appearance, I do not agree that someone¡¯s appearance is a useless thing. Sometimes, it is even sharper than an immortal¡¯s weapon.¡± He paused, ¡°An immortal¡¯s weapon can pierce physical items, but one¡¯s appearance can pierce the human heart.¡± ¡°But it is true for what the person said about someone¡¯s appearance being able to cause disasters. An overly outstanding appearance will bring chaos and disaster not only to oneself, but also to others, even the whole world of cultivation.¡± ¡°When the Patriarch built the pavilion, the two most outstanding cultivators in the Immortal Sect fought for the first beauty in the cultivation world at that time. Later, they were expelled out of the sect. One entered the demonic dao and the other into the ghost dao. The cultivation world was in chaos. It even disrupted the dao energy. From then on, our ancestors listed out a ranking on appearance, strength, and artifacts.¡± As Chen Weiyuan spoke, he sighed slightly: ¡°If someone can keep their beauties hidden, hide their immortal artifacts, and hide their strength from the world, there should be a lot less disturbances.¡± After saying that, he leaned down again. Thin lips touched the tips of his ears. His voice was gentle and affectionate, ¡°At that time, Yunlan, I may also be able to let go of my responsibilities, hold hands with you, and enter paradise.¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes. The so-called holding hands and entering paradise¡­ were all lies. He said coldly: ¡°Probably because they were bored.¡± Shen Shu was taken aback for a moment, then he laughed. The young man¡¯s voice was slightly husky, but when he laughed, it was a little low and sultry. ¡°Master is right, they must be really bored¡­ It¡¯s just a boring list and just the words of the Tianji Pavilion family. Why would there be so many people wanting to look at it treating it as if it was true?¡± He thought for a while, then asked again, ¡°Besides, was there really no one against this ranking list that¡¯s so controversial?¡± ¡°Yes, but they were all suppressed.¡± Ye Yunlan said. ¡°The six sects of Dao, Tianji Pavilion is only one of them. Do they really have such great ability?¡± Shen Shu was puzzled. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Tianji Pavilion alone is naturally not so capable. But behind the Tianji Pavilion is the Chen family.¡± Shen Shu has followed Ye Yunlan in cultivation over the years and was influenced by it. He had also read a lot of ancient books, so he knew that there were ancient families in the cultivation world. Different from the six dao sects, the traces of the ancient families were a secret, but they were extremely powerful. Many sects and dynasties in the cultivation world had the shadow of these aristocratic families. But he did not expect that the Tianji Pavilion, one of the six sects, was actually supported by one such family. So he was a little curious, ¡°What kind of existence is the Chen family¡­?¡± ¡°The Chen family is a family of fate cultivation. The techniques of spying and manipulating fate is extremely tricky. Not many people in the cultivation world know about the Chen family. But if they know, they would not dare to mess with them.¡± Ye Yunlan said calmly. He didn¡¯t know much about the Chen family. In his previous life, he had been in the Chen family for decades, but he still couldn¡¯t get a glimpse of the whole picture. The Chen family¡¯s rules were strict. Even if Chen Weiyuan became a dao companion with him, the places he could go to were limited. The time he remembered the most was when he inadvertently broke into the hall where Chen Weiyuan usually cultivated and seeing him sitting on a huge astrolabe. The place he was in was clearly in the main hall, but on the dome was an endless starry sky. The astrolabe that Chen Weiyuan sat on was depicted with the five elements of heaven and the earth. There were countless lines that were so complicated that it was a headache just looking at them. He had never forgotten anything he had seen, but he was shocked when he saw the lines at first glance. He almost vomited a mouthful of blood from the shaking of his mind it caused. Then he saw Chen Weiyuan open his eyes and look at him. The distance between them was not far, but the other person¡¯s glance seemed to be looking at him through the endless galaxy. The usual tenderness and affection seemed to disappear in this vast and magnificent sea of ??stars. Even though Chen Weiyuan soon got up and walked towards him, caring for him tenderly, and feeding him medicine to heal his injuries, he heard the other side¡¯s indirect criticizing words. Since then, he has never disturbed the other party while he was practicing. Shen Shu: ¡°If Tianji Pavilion is so powerful, then why didn¡¯t I hear about Tianji Pavillion¡¯s reputation in the Eastern Continent?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Because of Qiyun Jun.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Sect Master?¡± He frowned. At that time, that man came and went in his Master¡¯s room like a ghost. His impression of him was not good. ¡°Qiyun Jun is the only cultivator in the Transcendence Realm in the Eastern Continent, and he does not allow anyone to peep in his territory. Therefore, Tianji Pavilion¡¯s power in the Eastern continent is the weakest among the five continents.¡± This is why in this life, he chose to stay in Qingyun Mountain. It¡¯s just, why did he meet Chen Weiyuan under the three thousand long steps of the Sect gates back then? Why did the young pavilion master of the dignified Tianji Pavilion travel all the way to the Eastern Continent at that time? Now that he thought of it, the fact seemed a little off. But Ye Yunlan was reluctant to think more. He didn¡¯t have the energy to think about Chen Weiyuan, nor did he want to spend time thinking about it. Between words, he and Shen Shu had already slowly approached the emerald lake, vaguely hearing the sound of complicated discussions. Someone said, ¡°A new issue of the Tianji Ranking List is out again. Tsk, sure enough, nothing has changed this time¨C¡± Another person continued: ¡°On the top of the Heavenly Ranking List, there is still only Qiyun Jun, the soul-eater ancestor, and Yang and the three daoists. So many years, yet no one is able to touch any of those masters on the rankings?¡± ¡°Do you think it¡¯s thats easy to reach the immortal stage? If that¡¯s the case, Sky Sect would not have monopolized the leading Dao Sect spot for so many years.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine with the Heaven list. But, it has been almost ten years, yet the number one beauty is still Xu Qingyue of the Northern Tanqing Sect. I really want to catch a glimpse of this so-called beauty of the cultivation world. How beautiful could this first beauty be?¡± Someone sighed. ¡°I heard from a fellow daoist that he saw Xu Qingyue on Tianchi Mountain a few days ago.¡± ¡°Really? Xu Qingyue also came to Tianchi Mountain to participate in the Dao conference?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression moved slightly after hearing Xu Qingyue¡¯s name. When he was with Chen Weiyuan, he had heard Xu Qingyue¡¯s name many times. He seemed to be the best friend of the other party, but died because of saving Chen Weiyuan. Every year on his death date, Chen Weiyuan would pay homage to this close friend by himself and would only come back after disappearing for a few days. Ye Yunlan hadn¡¯t ever seen Chen Weiyuan¡¯s best friend and what they looked like. When he was concentrating on this, there was a sudden commotion in the distance. ¡°Look, there are two disciples of TanQing Sect in Xunxian Pavilion. The person walking in front seems to be Xu Qingyue¨C¡± People moved after hearing the sound and began to rush in one direction. Soon, there were only two of them left in that place. Shen Shu stopped moving, seeming to be in a daze. When Ye Yunlan noticed his situation, he turned his head and said indifferently: ¡°Shen Shu, are you also interested in Xu Qingyue?¡± The young would admire the beautiful. Ye Yunlan remembered that Shen Shu seemed to be at that age too. Shen Shu returned to his senses. He blinked, ¡°It is enough for me to look at Master. What number one beauty in the cultivation world? In my heart, they are not as good as Master.¡± In the past few years, it wasn¡¯t the case that Ye Yunlan hasn¡¯t been praised by others for his appearance, but he has always felt that appearances were like clouds passing by and he has always taught Shen Shu in this way. But when he was staring at the young man who had such serious eyes, he felt a little uncomfortable. Even worse, since the other party was so young. He wanted to rub Shen Shu¡¯s head, but the young man¡¯s figure was now not much different than his own. If he wanted to touch it, he would have to raise his hand to touch it. Ye Yunlan had to withdraw his hand and reprimanded him softly, ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡ª¡ªXunxian Pavilion. Three-story private room. Chen Weiyuan was making tea with a tea set, while Chen Xianyu sat tremblingly. He raised his hand from time to time to wipe the cold sweat on his head. ¡°What are you so nervous about?¡± Chen Weiyuan suddenly asked, ¡°Could it be that you are afraid of your brother?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not¡­ I just thought about seeing Senior Brother Xu later, and felt a little nervous.¡± Chen XianYu hurriedly said, ¡°After all, I haven¡¯t seen Senior Brother Xu for many years, so I don¡¯t know if he remembers me.¡± ¡°Qingyue has always had a good memory. In the past few years, he has always cared about your condition.¡± Chen Weiyuan said lightly. ¡°You have been away from home for a few years, so you can forget the family¡¯s teachings, but when you see Qingyue later, don¡¯t forget your basic manners.¡± ¡°No, I will remember. Brother, don¡¯t worry.¡± Chen Xianyu quickly responded. Then they heard a very pleasing voice coming from outside the private room, ¡°Senior Brother Chen, I¡¯m here with Junior Brother.¡± ¡°Please come in.¡± The door was pushed open. A tall beauty in white clothes walked in. The beauty was carrying a sword behind his back, their temperament was pure and noble. Their appearance was so pure and delicate, it was as if the sun, moon and stars were all overshadowed. Within this beauty, there was a hint of softness. At first glance, they were like the bright moon in the world. Behind him was a young boy who was born very adorable, but his expression seemed a little introverted and gloomy. Xu Qingyue smiled and looked at Chen Weiyuan, ¡°Senior Brother Chen.¡± He turned his head and looked at Chen Xianyu, ¡°There is also Junior Brother Tianxuan. We have not been seen each other for many years. You look¡­ the same as before.¡± Chen Xianyu looked at Xu Qingyue¡¯s eyes. He was startled, but he recovered in a moment. He scratched his head, ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Senior Brother Xu. Last time on your birthday, I asked someone to bring back the Spring Mountain Condensation Dew, did Senior Brother Xu like it?¡± ¡°Naturally I liked it very much.¡± Xu Qingyue smiled, ¡°But who told you that I wanted to try the Spring Mountain Condensation Dew of Qingyun Mountain? I assume it must be Senior Brother Chen.¡± Chen Weiyuan smiled lightly: ¡°Yes, it was me Qingyue. In this world, is there anyone who knows your mind like I do? Today I also brought some spring mountain condensation dew and I¡¯m planning to make it for you to drink.¡± Xu Qingyue clapped his hands together, ¡°Senior Brother¡¯s tea-making craftsmanship is naturally the best. This time, Junior Brother Yin will also have the chance to try it.¡± He waved the young man behind him over, ¡°Hurry up and greet Senior Brother Chen.¡± The Northern Territory¡¯s Tianji Pavilion and Tan Qing Sect have always had a good relationship between one another. It is because the two families, Chen and Xu, were both one of the famed bloodlines passed down during the ancient times. Xu Qingyue, Chen Weiyuan, and Chen Xianyu have known each other since childhood. Even though they belonged to different sects, they were used to calling each other Senior, Junior Brother. The young man surnamed Yin greeted: ¡°Hello Senior Brother Chen.¡± The few people sat down and chatted slowly. Chen Weiyuan brewed the tea with his hands, his appearance indifferent and gentle. He occasionally glanced at Xu Qingyue. When Xu Qingyue sensed this, he would look at Chen Weiyuan and his rosy lips would lift into a smile. He had a pure appearance, but this smile had a seductive sense to it. Some waves passed through Chen Weiyuan¡¯s eyes. Suddenly he heard Chen Xianyu approach him and excitedly say in his ear: ¡°Brother, look at the man on the street. It¡¯s the one I told you before, the beauty that I can hardly depict with all my painting skills.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s tea movements paused, then he turned his head to look down at the long street. CH 27 A dispute was taking place on the long street. ¡°Boy, quickly hand over the treasure you stole from the communication stream to this young master!¡± At the corner of the intersection, a young man in brocade clothes wearing a machete with several guards was encircling a thin youth. The young man was leaning against the wall half-wounded, with blood on his mouth. His face was covered with dust. Holding the sword in his hand, he was in a sorry state, but his expression was stubborn, ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­ steal! You have wronged¡­ me!¡± Every word he said would cause blood to spill from his lips. Spilling out, he looked very miserable, but his tone of voice somehow gave people a somewhat dazed feeling. Ye Yunlan stopped. During the Tianchi Mountain dao conference, elites gathered together. From the cultivation world, elites of all sects and factions came, so it was normal for conflicts to occur. Shen Shu didn¡¯t intend to pay any attention to these things, he only stopped after seeing his Master stop. He looked sideways at the figure in the white fox fur beside him. The veil hat obscured the face of the other party, so he couldn¡¯t see how the other party felt. He knows that his Master is usually indifferent. Although he has a kind heart, he still wouldn¡¯t go to the level of casual meddling. Back then, he asked his Master why he wanted to save him. His Master replied at first, ¡°Just casually lending a hand.¡± At that time, he didn¡¯t believe it very much. Later, his Master admitted that he was special and it made him very happy. It¡¯s just that at that time, he hadn¡¯t thought about the meaning of ¡®special¡¯ carefully. It wasn¡¯t until later when they had spent more time with each other did he realize that, except for him, when his master saved the many other disciples in the secret realm, it was actually ¡°casually¡± as the other party said. To his master¡­saving people is like a habit formed over the years. Not pity, just a habit. Just that. After Ye Yunlan stopped, he said nothing. The silk clothed young man had not noticed Ye Yunlan. He drew his machete from his waist. His foot stepped against the wall the boy was leaning on, ¡°Don¡¯t argue, take your stolen treasure out, then this young master can spare you from death.¡± The youth had a stubborn face. He just repeated, ¡°I, no, I didn¡¯t¡­steal!¡± Seeing that the tip of the knife had touched the young man ¡®s neck and there was blood leaking out, Ye Yunlan said, ¡°Stop.¡± The young man in the brocade clothing heard a cold pleasant voice and his heart moved. The tip of the knife remained on the young man¡¯s neck, but he turned around. He saw a man dressed in white fox fur with a veiled hat covering his face, his body cultivation was very low. At most, it was at the qi refining state. A black-clothed young man stood beside him, with a crown of hair. He was looking at him with cold eyes. His cultivation level was not weak. Just like him, he was in his golden core stage. But it was just the golden core stage. The guards who followed him were in the nascent soul stage, even he, himself, was about to break through the golden core and enter the nascent soul stage. He has always been arrogant and domineering. Seeing that the person who prevented him was not very strong, he sneered: ¡°Who are you to dare stop me?¡± ¡°Do you know, my father is Dao Yi Sect¡¯s Yang and daoist¡¯s senior disciple, Nangong Yu? Now he is Dao Yi Sect¡¯s Sect Leader, what qualifications do you have to mind my Nangong Qing¡¯s business?¡± Ye Yunlan stood there with no expression on his face. Qualifications. Since he was reborn, he always seemed to be questioned about his qualifications. This was quite novel. In his previous life, when he saved others, he would silently use his sword and would never listen to the threats of others. Good and evil in the world, black and white, he had his own measure in his heart. Even if his swordsmanship was regarded as evil and the people he saved also regarded him as a ghost He didn¡¯t care. Walking in the fragmented world at that time, saving countless people from disasters, it was indeed driven by kindness. But more than that, it was just habit. He did not expect favors in return, nor did he care about his own life or death. ¡­ He was only praying that God could respond with a little mercy. He didn¡¯t believe in fate, but in order to save that person¡¯s remnant soul, he did good and virtuous deeds, day by day. He walked through temples and bowed down to the gods, just to give that person a chance of reincarnation. Now someone asked him about his qualifications? Ye Yunlan replied indifferently: ¡°Whether there are any relations, I know in my heart, what does it have to do with you?¡± Nangong Qing originally thought Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was pleasant to the ear. But being refuted, he became furious. He sneered, and said sharply: ¡°Wearing a veiled hat to hide your identity, could it be that you are a demonic cultivator who got into Tianchi Mountain and don¡¯t dare to show others your true appearance?¡± ¡°If not, take off your veiled hat and talk to me. If not, today I, Nangong Qing, will punish you in the name of heaven¡ª¡ª¡± Nangong Qing said this and his machete against the young man¡¯s neck had already moved towards Ye Yunlan. He then heard a sword sound. It was Shen Shu. He drew his sword, blocking the blow for Ye Yunlan. Over the years, Shen Shu¡¯s face has faded away from the pale and gloomy appearance he once had. Usually, he behaved appropriately and resembled a disciple from a prestigious upright sect, but at this moment, his eyes were like wild wolves. The cold light inside shocked Nangong Qing. ¡°Heh, there are people by your side protecting you.¡± Nangong Qing suppressed the annoying fear in his heart, and sneered, ¡°Seeing your footsteps and lack of cultivation, it¡¯s a compliment to say that you are a demonic cultivator. Are you actually just a mortal woman, running away from home to elope with your little lover to Tianchi Mountain to be happy?¡± It was difficult for ordinary people to identify Ye Yunlan as a woman from looking at his figure and behavior. Nangong Qing saying this was clearly an insult. Ye Yunlan was expressionless. He had heard too many insults and criticisms in his previous life. There were too many people who resented him and wanted him to die, hhe had not been hurt by words a long time ago. But Nan Gongqing continued: ¡°Immortals are different, how long can your little lover be good to you? After you become tainted, I don¡¯t know if your husband in the mortal world will still want a loose woman like you.¡± The word ¡°husband¡± made Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes cold. ¡°Shen Shu, withdraw.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master?¡± Ye Yunlan said quietly, ¡°I will deal with him.¡± I will deal with him. This is a sword cultivator who was extremely confident and proud of himself, asking his opponent for a fight. Shen Shu: ¡°Yes.¡± He already felt that when his Master held the sword at this moment, his aura was completely different from his usual. It was also different from when he taught himself normally. At that time, Ye Yunlan was still gentle and tender. Even though he was cold and indifferent, when he gave him pointers, it was still like a spring breeze, embellishing things silently, taking care of every detail. But he did not try his best. Now, maybe it should be what the other party really looked like when he used the sword. ¡ª¡ªIndifference, ice cold, invincible. Nothing can melt him. Chen Weiyuan was watching quietly in Xunxian Pavilion. Xu Qingyue was curious and asked: ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Chen Weiyuan turned his head away and said lightly: ¡°Nothing.¡± He carefully brewed the spring mountain condensation dew in his hand, then poured a cup for Xu Qingyue, ¡°Qingyue, come.¡± Xu Qingyue smiled: ¡°This spring mountain condensation dew tea has a strong fragrance. It has a spring sweetness, and a sweet aftertaste, it is really good.¡± Chen Weiyuan said warmly: ¡°If you like it, drink more.¡± In the mist, he glanced quickly and looked towards the street. At exactly this time, a bright sword light flashed across, as if the morning star was breaking through. The sword was beautiful. He thought lightly. And the person? Ye Yunlan had already made his move and the sword light was desolate. Nan Gongqing¡¯s eyes were disdainful. The machete was raised in his hand: ¡°If you want to die, don¡¯t blame me for helping you.¡± He was a golden core cultivator who was about to break through to Nascent Soul. Although his realm was through consuming countless effective medicinal ingredients causing his realm to be unstable, it is more than enough to deal with a cultivator who has no cultivation level, not to mention these are guards arranged for him by his father. The sword light collided with the machete light. The dust on the ground shook. Ye Yunlan placed the sword into its sheath. Under the veiled hat, his appearance showed a little unspeakable loneliness and weariness. Nangong Qing stood there blankly. His knife had fallen to the ground and there was a faint blood mark on the side of his neck. A small slit opened, and then a drop of blood fell silently. The audience was in an uproar. They thought this was a battle without suspense, yet now they found that there was no suspense, but the result was completely contrary to what they expected. Chen Weiyuan held a tea cup and looked at the scene on the street. Xu Qingyue: ¡°Senior Brother Chen?¡± After saying that, he also looked at the street. Not far away at where both the sword cultivators were, Xu Qingyue felt the death nirvana sword intent on the street. His back was slightly cold, and he couldn¡¯t help sighing, ¡°It¡¯s a strong sword.¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°The sword is powerful, but without the support of cultivation, if you encounter a strong opponent, it¡¯ll be like a castle in the sky. It will be broken at the slightest touch.¡± Xu Qingyue disagreed, ¡°Nevertheless, the level of cultivation can accumulate over time, but sword dao requires many trials and hardships to make progress. The two cannot be compared.¡± Chen Weiyuan didn¡¯t comment. On the street. Nangong Qing finally recovered from the shock. Lost, he actually lost? He lost to a mortal whose cultivation base hasn¡¯t even reached foundation? The surrounding discussion made him feel irritable. Nangong Qing couldn¡¯t help thinking about the dazzling sword energy that made his neck hurt just now. He couldn¡¯t swallow down this breath. He also couldn¡¯t admit that he was¡­ even scared. He instructed the guards around him, shouting: ¡°You, go up, and capture them both!¡± Several nascent soul guards were shocked by the result of the fight. At this time, they all returned to their senses and rushed forward. This time, Shen Shu didn¡¯t listen to Ye Yunlan¡¯s words of not letting him help. He directly drew his sword in front of Ye Yunlan, ¡°Master, you go first!¡± He still remembered what Qiyun Jun said in the room before. Ye Yunlan can¡¯t use his sword techniques frequently, otherwise, the injury from three years ago will recur and it will repeat itself. He came to the dao conference this time to get the elixir to heal his master, so how can he see his Master get hurt? As for the group of people in front of him¡­ His eyes were dull with a blood tint faintly glowing. ¡°Shen Shu!¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s shout was harsh. Because of Shen Shu¡¯s physique, he had never laxed in watching over Shen Shu. Shen Shu¡¯s demonic puppet physique has not been removed. If he was hungry for power, he could absorb the filthy energy of the world at any time to make breakthroughs. It¡¯s just that Shen Shu has been obedient in Qingyun Mountain these years, which made him feel relieved. Unexpectedly, after coming to Tianchi Mountain, there was a hint of loss of control. Shen Shu knew what he was worried about, and tried his best to suppress the hostility in his heart, ¡°Master, I won¡¯t¡­¡± He blocked another person¡¯s attack with his sword, ¡°I said I want to be your disciple¡­ if I promised Master I would not do it, I would never do it.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do anything, believe me Master.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, then finally did not stop Shen Shu. But it was impossible to leave behind his disciple and go first. So he only held his queying sword and looked at Shen Shu intently. Shen Shu did exactly as said. He only cultivated to the golden core stage, but under the siege of several people, he did not falter. Ye Yunlan was not too surprised by the result. Shen Shu¡¯s sword realm progressed very fast. He had already broken through to the great success realm before coming to the conference. He was no different from He Lanze. Therefore, he could fight across realms. The sword moves that swept over were all blocked by Shen Shu¡¯s calmness. The young man¡¯s face became more fierce and handsome as the long sword was swung. His eyes resembled cold stars. It was only during this battle that he saw that the long sword in Shen Shu¡¯s hand slowly had cracks appear. This was not Shen Shu¡¯s natal sword, but just an ordinary iron sword, unable to withstand too much spiritual power. In the past few years, the refining materials he prepared for Shen Shu have been almost all collected. After returning, he can be taught to refine his natal sword. By then, Shen Shu will no longer be held back by his weapon. In the chaos, Ye Yunlan looked calm. He was guarded by his apprentice, and he thought it was needless for him to make a move. Thus, he began to ponder, mostly things related to Shen Shu. However, Nangong Qing suddenly attacked him with a sword frantically. ¡°I don¡¯t believe it¨C¡± Nangong Qing said with a grim look, ¡°How can there be a sword cultivator in this world that can defeat me with a mortal body¨C!¡± Shen Shu was entangled by those Nascent Soul cultivators. He turned wanting to protect him, but because he was too anxious, a wound was drawn on his arm. But he didn¡¯t notice it. But Ye Yunlan had once again taken out his sword. The sword light flicked across. In the pavilion, Chen Weiyuan¡¯s fingers drew a few spells in the void. Chen Xianyu vaguely noticed something, and was surprised: ¡°Brother?¡± Chen Weiyuan glanced at him from the side, and said faintly: ¡°Hm?¡± Chen Xianyu: ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Between heaven and earth, a gust of wind raged. The strong wind rustled the trees and the flags of the vendors in the town were dancing wildly. The sword was dripping blood. Nangong Qing had completely fallen to the ground. As for the person who had just shot out, the veiled hat was blown away by the sudden gust of wind. His long black hair fell down like a waterfall, winding down on the snowy white fox fur. He was holding a sword, standing in the sun. He was wearing fox fur, but his face was paler than it was, as if it was frozen ice and snow. Only a little vermilion spot at the end of his eye was like red plum blossoms in the ice and snow, shaking people¡¯s hearts. The noisy crowd fell silent for a moment. The tea cup in Chen Weiyuan¡¯s hand fell onto the table and a few drops of water splashed out. Xu Qingyue slowly looked at the figure on the street for a long time: ¡°Senior Brother, who is he?¡± Chen Weiyuan said nothing. He just stared at the figure on the street. The five fingers that were accustomed to playing chess curled up slightly, seeming to want to catch something. And above the street. Ye Yunlan seemed to be aware of something. He turned his head, confronting the third floor of Xunxian Pavilion. A pair of dark and faint¡­ Familiar eyes filled with stars. CH 28 The wind howled. Ye Yunlan¡¯s pupils tightened. He wanted to turn around and leave, but it was too late. An uncontrollable pain emerged from the depths of his soul. His heart seemed to be gripped tightly by a big hand. It was kneaded to ooze blood. He took a deep breath and sweat oozed from his pale cheeks. The curse that he planted in his soul in his previous life was not eliminated by rebirth. He already knew about this incident when Rong Ran tried to drug him in Tingfeng Pavilion. It¡¯s just. This level of pain was not unbearable. He thought with an expressionless face. His hand holding the sword clenched tight. He raised the tip of his sword and pointed it straight at Chen Weiyuan. In the sun, the person on the street raised their eyes, pointing their swords at them. Their eyes were soaked with chill. On his pale cheeks, there was a drop of red blood. So fierce. ¡­And so fragile. Gorgeous. Chen Weiyuan thought. A rare interest arose in his heart. He got up and was about to fly down, but he did not expect the other party to suddenly put away the long sword in his hand. He turned around indifferently, and did not look at him again. He seemed to have raised the sword to him just now, but it was only a warning because his eyes were too offensive. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t make a mistake. When the man looked at him, the intent was clearly to kill. The man knew him. Not only did he know him, but he also wanted to kill him. Chen Weiyuan stopped on the spot. He squinted slightly while looking at the back of the man on the street. He held the leaning rail with his hand, and put his fingertips on it, tapping again and again. There were footsteps coming over. He turned his face slightly and saw Xu Qingyue¡¯s white and beautiful profile. Before today, he had always thought that the beauty of the other party was a clear moon in the world. Only just now, he caught a glimpse of another bright moon that was out of reach. It was as if it was not a part of this world. He couldn¡¯t help but compare the two. Then Xu Qingyue smiled slightly: ¡°Senior Brother Chen suddenly got up. Could it be that he was also amazed by the swordsmanship of the man on the street?¡± Chen Weiyuan retracted his thoughts and said warmly: ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Qingyue leaned their arm against the railing and leaned forward to look out. His voice was as sweet as running water, ¡°I am also like this. Being able to face a Golden Core cultivator as a mortal, I have never seen such a sword realm among my peers in the Northern Territory.¡± ¡°Senior Brother Chen, what do you think he has achieved in sword dao? What extent do you think it is? Is it great success, inferior immortalization¡­ or the immortalization realm that can only be reached by the legendary powers that can climb the steps to immortality?¡± Chen Weiyuan recalled the sword light he had just seen. He didn¡¯t practice the sword, but he has seen many people who use the sword. There was no shortage of sword cultivators. Immortalization sword realm can overwhelm mountains and rivers with a single sword. It was enough to allow cultivators to break through the six mortal realms and climb the steps to immortality. Even if there was no cultivation base in the body, cultivators of the mortal six realms would not be his opponent. He remembered that he was guarded by a black-clothed young man. It was only when the man was forced did he use the sword. He thought for a moment, ¡°He should be at inferior immortalization realm.¡± ¡°Senior Brother thinks the same as I do.¡± Speaking thus far, Xu Qingyue frowned, ¡°With his sword dao having such accomplishments, how can there be no spiritual power cultivation¡­¡± The sword dao realm and the cultivation realm are mutually complementary. It is really strange to possess sword dao, but the body has no cultivation ability. Chen Weiyuan did not answer. He just lowered his eyes to look at Chen Xianyu sitting at the table. Chen Xianyu understood and hurriedly answered, ¡°Junior Brother Ye lost his cultivation because he was accidentally injured while saving people.¡± ¡°Junior Brother Tianxuan knows him? He lost his cultivation because he was seriously injured¡­¡± Xu Qingyue revealed a trace of pity, then turned his head, ¡°I heard Senior Brother Chen say that these few years Junior Brother Tianxuan was traveling the Eastern Continent. In this case, this person should be a disciple of the Sky Sect¡­.dare I ask his name?¡± Chen Xianyu: ¡°Yunsheng Lanhai. His name is Ye Yunlan.¡± (first part to tell which words make up his name; in the Chinese language, several words could sound similar thus the differentiation). ¡°Ye Yunlan¡­¡± Xu Qingyue whispered and repeated. Chen Weiyuan smiled faintly: ¡°Qingyue, it¡¯s rare to see you so interested in others.¡± ¡°As a sword cultivator, I have a little bit of sympathy.¡± Xu Qingyue said, ¡°I have always known that heroes gathered at the Tianchi Mountain dao conference. But who would have thought before it even started, I would see a person who surprised me like so. I really want to get acquainted with him.¡± He pondered for a while, looked at Chen Weiyuan, ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not appropriate to get acquainted rashly. Could Senior Brother Chen give me some advice?¡± Chen Weiyuan looked at Xu Qingyue. The other party¡¯s eyes were clear and radiant, his face was beautiful and dazzling. Suddenly he remembered when they first met, it was also in a competition conference. Tianji Pavilion and Tan Qing Sect were the two major sects of the Northern Territory, and the Chen family and Xu family were closely related. At that time, he won the top spot. Xu Qingyue took the initiative to come to meet him with admiration in his eyes. The young Xu Qingyue¡¯s appearance was very eye-catching, but because of his young age, his figure was not grown. Thus with his beautiful looks, his gender was ambiguous. At first he thought the other party was a girl. At that time, Xu Qingyue came over with a sword. Raising his face, he called him: ¡°Senior Brother Chen.¡± The Chen family had a strict class status and Tianji Pavilion was the same. When others called him, they would only call him ¡°Young Pavilion Master¡± or ¡°Young Patriarch¡±. Xu Qingyue was the first person to call him Senior Brother. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s eyes lingered on Xu Qingyue¡¯s face for a moment. ¡°There will be a chance to get acquainted.¡± His voice was faint, ¡°Tianchi Mountain dao conference is meant to promote exchanges between the disciples of the sects of the cultivation world, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Xu Qingyue: ¡°It¡¯s just that because of his injuries, I am afraid that he will suffer a loss in the competition.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± He clapped his hands together. ¡°Why don¡¯t I send him some healing pills and see if I can take this opportunity to get acquainted with him.¡± Although Tan Qing Sect was not one of the top six dao sects, it has the reputation of being the number one medicine school in the cultivation world. Most of the cultivators there were medical practitioners. There were very few sword cultivators like Xu Qingyue. The Xu family was also a well-known family of medical practitioners in ancient times. For this reason, although Xu Qingyue was a descendant of the Xu family and was extremely popular with the current Patriarch of the Xu family, it was impossible for him to inherit the position of the head of the clan within Tanqing sect. Even so, Chen Weiyuan knew that Xu Qingyue had a large number of precious pills given to him by the Patriarch of the Xu family. ¡°You can give it a try.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s voice faded, ¡°Nevertheless, that person looks like he has a very cold temperament, I am afraid it will not be easy. Qingyue¡­I am afraid you will be wronged.¡± ¡°No problem. As long as they are a sword cultivator, they would have a bit of arrogance.¡± Xu Qingyue said, then looked at Chen Weiyuan with a smile, ¡°Besides, when I talked to Senior Brother Chen at the beginning, didn¡¯t Senior Brother also answer me like that? Now, we are also very familiar.¡± ¡°More than familiar.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s voice lowered. He walked over in two steps, put his hand on the back of Xu Qingyue¡¯s hand on the railing, and slowly held it. Perhaps because of the years of sword practice, the other party¡¯s hands were not soft. However, they were slender and distinct. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s palm was slightly larger than his, just enough to cover it completely. ¡°Qingyue, don¡¯t forget what you promised your Senior Brother before.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s fingers intertwined Xu Qingyue¡¯s fingers so they were holding hands. His voice was a little husky, and a little low. ¡°If you pay attention to others like this, Senior Brother will be jealous.¡± Xu Qingyue¡¯s cheeks turned red, his handsome face became even more dazzling. ¡°¡­Senior Brother Chen!¡± Chen Xianyu secretly glanced at the two people next to the railing. He couldn¡¯t watch anymore, so he silently looked down at the tea cup in his hand. Then he called the boy who was also brought over here. ¡°Ah, Junior Brother Yin, come, let¡¯s drink tea, drink tea.¡± ¡ª¡ªOn the street. Ye Yunlan had placed his sword into its sheath. Shen Shu took advantage of the loss of consciousness of the guards of the Nascent Soul Stage and threw them down on the ground. He hurried to Ye Yunlan¡¯s side, ¡°Master, are you okay?¡± The scorching sun was shining. Transparent sweat dripped down Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks, he was sickly pale. His heart was still in pain, as if he was being bound by a chain. His eyebrows frowned, and he was somewhat speechless. The voices of the surrounding people suddenly became noisy. Countless fierce gazes stared at him. A feeling of nausea breeded at the thought of the man staring at him just now. A gust of wind came just at the right moment, the moment when he condensed all his intent to attack Nangong Qing with a sword. If it was an ordinary cultivator, they may have mistaken it for coincidence. But how familiar was he with that person? Knowing that he was proficient in yin and yang spells, and was good at deducing the secrets of heaven, when the Dao technique was successful, the changes in the world would all be within his fingertips. Although he doesn¡¯t know his current cultivation. But as the young patriarch of the Chen family, the power of his ancient bloodline must be the strongest of his peers. It would not be surprising for him to have a high cultivation level. In his previous life, he did everything possible to escape his identity as a chess piece in the other party¡¯s hand. In this life, he will never repeat the same mistake again. Shen Shu seemed to be aware of something. He turned to his side to block most of the overly enthusiastic gazes in his surroundings, ¡°Master, since the person has been rescued, let¡¯s go first.¡± Ye Yunlan took a deep breath and squeezed out a word indifferently, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu walked to the front to make way for Ye Yunlan. However, the onlookers at some time had become extremely large. ¡°Is he the Northern Territory¡¯s Tan Qing Sect¡¯s, Xu Qingyue, known as the number one beauty in the cultivation world?¡± Someone asked. ¡°No, I just met Xu Qingyue and he had gone into Xunxian Pavilion. But him¡­I have never seen him before.¡± ¡°Then who is this person? Such swordsmanship, such an appearance¡­ How could I have never heard of him before?¡± Someone in the crowd squeezed out to intercept the two of them. Shen Shu raised his sword, his eyes were full of chill, ¡°Go away.¡± Although his cultivation base was only a golden core, everyone present had seen him just now. One person against multiple enemies, the scene of him crossing realms to fight without losing, no one dared to intercept them. Walking out of the crowd, Shen Shu cast an invisible spell on his Master and himself. The surroundings became much better. He paid attention to his Master¡¯s situation and found that after leaving the place, he looked a lot better. He was a little relieved. Then, he heard a young boy¡¯s voice behind him, ¡°Wait¡­wait a minute.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s footsteps stopped. Turning around, he saw the boy who had just been rescued. He saved people out of habit. But the habits of his previous life no longer need to be retained in this life. As long as he no longer appeared next to that person in this life, he will no longer be the other party¡¯s weakness. That person will become the Lord of the Demon realm, the Supreme Demon Lord, freely looking down at the world. ¡­Rather than having his soul scattered in front of him, with no bones remaining. Yet after being reborn, he was still doing what he could, doing good and accumulating virtues. He thought he was probably afraid that everything would be just a dream, that his prayers would not be fulfilled in this life. Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes and looked at the youth, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± The youth: ¡°Thank you¡­ for saving me.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s appearance was indifferent, ¡°You don¡¯t have to say thank you.¡± He said this, and turned around to leave, but the boy ran over, standing between Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu. Shen Shu was examining the young man and frowned at this time. He took a step forward and stood in front of Ye Yunlan. ¡°I have set up a concealing formation around us, how did you see us?¡± The boy opened his eyes, his pupils were dark, like a smooth mirror, without ripples: ¡°Seeing¡­ means seeing.¡± The young man had a pair of natural eyes that could break through formations. Shen Shu was able to beat the formation in He Lanze¡¯s courtyard back then because of his superb array skills and knowing how to take advantage of others entering the formation, thus he could adapt. But that is figuring it out, not seeing through it. Diagnosis requires smart thinking, it can be explained by having a talent in formations. However, seeing through it is a natural ability. The strength of a bloodline. This youth¡¯s status was not simple. Ye Yunlan stared down at the young man. He did not get any information from his clothes: ¡°Did you come to Tianchi Mountain alone? Where are your parents and relatives? They said you stole a spirit weapon, what is going on?¡± The boy: ¡°I have an older brother. I came to Tianchi Mountain to find my older brother.¡± He said, childishly, ¡°I didn¡¯t steal a spiritual weapon. This was originally something that my brother left me.¡± He took out a piece of blood-red jade from the skirt of his clothes, with a faint light lingering on it. There was an indescribable sense of strangeness. Ye Yunlan glanced at it and his eyelids twitched. This is a Primordial Chalcedony. Spirit stones are a currency commonly used in the world of spiritual practice, separated into high-grade, middle-grade, and low-grade. Spirit jade is a higher grade than spirit stone, and one piece of spirit jade can be worth 10,000 top-grade spirit stones. This is just for ordinary spirit jade. For a spirit chalcedony, it is the most quintessence object in a spirit mine. If a whole vein is hollowed out, it may not be able to produce a few pieces. The value is indescribable. What ordinary cultivators do not know is that above the spiritual marrow, there is a truly priceless treasure, the Primordial Chalcedony. As long as you wear it, even if you don¡¯t practice, you can gradually change the physique of one¡¯s mortal body, continuously improving one¡¯s cultivation base. One could easily reach the peak of the six realms of the mortal body. This kind of thing is not something that can be mined in ordinary spirit mines, it must be a spirit mine controlled by an ancient family. Even in an ancient family, there are only a handful of families with an immortal level spirit mine. The head of the Daoyi Sect probably wouldn¡¯t dare to provoke such a behemoth. Nangong Qing dared to attack the young man, probably only thinking that this thing was an ordinary chalcedony. He was greedy and wanted to slander him and snatch it away. Ye Yunlan asked: ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± CH 29 Chapter 29 Elder Brother Swarms of Yanlin beasts flew across the sky. The entire communication stream was illuminated by the flames burning on their bodies, their display and momentum couldn¡¯t be bigger. ¡°Even if the emperor of the dynasty was travelling, I am afraid it is nothing more than that.¡± Someone sighed. Looking at the mighty flames, Ye Yunlan remembered what Ye Xun said before that his brother had disappeared to save him. Ye Xun came to Tianchi Mountain to find his brother. It suddenly felt a little ironic. The elder brother Ye Xun was looking for, wasn¡¯t he standing right there? ¡ª¡ªSurrounded by countless followers, sitting on the flying carriage overlooking the world. The crown prince of Yaori Dynasty, Ye Xuanguang. Ye Yunlan said the name in a low voice in his heart, his expression indifferent. Shen Shu: ¡°Master, the crown prince of Yaori Dynasty, is he really the same as they said? Is he about to break through the six realms of the mortal body when he is less than 30 years old?¡± The six realms of the mortal body was qi refining, foundation establishment, golden core, nascent soul, demi-god, and ascension. The further one cultivates, the longer it will take to reach the next realm. Shen Shu took three years of cultivation to reach the Golden Core Stage and this was already considered fast enough to shock the world, but even at this speed, it would take at least 30 years for him to cultivate to the ascension stage. Ye Xuanguang was even younger than 30 years old. Shen Shu¡¯s talent was rare in the world. But Ye Xuanguang was a peerless soldier that was cultivated by the entire ancient family¡¯s efforts. The birth of the other party was predicted by the heavenly book. He had inherited the purest bloodline power of the entire Ye clan. ¡­And the power of his blood. Ye Yunlan: ¡°The rumors are not false.¡± Shen Shu was silent for a moment: ¡°It seems that I am not working hard enough in my daily practice.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned slightly: ¡°The Yaori Crown Prince has the power of his ancient bloodline to help him. When he was born, he was already at the nascent soul realm, you don¡¯t need to compare with him.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Born¡­ as a nascent soul?¡± Ye Yunlan let out a ¡°En¡±. Shen Shu: ¡°Is the power of one¡¯s bloodline¡­ really that powerful?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t intend to lie to him. He calmly said: ¡°Perhaps. It¡¯s stronger than you think.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Isn¡¯t this unfair for the rest of the world without the help of a bloodline¡­.?¡± ¡°Unfair?¡± Ye Yunlan spoke in a taunting manner, ¡°Where is there true fairness in this world?¡± He looked at the flames burning in the sky and was silent for a moment, ¡°It¡¯s just, having a strong bloodline sometimes may not be a good thing. God gives people talents, but it also makes people bear heavy responsibilities.¡± That year, after he was rescued by Chen Weiyuan, he heard the news that the Yaori Crown Prince broke through the Transcendence Realm, ascended to the throne, and ruled the entire Yaori Dynasty. At that time, Ye Xuanguang was not even over fifty. When the news came out, the world was shocked. Later, the Demon Lord died, and he was besieged by the Dao and Demon Sects and fled to the Western Continent¡¯s Guangming plains. At that time, the Yaori Dynasty had dominated the Western Continent and Ye Xuanguang was honored as ¡°Emperor Changming¡± by the world. Within the territory of the Yaori Dynasty, the power of the dao and demonic sects were greatly restrained. He escaped the encirclement and suppression and cultivated incognito. When his sword dao reached immortalization, no one in the world could control what he did when he walked out again. Afterwards, he was called the ¡°Sword Sovereign¡± by the world in respect and awe. He had then had a meeting with Emperor Changming at the summit of Chaomu. Chaomu Peak was originally the boundary between the Yaori Dynasty and the Xingyue Dynasty in the Western Continent. After the unification of the Western Continent, Chaomu Peak became the residence of Emperor Changming. The top of the mountain was split day and night. The sun rose in the east, and the moon rose in the west, persisting forever. That day, it was him who personally carried the Shura sword to Chaomu Peak to look for Emperor Changming. Emperor Changming stood in the sun, dressed in a black robe and purple gold crown, standing with his hands behind him. The mountain wind rolled up his robes, and the emperor¡¯s low voice broke through the wind. ¡°Zhen has been in the world for more than two hundred years and bears the suffering of many people. The most regrettable thing in Zhen¡¯s whole life is that although Zhen holds thousands of miles of mountains and rivers, Zhen¡¯s familial bond is shallow.¡± He wore a hideous ghost mask, while holding the Shura sword in his hand. The sword faced the dark side of Chaomu Peak. Moonlight was flowing on the pale knuckles on his sword. He said indifferently: ¡°The Emperor has his parents, relatives, and countless concubines around him, how can it be regarded as shallow?¡± Emperor Changming: ¡°If your parents and relatives have only expectations but no tolerance for you, if thousands of your concubines are from responsibility but not love, while your closest relatives in the world have been separated from you because of you, you would know why Zhen said that Zhen¡¯s familial bond is shallow.¡± He said: ¡°I have no relatives or purpose since birth. Being alone for the rest of my life now, what your Majesty just said, I don¡¯t understand.¡± Emperor Changming turned around, his golden eyes shone like the sun. He repeated it in a low voice, ¡°Yes, you don¡¯t understand.¡± He was silent for a while, ¡°The reason I came here is to ask your Majesty for something.¡± Emperor Changming: ¡°What is it?¡± He said: ¡°I want the last soul-collecting flower in the world which is hidden in the imperial treasury.¡± The soul-collecting flower was an extremely precious spiritual object in the entire world. If ordinary people dared to speak directly like this to the emperor, they would have been sent flying. However, the Emperor of Changming only said: ¡°What are you going to do with the soul-collecting flower?¡± He said: ¡°Protect the person I want to protect.¡± Emperor Changming was startled for a long while, but he gave a low laugh. ¡°It turns out that you already have someone you want to protect¡­¡± The emperor raised his hand that controlled the empire and wielded the power of the universe. A crack was torn out of the void, and a flower flowing with black and white light was taken out of the void. It laid on the palm of the emperor¡¯s hand. Emperor Changming opened his palm to him. He took the soul-collecting flower, then carefully put it in his storage ring. He placed it with a broken soul lamp. ¡°Dare to ask your Majesty, what price do I have to pay?¡± he asked. Emperor Changming folded his hands back and calmly said: ¡°No cost.¡± After a while, he suddenly said: ¡°If possible, I want to hear you call me elder brother.¡± This time, Emperor Changming did not use Zhen. He pursed his lips, he couldn¡¯t say ¡°elder brother¡±. ¡°Your Majesty, please ask for another request.¡± Emperor Changming looked at him: ¡°A Monarch would never go back on his words. Zhen has already said that there is no price to pay. This elder brother call, whether you say it or not doesn¡¯t matter. Zhen is willing to help you.¡± ¡°But can you tell me who is this person you want to protect?¡± He was silent for a long time before he said. ¡°He is a person I haven¡¯t married yet¡­ my dao companion.¡± At that time, he did not expect that the journey to Chaomu peak would be the last time he would meet with Emperor Changming in his previous life. Thirty years later, the world faced a calamity and the world was shattered. The crack appeared first in the Western Continent. Outside, the demons were wreaking havoc across the world. Emperor Changming went to the crack alone and using himself as sacrifice, he completely sealed the crack in the desolate. The world was peaceful for ten years. The Emperor was the first immortal powerhouse that died in the Great Calamity. When he heard the news, he was in the Central Continent. He stood in the courtyard where he lived with the Demon Lord, watching the apricot blossoms slowly drifting to the ground. The most unpredictable thing in the world was destiny. The advent of the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth, in fact, those who were skilled inTianji had long been aware of it many years ago. The Ye clan had a divine heavenly book that had the power of deduction only slightly inferior to that of the Chen clan. Emperor Changming was born in response to the destiny of heaven. He was the key to the Ye family escaping this calamity. It was just, the prophecy of the Man of Destiny in the heavenly book to save the world, the one who Ye family devoted all their blood in his cultivation, was only able to exchange ten years of survival in the world. ¡­ Ye Yunlan did not stare at the dazzling flame in the dark night for too long. He turned his head to Shen Shu, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu nodded. The two walked through the bustling market for cultivators. Although Ye Yunlan had no cultivation base, his eyesight was still there. He had selected several suitable spiritual materials for Shen Shu, so his trip was considered complete. He did not intend to return to the Moon Shadow Wall Cave immediately, but wandered around the communication stream at will. The scenery in the communication stream was strange and beautiful, many of which were hard to see in the world. Walking along, they arrived at a quiet lakeside with fluorescent dancing lights. The breeze made him lean to the side. A silver luminous weeping willow swayed gently on the lake shore. It was tranquil. A good place to play the qin. Because Shen Shu had recently demonstrated a hostile temperament, this could help him recover his concentration and focus. He said to Shen Shu: ¡°Take out Master¡¯s qin.¡± Shen Shu took out the guqin from the storage ring. Ye Yunlan took the guqin, took off the veiled hat and put it to his side. He put his hands on the strings, tried a few notes, then started to play with his eyes closed. The sound of the qin drifted far and wide by the lake. In the past few years, Shen Shu often listened to his Master playing the qin. He had never gotten tired of it, but instead, liked it more and more. As long as he listened to the sound of the qin, the hostility that overflowed in his heart would be temporarily calmed down. Fluorescence light was flying in the surrounding areas of the lake, and the shadows of the whirling trees swayed slowly. In the dark place, a few shadows were twisting joyfully. From time to time they quietly stretched out, trying to hook a little flying fluorescence light. Suddenly there was a sound of a heavy object falling on the side. The sound of the qin stopped abruptly. Shen Shu frowned. Ye Yunlan raised his eyes to look at the source of the sound and found a person lying beside the weeping willow. A seriously injured person. The other party was dressed in a mysterious outfit, with blood spreading around him. He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but the blood was glowing with a faint golden light. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly. He got up and walked over to see this person¡¯s face. Ordinary. It would be unrecognizable if thrown into a crowd. There was a wound through his chest, which was very serious. ¡°Master, this person¡­¡± Shen Shu hesitated. Ye Yunlan looked down for a moment, paused on the jade plate on the other party¡¯s waist, and said, ¡°Take him back.¡± ¨C ¡ª¡ªPain. This was his first feeling when he was half awake. Memories of confusion lingered in his mind. Chaomu summit, the wind howled. He held the sword, swallowing the sweet blood in his throat. He curled his lips and sneered, ¡°Xu Xinghuang, if you lose, then you lose, but to fall to these means.¡± Xu Xinghuang stood there, staring at him fiercely, ¡°You dare to cripple my cultivation base and ruin my blood? You should know that my clan will not let you go¡­¡± The Nightmare Beast King coated in black flames sprang out of the void. Sitting on it with a star and moon mask was a warrior wearing black armor and holding a powerful spear. His imposing manner showed that he had already surpassed the ascension realm. He wiped the blood from his lips blankly, then drew the long sword on the ground. He pulled the primordial chalcedony on his neck, and threw it to the young man standing aside. ¡°Xiao Xun, run!¡± The spear penetrated the chest cavity. Blood splattered. ¡­. ¡°You are awake.¡± Suddenly, he heard a cold voice. He awakened from the dream. He felt his body was broken. Finally, he slowly opened his eyes. Someone was sitting by the bed, looking at him. The face was very pale, but there was a vermilion embellishment at the end of his eyes. A beautiful appearance, it flourished like a mass of luxuriant flowers in the world. And¡­ so familiar. He subconsciously murmured: ¡°Mother¡­¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. Could this person be so injured that he would actually treat him as his mother? ¡°I¡¯m not your mother.¡± He responded lightly, ¡°I accidentally bumped into you on the side of the road, then rescued you.¡± He looked at the cold eyes of the person in front of him and slowly returned to his senses. Different. His mother was gentle and obedient. She would smile in accordance to his Father and would not show such an indifferent expression. This person¡­ Suddenly an incredible thought came into his mind. Reluctantly, he straightened up and found that his chest injury had been bandaged, but because of the serious injury, his cultivation could not be used for the time being. This was the weakest he had been in all these years. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± The person in front asked. He hesitated for a moment. Looking deeply at the face that looked like his mother, he finally spoke out. ¡°My name is¡­ Gu Xuan.¡± CH 30 Chapter 30 Blood fate Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes and looked at the person in front of him. The other party was sitting on the stone bed with his black hair hanging down. His upper body clothing had been removed and his chest wounds were bandaged layer by layer. His body lines were smooth and healthy. It¡¯s just that the face was ordinary, something that would be difficult to identify when placed in a pile of people. However, his eyes were narrow and long, showing a fierceness that was difficult to hide. He didn¡¯t comment on this person¡¯s claim of being, ¡°Gu Xuan¡±. He only responded: ¡°You are badly hurt, you should not be up and walking around. You still need to recuperate for two days. After two days, with your body, you will be able to move freely.¡± A wounded cultivator would usually have to recuperate for at least ten to fifteen days, but the other party firmly said that he would be able to move freely in two days. Gu Xuan didn¡¯t know if this person had already seen through his origin, but he was silent for a while. ¡°Thank you for saving me. ¡­.can I know your name?¡± ¡°Ye Yunlan.¡± Gu Xuan was slightly startled. ¡°Yunlan¡­¡± He murmured the name, with complex emotions passing quickly in his eyes. He wanted to speak, but heard Ye Yunlan say: ¡°We are strangers who just came together by chance, just call me Daoist Ye.¡± ¡°¡­Daoist Ye.¡± Gu Xuan pursed his lips. He was a little dissatisfied with the distant name, but with his current situation, he really didn¡¯t have the right to say anything more. Ye Yunlan took out a red jade from his sleeve. He leaned slightly, and handed it to Gu Xuan, ¡°This jade order fell from you when I saved you. Here.¡± Following his movements, the two of them closed the distance. A few strands of long black hair slipped from his shoulders. His long eyelashes drooped like wings. His face was indifferent like an iceberg, but there was still a splash of beauty. Gu Xuan stopped his breathing. He didn¡¯t even have time to pay attention to what Ye Yunlan handed over. He was just thinking that it was too similar. He was seventy percent like his mother. It¡¯s just that the lips of the person in front was a bit thinner, the bridge of his nose was a bit firmer, his eyes were a bit narrower and longer and his complexion was paler. So pale that it even showed some¡­sickness. These years¡­has he not been doing well? Gu Xuan couldn¡¯t help thinking. Ye Yunlan frowned slightly when he saw that he hadn¡¯t answered for a long time. ¡°Daoist?¡± Gu Xuan recovered and took the Crimson Jade Order from the other party¡¯s hand. This token was the identity token of the Yaori imperial family and was created with Primordial Chalcedony. However, there was a deceptive array on the token, so he was not worried about Ye Yunlan being able to guess his identity with it. Only when he received the token and touched the ice-like temperature of the other party¡¯s fingertips, he couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°What Daoist Ye cultivates is ice elemental techniques?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Why ask that?¡± Gu Xuan also knew that the question was very abrupt. However, he was accustomed to the fact that once he said something, he couldn¡¯t take it back: ¡°The body temperature of cultivators of the ice elemental is colder than that of ordinary people. I just touched Daoist Ye¡¯s hand and couldn¡¯t help but have this question.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I haven¡¯t cultivated that. Also, I do not cultivate the body. Thus during winter, my body is naturally colder.¡± How could this person not cultivate his body? In the first place, the secret method used was only to extract the ancient bloodline of this person, it did not abolish his spiritual roots or his meridians. With their family¡¯s talents, even without the power of his bloodline, it would be easy to embark on the cultivation path. Gu Xuan wanted to ask, but suddenly heard Ye Yunlan coughing. Then, he saw a young man in black walking over to him. The young man looked very young and handsome. With a piece of pure white fox fur hanging on his arm, he said in a deep voice, ¡°Master, although I am handling the heater, your body is still sensitive to the cold. You should put on the fox fur.¡± Gu Xuan¡¯s eyebrows were lifted up slightly. Although he was severely injured, with his superior perceptions that were above others, he didn¡¯t even notice the existence of this young man in the cave. Ye Yunlan only gave a faint ¡°En¡±, but did not immediately pick up the fox fur. Upon seeing this, the young man shouted ¡°Master¡±. While saying this, he unfolded the fox fur, wanting to put it on him. Ye Yunlan showed a little indulgence between his eyebrows. He stood upright and allowed the young man to wait on him and help him wear the fox fur. He looped it over his shoulders, then took the cotton string at the collar, and tied a knot for him. Gu Xuan watched the young man standing behind Ye Yunlan. He tilted his head slightly, carefully tying the knot. His brows frowned. Although this young man just called Ye Yunlan ¡°Master¡±, his actions were very intimate¡­ too intimate. Moreover, between the two people, there was an atmosphere that seemed to have no room for a third person to intervene¡­ Gu Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched. He couldn¡¯t help but interrupt: ¡°This person, is Daoist Ye¡¯s disciple?¡± Ye Yunlan raised his head slightly, allowing Shen Shu to tie the knot for him. He lowered his eyes and glanced at Gu Xuan beside him, ¡°Yes. He is my only personal disciple, Shen Shu.¡± ¡°Daoist Ye seems to have a good relationship with your disciple.¡± Gu Xuan said. Ye Yunlan hasn¡¯t answered yet, when Shen Shu responded: ¡°I have a very good relationship with Master. In the past few years, I have practiced sword training with Master, and lived in seclusion with Master in the mountains. There is no third person.¡± Gu Xuan¡¯s eyelids twitched again. He felt that the ¡°third person¡± in the other party¡¯s mouth was hinting at something. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t seem to have anything to retort, so he coughed, ¡°¡­I see.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°En¡±. His eyes stopped on the red jade order in Gu Xuan¡¯s palm, then he heard Gu Xuan ask hoarsely: ¡°Daoist Ye saved me, but you aren¡¯t asking¡­about my identity?¡± Ye Yunlan calmly replied: ¡°If I ask, would you say it?¡± Gu Xuan choked. His true identity cannot be revealed now. The plan his family had been preparing to unify the Western Continent for several years has been launched, thus his safety is related to the interests of all parties. For this reason, his family has already cultivated multiple substitutes for him, so his current whereabouts will not be exposed. He has always been immersed in calculations, thus accustomed to feigning civility. Originally, he just wanted to give out a false identity that had already been arranged and belonged to ¡°Gu Xuan¡±. However, now facing Ye Yunlan¡¯s icy cold stare that seemed to see through everything clearly, he couldn¡¯t say anything. Many years ago, he had deceived the other party once. At that time, that person¡¯s bloodline was completely exhausted. While he lay in his arms extremely weak, he had grabbed his clothes and called him ¡°elder brother.¡± They were very close by blood, but they have been forced to separate since they were born. This was the first time the other party called him elder brother. But he said, ¡°Don¡¯t call me brother.¡± Gu Xuan was silent for a while: ¡°I really can¡¯t tell you my identity at the moment. I didn¡¯t deliberately conceal it, but there are some things that will be less troublesome if you do not know about them.¡± Shen Shu: ¡± You are already being troublesome now. In order to save you, Master used most of the elixirs he brought from the sect to Tianchi Mountain dao conference. You also took up the stone bed Master used for these few days of rest¡­¡± ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Ye Yunlan interrupted calmly. Shen Shu stopped talking. ¡°¡­¡­ I have disturbed Daoist Ye.¡± Gu Xuan said, ¡°I have a lot of healing elixirs from my clan, there are even a lot of spirit stone chalcedony. Once I¡¯m healed, I will definitely repay Daoist ten times more.¡± ¡°No need. ¡°Ye Yunlan said, ¡°I have always saved people casually, without the need for others to repay me.¡± ¡°How can this be?¡± Gu Xuan frowned. He looked at the thin body and pale complexion of the person in front of him, thinking of how he had said that he didn¡¯t cultivate his body. However, he had accepted a disciple like Shen Shu who was not low in cultivation. With his deep thoughts, he quickly guessed the general situation of the other party. It is not that Ye Yunlan did not enter the dao path, but after entering the dao, he lost his cultivation for some reason. Maybe something went wrong in his cultivation, or maybe he was badly injured and it was difficult to recover. Either way, it made him feel distressed. ¡°You came to Tianchi Mountain dao conference this time and used a lot of healing elixir that was of great use to me. You have given me a life-saving grace, how can I make it difficult for you?¡± Gu Xuan pondered for a while and continued. ¡°I have some relations with the Yaori royal family, and the royal family has also reached Tianchi Mountain. If there is any difficulty, you can tell them my name, they will definitely help you.¡± Ye Yunlan only said indifferently: ¡°You said that you have a relationship with the Yaori royal family, but you may not know this, but I have a private grievance with them.¡± Gu Xuan did not expect that he would answer this way. He was silent for a while. He asked: ¡°¡­what private grievances?¡± ¡ª¡ªThe communication stream, outside the moon shadow wall. Two slender figures walked over. ¡°Brother Chen, thank you for staying with me till now.¡± Xu Qingyue carried a long sword on his back and carried a green wood pill box with one hand. With a smile on his bright and beautiful face, he turned a little anxious and said in distress, ¡°Waiting for this person here, when he sees us, I wonder if he will feel offended?¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°You are both sword cultivators. Admiring the other party¡¯s sword and wanting to get to know him is normal. He will understand.¡± Saying this, he lowered his eyes and glanced at the pill box in Xu Qingyue¡¯s hand. The aura of the pill was condensed very well, but this pill box alone was made of ancient green maple wood. It has the effect of refreshing one¡¯s concentration and eliminating heart demons. The value was immeasurable. Not to mention the pill, even with a thousand spirit stones, one may not be able to buy one. Seeing that Xu Qingyue was still worried, he held back his worry in his heart and said warmly: ¡°You brought the elixir to heal his wounds. Seeing that you want to heal him, he will understand your sincerity. He will not refuse your wish.¡± He walked over. Holding Xu Qingyue¡¯s hand, he squeezed it in his palm. ¡°What¡¯s more, Senior Brother is here with you.¡± Xu Qingyue¡¯s ears were slightly red, he showed a clear smile, ¡°Since Senior Brother Chen has said this, I am relieved.¡± He raised his head and looked at the vast moon shadow wall. There were thousands of caves, so countless night pearls shone in the night, like a milky way flowing on a mural. ¡°That Ink Sect disciple only said that the disciples of the Sky Sect lived in the Moon Shadow Wall, but did not say which cave mansion was¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan only smiled faintly: ¡°If you want to know, how difficult could it be.¡± His fingertips gathered spiritual energy. In the void, after flicking a few strokes in the middle, starlight hung down from the sky, connecting with a night pearl on the moon shadow wall. Looking from a distance, two characters were engraved on the plaque of the cave mansion. ¡°Ziyun.¡± Chen Weiyuan held Xu Qingyue¡¯s hand and looked sideways at Xu Qingyue, with a gentle smile on his face. ¡°Qingyue, let¡¯s go.¡± CH 31 Chapter 31 The Palace Wall ¡°¡­What¡¯s the grievance?¡± Facing Gu Xuan¡¯s question, Ye Yunlan only closed his eyes. He turned around and did not answer Gu Xuan¡¯s question directly. He said indifferently: ¡°Daoist Gu, all you need to know is that I don¡¯t want to have any ties with the Yaori imperial clan anymore. Since you are well acquainted with the Yaori imperial clan, I beg you to leave this place after you are well recuperated.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t say anything more. Gu Xuan¡¯s red jade order, he had just held it in his hand and looked at it carefully. The texture of the jade order was ordinary, there was nothing worthy of special attention. However, the material used to make the jade order was primordial chalcedony. The surface of the jade order was the colour of blood. It was the purest primordial chalcedony of the fire elemental type. There are only several spirit veins in the world that can produce Primordial Chalcedony. However, the only one in the entire cultivation world that can produce Primordial Chalcedony of the Fire Element is the spirit vein controlled by the Ye clan ¨C Scarlet Fire Pool. Few people know about this. The reason he knew this was when he and the Demon Lord were enemies of the world, the other party had told him this fact. Gu Xuan was a member of the Ye clan. Moreover, Gu Xuan should have a fairly pure royal bloodline to possess such a rare jade order. ¡­ In order to maintain the purity of blood, the Ye clan has always intermarried with close relatives. It is possible that between him and Gu Xuan, there could be some blood relationship. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to go into details. This time, he tried to save the other party out of habit. However, on the other hand, he was repaying a little bit of karma to his predecessor Emperor Changming who gave him the soul collecting flower. ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Ye Yunlan turned his head and said to Shen Shu, ¡°Master has been busy with all sorts of trivial matters for the past two days and has not taught you about swordsmanship. Tomorrow, the dao conference will open and you need to learn more about swordsmanship. This place is narrow, so the sword cannot be used. Take your sword and follow me to practice outside.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s dark eyes lit up. He quickly picked up his sword, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Gu Xuan couldn¡¯t help groaning when he saw that the person in front of him was about to leave. He struggled to get up, moving his chest injury. He called out to the other party with difficulty, ¡°Daoist Ye, please wait.¡± Ye Yunlan stopped and turned to look at him, ¡°Hm?¡± Gu Xuan stared deeply at the pale, thin person in front of him: ¡°You said you and the Yaori royal family have private grievances?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The Yaori royal family is warlike by nature, conquering places all over, there are countless people who have hatred against them. So, it is normal for you to have grudges with them.¡± When it comes to being warlike by nature, Gu Xuan revealed a look of exhaustion that was difficult to detect. He paused, ¡°What do you think about today¡¯s crown prince of Yaori¡­what kind of person is he?¡± This question was actually a bit abrupt. But Gu Xuan still asked. Perhaps it was because of his weakness after his injury or perhaps it was because of the appearance of the person in front of him that was too similar to his mother or perhaps it was because of the unexpected reunion after many years. He desperately wanted an answer. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment: ¡°The crown prince of yaori was born an emperor.¡± Gu Xuan frowned slightly, and asked: ¡°¡­other than that?¡± Ye Yunlan remembered the short meeting with Emperor Changming in his previous life, what he said and did. At first, he was actually confused. It¡¯s just that at that time, all his thoughts were to preserve the soul of that person. Some things that he had put down many years ago, he was too tired that he didn¡¯t want to pick it up again. Seeing him silent, Gu Xuan asked hoarsely: ¡°Sometimes as an emperor¡­ they can enjoy the awe of all beings and control the rivers and mountains, but they may not be as happy as ordinary people think.¡± He thought he would hear the other party¡¯s retort, but he didn¡¯t think Ye Yunlan would quietly reply: ¡°I know.¡± Gu Xuan was slightly startled. He looked at the other party¡¯s clear eyes, feeling that the other party already knew a lot. Including the difficulty and pains that he had never spoken about. How can it be? He thought to himself. Back then, he ordered the Yanlin Beast to send the other party from the Western Continent to the Eastern Continent. He hadn¡¯t expected that they would meet again in this life. And Ye Yunlan was even more unlikely to understand his existence. ¡ª¡ªEven if they were twin brothers and had the most intimate existence in this world. Gu Xuan recalled what happened more than twenty years ago. There was a prophecy of a Divine Phoenix saving the world in the heavenly books of the Ye family. When they were born, the changes in the celestial orbits corresponded to the astrological signs mentioned in the heavenly book. But there was only one Divine Phoenix. His spiritual root attribute was fire, while his younger brother¡¯s spiritual root attribute was ice. A divine phoenix is ??the supreme lord of fire. Of course, he would become the man of destiny mentioned in the heavenly scriptures. Among the Ye clan who worshipped fire, ice roots were regarded poorly. Therefore, since he was conscious, no one had told him that he actually had a younger brother. If it wasn¡¯t for the hindrance involved in the bloodline and occasionally perceiving a place in the Imperial Palace that he desperately wanted to approach, he might have been deceived this entire time. In his heart when he was young, he felt that there was a hidden treasure in that place. The place was extremely remote, in the southwest of the palace. He had passed by from far away. Inheriting the five keen senses of his bloodline, he could hear the hysterical screams and wailings of a woman in there. Later, he learned that that place was the cold palace. A place where palace people were sent if they made a mistake. He was very curious and always wanted to see what his treasure was, but he was accompanied by guards and a Grand Master all year round. They recorded his daily words and deeds and handed them to his father, Emperor Ye. Emperor Ye had set many rules for him. He was asked to follow the rules and complete his schoolwork every day. Since he was a child, he was taught that he needed to be cautious in his every word and deed. The cold palace was a place where he was not allowed to set foot in. He followed the rules and spent every day in repetition. Until one day, passing by the place as usual, at the corner of the palace wall, he saw a young man who was about the same height as him. However, he was much thinner. He was squatting by the palace wall, his fingertips touching a beautiful flower on the ground. The boy¡¯s black hair fell down and looked a little messy. He showed only his little white profile, like the first handful of snow piled up on the branches in winter. The boy¡¯s fingertips were also very white, but they were stained with mud. The clothes he wore were worn out and looked like they had not been changed for a long time. His heart was throbbing. He felt an extremely intimate connection. It was like he was one with the other party. He just wanted to ask, but his Grandmaster around him frowned. He said ¡°unlucky¡±, then called his attendant to give him a few orders. Soon, the boy was supported by guards and drove back to the remote palace wall in the southwest corner. The other party didn¡¯t have the opportunity to pick up that beautiful flower. It stood still beautifully, swaying in the wind. He noticed that the place where the flowers were blooming was at the wall of the remote palace, from an angle that peeped out. He looked at the Grand Master¡¯s frowning brows. The ¡°Who is he¡± in his mouth didn¡¯t come out. That day, he discovered that the treasure he had always been looking for wasn¡¯t the type of treasure he had thought of, but a living person. Later, he subconsciously looked for clues and finally learned that he actually had a twin brother. It was just that when he grasped the hidden power in his bloodline and wanted to find that place, he couldn¡¯t find the person he was looking for. The hindrance in that bloodline also seemed to disappear, as if being isolated by something. He knew that every word and deed in his life would be recorded in the book, nothing could be hidden from his father¡¯s eyes. In order to find out the identity of that young boy, he would inquire and search in a secretive manner, invisible to his father. He looked at the long, silent winding corridors in the palace and the endless palace walls. For the first time he felt like he was trapped in a well. He was standing in the well and looking up at the world. The sky was very blue and clear. But he couldn¡¯t touch it. He wanted to get out of this well, he wanted to pull his brother out with him. But he also knew that he couldn¡¯t do it himself. A few days later, his Royal father summoned him to the imperial study room. ¡°Xuanguang, I know what you are looking for, but that person is not your younger brother. The heavenly book records that the Phoenix star will appear and needs to experience disasters before he can come into the world. He is your twin, but has an ice elemental root. It usurped the power of your bloodline. He is not your little brother, but a tribulation given to you by heaven.¡± ¡°The clan is already preparing the bloodline deprivation secret method. As long as you absorb the power of his bloodline and inject it into your body, this catastrophe can be resolved. The prophecies of the heavenly book will come true.¡± ¡°Xuanguang, you have been taught by me since you were a child, you know that you must bear the weight of this responsibility. Don¡¯t let me be disappointed in you.¡± He was silent for a long time, and finally nodded. The ceremony began. He sat high on the throne of the void. He saw the blood dripping from the person on the blood altar, slowly flowing along the pattern, converging into a warm energy that flowed into his body. ¡­This kind of warm feeling was as if they were still in his mother¡¯s womb, cuddling with each other. However, the reality was cruel and cold. The bloodline was exhausted and the other party fell to the ground. His whole family only looked at him, worshiping him with admiration. After resuscitating his blood, the golden eyes that symbolized the ancient Divine Phoenix appeared. The emperor asked to send him away. He knew what his father meant, that he wanted to deal with the other party cleanly. For the first time in his life, he violated his father¡¯s wishes. He ordered the Yanlin Beast King who had followed him since he was a child to send him away. When he agreed to hold the ceremony, he had already thought about it. He had no bloodline, he had no connection with the Yaori Royal Family. This is his only chance to send the other party out of this trap. When sending the other party onto the back of the Yanlin Beast, he thought that if the other party went to the outside world, he should be able to find another way of living. A totally different way of living from him. That would be good. It¡¯s just that from beginning to end, he didn¡¯t know what his twin brother¡¯s name was. After letting go of the other party, Emperor Ye punished him. He suffered. Later, he had another brother, who was also born from his mother, Tan Ge, and his father, Emperor Ye. His looks followed his father¡¯s. His younger brother who was sent away looked like his mother, but this younger brother looked like no one. It was very common. Although he had the common fire root of the Ye clan, his aptitude was also very ordinary. It was as if there wasn¡¯t pure royal blood flowing through him. And¡­ from the time he was born, his younger brother¡¯s mentality was different from that of ordinary people. Like an¡­ idiot. In the intermarriage of close relatives of the Ye family, trying to preserve the purity of their blood, some unusual conditions often occur. This time, Emperor Ye did not name his son either. Ye Xun was the name he gave to this younger brother. The other party has followed him since he was a child. Because he had fire roots, although Emperor Ye turned a deaf ear to him, he didn¡¯t stop him from keeping Ye Xun by his side. He watched Ye Xun grow up slowly. He devoted all the love he had never devoted to his twin brother to Ye Xun. Ye Xun had an average aptitude, but had a pair of eyes that could see through all formations in the world. In fact, Ye Xun was not a real idiot. It was just his thoughts and reactions were a little slower than ordinary people, and he couldn¡¯t often turn his brain. Interacting with Ye Xun, he was always more patient and meticulous than others. It¡¯s just that the Ye clan does not allow flaws, thus Ye Xun¡¯s name was not even recorded in the family history. Although he has been by his side all these years, many people in the outside world thought that Ye Xun was just his book boy. He also did not clarify. After all, there were always many unexpected dangers around him. His family clan had cultivated ten substitutes for him. Less than half of them have survived to today. For this reason, when Xingyue Dynasty came to pursue him for revenge, they did not pay much attention to Ye Xun and Ye Xun was able to escape. He changed his appearance by virtue of the hidden power in his bloodline, escaped the chase and came to Tianchi Mountain. But, he was seriously injured. He walked and stopped in the communication stream. Seeing the flames on the horizon, he knew that the royal family had been searching for him. It¡¯s just that he couldn¡¯t hold on anymore. He passed out into the night with a vague sound of a qin in his ears. It seems to have come from a distant place, spanning the distance between the Eastern Continent and Western Continent for more than twenty years. He was saved by his twin brother he had let go. Ye Yunlan. Gu Xuan whispered this name in his mind again. Over the years, he had many things he wanted to tell his own brother, but when he finally met him, he was speechless. Seeing Gu Xuan¡¯s silence, Ye Yunlan turned his head to call Shen Shu. Just at this time, the cave dwelling¡¯s restrictions were touched. A clear, moving voice came from outside the restriction. ¡°Is Fellow Daoist Ye here? I¡¯m a disciple of Tan Qing Sect, Xu Qingyue. Please forgive me for visiting abruptly.¡± CH 32 Chapter 32 Letter Xu Qingyue? Ye Yunlan narrowed his eyebrows slightly. He had a deep impression of this old friend of Chen Weiyuan who he could never forget in his previous life. In his memory, every year, Chen Weiyuan would spend a few days in the Chen Family¡¯s Netherrealm to pay homage to Xu Qingyue. It¡¯s just that when he was rescued by Chen Weiyuan in his previous life, Xu Qingyue had already died to save Chen Weiyuan. He had never interacted with the other party and in this life, he had never met the other party before. How could the other party suddenly come to find him?? For Ye Yunlan, everything related to Chen Weiyuan was something weary to him. He heard Shen Shu speak: ¡°Master, outside the cave dwelling is the number one beauty on the Tianji beauty ranking list? Why did he come to find you.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Should I invite the person in?¡± Ye Yunlan picked up his queying sword on the stone table, his eyes were indifferent, ¡°No need. We just need to practice the sword outside, so let¡¯s go out and meet them.¡± He turned his head and said to Gu Xuan: ¡°Daoist Gu, you can recuperate in the cave. If you want to leave, you can leave at any time without telling me.¡± Gu Xuan listened to his cold words and wanted to inquire, but he didn¡¯t say anything. He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s departing back. The other party¡¯s black hair hung down, while his pale hand was holding a black sheathed long sword. His robe seemed empty and his footsteps were light, as if he was gliding. No trace of spiritual power could be seen. In his perception, he was actually more fragile than a mortal. The other party walked slowly out of the cave, as if the distance between them over the years was getting further and further. Suddenly, he wanted to get up, but blood oozed from his bandage. There was a sharp pain from the injury of the spear piercing through his chest. Gu Xuan lowered his head and frowned. He gave a wry smile, and didn¡¯t move any more. He thought of the person who had just called Ye Yunlan outside the cave. Xu Qingyue. ¡­People of the Xu family, what did they want with his brother? Gu Xuan had once met Xu Qingyue. His appearance was indeed extremely beautiful, but in his eyes, it wasn¡¯t worthy of bearing the title of the first beauty in the cultivation world. His mother, Ye Tange, if solely judged on her appearance, actually surpassed Xu Qingyue. Emperor Ye collected thousands of beauties from the five continents and four seas. His harem was full of beauties. However, at every palace banquet, Ye Tange was always the most outstanding and charming flower among them. Dressed up and dancing, she can turn all beings upside down. But the Ye clan¡¯s rules were strict. Because of their superior bloodline, Ye Tange was raised as the wife of the Ye patriarch since childhood. She was a canary raised by her family in a golden cage. Her eyes were full of only Emperor Ye and she had never showed her face outside. Tianji Pavilion had an agreement with other ancient aristocratic families long ago. Besides the ancient aristocratic families deliberately exposing their forces, other information should not appear on the list of rankings. Otherwise, the beauty rankings would have been rewritten long ago. Gu Xuan frowned again. His brother, whom he had not seen for a long time, was born even better looking than his mother and had no family protection. Once on the Tianji beauty list, how many people would covet him? ¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan stepped out of the cave. The moonlight reflected on his pale face. He raised his eyelids and saw two people standing outside the cave. Both of them were dressed in white. One of them was tall and slender with a long sword on his back. He had trimmed eyebrows and a pair of phoenix eyes, appearing beautiful and handsome. There was a temperament on his body, which made people forget themselves. Thinking about it, this person must be Xu Qingyue, the most famous beauty in the world of cultivation. The other person¡­ Ye Yunlan looked over and met a familiar face. Chen Weiyuan saw the narrow and long eyes of the person in front of him sweep over. His eyes were clear and cold, but the tear at the tail of his eyes was so gorgeous that he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart move. He said slowly: ¡°I am Chen Weiyuan from Tianji Pavilion. I accompanied Qingyue to visit today. I hope you do not mind and can forgive us, Daoist Ye.¡± A familiar, hidden pain came from the depths of his soul. It seemed that his heart and soul were pierced by a needle tip that had burned through flames. It was burning with unspeakable pain. Ye Yunlan was accustomed to enduring this kind of pain. His expressionless face clenched the queying sword in his hands, but his eyes could not restrain his cold and murderous intent. If possible, he really wanted to draw his sword at this moment and kill Chen Weiyuan. In his previous life, not being able to get rid of Chen Weiyuan was his only regret. After arriving at the Void Tracing Realm, he traveled all over the Western Continent. It was then that he finally found a way to cast the broken love curse on himself. Entering the Buddhist hall to receive the oaths, he cut off his roots of affection so that he could act on Chen Weiyuan. But before he could do anything, Chen Weiyuan used his body and blood as a sacrifice to change the fate of the Chen Clan. Later, in the great calamity of the world, cracks appeared in the land of the ancient tribes and only the Chen clan was safe and sound. When he arrived at Tianji Pavilion, Chen Weiyuan left only one letter. The letter was placed on the desk where Chen Weiyuan usually dealt with family affairs. It was a plain white letter paper with a white plum on it. He opened the letter and on it was Chen Weiyuan¡¯s familiar handwriting. The handwriting was beautiful, clear and gentle. It could be seen that the other party was not in a hurry when writing it. Later, he regretted opening the letter. He had the ability to never forget, so every word on the letter was stamped into his mind, unforgettable. ¡°Yunlan, read these words like it was us meeting. Half a month ago, your husband watched the stars. Seeing the stars darken and only one moon hanging high, knowing that you have stepped into void tracing, I am not very happy. I also calculated that I will perish. I sighed. After thinking about it for a long time, I finally wrote this letter. Thinking of you and me for the first time, it has been more than two hundred years. You were badly injured back then with your bones torn apart. You pulled my clothes and asked me to save you. At that time, you were bloodstained and disheveled, like a ghost. All the pedestrians avoided you. Only your husband pitied you and struggled to save you from h*ll¡¯s door. Perhaps this is fate. You said that you would do all you can to repay me. Your husband only took it as a joke, but later learned it was not a joke. You stayed by my side after you were hurt. You were gentle and well-behaved. You accompanied me for years, understood what I liked, avoided what I hated, and did all kinds of things. Your husband never forgot. One winter, when I returned in the middle of the night, I saw you standing among the white blossoms with a lamp. Walking over slowly, you brushed the snow off my shoulders. At that time, your husband felt his heart move. Your husband once said that he wanted to hold hands with you and enter paradise together, that is not a lie. It¡¯s just that the world is complicated, and so many things cannot occur as expected. Your husband knows that you hate me. Stepping into the void tracing realm, you will not be afraid of Chen clan¡¯s formation. You will definitely kill your way here to repay your grudges. However, the great calamity of heaven and earth is coming and the ancient tribes will suffer. Although your husband wants to see you again, as the head of the Chen family, I can¡¯t act arrogantly or foolishly. After thinking for a long time, your husband decided to sacrifice his life. He will use the technique of changing fates to find a ray of life for the Chen family. Hate is born of love. The stronger the hatred, the stronger the love. Yunlan, you can¡¯t deny this. And if you can¡¯t kill me to remove your hate for a day, you will always have hate in your heart. Thinking about it this way, your husband doing this can also be regarded as the longing from my separation from you for these two hundred years. May you live forever and remember your husband. Sink into your nights unable to forget, tossing and turning. In this way, although your husband is dead, he is still alive. Anyone in the world can forget their husband¡¯s name, but you cannot. Your husband, Chen Weiyuan. On the night of March 12th in the Gengzi Year, in the Tianji Pavilion.¡± After reading it, he clenched the letter tightly and threw it into the candlelight. Together with the white blossom on the table. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s life was all calculated. Even if he wanted to kill him with a sword, it has been calculated. Yet, he wanted him to keep his hatred in his heart, to live forever and remember his name? ¡ª¡ªWhy? If there is an afterlife. He just wanted to never see Chen Weiyuan again. Whether it is love, hate, sadness, or joy, he is not willing to give the other anything. CH 33 Chapter 33 Life¡¯s Path The moonlight was like water. Ye Yunlan no longer looked at Chen Weiyuan. He only calmly said to Xu Qingyue: ¡°Daoist Xu, we seem to have never met before.¡± Xu Qingyue laughed, ¡°Daoist Ye has never seen me before, but I have seen you¡­and I have seen your sword.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You have seen me and my sword? So what?¡± His tone was really cold, but Xu Qingyue seemed to be unaware of it. His face was still smiling and his eyes were extremely clear and brilliant. He was a more outstanding beauty than Rong Ran. He was remarkable. 3 points because of appearance, while seven points because of his tolerance and attitude. Although Rong Ran was gentle and elegant, he appeared fake, a bit less vivid and lively. Xu Qingyue had a clear temperament. When he looked at people, he had an unconcealed clarity in his eyes, which was very direct. It made people want to catch all the stars in the sky for him. Xu Qingyue: ¡°I am a sword cultivator like fellow daoist .¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Among sword cultivators, admiring other¡¯s swordsmanship, isn¡¯t it common to want to associate with them?¡± Xu Qingyue said seriously. Ye Yunlan: ¡°I¡¯m just a mortal with a sullen cultivation base. How can I be able to enter the eyes of this daoist.¡± ¡°The level of sword dao is never based on cultivation.¡± Xu Qingyue shook his head, ¡°I like your sword.¡± As he said this, he raised his eyebrows and smiled brightly. He slowly drew out the long sword from his back and laid it in front of him. He flicked his fingers and the sword sounded loudly and pleasantly. ¡°This sword is made of immortal cold iron, its name is Promise. It weighs more than a thousand catties. It has the ability to break yin and yang. Listen to it¡¯s voice, it also likes you very much.¡± His two ¡°likes¡± in his mouth made Chen Weiyuan¡¯s eyebrows jump slightly. Sword cultivators who want to meet and make friends are usually more direct than ordinary people. Usually they would show their goodwill through their sword, then if the other party approves, everything else will be a lot smoother. Ye Yunlan was a sword cultivator, but no sword cultivator in his previous life dared to get acquainted with him. And in this life, except for his disciple, he does not intend to associate with anyone. He quietly looked at Xu Qingyue a few times, then slowly pulled out his sword out of the scabbard. ¡°This sword has the name queying.¡± Xu Qingyue praised: ¡°The cold light is lonely and the edge is hidden. We sword cultivators have a common saying that a person is like their sword and their sword is like the person. I once saw fellow daoist show off his sword at the foot of Tianchi Mountain. I feel that fellow Daoist should be a lone person with a sword. At that time, I had reverence in my heart and wanted to get acquainted with fellow Daoist .¡± Ye Yunlan said coldly, ¡°That¡¯s because you were only watching at the time, but you never really faced my sword.¡± People who have actually faced his sword will not say such things as ¡°had reverence in my heart¡±. They would only feel fear and disgust. They would treat him like a ghost and avoid him out of fear. Xu Qingyue blinked, a little puzzled, ¡°What do you mean fellow Daoist?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him quietly. The night wind blew his robe. He raised his sword and pointed it at Xu Qingyue. Xu Qingyue suddenly realized that the person in front of him had changed. If it was said that the other party had carried alienation and coldness that was inaccessible to others. Now, they had revealed their coldness and murderous intent that could hurt people¡¯s bones. He looked like a soul coming out of the yellow springs of h*ll, with countless blood and bones under his feet. The deepest, purest death condensed on the tip of his sword. Instinctively, he used his own sword intent to resist. Sweat ran along Xu Qingyue¡¯s white cheeks and cold sweat oozed from his back. He felt his sword hand shaking. Blood flowed vigorously in his body. Is it because of fear? He thought, no, not only that. Although he was born with a good appearance, Xu Qingyue was born with little perception of beauty and ugliness. Not only to himself, but also to others. It¡¯s just that at this moment, looking at Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale face, with the other party¡¯s cold murderous intent locked on him, it was as if he was being stared deeply by a ghost in the yellow springs of h*ll. He felt terrified, but at the same time, for the first time in his life, he saw a kind of thrilling beauty. ¡­Enveloped by death and nirvana, he was shocked. The sword in Xu Qingyue¡¯s hand fell to the ground. On the side, Chen Weiyuan frowned. He walked up to support him, worriedly calling: ¡°Qingyue .¡± Xu Qingyue did not answer. He gently pushed Chen Weiyuan away and squatted down to pick up the sword on the ground. Ye Yunlan had retracted the tip of his sword. Queying Sword lay in his palm, letting out a sorrowful cry. Queying couldn¡¯t bear the sword intent he released. Over the years, he had been consciously controlling himself. Even if he was insulted by Nan Gongqing¡¯s verbal insults at that time, the sword intent he released was less than thirty percent of his ability. It¡¯s just that maybe it was because of meeting Chen Weiyuan that caused the hostility in his heart to rise, the sword intent he released just now was eighty to ninety percent. Xu Qingyue not being able to bear it was normal. Maybe like this, the other party may not want to be entangled with him anymore. ¡°Shen Shu, let¡¯s go.¡± He placed the sword back into its sheath and said to Shen Shu beside him. Shen Shu: ¡°Master¡¯s sword intent is so powerful.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyebrows were a little looser, ¡°If you practice hard, you will be able to become like Master.¡± Shen Shu looked at this person¡¯s appearance. He had always known that his master was not as weak as his appearance. In the past few years he had practiced his sword, he had gradually realized that his master¡¯s ability to possess such a sword intent cannot be achieved by peaceful practice. In the years before he became his disciple, how many hardships did his master experience before he could comprehend death and nirvana like this? The understanding of the way of destruction was so deep that he felt distressed thinking about it. He wanted to embrace him and protect him from the wind and rain, but now was not the time. He whispered: ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Daoist Ye, please wait a moment.¡± When Ye Yunlan was about to leave, he heard Xu Qingyue¡¯s slightly hoarse voice. He turned to look, and saw Xu Qingyue¡¯s red eyes. It seemed to be filled with mist and an unusual light. ¡°This Daoist¡¯s swordsmanship is superb. Qingyue knows that he is far inferior to that of fellow Daoist.¡± Xu Qingyue said. He hesitated for a moment, then clasped his sword and fist, ¡°If possible, Qingyue has a presumptuous request.¡± He bowed deeply, ¡°Please fellow Daoist, accept me as a disciple.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Qingyue, you are Tanqing Sect¡¯s disciple, even more is the fact that you are a member of the Xu Clan. How can you casually ask to be another¡¯s disciple?¡± ¡°Tanqing Sect is good at medical knowledge, very few people there cultivate the sword. My sword techniques were all developed through my own pondering and cultivation. It¡¯s just, the sword dao is a long distant path. It is easy to be overly subjective and disregard the outside world.¡± Xu Qingyue insisted, ¡°Although I am a disciple of the Tanqing sect, it is just a name. I often feel incompatible with the sect. If Daoist accepts me as a disciple, I can leave my sect at any time. I will follow you to cultivate in the Eastern Continent. My father has always supported me in practicing the sword, so he will understand.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s expression also changed. Even though he didn¡¯t want to admit it, Xu Qingyue in front of him was indeed very good-looking. He also said that he was willing to leave his sect for his Master and follow his Master to the Eastern Continuent¡ªbut he heard Ye Yunlan speak: ¡°In this life, I will not take another disciple again. Shen Shu is my only disciple. Fellow daoist, please return.¡± Xu Qingyue was anxious, ¡°Daoist Ye, I sincerely beg for it¨C¡± Ye Yunlan stopped speaking. When Xu Qingyue wanted to say more, Chen Weiyuan took his hand and murmured, ¡°Qingyue, don¡¯t continue to be rude.¡± Xu Qingyue was startled. After a long while, after feeling Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword intent, his unstoppable surge in his heart eased over. Since cultivating as a child, everything had gone smoothly for him. He had never encountered anyone¡¯s rejection. He raised his eyes and glanced at Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold expression, only to realize that him taking the liberty to visit had made the other party fed up with him. He didn¡¯t know what to do. He was silent for a while, then finally suppressed his mood and opened the green pill box in his hand. The pill box contained a green pill, surrounded by a light green energy as if it contained endless vitality. ¡°Daoist Ye, this is the best vegetation rejuvenation pill. It has the effect of nourishing meridians and rejuvenating dead wood.¡± Xu Qingyue said softly, his eyes were still a little red. He didn¡¯t know if he was just scared by the sword intent or was he feeling wronged. However, his voice stabilized, ¡°Regardless of whether Daoist is willing to accept me as a disciple, please accept this medicinal pill. Daoist¡¯s cultivation is lost. Perhaps this pill will help Daoist¡¯s injury¡­ This is the reason why Qingyue came here, you don¡¯t need to think about the other things.¡± Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes to look at the pill in his hand, ¡°This pill is unnecessary. My injury cannot be healed by an ordinary pill.¡± ¡°Then what method can heal the injuries of fellow daoist? I will find it for you.¡± Xu Qingyue insisted, ¡°I will not ask fellow daoist to accept me as a disciple. I only hope that fellow daoist will give me a few pointers in the sword dao.¡± Ye Yunlan did not answer Xu Qingyue¡¯s question, he only said: ¡°My sword dao is not for you.¡± He understood that Chen Weiyuan¡¯s best friend in his previous life was originally a sword craze. Towards this person obsessed with swordsmanship, his attitude was a little less indifferent. ¡°Your sword is pure, but you lack perseverance and fierceness. Experience more than your mundane experience. Another hundred years and you will reach inferior immortalization.¡± Xu Qingyue was startled. He realized that Ye Yunlan was giving him pointers. He bowed his head, ¡°Thank you¡­Thank you for your advice.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded lightly: ¡°It¡¯s not early. I still have to teach my disciple. Daoist Xu, let¡¯s not meet again.¡± Xu Qingyue was at a loss, but did not urge him to stay. The two figures, master and disciple, gradually moved away and disappeared on the path of the Moon Shadow Wall. From beginning to end, Ye Yunlan never looked at Chen Weiyuan next to him. As if he didn¡¯t exist. This is the first time Chen Weiyuan has been ignored in his life. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the two figures walking away. ¡°Senior Brother Chen, is there really no way to heal his injuries?¡± Xu Qingyue was silent for a long time before speaking again. The topic was still focused on the person just now. Chen Weiyuan frowned slightly: ¡°Not necessarily.¡± After that, before Xu Qingyue could speak, he used his fingers to calculate the other party¡¯s fortune. But only saw a haze. This shouldn¡¯t be. He tentatively caclulated again, but suddenly felt a suffocating feeling in his chest. His throat had a sweet, rusty taste emerging from it. Chen Weiyuan swallowed the blood in his mouth. This is the backlash that can only be caused by forcing the calculation of things that are not suitable for calculation. Perhaps it was because the other party¡¯s cultivation level was far superior to him, or perhaps it was because this person had something to do with him. Logically, he should stop at this moment. He pondered for a moment, but he seemed to have a premonition in the midst of it, that he must know the answer today. So he no longer hesitated. He consumed the power of his bloodline and used the secret method of his clan to perform calculations again. This time, in the unpredictable mist, there was a dim response. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s fingertips stopped in the void, there was a hint of disbelief in his eyes. The other party¡­ was actually his destined dao companion. It was clear that ten years ago, when he calculated his future dao companion, Xu Qingyue was pointed to as his fate. CH 34 The night was quiet. A little bit of fluorescent light flew around the lake. On the shore, the young man in black clothes was holding a long sword, wielding a sharp sword aura. The starlight reflected the cold light on the sword body. The youth¡¯s face was hidden in the dark night. The only exception was a pair of eyes that were as bright as the cold star that did not appear dim in the crossing of the bright light of the sword. Ye Yunlan watched his disciple¡¯s sword, ¡°In the past three years, I have taught you the Yingtian sword technique, including thunder, flash, and shower. You have achieved great success.¡± He paused. After thinking for a while, he said, ¡°There is one last form, Ripple. Show it to me.¡± Shen Shu raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± He took a deep breath. He tried his best to calm the hostility in his heart, and all his thoughts. He raised the long sword in his hand, then imagined that there was a flat lake in front. The long sword swept across the lake like a breeze. But as soon as the sword moved, he had a feeling in his heart. Not proper. Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice also sounded at the same time. ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu stopped. He lowered his head and shouted in a low voice: ¡°Master.¡± A bit of disappointment rose in his heart. He was extremely talented in sword dao. The three styles of ¡°Thunder¡±, ¡°Flash¡± and ¡°Shower¡± were mastered by him very quickly. Only the style ¡°Ripple¡± had him training for half a year, but still, he hasn¡¯t heard his Master give him a satisfied applause. He actually knew why. There were too many longings and delusions in his heart. He couldn¡¯t achieve the state of mind that the style ¡°Ripple¡± needed. Thinking of having disappointed his Master again, Shen Shu silently clenched the sword in his hand. He didn¡¯t expect that Ye Yunlan would only say, ¡°You don¡¯t need to be discouraged. There are only three styles to the Yingtian sword. You being able to learn it in just three years have already surpassed countless swordsmen in this world. This fourth style is something your teacher had added later. If you hadn¡¯t seen your Master¡¯s comments when you looked at the sword book before, and insisted on learning it from Master, Master would not have taught you this form.¡± The Yingtian sword technique was the swordsmanship he chose for Shen Shu. Although there were only three styles, there were endless variations. Moreover, the sword technique was sharp, which was suitable for the young and energetic Shen Shu who still didn¡¯t know how to retract his sharpness. At the beginning when he was sent to the Demon Palace, after the Demon Lord removed the spirit lock ring that Chen Weiyuan used to confine his spiritual power for him, the first sword technique he learned was this sword technique. When he first saw this sword technique in the Demon Lord¡¯s library, he had liked the artistic conception of the sword technique very much. Later, after the Demon Lord discovered that he had practiced the Yingtian Sword Art, he had a great interest to practice with him, and compete to see who could learn it faster. The loser would be punished. The Demon Lord¡¯s sword dao realm was much higher than that of his. Thus for comprehending the sword dao, he was naturally inferior to the other party. And the other party¡¯s punishment for the most part was some unique preference in the bed. Even if it was not competing with the sword dao, this person always had other reasons to tease him. He had long gotten used to it. After the warmth was over, the Demon Lord would hold him and break down every bit of the sword technique into small pieces and explain it to him. The Demon Lord at that time showed his rare attentiveness and gentleness. A lot of sword techniques in his mind were something that the Demon Lord would learn first, then teach him in detail from his own experience and understanding. The Demon Lord used it as a means of pleasure and enjoyment. It¡¯s just that, even the Demon Lord did not derive a fourth style from the Yingtian sword technique. Although it was derived from the Yingtian sword technique, the conception of ¡°Ripple¡± was completely different from the previous styles of thunder and flash. Stagnant water ripples. If the heart is stagnant, there will be slight waves. This is the sword technique that he evolved after he stepped into the void tracing realm. With a single sword, the heavenly secret array that no one could break for thousands of years was shattered in front of him and disappeared. Another nickname given to this style of sword technique by the world was ¡°annihilation.¡± ¡°Some sword techniques are not for your current age and experience, as well as your current character to comprehend.¡± ¡°If you can, your Master would hope you never have to understand the true meaning of this style of sword.¡± Ye Yunlan rubbed Shen Shu¡¯s head. Shen Shu had grown very tall, but when he was touched at this moment, he was still like how he was when he was a youth. He rubbed his head against his palm. The hair was soft and itchy in his palms. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You don¡¯t need to be entangled in one style of sword technique. Come, you and your Master will compare notes to warm up for the dao conference tomorrow.¡± Since Ye Yunlan was injured, Shen Shu hasn¡¯t fought Ye Yunlan for a long time. ¡°Master, your body¡­¡± ¡°Earlier when I compared sword dao with Xu Qingyue, although I didn¡¯t make a sword move, I still had formed my sword energy. If I don¡¯t release it, it would be more troublesome.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Make your move.¡± Shen Shu pursed his lips. He faced Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold gaze and firm tone, then he slowly drew his sword. After comparing notes, the master and disciple rested. Ye Yunlan sat leaning against the willow tree. The silver weeping willow swayed beside him. He put one hand on his lap, quietly looking at the night sky. The stars were vast and distant. Like some people and things, one cannot look back. Sitting next to Ye Yunlan, Shen Shu had been observing his master, scared that Ye Yunlan would suddenly cough and bleed. After watching quietly for a long time, the other party¡¯s face that was pale and quiet seemed as if it was faintly shimmering. They were so close, yet the other party seemed further away than the bright moon in the sky. Shen Shu¡¯s heart tightened. He suddenly said, ¡°Master, let me rub your shoulders for you.¡± Just after comparing notes, there was indeed a bit of soreness in his shoulders. Ye Yunlan nodded lightly. Shen Shu propped up his body with his hands, then went in front of Ye Yunlan to massage his shoulders. His hands were slender and strong, with thin calluses from practicing the sword all year round. The strength of him massaging his shoulders was neither light nor heavy, it was very comfortable. The young man knelt in front of him with his head down. His eyelashes were down and his appearance was very handsome. Ye Yunlan raised his head and made direct eye contact with the other party¡¯s dark and deep eyes. There seemed to be a deep current, but also a gentleness to it. He was in a trance for a moment. Very similar. Much like that year when he was lying under the apricot blossom tree. The petals fell on the man¡¯s shoulder, and the man poured spiritual power into his body little by little, staring deeply at him. The danger of restraint, the gentleness seeping into his bones. He raised his hand and slowly touched the profile of the person in front of him. ¡°Master?¡± Shen Shu said hoarsely. Ye Yunlan recovered and put his hand down. He turned his face and said in a low voice: ¡°Nothing.¡± He must have seen wrong. Shen Shu¡¯s dark eyes deepened after he let go. It¡¯s always like that. Shen Shu thought. Always distracted suddenly, or staring at something in a daze. He was clearly looking at him, but it was like he was looking at another through him. Master, what are you thinking? ¡°Let¡¯s go back.¡± Ye Yunlan stood up, ¡°Tomorrow is the dao conference, you need to rest early and build up your energy.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°¡­okay.¡± ¡ª¡ªCommunication Stream, Purple Moon Valley. In this dao conference, the disciples from the Northern Territory Sects were all assigned to the Purple Moon Valley. ¡°Qingyue, this cave dwelling you chose has a very good environment.¡± Chen Weiyuan sat on the jade bench. He had a faint smile on his face, but his complexion was a little pale. Xu Qingyue held a cup of tea, frowning, ¡°Senior Brother Chen, the power of one¡¯s bloodline is not endless, no one would use it recklessly like you did.¡± He put the tea cup in front of Chen Weiyuan. The sound of the tea cup hitting the tabletop was a bit heavy, showing Xu Qingyue¡¯s anger, ¡°No wonder you Chen clan people are short-lived. You really don¡¯t know how to cherish yourself¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan, ¡°You must pay a price to spy on the secrets of heaven.¡± He suddenly smiled, ¡°Qingyue is so worried about me, are you afraid that you will have a short-lived husband in the future?¡± Xu Qingyue pursed his lips and did not answer. He and Chen Weiyuan met twelve years ago. In the beginning, it was him who approached Chen Weiyuan actively. At that time they were still young, and he admired Chen Weiyuan in the martial arts competition and wanted to get acquainted with him. But later on, it was Chen Weiyuan who pursued him. They were already close friends at that time, and Chen Weiyuan¡¯s confession shocked him. He thought that Chen Weiyuan befriending him was because he treated him as a woman, so he was angry for a long time. However, Chen Weiyuan told him very seriously that it was a different affection. At a loss with Chen Weiyuan¡¯s pursuit, at first, he avoided seeing him. However one time, he was caught in a dangerous situation in a secret realm. He and Chen Weiyuan were both in danger together. The other party took care of him in every possible way and also became injured to protect him. Later he agreed to the other party¡¯s pursuit. He felt that he liked Chen Weiyuan. Therefore, he would want to meet with the other, and feel anxious about the injury of the other party. But he still didn¡¯t understand the difference between like and love. Suddenly, Xu Qingyue¡¯s mind flashed to the moment Yunlan¡¯s sword was pointed at him today. His heart beat violently. What¡¯s¡­happening to him? ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± Chen Weiyuan stood up and held his hand. ¡°Senior Brother has his own measure and there is still you.¡± Chen Weiyuan lowered his head and kissed his forehead. ¡°The Xu family has the bloodline of ancient wood spirits. If my qi circulation is disrupted, as long as we dual cultivate in the future, this loss of bloodline is nothing.¡± Although Xu Qingyue did not understand affection, that did not mean he did not understand the word ¡°dual cultivation¡±. His cheeks flushed for a while, bright and beautiful. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s adam¡¯s apple moved slightly, and he said in a low voice, ¡°¡­Qingyue.¡± Xu Qingyue felt Chen Weiyuan¡¯s breath spray on his forehead. When there was no one, Chen Weiyuan always liked to be close to him like this. He was embarrassed at first, but gradually got used to it. However, today he didn¡¯t know why but he felt a little discomfort. ¡°Why are you distracted?¡± Chen Weiyuan asked. Xu Qingyue pushed him away and hurriedly said: ¡°Senior Brother Chen, tomorrow¡­tomorrow I still have to participate in the dao conference.¡± ¡°I think Daoist Ye and his disciple will also participate in the dao conference. If I can defeat his disciple, will he have a whole new level of respect for me?¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°Qingyue, why are you still thinking about others? Senior Brother will be angry.¡± Pretending to be slightly angry, he saw Xu Qingyue at a loss. He chuckled again, ¡°Senior Brother is just making a joke to tease you. Okay, Qingyue, you go and rest.¡± Xu Qingyue breathed a sigh of relief, ¡°Senior Brother should also rest early.¡± Chen Weiyuan nodded. After walking out of Xu Qingyue¡¯s cave dwelling, Chen Weiyuan removed his smile. ¡ª¡ªChen Weiyuan had a dream. He was walking in the thick snow. The heavy snow fell on his shoulders. Far away, he saw a man standing under a white blossom tree holding a lamp, waiting for him for who knows how long. The figure was thin and dainty. Him standing in the wind and snow made him have a rare feeling of pity. The other party walked towards him with a light. He couldn¡¯t see the other party¡¯s face clearly. He only saw a slender white hand, gently brushing the snow from his shoulder. His heart moved. Before the person withdrew his hand, he grabbed the other party¡¯s hand and pulled the person into his arms. That hand was very soft. The body leaning against him was also very soft. It softened his heart. The picture changed. He was dealing with official duties before the bookcase. A cold and gentle fragrance surrounded him. It seemed to be the aroma of white blossoms, but it also seemed to contain other things. Someone walked up to him and gently placed a cup of hot tea beside him. Calling him softly: ¡°Husband.¡± CH 35 The tea cup was filled with warmth, and there were a few green and blue tea leaves floating in it. It was the spiritual tea he loves to drink, ¡°New Rain in the Empty Mountain¡±. Also, the cold ¡°husband¡± in his ear was like a jade collision. It was pleasant to the ear, making him wonder what kind of face a person with such a voice has. Chen Weiyuan put down the pen in his hand on the edge of the table. He turned his head to the side, and saw a man in dark clothes standing beside him. The face of the other party was shrouded in a dense fog, he couldn¡¯t see it clearly. He only felt that the other party was tall and slender, very similar to Xu Qingyue. But it was not Xu Qingyue. Listening to the voice, on the contrary, it was very much like the one he had just met before, the person who didn¡¯t even look at him, Ye Yunlan. Chen Weiyuan felt something strange in his heart. ¡ª¡ªSuch aloof and indifference from that amazing-looking person, but in his dream, he stood beside him and served him tea, calling him, ¡°Husband¡±. He thought about the secret from heaven he saw of himself. This person should be his destined dao companion¡­ Chen Weiyuan remembered the soft body of the other party in the heavy snow in his dream and his heart moved. He couldn¡¯t help but seemed to be accustomed to naturally stretching out his hand, grabbing the other party¡¯s thin waist, and pulling the person onto his lap to sit. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s voice was low, calling in that person¡¯s ear. ¡°Yunlan.¡± The person seemed to stiffen for a moment, it took a long time to slowly relax. He smelled the cold and gentle fragrance again, coming from the clothes and the ends of the man¡¯s hair. Although he couldn¡¯t see his face clearly and he only hugged this person and breathed his body¡¯s smell, he felt a rare trace of peace and tranquility. This feeling was very strange. For so many years, he had been trained as the head of the Chen family since he was born. He didn¡¯t resist and was willing to bear the responsibilities that ordinary people may deem to be extremely heavy. He liked playing chess, setting up the pieces, and fighting it out. He liked to see the stars change and the wind surging. Only in this way can he feel that he was alive in the world. It¡¯s just that when he held this person in his dream, he felt that the calm was not an unbearable thing. The person in his arms whispered: ¡°You have been busy with things with the clan for a long time. Let¡¯s have a cup of tea and rest for a while.¡± He chuckled softly: ¡°Okay. If my wife is concerned for her husband like this, your husband will naturally have to take better care, so I can live up to wife¡¯s affection.¡± He took the tea cup and took a sip, only to feel the fragrance of the tea ironing his heart. However, although the person in his arms was held by him, he still sat very properly. Chen Weiyuan had a rare teasing thought. He stretched out his hand to touch the other party¡¯s cheek. It plunged into the mist and he only touched a cold hand. He was slightly startled. He suddenly felt that the person in his arms had also dispersed like a mist. He went to catch it subconsciously, but couldn¡¯t catch anything. He was sitting in the empty study room. The surroundings were empty and lonely. The person¡¯s breath seemed to have completely disappeared, there was no trace of it. He felt something in the palm of his hand. He bowed his head. It was actually a white blossom. The white blossom seemed to have just been broken off. The sharp part touched his palm, making it painful. A snow-white letter spread out on the table. There were words on the letter. He couldn¡¯t see it clearly. It was just, when looking at the letter, an unstoppable obsession and madness emerged in his heart. That emotion seemed to have travelled across time and space, like a huge wave overturning and surging¨CChen Weiyuan suddenly woke up. He sat up on his bed, gasping for breath. The power of his blood flowing in his body made his temples jump. After a long time, it slowed. For so many years, his calculations have never been wrong. Ten years ago, he had calculated Xu Qingyue as his destined dao companion, but what he measured ten years later was Ye Yunlan. Why? He looked down at his palm. His eyes were gloomy and unpredictable. The lines winded, making twists and turns. The entanglement showed an unpredictable lifeline. ¡°Ye Yunlan¡­¡± He whispered the name again. Then, he squeezed his palms tightly. ¡ª¡ª¡±Daoist Ye, the communication stream ascending to the sky will be opened today. Will you and your disciple both go to participate?¡± Gu Xuan asked hoarsely. After one day of recovery, Gu Xuan¡¯s injury has healed a lot. He sat on the edge of the bed, with thick black hair hanging down. His chest was bandaged, and his narrow, narrow eyes were watching Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan: ¡°It¡¯s just my disciple.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s the case.¡± Gu Xuan seemed to be relieved after hearing this, ¡°For the Dao conference, those who can ascend to the top of the cloud would all get the reward of the Tianchi Mountain Spirit opening the ancient secret depository. Many hearts will be moved. People who participate in the dao conference come from everywhere, and from time to time people from the Demon Territory would mix in. When your apprentice participates, you need to be cautious.¡± ¡°Thank you very much for the warning.¡± Ye Yunlan said lightly. In fact, what Gu Xuan had mentioned, he already understood. Gu Xuan: ¡°After the ascension stage is opened, the participants will be climbing to the top of the mountain for at least half a month. While your disciple goes to participate, these days¡­will you stay in the cave?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I will go to the Floating Cloud summit to watch the Dao conference. I will not stay in the cave for a long time.¡± After a pause, he continued: ¡°Daoist Gu, I had said this before, I don¡¯t want to be related to the Yaori royal family. If you are better tomorrow, please leave yourself.¡± Being seen through, Gu Xuan choked. He was silent for a moment, ¡°I am grateful for this Daoist¡¯s rescue and I dare not disturb Daoist again. However, Daoist has no spiritual power and cannot fly with a weapon. If you want to go to the floating cloud summit, I am afraid you will have to walk for a long time. It is very inconvenient. Tomorrow, after I have recovered from my injury, I can take fellow daoist.¡± There were two roads to the Floating Cloud summit. One is the communication stream ascending to the heavens, where many participants of the dao conference enter to face the many tribulations within. The purpose is to train. The other is outside the communication stream. The most common hiking trail in Tianchi Mountain. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother.¡± His face was indifferent, completely looking like he was a thousand miles away. Gu Xuan¡¯s kindness was rejected, but he couldn¡¯t get angry with him in any way. He didn¡¯t know what Ye Yunlan had experienced over the years to develop such an indifferent temperament. He was obviously standing there, but it seemed as if there was an extreme distance between him and this world. It seemed that only when he interacts with his disciple will he show a little bit of indulgence and pampering. He suddenly envied Shen Shu a little. Ye Yunlan lifted his queying sword on the stone table and turned to Shen Shu, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Master will send you to the ascension stage.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s dark eyes fixedly looked at Ye Yunlan, ¡°Master has treated me very well. It¡¯s just that, when I think about having to stay at the ascension stage for ten to fifteen days¡­ I feel a little reluctant.¡± Ye Yunlan smiled slightly, ¡°You are seventeen now, why are you still as clingy as you were when you were a child?¡± He raised his hand rubbing Shen Shu¡¯s head, ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense, let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu rubbed against his palm, then covered him with fox fur. He took the white veiled hat and carefully put it on for his master. Then the two stepped out of the moon shadow wall. Because they were about to open the ascension stage, today¡¯s communication stream was quite lively. There were disciples of various factions walking together in twos and threes on the big and small roads. The nearest few people were whispering, their voices travelling over. ¡°Senior Brother Ning, who do you think can get in the top ten of the Floating Cloud summit this year? Who do you think will participate in the final competition?¡± ¡°Cultivators who have participated in the dao conference before cannot participate in it a second time. So, there are some Senior Brothers and Sisters of several sects that can be eliminated. For example, Sky Sect¡¯s He Lanze, Ink Sect¡¯s Wang Daoyan, Tingyu pavillion¡¯s Luo Yuqing¡­ and the young pavilion master of Tianji Pavilion has never participated in such competitions. Of the remaining top six sects, there¡¯s only Spirit Sect¡¯s Senior Sister Shang Guanrou and Dao Yi Sect¡¯s Senior Brother Nan Gonglie. Those two will take up two spots.¡± ¡°Senior Brother makes a lot of sense.¡± Someone nodded, ¡°Then what of the remaining eight people?¡± ¡°Counting the five continents and the four seas, those who are under sixty years old, who are eligible to participate in the dao Conference, according to their cultivation level, the highest would be at nascent soul. There are thousands of people participating in the dao conference, but the number of people who have reached nascent soul at this age is probably no more than 30. Among them, I am most optimistic about the direct disciple of Qiyun Jun.¡± ¡°The number one person on the heaven ranking list, Qiyun Jun¡¯s personal disciple?¡± Senior Brother Ning touched his chin, ¡°He didn¡¯t participate in the last dao conference. This time, he will have an edge over the others. I heard that Qi Yunjun¡¯s personal disciple is also a rare beauty. He¡¯s actually an¡­ eighth ranked Tianji beauty.¡± ¡°Speaking of beauty, Xu Qingyue, who is ranked number one this time, will also participate in the dao conference.¡± The disciple¡¯s voice brought some regret, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t also participating in the dao conference, I really wanted to go to the observatory to see this stunning beauty.¡± ¡°If you think about it, if you are participating in the dao conference, you might have a chance of encountering them on the ascension stage. When the time comes and you meet the real person, wouldn¡¯t you be able to look more carefully than watching from a distance at the observatory?¡± Senior Brother Ning said with a smile. ¡°Senior Brother is correct.¡± As they said this, the Senior Junior brothers put their arms around each other¡¯s shoulders and accelerated their pace a lot. Shen Shu suddenly said: ¡°I will be one of these ten people.¡± Not only that, but he will also win the first place and get the most precious heaven and earth elixir among the spirit treasures. Ye Yunlan was unwilling to shake his spirit at the moment: ¡°With your strength, it is enough to reach the floating cloud summit. But you have to remember what Master has taught you. Have a plan and do not be obstinate. What you want to surpass is always just yourself. Your Master will be waiting for you on the Floating Clouds summit.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I remember.¡± The ascension stage was in the center of the communication stream. A huge old tree stood in it, from top to bottom, running through the entire communication stream. The old tree looked upright, but in the perception of one¡¯s divine consciousness, it stretched diagonally upwards. It was as if it was looking outside Tianchi Mountain at the communication stream. At this moment, a huge crowd of people has gathered around the ancient tree. Heads could be seen as far as the eye could see. The ascension stage has not been opened yet. There were large faint blue flowers hanging from the huge ancient tree. Hidden within the fluorescent flower was a mossy green fruit. ¡°That¡¯s a longevity tree. It blooms once in three thousand years and bears fruit once in three thousand years. The fruit on a longevity tree is said to make a mortal live forever if a mortal eats one.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at the ancient tree and said. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes lit up, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°These are records found in ancient books. It is a pity that the longevity tree has gone extinct tens of thousands of years ago. What is left now is nothing but a virtual body transformed from the communication stream. From the Tianchi dao conference from ancient times to the present, it has been tens of thousands of years.¡± ¡°For so many years, how many sessions of dao conferences have been held? How come the mountain spirit treasure has not been emptied yet?¡± ¡°That¡¯s a means left by ancient power¡­¡± Ye Yunlan was about to explain, when he heard a soft voice. ¡°Ah Lan¡­ long time no see.¡± Not far away, Rong Ran looked at Ye Yunlan greedily, trying to trace the face he was thinking about with his eyes through the tulle on the other side¡¯s veiled hat. In the past few years, he has really endured for too long. Since he exposed his intentions in Tingfeng Pavilion three years ago, it has been difficult to see Ye Yunlan again. Qiyun Jun knew what he did to Ye Yunlan and made him face the wall and be punished. There was a lot less indulgence in his words compared to before. Even so, he was still a personal disciple of Qiyun Jun, who owed him great karma. He had to protect him no matter what. After reflecting, he began to refine the Hehuan Love Gu. The long and arduous process of refining the Hehuan Love Gu required the cultivation of blood essence. This had cost him countless cultivation bases, as well as the treasures he had accumulated over the years. Despite this, his enthusiasm for refining the Hehuan Love Gu was still unabated. The writing on the paper that his father gave him to refine the love gu was frantic. He seemed to understand that his father¡¯s feelings when refining the love gu should be like his. Just a little bit more and the Hehuan Love Gu can be refined successfully. This time he came to the dao conference just to win the top ten spot to ask the Mountain Spirit Treasure for the last medicinal material for refining the Love Gu. At that time¡­ At that time, Ye Yunlan will submit to him wholeheartedly and thoroughly. The beautiful bird that had flown away from the golden cage will come back again and sing for him. When he thought of this, Rong Ran¡¯s delicate and beautiful face revealed a sweet twisted smile. CH 36 Ye Yunlan frowned as soon as he heard the familiar and soft voice. Shen Shu stopped walking with him at the same time. He turned sideways, and saw Rong Ran standing not far away. Three years ago, this person gave Master drugs, yet now he is still entangled with his Master? Three years ago, he did not understand the way this person¡¯s eyes looked at his Master, but now he understood. This person when looking at his Master was full of desire. This person¡¯s tricks were already done with so it¡¯s fine, but he still dared daydream about his master? Before Ye Yunlan could speak, Shen Shu took a step forward and blocked Ye Yunlan. He stretched his long sword in front of him and raised his chin slightly, ¡°Who are you? You dare to stand in the way?¡± Rong Ran¡¯s complexion changed, but the sweet smile still didn¡¯t fade from his face. He raised his hand and curled the hair around his temple. ¡°Back then, I always taught Ah Lan to treat others with respect. Ah Lan has always done a good job. Martial Nephew Shen is also a disciple of Ah Lan, how can you not be educated like that¡­ Oh, I forgot. You were like this three years ago, and now three years later, you still have a hard time changing your nature. It¡¯s a shame that this Senior Brother didn¡¯t stop Ah Lan from accepting you as a disciple in time, now Ah Lan has a disciple like you. I am afraid that Ah Lan must often have headaches now, right?¡± This person kept saying the word ¡°Ah Lan¡± openly, making him annoyed. Shen Shu was too lazy to talk nonsense with him any more. He was just about to pull out his sword when he heard Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold voice: ¡°Rong Ran, I have said this before, don¡¯t call me Ah Lan again. You are not worthy.¡± Shen Shu heard this and smiled: ¡°Master is right. People who are familiar with each other can call each other¡¯s direct name to show their intimacy, but to a stranger with a very bad impression of you, that¡¯s being shameless¡­Oh, or rather, there is one more word to describe this. It¡¯s depraved.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s face turned black. Again, the two, master and disciple, followed one after another and really regarded him as nothing. He looked at Ye Yunlan, his eyes were no longer soft and beautiful. There was a morbid gloomy madness in his eyes. He still said in a slow voice: ¡°Ah Lan, I remember that your disciple is also going to participate in the dao conference. If Senior Brother isn¡¯t wrong, his cultivation base is only in the golden core stage now. Are you okay with having him climb the ascension steps? After all, death and injury are common on the ascension steps, even having broken hands and feet.¡± He finished speaking, then smiled again, ¡°But Ah Lan, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m his Martial Uncle. If I meet Martial Nephew Shen on the ascension steps, I will naturally take care of him. By the way, I can also teach him on behalf of Ah Lan what is the courtesy one should have when treating others.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes stared sternly at Rong Ran, ¡°Rong Ran.¡± Rong Ran only smiled at him. Ye Yunlan held his queying sword in his hand tightly, but Shen Shu pulled his sleeves. He said to Rong Ran: ¡°I don¡¯t know how to treat people, but today someone taught me what it means to have a face as thick as a wall and what it means to be self-willing and cheap.¡± ¡°Martial Nephew Shen¡¯s tongue is quite nimble.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s eyebrows were cold, ¡°I hope you can still speak to me like this after the ascension stage is open.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t even have a chance to speak at that time.¡± Rong Ran squinted slightly. He wanted to say something, but his face changed slightly. He left a cruel sentence, ¡°What will happen, we will know by then. ¡°After that, he pressed his stomach with his hands and hurried away. After Rong Ran left, Ye Yunlan said lightly: ¡°You don¡¯t need to be triggered by him.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were dark: ¡°It¡¯s just a dancing clown, why would I get triggered by him? Master, please don¡¯t worry. I have already remembered what you said before. During the ascension stage, I will be cautious and never act randomly.¡± The morning light reflected on Shen Shu¡¯s young, handsome face. The young man looked at his master seriously, his expression was not hostile, but the shadow behind him was slightly distorted. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t realize it, but said: ¡°If you really meet, you don¡¯t have to be afraid to fight him. After all, in this world, only the strong are the real truth.¡± Speaking to this point, his appearance became indifferent. Suddenly there was a tremor from a distant place. They saw the longevity tree in the distance glowing. The faint blue flowers on the top of the tree swayed quickly, and the petals floated in the air like rain. A gap of glittering golden light slowly split from the trunk. Someone shouted: ¡°The Ascension Stage is open!¡± The crowd around the ancient tree began to squeeze into the golden crack, for fear of falling behind others by half a point. Shen Shu stood beside him and didn¡¯t move. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Aren¡¯t you in a hurry?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Many people are not in a hurry, why should I be in a hurry?¡± Around the ancient tree, there were indeed many disciples who didn¡¯t rush to enter. After all, it is different from the climbing steps outside. The communication stream is a world of its own, and the journey through the communication stream to the summit is far away. It really isn¡¯t something that a brief amount of time would affect the so-called outcome. ¡°Not to mention¡­I want to stay with Master for a while.¡± Shen Shu looked back and smiled at Ye Yunlan. He took out an oil paper bag from his storage ring, and handed it to Ye Yunlan, ¡°These are apricot blossom mung bean cakes. At the market, I saw that Master liked it, so I deliberately went out and brought some back early this morning.¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. He took the oil paper bag in his hand, and slowly rubbed the other hand on the oil paper bag a few times: ¡°You¡¯ve been kind.¡± He rolled up his sleeves and took out a piece of mung bean cake from the paper bag. The mung bean cake was still hot. He felt a scorching pain on his fingertips that had been invaded by the cold winter. He lowered his head and took a bite. It was soft and sweet. Shen Shu stared at him intently: ¡°Master, if I reach the floating cloud summit, can you agree to give me a reward?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What reward?¡± ¡°I want Master to pick a flower for me.¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°Just as I picked out one for Master.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his eyes slightly, ¡°What flower do you want?¡± ¡°Any flower is good.¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°As long as it is picked by Master personally, it will be good. As long as I think that Master has picked a flower for me and is waiting at Floating Cloud summit for me, I will have a lot more strength to climb forwards.¡± ¡°¡­¡­okay, Master promises you.¡± Between the teacher and student dialogue, more than half the flow of people gathered around the tree had entered. After Ye Yunlan slowly finished the piece of mungbean cake, Shen Shu came close. One hand parted the veil hat, while the other held a handkerchief, wiping the corners of his lips. He whispered: ¡°When I¡¯m away, Master must take good care of yourself.¡± The young man¡¯s eyes were dark and deep, it¡¯s shape sharp and narrow. It vaguely revealed a bit of familiarity. Ye Yunlan was in a trance again. He pursed his lips and raised his hand to take the veil back. He tapped the young man¡¯s forehead with the back of his hand. ¡°The trials and tribulations on the ascension to the sky are innumerable. First care about yourself, your Master doesn¡¯t need you to worry about. Don¡¯t dilly dally, go quickly.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Shen Shu touched the place where he was knocked on and smiled at him, ¡°¨CYes, Master.¡± He turned around, then vigorously leaped down from the hillside. His black hair tied behind him raised up, then he rushed into the golden crack like a wolf. The crowd was gone, and the area around the ancient tree became quiet again. The breeze blew past, swirling the sky with blue petals. Ye Yunlan took the oil paper bag in his hand. The warmth dispelled some of the winter chill for him. He looked at the ancient tree in the distance. He slowly picked up the mung bean cakes one by one and ate them. He carefully wiped the palms of his hands with the handkerchief, then turned and left. Back in the cave, he was assaulted by a heat wave. Gu Xuan was sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, light golden blood circling around him. He closed his eyes and his eyelashes kept trembling. There was blood oozing out of the bandaged chest, then suddenly, he vomited out a mouthful of gray-purple black blood. The blood fell on the ground, corroding into a black smoke pit. Gu Xuan slowly collected his power and calmed the blood flow in his body. After spitting out the congested blood from his body, his injury was more than half healed. When he opened his eyes, he saw Ye Yunlan in a snow white fox fur sitting at the stone table under the purple cloud tree with his veiled hat by his hand, watching him quietly. ¡°¡­ you are back?¡± Gu Xuan was startled. ¡°The power of such a pure fire bloodline, such an intense yang energy, no one else in the world could have this. This is unique to the Yaori royal family who inherited the blood of the ancient Divine Phoenix.¡± Ye Yunlan said calmly, ¡°You are not surnamed Gu, but Ye.¡± Gu Xuan was silent for a moment, then he smiled bitterly: ¡°When did you find out?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°When I saved you. Your blood was suffused with some gold, so I already knew.¡± Gu Xuan was determined to look at him, ¡°Since this is so and you said that you have a grudge with the Yaori royal family, why did you want to save me?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Is there a reason to save people? Besides, you are already better now, so you should abide by our agreement and leave.¡± ¡°You know my last name is Ye, are you not curious about my identity?¡± Gu Xuan said, ¡°not to mention, fellow daoist also has the surname Ye. We may be connected in blood.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s appearance became much paler, ¡°How many people have the surname Ye in this world? Do you think it¡¯s just your Yaori royal family? Do you think they would all come forward to confess to being my relatives one by one? Besides, my body does not have the blood of the Divine Phoenix, don¡¯t you already know that?¡± Hearing this, Gu Xuan¡¯s heart slightly tightened. The blood sacrifice method was cruel. Ye Yunlan¡¯s blood had already been taken away, so how could he perceive the other¡¯s blood? Even the intimacy between twins that they once had when they were young has long since disappeared. ¡°I am not a member of the Ye clan, not now or ever.¡± Ye Yunlan got up and looked at Gu Xuan¡¯s face. ¡°Yaori¡¯s Royal Crown Prince has arrived at the communication stream two days ago. It¡¯s better to seek protection from him. It¡¯s much safer than my cave with a person whose cultivation base has been crippled. What¡¯s more, even if you are not afraid of danger, I am afraid of getting into trouble because of this. The matter of your Yaori royal family has nothing to do with me.¡± Listening to Ye Yunlan¡¯s mouth say ¡°Your Yaori Royal family¡±, Gu Xuan frowned, but he couldn¡¯t refute it. He was silent. Then holding the rib area where he still had bleeding wounds, he slowly got up from the bed and whispered: ¡°These two days, I have disturbed fellow daoist.¡± ¡°While you had been saying that there is no need for thanks, I will remember the kindness of fellow daoist for saving my life. I will never forget it.¡± He took out a black robe from his storage ring and put it on himself. The hem of the robe was embroidered with dark gold lines. It was very low-key, but the embroidery was extremely meticulous. If you look closely, it was clear it was expensive. He turned around. His long sleeves hung down to his side, then he walked outside the cave in silence without a word. His tall figure looked a little sparse and familiar. Ye Yunlan looked at his back and suddenly said: ¡°Two days ago, I met a young man named Ye Xun in the market outside the mountain. He seemed to be looking for your crown prince. I think he should be related to your royal family.¡± After Gu Xuan left, only Ye Yunlan was left in the cave. The stove that Shen Shu arranged was still emitting heat on the stone table. The petals from the purple cloud tree fell on him. He took one from his hair, held it in the palm of his hand, and quietly looked at the lines on the petals. He thought about what he had just agreed to. Shen Shu asked him to pick him a flower. What kind of flower does Shen Shu want him to pick? Red blossoms are too colorful, white blossoms are too light, ice lotuses are hard to find¡­ and there are not many flowers that can bloom in winter. He remembered that he had once made it difficult for Shen Shu and asked him to bring him a XueZhan flower. A few years later, it seems that Shen Shu has learned to make it hard for his master. Ye Yunlan thought helplessly, but deep in his eyes, there was a slight indulgent smile. It takes a lot of work to go to the floating cloud summit as a mortal. In the absence of Shen Shu, Ye Yunlan showed little interest in having his three meals a day, so he went out of the communication stream and bought a few bottles of Bigu pills in the market outside the mountain. Then, he went to a mortal stall and bought a few packs of mung bean and apricot blossom cakes by himself. Only after taking it, he felt that it was not as hot as the bag that Shen Shu had just handed over. It also cannot be compared to the ones in the Central Continent courtyard. The ones where the man would walk out of the house with the porcelain plate, hug him in his arms, and feed them to him one by one. His mung bean and apricot blossom cakes were sweet and soft. ¡ª¡ªSuch a taste, he would never taste it again in this life. Ye Yunlan walked into the market. After the conference opened, the market had a lot less people, but the Xuanji pavilion beside the lake still had many people gathering there. Ye Yunlan walked by and heard a shout: ¡°Look, the Tianji list has changed¨C¡± ¡°Are you sure? Isn¡¯t the ranking list updated only once a month? They¡¯re changing it after three days¡­¡± ¡°What do you know. As long as the top three in the Tianji ranking list changes within one month, the heavenly secret stone will also change immediately. Let me take a closer look at the three lists of heaven, earth, and mortal. The ranking of the people on these lists have not changed, but the weapon list has. The weapon list¡¯s number one¡­ is Void turn Mirror, what is that? It actually surpassed the Soul Eater Ancestor¡¯s Asura sword?¡± ¡°The list of beauties has also changed. Look, Xu Qingyue, who has occupied the first place in the list of beauties for several years, has actually changed his ranking to second. Now the first is¡­ Eastern Continent¡¯s Sky Sect, Ye Yunlan?¡± ¡°Ye Yunlan? Who is he?¡± CH 37 Ye Yunlan, who is he? Listening to the suspicious words of the star warriors, Chen Weiyuan put down the brush in his hand. The golden book pages sandwiched between his fingertips flew up like butterflies and scattered between the heavens and the earth. Chen Weiyuan watched as the golden glow dissipated into the void. He smiled slightly. ¡°He is the biggest¡­surprise I have encountered since I came to Tianchi Mountain this time.¡± ¡ª¡ªThe mountain wind was bleak. A white figure holding a long sword was walking up the winding mountain road. His veiled hat was slightly raised by the wind. Ye Yunlan raised his head and looked at the towering Tianchi Mountain. There were constant weapons whizzing past him. As if he hadn¡¯t seen them, he just walked on slowly. Suddenly there was a voice not far away. ¡°When has this Tianchi Mountain dao conference had a mortal who has no cultivation base go up the mountain to watch the battle?¡± Ye Yunlan paused. He looked sideways, and saw a young man in brocaded clothing standing in midair. Surrounding him were several guards looking down at him, mocking him. Since one hundred years ago in his previous life, Ye Yunlan had been indifferent to such provocations. He just finds it troublesome. So after a pause, he moved on, as if he hadn¡¯t heard any of it. Seeing this, Shi Ying narrowed his eyes. He was already full of anger today and couldn¡¯t vent it, yet this mortal dared to ignore him? But him lowering himself to teach this mortal a lesson would be too shameful. He whispered a few words to the guards around him, then coldly snorted, and manipulated his weapon away. Ye Yunlan was walking when he saw a few black plants beside the mountain road ahead. He wanted to pick a flower for Shen Shu on the mountain road, so he was very careful about his surroundings. This black plant was called turbid soul grass. Born in southern Xinjiang, it was not something that Tianchi Mountain should have. It specializes in living off of human essence. If one was accidentally entangled by turbid soul grass, one would be injected with venom by the root spikes and fall into a nightmare. After being drained of most of their energy, they would collapse until woken up. Although the turbid soul grass does not kill people, it is a very grotesque thing. If he was replaced by a mortal who did not know about the turbid soul grass, they wouldn¡¯t just not be able to go up the mountain, they might not even be able to return. Ye Yunlan roughly guessed how this turbid soul grass appeared and frowned. He just passed by and didn¡¯t even pay attention to the other party¡¯s ridicule. He really didn¡¯t do anything. That youth just now was too malicious. These turbid soul grass must be removed. Suddenly he saw a little girl in red jumping out from the side of the mountain road, actually approaching those turbid soul grass. From his perception, he didn¡¯t know where the little girl appeared from. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Be careful!¡± His queying word was unsheathed. His nirvana sword intent turned into a sword light, slashing through the dark turbid soul grass against the mountain breeze. The turbid soul grass that had been chopped let out a scream like a human, then dissipated. Ye Yunlan walked forward quickly and looked down at the little girl in red who was not even tall enough to reach his waist. ¡°Are you okay?¡± But suddenly his pupils shrank. His eyesight blurred. He hadn¡¯t noticed before, but now he realized that there was no shadow around the little girl. She¡­ it was not a human being. The little girl turned her head. She had very dark long hair, big dark eyes, and a pale face. Although pale, she looked very cute and sweet. Looking up at him, her voice was soft, ¡°Gege?¡± (older brother; could be actually siblings or just term when addressing an older male) Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­you, what are you doing here?¡± The little girl bulged her cheeks and stepped on the turbid soul grass on the ground, ¡°Those bad guys always leave ugly and filthy things on Nian Er. I just came to deal with it, but Gege has done it ahead of me. Thank you Gege.¡± The little girl gave Ye Yunlan a big smile. Ye Yunlan vaguely guessed, ¡°Are you the Tianchi Mountain Mountain Spirit?¡± ¡°Mountain Spirit? What is a Mountain Spirit?¡± The little girl tilted her head, as if puzzled. She stretched out her little hand and pulled Ye Yunlan¡¯s sleeves, ¡°Gege has a smell that Nian Er likes. Can Nian Er look at Gege¡¯s face?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at the little girl in front of him. He hesitated for a moment. But seeing the girl¡¯s pleading eyes, he still raised his hand to take off his veiled hat. At this moment, the wind blew. Long black hair fluttered in the air, a few strands blocking his line of sight. Ye Yunlan raised his hand to brush the hair to the side, but saw the little girl widen her eyes. Looking at him, tears suddenly burst into them. ¡°My emperor¡­ is a big liar! You let Nian Er wait for you here for so many years, yet you haven¡¯t come back to see Nian Er. Liar¡­ big liar!¡± She bit her lip again. ¡°But Nian Er ¡­ still missed you so much.¡± Ye Yunlan was at a loss. He has dealt with countless hardships in his life, but he didn¡¯t know how to deal with the crying of a child. ¡°You have recognized the wrong person. I am not the Emperor you have mentioned.¡± He whispered. Little girl: ¡°Liar¡­you are deceiving Nian Er again¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really not.¡± Ye Yunlan rarely had this patience. The little girl slowly stopped crying, and sobbed: ¡°But¡­ but you look like my emperor.¡± ¡°There are many similar people in this world. I¡¯m just one of them.¡± Ye Yunlan said patiently. He didn¡¯t know this little girl. Moreover, if the little girl really was the spirit of Tianchi Mountain, in terms of the age of Tianchi Mountain, the people the little girl knows are at least ten thousand years old. No one in the world can live for ten thousand years, except for immortals. The little girl was silent. ¡°Yes, Nian Er¡­ Nian Er remembers,¡± The little girl¡¯s big dark eyes began to weep again, ¡°They, they all said my emperor is dead. Nian Er doesn¡¯t believe it, so I¡¯m here alone. Waiting¡­ for a long time¡­¡± The little girl looked very pitiful. Ye Yunlan raised his hand, trying to touch her head, but passed through her like a phantom. He was silent for a moment, then brought the veiled hat back up. He said lightly: ¡°Indulging in the past, trapping yourself in one place to wait, if your emperor knows, he wouldn¡¯t want you to wait for him like this.¡± Ye Yunlan said this, but he didn¡¯t try to persuade the little girl. The sorrows and joys between people are still difficult to share, let alone him and this spirit who has lived for an unknown number of years¡­or ghost. ¡°Where is Gege going?¡± He was about to walk, but the little girl ran over. ¡°Floating Cloud Summit.¡± ¡°Gege wants to go up there?¡± the little girl said, ¡°Nian Er¡­Nian Er can send Gege.¡± Then, she raised her two small hands and made a gesture of lifting something up. Her eyes were as red as a bunny, but her expression was serious. It looked a little cute, but also a little funny. Ye Yunlan felt a warm mountain breeze lift him up, his eyes widened slightly in surprise. Tianchi Mountain has an air ban. Although one can fly with a weapon, it is limited to ten feet above the ground. Therefore, even if a daoist went up the mountain, he needs to fly slowly along the mountain trail. They cannot get there in one step. But at this moment, he was engulfed by the mountain wind, and almost instantly, he was thousands of feet off the ground. The magnificent Tianchi Mountain appeared in front of him like a picture and the mountain breeze that wrapped around him was endlessly gentle. At this height, he could see a mountain road winding along Tianchi Mountain, with countless black spots moving fast. It was the daoists advancing on the mountain road. It was a very lucky thing to be able to get the favor of the mountain spirit. Ye Yunlan looked down at the magnificent scenery, remembering something. His eyes showed a little helplessness. He hesitated for a moment, then said. ¡°Nian Er.¡± ¡°Let me go down first, I¡¯m going to pick up something.¡± ¡ª¡ªShi Ying finally drove his flying shuttle to the top of the mountain. As the highest mountain in the Central Continent, Tianchi Mountain was too tall. He drove the shuttle all the way, so there was not much spiritual power left. He was out of breath. Finally he saw the Floating Cloud Summit in the distance. Floating Cloud Summit was an open place on the top of Tianchi Mountain. The whole body was white jade. It looked like a floating cloud hanging on the top of the mountain, but it was not constructed by man, it was born of nature. It was also the exit of the communication stream, the exit of the ascension steps. The closer you were to the top of the mountain, the more people gathered. Most of the daoists from various factions who came from all over the world who did not participate in the fight for the ascension stage have already gathered there. The Ascension to the heavens was a self-contained world. Only from the Floating Cloud Observatory, can you glimpse everything that is happening in the ascension to the heavens. ¡°Shi Ying? Why didn¡¯t you participate in the contest for the ascension?¡± Shi Ying looked at where the voice came from and saw a woman with a very beautiful appearance. She was dressed in purple, with eyes like limpid autumn water. ¡°Senior Sister Luo, I¡­I¡­¡± Shi Ying flushed. He deliberately avoided the Tingyu pavillion disciples when sneaking over today, but didn¡¯t want to make a fool of himself in front of Luo Yuqing who he bumped into. ¡°That useless fool got into some dispute between Senior Brother Zhu yesterday and was taught a lesson by Senior Brother Zhu. So after the ascension stage was opened today, he didn¡¯t dare to enter.¡± A woman next to Luo Yuqing laughed, ¡°Even if he entered the ascension stage, he wouldn¡¯t win any ranking for Tingyu pavillion. Speaking of which, he and Senior Brother Zhu are both direct disciples of the Sect Master. Not mentioning his cultivation level, how can even his temperament have so much of a difference?¡± Shi Ying: ¡°You, how can you slander me like this! I didn¡¯t enter the ascension stage because something went wrong in my cultivation yesterday, so my meridians are damaged. That was what made it inconvenient to participate in the fight.¡± The woman sneered. Luo Yuqing said indifferently: ¡°Since Junior Brother has went the wrong path in cultivation, you should rest and recuperate. Using a flying shuttle to reach the floating cloud summit consumes a lot of spiritual energy. With your meridians damaged, you should be cautious.¡± Shi Ying saw Luo Yuqing turn into a purple light and fly away to Floating Cloud Summit. They were obviously in the same sect but didn¡¯t call out to him. He knew that the other party had seen through his lie. His face grew redder and redder. ¡°Hateful¡­¡± ¡°Young master, please calm down.¡± The guard next to him hurriedly persuaded. Shi Ying took a few deep breaths and turned his head, ¡°Did you do what I asked you to do?¡± The guard: ¡°The turbid soul grass has been laid out on the mountain road. As long as that person passes by, he will definitely be affected.¡± Shi Ying remembered the mortal he encountered on the road and that he should be entangled in the turbid soul grass now and have lost most of his energy. Sure enough, ants are ants. They forever are only worthy of looking up from the bottom of the mountain. The anger that had nowhere to vent finally disappeared a bit. Shi Ying turned around and saw a black curtain high sedan chair. It was very low-key, surrounded by several maids wearing black, but his eyes lit up. He recognizes this sedan chair. It was the sedan chair of Tianji Pavilion and the person sitting in it should be the young pavilion master of Tianji Pavilion who was said to have arrived at Tianchi Mountain. As the direct disciple of Tingyu Pavilion, Shi Ying once met the young master of Tianji Pavilion. One of them was a direct disciple, and the other was the young pavilion master. It sounds like their identity was not far away, but in fact, they were worlds apart. Even the pavilion master of Tingyu Pavilion should be respectful when he entertained the young pavilion master of Tianji Pavilion. The people in the sect were not optimistic about him, but if he could have some kind of friendship with this young pavilion master¡­ Shi Ying moved his weapon over. Separated by a little distance, he cleared his throat and said. ¡°I am Tingyu Pavilion¡¯s Shi Ying. Five years ago, I had a chance meeting with the young pavilion master. Back then, the young pavilion master used the Dou Zhuan technique all by himself which really made Shi Ying admire you. Thus, I took the liberty to come here today to greet Young pavilion master.¡± No one in the sedan answered. Shi Ying: ¡°Young pavilion master?¡± A black gauze maid around the black sedan chair seemed impatient. She finally turned sideways and said: ¡°The young pavilion master is taking a break and won¡¯t like to be disturbed. Fellow Daoist, please go back.¡± Shi Ying was stunned. He was stunned and realized that as the direct disciple of Tingyu Pavillion¡¯s Sect Master, he had been dismissed by a servant. He couldn¡¯t help turning red again. However, remembering the respectful attitude that even his sect master had back then, he dared not speak up. With a sullen face, he waved the guards to fly to the floating clouds summit. Just stepping on the top of the white jade, he felt a rush of wind passing by the sky. Someone was riding the wind. The robe whipped and dance, like a white crane descending from the sky. A veiled hat covered his face while his pale fingertips held a very beautiful faint blue flower. Shi Ying suddenly paled. He was very familiar with this person. It was the mortal he saw on the mountain road just now. But how can a mortal ride the wind? They were still in Tianchi Mountain, but the height of the person who had just come by wind was far beyond the ten meters of Tianchi Mountain¡¯s air ban. Shi Ying saw someone walk out of the black sedan chair. It was the young master of Tianji Pavilion who was said to be ¡°resting¡± just now by the maid. The Young Pavilion Master, who had just dismissed him just now, walked slowly to the person in full view by everyone. He smiled and said something softly. But the person stood in place, lonely and cold as a distant mountain. The young pavilion master¡¯s gentle words were unable to melt him. Shi Ying swallowed slowly. He saw a young man clothed in black with a high crown and a handsome face stand between the young pavilion master and the man. He recognized that person¡¯s face, he was the winner of the previous dao conference, the one who defeated his Senior Sister Luo Yuqing. It was the Eastern Continent¡¯s Sky Sect¡¯s genius sword cultivator, He Lanze. He Lanze¡¯s aloofness and arrogance was well-known in the world of cultivation. Among them, his most famous sentence was ¡®anyone who can¡¯t take three swords from him is not worthy in his eyes¡¯. But at this time, such an arrogant person walked toward the person quickly and worriedly helping support the person¡¯s arm. Then¡­then he was thrown aside by the person mercilessly. Shi Ying: ¡°¡­¡± His pupils trembled. Suddenly, he heard a noise again. On the viewing platform in the distance, a person who was sitting on a high seat, overlooking the world slowly walked down. The man had golden eyes and a profound robe. The sky was behind his back, and a scorching sun on his head. Shi Ying¡¯s calves trembled crazily. He, he¡­ what kind of person did he provoke? CH 38 Ye Yunlan pushed away the hand that He Lanze wanted to use to support him. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, you can¡¯t use your spiritual power now, how can you ride the wind this way?¡± He Lanze walked over quickly with a worried and anxious expression on his face, ¡°Could it be that you didn¡¯t hesitate for your direct disciple¡­¡± Ye Yunlan interrupted calmly: ¡°I didn¡¯t use my spiritual power. I was by chance helped by others. Senior Brother, doesn¡¯t have to be worried about it.¡± Even though he had explained, He Lanze still insisted on holding his hand to explore his vitality, he did not care about the eyes of the people around him. He Lanze knew his Junior Brother¡¯s temperament. Once there was something buried in his heart, no one could stop him from the things he had decided, especially when it came to his disciple. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t fight against him, but when He Lanze¡¯s hand was about to squeeze his left wrist, a sudden gust of wind hit him, blocking He Lanze¡¯s movements. Ye Yunlan frowned slightly. The person who shot out was Chen Weiyuan, who was standing not far away. He had just arrived at the top of Floating Cloud summit and it was this person who came up to talk to him first. However, in this life he really didn¡¯t want to give Chen Weiyuan half a look. He had never paid attention to this person, so he didn¡¯t expect Chen Weiyuan to be so thick-skinned and not leave. This is actually somewhat different from the Chen Weiyuan in his previous life. When he was rescued by Chen Weiyuan, the other party was already the head of Tianji Pavilion, the head of the Chen family. Even though he was gentle, considerate and took care of him, there was very little room for people to talk about his behavior. Chen Weiyuan didn¡¯t speak much. He only smiled coldly and lowered his eyes to let you know that he didn¡¯t like what you did and that it was wrong. At this time, Chen Weiyuan held a black gold profound bone painting fan and pointed it directly at He Lanze. He obviously just made a move, but he still had a smile on his face, ¡°Daoist Helan, we haven¡¯t seen each other for a long time since we left the mountain.¡± Helan Ze¡¯s face went dark. He did meet Chen Weiyuan before. At that time, he won the first prize in the dao conference. He consciously felt that no one in the younger generation was his opponent and felt lonely. It was then that he heard that there was a peerless genius in the Northern Territory and that no one in the Northern Territory was his opponent. This was the young master of Tianji Pavilion. It¡¯s just that Tianji Pavilion never participated in the battle of the dao conference. Although He Lanze won the first prize, claiming to be the number one in the younger generation would perhaps be a bit misleading. He was arrogant by nature, so when he heard these words, he directly raised his sword to cross the boundary between the Eastern Continent and Northern Territory and went straight to Tianji Pavilion to fight. Tianji Pavilion was on the Northern Territory¡¯s Duanwang Mountain. The request for battle was sent, but it was sent back by Chen Weiyuan with a letter attached. In the letter, Chen Weiyuan said that Tianji Pavilion did not participate in worldly battles. He also said that his reputation as the number one person in the younger generation was not easy to come by, so he should cherish it. At that time, He Lanze tore the letter to pieces and went straight to Duanwang Mountain. It¡¯s just that there were countless complex formations outside Tianji Pavilion and his formation skills can only be said to be average. After half a month in the formation, he could not get within ten miles of Tianji Pavilion. ¡­he even lost his way. It was Chen Weiyuan who showed up to take him out of the maze. This person behaved worse than the letter and said in a warm voice: ¡°Duanwang Mountain is full of formations laid down by the ancestors of Tianji Pavilion. Generally, those who enter the formation without passing through the communication stream are all masters of formations. Daoist Helan, who is like a calf to formations, I have not seen this kind of behaviour for a long time. It¡¯s a bit¡­novel.¡± He Lanze followed him outside the formation without a sound, then drew his sword. In the formation, Chen Weiyuan could control the power of the formation, but outside the formation, he could only rely on himself. He Lanze waited for this moment. The sword was unsheathed. Using a lot of strength, he accumulated the anger that had been circulating around for half a month, then he slashed at Chen Weiyuan¡¯s face that was smiling like a mask. However, before this sword landed. A cluster of stars scattered away the sword light. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s figure appeared in another place. ¡ª¡ªThis is the technique of shifting and turning the stars of Tianji Pavilion. ¡°Daoist Helan is really enthusiastic,¡± Chen Weiyuan said, ¡°Since you are so enthusiastic, I need to give Daoist a gift in return.¡± That return gift caused him to retreat and recuperate for half a year after returning to Sky Sect. He Lanze always thought that when he participated in the dao conference, he had already attained the demi-god realm at the age of less than 60 years, far surpassing his peers. But he didn¡¯t expect that Chen Weiyuan at that time was already at ascension with his cultivation. Possible¡­ even more than just ascension. He Lanze stood in front of Ye Yunlan and said in a deep voice, ¡°What are you going to do?¡± Chen Weiyuan showed a look of surprise, ¡°Isn¡¯t that what I should ask Daoist Helan? What do you want to do to Yunlan? Ignoring the opposition of one¡¯s Junior Brother, insisting on holding the other¡¯s hand, even as a Senior Brother in Sky Sect, isn¡¯t this inappropriate?¡± The word ¡°Yunlan¡± made He Lanze¡¯s brow jump. He said: ¡°Junior Brother has injuries on his body, I just wanted to check his injuries. But you, for no reason, came here to h*rass Junior Brother Ye.¡± ¡°I am not h*rassing him.¡± Chen Weiyuan said, ¡°Everyone knows my Tianji Pavillion is good at stargazing and calculations. Perhaps Yunlan¡¯s injury, I might be able to find a solution for him.¡± With the mention of a solution, He Lanze had a change of expression. He said coldly, ¡°This is a matter regarding Sky Sect disciple¡¯s, the young pavilion master does not need to help.¡± Before the words were finished, the surroundings became silent. Chen Weiyuan raised his brows slightly and felt a little strange. When he swept his eyes over, he saw someone coming from a distance. The visitor wore a mysterious suit with his long black hair tied high behind his head with a golden crown. They had a pair of dark gold narrow eyes that were dazzling. The indifferent smile on his face finally changed. Why would this person¡­ come over. Ye Yunlan was not interested in the dispute between He Lanze and Chen Weiyuan, but at this moment, he raised his eyes towards the person walking slowly. The other party was familiar and unfamiliar. His beauty was like the sun, and his youthful immaturity had completely faded away. Although he did not have the aura of his previous life in which he looked disdainfully at all beings after breaking through the mortal realm, he still walked over like a natural emperor facing the world. His elder brother. Ye Xuanguang. A few attendants with sacred masks and empty eyes followed Ye Xuanguang. Seeing him stop at this moment, one person stood up and said respectfully: ¡°Excuse me, your Highness, do you have an order?¡± Ye Xuanguang raised his hand and made a withdraw motion. The attendants obeyed and backed away a few steps. Ye Yunlan felt that he was being looked at by Ye Xuanguang¡¯s gaze. The other person¡¯s eyes were calm, there was no extra emotion. Under the veiled hat, he didn¡¯t know if the other party had recognized him. Ye Xuanguang¡¯s fingertips drew a golden crack in the void. From it, he took out a silver jade box. The attendants who were observing their Highness in the distance suddenly sucked in a deep breath. Ye Xuanguang held the jade box in his palm and reached out and handed it to Ye Yunlan. The jade box opened. Inside was a silver tree branch, about half a foot in length, bearing a small purple fruit on it. It was crystal clear with its shape resembling a lotus. Ye Xuanguang only said one sentence. ¡°This is the Ninth Rank Lotus Heart Branch which is good for your injury.¡± The onlookers were already in an uproar. Although they could not hear Ye Xuanguang¡¯s words, the aura from the jade box could not be faked. This is a Ninth-Rank Spirit Medicine. A Ninth-Rank has another name, which is Immortal rank. Immortal-level elixirs are hard to find in the world. One is enough to cause a bloody storm in the cultivation world. Besides, the Yaori crown prince had given it to him personally. ¡ª¡ªWhat is the identity of the man in white? Ye Yunlan did not expect that Ye Xuanguang would suddenly give him medicine. After a moment of silence, he said: ¡°What is the meaning of this Your Highness.¡± Ye Xuanguang glanced at him quietly: ¡°You saved my royal family. He is very grateful to you. He asked me to give you this medicine.¡± Ye Yunlan had already guessed that Gu Xuan was not low within the Ye Clan, but he didn¡¯t expect that Gu Xuan would be able to make Ye Xuanguang come forward in return for him. ¡°But I have already told him that I just saved him casually. There is no need for gratitude.¡± Ye Yunlan did not pick up the jade box in Ye Xuanguang¡¯s hand. His voice was cold, ¡°Your Royal Highness, please take it back.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°There is no reason to take back the things that one has given.¡± The jade box flew up and floated to Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand. He Lanze from the side stared at the Nine Turn Lotus Heart Branch in the jade box. He hadn¡¯t expected his Junior Brother to save the Yaori royal family. But what he was more concerned about was that this immortal-level elixir, which is hard to find in the world, might really be able to heal the injuries on his Junior Brother¡¯s body. Then, maybe they wouldn¡¯t need to use that last method¡­ Junior Brother is stubborn. He didn¡¯t fully understand it when he left the other party in his courtyard to heal his injuries, but after getting along with each other in the past few years, he began to hesitate more and more. If it was true that when his divine fire injury cannot be suppressed, such a method should be used to heal the injury, will his Junior Brother be willing to accept it? After thinking for a moment, He Lanze held the jade box and said to Ye Xuanguang: ¡°This thing is effective for Junior Brother Ye¡¯s injury. I thank Your Highness on behalf of Junior Brother Ye.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. Ye Xuanguang nodded slightly. He was only here to deliver medicine for others. Seeing that He Lanze took it on behalf of Ye Yunlan, he didn¡¯t want to say any more. He turned his face, his dark golden eyes glanced at Chen Weiyuan. ¡°The young patriarch of the Chen clan¡­ I trust you have been well since we last met.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s eyes stopped between Ye Xuanguang and Ye Yunlan. He seemed to be thinking about something. He smiled for a moment, ¡°Your Highness, long time no see. Is his Majesty well?¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Royal Father is in good health, thank you for your concern. There is only one thing that Royal Father ordered me to discuss with the young patriarch in detail. There are many people here, which is inconvenient. I ask the young patriarch to come to the viewing platform to discuss further.¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°Obedience is better than politeness.¡± When he left, his gaze flicked to Ye Yunlan¡¯s face with the veiled hat. He stared at the flower in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand for a moment before he withdrew his gaze. That gaze that fell on his body had a sticky taste to it causing Ye Yunlan to frown. He Lanze: ¡°The ascension stage has been open for a long time. The disciples of the Sky Sect who did not participate are watching the battle on the observatory. Why don¡¯t Junior Brother go with me?¡± Although the observatory seemed to be just a stone platform, it was like a chessboard inside. Generally, there were countless subdivisions. Cultivators from all over the world were watching the battle there. After stepping in, it was as if they were floating in the starry sky. Under the starry sky, the communication stream climbed to the sky, and the scenes that took place inside were spread out in front of everyone like a scroll. Ye Yunlan was led to the observation place of Sky Sect. As soon as he raised his head, he saw a young man in black clothes and hair unhurriedly drawing a sword flower on the screen. ¡ª¡ªShen Shu drew a sword flower unhurriedly. Opposite him, stood a lanky man who looked like a bamboo pole. This was Daoyi Sect¡¯s Senior Brother, Nangong Lie. He is now a Nascent Soul, and is one of the people who is most likely to reach the summit. Next to Nangong Lie, there was a pale young man in brocade clothes. It was Nangong Qing, the person the master and disciple had met in the market before. Next to Nangong Qing, there were several daoist disciples standing. Those who enter the ascension stage at the same time will walk in the same place at the beginning, then will gradually widen the distance between one another with various trials. Coincidentally, Shen Shu met these people as soon as he entered the ascension stage. Nangong Qing stroked his palms and laughed. He turned his head to ask his fellow brothers next to him. ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°It should be Nan Gonglie. He is already a Nascent Soul, while his opponent is no more than a golden core. The difference in cultivation base is too great.¡± There was a lot of discussion on the viewing platform. Ye Yunlan just looked up. He had already seen the end the moment Nangong Lie and Shen Shu both made their sword moves at the same time. So he stopped watching. He lowered his eyes and stared at the flower lying on the palm of his hand. The faint blue flower bloomed quietly and was extremely beautiful. After the ascension stage opens, it takes at least half a month for participants to climb to the top of the floating cloud summit. An ordinary flower picked would wither in two or three days. Except for the longevity flower in his hand. ¡ª¡ªHalf a day ago. ¡°Nian Er, let me down first, I¡¯m going to pick something.¡± Ye Yunlan said. The gentle mountain breeze still had him encircled. Nian Er¡¯s voice rang in his ears. ¡°What does Gege want to pick?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I want to pick a flower.¡± ¡°What kind of flower does my brother want to pick? I have seen all the flowers around here, so I can take my brother over.¡± Nian Er said. ¡°My emperor also likes flowers. There are many beautiful flowers here. There must be one that my brother wants.¡± Ye Yunlan thought for a long time. Nian Er asked strangely: ¡°Gege wants to pick flowers, but doesn¡¯t have a flower that he really wants?¡± A flower he especially¡­wants? Ye Yunlan was startled, then spoke out. ¡°I want a¡­ flower that never wilts.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡±Senior Immortal, I want to give you a flower that never wilts.¡± Sunlight came in from outside the window. Floating dust was in the air. The house was not very spacious and a few apricot blossom petals floated in along the window with the wind, bringing a faint fragrance. The Demon Lord hugged him and said in a low and stubborn manner: ¡°That way, even if I leave, you can always remember me forever and ever.¡± The other party¡¯s kiss fell on his waist. The pigment-stained needle pierced his skin, causing a lingering pain. He cried out in pain, then the other party covered his body and injected warm spiritual power in. He muttered, ¡°Enough.¡± Demon Lord: ¡°Not enough. With you, it¡¯s never enough.¡± For a long time, until the intense pain and the warm current surging in his meridians finally ceased, he was still breathing lightly and failed to come back. The Demon Lord held his body and asked him to look sideways at the bronze mirror beside the bed. Black hair fell like a waterfall, covering the burn scars on his neck and shoulders. On his white waist, a faint blue, extremely beautiful flower was in full bloom. CH 39 Chapter 39 Longevity The pain of the tattoo was long and did not subside in a short duration. His eyelashes were wet and heavy with sweat. He frowned and looked in the bronze mirror. The faint blue flowers were blooming along the tail of his vertebrae. On the side were two back dimples, like honey fruits falling between the flowers. The Demon Lord¡¯s hand held his waist, making him look back and his warm breath sprayed on his shoulders and neck. ¡°Senior Immortal, do you like the flower I left for you?¡± He was so tired that he didn¡¯t even want to move a finger. He rested on the Demon Lord¡¯s chest, and muttered: ¡°What kind of flower is this?¡± ¡°Longevity flower.¡± He said: ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this kind of flower before¡­¡± The Demon Lord laughed slowly: ¡°Of course you have never seen it. This is the most beautiful flower I found from those ¡®memories¡¯.¡± He was startled. After spending many years with the Demon Lord, he knew what the other party meant by ¡°memories¡±. The origin of the Demon Lord has always been a mystery. He seemed to be born out of nowhere, and as soon as he was born, he had unrivalled control of the demonic sect and cultivated the nine-turn celestial demon body that had not been successfully cultivated for hundreds of years. The world was both fearful and awe-inspired by the Demon Lord, so no one dared to ask about him. Only he knows. The Demon Lord came from the Demon Abyss. This is what the Demon Lord personally told him. The Demon Lord said that he was born in the Demon Abyss, a monster that crawled out from there. Within the Demon Abyss, there was countless darkness and filth deposited from the human world, as well as the evil thoughts of resentful souls and countless evil things. They swallowed each other and fought for the right to ¡°live¡±. In order to ¡°live¡±, the Demon Lord absorbed countless souls and evil things. At the same time, he absorbed the memories remaining in these evil things. The Demon Lord once told him jokingly that he was born as a demon, a natural monster, and asked him if he was afraid. But he only felt that it was a miracle that the other party was able to retain his self-consciousness with so many evil thoughts and memories, instead of becoming an irrational monster. Although the Demon Lord did not say it clearly, he assumed that the memories of those resentful souls and evil things should be filled with chaos and killing, which would make a normal soul go crazy. Every month of the full moon, the Demon Lord¡¯s loss of control also demonstrated this. But now the Demon Lord said that he found the most beautiful flower for him in those bloody and chaotic memories. He felt the tips of his ears become a little hot. He turned his head, no longer looking at the amazingly gorgeous flower. The Demon Lord reluctantly said: ¡°I am the only one in this world who can give you flowers like this. Senior Immortal, you haven¡¯t told me whether you like it or not.¡± He was teased so hard that he pursed his lips. Without answering the Demon Lord¡¯s question, he whispered: ¡°How do you know that there would be no second person in the world to give me such a flower?¡± ¡°Because this flower is what I saw in the memory of an ancient ghost from a long time ago. It is extinct and no one in this world can pick it off and give it to you like me¡­.¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s fingertips scratched his waist, ¡°Who else in this world can get close to you like me? If so¡­¡± His low voice suddenly revealed a bit of hostility, ¡°If anyone dares to touch you, this Lord will make him unable to reincarnate forever.¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s words seemed to mean something. His body had been soaked in the medicated bath for many years, so his perception was sharp. His waist being scratched, while the Demon Lord¡¯s voice floated into his ears with a hostile voice made him can¡¯t help but tremble slightly. The Demon Lord seem to sense something and pacified his voice: ¡°Well, I will not speak of these. Senior Immortal, tell me, does the flower look good?¡± He was silent for a moment, then softly replied: ¡°Good¡± After a moment, his voice became lower, ¡°It¡¯s just that you said this flower is for me to remember you forever, but why did you place it in this place¡­I usually can¡¯t see that area.¡± A tattoo branded on the back can only be seen by removing the clothes and turning around to look in the bronze mirror. Since he wanted him to remember him forever, why not engrave it in a more conspicuous place. ¡­ so that he can see it all the time. The Demon Lord understood what he meant, and stretched out his hand to hug him tightly. He laughed, his chest rising and falling. But he didn¡¯t understand why the Demon Lord was so happy all of a sudden. After a long time, the Demon Lord¡¯s laughter gradually subsided, but the intensity of his hugging did not reduce. His voice was hoarse in his ears: ¡°Senior Immortal, are you complaining to me?¡± He turned his head uncomfortably after hearing this. The tips of his ears were getting hotter. The Demon Lord: ¡°In fact, at the beginning, I also wanted to place the flower thorns in more conspicuous places. For example, the neck, or the collarbone¡­ or the heart.¡± His hot big hand touched those places inch by inch causing him to shudder. He said, ¡°But I can¡¯t bear it.¡± ¡°I want Senior Immortal to remember me forever, but when I remember that you will think of me when you see these flowers in the future, then feel distressed, I couldn¡¯t bear it. After thinking about it, I decided to imprint the tattoo on a place that only I can see. And you, when you want to see it in the future, you will be able to see¡­¡± The Demon Lord stroked the petal of the flower with his fingertips, paused, then said: ¡°¡­and if you don¡¯t want to see it, then you don¡¯t have to see it.¡± After listening, his fingertips trembled, and he suddenly said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see flowers, I just want to see you.¡± This time it was the Demon Lord¡¯s turn to be silent. ¡°Senior Immortal,¡± After a long time, the Demon Lord spoke with a hoarse voice, ¡°Everyone in this world will have to leave in the end. It¡¯s just a matter of sooner or later.¡± He stopped speaking. The Demon Lord hugged him tightly and changed the subject, ¡°Speaking of which, the material that I used to tattoo you just now was the Primordial Cloud Marrow. I found this thing after searching for a long time. As long as it is coloured in, it will never fade. I heard that the faster blood flows, the brighter the color on it¡­I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not.¡± The Demon Lord smiled and said in his ear: ¡°I didn¡¯t look carefully just now, so Senior Immortal, why don¡¯t we try it again?¡± He was very tired. If it was as per usual, he would definitely refuse. But today, he was silent for a long time, then he just leaned on the other¡¯s shoulder and said in a low voice. ¡°Okay.¡± Black hair spread like a cloud and he was soft on the soft bedding, like snow on the top of a mountain. In the bronze mirror. The man shrouded in darkness slowly lowered his head and reverently kissed the gorgeous flower at the tail of his vertebrae. ¡ª¡ª¡±Older Brother is picking flowers, do you want to give them to the one you like?¡± Walking in the valley of flowers, all kinds of flowers were blooming around. It was dazzling. The mountain breeze was still gently wrapped around him, while Nian Er¡¯s voice was lively. He was startled, ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Nian Er said naturally, ¡°Because everyone used to do this.¡± Before¡­ what Nian Er meant was about ten thousand years ago. In the ancient times, customs must be different from today. He was about to explain, but heard Nian Er continue with great interest: ¡°My emperor once taught Nian Er different flowers have different meanings. Nian Er still remembers.¡± She stretched out her little hand and pointed to the different flowers in the valley. ¡°This is Xiwei Flower, which represents passionate, sincere pursuit and yearning. This is the purple iris flower, which represents secret love and admiration. This is the water lotus, which represents the long flow of water and mutual acquaintance. While what Gege just picked was the longevity flower. What it represents is¡­ is¡­ well, let Nian Er think about it¡­¡± Nian Er tilted her head to think. After a long while, she clapped her hands together and said happily. ¡°The longevity flower represents love that will never wither and will endure to death.¡± CH 40 Chapter 40 Injured Nian Er¡¯s voice rang in his ears. He held the faint blue flower branch in his hand and trembled slightly. His footsteps stopped, and looked back. This flower valley hidden in Tianchi Mountain was exceedingly vast and grand, with countless flowers swaying in the wind. Surrounded by tall mountains, if one would look around, there was no thoroughfare. No cultivator could enter Tianchi Mountain without the help of a mountain spirit to lead the way because of the air travel ban. For this reason, countless ancient flowers and plants were preserved here. Whether it was the Xiwei flower, the purple iris flower, or the water lotus that Nian Er just mentioned, they were no longer found in this world. His eyes fell in the middle of the valley of flowers. In the center of the Flower Valley was a vast lake. The icy blue lake reflected the sky. There was an island in the middle of the lake and a tree that stood on the island. The beautiful blue flowers swayed in the treetops, and the petals swirled slowly in the wind. Then, it fell on the icy blue lake. This was the last longevity tree left in the world. He remembered the phantom image of the ancient tree that appeared when the communication stream ascension steps opened. At that time, he thought that the phantom image was just a phantom image. He didn¡¯t think that there really was such a longevity tree in reality. He looked at the tree quietly for a long time. ¡°Older Brother?¡± Nian Er asked suspiciously. ¡°Did everyone ten thousand years ago know the custom of sending flowers like you said?¡± He suddenly asked softly. Nian Er: ¡°Yes. At that time, it was normal for people to send flowers to those they admired. Nian Er remembers to this day that every time my emperor travels, the sky would be filled with little demons who admired my emperor. The rain of flowers he received was enough to cover the entire Feiluan Road. Once, the on-duty officer forgot to clean the Feiluan Road, so the Feiluan Road was blocked by too many flowers. This resulted in carriages that could not move. My emperor had no choice but to spread his wings, fly into the sky, and make the rain of flowers sweep across the entire Demon Imperial City¡­¡± ¡°However, although my emperor likes flowers, Nian Er has never seen him receive any flowers from any little demon. My emperor seemed to only like to plant flowers alone. This longevity tree was planted by my emperor himself¡­¡± The cheerful voice of the girl resounded like a bird chirping in his ears. He got his answer, so he did not listen carefully to the following words. He was just thinking of what the Demon Lord had said about how this was a flower that the other party found in the memory of a ghost a thousand years ago. He had stubbornly asked him whether he liked it or not. His stubbornness was not unlike a troublemaker¡¯s. Suddenly he lifted the corners of his lips and smiled faintly. ¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan looked down at the flower branch in his hand and lifted the corner of his lips. He was currently on the viewing platform. The observatory was a strange space. It was as if one were in the Milky Way. There were many tables, chairs, and stone benches in the starry sky. Different stars were hanging above, shedding a hazy veil-like light, separating one place from another. Everything in the ascension steps was spread out in front of everyone like a scroll. It was as if looking at a continuous river. There seems to be a magical formation in the observatory. As long as you concentrate on watching something, everything on the ascension steps would be drawn closer. The veiled hat on Ye Yunlan¡¯s head had been taken off and placed on the table. He Lanze was watching the ascension steps battle. When he turned his head to the side, he was startled when he saw the curve of his lips. Ye Yunlan seldomly smiled. With this smile, that pale snow face had a gentle and bright touch. He was born extremely beautiful, so once his expression came alive, he was even more enchanting. He Lanze almost instinctively wanted to reach out and touch his smiling expression. Reaching halfway, he was afraid of disturbing his mood, so he stopped. He only looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s face greedily, watching his long drooping eyelashes like butterfly wings. Seeing his slender white hands holding the flower branch, it was like snow lotus petals softly stretched out¡­ In recent years, he often tried to find reasons to visit this person in the bamboo building. The other party¡¯s face had been traced over by him thousands of times. But still, it was not enough. Not only did he not see enough, but he was sinking deeper and deeper. Even the scent in his cold sleep was the fragrance of this person¡¯s body. Whenever he touched a jade item, what he thought of was his hand that was just as soft and smooth. He has been arrogant and conceited all his life, but he never thought that he would have a day when he would be crazy about one person. Yet, he would endure this hardship gladly. Ye Yunlan was aware of this over-focused gaze and recovered from his thoughts. He raised his eyes and saw He Lanze staring at him with piercing eyes. He took back the smile on his lips and raised his eyebrows: ¡°Senior Brother?¡± Noticing that he was paying attention, an unnatural look passed by in He Lanze¡¯s eyes. It quickly receded: ¡°Junior Brother seemed so happy just now. Did Martial Nephew win?¡± He Lanze looked at the image of the ascension step, ¡°Although Nan Gonglie has cultivated to the nascent soul, he was unable to receive ten moves under my hand in the past. Even now, he still can¡¯t. While Martial Nephew Shen is able to take hundreds of strokes with me when I suppress my cultivation base, with no victory or defeat. How could Nan Gonglie be his opponent? This time at the dao conference, he will definitely amaze the world with his talent. Then as the master of Martial Nephew Shen, Junior Brother, after this dao conference, you will also share the glory.¡± He Lanze spoke calmly. But the bottom of his heart was not calm. He had just accepted Ye Yunlan¡¯s request back then and didn¡¯t think much of the other disciple who had been accepted from the outside. But as time passed, he became more and more afraid. Shen Shu¡¯s talent was amazing. He Lanze has lived to this day, living for more than sixty years. Only by practicing his sword almost every day did he achieve his current achievements. But Shen Shu only had three years of practicing the sword. It was almost shocking to be able to reach the Great Success Realm in the sword within three years, but Shen Shu did it. He Lanze was no less surprised at this than when he learned that Chen Weiyuan¡¯s cultivation base had exceeded ascension. The stars of the dao conference were shining. Countless people talked about the outcome, but He Lanze knew that Shen Shu would definitely be the brightest star among them. Ye Yunlan heard what he said but only replied: ¡°I don¡¯t need him to fight for my name. I just hope that he has seen the magnificence of the world and can make more friends, reduce his childish temperament, and find new goals to pursue. He should stop staying by my side.¡± Lanze smiled: ¡°The words of Junior Brother do not seem like a Master¡¯s expectations of a disciple, but like a parent worrying about their own child¡¯s future.¡± He spoke casually, but after Ye Yunlan thought about it, he said solemnly: ¡°The books say that one day as a teacher, means a lifelong father. Whether it is teacher and disciple or father and son, there is not much of a difference.¡± ¡°Senior Brother, I will never marry in my entire life or form a dao companion.¡± Ye Yunlan paused as he said something, making He Lanze frown. He Lanze concentrated on Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression but saw that the person¡¯s eyes were calm. Ye Yunlan raised his head to look at the image of the ascension steps in the starry sky, then continued. ¡°Shen Shu is my only personal disciple who will inherit what I have in the future. He is like me, without a father or mother.This is why being his master means I need to teach not only how to cultivate, but also how to deal with others, and the knowledge of this world.¡± ¡°Senior Brother, you are right. Although Shen Shu is my disciple,¡± he tapped the flower branch in his hand with his fingertips, and added calmly, ¡°¡­but it is like a parent and a child.¡± ¡ª¡ªAscension step. Shen Shu picked the long sword out of Nan Gonglie¡¯s hand. Nan Gonglie stayed in place. He did not pick up the long sword on the ground, just muttered to himself: ¡°How is it possible? I lost? I lost to a little boy who was only in the golden core realm¡­¡± Nan Gongqing stood beside his brother. His smile had already frozen on his face. His face was pale, and his back was full of sweat. When the ascension steps opened, he deliberately called his elder brother and chose to enter at a time close to Shen Shu. Just so he would be able to teach this person a lesson and restore his face. Unexpectedly, even his brother lost. Nangong Lie was now a senior disciple in the Daoyi Sect! Nangong Qing had already thought about how those people in the sect would arrange things for them after stepping out of the ascension steps. This man is really a monster! Nangong Qing thought desperately. But more important than this, is how to escape from this evildoer. He took a step back and gave the two daoyi sect disciples around him a look. The black-clothed young man pointed his sword at him, ¡°What? The lesson last time was not enough, so you want to continue to challenge me?¡± There was still blood on the tip of the sword, and it belonged to his brother. Nangong Qing suddenly shouted to the two surrounding disciples: ¡°Run!¡± Shen Shu squinted his eyes, ¡°You guys want to leave?¡± He has not forgotten how Nangong Qing insulted and slandered his master in the small town outside Tianchi Mountain. He wanted to take out his sword but thought that his Master might be looking at him at the moment, then retracted his sword. It¡¯s just that, when no one could see, a few wisps of black qi infiltrated the shadow of Nangong Qing. Nangong Lie stood still in despair. Shen Shu was not interested in Nangong¡¯s Lie mood. The Ascension steps take a long time. He had to rush to the Floating Cloud Summit to see his Master. Master had agreed to pick a flower for him. What flower would it be? Shen Shu was full of expectations. Suddenly, he heard Nangong Lie say: ¡°Daoist, if you have such a realm in sword dao, why have I never heard of you before¡­Dare I ask Daoist which Sect¡¯s disciple are you and what is your name?¡± Shen Shu paused his steps and turned around. He was handsome and sharp as he responded. ¡°Sky Sect, Shen Shu.¡± ¡°Sky Sect, Shen Shu¡­¡± Nangong Lie whispered again, ¡°Daoist Shen, I lost this battle. I apologize for the offense caused by my brother. When I make progress in my sword dao in the future, I will definitely challenge you again in the future.¡± Shen Shu took his sword back and said with a blank expression: ¡°It¡¯s up to you. But the gap will always remain a gap. If you lose now, you will only lose more in the future. Moreover, there is no need to apologize for others. The one he offended was not only me but also my master.¡± Nangong Lie¡¯s face was even paler. To be qualified to teach a figure like Shen Shu, what kind of a Master could he be? He scolded Nangong Qing thousands of times from the bottom of his heart. He bowed his head in sweat, ¡°May I ask who this Master is?¡± Seeing Shen Shu¡¯s squinting eyes, Nangong Lie said, ¡°I¡¯m only curious. If this fellow daoist is unwilling, there is no need to tell me. But I think that someone who can teach such an outstanding disciple, as a fellow Daoist must also be an extremely outstanding Elder in this world. I just admire them, like looking at a mountain and a bright moon.¡± Shen Shu listened, then raised his eyebrows and smiled. ¡°Only on this point, are you right.¡± ¡°My master is naturally the best person in the world.¡± ¡°He is the mountain in front of me and the bright moon in front of my window.¡± ¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan looked up at the picture of Shen Shu climbing on the ascension steps. The observatory can only see the phantom image of the ascension steps, but cannot hear what is happening. However, the youth¡¯s high spirits made him feel a little relieved. Telling He Lanze that he treated Shen Shu like a parent to a child was not a false statement. When he was in the secret realm saving Shen Shu despite the loose divine fire, it was as if he was traveling back in time and saving himself. ¡­ If he didn¡¯t encounter everything in the past, maybe he would be like Shen Shu now, full of spirit and would only need to go forward with one heart and one mind. To live a new life, with his regrets not happening yet. What he has missed, Shen Shu will make it up for him. How nice. Ye Yunlan looked down at the longevity flower in his hand. The faint blue flower was amazingly beautiful. When he picked this flower, the person he subconsciously wanted to give it to was actually the person who branded the flower for him in his memory. ¡­ But they were destined to never see each other again in this life. Unable to meet. What¡¯s the point of sending flowers? ¡­It will only give birth to delusions. So, he decided to give the flowers to Shen Shu. Shen Shu was saved by him, alive because of him, and inherited the only hope he had left in this world. He gave it to Shen Shu as if he was giving it to the ¡°self¡± he had hoped to be in his previous life. Ye Yunlan thought, Shen Shu should like this flower. Just like himself back then. He gently tapped the petals with his fingertips. Suddenly, there was a shock in the viewing platform. The vibration was obvious. ¡°What happened?¡± He Lanze asked strangely. At the same time, the phantom image of the ascension steps became blurred. Countless people watching the battles began to whisper. Ye Yunlan frowned. He felt familiar stuffiness. There was a heavy noise outside the viewing platform. It was like the sound of the earth veins shaking slowly. At the same time in his heart, the fire phoenix spirit formed by the divine fire seemed to be triggered by something. It tore away from the spiritual suppression of Qiyun Jun and let out a loud cry. The voice was extremely harsh. Hearing it caused his brain to hurt. The more painful thing was the aftermath of the divine fire that swept through his limbs and entire body. Ye Yunlan raised his hand and coughed violently. Blood ran down his fingers, drop by drop, dyeing the blue petals in his hand red. ¡°Junior Brother!¡± He Lanze panicked. He got up and walked over quickly. Earth veins continued to vibrate. And Ye Yunlan lost his consciousness. ¡ª¡ªOn the flying boat of the Yaori Royal Family. ¡°The spirit fruit on the Nine Turns Lotus Heart Branch has been consumed by him, although it barely stopped his injury, but¡­¡± He Lanze frowned. Ye Xuanguang stood beside the bed in his profound robe, looking down at the pale and bloodless face of the person on the bed. After Tianchi Mountain changed, worried about Ye Yunlan, he sent someone to investigate the situation on the Sky Sect¡¯s side. This is how he learned that his brother was seriously injured and unconscious. Ye Xuanguang said solemnly: ¡°Tell me what kind of injury he suffered. How can it be resolved?¡± He Lanze said gravely: ¡°His body was injured by the divine fire in the secret realm. His meridians and dantian were broken. Although he was barely rescued, the spirit of the divine fire within his body had not been eradicated. Over the years, it was the Sect Master who suppressed his injuries with his spiritual power. However, even if it was suppressed, he cannot use his spiritual power to prevent backlash. ¡°It¡¯s just that when the Tianchi Mountain veins vibrated, I don¡¯t know why it triggered the divine fire in his body. Now the spiritual power of the Sect Master has no effect. Although the power of the elixir protected his meridians, it was consumed extremely quickly. I don¡¯t know when it will be used up¡­¡± ¡°Elixirs are not a problem.¡± Ye Xuanguang interrupted, ¡°but I need a thorough solution.¡± He Lanze pursed his lips and did not answer the question. Turning his head, he said: ¡°I have no way to contact the Sect Master and ask the Sect Master to come over and suppress his injuries.¡± ¡°The Central Continent and the Eastern Continent are millions of miles away. Even if the Sky Sect Sect Master is already in the Transcendence Realm, it will take him three days to come. Are you sure that even with the spirit elixirs that his injury can be delayed?¡± Ye Xuanguang¡¯ s voice turned cold. He knew that his attitude was different from usual. But he just reunited with his own brother, yet the other party is hanging on the edge of life and death? How could he remain calm? He Lanze clenched his fists. Elixirs that can sustain Ye Yunlan¡¯s life must be especially precious. Ye Xuanguang rushing to take action, although a bit strange, actually solved his urgent need. But that life-saving method was still difficult for He Lanze to say. ¡°Your Royal Highness, don¡¯t worry. Since Daoist Helan doesn¡¯t want to say it, then I will speak for him.¡± Next to him, Chen Weiyuan wore a moon-white robe and suddenly spoke. The gentle smile that Chen Weiyuan often wore on his face had disappeared. There was blood on his fingertips. It was the price paid just now for forcibly calculating the stars. ¡°The divine fire essence in his body, even if there is an expert from the Transcendence Realm, it can only be suppressed, but cannot be eradicated.¡± ¡°And if the Sky Sect Sect Master doesn¡¯t come in time to suppress his injuries, the only way left is to dual cultivate.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª Let a person who can make the divine fire spirit recognize them as a master to dual cultivate with him. This would extradite the divine fire spirit.¡± Chen Weiyuan raised his eyes and looked at He Lanze. ¡°Daoist He Lanze, am I right?¡± CH 41 Chapter 41 Regaining Consciousness The burning pain lingered in his meridians, and the sharp cry of the Fire Phoenix refused to go away. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyelids moved. Only when putting his full efforts in did he slowly open his eyes. He found himself standing on a scorched fire ground. When he looked up, his eyes could only see barren land. Except for the sound of burning fire, the whole world had no vitality. Where was he? He began to walk on the charred ground. Surrounding him were black trees that had been burnt down. Black flowers and other remains piled up on the ground. Flying sparks passed in front of him. The fire phoenix transformed by the divine fire essence was frantically shrieking. As he walked, he saw a large shadow in the distance. When he walked over, he realized that there was a deep valley in front of him, and there was a huge city made of huge rocks in the valley. He was standing on the mountain, so everything in the city could be seen by him. Here, his eyesight seemed to be exceptionally good. He could clearly see the contiguous stretches of ancient buildings in the city, even the mysterious and gorgeous totems carved on the walls of the buildings. Such a huge city represents an extremely prosperous ancient civilization. But at this moment, there was not a single person inside. Unspeakable barrenness enveloped him. He had never been here before, but he felt a deep-seated sadness. The ancient buildings built of huge stones converged in the center of the deep valley. In the centre, two pieces meandered to the east and west. It looked like a divine phoenix with its wings spread out. He suddenly had a splitting headache. The divine fire essence screamed in his body, ramming his heart and veins, as if crazily trying to break out. It had been silent in his body for several years, as if it was accumulating strength, just for this current opportunity. Ye Yunlan raised his hand to hold his clothes tightly to his chest. His temples throbbed, and sweat snaked down his cheeks. It was so uncomfortable, and there was a kind of unspeakable contempt and tiredness breeding in his heart. ¡­ It was just an insignificant touch of flame. Yet, it actually dared to wreak havoc in his body. He whispered: ¡°Shut up.¡± The fire phoenix inside his body stopped screaming for a moment, but after it screamed even more crazily. ¡°I told you to shut up.¡± He repeated it slowly. The scorched earth suddenly began to vibrate, and sparks flew all over the sky like rain. He looked up to the sky. The sun was dazzling. He reflected the bright sun (Yaori; same as the royal clan) in his eyes, and his dark eyes revealeda little bit of golden coloring ¡ª¡ª ¡°Fellow Daoist Helan, am I right?¡± Chen Weiyuan stared at him, his expression calm and unquestionable. As if what he said was an unchangeable fact. Sure enough, he was just as annoying as before. Besides, why would the fact that Junior Brother Ye needed to heal his injuries with dual cultivation have to be told by an outsider like Chen Weiyuan? Who is Chen Weiyuan? He Lanze twisted his brows tightly together, and his voice turned extremely cold: ¡°Daoist Chen. Without permission, using the technique of stargazing to spy on the secrets of others, are these the customs the Tianji Pavilion has followed for thousands of years?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a matter of urgency.¡± Chen Weiyuan responded. He looked at He Lanze. His lips seemed to be mocking him, ¡°What¡¯s more, Daoist He Lanze is not the person in question, so how can you know if Yunlan is willing or not? It is a real sin if Daoist delays the healing of Yunlan¡¯s injury because of Daoist¡¯s own personal interests. That would be unforgivable.¡± He kept mentioning it was for Yunlan. Not only was he unapologetic, but he accused him. He Lanze was very angry but was worried that Ye Yunlan¡¯s injury might be triggered. He could only say: ¡°You don¡¯t know Junior Brother at all. Based on Junior Brother¡¯s temperament, he would not agree to be spied on by you, let alone have his wounds healed in this way.¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°There is no major event in this world besides life and death. As a senior, can you just watch his injury worsen and have him return to dust? Daoist He Lanze, I didn¡¯t know that you are such a selfish person.¡± He Lanze clenched and loosened his fists. If he could, he really wanted to punch Chen Weiyuan¡¯s indifferent and handsome face. But in the end, he just gritted his teeth and said: ¡°Even if the dual cultivation method can transfer the spirit of the divine fire, only those who can make the divine fire recognize them as their master can perform this method. Not to mention, with the strong nature of the divine fire, if there are any accidents during the taming process, the spirit may scatter. This will cause a more frenzied backlash from the divine fire. Who would be willing to take up this kind of responsibility?¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°If the news comes out, I am afraid that there will be many people who would be willing.¡± He Lanze¡¯s eyes were instantly red, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare even think about it! ¡± ¡°I was just joking, did Daoist think it was for real?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s dark eyes seemed to see through people¡¯s minds. He had a faint smile: ¡°But I think, if we have to use this method, I am afraid that the first person who would volunteer would be Daoist himself.¡± He Lanze: ¡°Chen Weiyuan, you¨C!¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Ye Xuanguang said with a calm face, ¡°There is no need to mention the dual cultivation. There are too many variables in this method, it is not appropriate.¡± Chen Weiyuan revealed a startled look. He and Ye Xuanguang have known each other for many years. The other party, like himself, shoulders many family responsibilities and everything was for the family¡¯s interests. Primordial Families were hidden behind the scenes, high above others. Everything in the world was just a chess piece in their hands, so they would rarely treat others special. Before, he and Ye Xuanguang were discussing Chiyuan at the observatory. But after the Tianchi Mountain pulse changed, the other party¡¯s first concern was whether Ye Yunlan had an accident. After that, he stopped discussing everything and hurriedly took Ye Yunlan onto the flying boat to take care of his injuries. Ye Xuanguang¡¯s attitude towards Ye Yunlan was very special. If it was said that Ye Xuanguang looked at him differently only because Ye Yunlan had saved an important person in the Yaori royal family, he would not believe it. Therefore, just now, he deliberately pointed out the dual cultivation method. The real goal was to test Ye Xuanguang¡¯s attitude. But he did not expect Ye Xuanguang to have no desire for Ye Yunlan as he imagined. This was a bit strange. Ye Xuanguang looked down at Ye Yunlan on the bed. If it had been back then, he would have never taken the power of Ye Yunlan¡¯s bloodline. As his very own younger brother, how could he have suffered such a great injury because of a touch from a divine fire spirit? He lifted his fingertips, opened a golden crack in the void, and took out a bottle of golden blood from it. A silent wave rippled in the void. The attendant guarding the door almost cried out: ¡°Your Royal Highness! This is the essence of the sacred tree, ahealing, sacred item of the clan. Only members of the royal family are qualified to take it. He is just a mortal¡­¡± Ye Xuanguang raised his hand and ordered them to be silent. The mouth of the bottle opened and a burst of fragrance filled the room. A drop of the glorious golden medicinal liquid floated into Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips. Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale complexion improved a little, something that could be seen by the naked eyes. Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Relying on the power of the Ninth Rank Lotus Heart Branch and the medicinal power of this, his injury should persist for three days. That should be no problem.¡± After he finished speaking, footsteps hurriedly came. A man wearing a sacred mask and a robe stopped outside of the door. His status should be higher than that of the attendant guarding the door. It could not be seen what he looked like. One could only see the silver hair on his head, and he seemed to be old. ¡°Elder Xun?¡± Ye Xuanguang raised his brows, ¡°What happened that you had to come here yourself?¡± Elder Xun bowed: ¡°Your Royal Highness, Tianchi Mountain is abnormal. The Feiluan guards went to investigate, and it seems that a strange treasure was born.¡± ¡°In addition, His Majesty summoned you to see him before the communication jade.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He glanced at Ye Yunlan on the bed. He put aside his worry and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡ª¡ª Ye Xuanguang came to a piece of fiery red spirit jade that was as tall as a person. There was a figure on the mirror-like spirit stone. Emperor Ye sat on the throne. He wore a crown on his head, with bead curtains hanging down. His appearance was extremely handsome. The bridge of his nose was tall, but his lips were extremely thin. He looked very similar to Ye Xuanguang. Only the pupils of his eyes were not golden. Standing next to him was an extremely beautiful woman. Her slender hands were supporting the throne, she was in a complex outfit with makeup that was delicate and glamorous. It must have taken a few hours to paint her makeup that carefully. She didn¡¯t look at the spirit stone, but down at the man on the throne. Her eyes flowed with affection. ¡­¡­She was like a beautiful canary that was pampered and spoiled, all dressed up to please their owner. Ye Xuanguang leaned over and bowed his head. ¡°Xuanguang has seen Royal Father and Royal Mother.¡± Ye Emperor: ¡°What happened to your injuries?¡± Ye Xuanguang said: ¡°It¡¯s okay. Thank you for Royal Father¡¯s concern.¡± Ye Emperor sneered, ¡°Xingyue Clan. Their fate is almost exhausted, so they are not of concern. Daring to struggle to death before thinking it through, they are speeding up their own self-destruction.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Royal Father is correct.¡± ¡°The heavenly book prophesied that the Tianchi Mountain rare treasure will be born. With our clan so closely related to it, you must retrieve it.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Yes.¡± Emperor Ye observed his son¡¯s downturned face, then said: ¡°I heard Elder Xun mention you saved a seriously injured person and his looks are very similar to your Royal Mother¡¯s?¡± ¡ª¡ª After Ye Xuanguang left, apart from the guard at the door, only He Lanze and Chen Weiyuan were left in the room. He Lanze coldly glanced at Chen Weiyuan, ¡°I need to contact the Sect Master again, but Daoist Chen, you and Junior Brother Ye are not relatives or anything, so why are you staying here?¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°You are not him, so how would you know that we are not related in some way?¡± He whispered, ¡°The relationship between Yunlan and I may be much closer than you think.¡± After all, Ye Yunlan may be his destined dao companion in the future. He Lanze didn¡¯t intend to speak nonsense with him. He simply tore off his face, ¡°Leave the room.¡± It was Chen Weiyuan¡¯s response that made him speechless this time: ¡°Daoist Helan doesn¡¯t need to think too much. Although I have a close relationship with Yunlan, I¡¯m not going to do anything. But for you, the Tianchi Mountain has changed, your fellow sect disciples are in a panic. As a Senior Brother in Sky Sect, is it really appropriate not to go back and preside over the whole situation?¡± After that, he stepped out of the room. He Lanze watched him leave with a calm face, then walked out of the room quickly. He Lanze left, and after a while, another figure suddenly walked out of the corner of the room. Chen Weiyuan looked at the door with an indifferent smile on his lips. ¡­ He Lanze was too easy to trick. Chen Weiyuan walked to the bed, knelt on the edge of the bed on one knee, and stretched out his hand to caress the pale cheek of the person on the bed. These days, he had many dreams. These dreams were all little details of him getting along with Ye Yunlan. The other party called him ¡°husband¡± again and again in his dream, being thoughtful and considerate. It¡¯s as if¡­it was real. It¡¯s just that at the end of the dream, he would be holding a branch of white plum blossoms, facing the empty study room, and his obsession would come down like a huge wave. He would then always wake up, sweating coldy. That unwillingness that overflowed from his heart made it hard for him to let go. He approached, smelling the cold, gentle fragrance. It was like white blossoms and falling snow, very similar to his dream. Involuntarily getting closer and closer, he wanted to know if the other party¡¯s lips were as soft as he imagined. He leaned closer. He was so close he was almost touching him. He could see the other party¡¯s fan-like eyelashes, curled up, very cute. It made him feel itchy. He wanted to tease him with his fingertips. But the wounded and sleeping man suddenly opened his eyes. In his eyes, there was a brilliant golden color like the scorching sun. The brilliance stung his eyes. The author has something to say: Ye Yunlan: Why is there a housefly messing things up in front? CH 42 Chapter 42 Moved The shape of the eyes of the person on the bed was originally beautiful, narrow and gorgeous, with thick eyelashes spreading out. The dark eyes were like obsidian that has been polished and rounded. Whenever they looked at him in his dream, it was like a clear stream. There was gentleness and deepness in those eyes. It made him nostalgic. ¡ª¡ªBut it was not the same as it is now. Golden and dazzling, there was a noble and awe-inspiring intent, which made people instinctively want to retreat and dare not offend. Chen Weiyuan leaned on the edge of the bed with one hand, stopping his movements. But he had already gotten too close. Caught off guard, not only was he stung by the brilliant gold color, but there was also a terrible sense of oppression that came from deep in his blood. The man looked at him indifferently with golden eyes. Chen Weiyuan suddenly had a strange feeling. When this person looked at him, it was like a divine phoenix flying high in the sky, looking down at the ants on the ground. The other party only said one word. ¡°Leave.¡± The voice was low and dull, showing their weakness after a serious injury. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s heart jumped in fright all the way to the back. He took a step back almost embarrassedly. After a moment of reaction, there was a trace of disbelief in his eyes. How could this be? He actually felt the other party¡¯s bloodline suppressing him. An ancient bloodline can only be suppressed by another bloodline of the same pedigree. He has been the purest and most outstanding heir of the Chen Clan¡¯s bloodline for hundreds of years. Even Ye Xuanguang couldn¡¯t completely suppress him, so how could Ye Yunlan? He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s golden eyes. ¡­Very similar to the sign of someone from Ye Clan¡¯s bloodline. Moreover, Ye Yunlan had the same surname. He thought back to Ye Xuanguang¡¯s special attitude towards Ye Yunlan, then a guess was faintly formed in his mind. But he still found it inconceivable. ¡ª¡ªThe Ye Clan has passed on its bloodline for thousands of years, only Ye Xuanguang¡¯s bloodline was pure enough to be able to return to ancestor. If there was another pure bloodline, could he be thrown out? The man on the bed slowly straightened up, his long black hair draped on his snow-white shirt and thin shoulders. Outside the flying boat¡¯s window was a sea of ??clouds and the bright sun, but the man¡¯s long and narrow golden pupils were more intense than that. The scarlet mole at the end of his eyes was like a flash of light on his pale face. Unlike the usual pale and weak Ye Yunlan, he now had a thick and oppressive magnificence, as well as unspeakable awe-inspiring dignity. Chen Weiyuan had a glimpse of surprise in his eyes, but he quickly gathered his mind. He forced his essence blood from his fingertips and quickly moved it into the void. ¡ª¡ªHe needs to know whether Ye Yunlan was a member of the Ye Clan. ¡°Just you and you dare to spy on my fate?¡± A man¡¯s muffled voice sounded in his ears. The bloodline power that was peeking at fate in his hand broke. Chen Weiyuan spat out a mouthful of blood due to the spell backlash. He looked up in amazement and saw the person on the bed looking at him blankly. The pale and slender hand lifted towards him. It clearly looked soft, but it seemed to have the power to shake the world. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s cultivation base had already stepped into ascension, he was only half a step away before he could transcend. However, at this time, there was an illusion that he would be pinched to death by the other party. There was a muffled sound of thunder outside the window. The man in bed coughed violently with his head down. The blood slipped through his fingers and dyed his snow-white sleeves red. The golden light in his eyes slowly faded, as did the thick bloodline power on his body. Finally, he lifted his eyes and glanced at him without emotion. The muffled thunder subsided. The person on the bed closed his eyes again. The oppression in the room gradually disappeared and Chen Weiyuan let out a sigh of relief, his expression cloudy. He walked slowly over, looking at the person on the bed. He wanted to get closer to probe the other party, but thinking about the warning in the other¡¯s eyes, in the end, he didn¡¯t move. He quickly thought about what happened prior and what may have caused him to change. He thought of a possibility. It was the sacred tree essence that Ye Xuanguang had just given this person. As part of an ancient family, he knew many secrets of the ancients. When the Lord Divine Phoenix wanted to lead the whole clan to ascend, his essence blood was sprinkled all over the sycamore tree he once inhabited. That sycamore tree was left in the ancestral land of the Ye Clan and was the sacred tree of the Ye Clan. The essence of the sacred tree was a healing holy product, which contained the essence and blood of a divine phoenix. This can bring back the life of an ordinary person if it was consumed, but if the person taking it has the blood of the Ye Clan, it may trigger their bloodline. Therefore, Ye Yunlan would temporarily return to ancestor, giving him such oppression. This is the most reasonable explanation that Chen Weiyuan could come up with. But the premise of everything was that Ye Yunlan himself was a member of the Ye Clan, and his bloodline had the potential to return to ancestor. This potential was extremely rare. With the potential to return to ancestor, as long as one can infuse enough blood, it is possible to return to ancestor. And if he returned to ancestor, Ye Yunlan would return to the Ye Clan and could even compete with Ye Xuanguang for the position of inheritance. Chen Weiyuan remembered the prophecy of the Divine Phoenix coming to the world in the Ye Clan¡¯s heavenly book. Ye Xuanguang was the man of destiny recognized by the entire Ye clan. But Ye Yunlan¡­is it possible? ¡°Yunlan¡­¡± He murmured, staring at the face of the person on the bed, ¡°You really gave me such a big surprise.¡± He had been thinking since he calculated the different results of his future dao companion. Xu Qingyue was beautiful and innocent, had no motives, and admired him very much. He also had the support of the Xu Family Patriarch. He was an excellent candidate for the Chen Family¡¯s female master. Even though Ye Yunlan was superb in sword dao, he was just a mortal who had lost his cultivation. According to his usual way of doing things, there was no need to think about who to choose. But he still hesitated. Perhaps it was because of the entangled dreams these days. Perhaps it was the love and unwillingness in his dreams. Perhaps it was because he was looking at this person in the small teahouse at the time and he was surprised by the other person¡¯s face at first sight, or perhaps it was in front of the moon shadow wall where the other party had ignored him which aroused his interest. Chen Weiyuan always sneered at the phrase love at first sight. But at this moment, he had to admit that he was really tempted by Ye Yunlan. And if his guess was true¡­ He may be able to have a phoenix as his wife. He remembered the scene in his dream. The man was dressed in a black robe, leaning in his arms like a baby bird. All his spikes were removed, soft and beautiful. The black pupils that looked at him were cold and gentle, nostalgic. But if that pupil could turn into a brilliant golden color and if he restrained his majestic aura and called him ¡°husband¡± in a low voice. ¡­¡­Perhaps that would be an extremely wonderful thing. ¡ª¡ª On the east side of Tianchi Mountain, a crack was opened, revealing a deep hole. In the deep pit, a raging flame was burning. There was a crimson light that shot directly into the sky. ¡°Such a big movement, there must be a rare treasure being born here!¡± ¡°This treasure is being born with such a magnificent form, will it be an extreme spirit treasure?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s more than extreme. Tianchi Mountain has tens of thousands of years of history. A treasure that can be buried in the mountain for thousands of years without losing its spirit, maybe it is the legendary immortal tool.¡± At this moment, the cultivators have already surrounded the deep pit. Many were whispering and talking. The disciple of Ink Sect who was responsible for maintaining the order of this dao conference was very busy, ¡°Fellow daoists, you can¡¯t go in.¡± The disciple of the Ink Sect stood in front of several people who wanted to break into the pit. ¡°Why?¡± Someone asked, ¡°Treasures are originally obtained by those who are predestined. Do you disciples of the Ink Sect want to use this chance to monopolize the treasure?¡± The audience members also expressed dissatisfaction. ¡°I think the Ink Sect is plotting to do that. I am afraid that such treasures are rare even in the Six Dao Sects.¡± ¡°Flaunting themselves as part of the Immortal Sect. I didn¡¯t expect that there would be such cunning people.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah¡­ ¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the case.¡± The Ink Sect disciple wiped the sweat from his head, ¡°It¡¯s really too dangerous inside. Fellow daoists can easily die when entering. The reason why I want to prevent everyone from entering is to protect everyone¡¯s safety!¡± The person who walked in front sneered, ¡°In the cultivation world if you want to get treasures, which kind does not need to be fought for? Which one is not dangerous?¡± ¡°Little girl, if you are afraid of danger, go home and drink your milk for a few more years.¡± The Ink Sect disciple who stepped forward to persuade him was slightly red. ¡°Ah Yao, forget it.¡± An Ink Sect youth next to him pulled his Senior Sister¡¯s robe. The female Ink Sect disciple stubbornly said: ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you! It¡¯s really dangerous inside!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense, get out of the way!¡± The daoist in front directly pushed her aside. The female ink sect disciple staggered a few steps and fell to the ground. The cultivators looked at the scarlet ray of light in the center of the deep pit, their eyes were full of greed. They activated their body-protecting spirit treasures on them and flew into the deep pit. Crimson flames covered several of them. The female Ink Sect disciple sighed and closed her eyes. A few screams came from the deep pit, and the daoists who entered fled. However, their faces and bodies, as well as the magical weapons on hand, were burning. ¡°Save us!¡± ¡°The fire is burning¡­ the fire is burning our souls!¡± However, before these people had completely escaped from the pit, they had turned into black ashes, floating into the void. The crowd of onlookers was silent. The boy from Ink Sect leaned forward and took his Senior Sister¡¯s hand, and cursed in a low voice: ¡°A group of idiots who refuse to listen.¡± But he saw someone walking by him again. From his perspective, only the black hem of the other party can be seen. ¡°Hey! Wait a minute, didn¡¯t you see the fate of the few people just now?¡± The Ink Sect youth hurriedly called the other party, trying to chase and stop him. Then, his Senior Sister suddenly grabbed his hand. The boy turned his head and saw his Senior Sister shake her head at him. The man in the black robe stopped. The voice was low and not loud, but it spread for several miles. ¡°This will be temporarily taken over by the Yaori imperial clan. Anyone not involved withdraw quickly.¡± The Ink Sect youth opened his eyes wide. He didn¡¯t dare to announce in front of the cultivators from all over the world that he would take over the place where the treasure was born. Even as an Ink Sect member, one of the six daoist schools, and knowing the danger of the giant pit. This person, what right does he think he has? ¡°What right do you think you have?¡± Someone asked the question for him, ¡°Everyone has an opportunity to get treasures from the world, even if it is the Yaori Royal Family, there is no exception!¡± ¡°You asked what right¡­¡± The black-robed person repeated his words. Standing at the edge of the huge pit, with his back facing everyone, he glanced at the place where the few people had turned to ashes. Then he raised his hand and made a gesture. Suddenly a gale swept across. In the distance, there was a raging fire burning half of the sky. Looking closely, countless flame beasts came from the sky, surrounding the place. Every Yan Lin beast had considerable strength in the demi-god stage. The Yanlin Beast King was equivalent to ascension stage. Now in the sky, there were hundreds of Yanlin Beasts. The black robe lifted up in the wind. He turned around. A pair of brilliant gold eyes was revealed, more scorching than the sun in the high sky. ¡°This thing is originally related to my Yaori royal family,¡± the black-robed person said lightly, ¡°Because I am the crown prince of the Yaori imperial family, I want this item and there is no reason to have it taken over by others.¡± ¡ª ¡ª When Ye Yunlan was awake, he only felt a splitting headache. The scorched land and huge city in his dream gave him an extremely unreal illusion, but the desolate sadness he felt was so real. Ye Yunlan was a little confused between reality and his dreams. After a long delay, he recovered. Hismeridians felt pain after the burning, and his chest was also aching. But the screaming sound of the fire phoenix in his body had ceased. His sudden injury seemed to have stabilized slightly. He stood up, frowned slightly, and looked around. What entered his sight was an unfamiliar room. Incense was burning in the room, and every inch of decoration was extremely gorgeous, embroidered with dark gold flying phoenixes. He could see the sea of ??clouds outside the window from his side. ¡­ How could he be on another person¡¯s flying boat? Suddenly there was a creak, the door was pushed open, and someone walked in. ¡°Junior Brother is awake?¡± He Lanze walked quickly to the bed, his face full of worry. Ye Yunlan: ¡°I¡­ what happened?¡± He Lanze: ¡°The Tianchi Mountain¡¯s veins changed, inducing Junior Brother¡¯s injury. The Yaori prince happened to be there and helped to stabilize the injury. I have managed to contact the Sect Master to come here to heal your wounds.¡± He Lanze didn¡¯t see how Ye Yunlan furrowed his brow deeply when he mentioned ¡°Yaori Prince.¡± He Lanze held the elixir that he had just brewed in his hand, which was mixed with countless precious spiritual materials. It was exuding a bitter medicinal smell. He picked up the spoon and blew lightly, ¡°It¡¯s just that before the arrival of the Sect Master, Junior Brother must drink the medicine. Your meridians are relying on the protection of the medicinal properties of the elixir.¡± In the corner of the room, a gentle voice sounded. ¡°The elixir is bitter. Yunlan, why don¡¯t you try my hundred flower concentration dew pill. This pill is made from the nectar of a hundred kinds of spirit flowers. It is very easy to take in, and it will also help your injury.¡± Someone walked out from the dark. Chen Weiyuan walked to Ye Yunlan¡¯s bed, his handsome face revealing gentle concern. A slender hand stretched out, and a pill with a sweet fragrance lay in the palm of his hand. He Lanze was taken aback: ¡°Chen Weiyuan? Haven¡¯t you already left?¡± ¡°After I left, I was concerned about Yunlan¡¯s situation, so I came back.¡± Chen Weiyuan looked at He Lanze with a smile, ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same with Daoist He Lanze?¡± ¡°Junior Brother, this person is unruly towards you, don¡¯t take his pill.¡± He Lanze frowned, ¡°Come, Junior Brother, your injury is important. Drink the medicine first.¡± The sweet-smelling pill and the medicine spoon containing the liquid medicine were pushed in front of him. Ye Yunlan did not accept it. He only looked down at the lines on his palm, then raised his eyes and asked faintly. ¡°Where is my flower?¡± The author has something to say: Ye Yunlan: Get lost flies, where is my flower? CH 43 Flower? He Lanze was stunned. He remembered the blue flower branch that Ye Yunlan held before. Because Ye Yunlan had been holding it in his hand and looking at it, he had indeed noticed it. The flower was very beautiful, but when Tianchi mountain was moving, he only cared about protecting Ye Yunlan. How could he have the time to take care of the flower in his hand? Facing Ye Yunlan¡¯s question at this moment, it was a bit embarrassing. He Lanze didn¡¯t know how to answer, but he heard Chen Weiyuan¡¯s gentle voice next to him: ¡°Yunlan, what flower do you want? Tell me, I can pick it for you.¡± His call of ¡°Yunlan¡± was really familiar. Ye Yunlan frowned. He really didn¡¯t want to give this person any more thoughts in this life, but this person kept hanging in front of him. He said coldly: ¡°Daoist Chen, I remember that you and I are not familiar enough to be able to call each other by name.¡± Being exposed by Ye Yunlan, Chen Weiyuan still didn¡¯t change his face. He whispered: ¡°But when I see you, I feel something familiar. Maybe, we have met in a previous life.¡± The more He Lanze listened, the more wrong it felt. This person just said that his relationship with Ye Yunlan was more intimate than he thought, but now he has changed his words and said that maybe the two have met in a previous life? It was the first time he saw such a brazen man. The term ¡®past life¡¯ touched Ye Yunlan¡¯s nerves. ¡°You feel that I am familiar, but when I see you, I feel disgusted.¡± Ye Yunlan said indifferently. He forcibly ignored the stings of the Qiqing Needles piercing his soul. ¡°If we truly did have a past life together, we would have been immortal enemies.¡± When Chen Weiyuan heard those harsh words from Ye Yunlan his hand holding the pill tightened, and his gaze deepened. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Ye Yunlan say: ¡°Get out.¡± His eyes were cold and fed up, a stark difference from the gentle and clear ones in his dream. ¡ª¡ªIt was very similar to the ¡°Leave¡± he said when his bloodline returned to ancestor. Chen Weiyuan squinted his eyes for a while, smiled, and placed the pill back into his bag. He said warmly: ¡°Fine, I¡¯m leaving. Yunlan, don¡¯t get angry. You are seriously injured and need a good rest.¡± He gazed deeply at Ye Yunlan. He then walked out of the room, his walk neither slow nor in a rush. The future is long, he thought. After Chen Weiyuan left, only Ye Yunlan and He Lanze were left in the room. He Lanze took the medicine bowl and sat down by the bed, ¡°Junior Brother, if the flower is gone, Senior Brother can find one for you later. You still need to drink this medicine straight away. Don¡¯t make Senior Brother worry.¡± Ye Yunlan fell silent for a while, then stretched out his hand to take the medicine. ¡°I can drink it myself.¡± He Lanze felt relieved when he saw that he was finally willing to drink the medicine. After hesitating for a while, he said: ¡°Junior Brother, when did you get to know that person?¡± He hesitated when he saw Ye Yunlan stay indifferent. Then he said: ¡°Although Tianji Pavilion is called neutral, Junior Brother, listen to Senior Brother. You should not interact with the Young Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I know.¡± He Lanze stared at him holding the medicine bowl, drinking the liquid medicine in small sips. The medicine was so bitter, but he didn¡¯t even frown. This person appeared very well-behaved in many things, but so stubborn in others. Spiritual power cannot suppress the divine fire¡¯s injuries forever. Even if Qiyun Jun was willing to take action, it was just drinking poison to quench his thirst. Ye Yunlan has to make a decision. If this person can think it through¡­ He hoped that he would be the best candidate for this person by then. But hearing this person suddenly speak interrupted his thoughts. ¡°Senior Brother, what happened to the ascension stage after the Tianchi Mountain earthquake?¡± He Lanze: ¡°The source of the earthquake was on the east side of Tianchi Mountain. The Ascension Stage is located in the communication stream on the west side of Tianchi Mountain, so it hadn¡¯t been affected.¡± ¡°Really¡­¡± Ye Yunlan squeezed his empty palms, frowned, and said: ¡°Whose flying boat is this?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the flying boat of the Yaori Crown Prince.¡± He Lanze said, ¡°When you suddenly got hurt, it was His Royal Highness who used the holy medicine of his clan to heal your wounds. Junior Brother, when you are well recuperated and see His Royal Highness again, you will need to thank him for your good health.¡± After listening, Ye Yunlan was silent for a while. ¡°Ye Xuan¡­ where is the Yaori Crown Prince now?¡± He Lanze replied, ¡°Junior Brother wants to see him now? It¡¯s a pity that His Royal Highness has just rushed to the birth location of the rare treasure on Tianchi Mountain. Junior Brother probably won¡¯t see him for a while.¡± ¡ª¡ªTianchi Mountain East Side. Birthplace of the rare treasure. Crimson flames were burning. Ye Xuanguang walked amongst them with the swaying flames reflected in his golden eyes. The flames were capable of burning souls and weapons but did not seem to affect him. With his excellent eyesight, he saw a sword in the center of the flames. The sword was stuck in the ground, with only its hilt exposed. The blade was slender, and the hilt was covered with something resembling a lin¡¯s (female unicorn) feather. The blade was blood red, depicting ancient complex lines. Ye Xuanguang had seen this sword in the ancient books of the Ye clan. This is the saber used by the Demon Lord Divine Phoenix, the Demon Emperor Sword. Rumor has it that it has ascended to the heavens. He didn¡¯t expect it to be buried here. Ye Xuanguang didn¡¯t want to study what triggered this sword or why at this time. He just needed to get this sword. Not because of his Father¡¯s request. But because¡­ His own brother¡¯s pale face while lying on the bed flashed across his mind. It was like Mother¡¯s. However, this person would never show the soft smile that appeared on his Mother¡¯s face. It was always either indifference, impatience, or rejection. In the eyes of outsiders, his brother was somewhat difficult to deal with. But¡ª¡ªhe had the freedom he envied. Ye Xuanguang stepped forward. At this distance near the center of the flame, even if he had the power of his bloodline to protect him, he felt extremely hot. Sweat ran down Ye Xuanguang¡¯s cheeks and evaporated in an instant. He slowly stretched out his hand and held the hilt of the Demon Emperor Sword. ¡ª¡ªShen Shu swung his sword to cut off the chains that trapped him on his wrist, and the long sword pierced the chest of the person in front of him. Liu Qing¡¯s hideous figure slowly dissipated before his eyes. The magic array had been solved. He took another step forward on the ascension step. ¡°You¡¯re amazing.¡± A childish voice came from a little girl next to him, ¡°Nian Er has seen this road open so many times here, yet you are the one who went the fastest amongst everyone.¡± Shen Shu became suddenly wary. He didn¡¯t even notice a person was beside him with his five senses and the contact with his shadows. There seemed to be a gentle mountain breeze blowing. In front of him, a little girl in a red dress suddenly appeared. The little girl had big eyes and a pale face. She looked very cute. In her two small hands, she was holding a faintly blue, blood-stained flower. ¡°Little Brother, why are you walking so fast?¡± The girl tilted her head as if asking puzzledly, ¡°The people behind you have a long way to go before they catch up to you.¡± Being called ¡°Little Brother¡± by the little girl made the corner of Shen Shu¡¯s mouth twitch. His eyes fell on the faint blue flower in the little girl¡¯s hand. The flower was beautiful. It¡¯s just that there was blood on it. For some reason, it stung his eyes. He looked at the little girl for a long while, ¡°I went fast because I have someone I want to meet and things I want to get. The top ten people in the ascension steps can receive rewards from the mountain spirit. I need to get the elixir from the mountain spirit treasury to heal his injuries.¡± ¡°Do you need a spirit elixir to heal others?¡± Nian Er blinked, ¡°Nian Er has planted many, many elixirs here, so you can tell Nian Er what kind of elixir you need. Nian Er can help you find it so that you don¡¯t have to run for nothing.¡± The little girl¡¯s identity was for certain now. Although he had predicted it, a strange expression flashed across Shen Shu¡¯s face. Tianchi Mountain has existed for tens of thousands of years, but he did not expect that the mountain spirit was actually just a little girl. ¡°The elixir I need is¡­¡± Shen Shu just wanted to answer Nian Er¡¯s question, when he suddenly stopped talking. Although his Master has taken care of him well in the past few years, he has always been indifferent to his own injuries. He had given his Master spirit elixirs, and although the other party would take it, he always told him he didn¡¯t need to focus too much on it. Regarding the cure of his injury, it was even more secretive. There were also his words of ¡°No matter the length of time, people will always return to the dust. Life and death are just words of a moment, so there is no need to cling on.¡± That person has not just said this once. Ye Yunlan was not persistent. But he became more and more persistent. He didn¡¯t know why. Even though they lived together for three years, he still felt that it was not enough. Far from enough. The longer he got along with that person, the more he didn¡¯t want to be separated from that person. Every moment of getting along with his Master seems to be hard-won. This taught him to cherish those moments. Over the years, he has been looking for more and better elixirs for the other party and used various methods to give them to the other party. However, it was still not clear what the other party genuinely needed. CH 44 Chapter 44 Fierce Wolf ¡°The Divine Fire invades the lungs. As time goes by, it will only become more and more difficult to suppress¡­ dual cultivation is the last option.¡± The man¡¯s chilly voice rang in his ears as if the words were a warning. It was late at night. Ye Yunlan sat on the bed, silent. He turned his head to look at the stars outside the window. The dim sea of ??clouds floated outside the flying boat, while the starlight poured in from the window sill. Reflected on his face, it made him look increasingly pale and weak. A tall man stood beside him. Having traveled thousands of miles from the Eastern Continent, the man still showed no signs of fatigue. The white hair was crowned high with a silver crown. He was wearing a cloud pattern feather robe and a large crane cloak. Just by standing silently, he exhibited a sense of neglect to the world of mortals. The lord of Sky Sect, Qiyun Jun. Qiyun Jun put his hand on Ye Yunlan¡¯s wrist to check his pulse. He held it very tightly. ¡°It has been three years since you were injured.¡± He said, ¡°You don¡¯t have many three years to waste.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t need that much.¡± Qiyun Jun looked at Ye Yunlan expressionlessly. Three days ago, he received news from He Lanze that this man was injured. He was begged to take action and suppress it. He cultivated the ruthless Dao and lived in Yuntian Palace all year round. If unnecessary, he would never pay attention to the things in the world. But he still came. ¡°Ye Yunlan,¡± he rarely called a person¡¯s full name like this. ¡°Become my apprentice. Cultivate the ruthless dao I taught you and curb all other distracting thoughts. With me supplementing my spiritual power, you could easily suppress the divine fire for a hundred years. After a hundred years, if I¡¯m in the void tracing realm, I can save your life.¡± Three years ago, Qiyun Jun already expressed the desire to accept him as a disciple. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t take his gaze back from the window. He said indifferently: ¡°I don¡¯t know why Immortal Venerable is so attached to the matter of my life and death.¡± This person always spoke like this. He was noticeably cold as ice, like a hedgehog curled up. Ifa person stretched out their hand, he would use a spine to pierce them. Qiyun Jun: ¡°What if I insist on saving you?¡± He didn¡¯t say it in a moment of anger. He had a premonition. If he didn¡¯t save this person and watched him return to dust, he would regret it. But regret for a sword cultivator who cultivates the ruthless dao is indeed something absurd. How can there be regrets if you have never been emotional? Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t think that he was emotional. He thought it was just pity. Yes, it should be just pity. ¡ª¡ªUnfortunately, the person who could have become his opponent would only sink back to the earth, unable to advance all the way to the horizon. ¡°How do you want to save me?¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°In the world of cultivation, no daoist has stepped into the void tracing realm for hundreds of years. You say that you can reach the void tracing realm in a hundred years? I don¡¯t believe it. Besides, I don¡¯t want to cultivate any ruthless dao.¡± In his memory, Qiyun Jun did not reach the void tracing realm in a hundred years. ¡­He calculated the days. At that time, the other party was sitting in the Western Continent¡¯s Buddha Pagoda suppressing him. Thinking of those dark and anxious memories, Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression on his face became colder and colder. His tone also brought out a little sneer. ¡°Or if the Immortal Venerable does not cultivate successfully in a hundred years and you still want to save me, will you use the last method, as you said, sacrificing yourself?¡± For the ruthless dao, dual cultivation is an absolute violation. If there is the slightest flaw in one¡¯s view, it would affect their dao and make it hard to progress within their cultivation. Qiyun Jun let go of his wrists and said coldly: ¡°You should have a bottom line if you want to speak nonsense.¡± Ye Yunlan finally turned his head, his eyes stopped for a moment on the ink jade that Qiyun Jun placed on the hilt of his bedside sword: ¡°I just want to persuade Immortal Venerable to not spend time and effort for the unworthy.¡± When he spoke, his eyes showed an indescribable sense of melancholy and annoyance. ¡ª¡ªThis person didn¡¯t care about his life or death, Qiyun Jun thought calmly. Moreover, the repeated rejections of a person to the only person who can help him suppress the injury of the divine fire can no longer be explained by him not caring. Perhaps, this person is seeking death. Why? Qiyun Jun was silent for a moment, ¡°I remember you had a disciple. You coming to Tianchi Mountain this time, was it also for him?¡± Ye Yunlan was startled, then made a faint ¡°En¡± sound. ¡°Your disciple has good talents, but he has an uncertain disposition and is biased towards evil ways. Someone needs to be around to take care of him. Otherwise, he will easily go astray.¡± Qiyun Jun said, ¡°If you depart, Sky Sect may not tolerate him.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What does Sect Master mean?¡± Qiyun Jun looked at him with his cold and clear eyes but didn¡¯t say anything about Shen Shu. He just said a few words. ¡°Living well and being alive.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. He didn¡¯t know how Qiyun Jun could tell. ¡­But he did not want to live long. Although the matter of the divine fire was an accident, it could be considered he wished for it. A mortal life? It was just a few decades. Is it enough? It was enough for him to take another look at this still intact world and experience a peaceful life that he had never experienced before. How should one¡¯s life be spent? Throughout the ages, no one has been able to give an accurate answer. For him, in this life, what he wants is not revenge, success, fame, or climbing to the top of the immortal road to find immortality. The only thing he wanted was¡­ Suddenly, a loud, clear phoenix cry interrupted his thoughts. Outside the window, the dark night was dyed with fire. It was in the direction of Tianchi Mountain. ¡ª¡ª Shen Shu was still in the communication stream on the ascension steps. The flying boat was above the clouds and didn¡¯t allow him to see the ground. Ye Yunlan raised his head and looked at Qiyun Jun, ¡°What happened?¡± Qiyun Jun closed his eyes and felt it. ¡°Someone¡­ is trying to step into the transcendence realm.¡± ¡ª¡ª On the east side of Tianchi mountain. In the deep pit, flames and sparks flew up. Ye Xuanguang¡¯s robe was fluttering in the flames as he reached out to hold the hilt of the Demon Emperor¡¯s Sword. The flames licked his palm, creating a burning sting. The hilt of the sword had a Lin feather. At this moment, it seemed to have been irritated, and the feather stabbed into his palm. Golden blood was flowing down, flowing onto the blood-red body of the Demon Emperor Sword. Ye Xuanguang was very focused. ¡ª¡ªThe Demon Emperor Sword was resisting him. But Ye Xuanguang did not retreat. The Demon Emperor Sword was once the sword of the Demon Lord Divine Phoenix. The Ye Clan inherited the last bloodline of the Demon Lord Divine Phoenix. If anyone in this world can inherit this sword, it is none other than the Ye Clan. And he has a reason to inherit it. As if he hadn¡¯t noticed the pain, Ye Xuanguang clenched his hand tighter and tighter. Reflected in the fire were his golden eyes, fierce and dazzling. Aroused by the closeness of the bloodline, the Demon Emperor Sword hummed faintly. But it was still not enough. Ye Xuanguang closed his eyes. Time passed. Soon, three days and nights have gone by. The blood that contained the rich bloodline power was constantly flowing. The feeling of blood loss made him feel dizzy and weak. The hair crown on Ye Xuanguang¡¯s head had long dispersed in the strong wind. His long black hair was flying behind him. His thin lips pressed tightly, revealing his paleness. He remembered back when his own brother was locked on the blood altar, and he could only watch his blood flow, not knowing when it would be the end. At that time, did Ye Yunlan feel the same as he did now? No. Ye Yunlan was still so young at the time, so he must have been in more pain and despair than him. His body was merged with the other party¡¯s blood. But he has forever lost the connection with the other party¡¯s blood. The tremor of the Demon Emperor Sword grew stronger and stronger. A burst of subtle thoughts flowed into his mind from the sword body. The Demon Emperor Sword refused to recognize the Lord, but he was willing to be born and used by him because of the power of his bloodline. The power of his bloodline was close to that of the Demon Lord. But there is a prerequisite ¡ª¡ª he needs to reach transcendence first. The Demon Emperor Sword was an immortal weapon. Its owner was infinitely close to being a real ¡°immortal¡±. Even if he inherited the blood of the Demon Lord, the Demon Emperor Sword was unwilling to be used by cultivators in the six realms of the mortal body. Ye Xuanguang only hesitated for a moment. With his aptitude, he had already reached the extreme peak of the six realms of the mortal body six years ago, and he was only one step away from leaving his mortal life. But this step was like the earth versus the sky. How many people have been able to pass through the ascension tribulation and truly step into the transcendence realm? With so many cultivators in the world, there may not be more than a handful. He was going to take a longer time to cross this boundary. It¡¯s just. He remembered what his Royal Father said three days ago, on the phantom image on the fire spirit stone. ¡°Xuanguang, you must understand that the prophecies of the heavenly book must be followed. The hope of the whole family rests on you. Do you still remember? When you were literate, what was the first word I taught you?¡± He said, ¡°¡­It¡¯s ¡®responsibility¡¯.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Emperor Ye said, ¡°Do you still remember what your responsibility is?¡± He said, ¡°Lead my clan, control the Western Continent, survive the catastrophe, and allow the Ye Clan¡¯s bloodline to last forever.¡± Ye Emperor: ¡°Very good. Then you should know that some things must not go wrong. Some hidden dangers must be eradicated.¡± His eyelids twitched. ¡°Xuanguang, this is your last chance to correct your mistakes. Both your mother and I are watching. If you can¡¯t finish it, I will help you finish it.¡± Ye Emperor said. Next to him, his mother, Ye Tange, finally turned her head to look at him after hearing this. ¡°Xuanguang,¡± Ye Tange¡¯s face was as beautiful as a blooming rose. Her voice was as beautiful as a lark. She had a soft smile, ¡°Listen to your father¡¯s words. This is your responsibility.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°¡­Yes.¡± From childhood to adulthood the word ¡°responsibility¡± was the one that popped up the most in his life. But. He was responsible for his family, for his parents. Only for his brother did he never fulfill his responsibility as family. It takes three days at the fastest to go to the Central Continent from the Western Continent. If his Royal Father wants to help him, the Yaori Hidden Guard who would be sent will arrive soon. It was not a force that he could resist in his mortal realm body. He had no time. His whole body¡¯s cultivation base was no longer suppressed. The change in qi provoked the tribulation. Dark clouds gathered, and the wind howled. The Demon Emperor Sword was pulled out inch by inch. A loud phoenix resounded across the sky. With long black hair dancing behind him, Ye Xuanguang picked up the Demon Emperor¡¯s sword and looked at the sky with golden eyes. He needs to cross the ascension tribulation. ¡ª¡ª Location: Ascension Step. Facing the little girl¡¯s question, Shen Shu thought for a while, then finally said: ¡°I want the best healing elixir. If there is an elixir that can connect the meridians and increase lifespan, that would be the best.¡± Nian Er thought about it. She wrinkled her face: ¡°You said that you want to be able to connect the meridians and increase the lifespan? There are many here with Nian Er¡­ But if you want to have the best one, Nian Er didn¡¯t put it in the treasure house. Because that is the elixir that our emperor left for Nian Er, there should be only one left in the world. Nian Er planted it in her own flower valley.¡± The mountain spirit was reluctant to put it in the treasure house¡­. Then that spirit elixir may be really effective for Master¡¯s injury. Shen Shu¡¯s dark eyes glowed slightly. ¡°I desperately need this kind of elixir to heal a very important person. Nian Er, if you have any needs, as long as you can give the elixir to me, I will do it for you.¡± Shen Shu stared down at the mountain spirit and said solemnly. The little girl who transformed from a mountain spirit was pure and innocent. He didn¡¯t intend to coax her with words but bluntly stated his needs. Nian Er blinked, blushing slightly under his serious gaze. She whispered: ¡°You are the fastest climber on the ascension steps that Nian Er has seen in many years. If you want something special, it¡¯s not impossible.¡± ¡°But, after you go out, can you do Nian Er a favor?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Speak.¡± ¡°Before, Nian Er accompanied an older brother to pick flowers in the Valley of Flowers. That older brother said that he wanted to give a flower to his important person.¡± Nian Er held the flower in her hands, a little sadness appeared on her pretty face, ¡°But later, that Gege accidentally dropped the flower on the mountain. Nian Er would like to ask you to help Nian Er return the flower to that Gege.¡± Shen Shu listened, his eyes locked tightly on the bloody blue flower branch in Nian Er¡¯s hand, especially the dazzling bloodstain on the flower. He felt his blood freeze suddenly. His voice trembled slightly and he asked: ¡°What does that Gege you mentioned look like? Why did he drop the flower on the mountain?¡± Nian Er didn¡¯t notice his strangeness. She only said: ¡°That Gege was born very tall and handsome, he looked identical to my emperor. Nian Er felt intimate with him at first sight¡­but his face was very pale, he seemed to be sick.¡± ¡°The sword that my emperor left behind suddenly started to get angry again, causing the ground to shake. My Gege should have been injured. He suddenly vomited blood and fainted. He was carried away, but dropped the flower.¡± ¡°Nian Er couldn¡¯t catch up, so she had to pick up the flower. Nian Er remembered that when her Gege was picking the flower, he said he liked the flower very much. So even if Gege was injured and unconscious, Nian Er thinks that when Gege wakes up, he will be very sad if the flower is missing. So, after you go out, please help Nian Er return the flower to Gege.¡± Nian Er said this and walked a few steps to hand the faint blue flower to Shen Shu¡¯s hand. But she saw that the other party hadn¡¯t taken the flower for a long time. She raised her head and saw the red eyes of the young man in front of her. It reminded her of a male wolf who went crazy after his partner was injured in the deep mountains and forests. It seemed that he was carrying an inexhaustible fierce and vicious aura as if he was about to shed blood and tears in the next second. Nian Er looked at his expression and said cautiously. ¡°You¡­what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± CH 45.1 Chapter 45 Evil Spirits Tianchi Mountain thundered. With horrified eyes, countless cultivators gathered from all over, looking at the deep pit surrounded by cavalry from a distance. ¡ª¡ªThe Yaori Crown Prince is going to cross ascension and enter transcendence! The news spread like a stormy sea, and everyone was watching this tribulation. Especially those who were Western Continent cultivators. If Ye Xuanguang can successfully overcome the tribulation, he will be the youngest daoist in the transcendence stage in thousands of years. The iron hooves of the Yaori Dynasty were already restless, and the land of the Western Continent was about to usher in great changes. If the Yaori Crown Prince, destined to be on the throne, arrives at the transcendence realm earlier ¨C this may not be good news for many people. __ Tianchi Mountain Summit. The mountain wind blew on his white robes. Chen Weiyuan raised his head, and his dark eyes seemed to penetrate the dark clouds to see through the stars. The stargazer warrior wearing a scarf bowed in front of him and asked respectfully, ¡°Young Pavilion Master? What can you see?¡± Chen Weiyuan only gave a slight smile: ¡°If I said I didn¡¯t see anything just now, would you believe it?¡± The stargazer warrior bent down. ¡°This subordinate doesn¡¯t understand the meaning of the words said by the young pavilion master. I hope that the young pavilion master can give this subordinate guidance.¡± Chen Weiyuan looked down at the respectful face of the stargazer warrior in front of him, feeling a little disinterested. ¡°Is it my father who asked you to come and ask me what I meant?¡± he asked. The stargazer warrior wiped the sweat on his face. He knew that his concealment was meaningless in front of the young pavilion master. He said with difficulty: ¡°It is indeed¡­ the pavilion master.¡± Ye Xuanguang suddenly facing his tribulation in advance has disrupted the plans of many people. If it is unsuccessful, it will be fine, but if it is successful¡­the situation of mutual checks and balances between the ancients families will be changed. The prophecies of the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth are more or less circulated among aristocrats. Many things must be prepared in advance before the arrival of a Tribulation. There are no concessions. ¡°Go back and tell Father that it¡¯s not yet the time for me to cross the tribulation.¡± Chen Weiyuan said lightly, ¡°His Royal Highness is too anxious. Even if he succeeds, he will still have troubles. What¡¯s more, my Chen family has always had concrete details and is not afraid of a cultivator who has just entered the transcendence stage. As long as he has not reached the void tracing realm, the heavenly formation will never be broken. It is the Western Continent powers who should be fearing this.¡± The stargazer warrior: ¡°So, what the young pavilion master means is¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan said lightly: ¡°You don¡¯t have to take action, just watch the changes.¡± The stargazer warrior retired, while Chen Weiyuan continued standing on the top of the mountain. He stretched out his white palms, then the power of his invisible bloodline was condensed. Under the guidance of the dao, countless stars gathered in his palm. There was one thing he did not say. In the fate he was looking at, Ye Xuanguang crossed the tribulation much later. The star path has been changing slightly. It¡¯s just that since he was born, such frequent changes were rare. It seems that ever since he met that person, there have been many things that have begun to slip from his control. But it¡¯s okay. After all, the chess pieces will always fall on the chessboard. In the midst of changes, who wins and who loses in the end is still in the hands of the people who make the rules. Chen Weiyuan closed his palms. The stars were crushed in his hands. At the same time, thunder rang from the horizon. The mortal calamity that has been brewing for a long time has arrived. The extremely strong purple thunder descended from the sky like a roaring blue dragon. The crimson flames ignited from the ground and turned into a phoenix spreading its wings, colliding with the thunder and lightning. There was a loud bang that pierced the sky. There were nine layers of mortal calamity. The power of each one was several times that of the previous one. A tall figure floated under the thunder, holding a blood-red, slender sword. Those brilliant golden eyes pierced through the flames and thunder, appearing before the world. The emperor has arrived in the world. Ten miles away from the Heavenly Tribulation stood a group of Ink Sect disciples with solemn expressions. Among them were the Ink Sect youth and his Senior Sister that stopped the others by the deep pit, during when the Tianchi Mountain rare treasure was being born. The Ink Sect youth looked at the fire in the distance. He pressed his lips tightly for a long time: ¡°Senior Sister, I really didn¡¯t expect¡­he was actually going to be recognized by such a magic weapon.¡± Senior Sister: ¡°The rare treasure born on Tianchi Mountain was a fire element, something very similar to the Yaori royal family. It¡¯s not surprising that the Crown Prince of Yaori can be recognized by it.¡± Ink Sect disciples: ¡°But it¡¯s only because he forced everyone to retreat and not to watch nearby¡­.. Isn¡¯t the Yaori imperial family being too overbearing like this? Where does that place us Ink Sect disciples? In this dao conference, we should be the ones hosting and maintaining the order.¡± Senior Sister: ¡°Xiao Qing, it¡¯s actually a good thing that this thing can be subdued by the Yaori Crown Prince. After all, a rare treasure will move people¡¯s hearts. At that time, just simply getting close would burn lustful people into ashes. I don¡¯t know how much chaos would start due to its birth. His Highness having the strength to obtain the treasure can also help avoid a lot of trouble. If it were you or me, I am afraid that we would not be able to get off of Tianchi Mountain.¡± The Ink Sect disciple pondered for a moment, ¡°Senior Sister is right. However, the Yaori Dynasty has sent so many Yanlin Beasts to protect him. It¡¯s a really big matter. In this Tianchi Mountain, I am afraid that no forces would dare to stop the prince from crossing the tribulation¡­¡­¡± The Senior Sister hadn¡¯t replied yet, but there was a lazy voice next to her. ¡°That¡¯s not necessarily the case.¡± The speaker had an ordinary look, but his pair of sleeping phoenix eyes were upright. His half-opened eyes revealed some laziness. It was the Ink Sect¡¯s great disciple, Wang Daoyan. The Senior Sister was startled, ¡°Senior Brother?¡± Wang Daoyan folded his arms and leaned against the trunk of a pine tree. All the Ink Sect disciples around were solemn. Only he had a lazy, languid appearance. ¡°These days, there are many uninvited guests that haven¡¯t notified us in advance. It¡¯s a bit rude.¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s just when I asked the headmaster, the headmaster said, ¡°the sky has to rain, and the wife has to marry¡±. These are common things. Disputes in the Western Continent will be resolved by the people from the Western Continent. Only when someone wants to start disrupting the order of the dao conference would it be the time for me to take action.¡± The Senior Sister was puzzled, ¡°Where are the uninvited guests?¡± Wang Daoyan smiled, ¡°They have already arrived.¡± Tianchi Mountain West Side. In the shadows, a black armor warrior was sitting on a nightmare beast king. Covered in black flames, the warrior came out of the distorted space. He wore a star moon mask on his face and held a long spear. On the tip of the spear, there was a dark red bloodstain that had been there for years. To the south of Tianchi Mountain, there was a dense forest at the foot of the mountain. In it, there were spatial fluctuations like water waves. A monk wearing a golden robe walked out. He was very young, and had a handsome face. His eyes were closed, and one hand was lying on his chest. The monk wore a string of green Buddha beads around his neck, each of which was the size of a baby¡¯s fist. It was shining with pure white light. If you looked closely, it seemed to be small, white faces. At this moment, the second tribulation thunder was brewing. Ye Xuanguang was holding the Demon Emperor Sword. His body and mind were all drawn to the Thunder Tribulation. He didn¡¯t make perfect preparations to rush through the tribulation, so he didn¡¯t have a good grasp of it. However, what was more dangerous than the heavenly tribulation was problems caused by people. In the dark, there were countless dark eyes locked on him. He knew that he was full of qi at this time, and thus not yet the time for those people to make a move. When 5 rounds of the thunder tribulation ended, it would consume over half of his strength. When that time comes, he must be alert to the dangers from all directions. But even so. At this moment, he can no longer retreat. Ye Xuanguang knew that the clan had already long prepared for him the Spirit Gathering Platform. This gathered the whole clan¡¯s vitality and bloodline spiritual power to cross his tribulations. When he crosses realms, his performance would be at least several times higher. There would be no need to worry about being disturbed by outsiders. It¡¯s just reaching the Transcendence Realm in that place, his qi and cultivation base would be completely connected with the Ye Clan. He would be engraved with the brand of the Ye Clan and would live for the family, shackles that could never be broken away. ¡­ And this, he had already long expected it. And he did not plan to refuse it. It¡¯s just¡­ that was before seeing Ye Yunlan. The thunder fell on his body one by one. His body¡¯s qi was dissipated. Lightning fell on his body, accompanied by severe pain. In the thunderous roar, Ye Xuanguang suddenly remembered the majestic rainy night many years ago. He put his little brother, who had lost too much blood in his arms, on the back of the most well-behaved Yan Lin Beast he had tamed. The Yan Lin Beast rubbed his hand affectionately when he patted that Yan Lin Beast¡¯s head. He watched the Yan Lin beast flap its wings and fly past the vermilion palace wall, the endless structure he usually looked up to. Then, it disappeared into the vastness of the night. He looked at the night sky full of thunder. It was like a net covering the palace. He suddenly wanted to be with the Yanlin Beast, with his brother, and walk into the free, boundless night outside. But after? He was in a daze. He remembered that after returning, the Yanlin Beast was ordered to be executed by his father. The reason was that it left the palace without a direct order, thus lacking control. Later, he never raised a Yanlin Beast himself again. Thunder hit his back heavily. Ye Xuanguang lowered his head and let out a muffled grunt. Golden blood ran down from his lips. The blood hadn¡¯t even been wiped off yet when suddenly, the tip of his pupil shrank like a needle. He forced himself to twist his body to avoid it. At the same time, a dark red tip of a spear swept across his cheek. The surrounding Yanlin Beast Army was shocked¡ª¡ªsomeone passed through them? They needed to protect the prince! The nightmare beast king and the black cavalry glowing with black flames appeared out of the void, and their auras far surpassed the six realms of the mortal body. They had long approached the transcendence stage. ¡°What¡¯s that? Formations have been set up around Tianchi Mountain. How can this person avoid our formations and appear there?¡± The Ink Sect disciple Xiao Qing exclaimed. ¡°That is the Guardian of the Primordial Shadowmoon. Strictly speaking, it is no longer a human being.¡± Wang Daoyan¡¯s lazy expression was reduced when he explained this. When was there an extra book in his hand? Every disciple of the Ink Sect had a book that belonged to them. His book seemed to be thicker and heavier than the books of the other disciples. The writing within was chaotic. One was afraid that besides him, no one else could understand his writing. ¡°I¡¯ve heard Teacher say that this is the inside information of the Xingyue Dynasty. Once you use it, it will never give up its target.¡± Wang Daoyan sighed lightly, ¡°It seems that many people want this prince to die.¡± The Yan Lin beasts in the sky were in a commotion. Soldiers with sacred masks raised the flag of the Yaori array, ¡°All will obey the orders. Stand in front and protect the glory of our clan!¡± The soldiers shouted in unison: ¡°Yes!¡± The array quickly lined up in the sky. Hundreds of thousands of Yan Lin beasts with the same number of cultivators of the ascension stage created a formation. The Guardian of the Primordial Shadow Moon would also find it difficult to resist. The Shadowmoon guard in the black mask let out a hoarse voice, ¡°Fawu, what are you waiting for? Why are you not making a move?¡± A gentle voice came from the void. ¡°Unless it¡¯s necessary, this daoist doesn¡¯t want to kill.¡± Accompanied by the void ripples, the monk in the golden robe appeared surrounded by the Yanlin Beast. He stood on one foot, with a golden lotus on the tip of his toe. The other leg was slightly bent, pointed to the middle of his other leg. His eyes were closed, and his face was compassionate and merciful. ¡°My benefactors, killing is against my ideals. Why not join this poor monk in not concerning yourself with the world?¡± He snapped one of the beads on his neck with his fingers. The invisible ripples spread out and an illusory green lotus rippled in the void. The center of the holy lotus was a pale beauty¡¯s head. The beauty¡¯s head smiled at the Yaori soldiers, and the green lotus roots spread everywhere, entangling the formation of the Yaori soldiers. The soldiers wrapped in the lotus roots slowly stopped moving, their eyelids closed, and their faces all had a smile. They all seemed to have entered a deep dream. The formation was stopped. The Shadowmoon guard was no longer hindered. He drove the Black Flame Nightmare Beast King, picked up the long spear, and attacked Ye Xuanguang in the gap of the thunder calamity! Fast as lightning. The Demon Emperor Sword and the long spear interlaced, making an ear-splitting sound. Blood from Ye Xuanguang¡¯s lips flowed little by little and the Lin feather of the sword hilt pierced his palm, absorbing the power of his bloodline. His gold eyes were cold, ¡°You guys are so afraid of me that you won¡¯t hesitate to completely become enemies with our imperial clan?¡± The Shadow Moon guard said hoarsely: ¡°You dare to abolish my dynasty crown heir¡¯s meridian and cultivation base and wanted to cut off my family¡¯s line. This grudge will never end.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°In the battle of life and death, her skill was inferior, so what does it have to do with me?¡± He was too lazy to speak nonsense. The monk Fawu raised his palms towards him and slightly bowed, ¡°Coming this time, this poor monk had come himself. This poor monk thinks that Benefactor¡¯s body is too hostile and the edge is too sharp. It should be tempered, otherwise as far as the Western Continent is concerned, it will become a disaster.¡± Ye Xuanguang said coldly: ¡°You can say less of those pompous speeches. If you want to fight, you can fight.¡± He clenched the Demon Emperor Sword. The power of his rich bloodline was injected. Finally, a percentage of the power of this immortal tool reappeared. His body seemed to slowly rise to the majestic aura of the Demon Emperor back then. The Monk Fawu frowned, then he suddenly opened his eyes. There was only white in his eyes, no pupils. ¡°Your Royal Highness, excuse my impoliteness,¡± Fawu said. Immediately afterward, he did not wait for Ye Xuanguang to continue to gather his strength. Several green buddha beads bloomed and turned into huge vines to attack Ye Xuanguang. At the same time, the Demon Emperor Sword in Ye Xuanguang¡¯s hand made a loud phoenix cry. Powerful flames rose, shining half of the sky to be as crimson as blood. The dark clouds converged into a whirlpool, in which electric lights flickered. Boom¡ª¡ª! ¡ª¡ªOn the flying boat. Ye Yunlan felt something and looked towards Tianchi Mountain. A strange wave came from far away. It was like traveling back in time endlessly, and it brought him a strange familiarity. The Queying Sword trembled in his hand. A sword was the head of a hundred soldiers. Each sword had its own spirituality and arrogance, and it would also resonate with powerful beings of the same kind. The divine soldier who could make the Queying Sword tremble¡­ He looked at the Du Er Sword that Qiyun Jun had placed beside the bed. This sword was very silent, and the dark scabbard reflected the moonlight like snow. Since Qiyun Jun stepped into transcendence, there were not many people in the world worthy of him to draw his sword. At this moment, the Tai Qing Du Er Sword was also buzzing slightly. ¡°Who is crossing ascension?¡± Ye Yunlan asked. ¡°A member of the Yaori royal family.¡± Qiyun Jun said lightly. He leaned over and held the Tai Qing Du Er Sword in his palm, and the faint buzzing stopped. Ye Yunlan wanted to continue to ask, but he heard Qiyun Jun suddenly say: ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you yet, why are you on the flying boat of the Yaori royal family?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I was injured on Tianchi Mountain. It was the Yaori Crown Prince who bestowed me the sacred tree essence that saved me. Speaking of this, I still need to thank him.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°You are a disciple of Sky Sect, so you should return to Sky Sect¡¯s flying boat to heal your injuries.¡± He paused, and his thin lips curved in indifference. ¡°Don¡¯t mingle with the people of the Western Continent and create unnecessary karma.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The Yaori Crown Prince had used a sacred clan treasure to save me. No matter what, I should wait for him to cross ascension so I can personally thank him.¡± He already knew when Qiyun Jun told him a member of the Yaori imperial family was facing their ascension tribulation. When the royal family came to Tianchi Mountain this time, only one person could face their tribulation and shed their mortality. It was Ye Xuanguang. ¡­It¡¯s just, why is the time for Ye Xuanguang to cross his tribulation so much earlier than his previous life. Qiyun Jun frowned. After a while, he said: ¡°The karma of the sacred healing treasure, I will pay it off for you. You don¡¯t need to stay here.¡± Ye Yunlan felt a little surprised. It was already surprising that Qiyun Jun would forcefully heal his wounds for him these past few years, but this is clearly the karma from others healing him. Why does this person have to repay that person for him? Suddenly he heard thunder in the distance. Qiyun Jun disappeared from the room. Just like when he came, silently. Ye Yunlan had only raised his eyes when he saw the man in white with a high crown, standing sideways by the door quietly watching him. Ye Yunlan glanced around the empty room, then he turned to look at the sea of ??clouds billowing outside the window. Only at this time did he feel the inconvenience of lacking a cultivation base. He closed his eyes, and his temples jumped. There was a strange qi in the distance pulling him. It reminded him of the scorched land in his dream. The flying sparks and the huge desolate city. His heart was beating. He raised his hand to grasp the front of his jacket. His long eyelashes lowered. In his dark eyes, the golden color was constantly emerging and dimming. But no one could see it. Suddenly, the door was pushed open. Light slipped in, reflecting a rickety shadow by the door. The visitor wore a sacred mask on his face, and his hair was gray. It was Elder Xun. Ye Yunlan turned his face sideways. His black hair drooped down and his face was like frost and snow. He was sick and weak, but he was still beautiful. Elder Xun¡¯s heart moved. This person saved by His Highness was indeed¡­very similar to that one. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Are you here to see me?¡± He faintly asked, ¡°Are you asking me when I¡¯m leaving? Now that my injury is stable, I won¡¯t stay on the flying boat.¡± ¡°You are a guest of our Highness.It is up to you how long you want to stay in the flying boat. I have no comments.¡± Elder Xun said. ¡°It¡¯s just that someone wants to see you, so I don¡¯t know if the guest will do me the honor.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned slightly, his plain white long sleeves hung down as he supported his body. ¡°Who wants to see me?¡± Elder Xun didn¡¯t answer. He just clapped his hands, then there was an attendant pushing a flaming red spirit stone, one person high, into the room. The fiery red spirit stone was as smooth as a mirror, and Ye Yunlan¡¯s shadow reflected on it. Ye Yunlan watched quietly. Soon, the mirror slowly glowed red. His shadow dimmed, then what appeared in the mirror was another person¡¯s figure. The man was sitting on the throne, tall and stalwart, with a beaded curtain of an emperor¡¯s crown. His long and beautiful eyes looked at him, staring at him. After meeting the person in the mirror¡¯s gaze, Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingertips became slightly stiff and a little cold. In his previous life, after he was sent out of the Yaori Palace from his childhood, he never saw his blood father again. Even though he could remember this man, his impression of this man was very vague. It was perhaps during his childhood. He would always have to be far away to even get a glimpse of this person. It was the first time that Ye Yunlan saw the Ye Emperor up close. The Ye Emperor was really young, with an unparalleled appearance. If he stood with Ye Xuanguang, he would likely look more like the other¡¯s real brother than him. It was the Ye Emperor who spoke first. ¡°You recognize Zhen?¡± His tone was cold and determined. Ye Yunlan did not answer but said indifferently: ¡°I wonder why Your Majesty specially sent someone to use this technique to see me in this way?¡± Ye Emperor: ¡°Isn¡¯t it Zhen who should ask you why you deliberately approached Xuanguang?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s calm heart had a slight disturbance. He thought it was ridiculous. This absurdity made him want to laugh. But he felt that it was not worth getting angry. ¡°I don¡¯t understand what Your Majesty means?¡± He said. Ye Emperor: ¡°You don¡¯t understand, then how can you be on the flying boat that Xuanguang rides?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at the strange man in front of him. Even if he was almost face to face with him, he still couldn¡¯t feel the slightest blood connection with the other party to show they were related to each other. In his mind, the Ye Emperor was no different from any stranger. So he said coldly: ¡°When I was in a coma, I was rescued by His Highness, and thus I am in His Highness¡¯s Flying Boat. If Your Majesty doesn¡¯t like that, I can leave immediately.¡± The Ye Emperor did not comment. He didn¡¯t seem to think what he said was the truth. He just gave a warning: ¡°You have to be clear that your bloodline has been lost. You are no longer involved with our Yaori royal family anymore. Even if you want to come back, there is no place for you in the family.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with the Yaori royal family.¡± The Ye Emperor seemed to be choked by his answer. His brows lifted, and his icy complexion was covered with a cloud of gloom. His eldest son suddenly choosing to cross his tribulation and shed his mortality at this time was really beyond his expectations. Before this, Ye Xuanguang had never shown any strangeness to his various arrangements. His eldest son has always been the most outstanding heir he had cultivated. He had a stable heart and was responsible for his duties. The most important thing is that he had excellent talent, superior blood, and inherited his temperament. He was calm, cold-blooded, and able to serve the family to make the best choice. The Ye Emperor believed his teachings to Ye Xuanguang were perfect, so the reason why Ye Xuanguang suddenly changed must be related to the person he met. He looked at the face of the person opposite the mirror through the fire spirit stone. It was beautiful. Very similar to Tange. But compared to the beauty of Tange that was like fully bloomed peonies, this child was more like a cold snow lotus on a distant mountain. This is the child he asked his eldest son to deal with? He didn¡¯t expect him to survive in the world. And growing up to look like this? It¡¯s just that, no matter whether he was glamorous or cold, it is just a flower in the end. A flower is just a thing for people to look at and appreciate, but it is extraordinarily fragile. Gently strangle it, and it will die. ¡°You are a disciple of Sky Sect.¡± The Ye Emperor stated the facts he investigated. This was his only concern before he made a move. If Ye Yunlan was just an anonymous little cultivator, he wouldn¡¯t even have to see him. However, Ye Yunlan was an inner disciple of Sky Sect. Under the heavy blockade of the Primordial Families, Sky Sect¡¯s Sect Master was the first to step into the transcendence realm in nearly a hundred years. This was actually very difficult. That Sect Master¡¯s Tai Qing Du Er Sword in his hand, even he would have some apprehensions. Although he didn¡¯t think that the Sect Master would personally make a move because of an inner disciple, if some things can be avoided then they should be avoided. After all, this child¡¯s cultivation base has been abandoned. Why save him and waste his efforts? He remembered the news from Elder Xun. The child is more sick and weak than a mortal. He was wounded and needed a spirit elixir to hold his life, almost dying. The child was crippled. It will be difficult for him to become a threat to his son. However, even if it was just a minor threat, he didn¡¯t want it to stay in the world. He only had one son, and only this son can lead the Ye Clan to the top. This plan must be foolproof. Everything else is an obstacle. For the day when the Ye Clan regains its glory, the Ye Clan has been planning for it for countless years. Ye Yunlan: ¡°I am.¡± He answered, but his expression was a bit tired. For people he didn¡¯t want to pay attention to, he had always been stingy. Even if this person was his ¡°father¡± by blood. ¡°So, this is the basis for you to deliberately approach our clan now?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­?¡± The Ye Emperor didn¡¯t intend to speak more with him. He even completely tore away the peaceful tone in his words. ¡°I need you to swear that you will no longer be involved with the people of the Yaori Royal Family. From now on, you will completely stay away from the Ye Clan and no longer step into the Western Continent.¡± He said, ¡°If so, maybe Zhen can temporarily let go of your life.¡± Ye Yunlan felt ridiculous. In this life, he didn¡¯t want to be involved with the Yaori imperial clan. But it was good that the Ye Emperor rushed over to draw a clear line with him. Elder Xun walked over and placed a golden rune book in front of his eyes. This was the ¡°sacred contract¡± of the Ye Clan. The content was that he had to completely cut off his kinship and karma with the Ye Clan, and not set foot in the Western Continent in this life. The Yaori royal family on the other side of the contract did not have to sign any obligations. Ye Yunlan glanced at it blankly. ¡°To sever the relationship with your Ye Clan completely is exactly what I want.¡± ¡°Just,¡± he paused, ¡°Whether I step into the Western Continent or not, it is not your decision. After all, the Western continent is big and is not just the home of just your Ye Clan.¡± He no longer called him ¡°Your Majesty.¡± A long, cold gaze.. There was a sharp edge that came from his sickly state. His beauty was as piercing as a knife. Even the Ye Emperor, who had faced Ye Tange all year round, was unconsciously startled. He instinctively didn¡¯t dare to look closely at his own child. He only said: ¡°It will be in the future.¡± Ye Yunlan still did not move. Suddenly, a group of Yaori soldiers wearing masks walked in from outside the room and surrounded him. The Ye Emperor gave a gentle smile, ¡°Zhen really doesn¡¯t want to make a move on you. Sign the contract.¡± CH 45.2 Chapter 45 Evil Spirits Although he had a smile on his face, in reality, his heart was cold. There was one thing he didn¡¯t say. Even if the contract was signed. He didn¡¯t intend to really let this child go. He just wanted to use the sacred contract to sever his kinship with the Ye Clan. It was to let Ye Clan¡¯s destiny and luck completely belong to Ye Xuanguang. The possibility of it being occupied by another party will be gone. While him? The Yaori Hidden Guard sent by him was rushing over. One thing that the Yaori Hidden Guard was best at was dealing with people silently. Ye Xuanguang would not notice it. Sky Sect wouldn¡¯t notice it either. Ye Yunlan had already grasped his Queying Sword. The Queying Sword was trembling slightly under the influence of the magic weapon from the outside world, but the trembling amplitude slowly disappeared at his fingertips. He was ready to draw his sword. But suddenly, he heard a soft cry, ¡°¡­Lan Er!¡± The voice was like a lark. It came from the other side of the fire spirit stone. He saw a beautiful and soft figure appearing in the mirror. It was Ye Tange. When he was very young and hadn¡¯t been thrown into the remote place in the corner of the palace walls to live, although he rarely saw Ye Emperor, he remembered Ye Tange¡¯s hand holding him. It was soft and warm. But that was a memory from too long ago. On the blood altar, Ye Tange didn¡¯t stop Ye Emperor from doing anything. Ye Tange looked at him through the spirit stone. In the past, they were like the eyes of a pool of spring water. Now, it seemed that there was a little light inside. ¡°Lan Er.¡± She yelled again softly. Her expression was still very gentle, but a teardrop silently slipped down her beautiful cheek. Ye Emperor turned his head, frowned slightly. He took pity and wiped the end of her eyes with his finger. ¡°Why did you cry so suddenly?¡± ¡°Your Majesty¡­¡± Ye Tange¡¯s curled eyelashes trembled lightly. She didn¡¯t speak, but there was a soft plea in her eyes. When the Ye Emperor looked at her, he couldn¡¯t help thinking back to the blood altar. Ye Tange looked at him in the same way, making him neglect his eldest son. Now, he couldn¡¯t deal with this child like he originally wanted to . After all, it is best to have benevolence towards a woman. Ye Emperor thought about it, then he carefully helped Ye Tange wipe away the teardrops from the end of her eyes: ¡°He must sign this contract.¡± ¡°Chen Qie knows that Your Majesty is thinking for our clan. But, but¡­¡± Ye Tange still had tears dripping from the end of her eyes. Ye Emperor didn¡¯t clean her tears this time and felt a little irritable. Ye Tange was always nice and pleasant. But occasionally, she would be a bit unruly and headstrong in an untimely manner. Maybe he doted on her too much? ¡°Tan Ge,¡± He said slowly, ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make the guards force him. He has suffered enough. Not to mention, he, after all, he is my¡­¡± Ye Tange bit her red lips but didn¡¯t dare to say the word. Ye Emperor squeezed her chin and frowned, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± He looked at the other side of the fire spirit stone. ¡°Do you want to sign the contract willingly?¡± He said coldly. Ye Yunlan only stared at the beautiful woman in the image who was both familiar and unfamiliar. Besides taking a deep look at him at the beginning, Ye Tange only looked at the Ye Emperor intently. He retracted his gaze and said calmly: ¡°I can completely cut off the karma with the Ye Clan, but whether I will step into the Western Continent in the future is my own business. No one in the world is qualified to restrain me.¡± Ye Emperor slightly narrowed his eyes, revealing the danger they concealed. Ye Yunlan looked back at him calmly, not avoiding his eye contact. He has to say¡­this child was very similar to Tan Ge. Ye Emperor thought. The tear-stained face of a beautiful woman within his arms came into his mind. Although the child was expressionless, his complexion was paler and weaker than that of Tan Ge. The scarlet mole under his eye was like a tear of blood that could not be wiped clean. It hurts people¡¯s hearts. Ye Emperor covered the end of Ye Tange¡¯s eyes and wiped her tears with his fingertips. In the end, it is dao. ¡°¡­Elder Xun, erase the last line.¡± Looking at the revised sacred contract, Ye Yunlan looked indifferent. He turned his head and bit his fingertips. Then, red blood dripped on the golden contract paper. The blood seeped into the pages of the book. At the same time, the Ye Emperor¡¯s heart jumped. There seemed to be unspeakable anxiety in his heart. Was it an illusion? Ye Tange was leaning against him, with tears in her long eyelashes. There seemed to be a smile and misery in her misty eyes. But Ye Xuanguang, who was crossing the tribulation, suddenly felt his wrist shake. The Demon Emperor¡¯s Sword was leaning forward, and the black spear in front almost pierced him. The huge thunder calamity and the ferocious and powerful enemies did not make him show a sign of weakness, but at this moment, his sharp, golden eyes showed a bit of grief. He didn¡¯t know where this sadness came from. But it was more real than what he felt on the rainy night more than 20 years ago. Before that sacred contract. After Ye Yunlan finished dripping his blood, he got up and didn¡¯t look at the image transmitted from the fire spirit stone again. Elder Xun asked: ¡°Where is the guest going?¡± He said: ¡°Leaving here.¡± ¡ª¡ª Shen Shu was climbing on the ascension steps. He didn¡¯t know how many hours had passed in the outside world, but he just wanted to hurry. The blue flower that the mountain spirit handed him was placed in his shirt, close to his chest. The mountain spirit had already told him that the name of this flower was called longevity. Longevity Flower. A very nice name. He thought. When he saw his Master, he must tell him that this flower was beautiful, and he really likes it. He had been tested many times in the ascension steps. There were competitions between other people who climbed the ascension steps, and there were also tests of various formations. And every time he was exhausted, he would take out the longevity flower in his arms and take a closer look. Looking at the bloodstain, he couldn¡¯t help having his eyes turn red. He didn¡¯t even dare to think about what happened to his master¡¯s injury. Although the ascension step is only a mountain road in the communication stream, it seemed to contain countless landscape changes in the world. It was as if one was traveling thousands of miles in the world. He also encountered many ancient ghosts in the formation. These ghosts had already dispersed their hostility in Tianchi Mountain and taught him a lot of knowledge. It¡¯s just that there was a Primordial Demon Soul, whose obsession was not extinguished and kept following him. For a long time, they were entangled. It was clearly about to dissipate, but it still looked mad and insisted on teaching him a demonic technique. It¡¯s just that he had already promised his master that he will not go astray in this life. Even if he has made some arrangements without telling his master in private, he would not really practice any demonic techniques. It was already good like this. Above the ascension steps, the position of the sun and the moon was constant. At first, only the stars and the moon could be seen. But if one more goes up, one will gradually be able to see the sun¡¯s scorching eyes through the clouds. Shen Shu realized that he was about to reach the exit. At this time, there was no longer a stone step under his feet but a ladder. The surrounding white clouds were immersed in the orange-red sunlight, the sunlight blazing. ¡­Is this the Floating Cloud Summit? Even if he was about to succeed, Shen Shu was still cautious. One hundred steps. Only when one reaches ninety steps is it considered the halfway point. Master once taught him this principle. Among the clouds, a huge sea of ??flowers suddenly appeared in front of him. Under the shining orange-red sun, the endless flowers were in full bloom and swaying as beautifully as a dream. There was a qin sound spiraling upwards. The sound of the qin was cold as if it was passing over the mountains of flowing water and the snowy forest and sea. It carried the natural wind of the heavens and the earth as if coming from a remote realm. It was lonely yet gentle. So familiar. Shen Shu was in a daze for a moment. He remembered sitting in the study for countless afternoons over the years. He had watched the man sitting in front of the qin. His long eyelashes hung down, and his hands touched the qin. Similar. Those were the peaceful years he cherished so much. If he could, he wanted to sit there and listen to the qin. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to listen to it for a lifetime. A breeze blew on his face, bringing an intoxicating fragrance of flowers. It didn¡¯t make the person become sober but instead made the person sink more¡­ into the sweet oblivion. The sound of the qin lingered in his ears. The fragrance changed more and more slowly. It seemed to smell of apricot blossoms. Light and slightly sweet. He opened his eyes. What entered his eyes was a wooden beam roof. He closed his eyes. A few apricot blossoms floated in from the window and fell on his neck. Very light. Very soft. He got up from the hard wooden bed and looked around in confusion. The warm sunlight came in from outside the window. Everything in the house had a familiar strangeness. The wooden tables, wooden stools, kitchen countertops, and the bamboo baskets in the corner contained a basket of dried apricot blossoms. There were also tools such as hatchets and shovels. In the back was the bed where he slept. The wooden tables and benches were finely spread with brocade cloth, and the things on the stovetop were also neatly arranged. The bed was soft, leaking a warm smell from being shone on by the sun, mixed with a hint of apricot blossoms. This was clearly a mortal residence. But it looked so warm. He got off the bed and walked two steps, then found something uncomfortable. He didn¡¯t¡­ seem this tall before. However, he¡­ who was he? He shook his head. With a creak, he pushed open the door of the room. The outside was a courtyard filled with warm sunshine. There was a pile of dry wood not yet cut by the wall. There were wooden racks for drying clothes in the open space, and on it, dried clothes were floating in the wind. In the corner, there was a very tall apricot tree. Its dense shade covered a corner of the courtyard. The shadow of the tree swayed. Someone was lying on a wicker chair underneath the tree. He held his breath. From his perspective, he could only see the man wearing a plain white gown. His dark hair was like a waterfall, and his fingertips hanging beside the wicker chair were as pale as snow. The man sank in the mottled shadow of the tree, like a dream among floating lights. As if possessed, he couldn¡¯t help but walk over. His footsteps were very light, lest he would wake the man up. Before approaching, he was taken aback. He saw a silver mask covering the man¡¯s face. He couldn¡¯t see his face clearly. The man¡¯s neck was slender. However, there were black burning scars winding down, destroying the original whiteness and flawlessness. But even so. His heart was stunned. He wanted to reach out to touch it but slowly withdrew his hand. He squatted beside that person. It was like as long as he looked at this person, a strange softness would fill his heart. He didn¡¯t know how long it took before he saw the man¡¯s fingers trembling slightly. Then, he slowly woke up. Subconsciously, he whispered. ¡°¡­Senior Immortal.¡± The dark eyes looking at him from behind the mask were like lustrous, translucent jade. It also had a bit of mistiness from when you just woke up. Countless mottled lights and shadows were immersed in the person¡¯s eyes, but when he looked at him, it all turned into gentleness that flowed silently. ¡°Why stay by my side again?¡± The man asked softly. He couldn¡¯t help taking this man¡¯s hand again. The hand was pale and soft. Even though the sun was warm, it still had a coldness that was hard to fade. He held that hand, a little stubbornly, trying to keep him warm. He smiled, ¡°Because I like looking at you.¡± Because of the mask, he couldn¡¯t see the person¡¯s expression. But he was keenly aware of a light red appearing on the tip of the person¡¯s ears. It was just a little red, but he could tell his heart was shaking. His blood was surging. Obviously, he had been with this person for many years. However, at this moment, he was still as excited as a teenager. With a thought, he put one knee on the wicker chair, leaned over, and gently hugged the person¡¯s body. ¡°Your body is so cold, Senior Immortal.¡± He whispered while leaning on the man¡¯s shoulder. He sniffed the cold and gentle fragrance. The man¡¯s thin and flexible body was under him. He felt his head dizzy as if he was about to explode. He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°I want you to be warmer, okay?¡± The man was like jade. His lustrous black eyes looked at him quietly. Then, that soft hand stroked his head, gently rubbing it. ¡°Okay.¡± The joy and softness in his heart exploded like fireworks. He wanted to lean in for a deep kiss but felt that he was falling. The wind rang in his ears. He opened his eyes and saw the sky full of¡­ statues of Buddhas. The expressions of those statues were merciful, smiling, or angered. There were numerous. But because there were too many, it appeared very strange. The feeling of falling stopped. He realized that he seemed to have reached a dark and unknown place. There was no wind and no light. Every time he took a step, the sound of footsteps would echo, trembling through the darkness. He looked towards the dome. There was a glimmer of light far away. But the distance was far, far away. Where is this? His eyesight was good enough to see everything in the dark. This seemed to be the bottom of a pagoda. There were countless statues of Gods and Buddhas engraved on the wall of the tower. The bottom layer was engraved with carvings too. However, the carvings were completely different from the above. It was of hideous ghosts and blazing flames. The karma of h*ll burning countless evil spirits. Their expressions were horrifying, hideous and evil, as if condensing all the ugliness in the world. On the tower wall, a very narrow spiral staircase winded up to the distant light above. And at the bottom of the staircase, a person was sitting there. If he didn¡¯t really see it himself, he would never have noticed that there was actually a person in this dark place. How could he describe the person sitting by the stairs? Basically, he was like a pile of scattered bones. There was no vitality, and even his breathing was inaudible. His footsteps were obvious, but the person still seemed to be ignorant of it. He thought for a while, then used the remaining spiritual power in his body to ignite flames. This time, the person finally reacted. The person¡¯s eyes seemed to have not seen light for a long time. He looked at him like moths throwing themselves at a fire. Tears were provoked by the fire, continuing to flow in that person¡¯s dark and hollow eyes. The man had a dark and ugly face burnt by the fire. It was even more hideous than the evil spirits engraved on the wall. That person quietly looked at the fire and him. It was difficult for him to describe the look in the other party¡¯s eyes, but he felt that the other party regarded him as an illusory dream. ¡­¡­That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t blink and looked at him quietly. Look. Nevertheless, the man still spoke. His voice was dry and hoarse as if he hadn¡¯t spoken for a long time, like a broken wooden qin. It didn¡¯t sound good. The man spoke softly. ¡°My Lord, you are here.¡± CH 46 Chapter 46 Doll Lord? Is the one calling him that person sitting in the dark corner? He walked over. The man stared at him silently, as if he was witnessing a fleeting dream. The firelight came closer. The person¡¯s appearance became clearer in his eyes. The man was wearing a black robe, but it was old and tattered. He was almost unclothed. Pale and thin limbs hung loosely under the broken clothing. That pale color, even in the orange flame, couldn¡¯t receive the slightest warmth. Dark scars snaked across the man¡¯s face, terrifying and hideous. Upon closer inspection, there did not seem to be any injuries on the person¡¯s body. However, there were many dark red blood scars and dust sticking to his bare skin. Limbs, clavicle, neck. They were everywhere. With his sharp eyes, he accidentally caught a glimpse of something shattered on the ground next to him, scattered around. His pupils shrank. One couldn¡¯t help letting their mind run wild.. He walked over to him, knelt on one knee, and held the person in his arms. ¡­¡­So skinny. How can you be so thin, he thought. The bulging bones poking into him made him lose his mind. It made his heart, liver, spleen, stomach, and lungs hurt. Moreover, this person didn¡¯t even show a trace of resistance. His long black hair collapsed downward, and the man fell into his arms like a broken doll. Then, he let out a mutter. ¡°My Lord¡­¡± He was only calling out. But his voice seemed to be sharpened by sharp knives until it was rough and husky. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he said. The person in his arms continued the repetition: ¡°Lord¡­¡± The other party raised his head and stared at him, his eyes focused. But the bottom of his eyes was very dark and empty. He vaguely sensed something wrong. But he dared not think too deeply. He replied: ¡°¡­I am here.¡± However, the person in his arms had no response to what he said. His pale, thin hands gripped the front of his clothes like the flowers that grew alongside a corpse. There was a bit of a lifeless coldness. ¡°Lord¡­¡± ¡°Senior Immortal, I¡¯m here.¡± He clasped the other party¡¯s hand. The hand in the center of his was thin and pointy, and it was not as soft as when he touched it under the almond blossom tree. His voice repeated hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m right by your side.¡± He leaned in and hugged the body in his arms tighter, trying to transfer some of his body temperature over. The person in his arms trembled violently as if he was being scalded. Then, there was complete silence. Like a puppet inside its shell with exhausted spirit stones. ¡°Senior Immortal, I will take you out of here.¡± He said. The person in his arms did not respond. There was a deep silence within his dark eyes. He had never seen such a look in the eyes of the living. There was such a strong¡­ sense of death in his eyes. The other party¡¯s consciousness seemed to have fallen into the realm of the dead, and what remained in the world was just a mutilated body. Like everything he saw was nothing but an illusion left before his death. ¡°It¡¯s not an illusion,¡± he said, ¡°Senior Immortal, look at me.¡± He held the other party¡¯s thin jaw and stared at his face. In the flames, that face was dark and ugly. It was like a ghost born of darkness and filth, And his body was so thin that it was just a pile of white bones in his arms. He stared quietly for a while, then he lifted the mask on his face halfway, leaned in, and kissed him. ¡°Mm¡­¡± A damp and ambiguous sound rang out. The dark and hollow eyes of the person in his arms slowly widened. He kissed the other party¡¯s lips, and said in a low voice: ¡°Look at me, feel me, rely on me.¡± ¡°I am here, not an illusion.¡± ¡ª¡ª The foot of Tianchi Mountain. Ye Yunlan walked out of the flying boat. Elder Xun¡¯s voice came from behind. ¡°Right now, Tianchi Mountain is facing troubling times. If I were you, I would leave as soon as possible after you recuperate a bit. You don¡¯t want to go through this pool of muddy water again.¡± Ye Yunlan looked back at the rickety old man behind him. The sacred mask covering the other party¡¯s face made it difficult to discern their true intention. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Thank you for the reminder.¡± Elder Xun didn¡¯t say anything more. He closed the hatch, and the flying boat became hidden in the void. Ye Yunlan stood at the foot of Tianchi Mountain, looking up at a distant place. Dark clouds were gathering. Lightning and thunder lashed down, while the sky was red with fire. The booming sounds could still be heard even if there was a long-distance in-between. Many cryptic fluctuations spread from all parts of Tianchi Mountain. With Queying in his hand, the Death Nirvana sword intent in his body cheered for the killing of the mountain¡¯s creatures. However, his Queying sword made a low rumbling sound. It resisted his evil sword intent. Ye Yunlan stretched out his hand and gently soothed the blade of his Queying Sword. His appearance was still indifferent. Instead of heeding Elder Xun¡¯s warning, he stepped up onto Tianchi Mountain¡¯s path again. The road up the mountain was winding and far. He chanted Nian Er¡¯s name a few times in a low voice. Without a response, he walked alone in silence. The winding mountain road was like spiraling stairs. The wind passed over his empty robe, making his fingers feel a little cold. He suddenly missed him a little, missed when that man covered him with his palms and rubbed his fingertips. The wind was dull, and the lightning lingered. The roar of thunder echoed in the mountains in the distance. Suddenly, there was a clear cry of swords. Queying was already out of the sheath. In front of Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes, there was a thin golden thread. The thread stretched out was very straight and sharp. He didn¡¯t doubt that as long as he walked half a step more, the thin thread would cut his throat and separate it from his body. Ye Yunlan stared at this thin thread, and the tip of his pupil seemed to reflect a little bit of a golden color. He turned his head to the void in one direction and said coldly: ¡°Come out.¡± ¡ª¡ªThe bottom of the tower. He finally let go of the jaw belonging to the man in his arms. The person in his arms was panting. The originally dark and hollow eyes were as wet as hazy rain. It was a small amount of rain, not enough to water the land that had dried up for years. In front of him, this person now had a more moist, soft, and vibrant appearance. ¡ª¡ªHe wanted to bring this man back to the sun. He tried to carry this person on his back but found that this person¡¯s hands and feet were too weak. The hands around his shoulders looked fragile, like dry flower branches. It was as if they would break upon touch. He had to tear out the cloth from his own body and tie the man to his back to hold him firmly in place. Then, he stood up and walked up the endless winding staircase beside the tower wall. The stairs were very narrow and steep. There was no railing, and it was made of gray stones. It seemed that this stone ladder was not designed for people to pass through from the beginning. Each level of the stone ladder could only stand half a foot at most, and between the first level of the stone ladder and the other levels, it was almost the height of an adult¡¯s calf. This meant that after stepping on the stone ladder, there would almost be no place to rest. One could only keep going up. ¡­Or use one¡¯s hands and feet on the stone ladder. But if you are not careful, one would roll down the stone ladder. There is no railing beside the stone ladder. He seemed to understand where the bloodstains on this person¡¯s body and the scattered things on the ground came from. The spiritual power remaining in his body had been exhausted when the flame lit. His imprisoned cultivation base couldn¡¯t be used. One floor, two floors, three floors¡­ The evil spirits at the bottom of the tower burned by the fire of karma slowly moved away. Then, they were replaced by the gaze of the gods and the Buddhas. Staring from the tower, they were extremely small. He didn¡¯t look at the weird Buddha sculptures but walked up silently, looking at the person. Sweat dripped from his face drop by drop. He was breathing heavily. It seemed to have been a very, very long, long time since he had this face. Suddenly the person behind him trembled slightly. At first, he didn¡¯t notice it. But as the light from the high spot slowly approached, the person on his back trembled more. His thin fingers grabbed his shoulders convulsively. A small cry came from behind. ¡°It hurts so much¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t¡­ go up again¡­¡± CH 47 Chapter 47 Morning Light The person behind his back was shaking. Five spasming fingers clasped his shoulders. He was like a kitten whimpering with his crying voice. He stopped. Except in bed, he rarely saw this person cry. He knew that although this person looked soft and docile, he was actually stronger than most people in the world. He was familiar with being silent, patient, and enduring it all. However, once he was attached to something, he would not surrender and step aside. He had wanted to break the other party¡¯s hard shell multiple times to look at the other party¡¯s soft inside. It¡¯s just that in the end, he couldn¡¯t bear it. But at this moment, this person¡¯s shell was finally crushed. All the fragility and panic displayed in front of him, but he had no desire to appreciate it at all. He only wanted to draw his sword and smash the corpse of all the people who had hurt this person. ¡°Senior Immortal,¡± he said, trying his best to control the overflowing hostility and his breathing. He said in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± The person behind him only repeated: ¡°It hurts¡­ it hurts¡­¡± He was silent for a moment, then asked: ¡°Will you feel pain if you go up again?¡± ¡°It hurts¡­¡± ¡°I will fall¡­it hurts¡­¡± The words of the person behind him were messy and shattered, his voice very low. He had to listen very carefully to barely hear that little statement. Just one little statement. But it made his fist clench so hard that it was about to bleed. Yes. Unlike him, a monster born from darkness and filth, humans were born longing for light. The stone ladder was the only way to escape the tower, so this person had to try climbing it. But then he saw this man sitting next to the stone ladder like a corpse, his bare skin stained with blood, and bones scattered on the ground. Even if the wound was no longer visible on this person, he could imagine it. ¡ª¡ªThis person had been extremely close to the sky before but fell and had his bones broken. More than once. The climbing process was extremely long, but it only took a moment to fall. How many times did this person repeat this, climbing up then falling down, before he became this broken? He dared not think too deeply on this. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± he said, ¡°¡­It won¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± ¡°I will take you out, leave here, then go to a place with sunshine. The breeze and vegetation there are gentle. You can live freely, go see the scenery you want, and do what you want to do.¡± He said this as he took another step. Suddenly, he felt a pain in his shoulder. The person behind him bit him with an open mouth. He wasn¡¯t angry. He laughed. ¡°Bite down,¡± he said, ¡°If it makes you feel better.¡± His heavy footsteps echoed in the darkness. With his low voice, he continued with what he said . ¡°¡­After you go out, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to move. I¡¯ll accompany you.¡± ¡°We can find a place to live in seclusion, away from the disturbances of the outside world. At that time, you can lie on a wicker chair and bask in the sun. I¡¯ll be by your side, watching you.¡± He seemed to think of some happy scene, then laughed. ¡°I remember you like to eat sweet cakes. After we go out, I can make them for you myself.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t laugh at me if they¡¯re bad.¡± It was unclear how long it had been. The person behind him stopped sobbing and biting him. Thin arms trembled around his neck, entangled with him. The gentle breathing was soft and thin, puffing over his neck and shoulders. He looked up. The sky was close. ¡ª¡ª¡±Come out.¡± Along with Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold halt, a golden crack appeared out of thin air where he was looking. ¡°Your perception is very keen.¡± A hoarse voice that couldn¡¯t be distinguished between a man, woman, or child came out. In the crack, a figure wearing a sacred mask and riding a fire Luan gradually emerged. He was wearing red armor, but his style looked much more ancient than the Yaori soldiers Ye Yunlan had seen. His body aura was very powerful, far beyond the six realms of the mortal body. ¡°Since you have such a keen perception,¡± the Yaori secret guard said, ¡°You should know that in the face of absolute strength, your wings have already been pierced, and you cannot escape.¡± It was expected. He didn¡¯t regard the Ye Emperor as his father. But the Ye Emperor going back on his word and sending someone to remove him even after signing the sacred contract made Ye Yunlan feel unwell. Ye Yunlan clung to his Queying sword. His sword reflected the lightning in the sky, and his voice was cold, ¡°I only perceive that you have a disgusting, rotting aura.¡± The difference between the dead and the living was the smell of soaking in immortal rotting flower sap for years to maintain one¡¯s body and soul. This is the ¡°inside secret¡± of the Ye Clan. Yaori Secret Guard: ¡°Ignorant children can only take advantage of others with their mouths.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Ye Xuanguang is still crossing his tribulation. The Ye Emperor sent you, not to help the Crown Prince of the Ye Clan, but on the contrary, to take my life first?¡± The Yaori Secret Guard said coldly: ¡°As long as I get rid of you, His Highness will be the only destined one of the Ye Clan. He will succeed in the tribulation.¡± ¡°Destined.¡± Ye Yunlan whispered and repeated the word. His cold expression revealed his mockery of this statement. As for Ye Xuanguang¡¯s tribulation, the Yaori Secret Guard stopped talking nonsense with him. On his fire Luan, he merged his palms and formed a curse seal. The eyes behind his mask were faintly golden under the curse mark. ¡°The sky is a prison. The Demon Lord will condemn anyone who violates my Ye Clan. Please, sacred wood phoenix, lend me your strength and use the line of cause and effect to obliterate this person.¡± As the curse of the Yaori Secret Guard fell, countless gold silk threads abrupted from the void, stretching towards Ye Yunlan! The Yaori Secret Guard did not take another look. He turned around with his expressionless face, driving his fire Luan to rush to where the prince was crossing his calamity. He knew that Ye Yunlan was bound to die. From the moment Ye Yunlan signed the sacred contract and completely severed his relationship with the Ye Clan, his death was set in stone. The sacred wood phoenix will no longer protect him. Under the line of cause and effect, his existence will be completely eliminated from the world. No one will even remember his name. This is the shield left by the Demon Lord Divine Phoenix to the Ye Clan. It has been passed on for thousands of years and has helped the Ye Clan deal with many difficult opponents. Although the cost was huge¡ª¡ª it was worth it. Ye Yunlan stared at these golden threads, his face as cold as ice. The rich, death nirvana intent was deep in his eyes. He had no spiritual power. Although he can slash all living things with a sword, he cannot slash through dead things like the line of cause and effect that has no vitality. The only way out was to activate a forbidden technique and force his realm to rise to void tracing realm in one go¡ª¡ª but he didn¡¯t know whether his present body could withstand the immense power even for a moment¡ªhis Queying word uttered a mournful cry. No. He focused his eyebrows and stopped the forbidden technique. His heart was pounding. In a rush, blood flowed all over his body. There were countless golden threads reflected in his constricted pupil, cold and sharp, but why? Why is it¡­so familiar? In the dark, he had a strong premonition. These things couldn¡¯t hurt him. And it doesn¡¯t stop there. There was also a wave of deep anger as if coming from the depths of endless time and space, making his blood surge. It was difficult to stop. The Yaori Secret Guard was about to soar off with his fire Luan when he heard a cold voice coming from behind him. ¡°You are so anxious. Where do you want to go?¡± The author has something to say: Later, the Ye clan who finally learned the truth: What stupid thing did we do? My emperor, please love me again. Master: In the next life. CH 48 Chapter 48 Dilemma He slowly stepped onto the last stone steps, still carrying the person on his back. As if he crossed an invisible barrier, the darkness in the tower dissolved away, and the sky¡¯s light poured down. He could hear the sudden rapid breathing of the person behind him. The hands and arms around his neck tightened, and the skinny body trembled slightly against his back. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid,¡± he soothed in a low voice. The top of the tower was empty, surrounded by ancient tall pillars rising upwards while the opposing pillars connected to form a semi-spherical shape. It was like a birdcage, dividing the blue sky overhead. There was a huge and mysterious formation engraved on the ground. The formation was composed of countless golden runes, which made people dizzy at first glance. The exit of the stone ladder was the center of the formation. Someone stood on the edge of the top of the tower, his back facing them. On top of the tower, there was a man with silver hair and a high crown. The wind lifted his snow-white crane cloak. His hands hung beside him, holding a sheathed black longsword. The qi of the other party seemed to have perfectly integrated into heaven and earth. It was difficult to spot any flaws. He knew that the other party was the ¡°tower guard¡± of this tower. ¡°Since you have gone down, you shouldn¡¯t have come up again,¡± The tower guard said with a cold voice. His voice was like ice that will never melt. ¡°¨CWhy aren¡¯t you bringing him over?¡± The person on his back seemed to tremble even more. Now, anger raged in the bottom of his heart. It was the anger that first accumulated from seeing this person at the bottom of the tower. He raised his hostile eyes and said coldly: ¡°What does that have to do with you?¡± ¡°I have suppressed him in the Pagoda for a hundred years,¡± The tower guard said, ¡°It¡¯s my responsibility to eliminate demons and to eliminate evil.¡± ¡°Ha,¡± He sneered. ¡°You people in the Dao sect say that you want to eliminate the demons and defend the dao, but why couldn¡¯t they directly kill this Lord back then? Why did they take this innocent person beside this Lord and imprison them?¡± ¡°Innocent?¡± The tower guard turned around. His pupils reflected the colour of the blue sky. Crystal clear with no desire or pity. The tower guard said lightly. ¡°He is not innocent.¡± ¡°As a Daoist, he willingly fell into the devil¡¯s way. Using his flesh as a vessel to serve the demons, he developed a demonic body and became a lap dog for the demonic sect. He took the side of the evil-doers.¡± ¡°He broke the Northern Territory boundary enchantment. This act allowed the demonic sect to drive straight in. The Nine Turn Refining Array was destroyed by him alone, allowing you to escape. Hundred years of chaos caused rivers of blood to flow in the human world. ¡°Even when he was suppressed at the Buddha Pagoda and his demonic body had been knocked down to the bottom of the tower, shattered several times, his devilish thoughts were undiminished. His demonic heart was too hard to remove¡ª¡± ¡°But the person who forced him into the demonic sect was this Lord!¡± He suddenly interrupted, ¡°The one who forced him to destroy the enchantment of the Northern Territory was this Lord. The one who created a bloodbath in the Northern Territory and caused harm to the world was this Lord! Only the Nine Turn Refining Array, only the Nine Turn Refining Array¡­ I did not expect that he would¡­ for me¡­¡± At this moment, he was silent, but his eyes were flushed red. After a long while, he said hoarsely. ¡°Ji Suyue, he was also a disciple of your Sky Sect, who had practiced in Sky Sect for decades. As the Sect Master, can¡¯t you see through his nature?¡± The tower guard said indifferently, ¡°Since he was expelled and has left Sky Sect, he has no relationship with my Sky Sect anymore.¡± ¡°What ¡®no relationship¡¯.¡± He said coldly. He turned his head, ¡°Before this, this Lord has agreed with you that as long as this Lord seals his cultivation and breaks through the ten thousand restrictions outside the Buddha Tower, I can see him alive personally. Now that I have seen him and I have saved the person, shouldn¡¯t you¡ªmake your move?¡± The tower guard did not immediately answer. There were void ripples in the place he was looking at. Someone caressed their palms and smiled: ¡°The Demon Lord already knows the plan, yet still has the courage to come. This is truly admirable.¡± The voice fell, and two people walked out of the void. One of them looked handsome, with endless stars in his eyes. His body had a misty aura, only faintly discernible. The other was wearing a robe, eyes closed, and had one palm on his chest. His scarlet gaze fixed on the person who spoke. He sneered: ¡°Chen Weiyuan, back then, you received a sword from this Lord on Duanwang Mountain and fled in embarrassment. Hiding in your Tianji array for nearly a hundred years, are you finally not shrinking your head like a tortoise? You look like a grasshopper, jumping in front of this Lord. Do you honestly want this Lord to compliment you for being so courageous?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s complexion was slightly stiff, but he quickly recovered: ¡°The Demon Lord is joking. Me coming here this time, one, is to help my fellow Dao Sect to put an end to the chaos completely. Second, I really missed my wife and wanted to see him.¡± He smiled faintly, ¡°Even though he has committed a big mistake, we have been in love with each other for dozens of years. After this chaos is over, I will ask the Sect Master for forgiveness and take him home so that he can be watched over.¡± ¡°Shut your mouth!¡± His eyes were full of hostility: ¡°Chen Weiyuan, don¡¯t even dare to think to do that.¡± Chen Weiyuan was still smiling, but when his eyes moved behind him, he paused for a moment. Then, he turned his head to the side to speak to the monk: ¡°Master Fawu, it¡¯s time.¡± Fawu nodded. Turning around again, he bowed to him and said: ¡°Amitabha Buddha. This benefactor has boundless evil karma, and the cycle of karma in the world has reached the time when the benefactor needs to pay it off.¡± He said coldly: ¡°Stop talking nonsense, just make your move.¡± In a flash, Fa Wu smashed the Buddha beads on his neck, and a burst of blue light penetrated the void: ¡°If the demon soul does not die, the demon body will not dull. Ordinary methods can¡¯t suppress the demonic star. Please, Immortal Venerable and pavilion master, and everyone else, please help this poor monk to form the Zhou Tian Star Battle formation!¡± Chen Weiyuan smiled and nodded. An astrolabe appeared in his hand, drawing thousands of stars to reflect into the array and slowly disappear. The tower guardian¡¯s longsword came out of its sheath. Stepping into the void, he sank into the great heavenly formation. At the same time, the golden formations at the soles of his feet lit up. The endless air current swept through, and the birdcage made of stone pillars broke. The strong wind formed a new cage, and the sky darkened. He was carrying a person on his back, standing on the top of the tower, and looking around. The Buddha Pagoda was located at the highest point of the Western Continent Mountain Range. From where he stood, almost half of the Western Continent could be seen. He saw countless points of light flying in the sky. Thousands of daoist cultivators were controlling magical weapons, merging into the formation. Each of them became one of the thousands of stars in the formation, like moths to fire. In the vast wilderness of the Western Continent, countless flags swayed, with the Buddha Tower as the center. The armies of the ancient tribes already settled under the tower. There were enemies all over. And he carried a person behind him, his body exhausted of spiritual power. He had used his self-sealed cultivation base to break through the ten thousand restrictions outside the Buddha Tower. This act consumed his soul¡¯s power, depleting it to its lowest level. It¡¯s just that a Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body trained to great success is essentially an immortal body. No formation can limit him besides the Nine Turn Refining Demon Array that used the Heavenly Demon Bone as a sacrifice in the past ¡ª¡ª now that the Heavenly Demon Bone has been destroyed, so what if there is the Zhou Tian Star Battle formation? Even if it is powerful, if he is willing to abandon his demon body and escape with his demonic mind into the void, he will naturally be able to escape. ¡­ But, the person behind him will be completely destroyed in the formation. This is the trap they set up for him. On the high tower, night smothered the sunlight. Thousands of cultivators plunged into the large array, and the shining starlight was a precursor to the opening of the yellow springs of h*ll. The person behind him stopped trembling at some point. Five pale, thin fingers clasped his shirt. They felt like a flower branch about to wither. ¡°Lord.¡± The person behind him called out. His voice was hoarse, cold, and exhausted. It was as if there was a difficult dream to awaken from. ¡°¡­Put me down and get out of here.¡± CH 49 Chapter 49 Lifting the Seal Will be a bit busy the next few weeks due to a big exam I need to study for, so updates might be a bit slower!!! Sorry for any inconvenience! The night was dark. Thick shadows covered his back. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± He raised his hand in front of his clothes, grasped tightly onto the skinny hand, and said viciously, ¡°Senior Immortal, don¡¯t you dare leave me again.¡± The hand in his palm was thin and cold. He was a little grateful that he had used cloth strips to tie this person securely to his body. With the current strength of the other party, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get rid of it. ¡ª¡ªIf reason didn¡¯t stop him, he wanted to even knead this person into his flesh and blood, so this person¡¯s soul and body would merge with himself. This act would force that person to only have eyes for him. He would only depend on him, and they would be together for life and death, never to be separated. He had already anticipated that this person would say some harsh words so that he would leave him behind and run away alone. ¡­¡­Just like that year, in the Nine Turn Refining Demon Array. The person behind him repeated in a low voice: ¡°My Lord, leave¡­here.¡± He clenched and loosened his five fingers, then suddenly realized that this resembled the climb from the bottom of the tower. On the way to the top of the tower, this person kept repeatedly whispering, ¡°it hurts.¡± Perhaps this person¡¯s consciousness has not fully awakened. Yes. Being suppressed in the darkness for a hundred years, forced to go back and forth between hope and despair time and time again; if it was an ordinary person, they would have already long gone crazy. How could he recover so easily? Despite this, this person¡¯s muddled consciousness still reached out a little bit from his broken body with difficulty, just to tell him¡­ to leave here. The hostility in his heart calmed down. ¡°Senior Immortal, you are my person.¡± ¡°No matter what you say, I won¡¯t leave you behind.¡± He held this person¡¯s thin and cold fingertips, passing him a little warmth. ¡°Trust me.¡± He raised his head and looked at the Zhou Tian Star Battle formation that enveloped half of the Western Continent. They stood in the center of the formation. The mighty star formation carried the majestic power between heaven and earth. Condensed into a net, it wanted to keep them here forever. His self-sealed cultivation in his body needed to rely on the power of his soul to break through. Now that the power of his soul was exhausted, he needed time to recover. But he had no time. There was only one last resort. No one knew that since he came out of the Demon Abyss, he had been suppressing the demonic thoughts in his body. Day after day, year after year. But despite this, countless filthy and evil thoughts from the human world continued to gather on him. He was the gathering spot for ¡°evil¡± in the world. He should have long set out on massacres, bringing disaster to the world. The time he has been out of control has become longer and longer, and his behavior has become more brutal and cruel. Everyone in the demonic sect was frightened of him. Until he met the person behind him. He was surprised to find that¡ª¡ªjust holding this person, smelling the fragrance of this person¡¯s body, his tyrannical and disorderly demonic thoughts would magically calm down. And when this person played his qin, even the most wicked, filthy, cruel, and perverse things on him would obediently shrink aside, not daring to disturb him. His spiritual power was exhausted, and his cultivation base was sealed. But where there is light, there will be shadow. Where there are people, there will be filth, evil thoughts, and desires. And those are his real source of strength. He looked at the cultivators who covered the sky and earth, looking at him like a tiger watching its prey. His line of sight was towards Fawu, who was blessed by the formation, exuding an immeasurable light. ¡°You people from the Dao Sects always say that you want to suppress the demonic star,¡± his appearance that was full of hostility surged forward. He had a hint of sarcasm, ¡°But you don¡¯t even know that the real demon has not been born yet, so how can you suppress it?¡± Fa Wu: ¡°Benefactor has been in charge of the demon sect for more than a hundred years and has committed countless evils. You are recognized universally as a peerless evil demon. Everyone will put this criminal to death, so why should you continue your needless quibble?¡± ¡°Good. Since you all have that thought of wanting to suppress this evil¡­.¡± His eyes were red as if blood was flowing through it, while the fearful darkness inside kept condensing. He raised his chin with a sneer and nodded towards Fawu and the countless cultivators in the skyline. ¡°This Lord will satisfy you.¡± He loosened his clenched fingers. As he unclenched his fingers, a secret, evil restriction that the heavens would not tolerate in his body besides his self-sealed cultivation began to loosen. Silently, the sky became darker, as if even starlight could not shine through the night to shine on the earth. In the thick night, Fa Wu felt uneasy. Suddenly, thunder roared in the sky. ¡ª¡ªThunder roared in the distance. Driving the fire luan, the Yao Ri secret guard, who was about to rush to the place where the prince was crossing his calamity in the distance, looked back. His eyes widened by the shock of the image he saw. After using the sacred tree¡¯s power, Ye Yunlan had a little bit of dust in his eyes. But what did he see? He saw this person who he regarded as an ant, who had long been deprived of the power of his bloodline, who had all his karmic ties cut off with the Ye Clan, actually standing in the countless golden lines of cause and effect, completely fine?!. ¡ª¡ªHow can it be! The sacred wood phoenix tree was once watered by the demon lord¡¯s blood. Even after ten thousand years, the remaining power was so powerful to the point that it could even touch the cause and effect of the heavens. Even a cultivator with Transcendence Realm strength would be terrified. The demon lord divine phoenix was the closest existence in this world to ¡°immortal.¡± This was also the support their Ye Clan relied on to obtain the great right to speak amongst the ancient clans. But now, this knowledge was being slowly shattered by the situation in front of him. The Yaori Secret Guard watched in horror as Ye Yunlan walked on the golden silk thread. An ordinary person is incapable of contending with the power of the sacred tree. It would turn into flying light and penetrate their body. And at the same time, Ye Yunlan¡¯s dark eyes became brighter and brighter. It even gradually¡­ had a dazzling golden glow appear. How could it be¡­no¡­ This feeling? This strength was even more shocking to him than when he just turned around and saw that the power of the sacred tree couldn¡¯t hurt Ye Yunlan. Golden eyes¡ª¡ªthis is clearly the sign of the rebirth of the Ye Clan¡¯s blood! But even among the Ye Clan, they have exhausted the resources of the whole clan to cultivate this. Only after many years, a return to ancestor bloodline, Ye Xuanguang, was born. They all regarded him as the destined child of the whole clan. They only sought for his smooth growth, for him to ascend to the throne, and for him to be respected and worshipped by the whole family. Ye Yunlan¡¯s blood has already been exhausted, so how can he have such a sacred and noble symbol? Ye Yunlan walked closer and closer. Amongst the countless golden threads interlacing, this man dressed in white, with black hair flying, held a sword in his hand. The sharp tip of his sword pointed diagonally at the ground, glowing coldly. Those golden eyes shot straight over, and Ju Ling, who had seen countless powers for thousands of years, felt weak in his legs and feet. Those who can become the Secret Guards of the Yaori Clan were all people in the Ye Clan who had extremely powerful bloodlines and were elites for a long time. If this is the case, they would be able to rely on soaking a very small amount of immortal rotting flower sap to keep their bodies and souls immortal. Achieving ¡°longevity¡± in another sense. He was the most outstanding existence in the lineage of the 72nd generation of the Ye Clan. Before becoming the Yaori Secret Guard, he was once the sacred elder of the Yaori Clan. He still remembered that the Ye Clan juniors liked to call him ¡°Elder Zixin¡±. But now, Ye Zixin felt his bloodline suppressed. The beast was more intelligent than the human. The fire Luan he rode under made a crisp cry, then slowly descended to the ground. Lowering its beast body, it made a gesture of surrender and to curry favour. Ye Yunlan stood in front of him. The longsword was lifted and pointed at his neck. A golden glow poured out from his eyes, which made his eyes hurt. Ye Zixin suddenly remembered what the Ye Emperor said before he left the Imperial Palace. ¡°The birth of the Phoenix Star will be accompanied by disasters. The Great Tribulation is coming, and the prophecies of the heavenly book do not tolerate mistakes. You are a sharp sword for my Ye Clan, and should take away the clan¡¯s worries.¡± The Ye Emperor raised his sleeves, and a water mirror appeared with a figure in white clothes, eyes closed, sleeping on a bed. His complexion was extremely pale and sickly, but his face was extremely beautiful. Ye Zixin has served the Ye Clan for thousands of years and had never seen such an amazing appearance. ¡°He has ice roots. He is an ¡®unlucky¡¯ character who appeared in the inheritance of the Ye Clan¡¯s bloodline. He once contained a small amount of Xuanguang¡¯s bloodline. Without him, Xuanguang would have returned to the ancestors on the day of his birth and become a true heavenly bloodline, but it¡¯s not too late. It¡¯s not too late to make up for it.¡± Ye Emperor waved away the water mirror and said indifferently. ¡°He is now completely useless, just an ordinary mortal. He is without the power to even truss a chicken. I will allow you to mobilize the power of the sacred wood. Erase him.¡± ¡°Remember. What Zhen wants is for him to disappear completely.¡± Ye Zixin bowed and accepted the task. At that time, although it was a pity that such a face might not appear again in the future, he didn¡¯t think it was a difficult task. Even when he saw the person in the water mirror, lying on the bed with that weak appearance, he thought that maybe before he had even arrived, he wouldn¡¯t have to do it himself. Perhaps this person would have already died. And now, Ye Zixin¡¯s pupils have contracted. He looked at the sharp point of the sword pointing at his neck and the power of the bloodline that suppressed him in a cold sweat. Ye Emperor¡¯s words were swirling in his mind. He is just an ordinary mortal, and he has no power to even truss a chicken. An ordinary mortal? No power to even truss a chicken? Ye Zixin: ¡°¡­¡± Ye Yunlan himself didn¡¯t know that the Yaori Secret Guard in front of him wrapped tightly in sacred armor was having hundreds of thoughts. But, he could smell this person. Their body was slightly sweet but with a rotten aura. He liked flowers. But on the other party¡¯s body, they had the smell of rotting flowers that he hated the most. The golden color completely covered his eyes, revealing a kind of indifference and dignity that can hardly be described. He felt angry. It¡¯s not that he was angry that his blood-related father insisted on killing him. It was another kind of deep, sad anger. This anger spread in his consciousness, spreading into the network of intertwined golden silk threads around him. Those silk threads seemed to sense his emotions, and many of them wrapped around his sword-holding wrist. They gently swayed to get close, seeming to want to slow down his anger. Ye Yunlan raised his hand and stroked the silk thread on his wrist. Then, he looked at Ye Zixin, suppressed through his bloodline. Those golden pupils seemed to be able to penetrate everything. ¡°This body should have died a thousand years ago. It shouldn¡¯t have stayed in this world this long.¡± ¡°I will grant you eternal sleep.¡± What does he want to do? Ye Zixin¡¯s pupils widened. He found a golden thread approaching him, like silk swaying in the wind. It was a sickle to kill. The line of cause and effect originated from the sacred tree of the Ye family. No matter what, it wouldn¡¯t harm the people of the Ye family¡ª¡ªthat should be the case! ¡°No¡­¡­¡± Ye Zixin lowered his head. The silk thread had penetrated his chest. He slowly flew into the void like dust, leaving no trace behind. The person standing in front of him only closed his eyes wearily. ¡°I hate rotting flowers.¡± The author has something to say: Ye Zixin: Damn it! Ye Emperor ruined me! CH 50.1 The Yaori Imperial Palace. There was a crisp sound. It was the sound of the wine cup in the Ye Emperor¡¯s hand falling to the ground. The gilt cup body was engraved with flying luans. After the cup rolled on the ground a few times, the cup body met a pair of lotus shoes. Ye Tange squatted and picked up the wine glass. Her black hair swooped down from her slender neck. The gesture of her leaning over to pick up the cup appeared very elegant and feminine. She handed the wine glass to the palace people to deal with, then lightly walked behind Ye Emperor. She raised her soft hands and gently rubbed Ye Emperor¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Your Majesty, what annoyance did you encounter?¡± Ye Tange whispered. Her voice was soft and beautiful, like a lark singing on a branch. Ye Emperor: ¡°Ye Zixin¡¯s soul lamp went out.¡± Ye Tange squeezed his shoulders, pausing, ¡°Elder Zixin¡­after becoming the Yaori Secret Guard, he has worked diligently for our clan for thousands of years, but now he¡¯s dead? This makes one sad¡­Your Majesty, are you considering holding a clan funeral for Elder Zixin?¡± Ye Emperor snorted coldly. Ye Tange was always like this. She belonged to an ancient clan but is still too soft-hearted. She would always be emotional at untimely moments. It¡¯s just that she is his woman and he spoils her. As long as she doesn¡¯t overstep the rules, her being a little naive¡­ isn¡¯t a big matter. ¡°Tange, you have forgotten. Ye Clan funerals are held prior to the conversion of becoming a Yaori Secret Guard. Once they become a Yaori Secret Guard, they are just weapons.¡± Ye Emperor discoursed coldly, ¡°Just a weapon.¡± Hearing this, Ye Tange¡¯s beautiful eyes filled with a pool of lake water. The Ye Emperor continued: ¡°If a weapon is damaged, it is not worth your grief. What Zhen is bothered about is why Ye Zixin died.¡± ¡°I have allowed him to use the power of the sacred tree, and Ye Zixin himself is also a powerful man with half his foot in the Transcendence Realm. What he needed to deal with was just a mortal who has no power to even truss a chicken, but he mysteriously died¡­¡± Ye Tange said suddenly: ¡°Your Majesty, can you tell Chen Qie who Elder Zixin had to deal with?¡± Ye Emperor paused and did not answer. He remembered that when he signed the sacred contract, Ye Tange cried and begged him not to persecute Ye Yunlan. In the end, he finally made him agree to Ye Yunlan¡¯s request to change the contract. He had crossed out the part in the treaty that would not allow the other party to step into the Western Continent. He really couldn¡¯t bear Ye Tange crying. But the reason why he agreed to this was because the Yaori Secret Guard he sent was about to reach Tianchi Mountain. Ye Yunlan was already going to be a dead person. Even if the contract was not written, a dead person would naturally not be able to set foot into the Western Continent. It¡¯s just that Ye Zixin has died now. Ye Yunlan was born with the destined phoenix star and was destined to be the Ye Clan¡¯s calamity. It now appears that this calamity was not so easy to resolve. The Ye Emperor¡¯s heart was irritated. When he faced Ye Tange¡¯s question, he became a little impatient. ¡°Tange, you have forgotten the rules again. As a harem member, you are not qualified to be involved with family affairs. Don¡¯t ask too much.¡± Ye Tange¡¯s eyelashes drooped and she did not ask further. She rubbed Ye Emperor¡¯s shoulders, obediently. ¡°Okay, Your Majesty. Chen Qie understands.¡± Ye Emperor liked her gentle appearance and his voice softened: ¡°Don¡¯t rub me first. Come to Zhen.¡± The beautiful woman came around lightly like a butterfly in front of him. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes, and her face was picturesque. The slender rouge was drawn obliquely at the base of her eyelashes, which was more charming than usual, while her moist eyes were still the same innocent appearance. ¡°Your Majesty?¡± Ye Emperor felt his heart move and pulled Ye Tange into his arms. Ye Tange let out a soft ¡°Ah¡±, and a pair of arms fell on his shoulders. The woman¡¯s body was soft and boneless, making his throat go slightly thirsty. Ye Emperor¡¯s eyes were dim. He picked up the flask on the table, the spout facing Ye Tange¡¯s bright red lips. The bead curtain of his crown drooped, and his voice was hoarse. ¡°Zhen is thirsty, but there is no wine glass at hand. Tange, you come and feed me a drink.¡± The extremely concentrated liquor flowed out of the flask. Ye Tange frowned slightly, then quickly relaxed. She contained the liquor in her mouth. Her cheeks were red with the smell of wine, but her bright eyes were still staring at Ye Emperor. Gentle and focused, as if they contained infinite affection. Ye Emperor looked down. His heart skipped a beat. Just when he wanted to lean over to get the wine, he heard a mess of footsteps coming from outside the hall. ¡°Reporting¨C¡± was the voice of the guard in a hurry. Ye Emperor frowned. Immediately, he heard the guard say: ¡°Your Majesty, the sacred tree, there is something wrong with the sacred tree!¡± ¡ª¡ªTianchi Mountain. The person who was stabbed in the heart by the thread of cause and effect dissipated into the void, but the unfurled silk thread around it remained. These golden threads seemed to cross distant space, coming continuously from the void. Ye Yunlan was at the center of the silk thread. The gold in his eyes has not faded. Standing alone in the mid-levels of Tianchi Mountain, the wind blew his robe. He had just resolved a person with his own hands. Yet he had neither the pleasure of destroying the enemy nor the fear an ordinary person would have. There was only indifference. The golden thread touched him cautiously as if wanting to get closer. But it didn¡¯t dare to get near him. He lowered his eyes and glanced at the silk thread wrapped around his wrist, and said: ¡°You don¡¯t need to channel your strength over anymore. Let me see your real body.¡± The swaying golden thread stopped for a moment, then slowly stretched out in front of Ye Yunlan. It bent up and down, nodding like a human, then it swayed again and again like he was shaking his head. Nodding in addition to shaking his head made the meaning very messy. ¡°Oh?¡± However, Ye Yunlan looked down at the silk thread as if he understood its meaning: ¡°You mean, this void path is blocked by a barrier, and the opening is too small to allow your body to come through¡­¡± He looked into the distance. After a long time, he said lightly. ¡°The barrier of the Demon Imperial City was originally set by me.¡± He raised the hand that was wrapped with golden threads. Sharp nails were sticking out of the white and slender fingertips, and the golden pupils shrank to the tips of needles. He stared into the void as if crossing it. He stared at a very distant point, then his nails sliced down. A deep black crack was torn open. ¡ª¡ªIn the eastern part of the Western Continent, where the sun rose, located in the Guangming Mountain Range. The Yaori Palace sits high on the highest point of the Guangming Mountain Range. In front of the mountain was the Yaori Imperial Capital, which was the largest city in the Western Continent, ¡°Guangming City¡±. Behind the mountain is a deep valley, which is usually blocked by the Yaori army in which ordinary people cannot enter. This deep valley was the land of the Ye Clan. Only people with the blood of the Ye Clan can enter the Ye Clan¡¯s land, which contains ten thousand years of information about the entire Primordial Family. In the center of the Ye Clan, there was a very tall phoenix tree. It was clearly at the bottom of the deep valley, but it still grew like it could cover the sky and the sun. Its leaves were blood-red, as if soaked in blood, and the edges were glowing with golden light. Every leaf was like clear blood jade. Countless leaves hung from the trunk as though gathering into a burning cloud. It¡¯s just that among the burning cloud, there was a thick and horizontal branch on top of it with no leaves. It was as if¡­it was waiting for someone to roost upon it. This was the most heavily guarded place among the Ye Clan. Ye Clan people wearing sacred masks and armor surrounded the sacred tree. People from Ye Clan who walked by the sacred tree would stop, fold their palms together religiously, and bow. In the distance, there was a fire-luan flying into the sky, making a crisp cry. Relying on the barrier set by the Demon Lord Divine Phoenix back then, the sacred tree shelter, the Ye Clan¡¯s land, was almost the most peaceful place in the entire cultivation world. Even though there have been catastrophes in the cultivation world several times in the past ten thousand years, this still did not affect the peace in the Ye Clan¡¯s land. Ye Jian was a sacred tree guard. He has guarded the sacred tree for more than twenty years. When he was transferred to guard the sacred tree, it was the second day after the birth of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince of Ye Clan. The sacred tree was as tall as it was more than 20 years ago as if it hadn¡¯t changed at all. Ye Jian¡¯s whole body was wrapped in armor, and only his eyes were exposed outside the mask, cold and clear. There was no difference between his companions around him. But in the bottom of his heart, he yawned quietly. Guarding the same place day after day would still feel tiring even if it was a sacred treasure. Moreover, if there were no accidents, he would remain here his whole life. He thought it¡¯s no wonder so many of his partners wanted to become Yaori Secret Guards after death. It is an enviable pleasure to be allowed to go out and fight after death for the clan after being so bored before death. It¡¯s just that even if he felt tired in his heart, Ye Jian never hoped that something would happen to the sacred tree. After all, the Demon King has now become a legend and the sacred tree has been with the Ye clan for thousands of years. It was their guardian in the hearts of the Ye people. Ye Jian¡¯s eyes suddenly widened. ¡°Tha¡­ what is that?¡± His voice trembled. A black crack opened in the void. It was deep and cold inside, unclear where it led to. Spatial cracks are not uncommon. Most cultivators who can reach the demi-god stage can open one. The difference is only the distance to which they lead, either far or near. Moreover, although the cultivators of the demi-god stage are considered powerful in the outside world, they are not uncommon among families that inherit the ancient bloodline¡ª¡ªbecause of the power contained in the bloodline, their young patriarchs were born as a demi-god. The only problem is that this void crack was opened in the Ye Clan¡¯s land. ¡ª¡ªEven a transcendence realm cultivator would not be able to enter the Ye Clan¡¯s land through open space cracks. This was frightening. The guards next to him had already reacted and shouted: ¡°There is an enemy attack!¡± Ye Jian also reacted. Taking up a weapon in his hand, he stared at the void crack like an enemy. What will come out of it? Has the Xingyue Dynasty completely fallen out with them? Have they sent ancient ferocious beasts out? Or did they collude with other ancient families to do something against the Ye Clan? Or is it a hidden power who has hatred against the Ye Clan? However, the pitch-black crack just opened up quietly, and there was no movement at all. The one who moved was the sacred phoenix tree. The sacred phoenix tree exuded a strong golden light. This light was not as warm as before, but it pierced their eyes sorely. Ye Jian was overjoyed. Did the sacred phoenix tree take the initiative to protect them? The panic in his heart caused by the change suddenly dissipated a lot. But then he saw a huge golden light rushing into the cracks in the dark space. The two collided with each other¡ª¡ªbut the crack still existed quietly. More golden light went away, more and more, but the crack was as still as a mountain. It wasn¡¯t until the golden light completely entered that the crack dissipated on its own as if it had never appeared before. The guards looked at each other. Ye Jian looked up together with the other guards. He felt that something had changed in the sacred tree. He felt a strange feeling appear. Then he felt his heart have a strange sadness as if something had been lost forever. The captain of the guards next to him stabbed him with a spear, ¡°What are you doing, being in a daze? Go and tell His Majesty about this!¡± He had to rush to the Yaori Palace. He had no time to inform the guard at the gate. He ran into the palace and called, ¡°Your Majesty, something is wrong with the sacred tree! Something has happened!¡± There was a harsh sound. The long-necked hip flask rolled to his feet. The Ye Emperor got up from his seat, his face very gloomy. ¡°Tell me, what happened to the sacred tree that made you be in such a hurry.¡± A woman was lying on the throne. Ye Jian realized that he seemed to have disturbed His Majesty¡¯s happy occasion¡­ He didn¡¯t dare to look more. He hurriedly informed the Ye Emperor about the sacred tree. When he followed Ye Emperor back to the sacred clan lands, he was stunned by the sight in front of him. The phoenix tree was actually¡­shedding its leaves. Countless blood-red leaves flew in the air, looking like they were letting down red rain that would never stop. However, the phoenix tree is an immortal tree that has bloomed for thousands of years. It even gave birth to spiritual wisdom. It has always been lush and green, so how can it suddenly lose leaves? Ye Jian panicked and was restless. Soon, the priests and elders of Ye Clan also arrived. Among them was a rickety figure, whom he recognized as the oldest high priest in the clan. He didn¡¯t know the name of the high priest. Because the high priest was too much his senior and was highly respected among the clan, people only called him ¡®high priest.¡¯ His name is no longer mentioned. The high priest wore a heavy robe and walked forward. The sacred mask he wore was engraved with more noble patterns than them, mysterious and complicated. He folded his palms together, bowed his head, and chanted an ancient mantra. ¡°Sacred Tree, please reveal your tree spirit to see this old man.¡± ¡°Please show your tree spirit to meet¡­¡± With the chanting, all the priests around closed their palms together and began to bow their heads in prayer. Ye Jian saw the Ye Emperor standing next to him, watching with his hands behind his body. A beautiful and gentle woman in Chinese clothes and delicate makeup leaned on the Ye Emperor. That woman.. he remembered that she was the granddaughter of the high priest. She was born with an unusual gift in her bloodline. She lived in the Pagoda of Prayer next to the sacred tree of the clan lands. Also, she was trained to be the bride of the clan leader. Before he became the guard of the sacred tree, he used to be the guard of the Pagoda of Prayers. Back then, he was far away from the Pagoda but would see the young bride sitting in the tallest room on the tower. With her face sideways, she would hold a wooden comb and comb her hair quietly in front of the window. Even if it was just her side profile with no makeup, it was still so beautiful that he couldn¡¯t forget it. The leaves of the sacred tree were withering. The priests were praying, but in this long wait, the leaves of the sacred tree that covered the sky and sun slowly became barren. In the end, only brown branches were left. The sun was shining fiercely in the sky. Losing the shelter of the shade of the tree, Ye Jian slowly let out sweat. He was so hot that he even felt a little dizzy. But it couldn¡¯t dispel the chill in his heart. The phoenix tree leaves are gone. The shade of the phoenix tree, the shelter that the phoenix tree had given Ye Clan¡­ did it still exist? Ye Jian didn¡¯t dare to think deeply. But just looking at Ye Emperor¡¯s iron-green face was enough to reveal some truth. The chanting of the priests ceased. They looked at each other a few times, all in a cold sweat, afraid to speak. Only the high priest was still standing under the tree, praying alone. His stature was very rickety. The Ye Emperor waved the surrounding people back. He motioned a priest to come over and said with a calm face: ¡°What happened to the sacred tree?¡± The priest trembled: ¡°Your Majesty, we have tried our best to summon the sacred tree spirit, but¡­ the tree spirit did not respond for a long time. I heard the guards in the clan say that there was a void in the clan¡¯s barrier, which allowed the outsiders to invade us. We assume that the sacred tree spirit, having stayed a long time in the clan, was unwilling to be alone and ran off with the outsider¡­ it ran off!¡± When the Ye Emperor heard this, blue veins jumped on his temples. The priest: ¡°Your Majesty, what should we do now?¡± Ye Emperor: ¡°Immediately tell me where the sacred tree spirit is. No matter what the price, I must bring the tree spirit back!¡± ¡ª¡ªAfter opening the gap, the golden light in Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes dimmed a lot. He didn¡¯t care. After all, the power in his body was only the infusion of external force. The power that truly belonged to him has not yet been recovered. And this time, spanning from the Central Continent to the Western Continent to cast a spell to force open the Ye Clan¡¯s enchantment, consumed a lot of resources. This was what he expected. A strong golden light flowed from the pitch-black gap. If it is said that thin golden threads permeated the void before, now it was a beam of light almost the same thickness of a wrist. It continuously extended from the crack. However, it was just the shape that had changed. The nature of it was still the same. It still lingered around him extremely intimately. Several of them tentatively wanted to be close to his cheeks, but he turned his face to avoid them. ¡°If you want to stay by my side, transform yourself.¡± He said. The golden silk threads listened to his words. It stood up and nodded towards him, reluctantly leaving him. Then, they gathered and intertwined, forming a golden figure. while distracted. He didn¡¯t let go until all the golden light passed through the crack. The crack slowly closed. At the same time, the gold in his eyes slowly faded. A gold thread came to touch his hand again as if asking him what he meant. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t look,but continued to stare at the black space crack in front of him. A spell performed across an entire continent was extremely exhausting and should not be done He said: ¡°No need.¡± Then, he raised his eyes and looked at the vast world. Tianchi Mountain was the highest mountain in the Central Continent.Only halfway up the mountain, the surrounding magnificent mountains and rivers can be seen. ¡°Beautiful¡­human world.¡± He muttered, then closed his eyes and fell back. The golden thread came, intertwined into a net, and supported his body. On the side, the intertwined golden light had slowly revealed its shape. Carefully, it approached the person who seemed to be sleeping with his eyes closed. ¡ª¡ªBuddha Tower. The darkness condensed in the sky, and the thunder roared. Fawu was in the boundless light of Buddha. Under the blessing of the Zhoutian Star Battle Formation formed by thousands of cultivators, his power has surpassed the transcendence realm and approached the legendary void tracing realm. It was not only him. The two people in the same cardinal position as him are probably the same. Throughout the ages, there has never been a monster that could attract the cultivators of the entire cultivation world to such a big fight but the Demon Lord¡­ after all, is not an ordinary demonic cultivator. The Dao Sect was defeated once a hundred years ago. At that time, the cultivation world suffered a catastrophe. The Demon Lord went crazy, and almost the entire Northern Territory was washed with blood. This time, they can make no mistakes. The cultivation world can no longer bear blood flowing into a river again. Thus, they were extremely well prepared. The Demon Lord had clearly fallen into their trap. He has lost most of his power, and now all they had to do was stop the other party¡¯s Heavenly Demonic disintegration technique to prevent the Demon Lord from regrouping and coming back stronger. But why is it that there is still a strong sense of unease that filled his heart? Fawu watched the Demon Lord standing in the center of the big formation with the skinny ghost-like person on his back. Shadows swayed at the soles of his feet. Suddenly a bit of a chill surged in his heart. He threw out the Buddhist beads in his hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t wait any longer, do it!¡± The Zhou Tian Star Battle Formation was launched. Countless cultivators burned their spiritual energy into the formation. Fa Wu threw the green buddha beads in his hands, and the beads shattered and transformed into a huge green lotus, which attacked the two people in the center of the formation! But he saw the Demon Lord raise his head. His scarlet eyes pierced straight ahead, undisguised maliciousness inside. Fawu felt his blood run cold. The lotus exploded! The Demon Lord¡¯s body turned into ash in the violent energy fluctuations, dissipating inch by inch. Only the malicious eyes stay locked on Fa Wu¡¯s head. CH 50.2 Chapter 50 Dawn When the strong light dissipated, only one figure remained in the center of the formation. The skinny figure laid quietly on their side in the large formation, with a face like a ghost. He seemed to have passed out, in a coma. But there was no trace of scars on his body. It was the Demon Lord who used his own demonic body to forcibly block this blow that neared the power of the void tracing realm. Even if his cultivation base was sealed, the body of the Demon Lord was still in the transcendence stage. It would not be surprising for Fa Wu to see him withstand this blow. But could the Demon Lord really be so easily resolved by them? ¡°Could it be the demonic disintegration technique?¡± Fa Wu suddenly asked, ¡°The Demon Lord wants to escape, stop him¨C¡± The formation changed. Countless stars turned into silk threads, sealing the void and searching for traces of demonic shadows. At the same time, the cultivators in the big formation also released the power of their souls to search so that his demonic mind had no chance to escape. ¡°He didn¡¯t escape.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s voice suddenly came from the formation, almost resolutely, ¡°The bait is still here, so he won¡¯t escape.¡± Fa Wu thought for a while. When he watched intently, he saw a few black demonic auras in the center of the formation. Qi drifted around the thin figure as if it was reluctant to leave. Fa Wu was surprised. They searched for the traces of the Demon Lord but ignored the center of the big formation. It seems that the Demon Lord really didn¡¯t leave. Chen Weiyuan: ¡°Continue.¡± Fa Wu: ¡°But¡­¡± Isn¡¯t that your Dao companion? Didn¡¯t you just say that you want to intercede for him? ¡°But what?¡± Chen Weiyuan answered from far away. At this moment, he was hidden in the big formation. Fa Wu was the person of the main formation, and Sky Sect Sect Master Ji Suyue was in the Tianshu formation. But it was Chen Weiyuan who controlled all the subtle changes in the formation. Few people knew that Zhou Tian Star Battle Formation was an ancient formation inherited by the Chen clan. However, at this moment, his hand holding the astrolabe was shaking unconsciously. He looked down at his hand as if he was slightly puzzled. He quickly put his other hand on the trembling hand to stop the tremor and calmly said: ¡°The Demon Lord is here. His body is broken at this moment and is at its weakest. Why are you not making a move? What are you waiting for?¡± Fa Wu: ¡°Since Benefactor Chen says so, let¡¯s do it.¡± The power of the big formation gathered again. Fa Wu frowned when he looked at the skinny person laying on the ground. Although he followed the path of killing to stop further killing, an alternative path of Buddhism, he still had compassion in his heart. It was during this hesitation that a black shadow appeared in the center of the formation. It was the Demon Lord. But it didn¡¯t seem to be the Demon Lord. It was more like something vicious, and evil was released. The demonic shadow leaned over and lifted the skinny person on the ground back onto his back again. The meandering demonic energy continued to gush out from the soles of his feet, wrapping the skinny person thoroughly and blended in with him. Fa Wu didn¡¯t notice that something was wrong, but before he started his move, what took the first move was the thunder that descended from the sky! That calamity thunder was extremely strong and did not leave any time for empathy and preparation. The demonic shadow looked up. Its whole body was hidden in the deep darkness, except for its scarlet eyes. ¡°Shura.¡± Its voice was low and hoarse, but it had a disturbing, weird madness to it. Almost immediately, a fierce blood-red sword tore through the blockade and appeared in front of him. The sword was slender, with countless evil ghost shapes engraved on the hilt. It also had an endless murderous aura wrapped around it. The Demonic Shadow held it. Then, holding the Shura sword, he waved it against the calamity thunder. The collision couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, but one could only hear the sound of countless ghosts howling. Fa Wu¡¯s pupils tightened when the dazzling thunder and lightning passed. The Demonic Shadow stood in place, its expression hidden by the thick darkness. It was unharmed. However, mixed with the countless screams of ghosts was a hoarse and surly laugh, sounding amidst the thunder and lightning. ¡°You said you wanted to suppress the real demon¡­¡± ¡°Come on, this Lord is looking forward to it¡ª¡± It laughed even more surly and arrogantly, ¡°I look forward to using your death to complete this Lord¡¯s demonic dao¡ª¡ª¡± Between the heavens and the earth, there was suddenly endless darkness rushing into his body¡ªthose were the evil thoughts, hostility, ghosts that have been deposited in the heaven and earth for countless years¡­including every filthy thing that humankind could possibly think of. ¡°Not enough¡­¡± It said hoarsely. Its scarlet eyes cast to the ground under its feet. The armies of the ancient tribes under the array tower suddenly went into chaos. Countless black demonic qi sprang from the shadows under their feet and climbed up their bodies like vines. The soldiers screamed in panic, and some failed to dodge. They would lose all their vitality if they got pierced by demonic qi in their heart But even then, they couldn¡¯t rest in peace. Instead, they would be manipulated like a puppet by demonic energy. Raising the weapon in their hands¡­ they would cut off their companion¡¯s head. The chaos bred more negative energy, and converged towards the upper part of the Buddha Tower, almost forming a black tornado. The Demon Lord stood at the top of the tornado. His body was like a bottomless container, absorbing all the filthy and evil thoughts. The cultivators in the Zhoutian Star Battle Formation looked at the miserable conditions on the ground, and many people screamed in anger. ¡°Stop him!¡± ¡°Stop this demon!¡± ¡°You can¡¯t let him kill anymore!¡± Cold sweat fell from Fa Wu¡¯s forehead. These cultivators who were in the big formation have not really confronted the Demon Lord and did not know that the Demon Lord¡­¡­ No, the feeling that this monster gave him was different from the previous confrontations between him and the Demon Lord. Even when the Demon Lord went crazy and slaughtered everyone in the Northern Territory, the fear he brought to him was not the same as it was today. He had never made him have his hair stand on end like this. It seemed as if he was not facing a person but a demon who was born purely to massacre people and bring disaster to this world¡­ And what was even more frightening to him was that in the midst of such a killing, the demon was¡­ becoming stronger! Fa Wu¡¯s fingers that held the bead were cold. Suddenly there was a cold voice in his ear, ¡°Demons are good at confusing the mind. You shouldn¡¯t open your eyes.¡± It was Sky Sect Sect Master Ji Suyue. Fa Wu was surprised to realize that at some time, he had opened his eyes. In the path of Buddhism he practiced, everything in the world was intoxicating, so it was necessary to eliminate one¡¯s eyesight in order to keep his precepts. He hurriedly closed his eyes, chanted a Mantra to silently clear his heart, and finally calmed himself down. A sword¡¯s sound reached his ears. Unlike the sword sound of the Shura Sword, which was like an evil ghost whispering, the sound of this sword became clearer and louder. It was like a cold light shattering evil spirits. It was Ji Suyue¡¯s Tai Qing Du Er Sword. It was rumored that the Taiqing Du Er Sword could kill all evil spirits. Fa Wu felt more at peace. Ji Suyue was different from him and Chen Weiyuan. The other party was the first person to reach the transcendence realm in this world for hundreds of years and has been famous for more than two hundred years. Until now, he has been occupying the heaven list¡¯s top spot. Compared to Ji Suyue, he and Chen Weiyuan were just juniors. He knew that even if he did not rely on the big formation, Ji Suyue¡¯s strength was already infinitely close to the void tracing realm. He was only one step away. Ji Suyue had already drawn his sword, and the tip of his sword pointed at the demonic shadow. His white hair and crane cloak were flying in the wind, and under his feet was a scene resembling purgatory. However, his face was still unwavering. Fa Wu guessed right. His heartless dao was indeed close to immortalization, and his cultivation realm was infinitely close to void tracing. It¡¯s just one final push that has trapped him for more than a hundred years. And in this Zhoutian Star Battle Formation, it was not an exaggeration to say that he was basically in the void tracing realm. An azure blue sword light furiously pierced the sky! The demonic shadow standing in the black tornado raised his eyes, and a dark red sword glow appeared on the Shura sword. Mixed with countless resentful spirits, it greeted the sword light. With a loud bang, the two sword lights collided, then dissipated at the same time. There was blood on Ji Suyue¡¯s lips. The Demonic Shadow¡¯s increasingly distorted figure in the black air became a little illusory. Ji Suyue expressionlessly raised his hand to wipe the blood off his lips, then suddenly said: ¡°How can you know my Sky Sect¡¯s sword technique? Did he teach you?¡± The Demon Lord did not answer but raised the blood-red Shura sword. He pointed it to Ji Suyue. The sword light moved, unhindered. Countless void cracks spread. Fa Wu realized that he had no room to intervene. He was afraid to interfere with Ji Suyue¡¯s sword intent, and he was also afraid that he would be infected with the blood qi of the Demon Lord¡¯s Shura sword, causing the Zhoutian Star Battle Formation to be affected. The formation of the Zhoutian Star Battle Formation required at least the support of three Transcendence realms, Thirty ascension realms, Three Thousand demi-gods, and 30,000 nascent soul realm cultivators. Without the protection of the big formation, the people on the ground who were being killed by the devilish energy would be the end result of the cultivators in the sky. He remembered the words of the Demon Lord before¡ª¡ª he was very much looking forward to using their deaths to achieve his demonic dao. He shuddered. In the eyes of the other party, the countless cultivators who came to encircle and suppress him were just food for the other party! During the battle, the blood-red sword light swept across the hilt of Ji Suyue¡¯s sword, and an item fell down. That thing reached the palm of the Demon Lord¡¯s hand. It was a token with a simple shape. The demonic shadow: ¡°It¡¯s the smell of a heart demon.¡± Ji Suyue: ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°This Lord can feel it,¡± The demonic shadow smiled and said, ¡°This is the face of your heart demon.¡± After that, Fa Wu didn¡¯t know what happened. By the time he reacted, Ji Suyue for some reason was distracted, and fell straight into the void, disappearing. The Zhoutian Star Battle Formation lost a transcendence support and began to falter. ¡°Now that the trouble is resolved,¡± The demonic shadow raised his hand, ¡°Then, it¡¯s time to allow this Lord to¡­ have a full meal.¡± A river of blood descended from the sky, connecting the sky and the earth. Countless corpses were floating in the river of blood, and their clothes were both old and new. Countless ferocious faces emerged from the river, roaring unwillingly. The river of blood flowed to the bottom of the Buddha Tower, washing over the people on the ground. Countless people fell into the river, struggling and screaming. The resentful souls dragged the people by their hands and ankles into the bottom of the river. Fa Wu looked at it with fear, then recited the Buddha¡¯s name: ¡°Amitabha Buddha.¡± He had never seen such a terrible river of blood when he surrounded and suppressed the Demon Lord before¡ª¡ªhe didn¡¯t know just how many evil things were deposited there. Such an act, even if the Demon Lord cannot be completely killed this time, the Demon Lord will definitely be condemned by Heaven. No, Heaven¡¯s punishment has already arrived. The heavenly calamity lightning flashed. But the river of blood flowed from the sky and under the sky. It ran through the entire Zhoutian Star Battle Formation. Even with the thunder tribulation destroying boundless souls of resentment, the long and endless river of blood seemed to have not disappeared at all. ¡°How many remnants of resentment have you devoured¡ª¡ª¡± The demonic shadow watched the cultivators dying in the blood river with interest. He said with a hoarse laugh: ¡°Are you surprised?¡± ¡°Let this Lord think about it. In that year, under the Demon Abyss, how many evil remnants have this Lord actually swallowed¡ª¡± ¡°Hundred thousand? Million? Ten million?¡± The monster shrouded in darkness floated into the night sky. One couldn¡¯t see his appearance or his clothes at all. They could only see two scarlet blood lights in his eyes, like flames that were constantly swaying and burning in the dark. It stretched out its finger. Its fingers were shrouded in darkness and stretched out extremely long black nails. It looked both ghastly and terrifying. With bent fingertips, it seemed to be counting. After a long while, it tilted its head and said. ¡°This Lord¡­. can¡¯t remember.¡± Seeing the Zhoutian Star Battle Formation collapse, Fa Wu suffered a heavy blow from the backlash. He spat out a large mouthful of blood. The big formation was shattered, and no one could stop this monster anymore. He racked his brain desperately. The River of Blood crossed the sky, and the monster enveloped in black energy stepped out of the Buddha Tower. The River of Blood followed him and spread across the land of the Western Continent. Fa Wu squeezed the Buddha beads in his hand and was about to rush up to stop him, but he heard a voice behind him. ¡°No need to chase.¡± Chen Weiyuan said lightly, holding the astrolabe and looking down. At this moment, there was only one white chess piece left in the center of the astrolabe. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We didn¡¯t lose.¡± He picked up the chess piece and said. The monster in the air seemed to have perceived something. Scarlet eyes pierced towards their location, and evil thoughts surged, especially towards Chen Weiyuan. The churning river of blood was about to overwhelm the two of them, but in the next instant, Chen Weiyuan crushed the chess piece in his hand. His figure disappeared into the void. Only Fa Wu, who was desperate, opened his eyes. He watched the river of blood approaching¡ª¡ªdrowning over the top of his head. ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s been a long time since he has ingested power so freely. Endless power flowed into its body from the river of blood. What entered at the same time was the unwillingness, resentment, and obsession after the deaths of countless resentful souls. Those things screamed and wailed in its mind, and only by continuing to kill can those things calm down a little. However, it seems to have forgotten something. ¡­What is it? When thinking of this question for the third time, it became a little irritated. It felt more irritated than not being able to continue killing. It stopped trying to figure out what it had forgotten. It raised its hand, and the devilish energy formed a small black boat on the river of blood. It slowly descended onto the boat. In the river of blood were the screaming and hissing resentful souls. It didn¡¯t find those sounds either pleasant or unpleasant. It¡¯s like listening to the wind, listening to the rain, or listening to the noisy voices of the world. They were all very common and accustomed things. It wanted to go on the boat to sit down, but was blocked. It was a little surprised to find that on its back, it seemed to be carrying something. The thing was rolled up with its demonic energy. It was tightly attached to it, almost integrated, so it hadn¡¯t noticed it before. Countless resentments in its body were roaring and clamoring to kill. It was irritable, so he shouted: ¡°Shut up.¡± However, resentments were unconscious and would not shut up because of fear of it. It had no choice but to hold back its hostility. Circle after circle, it unfolded the demonic energy on its back. What was it¡ª¡ªit held that thing in his arms and looked at it. It¡¯s a person. Although it looked like a freak. It was indeed an individual. Very skinny. It doesn¡¯t look delicious. It judged. Although people are not its food, people¡¯s hostility and resentments are. Logically speaking, it should throw this person into the river of blood. This way, this person will become a grieving soul and turn into power for its body. But¡­ it smelt good. It gathered there. It sniffed the man¡¯s neck. It couldn¡¯t tell what kind of aroma it was. It only knew that this was a smell that made it feel nostalgic. Don¡¯t throw it into the river of blood, it thought. Anyways, it does not lack human souls. It injected a few strands of demonic energy into this person¡¯s body, trying to awaken it. After trying many times, it finally woke up. But it seemed a little unconscious. It looked at the empty eyes of the person in its arms. What was reflected in its eyes was not the scared and panic of those other humans who saw it. It was very empty. He was obviously not dead, but he looked more dead than those resentful spirits in the river of blood. It didn¡¯t like this look. ¡°Are you going to take my soul?¡± The other party asked quietly. It was a little amused. Could this person regard him as a messenger of the underworld? Before he could reply, he fainted again. It began to become more and more obsessed with the fragrance of the other party. But the other party¡¯s vitality was getting weaker and weaker. This person seemed reluctant to wake up. Why? It does not understand. It thought, human affairs? Maybe only humans will understand. The Blood River was put away by it. It held this person and walked on the mortal streets. It was raining heavily in the sky. People in the town saw them as if they had seen monsters, screaming and fleeing from a distance. ¡­¡­Why? It still didn¡¯t understand. Of course, this time, it didn¡¯t want to throw these people into the river of blood. The rain continued to fall. It hugged the soaked person and walked in the rain. The sound of thunder continued to roar in its ears, destroying everything around it. Although unable to pass through the devilish enchantment it has set, its power was getting stronger and stronger. It didn¡¯t care at first. Later he thought, if this continues, perhaps one day, the power of the thunder will penetrate the protection and completely smash it, together with this person in its arms. But if it were to let go of this person, it was afraid there would be no need for heavenly thunder, and this person would soon pass away silently. It began to think. Then he found a solution from the memory of his remnant souls. ¡°Demonic blood¡­ seal¡­¡± Heaven Tribulation was triggered by the evil and devilish energy on its body. Then, as long as these things are sealed, they can temporarily deceive the eyes of Heavenly Tribulation. Although, it was only for temporarily. The demon was willing. It quickly found an empty wooden house and placed the person down properly. Then, he cut open his body and used the dark demonic blood to draw lines on his chest one by one. The black magic pattern quickly covered its body, especially the position of its heart. Countless runes gathered, subconsciously forming the lines of thorns and branches. The moment the curse seal was completed, his consciousness finally returned. He sat in the corner, enduring the howls of resentment in his head. He glanced down at the curse mark on his chest. What he thought was. ¡­This matches the tattoo on that man¡¯s back. ¡ª¡ª¡±Yes, take this medicine. They are all good medicines for replenishing the body. Remember to cook it for three hours.¡± The doctor in the medicine hall stroked his beard and ordered. The rain had begun to gradually diminish and was like fog hitting the body. When he returned to his residence with the medicine packet, he saw a small flower. Small and blue, it was facing the wind and rain on the side of the road. It looked very cute and lovely. That person should like it. He plucked the flower. When he returned to the small courtyard where he lived, he opened the door and saw the person¡¯s figure lying quietly on the bed. He walked over and put the flower by the bed. Then he leaned over and kissed the man¡¯s forehead. When he was boiling the medicine, he turned his head and looked out the window. The rain has completely stopped. The dark clouds had cleared, and the sky was blue. CH 51 Chapter 51 Demonic Eye The thunder on the horizon had begun to gradually dissipate. The light shone through the clouds and beamed on the winding mountain roads of Tianchi Mountain. Ye Yunlan opened his eyes and subconsciously raised his hand to block this dazzling light. His vision slowly changed from hazy to clear. He saw the clear blue sky and a few white clouds floating in the sky. Retracting his gaze, he realized that he was sitting on a wicker chair made of intertwined gold threads. The armrests of the wicker chair were decorated with many blood-red jade leaves. The leaves had golden edges. It looked translucent and gorgeous. He lifted a leaf with his fingertips and inspected it carefully. He felt vaguely familiar with it. Before he could think about it, he saw a gold thing rush over. It jumped on his knee, letting out an aggressive ¡°chirp¡±. Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes and saw a fluffy and chubby¡­ little chick on his knees. The little chick was born cute and round, like a golden furball. Its small claws hooked on his clothes, and its black pea eyes stared at him. The mountain breeze blew over. One person, one chick, looked at each other in silence for a moment. Ye Yunlan: ¡°There are still people in Tianchi Mountain who like to raise chickens?¡± Little chick: ¡°¡­¡± Its soft fluff instantly exploded, and it lifted its throat and chirped hard. Now, it looked more and more like a billowing, golden furball. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes halfway and gently tapped his fingertips on the little chick¡¯s head. ¡­So soft. When he was still thinking about it, the little chick took the opportunity to grab his fingertips and peck wildly, tweeting non-stop. ¡°You¡¯re saying you are not a chicken?¡± Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes and understood what it said, ¡°You are¡­ a young phoenix?¡± The little chick nodded. Ye Yunlan looked at the fluffy little thing on his knees and said lightly: ¡°The phoenix clan was extinct more than ten thousand years ago, so you don¡¯t have to transform into such a look to please me¡­¡± Speaking thus far, he paused. He was a little surprised at what he subconsciously said. In fact, when he could understand the little chick of unknown origin and when he felt familiar with it, he thought something was wrong. He recalled what happened after he met the Yaori Secret Guard on the mountain road. His memories felt hazy. It was like there was a blanket of yarn. He couldn¡¯t remember the truth. He actually experienced this situation several times in the three hundred years of his previous life. He frowned slightly. His palm felt itchy. It was the little chick who rubbed his body against the palm of his hand. Warmth came from the soft fluff. ¡°Tweet tweet.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You want me to give you a name? What about your name?¡± ¡°Tweet tweet.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t raise chicks or pets. You should find someone else to name you.¡± ¡°Tweet tweet tweet tweet!¡± The little chick was anxious. Ye Yunlan was going to speak, but then he felt something. He stood up, holding Queying sword. The wicker chair under him turned into a light, golden spot and merged with the golden little chick¡¯s body. Even with the naked eye, it can see that the little chick seemed to have become fatter. His little claws were holding onto his robe, and his fluffy wings spread out. He fluttered a few times, trying to fly onto his shoulders. However¡­ as soon as those two small claws left his robe, it rolled against his robe, falling onto the ground. The light yellow fluff was covered with dust. The little chick silently covered his eyes with his wings. Ye Yunlan lowered his head and glanced at it. In a moment, he squatted and picked up the little chick in his palm and wiped the dust off the little chick¡¯s fluffy body with his fingers. He heard a hoarse and low voice speak: ¡°Daoist Ye¡­ are you okay?¡± It seemed that because they were rushing their journey, they were still breathing a bit uncontrollably. Ye Yunlan looked up and saw a familiar figure. He was tall, with handsome features and a sharp pair of fierce golden eyes. It was his former elder brother. Ye Xuanguang. ¡ª¡ªHalf an hour ago. Tianchi East Mountain. ¡°Qiyun Jun! You are helping the Ye Clan¡¯s crown heir to cross his tribulation? Do you want to be an enemy of my Xingyue Dynasty?¡± A Yinyue guard held a spear while riding on a black flame mount. Qiyun Jun¡¯s complexion was as cold as ice. His hand holding the long sword was steady, and he didn¡¯t even bother to explain. He didn¡¯t help Ye Xuanguang get through the tribulation. He just blocked the interference from the people around him. In fact, if it were not for Ye Yunlan, he would not have wanted to be involved in the affairs of the ancient clans. Fa Wu, a monk who also participated in blocking Ye Xuanguang¡¯s journey to pass his tribulation, put his palms together and chanted a Buddha¡¯s name in a low voice: ¡°Since Qiyun Jun is willing to take action, it seems that it is destiny¡¯s fate for Ye Xuanguang to pass through this disaster. This poor monk shall no longer block it.¡± Fa Wu smiled bitterly in his heart. What on earth did Ye Xuanguang do to be able to have Qiyun Jun help out? The one who had always ignored others? He quickly retreated. The Yinyue guards watched their allies retreat. One guard facing the sword intent of the Tai Qing du Er sword by himself felt cold sweat. He has already died once many years ago. But if he dies again¡­ it would not be worth it. He had no choice but to retreat. The dark clouds on the horizon gradually dissipated. A figure slowly walked out of the huge dark pit. His black hair was scattered, black clothing whistling in the air. He held a blood-red feather sword in one hand, his long eyes as bright as the sun. In the distance, Wang Daoyan, the Senior Brother of Ink Sect who had been watching the changes in the aura in the mountain, said: ¡°The formation can be withdrawn.¡± Ah Yao, a girl of Ink Sect, said: ¡°Senior Brother?¡± Wang Daoyan scribbled a few words with a brush, then closed the scroll in his hand. ¡°In this world, there is finally one more powerful person in the transcendence stage.¡± ¡°The heaven list is about to change.¡± Ye Xuanguang stepped into the air next to Qiyun Jun, ¡°Thank you for your help.¡± Qiyun Jun said lightly: ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me, I¡¯m just returning a favour. You saved my sect disciple¡¯s life, and now the karma can be considered complete.¡± Ye Xuanguang was slightly startled. He felt a little surprised. According to the rumors, the Sky Sect Sect Master always stays away from worldly things. But he actually would stand up for a disciple of the Sect? ¡°Is the disciple mentioned by Sect Master fellow daoist, Ye Yunlan?¡± Qiyun Jun did not say a word and just glanced sideways down the mountain. A bit of chill condensed in his eyes, then his figure gradually disappeared. Ye Xuanguang watched Qiyun Jun disappear. The Demon Emperor Sword in his hand dropped to the ground. Then, he coughed out a mouthful of golden blood. There will surely be many troubles in the future because he was forced to transcend the tribulation unprepared. He was badly injured. After this tribulation, he was afraid that it would take a long time to heal his wounds before he could stabilize his realm and truly exert his power. The Ye Emperor¡¯s plan of ordering him to lead his army to break through the Western Continent had to be shelved. It¡¯s just¡­ He felt the energy of the sacred tree in his senses. The Ye Clan¡¯s land was separated from the Central Continent by millions of miles, so how can the energy of the sacred tree appear here? There is only one possibility. Thinking of the secret methods of murder in the clan, Ye Xuanguang furrowed his brow fiercely. He raised his hand to wipe the blood from his lips, quickly drew the Demon Emperor¡¯s sword, then headed to the place where the energy came from. ¡ª¡ª Ye Yunlan stood up, holding the fluffy little chick in the palm of his hand. He stared at the slender feather sword in Ye Xuanguang¡¯s hand, feeling it a little familiar. But what surprised him a little was that Ye Xuanguang¡¯s body was separated from the world. He had faded away from his mundane aura, and he felt something in his heart. The time for Ye Xuanguang to cross the tribulation was much earlier than his previous life. And just after the tribulation¡­ he rushed over to care about his safety? He didn¡¯t know whether Ye Xuanguang knew that the Ye Emperor had sent a Yaori Secret Guard to get rid of him. If Ye Xuanguang knew¡­ Even if the other party used the essence of the sacred tree to save him, at that time, the Ye Emperor hadn¡¯t realized his identity and needed to obliterate his existence. He also knew how important the family¡¯s interests were in the hearts of these ancient family members. Ye Yunlan no longer had expectations for the people in Ye Clan. He clenched his Queying sword in his hand and said: ¡°Congratulations to Your Majesty for crossing the tribulation successfully. I have no worries about my life for the time being, but I have signed a divine contract with the Ye Emperor to completely sever our relationship. However, His Majesty actually went back on his words and sent a royal guard to come to block this person¡¯s way. I must have made a strong impression.¡± Signed¡­ a divine contract that completely severs their relationship? Ye Xuanguang was startled. Although he knew there was the Ye Emperor¡¯s surveillance on his flying boat, he didn¡¯t expect the Ye Emperor to respond so quickly. Signing a contract and sending a Yaori guard¡­ Does Ye Yunlan already know that Ye Emperor is his biological father, and he is his brother? He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s indifferent and distrustful expression, noticing something seemingly suppressed in his heart. Heavy and depressed, he said: ¡°Father¡¯s matter, I am not involved at all. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you have signed a contract or been exiled. I will always treat you as my blood connected¡­¡± brother. Before Ye Xuanguang¡¯s words were finished, a bit of sword light flashed across his cheek. ¡°I said that the karma between my sect disciple and you ends here.¡± A figure gradually appeared. It was the frost-haired and white-clothed Qiyun Jun. Ye Xuanguang was about to talk when he felt something hot on his chest. It was the Ye Clan¡¯s imprint. The information from Elder Xun and the Ye Emperor made his brows furrow. The spirit of the sacred tree is lost. Emperor Ye was furious. He wanted to utilize the power of the entire clan to capture those who stole the spirit of the sacred tree and have them dealt with by the clan law. In the world, no one has stepped into the void tracing realm for tens of thousands of years that could also sneak into the Ye Clan¡¯s ground by opening void cracks. So, the Ye Emperor urgently summoned whoever possessed even one drop of Ye Clan¡¯s blood back. Whoever violated this order would be killed without mercy. He remembered the sacred tree aura that he had just noticed, then he looked at the little chick in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand. There was a vaguely familiar aura on it. Some ridiculous guesses appeared in his heart, but soon, he shook his head. The distance separating the Central Continent and the Western Continent was too great. Wanting to steal the spirit of the sacred tree strongly and silently would be a fantasy. Even if it was really possible¡­ he can¡¯t even imagine it. There was a questioning technique in the clan. If he really wants to save his own brother¡¯s life, he can¡¯t get too close to the other party, at least not until he stabilizes his cultivation. Otherwise, according to the Ye Emperor¡¯s emphasis on the heavenly book¡¯s prophecy¡­ Ye Xuanguang: ¡°It¡¯s not me trying to redeem a favor. It¡¯s me who really owes him karma. Sect Master had helped me overcome my catastrophe, so I will definitely go to the Eastern Continent to report in person.¡± He sent a deep gaze to Ye Yunlan. He wanted to blurt out ¡°brother,¡± but he endured it. ¡°¡­ Fellow Daoist Ye,¡± he said, ¡°Wait for bro¡­me for a while. The Ye clan people will never trouble you again.¡± When Ye Xuanguang left, the little chick in Ye Yunlan¡¯s palm suddenly ¡°tweeted.¡± Then the blood-red feather sword in Ye Xuanguang¡¯s hand made a soft cry. Ye Yunlan looked at the sword light going away without saying a word. ¡°I will take you back to the sect.¡± Qiyun Jun said to him. Ye Yunlan: ¡°I still want to go to the top of Tianchi Mountain to pick up my disciple.¡± His disciple again. Qi Yun Jun felt a little uneasy in his heart. If it weren¡¯t for that disciple, Ye Yunlan would¡¯ve never left the sect at all, and he would not be injured. It¡¯s just that this worry was noticed by him as soon as it rose. He suppressed it with his mind. He found that he paid too much attention to Ye Yunlan. At first, he was only concerned about a disciple who might become his opponent in the future, but now what? When did he start to become more and more concerned about the other party¡¯s body and injuries? So concerned that soon as he received the call, he rushed over from so far away to heal the other party. He cultivated the heartless dao, which was close to the state of immortalization. He should be heartless and desireless. Then what about this situation¡­ Is this the tribulation of his heart demon? The heart demon tribulation is an undeclared thing, and it can happen at any time with each stage of the cultivator¡¯s cultivation. It should not be ignored. Qi Yunjun¡¯s eyes darkened slightly. ¡°I need to go back to closed-door training.¡± After all, he didn¡¯t mean to wait with Ye Yunlan anymore but said: ¡°I will give you a ride.¡± Then he added another cold sentence, ¡°Pay attention to your body and don¡¯t cause any more injuries. Otherwise, even gods and immortals will not be able to save you.¡± ¡ª¡ªThe observatory was damaged during the movements of Tianchi mountain. The people could not see the ascension steps¡¯ situation. They could only gather around the floating cloud summit to talk and discuss. Shi Ying was talking with the Senior Sister he admired. A few days ago, he didn¡¯t enter the ascension stage because of his timidity and lost face in front of this Senior Sister. So he was now working hard to find some interesting topics in an attempt to attract the attention of his Senior Sister. However, he found that his Senior Sister was just listening indifferently. Suddenly, her beautiful eyes shifted directions, fixedly staring at a figure: ¡°Who is he?¡± Ye Yunlan was sent to the top of the mountain by Qiyun Jun, and the other party had already left. Qiyun Jun was a little too concerned about him, and he was aware of it. It¡¯s just that the matter of the Buddha Tower in his previous life was still in his mind, so he was afraid that in this life, he would no longer be able to speak with the other party like an ordinary friend. Many people gathered at the top of the mountain. He suddenly realized that he did not bring his veiled hat. Amidst the countless stares, a woman dressed in purple clothes with a very beautiful appearance came over, ¡°I am Tingyu pavilion¡¯s Luo Yuqing. Could I dare ask this fellow Daoist name and which sect you¡¯re from?¡± When a bold and beautiful woman cultivator takes the initiative to show her goodwill, few male cultivators could refuse. And Ye Yunlan¡­ he never knew how to deal with a passionate and straightforward woman. The Sect¡¯s First Senior Sister Yin was enough for him to have a headache, yet now there is another like Luo Yuqing? When he was thinking about how to deal with the other party, he suddenly heard someone yelling. ¡°Look! Someone has come out from the exit of the ascension steps !¡± ¡°How? It¡¯s been less than ten days¡­¡± Ye Yunlan cast his eyes to the exit of the ascension steps. There was a stone gate standing on the northernmost side of Floating Cloud Summit, with countless ancient gods and secret patterns engraved on the gate. At this moment, a gap opened in the middle of the gate. It was slowly opening on both sides. Light shone through the gate, and there was a gorgeous fire cloud inside. In the backlight, a figure gradually became clear. Ye Yunlan was startled. He saw a pair of demonic eyes. It was long, narrow, and evil as if it contained boundless darkness. It seemed as if it was passing through the sky behind him and throwing himself into this world. So similar. So extremely similar to the person with whom he was very familiar in his previous life. This person was walking towards him step by step. How can it be? He thought. CH 52 Chapter 52 Thunder Ye Yunlan looked at the familiar figure walking out of the gate. The figure got closer and closer, giving him a ridiculous illusion. Impossible. He thought. The person in his previous life had personally said to him that he was born in the Demon Abyss. From the day he was born, he was the head of all demons, and the demon dao¡¯s lord. Counting the time from now to when the Demon Lord will be born, there are still more than dozens of years left. So how can he meet him in Tianchi Mountain? ¡ª¡ªBut what if he actually didn¡¯t make a mistake? He shuddered at this idea. His temples felt faintly painful. Chaotic and clear memories of his previous life surged. It was raining heavily. Blood ran down the tip of the sword as he was surrounded by the corpses of stargazer warriors wearing square scarves. The Shura sword in his hand whined. Someone shook the folding fan in their hand and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Yunlan, you have punished Tianji Pavilion more than ten times for wanting to force your husband to show up. Since you¡¯re so persistent, your husband naturally will satisfy you.¡± The other party¡¯s figure was a little illusory. He knew that this was just an image left by the other party¡¯s spiritual power on the recording stone in advance. If he sliced down with a sword, it wouldn¡¯t hurt the other party¡¯s body at all. The other party¡¯s body was hiding in the huge formation of the Tianji Pavilion. As long as he did not reach the void tracing realm, he would never be able to break through the formation and cut this person with the Shura sword. The image cannot be communicated with. He stared coldly at the other party¡¯s image. The rain flowed down the hideous ghost mask on his face. His wet hair clung to his back, his clothes wet, and his thin body covered with red, messy bloodstains. ¡°Yunlan, are you still angry with me that I took advantage of you?¡± Chen Weiyuan shook his head, as if a little helpless and a little indulgent of him, ¡°But you should know that there is something in this world called Destiny.¡± ¡°That year, your husband was outside Sky Sect and rescued you. Later, I sent you into the demonic sect after you made a big mistake and still insisted on having the Dao Sect keep you alive. From beginning to end, it was just following destiny.¡± ¡°¡­Shut up.¡± However, the image would not shut up. Chen Weiyuan: ¡°Yunlan, there is something I have never told you.¡± ¡°Before I rescued you, a once in a hundred years occurrence of the heavenly bodies happened. I used astrology calculations and calculated that the demonic star was about to be born. There was also a hidden star that was born with it.¡± ¡°The demonic star was extremely prosperous, with blood covering the sky and the sun. The hidden star was dim, almost difficult for me to observe. However, between the two, they would stand opposite to each other, trying to confront and swallow the other. It was kind of incredible.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that the hidden star was too weak. I¡¯m afraid that the demonic star could have swallowed it up without it completely being born.¡± Chen Weiyuan said with some deep meaning, ¡°The day you were expelled from the sect, if it were not for me, you would have already died.¡± ¡°So you have to remember that your husband is your savior.¡± ¡°You and the Demon Lord are enemies that cannot share the same heaven.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªBetween you and him, from the moment you two met, only one can live.¡± Along with Chen Weiyuan¡¯s words, thunder struck across the sky, roaring. He suddenly took a step back. ¡°¡­Tingyu Pavilion is located in southern Xinjiang, with breeze and rain all year round. Our disciples like to hang silver bells on the garrets. The wind and the sound of the bell ring, accompanied by the sound of rain, are quite beautiful. If you have a chance to come to Tingyu Pavillion as a guest to listen to the bells and the rain, it will also be helpful to one¡¯s mood.¡± Luo Yuqing whispered. Even though the conversation partner was slightly indifferent, it still didn¡¯t change her enthusiasm. She was a bold woman, and none of her peers were attractive to her. It is rare to see a man she liked, so she wouldn¡¯t let him go. But suddenly seeing the other party¡¯s face turn pale, she couldn¡¯t help but frown. She asked with concern: ¡°Fellow daoist?¡± Ye Yunlan no longer looked at the stone gate at the exit of the ascension steps but instead looked back at the beautiful woman in purple clothes standing in front of him. The other party¡¯s cheeks were sprinkled with red. Her eyes were like autumn water, with a touch of affection and a bit of anxiety. It was very similar to the eyes that Yin Ling had looked at him with in recent years. He knew that the other party would not be so easy to make leave. After the seven emotions needle seal, he could no longer have the thoughts of love in his heart. He has long forgotten what it is like to love. He also didn¡¯t understand why people who don¡¯t know each other can show admiration for another only because of their looks. Ye Yunlan turned his back to the stone gate of the distant ascension steps and opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s go talk somewhere else first.¡± Luo Yuqing¡¯s cheeks were slightly hot. Go talk somewhere else ¡­ does this mean that this person has already sensed her affection? Does that mean he isn¡¯t refusing her right away and wants to go to another place to talk? Yes! This person is so outstanding, it is indeed not convenient for them to talk with so many bystanders. She replied understandingly: ¡°Why don¡¯t fellow daoist come to my Tingyu Pavilion and take a seat? There is a Xumi nagaizi technique inside, so the space is spacious, and I also brought a unique spirit fruit from southern Xinjiang. Fellow daoist might as well try it.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion became paler. With cold sweat on his forehead, he could no longer hear what the girl was saying. He had always loathed that he had the ability to remember, that his memory was always too clear. He was unable to control himself in remembering everything he had experienced, every single detail. Once he was triggered to recall it, it would be difficult for him to calm down. It was clear that the sky was clear and the sun was shining brightly, but the sound of rain was still lingering in his ears. Even though things had passed many years ago, the thunder that made him tremble still roared in his mind. That was the biggest thunderstorm in his life. His eyes were wide open, watching as the extremely strong thunder and lightning descended from the sky. The terrifying electric snakes raged high in the sky, intertwining into an inescapable net. And in the inescapable net, there was a tall figure standing in the air. With his long sword pointed directly at the sky, he attracted all the lightning to them. Boom¡ª¡ª! The pressure shrouded from the heavens and the earth suppressed him, redenering him immobile. The terrible thunder shook his heart, giving him the illusion of his chest tightening and some nausea. He wanted to cover his ears, but he continued to stare at the figure in the sky with his eyes wide open. But at the same time, he did not want to pay any attention. He saw a river of blood flowing in the sky. Ghosts were crying in the river of blood, like a yellow spring purgatory. And that person stood in the center of the purgatory, like the lord of all demons and the king of all ghosts. The blood river turned into blood mist in the countless thunder tribulations and disappeared. About to dissipate, the bloodstream snaked in front of him. There were no ghosts and no resentments inside. There was only a small black boat floating quietly. It docked beside him. It contained a hideous ghost mask and a blood-red sword. There were still a few embers. This was the most terrifying calamity he had encountered in his entire life. Even the tribulation he encountered later when he crossed into void tracing was far less severe than this time. It was violent enough to fully convert the strongest person in the world into ashes. Not even their soul will remain. He had a splitting headache and was afraid to look at the stone gate behind him. He was like a baby bird that had been torn down by the squally rain. Even a little thunder was enough to frighten him. He only mutely replied to Luo Yuqing. ¡°Go.¡± Just before taking a few steps, he heard the low and gloomy voice of a young man behind him. ¡°Master obviously promised to wait for me at the exit of the ascension steps, so where are you going now?¡± His ears stopped hearing the rain. He turned around and saw the young man in black clothes standing in front of him, his eyes dark and bottomless, like the demon in his memory. However, his face was beautiful and young, with vigor and vitality. It was clear that he never threw himself into purgatory. He hadn¡¯t died yet. The person who came out of that door was Shen Shu. CH 53 The young man in black walked out of the ascension steps and looked at him with his head tilted. His eyes were heavy, and there seemed to be a fire within. ¡°Master, are you going to¡­ go with this girl? Where do you want to go?¡± Shen Shu repeated each word slowly. His fingertips pinched the bloody blue flower. His thin lips curled slightly, and his expression neither showed joy nor anger. His black clothes were covered with damage and dust. The sword in his hand was unsheathed, and there were many gaps in the blade. In order to reach the top of the ascension steps as soon as possible, he had tried his best. In Ye Yunlan¡¯s ears, the nightmare thunderstorm stopped. A drop of sweat slipped down his pale cheek. He looked at Shen Shu in a daze. He hadn¡¯t seen him for a few days, but Shen Shu¡¯s stature seemed to be taller again. Now, he was able to look at him at the same level, and his aura was better than before. He felt a bit compelling. He thought, why didn¡¯t he notice this before? Shen Shu had a pair of eyes that were similar to those of that person. Except for the pupils that were not as red as blood, his eyes were exactly the same. It was like a stormy sea, trapped in the memory of the past. It was difficult to calm down. A horrible theory suddenly flooded his mind. On the side, Luo Yuqing spoke up: ¡°This one is the disciple of fellow daoist?¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes, then said: ¡°Yes. He is my disciple¡­Shen Shu.¡± Luo Yuqing praised: ¡°Fellow daoist¡¯s disciple can stand out amongst the thousands of cultivators taking lead on the Floating Cloud Summit, and it only took less than ten days. He surpassed all others that have partaken in this. He is a genius that only appears once in a thousand years. Fellow daoist have such a good disciple, it really makes Yuqing envious.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Fellow daoist is exaggerating.¡± Luo Yuqing smiled: ¡°Climbing to the top of the ranks is a happy event, and it should be celebrated. This place has a lot of random people mixed in, how about we¡­.¡± She hadn¡¯t finished speaking when Shen Shu walked closer. He took his hand and stuffed the blood-stained flower into his hand. He bowed his head to his ear and said, ¡°Master, you said you would send me a flower, but in the end, the mountain spirit sent it to my hands. This does not count.¡± Maybe he was being too sensitive, but he felt that the other party¡¯s voice seemed to be different from before. His voice was low and dangerous. There was an ambiguous tone that was similar to that of the other person. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body stiffened, his mind confused. Who is the one whispering in his ear? ¡°What do you want instead for it to count?¡± Shen Shu glanced at Luo Yuqing who was beside him chuckled and said, ¡°Master¡¯s hug¡­ will count.¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. This request¡­many years ago, when Shen Shu broke into the Yuntian Palace to see him, he had mentioned it to him then. But at that time, Shen Shu was still young. It didn¡¯t matter if he hugged him. But now, he has grown into a tall and handsome young man. At Floating Cloud Summit, under everyone¡¯s scrutiny, how could it be appropriate? He turned around: ¡°I¡¯ll just pick another flower for you.¡± But Shen Shu clenched the palm of his hand. The young man stretched out his arms, held his shoulders, and pressed him into his arms. The scorching body temperature and the powerful heartbeat transferred, along with the smell of sweat and dust. Ye Yunlan instinctively wanted to break away from him, but heard Shen Shu say hoarsely: ¡°Master, you don¡¯t know this, but when the mountain spirit told me you were injured, do you know how worried this disciple was?¡± The sound of ¡°disciple ¡± in his ear made him startled. He was silent for a while, then finally put aside the suspicions in his heart. ¡°My injury is okay, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I know that Master¡¯s injury is okay because only then would you have the leisure to find a female cultivator to make as Master¡¯s wife.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What Master¡¯s wife? Don¡¯t speak nonsense¨C¡± He realized that Luo Yuqing was still watching. He frowned, and a thin red floated up on his pale face. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s not Master¡¯s wife¡­¡± Shen Shu lowered his voice, ¡°Master should make it up to me. You should know that your disciple was struggling to climb up the ascension steps to see Master. But when I came out, Master and a female cultivator whom the disciple didn¡¯t know about were walking away¡­¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips. He had misidentified Shen Shu as that person, thus he subconsciously wanted to avoid him. However, that was indeed a bit unfair to Shen Shu who had just climbed the ascension steps. However, this reason could not be said out loud. Thus, he said dumbly: ¡°How do you want Master to compensate?¡± He forgot to struggle out of his hold, so he was still held in Shen Shu¡¯s arms. The other party held him tightly with one arm while the other held his hand to make the deal. The short thorns on the longevity flower branch dug into his palm, but the sharp thorns seemed to have been smoothed and rounded out by this person from holding it for an extended period of time. It just felt uncomfortable being pressed like this. He thought of the reason he was doing this, and the sharp spikes in his heart softened. He sighed and didn¡¯t push the other party away. Shen Shu leaned into his ear and whispered: ¡°I want to eat the apricot flower cake that Master bought me.¡± That voice was low and sultry, but with a bit of coquettishness. It was enough to turn the person who heard it numb. The vendors selling apricot blossom cakes were in a small town under the mountain. It took a lot of time to travel there, going back and forth. They still needed to conduct a final competition on Floating Cloud Summit for the top ten people who climbed to the top of the ascension steps. They had to determine the rankings before they could open the mountain spirit treasure and receive the rewards. But Shen Shu climbed too fast, and it would take a few more days for the other people behind to keep up. At this moment, it would be fine to go down the mountain. ¡­But why the apricot blossom cake? Once suspicions have been born, it is hard to dismiss them. He closed his eyes again, then finally said ¡°Ok¡±. Shen Shu embraced him for a moment, then reluctantly let him go. He turned his head to the side towards Luo Yuqing¡¯s beautiful face. The other party did not notice anything strange, but she still looked at him boldly and enthusiastically. She said with a smile: ¡°The friendship between fellow daoist and daoist¡¯s disciple is really deep. It is very enviable.¡± Ye Yunlan furrowed his eyebrows: ¡°Daoist Luo, my disciple has just finished the ascension steps and his mind is unstable. He might have an injury. I need to find a place for me to check carefully, so I am afraid that I have no free time to talk to fellow daoist today. Luo Yuqing smiled: ¡°It¡¯s okay. There are a lot of tests in the ascension steps, so you have to check carefully. Don¡¯t leave any hidden injuries to allow damage to one¡¯s foundation. You can visit Yuqing when you are free in the future.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded. He thought for a moment, then felt that some issues should be cleared up as soon as possible. It would be a waste of time for the other party¡¯s feelings to be misled, so he said: ¡°My disciple¡¯s words were very inappropriate earlier, I hope fellow daoist don¡¯t misunderstand. In my whole life, I have never wanted to seek a dao companion.¡± After hearing that, Luo Yuqing¡¯s smile faded slightly. She gritted her teeth: ¡°Not at this moment, but that does not mean there will not be in the future.¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head. Luo Yuqing: ¡°Us cultivators travel a long path and can wait endlessly. If there is no companion, wouldn¡¯t it be a little too lonely?¡± Before Ye Yunlan could answer, Shen Shu took a step forward: ¡°In these past few years, my master and I have lived in the mountains, accompanying each other. Although far from people and the prosperous city, life is really comfortable. We have never felt lonely. Besides, whether my master is lonely or not, it¡¯s not something this lady should ask about.¡± He didn¡¯t call her fellow daoist, but lady. It really was not respectful. He also looked young and handsome, so approaching in this extreme manner felt a little aggressive. Luo Yuqing frowned. She felt a little uncomfortable. She was about to respond when she saw Shen Shu casually glance at her. In a daze, Luo Yuqing seemed to see a deep and secluded blood color slipping out from the other party¡¯s eyes. The blood color seemed to be piled up with endless bones and blood. It contained a hard to see Purgatory. She took a step back subconsciously. Her spine was drenched with cold sweat. She couldn¡¯t help but wonder. It was clear with Ye Yunlan¡¯s appearance that he was an immortal scholar, so how could he have such a disciple who was more like a demonic cultivator? She didn¡¯t see it, but a small shadow had already quietly sneaked into her own shadow. A horror that was difficult to speak about seemed to have arrived. As if being held down by the nightmare, Luo Yuqing said: ¡°In that case, then Yuqing will leave first.¡± Seeing Luo Yuqing a good ways away, Ye Yunlan breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward. Shen Shu: ¡°Where is Master going?¡± Ye Yunlan paused: ¡°To buy you apricot blossom cakes.¡± Shen Shu hurriedly followed and said with a smile: ¡°I know Master¡­ treats me the best.¡± His mouth said the word ¡°Master¡± at a slower speed. He chewed on that word slowly. It tasted as sweet as honey. CH 54 Chapter 54 Journey Together While Luo Yuqing walked back to Tingyu Pavilion in a daze, a closed black gold folding fan blocked her way. ¡°Fellow daoist, please wait.¡± The person that held the folding fan had an elegant and gentle voice, like a clear spring of running water. Luo Yuqing raised her head and saw a white-clothed cultivator with a handsome face standing in front of her. There were stars in his eyes. She looked into the deep black eyes of the other party, then quivered. She snapped out of her trance, and her heart¡¯s lingering fear also faded like a tide. She looked back but saw that the person who had just spoken to her was already off in the distance. A young man in black went with him. She showed a little confusion on her face, but then it turned into fear. She turned her head back and recognized that the person in front of her was the young pavilion master of Tianji Pavilion: ¡°Young Pavilion Master, thank you for the help, otherwise Yuqing would have almost fallen into a hindrance to one¡¯s heart.¡± Chen Weiyuan stared at the other two people in the distance. He smiled slightly: ¡°It¡¯s just a trivial matter. You don¡¯t need to keep it in your heart.¡± Luo Yuqing still had some lingering fears, ¡°Does the Young Pavilion Master recognize those two, particularly the black-clothed cultivator who just walked out of the ascension steps? His eyes seemed to be bewitching. What¡¯s more, he can reach the ascension steps in ten days. This is unprecedented. But this character, Yuqing has never heard of him before.¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°I¡¯m familiar with his Master. The disciple he received, I have met him several times. It¡¯s just that today, he gave me a lot of surprises.¡± He retracted the folding fan and hit it against his palm. His lips smiled, revealing an ambiguous meaning. ¡­ Ye Yunlan had just set foot on the mountain road when Shen Shu approached: ¡°Master, the road down the mountain is far, I will take you for a ride.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± Ye Yunlan turned his head, with a hint of surprise on his face, ¡°You have learned the method to ride your sword?¡± Generally speaking, except for some secret magic techniques, sword cultivators could only cultivate their natal spirit sword to ride it. Ye Yunlan has been collecting materials since the day Shen Shu started sword practice. To build an excellent spirit sword for Shen Shu, all the materials have finally been collected at the communication stream¡¯s cultivation market. Now, all they needed to do was make it after returning to the sect. Shen Shu: ¡°I got some inheritance from the ascension steps, so I can fly on the sword for a while.¡± His palms came together to form a seal, then the iron in his hand floated in front of the two of them. At the same time, a sword glow was spat out from the sword, enough for two people to stand on top. Shen Shu jumped onto the sword. He bent over and stretched out his hand towards Ye Yunlan, ¡°Come on.¡± The young man¡¯s hands were broad and powerful. Black hair, long eyes, and a deep gaze. Ye Yunlan glanced at it quietly, then he raised his hand to hold it. He was pulled up by Shen Shu and quickly stood still on the flying sword. ¡°Although this iron shaft can fly for a short distance,¡± Shen Shu stood behind him and said with a low smile, ¡°It¡¯s just, I¡¯m still looking forward to the spirit sword that Master will refine for me the most¡­¡± The low voice entered his ears and made Ye Yunlan¡¯s body go slightly stiff. His fingers that were down by the side of his body curled up tight. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to eat apricot blossom cake? Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu laughed loudly. ¡°Okay¡± The shining sword light drew a long mark in the void. Although Tianchi Mountain has an air ban, it only requires a magic weapon¡¯s flying height not to exceed a hundred feet above the ground. Under the control of Shen Shu, the iron sword swept across the mountain road at the speed of wind. The cold wind blew their robes, making it slightly cold. But in the next moment, Shen Shu¡¯s hands wrapped around his waist. He used spiritual power as a barrier to isolate the cold wind. As the flying sword reached Tianchi Mountain¡¯s maximum height, a pale white mountain fog enveloped them. From the air, one could see the winding mountain road and the colours of spring. Shen Shu: ¡°When disciple has his own natal spirit sword in the future, I will cultivate sword flying, then I can take Master to fly in the air for a long time. I know that Master does not like to travel far, but not far from Yanhui Peak, there is a valley of red flame flowers. In spring, the flowers blooming are dazzling there. If you look down from the sky, there should be a very beautiful view.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t say anything. He remembered that a long time ago, he also flew on a sword with that person. But, it was a long, long time ago. At that time, he and the Demon Lord had lived in seclusion in the Central Continent for more than ten years. Their identities were exposed, and they were besieged and attacked by the immortal sects. The Demon Lord was seriously injured while riding his sword out of the net arranged by the immortal sect. The other party held his waist tightly with his hands, and his head rested on his shoulders. The cold wind was bitter, and the blood that slowly penetrated his shoulder was hot. He tilted his head and saw the other party¡¯s hair tangled in a mess with himself, almost unable to be differentiated. The Shura sword was a sword of evil massacres. It had a violent temper and couldn¡¯t even be touched by others except for the Demon Lord. However, the Shura sword did not reject him. The Demon Lord¡¯s chest rose and fell and carried his breath¡¯s smell of blood into his ears. Until then, there was still no panic in this person¡¯s voice. As usual, he carried a low-key smile. ¡°Does it look good?¡± The Demon Lord asked. While he stood on the Shura sword, he saw a golden field on the ground spread across the horizon that connected with the orange-red sunset. Heaven and earth joined together to form a magnificent picture. He whispered: ¡°It looks good.¡± Demon Lord: ¡°You used to live in your sect residence and cultivated. After entering my demonic palace, because of my own desires, I made you stay with me all year round. Later, because of me, you were trapped in the Buddha Tower for hundreds of years.¡± The other party coughed, then said, ¡°The world is vast, and you have not seen much scenery.¡± ¡°Senior Immortal, when I am not here, you should go take a look at this world.¡± A hundred years later, he had seen everything all over the world. Suddenly, a tender cry sounded. ¡°Tweet!¡± A small yellow furball stuck its small head out from his collar. Its black-pea eyes looked curiously at the flying world around him. Shen Shu narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled again: ¡°Master, where did this little chick come from?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I met it in the mountains, and it followed me by itself.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Since Master kept it by his side, did you want to keep it as a pet?¡± Ye Yunlan faintly let out an ¡°En.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Master had the leisure of keeping pets¡­¡± Shen Shu pulled the little chick out of Ye Yunlan¡¯s shirt. ¡°If it¡¯s a pet, does it have a name?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°No.¡± Shen Shu asked with interest: ¡°What if I give it a name?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­ If you want.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so fluffy and cute. It would definitely attract people¡¯s affection.¡± Shen Shu carried the little chick and looked at it, his tone emphasizing the ¡°attract people¡¯s affection¡±. A ribbon of malicious crimson flashed across his eyes, ¡°How about calling it Furball?¡± The little chick fluttered his wings in Shen Shu¡¯s hand. It tweeted loudly and seemed to be very dissatisfied with the name. Shen Shu: ¡°Master also thinks that the name is not bad, right?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t speak but raised his hand to pick up the little chick from Shen Shu¡¯s hand. He rubbed his fluffy head with his fingers. The little chick licked his palm, then unwillingly calmed down. The two soon arrived at the small town under the mountain. After buying the apricot blossom cakes, they went to a lakeside grassland. Shen Shu sat on the grass, with one leg bent and his long sword by his side. He ate and frowned, then occasionally commented: ¡°Too sweet.¡± ¡°The apricot blossoms have been left out for too long, and now they¡¯re not fresh enough. The mung beans were also not crushed enough.¡± ¡°The steaming time was not enough. Now it isn¡¯t soft enough.¡± Ye Yunlan sat to the side and leaned against the tree trunk. He watched Shen Shu quietly. Mottled tree shadows hit his face, hiding his expression. He held the faint blue longevity flower that Shen Shu had brought back with one hand and put his other hand on the grass. Furball bounced around his hand. After Shen Shu finished eating the last piece of apricot blossom mung bean cake, he looked over lazily. ¡°Actually, the apricot blossom cake in this small, mortal city doesn¡¯t taste very good.¡± ¡°After returning to the sect, disciple will make it for Master personally, okay?¡± CH 55 Chapter 55 Undressing Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale fingertips that held the longevity flower branch abruptly tightened, and he did not immediately answer. Furball walked around him, then jumped on his lap. He gave a soft ¡°chirp¡±. Shen Shu¡¯s expression remained unchanged. His long eyes stared at the person sitting in the shadow of the tree. He tilted his head and slowly licked the broken apricot blossom cake on his fingertips. Although he had just counted out the many shortcomings of the apricot blossom cake one by one, he still ate the things that that person personally gave him. After he finished licking the broken pieces in his hand, he heard Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Shen Shu curled his lips, then he sharply propped up his body with his hands. He walked to Ye Yunlan, knelt down on one knee, and leaned closer. Ye Yunlan watched Shen Shu¡¯s face approach, his eyes widening. Just when their noses were about to collide, Shen Shu turned his head away and picked off the leaves that were on Ye Yunlan¡¯s hair. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body became very stiff. Shen Shu¡¯s breath gently sprayed on his neck, and his brows were tightly furrowed. He did not move at all. The breeze blew, and the fallen leaves fluttered. Shen Shu picked off the leaves from Ye Yunlan¡¯s hair with great interest as if he would never get tired of it. Ye Yunlan¡¯s long eyelashes quivered. What did he want to say? In his eye¡¯s peripheral vision, he caught a glimpse of the back of She Shu¡¯s neck, a dark mark faintly revealed. It was the puppet seal. After Shen Shu formally stepped into dao cultivation, this puppet seal from three years ago had gradually faded away. However, at this moment, the seal had returned to its dark color when he looked at it. He could faintly feel the filth from it. Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was slightly cold. ¡°Shen Shu, did you use the power of the demon puppet?¡± Shen Shu¡¯s hand paused. He pulled away a little and looked at Ye Yunlan. The other party¡¯s face was extremely beautiful. It was a frosty appearance, without the slightest flaw. He looked at this face for a moment before he said: ¡°Master misunderstood. Disciple did not actively use the power of the demon puppet.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Then what is the filthy qi on your body? Explain.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°That¡¯s demonic energy.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Demonic energy? How can you have demonic energy?¡± A demon puppet can absorb an infinite amount of foul qi to gain power, and demonic energy is classified as one type of foul qi. However, it is different from the spirit of killing and the evil thoughts of evil spirits. Only demonic cultivation of the demonic art or a demonic array can convert the spiritual energy of heaven and the earth into demonic energy. Besides, there is only one place in the world that can constantly produce demonic energy. The Demon Abyss. Shen Shu: ¡°When I rushed through the ascension steps, I strayed into a formation. I didn¡¯t think that that place would actually be a place where demonic cultivators were buried thousands of years ago. A remnant soul left behind wanted to seize me but was swallowed by me on a counter-attack. The demonic energy and inheritance left by the remnant soul were also merged into my body.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at Shen Shu¡¯s eyes, trying to find the traces of a lie. He couldn¡¯t find it. The youth¡¯s eyes were as deep as ink, no different from the past. However, the evil eyes when the other party walked out of the stone gate still lingered. But Shen Shu¡¯s statement had no loopholes. Tianchi Mountain has been standing for thousands of years. There had been countless battles for countless ages. It is not a surprise that there are powerful demonic remnants in it. Actually, many cultivators who went to Tianchi Mountain to discuss dao wanted to get the inheritance of these predecessors in Tianchi Mountain. Most demonic sect techniques were evil and treacherous, so the demonic soul incapable of seizing him and leaving behind demonic energy on Shen Shu can also explain why when they met, Shen Shu had an aura that made him feel familiar. He clenched his fingertips. The short thorns of the longevity flower branch pressed into his palm. That ridiculous guess was slowly pushed to the bottom of his heart by him. But faintly, he also felt relieved. ¡°Is that what you are saying? Is that true?¡± Ye Yunlan asked again. Shen Shu: ¡°Really.¡± A dark light flashed through Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. He didn¡¯t tell any lies. It¡¯s just that he didn¡¯t say everything. Ye Yunlan was still not at ease: ¡°You promised me that you will always stick to your heart and will not lose your strength or your way and step into the demonic path. Is this true?¡± Shen Shu gave a deep look at Ye Yunlan: ¡°If this is Master¡¯s wish¡­naturally it is true.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment: ¡°A demonic soul is not a trivial matter. You should have told me when you first emerged from the ascension steps. The demonic energy in your body needs to be eradicated as soon as possible. You must not continue to induce the puppet mark on your body. Also, what is the demonic technique passed down to you by the demonic cultivator?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°It is the Nine-Turn Heavenly Demonic Body.¡± The Nine-Turn Heavenly Demonic Body is part of the forbidden demonic cultivations. The only person who has cultivated this through the ages was the Demon Lord, but in these ten thousand years, it has been spread widely. This is because the entry barrier of this method was extremely low. It could help people quickly gain strength. Even if people would be chased by the demonic sect, they would still secretly practice it. Ye Yunlan pursed his lips, ¡°This technique must never be practiced.¡± After thinking for a moment, he stood up, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Where is Master going?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression was heavy: ¡°Looking for a place to give you a thorough physical examination.¡± There were still a few days away before the Floating Cloud Summit competition, so the two still had a lot of time. They returned to the cave house in the shadow wall of the communication stream. Inserting the night pearl into the moon shadow wall, the two of them walked into the cave and saw a huge purple cloud tree. There was a stone pier and a stone bench under the purple cloud tree and a stone bed next to it. The rain of purple flowers was beautiful. Around the back of the purple cloud tree, there was a clear spring with crystal clear water. It was set in the cave and used for bathing. Ye Yunlan said coldly: ¡°Undress.¡± Shen Shu stood by the spring pool, glanced at him, smiled, and began undressing obediently. Ye Yunlan leaned on the purple cloud tree and looked on. A few years ago, he had helped Shen Shu touch his bones. In order to get rid of the filthiness in Shen Shu¡¯s body, he even prepared a medicated bath for him so that he would soak it every day while he watched and guarded by his side. At that time, Shen Shu was still young, and he would always go straight into the hot medicine bath after taking off his clothes with his ears blushing red. But now, the uncomfortable person has become himself. He watched Shen Shu untie the dusty and torn clothes, then shortly after, his inner garment. The young man¡¯s slender body slowly unfolded, smooth lines without a trace of fat. There were many new scars on it that had not been recovered yet, but it didn¡¯t compromise its beauty and health. The clothes were thrown aside by Shen Shu until only a pair of obscene trousers were left. He raised his hand to remove the crown on his head. Like a waterfall, his long black hair unraveled. He turned around, curled his lips, and smiled: ¡°Master, should I continue to take it off?¡± CH 56 Chapter 56 Applying Medicine Ye Yunlan stood under the purple cloud tree. Although his complexion was still pale, his ear tips showed a tinge of red. He said: ¡°¡­Enough.¡± Shen Shu tilted his head, curled his thin lips, and said: ¡°Is Master not going to check me thoroughly to see if there is any demonic qi contamination? How could you do a thorough check if I don¡¯t take it all off?¡± As he said this, he raised his hand to his waist. Ye Yunlan pursed his lips. The youth¡¯s body was very young and not yet fully grown. Although he was young, he had developed the physique of an adult man due to years of cultivating martial arts. Thin muscles covered his whole body, and every place was full of power, ready to be unleashed. This was especially the case when the clothes were not removed. A huge shadow can be vaguely seen, which was almost intimidating. Seeing Shen Shu stretch out his hand to remove the clothes, Ye Yunlan finally couldn¡¯t bear it: ¡°Demonic energy can pass through wounds on a cultivator¡¯s body. If you are not injured, there is no need to check.¡± After that, before Shen Shu could speak, his pale face was the first to turn red. Shen Shu stopped moving. He didn¡¯t actually want to take it off, he only couldn¡¯t help but want to tease this person a bit. He just wanted to teach this person not to look at him coldly. ¡­ But he was not unwilling to actually take it off in front of this person. Shen Shu threw the hair crown in his hand into the pile of clothes and said with a smile: ¡°Disciple is not injured, Master does not have to worry. Please check the remaining places, Master.¡± Seeing that Shen Shu no longer moved arbitrarily, Ye Yunlan slowly stepped forward. After being injured by the divine fire, his eyesight was limited. He would have blurry vision if he looked from a distance. This may have been why he misunderstood Shen Shu when he saw him come out of the ascension steps. There were many small wounds on Shen Shu¡¯s body. The price he had paid for climbing to the top within ten days was definitely not small. When Ye Yunlan examined him, his frown tightened. He grabbed Shen Shu¡¯s shoulders, making him turn around, then raised his hand to brush away Shen Shu¡¯s long black hair strewn on his back. A long and narrow scar was revealed. The scar stretched across Shen Shu¡¯s back, from shoulder to waist. Although the wound was long, it was extremely narrow, as if it was cut by a very sharp blade. He said in a deep voice: ¡°How did this injury come about?¡± Shen Shu saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s awareness on it, and sighed lightly: ¡°This is the injury I accidentally suffered from when I fought with the demonic soul.¡± Like water, Ye Yunlan¡¯s face sank. ¡°Tell me in detail.¡± Shen Shu was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°The demonic soul I met was a demon cultivator of the Heavenly Demon Sect from three thousand years ago. It had a strong cultivation base and became a demonic soul after death, lurking for thousands of years on the ascension steps. It used geomantic geography to arrange a phantom array to look for a suitable physical body to seize.¡± ¡°I was the ¡®prey¡¯ of that demonic soul.¡± ¡°The phantom array arranged by the demonic soul was silent and quiet. It silently intruded into my mind and wanted to consume my soul when I was unaware.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t¡­¡± He paused. A dark color flashed across his eyes before he continued, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for these ten thousand years and the power of the demonic soul being consumed by the power of heaven and earth, it would have succeeded.¡± ¡°The demonic soul slammed into the depths of my soul¡¯s memory and gave me a dream.¡± ¡°A deep memory of a dream.¡± When Shen Shu said this, he smiled lightly. ¡°That dream was chaotic and broken. It seemed real and illusory, I almost couldn¡¯t wake up. That demonic soul had been waiting for the opportunity to devour my soul, it¡¯s just that I won the battle in the end.¡± ¡°The demonic soul saw that it was impossible to win, so he wanted to die together and activated the ultimate move in the array. At that time, Disciple was not completely awake and could only avoid it. The critical point was that I still suffered some injuries.¡± Shen Shu paused, then continued, ¡°It¡¯s not a serious injury, so Master doesn¡¯t need to worry.¡± He said this lightly. But if he fought with a demonic soul and was not careful, he would have gotten destroyed. Ye Yunlan only listened but felt himself becoming emotionally affected. Although Shen Shu won the battle, in the end, Shen Shu¡¯s mind was inevitably affected. ¡­This may be the reason he felt that Shen Shu¡¯s tone and demeanor were different today. He dragged Shen Shu to the bank of the pond and made him sit down. Shen Shu: ¡°What is Master going to do?¡± Ye Yunlan, ¡°I¡¯ll treat your wound.¡± Shen Shu thought for a while: ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry, my body is different from ordinary people. This injury is nothing. It will recover soon¡­¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Shut up.¡± Shen Shu shut up obediently. Ye Yunlan took out the healing ointment brought from Sky Sect, opened it, and a faint fragrance of medicine wafted out. He put some ointment on his fingertips and applied it to the wound on Shen Shu¡¯s back. The ointment was cold. However, when applied to a wound, it would cause a burning pain like fire. But to Shen Shu, this pain was not intolerable. It¡¯s just that when the other party¡¯s cold fingertips scratched the wound, there was a kind of unbearable itching that penetrated his heart rather than burning pain. Shen Shu frowned, and his voice was hoarse. There was a hint of coquetry in his low voice. ¡°Master, it hurts¡­¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t comfort him this time but said coldly: ¡°Aren¡¯t you good at tolerating pain? When we were going down the mountain, you didn¡¯t even mention the injury to me.¡± Shen Shu blinked his eyes and stopped talking. ¡°Hiss¡­¡± He took a breath, slightly raised his head, and looked at the purple cloud tree in the sky. His Adam¡¯s apple moved. His fists hanging on his side were clenched, and he restrained the abnormality deep within his body. Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes to apply the medicine on Shen Shu. The back muscles of the young man in front of him were tight, and his shoulder blades were slightly raised, like two wings spreading out. Beautiful, young, and full of vitality. Very attractive. It¡¯s just. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and thought of the other person¡¯s body. He understood that person¡¯s body even more than his own. That person¡¯s body and the word elegant didn¡¯t go hand in hand. If he had to use words to describe it, it would be ¡°sly¡± and ¡°tyrannical¡±. Tight muscles, broad chest, pitch-black demonic patterns that were like living creatures winding on the other party¡¯s body, and his scarlet eyes revealed under that hideous ghost mask. When the man leaned over to embrace him, a dark shadow would entangle them. He would struggle in the shadows as if he was drowning in the deep sea, unable to even move his fingertips. Sometimes he would not even be able to tell whether it was the strange shadows or the other party¡¯s body that was entwining him. The man said that he was born out of the Demon Abyss, a gathering of all the ¡°evil¡± in the world. Although the person didn¡¯t make it clear, he actually knew the person himself did not vaguely treat himself as a human being. (Treat himself, not Ye Yunlan.) Shen Shu was different. Although he suffered misfortune in his childhood, he was born a person first and foremost. He had blood relatives, and Ye Yunlan personally watched his disciple grow up. These two are too different. Isn¡¯t it enough to make a mistake once? He shouldn¡¯t have made such an absurd guess, let alone continue to look for that person¡¯s shadow in Shen Shu. This is not fair to that person or to Shen Shu. Ye Yunlan thought quietly, showing slight exhaustion on his face. After treating the wound on Shen Shu, he said: ¡°You have collected a lot of dust climbing the ascension steps, so you should wash up here and change your clothes. Be careful not to get water on the wound. Your Master will go to the cultivator¡¯s market for a quick trip.¡± As he said this, he leaned forward and put his hand into the water to carefully clean the five fingers soaked with ointment. He dried them with a towel, then put another clean cloth towel and the ointment bottle by Shen Shu¡¯s side. Shen Shu can deal with the remaining small wounds on his body by himself. Shen Shu looked at him sideways and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Watching Ye Yunlan¡¯s back disappear at the cave¡¯s entrance, he did not touch the clean cloth strip but picked up the cloth towel that Ye Yunlan had just wiped his hand with. He soaked it in water, then slowly washed away the dust on his body. Ye Yunlan went to the cultivator bazaar in the communication stream. After walking around in a hurry, he quickly found what he wanted to buy and returned to the cave. At this moment, Shen Shu had changed into a new outfit. His upper body was naked and sat on the stone bed with one leg bent. He slowly applied the ointment onto his body. This time, he didn¡¯t cry out in pain. When stimulating medicine was applied to the wound, it burned terribly. He was still expressionless and apathetic . It wasn¡¯t until he heard the movement of Ye Yunlan coming back that there was a fresh look on his face again. Ye Yunlan took out a bottle of pill from his hand. ¡°This is a Jingshen Pill. It has the effect of removing demonic energy and clearing the mind. You should take it three times a day.¡± Shen Shu raised his hands with ointment on them, ¡°Master, help me.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at it. With that glance, he poured out a few pills from the medicine bottle. Shen Shu approached, lowered his head to take the pill, and the tip of his tongue touched Ye Yunlan¡¯s palm. Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand stiffened, and he almost subconsciously wanted to take it back. Shen Shu¡¯s canine tooth held the pill in his mouth. After chewing a few times, swallowing it, he smiled, ¡°Disciple only learned today that a Jingshen pill could be this sweet.¡± After Shen Shu took all three pills, Ye Yunlan quickly retracted his hand and hung it by his side. He didn¡¯t look at Shen Shu again and just walked to sit at the stone table under the purple cloud tree. He closed his eyes to rest. After Shen Shu finished applying the ointment, he put on black clothes and came to sit down beside Ye Yunlan. He propped his head up with one arm and looked at Ye Yunlan for a while: ¡°Since we happen to be free at this moment, how about I tell Master what I had seen and heard at the ascension steps to relieve Master¡¯s boredom.¡± Ye Yunlan did not open his eyes but only lightly said ¡°En¡±. Shen Shu: ¡°As soon as I entered the ascension steps, I found that I was at the bottom of the mountain, and there were endless mountains above my head. There was mist all around my body and only a winding mountain road ahead.¡± ¡°On the ascension steps, there were many tests and trials. There were tests of formations, and there were also trials of the heart. Disciple had learned a lot and also learned a few ancient sword techniques. When we go back, Master can take a look.¡± ¡°I also met Nangongqing and his elder brother who had provoked Master before. I gave him a severe lesson, so I think he should not dare to be disrespectful to Master again.¡± ¡°There were no day and night changes on the ascension steps. The bottom steps were the dark night stars, while the top was the fiery sun. It was clearly just a path up the mountain, but looking out from the mountain, you can see the scenery of the five continents and four seas, changing and turning. There was also the landscape ten thousand years ago, which was very magnificent¡­ ¡± Shen Shu spoke slowly, then heard steady breathing in his ears. His voice stopped. Ye Yunlan was already asleep. The person was resting on the stone table, with long black hair scattered, and his eyelashes drooped, showing a quiet appearance. Shen Shu looked at him, his eyes gradually darkening. It was overflowing with uncontrollable deep desires. Countless vine-like black shadows spread their teeth and claws from under his feet. Separated by a slight distance from the other party¡¯s skin, they climbed around him in circles. There were a few that were ready to move, wanting to leap onto the other¡¯s clothing happily. Shen Shu licked his dry lips. ¡­ He really wanted to entangle this person completely, be one with him completely, and to be never be separated. ¡°Master.¡± He murmured. The overwhelming black shadows whizzed and danced around him, hideously bare. But in the end, he just laid his head on the stone table. He stretched out his hand and carefully touched the cold fingertips of the other party. ¡­¡­ For a few days, Master and Disciple rested in the cave. Then, they went up Tianchi Mountain again. At this time, it had been more than half a month since the opening of the ascension steps stage. Cultivators, one after another, walked out of the stone gate at the exit of the ascension steps stage. It¡¯s just that the difference from before was that the observatory damaged in the earth¡¯s movement has disappeared. Also, a magnificent immortal palace was floating in the void of the Floating Cloud Summit. Outside the immortal palace, many Ink Sect disciples were entertaining cultivators from all sides. Seeing the two of them approaching, an Ink Sect disciple walked up with a scroll. Ye Yunlan noticed that this Ink Sect disciple had an ordinary face, but had a pair of long, narrow, raised phoenix eyes. They were half-closed, he had a lazy expression on. The other party clasped his hands together: ¡°I am Ink Sect¡¯s Wang Daoyan. The Floating Cloud Summit Tournament will begin soon, but this time, it will be different from previous years. Due to the damage to the observatory, the place to watch the battle has changed. I will lead you two fellow daoists there. ¡± Ye Yunlan lightly nodded, ¡°Thank you for your trouble. ¡± ¡°Yunlan.¡± His foot that was about to take a step forward was stopped by a warm sound. Ye Yunlan looked up, and Chen Weiyuan, dressed in white, stood not far away. Next to him was Xu Qingyue, who was standing tall and carried a long sword. Beside Ye Yunlan, Shen Shu narrowed his eyes slightly. The colour of scarlet sat deep in his eyes. CH 57 Chapter 57 Immortal Palace Ye Yunlan raised his eyes and gave a light glance at Chen Weiyuan, then looked away. There was a burning pain from the seven emotion needles in his soul, but his expression was blank. He had already decided in this life, he wouldn¡¯t give this person even half of his gaze. He had no hobby of reclaiming trash. Trash should stay in the rubbish heap. Any corruption or festering had nothing to do with him. Seeing Ye Yunlan¡¯s indifferent appearance, that he didn¡¯t even express his initial anger or hatred, Chen Weiyuan¡¯s gentle smile became slightly stiff. The golden folding fan hit the palm of his hand. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression then returned to his natural expression. He smiled: ¡°Yunlan, I haven¡¯t congratulated you yet. Your disciple is the first to reach the top of this climb. Now, every faction is spreading the name of this master and disciple duo.¡± Ye Yunlan was indifferent. On the side, Shen Shu folded his arms and said: ¡°We don¡¯t seem to know each other.¡± He emphasized the words ¡°don¡¯t know each other,¡± then curled his lips into a mocking smile, ¡°Also, who do you think you are to directly address my Master?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s eyebrows moved slightly. He looked at Shen Shu, then said: ¡°How do you know that I don¡¯t know your Master?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I only see a dog skin plaster persistently entangling with my Master.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change: ¡°Fellow daoist¡¯s cultivation is deep and showing off is a good thing. However, you need to pay attention to your words, or else you will shame your Master.¡± When he said this, a slight pressure was revealed, pressing down on Shen Shu. The energy on his body had almost reached transcendence. Those who have the ancient bloodline are far more talented than those of the normal world. It is rumored that the young master of Tianji Pavilion never participated in the Tianchi Mountain Dao Conference, not because of him being scared to compete, but because it was beneath him. The attack was silent and directly hit his mind. Chen Weiyuan expected that Shen Shu would lose himself. He didn¡¯t expect that he would stand there, unruffled, with his arms folded. Ye Yunlan seemed to perceive something. He said coldly: ¡°Naturally, my disciple is to be disciplined by me. It is also up to me to determine if he had embarrassed me, it has nothing to do with you.¡± His long eyelashes lifted. He carried the nirvana sword intent and his eyes appeared like a sword. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s pupils shrank slightly. Pure sword intent couldn¡¯t force him to back down. It¡¯s just that he remembered when Ye Yunlan¡¯s bloodline recovered on the Ye Clan Flying Boat, he had looked at him exactly like that¡ª eyes extremely sharp, and extremely bright. It was like he was a god above the sky, overlooking the world. He put away the smile on his face, then sighed slightly, ¡°Yunlan¡­¡± ¡°Senior Brother Chen¡± Xu Qingyue pulled Chen Weiyuan¡¯s sleeve. He shook his head and walked forward a few steps. Towards Ye Yunlan, he said sincerely, ¡°Daoist Ye, being able to teach such an outstanding person, Qingyue admires you. After I got back from being able to exchange moves against fellow daoist last time, I benefited quite a lot. I still have not had the time to thank fellow daoist.¡± After half a month, Xu Qingyue¡¯s sword intent was deeper and firmer. It seems that being defeated by his sword last time did not affect his dao but instead made him more stable. Now, he has taken a few extra steps forward on this path. Xu Qingyue hesitated, then said: ¡°After Qingyue thought about it for a long time, I still have not changed my mind. I can¡¯t help but ask again, can fellow daoist accept me as a disciple?¡± Speaking this part, he bowed deeply towards Ye Yunlan. To sincere people who respected the sword, Ye Yunlan had always given some respect. He leaned sideways to avoid Xu Qingyue¡¯s bow. His expression of indifference disappeared a bit: ¡°I can¡¯t be your teacher. I have said that my personal disciple can only be Shen Shu. One person is enough. It is not because of your qualifications or temperament. It¡¯s just that it takes too much effort to teach and cultivate disciples. I have no more cultivation base in this body, and I am sick and disabled. I will stay in this world for decades at most, and I really don¡¯t have the energy to teach any more people.¡± Shen Shu heard this, and his expression changed. Xu Qingyue¡¯s clear and bright eyes showed disappointment, but he quickly put away his emotions: ¡°This will be Qingyue¡¯s last time asking, I hope that fellow Daoist will not be offended. Qingyue will not use this to bother you anymore.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Uphold your heart and don¡¯t allow it to be disturbed. Practice ten years without another¡¯s guidance, and you may be able to reach small success.¡± Xu Qingyue¡¯s eyes again appeared bright: ¡°Thank you, fellow daoist, for your pointer.¡± He thought for a while, then looked at Shen Shu with a smile on his face: ¡°Qingyue heard that Fellow Daoist Shen only managed to reach the top in less than ten days. It¡¯s really amazing. Qingyue is not talented, I spent seventeen days and barely climbed to the top. Fortunately, I was ranked among the top 20 of the ascension steps and can participate in the Floating Cloud Summit. I would like to have a fight with fellow daoist. I hope fellow daoist won¡¯t hold back.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s scarlet and malicious eyes flashed and disappeared towards the person who always entangled himself with his Master and wanted to become his junior brother: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t hold back.¡± He looked at Xu Qingyue¡¯s beautiful and flawless face. If this was the so-called cultivation world¡¯s number one beauty¡­ sure enough, there is still no other person better looking than his Master. His mood suddenly improved again. He curled his lips, ¡°I want to remind Daoist Xu of a sentence. You might know the person but not really know him. Sometimes it is not a good thing to only know how to cultivate.¡± Xu Qingyue blinked, a bit puzzled. Wang Daoyan was on the sidelines holding the scroll for a while. At this moment, he made a look to the side. A disciple of the Ink Sect then came over and said a few words in front of Chen Weiyuan, wanting to lead him into the spectator seat. Chen Weiyuan listened, then with a polite expression on his face, nodded lightly. Before leaving, he looked at Ye Yunlan wanting to say something, then suddenly heard¡ª a soft ¡°chirp¡±. His eyes fell on the golden furball that protruded from Ye Yunlan¡¯s clothes. His eyes narrowed, and his fingertips pinched towards his palms a few times. He had no more interest in speaking. Seeing that the two entered the immortal palace and disappeared, Wang Daoyan turned to Ye Yunlan: ¡°You two daoists, let¡¯s go. The immortal palace is huge here, and there are many seats for watching the battle. The seats arranged for the East Continent¡¯s cultivators and the North Territory¡¯s cultivators are far apart. You two don¡¯t have to worry about being disturbed.¡± Although he looked tired and lazy, he was a Senior Brother in the Ink Sect, after all, so he saw people¡¯s hearts transparently. This statement was probably said to soothe them. The young master of Tianji Pavilion was not an individual that was easy to deal with. But the master and disciple duo in front of him, although one was a mortal and the other one only a golden core, they felt dangerous to him. The Dao Conference was organized by the Ink Sect this time. He didn¡¯t want to cause any trouble and increase his workload for nothing. Ye Yunlan nodded, and the two followed Wang Daoyan into the immortal palace. When one enters, the magnificence of the carved columns and jade can be seen. There were many corridors in the hall and many colorful paintings on the walls. The colors were gorgeous, and the designs were lifelike, but they didn¡¯t look like they were made by the people of today. Instead, there was a breath of ancient savageness. Ye Yunlan looked at these patterns, somewhat fascinated. The contents of these designs were mostly about sacrifice and inheritance. He saw one of them. The painting was of a man sitting on the high throne. He couldn¡¯t see his face clearly, but he was dressed in an imperial crown, surrounded by scorching flames, and behind his back were a pair of wings covering the sky and the sun. Countless people worshipped him under the throne. He also saw a huge city located in the deep valley. The city stretched from east to west like the wings of a phoenix, quite similar to his dream. There was also a picture with an ancient tree that was red and cloudlike. The Divine Phoenix surrounded by golden flames soared around the ancient tree like a cloud of smoke. Wang Daoyan saw that he seemed interested and said: ¡°Speaking of which, the immortal palace here is a relic from the age of the demons. At that time, the human race was weak, and the demons were prosperous. Countless humans were forced by demons to become servants and were not allowed to cultivate. The situation didn¡¯t improve until after the Demon Emperor was born. The Demon Emperor believed that the people in the world were equal, and the strengths of individuals were different, but there is no difference between clans. Therefore, the Demon Emperor established the ¡°Meeting of All Races¡±. Young people of all races and all generations could participate. They could obtain cultivation methods and spiritual inheritance from the Mountain Spirit¡¯s treasury. As long as there was a strong, young person who performed outstandingly, they could have a face to face meeting with the Demon Emperor, and receive advice from the Demon Emperor. It is said that the Tianchi Mountain Dao Conference was the evolution of the ¡°Meeting of All Races¡± set up by the Demon Emperor. Later, the world changed, and through the many changes in the system, it changed to the present. For thousands of years, the Tianchi Mountain Spirit still existed. Thus, after the observatory was destroyed, it was the Tianchi Mountain Spirit who appeared to summon the palace here. This way, the Floating Cloud Summit could continue the martial arts contest.¡± Speaking thus far, Wang Daoyan stopped, ¡°Only here could one see the painted remnants of the Demon Era. You could also see the Demon Emperor¡¯s grandeur of that year. It was said that he was the closest creature in the world to an ¡®immortal,¡¯ and no one has been able to surpass him. If there is a chance, I would really want to meet the Demon Emperor. Unfortunately, ten thousand years have passed, and all records have been annihilated. Only legends are left.¡± Ye Yunlan listened quietly to Wang Daoyan. It¡¯s just, he didn¡¯t know why, but he didn¡¯t really like the ¡°remnant¡± term in Wang Daoyan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Two fellow daoists, we are about to arrive at the place where the cultivators of the Eastern Continent Sky Sect can watch the battle.¡± Wang Daoyan said this, but before reaching the destination, a figure in red appeared at the corner. After seeing him, Wang Daoyan¡¯s complexion changed slightly. He bowed down in greeting. ¡°Greetings to the distinguished mountain spirit.¡± The mountain spirit nodded at Wang Daoyan, her pale and delicate face was very tender and lovely, but it lacked energy. Only as soon as she flew over, she threw herself over to pull on Ye Yunlan¡¯s clothes. She raised her head, showing a bright smile. ¡°Brother!¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Nian Er.¡± Nian Er: ¡°Nian Er saw Brother was injured due to the ground movement and was worried for several days. I forgot to water the flowers in the Valley of Flowers.¡± Ye Yunlan touched her head, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Nian Er blinked, ¡°Does Brother like this sacred Phoenix Palace? My emperor used to come here to rest in the palace when he was in the Central Continent.¡± Ye Yunlan thought about it: ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Nian Er laughed, then said: ¡°Brother came here to watch the battle? Nian Er will take Brother to a good place.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at Wang Daoyan next to him. Wang Daoyan¡¯s half-closed eyes opened because of his surprise. He looked at Ye Yunlan deeply, but he didn¡¯t look on curiously. He just said, ¡°Since the distinguished mountain spirit is leading the way, then I will leave first.¡± After that, he bowed and turned around to leave the immortal palace. Nian Er pulled Ye Yunlan¡¯s sleeve and walked forward. Suddenly remembering something, she turned her head to look at Shen Shu with a smile: ¡°Little brother, you are here too.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°¡­¡± In the eyes of the mountain spirit, the age of himself and his Master was not far off, so why call Ye Yunlan older brother, and him as little brother. The immortal palace had six floors. The two arrived at the highest level of the Immortal Palace and entered the wide hall. This was an open-air garden in which countless rare flowers competed with each other. It was truly beautiful. On the side, there was an ancient and beautifully carved round table with a few chairs and a large couch. Looking out from here, one can see the top of the Floating Cloud Summit in its entirety. With a broad field of vision and seeing the mass of flowers and clouds, one would feel refreshed and happy. Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu sat down. Nian Er¡¯s laughter blew by like the mountain breeze into their ears. She held it in the palm of her hand¡ªa golden plush thing to play with. ¡°What¡¯s its name?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Furball.¡± Nian Er kneaded Furball in her palm enthusiastically, causing Furball to cry out in protest, ¡°Furball¡¯s body has an aura that Nian Er is very familiar with.¡± Ye Yunlan watched quietly, with a thoughtful expression in his eyes. The rising sun on the horizon rose to its apex, and the bell rang. The Floating Cloud Summit tournament began. Nian Er¡¯s hand pointed to the side, to a blue magic circle: ¡°Just step there and it will be able to teleport you to the Immortal Palace¡¯s first floor, and then go to the Floating Cloud Summit competition platform.¡± Shen Shu looked at Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan opened his mouth and said: ¡°Go.¡± Shen Shu smiled, ¡°I will not let Master down.¡± He walked two steps, then walked back. He leaned over to Ye Yunlan¡¯s ear: ¡°If disciple wins, can Master give disciple a reward?¡± Over the years, Shen Shu had not called him less to give him a reward, but his rewards were usually not too much. Sometimes, it was just a trivial matter of telling him to drink medicine. A reward was something this master and disciple duo have gotten used to. But this time, Ye Yunlan felt that it was dangerous. At this moment the bell rang again. It was the Ink Sect disciples who were maintaining order urging the contestants to come on stage. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes revealed a sense of helplessness. ¡°Okay¡±. Only then did Shen Shu step into the teleportation formation. The other party in the first round was not very strong. After Shen Shu settled it neatly, he thought it wouldn¡¯t take him long to get on the ranking, unlock the mountain spirit treasure, obtain the elixir that Nian Er mentioned, and give it to his master. That person was afraid of bitter things, so he should send the elixir together with the apricot blossom cake he made himself. Ye Yunlan would definitely not refuse. He curled his lips thinking about it and stepped off the competition stage. Some cultivators were still standing around the martial arts platform. Most of them were cultivators who were participating in this martial arts contest. Their eyes were surprised and solemn after they saw his appearance. Shen Shu¡¯s ears were keen, and he heard two people whispering, so his footsteps paused. ¡°Is he the first to ascend the ascension steps, the disciple from Sky Sect, Shen Shu?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°I heard that his teacher is now the number one beauty in the cultivation world.¡± ¡°It¡¯s Ye Yunlan at the top of the ranking list. I was waiting at the Floating Cloud Summit that day and caught a glimpse. I don¡¯t know how many senior sisters and junior sisters got charmed.¡± ¡°Not to mention them, even me¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a pity to hear about his serious injuries. He has no cultivation base, so his life will be short.¡± ¡°Oh, a beauty¡¯s life is always unlucky. Hearing from Sky Sect disciples, his injury is severe, and medicine can not cure it, there is only one way for it to be resolved.¡± ¡°What way?¡± The cultivator looked around, then with blushing cheeks, he said a few words into that man¡¯s ear. The author has something to say: Shen Shu: ? ? ? CH 58 Chapter 58 Dual Cultivation Ye Yunlan sat in the immortal palace¡¯s open-air garden. Nian Er was still kneading Furball¡¯s fluff. Furball had given up resisting and huddled up to allow Nian Er to squeeze and roll him. There was a carved porcelain vase on the table and a longevity flower inserted in the vase. The blue petals swayed in the wind. Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes and looked at the top of the Floating Cloud Summit. Shen Shu resolved his opponents neatly, his posture tall and straight. Ye Yunlan¡¯s appearance softened a bit. Shen Shu had grown up. Not only his body but his cultivation base had also moved one step closer. He was about to complete the Golden Core realm and will soon be promoted to the Nascent Soul realm. At that time, even in the realm of the countless cultivation of the strong, Shen Shu will still have a place, and there would not be many things he could still teach the other party. When Shen Shu arrives at the Nascent Soul, he can return the puppet bead to the other party. Then, he can enter the secret realm to find the soul-attracting flower for Shen Shu to resolve his puppet seal. Well, he still needs to create a natal spirit sword suitable for Shen Shu¡­. When the time comes¡­ Thinking, he retracted his gaze that fell on the top of the Floating Cloud Summit. He looked towards the sky and the floating clouds that scattered and gathered. After a long while, he raised his fingertips again, gently touching the petals of the longevity flower on the table¡¯s porcelain vase. Nian Er suddenly asked: ¡°Brother?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Huh?¡± Nian Er stared at Ye Yunlan for a moment, ¡°I don¡¯t know why, but the feeling that brother just gave me was as if you would suddenly disappear to somewhere no one can find you.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I¡¯m right here, how could I suddenly disappear?¡± Nian Er: ¡°Before¡­ the last time my Emperor came to visit Nian Er, he also showed that expression. Then, he disappeared afterward.¡± Nian Er always mentioned ¡°my Emperor¡± in front of him. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t change his expression. He looked at Nian Er with calm eyes. ¡°Nian Er, am I born similar to your Emperor in your memory?¡± Nian Er nodded earnestly: ¡°Brother and my Emperor are indeed very similar.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°But I¡¯m not him.¡± Nian Er seemed to have her mind poked. Her face turned red, and she bit her lip: ¡°Brother¡­do you believe in reincarnation?¡± ¡°No. I don¡¯t believe that there is reincarnation.¡± Ye Yunlan calmly said, ¡°But I also think that people are shaped by their experience. Even with the same soul, after walking through the yellow river road, drinking the forgetful soup, and washing away all their experiences of their previous life, they will no longer be the same person.¡± Nian Er still had some doubts, muttering: ¡°People are shaped by their experience¡­?¡± ¡°Different experiences create different personalities and ways of thinking about things. It also creates different bonds between people and karma. Even if you do it all over again, simply changing the time, place, and situation of a person, the person you know is no longer the person in your memory.¡± Nian Er still didn¡¯t understand. She just felt that when Ye Yunlan lowered his head at the moment to reach out to touch the petals of the longevity flower, he looked pale and lonely. Nian Er: ¡°Nian Er doesn¡¯t understand. Nian Er just thinks that her brother is close and wants him to be happy.¡± Ye Yunlan paused his fingertips. His complexion was calm, but he sighed inaudibly. ¡­ Floating Cloud Summit. Shen Shu stopped and stood under the eaves of the immortal palace, a shadow covering his face. Not far away, two cultivators still whispered. The young cultivator who heard the news blushed and asked. ¡°That¡­that secret, how did you find out? Is it just a rumor?¡± Another young cultivator: ¡°It¡¯s true. How can the news from Sky Sect¡¯s inner disciples be fake?¡± The young cultivator: ¡°Yes, but if that method is spread, it may ruin a person¡¯s reputation.¡± ¡°I heard that the man was very ill. Maybe he was in a hurry to find a doctor and has accepted it. Besides, do you think that anyone can use that method for him? It¡¯s said that they need to have a special physique. Otherwise, they won¡¯t be able to heal them. Instead, it would be possible to be sucked dry by that beautiful person¡­¡± ¡°Sucked, sucked dry?¡± The young cultivator flushed even more. Another person laughed: ¡°What kind of methods are needed to heal wounds? You¡¯ll know about it if you think carefully. Having made medicine all my life, extracting essence through joining¡¯s outcome is clear for those sc*mbag cultivators. But dying under a peony flower, even as a ghost, they would be living their frivolous life. That is the number one beauty in the cultivation world. If that person can really save his life, they¡¯ll be so grateful that they would marry him as a companion. In the future, they could embrace that beauty, what a joyful thing¡­ As far as I know, many cultivators have already planned to recommend themselves to him¡­¡± When he spoke of this, his voice lowered a few points, ¡°Moreover, I heard that cultivators who have practiced those methods all taste unspeakably splendid. They are able to make one go to the seventh heaven and forget everything else¡­¡± Before he finished, he felt his breath suffocate, as if his neck was caught by something. His breathing became stagnant. The young cultivator wondered why the voice of the person next to him had stopped. As soon as he raised his head, his eyes widened, ¡°Fellow daoist, what¡¯s wrong with you!¡± The other person¡¯s complexion was blue at that moment. His eyes were protruded, and there was a deep mark on his neck. There was no one around him, but the mark got deeper and deeper. The young cultivator felt his blood run cold. The light swayed. They hadn¡¯t noticed that a black shadow had twisted and entangled itself on the shadow of the person, exactly where his neck was. The young cultivator was as anxious as an ant in a hot pot. Although the cultivator had a strong physique, and it wasn¡¯t a big deal for him to be unable to breathe for a while, he saw the mark getting deeper and deeper. It was clear that the body and head wanted to be separated! Even if they were a cultivator, they would die without their head! He looked around. Realizing something, he used his internal energy to shout: ¡°I don¡¯t know what almighty presence has blessed us with their arrival, but we are sorry for failing to recognize your gracious presence. We have spoken nonsense and have offended your respected self. Please, your gracious presence, let us go!¡± As he spoke, he slapped his own mouth, then looked at his fellow daoist friend who could make no noise. He walked up and simply slapped the other party with dozens of slaps. He was merciless, and the slaps were very loud. The surrounding cultivators cast strange glances at them one after another. Not far away, Shen Shu looked up from the shadows of the immortal palace¡¯s eaves. He looked at the two people in the distance blankly, then turned and walked into the immortal palace. At the same time, the other person¡¯s strangle mark on the neck finally stopped deepening. The young cultivator saw his fellow daoist collapse to the ground. His face was red, swollen, and bruised. He was still breathing, but he was barely alive. He couldn¡¯t help but raise his hand to wipe the sweat from his head, thanking himself that he did that quickly. It was just that person was a stranger he came upon by chance. Saving his life cleverly like this, the other party may not appreciate it and may bear grudges afterward. So, it was better if he left sooner. The young cultivator thought of this and left in a hurry. ¡­¡­ The immortal palace was huge, with winding twists and turns within. Shen Shu refused the request of the Ink Sect disciple to lead the way for him. He went straight up the path until he reached the corner of the corridor, then stopped. He leaned back against the wall, his handsome face buried in the shadows. Drip. Blood drops spread on the ground. He raised his hand and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his fingertips. He lowered his head and pinched the center of his brows. His temples throbbed. It was not just the long and narrow injury on his back. Ever since he was conspired to enter an illusion array by the Demonic Soul on the ascension steps, his Divine Soul still suffered trauma. It was regardless of the fact he won in the end. He felt a big gap split his own soul. Countless negative forces overflowed from it, and there were some illusory and real picture fragments. The pictures were broken and chaotic. Incomplete and incoherent, fragments pierced into his mind. The vast majority of them were boundless evil and demonic thoughts, only a few of the pictures with colors, like streamers that cannot be grasped. They simply disappeared in a flash. The inherent negative force in his body continued to grow, the hostility and desire in his heart motivated by this force. Just now, he almost couldn¡¯t control his own mood and wanted to start killing. He looked at his hands. After paying respects to Ye Yunlan as his Master, these hands had not been stained with blood. Master didn¡¯t like the appearance of his hands stained with blood. ¡°Master¡­¡± He murmured hoarsely, looking up at the dome of the immortal palace. Slowly, his eyes were stained with scarlet. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me¡­¡± ¡­ Floating Cloud Summit had six matches a day, three in the morning and three in the afternoon. Shen Shu¡¯s round was the second session in the afternoon. It was almost noon, and Ye Yunlan had Nian Er take out a set of teapot and cups so he could make a pot of hot tea by hand. The soaked tea was ¡°Lingmai Tea.¡± He had brought it back from the communication stream market the day before. This tea had the effect of clearing the spiritual pulse and gathering spiritual energy. It was suitable for Shen Shu to consume after the martial arts battle. Smoke rose in spirals in the open-air garden. Ye Yunlan was surrounded by a crowd of flowers. He made the tea calmly, wearing an extremely white outfit. At first glance, the first thing one would see was his cold and indifferent face. A white blossom branch stopped temporarily in the spring of the garden. It makes a person want to¡­pick it off. This was what Shen Shu saw when he returned. Before he approached, Ye Yunlan held the teapot with his bare hand and was pouring a cup of tea. After hearing his movement, he turned his head to look at him. His long eyelashes fluttered, and his eyes were soft, but he still revealed an inevitable alienation and distance. ¡°You¡¯re back. Drink a cup of tea to warm up.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t take the tea but walked closer and leaned over the table. He stretched out his hand and tightly grasped Ye Yunlan¡¯s wrist. ¡°Master, I want to ask you a question.¡± Shen Shu said. The blood on the corners of his lips had been wiped off. His face was handsome, his clothes neat, and his black hair worn high up. No one could see the signs of his soul injury from the outside. Ye Yunlan frowned, ¡°You can ask.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Does Master know why Disciple participated in Tianchi Mountain¡¯s dao conference?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer, but Nian Er interjected next to him: ¡°I know, I know! Little brother, when you were on the ascension steps, you told Nian Er that you wanted to get first place to have Nian Er open the treasure trove for you. You want to take the Ancient Xinzhi to save your important person¡­¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold eyes widened slightly, ¡°You only said that you came to Tianchi Mountain this time to increase your knowledge and to stabilize your cultivation¡­¡± Shen Shu interrupted him: ¡°I¡¯m trying to find medicine to cure the wounds on Master.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned for a moment: ¡°I have already said that the wounds on my body cannot be cured. You don¡¯t have to spend too much time on me.¡± Shen Shu huskily laughed, ¡°Master still wants to hide it from me.¡± Ye Yunlan showed a little suspicion on his face. Shen Shu¡¯s expression made him cautious of danger. ¡°The wounds on Master¡¯s body are useless with medicine. There is only one method that can cure it.¡± Shen Shu paused when he said this, then slowly uttered two words. ¡°Dual cultivation. Is that right?¡± Ye Yunlan changed his expression. ¡°Who told you this?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s thoughts changed sharply. The divine fire in his body needed to rely on the extradition through dual cultivation. Only three people in the sect knew about it. One was the lord of the sect, Qiyun Jun. The second one was the Senior Brother of the sect, He Lanze, while the last was the direct disciple of Qiyun Jun, Rong Ran. Qiyun Jun had already returned a few days ago, so the only ones who could leak this matter were He Lanze and Rong Ran. Shen Shu tilted his head: ¡°Master¡¯s injury is critical and requires dual cultivation to heal his injuries. This matter has spread and is well known to everyone. Now, there are already countless cultivators outside who are planning to recommend themselves to be Master¡¯s pillow.¡± ¡°¡­Your disciple was the last one to know about this.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s body was completely frozen, and his palms trembled slightly. Because of his anger, his pale face was already slightly red. Shen Shu: ¡°Since Master needs someone to heal your injuries, why didn¡¯t you tell Disciple?¡± ¡°Your disciple can do the same things that others can do.¡± He said this, then lowered his body. He held Ye Yunlan¡¯s wrist tightly, looking at him straight in his eyes. He whispered. ¡°Not only that¡­¡± ¡°Disciple can do it better than the others.¡± CH 59 Chapter 59 Deep Kiss After Ye Yunlan understood what he meant, his complexion went red and white. He gritted his teeth and spat out: ¡°¡­Impudent!¡± As if puzzled, Shen Shu stared at Ye Yunlan, unmoving. ¡°How is it impudent?¡± ¡°You¨C¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°Shen Shu, I am your master!¡± Shen Shu looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s red eyes with anger and laughed hoarsely. ¡°To share Master¡¯s troubles is what a disciple should do.¡± Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t predict that Shen Shu would say such words. He trembled when Shen Shu held his pale wrists. He could hardly restrain himself from wanting to grab his Queying sword on the table. He took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to draw out his sword. His icy voice filled with anger, ¡°Shen Shu, if you really remember that I am your master, then you shouldn¡¯t forget. I have taught you for the past three years. What is morality, what is courtesy, what is righteousness and shame? What is respect for the teacher and¡ª¡ª¡± Shen Shu could no longer hear what Ye Yunlan was talking about. Countless negative undercurrents surged from the cracks in his soul. The suffocation that he had been suppressing in his heart over the years was pulled and enlarged. The fragments that plunged into his mind were chaotic and shattered, and the world seemed to stand upside down in a confusing phantom image. He couldn¡¯t see clearly. There was only one thought in his mind. Ye Yunlan was his. He should be his forever and ever. He felt thirsty. His throat was so thirsty that it was about to burn. It hurts and itches. In his gaze, the thin lips of the person in front of him were closing and opening. Perhaps it was because he had just tasted tea, but his lips were still slightly glistening from the moisture. His adam¡¯s apple rolled. He was finally unable to restrain it. He leaned forward and kissed him. Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice stopped, and his eyes widened. He was too shocked, losing his senses. Shen Shu took this opportunity to raise his hand to pinch his pale and sharp jaw, leaned over, and kissed deeper. There was a faint sound of water between their lips and teeth. Shen Shu grabbed the thin lips of the person in front of him and bit down like a hungry wolf. The other party¡¯s thin lips were softer than petals, and the nectar inside was as sweet as imagined with the slightly astringent fragrance of tea leaves. Shen Shu greedily usurped all the nectar. The burning flames in his eyes became deeper and deeper. Nian Er suddenly said next to him: ¡°Little brother, why did you suddenly bully Older Brother!¡± Furball in Nian Er¡¯s palm also widened his black pepa eyes. It looked at the two of them, revealing a humane shocked and excessive appearance. Then he fluttered his wings, trying hard to fly. At the same time, he made an angry sound, ¡°chirp chirp.¡± The noisy sound in his ear finally made Ye Yunlan recover from the shock. Then there was a crisp sound. Ye Yunlan slapped Shen Shu on the face. Shen Shu didn¡¯t dodge but took the slap firmly. His head tilted to one side, and a clear five-finger handprint appeared on his handsome cheek. Ye Yunlan stood up. His expression was cold, but his hands and heart were trembling constantly, indicating his uncontrollable anger. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Shen Shu tilted his head and said nothing. Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression grew colder. He dropped his stinging palm and said coldly. ¡°In these years, I have accepted you as a disciple, regarded you as a son to educate, to lead you into the Dao. I taught you swordsmanship and never hid anything from you.¡± ¡°I have no more nostalgia for the world, but I had high hopes for you.¡± ¡°But Shen Shu, you have disappointed me.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s expression changed. The thirst in his throat had dissipated in his impulse just now. The dark part of his soul felt satisfied, and his mind gradually became sober. But he didn¡¯t regret what he just did. When he eavesdropped on his Master¡¯s m*sturbation through the wall, he still didn¡¯t know how he felt about his Master at that time. But when his body grew, and he met his Master in his dreams, he already knew that he desired his own Master. He kept this secret very well. In accordance with Ye Yunlan¡¯s expectations, he practiced his cultivation steadily, respected his Master, and made friends. Just for Ye Yunlan¡¯s appreciation. But at this moment, he didn¡¯t want to hide it. He didn¡¯t want to be treated by Ye Yunlan as a disciple only. He didn¡¯t want to be ignorant all the time. He didn¡¯t want to look at his master and have Master lie under another person because of his Master¡¯s injury¡ªwhat other people can do, why can¡¯t he do it? Shen Shu met Ye Yunlan¡¯s gaze. Only for a moment, the pale color on the lips of the person in front of him had disappeared. The lips were bright red and swollen from the kiss. His lips were even bleeding from the skin, condensing a thrilling red colour. He whispered: ¡°Master, I just want to help you.¡± ¡°Stupid!¡± Ye Yunlan has never been so angry. He flicked his sleeves, and the teacup on the table was swept to the ground by him, making a cracking sound. ¡°¡­Get out!¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t move but continued to ask: ¡°Since others can recommend themselves to be Master¡¯s pillow, why can¡¯t I?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer but continued to pant deeply. The blush on his face caused by his anger made him become more and more beautiful. Then, he suddenly bowed his waist and coughed violently. A touch of bright red dripped from the cracks. Shen Shu¡¯s pupils contracted. He quickly held Ye Yunlan to let him sit down. He wanted to pat his back for him, but Ye Yunlan threw his hand away. Shen Shu¡¯s hand stopped in the air and froze. He turned his head to Nian Er and tightened his brows, ¡°Ancient Xinzhi, give it to me!¡± Nian Er looked worriedly at Ye Yunlan, who was coughing. She gave Shen Shu an angry look and said anxiously: ¡°Although Nian Er is in charge of the treasure house, it is our emperor who imposed restrictions on the treasure house. It must be opened according to the rules. Floating Cloud Summit is not over yet, the treasure house¡­ Nian Er can¡¯t open it.¡± Nian Er spoke with tears rolling in her eyes due to her anxiety: ¡°It¡¯s all you! It¡¯s all because of you that brother suddenly became like this!¡± Shen Shu looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s frowning eyebrows due to his coughing. He saw the bright red between his fingers and finally panicked. He was silent for a moment, then knelt in front of Ye Yunlan on one knee. The broken porcelain on the ground sank into his knees, and the hot tea soaked his clothes. He didn¡¯t seem to notice it, but he just crawled to Ye Yunlan¡¯s knees. He opened his mouth and said: ¡°Master, Disciple is wrong.¡± ¡°Disciple is just too worried about Master¡¯s injury, so¡­ I spoke nonsense.¡± He clenched his five fingers into the palm of his flesh. ¡°In the future, if Master doesn¡¯t like Disciple mentioning this matter, Disciple¡­will not mention it again.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s violent cough finally calmed down. Shen Shu took out a handkerchief and straightened up. He tried to wipe the blood from his lips, but Ye Yunlan raised his hand to block it. Ye Yunlan¡¯s long eyelashes were drooping. Looking at Shen Shu who was kneeling in front of him, his pale face showed deep exhaustion. He said in a low voice, ¡°Go away.¡± Shen Shu looked at him for a long time. He stood up, folded the handkerchief, and placed it on the table. He cleaned up the broken tiles on the ground, then left. Before leaving, he said, ¡°Master, Disciple will win the Floating Cloud Summit and bring the Ancient Xinzhi to you.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t give him a response. When Shen Shu disappeared, Nian Er asked worriedly: ¡°Older Brother, that little brother just now, how did he make you so angry?¡± The unsullied mountain spirit in Tianchi Mountain, even though it has been ten thousand years, she still didn¡¯t know much about many things in the world. It was just a mouth bumping into another mouth and some broken skin. Nian Er didn¡¯t understand why Ye Yunlan was so angry. Ye Yunlan shook his head. He took the handkerchief by the table and wiped the blood on his hands. He closed his eyes and was silent for a while. He was not an inexperienced virgin. When Shen Shu forcefully kissed him, his eyes were exposed. They were burning hot and passionate as if he was going to eat him. He knew what this meant. But he didn¡¯t understand when Shen Shu had such a rebellious heart for him. For such an offense, he should have felt disgusted and resistant. But when Shen Shu kissed him, at that moment, his first feeling was not disgust. But¡­ warmth. Furball fluttered his wings and jumped on his knees, interrupting his thoughts. A warm golden light melted into his body, making his frustrated and painful chest much better. Ye Yunlan raised his hand and gently rubbed the head of Furball, then looked at the misty clouds in the distance. He remembered what he had read in a book in the past. Teachers are like fathers, responsible for their disciples. When a disciple makes a mistake, he should not be ignored and must be guided by his actions, and guided by his heart. His time was running out in this life. Neither Shen Shu nor he could make any more mistakes. ¡­ Shen Shu¡¯s heart was overcast. This kind of sentiment was reflected in his treatment of his opponents in the Floating Cloud Summit. His moves became fiercer and crazier. Until he defeated the seventh opponent with a violent wind sweeping the fallen leaves, the eyes of the people around him looked at him with fear. After defeating his opponent, he did not go back to the immortal palace. Instead, he wandered in Tianchi Mountain all day, seeming to be looking for something. On this day, the bell of Tianchi Mountain rang again. Shen Shu jumped and landed on the competition stage. His opponent was an acquaintance, also a fellow member of Sky Sect. Sky Sect Senior Brother, He Lanze, already won the first prize in the last Tianchi Mountain dao conference. This time, he was able to participate in the dao conference and was eligible for the Floating Cloud Summit competition. The other eligible person was Rong Ran. Rong Ran was one of only a few Nascent soul cultivators in this dao conference. He was also a well-known beauty on the ranking of beauties, and many people were very optimistic about him winning the first prize. Therefore, not only was the audience seated in the Immortal Palace full, but many cultivators gathered outside Floating Cloud Summit. Rong Ran stood quietly opposite Shen Shu. Wearing his green clothes, his appearance was picturesque. It was just that, compared to his gentle and elegant exterior three years ago, after being punished by Qiyun Jun to face the wall to reflect, his complexion became a little paler. There was also a gloomy expression on his face. Rong Ran¡¯s hand held a blue spirit sword. He smiled: ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Martial Nephew Shen.¡± ¡°Three years ago, you were rude, and I had told Ah Lan that I wanted to discipline you. Today, I finally have the chance.¡± Even though it took Shen Shu a shorter time to ascend the ascension steps, Rong Ran didn¡¯t think he was weaker than Shen Shu. There was a huge difference in cultivation level between nascent soul and golden core realm. Unless Shen Shu¡¯s sword dao was extremely high, he would never be his opponent. He would just be another outer disciple. Remembering that this outer disciple had lived with Ye Yunlan for the past three years, the gloomy color in Rong Ran¡¯s eyes became even heavier. A scarlet color flashed across Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. The iron sword in his hand was unsheathed, and his lips were curled into a sneer, ¡°With you? You think you are worthy of being my Martial Uncle?¡± The bell rang again. The battle began. Sword light raged on the field. Rong Ran resisted with his deep cultivation base, but his steps were retreating unconsciously. After he realized this, he realized, shocked, that although Shen Shu was only in the late golden core realm, his sword dao could compare with He Lanze, maybe even stronger! As time passed, Rong Ran¡¯s heart became more and more shocked. Three years ago, Shen Shu was clearly still an outer disciple. Now, he had enough strength to suppress him! How!? In his heart, he felt his jealousy grow crazily. A dark color flashed in his eyes, and the long sword was no longer in a defensive posture. Out came a majestic aura that attacked Shen Shu. But this was not his real ultimate move. The majestic aura turned into water mist, blocking the sight of most people. Then in the sleeves of Rong Ran¡¯s clothes, several invisible black spots shot towards Shen Shu! Over the years, while studying the training of Hehuan Love Gu, he had conducted more in-depth research on the Southern Frontier Gu insect method, realizing that this was a cultivation method that was more suitable for him than the sword. He studied under Qiyun Jun, the world¡¯s number one powerhouse, but he really didn¡¯t have a talent for the sword. Until now, he had not yet obtained the true teachings of his sword, but he needed strength. This ¡°Sword Poison Gu¡± was newly refined by him and was able to transform into sword qi. The moment it invades a human¡¯s body, it would gnaw on the internal organs of the person infected by the Gu, causing them to lose resistance. Rong Ran¡¯s face was already showing his winning face, but in the next moment, he suddenly froze. He didn¡¯t sense anything wrong. The Sword Poison Gu did indeed enter Shen Shu¡¯s body. However, as soon as it entered, it seemed to be swallowed by something extremely evil! How could it be?! The Sword Poison Gu was refined by him, controlled by him, and connected to his mind. Thus when the Sword Poison Gu died, Rong Ran¡¯s heartfelt violent turmoil. His sword technique was full of flaws, and his chest and abdomen were hit by Shen Shu¡¯s sword aura. His whole body flew horizontally away a few meters. He suffered from pain all over his body and could barely open his eyelids. When he saw Shen Shu standing in front of him, the long sword rose in the air. Scarlet eyes stared coldly at him. In those eyes, Rong Ran seemed to see boundless corpses and the terrible blood purgatory. ¡ª¡ªDid Shen Shu really want to kill him here? Rong Ran¡¯s mind was already about to break. Realizing this, the tight string in his heart broke. The item he entrusted his mind towards refining was not finished yet. His bird that had flown away from him had not yet returned to him. No matter what, he can¡¯t die here. He couldn¡¯t help screaming: ¡°Don¡¯t kill me, I surrender!¡± The onlookers were in an uproar. They did not expect that the result of the Rong Ran, who was viewed so optimistically, would so embarrassingly admit defeat. Shen Shu snorted coldly. His long sword fell and inserted a thin blood mark on Rong Ran¡¯s neck. Rong Ran¡¯s face was like a dead fish shocked alive. His face was pale, and he laid on the ground, trembling like a worm for a long time before returning to his senses slowly. He knew that he had lost his face today. The image that he had worked so hard in Sky Sect these years was considered to be half-collapsed. He couldn¡¯t help but glance at Shen Shu gloomily. He got up with difficulty, staggered, and walked away. It was just that he couldn¡¯t see a shadow sneak into his shadow. After Rong Ran walked back to the immortal palace, he frowned and sped up his pace. He hid in an empty room. Rong Ran grabbed the clothes at his heart. His face was distorted, seeming to have a cold sweat. With his shaking hands, he took out the pill bottle from his sleeve and poured out a large amount of pills into his hand, and took it all. After this, he seemed to be better. But immediately, he felt that something was confining his throat. It tightened deep, the suffocation making his complexion turn blue. A cold voice came into his ears. ¡°The news of Master being injured and requiring dual cultivation with others, is it you?¡± The author has something to say: Master: I treat you as a son, but you want to marry me as a wife? ? ? CH 60 Accompanied by the deep and hostile voice, a strange force came at his neck, slamming Rong Ran to the sidewall. The back of his head collided with the wall, making a ¡°bang.¡± Rong Ran felt the world shake and saw stars. He lifted his hands up and struggled to remove his neck restraint, but he couldn¡¯t touch anything. The feeling of suffocation became more and more serious. Shen Shu walked out from Rong Ran¡¯s side calmly and coldly stared at Rong Ran. With a lift of his finger, Rong Ran seemed to be picked up out of thin air by some force, then thrown against the wall again. The body impact made a terrifying sound, and severe pain spread throughout his limbs. Rong Ran¡¯s upright appearance disappeared in a short time. He was hit against the wall and wanted to scream for Shen Shu to stop, but no sound came from his throat. Finally, it became clear that the other party was not asking him questions at all but was deliberately torturing him! In the silent room, Shen Shu stood blankly with his arms folded. As early as three years ago, he had been displeased from seeing this person. In the past few days, he wandered through Tianchi Mountain and listened to all the rumors about Ye Yunlan, suspecting that the target of the news spreader was Rong Ran. It was not the first time that Rong Ran offended Ye Yunlan. Three years ago, at TingFeng Pavillion, Rong Ran prescribed a drug for Ye Yunlan. But later, because of Qiyun Jun¡¯s protection, nothing happened. That was ok, Shen Shu thought. Master was too lazy to teach Rong Ran a lesson in these years. He can get it back ten times, one hundred times, on behalf of the other party. The creepy voice lasted for a while before it finally stopped. Rong Ran¡¯s limbs spread on the ground. His hair was scattered, his body in an embarrassing state. The face once called the number one beauty of Sky Sect was bluish and purple, stained with blood. He was dragged in front of Shen Shu by an invisible force. His body laid on his stomach, with only his head pulled up. Seeing Shen Shu standing condescendingly in front of him, as well as the toes of the other party¡¯s black satin boots, Rong Ran¡¯s pupils shrunk. Looking at Shen Shu¡¯s gaze, he finally took on an unconcealed panic. His face was trampled on. ¡°This foot is for Master.¡± Shen Shu curled his lips slightly, indifferent and mocking, ¡°So as not to dirty Master¡¯s shoes.¡± Rong Ran had a good face, so he especially cherished it. His facial features became distorted in this crushing humiliation, but he felt a lightness in his neck. He could talk. Countless verbal abuse wanted to be extorted but was forced down by reason. Rong Ran only felt his chest being tight and wanted to vomit blood. Shen Shu¡¯s strength far exceeded his estimates. He didn¡¯t understand how a young man he didn¡¯t look highly of could become so strong in just three years. His face was stepped on again. Rong Ran screamed, ¡°It¡¯s not me!¡± Shen Shu removed his boots and looked at him coldly. ¡°Oh?¡± Rong Ran, ¡°That news was not spread by me¨C¡± he said, ¡°I am Ah Lan¡¯s Senior Brother, who cherishes Ah Lan. How can I reveal his injuries secretly and attract others to covet him? You have to believe me! Believe me!¡± Shen Shu¡¯s dark pupils looked down at Rong Ran. He could perceive the negative emotions of the people around him, and Rong Ran was full of panic and fear at the moment, but he had no guilty conscience¡ªRong Ran wasn¡¯t lying. Shen Shu tilted his head. Rong Ran thought he was going to let him go, but he was welcomed by another kick in the face. ¡°Look at what you look like now,¡± Shen Shu said in a cold tone, ¡°You still have the face to pose as a Senior Brother? You don¡¯t know your own abilities and is searching for death¡ª¡± Sharply, the sound of a bone shattering rang out. Rong Ran shouted in horror: ¡°Shen Shu! I¡¯m a direct disciple of Qiyun Jun, you can¡¯t kill me¡ª¡± Shen Shu¡¯s movements paused. Qiyun Jun¡¯s name made his eyes turn scarlet, and he was stifled by this reason. Qiyun Jun was in the transcendence realm. Killing Rong Ran will cause trouble to Master, so it was not time to do it yet. ¡°This time, I will spare your life,¡± he said blankly, ¡°But remember, in the future, if you dare to think about my master¡­¡± He sneered, his scarlet pupils staring at Rong Ran. ¡°¡ª¡ªI¡¯ll kill you.¡± Shen Shu left. It took a long time for Rong Ran to regain his strength. He slowly got up from the ground and looked towards Shen Shu¡¯s departure direction. His eyes were full of resentment and fear. After a while, he seemed to think of something and hurriedly pulled his clothes, reaching into his chest. He touched an object at his chest, breathing a sigh of relief when he found that it was intact. Suddenly, he heard the sound of unhurried footsteps. Rong Ran was startled. He didn¡¯t want outsiders to see him in such a sorry state. He hurriedly gathered his clothes and shrank into the shadow of the corner. The half-closed door was opened again. A figure in white walked in slowly. The man saw the dying face curled up in the corner. He raised his eyebrows, and a trace of unnoticeable disgust glided across his eyes. He approached and said warmly. ¡°Daoist Rong, do you need help?¡± ¡­ Xu Qingyue took a deep breath when he stepped onto the martial arts stage. Tan Qing Sect was a medicine cultivator sect. He was the first Tan Qing Sect person to set foot on the Floating Cloud Summit competition platform for hundreds of years. Many junior brothers and sisters came to support him. Chen Weiyuan also looked at him in the audience, his eyes gentle and encouraging. He was calm, and the discussions of the people around him were slowly ignored by him. The long sword was unsheathed. Xu Qingyue stroked the blade with his fingers and then looked clearly at his opponent. ¡°Daoist Shen, please.¡± Just let him see what level of sword dao the disciple trained by Ye Yunlan himself has. Xu Qingyue always regretted not being able to become Ye Yunlan¡¯s disciple. Suddenly, he remembered the rumors that had been spreading all over the world recently. Ye Yunlan said that because of his physical injury, he would only have Shen Shu as a disciple. But it was rumored that someone could cure his body with the method of dual cultivation and could become his dao companion. The relationship between dao companions was naturally closer than that of a disciple and Master. They could exchange sword skills all the time, cuddle and depend on each other¡­ Xu Qingyue¡¯s face blushed, then he immediately came back. This is a delusion, a flaw in his mind! He wanted to regain his concentration, but Shen Shu had already grasped the flaw he had just shown and brazenly unsheathed his sword. Xu Qingyue hurriedly raised his sword to block him, but his figure took a step back. Shen Shu¡¯s sword light paused slightly, then he attacked more fiercely. Because of his weakness just now, he was forced to retreat again and again. Obviously, it was just an ordinary piece of iron. But the sword light could be raised so bright that Xu Qingyue could see something similar to Ye Yunlan from Shen Shu. They were so similar that he could even see the figure of Ye Yunlan pointing his finger at Shen Shu. He suddenly felt a little envious. Envious that Shen Shu could have a close person like Ye Yunlan. He and Chen Weiyuan will become dao companions. Chen Weiyuan could be regarded as someone close to him that knew all his preferences. He embraced him to watch the beautiful scenery, like a couple, respecting what he wanted and asked, but it seemed that something was missing. Xu Qingyue was confused. And this time, to try to compete with Shen Shu in the sword, he did not try to use a powerful cultivation base to suppress people. He instead controlled his cultivation base to a realm similar to Shen Shu. After dozens of hundreds of moves, he still lost the battle. Shen Shu took his sword back into its sheath and said indifferently: ¡°You have too many things disturbing your heart. If you continue to practice like this, no matter how many years, you will not be my opponent or Master¡¯s.¡± Xu Qingyue thought for a while, bowed slightly. ¡°Thank you for your advice.¡± When he stepped off the stage, he avoided Chen Weiyuan¡¯s hand that wanted to help him. He whispered softly: ¡°Brother Chen, I want to be alone.¡± Chen Weiyuan was startled, then said warmly: ¡°¡­Okay.¡± Xu Qingyue walked on Tianchi Mountain Road alone. He stopped under a lone pine and looked at the clouds outside the mountain until the sunset was silent. His mind went in circles recalling what Ye Yunlan said to him in front of the gate of the immortal palace. Uphold the heart, don¡¯t disturb it. In another ten years, your sword dao may reach a small success. Xu Qingyue looked at the sky and the earth with empty eyes, until the setting sun disappeared from the ground, before he took back his thoughts and made up his mind. He returned to the immortal palace and walked through the winding corridor. The rooms to watch the battle for the cultivators in the Northern Territory were very close. Next to Tan Qing Sect was Tianji Pavilion. Before he got closer, he heard someone talking inside. ¡°Rong Ran is very grateful to the young pavilion master lending a hand to heal me. But such a precious material, how can I easily accept it¡­¡± It was the gentle voice of an unfamiliar young man with a soft and weak voice. It made people listening want to dote on them. ¡°This thing is useless to me, but it is what Daoist Rong wishes. I cultivate the actions of Tianji and pay particular attention to seizing opportunities. Since I can help grant someone¡¯s wish, there is no reason not to help.¡± Chen Weiyuan said with a smile. ¡°The young pavilion master is broad-minded and makes one look on in admiration. After Rong Ran¡¯s defeat, Rong Ran can no longer ask for treasures from the mountain spirit treasury. The young pavilion has really solved this person¡¯s emergency¡­ then, Rong Ran will accept this item. If the pavilion master needs anything in the future at any time, you can order someone to send me a message. And Rong Ran will naturally¡­ help with anything.¡± Speaking to this point, it may have been Xu Qingyue¡¯s illusion, but he felt that the soft voice was a bit seducing. The door was pushed open, and a man in a green outfit walked out. Xu Qingyue saw that the other party had an excellent face, picturesque eyebrows but a frail body, showing a sense of weakness and inducing a little bit of pity. Seeing him, the man in the green outfit settled on his face for a moment, then smiled beautifully and walked away. Xu Qingyue stepped into the room, where Tianji Pavilion watched the battles. Only Chen Weiyuan sat alone at the table, and there was no other Tianji Pavilion person. ¡ª¡ªTianji Pavillion never participated in these competitions. Chen Weiyuan only came for him this time. It was also convenient for what he was going to say. Chen Weiyuan was pouring a glass of wine. He looked up to see Xu Qingyue. He smiled: ¡°Qingyue, you¡¯re back?¡± Xu Qingyue gently nodded, turned around to close the door, then walked to sit down opposite Chen Weiyuan. He said: ¡°Brother Chen, I want to tell you something.¡± Chen Weiyuan poured him a glass of wine, then took a wine glass and shook it in his hand: ¡°Yes?¡± Xu Qingyue: ¡°It has already been three years since the appointment of Senior Brother and I being arranged to become dao companions.¡± Chen Weiyuan looked a little softer when he saw him mention it. Xu Qingyue continued: ¡°In the past few years, Senior Brother has treated me very well and has taken good care of me everywhere. Qingyue is very grateful. It¡¯s just that the bond of a dao companion couple is a significant event. Qingyue thought about it carefully these past few days, and no matter how I think about it, it feels wrong.¡± ¡°Brother, Qingyue is afraid¡­that he will have to cancel this arrangement.¡± After saying this, his heart seemed to have dropped a big stone. The wine glass in Chen Weiyuan¡¯s hand fell. His calm and indifferent appearance finally changed color. He seemed to be unable to understand Xu Qingyue¡¯s words. He frowned: ¡°Qingyue, do you know what you are talking about?¡± Xu Qingyue: ¡°Senior Brother Chen, the agreement between us, let¡¯s give it up.¡± The wine glass rolled on the table in a circle, then to the ground, falling into pieces. Chen Weiyuan shook his head and smiled: ¡°Qingyue, you shouldn¡¯t be joking with Senior Brother.¡± Xu Qingyue: ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± Chen Weiyuan was silent for a while, then said: ¡°Why?¡± He seemed to have thought of something and said, ¡°Qingyue, if you are brooding over what happened with that person earlier, it¡¯s really unnecessary to care about that person and have a temper with Senior Brother. That person is a disciple of the Sky Sect. He was seriously injured for some reason and was rescued by me. He was recuperating for a while, and there is nothing between him and me.¡± Xu Qingyue: ¡°It¡¯s not because of that.¡± Chen Weiyuan said solemnly: ¡°Qingyue, you should at least give me a reason.¡± Xu Qingyue shook his head, his brows tightened. ¡°Senior Brother¡­you, you don¡¯t understand.¡± He had a thin face, and after he finished talking about this matter, he faced Chen Weiyuan¡¯s gaze. Uncomfortable all over, he didn¡¯t wait for Chen Weiyuan to continue to ask. He got up, walked to the door, and hurried away. Don¡¯t understand? Chen Weiyuan looked at the open door. Xu Qingyue once admired him, adored him, and sacrificed his life for him. No one knew him better than himself. What is it? What went wrong? Chen Weiyuan looked uncertain, then he threw the flask on the table to the ground, got up, and went out. ¡­ Shen Shu¡¯s opponent in the final battle was the Spirit Sect¡¯s Senior Sister, Shangguan Rou. In the previous few times when Shen Shu competed in the martial arts platform, Shangguan Rou also came to watch the battle. She admired Shen Shu¡¯s sword dao strength and knew that she was not his opponent. It¡¯s just that in the last battle, she still tried her best to fight against Shen Shu for hundreds of moves. After the victor was determined, Shangguan Rou wiped the sweat on her forehead and said, ¡°Fellow Daoist¡¯s swordsmanship is superb, I am ashamed. This time¡¯s Leader of the Dao Conference title, fellow daoist is worthy.¡± Shen Shu slightly nodded. Shangguan Rou looked at Shen Shu with admiring eyes. The young man¡¯s handsome face was still a little green, but his figure was already very vigorous and tall, and his strength was very powerful. His appearance was something that female cultivators liked. Although she was older than Shen Shu by more than a few decades, cultivators cared less about age than mortals. Therefore, she could not help but change her way and called out boldly: ¡°Shen Langjun, once the Floating Cloud Summit ends and different factions¡¯ disciples mingle, are you willing to come to where my Spirit Sect sits?¡± (¡°Langjun¡± is usually an adoring term to a husband or someone intimate.) Shen Shu leaned sideways to create more distance. He said lightly: ¡°No. I already have someone I want to please.¡± Shangguan Rou was disappointed. What else could she say? Then, she suddenly saw dazzling gold. A phantom of a tree condensed in mid-air. There was also an ancient treehouse on the tree, and the door of the treehouse was opened. There was a golden light inside, but she couldn¡¯t see what was inside. At the same time, a little girl in red showed up. Shangguan Rou knew that the mountain spirit treasury had opened. Those who have won first place in this competition only needed to pray to the mountain spirit to get the rewards they wanted. Shen Shu was the leader this time, so he was the first to come forward to pray. As soon as he took a step forward and before they saw him praying intently, the mountain spirit took out something from the treehouse and threw it to him, seeming to be a little angry. Shangguan Rou was a little curious and leaned over to take a look. She saw a blood-colored Lingzhi lying in Shen Shu¡¯s palm. It was delicate, petite, and very cute. Ancient Xinzhi. Nine-rank elixir. Shangguan Rou had doubts in her heart. Although nine-rank elixirs were extremely precious, ordinary cultivators would not choose elixirs. Most of them chose rare books or magical weapons, things more beneficial to their path long term. It was important to know that there is an ancient heritage in the mountain spirit treasure. If you miss out on this opportunity, there would be no other opportunity. Those who would choose an elixir are generally in urgent need. Shangguan Rou observed Shen Shu. Shen Shu was fierce on the stage. She watched his battles several times. She really liked the look in his eyes when facing his opponent. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t make an invitation to the other party abruptly. But at this moment, Shangguan Rou realized that Shen Shu was holding the Lingzhi, and his brutality was gone. Instead, there was a tinge of gentleness. Shangguan Rou felt moved in her heart and asked: ¡°This thing is for the person you admire?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Yes.¡± Shangguan Rou was a little envious of the person Shen Shu liked. She stepped forward to pray to the mountain spirit. After getting what she wanted, she found that Shen Shu had hurried away. Probably to give medicine to the person he admired. Shangguan Rou sighed, finally withdrawing her feeling of adoration. Shen Shu did not return to the immortal palace. He first went down the mountain to buy some things. He walked around Tianchi Mountain, picked what he was looking for, and then spent a few hours in the immortal palace. Ye Yunlan laid on the garden chair with his eyes closed, resting. He was covered with a blanket that Nian Er brought to avoid the cold. A few strands of black hair fell down from the chair, and the sky reflected his pale face like snow. Furball lay on the table lazily, spread out like a flat cake. He watched Shen Shu¡¯s last match, and there was no suspense in winning. It was just that the killing intent in his sword was getting deeper. Too cruel. It lost its agility, and there were many flaws. Ye Yunlan was exhausted after writing down everything. Before that, he was agitated by Shen Shu, and his mind was turbulent. Although Qiyun Jun had left behind his spiritual power, his body was still slightly injured, and his chest was aching. But if he didn¡¯t mention it, no one would know. Suddenly, he heard slight footsteps. Ye Yunlan opened his eyes and saw that Shen Shu was coming over, holding two things. Shen Shu put the things on the table, a porcelain bowl, and a porcelain plate. The amber-colored soup medicine in the porcelain bowl did not smell bitter, excluding a strange and delicious flavor with the fragrance of Lingzhi. ¡°This is the chicken soup that I cooked slowly with the ancient Xinzhi. The chicken is a spirit chicken from the mountain. It was slow-cooked to get rid of the bitterness of the lingzhi. It is easy to eat, and it also has many benefits for Master¡¯s injury.¡± Shen Shu spoke to this point, then he paused. He put the other porcelain plate in front of Ye Yunlan. On the porcelain plate, there were several small apricot blossom mung bean cakes sold in the small town under the mountain. The surface of the pastry was also carved with a fine apricot pattern, which looked very delicate and tastes sweet. Shen Shu¡¯s black clothes were stained with flour, even his handsome face seemed to be stained a little, but he didn¡¯t realize it. His long eyelashes hung down. He looked at him and his eyes burned with tenderness. ¡°This is the apricot blossom cake I made. I used the fresh apricot blossoms from Tianchi Mountain and freshly ground mung beans¡­¡± ¡°Master, do you want to try it?¡± CH 61 Chapter 61 Teaching Ye Yunlan slowly sat up from the chair. The blanket slid down to his knees, and his long hair scattered down his back. The lingzhi chicken soup on the table was fresh and delicious, while the apricot blossom cake was sweet and soft; both would undoubtedly cause excitement to a foodie. Ye Yunlan did not move. He looked at the plate of apricot blossom cakes, focusing for a moment on the pastry dough¡¯s apricot blossom pattern. He was silent for a moment, and his eyelashes drooped. Then, he raised his hand and pushed the porcelain plate away. Shen Shu saw this, and his expression darkened. ¡°¡­I know that Master is still angry with Disciple,¡± he said, ¡°But no matter how angry you are, you shouldn¡¯t hurt your body. The ancient Xinzhi is good for Master¡¯s injury. After this time, it will be rare to come by this again. Also, after the elixir has been boiled, its medicinal properties would have dissolved in and will disperse over time. Master should drink it while it¡¯s hot.¡± After saying that, he picked up the porcelain bowl on the table and held it out to Ye Yunlan. ¡°Before, Master once said that if Disciple wins the competition, he will promise Disciple a request.¡± He paused, then said: ¡°Master, please cherish your body.¡± Ye Yunlan heard these words and his eyelashes trembled slightly. The brows that seemed to be frozen finally melted a little. He took the porcelain bowl in Shen Shu¡¯s hand. His white and slender hand picked up the soup spoon, and then finally said his first words after Shen Shu arrived. ¡°You¡¯ve been kind.¡± Shen Shu knew his anger had diminished a bit, so he said: ¡°Master being in good health is Disciple¡¯s greatest wish.¡± He didn¡¯t want to be too far away from Ye Yunlan, so he simply sat at the table and watched Ye Yunlan drink the soup, spoon by spoon. The soup was hot, and Ye Yunlan moved very slowly. This person, usually untouched or unfazed by the things of the mundane world, would show a little bit of vitality only when he was eating. He watched the person in front of him¡¯s pale lips stain with water, gradually becoming rosy. Suddenly, he remembered that he had stolen Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips and plundered the sweet taste of rain a few days ago. His lips were soft like petals, and a light layer of snow seemed to cover them. It was as if they would melt away as soon as one touched them. The juice inside was so sweet that he couldn¡¯t help but want more and more. Shen Shu¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple moved slightly. After drinking the bowl of soup, Ye Yunlan put down the soup spoon and put the porcelain bowl on the table. The elixir¡¯s power melted into his limbs, and the pain in his chest disappeared significantly. His face¡¯s paleness faded a little, and he became a little more tired. He leaned on the back of his chair, closing his eyes slightly. Shen Shu looked at the empty bowl, then at the untouched apricot blossom cake next to him. He pursed his lips. He glanced at Ye Yunlan, who had his eyes shut, then reached out and took a piece of a cake and slowly bit into it. It was delicious. He thought. It was much better than the apricot blossom cake bought from down the mountain. In order to make this cake, he even went to the hawker selling the pastries to inquire about the recipe. Although it was the first time he made it, it went unexpectedly smooth. The taste and appearance of the finished product were also good. But Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t take a liking to it. ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Ye Yunlan who had closed his eyes, leaning on the reclining chair, started speaking. Shen Shu swallowed the sweet cake in his mouth: ¡°Master?¡± Ye Yunlan said lightly: ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this for me in the future.¡± Suddenly, Shen Shu felt that the sweet cake in his hand was not sweet anymore. He asked in a low voice, ¡°Why?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°A cultivator shouldn¡¯t be disturbed by external things. You have spent too much of your thoughts on other things.¡± Although he did not make it completely transparent, Shen Shu understood his meaning. But he wanted to pretend he did not. Ye Yunlan continued: ¡°This time with the dao conference, you have gotten enough experience, but your temperament is still inadequate. Now that you have reached the golden core realm¡¯s late stage, you will soon be able to break through to Nascent Soul. After returning to the sect, you will have closed-door training to cultivate your temperament and look for opportunities to break through to Nascent Soul.¡± Shen Shu subconsciously wanted to say, ¡°I don¡¯t want to,¡± but when he watched Ye Yunlan close his eyes, appearing calm, he knew that the other party was determined. If he said anything to disobey him now, he would only make the other person angry. His master¡¯s body was really not suitable for anger. He thought about it carefully, closed-door training¡­ it doesn¡¯t really matter too much. It was not a long journey. Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu lived in the mountains, and the other party wouldn¡¯t leave there easily. Moreover, as long as he quickly advances to Nascent Soul, he will be able to see Master Ye Yunlan again. At that time, he could do more things. After thinking about it, Shen Shu finally answered: ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyebrows were loosened. He raised his eyelids slightly, seeing Shen Shu sitting on the table very improperly. Watching him, he frowned and lightly scolded, ¡°Sit down properly.¡± Then he said, ¡°Move the chair over there. I will tell you about the careless omissions in your swordsmanship from the competition.¡± Shen Shu smiled, got up from the table, then moved the chair opposite to Ye Yunlan. He sat down properly. His face was still a bit young, so when he stared quietly, he looked like a student who was obediently listening to his teacher¡¯s instructions. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and pondered for a while: ¡°Your third match was to fight against Huailian Sect¡¯s Wang Mian. To start, you used ¡®Shower¡¯ with a sharp sword intent to gain the upper hand. It¡¯s just that Wang Mian is a water spiritual cultivator. He is most skilled at using his softness to overcome brute strength. The move ¡®Shower¡¯ has powerful momentum. Its attack is endless, but it is difficult to gather sword intent, so it was diverted away by Wang Mian. If I were you, I would start off with ¡®Thunder.''¡± ¡°In the seventh match, you fought against Fusheng Pavillion¡¯s Xie Yunsheng. Your move was the sixth style of Sky Sect¡¯s sword technique ¡®The Eagle Strikes the Sky.¡¯ Your action was too eager, and there was a flaw in the left shoulder¡­¡± Shen Shu listened carefully, fixedly looking at Ye Yunlan¡¯s profile. He thought that Ye Yunlan was so angry before, but he still watched all his matches so carefully. He even remembered every move and every style. His heart could not help but feel joyful. But then he remembered the other party¡¯s words during the previous quarrel, ¡°I accepted you as a disciple and treated you as a parent to a child, to give you moral and practical teachings. I have never had any other intentions,¡± and his complexion went faintly green. Ye Yunlan pointed out the subtle mistakes in Shen Shu¡¯s swordsmanship. It was not until the red sun slanted to the west that he raised his hand and allowed Shen Shu to go away. Then, he closed his eyes to rest. Shen Shu got up and said, ¡°Thank you, Master, for your advice.¡± He packed up the dishes on the table and went out. After he left, Ye Yunlan opened his eyes. He looked at Shen Shu¡¯s back, in a daze. It seemed as if he had returned to the many years when he and his disciple got along. But he knew that there was something different. ¡­ After the Floating Cloud Summit martial competition, the Tianchi Mountain dao conference lasted for half a month. This half-month period was for cultivators from all over the world to exchange pointers. The disciples of different factions fought against each other, and there was an endless stream of competitions on the stage. But the two most anticipated Master and Disciple did not show up. It was not until the dao conference ended completely and Sky Sect¡¯s flying boat was about to set off did Ye Yunlan finally walk out of the immortal palace. Before leaving, Nian Er did not want to let go of his hand. Plucking up her courage, she said: ¡°I want to follow Gege to see the world.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You are Tianchi Mountain¡¯s Spirit, won¡¯t leaving Tianchi be harmful to you?¡± Nian Er seemed to have already thought about it. She smiled: ¡°Tianchi Mountain is an item that Nian Er¡¯s soul was entrusted with, so Nian Er cannot leave Tianchi Mountain. But Nian Er can separate part of her consciousness and place it on another item, then Elder Brother can take Nian Er out. This way, wherever Brother goes, Nian Er can also see the scenery.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s face turned black when he heard those words. Ye Yunlan: ¡°After I return to Sky Sect, I can¡¯t go out easily. I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t do what you want.¡± ¡°No matter. Although Nian Er¡¯s consciousness cannot monitor the scope of Tianchi Mountain, Nian Er can still handle dozens of miles. It is already enough to be able to play in Elder Brother¡¯s sect for a long time.¡± As she said this, she handed a delicate wooden comb to Ye Yunlan. Nian Er gave him a lot of help the days he was in Tianchi Mountain. Besides, bringing a wooden comb was just a trivial matter, so Ye Yunlan nodded lightly. He took the wooden comb, about to put it in his arms. Suddenly, someone stretched out a hand next to him and took the wooden comb. Nian Er opened her eyes, ¡°Little Brother, you¨C!¡± Shen Shu looked at the wooden comb in his hand, ¡°It¡¯s very refined.¡± He raised his long eyes and looked at Nian Er with a smile. ¡°Little sister, since you want to go to Sky Sect to play, then it doesn¡¯t matter who carries this wooden comb. It¡¯s all the same. Besides, Master is in a sick condition. It is not right for either of you to bump into each other, so I will take care of this for you.¡± He put the wooden comb in his sleeves. Nian Er angrily stared at him. She gave one glance and puffed up her mouth, thinking to herself: How is this the same¡­ Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t notice the undercurrents raging between the two. In his opinion, just as Shen Shu pointed out, it didn¡¯t matter who brought the wooden comb back. In the distance, flying boats flew in the air in a constant flow, like a dolphin croaking. Furball jumped on his shoulder. Ye Yunlan looked sideways at Shen Shu: ¡°The time has come, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay, Master.¡± They walked out of the immortal palace, the sky¡¯s light falling on the two of them. At this moment, Tianchi Mountain was not as crowded as the previous few days, but Ye Yunlan always felt that many prying eyes were around. He couldn¡¯t help but constrict his eyebrows slightly. Suddenly, a cultivator ran over and stood in front of Ye Yunlan, blocking him. He was followed by several guards behind him. This cultivator looked very delicate, but in the eyes of Ye Yunlan, he looked unfamiliar. He lightly asked: ¡°Fellow daoist, is anything the matter?¡± That cultivator¡¯s face was slightly red. He stammered out his sentence: ¡°Immortal Lord Ye.¡± Immortal Lord? This name was only called by Shen Shu when he was young and ignorant. Later, he would only respectfully call him Master. Moreover, the ¡®Immortal¡¯ title could only be used for those who have broken through the mortal body¡¯s six realms. For example, the world calls Qiyun Jun ¡°Immortal Venerable.¡± But he is just a mortal with no cultivation base. It is indeed a bit strange for this person to call him Immortal Lord Ye. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyebrows frowned deeper. After hesitating for a while, the cultivator loudly said: ¡°I, I, I am the young master of the Eastern Sea Chaotian Palace, Hai Jiujiu. There are one hundred thousand people in our sect, ten thousand spirit beads, and countless celestial treasures. I wish, I wish to be Immortal Lord¡¯s dao companion, to relieve the worries of the Immortal Lord!¡± The young cultivator finished speaking, and his complexion was red like a pink peach. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes widened slightly and showed a dazed look. Hai Jiujiu¡¯s behavior seemed to be a signal. The cultivators who were still peeping around before quickly walked over as if they were afraid they wouldn¡¯t be able to surround Ye Yunlan. Hai Jiujiu was still waiting for Ye Yunlan¡¯s response with blinking eyes when a tall and strong young man with a masculine face squeezed him away. With bronze skin, arms, waist, and legs tied with battle armor, and his upper body naked, his strong abdominal muscles were revealed. He showed a silly smile to Ye Yunlan, his voice thunderous. ¡°I am Miao Yue of the Southern Xinjiang War Soul Tribe. Don¡¯t look at my rough appearance, I¡¯m absolutely gentle with my wife! I know how to cook rice and wash the dishes. I can also do the laundry and clean. In our tribe, the cleanest residence belongs to Miao Yue!¡± In the crowd, a beautiful fox demon girl with furry ears smiled at Ye Yunlan, ¡°Immortal Lord, they can¡¯t do it. Come to my fox clan, I have dozens of fox sisters all willing to help Immortal Lord. They will surely be able to cure your disease.¡± After saying that, she covered her mouth with her delicate hands. Her charming fox eyes looked straight at Ye Yunlan as if they held boundless affection. Amid the noisy voices, Ye Yunlan finally reacted. These people¡­were they all¡­.recommending themselves to be bed partners? The author has something to say: Shen Shu posted a help post. ¡¶He suddenly woke up, and the whole world has become his rival! How can he break through, waiting online for urgent help! ! ! ¡· CH 62 Chapter 62 Partner The surrounding people buzzed with noise, and Shen Shu¡¯s face darkened as he listened. Although he heard some cultivators covet his master before, he didn¡¯t expect this group of people to be so straightforward. ¡ª¡ª Didn¡¯t they say that cultivators are all pure-hearted? That they have little desires? That they strive for fate and allow things to naturally occur? The Eastern Sea¡¯s Chaotian Palace¡¯s young master, Hai Jiujiu, saw that his initiative had attracted jackals, wolves, and tigers to Ye Yunlan. Feeling embarrassed, he blushed even harder, then cautiously squeezed out another sentence. ¡°Senior Immortal, I, I¡¯m sincere. If Senior Immortal is willing, I would like to personally go to the Eastern Continent to ask your noble sect lord for permission. I would also order the sea dragon to ride through the fog and spread red silk for thousands of miles. I will never neglect Senior Immortal even for a little.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± This Hai Jiujiu looked very young, not older than sixteen or seventeen years old. Not just Hai Jiujiu but also the group of people surrounding him. Judging from their demeanor, they were not over thirty. Although he was still under thirty in this life, he had experienced more than three hundred years in his previous life. Now surrounded by a group of juniors wanting to be his pillow, it was very strange. The information on his injury was leaked. He was angry, but in the face of a group of juniors, Ye Yunlan had no way of flaring out. However, he didn¡¯t want to talk too much on this matter, so he looked slightly cold and said. ¡°You are blocking the road, please get out of the way.¡± Hai Jiujiu¡¯s expression froze slightly. His face was already very thin, and he was even more ashamed at this moment. He said hurriedly: ¡°Senior Immortal, yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± When the Fox Clan girl saw this, she covered her mouth and chuckled. She whispered to the sister next to her, ¡°Bad goods with p*rverted intent but without a p*rvert¡¯s courage.¡± She glanced again at Ye Yunlan in a flirtatious manner and chuckled: ¡°Senior Immortal, please stay for a while. With young master Hai¡¯s body, he would be unable to bear it. Thus, it is normal for Senior Immortal to look down upon him. However, my fox clan is different. The clan sisters absorb essence all year round and know the principles of yin and yang, the universe, and the harmony of life. I am sure that Senior Immortal will be satisfied.¡± Hai Jiujiu: ¡°You, your fox eyes are looking down on people!¡± His face flushed: ¡°I have the blood of the ancient dragon clan, and I have a body that can return to ancestor. I am fierce and do not just rely on one¡¯s appearance alone! Don¡¯t look at me as if I¡¯m a stupid big fool who just looks tall. When it¡¯s really time to get to business, you can never compare to me!¡± The tall young man from the War Soul Tribe heard this and anxiously said with a loud voice: ¡°My War Soul Tribe also has the blood of the ancient bear clan. In terms of physical strength, we have long-lasting physical fitness. I have never lost to anyone!¡± He stared at Hai Jiujiu, then bulged his arm muscles. The sun shone on his bronze skin, glowing like honey. Unwilling to show weakness, Hai Jiujiu stared back but shrank subconsciously. There was a lot of noise all around. Young people were high-spirited and wouldn¡¯t bow down to anyone, so the more they spoke, the more outrageous it became. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t understand it. When the Demon Lord was with him back then, he also said a lot of nasty things. He had to make him blush before he was willing to let him go. But this did not mean that he was willing to be treated like a rare commodity by a public crowd. He was just about to stop them, but Shen Shu was a step faster than him. ¡°You guys¡­ are too presumptuous!¡± Shen Shu took a step forward, unsheathing the iron sword in his hand. The sword let out a sharp sound. The noise quieted down. He still wanted to move forward, but Ye Yunlan raised his hand to stop him: ¡°No need.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at the juniors who were red-faced in contention, then passed over their faces to look away in the distance to the floating clouds. His expression was very calm. His eyes looked very empty as if no one in the world could burn a figure into his eyes. He said: ¡°I already have a dao companion, I won¡¯t look for another one.¡± Everyone was in an uproar. Shen Shu¡¯s hand that held the sword suddenly froze. Ye Yunlan¡¯s appearance was nonchalant, and he repeated calmly. ¡°Please make way.¡± Hai Jiujiu reacted slowly, showing disappointment on his face. When he saw Ye Yunlan on Floating Cloud Summit, his heart was moved at first sight. It was not an exaggeration to say that seeing him was as if 10000 years flashed by. When he heard of Ye Yunlan¡¯s serious injury, he hesitated for a long time before finally plucking up the courage to come to offer himself. But at this moment, learning that he already had a dao companion, how could he not be sad? There was a little mist in his eyes. He took a half step back in silence to make way for Ye Yunlan. It was just that the fox girl next to him was bolder and didn¡¯t want to retreat so easily. Instead, she asked: ¡°Dare to ask Senior Immortal who this dao companion is?¡± The fox race had a different culture from the human race. Even if there was a dao companion, it did not hinder them from courting others. Ye Yunlan paused and said blankly, ¡°He had passed.¡± The fox girl wanted to say something when she heard these words, but then she saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s long eyelashes drooping slightly with a distinct expression. He obviously showed no expression. However, there was an indescribable fragility. He was like a handful of snow that fell on a winter branch. The explicit words that were thought up could no longer be spoken. Instead, a bit of maternal softness emerged strangely. She looked at Ye Yunlan for a moment and sighed: ¡°It¡¯s a pity, Senior Immortal.¡± Miao Yue wanted to say something to comfort him, but he came from a barbarian tribe and was really not good at speaking. In the end, he scratched his head and showed a little apologetic expression to Ye Yunlan. Then, he turned his body sideways. The people around gradually gave way. The fox girl watched the white-clothed fairy pass through the sea of ??people, followed by the black-clothed, sword-bearing disciple behind him. His figure was distinct, still standing in the mundane world, but it was as if the wind could blow at any moment and whisk him away. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh to the sisters around her: ¡°No wonder Nalan Jiejie persuaded me not to come. With such a character, how can my several words move him? It¡¯s just that when I look at his face, he really will not have a long life. If there is no one to help him, I am afraid that he will not live past a few years.¡± ¡­ The two, Master and Disciple, walked all the way to the foot of Tianchi Mountain. There were still people who wanted to step forward but were coldly yelled back by Shen Shu, who was already wary. He had an impatient face and a fierce look in his eyes as if someone owed him billions of spiritual stones. With a glance, one would feel suffocated, making them want to retreat. He walked beside Ye Yunlan. His palm clenched and loosened, and he stopped talking. But the whole time they walked over to the flying boat, Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t explain anything to him. They set foot on the flying boat. In the flying boat was the Xumi nagaizi formation, and thus the space inside was vast. Hundreds of disciples were excitedly exchanging the results of the conference. Seeing the two entering, they all cast their eyes over. Only one person with a little embarrassment on his face took a sneaky look at Ye Yunlan. Then, he hurried back to his own room. As soon as he returned to the room, Chen Xianyu turned around and bolted the door tightly. He made a lap around the room with a sad face. He even threw his most cherished beauty book on the side table. There was heat on his chest, and a message was sent from the transmission stone. Chen Xianyu paused and sighed. He drew a talisman in the void in his hand, condensing a water mirror. Seeing his brother¡¯s figure appear in the water mirror, Chen Xianyu bowed his head respectfully: ¡°Brother, I have done what you told me to do.¡± With his head down, Chen Weiyuan held the astrolabe in his hand and wiped it. ¡°Good job.¡± Chen Xianyu hesitated, then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why Elder Brother asked me to spread the news about the injury of Junior Brother Ye. This is not related to the purpose of Brother sending me to Sky Sect. It seems that it has nothing to do with¡­¡­¡± He had always had a soft spot for beautiful people and always cared for and loved them, but his actions have pushed Ye Yunlan into an awkward spot. So just now, when he saw Ye Yunlan, he unconsciously avoided him, feeling ashamed. Chen Weiyuan looked at him from the side. Chen Xianyu suddenly realized that his older brother¡¯s eyes were bright silver at this moment. It was the legendary appearance of one¡¯s bloodline power being stimulated to the extreme. In this state, the Chen Clan¡¯s stargazing technique was extremely powerful, almost omniscient. Chen Weiyuan: ¡°I sent you to Sky Sect to look for the traces of the demonic star. In these three years, you have gained nothing.¡± Chen Xianyu was ashamed. Chen Weiyuan: ¡°The demonic star was born, accompanied by the hidden star. The hidden star following the demonic star will allow it to flourish. The two are entangled. If the hidden star is pushed to the cusp of the storm, the demonic star will show its path.¡± Chen Xianyu was taken aback, ¡°Brother, you mean¡­¡± Chen Weiyuan slowly wiped the astrolabe without saying anything to clarify. He only said: ¡°If you follow that person¡¯s side and investigate carefully, you will find something.¡± He waved his sleeves to disperse the water mirror, then wrapped the wiped astrolabe with brocade and returned it to its original place. He sat in front of his window, raised his hand, and picked a branch of white blossoms from the vase. He held it in his hand, playing with it. The bright silver color slowly faded from his pupils, and he pinched the white blossom in his palm. He sighed in a low voice. ¡°The tree wants to be quiet, but the wind keeps blowing¡­ Yunlan, you want to live a calm and peaceful life before meeting death, but your husband can¡¯t give you what you wish for.¡± ¡­ ¡°Junior brother, you really have made me look for you these few days.¡± He Lanze drank the tea directly, with Ye Yunlan opposite him making tea by hand. He carefully observed Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion. He knew that his injury was much better, and his worried heart relaxed. ¡°Since the Crown Prince¡¯s Flying Boat returned, Senior Brother has not been able to find you. I heard that you appeared on the Floating Cloud Summit, but the disciples of the Sky Sect were not able to see you in the place where they watched the battle. Senior Brother was worried about what happened to you and if you were caught by some demon or spirit.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°By chance, I met the Tianchi Mountain Spirit. In those days, I was invited by the mountain spirit to be their guest.¡± He Lanze, ¡°So that was the case.¡± He hesitated for a moment and continued, ¡°Senior Brother has heard rumors about you recently.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s tea-making hand paused. He said indifferently: ¡°Yes.¡± He Lanze: ¡°Junior Brother, this matter is definitely not something Senior Brother spread. Do you believe me?¡± Ye Yunlan gave a soft ¡°en¡± and said: ¡°I believe you.¡± He Lanze took a long sigh of relief and said seriously: ¡°After learning about this, I have warned the disciples in the sect not to spread these rumors. Were there any disciples who didn¡¯t have eyes that approached you today?¡± Today, the disciples who recommended themselves to him were disciples from foreign sects. The ones of the same sect were very well behaved, probably due to He Lanze¡¯s warning. Ye Yunlan: ¡°No, thank you for your trouble Senior Brother.¡± He Lanze smiled, his expression showing a bit of softness, ¡°Junior Brother, with how long we have known each other, there is no need to thank me.¡± ¡°Rumours are rumors, how can the world understand your real injury?¡± He Lanze whispered. After hesitating for a while, he said: ¡°Junior Brother, you know that I have a rare heavenly fire root. Since Tianchi Mountain, I¡¯ve had some realization. In a few days, my cultivation will have a breakthrough. At that time, I will have a 30% chance to subdue the divine fire.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. He Lanze waited for a long time but did not receive an answer. He shook his head and chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed. However, his face had been tempered these past years. He sat for a while, spoke a few words about sect matters before getting up, and said: ¡°It¡¯s not early. Rest well, Junior Brother.¡± He got up to the door and hesitated again. ¡°Today, I heard that Junior Brother already has a dao companion, is this true?¡± He didn¡¯t take it seriously when he first heard about it. He only felt that this was an excuse for Ye Yunlan to reject those troublesome people. After all, since Ye Yunlan entered the Sect, he had only stayed with Rong Ran. After falling out with Rong Ran, he never got close to others except for his personal disciple. If someone said that Ye Yunlan had a dao companion, he would be the first disbeliever. However, Ye Yunlan said this personally, so He Lanze couldn¡¯t help but verify it again. Unexpectedly, Ye Yunlan said: ¡°This matter is true.¡± He Lanze¡¯s face stiffened, ¡°When did Junior Brother form this dao companion? Why hasn¡¯t Senior Brother ever met him?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The bond was made a long time ago, so naturally, Senior Brother has never seen him before.¡± He did not lie. It had indeed been more than a hundred years since he mentioned the bond contract to that person. He Lanze misunderstood what he meant and said with difficulty: ¡°Junior Brother is saying that you made the bond before you entered the Sect?¡± In his heart, he cursed ¡°beast¡± to the person he made the bond with. Before he entered the Sect, how old was Ye Yunlan? Some cultivating families do have the habit of arranged marriages. They would ask a stargazer to calculate their compatibility, and the birth date needed to be matched in order to be able to conclude the bond contract. He hadn¡¯t heard that Ye Yunlan was from a prestigious family, and assumed that he might have been deceived by someone. After all, Ye Yunlan hadn¡¯t worn a daily mask before he was in Sky Sect, and it was normal for someone to covet him. Fortunately, that person was already dead, and the bond contract disappeared naturally. With Helan Ze¡¯s cultivation¡¯s eyesight, he could consciously perceive that Ye Yunlan¡¯s virtue was not lost. ¡ª¡ªHe still had a chance. Ye Yunlan was silent. He Lanze thought he was tacitly agreeing, unwilling to speak more. Thus, he whispered dozens of curses, secretly calling that man a beast before he closed the door and left. During the conversation between the two, Shen Shu sat by the bed, wiping his sword. His fingertips accidentally rubbed the sword¡¯s blade, and a little bit of red blood came out. Shen Shu raised his hand to lick it and placed the sword into its sheath. Then, he looked at Ye Yunlan sitting at the table. He wasn¡¯t willing to be silent anymore. He took the initiative to speak. ¡°Master, can you tell Disciple what kind of person was your dao companion?¡± When he said this, his tone was extremely low. Ye Yunlan looked back at Shen Shu. Even though the previous incident was over, he knew that Shen Shu still had an obsession with him. ¡ª¡ªIt would be better to take this opportunity to completely cut it off. He thought, then replied lightly. ¡°He is the only person in this life that Master sees as a partner.¡± CH 63 Chapter 63 Blasphemy The only one he considered as a¡­¡­ partner? Shen Shu clenched his palm. Could it be that as Ye Yunlan¡¯s disciple, being with the other in Sky Sect for so many years, he was still not regarded as a partner by the other party? He was not reconciled and wanted to ask questions. However, he suppressed them. It was different. There was a voice in his heart that told him coldly. Disciples and partners were clearly different. He looked at Ye Yunlan sitting at the table, his expression calm and distant. Even if he turned his head, his eyes didn¡¯t really look at him but fell into empty space. It was as if he looked at places beyond his reach, vaguely revealing some memories and longings. It was not him who made Ye Yunlan show such an expression. He heard Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice. ¡°¡­ I met him at the end of my life.¡± ¡°He was very strong and in a high position. He wielded the power to control life and death, temperament unpredictable. Everyone was afraid of him.¡± Ye Yunlan paused, ¡°It¡¯s just that when he was in front of me, he was tolerant. When he was occasionally irritated and playful, he was like a child.¡± ¡°He taught me many things.¡± ¡°Without him, there would be no me today.¡± ¡°He once thought of marrying me. At first, I didn¡¯t answer him.¡± Ye Yunlan looked down at the tea leaves floating in his teacup. The tea reflected his pale face, ¡°Later, he died to protect me.¡± ¡°Those things, it¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°But I haven¡¯t forgotten it.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice had always been flat. After saying that, he sipped from the teacup, but Shen Shu seemed to have gotten a glimpse of something quietly hidden. Something so intense, but his words appeared indifferent. Shen Shu heard his hoarse voice. ¡°That¡¯s why Master said that he would never find a dao companion in this life? Is it because of this reason?¡± Ye Yunlan answered quietly, ¡°Yes.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Disciple¡­understands.¡± He suddenly felt that the cabin was smothering him. He got up and said to Ye Yunlan, ¡°Master, I want to go for a walk.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded and did not look at Shen Shu anymore. He seemed to feel a little tired and raised his hand to remove his hair crown. Then, he took off his outer robe and went to rest on the bed. Shen Shu carefully closed the door for him. Only when Ye Yunlan could not be seen in the door crack did Shen Shu put his hands on the door. He slowly lowered his head and his face sunk into the shadows. His chest was impatient and depressed, and the wound in his soul still ached. Whenever he couldn¡¯t control his emotions, an undercurrent would gush out of him. He heard the sound of ghosts screaming. There were some shimmering shards inside. But whenever he wanted to see clearly, he would have a headache. In heaven and earth, there seemed to be something preventing him from snooping. Shen Shu hit the wall next to him. ¡­ The flying boat traveled for three days and stopped at Sky Sect¡¯s Wendao slope. The Six Peaks¡¯ disciples swarmed out and returned to their own caves. Yanhui Peak. In front of the door, the wind chime made a crisp sound as Ye Yunlan pushed the door open and entered. After one month of not being there, the bamboo building was still bright and clean. When he stepped in, all the outside frost disappeared, and he only felt the warm spring. Around this bamboo building, Shen Shu had arranged all the formations that removed dust and kept it warm. Even if no one lived here, the formation would still operate as usual. He looked around, then stepped into the study. He closed his eyes before he sat down and started to write with a pen and paper. Shen Shu did not follow him into the house but took care of the flowerbed outside the house. He removed the weeds, loosened the soil, and fertilized things as usual. Finished with everything, he looked up. Daylight shone, it was already noon. Shen Shu got up to make a meal and brought it into the house. He arranged it neatly and heard Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice come from the study. ¡°Shen Shu, come here.¡± He glanced at the exquisite food on the table, raised his fingertips, and quickly carved a heat preservation spell on the table before entering the study. Ye Yunlan pushed the letter in front of him. ¡°Please read carefully. If you don¡¯t understand anything, you can ask me.¡± Shen Shu nodded. He picked up the paper to read, finding it to be a thick stack. On it were tricks and experiences to break through the Nascent Soul realm, all recorded in detail. The ink on it had not even dried yet. It was clear that Ye Yunlan spent the entire morning writing all this. Shen Shu¡¯s heart was slightly moved, but then he remembered that Ye Yunlan was no more than a Golden Core when he injured his cultivation base three years ago. Where did these experiences, insights, tricks, and methods come from? He thought of the person from Ye Yunlan¡¯s mouth who he had never forgotten and who had taught him so much. His face turned dark. ¡ª ¡ªFurthermore, Ye Yunlan gave him this as soon as he came back. Was this not Ye Yunlan urging him to go into closed doors training and break through to Nascent Soul? Shen Shu flipped through the stack of papers. He looked at the neat and beautiful writing. The more he looked, the more annoyed he became. He suddenly folded it and said. ¡°The content here is too profound, I may not be able to finish reading it for a while. How about Master give Disciple a day. And after Disciple finishes studying, Disciple will come and ask Master about it again.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded lightly. ¡°That¡¯s okay. Before you enter closed-door training, you should understand all the ambiguities, so you can have at least a 30% chance to be promoted to Nascent Soul.¡± Shen Shu folded the paper into his arms: ¡°It¡¯s already noon. Disciple had made the meal and placed it out. Why don¡¯t Master enjoy his meal first?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Okay.¡± The two walked out of the study and sat at the low table. Although Shen Shu had already formed a core and logically had bigu pills, he still ate with Ye Yunlan daily. However, he couldn¡¯t taste this meal. After tidying up the dishes, he returned to his own small bamboo building and threw the stack of papers away. He laid on his back on the bed, staring at the roof beams dazedly. Suddenly remembering something, he reached under the pillow and took out a white silk fabric. Even after a few years, there was still a faint fragrance lingering on it. Ye Yunlan¡¯s sharp rebuke from before seemed to sound in his ears again. ¡°Shen Shu, do you really remember that I am your Master? If you do then you shouldn¡¯t forget. In the past three years, I¡¯ve taught you what is morality, what is ethics, what is righteousness, what is shame, and what is respect for one¡¯s Master¡ª ¡ª¡± He sat on the bed, holding the silk fabric, and looked down for a long time. Suddenly, he laughed hoarsely. ¡°Master, these things, Disciple has long¡­ forgotten.¡± Outside, the sun shone brightly. With his legs bent, he hid in the corner¡¯s shadow. Holding the silk fabric in his palm, he wrapped it around himself. Closing his eyes in a daze, he seemed to be back to when he hid in the corner, eavesdropping. He lowered his eyes and panted. The frequency of it gradually coincided with the voice of the person in the door and window. Not enough, he thought. He opened the window and looked at the person standing in the snow-white fox fur. Pushing the window open, he walked in. He held the person¡¯s hand tightly and suppressed all his struggles. He leaned over and gently kissed the tears from the corner of the other¡¯s eye. ¡°Stop thinking about others,¡± he said. ¡°Think about me, okay?¡± ¡°Master¡­ Master¡­ Master¡­¡± Shen Shu leaned on the corner of the wall, his chest rising and falling violently. The red sun slanted west, the sun invading the shadows. Half his face was reflected, small droplets of water staining his eyelashes. Was it sweat or tears? It was unclear. He raised his hand and slowly covered his face. The next day. Shen Shu took the stack of papers and went to ask Ye Yunlan for advice. Ye Yunlan spoke very carefully, but he asked questions with even more care. Moreover, after solving one problem, he would still go back to it and test it before asking Ye Yunlan the next. After half a month of dragging it out, the papers were explained thoroughly. ¡°Shen Shu, you should go into closed-door training.¡± Ye Yunlan said suddenly while eating. Shen Shu: ¡°Actually¡­ Disciple can break through the Nascent Soul without closed-door training, but the speed is just a bit slower.¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head, ¡°Breaking through the Nascent Soul is different from breaking through the Golden Core. As long as the Golden Core is sufficiently cultivated and the spiritual energy is solidified, it can be formed. The Nascent Soul is born from the heart, it is another you. You need to search your heart to find the opportunity.¡± ¡°And the most important thing is¡­¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were light and clear,¡± Shen Shu, your heart is not at peace.¡± Shen Shu was silent for a while. He knew that Ye Yunlan¡¯s decision was unchangeable. He sighed secretly, and his chopsticks poked the white tofu in the plate, ¡°Master¡¯s words are true, but Disciple is still worried about something.¡± Ye Yunlan constricted his eyebrows, ¡°What are you worried about?¡± Shen Shu¡¯s chopsticks pierced the tofu. He picked it up and swallowed it. He looked straight at Ye Yunlan, he said: ¡°Disciple is worried that after I enter closed-door training, who will cook for Master and who will take care of Master¡¯s daily life?¡± Ye Yunlan was taken aback and turned his face a little uncomfortably. He said, ¡°Although I can¡¯t cultivate, it¡¯s not as if your Master can¡¯t even take care of himself. Those things, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡± Shen Shu looked at Ye Yunlan suspiciously. Then, he suddenly asked: ¡°Master, after I go into closed-door training, are you planning to survive on bigu pills? That thing is bitter, unpalatable, and not nutritious. How can it compare to white jade mountain spring tofu, sweet and sour pork ribs, stir-fried green bamboo shoots and sea cucumber, lotus pork jelly, and rock sugar bird¡¯s nest porridge?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion became more stiff every time he spat out a dish name. He finally couldn¡¯t bear it, ¡°Stop talking. Master has already said that you don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡± Shen Shu shut up obediently. The two continued to eat. Ye Yunlan picked up the bird¡¯s nest porridge with rock sugar in the bamboo bowl. Picking up a spoon, he took a sip. Faint sweetness and fragrance were in his mouth. The porridge was soft, and the bird¡¯s nest was smooth, which made one can¡¯t help eating one bite after another. When the bottom of the bowl could be seen, Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyebrows relaxed. ¡°Go to your retreat. When you form a Nascent Soul, I will have a reward for you.¡± Shen Shu nodded and began to pack the dishes. His eyes did not leave Ye Yunlan¡¯s face. Ye Yunlan was uncomfortable with him, so he got up and went back to the study. He took a few bottles of pills and put them in Shen Shu¡¯s hand. ¡°These are Nascent Soul forming pills, they can help you advance to the Nascent Soul. The quantity should be enough for your formation.¡± A Nascent Soul forming pill was a precious thing. It was something he could only exchange for a few bottles after accumulating a few years of sect merits. Before going to the Tianchi Mountain dao conference, he had already prepared it for Shen Shu in advance. Shen Shu rolled up his sleeves. He washed the dishes and chopsticks clean, then carefully put the pills into his sleeves. Ye Yunlan sent him back to his small bamboo building. Before going into his closed-door retreat, it was necessary to place a barrier around the current residence to isolate all the outside world¡¯s movement and interference. Ye Yunlan watched Shen Shu slowly deploy the formation. Only after it was all arranged did he say something. ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu looked back and walked towards him. He said: ¡°If your cultivation goes well, you will have achieved success.¡± Shen Shu fixedly looked at him, then suddenly took his hand. His body was slightly stiff, but he didn¡¯t get rid of it immediately. Shen Shu looked at him earnestly, his eyes burning: ¡°Master, wait for me to come out of closed-door training.¡± Ye Yunlan turned his head and sounded a soft ¡°en.¡± ¡­ Dawn broke. Ye Yunlan woke up dimly, got up, put on his clothes, and opened the window. When he walked out of the bedroom, the bamboo building was clean and tidy. But at a glance, there was no one. It was a little lonely. He went to the well to fetch water for washing. The barrel was very heavy, and he struggled to move it. His forehead sweated. After washing, he turned around and went to the study to take out a book, reading quietly. Then, he held a pen in his hand and left a comment on it. Suddenly, the windows and doors creaked open. A burst of light floral fragrance drifted in. Refreshing. He raised his head and subconsciously said: ¡°Shen Shu¨C¡± But he only saw a sea of ??gorgeous flowers outside the window. There was no one. The windows and doors were opened by the wind. Ye Yunlan was silent for a while. He got up and walked to the window. He quietly looked at the sea of flowers for a long time. The splendid sunlight fell on the sea of ??flowers. There were all kinds of flowers and plants competing for beauty, dazzling and dizzying. Compared to three years ago, this sea of ??flowers was much bigger. With his eyesight, it was almost impossible to see the end with one look. Among them, there were many kinds of flowers and plants. It was Shen Shu who visited the six peaks of Sky Sect in the past few years to find them and planted them here. He suddenly felt a little hungry. After thinking for a while, he remembered that he hadn¡¯t eaten breakfast today. So he took out a bottle of bigu pills, poured a few pills out, then took them with water. They felt bitter in his mouth. ¡­It was not as sweet as the bowl of bird¡¯s nest porridge that Shen Shu made yesterday. Ye Yunlan put the bigu pills on the table, showing a rare frown. Then he sighed lightly. Perhaps he should also learn how to cook. CH 64 Chapter 64 Demon Lord In the small bamboo building. Shen Shu sat cross-legged on the couch. The formation shielded all the outside world¡¯s movements. There was no wind nor sound. Ye Yunlan¡¯s book with the stack of tips and tricks to break through the Nascent Soul Stage was quietly placed on the table. The first step of his closed-door training was to enter stillness. Shen Shu closed his eyes tightly. His hands that were on his knees trembled slightly. Then, blue veins bulged on his temples. He wanted to break through Nascent Soul as soon as possible and go out to see his Master. But the more he thought about it, the harder it was to make his heart stabilize. The ghost spirits in his mind screamed more and more frighteningly in the quiet environment. It gave him a headache. Distorted darkness spread throughout the room. Every inch where the sun didn¡¯t shine, there was something eager to move. He had never told his Master about those evil, filthy, and unknown things. Just as he had never told the other party that his hands were never clean. Since he was born, his relatives were disgusted by him because of his body¡¯s strangeness. He was shut in the cellar as a monster. He didn¡¯t even know that his parents were included in the people that gathered around the cellar¡¯s entrance, throwing gravel and rat corpses at him. He was a child. Later, they all died. He stood in a pool of blood. His uncontrollable power floated out unsteadily, causing blood to cover his face and vision. After the power burst, he was taken away by the Soul Refining Sect disciples and was refined into a demon puppet. He was placed in a snake cave, then taken back to Sky Sect by Liu Qing and treated by the Medicine House disciples like a dog. Later, they also died. He had dragged two disciples into the snake pile, the ones from the Soul Refining Sect who brought him into the snake cave. They were swallowed, and not one bone remained. The Medicine House disciples encountered unexpected events one after another. Liu Qing went mad. All of them were his masterpieces. He didn¡¯t tell Ye Yunlan any of that. So when something strange appeared in his soul, he didn¡¯t tell the other party either. Ye Yunlan hoped that he could break away from the status of a demon puppet and do a good job in dao cultivation, so he would do it. Dao Sect¡¯s exercises paid attention to calm thoughts and letting nature take its course. Letting go, doing nothing, and doing everything. In fact, it was not in harmony with his mind or nature. In the dark, he felt that if he had cultivated the nine-turn celestial demon body technique, his cultivation speed would have been tens to hundreds of times faster than that of today. But Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t like it. Then he won¡¯t cultivate it. Shen Shu clenched his fists tightly, making himself no longer tremble. As tight as a bowstring, muscles throbbed in his temples. He concentrated on suppressing the hostility in his heart, trying to find the lucidness from the pain of his craving soul. After a long time, he finally fell silent. ¡­ True cultivation was timeless. Time trickled by. In the small bamboo building, Shen Shu¡¯s body was like a stone sculpture. He sat cross-legged, and a thin layer of dust had accumulated on his shoulders. His body¡¯s spiritual energy ran spontaneously and accumulated in his heart. Something seemed to almost come out, but it was still a little bit short. His cultivation base was already overflowing, but it lacked an opportunity. But, what was the opportunity to break through to Nascent Soul? In his deliberate suppression, all thoughts were suppressed to the extreme. His spiritual consciousness was clear, and the dao realm was clear. The heart incantations and swordsmanship that he had learned over the years constantly came from his mind. It was infinite in size when it emerged. The Nascent Soul was born from the heart and manifested according to one¡¯s original heart. Sword cultivators placed their hearts in their swords. Technique cultivators focused their attention on technique. Thus, to form their Nascent Soul, they referred to it as a Sword Nascent Soul or a Technique Nascent Soul. They were the two most common ones of the three in dao cultivation. Besides those, the ¡°third kind¡± was a reflection of the cultivator himself. Cultivators who were not confined to swords or techniques, strength or longevity, or other things in different forms. So what did his heart look like? He searched within his boundless thoughts. Amidst the sparks, Ye Yunlan had given him a pile of papers that detailed breaking through to the Nascent Soul, and some lines crossed his mind. Your mind is your self, the person lies in the heart. It will not come or go, it¡¯s just there. Let nature take its course, then you will see. ¡ª¡ªSo it was like that. Shen Shu let go of his suppression of thoughts. All the heart incantations and sword techniques in his mind faded away like tides and were replaced by a figure¡ª¡ªhe saw someone flying in the secret realm¡¯s raging fire like a white gull, picking him up in his arms. Then, he saw someone lowering their eyes and stroking the qin with their hands through the bamboo building¡¯s window sill. He saw the flowerbed¡¯s open space. He saw someone leaning over and holding his hand, teaching him swordsmanship. He saw the candlelight with someone sitting on the side of the bed with a scroll in his hand, accompanying him to sleep¡­ All the silhouettes were of one person. Shen Shu sat on the couch. His face that was as tight as a statue gradually loosened. It somehow seemed to become more spirited. ¡ª¡ªIt should have been understood long ago, his heart was Ye Yunlan. He cultivated immortality, not for heaven, earth, strength, or longevity. It was just for his Master. When the Nascent Soul emerged from his heart, layers of shackles seemed to detach from his body. His spiritual consciousness flew. It was as if he could touch the unspeakable words of heavens and earth. He looked inside his heart and saw the respected little jade man. His whole body was full of celestial energy, and his face was like the snow in the sky. Sitting cross-legged in his heart palace, he had his eyes closed as if he was meditating. Shen Shu¡¯s heart moved a little. His Nascent Soul opened his eyes and raised his head slightly, looking at him. However, Shen Shu knew that the Nascent Soul itself had no self, soul, or self-consciousness. It was purely condensed by his heart. It was a concrete representation of his ¡°immortal path.¡± Although it can be controlled by his consciousness, it was not a life form. He looked at the small white figure sitting in his heart mansion. His black hair was soft and up to his knees, so it could cover the important points. He rushed to move his mind and turned a layer of spiritual energy into clothing. He started to feel distressed. How should he answer if Ye Yunlan asked him about the form of his Nascent Soul after he leaves closed-door training? Shen Shu thought about it. When he was just about to leave his concentrated state, suddenly, the hostility that had been suppressed for a long time began to have a crazy backlash. The undercurrents that had subsided in his soul began to become turbulent¡ª¡ªShen Shu stifled a groan. He felt that a dark fire burned in his heart and that the world became inverted and confusing. Before he could think more, he fell into darkness, into the constantly twisting and spinning world. ¡­ Drip. He heard the sound of water. Wanting to get up, he moved his fingertips. However, he felt like a carriage had run over his body. His bones were shattered, and his muscles and veins were broken. Hunger¡­thirst¡­pain¡­ He tried to open his eyelids, but when he did, he saw darkness. There was no end in sight. This was a place where even the sky and light could not shine through. Where¡­ is this? The wind¡¯s stern sound was mixed with ghost calls, and there were some creepy chewing sounds. Suddenly he saw a pair of faint blood glowing eyes staring at him greedily. A long tongue stuck out, and it revealed a body in the dark. Twisted, it was not a human form. Drip. It was the sound of saliva falling from the monster¡¯s mouth. The monster sniffed the blood in the air and approached. Its huge body got closer and closer to him, and black demonic energy was wrapped around his body. He thought of getting up but couldn¡¯t move. The monster stretched out its long tongue and licked his wound. Its saliva fell on the wound, and the flesh made a ¡°sizzling¡± corroding sound. Its pupils were dilated, then there was a fierce scarlet hue. ¡ª¡ªHe could not die! He needs to leave here to find someone¡­very important. To find¡­who? Before thinking about it more, the darkness that wrapped around his body suddenly launched an attack. It penetrated the monster¡¯s heart. The monster was caught off guard. It let out a sharp howl, and its huge body fell beside him. But he had no time to relax. Soon, a new monster approached. Drip, drip. Drip, drip, drip, drip¡­ Six pairs of blood-red eyes appeared in the dark. At the same time, there were dozens of green ghosts flying around, whizzing and flying around his lying body, staring at him. He used his mind to manipulate the dark power to counterattack. However, these monsters and ghosts seemed to be endless. The monsters and ghosts attracted by the smell of living blood on him became more and more. He gradually became unable to do what he wanted. He gritted his teeth. He couldn¡¯t¡ª¡ªcouldn¡¯t die! He still needed to go out to find someone¡­ Thirst and hunger made his mind dizzy. If this continues, he won¡¯t be able to support it for long. What was there to do, what could be¡­ He struggled to tilt his head. Scarlet eyes looked at the blood flowing next to the monster¡¯s corpse. ¡­ His body seems to be a natural container for monsters. Every time a ghost or a monster was swallowed, the power in his body would grow stronger. At the same time, there would be some thoughts that did not belong to him flowing into his mind. The wound on his body gradually healed. He began to stand up and walk around in the dark. He got stronger and stronger. The ghost that was caught in his hands scattered, leaving only a blood-red soul stone. This was thrown into his mouth like a snack, letting out a crisp sound. The countless monsters¡¯ flesh and blood were swallowed by the winding black shadow around him, turning into flesh and blood essence that melted into his body. He stepped on the monster¡¯s blood and walked forward. Countless things that didn¡¯t belong to him melted into his mind. Dozens, hundreds, thousands, and hundreds of thousands¡­ In the end, he couldn¡¯t remember how many he had swallowed. The thin blood on the soles of his feet was as deep as his ankles. Finally, it became a river of blood. Countless monster corpses and ghost remnants wailed in the river of blood. He stood on the lonely black boat floating at the bottom of the dark abyss. He stretched out his hand in the river to catch the ghosts that shattered and turned into soul stones. He threw the soul stones into his mouth. The soul stones melted into his mouth and the remnant soul¡¯s sharp spirit and memory penetrated his own, but it failed to make him frown. There were too many remnant soul memories in his mind. Adding some more didn¡¯t matter. He saw a familiar person in his remnant soul memory. It was himself. A badly mangled person lay in the dark like a corpse. Countless monsters and ghosts surrounded him, staring. In the image, he had red eyes and muttered. ¡°Need¡­to leave¡­¡± He slowly chewed on the soul stone in his mouth, repeating, ¡°Leave?¡± ¡°Yes, I need to leave here¡­¡± He seemed to suddenly think of something when he talked to himself. ¡°But if I get out of here¡­what do I need to do?¡± ¡­ He took the bronze ghost mask and sat on the high seat. Torches burned on both sides, green flames full. Looking down, countless people kneeled in front of him, their bodies trembling. There was silence in the huge bronze palace. A needle drop could be heard. His elbows laid on the armrests, with his palm supporting his face: ¡°¡­¡­ Are you afraid of me?¡± Everyone in reverence fell to the ground, ¡°Us subordinates do not dare!¡± Someone quivered: ¡°Da Ren is unrivalled in the world, using half a fortnight to unify the Demon region, turning 20 demonic sects into one¡¯s subordinates. I deeply revere Da Ren. I can only hope to help Da Ren achieve a meritorious deed.¡± ¡°Yes! Da Ren being born and unifying the Demonic Sect is a stunning feat. Da Ren is worthy of the previous Demonic Sect¡¯s authority and should be looked up to by all of us!¡± ¡°With Da Ren¡¯s power to command the Demonic Sect¡¯s armies, it will shock the Dao Sect and strike awe in all. Da Ren will accomplish an exploit of a thousand years. This is our Demonic Sect¡¯s thousand-year blessing!¡± He listened with great interest to these people¡¯s words of praise. He felt that he could feel the evil thoughts and fears that escaped from them. It felt a little interesting. It was much more interesting than those ghosts and monsters under the Demon Abyss who only knew about killing and devouring. The praises kept coming and going. But never did they dare look up at him. When the voices subsided, he said. ¡°Now that I formally took over the Demonic Sect, do you have something you want to ask?¡± ¡°There is something.¡± A man said tremblingly, ¡°Now that the Lord is the Lord of the Demonic Sect, I waited, but I still don¡¯t know¡­ your taboo name*?¡± * This is their original name; when they have a high status like an emperor, people can only call them Your Majesty and not his actual name. ¡°Taboo name?¡± He thought for a while. The name in his memory seemed to be ten minutes away from him, but he was far too lazy to search through countless fragments of souls in his memory. Thus, he said. ¡°I came from the Demon Abyss. I can order a group of demons and am the Demonic Sect¡¯s Master¡­¡± The green flames reflected his tall black figure and the hideous ghost mask on his face. He propped his face up and said casually. ¡°From today on, you will call me the Demon Lord.¡± The author has something to say: In the process of restoring memory. Shen Shu¡¯s advancement to Nascent Soul acquired skills: Self-Made Master Figure. CH 65 Chapter 65 Gift The blood moon hung high in the sky. He sat in the demonic palace, holding a wine bottle in his hand. He poured wine to the moon and then looked down at the wine in his glass. The wine sparkled in the moonlight and glowed red. He didn¡¯t know when it started, but the world in his eyes was covered with a blood tint. Entanglement attached to the bone, lingering. Maybe it was because he was cultivating, killed too much against the heavens, or because he was a monster. He had forgotten it anyway. He had forgotten the original world¡¯s color. At the table, the Shura sword hummed. The demonic sword had a spirit. Although it couldn¡¯t speak, it could convey ideas. ¡ª¡ªIt was eager for blood and to kill. He turned his head and gave it a warning glance. This sword was the trophy he had won when he eliminated the Soul Refining Sect. He liked this sword very much. Because in his eyes, the Shura sword¡¯s color was very beautiful. It was different from those dim red items. It was a rich, bright red, especially when it passed through an enemy¡¯s body. It was just that this sword¡¯s personality was sometimes too greedy, just like his predecessor. ¡°Quiet.¡± He said, ¡°If you make any noise, I will break you.¡± The Shura sword¡¯s body trembled, then immediately fell silent. He had a strong attachment to the wine glass. He drank the wine, stood up, and walked out of the side hall. Many people came over and bowed to him. ¡°Honorable Lord.¡± He nodded slightly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± One person spoke: ¡°In three days, it will be the Lord¡¯s birthday. The demon sects have carefully prepared gifts for the Lord, and various sects¡¯ elders and masters will also come to the Demonic Palace to congratulate the Lord.¡± He casually nodded his head. He had never taken the birthday matter seriously. In fact, he had already forgotten his birth date. When the demonic cultivators first came to ask, he had just said a date off-handedly. That was the day he came out of the Demon Abyss and saw the sky again. It was just that the Demonic Sect¡¯s people were in awe of him, and they attached great importance to his birthday. Every birthday was specially organized with precious and magical tools presented like flowing water. It was their way of demonstrating their loyalty. He had no interest in treasures and magical tools. However, watching the people fear him so clearly, or even grit their teeth to flatter him made it interesting. The man hesitated for a moment, then spoke again. ¡°Lord, this time Dao Sect has also sent a gift for the Lord. Daring to ask the Lord¡­¡± He wiped the sweat from his forehead, ¡°Should this gift be presented together with the other gifts? Or should this subordinate first go to open the seal and deal with it? After all, the Dao Sect people have always been at odds with our Demon Sect. They said it was a gift, but I am afraid that it might harbor evil intentions.¡± ¡°The Dao Sect sent a gift. Who sent it?¡± The person said: ¡°The Chen family sent it.¡± He raised an eyebrow, ¡°Chen family? Interesting.¡± He spoke again: ¡°First, don¡¯t touch the gift.¡± The few people gave salutes, then turned around and retreated. On September 17th, the lights shone brightly in the demonic palace. The scary human-skin lantern floated high in the sky, and the long blood-colored carpet was spread out. He sat upright and watched as thousands of cultivators bowed down to him, chanting praises. But he felt a little distracted. The gifts were sent up one by one like flowing water, opened, then thrown into the treasure pile beside him casually. But no one dared to object. Finally, a long black box was brought up. The long box was a square with no patterns or ornaments. It looked a little gritty. It was supposed to be a gift, but it looked more like a coffin. The subordinates next to him looked at the black wooden box as if they were facing an enemy. He only lazily hooked his lips. ¡°Open it.¡± Several subordinates walked over tremblingly. The box opened with a ¡°creak,¡± and his pupils contracted. In his blood-red world. He caught a glimpse of unspeakable whiteness. It reminded him of the cleanest snow on the top of the mountain, a very distant memory. With a sudden heartbeat, he lowered his body, wanting to see it clearly. The world shook violently. He saw fragments of the surrounding scene shatter. Soul fragments, hundreds of millions of the undead, screamed in his mind. Finally, it twisted into a panic. ¡­ In the small bamboo building, Shen Shu slowly opened his eyes. His pupils were extremely dark. It was as if they condensed the world¡¯s darkness in them. Deep inside, blood surged, rising and overflowing, as if the blood would flow down from his eye sockets. He glanced sideways at the window, then froze. He fixedly watched the sun outside the window. Brilliant golden colors reflected in his pupils. He looked at it for a long time, then took his gaze back and stood up. After a long period of closed-door training, a thin layer of dust had accumulated on his clothes. As he got up, it floated into the room¡¯s air in the midday sun. He stood up straight, and his figure swayed slightly. He raised his hand to pinch his eyebrows. His voice was hoarse. ¡°Who was assigned to the Lord¡­¡± He stood there. His core had already fused with him. The darkness that had merged with him, disregarding each other, rushed out like maniacs and occupied the entire room. The papers on the desk were scattered on the ground, and the porcelain bottle storing the nascent soul formation pill was broken. The medicine had rolled out. ¡°¡­En?¡± He perceived the power he had and compared it with his normal self. It was not even one-ten thousandth of it. Moreover, it was faintly suppressed by the spiritual energy in his body. Spiritual energy? His nine-turn celestial demon body had been cultivated to the ninth level, and his body was completely condensed with demonic energy. How can there be such a thing as spiritual energy? He looked into his body with his divine consciousness but noticed a white jade figure in his heart. Small and cute. This was his¡­ nascent soul? His consciousness and thoughts circled the figure twice, seeing the other person sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. He reached out his consciousness¡¯s tentacles, gently poking the other party¡¯s white lotus-like arm. The figure was prodded and moved aside. He suddenly became very interested. He poked east and west with his spiritual consciousness. He touched the little figure and moved it, but the figure still kept his eyes closed. He thought, how can it not open its eyes to look at me? When he had this thought, the figure actually opened his eyes and looked up at him slightly. They were dark as jade. It was as if there was a lot of frost and snow in those eyes. It stared at him quietly, startling him. You can open your eyes? He thought again. If he can open his eyes, can he talk? ¡°¡­Shen Shu.¡± A familiar and cold voice echoed from his heart. The sound seemed to be a primer, and he felt a sudden pain in his head. He hugged his head and let out a groan from his lips. That voice just now called him ¡°Shen Shu¡±? But who is Shen Shu, and who is he? Was he the one who climbed out of the bottom of the Demon Abyss with difficulty and swallowed hundreds of millions of monsters and ghosts, or is he¡­ or¡­ ¡°Shen Shu.¡± The cold voice rang in his heart again. It was as if strong light had penetrated through his mind. Unexpectedly, he remembered. Shen Shu was his name. And the appearance of the pale figure in his heart mansion was clearly his¡­ His voice was low and hoarse, slowly calling out. ¡°Master¡­¡± His Master. His heart¡¯s home. Shen Shu stood still, swaying. The wriggling darkness in the entire room reclaimed his body, and the sunlight shone back into the room. He looked down at his palm. He felt like it was a lifetime ago. ¡°What the h*ll is going on¡­¡± he murmured in a low voice. Could the thing he had experienced just now be the Tribulation of a Heart Demon when he broke through his Nascent Soul? Or was it a sequela of the previous encounter with the demonic soul during the ascension steps? No, that wasn¡¯t right. Heart Demon Tribulations were illusory and intangible, born of obsession. However, the memories that existed in his mind were too real. That knowledge, those experiences, it was as if they were deeply burned into his mind. It was not forced onto him, but more like¡­ what he originally had. And when he was taken control of by the demonic soul on the ascension steps, he had fallen into hallucinations and dreams. However, after he was sober, those dreams passed away like sand through one¡¯s fingertips. It did not leave half a mark. Shen Shu looked at the lines on his palm, and his extremely dark pupils became deeper. For a while, he seemed to have become the Supreme Demon Lord who was sitting on the high seat, commanding ten thousand demons with unpredictable joy and anger. However, when he saw the white jade figure in his body, the Supreme Demon Lord¡¯s expression became softer. He rubbed his face, concealed his hostility, and walked to the door. He unlocked the closed door and walked out of the room. A breeze blew by his side, and bright sunshine fell on him. In the distance was the green bamboo forest, with birds flying. The fragrance of flowers filled the air. It was a spring day. Was I in closed-door training for three months? He didn¡¯t know what happened to the flowers he planted for his Master. There were also his Master¡¯s meals and daily life. When he was away, if no one cooked for Ye Yunlan, Ye Yunlan would definitely lose weight. If he lost weight, he would feel distressed as his disciple. Walking into the flower garden, Shen Shu saw that someone was busy in it. He stopped, and his eyes narrowed slightly. Someone that was not Master. Aware of this, his expression faded a lot. His brows furrowed slightly. The flowerbed was the place he built for Ye Yunlan and himself. Normally, only he and Ye Yunlan could enter. How come there was another there? Shen Shu narrowed his eyes dangerously like a beast that had his territory invaded. When he was about to walk over, he saw the bamboo building¡¯s door open. A person walked out. White-clothed, black hair, a face like snow, and holding a teacup in his hand. It was the person he wanted in his heart. He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s figure. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for only three months, but he seemed to have gone through a long period of time before finally being able to meet this person again. With his Nascent Soul vision, everything about that person was clear. He looked at him for a while and couldn¡¯t help frowning. Ye Yunlan had lost weight. His complexion seemed¡­ paler. At this moment, the person in the flower garden stood up and patted the dirt on their body. He had a handsome face and a tall stature. He was Senior Brother He Lanze. It was just that the high crown and black clothes that He Lanze usually wore were now replaced by a gray robe and short knot. With mud on his body, the noble and aloof Senior Brother of the sect was unrecognizable. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t see Shen Shu standing in the distance. He walked out with a teacup to He Lanze¡¯s side. The two¡¯s voices spread to Shen Shu¡¯s ears. ¡°Senior Brother had worked hard.¡± He Lanze smiled: ¡°It was not hard. This is a big flower garden. If Junior Brother had to sort it out by himself, who knows how long it would take. Not to mention, you are not in good health. Allow Senior Brother to take care of these things.¡± He paused: ¡°Yes. When I went out and performed some sect missions a few days ago, I saw a blue firework in the secret realm. Whenever the sun rises, there will be blue smoke around the flower. It was very beautiful. I have brought it back and planted it in the corner of the flower garden. When Junior Brother is free, we can go and watch them.¡± ¡°¡­Senior Brother didn¡¯t have to specially do this for me.¡± ¡°Senior Brother just wants you to be happy.¡± He Lanze stretched out his hand and took the cup of tea from Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand. He bowed his head and took a sip, and a gentle look appeared between his sharp eyebrows and eyes. He said: ¡°These two years, you must have felt lonely staying here. Watching flowers is a good pastime, but it would be better if there is someone to accompany you.¡± Ye Yunlan said nothing. ¡°Junior Brother, you know my intentions.¡± He Lanze¡¯s eyes fixed onto Ye Yunlan, ¡°You said I am too proud, that my eyes look down at the ground, that I didn¡¯t pay people attention, and didn¡¯t show affection. That we are not suitable. But I have changed a lot. I am willing to listen to the words of others, regardless of their status. I am willing to explain cultivation¡¯s difficulties to the sect¡¯s low-level disciples. When I was at the law enforcement department, I would collect evidence personally and didn¡¯t listen to the one-sided words of others. Junior Brother, I say this to let you know that I am sincere to you and that I am willing to change for you.¡± ¡°Besides, your current body¡­ it can¡¯t hold on for long.¡± He Lanze showed worry and concern in his eyes. He was very sincere. It would be difficult for this to be fake. He stared into Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes and said seriously. ¡°Junior Brother. Give Senior Brother a chance, okay?¡± CH 66 Chapter 66 Gifting a Sword ¡°Give Senior Brother a chance, okay?¡± He Lanze¡¯s eyes were sincere. Ye Yunlan avoided looking at him. His gaze fell on He Lanze¡¯s gray robe and the dirt on his clothes. In the past two years, He Lanze had indeed changed a lot. He had been humble and polite in front of lower-generation disciples without being arrogant or domineering like before. In front of him, he was even more caring. ¡­ Compared to the sect¡¯s Senior Brother in his previous life¡¯s memories, they seemed to be completely different people. Ye Yunlan remembered that a long, long time ago, he had admired the other¡¯s swordsmanship. He had borne the wind and snow waiting outside the other party¡¯s residence, holding out his true heart in the cold. If it was that self at that time, facing such a He Lanze, maybe¡­maybe he would accept it. Only. ¡°¡­It¡¯s too late,¡± he said. ¡°Late?¡± He Lanze grabbed Ye Yunlan¡¯s words and twisted his eyebrows deeply. ¡°How is Senior Brother late?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. He Lanze couldn¡¯t figure out what he was thinking, so he couldn¡¯t help but smile bitterly in his heart. Since cultivating, his talents have far surpassed those of his peers. His cultivation went smoothly, and he didn¡¯t encounter any setbacks. It was only with Ye Yunlan in which he suffered from repeated setbacks. His mind turned sharply, and he remembered a reason. ¡°Junior Brother, I know you said that you once had a dao companion. After his death, you still can¡¯t forget him.¡± He considered his words, ¡°But the dead will not be resurrected. If your dao companion is still alive, he wouldn¡¯t want to watch you be sad and lonely for this life because of him either. Especially disregarding your own life because of this¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Ye Yunlan interrupted He Lanze¡¯s words, remembering the little tattoos that the man had branded on his back and the whispers he said when he held him in his arms. He showed a little helplessness between his brows: ¡°Once he has taken something, that person is very domineering. Even if he died, he would not want me to forget him in the slightest.¡± ¡­Beast. He Lanze no longer knew how many times he secretly cursed Ye Yunlan¡¯s former dao companion in his heart. He thought for a moment, then said: ¡°But Junior Brother, you were not yet of age at that time and were still young, how can you know what love is? Maybe you were misunderstanding your reliance on him as you liking him. Treating your pampering as deep affection. The relationship between you and your dao companion may not be as you imagined.¡± He thought his words would move Ye Yunlan, but Ye Yunlan¡¯s face was pale. After a moment of silence, he nodded: ¡°I really don¡¯t know what love is, and maybe I will not know it in the future.¡± ¡°¡­I only know that after he has gone, in this mighty world, I will never find anyone to accompany me and to get to know more.¡± The words were stated to this point. He Lanze was still unwilling. He subconsciously ignored the words from Ye Yunlan and said: ¡°Junior Brother, even though you say you don¡¯t know love¡­Senior Brother really wants to teach you.¡± He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale face. It was hard to contain his heart, and he couldn¡¯t help but reach out to touch Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheek, but Ye Yunlan avoided it by turning sideways. At the same time, fierce sword energy came from behind! He Lanze hadn¡¯t reacted yet, so the sword aura had cut through the back of his hand. Then it plunged into the ground in front of him. It smashed a very narrow but very deep gully. Only then did he notice the pain. After another breath, a line of blood slowly appeared on the back of his hand. Then, a drop of blood trickled to the ground. He Lanze was shocked. The wound was not deep and close to the knuckle veins. Also, it nearly crippled his right hand. It can be seen that this swordsman¡¯s control was wonderful. He didn¡¯t even have the insight nor time to counterattack¡ª¡ªWas there such a swordmaster in Sky Sect? He Lanze turned around and saw a black figure carrying a sword walk slowly along the flower garden¡¯s path. Only a pair of eyes as bright as the cold stars were seen in the backlight. ¡°Shen Shu, you¡¯re out.¡± Next to him, Ye Yunlan spoke first. Shen Shu walked over and said, ¡°Master.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded slightly and looked at Shen Shu carefully. Compared with two years ago, Shen Shu¡¯s figure was much taller. He already needed to look up slightly when he stood straight. Moreover, his body aura was completely integrated and powerful. His sword intent was condensed and ready to go. Clearly, he had successfully advanced to the Nascent Soul realm, and the pressure would be apparent if one stood next to him. ¡°How come you took out your sword just now?¡± Ye Yunlan pointed out that he acted improperly just now. It was just that there wasn¡¯t much criticism in his words. Shen Shu pouted his lips, ¡°I just got promoted and had made great progress in my cultivation base, so I couldn¡¯t help but want to try it out with Uncle He Lanze.¡± He looked sideways at He Lanze, then said coldly: ¡°I just saw Martial Uncle, so my sword intent broke out. Martial Uncle doesn¡¯t mind that I had accidentally hurt Martial Uncle, right?¡± On his robe, He Lanze wiped away the blood on the back of his right hand. His expression became serious, ¡°Martial Nephew Shen¡¯s sword skills have improved a lot after two years of not seeing it.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s dark eyes were deep, difficult to distinguish between happiness and anger. He only lifted the long sword in his hand, ¡°Shen Shu requests Martial Uncle¡¯s enlightenment.¡± He Lanze glanced at Ye Yunlan and saw that Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t respond much to his words just now. His expression was a little sad. Turning his gaze back to Shen Shu, He Lanze wanted to express his anger by fighting against Shen Shu. The long sword in his hand was also unsheathed: ¡°Okay, but since Martial Nephew has reached the rank of Nascent Soul, I won¡¯t suppress my cultivation and hold back.¡± Shen Shu said indifferently: ¡°Naturally, Martial Uncle can go ahead.¡± He Lanze¡¯s cultivation base had already transformed into Demi-God as early as six years ago, so now he was in Demi-God¡¯s mid-stage. He suppressed Shen Shu by an entire boundary. If it was thought about like this, he would be regarded as bullying the weak. But He Lanze didn¡¯t want to lose in front of Ye Yunlan. After all, two years ago, the two had already tied when he fought Shen Shu under the condition of suppressing his cultivation base. Now that Shen Shu¡¯s swordsmanship has improved, He Lanze really had no confidence that he could win at the same level. Lost confidence by just comparing sword dao? He had already lost a large half of the match. Immediately when the battle began, the two figures moved swiftly and simultaneously. The long swords kept colliding, clanking. Amidst the splendid spiritual power, light, and shadow, He Lanze, who had a higher cultivation base, clearly had the upper hand. It was just that as time passed, Shen Shu gradually exposed the flaws in his swordsmanship, piercing each and every critical flaw. He Lanze had to return to defense. The initial offensive momentum was completely eliminated. Then Shen Shu pressed on. His swordsmanship was ghostly, precise, and awe-inspiring. If Shen Shu unsheathing his sword before was like a hungry wolf chasing a person to devour with his sword, now he was a wolf king hidden in the dark night. His moves were casual, but if careless, he would be a hundred times more sinister than before! Between the sword lights, He Lanze could see the contempt. But even more, the indifference in Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. After that, the light of the sword in Shen Shu¡¯s hand flourished. The long iron sword in his hand struck him from an unavoidable place! He Lanze suddenly realized that Shen Shu wasn¡¯t trying his best before! The long sword in his hand was directly sent flying. Slowly, hot liquid flowed down on the left side of his neck. And that mighty sword light still didn¡¯t stop. It flew behind him and was about to pierce into the flower bed. But when it encountered a cluster of starflower petals, it dissipated like a cloud of smoke. It did not hurt the starflower cluster. ¡ª¡ªA sword skill like this. He Lanze stood there in a daze for a long time, and his expression became even worse. He didn¡¯t immediately pick up the long sword on the ground but sighed. ¡°Martial Nephew¡¯s swordsmanship can now be in immortalization. Martial Uncle¡­cannot compare.¡± Shen Shu placed his sword into its sheath and said, ¡°Without previous guidance from Martial Uncle, I might¡¯ve not won this time.¡± He changed his words. ¡°It¡¯s just that after today, I don¡¯t have to bother Martial Uncle to come to Yanhui peak to test my sword anymore.¡± He glanced at the flower garden around him: ¡°Yes, I also want to thank Martial Uncle for these two years of organizing the flower garden here for me. But now that I have come out of retreat, the flower garden¡¯s arrangement will naturally be left to me. After all¡­¡± He lifted his lips, smiling but not, ¡°I am Master¡¯s only personal disciple.¡± Shen Shu spoke a few words, cutting off all the reasons He Lanze had to come to look for Ye Yunlan. This kid¡­ He Lanze felt strange in his heart. Before he could even think about it, he listened to Ye Yunlan say: ¡°Senior Brother, thank you for your guidance to Shen Shu over the years. Without the help of Senior Brother, Shen Shu¡¯s swordsmanship might not have improved so fast.¡± Although Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was calm and without contempt, He Lanze still felt a little embarrassed. Since he began cultivating, he had never lost in front of his peers. But today, he lost in the hands of a junior who was younger than him by decades. On top of that, it was in front of the person he liked. He didn¡¯t want to stay here anymore. After saying his departure in a low voice, he picked up the long sword on the ground and hurriedly left with a depressing back. It was just that neither Ye Yunlan nor Shen Shu looked at him again. The wind blew, and the sea of ??flowers moved like a ripple of waves. Shen Shu turned around and looked at Ye Yunlan, his eyes deep. Ye Yunlan narrowed his eyebrows, keenly aware that Shen Shu seemed to be different, but some stubborn areas were still the same as they were two years ago. ¡°It¡¯s noon.¡± He looked away and said, ¡°I¡¯ve made some food, do you¡­want to come in to eat?¡± Hearing this, Shen Shu raised his eyebrows in surprise. ¡ª¡ªIs my Master actually able to cook?? He changed this thought for a moment. He had seen the spring scenery around him when he first left his closed-door training, thinking that he was only there for three months. It was only until after he heard the dialogue between He Lanze and Ye Yunlan, did he realize that several springs and falls had passed. Two years was indeed too long. If he ate a bigu pill every day, Master would definitely be tired of eating it too. But¡­ what could his Master make? He was very curious. So he readily agreed: ¡°Okay.¡± He licked his lips, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be able to taste Master¡¯s craftsmanship just after leaving the closed-door training. Can Disciple regard it as¡­good fortune?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t expect him to say something like this. Hesitating, he wanted to say something. But, he just pursed his lips for a moment, pushed open the bamboo building¡¯s door, and walked in. Shen Shu walked in, following him closely. He walked to the low table and sat down cross-legged, putting the long sword beside him. He looked sideways at Ye Yunlan, who was cooking in the back kitchen. Ye Yunlan turned his back to him and rolled up his sleeves. His long hair was loosely tied behind his head with a plain hairband. He was born tall, but his figure was too slender, and his waist was too narrow. It was as if the wind could blow him away. Shen Shu guessed that if he walked behind his Master, he might be able to clench his thin waist as long as he closed his two palms together. He felt a little hot in his body, and his Adam¡¯s apple couldn¡¯t help swallowing. After a while, Shen Shu heard the sound of the iron pan being started and saw the steaming mist float into the air. Then Ye Yunlan walked back with two bamboo bowls. He stepped onto the high wooden steps, bent over, and put the two bowls down on the low table. Shen Shu calmed down and saw two balls of boiled noodles in the bamboo bowl, with a few water-boiled vegetables floating in it and a bit of shredded cucumber. It seemed like it was a vegetarian dish. ¡­Does his Master like to eat vegetarian dishes? Ye Yunlan sat opposite him. He unfolded his rolled-up sleeves, and the ribbons he tied were also taken off. Black hair unwinded on his back. He picked up the bowl of noodle soup and took a sip with his head down. Seeing this, Shen Shu also picked up the bamboo bowl and drank. ¡­A little salty. He blinked, picked up the bamboo chopsticks, and took a bite of the noodles in the bowl. It was overcooked and a bit sticky. He took a bite of the boiled green vegetables. The inside was raw, not fully cooked, and even still a bit muddy. Only the cucumber shreds were refreshing and crisp, but¡­the cucumber shreds did not need to be cooked. From just the perspective of its appearance, his Master¡¯s knife skills were quite good. Shen Shu raised his eyes and saw that Ye Yunlan was still eating the bowl of plain noodles without a word. Head down, pale complexion, and his wrists were too thin. It was as if it could be broken with a snap. He couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart in pain. Ye Yunlan heard him stop moving but didn¡¯t raise his eyes. He only stirred the noodles in his bowl with bamboo chopsticks and whispered. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat it, then just throw it. You have long been fasting, and eating all this food will cause filth to gather in your body. It is not worth it.¡± Shen Shu listened to his words but grabbed the bamboo chopsticks and picked up the bamboo bowl. He quickly ate a large bite of the noodles. While eating, he said, ¡°Master¡¯s noodles¡­ are delicious. I like them very much.¡± What he said was not contrary to his heart. Although he had been in retreat for only two years, countless years have passed in his memory. At first, when he was struggling to survive in the Demon Abyss, don¡¯t even talk about noodles, he didn¡¯t even have a mouthful of water. His food was the smelly corpses and blood of those monsters. After seeing the sky again, he was in the demonic palace. Occasionally he would drink alcohol alone, but that was all. No one knew that after cultivating the nine-turn celestial demon body, his body would be very different from ordinary people. The same was true for his five senses. Except for the taste of liquor and blood, he couldn¡¯t taste the other things. It had been a long time since he had eaten normal human food. Even though this bowl of noodles was a bit salty and sticky, and the vegetables were a bit hard, in his perception, he still undoubtedly cherished these delicacies. What was more, Ye Yunlan personally made this bowl of noodles for him. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t expect him to say that. Suddenly, the roots of his ears turned red as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. He asked suspiciously, ¡°Really?¡± Shen Shu buried his head in the noodles. He gave a low laugh from his throat and quickly finished the noodles in the bowl. ¡°Really.¡± He put down the empty bowl in his hand and spoke with a smile. ¡°¡­ But since Disciple has left the closed-door retreat, how can Disciple continue to bother Master with the cooking? From now on, let Disciple prepare food for Master.¡± He sat at the low table, watching Ye Yunlan slowly finish the noodles. After, he took the two bamboo bowls and two pairs of bamboo chopsticks and went to the backyard to clean them. Ye Yunlan called out to him. ¡°Shen Shu, come to the study after you are finished. Your Master has something for you.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Is it the reward that Master mentioned before the closed-door training?¡± Ye Yunlan said ¡°en¡± faintly. Then he said, ¡°I need to ask you a few questions.¡± Questions¡­ Shen Shu¡¯s footsteps stiffened. He glanced inwardly at his Nascent Soul in his heart mansion and couldn¡¯t help but feel guilty. After cleaning the dishes, Shen Shu walked into the study. Sitting behind the bookcase, Ye Yunlan was flipping through an ancient book. Seeing him walking in, he said: ¡°Come here.¡± Shen Shu walked to him and noticed that he had two long swords beside him. There was a slender sword with a crystal blue hilt and feather scales. It was Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword, Queying. On the other hand, the other sword¡¯s sheath was pitch black. The hilt was made of a blood jade, and it had a long and slender body. The sword emitted fierce energy before it even was out of its sheath. The two swords were placed side by side, and they were extremely harmonious. Shen Shu stared at the black scabbard with mysterious lines engraved on it. If it was before, he definitely wouldn¡¯t have known the meaning of those lines. It was just that when he was the Demon Lord, he had read all the forbidden techniques and secrets that the demon sects had collected because of his boredom. He knew that this was ancient divine writing. Its words were not like human writing, with each word having a specific meaning. Instead, it contained mysterious powers. It was difficult for ordinary cultivators to learn, let alone combine and use them in one place. With the effort required to engrave these divine writings, Ye Yunlan¡¯s effort must be indescribable. And the power of these divine texts was evolvable. This was a spirit sword that could grow and repair itself. ¡°Master once said that when you are successful in your cultivation, Master will refine a sword for you.¡± Ye Yunlan said. ¡°This is a reward from your Master for breaking through to the Nascent Soul. You can draw your sword and see if you like it.¡± Shen Shu held up the long sword, bowed slightly to Ye Yunlan, then placed the long sword flat on his body before slowly drawing the sword out of its sheath. As the cold light of the sword was pulled out inch by inch, a clear sword sound accompanied it. The bloody jade hilt was connected to the blade, and clear light flowed on it, reflecting Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. ¡°The main body of this sword is star meteorite iron blended into a blood jade crystal. It was quenched by the sky-inducing thunder and condensed with an ice soul. It contains your essence and blood, and no one can use it except you.¡± ¡°If you like it, then go back and refine it. After, the sword will be your natal spirit sword, connected with your heart. One thought could make it cut an enemy thousands of miles away.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyesight naturally could see that this spirit sword was top grade, much higher than his Master¡¯s own natal spirit sword, Queying. It was still not as good as the Demon Sword Shura that he got when he was the Demon Lord. However, that Demon Sword had been passed down for thousands of years and had soaked in the killing intent of hundreds of millions of resentful souls. How could it be compared with a newly refined spirit sword? What was more, with the help of divine writing, as he improved his cultivation, this spirit sword may be able to reach the height of the Shura sword in the future. It was just that he didn¡¯t know how exactly Ye Yunlan could refine this with his weak and sick body. He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale face. Remembering what He Lanze had faintly mentioned, regarding Ye Yunlan¡¯s physical injury not being able to be dragged out any longer, he was worried. But these things could not be shown in front of Ye Yunlan for the time being. He retracted the sword into its scabbard and said. ¡°Thank you, Master. I like it very much.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You should give it a name.¡± Shen Shu thought for a while. His eyes fell on the table on Queying sword, then he curled his lips. ¡°It is said that when a star meteorite iron comes to this world from outside the realm, it is like a meteor star with an afterglow shining in the sky. This sword is forged by a star meteorite iron, so why not call it Afterglow.¡± Ye Yunlan did not notice his secret thoughts. He only said: ¡°Afterglow¡­ good name.¡± Shen Shu changed his thoughts and said: ¡°Then¡­ Disciple will take Afterglow back to refine?¡± ¡°Hold on.¡± Ye Yunlan called to him, ¡°There is one more thing.¡± He took out a green bead from the drawer and put it on the table, ¡°You should remember this item.¡± Shen Shu looked down at the bead. Of course, he remembered. Back then, Liu Qing relied on this to forcibly bring him back to Sky Sect and lock him in the medicine room as a beast. ¡°When I rescued you, I promised that after you reached Nascent Soul and you could still hold your original mind and not enter the demonic way, as your Master, I would return this thing to you.¡± Ye Yunlan pushed the bead forward. ¡°Take it.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t immediately take the puppet bead on the table. Instead, he said: ¡°Master, you are not afraid that Disciple will fall into the demonic way after getting this bead and be a disaster for the world?¡± He did not lie. After possessing the Demon Lord¡¯s memory, he could indeed enter the Demonic Dao with a single thought. The cultivation of the nine-turn celestial demon body was taboo in others¡¯ eyes, and it was an incomplete Demonic Dao forbidden technique. But in his eyes, there was no secret at all. The darkness hidden in his body began to stir. He had once controlled an incomparable, world-shocking strength. It was indeed a difficult thing to have him get used to his current weak self. Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold voice was heard in his ear. ¡°Master believes in you.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s body shook. ¡°¡­Try to live up to the trust that your Master has placed on you.¡± Ye Yunlan said slowly, ¡°The demonic way is not a good place. Killing, evil karma, good versus evil¡¯s retribution, weariness accumulating in the body, even if you have powerful strength, what about it?¡± ¡°Shen Shu, I can take care of you for a while as your Master, but I can¡¯t take care of you for the rest of your life.¡± Shen Shu heard an ambiguous meaning from his words, then heard Ye Yunlan say: ¡°Come here.¡± They were already very close at this moment, only a bookcase separated them, but Ye Yunlan wanted him to come closer. Shen Shu hesitated for a moment. He bypassed the bookcase, walked to Ye Yunlan¡¯s side, half-kneeled, and looked up at Ye Yunlan as if he was a young boy, ¡°Master?¡± Ye Yunlan said: ¡°Lower your head.¡± Shen Shu lowered his neck, unsuspectingly exposing the fragile part of his neck to Ye Yunlan. Then he heard the sound of clothes rubbing. Ye Yunlan raised the sleeves of his wide coat, and his cold fingertips fell on the back of his neck. ¡ª¡ªHe was stroking the puppet seal on the back of his neck. Shen Shu felt a cold shudder first, then he slightly warmed up as Ye Yunlan¡¯s finger slid over him. The keen five senses cultivated in the face of life and death in the Demon Abyss made his whole body tense. His eyelashes trembled slightly, and he resisted the difficulty of evading it. ¡°This puppet mark is a hidden danger after all.¡± Ye Yunlan slowly stroked the mark on the back of Shen Shu¡¯s neck, observing the lines and depths on it: ¡°Your Master has found a way to eliminate it. At that time, your Master will need you to go on a trip.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Now that you have achieved success in your cultivation and you have your own natal spirit sword, what your Master can teach you is about it.¡± Ye Yunlan said this, and his voice was a little more gentle than usual. ¡°After the puppet seal is eliminated, there will no longer be any foreign objects in the world to affect you. You can choose the path you want to walk and see the vast world.¡± Shen Shu was silent for a while: ¡°What about Master?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Your Master will have a destination, no need for you to worry.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to want to continue this subject. He said to Shen Shu: ¡°Go and get the qin for Master. With two years of retreat, it has been a long time since you have heard the qin played by your Master.¡± Shen Shu got up, took the guqin hanging on the wall, and put it on the table. Ye Yunlan lowered his head, stretched out his hands, closed his eyes, and slowly played. The sound of the qin was as far away as ever, like a breeze coming over from the mountains. It was a remote place, gently rippling in the listener¡¯s heart. It can eliminate all irritability in one¡¯s heart and allow one to immerse themselves in an inhibited realm. Shen Shu¡¯s restless demonic thoughts calmed down a lot, and even the screaming demons in his mind gradually faded. He closed his eyes and felt tranquility. The qin¡¯s sound curled around the room. Immediately after about half an incense¡¯s time, there was a sense of stagnation in the qin¡¯s sound. Shen Shu opened his eyes in confusion and heard a messy trill. The string broke. Dark red blood slid down Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingertips, but his own complexion was paler than frost. His brows were deeply tightened. ¡°Master?¡± Shen Shu felt something was wrong. He got up, walked over, and saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s chest rise and fall, then he coughed as if he finally couldn¡¯t tolerate it. This cough was difficult to stop. Continuous coughing rippled in the room, and blood flowed down the pale fingers. Ye Yunlan coughed up tears, and his cheeks were stained with a thin red, but his complexion was pale, terribly pale. ¡°Master? What¡¯s the matter with you? Did your injury erupt again? How could it be like this?¡± He obviously had Ye Yunlan take the ancient XinZhi two years ago. The ancient Xinzhi was a rank 9 elixir. Although it cannot cure it completely, the spiritual energy contained therein can at least relieve Ye Yunlan¡¯s injury a lot. But why? It had been only two years. Why have Ye Yunlan¡¯s injuries become so serious again? Suddenly, the wind bell outside the bamboo building rang. It was unclear when the study room¡¯s window opened. However, a figure appeared inside. He had a tall silver-haired crown and had a tall stature, with a crane overcoat flying behind him. Qiyun Jun¡¯s eyebrows seemed to be condensed from immortal ice and snow, even colder than usual. He strode in front of the two of them and said coldly to Shen Shu. ¡°Step aside.¡± CH 67 Chapter 67 Banquet Ye Yunlan bowed his head and coughed while Shen Shu stood in front to look after him. He turned his head when he heard Qiyun Jun¡¯s voice. Unlike in the past, when Shen Shu saw Qiyun Jun, he did not stand up and call him ¡°Sect Master.¡± Instead, he raised his eyebrows slightly and slowly uttered the name, ¡°¡­Ji Suyue?¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s expression changed slightly. Ji Suyue was his taboo name. It was just that since he became enlightened, no one had dared to call him that for a long time. He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s only personal disciple in front of him. Seeing the other party still blocking the way to Ye Yunlan, he repeated it. ¡°Get out of the way.¡± After speaking, he flicked his fingers. He didn¡¯t touch anything. However, there was an inexplicable force based on the ¡°dao.¡± He wanted to push Shen Shu away. The difference between the cultivation levels of the Six Realms of the Mortal Body and the Three Realms of Ascension into Immortality was worlds apart. A Nascent Soul cultivator couldn¡¯t touch a cultivator in the transcendence realm. It was just that these cultivators didn¡¯t include Shen Shu. When he was in a high position in the Demon Sect, the world once compared Ji Suyue with him, arguing over the real number one. The result was inconclusive. Shen Shu took a step forward, stepping onto the spiritual energy junction. He stood still and looked directly at Qiyun Jun with cold eyes. ¡°Why are you looking for my Master?¡± Qiyun Jun would never pay attention to unrelated people, but Shen Shu¡¯s move was somewhat unexpected. He frowned. In the end, he didn¡¯t do anything again. He said indifferently, ¡°He is injured, and I need to heal him.¡± Shen Shu looked at him for a moment. He didn¡¯t want to expose his Master to this person for some reason. This reluctance was hundreds of times stronger than before. It was as if letting the other party contact Ye Yunlan would cause more serious injuries than Ye Yunlan¡¯s body injury. However, Ye Yunlan¡¯s coughing slowly stopped, and a hoarse voice came. ¡°Shen Shu, let¡­ the Sect Master come over.¡± When he heard this, hostility and irritability filled Shen Shu¡¯s eyebrows. In the end, he reluctantly turned sideways and gave up his position. Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t look at him. He strode to Ye Yunlan¡¯s side and moved icy blue spiritual power from his palms onto Ye Yunlan¡¯s back. Ye Yunlan seemed to be extremely tired. His upper body leaned on the guqin, his long eyelashes trembling slightly. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of pain, but the moment Qiyun Jun¡¯s palm imprinted that thin back, he instinctively curled up. The energy was transferred for the length of an incense stick. Only then did Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyebrows unfold, his eyelashes no longer fluttering. With another incense stick, Qiyun Jun moved his palm away. Then Shen Shu stepped forward. He found that Ye Yunlan had fallen into a coma, asleep. Shen Shu walked over first and said, ¡°Thank you for your help. Next time, I will take care of my Master.¡± Qiyun Jun stood aside. His gaze fixed on Ye Yunlan and said nothing. Shen Shu lifted Ye Yunlan, then took out a piece of clean silk cloth to dry the blood on his lips and hands. He put his arms under Ye Yunlan¡¯s upper body and legs, picked up the entire person, and walked back into the bedroom. So light, he thought. His Master didn¡¯t just look thin. He was like a hollowed-out jade, only left with a white jade shell that could break after a small collision. Shen Shu carried Ye Yunlan carefully to the carved bed. He took off the other party¡¯s blood-stained robe and helped the person lie down on the bed. For a long while, he stared at the person¡¯s pale face that was on the bed. He got up, went out, and got a bucket of water back to carefully wipe the blood from Ye Yunlan¡¯s hands and cheeks. As soon as he stepped out of the house, he saw Qiyun Jun was still in the house and did not leave. He stood by the door with his eyes closed. ¡°Why is Sect Master not leaving?¡± Shen Shu asked. Qiyun Jun opened his eyes. His eyes that couldn¡¯t see any emotions looked sideways, then said indifferently: ¡°Ye Yunlan¡¯s injuries, this is not the first time that it has happened in these two years.¡± Shen Shu was silent for a moment: ¡°I was wondering about this. Two years ago, I asked my Master to take the ancient xinzhi. With the power of a rank nine elixir, Master¡¯s injury should not erupt so quickly.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°He used his spiritual consciousness to temper the sword.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s expression changed. Spiritual consciousness was different from spiritual power. Spiritual power was the qi that ran in a cultivator¡¯s body. This kind of qi can interfere with the heavens and the earth so that the cultivator can call on the wind and rain, ignite a fire, and attract thunder. It was an external manifestation of the cultivator¡¯s ¡°power.¡± Spiritual consciousness was the extension of the cultivator¡¯s consciousness. It can accurately observe objects and grasp the state of objects. It was an external manifestation of the cultivator¡¯s ¡°spiritual insight.¡± He thought of his Master. His eyesight seems not very good, but he could engrave such mysterious and detailed divine texts on the scabbard. Perhaps, he did use his spiritual sense. Yes. Although Ye Yunlan¡¯s internal veins were broken and there was no cultivation base, he was still a Golden Core Stage cultivator once. His spiritual sense and spirit were much stronger than ordinary people. But no matter how strong the spirit is, it requires a physical body to support it. The consequences of frequently using his spiritual consciousness, although it wasn¡¯t directly inducing spiritual energy, will make Ye Yunlan lose control of the divine fire in his body. It would bring the deeply injured body closer to the verge of collapse. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t tell him at all. Shen Shu pursed his lips. He suddenly realized why Ye Yunlan called him to go into retreat in the first place. The real reason may not be because he wanted him to get rid of those wrong thoughts that he shouldn¡¯t have. Qiyun Jun¡¯s cold voice continued. ¡°You are his personal disciple, and he refined a spirit sword for you.¡± ¡°Two years ago, he went to Tianchi Mountain dao conference and was injured by the Tianchi Mountain movement. It was also for you.¡± ¡°If you really care about your Master and if you want him to live longer, stop relying on him. Go down the mountain as soon as possible, and let him rest in peace.¡± Qiyun Jun was indifferent. For the past several years, he looked out from Wangyun peak. What he said this time came from the things he saw then. Shen Shu listened, then raised his eyes, ¡°What about Sect Master? Why is Sect Master coming to heal my Master repeatedly?¡± Qiyun Jun did not move and said, ¡°He is my Sky Sect¡¯s disciple.¡± Shen Shu curled his lips into a sneer, ¡°There are thousands of disciples in Sky Sect. When they were injured, where was Sect Master?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°The world¡¯s karma touches all life. Among thousands of disciples, I saved him by accident, and there is no problem in saving him for the rest of his life.¡± He didn¡¯t want to talk to Shen Shu anymore. He turned around and stepped out of the room with the wind blowing against his white hair. He said: ¡°Remember the advice I gave you today.¡± Shen Shu looked at his back coldly: ¡°If this is the case, I will also give Sect Master a piece of advice.¡± ¡°I heard that the Sect Master¡¯s cultivation is in the heartless dao. In the heartless dao, the heart is the heaven and the earth, and it does not blend with other things. Sect Master frequently interferes in the mortal world. If your emotions are moved, it will ruin your heartless dao. It will destroy your years of hard work. Is Sect Master really not afraid?¡± Qiyun Jun paused. There was no answer. He just turned into a sword light and disappeared into the sky. ¡­ When Ye Yunlan woke up, the pain in his chest was still there. The windows were open, and the sound of birds chirping came in from outside, accompanied by the fragrance of spring flowers. He covered his lips and coughed a few times. He coughed until his cheeks turned slightly red, but his face was indifferent. In the past two years, his injuries had become more frequent. But he didn¡¯t really care. He calculated the rest of his time and found that it was enough. Just when he wanted to put on his clothes, the door creaked. Shen Shu walked in with a bowl of elixir. ¡°Master.¡± He was tall and had deep black eyes. Ye Yunlan was startled. He turned his head to avoid his gaze: ¡°What have you cooked?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°It¡¯s a thousand-year snow ginseng soup. It¡¯s good for nourishing the qi and calming the soul.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded slightly. He took the ginseng soup, sat down at the table, took the soup spoon, and drank. At this moment, when he looked at his eyelashes drooping and slowly drinking the medicine, he was really well-behaved and quiet. But at the bottom of this person¡¯s heart, he didn¡¯t care about his own life. There were certain things he knew he couldn¡¯t do but would still do. Silently, not saying a word. ¡­He really wanted to lock him up and trap him in the palm of his hand or in a place where he was always in his line of sight. This way, the other party wouldn¡¯t disappear on him when he wasn¡¯t looking. Shen Shu thought this, but his face remained calm. ¡°Master, is the ginseng soup bitter?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand that held the spoon paused. ¡°Slightly.¡± Shen Shu took out an oil paper bag from his arms and unfolded it. Steam came out, revealing two shiny jujube cakes. ¡°Disciple made this jujube cake. Master shouldn¡¯t have eaten it before.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes lit up slightly. He stretched out his fingers and put a piece in his mouth. The jujube paste¡¯s sweetness and the rice cake¡¯s smoothness melted in his mouth together, eliminating the ginseng soup¡¯s bitterness. It left only sweetness on the tip of his tongue. Shen Shu: ¡°Master, do you like the food that Disciple made?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t know why he asked this, so he said, ¡°Yeah.¡± After eating a piece of jujube cake, he picked up another piece. He whispered: ¡°It tastes very good.¡± Shen Shu took the opportunity to continue to speak: ¡°If Master likes it, I can make it for Master every day from now on.¡± ¡°I also learned a lot of other pastries.¡± Shen Shu stared deeply at Ye Yunlan, then emphasized, ¡°There are at least hundreds and thousands of them.¡± ¡°I want to always have the opportunity to make food for Master in the future. Is that okay, Master?¡± Ye Yunlan paused while eating the jujube cake. He was silent for a moment to avoid answering this question. He only said, ¡°It¡¯s good to learn more crafts. It¡¯s just that the cultivation road is long, and outside things shouldn¡¯t have too much importance. The most important thing is to focus on oneself.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes dimmed slightly. That was his deliberate test. He could guess Ye Yunlan¡¯s answer and felt disappointed, but at the same time, he made a decision in his heart. Ye Yunlan silently finished eating the second piece of jujube cake in his hand, then said casually: ¡°Everything in the world has their time to return to the dust and dirt of the earth. A long-lived tortoise can live forever, a fly for a moment. But in a lifetime, there is actually no difference.¡± Ye Yunlan had already said tons of words like these before, so Shen Shu didn¡¯t want to hear any more. He glanced around and deliberately changed the subject: ¡°Master, why don¡¯t I see Furball and that Tianchi Mountain spirit? I have been out of my closed-door training for a few days, but I haven¡¯t seen either of them.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Something bad happened on Tianchi Mountain one year before. Nian Er could only take back the consciousness she left. I heard that the Ye Clan people blocked Tianchi Mountain, but there is no news other than that. However, Nian Er¡¯s comb left behind by her is not destroyed, so there shouldn¡¯t have been any major events.¡± ¡°As for Furball¡­ to tend to my injury, it took too much strength from him, so he fell asleep temporarily. I put him in the bamboo basket. I don¡¯t know when he will wake up.¡± While speaking of this, Ye Yunlan raised his eyes and looked at a place. Shen Shu followed his gaze and found a bamboo basket hanging on the window sill¡¯s upper edge, slightly swaying in the wind. He got up, walked over, and found a little chubby chick with golden fluff, nestled in a padded basket and sleeping soundly. Tsk. He could already see that Furball was not a real creature with his eyesight. Instead, it was a kind of ¡°bizarre energy¡± embodiment that had formed its own self-consciousness. Interesting. While Ye Yunlan continued to lower his head to drink the medicine, he glanced at the mirror table and found a thick stack of letters scattered on it. These letters were big and small, and some had a slight powdery fragrance. After thinking about it for a bit, Shen Shu had figured out where these letters came from. He was slightly unhappy. His sharp eyes suddenly narrowed while he thought that maybe he should look for an opportunity to help Ye Yunlan clean up these letters. He saw one of the letterheads pressed on the bottom with a corner slightly exposed. Chen Weiyuan signed the letter. His pupils shrunk. In Shen Shu¡¯s memory, his Master did not like Chen Weiyuan, but Chen Weiyuan had always entangled with his Master like a dogskin plaster. Very annoying. In his memory as a Demon Lord, this person was one of the few people in the Immortal sects who could cause him trouble. There were countless things in the world, and he had absorbed hundreds of millions of soul fragments. It made his memory messy, and he was too lazy to remember things that had nothing to do with him. However, Chen Weiyuan¡¯s marriage to his dao companion had caused chaos, leaving a big impression. He even had subordinates mentioning it to him as a joke. He turned his back to Ye Yunlan. He was slowly immersed in his thoughts, stirring the memory of being the Demon Lord. Generally speaking, he would not do this because the Demon Lord¡¯s memories were too complicated. It was thousands of times more than what he had experienced. Once caught in it, he could have the chance of not waking up again and not be able to maintain his consciousness as ¡°Shen Shu.¡± He didn¡¯t doubt the authenticity of these memories, but he still hadn¡¯t figured it out yet. Was the Demon Lord¡¯s experience something he personally experienced? Was he the same person as the Demon Lord? Was it the reflection of the future that reflected on him now? Or was it a memory of himself in a different world that overlapped with himself? Before clarifying these things, he didn¡¯t dare to indulge himself in integrating all these memories into his own body. After all, he was not sure whether Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice would still wake him up again. It was different this time. The name on the letter lay across his eyes, and he realized that Chen Weiyuan¡¯s matter was very important to him. His consciousness drifted far away. A layer of red gradually covered the world. He sat on the high seat, flames burning on the cast iron. The wine in his glass was bright red. In the hall, dozens of enchantresses danced gracefully. Music actors played and sang behind the curtains. The steps next to him under his seat sat the Demonic Sect¡¯s elders. In the process of singing and dancing, he was very interested in listening to his follower¡¯s conversations. One of the drunk elders smiled and said, ¡°Have you heard about the scandal that happened recently?¡± ¡°Is Elder Chu speaking about the Chen clan¡¯s young patriarch marrying a wife?¡± Someone asked. ¡°Yes, I heard that the Chen clan¡¯s young patriarch married a cripple who had been exiled by Sky Sect as his wife, despite the opposition of his clansmen. This act has really beaten the faces of those self-proclaimed, arrogant Sky Sect disciples.¡± ¡°Haha, I would like to listen to their infighting. Elder Chu, tell us quickly, what did that cripple do to get driven out of the sect?¡± ¡°It¡¯s rumored that due to his greed for treasures, while he was in a secret realm, he plotted to frame and murder his fellow sect members and was revealed. He was thus punished.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªSuch a despicable person? Did the Chen clan¡¯s young patriarch get blinded by what he saw and take fancy in him?¡± ¡°The word blind is a great use of words!¡± Elder Chu took another sip of wine, ¡°Not only is his character despicable, but I also heard that this disciple has a ruined face. He was born an abomination, so he wears a mask every day. There is no strong point on his entire body. Perhaps it is because of his body and skill in bed that fascinated the heart of the Chen clan¡¯s young patriarch. Hahahaha¡­¡± Elder Chu smiled drunkenly but found that none of his peers dared to laugh with him. As soon as he raised his head, his pupils reflected in the high seat¡¯s hideous bronze ghost mask. Elder Chu was shocked to realize that he was using disrespectful words and cold sweat continued to shed from his forehead. The music disappeared, and the dancers in the hall stopped dancing. They knelt before him one after another, not daring to breathe. He looked down at the ant-like crowd and shook the glass in his hand. His tone was indistinguishable from anger or joy. ¡°Why are you stopping? Continue. Sing if you should sing, jump if you should jump, speak if you should speak.¡± He casually chuckled. ¡°This Lord is listening.¡± Music sounded again. The dancing girls continued to dance lightly, but the movements were quite stiff. Elder Chu did not dare to touch the wine in his hand again, nor did he dare to defy his orders. He pulled out a stiff smile. ¡°Everyone, where was I again?¡± One person spoke up: ¡°You said that the Chen clan¡¯s young patriarch is blind. The dao companion he married has no strengths and has a despicable character.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right, I was up to that point.¡± Elder Chu exhaled and looked around, ¡°Do you guys have anything you want to ask?¡± Everyone looked at each other, afraid they would say something disrespectful and anger that man. After a while, someone picked the most secure topic, and they carefully asked. ¡°Dare to ask Elder Chu, who is the person the Chen clan¡¯s young patriarch married? What¡¯s their name?¡± Elder Chu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and replied, ¡°The Chen clan¡¯s young patriarch married a man surnamed Ye¡­¡± ¡°Name Yunlan.¡± CH 68 Chapter 68 Determined Ye Yunlan. When Elder Chu said the name, he sat on the high seat with one hand supporting his chin. His expression was not happy nor angry. There was only a little bit of interest in his heart. A person with a ruined face wears a mask all year round and does not show his true colors? ¡­Seems somewhat similar to him. He swallowed too many monsters and souls at the bottom of the Demon Abyss. Demonic energy infested his body, and his body had an inexplicable abnormality. When he first crawled out of the Demon Abyss, all the humans who looked directly at him turned white from fright. They fell to the ground, and some were scared to death. Of course, this was not only because of his weird appearance. It was also because of the excessive darkness and evil thoughts condensed on him. That darkness affected others. A mortal without a cultivation base couldn¡¯t bear the price it took to look at him directly. Even if he had no intention of killing those people. Later, after he wandered around the world for a while, he had a slightly human form. He put on a mask, so one could no longer see the monster¡¯s appearance while his deliberate control restrained the filthy, unknown powers. He became the Demon Lord and commanded the Demonic Sect. The mask on his face was never off. No one knew his true face, and he had no interest in letting anyone know. Many people had said that he looked ugly, like a ghost. In a certain sense, it was not a lie. He lifted his lips and sneered from the bottom of his heart. Human beings are really creatures used to judging people by their appearances. It was clearly just a physical body with a skin covering. It was an external thing, yet they are often used to determine everything a person had. His world was blood-red. All appearances were the same once he had seen them all; dull and boring. He stared at the demonic palace, stared at the entire world, but all he saw was huge darkness enveloped by the evil thoughts lingering in everyone. It was like turbulent clouds covering the sun. The world called him a demon. But where was there no evil? Who wasn¡¯t a demon? Nowhere is clean. No one was an exception. Above the banquet, the voices of talk and laughter mixed. The enchanting dancers twisted like snakes, the flying tulle wrapped around the fragrance of wine, and darkness hid deep in the shadows. He drank the wine in his glass and felt a little bored. His knuckles rested on the seat¡¯s armrest, and his eyes flashed scarlet. He took the Shura sword on the table and laid it flat on his knees. He pulled it out inch by inch. He placed the long sword in front of his eyes, and the sword¡¯s cold light reflected half his face wearing the ghost mask. The Shura sword made a low humming sound. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± he said, ¡°This Lord will soon let you¡­ drink some blood.¡± Lifting the sword and getting up, he walked a few steps when he felt something pull his heart. It was like a feather fluttering by, slightly itchy. Surprised, he looked inside his heart palace. He saw a little jade man sitting in the middle of the heart palace, eyes open, looking up at him. STOP!!!! He was startled. The surrounding still life shattered like a phantom image. The place where he stood was no longer a cold demonic palace but a quiet and peaceful bamboo building. Shen Shu returned to reality. His gaze fell on the letter at the bottom. A corner of the letter paper was exposed, and on it was a signature elegantly written in pen and ink. His pupils became extremely dark. He could hardly restrain his violent anger and desire to tear up the letter. If the memories he had were real, or if these memories were as he guessed, then they may be a part of his own ¡°future.¡± Did this mean his Master will someday become Chen Weiyuan¡¯s future dao companion? What a joke! Behind him, he heard the sound of Ye Yunlan putting down the bamboo bowl after drinking the soup. Shen Shu retracted the expression on his face. He picked up the stack of letters, turned around, then used the table¡¯s edge to support himself with one hand. A little smile appeared on his face: ¡°It seems that since Disciple has been in retreat for two years, Master¡¯s life hasn¡¯t been peaceful.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at the stack of letters in Shen Shu¡¯s hand, a slightly uncomfortable expression passing over his face. He said in a low voice: ¡°Those things, don¡¯t look at them.¡± After the Tianchi Mountain dao conference was over, the rumors about his injury spread, becoming more and more distorted. Although He Lanze warned and stopped others, not many disturbances came to him, but they sent more and more letters to his residence. In the beginning, only the Sky Sect disciples knew where he lived. Later, he didn¡¯t know who had leaked where he lived, but various sects of the cultivation world began to send letters, and even some elixirs, magic weapons, and treasures. He could return gifts with a signature on the letter, but he could only stack gifts without a signature in one place. After so many times, although most of the rejected people were reluctant to withdraw, many people would erase their signature and continue to send a letter to him¡­ Not only this, but the letter¡¯s contents were becoming more and more straightforward and unsightly. Ye Yunlan stood up and wanted to take the letters back but didn¡¯t notice Shen Shu¡¯s dark eyes. He stretched out his hand to get the letter, but Shen Shu grasped his wrist. ¡°It¡¯s just a few love letters. Why does Master have to view them with such great importance? Could it be that some tempted Master?¡± Shen Shu said jokingly. Ye Yunlan was startled, his eyebrows pale and tired. ¡°Your Master has already said that I have a dao companion, and I won¡¯t be moved again in this life. I won¡¯t make a bond contract with anyone again. You don¡¯t have to ask me that anymore.¡± ¡°¡­And Master was ready to burn these letters.¡± Shen Shu slightly frowned, carefully observing Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression. He didn¡¯t notice any trace from his indifferent expression that showed interest in those letters, only his usual tired and fed-up appearance. It was just the things he saw in his memory that made him feel like there was a fishbone lodged in his throat. ¡°In that case, it doesn¡¯t matter if this pile of letters is dealt with by Disciple, right?¡± Shen Shu asked. Ye Yunlan pursed his lips and turned his head: ¡°Up to you.¡± Shen Shu looked at him deeply, then snapped a finger in his left hand. He used a magic technique to trigger a spiritual fire. The flame began to burn the corner of the letter and then gradually swallowed it up until it finally disappeared into the air, leaving no ashes. Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion was always pale and indifferent. He looked out the window without looking back at the pile of letters. After personally burning the letter, Shen Shu calmed down a bit. He looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s always indifferent expression, then realized that the other party was a little angry. He said: ¡°This time, Disciple has forgotten what Master once said and lost his composure. I won¡¯t do it in the future.¡± He saw that Ye Yunlan was still silent and felt a little sour in his heart. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m very curious about what kind of character Master¡¯s dao companion was that caused Master to keep him in his mind until now.¡± Shen Shu paused, then continued: ¡°Will Master tell Disciple his name? In the future, every time during the Qingming Festival (tomb sweeping day), Disciple can also go to worship him.¡± Ye Yunlan said indifferently: ¡°He is proud by nature and left free and unfettered. He once told me that no one needs to worship him after death. So, you don¡¯t need to know his name.¡± Hearing this, Shen Shu pursed his lips. He won¡¯t even tell him his name? Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to continue this subject: ¡°After half a month, you can go to a place with Master.¡± Shen Shu nodded without thinking, ¡°Where?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Netherworld secret realm.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Netherworld secret realm?¡± He pondered for a moment, ¡°Is it the legendary ancient place that Master once mentioned? The secret cave where the Great Emperor Netherworld left his possessions before he planned to ascend?¡± Ye Yunlan gave a faint ¡°en¡±: ¡°There has been news from Zhanxing City at the Eastern Continent¡¯s junction and Southern border that the Netherworld Secret Realm is about to appear in the world. It will open in half a month. If you want to resolve the puppet mark on your body, you need the soul-attracting flower. It¡¯s just that the soul-attracting flower has long been extinct in this world. Only in the ancient ruins could there be remnants of it.¡± Shen Shu frowned: ¡°Emperor Netherworld is not a good person in ancient records. The secret realm of that cave he left behind is bound to be sinister with countless risks. Since this matter is related to Disciple, Disciple should go himself, why is it necessary for Master to take risks with your body?¡± Ye Yunlan said: ¡°For this matter, your Master has his plan.¡± Shen Shu suddenly held his thin and pale hand: ¡°Master, you know you have injuries on your body. Moreover, your injuries have worsened over the past two years. Your heart cannot be turbulent at this time, becoming tired from running around. What should I do if you suddenly suffer an injury in the secret realm? The puppet seal is related to Disciple¡¯s freedom, but if it affects Master¡­ Disciple is willing to be forever controlled by the seal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak nonsense.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned slightly, disagreeing with his words. He closed his eyes again, ¡°I have decided. You don¡¯t have to say anything anymore.¡± After that, no matter what Shen Shu said, he could not persuade him. Shen Shu saw that persuading him did not work, so he looked at him for a long time. Then, he cleared the bamboo bowl on the table and closed the door. When the sound of his footsteps drifted away, Ye Yunlan opened his eyes and looked at the closed door quietly. He could not tell Shen Shu that he had experienced going to the Netherworld Secret Realm. He also knew where one could most likely find soul-attracting flowers in the secret realm. ¡ª¡ªNetherworld secret realm. It was the secret realm where he was framed for killing the disciple of his sect in his previous life. It was why he was abolished of his Golden Core and expelled from the sect. Reliving a lifetime, he didn¡¯t know if the people behind those things would do it again, but he knew that the secret realm was indeed dangerous. Amongst ten cultivators, it is likely only one would survive. Even with Shen Shu¡¯s Nascent Soul realm cultivation, it may not be safe. If he was there, he could guide the way. At least it would prevent Shen Shu from stepping into some dangerous traps, causing him to have no remains left. If life and death were at stake, he would use a forbidden technique to return to the void tracing realm as long as he could protect Shen Shu¡¯s life. As for himself¡­ Living in the world is like the wind and rain that comes. When it is time, he will return to dust. There is not much to love and regret. And in this life, he had no so-called starting point or endpoint in this world. He was just a lone boat, wandering in the world. Even if it drifts far away, it was just fallen leaves returning to their roots. ¡­ Sky Sect, Medicine Peak. In the middle of the mountain, there was a hidden cave on a rugged wall. The cave was so deep that it was difficult to see the end from the outside world. At this moment, there was laughter coming out of the cave. The ghostly laughter resembled ghosts laughing and crying. It contained the hint of madness, shocking the perched birds on the cliffs. The cave was extremely deep, difficult to see the sky. Rong Ran¡¯s clothes were scattered against a rocky bulge as he held a blood-stained blade in his hand. The blade dripped blood. Compared with two years ago, his face was much more haggard. Even white hair grew on his head, his eyes containing a burning, crazy look. In front of him, there was a huge cavity filled with Gu worm corpses and a sticky rotten smell. Carefully placed between his knees were two blood-red, cicada-like Gu worms. One of them was slightly larger, the other smaller. ¡°It¡¯s been five years, He Huan Gu¡­it¡¯s finally been refined¡­ Ha ha ha ha¡­¡± Rong Ran stared at the two Gu worms feverishly. After five long years, investing countless treasures, nourishing them with his heart¡¯s blood, and suffering from the pain, finally, according to the formula given by his father, he has refined this pair that can completely change a person¡¯s mind. It will allow the person to completely fall in love with the person who gives the He Huan Gu. But it was worth it. He took off the clothes on his upper body, and the blade cut open his pale chest. He pressed the big He Huan Gu into the knife mark in his heart inch by inch. His eyes were sometimes focused and sometimes relaxed. His lips wore a weird smile as his hoarse voice called out a name. ¡°Ah Lan¡­¡± ¡­ WangYun Peak, Yuntian Palace. Qiyun Jun stood in the peach forest with his eyes closed, like a silent stone sculpture. The gorgeous color of the peach blossoms was incompatible with his snow-white appearance. The breeze blew, and the peach blossoms covered his snow-white clothes, brushing his slender sword-holding hand. A black jade hung quietly on the hilt, a simple, dark scabbard engraved with a beautiful peach blossom. After a while, he opened his eyes. His glazed eyes reflected the clear blue sky and peach blossoms. In the past few years, he has continued to practice the heartless dao. His dao became more and more complete. The phantom in his mind, transformed by the demons, had gradually faded. He thought of it, and it was time to resolve it. The Taiqing Duer Sword slowly unsheathed, and the sword body reflected his long frost-colored eyelashes and cold eyebrows. He swung his sword indifferently. The peach blossom fell like a shower, and the sword qi crushed it into the void. Wind and snow invaded the air, filling the sky. It fell onto Qiyun Jun¡¯s clothes and hair, assimilating the only bright color in the originally cold and merciless white of Yuntian Palace. The heart demons have disappeared. The heartless dao had improved another step. Maybe in a hundred years, he could touch the steps of void tracing. He thought indifferently, but suddenly a person¡¯s face passed in his mind. The person¡¯s face seemed detached from the mundane world, while the spirit of heaven and earth seemed to be poured into the other party, with a little red dot at the end of his eyes, like blood and tears. Even if he cultivated the heartless dao, it was hard for him to ignore this thrilling beauty. He retracted the Taiqing Duer Sword into its sheath, then turned and walked out of this ice and snow. Passing through the corridor and stepping into the palace, he saw a person waiting there. His white clothes and black hair faced him. Qiyun Jun¡¯s heart moved. But when the person heard a sound, he turned his head, revealing an elegant and beautiful face. When he looked at him, his expression was supple and respectful. ¡°Rong Ran greets Master.¡± Qiyun Jun frowned and said quietly: ¡°What did you come here for?¡± ¡°Coming here, Disciple has a request.¡± Rong Ran said softly. Qiyun Jun: ¡°Speak.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°The disciples stationed in Zhanxing City heard the news that the Netherworld Secret Realm is about to be open. The Netherworld Secret Realm was left by the Great Emperor Netherworld that year. There is a great chance that his remains will be there. Various sects are all gearing up and getting ready to explore the secret realm; our Sky Sect disciples are no exception.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that the Senior Brother He Lan, who is most qualified to lead this secret realm, suddenly went into retreat a few days ago. The remaining disciples qualified to lead this secret realm have insufficient strength, and it would be difficult to convince the crowd. If they lead the people there, the people¡¯s hearts will scatter, and it will be detrimental to our sect.¡± Rong Ran paused, bowing in salute. ¡°Therefore, Disciple wants to ask Master to spread the decree and let Disciple lead this trip to the secret realm.¡± CH 69 Chapter 69 Pure White Next Chapter> Rong Ran said this and paused, waiting for Qiyun Jun¡¯s answer. He had a supple and polite expression on his face, but he felt a little nervous in his heart. If it was five years ago and he wanted to lead the Sky Sect disciples to explore the Secret Realm, with He Lanze in retreat, he wouldn¡¯t have any problems as Qiyun Jun¡¯s only personal disciple. But after the Tingfeng Pavillion incident and Qiyun Jun punished him to face the wall and reflect, his position in the sect disciples¡¯ minds became much worse than before. If Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t decree it, he might not be able to persuade all the other peaks¡¯ disciples to obey his call. There was a moment of silence in Yuntian Palace. Rong Ran waited and became more and more flustered. However, he became a little confident when he looked at the black jade sitting on the long sword¡¯s hilt in Qiyun Jun¡¯s hand. Qiyun Jun turned around and looked at his disciple. He noticed that Rong Ran came without even carrying his spirit sword. His eyebrows frowned slightly. There was a moment of silence, then he said. ¡°This is the last time.¡± Rong Ran was overjoyed, ¡°Thank you, Master!¡± Qiyun Jun raised his hand, and a clear light spread out like ripples. When he did that, no matter if the Sky Sect disciples were in the Sky Sect or thousands of miles away, everyone received a thought. The Venerable had allowed his personal disciple to lead the Netherworld Secret Realm trip. The disciples who want to go could gather at Wendao Slope in three days. ¡ª¡ªThis was the miraculous means of a Transcendence Realm cultivator! Rong Ran carefully felt the decree in his heart, saluted again and thanked him, then left with joy. Yuntian Palace restored to its usual eternal silence. Qiyun Jun stood there for a long time as if thinking about something. He then raised the Taiqing Duer Sword in his hand and placed it horizontally in front of him. He had wiped off the peach blossom on the scabbard. Now, the scabbard he held in his hand was black, simple, and cold. However, the hilt was still adorned with a black jade, moving in his cold and clear eyes. He stretched out his hand to take down the black jade and squeezed it into two pieces. ¡­¡­ It was nighttime with few stars in the sky. Shen Shu sat by the small bamboo building¡¯s window without lighting the candle. He raised his eyes and stared at the crescent moon on the edge of the window. The corners of his eyebrows were dark and gloomy, as if in a daze. In fact, he was poking the white jade porcelain man in his heart with his spiritual thoughts. The figure that his Nascent Soul turned into didn¡¯t have a consciousness and would only react a little when being pricked. Only, this was clearly his Nascent Soul, but he was not close to his divine consciousness. Each time Shen Shu poked him, he moved to avoid Shen Shu, and his eyes were always tightly closed as if he didn¡¯t want to bother to look at him. Shen Shu had just separated from Ye Yunlan in an unhappy state. Therefore, after seeing this scene, his heart was even more depressed. He felt helpless. He glanced at the moon and then at the person in his heart, his brows growing gloomy. He disagreed with Ye Yunlan about going to the Netherworld Secret Realm together at his own risk, but he also knew that his disagreement wouldn¡¯t make the other party change his mind at all. ¡­And even if Ye Yunlan agreed, he wouldn¡¯t be rest assured with Ye Yunlan staying in Sky Sect. In the memory of him becoming the Demon Lord, he had heard clearly that Ye Yunlan would have his complexion ruined in Sky Sect and expelled from the sect, turning him infamous. Although he didn¡¯t know if these things would actually happen, he also didn¡¯t want Ye Yunlan harmed in the slightest. He will not let his Master leave his sight. If this is the case, there is only one way. Completely resolve Ye Yunlan¡¯s injuries. Since the ninth-rank elixir couldn¡¯t cure it, then only¡­ Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were dim. Ye Yunlan never told him the details of how to treat the injury completely, and even that method was something he heard from others. He didn¡¯t understand the secrets, but he could learn. In his mind, there were countless techniques collected by various demonic sects, including the method of dual cultivation. There was a whole wall in his library for that. If Ye Yunlan really triggers his injury in the Secret Realm and can¡¯t control it¡­ he must be prepared early on. He closed his eyes, plunged into his thoughts into the depths of his memory, and began to digest the knowledge in it. Just after reading a few pages, his cheeks turned red. He did not have the slightest experience in any memory. When he was a Demon Lord, many female entertainers from the demonic sects surrounded him, but he was always uninterested in the human flesh. As Shen Shu¡­ he only thought about his own Master alone, how could he think of others? After turning over a volume, he let out a long sigh of relief and covered his face with his hand. He couldn¡¯t help but plunge his divine consciousness into his heart mansion. Seeing that the little white figure sitting inside still closed his eyes tightly, seeming to feel nothing, he took his divine consciousness out again. That was until the night he fell into a dream. The dream was a beautiful color. He was like a reckless young man who had just learned something new. Embracing the softness of his imagination, he tried all his newly-learned information. The dark night. The crescent moon disappeared behind the clouds. In the small bamboo building, a pair of eyes opened. He stood up from the bed, his face hidden in the deep darkness. His eyes were half-closed, a little indifference in his languidness, and he whispered. ¡°Too weak.¡± He glanced at the afterglow on the pillow. He felt disgusted at the pure aura overflowing from the sword. ¡°I need to get the Shura sword back¡­¡± He made that decision and just wanted to get up from his bed, but he moved a part of his body that was still very swollen. He lowered his head expressionlessly and saw the behemoth propped up in his pants. As if a little puzzled, he muttered to himself. ¡°Human flesh is so boring. It¡¯s just fanciful thoughts.¡± Although puzzled, he still followed his body¡¯s instinct, closed his eyes, and sat in the darkness to solve it for himself. He wiped his hands, put on brand new clothes, and walked out of the room. The moonlight shone on the earth, a sea of ??flowers swaying in the distance. Countless colors rushed into his eyes, a faint blue, light purple, and crimson, all dreamlike. ¡°Beautiful colors.¡± He murmured. Even so, this kind of beauty still didn¡¯t dispel his idea of ??leaving here and retrieving the mighty power he should¡¯ve had. He had lived for many years, from the Demon Abyss to the human world. He knew that all the important and maddening things in this world were no better than real power in his hands. When he was about to walk out of the flower garden, he suddenly stopped and looked behind him. Under the moonlight, there were two bamboo buildings, one large and one small, quietly close together. Quiet and peaceful, like it could make people leave their worldly worries. He suddenly wanted to meet what exactly was the person who made his ¡°self¡± so reluctant to leave. Just one look? He nodded secretly. En¡­ just a glance. Behind him appeared darkness like a streamer, which enabled him to walk lightly in the air. He silently followed the breeze leaking through the window and appeared in Ye Yunlan¡¯s bedroom. The bronze mirror reflected his figure, and he slowly treaded in, approaching the carved wooden bed in the corner of the room. He got closer and closer, hearing his heart pounding in the dark, not fast or slow, just a little noisy. He bent over and opened a corner of the bed curtain. The moonlight shone through the crack at this angle, reflecting the sleeping man¡¯s pale and quiet face. He was startled. The wind blew across the sea of ??flowers outside the window, rustling. Dazed, he seemed to see the cleanest, purest white in the world. Like the clouds on the horizon, the snow on mountain tops. It was like he just crawled out of the Demon Abyss and saw the moon in the world. His leaving footsteps stopped on the spot. The darkness floating behind him like a ribbon disappeared. He looked at the person on the bed, glance after glance, with a hesitant look on his face. ¡­ The skin and flesh of a human had always been boring. He watched the person¡¯s calm sleeping face on the bed and paused for a moment on the other person¡¯s thin, beautifully-shaped lips. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled slightly. For a moment, he leaned down, gently kissed the man¡¯s pale soft lips, and slowly traced the shape with the tip of his tongue pressed against it. It tastes so wonderful. He smelled a strange scent floating around him, coming from him. It was like crushed white blossom petals but lighter and more distant. ¡­ It smells good. He thought. ¡­ Early in the morning, Ye Yunlan was flipping through the scroll in his study when he heard a soft knock on the door. He said: ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened, and Shen Shu walked in. Ye Yunlan was slightly surprised. He thought that perhaps after yesterday¡¯s quarrel, Shen Shu wouldn¡¯t take the initiative to look for him before setting off to the Netherworld Secret Realm. He saw Shen Shu gently put a bowl of porridge and a plate of steamed buns in front of Ye Yunlan: ¡°Master, it¡¯s not good for your body to have an empty stomach in the morning. Let¡¯s have some breakfast first.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Shen Shu shook his head. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Let¡¯s eat together.¡± Shen Shu nodded. He moved the stool to the desk, picked up a fresh meat bun, and started eating. Ye Yunlan spooned a spoonful of porridge into his mouth. He frowned slightly, put down the spoon, then pinched a bun with his slender fingertips. He chewed it, then put it back on the plate. Shen Shu had finished eating the buns in his hand. Seeing that Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t continue, he tilted his head slightly in puzzlement: ¡°Master, why aren¡¯t you eating?¡± Actually, Ye Yunlan was not very picky about the tastes. He could easily eat the noodles he made by himself without changing color, but the taste of the porridge and steamed buns made by Shen Shu today¡­ It almost made him wonder whether Shen Shu was still angry about yesterday and was deliberately difficult with him here. ¡°¡­The porridge is too salty,¡± Ye Yunlan said. It was basically like eating salt, ¡°The steamed buns too.¡± ¡°Is it too salty¡­¡± Shen Shu was taken aback. He got up and picked up the dishes, ¡°I¡¯ll make new ones for Master.¡± The remade dishes¡¯ taste was somewhat blander but still too heavy. He could barely take it in. Ye Yunlan did not say anything and let Shen Shu do it again. He only finished his breakfast in silence and thought about it again. Thinking, he called out to Shen Shu. ¡°Your Master is fully prepared for going to the Netherworld Secret Realm, so you don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Shen Shu listened but did not retort like the last time. He just absentmindedly put the dishes in front of him away. ¡°Since Master¡¯s prepared, Disciple¡­ will follow Master.¡± He lifted his eyelashes, and his dark eyes reflected his figure, making him feel a sense of inexplicable palpitations. On the day of departure, Ye Yunlan went to look at Furball sleeping soundly in the bamboo basket. Seeing that he still had no signs of waking up, he reached out and touched the fluff on his body. He put a few spirit stones beside his nest as a snack for when he woke up. Then, he took out a few secret talismans he had already written in the bookcase and put them in his sleeves. Finally, he picked up Queying from the table. Shen Shu was already waiting outside the door. Yanhui Peak was not too far from Wendao Slope, and it only took a little exercise to walk there. However, Shen Shu was already a Nascent Soul, with a natal spirit sword; he could travel with the sword. Seeing him come out, he grabbed his hand and said, ¡°Master, forgive my discourtesy¡±, and pulled the person to the sword. The wind flickered in his ears, and the two of them had reached the sky above the clouds. For the first time, Shen Shu was operating ¡°Afterglow¡± to fly in front of him, but he was more secure and skillful than he thought. The other person¡¯s hands wrapped around his waist. Ye Yunlan subconsciously wanted to pull away when he heard Shen Shu laugh in a low voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll be there soon.¡± The disciples gathered on Wendao Slope, densely packed like ants. Several flying boats were docked aside and have not yet set off. The two landed next to a flying boat, and because they were close to the shadow of a banyan tree, not many people paid attention to them. Supported by Shen Shu, Ye Yunlan¡¯s figure shook. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly. Just about to say something, he saw a few bright sword lights across the void that landed on the top platform of Wendao Slope. Those figures showed themselves. They were various peaks¡¯ disciples of higher positions. They had the power to rally supporters and surrounded Rong Ran. He didn¡¯t dress in his usual blue outfit like before. Instead, he wore snow-white clothes, making his face more beautiful and bright. He appeared to be in high spirits, smiling and talking with those disciples. Several disciples repeatedly nodded while listening to his words, showing approval. Once most of the disciples were gathered, Rong Ran stepped forward. He applied his spiritual power and loudly said, ¡°I am leading this trip to the Netherworld Secret Realm. The Netherworld Secret Realm is dangerous, and we need everyone¡¯s full cooperation. Only by following the arrangements can we get more benefits from the Secret Realm and protect everyone to the greatest extent possible and show our Sky Sect¡¯s great fame.¡± ¡°As for not listening to instruction, acting arbitrarily, and harming the people from your own sect¡­¡± Rong Ran looked around Wendao Slope. ¡°Once out of the Secret Realm, the person will be punished regardless of standing!¡± ¡°Now, everyone, please get on the flying boat.¡± As his voice fell, the peaks¡¯ disciples began to board the flying boat one after another. Ye Yunlan chose a ship at will and boarded with Shen Shu. He didn¡¯t notice that someone was looking at him in a daze from a distance. Suddenly, someone jumped up and took a shot at their forehead. Lin Xiaowan¡¯s voice came to his ear. ¡°Fool! We¡¯re about to board the flying boat; what are you still dazing on about? Is there a beauty around that attracts you?¡± Chen Xianyu recovered from his trance. He looked at Lin Xiaowan¡¯s angry face next to him. Senior Sister Yin Ling¡¯s face supported a smile that wasn¡¯t a smile. His body shrank, and he hugged the book of beauty in his hand. He shook his head and said, ¡°No, no, let¡¯s get on the flying boat.¡± He took his token and went to his separate room. He quickly used his water mirror to contact his brother. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s figure appeared in the water mirror. In the past two years, his brother¡¯s face remained like before, but the silver in his eyes became brighter, making him startled. The water mirror¡¯s background was always the same location. When looking at the endless black, he could see faint twinkling stars. Before Chen Weiyuan asked anything, Chen Xianyu spoke first. ¡°This time, he will also go to the Netherworld Secret Realm.¡± Chen Weiyuan sat cross-legged with a complicated and exquisite astrolabe on his knees. Hearing this, he said: ¡°I already know this matter.¡± Chen Xianyu was a little puzzled: ¡°The Netherworld Secret Realm is a cave-dwelling left by the great emperor back then that has a lot to do with the ancient times. Doesn¡¯t Elder Brother want to go and explore himself?¡± ¡°Brother has more important things to do¡±, Chen Weiyuan gently stroked the astrolabe in his hand, then said some ambiguous words. ¡°Time is running out.¡± Chen Xianyu: ¡°Time?¡± However, his brother didn¡¯t intend to answer his questions. He only stroked the astrolabe in his hand and smiled lightly. ¡°But Tianxuan, there is one thing that you really need to do for your brother in the Secret Realm.¡± Chen Xianyu: ¡°Brother, please tell me.¡± ¡°Take what I ordered someone to give you, and find someone.¡± The author has something to say: Demon Lord: The human body is so boring. What can we imagine? Later¡­ En, it¡¯s so fragrant. CH 70 Chapter 70 Two-faced As soon as he got on the flying boat, Ye Yunlan took his token and hurried to the room. He didn¡¯t stay in the cabin for a moment. He was accustomed to being alone and didn¡¯t like to be bothered. Since the Tianchi Mountain dao conference and the rumors had spread, he hadn¡¯t even gone to Wendao Slope, where the sect disciples gathered. Before Shen Shu left his closed-door training, he lived alone in the bamboo building every day. But even so, it failed to completely block outsiders from prying and communicating with their love tokens. If it wasn¡¯t necessary, he actually didn¡¯t even want to go out. Shen Shu followed him into the room to put away the baggage and then bent over to make the bed for him. Ye Yunlan sat at the table and set about making a pot of tea. After brewing the tea, he poured a cup for himself and Shen Shu. However, he noticed that Shen Shu hadn¡¯t moved for a while. He turned his head and found that Shen Shu was standing next to the bed with his back facing him. His movements had stopped at some point. Ye Yunlan condensed his eyebrows slightly and called out, ¡°Shen Shu?¡± Shen Shu did not answer. The room was quiet for a while. Ye Yunlan put down his cup and just thought of getting up to see Shen Shu¡¯s situation, but Shen Shu turned around. ¡°Master.¡± There was nothing unusual about his expression on his face, and the bedding behind him was also well arranged. He raised his hand and pinched his eyebrows as if he was a little tired: ¡°I wonder if it is because I just broke through to Nascent Soul. The spiritual power in my body is a little unstable. Although it is not a big problem, I may need to retreat for two days to consolidate it.¡± With the speed of a flying boat, it takes two daylights to go from Sky Sect to Zhanxing City. Ye Yunlan stared at Shen Shu for a moment. He saw that it was exactly as he said and there was nothing else wrong. He nodded slightly: ¡°The state of mind is the main cause of the spiritual power¡¯s instability after a promotion. When you retreat, you can recite the meditation mantra I taught you a few times more.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Okay.¡± Turning around, he walked out of the room calmly. Seeing Shen Shu closing the door carefully, Ye Yunlan took a sip of the teacup and suddenly remembered a question. ¡ª¡ªHe seems to have forgotten to ask about Shen Shu¡¯s Nascent Soul form. The form of a cultivator¡¯s Nascent Soul is the ¡°dao¡¯s¡± embodiment. You could see many things from it, and only a cultivator who practiced the Immortal Dao could bear a Nascent Soul. On the other hand, demonic cultivators focus on their bodies and wouldn¡¯t form a nascent soul. Instead, they would forge a demonic soul. Therefore, the equivalent realm for demonic cultivators is the demonic soul realm. After the flying boat arrived at the destination, he would find an opportunity to ask Shen Shu. He thought. At the same time. After Shen Shu walked out of Ye Yunlan¡¯s room, he turned around and opened the next room¡¯s door with the token he had just received. As soon as he entered, he stretched out his five fingers and moved quickly, arranged a soundproof barrier in the void, then closed the door with his back against the door. At this moment, his other hand held his trembling eyebrows. Cyan blood vessels also beat around his temple, making him look a bit fierce. It was just that in his drooping eyes, there was something dark and deep, like two holes that could swallow people up. He slowly slid down on the room floor. He bent one knee and buried his face in his palm. His back trembled slightly. ¡°Call me¡­¡± he said hoarsely. The candles in the room weren¡¯t burning. So in the silence and darkness, there were only Shen Shu¡¯s low gasps. He said with difficulty: ¡°Master¡­ Call me¡­ Master¡­¡± The Nascent Soul in his heart palace opened their eyes. A cold, familiar voice seemed to come from far away. ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s back slowly stopped trembling. After a long time, the expression on his face returned to calm. He sat on the ground, looking up at the dim roof beams. The Afterglow sword gleamed in his hand. He finally came back. He thought wearily. Since breaking through Nascent Soul, with more memories of being a Demon Lord in his mind, his spirit had often fallen into chaos. He was always on guard against the extra memories, deliberately differentiating himself so he wouldn¡¯t assimilate to himself. After all, he still didn¡¯t know where that part of the memory originated. Nor what was at stake. The Demon Lord¡¯s memory was extensive as it contained hundreds of millions of memory fragments of dead souls. He was afraid that he would be affected. He was afraid of forgetting Master. But this approach made the spirit in his body seem divided into two sides. His original memory dominated one side. The Demon Lord¡¯s memory dominated the other side. When he was too immersed in his thoughts in the Demon Lord¡¯s memory, there was no time to get out of there in time, and the other side of ¡°him¡± would appear. ¡°He¡± was evil in nature, elusive, and a complete demon. Moreover, his ability to pretend was outstanding. In the past few days, except for himself, even his Master hadn¡¯t noticed his changes from time to time. He even cooked for Ye Yunlan while referencing his previous memories¡­ The cooked food still looked good but tasted weird because ¡°he¡± had cultivated the nine-turn celestial demon body before and had no sense of taste. However, just giving ¡°him¡± some time to adapt, he was afraid it would be no different from what he usually made. Shen Shu gritted his teeth. He stood up from the ground with his Afterglow sword and walked to the bed. Sitting cross-legged, he silently recited a mantra to clear his mind. In any case, he must find a way to solve this hidden danger. He cannot put Master in a dangerous spot. ¡­ Two days later, the flying boat arrived outside Zhanxing City. After many disciples went first, Ye Yunlan slowly walked off the flying boat with Shen Shu. This place was at the Eastern Continent and Southern Xinjiang¡¯s junction. Although it was early spring, the climate was already a little hot and humid with some drizzle. Shen Shu held a plain white paper umbrella for Ye Yunlan, and the two went to Zhanxing City together. Zhanxing City was in the thoroughfare of trade between the two continents. It was a big city rarely seen in the world. At a glance, the towering tall city walls rose into the clouds like a mountain. They were very magnificent. The ground¡¯s entrance was full of long lines of mortals entering the city, and there was a glorious ¡°Zhanxing Bridge¡± in the sky specially prepared for cultivators. A Sky Sect disciple only needed to hold the Sect token in their hand to pass through Zhanxing Bridge and enter the city. Shen Shu took Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand and went to the bridge. As soon as he stepped on the bridge, he saw someone standing on the bridge. Rong Ran wore plain white clothes and held on to a plain white paper umbrella. His figure was slender, his appearance was beautiful, and his face was unhealthily pale. From a distance, he was a bit similar to Ye Yunlan. He saw the Master and Disciple coming, then showed a soft smile. He did not look at Shen Shu and only looked at Ye Yunlan as if sighing. ¡°Ah Lan, I haven¡¯t seen you in two years. How are you doing recently? Every time I see you, I feel that you are getting a little bit thinner.¡± The author has something to say: This chapter is a bit short¡­ Well, many little angels couldn¡¯t understand Shen Shu¡¯s state. Let me explain. Shen Shu now has more memories of the Demon Lord before meeting Yunlan, but he doesn¡¯t know where these memories come from, so he is vigilant. Although everyone knows that they are the same person, Shen Shu himself doesn¡¯t know it, so he is divided¡­ Small Theater: The Demon Lord who made apricot blossom cakes for the first time in his previous life was in a hurry and covered in flour. (He takes a bite himself). For physical reasons, he couldn¡¯t taste anything¡­ Well¡­ he had to find someone to try. So he found the uncle who was selling apricot blossom cakes at the alley¡¯s entrance, and while the uncle was not paying attention, he used a small spell to replace the apricot blossom cake the customer bought. Observing silently, the guest showed a disgusted expression¡­ He went back and made another batch for the next one. That was until he saw a child happily eating a bag of apricot blossom cakes while pulling his mother¡¯s clothes, and the next few did the same. The Demon Lord sitting on the treetop to observe secretly touched his chin and nodded in satisfaction. Going back, he made a plate of apricot blossom cakes, brought it out, and fed it to Ye Yunlan, who was seriously injured and not healed yet from the tower. His expression slowly softened as he watched his sweetheart drink the bitter medicine. He was calm on the surface, but his shadows danced in ecstasy. (Skills for making apricot blossom cake, check). CH 71 Chapter 71 The Other Shore Ye Yunlan stood under the umbrella held by Shen Shu. He glanced at Rong Ran quietly, then walked away. Rong Ran didn¡¯t seem to sense Ye Yunlan¡¯s indifference. His pale face kept a soft smile. He stared at Ye Yunlan¡¯s body up and down in fascination as if wanting to see through every inch of Ye Yunlan¡¯s skin, inside through his white clothes. His gaze was too presumptuous, Shen Shu paused slightly, and the light from the end of his eyes swept towards Rong Ran, giving him a deep, warning look. He raised his right hand that was not holding the umbrella and made a squeezing motion. Rong Ran¡¯s smile finally froze. He thought of when Shen Shu tortured him on the soles of his feet two years ago. He never figured out where Shen Shu¡¯s weird power came from, but he still swallowed instinctively and did not continue to persist. He watched the Master and Disciple¡¯s backs leave. One tall, one low, and about half a head apart. They shared the same umbrella, looking very close. This intimacy should belong to him. Rong Ran stood alone in the drizzle holding an umbrella, and the smile on his face gradually disappeared. He stretched out his hand to caress his left chest, clenching it slightly. The slight pain caused by the Gu swimming inside made him feel at ease. My nightingale is about to return to me, he thought. And Shen Shu¡ª¡ªhe dared to insult him like that in Tianchi Mountain, and this time in the Secret Realm. He must die without a place to be buried! The sky thundered, reflecting his pale complexion. The figure in his eyes faded away. ¡­¡­ Zhanxing City was extremely lively, divided into two cities. Sky and Earth. People enter Zhanxing City¡¯s ¡°Sky City¡± through the Zhanxing Bridge, invisible to mortals. It was an island that floated in the sky. Among them was ¡°Tianluo Fang¡±- the most famous cultivator market in Zhanxing City, where the Eastern Continent cultivators and Southern Xinjiang trade. In Earth City, mortals and cultivators lived together. Private fighting was forbidden in the city. Otherwise, the city guard would forcibly stop it. The city lord of Zhanxing City was rumored to be a transcendent powerhouse. Although he wasn¡¯t on the heavenly ranking list, most people gave this city lord some face. This time, Ye Yunlan only wanted the soul-attracting flower in the Netherworld Secret Realm. But he saw some good magic weapon charms in Tianluofang, so he bought them with spirit stones. They were enough to deal with sudden emergencies in the Secret Realm. Then, he bought a veiled hat to prevent needless trouble. After a walk around the market, the two walked straight to Earth City to look for a restaurant to eat lunch. Earth City was a lot more crowded than Sky City. There were shouts and sales everywhere. Most cultivators gathered in the spiritually dense Sky City. It was difficult to see one or two in Earth City. ¡°Selling sweet cakes! Mung bean cakes, red bean cakes, we have everything. Sesame cakes, walnut cakes, red dates cakes, and all the like, don¡¯t miss out when you pass by!¡± Shen Shu paused and said with a low smile, ¡°Disciple has a craving and wants to buy a few sweet cakes. Master can also try it later.¡± With that, he handed the umbrella to Ye Yunlan and went up to talk with the store owner. Ye Yunlan nodded slightly and took the umbrella. The breeze blew through the white gauze on his veiled hat, and the slanting rain flew over, making him feel a little chill. In the early spring, the air in southern Xinjiang was warm, humid, and hot. Ordinary people wouldn¡¯t feel cold. He should be like this. However, his body was far inferior to ordinary people because of the long illness. Next to the pastry shop was a fortune-telling booth. Behind the table sat an old-style gray-robed old man slowly fanning himself. Next to him was a white flag banner with a few lines written with ink. ¡°The Iron mouth would deduce your past, present, and future. The origin will be known with one reading.¡± He also saw a few words on the old man¡¯s fan. ¡°Want to have it read?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t believe in fate at first. But later, he had to believe it. Only, although he believed it, it didn¡¯t fascinate him. He had passed the time of being rash. He was already ready to meet his end, returning to this empty world. So he only glanced at the fortune-telling booth, then withdrew his gaze. Only, the old man with the fan stopped his hand movement at some point. He touched his long beard and smiled at Ye Yunlan: ¡°Benefactor, this poor daoist sees that we have some fate, so I was wondering if this benefactor has any interest in allowing this poor daoist to read your fortune?¡± Even in the bustling city, the old daoist¡¯s voice still rang clearly in his ears. Ye Yunlan was startled. Just about to refuse, he heard the old man sigh suddenly. He sang: ¡°Long life is hard to solve the worries in one¡¯s heart. Parting sorrow surrounds everywhere one looks. Who is waiting in the yellow springs, the past is in one¡¯s heart!¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment. Then, holding onto the umbrella, he walked over. He asked: ¡°What do you need to read it, fellow daoist? Do you need my birth date?¡± ¡°This daoist will calculate in one¡¯s own mind.¡± The old daoist blinked but didn¡¯t rush to raise his divinatory diagram. He stretched out his hand and said: ¡°One copper coin for the expense, please.¡± Ye Yunlan took out a copper coin and put it into the old daoist¡¯s hands. The old daoist tossed the copper coin aside and folded his palms. He didn¡¯t even ask him what he wanted to calculate. He just pushed out a blank sheet of paper. Before his eyes, he said: ¡°Write down what you are thinking. Just one word is fine.¡± Ye Yunlan wrote a word and pushed it back. The old daoist picked up the piece of paper and leaned closer to look at it. He didn¡¯t look serious at all, as if he didn¡¯t understand the principles of fortune-telling. Those who knew him knew he was fortune-telling, and those who didn¡¯t know thought he was admiring some books. After looking for a long while, the old man frowned and stroked his beard. He accidentally snapped one off, making him bare his teeth. ¡°Benefactor, the words you wrote don¡¯t match your appearance ¡­¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t comment. The word he wrote on the paper was¡ª¡ª¡±Emon.¡± ¡°Fine, nothing.¡± The old daoist shook his head and sighed. Holding a brush, he scribbled a few words behind his back, rolled it up, and handed it back to Ye Yunlan. ¡°This is the solution to what Benefactor wants to calculate. Benefactor can look at it himself.¡± At that time, Shen Shu had already brought the cakes back. He glanced at the old fortune-teller and Ye Yunlan suspiciously, then turned and smiled: ¡°Master is interested in fortune-telling? Disciple has also studied this a little bit and can give it a try for Master.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded slightly, then unfolded the note in his hand. When he saw it with his eyes, he noticed it was a poem: ¡°A limited body in time, waiting for parting makes it easy to feel overwhelming sorrow. Looking at the mountains and rivers and thinking far away, it is better to pity the person in front of you.¡± His gaze focused on the note for a while, then silently retracted the note into his sleeve and said to Shen Shu: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± When the two were away from the fortune-telling booth, the old daoist in the gray robe quietly raised his hand. He wiped the sweat from his head and muttered to himself, ¡°Strange, it¡¯s not even the great calamity, how could gods, ghosts, and demons be born¡­ ¡­¡± ¡­ At about noon, the two sat down by the window on the second floor of a restaurant called ¡°Yuelai Ju.¡± Shen Shu ordered some refreshing dishes for Ye Yunlann and spread out the pastries he had just bought. When the dishes came up, it was boiled cabbage, jade tofu, and an osmanthus crispy lotus root. All of them aligned with Ye Yunlan¡¯s taste. Ye Yunlan picked up his chopsticks and ate slowly, while Shen Shu had already taken a bigu pill and was not hungry, so he only picked up a piece of cake and watched Ye Yunlan¡¯s face as he ate. Although he couldn¡¯t really taste it, he understood what the ancients meant when they said, ¡°A feast for the eyes.¡± The mortals downstairs were noisy. Therefore, it was unclear when a few cultivators carrying long swords walked in who had just practiced qi refining. They gathered around the table, eating food and drinking. Internal energy filled those cultivators. Thus, although not deliberately, their voices were still louder than mortals, and they spread upstairs. ¡°Have you heard about the Tianchi Mountain matter?¡± One person continued, ¡°Naturally, I heard. Two years ago, the Demon Emperor Sword was born, and the Yaori Prince broke through to transcendence. Now, because of that, another shocking treasure was born. The name of it is not yet known, but it has already caused the Yaori and Xingyue dynasties to fight for it.¡± Someone wondered: ¡°Xingyue Dynasty? Since Prince Ye abolished the Xingyue Crown heir, the Yaori army has broken through the seven cities in Eastern Xingyue. The Xingyue Dynasty can barely resist, so how is there any remaining power to compete with the Yaori Dynasty?¡± Another person said: ¡°The Xingyue Dynasty had stretched for thousands of years, so how could they not have some hidden information. Maybe, they¡¯re just showing the enemy a weakness. Moreover, I heard that there seems to be a problem within the Yaori Dynasty. Prince Ye and his father seem to have disagreed on certain issues¡­¡± He lowered his voice. After all, some things were too sensitive to talk about out loud. Even though it was far in Southern Xinjiang, they couldn¡¯t speak unscrupulously. The atmosphere was heavy for a while. Someone changed the subject. ¡°The Western Continent has become more and more chaotic. It happens that I waited for this time to leave Western Continent and go east, just to avoid misfortune. I didn¡¯t expect to encounter the Great Emperor Netherworld¡¯s Secret Realm¡¯s opening. If I think like this, this place and I must have some special fate. Everyone, to celebrate this matter, cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± A brilliant, deep light rose in the distance when the cups collided, and the incomparably majestic spiritual power radiated from that direction. The sect disciple token was slightly hot, and a message was inside. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t take a closer look. He just stopped his chopsticks and looked out the window. ¡°The Netherworld Secret Realm has opened.¡± ¡­ There was a Pool of Forgetfulness ten miles outside of Zhanxing City. At that moment, the Secret Realm¡¯s light beam originated from this. A majestic, ancient, and mysterious gate loomed above the water. Cultivators from everywhere were around the Pool of Forgetfulness. Many were the cultivators of the major sects that Ye Yunlan saw in the Tianchi Mountain dao conference. It included the Ink Sect, Tanqing Sect, Tingyu Pavilion¡­ Because it was very close to southern Xinjiang, some people from ancient tribes of Southern Xinjiang also came. Plus tons of lone cultivators. Ye Yunlan saw a lot of familiar people. He couldn¡¯t help but be thankful that he had brought a veiled hat this time. Even so, he still noticed that many eyes moved to the Sky Sect disciples. Rong Ran stood in front of the Sky Sect disciples. His look was even more confident than before he set off, and his beauty was as bright as a pearl. He held a jade slip in his hand. That person had sent this slip. It recorded the general situation in the Netherworld Secret Realm, making his plan more successful. He didn¡¯t doubt why that person would know the details and situation even though the Netherworld Secret Realm hadn¡¯t yet opened. After all, that person was known for his astrological calculations, and it wasn¡¯t surprising that he could predict this information. He was very fortunate that the person saved him in Tianchi Mountain. Since then, he could refine many materials for his Hehuan Gu. Under his requests, that person found all the materials. Rong Ran glanced at the tall and beautiful cultivator standing in front of the Tan Qing Sect disciples. He hadn¡¯t seen him for two years. Xu Qingyue still dressed like a sword cultivator, incompatible with the other disciples of Tan Qing Sect. However, he heard that person dismissed Xu Qingyue from their engagement. Rong Ran smiled slightly. Tianji List¡¯s No. 1 beauty from before was nothing more than that. Seeing that cultivators were speeding into the Secret Realm back-to-back and that the Sky Sect disciples had arrived one after another, Rong Ran realized that he could no longer waste time. ¡°Everyone, the Secret Realm has opened. We will enter to explore, but before that, I need to tell you a few more points for the Sect Master.¡± ¡°In the Secret Realm, you must not hurt your fellow sect members, and you must not fight with your fellow sect members. You cannot make grievances with the other sects for no reason. All offenders will be dealt with according to the sect rules!¡± Rong Ran¡¯s voice eased, beginning to make arrangements. ¡°As far as I know, the Netherworld Secret Realm has three levels. When entering, the cultivators will disperse, but the trials on the first two floors of the Secret Realm are not very big. Not until the third floor where the real treasures of the cave are, and there is only one entrance to the third floor. We will gather there to explore the Netherworld Emperor¡¯s cave together.¡± When his voice fell, he glanced at Ye Yunlan, then took the lead to lead the disciples into the Secret Realm¡¯s door. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t notice the look in his eyes and didn¡¯t listen to what he said. He was at the end with Shen Shu, separated from many disciples. Before entering, Ye Yunlan said to Shen Shu. ¡°Pay attention to your mind.¡± Shen Shu nodded slightly. While Ye Yunlan was observing the front intently, he quietly opened his arm to cover Ye Yunlan¡¯s whole body. Rong Ran didn¡¯t make it clear. However, Ye Yunlan knew that the Secret Realm¡¯s first level was the realm of illusion. It was brimming with deceptive things. Ye Yunlan had already pinched a heart-clearing talisman in his hand. When he discovers something¡¯s wrong, he would crush the talisman and break the illusion with the talisman¡¯s power instead of rushing his mind and allowing the possibility of an injury. Moreover, with the solidity of his three-hundred-year soul, he could survive most illusions without any problems. As soon as he entered the Secret Realm, he heard the sound of water. A large river traversed in front, and the water was turbid yellow. He was in a sea of ??flowers on the shore. Scorching hot red petals bloomed, as gorgeous as blood. The sea of ??flowers separated on both sides, and a small winding alley stretched forward, with snow-white bones scattered on both sides. The path to the riverbank turned into an arched bone bridge across the riverbank. Ye Yunlan looked around and saw no one else. Knowing that he had fallen into an illusion, he just wanted to smash the heart-clearing talisman in his hand. But at the end of his blurred vision, he saw a vaguely familiar dark figure on the bridge. His hand movement paused. Then, he walked over. Someone sat on the railing beside the bone bridge, with a hideous ghost mask on his face. His eyes were redder than blood, redder than the flowers on the other side. He sat sideways, posture casual, looking at the yellow spring and blue sky. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been watching and how long he had waited. Hearing footsteps, he turned his head. His voice was low and smiling. ¡°Senior Immortal, you came to me.¡± The author has something to say: [Note:] Cut from Yan Shu¡¯s ¡°Huanxisha.¡± CH 72 Chapter 72 Mirage The Water of Forgetfulness surged and flowed. The red flowers on the other shore were in full bloom. Ye Yunlan squeezed the Heart-Clearing Charm in his hand, and the fingertips hanging in his sleeve trembled slightly. He looked at the person on the bridge in silence. He wanted to open his mouth to say something, but nothing came out. He knew that this was just an illusion in the Secret Realm, that this was his fantasy, that the person had disappeared, and that even if there was reincarnation in this world, it wouldn¡¯t be possible for them to meet again. He knew that nothing in the world could bring the dead back to life. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be the person he used to be even if he lived a lifetime. He knew that the past was just like a dream, a passing mist. He knew that it had been 109 years, a total of 39,972 days and nights, counting from the day that man left. The man on the bridge looked at him with his head turned and stretched his hand out towards him. The other party¡¯s scarlet eyes seemed to condense the dried blood of dead souls, and the mask on his face was even more hideous like a ghost, but his voice was low and gentle. ¡°Come here.¡± He said, ¡°Senior Immortal, I want to hug you.¡± Ye Yunlan took a half step forward unconsciously. The wind blew against his plain white robe, and his long black hair flew. His fingertips trembled. But, he stopped in place. The person on the bridge waited. He didn¡¯t come over, but he didn¡¯t care. He just laughed, ¡°Senior Immortal is still so shy.¡± He jumped from the railing to the ground and walked towards Ye Yunlan. The man was tall, with a large robe and black clothes. An abundant amount of dark blood stained the hem of his clothes. Faint traces of thunder and fire were on the hands that his sleeves exposed. He said: ¡°Since my bright moon is not willing to enter my arms, then I will have to rush to my bright moon.¡± The man walked over to the white bone bridge, bowed his head slightly, then his tall figure enveloped Ye Yunlan. He said with a low smile. ¡°My bright moon.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s body shook. After a long time, he called out in a very low and dumb voice: ¡°¡­ Lord.¡± The Demon Lord held out his hand and embraced him. The familiar breath and powerful heartbeat surrounded him. He smelled the faint smell of blood, the scent of flowers on the other bank, and heard the River of Forgetfulness¡¯s water rushing against the river rocks. He saw the red petals flying in the air like sparks, and he saw the boundless bloody sky. He looked at the man with bloody ink eyes. He reached out and pinched his chin so that in his eyes, he could only see the other person. Demon Lord: ¡°Senior Immortal, come home with me, okay?¡± After that, he wanted to lean in for a kiss. Ye Yunlan said hoarsely: ¡°¡­Okay.¡± The moment his lips touched, he closed his eyes and crushed the Heart-Clearing Charm in his hand. He felt his lips being touched and a hot body temperature pressed against him. The familiar breath enveloped him, and the world turned into a trance in an instant. After that, everything gradually went away. The Heart-Clearing Charm¡¯s spiritual power was like a cold spring poured on the tip of his heart. He opened his eyes, and no figure was in front of his eyes. There was no River of Forgetfulness or the bone bridge, only the blood-red hallucinogenic flowers from the other shore, scattered all over the ground. A bloody moon hung high over the remaining bones in the Netherworld Secret Realm¡¯s dark sky. Ye Yunlan raised his hand, his fingertips touching his lips for a moment. Then he dropped them to his side again. He took out a new Heart-Clearing Charm and pinched it in the palm of his hand again. Looking around, he couldn¡¯t see the figures of other cultivators. He wasn¡¯t in a hurry. He had been to the Netherworld Secret Realm in his previous life and knew that there were three levels in it. The first level was not too dangerous except for a few magical circles. Only, the cultivators who entered the Secret Realm would be scattered, and according to the law, the closer the time of entry, the closer the distance. He and Shen Shu entered one after another, so the distance shouldn¡¯t be far away. He used a little bit of his spiritual consciousness to calculate Shen Shu¡¯s position and found that he was east. There was a sense of suffocation in his chest. He lowered his head and coughed, then wiped off some bloodstains from his lips before heading east. ¡­¡­ Shen Shu walked in the mist. It was pitch dark, and he couldn¡¯t sense Ye Yunlan. The Afterglow sword cut away the fog, but it would regroup immediately. He slashed blankly, and his pace got faster and faster. The hostility in his eyes became heavier and heavier. His pupil shrank. He saw a long sword he was very familiar with. It was his Master¡¯s Queying sword. He followed the spotted bloodstain along the road ahead. He walked quickly, and the dense fog in front suddenly opened up. Ahead, there was spring water. The secluded spring pool was clear, with round pebbles stacked around it, and a pile of snow-white clothes was thrown on the bank, stacked messily. Shen Shu stared at the pile of clothes for a moment, then slowly raised his eyes. He saw a person¡¯s shadow by the spring in the distance. There was nothing on his body. Dark hair and white skin constituted a thrilling beauty and temptation. That person¡¯s heated appearance was familiar like it was by heaven. It was difficult to describe in words, but he was like the moon and snow at a glance. He was clearly his Master. Ye Yunlan was lying on the edge of the spring, his thin back trembling slightly, showing a graceful and seductive curve. He noticed the movement and turned his head, his eyes red. He saw Shen Shu, and his eyes lit up as if he had found a savior. He said, ¡°Your Master¡¯s injury flared up¡­ the body hurts¡­¡± He seemed to be unable to bear it. He trembled more and more severely, his eyes dripping with mist. His voice trembling pleaded. ¡°Shu Er, come here¡­help me.¡± CH 73 Chapter 73 Dense Fog Shen Shu stood by the spring, listening to the trembling calls of the person inside. The creamy, satiny white occupied his field of vision. The charming scene, hard to see normally and only staged in his dreams, was now unfolding in front of him. Blood surged in his body instinctively, but Shen Shu¡¯s face remained expressionless. He knew it was just an illusion. Ye Yunlan would never show such a weak state in front of him. That person was accustomed to enduring, being patient, and being silent. If his injury really flared up, he would only be silent. He would bear it alone and wouldn¡¯t ask for help at all, let alone ask for a person¡¯s mercy. ¡­Like a white blossom growing in the ice and snow, lonely and silent, looking fragile and breakable, but some things were indestructible. ¡°Shu Er¡­¡± The person¡¯s voice in the spring came from afar, hoarse and sultry. The snow-white figure supported by the spring bank leaned over like a fish. With crystal tears on his long eyelashes, his hands stretched upwards, and his slender five fingers opened like a lotus. It lifted, trying his best to get close to him. ¡°Help me¡­¡± Shen Shu¡¯s throat swallowed. He felt a little warm in his body and thirsty in his throat. His eyes became extremely dark and heavy for a moment. He whispered: ¡°I really want to help Master. I really want to, I want to¡­¡± As he said this, his long eyelashes were half drooping. He looked at the snow-white figure in the spring. Suddenly, his thin red face filled with desire appeared indifferent. ¡°Unfortunately, you are not him.¡± He lifted the tip of Afterglow, and it passed through the snow-white figure. The person in the spring opened his eyes wide. His raised hands fell weakly. ¡°Shen Shu,¡± its voice was spiteful, ¡°I hate you¡­¡± It fell into the spring water. Its body turned into a red butterfly and flew away. The bluish spring water returned to its calmness, like a bright mirror with its smooth face, but the dense fog around it remained. Shen Shu closed his eyes. Even if he knew that the other party was a phantom, the bitter words still lingered. He remembered the decision he had made before coming to this secret realm. He slowly pressed his lips into a thin line. He couldn¡¯t help but think, if he really did something like that to Ye Yunlan, would the other party hate him? There was no doubt about the answer. He clenched Afterglow in his hand and told himself not to think excessively. He looked around intently, wanting to continue to explore beyond the dense fog. Suddenly, two thin, white hands wrapped around his neck from behind silently, climbing up like vines. A strange and familiar cold incense surrounded him. Someone whispered in his ear: ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s body stiffened. He didn¡¯t get rid of the other party right away. ¡°Master is so tired¡­ let me rest.¡± The other party spoke, and his thin body rested on his back, so light he could hardly feel any weight. The spring water wrapped around him, and the cold fragrance made people sink into oblivion. Compared with the enticing snow white, the peacefulness nestling up against him made it even more difficult for him to break free. Is it a fantasy? He thought. It¡¯s an illusion, he told himself. That person would lean on his back like this and say he wanted to rest only in an illusion. The other party¡¯s thin body leaned against his back as if he wanted to absorb his warmth. His breath sprayed on his neck. Shen Shu felt thirsty. He pursed his lips for a long time, then he finally said hoarsely. ¡°Let go of me.¡± The sword qi in his body pushed away all the foreign objects he didn¡¯t own. The hands around his chest, the breath that soaked his neck, and the soft snuggle behind him all disappeared like a cloud of smoke when the sword energy pushed them away. He turned around abruptly, only to see the endless gray mist. After being silent for a long while, he held the Afterglow sword and walked into the thick fog alone. The spring water in the back dissipated when he stepped out. He used Afterglow to clear the way in the thick fog. He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but Shen Shu suddenly heard the sound of the guqin coming from afar. As the fog subsided, he saw a bamboo building and some windows. A familiar figure sat cross-legged by the window, stroking the strings. He watched quietly. When the person beside the window sat with his eyes down, it was like a white blossom blossoming. As long as he looked at him, he could easily feel the peace and tranquility of the years. After that, he wouldn¡¯t want to leave anymore. The man raised his head and looked over with a soft smile as if aware of his gaze. ¡°You¡¯re back.¡± That person spoke, ¡°Husband.¡± He was startled, a trace of confusion across his face. He stopped by the door for a while. The confusion disappeared only after a few minutes. He nodded, walked into the bamboo building, and put the long sword previously in his hand on the table. The other party got up from the qin table, came over to take off his robe, and put it aside. He gently teased the man¡¯s eyelashes with his fingertips, and the man turned his face uncomfortably. Crimson stained the tips of his cheeks and ears. He went to the back kitchen, cooked food, returned, and put it on the table. He looked up and saw dusk approaching outside the window. The orange-red sunset illuminated the earth, covering everything in the house with a hazy warm color. After the two had dinner together, he cleaned up the dishes, then heated a few buckets of hot water. After that person finished bathing, he went to the tub to wash. When he went back to the bedroom, the night was already dark. In the swaying of the candlelight, he saw the man wearing only a plain white shirt, leaning on the bedside, holding yellowed scrolls, and flipping through them. The man sat leaning back, and there was some space next to him, reserved for him. He walked over lightly and saw the man still focused, not noticing him, so he pressed his lips together and stretched out his hand to snatch the man¡¯s scrolls. The man raised his eyes to look at him, unirritated. His cold brows were a light and soft color in the candlelight, and his black eyes were like warm jade. He put the book aside. He took off his shoes, sat on the bed, and reached out to embrace the man¡¯s thin shoulders. The man didn¡¯t struggle and just snuggled up, leaning against his chest. He curled his fingers and played with the person¡¯s strands of black hair. He bowed his head and said some funny jokes he had encountered recently. The other party heard them and laughed cheerfully from time to time, making his body tremble slightly. The other party¡¯s body temperature had always been low. Finally, he gradually warmed the other person up after holding the person in his arms for a while, feeling very satisfied. They had already put down both their hair. Entangled in the gap, making no distinction between the two, it flowed within the flames. Before he knew it, it was already deep into the night. He raised his hand to put out the candle and was about to lure him to sleep when he suddenly pulled his sleeves. ¡°What?¡± he said. Suddenly, he felt that man approach. His slightly cool lips touched his Adam¡¯s apple. It wasn¡¯t a blatant flirting method, but it seemed like a fire ignited in his body. ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡± he muttered hoarsely. The other party did not answer, but his slightly cool lips still touched his raised apple and kissed it again. Then, something slippery and soft stretched out cautiously and licked his Adam¡¯s apple. ¡­! ! ! He trembled. He was almost unable to control himself from making uncontrollable actions. But the other party¡¯s actions still didn¡¯t stop. The hands that played the qin during the day were now undressing him. The cold, distant fragrance rushed into the tip of his nose, and the long and pale fingers were also extremely conspicuous in the darkness, almost thrilling. He suddenly clasped the other party¡¯s hand and repeated with gritted teeth: ¡°Do you know what you are doing?¡± ¡°I know,¡± The man said softly, ¡°¡­Husband.¡± CH 74 Chapter 74 Nightmare ¡ª¡ªHusband. That soft, low shout was enough to arouse a person¡¯s wild and fanciful thoughts. The pale moonlight shone in from outside the window, and the cold scent entangled him. He saw the person in front of him, tilting his head slightly. His moist black eyes filled the other person deeply into his eyes. He squeezed the other party¡¯s slender wrist abruptly, then pressed the other party on the bed. He clamped the other party¡¯s chin, and his low, hot breath sprayed on the other party¡¯s cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± He muttered. Just now, the other party pulled apart the clothes on his body. Vicious currents filled his long, narrow eyes like a fierce, hungry wolf. His stomach was rumbling with hunger as he stared at the prey before him, wondering how he should devour it. The person under him looked at him docility and quietly, neither resisting nor taking the initiative anymore. His black hair covered the bed, and his plain white clothes were as neat as new. Such a quiet, calm appearance made people want to peel open this person up inch by inch to see clearly inside, to watch their calm expression break down, to see him unable to help himself when the red at the end of his eyes becomes moist. But when he stretched out his hand to touch the other party, he suddenly hesitated. He felt a bit of absurdity and fear that came out of nowhere as if he was a prisoner carrying a treasure and walking on a single broken bridge. There was a dark and bottomless abyss in front of him. Crossing the boundary of this step, he would not gain but lose. Only, they were obviously husband and wife. Finding joy in this matter was a natural thing of this world. He stared at the person under him for a long time, then let go of the hand that was clamping the man¡¯s jaw. He straightened up and rubbed his eyebrows. When he raised his head, his gaze hit the cold, bright moon that hung on the window sill. He was startled with a somewhat dazed gaze. Behind him came the sound of clothing rubbing. A soft and warm body covered his back. The other party placed his sharp lower jaw on his shoulder and asked softly: ¡°Why don¡¯t you continue?¡± He was silent for a moment, then said hoarsely: ¡°You are not well, let¡¯s go to bed earlier today.¡± The person behind him seemed to be startled, then stretched out his arms to wrap around his neck, ¡°My husband, have you forgotten? If you did not help me dual cultivate all year round, my body would have been long gone.¡± His Adam¡¯s apple rolled: ¡°I¡¯m afraid you do not like it.¡± ¡°How could I not like it?¡± The man behind him¡¯s chin rested against his left shoulder. His slender fingertips rubbed his Adam¡¯s apple. There was a slight laughing tone in his voice. ¡°Back then, I promised you to return to the mountains and forests together and live peacefully¡­ From now on, you don¡¯t have to worry about the world¡¯s gaze. Between us, we are no longer master and disciple, but husband and wife.¡± ¡°Master once lived for you.¡± The other party said, ¡°Now, I only want you.¡± ¡­ Ye Yunlan walked in the secret realm. He followed the direction his spiritual sense calculated and walked eastward. He saw a deep green pool in the endless sea of ??red flowers. The secluded pool looked like a piece of green jade embedded in red silk from a distance. He walked over, holding the heart-clearing charm in his hand. Using a little spiritual perception, he discovered that Shen Shu left deep residual sword energy there. It seemed that the path he was searching was correct. The Netherworld Secret Realm was divided into three levels. The more you go down the secret realm, the narrower the secret realm. The first level that intruders fall into when they first enter the secret realm was actually the secret realm¡¯s most expansive part. Therefore, even if Ye Yunlan had been here in the previous life, he didn¡¯t know all the secrets in the first level of the secret realm. He had to find Shen Shu as soon as possible to avoid any issues. Ye Yunlan walked around the secluded pond and found some flowers and leaves destroyed in the sea of ??flowers. It led into a winding path. He pondered for a moment, then using his spiritual sense, he figured out the direction and followed the path north. He coughed again, and some bright red sat in his palm. He glanced at it in silence and wiped it with a silk handkerchief. The plain white silk handkerchief fell on the flowers on the other side, then his figure followed along the pathway. A quarter of an hour northward, several houses faintly appeared in front. A sea of ??red flowers surrounded the black tiles and white walls on the other shore from afar. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyesight was lacking, and he couldn¡¯t see clearly. He walked in quickly and realized lights, lanterns, and red silk decorated the houses everywhere. It seemed that the people living in them were celebrating a festive event. A small path appeared in the sea of ??flowers on the other shore leading to it. Firecrackers and red flowers were scattered all over the white path winding inward. Ye Yunlan felt a slight heat in the front of his jacket. This charm was made by taking a drop of Shen Shu¡¯s blood before leaving. He could sense the life and death of the other party, and he would have some reaction when his position was close. He looked around, and there was no place for the person to hide except for the few houses. He hesitated for a moment, then walked in along the path. The bloody moon that hung in the secret realm gradually turned pale. When he walked to the light and colorful houses, the moonlight had completely turned into a cool white as if he had entered another mysterious realm. It was deep into the night and quiet all around. Orange lights came out from the house, but there was no voice. Ye Yunlan paused for a while and looked back. At some unknown time, the fog had hidden the trail entrance he came in from, and the flowers on the other side were gone. The mist was slowly spreading inward along the trail, and some ¡°protruding¡± things were constantly protruding from it. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t see what they were and stopped looking at it. His spiritual consciousness told him that those things were dangerous. If he could avoid some things, he should avoid them in his current situation. He continued to move forward, the charm on his chest getting hotter and hotter. He saw a lighted house in front of him. The night hid the black roof tiles. The white wall¡¯s window was half open, and he could vaguely see a figure sitting inside. Ye Yunlan clung to his Queying sword and walked quickly to the window, looking in through the window gap. A red candle was burning on the table inside. It was the room light¡¯s source, but the brightness was a little dim. At the front end of the makeup mirror, a figure sat wearing a festive dress, with his hands on his knees, hands clasped. His back was facing him, holding a red handkerchief. Dragons, phoenixes, peonies, magpies, and other festive patterns were embroidered in the festive dress. There was also a gold hairpin and jasper on his head. ¡ª¡ªThe lanterns and banners in this house turned out to be a wedding ceremony. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes swept across the furnishings and every corner of the room but did not find any trace of Shen Shu. The bride was still sitting in the candlelight, unmoving. His brows frowned slightly. When he looked on the dressing table, his eyes suddenly condensed, seeing the bronze mirror. The bronze mirror reflected the bride¡¯s face. His complexion was pale, his cheeks bulged, his upper face was painted with a pinkish purple color, while his lips were only a little bit brighter. His eyes were black and round without eyelashes, clearly not a living person. ¡ª¡ªThat was a paper man. Ye Yunlan took a step back but heard a strange sound in his ear. He turned to look, and the gray mist was about to spread behind him! He finally saw clearly what those bulges in the gray mist were just now. ¡ª¡ªThose things, some resembled human faces, while some resembled snake bodies. They were very grotesquely distorted, constantly surging, and made people feel creeped out. The gray mist had already swallowed a few houses, but they haven¡¯t completely disappeared like the sea of ??flowers on the other side. He could still vaguely see the houses¡¯ shadows with the light swaying. But the strange thing was, the houses¡¯ windows started to have figures coming back and forth. It was very noisy. Those strange sounds were the sound of gongs and drums coming from those houses mixed with the buzzing people. Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion became even paler. He turned and walked forward. He didn¡¯t want to fall into the gray fog, but he could see the same fog spreading in front of him. He held the Queying sword with his hands slightly clenched. He seemed to hesitate for a moment. In the end, he didn¡¯t draw his sword but turned over and entered the paper man bride¡¯s house. The gray mist covered where he was standing. A twisted human face protruded from the open window sill, but it seemed that the candlelight blocked it, and it did not come in after all. Ye Yunlan glanced at the distorted face and closed the window sill with a bang. He turned around and found the paper man bride was still sitting there, without a trace of life. The spell on his chest was still hot. Shen Shu¡¯s position should not be far away. He observed the house outside and found it occupied a large area, not only just the room where the paper man was. He walked to the door, wanting to open the door, only to find the door locked from the outside. He maybe could force it open with sword energy, but¡­ Ye Yunlan remembered those people who came and went in the lights. He didn¡¯t know if that would be too big of a movement and if it would disturb the unknown existence in this house, bringing danger to him and Shen Shu. There were treacherous things in the Netherworld Secret Realm. Back then, one out of ten cultivators would survive when they entered the Secret Realm. He pondered for a moment, then decided to search in this room first, to see if there were any clues about leaving here, or¡­ the key to breaking the illusion. Ye Yunlan came to the carved bed inside and walked closer. He saw Afterglow, Shen Shu¡¯s spirit sword, lying quietly on the edge of the bed. The other party¡¯s black outer robe was scattered on the brocade. Suddenly, a crisp sound was behind him, and a round blue-patterned splendid rouge box rolled to his feet. Ye Yunlan turned abruptly and found that the red candle on the table was burning quietly. The paper bride was still sitting in the distance, and the window had been closed tightly so that no wind could come in. He didn¡¯t pick up the box of rouge on the ground but clenched the Queying sword in his hand and slowly walked to the paper man. The paper man sat quietly, facing the bronze mirror in front of him. There was no sign of life on his face painted by brushes and paints, and he clasped his hands in front of his knees and held a red handkerchief, like a shy bride. Ye Yunlan frowned slightly. His memory was outstanding, so only from his sweep earlier across the room, all the furnishings that he could see were already in his mind. Therefore, he remembered the blue-patterned splendid rouge box¡¯s original position was on the top of the dressing table, on the paper man¡¯s left-hand side. He quietly stared at the paper man¡¯s face for a while, averted his gaze, and began carefully examining the things on the makeup mirror. Lipstick, brushes, jewelry, hairpins¡­ Nothing special. His eyes moved to the oval bronze mirror, which reflected his pale complexion. It also reflected the paper man. Ye Yunlan was about to take back his gaze but found that the paper man¡¯s eyes in the mirror suddenly moved slightly and looked at him. ¡­ The pale moonlight enveloped the quiet courtyard. ¡ª¡ªMaster once lived because of you, but now I only want you. No man could refuse such an invitation. Shen Shu¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled, and the slender fingertips of the person behind him were still on his Adam¡¯s apple, lightly rubbing it. The cold fragrance permeated the air. ¡°Master¡­¡± He raised his head slightly and looked at the bright moon outside the window with a faint gaze. The thin lips of the person behind him pressed against his long neck, and red flushed his handsome face. The fingertips of the people behind him slid down his Adam¡¯s apple. Shen Shu¡¯s eyelashes trembled slightly, his fingers clenched and loosened. The flowing moonlight reflected on his young face, showing a fragile forbearance posture. ¡°Husband, I want you.¡± The person behind him whispered in his ears, ¡°Didn¡¯t you always hope that we can be one, couldn¡¯t be separated even in death¡­ Now, we can¡­¡± He did hope so. Only¡­ The temptation of the person behind him continued. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes trembled slightly. Looking at the bright moon outside the window, he thought about the answer. The more he thought about it, the more pain he felt as if someone had inserted their slender fingers into his brain arbitrarily. They stirred, blocking his thoughts, making him want to sleep in this cold and familiar fragrance and enjoy eternal happiness. When the person¡¯s temptation behind him was about to exceed a certain limit, Shen Shu suddenly felt an uncontrollable resistance come to his heart. No¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan would never be so proactive and docile! That person was like a mountain of ice and snow and difficult to get close to. Even if they were husband and wife, he would never be so unconventional and intimate with him¡ª¡ªsuddenly, his body trembled. His pupil color changed into a very deep and heavy black. It was like two black caves, with dried blood and dense bones deposited. He turned around. Looking at the pale white shadow in the darkness behind him, he grabbed its hand, and his voice was slightly tired and cold. ¡°You¡¯re just a nightmare, but you dare to confuse this Lord?¡± The shadow¡¯s eyes widened, then dispersed into a cloud of mist. The nightmare hiding in the shadow next to it was surging, desperately trying to escape from the deeper darkness. He curled his lips but did not stop. Just as the nightmare fled into the darkness, something dark within the deeper darkness was there and spread out, wrapped around it, then greedily devoured it in one bite. He licked his lips. His dark eyes turned scarlet, then he got up and tidied his clothes. He picked up Afterglow by the bed. ¡°Things in the Demon Abyss, how can they come to this secret realm¡­¡± The Netherworld Secret Realm was at the Eastern Continent and Southern Frontier¡¯s junction, while Demon Abyss and Demon Realm were at the Western Continent and Northern Territory¡¯s junction, spanning the most distance between the entire continent. Nightmares were good at fascinating the mind. Step by step, it would invade the heart and soul of its prey. The more obsessed the prey was, the more difficult it was to escape the nightmare¡¯s control. This demon would only arise in the Demon Abyss. It appeared here, making him feel strange. He walked out of the room and looked at the pale moonlight in the sky. A thick mist enveloped the surroundings. He couldn¡¯t see the way forward. The scarlet color in his eyes became worse, showing its interest and greed. He felt the aura of monsters and ghosts. ¡­ In the room covered with red silk. Ye Yunlan was sitting in front of the mirror wearing a wedding suit. His black hair was pulled up high, with a golden hairpin and jasper inserted, and his hands were clasped in front of his knees, holding a red handkerchief. He looked at himself in the mirror without an expression. He just stared at the paper man with the moving eyeballs in the mirror for one glance, and after a moment, he was sitting there. It was as if he had exchanged positions with the paper man in the mirror. The furnishings in the room were still the same, except that the paper figure was missing. Was this the world in the mirror or another illusion? The candle was burning on the tabletop. He didn¡¯t know when it would burn out. He wanted to get up and go to see if Shen Shu¡¯s sword and robes were still on the bed just now, but suddenly he heard a knock on the door. His body was slightly stiff. He heard an old voice coming from outside the door. ¡°The outside ceremony has been completed, and the bride is waiting quietly for the groom.¡± After saying this, slow footsteps moved further away. The knocker did not unlock the outside lock and enter the room. Groom? Ye Yunlan frowned deeply. What the knocker said just now seemed to be the marriage of the paper man in the mirror? But after getting married, why should the paper man be locked in the room? ¡­Or, was it not the paper man who needed to be locked, but him, who the paper man pulled into the world in the mirror? The range of strange things made the person feel a chill on his back. He got up to the carved wooden bed and found that the brocade was neatly folded and covered with dried fruit wedding candies. Shen Shu¡¯s spirit sword and clothing on it had disappeared. The charm in his heart was no longer hot¡­ No, it was that the charm was gone. Even the Queying sword was missing. After he and the paper man in the mirror exchanged glances, he disappeared. Except for his body, everything he carried before seemed to be left behind in the world outside the mirror. As a result, with his current mortal body, the methods he could use became extremely few. ¡ª¡ªIn addition to the use of forbidden techniques: forcibly promoting to the Void Tracing Realm. Even if only for a moment, his power would be enough to break this mystery completely. But for this method, his body couldn¡¯t bear stepping into the Void Tracing Realm and the forbidden technique backlash. He was afraid that after using it, he couldn¡¯t survive. He still needed to find the soul-attracting flower to remove the puppet seal for Shen Shu, so he would not use this method unless as a last resort. He stood by the bed, thinking for a while. He walked to the closed window, then hesitated for a moment to decide whether to open the window again. The thick fog outside didn¡¯t clear, and sometimes, raised faces and limbs struggled in the thick fog. He took a step back, then crumpled the red handkerchief in his hand and threw it out. When he threw the handkerchief that had a living person¡¯s aura, the dense fog gathered and formed several distorted monsters that competed and fought for it. Ye Yunlan watched the handkerchief being torn apart in an instant, then disappear into the dense fog. He thought about his body. He was afraid it was not much sturdier than the red handkerchief. He knew that this way to leave might not work. Then, there was only one left. He walked to the locked door. He tried to push, but as expected, the room door was locked from the outside. Queying was not in his hands, and he was weaker than ordinary people. He was afraid it would be very difficult if he wished he could open his door. But he actually didn¡¯t want to push the door rashly, so he pulled out a hairpin on his head and poked a small hole in the paper door. When he lowered his head, wanting to look out of the hole, he felt that the situation was a bit familiar. He remembered that he had just returned from being reborn a few years ago. When he was resting in He Lanze¡¯s Courtyard, he had seen a wolf-like gloomy eye in the window hole. It was Shen Shu¡¯s eyes. At that time, Shen Shu was still a pale and gloomy face, a young man full of hostility. But because of a little life-saving grace, he stubbornly wanted to repay him. But now, Shen Shu was handsome, sturdy, tall, and always wanted to protect him. Ye Yunlan was only in a daze for a moment, then soon recovered. His eyes were close to the door opening, but he could only see the faint darkness. There were no guests, no lights, just pure silent blackness. Obviously, there was nothing, but he felt a familiar, deep, indescribable fear. He wanted to retreat, but he found something entangling his ankle, and he couldn¡¯t move it anymore. The door was still locked, but when he looked down, he found something black spreading in from underneath, entwining him like thick hair, climbing up from his toes. In such a scene, a little familiarity lies amidst the peculiarness. Ye Yunlan struggled hard. He inserted the golden hairpin in his hand into the black matter that was making threatening gestures. But he felt as if he inserted it into a soft and greasy mucus. Not only did it not hurt the other party, but it entangled him more tightly. That black matter spread more and more, wrapping his hands and feet and dragging him to the carved bed covered with dried fruit wedding candy. It dragged Ye Yunlan onto the bed, and his spine touched the raised dried fruit, making him frown deeply. The mad black curls slowly converged into a human form. He wore a mask and also a red outfit on his body. His eyes were as red as blood, and a black mist spread out behind him. The black and mist and his body seemed indistinguishable, making him look more like an evil, terrible monster and not a human. ¡­It was the Demon Lord. Ye Yunlan¡¯s struggling movements stopped. The tall and familiar person stood in front of him, making him dazed for a moment. He heard the other party muttering: ¡°Senior Immortal.¡± Then, he leaned over his ears and said: ¡°Wife.¡± The low voice aroused him and made him shudder. He quickly returned to his senses after a moment of trance. Ye Yunlan loathed illusions. His ¡°mind¡± had actually reached the Void Tracing Realm, so it was difficult for ordinary mind illusions to confuse him. It clearly outlined what he wanted, but his mind was clear that he could never indulge in it. This was the case when he was crossing the pool of forgetfulness bridge when he had just entered the secret realm before. It was the same now for the so-called wedding ceremony, and in front of the ¡°groom.¡± He and the Demon Lord never had a complete marriage ceremony in his previous life. No actual status. There had not been any marriage contract between them. When the other party held a wedding in the Demon Palace the first time, it was destroyed. The Dao Sects had set up a trap to chase and kill the Demon Lord, and the next time, there was no time. The other party was gone. Ye Yunlan saw darkness descend. That kind of feeling reminded him of the horror he had suffered from when he was summoned into the Demon Lord¡¯s sleeping chambers on the night of the full moon in his previous life when he kneeled and played the qin. Every time the Demon Lord¡¯s mind was out of control, he would be deeply wrapped up, close to suffocation. Those soft and cold things would untie his outfit. They and the Demon Lord were one body. They once gave him fear and pain, made him cry for mercy, but also gave him the ultimate joy. Chen Weiyuan made him into a furnace for several years, and he was extremely sensitive. Those things had deeply engraved his body, and even if he was reborn, he couldn¡¯t forget it for the rest of his life. It couldn¡¯t continue like this¡­ Ye Yunlan bit his lip. He looked sideways at the window and found the thick fog outside had dissipated at some point. The pale moonlight was shining on the earth. There was a road winding in the distance, with no end in sight. CH 75 Chapter 75 Escape The gray mist dissipated, and the pale moon shone on the earth. The road was winding to an unknown place. In the room where the candle was swaying, darkness rose and fell. The locked door had already been opened. The faint cold wind passed by, and even the candlelight was quietly hidden in the darkness. Icy, slippery darkness snaked around his neck, circling around it. The person¡¯s eyes on his body were as red as blood. He knew it was an illusion but couldn¡¯t help trembling because of the memory. Those things had dexterously untied the red wedding dress, and the golden hairpins and jaspers worn on his head were also taken off. His black hair spread out like a waterfall on the bed of wedding candies, and Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion became paler. The Demon Lord leaned down, and the darkness behind him formed into several paths, gathering towards him. It wrapped the two into silkworm cocoons. He could no longer see the light, only two spots of blood in the darkness, like the only stars left in the deep dark night. Something stroked his cheek, but at this moment, he couldn¡¯t see clearly or distinguish whether it was the Demon Lord¡¯s hand or something else. ¡°¡­Senior Immortal.¡± The other party¡¯s voice sounded in his ears. It contained the Demon Lord¡¯s deep and hoarse voice, but it also seemed to have billions of subtle and different voices that were resounding in his mind together. It was extremely eerie. Ye Yunlan was stunned by the other party¡¯s call. Right after returning to his senses, his vigilance was raised to the highest degree. Must escape¡ª¡ª! He closed his eyes and opened it again. Propping up his soft body, he pulled away the darkness around his neck, struggling to escape from the darkness. But this kind of action seemed to anger the other party. In the darkness, the two spots of scarlet burned like fire. At the same time, darkness thicker than night wrapped around him like they were alive to stop his resistance. His neck was wound tighter, and he felt the cold restraint on his wrists and ankles. The pain came from his shoulder. Ye Yunlan groaned and smelled the sweet smell of blood. ¡ª¡ªIt was the Demon Lord who bit on his shoulder. Such scenes have also happened in his previous life. In the dark night with the full moon, when the other party was on the verge of madness. He was forced to stop and frowned. The sharp canine teeth touched his flesh and blood and slowly drew it out as if tasting something. ¡°¡­Enough.¡± Ye Yunlan finally couldn¡¯t help but say in a hoarse voice, but the other party turned a deaf ear to him. He only buried his head in his shoulder. The darkness surging around had spread its teeth and claws. The close distance allowed the unspeakable loss of control and madness to be passed on from the other party. Ye Yunlan felt a kind of weird confusion and pain, causing his spirit to have a sense of distorted division. It was as if thousands of him were being divided at the same time while whispering into his mind. Even if his soul had once arrived at Void Tracing Realm, it would still be affected. He knew that this might not be one ten-thousandth of what the other party bore. Can¡¯t¡­ go on like this¡­ Ye Yunlan frowned and forced himself to think calmly. He was in a state different from those usually caught in an illusion. He knew he was awake and that the illusion was born of unforgettable memories in his heart, but he couldn¡¯t rely on his own power to break free. When he walked into the path leading to these houses in the sea of ??flowers on the other side, he had fallen into the illusion. Also, the moment he met the paper man in the mirror, he fell into the second illusion. Ordinary techniques penetrated people¡¯s hearts layer by layer, to control their hearts. If he fell further down, his chances of breaking free would be slimmer. It would be great if he could have a heart-clearing charm in his hand. Otherwise, he could only use his spiritual power to forcefully use the heart-clearing technique to escape. And for his body to use spiritual power, it is undoubtedly like drinking poison. The Demon Lord¡¯s finger touched the wound on his shoulder. He trembled, ¡°No¡­¡± The other party raised his head and whispered in his ear. ¡°Wife¡­I want to spend a good night with you, okay?¡± ¡°To always be here with me.¡± ¡°Always together.¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head. There was half a drop of tear at the end of his eyes. His slender fingers tried to grasp something. It¡¯s just an illusion, he thought. And the person he was thinking of was never an illusion¡ªsuddenly, he felt a faint connection. It came from Queying, which was connected with him spiritually. Ye Yunlan¡¯s consciousness was lifted. Queying¡¯s spiritual calling in his soul was strengthened. The darkness wrapping around his wrists became tighter and tighter. The other party leaned over and kissed the teardrops at the end of his eyes. His breathing was crazed, but his movements were nostalgic and gentle. He clenched his five fingers, then finally grabbed his weapon. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± The illusion said to him. Ye Yunlan opened his lips slightly, trying to say something, but he was silent. His spirit sword moved voluntarily, and his sword¡¯s clear light dissipated what was restraining his limbs. The illusion was not the person after all. His previous life¡¯s irresistible darkness had now become a little illusory due to the sword light. However, it gathered very quickly. Ye Yunlan flipped over to the ground and fled towards the window sill. Because he was too anxious, he accidentally tripped on the rouge box on the ground. There was a heart-wrenching pain in his ankle. Ye Yunlan frowned, reluctantly stood up, and flipped out of the window. Looking back, the darkness in the room was faintly surging and turbulent. Two slender extensions madly stretched out to pull him back, but they hit the window as if an invisible object was blocking it. Ye Yunlan exhaled slowly. He raised his hand and rubbed his temples. Eyes drooping, he looked at his sword holding hand. After a long while, he raised his head and turned to look around. The gray fog around had disappeared, and the houses were quiet. All the candles that had been lit before have all become silent, and the people¡¯s noises have disappeared. With his blurred vision, he could only vaguely see the house on the edge of the outside world, mist still entangling it. However, he saw the path under the moonlight winding outward. Ye Yunlan raised his head and glanced at the pale moon in the night. He used his spiritual sense to calculate once, then decided to walk outside along the path. Only, he severely sprained his ankle, affecting his walking. He staggered a bit. After walking for half a cup of tea, he walked to the path¡¯s edge. There was a gray mist in front of him. The road was split again. Ye Yunlan stood in place, Queying barely supporting him. He felt that this illusion realm was too vast, and an ordinary formation couldn¡¯t have caused it. Perhaps the vastness wasn¡¯t the formation but something entangled on him. Suddenly, a figure appeared in the mist in the distance. The figure was tall and dark. Hidden in the mist, he couldn¡¯t see his face, but it felt like the Demon Lord. Was it an illusion again? There was a trace of unspeakable exhaustion on Ye Yunlan¡¯s face. He squeezed the sword in his hand, then hesitated for a moment. In the end, he did not turn around and escape. On one hand, it was because of his sprained foot. On the other hand, it was because he had just used his spirit sense to find his way again. The feeling of the injury on his body was already a bit bad. He needed rest. ¡­Or a long sleep. The dark figure walked towards him step by step from the fog. The fog would disperse a little wherever it passed. Those limbs and human faces twisted in the fog and scattered for some reason without attacking the other party. When Ye Yunlan finally could see the face of the other side clearly, what he saw wasn¡¯t the hideous face in his memory, but Shen Shu¡¯s handsome face. He held Afterglow in his hand, his eyes were bloody, and his expression made Ye Yunlan feel strange and familiar. ¡°Such a strong nightmare aura¡­¡± The other person¡¯s eyes seemed to be smiling, ¡°Want to create an illusion to confuse me?¡± He looked at the pale face, black hair, and the messy wedding outfit of the person in front of him, and he licked his lips slowly. ¡°It¡¯s been so many times, but you¡¯ve made some progress. This time, the illusion is shaped pretty well¡­¡± With that said, he smiled happily, but he couldn¡¯t see any emotions in his deep eyes. Ye Yunlan intuitively felt that he had misunderstood something and wanted to explain, but even he couldn¡¯t tell whether it was Shen Shu himself or an illusion he had encountered. At this time, he would rather have the Demon Lord appear in front of him because as long as he still retained his sanity, he could know very clearly that everything related to that person was false. Because that person had already turned to ashes before his eyes. He didn¡¯t even leave his soul. Ye Yunlan saw Shen Shu getting closer, ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were bloodstained, and the evil couldn¡¯t be hidden. He said: ¡°Eat you.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion changed. He couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of Shen Shu¡¯s words. He looked at the other¡¯s scarlet eyes, which were very different from usual, and couldn¡¯t help taking a step back. Not waiting for him to react further, there was a blur in front of him. He and Shen Shu were already very close. His hand touched the Afterglow sword in the other¡¯s hand, and a strange connection touched his heart simultaneously. ¡ª¡ªHe refined the Afterglow sword at the expense of his spiritual consciousness. Although he had already recognized Shen Shu as the master, he still had contact with him. The person in front of him was not an illusion; it was really Shen Shu! Ye Yunlan opened his mouth to speak, but Shen Shu suddenly pinched his chin. Shen Shu leaned closer, his bloody eyes had a trace of greed and desire. Then, he bit down. His thin lips were bitten by the other party, like tender meat held by a hungry wolf, and where Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t see, darkness had enveloped his figure, opening its mouth like an evil beast. Ye Yunlan opened his eyes wide. Shen Shu was devouring his stiff body. ¡°Let the illusion please me, just like your kinsmen do.¡± Shen Shu bit his lips, his voice was low and dangerous, ¡°Otherwise, I will kill you.¡± He was used to using monsters in the Demon Abyss as food. He didn¡¯t know how many nightmares and other kinds of monsters were resolved like that along the way. If it weren¡¯t for the illusion being really tempting this time, giving him an indescribable throbbing, he would¡¯ve already swallowed the nightmare that created the illusion. He also wanted to tease this illusion. Otherwise, how could the nightmare hidden in the dark live to this point? In reality, his master was always dressed in white, and was as cold as snow. Vulgarity wouldn¡¯t stain him at all, so how could he be wearing a red wedding dress and have his clothes tattered like this, just like a bride waiting for her husband to get married? ¡­Unlike the illusions the nightmares created before, the person in front of him was not active. It was stiff. It seemed to be different from the illusions previously encountered. ¡­ But the taste of these lips was too good¡­ ¡ª¡ª Pa! There was a crisp sound. Shen Shu¡¯s face was slapped to the side, and five red fingerprints slowly appeared on it. He was stunned, with a slightly unbelievable expression on his face. Looking back, anger filled the person¡¯s pale face. The ends of his eyes were flushed, and the mole on the end seemed to show blood and tears. The raised hand was still trembling as if he was already very angry. He frowned. Was this the nightmare¡¯s new trick, or¡­ He sniffed. No, the person¡¯s body in front of him, wrapped in the aura of a nightmare, had a vaguely familiar taste. ¡°¡­Master?¡± He asked before he hesitated for a moment. CH 76 Chapter 76 Way out As Shen Shu spoke, the scarlet redness of his eyes faded instantly, turning back to the usual jade black. Through his spiritual sense and contact with Afterglow, Ye Yunlan affirmed that the person in front of him was not an illusion but his disciple he was looking for after entering the secret realm. His face was constantly changing between pale and thin red. After a while, he finally spoke in a cold voice: ¡°Your Master thought that since I made you retreat and reflect these past few years, you will know what is wrong¡­Shen Shu, do you still remember that I am your master?¡± He moved the wound on the top of his lip that Shen Shu bit during the conversation and thus frowned with pain. He wiped it with his finger, and a trace of bright red blood remained on the fingertip. Ye Yunlan looked at the blood on his fingertip, his expression getting colder and colder. He had restrained himself in the illusions. He didn¡¯t want to allow himself to become engrossed. In the end, nothing ridiculous happened with the person in the illusion. On the other hand, Shen Shu was overtaken. Taking him and acting like this¡­ His eyes were red, and he almost became demonic. If he really was an illusion, did Shen Shu know that he would have fallen into the trap and sink deeper and deeper in the illusion, making it even more difficult to break free? It was¡­ it was so unbelievable. He still wanted to speak and reprimand him, but his words were really lacking. At last, he cursed in a low voice, ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the disciple I received was originally just a dog.¡± Shen Shu, who he slapped, was scolded again. At first, his face was stunned, but he didn¡¯t show that he was affected. Instead, he changed into his honest appearance again to admit his mistakes. ¡°I was out of control just now. I encountered too many illusions. For a while, I mistakenly recognized Master, please don¡¯t be angry.¡± He apologized, but his eyes didn¡¯t blink for a moment when he looked at Ye Yunlan. Blood smeared on the thin, pale lips of the person in front of him. It was almost the same color as the clothes on his body. Against his black hair and white skin, it was like white paper stained with ink. His Adam¡¯s apple rolled slightly, a touch of interest lingering in his eyes. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t notice the change in him. He only snorted coldly, wiped the blood from his fingertip and lips with the hem of his suit, then walked back holding his sword. The Netherworld Secret Realm was dangerous, and this was not the time to argue with Shen Shu. Besides, this could wait until they finish with everything, then he could deal with these matters with Shen Shu. ¡°Where is Master going?¡± Shen Shu hurriedly followed as if nothing had happened before. ¡°To find the key to break the illusion.¡± Ye Yunlan paused and asked nonchalantly: ¡°You came from the gray fog, did you find anything?¡± Indeed, he found many monsters that shouldn¡¯t belong to this place¡­ and he also ¡°ate¡± a lot¡­ Or rather, he himself was one of these monsters. Shen Shu thought about it, then replied: ¡°There was no big discovery. I realized that I was in an illusion in a wooden hut. After traveling all this way, I couldn¡¯t see other people, but I encountered a lot of monsters that attacked me in the gray mist. They seem to be resentful spirits, but there were also other ones. However, they are all not my opponents, um¡­ my Afterglow sword has already wiped out all those who dared to attack me.¡± Ye Yunlan stopped, ¡°¡­ Resentful spirit?¡± ¡°En¡­¡± Shen Shu casually replied, ¡°Maybe not just a resentful spirit. There was something more on their bodies. There was an evil aura. Dirty, filthy, unclean¡­ it¡¯s disgusting.¡± He said this, then stopped behind Ye Yunlan. He leaned forward, lowered his head close to Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder, sniffed his nose, and laughed: ¡°The only reason why I mistook Master for an illusion earlier was that I felt that kind of aura on Master¡¯s body.¡± He stretched out his hand to cover Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder, ¡°Right here.¡± Shen Shu was holding the place where he was injured in the illusion before. There was a faint pain. The pain was even more prominent when Shen Shu touched it. Ye Yunlan frowned slightly, ¡°What do you want to do¡­¡± Then, he saw a burst of black air emerging from his shoulders. An obscure monster with a distorted shape appeared in front of him. Looking at it, it seemed to be a black living creature with deformed limbs, struggling and shouting. Then, a sharp sword light passed by, and the monster issued a very sharp, piercing scream. Then, it was crushed in thin air. At the same time, Ye Yunlan felt his body relax a lot, and the injury on his shoulder was no longer hurting. Shen Shu: ¡°I have encountered this kind of monster before. They are good at hiding by the side of a human body. It would disguise itself into the person one wanted to see the most to confuse them. But compared to the other monsters in the gray mist that will actively attack people, this kind of monster is quite easy to deal with.¡± He noticed that Ye Yunlan was silent as the monster dissipated. He raised his eyebrows slightly, not hiding his suspicions. ¡°I¡¯m a little curious. Who is the person that this monster turned into in Master¡¯s heart?¡± Ye Yunlan did not answer. The two were silent for a while, then Ye Yunlan said, ¡°You said you felt the aura of this kind of thing and that it was evil, dirty, filthy, and unclean?¡± Shen Shu looked at his side of the face, smiling slowly. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°They look very disgusting, don¡¯t they?¡± The monsters in the Demon Abyss are all disgusting. Shen Shu thought. If he revealed his aura, perhaps he would be a million times more disgusting than these monsters. He was afraid that this person would immediately leave if he saw him. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t know what he was thinking but saw him absent-mindedly answer ¡°en¡± and continued to move forward. He twisted his ankle accidentally when he was escaping, so he staggered a little while walking. However, there wasn¡¯t a safe place for him to stop and deal with the injury in the illusion realm. Shen Shu noticed the situation and walked to him: ¡°Let me help you, Master.¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head: ¡°No. Pay attention to the surroundings. I am different from you. I was awake when I just walked into the illusion, so I know I didn¡¯t go far. If this is the illusion array, the entrance and exit should be the same place, and it should not be far away.¡± Shen Shu was a little curious, ¡°Has Master entered this illusion before?¡± Ye Yunlan said: ¡°One small path, the path through these houses.¡± They stopped in front of the houses with black tiles and white walls during the conversation. The pale moonlight was shining quietly. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and pondered for a while, pinching his fingers to calculate the position. He pointed to the boundary of a piece of gray mist, then spoke to Shen Shu: ¡°You follow this direction. Go forward ten steps. When you encounter danger, you will immediately withdraw. Then, tell me what you saw.¡± Shen Shu did as told. After a moment, he turned back from the gray mist, then shook his head: ¡°Ahead, there is still only fog with no end.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned slightly. His memory couldn¡¯t be wrong. This position was where he walked along the path in the sea of ??flowers on the other side. Was this a matter of spiritual perception or perception? They walked around the house for a while and didn¡¯t find the way out of the illusion. Ye Yunlan felt a little puzzled. Logically speaking, even if part of the vision and perception were blinded, causing him to distinguish the direction wrong, the illusion exit would not be too far away from here. Shen Shu suddenly said: ¡°Perhaps in the room.¡± Hearing this, Ye Yunlan felt a little dazed. Indeed, they searched all around, and they didn¡¯t even notice the exit. Now, the only thing that remained was just the house. What you saw and heard in the illusion couldn¡¯t be seen with common sense. All distortions and truth and false may not be what people think. Ye Yunlan thought of the mirror and the paper person he had seen before. He had a vague idea. The first thing they went to check was the room Ye Yunlan entered at the beginning. That window was still open. There was a black hole in it and no candlelight. Shen Shu walked in and took a look, ¡°There is no one inside, but the door is open. Looking inside again, there seems to be nothing.¡± ¡°Want to go in, Master?¡± Ye Yunlan also walked to the window. The churning darkness inside had disappeared, including the person who only existed in his memory. The makeup mirror stand was empty, and the bronze mirror reflected the people outside the window sill. The pale moonlight was hanging high behind them. The door on one side was wide open, and it was dark and deep inside. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t see clearly, while he only felt something vague and indescribable. Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± First, Ye Yunlan wanted to flip over and enter the window sill this time. However, his sprained ankle was unstable when it landed on the ground, so his face distorted slightly due to the pain. While Shen Shu grabbed the window, flew in with one hand, then reached out to support him. Ye Yunlan stabilized his figure and was about to say something, but Shen Shu had already half-forced him to hold him onto the makeup stool in front of the makeup mirror. He took off his shoes for him, then stretched out his hand to cover his thin pale ankle. He injected spiritual power into it to heal his injuries. A faint wind blew in the darkness of the opened door. Ye Yunlan, facing the mirror with his back, was still tragically left with the horror of looking at the paper man in the mirror at the beginning. Shen Shu¡¯s hands were wide and hot. One hand wrapped around his ankle, holding one of his forefoot that was already swollen and bruised. Spiritual power poured in, and he felt warm. Ye Yunlan slowly grasped the edge of the makeup stool with his fingers, then he whispered in a low voice: ¡°It¡¯s not safe here¡­¡± However, Shen Shu kept moving his hands and smiled casually. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Whoever wants to hurt you has to step on my corpse first.¡± These words¡­ Ye Yunlan¡¯s pupils shrank slightly. The Demon Lord had once said this sentence to him. Ye Yunlan turned his head and stared directly at the darkness outside the door as if demons and ghosts would burst out from the darkness at any time. Or as if to see if he could see a flower out of the darkness. ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Shu said, putting on his shoes and socks for him. He stood up, but for a moment, his eyes lingered on the red embroidered shoes on the other party¡¯s feet. He thought Ye Yunlan¡¯s feet were born a lot more delicate than a woman¡¯s, and they really matched these embroidered shoes. He always had no interest in a human¡¯s outer appearance, but he didn¡¯t expect that one day he would love a human¡¯s feet so much that he wouldn¡¯t want to part with it. He poked the Snow White Nascent Soul in his heart palace and changed his clothes to Ye Yunlan¡¯s set in front of him with one thought. Ye Yunlan stood up, and the pain in his ankle had disappeared. He pursed his lips and didn¡¯t say anything. He just walked towards the door. He stopped, turned around, and took Queying out of its sheath as if thinking of something again. Shen Shu didn¡¯t move. The long sword glowing with cold light swept across his side. Even if the person who used the sword had no spiritual power, the cold murderous aura still made a person feel like they were falling into purgatory. Shen Shu didn¡¯t know how Ye Yunlan condensed such a deathly sword intent, and his eyes became more interested. He didn¡¯t move, as if he didn¡¯t think Ye Yunlan would hurt him at all. He heard a cracking sound, and then the sword light split the bronze mirror on the makeup mirror table by Shen Shu¡¯s body into two halves. It fell to the ground and shattered into countless pieces. The surrounding environment was still gloomy, and Ye Yunlan¡¯s clothing turned into flying confetti. He then changed back to the appearance of his white outfit at the beginning. Ye Yunlan looked sideways and looked at the pale moonlight outside the window. He was still thinking for a moment, but he still turned around and walked into the darkness of the room. Shen Shu followed him. The cold wind blew across his side, and the mourning and prayers of the dead seemed to sound faintly within his ears. Shen Shu walked to the side with Ye Yunlan, then suddenly asked. ¡°Master, that sword just now, was it warning me?¡± CH 77 Chapter 77 Sin Warn? Ye Yunlan¡¯s footsteps stiffened for an instant, and his pale knuckles squeezed Queying tightly. He said coldly: ¡°¡­You¡¯re thinking too much.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t ask more after hearing that, but the corners of his lips slightly curved. There was a bit of cunningness in his smile. The singing in the darkness suddenly became louder. The song was distant and ethereal, as if it came from the past, separated from life and death. The song¡¯s melody was sad. However, it attracted people to listen to it constantly, as if it could give them eternal peace. A faint green firelight first lit up the dark. Then, everything began to manifest itself slowly. A world completely different from the one just then appeared before the two¡¯s eyes. Departed spirits filled the sky, flashing as ghostly green soul fire, while a road of white bones winded forward from under their feet. At the end was a huge and magnificent white bone hall. The white bone hall was very peculiar, full of the rough taste of ancient times. The big door of the hall opened to both sides, and the sad and ethereal song came from it. At this moment, Ye Yunlan heard a ¡°click¡± sound. He turned his head and looked. The ¡°door¡± behind him -the one they had walked through when they came in- had quietly closed as if it had never existed before. The wind blew by, bringing white confetti flying all over the sky. Confetti floated over their heads like a galaxy. He saw that they were mixed with huge paper-folded houses, paper figures with hollow features, and messy paper furniture. It meandered to the hall of bones. ¡°Master, could this place still be¡­the Illusory Realm?¡± Shen Shu asked. It seemed that only the word ¡°illusion¡± could explain such a strange scene. Ye Yunlan did not answer immediately. Looking at the white bone hall, he vaguely saw some indescribable powers from there, which were similar to the power he had in the previous life of his Void Tracing Realm. However, it was more vast, disordered, and adrift. He took out a heart-clearing charm and crushed it to pieces. The charm¡¯s effect did not dispel the strange sight in front of him. When he closed his eyes, he felt that the surrounding things were illusory and unreal as if they were still in the illusion. However, it was a little different compared with the previous illusion. Ye Yunlan remembered his previous life. When he had entered the Netherworld Secret Realm, his cultivation base was still low, and there were many things his lacking vision at the time couldn¡¯t spy. But now, there was a little speculation. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Perhaps.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Perhaps?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The first level of the entire Netherworld Secret Realm is originally composed of different illusions, big and small. The illusion arrays are connected to each other, almost occupying 90% of the entire first level of the secret realm. You saying that this place is also where the illusion realm is not surprising.¡± Shen Shu listened with interest, then suddenly asked: ¡°How does the Master know all this? I remember that the Netherworld Secret Realm opened not long ago. We are still considered the first group of people to enter here. From the beginning, we are just like headless flies.¡± Ye Yunlan glanced sideways at him and said coldly: ¡°I¡¯m not like you, who got confused by the illusion right when you entered the secret realm. You didn¡¯t know where you were or who you met, but knowing that you were a headless fly, you still kept rushing into things.¡± Shen Shu heard the words and suddenly smiled: ¡°Is Master still mad about earlier?¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips, ignored his question, then turned the topic back. ¡°If what I said is correct, then an illusion constructed the first level of the secret realm. But why did the Netherworld Emperor design it this way? If it is to prevent outsiders from entering, an illusion array is not the best way. The Netherworld Emperor was already in the Void Tracing Realm. If he wanted to, there were simpler and effective ways to prevent outsiders from breaking into this secret realm. He didn¡¯t need to waste his efforts on setting up an illusion.¡± Ye Yunlan knew exactly what the Void Tracing Realm was. It was only a step away from the final boundary between mortals and immortals. It already possessed incredible power and could overwhelm the universe with a single thought. Even if you died, the bones left behind would still have some of the power of when they were living and wouldn¡¯t break for thousands of years. Shen Shu did not interrupt anymore and asked, ¡°Why?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment: ¡°Perhaps these illusions are not meant to stop outsiders from coming in, but just to guide¡­the dead souls to their refuge.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were black, and then he muttered to himself: ¡°Dead ¡­ souls to their refuge?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The Great Netherworld Emperor was born five thousand years ago, and at that time, it was during a great calamity. The stars were chaotic, the cycle of reincarnation collapsed, and demonic beings were rampant.¡± ¡°That was the second time that this world had recorded a world disaster of heaven and earth. It was later called ghost chaos in history books.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s pitch-black eyes rolled a little, and then he said: ¡°What Master said, Disciple also knows something. According to historical records, the world was changing at that time. The cycle of reincarnation collapsed, and ghosts had been staying in this world. The sacrifices at that time caused the corpses to spread across the wild. People were in a terrible situation, while ghosts were abundant, almost overwhelming the world. In the end, Emperor Netherworld rebuilt the underworld, resurrected the reincarnation cycle, and finally brought an end to ghost chaos. ¡± He paused, then continued: ¡°But the theories behind the underworld are nearly void. It is only recordings in books, but in the past five thousand years, no one could find the underworld. Emperor Netherworld¡¯s cave-dwelling is spread over the world, and there are countless secret realms, but there are none that can be called the underworld.¡± At this point, a smile appeared on his lips: ¡°Master mentioning this, do you think that this secret realm is the underworld the Emperor Netherworld built?¡± Ye Yunlan was a little surprised by Shen Shu¡¯s understanding of these ancient things. He frowned. His face in the shadow of the ghost fire became paler. He was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°There are some things that have not yet arrived, so it¡¯s not worth it to explore too much. Just follow me.¡± After that, he walked towards the white bone hall. Shen Shu followed him. He stared sideways at this person¡¯s indifferent face, feeling that this person was too thin and the wind could blow him down. There was so much knowledge and secrets hidden in him that he didn¡¯t know, and the more secrets there were, the more he wanted to take this man apart and explore him. Ye Yunlan noticed his scorching gaze on him, so his steps became faster and faster. After a long while, he finally couldn¡¯t help turning his head: ¡°What?¡± Shen Shu smiled: ¡°Although Master had given a warning, this disciple is still curious about the underworld.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Too much curiosity is not good for cultivation.¡± ¡°But Master,¡± Shen Shu still had a smile on the corner of his lips. ¡°Reincarnation and the underworld has always been a legend. Mortals have still offered sacrifices to ghosts and gods for years and months, without exhaustion; it can be seen that people are in awe of life and death. But Disciple is curious about the underworld, just like a person wanting to know how he was born and also where they will go. Isn¡¯t it a normal thing?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°It¡¯s not necessary.¡± After that, he seemed to realize that his tone seemed to be too much. He became indifferent and pursed his lips: ¡°All things born in the world are meant to return to heaven and earth. Heaven and earth are not benevolent, and all things are regarded as dogs. Natural laws exist, reincarnation for rebirth, and it is normal. People don¡¯t need to set up an underworld for regulation and control.¡± As for the abnormal times¡­ Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t say any more. He held the sword and walked forward among the ghosts in the sky. He was already standing in front of the bone hall. The ethereal singing of the dead was very close. He stepped up one at a time and walked past the open white bone door filled with darkness. Stepping on the hard and smooth ground, the sound of footsteps echoed particularly clearly. The white bones door slowly closed, and the cast iron on both sides successively lit up faint blood-colored fires. In front of him was an extremely tall and wide hall. They were at the bottom of the hall, and the steps wound up level by level. At the top was a huge wooden table. Behind the wooden table was a black high chair, and behind the high chair was a wide wall with an eerie picture scroll painted on the wall. There were mountains of daggers and seas of flames, knives and oil pots, copper pillar steamers¡­ Numerous human figures with deformed limbs were wailing on the picture scroll, depicting the ¡°eighteen h*ll suffering picture.¡± No one was sitting on the high chair, but under the gloomy flames, Ye Yunlan felt that countless pairs of eyes seemed to be watching him. Only, the surrounding fire was too dim. With his blurry eyesight, looking for those hidden outlines in the dark, he felt his eyes a little dry. In his hands, Queying trembled and whispered. The sound of the dead singing in his ear had turned into a cry of the thousands of ghosts in the picture scroll, and the eighteen layers of h*ll on the picture scroll. The cruel scenes of the knives and fires in h*ll, and being fried in an oil pan made Ye Yunlan remember the havoc of the world in his previous life, the world of the living becoming like h*ll. At that time, his life was about to come to an end. Even though he could walk through to Void Tracing, he did not have the fearlessness and selflessness of the Great Netherworld Emperor, who chose to use his body to fight the calamity. The Human Race called him a Rakshasa, regarding him as unlucky. And the people and things he cared about had left him for a long time. He did not have the ambition to save the common people. He spent the rest of his life collecting the remnant soul of that man, but he had failed in the end. It was difficult to defeat the will of heaven. But even so. In the end, he still took the same path as Great Emperor Netherworld. Just when Ye Yunlan was in a trance, Shen Shu¡¯s voice spread to his side: ¡°Master, be careful¡ª¡ª!¡± A pair of strong arms hugged him and tossed him to the side. At the same time, a cold wind passed by. Ye Yunlan¡¯s pupils contracted. He had clearly seen that it was a blood-red chain that had attacked them. The chain had come from a black lacquered sleeve and was still bleeding. The owner of the sleeves was long and thin, wearing a high hat, and ghostly. He was afraid it was the legendary ¡°Hei Wuchang.¡± With a closer look, the Hei Wuchang¡¯s features were pale and stiff, not like a human or a ghost. It was tall and slender but too thin. He was clearly a paper man. Shen Shu rolled around on the ground twice while protecting him, avoiding the attack. Ye Yunlan was held in his arms and saw countless paper copper coins falling like snowflakes from the dark roof of the hall. The ghost figure flew past their body, and the blood-colored chains in Hei Wuchang¡¯s hands crisscrossed and extended as if it was a spider web that was trying to seal off all retreats; an inescapable net. The paper man lowered his head and stood to the left of the black wooden case. There was also an extra white figure on the table¡¯s right side. It was a pale Bai Wuchang, stuck there like a ghost. And on the seat behind the wooden table, there was a dim figure that had appeared at some time. The body was as tall and large as a mountain. Its appearance was unclear, but the heavy pressure that emanated from its whole body was the heaviness that only the great ability of those who tread on the Void Tracing Realm could possess. The proper man of the King of H*ll. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes fixated on the head, and a name in his heart was ready to come out. ¡ª¡ªGreat Netherworld Emperor, Xie Jiuyou. He became suspicious. Such an aura was not like an illusion. In front of him, was it the remnant soul Xie Jiuyou left after the catastrophe, or¡­ Sitting upright at the main hall, the King of H*ll did not speak. Instead, the sound of ghosts from the scroll behind him became louder, whispering in his ear with great momentum. ¡°Did you hear that sound?¡± Ye Yunlan asked Shen Shu. From his angle, he couldn¡¯t see Shen Shu¡¯s face behind him, and thus he couldn¡¯t see the smile that had disappeared and the somber gaze from Shen Shu¡¯s face. Shen Shu¡¯s voice came into his ears. ¡°Of course I can hear it. They are condemning me.¡± He paused and said casually. ¡°¡ªThey are asking me if I have indulged in killing innocent bystanders, forced honest people into prostitution, indulged in obscene pleasure, have been unfaithful and unfilial, or rebelled against one¡¯s elders. Master, how should I answer?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s body was slightly stiff from the young man¡¯s low voice in his ears and the exhaled heat. Shen Shu was still holding a hand on his shoulder, pinching it very tightly to protect him. He frowned and raised his hand to take away Shen Shu¡¯s paws. He said, ¡°If you haven¡¯t done anything, naturally, you don¡¯t have to admit it.¡± ¡°What if I did?¡± Shen Shu smiled, ¡°Are they going to sentence me to eternal h*ll, unable to reincarnate?¡± It seems that the words ¡°unable to reincarnate¡± stung Ye Yunlan¡¯s nerves. He suddenly clenched the Queying sword and coldly said. ¡°Stop the nonsense! ¡­ If they really want to convict someone, they should sentence me first.¡± He had taken the Asura sword and walked the path of death. Blood covered his hands, he killed countless people, and the good deeds done didn¡¯t accumulate virtue for himself. If it was talking about sins, he should¡¯ve gone to h*ll long ago, unable to reincarnate. Shen Shu was stunned for a while. Frozen, he soon smiled slightly, ¡°Master lives a solitary and quiet life, jumped into an ocean of fire to save countless of people, how could the King of H*ll dare to punish you.¡± ¡°Even if the King of H*ll has no eyes and decides to convict you, Disciple owes you a life and would go to Netherworld with Master and be tortured for Master.¡± He lowered his gaze and said softly in Ye Yunlan¡¯s ear. ¡°I only wish for Master¡­ to not abandon me in the mortal world.¡± Ye Yunlan was taken aback for a moment, his face angry. ¡°¡ª¡ª Shen Shu, this is the netherworld realm, this is not the place for you to freely make jokes?!¡± But Shen Shu said: ¡°Since Master knows that it is a joke, why mind it?¡± Obviously, in a dangerous predicament, he was still slowly picking out the paper money sticking to the clothes on Ye Yunlan, ¡°Those ghosts are chattering about and are really annoying. Disciple saw that Master¡¯s mood was heavy, so Disciple wanted to tell a few jokes to relieve Master.¡± Only he knew it in his heart whether it was a joke or not. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t know the truth or not of what he said, but he was really angry with Shen Shu¡¯s phrase ¡°Go to the Netherworld together.¡± He had very little concern in this life, and Shen Shu was the only thing left for him to worry about. He wanted to reprimand him, but the dense chains that occupied this space were still sealing them. Fortunately, the King of H*ll on the seat seemed to be unable to stand by idly at last. So, he only heard the shock of a loud slap, the endless sounds from the haunting ghosts stopped, and the King of H*ll¡¯s solemn voice came out. ¡°You know that you are guilty?¡± The King of H*ll¡¯s voice echoed in the hall. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer but just kept observing. He wanted to see what the underworld in front of him was, but he heard Shen Shu say next to him: ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned even more and wanted to tell Shen Shu to guard his mouth. After all, the Great Netherworld emperor¡¯s cultivation base had already stepped into Void Tracing before his death, and the means of a Void Tracing Realm cultivator was beyond the thoughts of an ordinary cultivator. If he accidentally stirred up anything¡ª¡ª even if he could save Shen Shu¡¯s life, he would not have much time to find the soul-attracting flower. ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡± The King of H*ll said coldly. Shen Shu: ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I have heard that the Netherworld¡¯s King of H*ll has eyes that could see through the heavens and see the things of people¡¯s past life to convict the living. I ask for the King¡¯s enlightenment.¡± ¡°Shen Shu!¡± Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t help but warn him, but Shen Shu held his shoulders and squeezed gently. The young man lowered his voice and said, ¡°Master, don¡¯t worry, I have a sense of measure. I just want to see if this King of H*l is real or not, so we aren¡¯t deceived by an illusion. With the recorded tolerance of the King of Hell, he shouldn¡¯t be enraged by Disciple¡¯s probing.¡± Ye Yunlan has already frowned deeply. How could he be calm? Since entering the Netherworld Secret Realm, Shen Shu had acted against him more and more. Ye Yunlan pursed his pale lips. In the end, their current situation taken into consideration, he said nothing. Wait until they go out¡­ If he still had his life left, he must discipline Shen Shu. He was causing too much trouble! A blur shrouded the King of H*ll¡¯s face. His tall, mountain-like body was like a black curtain covering. He looked at the two people under him and said. ¡°Okay, as you wish. Someone, come here and open the sin mirror.¡± The two paper-made Wuchang bowed to him on both sides of the wooden table. Then, the chain in Hei Wuchang¡¯s hand stretched and retracted. Ye Yunlan heard the rattling of gears on the surrounding walls, then the bluestone floor in front of them opened up on both sides, revealing a hole, and the flames churning below could be seen. A wave of heat gushed out from the entrance of the hole. The heat was different from ordinary heat. It was very vicious, and it could burn people¡¯s bones. Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion became paler. The mortal body could hardly withstand the fire of h*ll. There was also a divine fire raging in his body, so it was like adding fuel to the fire at this moment. Even so, his expression remained motionless. On the contrary, Shen Shu snorted coldly. He raised his sleeve and waved. The scorching enthusiasm spread out and could only swirl around the two of them, making it difficult to get close. The chain by the flame was slowly pulling up a huge stone mirror and its stone platform, and the voice of King of H*ll came again. The voice was cold, majestic, and ruthless. ¡°Under the stone cave are the eighteen layers of h*ll. The sin mirror traces the karma and the ghost source. Please.¡± Hei Wuchang¡¯s chain had a portion dispersed, revealing a road leading to the front. The road to the sin mirror stage. It would start the trial of the sin mirror to judge one¡¯s crime. Did the King of H*ll really regard them as ghosts? Before Ye Yunlan could think about it carefully, he noticed that Shen Shu beside him was about to move. It seemed that he really wanted to board the stage to take a look. Shen Shu was really eager to try. He was very curious about whether this so-called sin mirror could really reflect the sins on his body. He wanted to know how the King of H*ll of the Netherworld would sentence his monster body. Maybe it would be to the bottom of the eighteen layers of h*ll, the legendary infinite h*ll? The smile on Shen Shu¡¯s face widened. If this is the case, he would have to experience it well. Compared to the Demon Abyss, would the infinite h*ll be more cruel and difficult? Would there be monsters like him born there? Or even ghosts? CH 78 Chapter 78 Carry on One¡¯s Shoulders Ye Yunlan held the white paper crane and clenched it tightly. He was careless. Before he stepped on the sin mirror platform, he faintly anticipated that there might be something strange on it. He planned to go, but he could react and get away in time if something was wrong. Although Shen Shu was already a Nascent Soul, he didn¡¯t have the experience and powerful soul accumulated over hundreds of years and would likely fall for the trap. Therefore, he had forcibly ordered Shen Shu to watch and not go up with him then. But at that time, he didn¡¯t expect that the so-called sin mirror platform- even if it was only a shadow the Great Emperor Netherworld¡¯s remnant soul reflected- would still have a trace of its left in its remaining bones. Thus, enabling it to see through his previous life experience. And what Shen Shu was asking now was what the King of H*ll had revealed in a few words exactly; the relationship he hated most in his previous life. Something he didn¡¯t want to talk more on. A dark blue meridian emerged on the back of Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale hand. He was not willing to answer this question. He felt nauseous just explaining Chen Weiyuan¡¯s matter. Although Shen had asked carelessly, his eyes had narrowed slightly. ¡°Master, could it be that you were really lying to me before?¡± His tone was low and aggrieved, but his words were aggressive. ¡°You said that you wouldn¡¯t form a dao companion because you have already been married to another and that there was no room at your side?¡± Dao companion. Shen Shu chewed the word slowly. The more Ye Yunlan was unwilling to answer, the more his impulsive evil beast in his heart wanted to break out of the cage. The shadows surged at the soles of his feet. He stared at the prey he had observed for a long time before him. He suddenly wanted to wrap this person up bit by bit and meld him into his dark, filthy life. Master and Disciple were not intimate enough. Dao companion was much more pleasant. After crawling out of the pitch-black Demon Abyss, this was the first time he wanted to possess something. So nobody except him could occupy the most intimate position by Ye Yunlan¡¯s side. But he saw Ye Yunlan close his eyes, his pale complexion revealing a little exhaustion. He said: ¡°Your teacher never lied.¡± ¡°I said that in this world, I will not become a dao companion with another, and there are no false words whether in the past or the present. Not only that, but in this life, I will never develop romantic feelings for a person, no matter who that person is.¡± He opened his eyes. His eyes were cold and quiet, and he said slowly. ¡°Shen Shu, do you want to hear me make an oath?¡± He couldn¡¯t explain his past life to Shen Shu, and he didn¡¯t want Shen Shu to have an expectation that never could be answered. Danger was everywhere in the secret realm, and ¡°he¡± was running out of time. When Shen Shu looked stiff, he saw that Ye Yunlan was really going to cut his fingertips, smear in the void, and swear. He panicked and hurriedly held Ye Yunlan¡¯s wrist to stop him from moving. ¡°Master, no!¡± Once you formed a blood oath, you couldn¡¯t eliminate the blood oath. The daoist who violated the oath would suffer a backlash from heaven and die. How could he let Ye Yunlan make such an oath! The other party¡¯s wrist was so thin that it would break with a little effort. Blood dripped from the other party¡¯s fingertips onto the ground like blooming red plums. Shen Shu held the other party¡¯s wrist, bent down, and lowered his head. He leaned in to lick the blood from the other party¡¯s hand with the tip of his tongue. He tasted the sweet taste, completely different from the dirty and smelly blood of the monsters in the Demon Abyss. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh and say: ¡°I was just kidding, how could Master take it seriously?¡± Ye Yunlan looked blankly at him. ¡°Just kidding?¡± Shen Shu blinked, showing a little innocent expression, but Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t believe him. His complexion didn¡¯t improve. He had to lower his head, placed Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale hand on his forehead, and apologized in a low voice: ¡°It¡¯s Disciple who is wrong. Disciple believes in Master¡¯s words. Just now, Disciple was just rambling. Disciple hopes Master can forgive Disciple.¡± Ye Yunlan only pulled his hand back with a cold face. The fingertips¡¯ wound had healed, and there was still a moist glow on it from the tongue¡¯s soft touch just now. He slowly curled up his fingers, concealed it in his sleeve, and couldn¡¯t help but cough twice. He slowly swallowed the fishy sweetness in his throat. He looked at his disciple with his head bowed in front of him. ¡°Shen Shu, there are many people in this world, coming and going. The flow is endless.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°Master is only one of them.¡± ¡°¡­You have to meet many people and walk many roads before you know what you really want.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s expression changed and asked: ¡°Then Master knows what he wants?¡± Ye Yunlan gave a faint ¡°en.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°What is it?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What I want is no longer available in this life.¡± A deep color stained Shen Shu¡¯s eyes: ¡°Master might as well tell Disciple what you want. Master can¡¯t get it, but Disciple may be able to find it for Master.¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head, ¡°Impossible. No need to think about it.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°If Master doesn¡¯t say it, how can I know that it is impossible?¡± Ye Yunlan said: ¡°Time cannot reverse.¡± And it was difficult for people to come back from death. The ethereal singing voice came from the depths of the palace, and Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to continue this topic. He only followed the singing to the palace depths. Shen Shu looked at his slender back. The white clothes on him became more and more empty. It suddenly felt that this person in front of him was like a cloud of mist, leaving a beautiful mirage. With time, the wind would blow him away. Couldn¡¯t touch, nor keep. As the dignified Demon Lord, could there still be something in this world he couldn¡¯t keep? He raised his thin lips slightly and smiled. His narrow eyes were full of evil thoughts, and he stepped forward to catch up. Behind the Palace of the King of H*ll was a huge deep pit. The pit was hard to see, and only one of them was winding down the air corridor. In the corridor of the vermillion roof tiles and jade fence, gray and white stone bricks were in a pile on the ground. Ye Yunlan stood in front of the corridor and watched for a long while. Then, when he wanted to step up, Shen Shu pulled him by the sleeve. ¡°The secret realm is dangerous. Master, are you not afraid that this corridor is only an illusion, and walking up would lead you to fall into this bottomless pit?¡± Shen Shu disagreed with his choice, ¡°If we need to go, let Disciple go first.¡± After he said that, he strode up. In the past few years of retreat, Shen Shu¡¯s movement had quickened. But now that he was a little taller than him, striding forward, Ye Yunlan¡¯s strength couldn¡¯t stop him. Seeing Shen Shu stepping hard on the stone brick, the long hair tied behind his head also swayed slightly. He turned around and smiled at him. ¡°This corridor is still sturdy. Come here, Master.¡± Ye Yunlan glanced at him quietly and then walked over. The two walked down side by side. The corridor was winding down to the dark, with a steep slope and endless length. Ye Yunlan had a mortal body, so he walked a little unsteadily and could only walk down with the railing. He looked at the darkness outside, and as they deepened, some scenes gradually emerged in the darkness. Not only the sight of it but also the sound. In the darkness of the deep pit, a large sea of ??inexhaustible fire appeared. Many huge oil pans that could not be counted at first glance were there. The foam in the oil pan surged, and countless ghosts struggled, making harsh sounds. Even more ghosts lied within the deep darkness and fell into the oil pan like dumplings. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyesight was lacking, and he couldn¡¯t see the terrible appearance of the ghost¡¯s burnt skin after falling into the oil pan, but he still felt the tragedy from the howling. But Shen Shu could see clearly. The fire reflected in his dark pupils, but he didn¡¯t have the slightest sympathy that people should have had. He looked carefully, tilted his head slightly, and asked Ye Yunlan: ¡°This is the legendary eighteen h*ll?¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°The underworld is empty. Now, it¡¯s just an illusion.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°An illusion¡­¡± The two continued to walk down the corridor. The scene changed in the dark. After the oil pan, there were the copper pillars of the sword mountain and the grindstone blood pool. Shen Shu let out a ¡°tsk¡±: ¡°This many tricks?¡± Ye Yunlan thought his tone was strange but could not think of anything else odd about it for a while. Suddenly a cloudy wind blew, and the ghosts struggling in the blood pool all turned their heads and looked towards the corridor. And then, there was a terrifying cracking sound from behind. Ye Yunlan turned his head and found that the corridor they had walked through before had begun to collapse inch by inch! At the same time, there was a whistling sound. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t see clearly. He only saw a group of white, dense things chasing them from behind the cracked corridor. Someone held his wrist, and then Shen Shu said: ¡°Master, run! There is an air restriction here; we can¡¯t use our swords!¡± He led Ye Yunlan, running down the corridor. After a while, his forehead was already sweating, and he had to gasp for breath. The chest tightness was very obvious. Drops of sweat slid down his pale chin, and he staggered, almost falling to the ground. Fortunately, a hand stretched out, clasping his shoulders and stabilizing his figure. When he turned his head, he saw Shen Shu¡¯s worried expression, ¡°Is Master okay?¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. He was a little speechless. Shen Shu looked at his pale complexion and then squatted down, ¡°Quickly, I¡¯ll carry you.¡± The corridor was extremely steep, and it was difficult for ordinary people to walk it. However, the rear cracking was going at a breakneck speed. There was no time for Ye Yunlan to hesitate. He stretched out his hand and climbed onto Shen Shu¡¯s back. He wrapped his hands around his neck, ¡°Go.¡± Shen Shu felt Ye Yunlan¡¯s thin body cover himself, and simultaneously, a light fragrance came with. Ye Yunlan rested on his left shoulder and couldn¡¯t help gasping for air. The slight airflow flicked the side of his neck, scorching him. His body froze. The shadows under his feet were surging, and some of them almost couldn¡¯t help climbing up and hooking the other¡¯s ankles. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t notice Shen Shu¡¯s strangeness. After stabilizing his breathing well, he twisted around to check the situation behind. He felt that these corridors did not collapse for no reason. Instead, those white, dense things devoured and collapsed them. There were a few fast-flying things among those white objects, and they had already caught up in front of them. Ye Yunlan reminded Shen Shu in his ear: ¡°Be careful.¡± He saw Shen Shu outrageously throwing out his sword, and the sword light flew over to the ghosts, breaking them up. However, even if they dispersed, these ghosts quickly gathered. Ye Yunlan finally saw what the ghosts looked like. Not an entity nor illusion. He could no longer see the original appearance. Now, he saw endless distortion and pain, a hollow mouth howling. Between the lightning and flint, Ye Yunlan knew what these things were. It was the resentment left by the tormented ghosts in the underworld. The Great Emperor Netherworld¡¯s spirit aura had dissipated, so the remaining power didn¡¯t suffice to suppress these grievances. Thus, there would be chaos here. Ordinary powers couldn¡¯t purify these grievances, but now, the only solution is to escape this deep pit as soon as possible! Was it really too late? The hot temperature from the young man¡¯s running body made him jolt up. Ye Yunlan was lying on Shen Shu¡¯s back, his five fingers clasping Shen Shu¡¯s shoulders. Suddenly, he whispered: ¡°If you don¡¯t have time to find an exit later, you should put your Master down first. There is a way for Master¡­ to solve these things.¡± CH 79 Chapter 79 Viewing Flowers The voice of the person behind him reached his ears, accompanied by warm breathing. It made Shen Shu laugh angrily. This person¡¯s body was as thin as paper. After running two steps, his face would turn whiter than paper, and he was telling him to let him go down to deal with the hideous ghosts behind? ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± He gritted his teeth. ¡°As a disciple, if I can¡¯t protect my master, what kind of disciple would I be?¡± Ye Yunlan opened his mouth and wanted to ask him when there would be a disciple that protected their master, but his throat became hot. He groaned and didn¡¯t say anything. He only rested on Shen Shu¡¯s shoulders. His long black eyelashes drooped down, and he silently began to mobilize the power in his soul. The speed of the tunnel collapse accelerated, and more and more ghosts caught up. Shen Shu carried the person behind his back while dividing his attention to drive away the ghosts around him. He was quite exhausted and couldn¡¯t help cursing that his body was too low in cultivation. The dark things entangled at his feet were ready to move, wanting to rush and swallow these grievances. He wondered that maybe he needed to think of a way to knock out his master? For one thing, this would stop that person from saying any nonsense like ¡°put me down¡± later. Second, it would also prevent him from frightening the other person when he feasted on those grievances. But if he really swallowed too much resentment, it would be very challenging for this body to continue cultivating the Immortal Dao. He thought about it and couldn¡¯t make a final decision. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t run for a long time when a little light appeared in front of him as if his exit was near. ¡°Almost there!¡± Hearing Shen Shu¡¯s voice, Ye Yunlan¡¯s preparation for the forbidden technique stopped. It was only a short time, but even his eyelashes were wet with sweat. His eyes were moist and the little light in the distance reflected in his black pupils. He was startled and then let out a sigh of relief. However, he didn¡¯t know if it was because he was close to the exit, but those ghosts were getting more and more ferocious. Thus, the rear passage collapsed even faster. A sour, biting sound also accompanied it. Shen Shu still had the leisurely mind to say: ¡°I wonder after passing through this h*ll, where would it lead to?¡± He panted, then said: ¡°Going through this experience with Master, is it also considered as us going to the yellow river, in both life and death, we are inseparable?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Concentrate? Look at the road.¡± Facts proved that people really shouldn¡¯t be happy too fast. Crowds of ghosts were chasing and biting behind, and a small group had already caught up with them. Seeing that he had to do something, Shen Shu¡¯s sword light no longer only lashed out to disturb and delay them. Instead, it lashed outright to the ground in front. Even if they weren¡¯t a lot, he couldn¡¯t get all of them. However, this passage was already narrow, and they were faltering before and after the attack. But the exit where the light came from was still more than a hundred feet away. Shen Shu stepped on the shaky ground, avoiding the holes the ghosts had bit. He channeled qi to his feet, then shot out like a flying arrow. Hundreds of meters, and they had suddenly traveled two-thirds of it. But the passage finally couldn¡¯t bear it, and all collapsed with a bang! Shen Shu: ¡°Hold on to me.¡± After saying this, his toes stepped hard on the falling stone bricks, and his whole person flew through the darkness like a falcon. Groups of ghosts roared from behind and wanted to grab them, but the two rolled and fell into the hole. Shen Shu could only adjust his posture and firmly hold Ye Yunlan in his arms in the chaos. The ghosts¡¯ screaming gradually disappeared. The purgatory scenes, the sea of ??the fire, knife mountain, oil pan, and blood pool all disappeared. The sky was bright, and birds and insects were singing. Shen Shu stabilized his body, and he went to check Ye Yunlan¡¯s condition first. The sun seemed to pierce the eyes of the person in his arms. His eyelids were closed, and his eyebrows were tightly twisted. A few strands of sweaty black hair stuck to his cheeks. His complexion was really whiter than paper. Shen Shu touched his cheek, and cold sweat covered his hands. At this time, he still couldn¡¯t tell if Ye Yunlan¡¯s injuries flared up, even after being with the other party all this time. What could he do? At this time, he remembered, because he was worried about Ye Yunlan¡¯s injury before coming to the Netherworld Secret Realm, ¡°he¡± had studied a lot of double cultivation methods and brought enough medicine to prevent unexpected needs. Staring at Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale face for a moment, he squinted his eyes slightly. Then, he finally took out a few elixirs from the storage ring, put them on the front of his eyes, identified them in detail, and handed them to Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips. Shen Shu: ¡°It¡¯s wound medicine. Master, take it first.¡± Ye Yunlan was tolerating the injury in his body. Hearing his voice, he opened his lips and swallowed the elixir that Shen Shu gave him. After the pill entered his abdomen, his complexion was slightly ruddy. He opened his eyes and saw that the two of them were in a field. Shen Shu was looking down at him against the light. He was unable to see clearly. A kind of familiarity came from nowhere and once again hit his heart. Ye Yunlan frowned, propped himself up with his arm, and broke away from Shen Shu¡¯s embrace. Shen Shu: ¡°Is Master feeling better?¡± Ye Yunlan coughed, shook his head, and said, ¡°I¡¯m unimpeded.¡± He looked around and found that the field was very vast. There was green grass as far as his eyes could see. At the end of the green, there was a little blue. It looked like a lake. Although he had poor eyesight, he had a keen sense of hearing. He could hear the ethereal singing from far away. He stood up and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master is injured. It¡¯s better to let me carry you on my back.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°No need.¡± Shen Shu listened but stepped very close to his side. Ye Yunlan: ¡°What are you doing?¡± Shen Shu raised his hand. Ye Yunlan took a step back. Shen Shu smiled and reached out to remove the grass stems on his clothes. ¡°Okay, Master. Let¡¯s go.¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips and stepped forward. The wind in the wild was very refreshing. Mixed with the smell of sunlight and grass, it made people feel very comfortable. For the whole way, Shen Shu said nothing next to him. Ye Yunlan felt peaceful at first but later felt a little strange, so he turned his head to look. Shen Shu lowered his head, holding a long grass stalk in his hand. His slender fingers kept tossing it around. He didn¡¯t know exactly how he moved, but that stalk of grass suddenly split into a flower. He held it in his hand and looked at it, then he made a circle on the remaining slightly longer stalk and hung it on his pinky finger. Ye Yunlan counted roughly. Ten different flowers were hanging on that pinky finger, swaying as Shen Shu walked. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t help but speak: ¡°Are you bored?¡± Shen Shu raised his eyes to look at him, but really nodded and said: ¡°Although this wild land is big, it is full of grass, without trees and flowers. The scenery is very uniform; it¡¯s really boring.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°This is a secret realm investigation, not for you to enjoy the scenery.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I remember Master usually likes to view flowers.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± Shen Shu hooked his lips. ¡°Master, take a look.¡± He tossed the ten woven straw flowers on the ground at will. Ye Yunlan was about to say ¡°senseless.¡± Then, he heard Shen Shu snap his fingers. Those few straw-made flowers actually took root in the soil, and color gradually stained the flowers and leaves. They bloomed while they were illuminating under the sun. Shen Shu: ¡± Does it look good?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at it for a while, ¡°How did you do it?¡± Shen Shu patted the grass clippings on his hands, ¡°A little illusion.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t remember teaching you illusions as your Master.¡± Shen Shu raised his eyebrows, ¡°Can¡¯t disciples learn by themselves?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I remember that Master always gives me rewards when I send flowers before.¡± Shen Shu excitedly said, ¡°Are there still rewards this time?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Are you still a child?¡± After he said that, Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold appearance since he entered the secret realm became softer and more gentle. Shen Shu looked at his side profile and suddenly laughed softly. Ye Yunlan: ¡°What are you laughing at?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about something happy.¡± He was thinking: When he crawled out of the Demon Abyss back then, being able to meet this person and worship this person as a master, then staying with his master away from the crowds, living in seclusion, planting flowers and admiring the scenery, and cooking wine and tea was also a good thing. The two continued to walk forward. The icy blue lake in the distance was getting closer and closer. The blue sky and white clouds reflected on the lake like a mirror. The beauty was exquisite. A figure in a snow-white outfit with flowing black hair was at the center of the lake. They were dancing, and their posture was beautiful and dreamy. The remote and ethereal singing voice came from this person. Shen Shu let out a ¡°tsk.¡± ¡°The last ghost in the underworld was a drowned water ghost.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer and instead walked to the shore and found that there wasn¡¯t a road that led into the lake. The silhouettes on the lake were still dancing as if they wouldn¡¯t stop for thousands of years. He thought for a while and took it out of his sleeve, then the white paper crane Xie Jiuyou left was gently placed in the lake. The paper crane slowly sank. Suddenly, the singing stopped. A whirlpool appeared on the water where the paper crane sank. Then, a pale hand stretched out. The long nails were dark and sharp, and it held the paper crane in the palm of his hand. A hoarse voice sounded. It was not soft or ethereal. Instead, it was like a qin that had become fragmented and smashed after too many years. ¡°Where¡¯s Xie Lang?¡± (Lang = could be a term for women to use for darling, husband, etc.) Ye Yunlan looked down at the whirlpool. Shen Shu stood behind him, holding the Afterglow sword hilt. ¡°Who are you? Where¡¯s my Xie Lang¡ª¡ª?¡± The ghost in the lake said hoarsely. ¡°Ms. Yudie.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°King of H*ll Xie Jiuyou has passed away. This paper crane was something he entrusted us to give to you before his spirit dissipated.¡± ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡± The lake trembled in the whirlpool. ¡°This paper crane, before he died, he asked you to give it to Yudie?¡± The ghost in the lake suddenly laughed. His rough voice seemed to be like a blunt instrument, piercing one¡¯s ears and making it painful, ¡°Ha, haha¡ª¡ªridiculous! Why did he tell me to wait for him to calm the ghost chaos, that he would escape from the Three Realms? I waited for him for four thousand years. Not only did he not want to see me in person, but he also forgot who I was¨C!¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. Shen Shu: ¡°No matter who you are, we are only responsible for delivering things to Miss Yudie. Since you are not her, then return the paper crane.¡± ¡°I am Yudie¡¯s elder brother.¡± The ghost said quietly. After hearing the sound of water, a person¡­no, a ghost slowly floated up from the bottom of the water. He had vaguely beautiful facial features, but white power thickly covered him. Really thick ink and color covered his face. The thick ink drew out an upward eyeliner and a color-dyed lip as red as nutmeg. The hair that grew to his ankles was like seaweed. It stuck to the body, and blood stained the white outfit. ¡°He left this paper crane for me,¡± The water ghost held the paper crane in his hands, ¡°I can¡¯t return it to you.¡± Shen Shu folded his arms and said, ¡°Master said it was for Miss Yudie.¡± The water ghost: ¡°For me.¡± Shen Shu said: ¡°For Yudie.¡± Water ghost: ¡°Mine!¡± Ye Yunlan listened to this person¡¯s noise and couldn¡¯t help rubbing his temples. ¡°Don¡¯t fight,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s listen to what he has to say.¡± CH 80.1 Chapter 80 Hairpin ¡°My name is Yue Qiushuang.¡± The water ghost said in a sulky manner, ¡°I was an¡­.actor on the Eastern Continent Ghost Ship.¡± The past events followed his words and formed its silhouette. During the ghost chaos period, yin and yang were chaotic, and mountains and rivers collapsed. The ghosts who escaped from the cycle of heaven and earth stayed in the world forever. They stole living people everywhere for food and used them as entertainment. Yue Qiushuang was a living person who the ghost ship caught for the ghosts to use as entertainment. He was born in Changlemen and was originally a music cultivator. He survived because he was good at music and dance. Yue Qiushuang had no intention of looking for death because a ghost detained his younger sister. Thus, he had to drag out his existence. His twin sister was called Yue Yudie- also a music cultivator. She looked very similar to him and was famous for her clear singing voice. However, after Yue Yudie was caught on the ghost ship, she lost her voice because of the overwhelming panic when she saw the ghosts were eating people. If the humans on the ghost ship couldn¡¯t please the ghosts, they would end up miserably. Yue Qiushuang could only surrender himself to the ghosts to save his sister. The Eastern Continent Ghost Ship¡¯s leader was Li Fei- a well-known ghost general then. He was very keen on raising singers and performers to appreciate music. Li Fei said to Yue Qiushuang, who was kneeling on the ground: ¡°If you want to save her, you will have to have the ability to replace her. You must sing with the same ability as her.¡± Yue Qiushuang was silent for a moment and then said: ¡°I can.¡± He opened his mouth to sing. Yue Qiushuang had never revealed his gift in singing at Qinggemen usually. Everyone only knew that he had a heavenly-sounding sister but didn¡¯t know that he also had a beautiful voice. He raised his voice, letting out a melodious and mellow female voice. It was light and very similar but more ambiguous to Yue Yudie¡¯s voice. The ghost general was very satisfied but said: ¡°I could have accepted your request to save your sister¡¯s life. However, I heard that you had been on the ship for half a month, but you always refused to appear on stage, very rebellious¡ª¡ª¡± A cold sweat fell from Yue Qiu Shuang¡¯s forehead: ¡°From now on? I will definitely do my best to serve¡ª¡ª¡± The ghost general laughed: ¡°So, have your sister stay here as this general¡¯s maid. If you play nicely, your sister will naturally be safe and sound. The general isn¡¯t unkind, so how about you guys meet each other every three months?¡± Yue Qiushuang knew that this was the only choice the ghost would give him. He could only bow his head in thanks. After that, Yue Qiushuang became a performer on the ghost ship to please the ghosts. He was responsible for two people¡¯s lives. Once called, he would get up and dance. He had to go out early frequently and could only rest at night while completely exhausted. Until one day, a young man came on the boat. At that time, Xie Jiuyou was not the Great Emperor Netherworld who stunned the world. He was just a little daoist who broke into the ghost dwelling without knowing his limits and was caught by mistake. Yue Qiushuang sang on the stage, while the ghosts tied up Xie Jiuyou and cut him into meat to taste. The scene was quite bloody. Only, the more Qiu Shuang looked at such scenes, the more numb he became. The people¡¯s screams, the sound of cutting into the flesh, and his singing echoed on the ghost ship day after day. Sometimes, Yue Qiu Shuang would think that maybe even he himself had already become a ghost on this ghost ship, no different from those ghosts. But that day was different. Yue Qiushuang didn¡¯t hear the screams he was used to in the past. He looked down the stage in surprise. He saw the young man suspended on the wooden frame was boned and cut. However, his teeth were still closed without a word. Yue Qiushuang saw a deep hatred and endless fire in the young man¡¯s eyes. ¡­Just like himself many years ago. After singing, Yue Qiushuang stepped off the stage and said to the ghost commander he was serving: ¡°Can you leave some scraps for this slave? This slave wants to taste him.¡± Li Fei said: ¡°Slave Shuang, what do you want to use to exchange it?¡± The ghosts can only taste the sweetness of bloody flesh, but they couldn¡¯t taste other delicacies in the world, so there wasn¡¯t a cook on the ghost ship. Those of them that the ghosts raised for entertainment could only be forced to eat the same food as the ghosts. ¡­ And getting even this bit of food required them to put in the effort to please them. Yue Qiushuang took off his clothes one by one and then jumped and danced. The silver bells that hung on his wrists and ankles made a pleasant sound along with his dance. At the end of the dance, he crawled on the ground with his limbs twisted into a strange appearance. A living person¡¯s limbs and the face covered with thick white powder without a trace of anger showed a strange beauty, which obviously pleased the ghosts with different aesthetics from the living person. The ghost was in a good mood and gave him the reward of Xie Jiuyou, who had lost most of his flesh and blood. Yue Qiushuang moved Xie Jiuyou back to where he lived. When the ghost boat was singing and dancing, Xie Jiuyou¡¯s eyes had been dug out. The meat of his ears, cheeks, lips, limbs, waist and abdomen were all fresh parts that ghosts liked to eat. Yue Qiushuang could only help him bandage the wounds. Then, he fed him some of the meat porridge that the other party had saved before and left the rest to his fate. And Xie Jiuyou really didn¡¯t die. He managed to improve bit by bit even though the injury was so severe. ¡°Oh, so to speak, you are the savior of the slave?¡± Shen Shu sat next to Ye Yunlan, bent his leg, and asked. The water ghost in the lake nodded. He touched the paper crane in his hand. A thick white power covered his pale face. It acted as a mask and concealed all his expressions. ¡°He was hurt too badly. After waking up, he couldn¡¯t see anything, listen to any sounds, or speak. I thought I had taken in something troublesome, but in the end, I picked him up and couldn¡¯t just abandon him.¡± ¡°If I knew that I had saved a big man who could end the ghost chaos in the world then¡­¡± At this point, the water ghost laughed hoarsely, ¡°Then I would have served him like a god and allowed him to eat and drink well, then he could leave the ghost ship safe and sound. He would go off on his great cause by himself. And me. I should die in a muddle-headed manner without leaving anything to worry about since I lived in a muddle-headed manner for so many years.¡± Yue Qiushuang took care of Xie Jiuyou on the boat for three years. Before Nascent Soul, if a cultivator¡¯s limbs were damaged, it was difficult to regenerate. Xie Jiuyou was still young at that time and only had a Golden Core. He was unable to speak, hear, or see. The two could only write and communicate in each other¡¯s palms. He knew that Xie Jiuyou came from a declining immortal sect, and that ghosts had destroyed the immortal sect. He also knew that Xie Jiuyou¡¯s lifelong wish was to avenge his master¡¯s sect, destroy all ghosts in the world, and return the world to peace. Xie Jiuyou asked how to call him. He wrote in Xie Jiuyou¡¯s palm: You can call me Ah Shuang. Xie Jiuyou seriously wrote the words ¡°Ah Shuang¡± in his palm and then wrote: Your previous singing voice was very beautiful. Yue Qiushuang was startled. He didn¡¯t expect that Xie Jiuyou would still listen to his singing under such circumstances. He had never sung in Changlemen, and the ghosts on the ghost ship treated people like animals. He could only feel the joking gazes of the ghosts in the audience. Occasionally, the tone would be of bitter punishment. This was the first time someone said his singing was beautiful. Xie Jiuyou also wrote: When you are usually on the boat, what else do you do besides singing songs? Yue Qiushuang remembered the ugly manner of him dancing in front of the ghosts. He pursed his lips and wrote: I have nothing else to do. Xie Jiuyou nodded. Under his care, Xie Jiuyou¡¯s injury gradually healed. Although he still couldn¡¯t see, listen, or speak, he was barely able to get up. Every time Yue Qiu Shuang returned late at night, he saw the young man would be sitting by the bed and waiting for him. The moonlight faintly hit the boy¡¯s face. The hideous wounds on both sides had healed, and he could vaguely see a handsome appearance. Although Yue Qiushuang was exhausted, he would still take some time to tell Xie Jiuyou about what he heard about the outside world on the ghost ship. One day and night, Yue Qiushuang finished talking about the matter. Xie Jiuyou suddenly held his palm while he was undressed and lying down. Yue Qiushuang opened his eyes in surprise and felt Xie Jiuyou slowly write in his palm: Ah Shuang, you are so good to me. I don¡¯t know how to repay you. Yue Qiushuang was silent for a moment: I don¡¯t need you to repay me. Xie Jiuyou stood up and leaned in like a small animal beside him. The young man closed his eyes, his eyelashes trembling lightly. His breath lightly hit his face. Xie Jiuyou: Ah Shuang, can you tell me what you want most? Yue Qiushuang was silent for a long time before he wrote: What I want most is. He was in a daze before he slowly wrote the word: ¡°freedom.¡± Xie Jiuyou: Okay. I will definitely rescue Ah Shuang from here when I resume my cultivation. This time, Yue Qiushuang just smiled and touched the young man¡¯s head. He knew that Xie Jiuyou¡¯s original cultivation base was only a Golden Core, but the lowest-level ghost on this ghost ship already had a Nascent Soul as its cultivation base. Xie Jiuyou couldn¡¯t save him. If Yue Qiushuang¡¯s own cultivation base was still there, there might be a way. He was famous when he was young. He was originally a genius in Changlemen, had an unparalleled gift in music and dance, and had reached the Nascent Soul Realm. However, his cultivation was broken after the ghost ship caught him. The ghosts forced him to take the so-called ¡°Eternal Life Pill¡± to maintain his youthful limbs and youthful appearance. Since then, the poison had infected him. He had to eat human blood and flesh like the ghosts to avoid the poison¡¯s torture. He didn¡¯t tell Xie Jiuyou about this matter. Just like how he never told Xie Jiuyou where the food he brought back to Xie Jiuyou came from. The ghost ship had a lot of jubilation on the autumn moon¡¯s 15th day. It was during the Ghost Festival. Yue Qiushuang sang on the stage for a whole day. Then, he was called to the inner cabin to dance for the ghosts in the middle of the night. He prostrated himself on the ground, a white flesh covered in blood and wine with wet, long hair that winded onto the ground¡ª¡ª those wines were what the ghosts threw at him when they were watching him dance with interest, something they referred to as ¡°rewards.¡± The scent of alcohol made him drunk, and he was bewildered. Then, he made eye contact with a maid who was coming from the outside to serve wine for the ghost. The pot of wine in the maid¡¯s hand fell to the ground with a huge cracking sound. The ghosts who were talking were silent for a moment. The maid had already knelt down and kept kowtowing towards Li Fei. Yue Qiushuang saw the maid¡¯s appearance and suddenly came to his senses. That maid was his sister, Yue Yudie. Because of the agreement with the ghost general Li Fei that year, Yue Qiushuang and Yue Yu Die would only see each other every three months. At that time, Yue Qiushuang would always take care of himself neatly¡ª¡ªat least to look like a brother, how could he be embarrassed like now. In the chaos, Yue Qiushuang crawled over to Li Fei¡¯s feet and asked to be punished on behalf of his sister. If someone made a little mistake, Li Fei would usually break their neck and throw him into the sea. But maybe Li Fei was in a good mood that day, or Yue Qiushuang¡¯s pleading gesture was too humble that day. Li Fei just stared at him with interest for a while, then agreed to his request. Yue Qiushuang breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be afraid of what we were going to punish you with.¡± Li Fei said, ¡°Yes, you have already received all the punishments on the boat. In that case, I will try something new today.¡± He took out a bottle of powdered medicine and poured it into the whole wine jar. Then, he put the wine jar on Yue Qiu Shuang¡¯s lips. ¡°Drink it all.¡± Then two ghost servants stepped forward, buckled Yue Qiu Shuang¡¯s shoulders, and forced Yue Qiu Shuang to raise his head to accept the whole jar of wine. ¡°Everyone, during the ghost festival, we shouldn¡¯t allow a small matter to disturb my spirits.¡± Li Fei said to the guests. He patted his head, ¡°Slave Shuang, go, continue to dance for us. If it is not between 5-7am, you are not allowed to stop. Of course, it¡¯s okay if you stop, but everytime you stop, your sister will lose a hand for holding wine. You can consider it.¡± Blood wine had covered Yue Qiushuang, and his cheeks were already red. His head was dizzy. He leaned over to respond, then turned his head to look at his sister. Yue Yudie bowed her head and knelt on the spot, cleaning up the wine pieces on the ground one by one. She seemed terrified, and her body trembled the entire time. She didn¡¯t look at him. Yue Qiushuang retracted his gaze. He shakily climbed up from the ground, then danced again. The blood wine trickled down his body, and he suddenly felt an unbearable heat rising from his groin. He finally realized what kind of medicine Li Fei gave him. But he couldn¡¯t stop dancing. He felt as if he was in a blazing fire, and he could only continue to dance. He danced until the flames melted his legs, then he was forced to curl up on the ground. His soft limbs stretched into a twisted posture, still dancing. He could feel the cold and sticky eyes of the ghosts freezing on him, accompanied by the sound of discussion and the blood wine that was splashing. Ghosts didn¡¯t have human desires. They just liked to see the appearances of people struggling. Yue Qiushuang had always rejoiced for this, but he hated it now. He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but the ghosts at the banquet gradually dispersed. The sky¡¯s light entered the cabin, and the autumn frost on the ground was splashed with cold water by the people who were cleaning the cabin. He regained a little of his sanity. He staggered back to his room, vaguely seeing a person sitting next to the bed. Xie Jiuyou was waiting for him as usual. Today¡¯s night was too long. Yue Qiushuang wanted to turn around and go out. However, his mind, barely focused, was already hard to support. He stumbled over to the bed, curled his hands, and touched the person that sat by the bed. Xie Jiuyou felt him, so he held his hand full of alcohol and hurriedly wrote in his palm. However, he couldn¡¯t tell what the other party was writing. He just approached with his drunken body, pushed the boy¡¯s stiff body onto the bed, then sat down slowly while he cried, ¡°I¡¯m sorry?¡± under the torment of the pain and heat. The young man¡¯s body kept on being stiff, and he didn¡¯t dare to move. When everything subsided, Yue Qiu Shuang regained consciousness. He realized that he had done something that couldn¡¯t be forgiven. He was a villain who seeked recompensed and took advantage of people. Even if it was himself. He wrote ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡± in Xie Jiuyou¡¯s palm while he was trembling. Then, he went to the water tank to fetch water with his weak body, but Xie Jiuyou suddenly grabbed him. Xie Jiuyou wrote in his palm: Ah Shuang. Yue Qiushuang was startled and once again wrote: Sorry. Xie Jiuyou shook his head and wrote: Ah Shuang, I want to marry you. Yue Qiushuang was stunned. He didn¡¯t understand: Why do you¡­ want to marry me as your wife? Xie Jiuyou: Ah Niang once told me that love and joy in this world should be a lifetime event for both parties. After this incident, one has to be responsible to the other party. It turned out he was just following his family¡¯s teachings. Yue Qiushuang pursed his lips, and somehow, his heart felt a little sealed. He wrote: I don¡¯t need you to be responsible. Besides, I forced you to do things you don¡¯t like to do. I am the one who did the wrong thing, and I am also the one who should apologize. You don¡¯t have to take any responsibility. Xie Jiuyou wrote: But I like to do such things. Yue Qiushuang opened his eyes in amazement, then he felt Xie Jiuyou continue to write in his palm stroke by stroke: Ah Shuang, I like you. Yue Qiushuang¡¯s face suddenly became hot. He hurriedly wrote: ¡°You are still young. The things of love in this world are not as simple as you think, so how can you easily marry?¡± Xie Jiuyou: I am not far from the coming of age ceremony (20 years old). Besides, I have been thinking about it for a long time. Ah Shuang, I like you. Yue Qiu Shuang: I am on a ghost boat, and I am an entertainer that indulges in evildoings. I am dirty, and my age is much older than yours. My cultivation has been scrapped, so I have no other ability. We are not a good match. Xie Jiuyou wrote stroke by stroke: I know you weren¡¯t willing. I don¡¯t think you are dirty. I also don¡¯t care about your age. I like your singing. Yue Qiushuang shook his head: No, it shouldn¡¯t be¡­ it shouldn¡¯t be like this. Xie Jiuyou: If you like someone, why not? It¡¯s natural for me to like Ah Shuang. Yue Qiushuang¡¯s face was flushed. Xie Jiuyou couldn¡¯t see his expression, and he leaned forward while only following his breath. He raised his face and gently touched his lips. Yue Qiushuang¡­ Yue Qiushuang ran away. ¡°That guy is quite straightforward,¡± Shen Shu said by the lakeside, playing with the grass stem in his hand, ¡°I thought he was just a pretty boy before, but who thought that his tongue would be this smooth. After eating cleanly, his mouth wouldn¡¯t be sparing. En, why are you staring at me like this? Did you agree?¡± ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Ye Yunlan scolded him in a low voice. ¡°Not at the beginning,¡± The water ghost retorted sullenly. He rubbed the paper crane in his hand, then continued for a while, ¡°Later, I was punished because of something and had a high fever. He stayed up all night to take care of me. My heart felt soft for a while, so¡­ I agreed.¡± CH 80.2 Chapter 80 Hairpin After Yue Qiushuang agreed, the two fell in love, and Xie Jiuyou got closer to Yue Qiushuang. Only, the two had never done anything beyond their boundaries because of Yue Qiushuang¡¯s inner misgivings and hard work day and night. Xie Jiuyou¡¯s injury had almost healed, and he wanted to take Yue Qiushuang to escape from the ghost ship. However, Yue Qiushuang stopped him. In the past three years, Yue Qiushuang acted carefully and hid Xie Jiuyou secretly. No one knew that Xie Jiuyou was still alive. As long as he found the chance, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult for Xie Jiuyou to leave. But it¡¯d be completely different if he brought him. If he disappeared, the ghosts would soon find out. When the time came, there wouldn¡¯t be for the two of them to escape. ¡­ Besides, he hadn¡¯t told Xie Jiuyou that the eternal life pill¡¯s effects were unresolved on his body. Even if they were ashore, they wouldn¡¯t live like a human in the end. He decided to let Xie Jiuyou escape alone, but Xie Jiuyou didn¡¯t want to. In the middle of the night, Xie Jiuyou turned his back to Yue Qiushuang and said nothing. Yue Qiushuang got up to look but saw a face full of tears. He didn¡¯t see Xie Jiuyou shed a single tear even when the ghosts sliced into his flesh and bones. He didn¡¯t expect to see him cry tonight like a very embarrassed little tabby cat. Yue Qiushuang was taken aback. He quickly got up to coax him, but Xie Jiuyou seemed to feel even more wronged. He slowly wrote in his palm while crying too hard: Ah Shuang, I only blame my cultivation base for being too low and unable to protect you. Yue Qiushuang: How could I blame you? I only hope you will cultivate well after you leave the ghost ship. You will come to the ghost ship to rescue me when your cultivation completes. You said you want to marry me, so I will wait here for you. I want to see you in your battle armor, sweeping down the ghosts. The person I like should be a majestic hero. Don¡¯t cry anymore. Xie Jiuyou: Are the words Ah Shuang wrote true? Do you want me to be your hero? Yue Qiushuang rubbed his head and wrote: Naturally. Xie Jiuyou finally stopped violently opposing leaving. Only, he stuck closer to him and would often kiss and hug him. After the kiss and hugs were finished, he would take advantage of him and pretend to be well behaved, and then write something cheesy on his palm. Xie Jiuyou wrote: Ah Shuang, you are so soft. He also wrote: But you are just too thin and need more supplements. I heard Ah Niang say that being too thin will affect fertility. Yue Qiushuang blushed. He never thought about having a later generation when he got on the ghost ship. Besides, he was already with Xie Jiuyou now. So he wrote: Don¡¯t mess around anymore. ¡­ Before leaving, the boy grabbed his hand and wrote: Ah Shuang, wait for me to come back. Yue Qiushuang wrote: Okay. Xie Jiuyou raised his hand again to touch Yue Qiushuang¡¯s face inch by inch. He closed his eyes and stroked it carefully as if to thoroughly remember his facial features¡¯ outline. Yue Qiushuang bowed his head and kissed his lips in response to his childish behavior. He found an opportunity to put Xie Jiuyou into the corpse-handling bags on the ship, then threw the bag into the sea. No ghosts were aware of it. Xie Jiuyou put a bottle of blood essence in his room to keep his qi. During the second year after he left, a paper crane Xie Jiuyou folded followed this qi and flew to Yue Qiushuang¡¯s hand. Yue Qiushuang held it in his hand for a long time before opening the paper crane. After the paper crane was spread out, there was a letter. ¡°To my wife¡± was written on the letter. Yue Qiushuang blushed slightly and then read it line by line. In the letter, Xie Jiuyou said that he had returned to the shore smoothly and joined a dao Academy. Now he wasn¡¯t far from breaking through Nascent Soul. He also said that he was fortunate enough that he had cured his deformity with the help of his seniors, so he could see things and listen to speech normally. Then he talked about getting a sea bead when he was diving in the sea before and planned to make jewelry by himself. He would bring it to him personally when he married him in the future. Yue Qiushuang read the letter three times before carefully folding the letter paper into a paper crane and hiding it in his wall cabinet. In the following years, he received many more paper cranes. The young man gradually grew up in places he couldn¡¯t see. His pen strokes became sharper and sharper, and the world he saw and heard became vast. Only, Yue Qiushuang¡¯s cultivation base was completely abolished. Although he could receive letters, he could not reply. Even so, every time he received a paper crane, he still took out a piece of letter paper and carefully wrote a reply, then put it in his drawer. After years, the letters had stacked into thick piles. On the envelope, after Yue Qiushuang hesitated for a long time, he would blush and write on it: To my dear Xie Lang. Seventh year after Xie Jiuyou left. Yue Qiushuang came to the inner cabin to meet with his sister Yue Yudie and found that Yue Yu Die¡¯s cheeks were haggard and sunken. Her whole person was thin and out of shape, and the shape was a bit terrifying, like a supporting skeleton. It looked like she didn¡¯t have much time left. Yue Qiushuang was shocked: ¡°What did Li Fei do to you!¡± Yue Yudie lowered her head and said nothing. She did not touch the pen on the table. ¡ª¡ªSince she was frightened and lost her voice that year, she hadn¡¯t spoken again. She could only communicate with Yue Qiushuang with pen and paper. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything to her,¡± The ghost general Li Fei suddenly walked into the cabin, ¡°Is she just overestimating herself? She was delusional, attempted to please me, and got affected by my ghost qi on me. Thus, she ended up like this.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t even figured out how to punish her for the crime of trespassing this time.¡± Yue Qiushuang was startled, knelt down to the ground, and said: ¡°General, my sister has made a mistake. This slave, as her brother, did not teach her well. If you want to punish her, please punish this slave.¡± Li Fei smiled, ¡°Slave Shuang, you love your sister so much, just as in the past. How about this? I remember during the ghost festival, years in the past, you had drank and danced and it was very moving. This year you will again offer such a dance and cannot stop until 5-7am. ¡± Yue Qiu Shuang¡¯s complexion turned pale, but he could only agree. After hesitating for a while, he said: ¡°Ghost qi contaminated my sister, and I am afraid that she will not have much time left. She will be powerless to serve the Lord. Can she be returned to this slave to take care of her?¡± Li Fei waved his hand, ¡°You can do whatever.¡± Yue Qiu Shuang brought Yue Yudie back to his room. Yue Yudie hung her head. Her face was haggard, and her eyes were hollow. The question and reprimand that were about to come out stopped at Yue Qiushuang¡¯s throat when he saw her looking like this. Coincidentally, there was another ghost summoning, so he had to go prepare. When he came back late at night, he found that Yue Yudie was sitting next to the bookcase where he usually wrote letters. The wall cabinets and desks showed signs of opening. Yue Qiushuang wondered whether his sister had seen his and Xie Jiuyou¡¯s letters. He saw Yue Yudie holding a pen and writing on the paper: I really didn¡¯t mean to offend him. I just want to live better. ¡­Brother, I¡¯m really¡­too scared. Yue Qiushuang looked at it, sighed, and stepped forward to hug his sister, feeling that he was only holding a skeleton. He said: ¡°It¡¯s all over. Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Yue Yudie: Will I die here? Yue Qiushuang said: ¡°No. Yudie, do you believe in brother? Very soon, someone will come to rescue us, we will soon be able to go back to the world.¡± Yue Yudie: How long will it take? Yue Qiushuang recalled what Xie Jiuyou had written in the letter and smiled a little: ¡°It¡¯s not long, it¡¯s¡­ half a year at the latest.¡± The fifteenth day of the autumn month was also another year¡¯s ghost festival. Yue Qiushuang dressed in red with thick white powder and colorful makeup on his face. He danced in the sight of the ghosts. The ghost attendant fed him the sprinkled blood wine. He drunkenly laid down in the blood-colored wine pool and undressed. blue and fluorescent lines painted his snow-white body. The strange and weird beauty attracted many ghosts to the blood. A glass of wine spilled on him. The cold drink and the hot fire in his body mixed together. He twisted and stretched his limbs and danced, but his consciousness gradually began to blur. Suddenly, someone yelled: ¡°Fire! The ship is on fire!¡± He opened his eyes blindly. The fire reflected in his pupils, and a group of daoist cultivators descended from the sky. The face of the leader was very handsome. He was wearing silver armor and holding a long sword with a sharp look. This is what Yue Qiu Shuang had imagined countless times in these years of what he looked like when he grew up. He opened his mouth, but he could only make a husky, sweet hum. He saw Xie Jiuyou¡¯s gaze sweeping across the deck, sweeping across the ghosts like enemies, and him lying on the floor. He also looked at the musical actress in the stands, looked at it inch by inch, and frowned. The fire burned to the deck, and daoist cultivators and the ghosts kept fighting. Yue Qiushuang was confused when he saw the young man¡¯s figure disappear into the cabin. He thought that it was probably because he put on too heavy makeup and looked too shamefully. He didn¡¯t tell Xie Jiuyou in advance that besides singing on the ghost ship, he also had to dance. Therefore, Xie Jiuyou couldn¡¯t recognize him for a while. It didn¡¯t matter, he thought. Xie Jiuyou wouldn¡¯t leave directly. He would go to the room to find him. As long as he followed, it would be fine¡­ Then he used his strength to prop up his body and climb into the room. He heard Xie Jiuyou yelling: ¡°Ah Shuang? Ah Shuang?¡± Yue Qiushuang answered, ¡°Xie Lang¡­¡± The sound of burning flames drowned The small voice. At almost the same time, he heard a beautiful female voice sounding like a lark in the room. It was a voice very similar to when he sang. ¡ª¡ªIt was also the lost voice that had never spoken to him again. His sister¡¯s voice. ¡°Xie Lang, are you looking for me? I¡¯m Ah Shuang.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so scared, hurry up¡­take me out of here.¡± He saw Xie Jiuyou hurrying out of the room while holding the skinny woman. He boarded his sword and flew to the sky. The burning wood hit his hand, and the tongue of fire licked his pale body. He felt that he was indeed drunk. Thus, he would dream such a ridiculous dream. Suddenly, someone picked him up. The other party¡¯s black nails clasped his waist and abdomen. Li Fei said: ¡°The ship is sinking, follow me.¡± The Eastern Continent¡¯s ghost ship was destroyed. All the ghosts on it were destroyed. Only the ghost general Li Fei escaped. This became the first event in the history books for the human race to calm the ghost chaos. Li Fei took Yue Qiushuang to the Western Continent, where the ghosts were more chaotic. Li Fei established a ghost mansion in Qingming Mountain and still asked Yue Qiushuang to dance and sing for him. Yue Qiushuang still had extravagant thoughts, thinking that as long as Xie Jiuyou realized, he would definitely come back and rescue him. But after waiting for two months, he only found out the news of Xie Jiuyou¡¯s marriage. Li Fei: ¡°Your sister¡¯s life is really good. Although time was running out, you had protected her on the ghost ship. Then, she could return to the world with the so-called savior of mankind protecting her. Slave Shuang, you should feel rest assured since you heard the news. Peacefully serve me well. You have been absent-minded in the past few days, which made me very dissatisfied.¡± Yue Qiushuang was only silent. Xie Jiuyou and Yue Yudie married in February. The crowd celebrated with a thousand miles of red makeup. In another six months, Mrs. Xie passed away. In the same year, Xie Jiuyou went into closed-door training. His cultivation met success, and he stepped into Void Tracing Realm in another one hundred and seventy years. He wanted to build an underworld and re-establish reincarnation. The world called him the Great Emperor Netherworld. Yue Qiushuang waited for Xie Jiuyou for one hundred and seventy years. After he sang a song on stage, he suddenly heard a roar in his ears. Xie Jiuyou¡¯s voice then spread into the hearts of everyone in the world, including ghosts. ¡°I, Xie Jiuyou, am now establishing the underworld. Acting on behalf of the heavens, the cycle will re-establish, and ghost chaos will stop from now on.¡± Yue Qiushuang listened in a daze. Li Fei held him and took him to a well. Li Fei smiled and said: ¡°Slave Shuang, now our great power has passed. Now the underworld has been established. Why not become a ghost since you have been with this Lord for so many years? Come with me.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Li Fei said again, ¡°At the beginning when the Yin and Yang rebelled against chaos, those of us who escaped from the heavens and the earth were unforgivable ghosts. After we go to the underworld, we should be going to the eighteenth h*ll. Slave Shuang, after raising you for so many years, you have eaten so many living bones, you must be already full of sin. After you die, you should be well matched for me. At that time, I will save you from slavery. How about we get married in the underworld?¡± Yue Qiushuang suddenly trembled when he heard the word ¡°married.¡± Li Fei pushed him into the well while he struggled endlessly. Then, his clear melodious voice screamed hoarse before he finally died. ¡°You went to the underworld and saw him?¡± Ye Yunlan asked. The water ghost held the paper crane and nodded slowly. Ghosts come and go in the underworld, especially to the Palace of the King of H*ll. There were so many ghosts that waited to go up to the mirror platform that the square almost couldn¡¯t fit them all. He heard those who worked as escorts in the ghost mansion sigh that he was busy with work. He didn¡¯t know how the King of H*ll endured loneliness and judged people here every day. Someone said: ¡°Since Mrs. Yudie died, there has been no one around that person.¡± Another person sighed: ¡°That person has a deep love for his wife. It¡¯s a pity, Mrs. Yudie¡¯s life was not long. She was already like that when she was rescued. Even the emperor was unable to help.¡± One person said: ¡°Speaking of, I remember that before Mrs. Yudie was rescued she had a nickname, he would mumble on his lips every day. Why doesn¡¯t he say it now?¡± Another said: ¡°That¡¯s Mrs. Yudie¡¯s name. Afterward, Mrs. Yudie said that this title reminded her of all her experience on the ghost ship, so she had that person stop calling her that. Even we cannot say it. Hey, speaking of this, what is the nickname of that lady? Time has passed too long, I have forgotten a little.¡± ¡°It seems to be, Ah Shuang¡­¡± ¡°Ah Shuang?¡± Li Fei, who stood in front of him, repeated. He then turned to look at Yue Qiushuang, ¡°I don¡¯t know when your sister had such a nickname?¡± Even though he has become a ghost, Yue Qiushuang was still instinctively afraid of Li Fei. Li Fei¡¯s tone became a little elusive when making the connection. ¡°So, back then, what led Xie Jiuyou to destroy the Eastern Continent Ghost Ship was you who he wanted to save, not your sister?¡± Yue Qiushuang thought that Li Fei would be furious. Unexpectedly, Li Fei just looked at him faintly for a moment, then stroked his cheeks with his black nails, ¡°Ah Shuang, you are really a disaster.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing. I will treat you after I go to the underworld.¡± They lined up for a long time. It was for about a hundred years. Li Fei entered the hall first, then Yue Qiushuang. The sin mirror showed that he was full of guilt. Yue Qiushuang didn¡¯t care, he just raised his head to look up. The King of H*ll was wearing a heavy robe on the high seat, hidden by a huge shadow. He was not the same as the person he imagined. He said: ¡°You are a human race, but you mingled with ghosts. Helping to be a tormentor, you ate your fellow clan. According to the law, you should go to h*ll and be sentenced for thousands of years.¡± Yue Qiushuang stared at him, spoke softly, and said the only thing he wanted to say every day while waiting for the other for one hundred and seventy years. ¡°Xie Lang, do you still recognize me? I¡¯m¡­ Ah Shuang.¡± There was a long silence on the high seat. Then, there was a suspicious whisper: ¡°Ah Shuang?¡± The robes and shadows covering the upper part dispersed, and the pale and thin man who looked like a scholar walked down. His gaze was a little confused as if he wanted to come closer to see Yue Qiu Shuang on the sin mirror platform. But before he arrived, there was a bronze chain behind him, which bound him so he couldn¡¯t move forward. Xie Jiuyou¡¯s confused expression gradually became hollow and indifferent. He said: ¡°I use my body to protect the netherworld, combined with the underworld, merging with the heavens. Now, the past has been forgotten, and the six emotions have no roots. I have sworn that there will be more ghost chaos, and the underworld will never be empty, so I will never be detached.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what you have to do with me. But as soon as you enter the underworld, you should abide by the underworld rules.¡± The sin mirror platform changed from real to virtual. Yue Qiushuang and Xie Jiuyou¡¯s eyes crossed. He opened his mouth, trying to say something. But thinking about it carefully, what he wanted to say had actually been said in the sentence just now. He had nothing to say. Yue Qiushuang originally thought that he would fall into h*ll to be tortured, but he didn¡¯t expect that after a long fall, there was a clean place with light, water, green grass, and blue sky in front of him when he opened his eyes again. There was no penalty and no bondage. There was a stone stele on the ground that recorded the origin of this space. This was the cornerstone of the underworld palace. It was also the place where Xie Jiuyou¡¯s cultivation base had arrived at Void Tracing Realm, able to open up space. The stone tablet recorded that Xie Jiuyou built this place for the person in his heart. When the person he loved¡¯s heart and soul died. The soul was missing, unclear where it was floating. Xie Jiuyou decided to rebuild the netherworld and vowed to subdue the netherworld with his body. He would restore Yin and Yang and calm the ghost chaos to be able to escape from the Three Realms, and then become immortal to bring his sweetheart back to life. Xie Jiuyou didn¡¯t know if this matter was successful, so he left a touch of thought in advance. If the soul of the person in his heart returned to the underworld and his mind perception recognized the person, they could be sent to this space without being controlled by the law of the underworld. Going around and around, recognized by Xie Jiuyou¡¯s heart, the soul that had returned to this point was still Yue Qiushuang. ¡°He wanted to become an immortal, and he swore a big oath, saying that ghost chaos will stop and that h*ll will not be empty, and he will never be detached. But becoming an immortal is not such an easy thing¡­ But then I thought, why not wait for him again since I have already waited for him for so long.¡± The water ghost¡¯s voice was already very calm as if he was not the one who was screaming and howling when he first got the paper crane. ¡°Thinking about it carefully, he was actually not wrong.¡± ¡°He just¡­he recognized the wrong person, and later, he forgot my original real name.¡± Shen Shu said: ¡°What Great Emperor Netherworld, King of H*ll¡ª¡ª isn¡¯t he just a glib thing, a blind idiot.¡± The water ghost didn¡¯t lift his head up this time. He stared at him and muttered in a low voice: ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°But this paper crane is for me, you can¡¯t take it back.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I know, I know.¡± Ye Yunlan suddenly said: ¡°Since it is the letter he left for you, won¡¯t you open it?¡± The water ghost was startled and looked towards the white paper crane in his hand. After he hesitated for a long time, he slowly unfolded the paper crane. The writer¡¯s handwriting was the same as that of the past. It was brilliant and sharp. It was just the first line of the letter that left him in a daze. For a while, he didn¡¯t know whether it was happiness or sorrow. ¡ª¡ªSee the words as if it were one¡¯s face, Ah Shuang. Recently, my mind has been in a trance, and I can¡¯t remember your original name. I only remember the word ¡°Ah Shuang¡±, which often lingers in my ears. I am also very familiar with it. Since I am in a hurry, I called it this way first, and I hope you don¡¯t take offense. After merging with the underworld, everything is not as good as I imagined. Although I have gained power beyond my own body, my five passions and six desires seem to be gradually fading. I don¡¯t remember many things in my life. The memories that have the deepest impact with me is the time with you, spending those three years on a ghost ship with you. A ghost caught me and I went to the boat. When I was tortured, I heard your sweet singing. After I woke up in a coma, I couldn¡¯t listen to it anymore. The singing is still in my heart¡­ Now that I think about it, if being tortured by meat and bones means I would be able to see you again, I would be willing to accept it. Ah Shuang, I hope you don¡¯t think I¡¯m long-winded, I want to write down the things that I still remember before the memory fades away. Recently I am always scared and always thinking, if I become immortal, but forget you, then what should I do? Later, I thought about it and felt that even if I became an immortal, I would never forget you. If I had forgotten you, I would naturally not become an immortal. Thinking like this, I no longer worry about it. Yes, Ah Shuang, when I escaped from the ghost ship and found a sea bead while diving deep into the sea, I said that I would polish it into jewelry and wear it for you when I marry you. It¡¯s just that when you were seriously ill, we hurriedly got married, and we forgot about it for a while. Later, I was alone in closed-door training and remembered that I had finished polishing it. I remember Ah Shuang told me that what you want most in your life is freedom. If your soul returns to the underworld, although there is a place I set up to live temporarily, you will still be a little cramped while coming. There is my mark on this hairpin, so you can walk through the underworld at will, share the authority of the underworld with me, and be the master of the underworld together. Although there is not much scenery in this mansion, there are all kinds of illusions my mind formed. It should be sufficient to entertain you¡­ The handwriting on the letter suddenly began to mess up. It seemed like it was written by a person while half asleep. And the last line that could be faintly recognizable was: Ah Shuang, I miss you very much. A hairpin was already lying quietly on the water ghost¡¯s hand when the paper crane unfolded. It was made of ebony, with a faint blue bead embedded in the front end, which gave off a moving light as the light flowed. It seemed that others had often rubbed the hairpin. There was already a layer of oily and smooth coating on the surface that made it as beautiful as jade. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Ye Yunlan suddenly said. Water ghost: ¡°I just suddenly knew that he was waiting for me.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°His spirit has disappeared. Do you want to continue waiting?¡± Water ghost: ¡°No longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to find him myself.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Now that h*ll is empty, and reincarnation has been re-established, his spirit, though dissipated, has not yet broken from life. If you rush this time cycle, you might be able to see him.¡± The water ghost laughed, ¡°Yes. I need to see him.¡± For a moment, he calmed his emotions and said to Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu: ¡°Right, are you strangers who strayed into the underworld?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Yes. ¡± Water ghost: ¡°Thank you for sending the paper crane and being willing to listen to me telling such a boring story. If you want to go out, I can send you a ride.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded, then said: ¡°Then please send us to the third level of the Secret Realm.¡± The water ghost rubbed the hairpin in his hand and said: ¡°Okay.¡± He raised his hand and pointed, then there was an illusion of a light door behind Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan and Shen Shumai stepped forward. Halfway through, Ye Yunlan turned around and saw an imaginary spot of light emerging from the water ghost. The other party slowly came ashore from the water. The bloody clothes on his body and the heavy makeup on his face fluttered with the light spots, and he could vaguely see his slender figure dressed in blue clothes. That ebony hairpin lifted up the other party¡¯s black hair. His face was so beautiful that it was difficult to distinguish between genders. He had a pair of gentle eyes. Yue Qiushuang waved at them, and his figure became more and more transparent. ¡°Goodbye.¡± CH 81 Chapter 81 Choice The two passed through the Gate of Light and walked into a gloriously blurred passage. The boundary between illusion and reality was unclear in the passage. It was as if a lot of scenery and a long time were passing by. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t speak of what he was thinking of. Suddenly, he heard Shen Shu say: ¡°Master is still thinking about what you just heard?¡± Ye Yunlan said: ¡°En, it¡¯s just a little pitiful.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°What is pitiful?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°It¡¯s pitiful for those who are sentimental but have to experience the hardships. Them not marrying in the end was an accident that arose from many causes.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Since Master said they are sentimental, then I will admit that they have affection for each other for the time being. But in my opinion, the love between them may not be too deep. Especially the guy in the underworld palace.¡± Ye Yunlan turned his head slightly, ¡°Why do you think so?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°If my heart is with a person, as long as I¡¯m not dead, I will protect them entirely. Whoever dares to hurt him, disgrace him, must first step over my body. No matter what, I would never leave him aside, let alone say all that empty talk, then have him wait for a lifetime.¡± ¡°Also,¡± Shen Shu turned his head and stared at Ye Yunlan, ¡°The one I like, even if they turn to ashes, I won¡¯t mistake them.¡± He didn¡¯t know why, but when he met his eyes, Ye Yunlan felt a tremor in his heart. He was silent for a while, then whispered: ¡°There are always too many mishaps in this world and forever departures. There are always things in the world that manpower and effort cannot counter.¡± He seemed to think of something, then stopped, then spoke again. ¡°¡­And in this world, just being willing to die for someone doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s love. Also, not just empty words would make a person wait for a lifetime.¡± The passage came to an end when they were speaking. Ye Yunlan stepped out. The colorful scenes around disappeared, and the surroundings returned to night again. The light of the red moon in the high sky shone down, and they were in a place with a lot of stone steles. Wanbei Forest. (forest of a thousand stone tablets) This place¡¯s name appeared in Ye Yunlan¡¯s mind. There were three levels in the Netherworld Secret Realm. The first level had endless illusions, the second level was an unpredictable space of calamity, and the third level was where various ancient tomb treasures were deposited. He followed the Sky Sect cultivators into the secret realm in his previous life. Although the cultivators would disperse as soon as they entered the secret realm, the dispersion¡¯s distance wasn¡¯t very far. They would quickly gather as they traveled forward. The danger in the Netherworld Secret Realm was unpredictable, and having more people to take care of each other could also allow them to move forward faster. But in this world, he and Shen Shu separated from the others and accidentally broke into the secret realm¡¯s core space. They got help from another and greatly saved time to allow them to cross the secret realm¡¯s second space directly. Wanbei Forest -the entrance to the Netherworld Secret Realm¡¯s third level- was in front of them now. It was also where Rong Ran told the sect disciples to gather while they were outside the secret realm. Wanbei Forest was a burial site. Ye Yunlan walked to a stone tablet and saw the mottled and blurred writing on it: Que Qing Sect, Xie Lin, a cultivator in the later stages of Demi-God. Once entered a ghost dwelling alone and murdered three thousand ghosts. He died during ghost chaos at the age of 329. The cultivators of the Demi-god stage could be regarded as a great power wherever they were outside. The Inheritance Cave establishment would attract who knew how many cultivators to fight for it, but only a few lines of words here would sum up their whole life. He had seen it in rows. There were countless similar stone monuments. People were ants in the great catastrophe. It was the case for the ghost chaos four thousand years ago, and the same was true for the catastrophe two hundred years later. However, none of these had anything to do with him anymore. Perhaps it was because of the wind in the burial ground, but it felt a little lonely when Ye Yunlan stood in front of the monument. Shen Shu, who was next to him: ¡°Master, I thought about what you said before, but I still don¡¯t understand. You said that liking someone doesn¡¯t mean they have to die for him? Then, if you truly have to decide one to live, how would Master decide?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment: ¡°Either protect him and live with him, or accompany him to die with him.¡± Shen Shu smiled: ¡°So Master doesn¡¯t want to be alone, but likes to live and die with the one they love. Disciple will remember this.¡± Suddenly, there was a noisy voice in the distance. Rong Ran was wandering in the secret realm. A vast group of Sky Sect disciples was behind him. A person next to him was talking to him: ¡°This time, it¡¯s really thanks to Senior Brother Rong who led the way that we were able to avoid that storm of wind and fire and prevent casualties. It really makes sense that the Sect Master allowed Senior Brother Rong to be the leader of the Netherworld Secret Realm journey.¡± Another disciple: ¡°I think we should be the ones who have reached the third level of the secret realm the quickest with the journey being so smooth this time. I heard there are treasures everywhere here. If the harvest is abundant, everything is to the credit of Senior Brother Rong!¡± Rong Ran was flattered and said with a smile: ¡°But it¡¯s my duty. Junior Brother Lin, Junior Brother Zhao, and everyone else are only exaggerating. Since we have arrived first at the third level, we should take a quick rest at Wanbei Forest for a while to wait for the rest of the sect brothers to meet up. Then, we could explore the buried treasure of the third layer together. Be sure to prepare for the actual treasure hunt for success and retreat.¡± Everyone responded: ¡°We will follow Senior Brother¡¯s instructions.¡± Rong Ran nodded, then said: ¡°We moved too fast. I¡¯m afraid that no cultivators would¡¯ve set foot on the third level of this secret realm. When you are exploring, you still need to be alert to the wind and grass around you¡­¡± Suddenly, a disciple interrupted his voice. ¡°Senior Brother, there seems to be someone over there!¡± A stiff smile appeared on Rong Yan¡¯s face before he had returned to his original appearance instantly. He was slightly surprised. ¡°Oh? Who is it? Who could pass the second level test so quickly to have reached this place?¡± Suddenly, he felt the Hehuan Gu beat, the one that he raised in his heart. After two times, it caused distressing pain. Rong Ran had become accustomed to it in these years. He kept smiling and looked in the direction the disciple was pointing at, then he saw it at a glance. He saw the other party¡¯s face that made him nostalgic and jealous, dressed in white. ¡°Ah Lan?¡± Ye Yunlan also saw the person was coming but frowned. In the Netherworld Secret Realm this time, he just wanted to take the soul-attracting flower away as soon as possible and didn¡¯t want to start anything else to complicate the issue. What¡¯s more, he had broken apart with Rong Ran completely after the Fengting Pavillion incident, so he only glanced at him and turned around. But Rong Ran walked over quickly, ¡°Junior Brother Ye, I am really surprised to see you on the third floor of the Secret Realm without any problems. Let¡¯s plan to work together to explore the secret realm now that most of our Sky Sect disciples have gathered here. Junior Brother Ye and Martial Nephew Shen are also our Sky Sect disciples. It¡¯s better to be with us and take care of each other.¡± Ye Yunlan turned around and said: ¡°I have something important, I need to go first.¡± Rong Ran stared at his face. He used his spiritual power to soothe the Hehuan Gu in his heart, smiled, and said: ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know what the important thing is, maybe I can help.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°No need.¡± Rong Ran suddenly showed a somewhat wounded look when he heard this, ¡°I know what happened before made Junior Brother angry, but that matter has passed. It has been so many years, and Senior Brother has already apologized to you. Why still be bothered to this day? In the secret realm, us Sky Sect disciples should unite.¡± When they heard about the incident between Rong Ran and Ye Yunlan in Fengting Pavilion, the Sky Sect disciples only knew that the two had fallen out and didn¡¯t know the details. They only heard that Rong Ran took care of Ye Yunlan everywhere in the past, and they felt a little unbearable when they saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s refusal several times and Rong Ran¡¯s injured expression. Next to Rong Ran, another disciple said out loud: ¡°Yes, the secret realm is dangerous, and we need to unite. Not to mention, we obviously discussed prior that us disciples would gather together in the third level. How could you be the lone exception?¡± Another also persuaded: ¡°Junior Brother Ye, you have wounds, and your cultivation is useless. We all know this. With your body, you shouldn¡¯t have come to the secret realm, but since you¡¯re here, we also want to be able to do our best to help you.¡± Everybody spoke at once. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t like the noise of people, and he felt a slight pain in his head. Shen Shu stepped forward, ¡°I will take care of Master¡¯s injury. There is no need to bother you.¡± He gave a warning glance to Rong Ran, who wore a white outfit that resembled Ye Yunlan¡¯s. It made it unpleasant to the eye: ¡°There are some dog skin plasters in this world who don¡¯t know their strength.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s face was still smiling, but his eyes were gloomy. If he hadn¡¯t accepted a disciple like Shen Shu, Ye Yunlan would not have left him so easily back then. He was really tired of Shen Shu. ¡ª¡ªIt was a perfect time to get rid of this obtrusive person in this Netherworld Secret Realm. By the way, he still had to find an opportunity to plant the Hehuan Gu into Ye Yunlan¡¯s body. Then, it wouldn¡¯t be a waste for him to nourish the Gu with his blood essence for several years while he endured the pain the worm caused. The bird that escaped from the cage he cast would eventually return to him. Rong Ran was thinking, but suddenly, the mountain shook, and the wind howled. Everyone¡¯s shocked exclamation sounded. Shen Shu subconsciously took Ye Yunlan into his arms. The person in his arms was tall and thin with a cold fragrance. Rong Ran staggered beside him when he tried to keep his balance in the vibration. When he looked at the two, Master and Disciple cuddled together, the expression on his face was a little distorted. He saw a faint light rise into the sky in the distance and formed a whirlpool in the sky. A strange ring seemed to come from far and near. Although the sound was extremely soft, it shook their minds. ¡°Treasures are being born at this time?¡± The disciples talked loudly as they waited for the ground to stop moving. Ye Yunlan pushed Shen Shu away and looked in the treasure¡¯s direction. The gloomy light was at a high mountain. Gray mist surrounded the mountaintop as if countless darkness were floating. That mountain was Fuyou Mountain- the most dangerous place in the Netherworld Secret Realm. It was also where death qi fathered the most and where the soul-attracting flower was likely to appear. And that treasure that was born was called Huan You Ling. In his previous life, when he was on Fuyou Mountain, he was slandered and framed due to the Huan You Ling. Everyone said that he killed the members of his same sect for greed for treasures. He couldn¡¯t dispute it, and he was eventually expelled from Sky Sect. Ye Yunlan looked at the mountain with indifferent eyes. He didn¡¯t look at the noisy disciples around him and just said to Shen Shu. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± And at this moment, outside the Netherworld Secret Realm, in the Tianji Pavilion. Chen Weiyuan was sitting on a recliner with his cloak. His expression was indifferent. Next to him was a stone table with a flask, wine glasses, and a chessboard. And in front of him was a water mirror. The mirror reflected the scene in the secret realm. Only, the scene was rather narrow. It seemed to be through someone¡¯s eyes. The scene closely followed Ye Yunlan¡¯s figure not far away. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s gaze also followed that figure. He slowly rubbed the branch of a white blossom he held in his hand. At this moment, the fingertip moved slightly, and his hand held a petal. He put the petal in his mouth, then chewed it with the tips of his teeth. He took another sip from the wine glass on the table. He lifted his lips as he saw Ye Yunlan was walking towards Fuyou Mountain as if he was very happy. He smiled as if he was full of affection. His fingertips landed on the chessboard and pushed one of the white pieces forward one square. CH 82 Chapter 82 Climbing the Mountain Fuyou Mountain. Ye Yunlan had already arrived at the bottom of the mountain. As far as he could see, the mountain was a piece of graystone and terracotta, and there were a few dead maple trees scattered under the mountain. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go to the mountain road?¡± A group of Sky Sect disciples came here too, all looking up at this tall mountain. ¡°I just tried, but I can¡¯t ride my sword.¡± Someone said. ¡°Then how do we go up the mountain?¡± Everyone discussed. Rong Ran stood in front of the disciples, looking at Ye Yunlan, whose back was facing him from a few meters away. The sadness on his face was undiminished, and it was pitiful to see. He sighed, then turned around. When everyone saw this, they stopped talking and waited for him to speak. These days, Rong Ran made judgments beneficial to the Sky Sect disciples, so he had accumulated a deep reputation without knowing it. Rong Ran smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, let¡¯s spread out and observe.¡± He walked to a secluded place and took out an ancient scroll to take a closer look. He had successfully led his disciples to the third floor quickly thanks to this map Chen Weiyuan gave him. It was strange to say, but this was the first time the Netherworld Secret Realm appeared. However, Chen Weiyuan could hand over such a detailed map to him. Rong Ran was also suspicious at first. However, it wasn¡¯t surprising after he thought about Chen Weiyuan¡¯s title as the Pavilion Master of Tianji Pavilion. He saw that a cinnabar had drawn the dangerous place on the ancient scroll and a line of words added beside it: ¡°Yin and Yang change, the blood moon shifts, then it enters the mountain.¡± The blood moon shifts? Rong Ran raised his head and looked at the blood moon in the sky. This blood moon had been hanging in the sky ever since he entered the secret realm. If it really wanted to shift, it might need to be driven by manpower. But how could manpower shift the moon? He couldn¡¯t help but feel troubled. He looked at a person in the crowd. Chen Xianyu was staring at a figure in a daze. When he was often obscured by the disciples coming and going, he stood on his tiptoes and looked around. Rong Ran walked over, patted him on the shoulder, then said, ¡°Junior Brother Chen, do you have any good ideas?¡± ¡°Ah¡­cheap? What is cheap?¡± (sounds similar to gao jian, which is ¡°good ideas¡±) Chen Xianyu looked back dizzily. Next to him, Lin Xiaowan jumped up and knocked him on his head, ¡°Brother Rong asked what you have to say.¡± The corner of Rong Ran¡¯s mouth twitched, and he barely kept his smile. Chen Xianyu handed over this map to him on behalf of Chen Weiyuan. Naturally, the people of Tianji Pavilion were more proficient in the content of the astrological layout. Therefore, he patiently asked Chen Xianyu again. Chen Xianyu looked bitter after hearing this. He really wasn¡¯t interested in the things in the clan and the principles of astrology. What he knew was only learned half-heartedly. After thinking hard for a while, he said with difficulty, ¡°This, Yin and Yang change, the blood moon shifts¡­ maybe it¡¯s not talking about moving the moon with manpower, but to wait for the opportunity. In a day, there are two times when yin and yang change. One is midnight, the other is noon. But it seems that the yin and yang is night all day long¡­ Perhaps this refers to midnight?¡± ¡°It seems that there is some reasoning,¡± Rong Ran said, ¡°No, you said that it is forever night in this place, so how can there be twelve hours? If so, how can you tell?¡± ¡°This? Well¡­I just guessed casually.¡± Chen Xianyu scratched his head and smiled awkwardly. The smile on Rong Ran¡¯s face almost disappeared. He really couldn¡¯t figure out how Chen Weiyuan¡¯s younger brother could be like this. He reluctantly spat out: ¡°Well, Daoist Chen, think about it slowly. I¡¯ll go around to look first.¡± Then, he turned and walked away. Chen Xianyu didn¡¯t miss the contempt in Rong Ran¡¯s eyes just now. He squinted slightly. He also couldn¡¯t understand why his brother had to give the map to this person himself. And that extremely precious magic weapon¡­tsk. In the distance, Shen Shu was looking up at the mountains. He raised his hand to touch his chin, then suddenly smiled: ¡°Look carefully, this mountain doesn¡¯t seem to be very steep.¡± The almost vertical rock wall reflected in Ye Yunlan¡¯s pupils. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Do you want to climb up?¡± Shen Shu nodded: ¡°I want to climb with Master on my back.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Inappropriate.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Why inappropriate?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Use your brain to think about why this mountain cannot be climbed.¡± In the distance, a strong Sky Sect disciple took off his robe, moved his fists and feet, then grabbed the exposed rock with a pair of iron palms. He wanted to climb the rock. Unexpectedly, the mountain seemed to have life. The man had just climbed a few feet when the rock he was holding softened strangely. The man screamed and fell straight down, and his limbs made a big bang when he fell. Shen Shu glanced at Ye Yunlan and sighed with pity upon seeing this. ¡°Then what should we do? If we don¡¯t go up the mountain road, we can¡¯t go up to the top of the mountain.¡± He said, ¡°Since Master is here, aren¡¯t you also interested in the treasure on the top of the mountain?¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head, ¡°The treasure, we can have them fight for it, you just follow me.¡± Shen Shu curled his lips and said, ¡°Obviously.¡± Ye Yunlan was thinking about the way of climbing Fuyou Mountain in his memory. Although he wasn¡¯t interested in the treasure that caused countless disputes, the soul-attracting flower was born in a place of death. The gathering of yin at the top of the mountain was the best place for this thing to grow. It was just that for some reason, he remembered everything in his previous life very clearly, but he felt a little lost after a long time. After thinking hard for a while, he remembered how the only way up the mountain was opened. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Just stop and don¡¯t move.¡± Shen Shu nodded obediently, then raised his eyelashes to look at him. ¡°Submerge your qi to your core and contemplate the yin and yang.¡± Shen Shu: ¡± Contemplate yin and yang?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Heaven and earth, sun and moon, day and night, cold and heat, movement and stillness, life and death, all are yin and yang.¡± Shen Shu did as told. Ye Yunlan: ¡°How do you feel?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Not much. My inner qi seems a bit sluggish.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Is that so?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master, can I move?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Come here.¡± Shen Shu walked over but was caught off guard by Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand and was walked a few steps to the side. ¡°Try again.¡± Ye Yunlan said. Shen Shu guessed what Ye Yunlan was going to do, so he felt it carefully, then said: ¡°It¡¯s better than before. But the qi is still a little awkward when moving to Xuanji, zigong, yunmen, Tianxi, and hunmen.¡± Ye Yunlan pondered for a moment, then took him to walk a few more steps. Shen Shu leaned on him happily. After standing still, Ye Yunlan asked him about what he felt again, and Shen Shu did as before. After several attempts, the two stood still in one place. Ye Yunlan: ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± Shen Shu suddenly clapped his hands. ¡°Master has a profound knowledge of yin and yang techniques. Disciple is very impressed.¡± Ye Yunlan gave him a surprised look, ¡°You know what Master is doing?¡± Shen Shu smiled, ¡°Master¡¯s spiritual power cannot be used, so Disciple¡¯s body measured the yin and yang. A cultivator communicates with the world, so there are reflections in the body. Thus, it can be calculated based on it. I wonder if Disciple¡¯s body was useful for Master just now?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Not bad?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Then Master can borrow more in the future.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°?¡± He didn¡¯t pay attention to Shen Shu¡¯s words anymore and instead pulled out Queying and plugged it in where Shen Shu stood still. Shen Shu only felt that the sword qi chilled the center of his legs. He couldn¡¯t help but jump a step back, ¡°Master?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer. When he looked at the sky, he saw that the red moon had become extremely bright. It also swelled and rounded a lot, then moved aside two inches. A beam of red light shone down on the sword, then reflected on the mountain wall. There was the rumbling sound of the mountain shaking, then the scarlet mountain wall separated to two sides, revealing a mountain road in the middle. The mountain road went straight up. It was unclear how many steps there were, and red maple leaves covered some steps. A vast and dark area was at the end. Seeing this abnormality, many Sky Sect disciples gathered around. Shen Shu: ¡°Would you like to go up the mountain?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Let¡¯s go up.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°The mountain is high and far away. Master is still ill, so why don¡¯t I come to carry you.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­No need.¡± Shen Shu sighed again disappointedly. Ye Yunlan pulled up Queying from the ground, put it back into the sheath, then walked towards the mountain road. But he saw Rong Ran walking over hurriedly, leading a group of disciples behind him. He wiped his forehead¡¯s fine sweat, smiled, and said: ¡°We looked around on the mountain road and failed. How was Junior Brother so quick to find this road? This has saved us a lot of effort.¡± Then he said: ¡°Can Junior Brother¡¯s body support this long road? If you are tired, don¡¯t force it. It¡¯s not just me; everyone in the same sect is very worried about your body.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer. Shen Shu glanced at the person diagonally, ¡°Why do we need to tell you? Master is sick, but I keep hearing a fly chattering and giving us a headache. If you really care about Master¡¯s body, can I trouble you to run a little further away?¡± Ye Yunlan listened, nodded, and said expressionlessly: ¡°I do have a headache.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s fingertips trembled, and his teeth gnashed together. Although there were disciples around listening, he had no face to stay beside them, so he had to step back to give a little distance. He touched the palm of his left chest, and the creeping creature in it calmed his heart a bit. He remembered the magical artifact Chen Weiyuan had given him, and he slowly sneered as he watched Shen Shu. The mountain road wasn¡¯t peaceful. Sometimes, the wind blew by, and the maple leaves all over the ground would swirl and flutter in the sky. The strange thing was that the wind was blowing from the top of the mountain, faintly passing through people¡¯s ears, like a ghost screaming. Shen Shu: ¡°Master, I¡¯m a little cold. Are you cold?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s face was icy white. He looked at the upper steps with a solemn expression. The quiet mountain breeze lifted his snow-white robe, and he turned his head and said to Shen Shu: ¡°You stand behind Master. Follow me closely, even half a step cannot go wrong.¡± Fuyou Mountain¡¯s mountain road was only a short distance ahead and was peaceful. Then from halfway up the mountain, killing formations began to fill the mountain road. One wrong step would cause one to be dragged into the killing formation, encountering unpredictable dangers. In his previous life, to go up the Fuyou Mountain Road, he didn¡¯t know how many cultivators were killed before they finally figured out the correct way to go. However, even if they calculated the road to safety, there were still some unpredictable dangers. He had followed the correct route to go up in his previous life. But suddenly, a huge boulder fell from the sky. He wasn¡¯t in the range where the boulder fell, but Rong Ran was there with him. He flew over and pushed away the other party to protect him. However, he deviated from the route and fell into a killing formation with Rong Ran. They were trapped in the killing formation for ten days and were once in a coma due to serious injuries. They broke out of the formation only after many difficulties, then reached the Fuyou Palace on the mountaintop. However, as soon as they entered the Fuyou Palace, angry disciples surrounded him, accusing him of planning and killing sect disciples to snatch the most precious treasure, as evidenced by the recording stone. The recording stone had recorded the image of him killing a sect disciple. And the only one who could prove that he was not there, Rong Ran, didn¡¯t speak for him. Ye Yunlan withdrew his thoughts, and his fingertips felt somewhat cold and stiff. He closed his eyes and carefully recalled the correct way up the mountain. Suddenly, he felt warm. Shen Shu had taken out his fox fur and put it on him. The other party¡¯s hand wrapped around his shoulder and helped him tie the string in front of him. He said: ¡°The wind is cold on the mountain. Master, be careful with your body.¡± He smiled and said, ¡°I will be behind Master. I can catch Master if the wind blows Master down. CH 83 Chapter 83 Homosexual The wind on the mountain was a bit strong. Ye Yunlan gathered the fox fur together, and his exhaled heat condensed into white smoke. The red maple leaves flew up in the wind, mixed with fine snow. The snow was black like something unknown had stained it. They had walked most of the mountain road. Suddenly, a strong wind blew from the top of the mountain, and Ye Yunlan¡¯s figure shook. Then, someone held his waist. Ye Yunlan¡¯s footsteps stiffened, and he whispered: ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s tone was a little triumphant and cheerful, ¡°Master, look, I was right just now. With me, you won¡¯t be blown down the mountain by the wind.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t a paper man. How could the wind blow him down the mountain? Then, he said: ¡°Let go.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t let go and said: ¡°The wind is still very strong. Wait a while first.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The more you go up, the stronger the wind will be. Is it possible that you want to support Master the entire way up the mountain?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°It¡¯s not impossible.¡± Ye Yunlan reprimanded: ¡°How can that be appropriate?¡± Shen Shu smiled when he heard this. He finally stopped making trouble and let go. ¡°Master, relax and continue walking. Disciple will follow behind.¡± The mountain road was dangerous, so Ye Yunlan decided not to deal with him. The two continued to walk up. Ye Yunlan paused when he suddenly heard a scream from behind, but he didn¡¯t look back. Shen Shu turned his head and glanced, only to see the red maple leaves full of blood on the mountain road. A group of disciples panicked. He smiled playfully, then opened his mouth, ¡°I think Master¡¯s accustomed to being benevolent. You willingly sacrificed your life to save people from the divine fire and saved many sect disciples once. This time, you¡¯re also leading them up the mountains to resolve their difficult situation.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I¡¯m not a kind person.¡± Blood covered the Ghost Raksha of his previous life. Every door and window he passed were closed tightly. Even though he had worshiped gods and Buddhas, had done many good deeds, and even ended up fighting the calamity with his own body, he would never become a good person the world praised. ¡°Since you want to go up the mountain to grab the treasure, you must be prepared to die at any time when you encounter danger.¡± Ye Yunlan said. Shen Shu: ¡°Master and I seem to be a little different in thinking.¡± After a pause, he said: ¡°But I think such Master is real and lovely.¡± Real was understandable, but why use cuteness to describe him? Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t talk anymore and get distracted. Look at the road.¡± Shen Shu answered yes in a lengthy manner. There was a ruckus behind the two. ¡°There must be something weird on this mountain road. Senior Brother Zhao Jing just took a step outside, and then, his person disappeared without a trace! Senior Brother Rong, do you know what happened?¡± A disciple anxiously asked Rong Ran. Rong Ran frowned. He recalled the ancient scroll¡¯s contents and thought about it. Finally, he thought of a clue from the mountain road that the rugged cinnabar had painted. ¡°This mountain road does have a problem. It seems that there are formation traps on it. You need to see it through before you can pass it smoothly.¡± ¡°What about Senior Brother Zhao? To find Senior Brother and fall into the formation¡­¡± That disciple¡¯s face became anxious. Rong Ran: ¡°Junior Brother Lin An, there is no rush. Let¡¯s look for him in the original spot to see if we can find the formation, and then we¡¯ll rescue your senior brother.¡± Although Lin An was anxious, he could only nod. There was a sharp-eyed person nearby and saw Ye Yunlan, the two, on the mountain road, and said: ¡°Since there is a problem with the mountain road, how can the two of them go so far? How can they be safe?¡± Rong Ran¡¯s eyes were deep, thought for a moment, then warmly said: ¡°This array trap is not everywhere? They may have just not touched the prohibition mechanism because of luck.¡± It was okay if he didn¡¯t say that. However, when he said that, someone said: ¡°No, I just remembered that the two of them also opened this mountain road. Senior Brother Rong, there aren¡¯t so many lucky coincidences in this world. Could it be that they have already gotten a map of the treasure and didn¡¯t tell us in advance? Instead, they wanted to go up the mountain to steal the treasures in advance?¡± Lin Xiaowan was listening and couldn¡¯t help but stand, saying: ¡°Nonsense! How could Junior Brother Ye be a greedy person for treasures? Have you forgotten the fact that he saved many of his sect disciples in the secret realm back then? The secret realm trip is dangerous this time, but we went about it too smoothly on this journey, so we gradually took it too lightly. Should we blame others if we accidentally fall into a dangerous situation?¡± Lin An: ¡°But what did Senior Brother Zhao do wrong? And we¡¯ve already said that Sky Sect disciples should help each other and work together, but the two seem to have nothing to do with us! No matter ¡­ no matter what, they should¡¯ve given us a warning in advance.¡± ¡°Junior Sister Lin, treasures are touching, and people¡¯s hearts are unpredictable. Junior Brother Ye saved you, but how long has it been since then? Maybe he didn¡¯t think about how saving people would cause him to be inattentive at that time,¡± said a disciple with a thin face and thin eyebrows next to her. Lu Qingshu was his name, and he had once admired Yin Ling- Lin Xiaowan¡¯s senior sister. However, Yin Ling had rejected him many times over many years. Later, Yin Ling¡¯s pursuit of Ye Yunlan became well known to all the Sky Sect disciples, and thus Lu Qingshu had long hated him. Lin Xiaowan flushed with anger: ¡°Lu Qingshu, you-!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t quarrel, everyone. Back then, everyone knew about the divine fire. I believe that Junior Brother Ye is definitely not the kind of person you mentioned.¡± But it was Rong Ran¡¯s voice that began to persuade him, ¡°It¡¯s just that the disciple he received under him is a bit cruel and untamed. He is uninhabited, values items, and isn¡¯t willing to let others get a share of the action. Back then, there were conflicts between Junior Brother Ye and me. Most of it was because of his disciple. Alas. After Junior Brother Ye was injured, his body was weak, and he needed his apprentice to take care of everything. Later, he had to rely on him in everything¡­¡± He didn¡¯t go on and instead sighed. Although Rong Ran was defending Ye Yunlan¡¯s reputation, Lin Xiaowan always felt something was wrong. But she didn¡¯t know much about that back then, so she could only stand there, feeling uncomfortable. Rong Ran had amassed a lot of deep impressions. Thus, everyone quickly listened to his words and condemned Shen Shu. Rong Ran¡¯s eyebrows were slightly bent. After listening for a moment, he clapped his hands and said: ¡°Okay, everyone, let¡¯s not fight anymore. Now that people are going up, we can¡¯t delay here. But we will still continue together as a sect, so Junior Brother Zhao needs to be saved. Hence, we might as well divide into two groups. One group will stay here to rescue Junior Brother Zhao, and the other group will go up the mountain to explore the road. Once the exploration of the danger on the mountain road finishes, they¡¯ll have someone return to lead everyone here up the mountain.¡± ¡°Senior Brother arranged it very well.¡± ¡°I agree¡± ¡°Agree.¡± ¡°Okay, that¡¯s that then.¡± After that, Rong Ran looked around, ¡°The mountain road is perilous, and the pathfinder¡¯s life and death are unpredictable. As a Senior Brother, I should be a pioneer. Who is willing to go with me up the mountain?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The disciples responded one after another. The loud sound traveled up the mountain, with a shadow rushing into Shen Shu¡¯s feet. He tilted his head and listened, then smiled suddenly: ¡°Master, in your opinion, do I have a natural disposition of being cruel and uninhabited?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Why ask this?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Just curious about how Master views me.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a while. ¡°You had a good personality when you were young.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°What about when I grew up?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°After that, you became noisier and noisier.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master doesn¡¯t like me being noisy?¡± Ye Yunlan remembered how he was alone after the Demon Lord¡¯s death in his previous life. He had once sat in the courtyard alone for three years. The flowers were full and blooming, and he could faintly hear the voices and noise of people outside the courtyard. They were clearly only separated by a wall, but they seemed to be so far, far away from himself. He said: ¡°It¡¯s all the same.¡± Shen Shu wondered, ¡°Everything is the same?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Lively or quiet, it¡¯s actually the same.¡± Shen Shu squinted slightly, staring at the back of the person in front of him. The thick snowy white fox fur draped over this man¡¯s thin body, and the sky was full of maple leaves. The frost and snow flew over, seeming to want to crush his teeth. It seemed to be further than before. He thought. Not quite. It wouldn¡¯t work if it continued like this. Could it be that his method of chasing a person was wrong? He thought for a while. Perhaps, this person liked to be more stimulated? He thought carefully. But he suddenly stopped after he saw Ye Yunlan take a step up. Shen Shu also stopped. He looked up and saw a platform a few meters away. There was a tree with a fruit on the platform. The fruit was like white jade. It looked like a peach, quite round and lovely. ¡°Zhaoyue fruit?¡± Ye Yunlan was a little surprised. According to legend, Zhaoyue fruit was only born in the land of eternal night and was very hard to find in the world. It had a jade-like color with a peach-like shape. It could prolong life for thousands of years when eaten. It was in the book ¡°Celestial Peaches of Immortality, Earth¡¯s Illuminating Moon.¡± He wasn¡¯t the first group to go up the mountain in his previous life, so others had already picked these precious treasures. Thus, he didn¡¯t expect to see them in this life. Shen Shu positively said: ¡°Master wants the fruit? I¡¯ll pick it.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The mountain road is dangerous, don¡¯t act rashly.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master, feel rest assured.¡± He listened to the sound, then Shen Shu threw his sword out skillfully. He first inserted the Afterglow sword into the fruit, then maneuvered it back with the fruit and reached out his hand. Shen Shu smiled, ¡°Master, what do you think of my sword skills?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­It could be regarded as nimble.¡± He said after a pause, ¡°Eating the fruit is good for your future cultivation.¡± Shen Shu disagreed. ¡°How can I eat it alone in front of Master? The mountain road is long. Master has been walking for so long and must already be thirsty. How about you come and eat some fruit to quench your thirst.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The Zhaoyue fruit can prolong your life. ¡± Shen Shu: ¡°But it is also a fruit that can quench thirst.¡± As he said this, he broke the white jade peach into two. He divided it in half, then passed it over Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to pick it up, but Shen Shu had already handed the fruit to his lips. After the spirit fruit opened, the spiritual energy¡¯s flesh would visibly dissipate with the naked eye. He didn¡¯t want to waste it, so he lowered his head and took a bite. The taste was very sweet and crisp. After he swallowed the chewed pulp, it turned into a warmth that flowed into his body. Even the wind, frost, and snow were no longer so cold. He took the fruit and ate it in small bites. Shen Shu also deliberately slowed down. After eating half a peach in his hand with gusto, he felt that the remaining half of the peach was particularly sweet and delicious. He suggested: ¡°Master, let¡¯s plant a peach tree in the yard after returning.¡± ¡± ¡­ When we have free time, we can take a look at the peach tree, brew some peach wine, and eat peaches. It sounds very good. What does Master think?¡± As he spoke, it seemed like he was having fun. He was in the Demonic Palace before, so he never had such a leisurely thought. In the demonic dao, there were only benefits and fighting. But now, he suddenly felt that this kind of life, perhaps ¡­ was also very good. Ye Yunlan bit down on the last bite of the peach, then said, ¡°En.¡± He looked at a distant place and said lightly: ¡°Very good.¡± CH 84 Chapter 84 Obsession The mountain road was calm, and the wind was calm. Several Sky Sect disciples were carefully walking up. Cold sweat calmly stained Rong Ran¡¯s face and slid down. Although he was righteous and awe-inspiring in front of his same sect members, he was actually uncertain in his heart. He could only follow the cinnabar guide on the ancient scroll and try to walk up the mountain road. One step, two steps, ten steps. There was nothing wrong with the guidelines on the ancient scroll. Rong Ran breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the two people¡¯s backs in the distance, he couldn¡¯t help gritting his teeth and speeding up their pace. But when he finally caught up after rushing for a long time, he looked up, panting, and saw the master and disciple standing there, eating peaches. They didn¡¯t even have the slightest intention of vying for first place. Him rushing to be first seemed like a joke. Behind, Lu Qingshu cynically laughed: ¡°So leisurely, it¡¯s like dangers aren¡¯t surrounding you. It looks like you really have mastered this mountain¡¯s magic ways. It really arouses envy from others.¡± ¡°Between the members of the same sect, we should mutually help each other. If they knew, why didn¡¯t they tell us anything?¡± Another disciple named Xue Yongzi angrily said. ¡°When there are treasures to be fought for and when difficulties are shared. That is the true righteousness between members of the same sect. If Senior Brother Zhao really had any mishaps, you guys won¡¯t be able to escape responsibility.¡± Rong Ran raised his hand and motioned them to be quiet with a gentle look, then walked up the mountain. When he passed by the two of them, he stopped. ¡°Junior Brother Zhao fell into the trap of formation without notice just now, and we don¡¯t know his life or death situation.¡± He said. Ye Yunlan took the silk handkerchief Shen Shu gave and wiped his fingertips as if he hadn¡¯t heard it. Rong Ran sighed and said in pain: ¡°You don¡¯t have any explanation? Ah Lan, I don¡¯t know when this started? When did you become so distant?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s hands paused. He raised his long eyelashes, then quietly looked at him. Rong Ran was startled. The world¡¯s brilliance seemed to fill those narrow and extremely beautiful eyes, but the mundane world couldn¡¯t reflect in the other¡¯s eyes at all. ¡ª¡ªAnd he was only floating dust. Rong Ran bit his lip and wanted to continue to say something, but he heard Ye Yunlan say: ¡°I thought you knew.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°I know what?¡± Ye Yunlan slowly wiped his fingertips and said: ¡°You have a map of the secret realm in your hand. You should know that this place is dangerous.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s pupils shrank upon hearing this. Chen Weiyuan asked Chen Xianyu to give him the secret map. He never told others about it, so the map was hiding in a jade slip, and he rarely showed it to others. How could Ye Yunlan know that he had a map? Ye Yunlan had already suspected that Rong Ran had a map in his hands. Rong Ran reached the third level much faster than in his previous life. Being able to catch up with him and Shen Shu without any problems this time only confirmed his guess. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You have a map, the method to go up the mountain, and you are the leader of this sect¡¯s disciples. How can I take the responsibility to remind the other disciples?¡± Rong Ran couldn¡¯t retort. Not noticing the reminder on the map was him not being cautious enough. And he hadn¡¯t told his other sect members he had a map in his hand. Thus, what Ye Yunlan said was his Achilles heel. He was careless. He had been with this person for many years. He didn¡¯t know that this person¡¯s cold and introverted temperament could allow him to speak like a blade. Behind them, the disciples have already looked at them suspiciously. Rong Ran¡¯s soft face showed a little pale color. He said: ¡°Junior Brother is joking. Before I set off, I deliberately checked many ancient books and learned some of the secrets in the secret realm to make this trip to the secret realm go smoothly. Because of this, I avoided a lot of dangers and arrived here smoothly. But to say that I have a map in my hand, Junior Brother is thinking too much.¡± He smiled bitterly and shook his head, ¡°Furthermore, this mountain road is rugged, the formations are dangerous, and there are countless traps. Senior Brother exhausted his mind to observe and calculate before he could barely avoid the danger. However, that has also reached the end. Fortunately, I caught up to Junior Brother in time. Junior Brother, as your Senior Brother, I only want to ask you for one thing. I hope that Junior Brother can lead the way to allow our sect members to not get hurt.¡± He leaned down and took a deep bow. Before Ye Yunlan nodded or shook his head, Rong Ran¡¯s body shook suddenly, as if he was losing his strength. ¡°Senior Brother Rong!¡± A disciple next to him hurriedly stepped forward to hold him and cast an angry gaze at Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu as if they were the ones who caused Rong Ran to fall. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, we all belong to the same sect, don¡¯t do too much.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, Senior Brother Rong is already like this. Are you going to slander him?¡± ¡°The one holding the map is you. You can be relaxed and comfortable, but we are always frightened. Are you happy?¡± Ye Yunlan had no expression on his face. Looking at those chattering disciples behind Rong Ran made him remember the noisy voices of the disciples when the group surrounded him on the slope after he was injured when he saved people. He also recalled a long time ago, when he rescued children from the battlefield raged by the demons, people would turn their backs to him and flee when he returned to the village. He didn¡¯t remember their expressions. But whether they were happy, grateful, hateful, or scared, it was actually the same. He returned the silk handkerchief in his hand to Shen Shu and said lightly: ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu whispered to his ear, saying: ¡°Master, I can drive them all away.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°No need.¡± This place was the Netherworld. It wasn¡¯t that it could be completely safe after knowing the route and telling the danger. If they wanted to follow, he didn¡¯t need to bother. The wind on the mountain was getting stronger. Dark and heavy snow gradually covered the red maple leaves, and the transparent wind became dark. Suddenly, an angry thunder sounded in the sky. Black lightning burst from the high-altitude clouds. Then they heard a miserable howl, and a disciple turned into a crisp, falling behind Rong Ran. Lu Qingshu, who was standing next to that disciple, panicked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t you know the correct way to go up the mountain? Junior Brother Qin obviously followed you? He walked on the road you had walked? How could he be electrocuted? Is it you not telling us the details?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer. He looked ahead. It was the last section of the mountain road, and it was also the most dangerous section. The mountaintop hidden in the dark mist had already revealed some of its boundaries. There was a huge and magnificent palace faintly hidden inside. A gloomy light was rushing straight into it, stirring out a vortex. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Shen Shu, pay attention to your observation. This place is dangerous and unpredictable. You need to be careful at all times.¡± Lu Qingshu¡¯s face was sometimes blue, then sometimes white. He was just about to swear. When Shen Shu suddenly drew his sword out of its sheath. The sword tip dragged behind him, and a cold light appeared in front of Lu Qingshu¡¯s eyes. He curled his lips and said, ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Lu Qingshu swallowed and shut his mouth. There seemed to be lightning faintly brewing in the sky. Rong Ran¡¯s fellow disciples were supporting him, and his face was pale now. He said: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect this time to find a path so dangerous. It is I who burdened you guys¡­ Junior Brother Qin has already died. If you are afraid, you should retreat down the mountain first to save your life¡­¡± The disciple who supported him: ¡°How can this be Senior Brother Rong¡¯s fault, it¡¯s obviously¡­¡± He gritted his teeth and didn¡¯t continue. He instead said: ¡°The Sky Sect disciples advance and retreat together. I will never leave Senior Brother Rong and run away. Senior Brother, don¡¯t say these things anymore!¡± Several disciples around also echoed that one after another. A pale smile appeared on Rong Ran¡¯s face. Before he could speak, another loud bang was in the sky. The people who had learned their lesson were immediately on guard, but they didn¡¯t expect that instead of the lightning that had just flashed past, several meteorites burning with raging flames would come flying! The mountain road was narrow and difficult to move in. Those disciples who had just agreed with him immediately retreated down the mountain. The meteorite fell extremely fast, and Rong Ran just reacted, slower by half a beat. The meteorite wrapped in the raging fire was in front of his eyes. The disciple next to him was so frightened that he was already stunned. Then, he felt Rong Ran grasp his shoulder, and a little hope appeared in his heart, ¡°Senior Brother¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t finished speaking when his body was pushed. Leveraging the strength of pushing the other person, Rong Ran rolled onto the grass next to the mountain road, leaving him in terrible sight of the nearby meteorite¡­ ¡°Ah¡ª¡ª¡± The scream lingered on Fuyou Mountain. Ye Yunlan was held in Shen Shu¡¯s arms, watching with cold eyes. This scene completely fell into his eyes. Perhaps it was a coincidence. When he and Rong Ran went up the mountain in his previous life, they also encountered these meteorites. It was him who flew over and threw Rong Ran down, which allowed the other party to escape. The meteorite engulfed in the raging fire brushed his back. His upper back was burned and cracked. The blood that came out was also burned and condensed as soon as it came out. Rong Ran¡¯s hand was holding his arm in panic. He had thought the relationship between them, which had been distant for several years, had been eased. But maybe, when Rong Ran had held his arm, maybe it was just like today, wanting to push him first in danger to escape. The surrounding scene suddenly became blurred. There was a feeling of falling. They had to evade the meteorite and deviate from the mountain road. Thus, they fell into a killing formation. Shen Shu hugged Ye Yunlan tightly and heard the wind roaring. The two fell into a maple leaf forest. Maple trees dozens of times taller than usual surrounded them. They couldn¡¯t see the top of them, only the maple leaves were constantly falling. One of them fell beside Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand, leaving behind a shallow bloodstain. Shen Shu¡¯s pupils shrank, seeing a jagged cold light on the edge of the maple leaf. He quickly stood up to protect Ye Yunlan, moving to avoid the falling leaves. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Be careful. This is an ancient killing formation. It hasn¡¯t fully formed yet, and it must be broken out of before it is formed.¡± As soon as his words fell, a strange wind rolled over his side, and the maple leaves that covered the ground danced along with them. It seemed very beautiful floating around them, but there was a hidden murderous intent. This wasn¡¯t something that dodging could solve. Shen Shu picked up Afterglow and blocked the maple leaves that they couldn¡¯t avoid. The soft maple leaf collided with the sharp blade, making a harsh sound of a metal collision. Ye Yunlan observed the distance between the surrounding maple trees to calculate the formation method with concentration. Suddenly, he heard a scream. ¡°My face!¡± Rong Ran was dressed in white and in a sorry state not far away. Maple leaves were cutting him, and he was waving his sword against the killing formation. Only, there was a scorched and cracked piece of skin on his left cheek. It was a wound from avoiding the meteorite earlier, making his soft and beautiful face very hideous. Just now, he caught a glimpse of himself on the reflection of his sword. Rong Ran had always taken care of his appearance. He always thought that his face could be a sharp blade and allow him to possess things he couldn¡¯t do with his abilities. Hiding Ye Yunlan back then was entirely out of his selfishness. He couldn¡¯t accept that his appearance was damaged. Even if only temporarily. He glanced at Ye Yunlan, who Shen Shu guarded not far away. The other party¡¯s occupied appearance was like a snow lotus on the top of a mountain. It seemed worldly and hard to surpass. There was a twisted and painful expression on his bloody face. However, his eyes were shining with obsessive yearning. He realized more than once that he was jealous of Ye Yunlan. Yet, he also loved him in this way. Foolishly and madly. CH 85 Chapter 85 Lean on his back He wanted him. The more painful the wound on his face was, the crazier Rong Ran¡¯s mood became. At the same time, the flesh on his chest wriggled strangely, slowly drilling out a little bulge at a place outsiders couldn¡¯t see. It seemed that something was about to break out. He stared at Ye Yunlan, with only his dreamy face in his eyes. Gradually, he couldn¡¯t even feel the pain on his face. He swung his long sword to resist the killing formation and moved toward the two of them. Ye Yunlan was calculating the position of the formation technique with his mind, trying to find the formation exit. Except for the first glance, he didn¡¯t give him half a glance. Only Shen Shu noticed. He squinted his eyes and blocked Rong Ran¡¯s sight, and then his gaze met Rong Ran¡¯s line of sight. Looking at the other party¡¯s bloody face and the scream just now, he suddenly tilted his head and said two words to Rong Ran with his mouth: Truly ugly. Rong Ran¡¯s complexion instantly distorted. ¡°Shen Shu, I am going to kill you!¡± Shen Shu had no idea about ??human beauty and ugliness. The monsters of the Demon Abyss were strange in shape, and the creatures of the world come and go. But in his opinion, there wasn¡¯t much difference. He was incompatible with everything on earth. He learned to appreciate some things in the time he spent with Ye Yunlan, but there weren¡¯t many. Before he met Ye Yunlan, he had only one feeling he knew of when he was born. A human¡¯s evil thoughts and pain. The more Rong Ran became angry, the more cheerful he was. Shen Shu lifted his lips. His narrow and long eyes filled with evil spirits. He didn¡¯t want to disturb Ye Yunlan¡¯s thinking, so he continued to lip-synch: Come then. Then he turned the sword in his hand, thinking of which angle to go down from to ruin Rong Ran¡¯s face even more thoroughly. Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice called him back. ¡°The killing array is mostly wood elemental. It starts from the Xungong, and Shengmen resides in Gengong, while the Gengong is in the north. Shen Shu, listen to what your Master says.¡± ¡°First go east for three steps, then turn southwest for six steps. Go north for seven steps, then turn east. The tree you¡¯ll be facing is where the Shengmen is.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Okay, Master.¡± He looked away from the prey, and his long sword moved in front of him. He moved forward according to Ye Yunlan¡¯s words. He arrived at the tree, and there was no path. Shen Shu said: ¡°Master, what should I do?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Use your sword.¡± Without hesitation, Shen Shu cut straight with the sword. The biting sword light penetrated the trunk of the giant tree and revealed a tree hole inside. The tree hole was a vast and distorted space. He jumped in with Ye Yunlan in his arms, hooked his lips again, and swung the sword backward casually. He disappeared into the tree hole with Ye Yunlan without looking back. And Rong Ran, who was moving closer to them, had quickened his pace as soon as he saw the two of them finding the Shengmen. Coincidentally, this made him appear right in front of the sword that Shen Shu slashed casually! The sinisterness of that sword was hard to describe. Rong Ran had never seen such powerful swordsmanship of evil intentions. It was as if he wanted to make it an inescapable net, pursuing one to the end of time, forever. His pupils contracted, then he raised his sword to resist, but the sword energy threw him away. The sharp sword intent passed through the original wound on the side of his cheek, turning his original flesh into a pool of mud. The blood couldn¡¯t stop flowing. The wound -that the flames first burned and now devastated by the raging sword intent- was even harder to heal. In other words, if the sword intent in the wound couldn¡¯t be removed, the wound on his face would be difficult to heal for a lifetime. It was only then that Rong Ran realized Shen Shu¡¯s intentions. He could hardly imagine how he would face the disciples outside with this face. No, there was that magic weapon¡­ A vicious cold light suddenly appeared in his eyes. ¡­ After entering the tree hole with Ye Yunlan in his arms, Shen Shu fell into a crypt. The crypt was dim, and it was difficult to see. Shen Shu lit a flame in the palm of his hand before he could see the surroundings. There were countless roads in the gloomy crypt. Shen Shu: ¡°Where should we go?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at Shen Shu¡¯s hands still around his waist, ¡°¡­ You let me go first.¡± Shen Shu seriously said: ¡°The crypt is dangerous, Master.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I have a sword in my hand.¡± In the killing formation of the Maple Leaf Forest, if it hadn¡¯t been for Shen Shu keeping him in his arms tightly from the beginning, and he was calculating and couldn¡¯t be distracted, he wouldn¡¯t have had let Shen Shu hold him for so long. Shen Shu: ¡°How can I let Master work?¡± Ye Yunlan finally realized that talking to Shen Shu was useless and directly raised his hand on Shen Shu¡¯s arm, ¡°Let go.¡± Shen Shu sighed and finally let him go. Ye Yunlan observed several forks in the road ahead, pondered for a moment, then pointed to a hole and said: ¡°Go here.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Is this the way to survive?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Not necessarily. But since this place is the Shengmen (life door) of the killing array, it would not be a dead end. This place is located below the killing array, extending in all directions. Perhaps what is connected above is not a killing array but the foundation stone of all the killing arrays on the mountain road. We are now probably in the stomach of Fuyou Mountain. According to my guess, this crypt has at least two exits. One on the mountain and the other under the mountain.¡± It wasn¡¯t just speculation. He and Rong Ran had been trapped in the crypt for many days before finally stepping out in his previous life. So he had already understood the situation in the crypt. And with his memory originally, he could remember the entire crypt¡¯s path clearly. But now that he thought about it, he didn¡¯t know why it was so vague. He couldn¡¯t figure out which side of the road was correct. Pointing his finger casually just now, it was just relying on his calculation and intuition about the corresponding position of the killing array. Shen Shu: ¡°Then the path Master chose is the road leading to the mountain exit?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Perhaps. Move first, then we¡¯ll talk about it.¡± The two stepped into the crypt. The deep corridor echoed their footsteps, and the flames in Shen Shu¡¯s palms flickered slightly, stretching the two figures on the cave wall. After walking for about a quarter of an hour, they walked to an open area with six openings in the front. Shen Shu stopped, ¡°Master, which road should I take now?¡± Ye Yunlan stood in front of the fork, contemplating. The firelight shone on the surroundings, and layers of stalactites and stones covered the corners. He stared at the shapes of those stalactites. He felt it was familiar, but there was no impression in his memory. In the swaying fire, the shadows of countless stalactites swayed in his field of vision. Perhaps, he was thinking too deeply. His head hurt suddenly, then the seven love needles that pierced his soul sent a burst of unbearable pain, even more than when he saw Chen Weiyuan before. It was much more. He snorted painfully, sweated coldly, then almost fell to the ground. Shen Shu sensed the strangeness and hurriedly supported him, ¡°Master, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did the injury get triggered again?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s long eyelashes kept trembling, and fine beads of sweat flowed down his forehead and over the end of his long eyelashes, falling like tears. He became better after a while before he said in a hoarse voice: ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± When he first dropped the seven emotion needles, he often felt this kind of pain. The old monk who gave him the acupuncture told him that it was because of his delusion, love, and hatred and that it would be better after a while. Later, as the old monk said, the pain slowly disappeared. Although the pain was no longer, his perception of the people around him seemed to be more and more distant. He seemed to be separated from the world on both sides of the strait, and a vast expanse of whiteness surrounded him with completely nothing. There was no way to go forward, but there was also nowhere for him to go backward. Suddenly, a hot temperature came from his back. It was Shen Shu pressing him into his embrace. The strength was very tough. He couldn¡¯t resist. With his back leaning on the young man¡¯s chest, sweat from the pain ran down his jaw. Shen Shu said: ¡°No matter what, let¡¯s take a break first, Master.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t bear to see you hurt.¡± CH 86 Chapter 86 Hug ¡°Okay.¡± Ye Yunlan said hoarsely when the pain in his soul eased away. ¡°We don¡¯t need to rest anymore. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± Shen Shu embraced him and put his head on his shoulders: ¡°I always think Master has something you¡¯re hiding from me.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Master is okay, don¡¯t overthink.¡± ¡°Always like this,¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°Master always seems to have many things hidden in his heart, but he never wants to talk to others about it. Am I so unworthy of Master¡¯s trust? It really makes Disciple sad.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t hear any sadness in Shen Shu¡¯s tone. He only felt the other party¡¯s warm breath spraying on his neck, and then there was a slight itching. His hand was resting on his waist; no moderation at all. Then he tore off his paws and walked to the second fork on the left. Shen Shu sighed and hurriedly followed. The two moved, one front and one back, in the dark. When they stepped into another slightly empty crypt, a sudden clatter sounded in their ears. Countless bats flew up and made strange and harsh sounds, enough to surprise people. Both of them had experienced countless things, so they quickly settled down and walked into the cave with unchanged faces. Shen Shu: ¡°There are bats. Seems like the exit isn¡¯t far.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at the turquoise pool that occupied most of the entire crypt, and that strange, familiar feeling rose again. He frowned, looked around, then found that if he wanted to reach the passage to the other side of the crypt, he had to walk through this pool first. Shen Shu actively proposed again: ¡°Why don¡¯t I carry Master and go over there.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Not appropriate. We don¡¯t know how deep the pool is and if it¡¯s dangerous.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°If Master wants to know, just find a good-hearted person to try.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Except you and me here, where are the others?¡± The flames flickered in Shen Shu¡¯s hand. The reflection on the soles of his feet was very long, winding backward. He said: ¡°Naturally, it isn¡¯t just you and me. There¡¯s a person who has been behind us for a long time.¡± He turned around. ¡°Am I right, good-hearted person?¡± There was a black shuttle behind and no movement. Shen Shu snorted coldly, then the Afterglow sword in his hand cut through the silence in the hole. His sword pointed to the darkness, ¡°If you don¡¯t come out again, the next sword will take your life.¡± A bewildered figure walked out of the darkness. Black hair scattered, blood covered his white clothes, and half of his soft face was bloody. Rong Ran was entirely unable to maintain the illusion of being gentle and polite that he usually had. Staring at Shen Shu with resentment, he was like a poisoned snake, ¡°What do you want?¡± Shen Shu said casually, ¡°Of course, it is for you to try the water out to see if there is any danger, good-hearted person.¡± He said it like it was inevitable and right, making that person angry. Rong Ran¡¯s complexion changed abruptly and said: ¡°Shen Shu, if someone knows that you¡¯re forcing your fellow sect members to explore this way, not only will your fellow sect brothers not let you go, but the commandment hall in the sect will never let you go!¡± ¡ª¡ªWhen he gets out, he must kill this kid without his corpse intact! Rong Ran thought bitterly. But before that, he must preserve his life first. So he turned his head to Ye Yunlan with a pleading expression on his face: ¡°Ah Lan, seeing that when you were young, you and your Senior Brother had relied on each other and that Senior Brother took you into the Dao Sect, you wouldn¡¯t let your disciple¡ª¡ª¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him indifferently and finally said one sentence. ¡°Rong Ran, I¡¯ve already paid off the favor.¡± He wouldn¡¯t have been driven out of the sect in such a terrible state in his past life if it wasn¡¯t for Rong Ran. Later, he never stepped into Sky Sect. The past disappeared like clouds and smoke. What happened to Rong Ran afterward? He didn¡¯t know. He only knew that the huge Sky Sect would collapse in the catastrophe in the end. And the sentiment that Rong Ran mentioned¡ª¡ª as early as when he was under the three thousand long steps of the sect, the other party¡¯s cold blade and blood-stained sight cut it to pieces. Rong Ran¡¯s complexion turned pale, ¡°Ah Lan, you can¡¯t¡ª¡ª!¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t bother to listen anymore. Raising his hand and sweeping with his sword energy, he swept Rong Ran into the pool. The icy water didn¡¯t pass over the top of the head. It seemed like it was dragging the person down with a huge amount of weight. Rong Ran channeled spiritual power to his whole body and finally resisted this force. Then he desperately swam upstream. When his head finally surfaced, his wet hair mixed with his fleshy face made him look like a monster crawling out of the water. Before he could take a breath, his ankle felt something slender. It was densely packed, and then he felt a sting of pain. Next, the pain made him wish he was dead, then gradual paralysis¡­ Rong Rang became aware of what happened and screamed: ¡°Snake! There are snakes!¡± But Rong Ran¡¯s struggles churned out the green lake surface beside the water waves, and countless circles of small ripples were spreading. ¡ª¡ªIt was countless, faint blue snakes. Ye Yunlan suddenly turned his head and looked at Shen Shu. Seeing him looking, Shen Shu tilted his head. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Master? Do you need me to save him?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Shen Shu, aren¡¯t you¡­ afraid of snakes?¡± He hadn¡¯t forgotten Shen Shu¡¯s reaction of retracting into his arms when he met a snake in the hot spring at Yanhui Peak¡¯s back mountain. Shen Shu told him that he was used as a demon puppet when he was a child. The people of the Demon Sect had refined him, and he was thrown into a snake cave with his stomach broken. He remembered clearly. Shen Shu was stunned. He didn¡¯t expect that his ¡°self¡± was still afraid of snakes. After all, there were many more terrifying things than snakes in Demon Abyss. But, he couldn¡¯t show anything out of the ordinary in front of Ye Yunlan. ¡°I¡¯m really scared; can Master hug me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips. ¡°Are you still a child?¡± Shen Shu blinked, showing a little bit of disappointment on his face. He lowered his eyes because of his grievance. ¡ª¡ªAlthough he was only pretending and didn¡¯t feel afraid or wronged, he didn¡¯t expect Ye Yunlan¡¯s response. Unexpectedly, someone embraced him the next moment. That embrace wasn¡¯t warm nor very generous. It just made him feel gentle. The cold fragrance on the other party¡¯s body seemed to come from the past. He faintly smelled something he recalled fondly, like a white flower in his dark life. Ye Yunlan raised his hand and rubbed his head. Unlike when he was younger, he was no longer taller than Shen Shu. When he leaned against Shen Shu while he hugged him, his cold, low-pitched voice slowly passed into Shen Shu¡¯s ears. ¡°So, is it better?¡± The author has something to say: Rong Ran: mmp (curse, a forbidden word in Sichuan dialect. = = something like ¡°your mother is a b****¡±) CH 87 Chapter 87 Bo Guang* * gleaming reflection of waves in sunlight ¡°¡­ It¡¯s better, Master.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s voice was a little hoarse. Ye Yunlan gave a soft ¡°en¡± and still made Shen Shu lean against him while looking at the pool. Rong Ran was still struggling. The tiny blue snakes gradually crawled over his body. Its hissing sound was creepy. His voice gradually became quieter, and his struggling limbs seemed to be stiff from poisoning. The small blue snake crawled all over his face like a maggot. Then, the snake dragged his entire body into the water. It was obviously a rather horrifying scene, but Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression was still very indifferent. There was no pleasure, restlessness, or fear. He just calmly narrated and analyzed: ¡°There are snakes in the pool, but they only stay in the water and will not leave the water. The snakes are poisonous, and even cultivators will be affected. Moreover, the pool is extremely deep, so wading in would be too rash and dangerous.¡± He watched the ripples in the pool return to their original stillness until he could no longer see the water snakes. He said to Shen Shu, ¡°You can raise your head.¡± Shen Shu raised his hand and held the skirt of his clothes. ¡°Master, I don¡¯t dare.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­ The snakes have already returned to the water.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I¡¯m still scared.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­¡± Didn¡¯t he already hug him just now? Ye Yunlan raised his hand, rubbed his eyebrows, then said, ¡°Follow me if you¡¯re afraid. Let¡¯s leave the pool for the time being.¡± Shen Shu finally withdrew from his arms, surprised: ¡°Why? We¡¯re about to find the exit. I am afraid of snakes, but with preparation, we can still pass¡­¡± ¡°Too dangerous. Besides¡­¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment. The turquoise pool in front of him quietly reflected in his pupils. For some reason, this pool of water brought him an inexplicable feeling of heart palpitations since the beginning. Even if he didn¡¯t have any means to pass here, he still felt unwilling to let Shen Shu set foot in it. ¡°There should be more than one exit to the cave. Let¡¯s find another way first.¡± He said. Shen Shu had always had no opinion on his decision. The two turned back the same way. And behind them, the deep cave also returned to its deathly calmness. It was unclear how long it took, but there was a sudden bright light from the bottom of the water. Then, a black hand, swollen and full of blood holes bitten by a poisonous snake, stretched out in the pool and firmly grasped the shore. ¡­ As Ye Yunlan expected, there wasn¡¯t only one exit from the cave. After taking a detour for another half an hour, the two felt the breeze coming from the exit. Following the wind¡¯s direction for a while, they vaguely saw a little sky light. The cave exit wasn¡¯t on the mountain road; they stepped out of the cave into a dark land. Dark clouds gathered in the sky. There was occasional lightning and thunder. Fuyou Palace was in the distance, but it was different from what they had just seen. When they were on the mountain road, they saw Fuyou Palace¡¯s front. But from where they were now, they saw Fuyou Palace¡¯s back. The black mud under their feet was thick, like the blood of countless people that were silenced. The pitch-black wind whirled past their bodies. There was a cliff not far from their right, and above the cliff was black mist. A dark flower was growing beside the cliff. Even though a dark screen covered this space everywhere, the blackness of the flower was completely different from the surrounding soil, dark clouds, and black fog. It was a kind of black that was pure to the extreme as if it could suck a human soul into it. But the flower¡¯s heart was the opposite; it was extremely pure white. Ye Yunlan skimmed through the ancient books in his mind and confirmed it almost instantly¡ªthis was the soul-attracting flower. As long as he had the soul-attracting flower, he could help Shen Shu resolve the puppet mark on his body. It was the ultimate goal of this trip! Persevering with Queying, Ye Yunlan immediately walked towards the cliff¡¯s edge. The black mist over the cliff surged like a living thing, revealing a filthy and unknown aura. Shen Shu next to him seemed to feel something and narrowed his eyes slightly. As if sensing the arrival of a living person, the black mist intensified, then it converged and formed scarlet eyes. Turning into a beast, it rushed toward the two of them. ¡°Be careful!¡± Shen Shu flew forward, his horizontal sword blocking the front of Ye Yunlan¡¯s body. While blocking the evil beast¡¯s attack, he looked at these monsters¡¯ appearances. That filthy, similar aura from underground made his overflowing hostility a little uncontrollable. His eyes were blood-red with murderous intent. Sure enough, he didn¡¯t make a mistake. It was a fog demon. A monster that only existed in the Demon Abyss. He thought of the nightmare he had seen in the secret realm¡¯s first layer. How could the monsters in the Demon Abyss appear here? It was totally unreasonable. The Demon Abyss was the deepest abyss in the world, the most filthy place in the world, where all worldly negative emotions and chaotic desires go. No one knew how deep the Demon Abyss was. As far as he knew, he was the only monster that had crawled out of the Demon Abyss for thousands of years. What¡¯s more, the Demon Abyss was at the junction of the Western Continent and Northern Territory. The Netherworld Secret Realm was between the Eastern Continent and Southern Xinjiang. Even if there were monsters that could crawl out of the bottomless abyss, how did they cross such a long distance to come here? Shen Shu took his Afterglow sword and slashed fiercely. However, after the black beast was cut in half by his sword light, it quickly closed up again, screamed at the two, then threw itself over. The sword light could only stop it for a short time. The fog demon¡¯s body could change between real and virtual. While dealing with the fog demon, ordinary attack methods were difficult to be effective. When he was in the Demon Abyss, he generally used his own power to swallow them directly. Not only was it clean and tidy, but he could also replenish himself. But in front of Ye Yunlan, he instinctively didn¡¯t want to do this. Moreover, it was uninhabited in the wild here. Once you did it, it would be inevitably exposed. Since he became the Demon Lord, it was the first time he cared about other people¡¯s opinions. It was indeed a bit strange to him. Perhaps, his ¡°self¡± was still slightly influencing it. There was no time for him to think about it. The black mist on the cliff surged more and more violently, turning into all kinds of monsters and evil beasts. Those monsters were so distorted and terrifying that they didn¡¯t look like they were from the human world, making them disgusting. In fact, the monsters transformed by the fog demon were based on the various monsters in the Demon Abyss. Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold and calm voice came into his ears. ¡°I will go and pick the flower by the cliff.¡± Shen Shu opened his eyes, which were about to be completely red instinctively, and said slowly. ¡°Disciple¡­ will protect Master.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You take care of yourself first.¡± He clenched Queying tightly, and the sword intent of nirvana radiated from his body. Then the dim sword light flashed across, and the sword light cut a dark monster in half. With the movement of his sword, all the pale and weakness on his body disappeared with the sword light. His pupils became as cold, sharp, and indestructible as the sword. Ye Yunlan rarely made a move. The use of sword intent consumed mental power, and consuming mental power would more or less arouse the spiritual veins in his body, making his body injury more and more severe. Even so, he was the only sword cultivator in the world who surpassed the immortalization realm for the sword. Even if there wasn¡¯t spiritual power, he wouldn¡¯t lose to any mortal cultivator in the world. The dark and disgusting ghosts screamed and attacked, then the sword light cut them back. Death intent covered Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword intent, actually causing the dissipated fog demon to slow down considerably. Ye Yunlan pursed his lips. If his cultivation base was still in his peak, he would flatten the entire black mist into completely dissipating under a single sword. There would be nothing left, needless to mention regeneration. He knew these monsters in front of him were fog demons. When the heavens and the earth faced the great catastrophe back then, a steady stream of monsters flooded in from the deep abyss and the gap between the heavens and the world. They squeezed the world into a river of blood and howled all over the field. The fog demon was just one of the lower-ranked ones. What puzzled him was that it was still far from the time of the Great Tribulation, so why would there be monsters here? Could it be that this was the original source of the Great Tribulation in two hundred years? That would be ridiculous. The Netherworld Secret Realm was where the underworld was. It was the place where the ghost chaos ended and the place where the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth ended four thousand years ago, but to have it be the place where another Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth began four thousand years later? Ye Yunlan slowly felt a trace of weirdness and sadness in his heart. Everything had nothing to do with him. He didn¡¯t want to think about it again! Holding the sword, he walked towards the edge of the cliff. A stone stele stood closer to the edge of the cliff. Seeing the stone stele clearly, Ye Yunlan clearly saw what it looked like under the cliff, and the tip of his pupil contracted slightly. ¡ª¡ªWhere was the cliff? It was clearly an abyss whose bottom couldn¡¯t be seen. And four words of blood were engraved on the stele. ¡°Infernal Purgatory.¡± The last layer of the eighteen layers of h*ll in the underworld. Infinite Purgatory. Ye Yunlan fixed his gaze on the four bloody words, and it took a long time to withdraw it slowly. For some reason, his heartbeat kept beating very violently. The Seven Love Needle in the depths of his soul was faintly painful. The Soul-Attracting Flower wasn¡¯t far away, only a few steps. Ye Yunlan settled down, clenched the sword in his hand, stepped forward, and wanted to bend over to pick it up. But when his fingertips were only half an inch away from the flowers, a vicious howl suddenly came from the black mist. A dark monster with an extremely large body and countless eyes emerged from the black mist. It had thousands of blood-red eyes, and as those eyes were turning towards Ye Yunlan, its huge legs pierced towards Ye Yunlan like an arrow. Ye Yunlan perceived the danger in the shadows, but he felt something holding his body down. He could no longer move. He instantly realized that he was careless. In this black fog, there wasn¡¯t only the fog demon hidden¡ªa mortal body would have difficulty getting rid of the evil power of the monsters for a while. Ye Yunlan thought quickly. The only plan now was to use a forbidden technique¡ª¡ªhe had written down the method of removing the puppet seal and placed it in his room to prevent accidents. As long as he obtained the soul-attracting flower, Shen Shu could go back and read the letter he left, and then he could also undo the puppet seal according to the method. In the letter, there was also his savings of all these years, and also things prepared for Shen Shu¡¯s future cultivation. He was ready for everything. He was also unafraid to pay the price. Ye Yunlan lowered his mind and wanted to perform the forbidden technique, but someone moved faster than him. It was Shen Shu. Shen Shu threw him to the ground. The monster¡¯s feet and limbs penetrated Shen Shu¡¯s shoulders, splashing blood, making him drenched. Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart trembled, and his eyebrows furrowed. After his limbs regained the ability to move a little, he decided to push the other party away and fight against the demon with countless eyes alone. But before he moved, he saw something black and filthy unfolding from behind the other party. It fluttered like it was dancing. The shadow was centered on the other party, frantically spreading around. Shen Shu looked down at him. His pupils were red as blood. Ye Yunlan suddenly opened his eyes wide. ¡­ The pain in his shoulder caused Shen Shu to frown. How long has he not felt such suffering? He couldn¡¯t remember. But it felt quite novel. The giant monster¡¯s sharp howling went into his ears. Shen Shu casually turned his head and raised his hand. The overwhelming shadows swept up instantly, counter-attacking the black mist and the monster with eyes all over his body. The monster waved its limbs and twisted wildly, trying to attack those shadows, but couldn¡¯t tear it apart at all. And Shen Shu wasn¡¯t interested in watching it struggle anymore, but he slowly closed his raised palms. The huge shadow enveloped the monster like a net. Then, it clenched tightly. With a bang, the monster let out a terrible scream for the last time, and its body was squeezed and exploded like a balloon. However, the scattered limbs didn¡¯t fall back into the abyss. Instead, the greedy shadows wrapped them up and swallowed them. Countless huge black shadows stretched out from behind Shen Shu and penetrated the black mist. Like branches sucking human blood, it plunged deeply into their favorite food, swallowing them greedily. At this moment, Shen Shu was more like a monster than a monster. He manipulated the shadows and swept through the messy battlefield. He only withdrew his hand when there was no more threat. The mental energy consumption of manipulating a huge power and the dizziness caused by the excessive blood loss made his consciousness blur for a moment. After all, this body was still lower in cultivation than him previously. He thought this, then his eyebrows jumped. He felt the traces of another consciousness in his body returning. He gently tsked. How could it be at this time? He looked back. He wanted to look at the person behind him again. He guessed that he might see that person¡¯s look of horror, just like many people who saw him in the demonic palace before. But from the bottom of my heart, he faintly felt that Ye Yunlan was different. He thought, if it was Ye Yunlan, maybe he wouldn¡¯t show a look of fear but would only remain indifferent and calm as always. His expression would be unwavering. At most, his Master would expel him. Thinking about it this way, he still felt happy. Only after turning his head did he find his Master¡¯s face, which had always been cold and indifferent, showing an expression that he had never seen before. Ye Yunlan¡¯s narrow and beautiful eyes widened, and his cold pupils trembled slightly, as if in disbelief and at a loss. It was as if the lake water, frozen for many years, was shattered in one fell swoop, and sparkling waves came out unexpectedly. CH 88 Chapter 88 Wet Kiss Ye Yunlan stared blankly at the familiar darkness covering the sky and the sun. Shen Shu¡¯s face gradually overlapped with the previous man¡¯s face, a hideous ghostly face from long ago. The pair of eyes were as red as blood as if piled up with countless corpses. His eyes seemed to pass over hundreds of years and years to return to him again. He thought, how could this be so? How could his disciple be the same person as the Demon Lord? But he suddenly recalled that he had experienced many familiar feelings from Shen Shu in recent days. At the time, he thought it was just his own illusion. ¡­ But it turned out that it was not an illusion. The black smoke dangled in his pupils. Dark clouds and thunder covered the sky. He suddenly fell into a trance, not knowing where he was. The patter of rain sounded in his ears as if he had returned to that rainy night with lightning and thunder from a long time ago. He watched that person stand in front of him, gradually annihilated in the tribulation of heaven. A huge thunder blasted in his ears. His fingers trembled, and he tried to curl them up, but they were held and fastened. The man lowered his head and brushed his fingers across the ends of his eyes. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± the other party whispered, ¡°Master.¡± The phrase ¡°Master¡± pulled him back from the boundary between illusion and reality. The continuous rain in his ears disappeared. He was still on the side of the abyss, his disciple protecting him. Shen Shu observed his expression and whispered: ¡°If Master doesn¡¯t like these things, Disciple will put them away immediately as long as you don¡¯t hurt your body due to anger. If Master simply doesn¡¯t want to see me¡­ At least let me protect you out of the secret realm so that you are safe and sound.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t speak. His expression was still a bit dazed. A layer of mist seemed to cover his eyes, and the usual surface¡¯s ice-coldness and indifference melted in this layer of mist, making him show an extremely fragile, fragmented, and beautiful look. Shen Shu didn¡¯t understand the beauty and ugliness of the world. But he couldn¡¯t help but lower his body and kiss Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes. Tears turned out to be tart, he thought. It was bitter and tart. But he still licked and kissed it inch by inch. The kiss lingered over his eyelids, to his cheeks, then to his thin, soft lips. Ye Yunlan seemed to react finally. He hurriedly turned his head to avoid his touch with a thin blush on his cheeks. His long eyelashes trembled. The hand that he held tried to shake him off, but his fingers clasped it tighter. Shen Shu was a little surprised. His master didn¡¯t scold him immediately. Incredible. Not only did he not scold him immediately, but he also showed such a lovely appearance. The demon¡¯s desire always had to win an inch, and he would want a mile, not knowing how to be satisfied. Shen Shu supported his body and looked down at the person under him, wanting to kiss and tease him again. However, the beating of his heart became more and more violent. Was the original body¡¯s consciousness about to recover? He hooked his lips wickedly, then suddenly he reached out his hand to clasp Ye Yunlan¡¯s chin and kissed him again. This kiss was completely different from the gentle touch just then. It was like a hungry beast preying. As soon as it grabbed its prey, it had to go deep into it and attack until it occupied it completely. ¡°Mm¡­¡± The bodily fluid slid down the corners of the two¡¯s lips. Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks were steaming like a pink peach. He wanted to struggle, but the restrained posture made it difficult for him to get up. The trance made it even harder. He missed the best opportunity to escape. When this long and predatory kiss was over, Ye Yunlan pushed Shen Shu away, turning his head and sitting aside, panting. He raised his sleeves and wiped the water stains on his lips, but his hands were trembling and weak. The anger that should¡¯ve arisen had nowhere to converge because of the newly-learned fact. His snow-white sleeve looked a little red. He realized that the other party had bitten his lips. He was really a¡­ sinful disciple. He pursed his lips, feeling a tingling sensation. He suddenly didn¡¯t know how to treat Shen Shu. ¡ª¡ªHow should he treat this disciple who liked him and was the closest person to him in his previous life? The black wind was blowing on the edge of the cliff. The surrounding black fog had disappeared without a trace. The barren land spread to the distance, and the Fuyou Palace stood at the end of his sight. The surroundings were silent. Suddenly, a black shadow snaked over and stopped beside him. The shadow seemed to hesitate for a while before it straightened up from the ground and lightly touched his wrist again, showing a cautious look. The thing on his hand was dark and soft, cold and slimy. In Ye Yunlan¡¯s view, it was a bit d*mn familiar. Shen Shu¡¯s somewhat disturbed voice came over. ¡°Master.¡± ¡°I hid things from you before, I, I didn¡¯t mean it. I was just¡­¡± Ye Yunlan took a deep breath and turned his head. There was still a slight blush on his cheeks that hadn¡¯t faded. His lips were beautiful, and his complexion was extremely gorgeous. Although his eyes had returned to the coldness of the past, his eyes were still a little red. Shen Shu couldn¡¯t breathe. Especially when Shen Shu saw the bloody wound on Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips, he scolded his other unreliable self from the bottom of his heart. Before that, because the Demon Lord¡¯s memory in his mind was too excessive, he deliberately locked the memory in the depths of his soul to protect himself from too much influence. He had only taken it out when he needed it. Nevertheless, he still tasted losing himself in it and even produced a ¡°self¡± the Demon Lord¡¯s memory dominated. And the momentary loss of mind in the previous illusion gave that ¡°self¡± a chance to take advantage. He watched that fellow, following along the whole way, approaching Master in various ways and taking advantage. Already, anger was suffocating him. Finally regaining his body, he faced such an embarrassing scene. Master¡¯s anger¡­ Shen Shu lowered his head and didn¡¯t dare look at Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes. He continued to squat and apologize but suddenly heard Ye Yunlan¡¯s hoarse voice cut off his words. ¡°No need to continue talking.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s mood suddenly tightened, lest Master say something to drive him out of his teaching. Although this scene had appeared countless times in his dreams over the years, the five fingers hanging on his side were still slowly clenched. However, he didn¡¯t hear the expected disappointment and reprimand. Instead, he only heard Ye Yunlan talk lowly like he was sighing. ¡°Come here.¡± The author has something to say: Innocent Shen Shu taking the heat: Grieved, pitiful, Master, love me one more time. CH 89 Chapter 89 Demon Abyss Shen Shu approached as told. His master was looking at him quietly with his head sideways, almost like he doubted if something was on his face. He then heard the other party speak. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Shen Shu was stunned and didn¡¯t react. Ye Yunlan looked at himself reflected in his blood-red eyes. His eyes flickered for a moment, ¡°Does the injury on your shoulder still hurt?¡± Shen Shu finally heard that Ye Yunlan was actually caring about him and said quickly: ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡± He then thought about it again. The behavior of ¡°himself¡± pretending to be in pain to get close to Ye Yunlan was actually quite effective. ¡°¡­Just a little bit.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°A monster caused the wound on your shoulder, and the aura your body contains has the power to corrode flesh and blood, even if you are¡­¡± He pursed his lips, didn¡¯t continue, and turned around: ¡°Before coming to the secret realm, I asked you to prepare the Snow Lotus Grow Flesh Paste. Give it to me.¡± Shen Shu took the plaster out of his storage ring and handed it to Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan took the medicine and opened it. The faint fragrance of medicine wafted out. Ye Yunlan took out Queying and kneeled beside him, ¡°Before putting on the paste, we need to remove the rotting flesh first. It may be a bit painful; bear with it.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Yes.¡± The blade went into his body, an acute pain spread, and Shen Shu¡¯s body trembled. Ye Yunlan lowered his head, carefully cutting off the rotting flesh on his shoulders. The other party held the long sword in his palm, and the sword¡¯s white blade reflected the other party¡¯s cold eyebrows. His eyes were quiet and focused. Shen Shu couldn¡¯t help but remember when his master was in the bamboo building study room carving his name on the wooden sword, he had also looked this serious. He still remembered that when he took the sword joyfully, his master had touched his head. It has been a year now. Ye Yunlan carefully trimmed the rotten flesh and began to apply medicine to the wound. Snow-white plaster stained his slender white fingers, and he applied a little bit to the wound. The plaster was cold. Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingertips were also cold. Cold and soft, making a person want to tremble. Shen Shu only felt the ointment slowly covering the wound on his shoulder. It was no longer painful, but impatience was growing in his heart. It gathered more and more with the application process. It was so parched that his cheeks were hot, the tips of his ears were red, and his body trembled. Ye Yunlan: ¡°It hurts?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°¡­No, it doesn¡¯t hurt, Master. Let¡¯s continue to apply the medicine.¡± Ye Yunlan said ¡°en¡± and lightened his strength, lowering his head while applying the medicine and taking care of his thoughts. Shen Shu and the Demon Lord were the same person. In this matter, he was still¡­in disbelief. The Demon Lord had once told him his origin, saying that he came from the Demon Abyss and was born as a monster there. There were no blood relatives, companions, or lovers before. The Demon Abyss was a forbidden place in the cultivation world. No one had ever been able to enter the Demon Abyss and come out again. The things inside it and how deep it was were all unsolved mysteries in the cultivation world. For a long time, the Demon Lord in his heart was a mystery. He only slowly learned the truth of some things when he walked alone in the world later on. And this life when he met Shen Shu, the other party was just an ordinary disciple from the outer sect of Sky Sect. Afterward, he became his disciple. He watched Shen Shu grow from a young boy to a young man, his figure slowly becoming taller. He would raise his face at him with bright eyes and shout, ¡°Master.¡± He didn¡¯t care much about the world, but he regarded Shen Shu as bringing up a child for a long time. Before, he always thought that they were master and disciple, father and son. Shen Shu would pass on the last thing he left in the world and continue his path. Only now¡­ Ye Yunlan lowered his eyes, silently applied the medicine, and tore a piece of cloth from the sleeve of his snow-white coat. He helped Shen Shu bandage the wound. Knotting the fabric, Ye Yunlan stood up and said to Shen Shu, ¡°Before the injury is better, don¡¯t move your shoulders.¡± Shen Shu stood up with his other intact arm, smiled at him, and said, ¡°I know. Master, be rest assured.¡± The young man was dressed in black. A touch of white cloth wrapped his left arm, and his long hair hung behind his head, eyebrows trimmed. Spirit flying, a youth¡¯s vigor and willfulness could be seen on him. However, from his blood-red eyes, tall figure, and the elongated shadow on the ground, Ye Yunlan could vaguely glimpse what he would look like when he became the Demon Lord in the future. He was startled, and his fingertips hanging down by his sleeves curled up slowly. He silently turned around and went to pick the soul-attracting flower that they had forgotten for a long time, blooming on the edge of the cliff. The soul-attracting flower bloomed next to the bloody stele that said ¡°Infinite H*ll.¡± He picked the dark flower and laid it on his palm. The sound of the wind on the cliff was dreary. Ye Yunlan glanced sideways and saw no black mist under the cliff, just a deep and bottomless darkness. ¡°Infinite H*ll.¡± He whispered the name of this place in his heart. Then, a guess overflowed in his mind. Could this ¡°Infinite H*ll¡± be the Demon Abyss? The Demon Abyss was at the junction of the Northern Territory and the Western Continent, while the Infinite H*ll was in the secret realm of the intersection of the Eastern Continent and Southern Frontier. The distance between them was so far that it was hard to place them at the same spot. However, if nothing was wrong with his past life¡¯s memory, the outer demons would invade the human world through the ¡°Heaven and Earth Double Pool¡± after the two hundred years of the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth. One of the underground pools spanned the entire mainland, from the northwest to the southeast, and the northwest section was right where the Demon Abyss was now. But in the southeast section, the Heaven Pool suddenly appeared out of thin air without a source. But if the Southeast Earth Pool wasn¡¯t rootless and it came from this Infinite H*ll¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan frowned, and more speculations poured out. If he hadn¡¯t rescued Shen Shu back then and accepted him as a disciple, would he have also come here as a disciple of the Sky Sect? In the past, disciples of various disciplines fought continuously for treasures in the secret realm. It wasn¡¯t impossible if they would fall into this ¡°Infinite H*ll¡± during the chaos. ¡ª¡ªIt should be said that this was the most likely way to enter the Demon Abyss if the ¡°Infinite H*ll¡± and Demon Abyss were actually connected. After all, the Demon Abyss on the edge of the Northern Territory was a forbidden place for cultivators; the Tianji Pavilion and the Western Continent dynasties guarded it all year round. It was difficult for ordinary people to enter. However, speculation was only speculation after all. He didn¡¯t notice Shen Shu¡¯s existence in the Sky Sect nor the Netherworld Secret Realm in his previous life¡¯s memory. When the medicine house attendant Liu Qing rebelled against Sky Sect, he could¡¯ve taken Shen Shu away with him. There were too many guesses. Ye Yunlan felt a slight headache. He always felt like he had overlooked something. With the black and white light flowing in the soul-attracting flower in his hand, Ye Yunlan retracted his thoughts and turned to Shen Shu, ¡°Take this medicine and sit cross-legged, five hearts facing the sun. Your master will arrange for you to resolve the puppet mark.¡± It was clear that Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t blame him for hiding things from him and kissing him. He was still healing his curse for him right now. Shen Shu was rejoicing at first, but he suddenly felt a little upset. He was a little bit sad to think that his master had resisted his approach before, so how did that ¡°self¡± sway his Master¡¯s attitude to this? Why the big change? Even though he thought so, he still took the soul-attracting flower and consumed it. Ye Yunlan had already collected all the elixir for resolving the puppet seal and the formation¡¯s objects very early on. Now, he quickly took out a bag of dark profound soul sand, a bottle of blood essence of a ninth-order spirit beast, several very high-grade spirit stones, and many other sundries. According to the method found in his memory, the profound soul sand and the blood essence were drawn into the formation base. Different formations were placed on each side, driven by the spirit stone, and simultaneously catalyzed the soul-attracting flower¡¯s medicinal power in Shen Shu¡¯s body. The formation was flourishing with blood light as if countless ghosts were whispering to hook people¡¯s souls into the formation. However, the soul-attracting flower¡¯s medicinal power made Shen Shu feel that his soul was contained in his body, and only things that didn¡¯t belong to him were being repelled. When the formation stopped, Shen Shu sat cross-legged on the ground, feeling relieved. The sky was far away, and there was nothing that could restrain him anymore. Ye Yunlan walked over to take a look. He saw that Shen Shu¡¯s beck was smooth on the back, and the dark and treacherous puppet print had disappeared. He was silent for a while. He then raised his hand and touched Shen Shu¡¯s head. ¡°From now on, you are free.¡± At the same time, in a distant place, in a palace burning with secluded fire. A man in black robes was cultivating in his seat. Suddenly, a row of faint green fires shook under him, and one of them went out. The black-robed man opened his eyes and revealed a face carved by years of hardships, a stern, malicious, and fierce face that was rare for ordinary people. ¡°Who cracked my puppet seal¡­¡± He had a sword beside him. A sword that countless cultivators in the world have heard of and dreaded. The sword¡¯s name was Shura. CH 90 Chapter 90 Heart¡¯s Worry After removing the puppet seal, this trip could be described as successful. Ye Yunlan intended to go down the mountain and leave the secret realm. However, the road in the crypt was too complicated. If he wanted to go down the mountain, he had to go through the Fuyou Palace and return to the mountain road in front. After erasing the formation¡¯s traces on the ground, Ye Yunlan looked at the bottomless abyss on the edge of the cliff. He turned his head and saw Shen Shu standing beside him, staring into the abyss. Suddenly, something strange emerged in his heart. While in a trance, the black cloud above his head seemed to morph into a bloody color. He fell next to the stone tablet. Blood dripped from his forehead, blurring his vision. In his sight, Shen Shu stood on the edge of the cliff with scars covering his hands and body. The blood dyed Shen Shu¡¯s clothes red, and the other party threw the Afterglow sword at his feet. He was speaking directly to him. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t hear what he said. He only saw the youth, who had finished speaking, look deeply at him. He seemed to want to completely brandish him within his eyes. He then moved backward ¡ª¡ª his pupils rapidly shrunk, and he subconsciously yelled: ¡°¡­Shen Shu!¡± Beside him, Shen Shu suddenly heard Ye Yunlan call him out of the blue. He suspiciously turned his head around. ¡°Master?¡± But he found that Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were distracted, drenched with cold sweat, and not knowing where to look. He hurriedly stretched out his arms to take the person into his arms. ¡°How is Master? Did arranging the formation method consume too much energy?¡± Ye Yunlan woke up like he was just in a dream, lifting his long eyelashes. He looked at Shen Shu in confusion. Just now¡­was it an illusion? He had an illusion because he was thinking too much a little earlier? Suddenly, a needle-piercing pain appeared in his soul. It was the Seven Emotion Needles that had inexplicably moved again. Ye Yunlan groaned, then grasped Shen Shu¡¯s arm tightly. His fingertips turned white from exerting his strength, and his body was slightly trembling in pain. Shen Shu also let him grasp him. His warm palm pressed on his back and transferred spiritual power into Ye Yunlan¡¯s body, hoping that he could relieve the pain. When Ye Yunlan¡¯s trembling finally subsided, even his white clothes were wet with sweat. The lips that the kiss moisturized became pale again, and his face had lost some blood. He kept on holding Shen Shu¡¯s arm and didn¡¯t look at the heart-wrenching abyss anymore. He only said hoarsely: ¡°Go, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Shen Shu worriedly wanted to ask him about his situation, but he was grabbed by the arm and had to speed up to follow forward. After walking through the deserted black land, they came to a garden. The garden was full of plants scorched by lightning; there was no trace of life. Withered vines were wound on the palace wall, while Fuyou Palace stood at the end of the garden. Black whirlpools condensed in the sky above. The dreary light from the birth of the treasure had disappeared. The treasure called the Huanyou Ling had fallen into someone¡¯s hands. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t care about the treasures. He has achieved his purpose. In his heart, he only wanted Shen Shu to leave the secret realm safely¡ª¡ªSince earlier, his thoughts became more and more urgent. It seemed that if he didn¡¯t leave, something would happen. While he was walking in the garden, the surrounding desolate scenery and scorched trees emitted a strange familiarity. Additionally, the dark and desolate land he walked past and the quiet and deserted palace in the distance. Where had he seen these familiar scenes? Soon, Ye Yunlan recalled that he had seen a similar scene in the dream of the ancient city shaped like the heavenly phoenix after going into a coma during the Tianchi Mountain movement. They were the same flowers, leaves and trees destroyed by thunder, a dark land, and a deserted city. Ye Yunlan quickened his pace. Ye Yunlan¡¯s arm grasped Shen Shu like a parent leading away their child. However, Shen Shu¡¯s stature was so lofty that it didn¡¯t fit. However, Shen Shu enjoyed it and wished it was a long journey that could go on forever. ¡°Master, slow down; it will be bad for your body and cause injuries.¡± Shen Shu said. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t listen. ¡°Look, Master, the ancient tree is shaped like an ash-gray pine, but its branches are as elegant as clouds. It should be the extinct ¡®Cloud Willow¡¯ recorded in ancient books. Why don¡¯t we slow down and take a closer look.¡± Shen Shu said again. Ye Yunlan moved faster. He had just gone through the pain of the Seven Emotion Needles and walked hurriedly with his face as pale as paper. Sweat was flowing along his lower jaw, and his whole figure was like a pool of snow that was about to melt. One couldn¡¯t see a trace of blood. Shen Shu only felt distracted and pained. He finally saw his master¡¯s stubbornness in certain things. He had to sigh and said aggrievedly: ¡°Master, you¡¯re walking too fast. I¡¯m hurting a bit.¡± Ye Yunlan stopped suddenly and turned to look at him. Shen Shu stood behind him, a white cloth wrapped around the shoulder of the hand he grasped, blood already oozing out at this time. ¡ª¡ªHe was too anxious just now and accidentally grabbed Shen Shu¡¯s injured arm. Ye Yunlan let go of his hand and pursed his lips. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Disciple actually wasn¡¯t hurt in the beginning.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The wound opened. How could it not hurt?¡± Shen Shu blinked and replied: ¡°It really didn¡¯t hurt.¡± ¡°I only feel pain for Master.¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. Shen Shu: ¡°Every time I see Master¡¯s injury, my heart hurts. I will also feel heartache seeing Master¡¯s exhaustion, rushing the journey.¡± He sighed and said, ¡°When my heart hurts, my shoulders also feel hurt as well.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Glib mouth. Who taught you to talk like this?¡± Shen Shu¡¯s face turned red. As soon as he uttered his words, he knew that his other ¡°self¡± had influenced him, but he had to brazenly say: ¡°These words are all true and what Disciple feels, there is no falsehood.¡± ¡°I still have a lot of words I want to say to Master.¡± Ye Yunlan suddenly turned his head and didn¡¯t look at him anymore. He only said indifferently: ¡°This place is dangerous. We can¡¯t stay any longer. If you have anything to say, go out and say it.¡± Even so, Shen Shu had sharp eyes and saw that the tips of his master¡¯s ears were already red. Ye Yunlan finally agreed to Shen Shu¡¯s request to rest for a while. Shen Shu took out a silk towel to wipe his sweat. Ye Yunlan checked Shen Shu¡¯s wound, then bandaged it again. Afterward, the two continued to move forward. Going through the garden, they arrived at the back of Fuyou Palace. The towering gate wasn¡¯t as magnificent as looking at the front gate on the mountain road before, but the patterns on the gate were still complex and gorgeous, full of ancient charm. Shen Shu stepped forward to push. He thought the door wouldn¡¯t open this easy, but unexpectedly, the door that was ten feet high opened slowly with a creak. The light shone into the gloomy palace, forming a fan-shaped light gap, which slowly expanded. A strong smell of blood pounced on his face. When the two walked in, they saw a long and deep passage leading to the depths of the palace. There were many disorderly bloody footprints on the ground in the distance, but they stopped before they reached the door. The smell of blood was still very fresh. Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion didn¡¯t change: ¡°We were delayed for too long in the killing array. A lot of people are probably in the Fuyou Palace already. This is the back palace. We need to go to the front palace¡¯s mountain road. Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu nodded. The two walked into the passage where the bloody footprints stopped. It was a cross-shaped corner. In the dark corner, two corpses were lying quietly. The corpses were wearing the clothes of Sky Sect disciples, with many sword wounds on their bodies and faces ruined by sword qi. It looked like it would be difficult to recognize who they were. Ye Yunlan glanced at the two corpses, then took Shen Shu to keep on walking through the palace. Very soon, they could vaguely hear voices. When the two came to a hall, they saw dozens of corpses laid out in the center of the hall, and all of them looked like Sky Sect disciples. Surprise, resentment, and unwillingness filled most of their faces, and they were all dead. Then, the sound of complicated footsteps came. A group of Sky Sect disciples stepped in mightily. The one who walked in the forefront saw Shen Shu and his eyes widened. He screamed: ¡°Shen Shu! You still dare to stay here? Just because of the treasure, you are actually willing to be this cruel and murder your fellow sect brothers? Senior Brother Xu, Junior Brother Chen, and Senior Sister Zhuang are all dead because of you! I, Gong Ze, will avenge them today and kill you!¡± Shen Shu: ¡°?¡± Gong Ze raised his sword. He wanted to attack Shen Shu, but the fellow sect members beside him caught him. ¡°Junior Brother Gong, be calm. There is no evidence. Don¡¯t do anything to fellow sect members at will.¡± The speaker had a gentle voice, a soft and beautiful face, and was dressed in white. They had a long jade-like body that was seemingly not exposed to the vicissitudes of life. It was Rong Ran, who had fallen into the pool. Judging from his appearance, it seemed that the snakes hadn¡¯t affected him, and even the sword wound on his cheek had healed. Gong Ze¡¯s eye sockets were about to burst: ¡°Evidence? Isn¡¯t what Senior Brother Cen and I saw enough evidence?¡± He took out a recording stone from his arms and opened it, ¡°Is this enough as evidence?¡± The recording stone projected a complete picture. It was the scene where Shen Shu swung his sword to kill his fellow disciple. After the sword light, Shen Shu stood among the corpses on the ground, unexpectedly laughing. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes suddenly sank. This farce was too similar to his previous life. Only, the person framed by slander became ¡°Shen Shu.¡± The author has something to say: Shen Shu: Bluntly being the scapegoat CH 91 Chapter 91 Evidence ¡°Ye Yunlan, you schemed to murder twelve fellow disciples to seize the secret realm¡¯s treasures. They were Senior Sister Zhuang -who defended the demonic cultivators¡¯ attacks-, Senior Brother Xu -who charged in front and broke through the secret realm¡¯s second level-, and Sky Sect¡¯s ten other disciples -who died with grievances-. How dare you still appear in front of us!¡± He stood blankly among the corpses on the ground, surrounded by disciples gushing out from the door. ¡°If you aren¡¯t guilty, why do you wear a mask all day long? Now that you¡¯ve revealed your true nature today, you truly were hiding your evil intent¡­¡± ¡°Kill him! A life for a life!¡± The disciple that rushed in knocked him to the ground. They vented their anger on his body. Vicious verbal abuse and ridicule formed together, buzzing in his ears. It made him dizzy. At that time, he curled up on the ground thinking: if someone could say a word for him, or as long as one person was willing to listen to him say a word, it would be fine. Only, no one wanted to stand up for him. Nobody. And at this moment. Ye Yunlan only felt that it was noisy as he listened to the noise and scolding around him. So he drew his sword and stood in front of Shen Shu. He said: ¡°Whoever wants to make a move against him today will have to go through the sword in my hand first.¡± The clamor and scolding suddenly quieted down. A group of disciples, eyes flushed with anger, watched him. Someone said, ¡°Junior Brother Ye, it¡¯s none of your business!¡± ¡°Back then, you saved many of your fellow disciples in the divine fire. Even if you lose all your cultivation, we still respect you very much. We don¡¯t blame you as the Master for this matter; we only want to hold Shen Shu responsible. We also ask you to please avoid suspicion.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I am his master, and he is my disciple. A Master taking care of their disciple is only natural, so what should I avoid?¡± After saying that, he raised the Queying sword in his hand, and a burst of cold light poured out. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were colder than the sword. With him in front of Shen Shu, no one wanted to make the first move. They looked at each other, and the anger and excitement cooled by two points. Only Gong Ze and the other disciple beside him were still red in the eye. Gong Ze¡¯s hand that was holding the recording stone shook. He angrily said, ¡°Shen Shu killed his fellow sect members and tried to steal the treasure but failed. Junior Brother Ye, how can you protect such a scum because of your selfishness!¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Since entering the third level of the Secret Realm, Shen Shu has been in the same place with me, and we¡¯ve never separated. If you say that Shen Shu killed all the people here, how can I not know that?¡± ¡°The evidence is conclusive. It¡¯s clear that you¡¯re deliberately protecting him!¡± The disciple beside Gong Ze angrily said. He had a delicate face, flushed with anger just like Gong Ze, with a piece of sapphire on his waist. Ye Yunlan glanced at this person, Gong Ze, then slowly at the many Sky Sect disciples surrounding this hall with different faces. He asked: ¡°The evidence is conclusive?¡± The delicate-looking disciple said: ¡°Brother Gong Ze and I are both witnesses, and Brother Gong Ze¡¯s recording stones are actual physical evidence. Now that there are human witnesses and physical evidence, why are you still helping your disciple and refusing to admit it?¡± Ye Yunlan sneered: ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the dead can be used as witnesses.¡± The disciple was shocked, then reacted furiously: ¡°You want to kill me?¡± All the other disciples also heard this and pulled out their swords one by one. They aimed their sword points at both Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu. Everyone thought Ye Yunlan was crazy. If you weren¡¯t crazy, how could you say such absurd things? Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression was still quite cold. He said: ¡°I want to ask, how can I kill you guys again if you two are already dead?¡± Hearing this, Gong Ze was stunned, and so was the delicate disciple and everyone else. ¡°A bunch of nonsense!¡± The delicate disciple flushed, ¡°If I was dead, how can I stand here alive and talk to you?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You died with sixteen swords in your body, and your face was ruined after death, unable to rest in peace.¡± He turned to Gong Ze, ¡°You suffered less. One sword in the chest, the other in the waist. Each sword was vital. After death, your face was also ruined, and you also couldn¡¯t rest in peace.¡± Their complexions turned pale. Gong Ze angrily laughed, ¡°Junior Brother Ye, are you hysterical? Otherwise, why would you say such ridiculous things in front of me?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion was calm. He didn¡¯t understand many things in his previous life, but he connected them one by one afterward. He calmly said: ¡°The Great Emperor Netherworld founded the Underworld in the past and left three kinds of secret treasures. They were the sin mirror, the book of life and death, and the Huan Youling.¡± Gong Ze: ¡°We¡¯re arguing about Shen Shu¡¯s homicides and stealing treasures. Why are you talking about those things?¡± Ye Yunlan ignored his interruption and continued: ¡°The sin mirror can reflect a life¡¯s former karma. The book of life and death can determine a person¡¯s life and death, and the Huan Youling can call back the soul of the dead, condensing the soul into the body to stay for three days. The cultivator¡¯s appearance would be the same as the living¡¯s. And this time, the treasure born in the secret realm happens to be the Huan Youling.¡± ¡°You guys are already dead. I already saw the corpses. What exists now is only the soul brought back by the Huan Youling.¡± He remembered that when he had just turned around the corner, he had seen these two blurred corpses. He could remember every inch of the corpses clearly, including the wounds on their flesh and blood, the folds of their clothes, and the sapphire worn on his waist. ¡°Even though the murderer has already destroyed your face, there are still traces left. If you don¡¯t believe me, come with me.¡± The disciples looked at each other. They had all heard the legend of the three strange treasures left by Emperor Netherworld, but they could only rely on their guesses to determine the treasures¡¯ uses. It couldn¡¯t be as detailed as Ye Yunlan¡¯s words. It didn¡¯t rule out that what Ye Yunlan said was all fabricated, but what if it was true? If Gong Ze, the two, were really controlled called-back ghosts, and the two vowed to say that Shen Shu was the murderer¡ª¡ªalthough many people didn¡¯t believe in such ridiculous claims in their hearts, they felt their blood run cold. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to their denials anymore! Why Huan Youling and the corpse? I only know that the recording stone would never be fake. The murderer¡¯s images and aura recorded are clearly Shen Shu¡¯s.¡± Gong Ze angrily said. He rushed up with his sword. But, he heard a cold snort. Shen Shu, who hadn¡¯t spoken behind Ye Yunlan, acted. The Afterglow sword blatantly split the long sword in Gong Ze¡¯s hand like a meteor, then brushed past Gong Ze¡¯s cheek and landed on the ground behind him, forming a deep sword mark. Gong Ze fell in a sorry state. He raised his head and saw Shen Shu point his sword in his hand at him. He lowered his eyes and stared at him indifferently. ¡°If I wanted to kill you guys, even if more than ten of you dispersed to escape, none of you would be able to.¡± Gong Ze¡¯s face flushed: ¡°You!¡± Everyone was shocked by this scene, and they started whispering. Finally, a reasonable disciple stood up. This person was named Cheng Xu. Except for Senior Brother He Lanze, he was one of the members with the highest cultivation and prestige among the Sky Sect disciples. Before the Sect Master ordered Rong Ran to lead the team, he was also a powerful contestant to be the leader for the Netherworld Secret Realm trip. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, if what you said is real, we would also like to know the truth.¡± Cheng Xu cupped his hands towards Ye Yunlan, ¡°Please show the way to where you said the corpse is located.¡± Ye Yunlan nodded slightly. When he turned around to walk through the passage, he saw someone step back secretly among the crowd, seemingly wanting to leave through the door on the other side. Queying sword came out at once! The biting sword light was like a shimmering shadow, like the moon bursting out of the cloud. It broke through the crowd and fell in front of a figure, blocking its path. Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was cold. ¡°Rong Ran, where do you want to go?¡± CH 92 Chapter 92 Scheme The awe-inspiring sword light illuminated Rong Ran¡¯s pale face. All the Sky Sect disciples¡¯ eyes cast over. Rong Ran raised his gaze slightly and saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s indifferent look like he was looking at an irrelevant person, like their friendship had never existed. He remembered what happened in the cave before again. Countless poisonous snakes were covering him, and he was drowning in the water, struggling to ask for help from the other party. However, he only saw the other party holding his disciple and standing on one side with the same indifferent eyes, watching him sink to the bottom of the water. The feeling of being bitten by the poisonous snakes was extremely painful. But what was even more painful was Ye Yunlan¡¯s neglect and betrayal to him over the past few years. His thin lips curved, but there was no smile in his eyes. ¡°Why did you call me, Junior Brother? You should know that Senior Brother is seriously injured and hasn¡¯t healed yet because your disciple wanted Senior Brother to lead the exploration, entering the killing array alone. Right now, Senior Brother can no longer take care of the situation. Is it possible that I can¡¯t even find a place to heal my injuries quietly?¡± The disciples were in an uproar. They all knew that Rong Ran, Ye Yunlan, and Shen Shu fell into a killing array when they were exploring the way on the mountain road. When they met Rong Ran, Rong Ran was alone, vomiting blood, and clearly injured. When asked where the other two were, Rong Ran only said that he didn¡¯t know. However, he was clearly suffering and depressed. After that, sect disciples were slaughtered, and now, Ye Yunlan and his disciple appeared here, looking unscathed. Combined with what Rong Ran said at this time¡­ Did Shen Shu plot an evil scheme against his Senior Brother in the killing array? If he regarded his sect member¡¯s life as weed, it was even more natural that he would kill people to steal treasures! Sitting on the ground embarrassingly, Gong Ze immediately pointed his finger at Shen Shu and cursed: ¡°Senior Brother Rong already met this unfortunate encounter. Senior Brother Cheng Xu, why waste time with this kind of scum?¡± Cheng Xu frowned and looked towards Ye Yunlan, ¡°Junior Brother Ye, is what Junior Brother Rong just said true?¡± Ye Yunlan answered with silence. Cheng Xu¡¯s expression changed slightly, ¡°Junior Brother must be muddled! Even if Shen Shu is your only personal disciple, you shouldn¡¯t condone him doing evil. As a teacher, you should set an example for your disciple. Words must be strict. Evil starts from trivial things. If we don¡¯t correct the trivial things, what about the big things? Now that he has made such a big mistake, he should be punished. Don¡¯t allow mistakes to be made again and again. He needs to be brought back to the right path.¡± Ye Yunlan said indifferently: ¡°There are so many roads in the world, which one can be said to be the right way? I am a master, and I have only taught my disciple to have a clear heart. That is the right way.¡± Dressed in white, his face was cold. His long eyes looked sideways. When he looked at the people, it was almost like a cold sword coming out of its sheath while the teardrop mark at the end of his eyes burned like fireworks. It was extremely compelling. Seeing him, Cheng Xu couldn¡¯t speak for a while. ¡°Watch Rong Ran. He cannot go.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°Let¡¯s check the corpses.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°Junior Brother, are you suspicious of me?¡± He laughed in a self-mocking manner. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to hate me like this to want to distort the truth and try to convict me. You abandoned me in the killing array. After I escaped by chance, I met Senior Brother Cheng Xu and our other fellow disciples. After that, I was traveling while trying to heal my wounds. When our twelve fellow sect members died, I never left. What time or motive would I have to kill my fellow sect members?¡± Cheng Xu: ¡°I can testify about this matter. Even if the murderer isn¡¯t Shen Shu, Junior Brother Rong couldn¡¯t be the murderer.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment. He didn¡¯t immediately refute the two of them. It was about connecting all the possibilities in one¡¯s mind from his past life to the present. When did this farce begin, and how? He thought of the treasure. But he wasn¡¯t sure. So he walked to Gong Ze and said, ¡°Let me see the recording stone.¡± Gong Ze clasped the recording stone firmly with both hands and a face full of unwillingness, ¡°Not giving it. What should I do if you deliberately destroy the recording stone? The evidence would be gone, and then you¡¯d be able to deny everything for your disciple?¡± Standing next to Ye Yunlan, Shen Shu looked at Gong Ze with a caring look one had toward a fool. ¡°If Master really destroys the recording stone in full view, wouldn¡¯t that be a confession? You didn¡¯t even understand this? Are you a stupid *ss?¡± Gong Ze¡¯s face was red and white with anger: ¡°Shen Shu, I¡¯m going to kill you!¡± Shen Shu: ¡°You really are a stupid *ss, you can only go back and forth with these two sentences, you can¡¯t even tell the difference between your own life and death.¡± Gong Ze trembled. He raised the sword in his hand, ¡°You¨C¡± Cheng Xu walked forward quickly and separated the two. He helplessly said: ¡°The murderer hasn¡¯t been determined yet. This isn¡¯t the time for fellow sect members to be fighting each other. Junior Brother Gong Ze, let me keep the recording stone for the time being. In any case, Senior Brothers will return the justice to all the people who died in vain.¡± Gong Ze gave Shen Shu a stare and finally handed the recording stones to Cheng Xu. Cheng Xu injected spiritual power, and the image on the recording stone began to play. The picture¡¯s beginning was a chaotic scene with roars, screams, and footsteps. The picture recorded by the recording stone was also very shaky. At the end of the image, it was slanted upward, showing Shen Shu holding a long bloody sword, standing among the corpses. His eyes were facing the disciple holding the recording stone, and a crazy smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You are the disciple who started the recording stone?¡± Gong Ze: ¡°It ¡®s me.¡± ¡°What happened after?¡± Gong Ze was puzzled, ¡°After what?¡± ¡°The recording afterward. After he killed everyone, why didn¡¯t he kill the two of you?¡± Ye Yunlan asked. Gong Ze reacted, and his face flushed, ¡°Jiang Feiyu and I escaped, only we were able to escape! How can there be evidence of when we ran away afterward?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Where did you escape to?¡± Gong Ze: ¡°Who knows? That murderer was chasing us, so we panicked and chose a random route. We kept running and running until¡­¡± He paused, then showed a bit of confusion, ¡°Yes, we fled to the front hall of the Fuyou Palace exit, then we reunited with Senior Brother Cheng Xu and the others.¡± ¡°It¡¯s reversed.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°He chased you to the back hall and killed you before you reached the exit. He then called you with the Huan Youling, erased some of your memories, and let you go to the front hall to meet with the other people.¡± Gong Ze suddenly laughed, ¡°You say my memory is fake? Is the recording stone fake too? Fake, fake, so only what you say is true? Ridiculous!¡± He staggered up, opened his arms, and said to the disciples behind: ¡°Everyone, do you believe such a funny joke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s indeed absurd¡­¡­ ¡± ¡°The Netherworld Emperor¡¯s great treasures were never revealed to the world, and many historical records previously were incomplete. How can he know the abilities of the Huan Youling so clearly? Isn¡¯t it all fake?¡± ¡°I feel so too¡­¡± Whispering, many people were focused on Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression didn¡¯t tremble. He said to Gong Ze: ¡°After three days, you will disappear.¡± ¡°Anyone recalled by the Huan Youling will have their souls dissipate after three days and not enter reincarnation.¡± In his previous life, the few witnesses against him were all dead. They didn¡¯t die on the mountain road when they descended but died in the other traps in the secret realm. However, in the Netherworld Secret Realm, casualties were heavy, so no one felt like it was strange. And he, who everyone convicted, no longer had the opportunity to confront and explain. Gong Ze still wanted to laugh, but looking at Ye Yunlan¡¯s cold eyes, he couldn¡¯t laugh. Not enter reincarnation. It was the most severe ending for any cultivator. Death could still lead to reincarnation and cultivating again. Then, if they truly become immortal one day, they could remember all their various lifetimes¡¯ memories. However, if the soul dissipated and didn¡¯t enter samsara, they would really turn into the dust in the world, no longer existing. Gong Ze was a little scared. He could only keep telling himself that everything was fake, and Ye Yunlan had made up his mind to cover up his disciple¡¯s killing. How could he be dead? He still had a lot of life left, and the road of cultivation was still very long. He had a fairy he wanted to pursue. He still hadn¡¯t moved into his newly built cave-dwelling, so how could he be dead? Impossible. Absolutely impossible. ¡°Play the recording stone again.¡± Ye Yunlan said. Cheng Xu frowned: ¡°I don¡¯t think we need to waste time here anymore. If what Junior Brother said is true, let¡¯s go directly to check the corpse. Wouldn¡¯t that do?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Play it again.¡± Cheng Xu: ¡°¡­¡­Okay.¡± The image on the recording stone was played again. When the screen turned to Shen Shu facing the recording stone, Ye Yunlan yelled: ¡°Stop!¡± Cheng Xu controlled the screen to pause. The recording stone could not only record the picture but the qi of the person in the picture. Although the qi of Shen Shu in the picture was too violent, it was no different from Shen Shu¡¯s qi in reality. But what Ye Yunlan perceived was not Shen Shu¡¯s qi, but a treasure. The treasure¡¯s qi was very secretive, hidden under the violent qi. It was extremely difficult to distinguish. Only, he had been in contact with this treasure many times in his previous life, so he was very familiar with it. With his memory, once touched, he wouldn¡¯t forget it. ¡°Dark Incense Sparse Shadow?¡± Ye Yunlan whispered. His voice was not too loud, but the cultivators present were all people with keen ears and eyes. They all heard what he said, and several thought of something. Their complexions changed. Cheng Xu was a little unsure: ¡°Junior Brother Ye, are you talking about is the twelfth-ranked magic weapon in the Weapon Chart, Dark Incense Sparse Shadow?¡± Yunlan: ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Cheng Xu: ¡°The origin of this artifact is mysterious, and its power is unknown. Why did Junior Brother suddenly mention its name?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°This artifact allows the holder to disguise its appearance and qi to another. It could even create a shadow clone to have it cooperate with it.¡± Cheng Xu quickly figured out the connection: ¡°Junior Brother thinks that in the recording stone, the person who killed many disciples wasn¡¯t Shen Shu, but a person in disguise using that magic weapon, the Dark Incense Sparse Shadow?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Correct.¡± It sounded absurd and ridiculous, just like the assumption of Huan Youling. Most people thought so. There were only two exceptions. Rong Ran stood alone in the shadows, his five fingers in his sleeves already clenched. His thin lips were pale. Chen Xianyu hid in the crowd, secretly looking at the tall figure standing opposite the crowd. He was surprised. Because the ¡°Dark Incense Sparse Shadow¡± was a magic weapon in the Chen family¡¯s treasury. Although it was ranked in the weapon spectrum, its specific uses have never been spread. Only their trusted aides and secret guards loyal to the family were qualified to know. What was more, Ye Yunlan, from just the negligible qi in the recording stone could judge that the person who attacked and killed the sect members had on the Dark Incense Sparse Shadow. He was surprised but also a little happy. He had always felt that beauties should be appreciated from a distance, especially beauties that were hard to find in the world like Ye Yunlan. They should be taken care of, pampered, and shouldn¡¯t be allowed to be slandered and abused by others. Although the treasure was revealed and it might disrupt his brother¡¯s plan¡­ That wasn¡¯t right. His Elder Brother was like a god. Ye Yunlan being able to perceive the existence of the ¡°Dark Incense Sparse Shadow¡± might be something he had already calculated. In that case, why did he have to send this treasure to this place? ¡°Since Junior Brother Ye¡¯s certain it¡¯s the Dark Incense Sparse Shadow, what can you do to prove it?¡± CH 93 Chapter 93 Sharing the Bed The wind in Wanbei forest went silent. The clouds in the sky surged, and the cold wind rolled up the dust in Wanbei Forest. Shen Shu felt his master¡¯s aura change instantly. It became cold and sharp. It was like a silent ice lake suddenly giving birth to ice thorns. The dusty, murderous blade came out of its sheath. Ye Yunlan: ¡°He only told you this sentence?¡± Chen Xianyu raised his hand and wiped the cold sweat off his forehead. It was the first time he felt such pressure from someone other than his elder brother. He suddenly realized many of his sect disciples previously had a very biased view of this sick beauty. With his brother¡¯s earnestness, why did he need to use these words to offend this beauty? And why did he want him to talk to this beauty? He sighed despairingly in his heart, but he could only continue: ¡°My brother also said¡­he wants to give you a special gift and that you would be jubilant to receive it. As for the Dark Incense Sparse Shadow, he said it¡¯s a venting toy to give to you.¡± When it came to the Dark Incense Sparse Shadow, Chen Xianyu¡¯s heart was bleeding. Although many treasures were in the Chen family¡¯s treasury, most weren¡¯t recorded on the Tianji ranking list. But the ¡°Dark Incense Sparse Shadow¡± was ranked twelfth on the list. Yet, his brother sent it here as a toy. Seeing that it was difficult to take back, he felt endlessly distressed. Blue veins bulged on the hand Ye Yunlan used to hold the scabbard. If Chen Weiyuan were before him right now, the sword in his hand would be already out of its sheath. Chen Xianyu¡¯s face and Chen Weiyuan¡¯s face were somewhat similar, but their temperaments were worlds apart. There was laziness and depression among his features. At this moment, he felt Ye Yunlan¡¯s anger and sweated like a waterfall. He constantly raised his sleeves to wipe the sweat away. Shen Shu¡¯s features had turned cold when he heard ¡°wife.¡± Presently, hostility filled his eyes. ¡°You gave Rong Ran the magic weapon he used to frame me?¡± Chen Xianyu wiped his sweat: ¡°I¡¯m just responsible for delivering the magic weapon and had no idea what he would do with it. I really didn¡¯t know at all.¡± Shen Shu placed a sword against Chen Xianyu¡¯s neck directly, ¡°You didn¡¯t know, but you didn¡¯t speak after the incident.¡± Chen Xianyu: ¡°It was my brother who ordered¡­¡± He realized that he had accidentally let it slip and immediately closed his mouth. However, he saw Shen Shu¡¯s cold white sharp blade when he lowered his head. He was so frightened that his legs went soft. ¡°A gentleman uses his mouth and not his hands. We are still fellow disciples. When you act, you should still give some face¡­I won¡¯t dare to do it again!¡± Shen Shu snorted coldly and raised his sword light to flash across. Chen Xianyu fell to the ground, frightened and touching his neck. His hands were wet with warm blood. Just a little more, and he would be a corpse. If he had known that it was so dangerous to send a message for his brother, he wouldn¡¯t have come even if he was beaten to death! No. If he didn¡¯t come, his brother would¡¯ve beaten him to death once he returned to the clan. Chen Xianyu wanted to cry. ¡°When you return, tell this to Chen Weiyuan.¡± Ye Yunlan said, ¡°I want you to include every word.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s sword point shone coldly. When people were under others¡¯ roofs, they needed to bow their heads and give in. Chen Xianyu nodded like a little chicken pecking at rice. Ye Yunlan: ¡°A mouse has skin, but a person has no manners. A dog and chicken make sounds, so what does that have to do with me?¡± ¡°Tell him to get lost.¡± Chen Xianyu wrote down this passage without missing a word. The idea was that the mouse still had a layer of face, but his brother¡¯s actions were so sneaky that he was even worse than a mouse. All the things he said were like a dog barking, and Ye Yunlan treated it as bullsh*t. Chen Xianyu could already imagine what a wonderful face his brother would have after hearing these words. With a bitter expression on his face, he looked at Ye Yunlan and said, ¡°Is this¡­¡± Could you say it more tactfully? A sword qi ran across his cheek. Shen Shu: ¡°You get lost too.¡± Chen Xianyu trembled, then got lost. Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion didn¡¯t relax. Although he had faintly guessed when he knew that Rong Ran had a secret map in his hand, a guess was only a guess in the end. Now that Chen Xianyu came to pass on a message, it was an announcement made to him by the other party. Chen Weiyuan had memories of their past life. He was well aware of Chen Weiyuan¡¯s nature. He had always been high above others, taking the world as a chess game. Nothing in the world could compare to his own interests. To keep his clan alive in the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth, Chen Weiyuan could start preparing hundreds of years in advance to send his dao companion into the Demon Sect with his own hands. He even had to reap the greatest benefit of his own life. Chen Weiyuan must have a different purpose other than coming to say hello. Ye Yunlan wasn¡¯t worried about himself. He was only worried about Shen Shu. At that time, the Chen Clan had made a prediction. The Demon Lord¡¯s birth was the demon calamity¡¯s beginning. To nip the problem in the bud, Chen Weiyuan would unite the Daoist factions and set up a death trap against the Demon Lord. In this life, Chen Weiyuan would definitely make a move too. Shen Shu¡¯s identity mustn¡¯t be revealed. He thought that after finding the soul-attracting flower and removing the puppet seal, Shen Shu would move forward smoothly on his path of cultivation, and he could rest in peace. But now, he still couldn¡¯t die yet. If he died, what should Shen Shu do? Ye Yunlan thought this far and frowned. Suddenly, another hand covered the veiny hand holding the long sword. That hand was wide and warm. It slowly overlapped with the person in his distant memory. Shen Shu: ¡°Master.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingers trembled. He didn¡¯t break away and just slowly relaxed. ¡°What.¡± His voice was a little tired. Shen Shu: ¡°Is Master angry?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. Shen Shu: ¡°Can I go kill the person who made Master angry? He actually dared to call you wife¡ª¡ª¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart jumped, ¡°No!¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Why not?¡± There was a subtle huskiness in his voice. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t notice his strangeness and only solemnly said: ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Chen Weiyuan inherited the ancient blood¡¯s power from the Chen Clan. A few years ago, his cultivation base was already in the Immortalization Stage, but he must¡¯ve broken through Transcendance with memories of his past life. Just like himself, if his injuries were intact, he would surely be able to return to Void Tracing if he took the time to cultivate himself. He didn¡¯t want Shen Shu to be in any danger. Ye Yunlan repeated it again, still not feeling right. He continued to exhort: ¡°You must never use your special ability in front of people in the future. You especially can¡¯t use it in full view like today. Before reaching the realm of Transcendence. Don¡¯t make a move against others so easily.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Why?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°This is for your safety. If your abilities are leaked, you¡¯ll be in danger no matter where you go in the future¨C¡± Shen Shu: ¡°But he called Master ¡®wife.¡¯¡± Ye Yunlan was taken aback. ¡°He called Master wife.¡± Shen Shu repeated blankly again, ¡°He has been so offensive, but Master won¡¯t allow me to go and hurt him¨C¡± His eyes were deep red, like two pieces of colored glass containing blood. Those shadows twisted under his feet. Some already couldn¡¯t help it and tangled upwards. Ye Yunlan felt something a bit cold and sticky on his calf. His body trembled, and he couldn¡¯t help shouting: ¡°Shen Shu!¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master, I mind.¡± Since earlier, he had fallen into this strange emotion. He obviously knew he shouldn¡¯t be angry about these trivial things, but he couldn¡¯t help it. He cared very much. It seemed that ¡°wife¡± had touched his bottom line completely. The touch on the legs made him tremble. Ye Yunlan took a deep breath, ¡°What do you mind?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I care about Master¡¯s preferences, Master¡¯s views, and Master¡¯s attitude.¡± At this point, he suddenly changed the topic and said, ¡°I also want to become Master¡¯s dao companion. Why can¡¯t I?¡± His words changed too fast, and Ye Yunlan was a bit caught off guard. Dao companion. Many years ago, the Demon Lord also leaned over him and said to him in a low voice: ¡°Senior Immortal, be my dao companion. I can give you everything you want.¡± That sensational wedding banquet finally ended in blood. He stabbed the other party with the dagger that Chen Weiyuan gave him. The dao sect took advantage of the situation to besiege and set up the Primordial Demon Refining Array, where the Demon Lord almost died. Year after year passed instantly, from the Northern Territory to the Western Continent and from the Western Continent to the Central Continent. After¡­there was no after. Now the young version of the other party was standing in front of him, asking him why he couldn¡¯t be his dao companion. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes, ¡°A long time ago, Master had told you, I told you that I once had a dao companion. He was proud by nature and only treated me well. However, this person has been gone for a long time. Master¡­still recalls him fondly and will never form a dao companion in this life.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes reddened, ¡°I don¡¯t care about this. I just want to be with Master forever.¡± The shadow spread upward onto Ye Yunlan¡¯s clothes. The cold sense of touch crawled across his body through the clothing. Ye Yunlan was a little flustered, and his cheeks turned reddish. When he wanted to draw the sword, it was too late. Those things had entangled his wrist. His breath was a little unstable. ¡°Shen Shu, you can¡¯t¡ª¡± but his body suddenly fell into a hot embrace. ¡°Master, I¡¯m so jealous.¡± Shen Shu hugged him tightly, repeating, ¡°I¡¯m really jealous. Why can¡¯t I? Just because I¡¯m late, you will always reject me?¡± He tightly embraced Ye Yunlan. There was no way to answer his questions, just as he couldn¡¯t answer whether the Demon Lord in the past life and Shen Shu in this life could count as the same person. Different experiences would lead to different individualities. Converging them together would lead to a different personality. He was afraid that he would be too clear on the difference and not be clear on the difference. There was a sudden pain in his shoulder. It was Shen Shu biting him. The bite wasn¡¯t deep, just like a wolf cub biting someone to vent. There was a whining sound in his throat. He imprisoned Ye Yunlan, and Ye Yunlan should be angry. But it was broiling hot in other¡¯s arms, and his heartbeat was transmitted through his clothes, full of vitality. ¡­So young. The person he thought he would never see again in this life was now before him. Ye Yunlan said hoarsely: ¡°You just want to stay with me forever?¡± The biting wolf cub with his mouth stuffed, ¡°En.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I promise you.¡± He raised his right hand entangled in the shadow with difficulty. He touched the back of Shen Shu¡¯s head and said in a hoarse voice. ¡°If you can always follow what I said before, no longer use your abilities in front of other people, so that you can live and cultivate well, then you will be with Master forever. Only death can separate us.¡± Ye Yunlan rarely said ¡°forever.¡± Because he felt that in this world, forever never existed; everything had an end. The vegetation would wither and flourish, and the life and death of people were also just like this. But he wanted to give Shen Shu a promise. It was like how the Demon Lord promised him that no one in the world would ever hurt him unless they stepped over his corpse. Shen Shu suddenly raised his head, ¡°What Master said is true?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­When have I lied to you?¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes brightened. The shadow entangled Ye Yunlan also writhed excitedly. He leaned close to Ye Yunlan¡¯s ear: ¡°Then how do you plan to accompany me?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What do you want?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°If I say I want us to have dinner together, cultivate together, and sleep together, how does Master feel?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Sleep together?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Eat and sleep, just like when we were younger.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment: ¡°As you like.¡± Shen Shu, who was given an inch and wanted to get a foot: ¡°I also want Master to hug me when I¡¯m tired, or when I¡¯m tired, I want to hug Master, okay?¡± Ye Yunlan frowned and endured what he said, ¡°Are you a three-year-old child? You only think about wanting to be hugged every day?¡± There was laughter, and Shen Shu said, ¡°Of course not just that. There are many more things I want. For example¡­¡± His warm breath hit Ye Yunlan¡¯s neck, making him shiver. He didn¡¯t continue to say anything yet when Ye Yunlan interrupted him, ¡°¡­Don¡¯t overdo it.¡± He pulled the shadow close to his arm away and wanted to get inside. He frowned: ¡°Also, take care of your things.¡± He couldn¡¯t understand how Shen Shu was so clingy today. He obviously hadn¡¯t been so clingy in his previous life. He also didn¡¯t know how he was behaving like a baby. Even¡­wanting to ask him for a hug. Shen Shu felt that today¡¯s harvest was good enough, so he put away the shadow. Still holding him, Shen Shu rubbed his face against his shoulder and went to kiss the bite marks left on his shoulder when he was out of control. ¡°They¡¯re too happy. I can¡¯t control them sometimes.¡± Ye Yunlan felt like he was holding a child. The child who was taller than him rubbed, rubbed, and rubbed against his shoulder. A stick of incense passed. Two sticks of incense also passed. Be more tolerant of children, he thought. Tolerate. Tolerate. Tolerate. He was fed up. Ye Yunlan angrily said: ¡°Lying in my arms, are you a baby who can¡¯t walk and still drinking milk? Will you now be crying to your master to get milk?¡± Shen Shu suddenly blushed. ¡°Master, I¡­I want.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Go away!¡± ¡­ ¡°Oh, he told me to go away?¡± In the water mirror, Chen Weiyuan sat slantingly. A wine glass was by his hand, and some blossoms, freshly picked and put in the table¡¯s vase, were on the table. Smoke from the incense burner wafted upward. He spread out his cloak, and a lazy expression rested on his face. He raised his hand and looked at the water mirror. His expression was not as angry as Chen Xianyu had imagined. Instead, a pampering smile was on his lips. Chen Xianyu¡¯s heart was frozen. Chen Xianyu had long discovered that his brother had changed a lot in these recent years. If it were before, as the Chen Clan¡¯s young patriarch, Chen Weiyuan would pay attention to his appearance at all times and would never have his clothes loose. His appearance was always calm, not discerning joy or anger. Every decision was made after careful consideration. There were never any mistakes. He was the Chen family¡¯s perfect successor. Everyone thought so. But in recent years, his elder brother seemed to have escaped from the dense Chen Clan regulations, his behavior completely lacking law and order. His appearance was even sloppier, and he simply ignored other people. At first, many clan elders in the family made comments on this. But Chen Weiyuan used some unknown method, and all these voices stopped very shortly. And Chen Weiyuan also changed from the young patriarch to the real patriarch. In the past few years, when people mentioned the young master of Tianji Pavilion, they would say he was a gentleman who was elegant and noble. He was clever in his calculations and reputable. But now, he was ¡°Solitary, proud and aloof. He acts arbitrarily, and his skills through yin and yang are unpredictable.¡± As a brother, Chen Xianyu could notice the trace of craziness from his brother¡¯s seemingly relaxed and wanton surface. Compared to before, Chen Weiyuan now felt even more frightening. Chen Weiyuan picked up the wine glass beside him in the water mirror. He took a sip without hesitation. The fragrance of the plum blossoms slid into the tip of his tongue with the sweet wine. He savored it carefully. Thinking that it tasted excellent, he poured the remaining half a glass of wine into the vase with the branches of white plum blossoms next to it. ¡°Tianxuan, you¡¯ve been away from home for many years.¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s time to come back.¡± Chen Xianyu looked bitter. Sky Sect was great. There were groups of beauties he could paint at any time, a serene place he could be a salted fish in peace, and no one would force him to watch the stars day after day. He really didn¡¯t want to return to the strict land of the Chen Clan. He hesitated: ¡°Elder Brother, I, I still have a few incomplete paintings. Can you give me a little more time?¡± ¡°You mean this one?¡± Chen Weiyuan seemed to be interested and casually tore open the space. Pulling out a picture album from the inside, he opened it. It was the book of beauties¡¯ sub-book, connected to the book of beauties in Chen Xianyu¡¯s hand. Whatever he drew, the same picture would appear in the other book. And the picture that Chen Weiyuan opened was a picture that Chen Xianyu hadn¡¯t completed for several years. There were only a few brushstrokes on the painting, which vaguely outlined a person¡¯s figure. His face was still blank. But despite this, you could see that this must be an outstanding beauty from the outline. It was the picture Chen Xianyu drew of Ye Yunlan. He put his pen down just in case because he still wasn¡¯t sure how he could reflect at least ten thousandth of the other party¡¯s face. Chen Weiyuan smiled, ¡°If it¡¯s just this picture, I will help my brother.¡± He rolled up his sleeves, took out another ink brush from space, leaned back in a slumped posture, and drew on the scroll. The beauty sub-book and his beauty book were interlinked originally, but this was the first time his brother had painted on it. Chen Xianyu¡¯s expression became more and more bitter. It was his treasure, and Ye Yunlan¡¯s painting was even more challenging. He had decided it would be his masterpiece when he was regarded as a master of arts in the future, but¡­ Chen Xianyu looked at his brother¡¯s enthusiastic look, knowing that he couldn¡¯t stop the other party¡¯s ¡°attitude¡± today. After touching it for half an hour, the paintbrush in Chen Weiyuan¡¯s hand stopped. Chen Xianyu was already standing upright like a needle. He watched his elder brother holding the painting in his hand. ¡°Not bad; it¡¯s just missing a little color.¡± Chen Weiyuan said. Then, Chen Xianyu saw her brother raise his hand to bite his fingertips and directly painted on the painting with blood. He had a very gentle expression. So gentle that Chen Xianyu¡¯s blood ran cold. ¡°Okay.¡± Chen Weiyuan clapped his hands then turned the picture scroll around, ¡°Tianxuan, look at the painting your brother helped you draw. Are you satisfied?¡± Regarding painting, even if Chen Xianyu was more afraid of his brother, he couldn¡¯t help but lean closer to take a closer look. But he was given a big fright at first sight. The person¡¯s figure in the picture hadn¡¯t changed, but an extremely hideous, ghost-like mask, which could give people goosebumps, completely covered his face. The man held a brutal sword in his hand with blood on it and blood on his body. It was real blood. His brother¡¯s own blood. That man was standing under the white blossom tree. And a white plum blossom was blooming in his brother¡¯s hand. Chen Xianyu swallowed, ¡°Brother, this, this¡­¡± ¡°Are you unsatisfied?¡± Chen Weiyuan asked. Chen Xianyu: ¡°No, no¡­the person in the picture is Junior Brother Ye?¡± ¡°Why are you still calling him Junior Brother?¡± Chen Weiyuan smiled instead of answering, ¡°He is your sister-in-law.¡± Chen Xianyu felt that his elder brother had gone crazy. When Chen Weiyuan asked him to relay some words for him, he already felt that something was wrong. He didn¡¯t expect it to be so serious in just a few days. What should he do? Just listen to Chen Weiyuan¡¯s advice. ¡°Remember? When you see him next time, you have to call him ¡®sister-in-law.¡¯¡± Chen Xianyu nodded like a yes-man. But he thought: if he really addressed him like this, wouldn¡¯t Ye Yunlan want to draw his sword and kill him? Even if Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t make a move, his short-tempered Disciple would definitely make a move. My life is over. He definitely couldn¡¯t appear before Ye Yunlan again. He should hurry up to pack his bags and leave Sky Sect. The conversation ended in a hurry, and the water mirror dissipated. Chen Weiyuan sat on the soft collapse and looked at the painting for a moment while holding the scroll. Slowly rubbing the face of the person in the painting with his fingers, it took a long time before he retracted it into his storage space. He poured himself another glass after finishing the wine glass. He said in a low voice: ¡°I respect my one true love, waiting to see each other in the moonlit night¡­¡± Sigh. ¡°Wife, you are really making your husband wait?¡± ¡­¡±Master, don¡¯t be angry?¡± On the flying boat, Shen Shu made a pot of hot tea. He poured a cup and held it in front of Ye Yunlan with both hands. ¡°You¡¯ve already been angry at Disciple the entire road. Take a break. Disciple was only making a joke earlier. Master, don¡¯t take it seriously.¡± He coughed slightly, ¡°Besides, being angry all the time isn¡¯t good for you.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t speak. Shen Shu carefully observed his master¡¯s expression. He blinked, then gently put down the teacup and went out. The door closed with a creak. Ye Yunlan looked at the steaming tea before him and pursed his lips. Two pieces of green tea leaves floated on the tea water, slowly swirling, dangling in his field of vision. Shen Shu didn¡¯t return for a while. The two swimming leaves stopped, and the steaming heat from the tea water slowly dissipated. Ye Yunlan frowned and stared at the two leaves for a long time. Finally, he picked up the cup, held it with his hand, and drank slowly. Suddenly, he heard the sound of the door opening again. Ye Yunlan lifted his eyes from the teacup and saw Shen Shu walking in with a big steaming wooden barrel. ¡°Master, I just went to the city to buy a bathtub, then boiled hot water. The secret realm has been tiring. Master should take a bath to relieve some fatigue.¡± He put the bathtub in the corner of the room, and a screen was raised to cover it. He turned his head and smiled: ¡°The water temperature is just right. Master should soak in it while it is hot.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s silence responded to Shen Shu¡¯s look of expectation. Finally, he let out an ¡°En.¡± A mortal¡¯s body couldn¡¯t compare to a cultivator¡¯s. He could rely on meditation to get rid of the mortal filth. However, after running around in the secret realm for a few days, he was indeed sticky and uncomfortable. So he put down the teacup and walked over. Shen Shu diligently said: ¡°I will help undress Master.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°No need.¡± After a pause, he added, ¡°You should rest earlier, too.¡± Shen Shu showed a rare moment of good behavior: ¡°Okay, Master.¡± Ye Yunlan walked into the screen and stretched out to undress. The screen silhouetted his slender and tall body. He stepped into the tub, and the warm water wrapped him up, washing away the dust and fatigue from his body. Crystal beads of sweat flowed across his cheeks. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. After soaking for half an hour, he walked out of the bathtub, completely red from the heat. Clean towels and clothes hung on the screen. He took the towel, wiped his body dry, and walked out slowly with only a white shirt. He faintly saw the candlelight in the room but couldn¡¯t see Shen Shu. He looked around, and his eyes fell on the carved bed with curtains hanging down. So he walked to the head of the bed and pushed open the bed curtain. The candlelight shone faintly inside, and Shen Shu was lying flat on the bed with only his head peeking out. The expression on his face was very cute, like¡­like a little wife warming the bed while waiting for her husband to return. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You¡­¡± What are you doing? Shen Shu blinked at him, then leaned to his side to get up. He opened the bedding with his other hand and offered the spot, smiling at Ye Yunlan. ¡°It¡¯s already warm inside. Master, hurry in.¡± The young man¡¯s hair crown was removed, and his ink hair was scattered with only a shirt left on his body. The outlines of his facial features were very beautiful in the candlelight. It seemed a bit familiar and a bit unfamiliar. A pair of blood-red eyes reflected the faint candlelight and his figure. There was light in it, just like the old days. Ye Yunlan was startled. He stretched out his hand to touch his eyes. Shen Shu obediently let him touch. His long eyelashes on the palm of his hand were slightly itchy. Suddenly, a strong force came from his shoulder. Shen Shu had taken advantage of this opportunity, hugging him and pulling him onto the bed. ¡°I caught Master.¡± The other party hugged him and laughed, then buried his head in his hair and took a breath. ¡°Master is so fragrant.¡± ¡°I really like Master.¡± The author has something to say: Shen Shu: Sharing the Same Bed Plan ¡Ì CH 94 Chapter 94 Radiance of Spring The red candle veil was warm. Shen Shu buried himself into his master¡¯s shoulders. His eyes narrowed slightly and revealed a sense of contentment. With their thin clothes close to each other, he could feel his master¡¯s body temperature that was slightly lower than ordinary people¡¯s. His master was very soft in his arms, perhaps because of soaking in hot water for a long time. It was like the soft snow in early spring. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t make trouble.¡± Ye Yunlan said hoarsely with his hair still wet. He reached out, pushed the clingy disciple before him aside, got up, sat on the edge of the bed, took the white towel beside him, and wiped his hair. The other party got up and came close again. ¡°Master, I¡¯ll help you dry your hair.¡± Shen Shu reached out and picked up a handful of long damp hair behind Ye Yunlan. The warm spiritual power passed over, and the smooth hair flowed down like silk and satin, sliding over his thin shoulders. After the hair dried, Shen Shu extended his hand and gently pressed several acupuncture points on the top of his head and the temple. The strength he used wasn¡¯t light nor heavy. It was very comfortable. Ye Yunlan sat on the edge of the bed, slowly closing his eyes. ¡°It¡¯s really good.¡± Shen Shu suddenly said behind him. ¡°That Master is willing to be with me.¡± The candle shadow flickered, and the night darkened. Ye Yunlan slowly became sleepy. He got up to blow out the candles on the table, turned around, and walked to the bed. In the darkness, his blurred vision couldn¡¯t see anyone at all. He could only feel another¡¯s temperature around him, constantly transferring over. He thought he wouldn¡¯t be used to it. But in reality, he just felt warm. It was like he¡¯d been alone in the snow for too long and was suddenly given a ray of spring. He got sleepier. His eyelids slowly became heavier. The darkness around him was quiet and gentle. He said in a low voice: ¡°Go to sleep. Good night.¡± Sky Sect¡¯s flying boat parked outside Zhanxing City. Zhanxing City was a large city in southern Xinjiang, where cultivators from all over the world gathered. It¡¯s just that, because the Netherworld Secret Realm opened, 90% of the cultivators had already entered the Secret Realm. Thus, the city seemed empty instead. In the early spring, it rained in the city again. The showers in the early morning stopped, and there was only a drizzle now. Pedestrians walked along the street, and the vendors began to shout. Shen Shu held an umbrella for Ye Yunlan. The two walked through the downtown area to the lake full of willows. He looked to the side and saw the lake with rippling, glistening water and distant misty mountains. The ghosts, monsters, and fighting in the Netherworld Secret Realm seemed very far from them. Ye Yunlan stared at the lake and distant mountains and suddenly opened his mouth: ¡°Shen Shu, what do you want to do after returning to the sect?¡± Shen Shu replied: ¡°Naturally, continue sword cultivating with Master. Master had taught me backwater waves, but I still don¡¯t understand its meaning.¡± ¡°The sword technique¡¯s meaning cannot be demanded. There are many where you¡¯ll understand it when you need to.¡± Ye Yunlan paused, then asked: ¡°What about after you succeed in your cultivation with nothing else to learn?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Go and find medicine able to completely cure Master¡¯s body. After finding it, I will take Master to a place with mountains, waters, and flowers. I will settle there with Master, away from the world, boil wine during the winter, enjoy flowers in spring, and be happy in the spring. Wouldn¡¯t being free be great?¡± It indeed would be great. Ye Yunlan fell silent. There was no cure for the divine fire injury in his body. Now that he was also tossed around so much in the secret realm, it had worsened his injuries. He shouldn¡¯t have many days left. There was only one way to save him, but he was unwilling. ¡­And even if he was willing, the divine fire was too dangerous. If the person who drew the divine fire into their body couldn¡¯t suppress it, it would burn them to ashes from the inside out, and their soul would be destroyed. How many people in the world could be approved by the divine fire? He would never let Shen Shu risk it. Ye Yunlan looked at the hazy distant mountains quietly. The drizzle fell into the lake, and the wind blew the willows. He gradually felt a little cold. ¡°Let¡¯s go back,¡± he said. Shen Shu: ¡°Master doesn¡¯t want to walk a little more? The secret realm won¡¯t close for at least another month. It¡¯s boring to stay in the flying boat all day. I¡¯m afraid that mushrooms will start growing out of boredom.¡± Ye Tunlan: ¡°The spring chill is in the air, and your Master is tired. If you feel you¡¯re bored in the flying boat, you can continue walking around the city. I can go back first.¡± Shen Shu disagreed, ¡°Without me, who would hold the umbrella for Master?¡± Hearing these words, Ye Yunlan was startled. ¡°Living in the same place, sleeping together, being companions, and going and returning together; this is Master¡¯s promise to me, and you can¡¯t take it back.¡± Shen Shu lowered his eyelashes to look at him. There was a serious innocence in his expression. His eyes shone in the morning light, a blood-colored glaze. He took Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand and said: ¡°Let¡¯s go back together, Master.¡± Companions go and return together. Ye Yunlan was silent momentarily, then said: ¡°¡­Ok?¡± A month and a half had already passed when the flying boat returned to Sky Sect. As always, many disciples gathered on Wendao Slope in groups of twos and threes. Zhanxing City was far from Sky Sect, so a lot of news wasn¡¯t spread back yet. Many disciples eagerly looked forward to guessing what Sky Sect had reaped this time. But they didn¡¯t expect to receive a group of disciples with tired looks and scars, all in terrible states. When they left, there were three thousand disciples. However, they returned with less than one thousand. ¡°Senior Brother Cheng, what happened during this trip? How are there so many casualties?¡± A disciple hurried up and asked Cheng Xu. Cheng Xu showed a bitter look. He sighed and shook his head. ¡°We¡¯ve all underestimated the degree of danger in the Netherworld Secret Realm. Besides, the danger wasn¡¯t only in the Secret Realm, but also in others. Treasures move people¡¯s hearts.¡± The disciple asked: ¡°What happened in the secret realm?¡± Cheng Xu: ¡°The secret realm left for four thousand years by Emperor Netherworld had countless magic killing arrays, and the danger was unspeakable. Although we were lucky enough to reach the secret realm¡¯s third level and harvested a lot of treasures, the sects clashed afterward.¡± ¡°Consuming nearly half of their team¡¯s lives in the first two levels of the secret realm, they were murderous and crazy. They wouldn¡¯t be reconciled without the treasures. Many demonic cultivators were among them, trying to take advantage of the crisis to sow dissension. Finally, a battle broke out on the secret realm¡¯s third level. We joined forces with the Tingyu Pavilion and Ink Sect disciples to fight against the enemy, only to protect our own disciples. It wasn¡¯t easy coming back. We received damage to two-thirds of our disciples, but the other sects were more miserable than us.¡± The questioning disciple: ¡°How miserable?¡± Cheng Xu¡¯s expression was heavy: ¡°Less than one out of ten survived.¡± The questioning disciple was horrified. Cheng Xu sighed: ¡°Junior Brother Ye had the foresight to leave early. They left the secret realm and avoided this catastrophe. If I thought about it carefully, although the treasures are good, they caused a massacre. Fellow disciples killing each other¡­I would rather not have them.¡± The questioning disciple asked again: ¡°Where is Senior Brother Rong? Senior Brother Rong is the sect¡¯s leader this time. Did he also fall in the secret realm?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention him!¡± A disciple supporting a sad face behind Cheng Xu suddenly opened his mouth in anger. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for him, how could Senior Sister Zhuang, Senior Brother Xu, and Senior Brother Gong have died in the secret realm in vain?! Rong Ran is an unscrupulous b*stard who would do anything for treasures! He¡¯s not worthy to be our Sky Sect disciple! He¡¯s not worthy!¡± The amount of information shocked the questioning disciple. He then noticed the noise around him. Several disciples dragged down one person. Five ropes were tying the man. His long hair was messy like grass, and dust covered his clothes. The original color wasn¡¯t visible in the dust. It was unclear how long he was thrown aside. Looking at his face, if it wasn¡¯t Rong Ran, who could it be? The disciple who just roared picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at Rong Ran. ¡°Rong Ran, get out of Sky Sect!¡± With this throw, the disciples, who looked decadent and exhausted around him, seemed agitated. In the secret realm, the unwillingness had accumulated in the past few days of fighting and killing. Thus, the pain of watching the death of the companions around them seemed to have an outlet. Countless stones hit Rong Ran¡¯s body like a rainstorm. The disciples¡¯ angry voices were louder than waves. ¡°Get out of Sky Sect!¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t worthy to be a disciple of the sect!¡± ¡°B*tch! Scum!¡± Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu had already gotten off the flying boat, presently sitting in Tingfeng Pavilion. Shen Shu made tea. In the mist, they were ignoring the hustle and bustle of the outside world. Ye Yunlan only watched the farce with an indifferent gaze. Rong Ran suffered what he did when he was framed, being wronged and dragged down the flying boat. Questions that weren¡¯t answered back then were now answered. Shen Shu poured the boiled tea into the cup and pushed it to his master. He looked toward the direction that Ye Yunlan focused on and curled his lips, ¡°Rong Ran tried to set up a trap for me and ended up in this state. His present ending is him suffering from his own consequences. He can¡¯t blame anyone.¡± ¡°But fortunately, because of him, I knew that Master places such importance on me. When I remembered that Master drew his sword to protect me and confronted everyone, I knew there would be no one else in the world who would treat me like Master.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to repay Master.¡± His eyes curved into arcs, ¡°I often hear people say that a drop of grace should be returned with a flowing spring. Then how about I¡­offer my body as payment?¡± He got up and came close, ¡°If I thought about it carefully, Master marrying me or me marrying Master are both happy events. Disciple can accept both. If I were a woman, it¡¯s even okay to have children with Master.¡± (marrying in = take on their last name and usually the woman position) These days, Shen Shu seemed to be fattened with courage. His speech and demeanor became more and more unrestrained. He depended on the fact that Ye Yunlan wouldn¡¯t really be angry with him, given an inch and wanting a mile. At first, Ye Yunlan would refuse to talk to him because of his words, but now he¡¯d learned to ignore them. He finished the tea in his cup and picked up the long sword on the table. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Shen Shu followed with a smile. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go home.¡± Rong Ran was locked in the law enforcement hall, and the trial would be held in ten days. Shen Shu cleaned up the bamboo building and obliterated the small one next to it mercilessly. That night, he carried his bedding to find Ye Yunlan. ¡°The bed¡¯s too small.¡± Ye Yunlan said expressionlessly, ¡°When you were young, you weren¡¯t so tall, so we could share. Now¡­.¡± He raised his head and looked at Shen Shu¡¯s figure. The young man¡¯s body was still growing. If he were to grow to the Demon Lord¡¯s height, even two beds wouldn¡¯t be enough for him to toss around. Ye Yunlan refused. Shen Shu: ¡°We came to an agreement that we would eat together, live together, and sleep together¡­¡± There was his familiar rhetoric. Ye Yunlan¡¯s temples were pounding. He then blinked aggrievedly at him and finally said, ¡°I demolished the neighboring house. If Master doesn¡¯t take me in, I would be homeless.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his hand and rubbed his eyebrows, ¡°All right, come in.¡± The two slept on the bed. It was really crowded. Shen Shu pretended to be well-behaved: ¡°Tomorrow, I will go to the Sect to bring a bigger bed back.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Getting a bed for no reason is inappropriate.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°En¡­ I¡¯ll just say the bed was accidentally broken? When I went there previously to get supplies from the sect, I saw Deputy Sect Master Cheng come to get a bed again. Therefore, it¡¯s normal for the bed to be broken.¡± Deputy Sect Master Cheng Zixu and his wife Xue Mengdie are well-known affectionate dao companions in the sect. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Shut up and sleep.¡± Shen Shu shut up obediently. Early next morning, Shen Shu went to the Sect Internal Affairs Office. Ye Yunlan took out a book and opened it. After a while, he heard the wind chimes ringing at the door. He thought it was Shen Shu coming back, so he got up to open the door. However, he saw a handsome man with a black robe and a tall crown standing before him. It was Senior Brother He Lanze. He Lanze had begun his closed-retreat ever since he lost against Shen Shu when comparing swords. Now, it has been several months. He observed his qi. He¡¯d broken into Ascension Realm. He just needed the final push to reach Transcendence. He Lanze¡¯s cultivation was much higher than the one in the memory of Ye Yunlan¡¯s previous life. It was visible that these months of retreat and hard cultivation weren¡¯t in vain. ¡°Why did Senior Brother come here so suddenly?¡± Ye Yunlan said flatly. He Lanze stared at him greedily. His eyes were deep and brought a scorching heat. After being in retreat for several years and thinking of him day and night, they could finally meet now. ¡°I left closed-retreat this time to accommodate the trial. But after thinking about it carefully, I wanted to come and see my junior before the trial.¡± He Lanze looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s face, paler than before. He remembered when Ye Yunlan entered the sect back then. For many years, he followed Rong Ran around. Wearing his mask daily, his talents and appearances weren¡¯t shown, but he can¡¯t help but feel more tenderness towards him. He sighed softly, ¡°Junior brother has suffered over the years.¡± CH 95 Chapter 95 Gifts The wind blew on the bells on the door, and bamboo rustled in the distance. He Lanze: ¡°In this trial of the Law Enforcement Hall, Rong Ran murdered his fellow disciples and tried to blame his crimes on Martial Nephew Shen. Senior Brother will fairly hear the case and severely punish him. Junior Brother, you can be assured with Senior Brother in charge.¡± Senior Brother He Lanze wielded the punishment sword. Therefore, he was the chief among the Law Enforcement Hall disciples. His words and attitude practically determined the crime¡¯s attribution. Ye Yunlan wasn¡¯t affected. He didn¡¯t even show the slight happiness He Lanze had imagined. His face was still pale, and his eyes seemed to look far away. ¡°If you hold the punishment sword, the weight of the sect disciples will burden you. Since that¡¯s the case, Senior Brother, you shouldn¡¯t have come to my residence today if you really want a fair trial without bias.¡± He Lanze heard this and thought that he made Ye Yunlan worry. He explained hurriedly: ¡°The evidence of what Rong Ran did has been confirmed and will be heard in court. No one will help his schemes, the trial has been settled, and the wicked will be punished. There will be no suspicion toward my present visit. But why is Junior Brother¡­¡± Why was there no joy in his eyes? Why was he indifferent? ¡°The wicked will be punished¡­¡± Ye Yunlan murmured, the fatigue among his features deepening. He said, ¡°Senior Brother, I¡¯m a little tired. I¡¯ll see you in the Law Enforcement Hall in nine days.¡± He Lanze wanted to say something, but he suddenly heard a rush of footsteps. A disciple shouted, ¡°Senior Brother Ye? Is Senior Brother Ye there?¡± He Lanze looked back, discovering the person who came was wearing a law enforcement robe; his subordinate. ¡°Yutang, why are you so anxious?¡± He Lanze asked solemnly. As soon as Xue Yutang walked over, he saw Senior Brother¡¯s respectful face. His heart shook. Everyone in the Law Enforcement Hall knew this Senior Brother¡¯s personality was clean and upright. He was merciless toward disciples who¡¯ve made mistakes. When one entered the Law Enforcement Hall, very few could come out. Just the mention of his name was frightening. Xue Yutang quickly bowed his head and saluted, ¡°Greetings to Senior brother.¡± After hesitating momentarily, he continued, ¡°There¡¯s a problem with the water prison. The guy surnamed Rong has been clamoring to meet Senior Brother Ye, saying he has something serious to tell him.¡± He Lanze coldly asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you report this to me first?¡± Xue Yutang: ¡°The guy surnamed Rong said he¡¯s the Sect Lord¡¯s direct disciple and wasn¡¯t convicted yet, so he has the right to invite Senior Brother Ye¡­¡± He Lanze snorted coldly, ¡°No matter who he is, he should abide by the Law Enforcement Hall rules when entering the Law Enforcement Hall.¡± Thinking of the other person beside him, he turned his head and asked for Ye Yunlan¡¯s opinion, ¡°Junior Brother, are you going to see him?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°No.¡± He Lanze nodded slightly, then said to Xue Yutang: ¡°Did you hear that? Go back, and don¡¯t bother Junior Brother¡¯s rest again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Xue Yutang didn¡¯t dare to continue speaking. When he got the order, he turned and left. He Lanze looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s pale complexion and sighed softly, ¡°Senior Brother will not delay Junior Brother from resting. Your injury¡­¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°It¡¯s okay. Senior Brother doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± He Lanze had no choice but to leave. When Shen Shu came back, he heard the sound of qin from the bamboo building. The qin¡¯s sound was ethereal and distant, making one feel peaceful. But now that Shen Shu had gradually deepened his cultivation, he could slowly perceive that the qin¡¯s sound was seemingly missing something. He couldn¡¯t tell what was missing. He just felt that the sound of the qin was moving, but it was too lonely and cold. Even with his company, this was still the case. Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were deep. In fact, in recent days, Ye Yunlan had suddenly indulged him. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t notice it. Probably after he exposed his filthy abilities, Ye Yunlan showed some tolerance for him instead of fearing and reprimanding him. Why? He thought of the previous Daoist that his master once mentioned. According to the description, that guy seemed to be a demonic cultivator. Even if he wasn¡¯t a demonic cultivator, it wasn¡¯t far off. Did his master see something on his body identical to his predecessor? The similarities between his dao companion, that¡¯s why¡­ When he thought of this possibility, Shen Shu couldn¡¯t restrain his mood. The shadows swayed from left to right, very unhappy. But after stepping into the bamboo building, Shen Shu changed his expression, and the shadows returned to normal. He walked into the study, leaned against the wall, and listened to the song before smiling at Ye Yunlan, who was cross-legged before the piano case. ¡°I haven¡¯t listened to Master playing the qin for a long time. It still sounds so beautiful.¡± Ye Yunlan caressed the qin with one hand. The sun outside the window caught his eyes and made his silhouette appear soft and illusory. He said, ¡°You just came back from the Internal Affairs Hall?¡± Shen Shu nodded, ¡°I got a big red sandalwood bed with very exquisite carpentry. I think Master will like it. I also coincidently met Deputy Sect Master Cheng when I got the bed. The Deputy Sect Master seemed a little unhappy and asked me why I needed a new bed for no reason.¡± Ye Yunlan asked: ¡°How did you answer? ¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I said I like to cultivate in bed and accidentally collapsed the bed. Deputy Sect Master Cheng expressed that he understood that very well, so he didn¡¯t need to pursue the bed issue anymore.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Next time, don¡¯t say misleading words.¡± Shen Shu blinked: ¡°There¡¯s a next time?¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips and turned his head to stop looking at him. ¡°Set up the bed, then go out and practice your swordsmanship. Cultivation is not a day¡¯s work, especially in sword dao.¡± ¡°After nine days, follow me to the Law Enforcement Hall to participate in the trial.¡± ¡­ Law Enforcement Hall, in the water dungeon. The water dungeon was built in the Law Enforcement Hall¡¯s underground with biting cold water covering it. It was dark. The only light was a narrow skylight at the very high point of the wall. A chain hung down in the middle of the dungeon, locking a person with scattered clothes and hair. The water reached his jaw. Rong Ran¡¯s cultivation base was sealed, and the cold air entered his limbs. He was in pain and thirsty, but he couldn¡¯t lower his head to drink because the water prison was full of saltwater. It would only make him more thirsty as he drinks. He could only stare at the door on the stairs in the distance, waiting for the person he wanted to see. The Hehuan Gu was moving in his body. It felt even more heartbreaking because his spiritual energy supply was cut off. His only choice was to seize the last chance to plant the Hehuan Gu so that Ye Yunlan would fall in love with him completely and stand by his side to testify for him, giving him a chance to escape. He didn¡¯t know how long he waited, but the iron gate made a harsh sound. A young law enforcement disciple walked in. Rong Ran waited patiently for a while, but when the law enforcement disciple went down the stairs, there was no second person at the door. Where is Ye Yunlan? Ye Yunlan! He shook the chains frantically and made a violent clattering noise. The salty water surged and splashed on his face. The ulcerated wound on one half of his face tingled, but Rong Ran had no intention of caring. He just yelled hoarsely: ¡°I told you to call Ah Lan, where is Ah Lan?¡± Xue Yutang: ¡°Senior Brother Rong, this may be the last time I call you Senior Brother. I did go according to your request, but Senior Brother Ye didn¡¯t want to come, so why should Senior Brother Rong force it? Not to mention the Law Enforcement Hall has its rules. Senior Brother Helan is very dissatisfied with your behavior. This is the last time I will see you. After nine days, the trial will begin. I hope you take care of yourself.¡± Xue Yutang finished speaking and left. The iron gate was closed again, and the water prison plunged into darkness. Rong Ran was already going crazy with anger ¨C he was a direct disciple of the Sect Master, who had always been aloof in the sect. His status was almost equal to that of He Lanze. Now, a small disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall dared to speak to him like this? And Ye Yunlan¡­Why didn¡¯t he want to see him? It was okay to blame him or hate him. It was okay to come and scold him to see his pitiful appearance, but why didn¡¯t he come to see him? Their friendship had lasted for more than two decades. The memories of them getting along with each other, has the other party really forgotten them? Rong Ran shook the chain and let out one unwilling roar after another, tears streaming from his beautiful eye sockets. He felt his heart beating sharply, and the Hehuan Gu was beating frantically. Suddenly, he felt nauseous, and a vermilion worm crawled out of his lips uncontrollably. His pupils widened¨Cthis was the Child Gu of the Hehuan Gu. His heart¡¯s blood was feeding it, so he should control it. Even without spiritual power, it would not take the initiative to crawl out of his body. However, something that frightened him even more happened after. The scarlet Gu worm fell from his mouth into the water, and without struggling, it melted away like blood and disappeared without a trace. In his body, Mother Hehuan Gu felt Child Gu¡¯s death and suddenly beat more frantically. Rong Ran only felt that his heart was hurting like being sawed by a knife, but what made him more pained was the unprovoked death of the Child Gu¡ªhow could it be!? How?! It took him several years to cultivate the Hehuan Gu. He had suffered from the backlash of the Gu worms every day, but now it was gone? He didn¡¯t believe it! Rong Ran began to think in agony. His father gave him the refining method, and absolutely no problem was there. And the materials, he had collected all the materials, were all flawless. No, that wasn¡¯t right. Rong Ran suddenly widened his eyes. The most important material for refining the Hehuan Gu. He participated in the Tianchi Mountain dao conference and wanted to pass the ranking. However, Shen Shu defeated him, and he missed the material¡ªthe only material that didn¡¯t go into his hands directly. Chen Weiyuan himself sent the materials. At that time, he was fortunate to meet a man with such good manners and demeanor, the young patriarch of the Chen Clan. Not only did he heal his injuries, but he also gave him such a precious thing. If he hadn¡¯t already admired Ye Yunlan, he feared the man would really tempt him. ¡°Chen Weiyuan¨C!¡± Rong Ran finally realized. His eyes were red. ¡°It¡¯s you, Chen Weiyuan¨C!¡± Chen Weiyuan, who was far away in Tianji Pavilion of the Northern Territory, didn¡¯t hear his roar. There was a water mirror beside him. That water mirror had stood there many years ago. What Rong Ran saw and heard were reflected here. It was just that the water mirror disappeared the moment Hehuan Gu died in Rong Ran¡¯s body. Chen Weiyuan slowly took a sip from the wine glass at the table. There was a faint blush on his face. He seemed to be slightly drowsy with his long hair loose. There was a lazy look on his face. ¡°The world isn¡¯t benevolent, and everything is just cannon fodder. All things live on their own, and karma goes back and forth.¡± He shook his glass of wine, his eyes blurred, ¡°People are always born by chance and greedy for what they get. But they don¡¯t know that all the gifts of fate have a corresponding price to be paid.¡± He stretched out his hand and pushed the chess piece on the chessboard on the table one more square. ¡­¡­ On February 29th, the Law Enforcement Hall. Many disciples gathered in the Law Enforcement Hall on this day. The disciple that the dignified sect master personally took in had killed his fellow disciples because of a treasure. He even pushed the blame on another fellow disciple. It was a sensational scandal regardless of which sect this situation took place. When Rong Ran was escorted out of the water cell with his whole body drenched. His face was paper-pale, and his hair was soggy and sticking to his body. He looked extremely haggard. But no one felt sorry for him. The disciple onlookers only hissed at him. The angry ones had already picked up stones on the ground, throwing them at Rong Ran. Amidst the noise, the law enforcement disciples entered orderly. Ye Yunlan and Shen Shu also arrived. Law enforcement disciples greeted them, and they sat in the seats toward the back for the hearing. The remaining disciples were stopped outside the hall. Although they could see the movement and hear the sounds inside, they could not interfere with the order of the Law Enforcement Hall. Several serious law enforcement elders were in the Law Enforcement Hall while He Lanze stood in the high position holding the punishment sword in hand, presiding over this trial. With his nod, the trial officially began. The disciples who¡¯d experienced the things together in Fuyou Palace came out in succession to testify. The disciples who body-searched Rong Ran had already found the Huan Youling, and it was now placed on the high platform as physical evidence. As for ¡°Dark Incense Sparse Shadow¡±, because it had recognized Rong Ran as its Master, Rong Ran would rather die than surrender this item. They couldn¡¯t forcibly erase his soul imprint without trial, so Rong Ran was still wearing it. After the disciples¡¯ testimony ended, an elder stepped forward to check the Huan Youling, confirming its efficacy. He nodded to He Lanze. He Lanze raised the punishment sword in his hand and pointed at Rong Ran. ¡°Junior Brother Rong, the evidence is undeniable, what else do you want to say?¡± Rong Ran knelt on the ground. His body was constantly twitching because of the backlash of He Huan Gu, the Mother Gu. It was having incessant seizures. Moreover, he couldn¡¯t cover up his face¡¯s distortion and haggardness even with the concealment of ¡°Dark Incense Sparse Shadow.¡± His voice seemed hoarse and extremely ugly because of his excessive roaring. Rong Ran raised his head. Hatred distorted his face for who knows who: ¡°I¡¯m the Sect Master¡¯s direct disciple. The Sect Master should judge me regardless of the mistakes I made. When could it be your turn¡­ to interrogate me.¡± ¡°I want to meet the Sect Lord.¡± CH 96 There was a clamor outside the Law Enforcement Hall. ¡°Meeting the Sect Master? The Sect Master¡¯s face was completely lost, yet he still dared to ask to meet the Sect Master?¡± ¡°The Sect Master is a first-class sword cultivator in this world. It is really unlucky of him to accept such a direct disciple.¡± ¡°Why does he think he¡¯s qualified to make such an unreasonable request?¡± In the Law Enforcement Hall, the elders sitting in the ebony armchairs frowned. Rong Ran was the Sect Master¡¯s direct disciple and also Peak Master Rong¡¯s only son. Peak Master Rong couldn¡¯t come here today to participate in the trial to avoid suspicion. However, Xuanhu Peak was the medicine peak of the sect. The disciple elders had to go to the medicine peak for healing if they were injured. Before coming here, Peak Master Rong had refined a lot of pills for them. Many elders exchanged glances momentarily, and one motioned to Deputy Sect Master Cheng with a glance. As everyone knew, even though Qiyun Jun was the Sky Sect¡¯s Sect Master, he was in retreat on Wangyun Peak all year round. He rarely paid attention to the sect¡¯s trivial matters. Deputy Sect Master Cheng Zixu and his direct disciple He Lanze handled most Sky Sect affairs. Deputy Sect Master Cheng looked handsome and romantic with gentle soft eyes. A little red cinnabar sat between his eyebrows. He was bowing his head to play with the white jade his wife made for him. He didn¡¯t notice the elder¡¯s winking eyes, and his expression was very serene. The elder coughed slightly. Deputy Sect Master Cheng seemed to notice the situation at this time, ¡°Elder Xu, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Xu: ¡°Deputy Sect Master, you see, Rong Ran is the Sect Master¡¯s direct disciple after all. Should we postpone the trial and notify the Sect Master first?¡± Deputy Sect Master Cheng touched the white jade ball in his hand, wondering: ¡°When have the trials of the Law Enforcement Hall required our Sect Lord? Look at Peak Master Rong, he didn¡¯t come to avoid suspicion. Young people¡¯s matters should be left to the young people. Isn¡¯t that good?¡± Elder Xu: ¡°But, after all, he¡¯s the Sect Lord¡¯s only personal disciple¡­¡± Deputy Sect Master Cheng smiled: ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not unreasonable. But the Sect Master passing it personally sounds more expensive than others¡¯ statements. Elder Xu, don¡¯t you think?¡± The cold sweat emerged on Elder Xu¡¯s forehead. Suddenly, Deputy Sect Master Cheng changed the conversation: ¡°But the murder of fellow sect members has a wide impact. It¡¯s considered a major event in a sect, so it¡¯s understandable to ask the Sect Master to decide.¡± ¡°But who will inform him?¡± This was a big question. Nobody dared to go to Wangyun Peak except Rong Ran. No, there was one more person. He once personally stayed at Wangyun Peak and had the Sect Master heal his wounds, then came down from Wangyun Peak unharmed. Elder Xu looked at the Law Enforcement Hall backstage. The man was sitting there. The disciples around him were bustling with each other, but he could still be seen at a glance. Elder Xu had already passed the age of appreciating beauty. But he still couldn¡¯t move his eyes away for a while. That person was like a drop of ink on white paper¡ªno, it should be like a little ink in the snow pond. Glaring, pure white. It was difficult to describe such a face in words. Over the years, the Sect Lord had come down from Wangyun Peak several times, and they all seemed to be for this person. It made people wonder if the Sect Master cultivating the ruthless dao had certain thoughts for this person. And this person was the victim¡¯s teacher. Compared with Rong Ran, who committed a big mistake, which one would the Sect Lord be biased toward? After Elder Xu thought about it, he suddenly fell into a cold sweat and didn¡¯t want to say more. Seeing that no one answered, Deputy Sect Master Cheng chuckled lightly and waved to He Lanze, who looked back at him. ¡°Continue the trial. The Sect Master has a high level of cultivation, and his divine consciousness communicates with the world. If he wants to come, he¡¯ll come.¡± He Lanze turned back, raised the punishment sword in his hand, and said blankly, ¡°Rong Ran, you personally killed fourteen fellow disciples, then called back the souls of the dead deliberately to frame others. Your sin is intolerable. Today, I¡¯ll break your dantian, cut your meridians, and abolish all your cultivation. You will now be expelled from the sect.¡± ¡°No, Senior Brother Helan, you can¡¯t¡ª¡± Rong Ran finally looked flustered. He turned his head and looked around. The dark crowd was watching him, but nobody sympathized with him. He suddenly turned his head and looked at the sky outside the Law Enforcement Hall. The mountains were looming in the distance, and he suddenly knelt down and kowtowed. ¡°Master, I beg you to save this person for the sake of past kindness!¡± Nobody responded. Only countless cold sneers and cold gazes fell on him like knives. He Lanze: ¡°The guilty should be punished, and wrongdoings should be readdressed. Heaven¡¯s law is clear, and karma is rewarded.¡± What he said was the Law Enforcement Hall¡¯s commandment. The punishment sword passed through Rong Ran¡¯s dantian. The dantian was the core of a cultivator¡¯s vitality. Once the dantian breaks, the body¡¯s cultivation level would flow out like mercury, instantly becoming nonexistent. However, the power of the punishment sword wasn¡¯t just that. The sword qi would pierce the dantian and immerse itself in the meridian, destroying every inch of it. In an instant, Rong Ran became a cripple. Rong Ran¡¯s pupils dilated. Because the pain was so intense, he couldn¡¯t even scream. In an instant, everything he had worked hard for, what he was pleased with, the half of his life he had learned, all turned to ashes. Just like his body losing the support of its cultivation base and falling to the ground, the Dark Incense Sparse Shadow did too. His body now had non-washable stains and incurable scars. And the bird he wanted to like the most, that proud bird- never returned to his cage. The ulcerated scars on half his face appeared, and the limbs, still swelling, showed scary bruises. His hair soaked in saltwater snaked on his cheeks, and the blood trickled down from his chest and abdomen, making his already dirty clothes even more unbearable. The disciples outside the Law Enforcement Hall were all taken aback by his appearance. Rong Ran lay on the ground, convulsing in pain. Thinking that he was about to die, he suddenly saw a touch of white before him. All the surrounding noise suddenly quieted. He looked up to see a white-clothed crane cloak with silver hair and a high crown. Qiyun Jun lowered his eyes and looked at him, mercilessly holding his Taiqing Duer Sword in his hand. ¡°Master!¡± In his desperate situation, Rong Ran didn¡¯t know where his burst out power came from. He crawled to Qiyun Jun¡¯s feet. His bruised and swollen hands gripped the edge of Qiyun Jun¡¯s outfit as if it was driftwood, leaving behind bloody handprints. ¡°Save me¡­ Master, save me¡­¡± Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t speak. The sword in his hand never exited its sheath. It¡¯s just that with the other person standing there, sword unsheathed, there was a sharp edge to him gazing at the world. Everyone was silent. ¡°Greetings to the Sect Master.¡± ¡°Gree, greetings to the Sect Master!¡± Several elders in the hall stood up simultaneously. Deputy Sect Master Cheng also slowly got up from his seat. ¡°Senior Brother Ji, time flashed by. I haven¡¯t seen you for two years. Is coming out from your retreat for your direct disciple?¡± Only Deputy Sect Master Cheng dared to speak to Qiyun Jun like this in the entire Sky Sect. The two came from the same class, and before Qiyun Jun entered the heartless dao, their relationship was still deep. Of course, there was no ¡°feeling¡± when entering the heartless dao. Cheng Zixu would rather talk to his wife overnight than deal with a block of ice, even if the ice cube were originally his close brother. Qiyun Jun: ¡°He¡¯s no longer my disciple.¡± He took out two pieces of a broken black jade pendant from his sleeve and threw them in front of Rong Ran. ¡°I had said it was the last time.¡± Hearing this, Rong Ran¡¯s face was pale. Yes, when he asked Qiyun Jun to lead the team to the Netherworld, Qiyun Jun did say that it was the last time. But at that time, Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t say he was no longer his disciple. The relationship between master and disciple in the cultivation world was close, especially with personal disciples. It involved a lot of karma. He believed that Qiyun Jun wouldn¡¯t let him go so easily. But Qiyun Jun was more decisive than he thought. Rong Ran looked at the broken black jade in front of him, and the hand holding Qiyun Jun¡¯s clothes gradually became weak. ¡°Banding together with outsiders, killing fellow sect members, these crimes are intolerable.¡± Qiyun Jun could tell where the Dark Incense Sparse Shadow came from, ¡°Of course, you saved my life back then, so now I will keep your life. Henceforth, you and I are clear from any karma.¡± The moment he brushed his sleeves, the wound on his chest and abdomen stopped bleeding. ¡°Take him out of the sect.¡± Qiyun Jun ordered. There was no chance for Rong Ran to intercede. When his voice fell, the law enforcement disciples immediately came out. They raised Rong Ran¡¯s arms and dragged him out. His last hope was shattered, and Rong Ran¡¯s face turned gray. The body soaked in the water prison dragged a reddish watermark on the ground. He seemed to think of something, his expression distorting. He looked at Qiyun Jun and suddenly let out a crazy sharp laugh. ¡°Our karma is complete? Hahahaha, you could never complete it!¡± Qiyun Jun showed a rare frown. During the sharp laughter, Rong Ran was dragged out of the Law Enforcement Hall, then into the crowd. The angry disciples drowned him out. The three thousand long steps outside the sect were very long. He was dragged and kicked down the steps. Up in the sky, there was the clear, intense sun. Around him, there were people¡¯s distorted faces, distorted voices, and also himself, distorted. He suddenly felt that this scene was very familiar as if he had experienced it. Only at that time, he wasn¡¯t the person dragged down the steps, humiliated, and trampled. He was the one who walked on the steps and watched the show; that was him. The scorching sun burned his entire body. He didn¡¯t know how long it took before the endless rolling down the steps stopped. The human voices faded away, and he was abandoned there. The blood blurred his eyes. He couldn¡¯t see anything. He couldn¡¯t move his body, so his sense of smell became extremely sharp. Slowly, he began to smell the fester of the wound on his face. ¡ª¡ªStinky, unpleasant, and disgusting. Just like himself. After the trial was over, the people in the Law Enforcement Hall gradually dispersed. Shen Shu wanted to get up and leave. However, he saw his master step to the front of the Law Enforcement Hall, crouch down, and pick up the two pieces of broken black jade Qi Yunjun left behind. Shen Shu walked over and saw Ye Yunlan holding the two dusty black jade, slowly wiping them with his sleeves. The snow-white sleeves quickly became dirty and looked off. Ye Yunlan looked indifferent and was expressionless. When Shen Shu was about to ask, he suddenly heard a cold voice resembling ice. ¡°Why did you pick up those two pieces of broken jade?¡± Shen Shu turned around and saw Qiyun Jun, who had gone and now returned, standing at the Law Enforcement Hall¡¯s entrance. The backlight concealed Qiyun Jun¡¯s appearance. He could only see a black silhouette, tall and crowned with a crane cloak. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t look at him and instead stared quietly at the ink jade in his hand. The broken jade pieces were combined into one with mysterious ancient patterns engraved on them. The words ¡°Sky Sect¡± were engraved in the center. He said: ¡°This was originally my item.¡± CH 97 ¡°You said this is your item?¡± Qiyun Jun strode over to Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Yes.¡± Qiyun Jun frowned slightly, staring at him. ¡°This is the Black Mark Blood Soul Jade. It¡¯s the only one in the world and a token of the Sky Sect¡¯s Sect Master. How did it become yours?¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes, seemingly unwilling to argue with him too much. He whispered: ¡°Since it¡¯s the Sect Master¡¯s token, why did you want to break it?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°Because it¡¯s no longer needed.¡± The Black Mark Blood Soul Jade¡¯s karma had been paid off. Keeping it by his side would only implicate him. Even if this jade was very precious and unique in the world, he wouldn¡¯t keep things that shouldn¡¯t be kept. He cultivated the heartless dao, and he shouldn¡¯t have too much involvement with the people in this world, so this token was useless. Leaving it in the world would cause disputes, so it was better to destroy it. In fact, he couldn¡¯t even remember why he entrusted such an important thing to Rong Ran. Even if the other party saved his life. ¡°I don¡¯t need it anymore.¡± Ye Yunlan was silent momentarily, then said faintly: ¡°This ink jade, I once returned it to Rong Ran. Only now did I know that it was the wrong person.¡± ¡°Since Sect Master already doesn¡¯t need this ink jade, let¡¯s destroy it more thoroughly.¡± He held two pieces of broken jade in his palm, and the nirvana sword intent burst out of his body. The ink jade turned into smaller shards with a slight pinch, sliding down between his fingers like leaking fireflies. Ye Yunlan lowered his hand, his five fingers hidden in the robe¡¯s sleeve. ¡°The Law Enforcement Hall trial has ended, and the Sect Master¡¯s affairs are busy. Why stay here anymore?¡± After that, he turned around and motioned to Shen Shu to leave. ¡°Hold on.¡± Qiyun Jun called out to him. Ye Yunlan said indifferently: ¡°Is there anything else, Sect Master?¡± Qiyun Jun frowned, ¡°You just said it was the wrong person. What do you mean?¡± He asked, ¡°The Black Mark Blood Soul Jade, you gave it to Rong Ran?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I thought with the Sect Master¡¯s power, you wouldn¡¯t be ignorant to these little things.¡± Qiyun Jun was silent for a long time before saying: ¡°When did you give the jade to Rong Ran?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Twenty-five years ago when I entered the sect.¡± Qiyun Jun asked again: ¡°Then how did you¡­ get this jade?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Twenty-nine years ago, I saved a man in the deep peach forest valley. After three years, he left this black jade to me on departure.¡± Speaking this far, he said blankly, ¡°What else does the Sect Master want to ask? It¡¯s best to ask it all at once. I don¡¯t have much free time.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s heart beat. Twenty-nine years ago, he passed into the Transcendence Realm and was seriously injured and unconscious. When he woke up three years later, he was already at Xuanhu Peak. Rong Qingjue and Rong Ran, the father-son duo, guarded him until he awoke. Later, the two said they were both guarding him when he was seriously injured. Because of this life-saving grace, Rong Qingjue asked him to accept his son as his disciple. He had always attached great importance to the matter of karma, so he agreed to Rong Qingjue¡¯s request and accepted Rong Ran as a named disciple. Before long, Rong Ran brought the Black Mark Blood Soul Jade back to him. He would only give out the Black Mark Blood Soul Jade if he owed extremely heavy karma. Realizing he owed more karma than he thought, he accepted him as a personal disciple. He indulged in his actions and accepted his many unreasonable demands. If Rong Ran didn¡¯t make big mistakes repeatedly, he would¡¯ve protected the other party for life to achieve his dao fulfillment. But now, the facts told him. ¡ª¡ªIt turned out that he had been protecting the wrong person all this time. Rong Ran¡¯s sharp laugh echoed in his ears. ¡°Karma? ??Hahahaha, you could never clear it!¡± The scattered black jade fell on the ground into black dust with no way to recover. The person before him had a cold appearance. The resistance and fear toward him had never faded because of the passage of time. Qiyun Jun¡¯s heartbeat became more and more violent. The originally peaceful and smooth flow of qi in his body suddenly surged. Blue veins burst on the back of his hand holding the Taiqing Du Er Sword. There was one thing he had never told anyone. There was often a peach forest in his dream. An illusory figure was running and playing in the Peach Forest, occasionally looking back and smiling at him. He liked listening to the other¡¯s laughter. He liked following the other¡¯s figure when running. Therefore, he planted a peach forest in the Yuntian Palace. The scabbard was also engraved with flower branches. He always thought it was the heart demon he imagined and his calamity. His whole life, he was born without affection and desire. His master said he was a natural cultivator of the heartless dao. It was right for him to enter this dao. And as he later cultivated, it was as smooth as his master said. However, after breaking through to Transcendence, his cultivation base stagnated. It had been nearly thirty years since it stopped. Many barriers needed to be broken through for cultivation. Before, it was too smooth. He had no emotions and then became heartless. Thus, he was flawed after all. Those unfinished love desires gave rise to heart demons, which seemed to be taken for granted. But, what if that wasn¡¯t a heart demon. What if it was a memory left behind in those three years. The love and desire he once had. At this point in consciousness, the person in his dreams gradually overlapped with the person before him. Qiyun Jun¡¯s voice was hoarse. It was like a dead branch broken in the winter snow. He said: ¡°¡­It¡¯s you.¡± Ye Yunlan looked indifferent. Until now, he still instinctively feared the Taiqing Du¡¯er Sword in Qiyun Jun¡¯s hand. He still couldn¡¯t forget the pain that he suffered when the sword qi knocked him down from the Buddha Tower again and again. Whether it was one¡¯s grace or anger, he didn¡¯t want anything to do with this person anymore. So he said: ¡°I don¡¯t understand what the Sect Master said.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°I¡­ owe you a lot.¡± Ye Yunlan interrupted him: ¡°My disciple and I still have important things to do. We¡¯ll leave first.¡± He went toward the Law Enforcement Hall door. Qiyun Jun wanted to open his mouth to keep him, but Ye Yunlan had already passed him quickly. Shen Shu followed. The two figures soon disappeared from the Law Enforcement Hall. Only Qiyun Jun stood in place for a long time, silent like an ice sculpture. Deputy Sect Master Cheng returned to his cave-dwelling, and his wife Xue Mengdie had already come over to greet him. Madam Xue glanced at the white jade exquisite ball in his hand. Her red lips curved in an arc, ¡°Is it fun?¡± Deputy Sect Master Cheng¡¯s eyes curved, and he said: ¡°Fun.¡± Madam Xue carried a plate of red cherries, walked over, kissed his eyes, then said: ¡°I made something more fun for you. Let¡¯s play slowly in the evening.¡± Deputy Sect Master Cheng¡¯s kissed eyes flushed red. His pair of peach blossom eyes were glowing, and he said hoarsely: ¡°Wife, spare me¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, a cherry was stuffed into his mouth. Mrs. Xue: ¡°Is it sweet?¡± Deputy Sect Master Cheng: ¡°Sweet¡­¡± As the couple talked to each other, the Deputy Sect Master Cheng suddenly felt a chill on his back. Then, he saw a familiar sword in the corner of his eyes. Taiqing Du Er sword. He shivered and stood up hurriedly, ¡°Why did Senior Brother Ji come here?¡± Mrs. Xue took care of the wrinkles on her sleeves without hesitation. She bowed, ¡°Greetings to the lord.¡± It wasn¡¯t Qiyun Jun¡¯s first time seeing his Junior Brother playing with his wife in the cave. Not only in the cave, but wherever the husband and wife appear together, there would often be affectionate play. According to Cheng Zixu¡¯s words, it was ¡°uncontrollable.¡± Although it was very unconventional, and he had spoken to the other party before. Cheng Zixu only promised quickly but didn¡¯t change after repeated teachings in private. The former Sect Master accepted two disciples; one cultivated the heartless dao, the other cultivated extreme affection. Cheng Zixu was the latter. For many years, Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t understand his brother¡¯s way. Extremely affectionate, and dedicated to one person for one lifetime. The other person swung the sword and cultivated the dao. However, the path was long and unpredictable. What if that person died? Whenever he was asked this question, Cheng Zixu always answered. ¡°Senior Brother, you don¡¯t understand.¡± Qiyun Jun really didn¡¯t understand and didn¡¯t want to understand. He still remembered a certain time; when Mrs. Xue went out alone to find her opportunity to break through. When he had something to discuss with Cheng Zixu, he found out that his Junior Brother was hiding in the cave alone and crying secretly. Since then, he remained at a respectful distance from extreme affection. ¡°I want to have all the records of Xuanhu Peak in the past 30 years.¡± Deputy Sect Master Cheng was a little surprised. No one knew better than him that his Senior Brother never liked to take care of Sky Sect affairs. What kind of curse did he run into today? He was actually looking into the inside affairs of Sky Sect. He blinked at Madam Xue, and Madam Xue turned her red lips knowingly. She picked up the half plate of cherries and went back to the inner room. ¡°This person Rong Qingjue¡­ Although he¡¯s very good at medical treatment, he lacks personality. When Liu Qing privately refined the revival pill, he was behind the scenes. There was just never any evidence. The person himself did not do anything particularly harmful to the sect, so nobody touched him.¡± ¡°As for all the records of Xuanhu Peak in the past 30 years, they are here.¡± Cheng Zixu took out a small book from the bookshelf and placed it in front of Qiyun Jun. Qiyun Jun picked it up and looked at it. With one glance, he read ten lines. After a moment, he said solemnly: ¡°Twenty-six years ago, Rong Qingjue went out looking for herbs, but he didn¡¯t return for half a year?¡± Twenty-six years ago, it was the year he was injured during the tribulation. It was also when Rong Ran and his father said they saved him on Xuanhu Peak. Cheng Zixu: ¡°Senior Brother, don¡¯t worry. This is the record that my wife helped me organize. There¡¯s nothing wrong with it.¡± Then, he saw Qiyun Jun throw the book on the table. The Taiqing Du¡¯er sword issued a loud sword sound, and the frost-like sword intent swept across the surrounding area. In the next instant, he could no longer see Qiyun Jun in the cave. It was the first time Cheng Zixu had seen his Senior Brother angry like this. Someone was going to be unlucky. Cheng Zixu mourned for a moment of silence for Master Rong of Xuanhu Peak. A man without a wife was always a little grumpy. He thought. The cherries his wife picked truly were the most delicious. CH 98 Chapter 98 Peach Blossom The night was getting deeper, and the insects croaked in the mountains. At Xuanhu Peak, it was still brightly lit. Since the disciples who went to the Netherworld Secret Realm returned, many injured disciples poured into Xuanhu Peak for treatment. Bandaged disciples were coming and going, and the fragrance of medicine permeated Xuanhu Peak all day long. In the Peak Master Hall on the top of the mountain, Peak Master Rong was in a blue gown, slowly pacing. A furnace of medicine cooked in a small fire beside him. Not long after, a man in black rushed in from the window. The man in black took a knee before Peak Master Rong and said: ¡°Peak Master, this subordinate has arranged Young Master Rong in an abandoned hut at the bottom of the mountain. However, Young Master¡¯s dantian and meridians are damaged, and his limbs and viscera are seriously injured. If the Peak Master doesn¡¯t rescue him in time, I¡¯m afraid¡­¡± Peak Master Rong: ¡°Wait a little longer. There are too many people keeping an eye on this person. Since he has been expelled from Sky Sect, taking him back at this moment will undoubtedly give someone an advantage. Since I¡¯ve avoided suspicion, I¡¯ll avoid suspicion to the end. I cannot take action today. Otherwise, how will I explain this to the Sect Master? Tomorrow, I¡¯ll find an excuse to go down the mountain.¡± The man in black: ¡°This subordinate has fed Young Master Rong the life-saving pills. Master Rong should be able to last one day.¡± Master Rong waved his hand, signaling him to withdraw, but suddenly stopped him, ¡°Yes, what happened to his face?¡± The man in black, ¡°Master Rong has an injury on the left side of his face, and the sword qi has entered his body again. Because it¡¯s been in there for too long, I¡¯m afraid it can¡¯t be recovered even if it can be removed.¡± Peak Master Rong frowned and said: ¡°Okay, withdraw.¡± The man in black retired. It was time for the pot of medicine to finish, so Master Rong squatted down, picked up the medicine pot¡¯s handle, and poured it into a white porcelain bowl. The black soup medicine exuded a strong bitter taste, so he put some sugar in it. After putting a brick of brown sugar into it, he stirred it patiently until it melted. The bitter medicine turned into a thick black syrup. It wasn¡¯t hot anymore, so Peak Master Rong took the medicine bowl and walked around the hall. In the corridor, he came to a hidden room in the depths. Rong Qingjue raised his hand and knocked on the door. ¡°Wife, I¡¯m here.¡± No one in the room responded. Rong Qingjue seemed used to it and pushed the door open. Black gauze covered the windows and doors, and there was no wind nor light, only red candles swaying on the table. The strong medicinal smell rushed over, heavier than it was outside. The candle¡¯s tears slipped from the candle¡¯s body to the lamp. Rong Qingjue brought the medicine to the bedside. There was a very thin woman lying on the bed. Her face and appearance were seven points similar to Rong Ran, but she was more delicate and gentle. She wore only a white coat with her black hair hanging down like flowing clouds. She had a sharp chin and a pale sickness to her. A chain pierced her right collarbone, and the chain¡¯s other end was tied to a bolt in the bed¡¯s shadows. When the woman saw Rong Qingjue, surprise filled her pale face. She forced herself to sit up, and her lips opened as if she was saying something. But there was no sound. Rong Qingjue touched her cheek with pity, then passed the medicine bowl over. ¡°Drink the medicine, Ah Tan.¡± Ah Tan turned her head to rub against his hand with some attachment, then obediently took the medicine bowl. Rong Qingjue watched Gu Tan drink the medicine a little while holding the medicine bowl. When he got married, Gu Tan was unwilling in the first year of marriage. She would always say nasty words, and Rong Qingjue never liked to listen to them. Thus, he took medicine to make the other party mute. The medicine was violent, and Gu Tan¡¯s voice had become extremely hoarse and unpleasant, although Rong Qingjue later regretted it and detoxified the other party. Rong Qingjue hated flaws. It was better not to listen than to listen to a bad sound. He simply sealed the hole with a silver needle and sealed her voice again. ¡°Ah Tan, if you were good at the beginning, how good you could have been.¡± Rong Qingjue held his hand over his heart. The Hehuan Gu in it was beating regularly. ¡°If you didn¡¯t insist on fleeing, injured by the light array, there should be more than a hundred years left between us¡­ now, we only have a limited amount of time. I don¡¯t know what I should do after you die.¡± After the Hehuan Gu was planted, the child Gu relied on the mother Gu to regenerate. It needed to be merged every three months. Otherwise, the child Gu would be agitated and go crazy, torturing the person inflicted with the Gu until they wish for death. Rong Qingjue got up and blew out the candle. The room fell into dim darkness. His lips had a little smile. He turned around to return to the bed, but a chill appeared on his back. Extremely biting sword energy cut through the night of the windowsill and came straight from behind him! The exceptionally powerful sword intent was unavoidable. It far exceeded the limit of the mortal cultivator of the six realms¡ª¡ªRong Qingjue reacted instantly. It was the Sect Master! Why did the Sect Master take out his sword against him? He was already cautious enough and didn¡¯t even go to the Law Enforcement Hall just because he was afraid that Rong Ran¡¯s murder of his fellow disciples would arouse the anger of the Sect Master to burn him. Ah Tan still needed him to refine medicine every day to survive. He couldn¡¯t die! Those thoughts were no more than a flint of a moment. But the cultivation base¡¯s suppression still made Rong Qingjue immobile. The terrible sword energy grazed his neck, and warm blood oozed down. Rong Qingjue¡¯s legs were soft, and he trembled like crazy, but he recovered in a cold sweat¡ª¡ªhe wasn¡¯t dead yet. Qiyun Jun avoided his vitals with that sword. The door was wide open, and the faint cold wind came in, blowing the black curtains around the window. ¡°I never draw out my sword behind a person¡¯s back.¡± ¡°Turn around.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s cold voice came from behind like an urgent ghost. Rong Qingjue¡¯s teeth trembled. He didn¡¯t dare to turn around at all. He said, ¡°Sect Master, I don¡¯t know what I did wrong to actually cause yourself to make a move. If it¡¯s about my child, it is indeed because of my lax teaching, which has damaged the Sect Master¡¯s reputation. I can sever the father-son relationship with him from now on and never allow him a step into the sect. I ask for the Lord¡¯s forgiveness.¡± Qiyun Jun said indifferently: ¡°What were you doing twenty-seven years ago?¡± ¡°I¡­ ¡± Rong Qingjue¡¯s face was completely pale. He finally knew where Qiyun Jun¡¯s killing intent came from. Rong Ran, that useless waste. Exposing some treacherous means in the secret realm was fine, but how could this matter be leaked out? He could only harden his scalp and respond: ¡°Twenty-seven years ago, the Sect Master was in a coma from the Heavenly Tribulation. For the Sect Master¡¯s safety, I secretly kept the Sect Master in Xuanhu Peak to heal your wounds.¡± Qiyun Jun said: ¡°So to speak, you hadn¡¯t taken a step out of Xuanhu Peak?¡± Rong Qingjue: ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°¡ª¡ªExcellent,¡± Qiyun Jun said. ¡°Rong Qingjue, do you dare make an oath with your dao heart?¡± Rong Qingjue didn¡¯t dare. Qiyun Jun: ¡°Turn around and draw your sword.¡± Rong Qingjue didn¡¯t dare even more. Qiyun Jun: ¡°You don¡¯t dare to draw a sword at me but dare to deceive me with a lie?¡± Rong Qingjue was cold, knowing it was useless to say anything now. Qiyun Jun: ¡°A liar and a weakling isn¡¯t worthy of my sword.¡± He lifted his sleeves, and six energies flew out of his hands, divided into six directions. The formation method encircled Rong Qingjue. There was boundless killing intent from the formation, and the Taiqing Du¡¯er sword was sheathed. His boundless spiritual consciousness spread out, and the Xuanhu Peak disciples could perceive a thought in the dark. ¡°From today, Rong Qingjue is no longer the master of Xuanhu Peak.¡± There was an uproar on the brightly lit Xuanhu Peak. Meanwhile, countless Xuanhu Peak disciples looked up at the top of the peak. For them, they only saw dark clouds covering the moon. The night was still silent, but the sky had changed. Qiyun Jun had gone away. Rong Qingjue was still trapped in the formation. The gap between Transcendence and Ascension Realm was too far. Shortly, Rong Qingjue¡¯s body was wreaked havoc by the sword intent raging through his meridians, penetrating his dantian. He hadn¡¯t been tried in the law enforcement hall for even half a day, and he actually ended up exactly like his son. Rong Qingjue was dying on the ground. He was going to die. But he couldn¡¯t die yet. He still had Ah Tan to take care of. If the mother Gu, host of the Hehuan Gu, died, the child parasitic Gu would die with it. He didn¡¯t want Ah Tan to die. He also had pills and magic weapons to extend his life. Rong Qingjue raised his head and stretched out his hand at the person he didn¡¯t want to be far away from. ¡°Ah Tan¡­¡± Gu Tan walked in front of him with a long chain. Rong Qingjue wanted to catch her but only witnessed Gu Tan picking up the sword on the ground and slamming it into his palm. His arms twitched with pain. He looked at Gu Tan¡¯s expression in a daze. There was no gentleness and attachment that he was used to seeing, only the boundless hatred and indifference. So many years had passed. Gu Tan broke free from Hehuan Gu¡¯s shackles again. How could she still have the strength to break free from Hehuan Gu¡¯s shackles? The sword tip was pulled out from his palm and hung over his body. He widened his eyes in despair, ¡°Ah Tan, you can¡¯t¡­¡± Another sword blow. Inserted into Rong Qingjue¡¯s heart. The Hehuan Gu stopped its movement. The dark clouds in the sky dispersed. Moonlight shone down everywhere. Silence resumed at the top of Xuanhu Peak. ¡­ Moonlight gleamed into the peach forest. There was heavy snow in Yuntian Palace. Only here, the four seasons was always spring. Qiyun Jun was sitting under a peach tree, Taiqing Du¡¯er sword placed by his side. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been sitting. Pink petals fell all over his clothes, and his white hair glowed silently under the moonlight. Although Rong Qingjue had already been taken care of, the qi surging in his body hadn¡¯t dissipated. It caused his meridians to swell and hurt like a knife cut. The heartless state of mind was originally supposed to be a calm lake, firmly surrounded by high walls, isolating all the mundane disturbances outside. Now, there was a flaw. His heart¡¯s lake water gurgled out of the flaw. If it wasn¡¯t resolved in time, the flaw would only grow bigger and bigger, and eventually, like a thousand-mile dike, it would collapse from an ant¡¯s cave. The road foundation would completely collapse. Those who cultivated the heartless dao couldn¡¯t be moved. This was what his master had repeatedly warned him before he entered the dao. He closed his eyes, his temples beating constantly. The qi currents surging in his meridians were still circling and colliding, showing his unstable state of mind. He had been practicing the heartless dao for many years, but he couldn¡¯t calm his mind. He didn¡¯t want to calm down. He stubbornly sank into the fog of memory. There was the feeling of a headache. Wielding the long sword in his mind, he cut through the fog and moved forward. He didn¡¯t know how long it took before a light finally appeared before him. He arrived at a peach forest. A young man was standing in the peach forest. The boy had an extremely beautiful face, like a bright sunset in the sky. The other person looked back and smiled at him. Peach blossoms in the sky were flying behind him. The spirit of heaven and earth seemed to be poured into the young man. He looked at the mountains and rivers of the world and the vast avenue of heaven and earth, but he couldn¡¯t ignore the other party. Qiyun Jun coughed, and blood suddenly exited his lips. He remembered. ¡ª¡ªTwenty-seven years ago, after he was seriously injured in the calamity, what happened during the three years when he lost his memory. Blood gradually stained his outfit red. Qiyun Jun¡¯s blue, veiny hand slowly took out something from his arms. It was a cloth bag wrapped in brocade. Qiyun Jun opened the cloth bag, and there were thousands of pieces of broken black jade. The moonlight shone into his empty and faint eyes. His long silver eyelashes trembled suddenly. He got up, half-kneeled on the ground, then in the moonlight, he slowly pieced together the broken jade piece by piece. CH 99 Chapter 99 Sugar Drawing In the early morning, faint light entered from the window¡¯s exterior and birds sang. A large carved sandalwood bed was in the bedroom, occupying half the space. The square bed was tall and wide. Primitive patterns engraved the head and foot of the bed, and the entrance and exit sides were made into arch shapes. It was very pleasant and warm. Someone was sleeping peacefully in it. The azure moire brocade covered the person in the bed, and some fell off the edge of the bed. Ye Yunlan leaned on his side. Long black hair scattered beside the pillow, only displaying the small half of his pale face. His breath was very light. Next to him, Shen Shu was already awake. He was leaning on his side, fingertips drawing a strand of black hair from his master and slowly curling it. He seemed to think this to be a very interesting thing. A strand of hair curled up and up, and he enjoyed it very much. When a cultivator reached his level, they didn¡¯t actually need to sleep anymore. He just wanted to be by Ye Yunlan¡¯s side. Get closer, get more familiar. He already discovered his master was like a cat. His fur was white and beautiful, but he didn¡¯t like to approach people. He could only slowly have his aura become familiar with it, and follow its temperament. Only then would it occasionally allow him to be held in his arms and touch his fur. This touch shouldn¡¯t be excessive. Otherwise, it would blow up and get angry. Once it was angry, it wouldn¡¯t speak. It would take a long time to coax it back. Shen Shu lazily curled up Ye Yunlan¡¯s hair while thinking about what morning meal he would prepare for Master today. It shouldn¡¯t be greasy in the morning, nor should it be too cold. He just ground some lotus root flour, so let¡¯s make a bowl of sweet-scented osmanthus almond lotus root noodles. After thinking about it, he started to wait. Waiting for the person beside him to wake up. Ye Yunlan¡¯s sleep was very shallow. He would awake when the wind blew, and he usually had nightmares. When he had nightmares, he slept very deeply. Young Shen Shu had discovered these things. At that time, he couldn¡¯t do anything for Ye Yunlan, but now it was different. So when he noticed that Ye Yunlan¡¯s body began to tremble slightly again, he stretched out his long arms and fished his master into his arms. Ye Yunlan frowned tightly, and his eyelashes kept trembling. His forehead was full of cold sweat. Shen Shu hugged him and stroked his back again and again. This action seemed to work. The tremoring of the person in his arms gradually calmed down, and his breathing slowly became stable. Shen Shu didn¡¯t know what could make Ye Yunlan be in so much pain but still so silent as his dream plagued him over the years. He just hugged Ye Yunlan and didn¡¯t let go. There was no way to curl his hair comfortably in this position, so he lowered his head and counted Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyelashes. He counted leisurely, one by one. He counted until the person¡¯s eyelashes unhurriedly shuddered and opened. The slightly confused black eyes reflected his face, and Shen Shu opened his mouth to speak. ¡°Good morning, Master.¡± A bowl of sweet-scented osmanthus almond lotus root noodles was placed before him. Amber-colored hot tea filled the bamboo cup, and next to it was a soft sesame cake cushioned by bamboo leaves. Ye Yunlan got up to eat. Warm lotus root flour was put into his abdomen, leaving a faint sweetness on the tip of his tongue. The sesame cake was soft and delicious with the fragrance of bamboo leaves. The hot tea brewed from fried rice helped warm the stomach and remove the greasiness. Ye Yunlan finished his last mouthful of sesame cake and said softly: ¡°Not bad.¡± Shen Shu supported his chin to look at him. His eyes curved when he heard the words, and he said with a smile: ¡°As long as Master likes it.¡± The young man with blood-colored eyes smiled and looked at him. He didn¡¯t have that hideous ghost mask, his long-standing high position, or the bloody, evil smell deposited on his body after killing many. Ye Yunlan was in a daze for a while. He was silent temporarily, then said: ¡°You actually¡­ don¡¯t need to do this for me. Spend more time cultivating. Improve yourself, and Master will be happy.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Disciple likes doing these things and doesn¡¯t forget the matter of practice, so Master doesn¡¯t have to worry.¡± The Demon Lord had told him that he had such a hobby. But Ye Yunlan knew the Demon Lord¡¯s cultivation of the nine-turn celestial demon body made his vision and taste different from ordinary people¡¯s. It was actually very difficult to make normal food. When he stayed in the demon palace that year, he once had a fever. For the first time, the Demon Lord personally cooked a bowl of porridge for him, but the taste was peculiar and indescribable. At that time, he only frowned and slowly drank the porridge. The Demon Lord seemed to see something, and he didn¡¯t cook again after that. It wasn¡¯t until later that they went into exile in the Central Continent, and somehow that man¡¯s cooking skills suddenly improved. Whether it was staple food or dessert, he could tingle a person¡¯s stomach to move. Once, the Demon Lord painted a sugar painting of a phoenix bathing in the flames with the technique of sugar drawing. He also made a box full of apricot blossom cakes covered with red silk to celebrate his birthday. At that time, he had just recovered from his injuries in the Buddha Pagoda, and his spirit was still very unstable. He stared at the painting for a while and asked if the Demon Lord had spent a lot of time on it. The Demon Lord just smiled: ¡°This is my hobby. I¡¯ve always learned things very fast. Senior Immortal should know I can learn these little things after seeing it once or twice.¡± He liked sweets. But his body then wasn¡¯t suitable for eating too many sweets. It was also his birthday, so the Demon Lord made a lot of sweets for him. Therefore, he couldn¡¯t miss it. Hence, after eating the apricot blossom cake, he picked up the sugar painting and licked it slowly. The Demon Lord slowly watched him finish eating, then asked: ¡°Does Senior Immortal know the phoenix nirvana?¡± (how a phoenix rebirths from his ashes) He didn¡¯t say a word. After coming out of the Pagoda, talking made him feel tired. Thinking also made him feel tired. If a place where he could have his eternal rest existed, he wouldn¡¯t mind just lying down. The Demon Lord also didn¡¯t require him to answer but continued. ¡°¡­Phoenix nirvana, it means a new life.¡± ¡°A phoenix can be reborn. Thus, naturally, humans can too. The past belongs to the past, and the future is still very long.¡± The Demon Lord helped him remove the sugar stains on his fingertips. He wiped it dry, then pulled him into his arms. He kissed his eyes and said, ¡°I want to see you flying in the sky, no longer bound by anyone or anything, and do what you want. Do whatever you want to do.¡± ¡°You should be the freest phoenix in the world. My little Phoenix.¡± The memories seemed to be still yesterday. Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand holding the teacup tightened. He said hoarsely: ¡°Fried rice tea easily causes excessive internal heat. Shen Shu, change the pot to chrysanthemum tea.¡± An unreasonable demand. However, Shen Shu was very hardworking. He said, ¡°okay,¡± then picked up the teapot and went to the backyard to boil water. When Shen Shu disappeared, Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t help it anymore and coughed. The pain in his chest was continuous, as dense as a needle. He took out a piece of silk cloth and coughed quietly. The blood quickly spread on the silk cloth. In the past few days, he coughed up blood more and more frequently. The trip to the Netherworld Secret Realm consumed too much of his energy, and even slight emotional ups and downs caused injuries. He didn¡¯t want Shen Shu to know this. The promised forever was too far. The past that had gone by was too long. Even the present he could grasp wasn¡¯t much. The cough slowly subsided. He wiped the blood off the lips, put the blood-stained silk cloth into the sleeves, and slowly sipped the tea. His drooping brows regained their peace. Only, his face was a little pale. It was as if nothing occurred. Shen Shu was boiling water and making tea in the backyard. But a shadow flew out from the inner room and merged into his feet. The scene of Ye Yunlan coughing up blood entered his mind. The action of brewing chrysanthemum tea was a bit stiff, and the smile on his face disappeared. His bloody eyes were dull as the abyss. It wasn¡¯t the first time he saw Ye Yunlan coughing up blood in the past few days. His master thought he¡¯d kept the secret very well, but he didn¡¯t. Everything in this bamboo building was firmly in his eyes. There wasn¡¯t an inch of missed space. To find a way to heal his injuries, he searched the books in the Sect Library and even searched within the memories of the Demon Lord sealed in his mind. But he still didn¡¯t find a suitable solution. As a result, the other consciousness that split from his memory also became active, just like now¨C ¡°He¡¯s injured too badly with zero cultivation to protect his body. Anyone who unlocks the seal to forcibly remove the divine fire would cause his meridians to rupture, and he¡¯ll die immediately. Only extradition via dual cultivation could save his life.¡± The demon¡¯s voice was bewitching, brimming with evil influence. ¡°You don¡¯t dare? Is it because you¡¯re afraid of it? Afraid that you can¡¯t bear the divine fire¡¯s burn, so you don¡¯t dare to save the master in your heart and mind?¡± ¡°But you know that, as long as you follow my method, go to the bottom of the Demon Abyss and refine a nine-turn celestial demon body, a mere divine fire, how can we fail?¡± ¡°Your body has absorbed all the demonic energy in the Netherworld Secret Realm. It¡¯s already difficult to want to return to the dao path now. Our master still doesn¡¯t know, and you¡¯re hesitating. Are you afraid he¡¯ll be disappointed in you?¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Shen Shu let out a low growl. ¡°Master promised that if I no longer use the power in my body and cultivate quietly, he¡¯ll stay with me forever. I want to stay with him and do as he wishes. I don¡¯t want the secular world to affect him, just for him to live happily¡­¡± ¡°¨CAnd then watch him die?¡± asked the Demon Lord. Shen Shu was silent. The hand holding the teapot became tighter and tighter. Ye Yunlan was waiting for Shen Shu to make tea. The wind chime at the door rang. Before he got up, the door opened a little. A man dressed in a white crane cloak stood at the door. Peach blossom petals that had never fallen were still on his shoulders, and mud stained the hem of the forever white crane cloak. His white hair, high crown, and cool and handsome face looked like frozen ice. Qiyun Jun. One of the people that Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to see the most in this life. He felt the pain in his chest seem to vaguely surface again, accompanied by the unspeakable phantom pain. That kind of pain, even if hundreds of years have passed, was still entangled in his dreams, lasting for a long time. It was one of the sources of his nightmares over the years. ¡°Why did Sect Master come?¡± he asked blankly. When speaking, he still sat in front of the table without any thoughts of getting up to greet him. It was very impolite and also very disrespectful. Few people in the world were so presumptuous in front of Qiyun Jun. But Qiyun Jun was silent. He just stepped forward toward Ye Yunlan, then took out an object from his arms. He bent over and placed it on the table in front of him. It was a black jade. A black jade broken into pieces and carefully glued together piece by piece. Ye Yunlan looked down and didn¡¯t reach for it. ¡°Sect Master¡¯s move, what¡¯s the meaning behind it?¡± He asked. The voice was frigid. Qiyun Jun was silent for a while, then said: ¡°This is your item, you should take it.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I remember Sect Master saying this jade is the only one in the world, it¡¯s a Sect Master¡¯s token, and something I wouldn¡¯t own. Isn¡¯t it a bit ridiculous now that Sect Master¡¯s saying it¡¯s mine?¡± Qiyun Jun was silent for a little longer before he said hoarsely: ¡°I confess, I got the wrong person and calculated the wrong karma. I also¡­ destroyed the wrong jade.¡± In his life of no desire and heartlessness, his talent with his sword dao, he¡¯d never admitted his mistakes to anyone. It was his first time for Ye Yunlan. He¡¯d never regretted anything. But for the first time, he took the jade he destroyed himself and stuck it together again, piece by piece. He said: ¡°Now that the jade is returned to you, the karma I owe you, I¡¯ll definitely pay it back.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°A piece of broken jade, what would I want it for?¡± CH 100 Chapter 100 Forever Ye Yunlan said this, then raised his hand to sweep the ink jade to the ground. Qiyun Jun leaned over and held his wrist. He frowned: ¡°The things I give away don¡¯t need to come back.¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes, ¡°I don¡¯t want to listen to your reasoning. Let me go.¡± Qiyun Junn stared at him. After a while, he slowly let go of his hand. He didn¡¯t use much strength. The most was just the strength of him holding the sword. However, there were already deep red marks on the thin and pale wrists of the person in front of him, which was shocking to see. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry,¡± he whispered. Ye Yunlan retracted his hand into his sleeve. He put his other hand on it and slowly rubbed it. His eyebrows showed deep fatigue. He didn¡¯t look at the black jade on the table but said coldly: ¡°Sect Master, do you have any other matters?¡± The tone used was to chase out guests. Qiyun Jun seemed as if he didn¡¯t understand, still standing in place. His hair was white, his clothes were white, and even his eyes had an abnormal light-colored glaze. In front of Ye Yunlan, he deliberately suppressed the oppressive aura and coercion on him. He was expressionless, and he didn¡¯t look very much like a person. Instead, he was like an exquisite doll in a puppet show in the city. Qiyun Jun: ¡°I remembered¡­something.¡± Not just some, he thought. It was a lot. The memory of those three years in the peach valley was only a small part of his more than one hundred years of life, but it was clearer than the one hundred years he spent in his cultivation. Since entering the dao, he practised silently at the top of Wangyun Peak. After watching the wind and snow for so many years, he finally saw a touch of bright colors in the paleness. He couldn¡¯t forget it from then on. Twenty-seven years ago, during his Transcendence calamity, the Soul-Refining Sect Master attacked him, and he was seriously injured. Ye Yunlan was the one who rescued him. He woke up amidst the sound of rain and saw a boy wet with black hair sticking to his pale face. He was kneeling on the ground, holding a leaf and feeding him water and food. The young boy¡¯s eyes were extremely beautiful, and his long black eyelashes hung down like small fans. It was as if they could bend down and enter a person¡¯s heart. It¡¯s just that his eyes were dull as if they couldn¡¯t see the appearance of things¡ª¡ªthe teenager couldn¡¯t see people. He grabbed the other party¡¯s hand and said: ¡°¡­No need.¡± Because of his injury, his voice was extremely hoarse. He could hardly distinguish his original tone. The young man still stubbornly reached out and handed the leaves to him. He said seriously: ¡°If people don¡¯t eat, they¡¯ll die.¡± He said: ¡°No.¡± The young man blinked suspiciously. He didn¡¯t understand how the world could have someone who won¡¯t die without eating. It took a long time for him to reluctantly take the leaves back, and then ask him, ¡°Are you awake? Are you going to leave?¡± He really wanted to leave. When the Soul Refining Sect Master attacked him, his sword also seriously injured him. He didn¡¯t know where to go. He could find him through his qi whenever. The secret method of pausing while crossing a tribulation could last at most three years. However, the secret method could only last for seven days in the rush. After seven days, the tribulation would fall, and his radius would be razed to the ground. However. He looked at the young boy¡¯s wet body as if he was just a newly-hatched chick. He stared at his ignorant expression, pitch-black eyes, and the simple burrow built by messy branches and leaves in the cave. He was silent for a long time, before he asked, ¡°What about your parents and relatives?¡± The young man just shook his head. ¡°I have no relatives.¡± Even though he said it like that, the young man¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t be controlled and showed a little sadness. He was silent. Although he¡¯d predicted it, why on earth would someone abandon such a young and blind child in the middle of the wild mountains and wild beasts, staggering to survive? The rain was getting heavier. The thunder roared, and the whole cave seemed to be trembling. The young man murmured: ¡°The rain is really heavy.¡± He whispered, ¡°en.¡± He knew the secret method couldn¡¯t be delayed anymore, and he must go out to face the tribulation, or strengthen the secret method again to drag the tribulation out until three years passed. So he got up and took his sword. The young man¡¯s hearing was very good. He ran over to him, raised his head, and asked him: ¡°You just woke up, where are you going?¡± He said, ¡°To stop the rain.¡± The exhausted spiritual power in his meridians didn¡¯t recover much, but he still raised his hand and touched the young man¡¯s head. Spiritual power flowed through the boy¡¯s body, drying him. He left a mark of spiritual power in the cave. If he wasn¡¯t dead this time, he would come back and take the young man out of this forest and enter the wider world. However, things didn¡¯t always go as planned. Before welcoming the catastrophe again, the Soul Refining Sect Master followed his qi. They fought against each other for half a day, and both were injured. The Soul Refining Sect Master was injured more severely than him. He used the method of blood escape to escape. Within ten years, he would be devoid of any fighting ability. However, the Asura sword in the opponent¡¯s hand injured him, and he couldn¡¯t fight against the tribulation anymore. Thus, he could only forcefully use the power of his soul to reinforce the secret method, dragging the tribulation to three years later. The power of his divine soul was over-exhausted, and his consciousness was about to fall into a coma. Only following the spiritual power mark left before, he returned to the cave where the young man was. After that, he passed out completely. When he awoke once more, he had lost all his memories and most of his cultivation, just like a complete mortal. He fell from the top of the mountain, high above the clouds, and fell into the dust below. The boy caught him. They hunted wild animals in the mountains, picked fruits, and built houses with wood and thatch. His soul was damaged, and his heartless dao realm fell. In his eyes, everything in the world was no longer just pale wind and snow. It was filled with bright colors, trees, peach blossoms, and a young man who was even more scorching than the peach blossoms. He liked to stroke the boy¡¯s head and soft hair with his broad palm. He liked to see the young man running around in front of him, plucking the wild fruit, holding it in front of him, raising his head to face him, laughing, and gently calling him ¡°brother.¡± The Tai Qing Du Er sword was used as a tree-cutting axe. Always holding the sword in his palms, he gradually became rougher due to the long-term work. The silver crown on his head was removed, and his long hair was tied behind his head. His sleeves were rolled up, and his arms were exposed for movement. He became more and more like a man in the mountains. An alive person. Rather than a puppet on the snow-capped mountain that could only cultivate. At night, he sat with his knees bent before the bonfire, turning over the wild animals he¡¯d hunted. The night sky was shining with stars, and the milky way swept across. The young man¡¯s eyes contained the light of the fire when he looked at him. The dark and dull eyes reflected his figure like he was the only one in the young man¡¯s eyes in this world. He wanted to remain in the young man¡¯s eyes. In the third year of being in the peach valley, his injuries gradually began to recover. Occasionally, there were images of flying snow in the sky. He frowned, instinctively reluctant to recall. He just wanted to stay right here. It¡¯s just that the secret technique could only suppress the tribulation for only three years, and the due catastrophe would eventually come as scheduled. At the end of the third year, there was heavy rain in the peach valley. He knew that the rain was coming for him. The young man would be in danger if he stayed here. But where could he go if not here? The Tai Qing Du Er sword was alive. It could sense the danger brewing in the tribulation and uttered a mute sword cry in his hand. Sword qi poured back into his body, causing the clogged spiritual veins in his body to burst open. He snorted, and the sky full of wind and snow and the peach blossoms in the Peach Blossom Valley merged into one place. He remembered all of the memories prior to crossing the catastrophe. He was the Sect Master of Sky Sect. He practiced sword at the age of three and entered the dao at the age of seven. He cultivated the heartless dao. His swordsmanship looked down at the world. He was the boy¡¯s brother. He chopped wood to make fire and hunted in the mountains. He lived with the young boy for three years, being closer than relatives. Who was he? There was faint thunder brewing in the heavy rain. He couldn¡¯t stay here anymore. The insights during the tribulation period were enough to analyze the young man¡¯s blindness was due to poisoning, not something he was born with. He left a bottle of pills in the house, which could wash away the muscles and marrow and relieve all kinds of poisons. It was something he obtained many years ago in an ancient secret realm. It would be difficult to buy it with ten thousand spirit stones in the spiritual world. He also left the black mark blood soul jade behind. This was his Sect Master¡¯s token, with the formation he engraved on it. Even if he suffered unexpected events, it could protect the young boy from natural disasters thereafter. After leaving the two things, he had no time to bid farewell to the boy. He rode his sword and went a hundred miles away to welcome the three-years-late catastrophe. Transcending the mortal calamity was the first hurdle between separating humans and immortals. The Tribulation of the Heart Demon also accompanied the Nine Thunder Tribulation. He cultivated the ruthless dao, so the youth was his calamity. Only by silently reciting the heartless dao, forgetting the young man, and being in harmony with the dao, could he shed the world and become immortal. ¡ª¡ªBut he didn¡¯t want to forget. He chose to break the tribulation with force. Tai Qing Du Er sword cut through the nine thunder tribulations. It cut through the disaster of the heart demon, and at the moment of Transcendence, everything in the world seemed distant. He stood on the top of the snow-capped mountain, and suddenly realized he was mistaken. The heartless dao couldn¡¯t tolerate love. When he used force to break through the calamity, when he forced himself to ascend to the immortal stage and cut through the heart demon, he had also cut off the person in his heart. The wind and snow filled the air, and the peach blossoms faded. He stretched out his hand and tried to catch something in the air. But he forgot what he wanted to catch. The cost of crossing the catastrophe was extremely heavy, not to mention that he had never healed from his injury. He rode his sword, returned to Sky Sect, and fell in Xuanhu Peak. After that, years passed. When he awoke, there were always peach blossoms and phantom figures in his dreams. The heartless dao made him subconsciously not think deeply. He thought it was just an illusory demon, his lingering desire as a mortal. If he wanted to break through to Void Tracing, he must cut through his desires. So he retreated to Wangyun Peak, unable to be contaminated with mundane things, to have a perfect state of mind. But he didn¡¯t know that he had never really successfully passed the Tribulation. Even if the heart demon could be cut through for that moment, it would still slowly recover. To maintain his realm, he could only bear the wind and snow every day, cultivate alone, and no longer think about it. He spent more than twenty years this way. Qiyun Jun lowered his eyes. ¡°All day long, I spent it cultivating on Wanyun Peak, watching the wind and snow, becoming enlightened to the Great Dao. Twenty years flew by in a second. But now that I think about it, I feel like it¡¯s been too long. Unknowingly, you¡­have grown up to look like this.¡± He stared at Ye Yunlan, from the tip of his hair to the cheek, trying to find the appearance of the boy from the past. Ye Yunlan¡¯s face hadn¡¯t changed much; it just bloomed. His facial features had become clearer, but his temperament was very different from that of his youth. When he was a teenager, he was bright and beautiful like a peach blossom. His smile was so beautiful that he wanted to pick all the stars in the sky for him as gifts. But now, he was silent like frost and snow. He had few expressions, was pale and sick, and his expression was isolated from the world. But, he was more beautiful and compelling. Such a fragile colored glaze, such a pure white and flawless picture. It made people want to break it but also cherish it. After Qiyun Jun finished speaking, he repeated it again: ¡°I remembered everything.¡± Ye Yunlan listened to him state his past of more than 20 years ago, but he realized that he could not remember his own feelings that year. He once walked to Sky Sect with hope, but Rong Ran ruined him. In the next few hundred years, he met many people and experienced many things. Then, all his past disappeared like dust and smoke. What Qi Yunjun said, everything was separated by a thick curtain, far in the distance. Therefore, he said, ¡°You remembered it, so what?¡± Qiyun Jun looked at his unwavering face. His sword-holding hand tightened, and he slowly said: ¡°I owe you karma as compensation.¡± Ye Yunlan was indifferent. He said: ¡°You don¡¯t owe me. I¡¯ve saved your life, and you¡¯ve healed me many times. We¡¯ve cleared everything.¡± Qi Yunjun: ¡°This is different.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the difference?¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s brow furrowed, ¡°You saved my life, I¡¯ll protect you for a lifetime.¡± Protect him for a lifetime? This remark came out, and it only made Ye Yunlan feel ironic. Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips curled up in a cold arc. He said: ¡°What if I don¡¯t want it? Are you going to be like before and forcefully heal me?¡± Qiyun Jun fell silent. Of course, he wanted Ye Yunlan to be alive. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t travel to Tianchi Mountain just to re-suppress Ye Yunlan¡¯s injuries. But Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want it. The room was silent for a while. Outside the door, the wind chimes jingled, and the sun shone in. The sunlight fell on them, causing the two people¡¯s shadows to be narrow and long. Qiyun Jun slowly lowered his body, half-kneeling in front of Ye Yunlan. He placed the Tai Qingdu Er Sword on the table. He extended his hand, pushed the black jade in front of Ye Yunlan, and said: ¡°I just want to protect you. No matter the karma.¡± The man in front of him had his eyebrows drooped and a crane cloak spread out on the ground. He didn¡¯t appear like the Sky Sect Master high above him. The slender hand that usually held his sword was pushing that broken jade, and the dark blue veins on the back of his hand were slightly raised, stubbornly refusing to take it back. Qiyun Jun continued: ¡°If you are suffering only because you don¡¯t like to heal, I have a method able to completely solve the divine fire¡¯s injury, and even help you renew the meridians, increasing your realm.¡± At this point, he paused for a moment, then said: ¡°Mine and your spiritual veins are of the same origin. They are innately compatible with each other. If you absorb my spiritual power, you will be able to get twice the result with half the effort. And with my cultivation, it is not impossible to deal with the divine fire.¡± ¡°You wish¡­ to dual cultivate with me?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s pupils suddenly shrank. He stood up and shouted coldly: ¡°Sect Master cultivates the heartless dao, do you know what this means?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°I know. Before I came here, I had already thought about it for a long time.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I just saved your life in the past. Why does the Sect Master need to pay with his own dao and say such ridiculous words?¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°It¡¯s not ridiculous. This is the only way to save you.¡± In the world, a person who could get the divine fire to acknowledge them was less than one in a million. Even Qiyun Jun couldn¡¯t guarantee that the divine fire would recognize him, but at least with his Transcendence Realm, he would never be burned to death if the divine fire resided in his body. Although he still didn¡¯t understand what his feelings for Ye Yunlan were¡ªWas it love or desire, was it like or pity¡ªhe had never had love in his life, so he couldn¡¯t distinguish this. He only knew that he didn¡¯t want to watch Ye Yunlan leave. Ye Yunlan thought it was ridiculous. Suddenly, he felt as if he didn¡¯t know the Qiyun Jun in front of him. The nightmare in the Buddha Pagoda and the man kneeling in front of him overlapped together. The distant memories in the Peach Blossom Valley and the gazes of thousands of gods and Buddhas on the base of the dark pagoda intertwined. Accompanied by dreams and harsh howling, he suddenly felt tight in his chest. ¡°Go away,¡± he said hoarsely, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear what you say about karma, and I don¡¯t need you to pretend to help me because of the past.¡± After speaking, he couldn¡¯t help but cough. Blood spilled from his lips. Qiyun Jun got up and wanted to support him, but someone was faster than him. Shen Shu guarded Ye Yunlan in his arms. He passed his spiritual power into Ye Yunlan¡¯s back and held his sword in front of him. Qiyun Jun: ¡°Get out of the way.¡± Shen Shu sneered. Many years ago, Qiyun Jun said the same thing. At that time, he was still unable to resist. He could only be pushed out of the room by the Transcendence Realm¡¯s power. He had watched the door slowly close, the other party constraining his master in a cold sweat. He had healed his master¡¯s wounds, powerless. Transcendence Realm. It was a very distant vocabulary, but after possessing the Demon Lord¡¯s memory, it was no longer unfamiliar. There was a strong hostility in his blood-red eyes. He said: ¡°What are you? My master wants you to get lost, can¡¯t you hear?¡± For many years, no one had dared to be this rude to Qiyun Jun. He was very tolerant of Ye Yunlan, but he didn¡¯t need to tolerate Ye Yunlan¡¯s disciple. Besides, Shen Shu had already drawn his sword against him. For a sword cultivator, drawing a sword was a provocation to fight. He unsheathed the Tai Qing DueEr sword and lifted the cold, snowy blade to point directly at Shen Shu. Qiyun Jun: ¡°I want to heal him, get out of the way.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Get lost. I¡¯m here, we don¡¯t need you to heal Master.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°What right do you have to heal him? It depends on you.¡± The dirty demonic energy on your body?¡± His eyes were extremely cold, ¡°Sky Sect doesn¡¯t allow half demonic cultivators to enter. If you block me again, don¡¯t blame me for being ruthless.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t answer, but he heard Ye Yunlan speak in a hoarse voice. ¡°If you dare to hurt a single piece of his hair,¡± he still had bright red blood on his lips, and his narrow eyes lifted up. They were completely different from his usual fierceness. It was like a cold blade out of its sheath, ¡°I will make you pay the price of something you would never hope to consign to.¡± The person in front of him was clearly injured, weak, and had no cultivation skills. But when he spoke threats, he didn¡¯t give people the impression that he was just a weak mortal. He could make people feel a real threat. Qiyun Jun pursed his lips slightly. The hand holding the sword tightened and relaxed. In this world, no one could use threats to force him to put back his sword. He took a slow and deep breath. In the end, Tai Qing Du Er sword in his hand slowly dropped and retracted into its sheath. He didn¡¯t want to look at Shen Shu again as if the demonic energy deposited on the opponent¡¯s body would contaminate his eyes. He only stared at Ye Yunlan: ¡°I told you that year. Your disciple¡¯s body is hostile, indeterminate, and has the requirement to become a demon. Now, that is the case.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I will naturally teach my disciple, so there is no need to worry the Sect Master.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°An evil disciple will eat their master. One case within was present the dao sect, I am just kindly reminding you.¡± Ye Yunlan looked tired and stopped answering his words. ¡°I¡¯m tired. If there is nothing wrong, please go back.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°You can¡¯t hold back your injuries. At the latest, two months and your body will not be able to bear it. You will completely collapse.¡± It was why he was so anxious after seeing Ye Yunlan at the Law Enforcement Hall yesterday and came to find the other party. Qiyun Jun spoke of the concealed thing. Ye Yunlan felt Shen Shu holding his arm tightly. He patted the back of Shen Shu¡¯s hand comfortingly and said, ¡°These things, I know.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°I won¡¯t take back what I just said in the future. You can rest well. After thinking about it carefully, I will look for you again.¡± After that, he left the black jade on the table and turned away. Only the two master and disciple remained in the bamboo building. Shen Shu helped Ye Yunlan go into the room to rest. The arch-shaped carved bed was spacious. He took a soft pillow so that Ye Yunlan could lie down on the bed comfortably. He tucked the quilt for him and sat on the edge of the bed. Suddenly he said, ¡°Master, the things that guy said of you only having two months left, is it true?¡± Ye Yunlan sat quietly on the bed. He looked sideways at the window. He did not look at Shen Shu and gently said: ¡°En.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master hadn¡¯t told me about this.¡± ¡°In the secret realm, Master promised to accompany me forever. So two months, is two months what Master thought was forever?¡± Ye Yunlan whispered. ¡°Shen Shu, what I can give is already given to you.¡± ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t Master dare to look at me?¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were a little red. He suddenly reached out his hand to clasp Ye Yunlan¡¯s chin and forced him to turn his face around. His strength was not very strong. He seemed to be still trying to restrain himself. Blood and fire were in his dark red eyes, which fell into Ye Yunlan¡¯s pupils. The familiar eyes made Ye Yunlan stunned for a moment, then heard Shen Shu¡¯s hoarse voice. ¡°Master, am I very similar to your previous dao companion?¡± Ye Yunlan opened his eyes slightly as if he didn¡¯t quite understand what he was talking about. Shen Shu pinched his jaw and said slowly. ¡°He was a demon cultivator, and I am about to fall and become a demon.¡± ¡°You said that he was naturally arrogant, strong, and domineering, but he was very good to you. I also put the respected master at the top of my heart. No one in the world can replace Master in my heart.¡± ¡°Do I look like him? Speaking of which, Master recently really likes to look at my eyes. Is it because our eyes are similar?¡± ¡°Speaking of, I¡¯m really curious. Did he also cook for Master? Did he make tea for Master? Would he make desserts for Master?¡± Shen Shu smiled and continued. ¡°What else did he do? Master might as well tell me; I will learn it.¡± ¡°If I¡¯m more like him, will Master indulge me a bit more or even treat me like him? Is it possible to be him?¡± ¡°At that time, am I qualified to do what he can do to Master without Master blaming me?¡± He said this and suddenly leaned forward. He kissed the red blood left on Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips. Little by little, he dwelled there. He sucked and kissed very meticulously until he licked the blood on Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips clean. There was a bright glow, and the tails of his eyes were red. Shen Shu raised his head, looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s angry eyes, and said softly: ¡°What I want to do is something more extreme than this.¡± The bedside shadow spread over, scrolling and stretching beside Ye Yunlan, seemingly uncontrollable. It wanted to touch him but was also afraid of scaring him, so he forcefully restrained it. Suddenly, Shen Shu released the hand holding Ye Yunlan¡¯s chin. He turned to hug Ye Yunlan¡¯s thin shoulders, burying his head in his neck. He said in a low voice. ¡°I want to heal Master.¡± ¡°I want Master to live.¡± ¡°I want the eternity Master promised me. The true forever.¡± The more he spoke, the more hoarse his voice became. Ye Yunlan wanted to push Shen Shu away but suddenly felt a touch of dampness on the clothes on his shoulders. He was startled. CH 101 Chapter 101 Fireworks Shen Shu was lying on the side of his neck, not making a peep. There was a feeling of wetness spreading on his shoulders. The birds outside were calling out while the room was silent. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body was as rigid as a sculpture, and the hand that wanted to push Shen Shu away stopped. Shen Shu¡¯s back was trembling. He was like a small animal hiding from the thunder of a rainstorm in his arms. It made him soaked, and he hesitated. Ye Yunlan was frozen for a long time, then raised his hand and patted his back. His brows were deeply furrowed, and his rosy lips were still glowing with moisture, making his face extremely pale in contrast. He muttered: ¡°Shen Shu, how could you¡­ have such an idea.¡± How could you give birth to the idea of ??whether he was similar to his former dao companion? How could he feel that as long as he was identical to the person in his memory, he could do¡­ that kind of thing to him? Shen Shu was still burying his head in his shoulders. He didn¡¯t raise his head, his voice slightly hoarse: ¡°If we aren¡¯t similar, how can Master tolerate me all this time?¡± He held Ye Yunlan in his hand. ¡°I just want Master to be in good health.¡± The darkness surging around seemed to perceive his emotions and stretched out a strand to wrap around Ye Yunlan¡¯s sleeves. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Foolish.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I¡¯m not being foolish. If Master treating me as another person makes Master willing to accept me to heal you, I can learn it. I can learn his movements and his voice. I can learn to be him¡­ and be good to Master.¡± How could a person go about learning to be themselves? Ye Yunlan felt ridiculous. He pushed Shen Shu slightly away from his embrace. Holding his shoulders, he said, ¡°Shen Shu, are you looking at me?¡± Shen Shu¡¯s eyes were red, and he looked up at him slightly. Ye Yunlan said solemnly: ¡°I am your master. I¡¯m good to you only because you are you. There is no other reason.¡± Shen Shu listened, but there was no smile on his face. A pair of red eyes stared at him as if a pool of water was inside that would flow out from a minuscule shake. He slowly said: ¡°Master, are you looking at me too?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him. Shen Shu¡¯s eyelashes trembled. He closed his eyes and opened them again. The lake in his eyes was gone, and they became abysmal and heavy. Evil hostility overflowed from them, making people looking in it feel like they could see a field of corpses. Ye Yunlan was in a trance briefly. The face of the person in front of him overlapped with a hideous ghost face for a moment. ¡°Am I very similar to him?¡± he heard Shen Shu gently ask, ¡°Master, can you really¡­distinguish us?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. How could he tell Shen Shu that the person he thought he was similar to was actually himself? Then, he asked himself another question that Shen Shu asked just now. ¡ª¡ªCould he tell the difference? Were Shen Shu and the Demon Lord the same person? Could he really¡­ distinguish them? He had changed Shen Shu, who had never experienced the things in the future. In the future, would he still be the same person in his memory? If they were the same person, where did the original Demon Lord go? Where should he put the person in his memory? He changed Shen Shu and changed himself. Did he also completely lose the person he knew well? He couldn¡¯t tell. He dared not distinguish them. Shen Shu looked at his expression and suddenly curled his lips into a smile. But some of the water in the pool dripped from his eyes. It slowly flowed down his cheeks and fell on the back of his hand, making a soft sound. ¡°Master, I¡¯m really useless,¡± he said. ¡°For so many years, I couldn¡¯t get Master to show me a little¡­ emotion.¡± The darkness all around suddenly became restless. It fluttered all over, spreading out on the bed. Shen Shu suddenly pushed Ye Yunlan down on the bed. He paid attention to avoid pressing down on Ye Yunlan¡¯s chest and instead supported him. There was countless darkness intertwined behind him, confining the space so he couldn¡¯t escape. Shen Shu stared at him deeply, and his eyes were red as if blood was fixing to drip down. ¡°I suddenly want to understand,¡± he whispered, ¡°Since Master can¡¯t like me, why not hate me? As long as Master can be in good health, what¡¯s wrong with being hated as your disciple?¡± After that, he lowered his head and bit Ye Yunlan¡¯s lip hard. Ye Yunlan was in pain and wanted to push him away. But suddenly, there was darkness covering and locking his wrists so he couldn¡¯t move. Shen Shu bit very hard, like a wolf who was so hungry that he wanted to grab the meat. Ye Yunlan furrowed his brows and felt the smell of rust spread to the tip of his tongue. He had no cultivation base and no sword at his side. With his strength, he was far from capable of pushing Shen Shu away. He detected that Shen Shu¡¯s mood was very precarious. If this continued, it was very likely that something he didn¡¯t want to see would happen. The only method was to use the forbidden technique¡­ His fingers quivered slightly, and Ye Yunlan suddenly remembered the eternity he had promised Shen Shu before. Shen Shu kissed him like a starving wolf as if he didn¡¯t care for anything. He was full of hostility, madness laced in his actions. But at the same time, hot tears rolled down from the other party¡¯s eyes and dripped on his cheeks. One drop. Another drop. Drops of water flowed down Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks, and Shen Shu¡¯s long and dark eyelashes closed in front of him like crow wings meeting in passing. Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingers slowly curled up and stopped moving. The time became long. At last, after the kiss ended, Ye Yunlan could finally turn his head and gasp. His lips were red and swollen like blood cherry blossoms, but Shen Shu¡¯s hands had already touched his clothes. ¡°I¡¯ll be very careful,¡± Shen Shu said hoarsely. ¡°It¡¯s just for healing. Master, don¡¯t be afraid, okay?¡± The darkness surrounding the entire bed had already completely enveloped the big bed, with only a little light peeking through the gap. Entering the gap, in the dim light, Ye Yunlan could see Shen Shu¡¯s appearance. His eyes were down, and his clever and evil look mixed with his handsome face. There was a type of repressed distortion, and black fireworks and longing filled the blood-colored pupils. It was as if in the second after, he would be swallowed up with no remains. That kind of hot and crazy feeling was so familiar. Ye Yunlan¡¯s hands beside the bed clenched tightly. He closed his eyes. ¡°No.¡± He said hoarsely, ¡°Shen Shu, this is the only thing that Master will never be able to promise you.¡± CH 102 Chapter 102 Birthday Hearing what Ye Yunlan said, the flowing shadows around him halted temporarily, then twisted even more frantically. Countless shadows climbed up Ye Yunlan¡¯s white clothes and coiled around his arms and legs. One snaked around his neck, forcing him to look up at Shen Shu. Ye Yunlan was heavily wrapped in a cocoon, like prey trapped by a poisonous spider. He couldn¡¯t struggle. The black flame in Shen Shu¡¯s eyes grew stronger. He lowered his body and approached Ye Yunlan, the frantic darkness behind him intertwining with the hostility on his face. His lips curved, ¡°Master, do you think there is still room for you to refuse?¡± ¡°I know you¡¯ve never liked me. So after today, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll never be your apprentice again,¡± he stretched out his hand to cover Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheek, ¡°But no matter how Master hates me, blames me, or rebukes me, it¡¯s okay. Today, you can¡¯t stop me from going my own way. ¡± Darkness spread and seeped in. He wanted to make the person under him be on flames and immersed in filth. Ye Yunlan was forced to tilt his head up. His eyes were flushed, and his pale complexion was like fragile glass. He interrupted hoarsely: ¡°Shen Shu. I said I wouldn¡¯t agree with you, not for myself, but for you.¡± The darkness surging around paused. Shen Shu ceased his movements and tilted his head, somewhat puzzled. ¡°For¡­ me?¡± ¡°There is really only one way to save the injury on my body.¡± Shadows were covering Ye Yunlan¡¯s body, and his heart endured silently. ¡°But, it¡¯s not what you think. It¡¯s not as simple as that. Divine fire isn¡¯t something that ordinary cultivators can bear. Once it enters the body, if you can¡¯t subdue it, you¡¯ll explode and die. Not only will you not be able to save me, but you¡¯ll also throw away your life.¡± ¡°Shen Shu, I can¡¯t watch you die.¡± ¡°This is the reason why Master rejected me?¡± Shen Shu stroked his cheeks, his voice low and hoarse, ¡°I thought Master rejected me because you hated me.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­If I hated you, how could I keep you beside me for so many years.¡± When he met Shen Shu back then, he didn¡¯t know that the child he saved was related to the Demon Lord. He spent his hard work raising Shen Shu, and over the years, he had done everything for Shen Shu¡¯s sake. This world had no connection with him, but Shen Shu had become the only connection between him and the world. He just never thought Shen Shu would fall in love with him. It¡¯s like how he never thought Shen Shu was the Demon Lord. Ye Yunlan felt a little fatigued. He turned his head and meet Shen Shu¡¯s passionate, maddening eyes again. The frantic black energy gradually calmed down, and the sense of danger surging throughout Shen Shu also faded away. Shen Shu suddenly said: ¡°If I can bear or even subdue the divine fire, will Master willingly allow me to heal you?¡± Although the shadow no longer shifted in his clothes, it still imprisoned his limbs. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes, was silent briefly, then said: ¡°If you can.¡± The physique that could withstand the divine fire, except for natural fire-type sacred bodies, only people who¡¯ve broken through to the Transcendence Realm could bear it. He only had two months left, and Shen Shu¡¯s cultivation was only at Demi-God, how could he continuously cross two great realms in a short time, even breaking through the shackles of the mortal body¡¯s six realms and reach the Transcendence Realm? Wasn¡¯t that just wishful thinking? Shen Shu was very serious: ¡°What Master said, can I take it seriously?¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and said nothing. Shen Shu took his silence as an agreement. He thought of the method in the Demon Lord¡¯s memory. Go to the Demon Abyss and cultivate the nine-turn celestial demon body. Two months, he didn¡¯t know if it would be enough, and if Ye Yunlan could last until then. However, for Master¡¯s sake, he had to give it a try. ¡°Is Master angry?¡± He looked at Ye Yunlan, who was lying under him. His eyes were closed, and he was pale. He suddenly realized that those shadows were still hidden in the other party¡¯s clothes. He hurriedly put them away, then bowed his head and kissed Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes gently. ¡°I¡¯m just worried that two months are too short, I wish it could last longer.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Let go of me first.¡± Shen Shu let go of him and supported him on his back. He had him half-leaning on the bed. Ye Yunlan had just been bullied so badly, so his face was still slightly red, and bruises were on his slender and pale wrists. Shen Shu held his hand and only felt the fire that started surging from within his body became more and more vigorous, and it was hard to stop. Shen Shu¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple rolled. Ye Yunlan, being pressed down by Shen Shu a while ago, was already aware of his strangeness. He didn¡¯t want to pay attention, but Shen Shu was holding his wrist, muttering: ¡°Master, I feel uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°Help me, okay?¡± The hostility on Shen Shu¡¯s face subsided. There seemed to be a puddle of water in his blood-red eyes, which resembled a wet little animal with a very loving and appealing expression. Ye Yunlan really had no choice when looking at him. Before, the Demon Lord had never shed tears before his eyes. In this life, Shen Shu, perhaps because he had been with him since he was a child, was too attached to him. He usually acted like a baby to him. It was common for him to want to be hugged and coaxed. When he was wronged, he would bite his shoulder and shed tears in front of him. Just like an immature child. He felt that the Demon Lord was very different from Shen Shu, which probably originated from this. Shen Shu saw that he hadn¡¯t reacted, so he came over. He held Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand and whispered: ¡°It won¡¯t get dirty. I¡¯ll help Master wipe his hands clean later.¡± Ye Yunlan pursed his lips. In the end, he said one sentence. ¡°Close the window first.¡± ¡­ On the seventh day of March, light rain drizzled on Yanhui peak. Since that day, Shen Shu had calmed down a lot. He seemed to be preparing something for several days, and his figure couldn¡¯t be seen all day long. In the evening, the sunlight had slowly faded, and the red sun was slanting westward. Ye Yunlan sat in the study room and closed the book in his hand. The wind chime rang outside the door, and Shen Shu walked in with two bowls of noodles. He smiled as soon as he saw him, ¡°Master, today is your birthday, I¡¯ve made two bowls of longevity noodles. Come and taste them.¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. He had forgotten today was his birthday. Ye Yunlan actually didn¡¯t pay much attention to birthdays. When he was young, he was imprisoned in the cold palace. He and Ye Xuanguang were brothers sharing the same birthday, but every March 7th, there were lights and festoons outside the palace wall. Everyone was celebrating the birthday of the Crown Prince of Ye Clan, and he could only look into the distance from the cold palace. What he got were the same cold leftovers. If it wasn¡¯t for Shen Shu pestering him when he was a child, wanting to know his birthday, he would¡¯ve never told the other party. And after knowing his birthday, every seventh day of March, Shen Shu would prepare gifts for him. Sometimes it was a hand-made gadget with some novel magic, sometimes it was a flower picked from a distant mountain that Ye Yunlan had never seen before, or sometimes it was some elixir, and so on. At night, he always made two bowls of longevity noodles, one for him and one for himself. Ye Yunlan sat at the table. The soup of the longevity noodles was a crystal clear amber, exuding a rich and delicious fragrance. It was a mixture of mountain mushrooms and chicken soup. It was soaked in a long and neat ball of noodles, dotted with emerald green onions, cucumber shreds, and half an egg. He picked up the bamboo chopsticks and ate slowly. The noodle soup was clear broth, and the taste was very rich. The noodles were strong and soft, made with great care. He ate very carefully. Because he knew he was to have more birthdays. Shen Shu watched him eat and suddenly said: ¡°Tomorrow, I¡¯ll go down the mountain, and I¡¯ll be back after about a month.¡± Ye Yunlan paused for a while and looked at him, ¡°What are you going to do down the mountain?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Look for a way to heal Master.¡± Of course, he couldn¡¯t tell Ye Yunlan he was going to the Demon Abyss. He also had the reason prepared a while ago. ¡°I heard there is a nine rank water dragon ball being born at the eastern border. Perhaps, it could suppress the divine fire inside Master¡¯s body. I¡¯ll bring it back.¡± The nine rank water dragon ball still had a big difference in rank compared to the divine fire born from heaven and earth. Even if Shen Shu could bring it back, it would just help him continue his life for several more months, drinking poison to quench his thirst. Ye Yunlan wanted to tell him not to do useless work anymore, but remembering Shen Shu¡¯s hot and crazy eyes from before, if he really forced him to stay here, he might not know what he would do afterward. He wanted to look at this man more before leaving. He wanted to see his disciple. He wanted to see that man from his previous life¡¯s current life. Now, he just felt that it was not available. So he lowered his eyes while his bamboo chopsticks stirred the noodles in the bowl. He said in a low voice: ¡°You can go. You don¡¯t have to speak to me too much when you leave tomorrow.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I¡¯ve made a lot of food. All of them have been sealed inside a formation in the kitchen. Master can go directly to fetch it when needed. I¡¯ve also extended the live spring to our backyard to build a pool. Master can go to the hot spring after bathing. In addition, I¡¯ve notified the disciples of the library to come to the bamboo building every three days. Whatever book Master needs to borrow and return, just tell the disciples directly.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You¡¯ve been busy all day long these days, just for the sake of these things?¡± Shen Shu nodded, ¡°I¡¯m away this month, Master must take care of himself.¡± Ye Yunlan stopped talking. He just took his chopsticks to finish the noodles in the bowl and slowly drank the noodle soup. Then, he put the bowl on the table and silently turned his head to look out the window. Outside the window was a stretch of an ocean of flowers with the moonlight shining. And in the mountains further away, there were the peaks of the Sky Sect disciples. The lights were alight, winding through the mountains. This was the human world. Shen Shu got up to help him clean the bowl and gently said to him. ¡°Master, happy birthday.¡± ¡­ ¡°These officials congratulate His Royal Highness on his birthday.¡± In the huge and magnificent palace, there was a bustling and crowded scene. At the banquet, Ye Xuanguang wore the crown prince¡¯s outfit. A pair of golden pupils embedded his handsome face, and he was holding a long-necked golden cup in his hand. He nodded slightly and drank the wine in the cup amidst the congratulations. He put aside a Crimson Feather Sword, and all the Ye clan members who came to toast couldn¡¯t help but look at it. They were full of admiration for Ye Xuanguang. Only Ye Xuanguang, whose bloodline had recovered to this level, could get the Demon Emperor Sword¡¯s recognition. The day of Ye Clan¡¯s prosperity wasn¡¯t far away! Several Ye Clan elders were already flushed with excitement. The damage of the sacred tree Spirit from before had been thrown behind. In the golden palace, it was a moment of joy and laughter. However, there was no joy on Ye Xuanguan¡¯s face. He remained calm as before. The traditional dance music played in the hall. He sat on the high seat, not watching the singing and dancing in the hall but looking at the bright moon outside. He thought of his brother. Ye Yunlan. Since their farewell at Tianchi Mountain, they hadn¡¯t seen each other for two years. The sacred tree matter was a massive implication. The Ye Emperor was furious and ordered a follow-up, and the Ye Clan¡¯s hidden guard just happened to be killed in the hands of Ye Yunlan. Ye Xuanguang had spent a lot of effort covering up this matter. The conflicting views between him and the Ye Emperor were getting bigger and bigger. Forcibly surpassing the tribulation in Tianchi Mountain left his body with hidden wounds, and although Ye Emperor¡¯s cultivation didn¡¯t reach Transcendence, he could still suppress him with the help of the power of the entire dynasty¡¯s Qi Yun formation. At this moment, there was a sound from outside. ¡°¡ªHis Majesty has arrived! The Empress has arrived!¡± The Ye Emperor walked into the hall with the sound of his imperial robe and the emperor¡¯s bead curtain. His handsome face looked no more than twenty years old, and Ye Tange followed him leisurely, dressed up in heavy, exquisite make-up. As soon as she showed her face, she took away all the scenery of the whole hall. Ye Xuanguang picked up his sword and greeted him. The Ye Emperor looked at him with thin lips and cold eyes, appearing very unkind. After a long while, Ye Emperor smiled. He strode over and patted his shoulder, ¡°Xuanguang, unknowingly, you¡¯ve become one year older. Royal Father sees that your cultivation is getting deeper and deeper, which is very gratifying.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Many thanks to Royal Father for your praise.¡± The Ye Emperor looked at the vermilion feather sword in Ye Xuanguang¡¯s hand. Then he asked with concern: ¡°Two years, Xuanguang, how is the Demon Emperor Sword¡¯s refinement?¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Still incomplete.¡± Ye Emperor narrowed his eyes, ¡°No need to be anxious. You are the prophetic person in the heavenly book, the ancient bloodline¡¯s return to the ancestors. As the most suitable master of the Demon Emperor Sword in this world, no one can replace you.¡± After saying this, he paused, then said again: ¡°By the way, Xuanguang, your Father ordered you to resolve a person who shouldn¡¯t stay in Sky Sect. Have you resolved it yet?¡± Ye Xuanguang replied lightly: ¡°Your child has been busy with everything, and Sky Sect is far in the east. I don¡¯t have the energy to solve other personnel matters.¡± But Ye Emperor was suddenly livid: ¡°Nonsense! Father knows that you still have some pity for that boy, but you are the crown prince of the Ye clan! If the royal family¡¯s luck is divided with that fellow, how can you take responsibility for the Ye clan¡¯s revival?¡± Ye Xuanguang said nothing. The Ye Emperor was even more infuriated and wanted to raise his hand. However, Ye Tange gently held the Ye Emperor¡¯s hand. Her voice was as soft as a lark, ¡°Your Majesty, today is Xuanguang¡¯s birthday. Don¡¯t get angry, all the courtiers are watching.¡± Ye Emperor snorted coldly. After that, he managed to endure his anger and left a sentence of ¡°be prepared for what comes next¡± and turned away. But Ye Xuanguang stood there, not watching the Ye Emperor go away. He just looked up. The sky was bright, and his golden eyes were deep in thought. ¡­¡­ The moonlight was like water flowing into the house. Ye Yunlan dressed in his nightwear to go to bed, and Shen Shu slept beside him. Long black hair was scattered on the edge of the bed. He leaned on his side, and the moonlight reflected in his dark pupils. For some reason, he wanted to make the night longer. To allow him to have enough time to think and understand some things before Shen Shu left. However, his body was weak, and his mind got tired too easily. In the end, he couldn¡¯t resist the sleepiness and gradually fell asleep. Vaguely, as if in a dream. The heavy snow was flying, and in front of him was a forest of white blossoms. The white plum blossom petals and snowflakes all fell lightly in the sky, pale and beautiful. Someone was in front. They sat under the white blossom tree, warming a pot of wine. Seeing him coming, he raised his head and smiled slightly at him. Chen Weiyuan smiled. ¡°Wife, you¡¯re here.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s pupils contracted slightly, and he took a step back. ¡°Chen Weiyuan? How are you here?¡± ¡°I remembered that today was my wife¡¯s birthday, but it¡¯s a pity that the Eastern Continent is tens of thousands of miles away. I¡¯m really ashamed that I can¡¯t meet Wife in person because of a matter I have at hand.¡± Chen Weiyuan stood up and faced Ye Yunlan, ¡°Thus, I could only cast a spell and meet my wife in his dream.¡± His long hair fell behind him, and his white clothes were full of fallen plum blossoms and snow. His long eyes were smiling, and his face was fair and handsome. ¡°It¡¯s been more than a hundred years. I¡¯ve missed my wife, I¡¯ve missed you bitterly.¡± CH 103 Chapter 103 Storm In his dream, white blossoms were drifting across the entire sky. Ye Yunlan looked blankly at Chen Weiyuan, who said ¡°he missed him bitterly¡± in front of him. Blue veins protrude on the back of the hand holding queying sword. ¡°Chen Weiyuan, you make me sick.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression remained unchanged, then he smiled: ¡°Yunlan, we¡¯ve reunited after a long time, why bother to be so irritable.¡± Ye Yunlan just stared at him coldly, completely guarded. The person in front of him was completely different from the Chen Weiyuan he met on Tianchi Mountain two years ago. Being present but physically elsewhere was the principle of the Transcendance Stage. And the other party¡¯s casual clothes and gentle smile made him feel strange. In his previous life, when the Demon Lord rescued him from the Buddha Tower, he saw Chen Weiyuan for the last time. At that time, the other party was standing in the void, wearing a star outfit, holding an astrolabe, and gathering thousands of daoist cultivators to build a Zhou Tian star battle formation to besiege him and the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord ordered a Blood River to come to the world, and Zhou Tian¡¯s star battle formation broke out. Chen Weiyuan went missing. After a hundred years, they never met again, until he broke through Void Tracing and managed to pierce himself with the Seven Emotion Needles in his soul. Then, he rushed to the Northern Territory to cut him down, only to hear the news of Chen Weiyuan¡¯s death. If they didn¡¯t count this life¡¯s encounter in Tianchi Mountain, between them, they hadn¡¯t met up for more than a hundred years. However, Chen Weiyuan¡¯s change must¡¯ve been after the Tianchi Mountain conference. But how? Rebirth was an absurd concept, but now, not only did he have the memories of his past life, Chen Weiyuan also seemed to recall their past lives. In this way, was it possible for Shen Shu to in the future¡­ Ye Yunlan¡¯s guess shocked himself. He saw Chen Weiyuan raise his hand and wave. Then, there appeared in front of the two of them-a stone table with a wine glass. Chen Weiyuan stooped to pick up the pot of wine being warmed in the snow, walked to the table, and sat down. He poured two glasses. ¡°I am sure you must have many questions you want to ask me,¡± Chen Weiyuan pushed a glass of wine to Ye Yunlan¡¯s direction a little, ¡°It¡¯s better to come over and sit down and talk slowly.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t move. Even though this was a dream, the Seven Emotion Needle did not react during this meeting with Chen Weiyuan . The queying sword came out of its sheath, and the sword light pierced through the snow. It was like a meteor valiantly soaring by, and it was in front of Chen Weiyuan instantly! Chen Weiyuan did not move either. The sword light ran across his body, only to form a black crack. No blood flowed out, and the dream space was slightly distorted. Chen Weiyuan recovered straightaway. ¡°You know you can¡¯t hurt me in a dream.¡± Chen Weiyuan sighed, ¡°Why bother to use a sword; if you hurt your body, what can be done?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You said I can¡¯t hurt you?¡± He pointed at the blade of queying sword that slowly moved by. Chen Weiyuan saw him move, and his eyebrows jumped, ¡°For this dream, I¡¯ve been preparing for a long time. Now the entire Chen family¡¯s ancient formation is tied to my body. If you have to kill me through the dream at any cost, it may not be feasible with the large array as resistance.¡± This was why it took so long for him to use the method of dreaming to meet Ye Yunlan after the Tianchi Mountain dao conference. No one knew the horrors of the Void Tracing Realm better than him. If Ye Yunlan¡¯s cultivation base was in full bloom like in his previous life, let alone a dream, if he dared to leave Chen Clan¡¯s land for half a mile, Ye Yunlan would have noticed it. Targeting him from thousands of miles away with one sword move, he would be seriously injured. His life was calculating Tianji, but he could only calculate his own dead end. ¡ª¡ªHe could only knock over the board and play a new game of chess. Ye Yunlan said indifferently: ¡°The dignified pavilion master of Tianji is acting as a turtle hiding in its shell?¡± Chen Weiyuan sighed and shook his head: ¡°Wife still blames me for the past and wants to kill me? But I am reluctant to see my wife suffer. Since the Seven Emotion Needles have entered the body, how much have you suffered? Your husband knows and also feels the same pain in his heart.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you!? Chen Weiyuan, stop claiming you are my husband. Between you and me, we are enemies in life or death, never to end.¡± Chen Weiyuan gave him a steady look, then curved his eyes and smiled. ¡°When Wife is angry, it resembles red plum blossoms, shining brightly. No wonder you deserve to be the number one beauty in the cultivation world today.¡± He picked up the wine glass on the table and drank from it. His cheeks appeared a little drunk. He murmured: ¡°But I still miss you even more when you wore your mask and called me husband.¡± He lazily propped his chin, his eyes drooping slightly, ¡°At that time you were very obedient and would listen to what I say. I actually already liked you very much then, but, in the end, I could not withstand fate.¡± ¡°The Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth will start from the demonic star. Under the Great Tribulation, the people will be thrown into terror. No one wanted to see what would happen at that time. Yunlan, you are the only one. A star born at the same time as the demonic star, capable of destroying it.¡± Ye Yunlan suddenly interrupted: ¡°Enough.¡± He already knew about the dual star. He didn¡¯t believe in fate. However, after the death of the Demon Lord in his previous life, his realm soared, and he finally arrived at Void Tracing Realm. All of which made him can¡¯t help but believe it. Therefore, in this life, he had never thought of looking for the Demon Lord. After the divine fire ignored him, he only planned to stay in Sky Sect alone and spend the rest of his life alone for this reason. He had lived long enough. In this world, he wanted to give success to the person he had not met yet. It was not until later that he accepted Shen Shu as a disciple, and to take care of his disciple, did he leave Sky Sect twice. Once to Tianchi Mountain, and once to the Netherworld Secret Realm. What he never expected was that the person he could not meet with in this life was his own disciple. Fortunately, his life was running out. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s plan was destined to be empty. ¡°You telling me these things are of no use,¡± Ye Yunlan said indifferently, ¡°I am just a dying person. Whether it is the catastrophe of the heavens and the earth, or the destiny you said, it has nothing to do with me.¡± What about the Demon Bone of the Primordial Beginning, which is about to be born. Does it have anything to do with you?¡± Chen Weiyuan put down the wine glass in his hand, asking slowly. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes tightened. Demon Bone of the Primordial Beginning. It was an indispensable array item of the Primordial Demon Refining Array! When the Demon Lord wanted to marry him, Chen Weiyuan had controlled him to stab the Demon Lord with a poisoned dagger. On the day of the wedding banquet, the dao cultivators took the opportunity to invade the Demon Realm and set up the Primordial Demon Refining Array on Liuming Mountain outside the Demon Palace to kill the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord¡¯s physique was special. With cultivating the nine-turn celestial demon body in addition, he was basically immortal. However, in the Primordial Demon Refining Array, he almost died. This was the only way that the human race between heaven and earth could completely eliminate him. That time, it was he who secretly displaced the Demon Bone and destroyed the formation, so the Demon Lord could take him to escape. Later, he was arrested and tortured in the Buddha Pagoda. His most severe crimes was the incident at Liuming Mountain where the dao cultivators had encircled and suppressed the Demon Lord where he had taken the side of the evil doer and provided aid for the Demon Lord to escape. If the demon bone of this life was born and was snatched by Chen Weiyuan, the consequences would be disastrous if it was used to deal with Shen Shu in the formation. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Where is the demon bone?¡± Chen Weiyuan didn¡¯t answer him immediately but slowly said, ¡°After the Demon Lord¡¯s death, you did not care about the costs you had to pay to collect his remnant soul for him. Thinking about it, you must have valued that person very much. I had always wondered what was so good about him? Domineering temperament, indecisive, and bipolar. He even imprisoned you in his palace and forced you to marry him.¡± Although he was still smiling gently, his brows were gloomy, ¡°After he took you from the Primordial Demon Refining Array, his demon body had deep wounds. You must have suffered a lot from him. So, do you still want to save him again?¡± Ye Yunlan repeated: ¡°Where is the demon bone.¡± Chen Weiyuan sighed, ¡°After half a month, the Northern Territory¡¯s Frost Ocean, Primordial God Ruins. Yunlan, I will wait for you there.¡± He raised his eyes, ¡°When we meet, if you want to kill or cut off my flesh as punishment, your husband doesn¡¯t mind.¡± Ye Yunlan remembered the birth of the Primordial God Ruins¡ªthe matter had shocked the cultivation world. It was no worse than when the secret realm of the Netherworld opened. Inside were all relics from the Primordial Period, and the Demon Bone of the Primordial Beginning was indeed very likely to have been obtained from the God Ruins. However, he didn¡¯t believe in Chen Weiyuan¡¯s nonsense of ¡°if you want to kill or cut off my flesh as punishment, your husband doesn¡¯t mind.¡± Since Chen Weiyuan had sent the invite through this dream, he must be fully prepared. This was bound to be a Hongmen banquet*. * refer to a trap To go or not? Before he could think about it, he saw white blossoms falling faster and faster around him like snow. The surrounding scenery began to tremble. The dream was about to collapse. He saw that Chen Weiyuan was pouring a glass of wine for himself and gently touched the other glass that Ye Yunlan hadn¡¯t touched. He raised it to him. White blossoms rained on the tips of his hair. He smiled slightly: ¡°I hope that after half a month, I can meet Wife in the Northern Territory and drink with you.¡± The dream suddenly shattered. Ye Yunlan woke up from his dream. He sat upright and looked sideways out the window. There was a morning rooster in the distance, but the dusky night had not completely faded away. A few dim stars were faintly visible. Shen Shu noticed his movement and sat up. He approached his back, put his arms around his shoulders, and asked in a low voice, ¡°Why did Master wake up so early today?¡± Ye Yunlan raised his hand and pulled Shen Shu¡¯s arm away, saying: ¡± You said you wanted to go down the mountain today. When will you leave?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°There¡¯s no rush. After having breakfast with Master, I¡¯ll leave.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Is everything packed?¡± Shen Shu leaned on his shoulder and whispered, ¡°Why is Master still treating me like a child? It¡¯s just a month, it¡¯s not very long, I don¡¯t need to pack much. Maybe after Master finishes reading two books, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­A month.¡± He stopped talking. Shen Shu buried his head in his hair. He sniffed the cold fragrance of his body, and suddenly said: ¡°Master, can you not bear me leaving?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°But I suddenly felt a little reluctant to leave Master here.¡± He sniffed Ye Yunlan a few more times like a small animal foraging, before saying, ¡°But thinking about it carefully, if I can¡¯t help Master find the way to prolong his life, I¡¯m afraid I will be even more reluctant two months later. So, Master, you must wait for me to come back.¡± Ye Yunlan just looked at the dim stars outside silently. Shen Shu got up and arranged his clothes for him. He put on his coat and went out to the backyard to prepare for a morning meal. The morning dew was moist. Ye Yunlan was dreaming all night and was tired, but he didn¡¯t want to sleep anymore. He got up and stood by the window, looking at the flowers outside. Those flowers were well taken care of by Shen Shu. It was the early spring season, and most had already bloomed. The beautiful and soft petals were stretching happily. He suddenly remembered that many years ago, young Shen Shu had opened the window and entered the house, carefully holding out a snowcup flower in his hand to him. ¡°Master, breakfast is ready, come and eat it.¡± The grown-up boy stood by the door, holding a plate of pastries and smiled at him. He turned around. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡­¡­ After breakfast, Shen Shu cleaned up the dishes. Ye Yunlan was sitting in the study room with a pen, ink, and paper. The morning light had gradually lit up. The cold light shone in from outside the window, and he lifted the pen, but it didn¡¯t go down for a long time. Shen Shu walked in and said. ¡°Master, I¡¯m going down the mountain.¡± Ye Yunlan lightly said, ¡°En.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°I sealed the prepared meals in the kitchen using the formation method, and the spiritual power inside is enough to preserve it for one month. The spring pool connected by the back mountain was cleaned again yesterday, so you can take a bath without worry. The disciples of the library will come here every three days at 5-7pm. I have already instructed them, and Master can tell them to do what you need.¡± He repeated yesterday¡¯s instructions carefully, all over again. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Okay.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Then I¡¯m leaving, Master.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Take care.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Master, too.¡± Seeing Shen Shu turning around about to leave, Ye Yunlan suddenly called out, ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu turned his head, ¡°Master?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I will play a song to see you off.¡± Shen Shu felt a little bit surprised and happily responded. Ye Yunlan got up and took the qin by the wall. Sitting in front of the qin table, with ten slender fingers resting on the strings, he bowed his head and played. The sound of the qin lingered. As always, it was cold and empty. It was like going to an unmanned land, washing away a person¡¯s heart. But it was slightly different. Shen Shu closed his eyes and listened. He felt that the sound of the qin seemed to have something more than when Ye Yunlan had played before. He could not tell what it was. It was just that suddenly he wanted to hug his master. So after finishing the song, he walked around behind his master and hugged him. The other party didn¡¯t push him away this time. Shen Shu pushed it further and pressed his chest against his master¡¯s back, spraying his hot breath on the other party¡¯s neck. He thought of what Ye Yunlan had promised him. When he came back from Demon Abyss, Ye Yunlan would be willing to allow him to heal his injuries and stay with him forever. Forever. A beautiful vocabulary he hadn¡¯t thought of before. Now thinking about it, he felt happy. Shen Shu¡¯s blood rushed, and he couldn¡¯t help but open his mouth and bite Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder, like a wolf marking his prey. ¡°Definitely wait for me to come back,¡± he said, ¡°Master.¡± Ye Yunlan just felt a slight pain in his shoulder, but Shen Shu had already let go of him. Staying longer, he didn¡¯t know what he would do. So he picked up the afterglow sword and walked quickly to the door. He took few steps,before turning around again to say goodbye, ¡°Master, take care.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Take care.¡± The study door closed slowly, and Ye Yunlan raised his hand to caress his shoulder. He paused momentarily at the painful place, then got up to look at the window. His eyesight was lacking, and he only saw Shen Shu¡¯s figure passing through the boundless sea of ??flowers. He had already gone to a place he couldn¡¯t see, leaving only a vague outline. In a bit, even the outline was gone. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t close the window. He just walked back to the table and sat down, picked up the pen, and was deep in thought. Then he wrote on the paper. Shen Shu. See the words as if meeting. When you read this letter, Master will have gone to the yellow river*. * meaning he will be dead I hope you will not miss me and think about the promise that I have made with you. It is Master¡¯s missed appointment. This matter is Master¡¯s fault. ¡­ The wind blew across the window sills, and the wind bell sounded outside the bamboo building. Ye Yunlan wrote the last word, folded the letter paper, put it into the envelope, and pressed it under the inkstone. It was almost noon. The sun was at its highest, and the sound of the birds outside the window were endless. Ye Yunlan got up and went to the backyard kitchen. He saw a wooden frame with hundreds of dishes neatly arranged on the top. There were dishes, cakes, soups, etc., arranged in different categories. Even the name of the ingredients were marked with bamboo sticks, and then sealed and preserved with the formation method. He took the dish from the wooden stand. It still felt warm in his hands. A scent was wafting over his face, and the color was bright, making his index finger move. It was sweet and sour mandarin fish, and hibiscus fresh vegetables. There was also a bamboo bowl next to it, filled with white rice and a cup of tea. He returned to the bamboo building and ate the meal slowly by himself. He was weak and usually didn¡¯t have a big appetite most of the time, but Shen Shu was afraid that he would not eat enough when he was away, so he deliberately cooked more. However, he still chewed slowly. It took a long time for him to eat all of it. After tidying up the dishes and chopsticks, he went to the study to read. The red sun was inclining to the west. When it was 5-7pm, a disciple from the library came over. He was a simple-looking young man and was very respectful towards him. He returned all the books he had to return. He did not borrow any books. The library disciple asked in surprise: ¡°I heard Senior Brother Shen say that you like reading books, why not borrow some more?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°For the time being, there is no need. You don¡¯t have to come again for this month.¡± The library disciple was very puzzled, but he still took the books and left. When the night darkened, Ye Yunlan went to the bamboo forest in the backyard. In the bamboo forest, there was a pool of hot springs. The hot spring water was drawn from the back mountain, and the surrounding spring stones were stacked high, so there was no need to worry about being peeked at. Ye Yunlan slowly took off one clothing piece at a time. His black hair spread down, and he stepped into the hot spring. The cold moonlight shone on his pale skin, and the sound of running water gurgled in his ears. He lowered his head and leaned on a rock, silently watching his reflection in the water. He only saw a pale face and long hair. He felt like a ghost crawling back from the end of the yellow spring with no anger. The swelling heat rose, condensing into droplets of water on his eyelashes, then falling into the spring water. It sent circles of ripples. At night, he went to bed to sleep peacefully. The quilt was cold. After finally falling asleep with great difficulty, there were still nightmares disturbing him at night. The past flashed by one after another, while it showered and thundered in his dream. When he woke up, the sky was still dark outside the window, and it was raining. The patter of rain. The gloomy sky. He got up and walked to the window. Hanging on the window sill was a bamboo basket, and sleeping in the basket was a fluffy golden chick. Ye Yunlan stretched out his hand to caress the fluff on the chick¡¯s body and poked its head. However, the little chick was still motionless, sleeping very sweetly. Ye Yunlan contemplated for a while, then took down the bamboo basket. He closed the window sill, locked it, and put the bamboo basket on the wooden shelf in the study. He went back to the room to pack some clothes. He brought a few bottles of bigu pills, wrapped it up into a bag, and carried it in his hand. He picked up the paper umbrella near the door and went out. It was raining outside the window. The faint fragrance of flowers floated in the wet air. Holding a paper umbrella, Ye Yunlan walked through the winding path in the sea of ??flowers and stepped into the green bamboo forest. ¡°Where are you going?¡± Suddenly a cold voice sounded. Ye Yunlan stopped and saw a man in white-clothed crane cloak quietly watching him in the bamboo forest. ¡°How does my affairs affect the Sect Master?¡± Ye Yunlan asked. Qiyun Jun: ¡°You are my Sky Sect disciple, and I am Sky Sect¡¯s sect master, how can it not matter?¡± His complexion was much paler than what Ye Yunlan had seen before. His qi was unstable, and the surrounding bamboo leaves trembled lightly. Taiqing Du Er Sword hummed soundlessly in his hand. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Since Sect Master¡¯s dao heart is unstable, it is best to go into closed door training, why meddle in others business?¡± Qiyun Jun said hoarsely : ¡°My dao heart is unstable because of you.¡± Ye Yunlan only said indifferently: ¡°So, what does that have to do with me?¡± Qiyun Jun fell silent: ¡°I owe you a lot. You can tell me what you need. I will help you do it.¡± ¡°You will do it for me?¡± Ye Yunlan had a cold sneer, ¡°If I want you to imprison yourself for a hundred years, throw away your sword, and abandon your way, would the Sect Master also do it?¡± Qiyun Jun frowned. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Since you can¡¯t, there is nothing to say. Sect Lod, excuse me.¡± ¡°You hate me?¡± Qiyun Jun suddenly said very hoarsely, ¡°¡­Why.¡± Although he misidentified the person, he had never hurt Ye Yunlan himself. Although he had forcefully healed him, Ye Yunlan himself had benefited, but he was still so dissatisfied with him. This kind of hatred seemed to have come out of nowhere. Long ago, when he first saw Ye Yunlan, he had already noticed it on the other party. Ye Yunlan, when he was a young boy, was so close to him before. He would smile at him and call him ¡°brother.¡± What had he gone through to become what it was now? Qiyun Jun couldn¡¯t understand. He only felt his spiritual energy in chaos inside his body. The painful meridians could not be relieved, and blood was dripping from his thin lips, more and more. Ye Yunlan looked at the pale man in front of him in a sorry state. He did not answer his question and only said: ¡°You shouldn¡¯t come to see me.¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°If you don¡¯t come to see you, how do I know where you are going?¡± Ye Yunlan asked back. ¡°Isn¡¯t not knowing better? You had once mentioned dual cultivation to me, but until now, your heartless dao has still not broken. It¡¯s just because you don¡¯t want to break it. Just like how in these twentyish years, you have never recalled that memory because you didn¡¯t want to think of it yourself.¡± Qiyun Jun was mute. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You have been delayed in the Transcendence Realm for more than two decades, don¡¯t you want to break through? Don¡¯t you want to use me to get through your heart demon calamity, from heartless to sentimental, then from sentiment back to heartless, to reach the perfect state of mind. It¡¯s a good way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I still have something to do, please forgive me, I don¡¯t have time to accompany Sect Master.¡± Qiyun Jun said hoarsely: ¡°It¡¯s not like that, I just¡­¡± It¡¯s just, he couldn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t even distinguish his feelings for Ye Yunlan, whether it was love, pity, desire, or obsession. He had never had such complicated emotions. He did not understand. Ye Yunlan: ¡°He who cultivates the heartless dao cuts off their emotions, but to talk about the karma of old feelings with others, how ridiculous.¡± With that, he had already stepped past Qiyun Jun. Qiyun Jun stood there, watching Ye Yunlan¡¯s back, frowning tightly. He suddenly bent over, raised his hand, and grasped his chest. Fresh blood-drops dripped down, splashing the ground like red blossoms. The Taiqing Du Er sword trembled violently. He raised his eyes, watching Ye Yunlan¡¯s back disappear at the end of the bamboo forest. He raised his hand to grasp something, but he didn¡¯t catch anything. The qi in his body had become extremely disorderly, and it must be suppressed by closed-door retreat. He could only ride his sword and return to Yuntian Palace. ¡­ The sky was drizzling. Ye Yunlan walked through the green bamboo forest, then walked through Wendao slope, and finally came to the three thousand long steps outside the Sect gates. The long steps were endless, and green hills and mists were in the distance. In his previous life, he was dragged down these long steps, and it was the start of his rough life. In this life, he only wanted to live a peaceful life. Hence, in these few years, he had only walked out of Sky Sect twice. Someone accompanied him the first two times. Now, it was the third time. The past passed by like a dream. He was holding the queying sword, alone in the wind and rain. CH 104 Chapter 104 Ghost Mask The sun was shining down, and the waves were surging. On this day, a special guest came to the busy Tongzhou Ferry. Zhu Xiaodu looked at the person in front of him. He was slender, dressed in black, and carrying a long sword. He wore a bronze ghost face, standing alone by the ferry. That mask glowed with cold light and looked very horrifying. Zhu Xiaodu was busy at the ferry every day, and he had met all kinds of people. He had even seen people who looked even stranger than the person before him. Zhu Xiaodu had a slight cultivation base and could clearly see the ¡°qi¡± on people. There was no qi on the person in front of him, so it could be said that he wasn¡¯t a cultivator. He wasn¡¯t a cultivator, but he felt more dangerous than the disciples of major sects. He seemed to see a sword. A sharp sword that pierced the yellow river. ¡°Does the guest want to board the ship?¡± Zhu Xiaodu asked. The Ghost Face Man nodded slightly. ¡°Where are you going?¡± The ghost face replied, ¡°Northern Region, Cangzhou.¡± His voice was different from his appearance. It was as cold as a broken jade hitting a stone, and it was very pleasant to hear. The chill that came out of Zhu Xiaodu¡¯s heart slightly retracted. ¡°The Northern Territory is far, so the shipping fee is a bit more expensive,¡± he said cautiously. ¡°How much.¡± ¡°Twelve gold, or three medium-grade spiritual stones.¡± Zhu Xiaodu paused, then said, ¡°For cultivators above the Foundation Stage, two medium-grade spiritual stones. If it¡¯s a golden core cultivator, the ship¡¯s cost is exempted. However, if sea beasts attack the ship, the cultivators above Foundation Stage need to help out.¡± He was a little worried. The difference in ship rates between cultivators and mortals was based on the rules for ships on the same continent ferrying long distances. But some people always disdain the rules. Mortal warriors with extraordinary strength could be compared with cultivators who practice qi or many weird swordsmen in Jianghu, who have practiced the sword to the extreme. Just one sword, and they could take a cultivator¡¯s life. Capable people generally disobeyed the rules. He was afraid that Ghost Face Man was such a person. Because he looked like one externally. Unexpectedly, the Ghost Face Man didn¡¯t reply. He just took out three middle-grade spirit stones from his sleeve and put them into his hands. Placed. Not thrown. Zhu Xiaodu hurriedly stretched out his hand to catch it, only to realize that the Ghost Face Man¡¯s hands were very beautiful. His fingers were slender and pale like a half-bloomed lotus. Suddenly Zhu Xiaodu couldn¡¯t help being curious about the face beneath the bronze ghost mask. He led the man onto the boat. The resting place for mortals wasn¡¯t as comfortable and gorgeous as cultivators. It was very narrow. A wooden bed and a window were the resting place for the next seven days. Zhu Xiaodu was afraid that the Ghost Face Man would be dissatisfied. When he was about to talk about the difficulties of the ship carrying people, the other party just nodded, took his sword, and walked in. He set the bag down, sat on the edge of the bed, and quietly watched the waves outside the window. He seemed as if he could sit forever. Zhu Xiaodu thought about it, then said, ¡°It¡¯s boring to sail at sea. The guest can go to the deck to get some fresh air. There are restaurants and bars in the cabin. If the guest is tired of dry rations, the guest can go there for dinner.¡± The ghost-faced man said: ¡± Okay.¡± It was still the cold, clear voice. Zhu Xiaodu¡¯s ears went soft, and he hurriedly closed the door gently. Ye Yunlan took off the mask. The sea breeze was salty, blowing on his face. His complexion was almost transparent and pale in the sun. Half a day later, the ship began to move, and the land gradually became farther away in his field of vision. It took seven days to travel by sea from the Eastern Continent to the Northern Region. At night, the voices of the people in the cabin were lively. Inside the big cabin, it was divided into two floors with many wooden tables. The alcohol made the atmosphere fiery. If one wasn¡¯t carefully watching the waves outside the window, they would feel the ship¡¯s waves. Also, when night fell, it turned into a pub and restaurant that one could walk into. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body wasn¡¯t suitable for drinking. But he still ordered wine and a plate of rather bland sichuan boiled beef. He held his bamboo chopsticks and slowly began to eat. Because of the meal, he didn¡¯t wear a mask. He just used the hood of the black robe to cover half of his face to reduce trouble. The way he ate was completely different from the way the surrounding guests ate and drank. He chewed very slowly like a lady. He had a whole jar of wine next to his food, but he only occasionally poured out a glass. A huge crewman, who poured a jar of wine into the bottle, looked at him not far away. He sneered a few times and said to the person next to him. ¡°Now anyone dares to cross the sea. They better not get frightened by sea beasts afterwards.¡± Ye Yunlan only lowered his head to eat as if he hadn¡¯t heard any of it. In the cabin, the cultivators and mortals were clearly distinguished. The mortals sat on the bottom floor, and the cultivators sat on the second floor. The cultivators spoke loudly and arrogantly at times and would spread down from the second floor. ¡°Fellow daoists are also going to the Northern Territory this time?¡± ¡°Naturally! Probably everyone has already read the Xuanji house¡¯s Tianji announcement. It says that the Northern Territory has great opportunities, which are related to the life and fate of this world. There are even opportunities to become an immortal. Cultivating daily, isn¡¯t it all to break through one¡¯s realm? Isn¡¯t it to fight fate for oneself? This opportunity has come, so how can I miss it.¡± ¡°The words of fellow daoist are extreme. Heaven and earth are boundless, and life has an end. If you can become immortal, you can live like the sun and the moon, unfettered and carefree, how happy and invigorating that would be! Haha, fellow daoists, come, have a drink!¡± The sound of the collision of the wine jar rang out loud. Cultivation asked for the path to be difficult. If you weren¡¯t careful, your soul would be destroyed. At this moment, the cultivators on the boat forgot their troubles and hardships temporarily, indulging in the dream of becoming an immortal. Ye Yunlan took a sip of wine. The strong wine entered his throat like he was swallowing a ball of fire. It burned this frail and weak body, making him heated. There was a slight redness on his face, and someone laughed: ¡°It is said that beauty is easy to age, and withered bones become ashes. The names on the list of beauties change every year, which is really amazing. If I become an immortal, I should bring one of the beauties on the list with me. Otherwise, even if I get to that wonderful wonderland, what¡¯s the point of being alone?¡± This group of people had already jumped from discussing the chance of becoming an immortal to what they should do after becoming an immortal. ¡°Fellow daoist, if you can choose, which beauty will you choose?¡± Someone toasted and laughed. ¡°Do you even need to ask?!¡± Someone seemed to be drunk, and his voice suddenly rose, ¡°If you ask me, I will naturally choose Immortal Lord Ye! I once saw Immortal Lord Ye on Tianchi Mountain, and the flowers in the world had no color ever since. If that Immortal Lord gave me one look, then this life would be worth it!¡± The cultivator sitting next to him was a little embarrassed. ¡°Hey, fellow daoist, what place would have no colour? Not to mention, that person is still a man. You don¡¯t have to be so crazy¡­¡± The drunk person interrupted: ¡°You haven¡¯t been to the Tianchi Mountain Forum, so you won¡¯t understand! Since then, my biggest dream in cultivation is to have the Immortal Lord marry me¡­¡± Someone sighed next to him: ¡°Isn¡¯t this precisely the wide-spread rumor about Immortal Lord Ye, ¡®Once you see the Lord¡¯s face, it will be a lifelong mistake,* never meet again thereafter.¡¯ I¡¯m fortunate that I didn¡¯t go to Tianchi Mountain. Otherwise, I will be thinking about that person daily. How could I continue to cultivate?¡± *¡±it will be a lifelong mistake¡± comes from a poem. The woman in this poem made a lifelong mistake after meeting a very good man because she will either yearn for all her life, spend her last years alone, or lose her looks. Overall, they¡¯re bad endings, making it a lifelong mistake. Ye Yunlan listened to these words about himself, then just looked down and focused on eating with his chopsticks. He ate half of the boiled beef dish, then stopped moving his chopsticks. The waves hitting the hull made him dizzy. His chest cavity also felt stuffed. He got up and wanted to go back to the cabin. At this moment, a huge wave rushed in, and the hull shook, making him stagger. Finally, using the table, he stood firmly. The passengers on the side sneered louder. He ignored it. Holding the sword, he returned to the cramped cabin. The dark sea outside the window reflected the stars. It looked a bit like the night sky he looked up at in his bamboo building. At this time in the past, Shen Shu would be already lying on the bed, warming it and getting ready to sleep with him. The wooden bed in the cabin was narrow and could not accommodate his body. There was no quilt, and the sea breeze was cold. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t lie down. He just leaned on the head of the bed and held his sword, closing his eyes. The sound of the waves slapped down. Then, in his half-awake and half-dream-like state, he heard someone yelling: ¡°A sea beast attacked the ship! A sea beast attacked the ship!¡± Then, the hull shook. Ye Yunlan woke up, grabbed queying by his side, and looked at the dark sea outside the window. There was a pair of twinkling fierce eyes. His eyesight was lacking, and he couldn¡¯t see clearly, but he could feel the fierce aura of the sea beasts that kept rushing from the darkness. The evil qi agitated queying. Ye Yunlan stretched out his hand and stroked it over the scabbard, and queying slowly calmed down. He put on the mask, got up, and pushed open the door to the corridor. He smelled a potent scent of blood before he reached the deck. ¡°They are coming up soon! How about the defensive formation on the ship, can it still be supported?¡± ¡°Boss, there are too many sea beasts, and the spirit stones are being consumed too fast. I¡¯m afraid they will collapse soon.¡± ¡°D*mn, have the other cultivators on board come yet?¡± ¡°Most of them have arrived. But boss, among the cultivators who boarded this time, there are only two cultivators in the Golden Core Stage. With you, boss, there are only three. I¡¯m afraid we will run out of spiritual power and won¡¯t be able to survive this wave of beasts!¡± Ye Yunlan had already walked to the deck. There was a long blood stain on the deck and some corpses and limbs had not been taken care of. A crew member had probably left it, one who was suddenly attacked by a sea beast. The approximately dozen cultivators, who were just chatting and laughing in the restaurant above the ship had gathered and inputted spiritual power into the hull formation. A dim light curtain was opened shakily, withstanding the invasion. At the head was a cultivator with a rugged face and a square scarf, who seemed to be the ship¡¯s captain. Zhu Xiaodu was also among them. His cultivation was only barely at the first level of Qi Refining, and he couldn¡¯t help much, only help assist with chores. Seeing Ye Yunlan, he was shocked. ¡°Guest, why are you here?¡± Zhu Xiaodu asked, ¡°The sea beasts have invaded, and the deck is dangerous. Only cultivators need to help protect the ship. You don¡¯t have to come here.¡± Ye Yunlan whispered: ¡°I¡¯ll take a look.¡± The ocean wind on the deck was stronger than it was inside the cabin. Added with the little wine he drank, he was already uncomfortable. The wind was irritating him now, and he couldn¡¯t help coughing. ¡°Xiaodu, he¡¯s a sick person with tuberculosis, and you still have time to take care of him? We¡¯re already overwhelmed right now. Later, if the barrier is damaged and the sea beasts board the ship, I am afraid that all of us in the boat will have to be buried here!¡± A crew member called out to Zhu Xiaodu. Zhu Xiaodu glared at the man and looked up at Ye Yunlan, ¡°Guest, you are unwell, so go back to the cabin to rest first. It is an accident to encounter a sea beast, but in any case, we will try our best to stop the sea beast and protect the safety of the guests. ¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Go ahead, don¡¯t worry about me.¡± His voice was a little hoarse from the mask, but it was still cool and beautiful, as if it had a calming power. Zhu Xiaodu felt guilty. If he hadn¡¯t taken the initiative to solicit the guest, the guest in front of him might not have boarded their ship and suffered this kind of danger. He was seemingly ill, so who knew if this bump would aggravate the illness. At this moment, he suddenly heard a crisp sound. It was the corner of the ship¡¯s barrier! The sea beast uttered a harsh howl and took advantage of the opportunity to climb up the ship¡¯s hull. A sturdy crew member was shaking the sail on the bow. Suddenly the sea beast appeared behind him and extended its claw at the crew member¡¯s neck. The pupils of the strong crew member shrank sharply, but it was too late to escape. He could only close his eyes and wait for death. Suddenly, he saw a sword light like a shooting star entering the night and lit up before his eyes! The sword cut the sea beast in front of him into two parts, and the smelly blood sprayed on his face. He hurriedly seized the opportunity to retreat to the back of the deck. Turning his head to find his savior, he only saw a black robe and hood. Under the hood was a cold bronze ghost face. His eyes widened, and he couldn¡¯t believe it, ¡°It¡¯s you!¡± Ye Yunlan recognized that he was the strong crew member who had sat not far from him. He didn¡¯t say much and walked over to the bow of the ship. The sea beasts had gathered at the bow at this. Ferocious bodies and cold flashing eyes were eyeing the humans. Blood flowed down Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword, and a cultivator behind him said: ¡°Be careful!¡± Before the voice finished coming out, the sword light swept across, and the sea beast that rushed forward was divided into halves! The cultivator who wanted to call Ye Yunlan stopped and sucked in a cold breath. The nirvana sword intent on Ye Yunlan¡¯s body flowed slowly, swaying like water waves. Queying sword whispered as if it couldn¡¯t bear it. The sea beast continued to pounce from the crack. One, two, three. Then, it was all over. They had no human wisdom, but they knew how to be afraid. They could only hesitantly climb up the bow but did not dare to attack Ye Yunlan again. Suddenly, a shrill monster screamed from the sea in the distance as if it was urging its subordinates to continue to board the ship and attack. The sea beasts who were still hesitating became agitated. Some of their eyes had turned crimson. The sound of the monster from the sea in the distance continued. Ye Yunlan raised his eyes and looked into the distance. He still couldn¡¯t see the situation on the sea surface, but the nirvana sword intent had already locked on to the most powerful spirit aura among them. ¡°Noisy,¡± he said coldly. The sword intent burst out, breaking through the boundless night, and the screams in the distance stopped abruptly. The howls of the sea beasts ceased, and the beasts, lacking their leader, could only give up attacking the ships. The sea breeze was calm. There was even more silence on the deck. Looking at the blood-stained man on the bow, Zhu Xiaodu couldn¡¯t speak. He heard a drunk cultivator beside him speak excitedly. ¡°Immortalization Realm of the sword dao? I didn¡¯t expect that I, Xu Zice, could see a senior in the Immortalization Realm of the sword dao today!¡± ¡°Since you are already in the Immortalization Realm of the sword dao, why are you still a mortal, shouldn¡¯t, shouldn¡¯t¡­¡± Seeing that drunk person stuttering and wanting to get close to that person, someone else was one step ahead of him. The rough-faced captain strode forward, came to Ye Yunlan, and laughed loudly: ¡°Being able to withstand this beast tide today all depended on your help. I, Zhu Shengguang, want to thank you. Sire, may I know your name?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer immediately. The bronze mask on his face was ferocious, glowing coldly in the moonlight. Observing his body language, Zhu Shengguang immediately changed his statement: ¡°If Sire is a hermit and doesn¡¯t want to expose your name, you can just give us a code name at will. You are the great benefactor of our ship, we will definitely try to repay you.¡± Queying sword slowly slipped into its sheath. Ye Yunlan: ¡°You don¡¯t have to repay me for help. As for the title¡­¡± The nirvana sword intent hadn¡¯t completely faded from his body, and the sea breeze blew his black robe, and he looked like a ghost god who came from h*ll to the world. ¡°I don¡¯t have a code name. It¡¯s just that a long time ago, everyone else called me¡­¡± ¡°¡®Ghost Rakshasa.¡± ¡­ The black wind blew, and the dead leaves fluttered in the sky, then fell into pieces. It was like floating paper money. Shen Shu walked on the barren land. The closer to the Demon Abyss, the fiercer the space between his brows throbbed. The memories of the Demon Lord, who was suppressed in the depths of his mind, also continued to surface. Those memories were not only the years of returning to the world but also the long experience of being at the bottom of the Demon Abyss. Absorbing the memories of countless devil souls and ghosts¡ªwhile these, Shen Shu didn¡¯t dare to touch them. He was afraid of sinking into the memory. ¡°If you want to develop a nine-turn celestial demon body, you need to kill and absorb a million demon souls, then it will be Inferior Immortalization.¡± There was a voice in his mind, ¡°You can¡¯t even accept the fragments of the demon souls in your memory, so how can you stay sensible and save the master you are thinking of?¡± Shen Shu knew this. Before entering the Demon Abyss, he must completely absorb the memories in his mind so that the personality split from that part of the memory merged with himself. He hesitated before, but now, he would definitely not lose himself with the promise that Ye Yunlan gave him. After all, his master was still at home, waiting to see him. Shen Shu looked up at the gray sky. In a barren land, the stars and moon were hard to see. However, at this time in the past, his master would have already gone to bed to rest. But he didn¡¯t know if his master would feel cold without him warming the quilt. He held the afterglow sword tightly and accelerated his pace. ¡­ Although Ye Yunlan had said that he did not need the captain¡¯s repayment, Zhu Shengguang still transferred him to the best room on the ship. Zhu Xiaodu was sent by his father to take care of Ye Yunlan¡¯s daily life. The new room was very different from the original one. It was spacious and elegantly furnished with soft bedspreads, a soothing incense burner, and hot water for bathing. Ye Yunlan did not refuse. When the sea beast attack was resolved, some blood had stained him, so he could take this opportunity to clean it. Zhu Xiaodu took the treasure prepared by his father and knocked on the room door. ¡°Your Excellency, can I come in?¡± He didn¡¯t call out the three characters, ¡°Ghost Rakshasa,¡± just because the code name was really gloomy. It didn¡¯t sound like a righteous person, and instead a nickname from a group of demonic cultivators in the Demon Realm. His father, Zhu Shengguang, didn¡¯t say much at the time, but he explained to him that he must be careful dealing with that man many times privately. Although this man seemed incapable of cultivation, he had already entered the realm of immortalization for his swordsmanship. If he really made a move, even ten boatmen would not be enough to stuff his teeth. He also doubled the treasures of pill medicine and entrusted Zhu Xiaodu to deliver the reward to the Ghost Face Man. Although Zhu Shengguang was cautious about facing an enemy, Zhu Xiaodu felt that the Ghost Face Man wasn¡¯t the kind of person they imagined. Perhaps because of his voice, perhaps because Zhu Xiaodu saw him when he boarded the boat and was sitting quietly back in the cabin, Zhu Xiaodu always felt that the Ghost Face Man might be a gentle person. Then he heard the person¡¯s faint voice coming from the door. ¡°Come in.¡± Zhu Xiaodu pushed the door and walked in. He saw the dim candlelight in the room. The man looked at the sea outside the window with his back facing him. His black robe had faded away, and he was only wearing a white shirt with long hair wetly draped behind him. From Zhu Xiaodu¡¯s point of view, he only felt that his back was extremely thin as if the wind would blow him away whenever. ¡°Father prepared something for me to bring to you.¡± Zhu Xiaodu walked up and placed the magic pills and magic weapons on the table. The man by the window said: ¡°I have already said this earlier, I was just lending a hand. I don¡¯t need repayment. Take the things back.¡± Zhu Xiaodu thought of his father¡¯s warnings, hesitated for a moment, then remembered that he¡¯d heard it on the deck before, the other party coughing. So, he whispered: ¡°Your Excellency, you have injuries. Even if you don¡¯t want repayment, you can take a few bottles of useful pills to treat your body.¡± The person by the window said lightly, ¡°Medical pills are useless for my injury. Go back.¡± Zhu Xiaodu¡¯s heart burst upon hearing these words. He couldn¡¯t see a cultivator¡¯s ¡°qi¡± on the Ghost Face Man. Now, if he looked carefully, even a living person¡¯s ¡°qi¡± was scarce. He had only seen such a situation in people on death¡¯s door. He couldn¡¯t help taking two more steps forward. He walked to the window side, ¡°What kind of injury do you have? If the medicine stone is useless, how can I help¡­¡± His voice stopped abruptly. The person in front of him wasn¡¯t wearing a mask. From his angle, he can see the other party¡¯s pale profile. Every inch was smooth as if crafted by heaven. The hair was extremely dark, and the skin was extremely white. A vermilion dot dotted the end of his eye, and a few strands of slightly damp hair curled against his cheeks. Zhu Xiaodu had envisioned what it looked like under the mask of the ¡°Ghost Rakshasa.¡± He imagined someone ugly and someone handsome, but it was by no means as it was now, this kind of thrilling beauty. Even the beauties on the Tianji list couldn¡¯t compare. Ye Yunlan turned his head over. Zhu Xiaodu was young, only 13 or 14 years old. He had a delicate face. Holding a pile of magic pills and magic weapons in his hands, he was very sincere when he looked up at people. Ye Yunlan remembered when Shen Shu was young he also liked to look up at him. His dark eyes were clear and bright, only reflecting his lone figure. He closed his eyes. Then he took a bottle of pills from the boy¡¯s arms. ¡°Okay,¡± he said, ¡°Go back and tell Zhu Shengguang that when the ship arrives in Cangzhou, I will disembark immediately and not stay on the ship. These days, don¡¯t let anyone disturb me.¡± Zhu Xiaodu nodded blankly. After leaving the room, he realized that his face was flushed. He returned to his father and relayed what Ye Yunlan stated to him. When he saw his father¡¯s face showing peace of mind, somehow, he was reluctant to tell him that he saw Ghost Face Man¡¯s face. Seven days later, the ship anchored at the edge of the Frost Sea in Cangzhou, the northern region. Ye Yunlan got off the ship, and the fellow cultivators all expressed gratitude and respect to him, but they were separated from him by many distances, either intentionally or unintentionally. Only a cultivator with a handsome face and a giant sword on his back rushed over. ¡°Seven days have passed, and I finally spotted you, Senior!¡± ¡°My name is Xu Zice, and I admire Senior¡¯s swordsmanship very much. I want to discuss and compete with Senior during Senior¡¯s leisure time. If Senior is also going to the Frost Sea Realm to search for opportunities, how about travelling with me?¡± The young man looked at him and smiled with white teeth. Ye Yunlan hadn¡¯t ever seen him but remembered his voice. That day in the cabin restaurant, he was drunk and shouted, ¡°I want Immortal Lord Ye to marry me.¡± That was the person in front of him. CH 105 Chapter 105 Tempering the Sword The sun was beaming at dawn, and Xu Zice¡¯s white teeth were sparkling. Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Excuse me.¡± Xu Zice persisted, ¡°Senior, your swordsmanship is brilliantly breathtaking. Although you don¡¯t lack companions, you must be short of an attendant to hold your sword for you? How about considering me, Senior. I cultivate assiduously, and I¡¯m diligent. If Senior tells me to go east, I¡¯ll never go west. I can work hard and endure hardships. I won¡¯t even eat much rice, a sip of wine is plentiful. As long as you can give me a few tips routinely, even if you command me to pluck the moon from the sky, I¡¯ll think of the means to achieve it for Senior!!¡± Ye Yunlan passed him and walked into the street. Xu Zice still refused to give up. He chased after while carrying a big sword and opened his mouth to continue to chatter, ¡°Senior, this is the first time you¡¯ve come to Cangzhou City, right? To be honest, I grew up in the Northern Territory. Cangzhou City, this is all too familiar. If Senior needs to find a place to rest, just let me know, and I could get one for Senior.¡± ¡°For example, auctioning pills or treasures, the city¡¯s most suitable entertainment house, the famed ¡°Zuiliu Xian¡± qingyun¡¯s tavern¡­.¡± He got excited as he spoke, ¡°Such as these. If you need anything, just tell me.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t require anything.¡± Xu Zice didn¡¯t seem to sense his indifference. He continued to raise his smiley face and said: ¡°Then what does Immortal Lord need?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I want peace and quiet.¡± Xu Zice blinked and finally realized that his behavior seemed a bit annoying. He closed his mouth silently, but his eyes were still looking at Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan felt his head hurt a little. The person looking at him was an honest guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes. How could he be a dog skin plaster? He already had a clingy disciple, so he didn¡¯t need another one. Thus, he turned his head, and a hideous ghost face mask stared at Xu Zice. ¡°Stop following me. My sword doesn¡¯t reason with strangers.¡± His voice was cold. The nirvana sword intent entangled his body. However, Xu Zice was surprised: ¡°We withstood the sea beasts against the ship together. Senior and I are already companions in life and death, how are we still strangers?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. This person¡¯s face was astonishingly thick compared to the people he had seen in his life. His brain circuits also seemed worlds apart from ordinary people¡¯s. ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid of me?¡± he asked out of the blue. Xu Zice was even more surprised, ¡°What should I be afraid of?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°When I disembarked, the captain and the fellow cultivators all evaded me, but you were the only one to chase me. Are you not afraid that I will kill you with a single sword?¡± Xu Zice didn¡¯t understand, ¡°You saved our lives, why should I be afraid that you would kill me with a single sword?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent. No matter how he saved or killed people in his previous life, as long as someone met him in person, they would either be afraid of him or avoid him from a distance. In this life, he had done a lot less, but he could also see the clues by seeing the attitudes of the people on the ship before. But Xu Zice seemed to lack consideration and only followed up passionately. Was it possible that he wasn¡¯t afraid of him being in a bad mood and that he would chop him like a sea beast? Then, he heard this person say very seriously: ¡°I think Senior is a good person.¡± Ye Yunlan said emotionlessly: ¡°I¡¯m not a good person, nor am I righteous. It is no good for you to follow me. It will only be unpredictable with no corpse left behind.¡± He had warned him to this point, but Xu Zice focused his attention elsewhere, wondering: ¡°Senior is not of the righteous dao and is part of the demonic dao?¡± Then, he clapped his hands, ¡°What a coincidence, Senior, I was also a demonic cultivator.¡± He didn¡¯t seem to realize what shocking words he had said. Although demon cultivators were rampant in the demon realm, everyone hunted them in the world. They all cultivated secretly, and no demon cultivator would walk outside and take the initiative to say that they were demonic cultivators. He saw Xu Zice scratch his head and continue: ¡°I came from a place close to the Demon Realm. When I was a child, I had no food to eat, and I was often hungry. I saw that the Demon Sect was in charge of food, so I went in. After that, the head looked upon me somehow, and I was accepted as an apprentice. However, the headmaster only taught me some swordsmanship and moves, not cultivation. It wasn¡¯t until I was thirteen years old that I discovered the headmaster didn¡¯t regard me as an apprentice. He was just injured and wanted to seize my body. The head hauled me into the seizure formation by my head, but I don¡¯t know why, I won at the end of the fight for my body. I inherited the head¡¯s spiritual power and cultivation experience. But since the sect¡¯s elders were chasing me, I fled all the way from the Northern Territory to the Eastern Continent. Now, I¡¯ve just returned to the Northern Territory.¡± He paused. He looked at Ye Yunlan and sincerely added: ¡°But I also have a golden core at my cultivation level now. Coming back this time, I¡¯m not afraid of them. I will definitely not cause any trouble to fellow daoist.¡± He had been chattering all this time, giving up his own life and experience. Ye Yunlan was initially intolerant to listening, but the more he heard about his experience, the more familiar he became. He glanced at the big sword behind Xu Zice¡¯s back and suddenly said: ¡°You have the root of a thunder and fire elemental, and the sword behind you is named Cang Yan?¡± Xu Zice was surprised, ¡°How does Senior know?¡± Ye Yunlan was silent again. Naturally, he knew it because Xu Zice was eminently famous in the future. He had a nickname called ¡°Sage Cangyan¡±, and his deeds were circulated in the streets and alleys. However, Xu Zice became famous two hundred years later. At that time, Ye Yunlan was the only cultivator of the Void Tracing Realm in the world, but he wasn¡¯t recognized by the righteous sects. Ye Xuanguang had already died for a just cause, Chen Weiyuan died for his clan, and Qiyun Jun was missing. Thus, the righteous sects pushed out Sage Canguan as the leader to withstand the great calamity. According to legend, Sage Cangyan was born negligible and once mixed in with the demon sects of the Northern Territory. The master of the Demon Sect had maliciously seized him, but he instead killed him. After two hundred years of wandering across the five continents and four seas, he entered the Transcendence Realm step by step. It was rumored that he was under Qiyun June¡¯s guidance, who was nowhere to be found and later acquired the Ye Clan¡¯s treasure. He was regarded as the most likely person after him to advance to Void Tracing, and he was known as the ¡°light of the righteous.¡± Legend had it that Sage Cangyan was an old man with a warm heart and hearty temperament. He had the root of the heavenly spirit of thunder and fire and had a big sword ¡°Cangyan¡±. His friends covered all over the world. In his previous life, Ye Yunlan had never met him. The world declared him to be at the common boundary of good and evil. They expected that he could stop the calamity, but they feared he would sacrifice others¡¯ lives like other demonic cultivators. Some people even said that there could only be one cultivator in each age that stepped into the Void Tracing Realm, and he was blocking the way of the saint, who would be the salvation of the human race. Ye Yunlan only cultivated his own sword and wasn¡¯t interested in discussing the outside world. And until he died, Xu Zice didn¡¯t come to trouble him. But now, he looked at the future Sage Cangyan. His eyes were shining at himself, and he felt that his headache became even worse. Those who could break through to Void Tracing in the future would inevitably have great karma on their backs. Ye Yunlan was here to solve the karma in his previous life, but he didn¡¯t want to get contaminated with more. ¡°Don¡¯t follow me.¡± The queying sword was half out of its sheath, and the sword¡¯s edge reflected Xu Zice¡¯s face. Xu Zice wasn¡¯t afraid. He only said: ¡°If Senior doesn¡¯t mind, I can stay a little further away from Senior. I just want to observe and learn Senior¡¯s sword. I used to learn swordsmanship, but I am not proficient. My sword is only in solidified intent. Seeing Senior on the boat, burning like a meteor, was the most amazing sword technique I have ever seen in this world. The feeling I felt was even the same as the one I had when I saw Immortal Lord Ye on Tianchi Mountain back then. If one day I can learn this sword technique, Immortal Lord Ye may even be willing to look back at me¡­ ¡± No, he won¡¯t. Ye Yunlan moved past Xu Zice with a blank face. As he said, Xu Zice didn¡¯t stick close and instead just followed sneakily from a distance. Cangzhou City was the largest ferry crossing in the Northern Territory, and it was bustling. It was just that Ye Yunlan, who was wearing a mask, had a cold temperament, and the crowds all gave way to him when they saw him. There were vendors selling on the side of the street. ¡°Selling pastries! Selling pastries! Freshly baked red bean cake, mung bean cake, pea cake, osmanthus cake, apricot cake, plum cake, everything you need!¡± Ye Yunlan stopped for a moment. However, he just walked through the hustle and bustle alone and didn¡¯t enter the crowd. He didn¡¯t look back. ¡­ In the west of Cangzhou city, twenty miles out of the city, it was visible that between the separation of land and sea, an ice lake had formed. There were mortal sleighs sliding on it, and cultivators were flying across the air. This was the Frost Sea Realm. On the ice lake, in a flying boat, several cultivators were gathered together to talk. ¡°Have you heard that a ghost came into the Frost Sea Realm recently?¡± ¡°I did hear that. I heard that the ghost slaughtered everyone in Xuerong Cave overnight. All 109 cultivators were buried inside.¡± ¡°However, those who gathered in the Xuerong Cave were also evil cultivators who indiscriminately killed innocents, robbed, and raged. In fact, they didn¡¯t die unjustly. From this point of view, the ghost seems to have done a good thing.¡± ¡°Daoist, if you had seen their deaths, you wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s doing good deeds.¡± ¡°What about the deaths?¡± ¡°It was miserable. The corpses were separated, and there were the protruding eyes and wide mouths looking like they were scared to death.¡± ¡°What does the ghost look like to actually be able to scare people to death?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But acting like this, there is not much difference between them and demonic cultivators. Looking for opportunities in the Frost Sea Realm this time, it seems that we need to avoid this monster.¡± ¡°Dao, Daoist¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Blood, it¡¯s blood! There is a lot¡­ a lot of blood ahead!¡± ¡­ Ye Yunlan stood in a pool of blood. He reached out and slowly wiped the blood off his sword. Snow drifted onto his shoulders. The corpses were lying in the snow pile, and the red color blurred on the white like ink on paper. A strong, murderous aura condensed on him. His face was cold and hideous. For these three days, he had been killing people. In the Frost Sea Realm, there was a lack of qi in the snow and ice. It was tough to control the place. There were no rules here, and cultivators plundered and killed people often. Many evil cultivators gathered in the Frost Sea Realm, taking advantage of the moment when cultivators from all over the world traveled here to look for opportunities. They specifically selected those who were alone to rob and kill. Ye Yunlan encountered it several times. So he drew his sword and murdered. Later, no evil cultivator dared to step forward to provoke him. He followed the trail of the evil cultivators, found their lair, and continued to draw his sword to kill. The nirvana sword intent flowed all over him. The queying sword murmured every day. The injury in his body was getting worse because of his unrestrained actions. Now, even when he was taking a breather, there was a burning pain in his throat accompanied with the taste of rust. He felt alive. Together with his sword, he was gradually coming back to life. He was ¡°tempering his sword.¡± His essence, qi, and spirit were slowly reaching their peaks in the constant tempering of his sword. Only in this way, when the burning spirit used the forbidden technique, could it display ten percent of the strength of his previous life and use the sword to smash everything. He only had one chance. Without sheathing his sword, he held queying in his hand. Step by step, he went on the icy lake with snow. The wind current was rapid, and the snow was cold. He staggered somewhat as he walked. A flying boat passed close by, but it suddenly turned its head as if fleeing after seeing a dangerous being. Ye Yunlan took a few steps and started to pant. The cold wind invaded his lungs. He lowered his head and coughed, slowly tasting blood in his mouth. Xu Zice, who followed sneakily behind him, had walked up at some point. His face was full of worry. ¡°Senior, are you okay?¡± After a long while, Ye Yunlan¡¯s cough stopped. He looked up at the flying boat in mid-air that gradually became invisible. He said hoarsely: ¡°They¡¯ve all escaped, why didn¡¯t you run?¡± Xu Zice: ¡°I came to learn the sword from Senior, why should I escape? ¡° Ye Yunlan: ¡°I killed a lot of people.¡± Xu Zice: ¡°If we¡¯re talking about murder, they deserve to die. Senior was kind enough to send them on the road, so why not?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at the man in front of him, who was praised by the people of the future as ¡°upright and kind¡±, ¡°pleased to support justice¡± Sage Cang Yan, then was silent for a while. Xu Zice said again: ¡°There seems to be an injury on Senior¡¯s body, are you really okay? I have been in the cultivation world for years, and I know some techniques to heal injuries, maybe I can show it to Senior.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡± No need.¡± Xu Zice wanted to say something more but suddenly heard a loud noise. A golden light bloomed from a distance, and they saw a huge golden lotus rising from the ground. The snow in the entire Frost Sea Realm suddenly disappeared, and only countless spots of light spilled from the sky. There was a bell sound coming from afar. The sound roared and shook one¡¯s heart. Xu Zice was a little confused, ¡°What¡­is that?¡± Ye Yunlan looked into the distance. The queying sword in his hand uttered a sword sound while the sword intent on his body surged. He didn¡¯t speak but walked towards the place where the golden lotus bloomed. Many cultivators have gathered there. When they saw the ghostly mask on Ye Yunlan¡¯s face, they all backed away. Some whispered while others looked at him with fear. Some were disgusted, but it was all the same. Ye Yunlan glanced around but didn¡¯t see any Tianji Pavilion disciples. Naturally, he didn¡¯t think that Tianji Pavilion would not intervene. Chen Weiyuan was a person who was good at planning, and even better at taking advantage of the situation using any means. And he was only one man with one sword. One sword, one person, but it was enough. In his previous life, he was able to make Chen Weiyuan stay in the Chen clan¡¯s formation for a lifetime, only to commit suicide. In this life, he would naturally be able to smash all his conspiracies and tricks and have the d*mned person return to the yellow springs, so they can no longer harm the world. The golden lotus bloom was just a huge phantom. Inside the phantom image, there was a golden vortex. In the vortex, one could vaguely see the scene in the god ruins, the green mountains and green waters, and many invisible creatures running in the mountains. It looked very peaceful, as if there was no danger. Several cultivators jumped into the vortex, but most were still waiting and watching. Ye Yunlan stepped forward. Suddenly, a cultivator halted him. ¡°Now even monsters and ghosts want to snatch the chance to become an immortal?¡± ¡°The Tianji announcement said that his opportunity doesn¡¯t just relate to becoming an immortal but is also of great concern to the world¡¯s fate. If some human-like ghost thing entered and fought for that opportunity with us, then what would happen to us cultivators?¡± ¡°Everyone, we must first set some rules, who can enter and who can¡¯t. We must make it clear.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t speak, but Xu Zice yelled out. ¡°What do you mean? Do you think you can treat this place as your house and make the rules? Isn¡¯t your face too thick?¡± Another cultivator: ¡°You are with that ghost, so maybe you are also in the same group.¡± Xu Zice drew his sword directly. The sword that was bigger than his body plunged directly into the ground, bursting into flames. He folded his arms and said loudly: ¡°I am in a group with Senior, so what? Do you want to fight? Come on.¡± Perhaps because his sword was big enough to be a deterrent, the talking cultivator shut his mouth. But there were still cultivators who wanted to stop Ye Yunlan. Relying on a large number of people, they seemingly could act unscrupulously. They kept yelling about the world¡¯s fate and so on, acting as if they were on the side of righteousness. But Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t care about righteousness. He only took out his sword. The bright sword light slashed in front of the frontmost cultivator, and the sword in the cultivator¡¯s hand broke. Ye Yunlan turned his face to his side, and the Nirvana sword intent haunted the tip of the pale sword. With a hideous mask on his face, he was like a ghost god demanding lives. The cultivator yelled and suddenly backed away frantically. Retreat, retreat, retreat. What righteousness? Was it more important than their lives? Ye Yunlan no longer looked at them and stepped into the vortex with his sword. ¡­ The wind in the fields was bleak. On the side of the Demon Abyss, the young man sitting on the ground suddenly opened a pair of blood-red eyes. ¡°Demon Lord¡­ how long have I been in retreat?¡± He whispered to himself, countless shadows entrenched beside him, like the limbs of animals. Occasionally, gray withered leaves drifting to his side would be torn to pieces by the surging shadows. ¡°No¡­¡± He frowned tightly and looked at his palm. His eyes were red as if he was going to bleed. ¡°No¡­this Lord¡­I¡¯m Shen Shu¡­Master is still¡­still waiting for me¡­¡± He hugged his head, and blue veins protruded from his temples and the back of his hands, throbbing. He panted, and the shadows danced wildly around him. After half a day, he barely calmed down. The blood-red eyes slowly became sober. Shen Shu stood up. The black clothes flew in the wind, and his tied ponytail was also swaying. He stood alone on the side of the abyss, looking at the dark ground below. This abyss seemed to be alive and staring at him at this moment. It was like a beast choosing the person it wanted to eat. It was as if it wanted to tear all those who dared to enter into pieces. ¡°Nine-turn celestial demon body, transcendance tribulation¡­.Since I can succeed once, I can succeed the second time. Nobody can stop me,¡± he whispered to himself. He then looked towards the dim horizon, ¡°Master¡­ Wait for me to return.¡± He jumped. The dark shadows condensed into fluttering wings behind him, and his figure sank into the endless black abyss. ¡­ The surrounding scenery changed. Ye Yunlan had already set foot in the land of the Primordial God Ruins. In his ear, he heard a long cry. Ye Yunlan suddenly saw a golden bird passing by. Its feathers were golden and gorgeous, and it had a pair of bead-like eyes. It appeared strong and healthy, looking like the Chongming bird recorded in ancient books. And the Chongming bird became extinct before the Primordial times. There were creatures from before the ancient times here? Why hadn¡¯t he heard of it in his previous life? Soon, he knew exactly why. Among the cultivators who entered first, there was a sword cultivator that wanted to step forward to catch the Chongming bird. They prepared magic treasures and formations as if they were facing a major enemy. However, when they trapped the beast, it went straight through. The Chongming Bird turned out to be just a phantom. ¡°How could this be?¡± The cultivator threw the trapped beast to the ground and left angrily. Xu Zice had also followed in and was looking around curiously. ¡°Senior, this place is so magical. The sun actually rises from the west.¡± Xu Zice always noticed something that others would not pay attention to. Ye Yunlan looked towards the horizon. The scarlet sun hung to the west, exuding orange-red brilliance like a lingering inferno burning in the fire. After several breaths, the sun didn¡¯t move, and the whole world seemed to be still at this moment. ¡°Why do you think it just rose and not from the west.¡± Ye Yunlan asked. Xu Zice grinned. ¡°Intuition.¡± Suddenly a bell sounded from afar. The bell outside the god ruins pointed to the entrance of the god ruins, but where did the bell inside the god ruins point to? Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyesight couldn¡¯t look far away. However, he perceived something here that was attracting him. It felt very strong and seemed to be connected with his blood, inseparable. Is it Chen Weiyuan¡¯s trap? He didn¡¯t know. The Ancient God Ruins were very large, and there were continuous mountains everywhere. He had no time for him to look through each area, one by one. He decided to follow his heart¡¯s feelings. To go toward the bell sound was to go up the mountain road. Over the top of the mountain, there was suddenly an open field in front. Under the orange-red sunlight, there was a vast ruin under the mountain. The continuous ancient buildings were enough to extend the end of his field of vision. And among the ruins, he saw a figure wearing ancient clothes kneeling down. Their heads bowed deeply as if they were offering sacrifices. Their palms folded together, and they worshiped the same place. Are those illusions? Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t know. He just took queying, unsheathed since entering the Frost Sea Realm, and slowly descended the mountain and walked into the ruins. Next to him, Xu Zice had been exclaiming and chattering endlessly, but he didn¡¯t have the heart to hear what the other party was saying. He crossed those tens of thousands of phantoms who were worshipping and walked to the center of the ruins. This was an extremely ancient temple. But it was also the best-preserved temple among the ruins. Gray-black rocks were piled high, and in the center were two bronze gates with unusually primitive patterns on them. The paintings were of birds and beasts in ancient times and hundreds of races fighting. Xu Zice stepped forward to push open the door, but he couldn¡¯t. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t have much strength, he just tried to push it, and it opened up. A long passage appeared inside. The light was on, and the deep passage led underground. He couldn¡¯t see the end. Ye Yunlan stepped in. The unknown attraction in his heart was getting stronger and stronger. Despite this, Ye Yunlan still never lapsed in his attention because of this attraction for a moment. The hand holding the queying sword was pale and stable. He could draw his sword at any time. The footsteps echoed slowly. Xu Zice couldn¡¯t get a response from him behind him and slowly muffled his voice. At the end of the passage, there was light. Ye Yunlan walked into a vast underground palace, with countless night pearls inlaid into the dome like stars. The old buildings were still intact, and in the center of the buildings, there was a huge black dead tree. Before the dead tree, there was a coffin. The dazzling light came from the coffin. Ye Yunlan walked in and found a bone. Golden bones bleeding red. Thousands of years have passed, yet it was still incomparably radiant and brilliant. ¡°I said before that I wanted to give you a gift.¡± It wasn¡¯t Xu Zice¡¯s voice. Ye Yunlan turned around swiftly. The person following him at some point had become Chen Weiyuan. Chen Weiyuan didn¡¯t wear a cloak today. Instead, he tied his hair crown and donned a star dustcoat. He seemed to have carefully arranged his appearance. He faced Ye Yunlan and smiled happily. ¡°I wonder if you¡¯re satisfied with the bones of the ancient Divine Phoenix?¡± CH 106 Chapter 106 Love and Hate The bones in the coffin were overflowing with golden brilliance. Ancient qi blanketed this underground palace, making blood pump in his body. The world didn¡¯t know if the Divine Phoenix had ascended. Some said that the Divine Phoenix had ascended successfully, so no more traces existed on earth. Some said it didn¡¯t. However, thousands of years have passed, yet the Divine Phoenix¡¯s corpse remained undiscovered. Thus, opinions differed, and there was no definite answer. But now, the Divine Phoenix¡¯s corpse was ??here. The uncanny attraction that Ye Yunlan had felt since entering the Ancient God Ruins was too intense to disregard. Chen Weiyuan had a merry expression, and a scorching light was flashing in his eyes as if he was waiting for Ye Yunlan¡¯s praise. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t comment on the Divine Phoenix¡¯s bones at all. He only looked at Chen Weiyuan coldly. ¡°What exactly are you trying to do? Where is Xu Zice?¡± The Seven Emotion Needles in his soul began to hurt, ill-timed. However, he had always been accustomed to endurance, and his face didn¡¯t expose any clues. Chen Weiyuan sighed, ¡°Naturally, I just want you to stop suffering.¡± He displayed a compassionate look, ¡°For hundreds of years, you were all alone in the world. But when you think of me, the Seven Emotions Needle would be agonizing. Even if I go to the yellow springs, it will be unbearable.¡± He paused, then said: ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I didn¡¯t hurt your friend. I just sent him out of the secret realm. Speaking of which, your friend is an important person in the future, so I dare not to hurt him.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyebrows jumped. ¡°Chen Weiyuan, you must take yourself too seriously. The road I have traveled and the distress and suffering I¡¯ve endured are all my own choices. What are your qualifications to intervene?¡± His expression was veiled under the cold mask. He held out queying in front of his body. The cold blade was honed, prime to shoot out at any time. Chen Weiyuan acted as if he didn¡¯t sense it. He only warmly said: ¡°Yunlan, you and I are husband and wife, so why have your daggers drawn?¡± A peculiar gentleness and fervent determination were on his face, ¡°Whether you admit it or not, more than one hundred years have passed, and you still love me deeply from our past life to this life.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Chen Weiyuan asked, ¡°The Seven Emotions Needles suppress the root of love. The more it hurts, the more you love me. Yunlan, no matter what, you have no way to refute this.¡± His handsome and gentle face illustrated a cruel expression. ¡°Think about your previous life, that person you valued so much. Ultimately, you couldn¡¯t fall in love with him from beginning to end. Now, you¡¯re searching for the demon bones for him to break his calamity¡ª¡ªbut have you forgotten all the sufferings you bore in the demonic palace back then? Yunlan, have you ever loved him?¡± ¡°Senior Immortal, do you love me?¡± In the gloomy and dark demon palace, the candlelight faintly swayed. The heavy curtain collapsed, and the sticky incense burned quietly. The chains were shaking. A muffled cry accompanied the crashing sound. The Demon Lord¡¯s eyes were burgundy, and when he looked down at him, it was like he would shed blood and tears at any time. His powerful arms embraced him deeply as if to crush him into his abdomen. He repeatedly asked him the same question. ¡°Senior Immortal, for so many years, have you ever loved me for even a tiny bit?¡± He couldn¡¯t speak. He was shaking and trying to curl up, but he was opened up even more. The darkness had completely enveloped him. He was tossed into the cold and slippery darkness, and the fire scorched him. He couldn¡¯t help sobbing, tears streaming down his face. But the other party didn¡¯t take pity on him. From night to day. He couldn¡¯t remember how long he spent in the deep palace. The other party¡¯s madness would get worse on the night of the full moon but would be reduced at the beginning and end of each month. However, it also made him feel uncomfortable. The chain was wrapped around him, creating bruises on his wrists and ankles. He couldn¡¯t go out, and others couldn¡¯t come in. He was forced to think about the same problem in the darkness of isolation. ¡ª¡ªHad he ever loved the Demon Lord? Back then, Chen Weiyuan had sent him to the Demon Palace. He thought he would be tortured, but he never thought that the Demon Lord that the world rumored to have an extremely violent temperament would treat him so well. The Demon Lord allowed him to move freely in the Demon Palace. He played the qin, and the other party would listen to his qin. He practiced the sword, and the other party would learn the same sword technique, then turn around to teach him. When he was immersed in reading, the other party would come to the library to find him. When he was injured, the other party would be even more nervous than himself. From the deep and cold palace of his childhood to the deep valley peach forest covered in downpours, and then to being slandered and driven out by Sky Sect, his dao companion who had been with him for many years personally sent him into h*ll. Over the years, he was abandoned time and time again. Only the Demon Lord cherished him in his heart. He should like him. But why won¡¯t his heart beat? The loving words he had always wanted to say were always locked in his throat. Even if he shed tears in pain, he could only silently lose his voice. Why? He didn¡¯t understand. The Demon Lord questioned him, and he also questioned himself. He curled up in the darkness, asking himself, over and over again: Why? Why? He quickly lost weight. His consciousness was dizzy. His arms went around the other party¡¯s shoulders, and he buried his head in the other party¡¯s neck. He was floating and sinking along the other party¡¯s neck. Finally, one day. The Demon Lord didn¡¯t ask him the same question again. The other party kissed his lips deeply, hugged his thin, broken body, and said hoarsely. ¡°Senior Immortal, let¡¯s get married.¡± On the first day after the night of the full moon, he was sent away from the groggy palace and returned to his original room. He still carried heavy chains on his hands and feet, and traces of purple ambiguous marks decorated his body. His body was so tired that he didn¡¯t want to move a finger anymore. He was like jello on the bed. He looked sideways at the distant moonlight outside the window. He hadn¡¯t seen the moonlight for a long time. ¡°Yunlan.¡± Someone called him. It was Chen Weiyuan who entered the room. The other party had said he was passing by the Demon Realm by chance and wanted to visit him. He also wanted to ask him to do something. A knife was put in his palm. ¡°There is a slaughter curse on this knife. As long as the tip of the knife can pierce the Demon Lord a little bit, it could seriously injure him.¡± ¡°The position of my Chen Clan¡¯s official wife is always reserved for you. As long as you kill the Demon Lord, we can be together forever again. In life and death, we will never be apart¡­¡± To h*ll with him, together forever? He had abandoned him and sent him to the demon sect, and now he was asking him to help and wanted to live and die with him? He found it ridiculous. But his heart was beating uncontrollably and sharply as if the other party¡¯s voice was filled with deadly poison, endlessly bewitching. How could it be? he thought. ¡°Yunlan, I know you still love me.¡± Chen Weiyuan said assuredly. He suddenly felt a little dizzy, and his head roared as if it wanted to explode. His heartbeat became fiercer and fiercer. The turbulent feelings made it difficult for him to refuse Chen Weiyuan¡¯s words. He bit the tip of his tongue to barely stay awake. He yelled at Chen Weiyuan to get lost. ¡°Yunlan, you should call me husband.¡± The other party said, ¡°Tell me, do you still love me?¡± He opened his mouth and almost blurted out his agreement, but bit his tongue to stop his impulse. He tasted blood in his mouth. ¡°No¡­ I don¡¯t love you anymore¡­¡± He said intermittently in pain. However, the pain swept over him, surging. It was unstoppable, and it forced his Yang acupoint to jump. He felt like he was going crazy. He was suffering as if he had exhausted his life¡¯s strength. He spat out his remaining words. ¡°Who I love is¡­ is the Lord¡ª¡ª¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression completely froze over. He watched him as if looking at something rare. Then, he took out a blood jade from when they formed their dao bond and forcibly controlled him. The wedding night. He was wearing a bright red wedding dress, holding the cold blade in his hand. The Demon Lord walked into the room with a red suit on his body. He approached him and hoarsely asked: ¡°It¡¯s almost our big moment. Lan Er, don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± Seeing that he didn¡¯t respond, the Demon Lord extended his hand and lifted his jaw. ¡°Why are you still having a temper? Do you blame me for the way I treated you before? The question I asked you before, is it really so difficult to answer?¡± He still didn¡¯t answer. The Demon Lord had a hideous mask on his face, and his blood-red eyes looked at him quietly before he suddenly leaned over to embrace his body. He softened his voice and whispered: ¡°Senior Immortal, call me your husband once. After getting married, I will not force you again.¡± The Demon Lord gave up on requesting him to answer. However, the sharp blade in his hand suddenly shot out and pierced the Demon Lord¡¯s body. The spell on the knife heavily injured the Demon Lord, and he was bleeding incessantly. The dao cultivators took this opportunity to break into the Demon Realm. Chen Weiyuan took him out of the Demon Palace. The Primordial Demon Refining Array had been placed on Liuming Mountain. The Demon Lord fell into the formation alone to chase him back. Chen Weiyuan and the other cultivators had been waiting for a long time. They looked at the trapped Demon Lord with a smile. The Primordial Demon Refining Array needed to refine the trapped monsters for forty-nine days. After that time, even if it was a powerful monster like the Demon Lord, they could only perish. Chen Weiyuan was with him at the core of the formation. He was very obedient. Therefore, Chen Weiyuan didn¡¯t expect that he would shift the most vital piece of the formation, making the formation flawed. The Demon Lord broke out. Risking the aggravation of his injuries, he tried to kidnap him in the formation to escape. He was trapped in a cave. The Demon Lord had imprisoned him in the deepest darkness. The clothes on his body were torn away, and slippery things entangled his hands and feet. He was kneeling on the cold ground, and his hands were suspended in the air. The Demon Lord had serious bodily injury and received the backlash of the nine-turn celestial demon body. His mind was on the verge of madness. What he did was worse than before in the demonic palace. His neck was locked in place, and he was forced to raise his head. He heard the sound of gnashing teeth. ¡°This Lord hears of a spell able to eliminate every memory one person has of another and transfer all his love for that person to the person who casts the spell.¡± ¡°If that is the case, this Lord really wants to cast this kind of spell on you.¡± The other party bent over and hugged him. He let out a low and long sound, then tears slowly flowed from his profile. At that time, he thought. If there was such a spell in the world, he was willing for the other party to cast it on him. Afterwards, the Demon Lord¡¯s mind gradually recovered. The dao cultivators caught him, and he was locked in the Buddha Tower. The Demon Lord rescued him, and they went to the Central Continent. They lived in the quiet and peaceful courtyard of the Central Continent for many years, just like the most ordinary mortals, the closest lovers. It¡¯s just that the Demon Lord never asked him that question again. After the Demon Lord¡¯s death, he travelled the world alone, the wind and rain pouring down on him. He knelt in front of the Buddha and requested to take oaths. The Seven Emotions Needle pierced into his soul. Since then, his love roots were cut off. No desires nor longings. Nothing in the world could stop him from swinging his sword at Chen Weiyuan. ¡­ The pain from the Seven Emotion Needles gradually became unbearable. It was as if it was cutting open all his shells and piercing his softest inside, stirring it up. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and said hoarsely: ¡°Of course I¡­ I loved him.¡± ¡°Impossible!¡± Chen Weiyuan immediately interrupted, ¡°Yunlan, don¡¯t lie to yourself. The Seven Emotion Needles in your body bring you pain every time you see me. Doesn¡¯t that represent your heart?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What is love? Regarding him, I am already in shackles. My love root has been cut. No desire nor longings. I only wished to gather his soul to see him once again. But for you, I get tired of just looking at you.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression fell completely cold. ¡°Yunlan, you can only say this so confidently because the Seven Emotion Needles are in your body. If you remove the Seven Emotion Needles, you wouldn¡¯t be able to draw a sword against me, can you? You hate me, but at the same time, you love me deeply.¡± He raised his hand. Countless stars met him at his fingertips like silk threads, ¡°I¡¯m meeting you this time to help you untie your shackles, no longer bearing the repeating pain from those years, recognizing your own heart.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The feelings stolen by disgusting means, why did you think it is right to do that?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression changed. ¡°Yunlan, what do you mean?¡± CH 107 Facing Chen Weiyuan¡¯s probing, Ye Yunlan only said indifferently. ¡°Chen Weiyuan, you planted a Change Sentiment Curse on me. It¡¯s been two hundred plus years since my bond with you. Did you really think I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡± When he was outside the three thousand steps of Sky Sect, Chen Weiyuan rescued him and brought him back to the Chen Clan to mend his wounds. During this period, the other side¡¯s gentle care moved him. After another three years, he promised to form a bond contract with Chen Weiyuan. It was perfect, as if it was fate. He became Chen Weiyuan¡¯s dao companion. He would be happy for the other¡¯s joy and sad for each other¡¯s sorrow. He would cook tea and wine for the other during the day to relieve boredom and wait for the other to return home amidst the heavy snow at night. Because of his previous life-saving kindness, he always listened to Chen Weiyuan¡¯s words and obeyed the other in everything. He perceived nothing unusual. Indulging in the fabricated love and lust, for a long time, he really regarded the Chen family as his home. Until Chen Weiyuan sent him into the Demon Sect. He opened his eyes and saw the Demon Lord¡¯s awfully unsightly ghost mask. It was like thunder shocking his dream. The beautiful dreams of his past shattered, and he became the lonely self from his past days, deserted in the heavy rain and strong wind again. The Demon Lord picked him up from the box, took possession of him, and asked him why he was crying. He didn¡¯t speak. The other party kissed the tears on his eyelashes. The mask on his face was taken off, and the man¡¯s fingertips brushed the criss-cross scars on his face. He hoarsely said to him: ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± ¡°Since your dao companion has abandoned you, why do you still think about him?¡± ¡°Follow this Lord obediently,¡± the man leaned close to him and muttered, ¡°Let this Lord love you.¡± Afterward, the other party treated him extremely well, as he said. But he still couldn¡¯t forget Chen Weiyuan. Like being caught by the drug of addiction, he longed for the other every night in his dreams, having difficulty sleeping. This shouldn¡¯t be. Chen Weiyuan had already treated him like this, so they should be strangers. Why did he still miss that person? He mused over it for a long time. When Chen Weiyuan came to see him in the Demon Palace, he once again felt that kind of surging, sweeping, and unstoppable love and lust. How? He couldn¡¯t understand. What kind of thing is love? Over the past few years, he kept brooding. He resided in the Central Continent with the Demon Lord, but after the Demon Lord left, he entered the world alone. He avoided meeting with Chen Weiyuan. Wandering in the Western Continent, turning to the southern border, and crossing the plains, he walked across the five continents and four seas. Until he walked all over the world and entered the Buddhist hall, and the Seven Emotion Needles pierced him. There were two ancient temples in the world with the longest heritage. One was the Fusheng Temple, located on the Western Continent. It was known to be a Buddhist temple able to suppress everything. The second was Fukong Temple. With its mysterious vestige, it had the Mirror Sky Pavilion, which had accumulated the secrets of the world. ¡°Ten Thousand Demons under the Buddha Pagoda, and in the Mirror Sky Pavilion, countless scriptures.¡± This was the world¡¯s commentary on these two ancient temples. He took his oaths in Fukong Temple and was already considered half a disciple of Fukong Temple. The master who oversaw Fukong Temple granted him entrance to the Mirror Sky Pavilion and stay for ten days. At that time, he was already an Immortalization swordsman, and most of the secrets in the world weren¡¯t so enticing for him. In the Mirror Sky Pavilion, he only flipped through two things. One was the secret method of burning the soul to condense a sword, called ¡°Jian Ping Sheng.¡± The second was the secret technique of emotion manipulation. There weren¡¯t many secret techniques in the world able to birth love. He only found two kinds: Hehuan Gu, and the Change Sentiment Curse. Their distinction was that the Hehuan Gu only hinged on the Child and the Mother Gu worms¡¯ connection. This made the Gu receiver develop an illusional love for the giver. The person affected with the Child Gu would always wish to mate with the possessor of the Mother Gu. Furthermore, as long as the Child Gu was removed, this effect could be eradicated. However, the Change Sentiment Curse could wholly remove a person¡¯s memories of the one they loved and transfer all their lust toward the individual onto the spell¡¯s caster. Moreover, after the curse was finalized, lifting it would be nearly unachievable. The only counter was if the cursed found the forgotten loved one, and then they opened their heart and drank their heart¡¯s blood. When Chen Weiyuan cursed him, if he thought about it carefully, it should be before they made the bond contract. Since then, he had no more true love and desire, only false delusions. If love was just a feeling. Then he had already lost this kind of feeling, so he couldn¡¯t answer the Demon Lord¡¯s question. It¡¯s just that after the person¡¯s demise, many years passed, and he contemplated this question. Now he thought, he was able to answer. Love was more than just a feeling. It was a long-term company, and a willingness to give. It was the joy of wanting to spend a lifetime with another. The Change Sentiment Curse could influence a person¡¯s love, but it couldn¡¯t influence a person¡¯s choice. And he had already made his own choice. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression changed. Ye Yunlan¡¯s words were beyond his expectations. The Change Sentiment Curse was an ancient technique, and it was rarely circulated in the world. He didn¡¯t expect that Ye Yunlan could detect it. After all, the former Ye Yunlan was so attached to him, admired him, and unconditionally regarded him as his husband. ¡°Yunlan, even if you know, what about it?¡± Chen Weiyuan asked, ¡°I did curse you before you and I concluded the bond, but you¡¯ve already forgotten who the person you loved was in this life. You can¡¯t resolve the curse. Now, all the desires in you can only be attributed to me. Regardless, the result will not alter.¡± ¡°And since you know the Change Sentiment Curse, you should know that no matter the past and present, you will never fall in love with the Demon Lord. You¡¯ve done so much for him, but it¡¯s just false feelings, so why bother?¡± A cruel expression manifested on Chen Weiyuan¡¯s face. ¡°Even if the person you originally loved wasn¡¯t me, it¡¯s not him either.¡± He raised his hand, and the starlight entwined at his fingertips lit up. ¡°And now, you can only love me.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s expressions were concealed under the bronze mask¡¯s face. It¡¯s just that his hand, holding the sword, presented blue veins that resembled a winding river. If he wasn¡¯t looking for the Demon Bone¡¯s location, he would¡¯ve already shot out at Chen Weiyuan. Chen Weiyuan saw his appearance, and he had a crazy smile among his features. He abruptly turned his head. ¡°Yunlan, do you know where this is?¡± Before Ye Yunlan could answer, he laughed and said: ¡°The Ancient Divine Phoenix built this place to make his entire clan soar¡­¡± He paused, then slowly spat out. ¡°Primordial Immortal Boat.¡± ¡°The entire Primordial God Ruins is part of the Primordial Immortal Boat. And where we are standing is the core of the entire Primordial Immortal Boat: Time City.¡± The crazy smile was still on his face. He stared at Ye Yunlan. ¡°One day in Time City is equivalent to one year outside.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s complexion changed marginally. Whenever time was involved, it became a taboo area that went against the ways of heaven. And with one day here being equivalent to a year outside, such a terrible passage of time must cost a huge price. Where did the energy for opening Time City come from? Ye Yunlan said coldly: ¡°What on earth do you want to do?¡± He saw the light of countless stars entwined around Chen Weiyuan. Then, they extended into the tall ancient black towers everywhere. The ground vibrated, making it rumble. Chen Weiyuan stared at him scorchingly and said softly. ¡°Yunlan, don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯ve done so much, all just to be with you again.¡± There was something in his hand. It was a dark blue color. It seemed to be an astrolabe condensing countless stars. Ye Yunlan recognized this article. Ancient Gathering Astrolabe. This thing was the most important formation item of the Chen Clan formation. It was also the true foundation of the Chen Clan. The mysterious light of Chen Weiyuan¡¯s vestment flickered, and countless runes faintly connected. It converged with the Ancient Gathering Astrolabe, revealing a powerful force. Ye Yunlan finally understood. Chen Weiyuan transferred the entire Chen Clan array to himself, and at the same time, all the energy that the Chen Clan had amassed on the Ancient Gathering Astrolabe from the ancient times to the present. This meant that he had hollowed out the Chen Clan¡¯s background, and the Chen Clan¡¯s vast land was now undefended! Ye Yunlan: ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± Chen Weiyuan, who valued the Clan¡¯s interests more than everything in his previous life, was obviously insane by acting like this now. Chen Weiyuan smiled and shook his head. ¡°I¡¯m not crazy.¡± ¡°There is always a time when manpower will be exhausted. This fact is something I finally understand after I was reborn.¡± He laughed, ¡°Since the tribulation of heaven and earth is going to come no matter what, and there is no way to stop it, why should I be so exhausted and even sacrifice my life to protect the trash in the clan?¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the Clan¡¯s calculation, how could I lose you?¡± In his tone, there was a sudden hostility. Then, he took it back in a flash. ¡°The inheritance of the Chen Clan cannot be cut off, but not every trash needs to survive.¡± Chen Weiyuan said slowly, ¡°I am the patriarch of the Chen Clan. As long as I still exist, the Chen Clan will exist.¡± He stepped on the land under his feet. ¡°This Primordial Immortal Boat is a magic weapon refined by the Divine Phoenix for crossing the catastrophe and becoming an immortal. If it can be activated, it can break through this barrier and enter the void. The void lands don¡¯t belong to this world. Arriving in the great void lands, the great catastrophe of heaven and earth will have nothing to do with us.¡± ¡°Even though the Primordial Immortal Boat is damaged most of the time, the core- Time City still exists. Just abandon the damaged shell and use only the core. This Immortal Boat will still activate and fly us into the void.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve exhausted the heritage of the Chen family and can activate Time City for a year. We¡¯ll stay in Time City for a full year, escaping into the void. And one year here is equivalent to the outside world for more than three hundred years. At that time, all the catastrophes in the world and earth will be over.¡± Chen Weiyuan said this in high spirits. His handsome face smiled even more. ¡°My cultivation base is now in Transcendence. As long as the catastrophe is over, the world will be reborn, and breaking through the shackles of changing my fate will be enough to make my dao break through and reach Void Tracing.¡± ¡°And the Divine Phoenix skeleton I¡¯ve gifted Wife, do you like it?¡± Chen Weiyuan looked at the golden red skeleton in the coffin, and his eyes flickered. ¡°You probably don¡¯t know that it was your brother Ye Xuanguang who entered the Primordial Divine Ruins and obtained the Divine Phoenix Bones that year. During the catastrophe, he wanted to completely revive the ancient bloodline and forcibly merged with the Divine Phoenix Bones. But ultimately, he suffered a backfire, and in the end, perished within the great calamity. At that time, I knew that the Divine Phoenix reincarnation wasn¡¯t him, but you.¡± ¡°Divine Phoenix, the Lord of Fire, as long as you¡¯re willing to fuse with the bones of the Divine Phoenix and revive your bloodline, the divine fire in your body will no longer hurt you and let you use it obediently. And with my wife¡¯s experience and sword dao aptitude, you can break through to Void Tracing naturally with no problem with your life.¡± Chen Weiyuan raised his hand, and his five fingers curled, as if he wanted to grasp something. ¡°When the world¡¯s catastrophe ends, us husband and wife will be together in the Void Tracing Realm. We will return to the world, and the chaos in the world will be restored. No one will be our opponent. Then, the world shall honor us, and with the great, big world, wouldn¡¯t we be free and unfettered?¡± He became more impassioned. His star-filled eyes seemed to be on fire, and he looked up at the tall sky, ??his expression immersed in endless madness. After a while, he looked back at Ye Yunlan, and his expression softened a bit. ¡°Yunlan, I really like you. So all those various schemes were to put you and me together. In the future, we will always be together.¡± ¡°The moment you stepped into the Immortal Boat, it was activated. Everything will proceed as planned.¡± ¡°There is only one thing left now.¡± Chen Weiyuan said. ¡°Let me help you pull out the Seven Emotion Needles to relieve all the pain. We can be together forever, Yunlan.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°An idiot dreaming.¡± The ground kept shaking, and the entrance to this place had been closed. The entire underground palace was shaking. The Immortal Boat had indeed been activated. If he wanted to escape from the void, he would at least have to reach Void Tracing. But Ye Yunlan had no intention of fleeing. He also didn¡¯t intend to accept any of the seduction of Chen Weiyuan¡¯s words of spending one year on the Immortal Boat and going to the world three hundred years later. He slowly concentrated his energy on his sword. Chen Weiyuan didn¡¯t seem to realize it, and there was another dark thing in his hand. ¡°I¡¯ve studied for a long time, the Seven Emotion Needles in Wife piercing the soul. Unless you agree to dual cultivation, it is difficult to take it out by ordinary methods.¡± Chen Weiyuan said slowly, ¡°Wife, we¡¯re already been separated for a hundred years, and you¡¯re probably unwilling. Therefore, I can only use another method.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s body suddenly shook. He scowled deeply, feeling a tearing pain in his spirit, as if something was being tugged and wanted to leave his soul. It was the Seven Emotion Needle. Chen Weiyuan shook the dark object in his hand and smiled: ¡°This is the Nine-Heavens Magnet. I went through many hardships and spent countless spiritual energy in the past few years to lure the distant star containing the Nine-Heavens Magnet here. The Seven Emotion Needle was originally refined from a Nine-Heavens Meteorite, and the Nine-Heavens Magnet is the singular item able to attract the Seven Emotion Needle in Wife¡¯s divine soul.¡± ¡°When the Seven Emotion Needle is taken out, you and I will no longer have any misunderstanding or barriers. I still have a lot of words from these years that I want to say to Wife slowly.¡± He injected spiritual power into the Nine-Heavens Magnet. The black stone suddenly brightened. Ye Yunlan only felt the sensation of tearing intensify in his soul. There was a soft sound. A thin black and reddish needle exited from the center of his eyebrows and plunged to the ground. CH 108 The Seven Emotion Needles escaped from his soul. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body trembled. That kind of terrifying agony impaling the depths of his soul disappeared the moment it departed his body. Simultaneously, something that had been stifled for an extensive time overflowed from the frosty heart lakebed, setting off a colossal wave and overwhelming him. He heard his heart pumping wildly. The hand holding the Queying Sword quivered. Sweat moistened his back little by little. Everything in the world had changed from pale and bland to fresh and beautiful, with splendid colours. That kind of turbulent, unstoppable desire almost conquered all his thinking ability. Chen Weiyuan strolled over, calling him: ¡°Wife.¡± And he stretched out his hand to him. ¡°Come to Husband.¡± His temples were pulsing. He gritted his teeth and said: ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Chen Weiyuan sighed: ¡°Yunlan, you are always so stubborn. That was the case in the Demon Palace back then, but now, it is also the same.¡± ¡°Time City has been activated, and we have escaped into the void. Everything wordly has nothing to do with us. Here, only you and I can accompany each other. In front of me, even if you can resist your heart, how long can you endure?¡± He raised his hand and covered the back of Ye Yunlan¡¯s trembling hand. ¡°Look, now you can¡¯t even swing your sword at me.¡± ¡°You refused to assassinate the Demon Lord for me in the Demon Palace. Later, under my eyes, you moved the Demon Bone in the Primordial Demon Refining Array. It did surprise me,¡± he said, ¡°But in any case, you can never kill me.¡± He extended his hand to shadow the bronze mask on Ye Yunlan¡¯s face and took it off. Ye Yunlan¡¯s face was exposed to the air. His appearance was pale, and he was dripping with cold sweat. But he was also breathtakingly beautiful. Chen Weiyuan sighed: ¡°Back then, it was Husband¡¯s fault. I failed to protect you so you can have a peace of mind. That¡¯s why you had to seek protection from others.¡± ¡°But not anymore.¡± He said softly. ¡°Your husband will love you well and be someone reliable so you can live as you wish. The reality of our husband and wife relationship that we never completed back then can now be gradually completed. We will become each other¡¯s true loves.¡± Chen Weiyuan said, smiling, ¡°Think about it carefully, I should be the only one in your life. All the things that you have missed before, it¡¯s still not too late.¡± Chen Weiyuan wanted to raise his hand to stroke Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheek. Ye Yunlan turned his head to avoid it. He bit the tip of his tongue. The bloody smell spread in his mouth so he could barely stay awake. ¡°Why resist,¡± Chen Weiyuan wondered, ¡°Yunlan, in this world, nobody knows you better than me. You fear loneliness and always need someone to accompany you. This was the case before, and it is still the case now. When you were in the Sect, you pleased Rong Ran, tried to please me after, then you pleased the Demon Lord. Everything was actually the same. No matter who it is, as long as there is someone willing to accompany you, you can treat that person thoroughly and hand yourself over. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°You have been walking alone in the wind and rain for so many years, and you must have been very tired. It¡¯s better to take a rest. Come to my arms.¡± Chen Weiyuan stretched out his hand to him. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t move. His stiff body was like a statue. The hand holding the sword was as heavy as hundreds of millions of catties of iron stone. He avoided being thrown into the deep sea of ??lust. Every time he uttered a word, the stuffy air in his chest reduced by one point, but he was also one point closer to collapse. However, he still spoke. ¡°¡­Don¡¯t think about it.¡± Chen Weiyuan sighed, ¡°Really stubborn.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t want to use this method.¡± He seemed helpless. ¡°But to make you behave, maybe it can only be so.¡± He took out a white porcelain bottle, opened the cap, and rolled out a vermilion pill. ¡°Forget Worries Pill,¡± he said, ¡°It¡¯s not a medicinal pill, but it can make you forget all the troubles and pains in the past and start again. Even though your sword cultivation will be wasted like this¡­¡± He smiled. ¡°But with your husband by your side, no one can hurt you in the future.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s Transcendence qi suddenly overflowed like a large net covering Ye Yunlan securely. It prevented him from moving. With Chen Weiyuan¡¯s movements, the starlight scattered across the sky and hung in the air. Two of his fingers clamped the pill, and he delivered it to Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips. Ye Yunlan wanted to retreat, but a mortal¡¯s body couldn¡¯t resist the suppression of the Transcendance stage¡¯s cultivation level. The constant buzzing and the entanglement of love and desire from the effects of the Change Sentiment Curse made him feel like he was stuck in mud, unable to budge. Blood spilled from those lips. The sting of his bitten tongue kept him awake. Can¡¯t make my sword move. Why can¡¯t I move my sword? Cannot. Why not? I love him. Why do you love him? I love him. Wrong. Wrong. I love him. Wrong. The one I love is clearly¡­ The opposing thoughts collided in his divine consciousness, and the sinuous and protruding blue veins split the back of his hand like flawless white jade cracking out in the gap. Ye Yunlan¡¯s face was terribly blue and white. It seemed like just a moment, but many pictures passed by. From the cage-like palace walls when he was a child, to the thunderstorms in the peach blossom forest, to solitary practice in Sky Sect, Chen Clan¡¯s false affection, until the time he was delivered to the Demon Palace. When the box was opened, in the darkness and confusion, he looked into those blood-red eyes. In the Demon Palace, the red candle was warm. The man¡¯s hand intertwined with his five fingers and squeezed tightly. He whispered to him: ¡°Senior Immortal, unless one steps on my corpse, no one in the world can hurt you anymore.¡± At the Buddha Pagoda, the bottom of the winding steps, with thousands of statues of gods and Buddhas watching, the man picked him up on his back and walked up step by step until he saw the sky. Just for him, one man and one sword, becoming an enemy against the whole world. In the Central Continent¡¯s courtyard, under the apricot blossom tree, the man leaned over and kissed the end of his eye. The years were calm and peaceful. Life seemed to pass like this. The picture suddenly changed. Amidst thousands of thunder and lightning, the person stood before him, and his soul was destroyed in the Tribulation. Only a mask and a sword was left. He put on the mask, held up the long sword, and walked into the world alone. In a hundred years, five continents and four seas had been traveled. He went back to the apricot blossom tree to bid farewell to it. Apricot blossoms covered his robe everywhere. In a daze, he seemed to see the silhouette of the man again, leaning under the tree and looking at him. He looked into those blood-red eyes. In his life, all kinds of light and shadows passed in front of his eyes. He clenched the long sword in his hand. The turbulent lust had flooded him like a tide and had built a high wall to demolish his thoughts. But for more than two hundred years of his life, between him and that person, there was more than just the simple word ¡°love.¡± Sword light suddenly arose. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression immediately changed. He stepped back sharply and sacrificed the Ancient Gathering Astrolabe in his hand. Countless stars staggered in front of him, comprising a sturdy shield, and seeked to block Ye Yunlan¡¯s attack. But Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword was swifter than him. Burning all his spirit, condensing his lifelong sword cultivation in a sword move¡ª¡ªthis was the forbidden technique, ¡°Jiang Ping Sheng¡±!* * it means seeing all one¡¯s life (part of title) The Queying Sword pierced forward. Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips were still bleeding, and the hand holding the sword was wan and delicate. A fire light ignited in his eyes, revealing the fierce determination that cut through everything. A loud noise blared. The incomparable light flooded the entire underground palace. The sword light illuminated the dark space like daylight, and all the land covered by shadows was gone. This was the only sword between heaven and earth. There was no shadow in the world. One sword seeing all one¡¯s life. CH 109 Chapter 109 Will Yanhui Peak, the bamboo house. The stretch of flowers were gorgeous and fragrant, shining under the sun. A winding path cut through the sea of ??flowers to the front of the bamboo building. Someone was walking on it. It should be a human being, but perhaps not. The thing looked like a cluster of shadows, barely corporeal, and the shape seemed very unstable. When the wind blew, fluttering shadows would float behind it. Two blood-red lights dotted what might be called a ¡°face.¡± The color was slightly chilling, resembling two red lanterns hanging in front of the gate of H*ll. It came to the door. It wavered and didn¡¯t knock on the door for a long time. The pitch-black hand with sharp nails covered his face. The shadow shook violently, then growled lowly in its throat. Suddenly, the wind was blowing again. The wind chime on the door made a crisp jingle. The shadow gradually stopped trembling, but it condensed into the appearance of a clear youth. The young man wore a black outfit, supporting a handsome face, and a ponytail was tied high behind his head. He seemed identical to when he departed half a month ago. He slowly raised his hand and knocked on the door of the bamboo building. ¡°Master, I¡¯m back.¡± His voice was awkwardly rough. It was obviously in a joyful tone, but it was low and hoarse and a bit penetrating. He bent the corners of his mouth again, wanting to raise a smile, but he seemed to forget how an ordinary person would smile. So, the smile seemed a little stiff. It was unresponsive inside the bamboo building. He stood alone in front of the bamboo building and waited for a while until his patience was finally consumed. He reached out and pushed open the door of the bamboo building. The inside was desolate. Sunlight shot into the house from outside the window sills, and dust was gliding in the air. The room was hushed, and he couldn¡¯t discern the slightest trace of anyone. His face was a bit stiff. His smile faded, and his face became expressionless and ghostly. When he stepped into the house, all the furnishings in it were still unchanged. It¡¯s just that, no one was in the study. No one in the bedroom. No one in the bamboo forest. No one in the sea of ??flowers. The well-preserved dishes and pastries were neatly placed on the wooden shelves in the backyard kitchen. Except for the left-most plate. Its position was vacant. The rest were pretty much the same; the positions were unaltered. He walked back to the study. Then, he saw a letter pressed by an inkstone. He opened the letter. He saw Ye Yunlan¡¯s clear and cold font. Shen Shu, read the words as if we are face-to-face. When you read this letter, your Master will have gone to the yellow river. I hope you will not miss me and think about the promise that I have made with you. It is Master¡¯s missed appointment. This matter is Master¡¯s fault. Counting it up, you and I have been Master and Disciple for six years. When I first saw you in He Lanze¡¯s courtyard, you couldn¡¯t reach Master¡¯s shoulders. But now, you¡¯ve sprouted into an adult. You¡¯ve thrived in cultivation, and you¡¯ve also grown a lot in attitude. I¡¯m very pleased to be your Master. You have an excellent aptitude, and your talent in swordsmanship is something your Master has not seen in many years. You¡¯ve only practiced swordsmanship for six years and you¡¯ve already reached Inferior Immortalization. In the future, you could definitely peek into the extreme boundary of the sword. It¡¯s just in the cultivation of the great dao, the most precious thing is ¡°persistence.¡± When Master was your age, I would swing the sword ten thousand times a day without feeling tired. I hope that in the future, when Master is gone, you could diligently practice yourself and practice hard. Talent and self-sufficiency, don¡¯t slack off because of laziness. In this way, persist for a hundred years, and your dao road will certainly be hopeful. Cultivators need to enter the world to be born and realize the various states of the world before they can reach the perfect state of mind. They should not be confined to one corner. The puppet seal on your body has been removed, and the world is vast, so go and take a look. There are Penglai Immortal Mountains and various Immortal Islands in the Eastern Continent, Guangming plains and Riyue Lake in the Western Continent, Qianzhang Feiyun Mountain Pass and Wanzhang Ziliu Waterfall in the South, and the Holy Snow Mountain and Taigu Icefield in the North. At the intersection of the five continents, the Central Continent has many strange things that originate from this place. Five continents and four seas, there are varying sceneries and different experiences to be gained. They¡¯re not disadvantages for your insights. If you are tired, you can return to the sect. The bamboo building will be here. After Master is gone, it will belong to you alone. There are twelve handbooks on the bookshelf, which contains Master¡¯s experience in sword dao for several years. Several jars of aged wine are buried under the peach tree in front of the courtyard, which was brewed by Master six years ago. I wanted to wait until your coming of age when you turn 20 to take it out. However, now that Master is gone, you can drink at will. I used morning nectar and brewed it from spring peach blossoms, so it should be sweet and mellow to the taste. Master knows that you have special powers, but remember that you can¡¯t rely on those powers. You should never use them unless they are the last resort. Two hundred years later, there should be some catastrophes in this world. If you are involved and it¡¯s impossible to avoid, you can go to the end of the Eastern Sea and find the Fukong Temple. There is a letter left by Master on the bookshelf. You can entrust this letter to a master in the monastery, so you can temporarily avoid disaster. Yesterday was Master¡¯s birthday. You made a bowl of longevity noodles for Master. Master liked it very much. Your cooking skills have improved again. If you want to take care of yourself in the future, don¡¯t be like a child, crying like a baby at will. At this point in writing the letter, the desire to put down the pen and look out the window has emerged. Outside the window, it is exactly noon and the flowers are blooming. It¡¯s a spring day. I hope you will cultivate smoothly in the future, be free from illness and worry, and reach the immortal path. Your prospect is bright. Ye Yunlan¡¯s final words. CH 110 Chapter 110 Frost and Snow The sun shone down in ripples, and the waves were surging. On this day, another particular guest arrived at the busy Tongzhou Ferry. Zhu Xiaodu eyed the person in front of him. He was a young sword cultivator with black hair and a handsome face. The sword cultivator¡¯s appearance didn¡¯t look to clash with those of passing cultivators. It¡¯s just that he had a pair of blood-red eyes. Like a demon cultivator. Except that there was no such chilling demonic qi of an ordinary demonic cultivator on his body. But Zhu Xiaodu still felt freezing. The midday sun was fierce, illuminating the young sword cultivator before him. Even so, the black clothes dressing his body appeared to be absorbing him fully, leaving only a cloud of thick ink in his vision. Zhu Xiaodu stepped back. He sensed the danger. The young man stepped forward. The shadow smothered Zhu Xiaodu. It was like blood was about to fall from those approaching blood-red eyes, such as a ferocious beast on the brink of lunacy. ¡°Do you know where my Master went?¡± The other party said hoarsely. Zhu Xiaodu wanted to withdraw further, but he suddenly registered that something in the distance was gluing his legs in place. He swallowed, then replied: ¡°There are usually many that come and go at the ferry port. I dare to ask what your master looks like. What clothes did he wear? I need to think about it carefully before I can answer if I¡¯ve seen him¡­¡± ¡°You have Master¡¯s qi. You¡¯ve seen him.¡± The other party said. Zhu Xiaodu cried without tears, ¡°I greet guests at the ferry every day. I see hundreds of people every day. How do I know which one you¡¯re seeking?¡± The other party looked at him blankly. This sent Zhu Xiaodu to assess if he would unsheathe his sword and impale him. But he heard the other person hoarsely say: ¡°You only have to meet someone like Master once to never forget them.¡± Hearing this, Zhu Xiaodu instantly recalled the ghost-faced person he had encountered earlier. Half a month had elapsed, and he still couldn¡¯t forget the awe-inspiring sword move enacted by the ghost-faced man when the sea beast attacked the ship. He couldn¡¯t forget when he opened the door in the middle of the night and how he had glimpsed the other party¡¯s beautiful and indescribable face. He hesitated and asked: ¡°Is your Master also a sword cultivator with a red tear mole at the end of his eye?¡± He watched a crazy expression swiftly etch onto the black sword cultivator¡¯s empty face. His red eyes were deadlocked on him. ¡°Tell me where he went.¡± Zhu Xiaodu wanted to speak. But with that deranged look on the youth¡¯s face, he suddenly dithered. Even though the signs of danger kept alarming him inwardly, Zhu Xiaodu suppressed the fear in his heart forcibly. He forced his mouth to speak. ¡°Since your Excellency is his disciple, why don¡¯t you at least know where your master has gone?¡± This sentence seemed to have ignited something. Zhu Xiaodu¡¯s eyes widened in horror. His neck was raised. The young man¡¯s hand had seized his neck, and his complexion was sinking into a deep shadow. The blood-red light in his eyes seemed to separate from his body, flashing in the air like splashes of blood. The black clothes on the young man appeared to become fuzzy in a flash, leaving only a thick black shadow that roughly resembled a human. The wind blew, and the waves slapped against the shore. The black shadow also distorted its form with the sea breeze. Zhu Xiaodu¡¯s toes no longer touched the ground. He wanted to scream for help, but he found that apart from the sounds of the waves and wind, no human voice was audible in his ears. It was obviously a lively dock, but he seemed to be isolated from the world. He had never seen such a terrible power that surpassed mortals in his life, only hearsay from some occasional passing visitors. The person in front of him¡ª¡ªif he could still be called a human, his cultivation might have broken through the six realms of the mortal body and reached the legendary Transcendence Stage. Zhu Xiaodu¡¯s vision gradually turned blurry while facing the two scarlet lights. Some pictures in his mind seemed to flow out involuntarily, and they were being looked through frame by frame, thoroughly. ¡°Northern Territory, Cangzhou.¡± The man spat out the location Zhu Xiaodu wanted to conceal in a low voice. After that, Zhu Xiaodu saw the shadows spreading from the sky with teeth and claws, sweeping towards the blue sky. Zhu Xiaodu collapsed to the ground. With a bang in his ear, the noise of the surrounding people all returned in an instant. And the black sword cultivator he had met, who was like a devil and a ghost, had vanished. As if he was never in front of him. ¡­ Xu Zice was running away. Once, the Ghost Sect disciples had pursued him from the Northern Territory to the Central Continent. He had a lot of experience in escaping. The cosmic spider puppet behind him extended countless limbs to chase him, causing rubble to fly in the corridor. This thing had been chasing him for more than half a month. In fact, he didn¡¯t know what was going on. Since he followed the Ghost Face Man into the Primordial Palace, he had tailed the other closely. In the long corridor underground, he was only slower than the other by half a step, but he lost his way after a corner turn. Ghost Face Man wasn¡¯t in front of him anymore. The hallway was gloomy and dark. He waited in place for eons, alone and holding the sizable sword. Not seeing the Ghost Faced Man coming back, he had to bite the bullet and continue to walk forward. After walking for a while, he grasped that something was off¡ªthe original corridor felt like it was going down, but he identified that right now, he was going up continuously. He set foot in a dark underground space and picked up a few treasures while he was on the way¡ª¡ªhe swore, he really didn¡¯t grab much. However, this caused the spider puppet guard to hunt him down. The corridor was narrow, and there was nowhere to hide. He could only continue to sprint forward. He had no knowledge of who had refined this underground palace nor what it was for. Nevertheless, the winding roads were endless. Xu Zice was worried that if he continued to be pursued like this, he would first die from exhausting his spiritual power. Finally, a bright light appeared in front of him. Xu Zice ran out and discovered that he was still inside the ruins that were from before entering the palace, and behind him was an open tomb. He raced out of the grave. Different from previously, large swaths of blood and corpses of the cultivators had been spilled within the ruins. There seemed to be a fierce battle here, and everything was just a great tragedy. Xu Zice blinked. Suddenly he noticed a cultivator who was still half-breathing not far away. Moving to his side with difficulty, he extended his hand towards him. ¡°Help, help me¡­¡± Xu Zice ran over, trying to pull this person up, only to find that half of his body was gone. The one who swallowed half of this cultivator¡¯s body was actually the cultivator¡¯s own shadow! Xu Zice felt his blood run cold. Along with the sound of gnawing, the cultivator on the ground showed a look of despair on his face. His hand slumped down. He kept muttering: ¡°It¡¯s a monster, a monster has come here¡­¡± The sound of spider puppets¡¯ movement stemmed from the tunnel exit behind him. Xu Zice had no time to think, so he could only fly away. Pulling out of this bloody battlefield, he dashed into the dense forest. He looked back and saw that the ancient palace towering high inside the ruins, where he and the Ghost Face Man entered from, had disappeared without a trace. Only an empty black hole remained now. There seemed to be a dark shadow standing next to the black hole, dancing in the wind. Xu Zice rubbed his eyes suspiciously. The shadow was absent when he looked once more. The orange-red sunset was sinking, cocooning everything in a bloody veil. ¡­ Drip, drip. Was it the sound of blood? Queying firmly nailed Chen Weiyuan to the wall. The long sword penetrated his heart, and blood dripped from the blade. The Ancient Gathering Astrolabe had fallen on the ground, and a deep crack had manifested on the front of the Astrolabe. Ye Yunlan¡¯s slender and pale hand was holding Queying. Cyan blood vessels slithered on his hand. It looked fragile, easily shatterable, but indestructible. The star robe on Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body was stained red with blood, and his pupils were a little dazed. He raised his eyes with difficulty and looked at Ye Yunlan. ¡°Yunlan, I didn¡¯t expect that you would actually draw a sword at me¡­¡± The sword intent of the Void Tracing Realm stirred in his body. Not only was his heart penetrated, but his entire body and soul were on the edge of collapse. Chen Weiyuan had simulated the power of a sword in the Void Tracing Realm countless times. However, Ye Yunlan made very few moves in his previous life, and most of the people who had seen him wield his sword had already reported to the King of H*ll. Thus, he could only deduce from limited clues. The Chen Clan¡¯s great formation was left in ancient times, and the original patriarch of the Chen Clan was also a figure who stepped in the Void Tracing Realm. The Ancient Gathering Astrolabe and formations he left behind were, logically speaking, able to withstand Ye Yunlan¡¯s hit. It¡¯s just only now did he know. There were unreasonable things in this world. Like Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t spare him half a glance. Exerting himself, he pulled Queying Sword from Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body and soul were on the verge of collapse. After he drew his sword out, he would be absolutely destroyed. ¡°¡­Hold on,¡± Chen Weiyuan whisper-shouted to him, ¡°Yunlan, don¡¯t you want to know who I made you completely forget when I used the Change Sentiment Curse?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I don¡¯t need to know.¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°The Change Sentiment Curse is incurable. Even if I die, you will never escape the bondage of this curse. Only by drinking the blood of the person you have forgotten can you be allowed real freedom.¡± Ye Yunlan remained indifferent. He had already used the forbidden technique, and he no longer wanted to live. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s words were like bull to him. Chen Weiyuan saw that he had a poker face, and his expression twisted slightly. ¡°Ling Er,¡± Chen Weiyuan said suddenly, ¡°The name of the person you loved back then is Ling Er.¡± ¡°Back then, I rescued you outside of Sky Sect and brought you back to the Chen Clan. I cared for you greatly, but although you were grateful to me, you still thought of her.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s lips curled up into a twisted smile, ¡°You loved her. Even in your dreams, you muttered her name. But now you have forgotten all about her, and you keep saying that you love another, willing to sacrifice yourself for him.¡± ¡°But Yunlan, even if you have forgotten, you can¡¯t deny that the person you love is her. Even if it¡¯s not me, it¡¯ll never be the Demon¨C¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s voice stopped abruptly. Ye Yunlan had already pulled out Queying Sword, splashing blood all over the wall. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s pupils dilated. The color inside slowly faded, utterly losing its vitality. A little dim remnant soul floated from his body. At this moment, a tiny light suddenly shined in the Ancient Gathering Astrolabe on the ground. Wrapping Chen Weiyuan¡¯s remnant soul, it sank into the walls of Time City and into the void. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t stop it and didn¡¯t intend to stop it. Outside the Time City was the Chaos Void. Anyone who had not stepped into the Void Tracing Realm would not be safe. Majority of the Ancient Gathering Astrolabe¡¯s energy was injected into Time City to make Time City work. The remaining small part was nearly all consumed when resisting his sword just now. Chen Weiyuan only had a little bit of a remnant soul left. Relying on the remaining energy of the Ancient Gathering Astrolabe and escaping into the void was something he was forced to do as a result of the circumstances. Ten out of ten people would die. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t look at Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body again. The sword in his hand dropped to his side, and blood kept falling from his lips. Drip. The blood descended to the ground like red plum blossoms. The hand that held the sword had completely lost all its rosy color, and his complexion was almost transparent. Even his waterfall of black hair began to fade from the end of the stands. Life was passing like sand between his fingers. The soul quickly withered and faded after burning to its maximal splendid moment. Ye Yunlan staggered back. Under the ancient tree, in front of the dark coffin. This was the burial site of the Divine Phoenix. His life originated from the Ye Clan, and the Ye Clan¡¯s blood was inherited from ancient times. After going round and round, he reunited with the origin of the bloodline. This location would also be suitable as his graveyard. He sat, leaning against the coffin, with the Queying Sword by his side. His long hair was scattered over his shoulders, and a few strands fell down. Hair like frost and snow. His life had come to an end. In his trance, it was like he spotted the Naihe Bridge. The flowers on the other shore were red and gorgeous. Someone was waiting there, reaching out to him. He closed his eyes. CH 111 Chapter 111 Beauty North Territories, Cangzhou City. A booming voice thundered in Qingyun Inn. A towering cultivator with a long sword and a black gauze hat walked in. The waiter greeted him with a smiling face, saying: ¡°Please come this way, guest.¡± The cultivator: ¡°Give me a place on the top floor by the window.¡± He took out a second-grade spirit stone and set it in the waiter¡¯s hand. The waiter¡¯s eyes lit up. He took the spirit stone and hurriedly led the person to the second floor. ¡°What kind of dishes does this guest want?¡± He asked diligently, ¡°The most recently imported top-notch crabs from the shore of Xishuang Lake made into drunken crabs is quite marvelous. There is also white pine pork meat. It replenishes the spirit qi, and the meat is tender. It also has the chance to increase cultivation¡­¡± The cultivator put his sword on the table and interrupted softly: ¡°You don¡¯t need to bring dishes, just a jar of Ziuliuxian is enough.¡± The waiter rubbed the spirit stone in his hand and replied sharply: ¡°Good!¡± An altar of Ziuliuxian was soon brought up. The cultivator poured out a bowl. He just put it on his lips and drank it, then he heard a scholar¡¯s voice from downstairs. The storyteller¡¯s voice was abundantly animated. ¡°Last time, I parted with ¡®the wind and rain changed in the past 30 years.¡¯ On the big stage, the rain and the wind (trials and hardships) will always blow the outstanding away. After the Soul-Eater Ancestor broke through the Mortal Realm, he thought he was on top of the world. When they were fighting in the extreme north desert, the Demon Lord sliced his head off with a sword. The corpse was hung in the Northern City tower and dried alive. As a result, the Soul Refining Sect, the number one sect of the Demon Sect in the past, was scattered. The Demon Lord even snatched the Shura Sword, the Demon Sect¡¯s treasure!¡± ¡°After this battle, the Demon Lord was born. He held the Shura Sword in his hand and unified the Demon Realm, spreading a supreme, fierce reputation. Since then, the Sky Sect Sect Master has gone into closed-door training for dozens of years. Tianji Pavilion also hid from the world. With the remaining list of the dao factions, no one could prop and support these warring times. Three decades passed, dao dissipated, and demons arose. In this world, is there anyone who can¡¯t stand as vanguard?¡± Speaking to this, the storyteller smacked the table. ¡°Therefore, this time, I will talk about the Yaori Crown Prince! Ten years ago, in the battle of the unification of the Western Continent, his Royal Highness¡¯s Demon Emperor Sword moved to restore justice and destroyed the Xingyue dynasty fortress formation and received great merit. He earned the Ancient Demon Emperor Sword¡¯s acceptance, was born with uncanny luck, and entered the Transcendence Realm before the Demon Lord¡¯s birth. If they brawled, it might be a draw.¡± ¡°Now to speak about the younger generation. It can be said that the stars are dazzling, and many people are about to break through the Six Realms of the Mortal Body. For example, Sky Sect¡¯s He Lanze of the Eastern Continent, Master Fawu of the Fusheng Temple of the Western Continent, Xu Qingyue of the Tanqing Sect of the Northern Territory, and the Senior Disciple of the Ink Sect Wang Daoyan of the Central Continent. Among the individual cultivators, there was the graceful, unrestrained Xu Zice¡­and since the Demon Lord had purged and unified the Demon Dao, anyone who rejected the ruler would be cut by the Shura Sword, making the rest tremble. There has been no new Demon Dao being born. In time, once the new generation of stars grows up, even if the Demon Lord becomes stronger, a pair of fists are no match for four hands in the end. How can he cope with all the heroes in the world? By then, our dao sect would have recovered to its brilliance of thirty years ago! ¡± ¡°Good!¡± ¡°Well put!¡± The inn people clapped their hands one after another. Suddenly, someone whispered: ¡°But I heard that the Demon Lord himself was also a disciple of the Sky Sect. His age is actually much younger than those of the aforementioned new generation of stars. However, his cultivation base reached a frightening realm thirty years ago. When the new generation of stars grows up, will he have already broken through to the Void Tracing Realm?¡± The needle dropped instantly in the inn. A Sky Sect disciple was passing by Cangzhou City in the inn. He immediately got up and said, fuming: ¡°Don¡¯t label the demon who deceived his master, destroyed his ancestors, and betrayed his sect as a disciple of my Sky Sect!¡± Another Sky Sect disciple next to him pulled his sleeves and gave him a look, but he was thrown aside angrily, ¡°That guy concealed his identity and asked to be Senior Brother Ye Yunlan¡¯s disciple but secretly practiced demonic skills. After being discovered by Senior Brother Ye, he threatened Senior Brother Ye not to tell the truth to the sect. He forced his master to leave. Senior Brother Ye was already severely injured, and his life span was short. No information about him has cropped out for 30 years. I am afraid that he is already dead. Shen Shu, that beast, forced his master to death!¡± ¡°Senior Brother, although there has been no news of Senior Brother Ye, you can¡¯t make false claims about his life and death¡­¡± a Junior Brother persuaded him. The Senior Brother was overflowing with outrage. When he heard this, tears swiftly streamed down his face. ¡°I was rescued by Senior Brother Ye in the divine fire of the secret realm. How severe was Senior Brother Ye¡¯s injury, I know it very clearly. Even with the help of Sect Master, his injuries could not be eradicated. How can Senior Brother Ye be alone all these years and get better? I only hate the fact that I didn¡¯t see through that beast¡¯s true face in the first place so that Senior Brother Ye wouldn¡¯t have to suffer¡­¡± He said this while crying, then he had to sit down in embarrassment and take a few sips of the wine jar next to him. After a brief silence, voices busied the inn again. Someone opened their mouth: ¡°Speaking of Ye Yunlan, for the Tianji Ranking, it still seems to be him.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s already been thirty years, but it has never changed. Rumor has it that both the previous and current Tianji Pavillion Master has feelings for him. Now that there is no news of Ye Yunlan; his life and death unknown, they aren¡¯t willing to let it go.¡± ¡°I also heard that this Pavilion Master Ren Tianji is a painter. He once illustrated a portrait of Ye Yunlan. It was breathtaking, and it spanned several years. It is unforgettable even among dreams.¡± But some person was dissatisfied: ¡°No matter how heavenly he was, isn¡¯t he just a dead person now? A dead person on the Tianji Rankings, then what about the living? After thirty years, there have been numerous changes. How many people have actually seen the legendary face of this celestial being? They¡¯re just rumors circulating in the streets. Legends are always spreading to become more and more mysterious. The fragrance across the bank is the world¡¯s imagination. I have seen the ranking of Immortal Xu, who is second on the list. His face, voice, and appearance are unforgettable. Moreover, he has superb swordsmanship. He is truly a heavenly person. Who can surpass him? Isn¡¯t he more amazing than that sick person? You should also know that the variance between mortals and cultivators lies in the body¡¯s flawlessness: uncontaminated and a long lifespan. Even if Ye Yunlan was still alive, he would have become a hideous withered flower yesterday. As far as I can see, this Tianji List should have been changed long ago!¡± The Senior Brother, who had his head down and was downing alcohol, suddenly heard these words and slapped the table angrily: ¡°You haven¡¯t seen Senior Brother Ye. How can you utter such nonsense?¡± The person who had just spoken didn¡¯t fear him, saying: ¡°I¡¯m just telling the truth. Those who have the ability should occupy the Tianji List. How can a dead person with an unseen face be kept on the list for this many years? Immortal Lord Xu is a great man and this year¡¯s younger generation of stars. How can he not secure first place?¡± The storyteller stood in place, helpless after seeing the two kick off a fuss. Obviously, he had deliberately avoided the topic of the Tianji List. Ergo, why was it still being dragged out here, brewing up a quarrel? That Sky Sect Brother had unsheathed his sword. The other person could not show weakness and took out a medicine cauldron floating in front of him. Just as it was about to happen, two wooden chopsticks were shot from upstairs like sharp arrows! The two took a step back vigilantly. The wooden chopsticks plunged straight into the ground between the two, entrenched. ¡°Junior Brother Qi, enough.¡± The cultivator sporting a black gauze hat floated down from the top floor. The long sword on his back was still unsheathed, but he was overflowing with sword qi. The young man called Junior Brother Qi held his medicine cauldron. He then inquired in a frightened and angered manner: ¡°Who are you?¡± The cultivator raised his hat off his head, revealing his face and making everyone in the inn slow down. Junior Brother Qi¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, ¡°Senior Brother Xu!?¡± Xu Qingyue nodded slightly, then said softly: ¡°Go and apologize to the Sky Sect Daoist.¡± Junior Brother Qi was unwilling. ¡°For what? Senior Brother is exceptional in appearance with excellent swordsmanship. He¡¯s better than that sick, tuberculosis-having, dead person from Sky Sect. I only gave the truth. Why should I apologize to him?¡± Xu Qingyue¡¯s complexion sank slightly. ¡°You know that the sick, tuberculosis-having, and the dead person you mentioned to me, is partly a teacher I owe grace to. My swordsmanship reaching the present state was all thanks to Daoist Ye¡¯s pointers. Daoist Ye¡¯s superb swordsmanship, I probably will never attain it in this life.¡± Junior Brother Qi was flushed. ¡°As for appearance¡­¡± Xu Qingyue paused, ¡°If you saw that person, you would not say such a thing. I¡¯m not comparable to Daoist Ye in terms of looks. The heavenly moon is dazzling. Where can you find another moon? It¡¯s just that the full moon is exhausted, and the return date is still undetermined¡­¡± He was silent momentarily, then said a shocking sentence. ¡°I¡¯ve admired Daoist Ye for a long time.¡± Junior Brother Qi was unreconciled and averse to believing it. Xu Qingyue had already passed him, slid out a spirit stone, placed it in front of the shopkeeper counter, and exited the inn. The sun was shining outside. Xu Qingyue closed his eyes and intended to don a new hat when he heard a hoarse murmur close by. ¡°¡­Qingyue?¡± That voice was awfully alien. Xu Qingyue frowned. He turned to check it out and saw a ragged beggar sitting in an alley near Qingyun Inn with a broken bowl in front of him. The beggar only retained the upper part of his body while his lower limbs had been severed. His face was messy and bearded, and his eyes were turbid and glazed. A damaged bowl was in front of him, but it held no money. The qi was very unfamiliar. However, Xu Qingyue¡¯s cultivation had reached Immortalization, and his five senses were unbelievably keen. There was no likelihood for him to have misheard the other party¡¯s prior call. He could conceivably be an acquaintance who had bumped into him someplace before, he thought. A plethora of troubles followed the addition of his name on the Tianji List of Heavenly Secrets. He routinely had to obscure his face with a hat. Xu Qingyue had always paid minimal attention to these people, but this beggar looked particularly miserable. After thinking about it, he took out a spiritual stone from his arms, walked forward, and threw it into the broken bowl in front of the other. A hawker nearby saw this and interrupted and persuaded: ¡°Immortal, why are you giving this fool a spirit stone? This fool can¡¯t use it even if it was given to him. It¡¯s basically a waste of resources. Besides, he doesn¡¯t need to eat and won¡¯t perish out of starvation. He has no need for Immortal¡¯s sympathy. ¡± Xu Qingyue was a little unsettled: ¡°Is he a fool?¡± The vendor said: ¡°Yeah, he has been a fool for several years, and even calling him will not produce a response. Street rascals had beaten him, and he didn¡¯t defend himself in the slightest. He just stays there in this position. One person kindly transported him to a ruined temple, but it wasn¡¯t long before he crawled back to his initial place. As time passed, people stopped caring about him.¡± Xu Qingyue felt even more weirded out. Not to mention, food wasn¡¯t a necessity for this person; he wouldn¡¯t starve. It¡¯s strange that he knew his name and called him in this familiar tone. He scrutinized the beggar. His face was sullied, his facial features were unsightly, and his legs were hacked off at the waist. The surviving half of his body was not of someone he could identify. He went mute for a time, then opened his mouth: ¡°Do you know me?¡± The beggar¡¯s eyes were unfocused, and he appeared silly and doltish. After hearing this, an inkling of coherence surfaced in his eyes. He stretched out his hand fretfully, his fingers inscribing a star symbol in the ground¡¯s black mud. He said in a rough voice: ¡°¡­ Qingyue, it¡¯s me.¡± CH 112 Chapter 112 Nirvana The Demon Realm¡¯s sky was as somber as ever. Black clouds eclipsed the moon, and rows of red lanterns hung high in Jialan City. The dark and hazy lights reflected onto the demonic cultivators on the street like world-wandering ghosts. ¡°Hurry up.¡± Behind an isolated pavilion, in the shadows of the corner, a demonic cultivator was impatiently urging. The plump hand accessorized by a jasper thumb ring yanked the hair of the person underneath tightly. The person below whimpered in pain. The scarlet lantern lighted their sides, dragging out long silhouettes. The suave singing of songstresses sounded from the pavilion. ¡°Since spring, the red flowers and green leaves bring sorrow. The young woman¡¯s heart cares for none. The sun reached the top of the flora. Orioles¡¯ cries travel in the willow. She still lies under the quilt, soft skin fading and hair hanging low in disorder. All day, she loathes grooming and dressing up, helpless. After the hateful, frivolous love left, not even a letter was sent¡­¡± [Note] The demonic cultivator exhaled. The man underneath looked up, exposing a bizarre face. It¡¯s odd because half of his face was stunning, while the other was scarred and ugly. ¡°Elder Cen,¡± tears were taking up his face, and his voice was marginally hoarse, ¡°Can I go back?¡± The chubby demonic cultivator surnamed Cen reached out his hand and petted his head as he would with a dog, ¡°The night is still long. What¡¯s the hurry?¡± The kneeling person whitened and pleaded: ¡°I just came down with a high fever two days ago, so I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t endure it tonight and faint. I¡¯ll spoil Elder¡¯s spirits.¡± The demonic cultivator laughed and said: ¡°You had a high fever two nights ago? Perfect, I can see if you are any different today. Besides, this Elder has plenty of methods to sober you up. Get up and come back with Elder.¡± The person underneath knelt before the demonic cultivator, clutching the demonic cultivator¡¯s legs. The demonic cultivator¡¯s expression iced over. He abruptly stomped on his head, ¡°Don¡¯t forget where we are; this is the Extreme Desire Demon Sect. Do you have the right to say ¡®no¡¯?¡± He squatted down his large body, seized his hair, and jerked his head up, ¡°Master Rong, you were previously a beauty on the Tianji List. I went to Sky Sect to express my favor to you, but you didn¡¯t even want to glance my way because of my unattractiveness. I couldn¡¯t even get on the stage. You tricked me into going astray and sinking into the demonic dao. Have you ever thought there would be a day like today?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you take pride in your looks? Now, even a dog would dislike your current appearance. If it weren¡¯t for me taking you out of the Zuihuan Building and giving you some face for our past, with your dantian damaged and your ruined body, how could you still be alive?¡± The person underneath burst into tears. The demonic cultivator suddenly slapped his face. ¡°Cry, why are you crying? Smile for this Lord. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be stripped naked and thrown into the streets. The Demon Realm has been peaceful lately. Numerous demonic cultivators should be missing out on some fun, and a myriad will show you a good time.¡± After he heard this, the body below trembled. He tried to stop his tears and smiled flatteringly at the demonic cultivator, ¡°I was wrong. I will listen to Elder. Please don¡¯t abandon me.¡± The demonic cultivator patted his cheek, ¡°Remember what you said. No matter what is used tonight, don¡¯t beg for mercy.¡± Then, his stout hand dredged him up, and he hugged the half-disfigured beauty beneath. Rong Ran nodded and leaned obediently on his shoulder. When the demonic cultivator couldn¡¯t see him, his smile died off promptly. His eyes turned hollow and cold. Since his danitan was abolished and he got expelled from the sect 30 years ago, all his fame, achievements, and even his appearance and cultivation left him. Now, his life¡¯s hardships had unfolded. Immediately after his expulsion from the sect, his father¡¯s secret guard rescued him and placed him in a dilapidated hut on the outskirts, where medicinal pills saved his life. The secret guard promised him that his father would come to mend his injuries soon, but he waited for three days, only to receive the news of his father¡¯s death. He cultivated in Sky Sect for decades and befriended many. Regardless, none of his friends lent a hand after the disaster transpired. Even the secret guard loyal to his father went missing after Rong Qingjue perished. He lingered in the hut, but he did not expect the arrival of three desolate beggars on a night of thunder and rain. Furthermore, those filthy, dirty, and ugly people dared to do that kind of thing to him¡ªand that was just the beginning. After those few people had played enough, they sold him to a human trafficker for money. The trafficker knew him and knew that he was a disciple of a daoist school. He sold him to the Demon Realm at a high price with this label. The demonic cultivator took him all the way to the Demon Realm. After getting tired of him, he sold him into the Zuihuan Building. He had been in Zuihuan Tower for half a year with only half his life to go. After that, he met Cen Fangzhi, who had formerly pursued him. But now, he had spiraled into the demonic dao and could be considered to have earned some achievements. Although he still didn¡¯t deem Cen Fangzhi as eye candy, he granted him a tiny chance of survival. He couldn¡¯t leave this pillar of support. ¡­He couldn¡¯t die yet. He still had grudges to avenge. He still had people he wanted to see and missed. Rong Ran leaned on the shoulders of the bloated Elder Cen. His hollow eyes looked into the distance, evoking a little smile of nothingness. A distant, mountainous building stood under the dusky sky. That was the Demon Palace. The people of the Demon Realm spent ten years building the palace for their Lord. ¡­ Demon Palace. ¡°Chu Lan, after you see the Lord, you must be cautious of your words and deeds. You must not look and pry into the face of the Lord without permission.¡± Elder Xue warned. In front of him stood a boy in white. The boy was beautiful. He looked only seventeen or eighteen years old. A white outfit cloaked his thin body, showing a somewhat fragile posture for no apparent reason. His lips were light-colored but shiny and very attractive. His long, narrow black eyes held some panic, but his face was indifferent. The boy was holding a guqin in his hands. ¡°Your waist should be straighter.¡± Elder Xue said, ¡°Remember not to smile at will. Legend says that that person¡¯s disposition is indifferent and worldly. If you can learn to be like them a little bit, you¡¯ll have more chances to preserve your life.¡± Next to him, Elder Li said, ¡°How can they be identical? The one in the legend has a heavenly appearance and peerless charm. You just found someone with no relation to him from a commonplace. If he is sent to the Lord, aren¡¯t you afraid of the anger that the Lord might rage when it¡¯s time? That you might burn yourself?¡± Elder Xue: ¡°What do you know? Chu Lan is also the number one beauty of Wan Li and is pleasing to the eye. Moreover, he is sent to the Lord to relieve his boredom this time. As long as Chu Lan is capable, how can he set off Lord¡¯s temper?¡± He glanced at the boy¡¯s uneasy face and covertly transmitted to Elder Li: ¡°Recently, the Lord has a fluctuating temperament. He slaughtered several Demon Sects, and the next one is us two¡¯s sect. His attitude toward that person is not clear yet. Let us send a fake up. If he wins the Lord¡¯s favor, it¡¯s a good thing. If not, we can give a thing for the Lord to vent his recent anger on.¡± Elder Li did not answer. There was a hint of pity in his eyes for the boy. Elder Xue waved his hand forward, ¡°Go, go. Don¡¯t miss the hour.¡± The boy held the guqin, strode nervously, and walked into the dark and deep Demon Palace. The full moon above his head was titanic, and the cold moonlight fell on him, making him shiver. The door of the Great Hall of the Demon Palace was open. The quiet, chill wind blew past, and a row of bamboo planted beside the palace rustled. Chu Lan hesitated for a while but walked in. The hall was dim, and a dark figure was seemingly seated on a high seat. Chu Lan didn¡¯t dare to look up. He knelt down, put the guqin in front of him, and whispered: ¡°Chu Lan was ordered to play the qin for the lord.¡± The person in the seat did not respond. Chu Lan only felt his back shudder. It felt as though some terrible beast was staring him down. He bit his lip and could only brace himself and start stroking the qin. He had been practicing the qin for more than ten years, and even his qin teacher praised him for his excellent skills. He was confident that he wouldn¡¯t make a mistake while playing. The sound of the strings chimed, and the sound of the qin trickled in the cold hall, bringing a soft and soothing qi. Chu Lan closed his eyes and skillfully played the qin. There was no error. He just smiled slightly, and suddenly, something cold seemed to entangle his neck. He was forced to raise his head in horror, and the string in his hand made a deafening sound. It was forcibly broken in his hands. He saw a life-long unforgettable horror. Countless slanting shadows encased the entire hall. A long, inhuman-like, and narrow shadow was at the very middle in the highest seat. It had only two scarlet lights akin to lanterns and was watching him. Evil. Fierce. Indescribable. And the thing presently strangling his neck was actually his own shadow. ¡°Who let you in?¡± It was a dark, hoarse voice. Chu Lan was suffocated and could not breathe. He was shaking all over, only desiring retreat. But he was immobile. There was nowhere to escape. The monster on that seat stared at him, and frantic shadows filled the entire palace. He seemed to fall into a grotesque and absurd horror dream. Only the feeling of suffocation and dying was factual. He sensed the shadows peeling off the white clothes on his body, and the pale fragments were floating in the air like white silk. He felt cold. When the things he had never thought of before were about to come, he did not have the joy of receiving any grace. There was only endless icy fear. He closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt his body lighten, then he was thrown out of the hall and fell on the bluestone floor outside. His four limbs and hundreds of bones were shattered. He spat out a mouthful of blood. *Note: he was not touched; he thought he was going to be ¡°Get lost.¡± The hoarse voice revealed a murderous intent. ¡°Don¡¯t wear white clothes to flash this Lord.¡± The broken guqin was also thrown out. Chu Lan sat on the ground, trembling, and found that the main hall door had been closed tightly. He picked up the remains of the guqin, staggered, and ran out of the Demon Palace. He didn¡¯t dare to look back. In the hall, the darkness and silence had been restored now. The black shadow sat on a high seat. The blood-red light in his eyes flowed like splashes of blood. The pale moonlight shone in, and a deep roar was in his throat. His thin, sharp black knuckles were bent, covering his face. The shadows twisted frantically. In a terrifying space comparable to h*ll, the moon outside the window was progressively setting towards the West Mountain, and the morning sun slowly climbed up. The morning light spilled into the hall. The shadows slowly faded, retracting to a corner of the wall. On the high seat, a figure of a man was slowly revealed. The raven black hair fell down his embroidered blood patterned black robe. The hands on the armrests were pale and slender. He had a scarlet sword beside him. Cold blood radiated from the sword. The man was handsome. It¡¯s just that there was an intense hostility between his eyebrows, which would make people ignore his appearance. They would only instinctively feel fear. He shut his eyes. There was still residual fatigue in his expression. ¡°Thirty years¡­¡± He whispered slowly and hoarsely. The Shura Sword next to him vibrated, hushed. It was quiet for a long time. The man slowly opened his eyes. The blood-red eyes seemed to be a first-class glaze, turning into an icy indifferent light. If one looked carefully, a black fire would seem to burn deep within his eyes. There was a hidden madness that seemed to be able to swallow everything. He rose from the high seat. He held the Shura Sword, and the sword tip hung down. The dark gown, elongated shadow, and gloomy and still palace exuded sinister energy. He raised his sword and waved his hand in the void before him. There were ripples in the space in front of him, and a dark crack materialized there. Behind, there was a puffy shadow fanning out. He was expressionless, and he stepped into the crack. ¡­ Time City. This space was illuminated by only a few night pearls on the dome. Black towers with sharp points stood everywhere in the city, while ancient altars of varying shapes were scattered. A charred, archaic tree was in the center of the ancient city, and a coffin rested in front of the olden tree. A skeleton lay in the coffin, secreting golden red light. Someone leaned in front of the coffin. His long white hair was spread out, his pale face was almost transparent, and his thin lips were stained with blood. His eyes closed tightly, and his chest no longer heaved. All signs of life vanished. A crimson light slowly oozed into him from the coffin during the silence. Time flew. The golden red light on the bones thinned more and more. Until the last trace was gone. The skeleton in the coffin, unchanged for thousands of years, suddenly became embers and dissipated. ¡­ Pain. It hurt. When he woke up from the silence of darkness, he first identified the agony that seemed to come out of his limbs. It was as if every inch of flesh and blood had been torn out. Every inch of meridians was squeezed and ruptured, while every bone was torn out and broken. It was the divine fire colliding. There was also a kind of energy more powerful than the fire coursing internally. He seemed to be crushed into a mass of flesh, then forcibly glued together by that force, creating a new life. Creak. Creak. It was the sound of regeneration after a limb broke. More energy rushed into the divine soul on the edge of collapse¡ªa result of the forbidden technique¡¯s usage. It made the body of his soul gradually solidify. He didn¡¯t know how long it took, but the torment finally subsided. He laid on the ground like a newly born chick just out of its shell, with his feathers wet and curled up in a slimy ball. There was a pool of dark red blood beneath him, and the spread of white hair was winding and sticking to his sweaty cheeks. He struggled to open his eyes. His eyes were sort of lax from the ache, but their colors were as golden as the burning sun. He thought of getting up, but his arms were feeble. He couldn¡¯t even budge. Resuscitation of blood vessels. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t expect that he would get his life back because of this. The power condensed on the corpse of the Divine Phoenix slid into his body, resuscitating the blood of the Divine Phoenix inside. After death, it relied on this power to regenerate and reach nirvana. Most of the bloodline power in his body was used to repair the soul that was about to dissipate to save his life, but this regenerative power was what really assisted in conserving his existence. His nirvana was incomplete. This was him at his weakest. He closed his eyes. One day in Time City was a year for the outside world. He was in a coma. He had no idea how many years had ticked by in the outside world. And Shen Shu¡­he wondered how he was now. Just as he was thinking this, there was a sudden shock and noise outside Time City. ¡ª¡ªIt¡¯s equivalent to the sound of a sword chopping something. Was someone out there? The entire Time City had escaped into the void, and those who had not stepped into the Void Tracing Realm couldn¡¯t enter. Otherwise, it would cost them their lives. Perhaps, after he was unconscious for around a year, a strong cultivator in the Void Tracing Realm was born in the outside world? He opened his eyes to see. Because of the resuscitation of his blood vessels, his eyesight was hundreds of times clearer than before. Hence, he could witness a crack slowly forming on a side wall of Time City. The crack expanded with the vibration of Time City until it burst open with a crash. The turbulent flow of the void was outside Time City. It was chaotic and perilous. And at this moment, there was a demon standing in the chaotic void and turbulent flow. Countless gigantic and terrifying shadows unfurled behind the demon. His scarlet eyes and the blood-colored long sword in hand were particularly prominent among the black shadows dancing around. It was like ghosts and gods had descended on the world. In the next instant, the demon teleported to him. His long inky hair fell down and intertwined with the other¡¯s pale hair soaking in a pool of blood. The demon¡¯s hand gently strangled his throat, his crimson pupils approached, and he laughed hoarsely. ¡°Master, I caught you.¡± The author has something to say: [Note]: The words and phrases in the text are from Liu Yong¡¯s ¡°Ding Fengbo.¡± CH 113 Chapter 113 Human Furnace Ye Yunlan¡¯s neck was grabbed, and his head was forcibly lifted from the puddle of blood. His golden eyes reflected a dark color. His pupils contracted slightly. The man holding his neck looked both familiar and foreign. His facial features were as striking as his youth¡¯s but much further defined. However, a hostile aura was in his features. His eyes were blood-red, the spitting image of lights and the wickedest evil ghosts from the pits of h*ll, coming to the world to demand human lives. His long ebony hair fell down, and the shadows flew behind, smothering the light cast by the night pearl on the crown of the dome. He fully embodied the image of a monster. ¡°Shen¡­ Shu?¡± Ye Yunlan struggled to squeeze the words from his throat. The other party¡¯s force that clasped his neck was originally gentle, but at this moment, the slender and pale fingers tightened somewhat uncontrollably. ¡°What? Was Master surprised when he saw me?¡± he asked hoarsely. Ye Yunlan found it somewhat difficult to breathe. A little redness surfaced on his face. He was completely soaked in blood in his black clothes with white hair sticking to his cheeks. He looked fragile and was in a sorry state. His newborn body was significantly weak, and even speaking was laborious. ¡°How did you become¡­ what are you now?¡± The man acted as if he had heard something funny. Then he leaned down, and his blood-red eyes pressed against his face, terribly close. ¡°What do you mean, Master?¡± The man¡¯s hot breath sprayed on his cheeks, and his thick, pitch-black eyelashes felt as though they were going to pierce his eye sockets. ¡°You¡¯ve left me for more than 30 years. Is what I¡¯ve become still worthy of your concern?¡± Ye Yunlan was in a daze. Thirty years. He had been in a coma in Time City for more than a month¡­ right. The time Shen Shu celebrated his birthday and when he bid farewell to the mountain seemed like it was still yesterday. In a blink of an eye, everything had changed. Perhaps Ye Yunlan was silent for too long, making the man a bit impatient. He rested his thumb on Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips, pressed it down, and rolled it around. He gazed at the bloodshot, pale, and thin lips, then slowly said: ¡°Master is still like this. If you don¡¯t want to speak about a matter, you won¡¯t speak. If you don¡¯t want to answer the question, you won¡¯t answer. After making a decision, no one can stop you. Even when you wanted to leave, you told no one.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned because of his playful movements. He wanted to turn his head to avoid it, but his chin was firmly clamped. ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to find Master for more than 30 years,¡± he said calmly. ¡°You said in your letter that you wanted me to travel all over the world. I traveled everywhere, but I still couldn¡¯t find you.¡± Ye Yunlan was slightly surprised. ¡°I desperately wanted to get Master back alive during the first few years. Later, as the years gradually passed, I thought it would be enough if Master¡¯s body could be salvaged.¡± At this point, Shen Shu smiled. ¡°I learned a lot of secret techniques. I can make the dead appear alive, possess the living¡¯s heartbeat and body temperature, and even be manipulated to eat, drink, and walk. They would act as if they were alive. But the real resurrection spell for the deceased remains undiscovered yet. I¡¯ve always been a little regretful about this.¡± The pressing on Ye Yunlan¡¯s thin lips paused, and he said in a low voice: ¡°But, now I¡¯m not.¡± Suddenly, Ye Yunlan felt a terrifying danger hit his back. In the next moment, Shen Shu kissed him. This man¡¯s kiss wasn¡¯t as dull as his voice. It was extraordinarily compelling and frightfully harsh. The man¡¯s palm supported the back of his head, and the other¡¯s fingers were inserted into his blood-soaked white hair. The other repeatedly bit his lips, and the tang of blood accompanied the tingling feeling. Saliva flowed down the corners of his lips, and Ye Yunlan virtually couldn¡¯t breathe. Tears glistened from the ends of his eyes. When he was finally let go, Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t say anything anymore. He could only pant. His lips were bright red like crushed peach blossoms moisturized with water. The glittering teardrops slid down the mole on the tail of his eye, and Shen Shu¡¯s thumb slowly wiped them off. Shen Shu looked down at him. ¡® ¡°Master isn¡¯t dead. I¡¯m ecstatic.¡± He said, ¡°After this, you will not be allowed to leave.¡± He picked up the other party from the pool of blood. It was still arduous to move his ailing body. The winding white hair scattered in the other¡¯s arms. The man lowered his head, kissed him on the cheek, then walked into the crack. Ye Yunlan reached out with difficulty and grabbed Shen Shu¡¯s shirt. ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Shen Shu lowered his eyes and asked: ¡°En?¡± ¡°When Master said goodbye that time, it wasn¡¯t¡­¡± to leave you deliberately. However, he could not finish speaking. The divine fire, without the suppression seal, collided in his body. His body was powerless and unsteady, and it was impossible to suppress. The divine phoenix bloodline prevented the fire from killing him, but it wasn¡¯t comfortable. Qi and blood surged, and pain presided everywhere in his meridians. He coughed, and the golden-red blood slid from the corners of his lips, falling to the ground and sizzling. The palms covering his back administered spiritual power into his feeble limbs. ¡°Does it still hurt?¡± Shen Shu asked softly. His palm was overly warm, and the arms that held him were strong. However, his face was blank, and the bloody eyes resembling glass were hollow and indifferent. Ye Yunlan slowly came to. He lifted his eyelashes, and the other person¡¯s face was reflected in his golden eyes. He suddenly didn¡¯t know how to deal with this man in front of him, whose temperament had become dreadfully peculiar. After a prolonged silence, he whispered hoarsely: ¡°Thank you very much.¡± ¡°Why is Master so polite?¡± Shen Shu smiled. His hair resembled thick ink. The heavy hostility embedded in his features and the faintly hooked, thin lips wouldn¡¯t lead to one believing he was being cheerful. Only inexplicable chill and fear would generate from the bottom of their heart. ¡°Master saved my life. During this lifetime, I will never thoroughly reciprocate the kindness Master has given me.¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t comment. ¡°Master¡¯s body is too weak. It won¡¯t be good to drag on like this.¡± He stared at Ye Yunlan for an extensive duration, then whispered softly. A gloomy shadow peeked out behind him and tenderly brushed away the white hair strewn across Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks. A hint of brilliance was in his bloody eyes. They were gentle but also pampering. The awaiting of minor cruelty came with it. He said: ¡°So, I¡¯ll be Master¡¯s human furnace and help supplement Master¡¯s body when we return, okay?¡± CH 114 Chapter 114 Fork in a Road (Wrong Road) Shen Shu¡¯s tone was solemn. It wasn¡¯t a joke. Ye Yunlan felt absurd. After 30+ years, his disciple had not only plunged into the demonic ways but also wanted to recommend himself as his human furnace. How could that be proper? Even if the Demon Lord in his previous life had healed him and had done something similar to him, but¡­now Shen Shu was his disciple. He had taken care of his grown-up disciple since childhood. A thin blush rose on Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks. Its cause was indefinite: anger or Shen Shu¡¯s outlandish words. The hand gripping Shen Shu¡¯s lapels tightened. He said hoarsely: ¡°This matter cannot¡­ For Master¡¯s body, Master will act with propriety.¡± ¡°Master always said that he would act with propriety.¡± Shen Shu said, ¡°Master is clearly so weak that I can strangle Master to death with a squeeze. Why show off?¡± Ye Yunlan remembered the scene that had just happened: Shen Shu teleported to him just before they met, then stretched his hand out to choke his neck. At this moment, he peered into Shen Shu¡¯s chilly red eyes. He suddenly couldn¡¯t tell whether Shen Shu had any intention of killing him at the moment and if he wanted to actually strangle him when he saw him. Shen Shu looked around and chuckled softly. ¡°The Primordial Immortal Boat of the Ye Clan. After so many years, it can still be activated. The Primordial Divine Phoenix¡¯s methods are indeed powerful. If it were not from a different age, I would want to fight against it.¡± He changed his words. ¡°If I hadn¡¯t used the method of blood sacrifice to forcefully deduce that Master¡¯s body was in the void and tried to enter the void to see Master, would Master have to stay in this Immortal Boat for three or five years until everything came to an end? We would then never see each other again in this life?¡± He narrowed his smile and looked down at Ye Yunlan. His eyes were somewhat cold and hollow. ¡°After all, I fell in love with Master against Master¡¯s will. I also don¡¯t know how to act in propriety, not restraining myself at all. Yet, Master remembered Disciple and was willing to leave me a letter to stop my wishful thinking. It was your meticulous virtue and attention to duty, wasn¡¯t it?¡± Ye Yunlan wanted to say no. But there was a shadow gently wrapped around his neck. Another sealed his lips, not giving him a chance to speak. ¡°For the time being, I will have to wrong Master.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s voice returned to its original softness. ¡°The void is dangerous. If Master speaks again, I¡¯m afraid I won¡¯t be able to control myself. Then, you and I will be in danger.¡± The shadow behind him suddenly dispersed like a pair of expansive crow-colored wings. It spread out, screening the sky and occupying the entire space. ¡°Many things have occurred over the past 30 years. When we return, I¡¯ll slowly tell Master everything.¡± He hugged Ye Yunlan and walked into the crack. The shadow sealed Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips, and Shen Shu¡¯s arms confined him. The white hair hanging on Shen Shu¡¯s arms kept dangling as he walked. His eyelashes were trembling as if he wanted to struggle to stop it, but it was difficult to move. His golden pupils contracted and enlarged. Shen Shu stepped into the turbulent flow of the void. Chaos shrouded everything in the dim and hazy void. It was toilsome to distinguish east and west, north and south. The dark turbulence raged like frightening lightning. It was problematic to avoid. Shen Shu hugged Ye Yunlan and swept across it. The space turbulence split his body apart, then he regrouped in the floating shadows. As time passed, he couldn¡¯t maintain his human form and presented a chaotic and hideous appearance. The dark blood flowed to the pale palm, where he finally maintained a human shape. The massive crow feathers behind him hugged Ye Yunlan. He covered Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyelashes with his palms and said hoarsely. ¡°Don¡¯t look. You will be back in our world soon.¡± The palms were blindfolding his eyes, so Ye Yunlan could no longer see the appearance in front of him. He only heard wind rushing, limbs splitting, and blood splashing. Only he was well guarded. Not knowing what he encountered, Shen Shu let out a hoarse, unhuman-like muffled sound. The steady flight suddenly became weightless, and the other party¡¯s arms hugged him tightly as if they were crossing a boundary. The two rolled and fell to the ground. Bright warm sunlight shone in through the gaps of the shadows. Shen Shu was silent for a long time. A soft shadow enveloped Ye Yunlan, and he suddenly realized something. Only Void Tracing cultivators could enter the void. In just thirty years, advancing to the Transcendence Realm with Shen Shu¡¯s aptitude would be phenomenal, let alone the Void Tracing Realm. Since ancient times, due to the shackles of the world itself, only a handful of cultivators have entered the Void Tracing Realm. Only amid the Great Tribulation, when the rules were haywire, did cultivators have the possibility of being promoted and even immortalizing. Now it was more than a hundred years before the genuine catastrophe began. Shen Shu¡¯s realm should not have entered Void Tracing. Then, he must¡¯ve employed other methods if he could set foot in the void. Costly methods. Moreover, he could unearth a lone boat in the boundless void. Shen Shu must¡¯ve ventured into the void perhaps more than once. Why? he thought. When he left the letter, he had never thought that Shen Shu would be so obsessed with him. He wanted Shen Shu to travel all over the five continents and four seas, see more scenery, meet different people, and not plummet into the demonic way again. He didn¡¯t want him to become an enemy of the world and depart because of the heavens, repeating his previous life. Instead, Shen Shu had been driven astray and ushered to the demonic path. ¡­Was it his fault? The shadow encircling him slowly disbanded. He stared at the sky and realized that they were in an area of ??twilight. The orange-red sunset irradiated down, shedding a curtain of blood. Wreckage and misery pervaded the ancient ruins. Primordial God Ruins. Shen Shu had infused spiritual power into his body, and he scarcely redeemed minimal mobility. He sat up to survey Shen Shu¡¯s condition. Shen Shu¡¯s semblance could no longer be classified as humankind. He was like liquefying black lava, tumbling and boiling. His face submerged into the shadows, and his limbs were long and twisted. The broad black wings were only fragments, winding and twisting on the ground. This was what the Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body looked like out of control. Rational told Ye Yunlan that he should flee now. The farther away, the better. However, he just supported his incapacitated limbs and inched closer. The long silver eyelashes drooped down. The demon¡¯s figure filled the golden eyes. He touched his disciple¡¯s hand. ¡°¡­Shen Shu.¡± The surging black lava steadily stilled, and the pitch-black curved knuckles tightly clasped five of Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingers. He turned his head, and the two scarlet flames blazing in the shadow gazed over. ¡°Master, are you not afraid of me?¡± he asked softly. CH 115 Chapter 115 Prison The sunset resembled blood. With Shen Shu¡¯s current treacherous form, it was straining to discern his expression. He firmly clasped Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand, and the cold touch spread from his fingertips to his heart, causing panic and discomfort. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t immediately break away from his hand. He was silent for a while, then said: ¡°Nine Turn Celestial Demon Body is not a cultivation method recognized by this world. The deeper you practice, the easier it is to encounter accidents. You shouldn¡¯t practice this method. I told you this a long time ago.¡± Shen Shu stared at him with scarlet eyes. He seemed to want to pry out some fear from his expression, but it was futile. After a long time, he said hoarsely: ¡°Master is only talking about this now? It is too late.¡± ¡°It took me more than 20 years to cultivate the Nine Turn Celestial Demon Body to Immortalization. Then, I spent more than 10 years walking in the void, traversing it. Every time I stepped into the void, the Demon Body would be destroyed and go out of control. Now, I am used to it.¡± The broken shadows slowly surged on the ground, then reunited. The drifting filthy and dark qi charged toward him and gathered into a demon body. He gradually recovered his human form. His handsome facial features were pale and gloomy, and the hand holding Ye Yunlan¡¯s five fingers also changed back to a slender appearance. He said softly: ¡°It has been more than 30 years since you left.¡± Ye Yunlan quieted for a time. Shen Shu used his hand to draw him back into his embrace, put his arms around Ye Yunlan¡¯s knees and waist, and carried him up. Ye Yunlan frowned, and his fingertips curled up. In the end, he didn¡¯t struggle. As the darkness dispersed, they rose into the sky and swept into the clouds soaked in the bloody sunset. The desolate ruins passed under their feet, followed by the mountains and plains. They rushed out of the ruins and came to the Frosty Sea Realm, where the wind howled. It varied from the chaotic Frosty Sea Realm in Ye Yunlan¡¯s impression. Now, no one was visible on the vast ice field. Shen Shu: ¡°Master disappeared here. I have searched here for a long time. Later, some self-proclaimed righteous waste came to encircle and suppress me unsuccessfully. Now, this place has become a no man¡¯s land.¡± He did not elaborate on why it became a no man¡¯s land. Over the years, his dirty hands have been washed with blood. Among the many reasons, he was also too lazy to discuss it. It¡¯s just like the many crimes the world has imposed on him¡ª¡ªdeceiving Master and destroying one¡¯s ancestor, betraying one¡¯s sect, killing resulting in demonification, and so on. No one knew that the one left and forsaken was actually him. And those who wanted to kill him came with their soldiers, wanting to taste the Shura Sword. He could only give in to their thirst. Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­Too many killings. It¡¯s against heaven and peace.¡± Shen Shu said indifferently: ¡°What do others¡¯ lives and deaths have to do with me?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I taught you to respect life and not kill innocent people. Have you forgotten?¡± Shen Shu laughed: ¡°The promise that Master made to me before, do you still remember it?¡± Ye Yunlan was mute for a while, then said: ¡°This is different.¡± The Demon Bone and Chen Weiyuan¡¯s matter was for Shen Shu¡¯s future safety. Ultimately, he had run out of life and ventured into the meeting alone just for karma. He thought it was worth it to exchange Shen Shu¡¯s life for his half a month. However, Shen Shu was different from birth, deeply entwined with the Demon Dao. If he carried on walking on his own in the demon dao and killed too many, it was impossible to ensure his ending would differ from his previous future. He didn¡¯t want Shen Shu to be like this. But these things, he didn¡¯t know how to tell Shen Shu. Shen Shu said indifferently: ¡°Master always only considers his own beliefs. But to me, people and things in this world are the same except for Master.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°No¡­ That shouldn¡¯t be the case.¡± He wanted to continue, but Shen Shu lowered his eyes. His eyes were hollow and cold. A dark shadow stretched behind him, softly covering Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Master is tired; rest first.¡± He said, ¡°My demonic body is not stable yet, and getting out of control will only waste our time.¡± ¡°After we sleep, we will arrive at our new home.¡± A strange hypnotic power seemed to lace his words. Ye Yunlan only felt his consciousness slowly sinking. After that, he fell into darkness. He had a dream. The rain was pouring in the dream, and thunder was rumbling in his ears. He was standing in the rain with a sword, and a winding road was in front of him. His surroundings were pale and faint, undeserving of a closer look. A lone black coffin lay at the end of the road. The black coffin was deep black in color, soaking in his pale world like thick ink. He walked along the path. The rain drenched his hair and clothing, running down his cheeks and his sword-holding hand. The wind blew the downpour and slapped him like waves. Finally, he reached the end of the road, but he was utterly soaked. His black hair stuck to his face and shoulders, and the water droplets on his long eyelashes kept rolling down like rain on plantains. He saw a person lying in the coffin. A tall man with a ghost mask. The man had his eyes closed. It seemed he had passed away many years ago. He suddenly felt slightly cold. How could he not when the wind and rain had invaded his bones? But the black coffin before him was the only place in the world dry from the rain. He looked at it and saw the coffin¡¯s space was actually rather sufficient. Enough to lie himself down. He leaned in, trying to reach the man¡¯s hand. He caught it. He wanted to go into the shelter from the rain. Suddenly, he felt his clothes being torn. He turned around and saw a boy with the same clothes soaked in the rain standing behind him. The boy was only up to about his waist, and his face was immature. There were a pair of red eyes akin to blood. The boy pulled his clothes with his little hands and looked up at him. His figure was in those bloody eyes, but it was a bit hollow and cold. He begged softly. ¡°Master, don¡¯t go away, okay?¡± The little hands holding his clothes paled. The boy repeated, ¡°Please, don¡¯t go, okay?¡± It thundered behind him. He awakened abruptly. A dark and deep palace entered his eyes. One could smell the rich and dense incense. He had slumbered in velvety bedding with a medicated pillow. The clothes on his body seemed to have been changed, and he no longer had the blood-soaked sticky feeling. His body was also soft, and he couldn¡¯t detect the flow of spiritual power. Even the restless divine fire in his body had stilled. He couldn¡¯t fully wake up yet and looked at the unlit palace. His golden eyes were a little blurred as if a layer of mist had blanketed them. It seemed like the rain in his latest dream could not cease in his eyes. After a long time, he grabbed the bed, intending to stand up. Suddenly, he heard a clinking sound. He perceived something wrong instantly. Raising his hand, he found a pitch-black lock clasping his wrist and a long chain hanging down. The chains shone with icy light. One end of the chain protruded from the bedding and linked into the bed¡¯s shadows. Not just on his hand. A cold touch also rested on his ankle. He sat up strenuously, and his long snowy hair slid down his shoulders onto the white shirt. The clinking resumed with his movements, making people distraught. He closed his eyes to sense that his internal spiritual power was still bare. The fragrant incense dawdled around the tip of his nose, making him feel unspeakably tired. He didn¡¯t want to budge. He eventually realized something. Shen Shu¡­ His personal disciple had imprisoned him. At this moment, the palace door produced the sound of being pushed open. Someone entered. CH 116 Chapter 116 Longing It was Shen Shu. He walked in and closed the palace door. The faint light that peeked in died off. Darkness shrouded the entire palace once more. Shen Shu ambled to the bed and sat down. He glanced over Ye Yunlan¡¯s chain-bound wrist, lifted his head, and slightly bent his eyes toward Ye Yunlan, saying: ¡°Master, you¡¯re awake.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s hands quivered. The chains were a reminder of that intolerable memory that also transpired in the Demon Palace many years ago. He raised his hand as if he wanted to slap Shen Shu¡¯s cheek. However, his hands shook, and he curled up his five fingers when he faced Shen Shu¡¯s ruby, smiling eyes. At last, he didn¡¯t slap him. ¡°Shen Shu, do you know what you are doing?¡± He took a breath and squeezed out his voice word by word. Shen Shu: ¡°I know.¡± As he said this, he raised his hand to hold Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand in the air. He pulled it to his palm and gently rubbed the lock on his wrist. The slender wrist was fragile in his palm. He smiled, ¡°Didn¡¯t Master just want to hit me? Why stop?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Shen Shu!¡± The rising anger made his face appear stained with rouge. A thin red emerged from his neck to the tip of his ears. He wanted to raise his hand again, but Shen Shu clasped his wrist. The chains made a crisp sound during the struggle. Shen Shu squeezed his wrist and said: ¡°Master, don¡¯t be angry. Anger isn¡¯t worth impairing your body.¡± ¡°Although I¡¯m ready to be used as a human furnace for Master, it¡¯s still better to first avoid tossing around as much as possible with Master¡¯s current physique. Otherwise, you¡¯ll faint during dual cultivation, and the spiritual power instilled will be incomplete. It¡¯ll make me worry.¡± ¡°The Ye Clan¡¯s blood has been revived in Master. If Master also absorbs my power, Master¡¯s body will definitely be much better. Then, it doesn¡¯t matter how you want to toss me around.¡± He reached out his hand to brush the white hair on Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks behind his head. He looked at his golden eyes, ¡°As long as Master does not leave me.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡ª¡ªShen Shu, have you forgotten that I am your master!¡± Shen Shu¡¯s face restrained his smile. ¡°How can I forget? It was Master who saved my life back then. It was also Master who taught me the sword, guided my cultivation, and watched my growth. You are the most important person in my life.¡± He held his hand, then lowered his head and kissed the back of his hand. ¡°I will never forget you.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Your meaning of ¡®never forgetting¡¯ is to imprison your Master against his will and insist on dual cultivating with him?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Because I don¡¯t just treat you as my benefactor. I also see you as my lifelong dao companion.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­ Nonsense!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering which one is more intimate: Master and Disciple or dao companions? Back then, I would be jealous every time I listened to you mention your former dao companion,¡± Shen Shu continued on his own, ¡°But now I don¡¯t have to be jealous anymore.¡± ¡°Now, only I am by Master¡¯s side, and it will only be me in the future,¡± he whispered as if talking to himself, ¡°I alone am enough.¡± Blackness appeared within his red and cold eyes. This time, Ye Yunlan could distinctly see that Shen Shu was clearly hiding his obsession and madness within his eyes. Over the past thirty years, the piling up of his longing had turned into obsession and madness. It was deep as the sea ??abyss with nowhere to pour out. It would only gather in the body and burn into an ever-increasing fire, burning itself and hurting others. Ye Yunlan felt a kind of horror. The type of horror when being stared at by a beast on the verge of madness. Shen Shu held his hand, firmly entangling his five fingers with each of his fingers. He came closer, then his hot breath gushed over Ye Yunlan¡¯s face. His voice was muffled and low, ¡°What should I do? I obviously want Master¡¯s body to adjust before dual cultivating, but I can¡¯t help it, Master.¡± Ye Yunlan turned his head to avoid his touch. Unexpectedly, Shen Shu clasped his back with his other hand and pressed him firmly into his arms. Shen Shu¡¯s head was close to his neck. Buried in his hair, he took a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s this smell,¡± he said with a husky laugh, ¡°Every night, this smell lingers in my dreams¡­¡± The shadows scattered from behind him as if they were uncontrollable. Many climbed up along the edge of the bed, onto the snow-white bedding, and entangled themselves into Ye Yunlan¡¯s white hair. The man¡¯s body was close to him. He no longer had the youthful vigor but was still as heated. Ye Yunlan¡¯s face was red. He rebuked ¡°presumptuous¡± and tried to push him away. However, he suddenly felt a pain in his shoulder. It was the other party that bit his left shoulder. The man bit extremely hard. It seemed like he intended to leave a mark. This action was akin to when he was trying to say goodbye to him at Yanhui Peak. He had reluctantly back-hugged him, then bit. But then, Shen Shu bit his shoulder since he didn¡¯t want to say goodbye. And now, the man in front of him kept saying, ¡°To be with him forever, to be Master and Disciple and dao companions; never to be separated.¡± Ye Yunlan smelled blood. A sense of absurd rebellious emotions against the norm and the familiar qi of the other party¡¯s body intertwined. The black shadow danced frantically in front of him, making it difficult to distinguish whether he should be angry or fearful¡­ Or to indulge himself by following this familiar feeling. He felt a fire burning on his cheeks. The sweet and greasy incense burning in the palace made his limbs weak, and his mind seemed to become groggy. Dark shadows were winding into his snow-white outfit. Can¡¯t¡­ Can¡¯t continue. ¡°Shen Shu, when I wrote a letter to leave Sky Sect as your Master, it wasn¡¯t¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to leave you behind.¡± He frowned, enduring the stinging of his shoulder. He said in a low voice, ¡°Master was forced to leave. Master never thought¡­I could still live.¡± The pain on his shoulders stopped slightly, and Shen Shu licked his lips, hoarsely saying: ¡°Master lied to me. Only the blood of the Ye Clan can open the Immortal Boat of the Ye Clan. If Master did not go voluntarily, how can the Immortal Boat start smoothly and let you go to a place I almost can¡¯t reach?¡± He said this as he rubbed Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder with his canine teeth. A fine, itchy tingling came from his shoulder, and Ye Yunlan frowned. Barely repressing his anger, he said: ¡°You let me go first, and I¡¯ll tell you in detail.¡± Shen Shu leaned on his shoulder for a long while silently. Until the frantically swaying shadows around him slowly became a bit smoother. He let go of the hand pressing on Ye Yunlan¡¯s back and instead stretched out his hand to pinch his chin. His blood-red eyes, like colored glaze, turned dark and murky. ¡°It¡¯s best to say Master¡¯s reasoning in one go.¡± Ye Yunlan was forced to raise his head and meet his eyes. Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his silver eyelashes trembled. ¡°Back then, Chen Weiyuan invited me to meet at the Immortal Boat. The Ye Clan¡¯s Immortal Boat suddenly activating and leaving was his plan.¡± Shen Shu pinched his jaw and looked at it. ¡°Why did he want to meet Master? Why did Master agree to meet with him?¡± Even if it meant violating the promise he made to him with his own mouth, going at any cost? The limited memory of being the Demon Lord told him that Ye Yunlan and Chen Weiyuan would become dao companions in the future. The particular associations caused by this made the surrounding shadows surge again. Ye Yunlan was silent for a while, ¡°He held something in his hands that I had to take back.¡± At this point, he thought of the Demon Bones that had not been handed over even with Chen Weiyuan¡¯s death. He frowned. The matter of the Demon Bones related to whether the Primordial Demon Refining Array could be formed. It would be fine If the Demon Bones disappeared with Chen Weiyuan¡¯s demise. But, if it fell into other people¡¯s hands¡­ His brows furrowed. His bloody eyes gradually narrowed while the man blankly stared at him. ¡°Something Master must take back? But in my impression, Master doesn¡¯t seem to attach much importance to things. You¡¯ve never displayed a sliver of interest toward magic weapons, spiritual pills, and diverse precious worldly objects.¡± ¡°Sometimes Master would make me think that you were originally an Immortal in the Immortal Realm who did not eat the food of common mortals (place oneself above the common populace). I thought this world of mortal affairs was all dust and filth to you, so you didn¡¯t need to pay attention to it.¡± Shen Shu squeezed his chin slightly hard with his fingers. His scarlet eyes neared, brimming with hostility like a nefarious spirit. ¡°So what can make Master give up his promise with me? To go to that ancient Immortal Boat with a savage man, fly in the void, and stay in the air?¡± Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t bear it. ¡°Shen Shu! You have already seen Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body in the Immortal Boat, so why do you still have to say such a thing? You clearly know I loathed him back then. How can I stay and fly with him? Use your tofu-filled brain¨C¡± His chest tightened because of the excitement, and he couldn¡¯t help but begin to cough. The chain on his hand shook as he coughed and produced these sounds. He felt that Shen Shu was a little unreasonable right now. Shen Shu didn¡¯t pinch his chin again but took him, coughing, into his embrace. He stroked his back with his hand and channeled his spiritual power. His arms were warm. His voice still sounded hoarse and empty. ¡°I¡¯m just too jealous.¡± He said softly, ¡°I envy that person being able to catch Master¡¯s attention, whether it is resentment or disgust, and make Master leave me with resolution and leave to a place I nearly never found. ¡± ¡°I was so scared. I was scared Master deceived me, and if I blinked, you would turn around and vanish. ¡± ¡°Like now, using the chain to trap you and having the countless formations around the Demon Palace. My spirit dare not leave this palace for a second.¡± Shen Shu embraced Ye Yunlan¡¯s thin body with great strength as if he was holding all he had left in the world. ¡°Thirty years is too long. While you weren¡¯t with me, I thought of too many things.¡± ¡°I thought all day and night about where you could be, if you were dead or alive, what your current situation was, and if you were used to not having me prepare food for you. I wondered how I should treat you if you were found so you would never leave again. I deliberated if you were dead and if there was any way in the world to resurrect you and allow me to see you again. I thought about what kind of look you would show when you found out I became a demon. Would you denounce me as a rebellious disciple and unworthy to be your disciple? I thought if we get married in the future, what kind of wedding should we have, how would you want it, and what kind of house would you like to build. I thought about what we would be doing after a hundred years. After a thousand years, would we still exist?¡± ¡°I thought about too many things,¡± his eyes suddenly hollowed slightly, ¡°But I couldn¡¯t stop.¡± ¡°¡­And if I didn¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid I would forget you,¡± he muttered, ¡°Many foreign soul fragments filled with pain, hatred, anger, and fear were all in my mind. They reverberated inside my brain. I swallowed them, and they all wanted to drag me to h*ll.¡± The dark shadows flew around, spreading and condensing. He suddenly laughed. ¡°But I didn¡¯t.¡± He hugged Ye Yunlan tightly, sniffing the fragrance in his hair in fascination: ¡°As long as Master is still in the world, I don¡¯t want to go to h*ll. If I become a ghost, Master will not recognize me, then what would I do? What should I do if I find Master after all this hard work, but Master leaves me again?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s cough gradually subsided. He was held in Shen Shu¡¯s arms and didn¡¯t speak for a prolonged duration. Thirty years have passed. The man¡¯s figure had become taller and bulkier. It was almost identical to the person in his memory. Regardless of body shape or qi. Yet, at this moment, he hugged him childishly. His words were broken and frenzied. However, each word wouldn¡¯t leave him. He slowly exhaled. He raised his hand and covered it softly on the man¡¯s back. He opened his mouth. ¡°Shen Shu, I¡¯m here.¡± CH 117 Chapter 117 Marriage Shen Shu stopped talking. Ye Yunlan patted him gently on his back, and his long eyes stared at the empty spot on the ground, slightly disordered. For Shen Shu, this disciple, he always had no way to be entirely cruel. Wrong. Shen Shu wasn¡¯t just his disciple. Even more, he was his¡­lover from his previous life. He couldn¡¯t define the word ¡®love¡¯ clearly. The Change Sentiment Curse had removed all his love and desires. He couldn¡¯t discern his own likes and dislikes purely based on love and desires. Most of the time, reason preceded emotion, and rules were above impulse. Perhaps because of this, he still couldn¡¯t tell the difference between the previous life¡¯s Demon Lord and this life¡¯s Shen Shu clearly. It was hard to distinguish too clearly but also not. There was always an invisible shackle in his heart, reminding him of the distance between life and death and teaching him not to get used to the temperature of life in this world. But Shen Shu had done a lot for him over the years. As far as he was concerned, was he really untouched? And falling in love with him like in his previous life, did Shen Shu make a mistake? He thought. No. It¡¯s just¡­ Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand stopped rubbing Shen Shu¡¯s back. Only. He was silent for a long time before he broke it. ¡°You don¡¯t have to lock me up. I will stay with you here and not leave again.¡± He whispered, ¡°This time, it is true.¡± Shen Shu¡¯s state was obviously already a little abnormal. He knew little about the backlash of the Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body. It was an eminently wicked technique that relied on the grievances and immoral thoughts of devouring evil spirits to strengthen oneself. However, as long as one cultivated this kind of demonic cultivation, nothing would end well. The Demon Lord of his previous life was the only person who had cultivated this technique to Immortalization, and he still suffered backlashes on full moon nights. However, in this life, Shen Shu arrived at the Immortalization level of the Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body much earlier than in his previous life. He had forcibly and quickly raised his realm. Thus, there would inevitably be a price. He needed to look after Shen Shu. Whether the Demon Bone, Demon Star, or something else came to this world, as long as he had not died one day, anyone who wanted to hurt Shen Shu would have to cross the sword in his hand. For each day he was still alive in this world, he would take care of Shen Shu for one day. Just like what Shen Shu did to him in his previous life. ¡­Except for the dual cultivation and human furnace matter. Only with this matter, he still¡­couldn¡¯t accept it. ¡°Believe it or not, the thing I wanted to retrieve from Chen Weiyuan back then was about your future life.¡± Ye Yunlan explained again. ¡°I never wanted to deliberately leave you.¡± Shen Shu, who was leaning on his shoulder, smiled slightly. ¡°So, Master¡¯s reason is that everything you did back then was for me?¡± He pressed Ye Yunlan¡¯s back and shoulder blades with his palm and whispered, ¡°I also want to believe what Master said.¡± He paused, then continued. ¡°But they have been making noise.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­ Who¡¯s making noise?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°A lot of people. Some people are laughing; others are crying. More seem to be crying. Many laugh too¡­ It¡¯s noisy.¡± However, Ye Yunlan did not hear any crying or laughing around him. He was silent for a while: ¡°What about you? What are you doing?¡± Shen Shu: ¡°When I hold Master, Master¡¯s area quiets it a lot.¡± Ye Yunlan was mute again. He let him hold him in stillness. The incense in the hall was rich, making his hands and feet soft. The chains on his wrists and ankles were heavy. In the silence, Shen Shu suddenly said: ¡°I want Master.¡± Ye Yunlan felt a heat source sticking to him and said: ¡°¡­ No.¡± Shen Shu let out soft laughter that gave people goosebumps. ¡°I didn¡¯t even say what I wanted, yet Master refused- Sure enough, Master¡¯s recent words were just misleading me.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°¡­ What do you want?¡± Shen Shu did not immediately answer. He rubbed Ye Yunlan¡¯s white hair around his neck and said in his ear: ¡°Master, do you know what the world cursed me for during the thirty years you left?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer, then he laughed again. ¡°They all call me a beast that betrayed his own Master and exterminated his ancestor.¡± Ye Yunlan frowned: ¡°You did not betray the sect, and you are not a beast.¡± Shen Shu: ¡°Maybe for now.¡± Ye Yunlan suddenly gave birth to a bad feeling. Then he listened to Shen Shu¡¯s words. ¡°I want to let the world and everyone know that the relationship between Master and I is not only one of master and disciple,¡± Shen Shu looked at him straightforwardly with an obsessive expression, ¡°It¡¯s even more blended together. A married couple; a close and intimate dao companionship.¡± ¡°On the seventh day of September, I have decided to host a banquet in the Demon Palace.¡± Shen Shu took his hand and held it in the palm of his hand. His blood-red, cold eyes were revealed, scorching like hot, burning lava. ¡°I¡¯ve checked. It¡¯s a wonderful day to get married.¡± His eyes curved slightly, ¡°Master, at that time, we will get married.¡± Ye Yunlan was frightened and angry. ¡°You haven¡¯t asked me of my opinion yet-¡± ¡°I know Master will definitely not allow it, so I said before that I will be a beast that deceives my master and exterminates my ancestors,¡± Shen Shu said softly, holding down his hand entombed in the shadows and trying to struggle. A thin red etched onto his handsome face, ¡°In these few days, I will have to trouble Master to take care of your body. After we get married, we will officially be bond contracted dao companions. Then, we will enter the bridal chamber together. For now, Disciple will collect some interest first.¡± He held Ye Yunlan¡¯s hand, and his fingers intertwined. The chain on his wrist perpetually rocked, producing a continuous, crisp sound. The pitch-black shadows entangled, and more had nowhere to go. They danced frantically around Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes, dangling and overlapping before his eyes. Shen Shu bit his shoulder and gasped in a low breath: ¡°Master, I miss you so much.¡± Ye Yunlan took a deep breath, and a few tears were forced from the ends of his eyes. His voice was hoarse, ¡°Tell your demonic qi¡­to go away.¡± Shen Shu didn¡¯t make the demonic qi go away. He only repeated and murmured: ¡°¡­ I missed you so much.¡± The shadow in the sleeping hall shook. It seemed that something was broken, and a fragrance permeated out. It was as if the vase fell to the ground and shattered into pieces, and the gorgeous flowers in it fell out. The sweet floral scent lingered, making it rich and thick. It made people intoxicated. ¡­ Demon Realm, Jialan City. The blood-red lanterns were shining on the long street. In a tall building, several demonic cultivators were gathered in one place, drinking, talking, and laughing. Someone said: ¡°Did you hear the news that the Lord is about to get married?¡± The person next to him laughed and said: ¡°The wedding banquet invitations have been publicly sent to the hands of the righteous and demonic factions. This matter is now in the entire cultivation world. Who does not know? Especially the righteous factions. They basically exploded.¡± The person before said: ¡°I heard that the person the Lord wants to marry is their own master.¡± The next person tsked: ¡°The Lord must be playing.¡± One person raised his glass and laughed: ¡°The Lord¡¯s master, as in the number one beauty ranked on the Tianji list for more than three decades? If it were me, being able to face such a beauty every day, I wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back either¡ªWhat morals of master and disciple; the distinction between righteousness and evil, it¡¯s all bullsh*t!¡­ Holding a beauty is the only truth.¡± ¡°But hasn¡¯t it been rumored that that person is already dead?¡± ¡°Rumors are only rumors, after all,¡± the person beside him slowly downed a glass of wine and said lightly, ¡°How can you and I figure out the Lord¡¯s methods? However, I have a guess.¡± ¡°Oh? Young Master, please explain.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a rumor that the Lord personally forced his master to death? I think the facts are not that different.¡± The person next to him opened his folding fan and shook it slightly. ¡°He was not forced to death but forced to a dead end and was hidden by the Lord. After hiding for more than thirty years, I am afraid that he had been tossed around until he became obedient, and now he can be liberated again and given a status.¡± The original person suddenly realized something. The other demonic cultivators in the audience were accustomed to these things, laughing in understanding. Someone clapped their hands, ¡°The Lord did this matter beautifully. This beauty is the bright white moonlight in many righteous daoist hearts. Once this matter comes out, the righteous daoists will explode. I don¡¯t know how many cultivators of the great sects will grit their teeth. I heard that even the previous and current Tianji Pavilion Master still can¡¯t forget about him. This makes us wonder how beautiful this beauty is.¡± Someone laughed and said, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s not just the face. A beauty¡¯s body is naturally also a top-notch instrument¡­ The Lord¡¯s luck with women isn¡¯t bad. It really makes me envious.¡± A Sect Master next to him shook his folding fan and suddenly looked at the fat demon cultivator in the corner, ¡°Speaking of which, Elder Cen, didn¡¯t you say that the one you are raising in your family was also a beauty on the Tianji List before? How was the taste? Quickly, tell us.¡± Then he looked at the thin man standing beside Elder Cen, who poured wine for him. ¡°You¡¯re a beauty; why cover your face with a veil?¡± Elder Cen smiled: ¡°His taste is not bad. He is full of vigor in bed, and only slightly playing with him causes waves to come out. But his appearance is mostly ruined, and it looks unsightly, so I ordered him to cover his face with a veil. If the Young Sect Master is interested, you can also take him back and enjoy him for a few days.¡± But the Young Sect Master became somewhat disappointed when he heard the words ¡®appearance ruined.¡¯ Either it was boring to drink, or he wanted to see what a beauty from the Tianji List looked like. But he fanned the fan, and a powerful wind blew. The veil of the man who poured the wine was blown away, revealing a half hideous and half beautiful face. The flawless half of the face was glamorous with red lip cream applied and tearful eyes. It aroused immediate pity. It¡¯s just that the other half was really terrible, accompanied by embedded winding scars. It was like countless centipedes crawling around: black with tints of red. It looked disgusting. The Young Sect Master frowned for a moment. He barely pieced together what the original face might have looked like from the small half of his white face. After half a glance, he didn¡¯t want to look at it again. The folding fan was turned and the wind passed by. The person was thrown into the corner. He spat out a mouthful of blood abruptly. The Young Sect Master said lazily, ¡°Unfortunately if his appearance was complete, it would not be impossible for this Young Sect Master to honor him. However, now the ugliness looks like this. It¡¯s fortunate that Elder Cen still could touch it. You even took it out for drinking. Elder Cen¡¯s taste is quite unique.¡± Elder Cen climbed to his present position in the Demon Sect of Extreme Desire because he could discern people¡¯s thoughts from their body language, so he said hurriedly: ¡°It is this b*tch who is shameless. Today, he begged me to take him out while in bed with me. I didn¡¯t expect him to dirty Sect Master¡¯s eyes. When I return this time, I will definitely discipline him and teach him how to control his unrestrained character, so he won¡¯t cause any more trouble.¡± Turning around, he yelled at the person in the corner. ¡°Hurry up and get lost!¡± The man, struck by the robust wind, got up from the ground in embarrassment. He walked a few steps outside the building, spit out a generous mouthful of blood, and fell on the leaning fence. The strong wind blew his clothes, and he looked far away in a vague gaze. Rows after rows of blood-red lanterns meandered far away in Jialan City. The massive Demon Palace was at the end of the scarlet image. ¡°Ah Lan¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t dead¡­¡± He muttered, his cheeks flushed from the alcohol. Lustrous waves of desire filled his eyes. Endless hatred and resentment were also buried deep within them. His shadow shook and twisted in the wind, then suddenly, a voice rang from his heart. That voice was neither male nor female, nor young or old. Countless voices of countless people seem to be mingled, overlapping, and entangling. It aroused the deepest desires and evil thoughts in people¡¯s hearts. ¡°Human, what are your thoughts on what This King mentioned?¡± Rong Ran looked into the distance madly. ¡°You said that as long as I do what you say later, all my wishes can be realized. Is that true?¡± The voice laughed and said, ¡°Naturally.¡± Rong Ran¡¯s pupils were slowly immersed in black. He didn¡¯t seem to be aware of it. ¡°I just want you to help me kill the beast, Shen Shu, after the matter is done. Let me take Ah Lan to a deserted place, so no one can disturb us anymore.¡± The voice said: ¡°No problem.¡± Rong Ran laughed. The scars on half of his face were distorted by his smile. ¡°Okay, I promise you.¡± CH 118 Chapter 118 Dao Companion Eastern Continent, Sky Sect. A cauldron of loud voices boiled on Wendao Slope. Several disciples were gathered together, quarreling over a sword technique problem. Saliva flew wildly, hands were thrown in the air, and their swords were nearly drawn to ask for advice. Suddenly, one of the disciples in the dispute saw a man with a high crown in black clothes come up, and his eyes lit up. He hurried over. ¡°Senior Brother, I have a technique I don¡¯t understand. Can Senior Brother give me pointers?¡± The person called ¡°Senior Brother¡± had a handsome face and looked very young, but a little silvery white was already on his temples, sandwiched between the black hair. It was quite eye-catching. He Lanze looked at the disciple, ¡°What¡¯s the problem? Please elaborate more.¡± The disciple: ¡°It is the thirty-ninth style in the Frost Flower sword technique, ¡®North Swallows Return South.¡¯ For Northern Geese Flying South Across the Heavy Mountains, I think the sword power should have a sense of being indomitable, but Senior Brother Xun said that the Northern Geese Flying South is the thought of parting in autumn, and the sword power should have the meaning of hardship. We are arguing about this.¡± He Lanze said: ¡°Swordsmanship and sword intent comes from the heart. People of different ages, or people with different experiences in the world, have different understandings of one style of swordsmanship¡¯s definition. There is no right or wrong. Why bother arguing about it?¡± The disciple said: ¡°How can it be equivocal? For practicing swordsmanship, isn¡¯t it the more you understand the sword intent of the creator, the more you can use the power contained in the sword technique?¡± He Lanze patiently said: ¡°Although the sword technique was created by a person, the person who learns the swordsmanship is yourself. If you only try to figure out the hearts of others without asking your own heart, you will never overcome your obstacles and reach great success.¡± The disciple¡¯s face reddened, and he seemed somewhat enlightened: ¡°Senior Brother is right. But I still want to ask Senior Brother, if it is Senior Brother, what kind of sword intent understanding do you prefer?¡± He Lanze said: ¡°Me¡­¡± He looked over this disciple, then at the distant mountains as if looking at an unknown place, ¡°I am more inclined with the latter. When there is nostalgia in one¡¯s heart, every emotion, scenery, sight, and thought, that longing will never leave your heart. You are still young, so you do not understand this. Go practice first, and if you do not understand, then ask me. ¡± That disciple observed his facial expression, then discovered he seemed to have triggered his Senior Brother¡¯s sorrow. He apologized and left. Seeing this, the disciples on Wendao Slope sighed: ¡°Senior Brother is still patient and meticulous to young disciples as always. The geniuses of other sects are usually reserved and arrogant. Only our Senior Brother is so approachable and would answer our every question.¡± Someone laughed: ¡°You entered the sect late, so you probably do not know, but Senior Brother also had once shown off his abilities and disdained mortal affairs. At that time, Senior Brother wouldn¡¯t even bother with a disciple who can¡¯t handle three moves of his sword.¡± The disciple was surprised: ¡°There was such a thing?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The person next to him sighed, paused, and said again. ¡°It¡¯s just that it was a long, long time ago.¡± Yanhui Peak, Green Bamboo Forest. He Lanze raised his hand and brushed the bamboo leaves in front of him. When he raised his head, he saw the bamboo building standing in the faraway sea of ??flowers. He walked over and picked up the wooden shovel and watering can on the side of the bamboo building routinely. After tidying up the flower garden outside, he planned to go inside the bamboo building to sweep. Since Ye Yunlan¡¯s disappearance, he had done these things for more than 30 years. ¡®Why did he keep doing it?¡¯ he thought. Maybe it¡¯s the obsession of his ungranted longing. Or maybe it¡¯s because of guilt. If he could spot Shen Shu¡¯s strangeness earlier, instead of rushing to retreat because he lost the competition, or if he had a more sincere attitude when meeting Ye Yunlan for the last time, would Ye Yunlan not be forced into leaving the sect and disappearing? Longing and guilt blended, then became unspeakable love and desire. He Lanze knew that Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t like his appearance of being above others back then. Then he would change. But now, he had become the acclaimed and extremely responsible Senior Brother in Sky Sect, so why had Ye Yunlan still¡­not returned. The sun gradually rose, and he put down the shovel in his hand. He raised his hand and wiped the sweat from his forehead. He stepped into the bamboo building, and the internal furnishings were still the same as they were thirty years ago. Perhaps, in his heart, he still hoped that Ye Yunlan could return one day. When the time came, and he saw that this place was intact, would he be touched a little bit by him waiting all these years? He Lanze thought. He smiled bitterly and shook his head. He swept the ground first, then entered the study. He Lanze subconsciously went to look at the bamboo basket on the table to see if the little chick was still asleep. When Ye Yunlan left that year, only such a small thing was left behind. The little thing was cute but very lethargic. For more than 30 years, He Lanze hadn¡¯t even seen that little thing wake up once. He slowly watched its hair getting richer, body shape swelling, and the little thing soaking up the spiritual energy encircling the bamboo building. Since it was the creature left by Ye Yunlan, He Lanze naturally liked it. Every time he visited, he would put a few top-quality spiritual stones in the bamboo basket for the little thing to absorb. This time, He Lanze walked over, inspected it, and saw that the spirit stones in the bamboo basket had been expectedly, completely absorbed. To his surprise, the little thing, formerly sleeping, had disappeared. The little thing woke up? He Lanze was surprised and happy. He hurriedly checked around. He didn¡¯t see the small thing¡¯s figure in the bushes earlier. He walked to the backyard to look. He found a small figure squatting next to the hot spring in the backyard, looking at his face dazedly. It wasn¡¯t a little chick. From He Lanze¡¯s perspective, he could only see that the figure was very thin, like a child¡¯s. He had golden hair like a sparkling little sun. He Lanze frowned and walked over. ¡°Which peak¡¯s disciple are you from? Where are your parents?¡± Little Sun turned around. He looked remarkably beautiful and androgynous. He possessed a pair of large golden eyes, and the hair on the top of his head shook with his movements. At this moment, he was looking at He Lanze with two pools of tears in his eyes. ¡°Do you know where my mother went?¡± It was a boy¡¯s clear voice. Helan Ze frowned deeper. The boy¡¯s blonde eyes were really not very similar to the characteristics of ordinary humans. Reminiscent of the missing little chick, he had an extraordinary guess. ¡°Who is your mother?¡± He asked seriously. Little Sun was in tears. ¡°Mom is, Mom is¡­ Mom¡­¡± He seemed confused, stumbling and crying, ¡°Why is Mom gone? Is it because I slept too long, so Mom doesn¡¯t want me¡­¡± He Lanze: ¡°¡­¡± It was the first time he saw the matter of a beast transforming into a human being. But in his memory, didn¡¯t the books say most spirit beasts able to transform into humans have precious blood and reached a very high level of cultivation? Only then could they earn the chance to survive a thunder tribulation and transform into a human body? How did the little chick in Ye Yunlan¡¯s study only sleep for a little bit, then grow into the appearance of a little boy? ¡­ And it didn¡¯t look particularly clever. He Lanze didn¡¯t know how to communicate with the child. He was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°Your¡­mother¡¯s affairs are a bit complicated. You should come with me first. I will explain to you slowly later.¡± Little Sun: ¡°No, I won¡¯t go with you. I only want my mother.¡± He Lanze had a slight headache. He walked over, trying to catch the little boy at first. However, he found the little boy was showing a look of vigilance. The golden hair on his head exploded, and he was crying with tears streaming down while staring at him, ¡°You, what do you want to do?¡± He Lanze: ¡°Come back with me first. You have the body of a spirit beast. If you live alone at such a young age, you will be coveted.¡± Little Sun said: ¡°No! I just want my mother!¡± Then He Lanze saw the little boy give birth to a pair of chubby golden wings. He seemed to want to fly into the sky. However, because his wings were terribly fleshy, he flopped only about ten feet high. He fell diagonally and twisted into the bamboo forest behind as if he couldn¡¯t hold up his body. He Lanze¡¯s heart tensed. He channeled his qi, flew to the bamboo forest, entered, and didn¡¯t see Little Sun¡¯s figure. It was as if the little person had disappeared into thin air. He searched in the bamboo forest several times to no avail, so he had to return to the bamboo building and stare at the sunset from the window. He felt a little depressed. He hadn¡¯t seen Ye Yunlan in 30 years. He didn¡¯t even know about his life and death. Now even the only little thing left by Ye Yunlan disappeared? What¡¯s the point of him stubbornly waiting here alone now? What¡¯s the point? As the setting sun gradually fell towards the West Mountain, He Lanze walked out of the bamboo building silently. The wind chime at the door rang as he pushed the door. In front of him, he suddenly saw a woman in a red dress with a charming face, standing close to the bamboo building and watching him. ¡°Yin Ling?¡± He Lanze was slightly surprised. Regarding the female cultivator in the sect who had been pursuing Ye Yunlan with fanfare, he often would run into her when he was cleaning the bamboo building over the years. They could be regarded as rivals in love. When they first met, they just nodded and passed by each other. It¡¯s just that Ye Yunlan had been without a trace for more than 30 years, and all their intense longing and hostility have turned into collective worries. Gradually, he and Yin Ling would also occasionally exchange a few words. However, Yin Ling had not been to this bamboo house for five or six years. ¡ª¡ªSince she became a dao companion five or six years ago with a disciple in the sect who had passionately pursued her. ¡°Senior Brother Helan.¡± Yin Ling was dressed in red, looking at him. There seemed to be some sadness on her charming and warm face. She hesitated for a moment, then said, ¡°Does Senior Brother Helan know that an invitation to the Demon Lord¡¯s wedding banquet was sent at noon today?¡± He Lanze frowned. He was at Ye Yunlan¡¯s residence at Yanhui Peak for most of the day, so he verily didn¡¯t hear about any invitations. He wondered: ¡°Wedding invitation? Which demonic cultivator is getting married and dares to send the invitation to our sect?¡± Yin Ling bit her lip and said, ¡°It was the man who betrayed the sect back then. The invitation said the man will be at the Demon Palace wedding banquet, marrying his own master.¡± He Lanze was taken aback when he heard the words and immediately paled in shock. ¡°What? The beast, Shen Shu, said he will marry his own master? That is to say, Junior Brother Ye¡­didn¡¯t die?¡± Yin Ling, ¡°That¡¯s the case. So as soon as I learned about it, I hurried over to look for Senior Brother. Just now, I didn¡¯t find you in your residence, so I thought you must be in Junior Brother Ye¡¯s residence. Junior Brother Ye is now in the Demon Palace, and Shen Shu has cultivated forbidden techniques in the Demon Path. His cultivation isn¡¯t something I can deal with by myself. Now, I can only ask the Sect Master to take action and perhaps rescue Junior Brother Ye back from the beast. But currently, the only one I thought of who can contact the Sect Master in the entire sect, is you, Senior Brother.¡± After thinking for a moment, he clenched the sword in his hand and said, ¡°I will immediately go to Wangyun Peak to find Sect Master and explain the situation. It is just that the Sect Master¡¯s retreat is longer than all his previous times. I am not sure I can notify the Sect Master. Then, Junior Sister Yin Ling, you first contact the other sects in my name to discuss a crusade against the demon sect.¡± His brows showed a little awe-inspiring intent, ¡°In the past 30 years, the demons have risen, and the dao had fallen. Many people in the daoist sects have lost their spirit. It is time to regain our strength.¡± Yin Ling nodded, then watched as He Lanze raised his sword and beelined to Wangyun Peak. She was brimming with misery. Beautiful eyes looked at the bamboo building in the sea of ??flowers, remembering the glimpse of Wendao Slope many years ago. She saw that person, then became obsessed with him ever since. It was not until many years later, after experiencing all kinds of things with her current husband, that she finally let go of her obsessions and married her Junior Brother, who had admired her for a long time. Her current life could be considered joyful. However, a girl¡¯s feelings could always be moved by others. Having no news of Ye Yunlan was fine. However, now that there was news. News that he was forced to marry the Demon Lord. She couldn¡¯t help but fret. She hoped he was all right¡­ Yin Ling prayed silently in her heart. Wangyun Peak. As always, wind and snow cocooned Yuntian Palace. But compared to the pure whiteness of the past, many bright reds were blossoming among the ice and snow now. It was a vast peach blossom forest. And in the deepest part of Yuntian Palace, in the largest and earliest peach blossom forest, a man in white with frost hair was sitting cross-legged under the peach tree. Peach blossoms blanketed his clothes. A long sword was beside him, silent. The man didn¡¯t move, akin to a piece of ice. He had been sitting there for countless years. Different from the silence of his whole body, his eyelashes were trembling slightly. His eyes shook under his closed eyes as if he entered a nightmare. The snow-white outfit was full of bright red petals, but when you looked closely, large tracts of blood tinged his attire. When Ye Yunlan rejected the dual cultivation bond contract¡¯s proposal, he suffered a merciless backlash. Later, after Ye Yunlan disappeared, he endured his injury and left closed-door training to search the continents and seas, but still could not find a trace of Ye Yunlan. Instead, he met Shen Shu, who became the Demon Lord and fought several battles. The source of Shen Shu¡¯s strength was treacherous. Even though he advanced to Transcendence not long ago, he still had tyrannical strength and was ruthless and unstable. The Demon Lord was skilled in their fight, and the old injury worsened. Finally, he had to return to Sky Sect for recuperation. It¡¯s just that his Ruthless Dao was about to collapse. His cultivation had been regressing for several years since he healed his injuries. Only by re-firming his dao heart could his realm be secured. Every time he wanted to cut his love thread with a sword, he saw that young man in the peach forest amidst his nightmare. Then, he couldn¡¯t do it. Wind and snow stayed all year round in Yuntian Palace. He had been cultivating at this high place for a hundred years and had never felt cold. But now, it felt cold. And lonely. His ruthless dao was about to collapse. Every time he woke up from his heart demon, he couldn¡¯t cut off the obsession in his heart. Thus, he would plant a peach blossom in Yuntian Palace. A few years later, peach blossoms filled the garden. Ten years ago, he made a decision. He left closed-door training, went to the cave of his Junior Brother Cheng Zixu, and asked a question under Cheng Zixu¡¯s puzzled eyes. ¡°What is the world you see like from cultivating extreme affection?¡± Cheng Zixu looked at him in shock, ¡°Senior Brother, haven¡¯t you always dismissed the dao of extreme affection? Why did you come over to ask me this?¡± He looked at his Junior Brother in silence, expressionless, but his clothes were stained with blood. Cheng Zixu seemed to peep out something from his appearance. He panicked and hurriedly said: ¡°Brother, your ruthless dao¡­how did it become like what it is now? Who in this world can make you tempted?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. He only said: ¡°Tell me, what is your so-called extreme affection?¡± Cheng Zixu could do nothing to his relentless Senior Brother. After turning around twice, he said: ¡°The so-called extreme affection is having only one person in the center of his eyes, and he will only worry about and miss one person. Reality is him, and it¡¯s also him in dreams.¡± ¡°Reality is him, and it¡¯s also him in dreams¡­¡± He murmured. Cheng Zixu: ¡°Senior Brother, your ruthless dao has been cultivated to Immortalization. Master also said you are a natural genius to cultivate the ruthless dao. Right now, you wouldn¡¯t want to change your path to extreme affection, right?¡± He didn¡¯t reply. He just looked at the distance in silence. He was still hesitating, unable to reply to Cheng Zixu. He only could give himself an answer ten years later. He really can¡¯t forget Ye Yunlan. The Taiqing Du Er Sword suddenly trembled violently. Qiyun Jun stretched out his hand to hold it in his palm and slowly smoothed it for a long time. Then his palm pressed down hard. Taiqing Du Er Sword let out a mournful cry, then broke into two. Qiyun Jun suddenly spat out a sizable mouthful of blood. The aura of his whole body was rapidly weakening, descending from the Supreme Transcendence State. His sword aura ravaged his body, destroying the ruthless foundation laid over the years. However, his cold and indifferent complexion suddenly became tender. He could finally look directly at his heart. He saw the young man in the peach forest looking back and smiling at him. And he could finally walk over and hold the other party¡¯s hand. (T/N: (T-T) I feel kinda bad for him) His dao was being reconstructed. The clouds in the sky gathered on Yuntian Palace. Different daos needed one to go through the test of heaven if they wanted to cross the tribulation, shed the world, and reach Transcendence. But now, his Taiqing Du Er Sword had been destroyed. He took the handle of an ordinary iron sword from his storage ring and held it in his palm. The young man¡¯s reflections presided over his deep thoughts. Those reflections dispersed and then reconstituted and converged, turning into a cold and snowy silhouette after growing up. The gentle color between his eyebrows became worse. Just as he was preparing to cross the catastrophe, his divine consciousness suddenly sensed the sound of hurried footsteps outside Yuntian Palace. Someone came to find him. Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t intend to see him, as he was about to cross the catastrophe. Any distraction would ruin all his preparations. He was about to set up a barrier to isolate the outside world, but then he heard the voice of someone outside the door saying: ¡°He Lanze asks to see the Lord. Today the demon sect sent someone to send an invitation. The original sect member who rebelled and is now the Demon Lord will be forcibly marrying our sect disciple. Junior Brother Ye had saved several fellow sect members in the secret realm back then. Now that he is suffering, the sect disciples are filled with indignation. However, the Demon Lord is so powerful that it is difficult for ordinary disciples to rescue him, so I had to come here to harass the Lord in retreat. Can I request Lord to leave closed-door training?¡± His voice was loud but wavered slightly. Qiyun Jun was indifferent and didn¡¯t care about many trivial matters. This had been the case for years. This time, he went up to the mountain to see him. In fact, he didn¡¯t even know if he could meet Qiyun Jun. But in the peach forest, Qiyun Jun, who was closing his eyes and preparing for the catastrophe, quivered. The blade of the ordinary iron sword cut into his hand, cutting out a bit of bright red. Bright and dazzling. ¡­¡­ A ginormous valley was among the Northern Territory¡¯s mountains. Compared with the continuous snow on the mountains of the Northern Territory, the valley was pink with willow green, and a thick medicinal fragrance wafted. Located here was the famous medical cultivation sect, Tanqing Sect. At this time, an elegantly furnished courtyard was inside the Tanqing Sect. Xu Qingyue held a medicine bowl in his hand. Walking into the courtyard, he saw a man in a wheelchair sitting on the edge of the grass, leaning over to touch a white peony in full bloom. It¡¯s just that his legs were damaged, and it was inconvenient to move. After several attempts, it was still strenuous to reach. Maybe he moved too much, or the wooden wheelchair was not too stable, but the person in the wheelchair lost his balance and fell to the ground. Struggling, he couldn¡¯t get up. His legs were cut in half, making the people seeing it shocked. Xu Qingyue sighed in his heart. Who could have imagined that the Tanji Pavilion Master of that year would fall into this downcast state? It was awfully pitiful. He walked over, helped the person on the ground back onto the wheelchair, and gently said, ¡°Brother Chen, it¡¯s time to drink the medicine.¡± The man turned his face. His appearance was ordinary. His face was a little scruffy, his eyes were long and slender, and he looked a bit wretched. When his soul had wandered back from the void on death¡¯s door, Chen Weiyuan had to take a beggar¡¯s body. His eyes still remained a little sluggish. He stared at the medicine bowl in Xu Qingyue¡¯s hand for a long time before reaching out and taking it. He put a little bit to his lips and drank slowly. Xu Qingyue sat beside him, looked at his sluggish state, and sighed again. When Chen Weiyuan was drinking the medicine, he thought of the rumors he had heard in the sect before, and his worries became more serious. He couldn¡¯t endure it and turned towards the sluggish Chen Weiyuan and confided in his thoughts, ¡°Today, I am extraordinarily concerned.¡± Chen Weiyuan did not respond. Xu Qingyue continued: ¡°There was an invitation from the Demon Palace for the Demon Lord¡¯s marriage. The Demon Lord is going to marry his master.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s muddy eyes suddenly showed a little clarity. Xu Qingyue didn¡¯t realize it and only muttered to himself: ¡°Daoist Ye¡¯s life is safe and sound, and I should be grateful for this, but the Demon Lord is not of the good sort. The world had said he forced Daoist Ye out of the sect. I still don¡¯t know whether this is true or false, but I can¡¯t help but believe it. Daoist Ye was a half teacher, half friend to me. Now that he is in the Demon Palace, I don¡¯t know how he is doing and whether he was willing, so I am immensely worried.¡± ¡°The seventh day of September is the day of the Demon Lord¡¯s wedding. I have already planned to take a look.¡± Xu Qingyue¡¯s worried face slowly turned firm. He looked at Chen Weiyuan, ¡°Brother Chen, your soul is extremely damaged, and your body is without cultivation. You should stay in the Tanqing Sect to recuperate first. I will ask the sect disciples to take care of you. I have also sent a letter to Tianji Pavilion. Today, the Tianji Pavilion Master is your brother. He will send someone over to find you soon.¡± ¡°The Demon Palace is dangerous. Once I go, it may be difficult to return. Brother Chen,¡± Xu Qingyue paused. He had no affection for Chen Weiyuan since a long time ago. So now, he was only saying a simple goodbye, ¡°You need to take good care of yourself.¡± He saw that Chen Weiyuan had finished drinking the medicine, so he wanted to take the medicine bowl and turn to leave, but Chen Weiyuan suddenly grabbed his hand. ¡°¡­ Qingyue.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s voice was hoarse, and his words were intermittent. ¡°The Demon Palace¡­ You can¡¯t go there.¡± Xu Qingyue was taken aback. After Chen Weiyuan was brought back by him, he was always a little confused, and now was the first time he had communicated with him. He listened carefully. ¡°If you go to the Demon Palace¡­you will die,¡± Chen Weiyuan said, ¡°If you want to completely eradicate the Demon Lord, it is not the task of one person¡­I have something¡­I need you to help me get it back.¡± Xu Qingyue said: ¡°What is it?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s slender eyes darkened a bit. ¡°Things that can¡­ put the Demon Lord to death.¡± ¡­ The seventh day of September. The Demon Palace. The red silk was flying in the dark Demon Palace, and countless red lanterns were hung in the meantime, rendering a festive atmosphere. In the dim palace, Ye Yunlan was lying on the bed, his limbs sunk deep in the incense weakly. Shen Shu seemed occupied with other affairs and didn¡¯t come to the palace to disturb him for a few days after the first, where he woke up in the Demon Palace, met Shen Shu, and spent the night with him. It¡¯s just that every night, he would bring medicine for him to drink. He didn¡¯t want to drink. Therefore, Shen Shu clasped his chin, took a sip, and poured it into his mouth gradually, forcing him to drink, taking advantage of the opportunity. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t know what those medicines were. He only knew that after drinking it, his blood circulated smoothly, his spiritual power was abundant, and his body was much better than when he woke up just after Nirvana. His cheeks also had some color. It¡¯s probably some elixir that nourished qi and blood and was harmless to drink. But when Ye Yunlan thought of Shen Shu¡¯s concern about feeding him medicine to replenish his body, he also touched something he didn¡¯t want to touch. Although Shen Shu didn¡¯t touch him immediately, sometimes he couldn¡¯t help it. He gently stroked it in his palm. After the presumptuousness at the beginning, this person¡¯s temperament turned viler and viler. It was not enough to solve it by himself, so he had to pull him to have fun together. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t stop him, but he himself had been abstinent for many years and wasn¡¯t used to it. When he touched it, he soon felt unbearable. Shen Shu said he was still in poor health and should drink more elixir for him. At that time, Ye Yunlan just wanted to slap Shen Shu¡¯s face carrying a thin, red blush and full smile. He didn¡¯t know what incense Shen Shu smoked in this sleeping hall. He only felt that his body was tired and weak, and he was often in a daze as if he was in a dream and falling into the clouds. He had no knowledge of the passage of time in the silence and darkness. Suddenly the hall¡¯s door was pushed open. However, a few maids in black walked in this time, not Shen Shu. The faces of the maids who walked in were all wrapped up tightly. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t see their faces, only a few pairs of eyes. The maids were holding a red wedding dress in their hands. The maids helped him get out of the bed, put on a joyous outfit, and pushed him to the mirror. A pale face with light lips and a little vermilion dot at the end of his eye appeared before the mirror. Long white hair flowed down his shoulders like moonlight and mercury. The hijab pattern on his body was gorgeous, festive, and auspicious. The pale hair color overlapped with the bright vermilion, and it felt thrilling for no reason. The maids around him had an obsessive admiration in their eyes. The maids combed his hair, pulled up his white hair, and inserted a hairpin. They also helped him draw his eyebrows and paint his lips. The thin lips were dyed with deep red lipstick, gorgeous. The maids all praised: ¡°If the Lord sees you like this later, he will be very satisfied.¡± ¡°There is no one more beautiful than you in the world.¡± ¡°A dao companion who can match the Lord should be like you.¡± Ye Yunlan only felt upset at the praise. He wanted to escape, but he was so tired and weak that he couldn¡¯t even move his fingertips. What he saw in a trance seemed real and illusory. The shadows were flickering, and he couldn¡¯t spot the way out. Who knew what spell was cast by the Demon Lord, and the maids couldn¡¯t see the chain on his hand. Only he could hear its sound and feel its heaviness. The red candle burned slowly in the hall. A maid said softly. ¡°The hour is here. Please come with us, Your Highness.¡± He was lifted up, supported by a few maids, and walked out of the hall door. He passed through the colorful corridors and came to the Demon Palace¡¯s main hall. In the distance, the man was waiting for him on the high seat of the main hall, also wearing a red wedding dress. His red eyes were full of burning passion. A plethora of guests was in the hall, and countless pairs of eyes looked at him. Amidst the noise, the Demon Lord walked down from the high seat, walked towards him, came to him, and held hands with him. ¡°Master.¡± He opened his mouth to speak and took him from the maid¡¯s hands. Ye Yunlan was quiet, but the guests at the banquet didn¡¯t care whether he could talk or not. They just looked at him with praise and blessing as if he was the happiest bride in the world. He felt dizzy and dazed. Everything that he had experienced seemed to overlap with his previous life. It seemed like a ridiculous farce. The Demon Lord led him to the high seat. In the eyes of the public, he was held by the other party¡¯s hands and dripped blood on a piece of blood jade. The dao companion bond was finalized. The guests thunderously applauded. The other party held him in his arms, watching the singing and dancing rise and fall. The Demon Lord wanted to drink a cup of wine with him, cup after cup. He was made drunk by the other party and leaned in his arms vaguely. The hustle and bustle around him slowly ceased to be heard. Only the man¡¯s chest was audible, knocking in his ear again and again. He suddenly saw a sea of ??red flowers. A profoundly gorgeous, large tract of blooming flowers. There was a path in the sea of ??flowers. The path extended to a bamboo building standing in the sea of ??flowers. The bamboo building was very similar to that of the Sky Sect. The Demon Lord hugged him and walked all the way inside. The furnishings inside were also almost identical to Sky Sect. The Demon Lord gently laid him on the bed, drunk. ¡°A splendid and wonderful night.¡± The man smelled his body¡¯s scent and said with some satisfaction. ¡°Tonight, Master is mine.¡± CH 119 Chapter 119 Warmth Demon Realm. Liuming Mountain. Gongs and drums packed the far Demon Palace, and rows of vivid red lanterns enhanced the Demon Realm¡¯s sky. The sound of music, emcee, and blessings pressed on, then gradually hushed. The vermilion silk glided around the Demon Palace, and the night dimmed. Standing on the mountain, Xu Qingyue drew out the long sword he was holding behind him. His eyes were slightly red, and he couldn¡¯t help craving to charge into the massive, black Demon Palace to rescue his old friend. ¡°Don¡¯t be impulsive.¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s muffled voice came from behind. Xu Qingyue turned around and saw Chen Weiyuan pushing his wheelchair unhurriedly over. He was physically mutilated, with an unshaved beard, and in a sorry state. His slender, narrowed eyes peered at the radiant, colorful, distant Demon Palace. The thing he was looking at wasn¡¯t discernable. However, the hand grasping the wheelchair was clenched tightly, and indistinct blood oozed out. ¡°Now that my soul is damaged, although I can barely recover a few points with the spirit pill, I still can¡¯t support it for too long. When the Primordial Demon Refining Array is deployed, it can¡¯t be without you.¡± Chen Weiyuan said hoarsely. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything unnecessary and startle the snake. If you can¡¯t handle it¡­you¡¯ll ruin the grand plan.¡± Xu Qingyue¡¯s eyes flushed, and he said: ¡°Then am I supposed to just watch Daoist Ye suffer this humiliation, insulted and offended by his own disciple?¡± Chen Weiyuan eyed the palace with icy eyes with a marginally distorted expression. In the end, he said, ¡°Qingyue¡­don¡¯t move rashly.¡± ¡°The formation isn¡¯t complete, and the people we have to wait for have not yet arrived. If you go over now, instead of saving Yunlan, you¡¯ll trap yourself inside.¡± Xu Qingyue¡¯s hand holding the sword kept quivering. ¡°So, are we really watching this happen?¡± Chen Weiyuan clenched his teeth and shuddered a bit. He slowly tasted a pinch of blood between his lips and teeth. ¡°Yes,¡± he said with difficulty, ¡°Right now¡­we can only watch.¡± Sky Sect. Wangyun Peak. Standing outside Yuntian Palace, He Lanze watched the thunder and lightning descend in the sky with trepidation. The entire Yuntian Palace was wobbling. This scene lasted for three days and nights. Since the day he came to Yuntian Palace to report on the Demon Palace¡¯s wedding banquet, he began to cross his calamity in the Yuntian Palace, the Lord¡¯s residence. He had never seen such cosmic thunder tribulation in his life. He was worried and irritated in his heart. He was afraid the Sect Master couldn¡¯t successfully overcome the Tribulation and feared he would be too critically wounded after the Tribulation and couldn¡¯t take action. It was the seventh day of September. He Lanze looked to the west, the Demon Realm¡¯s direction. An Immortalization Realm sword cultivator needed ten days to travel from the Eastern Continent to the Demon Realm. It was already too late now. The guilt in his heart escalated. He hated his strength anew. What Senior Brother from Sky Sect, a supreme genius? Time and time again, he couldn¡¯t even protect the ones he loved. Currently, at the Demon Palace. Inside the bamboo building. The red candle on the table burned noiselessly. Every inch of his surroundings made him feel dazed. Ye Yunlan was lying on the bed. His pure-white hair spread like snow, and his vibrant red dress was dazzling and beautiful. He was drunk. The alcohol blushed his cheeks, and his golden eyes were clouded. He was soaked in incense for a few days, and his whole body was as soft as water. The Demon Lord embraced him and leisurely stroked his cheek with his hand like brushing a piece of supple, steaming snow. ¡°We¡¯re married, Master.¡± He said softly. Married. Ye Yunlan felt a little lost at this word. The Demon Lord loved his bewildered expression and compliance. He bowed his head to taste him, those lips glowing with watery luster. Yunlan allowed the kiss dazedly. The Demon Lord¡¯s silhouette reflected in his eyes, and it slowly rippled and shone as if water was about to dribble. The figure of his recollections steadily overlapped with the vague body in front of him. So familiar. Yet so¡­unfamiliar. Where was he? Why¡­was he here? Demon Lord: ¡°What are you thinking?¡± He shook his head, indicating that he wasn¡¯t thinking. Yet, his brows were still mildly frowning, and his cheeks were flushed. Demon Lord: ¡°Master lied to me.¡± At this point, the other party¡¯s blood eyes seemed to exhibit a slight gloomy brilliance, overwhelming the contentment¡¯s initial color. It progressed into hostility and coldness that did not resemble a living person. The pale and slender hand gently strangled his neck. The Demon Lord lowered his head, bit his earlobe, and muttered: ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me.¡± The deep darkness spread over. He was a little out of breath and turned his head subtly, aiming to avoid it. However, the other party clasped his chin with his hand and kissed him deeper, not letting him escape. The candle fire crackled. The inseparable fragrance lingered in the room. He didn¡¯t know whether it was the outside flowers¡¯ fragrance floating in or emitted from the inner room¡¯s depths, but he melted like hot snow. His slender fingers gripped the bedding tightly, then someone held him. His fingers were intertwined and interspersed. The Demon Lord said hoarsely: ¡°Master is so warm.¡± The room¡¯s shadows were like vines coating the window sills, intertwining into a net. It twisted, extended grotesquely, and formed a denser net to restrain his whole body. It made it difficult for him to cower away, and there was nowhere to escape. Warm tears streamed from the ends of his eyes, soaking the white hair on his cheeks. His wedding dress was chucked to the floor, and the pearl hairpin was flung aside. He looked around at the known furnishings. It was as if they were back in the Sky Sect¡¯s bamboo building. It was like being up in the clouds again or the surging sea. The memory started to crack, and a white light detonated in front of him. In the mist, he trembled and said: ¡°Enough¡­¡± The Demon Lord said, ¡°Not enough.¡± He shook his head in tears. The other party bowed his head and kissed his eyelids to remove the tears for him. After that, he couldn¡¯t even make a sound. His voice was so hoarse as if burned by fire. Only the sound of the chains in his ears was rattling. In a trance, many colorful pictures passed through his mind. He seemed to have regressed many years ago to the secret realm¡¯s divine with flying sparks in front of him and heat waves sweeping across his cheeks. He met the boy struggling to climb forward in the sea of ??fire and saw the boy¡¯s resistant eyes. He flew over, attempting to rescue the other party. But suddenly, the other party held him firmly and dragged him into the sea of ??flames. The flames burned and licked his skin and body, wanting to melt him, let him perish in the fire, and become a handful of ashes, so they could be buried together. Buried together. ¡­ It was early morning when he awoke again. Recognized furnishings encompassed him. He blinked in confusion and checked the world outside the window, envisioning flowers and sunshine. But he only saw a large swath of red flowers, drenched like blood. This wasn¡¯t Sky Sect. It¡¯s¡­the Demon Palace. ¡°Master, you¡¯re awake.¡± His body was still encircled, and he heard the Demon Lord¡¯s low voice. He didn¡¯t say anything and just shut his eyes. The Demon Lord asked him gently: ¡°Does Master feel okay?¡± He still didn¡¯t want to talk and kept his eyes closed. He was exhausted. His body had seemingly fallen apart. He was too tired to even lift his fingertips. The Demon Lord: ¡°The work of a human furnace is not just one moment in time. I was beside myself with joy yesterday and forgot. I will restrain myself in the future, so I will not let Master suffer.¡± Approaching his ears, he whispered: ¡°Master¡¯s body is not in the best state and not used to this. You¡¯ll know the joy if you experience it a few more times.¡± No. He didn¡¯t want to know. The Demon Lord asked again: ¡°Is Master feeling hungry?¡± Then he touched his belly. The place was no longer flat but bulged. The Demon Lord murmured with a low laugh, ¡°I forgot, you have eaten your fill and are full of spiritual energy, so you probably won¡¯t be hungry.¡± ¡°Shen Shu.¡± Ye Yunlan abruptly whispered. His voice was extremely hoarse, and he had almost lost his voice. The Demon Lord hugged him harder. ¡°Yes?¡± Ye Yunlan murmured: ¡°I am your¡­Master.¡± The Demon Lord was silent for a while. He held him and smiled. ¡°Did Master forget? The bond contract between you and me has been concluded, and now we are not only master and disciple but also dao companions and husband and wife. We¡¯ll be in the same boat in life and death.¡± ¡­ Bond contract. They were bonded. They had become dao companions. In life and death, they would never be apart. This was the most dignified ceremony in the cultivation world and the most intimate relationship that could be established. To him, it seemed like an absurd and grotesque dream. The things that were never completed in his previous life were actually completed in this life. Seeing that he was silent, the Demon Lord¡¯s arm holding him tensed gradually. He suddenly said: ¡°Since Master hasn¡¯t gotten used to the relationship between us, we will continue to get familiar with it for a while.¡± The darkness converged. The sunlight outside the window was obscured together with the vast sea of ??bright red flowers on the other shore. Ye Yunlan was tugged and plunged into the ghostly shadows again. ¡°They¡¯re starting to get noisy again,¡± said the Demon Lord. ¡°It¡¯s deafening. It only hushes when Master is here. It¡¯s warmer and quieter.¡± He humphed. He couldn¡¯t help but want to escape. He was caught back again with just a few steps out. After that, the barely accumulated strength was spent. The passing time was shattered. He didn¡¯t know how long he had been in the dark. Maybe one day, ten days, or half a month. Later, he became wholly accustomed to the other party¡¯s qi and used to the other party¡¯s spiritual power coursing through his body. His incomplete Nirvana body absorbed the power passed on and unexpectedly produced a satisfying attachment. When the darkness dissipated and daylight entered from the window¡¯s exterior again, he had gone from birth to death, then vice versa, repeatedly for an unknown number of times. Only then did the Demon Lord finally let him go. The other party lifted him up, had his clothes arranged, kissed him on the cheek, and held him to the mirror. ¡°Master may not know how beautiful he looks now.¡± The other party chuckled lightly. He looked at the person in the mirror. The man¡¯s white hair was scattered, his eyes seemed to contain spring water, his cheeks were rosy, his chin was sharp, red marks spread to his neck, and his white shirt was like crumpled snow. The Demon Lord took the wooden comb and leisurely helped him comb his hair. ¡°I never thought I could have a day like this with Master.¡± Ye Yunlan looked blankly. As if falling into a sweet dream. The breath of the person behind him taught him a familiarity and nostalgia that made him want to snuggle. He felt drained. The invisible black chains still bound his limbs, which dragged on the ground and meandered in the darkness. The chain lying at the bottom of his heart was still unsolved. But he was too tired to think about it. He just felt heavy. Many things were pressing on his back, making it difficult for him to breathe. The Demon Lord embraced him from behind. ¡°Why don¡¯t you speak?¡± He said, ¡°Master usually called out so beautifully before. Whatever I told you to say, you would say. But now, why are you so silent?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s thin lips moved subtly, yet no sound came out. Still, no words were verbalized. The redness in the Demon Lord¡¯s eyes slowly deepened. The coldness and hostility that didn¡¯t resemble a living person spread from under his eyes again. It was paranoia and madness. The Demon Lord put down the wooden comb in his hand and walked to him, ¡°Master, look at me,¡± he said. These days, Ye Yunlan was tossed around roughly. His body already had an instinctive reaction, so he looked up at him subconsciously. His golden eyes were soft and empty. The Demon Lord reached out and pinched his sharp jaw. ¡°Tell me, the me standing before you, what am I to you?¡± CH 120 Chapter 120 Reaching the shore The daylight shone into the house. He pinched Ye Yunlan¡¯s chin. His eyelashes were half-closed, and his face was white and flawless, akin to exquisite ceramics. The Demon Lord scrutinized him as if to thoroughly survey his facial expression. Ye Yunlan reacted somewhat sluggishly. Being sluggish was natural. Although the misty scent in the room was innocuous to the body, it would make one tired and weak, and it would be difficult to concentrate and think comfortably. ¡ª¡ªIf one couldn¡¯t think, it would be hard to refuse. In short, a person would become more obedient than average. The incense¡¯s effectiveness was finite. It was only for temporary delight and interim needs. After about an hour or two, one would regain consciousness. It¡¯s just that Ye Yunlan was obviously not clear-headed currently. His eyelashes trembled twice like butterfly wings, and his breath lightly hit the hand of the Demon Lord, who clasped his jaw. After a long time, he said leisurely: ¡°What do you want to hear?¡± The Demon Lord: ¡°I want to hear the answer in your heart.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s words stopped again. The Demon Lord waited patiently. Ye Yunlan slowly said: ¡°You¡¯re¡­my disciple.¡± Demon Lord: ¡°What else?¡± Ye Yunlan was disoriented, ¡°There¡¯s still more?¡± Demon Lord was positive, ¡°There¡¯s still more.¡± Ye Yunlan contemplated and caught a phrase from the blurry dream. He hesitated and asked: ¡°You¡¯re¡­my dao companion?¡± The Demon Lord laughed, and the hostility on his face vanished. He kissed his cheek and said: ¡°You finally said it this time.¡± The Demon Lord helped him walk out the door. The outside air blew on his cheeks, mixed with the morning mist and slightly damp. Ye Yunlan was a little more awake, and the confusion on his face faded narrowly. He emitted a sense of loneliness like the distant mountains and snow. His body rejuvenated, and his golden eyes looked around. He broke away from the Demon Lord, dragging the chains on his limbs, and went before a flower. It was a very, very small flower. It was pure white, incompatible with the surrounding scarlet flowers. It probably dropped onto the ground after a bird brought it over and took root here. Ye Yunlan squatted and reached out to touch it. A drop of dew on the flower rolled to his fingertips, then slowly fell into his palm. The Demon Lord walked over with great interest and watched him fiddle the little flower. Embracing his body from behind, he kissed his earlobe, ¡°Does Master like this kind of flower? If you like it, I can plant some around here in the future.¡± Ye Yunlan said hoarsely: ¡°It may not want to be planted here.¡± The Demon Lord was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°But it¡¯s already here. Once the flower takes root, it will stay here forever and not leave. Spring goes, autumn comes, and flowers bloom and fade. Repeatedly and endlessly.¡± Ye Yunlan paused his fingertips. He stroked the flower¡¯s soft petals, then leisurely slid off its immature rhizome, pinching it. The Demon Lord suddenly held his hand. He said: ¡°The scenery here is monotonous. Let¡¯s go and walk elsewhere, Master.¡± Then, Ye Yunlan was taken away from the sea of ??flowers. The Demon Palace was vast, and many buildings were inside. However, the layout didn¡¯t vary much from his previous life. Plenty was very familiar. It could be seen that even if things were repeated, some would still happen orderly. Just like how he kept admonishing Shen Shu not to fall into the demon dao, but as time passed, Shen Shu still embarked on this path and became the entire Demon Realm¡¯s Demon Lord. Perhaps, he messed up from the start. The wheel of life rolled by. He wanted to hide in a quiet corner to escape, but he was still pushed forward in the end. What he wanted to avoid wouldn¡¯t cease to occur because of his avoidance. This world couldn¡¯t tolerate people¡¯s avoidance. The closest person in his past and present life was in front of him. The other party clasped his fingers together, entangling them tightly. It seemed in this life, he would never let him go again. Just like this, they would walk this path. To the end of heaven and earth; to the end of destruction. Ye Yunlan looked at their clasped hands. For a long time. In the end, he didn¡¯t break away again. He had already calculated his own death, but he was caught off guard and had his life returned. His extended life was aimless, and he still couldn¡¯t see through the fog of the road ahead. It¡¯s just that eventually, he would have to go with this person. Willingly or unwillingly. In fact, there was no difference. The Demon Lord took him to the high pavilion overlooking the Demon Realm¡¯s four fields. The robust wind blew their cheeks. Ye Yunlan¡¯s white hair and clothes fluttered in the wind. The Demon Lord was holding him behind his back, and his black crow¡¯s hair was entwined with his. He turned his head to kiss the side of his neck, lifted his hand, and kissed his pale fingertips. His action was pious and a bit obsessive. Dark shadows surged in the corner of the wall like turbulent waves gushing endlessly. He closed his eyes. A bitter wind was in his ears, and the clamor was undulate. He seemed to be holding a solitary boat, floating in the endless sea of ??time. Staggering, floating up and down in the waves. Suddenly, he was touched by the reef and stranded on the shore. Someone held his hand and forcibly pulled him onto an isolated island. He turned around to look. The waves had swallowed the ferry boat that came, and it was nowhere to be seen. And the chest of the man behind him was burning. The heat entered his heart and soul, wanting to melt him and the other party together. They melted together. CH 121 Chapter 121 Good Dreams Elder Xue was pacing outside the Demon Palace. Beside him, Elder Li looked at his troubled expression and sneered, ¡°I¡¯ve already warned you, don¡¯t brew up little schemes against the Lord, but you won¡¯t listen.¡± Elder Xue said: ¡°If I knew that person wasn¡¯t dead and would be brought back by the Lord to marry with great fanfare, why would I send Chu Lan in to probe? That person returned crazy, didn¡¯t speak, and provoked the Lord. Now, the Lord held me accountable and sent me to deliver the wedding gifts. With the Lord¡¯s remarkable abilities, I¡¯m afraid he long knew Chu Lan¡¯s incident was my doing. If he sees me, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll be slapped to death. Who should I complain to? Elder Li, tell me quickly, how should I apologize to the Lord?¡± Elder Li: ¡°I¡¯ve already said the Lord is erratic. Instead of trying to please the Lord, you might as well meet with the Madam and show your goodwill. With the Lord¡¯s love to the Madam, maybe this matter can be ironed out with a few good words from the Madam.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± Elder Xue murmured, ¡°However, the Lord and his wife haven¡¯t been seen in the Demon Palace for half a month. Can the Lord¡¯s wife bear it?¡± Elder Li: ¡°Tut! Shut up. This is the matter of the Lord and the Lord¡¯s wife. When is it your turn to speak, especially before the Demon Palace Hall? Xue Mingchu, you¡¯ve been in the Demon Realm for so many years already. Please speak carefully. Do you not f*cking understand this at all!¡± After hearing this, Elder Xue looked sheepish. Holding the big red gift, he scowled like an aged chrysanthemum. Elder Li was about to mock him with a couple extra words, but suddenly, he saw the Demon Hall¡¯s gate steadily open. Cold air flooded from it with a slight candied fragrance. He hesitated momentarily and didn¡¯t dare to go closer. However, Elder Xue, who had been waiting for ages, couldn¡¯t rest. He ascended two steps simultaneously like a stupid duck diving into a fire. Elder Li yelled ¡°idiot¡± privately and had to follow him. Through the gap, he could vaguely see the faint candlelight inside. On top of the steps, the Demon Lord sat in a high seat. A white-haired beauty was in his arms. It was the Lord¡¯s wife. The other party¡¯s skin was flawless, his face was lowered, the teardrop mole on his cheek was red, and his white hair was like snow, pouring down the Demon Lord¡¯s body. The Demon Lord¡¯s arm was wrapped around his shoulders, and he held his hand as if writing something. The honeyed scent lingering around their noses turned extra redolent. Elder Li had never seen flowers or incense in the Demon Palace, so he couldn¡¯t help being somewhat uncertain. The Demon Lord¡¯s low voice was audible from the high seat. ¡°You guys stood outside the palace for two days and nights. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Elder Li was startled and sighed that the Demon Lord was indeed powerful. He knew they had been waiting outside the palace hall for two days. Elder Xue¡¯s eyes were still fascinated by the Lord¡¯s lady. It was hard to avert his gaze. The man¡¯s face was like frost and snow, and even in the gloomy hall, it was a thrilling white. Only the cheeks were full of spring and possessed a thin red. His lip color was as bright as vermilion. Even if he didn¡¯t glance at him, the slight tremor in his eyelashes made one¡¯s heart vibrate. He couldn¡¯t help visualizing that person¡¯s utterly emotional state and how he would memorize people. Would the spring water entangle everyone and lure their souls out? A beauty of heaven. If it weren¡¯t for the Demon Lord embracing him and the Demon Lord¡¯s distorted and violent temperament that had left a terrible name in the Demon Realm, he didn¡¯t know how many people would storm forward without concern for their lives to get close to him. It turned out this was¡­a celestial being¡¯s face. Elder Xue felt pain in his left foot. Beside him, Elder Li had harshly stomped on his foot. This step could be described as eminently cruel. Elder Xue almost jumped up and rushed to the top of the Demon Palace. But, his attention returned, and he didn¡¯t dare look at that person again. He felt a smidge of fear and even horror in hindsight. If he dared to offend the Lord¡¯s wife abruptly before the Lord, he wouldn¡¯t dare to picture how he would end up. Elder Li didn¡¯t look at Elder Xue¡¯s face, flushed in pain from when he was stepped on. He stepped forward and said: ¡°I¡¯m respecting the sects to deliver a wedding gift to the Lord. Congratulations to the Lord. Lord and Lord¡¯s wife will always be of one mind and be together for life, never to be separated.¡± The Demon Lord: ¡°Didn¡¯t you give it before the wedding banquet?¡± Elder Li winked at Elder Xue, and Elder Xue hurriedly stepped forward and knelt. Opening the gift box in his hand, he trembled and said: ¡°This Subordinate didn¡¯t know the Lord¡¯s heart had belonged to another and acted without authorization. Now seeing the Lord has a deep affection for the Lord¡¯s wife and treats the wife as a god in this world, he is a worldly treasure incomparable to the fakes. This gift is sent from Subordinate, and I hope the Lord will forgive us for our mistakes. May the Lord and the Lord¡¯s wife be stronger than gold and love like a rock.¡± The precious light in the gift box was shining, indicating much work had been put in. However, cold sweat dripped from Elder Xue¡¯s forehead. The Demon Lord¡¯s temperament was twisted and violent, something the entire Demon Realm knew. He felt a marginal coolness in his neck, his life and death hanging at this moment. The person in the seat suddenly let out a low laugh. He seemed to be in a great mood. But it was not for him. ¡°Master wrote it wrong again.¡± The Demon Lord held Ye Yunlan¡¯s wrist, then changed the ¡°he¡± on the white paper to ¡°he.¡± *Different words with the same pronunciation. ¡°Midday, the afternoon declines, and the moon is full. The yin and yang are divided into two, and they go back and forth.¡± He said slowly, ¡°Master, do you remember this time?¡± Ye Yunlan leaned in his arms, and his body softened. The hand holding the brush quivered weakly, and he could only reluctantly write the next few words after the Demon Lord held him. Elder Li and Elder Xue in the seat stared at their noses, and their noses stared at their hearts. They just pretended they didn¡¯t hear them. Ye Yunlan stopped again. ¡°What¡¯s next?¡± The Demon Lord held him. He let out a low and hoarse laugh, ¡°I obviously have read the Dharma Tactics to Master several times before, and I personally demonstrated it. How can Master not remember it?¡± How could he recall it in this situation? What¡¯s more, the aura of two strangers outside the hall door was shining in his perception. One was moving non-stop, and who knew at what point they would push the hall door and come in. He had exhausted his strength to hold back his voice, but his body trembled more sensitively in this situation. The sound in his ears was thick, and it was already not bad to be able to write down the words he heard. Lustrous water stains were still at the table¡¯s corner. He still remembered his left waist had bumped there. He felt sore and numb when he had been pushed and bumped against the table¡¯s corner. ¡°Stop before you go too far,¡± he whispered. The Demon Lord, seeing his face was thin and red and his angry appearance, rubbed his wrist lovingly and decided not to tease him for the time being. When the bloody eyes peered down at the two kneeling and shaking people, the trivial gentle glint in his eyes turned into hostility and indifference. Normally, if one dared to guess his own mind and sent obtrusive things to the Demon Palace, it was already enough for the fool named Xue to lose a hundred lives. But today, he was still in a good mood. The stupid man¡¯s remarks were still in line with his liking. So he casually said. ¡°Lay down the gift. Say what you want as a reward.¡± Elder Xue said, wavering: ¡°I don¡¯t dare to ask for a reward, I only wish for the Lord and his wife to have a happy life, harmonious and joyful.¡± The Demon Lord smiled. ¡°But it seems to me that Elder Xue seemed very concerned about the personnel in the Demon Palace. You want to solve the problems for this Lord, don¡¯t you?¡± Elder Xue perspired. ¡°Lord, please forgive this one¡¯s sins. This Subordinate¡­don¡¯t dare anymore.¡± The Demon Lord waved his hand lazily. Potent wind passed by. Elder Xue had been sent out of the Demon Palace, and a mouthful of blood was suddenly spat out. The Demon Lord¡¯s faint voice sounded in his ears. ¡°Since you want to solve problems for this Lord, this Lord will naturally not dissatisfy you. It just so happens the Lord¡¯s palace lacks a sweeper, so tomorrow, you will come over to run this errand.¡± His voice fell, and Elder Li was also swept out. Seeing the Demon Palace¡¯s gate slowly close, Elder Li glanced sympathetically at Elder Xue, who was vomiting blood. He consoled: ¡°The Lord asked you to come to the Demon Palace to sweep the floor. He is already forgiving you.¡± He stood up and patted his shoulder. ¡°Work hard in the future. I¡¯ll go back to help you report to the Lord. In the future, you will still be a Sect Elder. You won¡¯t be considered as losing your name if you say you¡¯re holding two positions in the Demon Palace.¡± Elder Xue wanted to cry. And in the Demon Palace. Ye Yunlan was being held in the embrace of the Demon Lord, smoothing his hair. His white hair wasn¡¯t as smooth as silk and satin like his black hair before. Perhaps it was caused by his spirit¡¯s exhaustion, and his death also killed and dulled his hair. Thus, it was often knotted with the Demon Lord¡¯s hair, especially after moisture exposure. The Demon Lord hugged him and untied the knots one by one. The darkness surging around had calmed down plenty at this moment. It was no longer as fierce and chaotic as before. The Demon Lord untied it leisurely. Based on previous experience, it would take an hour or two. And soon, it would be messed up again. But this person was still happy and didn¡¯t get tired of doing it. Ye Yunlan felt a sense of sleepiness, so he leaned in his arms and found a suitable position when this person had a rare pause. He curled up and closed his eyes. Because he was too tired, he soon fell into a dream. The Demon Lord looked at his peacefully sleeping face. He still patiently combed through his knotted white hair. The paranoia and craziness in his eyes seemed significantly lessened at this moment, showing a bit of tenderness. After smoothing his hair, Ye Yunlan was still not awake. The Demon Lord lowered his head and touched his eyelashes with his fingers. Then, he gently dropped a kiss on his eyelids. ¡°Good dreams, Master.¡± CH 122 Chapter 122 Obsession The scorching sun was glaring high. Elder Xue felt he was already a useless person. Although he knew the Demon Lord might not have utterly quelled his anger and hated strangers wandering around the Demon Palace, Elder Xue didn¡¯t think there wouldn¡¯t even be a shadow in sight in such an immense Demon Palace. The beautiful concubines in the Demon Palace the outside world had envisioned didn¡¯t exist. Meanwhile, even the maids were all dressed strictly. They had to shroud their faces with black gauze, so one couldn¡¯t tell whether they were people or ghosts. Because of cultivation techniques, demon cultivators primarily indulged in their desires, while ones like the Demon Lord were so rare that they were almost like a white swan emerging from a group of black ducks in a quagmire. However, the Demon Lord wasn¡¯t a white swan. When he raised his wings to flap, they were probably even darker than the world¡¯s darkest crow. And a slap could slap the black ducks into the quagmire, spawning corpses all over the field. Just like Elder Xue now. Few people were in the Demon Palace, so as one could presume, many places required cleaning. But Elder Xue was initially unaware. Elder Xue was wretched while sweeping from the front of the Demon Palace¡¯s main hall to the winding corridor in the back, then from the dozens of interior palace buildings to the rear garden. He was an Immortalization demon cultivator. He wasn¡¯t a great power everywhere, but to fall to this point? Whenever he thought of this, he couldn¡¯t wait to go back and drown the self who had come up with the poor idea from the beginning. And sweeping the floor wasn¡¯t the most grudging task. The most grudging thing was that in the Demon Palace, he didn¡¯t know when he would see scenes that shouldn¡¯t be seen and spot some people he shouldn¡¯t see. For example, when he swept the floor and was sweating profusely two days ago, he saw smoke coming out of the dining room. He happened to be gluttonous, so he wanted to enter and see what was there to eat. He thought the dining room was a place for cooking, and the black-veiled maids should make the meals. Maybe he could make friends to better pass the time as he ran errands in the Demon Palace. Elder Xue walked in, jubilant. Then, he saw¡­the Demon Lord standing before the smoking stove with his sleeves rolled up. The Demon Lord glanced over with a smile that wasn¡¯t yet like a smile. His face appeared vaguely languid, terrifically handsome. Nevertheless, his eyes were bloody and teeming with antagonism, as if there was a sea of ??blood and remains. Consequently, most people ignored his striking face, only sensing trepidation and terror. Elder Xue felt as if he was already a corpse. His voice stammered, ¡°Subordinate didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t¡­ know the Lord was here. I didn¡¯t intend to offend. I¡­I will leave at once.¡± He turned around, wanting to escape to the outside. However, the dining room door swiftly slammed shut in front of him. ¡°Why are you in a hurry?¡± the Demon Lord¡¯s inattentive voice came from behind him, ¡°Just perfect. Come over and taste the cakes this Lord made.¡± The Demon Lord handmade the cakes and asked him to taste them? Elder Xue felt the whole world wasn¡¯t real anymore and didn¡¯t feel flattered. Both his legs were shaking, deliberating if the Demon Lord had developed a new poison and wanted to try it on him first. But he had to turn back and go over. The Demon Lord¡¯s hand knocked on the side of the stove, and a dish of cakes was indeed there. A few light green pastries were placed on a white plate, sprinkled with many apricot blossoms. They looked¡­good. The Demon Lord made this¡­apricot blossom mung bean cake? Cautiously, Elder Xue moved, took a piece, placed it into his mouth, and bit. His face transformed from white to green. Too sweet. It was so sweet as if he poured two catties of sugar in it, and the apricot blossoms¡¯ aroma was downright overwhelming. Bitterness appeared to follow the sweetness, aching his teeth. However, Elder Xue could only swallow the apricot blossom cake wordlessly in the Demon Lord¡¯s presence. The Demon Lord was engrossed, ¡°How is it?¡± Elder Xue¡¯s expression was marginally distorted, ¡°It, it¡¯s okay¡­ No, it¡¯s delicious, it¡¯s so delicious. The Lord¡¯s craftsmanship is truly the best in the world!¡± The Demon Lord said casually: ¡°Tell the truth.¡± Elder Xue swallowed hard and hesitated a little. He couldn¡¯t deduce the Demon Lord¡¯s thoughts. Speaking of which, was such a sugary pastry truly something humans could make? Was something awry with the Demon Lord¡¯s sense of taste? Facing the Demon Lord¡¯s blood-red, icy eyes, Elder Xue trembled and said: ¡°It¡¯s a bit¡­a bit too sweet.¡± After hearing this, the Demon Lord wasn¡¯t irate. He nodded and asked him: ¡°How is the color?¡± Elder Xue began to be skeptical. The pastry¡¯s color? Couldn¡¯t the Demon Lord see by himself? Could it be that his pair of bloody eyes were just for display? Of course, he didn¡¯t dare to verbalize this thought of his. He didn¡¯t even dare seek to infer the Demon Lord¡¯s intentions because of his previous lesson. He shivered and said frankly: ¡°The color is emerald green, very beautiful.¡± The Demon Lord said ¡°en,¡± but his face wasn¡¯t content. Elder Xue thought the Demon Lord would dismiss him now, but then he heard the Demon Lord¡¯s faint voice, ¡°You don¡¯t need to sweep the Demon Palace¡¯s land for the time being. Just stay here and taste the Lord¡¯s craftsmanship. Consider this as your reward for your hard work all day.¡± Elder Xue: ¡°¡­¡± Therefore, he had to stay in the dining room and eat cakes for a day. In the end, his mouth was numb. The flavor of the pastries the Demon Lord created was indescribable. It was either too intense or tasteless. He witnessed the Demon Lord progressively increase and decrease from two tablespoons of sugar, asking him to taste it every time he made the finished product. He also had to heedfully divulge his feelings. As if he was teasing him. However, Elder Xue didn¡¯t dare to say much. Until the Demon Lord finally brought out a plate of delicious apricot blossom cakes. Elder Xue¡¯s stomach was already round, and he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. He couldn¡¯t help but look at the plate of pastries in horror. The Demon Lord appeared in a pleasant mood, even smiling at him. He didn¡¯t pass over the plate of pastries, being exceptionally kind. ¡°Since you¡¯re full, go back to work.¡± Elder Xue breathed a sigh of relief, feeling he had a new lease on life. It was already evening. The garden in the Demon Palace¡¯s back hall was vast. Elder Xue stood in the lonely autumn breeze, sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground in solitude. It wasn¡¯t until the moon was at the top of the head that he was halfway done. He swept to a remote place, his eyes focused suddenly, and he could discern a green lotus pond in the garden¡¯s depths through the trees¡¯ shadows. A stone pavilion was in the lotus pond. There were two people. It was the Lord and his wife. The Lord¡¯s wife was still in a white outfit with white hair like snow draped softly on his body, and his silver eyelashes hung down. The Demon Lord had the plate of apricot blossom cake beside him, talking to him with his head resting horizontally. He sometimes picked up a piece of apricot blossom cake and fed it to his wife. The Lord¡¯s wife ate very slowly, and the Demon Lord confined him in his arms to prevent him from raising his hand to pick up the apricot blossom cake. Thus, the Lord¡¯s wife could only eat unhurriedly with the Demon Lord¡¯s hand. His silver eyelashes trembled gently like a fan. It made a person¡¯s heart feel like it would melt. After eating a good portion of apricot blossom cake for a long time, the Lord¡¯s wife bit the last bit in her mouth, and the Demon Lord leaned forward to steal it. The Demon Lord blocked the Madam¡¯s lips, and a smidge of crimson was on his cheeks. The Demon Lord was overly naughty. Don¡¯t even mention him robbing the apricot blossom cake from his wife, plundering the bejeweled nectar in his mouth? Crystal liquid slipped along the corners of his wife¡¯s lips, dangling at the end of his eyes. The Demon Lord licked it away inch by inch. In a short while, a large, shiny swath of moisture was licked onto the snow-white cheeks of the Lord¡¯s wife. He turned his face to avoid him, but the Demon Lord seized his slender, fair neck. The Lord¡¯s wife seemed to want to get up, but the Demon Lord¡¯s arm held him rigidly. The Demon Lord leaned his head against his wife¡¯s neck and briskly bit crimson teeth marks on it. The Lord¡¯s wife shuddered, struggling. But even then, he couldn¡¯t budge. Although this description was a bit offensive. But Elder Xue kept believing the Demon Lord was verily like a mad dog before his wife. The long-starving and never-satisfied type. The Demon Lord seemed unable to get full by eating. It seemed gnawing on his neck wasn¡¯t enough to gratify him. He picked up his wife and placed him on the stone table. The Lord¡¯s wife was very soft, lying on the stone table like a handful of melting early spring snow, white hair spread along the edge of the table. Elder Xue suddenly realized the following scene might not be something he could continue to watch. However, it was hard to avert his gaze from the whiteness of the night. Such pure whiteness was enough to drive cultivators fighting in the dark all year round deranged. Suddenly, a leaf flew past his neck. The warm blood and sharp pain made him finally come back to his senses. He touched the wound that almost cut off his neck. Elder Xue swallowed hard. He stood in the wind, and killing intent was seemingly there. He hurriedly threw down his broom and ran wildly. He startled the birds in the woods. Elder Xue finally registered that this errand wasn¡¯t good. However, the apricot cake was only the beginning. Even though he usually intentionally avoided the dining room, the Demon Lord¡¯s methods were beyond his imagination. The entire Demon Palace was like a human-devouring beast, able to confuse people¡¯s minds. Often, he swept and swept and would unknowingly walk to the dining room. The Lord always washed his hands to cook for his wife. Not only pastries, but also many dishes. What else could Elder Xue do? He could only contribute to the harmony of the Lord and the Lord¡¯s wife for a hundred years, swallowing all the different flavors and being the icing on the cake for the Lord and his wife¡¯s love. Whenever he wanted to cry without tears, Elder Xue couldn¡¯t help wishing to return to the start again and drown the self who had come up with the poor idea. He was truly a fool at the beginning. Truly. £ª The Library. Dust floated in the air, and the dappled sunlight penetrated the window and fell on Ye Yunlan¡¯s white cheeks. He was reading a book. The chain on his wrist softly rang as he flipped through the book. The chain dropped to the ground, sinking into the corner¡¯s shadows. The chains on his limbs had never been taken off since the Demon Lord put them on for him. Others couldn¡¯t see the existence of chains, but the weighty sensation was not an illusion. Normally, these chains wouldn¡¯t confine him from walking around the Demon Palace. These chains would only pull him in when he desired to exit the Demon Palace, educating him not to. He didn¡¯t know where the end of the chain was. He should be led by the Demon Lord¡¯s hands. He once said to the Demon Lord that he felt the Demon Lord was being excessive. And the chains were hefty, and he didn¡¯t like it. However, the Demon Lord still stubbornly believed he would escape if the chains were unsealed. He said no. The Demon Lord insisted he would. Facts have proved it made no sense to reason with a lunatic. And after speaking, he would be tossed around even harder. After several times, Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t bother to talk about it. He didn¡¯t have much energy and didn¡¯t want to spend every day doing bed activities. He still needed to think about many things. Even if it took effort, he had to think. For example, the Change Sentiment Curse. This curse had been in him for more than two hundred years. His desire and love had been mutilated for two hundred plus years. He had used his own obsession to piece together his understanding. He could distinguish the difference between Chen Weiyuan and the Demon Lord in his mind, but he couldn¡¯t differentiate his feelings about the Demon Lord in his past life and the Demon Lord in this life. If he could unlock the Change Sentiment Curse, perhaps he would discover his true heart. He had been thinking about this. However, the way to unlock the Change Sentiment Curse, according to the records found in the Fukong temple in his previous life, was to get the blood of the person he had loved. But the Change Sentiment Curse had made him completely forget his memory of that person. He didn¡¯t know who that person was. And Chen Weiyuan said that that person was Ling Er. Ling Er. He whispered the name in his heart for a moment, vaguely feeling a touch of familiarity. But still couldn¡¯t think of it at all. If he hadn¡¯t guessed wrong, when Chen Weiyuan gave him the Change Sentiment Curse in his previous life, he shouldn¡¯t be far from being expelled from Sky Sect. The person Chen Weiyuan mentioned might be a Sky Sect disciple. Did he need to look for Sky Sect disciples he had never seen in his previous life¡¯s memory? But in the past and present, he only saw one person in his previous life with their name containing ¡®Ling Er.¡¯ Yin Ling. Back then, Senior Sister Yin had enthusiastically pursued him in the sect. Ye Yunlan stroked the scroll in his hand, remembering the woman who was always brightly dressed in red and full of vigor. He had no feelings for Yin Ling. Long ago, he had wholly rejected the other party. But perhaps, it was also because of the Change Sentiment Curse removing his love and desires. He couldn¡¯t be sure. But to lift the Change Sentiment Curse, he needed to drink the blood of the other party¡¯s heart. The heart was where the life core of a cultivator is. If the life core was opened, you would be seriously injured, if not dead. No cultivator would be willing to cut their heart open. Ye Yunlan would never force others to do this. Furthermore, he hadn¡¯t yet determined whether Yin Ling was that person. So this method wouldn¡¯t work. Ye Yunlan lowered his long eyelashes silently, looking at the scroll in his hand. The words on the scroll fell into his eyes. The sun shone on his face, and his snow-white cheeks were like a low-hanging orchid, making one feel calm and peaceful. When the Demon Lord walked into the library of books, he saw this appearance. The constant hostility in his chest cavity because of not seeing Ye Yunlan for several hours calmed down somewhat, and the lingering cries and laughter seemed to weaken a lot. For more than 30 years, the voices surrounding him had never stopped. The world was like a prison. He could only find a little space to rest by Ye Yunlan¡¯s side. Thus, he involuntarily walked over and hugged the person in his arms. ¡°What¡¯s Master looking at?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingers paused while turning over the book, his fingertips resting on the scroll. A few lines were printed on the scroll¡ªSilence, no silence. How can desire be born? If the desire isn¡¯t birthed, it¡¯s true silence. Real things, genuine characters, always coping, forever quiet, always peaceful¡­ ¡°Peace scripture. Why is Master reading this?¡± The Demon Lord said with a low laugh, ¡°Was Master thinking we¡¯ve been too indulgent with our desires these days? But Master clearly enjoyed it. Moreover, we¡¯re also not indulgent, but cultivating. This is a matter of cultivation, so how can we count it like that? Naturally, the more, the better.¡± This was a preposterous argument. It was done abundantly between them these days, but it wasn¡¯t cultivation every time. The Demon Lord didn¡¯t concentrate on channeling the exercises every time, and his body might not be able to withstand too many spiritual irrigations. More often, he was just forced to immerse himself in joy. Ye Yunlan wanted to break away from him, but a shadow entangled around his feet, sinking into his ankle and calf. His body was made extremely sensitive to Demon Lord¡¯s qi these days. Additionally, his body was a furnace physique, so it was more sensitive and soft than ordinary people¡¯s. Hence, he could feel more joy and indulge more easily. His movements had been indifferent just because his temperament was of few desires. Only the Demon Lord didn¡¯t care about it, opening his box repeatedly. The Demon Lord walked from behind him to his front, leaned over, and kissed his lips. The base of his legs quaked faintly. The Demon Lord laughed and said in a low voice, ¡°Why is Master wet?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. The Demon Lord laughed extra happily, and the shadows were frantic and chaotic. After a long while, Ye Yunlan raised his hand, grabbed the Demon Lord¡¯s jacket, and said to him that it was enough. The Demon Lord wrapped around his shoulders, and the two fell into the shadows together. The fragrance of ink pervaded the library. A few strands of Ye Yunlan¡¯s long hair fell on the bookshelf. The bookshelf was swaying slightly, and suddenly, a few yellowed books fell and produced a noise. But no one picked it up. After a while, a subtle sweet smell began to mingle. The Demon Lord said: ¡°Master is so fragrant.¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes. He felt the warm spiritual power wash over his body very gently. In fact, every time the Demon Lord performed his exercises these days, he was more restrained and tender than last. The Demon Lord was seemingly regaining his sanity bit by bit. When the exercises were completed, the Demon Lord held him, sat him on the wicker chair by the window, lowered his head, and tenderly kissed the tears on his eyelashes. He combed his knotted hair again. ¡°Since many years ago, the world in my eyes had been blood-red. Moonlight, swords, and human beings were blood-red.¡± The Demon Lord looked satisfied and stared at him obsessively, ¡°I¡¯ve already completely forgotten what the original world looked like, but I still remember what Master looked like.¡± He lowered his head and kissed Ye Yunlan¡¯s hair in his hand. ¡°Fortunately, Master hasn¡¯t changed at all. CH 123 Chapter 123 Enlightenment The library was quiet. The wind outside the window was also tranquil. The Demon Lord hugged Ye Yunlan on the wicker chair, kissing his hair. His eyes were half-shut, his whole person was soft as spring water, and the exposed skin looked rouge-dyed, exhibiting a rosy red. Night had fallen presently. Cold moonlight shone into the library, soaking his profile, and his eyelashes formed deep shadows. He allowed the Demon Lord to play with his white hair, then suddenly said: ¡°Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body technique, how much have you practiced it?¡± Demon Lord: ¡°Immortalization, long ago.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°A celestial demon¡¯s body differentiates itself when leaving the mortal body and promoting to Transcendence. How many of the five tones, colors, and flavors do you have left?¡± The Demon Lord said leisurely: ¡°I can still hear, see, and taste.¡± It¡¯s just what I hear, the world I see, and the flavors I taste are already different from ordinary people¡¯s. Ordinary people could hear birds and insects, but his ears were roaring and screaming with grieving ghosts. Ordinary people could see all the colors of spring, but his world was only a thick red. He walked into the bloody purgatory with boundless shadows following him. Ordinary people could taste the sour, sweet, bitter, and spicy, but dryness alone was in his mouth. He could only perceive the sweet taste of flesh and blood. But these had nothing to do with him. Ye Yunlan alone was enough in his world. For the appearance of all other items, he didn¡¯t care about those. He also didn¡¯t want to see, listen, or taste. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment, then said, ¡°Don¡¯t cultivate it again.¡± The Demon Lord had eaten his fill just now, so he wasn¡¯t angry. He just kissed his profile and asked: ¡°Why?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The demons dao does not belong to this world. Cultivating to Transcendence is already at its peak. If you want to break through it, you have to touch the world¡¯s laws, attract heaven¡¯s fear, and suffer devastating consequences.¡± The Demon Lord laughed and said, ¡°Master, my relatives imprisoned me in the cellar because of the difference between me and ordinary people since my birth. They wanted to starve me to death. Later, the Devouring Soul Sect disciples took me back and wanted to refine me into a demon puppet, so they threw me into the Ten Thousand Snake Cave, wanting me to be swallowed up by a poisonous snake and die. I escaped, but Liu Qing took me. He dragged me back and brought me to Sky Sect. He and those disciples treated me like a dog, trying to tame my physical body and annihilate my consciousness. When Liu Qing went crazy, his remaining disciples also tried to plot my death.¡± He paused, and his slender fingers continued to help Ye Yunlan straighten out his hair deftly. ¡°Later, after Master left, I entered the Demon Abyss,¡± he continued. ¡°Many monsters were in the Demon Abyss. They were all starved crazily. At that time, I was still a living person, weak. In their eyes, something delicious. They came in swarms, fighting to bite my flesh and blood and devour me. They invaded my soul. They all wanted me to die. But I didn¡¯t die in the end.¡± He laughed again, ¡°I swallowed them all clean and crawled out.¡± ¡°Master, look, many people want my demise, but they couldn¡¯t stop me in the end.¡± Although he laughed, his words were full of madness and hostility, ¡°No one can stop me. Heaven can¡¯t.¡± Ye Yunlan leaned in his arms and listened, then raised his hand to grasp the Demon Lord¡¯s wrist suddenly. The sound of delicate chains shook with his movements. He was clearly a prisoner, but his expression still carried the coldness of standing high above everyone. He raised his eyes to look at the Demon Lord, his golden eyes reflecting the other party distinctly. ¡°Then, what about me? Can I stop you?¡± he asked. The Demon Lord¡¯s hand stopped in Ye Yunlan¡¯s palm, and the winding and chaotic shadows around him lulled simultaneously. He looked down at his master in his arms and was silent for a long time. Within his gloomy expression, a relaxed expression slowly emerged. He leaned forward and touched the other party¡¯s forehead with his forehead. He whispered: ¡°How does Master want to stop me?¡± Ye Yunlan raised his hand to clasp his chin and stared at him quietly. The Demon Lord didn¡¯t resist. A thin red appeared on his handsome face, and his hot breath sprayed on Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks. At this moment, he seemed to have changed back to the boy who watched his master with enthusiasm. Ye Yunlan raised his head and gently kissed the Demon Lord¡¯s lips. Like the breeze blowing, a vestige of the past. Abruptly, it passed by and disappeared. The Demon Lord holding his hand trembled. The static shadows suddenly went crazy and twisted and danced. Those shadows climbed onto Ye Yunlan¡¯s white clothes and entangled his long white hair, trying to snuggle tightly with him. The Demon Lord¡¯s eyes have turned bright red. He turned passive to active. He bit Ye Yunlan¡¯s lips eagerly and fiercely, kissing the person in embrace until his chest rose sharply. Then he said hoarsely: ¡°Master, did you want to tell me that you want to feed the demon with your body just now?¡± Ye Yunlan took a hard breath and didn¡¯t answer his question but intermittently continued: ¡°Your demonic body is unstable. You can¡¯t¡­keep helping me with the furnace method.¡± The Demon Lord inquired: ¡°Then what does Master what?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°The sun and the moon are surging, and the yin and yang are in harmony. The road of dual cultivation is for¡­coexistence.¡± Together, coexistence existed. Yin and yang engender one another, the sun and the moon rotate, and the lack of one side would be filled by the other side to complete a perfect circle. This would go back and forth evermore. This was the true essence of dual cultivation. The Demon Lord suddenly hugged him tightly, tasted his lips, licked the ends of his eyes and cheeks soggy. His five fingers interspersed into the Demon Lord¡¯s hair, and he raised his face for him to taste. After a long while, the Demon Lord picked him up, carried him all the way back to the bamboo building, and placed him on the soft bed. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body wasn¡¯t very strong. But he still held up his body. The long snow-white hair ran along his shoulders like cold moonlight. It reflected his icy face like he was the god of the moon palace. The Demon Lord looked at him fascinatedly and whispered. ¡°¡­ Senior Immortal.¡± Ye Yunlan quivered suddenly. The Demon Lord: ¡°Senior Immortal fell to the mortal world to enlighten me and prevent me from continuing to enter the demonic dao?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him wordlessly. Then, he leaned his body close. His slender fingertips touched the center of his brows. The brilliant golden eyes seemed to have no sorrow or joy with an unspeakable nostalgia hidden within. He asked softly: ¡°My Lord, would you like me to enlighten you?¡± CH 124 Chapter 124 Pureland (usually refers to Amitabha Buddha¡¯s Western Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss) The night was like water. Bamboo House. The slender fingertips touched the center of his eyebrows. But it seemed to pinch his neck and press against the tip of his heart. He couldn¡¯t move. He couldn¡¯t even think. ¡°I hope¡­Senior Immortal can enlighten me,¡± the Demon Lord said hoarsely. He raised his head slightly and piously stamped a kiss on the other¡¯s fingertips. The other party didn¡¯t speak, but he unhurriedly stroked the back of his head with his other shackled hand and gently pressed him into his arms. He smelled a cold fragrance. It floated on the end of his nose like moonlight, resembling ice and snow, akin to the snow flower he held in his palm many years ago. The fragrance formed an invisible net, completely cocooning him. It taught him to fall into an inescapable whirlpool. Why was it so? The Demon Lord couldn¡¯t understand. Obviously, he wasn¡¯t the one incarcerated, nor the one clinking the chains with his limbs¡¯ movements. But in those sounds, a silk thread seemed to entangle over every inch of his flesh and blood. His blood was rushing, and his ferocious bestial nature taught him he couldn¡¯t help desiring to turn over, seize that prey¡¯s neck, and bite it. But, the ups and downs of warmth he recalled fondly allowed his lingering shred of humanity to survive. He was greedy for this warmth and craved more. The moonlight shone down. Ye Yunlan¡¯s pure white hair poured down like snow on the Demon Lord¡¯s chest. He bowed his head to kiss the Demon Lord¡¯s handsome face. However, such a move seemed somewhat strenuous for him. His eyebrows gently frowned as if implicating something. Water condensed in the golden eyes as if the liquid was about to drip onto the Demon Lord¡¯s cheeks. He asked the Demon Lord: ¡°How is it?¡± The Demon Lord looked at his face piously and obsessively: ¡°Very¡­very good.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You forgot to operate the exercises.¡± The Demon Lord: ¡°I¡­forgot?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You forgot.¡± Ye Yunlan looked a smidge tired when he spoke. He was already exhausted. So the movements temporarily stopped. The water-like moonlight outside the window immersed his thin back, and the wind blew his shoulders and white hair, some of which brushed the Demon Lord¡¯s cheek. The Demon Lord murmured: ¡°Senior Immortal¡­it¡¯s so quiet.¡± The noise of wailing and crying in his ears had ceased. The undulating shadows around him have stopped dancing, dormant on the side. He seldom heard the bugs chirp outside the window. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Really?¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s red eyes brimmed with obsession. He said: ¡°It seems like I can gradually see some colors. Only the colors on Master¡¯s body.¡± Ye Yunlan breathed a sigh of relief and repeated: ¡°¡­ Really?¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s face expressed marginal confusion. ¡°Why is Master¡¯s hair all¡­white? And Master¡¯s eyes¡­¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer. It¡¯s just that the chain on his body produced a delicate sound again, and the exercises injected the warm spiritual power into the Demon Lord¡¯s body. His movements were slow and difficult. Tears hung in the golden pupils looking down at the Demon Lord, and the Demon Lord couldn¡¯t see or distinguish some things. He was shaken to the core. The warm current flushed away the abounding hostility entwined in his chest and his broken, blood-red world. The land full of blood and corpses unexpectedly gave birth to a pure white flower. He had a pure land that belonged to him alone. And he felt a rare warmth and tranquility in the pure land. Finally, the inextricable madness and obsession accumulated for 30+ years seemingly found its source. The disorganized brain scarcely regained the ability to think soberly in the warm current¡¯s turmoil. So he obsessively rolled around in this pure land, reluctant to leave for a long time and even wanting to encroach on more land to absorb additional warmth. But suddenly, he felt hot tears dripping onto his cheeks. When he opened his eyes, he saw white hair like frost and flowing moonlight. His master lay down on his chest, fatigued, like soft spring snow spreading out. The heavy chains were handcuffed to his limbs, and a dazzling red was worn on his wrist bones. The Demon Lord was momentarily stunned. Suddenly, he raised his hand and hugged this handful of snow heedfully into his arms as if embracing his most cherished treasure on the verge of breaking. He unfastened the chains on the other¡¯s limbs and kissed the other¡¯s pale cheek again, whispering: ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± CH 125 Chapter 125 Beacon Ye Yunlan was held by the Demon Lord, listening to the other party talking in his ear. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± A slight hoarse, nasal sound was in the other¡¯s voice. Ye Yunlan was exhausted. Most of the qi in his meridians in his body had flowed into the Demon Lord¡¯s body, making him too drained to even lift a finger. It was even harder to reply to the Demon Lord¡¯s words. The Demon Lord leaned over, kissed his lips carefully, and fed him a sip of the spiritual liquid that replenished his spiritual energy. Some blurry lights were in those bloody eyes, resembling the bloody sky after being washed by rain. He was also akin to a traveler who saw the light in the long night, much better than his previous appearance brimming with hostile corpses. The other party rubbed his red-scarred wrist, courtesy of the chain, to spread the clotted blood present. Then he hugged him again, sending spiritual power back into his body one portion after another. This time, the other party remembered to use the exercises. Yin and yang engendered each other, and the cycle went back and forth. Ye Yunlan felt that his fatigue was palliated a bit. He breathed a sigh of relief, raised his hand strenuously, and stroked the Demon Lord¡¯s face. The man¡¯s face no longer held the childishness of his youth, but right now, he could still vaguely spot the stubbornness and innocence of his early years. His facial features were beautiful and mature. They were not much different from the face under the Demon Lord¡¯s mask he once imagined. They were the same person. Although they had different experiences, both walked up to him and into his silent world. With warm spiritual energy poured into his meridians, Ye Yunlan felt as if he was immersed in hot spring water. His whole person was soft and loose like water. Sweat dripped from his forehead. His golden eyes burst into gleaming lights. He said: ¡°¡­ Enough.¡± However, the Demon Lord did not stop running the exercises and instead clung to him stubbornly: ¡°Master¡¯s body is inherently weak and has sacrificed a lot for me. I just want to help Master to replenish more, so you and I can achieve satisfactory results.¡± ¡°Master has run the exercises for one round, and now¡­we need at least ten more rounds.¡± Ye Yunlan closed his eyes. His eyelashes were trembling lightly, and he cursed in a low voice: ¡°Madman.¡± But the Demon Lord said hoarsely: ¡°Senior Immortal has saved me with his mortal body, and now I only wish to serve Senior Immortal for a long time, laboring like a dog.¡± His eyes were obsessive and devout. Ye Yunlan panted, already speechless. If all the attendants under immortals were like him, and these celestial beings had to withstand being chased by a mad dog every day, one would fear the dog being stewed and slaughtered to diminish the hatred in their hearts. That was the mad dog he had personally raised into an adult so he could be¡­this presumptuous before his eyes. He raised his hand to cover his eyes. The Demon Lord leaned close and sniffed his hair¡¯s fragrance. He seemed a bit crazy. The mad dog started licking his cheek again, his wet breath gushing around his neck. He instinctively wanted to turn his face to avoid it, but he didn¡¯t have much strength in his hands and feet, and he could only be held back by him. After some time, the Demon Lord¡¯s state alternated between being awake and mad. When he was awake, he hugged him and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± When he was mad, he licked him like a mad dog. It¡¯s just that now he remembered to run the exercises and to be reminded again. The young man he saved at the time had been shattered and fragmented in these 30 years. The Demon Lord could no longer remember the original appearance of the world, nor could he remember his initial appearance. But Ye Yunlan still remembered. He hesitated for a long time, then finally reached out and hugged the remaining fragments of the other party, trying to piece him together. It might succeed. Perhaps it would never return to the past. But they still had a long time to come. ¡­¡­ Eastern Continent, Sky Sect. He Lanze was processing the letter. Since Yin Ling contacted the various factions of the Daoist Sects in his name, the letters have been sent over like snowflakes. In the past 30 years, the Daoist Sects had a visible, deep grievance against the Demon Realm. He Lanze frowned and raised his head and looked at the window sporadically. He looked at the dark clouds above Wangyun Peak. They had been there for a month without clearing up. This was peculiar. Qiyun Jun had been severely injured when he passed through his transcendence catastrophe and disappeared for three years. And this time¡¯s heavenly tribulation seemed even more immense than that mortal heavenly tribulation. Whether Qiyun Jun could survive was unknown. He Lanze had some ominous feelings in his heart but didn¡¯t dare to think about it. It was just like how he didn¡¯t dare to think deeply about Ye Yunlan, who was married to the Demon Lord and suffering under him in the Demon Palace at this moment. Suddenly, the ban outside his cave was touched. The person who walked in was donning red and had beautiful facial features. It was Yin Ling. Yin Ling: ¡°It¡¯s late at night. Senior Brother Helan is still busy?¡± He Lanze set the pen and paper in his hand and rubbed his eyebrows: ¡°I can¡¯t help being busy. The Demon Eliminating Conference is going to start soon. Various sects will send disciples to discuss how to suppress the Demon Lord, and our time is running out. What¡¯s more, Junior Brother Ye¡­¡± He stopped talking and didn¡¯t resume. However, the worry between his eyebrows was hard to hide. Yin Ling had the same worries as him. It wasn¡¯t only her; it was also many sect disciples who Ye Yunlan had aided and the sect cultivators from all walks of life who had longed for Ye Yunlan. ¡°More virgins and babies are missing in Demon Realm¡¯s surrounding areas. I¡¯m afraid there are nearly 10,000. Who knows what the Demon Realm¡¯s people are planning.¡± Yin Ling said, ¡°Rumor has it they only went demented after being instigated by the Demon Lord. ¡± He Lanze¡¯s voice was cold, ¡°That beast had done a lot of similar things in these past years. Demons are inhumane, so there is no need to look at him with ordinary eyes.¡± Yin Ling: ¡°I also heard that after that guy fell into the demon dao, his temperament became surly and unpredictable. A person as pure as frost and snow like Junior Brother Ye might not be willing to succumb to his actions. How did he get by in that guy¡¯s hands over the years¡­¡± He Lanze had a painful expression. He said solemnly: ¡°Now we can only do what we can do and save Junior Brother Ye from the bitter ocean as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Senior Brother is right.¡± Yin Ling put away her worried face, ¡°This time, I came to Senior Brother¡¯s cave to ask about the Great Formation in the Demon Realm. In the beginning, the Demon Lord sent a wedding invitation to Various Daoist Sects, which was arrogant. Many Daoist Sectss closer to the Demon Realm rushed over, but the Great Array intercepted everyone. It¡¯s visible that the Demon Lord was not a person who really wanted to entertain the Daoist Sects. With this matter, he was playing with us, declaring possession, and making the Daoist Sects lose prestige. Now, it looks like you must eliminate the Demon Realm¡¯s Great Formation first.¡± She hesitated and said: ¡°Brother Helan, I know a lot of fellows accomplished in formations. If necessary, I can write a letter inviting them to the Demon Eliminating Conference to discuss the method of breaking the formation together.¡± He Lanze said: ¡°Alright. You can write and contact them first. I¡¯ve also contacted the Ink Sect disciples. Regarding the formation, I fear it¡¯s difficult for any sect in the world to be more proficient than the Ink Sect. In addition, today, the Tianji Pavilion Master sent a letter stating they¡¯ve mastered the way to deal with the Demon Lord. If the demon can enter the trap smoothly, it doesn¡¯t even need the Transcendence Realm cultivators¡¯ help. We¡¯ll gather all our strength when the conference starts, then begin our crusade on the Demon Realm.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Yin Ling¡¯s expression was still a bit worried. She raised her head and glanced at the sky outside the window. ¡°Although this formation doesn¡¯t need Transcendence cultivators¡¯ assistance, do we still need to consider before proceeding with the plan if the Sect Master had not yet exited the closed-door training then¡­¡± He Lanze asserted: ¡°We can¡¯t wait any longer! Junior Brother Ye doesn¡¯t deserve the years of humiliation he has suffered. Do you know how far the rumors have reached out now? How can someone like Junior Brother Ye suffer all these grievances in vain? The demons are rising, and the dao is falling. Things must be reversed. Now, it is time for the dao to make changes.¡± Yin Ling: ¡°Senior Brother is right¡­¡± Before she finished speaking, she suddenly heard something outside the window. There was a loud thunder. Helan Ze suddenly rose from his seat and looked at the distant horizon. An incomparably thick thunder and lightning slashed straight towards Wangyun Peak. This Thunder Tribulation had been brewing for a long time, and it was frightening just to look at. A deafening thunder rang through the entire Sky Sect. The white light covered the human field of vision, and after the white light, the top of Wangyun Peak had been utterly scorched black. The wind and snow were gone, and black ashes mixed with broken petals of peach blossoms filled the sky. The gloomy sky that had enveloped the entire Sky Sect for more than a month began to clear. The thunder calamity had passed. He Lanze had already risen with his sword and ran towards Wangyun Peak. It was Deputy Sect Master Cheng Zixu who arrived faster than him. Cheng Zixu had retracted his usual smile, and his expression was a little heavy. He saw the Yuntian Palace¡¯s gate open, and someone slowly walked out from it. The silver crown of hair on Jun Qiyun¡¯s head was messy, and his white hair was scattered behind him. The crane cloak was blood-stained. He had a broken sword in his hand. The moment he saw the broken sword, Cheng Zixu¡¯s heart thudded. That was the Taiqing Du Er Sword. No one knew better than him what it meant for his life sword to break. He initially thought Qiyun Jun had asked him about the Dao of Extreme Affection as a joke before entering closed-door training. Although his Senior Brother never joked. However, now that the thunder calamity stopped, his Senior Brother didn¡¯t fall to death except for seemingly being injured. Changing from Ruthless Dao to Extreme Emotion Dao seemed to be a success. But Cheng Zixu had absolutely no way to imagine his Senior Brother cultivating the Extreme Affection Dao. The level of horror was comparable to seeing crows swimming and sows climbing trees. But no matter how horrifying, that person was his own senior. So he hurriedly walked over. He saw that Qiyun Jun¡¯s pale pupils seemed a bit hollow, and his expression was slightly blank. Something was wrong. Whether it was the Ruthless Dao or the Extreme Affection Dao, it was all about cutting through one¡¯s own delusions and firming up the dao one wanted and walked. There should be no confusion. Was there something wrong with his brother¡¯s cultivation? Also, the transformation from Ruthless Dao to Extreme Affection Dao were two completely opposite paths. His brother dared to do this only because he was crazy and was too swift for others to say anything. Cheng Zixu was very cautious against people suspected of qi deviating. Then he heard his Senior Brother¡¯s hoarse voice and every word he said. ¡°Fu, Tu, Temple¡­¡± Cheng Zixu was very befuddled. The Buddha Pagoda was far away on the Eastern Continent. What did it have to do with their Sky Sect? But then, something more frightening happened to him. His brother, who hadn¡¯t cried or smiled since he was a boy and was always expressionless, blinked slightly. Then something rolled out of his eyes. Cheng Zixu was close, so he could see clearly. It was a tear.(T/N: T-T) CH 126 Chapter 126 Tonggui* *Returning Together ¡°Does everyone know the Demon Eliminating Conference was held in Sky Sect three days ago?¡± Among the crowd in the Xuanji Building, someone checking the Tianji List¡¯s latest issue said: ¡°Naturally. Rejuvenating the Daoist Sects, eliminating demons, and defending the dao should be us righteous cultivators¡¯ responsibility! If it weren¡¯t for the long journey to Sky Sect, I would¡¯ve also liked to go to the event together. But now, all the Daoist Sects have drafted promising diverse people to board the flying boat to the Demon Realm and slay the demon together.¡± ¡°Dear friends, the Demon Realm has oppressed us Daoist Sects for a long time! How can you not participate in this event and go to the nearest Tan Qing Sect¡¯s flying boat? ! ¡± ¡°Fellow daoist, let me join! ¡° ¡°Let me join!¡± Amidst the chaos, a fledgling cultivator asked the person beside him, ¡°We hear that demonic cultivators are dense with killing intent and sin and their techniques are treacherous. When we¡¯re at war, numerous casualties will arise, so why is everyone so fervent about it?¡± The man laughed and said: ¡°Under righteousness, many people are just showing momentary enthusiasm. It¡¯s just all talk. Many more are going for the rewards of magic weapons, cultivation techniques, and the Ye beauty.¡± The cultivator: ¡°The legendary number one beauty in the cultivation world?¡± The man continued to laugh, ¡°Yes. I heard Immortal Lord Ye has been imprisoned by the demon for more than 30 years. Whoever can snatch him away from the demon¡¯s hands will be his next dao companion and husband. A hero saving a beauty has always been a popular topic of discussion.¡± But some person disdained: ¡°No matter how beautiful a beauty is, they¡¯ve already been played with by the Demon Lord for more than 30 years, yet you guys still keep him in mind constantly? Maybe he has been destroyed by the Demon Lord, so there will only be a body left. Whoever saves him won¡¯t even be able to put him on the big stage, let alone be his dao companion. It¡¯s a bit ugly to say, but it¡¯s like picking up a torn shoe. Letting him be a pampered concubine is already the end of it.¡± His words caused shallow commotion around him. Someone glared at him, ¡°Immortal Lord Ye is fairylike and elegant, and it is not his fault to be imprisoned by the Demon Lord. How can you be so insulting?!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not his fault?¡± he sneered, ¡°If he identified the person with clarity and didn¡¯t save a beast, how could the Evil Dao suppress the righteous Daoist Sects for 30 plus years? I heard the evil beast was originally about to burn to death in the divine sea of ??fire. It would¡¯ve been wonderful if he burnt to death. That way, there would be no more Demon Lord now. In my opinion, this is all self-inflicted and his own fault.¡± ¡°A bunch of nonsense! When Senior Immortal Ye saved this evildoer, how could he know he would become like this now? Is it wrong to save people?¡± The racket encompassing him quieted down, and there was no response. The previous cultivator shook his head and sighed: ¡°If one just looked at the antecedent, he was not wrong, but the bitter fruit that came about was caused by his body.¡± ¡°Yes, if he didn¡¯t save the person in the first place, it would be good¡­ ¡° ¡°Saving a white-eyed wolf, accepting it as an unteachable apprentice, and adding so much killing and evil karma to the world¡­¡± ¡°Him suffering from this is indeed because of a mistake of not knowing people¡­¡± The initial irate and opposing voice was submerged in the whispers. Outside the Xuanji Building, raindrops began to descend one after another. The incessant sound of precipitation drowned out all the noise. ¡­ It was showering on Liuming Mountain. In the drizzle, a formation spanning the entire mountain had begun to take shape. Xu Qingyue looked at the black box in Chen Weiyuan¡¯s hand. ¡°Is that what you mentioned before, the Primordial Demon Bone?¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°Yes.¡± Xu Qingyue: ¡°As long as we have it, the formation can completely wipe out the Demon Lord? Don¡¯t forget, the Demon Lord could cut down the Soul Devouring Ancestor, who was also a Transcendence Realm cultivator, back then. His cultivation level isn¡¯t just as straightforward as Transcendence.¡± Chen Weiyuan slowly stroked the black box in his hand and faintly smiled. ¡°This thing originated prior to the primordial age and was left by the Heavenly Demon King, whose strength rivaled the Void Tracing Realm. It is one of a kind. The Demon Lord¡¯s Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body varies from the human race because as long as there is supplemental filthy qi, he¡¯ll be immortal and endless, difficult to utterly kill. The Soul Devouring Ancestor back then also died because of this. He is a monster a regular cultivator cannot deal with.¡± He seemed to think of something. His face turned a little blue, and then his knuckles clenched the black box in his hands, ¡°But with this Demon Bone¡¯s suppression, it¡¯ll be different. The Demon Bone is higher than his realm and can suppress the gathering and reorganization of demon qi. He will disintegrate in the formation. If he is not supplemented in time and then refined by the formation for a long time, we can completely eliminate him from the world.¡± Xu Qingyue nodded slightly. However, he looked at the formation cloaking the entire Liuming Mountain and still felt vaguely uneasy for some reason. A question that was hovering in his heart for a long time was raised. ¡°But Brother Chen, we don¡¯t know how the Demon Lord treats Daoist Ye. We don¡¯t know whether Daoist Ye is willing or not. These things are all our hypotheses. After setting up a killing array here, what should we do if they¡¯re in love?¡± Chen Weiyuan was sitting in his wheelchair, stroking the black box. His expression was marginally distorted. He said: ¡°Everyone knows that the Demon Lord is unstable. You also know Yunlan¡¯s temperament. Although he is weak, he is very arrogant. When he falls into the Demon Lord¡¯s hands, how can he be comfortable and compromise? It is impossible for them to have an affinity with each other.¡± Chen Weiyuan loosened his grip on the black box slightly. ¡°What¡¯s more, if you have cultivated the Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body, you are on the road of no return. For a long time, it has been listed as a forbidden technique in the Dao and Demon Sects. It would cause one to kill surrounding living creatures and even relatives and friends indiscriminately. Qingyue, such a monster staying in this world is a disaster. Even if it is not for Yunlan, we must resolve it.¡± Xu Qingyue pursed his lips. His elegant and beautiful face was immersed in the mist and rain. Within it, there was still a touch of worry. Chen Weiyuan didn¡¯t persuade him anymore and just pinched his fingers, calculating something carefully. He looked towards the westward sky. A faint smile finally appeared on his face. ¡°The one we are waiting for has finally come.¡± ¡­ It was night. The rain was still falling. Black mist was visible above the Demon Palace¡¯s high pavilion. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body was engulfed by the black mist, and his long snow-white hair was spread over the bluestone ground. The Demon Lord was doing exercises. The exercises were channeled, and hot sweat dripped on his cheeks. The sound of pattering rain was in his ears, accompanied by the white mist that came out when he breathed. Warmth flowed into his body, and he seemed to be wandering between heaven and earth. It¡¯s like raising his hand could allow him to hold the stars in the sky. He was in a trance. In his field of vision, the sky and the earth seemed far away yet very close. Some of those stars converged and flickered, some were shining far away in the sky, some were scorching bright, and some were dim. Suddenly, a smidge of fear emerged. He wanted to curl up. But he was hugged tighter. Demon Lord: ¡°¡­ Master¡­is feeling exceedingly sensitive today. Is it because you are not used to practicing in such a place?¡± His lashes fluttered, and he muttered: ¡°The stars are watching me.¡± The Demon Lord laughed, ¡°Is Master shy?¡± Ye Yunlan shook his head. He stretched his hand around the Demon Lord¡¯s neck and hugged the other party¡¯s back, moving harder than usual. The Demon Lord breathed heavily. His hand was stuck at Ye Yunlan¡¯s waist. But it seemed that his whole person was taken by him into a deep-sea vortex, unable to break free and escape. Early the next morning. The rain was still falling. It was a misty mizzle. In the stone pavilion of the lotus pond, the Demon Lord accompanied Ye Yunlan, trying new dishes. Jade tofu. Stir-fried bean sprouts. There was also a bowl of red jujube, longan, and white fungus soup. Emerald green and vermilion intertwined, eminently pleasing to the eye. The aroma rose in spirals, and the taste was light and delicious. It should be cooked with elixir in it. After Ye Yunlan finished eating, he felt a lot of exhaustion in his body dissipate. When he put down the bowls and chopsticks, the Demon Lord took out a few jars of wine. There was still mud on the wine jar, and the red paper that sealed the jar had turned white. ¡°This is the Peach Blossom Wine that Master left me back then. I still have a jar and still haven¡¯t been willing to drink.¡± The Demon Lord stretched out his hand and brushed the dirt and dust off the wine jar. After uncovering the sealing paper, the light wine fragrance diffused out. The aroma of the peach blossoms next to the bamboo building seemed to come from far away. ¡°Master said in his letter that these jars of wine were originally reserved for me to use for the crowning ceremony (turn 20) in the future. It was unfortunate that you couldn¡¯t wait until the year of my crowning ceremony when you left.¡± He poured the light red wine into two white jade cups. He rarely talked about the letter without the slightest sign of going mad, only having a soft smile, ¡°But I¡¯m past that age and still have never done the crowning ceremony.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes flickered for a while. He saw the Demon Lord look sideways, kiss his lips affectionately, take out a silver crown, place it on the side of the table, then stand up with the wine. He took a knee and held the wine glass with both hands before him. ¡°Master, please crown me as an adult.¡± Ye Yunlan was startled. The most horrible monster in the world knelt at his feet, his black hair scattered, asking him to crown him. There was a deep smile in those bloody eyes and some youthful enthusiasm and stubbornness as if he was still the boy who bowed his knees to become his apprentice in front of him. And now, thirty years have passed. He took the wine and drank it. The fragrant aroma of wine lingered in his mouth. He looked down at the Demon Lord, his golden eyes a little blurred. The silver crown on the table looked familiar. Ye Yunlan had a good memory, so he could recognize that it was the hair crown he had worn during the years he was in Sky Sect. It had been kept by the Demon Lord until today. He picked up the hair crown and put it on the Demon Lord carefully. The long black hair was tied up and the silver hair crown was flowing with light. He pulled the Demon Lord up and looked at it cautiously momentarily. It was like a father looking at his newly grown-up son and akin to a lover watching his lover about to go out. He raised his hand to tidy up the slightly wrinkled lapel of the Demon Lord. The Demon Lord lowered his eyes to look at him, then took him into his arms. He whispered in his ear. ¡°Since I have been crowned, Master, select some words for me.¡± Ye Yunlan leaned on his hot chest and heard his heart beating. His long silver eyelashes lightly fanned, and he felt his chest, also agitated. Again and again. The Demon Lord didn¡¯t have his own surname in his previous life, and he didn¡¯t have a word for himself. The world¡¯s impression of the Demon Lord had always been shrouded in the shadows. The rumors were only brimming with horror. He didn¡¯t know where the Demon Lord was from. He didn¡¯t know where the Demon Lord was before, and he didn¡¯t know what his face was under the ghost mask. In the beginning, he was in a desperate situation when he met the Demon Lord. He was forced to snuggle with the other. Later, he gradually got used to it and became entangled with love, and then he couldn¡¯t do without the other. However, everything had been done again now. He raised his hand to stroke the Demon Lord¡¯s handsome cheek and murmured in a low voice. ¡°Last night, it was windy and rainy. The curtains rustled in autumn. The candles frequently dripped on the pillow, and one can¡¯t stand up calmly. The world resembled flowing water, a dream floating.¡± His voice suddenly became very hoarse, ¡°Yes. Wake up in the floating dream, and the spring light is here. A faraway place. The mortal world. As before, a smile¡­like spring warmth.¡± ¡°Your name is Shu. Now, you will be known as Tonggui*.¡± *Returning Togethe CH 127 Chapter 127 Clamor The Demon Lord chuckled in his ears and asked, ¡°What does Tonggui mean?¡± He got too close. Ye Yunlan¡¯s ears numbed, and a slight blush etched his face. He was silent momentarily, then replied in a low voice: ¡°The great dao, three thousand years, different paths lead to the same goal. Regardless of the righteous dao and the demon dao, I hope you can travel smoothly and peacefully, and one day, you will see the ultimate dao.¡± The Demon Lord: ¡°Oh? I thought Master meant he wanted to return together, hand in hand.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s face reddened even more. He was born white, so the bit of color on his cheeks was particularly conspicuous, resembling a peach blossom falling on his face and analogous to ripe pink peach, making people want to take a bite. For a long while, he did not argue. The Demon Lord held his hand, intertwined their fingers, and pressed him against the stone pillar. He kissed and bit him as if he verily regarded himself as a newly crowned adult youth, and the excitement still hadn¡¯t passed. The two of them played and lay on the grass. Grass and petals stained their shirts, and the drizzle wetted their cheeks and hair. The Demon Lord embraced him and smiled like an innocent child. ¡°Master, I¡¯m so happy today.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at his face with a living aura, and the hostility entangling his eyebrows under the sun seemed to have dissipated a lot. A smidge of bright light touched his bloody eyes. A slight hazy mist seemed to engulf Ye Yunlan¡¯s golden eyes, and he sounded a soft ¡°en.¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s eyes curved, and he carried him up. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the woods to hide from the rain,¡± he said. Ye Yunlan frowned slightly, a little wary. They only needed to return to the palace for rain shelter, but the Demon Lord was insistent on going to the woods to do so. He thought of last night. The Demon Lord had asked him to go to the high building, also stating he wished to behold the stars. ¡°Even if the exercises are beneficial to your cultivation base, you can¡¯t practice too much and advance rashly,¡± he said. The Demon Lord kissed his cheek and said: ¡°We won¡¯t practice today. Just relax. Treat it as Master¡¯s reward for me being finally crowned as an adult, okay?¡± Ye Yunlan said blankly: ¡°You are nearly half a hundred years old.¡± Time passed differently in the Immortal Boat compared to the outside world. The Demon Lord would be already older than his physical body¡¯s age today if it was only according to his corporeal body¡¯s age. The Demon Lord said earnestly: ¡°I just became an adult. Just now.¡± So the man who had just grown up hurriedly carried him into the woods to hide from the rain. The air in the woods was remarkably humid. His back was against a tree, and the bark was somewhat rough. It was moderately painful when it rubbed against his back. But it was not intolerable. He breathed out softly. His body couldn¡¯t touch the ground, and he kept sliding down. There was a sense of weightlessness and falling in the clouds. Then, he was thrown high in the sky by a huge wave. He heard the rain patter encompassing him, gentle wind, and light birdsong in the waves. The viscous drops fell on a white anemone beside the tree trunk. The sweet aroma of flowers expanded. They seemed to fly over a mountain and cross the ocean together, then stopped at a place where flowers bloomed all over the wild. The Demon Lord asked him: ¡°Senior Immortal, are you happy?¡± He closed his eyes, mute. The Demon Lord: ¡°Senior Immortal, come stand on the clouds with me.¡± He still didn¡¯t speak, only clutching the other¡¯s shoulders. Worldly affairs were like a net. He was already deeply involved. The Demon Lord exhaled deeply. Then he buried his head near his neck. ¡°This world is so filthy. Fortunately, Senior Immortal is with me.¡± He took Ye Yunlan back to the Demon Palace, changed into clean clothes, and helped Ye Yunlan wipe his damp hair. Ye Yunlan held a teacup with hot water in both hands and drank little by little. Suddenly, the sky thundered. A downpour plummeted. The thunder roared. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body quivered for a while. The Demon Lord was aware and asked: ¡°Master is afraid of thunder?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s originally ruddy complexion had become a little pale. He was silent for a while, then said: ¡°Close the window.¡± The Demon Lord walked to shut the window. When he returned, he found his Master sitting on the head of the bed, looking down at the teacup in his hand. He did not know what he was thinking. The Demon Lord sat on the side of the bed and leaned over to kiss his forehead. ¡°I¡¯m with Master. It¡¯s just a little thunderstorm, nothing terrible.¡± Ye Yunlan produced a soft ¡°en.¡± Just as he returned, it was raining a little, and his lips were slightly pale. The Demon Lord lowered his head and kissed him tenderly. He didn¡¯t let go until bright red manifested on his lips. But suddenly, he heard a rush of footsteps outside. Elder Xue¡¯s voice sounded: ¡°Master, it¡¯s not good. The Daoist Sects gathered many soldiers and horses and already attacked the Demon Realm. Come!¡± The Demon Lord¡¯s expression did not change. He stretched out his hand to arrange Ye Yunlan¡¯s clothes. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyebrows were already furrowed. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he inquired. The Demon Lord curled his lips, his eyes overflowing with a slight blood-red. He whispered: ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. I¡¯ll be able to solve it soon.¡± Ye Yunlan was not easily fooled by him. ¡°What happened? Why are the Daoist Sects coming to the Demon Realm to encircle you?¡± The Demon Lord was silent momentarily, then chuckled: ¡°It seems Master really doesn¡¯t know anything about his charm.¡± ¡°Besides wanting to eliminate demons, 9 out of 10 are actually coming for you.¡± Ye Yunlan was puzzled, ¡°For me?¡± The Demon Lord raised his hand and stroked his face, ¡°For the past thirty years, I have been looking for you. But, I am not the only one.¡± His bloody eyes showed a little contempt like he was thinking of something, ¡°It¡¯s just I was the only one who found you in the end.¡± The Demon Lord stared at him, ¡°Master, you are mine. Yes, from now on, it will be the same.¡± The paranoid madness was revealed in his words. But now, Ye Yunlan had gradually become accustomed to him. He allowed the Demon Lord to stroke his cheek. He gently touched his butterfly-like eyelashes and asked, ¡°Who came?¡± ¡°A lot,¡± The Demon Lord said casually, ¡°But they¡¯re all mobs.¡± The dark shadows were moving in the room. The Demon Lord said: ¡°If they can¡¯t get you, they will find ways to smear and insult you just like how they can¡¯t get rid of the Demon Lord. Hence, they call me the world¡¯s evilest monster as if all the world¡¯s sins are born and caused because of me.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at his indifferent expression, suddenly wondering how many scolding and curses he had endured over the years. At that time, he went to the Immortal Boat alone and disappeared. Afterward, Shen Shu became a demon, so how did the world treat him? Elder Xue¡¯s anxious shouts continued to ring outside the door. The thunderstorm was noisy outside the window. The Demon Lord stood up and said to him: ¡°Master, take a good rest here. I will be back soon.¡± He picked up the Shura Sword at the table. The dark red blade was seemingly flowing with blood, depositing countless grievances. Ye Yunlan suddenly felt a touch uneasy in his heart. However, the door opened, and the wind howled. The Demon Lord had vanished. ¡­ Liuming Mountain. ¡°You¡¯re finally here.¡± Chen Weiyuan smiled and looked at the person in front of him. The other person¡¯s golden eyes made it somewhat difficult for him to focus. Ye Yunlan, who had achieved the Nirvana of the Phoenix Bone, should look like this. He was perhaps more powerful and perfect than him. Ye Xuanguang was holding the Demon Emperor Sword, standing on the edge of the mountain cliff. He was still wearing the crown prince¡¯s clothes, and it was evident he had arrived hurriedly. The sharp golden eyes looked at the distant Demon Palace, and the blood flow of his matching origin made him surge. Since Ye Yunlan was blood-drained, he had never felt this kind of qi in his own brother again. The Demon Emperor Sword also let out a few low whispers as if it sensed a kindred aura. Ye Xuanguang said: ¡°My broth¡­ How is Daoist Ye now?¡± He was critically wounded in the Western Unification War ten years prior. He was still unhealed when he was in retreat, but later, he received Chen Weiyuan¡¯s message. According to the news, his younger brother, who disappeared more than 30 years ago, wasn¡¯t deceased but hidden in the Demon Palace by the Demon Lord, married to him as a dao companion. So he hurried out of closed-door training to come. Emperor Ye was furious about this. The Yaori Palace Formation was opened to him, but he was no longer the one forcibly promoted and shed his foundations in the past. Because of this, he and Emperor Ye completely tore their faces and were estranged. Chen Weiyuan: ¡°What is going on in the Demon Palace? Hasn¡¯t it been bubbling up in the world this entire time? Do I need to say more?¡± A faint green emerged on Ye Xuanguan¡¯s face. Chen Weiyuan sighed. ¡°We¡¯re all late.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°I¡¯m not here to listen to your nonsense. I want to save him.¡± ¡°The Demon Palace has nine major formations protecting it, and the Demon Lord is immortal. How will you rescue him alone?¡± Chen Weiyuan smiled faintly. Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Just put what you need me to do straight.¡± Chen Weiyuan, ¡°I need to lay down the Primordial Demon Bone Formation, but serious evil is on the Demon Bone. You¡¯ll be infested and go mad if you have no strong blood for protection. I was able to take on this task before, but now, I can¡¯t.¡± Ye Xuanguang looked at his mutilated body and frowned slightly, ¡°You want me to be the main controller of the formation?¡± Chen Weiyuan took out a black box. ¡°Now, only you can take on this responsibility.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Who will break the Demon Palace¡¯s array?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s eyes traveled past and looked east. ¡°People have come.¡± Several enormous flying boats flew out of the Demon Realm¡¯s dismal sky. There was a white-clad figure speedier than the flying boats. A sharp sword light slashed across the Demon Palace¡¯s array. Boom¡ª¡ª! The deafening sound flooded the fields, and the terrible power spread out, causing the sleeves of the two to flutter. ¡°Sky Sect Sect Master?¡± Ye Xuanguang asked. Chen Weiyuan supported his chin with his hands and nodded with a faint smile, his eyelids half-closed. This expression was quite pleasing to the eye when it was on his handsome face before, but now his face was yellow and thin, and it only made people feel that he was wicked and wretched. Those flying boats were intercepted by the flying boats arriving from the Demon Sect disciples tens of miles away from the Demon Palace. From Liuming Mountain¡¯s field of vision, one could see countless daoists swarming out from the flying boat and colliding with the oncoming Demon Sect disciples. The sound of shouting and killing vibrated abruptly, and diverse magic weapons and auras flickered. The battle between daoists and demons started. Blood spread across the sky. But the sword intent hacking the Demon Palace¡¯s large array continued. A violent sound swept across, and rubble was strewn everywhere. The Demon Realm disciples were charging hurriedly, trying to organize themselves. With no leader presiding over them, it was a mess of scattered sand, and they were forced to retreat by the gathered Daoist Sects¡¯ disciples. The Daoist Sects¡¯ disciples chased after victory, approaching the Demon Palace ten miles away. Someone, hidden in the crowd, roared. ¡°What Lord of the Demon Realm? Isn¡¯t he just a turtle who won¡¯t show his head? He only knows how to hide in his formation! First, he was ungrateful and betrayed his sect, then he forcibly married and persecuted his own master. How can the world tolerate a beast like you?!¡± The Demon Realm disciples listening to such words were perspiring. Most of the Demon Lord rumors circulated in other places in the world were false, but only those in the Demon Realm had truly felt the horror of that figure. Give them a hundred people¡¯s courage, and they still won¡¯t dare to offend the Demon Lord. Suddenly, the cultivator who shouted within the crowd disappeared like a string that stopped abruptly. Everyone looked at him in horror and discovered the cultivator¡¯s own shadow holding his neck. A neighboring cultivator attempted to save him, but he didn¡¯t expect that even his shadow would change, entangling his neck. After witnessing this, nobody dared to budge. After seeing the cultivator¡¯s face turn blue, he was strangled to death in front of everyone in just a second. After his death, his shadow didn¡¯t vanish. Instead, it wrapped his corpse, squirmed, chewed his flesh and blood, and then swallowed it up inch by inch. This scene was truly horrible. Many young cultivators who had just seen such an appalling scene for the first time felt their stomachs surge and their legs quake. Suddenly, a deep and strange chill came from the wind. The flying sand stilled. The initially closed door of the Demon Palace had been inaudibly opened. Someone came out with a demon sword. The man was donning a black robe, his eyes were red as blood, and he looked like he was in purgatory. When he stood there, all the surrounding darkness concentrated on him. He shook everyone¡¯s core with a sword in hand. ¡°It¡¯s too noisy,¡± he opened his mouth to say. CH 128 Chapter 128 Blood Sacrifice When the Demon Lord made a sound, countless shadows extended from the shadows of the distant people¡¯s silhouettes, coiled around their necks, and muffled their voices. The sound of fighting was quelled. The Demon Lord¡¯s blood-red eyes were faintly lazy. The world he saw and heard was reinstated to a sea of ??blood with humans and wronged souls floating therein after splitting from Ye Yunlan, and no one was nobler or more humble than another. There were only the same noises. He raised his hand and met the people¡¯s aghast gazes. His hand was on the verge of pressing down, but suddenly, he recalled the eyes of Ye Yunlan that stared at him that day. ¡ª¡ªWhat about me? Can I stop you? His family¡¯s Master had said this softly, and his soft kiss was like a soft goose¡¯s footprints treading on snow. The trace remained in his heart. His hand stopped mid-air, feeling like the blood sea wasn¡¯t so rowdy anymore. Suddenly, a cold sword light pierced the blood-colored sky and struck him! His left hand was pierced by the sword light, melted into black qi, and surged again to re-form. The Demon Lord didn¡¯t appear to discern any pain and turned his head partially, looking toward a figure in the air. ¡°Ji Suyue?¡± He spoke lazily, ¡°Long time no see. Your body received my sword the year we fought. Has the injury healed? Is that why you came so quickly to me to find trouble?¡± Qiyun Jun stared at the monster in front of him icily. When Ye Yunlan disappeared, he had forcibly broken through his closed-door training to find Ye Yunlan, once fighting. At that time, the Demon Lord had just shed the mortal world for a few years and was no match for his sword skills. Nevertheless, the Demon Lord collapsed and condensed several times under his sword because of the Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body. Furthermore, the Demon Lord¡¯s swordsmanship briskly progressed while he regressed because of the Ruthless Dao¡¯s backlash, so the Shura Sword unexpectedly struck him after battling dozens of rounds. This sword aggravated his wounds, and he had to return to Sky Sect to heal his injuries, perhaps missing the best time to find Ye Yunlan. He didn¡¯t know when the Demon Lord found Ye Yunlan, brought him back, hid him in the Demon Palace, and had him suffer for several years. He had vowed to protect the other party his entire life. His Extreme Affection Dao was born from this. Even though¡­he had hurt him so much in the Buddha Pagoda for the past century. He only had hoped to have a chance to make up for his mistake now. Thus, he lifted his sword. His sword pointed at the Demon Lord. ¡°Shen Shu, you betrayed your master¡¯s sect and fell into the demonic way. I¡¯ll perform a Sect Master¡¯s duty to clean up the sect today.¡± Qiyun Jun was expressionless. The Demon Lord drew a mocking smile. ¡°Betraying Master? If I say Master is willing to be with me and there is no discord between us master and disciple, then what will Sect Master do?¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s expression changed marginally. Blue veins popped out from the hand holding the sword. ¡°Impossible,¡± he said coldly. However, he remembered why Ye Yunlan was locked into the Pagoda in the past. It was for colluding with the Demon Lord and helping evil. At that time, everyone said that Ye Yunlan was a pet on the Demon Lord¡¯s bed, a running dog. In those days, the Righteous Sects spent countless manpower and material resources constructing the Primordial Demon Refining Array, then aggressively invaded the Demon Palace to exterminate this monster. At that time, the man controlling the formation was Chen Weiyuan. Chen Weiyuan had missed Ye Yunlan, his former dao companion, and tried his best to rescue him from the Demon Palace. Ye Yunlan was obedient on the surface but moved the Demon Bone at the critical moment, making the array fall short. After the Demon Lord escaped, he also took away Ye Yunlan. The Demon Lord was critically injured while escaping. The Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body was broken, and he was also carrying a person. It was inconvenient to move, and his hiding place was exposed several times. Finally, everyone broke into one of the hideouts and captured the dying Ye Yunlan one particular time, yet the Demon Lord was missing. Qiyun Jun still remembered the other party¡¯s appearance then. It was not easy for him to be taken by the Demon Lord. Because he had stabbed the Demon Lord with a poisoned short knife, Ye Yunlan encountered the Demon Lord, who lost control after being seriously injured. The dark cave was dim, and the person was chained to the deepest point by the Demon Lord. His limbs were stretched out like dry white jade branches. He was almost unclothed, and red marks of desire outfitted his naked skin. The mask on his face fell during custody, and the black scars on his bare facial features were ghastly. At that time, he only felt that the scene was absurd and filthy. But for some reason, he remembered that scene crystal clear, not forgetting it even now. At that time, everyone wished for Ye Yunlan¡¯s demise. He was unbearable filth and helped a tyrant. The crime was abysmal. However, Chen Weiyuan came forward and said that this person was one of the dual stars, and the demon star could only be dimmed if he survived. Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t die. If he couldn¡¯t die, could they suppress the seal? The seal¡¯s location was chosen to be in the Western Continent¡¯s Futu Pagoda. He was the one who suppressed him. Ye Yunlan¡¯s actual strength was not at Transcendence then, so they didn¡¯t need to muster large forces. But, his existence was bait. The Demon Lord might come back to rescue him whenever, and that period would be the optimal time to destroy the Demon Lord. What¡¯s more, as a dual star, the Righteous Dao required Ye Yunlan to eliminate his demonic thoughts to return to the righteous. So he shot this man down from the top of the tower repeatedly. He watched him struggle up from the bottom of the tower continually. The demonic thoughts did not disappear. He told the other every time. He needed the other person to reflect at the bottom of the tower. However, Ye Yunlan was very persistent and would only keep climbing up. The other party clashed with his sword, scolded him, and wept bitterly at him. Finally, he collapsed and knelt at the top of the tower, begging him for release. He didn¡¯t know how he could be indifferent back then. The other party¡¯s hope was annihilated time and time again, and the other party suffered the agony of broken bones time and time again. No one knew how painful he felt in his heart when he had gone through the mortal catastrophe of extreme affection recalling this memory, knowing how that person was the most precious in his heart, his most cherished. He recognized the wrong person, calculated the incorrect karma, and met the other person at the wrong time. Now that they have regressed, he won¡¯t make any more mistakes. Ye Yunlan might have affection for the Demon Lord, but the Demon Lord later treated him like that. Qiyun Jun didn¡¯t think that there was still much affection between them. The sword pointed to Shen Shu, and he said coldly. ¡°Make your move.¡± The Demon Lord constricted his face with a casual smile, and his bloody eyes were dark and glacial. The evil spirits were exposed on the Shura Sword. A gust of wind blew and rolled up the yellow sand in the Demon Realm. In a flash, the two had already moved against each other! The battlefield seemed divided into two sides. On one side, countless cultivators of the Dao and Demon were fighting. Only two people were on the other side, but every time they collided, they shook the four fields, and smoke and dust billowed all around. They held the sole key to this victory. Liuming Mountain. Ye Xuanguang opened the black box, and a dark, dull bone was inside. That bone could seemingly absorb all the light in the world, and just looking at it made people dizzy. His cultivation level had reached Transcendence, and he still felt like this. If an ordinary cultivator had seen it, he was afraid they would¡¯ve lost control, qi deviating on the spot. He took out the Demon Bone and sensed a biting cold penetrate his blood, and then the Divine Phoenix¡¯s blood dissipated it. After he put it into the formation core, a burst of black mist enveloped Liuming Mountain. Ye Xuanguang felt as if he could manipulate all the forces of the entire formation in his mind, trapping the creatures in the formation. That kind of power far surpassed the Transcendence Realm, which scared him a little. But at the same time, the coldness he had just felt didn¡¯t dematerialize and slowly gathered in his blood instead. He couldn¡¯t control it for too long. Ye Xuanguang¡¯s heart was vigilant, manipulating the formation to separate the black mist and go to Chen Weiyuan. ¡°Only the top of Liuming Mountain is covered now that the formation is completed. How will you attract the Demon Lord into the formation?¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°If you want to attract the Demon Lord into the formation, clearly, you must put his precious things there.¡± Ye Xuanguang: ¡°Precious thing? What precious thing do you have?¡± Chen Weiyuan said: ¡°The most precious thing of the Demon Lord is naturally his dao companion.¡± Ye Xuanguang frowned and said: ¡°Yunlan is trapped in the Demon Palace. I am trying to save him, but you¡¯re saying you want to use him to attract the Demon Lord. Isn¡¯t that putting the cart before the horse?¡± Chen Weiyuan shook his head, ¡°No.¡± Ye Xuanguang¡¯s face was already frigid, ¡°Chen Weiyuan, I am not interested in playing a riddle-guessing game with you.¡± Chen Weiyuan chuckled lightly and said, ¡°Your Royal Highness, stay calm. Soon, someone will bring Yunlan over. By then, this formation will rely on you.¡± The sky thundered. Chen Weiyuan was sitting in a wheelchair, looking up at the sky soaked in blood. Peculiar darkness appeared in his eyes. There was a deep cave a few miles away from Liuming Mountain. Someone staggered slowly into the cave, and the blood of the sky outside elongated his shadow. There was a deep pit deep in the cave. It was unclear how chasmic the pit was, and a thick bloody aura radiated from it. The man stood still before the pit. His shadows flickered, and his beautiful face looked distorted and hideous. He opened his mouth to the darkness. ¡°You said that as long as I offer sacrifice in the way you directed me, all my desires can be fulfilled.¡± A group of twisted darkness stood up from his shadow. There was an androgynous voice, and thousands of sentient beings were seemingly crying. ¡°Human, This King didn¡¯t lie to you.¡± The darkness stretched out a deformed lanky arm and touched Rong Ran¡¯s cheek. ¡°Isn¡¯t your face and your current strength the best proof?¡± There was a horrible feeling behind him. His eyes frantically looked at the pit exuding thick blood, ¡°You said that sacrifices needed to be made with the flesh and blood of ten thousand virgins and ten thousand babies. I¡¯ve done everything now, so what else do you need?¡± ¡°This King still needs a person who sincerely yearns for the king to come to this world. They need to call me to communicate the distance between This King and this world during the blood sacrifice.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°How do you want me to do it?¡± ¡°Open the formation, close your eyes, and call out the king¡¯s name devoutly,¡± the voice said. Rong Ran nodded and raised his hand. Unwashed bloodstains currently permeated his hands, and flesh and blood residues were embedded in his fingers. He slit his wrist, and blood flowed into the pit. A terrible howl suddenly sounded from the originally silent cave. The blood was shining in the pit, and the turbulent blood spread up. The twisted female ghosts and hollow eyes of the infant spirits were visible in the surging waves. Rong Ran had done everything step by step in the ceremony. Then, he placed his fingers on his chest, closed his eyes, and called. ¡°Please, foreign Demon King Serpent, come to this world. Please, foreign Demon King Serpent, come to this world. Please, foreign Demon King¡­¡± The whistling sound in the pit of the blood sea became harsher and harsher, and the turbulent blood flashed crazily in Rong Ran¡¯s field of vision. Rong Ran thought of the humiliation he had suffered in the Demon Realm for thirty-plus years. He finally had a chance to get revenge and could take the one he loved back in his arms now. Endless madness and pleasure bred in his heart. He murmured and stirred his desire. The faster he thought in his heart, the more maddened he became. His whole person had fallen into a state of incomparable enthusiasm. He couldn¡¯t see the movements of the world outside, but he suddenly felt his body lighten. The Demon King¡¯s voice slowly sounded. ¡°Yes, This King forgot to tell you¡­¡± The body fell into the pit swiftly, and the resentful spirits¡¯ gruesome and piercing voices got closer and closer. The Heavenly Demon King: ¡°For the sacrificial technique to be successful, we still need a dark soul who is devoted and loyal to This King and a body corroded by the power of This King.¡± Rong Ran was drowned in a sea of ??blood. The evil spirits he killed rushed toward him frantically, invading his spirit and biting and pulling. He screamed in extreme pain, and the agony finally made him return from that state of enthusiasm. But it was too late. ¡°Serpent King, you lied to me. You lied to me¨C!¡± His face was already extremely distorted and panicked, washed away by a sea of ??blood. He desperately tried to escape the pit, but the grieving spirit entangled and bit him, making it difficult for him to move. They twisted together in his hands and feet, tearing at his neck and face. He felt that his soul was chewed up and swallowed, becoming the nourishment for the entire blood sea. His body was being dragged into the depths of the blood sea unstoppably. ¡°When has This King lied to you?¡± The Demon King¡¯s androgynous chilling voice sounded in his heart. ¡°As long as This King occupies your body and descends into the world, everything you want will be realized. You will mix with these souls and become a part of This King. Isn¡¯t everything This King own, also yours?¡± The other party¡¯s voice was getting softer and lighter. Wrong. It was his own consciousness getting blurred. Distorted screams of terrible pain surrounded him, informing him of the sins he personally committed. They tore him to pieces and swallowed him. Rong Ran¡¯s eyes widened. He finally realized that he was going to die. In this way, he died in a sorry state in this gloomy cave without any sympathy. In his drifting consciousness, he suddenly seemed to see a nightingale flying by in the dark night. Its hair was soft and beautiful, singing a beautiful song that sent him into a dream. He reached out to grab it. He couldn¡¯t catch it. The nightingale flew away from his world forever. CH 129 Chapter 129 Enter the Formation The Demon Palace. Ye Yunlan leaned on the bed, watching the rain outside the window. The Demon Lord had been out for half an hour. The enchantment that enveloped the Demon Palace blocked the hustle and bustle of the outside world. He could only hear the wind and rain and see the drowsy sky outside the window. His body¡¯s Nirvana was not complete. Even though Demon Lord had been trying to complement him with the method of dual cultivation recently, his cultivation base was only up to Immortalization. There was still a sliver of distance to cross the boundary of Transcendence. When the Demon Lord went out, his words were very relaxed. However, his heart was still somewhat apprehensive. He stared at the Queying Sword by the bed. He wanted to reach out to hold it for a while but suddenly heard the palace door being opened. Someone came in from the wind and rain. They had black hair, black robes, and eyes like blood. It was the Demon Lord. A shadow was vibrating at his feet. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± He breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew his hand from the sword. The Demon Lord approached, sat on the edge of the bed, and extended his hand to touch his face. An obsessive admiration was in his eyes. ¡°Beautiful.¡± The other party whispered, wanting to lean over and kiss his lips. Ye Yunlan suddenly deduced something wrong. He tilted his head to avoid kissing him. The Demon Lord held his chin and chuckled softly: ¡°Yunlan, you are so obedient usually. Why won¡¯t you allow me to kiss you today?¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. The person before him and the Demon Lord looked identical, and the laziness between the eyebrows was even more similar. However, the Demon Lord would never call him ¡°Yunlan.¡± ¡°Who are you?¡± His hand wanted to grab the bedside sword but was caught by the person in front of him. ¡°So keen.¡± The other party stared at him with interest, ¡°Being too smart for a pretty beauty like yourself isn¡¯t good as long as you just open your legs and serve others.¡± He squeezed Ye Yunlan¡¯s jaw, forcing him to raise his head, ¡°This is a beautiful face. No wonder so many people like it. It creates desires and obsession for you, making it hard for one to return. A beauty is a calamity for the world, and this is the exact case.¡± The other party¡¯s qi was extremely powerful, surpassing far past the six realms of the mortal body and even the Transcendence Realm. It suppressed Ye Yunlan, making it difficult to move. Ye Yunlan saw a shadow wriggling from under the other party¡¯s feet. Cold sweat slipped from his forehead. A ridiculous guess popped up in his mind. He had seen only two people who could manipulate darkness in this way. Maybe it couldn¡¯t be called a person. One was the Demon Lord. The other was the Heavenly Demon King, who descended into the world after stepping through Tianyuan more than two hundred years later. How could it be so? The Heavenly Demon King was at the Void Tracing Realm cultivation base and was blocked by outside laws. He couldn¡¯t have descended into this world this early. He still didn¡¯t dare to believe it and probed: ¡°Serpent Demon King?¡± The person in front of him showed a slightly surprised look. ¡°Human, do you know me?¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart sank. It turned out to be the case. How did this monster come to this world? He clearly knew the Serpent Demon King was different from the Demon Lord. It was a demon from outside the realm and had no sympathy or mercy for the human race. In the great catastrophe, blood formed into rivers, and the Serpent Demon King would only laugh wildly and lead the monsters to invade the world. He entered Tianyuan alone and burned his soul with his sword to bury himself and the Heavenly Demon King back then, allowing the world¡¯s people one last opportunity to survive. But at this time, no one had reached the Void Tracing Realm in this world. Who could stop this monster from ravaging the world? Ye Yunlan¡¯s fingertips trembled. He forced himself to calm down. Something¡¯s wrong. The world membrane had not been broken, and the Serpent Demon King appeared here, so it must certainly not be his genuine body. Otherwise, the god thunder from Tribulations would come down from the sky, and this place would have already been turned into rubble. This was the Serpent Demon King¡¯s clone. Although his realm aura was far beyond mortality, it hadn¡¯t reached the Void. If his realm could also reach the Transcendence Realm, perhaps he could fight back by relying on his sword cultivation. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± The Serpent Demon King looked at him with a smile while using the Demon Lord¡¯s face. Ye Yunlan: ¡°How I should¡­kill you.¡± The Serpent Demon King laughed. ¡°Do you want to kill This King? This world is full of ants. Although you were born the most beautiful, you also seem the most wishful.¡± A black wind swept around them abruptly. Ye Yunlan could not touch his sword. The Serpent Demon King had taken him out of the Demon Palace. The Serpent Demon King was holding his waist. His face blurred, twisted, and changed, returning to a beautiful and delicate state. He curled his red lips, and his smile cracked to the base of his ears. His eyes were akin to two blood-colored lanterns. ¡°Someone made a deal with me and asked This King to take you out. Otherwise, This King would¡¯ve really wanted to taste you right there.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at that recognized and distorted face. It was Rong Ran. How dare Rong Ran bring such a monster into the world. And who was the one who dared to make a deal with the Serpent Demon King? The black wind swept him to Liuming Mountain. Ye Yunlan looked at the familiar, giant array, and his pupils shrank sharply. This was the Primordial Demon Refining Array. Since he couldn¡¯t find the Demon Bone remains in the Ye Clan¡¯s Primordial Immortal Boat, he had been worried. What worried him most now really happened. The Serpent Demon King licked his lips. ¡°The previous Demon Lord¡¯s bones were actually left in this world. If This King can get it, heh¡­¡± Ye Yunlan did not hear the rest of his words clearly. The Serpent Demon King chopped his nape with his hand. ¡­ A sword light was in the sky. Two huge sword intents entangled and attacked, and the collision of the Transcendance Realms shook the surroundings with a deafening noise. The iron in Lord Qiyun¡¯s hand was broken, and he retreated several miles. His own hands had broken his original natal sword. In such a battle level, ordinary spirit swords could hardly carry his sword intent. Additionally, the Demon Lord¡¯s sword technique did not hit a plateau for thirty years. Instead, it advanced rapidly. Now with his natal sword still there, one was afraid it would be difficult for him to withstand the impact. This reminded Qiyun Jun of when the Demon Lord broke the Buddha Tower¡¯s prohibition and rescued the person, releasing the blood river to fight with them. It was nearly indistinguishable from the previous timeline now that the righteous and demons were fighting, and the daoist powers were all appearing. However, the time of occurrence had advanced by more than a hundred years. His previous life¡¯s Demon Lord knew the karma between him and Ye Yunlan and told him the truth during the battle, making his Ruthless Dao abruptly flawed. He was seriously injured by the cosmic earthquake in his mind after he recalled everything, so he had to escape from the battlefield. However, the erosion of demonic energy was even more terrifying than he imagined. There were flaws in his dao. He also couldn¡¯t break his cultivation and re-establish it like this life. Thus, his cultivation gradually waned. He couldn¡¯t control himself from entering the Demon Dao in the end, so he imprisoned himself in the peach forest¡¯s deep valley that year and pierced his limbs with a demon chain, struggling with his demon qi every day and ignoring foreign affairs. Even so, his cultivation of the Ruthless Dao realm continued to disperse. His daoist body was unstable, and he ultimately fell into a mortal body. His vitality gradually became shallow. The karma owed was outstanding. The person he wanted to meet was also missing. He had spent his entire life in sword cultivation and eventually ended up like this. Perhaps this was his fault for being too conceited when he didn¡¯t know people clearly. He owed that man too much. Before his dao disappeared, someone broke into the peach forest. He looked up with difficulty, wondering if it was the person his heart demon had missed all these years coming back here again. It wasn¡¯t. The other party was just a young man who broke in by accident. He was young with a massive sword on his back and also a sword cultivator. After discovering him, he hurriedly wanted to treat him but didn¡¯t know where to start. He opened his mouth to tell the youth there was no need to help him. Life and death are predestined, and he knew that. Then he asked the youth what happened to the outside world. The youth talked about the various things in the world after the battle of the Buddha Tower. It turned out that it had been ten years since then. In the past ten years, the Dao and Demon returned to peace. The Demon Lord was missing, and the world was peaceful and quiet. But he didn¡¯t hear the news about the person he most wanted to hear. He had not accepted any apprentices in his life or left any inheritance. But at the last moment, he taught the young man many swordsmanship techniques he had learned. He only entrusted one thing for this youth to do. It was to pass on a phrase. Tell that person, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s lips coughed blood, and his face was blank. He took out another spirit sword and held it in his hand. He couldn¡¯t retreat from this battle. The Demon Lord looked at him with a sneer. He was about to fight again but promptly detected something. He turned to look at the distant mountains. He saw a man with white clothes and white hair in the misty midair. Like a white butterfly with folded wings, he fell toward Liuming Mountain. His pupils constricted. ¡°Master!¡± The drifting darkness gathered behind him. He completely ignored the danger around him and the sword light behind him. He flew toward Liuming Mountain. ¡­ Ye Yunlan had fainted. It was the Demon King who had knocked him out. Contaminated by the devil¡¯s qi, some weird whispers repeated in his ears, making his dreams turn upside down. It was as if he was walking up and down a sea of ??blood. It was as if he was returning to the wedding banquet the year he was holding the poisoned blade into the Demon Lord¡¯s abdomen. Dark blood was covering his hands. He promptly felt a burning sensation in his body. A warm current was flowing from his blood, dispelling his demonic thoughts. He opened his eyes. Golden eyes as bright as the sun surprised He Lanze, who was looking after him. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, you¡¯re awake¨C¡± He Lanze wanted to lift him up. He waved away the other party¡¯s hand and observed the things around him. He was now in a tent. A soft blanket was beneath him, and a thin, feather-woven quilt slipped off his shoulders. The sky outside the window was gloomy. There were shouts of killing. That¡¯s right¡­ The Primordial Demon Refining Array and the Serpent Demon King¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan got up from the blanket. He staggered because of his dizziness. He stabilized his figure and wanted to get up and walk outside. He Lanze hurriedly stopped him. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, the Dao-Demon war outside is fierce. You have just been rescued, so you can rest here. Don¡¯t venture out.¡± Ye Yunlan squeezed his eyebrows together. He said: ¡°Get out of the way.¡± He Lanze looked at his abnormal white hair and golden eyes. The expression of pity on his face became even more gentle, and his tone became softer. ¡°Junior brother, don¡¯t be afraid. You don¡¯t have to rush to escape. We have trapped the Demon Lord¡¯s servant in the formation. The formation is protecting us now. He can¡¯t hurt you anymore.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s golden eyes lifted up. His original cold voice became a little anxious, ¡°What? The Demon Lord is already in the formation?¡± Facing Ye Yunlan¡¯s sharp golden eyes and hair-raising face, He Lanze lost his voice for a while. Although he was marginally confused about Ye Yunlan¡¯s attitude, he still nodded. ¡°Yes. That guy has been trapped in the formation for three days.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s face paled. The Demon Lord was in the formation? When he was young, the Demon Lord could glimpse a formation and understand its context. With the Primordial Demon Refining Array set up. The Demon Lord¡¯s eyesight must¡¯ve seen it. There was only one possibility for the Demon Lord to enter the formation. It was to save him, just like in his previous life. The Serpent Demon King brought him out of the Demon Palace just to bait the Demon Lord! How was this like his previous life? Who set up the trap? He still remembered that the Serpent King said that bringing him out of the Demon Palace was a deal with a person. Ye Yunlan stared at He Lanze, who was in front of him. Was it him? No. He Lanze had no reason to form a connection with the Serpent Demon King, let alone with his identity as the Sky Sect¡¯s Senior Brother; he would not risk the world¡¯s chaos to scheming. So who was it? Suddenly he heard the sound of a wheelchair rolling. A person stopped quietly at the tent exit. ¡°Yunlan.¡± The other party called him softly. That face was ordinary, even obscurely wretched, and he was missing half of his body. He was not anyone he knew. But that kind of expression and that kind of tone¡ª ¡°Chen Weiyuan.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice was cold, pausing at every syllable. Many people were behind Chen Weiyuan. Ye Yunlan had seen some of them before, and a portion was unfamiliar. ¡°I heard that you finally woke up. Everyone was distraught and wanted to come over and see you,¡± Chen Weiyuan said. Xu Qingyue was pushing Chen Weiyuan¡¯s wheelchair. When he looked at him, many unclear feelings were in his eyes, mixed with concern. He said, ¡°Daoist Ye, you¡¯re fortunately fine.¡± Yin Ling stood at the entrance, red-clad. Lin Xiaowan, a petite figure, and many Sky Sect disciples were beside her. ¡°Junior Brother Ye, it¡¯s great that you¡¯re fine.¡± Many faces were unfamiliar, but the eyes staring at him were full of eagerness. ¡°Immortal Lord Ye!¡± ¡°Immortal Lord Ye woke up. What discomfort does he feel?¡± ¡°I have healing pills here, as well as Immortal spirit grass. If Immortal Lord Ye needs it, just speak up.¡± Many of them were injured. Most were wounded in the battle of the Dao and Demons, so they retreated from the battlefield and gathered here. But at this time, they didn¡¯t conceal anything and showed him everything as if showing a medal. The noisy voices lingered in his ears. Chen Weiyuan was sitting in a wheelchair, watching him and smiling quietly among the crowd. Ye Yunlan said: ¡°It¡¯s you colluding with the Serpent Demon King.¡± Chen Weiyuan kept smiling, ¡°Yunlan, I don¡¯t know what you are talking about.¡± Ye Yunlan coldly said: ¡°You¡¯re crazy.¡± Chen Weiyuan had memories of their previous lives; he indubitably knew the Serpent Demon King¡¯s identity. Yet, he dared to seek a tiger¡¯s help. He was completely crazy and didn¡¯t even take the safety of the human race into his heart. Chen Weiyuan: ¡°I know the Demon Lord has imprisoned you for too long, and your mind is a little confused. I am still angry that the Demon Lord¡¯s sword had shattered me. Only now was I able to return to the world. I failed to save you at that time. Fortunately, you are okay. Yunlan, you can cultivate for a while. As for the Demon Lord, leave it to me to solve.¡± The cultivators behind him also agreed. ¡°Yes, Immortal Lord, you have a good rest. Let us deal with the Demon Lord.¡± ¡°Immortal Lord, rest at ease.¡± ¡°Immortal Lord, just rest here with our protection.¡± Ye Yunlan listened and only felt absurd. When was it the turn for outsiders to intervene in the matters between him and the Demon Lord? Chen Weiyuan was full of lies, yet these people believed it? He wanted to push everyone out of the tent. However, Chen Weiyuan said meaningfully: ¡°Yunlan, they are all here for you. The injuries they suffered are all because of you. In any case, they would never want you to fall into the Demon Lord¡¯s hands.¡± Ye Yunlan stopped in front of the tent. The people outside the tent had surrounded this place with scorching eyes fixed on him, each with bleeding wounds and eagerness and desire in their eyes. This sparked up a memory, many years ago, of his. He was walking in the world, wearing a ghost mask/ Those people had stared at him fearfully and cursed him. It was the same noise. It seemed like it was all the same, he thought. Mortal affairs were bottomless. Most people just want to believe what they wish to think and only desire to pursue what they want. Ye Yunlan closed his eyes and said. ¡°I am with the Demon Lord. We are in love with each other. I was not forced. Please move.¡± The hustle and bustle encircling him abruptly became quiet. The eyes of those people looking at him changed. Some were confused, a percentage was angry, and more couldn¡¯t believe what they heard. Someone said: ¡°Immortal Lord Ye, how can you let yourself go?! That monster is a person who has killed countless people. How can he be worthy of your immortal self?¡± Someone yelled, ¡°I heard others say it has been thirty years, and the Immortal Lord has long surrendered to the Demon Lord. I did not believe it, but now it seems I was wrong!¡± ¡°He is in cahoots with the demons and helping evil. How can you refer to yourself as a Daoist Sext disciple?¡± It was bustling with noise. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to explain anymore. In such a situation, there would be no more room for himself if he spoke his words. He chose to be with the Demon Lord just like in his previous life. He would turn his back on everyone. He had never regretted it up to the end of his life. ¡°Yunlan, have you been trapped for too long and blinded by the demon?¡± Chen Weiyuan sighed and said, ¡°We can¡¯t let you destroy the formation and rescue the Demon Lord. Stay here peacefully. Wait until everything calms down, okay?¡± Among the crowd gathered around the camp, the people who vowed to save and protect him also spoke in succession. ¡°Immortal Lord, please think twice before you act.¡± ¡°The Demon Lord has been raging for a long time and simply blinded you for a while. As long as you turn back in time, we will not blame you.¡± ¡°We are here to eliminate the Demons. We hope that Immortal Lord won¡¯t ruin this plan.¡± Ye Yunlan looked at these people coldly. Many in the crowd have already drawn their swords. It seemed that no matter what, he must be obstructed here today. There was no sword around Ye Yunlan. So he could only raise his hand. But someone was one step before him, drawing a sword and standing in front of him. This person was also a sword cultivator in the Immortalization Realm. He had a clear and awe-inspiring sword intent. The bodies of the people being oppressed around him trembled. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s face changed slightly. ¡°Qingyue !?¡± The expression on Xu Qingyue¡¯s face was somewhat hesitant but now became firm. ¡°I owe Daoist Ye a favor for giving me pointers in swordsmanship. If you want to hurt him, kill me first.¡± Chen Weiyuan scolded, ¡°You are a Tan Qing Sect disciple. How can you disregard the big picture like this?¡± Xu Qingyue: ¡°I don¡¯t know what the big picture is. I only see that this happened because of all our selfishness.¡± But a cultivator interrupted him: ¡°What selfishness! Eliminating demons is the big plan of the dao sects. Put it aside for now and disregard your favor.¡± Xu Qingyue only raised the sword in front of Ye Yunlan, motionless. Yin Ling, next to everyone, came forward, dressed in bright red. She drew a sword to face everyone. ¡°I don¡¯t know the big picture. I only know that Junior Brother Ye entered the sea of ??fire alone and rescued more than a hundred disciples of my Sky Sect.¡± The expressions of many Sky Sect disciples around were a little moved. However, most people couldn¡¯t seem to understand their words. Ye Yunlan¡¯s disappointment and betrayal made it difficult for them to think. The injuries they suffered from the Dao-Demon War now looked ridiculous. Seeing that there will be a fight and that Xu Qingyue and Yin Ling were about to release their swords, Ye Yunlan grabbed Xu Qingyue¡¯s wrist. He said: ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be this way.¡± He looked at Yin Ling, ¡°Senior Sister Yin, do you have an extra sword? Can I borrow it, please?¡± Yin Ling stared at the golden pupils. They were calm, and she didn¡¯t seem shaken by the predicament that her husband was referring to. Her heart was stable, and she nodded without realizing it. She took a spirit sword from her storage ring and handed it to Ye Yunlan. Ye Yunlan took the long sword, and his body¡¯s aura changed instantly. Nirvana sword intent flowed around him. It was cold and lonely. The nameless spirit sword had seemingly become the sharpest killer in the world. Many people were forced to take a step back by the sword intent. They looked at him with a trace of jealousy and fear. It seemed they did not expect the sickly beauty, whom the Demon had raised in the deep palace for many years, actually would have such a realm in swordsmanship. He shot out his sword. It was only one sword: ¡°Shower.¡± It crackled. The sound of long swords collided, resembling a rain shower. People whose cultivation bases were close to his were among the crowd, but they couldn¡¯t even see how many sword lights swept across in that instant. All the sword cultivators who had drawn their swords in the crowd had fallen to the ground. Sword skills like this. Everyone took a cold breath. Ye Yunlan lifted his sword and looked at them coldly, shaking them to the core. That beautiful, heavenly face, but with the addition of a nirvana sword intent, felt awe-inspiring. Everyone subconsciously gave way. Who could stop him? Who dared to stop him? Chen Weiyuan also received a sword, and a talisman was broken in his hand. ¡°Yunlan, if you save him, you will die too.¡± He said hoarsely, ¡°You should know the reason.¡± Ye Yunlan shot him an icy look. Chen Weiyuan still had many magical treasures in his hand, the Demon Lord was in the formation, and he had no time to waste on this trash. His words were ambiguous, but Ye Yunlan could hear them clearly. The Serpent Demon King stunned him and disappeared, presumably hiding in a place to spy. Extraterrestrial demons exist by swallowing each other. Chen Weiyuan and the Serpent Demon King¡¯s deal was definitely based on the Demon Lord¡¯s body. But at this moment, he didn¡¯t think deeply about the formation¡¯s dangers. Regardless of thousands of evil and various conspiracies, he would go on this journey no matter what. In that case, what good was it to think more? He walked through the crowd. CH 130 Chapter 130 Resolve the Curse Chen Weiyuan looked at him from behind. He called out ¡°Yunlan¡± again. There was no response. As early as the sword blow on the Immortal Boat, he knew Ye Yunlan would no longer answer him in this life. How ridiculous. He had calculated a lifetime¡¯s worth of Tianji and used assorted methods, yet he still couldn¡¯t hold onto a person¡¯s heart. His soul was cut to pieces as he traveled through the void. He looked at the distant light of this world and gradually sank into the darkness. The Demon King¡¯s voice sounded at that time. ¡°Human, let¡¯s make a deal.¡± Deal. He squandered the power of the Chen Clan¡¯s astrolabe on the Immortal Boat. His dreams and wishes weren¡¯t realized in the end, and the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth would descend on the world. Even if he returned, he could not protect himself, nor could he get what he wanted, the person he wanted. In that case, what did it matter if everything was destroyed? What he couldn¡¯t get, no one would get. He let the Heavenly Demon King¡¯s remnant thoughts rest on his soul. Then when he returned to the world, he planted them in Rong Ran¡¯s body. Although he was psychotic for several years, everything went according to his plan. And the seeds planted have blossomed and bore fruit today. He watched Ye Yunlan¡¯s figure depart, pushed his wheelchair through the crowd, and arrived at the edge of the cliff, gazing at the sky battle. He took out a black box in his hand. He touched it gently. ¡­ ¡°Do you really want to enter the formation?¡± Ye Yunlan walked toward where the formation was and heard a wintry voice. It was Qiyun Jun. The man was standing under the tree, looking at him. His complexion was vaguely pale, and he seemed injured. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t answer his question. He was in a hurry, just about to brush shoulders with him. Qi Yunjun said hoarsely: ¡°Don¡¯t go.¡± His light-colored eyes were no longer cold. Like fire under the ice, it revealed a vehement and intense feeling. It formed a stark contrast to his indifferent appearance. Qiyun Jun stepped forward in front of Ye Yunlan and took out a broken sword from his storage ring. It was the broken Taiqing Du Er sword. He said: ¡°I personally broke it.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You broke your sword. What does it have to do with me?¡± Qiyun Jun was silent for a second. His voice was hoarse: ¡°I just want to say sorry to you.¡± ¡°Sect Master has nothing to be sorry to me about. There is no need to apologize.¡± Ye Yunlan looked indifferent, ¡°Please get out of the way.¡± Qiyun Jun¡¯s hand quivered slightly. ¡°I¡¯ve remembered everything about the Buddha Pagoda in our previous life. I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. Ye Yunlan paused. ¡°Sect Master, I have already said that the Ink Jade is broken, and you and I have nothing to do with each other. It would be a little ridiculous to mention things in the past now.¡± He raised his eyelids and looked at Qiyun Jun blankly, ¡°Not to mention, I don¡¯t want to remember those things.¡± Qiyun Jun looked at Ye Yunlan¡¯s aloof expression and felt a tingling pain in his heart. He didn¡¯t know the suffering of love in his life, but now, he could finally feel it. It felt more uncomfortable than all the injuries he had undergone in this life. He suddenly said: ¡°Do you really like that monster?¡± Ye Yunlan said: ¡°He is not a monster. He is my lover.¡± The broken sword fell to the ground with a clear sound. Ye Yunlan had already passed him. Flying white hair brushed his shoulders. Qiyun Jun suddenly coughed. Fishy sweetness surged from his throat. He remembered what Cheng Zixu had told him before leaving. The Extreme Affection Dao was for one person in one¡¯s entire life. If you couldn¡¯t have it, you would suffer from love and misfortune for a long time to come. From acquainting and familiarizing to severance, the cycle would go back and forth, insolvable. There seemed to be a hallucination in front of Qiyun Jun. He saw a tree of peach blossoms and someone smiling at him under the tree. In a blink of an eye, he was at the top of the Buddha Tower, shrouded in shimmering light. He hit the person climbing up with his sword. The two intertwined, and the young man¡¯s figure overlapped with the skinny figure in the Buddha Tower. The young man rushed toward him with trust and attachment on his face, but he only saw the surge of sword energy, and his eyes widened helplessly. He heard the teenager¡¯s tormenting and struggling voice. He desperately tried to hold his hand, but it couldn¡¯t be stopped. He swiftly spat out a mouthful of blood. ¡­ Ye Xuanguang closed his eyes and sat in the center of the formation with the Demon Emperor Sword beside him, consuming spiritual energy to maintain the formation. Out of the blue, he felt someone breaking into the formation. In his divine consciousness, Ye Yunlan¡¯s figure appeared. He was suddenly taken aback. How could his brother abruptly join the battle? Although the Primordial Demon Refining Array was a form of monster suppression, it was mainly aimed at demonic monsters with devilish energy and extremely dangerous inside. The formation would also assault ordinary cultivators who enter. Ye Xuanguang didn¡¯t have time to think about it; he wished to stop the Primordial Demon Refining Array¡¯s operation. He promised Chen Weiyuan to preside over the formation but only because of the dual stars he mentioned and the other party did indeed rescue Ye Yunlan from the Demon Palace. However, the threat of the Demon Realm and dual star theory wasn¡¯t more prominent than Ye Yunlan¡¯s life. As an older brother, he couldn¡¯t protect him when he was young, but now that he had the ability, he wouldn¡¯t jeopardize him again. The spiritual power injected into the formation had been cut off. However, he discovered that the Primordial Demon Refining Array was still operating. Ye Xuanguang¡¯s complexion changed. What happened? As the person controlling everything in the big formation, why couldn¡¯t he terminate the formation now? The surrounding black mist seemed to become treacherous. He picked up the Demon Emperor Sword and stood up from the heart of the formation. Suddenly, a sharp blade pierced out of the black mist! The sharp blade looked like pitch-black limbs, imparting an uncanny aura. The Demon Emperor Sword sensed it and seemed stimulated, producing an ear-piercing sword sound. The red-gold flames surged from the Demon Phoenix Sword. Ye Xuanguang¡¯s sword blocked him, and he exerted his Transcendence Realm¡¯s power to the extreme. With the power of the Demon Emperor Sword in his hand, he believed nobody on earth could oppose him. However, The Demon Emperor Sword was able to remove the pitch black limbs, and the sword body¡¯s flame heightened in ferocity. The substantial impact caused Ye Xuanguang¡¯s mouth to suffer harrowing pain. He almost couldn¡¯t hold the sword in his hand. He backed up two steps, vomiting golden-red blood from his mouth. But before he could recover, the sharp and terrifying limbs were reflected in his pupils again. With a violent sound, Ye Xuanguang was thrown away by an immense collision. The sound calmed down. Ye Xuanguang was lying on the ground, and the Demon Emperor Sword fell aside. He saw a shadow twisting and winding, and his pupils shrank violently. This kind of strength¡­ Was definitely not what they should have in the Transcendence Realm¡­ Who did the attack¡­ His brother was still in the formation¡­! And currently in the formation: Ye Yunlan was clinging to a sword, walking in the black mist. He once entered the Primordial Demon Refining Array. It was an ancient killing array for monsters, but the danger was much more trivial for righteous cultivators. In the beginning, his strength was not yet in Immortalization, and he could walk through the formation with scars and move the Demon Bone. Thus, he would be much faster now. And when he was brought out from the Demon Palace by Chen Weiyuan, when he secretly wanted to break the formation to allow the Demon Lord to escape, he had already carefully studied this formation. The Primordial Demon Refining Array could kill monsters because it could prevent the Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body from regenerating. To put it simply, the demon body would be suppressed in this formation. The Demon Lord would be no different from ordinary people, and his life core would be completely exposed. The danger would escalate with every extra minute spent there. Moreover, the Demon Lord¡¯s demon body was originally unstable. Hence it would accelerate its collapse. He must find the Demon Bone as soon as possible and break the formation with the Demon Lord. The Demon Bone was in an extremely secretive place. If he didn¡¯t know the formation method, it would be almost impossible to reach that mysterious place. He calculated the position and walked in the black mist. Countless murky winds roared. The wind was like a knife, blocked by him with a sword. He didn¡¯t know how long he walked. There were already many gaps in the blade. He saw black light shining in the distance. The position of the Demon Bone gradually approached, but more treacherous energy accompanied it, which inexplicably entwined in his heart. Ye Yunlan¡¯s body was alert; he hadn¡¯t relaxed for a moment since entering the formation. It was unclear where the Serpent Demon King was staring like a tiger watching its prey. That monster descended into the world with Rong Ran¡¯s body, and its strength far surpassed a mortal. Even though its main body was still outside the territory, its strength was still terrifying. He didn¡¯t have a sword in his hand when he met the Serpent Demon King before. But now, with a sword in his hand, the forbidden technique in his hand was ready to go. In the face of an opponent like the Serpent Demon King, holding back anything will lead to greater calamity. Ye Yunlan saw where the Demon Bone was. It was a willow tree. The trunk had already become lifeless and pitch-black, but the wicker hanging down still danced as if there was life. The Demon Bone was placed in the willow tree¡¯s cavity. The dark wicker attacked him, and he waved his sword to block it. He slowly approached. Gradually, he saw a crack in the trunk and a deep light emerging from within. He leaned forward to take it, and a terrible chill came from his fingertips. The power of his bloodline in his body dissipated it. He picked up the Demon Bone and turned around. Countless willows blocked his retreat. It wanted to force him back into the tree cavity again. He swung his sword and chopped, struggling to walk to the outside world while entangled in willow branches. As the Demon Bone moved away from the formation, the black mist showed signs of dispersing. The formation¡¯s flaw had appeared. He had to find the Demon Lord. He held the heavy Demon Bone in his hand and dragged his long sword to search for him in the formation. The Demon Bone was constantly consuming the power of his bloodline in his body. He felt heavier and heavier. He staggered a bit, then when he blocked the attacking wind blade, he felt unstable and fell. Suddenly, someone embraced him. ¡°Master.¡± It was the Demon Lord¡¯s voice coming from behind. But Ye Yunlan still did not relax. The appearance of the Serpent Demon King, who had changed into the Demon Lord before, made him relax his vigilance, so he could not confirm whether the person he was looking for was behind him. Therefore, he turned around to look. The warm chest of the man behind him hugged him tightly, but when he turned his head, he saw only a twisted ball of darkness and two spots of blood. Ye Yunlan¡¯s heart sank. The demon body had collapsed. This formation had refined the Demon Lord, who stayed in it for three days, and it was already difficult to maintain his form. The other party reached out his hand to block his eyes. ¡°Master, don¡¯t look,¡± the other party muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t look good right now.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyelashes trembled in his palm. A sense of familiarity that had accompanied him for more than a hundred years haunted his heart. Not the Serpent Demon King. It was the Demon Lord. He realized this and quickly said: ¡°It¡¯s not suitable to stay here for long. Come with me.¡± Demon Lord: ¡°Where Master says to go, I will go.¡± Ye Yunlan said a direction. The two flew outside the formation. Seeing the exit was near, the anxiety in his heart grew heavier and heavier. Ye Yunlan asked, ¡°Have you noticed a strange energy?¡± Demon Lord: ¡°In the formation, I can¡¯t sense anything. This place suppresses my five senses. If it weren¡¯t for Master, I still won¡¯t be able to sense the way out.¡± The light in front of him gradually approached. Discernibly, the human voices outside the exit were clamorous. The Demon Bone in his hand was heavy, and he couldn¡¯t hold it anymore. He looked down. But he ran into a pair of evil and wicked blood-red eyes. The baby smiled grimly at him. What he was holding was not the Demon Bone but a demon infant changed by the Serpent Demon king! The Serpent Demon king was very good at invading people¡¯s hearts and creating illusions. In this case, the front was not an exit, but¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t go there!¡± Ye Yunlan said in surprise. It was too late. They fell into the light. The figures they¡¯ve seen outside the formation disappeared. This place was a sea of ??blood, and the light was the struggling souls above it. There was a high mountain of corpses, and a throne was at its highest point, formed by bone stacks. The Serpent Demon King, with Rong Ran¡¯s appearance, was sitting on the throne while the demon infant was in Ye Yunlan¡¯s hands, smiling oddly. Its sharp claws stretched out between the sparkling flints to reach his heart. Ye Yunlan suddenly released his hand and raised his sword to block the demon infant¡¯s attack. The demon infant¡¯s claws scratched his sword, breaking the sword into two pieces. Then he fell into a sea of ??blood and melted into it with a strange smile. ¡°There are people in the world who can cultivate into the body of a celestial demon, which really surprised This King.¡± The Serpent Demon King sat on the throne, supporting his chin with one hand. He looked at them with interest. He held the pitch-black Demon Bone in his other hand and tossed it around. ¡°I thought it would take a lot of time and effort to actually come to this world. I didn¡¯t expect that there was a ready-made demon in front of my eyes.¡± He looked at the Demon Lord, ¡°How about a deal? As long as you surrender your body to This King, I will let the beauty in your arms survive and allow him to serve This King. What do you think?¡± The demon¡¯s voice was very cold. Darkness surged around him. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± The Serpent Demon King smiled: ¡°This King knew this would be the case. Then you two, stay here. It¡¯s perfect since you two can be the nourishment for the Blood Sacrifice Formation. This will allow the channel to the foreign territories to open up.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s body was stiff, and his mind was focused at that moment. Blood Sacrifice Formation? How did this Primordial Demon Refining Array become a Blood Sacrifice Formation? The Serpent Demon King seemed to know his doubts and explained pridefully: ¡°The human didn¡¯t tell you? The gigantic formation set up on the top of Liuming Mountain was indeed the Demon Refining Array, but the source of that power was the Blood Sacrifice Formation covering the entire Liuming Mountain for a hundred miles. All the living creatures in this hundred miles are sacrifices for This King.¡± ¡°Your human race is fighting against each other, and it just happens to help This King.¡± He looked at Ye Yunlan with a slight fascination and raised his eyebrows, ¡°Well, how about This King give you another chance? As long as you can let your lover give up his body, I will let you live and serve me. Demons will eventually rule this world, and all human beings will be our slaves. If you follow This King, you will be the lord of the human race by then, the highest existence among them. Doesn¡¯t this make you tempted?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± His answer was identical to the Demon Lord¡¯s. Serpent Demon King: ¡°I didn¡¯t expect there would be so many ants in this world. Everyone is overestimating themselves.¡± The Demon Lord held Ye Yunlan tightly, and the Shura Sword in his hand came out. Bloody light rays cut through the void and pierced the Serpent Demon King. The Serpent Demon King raised his hand. A massive wave emerged from the sea of ??blood and swept toward the two of them. Although he had expected it, Ye Yunlan couldn¡¯t help his pupils¡¯ shrinking. This was the real power of stepping into the Void Tracing Realm. Void Tracing and Transcendence, the gap between the two was like the difference between a Transcendence Realm and the Six Realms of the Mortal Body, the difference between heaven and earth. The Shura Sword slashed through the gargantuan waves. The bodies of the two were also sent flying, and the Demon Lord¡¯s back collided with the blood-colored rock wall. Hot blood slipped from his lips and burned on Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks. The hand of the Demon Lord holding his sword was also full of blood. His knuckles were twisted, but he still held his sword up to protect him well, because he could not heal in the formation. The blood wave started again. Ye Yunlan felt that the hotness on his cheeks was getting heavier. But he still didn¡¯t feel the blood slapping his body; everything was obstructed by the Demon Lord¡¯s sword. Ye Yunlan suddenly remembered the promise the Demon Lord had made to him. ¡ª¡ªIf anyone in the world wants to hurt you, they must step on my body first. He heard the Demon Lord¡¯s muffled voice again. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Before the arrival of the Thunder Tribulation that swallowed the Demon Lord, the other party also said to him: ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Ye Yunlan tried to stabilize his mind. Holding the Demon Lord¡¯s hand, his voice wavered a little. He quickly said: ¡°This is the Serpent Demon King¡¯s territory, and it is a space that is neither real nor virtual. His real body has not yet reached here. This realm was only formed through the power of the Blood Sacrifice Formation reluctantly. Therefore, he temporarily possesses the power of the Void Tracing Realm. As long as we escape from here, with his cultivation in the outside world, there is nothing he can do about us.¡± An eerie look resided in Serpent Demon King¡¯s eyes, ¡°Human, how did you know my name before? I¡¯m astonished you even know about This King¡¯s Demon Territory. If it¡¯s like so, I really won¡¯t be able to keep you.¡± The realm shook, and its appearance began to morph, distorting into a vast shadow. Countless limbs separated from the lower limbs. The pitch black shapes bent sharply, looking like a spider. His black hair transformed into numerous black snakes, flying in the void. This appearance was awfully weird and could easily frighten people. Ye Yunlan anxiously shouted before the Serpent Demon King transformed: ¡°Go!¡± He had been to the Serpent Demon King¡¯s Demon Realm and personally defeated it. Thus, he knew where the weakness lay. According to what he said, the Demon Lord swung his sword toward the specific blood-colored rock wall, revealing a dark passage. The Demon Lord stepped into the passage without hesitation or wondering why Ye Yunlan knew so much about the Demon King¡¯s power. In the sea of ??blood, the Serpent Demon King sounded a piercing cry with his androgynous voice, resembling countless souls gathering and chasing them. The Demon Lord hugged him and flew across the passage. The authentic exit was at the end of the passage, not far from them. The surging darkness followed crazily behind them, getting closer and closer. And the exit approached. They couldn¡¯t stop at this moment. Once they halted and were dragged back into the sea of blood, there would be no way to escape. If the Serpent Demon King didn¡¯t underestimate them at the beginning, they would not have had the chance to flee. They were almost at the exit. But the pitch-black limbs attacked them. It was too late to turn around and resist. If they avoid it at this moment, the Serpent Demon King would overtake them. So they did not dodge¡ª¡ªYe Yunlan¡¯s eyes widened. The Demon Lord did not dodge. The sharp limbs penetrated his chest. The Demon Lord groaned. Dark blood flowed to his face, dripping to his lips. The Demon Lord lowered his bloody eyes and looked at him. His demonic body had clearly collapsed at the moment of life and death, but his eyes did not contain hostility or madness. Instead, there was a concentration of gentleness. The Demon Lord embraced him and flew to the exit with his final bit of strength. White light flashed. They returned to their world. Ye Yunlan suddenly felt something in his mind explode. A turbulent emotion, lost for more than two hundred years, exited his heart. Some memories, forgotten years ago, arrived from far away simultaneously. ¡ª¡ªThe Changing Sentiment Curse in his body was resolved. Can¡¯t wait until next week to see more? Want to show your support? Go to my Ko-fi where you can read the ending of the book right away or show your appreciation!!! <3 CH 131 Chapter 131 Jingling (Part 1) He was climbing stairs. The sun was scorching, and he was only halfway up the Sky Sects¡¯ three thousand long steps. His head was full of sweat. A gust of wind passed over his head, and his long hair flew from its blows. He was slightly curious, raised his head, and saw someone passing by with a sword. He heard mighty cultivators in the Nascent Soul Stage could fly with swords. He had already met such a powerful master before entering the sect. Was this the legendary immortal sect in the Eastern Continent? The longing in his heart worsened, and he touched the black jade hanging on his neck. Finally, he reached the end of the long steps, and someone was standing there. The man was donning white. He was beautiful, gentle, and looked very kind. When he saw him, he fixed his gaze momentarily, staring from his face to his body. Then he walked toward him with a smile. ¡°Finally. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± The other party told him he was called Rong Ran. Rong Ran. It turned out that this was the name of the person he saved in the peach valley. He was curious and observed the surroundings. Everything in the sect made him feel novel. When he walked through the outer sect, Zangxiu Peak, he saw a very tall tree on the top of the peak. It had brilliant red leaves and golden flowers intertwined, which looked beautiful. Rong Ran noticed his gaze and introduced it with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s the Jinling tree at the outer sect. The Jinling tree blooms all year round. It has been in the outer sect for more than a hundred years and always has been so lush, scenery for the outer sect.¡± He ignorantly nodded and asked: ¡°Is Senior Brother going to take me to the outer sect to cultivate?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rong Ran said gently, ¡°Senior Brother will take you directly to the inner sect. You will follow Senior Brother to cultivate in the future. That¡¯s right, the resources of the inner sect are much richer than those of the outer sect. You are my lifesaver, and I will not mistreat you.¡± Rong Ran took him to Yanhui Peak¡¯s inner sect. Rong Ran arranged for him to live there and gave him the basic techniques of the sect, as well as sword techniques. He also warned him that one¡¯s appearance was the most useless item for cultivators. The other party gave him a mask and told him to wear it. He listened to Rong Ran¡¯s words extensively and strongly relied on him, trusting him completely. Just like how they depended on each other in the peach forest¡¯s deep valley. Even though wearing a mask every day aroused strange looks from his fellow sect members. He stayed in Sky Sect for many years just like this. Apart from Rong Ran, he did not have a close friend. Rong Ran was also very good to him. He often visited, took care of him, sent him pills for resources, and taught him sword cultivation. Until that secret realm fire broke out. He sat alone in the courtyard, wondering why he brought the pill back for Rong Ran, but the other party came to see him less and less. As if separated from him by a long distance. Because of his childhood experience, the cold and deep walls of the Yaori Palace gave him a deep-set trauma, and he was terrified of loneliness. Rong Ran had left him once in the peach blossom valley that year. He didn¡¯t want to be left behind by the other party again. Thus, he deliberately went to see Rong Ran, but the other party consistently avoided seeing him. The resources and cultivation exercises he would¡¯ve brought to him in the past utterly disappeared. He was forced to learn to cultivate alone in the Sky Sect. He had to go to Xingquan Peak to take up sect missions and be surrounded by disciples of the same sect, who made things difficult for him. A man with a high crown in a black outfit casually released a sword blow to relieve him. That sword light was beautiful. With his cultivation base and vision at the time, he had never seen such a beautiful sword technique. ¡°Senior Brother.¡± He heard those sect disciples call that person: Senior Brother He Lanze. He was thinking about the other party helping that time and how the sword light had dazzled him. He plucked up the courage to talk to the other party in the mood of wanting to befriend him. He Lanze had obviously forgotten what happened at the time. His temperament looked down on worldly affairs. He was very impatient with people asking questions. After he made repeated attempts, they all failed. It wasn¡¯t until the gift he prepared by himself was trampled at the other party¡¯s birthday banquet that he knew that perhaps, the other party¡¯s heart did not have a good impression of him. The courage he plucked up was gone. So he withdrew himself again. He no longer looked for Rong Ran, and he no longer asked He Lanze for questions. He ate alone, cultivated alone, and read a book in his bamboo building alone. The days were long, and being alone didn¡¯t seem so unbearable. He accepted a sect mission and needed to deliver a letter to the outer sect. When he came back through the Shuofeng Cliff, he saw the lush Jinling tree again. The tree full of bell-like flowers swaying in the wind was incredibly cute. He couldn¡¯t help but walk over. However, he discovered a person lying under the Jinling tree. It should be a young male or a young girl. Blood was flowing out of that person. He walked quickly over. After turning the person over, he took a gasp of air. The man¡¯s appearance was burnt and scarred. He was hideous. If he wasn¡¯t used to seeing himself burned in the mirror, he was afraid he would¡¯ve fled because of the shock when he saw the other person¡¯s face. It¡¯s just that the person¡¯s actual wound was not on his face. But on his waist and abdomen. Several deep whip marks crossed the other party¡¯s waist, and his wounded clothes were torn open. His flesh and blood were exposed. It was visible that the whip¡¯s wielder had no mercy. How could someone deal with a Sky Sect disciple with such a heavy hand? He frowned deeply, tore off his white clothes, helped the man deal with the wound on his waist and abdomen, and bandaged it properly. He gave the other party a few healing pills and observed the other side¡¯s situation. The other party woke up quickly. When he continued to feed him the medicine, he unhurriedly opened his eyes. The other party¡¯s face was ugly with scars, but he had a pair of beautiful eyes. Those eyes were very dark and heavy but a bit hollow. The other party looked down at the white clothing tied to the wound on his waist and abdomen, then stood up forcibly. He did not say any thanks and turned to leave. He called the other party. He raised his voice and asked. ¡°Who are you a disciple to? Torture is forbidden in the sect. Who on earth caused you to suffer such severe injuries?¡± The person did not speak. He continued to amble step by step. His actions resembled those of a stiff puppet. He frowned, worrying about the other party. He stepped forward to grab him. The other party¡¯s body was thin and only reached about his shoulders. Looking at the figure alone, one couldn¡¯t distinguish him between man and woman. He softened his voice and asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± The other party looked up at him, and his dark eyes were akin to a pool of stagnant water. He said: ¡°Do you not want to speak? Or do you have no way to speak?¡± The other party still did not speak as if he was indeed mute. But even if he was mute, he should give some reaction. He couldn¡¯t help being discouraged. He wondered if he really couldn¡¯t associate with people. The sky was dark. Pulling him around like this wouldn¡¯t do. Moreover, he had heard that the outer disciples all had night restrictions. Being late might cause this person to be punished more severely, so he could only let the other party go back. But he couldn¡¯t help but call the other party again. He hurriedly organized his words and said: ¡°I¡­ I like to see flowers. I¡¯ll come to Shuofeng Cliff for a spin when I¡¯m free. If you still get punished in the future, come here and look for me. Senior Brother will definitely get justice for you.¡± It was the first time he called himself a senior in front of other disciples. His cheeks were fairly red, but his face was invisible, hidden under the mask. The other party¡¯s footsteps paused, then disappeared into the night. The second time they saw each other under the Jinling tree, it was already half a month later. He didn¡¯t know if it was because the other party¡¯s whiplash was too shocking at the time or because the other party¡¯s scars on his face made him feel sorry for having the same problem, but he had never forgotten that thin figure. He would sporadically go to the outer sect to look to see if anyone was waiting for him on Shuofeng Cliff. He spotted a thin figure standing under the tree with a disciple¡¯s robe from a distance. The wind blew through the man¡¯s clothing, making it appear empty. He hurriedly walked over and found nothing on the man this time. There were no visible scars, and the scar-covered face didn¡¯t show anything. However, his bare hands looked pale, and his wrists were slender as if one snap could break them. The man blinked when he saw him coming. The dark hollow in his eyes seemed to dissipate a little, and the morning light shone in. A little light appeared. He gazed at him in worry, ¡°Did you come here to find me on purpose?¡± The other party finally reacted this time and nodded. ¡°Is someone punishing you again? Where is the injury; do you need my help?¡± He asked with concern. The other party shook his head. Then he took out a thing from his arms. It was a flower. A butterfly-shaped pure white flower. The flower had bloomed beautifully, and the petals were still full of morning dew. The other party handed him the flower. He was startled. ¡°Why, why are you giving me a flower¡­¡± he paused. He had a superb memory and quickly recalled the excuse he had told: he liked to see flowers, so he would often come to the Jinling tree. He had just said it casually then and didn¡¯t expect him to remember it. It was the first time someone had gifted him flowers. He pursed his lips. He took the flower and rubbed the head of the person in front of him tentatively. He said softly, ¡°Thank you. I like it very much.¡± There was no reaction from the person before him. He just let him rub him, and his eyelashes drooped and fluttered. He looked like a very well-behaved little animal. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked again. The person before him blinked. He helplessly said: ¡°So you really can¡¯t speak. Are you literate?¡± The person before him shook his head. He became more helpless, ¡°You still need a name to be called.¡± He glanced at the golden bell flowers falling all over: ¡°We met at the Jinling tree, so how about¡­..I call you Ling Er?¡± The other side blinked again and didn¡¯t shake his head to refuse. So was the other party acknowledging this name? ¡°Ling Er.¡± He repeated the name, feeling like it was deeply adorable. Although, it didn¡¯t quite match the lifeless appearance of the person before him. Ling Er blinked. He felt like the other party was like a little animal that only moved with a poke. Those inky eyes were a little adorable after he looked at them for a while. Thinking of the wounds on the other party¡¯s body before, he felt even more pity. If Ling Er had such a personality, he probably had no such thing as a friend among the sect members. Just like him. After thinking about it, he took the other person¡¯s hand, sat under the tree, and talked about a couple of engaging things in and out of the sect. He really didn¡¯t know how to make conversation. He had been alone for a long time and couldn¡¯t talk anymore. The content was dry. Even he felt a little embarrassed. Yet, when he turned his head, he found Ling Er appearing earnest. So, he regained his confidence and continued speaking. By the evening, Ling Er had to go back. After this time, he would see Ling Er under the Jinling tree every few days. Ling Er brought him different flowers every time he came. Those flowers were so delicate and pretty, and he brought them back and placed them in the vase in his study. He was in a good mood these days. He told Ling Er about the intriguing things inside and outside the sect. After concluding the fascinating things, he talked about swordsmanship, cultivation, and his life. Ling Er was an excellent listener. No matter what he said, he listened very attentively. He didn¡¯t actually adapt to loneliness as he thought. Being accompanied by someone and staying alone in that empty bamboo building was different. He began to look forward to his every encounter with Ling Er. The Jinling tree bloomed all season and was lush. It had never altered its appearance from early spring to late winter. A tacit agreement was seemingly between them: they would meet under the Jinling tree in the middle of each month. Thin snow would be on Qingyun Mountain during the deep winter. He finished speaking all the things he had accumulated over the past month and looked sideways, only to find that Ling Er was asleep. It was rare. Ling Er was sincere and focused every time he listened to him. His dark eyes would seem to gleam. Was he too tired? Or was it too frigid in the winter, making him want to fall asleep? Ling Er¡¯s clothes were a bit too thin. Although cultivators didn¡¯t fear the cold, Ling Er¡¯s cultivation base had not yet reached Foundation, so he should still feel more or less chilly. Thus, he took out a thin blanket from his storage ring and wanted to put it on him. When he approached, he smelled a bloody odor overflowing from Ling Er¡¯s clothes. He frowned. He took Ling Er back to his bamboo building and undid his clothes. The dense scars on his body unsettled him. Many of those scars were aged wounds, while some were still fresh and bleeding. How could it be so? He clenched his fists. He didn¡¯t locate any exposed scars on Ling Er these days. Initially, he believed the occasional rage of the other party¡¯s teacher had rendered the whip marks on Ling Er¡¯s body. Moreover, Ling Er didn¡¯t request his help, so he didn¡¯t want to interfere with the other party. Unexpectedly, the abuse Ling Er suffered had never ceased. Did he come with scars all over his body every time they met? He didn¡¯t even notice it. He took out medicine for Ling Er, mended the bleeding wound with a bandage, then sat at the bedside. He waited for the other party to wake up. When Ling Er awakened, his eyes were still somewhat misty. The outside world was dimming. Ling Er blinked and wanted to get out of bed. He held Ling Er¡¯s hand and said solemnly: ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere today. Stay here and recover.¡± Ling Er blinked in perplexity, looking down at the bandage on his body. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you got hurt?¡± he asked, ¡°Those people¡­ How long have they been doing this to you?¡± Ling Er didn¡¯t answer. He felt discouraged again. He sat on the edge of the bed, and moonlight poured in. He was seated beside Ling Er so the other couldn¡¯t secretly leave. He scowled, pondering for a long time. He made a decision. ¡°You will stay with me from now on. Don¡¯t go back. No matter what, I will shield you.¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s just, are you an outer disciple? It might be inconvenient to live in the inner sect. It happens that my cultivation base is already reaching Golden Core. I can choose a disciple from the outer sect to accept as a disciple according to sect rules.¡± He stared at Ling Er, ¡°Would you like to be my disciple?¡± Ling Er¡¯s shadowy eyes looked at him. His pupils reflected the moonlight and his figure, and something was seemingly in their depths. After a long while, he nodded unhurriedly. He breathed out slowly. The decision to accept a disciple was impulsive; it was just to keep Ling Er in the inner sect and avoid others¡¯ harm. But he wasn¡¯t ever taught by a master since he had entered the sect; he didn¡¯t know how to be a teacher to other people. Moreover, he had always regarded Ling Er as his friend, but now that he was a senior, he couldn¡¯t help but blush. With a light cough, he said: ¡°Tomorrow, I will take you to the sect to register and get an identity token. You need a name; I can¡¯t always call you Ling Er, Ling Er¡­¡± He also remembered that Ling Er was illiterate, unable to speak, and didn¡¯t even know his own name. But it was better to get the identity token as soon as possible if Ling Er desired a stable life in the inner sect, so he said: ¡°Let¡¯s do this first. For now, you will follow my surname. We will first get your identity token, and once you¡¯re older and know your words, you can change your identity token.¡± Ling Er was very well-behaved. He only obediently nodded his head at his arrangement. On the second day, he held the token engraved with the words ¡°Ye Ling¡± and rubbed it in his hand as if he liked it very much. He purchased new clothes for Ling Er, made another soft bed, and helped tidy him up. The empty bamboo building finally gained some character. He didn¡¯t know what he should do, being a Master for the first time. As a result, he took many books on the path to being a teacher from the library. After several nights of lighting the lamp, he was finally a bit enlightened. Hence, he set his teaching plan. The first was to teach Ling Er to read. After that, he must teach him exercises and lead him to cultivation. Teachers need to educate by precepts and deeds and not be partial or secretive. A teacher was like a father, and a disciple was like a son. He didn¡¯t quite understand the last sentence because he had never felt the so-called father-son family affection in the first half of his life. However, he thought all their expectations and care should be placed on each other as father and son. Ling Er was brilliant. There was no need to teach the minor things, and he could learn many things immediately. After the injury healed, he was always busy when he wasn¡¯t paying attention. He would arrange everything in the bamboo building properly, then plant a sea of ??flowers outside the bamboo building. Perhaps Ling Er¡¯s figure rapidly grew because his environment had improved. He was already almost at his height in less than half a year. In fact, when he first met the other party, Ling Er¡¯s thin and fragile figure caused him to mistake the other party for a girl. He based the name ¡®Ling Er¡¯ on this impression. Later, he found out that the other party was actually a youth, but he was already accustomed to calling him that, so he didn¡¯t modify it. Ling Er¡¯s cooking was also delicious. The appearance was exquisite, especially his pastries. He didn¡¯t know where Ling Er had learned it. Whenever he was fatigued from reading in his study, the other party would serve him plum soup in summer and a cup of sweet ginger tea in winter. His temperament was gentle, and he did everything appropriately. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t help but wonder: If Ling Er wasn¡¯t a girl¡­ But then he forced himself to stop thinking. There was no romance and love between master and disciple. It was a sect rule. CH 131.1 Chapter 131 Jingling (Part 1) He was climbing stairs. The sun was scorching, and he was only halfway up the Sky Sects¡¯ three thousand long steps. His head was full of sweat. A gust of wind passed over his head, and his long hair flew from its blows. He was slightly curious, raised his head, and saw someone passing by with a sword. He heard mighty cultivators in the Nascent Soul Stage could fly with swords. He had already met such a powerful master before entering the sect. Was this the legendary immortal sect in the Eastern Continent? The longing in his heart worsened, and he touched the black jade hanging on his neck. Finally, he reached the end of the long steps, and someone was standing there. The man was donning white. He was beautiful, gentle, and looked very kind. When he saw him, he fixed his gaze momentarily, staring from his face to his body. Then he walked toward him with a smile. ¡°Finally. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± The other party told him he was called Rong Ran. Rong Ran. It turned out that this was the name of the person he saved in the peach valley. He was curious and observed the surroundings. Everything in the sect made him feel novel. When he walked through the outer sect, Zangxiu Peak, he saw a very tall tree on the top of the peak. It had brilliant red leaves and golden flowers intertwined, which looked beautiful. Rong Ran noticed his gaze and introduced it with a chuckle. ¡°That¡¯s the Jinling tree at the outer sect. The Jinling tree blooms all year round. It has been in the outer sect for more than a hundred years and always has been so lush, scenery for the outer sect.¡± He ignorantly nodded and asked: ¡°Is Senior Brother going to take me to the outer sect to cultivate?¡± ¡°No.¡± Rong Ran said gently, ¡°Senior Brother will take you directly to the inner sect. You will follow Senior Brother to cultivate in the future. That¡¯s right, the resources of the inner sect are much richer than those of the outer sect. You are my lifesaver, and I will not mistreat you.¡± Rong Ran took him to Yanhui Peak¡¯s inner sect. Rong Ran arranged for him to live there and gave him the basic techniques of the sect, as well as sword techniques. He also warned him that one¡¯s appearance was the most useless item for cultivators. The other party gave him a mask and told him to wear it. He listened to Rong Ran¡¯s words extensively and strongly relied on him, trusting him completely. Just like how they depended on each other in the peach forest¡¯s deep valley. Even though wearing a mask every day aroused strange looks from his fellow sect members. He stayed in Sky Sect for many years just like this. Apart from Rong Ran, he did not have a close friend. Rong Ran was also very good to him. He often visited, took care of him, sent him pills for resources, and taught him sword cultivation. Until that secret realm fire broke out. He sat alone in the courtyard, wondering why he brought the pill back for Rong Ran, but the other party came to see him less and less. As if separated from him by a long distance. Because of his childhood experience, the cold and deep walls of the Yaori Palace gave him a deep-set trauma, and he was terrified of loneliness. Rong Ran had left him once in the peach blossom valley that year. He didn¡¯t want to be left behind by the other party again. Thus, he deliberately went to see Rong Ran, but the other party consistently avoided seeing him. The resources and cultivation exercises he would¡¯ve brought to him in the past utterly disappeared. He was forced to learn to cultivate alone in the Sky Sect. He had to go to Xingquan Peak to take up sect missions and be surrounded by disciples of the same sect, who made things difficult for him. A man with a high crown in a black outfit casually released a sword blow to relieve him. That sword light was beautiful. With his cultivation base and vision at the time, he had never seen such a beautiful sword technique. ¡°Senior Brother.¡± He heard those sect disciples call that person: Senior Brother He Lanze. He was thinking about the other party helping that time and how the sword light had dazzled him. He plucked up the courage to talk to the other party in the mood of wanting to befriend him. He Lanze had obviously forgotten what happened at the time. His temperament looked down on worldly affairs. He was very impatient with people asking questions. After he made repeated attempts, they all failed. It wasn¡¯t until the gift he prepared by himself was trampled at the other party¡¯s birthday banquet that he knew that perhaps, the other party¡¯s heart did not have a good impression of him. The courage he plucked up was gone. So he withdrew himself again. He no longer looked for Rong Ran, and he no longer asked He Lanze for questions. He ate alone, cultivated alone, and read a book in his bamboo building alone. The days were long, and being alone didn¡¯t seem so unbearable. He accepted a sect mission and needed to deliver a letter to the outer sect. When he came back through the Shuofeng Cliff, he saw the lush Jinling tree again. The tree full of bell-like flowers swaying in the wind was incredibly cute. He couldn¡¯t help but walk over. However, he discovered a person lying under the Jinling tree. It should be a young male or a young girl. Blood was flowing out of that person. He walked quickly over. After turning the person over, he took a gasp of air. The man¡¯s appearance was burnt and scarred. He was hideous. If he wasn¡¯t used to seeing himself burned in the mirror, he was afraid he would¡¯ve fled because of the shock when he saw the other person¡¯s face. It¡¯s just that the person¡¯s actual wound was not on his face. But on his waist and abdomen. Several deep whip marks crossed the other party¡¯s waist, and his wounded clothes were torn open. His flesh and blood were exposed. It was visible that the whip¡¯s wielder had no mercy. How could someone deal with a Sky Sect disciple with such a heavy hand? He frowned deeply, tore off his white clothes, helped the man deal with the wound on his waist and abdomen, and bandaged it properly. He gave the other party a few healing pills and observed the other side¡¯s situation. The other party woke up quickly. When he continued to feed him the medicine, he unhurriedly opened his eyes. The other party¡¯s face was ugly with scars, but he had a pair of beautiful eyes. Those eyes were very dark and heavy but a bit hollow. The other party looked down at the white clothing tied to the wound on his waist and abdomen, then stood up forcibly. He did not say any thanks and turned to leave. He called the other party. He raised his voice and asked. ¡°Who are you a disciple to? Torture is forbidden in the sect. Who on earth caused you to suffer such severe injuries?¡± The person did not speak. He continued to amble step by step. His actions resembled those of a stiff puppet. He frowned, worrying about the other party. He stepped forward to grab him. The other party¡¯s body was thin and only reached about his shoulders. Looking at the figure alone, one couldn¡¯t distinguish him between man and woman. He softened his voice and asked, ¡°What is your name?¡± The other party looked up at him, and his dark eyes were akin to a pool of stagnant water. He said: ¡°Do you not want to speak? Or do you have no way to speak?¡± The other party still did not speak as if he was indeed mute. But even if he was mute, he should give some reaction. He couldn¡¯t help being discouraged. He wondered if he really couldn¡¯t associate with people. The sky was dark. Pulling him around like this wouldn¡¯t do. Moreover, he had heard that the outer disciples all had night restrictions. Being late might cause this person to be punished more severely, so he could only let the other party go back. But he couldn¡¯t help but call the other party again. He hurriedly organized his words and said: ¡°I¡­ I like to see flowers. I¡¯ll come to Shuofeng Cliff for a spin when I¡¯m free. If you still get punished in the future, come here and look for me. Senior Brother will definitely get justice for you.¡± It was the first time he called himself a senior in front of other disciples. His cheeks were fairly red, but his face was invisible, hidden under the mask. The other party¡¯s footsteps paused, then disappeared into the night. The second time they saw each other under the Jinling tree, it was already half a month later. He didn¡¯t know if it was because the other party¡¯s whiplash was too shocking at the time or because the other party¡¯s scars on his face made him feel sorry for having the same problem, but he had never forgotten that thin figure. He would sporadically go to the outer sect to look to see if anyone was waiting for him on Shuofeng Cliff. He spotted a thin figure standing under the tree with a disciple¡¯s robe from a distance. The wind blew through the man¡¯s clothing, making it appear empty. He hurriedly walked over and found nothing on the man this time. There were no visible scars, and the scar-covered face didn¡¯t show anything. However, his bare hands looked pale, and his wrists were slender as if one snap could break them. The man blinked when he saw him coming. The dark hollow in his eyes seemed to dissipate a little, and the morning light shone in. A little light appeared. He gazed at him in worry, ¡°Did you come here to find me on purpose?¡± The other party finally reacted this time and nodded. ¡°Is someone punishing you again? Where is the injury; do you need my help?¡± He asked with concern. The other party shook his head. Then he took out a thing from his arms. It was a flower. A butterfly-shaped pure white flower. The flower had bloomed beautifully, and the petals were still full of morning dew. The other party handed him the flower. He was startled. ¡°Why, why are you giving me a flower¡­¡± he paused. He had a superb memory and quickly recalled the excuse he had told: he liked to see flowers, so he would often come to the Jinling tree. He had just said it casually then and didn¡¯t expect him to remember it. It was the first time someone had gifted him flowers. He pursed his lips. He took the flower and rubbed the head of the person in front of him tentatively. He said softly, ¡°Thank you. I like it very much.¡± There was no reaction from the person before him. He just let him rub him, and his eyelashes drooped and fluttered. He looked like a very well-behaved little animal. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± he asked again. The person before him blinked. He helplessly said: ¡°So you really can¡¯t speak. Are you literate?¡± The person before him shook his head. He became more helpless, ¡°You still need a name to be called.¡± He glanced at the golden bell flowers falling all over: ¡°We met at the Jinling tree, so how about¡­..I call you Ling Er?¡± The other side blinked again and didn¡¯t shake his head to refuse. So was the other party acknowledging this name? ¡°Ling Er.¡± He repeated the name, feeling like it was deeply adorable. Although, it didn¡¯t quite match the lifeless appearance of the person before him. Ling Er blinked. He felt like the other party was like a little animal that only moved with a poke. Those inky eyes were a little adorable after he looked at them for a while. Thinking of the wounds on the other party¡¯s body before, he felt even more pity. If Ling Er had such a personality, he probably had no such thing as a friend among the sect members. Just like him. After thinking about it, he took the other person¡¯s hand, sat under the tree, and talked about a couple of engaging things in and out of the sect. He really didn¡¯t know how to make conversation. He had been alone for a long time and couldn¡¯t talk anymore. The content was dry. Even he felt a little embarrassed. Yet, when he turned his head, he found Ling Er appearing earnest. So, he regained his confidence and continued speaking. By the evening, Ling Er had to go back. After this time, he would see Ling Er under the Jinling tree every few days. Ling Er brought him different flowers every time he came. Those flowers were so delicate and pretty, and he brought them back and placed them in the vase in his study. He was in a good mood these days. He told Ling Er about the intriguing things inside and outside the sect. After concluding the fascinating things, he talked about swordsmanship, cultivation, and his life. Ling Er was an excellent listener. No matter what he said, he listened very attentively. He didn¡¯t actually adapt to loneliness as he thought. Being accompanied by someone and staying alone in that empty bamboo building was different. He began to look forward to his every encounter with Ling Er. The Jinling tree bloomed all season and was lush. It had never altered its appearance from early spring to late winter. A tacit agreement was seemingly between them: they would meet under the Jinling tree in the middle of each month. Thin snow would be on Qingyun Mountain during the deep winter. He finished speaking all the things he had accumulated over the past month and looked sideways, only to find that Ling Er was asleep. It was rare. Ling Er was sincere and focused every time he listened to him. His dark eyes would seem to gleam. Was he too tired? Or was it too frigid in the winter, making him want to fall asleep? Ling Er¡¯s clothes were a bit too thin. Although cultivators didn¡¯t fear the cold, Ling Er¡¯s cultivation base had not yet reached Foundation, so he should still feel more or less chilly. Thus, he took out a thin blanket from his storage ring and wanted to put it on him. When he approached, he smelled a bloody odor overflowing from Ling Er¡¯s clothes. He frowned. He took Ling Er back to his bamboo building and undid his clothes. The dense scars on his body unsettled him. Many of those scars were aged wounds, while some were still fresh and bleeding. How could it be so? He clenched his fists. He didn¡¯t locate any exposed scars on Ling Er these days. Initially, he believed the occasional rage of the other party¡¯s teacher had rendered the whip marks on Ling Er¡¯s body. Moreover, Ling Er didn¡¯t request his help, so he didn¡¯t want to interfere with the other party. Unexpectedly, the abuse Ling Er suffered had never ceased. Did he come with scars all over his body every time they met? He didn¡¯t even notice it. He took out medicine for Ling Er, mended the bleeding wound with a bandage, then sat at the bedside. He waited for the other party to wake up. When Ling Er awakened, his eyes were still somewhat misty. The outside world was dimming. Ling Er blinked and wanted to get out of bed. He held Ling Er¡¯s hand and said solemnly: ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere today. Stay here and recover.¡± Ling Er blinked in perplexity, looking down at the bandage on his body. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you got hurt?¡± he asked, ¡°Those people¡­ How long have they been doing this to you?¡± Ling Er didn¡¯t answer. He felt discouraged again. He sat on the edge of the bed, and moonlight poured in. He was seated beside Ling Er so the other couldn¡¯t secretly leave. He scowled, pondering for a long time. He made a decision. ¡°You will stay with me from now on. Don¡¯t go back. No matter what, I will shield you.¡± He said, ¡°It¡¯s just, are you an outer disciple? It might be inconvenient to live in the inner sect. It happens that my cultivation base is already reaching Golden Core. I can choose a disciple from the outer sect to accept as a disciple according to sect rules.¡± He stared at Ling Er, ¡°Would you like to be my disciple?¡± Ling Er¡¯s shadowy eyes looked at him. His pupils reflected the moonlight and his figure, and something was seemingly in their depths. After a long while, he nodded unhurriedly. He breathed out slowly. The decision to accept a disciple was impulsive; it was just to keep Ling Er in the inner sect and avoid others¡¯ harm. But he wasn¡¯t ever taught by a master since he had entered the sect; he didn¡¯t know how to be a teacher to other people. Moreover, he had always regarded Ling Er as his friend, but now that he was a senior, he couldn¡¯t help but blush. With a light cough, he said: ¡°Tomorrow, I will take you to the sect to register and get an identity token. You need a name; I can¡¯t always call you Ling Er, Ling Er¡­¡± He also remembered that Ling Er was illiterate, unable to speak, and didn¡¯t even know his own name. But it was better to get the identity token as soon as possible if Ling Er desired a stable life in the inner sect, so he said: ¡°Let¡¯s do this first. For now, you will follow my surname. We will first get your identity token, and once you¡¯re older and know your words, you can change your identity token.¡± Ling Er was very well-behaved. He only obediently nodded his head at his arrangement. On the second day, he held the token engraved with the words ¡°Ye Ling¡± and rubbed it in his hand as if he liked it very much. He purchased new clothes for Ling Er, made another soft bed, and helped tidy him up. The empty bamboo building finally gained some character. He didn¡¯t know what he should do, being a Master for the first time. As a result, he took many books on the path to being a teacher from the library. After several nights of lighting the lamp, he was finally a bit enlightened. Hence, he set his teaching plan. The first was to teach Ling Er to read. After that, he must teach him exercises and lead him to cultivation. Teachers need to educate by precepts and deeds and not be partial or secretive. A teacher was like a father, and a disciple was like a son. He didn¡¯t quite understand the last sentence because he had never felt the so-called father-son family affection in the first half of his life. However, he thought all their expectations and care should be placed on each other as father and son. Ling Er was brilliant. There was no need to teach the minor things, and he could learn many things immediately. After the injury healed, he was always busy when he wasn¡¯t paying attention. He would arrange everything in the bamboo building properly, then plant a sea of ??flowers outside the bamboo building. Perhaps Ling Er¡¯s figure rapidly grew because his environment had improved. He was already almost at his height in less than half a year. In fact, when he first met the other party, Ling Er¡¯s thin and fragile figure caused him to mistake the other party for a girl. He based the name ¡®Ling Er¡¯ on this impression. Later, he found out that the other party was actually a youth, but he was already accustomed to calling him that, so he didn¡¯t modify it. Ling Er¡¯s cooking was also delicious. The appearance was exquisite, especially his pastries. He didn¡¯t know where Ling Er had learned it. Whenever he was fatigued from reading in his study, the other party would serve him plum soup in summer and a cup of sweet ginger tea in winter. His temperament was gentle, and he did everything appropriately. Sometimes he couldn¡¯t help but wonder: If Ling Er wasn¡¯t a girl¡­ But then he forced himself to stop thinking. There was no romance and love between master and disciple. It was a sect rule. CH 131.2 Chapter 131 Jingling (Part 2) Perhaps his heart pounded with his disciple¡¯s company because he had been lonely for too long. It wasn¡¯t right. Ling Er was only sixteen or seventeen; he really shouldn¡¯t have such thoughts about him. Thus, he consciously estranged their relationship. Ling Er seemed aware of it but did not ask. He only saw Ling Er standing by the door when he occasionally sat in his study, staring at him with those indistinctly deep and dark eyes. The fire hurt Ling Er¡¯s throat. It was from that exact fire in the secret realm a year ago. Over the years, he had uncovered many ways to medicate the other party with little success. He knew that divine fire injuries were incurable. Just like the scar on his face. He could still sense the searing pain. He once thought that if he could return to the fire, he would not help Rong Ran find the God-Returning Pill but try his best to rescue Ling Er at that time so Ling Er would not suffer and his injuries would be mended. Therefore, he did not foresee that Ling Er could speak one day. His voice was raspy. It was like the dead branches in winter being crushed. He spoke every word slowly. The first thing the other party said to him was: ¡°Master.¡± He looked up in astonishment from his scroll and saw a young man standing before him, leaning down. His palm blanketed the back of his hand that was on the page. The young man called again: ¡°¡­ Master.¡± Delight followed his surprise. ¡°Ling Er, you can speak?¡± The young man let out a soft ¡°en¡± and intertwined their hands. But he didn¡¯t notice it. He continued to question: ¡°How does your throat feel now? Don¡¯t force your voice. We still have plenty of time to recuperate your voice gradually.¡± The young man looked at him with lowered eyes and said softly: ¡°I really like Master.¡± His voice stopped abruptly. He even suspected he was having auditory hallucinations. If not, how could he hear his disciple confessing to him? The young man leaned close, staring at him with dark eyes, and asked softly: ¡°I like Master, but why has Master¡­been avoiding me recently?¡± The other party¡¯s breath sprayed on his cheeks. They were extraordinarily close. He could not answer. But blush had stained his cheeks and ear tips. The young man said: ¡°Master clearly likes me too.¡± His eyelashes fluttered, ¡°You¡­ What nonsense?¡± ¡°Is it not the case?¡± The young man held his hand and rubbed his palm. He discovered he could not articulate his words when he faced those dark eyes that could seemingly see through everything. He turned his face away and no longer looked at the other party. He said: ¡°Between a master and disciple, no, you can¡¯t say love. It¡¯s daoist ethics. Ling Er, I only see you as a disciple¡­¡± The youth said: ¡°Master is lying.¡± He pursed his lips and stopped speaking. The mood between the two stilled. Bursts of bird cries were outside, accompanied by bamboo leaves rustling. The young man had been stubbornly pulling his hand, and in the end, he was defeated. He opened his mouth to change the subject. ¡°Ling Er, since you can already speak, you might as well tell Master your real name. Like Master said before, I will help you replace the name in the sect registration when you¡¯re grown¡­¡± The young man said: ¡°I forgot. I only like the name Master gave me, so I don¡¯t have to change it.¡± ¡°Ye Ling, that name is just too female¡­¡± he said. But seeing the young man get closer, he said softly, ¡°If I were a girl, would Master admit he likes me?¡± His face became even more flushed. ¡°Ling Er, you¡­¡± They were too close, and the youth¡¯s thin eyelashes seemed to fly into his eyes. He resumed: ¡°No, no¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡± Before he finished speaking, the young man kissed his lips. He always wore a mask outside, but in the bamboo building, accompanied by Ling Er, he had never obscured it. They were accustomed to each other¡¯s appearance and weren¡¯t frightened like outsiders. But now, he thought that it would have been good if he was still wearing his mask. A disciple at only the Foundation Building Stage kissed a dignified Golden Core Stage cultivator, making him breathless. It was really not something that could be told to others. After Ling Er kissed him, he asked, ¡°How does Master feel?¡± But how could he tell how he truly felt? He only felt his blood pump and his heart beating rapidly. His face was an intense red. Suddenly, he got up, went out, and entered the bamboo forest. He fled. Ling Er didn¡¯t chase him. But he could feel the other party¡¯s line of sight remaining on his back the entire time. For three consecutive days, they did not speak again. He was thinking about something. It was about his and Ling Er¡¯s relationship. Ling Er was still very young and shouldn¡¯t know much about love affairs. He probably liked him primarily because of his dependence on him. He was older than the other party, so he couldn¡¯t allow him to make errors and persist down that path. Besides, he was still the other party¡¯s Master. Master and disciple; father and son. It was indeed time for Ling Er to be taught some common sense. So he summoned Ling Er to the study, carefully discussing his thoughts with the other to make it clear. He hoped Ling Er could understand his painstaking efforts. Ling Er laughed hoarsely. ¡°Master, I had a dream last night.¡± Ling Er said, ¡°The dream had only Master and I. We were very close, not the closeness of a Master and a disciple, nor the closeness of friends, but more in-depth¡­more intimate.¡± ¡°Even so, Master still thinks I don¡¯t understand anything?¡± He blushed again. He did more than reddening. Even his heart seemed to be burning. An emotion was seemingly present that he had dismissed for a long time, intermingled with his usual pampering and pity for the youth. It formed an indescribable feeling that also made him slightly dizzy. He had no reason to deny the young man¡¯s confession anymore. Ling Er came over to embrace him and kissed his eyelashes. His eyelashes fluttered, but he didn¡¯t push the other party away again. When he first saw Ling Er, he looked like a docile little animal. Only now did he know that the other party was a wolf. He desired more than hugs and kisses. He always had no way to decline the other party. In the process of trying, the fear of turning his back against virtue and ethics wavered in his heart. He trembled terribly. Ling Er held him tighter and said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± Spring arrived. The aroma of flowers floated into the bamboo house with the wind and melted into a richer fragrance. Ling Er taught him not to be afraid and then turned to call him Master. Sound after sound. He wanted to hide in a place where no one could see him. The other party dragged him to fly into the clouds together. Because he insisted, they still abided by the rites of a master and disciple. However, the other party held back a ton in front of that person, and afterward, the person would become a little wild. Ling Er¡¯s body was always scalding as if a never-ending fire was concealed in it. Before entering the bamboo building, Ling Er pressed him against the door and kissed him. Suddenly, he heard a familiar voice from a distance. ¡°Junior Brother hasn¡¯t come to visit me for a long time. It turns out you have accepted a disciple.¡± Someone was standing in the sun, holding a bamboo umbrella. It was Rong Ran. Rong Ran¡¯s voice was slightly chilly, but his face was still smiling softly. ¡°It seems that Junior Brother has a good relationship with his disciple, which is really the envy of Senior Brother.¡± He hurriedly pushed Ling Er away and called the other party: ¡°Senior Brother Rong.¡± Ling Er stood beside him wordlessly. Rong Ran had not come to see him in the bamboo building for a long time. Hence, when he saw Rong Ran¡¯s face, he felt somewhat unsettled. He walked over. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Senior Brother would come here at this time; did something happen?¡± After a pause, he said, ¡°If Senior Brother doesn¡¯t mind, Senior Brother can come in for a cup of tea and sit down and talk slowly.¡± Rong Ran glanced at the person beside him, Ling Er, then walked into the bamboo building. Rong Ran had him sit down, made the tea himself, and poured it for him. The favor overwhelmed Ye Yunlan somewhat. He heard Rong Ran say: ¡°I¡¯m here this time to invite Junior Brother to go to a secret realm with me.¡± He wondered: ¡°What secret realm?¡± A little smile appeared on Rong Ran¡¯s face, and he said slowly: ¡°Netherworld Secret Realm.¡± The Netherworld Secret Realm had opened, and there was a lot of noise in the cultivation world. It¡¯s just that most of the secret realms that came from ancient times were dangerous. He had already suffered an injury in the secret realm¡¯s divine fire, and he didn¡¯t want to take this risk anymore. However, Rong Ran¡¯s expression was trying to appeal. ¡°Yunlan, Senior Brother Helan is in retreat this time. Thus, I will lead the trip to the secret realm. It¡¯s just you know that although I have made many friends in Sky Sect, there are not many people to who I can trust my back. You are one of them. For the sake of our friendship for so many years, can you help Senior Brother with this favor?¡± Rong Ran glanced at Ling Er beside him again, ¡°Not to mention there are many treasures in the Netherworld Secret Realm. You and your disciple can cultivate the sword technique inherited from the olden times. You have already accepted a disciple, so you should consider more for your disciple.¡± The sword techniques that Rong Ran spoke of moved him. He hesitated, then nodded. Rong Ran smiled, ¡°So, Yunlan, I¡¯ll see you on the flying boat in three days.¡± After saying goodbye to Rong Ran, the silent Ling Er next to him suddenly said: ¡°Master, that Senior Brother isn¡¯t a good thing.¡± His expression changed slightly. Ling Er had always been blunt and very keen on perceiving malicious people. When he said someone was not good, usually they were. But he spoke in a low voice: ¡°Senior Brother Rong led me into the dao, took me into Sky Sect, and took care of me a lot. He is not a treacherous person. Maybe he invited me to the secret realm this time to use me, but he won¡¯t do anything to me.¡± Moreover, Ling Er¡¯s recent progress in cultivation worried him. It stood to reason that Ling Er had been building his foundation for a long time, but his cultivation base had been slow to advance as if something was blocking and swallowing his cultivation base. However, when he asked Ling Er, Ling Er was always muted or said his aptitude was dull, which disappointed him. After asking many times, he didn¡¯t dare to ask again for fear of damaging his self-esteem. If he could find better cultivation and sword techniques in the secret realm and teach Ling Er to cultivate, it would help Ling Er break through his shackles. He had to go to the secret realm just for this. Ling Er was silent for a moment, then said: ¡°I also want to go with Master.¡± He said: ¡°No, your cultivation is only at Foundation Establishment. There are many dangers in the secret realm, and it is difficult to protect you as a teacher.¡± Ling Er: ¡°I have a way to protect myself.¡± But he still said: ¡°No.¡± That night, Ling Er tossed him around all night. But Ling Er seemed to stop mentioning going to the secret realm with him, and he relaxed his vigilance. As a result, when the Sky Sect¡¯s flying boat took off and arrived at Zhanxing City, he discovered Ling Er among the assembled Sky Sect disciples after entering the Netherworld Secret Realm. ¡°You¡­ How did you come here while hiding it from your Master?¡± He went over to Ling Er, suppressing his surprise and anger. Ling Er silently went to hold his hand and said: ¡°I was worried about Master.¡± The fury in his heart suddenly evaporated. If he¡¯s here, he¡¯s here. He could only shield his disciple with all his strength. Although he had decided in his heart, he threw away Ling Er¡¯s hand and said, ¡°How is this appropriate in public?¡± Ling Er nodded, retracted his hand, and followed him. Perhaps Ling Er was quite well-behaved the whole way because he knew he had done something wrong. The danger was deeply abnormal in the Netherworld Secret Realm. He encountered danger several times, but during the last moment, it was as if something was helping him. But he didn¡¯t think much about it. Sky Sect, their party, successfully arrived at the third level of the secret realm. After passing through the forest of ten thousand steles, they could see the bright beam of a magic weapon in the sky. They were not the first team to enter the third level. There were already many cultivators from the five continents and four seas. Moreover, most were weary and injured. They had suffered heavy losses on the previous two floors. The expressions looking at the magic weapon were brimming with greed. Many were already in the state of not giving up until death. This atmosphere made the surroundings significantly heavy, as if a precursor to a melee. As the mountain wall separated, it revealed Fuyou Mountain¡¯s uphill road. The cultivators in the secret realm fell into madness. Numerous people swarmed toward the mountain road. Some were submerged in the killing array, and others were cut into flesh and blood. The transition from maple leaves to fresh blood was indistinguishable on the maple leaves-covered mountain road. ¡°Yunlan, let¡¯s go up the mountain too.¡± Rong Ran smiled at him. They went up the mountain. They had people exploring the way ahead, all the way to the top of the mountain. However, they unexpectedly encountered a meteorite impact. He rushed over to push Rong Ran down, and the two entered a killing formation. When they looked back, they found that Ling Er had also followed suit into the killing formation. The killing array was perilous. He was critically injured from protecting the two. When he was about to fall, Ling Er embraced him. Ling Er said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± When he spoke, a dark shadow was floating behind Ling Er. Although Ling Er¡¯s cultivation base was only at Foundation Establishment, he intercepted the killing moves in the secret realm at this moment by depending on those shadows. They broke through the killing array and fell into the underground cave. Ling Er¡¯s qi became extremely evil with a gloomy and hostile spirit. ¡ª¡ªThis was something he had never seen before. Rong Ran fell with them. He restrained his fears while looking at the darkness on Ling Er. His thoughts were unclear, but he muttered: ¡°What that man said was true. There are monsters in Sky Sect¡­¡± ¡°I persuade you best not to do anything to me,¡± Rong Ran said suddenly, ¡°My Gu has already poisoned your master¡¯s body, and it¡¯s now in my hands.¡± The shadow that had extended to behind Rong Ran stopped. He was seriously injured, and Ling Er was holding him. His eyes widened in disbelief. When did Rong Ran poison him? Why did he want to poison him? Weren¡¯t they friends and brothers? He remembered the cup of tea Rong Ran had made for him when he came to the bamboo building to find him. Ling Er hoarsely said: ¡°The antidote, hand it over.¡± The soft smile on Rong Ran¡¯s face faded. He coldly said: ¡°Do you think I am a fool? If you want your master to live, just follow my instructions.¡± Ling Er was silent. The surrounding shadows were about to move. Obviously, he didn¡¯t believe in Rong Ran¡¯s words very much. Rong Ran sneered. He suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his heart and spat a mouthful of blood out. The blood was pitch black and reeked. Ling Er¡¯s hand froze while holding him. ¡°Explore the road ahead,¡± Rong Ran urged. He felt Ling Er hugging him and walking forward. The young man¡¯s arms were steady and robust, but his heart seemed constricted. The poisonous Gu¡¯s pain made him half-comatose and half-awake. He wanted to stop it and speak, but it was challenging. Rong Ran, why? Why? And Ling Er, what did he hide from him? Why was there such a thing? Such a treacherous force¡­ The cave wound around. After some time passed, he suddenly heard a bat flying. A pool was in front. The sound of wind came from the cave behind the water pool, and they were not far from the exit. Rong Ran: ¡°You go first.¡± He felt Ling Er kissing his forehead. Then, he was laid flat on a clean stone. Then he heard someone entering the water and a water snake hissing. He suddenly thought of Ling Er¡¯s words when he was just able to talk. When they were first together, he asked the other some questions. ¡°Ling Er, do you have something you like?¡± Ling Er swiftly responded: ¡°I like Master.¡± He said: ¡°Besides me.¡± Ling Er was speechless. Then, he said: ¡°There should be¡­nothing.¡± He was a little surprised, ¡°Why not?¡± There are many beautiful things in this world, such as flowers, beautiful scenery, good wine, and delicacies. Isn¡¯t there anything you like? ¡± Ling Er did not speak. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± He would not insist on the other party answering. He changed the subject, ¡°Since there is nothing you love, is there something you fear or dislike?¡± Ling Er said: ¡°I¡¯m afraid of snakes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Ling Er: ¡°When they climb on one¡¯s body, it will hurt and be cold.¡± He listened to the water snake¡¯s hissing in his ear. It suddenly occurred to him that with this many snakes crawling on his body, he was afraid it would be agonizing and freezing. His heart was in so much pain that it was difficult to breathe. He didn¡¯t know if it was because of poison or distress. He struggled to get up, with blood spilling out of his lips. Suddenly, he regretted it. Why did he agree to Rong Ran, thinking of their friendship of the past years, to come to the Netherworld Secret Realm? Rong Ran was the past. Like his memories of those years, he was about to forget it all. But Ling Er was his everything these past few years. He was his present and his future. He heard the sound of going ashore. His body was picked up again, and the other party¡¯s clothes were wet. ¡°This road leads to nowhere. You have to find someplace else.¡± Ling Er said hoarsely. They turned back, looked for another way, and reached the exit. Fuyou Palace was far away. The poisonous Gu had severely wounded his body, and blood continously flowed down his lips. Ordinary pills couldn¡¯t detoxify poison, and the poisonous Gu would swallow healing pills before they could dissolve. ¡°When are you going to give Master the antidote?¡± Ling Er asked, ¡°Master¡¯s injuries cannot be dragged out anymore. You give the antidote, and I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Rong Ran: ¡°Who in the world will listen to the words of a monster? Unless you jump off the edge of the cliff.¡± Suddenly, thunder rang out from the horizon. ¡­¡­ A closed space enveloped them. Its four sides were smooth stone walls. He was sitting on a stone chair. Pitch-black lock rings bounded his hands and feet. Someone asked him: ¡°Yunlan, who do you love?¡± He opened his eyes blankly, looking at the familiar face of the person in front of him. A turbulent emotion bred from his heart. It streamed through his dry heart, making him shudder and burst into tears. The person on the other side showed a satisfied smile but still waited for him to speak. He choked. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± ¡ª¡ªWho did he love? ¡°It¡¯s¡­Ling Er.¡± The smile on the other party¡¯s face vanished. A person was standing next to him and holding a scroll, saying: ¡°Pavilion Master, I have failed again. Do you want to continue?¡± The other party¡¯s voice was frigid. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡­ The Demon Lord¡¯s blood dripped on his lips. Ye Yunlan¡¯s golden eyes went from slack to sober. The memory fragments, lost for many years, were finally pieced together entirely. The past years flashed past his eyes like a stream. Tears slid from his eyes. He raised his hand to cover the wound of the Demon Lord¡¯s heart. And thought: It turned out they were already in love. Before life and death. CH 132 Chapter 132 Crossing a Calamity He desperately tried to cover the wound of the Demon Lord¡¯s heart. But it was in vain. The blood was still trickling like flames, licking and burning his cheeks. He slowly recalled that the Primordial Demon Refining Array would thwart the demon body¡¯s regeneration. Then that injury the Demon Lord had suffered would be the final one he received after escaping the formation. The Demon King¡¯s limbs went straight through the heart¡¯s life core. The Demon Lord resembled a monster again. He was initially a human being. Would he perish if he was human? ¡ª¡ªThe Demon Lord woud die? Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were wide open. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to scream, but only a muted, gravelly sound rang out in the end. ¡°Don¡¯t¡­¡± The Demon Lord looked down at him, raising his hand to wipe the blood from his cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid.¡± A gentle gleam was in his eyes. ¡°We¡¯re out.¡± They landed on a peak opposite Liuming Mountain. The shadows dispelled behind the Demon Lord. He knelt on the ground, and the Shura Sword plunged into the soil. Ye Yunlan went to assist him. The Demon Lord lifted his hand, trying to caress Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheek. However, he lost his strength. Ye Yunlan held his hand tightly and stroked his cheek. He said: ¡°Look at me. Don¡¯t close your eyes.¡± The Demon Lord looked at him. The light in his eyes was a little faint, and his voice was low and husky: ¡°Master is so beautiful.¡± He moved his thumb slightly, wiped away the tears from the end of Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes, and murmured, ¡°I really like Master¡­ ¡± His words dissipated in the wind. His body fell on Ye Yunlan¡¯s shoulder. Ye Yunlan¡¯s white hair was strewn on his cheeks, his face sinking into the shadows. Suddenly, he heard shouts of killing, reaching him from all directions. ¡°The Demon Lord broke through the formation, and his injuries are critical. You must take this opportunity to wipe him out!¡± The cultivator who rushed to the forefront cried fiercely: ¡°Yes! Immortal Lord Ye aided the evil-doer and betrayed our great dao. If you don¡¯t move aside, we will not be gracious!¡± Another person said: ¡°Hand over the Demon Lord. We¡¯ll slay and hang him outside the Jingbei City gate to soothe the many cultivators who went to heaven in this battle!¡± The cultivators surrounding them were increasingly approaching. Ye Yunlan slowly rose from the floor. He was carrying the Demon Lord¡¯s figure on his back. His right hand pulled up the Shura Sword inserted in the ground. Blood appeared to be streaming from the Shura Sword¡¯s crimson sword body. Blood was on his face. The mist in his golden eyes had already condensed into ice. He looked at the crowd gathered around with icy eyes and a deep chill. He said: ¡°If you want to take him away, get past the sword in my hand first.¡± Those people looked at him. Some were obsessive and amazed, but more stared at him like prey. A few coaxed him bitterly. ¡°Immortal Lord Ye, don¡¯t persist in your evil ways. Turn back to shore!¡± Someone scolded with a sneer: ¡°Ye Yunlan, the world admires your appearance, so we respectfully call you Immortal Lord, but have you forgotten your identity? You are just the Demon Lord¡¯s treasured prostitute. Who would you depend on once the Demon Lord passes? Just obediently hand over the Demon Lord. We¡¯ll state a few words for you and pardon your sins during the Dao Sect trial.¡± Ye Yunlan murmured softly: ¡°Sins?¡± He raised the Shura Sword. The nirvana sword intent irrigated it, and the Shura Sword blazed into the sky. The few cultivators near him shrank back. The killing aura on the Shura Sword was so heavy that dark clouds promptly took up the sky. Thunder sounded. The cultivator, surprised by his sword intent, seemed to regain confidence. ¡°If you persist in your wrong ways and protect the monster, the heavens will destroy you!¡± ¡°I will act in the name of heavens! Don¡¯t hesitate; just do it!¡± Countless sword lights attacked him. Ye Yunlan: ¡°Noisy.¡± He could seemingly understand how the Demon Lord felt when his demon body had gone awry and was on the verge of madness. The world was noisy. Only the man behind him was silent. He suddenly didn¡¯t want to hear anything. He didn¡¯t want to see anything. So he took out his sword and swung it. None of those who had rushed to attack him had reached Transcendence. But he was regarded as a canary in the Demon Lord Palace, an ant squishable at will. But they became ants. A layer of ants fell. The blood slipped from the tip of the long sword, and the rain drizzle blew over his face, washing away the blood from his cheeks. The crystal rain dripped down his silver-white eyelashes. The surroundings had become much quieter. The stunning and fascinating gazes in those people¡¯s eyes disappeared, substituted with deep fear. He walked back, wanting to return to the Demon Palace. It was freezing in the rain, and he feared the only body temperature behind him would completely cool down. But a shadow appeared from the void, winding around like a giant snake. He heard the Serpent Demon King¡¯s androgynous voice. Serpent Demon King: ¡°Beauty, it seems your lover is dead. How about you lend his body to This King to use? Allow This King to descend into the world. At that time, This King will use his body to love you well and won¡¯t allow you to suffer from widowhood.¡± Ye Yunlan raised his hand with the sword, slashing the shadow. The shadows dispersed, and the Serpent Demon King roared. ¡°You can¡¯t tell good from bad!¡± More shadows assembled in midair, but Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t look at him. He looked up at the sky. It was already night. He saw a blood-shrouded star gradually dulling in the eastern sky above, while another twinkling golden star brightened. It was so bright that it even obscured the brilliant moon¡¯s glow, even making people want to burst into tears. The aura that had been floating in his body had been rising continuously during the process of taking out his sword. Until it reached a critical point. Muffled thunder sounded in the sky. The dark clouds amassed more and more. He looked at the sky and spoke slowly. ¡°In this life, I entered the dao with the sword and reached the Sword Dao¡¯s Immortalization Realm with my mortal body. I attained great success in my cultivation with my dao companion¡¯s assistance. The opportunity has arrived now, and my work is complete. I will become immortal. May heaven¡¯s calamity descend.¡± The Serpent Demon King¡¯s anxious voice said: ¡°You are crazy! Are you going to undergo the tribulation of a Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body? Do you not fear the sky¡¯s god thunder destroying you and your lover¡ª¡ª¡± His anxiety heightened. He did not dare to stay here for a long lest the heavenly dao of this world found him. With the thunder calamity¡¯s aid, his long-awaited consciousness, finally smuggled in, might be eradicated just like that. The shadow in the void fled like a mouse with its tail between its legs. Ye Yunlan disregarded it. He would collect accounts that should be settled and debts that should be demanded back one by one for the Demon Lord after the calamity. He would be free and unfettered for the time being. With a roar, the thunder tribulation had already come down. The thick purple god thunder was like a monstrous python, swooping toward him as if to swallow him completely. Ye Yunlan was afraid of thunder and heavy rain. But suddenly, he was seemingly fearless as he was carrying that person behind him then. The violent thunder and lightning flashed in his pupils, and the torrential rain lashed his cheeks. He greeted them with a sword. CH 133 Chapter 133 Daybreak At this moment, the countless cultivators fighting on the Dao Demon battlefield raised their heads to the sky in unison. The massive and terrifying sky thunder shocked their souls. They couldn¡¯t help thinking that if they were in it, they feared they would¡¯ve been smashed into ashes, their souls ceasing to exist. However, a giant formation quietly revealed its original shape under everyone¡¯s feet while they were dumbfounded. A cultivator said in astonishment: ¡°How can blood come out of the ground?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of blood! How can it be like this?¡± The cultivators standing on Liuming Mountain could clearly see the formation covering a hundred miles. The Ink Sect disciples who have studied contracted formation methods were horrified: ¡°Blood Sacrifice Formation! Who put the Blood Sacrifice Formation that absorbs the living soul under our feet¡ª¡ª¡± As they spoke, blood continued to gush from the ground. It kept rising, forming a sea of ??blood within a hundred miles. The howling of ghosts haunted the country. A wounded cultivator dropped to the ground before he could raise his sword. A ghost floating in the sea of blood caught and dragged him into the blood waves, where he disappeared. Chen Weiyuan sat in a wheelchair, watching the sea of ??blood gradually spread across the fields. Since he saw the Demon Lord carrying Ye Yunlan out of the formation and finally falling to the ground, the smile in front of him had not faded. A Tianji Pavilion disciple hurried over. ¡°Pavilion Master, what¡¯s going on? How did you not figure out the Demon Sect arranged a Blood Sacrifice Formation here?¡± In fact, when the Blood Sacrifice Formation revealed its true form, indistinct from the previous Primordial Demon Refining Array and when they were connecting the dots, everyone in Tianji Pavilion proficient in formations speculated plenty. However, no one was willing to stand up and question Chen Weiyuan first. They feared getting answers that would stun them. Chen Weiyuan said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you already see it? Why don¡¯t you dare believe it?¡± The Tianji Pavilion disciple¡¯s expression changed suddenly. ¡°Pavilion Master, the Primordial Demon Refining Array is an array that you personally deployed, but the Blood Sacrifice Formation appearning now is linked with the Primordial Demon Refining Array and provides power to it. Is this also your doing?¡± Another Tianji Pavilion elder¡¯s beard shook as he scolded. ¡°The Blood Sacrifice Formation will drag live souls into itself to suffer the pain of having their souls refined. It will plunder the soul¡¯s power so the soul trapped in the formation will never be reborn. This is an evil formation that the heavens cannot tolerate! Why did you do this?¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression remained untouched. He calmly said: ¡°The Great Catastrophe of Heaven and Earth is coming. I have already calculated it as the end of the world. Now it is just having this day come earlier, so that living beings would avoid suffering and being refugees. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± The Tianji Pavilion disciples couldn¡¯t believe it. But they still held a glimmer of hope and asked: ¡°Pavilion Master, with you speaking like that, is this formation really arranged by you?¡± The elder beside him was already blue with anger and opened his mouth angrily. ¡°Chen Weiyuan, first you took out the clan¡¯s astrolabe and said that you wanted to do important things related to the clan¡¯s survival and extinction, but now you left it behind, wasting the clan¡¯s heritage. We did not punish you only because we kept in mind that you¡¯re the sole person in the clan who has returned ancestors in their bloodline. Now you said that you wanted to deploy the Primordial Demon Formation to eliminate the source of the Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth. We also believed you and tried our best to cooperate, but what have you done now? Huh! Once the Blood Sacrifice Formation forms and the blood gathers to break through the boundary membrane, what will happen to the creatures in this world? Where have you placed our trust?¡± Chen Weiyuan said: ¡°Elder is joking. You believe me because of the calculations of the previous pavilion master and the return to ancestors bloodline. You only hope I can lead you through the Tribulation of Heaven and Earth. Therefore, since birth, all the teachings in the clan have made me place the clan first. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m tired now, and I want to find a more relaxing solution. If you believe in me, why not believe in me to the end? Why did you come to question me?¡± ¡°Relaxing solution? You personally laid a Blood Sacrifice Formation to break through the boundary membrane. Could it, could it¡­¡± said the Chen Clan elder, almost out of breath, ¡°How dare you get in touch with a foreign demon¡­ ¡° Chen Weiyuan: ¡°The world is like a furnace, and worldly affairs like a prison. You and I are all ants, duckweeds of a life. There is no difference between survival or destruction. What is the point of struggling?¡± The Chen Family elder pointed at him, ¡°You, you¡­¡± A mouthful of blood spurted out of his mouth, and he actually fainted from anger. ¡°Senior Brother Chen, what you just said is true?¡± Suddenly, a voice came from not far away. Chen Weiyuan turned his head and smiled: ¡°Qingyue? Just in time, it¡¯s better to come over here and look at the scenery with Senior Brother. After all, if you want to see it in the future, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t have a chance.¡± Xu Qingyue had already pulled out his sword. ¡°Chen Weiyuan, you have disappointed me too much.¡± Behind him were many cultivators who came to ask what was going wrong. Everyone glared at Chen Weiyuan. They transferred the original hatred and anger toward the Demon Lord onto Chen Weiyuan after they learned they had been used. They stepped forward to tie Chen Weiyuan up. Chen Weiyuan did not escape. He didn¡¯t even have a leg now, so how could he even escape with a stubborn body with blocked meridians and could barely cultivate? He couldn¡¯t escape. He couldn¡¯t escape the prison of this world. Then, let¡¯s destroy it together. In mid-air. Distorted shadows formed far away from the catastrophe. Someone suddenly screamed in shock. ¡°This, what kind of monster is this? No, don¡¯t swallow me!¡± The Serpent Demon King felt the power converging into his body from all directions. He opened his arms and let out a joyful laugh. His strength grew steadily, already breaking through Transcendence and climbing toward the Void Tracing. With the help of the power of the sea of ??blood, as long as he formed the Heavenly Demon Realm, he can truly reach the Void Tracing Realm in this world. No one could be his opponent! A group of ants. He glanced contemptuously at the human beings floating in the sea of ??blood. Looking at the thunderclouds condensing on the distant horizon, the contempt in his heart deepened. What if Ye Yunlan could overcome the catastrophe and shed the mortal world? Still, he wouldn¡¯t be its opponent. At that time, the Demon Lord¡¯s body would still belong to him, and since Ye Yunlan was so ignorant of what was good or bad¡ª¡ªhe would make the other party cry and kneel before him, begging for mercy, or maybe, he won¡¯t even give him that chance. The hideous shadow spread in the sky. Any cultivator entangled by the shadow was penetrated, pulled into the darkness, and chewed up, leaving only white bones scattered. This scene terrified the cultivators. They wanted to run, but the Blood Sacrifice Formation enveloped the world. It was like being locked in an urn; they could only crash around like headless flies. Even the Primordial Demon Formation that covered Liuming Mountain was inevitable. Miserable howls inhibited everywhere. While fleeing, the cultivators suddenly discovered the safest place in the entire world was the mountain range where Ye Yunlan was crossing his catastrophe. So the crowd rushed toward the place where Ye Yunlan was like moths, but they didn¡¯t dare to get too close for fear of causing the thunder to hurt themselves. Many cultivators started to fight again to compete for the few spots to stay. This time, there was no distinction between righteous and demon, only self-interest. Boom¡ª¡ª! There was another massive thunder, smashing the noise of the surrounding killings. The terrible sky thunder descended toward Ye Yunlan madly. The white light that flooded the top of the mountain made it impossible to see his appearance. There was only an increasingly fierce aura, scorching high in the tempering of the Heavenly Tribulation. It was like a rising sun. In the Primordial Alchemy Array. The Demon Phoenix Sword that fell in Ye Xuanguang¡¯s hand shook suddenly. Thunder and lightning continued to shoot down. It finally stopped after reaching the ninety-ninth count. With countless cultivators watching, Ye Yunlan slowly walked out of the thunderlight. His white hair was scattered, and the blood dancing in the breeze stained his white clothing. He held the Shura Sword in his hand, and his golden eyes were indifferent. It was as if a god had descended from the world and overlooked it, high above the realm. But he was carrying a dark, filthy demon on his back. However, everyone no longer cared about whether he was carrying a person or a demon. In this desperate situation, they were just full of hope. They were looking forward to seeing whether Ye Yunlan could solve the monsters in the sea of ??blood and save them. The Serpent Demon King¡¯s shadow appeared not far away, and his voice was contemptuous. ¡°Human, you really made This King wait. Now that the tribulation is over, there is nothing to stop This King from attacking you. If you have self-knowledge, surrender obediently. This King can still give you a way out.¡± Ye Yunlan did not answer. He just raised his eyes. He drew his sword. The sword light was like electricity. The Serpent Demon King didn¡¯t expect him to make a sudden move. The shadows that had not yet formed were suddenly split, and a harsh roar resounded across the fields. ¡°Human, you just broke through to Transcendence. Don¡¯t act too arrogant!¡± He saw the sea of ??blood turn up the raging waves. The demon realm gradually took shape. Ye Yunlan looked down and suddenly took out his sword again. The nirvana sword energy swept across the sky and earth and hit a spot in the sea of ??blood. The unformed domain suddenly collapsed, and a figure suddenly emerged from the sea of ??blood. It was the Serpent Demon King. The Serpent Demon King¡¯s voice was deep, and the expression on his beautiful face was distorted. ¡°Once again, how on earth can you see the flaws in my Heavenly Demon Realm?¡± He disdainfully watched as he transcended, but now the Serpent Demon King¡¯s heart was vigilant. Ye Yunlan was not the same Transcendent cultivator he imagined. He couldn¡¯t tell where the difference was. But his natural perception of danger made him on guard. However, he couldn¡¯t think too much. Ye Yunlan had already moved his sword again. This time, his sword light was different from the previous two swords. It was not radiant but very dim, so much that it was as if it were entering the middle of the night. The deep nirvana was profound and silent. But he was before the Serpent Demon King in a flash. The Serpent Demon King¡¯s pupils shrank, feeling the threat of death from that sword. He finally realized something. ¡°No, your sword realm¨C¡± The sword light swept across, penetrating the Serpent Demon King¡¯s body and severing its head. The black mist surged where the head and the torso were connected, trying to close it, but failed. He was careless. The Serpent Demon King thought. ¡°Unexpectedly, there was such a human in this world¡­¡± Relying on his sword realm, he could touch the Void Tracing Realm with his Transcendent body. If such a character grew up, it would pose a tremendous threat to the Heavenly Demon Clan. However, thinking about this was useless now. Seeing that Ye Yunlan wanted to continue to shoot his sword, the Serpent Demon King was already a little panicked. It quickly drove half of his body to resist Ye Yunlan¡¯s attack, then drove the remaining half of his head to fly out of the Blood Sacrifice Formation quickly. Ye Yunlan¡¯s sword was too weird. The nirvana qi could actually destroy the demon body¡¯s rebirth power. The demon soul constructed most of a heavenly demon¡¯s body; if his soul was split, his body would also be damaged. He must preserve it as much as possible. Ye Yunlan did not cast his gaze on the fleeing head but slashed his sword towards half his body. With one style: ¡°Shower.¡± The nirvana sword intent instantly divided the body into countless pieces, and they could no longer be closed back together again. He eventually lost all vitality and fell into the sea of ??blood. And the other escaping head fled toward Liuming Mountain, already about ten miles away. Seeing that Ye Yunlan could not catch up, the Serpent Demon King breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, it heard a cold halt in the void. ¡°¡ªSword, come!¡± When the voice fell, a loud phoenix sounded from Liuming Mountain! A blood-red feather sword broke through the barrier of the Primordial Demon Refining Array and turned into a red flying rainbow, flying like a sharp arrow, piercing the head of the Serpent Demon King. Too fast. The Serpent Demon King didn¡¯t even have time to react and evade, and the Demon Empero Sword nailed his head to the mountain wall. As his spirit was about to dissipate, the Serpent Demon King still couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°How could¡­¡± He didn¡¯t finish speaking. Another more aggressive long sword pierced and shattered his head. Ye Yunlan held the Shura Sword and watched indifferently as blood dripped down the rock wall. Around the sea of ??blood, countless dao and demon cultivators¡¯ eyes were watching him. In awe, fear, and disbelief. As if looking at a god. As if watching a demon. He drew the Shura Sword from the rock wall. And the Demon Emperor Sword flew behind him. He went to the top of Liuming Mountain. Chen Weiyuan had been tied up to the trunk by the daoist cultivators. Half of his body was off the ground, looking very sorry. Because of the shocking change just now, the daoist cultivators fled in all directions, and no one was taking care of him. He looked at Ye Yunlan. ¡°Yunlan, you¡¯re here.¡± Ye Yunlan raised the Shura Sword in his hand. The sword pointed to Chen Weiyuan. Chen Weiyuan felt that death was approaching, but a smile appeared on his face. ¡°Although I know that you have a high realm, even the soul of the Heavenly Demon King can¡¯t stop you now. It really surprised me. Originally, I had planned to wait for you to die and let myself and this world be buried with you.¡± ¡°However, being able to die in your hands is also a relief.¡± He looked at the body behind Ye Yunlan¡¯s, the Demon Lord, and his smile deepened, ¡°The things I can¡¯t get, others also can¡¯t get. Yunlan, I won this game of chess.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You didn¡¯t win.¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°Yunlan, even if you kill me now, everything is irreversible. The Demon Lord is dead, the Blood Sacrifice Formation is activated, and the boundary is impacted. The great calamity will be ahead of schedule, and the boundary will open soon. Even if you can kill the Serpent Demon King with the help of your sword realm, can you fight against its main body? You and I will die in the end. There is no need to save time.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Chen Weiyuan, has anyone ever said you are too confident?¡± Chen Weiyuan: ¡°If you can predict things beforehand, self-confidence is not a bad thing.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I never said I would kill you myself.¡± Chen Weiyuan smiled, ¡°You won¡¯t kill me? That¡¯s even better. Yunlan, it seems that you still have taken into account the relationship between a husband and wife we ??had. We have some time. We can travel together and see the end of this world¡¯s scenery.¡± Ye Yunlan indifferently interrupted: ¡°I¡¯m just disdained to personally kill you because it will mar his sword. ¡± Chen Weiyuan¡¯s expression twisted a little. Then he soon recovered: ¡°A dead man¡¯s sword. Even if it is dirty, how would he know?¡± Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t want to argue with him about these facts. He felt it was dirty, so it was dirty. Every inch of Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body made him feel filthy and twisted. Even compared to the Demon Lord, the person in front of him was more like a demon that would destroy all living creatures. He said: ¡°You opened this sea of blood, so you should close it.¡± Chen Weiyuan suddenly gathered a smile on his face. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Send you to accompany them.¡± The ¡°them¡± in his words referred to the countless souls in the blood ocean. The sword light passed, and Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body fell to the ground. Without his legs, he couldn¡¯t run away even if the rope wasn¡¯t binding him. The golden light in Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes flowed, and when his thoughts activated, the Demon Emperor Sword flew out from behind him, passed through Chen Weiyuan¡¯s back clothing, and suspended him on the sword. It flew into the sea of ??blood and stopped above it. It was like sending a piece of fat tender meat to the ghosts¡¯ mouths. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s face was blue and white. The evil spirits close at hand kept reaching out to him, up and down, left and right. There was nowhere to escape. Countless escaped cultivators were all watching him in the distance like they would a monkey in a theater. No one stepped up to rescue him, including the Tianji Pavilion disciples who had admired and followed him. How did the dignified TIanji Pavilion Master fall into such a sorry state? He thought about being killed by Ye Yunlan or dying in the Demon King¡¯s hands. It didn¡¯t matter. This world would perish in the end, and his life¡¯s calculated quick death could be considered good. He still left a letter to tell Ye Yunlan he had won just like before when he committed himself to the astrolabe in his previous life. The clothes behind him couldn¡¯t bear his weight, and suddenly, something ripped. He fell into a sea of ??blood. ¡°No¨C¡± Power radiated from his soul. The power of his bloodline condensed, preventing the erosion from the ghosts. Ye Yunlan¡¯s voice faintly sounded in his ears. ¡°I will use your soul to suppress the Blood Sacrifice Formation. You will be the bridge between the ghosts and the world. Thousands of people will trample you daily, and ghosts will tear at you until the world eliminates the blood sea¡¯s resentment.¡± The boundless golden light suddenly erupted from the body of the Demon Emperor Sword. It was brimming with scorching sacred power as if it had come from far away. The golden glow washed away the sky¡¯s dark clouds, and the sea of ??blood cocooning a hundred miles of the sky returned to the ground under its suppression slowly. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s body floated in the ocean of ??blood. He tried his best to resist, but the golden light far beyond his bloodline¡¯s power still seared and melted him into a thin layer of light, enveloping the entire sea of ??blood. Chen Weiyuan¡¯s thoughts struggled endlessly, but it was difficult to resist this terrible power in the end. The power of his soul and blood was dissolved completely and recast. In the end, the blood sea and clear light penetrated the ground. The sky shone. Ye Yunlan landed in the air and stepped on the restored land. The spirits of the people underground were still wailing. It was futile. ¡°Chen Weiyuan, I want you to be here to look at yourself losing.¡± He said indifferently, ¡°You see the common people as chess pieces, but now the common people see you as an ant.¡± The ocean of ??blood had disappeared, and countless cultivators in hiding emerged from their concealment. They all landed near Ye Yunlan but hesitated to move forward. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t look at them. He turned around with his sword. He carried the person behind him and advanced toward the Demon Palace step by step. The wind blew the white hair on his cheeks. Someone behind him called his title first. Then, others joined together. The noise and enthusiasm were like a rushing tide like they were trying to keep him in the world. He did not look back. CH 134 Chapter 134 No Doubt Northern Territory. Voices filled Qingyun Inn. ¡°¡ª¡ªI listened to Immortal Lord Ye shout, ¡®Sword come!¡¯ Then, the Demon Emperor Sword obeyed his command. It was like thunder, skewering the monster¡¯s head and nailing it to the mountain wall. The black fog instantly dissipated, and heaven and earth¡¯s energy cleared at once!¡± The storyteller was very enthusiastic. He spoke so energetically that his face was flushed. ¡°Then, Immortal Lord Ye radiated the Demon Realm with another sword blow, flattening the sea of ??blood. He subdued the Chen Clan¡¯s evil to the underground, never to stand again. The sky cleared, and the two sides, dao and demon, came together and cheered. This was the beginning and end of the battle at Liuming Mountain.¡± With the end of the storyteller¡¯s voice, there was another startle. ¡°However, although the evil was eliminated, the catastrophe was not. That day, the demon body was still watching from outside the boundary. It is vague when they will arrive, and the world will be in chaos. When the calamity arises, who else can be like Immortal Lord Ye to step forward and protect the human race?¡± Someone said: ¡°What¡¯s with the frightening words? Don¡¯t we still have Immortal Lord Ye?¡± Suddenly, someone beside him laughed: ¡°The Immortal Lord Ye you mentioned was once the Demon Lord¡¯s dao companion. Now, he¡¯s the co-master of the Demon Realm, the famous ghost sword fairy. That person isn¡¯t good and has already left the righteous dao. Even if the catastrophe comes, I fear he¡¯ll only act in the Demon Realm and won¡¯t protect everyone.¡± Someone angrily said: ¡°Immortal Lord Ye is noble in nature. He stays in the Demon Realm only because of his perished lover. When the catastrophe arrives, he definitely will take care of the whole human race¡¯s situation and take action to defend the world.¡± The person from before just laughed, ¡°Only you righteous people would still call him Immortal Lord Ye and get lost in your fanciful thoughts and requests. In the Demon Realm, no one dares to ask for anything or say that he ought to do something.¡± Demon Realm. Faint candlelight flickered. A person was sitting in a high seat. The man had long hair, pure white like snow. His robe was as black as ink, and a bronze ghost was on his face. The bloody Shura Sword was placed beside him. Elder Xue walked into the hall and stopped looking up after only a glance. He just thought that the Demon Lord¡¯s wife back then, now the new co-lord of the Demon Realm, was actually also becoming increasingly similar to the previous Demon Lord in appearance and imposing manner. Many of the Demon Realm¡¯s powers around him were in a cold sweat. ¡°Lord, this is the Demon Soul Grass you ordered us to collect. We have searched all the particularly gloomy places in the whole Demon Realm, but we were only able to get these seven roots, not the nine that Lord had ordered. I deserve to die, and I hope the Lord will forgive this one¡¯s sins.¡± The talking demon cultivator bowed deeply to him, and the surrounding demon cultivators also knelt down and shouted in unison. ¡°Hope the Lord will forgive our sins!¡± The golden eyes of the person sitting in the high seat drooped down, indifferent and cold. ¡°Leave the Demon Soul Grass. You guys can go.¡± The demon cultivators retreated after being pardoned. Ye Yunlan got up with the red box containing the Demon Soul Grass. Holding the Shura Sword, he walked towards the depths of the Demon Palace. Coming to the bright red sea of ??flowers on the other shore, he crossed the winding path, then walked over the bridge. Apart from the sound of the wind, there was no other noise. He returned to the bamboo building. Someone was lying quietly on the bed. The other party¡¯s handsome face was tranquil and peaceful as if he was just asleep. The hostility between his brows of when he was awake had now disappeared, and he looked very young. Ye Yunlan watched wordlessly. He took out the Demon Soul Grass from the box, then put them under the other¡¯s pillow one by one. The Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body was born from the gathering of filthy demon qi. The Demon Soul Grass was born in the extreme shadows of the Demon Realm and absorbed a large amount of demon energy, which could form an environment full of demon energy for the demon body to absorb. When the Demon Lord¡¯s life core initally broke, there was no vitality. The Nine-Turn Celestial Demon Body should¡¯ve scattered between heaven and earth. However, the Demon Lord¡¯s body never did. Ye Yunlan remembered that he had asked the master of Fukong Temple this question when he went a few months ago to find the resurrection method for the Demon Lord. The master said it was because although the other party¡¯s vitality dissipated, there was still a trace of remaining obsession. Obsession. He was taken aback for a moment. He asked the master again if there was a way to bring the dead back to life. The master said fate decided life and death, so why bother forcing it to stay? Why bother forcing it to stay? Yes. He had a good memory. Why didn¡¯t he remember that when he arrived at Fukong Temple in his previous life: He had asked the master the same question. The other party gave him the same answer. Now, he was carrying extravagant hopes. But he could only get the same result after taking another trip. The wheel of fortune was rolling forward, and the will of heaven was like a knife. It seemed that something was there, destined to be unable to turn back. He didn¡¯t want to ask anymore. He turned around. Just as he stepped out of the temple gate, he heard the master¡¯s aged and compassionate voice again. ¡°People can¡¯t resurrect from death, but the phoenixes can reach nirvana.¡± He stopped and looked back suddenly. However, the Fukong Temple floating in the sky had disappeared without a trace, as if it had never appeared here. Ye Yunlan shook the Demon Lord¡¯s hand. ¡°Your Master created a new style of swordsmanship,¡± he whispered, ¡°The name is ¡®No Doubt.¡¯ Carrying the sword and the lord, no doubt about love¡­ It is an execellent sword technique, but unfortunately, you can¡¯t see it. Master will teach it to you when you wake up.¡± He sat at the bedside, muttering words in a low voice. From the problems encountered in swordsmanship and what he saw and heard during the day, it was as if he was talking to the Ling Er from when he was under the shadow of the Jinling tree. Tired of talking, he leaned over on the Demon Lord¡¯s chest. White hair flowed all over. He wanted to listen to the other¡¯s heartbeat. But he couldn¡¯t hear it. He could only feel a trace of warmth condensed in the other¡¯s heart. This was the only place where there was still temperature in the Demon Lord¡¯s entire body. But Ye Yunlan knew this was not the other party¡¯s body temperature. It was the ray of divine fire essence that the Demon Lord had channeled out of his body during the dual cultivation from before. It was now entrenched in the other party¡¯s demon body, beating slowly in the other party¡¯s heart. Now that the Ye Clan¡¯s blood in his body had fully recovered, he could perceive this ray of divine fire and his own body. This should be the divine fire of Nirvana left by the divine phoenix that year, capable of burning all things. It was only because he had the blood of the Divine Phoenix in his body that he could barely withhold the divine fire¡¯s backlash that year, but he was still seriously injured. If it were other cultivators, the fire would¡¯ve already burned them. Over the years, the divine fire was in his body, and although it was often restless, it still nurtured a trace of spirituality. With the previous dual cultivation with the Demon Lord, his bloodline gradually recovered, and the divine fire became more docile and harmless. It¡¯s just that when they dual cultivated, it would always scream and distract him. So the Demon Lord wanted to extradite it. The divine fire was quite reluctant. It fled and circled in his meridians, but the Demon Lord was tougher. He just caught the divine fire, and after teaching it some lessons, the divine fire was no longer noisy. The cultivation between them was also harmonious. Now that ray of divine fire was entrenched in the Demon Lord¡¯s heart. The warm current that radiated hot on Ye Yunlan¡¯s cheeks gave him the illusion that the Demon Lord was still alive. He remembered the Nirvana that the master had mentioned. He placed his hand on the Demon Lord¡¯s heart and slowly poured in his own spiritual power. The divine fire¡¯s pulse seemed to become more prominent. It was as if there was a beating heart. Or was it his illusion again? He didn¡¯t know if it would be beneficial for him to do this, but he had a trace of thought in his heart. He was willing to wait for his whole life. After transferring his spiritual power, he laid quietly on the Demon Lord for a while before he got up and walked out of the bamboo building. He closed the door. Suddenly, he heard a call from a child behind him. ¡°Mom?¡± Ye Yunlan frowned. He frowned, turned around, and saw a petite child standing in a sea of ??flowers. The child had big golden eyes and long golden hair. The hair swayed in the wind on top of his head. The child¡¯s facial features were beautiful and androgynous, but it looked a bit like him and the Demon Lord. However, Ye Yunlan had never seen this child before. Although the other party¡¯s energy felt familiar. After thinking about it for a moment, he hesitated. ¡°Furball?¡± The child looked at him with big eyes brightly. It chirped and ran toward him. Ye Yunlan didn¡¯t like to be in contact with people very much, even if the child had seemingly transformed from Furball. So he subconsciously turned sideways. The excited child wasn¡¯t looking at his path and ran into the door with a bang. There was a giant dumpling on his forehead. He seemed stunned for a while, then reacted with hindsight and cried out. Teardrops pattered down. Ye Yunlan looked down at the face that transformed into something somewhat similar to himself and the Demon Lord. He pursed his lips. Then he raised his hand and touched its head. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± The child¡¯s cries barely stopped. As soon as he raised his head, he uttered the word ¡°Mom¡­¡± But Ye Yunlan¡¯s indifference interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m not your mother.¡± Furball blinked, and tears began to flow again. Ye Yunlan frowned. ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Furball: ¡°Mom¡­ Mom doesn¡¯t want me anymore¡­¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I¡¯m not your mother, but I didn¡¯t not want you.¡± Furball stopped crying. But it was puzzled. Very puzzled. ¡°If Mom wants me, why won¡¯t you let me call you Mom?¡± Ye Yunlan looked at him, feeling a bit of a headache. But he suddenly heard a loud noise outside the Demon Palace. It was the sound of gongs and drums. The noise was deafening. It made him frown deeply. Didn¡¯t he order that demon cultivators were forbidden to come and weren¡¯t allowed to make noise within ten miles of the Demon Palce? He looked up, and the flames illuminated the sky outside the Demon Palace. Yanlin beasts with flames burning on their bodies flew toward the Demon Palace in long lines. The sound of gongs and drums shook as if the ground was trembling. Someone¡¯s voice came from outside the Demon Palace. ¡°The Ye Clan¡¯s rites division have come to welcome His Royal Highness back to the palace to ascend the throne.¡± CH 135 Chapter 135 Void Tracing Yaori Imperial Palace. Emperor Ye was pacing. Anxious footsteps echoed in the palace. But Ye Tange was not accompanying her husband as usual. She sat on the edge of the bed, wearing a plain white dress and looking down at Ye Xuanguang¡¯s pale face. Since the Battle of Liuming Mountain, Ye Xuanguang went into a coma because of the demonic energy. After rescuing him, Emperor Ye was furious. He thought Ye Xuanguang had encountered such a situation because of the influence of his younger brother, Ye Yunlan. ¡°Zhen had already said we should have cut the grass to get rid of the roots. We shouldn¡¯t have been merciful back then and let the evil one live.¡± Emperor Ye smashed the teacup in his hand. Ye Tange listened to the side but suddenly spoke. ¡°Your Majesty, Yunlan is also our son. The heavenly book only said that the phoenix star will be born, but it did not say which son of my clan is the phoenix star. Have we misstepped from the beginning?¡± Emperor Ye: ¡°Impossible! Tange, I know you have always had compassion for that evil creature, but there is some nonsense we cannot talk about. It will mess up my imperial luck!¡± But this time, Ye Tange was not as obedient as to shut up and say nothing. She whispered softly: ¡°But Your Majesty, the Demon Emperor Sword has already acknowledged and voluntarily followed him.¡± Ye Xuanguang couldn¡¯t do this. Emperor Ye told her to shut up. He also told her to take care of Ye Xuanguang, then left the palace. Nevertheless, some things couldn¡¯t be altered just by staying silent about them. Half a month ago, the Demon Abyss at the junction of Demon Realm and Western Continent had undergone an abnormal change. A steady stream of monsters was pouring out of the ground, causing heavy casualties at the border. Cracks were everywhere in the void and five continents and four seas. It was hard to handle. Although the cracks were not many nor large, they were the signs of the world¡¯s great calamity. Now, a crack was in the sky less than ten miles away from Yaori Palace. Many Ye Clan elites had been consumed to guard the crack. An elder also questioned what happened back then. Now, they decided to welcome Ye Yunlan, the person who transcended, killed the Serpent Demon King, and was acknowledged by the Demon Emperor Sword, back to the clan to replace Emperor Ye. No matter how one looked at it, Ye Yunlan was the person who matched the destiny stated in the heavenly book. Today, the rites division was on its way back. Ye Tange heard Emperor Ye¡¯s eager footsteps. Her red lips twitched, and a smile appeared on her beautiful and gentle face. ¡­ Ye Yunlan walked into the Yaori Palace, holding the Shura Sword. He had a bronze ghost mask on his face. His white hair swayed as he walked, and the Nirvana sword intent shook the others¡¯ minds. The palace people who saw him retreated one after another, and the rites division chief who led him was even full of big beads of sweat. Only Furball didn¡¯t notice. He pulled at his sleeves affectionately and followed him. Ye Yunlan was not interested in the Ye Family¡¯s throne. But he needed the records about Nirvana among the Ye Clan. If it was not found, he could only wait until he reached the Void Tracing Realm and then go to the Ye Clan¡¯s immortal boat in the void again. There was an ancient burial place of the Divine Phoenix, so there should be many ancient relics. He was taken away by the Demon Lord hurriedly and didn¡¯t remember to check it carefully. Maybe Ye Clan¡¯s Nirvana Law was in it. Elders donning golden robes and white beards were waiting in front of the temple gate. The rites chief bent over to the old man and said, ¡°Great Elder.¡± The Great Elder nodded slightly. He eagerly walked two steps and came over to see what Ye Yunlan looked like. ¡°How can you still wear a mask now that you¡¯ve returned to your clan?¡± The elder said softly. Ye Yunlan: ¡°I remember that I had signed a sacred contract with you at the time. There is no longer any involvement between the Ye Clan and me.¡± The elder said gently: ¡°That was just the work of the juniors. The Elder Hall had not agreed on it.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What about the blood transfer technique back then?¡± The elder was silent. The blood transfer technique between Ye Yunlan and Ye Xuanguang was carried out under the whole clan¡¯s testimony. Its completion was certainly inconceivable without the Elder Hall¡¯s approval. ¡°The clan owes you a lot for that past misunderstanding.¡± The elder sighed, ¡°Now that the misunderstanding is resolved, you are the destined Lord of the Ye Clan. The Elder Hall will not have any objections on how you deal with the original people involved.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I¡¯m not interested in the Yaori Dynasty¡¯s throne.¡± The Great Elder: ¡°You don¡¯t want the throne?¡± The old man raised his dark eyes with gold specks flowing in them. ¡°There is the Primordial Divine Phoenix¡¯s essence and blood that has been stored for thousands of years. If you rely on this bottle and then use the power of the whole clan¡¯s bloodline to form a formation, you can completely turn your bloodline in your body to return to the ancestors and even break through into Void Tracing in a short time.¡± This time, it was Ye Yunlan¡¯s turn to be silent. It took a long time to accumulate a cultivation base, which could be more than hundreds of years. In his previous life, he went from Transcendent to Void Tracing in decades because the Demon Lord used the human furnace method to infuse most of the cultivation base accumulated in his life into his body. The Great Elder sighed: ¡°The Great Tribulation of Heaven and Earth is much earlier than expected in the heavenly book, and the Ye Clan is still unprepared. However, the demons have begun to descend into the world in succession. When the void cracks can accommodate the Demon King¡¯s arrival, can anyone survive? Perhaps, this is the price we need to pay for recognizing the wrong fate.¡± When he spoke, his voice choked and his stooped back couldn¡¯t maintain its straightness. Ye Yunlan remained quiet. ¡°Great Elder!¡± But there was an angry rebuke from a distance. Emperor Ye was dressed in imperial robes. The crown beads swayed on his head, and he strode in front of the two. ¡°Great Elder, why didn¡¯t you tell me that you want to take out the Divine Phoenix¡¯s blood?¡± Great Elder: ¡°The Elder Hall has decided this matter. Why does His Majesty need to add more?¡± Emperor Ye was already blue with fury. He pointed at Ye Yunlan, ¡°How do you know he is our clan¡¯s destined person?¡± The Great Elder snapped: ¡°We¡¯ve been wrong for so long. If we continue to be wrong, our clan will run out of time!¡± On the side, Furball saw them quarreling and pulled Ye Yunlan¡¯s robe. ¡°Daddy, what are they arguing about?¡± After Ye Yunlan¡¯s constant corrections, Furball finally replaced the word ¡®mom¡¯ with ¡®daddy.¡¯ Ye Yunlan looked at the simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar palace wall around him, then said lightly: ¡°Noisy nonsense.¡± Furball was dumbfounded: ¡°Nonsense, is it funny?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± On the side, Emperor Ye¡¯s veins were jumping. He finally looked sideways at his son, who he had abandoned from the beginning. ¡°How can the Ye Clan¡¯s survival and demise be a laughing matter in your mouth?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What does it have to do with me?¡± After hearing this, Emperor Ye¡¯s face was extremely heavy. He turned to look at the elder and said, ¡°Great Elder, you¡¯ve heard it too. The person you want to welcome back doesn¡¯t have any nostalgia for the Ye Clan at all. If you really want to hand the Ye Clan over to him, you will destroy the Ye Clan!¡± The Great Elder angrily rebuked: ¡°I think you will destroy the Ye Clan! You don¡¯t recognize how serious it is or know how to repent. You must have forgotten that the Ye Clan¡¯s survival is always our number one priority after sitting on the throne for so many years!¡± He turned his head and said to Ye Yunlan: ¡°I¡¯ve already prepared the essence and blood of the Divine Phoenix, and the bloodline has already been laid down. As long as you agree to ascend the throne, the whole Ye Clan and the entire Western Continent Mountains and Rivers will be in your hands.¡± However, Ye Yunlan did not look at them. He felt it was too noisy. He looked up at the sky. Clouds had shrouded the dark sky. Even if he had stayed in the Demon Palace all year round, he still felt it. Because of the impact of Liuming Mountain¡¯s Blood Sacrifice Formation in the past, the boundary membrane was already unstable. The catastrophe was nearing, and Tianyuan¡¯s opening was close at hand. Maybe it won¡¯t take two or three days. Perhaps it was tomorrow. If he could get the Divine Phoenix¡¯s blood and reach Void Tracing, he would no longer be afraid of threats outside the void. He could protect the peace of that person and even avenge him completely. Ye Yunlan thought of the man in the Demon Palace with his quiet appearance. In the meanwhile, he would repay his lifetime of love to the greatest extent. If it was for him. He didn¡¯t mind carrying more karma. ¡­¡­ The first year of the emperor¡¯s reign. The new Emperor Ye ascended in the Yaori Imperial City, Zhaoge. Furball turned into a phoenix and soared into the sky. The withered sacred tree regained its brilliance, and countless Ye tribesmen enthusiastically knelt toward the altar. The golden light of the bloodline illuminated. The predecessor Emperor Ye was bound in the formation, and the power of his bloodline was depleted. He fell to the ground. His young and handsome face quickly aged, and his clan members lifted him off the stage. Ye Yunlan held a gold cup in his hand. The Divine Phoenix¡¯s essence and blood that was left behind at the beginning of ancient times, containing incomparable power, was in that cup. Countless people of the Ye Clan crawled toward him with hope in their eyes. He turned his back on everyone. He just looked in the direction of the Eastern Demon Palace. He drank all the blood in the cup. The power of the strong blood coursed through his body. His robe and long hair behind him were dancing and fluttering in the overflowing air current. He looked to the sky with brilliant golden eyes, and a phoenix¡¯s shadow was seemingly flying in them. The great tribulation descended. He held a sword in both hands. The Demon Emperor¡¯s Sword was golden and red. The Shura Sword was murderous. But in his hands, it was a wonderful fusion. One style: ¡°No Doubt.¡± The two sword lights went to the high sky, intertwined, united, and actually split the thunder and black clouds that were filling the sky! He survived the thunder tribulation. He arrived at Void Tracing. The wind whistled between heaven and earth, blowing his robe. He didn¡¯t feel joy after being promoted, only a trace of loneliness. Cultivators from all over the world came to congratulate him. The courtiers of the dynasty said together: ¡°Congratulations to Your Majesty for successfully surpassing the tribulation and taking control of the universe from now on. The emperor will rule the world for a thousand years, respected forever!¡± Someone from the Demon Realm bowed his head to him. ¡°Congratulations to the Lord¡¯s ascension to the throne. From now on, the Western Continent and the Demon Realm will be in the hands of the Lord.¡± There were also many Daoist Sect Masters from all over the world, trying to unload their responsibilities to each other. Then finally, one stepped out to the front. ¡°Congratulations to Your Majesty Emperor Ye on arriving at Void Tracing. That year, Your Majesty¡¯s sword struck the heavens and cut the Demon King of the outside world. It was a feat that attracted the attention of the world. We of the Daoist Sects have discussed and would like to honor you as the Daoist Chief Leader. From now on, the Daoist Sects will listen to your orders and won¡¯t dare to not follow through with them!¡± Ye Yunlan was standing on the altar. His golden eyes were bright and indifferent while looking down at the people under the stage, kneeling or standing. It was like a god overlooking all beings. He said nothing. But countless causes and effects descended from the sky in the unseen world, pressing on his back. Most of the time, there could only be one cultivator in the Void Tracing Realm for a certain age and period of time. With that kind of cultivation base, they would have to bear karma whether they want to or not. Nevertheless, Ye Yunlan¡¯s back was still very straight. Wind and rain couldn¡¯t destroy him, nor could karma. He raised his sword and stepped into the void. The spatial turbulence that was formerly frantic in his eyes had become slow and predictable. He stepped into the void and walked forward in the chaos of the sky. Until he saw an immortal boat floating in the chaos. There was a gap in the front end of the immortal boat. That was the place where the Demon Lord broke open. Ye Yunlan walked in through the gap. Was there any difference between the inside of the immortal boat and what he had seen back then? Chen Weiyuan¡¯s original physical corpse fell by the wall. Ye Yunlan raised his hand, and the corpse was thrown out and swallowed by the turbulence of the void. He moved forward step by step, walking through a pool of blood. He walked in front of a black coffin. The light of the Divine Phoenix¡¯s skeleton inside had dimmed. He looked down and saw that a yellowed ancient scroll was also beside the bones in the coffin. He leaned over, took out the ancient scroll, and opened it. He discovered it was a notebook. Written by the ancient Divine Phoenix. He read it line by line. For Heaven and Earth¡¯s Great Catastrophe, god thunder will destroy our homeland. The world can no longer tolerate the existence of the demonic beast clan. If I want to protect the whole clan, I have to use its power to build an immortal boat. ¡­ The first day of re-walking the immortal road. The immortal boat is stable and calm. ¡­ The second day of re-walking the immortal road. In turbulence, it diverged and returned. ¡­ The third day of re-walking the immortal road. All is quiet. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­ The seventh day of re-walking the immortal road. The immortal road recorded in the heavenly book is fake! The immortal road between the upper realm and this world has long been cut off! The immortal boat was stranded on the broken immortal road after breaking through the boundary membrane. Now, it cannot advance or retreat. The foreign demons are watching. My clan is in danger. ¡­ Stranded for the tenth day. Outside of the immortal boat, I captured the Demon King alive. ¡­ Stranded for the sixteenth day. It seems that the Demon King was deliberately captured by me that day, why? ¡­¡­ Stranded for half a year. That day the Demon King actually said that it liked me. The demons¡­also have love and hatred. ¡­ Stranded for two years. It would never like me. It just wanted to confuse my mind and coax me to bring it back to the world. But even though I can return to the world, what about the people in the immortal boat? If I leave, the other evil creatures outside will definitely not give up the food they can get and kill the whole clan. ¡­ Stranded for ten years. There was no spiritual energy in the void, and the clan cannot cultivate. Casualties gradually multiplied. ¡­ Stranded for a hundred years. Almost half of the clan has died. The immortal boat cannot return. The road ahead is unpredictable, and the road behind is broken. Can it be that the Phoenix Clan is destined to end here? The Heavenly Demon King tempted me to move the people into his Heavenly Demon Realm. Wishful thinking! He has been malicious to our clan for more than a hundred years. Does he think I haven¡¯t noticed it?! ¡­ Stranded for two hundred years. There are only a hundred people left in the clan. They still believe that I can find a way out, but I cannot discern any direction in the four orientations of the void. The worlds I have explored with my divine consciousness are all places of extinction, unsuitable for the survival of the demonic beast race. I can¡¯t bear to tell them the truth. The Heavenly Demon King has become docile again recently. He no longer hides in my shadow, fighting with me every day. What the h*ll is he thinking? ¡­ Stranded for two hundred and three years. The Demon King asked me if everyone in the immortal boat were dead, what would I do afterward? Would I like to enter his demon realm? I am wary. I told him before that if the last clan member cannot survive, I will take the souls of the clan and return to the world no longer suitable for the existence of the demonic beast tribe and seek a way to keep them alive. I will either borrow foreign objects or let them escape from their demonic beast body¡ª¡ª In short, I will not leave them behind. The Demon King stroked my wings and said nothing. I became more vigilant. I was vigilant for three days, but nothing happened. But I think I still have to write this down. The Demon King is good at deceiving people¡¯s hearts, and everything with him needs repeated remembrance. Don¡¯t be confused by his words. ¡­ Stranded for six hundred years. The cultivation bases of the clansmen who have survived to this day are all very high, and no one has died for more than a hundred years. When I wandered through the void, I found another broken world not very far away. This world hadn¡¯t completely reached the extinction state, and it seems that there is still a glimmer of life. If I try to reform it, maybe I can let the tribesman find shelter. ¡­ One hundred years in the new world. Sure enough, the aura of this world has never been extinct. After the transformation, our clan thrived here smoothly, and now it seemed to see the prosperity of the past. My heart is so happy. The Demon King still haunts me day by day. It wants to be my dao companion. I think now that the matter of my tribe¡¯s life and death was resolved, I might as well give it a try. ¡­ Two hundred years in the new world. Trying with him was very happy. He taught me a lot. I never thought I could cultivate this method. I felt satisfied. I feel that my realm is about to have a breakthrough again soon. What is the realm after Void Tracing? I am looking forward to it. ¡­ Three hundred years in the new world. Before crossing the tribulation, he looked at me nervously. I told him not to worry. If I can really reach the immortal land, I may not pass over. I may just take a look at the immortal land scenery and come back. After all, the tribe is here, and he is also here. ¡­¡­ (The handwriting is messy) I can¡¯t believe what I saw while crossing the tribulation. When ascending, a person would feel the void and be perplexed. I saw myself appearing in the immortal boat that year. The immortal boat was abandoned, silent. I was guided to fly out of the immortal boat and head toward the immortal road. When I reached where the immortal road was cut off, I stopped and could no longer move forward. The Demon King stood behind me. He has been following me. I finally understand what happened. It was him who unknowingly dragged me into the Heavenly Demon Territory, yet disguised the Heavenly Demon Territory as an immortal boat, pretending that we found a new world. He pretended that the demonic beast race was reborn. It was all his domain. He could disguise things into how he wanted them to be. It turns out an illusion has deceived me. If it weren¡¯t for my realm exceeding Void Tracing and the road to ascension being broken, I would never have seen a glimpse of the truth. It¡¯s just that my clansmen in the immortal boat have become extinct. I couldn¡¯t protect them after all. I drew my sword at him. He did not move but cried and told me that he did not kill my people and instead secretly sent all their souls back to my original world. He found a new place for them, helped them leave their demonic beast bodies, and allowed them to live there forever. He did everything according to what I wanted. He just wanted to keep me with him. I questioned him, ¡°If so, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± He said that he was afraid that I would not believe it. I really don¡¯t believe it. ¡­ Stranded for nine hundred years. I suppressed the Demon King. The clan has become extinct, and I have no obsession with becoming immortal. A demon brings disaster to everyday people. I¡¯m willing to suppress it with this body to make it not cause chaos for eternity. Our clan has the Nirvana Law. Only those with pure blood can be reborn. It¡¯s just that when I was with him that year, I heard that a demon¡¯s body would not enter reincarnation, so I transferred half of my bloodline power to him. I taught him to have the body of a half-demonic beast, which can enter the reincarnation of heaven and earth. I didn¡¯t believe in the afterlife, but I wanted an afterlife with him. If there was an afterlife. I just want to be his master and him, my disciple. I¡¯ll teach him how to cultivate so he does not enter the demonic dao. He will not have delusions and will not kill. Us two, master and disciple, going and returning home together. The note ended there. Ye Yunlan only felt a slight pain in his soul. Fragments of the light from the immemorial drifted down. That was the memory of Divine Phoenix. It¡¯s just that it was too far away. After thousands of reincarnations, only a sliver of phosphorescent powder was left in his hands. He could see some fragments, but in the end, he was no longer the Divine Phoenix himself. The Divine Phoenix and the Heavenly Demon King had already disappeared long ago. It¡¯s just that the sentiment contained in this fragment was beneficial. At this time, he seemed to have touched the edge of becoming immortal. It¡¯s just that the so-called method of Nirvana seemingly still depended on the power of the bloodline in the end. He was a little bit disappointed. He kept the notes. He pushed aside the black coffin in front of him again. Sure enough, there was an ancient bronze coffin under the black coffin. A black demon skeleton was inside the bronze coffin. In the beginning, Chen Weiyuan only took one of the hand bones, so the rest of the demon skeleton was still intact. Ye Yunlan put away the skeletons of the demon and Divine Phoenix. The immortal boat was damaged, and it was not safe to leave the remains here. He walked out of the immortal boat, his golden eyes shining like the sun. Closing his eyes, he quickly felt the faint atmosphere of a Heavenly Demon in the chaos. The Serpent Demon King was lying in his own demon realm, concentrating on healing the backlash injuries it suffered. Countless demons flew in his domain, wantonly entangled, or swallowed and killed. The demon reflected all worldly desires and darkness. Suddenly he was alert. There was a sense of horror. He sat up from his throne and looked around himself vigilantly. He saw a sword flying in the distance. The sword¡¯s body was bright red, burning his eyes. It reminded him of when his head was pierced through in that moment of distraction. It¡¯s just that this sword was faster than before. It was also more terrifying. It seemed that there was already the power of the Void Tracing Realm. The Serpent Demon King¡¯s pupils shrank. Impossible! It had only been two years, so how could that person arrive at Void Tracing so quickly? He drove the black mist to block. But it was horrifying and unstoppable. The power of that sword was more than just Void Tracing. How could it be so? He wondered how there could be such swordsmanship in this world. How could such a monster¡ªthe sword light was near. Everything from yesterday seemed to reappear. ¡°No¡ª¡ª!!!¡± The sword light illuminated the entire void. When the sword light dissipated, this sword had wiped out the Heavenly Demon¡¯s lair in the void. Ye Yunlan retracted his sword. He didn¡¯t look behind him again. He stepped through the void and returned to the world. The wind on earth was bleak. Everything around it seemed subdued. Nothing was worthy for him to stop, and nothing was deserving of his nostalgia. He twisted his eyebrows tightly and forced down his indifference to the human world when he was close to entering the realm of immortality. He shuttled through the clouds and mist all the way back to the Demon Palace. He walked across the sea of ??flowers on the other shore. He saw the quiet face of the person in the bamboo building. A hot and turbulent emotion emerged from his heart. He walked over and buried his face in the other party¡¯s chest. Like a weary bird returning to the forest. Deeply attached. CH 136 Chapter 136 Finale The first year of the emperor¡¯s reign. Emperor Ye quelled the Catastrophe of Heaven and Earth alone. All beings bowed their heads in praise. The Demon Realm and Western Continent were united, and the Imperial Palace was replaced with the Demon Palace. All his subordinates reported together with the Demon Realm cultivators. The second year of reign. In the Demon Palace¡¯s garden. ¡°Little Furball, don¡¯t you run!¡± A charming girl¡¯s voice sounded in the garden. She was wearing a red dress, chasing Furball like a butterfly fluttering in the flowers. It was the Tianchi Mountain¡¯s mountain spirit, Nian Er, from the past. Furball was running in the garden. His dull golden hair atop his head swayed, and the golden back of his head looked like a small sun. As he ran, he suddenly encountered a lotus pond in front of him. A pair of fleshy golden wings appeared behind him, and he wanted to leap over. However, before he jumped up, Nian Er grabbed him with one hand, ¡°Let¡¯s see where you can run to. My Gege told you to study at this time, but you were hanging out in the garden alone. I¡¯ve caught you now.¡± ¡°I have a name, it¡¯s Ye Sijun.¡± Little Sun muttered, ¡°Daddy chose it for me.¡± Nian Er reached out and rubbed his head, ¡°Sijun is not as catchy as Furball. Humph, don¡¯t change the subject. Gege asked you to practice reading, so why were you running blindly everywhere?¡± Furball: ¡°I, I was sleepy. I wanted to come out for some fresh air.¡± Nian Er said with her hands on her hips: ¡°I think you were fishing for three days, sunning the net for two days (unable to persevere in work and study)! Come with me. I will take you back to study.¡± Furball¡¯s small handsome face scrunched up. He turned his gaze around and spotted a person walking in the distance. He said happily: ¡°Daddy!¡± Ye Yunlan was walking in the corridor, followed by several ministers and demon elders reporting to him. He was dressed in an imperial robe, with pure white hair falling like snow and a silver crown on his head. His expression was cold and apathetic. At this time, he could only hear the reports of his subjects and Demon Realm elders, as well as the sound of their respective footsteps. Because of this, Furball¡¯s ¡°daddy¡± was particularly loud. Little Sun flapped his fleshy wings and flew toward his father. A few people beside Ye Yunlan were startled. A Ye Clan official looked at Furball in fear and said: ¡°Your Majesty, be careful!¡± Furball could soar for nine days when he transformed into a phoenix body, but at this time, when he was half human, he always flew crookedly. For this reason, he caused a bunch of problems in the Demon Palace. But this time, his flight wasn¡¯t askew. Ye Yunlan caught the flying Little Sun. Although he had already stepped into Void Tracing, he actually felt that this Furball in his hand was quite heavy. It seemed that he shouldn¡¯t be fed too many spirit stones. Thinking about this, Ye Yunlan spoke lightly. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Furball raised his eyes and looked at his father¡¯s always expressionless face. He puffed up his cheeks and said: ¡°Daddy, I don¡¯t want to read.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Why?¡± Furball: ¡°Those words in those books look ugly; they look like crickets in the garden. I can¡¯t understand them.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°If you don¡¯t understand, then learn.¡± Furball wrinkled up his face, ¡°I, I don¡¯t want to learn¡­ ¡± However, his father was icy and ruthless, ¡°Go learn.¡± Furball began to pester him endlessly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to learn. Unless¡­ Unless Dad teaches me.¡± His dad lowered his head. His long silver eyelashes were hanging down like two butterfly wings. Those golden pupils were cold and distant as if no one¡¯s shadow could be reflected. It was not an illusion. Furball felt that his own father¡¯s temperament was getting colder and colder. It made him feel inexplicably scared. So he didn¡¯t want to read a book. He didn¡¯t want to be literate either. With so much time, it¡¯s better to pester Daddy. Otherwise, he was afraid that after a long time, his father would really turn into a block of ice and never respond to him again. Ye Yunlan was silent for a moment and then waved his sleeves at the people nearby. The people next to him knew his temperament very well. They bowed and withdrew. He brought Furball back to the study room and taught him to read. Furball¡¯s paw was very fleshy, so he held the fleshy paw and wrote stroke by stroke. Many years ago, he did the same to teach Shen Shu literacy. Furball was very happy and concentrated on learning. When he finished studying, he even kissed him on the cheek while he was not paying attention. Ye Yunlan expressionlessly threw him out of the bamboo building. After closing the door, he stood alone for a while and then went to the back room to look at the Demon Lord on the bed. The Demon Lord slept very deeply. It¡¯s been two years, and he hadn¡¯t woken up once. After he returned from the Ye Clan Immortal Boat, he placed the demon skeleton and phoenix skeleton beside the Demon Lord. Perhaps, he had a little hope in his heart, wishing that the Demon Lord could absorb the power of the blood on the phoenix skeleton and achieve Nirvana as he did before. He laid down on the Demon Lord¡¯s chest and routinely listened to the heartbeat of the other party. He sensed the temperature transmitted by the divine fire and channeled his own spiritual power into it. He didn¡¯t know if it was an illusion, but he suddenly heard the sound of a beating heart. It was only one beat as if he was hallucinating. He listened carefully again. However, there was only silence in the other party¡¯s chest. He was not disappointed. In the past two years, similar auditory hallucinations have happened more than once. Maybe he missed him so much that it was the case. He got up and then tried to exit to get some fresh air. But the sky was dim, and the dark clouds were overcast as if it was going to rain. Suddenly, a person was standing near him. A man. The person¡¯s hair was white, and his face was pale, as was his sword. But his sword intent flowed turbulently. A hot emotion was seemingly hidden in his eyes, sword, and heart. Ye Yunlan paused, looked at the man, and spoke lightly. ¡°Qiyun Jun?¡± Ever since he became the co-master of the Western Continent and the Demon Realm, he had heard that Qiyun Jun retired from being Sect Master of Sky Sect. Later, he heard from a subordinate that Qiyun Jun constructed a cave on a hill not far from the Demon Palace. Then occasionally, he would meet him around the Demon Palace. But it was the first time this person broke into the Demon Palace to see him. Qiyun Jun stared at him and said hoarsely: ¡°Are you still waiting for him to wake up?¡± Since he arrived in Void Tracing, Ye Yunlan¡¯s feelings for people unrelated to the world and himself have become more and more indifferent. The fear that stemmed from happened in the Buddha Tower had also disappeared with his tribulation. So he just nodded lightly. He didn¡¯t want to talk more about it. Qiyun Jun asked: ¡°How long will you wait?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Until he wakes up.¡± Qiyun Jun said: ¡°He has been dead for many years. How can he wake up?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°I never wondered if he would wake up or not. I just want the first thing he sees if he wakes up to be me.¡± Qiyun Jun asked: ¡°Your obsession is hindering you. Don¡¯t you want to ascend?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°Aren¡¯t you speaking of yourself? Persistent in the things that will have no results, entangled endlessly, trapped in delusions, and unable to extricate yourself. ¡± Qiyun Jun: ¡°This is my dao.¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°What I just said is also my dao.¡± After these words ended, there was silence between the two. It seemed to be the only thing since a long time ago. Ye Yunlan: ¡°The Demon Palace is not like Sky Sect, where you can come and go at will. If you are here next time, I will draw my sword when I see you.¡± Qiyun Jun looked at him as if there was something in his pale pupils on the verge of breaking. He suddenly asked: ¡°Since that piece of jade broke, is there really no possibility between us?¡± Ye Yunlan: ¡°You obviously know the answer.¡± Qiyun Jun left. Ye Yunlan walked alone in the Demon Palace¡¯s garden. It was the beginning of spring, and the rain was continuous. The dark overcast clouds gradually lowered, and the dull air around him thickened. Suddenly, he felt a raindrop on his cheek. He looked up at the sky. He wanted to find shelter from the rain. At this moment, he was walking beside the lotus pond. A stone pavilion was in the lotus pond, so he unhurredily walked into it. Sitting on the stone table, he took out a few jars of wine from his storage ring and enjoyed a cup of wine by himself. The wine was stuffed with peach blossoms, sweet and fragrant, capable of dispelling depression. The rain had already started outside the stone pavilion. It pattered down. After delivering a few glasses of wine to his mouth, he didn¡¯t use his spiritual power to dispel his alcoholic spirit. His cheeks felt warm, and he was dizzy and confused. Suddenly, he remembered that he and the Demon Lord had also been drinking and talking in this stone pavilion, indulging themselves and being reckless. A year had passed in a blink of an eye. After a glass of wine, he was already very drunk. The rain was getting heavier and heavier. It was as if countless beads were rolled on a jade plate, knocking on his heart. Amidst the confusion, he slowly fell asleep. He had a dream. There was an apricot tree in his dream, and he was asleep in a wicker chair under the tree. Someone kissed his eyelashes tenderly. He closed his eyes and pushed the other person, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t make trouble.¡± The other said okay. The sun fell on his face. His surroundings were quiet and peaceful. It seemed like he could do this for a lifetime. When he woke up again, the rain had stopped. The sky¡¯s light had broken through the clouds and shone onto the stone pavilion, now hitting his face. It caused his eyelashes to twitch, preventing him from opening his eyes for a while. Then, he suddenly felt someone leaning down. A warm chest pressed against his back. He froze. He felt like the breath of the person behind him was so familiar. So familiar that it was like an illusion. Accompanied by a laugh, the Demon Lord¡¯s voice rang in his ears. ¡°Master, you¡¯re awake.¡± [End of text] The author has something to say: There is still an extra. (T/N: Don¡¯t believe it¡¯s over T-T. Wish they gave more romantic moments between the two.) CH 137 Chapter 137 Extra ¨C Seeing the Radiance of Spring ¡°I¡¯ve already remembered all of it; you and I and all our previous lives.¡± After the tender affection, the Demon Lord kissed his face and the tears on top. Ye Yunlan opened his eyes slightly. He cried hard. A layer of mist was seemingly shrouding his eyes, and his voice was raspy. ¡°You said, you remembered what?¡± The Demon Lord was patient and repeated: ¡°I said, I remembered everything in our previous life. Including you and me from master and disciple to strangers, and from strangers to dao companions. Everything we have experienced.¡± He kissed his eyelashes tenderly. Nostalgia flowed deeply in his bloody eyes, and he called him in a low voice: ¡°Senior Immortal.¡± Ye Yunlan¡¯s expression was dazed. He still hadn¡¯t recovered. Although he knew that he, Qiyun Jun, and Chen Weiyuan had memories of their previous lives, he didn¡¯t think that the Demon Lord could also remember his past lives. He once struggled with whether the same soul with different experiences could still count as the same person. Only after the Change Sentiment Curse was released did he remember what he had with Ling Er before and realize that they were once master and disciple. If everything didn¡¯t happen, they would still be the closest dao companions. The chain that ran through the bottom of his heart faded away bit by bit until it completely vanished. But the Demon Lord said that he remembered. Ye Yunlan¡¯s eyes were a little red. He looked at the handsome face of the Demon Lord in front of him. He stretched out his hand to hold his chin, raised his head, and kissed it. He was especially active today. His face was extremely beautiful, and his white-hair and golden eyes were extraordinary compared to an average person¡¯s appearance, but he usually looked particularly cold and abstinent. However, the bright beauty revealed when he took initiative was even tougher to refuse. The Demon Lord couldn¡¯t help kissing him deeper like a wolf that had been starving for a hundred years. After a period of making love. Ye Yunlan was exhausted and was held in the other¡¯s embrace. He listened to the other party¡¯s account of what happened to him. ¡°My life core was pierced back then, and I thought I was bound to die. The divine fire in my body locked my only remaining soul so that I could hear your voice.¡± The Demon Lord said, ¡°Everything Master said to me these years, all those words, I have heard and remembered.¡± ¡°That touch of Nirvana divine fire and the power injected into my body by Master caused the blood of the Divine Phoenix hidden in my soul to be triggered. During Nirvana, I seemed to see Master from the ancient times.¡± The Demon Lord kissed his hair, ¡°Master¡¯s appearance then doesn¡¯t differ much from the present, but there were additional wings, golden. When they were fully spread, they were brighter than the sun in the sky and capable of wrapping around my entire body.¡± His voice slowly lowered, ¡°It¡¯s just that I can¡¯t recall the other things clearly. The ancient memories were too far away, and all I got were sporadic bits. But what I remember in the end is Master¡¯s annoyance.¡± With that said, he held his hand with some guilty conscience. Although Ye Yunlan was very tired, he still held his hand tightly. ¡°It¡¯s all over,¡± he muttered. The Demon Lord was silent for a moment and then laughed again. He bowed his head and kissed his forehead. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s all over.¡± ¡­ The end of March. The main hall of the Demon Palace. Ye Yunlan wore a black robe and sat in the high seat, listening to the reports from his subjects and the Demon Realm cultivators. Everyone retreated in an orderly manner. In the Demon Palace, only candlelight illuminated the dark. He was holding a memorial in his hand but couldn¡¯t read a word. A cold and slippery touch snaked around his ankle, still slowly climbing up. A shadow slowly condensed into a human form in front of him. ¡°Demon Realm Co-Master, Western Continent Master, Dao Sect Chief¡­¡­¡± The demon shadow murmured in his ear, ¡°Master is the most honorable of people in the world. But I still do not have a status.¡± The tips of his ears were slightly red. ¡°What status do you want?¡± The Demon Lord said: ¡°I want to be Master¡¯s husband, Master¡¯s dao companion, Master¡¯s empress¡­ I want all the positions around Master.¡± Ye Yunlan lightly said: ¡°You have long been those.¡± He paused, then said: ¡°They¡­ They all know about you. I have never concealed it.¡± The Demon Lord seemed very happy when he heard these words. He laughed lowly. ¡°Then can I fulfill my position now and attend to you when you sleep, My Majesty?¡± He blushed. ¡°¡­ Presumptuous.¡± But it didn¡¯t stop the other party from continuing. From the demon hall to the garden, they finally lay in the red sea of ??flowers on the other shore in front of the bamboo building, watching the stars in the night sky. Ye Yunlan looked at the golden star that belonged to him. When the Demon Lord fell, the dark red star beside him dimmed, and his cultivation realm suddenly progressed by leaps and bounds. They followed the sayings of the dual stars: One bright, one dark. Between them, there must be one who would fall because of the other. Only after the Demon Lord¡¯s Nirvana did the astrological signs completely change. A red light was in the golden stars, and gold flowed in the dark-red stars. Two stars existing together and shining. It¡¯s as if they were entangled, merged at last. ¡­ Two hundred years later. The monstrous thunder tribulation flooded the Demon Palace, shocking the cultivators in the surrounding fields to look into the distance. They had never seen such a terrible thunder tribulation. However, such a terrifying thunder tribulation was split apart by two entangled sword lights. The thunder tribulation dissipated, and the sky brightened again. A rainbow bridge stretched out from the clouds, leading to the other side of the sky. This was the immortal bridge. The immortal road outside the void was broken. The immortal bridge was another method that Ye Yunlan and the Demon Lord found after much research. To put it simply, the immortal road was originally the normal road leading to the immortal world. However, the immortal bridge was a road they forcibly opened up to the immortal world from this world. It was much more difficult to achieve than being an ordinary immortal. It¡¯s just that they were in harmony, complementing each other. In just over two hundred years, their cultivation had far exceeded the limit of becoming immortal. They flew and stood on the immortal bridge, looking back at the world. February on earth, the grass grew, and the birds flew. It was the time when spring was most beautiful. The Demon Lord asked: ¡°Master, is this world beautiful?¡± Ye Yunlan said softly: ¡°Very beautiful.¡± He finished speaking. They looked at each other and laughed. They have already walked through this world. Primordial regrets and the parting from their previous lives would never repeat themselves. So they stepped onto the immortal bridge together, hands intertwined. ¡ª¡ªThe scenery of the road ahead of them should resemble the radiance of spring from this moment.