Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, falling upon the two figures whose breaths were intertwined.
A gentle breeze blew faintly from the mountains, fluttering their touching hemlines.
Yuan Shu was not as tall as Yin Ruobai. With her legs pressed against the tree by him, she was completely enveloped in his embrace.
At her lips and the tip of her nose, there was only that faint, lingering scent of gardenias.
The Divine Tree of Hehuan within her body let out a crisp tremble, as if sensing a familiar spiritual root energy it hadn't received in a long time, extending an invitation to Yuan Shu.
This was an unspoken tacit understanding between them. She needed the Divine Tree of Hehuan to improve her strength and aptitude, and the tree needed her to find pure male cultivators.
Especially male cultivators with supreme spiritual roots and supreme aptitude!
Obviously, Yin Ruobai met the requirements of the Divine Tree of Hehuan.
The very first time they were together, the Divine Tree's thirst for him had stimulated Yuan Shu to seek his intimacy.
Now, it was an even more thrilling reunion!
Yuan Shu's hand stroked Yin Ruobai's strong, lean chest.
Unlike Zhai Shuo's bulging muscularity, his chest was equally well-defined and firm.
Her movements were bold and seductive. Yin Ruobai's breathing soon became erratic. His waist pressed tightly against hers, wishing he could devour her completely right here and now!
But he couldn't!
Not to mention they were still in the Death Demon Forest, surrounded by danger.
Even nearby, there were other fellow disciples. If they were caught, he feared Yuan Shu wouldn't be able to explain it.
He still remembered Yuan Shu saying that she didn't want anyone to discover what was going on between them.
After a deep kiss, he forced himself to calm down, holding Yuan Shu to steady his breathing.
"Shushu."
His tone was low, his voice hoarse and filled with desire. His beautiful eyes lowered, gazing at Yuan Shu's exquisitely beautiful face, unable to resist calling out to her.
"Hmm?" Yuan Shu, dominated by the craving of the Divine Tree of Hehuan, already had a somewhat dazed expression.
Her arms draped around Yin Ruobai's neck, her body incredibly soft.
If Yin Ruobai hadn't been holding her waist the whole time, she probably would have slid to the ground!
This was the Divine Tree of Hehuan affecting her physical constitution for the sake of better dual cultivation.
In this posture, Yuan Shu looked like an alluring enchantress; no matter who looked at her, they wouldn't be able to tear their eyes away.
"Shushu..."
Yin Ruobai only took one look, and his body went weak. He almost couldn't resist pulling her back into his arms.
But reason ultimately made him stop.
He lowered his head and placed a restrained kiss on Yuan Shu's lips.
"Wait until we return to the sect, Shushu, I will come find you."
Yuan Shu raised her eyes to look at him. Her arm, reaching into his robes, slid downward to stroke his firm six-pack abs.
Yin Ruobai's gaze changed, and the arm around Yuan Shu's waist involuntarily tightened.
"Shushu..."
He murmured in agony, but Yuan Shu paid it no mind. It wasn't until his cheeks flushed crimson that she withdrew her hand with a wicked smile.
Aroused, Yin Ruobai lowered his head to kiss Yuan Shu again. He didn't dare to go as deep as before, only gently tasting the flavor of her lips.
"Shushu, wait for me tonight."
Yuan Shu didn't speak, just tilted her head back slightly, catering to his shallow kisses and enjoying his gentle, large-puppy-like caresses.
Until the sound of footsteps came from the woods.
"Shushu, the disciples of Lingyun Peak have returned."
He smoothed the messy hair at her temples and adjusted her loose robes.
Before Qi An'an brought the others back, he also straightened out his own pulled-open belt.
"Eldest Senior Brother, it's Senior Brother Zhai Shuo and Senior Brother Long of Qingyun Peak's core disciples!"
Qi An'an led the group over. Upon seeing Yin Ruobai and Yuan Shu, she jogged toward them.
Yin Ruobai had already restored his usual handsome and noble demeanor. His long robes fluttered slightly in the wind, looking incredibly elegant.
"Thank you for your help, Senior Brother Yin."
Zhai Shuo and Long Yunhui cupped their hands toward Yin Ruobai, and Yin Ruobai returned the greeting. After a few pleasantries, they traveled together.
Zhai Shuo had spotted Yuan Shu the moment he walked out of the woods. His eyes lit up slightly, and he naturally stepped forward to stand by Yuan Shu's side in a protective stance.
Yin Ruobai raised his eyes and glanced at the hulking Zhai Shuo, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly.
But after all, he was Yuan Shu's senior brother. Seeing that Yuan Shu didn't object, his good upbringing kept him from saying anything.
The group headed back toward the gathering point for this Falling Immortal Sect operation, exchanging information along the way.
Yuan Shu and the other two recounted how they were captured by the demons.
Of course, it was mostly Yuan Shu doing the talking.
Long Yunhui had been unconscious the entire time and knew nothing; he only knew he had fallen into a trap within the formation.
Zhai Shuo had also been groggy. He knew blood was taken from him and knew the demons were looking for something, but he didn't know what it was.
The one who knew the inside story best was probably Yuan Shu.
Yin Ruobai was somewhat surprised. "Junior Sister Yuan, after you were captured by the demons, did you wake up early?"
Earlier, when he was alone with Yuan Shu and saw she was completely unharmed, he had been too busy being intimate with her, kissing that little mouth he had missed so desperately to his heart's content.
He hadn't asked about the details of her appearing here.
Hearing this now, Yin Ruobai was astonished.
She and Long Yunhui were captured by the demons at the same time, yet she had woken up earlier than Long Yunhui. Moreover, she managed to evade the demon patrols and take the unconscious Long Yunhui and Zhai Shuo away?
This was simply too unbelievable!
"Maybe because I ate a detoxifying spirit herb a couple of days ago, I had some resistance to the toxins in that formation, so I woke up?"
Yuan Shu explained with half-truths.
Seeing that she didn't want to elaborate, Yin Ruobai didn't press the matter.
After all, it was a fact that she had saved two fellow senior brothers. No matter what, it couldn't be considered a fault.
What he should be thankful for was that Yuan Shu hadn't been hurt after going through all that!
Otherwise, he really couldn't imagine how much he would regret it!
"By the way, after being captured earlier, I left the sect's guiding powder along the way. That small pool..."
"Don't worry, after sensing the demons' objective this time, several peak masters and elders of the sect led people to encircle and suppress them."
"The small pool you mentioned is also one of the targets."
Hearing this, Yuan Shu raised an eyebrow.
Had the peak masters and elders of the Falling Immortal Sect already taken action?
That was quite fast!
However, calculating the time, Li Xie should have woken up long ago. He probably wouldn't be trapped at the small pool.
Since he was already an incubus bound to her, Yuan Shu still hoped he wouldn't be captured.
As for the treasures in the secret realm beneath the small pool, although they had already been looted once by Li Xie, there were still quite a few left behind.
For instance, the cultivation techniques and pills enveloped in glowing spheres within the formation.
If the Falling Immortal Sect opened the secret realm, they would still be able to go in and gather some more.
Yuan Shu was lost in thought, but Yin Ruobai assumed she was frightened and asked, "Junior Sister Yuan, what's wrong?"
Pausing for a moment, he comforted her in a low voice.
"Don't worry, the sect has sent quite a few experts this time. You are safe now, nothing will happen to you!"
Yuan Shu turned to look at him, smiling as she shook her head. "Thank you, Senior Brother Yin, I'm fine."
"Ah? Is that the gathering point ahead? What are they doing? Why are so many people gathered together?"
Yuan Shu looked up and happened to see a familiar group of Qingyun Peak disciples gathered together.
Disciples from other peaks were also crowding around, but there was clearly a layer of separation.
