Helan Zhao couldn’t understand it. From childhood onward, imperial physicians had regularly checked his pulse, yet not one of them had ever said there was anything wrong with his body.
He clearly desired Yuan Shu—desperately so—but at this moment, his body was bizarrely showing no reaction at all.
No matter how much he fiddled with it, it was just like… it was dead!
The thought that he might never be able to perform as a man again made Helan Zhao feel as though the sky had collapsed.
No. That wouldn’t do. He had to get it cured!
That was right—he needed to find a physician!
The moment the thought arose, Helan Zhao didn’t have time to worry about anything else. He hastily pulled on his clothes and ran outside.
He had not gone far when a strange sound of wind came from above. Helan Zhao halted, his eyes wary as he scanned his surroundings.
A white blur suddenly swept through the forest ahead, moving with astonishing speed!
A familiar fluctuation of spiritual power seemed to ripple through the air.
Helan Zhao’s expression shifted. As though he had thought of something, he hurried after the white blur into the woods.
Deep within the dense forest, towering trees rose into the clouds, blocking out the light of day and leaving the surroundings dim.
From somewhere in the wind came the faint, intermittent sound of tearing and gnawing.
Helan Zhao’s eyes widened slightly. He quickly followed the sound and soon saw a massive white figure deep in the forest.
It was tall and imposing, its entire body covered in snow-white fur. Glowing white divine power flowed around it.
A pair of distinctive luminous white horns were wreathed in divine radiance, making it look both holy and divine.
This was… the divine beast Bai Ze?
Helan Zhao’s eyes widened, his expression filled with shock.
He had originally left the Tianlong Dynasty to escape an arranged marriage.
He had come to the Falling Immortal Sect simply because he found the sect’s name interesting.
Falling Immortal, Falling Immortal—did that mean an immortal had fallen here?
As it happened, his parents had been searching for his missing elder brother at the time, and the Falling Immortal Sect was among the places connected to their clues. So he had chosen the Falling Immortal Sect as his temporary refuge.
But he had never expected that his brother’s bonded divine beast, Bai Ze, would truly be here!
Did this mean that his brother was here too?
Just as he was thinking this, Bai Ze let out a low growl, snapping him back to reality.
Helan Zhao focused his gaze. In the forest, Bai Ze was tearing into a struggling spirit beast.
The light filtering through the trees was dim. Bai Ze crouched on the ground, its snow-colored fur gleaming coldly beneath the shadows.
It pinned its prey down with both forepaws, sank its sharp teeth into the creature’s throat, and tore viciously. The ripping sound was especially clear in the silent forest.
Drops of blood splattered across its white fur, a glaring contrast of red and white. A low growl rumbled in its throat, all four limbs taut as its savage nature revealed itself.
Helan Zhao abruptly covered his mouth, staring in disbelief at the ferocious divine beast Bai Ze before him.
Bai Ze shouldn’t be like this!
His brother’s Bai Ze was gentle and holy, possessed of an almost divine nature. It fed only on the spiritual energy of the seasons and heavens and earth, or at most on rare heavenly treasures containing special powers.
He had never heard of Bai Ze eating spirit beasts—and certainly not devouring them alive with such brutality!
Moreover, something was wrong with the Bai Ze before him. Its eyes were dull and lifeless, filled with nothing but the instinctive savagery of a beast as it ate.
What was going on?
Helan Zhao’s heart tightened. Instinctively, he wanted to step out from behind the boulder where he was hiding and see whether Bai Ze still recognized him.
But the instant he moved, a surging wave of energy suddenly swept over from the forest ahead.
His mind was affected by it, and his thoughts instantly became muddled. He stopped where he stood on instinct.
The next moment, Bai Ze’s entire body began to tremble. It staggered and let out a pained roar.
A white light flared from Bai Ze’s body. In the span of a heartbeat, Bai Ze was drawn into that light and transformed into a shooting star that vanished into the forest ahead.
By the time Helan Zhao could move again, Bai Ze had already disappeared from the woods.
“Brother!”
He shouted anxiously through the forest, but the woods remained deathly silent. There was no response at all, as though the Bai Ze he had just encountered had been nothing more than an illusion.
Helan Zhao gritted his teeth. Forgetting all about his own problem, he flew deeper into the forest.
…
The communication jade talisman on the table had lit up for the fifth time. Yun Sheng, who was carefully tending to Yuan Shu, glanced at it from the corner of his eye.
A single character—“Mu”—glowed on its surface.
Soon, he withdrew his gaze and focused on removing the fish bones from Yuan Shu’s meal.
Today’s dish was steamed icefin carp with mystic dew, prepared with dew gathered from the rear mountain that morning.
Its flavor was fresh, fragrant, and rich, and Yuan Shu liked it very much.
Yun Sheng picked out the bones with great care, clearly afraid that even a single tiny one might hurt Yuan Shu.
His handsome, exquisite face was turned slightly toward her. The pale light from outside the window cast a silvery-white glow over him.
“All done, Shu Shu.”
Yun Sheng pushed the deboned fish toward Yuan Shu, then picked up a piece with his chopsticks and personally fed it to her.
Yuan Shu watched him with a faint smile. Keeping Yun Sheng by her side had probably been the first truly right decision she had made after coming to this world.
She savored the affection he gave her.
After eating the last bite of fish, Yuan Shu slowly said, “Elder Mu of the Falling Immortal Sect is very capable. He also possesses a spirit-plant bloodline, and the cultivation technique he practices is highly compatible with yours.”
Yun Sheng paused while serving her soup and turned to look at her. A trace of panic appeared in his eyes.
“Shu Shu?”
Had she discovered something?
Yuan Shu smiled faintly and continued, “He was able to give you something as precious as the Heart of the Tree King back then. He must have recognized your extraordinary spirit-plant bloodline and developed an appreciation for your talent.”
“If you follow him, the Jade Bamboo Evolution Scripture will advance quickly, and your cultivation will improve just as rapidly. It suits you very well.”
Yun Sheng’s heart lurched when he heard this. He hurriedly set down the bowl of soup and grabbed Yuan Shu’s hand.
“Shu Shu, are you… are you trying to send me away?”
As though he had thought of something, he glanced at the communication jade talisman on the table and hurriedly explained, “It isn’t what you think. I haven’t agreed to anything. He’s the one who insisted on exchanging communication talismans with me and sending me messages every day!”
“Shu Shu, don’t send me away!”
Elder Mu had indeed taken a liking to his cultivation talent, but Yun Sheng did not want to leave Yuan Shu. He had never intended to agree.
Now that he heard Yuan Shu say this, panic seized him. He clutched at her sleeve, his beautiful, rosy-pink eyes filled with anxiety and pleading as he tried to explain himself.
Yuan Shu tilted her head, reached out, and gently touched his handsome face. Her tone held a hint of helplessness.
“When did I ever say I was sending you away?”
Yun Sheng stared blankly. “But you just said…”
“Following him in cultivation doesn’t conflict with being my Dao companion. I only think his cultivation method suits you better. I wanted to tell you that I don’t mind you going to cultivate under his guidance.”
Her thumb lightly brushed over his crimson lips as she smiled.
“You’re the Dao companion I’ve acknowledged. Unless you betray me, you’ll be mine for the rest of your life—mine alone!”
Her gaze was domineering yet earnest as she stared intently into Yun Sheng’s beautiful rosy-pink eyes. Every word she spoke was firm and decisive.
Yun Sheng did not feel offended in the slightest. Instead, his eyes widened a little, and he stared at Yuan Shu without blinking.
His heart began to pound uncontrollably.
Shu Shu had just said that he was hers!
She had said that he would belong to her for the rest of his life!
Yuan Shu stroked his face and continued, “Take your time deciding. You don’t have to make a choice so quickly. I’ll support you either way.”
“Shu Shu…”
Yun Sheng’s throat tightened with emotion. When he had been at his lowest, Yuan Shu had been the first person who never looked down on him.
He lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand. His eyes remained fixed on her, overflowing with deep affection.
The corners of Yuan Shu’s lips curved upward. She reached out, took hold of his chin, and gently lifted his face.
“Silly.”
As soon as the words left her lips, she lowered her head and took the initiative to kiss him.
…
