Si Lingce’s heart softened for a fleeting moment.
When he first met Yuan Shu, he was merely an ordinary cultivator whose cultivation resources had been snatched away by others, yet he had not even dared to protest.
It was Yuan Shu who taught him to be ruthless.
If others stole from him, he was to take back twice as much. If others injured him, he was to hurt them twice as badly. If others bullied him, he was to bully them twice as hard in return!
Later, during a lantern festival in the cultivation world, Yuan Shu dragged him into a cramped wooden chest to hide from members of her clan who harbored ill intentions toward her.
Taking advantage of the darkness inside the chest, she… she kissed him.
The first kiss was as light and fleeting as a dragonfly skimming the water, a raindrop falling into a lake.
It was gentle, and over almost before he knew it.
When she saw that he was stunned but did not resist, her second kiss grew slightly more intense.
It was then that he first realized pear-blossom fragrance was the sweetest scent in the world!
Only later did he learn that, on that very day, Yuan Shu had left a strand of Hehuan energy within him as a mark.
It meant that from that day forward, he was someone she acknowledged!
At the thought of Yuan Shu, the coldness in Si Lingce’s eyes and brows shifted ever so slightly, replaced by a hint of warmth.
His gaze toward Yao Qianci and Mu Fengyun also held a little more approval.
As if seeking confirmation of something, Si Lingce paused the snow-white spirit wheel clenched in his hand and slowly spoke.
“Why have you not dispelled the effects of the Hehuan energy?”
Nearby, Shen Jingyuan and Jian Ming exchanged a glance. They could hear an unusual gentleness in Si Lingce’s tone.
Their hearts gave a faint jolt, and they turned to look at Yao Qianci and Mu Fengyun, who had drawn his attention.
Yao Qianci frowned. He had been Master of Medicine Cloud Peak for many years, and it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to him in such a manner.
But he also knew that the person before him possessed extraordinary strength.
After a brief moment of thought, he suppressed the agony brought on by the Hehuan energy a little further and answered honestly.
“I once promised someone that my vital yang essence—and my entire self—would belong only to her. So even if I die here today, I have no regrets.”
A flicker passed through Si Lingce’s eyes. The approval in his gaze toward Yao Qianci deepened.
Beside him, Mu Fengyun, who was likewise on the verge of collapse, drew a deep breath and slowly nodded. His gentle voice was not loud, but his tone was solemn.
“There is someone I love as well. I want to give her the very best.”
At that, Jian Ming’s eyes widened. He opened his mouth, seemingly wanting to say something, but after glancing at Si Lingce, he gritted his teeth and held it back.
What?
That good-for-nothing disciple of his had someone he loved? Since when?
No wonder he had refused to release his vital yang essence no matter how Jian Ming tried to persuade him. So this was the reason?
He intended to save it for the woman he loved?
Good lad. He had even kept this from his own master!
Jian Ming was so furious that he blew out his beard and glared at Mu Fengyun for quite some time.
Across from him, the snow-white spirit wheel in Si Lingce’s palm suddenly dimmed.
A moment later, he slowly withdrew his hand.
Shen Jingyuan and Jian Ming exchanged another glance, their hearts stirring.
Had a blind cat truly caught a dead mouse? Had Yao Qianci and Mu Fengyun somehow given the answer this lord wanted to hear?
Si Lingce’s gaze fell upon Yao Qianci and Mu Fengyun.
Their skin was flushed and burning from head to toe, with faint traces of blood seeping from it. Under the influence of the Hehuan energy, their vitality was slowly fading away.
His lips pressed together slightly. With a wave of his hand, a gentle strand of snow-colored spiritual energy descended upon Yao Qianci and Mu Fengyun.
The two men felt their bodies tremble. A cool, refreshing sensation flowed through them like water.
The excruciating pain caused by the Hehuan energy vanished in an instant, leaving their bodies incomparably light and comfortable.
“This place is a forbidden ground of my Hehuan Sect in the Outer Realm. Outsiders are not permitted to enter. The Heaven Gate sent you here by accident, so I will spare you this once.”
“Remain at the outskirts of the forbidden ground. Do not venture any deeper. When the Heaven Gate’s time is up, leave as quickly as possible.”
Si Lingce spoke coldly, his expression once again returning to its former indifference.
Everyone’s hearts jolted, and they hurriedly bowed in unison toward Si Lingce.
“Thank you, Venerable!”
Si Lingce’s impassive gaze swept over them. It paused briefly on Yao Qianci and Mu Fengyun, whose complexions were gradually returning to normal, and he gave the two of them a slight nod.
“You two are good.”
With that, he said nothing more. With a sweep of his sleeve, his body transformed into a streak of light and swiftly vanished at the far end of the underground palace passage.
He had vaguely sensed that someone in the depths of the underground palace seemed to be trying to force their way inside!
After Si Lingce left, the entire hall remained utterly silent. Nearly a quarter of an hour passed before voices gradually began to rise.
“That man… his presence is unbelievably powerful!”
“His presence? His strength is even more terrifying. Didn’t you see? Even Peak Master Shen and Immortal Venerable Jianming were no match for him!”
“He was even able to dispel the Hehuan energy within the bodies of Peak Master Yao and the other man after it had already fused with their spiritual power. His strength is unfathomable!”
“Could he be in the Integration Realm?”
“Who knows? In any case, he must be above the Integration Realm!”
“…”
Fragments of hushed discussion drifted through the hall. Shen Jingyuan and Jian Ming exchanged a glance, then turned their eyes toward Yao Qianci, who had regained his composure. After weighing his words, Shen Jingyuan spoke.
“This man…”
“He is more than just an Integration Realm cultivator!”
It was Mu Fengyun who answered.
The three of them turned toward him. With a bitter smile, he continued, “I once had the good fortune to see a powerhouse in the Grand Ascension Realm within a secret realm.”
“I saw him move a mountain with one hand and make the sea surge and shift. I also saw him face thousands upon thousands of demon beasts alone, reducing them to ashes with nothing more than a flick of his fingers.”
“I could not have mistaken it. That man just now was absolutely a true Grand Ascension Realm powerhouse!”
The expressions of the other two shifted slightly.
Although they had already harbored such suspicions, hearing the words “Grand Ascension Realm” still filled them with an instinctive awe that affected their emotions.
Jian Ming spoke with envy. “The Grand Ascension Realm… He is only one step away from transcending the tribulation and becoming an immortal!”
“How enviable…”
…
The Hehuan energy had a tremendous effect on orthodox cultivators, but it had little impact on the demon race and the Earth Demon Fiend clan.
Moreover, the demon race seemed to have anticipated what the area beyond the Heaven Gate would be like and had already prepared enough medicinal sachets for everyone to wear.
Yuan Shu personally saw several demon cultivators begin to suffer. They merely took out their medicinal sachets and inhaled a couple of breaths before quickly returning to normal.
She was somewhat worried about Yao Qianci and the others. After all, they had entered the Heaven Gate with her back then as well.
But then she remembered that they were all men and had their own way of dealing with such matters, so she did not worry too much.
Yuan Shu had no idea that, because they intended to preserve their vital yang essence for her, Yao Qianci and the others had already gone through a brush with death.
No one among the demon race had started a fire to cook, so Yuan Shu could only take out the ready-made food Yun Sheng had prepared for her earlier and eat it slowly.
It was not until Li Xie changed into an inconspicuous black robe and came over late at night carrying a food box that anything changed.
Black One was quite perceptive and left first, standing guard outside the cave’s outer chamber.
“What’s this?” Yuan Shu blinked, looking at the food box in Li Xie’s hand, then at him.
“Ahem. This time, when selecting my subordinates, I specifically found someone in the demon race who knows how to cook and brought him along. I know you’re used to eating proper meals, so I had him prepare this especially for you and bring it over.”
“I tried it myself. The dishes taste pretty good. Try them.”
As he spoke, Li Xie took the dishes out of the food box.
“This is Phoenix Perched in the Parasol Tree, also known as Honey-Roasted Chicken. It’s his specialty. I remember that chicken is your favorite.”
“This is Golden Treasure Sinking in the River Estuary, also known as soy-braised yellow croaker; this is Crimson Sunset in Falling Cups, also known as red-braised beef brisket; and this is Jade Clouds in Clear Broth, a bamboo fungus and mixed mushroom soup…”
