《Celestial White Rabbit Pregnancy Nursing Guide》 CH 1 Chapter Summary: The devil enters the body The sky and earth were all white, and delicate drizzles of snow continuously fell from the sky, blanketing the entirety of the land in dazzling whiteness. At the foot of Qingyun Mountain1, a tea shop situated on the curb of the road was jam-packed with people who looked like they hadn¡¯t seen the best of days. And faint wisps of conversation could be heard afar. ¡°What? Immortal Lord Zhao Hua2 really wants to expel his disciple from his sect?¡± ¡°Would this still be false? It¡¯s spread everywhere in all the major sects!¡± Inside the tea shop, two men, who seemed like members of a cultivation sect, sat opposite at a table and talked loudly without a filter. Their loud conversation perked up the ears of the tea-serving attendant and curiously asked, ¡°Are you talking about the Immortal Lord Zhaohua, who ascended and became immortal at an early age? The Immortal Lord who used his own power to seal the Demon Abyss alone and is now staying at Tianyang Sect as an Immortal Lord?¡± The cultivator, who was dressed in a blue robe, replied, ¡°Exactly. You know that person too?¡± ¡°Can anyone not know?¡± the waiter smiled as he spoke, ¡°Walking further west for half a day from here is the world¡¯s first Sect¡¯s doors, the large boundary of Tianyang Sect. There are a lot of cultivators who frequented this particular shop. That name could be heard many times from their exciting conversations.¡± ¡°Immortal Lord Zhaohua is highly respected in the realm of cultivation due to his good moral standing and reputation. Thus it¡¯s no wonder that his influential name is known by everyone. Leaving aside his profound cultivation, and just his face¡­¡± They glanced at each other, and the blue-clothed cultivator lowered his voice that only they could hear. ¡°The cultivation world often discusses that even if Immortal Lord Zhao Hua didn¡¯t ascend and didn¡¯t possess the merits of eliminating demons and defending traditional values, he could still make a name for himself with the face of the number one beauty under the heavens.¡± The fellow who had his interest piqued was tickled in his heart, and couldn¡¯t help but lean forward. ¡°Really? I really want to see it with my own eyes.¡± ¡°Who doesn¡¯t want to see?¡± The white-clothed cultivator sighed, ¡°Back then, Immortal Lord Zhaohua went to my teacher and revered Master to discuss their opinions about Dao. It¡¯s a pity that I was only an outside disciple at that time and had no chance to see the Immortal Lord¡¯s celestial beauty. Sigh, if I could really meet Immortal Lord, then I¡¯d be willing to do as many good deeds just to see him.¡± The man was busy pouring tea for the two and continued to inquire, ¡°Just now, you mentioned Immortal Lord¡¯s disciple? Since he was accepted as a disciple by Immortal Lord himself, then should he be a powerful person?¡± ¡°No.¡± The white-clothed cultivator wildly waved his hand, his eyes full of contempt. ¡°What powerful person, that person¡¯s trash!¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The blue-clothed cultivator took the initiative to explain. ¡°Xianzun Zhao Hua has only accepted a personal disciple in his life, and he dotes on him a lot.¡± ¡°It is a custom in Tianyang Sect that once the disciples breakthrough the Nascent Soul3 stage, they have to go down the mountain on their own for several years to gain worldly experiences and learn from it. Even the disciples with the worst performance will also go down the mountain in ten years¡¯ time. But that person¡ª.¡± The white-clothed cultivator butted in the conversation and took control over it as he sneered, ¡°That person, as a direct disciple of Immortal Lord Zhaohua, who was been in Tianyang Sect for more than ten years, has not, not in the least bit, made any breakthroughs in his cultivation level. Is it difficult to get to Core Foundation?, ah¡­¡± He stopped rambling to catch his breath. Then with a disappointed shake of the head and heavy sighing, ¡°Immortal Lord Zhao Hua has such a pure and honest countenance like a cool breeze under the moonlight. He¡¯s also a person who possessed an amazing talent and a deity-like face. But how could his eye for picking people¡ªit¡¯s hard to say.¡± The waiter asked again, ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that the person was expelled from the school by his teacher?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true at all. That person is still in Tianyang Sect,¡± answered the blue-clothed Dao cultivator. ¡°I heard something, not too long ago, that that guy had somehow angered and offended Immortal Lord Zhao Hua somehow and was imprisoned in the forbidden area of Tianyang Sect. It¡¯s been more than half a month since he was locked up.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The blue-robed cultivator paused in his speech. He took a sip of the warm tea and put the teacup back on the table as he finished, and continued his narration. ¡°In short, since then, there have been arising rumors that Immortal Lord Zhao Hua will definitely chase his disciple out of the sect, and intends to accept new disciples. You see, with these ongoing rumors about that person, don¡¯t you think that the people coming to and fro here are all just waiting for the opportunity to be accepted in Tianyang Sect?¡± The fellow finally saw a new light, ¡°No wonder that there are so many customers frequenting here in recent days, and the shop was busier than we could take. It turns out that they¡¯re all coming here for the Immortal Lord.¡± Hearing the waiter¡¯s realization, the white-robed cultivator snorted, ¡°Naturally. The person they¡¯re aiming for is the number one talent under the heavens. Do you think the whole thing is fake?¡± Meanwhile, in Tianyan Sect¡¯s forbidden area, Lingxu Cave. Inside the cave, there¡¯s an abundance of pure and clean air circulating around the stone walls of the cavern. In addition, Lingxu Cave was a place where the sect¡¯s disciples often went to practice cultivation in seclusion, and also for the disciples who had done wrong and were punished to face the wall to reflect on their misdeeds. Since Immortal Lord Zhaohua locked this disciple in it half a month ago and had set a ban at the cave entrance. Not allowing anyone to enter, and the outside world couldn¡¯t hear a sound from the inside. The cave possessed the most basic amenities which were only a complete set of tables and chairs and a stone bed for the disciples to meditate and practice cultivation. The candle flame hung up on the stone walls flickered, faintly illuminating the overlapping silhouettes on the stone bed. A slender hand reached up on the edge of the stone bed, and its powerless fair knuckles trembled slightly, it wasn¡¯t hard to notice that the owner of the hand was going through ecstasy and pain. ¡°No¡­ Stop¡­¡± he whimpered. The originally elegant and sharp voice was slightly restrained and throaty. His breath hitched, and the end of his voice quivered softly, as the owner of the voice was in the middle of a powerless struggle against the man on top of him. No one would have thought the mighty Immortal Lord Zhaohua, who was deeply revered by the people, looked seductively sinful now. The plain white robe which was meticulously groomed was now ruined, with torn fabrics that lost all hope to patch together as if ripped by a thirsty beast. The half-lidded light-colored eyes were dyed in a suggestive mist. Droplets of water vapor hung on the long, curly eyelashes, eager to fall and streaked those flushed cheeks damper. Trailing kisses down to his jaws, the lips of the man, damped with mixed saliva, opened and closed as it tried to restrain the loose groans wanting to come out of his mouth and breathed at the same time. The swollen lips looked so fragile and beautiful as they trembled, igniting fires in his heart. The man brushed his lips lightly to his ears, biting and sucking on his earlobes. His steamy breath tickled the skin as he purred words that only the shadows on the wall could hear as Bai Tu was overwhelmed with this new sensation. In his long life, he had never experienced such senseless madness. He felt light like he was being tossed in the air, with no one to rely on, and he had to cling helplessly to the person atop him as if his life depended on it. An hour became two, and Bai Tu didn¡¯t know how long it was exactly as they progressed. Then the movement in the cave gradually ceased. The surface of the stone bed was in disarray, and the two of them hugged and slept like a pair of intimate lovers. Silky strands of black energy? overflowed from the eyebrows of the two of them, dissipating in the air without a trace. The moment the black energy faded completely, Bai Tu opened his eyes. The light-colored eyes blinked blankly, still disoriented. The thought of getting up was being processed in his brain, but Bai Tu was stopped by the arm encircled around his waist. The aftermath of their activity still remained in his body. Bai Tu felt limp and sore all over as he fell back on the stone bed. Curious about his company¡¯s state, he tilted his head backward and looked at the person next to him. Yun Ye¡¯s appearance was between the boundary of a teenager and a young man. His usual deep and aggressive facial features were now relaxed and docile, which was a rare sight to see. In addition, a satisfied smile existed in the corners of his mouth as if he was in a good dream. ¡®This bastard.¡¯ Bai Tu¡¯s lips were tightly pressed into a line, and the tips of his ears were reddened with shame and annoyance. ¡®I¡¯m afraid that there¡¯s no one more pitiful than me in this world.¡¯ For some unknown reason, Bai Tu was suddenly transported into the novel ¡°The Era of the Devil King¡± and became the book¡¯s righteous cultivator in all land, Immortal Lord Zhaohua. Immortal Lord Zhaohua was initially a white rabbit that had taken the cutting-edge path of cultivation, gained awareness, and ascended to become immortal. Zhaohua decided to stay within the boundaries of the Tianyang Sect after his successful ascension, which was a sect where the male lead of this book was also staying as a new disciple, Yun Ye. Yun Ye was a wolf demon. Because of his traits, he suffered from humiliation and bullying from his peers. By chance, Yun Ye happened to be accepted by the Tianyang Sect, but because he had to restrain his demonic qi? from taking over, the progress of his cultivation was stunted and hard to forge. The Sect had never seen such a wood waste? for the past hundred years. Facing countless snickers and slanders, Yun Ye devoted himself to studies. He cultivated hard, accumulated countless amounts of knowledge as his foundation?, and only waited to slap those who had looked down on him in one fell swoop. However, in the latest update, the author suddenly made Yun Ye rebel against his teacher, which was pretty absurd as it didn¡¯t hold any logic at all. Thus, he was banished from the school, rapidly triggering his inner demons, becoming the demon king. In such a short chapter, the male protagonist, who turned into a sinister devil king, exterminated all sects of the righteous path, destroying everything and everyone in his wake. Much worse, the highly respected Immortal Lord Zhao Hua fell powerlessly into his hands and was skinned and cramped into rabbit fur knee pads. The book that he¡¯d waited for more than half a year finally had its trashy ending. Among his mixed feelings, Bai Tu mostly felt enraged. But before he could curse the author for the trash ending, his vision went black and lolled back to his head. When he regained consciousness, he had already come into this strange world with a dying wolf pup beside him. ¡®¡­Oh, curse your mother.¡¯ In the original book, Immortal Lord Zhao Hua did have a special relationship with the male protagonist during his childhood. The freshly ascended Immortal Lord Zhao Hua didn¡¯t put anyone in his eyes and was always looking ahead. Hence he didn¡¯t lend a helping hand to the protagonist, who was in dire straits. It¡¯s precisely in this context that Zhao Hua had been loathed by the protagonist for several years, resulting in his death with no intact corpse. Thinking of his horrible fate as a pair of rabbit fur knee pads, Bai Tu didn¡¯t cautiously hold onto the male protagonist¡¯s thigh and tremblingly rescued the wolf pup who had fallen into a coma. After Yun Ye smoothly entered the Sect, Bait Tu secretly helped him clear the obstacles and sneakily handed him a golden touch. Bai Tu was nearly on the brink of OOC many times as he somehow begged the protagonist to not end up as a darkened male lead and kill him. Unexpectedly, devoid of his pampering, Yun Ye¡¯s darkening came earlier without warning, catching him off guard. Even worse, the time to betray the teacher was three years earlier than the original book! In the end, Bai Tu had to succumb to the original plot, eliminate Yun Ye, and mutually end himself. But when he opened his eyes, he saw the dying wolf pup again. The fuzzy wolf pup who had yet to turn bad cautiously climbed to him, nuzzling his clothes. It looked up at him with watery eyes, like some kind of a large abandoned dog. Confronted with the same scene, Bai Tu determined not to repeat the same mistakes that led to his doom. He took the risk of OOC?, brought Yun Ye back to Tianyao Sect, accepted him as a disciple, and carefully guided him in his cultivation. Bai Tu recovered from his memories. He glanced at the arm snaked around his waist and mercilessly pushed it away, freeing himself from the cause of his distress. The moment he got up, he looked for his shredded clothing that looked like it was torn by some beast, got up as his naked body had already donned on new, neat clothing. Upright, cold and indifferent, and flawless. He had changed back to the aloof and untouchable Immortal Lord Zhao Hua in the eyes of people. The previous tenderness disappeared without a trace and only the ambiguous red marks on the neckline, that couldn¡¯t be obscured, revealed their rendezvous just now. The man on the stone bed was also given a change of clean clothes and was still sleeping soundly without being disturbed. Bai Tu stared at him with a complicated look in his eyes. After a while, blinding white light flashed by from a double-edged sword, and the plain white figure disappeared from the Lingxu Cave instantly. Silence returned to the cave, and at that moment, the man turned over his body, exposing a pair of fuzzy wolf ears atop his head which had yet to calm down from their passionate activity. Still trembling from time to time, the man opened his reddened mouth and whispered, ¡°Shizun1?¡­¡± The sword resembled a fine white line of flash cutting through the skies as it finally reached Luoxia Peak of Qingyun Mountain. The mountain was subjected to an all-year-round snow season and remained as was, but Luoxia Peak was the exact opposite. It was full of verdant plants and fresh spring breeze; everywhere you looked, the place shouted warm and pleasant. More than ten years ago, Bai Tu brought Yun Ye to Tianyang Sect. Then he reverted its all-year weather conditions with various methods, transforming the deathly cold Luoxia Peak into a spring-like appearance in all seasons. Luoxia Peak was surrounded by green bamboo of varying heights, and luxurious flowers and plants could be seen everywhere. Aside from the wind¡¯s gentle whistle, there¡¯s also a gushing of water winding down from the mountain¡¯s summit that filled the place with relaxing warmth. Aside from that, a water pavilion courtyard was built following the stream of water called Shui Xie Courtyard11, which was the residence of Bai Tu and Yun Ye. In the depths of green bamboo shoots, a trail was made within, leading to a cold water spring. Bai Tu appeared by a flash of a sword. Taking a step forward, the meticulous plain white clothing suddenly fell. As it fell gently on the ground, a small bulge formed and moved around the complicated set of clothing on the center of the clothes. As he reached an exit, a palm-sized rabbit arched from the fabric and slowly hopped out. The size of this little rabbit was similar to that of a baby rabbit. Its round body and head were covered in a soft and fluffy layer of white fur. And its long and thin ears dropped compliantly behind its head, moving gently along with every breath. The rabbit blinked open a pair of bright red eyes, gently shook its ears, and jumped into the cold spring with a poof12. Bai Tu¡¯s tiny body was soaked half in the water, relishing along with the current as he let the water wash away the nonexistent dirt on his body. He was so exhausted that he couldn¡¯t even open an eyelid as he wholly resigned to the water. As for why the highly respected Immortal Lord Zhao Hua got into bed with his disciple, Bai Tu reminisced about half a month ago. Back then, Bai Tu accidentally found traces of inner demons in Yun Ye. People who practiced cultivation13 were most afraid of the inner demons1?. If they weren¡¯t cautious, they might stray away from the right path. Fully aware that that show off of a person would end up taking the wrong step in life, Bai Tu almost knelt in horror at the scene. And hastily took the person to the forbidden area and personally helped him find a way to obliterate his inner demons. But who would¡¯ve thought that the inner demon was so devilishly stubborn that even Bai Tu was unable to put it to an end? Instead of helping Yun Ye, a task that he had confidence in completing, he was devoured by the demon, taking advantage of his surprised state. The inner demon took control of the body. Their bodies were half asleep and half awake during that night as if they existed in a dreamland. Both bodies were confused and were brimming with infatuation towards the other, eventually performing things in a hazy and haste manner, totally off the rails and out of control¡­ Bai Tu shuddered at the thought and didn¡¯t dare think about it anymore. After surfacing his whole body hastily, the little rabbit climbed ashore, shook his body off of water, sprawled out into a flat splat of a rabbit on the bluestone shore. Fortunately, Yun Ye¡¯s inner Demon had been completely obliterated. This task could be counted as finished, which was good, yet, Bai Tu wasn¡¯t happy at all. It was him who shut Yun Ye in the forbidden area, and it was him who took the initiative to expel Yun Ye¡¯s inner demons. Moreover, Yun Ye¡¯s cultivation was far more inferior to him. However, when the inner demon pushed through in his body last night, if it weren¡¯t for his inability to dominate the demon, then Yun Ye wouldn¡¯t do this either¡­ It seemed that this was a question of how he acted as a master of his. Can someone shed some light on how he should face the wolf cub now? Bait Tu turned his body upwards, his face showing a bitter expression. His heart was filled with confusion and frustration of not knowing what to do next. He raised his paws in the sun and buried his head in it. He lay still, basking under the warm cast of sun, and felt a little drowsy. Time passed by naturally and uncounted before Bai Tu¡¯s rabbit ears popped straight up. The next second, a cool breeze swept up by the cold spring, and the little rabbit¡¯s figure had disappeared. Outside the barrier of Luoxia Peak, a Tianyang Sect disciple paced anxiously in front of the floating stone bridge. The Stone Bridge was the only route that connected Luoxia Peak to Tianyang Sect¡¯s mountain peak. The former didn¡¯t permit anyone to enter simply. Even if the school¡¯s headmaster had something to do with Bai Tu, he could only wait outside at the bridge. Bai Tu, who had just turned back into human form and had just taken a step on the stone arch, was quickly greeted by a panicked disciple. ¡°Greetings to the Immortal Lord. The Xianzun must see it at once! Senior Martial Brother Yun1? broke the barrier around the Lingxu Cave and is fighting with the Martial Brothers guarding the cave!¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡­¡± The author has something to say: This chapter wasn¡¯t long, it was relaxing, let¡¯s cuddle rabbits together =w= To the cuties that liked this remember to save this book, thank you for your support, I¡¯ll give the Master¡¯s bunny tail to you so you can squeeze it~ Warning for everyone to avoid dislikes- Footnotes: [1] Qingyun Mountain (ÇàÔÆɽ½Å q¨©ng y¨²n sh¨¡n ji¨£o) ¨C commonly seen in cultivation novels [2] ÕÑ»ªÏɾý zh¨¡o hu¨¢ xi¨¡n j¨±n ¨C lit. means bright, magnificent, immortal, and lord or monarch respectively. [3] Nascent Soul (ÔªÓ¤ yu¨¢ny¨©ng) ¨C sometimes left untranslated as ¡°Yuanying¡±. Literally translates as ¡°Origin Infant¡±. The stage after Core Formation (in some novels). [4] Core Formation (½áµ¤ ji¨¥d¨¡n) ¨C sometimes left untranslated as ¡°Jiedan¡±. The stage after Foundation Establishment. It involves forming a Gold Core (½ðµ¤ j¨©nd¨¡n) by using the Dantian as a crucible and the Cultivation Base as raw material. [5] Qi (Æø q¨¬) ¨C the vital energy which exists in all things [6] Demonic Qi (ÑýÆø y¨¡o q¨¬) -demonic energy [7] ·Ï²ñ f¨¨i ch¨¢i ¨C good-for-nothing loser. Literally means wood waste which is also commonly used in some cultivation novels. [8] ºñ»ý±¡·¢ h¨°u j¨© b¨® f¨¡ ¨C (lit.) to have accumulated knowledge and deliver it slowly (idiom); good preparation is the key to success; to be well prepared [9] Out of Character [10] ʦ×ð sh¨© z¨±n ¨C teacher or master [11] Ë® é¿ Í¥Ôº shu¨« xi¨¨ t¨ªng yu¨¤n ¡ª it¡¯s a wordplay which means water pavilion courtyard because it¡¯s located next to the water stream. [12] splash SFX [13] Dao (µÀ d¨¤o) ¨C the origin and source of all things. It can be translated in many different ways, including way / road / path / method. [14] Internal Demons (ÐÄħ x¨©nm¨®) ¨C literally translates as ¡°Heart Devils¡±. Rather than standard demons or devils, these are a practitioner¡¯s negative emotions and other mental barriers which hinder their training/cultivation. Internal Demons, in some cases, can even attack the practitioner from the inside, and failure to adequately resist them may result in Qi Deviation. [15] ʦÐÖ sh¨© xi¨­ng ¡ª senior male fellow student or apprentice CH 2 When Bai Tu dashed to the outside of Lingxu Cave, he caught sight of the sword shadows billowing in the skies from a distance. Dozens of celestial swords floated outside Lingxu Cave, encircling a familiar figure by blade light in the center. Bai Tu immediately recognized that this was the Tianyan Evil-executing Sword Formation, which was used to punish those who were evil. The said sword formation was an array that the Tianyan Sect had prohibited to disclose to anyone. There were five levels of severity that this formation could do¡ªand during this time, it was the lowest level being displayed. If a cultivator who was still below the Nascent Soul stage suffered this, he would inevitably suffer damages to his internal organs and would have to stay in bed for a few days. What was worse, Yun Ye was a demon. If this formation landed on him, Yun Ye¡¯s pure form would be forced out because of the beatings. Bai Tu¡¯s eyes narrowed, displeased. ¡®Using the Evil-executing Sword Formation against his disciple. Who gave them the courage?¡¯ Surrounded by the sound of the wind, it trapped Yun Ye within the sword array. Slivers of skin peeked through the rips and holes of his torn robe in several places because of the sword¡¯s intent, and a faint trail of blood seeped through from the inside of his shirt. But his eyes held no panic in them. Opposite him was a man carrying a longsword in his hand, and between the eyebrows were full of provocation. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you continuing to show off?¡± The man sneered at him and contemptuously said, ¡°You¡¯re really trash. I don¡¯t even know what Immortal Zhaohua found interesting in you?¡± He paused and then said slyly, ¡°Could it be true as the rumors? That there¡¯s a shameful secret going on between you two?¡± Yun Ye¡¯s eyes immediately darkened, and the black qi in the center of his palm lying on his side had already condensed, and a sinister demon light also appeared in his dark orbs. Despite this, Yun Ye said with a profound calmness, ¡°I¡¯ll give you a chance to take this sentence back.¡± ¡°Presumptuous, drop your sword!¡± Yun Ye¡¯s lips curled up as glimpses of bloodthirsty pleasure flashed in his eyes. He was about to meet the sword formation head-on when a cool breeze suddenly swept from his side and a hand clamped on his wrist. When the sudden breeze had subsided, the original imposing Zhuxie Sword Array collapsed at once. Dozens of celestial swords rushed down out of control and automatically regained direction as they flew back into their scabbards. With the clanging of swords retracting back into their sheaths, the demon light in Yun Ye¡¯s eyes also dissipated not long after. He raised his eyes to meet a particular pair of pale-colored pupils. ¡°¡­Shizun?¡± Bai Tu avoided his gaze and yelled at him with voice transmission that only the two of them could hear, ¡°What are you fooling around for? Do you want your identity to be discovered?¡± Yun Ye immediately swallowed his brazen look, lowered his eyes, adapting an aggrieved expression, and said, ¡°Master had only reached now. This disciple had almost lost his life here.¡± The miserable disciple said, holding Bai Tu¡¯s hand pitifully. Those hands were very well-born ¡ª fair and robust. The fingers were long and thin, well-proportioned but were shockingly soft when they were held. Which didn¡¯t display the bitter hardship of scouring of becoming the now revered Immortal and resembled more like a young master who had lived his life in luxury. Yun Ye¡¯s fingertips seemed to accidentally touch the other party¡¯s palm, and his voice became extremely gentle with concern. ¡°Why is Shizun¡¯s hand so cold?¡± The fine hair on the nape of Bai Tu sprung up, and he almost couldn¡¯t help giving this person a slap on the cheek. Yun Ye, as a true wolf demon, had an innate higher body temperature than ordinary people. Bai Tu had just soaked in the cold spring for a while, and the refreshing coldness in his body had yet to dissipate. At this moment, when the other party¡¯s hands touched him, Bai Tu only felt that his hand was scorching hot, which made him recall the feeling of being warmly and passionately held last night. ¡®With what happened last night, how could this person touch him so casually?! As if nothing happened?! Is this person¡¯s face made of the city wall??¡¯ Bai Tu flung Yun Ye¡¯s hand away with a pursed-lip, turned his body around, and stopped looking at him. ¡°Kneel!¡± Yun Ye gaped at the plain white back before him. The silky robes painted intricately with flowing water and cloud patterns enveloped the slender and thin body seemingly decently and appeared clear and dust-free. The green silk hanging behind him cascaded like a waterfall, creating an illusion of slight dampness from the morning dew, blocking the slender waist that was too thin yet seductive to behold. Yun Ye eyed the man¡¯s narrow waist as his Adam¡¯s apple bobbed. The appearance of Immortal Monarch Zhaohua was highly famous in the world of cultivation, because his face was exquisite. However, it was not perfect. At least in Yun Ye¡¯s eyes. In his perception, that person was always cold as frost, showing neither sorrow nor joy, which had weakened the amorous feelings that should be on that face in vain. Had it not been for the light-colored pupils, those peach-shaped eyes should have catered a thousand expressions of tenderness to those it luckily cast. As a result, they added a bit of abstinence to everything, which was exceedingly dull. But the more that person acted and looked like this, the more he couldn¡¯t help but to ¡°offend¡± him, desiring to see him ashamed and panicking. This obscene thought had been lingering in his heart since the first day he became this person¡¯s disciple. No, maybe even earlier. Yun Ye still remembered vividly the scene of his first meeting with Immortal Zhaohua as if it only happened yesterday, although it was already a matter of his previous life. During that time, the wolves abandoned him in the woods and he desperately tried to survive in the harsh weather. Just when his life was about to end, the man miraculously appeared. Immortal Lord Zhaohua shone into his gray, desolated, and hopeless life like a dazzling beam of light, occupying his everything. He had followed Immortal Zhaohua to Tianyan Sect, and although the man seldom appeared in front of him, he always helped Yun Ye secretly when he knew Yun Ye was being bullied. He also transformed into another appearance, taught him to cultivate correctly, and helped him practice. That celestial fool always thought that he was hiding well through whatever means, but he didn¡¯t know that Yun Ye had seen all of his secret deeds with his eyes. A person who looked like a walking boulder of ice on the outside was softhearted and kind on the inside. Just like now, he was aloof and untouchable. But it looked like a cute little rabbit baring its fangs and claws, making people want to caress and love it dearly. Yun Ye¡¯s mouth bent without a trace, and he fell to the ground on one knee without hurrying, kneeling earnestly behind Bai Tu. Seeing this scene, the person who started the sword formation revealed his self-pride. His name was Mu Xi, and he was a representative of a certain field of the Tianyan Sect. He owned an innate talent, had a profound cultivation base, and a high reputation in school. Mu Xi entered the Tianyan Sect when he was a child. The person he admired the most in his life was Immortal Zhaohua, and he even recommended himself to join Immortal Zhaohua as a disciple. But in life, you could never always get what you wanted. Why? Because even if he wasn¡¯t qualified to be a disciple of Immortal Monarch Zhaohua, he still wasn¡¯t like this waste of the ten-year practice that couldn¡¯t bear even to form a golden core. Fortunately, this person was about to be expelled from the sect. Thinking of this, Mu Xi became ecstatic. He proudly stepped forward and bowed to Bai Tu in well-behaved conduct. ¡°I have seen Xianjun. Junior Brother Yun injured the disciples guarding the forbidden area and abscond it. This disciple just followed the door rules and caught him.¡± Bai Tu¡¯s face was as chilly as the winter in the north, as he asked Yun Ye, ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Shizun, I¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± Bai Tu couldn¡¯t help but interrupt him. ¡°Injuring fellow disciples. Do you have any reason to hurt your peers?¡± Yun Ye reluctantly shut his mouth, and Bai Tu said, ¡°I punish you to copy the scriptures three hundred times, and go to the Discipline Pavillion to receive punishment later.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± Mu Xi¡¯s eyes grew even more triumphant, but the proud expression on his eyes eventually lost its light, with disbelief apparent on them the moment Bai Tu said, ¡°I haven¡¯t been to this mountain for a long time, so I don¡¯t know that your cultivation has been cultivated to this level. But I want to know one thing¡­.¡± Bai Tu raised his eyes, revealing a pair of cold eyes that seemed to transmit bone-numbing chill once it landed on someone. ¡°When did the door rules change that anyone can use the Evil-executing Sword Formation to deal with peers at will?¡± The sudden change of events startled Mu Xi, and he staggered on his foot. ¡°Xian-Xian Zun¡­¡± Bai Tu¡¯s voice rang once more. ¡°The Evil-executing Sword Formation is an array of Tianyan Sect¡¯s defense against enemies and demons. Unless the elder agrees, no one can use it privately by any means. Yun Ye has not yet been convicted. Who allowed you to use the sword formation against him?¡± Mu Xi¡¯s hands that were covered by the long lapel of his sleeves tightened, and he said in a low, almost trembling, voice, ¡°¡­ This disciple knows what he¡¯s done wrong.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to know what¡¯s wrong.¡± As soon as Bai Tu¡¯s crisp voice fell, a breeze blasted from his side, sweeping all disciples off their feet and into the Lingxu Cave. ¡°According to the rules of the door, private use of this large battle array should be left to the head of the sect personally. The chief of the sect has gone out and still hasn¡¯t returned. All of you have to face the wall and reflect on your misdeeds until the head returns to the mountain to decide.¡± ¡°Xianzun, please forgive me, Xianzun¡ª!¡± The barrier of Lingxu Cave closed automatically, isolating the voices of all disciples from the outside world. After completing this, Bai Tu glanced back at Yun Ye, who was still obediently kneeling behind him silently. Bai Tu said, ¡°Get up and go back with me.¡± Yun Ye remained motionless. ¡°I¡¯ve been kneeling for a long time, and I can¡¯t stand up.¡± Those handsome eyes hung low, and the tone of voice mixed with grievances, as if Bai Tu had wronged him. The latter couldn¡¯t see the tyrannical and fierce look of last night. Seeing that this person with no conscience of what happened, Bai Tu felt the pain in his waist and butt, angering him even more. He pursed his lips, leaving behind a sentence. ¡°Then you can continue to kneel.¡± He then turned his head and disappeared into the shadow of the sword. Bai Tu directly drove the celestial sword back to Luoxia Peak. Luoxia Peak was like spring all year round. The freshly melted snow from the high mountains gathered in front of the peak, forming a lake embedded like a jasper on top of the mountain. A row of weeping willows on the banks had just sprouted, bringing a faint fragrant of grass whenever a breeze blew. Bai Tu sat in the pavilion in the middle of the lake, pouring himself a cup of warm tea. He tipped his head back as he drank it and only relieved the growing anxiety in his heart. He thought he was as upright as possible. If he accidentally gave other people a chance to shoot accidentally while polishing a gun, he may still pretend that nothing had happened. But that person involved was the kid he raised since he was a child. There was nothing more embarrassing in this world than this. He had to have a serious discussion with that person. Not long after Bai Tu sat down his worries, familiar footsteps sounded behind him. He was about to turn his head when a body suddenly pressed itself to his back. The low and hoarse voice reverberated close to Bai Tu¡¯s ears ¡ª soft, tinged with aggrieved meaning. ¡°Why didn¡¯t Shizun wait for me?¡± The warm breath fanned the back of Bai Tu¡¯s ears, immediately making his body stiffen, but Bai Tu didn¡¯t break away. His heartbeat violently thumped against his rib cage, yet he still tried his utmost to maintain a calm tone. ¡°Let go.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Yun Ye tightened his arms and acted spoiled. ¡°Master was so fierce to me today. Did this disciple do something wrong to make Shizun angry?¡± ¡®You don¡¯t know what you did ??¡¯ Bai Tu gritted his teeth in anger and pushed the person away with a bit of force in his hand. ¡°Shizun, I didn¡¯t intentionally hurt them.¡± Yun Ye felt that Bai Tu was mad at him because he got into trouble today, so he hastily explained, ¡°It¡¯s just that I couldn¡¯t see Shizun when I woke up. I thought I could serve Shizun today since Shizun visited this disciple, but I couldn¡¯t get out of Lingxu Cave. And¡­ Shizun also knew that they saw me as a thorn in the eye, plus Senior Brother Mu was coincidentally patrolling the area, which caused some unpleasantness in the end.¡± Yun Ye half-squatted beside Bai Tu, looked at him, and said, ¡°Shizun worked so hard last night, and I didn¡¯t have the chance to say goodbye in the morning. The disciple is just worried about your body.¡± ¡®He-he-he ¡ª what is he talking about!¡¯ Bai Tu¡¯s face burned upon hearing it. He slanted his head and said, ¡°I¡ªI, what should I worry about?¡± Yun Ye gazed at the other¡¯s reddened ear tips and silently mulled over the event that had happened earlier. ¡®Didn¡¯t I just hurt a few of my peers? As for being angry, even his ears get all red?¡¯ Yun Ye was silent for a moment and then said, ¡°Shizun, last night¡­.¡± Bai Tu was only one step from burning himself into a very red braised little white rabbit. He dreaded that Yun Ye would say something shocking and cut him off in an instant. ¡°Last night was just an accident. Don¡¯t take it to heart.¡± ¡°How can I?¡± Yun Ye reached out his hand and pressed it onto the back of Bai Tu¡¯s hand, softly whispering, ¡°Shizun had spent a lot of spiritual energy to dispel the demons for me. How can I not take it to heart?¡± As he said that, he took out something from the cloth bag slung in his bosom. ¡°I just stopped by Ningdan Pavilion and took some restorative medicinal materials. Shizun, remember to take it.¡± ¡°No, you¡­¡± Bai Tu finally realized that something was strange. He pursed up his lips lightly and tentatively probed out, ¡°How much do you remember about last night?¡± Suspicious, Yun Ye furrowed his brow but still replied, ¡°I only remember last night that my heart fell into the hands of my inner demons and master protected me. Afterward, I felt like I had sunk into a dream, but I couldn¡¯t remember anything when I woke up. ¡°This¡­¡± It startled Bai Tu for a bit, then he came back to his senses. He had indeed heard that when the inner demons of a person took completely control over, they would have no memory of their behavior the moment they sobered up. ¡®Which means, Yun Ye didn¡¯t remember what happened last night?¡¯ Bai Tu quickly eliminated the gloom in his heart, relieved his mind, and made an earnest look about the matter. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember. Since Master had already dispelled the demons for you last night, you are now fine. You don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡± Yun Ye¡¯s gaze concentrated on that face. He couldn¡¯t help but feel a bit lost. In truth, he didn¡¯t forget everything. When his inner demon took control of him, he sank into an unprecedented and charming dream. In that dream, Xianjun, who was a cold and unfettered immortal ¡ª laid under him like a fairy, soft like he turned into a puddle, begging as he let him do whatever he wanted with him.. Years of obsessive love finally came true. The dream was so beautiful and real. Even the other¡¯s enthusiastic groans, every whisper, and every sob that escaped from the pair of bullied red lips, seemed to be closer in Yun Ye¡¯s ears. ¡® How good it would be if that was true,¡¯ It¡¯s a pity that when he woke up from that beautiful dream, that person was still unattainable, too high to reach. The luster of light in Yun Ye¡¯s eyes dimmed, and he answered, ¡°I see, Shizun.¡± Bai Tu did not notice the abnormality of his naughty disciple. He had been worrying about this matter all morning, and at this moment, when he found out that Yun Ye couldn¡¯t remember anything, he was in such a good mood that he was dying to jump around. Even the place that was repeatedly tossed about last night did not seem to hurt so much. Bai Tu restrained his excitement and rushed his disciple. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re feeling okay, head to the Disciple Pavilion to receive punishment.¡± Adopting a pitiful face, Yun Ye asked, ¡°Do I really have to go?¡± Bai Tu, who showed not in the least bit of sympathy, said, ¡°Go quickly. You may not come back without copying the scriptures three hundred times.¡± ¡°¡­En.¡± The author has something to say: Bai Tu: I am so happy. I could perform a rabbit-like circling in situ.gif Yun Ye: Don¡¯t be too optimistic. A certain bun: Aren¡¯t you surprised? Aren¡¯t you thrilled? Footnotes: Xianjun and Xianzun are both titles of Bai Tu, with Xian having the same meaning ¡®immortal¡¯ whilst jun is ¡®monarch or lord¡¯ and zun is ¡®venerable or respected¡¯. So, Xianjun is Immortal Lord and Xianzun is Venerable Immortal. CH 3 After driving Yun Ye away, Bai Tu retreated to his bedroom alone to adjust his breath. For the sake of helping his disciple dispel the demons last night, he had lost an ample cultivation base, requiring him a while to replenish his spiritual energy. Bai Tu inhaled a lungful of air and held his breath, adapting a solid concentration as he entered a meditative state. The affair that took place last night, he naturally would not take it to heart since Yun Ye catered to no memories of it. Calculating the years of his past life, Bai Tu stayed in this world for almost a hundred years. With that said, the daunting accident of the night before was just a trifling matter in life. Besides, they were both men. What he cared about more, instead, was the inner demon within Yun Ye. His acquaintance with Yun Ye was far more than the past ten years of him having the boy under his wings. Although he refrained from accepting Yun Ye as a disciple in his previous life, he still created opportunities to secretly aid the young man during his days as an outer disciple of the Sect. When the person¡¯s cultivation core was impeded, Bai Tu turned into a nobleman and gave him a technique to set his cultivation straight. When the person met himself in difficulties, he transformed into a companion to assist. Not to mention Bai Tu had helped him to clear many obstacles behind the scenes. Only in the previous life, whether it was before or after Yun Ye darkened, he never noticed the trace of the existence of the inner demon in Yun Ye. ¡®How is it that everything goes well in this life, but an inner demon appears?¡¯ With his eyes still closed, Bai Tu could not help reflecting in his heart. Since taking Yun Ye in as a disciple, it could even be said that he devoted all his might in rearing Yun Ye, almost to obedience and submission to Yun Ye. So what was it that the wolf cub was still dissatisfied with his master? On the outside, the venerable immortal seemed to meditate in tranquility, yet he was experiencing inner turmoil. Bai Tu remained perplexed despite pondering over a hundred times and could not shake the feeling of hopelessness. When he opened his eyes, the sky had already lost its azure grandeur, replaced by the warm lighting of the near dawn. Bai Tu tilted his head to gaze out of the window. At sunset stage, rose-tinted clouds peppered the sky while the afterglow of the setting of the sun lingered in the mountains and forests, casting everything in warmth. The heaven and earth were in hues of one color, and it was as beautiful as a paradise. The name ¡®Luoxia Peak,¡¯ came from this ¡ª ¡®summit of sunset clouds.¡¯ Suddenly, a cyan-colored spirited bird flew from a distance. It perched itself on the windowsill, and uttered, ¡°The headmaster invites you Immortal Lord Zhaohua to head to Zhongluan Peak.¡± Tianyan Sect was composed of three peaks and four crests. Aside from the central peak, Luoxia Peak, on the west, was the abode of Immortal Zhaohua. Zhongluan Peak in the east was the residence of Ling Weijun, the head of Tianyan Sect. The latter sect was covered with snow and ice all year round, with clouds and mist hung over the chilly frost breeze, creating a dignified air similar to Langyuan paradise. Bai Tu stepped into the Lingyun Hall where the master of the house lived and instantly saw the head of Tianyan Sect. Ling Weijun sat in the hall with a table of wine served warm. Ling Weijun was dressed in a mist-like elegant Taoist robe, with intricate cloud patterns on the collar, and a liuguang1 immortal sword hung loosely around his waist. Despite his age, the person looked like in his prime, which honed him to look even more sophisticated. ¡°Xianjun is here,¡± greeted Ling Weijun, a smiling expression visible on his face. ¡°Come, try the strong immortal wine I just brought back.¡± Headmaster Ling Weijun welcomed Bai Tu to sit down at the table opposite him and eagerly poured him a cup of wine with wisps of steam wafted from atop. Bai Tu blandly said, ¡°The headmaster knows that I never drink, so let¡¯s just get straight to the point.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing¡­.¡± Ling Weijun put down the flask he held in midair. ¡°Mu Xi¡¯s matter has been known to me. He acted poorly on this matter. I have already punished them with prohibitions, gave thirty lashes, and ordered them to clean the sect thoroughly. What does Xianjun think of this?¡± There was nothing wrong with this punishment. Bai Tu gave the nod and remained seated with his back straight. ¡°It¡¯s good if the head is in charge.¡± Ling Weijun became silent for a moment and asked, ¡°A few days from now, the trial of Tianyan Sect¡¯s Disciple Admission will be held. I heard that there are many highly qualified aspiring disciples willing to refine with fire this time. I wonder if Xianzun is interested in participating in the trial ceremony?¡± ¡°No.¡± Bai Tu leveled his sight to the other¡¯s eyes. ¡°You are the one recruiting disciples yet you want me to pick for you? ¡°That¡ªthat is not the case. It¡¯s just¡ª¡± Ling Weijun glanced at Bai Tu¡¯s blank face and persuaded him, ¡°I know Venerable Immortal dotes Yun Ye, but that kid has limited talent. I dread it will be a challenge to inherit the Immortal Lord¡¯s mantle in the future¡­.¡± Unfazed, Bai Tu said, ¡°It¡¯s okay as long as he can live freely in the future, his cultivation level is not important. And it¡¯s good if he¡¯s happy.¡± Ling Weijun was moved with affection, as he knew the reason for this nonchalance. ¡°Although the world of cultivation seems stable now, who can guarantee that the demons will not make a comeback? Venerable Immortal should consider the common people in the world, and might as well take in another disciple¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± Bai Tu cut him off smoothly. ¡°Yun Ye has a bad temper. If I accept other disciples, he will be mad at me.¡± Ling Weijun: ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡®It¡¯s good if he is happy. ¡®He is going to be angry. ¡®Just what kind of weird and indulgent tone is this? You¡ªdon¡¯t you dote on your son a bit too much??¡¯ Ling Weijun pursed his lips, anger seething in his heart like just like the wine that never lost its warmth. A moment of silence fell in the hall, except for the crackling of fires that continued to burn below the wine urn. The emotions of Ling Weijun could no longer be contained, as it broke through his calm facade. A long and loud sigh blew from him. ¡°Xianzun, I will not walk in circles with you. Frankly, the realm of comprehension is not as good as it used to be. If you don¡¯t train a few people who could stand alone when our generation ceases to exist in this world after a century, what will happen to the land under the heavens then?¡± Over ten years ago, Bai Tu quelled the Demon Abyss and pacified the world away from fear and evil, after that, there had not been another person who soared into cultivation, and an absence of people found to possess an innate talent like him. What was worse, was that the number of people who went up the mountain to seek Dao cultivation could only be counted with a few fingers. All the seniors in the realm of cultivation had their hair turned white in grief. But Bai Tu disregarded this setup to him. ¡°This is not an excuse for you to spread the rumor that I would accept another disciple in the cultivation realm.¡± Ling Weijun touched his nose awkwardly while the ire in his heart extinguished. ¡°So you knew, after all¡­.¡± Bai Tu kept his eyes down and did not answer. Ling Weijun said, ¡°Venerable Immortal, please don¡¯t blame me ¡ª as I am desperate¡­.¡± He said again, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to accept disciples, it¡¯s fine. But, you must take part in the trial of disciples. Just sit there at the trial ceremony, so it won¡¯t count as that my Tianyan Sect was fooling the people.¡± ¡®Seems harmless enough.¡¯ Bai Tu thought about it and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Before Ling Weijun breathed out in relief, Bai Tu followed, ¡°But I have a request.¡± ¡°Xianzun, please speak.¡± ¡°Let Yun Ye partake in this trial.¡± ¡°This¡­¡± Bai Tu raised his eyes and looked at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you?¡± ¡°This is plausible, but the entry trial is usually only for aspiring new disciples to take part. Yun Ye has been in this field for many years. Isn¡¯t this bad for the established custom of the sect?¡± The immortal had no intention of sharing his thoughts and looked at Ling Weijun with those unperturbed eyes. The spirit of silence lingered in the hall once more, and Ling Weijun sighed, ¡°Okay, just think of a reason to let Yun Ye go.¡± The trial of Tianyan Sect¡¯s accepting new disciple will be executed in an illusion called the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning. Bai Tu naturally didn¡¯t do this just for the sake for Yun Ye to gain experience. Based on the book and his past life, Yun Ye once got a valuable treasure that others envied. That thing could temporarily conceal the sinister qi on his body and aid him with cultivation. Aside from that, this was the reason Yun Ye could gain a foothold in Tianyan Sect during the early days and was never discovered for his true identity. The treasure was stored in the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning. If there was any difference between the previous life and the present, Yun Ye was intentionally brought back to Tianyan Sect by Bai Tu and passed no primordial trial in Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning when he started. ¡®The existence of an inner demon, definitely has something to do with it,¡¯ Bai Tu concluded. The night had set its wake completely, and the Jielv Pavilion continued its tranquil state except for the indiscriminate rustles of writing. The room upheld the utmost minimal furnishings, and only a few square tables adorned the space. Yun Ye sat at the table beside the window. Chin propped on his elbow while he spun the writing brush in his nimble fingers, feeling bored. The evening bell rang for the third time. The other disciple in the quiet room had packed up his things and left, leaving Yun Ye in the big, depressing room alone. Yun Ye heaved a sigh and looked out the window. The night was black as ink. Bereft of any stars and the moon, and the silhouettes of the trees passed through the window, layered and monstrous, blocking the high mountain and bamboo forest in the distance from the sight. That was in the direction of Luoxia Peak. Yun Ye¡¯s brush flicked on the rice paper with random, subconscious strokes. When he recovered from his trance, the corner of the rice paper inked with scriptures, showed a beautiful face as cold as the harsh winter. The face was calm, devoid of sadness or joy, and a pair of beautiful peach blossom eyes were bright, as lucid as the flow of water. Yun Ye¡¯s heart thumped against his ribcage. He no longer remembered when he first admired this person. Ever since this man saved his life, the fate between them had sealed on its own. Too bad Immortal Lord Zhaohua took the ruthless path of ascension and gave up all the grand mortal hopes in the process that ditched the possibility between them. He could not get what he wanted and became infatuated. His Shizun had asked him several times about the origin of his inner demons. ¡­.Where else could it come from? ¡°Fool,¡± Yun Ye let out a light breath, his hands not stopping to make his fantasy tangible on the paper. Picture after picture formed on the rice paper, as Yun Ye¡¯s frame of mind also floated along with each brushstroke. Until a slash of a crystal sword in the courtyard whistled out. Yun Ye sobered in an instant. If anyone in the world was the most familiar with this sound, it could only be Yun Ye himself. His wide eyes looked up, and a figure wrapped in the usual plain white robe traversed on the end of the bluestone path cleared the doubts from his mind. Yun Ye lowered his head in a flurry. Panic arose in his orbs as it gazed at the last painting¡ªwhich was the most obscene of all. Immortal Zhaohua¡¯s clothes were half untied¡ªbare, lean chest peeking in the middle of the silk lapels of the robe¡ªthe corner of the eyes suffused with great beauty. He stretched out his hands to him as if begging for a hug. ¡ª ! ! ! The door was opened by a slender hand, followed by Bai Tu scanning the room briefly, and stopped as it spotted Yun Ye holding a pile of rice papers almost to the point of creasing in his hands. Bai Tu looked at him questioningly. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Yun Ye feigned his composure as he placed the stack of rice paper in the bottom layer with ease. He raised his head and curled the corner of his mouth towards Bai Tu. ¡°Nothing-it¡¯s nothing. Shizun, why are you here?¡± Bai Tu raised the food box in his hand. After he flew back to Luoxia Peak, Bai Tu noticed that Yun Ye was missing and remembered that he punished him today, prohibiting him from coming back unless he finished copying the scripture three hundred times. The dinner period flowed past its mark, and Yun Ye had not reached the period of fasting yet; thus, it was inevitable to feel the hunger pangs. ¡®There must be no better master in this world than him.¡¯ Bai Tu put down the food box on the table and felt proud of himself. Seeing that his master held no suspicion, Yun Ye felt relieved. He sorted out the rice paper on the table, setting it aside while discreetly confirming that the sources of evil had been pressed at the bottom and inconspicuous before walking to Bai Tu¡¯s side. Bai Tu took a few bowls and dishes with the lid placed beside the food container, and the fragrance hastily invaded the room. Yun Ye observed Bai Tu¡¯s movements and whispered, ¡°Shizun treats me so well.¡± Bai Tu answered while he busied himself, ¡°Hurry and eat while it¡¯s hot.¡± Yun Ye sat down at the table, looked at his master, and the chopsticks remained unmoved. ¡°Shizun, won¡¯t you eat with me?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to¡­..¡± Yun Ye¡¯s eyes dropped, long lashes covering his pools. ¡°But when I was a kid, Shizun always ate with me.¡± Bai Tu had long abstained from eating. Thus, food became a nonnecessity for him. But faced with Yun Ye¡¯s pitiful appearance, his heart softened and said, ¡°¡­okay.¡± The master and disciple sat down to have a meal at the table. During dinner, Bai Tu mentioned that Yun Ye was allowed to go to the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning because he wanted Yun Ye to experience it. Yun Ye nodded his head as usual. ¡°I see.¡± Bai Tu was a little surprised at his reaction. He puckered his lips and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. It¡¯s not that difficult to deal with monsters in the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning with your cultivation.¡± ¡°But I heard that the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning was perilous.¡± Yun Ye tilted his head to look at him, deliberately showing a bit of hesitation in his eyes. ¡°If I¡¯m in danger¡­.¡± The Venerable Immortal sensed that the wolf cub felt afraid, and his heart melted once again. He then said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will help you.¡± In his previous life, Bai Tu once entered the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning. Yun Ye had just arrived at Tianyan Sect in those days and was still a tiny wolf demon who could not even hide his demonic nature. When something seemed amiss, Bai Tu, incarnated as a young disciple, begged Yun Ye to follow him inside the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning. At the same time, he aided him at the crucial moments discreetly. While this-worldly instance would repeat its course, Bai Tu intended to play the same old trick once again. But what he was oblivious to was that he was not the only one who knew about his deeds. After Bai Tu was compelled, Yun Ye lowered his head to concentrate on eating but had other thoughts in his heart. Although he was uncertain why Immortal Lord Zhaohua asked him to go to the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning, Yun Ye catered no opposition. The Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning was cast with the boundless cultivation methods by the founder of Tianyan Sect. Daoism transformed everything in the secret realm, and there were countless rare treasures inside. The most precious of those treasures was a weapon left by the founder of the sect, known as Taichu or absolute beginning, hence the name of the primordial test. Yun Ye obtained Taichu back in the previous life, and it was like a god helping him at all costs, even making his cultivation soared a thousand li in a day. Although he was unwilling to partake in the old scores between the two realms¡ªthe upright and the demonic¡ªfor the being in this life, he had no reason to decline when the opportunity for him to retrieve his weapon offered itself to his plate without him doing anything. More importantly, a chance opened its doors for him automatically, but something was weighing on his mind. Yun Ye was immersed in the memories of the past for a moment, until Bai Tu suddenly said, ¡°How are your scripture copies? Let me see.¡± Not long after that sentence dropped, Bai Tu lifted his hand, and the pile of rice paper placed on the table that Yun Ye hoped to go unnoticed, flew into his hand. Yun Ye: !!! CH 4 ¡°Shizun!¡± Bai Tu was about to open the rice paper when Yun Ye grabbed his wrist in haste. The hot temperature of the palm was transmitted through the fine skin, and it scorched too much as if it was not a human that held him, but a furnace. Bai Tu shook like a frightened rabbit, almost to the point of hopping up out of the hold. As soon as he loosened his hand, the rice papers he held fell and scattered all over the place. Before Bai Tu could say anything, Yun Ye cast a spell in one breath, and the fallen rice papers automatically returned to his hand. Bai Tu wished for the ground to swallow him then and there as the embarrassment took root in his heart. From the other¡¯s perspective, nothing exactly happened, and he was just shocked by the sudden grip and could not control the innate instinct of his body. But despite how self-suggested it was, he had to admit what happened last night left him a lot of psychological shadows. No. Leaving it as a ¡°psychological shadow¡± was an understatement. Yun Ye did not touch him afterward. But as long as he neared and touched him, it would always remind Bai Tu of the madness of skin-to-skin contact last night. His heart thumped faster against his chest, though he disliked this involuntary movement of his body against his will. Even his breathing became unsteady and breathless. Fortunately, Yun Ye seemed to have not noticed his abnormality. The little wolf cub hid the rice paper behind him, leaned toward Bai Tu with his hands still behind his back. He said like a spoiled child, ¡°Shizun, I didn¡¯t write well, and I don¡¯t dare hurt Shizun¡¯s eyes with it. Once this disciple finished his writing, might I be able to give by then?¡± Yun Ye inched closer to his master, and Bai Tu felt that it was hard to breathe again as if the oxygen level had just depleted substantially. His throat bobbed up as he swallowed that pool of saliva and moved back a little, seamlessly. ¡°¡­ That¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Shizun is so kind.¡± Yun Ye flashed a smile, and his eyes became a pair of crescents with it. He obediently returned to the table, sat adequately, and said no more. Meanwhile, a sigh of relief escaped from Bai Tu¡¯s lips as he fixed his composure and finished the dinner with the other. There was only more than half a month left by the trial of the introductory disciple to commence. Yun Ye, who had never practiced consistently, practiced his sword drills around the clock under the supervision of Bai Tu to prepare for entering the mysterious realm. Sure, Yun Ye¡¯s cultivation base was limited, but his body¡¯s martial arts pose had always been the best in Tianyan Sect. With this constant hard work, his improvements were visible to one¡¯s naked eye. In fact, even if Bai Tu decided not to go to the mysterious realm with him, with Yun Ye¡¯s aptitude in martial arts, he could take care of himself without a hitch. Nevertheless, Bai Tu could not contain the restlessness of his heart. Therefore, two or three days before the trial ceremony, he left Luoxia Peak. A thousand miles south of Qingyun mountain, there lay a quiet valley. Enormous mountains surrounded the valley on three sides, and the tall tree canopies covering the area, hiding the sky from sight. Thus, a heavy fog hung typically over the place. A bright sword light dashed down in front of the valley. Bai Tu hopped from the immortal sword and could not help letting out a yawn. He was always suboptimal these days. And just like today, after spending less than two shichen traversing in the sky, he became exhausted. Perhaps it was because of his cultivation base¡¯s initial wear and tear that had not recovered yet. Bai Tu thought of this with little mental work as he walked toward the middle of the valley. As soon as he neared the area, he saw a tall silhouette of a young man approaching from a distance. He possessed a handsome appearance. His deep facial features had an exotic tint, and his temperament was calm and elegant. The only offbeat was this whole body seemed to be imbued with Lingran sword intent. The man halted on his steps and bowed to Bai Tu. ¡°I have seen Immortal Lord Zhaohua. My master has been waiting for a long time; please follow me.¡± ¡°Many thanks.¡± The man led Bai Tu across the valley¡¯s vine bridge, and the scenery at once changed once they passed through. The thick fog that originally shrouded the valley from sight seemed to be blown away by some mystical wind, revealing a towering jade-carved palace hall in its authentic form. The man escorted Bai Tu in front of the door of the palace hall and said, ¡°Venerable Immortal, please come in.¡± Bai Tu thanked him and was about to knock on the door, but the palace doors suddenly opened on their own, and a chill desolated air swept and nipped at him as a welcome. He tidied up his ruffled robes and stepped in¡ªcalm and unhurried. The hall inside was dim, and only a faint, flickering firelight on the wall was giving illumination, reflecting the rows of display racks on both sides of the room. All kinds of magical instruments were like glittering jewels delighting in the eyes on the display racks. Although they gave an ethereal feeling, they were strewn across the room haphazardly. Even the floor was littered with many magical instruments, pills, and medicines slanted upside down. The dense scent of alcohol made Bai Tu furrow, and a languorous voice rang out, ¡°Finally remembered to come and see me?¡± The voice came from the innermost depth of the hall; behind the heavy drapery of cloth, a vague silhouette of a person was perceived. Bai Tu said, insipid, ¡°Long time no see, Shixiong1.¡± In the wake of his voice, the figure behind the drapery stood up, drew the curtains, and walked out. A handsome young man with clear eyes appeared. The man casually donned on an ink-colored Taoist robe that seemed to evoke a languid feeling, with an exquisite flask pinned around his waist. This person was the sole martial brother of Zhaohua Xianjun, who studied with him under Kunlun Mountain¡¯s Qinghui Xianjun, Xun Yi. Xun Yi walked in front of Bai Tu and leaned forward, tipsy. He then leaned again, but this time he frowned. ¡°What¡¯s the matter with your face?¡± Bai Tu wasted no breath to explain, ¡°Nothing.¡± Xun Yi squinted, though he was suspicious, he commented nothing and asked instead, ¡°Come on, why are you looking for me? Is it because of your disciple again?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°Tianyan Sect¡¯s Primordial secret realm will be opened in two days. I need some protection for Yun Ye.¡± ¡®As expected,¡¯ Xun Yi gave him an ¡°I knew it¡± look and kicked a bottle of pills beside his foot with ease. ¡°Is there anything significant you want? Do you have to come to my Borderless Valley?¡± Zhaohua Xianjun then replied, ¡°When it comes to condensing pills and refining medicines, only Shixiong has the highest attainments.¡± Xun Yi pondered for a moment, crooked his head on the side, smiled, and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay for Shixiong¡¯s matter, but for a stranger?¡± ¡°Shixiong¡­.¡± ¡°Shixiong is just joking with you.¡± Xun Yi raised his hand and tapped on Bai Tu¡¯s forehead. ¡°Zhaohua, Zhaohua, since you levitated heavenwards, you, indeed, have been becoming less and less cute.¡± Zhaohua Xianjun¡¯s character was not like this when he was young. At the time when Immortal Lord Zhaohua had just transformed into a human being from being a white rabbit, Xun Yi brought him back to Kunlun Mountain. He recommended, and both paid respect to the Kunlun Xianjun as their master. Immortal Lord Zhaohua practiced hard, but he could not make a breakthrough when he reached the ascension period. In the end, Zhaohua resolutely broke free from all mundane emotions and complexities, shifted to take the ruthless path of cultivation, and finally soared after a century. Only that his demeanor had become the same as it was now. Wintry and unsympathetic. Bai Tu did not want to discuss this matter with him and said instead, ¡°Shixiong, I¡­.¡± ¡°I know,¡± Xun Yi interrupted him while his hand swirled up a pot of wine on the table. He raised his head and smiled at Bai Tu. ¡°Isn¡¯t it the pill to suppress the demon power and increase the cultivation skills? I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± As he said this, a breeze suddenly rolled in the hall, and a brocade bag drifted into his hand. Xun Yi seized the brocade bag and drilled it into the display rack, his muttering soon filled the hall, ¡°This can¡­ this is also¡­ oh wait, this is wrong¡ªoh, here¡­.¡± The clamorous clanking of the bottles and can on the display rack made Bai Tu startled, and all sounded like Xun Yi accidentally broke something. Unable to contain his nervousness, Bai Tu walked up to him in haste to help. ¡°Shixiong, are you drunk?¡± ¡°No. How can I get drunk like this?¡± Xun Yi waved his hand at him, tied the brocade bag, and handed it to Bai Tu. Bai Tu received the bag and put it away. ¡°Many thanks, Shixiong.¡± ¡°Okay, why are you so polite with your brother?¡± Xun Yi rubbed Bai Tu¡¯s head and said, ¡°It¡¯s not just me, but your face looks unwell, ah. Mind to let your Shixiong take your pulse?¡± Bai Tu shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. That should be because I accidentally lost some of my cultivation bases. It¡¯ll come back after I nurse it for some time.¡± The warm scent of wine made Bai Tu a little breathless. He did not stay long and soon bid farewell to Xun Yi and left the hall. As soon as Bai Tu stepped out of the hall, he spotted the same man waiting for him outside. The man was about to send Bai Tu out, but he heard Xun Yi¡¯s voice boomed from the jade palace. ¡°Pei Ran, bring me the altar wine again!¡± A look of helplessness creased in between Pei Ran¡¯s eyebrows, and Bai Tu appeased, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just depart by myself.¡± ¡°Salute2,¡± saluted Pei Ran, turned around to help Xun Ti get the wine. When Bai Tu returned to Luoxia Peak, it was already deep into the night. Since he hastened on his journey today, Bai Tu rested in the house for a while but still felt out of sorts. He frowned and got up, and his sight gazed out the window. Yun Ye had been practicing swordsmanship behind the mountain for the past few days. And it was only natural for the Luoxia Peak to cater to no one since he came back late. In the next second, Bai Tu¡¯s neat, white robes fell onto the floor, and a little white rabbit lay in the middle of clothing on one¡¯s back. Then a long and contented sigh of relief blew from it. ¡®Ah, much better.¡¯ Whether it was a celestial being or a demon, as long as the body was not innately human, changing into a human form would consume much spiritual power. And no form was more comfortable than their true form. So although Bai Tu was a human before he entered the book, since he became a rabbit cultivator when coming here, he gradually adapted to like the feeling of returning to his animal physique. The tiny white rabbit rolled around in his clothes twice. Sweet comfort seeped through in his bones. Then it sat up, hopped out of the room with a kick on its hind legs, and ran towards the bamboo forest without looking back. A fluff of white soon disappeared into the night. Deep in the bamboo forest, a silken, silvery-furred rabbit plunged half of its body into the thick bushes. Its small round tail, which was exposed, quivered a little. After a while of wiggling, a small rattan woven basket was pulled out of the bushes. In the basket, all kinds of grass, vegetables, and fruits were placed inside in a pleasing manner. The melons and other fruits gave off such wonderful fragrance, and both grasses and leaves were so tender, making the rabbit¡¯s paws twitch. The rabbit leaned on the straw basket. Its pink button nose quivered as it sniffed heartily. The three-lobed mouth opened, pulling out a tender and juicy carrot from it. After the carrot was placed onto the grass-covered ground, it hid the straw basket first before plopping itself in front of the orange vegetable. It stretched its two front paws, picked up the carrot, and gnawed on with relish. Mind that the carrot was larger than the tiny rabbit. Zhaohua Xianjun¡¯s immortal body had undergone complete transformation when he ascended, reasonably enough that eating became unnecessary. Regardless of how profound cultivation was, his appetite had no cure. The real Zhaohua may fast, but it was impossible for Bai Tu at all. If he could not eat, then what¡¯s the point of having an immortal body? The silken rabbit ate and drank to its fill. When finished, a burp escaped as it massaged its stomach in contentment. Then, it laid on the grass, drowsy. Time flew by heedlessly, and some footsteps suddenly sounded from afar. With its ears laid against the ground, alerted, the little rabbit stood up on its hind legs. It turned its head in panic, just to meet a familiar face. Yun ye seemed to have just returned from his sword practice. His hair still had some streaks of wetness on it, and his breath was a little unstable. When did he come back??! The fur on the back of the tiny rabbit puffed up, and it dived into the bushes without hesitation. Fleeing away like a wisp of white smoke, leaving Yun Ye stunned at his feet. Yun Ye blinked, a once in a blue moon-dazed expression written on his face. That just¡­ seemed to see a rabbit? ¡®A rabbit???¡¯ Yun Ye¡¯s eyes lit up. Staying in Tianyan Sect as a disciple for many years, he had to constrict his fangs and claws and acclimate the bearings like an average person. But the nature of being a wolf in his blood could not and would not be thoroughly washed out after staying alongside humans guiding him. Especially when his thirsty eyes caught sight of the rabbit, the innate predominant essence of a predator gained the upper hand. Ah, a rabbit had served itself to the wolf. Yun Ye licked his lips and quickly chased after the frantic rabbit. The author has something to say: Yun Ye: Spicy rabbit¡¯s head, roasted rabbit leg, braised rabbit meat. I¡¯m here. Bai Tu:¡­ Ahhhhhhhh, go away! Footnotes: [1] ʦÐÖ sh¨© xi¨­ng ¨C the senior male fellow student or apprentice [2] µ¡ÂýÁË d¨¤i m¨¤n le ¨C means to neglect, also used as an apologetic salutation for being a poor host CH 5 Yun Ye chased after the figure of the white tiny rabbit into the luscious bamboo forest, but the latter escaped too fast for Yun Ye to catch on. He searched for a while and soon saw a glistening white silhouette under a tree not far away from his location. His tongue licked the corner of his lips as he advanced soundlessly, but Yun Ye¡¯s foot hung midway. ¡°Shizun?¡± Bai Tu was sitting on the ground with his back leaning against the tree trunk. From Yun Ye¡¯s perspective, he could only see the desolate back of the other person, but for some reason, he felt that the ever straight back appeared a little keyed up. ¡°En¡­ you, why are you back?¡± The voice was still as refined and gentle as in the past, except that it seemed a little out of breath. A frown appeared on Yun Ye¡¯s forehead and left as fast as it took place. He walked to the front of Bai Tu, squatted down, and asked with concern clear in his voice, ¡°Shizun, do you feel unwell?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Bai Tu averted his gaze as he was afraid of being found out. In truth, he disagreed to accept it was nothing at all. It was unknown to him why his physical strength was scanty today. He only ran such a meager distance before he felt his breath become adverse, coupled with the unknown reason for the sudden drops of pain in his abdomen. Bai Tu rubbed his abdomen and thought, ¡®Is it possible to get sick from eating awful food?¡¯ He stood up with his hand clutching on the trunk for support and said, ¡°You shall enter the Secret Realm of the Beginning in two days. If you aren¡¯t practicing swords, then what are you doing?¡± Yun Ye then remembered his business. ¡°I saw a rabbit running toward this side just now, but it was nowhere to be seen after it was chased here.¡± Bai Tu became angry as soon as he heard what his disciple said. With a frown, he asked, ¡°Presumptuous, what are you doing chasing others?¡± Yun Ye: ¡°Catch it and roast it, of course.¡± Bai Tu at once flew into a rage. ¡°What roasting rabbit? Just where did that rabbit provoke you, ah?¡± Yun Ye blinked innocently. ¡°Shizun, I am a wolf demon. Isn¡¯t it proper for a wolf to eat a rabbit?¡± ¡°And Shizun¡­¡± Yun Ye snuggled closer to the other, donning on a pitiful look. ¡°I love eating rabbits the most. Ever since I came to Tianyan Sect, I haven¡¯t even had the chance to eat meat.¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®I truly feel aggrieved for you.¡¯ Bai Tu: ¡°Anyway, you are not allowed to eat rabbits in the future.¡± ¡®Shizun, still, is so kind-hearted. He couldn¡¯t even bear to harm a mere rabbit.¡¯ Yun Ye thought this in his heart, and smiled.¡±En, I¡¯ll listen to Shizun,¡± said Yun Ye, eyes casting down at him. Under the glistening moonlight, Xianzun, who used to be desolate and untouchable, the distance between them seemed to shorten a bit. As the moonlight shone upon his face, his soft and long eyelashes slightly quivered, casting a faint shadow on his face. For some reason, he felt that his shizun at this moment resembled the little white rabbit just now. Fluffy and lovable, particularly suitable for holding in the palm of his hand and fondling it wantonly. Yun Ye exerted his might to restrain his hand that was hanging down at his side from moving. Trying his utmost to contain his foolish fantasies. The object of strange affection felt a little uncomfortable with the other¡¯s excessively aloof eyes. He sighed and said, ¡°Have you already trained your swordsmanship? Let me see a demonstration.¡± Yun Ye nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± On a cleaning in the bamboo forest, a bright sword aura could be felt emitting from the long sword Yun Ye unsheathed. The setting of the swordsmanship skill was so natural and fluid that it was nearly impossible to nitpick faults. Bai Tu brightened up at once. He had never been concerned about Yun Yes¡¯ level of mastery in swordplay. Although the other¡¯s cultivation rate is remotely inferior to others, his deft body movements had always been reckoned as the very best. Bai Tu felt his strength recovering as he watched him diligently displaying his skills. He beckoned a branch from the ground up at his will and stepped out. The sword intent charged straight into the sky, ruffling pieces of thin bamboo leaves and soaring with the wind. Yun Ye was caught off guard by Bai Tu¡¯s spontaneous move. He inadvertently had to step back and barely catch his shizun¡¯s attacking sword. ¡°Sword¡¯s too slow. Faster.¡± After Bai Tu said this, he nimbly flipped his wrist and continued to stab at his opponent. Regardless of how skilled Yun Yes¡¯s techniques were, there was still an apparent disparity between his and Bai Tu¡¯s. Not to mention that his current body¡¯s cultivation was still at the early stages of core formation. In any case, Bai Tu deliberately directed him in this practice and did not exert his strength. ¡®You advanced, and I went through a few hundred tricks,¡¯ Yun Yes¡¯s lips slowly smirked. He was genuinely pleased with how the person in front of him looked at this moment. No matter how commendable the appearance of Immortal Lord Zhaohua was, what enticed Yun Ye the most would still be his graceful style of wielding his sword. That fateful day when they first met, Immortal Lord Zhaohua descended from the bleak, cloudy skies, and only with a single sword, forced the low-level small demons who almost swallowed him alive back, and became the day that would never be forgotten by him. At that time, the man was so condescending. His light-colored eyes were so piercing, that they could chill a person down to his very bones on the spot. It became the most beautiful scene Yun Ye had ever seen in this life. Yun Ye was preoccupied with his wild processing thoughts. He failed to notice Bai Tu launching an attack. The slender twig, enveloped by the intent of the sword, struck the sword blade hard enough for Yun Yes¡¯s inattentive longsword to drop and his dominant arm went numb. ¡°Shizun?¡± He gazed at Bai Tu with eyes full of suspicion as he cradled his arm. But saw him already putting away the twig and had no intention of hitting anymore. ¡°I¡¯m a little tired, let¡¯s stop here today.¡± Yun Ye furrowed again. Immortal Lord Zhaohua was one of the first people to become immortal and the mastery of his cultivation far surpassed people¡¯s imagination. How could he feel that fatigued after those tricks? But looking at the man¡¯s complexion, something was indeed fishy. Yun Ye collected his sword and moved to Bai Tu¡¯s side. ¡°Shizun, what¡¯s wrong? Do you need this disciple to ask Ningdan Pavilion¡¯s elder to come over and examine Shizun?¡± ¡°No need.¡± Bai Tu did not even look at him. ¡°I went to Wuya Valley today, I¡¯m a little tired. I just have to rest a night.¡± ¡°Wuya Valley¡­¡± Yun Ye¡¯s eyes darkened. ¡°Shizun, did you go to Immortal Lord Qinghui again?¡± Immortal Lord Zhaohua was cold-tempered and rarely seen on friendly terms with others. Yet, Immortal Quingui was one of his most intimate friends and the one who had the best relationship with him. So, every time Yun Ye mentioned him, it always left a sour taste on his tongue. Bai Tu naturally heard Yun Yes¡¯s displeasure and glared at him. ¡°What¡¯s with that expression? Visiting shixiong, wasn¡¯t it all for you?¡± Yun Ye: ¡°For me?¡± ¡°You come with me.¡± Bai Tu led Yun Ye to the bedroom and took out the brocade bag Xun Yi had given him. The brocade bag possessed magical arts and was designed to look the size of a palm. Bai Tu unfastened the laces and a dozen bottles and jars rolled out of, filling the table all at once. Bai Tu: ¡°The current Secret Realm of the Beginning is out of the ordinary. If you still have no cultivation base as you are now, it will be difficult to escape unscathed. These pills can increase your cultivation and suppress your demonic qi.¡± ¡°Many thanks, Shizun, but¡­¡± Yun Ye felt unsure of what he was seeing, but still said, ¡°Do I have to take all this?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°These are all rare and precious, refined medicinal materials; naturally, they¡¯re needed.¡± Yun Ye held back a smile. He took out a few jade bottles and handed them to Bai Tu. ¡°Then, Shizun, these spiritual plant growth aids. promised longevity, and-the medicine that prevents miscarriage and calms the nerves. Do I need to take them too?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡­¡± He should not believe that drunkard too much. Bai Tu seized the few bottles of indiscriminate pills from Yun Ye¡¯s hand, checked them attentively, and only left the pills Yun Ye needed. Everything else was roughly stuffed back into the brocade bag. After briefing Yun Ye about the usage of the pills, Bai Tu rushed people out. ¡°You go back and rest early; you¡¯ll continue training tomorrow.¡± Yun Ye did not leave. He lifted his hand and grabbed Bai Tu¡¯s wrist instead. He pleaded, ¡°Shizun¡­¡± Bai Tu already had a hunch of what his disciple wanted to do and was certain even more when he looked at him. Bai Tu brushed his hand off. ¡°No.¡± Yun Ye: ¡°But Shizun used to sleep with me.¡± Bai Tu said with all his heart and soul, ¡°Just how old are you? How can there be a reason to sleep with the master? Are you fearless if others hear you jest?¡± ¡± I¡¯m not afraid. And I just turned eighteen last month; not big.¡± Yun Ye, who had lived two lives, did not blush. ¡°¡­. That won¡¯t do.¡± Bai Tu intended to hurl the person out, but before he could wave his hand, Yun Ye was one step further. The latter clung to him vigorously from behind and curried favor as he rubbed against the hollow part of Bai Tu¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I definitely won¡¯t disturb Shizun with his rest; don¡¯t drive me away.¡± If it was the usual day, he could still dispute a few words with this person again. But Bai Tu lacked the energy today. He did not want to coax the child, he just wanted to shut his eyes. Bai Tu had no choice but to compromise. ¡°¡­ Leave it.¡± The bed in Bai Tu¡¯s room was big enough, and the two fully grown men were not in the slightest pushing and squeezing at all. However, Bai Tu carried some lingering fears about being in bed with Yun Ye. He pondered for a bit and used magic techniques to draw a white light wall in the center of the bed. Despite his exhaustion, his eyes were dead serious as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t come over.¡± Yun Ye trying to take advantage of the opportunity: ¡°¡­ Oh.¡± Bai Tu laid down on the inside of the bed contentedly. The exhaustion of earlier activities hung upon him at once, and soon he became drowsy. In a daze, Bai Tu heard Yun Ye¡¯s soft voice next to him. ¡°Did Shizun lose too much cultivation because he helped me before?¡± Bai Tu was so sleepy that he could not open his eyes, yet he still consoled the other. ¡°No, don¡¯t think too much.¡± ¡°Shizun is lying to me,¡± Yun Ye whispered. ¡°Shizun has never done this before.¡± The other remained silent. He knew that he would blame himself. But in this kind of situation, he refused to let Yun Ye¡¯s demonic nature take over his body and ignored it, no matter what. Without a doubt, it would be better if the subsequent events did not happen. Bai Tu thought this way, and his breathing quickly calmed down. Yun Ye stared blankly at his fair face, well within reach. His hand moved as if entranced by his beauty, and yet was met with a frigid wall of light. His fingertips rubbed the wall of lights a few times as if caressing the other person¡¯s face across the wall. In a jiffy, Yun Ye let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But don¡¯t worry, it won¡¯t be like this in the future. ¡°I will protect you.¡± Bai Tu did not answer. It seemed he was already asleep. Yun Ye¡¯s corners of the mouth curved, and he whispered, ¡°Good night, my Shizun.¡± He yawned and closed his eyes. He did not possess many abilities in his current adolescent body, so after a few days of rigorous practice of swords, his body particularly could not bear the exertion. But as before he fell asleep, the person beside him moved all of a sudden. Bai Tu could not sleep particularly well. He had his eyes shut tightly, yet his hands and feet moved restlessly. To catch sight of his master¡¯s childish appearance, which only happens once on a blue moon, Yun Ye inclined his head and gazed at his master with eyes full of humor. When he turned over, his hand accidentally touched the light wall separating both sides of the bed in the center. As if he was dissatisfied with something that obstructed his range of motion, Bai Tu frowned in his sleep and patted his palm softly against the light wall. A trifle sound of cracking was heard, and the wall of light shattered. Yun Ye: ¡°¡­..¡± Now that there was no hindrance, Bai Tu writhed more unscrupulously on the bed. Yun Ye, whose breath was bated throughout the process, finally reached out and held Bai Tu. ¡°Shizun, stop making trouble.¡± Bai Tu¡¯s movements ceased. Perhaps sensing the heat source behind him, instead of pushing Yun Ye away. Bai Tu turned in his direction. After a moment of stillness, Bai Tu¡¯s body curled up, retracted into his disciple¡¯s arms, and finally stopped squirming. At that moment, Yun Ye had abandoned any thought of sleep. The author has something to say: Yun Ye: So what is the role of the 38th line [crossed out] of the light wall? Bai Tu: ¡­. CH 6 No dreams for the night. Bai Tu awoke very early. Yesterday, his entire body longed for rest so painfully, and last night was the first good night¡¯s sleep he had in recent days. Bai Tu stretched out his limbs, welcoming the new day afresh. His fingers froze when they touched something warm. Bai Tu snapped his eyes open, and Yun Ye¡¯s face, magnified several times, appeared in front of him. ¡®!!!¡¯ The imposing Zhaohua Xianjun who devoted his life for many years training at Mount Tai, stumbled, and nearly dug a pit for himself. He leaped back in reflex but was barred by an arm around his waist. Fortunately, his sleep-haziness dispelled in no time. Bai Tu¡¯s hand was clenched over his gaped mouth to bite back the scream in his throat. Only then did Bai Tu realize that the wall of light he set up last night broke at some point. And worse still, he was cocooned in Yun Ye¡¯s arms again. In their current position, he conjectured he spent the whole night in the other¡¯s embrace. Once he recovered, Bai Tu felt his hair stand on its end. His hand was still over his mouth, while he gaped at Yun Ye. He dared not to move for now. Yun Ye¡¯s eyes were still closed and unmoving. Breathing deep and slow, he did not wake up. The erratic pounding of his heart calmed down a bit. Yun Ye had always slept deeply. And since he slashed sword from morning to night recently, perhaps he slept more like the dead than him and was oblivious to what happened last night. Bai Tu comforted himself with this thought, and slowly pushed Yun Ye¡¯s arm away to slip out of his arms. Relief washed over him and he let out a sigh. Before he could finish sighing, he was met with Yun Ye¡¯s sleepy eyes when he raised his. Bai Tu was startled that he almost leaped up again. He took back control of his composure even with his heart wanting to pounce out of his throat. Yun Ye rubbed the sleep in his eyes away. He inclined his head and smiled at him. ¡°Good morning, Shizun.¡± ¡°Morning¡­¡± Bai Tu bit the bullet and answered. Yun Ye: ¡°Did you sleep well last night, Shizun?¡± Bai Tu nodded slowly, feeling there was something amiss. ¡°I also slept well.¡± Yun Ye sat up, teased, and chuckled, ¡°However, it might be better if Shizun didn¡¯t keep drilling into my arms, thinking I wasn¡¯t comfortable enough to hold me and changing several positions in a row.¡± Bai Tu was stupefied. His face flushed. ¡°Dang, really?¡± Yun Ye, eyes bent like crescents: ¡°Yes.¡± Bai Tu turned his head to the side and pressed his back against the cold wall. He forced himself to calm down. But how could he calm down?! How could he be so embarrassing¡ª! ¡°But it¡¯s okay.¡± Yun Ye leaned closer to Bai Tu. With a low and hoarse voice, he said, ¡°Shizun was very cute last night.¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®I don¡¯t want to live anymore.¡¯ Yun Ye witnessed his shizun¡¯s expression change and change again with unparalleled satisfaction. His expressionless face showed a subtle appearance between embarrassment and shame. He admired his face for a moment, and then leisurely rolled the words in his tongue. ¡°I lied to you. Shizun slept very well last night.¡± Except that Bai Tu squirmed dishonestly at first. Afterward, he laid quietly in Yun Ye¡¯s arms¡ªwell-behaved that the latter¡¯s heart struggled to restrain the evil fire wanting to burst out. Yun Ye barely fell asleep until the latter half of the night. Bai Tu did not realize he was being tricked until then. He ground his teeth. ¡°Yun Ye¡­¡± ¡°Here.¡± Bai Tu: ¡°Scram and practice the techniques I ordered you yesterday four hundred times. You are prohibited from eating if you can¡¯t finish the drills.¡± Yun Ye: ¡°¡­.¡± Without waiting for Yun Ye to act coquettishly towards him again, Bai Tu raised his hand and waved. A summoned heap of breeze burst forth and swept Yun Ye out of the bedroom. The door of the room slammed shut again. Gentle this time. Bai Tu sat on the bed, fuming. The heat on his face had yet to dissipate for a long time. In the remaining few days, Bai Tu rarely crossed paths with Yun Ye until the day of the trial ceremony. In the early morning of the following day, Bai Tu followed the head to the martial art fields at the main peak of the Tianyan Sect. The field resembled a cauldron boiling with various voices, mixed in with lots of the sect¡¯s disciples who came in to join the fun. Naturally, they did not come for future new disciples. The news of Yun Ye participating in the trial ceremony spread like wildfire within the Tianyan Sect. The sect stated that it was Immortal Lord Zhaohua who deliberately asked Yun Ye to partake in the trial. Plus, it had even reached the ears of outsiders. It was enough evidence that Immortal Zhaohua truly wanted to drive the person out of the Tianyan Sect. After all, if Yun Ye could not even come out of the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning alive, how shameful of him to continue learning under the guidance of Zhaohua Xianjun. However, regardless of the buzzing speculations from the outside world, the two parties¡ªBai Tu and Yun Ye¡ªdid not care at all. Bai Tu sat on the high platform feeling bored to death. His eyes swept across the sea of people determined to enter the mysterious realm. In just a few seconds, he spotted a familiar face in the crowd. The Tianyan Sect did not restrict disciples and applicants from carrying magic weapons into the mysterious realm. Thus, most of them carry lots of luggage. On the other hand, Yun Ye, standing alone in the crowd, only carried an ordinary long sword on his back, that was usually used during practice by his peers that kept guard on the gates. He looked short of interest and seemed a little out of place in the throng of buzzing people. As if sensing Bai Tu¡¯s gaze on him, Yun Ye raised his eyelids and met his eyes. Bai Tu scrambled to look away at once. ¡®He didn¡¯t see.¡¯ As he looked away, Yun Ye¡¯s eyes darkened. The elder in charge of the assessment of the trial ceremony began to declare the precautions one must heed upon entering the realm. Everyone listened, yet Yun Ye only stared at the pristine, white-clothed figure on the high platform. He felt a little lost. He thought his shizun would enter the secret realm with him. Just like in the previous life. Back at that time, Bai Tu transformed into an ordinary new entry disciple and mixed into the mysterious realm with Yun Ye. He followed the latter wherever he went and helped a lot inside the realm. When he came to the training field, Yun Ye found the man perched on the high platform. A sense of loss inevitably emerged in his heart. Yun Ye clicked his tongue loudly and narrowed his eyes. Because of this trivial matter, his mind became foggy. He truly felt himself getting more and more worthless. Once the elder explained the precautions, Ling Weijuni officially opened the mysterious realm. Gales of winds rolled up on the huge training fields, scattering dust everywhere. At the center of the hurricane, a crack broke. The crack was getting bigger and bigger until a dazzling white light slowly poured from the gap. So overwhelming that people could hardly open their eyes. ¡°Mysterious realm¡ªopen!¡± With this sound, white light burst forth like light petals of a white flower. All of the entry-level disciples that were gathered on the training field were immediately drawn to it. As the light dissipated, no traces of the group remained on the training field. At the same time, several light screens appeared over the training field, reflecting the scenes within the mysterious realm of the absolute beginning. Bai Tu breathed a sigh of relief. He leaned back on the chair and closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, the scene around him was completely different. A vast expanse of dim, hazy forest stretched before him. The area was covered in a dense mist that was bleak, gloomy, and seemed a bit strange. Bai Tu blinked and lowered his head to look at his current appearance. Bai Tu had previously promised the head that he would participate in the trial ceremony. So, naturally, he could not disappear entirely in the eyes of the public. In desperation, he could only separate 30% of his incarnation from his soul at the moment when the realm opened and stepped in it with other disciples. He wore the same clothes as other applicants of the Tianyan Sect. In contrast, he was slightly shorter and thinner than he used to be back then. He carried a small cloth bag slung over his shoulder and looked extremely weak overall. The face was also not the same as the one he used in his previous life. Bai Tu hugged the satchel in his arms real tight. Before he could find Yun Ye¡¯s trail, he heard someone utter. ¡°This is the mysterious realm of the absolute beginning? It doesn¡¯t seem to be the case.¡± The man looked to be in his twenties¡ªboth handsome and tall. The hilt of a long knife jutted out of his waist, and its blade oozed out faint spiritual pressure. Bai Tu swept it roughly. ¡®This person¡¯s cultivation base shouldn¡¯t be low.¡¯ Since Ling Weijun released the news that Zhaohua Xianjun intended to accept an apprentice among new entry-level disciples, half of the disciples who came from other sects signed up for entry this year. Some of which were cultivators with a foundation in cultivation. Hence, for them, it would be relatively easy to get through the mysterious realm of the absolute beginning. The baby-faced boy beside him pulled his sleeves twice and whispered, ¡°Brother Yin, it¡¯s better to be careful.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± answered someone. ¡°According to what Elder Suo just said, demons will attack us from time to time within this realm. So, we cannot lower our guards..¡± ¡°Is that demon very powerful? How should we defend against the enemy?¡± ¡°If you want to, let¡¯s not act alone in the following days. Assist each other and just get through these seven days.¡± ¡°En, let¡¯s do that.¡± *** The trial ceremony would last for seven whole days. All new entry-level disciples entered the realm together and would spend seven days in the mysterious realm, tasked to find the exit of the realm which would be opened after the timeframe. If they leave the secret realm without a hitch, they would be hailed as passers of the trial. Soon, could officially become disciples of the Tianyan Sect. Disciples who fail to leave the secret realm on time, or fail in distress within the realm, would be forcefully teleported out of the realm. Plus, they would lose all qualifications to stay in the Tianyan Sect. Therefore, for the entry-level disciples, as long as they spent the seven days safely, they would surely pass the trial. If everyone stuck together everywhere they go, they would no longer feel afraid of monsters lurking in the shadows. With exchanging insights from one another, the disciples quickly came up with a solid plan. The person who spoke first listened to them yet seemed not in the least bit concerned. He took a step forward and said, ¡°I heard the disciple of Zhaohua Xianjun is also here? I wonder if shixiong can come out and meet everyone?¡± Everyone immediately ran their tongues spiritedly about it. Ever since Yun Ye came to Tianyan Sect, he had never shown up in front of anyone. Thus, it¡¯s no wonder the new entry-level disciples did not know him. Following the crowd, Yun Ye sneered at them silently. He turned in the opposite direction and walked deeper into the woods. Bai Tu looked in the direction Yun Ye had left. A frown formed in his forehead and left as quickly as it came. He scrambled to chase after the young man with a bag in his arms. The people who talked about assisting and looking out for each other did not notice the two people missing from the team. The mist in the forest was so heavy that it was difficult to see objects. Bai Tu refused to use magic spells rashly to locate the other¡¯s location. He had no other choice but to rely on his memory to catch up. As soon as he walked a bit of distance, a cold voice suddenly rang behind Bai Tu. ¡°What do you think you¡¯re doing following me?¡± Bai Tu spun on his heels toward his back. Yun Ye was leaning against the trunk of a tree. He raised his eyes deliberately slowly and looked him dead in the eye. His expression was so frigid that Bai Tu felt chills in his heart. Yun Ye had always been well-behaved in front of Bai Tu and never heard him speak towards him in this blunt tone. Bai Tu somehow felt a bit uncomfortable for a moment. Remembering his purpose and current role, he took two steps forward, lowered his head, and muttered. ¡°Just now, they said to not act alone.¡± Yun Ye did not answer. After a while, a peal of low mocking laughter sounded above Bai Tu¡¯s head. ¡°What does it have to do with you?¡± Yun Ye paused. A sneer could be seen clearly in his eyes. ¡°Besides, aren¡¯t you acting alone now?¡± Yun Ye¡¯s tone was definitely out of the range of politeness. Still, it failed to annoy Bai Tu. He said patiently, ¡°I am worried about your safety.¡± ¡°Worried about me?¡± Yun Ye strode up to Bai Tu. With his calculative eyes narrowed, he looked at Bai Tu up and down like a predator checking out prey. Bai Tu now looked like a handsome young man. His petite body was much shorter than Yun Ye¡¯s well-grown one. His eyes were clear and possessed no harm as well. He, basically, resembled some kind of small animal that wielded no offensive power and could only be kneaded by others. No matter how he looked at it, the boy was the one who needed protection. A minute passed, Yun Ye sneered for real. ¡°You said to rely on you, little idiot?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­.¡± The author has something to say£º Bai Tu: I¡¯ll give you three seconds to kneel and apologize to me!! CH 7 Bai Tu was so enraged that his chest ached. He never imagined the considerate and lovable little apprentice before he would appear to outsiders as some kind of ruffian. Had it not been for his current disguise, he would have already¡ª Bai Tu staggered backward after being caught off guard by his unexpected attack. Soon after, something flew past close to his eyes and sank deep into the trunk beside him with a crisp thud. It was a razor-sharp bamboo arrow. Bai Tu immediately realized that they must have set off a trap within the secret realm. Without a second to spare, more bamboo poles shot out from the woods in all directions. Bai Tu would innately disregard such a trivial trap. He was about to avoid it when Yun Ye rushed out and grabbed Bai Tu¡¯s arm. Behind them, a row of bamboo poles pierced deep into the ground. After avoiding the wave of traps, Yun Ye released his hold, and said with his sight elsewhere, ¡°Be careful, little idiot.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t ever call me that, screw off!!¡¯ Bai Tu¡¯s rage intensified, and steam puffed out from his ears. He glared at Yun Ye and ignored him. The latter simply looked at the fuming young man with great interest. He thought his current appearance was adorable and could not stop himself from teasing him. ¡°Why? So terrified that you can¡¯t even speak? ¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Just you wait.¡¯ Bai Tu closed his eyes and forced himself to calm down. A few breaths later, he said, ¡°It¡¯s dangerous here. Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Yun Ye¡¯s lips curled up in an arc, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling. ¡°Why should I listen to you? ¡°You¡ª¡± Before Bai Tu could finish, Yun Ye had already strode further into the woods, leaving him with an image of a departing back. ¡®This person¡ª!¡¯ Bai Tu stomped his feet a few times and trotted after him in the end. ¡°Why don¡¯t you listen ¡®til I finish talking?¡± Yun Ye kept walking ahead. ¡°Why are you so long-winded?¡± ¡°When was I ever long-winded? You ignored me first!¡± Yun Ye abruptly came to a halt in his steps. Bai Tu was caught off guard and rammed into the other¡¯s solid back. As Bai Tu rubbed the injured part of his head, Yun Ye looked at him over his shoulder. His eyes filled with menacing coldness. ¡°Let me get this straight. I don¡¯t have time to mess with you. So¡­ ¡°Get lost.¡± Yun Ye ignored Bai Tu¡¯s reaction and continued on his way after saying those words. Bai Tu was astonished for a moment. He wanted to drag the other back here, but he did not know what else to say. So he just stood there motionless, watching the person¡¯s back vanish into the dense fog. He exhaled a soft sigh. Just as he was about to take a step forward, Bai Tu felt pain in his abdomen. The pain could go unnoticed, as it merely resembled a small hammer tapping from within. However, for Bai Tu to feel this was something strange. He had already escaped the confines of the mundane and transformed into an immortal body. Contacting common illnesses was no longer possible, so how could he suddenly experience abdominal pain? Bai Tu condensed a small amount of spiritual power in his palm and was about to examine himself when shallow footsteps sounded in front of him. A shadow loomed over his curled frame. Bai Tu raised his head, meeting Yun Ye¡¯s solemn expression with flippancy. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already leave? Why are you still here?¡± ¡®¡­ What¡¯s wrong with this person? Are you the owner of the woods? And free to come and go as you please?¡¯ ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t dare walk this way, do you?¡± Yun Ye crossed his arms with a look of ¡°I have seen through you.¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± He had no clue how many times, but Bai Tu sincerely regretted why he refused to choke him to death in the swamp the first time he met the wolf cub. Bai Tu religiously chanted in his heart several times, ¡®This is a cub raised by me. I must endure revolting.¡¯ He patiently said, ¡°I will leave now.¡± When Bai Tu turned around to leave, Yun Ye opened his mouth. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°¡­ What? ¡± Bai Tu clenched his teeth before asking in a low voice. Yun Ye made a clicking motion with his tongue. ¡°Rather than pretending, if you¡¯re afraid, just say it. I¡¯ll send you back. Lest you return and blame me once you¡¯re out.¡± Bai Tu refused to comment. Regardless, Yun Ye ultimately agreed to accompany Bai Tu. The two retraced their steps, but when they reached the clearing from when they first entered the realm, not a single soul was there. ¡°Something¡¯s not right,¡± Yun Ye muttered to Bai Tu. ¡°You should be cautious.¡± Bai Tu responded with a hum and swiveled his head left and right. In an instant, his eyes lit up, and he dashed toward a nearby tree. ¡°Come here.¡± Yun Ye walked over. Three deep ravines gouged out on the tree trunk, which seemed to be caused by some giant beast. ¡°The scratches of a monster beast,¡± Yun Ye observed. Bai Tu gave a nod. ¡°Sure is.¡± As soon as his voice fell, a slight noise winded off within the woods not far away from their location. Bai Tu and Yun Ye met each other¡¯s gaze and trod quickly towards the sound. An entry-level disciple laid on the ground covered with grass. Blood spurted and gushed out from three long and deep gorges on his back, staining a large portion of his clothes as well as the grass he was sleeping on was red. ¡°Help¡­ save me¡­¡± As the two approached, the disciple reached out to them, blood trickling from his mouth. Bai Tu crouched down to examine the disciple¡¯s injury. ¡°You can¡¯t save him,¡± Yun Ye scoffed as he stood beside him, watching. ¡°Don¡¯t squander your energy.¡± As soon as he said that, Bai Tu realized the disciple was gravely injured and shed a lot of blood. Moreover, he had tried his utmost to recover himself countless times. When the disciple heard this, he dived to grab Bai Tu¡¯s sleeves. ¡°No, no, please save me. I don¡¯t want to go, I want to enter Tianyang Sect. I¡­ want¡­¡± His pupils dilated as the light in his eyes dimmed. A white light emanated from his body and blanketed the disciple. As the glow fizzled and disappeared, the corpse vanished in its place. Death within the secret realm was counted as a failure of the trial. Disciples who lost their lives were teleported out of the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning by a spell without worrying about their lives outside. This was also the reason Bai Tu and Yun Ye encountered no corpse along the way. Bai Tu stood up, his brows knitted. ¡°What kind of monster beast is so powerful that it can kill so many people all at once?¡± The realm¡¯s space was larger than an entry-level disciple could imagine, and each area was unique on its own. When the teleportation array was activated, it would send the disciples in batches to different areas at random. There were also 20 or 30 people who teleported with them, and they were all eliminated in such a brief instant. Bai Tu pursed his lips, always feeling strange. So far, many people in their group possessed cultivation bases decent enough not to be called weak. There was no reason not to band together, and yet even a single monstrous beast could not be defeated. All of a sudden, the surrounding ground shook violently. Their complexions changed at the same time, just as a roar of a wild beast reverberated from the depths of the forest. A white tiger as tall as an adult man leaped out of the bushes. Its scarlet pair of eyes looked upon the two as if they were ants. The white tiger bellowed and rushed towards the two of them. A bright flash of a sword came from the forest as the long sword behind Yun Ye was unsheathed. But the sword blade pierced straight out, merely scratched along the tiger¡¯s fur, as if hitting a hard brick wall with a loud clanging noise. Baihu was pushed back by the sword intent on a few steps, yet his body was sustained, not an angle cut at all. Yun Ye tsked. ¡°Trouble.¡± He readied into a stance and was about to launch forward when he caught sight of the young boy beside him taking something out from the cloth bag and hurled it to the Baihu. A vial spell exploded near Bai Hu¡¯s feet, and a glowing blue barrier shackled the white tiger like a cage. Yun Ye asked, ¡°Where did you get these things?¡± Bai Tu was not in the mood to explain, and just left it with, ¡°It won¡¯t last long. Let¡¯s escape first.¡± Yun Ye thought about it and said nothing in the end. He darted farther into the woods with Bai Tu. The two ran to the end of the forest, but there was only a cliff ahead of them. Yun ye squatted on the edge of the cliff, looking towards the bottom of the cliff. A grayish mist shrouded the bottom of the cliff, and only the faint gurgling of water could give away its unknown. Yun Ye quipped, ¡°This is the way you lead?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± In all honesty, the Mysterious Realm of the Beginning was so vast. Plus he had only entered this once, so was it odd that Bai Tu could not find his way? He never visited these woods! Bai Tu refused to answer him about this, and remarked instead, ¡°There¡¯s something up with that monster beast.¡± ¡°Naturally, something is wrong,¡± Yun Ye asserted. ¡°Otherwise, how could there be such a powerful monster beast in the secret realm who could murder 20 to 30 people in an instant and remain unscathed under the sword, with my full strength?¡± ¡°You mean someone meddled with the realm? How could this be possible¡­¡± Yun Ye¡¯s mouth hooked up to an arc. ¡°Why is it impossible?¡± Bai Tu was at a loss for words. After all, this was only a trial. Even if you die within the realm, you would just be teleported out of the Tianyan Sect unscathed at all. If there was something worth tampering within here, could it be¡­ Recalling what the previous disciple breathed a while ago, Bai Tu became aware. He hesitated. ¡°They did it for¡­¡± Yun Ye: ¡°For Immortal Lord Zhaohua.¡± Yun Ye¡¯s eyes glowed with a mocking smile. ¡°The Tianyan Sect announced to the public Immortal Lord Zhaohua intended to choose an apprentice from among the level-entry disciples. Therefore, this trial is built differently from the previous ones. For those who come to take part in the trial, the fewer the people leaving the secret realm smoothly after seven days, the more favorable it will be.¡± Bai Tu could already foresee that in seven days, only an awful little number of people would leave the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning without a hitch. This may be the legendary saying to steal the chicken, only to end up losing the rice used to lure it. ¡°What are your plans now?¡± Bai Tu inquired. Yun Ye looked at him with a frown. ¡°I¡¯ve been benevolent and righteous in keeping you by my side for so long. Why do you still want to follow me? ¡± What¡¯s the point of him coming in if he did not follow him? Bai Tu paused for a moment to reflect. His hand snaked and pinched a thigh, and he raised a pair of watery eyes toward Yun Ye. In the latter¡¯s eyes, Bai Tu became a timid and delicate young man. Bai Tu clutched the small cloth bag slung on his shoulder with both hands and gazed at Yun Ye cautiously. ¡°Can¡¯t I follow you?¡± Yun Ye lowered his head and gazed into the glistening, watery eyes. For some reason, the appearance of his shizun he saw in the dream when his inner demon took control of, suddenly appeared in his mind. He lost to his senses for a while, just as the Bai Hu roared again in the woods behind them. Five spotted white tigers stalked out of the woods, alert, intimidating, and all with ferocious faces. A white tiger, who seemed to lead the group, approached the two of them and opened its mouth, revealing a pair of razor-sharp canines. Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± He tried his best to avoid fighting with the monster beasts, not only because he believed it was unnecessary but also was worried Yun Ye would find some clues. However, compared to trivial things, Yun Ye passing the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning smoothly and getting the Tai Chu held more importance. A small amount of spiritual power gathered in Bai Tu¡¯s palm, but Yun Ye grabbed his wrist at the same time. Bai Tu turned his head, and the young man said without a change in his expression, ¡°Hold on to me.¡± Right after he said this, Yun Ye threw the long sword in his hand and jumped off the cliff riding it. *** A deep pond lay beneath the cliff. Twilight hovered over them, signaling the end of their first day, and the fire crackled and flickered, illuminating the cave walls beside the pool. Bai Tu knelt beside the fire and sat. His entire body was drenched, and he silently observed Yun Ye, who was lighting the fire. Even with such excellent swordsmanship, Yun Ye lost control and caused them all to fall into the deep pool together simply because he had another person to carry. ¡®How negligent is this person of practice?¡¯ Yun Ye picked up firewood and stole a glance at Bai Tu, who was dripping wet from head to toe. It was rare for him to feel apologetic. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this is my first time flying with the sword.¡± He was not lying. Apart from not mentioning his previous life, he had indeed not cultivated well in this lifetime. His current body was not yet in the golden core stage; he may have some skills, but executing them would be difficult without a solid foundation in cultivation. Bai Tu was aware of his apprentice¡¯s virtues, but he only glanced at his mouth and paid no attention to him further. Yun Ye picked up another firewood, glanced at Bai Tu once more, and whispered, ¡°Sorry, it was my first time to use the sword to carry people.¡± Bai Tu pursed his lips, too lazy to talk to him. Yet Yun Ye was dissatisfied. ¡°I saved your life. Shouldn¡¯t you say thank you?¡± ¡°¡­ Many thanks.¡± Yun Ye was perfectly content with his ambitions. Then he remembered something and inquired, ¡°You, little idiot, want to worship my shizun as your master too, don¡¯t you?¡± Bai Tu gritted his teeth and enunciated word by word, ¡°Do. Not. Call. Me. Little. Idiot.¡± Yun Ye: ¡°Then what is your name?¡± Bai Tu became silent for a short while, then said, ¡°¡­ Tu Bai.¡± Yun Ye nodded. ¡°Oh,¡± then said, ¡°Little idiot, I tell you, my shizun will not accept other disciples. You can¡¯t have your wish fulfilled.¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± Bai Tu paused and probed, ¡°How do you know Immortal Lord Zhaohua won¡¯t accept any disciples?¡± Ling Weijun himself orchestrated the rumor of accepting disciples. Bai Tu never took it to heart, let alone mentioned it to Yun Ye, and the latter never asked him as well. ¡®How is he convinced that I won¡¯t accept more disciples?¡¯ Yun Ye¡¯s expression became a little strange and stiff. He did not speak for a few breaths, and then said perfunctorily, ¡°Anyway, he just won¡¯t.¡± The night was already deep, and a gust of night wind howled from the entrance of the cave, which hit Bai Tu¡¯s body. He shuddered violently, only to feel the nipping cold all over his small body. Apart from it, the chill was also getting heavier and heavier. Bai Tu could no longer endure and rubbed his arms softly curling up without realizing it. When Yun Ye tilted his head in the boy¡¯s direction, his eyes widened at such a scene. A delicate young man huddled up on a spot¡ªhis face devoid of colors and trembling like so. Yun Ye furrowed and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Bai Tu¡¯s lips were trembling. He chattered, ¡°¡­ cold.¡± Ever since he ascended and reached an immortal body, he had already forgotten what it was like to be chilled down to the bones for a long, long time. Bai Tu curled up his limbs into a fetal position, desperately trying to warm himself up. It did nothing at all. As Bai Tu¡¯s consciousness gradually became blurry and muddled, he felt someone approaching his shivering body. The source of high heat warmed his body a little. He instinctively leaned in and stretched out his arms to trap the heat source tight enough to transfer the warmth completely. Yun Ye: ¡°¡­¡± The author has something to say: Yun Ye: Except for Shizun, I will hug no one else. Bai ¡°Little idiot¡± Tu: Okay, here I come. CH 8 Yun Ye wanted to push the person away, but the body in his arms was concerningly as cold as ice. The thin and petite boy incessantly drilled into his arms, squirming and holding Yun Ye¡¯s hem with tight-fisted hands. Once Yun Ye¡¯s shocked-stiff body had softened, Bai Tu reclined to his body more. Yun Ye could not come to terms for a while. He stroked Bai Tu¡¯s vest twice and made up his mind. His hand reached out to the lapels of his vest. Bai Tu closed his eyes tightly and shrank as if trying to avoid it. ¡°Don¡¯t move.¡± Yun Ye laid him close to the fire, trapped Bai Tu¡¯s hands above his head with a hand, and straddled him to keep the boy¡¯s feet, who kept trembling into a fetal position, still. ¡°You¡¯re soaked all over. You must remove your clothes.¡± He was uncertain if Bai Tu heard it, but the boy stopped moving under him and let Yun Ye remove his soaked vest. Yun Ye laid down his clothes near the fire and glanced at the boy, still huddled next to the fire. Only a thin coat covered the youthful boy¡¯s upper body. The texture exposed on the collar¡¯s edge was smooth and delicate. Blue-green blood vessels could be seen in the pale skin, like faint inks on a fragile piece of warm jade that appeared almost transparent. Yun Ye averted his gaze while clearing his throat. His back slowly arched and his clothes slipped to the ground, and only an adult gray wolf remained in the cave that night. The wolf was clad in silver ash-gray fur that shone and looked soft in the warm light of the fire. It had a large and healthy body. The four limbs thrummed with power from within, exuding a majestic presence. The gray wolf approached the young man¡¯s side, stretched out his paw, and then froze in mid-air. He carefully slid the boy, who had evolved into the shape of a ball, into its chest. It shuffled a few times in place, facing its back to the entrance to ward off the blowing of the night wind. Only the furs on its waist and abdomen were comparatively soft, with each fibre of its silver-gray fur being fine and tough. The boy leaned against the wolf¡¯s belly, his hands subconsciously caressing and gripping the warm and nice place at the wolf¡¯s waist. The gray wolf let out a low whine and slapped the treacherous hands away with his paw. ¡®Where is this little blockhead touching?!¡¯ Yun Ye grumbled angrily and pinned the boy¡¯s deceptive hands and feet with his larger wolf¡¯s paws. The flickering flames of the firewood, combined with the warmth they provided, created an atmosphere enhanced by the silhouettes of a person and a wolf cuddled together, reflecting on the walls of the cave. Yun Ye gradually fell asleep. After a long while, he had a dream. The dream¡¯s endless snow-capped mountains and biting arctic wind were identical to Yun Ye¡¯s previous life when he first entered the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning. At the time, he was still an entry-level disciple of the Tianyan Sect. Yun Ye had just transformed into a human being. While carefully concealing his demonic power, he worked hand in hand with other disciples to protect himself. Six days flew by in the blink of an eye just like that. On the seventh day, the exit of the realm opened on time, and the closest portal to them was on top of the snow-capped mountain. The disciples must leave the secret realm by the end of the seventh day, or they will fail the trial. And, just to be on the same side, more monstrous beasts gathered near the exit of the realm than ever before. After a bitter struggle, everyone finally reached the exit less than two hours before it closed. However, unbeknownst to everyone¡¯s expectations and hopes, a massive monstrous beast tramped in front of them. There was not much time left. If you clashed with another beast again, you would miss out on the chance to leave the secret realm. Yun Ye was pushed away by his companions, leaving him to deal with the monstrous alone. It was only after he attracted the firepower of the monstrous beast that he realized his companions had already forsaken him and scrambled toward the exit of the secret realm themselves. The monstrous beast was formidable, and just as he was about to crash down to the ground, a person appeared in front of him. It was a young man who was reserved and never showed enthusiasm for communicating with the other disciples. Yun Ye did not have any impression of him because of this. But it was this person who picked up an iron sword dropped by someone else as they thwarted toward the portal. The one who courageously wielded a single sword to sever an arm of the monstrous beast, and the Ling Ran¡¯s intent brightened the entire summit of the snow-clad mountain. Soon after, the man turned his head. An earnest and clear voice resonated in his head. ¡°Prick its heart, right now.¡± Yun Ye subconsciously lifted his sword and pierced the monstrous beast¡¯s heart, as if driven by a newfound strength. The surroundings shook as the beast bellowed in pain. It staggered a few steps back and finally collapsed to the ground. The body of the monstrous beast transformed into a long sword after it fell to the ground, and it was only then that Yun Ye realized that this was the monstrous beast in charge of guarding Tai Chu. Those who killed the monstrous beast with their own hands could become the next master of Tai Chu. Yun Ye picked up Tai Chu and looked at the young man who assisted him, but the other just shook his head and pushed him on the way out. And, in the midst of his confusion, Yun Ye noticed that the area where they had previously fought had suddenly collapsed, and the billowing snow had quickly engulfed everything in sight, including the young man¡¯s body. He didn¡¯t even get the man¡¯s name after he saved his life. Until a long time later, Immortal Lord Zhaohua displayed the same sword technique in front of him. There could be similar tricks, but the sword¡¯s intent, which was unique to the world, could not be false. And all along, the man who saved his life and assisted him in obtaining Tai Chu was his Immortal Lord Zhaohua. *** When Bai Tu awoke the following morning, the firewood beside him had been reduced to ashes. He sat up, noticing the coldness that had once pervaded his body had vanished, replaced by warmth. He looked down at the neat clothes he wore and thumbed the lapels on his vest, ¡®Did someone take off my clothes last night?¡¯ Soft footsteps approached the cave¡¯s entrance, and Yun Ye¡¯s figure appeared soon after. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you¡¯re awake. Do you feel better now? ¡± Bai Tu gave a nod. He opened his mouth, but his words became clogged in his throat, and he was hesitant to ask Yun Ye, ¡°Did you undress me yesterday? ¡± The other walked up to him and handed him some fruits. ¡°First, eat something. I have scouted the area, and this seems to be a valley. It would take more than a half-day to get out. As it should be, given that I can fly, but you¡­¡± Yun Ye looked down at him, his eyes filled with doubt. ¡°Have you mastered sword flying?¡± Bai Tu stalled for time without answering. Instead, his hands picked up the fruit and took a bite. The fruit had a sweet and sour punch to it, but it was still palatable. However, as soon as Bai Tu chewed the fruit, he felt a sharp pain in his abdomen. His arms moved on their own to push Yun Ye away, as he bolted and crouched down on the grass outside the cave, retching. But he couldn¡¯t spit anything out. Yun Ye frowned at the man squatting at the cave¡¯s entrance. ¡°No matter how off-putting the fruit I chose, you don¡¯t have to act like this, do you?¡± ¡± Bai Tu pressed his clenched hand on his abdomen, unable to say a word. His body had been acting strangely recently. Bai Tu had never contracted a disease or suffered from it since his arrival in this cultivation world. Yet lately, first he was in poor spirits, then he was all chills and felt nauseated as if his body was trying to make up for the sickness he missed in the previous 100 years. Could it be that his cultivation base was more enervated than necessary when he helped Yun Ye subdue the inner demons leaving sequelae? Bai Tu sagged outside the cave, squatting and looking miserable. Yun Ye approached him after watching from the sidelines. ¡°Are you really that sick?¡± ¡± He knelt and poked his finger against Bai Tu¡¯s brow. When the other raised his misty, confused eyes, a teasing smile glimmered in Yun Ye¡¯s. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t pretend to be sick just because you¡¯re afraid I¡¯ll leave you behind, right?¡± ¡®Scram.¡¯ If Bai Tu¡¯s eyes radiated lasers, he¡¯d most likely be dead by now. ¡°I¡¯m just kidding with you,¡± Yun Ye said as he stood up and bent down with his back to him. ¡°Climb up, I¡¯ll carry you. If you don¡¯t hurry, it will soon be dark.¡± Except for the occasional rustling of the leaves and the breeze, there was nothing but silence in the woods. Bai Tu laid on Yun Ye¡¯s back, content despite the bobbing motion as Yun Ye paced. When he tilted his head, he caught sight of Yun Ye¡¯s deep and handsome side profile. Bai Tu had never looked at him from this angle before. Yun Ye¡¯s face was captivating. With the untamed edges of his brows, his face was undeniably the most appealing face to little girls. Bai Tu caught wind that the female cultivators in Tianyan Sect were divided into two factions. Half of them covertly adore Immortal Lord Zhaohua, while the other half fancy Yun Ye. With such a face, it was really hard not to have people chasing after you. ¡°I know I look good, but you don¡¯t have to stare at me so hard, do you?¡± Yun Ye tilted his head and peered at him sideways. His tone was lighthearted. Bai Tu hastily withdrew his gaze, and stammered, ¡°How can you say you¡¯re good-looking? Don¡¯t you feel embarrassed? ¡± ¡°Am I not telling the truth?¡± Yun Ye arched his eyebrows. Then he chuckled as if something amusing had occurred to him. ¡°I¡¯m not sure. If you act like this when you see me, I wonder if you can still walk if you see my shizun. ¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± His remarks aroused Bai Tu¡¯s curiosity. He chewed on it for a while and asked, ¡°Can you tell me about your master?¡± ¡°What can I say?¡± Yun Ye let out a laugh as he shook his head. ¡°The deeds of Immortal Lord Zhaohua are well known across the lands. Do you still know any less?¡± Bai Tu would trade anything to find out what his apprentice thought of him. He allowed the words to guide him to elicit an answer. ¡°But those are stories told by others.¡± You must know something that others do not because you are close to him.¡± Yun Ye was taken aback for a moment and nearly faltered. He shook his head, and both sides of his mouth hooked up. ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± ¡°My shizun¡­ is not as cold and ruthless, unlike other people. He¡¯s a wonderful person.¡± Yun Ye gazed into the distant mountains and forest, savoring the precious emotions filling him. His mind wandered back to the dream last night and his eyes unconsciously softened. ¡°He nurtures a kind heart. Righteous and unadulterated, and always treating the people who care about him well, and he treats them nicely despite everything, and sometimes, even puts the overall situation more important than himself.¡± ¡°¡­ He sounds like such a fool.¡± His perception of him was broader than he had anticipated. As he buried his head on Yun Ye¡¯s back, Bai Tu¡¯s heart pounded erratically on his chest. The tips of his ears were scorching. He made a blunder. He didn¡¯t want to hear it at all. ¡®Don¡¯t bring it up again.¡¯ Yun Ye appeared to have noticed his abnormality. He adjusted his hold and turned his head back. Yun Ye peeped with brows clenched together and asked, ¡°Well, that was rather a pleasant talk. Wait, why are you blushing?¡± ¡°I, I¡¯m not¡­¡± Yun Ye put Bai Tu down and turned around, pivoting on his heel. His arms were crossed as he looked down at him. ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet, yet your ears are all beat red.¡± Bai Tu took two steps back and averted his gaze. Yun Ye followed in his footsteps and cornered Bai Tu against a tree. Bai Tu saw a gap and was about to slip when his path was blocked by Yun Ye¡¯s arm. The latter leaned in close to his face and narrowed his eyes at Bai Tu. ¡°You can¡¯t be¡­¡± Bai Tu¡¯s heart was pounding so loudly that it obscured his normal hearing, and he almost missed Yun Ye¡¯s words. ¡°¡­ Do you like my shizun too?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I like Xianjun Zhaohua as well,¡± Bai Tu bit the bullet and lied through his teeth. Yun Ye gave him a frown and a sidelong glance. After a while, he said in a low voice, ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yun Ye shot a scornful look into Bai Tu¡¯s eyes. A few seconds later, nipping words escaped his lips. ¡°You are not permitted to admire my shizun. Only I can like him.¡± Bai Tu was taken aback because he thought he had heard something incorrectly. Then he burst out laughing. Yun Ye¡¯s frown became even more pronounced. ¡°What¡¯s so amusing about it?¡± ¡± ¡°I thought you were going to say something. It turned out to be jealousy.¡± The more Bai Tu looked at his little apprentice, the cuter he became in Bai Tu¡¯s eyes. He cracked a smile. ¡°There are many people in the world who admire Xianjun Zhaohua. Can you afford to be busy if you have to be envious of everyone? ¡± Yun Ye¡¯s face became dour. ¡°That¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Where is it different?¡± Yun Ye fell silent. He swivelled in place and rested his back against the tree. A breath escaped him as he lowered his head eyes and faced the person beside him, who awaited his response. The young man resembled nothing like his shizun, yet he always had a feeling that he could perceive the shadows of his shizun in this person. Yun Ye fixated his sight on those unpretentious and clear eyes and did not notice that his voice had softened. ¡°My liking differs from them.¡± The author has something to say: The little boy is frantically looking for a sense of existence~ CH 9 Bai Tu¡¯s heart skipped a beat, and he did not recover from his shock for a while. ¡®What does he mean? What do you mean by¡­ different from them?¡¯ Yun Ye rarely displayed an unsmiling expression. His dark eyes hung such heavy emotions that Bai Tu found it hard to comprehend, almost making him breathless from unease. Bai Tu stuttered. ¡°You¡­ you mean¡­¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Yun Ye chuckled and cast his eyes on the scenery ahead. ¡°Shizun is kind to me. I like him, respect him, and appreciate him. Naturally, it differed from the superficial likes of others.¡± Bai Tu was stumped for words. After a while, he let out a low ¡°Oh.¡± ¡®Ah, so this is what he meant. What a false alarm.¡¯ Yun Ye glanced at him and walked forward. ¡°If you just stand there, little idiot, we won¡¯t be able to get out of this forest when it gets dark.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Call. Me. Little. Idiot!¡± ¡°Sure, sure. Let¡¯s go, lah.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± When they emerged out of the woods, the sky had already darkened, and pulsing flames from what appeared to be a bonfire could be seen not far away. The couple followed the throbbing glow of the fire, and as they got closer, it turned out to be a fire from a temporary camp. A crowd huddled around the burning firewood, and their depressed expressions and rugged appearance stood in stark contrast to the lively pulsation of the fire. The light also revealed wounds on some people¡¯s bodies, showing their struggle in a tough fight. Someone approached Bai Tu and Yun Ye as they walked up to the camp. It was the baby-faced teenager they first met when they entered the realm. The baby-faced seemed to be nervous. ¡°You¡­why did you come here?¡± Bai Tu said, ¡°We followed the fire. It¡¯s already getting late. Can we stay the night at the camp too?¡± ¡°This¡­¡± The boy showed a hesitant look on his face. ¡°There are too many people here. I¡¯m afraid that there won¡¯t be enough tents. You might as well¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± A voice sounded behind the boy, and soon, a figure came out behind him. It was the youngster surnamed Yin who led the group earlier. The doll-faced boy shrank and whispered, ¡°Yin-shixiong, they just found the place¡­.¡± The juvenile looked down at them. ¡°Since you¡¯re here already, just stay.¡± Behind them, someone sitting beside the fire also remarked. ¡°That¡¯s right; I can give up a tent here. But you have to squeeze together.¡± ¡°It¡¯s also dangerous to wander around at night. If everyone¡¯s here, then we should be able to protect each other.¡± Bai Tu and Yun Ye looked at each other simultaneously and saw the same concerns reflected in their own eyes. Yun Ye nodded at him imperceptibly. Bai Tu turned his head toward the two individuals. ¡°Thank you.¡± Everyone sat down. The throbbing of the fire seemed to emanate a calming effect as they all let out sighs. Once they were set in, they talked about the experience they had encountered in the past two days. The people in the group suffered from the attacks of monsters. It was a stroke of luck that some had basic cultivation skills and escaped the claws of death. Unfortunately, those who had no martial arts training were eliminated as early as a day ago. Someone rebuked, ¡°I have heard that Tianyan Sect¡¯s entry assessment is difficult, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be this hard. How many people can leave the secret realm alive if this continues?¡± ¡°Perhaps because they want to harvest good seedlings, the trial¡¯s difficulty increased.¡± ¡°How could there be such an increase in their method? Is the Tianyan Sect not planning to recruit disciples this year?¡± ¡°Stop the idle chatter.¡± Beside Bai Tu, the youngster surnamed Yin threw his words without care. ¡°With this free time, it¡¯d be better to rest and await the next assessment.¡± Yin Shaoyang was the name of this individual. He had been practicing in an obscure little cultivation sect with the baby-faced boy with whom he shared the same class since he was a child. Two of them had a foundation in cultivation because of their time spent learning at an early age. They also took the lead in temporarily establishing this camp and gathered the disciples who were still alive within a hundred-li radius to look after each other. After hushing the other disciples, Yin Shaoyang assigned a few people to take turns as night watch vigils while the rest of the unselected returned to their tents to rest. The baby-faced boy kept his head down and said nothing the entire time. Only when everyone entered their temporary sleeping quarters did he stand up and trod to the tent where he stayed. Bai Tu looked pensive as he watched the small back of the departing figure. He followed. ¡°Jing Yan.¡± The boy, whose name was called, paused in his steps and turned around. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Master Tu?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°In the woods where we teleported before, everyone died from the mouth of the tiger demon. Why are you the only one who retreated?¡± Jing Yan evaded his gaze and cracked a smile with a guilty conscience. ¡°I have learned swordsmanship with a Senior Martial Brother for a few years. Thus, it may be counted as good luck.¡± A slight frown formed on Bai Tu¡¯s brows. He just stared at the other and said nothing. ¡°You¡¯re here, ah, Xiao Bai.¡± All of a sudden, someone patted Bai Tu¡¯s shoulder from behind. A familiar breath leaned over, and Bai Tu looked over his shoulder. Sure enough, the disturbance was Yun Ye again. Yun Ye: ¡°Leave first and go to bed. If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll lock you out.¡± Having said that, regardless of whether Bai Tu consented, he hooked an arm on Bai Tu¡¯s and dragged him in the direction of their tent. Once the two entered the tent, Bai Tu pushed Yun Ye away. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me.¡± The latter raised his eyebrows and messed around with him. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? We¡¯re all men. Why can¡¯t you be touched? Could it be that¡­ you are a female cultivator?¡± Bai Tu was flustered. ¡°Where do I look like a female cultivator?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that.¡± Yun Ye sat on the sole bed inside the tent, which was thin enough to house only one person. He propped his chin on his hand. ¡°Or are you a Shuang¡¯er?¡± There¡¯s a special kind of man in this world. They were like any other ordinary man, but they were able to bear children, which is called Shuang¡¯er. Bai Tu stared at him incredulously. ¡°Naturally not!¡± ¡°Okay, lah. I¡¯m just kidding.¡± Yun Ye reclined on the bed. He tilted his head to one side and said, ¡°Come and sleep, little white rabbit.¡± Bai Tu tossed his head toward the other. ¡°What did you call me?¡± Yun Ye cracked a smile. ¡°Tu Bai, white rabbit. Aren¡¯t you a little white rabbit?¡± TL/N: Í¿°×(tu bai); smearing/colored white, С(xiao); little, °×ÍÃ(bai tu); white rabbit Bai Tu: ¡°¡­..¡± The fire in the camp dimmed bit by bit as the night grew deep. Bai Tu had been lying on the bed for some time, but he could not sleep. He turned over, and as expected, Yun Ye was not asleep either. Bai Tu asked, ¡°Why are you still awake?¡± Yun Ye put his arms behind his head and deliberated. ¡°Same reason as yours.¡± When Bai Tu kept quiet, Yun Ye said, ¡°What are you pretending for? Aren¡¯t you suspecting something is amiss with that senior disciple?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Bai Tu divulged his suspicions. ¡°Gathering all the survivors in one place¡ªthis may be no problem if they did this at the beginning. However, with the current situation¡­ it looks like a deliberate plan shared between a few people.¡± Yun Ye lightly sneered. ¡°They want to catch them all in one net.¡± Bai Tu remained silent, and Yun Ye assured him, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± Yun Ye stretched out his hand and poked at the other¡¯s wrinkled forehead. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you going to sleep? If you become sick again like this morning, I won¡¯t carry on my back, little sickly person.¡± ¡®¡­ Just how many nicknames does this man have to give me???¡¯ Bai Tu gritted his teeth in anger and turned his back towards Yun Ye, ignoring him. He was worn out today and nodded off soon in his position. Not long before, a faint noise sounded outside the tent. Yun Ye snapped his eyes open, the corners of his mouth curling up. ¡®Finally.¡¯ Within the camp¡¯s perimeters, several white tigers prowled around the tents where everyone was resting. It was quiet in the temporary camp as all the disciples were snoring or drooling. The white tigers crept up on the sleeping disciples and murdered them in their sleep. The unfortunate disciples were then silently teleported out of the secret realm, oblivious to the cause of their death in the Realm. A white tiger trod to the tent where Bai Tu and Yun Ye slept. It was about to enter the tent when a cold sword blade pierced out and sank into the white tiger¡¯s chest in a flash. The deeply sunken sword¡¯s blade twisted inside the white tiger¡¯s flesh and slashed through the other end in one fell swoop before the white tiger could utter a sound. In the end, the separated head could not utter a groan before falling to the ground. The tent opened, and Yun Ye stepped out. His eyes glistened with a sly demonic light, and his voice was soft and low as he said, ¡°Hush, be quiet. A little white rabbit is sleeping inside.¡± The author has something to say: Bai Tu: How many nicknames do I have? Yun Ye: Little idiot, little white rabbit, little sickly person, Bai Xiaoruan, Wifey¡­ Bai Tu: How did you come up with the latter one??? CH 10 Not far from the infiltrated camp, two figures crept through the woods. ¡°Yin¡ªSenior Brother Yin¡­¡± Jing Yan¡¯s face was deathly pale as he stretched out a trembling hand to hold Yin Shaoyang. ¡°Should we really leave them alone?¡± ¡°So what? I told you they aren¡¯t dead,¡± Yin Shaoyang shouted through his exasperation. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re so faint-hearted. What¡¯s the big deal?¡± Jing Yan involuntarily shrank. ¡°Yes, but¡ª¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to worry about. If you don¡¯t want to go, stay here and feed yourself to those monsters.¡± As soon as he finished speaking, a figure emerged from the woods before them. Yun Ye¡¯s clothes and hair accessories were not disheveled at all. Although the moonlight was faint, it still illuminated the viscous downward movement of what appeared to be blood trailing down the sword he brandished before the two. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± He opened his eyelids, exposing the demon allure in his eyes that had yet to dissipate. Both were shocked. Yin Shaoyang took a half step back seamlessly, blocking Jing Yan behind him. ¡°Why are you here?¡± Yun Ye asked back, ¡°What do you think?¡± A frown crept up his brows as his right hand carefully reached inside his robe. However, he was met with surprise. There was nothing in there. ¡°Are you looking for this?¡± Yun Ye asked casually. He raised his hand, holding a jade flute at his fingertips. ¡°You¡ª¡± Yin Shaoyang gaped at him in astonishment. He roared in disbelief, ¡°You stole my jade flute?!¡± He always carried this flute close to his body, and never once did he put it away. When did this person steal it from him? Yun Ye was unbothered to offer any explanation. His following words were willfully stretched out as his fingers traced the jade flute slowly as if he recalled something from memory. ¡°If I¡¯m not mistaken, this should be something of the Demon Race?¡± Yun Ye paused but never gave the other a chance to speak as he said coldly, ¡°Do tell me, who gave you this?¡± ¡°No comment.¡± Yun Ye deliberated an ¡°oh,¡± ostensibly as if he was surprised at this answer. He raised the jade flute to his mouth and played a tune right then. Yin Shaoyang realized right then what he was going to do and shouted, ¡°No, stop!¡± ¡°Yin, Senior Brother Yin¡­¡± Jing Yan clutched his clothes from behind, and his voice shuddered immensely to the point his words became hard to understand. ¡°Brother Yin, look¡­.¡± Within the unlighted woods, countless pairs of moss-green lights lit up like predators lurking in the dark, waiting and staring at the luscious feast before them. Yun Ye put down the jade flute and calmly turned around, heading back towards the camp. As soon as he was a few steps away, several massivewhite tigers stepped forward and surrounded the horror-stricken individuals in the middle of a forest. ¡°No, don¡¯t! I don¡¯t want to leave yet! You come back, come back¡ª!!!¡± The coarse shrieks soon quieted down, and silence returned under the night sky. Yun Ye walked out of the woods with a bored expression and spotted a delicate young man waiting not far away. As he approached, Bai Tu furrowed and implored, ¡°How could you lynch them?¡± Yun Ye took out the jade in the lapels of his clothes, unconcerned. ¡°They used this method to harm so many people. I just fed them their own evil fruits.¡± Bai Tu shook his head. ¡°That wasn¡¯t in compliance with the rules.¡± ¡°Rules?¡± Yun Ye raised an eyebrow and leaned closer toward Bai Tu. ¡°Have I ever told you that sometimes your voice is like my shizun?¡± Bai Tu averted his eyes. ¡°¡­ How is that possible? How can I compare to the Venerable Immortal?¡± ¡°Naturally, you can¡¯t.¡± Yun Ye straightened up and declared his following words while he thumbed his chin. ¡°My shizun has a profound cultivation level and is good-looking. Way in contrast to a little idiot who¡¯s fragilely ill all day and has to be taken care of.¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Really, just you wait.¡¯ Bai Tu pondered for a while and asked, ¡°By the way, what are you going to do with that demonic flute?¡± Yun Ye rolled his eyes and rolled his words as he said, ¡°Why should I tell you?¡± Bai Tu felt bewildered by the tantamount attitude change this person had right now. He could not help but miss the real world outside the secret realm and his cute and docile apprentice. He chanted in his heart, ¡®You can¡¯t be angry. After all, this is the cub you raised yourself.¡¯ Bai Tu took a deep breath and inquired, ¡°Do you know the history of this thing?¡± A crack formed in Yun Ye¡¯s domineering expression, yet he remained silent. Bai Tu continued, ¡°Since Xianjun Zhaohua suppressed the Demon Abyss over ten years ago, there has been no occurrence of such a demonic weapon that can manipulate the human heart in this world for a long time. This is a demonic instrument.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Bai Tu patiently persuaded, ¡°A demonic instrument has emerged in this world. You must hand it over whether the said matter is great or trivial. Also, the two disciples who possessed the demonic weapon¡ª¡± ¡°You really are long-winded.¡± Yun Ye interrupted Bai Tu¡¯s words. He then scrutinized Bai Tu and questioned, ¡°Speaking of which, you are just an entry-level disciple of the Tianyan Sect. How are you so knowledgeable about these things?¡± The sudden interjection caused his brain to undergo a sudden buffer. Bai Tu stalled for some time, yet he still did not know how to explain. Fortunately, Yun Ye pressed no further, and both walked in the camp¡¯s direction without talking. As soon as they neared, they were welcomed by a group of disciples waiting at the center. Each wore the same complicated and befuddled expressions as if they had not yet awakened from the calamity they had foreseen in their dreams. Yun Ye glanced at the disciples in front of him, then turned his head to Bai Tu to say, ¡°Oh ho, you¡ªthis little idiot¡¯s magic tools are actually exceptional, ah. ¡°To create such a large illusion, to confuse the beasts and save those people without others knowing. Even if a senior cultivator wanted to do this, it¡¯d take some strain to accomplish.¡± Yun Ye asked, ¡°In the end, just where did you acquire so many strange magical instruments?¡± Bai Tu: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Can¡¯t this kid ask questions I can answer?¡¯ As a condition of his role, Bai Tu could not tell the reason. Yun Ye seemed to be frowning, but his outward face showed a calm facade while his eyes revealed his suspicions. He eyed Bai Tu for a few minutes, then walked up to the group of disciples and frankly proclaimed, ¡°I believe you all know what happened. The two individuals who controlled the monster to kill have been eliminated by us. Now, you can all go on your own since the crisis is lifted.¡± Everyone eyed each other in dismay and exchanged whispers but stood in their place. Yun Ye glowered. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Within the crowd, someone spoke up. ¡°How do we know there won¡¯t be more people like Yin Shaoyang outside? And¡­¡± ¡°And there are still countless traps and monsters outside. We can¡¯t take the risk anymore,¡± someone threaded. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s only been two days, and several people have died already. It¡¯s too perilous outside.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± Yun Ye listened to the clamor of those people, and the more he listened, the more upset he became. He interjected, ¡°Then what do you want?¡± Everyone looked at each other. The person with the most courage walked ahead of the crowd, seemed to find it hard to speak, and pleaded, ¡°Brother, we want to stay.¡± ¡°¡­ You are the disciple of Immortal Lord Zhaohua. By following you, we have a better chance of leaving the secret realm without many casualties.¡± Yun Ye eyeballed him for quite a while, then his mouth curled up a little. ¡°You¡¯ve made a good calculation.¡± As soon as he said that, he tilted his head to one side to look at Bai Tu blankly. ¡°What do you think?¡± Bai Tu gave the nod. ¡°There are still five days left. It¡¯d be better if we could take care of each other.¡± ¡°Okay, then do that.¡± Yun Ye stretched out an arm to clamp Bai Tu¡¯s shoulders, and he said, ¡°You can stay if you want. For the remaining days, he will arrange everything. No objections will be entertained.¡± Bai Tu: ¡­.??? If it were not for Yun Ye and Bai Tu tonight, this beast-infested portal would have become their first burial place. Thus, no objections were raised. When everyone dispersed, Bai Tu overtook and confronted Yun Ye. ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± Yun Ye placed his hands behind his back. ¡°Do you not like to train people? Now that I have given so many individuals for you to train, you¡¯re still dissatisfied?¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m too lazy to care for meddlesome things. Can you just help me?¡± Yun Ye said lightly and casually stepped into the tent he opened. He slumped onto the bed and rolled over. Then, his pointed finger beckoned at Bai Tu: ¡°Come over and sleep, little idiot.¡± Bai Tu did not move. In response, a slight wrinkle appeared on his brows. He seemed to have anticipated something. It was already deep into the night. Exhaustion soon took over, and everyone fell asleep, one after another. No sound could be heard aside from the rustling of the leaves. Nobody knew how much time had passed when a figure crept out of the camp. A sword light glimmered within the woods, followed by a silhouette of shadow flying across the sky. Once the light¡¯s mirage vanished, Bai Tu walked out of the forest, looking towards the horizon where the figure flew with a complicated expression. ¡®This wolf cub¡­.¡¯ Yun Ye drove the flying sword to a particular snow-capped mountain. This was where he faced the Hunyuan beast guarding Tai Chu. He espied a cavern to shelter from the wind and snow, then used his spiritual power to gather a pile of firewood and kindle fire. Yun Ye sat on the edge of the bonfire, lost in thought. His hands subconsciously reached to his chest and touched a small, hard object. It was a jasper-like, smoothly carved bluestone, which the delicate young man forcibly stuffed to him before elucidating that it was a spirit stone that could detect good and evil. He also had a clue where that person got those magic tools. Yun Ye always felt that the person resembled his master too much. Not the usual upright and aloof Immortal Lord Zhaohua, but rather the soft and frail master who was at the mercy of desire in his dream. At this moment, the spirit stone in Yun Ye¡¯s hand shuddered, and a faint brilliance appeared on the bluestone. Yun Ye frowned, jumped on his feet on instinct, and vacated the cave with a flying sword. The moment he left the cavern, the entrance collapsed. The earth and the rocks crumbled and fell into ruins over the collapsed cave. Ashes and clouds of dust soon surrounded the destruction, and a monster beast as tall as three adult men that seemed to have been coagulated into a colossal block of ice appeared in front of him. Hunyuan Beast. On the other side of the snow-capped mountain, Bai Tu held a spiritual stone exactly like the bluestone in Yun Ye¡¯s possession and trudged against the almost knee-deep snow towards the mountain. Bai Tu clutched the lapels of robes in one hand while he looked at the snow-capped mountains as far as the eye could see. He muttered in a grumbling tone, ¡°That scoundrel. What¡¯s wrong with having another companion by him? Ah, now I have to plow through this snow-capped mountain that is so difficult to enter.¡± He entered the secret realm to help Yun Ye obtain Tai Chu. According to his initial plan, Yun Ye only needed to be well-behaved during his stay inside the Secret Realm for seven days. And once they were about to leave, the Huyuan Beast would naturally emerge as the last hidden boss of the ordeal. This was the adventure set by the author of the original book for Yun Ye. ¡ª No matter when he entered the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning, and regardless of whatever he encountered inside, he would definitely trigger this plotted adventure before leaving. But who knew that the little wolf pup would be so enthusiastic? As soon as he successfully formed a team, he slipped away immediately. The more Bai Tu brooded about it, the angrier he became. Yet, in any case, anger would not benefit him now. He let out a soft sigh and infused enough spiritual power into the spirit stone in his hand. Learn more Pause Unmute Before he could determine the direction with the spirit stone, a violent surge of spiritual qi concurred not far ahead. The snow-capped mountains in the distance collapsed one after another, and the billowing snow waves assaulted the senses of those nearby. Bai Tu raised his brows. ¡®Sure enough, he is the protagonist and has adventures wherever he goes.¡¯ At the place where the spiritual qi fluctuated the most, a human and a monster beast traded blow after blow with immense force. The appearance of a Hunyuan beast was similar to that of a demon ape. It stood on both feet and had massive, powerful limbs. Despite its enormous size, its movements were surprisingly quick. Yun Ye had been fighting the Hunyuan beast with all his might for quite some time, but he had yet to find a way to break through its aggression. The Hunyuan beast let out a wrathful roar and knocked Yun Ye backward into the bottomless abyss behind them, where the rows of snow-capped mountains once stood. A figure appeared before Yun Ye¡¯s eyes just as he was about to summon a flying sword to save himself from falling. The man who appeared out of nowhere grabbed his wrist, saving them both as they shot through the other side and rolled through the snow. They tumbled for a few yards before skidding to a stop. Yun Ye looked up, his vision blurred, and saw an unmistakably beautiful face. Yun Ye looked at him, both anxious and angry. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Bai Tu propped himself up on Yun Ye, looked down at him, and said in a low, serious voice, ¡°Looking for you.¡± Yun Ye pushed Bai Tu away and stood up. He waved his hand in anger. ¡°Get out of here. It¡¯s dangerous.¡± ¡°So you came, although you knew the stakes?¡± The Hunyuan Beast bellowed and charged toward them as they vented their frustrations. Bai Tu did not spare even a moment to look at the aggressive monster as he backhandedly drew a long sword from the cloth bag he carried. It was just a regular long sword that could be found in any market and possessed no spiritual power. Yun Ye saw through his intentions and took a step forward to stop him. ¡°No, you can¡¯t beat it. Simply leave¡ª¡± Bai Tu pushed his hand away and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go up and attract its attention first, then you pierce its heart with a sword. Remember, it has to be the heart.¡± That took Yun Ye aback. Bai Tu did not have the time to care about Yun Ye¡¯s reaction. He skipped the other¡¯s still-raised hand and advanced with a lifted sword. A stream of pure spiritual qi shot through the sword¡¯s groove in a fleet. Once the blade was imbued with enough qi, Bai Tu jumped and ruthlessly slashed down at the beast. With only a single sword movement, he cut off an arm of the Hunyuan Beast. ¡°Prick its heart. Now.¡± Yun Ye, on the other hand, didn¡¯t move an inch. Bai Tu jerked his head back suspiciously and urged loudly, ¡°Hurry! What are you contemplating? ¡± The young lad dashed forward and leaped, plunging his sword into the heart of Hunyuan Beast the moment his voice fell. The beast slammed into the ground with a loud bang, followed by a brief earth tremor. Bai Tu exhaled a deep sigh of relief. He was about to say something when Yun Ye grabbed his wrist. Bai Tu shifted his head to look at the young man, whom he discovered to be frowning and had a complicated expression. Bai Tu shrank, wanting to take a step back subconsciously. He¡­ wasn¡¯t exposed, right? The author has something to say: Yun Ye: What stupid things have I done???? [Doubting Life.jpg] Bai Tu: Nothing. Just being vicious to me, scolding me, despising me, and giving me nicknames. That¡¯s all. CH 11 Yun Ye held his wrist with a vice-like grip, and Bai Tu felt a sensation of burning from under his clutch. He wriggled away from Yun Ye. ¡°Let go.¡± Only then did Yun Ye come back to his senses. He uncomfortably released the boy¡¯s wrist and said awkwardly, ¡°So¡ªsorry¡­.¡± Bau Tu blinked in surprise. ¡®Why did this person change his attitude?¡¯ ¡®Should not he ridicule me for showing off, then calling me little idiot¡¯ twice while doing so? Could it be that my gallant performance shocked him just now?¡¯ At this moment, a blue light suddenly appeared within the behemoth in front of them, gradually encasing the beast in a blue halo. The Hunyuan Beast turned into ashes as if burned, and only a slender immortal sword remained on the snow. It¡¯s Tai Chu. Bai Tu¡¯s eyes lit up, and he immediately threw all of his thought at the back of his head and said to Yun Ye, ¡°Look, it¡¯s¡ª¡± Before he could finish his words, the soaring off of a sword sounded beside him. The sword¡¯s flight swirled up a fit of bone-chilling snow and wind, hitting him in the face. Bai Tu blocked his face with his hand in reflex. When he dropped his arm and raised his head, no shadow of Yun Ye could be seen. Bai Tu: ¡°¡­..¡± ¡®Where did that bastard go??¡¯ At the foot of the snow-capped mountains was an uninhabited forest. The sun was already setting, and the rays of the last moments of the sun painted the horizon in multicolored hues of oranges and red. The light was also reflected by the snow-capped mountains¡¯ glistening whiteness, creating a breathtaking scene of the world being one. Yun Ye strolled up in the mountains and forests, steeped in a complicated mood he rarely felt. Other things might be coincidences, but there could be no falsehood in that sword¡¯s intent. Knowing that his master did not leave him alone, a bud of happiness grew in his heart. But it was soon extinguished when he remembered what he had done in the past two days. What had he done¡­ Yun Ye felt remorseful and seething, wishing to go back in time and throttle his crude self to death. He indeed doubted the identity of that person before. However, he never thought of such a possibility occurring after all. Yet, how could he just¡­ In short, Yun Ye was in a convoluted mood. Even though he could not think of other things, his mind worked to summon a flying sword to flee from that place. Yun Ye, who had now cleared his mind, squatted on a boulder by the side of the road with his head drooped between his knees, resembling a large dog who had just gotten into trouble and did not know where to go. When Bai Tu caught up with him, he saw the exact scene. He took a step forward. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Yun Ye woke up from his depressed state and looked at Bai Tu in a daze. His feet then prepared to run away, but Bai Tu took the lead and grabbed his arm. ¡°Where are you going?¡± This great person abandoned him all alone on that damned snow-capped mountain. Once he found this person, he stifled his belly full of anger in respect for his feelings. But when he saw him trying to run away again, he rushed into a rage. ¡°What are you running for? Am I going to eat you?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not it? I came all the way to find you, searching the whole palace upside down. And yet someone thought it¡¯d be nice to leave me on the mountain without a word. Is there anyone worse than you?¡± Given that Yun Ye was oblivious to his identity, Bai Tu disregarded any worries about future consequences and rebuked the other. ¡°I just saved your life, and this is how you repay your benefactor?¡± Yun Ye had never heard his shizun speak to him like this before and was stunned for a while. Noticing Yun Ye was unspeaking, Bai Tu asked, ¡°What? So terrified of the Hunyuan Beast that you can¡¯t even speak?¡± ¡°No. I¨CI just¡ª¡± Bai Tu cut him off. ¡°I know. You don¡¯t need to say it.¡± Yun Ye¡¯s expression froze, and he heard Bai Tu continue. ¡°You just dislike contact with others, right? I¡¯ve told you that the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning was perilous and that staying with the others was a good choice, as we can take care of each other. But you don¡¯t listen, you¡­.¡± Bai Tu rambled on and on, lecturing him. Meanwhile, Yun Ye looked down at him, watching his prattle. His mouth slowly curled up. Such a master was also adorable. Moreover, he was still in the dark, not knowing that his true identity had been discovered. Yun Ye thought this way, and the anxiousness in his heart soon eased up. With a soft voice, he interrupted, ¡°I know. It won¡¯t be like this in the future.¡± Now that he had admitted his mistake, Bai Tu nodded satisfactorily and raised his hand to summon the immortal sword made of cold jade. ¡°You left in such a hurry you forgot this.¡± The moment his voice fell, Taichu, in the form of a sword, rose in the air and drifted toward Yun Ye. Bai Tu: ¡°You killed the Hunyuan Beast that guarded Taichu. Thus, it now recognizes you as its master. Hurry and try it.¡± Yun Ye: ¡°Yes.¡± After that, Yun Ye lifted his hand before him and held Taichu. The moment he grasped the sword¡¯s hilt, the entire Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning shook violently. The slender sword body bloomed with dazzling brilliant lights as it kept changing forms in his hand. A sword, spear, halberd, clubs, mace, and whips¡­ All sorts of weapons transformed in Yun Ye¡¯s hand at lightning speed, finally forming a black bamboo folding fan, which rested on the hollow of his palm. Yun Ye twirled the fan in his hand and fingers and put it on his waist. He then tilted his head toward the other and said, ¡°Alright.¡± Taichu was not confined to a mere sword form. It could be transformed into any weapon regarding the owner¡¯s wishes. Turning it into a personal item and carrying it whenever they go was also a perk of this treasure. Because the previous wielder used it as a sword, Taichu manifested as a sword before others. Since the last master departed this mortal soil, Taichu lingered within the Mysterious Realm of the Absolute Beginning, guarded by the fierce Hunyuan Beast. The said beast could be found by no one, even if they rummaged through the entire mountains. But it was once said that if the beast sensed someone suitable for the Taichu had appeared, it would show up on its own. So long as the selected challenger could defeat the Hunyuan Beast, they could obtain Taichu. To put it simply, it was a gift tailored to none other than the protagonist. After putting an end to the worries on his mind, Bai Tu was almost at peace, if not for the conditions of his current state. He could only use 30% of his cultivation base in the secret realm. When he dealt with the Hunyuan Beast, he exhausted almost all of his power. It would have been fine at the usual time, but his body had been out of sorts in the past few days, and at this moment, he could not control the dizziness from settling in. Yun Ye extended out a hand swiftly to help him. ¡°Shizun¡­ No, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± A buzzing noise rang in Bai Tu¡¯s mind, and he failed to hear what Yun Ye said. He clutched Yun Ye¡¯s arm, and it took a while before he regained clarity. Bai Tu shook his head and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m fine. Tired¡­¡± ¡°Your hands are so cold.¡± Yun Ye helped Bai Tu to the side of the path, found a clean place to sit him down, and enclosed the other¡¯s hands into his palms. ¡°Are you cold?¡± Yun Ye sensed something was wrong when he recovered at this moment. When did his shizun¡¯s constitution become so weak? Immortal Lord Zhaohua had long left the mortal confinements. Thus, he also broke free from ordinary ailments such as colds. Just what went wrong? Although Yun Ye was worried, he did not dare fire up questions. Hence he only half knelt in front of the person and enveloped those icy hands into his warm palms, transferring warmth. After a few deep breaths, Bai Tu felt a pang of dull pain again in his abdomen. His waist was also so sore that he could hardly straighten himself up. He glared¡ªwhich his pain abated¡ªat Yun Ye and complained, ¡°I blame you.¡± Yun Ye was taken aback for a moment and had no clue how his mood changed so quickly in such a short time. When he noticed the other stared at him blankly, Bai Tu could no longer contain his anger from rushing forth. He said, ¡°Well, you insisted on acting alone. ¡°¡­ If I didn¡¯t come to you, would I be like this?¡± Yun Ye sounded like a child who obediently admitted his mistake. ¡°I¡¯m all to blame. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Bai Tu felt his pain ease up a little when he heard the person apologize. A few moments of pondering later, he said, ¡°I punish you to carry me on the way back.¡± He genuinely felt very unwell. His entire body was aching and lacked its usual vigor; he didn¡¯t even want to move. Since Yun Ye was unaware of his true identity, he felt fearless to appear vulnerable. Yet Yun Ye gave no answer. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You¡¯re unwilling, aren¡¯t you?¡± Bai Tu looked at the person next to him with bitterness. How could there be such an unlucky master in this world? Ever since helping the wolf cub dispel his inner demons, he had never felt comfortable anymore. And he fell ill from time to time after entering the secret realm. It was more than a hundred years since he had contracted such an illness. Blame this wolf cub. ¡°No.¡± Yun Ye sobered up from his stupor, took off his robe, and placed it on Bai Tu¡¯s shoulder. He bent over and coaxed him in a warm tone. ¡°It¡¯s me who isn¡¯t good. I will take you back, you¡­ don¡¯t be angry.¡± After he spoke, Yun Ye picked up Bai Tu¡¯s bent knees with an arm and embraced Bai Tu¡¯s shoulder with the other, hugging him horizontally. Bai Tu: ¡°¡­¡­¡± Why¡­ was this different from what he imagined? Yun Ye¡¯s body temperature was high, and Bai Tu pillowed on his chest. The other party¡¯s temperature easily seeped through the thin layers of his clothes, transmitting to Bai Tu¡¯s body with their skin contact, dissipating the chill instantly. The moment Bai Tu came here¡ªbecause of being forced by others¡ªhe became accustomed to staying in the forefront and sheltering others from the wind and rain. He could not remember how long someone had held him just like this¡ªsheltering him from the wind and snow in a protective, affectionate posture. The soft part of Bai Tu¡¯s heart moved, and he tightened his hold on Yun Ye¡¯s neck as he asked in a low voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Yun Ye looked down and assured him, ¡°Not cold.¡± Bai Tu replied with a soft hum. He leaned against Yun Ye¡¯s chest and said no more. Once the tension loosened up a bit, the drowsiness hit him again. Bai Tu rubbed his eyes while yawning, snuggled in the other¡¯s warm chest, and slept. The instant he entered the secret realm, his body spun with discomfort, and he always felt unwell sporadically. He must uncover what was wrong with his body when he left this place. Initially, he thought the matter would be resolved if Yun Ye got the Taichu. But he did not expect the possibility of the demonic cultivation¡¯s instrument to appear again. The origin of that jade flute was of dubious background. If it was indeed a thing of the Demon Race, things might not be so simple. In any case, he can¡¯t have an accident at that crucial point. Bai Tu perfunctorily let those thoughts run through, and he gradually fell asleep. The sky had already darkened, and the woods were now silent, except for the rustle of Yun Ye stepping on fallen leaves. The snow-capped mountains were quite far away from the camp. The night was getting colder and colder each minute, and there was even a drizzle of snow. Yun Ye had to take refuge in a cave along the way with Bai Tu. He lit a fire in the middle of a cave, placed the sleeping person next to the fire, and helped him secure his robes. Bai Tu slept soundly throughout the journey. His and Yun Ye¡¯s robes bundled him up tightly from head to toe, exposing only a delicate and pretty face. His lips opened and closed slightly, looking all plump and soft. Yun Ye sat beside him, staring at the other person¡¯s sleeping face with such intensity. As if he was in a trance, Yun Ye leaned close, and the distance between the two men¡¯s faces became closer and closer. Before he could plant his lips on those soft lips, Bai Tu¡¯s eyelashes trembled, and he opened his eyes. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± The author has something to say: The head pressing squad can be arranged to move now. E/N: °´Í·Ð¡·Ö¶Ó ¡°head pressing squad¡± origin: When two characters¡¯ heads are incredibly close to each other, but they never kiss in the end. Thus the ¡°head pressing squad ¡± was formed by frustrated and starved audiences to press their heads together forcibly.