One
"It's too late... far too late..."
Chi Lian murmured, unable to resist reaching out to encircle her waist.
"I relied on soaring resentment and unleashed all my spiritual power, transforming every drop of blood I shed in this cave into tangible form. I gave everything, yet could only trap him. Now that my resentment has faded and only a fraction of my spiritual power remains, how could I possibly be his match? I..."
His words trailed off as Su Yun's lips descended, slowly finding their way to his.
Their lips met in a searing kiss, this time without any barriers between them.
She even took his right hand, guiding it to her chest.
□ burned with fiery intensity, and Chi Lian could hear the sizzling sound of his body and soul being consumed by flames.
"As long as it has begun, it can never be too late."
Su Yun, seated on his lap, spoke with growing boldness as she guided his hand downward. After a few movements, they had reached beneath her skirt.
"It's a pity we couldn't coexist in love, but at least we can perish together."
She whispered against his ear, her cheek brushing his earlobe with infinite tenderness.
Simultaneously, she led Chi Lian's right hand deeper, exploring the depths of desire.
Chi Lian seemed dazed but, unable to endure the torment, his trembling index finger gently pressed against her moist □, caressing it with hesitant unease.
"But you don't love me... You said..."
"I did say I returned only out of helplessness and fear. But have you ever considered that you, whom I once despised so deeply, became my only refuge in my despair? That in itself is a beginning."
"Then you don’t have to..."
"Don’t have to turn to dust with you? Should I beg those Taoist priests to allow me reincarnation, to return to this world once more? To taste sorrow and separation again, to be deceived once more, to have my heart torn open and watch my sincere devotion become nothing but a colossal joke!?"
Chi Lian fell silent, lifting his gaze to her.
Yes, if the tales of meaningful, righteous lives were all lies, what was left in this pitiful, laughable world full of deceit worth clinging to?
"So, after all this blood and tears, we’ve found each other. To end as we begin—isn’t that already enough?"
Su Yun’s voice rose, her hair flowing upward as the flesh and blood of Xu Hangsheng clinging to her brow fell away. Her tears had already evaporated. With a sudden thrust, □ enveloped Chi Lian’s □, driving down fiercely.
"I know what they’re doing."
Chi Xue, also in the cave, suddenly blurted out.
"Damn it!" Ban Xia, holding Xuan Ye, couldn’t help cursing again. "You little brat, instead of worrying about your Elegant Confinement’s fate, you have time to watch adult films? Tell me, what are they doing?"
"Master said they’re fighting, but I know he’s lying to me." Chi Xue put on a supremely clever expression. "I know they’re merging to cultivate. When I was little, I saw the Elegant Confinement cultivating too, in the woods behind the village."
"The former Elegant Confinement." After a moment, he added under Ban Xia’s glare.
Ban Xia shot him a sharp look, then turned her attention to Xuan Ye’s wounds, growing increasingly anxious. "His wounds aren’t large, so why is the bleeding so relentless? I can’t stop it, and he still won’t wake up.""Those blood threads carry a century's worth of resentment, so the wound is naturally difficult to heal. As for whether he wakes or not, don't worry—this bastard isn't so easy to kill."
This reply came from Brother You Huang.
"Then may I ask, handsome bamboo, why are you standing so stiffly there? Trying to look cool, or serving as a living backdrop for someone's romantic scene?"
"I'm waiting for this bastard to wake up so I can fight him."
"Ah?"
"Do you think our esteemed Young Master Xuan Ye, once awake, would let this star-crossed couple die peacefully?"
"They're already talking about turning to ashes and vanishing—how could he possibly not let them go?"
"By collecting spirits! Sealing them into his blade and casting them into the Wheel Well, where malevolent souls suffer trapped for eternity. It's the standard practice of their demi-god clan."
"But these two... they do have their pitiable aspects." It was rare for Miss Ban to show compassion.
"Pitiable?" You Huang snorted from the side, rubbing his nose. "Seems you haven't heard someone's favorite saying. Oh, perfect timing—he's awake and can tell you himself."
As he spoke, Xuan Ye indeed opened his eyes. Though his face was deathly pale, he managed to push himself up slowly from the ground.
"In this world, who doesn't have their pitiable aspects?" he said after standing upright, his usual gentleness gone, his face as cold as stone. "They're pitiable, but what about the women they killed—aren't they pitiable too? If every wrong in this world could be forgiven, what would be the point of judgment?"
Fight.
Who knew how many times they'd fought? The uninjured You Huang still lost to the wounded Xuan Ye, the only difference being that he lasted a bit longer this time.
Xuan Ye's blade pierced his chest, a fierce light burning a hollow through his torso.
"You goddamn... eternally stubborn piece of work," You Huang spat out, gripping the hilt with both hands, grimacing in pain. "In your previous life, you loved someone too! Can't you empathize and let them off just once?!"
"No." Xuan Ye was curt. "Will you let go or not?"
"No!" You Huang shouted back, still grimacing, turning to look at Chi Lian and the others. "Hurry! Disperse each other's souls! I know you're skilled in bed, but now isn't the time to show off your prowess!!"
There was no response from the other side. They were entangled fiercely, reaching a point of no return.
Su Yun bore a celibacy curse; during intimacy, her soul had gradually begun to lose cohesion. At the moment of climax, her spirit grew even more ethereal, on the verge of dissolving into dust.
Different paths leading to the same end—this outcome might not be unfortunate for them.
Unfortunately, Xuan Ye had already broken free. His blade arrived before he did, a crescent-shaped gleam coldly flashing to Su Yun's head in an instant.
Ban Xia watched wide-eyed as Xuan Ye flicked his fingers mid-air. The Moonlight Sheen Blade gradually changed color, finally releasing a stream of green smoke from its tip.
The smoke carried a fragrance, alluring yet faintly sinister—one Ban Xia recognized well, the scent of that Blood Demon who once controlled fragrances.
This was the first time Ban Xia witnessed Xuan Ye controlling spirits.
Watching the green smoke swirl forth, transforming into a beast that swallowed Su Yun's wavering soul in one gulp, an indescribable feeling began to rise in Ban Xia's heart.
"You thousand-times-cursed stubborn fool, I despise you! On behalf of the Heavenly King himself, I despise you!"
Behind them, You Huang's voice grew increasingly shrill.Over there, Chi Lian had already raised his head. With his spiritual power nearly depleted, he began to manifest his serpent form, scales gradually emerging on his cheeks.
"Where did she go?" he asked, green flames burning in his eyes.
Xuan Ye raised his hand, showing him the fresh red mark on the blade.
"In this blade?" Chi Lian stared blankly. "Can this blade contain her soul?"
"It can. In this blade, she will be trapped for eternity, paying for what she has done - and so will you." Xuan Ye pointed the blade tip toward him.
"She'll be there forever?"
"Yes." Xuan Ye coughed lightly, pressing a hand to his chest. "You can still resist."
Chi Lian remained silent. He felt no remorse or guilt, only silence for this final outcome.
Eternal confinement - when spoken aloud, this too was a form of togetherness.
If she was destined to suffer without freedom, then he could at least go to accompany her.
"I won't resist." He finally spoke, slowly lowering his head. The fire in his green eyes extinguished as he faced the night wind and bared his chest to the blade tip.
Su Yun and Chi Lian had both been subdued. The severely wounded You Huang still lay sprawled on the ground, continuing to curse and grumble.
Ban Xia raised her hand and rubbed her face.
She wasn't particularly kind-hearted, nor did she possess much compassion, yet at this moment she felt uncomfortable, as if something was gnawing at her heart.
Chi Xue came over and helped Xuan Ye slowly walk out of the cave.
Ban Xia lagged behind, unsure why she remained in place without leaving, lost in thought for quite some time.
After a while, sounds came from the front cave - it was Chi Xue, urgently calling out "Elegant Confinement!" from ahead.
Ban Xia quickly rushed over, only catching the trailing light of a white shadow, as if something else had been captured by Xuan Ye.
"She's Feng Yi, Feng Yi is good! Elegant Confinement, you... shouldn't capture her!" Chi Xue was stomping her feet nearby.
"She's already dead. Her soul hasn't departed - because of resentment, she has become an evil spirit."
"But she hasn't harmed anyone!!"
"She inevitably will. At first, she'll unconsciously feed on others' resentment. No one understands this better than I." Xuan Ye replied, then fell silent, unwilling to engage in further dispute over this matter.
Ban Xia lowered her head, the gnawing sensation in her heart becoming increasingly distinct.
Then she saw a white shadow.
Right at the back cave entrance, a small white shadow, stained with blood, was looking at her with pitiful eyes.
At the same moment, Xuan Ye also sensed something, suddenly turning around in the front cave.
Ban Xia's phone vibrated at that moment, again calling out sickeningly sweet "Love chocolate yo".
"Save me, save me..."
Six characters flashed on the phone screen, as pitiful as the amber eyes of that white creature.
Ban Xia moved without thinking, rushing forward to embrace the white shadow, holding it firmly in her arms.
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