Instinct told her this black booklet must be an extremely important object. Li Fei carefully tucked it into her robe, then bowed respectfully to Qing Cheng Xian Ren's corpse. Just as she was about to straighten his slumped body, Lei Xiuyuan suddenly strode over, pulled her aside, and whispered urgently, "We need to leave."
A white cloud instantly gathered beneath his feet. Without giving her time to question further, he yanked her up and flew out of the Outlander Tomb. With a light wave of his hand outside the hall, he gathered all the remaining wisps of spiritual energy lingering within the chamber into his palm.
Li Fei had never seen such a technique before, and to think it was Lei Xiuyuan who performed it—she couldn't help but stare at him wide-eyed. A fleeting glint of dark gold flashed through his eyes, so brief it might have been an illusion. Noticing her gaze, he gave her a faint smile and murmured, "Keep this a secret for me."
"Uh... sure, of course," Li Fei stammered, nodding in bewilderment. "But you—"
"Just cleaning up," Lei Xiuyuan said, pulling her down onto the central mountain peak below. An uncharacteristic hesitation flickered across his face before he added softly, "I'm still figuring things out myself. Once I understand everything, I'll tell you properly."
Li Fei smiled understandingly and pulled out the black booklet from her robe, recounting what had happened with Qing Cheng Xian Ren. As she slowly flipped through the pages, she sighed, "There's not a single word in here. I wonder what this booklet is for."
Why would Qing Cheng Xian Ren give her a blank booklet? And right after handing it to her, he had breathed his last. Could it be that he had clung to life just to guard this book? His condition had been so pitiful—no wonder Ri Yan had been so deeply affected. That fox must have shared an incredibly close bond with Qing Cheng Xian Ren, though he stubbornly refused to speak of it.
Lei Xiuyuan took the booklet and flipped through it, his eyebrows rising in surprise. The pages were clearly filled with ink—how could she say there were no words? Moreover, the handwriting slanted distinctly to the right, indicating the writer must have been left-handed. Each stroke was sharp and forceful, like iron bones and silver hooks, exuding a presence impossible to forget after just one glance. He had seen this script before—in that small courtyard in Green Mound, among the books beneath Li Fei's Master's bed. A few of those volumes bore annotations in this very hand.
After skimming through the contents, Lei Xiuyuan's brows furrowed deeper. The records within were shockingly unsettling. Closing the booklet, he gently placed it back into Li Fei's hands and said softly, "Since this is the relic of a renowned Celestial, you should keep it safe and hidden. Others mustn't see it—it could bring trouble."
Li Fei tucked the booklet deeper into her robe and nodded solemnly. Unexpectedly, Lei Xiuyuan suddenly pulled her back into the Outlander Tomb, leading her straight to Qing Cheng Xian Ren's corpse. Pressing a hand to her head, he instructed, "Pay your respects properly."
With that, he himself faced the corpse and performed three deep, reverent bows. Who would have thought Lei Xiuyuan was someone who held such respect for teachers and tradition? Li Fei couldn't help but regard him with newfound admiration as she followed suit. Kneeling down, he carefully straightened Qing Cheng Xian Ren's body and gazed at it for a long moment before murmuring, "Thank you. When the time comes, I'll personally see to your remains."
"What were you whispering to Qing Cheng Xian Ren earlier?" Li Fei couldn't resist asking once they were outside.
Lei Xiuyuan lay back on the mountaintop, sprawling like a starfish, and replied nonchalantly, "Guess."Guess his big head ghost! When will he ever drop that annoying catchphrase?! Li Fei sat beside him, gazing absentmindedly at the inverted mountain peak. Even now, the Outlander Tomb held an irresistible pull for her, though the previous sense of mystery and dread had been replaced by melancholy and familiarity.
She truly came from overseas. That arm bone filled with exotic fragrance must belong to her kin—she just knew it instinctively.
Her kind were sealed away as forbidden relics in No Moon Court's Outlander Tomb, preserved with utmost caution. Yet here she was, a cultivation disciple in No Moon Court, only able to examine that arm bone through a crystal coffin. The irony—or tragedy—of it all was hard to fathom.
"Xiu Yuan." Li Fei lowered her head to look at him. "Did you smell the fragrance from that bone?"
Lei Xiuyuan closed his eyes, his voice calm. "It smells nothing like you."
Really? Li Fei instinctively brought her sleeve to her nose and sniffed hard. She could never detect the so-called fragrance on herself.
A slight tug pulled at her sleeve. Li Fei looked down to see Lei Xiuyuan gazing at her quietly, his fingers pinching her sleeve as if deep in thought. After a long pause, he said softly, "After we return from this trip, become my cultivation partner."
Li Fei froze, then suddenly seemed to realize what he'd said. Blood rushed to her face in an instant, leaving her flustered and nowhere to hide. She buried her burning face in her knees, covering it tightly with her hands.
"Will you?" Lei Xiuyuan gently tugged her sleeve again, the motion light, almost coaxing and playful.
Li Fei could only nod vigorously. Her face was in no state to be seen—she needed time to recover...
Perhaps the timing wasn't right. So much had just happened—Ri Yan had even flown off in distress, leaving her worried. Qing Cheng Xian Ren's fate weighed heavily on her heart, and the Outlander Tomb unsettled her mind. This was hardly the moment for romance. Yet she couldn't suppress her joy. His sudden words had caught her off guard, filling her with surprise and delight. There was no way she could keep from being happy.
She heard him chuckle softly, then tap the back of her hand. His voice was light. "Coward. So easily flustered."
Li Fei glared at him through her fingers. "Says the one with no shame!"
Lei Xiuyuan turned her sleeve over and brought it to his nose, inhaling lightly. His long lashes lowered as he murmured, "I was actually very nervous."
Li Fei couldn't help but laugh, lowering her hands to smile at him. "Afraid I'd refuse?"
His thick lashes lifted, his clear black-and-white eyes—always seeming to hold a hint of mist—gazing intently at her. "Yes. Afraid you'd refuse."
Li Fei quietly met his gaze. She had never managed to properly voice her feelings to him. Sometimes, like him, she could only bury herself in action, never finding the right words to reassure. She had grown accustomed to Lei Xiuyuan doing so much for her, yet she still hesitated to speak her heart.
"Xiu Yuan, only you." She smiled at him, finally confessing her feelings for the first time. "You're the only one I like. The only one I want."She said it, and... it wasn't as awkward or embarrassing as she'd imagined. Li Fei met his gaze calmly, watching as his clear black-and-white eyes transitioned from shock to wild joy, then inexplicably turned shy. He averted his gaze and muttered, "Shameless."
Li Fei burst into laughter, flicking his cheek with her finger. "So you're the thin-skinned one after all."
Lei Xiuyuan caught her hand and pressed it against his burning cheek. Her soft, fragrant palm felt slightly cool against his flushed skin.
"I'll take your Master's place and take good care of you."
Li Fei's hand trembled slightly. She stared at him blankly for a long moment before finally curving her lips into a smile and nodding gently. "Okay."
"I'll take good care of you too." Her fingers traced his eyebrows as she spoke with unprecedented gentleness and determination. "We'll always be together."
Lei Xiuyuan pulled her gently into his arms. Li Fei rested quietly against his chest, their heartbeats synchronizing until they seemed to pound as one.
After an indeterminate time, a tremendous tearing sound suddenly split the sky. A fissure appeared in this Lesser World as Cuixuan Xianren's voice boomed across the heavens: "Come out now. I'll show you something spectacular."
The two sat up. Noticing dust on Lei Xiuyuan's clothes, Li Fei immediately brushed it off with a laugh. "Let's go."
Lei Xiuyuan adjusted her collar, pulling it up slightly, then arranged her long hair over her chest to cover her neck before taking her hand. Hand in hand, they stepped through the fissure in the Lesser World.
The moment they emerged, their vision blurred momentarily. Outside, the sky had darkened unexpectedly. Layers upon layers of Spiritual Qi Nets densely covered the heavens, while dozens of elders from No Moon Court and other sects hovered on clouds in a circular formation. Shouzhong and Cuixuan Xianren stood with arms outstretched, continuously channeling Spiritual Qi from their palms into the nets.
Chongyi Zhenren floated at the circle's center, torrents of Spiritual Qi pouring from his body. Beads of sweat covered his forehead—clearly, the Spirit Illumination Cage Immortal Technique was extremely taxing. Dongyang and Qingle, two elders, flanked him, channeling Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy into his body. Suddenly, he extended a finger, releasing a thin, sharp strand of Spiritual Qi that struck something invisible. The other elders immediately unleashed offensive Immortal Techniques toward that direction.
An earth-shaking roar erupted as countless fierce Immortal Techniques bombarded the air. Suddenly, a mouth the size of a washbasin appeared—complete with crimson lips and rows of white teeth indistinguishable from a human mouth.
The mouth shattered instantly, dissolving into black ash. Then, as if something had ruptured in midair, dozens of unconscious figures came tumbling down. Dongyang Zhenren lightly tapped his gourd, enveloping them in pale green sand that gently deposited them aside. Li Fei noticed an open area already filled with over a hundred sleeping figures—were these all the Immortal disciples and elders devoured by the Gluttonous Beast?
Nearly all appeared sallow and emaciated, clearly having been trapped inside the beast for some time. Li Fei quickly spotted the disciples they'd encountered in the city earlier, including the female disciples from Fire Lotus Temple, and even that perpetually drunk No Moon Court elder. She wondered if he'd feel overwhelming shame upon waking.After shattering several Gluttonous Beast mouths in succession, Chongyi Zhenren continued to release spiritual energy in search—could this beast possibly be covered entirely in mouths?
Lei Xiuyuan had long been summoned by Guangwei Zhenren to join in slaying the Gluttonous Beast. Li Fei carefully examined the unconscious individuals when she suddenly spotted a beautiful young woman lying in the corner with tightly furrowed brows—it was Lan Ya Junzhu. Had she also been swallowed into the beast’s belly?
Li Fei hurried toward her but then heard a rushing wind overhead. In the next moment, Ji Tongzhou landed beside Lan Ya a step ahead of her, bending down to lift her and inspect her closely. When had he emerged? Li Fei instinctively glanced back at the circle of elders hovering midair—sure enough, Wuzheng Zi was among them. No doubt his Master had rescued him.
At this moment, there was no point in saying anything further to him. Li Fei immediately turned to leave, and Ji Tongzhou seemed equally disinclined to speak with her. Cradling Lan Ya, he moved aside and began channeling Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy into her body.
Just then, the last of the Gluttonous Beast’s mouths was completely shattered. A fierce gale suddenly erupted in the sky, carrying with it mournful, wailing cries. Immediately after, a torrent of foul black blood gushed forth from the air. Dongyang Zhenren, quick-eyed and swift-handed, had already cast out pale green sand, enveloping the entire mountaintop. The black blood of the Gluttonous Beast cascaded like a waterfall down the sandy barrier, spilling to the foot of the mountain. Wherever it touched, trees and flowers withered instantly. Demons fled in panic across the mountain, and flocks of birds scattered in haste.
The black blood continued to spew for the time it takes to burn an incense stick before finally ceasing. Silence fell once more, with no further sound. Yet the Gluttonous Beast’s corpse remained unseen—its true form had still not revealed itself.
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