Futile Devices Scans

A gentle yet deeply tangible kiss made Chen Yixin’s eyes widen slightly before narrowing again.

With his foot still held, he leaned forward, intending to return a kiss to Wenren Li’s head. But just as he was about to land it, Wenren Li lifted his face.

Thus, the kiss that had been meant for his hair ended up landing on Wenren Li’s lips instead. It was a light kiss, and Chen Yixin couldn’t help but linger, brushing against Wenren Li’s nose before letting out a soft murmur, “A-Li…”

“Mm…” Wenren Li’s reply was equally soft. He finally released Chen Yixin’s ankle, his hand moving to his shoulder as he slowly stood, allowing Chen Yixin to lean against him more comfortably.

He gently pulled him into an embrace. Chen Yixin, however, seemed a little impatient. Still, he wasn’t someone who would disregard everything just for pleasure. With a hint of regret, he said, “It’s not convenient right now, is it?”

Their ship had yet to leave the dangerous Abysswind Territory. Outside, there were still four Merfolk Clan cultivators awaiting arrangements. If they completely ignored everything, it would be somewhat unreasonable. So even though Wenren Li clearly wanted to, he only held him without taking further action.

Wenren Li fell silent for a long moment before answering, “I don’t want others to know what A-Rong and I do together.”

Chen Yixin’s bare foot was still exposed. Just that alone made Wenren Li feel the urge to lash out at others. The thought of anyone harboring improper thoughts about Chen Yixin made it even more intolerable. Normally, Wenren Li wouldn’t have such concerns, but Chen Yixin’s near-naked transformation earlier had clearly triggered something in him.

“It’s better if they know—inside and out, A-Li belongs to me!”

As he spoke, Chen Yixin wrapped his arms possessively around Wenren Li’s waist, lifting his legs to cling tightly to him. Ideally, that Roc Demon Emperor would also know and give up completely.

The more Chen Yixin thought about it, the more convinced he became. He poked Wenren Li’s back lightly. “Any other concerns?”

“No,” Wenren Li replied this time without hesitation. Outside, there were six Soul Transformation experts in total, including the Merfolk Clan. If even under such circumstances they couldn’t safely pass through the Abysswind Territory, then there was no point in leaving at all.

But before his words fully settled, Chen Yixin hooked his leg around him and pulled him down onto the bed. Warm kisses rained across his face as Chen Yixin began tugging at his clothes. The cloak that had been wrapped around him slid from his abdomen down to his thighs—this time, he was truly exposed.

“A-Li, I want you.”

Chen Yixin pressed a firm kiss to Wenren Li’s lips and said it aloud. He had been abstaining for far too long—he couldn’t endure even a day or two more. Right now, he wanted to “devour” Wenren Li completely.

Wenren Li didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he pressed a hand to the back of Chen Yixin’s head, pulling him back into a kiss—light at first, then deep, until heat spread through their bodies, until desire fully ignited. Only then did they part, both breathing unevenly.

“Alright,” Wenren Li finally said, before pulling Chen Yixin further into the bed.

The treasure ship sailed on, surrounded by endless ocean. Though there were aquatic plants beneath the surface, the strange nature of the Abysswind Territory meant few were affected by Wenren Li’s aura.

Rain began to fall—something unheard of in the Abysswind Territory. A light drizzle continued, while the strange winds and towering waves vanished entirely. The sea became so calm that it seemed almost unreal.

Nan Ke raised his hand, sensing the rain. The demon palace guards were no strangers to such weather. Back in Yan Province, it had rained continuously for an entire month—this was only three days.

“Stop. Without the Demon Lord’s summons, you are not permitted to enter.”

Nan Ke blocked two Merfolk Clan cultivators from proceeding further. As newly bound servants of Wenren Li, they were beneath him in authority. Moreover, when the Demon Lord and his consort were together, interruptions were unacceptable.

The two Merfolk exchanged a glance with Nan Ke before turning away.

On the fourth day, Chen Yixin and Wenren Li finally emerged from their cabin. Wenren Li still had his silver hair cascading to his waist, dressed in black. Chen Yixin, however, now wore a blue robe, with three feather-like plumes standing upright on his forehead, swaying slightly as he walked.

Chen Yixin was beautiful no matter what he wore, but this outfit added an extra layer of nobility. The three plumes on his forehead gave him an almost otherworldly allure—contradictory yet harmonious. Calling him a beauty of Taixuan was no longer sufficient—he was something beyond that.

As the two stepped out together, hand in hand, it felt as though divine beings had descended. Even the demon palace guards couldn’t help but take a second look.

Chen Yixin reached up to touch the plumes on his forehead, his smile growing brighter and more radiant.

“A-Da, where are we now? We’ve passed the Abysswind Territory, right?”

He glanced outward. The sea was calm—far calmer than when they had first set out.

“Reporting to the Demon Consort, based on our route, we still have one more day to go,” Nan Ke replied, finally pulling his gaze away.

In his heart, Chen Yixin’s identity as the Demon Consort outweighed everything—even his striking appearance.

Chen Yixin nodded and didn’t press further. He pulled Wenren Li along to stroll across the deck, his satisfaction evident to anyone watching. The purpose of the stroll was just as obvious.

Look—this is my man. Mine alone.

Wenren Li allowed himself to be led without resistance. Chen Yixin’s good mood naturally lifted his own. Once Chen Yixin had wandered enough, Wenren Li guided him to sit on a cushioned couch at the side of the deck.

Reaching out, Wenren Li touched the plumes on Chen Yixin’s forehead. After a few strokes, Chen Yixin’s eyes grew misty, and only then did he stop. Clearly, the plumes were highly sensitive—perhaps symbolic of identity, or something more.

“How did you figure out how to change back?” Wenren Li asked. “Change” wasn’t quite accurate—it was more like a transformation of bloodline.

“That Merfolk Clan,” Chen Yixin replied without hesitation. He blinked, suppressing the strange sensation from the touch. “They’re demons, but originally they were sea beasts. Yet over time, they’ve maintained a half-human, half-demon form—retaining the strength of their tails while gaining the dexterity and creativity of human hands.”

Within the demon race, only the Merfolk Clan possesses such a trait. Their achievements across various realms also prove this point. What inspired Chen Yixin was precisely this half-human, half-demon form—the balance and control between two bloodlines.

“I should now be considered a half-demon,” Chen Yixin said. His phoenix bloodline could not be completely suppressed, but he had found a point of relative balance, allowing him to transform back into human form.

As he spoke, his body tilted and fell into Wenren Li’s arms, even guiding Wenren Li’s hand to his waist. “A-Li, my waist is sore, massage it for me.”

“Alright,” Wenren Li replied. He knew Chen Yixin wasn’t truly sore—he was saying it for Ze Fang and the Roc Demon Emperor to hear, performing it for them to see.

Even so, Wenren Li was more than willing to indulge him. He deeply appreciated Chen Yixin’s straightforward nature—loving and hating without restraint. Apart from Chen Yixin, his emotions had always been calm and dull, but Chen Yixin was vibrant through and through, like an ever-burning flame that could even ignite him.

Ze Fang couldn’t help raising an eyebrow. He found himself increasingly admiring Chen Yixin. Such unrestrained behavior was rare in the cultivation world—even he, mindful of social decorum, couldn’t always act so freely.

The Roc Demon Emperor, however, revealed nothing on his face, maintaining a strictly businesslike demeanor. Yet the more he acted this way, the more it showed how much he cared. It was only a single act of being “rescued” once—how had it led to such lingering attachment?

Chen Yixin glared openly at the Roc Demon Emperor, cheeks puffing slightly. If he were in his little blue bird form now, his feathers would already be puffed up.

At that moment, Wenren Li’s hand left Chen Yixin’s waist and turned his face away from the Roc Demon Emperor. Jealousy was no longer Chen Yixin’s exclusive trait—Wenren Li had unknowingly learned it as well.

Or perhaps he had always known it—after all, Chen Yixin was still not allowed to nibble on other plants.

“What is it?” Without any pleasantries, Wenren Li directly asked their purpose. Just as Chen Yixin found the Roc Demon Emperor displeasing, Wenren Li felt the same about anything that drew Chen Yixin’s attention away.

“What are your plans after this, Lord Li?” Ze Fang glanced at the Roc Demon Emperor before speaking first. With the Merfolk Clan threat and the dangers of the Abysswind Territory gone, their prior agreement with Wenren Li had effectively ended.

Yet after witnessing Wenren Li’s overwhelming strength, they were reluctant to part ways just like that.

“If you have no plans, we would like to invite Lord Li and… the Demon Consort to explore the secret realm discovered by the Merfolk Clan.”

“Fellow Daoist Ze Fang seems to have forgotten something,” Chen Yixin interjected. After staring at Wenren Li’s face for a while, his jealousy had eased somewhat, but since he had been mentioned, he naturally had something to say.

“A-Li has already subdued four Soul Transformation cultivators of the Merfolk Clan. That’s practically half of their entire race. The secret realm they discovered—at least half of it already belongs to A-Li and me. Once we visit the Merfolk Clan, it will fully belong to us.”

Thus, the word “invite” was entirely inappropriate—they held no advantage whatsoever.

At that moment, Ze Fang regretted ever admiring Chen Yixin. When Chen Yixin became sharp and calculating, he was impossible to deal with.

“We’ve traveled together for a while—there’s some camaraderie. Even if we refused, you wouldn’t be willing to give up.”

Chen Yixin’s tone shifted, becoming more negotiable. He smiled slightly at Ze Fang and the Roc Demon Emperor. “You can come with us—but you’ll have to pay a fee based on headcount and cultivation level.”

“My A-Li is powerful, but he’s not here to protect irrelevant people for free.”

Chen Yixin was essentially reusing the same extortion tactics he had once employed at his wedding—charging both protection and entry fees, carefully calculated by strength. The cost would definitely not be small.

In just a few sentences, Ze Fang was rendered speechless. After exchanging a spiritual message with the Roc Demon Emperor, he nodded. “That is only fair.”

Only then did Chen Yixin’s smile become genuine. “Good that you understand, Fellow Daoist Ze Fang.”

He then turned to the Roc Demon Emperor. “And you, Fellow Daoist Azure Roc?”

“You are…” The Roc Demon Emperor nearly asked whether Chen Yixin was truly a phoenix of this era, but swallowed the words when he met Chen Yixin’s gaze. “Agreed.”

Chen Yixin leaned back against Wenren Li’s shoulder, uninterested in probing further. His attention returned entirely to Wenren Li’s profile—something he could never tire of.

Wenren Li glanced at Chen Yixin, now docile again, and remained silent. Meanwhile, the four Merfolk Clan cultivators were summoned.

“We greet Master, we greet Demon Consort.”

“Explain the situation of the secret realm,” Wenren Li said directly, ignoring their attempts to curry favor.

“Yes,” replied the leading male Merfolk cultivator at Soul Transformation. “It was discovered by chance. A junior of our clan accidentally entered the Abysswind Territory while playing. We followed to search and discovered a streak of immortal light moving beneath the sea.”

He glanced at Ze Fang. “While pursuing it, ships from Watermoon Pavilion appeared, and cultivators attempted to intercept it as well. Conflict broke out—but fortunately, we did not lose track of it.”

He glossed over the incident of killing Watermoon Pavilion’s ship and crew, attributing it simply to “conflict.” They would have preferred not to mention it at all, but under the control of the servant mark, they could not lie to Wenren Li.

“That area has already been sealed off by our clan. Master may go there at any time.”

His words clearly implied they did not wish others to follow—but that was no longer their decision to make.

Chen Yixin poked Wenren Li’s waist. Without changing expression, Wenren Li understood immediately.

“We will first visit your clan, then proceed to the secret realm,” Wenren Li said. Only by resolving potential concerns first could they proceed safely.

“Yes,” the Merfolk cultivator replied, though unwilling.

Nan Ke led them away to draw updated sea charts. Ze Fang and the Roc Demon Emperor also left to prepare the agreed fees.

Chen Yixin remained nestled in Wenren Li’s arms, being fed snacks and fruits while his waist was gently massaged.

“Is that immortal light truly what it seems?” Chen Yixin asked, tilting his head to meet Wenren Li’s gaze. For no reason, he smiled, then glanced around before placing a light kiss at the base of Wenren Li’s ear.

“A-Li probably doesn’t know either. We’ll see when we get there.”

“Alright,” Wenren Li replied. His hand rose to Chen Yixin’s hair, and as he was about to withdraw it, his fingers couldn’t resist brushing the three upright plumes again. Feeling Chen Yixin’s slight tremble, he finally withdrew with faint satisfaction.

“Feels good?” Chen Yixin glared at him, touching the plumes himself. But the sensation was entirely different—being touched by Wenren Li made him feel oddly vulnerable.

“Mm,” Wenren Li nodded honestly. The texture of the plumes was pleasant, but what truly captivated him was Chen Yixin’s reaction—wanting to avoid it, yet enduring it just to indulge him.

“Then… go ahead,” Chen Yixin said, brows slightly furrowed, gripping Wenren Li’s waist tightly as he tried not to embarrass himself this time.

But Wenren Li didn’t use his hand again. Instead, he leaned forward and brushed his lips lightly across the three plumes.

Chen Yixin’s eyes instantly misted over—his reaction even stronger than before.

“A-Li, you’re bullying me…” Chen Yixin muttered, scratching at Wenren Li’s waist in protest. But no matter how much he tried, Wenren Li remained unmoved.

After Chen Yixin and Wenren Li finished their dual cultivation, the Abysswind Territory finally returned to its true, dangerous nature.

Blocked by chaotic vortices and strange winds, their course deviated from the correct route, and they nearly lost their way. In the end, it was only through the intervention of the Merfolk Clan’s Soul Transformation cultivators that they managed to rediscover the proper path. What should have been a one-day journey took three days to complete. At last, they exited the Abysswind Territory and arrived upon the true Northern Sea.

“Beyond the Northern Sea, there lies a vast expanse of islands no smaller than the Southern Domain, along with countless scattered islets. Combined with the sea races within the waters, the situation there is just as complex…”

Wenren Li carefully explained the conditions of the Northern Sea and the lands beyond it to Chen Yixin. As he spoke, the Merfolk cultivators and Ze Fang supplemented his explanations where necessary.

As for the Roc Demon Emperor, although he followed Ze Fang each time, he maintained his silence, speaking only when absolutely necessary.

Yet his presence remained extremely noticeable to Chen Yixin. After Wenren Li and Ze Fang finished speaking, Chen Yixin swept his gaze toward the Roc Demon Emperor. “I’ve heard your son and juniors have quite a lot of opinions about me.”

The Roc Demon Emperor was an Azure Roc, and the Young Roc Lord was also an Azure Roc, holding the position of Young Palace Master. Even an adopted son counted as a son—so Chen Yixin’s words weren’t incorrect. Still, the Roc Demon Emperor could clearly sense the pointed meaning behind them.

“They would not dare. Since that is the case, I will have them come pay their respects to you,” the Roc Demon Emperor replied smoothly. After observing for several days, his earlier uncertainty had now turned into full certainty—there was no mistaking such bloodline pressure.

Compared by bloodline, he and Chen Yixin were not even on the same level. Reflecting on what Wenren Li had once said—that he had saved him because of the trace of phoenix bloodline within him—he realized that, in truth, it had all been because of Chen Yixin.

Because Chen Yixin was a true phoenix, Wenren Li could not bear to see any bird with phoenix bloodline harmed in front of him. That was the real reason he had been saved.

Chen Yixin continued glaring at the Roc Demon Emperor but did not reject his proposal. Holding Wenren Li’s hand, he remained seated on the deck, waiting for the Young Roc Lord, Luan Ji, and the others to arrive.

“We pay our respects, Senior,” they greeted Wenren Li, bowing instinctively. This was the natural respect of the weak toward the strong, requiring no prompting.

But when facing Chen Yixin, they hesitated.

After all, his cultivation level was what it was, and his original form had been nothing more than a small fledgling.

“Kneel,” the Roc Demon Emperor suddenly commanded. At the same time, he himself bent one knee and knelt. “We greet the Divine Lord.”

A pure-blooded phoenix was born a Divine Lord. For ordinary demon cultivators, such reverence was both necessary and proper.

After a moment of silence, all the young elites of Azure Feather Palace knelt as well, following the Roc Demon Emperor. “We greet the Divine Lord.”

“We are at your command,” the Roc Demon Emperor continued. A faint golden projection appeared at his brow, while Chen Yixin’s entire body shone with golden light. His identity as a Phoenix Divine Lord was now beyond dispute.

“You’re quite perceptive…” Chen Yixin no longer denied it. He could also tell that the Roc Demon Emperor’s recent lingering presence had been his way of making up his mind—to sever the last of his feelings for Wenren Li. Whether he had succeeded or not remained to be seen.

“Rise,” Chen Yixin said. As the three feather plumes on his forehead trembled slightly, the Young Roc Lord and the others—who still harbored doubts—felt their legs give way, collapsing to the ground. A phoenix was born with the innate ability to command all birds—something etched into their blood, impossible to resist.

“We swear to protect the Divine Lord with our lives.”

Luan Ji and the others spoke with even greater conviction than the Roc Demon Emperor. And it was not just them—their entire clans stood behind them. As long as Chen Yixin revealed his identity, he could gain the support of the entire Sky Clan across Taixuan.

Ze Fang, watching from the side, couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. Wenren Li had just subdued the Merfolk Clan, and now Chen Yixin had effectively won over half the Sky Clan. The two of them truly possessed immense fortune—he couldn’t help but wonder whether they were connected to the Merfolk Clan’s prophecy of a changing era.

At that moment, Chen Yixin raised his hand. A strand of golden light scattered into countless specks, spreading outward. Even the Roc Demon Emperor felt a warmth stir within his bloodline—this was a blessing only a pure-blooded phoenix could bestow.

“I awakened here—this is our karmic connection. You may all disperse.”

Chen Yixin could be calculating, but he did not wish to owe others without reason. He had benefited greatly from the Blood Jade Space in Azure Feather Palace—this was his way of returning the favor.

“Many thanks, Divine Lord.”

The Young Roc Lord and Shao Ying shouted loudly, their gazes filled with fervor. Any previous doubts had completely vanished. Among demonkind, strength and bloodline reigned supreme.

The Roc Demon Emperor dismissed the still-excited group with a wave of his hand. Ze Fang glanced at him and also took his leave, clearly aware that the Roc Demon Emperor still had something to say.

“Please punish me, Divine Lord. Azure Roc has been disrespectful before.”

There was no need to elaborate—they all understood what he meant. What mattered was reassuring Chen Yixin completely. His attitude would determine the future of the Roc Clan.

“Just tell me—do you still like A-Li or not?”

Chen Yixin was far more direct. He had no intention of avoiding the matter. As a phoenix, he could offer benefits or exert pressure—but what he wanted was for the Roc Demon Emperor to acknowledge it himself.

Secretly harboring feelings was something he would not tolerate.

The Roc Demon Emperor fell silent for a moment, about to shake his head—when Chen Yixin’s eyes narrowed.

“Don’t bother lying. Give me ten years. After ten years, we’ll fight. If I win, you can no longer harbor any thoughts about A-Li. If I lose, then A-Li will fight you again.”

Either way, whether by himself or Wenren Li, they would ensure the Roc Demon Emperor would never dare harbor such thoughts again.

This strange logic, these strange words—only Chen Yixin could say them so confidently.

The Roc Demon Emperor rose, bowed once more, and left the deck. He had a feeling that he wouldn’t even need ten years to completely lose hope.

Yet he did not wish to refuse the challenge. His strength was not solely due to bloodline—he also possessed the heart of a true warrior.

To battle a Phoenix Divine Lord—even if utterly defeated—would be his honor.

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