Futile Devices Scans

Chen Yixin placed the little beast on the bed and searched around the small den, but Hong Yu had been raised too well. Naturally shed scales were basically impossible to find, so he could only personally pry one off Hong Yu’s body.

The little beast whimpered uncomfortably, and Chen Yixin instinctively patted it to soothe it. Then his voice lowered even further. “Sorry…”

Originally, he had not intended to make use of Hong Yu. But since Hong Yu had practically delivered himself to him, there was no need to seek something farther away. Besides, Chen Yixin no longer had any spare energy to waste.

He stood up and swept a hand across Hong Yu’s body. The peacefully sleeping little beast vanished from sight and likewise disappeared from spiritual-sense detection. If there was one thing Chen Yixin had accomplished most over these years, it was concealment and aura-suppression techniques. After all, Wenren Li still had not found him.

“So it’s actually your inside contact on Nangong’s side. That’s really…”

Jiu Yu was speechless. At the same time, he found it astonishing. Just how many things was Chen Yixin still hiding? At this point, even if Chen Yixin told him he could walk directly into Nangong’s treasury, Jiu Yu would probably believe it.

“You could call him an old acquaintance,” Chen Yixin replied. As he stepped out of the cave, he transformed into the appearance of the qilin cub Hong Yu. However, the cub’s aura fluctuated between strong and weak. Unless someone paid close attention, it was difficult to notice him. That made it much more convenient for him to move around within the Demon Abyss Well.

Jiu Yu said nothing further, but he knew that from this point onward, one wrong step could truly lead to irreversible consequences.

Meanwhile, at the ruins of the ancient divine battlefield outside Yuxu Palace, Wenren Li, Nangong Chuan, and Dongfang Jin stood facing one another from three different directions. A great battle could erupt at any moment. Dongfang Jin likewise felt some confusion regarding Wenren Li’s aura.

However, they soon realized where the problem lay. “It’s the little Heavenly Phoenix… Just how much does he know?” If Chen Yixin had not discovered something, he could never have dared commit such a reckless act.

“He probably knows more than either of you do,” Wenren Li narrowed his eyes and swept a hand forward before immediately attacking. The rage and grief filling his chest finally found a target upon which to vent themselves.

Nangong Chuan and Dongfang Jin handled Wenren Li’s assault with relative ease when fighting together. But two hours later, Qing Ruo and Lin Yu arrived, and things immediately became much more restrictive for them. Especially because the three people before them had poured all the negative emotions born from failing to find Chen Yixin onto them, attacking without regard for cost.

Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan still had concerns holding them back and could not fully unleash their power. The two exchanged a glance and slid backward. Wenren Li appeared behind them, cutting off their retreat. Just as Nangong Chuan was about to change tactics, his eyes widened.

“Not good!”

He instantly turned and teleported toward Yuxu Palace. Dongfang Jin followed with an equally grim expression. The moment Nangong Chuan cried out, Wenren Li had already vanished.

Chen Yixin’s abilities truly defied the heavens. Not only had he evaded Dongfang Jin’s and Nangong Chuan’s detection to enter Yuxu Palace, he had even run straight into the Demon Abyss Well, into the very cultivation grounds established by Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan.

How he had accomplished it was beside the point. Whatever he intended to do next was something even Wenren Li had to stop.

“A’Rong, don’t you dare!”

Wenren Li’s voice echoed from afar. Chen Yixin, who had stumbled and fallen into the central altar at the deepest part of the underground palace beneath the Demon Abyss Well, raised his head with a somewhat innocent expression. Yet after getting back up, he showed no intention whatsoever of changing what he planned to do.

Not far ahead of him burned a flame—an utterly black flame. Within it floated half a Divine Crystal. Even now, the flame continued tempering the portion of Wenren Li’s Divine Crystal contained within it. Chen Yixin was determined to obtain that Divine Crystal.

He had suffered so much. How could he let that suffering be in vain? How could he leave behind any future danger?

“So comfortable… So comfortable…”

Jiu Yu rolled off Chen Yixin’s wrist, his expression intoxicated. He dared not move any closer. If he did, he would probably explode on the spot.

Chen Yixin’s condition was comparatively better. Yet even now, he was uncertain what consequences would result from what he was about to do. He might die. He might not. Hesitation flashed through his expression, but there was no hesitation in his advancing steps.

He stood before the pitch-black source flame and slowly reached out his hands. The flame and Divine Crystal simultaneously descended between his palms.

At that moment, Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan arrived. Wenren Li arrived. Qing Ruo and Lin Yu, who were slightly farther behind, arrived as well.

“A’Rong, let go of it immediately!” Qing Ruo frowned despite himself upon sensing the aura of the flame source.

Lin Yu supported one of Qing Ruo’s arms and erected a barrier of light before them. Only then did Qing Ruo feel somewhat better. The two had only recently been resurrected, and after battling Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan earlier, their divine power was somewhat insufficient when facing this flame source.

At the same time, they moved a little closer. Yet even then, they remained too far away to pull Chen Yixin away from the flame source.

“Elder Brother Qing Ruo… Big Brother Lin Yu…”

Bathed in the black firelight, Chen Yixin’s complexion became even paler. He turned slightly toward Qing Ruo and Lin Yu, calling out to them. Then his gaze shifted sideways and finally settled on Wenren Li.

“A’Li…”

He called softly, his eyes tinged with bitterness before growing firm once more.

“Is A’Li truly angry with me?”

“No…”

Wenren Li’s voice was hoarse as he immediately denied it. The pain in his eyes could not be concealed. He did his best to control his tone.

“Put it down and come here. Then I won’t be angry with you.”

“A’Rong, did you hear me?”

Wenren Li took a step forward. Just as he was about to disregard the surrounding energies and teleport directly to Chen Yixin’s side, Chen Yixin responded to his words by pressing both the flame and the half Divine Crystal into his chest.

Immediately, a howl of agony escaped him.

“Ahhh—!”

Clutching his chest with both hands, Chen Yixin collapsed to the ground. Veins bulged across his body as he rolled in unbearable pain. Nangong Chuan, who had also intended to rush forward while Chen Yixin was distracted, was struck by the turbulent force generated by Chen Yixin’s thrashing and was sent crashing to the ground, coughing blood.

This injury was more severe than anything Wenren Li had achieved after destroying three of Nangong Chuan’s important incarnations in succession.

“Don’t come over… A’Li, don’t come over… Ahhh…!”

The force erupting from within his chest blasted Chen Yixin’s hands away. His white hair, hidden beneath the hood, spilled out completely. Beneath his unnaturally pale skin, countless gray currents could be seen coursing and rampaging through his body.

These were Void Origin energies—the very thing feared by all living beings. They represented destruction and despair. No one had ever heard of anyone successfully claiming them as their own. Dongfang Jin helped Nangong Chuan retreat. They simply waited for the Void Origin to drain Chen Yixin’s life force dry before causing him to explode and die.

At that moment, however, a pale green stone appeared in Chen Yixin’s hand. It was one of the stones obtained from the Myriad Worlds Well and the Three Lives Well. He had already used one while coming here. This was the other.

He had no time to spare for anyone else. Applying slight pressure with his fingers, he crushed it.

Jiu Yu, who had already been frightened into immobility, suddenly hurled himself toward Chen Yixin as though risking his life. The two vanished together from the center of the underground palace.

Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan stepped forward. Their divine senses rapidly swept across the Void Heaven Battlefield, yet they could find no trace of Chen Yixin.

Now that he carried Void Origin within him, he was like a beam of sunlight illuminating himself. There should have been nowhere for him to hide.

Even if he had left the Void Heaven Battlefield, he should have been easy to locate. No living being could endure the aura of Void Origin. Wherever he went, just as Wenren Li had once warned him, only destruction and death would follow. Such phenomena alone should have been enough to expose his whereabouts.

“Hey! Hey! Don’t die!”

Jiu Yu was just about to transform from his mist form into a human shape when another figure stepped through the teleportation formation before it had fully closed.

It was Wenren Li, who had followed directly behind them.

He had personally helped Chen Yixin obtain the stone from the Three Lives Well. How could he possibly fail to recognize it?

Originally, he had thought the stones could save Chen Yixin’s life at a critical moment. Never had he imagined Chen Yixin would use them to hide from him.

“A’Rong! Don’t tell me you think you can avoid me again…”

Now that Chen Yixin had revealed himself, there was no possibility Wenren Li would allow him to escape again.

Wenren Li slowly wrapped an arm around Chen Yixin’s waist. He could no longer judge how much strength he was using, but one thing was certain—there was absolutely no possibility of him letting go.

“Pushing me away again… Doing this again… What do you expect me to do, A’Rong…?”

Wenren Li could not suppress the grievance in his voice. His eyes reddened as emotions accumulated over more than a century teetered on the verge of collapse.

Chen Yixin had caused all of this.

Wenren Li knew of Chen Yixin’s wholehearted devotion and goodness toward him. Yet he did not want Chen Yixin to continue like this. He could not allow it. It could not always be Chen Yixin sacrificing everything.

“If you die, how could I possibly go on living alone…?”

Throughout these hundred-plus years, he had feared countless times that Chen Yixin would die before he could find him, that Chen Yixin would die before they could even say farewell to one another.

Such an ending was simply too cruel.

As the saying goes, a man does not easily shed tears, unless he has reached the depths of sorrow. But Chen Yixin’s successive actions had done far more than merely make Wenren Li sad or angry. Holding him in his arms, Wenren Li let two tears fall, splashing onto Chen Yixin’s chest, where a faint glow still lingered.

Yet the person in his embrace still did not open his eyes in response to his grief-stricken confession. Chen Yixin leaned lightly against Wenren Li’s chest. The extreme pain that had tormented him earlier seemed to have drifted far away. His brows were relaxed, his expression peaceful, as though he had already passed away…

“Ah! Ah!” From a river of stars whose destination was unknown came Wenren Li’s cry of overwhelming sorrow. His silver hair drifted upward, and a floating meteorite far in the distance shattered apart under the influence of his aura. “A’Rong! Ahhh…”

“Um… well…” Jiu Yu’s voice intruded rather inappropriately, but he felt he had no choice except to remind Wenren Li. “He probably isn’t dead. Ever since more than a hundred years ago, he’s been like this. After hurting for a few days, he’ll wake up again.”

The pain had come and gone intermittently, but it had never truly disappeared. It was only later that Chen Yixin stopped showing it so openly that others could see it. Still, Jiu Yu believed that since Chen Yixin had endured all those previous times, he could survive this one as well.

Hearing this, Wenren Li turned his head. The faint redness around his eyes made Jiu Yu’s heart tremble. Unable to maintain his backbone any longer, he hurriedly nodded again. “Y-yes, that’s really how it is…”

Wenren Li reached out and brushed a hand across Jiu Yu’s forehead. Jiu Yu did not dare resist. Obediently, he opened his memories and allowed Wenren Li to examine them.

Thus, everything that had happened during the century-plus that Chen Yixin had been separated from him unfolded before Wenren Li’s eyes. He saw the years that had been hardest for Chen Yixin. He saw the times Chen Yixin had rolled across the ground in agony. He saw the times he had sat alone beneath the sun and moon in silent desolation.

Wenren Li’s brows drew together slightly. The ache in his heart was unavoidable. Gently embracing Chen Yixin, he lowered a kiss onto his excessively cold forehead. “How much more must A’Rong make me suffer before my heart is satisfied?”

Two months later, on a completely barren abandoned lower-realm star, Chen Yixin—who had lain silent for two months, almost as though dead—slowly opened his eyes. The lively black pupils he once possessed had been replaced by a mass of gray mist, silent and cold.

After a while, the gray mist gradually settled, and Chen Yixin was finally able to see more clearly. He let out a breath. Only then did all the signs that proved he was still alive return. “I survived…”

Before he could finish speaking, he felt the chest against which he was leaning. It radiated warmth and a familiar presence. Throughout those two months, Wenren Li had held him without letting go, guarding him, waiting fearfully and stubbornly for him to awaken.

Chen Yixin slowly lifted his head and finally saw Wenren Li’s face. The corners of his lips curved slightly upward. He wanted to smile, but found himself unable to manage it. Instead, he rubbed lightly against Wenren Li’s chest. “A’Li has been holding me like this. Don’t your hands feel cold?”

Even he felt frozen himself…

After rubbing against him for a while, he looked up again. Yet apart from staring fixedly at him, Wenren Li gave no other reaction. Perhaps Wenren Li was truly furious with him this time. “A’Li should be angry. But remember not to stay angry with me for too long.”

A long while passed after Chen Yixin finished speaking, and Wenren Li still gave no response. As Chen Yixin lowered his head and seriously considered how he ought to comfort him and make amends, Wenren Li slowly raised a hand and placed it against Chen Yixin’s cheeks, then lightly touched his trembling eyelashes.

“Alive… alive… A’Rong is alive…”

The reason Wenren Li had been unable to react was because only now was he finally certain that Chen Yixin had survived. Even though Jiu Yu had reassured him before, Wenren Li had never been able to fully believe it. Only at this moment did he truly know.

His voice trembled softly. The fear that had carved itself so deeply into him still remained. Slowly, he leaned forward until their foreheads touched, brow against brow. Tears once again slipped from his eyes and fell directly into Chen Yixin’s.

During his long life, Wenren Li had experienced countless betrayals and separations, yet he had never once cried. Now, because of Chen Yixin, he had shed tears twice. His heart had been wounded, wounded deeper than words could express.

“A’Li…” Chen Yixin blinked, and he could no longer maintain a falsely lighthearted tone. Reaching out, he wrapped his arms tightly around Wenren Li’s neck. Softly, he said, “A’Li, I’m alive. Alive… I didn’t die.”

He could not bear to die. He could not bear to leave Wenren Li. Even if he had died, so long as a trace of consciousness remained, he would have returned to Wenren Li’s side as a ghost cultivator. Gently stroking Wenren Li’s hair, Chen Yixin’s eyes grew moist. He felt like crying as well.

But they had already survived the hardest part. Now he and Wenren Li should be happy.

Resting against Chen Yixin’s neck, Wenren Li remained there for a very long time before his emotions finally eased somewhat. He loosened his embrace slightly and met Chen Yixin’s gaze once more. Then he lifted him into his arms.

In the center of an endless expanse of dry sand, Jiu Yu was laboriously building a house. As for Chen Yixin’s condition, he felt increasingly uncertain about it. Previously, Chen Yixin would wake up after two or three days. This time, however, two months had passed without any sign of movement.

In the end, Jiu Yu no longer dared remain nearby. Using house-building as an excuse, he had fled over here. “Sigh… sigh…”

One sigh followed another. If Chen Yixin died, Wenren Li would effectively be half-crippled. Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan would find them sooner or later. Next time, he would not be able to run away so easily.

Just as Jiu Yu idly smashed some stones into the shape of furniture, he saw Wenren Li approaching from afar while carrying Chen Yixin. His eyes widened, and his breath caught in his throat.

“Shouldn’t you keep waiting? Maybe… maybe he’ll wake up in a few days. He never died before… how could this time suddenly…”

Chen Yixin lifted his head from where he rested against Wenren Li’s neck. He did not answer. He merely glanced at Jiu Yu, letting him know that he was still alive. He had not recovered much strength. All he wanted was to speak as much as possible with Wenren Li. As for Jiu Yu, the fact that Chen Yixin had even looked at him was already a rare courtesy.

Jiu Yu froze, unable for a moment to sort through the mixture of joy and relief within him. By the time he finally processed it, Wenren Li had already carried Chen Yixin inside the house and closed the door.

“We’ve gone through life-and-death situations together, after all… and besides, I really can’t handle a lunatic who does things this recklessly.”

He truly had no romantic interest in Chen Yixin. Even if he once had, Chen Yixin had thoroughly beaten it out of him.

Neither Chen Yixin nor Wenren Li had any spare attention for Jiu Yu’s muttering. The moment the door closed, all their focus returned to one another. Wenren Li first arranged the bedding slightly before carefully setting Chen Yixin down.

Then he removed the black cloak that Chen Yixin almost never took off. A cascade of white hair spilled down, dazzlingly pale.

Chen Yixin pressed his lips together but did not resist anything Wenren Li did. His clothing was removed completely as well. On the left side of his chest was a pale gray mark. There rested a complete, dormant Divine Crystal. Wrapped around that Divine Crystal was the Void Origin that all gods feared.

Wenren Li reached out toward it. Instinctively, Chen Yixin raised a hand to cover it, but under the sharp, stern gaze in Wenren Li’s eyes, he slowly lowered his hand again. Looking up, he gazed at him with a mixture of innocence and grievance.

“It can’t be exchanged again. Otherwise, I really might…”

Chen Yixin did not dare say the final word. He wanted to move a little closer to Wenren Li and leaned forward slightly, but then no longer dared move. Somehow, Wenren Li’s gaze seemed far more frightening than before.

Wenren Li continued moving his hand closer to Chen Yixin’s chest. The gray mark directly passed through his palm, leaving slight scorch marks behind. Fortunately, the damage was minor. Previously, Nangong Chuan had been severely injured merely by the aura. Without thousands or tens of thousands of years of secluded cultivation, he would never recover.

Yet seeing this, Chen Yixin felt a pang of heartache. Gently, he grasped Wenren Li’s hand where it rested against his chest. The emotions in his eyes were difficult to read.

“You shouldn’t touch this place anymore. Other than here, A’Li can touch anywhere he wants.”

“Why did it have to be this way?”

Wenren Li completely ignored the suggestive implications of Chen Yixin’s words. Continuing to feel the burning sensation against his hand, he met Chen Yixin’s gaze and asked with utmost seriousness.

Holding Wenren Li’s hand, Chen Yixin brought it to his lips and kissed it softly. A faint smile appeared on his face.

“For A’Li, there was no solution. For me, it’s different. I bring destruction and death, but A’Li can bring life and hope again. Then it becomes a cycle rather than endless darkness.”

More importantly, if he succeeded, he would have given Void Origin a consciousness. Something Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan had never been able to accomplish despite all their efforts, he might actually achieve.

The greatest mistake Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan had made was believing they should use Void Origin to suppress Wenren Li’s Divine Crystal in order to find the path to the gate of the ancient Divine Realm. In truth, it was only because Wenren Li had suppressed Void Origin that he possessed the qualification to break through that gate.

“If we have enough time, we can continue searching for clues about the Realm Gate. Once we leave, everything here can continue as it always has.”

An unmistakable brightness shone in Chen Yixin’s eyes. As Wenren Li had once said, he was simply too clever.

From the moment he learned from Father God the true reason behind Dongfang Jin’s and Nangong Chuan’s betrayal, he had already made this decision. Half a Divine Crystal was not enough. He wanted Wenren Li’s complete Divine Crystal. Otherwise, the remaining half might one day carry the Void Origin back into Wenren Li’s body on its own.

If that happened, all the suffering he had endured would have been for nothing.

That was why he had to avoid Wenren Li. He had to obtain the remaining half of the Divine Crystal before Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan could predict his purpose. As for the Void Origin wrapped around the Divine Crystal, he had no choice at the time but to absorb it into his chest as well.

The explanation he was giving now was half true and half false. He was not sure whether it would be enough to comfort Wenren Li.

“The Realm Gate…”

Wenren Li softly repeated the words Chen Yixin had spoken. Then he shook his head.

“The Realm Gate is not impossible to open. But it requires the soul power of countless living beings to strike against it, and it requires the barrier outside the gate to weaken naturally. Even then, the chance of success is infinitesimal. It’s too difficult. A’Rong doesn’t understand. It’s far too difficult…”

Having lived for so many ages, Wenren Li had witnessed the deaths of countless Divine Lords, including Father God himself. All had perished pursuing this path. To him, it seemed more like a deception—a trap leading the gods toward death.

Immortal Emperors were not truly immortal. They merely lived so long that others mistook them for such. Heaven and earth themselves moved through cycles of reincarnation. How much less eternal were immortals who had never truly crossed the threshold of everlasting life?

Even Wenren Li himself had experienced death and reincarnation. Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan had researched Void Origin for countless years. Most likely, their own lifespans were nearing their limits as well. That was why they had become so desperate.

Back then, Wenren Li had rejected the search for the Realm Gate. Instead, he chose to build a new Divine Realm and establish a new order himself. Yet Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan believed he had monopolized Void Origin and monopolized the secret method for passing into the Divine Realm. Seeking immortality, seeking greater power, seeking the true Divine Realm they imagined, they chose betrayal. Thus came the upheaval of Yuxu Palace.

“Then… did I actually make things worse for you?”

Leaning against Wenren Li, uncertainty appeared in Chen Yixin’s eyes. Perhaps Wenren Li had already possessed his own plans. But before he could tell him, Chen Yixin had made the choice on his behalf.

It was wrong. Chen Yixin knew that. Yet he could not bear the thought of Wenren Li suffering such a fate after already enduring betrayal and reincarnation. He could not bear to see him become a stepping stone for Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan on their path to the Divine Realm.

He was unwilling. Unwilling for Wenren Li. Unwilling for all the effort he himself had poured in over the years.

Wenren Li did not answer. Instead, he simply pulled Chen Yixin closer into his embrace. His throat tightened slightly. Though he suppressed his emotions again and again, some still escaped.

“Then that’s good,” Chen Yixin said softly as he patted Wenren Li. A faint smile appeared in his eyes as he told him seriously, “I’m back. I’m not leaving anymore. From now on, I’m going to cling to A’Li forever.”

Turning his head and noticing Wenren Li looking at his hair, Chen Yixin reached out and tugged at Wenren Li’s silver hair as well. He leaned closer, and just as Wenren Li’s pupils widened slightly, he brushed his lips against his. “White is good too. It matches A’Li even better…”

After saying that, Chen Yixin sighed. “Sigh, A’Li is deliberately being fierce with me again…”

The way those eyes looked at him made it seem as though everything he said was wrong. He continued pressing his cheek against Wenren Li’s and lowered his voice into a murmur. “Didn’t I tell A’Li not to be angry with me…”

Getting Wenren Li to stop being angry completely was truly difficult. All that anger that wished to lock Chen Yixin away in a little dark room was being suppressed only by heartache and lingering fear. Once Chen Yixin’s condition improved a little more, it would not be so easy to smooth things over.

Wenren Li reached out and pinched the tip of Chen Yixin’s nose, applying just a little force. The person before him immediately frowned and even reddened around the eyes. He could not scold him. He could not touch him too roughly. For the first time in his life, Wenren Li, who had never considered himself incapable, found that he truly had no way to deal with Chen Yixin. In a somewhat stiff tone, he said, “I’ll keep the account for now.”

After saying that, he reached out again and pulled Chen Yixin back into his arms, holding him as though he were an incomparable treasure.

What he had gone through during those two months had been even harder to endure than the century-plus during which he had been unable to find Chen Yixin. Even now, in this brief moment, everything still felt unreal. Holding Chen Yixin, who could laugh, joke, and act spoiled with him, still felt unreal.

Chen Yixin obediently allowed himself to be held. He said nothing more. Before long, his eyelids drooped, and he fell asleep in Wenren Li’s arms.

Even in sleep, he looked no different from a corpse. His entire body was cold. The Divine Heart that should have been bursting with vitality and constantly supplying him with divine power had not beaten for him even once.

As for what sort of state Chen Yixin was currently in, even Wenren Li could not explain it clearly. But one thing was certain—Chen Yixin would not die.

This time, he slept for only three days before waking. Afterward, he was able to get out of bed and walk around on his own. He fiddled with the black cloak for a while before ultimately deciding not to wear it again. Instead, he chose one of Wenren Li’s usual black robes.

There was now a wooden staff in his hand, something Wenren Li had made while he slept. Judging by it, Wenren Li had likely taken it from his own true body.

Holding the wooden staff, Chen Yixin carefully inspected Wenren Li from head to toe once more. Only after confirming that Wenren Li had not lost an arm or a leg because of it did he feel at ease using it. One hand rested on the staff while the other was supported by Wenren Li. Together, they strolled across this desolate star whose scenery was anything but beautiful.

“The day I went back to the Ice Extremity Palace, it was still just as beautiful as before.”

As he spoke, Chen Yixin smiled at Wenren Li. What he did not know was that through Jiu Yu’s memories, Wenren Li already knew everything. Chen Yixin’s experience returning to the Ice Extremity Palace had not been pleasant, nor was it something worth smiling about.

Yet Wenren Li merely looked at him a little longer and did not interrupt or contradict him. “When you’re better, we can go back and visit again.”

Hearing that, Chen Yixin hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. “Even after I’m better, let’s wait a while longer.”

If they really went there and Wenren Li saw how uncomfortable he had been, it would probably only make him angrier. Until Wenren Li had completely vented his frustrations, it would be best to avoid things that might provoke him.

Wenren Li’s hand tightened slightly around the one supporting Chen Yixin. When Chen Yixin looked over in confusion, Wenren Li stepped in front of him. “I’ll carry you.”

“Okay,” Chen Yixin answered obediently before climbing onto Wenren Li’s back. The wooden staff in his hand reverted to a branch and was tucked into the hair crown Wenren Li had tied for him.

“When will Elder Brother Qing Ruo and Big Brother Lin Yu come visit me?”

Chen Yixin asked softly beside Wenren Li’s ear. That day, he had not had the chance to properly speak with them. Wenren Li catching up to him had been within his expectations. Even if he had not, now that he was better, he would have gone looking for him himself.

“When you’re a little better,” Wenren Li replied steadily as he walked. At the same time, his thoughts were occupied with how to stabilize Chen Yixin’s condition. The way he looked dead every time he fell asleep made it impossible for him to rest easy.

Besides, at this moment, he did not want anyone else sharing Chen Yixin’s attention. Not even Qing Ruo and Lin Yu.

Chen Yixin had no objections to Wenren Li’s answer. He nodded, then tilted his head slightly and kissed Wenren Li on the cheek. Just as he was about to withdraw obediently, Wenren Li suddenly stopped walking and turned his head toward the side Chen Yixin was leaning against.

“Hm?” Chen Yixin made a soft questioning sound and blinked twice. Then he cautiously leaned forward a little more and pressed a kiss to Wenren Li’s lips.

It was an extremely light kiss. Yet every time Chen Yixin intended to stop, Wenren Li’s eyes, though otherwise expressionless, would lift slightly toward him. So Chen Yixin continued kissing him.

Wenren Li’s lack of reaction was itself another form of cherishing. He feared that the slightest carelessness might hurt Chen Yixin. Yet no matter what Chen Yixin did to him, he would accept it. This gentle kiss soothed his heart more than any embrace had before.

Whether Wenren Li reacted or not remained difficult to tell, but Chen Yixin smiled more often than before.

Resting against Wenren Li’s shoulder with the corners of his lips slightly curved, he glanced around at their surroundings before letting his gaze settle on Wenren Li’s profile once again. In a low voice, he said, “Actually, it wouldn’t matter if A’Li kissed me a little harder. You can’t break me by kissing me.”

Wenren Li did not respond to Chen Yixin’s words, but his brows drew together slightly, as though he were seriously considering whether the suggestion was feasible.

However, not long after teasing him, Chen Yixin fell asleep again on Wenren Li’s shoulder. Unlike the previous two times, though, he fell asleep with a faint smile on his lips and a peaceful expression. It seemed to be nothing more than an ordinary nap.

Chen Yixin’s tendency toward sleepiness was unavoidable. Within his body existed not only Wenren Li’s Divine Crystal but also the Void Origin that had become inseparable from it. An ordinary person would already have ended as Dongfang Jin and Nangong Chuan predicted—drained dry and exploded. Yet apart from excessive sleepiness, Chen Yixin had shown no other abnormalities so far.

As for Jiu Yu, he was sensible enough. Far from the stone house, on another hill entirely, he built a cave dwelling for himself and cultivated there. Judging from the situation at present, the one who had benefited most from the journey to the Abyss Demon Well beneath Yuxu Palace was him.

He told himself that he would leave after his cultivation breakthrough stabilized. In the meantime, he could also keep an eye on Chen Yixin’s condition.

They remained on this abandoned star for three years. Chen Yixin spent most of his time sleeping. Whenever he was awake, he did his best to talk with Wenren Li.

As for his body, he felt that it was gradually improving. What Wenren Li thought, however, he had not yet explained in detail.

The abandoned star had originally been a place called the Little Cloud Realm. As resources dried up and the environment worsened, the native inhabitants either died or left. Beyond the barrier surrounding the stone house Wenren Li had built, sandstorms howled endlessly. Only on rare occasions did the abandoned star know peace.

But at night, the sky here was beautiful. Ten moon-stars circled overhead like a necklace hanging across the heavens.

Chen Yixin sat on a stone stool with his chin propped in one hand, gazing at the night sky. The arrangement of the ten moon-stars was perfectly reflected in his eyes. After a moment, he stretched out a hand. The radiance of all ten moon-stars dimmed at once, and a cluster of moonlight appeared in his palm.

In the past, such a thing would have been an excellent aid to cultivation. Now, he could only play with it.

“A’Rong, don’t move!”

Wenren Li’s voice, carrying a rare note of severity, came from behind him as he emerged from the house. Chen Yixin did not understand why, but he obediently remained still. After quite some time, he finally tilted his head slightly and looked at Wenren Li. “Hm?”

Suppressing the excitement that had appeared on his face, Wenren Li strode forward quickly and crouched before Chen Yixin, then pulled him into a tight embrace.

“That’s wonderful. That’s wonderful…”

Chen Yixin could more or less guess that this “wonderful” was related to his condition, but he did not understand how idly playing with a bit of moonlight had led Wenren Li to such a discovery.

Even after examining himself carefully, he could not find anything different from before.

Still, seeing Wenren Li this happy, Chen Yixin could not help smiling. He hugged him back gently and rubbed his hair over and over. He knew that because of his condition, Wenren Li had not truly been happy during these past three years.

After calming down somewhat, Wenren Li lifted Chen Yixin into his arms. Returning to the house, he waved a hand and reinforced the barrier outside.

Then he returned to Chen Yixin’s side and gently cupped his face. He kissed him on the lips, then pressed another kiss to the center of his forehead. A silver point of light appeared there.

Chen Yixin immediately understood. Closing his eyes, he followed the guidance of that light and carefully searched through his body. At last, within his chest, he discovered something unusual. Beneath the black Divine Crystal and the Void Origin was a tiny blue light no larger than a grain of rice.

It was none other than the Soulreturn Flame.

Originally, the Soulreturn Flame had indeed come from the divine light within Wenren Li’s heart before being transformed in the Sea of Ice Extremity. Yet it had accompanied Chen Yixin for so many years as his natal flame. It belonged to Wenren Li, but it also belonged to Chen Yixin.

That tiny blue spark was the seed of the Soulreturn Flame left within him. It was also the true reason he was still alive. Normally, however, its light was concealed beneath the Divine Crystal and the Void Origin. The only benefit it provided was preventing his death. Discovering it had been extremely difficult.

Only tonight, under the guidance of the pure moonlight, had Wenren Li noticed it. And now he had used this method to help Chen Yixin discover it as well.

“But why doesn’t the Void Origin affect it?” Chen Yixin slowly opened his eyes and looked up at Wenren Li, pondering the matter himself. Yet before he could think further, Wenren Li captured his lips in a kiss.

This was the first time since they had settled on the abandoned star that Wenren Li had initiated a kiss. The rare occurrence completely bewitched Chen Yixin. Very quickly, he forgot the questions he had been contemplating and devoted himself to returning the kiss.

It was not exactly a perfect kiss—at least not from Wenren Li’s perspective, since Chen Yixin’s lips were still somewhat cold—but Chen Yixin’s eyes soon grew misty. Almost unconsciously, he began tugging at Wenren Li’s clothes.

While allowing Chen Yixin to do as he pleased, Wenren Li also answered his earlier question.

“Perhaps there is an element of luck involved. But more than that, it is because of you—your will.”

Chen Yixin’s will had granted the Soulreturn Flame qualities beyond the ordinary. It had given the Void Origin, which had never before encountered anything capable of resisting it, something it could not suppress. That was why Chen Yixin’s miracle existed.

His miracle.

“Oh,” Chen Yixin replied. His hand rested against Wenren Li’s partially exposed chest, and he hesitated slightly. He wanted to be close to Wenren Li, but he did not know whether their current situation allowed for it.

Wenren Li looked at the hand that remained where it was and hesitated as well. “Let’s try first. If it doesn’t work, we’ll stop.”

Before this, Wenren Li had already considered dual cultivation, but his main purpose had been to see whether it might help improve Chen Yixin’s condition. Now that they were truly about to put the idea into practice, it was no longer only about that.

Fear, guilt, sorrow, and anger still remained, yet none of them were as real or as intense as his love for Chen Yixin. Their robes were removed, and gentle, lingering kisses fell between them. They proceeded cautiously, testing each step and gradually adapting. This session of dual cultivation was even more clumsy and nerve-racking than the first time they had shared a bed together.

When Wenren Li’s soul consciousness entered Chen Yixin’s sea of consciousness, it was immediately surrounded and trapped by layers of gray mist. No matter what he did, he could not find Chen Yixin’s true soul. Just as he was at a loss and preparing to think of a way to withdraw, the gray mist dispersed, and Chen Yixin’s soul body, which was itself shrouded in gray haze, finally appeared.

“Do you think it’s ugly?” Chen Yixin’s soul consciousness asked Wenren Li. The reason he had not appeared earlier was because he had been afraid Wenren Li would dislike the way his soul body had become unsightly after being eroded by the gray mist.

“No. A’Rong is beautiful. You will always be the most beautiful.”

Wenren Li told him this as he merged their soul bodies together. At first, there was indeed discomfort. Wenren Li’s soul was incomparably pure and warm, while Chen Yixin’s was cold and murky. It was like water colliding with fire, or light crashing into darkness.

Yet they were not trying to overpower one another. They were coming together because there was affection and love in their hearts.

“A-Li…”

There was a hint of tears in Chen Yixin’s voice as he called out softly. The feeling seemed painful, yet not entirely so. His thoughts became confused. What he did next seemed both conscious and unconscious, but throughout it all, he remembered one thing clearly—he had to hold on to Wenren Li, and he would never let go, even in death.

What Wenren Li felt was even more intense than what Chen Yixin experienced. Yet they had already come this far, and stopping was impossible. Enduring those sensations, he guided the strange energy produced by their union toward the blue flame within Chen Yixin’s chest.

However, the first thing to rush forward and absorb that energy was not the blue flame, but the Void Origin.

At first, Wenren Li was worried. But when he examined it more carefully, he discovered that the blue flame seemed to be biting onto the tail end of the Void Origin. The strange energy circulated through the Void Origin once before ultimately flowing into the blue flame.

It did not grow noticeably, but small accumulations would eventually add up. Once it absorbed enough of that energy, it would undergo a transformation and improve Chen Yixin’s condition to some degree.

After an entire night of dual cultivation, the effects were subtle, but among all the methods Wenren Li had tried on Chen Yixin, this was by far the most effective. Rising from the bed, he pressed a kiss to Chen Yixin’s lips, tucked him back beneath the blankets, and only then went outside. Taking out a medicine pot, he began brewing a medicinal soup that, even if useless, would at least do no harm.

Suddenly, he looked up and saw a crimson feather materializing in the distant sky. With a wave of his hand, he redirected the feather that was searching for traces of him and Chen Yixin elsewhere. Now that he had finally found a solution, he wanted even less for anyone to disturb them.

Chen Yixin slept better than ever before. After waking and drinking the medicinal soup Wenren Li had painstakingly brewed—one that was not too unpleasant to drink—his mood improved further. No sooner had Wenren Li set down the bowl than Chen Yixin reached out and hooked an arm around his neck.

Then, with lips whose color had become unusually pale, he kissed Wenren Li’s cheek, forehead, brow, and the tip of his nose one by one.

After kissing them all, he shyly asked, “Are we continuing tonight?”

“Mhm,” Wenren Li replied.

Chen Yixin immediately threw himself into Wenren Li’s arms and laughed quietly. This was probably his favorite method of treatment.

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