Neither of them had fought in earnest. Their strengths were evenly matched, and they were the most powerful cultivators of the Immortal Realm and the Demon Realm respectively, if they truly fought, this small Hehuan Sect would vanish in an instant.
After going through the motions for a few moves, the two withdrew their hands with perfect tacit understanding.
In the past, whenever they sparred, they always stopped at the right point, a single meeting of their eyes was enough to read each other’s intent, and they would withdraw together.
This time was no different.
Mu Nanxiao had grown used to it and thought nothing of it, only silently marveling that even after losing his memories, Bai Shen still shared such rapport with him.
Bai Shen withdrew his hand and looked at the sword in his grasp with puzzlement. “The Immortal Venerable understands This Venerable One’s temperament so well knowing to withdraw together even before a message was sent. It seems we are truly a match made in heaven.”
Mu Nanxiao had long since seen through Bai Shen’s way of thinking, so he said nothing, merely turning to look at Yu Yi, who had already been rescued. “Are you gravely injured?”
The disciple who had carried Yu Yi off the stage hurriedly replied, “Immortal Venerable, Senior Brother is not gravely hurt, he only needs to rest for some days.”
Earlier, when Bai Shen had charged over with his sword to attack Yu Yi, he had been brimming with killing intent and had shown no mercy on the stage. Just as Alvin was frantically wondering what to do, he happened to sense Mu Nanxiao’s aura and rushed over to beg for help.
Looking at Yu Yi’s injuries now, his Master had indeed shown some restraint though the wounds were still deep nonetheless.
Just what rift had arisen between his senior brother and his Master, that the Master would strike so hard?
Seeing Mu Nanxiao show such concern for Yu Yi, Bai Shen remained unmoved, as if he were not the same person who had just been so enraged by Yu Yi that he drew blood.
“This matter was this Master’s fault. Take three treasures from this Master’s storeroom as an apology; a Cultivation Method shall be imparted to you later.” Bai Shen’s sudden change of attitude also stirred suspicion in Mu Nanxiao’s heart.
After taking an Alchemy Pill, Yu Yi regained consciousness and thanked Mu Nanxiao. “Thank you for rescuing me, Immortal Venerable. When I received your message, I was so startled by its contents that I did not act.”
“But this disciple is only a little over a thousand years old, while the Immortal Venerable’s Soul-binding Covenant was made more than two thousand years ago. Once Master learned of this, he gave up his killing intent and merely sparred with me.”
Bai Shen’s several disciples had all been taken in after his Soul-binding Covenant with Mu Nanxiao, Mu Nanxiao knew this.
But he had lived for so long that he had actually forgotten he could have used the matter of age to explain things to Bai Shen and thereby save Yu Yi from this undeserved calamity.
After explaining to Mu Nanxiao, Yu Yi thanked Bai Shen as well. “Thank you for your guidance, Master. I now have an idea of how to cultivate going forward. My injuries now are merely due to my own insufficient strength, a few days of rest and I shall recover.”
He took all the blame upon himself, showing no anger at Bai Shen’s sudden madness.
Hearing his flattery, Bai Shen was in a good mood.
What Yu Yi had said to him on the stage had opened up a new line of thought for him.
Mu Nanxiao refused to say who his Cultivation Partner was, but he could follow this line of reasoning to find out.
The Immortal Venerable had been Soul-bound for over two thousand years. Anyone now around two thousand years of age, young and handsome in appearance, with a profound Cultivation Base such people could be counted on one hand. With only a slight investigation, he would know who the Immortal Venerable’s Cultivation Partner was.
At this thought, Bai Shen turned a gentle gaze upon Mu Nanxiao. “The Immortal Venerable has traveled a great distance to find This Venerable One for what purpose, may I ask?”
Isn’t it because I was afraid you’d kill your own disciple! Mu Nanxiao thought, but did not say it aloud.
He carried doubts in his heart.
Why had the spiritual fetus in his belly quieted down the moment they arrived at the Hehuan Sect, and why had those inexplicable Demonic Thoughts vanished without a trace?
“Let us go to your sleeping palace to talk in detail,” Mu Nanxiao said, heading toward Bai Shen’s sleeping palace as if he knew the way well.
Bai Shen hurried to follow, telling Alvin to take Yu Yi to have his injuries treated, and along the way instructed him to report on the two-thousand-plus-year-old man who was still young and handsome.
Only after entering the sleeping palace did Mu Nanxiao say, “Tomorrow, you will accompany This Venerable One to a place.”
His gaze swept around Bai Shen’s room, searching for traces of the time he had lived here.
He had come to the Demon Abyss few times, and had entered Bai Shen’s sleeping palace even fewer, so he had not left many of his things here.
But he had stayed here after all, and had left behind some clothes and treasures.
Now, nothing of his could be seen in Bai Shen’s sleeping palace.
Yu Yi had once said that Bai Shen had a hidden chamber filled with his things, but who knew where that chamber was.
Bai Shen had lost his memories of Mu Nanxiao, and it seemed he had also lost his memories of that hidden chamber, who knew how much else he had forgotten.
“Where to?” Bai Shen asked, without refusing.
“Medicine King Valley.”
Bai Shen naturally knew what Medicine King Valley was. Just as he was about to ask further, a flash of inspiration struck his mind, as if he had understood something.
Medicine King Valley had closed its gates over two thousand years ago. Whether the Immortal Venerable’s Soul-binding Covenant came first or the valley’s closure came first, the timing was about the same.
Nowadays people had all but forgotten Medicine King Valley, yet the Immortal Venerable suddenly brought it up. Could it be that the Cultivation Partner he had hidden away was a disciple of Medicine King Valley?
Medicine King Valley had been cut off from the outside world for so long who knew what news circulated inside. If the Immortal Venerable’s Cultivation Partner was inside, it would also explain why there were no other men’s belongings in the Immortal Venerable’s sleeping palace.
Bai Shen turned the thought over. The Immortal Venerable must be taking him to explain this matter to the Cultivation Partner, and presumably would also dissolve their relationship along the way, so as to form a Soul-binding Covenant with him instead.
“Wherever the Immortal Venerable wishes to go, This Venerable One shall naturally follow.” After considering for a while, Bai Shen became increasingly convinced his guess was correct, and accepted the invitation to go to Medicine King Valley with Mu Nanxiao.
Mu Nanxiao knew nothing of the twists and turns in Bai Shen’s mind. He extended a hand fair, slender fingers, knuckles faintly flushed, nails rounded and free of hangnails. The hand was utterly lovely.
Bai Shen placed his own hand upon it.
His hand was a full size larger than Mu Nanxiao’s, able to wrap around it perfectly.
Wearing a smile, before he could even speak, he felt Mu Nanxiao’s Spiritual Power transmit through their hands. He instinctively resisted, his own Spiritual Power surging forth in opposition to Mu Nanxiao’s.
The two powers collided, but at that moment Mu Nanxiao’s Spiritual Power suddenly withdrew. Bai Shen had no time to pull his back, and it rushed along their clasped hands into Mu Nanxiao’s body.
He hastily released their hands, warily stepping back a pace, looking at Mu Nanxiao with some concern. “You…”
“It’s nothing,” Mu Nanxiao said.
After Bai Shen’s Spiritual Power entered his Meridians, before it could circulate along his Cultivation Method, it was drawn in by the spiritual fetus, and now it was being completely absorbed by the spiritual fetus.
Just as he had expected, the spiritual fetus’s growth required the Spiritual Power of both of them. His power alone would likely be drained dry by it.
“What are you doing? Didn’t This Venerable One already permit you to go to Medicine King Valley tomorrow? How could you do something that harms yourself like this?” Seeing that Mu Nanxiao was truly unharmed, Bai Shen let out a breath of relief. His words were reproachful, but his tone was full of doting affection.
Mu Nanxiao looked at the bed placed in the middle of the sleeping palace, walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and lightly patted it. “The Demon Venerable would not permit This Venerable One to share your bed. Is there a guest room where This Venerable One may stay?”
“The Immortal Venerable can simply stay here. In the Hehuan Sect, who would dare question This Venerable One?”
Which meant, if the Immortal Venerable stayed elsewhere, the gossips would have plenty to say? If those devoted spiritual children overheard, they would likely pick a fight with Bai Shen.
Bai Shen also walked over and sat down at the edge of the bed. The two were very close, their fingers brushing accidentally, sending a shiver through them.
Bai Shen even felt a kind of forbidden, metaphorical pleasure.
The Immortal Venerable had a Cultivation Partner, and yet here he was, sitting on Bai Shen’s bed.
After getting onto the bed, Mu Nanxiao sat cross-legged and began cultivating.
As he cultivated, Spiritual Power leaked out, and the surroundings grew much colder, even white frosty mist drifted around the bed.
The malicious thoughts from before had nearly sent him into cultivation deviation, and he had expended considerable energy resisting them.
His face showed no weakness, but in truth he urgently needed a great deal of Spiritual Power to replenish himself.
White mist swirled around him, his features appearing and disappearing within it. His white hair blended into the fog, giving the impression that he might ascend at any moment. But the red robes he wore gave Bai Shen the feeling that this person still belonged to the mortal world.
“The Immortal Venerable looks quite handsome in red,” Bai Shen complimented.
Mu Nanxiao opened his eyes, looked at Bai Shen, and only after a long while did he nod. “Mm.”
Bai Shen didn’t feel his efforts were wasted, chatting with Mu Nanxiao in fits and starts.
Mu Nanxiao only occasionally responded, offering his own thoughts, and the time passed quite quickly.
After a while longer, Alvin knocked on the door of the sleeping palace carrying a food box.
“Master, this is the food you requested,” he said.
Bai Shen went over and personally took the food box, then asked, “Is Yu Yi all right?”
“Senior Brother’s external injuries are rather serious, but his internal injuries are nothing to worry about, a few days of rest and he’ll recover. However, Senior Brother says he has touched the threshold of a breakthrough, so he’ll likely need to enter Secluded Meditation for a while.”
Alvin said admiringly merely sparring with Master and taking a few injuries, and Senior Brother was already on the verge of a breakthrough.
Could he also spar with Master? But Senior Brother’s injuries had been rather frightening; he would have to think it over carefully.
Bai Shen hadn’t expected this either. He nodded. “That is very good.”
With that, he closed the door.
“Immortal Venerable, come and try this. It’s a specialty of the Hehuan Sect, pastries made from spiritual beasts raised in the sect’s secret forest, rich in Spiritual Power. Once you leave this place, it would be extremely rare to taste it in the outside world.”
The food box opened to reveal pastries inside, giving off a sweet fragrance. Yet when the pastry entered the mouth, it carried the flavor of meat, the meat had been ground into mince, melting in the mouth.
Mu Nanxiao had never been one to indulge his appetite, so naturally he had no interest in such food.
Having been bound as Cultivation Partners with Bai Shen for over two thousand years, he had never eaten this kind of food in the Hehuan Sect.
“The taste is excellent,” he praised. He sampled two pieces of meat pastry, then set them down, took a handkerchief, and wiped the crumbs from the corner of his mouth.
Even doing such an ordinary thing, he was exquisitely beautiful.
Bai Shen picked up a piece of pastry and held it to his lips.
The teeth that showed, unguarded, as he bit into the pastry, and the way he pressed his lips together, savoring it so carefully.
The red marks on his slender neck had not yet faded even just watching him taste the food, Bai Shen couldn’t take his eyes off him.
Since Bai Shen offered, Mu Nanxiao naturally wouldn’t refuse.
Under Bai Shen’s piece-by-piece feeding, the entire box of pastries ended up in Mu Nanxiao’s stomach.
The Spiritual Power within his body grew abundant once more.