“Leave? Delusional!”
“You forced me to self-detonate my inner core, making me lose my physical body and cultivation. I will make you pay for this!”
The snake demon, having already blown itself into fragments, bared its teeth viciously at Shen Xiuyun from its ethereal spirit body hovering in midair, its hideous face growing even more terrifying.
Then it muttered something unknown from its mouth, and a strange blue light enveloped Zhu Xingyao. Zhu Xingyao’s body slowly turned transparent, as if it could disappear at any moment.
In his desperation, Shen Xiuyun released the suppression on his cultivation, broke free from the Immortal-Binding Rope, and grabbed Zhu Xingyao’s hand.
He had thought he would be able to catch him, but to his surprise, he was dragged along and both of them disappeared from the cave.
Shen Xiuyun felt the scene before his eyes constantly shifting, like a slideshow playing at n-times speed, flashing so fast his eyes blurred.
The final image froze over a boundless deep pool. He was sucked down from midair by an enormous force and suddenly plunged into the bone-chilling water.
Driven by the instinct to survive, he desperately paddled his limbs to swim toward the surface, but for some unknown reason, the harder he tried, the deeper he sank.
The oxygen in his chest grew less and less. Under extreme oxygen deprivation, his brain lost its ability to think temporarily.
Shen Xiuyun couldn’t even form a hand seal.
Just as he was about to suffocate, a red figure suddenly swam over in the water, wrapping an arm precisely around his waist.
The person pulled him forcefully into his embrace, then pressed down on the back of his head. Warm, soft lips touched his, and a portion of air was passed over.
However, gradually, the passing of air slowly turned into a fierce kiss, and Shen Xiuyun passed out in the nearly suffocating kiss.
“Master.”
Shen Xiuyun gave a start, his consciousness snapping wide awake, but he didn’t open his eyes.
It had been a long time since he’d heard this low, wickedly arrogant tone.
It was the kind of cadence the disciple used after turning villain.
Wait, hadn’t he cast an illusion over his face?
His cover was blown this fast?
System: 『The blue-winged snake demon’s illusion has been triggered. Please proceed with caution, Host.』
Shen Xiuyun: 『…Are you joking?』
That illusion had already been broken by Zhu Xingyao, hadn’t it?
System: 『The Host is about to face the male lead after turning villain. High danger, high danger, there is danger, attention!』
Shen Xiuyun was dumbfounded. 『What the hell is this situation? I pass out for a moment, and you’re telling me the male lead turned villain?』
System: 『This male lead is a derivative of the illusion. You created him yourself. When you fell into the water and were about to suffocate, you thought of the Zhu Xingyao who had turned villain in the previous life, and then he appeared to save you.』
『Fuck! How could I possibly…』
Shen Xiuyun was utterly dumbfounded and immediately wanted to slap himself across the mouth.
Had his brain taken on water just now? Well, maybe it literally had.
System said in a cheeky tone: 『I’d also like to ask you why. Weren’t you wearing a face of rejection every day in your previous life? Could it be that all along, when you and Zhu Xingyao engaged in dual cultivation, your mouth said no but your body said yes?』
Shen Xiuyun snapped in annoyance: 『Get lost!』
“How long is Master going to pretend to sleep? Should your disciple kiss you awake?”
The slightly threatening tone and the other person’s warm breath washing over his face made it impossible for Shen Xiuyun to keep pretending.
He reluctantly opened his phoenix eyes, and the moment they opened, he saw Zhu Xingyao almost pressed face-to-face with him.
Clad in red robes as passionate as fire, with a mark of demonic corruption between his brows that was bright red as blood, a half-smile on his face, and beautiful peach-blossom eyes staring at him unblinkingly.
“Master is finally willing to wake up.”
Shen Xiuyun pushed him away and silently sat off to one side, maintaining a certain safe distance from “Zhu Xingyao.”
Only then did he realize that he was wearing Zhu Xingyao’s outer robes, while Zhu Xingyao himself was dressed only in his inner garments.
The wet clothes clung to Zhu Xingyao’s body, faintly outlining his muscular build. Hair dark as ink pressed against his cheeks, the corners of his eyes tilted upward, his gaze ambiguous, and his thin lips held a faint hint of a smile.
This was a fucking seductive demon!
Shen Xiuyun couldn’t help but swallow.
He was a hopeless admirer of beauty and simply couldn’t handle it!
So much so that he couldn’t help but stammer when he spoke.
“How… how are you here… where is he?”
“Zhu Xingyao” narrowed his eyes dangerously. “Who is he?”
Shen Xiuyun: “…”
What was with this tone as if he’d been caught cheating?
“He” wasn’t just himself?
Shen Xiuyun ignored him, wrapped his clothes tighter, and prepared to go out and find the Zhu Xingyao who had been afflicted with aphrodisiac poison and was lost somewhere unknown.
Hopefully the guy was all right.
But before he could take two steps, his wrist was grabbed and he was yanked back.
The next second, he was slammed hard against the stone wall without warning.
Shen Xiuyun gasped from the pain, but before he could fire back at the man, Zhu Xingyao beat him to it, demanding accountability through gritted teeth.
“Who is it that makes Master worry so?”
Shen Xiuyun wanted to retaliate, so he deliberately said:
“Someone better than you, someone more obedient than you, of course.”
“Zhu Xingyao” still smiled, his tone teasing. “Oh? Is that so? Is Master truly certain that someone could be better than your disciple?”
Shen Xiuyun said resolutely: “Naturally. He’s better than you by who knows how many times!”
“Zhu Xingyao” leaned in close, his lips nearly touching Shen Xiuyun’s enticing lips as he said: “Is that so? If it’s true, then your disciple will kill him. If it’s false, your disciple will fuck you to death.”
Hearing this, Shen Xiuyun wanted to curse.
Why was a fake conjured up by his own imagination so meticulous and formidable in logical reasoning?
He felt like he couldn’t keep playing this game anymore. He really wanted to run.
“Why has Master stopped talking? How about your disciple helps Master relive the memories properly… just how ‘good’ your disciple used to be to you, and whether some wild man out there could possibly give you the same.”
“You’re sick!”
Facing the male lead who had turned villain in his previous life, Shen Xiuyun showed not the slightest mercy. He gathered a ball of spiritual energy in his palm and struck toward “Zhu Xingyao’s” chest.
However, “Zhu Xingyao” unexpectedly dodged it with agility. As he turned sideways, he casually closed his five fingers and happened to tear off a piece of clothing from Shen Xiuyun’s shoulder. In that instant, Shen Xiuyun was left disheveled in the wind, and Zhu Xingyao’s gaze changed in a flash.
A moment later, he rubbed the torn scrap of fabric between his fingers and smiled: “So Master likes this kind of thing?”