He had just been reborn when he was imprisoned by his nemesis, the Empress?

Upon hearing these words, Shen Yunshu felt as if something had struck her heart hard.

A mix of emotions—bitterness, warmth, joy, panic—made it almost impossible for her to breathe.

She held the little one tightly in her arms, her eyes slightly moist, but she deliberately put on a stern face and said in a serious tone.

"How can that be? It's only natural for a man to get married when he reaches adulthood. If you don't get married, people will laugh at you."

Xu Yi slowly opened his eyes and looked up at her.

"Will my master laugh at me like everyone else?"

Looking into his innocent eyes, Shen Yunshu reached out and stroked his cheek.

"Of course not. Whatever decision Yi'er makes, Master will support you and will never laugh at you."

"That's fine then."

Xu Yi smiled brightly, closed his eyes again, and nestled in her arms.

"I don't care about other people's opinions. As long as Master doesn't dislike me, I will stay with Master for the rest of my life."

Shen Yunshu fell silent, looking down at Xu Yi, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

She knew that the child was still young and what he said might just be a temporary expression of dependence.

When he grew up, he saw a wider world and met the woman he loved.

Perhaps they will forget what they said today, and have their own family and their own life.

Will he still want to be with me then, just like he does now?

She dared not think about it too deeply, nor did she want to.

Xu Yi, leaning against Shen Yunshu's chest, also had mixed feelings.

In the future, when he cultivates to the Emperor Realm in this world, or even breaks through the Emperor Realm and reaches an even higher level.

Does this mean I have to leave this place by 'dying'?

How heartbroken will Shen Yunshu be then? Will she find him like Jiang Xuange did?

These days, Xu Yi has been thinking about what exactly this "dream world" of the system is.

Is it one of my past lives?

But if that's the case, why didn't anyone come looking for him during the lifetime when he and Su Qingluan fought for three thousand years and were entangled in a web of grudges?

Having been given a second chance at life, someone came looking for him.

So what exactly is it?

Is this a real past event, or a dream fabricated by the system?

If it's fictional, why would the characters from it appear in reality?

As he was lost in thought, Xu Yi suddenly felt something soft and warm gently lick his ear.

[Ding! Interference from a foreign object has been detected in the host's external body, causing abnormal energy fluctuations. Preparing for a forced exit from the current world...]

The next second, Xu Yi returned to the wooden house.

He subconsciously looked up and his eyes met those of Bai Li, who had a calm expression on her face.

Xu Yi touched his ear; it wasn't wet.

But he still felt like he had been licked.

Could it be... that Xue Si licked herself?

No, that can't be, right?

Perhaps she has some pet animal that quietly came over and licked her?

Seeing his strange expression, Bai Li frowned slightly and asked softly.

"What's wrong? You look terrible. Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu Yi composed himself, suppressed his doubts, and forced a smile.

"Um... Xue Si, do you... keep any pets at home?"

Bai Li shook her head, her eyes clear.

"No."

She picked up a bowl of brown herbal soup from the table, which emitted a faint medicinal aroma, and handed it to Xu Yi.

"Here, drink this medicine; it will be good for your illness."

As she spoke, she handed him a bowl of brown liquid that emitted a faint medicinal aroma.

Xu Yi glanced at her discreetly after hearing this.

No? Then who was that licking their ear just now? Could it really be her...?

Although she said she was religious and that she saved herself only out of religious doctrine.

But Xu Yi has lived for so many years, and he's not some naive fool who believes everything others say.

Previously, both Su Qingluan and Jiang Xuange were Supreme Realm experts, and neither of them could tell what illness they had.

How come I got this disease right after being saved by this "benefactor"?

This world is never short of abnormal and perverted people, especially those with profound cultivation.

The higher one's cultivation level, the more outrageous their actions tend to be.

After all, entertainment options in this world are so limited. If you live long enough, who doesn't have some little-known quirks?

Xu Yi took the bowl of medicine, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

Bai Li noticed Xu Yi's strange look, but pretended to remain calm.

Damn it... how could I not resist...?

She really missed the scene of licking Xu Yi when she was still a white fox.

Looking at Xu Yi's sleeping face just now, the reliance and affection from the past suddenly surged into my heart, and I couldn't help but lean down and lick his ear.

Although he immediately used his spiritual power to erase the traces, he still noticed something was amiss.

Bai Li sighed inwardly:

Sigh... Xu Yi seems very wary of me now, and there's even a hint of fear in his eyes.

Well then, I'm sorry, my benefactor, I'll have to resort to a little trick.

As she thought about it, a flash of pink crossed her crystal-clear eyes.

Bai Li slowly sat down next to Xu Yi, reached out and gently patted his shoulder.

"You're afraid of me, aren't you?"

Xu Yi shook his head, his tone somewhat stiff.

"no."

Bai Li withdrew her hand, her tone calm yet carrying a hint of clarity.

"Don't pretend, I can see it. In this dog-eat-dog world, it's normal for you to be nervous towards me."

She paused, her gaze falling on Xu Yi's face, and continued...

"Even if I save you, heal your wounds and give you medicine, you still know nothing about me, so it's only right that you be wary of me."

"You suddenly asked me earlier if I had any pets at home."

"Did you feel like something touched you while you were sleeping, and that's why you asked that?"

Xu Yi's eyes flickered, but he didn't deny it, only giving a vague reply.

"About...right."

Bai Li gently shook her head, a hint of helplessness flashing in her eyes, her voice remaining gentle.

"Actually, you're overthinking it."

"The illness you have will not only damage your soul and deplete your spiritual power, but also disrupt your mental perception, often causing auditory and tactile hallucinations."

"The touch you felt just now was not real; it was just an illusion caused by the onset of the illness."

"I consulted ancient books a few days ago, and they recorded many similar cases..."

Bai Li spoke at length, but after listening, Xu Yi became even less convinced of her words.

Because the system had previously stated: "[Ding! Interference detected with the host's external body by a foreign object. Preparing for forced detachment from the current world...]"

This is 100% proof that someone touched him.

It is not an illusion.

Thinking of this, Xu Yi looked up at Bai Li.

Then a sudden impulse welled up inside me.

I long to be close to her, to believe every word she says, and to stay by her side forever.

Wait, this feeling...

Xu Yi was suddenly stunned. This was clearly the same feeling he had when he met Bai Li in the previous dream world.

She is Bai Li.