When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

One life two, two beget three, three beget all things.

Chu Xianlan rested her chin on her hand, sighed in the white mist, and waited patiently for the arrival of her third precognitive dream.

By now, this thing was nothing new to him, and after what happened with Xie Qingying, he was even more skeptical about the reality of dreams.

He believed he had developed an indestructible heart, and could remain calm no matter how explosive the content of his dreams was.

I was even a little curious.

First it was Ji Cheng'an, then Xie Qingying, and this time... what other outrageous people will pop up?

Soon, Chu Xianlan paid the price for her curiosity, and was left with nothing but regret.

The white mist dissipated.

What he saw was not a human, but a demon.

"The world calls Immortal Lord Jixue a celestial being descended from the mortal realm. I wonder... would the Immortal Lord do me the honor of sharing a drink with me?"

The moment that voice entered her ears, Chu Xianlan jumped up on the spot, hardly believing her eyes.

Demon King...Ming Si!?

What the hell?!

Not only humans, but now even the demon race is targeting Master?!

[The Heavenly Banquet was ablaze with lights. Yi Chen sat alone at the table, his aloof figure standing out from the surrounding clamor. A figure walked through the crowd and stopped in front of him.]

Yi Chen raised his eyes slightly, his gaze sweeping over the wine cup, then over Ming Si's smiling eyes, his hairpin swaying gently with each movement. Ming Si's gaze lingered on the earlobe near the hairpin, slender and delicate, almost translucent, its edges tinged with a faint pink, like a magnolia bud about to bloom in early spring. Ming Si unconsciously licked his lower lip, his throat suddenly feeling dry. What would it feel like to rub it with his fingertips, to gently rub it with his teeth?

Chu Xianlan felt that she was falling in love again.

I felt nauseous.

It's so annoying that they have to do this every time!

He felt a chill run down his spine and wanted to look away, but he was afraid of missing the important information hidden in the dream, so he could only grit his teeth and endure the humiliation to continue reading.

Of course, Yi Chen would not drink the wine offered by Ming Si, but this complete disregard did not displease the Demon King. Instead, it aroused Ming Si's rebellious spirit.

Ming Si suddenly chuckled softly. Having wielded power in the Northern Underworld for too long, he had seen far too many males and females throwing themselves at him. Only what is unattainable is truly the best. The more she resisted, the more she restrained herself, the more she exuded a seductive allure that made one want to possess her.

"—Interesting, little male, you've successfully caught my attention."

"Unfortunately, I have never failed to obtain what I desire. Whether you like it or not, you cannot escape my grasp."

Seeing this, Chu Xianlan started banging her head against the floor, trying to make herself feel better through physical pain.

I wonder if it was because his methods worked.

The image before my eyes flickered several times.

"What happened?"

Chu Xianlan's heart tightened, and she took a step forward.

This has never happened before.

Before he could figure out what was going on, the distorted image froze in a dark, oppressive scene.

In a daze and confusion, Yi Chen was surrounded by countless dark figures. The figures were blurry and indistinct, and everyone's lips were constantly opening and closing, their emotions agitated, as if they were arguing about something.

"...But...how could that be..."

"...No...We must find out! This...is related to..."

"...Go...or...do you really have to..."

Chu Xianlan stood there, trying her best to concentrate and make out what she was hearing, but she couldn't hear a single word.

Who are these people?

What are they trying to do, surrounding their master? Is it a trap set by Ming Si? Did the Demon King use some means to harm their master?

Countless questions flooded her mind, yet she couldn't find a way out. Chu Xianlan watched helplessly as the dark figure approached Yi Chen. For the first time, she felt a strong sense of unease because of the hazy, precognitive dream.

The next moment, the dream twisted and shattered!

...The sound slowly rose from the darkness.

"Whether you like it or not, from this moment on, you belong only to me."

When the surroundings lit up again, heavy chains were wrapped around Yi Chen's body, his hands and feet shackled and deprived of their freedom. Ming Si stood in front of him, his fingertips lightly lifting Yi Chen's chin, and chuckled, "Hmm? I see... You are..."

……Who are you?

Chu Xianlan's eyes flickered, and he held his breath, forgetting even the absurd and jarring scene. He had a feeling that this half-sentence would contain something very important...

"—Holding an orchid in one's hand."

The sound seemed to seep in from a deep place, as if through a layer of dark water, like a ray of light shining into a gloomy world.

As if dragged back from the depths of hell, Chu Xianlan gasped for breath and opened her eyes, only to find that her mouth and nose were filled with water.

The spring water poured into his throat, making his chest feel like it was about to explode.

"Cough, cough!"

Chu Xianlan thrashed about in the water for a moment, then looked up, panting heavily.

Because of the coughing, a few drops of water spilled from the corners of her mouth, and the corners of her eyes, which were already glistening with tears, turned a bright red from the pain.

He felt a steady hand gently patting his back to help him catch his breath.

"Master...Master?"

Their gazes focused, and what came into view was Yi Chen's tightly furrowed brows and the clear worry reflected in his eyes.

As master and disciple were not on equal footing, Yi Chen was extremely unwilling to step into the Immortal Spirit Pool.

He waited outside for a long time, but there was still no sound from inside. He couldn't help but go in to check on the situation. What he saw was Chu Xianlan lying motionless in the pool, as if she had fainted.

In a moment of urgency, Yi Chen disregarded the need to avoid suspicion and lifted the boy out of the water, using his spiritual power to slowly expel the water that had choked the boy.

"What happened?"

His master was worried and was asking him questions, but Chu Xianlan was momentarily distracted.

Unlike his previous precognitive dreams, this time... although the dream was interrupted, the remaining emotions surged like a tidal wave, causing him to feel a great sense of bewilderment and sadness welling up in his heart.

It's not real, so what's there to be sad about? Master is clearly unharmed, just like always.

The emotions come from nowhere and go nowhere; the reasons are unclear and there is no way out.

Chu Xianlan's eyes welled up with tears, and she shamelessly shed a few.

Tears fell into the pool with a soft patter.

His teary-eyed yet silent appearance made Yi Chen's heart tighten suddenly, and a strange sense of panic spread through him.

Without a second thought, and disregarding his soaked clothes, he reached out and firmly pulled the person into his arms.

The soaking wet body in his arms paused noticeably for a moment.

Then, Chu Xianlan also raised her hand and wrapped it around him, without making any other movements, her wet long hair sticking to Yi Chen's neck.

Yi Chen knew that Chu Xianlan would only shed silent tears when she was truly sad.

Even after all these years, he is still afraid to see his apprentice with such a blank expression in his eyes. The bright sun, if it shows even a trace of dimness, can strike straight to the soul.

If holding him makes him feel better, then he'll hold him; if he has any other requests, he'll agree to anything at this moment.

Their shared scent overpowered the aroma of the Immortal Spirit Pool. Yi Chen felt the boy's tears soaking him, and their skin, pressed together, felt exceptionally hot.

He touched Chu Xianlan's hair, his fingertips slowly combing through the strands, his voice deep and low.

"Chu Li".

Calling him by name didn't carry any instruction or command connotation; it was simply a tacit understanding developed over the years. Whenever Yi Chen called him by name, his disciple would always respond.

As expected, Chu Xianlan was taken aback. At first, she seemed to not quite understand the situation, but she quickly realized what was going on.

...His master's clothes were soaked through and clung to his body, while he himself only had a loosely wrapped bath towel around his waist, practically naked. This was simply...

Chu Xianlan's expression became quite varied.