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

"ah--!"

Yan Ling, who tried to break into the barrier of malevolent energy, was sent flying two miles away.

He scrambled to his feet, clutching his backside, and anxiously asked the other two spirits, "What are we going to do?!"

"Yi Chen has gone mad and is eating people. He's completely turned into a half-demon! He's attacking us indiscriminately. If this continues, Chu Xianlan will die inside!!"

From the outside, the interior of the malevolent energy barrier appears completely dark.

There is no way of knowing what is happening inside.

Hua Ling rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.

Wow...

In a sense... Xianlan might really die.

I heard that there were two snakes, I think.

Hua Ling found such torture quite exciting, but it was inhumane.

"What should we do? You two think of something and hurry up and go in to save him!" Over there, Yan Ling was still pacing anxiously.

Xue Ling found him noisy and slowly flew away.

Yan Ling was enraged by Hua Ling's indifferent attitude. She rushed forward and shook Hua Ling, throwing all the nonsense in Hua Ling's head out of her head.

She said earnestly, "Xianlan will die, but it might not be the kind of death you're imagining."

Even the ecstasy of desire is still death.

Yan Ling's expression was chaotic. Either way, death was inevitable; what was the point of choosing a way to die?

Are you crazy?!

Inside the barrier, Chu Xianlan, who had been sentenced to death, stared wide-eyed. Hearing Yan Ling's screams outside, he quickly grabbed Yi Chen's arm, "No, Master, you can't hit him."

At this moment, the pupils of both Yi Chen and his companion, which had been slightly satisfied, shrank to thin slits.

The snake tails coiled on the ground arched up in layers, and the half-demon lowered his body, adopting a vigilant posture, ready to strike.

Chu Xianlan thought for a moment, then stroked the tail that was wrapped around her waist to soothe it, and whispered to comfort it, "Master, it's alright! It's alright, they mean no harm... they're all friends."

Yi Chen didn't speak, but glanced down at him, still feeling unhappy, and silently suppressed the hostility around him.

Feeling the white tail rub against her palm, Chu Xianlan couldn't quite describe the feeling in her heart.

Sigh... Should he be thankful?

Thankfully, after losing his mind, Master didn't indiscriminately kill innocent people; he only... did that kind of thing to him...

Yi Chen's current condition is really not good.

Not only has it not fully recovered from its serious injuries and remains in a semi-demon state, but it has also temporarily lost its humanity.

Even in such a dire situation, her first reaction to danger was still to protect him.

...Even Master didn't want this to happen.

Such an upright and rational person, controlled by bloodline, was forced to reveal his most primal nature.

Chu Xianlan understood Yi Chen's personality and knew that everything was due to the circumstances. Once her master regained consciousness, he would probably find it even harder to accept than anyone else.

He took a deep breath and cursed himself for being irrational; he shouldn't be sentimental at a time like this!

Since we've already kissed and hugged, what's the point of worrying about this now?

Haha, no problem.

These are all temporary measures!

Those who cultivate the Tao have broad minds! They embrace all things! Greatness lies in tolerance!

It's just his bloodline nature acting up! It has nothing to do with his will! His master didn't really intend to do anything to him, so don't overthink it!

"Master, please let go of me first," Chu Xianlan frantically tidied herself up before speaking, "This disciple wants to go out and investigate the surrounding area."

It's impossible for Master Zhiyue to just leave them anywhere in the cultivation world.

Our master's actions are always meaningful. There might be clues related to half-demons in this area, or something that could help our master recover.

"Master?"

Its tail wouldn't loosen; it curled up again, silently expressing its dissatisfaction.

Is this cheating?

Chu Xianlan felt helpless. She was facing a teacher who was much older than her, but she had the illusion that she was coaxing a child.

He moved closer, tentatively reaching out to cup Yi Chen's chin. After a moment's hesitation, he placed a light, butterfly-wing-like kiss on Yi Chen's cheek. "I promise I'll be back soon, okay?"

Is this like boiling a frog in lukewarm water?

His rebellious nature continues to improve steadily, to the point that even such actions are acceptable.

Its tail swayed slightly, loosening up in gentle circles.

Chu Xianlan: "…………"

That's really good.

Looking at the obedient half-demon who let him approach and became compliant after being kissed, he suddenly felt a little dazed.

Who could imagine that this was the same Immortal Lord Jixue, who struck fear into the hearts of the cultivation world? And it seemed that only he had ever seen such a master.

This is truly...unfilial?

Just then, Yi Chen reached out, tilted his head slightly, and gently brushed his thumb across the boy's bitten lower lip. His movements were tender, and a belated sense of apology and heartache appeared in his eyes.

—This looks just like the usual Master.

Chu Xianlan was stunned for a moment, and her heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.

Strange, why would he find his half-demon master terrifying?

They are clearly a pair of very beautiful eyes.

Seeing his face slowly turn red, Yi Chen's heart stirred, his eyes became hazy, and he couldn't help but want to take the initiative to meet him, but Chu Xianlan blocked him with her hand.

Thump thump thump thump, the tail pounded the floor furiously, as if it wanted to smash a hole in it.

"Cough," Chu Xianlan said, her palm pressed against the hot breath he was exhaling, babbling incoherently, "The wound on my lip... still hurts a lot, so, um, I can't kiss you right now."

Yi Chen raised an eyebrow, pulled him onto his lap, lowered his eyes, and carefully licked the cut on his lower lip with the tip of his tongue.

If you can't kiss, then lick.

The rebellious disciple who swore ten minutes ago to be broad-minded, tolerant, and forgiving: "!!!"

Destroy the cultivation world!

Bury me! I can't hold on much longer!!

The half-demon's body was very weak. Chu Xianlan finally breathed a sigh of relief when Yi Chen fell into a deep sleep again.

It must have been for self-protection that the barrier of malevolent energy never dissipated.

Chu Xianlan stood up, carefully took out a talisman for restoring spiritual power, and set up a small spirit-gathering array around Yi Chen. She then took out several protective and positioning magical artifacts and placed them at the edge of the barrier.

Without a master-disciple agreement, this is the only clumsy way to do it.

Chu Xianlan lowered her head and touched her chest.

A little lost.

When will the master-disciple bond return?

After completing these steps, leave the barrier.

The three little ones outside each had their own unique expressions.

Chu Xianlan felt awkward being stared at by six eyes. "...Why are you all looking at me like that?"

Hua Ling's eyes lit up: "Wow, so full of energy! Young man, even the King of Hell praises your excellent health!"

Yan Ling's eyes blazed with fury: "Damn it, how dare you lie to me! So you weren't dead?!"

Xue Ling remained silent, flew to Chu Xianlan's shoulder and sat down, staring at the boy's slightly swollen lips.

Chu Xianlan's lips twitched. She refused to pay them any attention, turned around abruptly, and looked up at her surroundings.

The sky was overcast and visibility was low, with clouds and mist swirling around, and there were no tall trees.

They were in a deep canyon, with towering cliffs on both sides and the ground covered with jagged rocks; the only sound was the howling wind.

The atmosphere was desolate.

Xue Ling, being the most perceptive, had already proactively scouted the surrounding area and whispered, "There's no one around here, and no demonic beasts either."

For them now, being alone is a good thing.

Master's condition cannot withstand any accidents; any unfamiliar aura could stimulate him.

Chu Xianlan sorted out her thoughts, reviewing everything that had happened in the imperial city from beginning to end, and several questions remained in her mind:

How did those escaped half-demons find out their master's identity?

The master was a cautious person. Even his disciple, who had been with him for more than ten years, had never noticed that his half-demon bloodline was not his. It was impossible for him to leave any evidence against him.

Could it be that someone infiltrated the imperial city's dungeon and deliberately released those half-demons, hoping they would reveal this secret?

...Who could it be?

There weren't many suspects at the moment, and one name came to Chu Xianlan's mind: the sole beneficiary of the whole affair—

Ji Ran.

Could it be that the Crown Prince orchestrated everything himself?

Intentionally releasing the half-demon from the dungeon to create chaos, thus providing a legitimate reason to activate the Thousand-Frozen Iron Device?

Logically it makes a rough sense, but the risks involved are too great. Chu Xianlan had doubts and decided to put the idea aside for the time being.

After his master's identity was exposed, Ji Ran continued to guide public opinion to capture the half-demon and mobilize the emotions of the masses. His series of smooth operations were simply annoying.

Chu Xianlan's expression darkened slightly.

Looking back now, Ji Ran gave him a strange feeling from the very first meeting.

At this moment, Hua Ling flew over and asked curiously, "By the way, Xianlan, do you remember what your junior uncle said to you when we were escaping for our lives?"

"He said at the time," Chu Xianlan recalled, "that he was going to find Xiao Huandu."

Why are you looking for Xiao Huandu...?