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

Chu Xianlan finally understood and realized the seriousness of the matter.

As if some ironclad rule had been established, the out-of-control and unreasonable half-demon was not given a chance to leave.

It seems he's been... locked up by his master.

Chu Xianlan dared not look at the cave entrance again; the seal absolutely could not be reinforced any further.

Whenever he showed any intention to leave, Yi Chen's aura would become extremely violent, his face would instantly turn gloomy, as if he were about to go berserk at any moment, wishing he could just swallow the person in front of him whole.

Sometimes Yi Chen would even act a bit stubborn and obstinate, deliberately keeping a blank expression and pretending not to hear Chu Xianlan's words, leaving no room for negotiation.

Who would have thought that someone who couldn't even speak properly would actually learn to pretend to be deaf and dumb?

Chu Xianlan felt utterly helpless.

He tried to secretly call out Bu Xizhou, but the half-demon was now hostile to even his own natal sword. With a flick of his snake tail, he sent Bu Xizhou flying like lightning, who was happily snuggling up to Chu Xianlan.

A perfectly good ancient sword was thrown out like junk.

Unmoored boat: ?

Chu Xianlan: ...

The half-demon was affected by the malevolent energy, causing a drastic change in his personality and a chaotic mind. He was completely different from his former composed master, yet they shared the same face. After all, they were the same person and could not be regarded as two separate individuals.

And so Chu Xianlan gradually understood.

Master doesn't remember many things from the past, but he hasn't forgotten himself.

Whether he was conscious or not, he was still his master.

He knew that his master had always been under pressure from all sides, and that his master had always stood in front of him to shield him from the wind and rain. Now that his master needed him, he was ready to do his best.

Hearing the rustling noise, Yi Chen looked over and saw Chu Xianlan with her head down, intently fiddling with something with a small knife.

"Master, look."

Chu Xianlan placed a small pavilion carved from ice on the ground.

The half-demon turned his head, puzzled. Then, the young man said gently, "This is Jade Capital Pavilion, our home."

As soon as she finished speaking, Chu Xianlan continued carving. The Cold Pool, the Academy, the Spirit Platform... even the ancient peach tree of the Flower Spirit stood gracefully in the courtyard.

They carved while introducing each part in turn.

Where to brew tea, where to practice swordsmanship, and where to watch the sunrise and sunset.

Chu Xianlan was already extremely familiar with every detail of the Jade Capital Pavilion, and she was also skilled in handicrafts. With a slight turn of her wrist, she shrunk the Jade Capital Pavilion into a perfectly miniature world in no time.

Finally, two lifelike ice sculptures were added to the sword-training platform.

Chu Xianlan pointed to the slightly taller of the smaller figures and smiled, "This is Yi Chen."

"This is Chu Li." He then pointed to another one.

The half-demon's eyelashes trembled as he carefully observed his ice sculpture baby. But when he turned his gaze to another little person, his brows suddenly furrowed and his tail slammed heavily against the ground.

Chu Xianlan was able to directly understand Yi Chen's meaning.

"This disciple did not make a mistake. Master usually looks like this," he said, holding up two fingers and mimicking the posture of walking on legs on his arm. "He rarely shows his tail. Once the malevolent energy dissipates, Master will return to his original form."

The half-demon didn't seem satisfied with this explanation.

He pursed his lips, turned his face slightly to the side, and there was a hint of grievance in his expression.

They're all masters, yet they insist on looking exactly like me now. Isn't that just being stubborn?

Chu Xianlan suppressed a smile, a gentle light spreading across her eyes. Just as she was about to follow the half-demon's wishes and carve a new little figure with a tail, Yi Chen suddenly reached out and touched the tiny "Chu Xianlan" with his fingertips, then pushed it towards another one, making it very close to him.

You and I are inseparable.

No one can separate them.

"Yes, that's the right way," Chu Xianlan said gently.

Seeing that his master seemed to like these little trinkets, Chu Xianlan also became playful. He licked his lower lip, twirled the knife between his fingers, and carved out another Flame Spirit. He originally wanted to add Xiao Huandu and his junior uncle, but the next second, the Flame Spirit shattered into dust in his hand.

Chu Xianlan looked at the culprit with surprise turning to shock, while the latter's eyes were full of disgust.

No one else is allowed.

"That was my sculpture, how could Master just blow it up!" Chu Xianlan herself didn't realize that her tone was a little reproachful and coquettish.

A moment of silence.

Yi Chen thought about it carefully, and as compensation, he used his spiritual power to condense a round object and placed it between the two little figures, a look of satisfaction flashing across his face.

That is--

Egg.

"Why is it eggs again?!" Chu Xianlan was so shocked that she leaned back and lost her balance, falling directly onto Yi Chen.

The gentle body embraced him tightly, and the half-demon tightened his arms to pull him into his embrace, while his other hand reached over to cover the boy's flat and firm abdomen.

Even though he knew there was nothing there.

After all, I had already carefully explored and examined it with my fingertips, until my eyes were blurred with tears, but the result was still nothing.

I'm so disappointed.

He wanted his partner to stay by his side forever, but he didn't want to scare her away, so he struggled with himself, feeling irritable and anxious while suppressing his true nature, and constantly worrying about losing her.

Thinking of how pitifully the baby was crying, the half-demon dared not force her and could only swallow her anger.

Suddenly, a warm touch came onto my chin.

Chu Xianlan tilted her head back, raised her hand to touch Yi Chen's cheek, and said, "Master, let's leave here and go home together."

Before the half-demon could react, he raised his body, wrapped his arms around Yi Chen's neck, pressed his forehead against Yi Chen's, and said with a smirk:

"Don't be afraid. Just hold my hand tightly, I won't leave you... just like before, year after year, through wind and snow, dawn and dusk, through life and death, never to be separated."

Chu Xianlan only dared to say such things to Yi Chen when he was not in a conscious state.

He used to be afraid of being abandoned, which made him not good at expressing his feelings too directly. The promise of staying together for life was too heavy to say.

At this moment, I felt somewhat uneasy about rashly revealing the words I had carefully considered and kept hidden in my heart.

But that's how they always are.

Even knowing that there was an abyss ahead, they still held each other's hands tightly.

We'll stand together through thick and thin, with no regrets. Even if the world sees us as beyond redemption.

Thinking of this, Chu Xianlan lowered her eyes and took the initiative to interlock her fingers with Yi Chen's. Only then did she realize that the half-demon's body was so stiff. For the first time ever, it was like a huge, tamed beast. It could no longer be strong and stared blankly at the face of the person in front of it.

It was as if a single promise from this person would instantly capture his heart, and even the crazed half-demon would willingly soften.

Feeling the gentle gaze from its partner, the snake's tail curled up softly, no longer restrained, but simply nestled peacefully against its side.

"……Baby."

His deep, mellow voice was slightly hoarse, yet it sounded exceptionally affectionate and beautiful, making Chu Xianlan's ears tingle.

His master had never called him that before, and he didn't know why his master was so insistent on it now... He couldn't get used to this form of address from the bottom of his heart, so he remained silent.

Never mind, let's just muddle through.

The family's relocation and escape from the snake pit is just around the corner.

But if the half-demon doesn't get a response, he will become stubborn and clingy, and won't give up until he gets what he wants.

"Baby."

"……"Help.

"Baby?"

"…………Um!"

Forced into a corner, Chu Xianlan hastily agreed, only to realize her voice was very weak. It was simply too much of a test for her heart!

The half-demon's eyes lit up instantly, as if he wanted to smile—

But his body suddenly stopped.

In the next instant, Yi Chen's scales exploded, accompanied by intense pain that suddenly tore through his sea of ​​consciousness. His ferocious aura surged wildly, and a mournful cry from his throat echoed clearly throughout the cave.

"—Master!"

Chu Xianlan stopped breathing.

The change was sudden. When he came to his senses, he rushed to Yi Chen's side in astonishment. The other party seemed to be in extreme pain. Faint white scales appeared on his eyes, the back of his hands, and his neck. His snake tail was tightly twisted into a ball, and the tip of the tail twitched unconsciously.

"Master! Master?! Please, please don't scare me..."

Chu Xianlan's voice and body trembled uncontrollably.

He had never seen Yi Chen like this before.

I've always known that Master is very good at enduring pain.

Even when his half-demon bloodline was exposed, and the torrential blue rain drenched all the half-demons, causing them to bleed and wail, Yi Chen remained silent and never showed such an expression of unbearable pain.

In a few breaths, Chu Xianlan bit her lower lip, forcing herself to calm down, knowing that panic was useless.

He closed his eyes and channeled his spiritual energy into Yi Chen's body to repeatedly investigate the situation until he fully understood the root of the problem.

I must... I must enter Master's sea of ​​consciousness.