飘零影音

Arc 15: Heavenly Secret Realm | Chapter 276: Seven Emotions Demonic Flower

Xu Ziqing’s spirit was muddled, not knowing where he was. He could only feel a highly restless aura swirling around him, pulling him back into the endless darkness whenever he tried to awaken.

It might have been a long time or just an instant, but suddenly an intense pain surged through his entire body. The pain felt like countless ants gnawing at his heart or like being scorched by raging flames, making his meridians and skin seem to tear apart and heal countless times… Finally, under a powerful surge of will, he suddenly opened his eyes!

Yet, before him was still a dense, inky blackness as if it were the deepest night.

Xu Ziqing knew he was lying on his back on the ground. There was no sky above, no sun or moon or stars. He tried to extend his consciousness outward, but could only “see” within a radius of about ten feet. Then, he moved his body.

His limbs were limp, his entire body weak, and even his dantian felt empty as if he had been severely injured.

…What exactly is happening?

Xu Ziqing was suddenly alarmed—Shixiong!

He wanted to get up immediately. He remembered that before losing consciousness, he had been rushing towards his Shixiong, and then something unknown had attacked him, causing him to lose all awareness… Where was his Shixiong now?

Xu Ziqing couldn’t move at all. The feeling of his limbs and waist being beyond his control made him feel as if he had returned to his first life—back then, although he could occasionally get out of bed, most of the time, like now, only his head could move.

Yes, at least his head could still move.

Desperate to understand his current situation, Xu Ziqing painstakingly turned his head to look to the left.

When he looked, he was stunned.

About ten feet away, a figure stood upright on the ground.

The figure was enveloped in an ink-like blackness. It was barely discernible as a man, but he exuded a dangerously ominous aura.

If that were all, it might not have been so shocking.

But what truly astonished Xu Ziqing was that the person was his Shixiong!

Xu Ziqing was confident he was not mistaken. His Shixiong’s silhouette was deeply etched in his mind; even if turned into dust, he would still recognize him.

However, his Shixiong, known for his celestial sword intent and as a formidable sword cultivator with an unyielding heart, looked so strange now. How could this be?

Or rather, what had his Shixiong… encountered?

Xu Ziqing was increasingly anxious. Although Luofu Zhenren was a kind and generous celestial elder, this place was thick with demonic energy, nowhere resembling an immortal cultivator’s domain.

Yes, he finally recognized that the thick, ink-like substance in this area was not dark night but concentrated demonic energy. It was this very energy that had drained Xu Ziqing, a Core Formation Realm celestial cultivator, of his dantian and forced him to use all his strength to resist the demonic invasion just to survive.

All this had occurred while he was unconscious. When his strength was completely exhausted and he was almost reduced to the level of a mortal, a sense of imminent danger had awakened him. Otherwise, he would likely have perished in his sleep.

Given his own dire situation, Xu Ziqing was even more worried about Yun Lie. He opened his mouth, gathering his strength, and forced out a sound: “Shixiong…”

“Boom—”

A roar that sounded like thunder and wind surged, and in the blink of an eye, a shadow appeared right in front of him.

Xu Ziqing had no time to react before he felt an overwhelming presence suddenly pressing down on him, towering over him.

A strand of long hair brushed past his side… His pupils suddenly contracted as he saw an extremely familiar face, so close that their noses almost touched, their breaths mingling.

A faint metallic scent mixed with an intense chill pervaded the air, making Xu Ziqing feel as though he was completely suppressed by this person. It seemed as though this person was the only thing left in the world, with no sensation of anything else.

The person was his Shixiong, Yun Lie, but the situation was too strange.

Yun Lie’s arms were braced on either side of Xu Ziqing, and his legs were wrapped around him, nearly pinning half of his body beneath him, completely trapping Xu Ziqing between his own body.

Xu Ziqing should have felt embarrassed, but at that moment, he couldn’t summon any of those romantic thoughts.

His attention was entirely captivated by Yun Lie’s eyes.

They were an extremely dense black, the entire eyeball turned opaque, with no pupils or whites. The deep black color was like a dark glaze, akin to a kind of profound black jade.

These didn’t look like human eyes at all; they seemed to have become something strange.

But Xu Ziqing recognized that these eyes were filled with demonic energy.

His Shixiong… seemed to have fallen into demonic madness.

But with Shixiong’s willpower, how could he possibly fall into madness?

For a moment, Xu Ziqing wished he could turn back time, so he wouldn’t have fainted so uselessly and could understand exactly what had happened to his Shixiong.

Just then, Yun Lie moved even closer.

He slightly tilted his head, their noses brushing against each other, then gradually moved closer… until their lips touched.

Xu Ziqing felt a chill on his lips and couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

This… this is…

He never imagined he would be kissing his Shixiong, or rather, having their lips touch. But the situation was so bizarre that even though they were this close, he felt no joy, only an intense fear.

In this state of fear, Xu Ziqing used the last bit of strength he had to push against Yun Lie’s chest.

But in the next moment, Yun Lie extended an arm, grasped Xu Ziqing’s raised hand, and pressed it onto his own head, exposing all of Xu Ziqing’s vulnerabilities.

At that moment, Yun Lie still kept his lips pressed against Xu Ziqing’s, showing no sign of moving.

Xu Ziqing, having used up all his remaining strength, suddenly felt a mix of helplessness and absurdity.

In the past, holding hands with his Shixiong was a boundless joy, and now being this intimate, if his Shixiong were clear-headed, he would have thought that his feelings were being exposed and that he was about to confess.

But now, with his Shixiong seeming to be possessed by demonic madness, what could this action mean?

Unable to comprehend, Xu Ziqing sighed inwardly and chose not to think further.

Whether he was possessed or not, the fact remained that this was his Shixiong. Since his Shixiong was willing to be so close, Xu Ziqing chose to accept it. He didn’t consider it a kiss, so he didn’t have any complicated thoughts. He relaxed his body, letting his Shixiong stay close for as long as he wanted, while he silently tried to recover his cultivation by gradually channeling the remaining true essence in his dantian.

After about half an hour, Yun Lie slowly released Xu Ziqing.

Xu Ziqing felt a lightness in his body, and his waist and knees were supported by a strong force. It turned out that his possessed Shixiong had lifted him up.

Xu Ziqing, feeling weak and unable to move, was pressed against Yun Lie’s chest. The posture was indeed ambiguous, unlike the usual help he received from his Shixiong.

At the same time, he noticed that his Shixiong’s body was cold.

It was extremely cold, like eternal ice, with no warmth at all.

This was different from the past.

Xu Ziqing clearly remembered that when he had once rested against his Shixiong’s back when his Shixiong had held him as if he were a child, or when they had held hands, his Shixiong’s body was always slightly warm. It wasn’t hot, but it made him feel steady and safe.

Like a father, like a brother, both a teacher and a friend—his most cherished relative and the person he admired.

But now…

Xu Ziqing silently drew closer. Now, his Shixiong was cold, and he wished he could be warm.

Yun Lie walked forward at a steady pace, step by step, with no difference from before.

Xu Ziqing, however, keenly noticed that with each step Yun Lie took, the surrounding demonic energy slightly dissipated, as if the demonic energy feared Yun Lie and made way.

At the same time, a light gradually appeared ahead.

Not far away, there was a pool bathed in a gentle glow, and as they approached, the light grew brighter and the demonic energy grew thinner.

At the edge of the light, Yun Lie stopped in the shadow.

Xu Ziqing looked up, astonished.

He saw a pool!

A pool made of eternal cold jade, covered in lotus leaves.

Then, Yun Lie gently tossed him, and a soft force lifted Xu Ziqing and carried him into the bright light.

Yun Lie, however, remained in the shadows, not taking another step forward.

Almost immediately, Xu Ziqing regained his strength. The air he breathed was filled with pure spiritual energy, and each breath activated his cultivation, restoring his true essence.

Xu Ziqing was finally able to move freely. The first thing he did was turn around and walk to the edge of the light. He looked up and met Yun Lie’s pitch-black eyes, and asked seriously, “Shixiong, what… what’s happening?”

Yun Lie did not speak. He extended a hand and slowly placed it on Xu Ziqing’s cheek, touching it gently but without force.

Xu Ziqing did not evade. He could feel the bone-chilling cold of his Shixiong’s hand and immediately noticed that as soon as Yun Lie’s hand entered the light, the dense demonic energy behind him suddenly erupted violently, churning like boiling water in midair!

Yun Lie stood at the center of the demonic energy, his long black hair swayed as if stirred by an invisible force. The demonic energy rapidly spread apart from him, creating a long pathway.

At the end of the pathway stood a peculiar plant.

It was entirely black, without any leaves, only a bare stem with a fist-sized bud at the top, emitting an eerie red glow.

A rich, sweet fragrance wafted through the air, and just one breath made Xu Ziqing’s heart waver.

It felt like it was about to collapse.

Xu Ziqing was alarmed and said urgently, “Shixiong, this is the Seven Emotions Demonic Flower. You…”

Yun Lie’s expression remained unchanged. Aside from his strange eyes, he seemed no different from before. Then he spoke, “Who are you?”

Translator: Lynn

Translations are not 100% correct. Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.

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