blessed land

Under the flashing lightning and rumbling thunder, the handsome youth gazed at her, with unfathomable light in his eyes.

Chang Wan froze for a moment, and then, erecting a sword array, protected him.

…

The fool in the back mountain entering the Spirit Solitude stage with Chang Wan’s help caused a great uproar.

This was the most sensational news lately. Even the mortal tea houses started to vividly describe how that fool had originally been sent by the Fire Red Sect to cause trouble for Elder Chang of the Qingfeng Sect.

He pretended to be crazy, but then he was discovered by Elder Chang, who had discerning eyes, and by protecting his meridians, had broken through from the Heart Movement stage to the Spirit Solitude stage…

In the meantime, Elder Chang’s reputation for helping the disciples of the state to advance, regardless of sect, became widespread.

It made Shen Lan, who had caused trouble, look utterly mortified, and she hadn’t shown her face for days.

Meanwhile, the virtuous and famed Elder Chang, taking advantage of a dark and stormy night, avoided Elder Xia’s attention and transferred Chu Changqing to the spiritual mountain protected by the Beast Soul Barrier.

She had already discovered Elder Xia’s pursuit. That old man always wanted to find an opportunity to grab her by the tail.

However, Chang Wan wouldn’t give him a chance. Having studied spirit techniques for some time, she learned to draw teleportation arrays and also became smart. She drew a teleportation array, transferring the person from the underground secret room to the spiritual mountain.

Chu Changqing’s blood could open the Beast Soul Barrier.

Fortunately, Chu Changqing hadn’t resisted Chang Wan’s actions toward him. He allowed her to borrow his blood and enter the Beast Soul Barrier.

Chang Wan naturally found an excuse, claiming that she had read in ancient books that some people’s bloodlines could open the Beast Soul Barrier.

The lies were full of flaws. How could she know that her bloodline would definitely open the Beast Soul Barrier?

Chu Changqing’s eyes darkened slightly, but he didn’t dwell on it, allowing her to arrange things for him within the spiritual mountain, silently taking note of it.

He knew very well that everything had to be done slowly. Impatience would only lead to failure.

He thought that one day, she would know his secrets.

The spiritual energy within the Beast Soul Barrier was abundant. Chang Wan brought Chu Changqing, and they even found a vacant cave dwelling.

The cave dwelling had seemingly been there long before. It was extremely winding. Chu Changqing was injured; Chang Wan couldn’t let him take risks. She settled him in first and went to explore the interior.

However, as soon as she entered the cave dwelling, the system, which had been silent this whole time, suddenly spoke.

[Ding! Triggered side quest!]

[Quest Name: Cage of Trapped Beasts]

[Quest Clue: Explore the cave dwelling.]

Chang Wan was slightly startled and paused, wanting to ask the system what this quest was about, but the system’s reply was perfunctory and lacked meaning.

Basically, she needed to find a mission item and would receive a reward.

Chang Wan decided to take things one step at a time.

This cave dwelling was built incredibly wide, and the array formations for gathering spiritual energy were densely packed, making the spiritual energy abundant beyond compare, and it was simply the perfect place for cultivation.

This was clearly just the entrance to the first cave dwelling; the cave went deep, winding into the mountain’s belly.

Obviously, to complete the side quest, she needed to go deeper.

Going deeper, the path became slippery. At first, she was walking steadily, but soon Chang Wan couldn’t maintain it. She was about to fall on her face when she was suddenly pulled by the youth.

Their hands clasped. The two people were both shaken, and Chu Changqing even let out a muffled groan.

The young girl’s palms were soft, and holding them felt boneless.

Chu Changqing’s heart skipped a beat. The injuries that had torn from the violent movement didn’t seem to hurt as much anymore. It seemed there was a voice roaring in his ears—seize her!

In an instant, a cruel light flashed in the youth’s eyes. That voice, like a knife or a demon, was slowly carving out the infatuation hidden beneath the brutality within his flesh.

The bloodline was trembling.

Chang Wan pulled her hand back. Her heart was not feeling right. She hadn’t noticed the youth’s abnormality, “…Sorry.”

Empty-handed, slightly cold.

Chu Changqing lowered his eyes. The brutality hidden within his bloodline was unleashed.

“It’s okay.”

He suppressed the inner turmoil, his voice low.

Chang Wan continued forward. This cave dwelling was filled with hidden mechanisms. Chu Changqing seemed to know where the mechanisms were. Every time she was about to make a mistake, he would abruptly pull her back, allowing her to avoid those lethal hidden weapons.

“…You seem very familiar with this place?”

It was understandable for her to ask, after a few more times, Chang Wan’s suspicion intensified.

Chu Changqing made no effort to conceal it: “I saw similar mechanisms in the Demonic Cult.”

When he was young, he had survived in these very types of perilous, elaborate traps.

Seeing that Chang Wan didn’t seem to understand why the Demonic Cult had the mechanisms of a Beast Soul Mountain cave dwelling, Chu Changqing patiently explained further, “These mechanisms are old, from hundreds of years ago. Though the spiritual power is not exhausted, the principles are all the same…”

That moment, he didn’t even realize that he seemed to have extraordinary patience for her.

Chang Wan walked forward while listening. Compared to Chu Changqing being familiar with these mechanisms, she was more surprised that he was helping her to avoid the mechanisms… Her foot suddenly sank.

“Crack.”

Chang Wan’s body stiffened slightly.

It seemed she… had stepped on something?

Chu Changqing immediately grabbed her hand. He pulled her into his embrace, turning her over!

In a flash, countless green-glowing poison darts brushed against Chu Changqing’s back and struck towards where Chang Wan and Chu Changqing had been standing!

Chang Wan’s mind went blank; she didn’t even cry out.

The youth held her tightly, rolling together onto the ground, the warmth of his body pressed against her back, and the two were side by side, their breaths almost touching.

“Hiss…”

Chang Wan stiffened for a moment. She looked sideways, slowly, at the place where she had been standing.

The poison darts, laced with some unknown venom, had corroded a large hole in the ground, and the hissing sound was precisely the poisonous smoke emitting as the ground was corroded.

“…”

Chang Wan’s lips were pale. She had to force out a sentence after a long moment, “…Thank you.”

She was at the Spirit Solitude stage, but couldn’t withstand such dangerous hidden weapons; she was truly useless.

The youth said nothing, just held her and looked at her quietly for a long time.

The cave dwelling’s winding walls were covered in a plant that naturally emitted a blue luminescence. Under that blue glow, Chu Changqing’s expression seemed a bit blurred.

She raised her head, and involuntarily tried to see the youth’s expression more clearly.

Then, in that blurred blue light, she saw her own image reflected in his eyes. That ghostly gaze was like a wild beast in a frenzy, wanting to lock her in it. The terrifying, harsh gaze, combined with the extreme longing and infatuation, made one’s skin crawl.

The atmosphere turned unconsciously strange.

Chang Wan’s heart was chilled. She suddenly felt a cold finger lightly brush across her wet forehead, finally covering her eyes.

In a world of darkness, she felt his fingertips tremble slightly.

As if he was holding something back.

Chang Wan instinctively wanted to get up, but was pulled in closer. She could hear his somewhat hurried breathing, and even the spiritual energy around him was somewhat chaotic.

The tough muscles pressed against her body through the thin cloth, and there was a warmth.

Chang Wan desperately wanted to escape, but in the next moment, her body stiffened.

—She smelled the scent of blood.

Chang Wan widened her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did your wound tear open?”

“It’s nothing.”

After a moment, the youth slowly let go. He grabbed the luminous plants from the cave wall and got up, “Nothing.”

Chu Changqing was suppressing something, “Continue…” walking.

He had just wanted to say that. His shoulder was suddenly pressed down gently and firmly by a hand.

He looked up.

The young girl was biting her lip, looking at him, the light of the plants reflecting in her eyes. She raised her other hand.

Her palm was full of the blood spilling from the wound on his chest.

“Your wound tore open.”

“No need to go down.”

Chu Changqing looked at her for a long while. “No need?”

The tone was slightly raised, seemingly questioning, and also a little casual.

He was feigning nonchalance, suppressing the kind of insatiable yearning, like a beast, which had increased because of an unknown stimulus.

He wanted to tear her clothes… and then lick her skin, letting her every inch of softness bear his scent.

Like a genuine, restless beast.

Chang Wan felt a chill in her body. She observed him for a while—thinking of Elder Xia’s disciples secretly monitoring her, “No rush.”

In any case, they couldn’t possibly get into the Beast Soul Barrier. Moreover, that inexplicable side quest had no time limit. She was more concerned about his state.

He seemed a bit off.

Chang Wan carefully examined his wound by the light of the plants, “It seemed to have gotten much better, but now it’s serious again.”

Chu Changqing casually said, “It’s nothing.”

His casual attitude, added to the fact that the tearing injury was for saving her, made Chang Wan feel a bit guilty. She took more care while treating his wound.

Chu Changqing looked at her actions, and suddenly mocked, “Like a cat’s scratch, when will you get it done?”

Chang Wan couldn’t help but glare at him and then said, “Let’s go back after bandaging. When your injuries are almost healed—there shouldn’t be anything here.”

There were so many mechanisms inside, and completing the side quest wasn’t a must. She wasn’t a greedy person. The main mission had to be completed so she could go home safely.

Mysteriously wasting her life for a side quest was not her style.

The young girl’s glare didn’t seem angry; it seemed more like embarrassment.

Chu Changqing casually said, “We’re here, why give up halfway?”

Looking at Chang Wan’s completed bandaging, Chu Changqing’s eyes lowered slightly to look at her subtly upturned eyelashes and the dark, lightly-dyed blue in her eyes.

That feeling of agitation and leaping desire from the moment he held her… had reached its peak.

His arms held a warm, fragrant, and soft body. It seemed as if his heart had stopped just for her.

There were many things in this world that could take Chu Changqing’s life.

But for the first time, he realized that.

This woman could also take his life.

“There’s no benefit in forcing yourself.” Chang Wan glared at him. “You’ve finally managed to keep your life. Why die here? Wouldn’t it be a waste of my medicine?”

With that, she supported him, ready to go back. “Next time, we…”

However, at some point, a dark blue, non-glowing vine had wrapped around her ankle.

Chang Wan took a step, and in the blink of an eye, the motion had spread throughout her body, and the road, which had been slippery, turned soft and muddy. Then, it went empty!

The two of them fell together!!

Chang Wan’s eyes opened wide; she was completely unprepared. She immediately wanted to summon her sword, but her hand was held by the youth!

It was Chu Changqing. He had grabbed a vibrant blue vine with one hand and had tightly grasped her hand with the other.

A cold hand was firmly holding hers.

As if they were one.

Chang Wan widened her eyes and looked at Chu Changqing. The youth was gripping the vine, his black undergarment soaked through by the blood from his torn wound. A droplet of blood slid down his wrist to her hand.

In an instant, Chang Wan’s mind went blank. After a moment, she reacted, “…Let go! I have a sword!!”

In her easy modern life, she had occasionally imagined that there would be a hero who could push her out of the path of a car before an accident, pull her from the water before she drowned, or become the light in her abyss.

But she followed traffic laws and never ran red lights, so there would be no car accidents. There were no rivers wider than three meters in her city, so there was no risk of drowning.

There were no abysses with any light. The troubles and traps of a peaceful life had all been weathered by her, where she herself had become her own hero.

So…

“Heavy.” Chu Changqing said in a casual tone, “Are you the Elder Chang of Qingfeng Sect?”

He chuckled.

A wave of admiration vanished into thin air.

Chang Wan: “…Let go; I can fly with my sword.”

Chu Changqing, however, said nothing. With his arm, he pulled her into his embrace.

The pain from his wound and the strong scent of blood stimulated his senses, but nothing had been as heart-stirring as when she was in his arms.

The light in his eyes carried a hint of wild brutality, almost cruel, yet there was a hidden infatuation.

Perhaps, because the Beast Soul Barrier stimulated the animalistic nature within his bloodline, it also ignited the extreme fervor of his natural instinct for what he yearned for.

Chang Wan looked up and met his gaze, momentarily frightened by his slightly bloodshot eyes, and couldn’t speak for a moment.

Chu Changqing closed his eyes for a moment, suppressing the unrestrained desire within his bloodline.

Before Chang Wan had recovered from Chu Changqing’s agitated eyes, she was startled again.

It was as if the whole mountain had been hollowed out.

The ground was laid with vibrant, beautiful, and incredibly sharp blue crystals. The tree roots overhead were intertwined. In the middle of this cavern, a delicate, enormous birdcage had been suspended.

The birdcage was made entirely of dark silken thread. It was sturdy and cold.

And perhaps because the crystals beneath were a condensation of spiritual energy, the area was so rich in spiritual energy that it was almost liquid, and a single breath made her feel like she was floating in the air.

And she and Chu Changqing were hanging nearby the birdcage, holding onto a vine that dangled from the shattered opening. They were hundreds of meters above the ground. In contrast, the narrow, cramped cave path they had walked through—

Turned out to be a giant, hollow tree root!!

Chang Wan, stunned, said, “…What is this place?”

Was her side quest…referring to this?

Side quest: Cage of Trapped Beasts.

Chu Changqing slowly opened his eyes, looking at the birdcage. The aura on top made him feel very familiar.

He slowly shook his head. He didn’t know where this place was, but the burning agitation of his bloodline was something he could barely endure.

Chang Wan had him fly down and settled him in a corner. The vast hollow mountain was carpeted with those beautiful, yet sharp, blue crystals. She found a thick animal skin from her bracelet and laid it on the crystals so that he could sit and rest while she dressed his torn wound.

Chang Wan, although she wanted to maintain her cold, ruthless persona, was clearly not suited for that.

Looking at his eyes, she was terrified; though that was still the most important matter—

He had saved her.

In this world, no one knew how many people donned a facade of false gentleness to do the unseemly deeds.

His eyes had been a bit ferocious, but in the end, he had grabbed her hand as she was falling.

—In truth, a large part of Chang Wan’s ability to think like that, was down to the fact she was confident as a Spirit Solitude stage master. She thought Chu Changqing, no matter how terrifying he might be in the future, was not to be feared.

She paused and said, “Next time… don’t do anything unnecessary.”

Chu Changqing, looking at the birdcage, said in a low voice: “Unnecessary?”

“Meaning…” Chang Wan hesitated, “You don’t need to grab me.”

“Understood.”

Chang Wan wanted to knock his head, but at that moment, her wrist was grabbed.

His complexion had lost its color due to the excessive loss of blood. His hand was cold, lacking any warmth, but it was also very firm and strong.

“I do nothing unnecessary.”

He looked at her. The faint blue light reflected in his eyes and repeated, “Nothing unnecessary.”