Chapter 41:

“Done already,” came Mur Xuanling’s voice from behind. She exhaled in relief while he sighed deeply.

The burning pain on his wound was covered by a cooling sensation. Xie Xuechen closed his eyes and slowly sat up. Mur Xuanling sensed the change in light and raised her hand, returning the medicine to Xie Xuechen.

Xie Xuechen was about to reach out for the medicine when he suddenly paused. In an instant, he grasped Mur Xuanling’s wrist and pulled up her sleeve, revealing a slender, fair arm.

His expression immediately darkened—vivid patterns like peach blossoms had appeared on her arm, exuding a rich, sweet fragrance that made one’s mouth water.

He had held her in his arms all along, and this fragrance had gradually emerged and intensified without his noticing.

Mur Xuanling, too, had become accustomed to her own scent and hadn’t realized how sweet and enticing she had become. However, Xie Xuechen’s silence made her sense something was wrong.

“What’s wrong with my arm?” Mur Xuanling’s heart sank.

Xie Xuechen replied grimly, “There are peach blossom patterns on your arm, emitting a sweet fragrance. This might be an ill omen that could attract dangerous creatures. The medicine I gave you earlier can counteract the toxicity of the miasma, but this fragrance may not be caused by poison.”

Mur Xuanling was startled and confused, “Then why did this happen to me and not to you?”

“Perhaps it affects males and females differently,” Xie Xuechen said, lowering her sleeve to cover her arm.

“There must be a ferocious creature in the forest that uses miasma to hunt. The miasma paralyzes its prey’s limbs, then emits a strong fragrance to attract predators…” Mur Xuanling’s heart grew heavy as she considered various beasts that hunt by scent. “Maybe we can try covering this strange fragrance with another scent?”

“That’s a possibility. I’ve added a barrier to the formation to block scents, so the creature might not find us immediately, at least buying us some time,” Xie Xuechen glanced outside. The sun had set, and the night was pitch black, so dark that one couldn’t even see their own hand. “The creature probably can’t see and relies on its sense of smell to hunt.”

Mur Xuanling reached into her spatial pouch and pulled out seven or eight medicine bottles. “The red jar contains a deadly poison, so don’t inhale it. There’s a white jar with a flower carved on it—this is the Snow Cream. Let’s see if it can mask the strange fragrance.”

Following her instructions, Xie Xuechen found the Snow Cream and gently applied it to the blossom patterns on Mur Xuanling’s arm. The Snow Cream had a crisp, faint fragrance that was refreshing and seemed to momentarily overpower the sweet scent.

“It seems to work?” Mur Xuanling’s eyes lit up.

Xie Xuechen, however, was less optimistic. “Our sense of smell has already adapted to this strange fragrance. The Snow Cream’s scent is newly introduced, so it stimulates our senses more strongly, but it may not have truly masked the fragrance.”

Mur Xuanling knew Xie Xuechen’s words made sense, and her heart sank again. “How many blossoms are there on me?”

Xie Xuechen pulled up her sleeve, gazing at her smooth, delicate skin, and counted the light pink blossoms. His eyes darkened. “Seven on the left arm, six on the right.”

These tiny peach blossoms, with their pale pink hue and sweet fragrance, were quite alluring. Even with his high cultivation, he couldn’t help but feel tempted, though his strong willpower allowed him to resist.

Thirteen blossoms on just her arms—too many…

Mur Xuanling trembled inwardly and covered her face. “Are there any on my face? Will I look ugly?”

“If there were on your face, I would have noticed them long ago,” Xie Xuechen replied. Seeing her still worrying about her appearance at a time like this, he couldn’t help but curve his lips slightly.

Hearing that there were no blossoms on her face, Mur Xuanling felt slightly relieved. But soon, she became troubled again—how many were on her body? She couldn’t possibly ask Xie Xuechen to apply medicine to her entire body.

“Fine…” Mur Xuanling sighed and waved her hand. “Let’s not bother applying medicine anymore. I don’t know what that creature is, but if it comes, let it come. I’m sure, with Sect Leader Xie’s power, it would be easy for him to stop it.”

Xie Xuechen shared this thought. He closed the Snow Cream jar and placed it in Mur Xuanling’s palm, chuckling softly. “Don’t worry. These blossoms aren’t poisonous and won’t harm your body. They should fade within a day or two. Rest well. I’ll be outside keeping watch—nothing will happen.”

Mur Xuanling nodded lightly. She felt a cloak fall over her shoulders, likely taken from Xie Xuechen’s spatial pouch. It still carried his unique scent of snow pine.

She wasn’t cold, but having the cloak gave her an inexplicable sense of security.

Xie Xuechen’s footsteps moved a bit further away, and he sat down by the fire, facing the cave’s entrance, vigilant against any possible danger. Mur Xuanling leaned against the stone wall, wrapped the cloak around her shoulders, and closed her eyes, seeing nothing in the darkness.

After an unknown amount of time, strange sounds echoed from outside the cave—rustling and crawling, like countless insects moving. Xie Xuechen’s expression turned grave, his sword-brow slightly furrowed, and he gripped the Jun Tian sword in his hand.

In the darkness, a massive silhouette slowly emerged. At first glance, it resembled a giant, nearly ten feet tall. The figure swayed unsteadily as it approached the cave, like a drunkard. When it entered the firelight, its true form was revealed.

It was a fat, worm-like creature, about thirty feet long and as thick as two men hugging. Its entire body was a sickly green color. Its apparent height of ten feet was only a third of its actual length when it raised itself. The worm’s body had countless wrinkled folds, and within those folds, countless small insects seemed to be crawling. Its head had three holes—two on top, whose purpose was unclear, and one at the bottom, clearly a mouth. It opened its mouth wide, hissing and revealing countless sharp teeth, drooling green saliva that fell to the ground, emitting corrosive green smoke. On its belly were countless pairs of legs, which suddenly slammed against the barrier, creating a deafening sound that made the barrier tremble.

Xie Xuechen’s expression grew even more serious. The force of this strange worm’s strike far surpassed that of ordinary laws, perhaps even rivaling Fu Yuan’s power.

This was merely a worm in the dense forest, one that only emerged at night.

Mur Xuanling heard the impact but couldn’t see it. Still, she could guess the creature’s strength. Squinting toward the firelight, she asked, “Sect Leader Xie, what kind of creature is it?”

Xie Xuechen replied calmly, “Just a small insect.”

Fortunately, Mur Xuanling couldn’t see, or she might have vomited in disgust.

Xie Xuechen took a deep breath. In his hand, the Jun Tian sword grew brighter. His phoenix eyes darkened, and a killing intent surged. With a wave of his left hand, a massive surge of spiritual energy transformed into a powerful gust of wind, forcing the giant worm to retreat several meters. Xie Xuechen leaped out of the barrier, determined to kill the strange worm at a distance to avoid frightening Mur Xuanling.

The worm couldn’t see but relied on an extremely sensitive sense of smell to find its way here. When it encountered resistance and a heavy strike, it became furious. It let out a sharp, piercing screech that made one’s bones ache. Then, with a violent shake of its neck, it spat a stream of green threads toward Xie Xuechen.

Sharp sword qi sliced through the threads, scattering them to both sides. They fell onto the grass, corroding the green blades.

The Jun Tian sword, carrying the force of thunder, stabbed toward the giant worm. Surprisingly, the seemingly soft worm’s skin was extremely tough. The tip of the Jun Tian sword sank into the skin but met resistance, failing to pierce through as Xie Xuechen had expected. His vermilion mark between his brows faintly glowed, and his spiritual senses surged. The Jun Tian sword seemed to receive instructions, and its blade erupted with dazzling golden light, finally piercing through the worm’s skin. A sword wound was carved into the grayish skin, and green blood spurted out. The small insects crawling within the worm’s folds seemed to be parasites, quickly retreating into the worm’s body from the wound.

The worm let out a pained screech, but its body began to swell…

The barrier blocked both sound and scent. Mur Xuanling sat in the cave, hugging her knees, anxiously waiting for Xie Xuechen.

The vibrations transmitted through the barrier earlier were definitely not something a small insect could produce. Although Xie Xuechen was very confident, the dense forest was strange, and he didn’t know if he could handle it…

Mur Xuanling silently counted in her heart. It felt like more than a quarter of an hour had passed when she finally heard Xie Xuechen’s footsteps. Her heart eased, and she asked, “Sect Leader Xie, did you defeat that worm?”

For some reason, Xie Xuechen paused his steps, and his breathing suddenly became heavy.

Mur Xuanling was startled and quickly asked, “Are you injured?”

Could that worm actually injure Xie Xuechen?

Xie Xuechen’s footsteps slowly approached the fire. When he sat down, he seemed somewhat unsteady. Mur Xuanling thought that the two of them were now in the same boat; she didn’t want Xie Xuechen to get hurt. If the worm could injure Xie Xuechen, she would likely be helpless if she faced it alone.

Receiving no response from Xie Xuechen, she slowly stood up, the cloak slipping to the ground. Squinting toward the firelight, she walked in that direction, lowering her head to search for his figure.

The cave wasn’t large. After taking three or four steps, her foot kicked into someone, causing her to stumble. She steadied herself by grabbing Xie Xuechen’s shoulder, smelling his familiar snow pine scent, which calmed her slightly. She slowly squatted down, kneeling beside him. She sniffed carefully but didn’t detect any blood.

“Sect Leader Xie, you probably don’t have any external injuries, but are you suffering from internal injuries?” Mur Xuanling asked. “I have many pills here. See if any can help.”

Xie Xuechen’s body was very stiff, as if he was cultivating to resist something. She heard a suppressed groan escape his throat, hoarse and low, seeming to be in great discomfort. Even during the seven days of punishment in Rongyuan, Xie Xuechen had never groaned like this. Mur Xuanling felt something was wrong. She reached out and touched his face, feeling his temperature was a bit high. “Hey…” Seeing that he remained silent, she became slightly angry. “How seriously injured are you? Do you want me to transfer some spiritual energy to help you heal? You brought me to this dangerous place, but don’t go and die on me. If another worm comes later, I won’t be able to handle it without being able to see!”

Her hand was suddenly gripped tightly by Xie Xuechen. His palm was warmer than usual, and his rough fingertips caressed her delicate palm. Suddenly, he pulled hard, and Mur Xuanling was thrown forward, falling into his arms.

“I’m not injured,” his hoarse voice sounded above her.

Mur Xuanling sighed in relief and muttered, “But you seem a bit off.”

She struggled to sit up but was pressed down by Xie Xuechen. He lifted her sleeve and slowly said, “The blossoms on your body have increased. Their color is more vivid, and their fragrance is stronger.”

Earlier, he had placed a barrier to block scents on the formation, but this fragrance couldn’t escape and filled the small cave. When he first stepped in, he inadvertently inhaled a full breath of the rich, sweet fragrance, realizing how tempting it was—so tempting that even he couldn’t resist.

Mur Xuanling, unaware of her own scent, nervously touched her face. “Are there blossoms on my face too?”

“No,” Xie Xuechen’s fingertips gently pressed on her face, lightly massaging it before he spoke in a low, hoarse voice. “But there are on your neck.”

His warm fingertips lightly brushed the side of her neck. Her skin was soft and delicate, like a flower bud about to bloom on an early spring branch, making him reluctant to move his hand away. Two pale pink peach blossoms had appeared on the right side of her neck—one just below her ear and the other hidden beneath her collar.

Xie Xuechen’s fingertip traced from below her ear down to the blossom at the edge of her collar. He gently pulled down the collar, revealing her delicate collarbone and the alluring blossom nestled there. With one arm wrapped around Mur Xuanling, his other hand wandered along her neck like plucking a flower. His hot breath brushed against her neck. Mur Xuanling couldn’t see, so she was even more sensitive. She felt a tingling sensation on her neck and shivered, pushing Xie Xuechen away. “Let me go first.”

Xie Xuechen’s movements abruptly stopped. It seemed he had noticed something. His fingertip shifted slightly, revealing a red thread. His long fingers hooked onto the thread and gently pulled, revealing a jade pendant worn close to her heart.

It shimmered with soft light, smooth to the touch, an excellent magical artifact infused with her body’s warmth and fragrance.

Turning it over, an ancient character was engraved on the back—Yue.

The origin of this artifact was self-evident.

Mur Xuanling felt her cherished jade pendant being taken away and reached out in embarrassment to snatch it back. However, she only grabbed Xie Xuechen’s clearly defined fingers. His hand tightly held the jade pendant, making it difficult for her to retrieve despite her efforts. Her face flushed red as she gritted her teeth. “Sect Leader Xie, this is rather impolite.”

Xie Xuechen wasn’t surprised that Nan Xuyue had given Mur Xuanling a protective artifact with such care, but he hadn’t expected her to accept it.

“You and Master Nan seem to be on good terms,” he scoffed, his hoarse voice laced with a hint of bitterness.

Mur Xuanling didn’t hesitate. “He’s my friend.”

“Friend…” Xie Xuechen chuckled coldly. “He doesn’t see it that way, and you must know that. You accepted this jade pendant… just as a friend?”

Mur Xuanling was momentarily stunned, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. “He’s been very kind to me…”

Xie Xuechen recalled Nan Xuyue’s words—that Mur Xuanling had some feelings for him…

His phoenix eyes darkened as he looked at the jade pendant. His thumb pressed against the character “Yue” on the back, applying slight pressure until the character was smoothed away.

This jade pendant was an excellent artifact that could protect her in times of danger, so he wouldn’t take it away. Yet, he couldn’t bear the thought of the character “Yue” hidden close to her heart. He returned the pendant to her but pulled her closer, his thin lips brushing against her ear as he asked in a hoarse voice, “Why do you only remember his kindness? What about me…”

After drinking the Wuxin Water, wasn’t she supposed to have her emotions erased? Why does she still hold feelings for Nan Xuyue? Could it be… that Nan Xuyue is special to her?

This realization caused a sharp pain in his chest, and he gave a bitter smile. The emotions she had lost had transferred to him, becoming his heart demon. Now his heart demon was raging, and he had to suppress both his desire to be close to her and the bitterness and regret. His Dao heart was on the verge of collapse.

Mur Xuanling protested, “You’ve never been kind to me.”

His eyes darkened. He opened his mouth and bit her earlobe, sending a tingling sensation mixed with slight pain through her, causing her to shiver and let out a soft, trembling cry.

Mur Xuanling couldn’t see, but the aura coming from Xie Xuechen felt too unfamiliar. She shuddered violently and struck his chest. Xie Xuechen frowned, letting out a low groan before firmly restraining her hands.

“You’re an imposter!” Mur Xuanling suspected that the forest’s spirit had transformed into Xie Xuechen again. Her spiritual senses surged, and her spiritual energy surged, trying to dispel the illusion.

Spiritual energy swirled around her, blowing their hair into disarray. Xie Xuechen gazed deeply into Mur Xuanling’s eyes, looking at her empty, unfocused gaze and her beautiful, delicate face, and whispered, “I’m real.”

He completely abandoned restraint and self-control, leaning down to kiss the tear at the corner of her eye.

His warm, thin lips gently kissed the corner of her eye, showing extreme tenderness and care, making Mur Xuanling momentarily forget to resist. The next moment, his lips descended onto hers.

Mur Xuanling’s breath caught. She tried to struggle but couldn’t escape his grip. In her blurred vision, there was only darkness. Although she could smell Xie Xuechen’s unique snow pine fragrance, she couldn’t see who he was. It was clearly Xie Xuechen, yet it didn’t feel like him… The person who had always been cold and restrained, who had always rejected her, how could he now be holding her and treating her so intimately?

He kissed the small wounds on her lips, layer upon layer of desire piling up in his heart. The last time, he had been affected by the Greed Demon’s prison, losing himself in desire and losing his reason. This time, he was fully aware of what he was doing. Perhaps the strange fragrance on her body had stirred his desires, but his self-control shouldn’t have collapsed so easily. He simply no longer wanted to restrain himself…

“You…”

Before Mur Xuanling could speak, he silenced her with his lips, deepening the kiss with a mix of unwillingness and intense longing, pulling her into his embrace. Her resistance was futile, only making their entanglement more inseparable.

Mur Xuanling’s arms wrapped around his broad shoulders. In her struggle, she accidentally scratched the wound on his shoulder, feeling the warm, sticky blood. She immediately froze, forgetting to resist. Xie Xuechen seemed unaware of the pain, paying no attention to the blood seeping from his back, letting the white robe stain with crimson, making it even more vividly beautiful. He pressed her against the stone wall, enclosing her within his arms, greedily capturing her soft whimpers and shallow breaths. His warm hand caressed her delicate cheeks, wiping away the sweat from her forehead, and gently brushing the tear at the corner of her eye.

Not only were her tears of sorrow evident, but her unfocused, dazed eyes were also veiled with a thin layer of moisture, her eyes red and swollen, helpless yet incredibly alluring, making him unable to look away.

She was weakened by the kiss, unable to muster any resistance. Her heart pounded violently, her mind in chaos, yet her body burned with an inexplicable heat. Though she had no feelings for Xie Xuechen, she couldn’t resist his advances, and her body naturally responded, making her both ashamed and angry. Her eyes were wet and dark, trying to muster some fierceness but failing.

Her breath came in shallow gasps, accompanied by a hoarse chuckle. He tugged at her hair, saying, “Your heart may be cold, but your lips are soft.”

Mur Xuanling’s heart skipped a beat, and she trembled as she said, “You… are definitely taking revenge.”

Everything she had done and said, he was now returning in full, with interest.

Xie Xuechen inhaled her fragrance, his palm pressing against her delicate waistline. His index finger slipped into her sash, caressing the sensitive soft flesh of her waist, feeling her slight tremble. His deep voice was slow and deliberate. “If I say it’s not revenge, would you believe me?”

Mur Xuanling’s heart raced, and she trembled as she said, “I—I believe you. Then let me go… I was wrong before, I shouldn’t have touched you. You, the Sect Leader of the Immortal Alliance, are noble and pure. Why would you stoop to taking revenge like this? That would be beneath you!”

She was willing to throw away her pride now—her chastity was more important.

“Hmph.” Xie Xuechen chuckled. “First, you did nothing wrong. It was my mistake.”

Mur Xuanling was stunned.

“Second, I’m not noble or pure. I’m just an ordinary man who can feel and love.”

“Third, this isn’t revenge.”

“Fourth, it’s not beneath me.”

His lips descended on her neck, sucking on the soft, fragrant blossom on her collarbone, showing her through actions—fifth, he wouldn’t let go.

In her blurred vision, she seemed to see those eyes from her dreams—the phoenix eyes filled with desire and deep emotion.