In the center of the array disk, Yan Zhen sat pressed close to the Yu Shizun, their shoulders brushing in a intimacy that far exceeded the bounds of propriety between man and woman.
Yu Shizun sensed something amiss as well. She tucked the jade box containing the Nirvana Fruit into her storage ring, then bent her elbow and nudged Yan Zhen’s ribs, warning him not to get too bold.
Yan Zhen remained unfazed. He even pinched the soft flesh at her waist, drawing an inadvertent, soft moan from her lips.
“Mm~”
Though it was but a fleeting sound, the Yu Shizun couldn’t help but flush faintly. Fortunately, her veil concealed the embarrassment on her face.
“You’re becoming less obedient by the day.”
Yan Zhen chuckled lightly.
“Now that you’ve grown up, it’s only right to form your own opinions. You can’t keep relying on all of us forever.”
“I’d say your wings have hardened.” Yu Shizun replied coolly. “A single trip to the Eighth Continent, and your cultivation has advanced considerably.”
“Mm, I’ve refined the Thousand Feathers Phoenix Immortal Fire. I’m a Seven-Star Mystic Venerable now. Has the Yu Shizun reached the Sixth Grade yet?”
“I’ve only just broken through to the Fifth Grade.” Yu Shizun sounded a touch exasperated. “Not everyone can skip grades like you.”
It had been less than a year since she had formed her Fourth Rank, and her promotion to the Fifth Grade had come only because she refined a fragment of the cave heaven core from the Thousand Illusions Grotto-Heaven. Otherwise, it would have taken another three to five years for her next advancement.
Yan Zhen curved his lips into a sly smile.
“A Fifth Grade Supreme, hmm? In that case, the Yu Shizun might not be my match anymore.”
Yu Shizun shot him a sidelong glance but offered no rebuttal. A quiet sense of wonder stirred in her heart.
Just a few years ago, he had been a mere Mystic Master. In the blink of an eye, he had become a Mystic Venerable—and one whose battle prowess now surpassed her own.
She had anticipated this, however, so no imbalance crept into her thoughts. Instead, she continued lecturing him in the tone of an elder.
“Stay humble and keep pushing forward. Your true opponents aren’t your peers; they’re a great demon head who’s lived for over a millennium.”
“I understand.” Yan Zhen reined in his playfulness a fraction. “Once I reach the Supreme Realm, I’ll head to the Evergreen Holy Land.”
“To find your confidante?”
Yu Shizun seemed indifferent to such trivial matters, but she had the full picture in her mind.
Yan Zhen scratched his cheek.
“Not just that. It’s also about allying with the Evergreen Holy Land. Among the Ten Great God Clans, the Evil, Heaven, Star, Dragon, Phoenix, and Snake Clans—six in total—are on our side. The outlook is favorable there. As for the holy lands, we should first pull in the neighboring Evergreen Holy Land. The Demon Domain will likely move against it soon. If we’re too late, we’ll be caught between fronts.”
The Violet Forge Holy Land, being a bunch of uncooperative fools, was doomed to be overrun by the Demon Domain and reduced to slavery.
One could only say that the good life had been pretty cushy even in this foreign world.
Seeing his expression turn grave in an instant, the Yu Shizun wondered if she had placed too much pressure on him. She softened her tone.
“You don’t have to shoulder everything alone. The people around you will help.”
Yan Zhen was no longer the brash youth who insisted on handling things by himself. He understood that well enough and laughed.
“Will the Yu Shizun help too?”
She let out a soft hum of assent.
Yan Zhen released his hold on her waist. Propping himself up with both hands behind him, he gazed up at the light overhead.
“Sometimes, I feel incredibly lucky to have met so many people who care about me. It’s almost overwhelming.”
Yu Shizun stole a glance at his profile and murmured wistfully,
“Others treat you well because you treat them well… You’re like the sun in the sky, bestowing light upon the earth. In turn, the earth reveals its vibrant, thriving beauty.”
Yan Zhen froze for a moment. He turned to meet her gaze, surprise flickering in his eyes.
“So I’m held in such high regard in the Yu Shizun’s heart?”
Yu Shizun snapped back to herself. She hastily averted her eyes, coughed twice, and said flatly,
“It was just a figure of speech.”
Yan Zhen grinned once more. His arm snaked around her slender waist again, bolder this time, his hand coming to rest on her flat abdomen and rubbing gently.
Yu Shizun’s delicate frame went rigid. A tingling warmth spread across her belly, making it hard for her to keep her composure. She seized his hand at once and said sternly,
“Enough of that! Keep it up, and I’ll throw you out.”
Yan Zhen blinked at her, the picture of innocence.
“Yu Shizun seems angry. In that case, I’ll head back first.”
With that, he let go, rose to his feet, and pretended to leave, as if eager to make a quick escape.
He hadn’t taken a single step before his hand was caught.
“Wait!”
Yan Zhen turned back.
“Is there something else, Yu Shizun?”
Yu Shizun glared at him with wide eyes, struggling to look stern.
“You—give it back.”
Yan Zhen tilted his head in feigned confusion.
“Give what back?”
She knew the rascal would play dumb.
Yu Shizun clenched her dainty fist, refusing to release his hand.
“Hand it over now, or I’ll tell Lady Chen Xi that you… that you…”
Yan Zhen put on a troubled expression and cried injustice.
“But the Yu Shizun hasn’t said what it is. How am I supposed to know what to return?”
He was clearly banking on her reluctance to tattle.
Yu Shizun knew he was teasing her, but to reclaim her personal undergarment, she had no choice but to play along.
“My… my intimate clothes.”
Even through the veil, her shy embarrassment was plain to see.
Deeply satisfied within, Yan Zhen feigned sudden realization. He drew the Water Cloud Pattern Bellyband from his robes.
“Is this what the Yu Shizun meant?”
Yu Shizun hadn’t expected him to be so brazen. Once she recovered, she snatched it back at once and stored it in her ring.
“So this belongs to the Yu Shizun. I picked it up outside the Tree Cave when I arrived.”
Yan Zhen lied through his teeth. Abruptly, he changed tack.
“Does that mean the Yu Shizun isn’t wearing anything—”
“—underneath!”
Before he could finish, the Yu Shizun cut in to refute him. But the moment the words left her mouth, she regretted them. Wasn’t that just drawing more attention to it? And why was she even explaining whether she was wearing any to him?!
The little devil had thrown her off balance again.
Yu Shizun composed herself and reverted to her cool tone.
“If there’s nothing else, you should go.”
Yan Zhen didn’t press the issue.
“Mm, I’ll be off then. Goodbye, Yu Shizun.”
Yu Shizun frowned, feeling as though she’d overlooked something. Then it hit her—besides the bellyband, her intimate pants were missing too. He’d only returned the bellyband; the pants were still in his possession!
“Wait!”
She grabbed his hand once more.
Yan Zhen turned back, puzzled once again, and echoed his earlier line.
“Something else, Yu Shizun?”
The flush on the Yu Shizun’s face was now seeping through even her veil.
“The other piece. Give it back.”
This time, Yan Zhen didn’t feign ignorance. He produced a pair of intimate pants matching the bellyband and held them up.
“Is this what the Yu Shizun wants?”
Yu Shizun’s beautiful eyes widened, her breath catching. She lunged to snatch them, but Yan Zhen was quicker, dodging her grasp as he asked,
“Does this belong to the Yu Shizun?”
Overcome with mortification, she couldn’t bring herself to confirm it. She turned her face away and stewed in silence.
Then she heard Yan Zhen say,
“The scent on these seems similar to the fragrance on the Yu Shizun. Let me take a whiff…”
She could bear it no longer. Her head snapped up.
“Don’t—”
