Crimson Heart... Rose

Inside an ancient, simple room.

Xiao Feng held Bing Hanxue's slender, soft hand in both of his. He slowly withdrew his Bright Mystic Force, but did not release her hand...

A week had now passed since he brought her back that day, yet the method Xiao Ling'er had used a week ago had failed to bring him an opportunity for a breakthrough.

For the past seven days, he had treated the woman before him with Bright Mystic Force every day. Her injuries were no longer life-threatening, and she should recover completely after some more time.

Xiao Feng held her pale, delicate hand and gazed blankly at her still breathtakingly beautiful, though pallid, face.

Just as that person had said, she instinctively rejected everyone except her own sister. Perhaps it had been caused by certain experiences in her past, but this was clearly... an illness.

And the Miracle of Life was undoubtedly the pinnacle of medical arts. To Xiao Feng, who cultivated the Miracle of Life, as long as it was an illness, there was no way he could not cure it.

As for treating this illness that made her instinctively reject outsiders, the best and most effective method... was undoubtedly to give her body time to gradually adapt to contact with others, so that it would no longer react with instinctive rejection.

Speaking of which, this illness gave him a slight advantage as well... He possessed Bright Mystic Force and cultivated the Miracle of Life. Every living being instinctively drew close to the aura of life.

Thus, after every treatment, he would remain here for a long time, holding her hand and silently watching her.

Suddenly, Xiao Feng sensed an abnormal change in her pulse.

If his perception was correct, the woman before him should be about to awaken. This... was clearly a sign of waking.

Seeing this, Xiao Feng silently moved the hand he was holding to her waist, then gently left...

Just five minutes after he left, Bing Hanxue slowly opened her eyes.

At first, her brilliant icy eyes still carried a trace of confusion. She surveyed her surroundings. They were very plain. This seemed to be a bedroom, containing only a table, a chair, and the bed she had just lain on. Yet within this simple setting lingered a faint fragrance that soothed the soul...

Anyone who woke from unconsciousness needed time to adjust... But her daze lasted only a moment. After several breaths, she recalled the situation she had been in before losing consciousness. She instinctively circulated her Mystic Energy, intending to rise from the bed, but... her grievous injuries caused the slightly healed wounds across her body to flare up the moment she circulated it.

Her Mystic Energy instantly dispersed, and she fell straight from the bed. Just as Bing Hanxue tried to twist her body so that her back would strike the ground, a gentle force had already caught her...

A figure rushed into the room, seeming somewhat panicked. He hurriedly circulated his Mystic Energy, caught Bing Hanxue before she hit the floor, then carefully placed her back on the bed.

Seeing this, the youth seemed to let out a breath of relief and lightly wiped the "sweat" from his forehead.

Having suddenly been caught by gentle Mystic Energy and then carefully laid back on the bed, a flicker of astonishment crossed Bing Hanxue's icy eyes.

She looked over and saw a white-robed youth whose expression had changed from apparent "panic" to relief.

As she stared at his handsome, refined face, the final memory from before her unconsciousness gradually surfaced within her Soul Sea...

Her voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear and melodious. "Was it you... who brought me here?"

Having caught his breath, the youth answered, "Yes, Sister. I had gone out to purchase medicine that day when I happened to find you. I saw that your injuries were severe and could not be delayed, so I carried you back as quickly as I could. I hope Sister is not angry."

"It's... it's fine..." Such an "honest" youth visibly left Bing Hanxue momentarily stunned. She then asked, "How... how long was I unconscious?"

"It has already been a week..." Xiao Feng answered.

"It's already been a week?" Her tone carried slight surprise. No one understood her injuries better than she did. She had not expected to awaken after merely seven days.

"Yes." Xiao Feng nodded. "It has indeed been seven days since I brought Sister back that day."

After receiving Xiao Feng's confirmation, Bing Hanxue's icy eyes briefly lost focus, as though she were pondering something.

At that moment, Xiao Feng suddenly said, "Sister, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Xiao Feng, and I am a doctor. This Medical Clinic was opened by my sister. May I ask Sister's name...?"

When he mentioned being a doctor, a youthful expression of "pride" appeared on Xiao Feng's face.

Bing Hanxue recovered from her daze and replied, "My name is... Feng Hanxue."

She then asked, "Do you know where your sister is? I would like to thank her in person..."

Upon hearing Bing Hanxue's words, Xiao Feng's expression instantly became "dejected." He said sadly, "I do... I'll go call her now. Sister, take good care of your injuries and do not move around."

With that, he turned around and went out to call Xiao Ling'er...

When Bing Hanxue saw Xiao Feng's expression suddenly turn dejected, a trace of bewilderment flashed through her icy eyes. Why had he suddenly become so downcast?

Before she could think further, a gentle, graceful figure entered carrying a bowl of soup. And that bowl of soup should not have existed in this abyssal world filled with the power of destruction, because it was... seaweed and winter melon soup.

When Bing Hanxue saw Xiao Ling'er, she was just about to rise and offer her thanks when Xiao Ling'er interrupted her. "Don't get up. You've only just awakened, and your body is still very weak. You need to rest and recover properly. Don't move again, or your injuries may worsen."

"All right..." Seeing this, she did not insist. At that moment, Xiao Ling'er handed the steaming bowl of soup to Bing Hanxue... She stared at the soup before her in slight distraction, but still accepted it.

Seemingly noticing her puzzled expression, Xiao Ling'er explained, "Feng'er made this soup. The vegetables in it were all grown by Feng'er himself. It tastes very good, and it will help with your injuries too. Would you like to try it?"

She had not wanted to drink it, but upon hearing that it could aid her recovery, she took a small sip. Yet after that single sip, a glimmer of surprise instantly appeared in her icy eyes. "This soup tastes... so good."

She had never drunk such delicious soup before. Although someone at her level no longer needed food, that did not mean her appetite had vanished.

She loved fine food herself and had tasted many "delicacies" in her eyes, but this was the first time she had ever tasted soup this good.

Then she took a second sip, then a third...

Before long, she had finished the entire bowl. After drinking it, she truly felt a warm current circulating through her body, quietly healing her injuries, though only slightly.

To be honest, she had not believed soup could heal injuries. In a weak voice, she praised, "Your younger brother is incredible. He actually made food possess effects similar to medicinal pills."

"Hehe..." Xiao Ling'er smiled. "It's good as long as you like it. Feng'er prepared for it for a long time."

"I like it very much..." Bing Hanxue said softly.

She then bowed to Xiao Ling'er. "I have yet to thank Divine Doctor Xiao for saving my life..."

"Hehe... Miss Hanxue, you're thanking the wrong person. It wasn't me..." Xiao Ling'er shook her head with a light laugh upon hearing Bing Hanxue's words.

Facing Bing Hanxue's puzzled gaze, she explained, "It was Feng'er. From the time he brought you back until now, he has been the one treating your injuries. I only helped him with things that were inconvenient for him to do."

"Eh?" Upon hearing this, the confusion in Bing Hanxue's eyes deepened.

She simply could not believe that such a young youth could make her injuries recover so quickly in just a few days.

In her view, anyone capable of healing her injuries so quickly had to be a doctor deeply versed in the craft for countless years... After all, medicine was vast and profound, requiring an exceptionally deep accumulation of time. How could it possibly be that young youth?

Xiao Ling'er clearly understood why Bing Hanxue found it unbelievable, so she explained, "It's because Feng'er awakened a very miraculous power when he was young, and that power has an excellent healing effect on injuries."

"Is that so..." Bing Hanxue listened quietly. At that moment, she suddenly recalled the dejected look Xiao Feng had worn before leaving. No wonder his expression had carried such obvious "pride" then. He had clearly wanted her to praise him.

Yet she had not noticed it at all back then...

Thinking of this, she could not help recalling Xiao Feng's expression when he had left. A faint ache unexpectedly arose in her heart... Because she too had personally experienced the feeling of being "ignored," she could empathize all the more deeply...

At that moment, a soft voice interrupted Bing Hanxue's thoughts.

Xiao Ling'er took the soup bowl from Bing Hanxue's hands and said, "Then get some proper rest. Now that you've awakened, your recovery will definitely be much faster than while you were unconscious."

"Thank you..." A faint smile appeared on her pale face.

At that moment, she suddenly asked, "There is something I would like to ask. Where... is this?"

"The Wind Cloud Empire—Flowing Wind City." Xiao Ling'er answered, then gently left the room.

Bing Hanxue watched Xiao Ling'er leave and remained dazed for a long time. Then she closed her icy eyes, only reopening them after a long while.

Her rosy lips pressed together lightly. She had just used her Divine Sense to roughly examine the situation in this city and discovered that the strongest person was only at the peak of the God Monarch Realm. This meant that while it was located within the Wind Cloud Empire, it was an extremely remote little city... Then, setting out from here, she should be able to leave the Wind Cloud Empire very soon.

Thinking this, she began to slowly mobilize her Mystic Energy and heal her injuries... She was still within the Wind Cloud Empire. She had to recover as quickly as possible and leave this place. She could not let this place suffer because of her.

Yet even after a long time, Bing Hanxue could not calm her mind. Xiao Feng's final dejected expression kept lingering in her thoughts.

The next day.

Bing Hanxue, who had been healing her injuries, opened her icy eyes. Her gaze turned toward the door, and before long, a youth with a shy expression entered.

"Sister, I'm here to help treat your injuries..." Xiao Feng stated the reason for his visit.

Bing Hanxue had wanted to refuse, but when she recalled what Xiao Ling'er had said yesterday, as well as his dejected expression, she did not refuse. She nodded. "All right..."

Upon hearing Bing Hanxue's reply, Xiao Feng moved to a distance of roughly three feet from her. Pure white radiance appeared in his hand and slowly spread over her.

The instant the white radiance appeared, Bing Hanxue's gaze was immediately drawn to it... She had never seen such pure white light. Perhaps it was only her imagination, but she even sensed an indescribable... sacredness from it.

As the Mystic Energy began enveloping Bing Hanxue, the surprise in her icy eyes gradually became unconcealable astonishment... because she could clearly feel the injuries within her body healing at a speed that completely defied reason.

No wonder... She had awakened from life-threatening injuries after only seven days.

Feeling her injuries rapidly heal, she looked at Xiao Feng, who was enveloped in white radiance, and instinctively asked, "What kind of power is this?"

Hearing Bing Hanxue's question, Xiao Feng did not hesitate. "I don't know either. I only know that I've had this power since I was born... What is it, Sister?"

"It's nothing..." The astonishment in Bing Hanxue's eyes faded, and she shook her head in reply.

Yet her gaze never left Xiao Feng. Soon, the only thing reflected in her icy eyes was that pure white radiance... Though pure, it was not dazzling.

Suddenly... her expression froze, because she abruptly realized that this power resembled one recorded in an ancient book she had once read... Pure white radiance and healing ability that overturned all common sense—it matched the description exactly.

Even the "purity" of the youth before her was so similar to what the book had described...

This was clearly... Bright Mystic Force.

Bright Mystic Force, which ancient records said had completely vanished from the abyss!

Everything matched the records in that ancient text exactly. The last trace of doubt in her heart disappeared, and she suddenly said to Xiao Feng, "Xiao Feng, can you promise me something?"

The mystic radiance around Xiao Feng did not cease as he replied, "Please tell me, Sister."

"I need you to promise me that you must never, ever reveal this power before outsiders again."

"Why?" Xiao Feng asked in confusion.

Bing Hanxue explained softly, "The more mysterious and unknown a power is, the more it will provoke the greedy covetousness of others. Human greed has no limits, and it will bring you great danger."

"That's not right!" Xiao Feng suddenly rejected her words. "I can tell that Sister doesn't covet my power at all."

Bing Hanxue was first stunned by Xiao Feng's rebuttal. Then, when she heard what followed, she could not help smiling. "One must always guard against others. Sister does not covet it only because you saved Sister. How could Sister possibly covet your power after that?"

Hearing her words, Xiao Feng smiled as well—

She had just called herself... Sister!

As soon as her words fell, apology entered her voice. She said to Xiao Feng, "Xiao Feng, there is something Sister needs to apologize to you for. Yesterday, I 'overlooked' your feelings."

"I hope you won't let yourself become unhappy because of me... all right?"

"Eh?" Xiao Feng was first stunned, then seemed to understand why Bing Hanxue was apologizing. He hurriedly waved his hands in fluster. "N-No, it's fine. Sister doesn't need to apologize. I'm all right."

Seeing Xiao Feng's flustered manner, Bing Hanxue's delicate brows curved like crescents. Rarely, she revealed a faint smile...

Though her complexion was still pale, it gave her a different kind of beauty. The moment Xiao Feng saw her smile, he became completely stunned. Her smile was beautiful. To him, even a smile that could topple a city... was nothing more than this.

After leaving the bedroom, he entered another room. Walking slowly to the window, he gazed at the muddy, boundless sky as his thoughts gradually drifted away...

"Bing Hanxue lost both parents in childhood and depended on her sister for survival. But because her sister, as the Empress of a nation, often neglected her... she is extremely sensitive to feelings of being neglected, and will therefore surely... empathize."

That was what the voice had told him. Now, it seemed that it had not been wrong...

The breeze lifted Xiao Feng's long hair from his shoulders. Thinking of that smile, beautiful enough to carve itself into his heart... the black eyes with which he gazed at the sky grew ever deeper, making it impossible for anyone to see the meaning hidden within them.

Her heart did not belong to him at this moment.

If things continued like this, he could at most become friends with her... Perhaps he could leave a lasting impression on her, but it would be impossible for him to enter her heart."

His thoughts drifted with the breeze, and at that moment, he remembered what the voice had told him: an immaculate icy heart was difficult to melt; only a blazing heart could merge with it.

Then where was this blazing heart supposed to come from?

Since that day, another three days had passed.

During those three days, apart from treating her every day, Xiao Feng spent the rest of his time chatting with her about trivial matters, gradually nurturing their "feelings"...

Today, Xiao Feng came to her room. Just after completing her treatment, Bing Hanxue softly said to him, "Xiao Feng, I will be leaving today."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Feng was first stunned, then hurriedly asked, "Why? Your injuries haven't healed yet, and they're still serious. Why not wait a few more days?"

Seeing the urgency on Xiao Feng's face, Bing Hanxue did not know why, but a smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of her lips. "Don't worry. I can already move without much difficulty, and Sister has something very important to do, so I need to leave quickly..."

"You're lying..." Before she could finish, Xiao Feng suddenly interrupted her. "I know you're from the Ice Dominion Empire..."

Before his words had fully fallen, however, he felt a soul-piercing icy pressure spread from Bing Hanxue's body. This frigid might made it hard for him even to breathe. Since his birth, he had never felt such powerful... mystic pressure!

Fortunately, the mystic pressure vanished in an instant... The moment Bing Hanxue saw Xiao Feng's pained expression, she immediately withdrew every trace of the aura she had suddenly released. With deep concern in her voice, she asked, "Xiao Feng, are you hurt?"

Over the past few days, she had truly come to regard him as a younger brother... Her Mystic Energy had suddenly erupted because she had always been hiding her identity.

But... when it was suddenly mentioned, the taut string deep in her heart had jolted. She instinctively released her Mystic Energy and entered a combat state.

"I'm fine." Xiao Feng shook his head, then urgently said, "Is Sister afraid of bringing danger to us? I know Sister must be being pursued, but don't worry. When I found you, I already cleaned up the 'traces.' There won't be any danger..."

Hearing Xiao Feng's words, Bing Hanxue's eyes were gradually filled with dense "suspicion." But when she saw the tension on his face, she did not know why, but a faint smile appeared instinctively. She asked, "Why... are you so certain?"

If it had been someone else, she would never have asked for the reason at a time like this. She might even have left immediately. But this was Xiao Feng, who possessed Bright Mystic Force, and they had spent several days together.

Combined with the urgency in his voice, it was simply impossible for her to raise her guard against him.

"Because Sister used a Voidstone..." Xiao Feng explained. "When I encountered Sister, you had already arrived within several dozen meters of me, but only then did I suddenly notice you."

"At first, I thought perhaps it was because my Mystic Energy was weak, so I had failed to sense you. But after thinking about it, with Sister's injuries at the time, you could barely even circulate Mystic Energy. There was no way you had any strength left to conceal your aura."

"So I thought that Sister must have used some other 'method' then. The only possibility I could think of was that Sister had used a supreme treasure capable of teleportation without producing the slightest spatial fluctuation... a Voidstone."

"And a treasure like the Voidstone would not normally be used unless there was no other choice... Sister's injuries are clearly still serious, yet you are so anxious to leave. That means someone must still be pursuing Sister. Perhaps Sister even wants to leave quickly because you are afraid of implicating us..."

"And the reason I guessed that Sister is from the Ice Dominion Empire is because of Sister's hair color..." As he spoke, he pointed at her long ice-blue hair, where frosty radiance seemed to flow. "People in the Wind Cloud Empire almost never have ice-blue hair like Sister's. And I heard that the neighboring Ice Dominion Empire happens to specialize in ice-type Mystic Energy..."

"So I guessed that Sister is most likely from the Ice Dominion Empire. Sister, am I right?"

Bing Hanxue quietly listened to Xiao Feng's explanation. The confusion in her eyes gradually turned to shock... What Xiao Feng said was almost entirely accurate, and he had actually figured it out from a few small details... He was so intelligent.

Moreover, he had apparently guessed her identity long ago and knew that she was being pursued, that she might bring danger to them, yet he had never mentioned it... It was only this time, when she was leaving, that he brought it up.

Otherwise, she might have never known... In the abyssal world, selfishness and self-interest... were human nature.

Perhaps because life was short, many people valued their own lives immensely... For their own benefit, they could abandon even their relatives, or even kill them.

She and her sister had depended on each other, and she had seen far too much of human nature. Yet in all her tens of thousands of years, she had never seen someone like Xiao Feng... someone whose heart and soul were so... "pure."

She gently pressed her rosy lips together and said softly, "Xiao Feng, Sister understands your good intentions... But don't worry. Sister's injuries really are almost healed, and I won't encounter any danger. And rest assured, Sister promises that if there is a chance, I will definitely return to see you... all right?"

"Oh, right..." As she spoke, a jade pendant appeared in her hand, as if carved from white jade. It was flawless white, without the slightest impurity. Its carved patterns were intricate and exquisite, and it even "naturally" emitted a soft white glow that made it feel especially warm.

Anyone who saw the jade pendant at first glance would know that it was no ordinary item.

She handed it to Xiao Feng. "Here... this is my jade pendant. If one day you want to come find me, you can go directly to the Ice Dominion Empire. Show this jade pendant to the city guards, and someone will notify me. Then I will know you have come."

"Or, if you and your sister want to come develop yourselves in the Ice Dominion Empire, I can help arrange everything for you."

"I don't want it..." But to Bing Hanxue's surprise, he directly turned his head away, refusing even to look at the jade pendant that represented the overwhelming authority of the Ice Dominion Empire.

Hearing Xiao Feng refuse outright, obvious astonishment appeared in Bing Hanxue's icy eyes. She clearly had not expected him to refuse... Countless people would have fought desperately for this jade pendant and still failed to obtain it.

She wanted Xiao Feng to take it, but at that moment, she did not know how to persuade him.

"Sister..." Xiao Feng's voice came at that moment. His gaze met Bing Hanxue's beautiful icy eyes, and his words carried a trace of pleading. "Your injuries really are still serious. Just one day. Stay for one more day. Let me treat you once more tomorrow, then leave afterward... all right?"

The trace of pleading revealed in the youth's already clear eyes was far too... obvious.

Looking into Xiao Feng's eyes, she... hesitated. After a pause, she slowly said, "I promise you. I'll stay one more day, but you... have to accept this jade pendant, all right?"

"All right..." Upon hearing this, the pleading in Xiao Feng's eyes instantly transformed into exceptionally obvious surprise and joy. He accepted the jade pendant and said, "Sister, don't worry. I'll take good care of this jade pendant..."

Seeing Xiao Feng smile again, Bing Hanxue also instinctively revealed a faint smile that lingered for a long time.

After leaving the bedroom, not a trace of the delight in Xiao Feng's eyes had diminished, because it had been a genuine expression of his feelings. He truly had not expected the opportunity to come... so quickly.

He came to the window in his own room and gazed at the boundless sky. He began to think through every moment between himself and Bing Hanxue from their first meeting until now. Success or failure would be decided in one move.

The next day.

Xiao Feng had barely entered the room when he saw Bing Hanxue standing by the window, gazing into the distant sky.

After several days of treatment, her spirits had improved more and more. Her once-pale face now looked remarkably radiant. Standing by the window, with her graceful figure and stunning face, she seemed dreamlike and illusory.

She turned around, and upon seeing Xiao Feng enter, revealed a tranquil smile.

Xiao Feng returned her smile, then said with a grin, "Sister, shall we begin now?"

"Alright..." She sat back down on the bed, leaving her flawless back facing Xiao Feng.

As usual, Xiao Feng stood about a foot away. Bright Mystic Force began to shine in his hand before enveloping Bing Hanxue, beginning that day's treatment.

Even after undergoing several days of treatment with Bright Mystic Force, feeling it again still made her marvel. As expected of Bright Mystic Force—its healing effects were simply beyond comprehension.

But at that moment, her delicate brows suddenly furrowed. Because... she suddenly felt that the healing effect seemed far stronger than it had been over the past few days.

"Your Bright Mystic Force..." Bing Hanxue spoke in confusion.

Xiao Feng smiled behind her. "Perhaps because I've been treating Sister these past few days, my control over Bright Mystic Force has improved greatly."

Hearing this, her icy eyes narrowed slightly. Her Divine Sense silently swept over Xiao Feng. After confirming that his aura was stable and showed no abnormalities, she said no more.

Yet as time passed, she suddenly realized that not only had the healing intensity increased, but even its duration had grown longer.

She swept her Divine Sense toward Xiao Feng again. This time, her icy eyes tightened, because compared to before, his aura was clearly several degrees weaker, and his face had grown much paler.

Concern flashed through her eyes as she was about to interrupt his casting.

But Xiao Feng suddenly said, "Sister, don't think about interrupting me. If you forcefully stop me now, I'll suffer an even harsher backlash..."

"You..." Bing Hanxue had just begun to speak when Xiao Feng cut her off. "Don't worry, Sister. I know my limits."

Hearing this, Bing Hanxue no longer tried to interrupt him. She did not understand Bright Mystic Force, and she... did not dare gamble on Xiao Feng's words.

After some more time passed, seeing Xiao Feng's face grow increasingly pale, Bing Hanxue's tone lost its gentleness and became much sterner. "Xiao Feng, stop immediately, or I'll never speak to you again!"

But Xiao Feng turned a deaf ear. Though his face was pale, he continued tirelessly using Bright Mystic Force to heal her. This treatment lasted more than four times as long as usual!

Then, as though Xiao Feng had finally exhausted all his strength, the light rapidly dissipated, and his entire body fell toward the floor...

Bing Hanxue had been watching Xiao Feng's condition the entire time. At once, she used an exceedingly gentle strand of mystic force to catch him and place him on the bed.

Looking at Xiao Feng's pale face, Bing Hanxue did not know why, but her heart ached in waves... Yet rare anger seeped into her voice.

"Is this what you call... knowing your limits?!"

With a pale face, Xiao Feng replied with difficulty, "No... I just wanted Sister to recover faster, so I kept it going a little longer. Don't worry, Sister. I'm only a little exhausted. If I rest for a while, I'll be fine."

Hearing him, she wanted to scold him. But when she saw Xiao Feng's pale face and felt that more than half of her injuries had already healed, she could not bring herself to say anything reproachful...

At that moment, Xiao Feng suddenly said, "It's just that I may not be able to see Sister off. Since Sister is in such a hurry to return, you should leave quickly."

Hearing this, Bing Hanxue's icy eyes instantly narrowed. Why did she feel as if he... was trying to send her away?

Even his expression... no longer held the disappointment he had shown yesterday when he heard she was leaving. There was only a faint urgency. This was completely unlike his previous behavior. Why had he suddenly become so... unusual?

Seeing this, Bing Hanxue said no more. Instead, she softly told Xiao Feng, "Then rest well. I'll leave first. If you wish to find me, you may come to the Ice Dominion Empire anytime."

Once she finished speaking, she turned. In the blink of an eye, her figure vanished before Xiao Feng's eyes, leaving only scattered glimmers of icy light behind...

As he watched her figure disappear and her aura vanish completely, a distinctly obvious loneliness flashed through Xiao Feng's eyes.

But suddenly, his face began to twist and convulse. His right hand clutched tightly at his chest as though he were enduring unbearable pain.

Then, his clenched fingers loosened. He brought two fingers together and jabbed fiercely at his chest...

The instant Xiao Feng opened an acupoint in his chest, he spat out a mouthful of heart's blood... But he quickly covered it with his hand. In an instant, glaring blood stained his palm and clothes.

But what he did not know was that Bing Hanxue, who should have already left, was standing beside him just a few yards away!

She had never left at all!

At that moment, her aura had vanished completely, and even her figure was concealed. Xiao Feng did not notice her in the slightest.

She silently watched Xiao Feng, her icy eyes already narrowed... But when she saw him bring two fingers together and stab at his own chest, her icy heart sank in an instant... In that moment, she thought of a possibility she could scarcely believe.

After Xiao Feng released that acupoint, his already weak aura became even fainter in an instant. At that moment, he felt like a dying man hanging by a thread!

She took a deep breath. An indescribable emotion pressed against her heart... Her guess had indeed been correct.

Before coming here, he had clearly sealed the Yangming Heart Meridian Point on his own heart meridian!

The Yangming Heart Meridian Point was an acupoint on the heart meridian. The reason she knew of it was because of its unique properties...

Temporarily sealing this acupoint could stop the blood in the heart meridian, temporarily concealing injuries within the body and preventing them from erupting.

But how could delaying the manifestation of one's injuries possibly come without consequences?

The consequence of sealing this acupoint was that the accumulated injuries could not be effectively relieved, causing the body's injuries to worsen severalfold!

If someone with minor injuries activated this acupoint for too long, those injuries could even become life-threatening!

Thus, unless absolutely necessary, almost no one would activate this acupoint... Yet she herself had activated it not long ago. At the time, she had been pursued by the Wind Cloud Empire's imperial family. Her injuries had been too severe and had already affected her combat strength... Therefore, in order to avoid weakening her combat strength, she had no choice but to activate it.

The price was that afterward, she had immediately fallen unconscious... Had she not happened to encounter Xiao Feng, whether she would even still be alive now would have been uncertain.

At that moment, Xiao Feng, who had just spat out blood, seemed to lose all strength in his body and fell directly toward the ground...

At this point, Bing Hanxue's concern for his safety had already surpassed everything else. Her heart and soul had been utterly drawn in by Xiao Feng.

The instant he fell, she appeared beside Xiao Feng in a flash. While his body was still several feet from the ground, she caught him with her delicate, fair hands...

Instead of a cold, hard floor, Xiao Feng landed in a soft embrace. He opened his eyes in surprise, and the first thing he saw was a pair of clear icy eyes holding faint anger and profound concern.

The moment he saw Bing Hanxue, Xiao Feng was first stunned, then delighted. But in the next instant, that delight immediately turned into avoidance...

None of those shifts in emotion escaped Bing Hanxue's icy eyes. They were clearly reflected in her gaze and lingered there for a long time.

Her voice instantly became frigid as she asked in anger, "Is this what you told me was... knowing your limits?!"

Though her voice was cold, when her gaze fell upon the blood in Xiao Feng's palm and his bloodstained white robes, her heart felt as though needles were piercing it, sending waves of pain through her.

"Sister... don't be angry, alright? I only hoped that you could return safely. I don't want Sister to suffer even the slightest harm..." Xiao Feng pleaded.

His pleading words entered her ears, only to pierce her heart in the next instant.

Before Bing Hanxue could recover herself, she suddenly noticed a flash of white light from Xiao Feng's left hand...

The instant she saw that white glow, her heart and soul were instantly captivated.

It was a flower...

It had layers upon layers of ice-blue petals and a slender stem, its outer surface covered with a thin layer of frost.

The slender stem, the ice-blue petals, and the hazy white glow unconsciously emanating from the flower all highlighted its holiness...

No woman disliked beautiful things, and she happened to love rare flowers and exotic plants. She had no resistance to such a thing at all...

"I thought I wouldn't have the chance..." Xiao Feng's voice reached her ears as she saw the flower in his hand slowly move...

Then, he reached out and took hold of her fair hand, lifting it before gently placing the flower into her palm and closing her fingers around it...

"Sister... you can call it the Ice Rose..."

"Ice Rose?" Bing Hanxue's icy eyes went slightly unfocused. Not only was this flower incomparably beautiful, but it even shared a character with her name?

At that moment, she suddenly remembered something and asked Xiao Feng, "This... this is..."

"Yes..." Xiao Feng knew what she wanted to say. In a weak voice, he said, "Sister, I cultivated this myself."

"Back then, this rose took me a long time to cultivate. But do you know? What I originally wanted to cultivate was a red rose."

"But I never expected it to turn out ice-blue in the end..."

"Back then, I was even angry enough to want to throw it away. But after meeting Sister, I'm glad I didn't discard it. Because only after meeting you did I understand that it was destined... to be born for you."

"..." Upon hearing his words, Bing Hanxue's gaze instantly scattered in a daze.

"Sister..." Xiao Feng continued. Though his voice remained weak, his tone had grown noticeably more solemn. "Are you married?"

"No..." Bing Hanxue, still dazed, answered instinctively.

"Then may I... pursue you?" The young man's weak voice carried an unmistakable hint of unease and nervousness.

Hearing this, Bing Hanxue recovered from her daze. But she did not respond. Instead, the unease and nervousness in the young man's voice scattered the anger from her icy face.

She revealed a smile. "Why do you want to pursue me? Besides, I'm not suitable for you. I instinctively reject other people's bodi—"

Before she could finish speaking, she froze. Only then did she realize that she had never deliberately suppressed her body's feeling of rejection...

In other words, she had been relying solely on instinct just now, yet she had not felt any... rejection toward him at all?

"Sister lied to me..." Xiao Feng said at that moment.

He was still holding Bing Hanxue's hand, the one holding the Ice Rose. "Look... where is this rejection?"

Bing Hanxue looked at her hand in his grasp. For a long time, she did not answer, nor did she pull her hand free.

After a while, the unfocused light returned to her icy eyes. Holding Xiao Feng, she placed him on the bed. She did not answer his question, but softly asked, "Why do you want to pursue me?"

"Because I like Sister..." Xiao Feng replied weakly.

"Why do you like me?"

"..." Xiao Feng was stunned for a moment. Then, a faint smile appeared on his pale face. "Sister, from the first moment I saw you, my heart began pounding. Only through spending these past few days with you did I understand what kind of feeling it was..."

"What I like is the you who could ask that question..."

"But Sister... my answer is very long. Could you... let me spend my lifetime telling it to you?"

Hearing that answer, Bing Hanxue froze. Her icy eyes became unfocused, and in her daze, she gave no response for a long time.

A crack had appeared in her icy heart when Xiao Feng spat out that blood. From that moment onward, every word he spoke seemed to pierce directly into her heart, making it perhaps impossible for her to forget for the rest of her life...

To keep her from worrying about him, he would rather disregard his own body and forcibly suppress his injuries... He would rather put away the flower he had intended to give her...

All so she would not worry, all so she would not be upset because of it... If she had not noticed his "unusual" behavior and had not stayed behind, she might never have known that there was a young man silently... giving so much for her.

Looking at the anticipation in the young man's eyes, she softly replied, "Alright... I promise you. But on one condition: you are still young and have not met other women, so you must wait three years."

"If you still feel the same way after three years, I will agree... alright?"

"Alright..." Although Xiao Feng's voice was weak, the anticipation in his eyes instantly turned into unmistakable delight. But once the heaviest "stone" in his heart fell away and his body relaxed, an overwhelming drowsiness surged over him.

His eyes repeatedly opened and drooped shut. In the end, unable to hold on any longer, he directly fainted... He was truly, truly too exhausted.

She watched Xiao Feng's sleeping face and gently channeled her mystic force through his hand into his body, protecting his heart meridian.

After confirming that his aura had begun to stabilize, she turned to leave. But after several breaths, she turned back and looked at Xiao Feng's sleeping face for a long time...

Slowly, she revealed a smile. The meaning contained within that smile was something Xiao Feng had never seen before...

As his consciousness gradually returned, the first thing Xiao Feng remembered was the scene before he had fainted... He immediately opened his eyes, waking directly from sleep.

He sensed his surroundings. They were all too familiar... This was where Bing Hanxue had always lived, and it was also once his bedroom.

Feeling the lingering icy essence within his body, his gaze went unfocused. It seemed that everything just now... had not been a dream.

Xiao Feng moistened his dry lips and rose from the bed. But the moment he stood, he staggered and nearly fell to the floor.

He slowly walked to the window, the same place where he had first seen Bing Hanxue that day... He liked gazing at the boundless sky, because then his thoughts would drift like the breeze, swiftly... swiftly...

That voice had once said, "Bing Hanxue is meticulous in thought and pays close attention to every detail..."

"Sure enough... that was true."

He admitted that what had just happened involved an element of gambling, but now it seemed that he... had won.

Especially when he sensed Bing Hanxue use Moon Severing Shadow Sweep, he knew that the hardest step had been completed.

Because Moon Severing Shadow Sweep was a movement Mystic Skill inherited from the Ice Phoenix...

It possessed the ability to flash instantly and shatter shadows. During an instantaneous movement, it would leave behind an afterimage bearing the user's aura to disrupt others. Once mastered to perfection, it could even conceal one's presence!

The reason he had been able to notice it so sharply was because he had already cultivated this Mystic Skill to perfection.

Only selfless devotion could touch another's heart.

Only motives that sought no return could move an icy heart...

And afterward, the feelings he revealed to Bing Hanxue had all been genuine...

Because only genuine feelings could truly reach... one's heart and soul!

During the past few days together, he had been doing everything he could to make himself fall in love with her within such a short time...

Though perhaps much of it had been coveting her heavenly beauty.

But his affection was real. Using his blood essence to cultivate the rose, sealing his heart meridian, and wanting her to return safely to the Ice Dominion Empire—all of it was real.

Just as that person had said...

"An immaculate icy heart is difficult to melt; it must be fused with a blazing heart..."

And where would that blazing heart come from? By dyeing it... with crimson blood!

His thoughts returned. Thinking of what had happened not long ago, he murmured softly, "It was actually Moon Severing Shadow Sweep... Does that mean the Ice Dominion Empire also possesses the Ice Phoenix's inheritance, here in this... Ancient Abyss?"

At that moment, a fresh fragrance entered Xiao Feng's nose. He turned around and saw Xiao Ling'er standing behind him with a cold expression...

The instant he saw her, all of Xiao Feng's thoughts stopped. He even stood there blankly for several seconds.

"Haha..." He gave an awkward smile and asked, "Sister Ling'er... how long did I sleep?"

"Two days..." she answered coldly.

Hearing that frosty tone, Xiao Feng instantly did not know how to respond. He had truly forgotten about this...

Seeing Xiao Ling'er slowly approach, he slightly turned his head and instinctively closed his eyes... Just as he had already prepared himself to be scolded.

She suddenly hugged Xiao Feng, her soft voice carrying a faint sob. "Feng'er, these past few days, I was truly worried... so worried..."

"Promise me that you won't do this again... alright?"

The words Xiao Feng had prepared vanished the instant he heard her "plea," and he no longer knew how to say them.

He had thought Xiao Ling'er would ask why he had done such a thing...

He was stunned for a moment before raising his arms and gently embracing her as well. "Alright, I promise you. I'll take good care of my body..."

Before Xiao Feng could lose himself in her refreshing scent, she gently pushed him away.

He looked at Xiao Ling'er with slight confusion, only to see her delicate hand move to his robes, tidying the rumpled clothing he had disturbed in his sleep.

She softly asked, "Why didn't you keep her here? When she said goodbye to me, I could clearly feel that she... was reluctant to leave you."

"We aren't people of the same world yet. What would be the use of keeping her here?" Xiao Feng said wistfully. "She is being hunted by the Wind Cloud Empire's imperial family. Anyone pursued by an imperial family who can still escape..."

"Even if she used a Voidstone, her strength must not be underestimated."

Xiao Ling'er: "..."

"Besides, her level is certainly far beyond what I can reach now. It would be better for us to part for now. It is good for both of us."

"By the way, Sister Ling'er, why is it suddenly so lively outside?" Xiao Feng wisely hurried to change the subject.

He had already sensed it earlier. The streets outside, which were usually deserted, were now filled with crowds, as though they were welcoming someone...

Hearing this, Xiao Ling'er revealed a smile. Leaning close to Xiao Feng's ear, she slowly said, "Guess why?"

"Qi~ Qing~ Yun has returned."

Xiao Feng: "..."