Confession Under the Sword's Edge

His consciousness slowly broke free from a deep coma, the first sensation being the pervasive soreness and weakness throughout his body – aftereffects of forcibly suppressing the backlash from the Blazing Love Powder.

Mo Lin struggled to open his eyes, the familiar cave ceiling coming into view. The campfire had long since died out, leaving only cold ashes.

Sunlight slanted through the cracks in the cave entrance, casting dappled light on the ground.

The cave was unusually quiet; apart from his own breathing, there was no other sound.

"Miss Yun Zhi?" Mo Lin called out tentatively, his voice hoarse and dry.

His only response was the hollow echo.

She's gone? The thought made Mo Lin's heart clench inexplicably. He struggled, propping himself up with his elbows, and leaned against the stone wall, his body weak.

Looking around, Yun Yun was indeed nowhere to be seen. Even the stone table where she usually organized medicinal herbs was empty.

An indescribable sense of loss welled up in his heart. After last night, did she leave without even saying goodbye?

He took a deep breath, suppressing the surging Blood Essence and complex emotions. Mo Lin attempted to circulate his Fighting Energy, finding that although his meridians were sluggish, his movement was no longer significantly hindered.

He leaned on the cold stone wall and slowly stood up, intending to check the situation at the cave entrance.

However, just as he straightened up and took a few unsteady steps towards the entrance—

"Swish!"

A cold glint, like a venomous snake, struck silently from his neck!

The next instant, a longsword radiating a faint green glow, incomparably sharp, was steadily held against his throat.

The blade pressed against his skin, and the chilling cold made him instantly break out in goosebumps.

Mo Lin's body stiffened abruptly, his heart almost stopping.

He slowly, very slowly, turned his head, following the strangely shaped longsword with his gaze.

Yun Yun, he saw, was standing silently not far from his side, though he didn't know when she had arrived.

She was still wearing the same plain dress, but her demeanor was entirely different from usual.

Her pretty face was icy cold. Her eyes, usually as clear as autumn water, were now sharp as knives, locked onto him. They held extremely complex emotions—lingering shame and anger, residual killing intent, but more than anything, a struggle and a hesitant confusion.

Her sword-holding hand was incredibly steady, but Mo Lin keenly sensed that although her aura was much stronger than a few days ago, it was still somewhat fluctuating. Clearly, the Purple Crystal Seal had not been completely broken.

The distance between them was extremely close, so close that Mo Lin could clearly see her slightly trembling eyelashes and her tightly pressed, bloodless lips.

The air was filled with a deadly danger and suffocating tension.

Silence stretched for several breaths, feeling like an eternity.

Mo Lin could feel the coldness of the sword edge at his neck and a faint, almost imperceptible pressure.

He knew that if Yun Yun so much as flicked her wrist, he would be decapitated instantly.

At this moment of life and death, Mo Lin's mind raced at an unprecedented speed.

Beg for mercy? Explain? Resist? No, none of these seemed capable of resolving the shame and entanglement in the heart of this woman, whose emotions were complex and whose strength remained.

Suddenly, a classic scene from his past life flashed through his mind—though risky, it might be the only way to break the deadlock.

He took a deep breath, forcing a seemingly relaxed smile onto his face, though it was filled with endless melancholy and bitterness. His gaze held no fear, but rather a strange tenderness as he met Yun Yun's icy stare.

In a low, hoarse voice, as if weathered by time, he slowly began:

"Miss Yun Zhi... Before you strike, I want to tell a story... or rather, share a few thoughts from my heart."

Yun Yun's sword-holding hand paused slightly. A barely perceptible flicker of surprise crossed her icy eyes, as if she hadn't expected this reaction from him.

She remained silent, but didn't attack immediately, tacitly allowing his "dying words."

Mo Lin's heart settled slightly. He continued in his storytelling tone: "Once upon a time, there was a girl I liked very much... no, it should be said, she was the first girl who made my heart flutter, and I could never forget her."

His tone carried just the right amount of sincerity and nostalgia.

"Unfortunately, I was too weak back then, like a speck of dust, not even qualified to stand by her side." He chuckled self-deprecatingly, his eyes dimming slightly.

"Later, I desperately wanted to become stronger, enduring many hardships, with only one thought in my heart: I hoped that one day, I could be worthy of her, and tell her my feelings openly." His gaze grew distant, as if truly recalling a deeply etched past event.

"But... fate always loves to play tricks." He gave a bitter smile, his expression full of helplessness and deep regret. "Just when I thought I had finally made a tiny bit of progress and gathered the courage to approach her... due to a damned, completely out-of-control accident... I did something extremely, extremely excessive and unforgivable to her."

He deliberately emphasized his words, his gaze fixed on Yun Yun, as if trying to see the shadow of "her" through her eyes.

He saw Yun Yun's eyelashes tremble violently, and the sword blade at his neck loosen almost imperceptibly.

The fluctuations in her aura even showed a trace of disorder, clearly indicating that his words had touched her.

"At that moment, I wished I could kill myself." Mo Lin's tone was filled with intense self-blame and pain, his eyes even forcing out a hint of physiological moisture. "I felt like I had ruined every possibility. She must hate me to death and will never forgive me."

His voice lowered, filled with despair.

"But," he suddenly looked up, a near-obsessive light flashing in his eyes, staring directly at Yun Yun, "even so, I still... still can't help but like her, even more than before. If... if heaven could give me another chance..."

He took a deep breath and, with all his might, spoke clearly and slowly, word by word: "I would say three words to her... 'I love you'."

"If I must add a time limit to this love..." He paused, and under Yun Yun's suddenly constricted gaze, he firmly uttered: "I hope it's ten thousand years."

As his words fell, the cave plunged into a deathly silence. Even the air seemed to freeze.

Yun Yun froze completely.

Her longsword clattered from her hand and fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

She froze as if struck by a paralysis spell, staring blankly at Mo Lin.

On her beautiful, icy face, disbelief first appeared, followed by immense shock. Then, an uncontrollable blush rapidly spread from her neck to her earlobes, until her entire face turned crimson!

What... what had she just heard? Was he... was he confessing his feelings? To her? Right after everything that had just happened? In such an... absurd yet heart-stirring way?

Her heart began to race uncontrollably, and a sense of panic and inexplicable excitement she had never felt before washed over her.

The defenses she had built up out of shame and indignation crumbled instantly under the impact of his words, which were so unexpected yet carried a strange sincerity.

Her killing intent? It had vanished without a trace.

In its place was an extremely complex emotion that she couldn't even decipher herself.

Was... was he serious? Or was he toying with her again? But his eyes... the pain and struggle in them didn't seem fake.

Those words, "I love you" and "ten thousand years," exploded like thunder in the lake of her heart, creating monstrous waves.

Seeing Yun Yun's flustered reaction, Mo Lin secretly breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his risky move seemed to have paid off.

He quickly pressed his advantage, his tone shifting to one of concern. Tilting his head, he asked, "Although it might be pointless, I still have to ask: your seal isn't completely broken yet. What are your plans now? Do you need any help?"

His tone was sincere, filled with undisguised concern, steering the conversation towards more practical matters.

Hearing Mo Lin's words, Yun Yun snapped back to reality, realizing her loss of composure. She took a few deep breaths, forcefully suppressing the storm in her heart. She bent down to pick up her longsword, sheathing it to hide the blush and panic on her face.

She pondered for a moment and then gave a slight nod, seemingly needing concrete tasks to steady her mind.

Her gaze swept over Mo Lin's expression, which held concern and a hint of "surprise." She tried to make her voice calm and said softly, "I need the 'Purple Spirit Crystal.' It's usually kept deep within the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's cave.

Last time, I tried to sneak in, but it detected me beforehand... Once I've fully recovered my strength, I'll go and lure the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King away again. As for you..."

She paused, her beautiful eyes meeting Mo Lin's with a sense of trust. "I want to ask you to enter the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's cave while it's away and help me find the Purple Spirit Crystal."

"Helping you is no problem," Mo Lin spread his hands and said with a wry smile, "but I'm just a Dou Master. Here in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, any random rank four or five Mo Beast could easily deal with me. Sneaking into the lair of a rank six Mo Beast, I'm afraid..."

He put on a helpless expression, returning the choice to Yun Yun.

"You don't need to worry about that," Yun Yun said distractedly. "Once I completely break the seal, I'll use a secret technique to temporarily infuse some of my power into you, giving you enough strength to protect yourself or even contend with an ordinary rank four Mo Beast for a short time.

With that power, you should be able to enter the cave. After all, few other Mo Beasts dare to intrude into the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King's den."

Mo Lin nodded slightly upon hearing this.

This was indeed a feasible plan, and it would also allow him to experience higher-level power in advance, which would be beneficial for his cultivation.

"Here," Yun Yun took out a small piece of crystal, a clear, diamond-shaped shard, from her Storage Ring and handed it over. "Wear this 'Crystal Seeking Stone.' It will heat up when you get close to the Purple Spirit Crystal. You can find your target by the intensity of the heat."

Mo Lin took the cool, diamond-shaped crystal and solemnly hung it around his neck. He raised his head and gave a reassuring smile, "Okay, I'll do my best."

As the conversation shifted to business, the awkward and tense atmosphere between them finally eased.

That earth-shattering "confession" and the dropped sword seemed to have become an unspoken secret, temporarily sealed away.

Over the next few days, Yun Yun focused all her efforts on breaking through the remaining seal within her body.

Meanwhile, Mo Lin acted as her protector while also processing the subtle changes brought about by the "confession."

Yun Yun's attitude towards him had clearly changed. Although she was still a woman of few words, the cold distance between them had vanished. Occasionally, when their eyes met, she would quickly look away, her cheeks blushing with a girlish shyness and fluster, a stark contrast to her status as a Dou Emperor, which made Mo Lin chuckle inwardly.

Several days later, a power far more immense and vast than before finally erupted from Yun Yun's body like a volcanic eruption!

The Purple Crystal Seal had completely dissipated.

The powerful Dou Emperor's pressure permeated the entire cave, inspiring awe.

Yun Yun slowly opened her eyes, her gaze sharp and her aura magnificent.

She looked at Mo Lin, a complex emotion mixed in her eyes.

She said softly, "Are you ready?"

Mo Lin felt his Fighting Energy within him subtly resonate with Yun Yun's breakthrough. He took a deep breath and nodded.

They exchanged a glance, tacitly agreeing not to mention their past encounters again, and focused their attention on the upcoming operation against the Purple Crystal Winged Lion King.

Their cohabitation in the cave was coming to an end, but their story was clearly just entering a new chapter.