Confusion

Zhong Shan held Tian Ling'er in his arms halfway up the mountain.

All around them, countless Frost Crows flew in every direction, sealing off every path.

The saber was already caught on one of the straps across his back. Zhong Shan held Tian Ling'er tightly, protecting her in his embrace.

"Hold on tight." Zhong Shan spoke to Tian Ling'er.

Zhong Shan had arrived at the perfect moment, almost exactly when Tian Ling'er was about to despair. The instant he appeared, Tian Ling'er felt as though dazzling White Light had erupted from his entire body. Was he a hero sent by Heaven specifically to protect her? At that moment, the tears in Tian Ling'er's eyes had yet to stop. Zhong Shan's embrace seemed to give her a powerful sense of support.

After Zhong Shan spoke, Tian Ling'er unconsciously wrapped both arms around his neck.

Glancing at the cold air surging in from all around, Zhong Shan did his best to leap forward and jump away. Using the force and speed of his descent from midair, he broke through the numerous Frost Crows and instantly fell toward the foot of the mountain.

Zhong Shan made a sideways leap over some distance. The mountain was sloped, and the leap had not carried him out of the flock of Frost Crows. However, as he descended, he stepped on several of them.

Holding Tian Ling'er, Zhong Shan curled his entire body inward.

"Bang!"

He smashed through the Frost Crows below and landed on the mountainside beneath.

The moment he escaped the Frost Crow zone, Zhong Shan took off running with Tian Ling'er in his arms.

He charged toward the valley at his fastest speed.

However, the numerous Frost Crows had no intention of letting him go. They quickly pursued him in a vast, sky-covering swarm.

As they ran toward the valley, their speed increased somewhat while descending the mountain. But once they reached the valley and continued fleeing, they were no match for the mass of Frost Crows.

Looking around, Zhong Shan suddenly spotted the distant miasma zone.

He glanced at Tian Ling'er in his arms, steeled his heart, and fled rapidly in that direction.

There was no time to put Tian Ling'er down. The moment he did, the Frost Crows would catch up.

Zhong Shan ran in that direction at his fastest speed, but the Frost Crows behind him kept growing more numerous.

At last, after being struck by cold air several more times from behind, he reached the miasma zone and charged inside without hesitation.

Just as Zhong Shan had expected, the countless Frost Crows did not dare enter. Resisting the miasma required cultivation roughly at the Golden Core Stage.

"Caw~~~~~~~~"

"Caw~~~~~~~~"

Countless Frost Crows cried out furiously outside. They simply did not dare come in.

Had they been saved? Zhong Shan had been saved, but Tian Ling'er now had to face the threat of the miasma. The miasma here was not something that could be avoided simply by holding one's breath. It could burrow into the skin and poison someone to death all the same.

"Close your eyes and mouth. Don't breathe." Zhong Shan suddenly spoke.

Without waiting for Tian Ling'er to react, Thought Power instantly filled his True Essence. Red Phoenix Mist rapidly formed, covering both him and Tian Ling'er.

Under Zhong Shan's control, it only covered a layer over Tian Ling'er's body, keeping it from entering her pores.

Hearing Zhong Shan's words, Tian Ling'er quickly closed her eyes and held her breath.

Zhong Shan ran rapidly through the miasma. Before, the Red Phoenix Mist had enveloped only him. Now it covered two people, so he had to cross the miasma zone quickly and reach the other side. Otherwise, once his Thought Power ran dry, they would be finished.

He raced onward, his heart filled with intense anxiety.

In Zhong Shan's arms, Tian Ling'er circulated her True Essence slightly, forcing the cold air out. Lying against Zhong Shan's fiery chest and feeling her arms wrapped around his neck, Tian Ling'er's face flushed.

There were no more Frost Crows. There was no longer any sound of Frost Crows. Were they safe?

"Are we safe now?" Tian Ling'er asked softly with her eyes closed.

Damn!

Zhong Shan knew this was bad. He had forgotten to warn her not to speak. Sure enough, in that instant, a thread of Red Phoenix Mist slipped into Tian Ling'er's mouth.

"Don't speak." Zhong Shan spoke at once.

He ran madly onward. At that moment, there was no extra time to force the Red Phoenix Mist out of Tian Ling'er's body. Otherwise, his Thought Power might not last until they reached the other side of the miasma zone.

Tian Ling'er stopped speaking. Yet for some reason, she suddenly felt heat spread through her entire body, as though her clothes had become unbearably hot. She had a strange urge to strip away the restraints around her, to take off all her clothes.

How could I have such a thought? Bah, bah, bah. Tian Ling'er thought this, but her body had become exceedingly strange. In Zhong Shan's arms, it seemed that writhing would make her more comfortable, as though rubbing against him would loosen her clothes. Holding Zhong Shan's neck, Tian Ling'er rapidly twisted her waist, and her entire face grew bright red.

Zhong Shan continued running. Seeing Tian Ling'er's abnormal state in his arms, he felt a headache coming on. Really? It's taking effect this quickly?

Zhong Shan gave a bitter laugh and increased his speed again, racing toward the other end as though his life depended on it.

Tian Ling'er felt herself growing stranger and stranger. Why did she want to rub against Zhong Shan? Why did she feel this way? Why did rubbing against him only make her want to rub more? Tian Ling'er desperately wanted to stop, but at that moment, her body seemed to have fallen beyond her control, forcefully carrying out what her heart increasingly desired.

Gradually, Tian Ling'er seemed to become confused. Holding Zhong Shan, she pressed and rubbed her face and neck against him, no longer holding her breath. When she inhaled through her nose, even more Red Phoenix Mist entered her body. At the same time, the scent of a man drifted from Zhong Shan's body into Tian Ling'er's nose.

Smelling that scent, Tian Ling'er seemed suddenly unable to resist and wanted to breathe it in several more times.

She inhaled fiercely again and again, while her hands kept stroking Zhong Shan's chest and her waist twisted without pause. Her mouth unconsciously pressed against him, her little tongue extending as though she were licking her favorite Osmanthus Cake.

Seeing Tian Ling'er like this in his arms, Zhong Shan felt another headache. I'm already an old man, yet this little girl is actually teasing me. Fortunately, they were about to leave the miasma zone.

He sped up for two more steps. Just as his Thought Power was about to run dry, he finally—finally—burst out.

However, Tian Ling'er in his arms had also become utterly disheveled. Zhong Shan quickly used his remaining Thought Power to draw the Red Phoenix Mist out of her body.

At last, after ten breaths, all the Red Phoenix Mist had been extracted from Tian Ling'er's body.

Yet Tian Ling'er's face was still flushed. Her clothes had also come undone in several places, revealing the bright-red Dudou beneath. As though exhausted by what she had just experienced, Tian Ling'er fell unconscious.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing a trace of agitation in his heart, Zhong Shan straightened Tian Ling'er's clothes and gently placed her somewhere clean. Then he closed his eyes and began meditating. An hour had passed since he used the Heavenly Devil Body Tempering Great Technique, and pain had begun spreading through his body.

This was beside a Small Lake. The area was fairly quiet and relatively clean. Zhong Shan continued meditating. After one dangerous encounter, he had unexpectedly gained a blessing in disguise. The Thought Power between his brows seemed to have been tempered and had grown far denser. The Red Phoenix Heavenly Scripture had reached the second stage?

The Heavenly Devil Body Tempering Great Technique remained at the first stage. However, Zhong Shan felt that he was close to his next breakthrough. Once that happened, he would be able to unleash three times his strength under ordinary circumstances.

He waited for Tian Ling'er. She slept until the next morning.

Zhong Shan remained seated beside her the entire time.

When Tian Ling'er woke, she opened her eyes. Just as she was about to sit up, she suddenly closed them again.

The scenes from before had ultimately come flooding back into her memory.

How could this be? How could I have done something like that? Tian Ling'er's face flushed bright red, and an overwhelming embarrassment spread through her heart. What should I do? How am I supposed to speak to Zhong Shan later?

"Awake?" Zhong Shan asked.

"Mm." Tian Ling'er responded softly and opened her eyes, pretending nothing had happened. However, her crimson cheeks completely betrayed her.

"You're awake. Eat something, then we'll get back on the road." Zhong Shan spoke.

Seeing that Zhong Shan did not mention what had happened before, Tian Ling'er looked at him. His expression had not changed, and she let out a long breath of relief in her heart.

"Mm." Tian Ling'er immediately nodded.

She ate some Osmanthus Cake slowly, and only then did her heart settle considerably. Seeing Zhong Shan practicing his saber technique and seemingly having truly forgotten what happened before, Tian Ling'er became confused. Could she have imagined it all? Had none of it really happened?

Yes, I must have imagined it. How could I possibly have done such a thing? Tian Ling'er quickly brightened up again.

However, as she looked at Zhong Shan's back while he practiced his saber, a strange thought suddenly arose in Tian Ling'er's mind: That feeling had been so real!