My Youth Has Matured; It's Time for a Taste Test

Supported by Li Qingluan, Qin Wangchuan trudged through the scorched earth.

He leaned most of his weight on the girl's seemingly thin but unusually firm shoulders, and when he turned his head, he could see her tightly pursed lips and her still cold profile.

Li Qingluan is really interesting.

But at the same time, it is also very dangerous.

"Are you really not angry?" he asked again.

Li Qingluan stared ahead, carefully avoiding the wreckage on the ground, her voice devoid of emotion. "Everything you did was to protect me, so how could I be angry?"

Even if I really want to get angry--

'I should be angry that I discovered this too late; I couldn't even tell who was genuine and who was fake among those around me.'

The unspoken words turned into a very soft sigh, dissipating in the exchange of their breaths.

At this moment, the girl's heart was filled with self-criticism.

"Your Original Intention were good, but..." Li Qingluan's gaze suddenly darkened as she looked over, her voice as cold as ice, "Qin Wangchuan, you'd better remember this—"

"In terms of age, I am older than you; in terms of cultivation, I am stronger than you."

"It's my job to protect you, not yours to play the hero."

As she spoke, she moved her face closer.

His hot breath brushed against his bloodied cheek. "This is a promise, a vow. Even if the world shatters, I will protect you forever."

"Don't you believe me? I..."

Li Qingluan seemed to feel that this was not enough, and wanted to list some more to support her point.

But her words came to an abrupt end.

Because Qin Wangchuan did not show any of the doubt or teasing she had expected.

He simply gazed at her quietly, and then nodded very seriously and solemnly.

I believe it.

His voice was soft, yet exceptionally clear, carrying an undeniable certainty.

His expression was so sincere, without the slightest hint of perfunctoriness, as if he had engraved every word she said into his heart.

Now it's truly hard to tell who's eagerly expressing their feelings and who's gently comforting the other.

Li Qingluan was slightly taken aback.

At such close range, she could clearly see that deep within Qin Wangchuan's sincere eyes lay a faint yet unyielding sadness she had never seen before.

The sadness did not stem from the pain of the moment, but rather from a long-settled sense of melancholy related to something more distant.

How could Qin Wangchuan not believe it?

The words from Li Qingluan of the future still echoed in my ears, each word etched into my heart like a brand.

'In the future, she will be able to send a sword back to the beginning of time; this ability is simply heaven-defying.'

What exactly happened in the future?

This thought prompted him to subconsciously glance at the System Interface —the notification sounds had been ringing non-stop since just now.

It's been ringing non-stop since the very beginning.

[You have obtained a Special Simulation: <Enemy of This World>]

[Should we start immediately?]

He certainly wanted to find out, but now was not the time.

Turning his head to look at the gradually smoothing Alien Domain Gap, the Dharma Manifestation of his Eldest Brother, towering and upright, reappeared in his mind.

"Did you just see that? That was the Heaven and Earth Law... Divine Ability that only those at the Supreme Realm can possess." Qin Wangchuan's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible excitement and longing. "A mere gesture could trigger a Heavenly Tribulation... that is the true Great Divine Ability."

He seemed to have opened a floodgate of words, continuing to murmur, "Although I had heard of it before, this is the first time I've actually seen it. Above the Heaven and Earth Law, after becoming a saint, there are even more profound Natal Dharma... The road ahead is still long."

As he spoke, he tilted his head slightly to look at Li Qingluan, hoping to gain some resonance from her. "Isn't it amazing?"

Li Qingluan listened quietly without interrupting him.

The sadness in the boy's eyes faded, and his eyes began to shine.

That pure pursuit and yearning for power lessened some of the coldness and lingering fear in her heart.

A faint sense of warmth quietly unfolded between the two, as if the flames of war and slaughter had been temporarily contained within this small space.

Li Qingluan nodded subconsciously in agreement. "It is very impressive."

As soon as she finished speaking, she realized that the topic had shifted abruptly, jumping from a solemn vow to a discussion of Divine Ability.

But what does it matter?

As long as he's still by her side and can still talk to her like this, that's enough.

So she continued, going along with his words, "I'm almost at that That Realm too, I'll show you then."

"I wonder what my Heaven and Earth Law will look like." Qin Wangchuan's attention was indeed drawn, and the anticipation in his eyes intensified, as if he could already see that unknown scene.

These words carried a rare, unguarded longing.

This hidden tenderness, like a clear spring under the moonlight, flows quietly only before her.

The boy continued speaking, but Li Qingluan didn't hear a single word he said after that.

As she listened to the boy's words of amazement and longing, her eyes flickered slightly as she carefully traced Qin Wangchuan's features.

Looking at his profile, a thought that had long been buried deep in my heart, like a dormant seed, finally broke through the soil and grew wildly.

That boy, who seemed so naive and immature in my memory, has grown into this man.

His jawline has become clear and defined, his Adam's apple is prominent, and his shoulders have become broad enough to lean on.

Although he was covered in blood and his breath was weak, the arrogance between his brows and the unyielding confidence deep in his eyes were more intense and dazzling than ever before.

"Did you hear that? I will be even more powerful than my Eldest Brother in the future, Surpassing Ancient and Modern Strongest in History!" Qin Wangchuan repeated when he saw that she wasn't listening.

"At that time, I will also realize my Dao, so that All Sources Return to One Place, and all people will stand together."

"Yes, I heard you."

She responded verbally, but her gaze lingered on the boy's Adam's apple, which bobbed slightly as he spoke.

'The voice... seems quite different from before.'

'He... has really grown up.'

A surge of emotion, a mixture of relief, possessiveness, and some indescribable impulse, quietly welled up within her.

The boy from back then has grown into a young man...

Li Qingluan's gaze inadvertently slid over his Adam's apple as he spoke, and landed on his lips, which were stained with blood but still had beautiful lines.

That kiss, which had been punitive, and the salty, bittersweet taste of blood and tears it left behind, now seemed like a spark, instantly igniting a long-suppressed desire.

'Could we... try it?'

The thought came suddenly and intensely, making her heart skip a beat, and she unconsciously tightened her grip on Qin Wangchuan's arm.

Just then, Li Qingluan spoke again, continuing his previous discussion about the Heaven and Earth Law, but her voice was slightly lower than before, carrying an indescribable meaning:

"Yes, it's very powerful. That kind of path is indeed something to aspire to..."

She paused slightly, as if hinting at something, and her gaze fell on Qin Wangchuan's face again, as lightly as a feather brushing across it.

"But the difficulty is so great that it's probably hard to achieve."

Qin Wangchuan turned around upon hearing this, raised an eyebrow slightly, and said half-jokingly, "It's simple, I'm invincible, aren't I?"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingluan was taken aback at first, but then her surprise turned into a deeper sense of agreement, like ice and snow melting into a warm current.

A barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of her lips as she softly replied:

"Um."

I will help you.