Arrival

It rains during the middle of the dog days of summer.

The mountains stretched endlessly, the azure sky was shrouded in dark clouds, and the drizzling rain fell like a beaded curtain, enveloping the world in a misty rain.

This boundless mountain range is all within the territory of All Swords Valley.

Raindrops fell on the banana leaves, making a pattering sound.

At the base of a massive, lush forest, a giant tiger with black fur and piercing eyes, over four zhang tall, nimbly darted and leaped among the hundred-meter-tall trees.

Despite its large size, it landed silently, the thick pads of flesh under its ferocious claws absorbing almost all the sound it made while running. However, its arrival still attracted the attention of many Demon Beast.

The rank-level Demon Beast in the Wanxing Mountain Range all have a strong sense of territory, but once their tiger eyes fall upon them, regardless of whether the aura of the newcomer is stronger than theirs, all kinds of Demon Beast will retreat in fear.

Because on the broad back of the black tiger lay a young man in brocade robes, his eyes closed in meditation.

Furthermore, in the air in front of the Black Tiger, there was a barefoot girl in a white dress speeding through the air.

I don't know how much time passed,

"Tianyan, how long have I been asleep?"

A gentle, warm male voice suddenly rang out in the rain-soaked forest.

Upon hearing this voice, Black Tiger's massive body instinctively shivered, and he immediately lowered his head and silently continued on his way.

The girl in front seemed not to hear him and showed no intention of replying.

Seeing this, Xu Yuan chuckled and shook his head, then propped himself up and rubbed the soft fur on the back of the black tiger's head.

This tiger demon was essentially his means of transportation.

Because of the saintess named Tianye, he couldn't use his Source Qi for the time being, and practicing it himself would be too mentally taxing, so he simply captured a Demon Beast to use as a mount.

The method for taming this black tiger was naturally learned from the old Big Ice Block.

Big Ice Block

Upon hearing this name, Xu Yuan's eyes flickered, a hint of reminiscence unconsciously appearing in them.

Looking at the rapidly receding forest scenery around him, he remembered that he and she had been like this before.

Two people and a tiger sped through the forest.

The only difference is that the White Tiger turned into a black tiger, and she became who she is now.

Thinking of this, Xu Yuan shook his head slightly and gave a bitter smile.

It's truly a time of melancholy when the rain falls.

She should still be waiting for him outside, but who knows how much time has passed, or if he will have completely forgotten her when they meet again.

Composing himself, Xu Yuan turned his gaze to Tianyan in the sky.

Over the past seven days, Tianyan's condition has worsened.

It doesn't refer to her Charm Poison, but rather to her tsundere nature.

During the previous month, although Tianyan was angry, he would occasionally exchange a few words with him.

Since their conversation over hotpot that evening, the woman hasn't said a single word to him.

No matter what he said, she ignored him.

It's like it's turned back into the Little Ice Block we first met.

Even yesterday, when they routinely removed the Charm Poison, Tianyan simply kept a cold face and closed his eyes, passively accepting whatever they did.

Even when he took the opportunity to flirt with her, Tianyan only opened her eyes and gave him a cold glance after discovering his improper behavior.

Xu Yuan did not question or try to reverse Tianyan's change.

His behavior was exactly the same as always.

Teasing, chatting, cooking, and companionship along the way.

Staring at that slender, graceful figure swaying in the wind and rain, Xu Yuan's gaze was calm and serene.

Although she was highly skilled in cultivation, she was still a naive fledgling when it came to matters of the heart.

Even the most elaborate disguise is, in his eyes, nothing more than a flustered and endearing pretense.

Xu Yuan had always been able to see Tianyan's feelings for him, and he also knew why she had been avoiding breaking the ice between them.

On that day, he directly broke through that barrier.

Success, or placement.

If it doesn't work, cut your losses.

This tactic of retreating in order to advance is almost equivalent to instantly placing what Tianyan has been avoiding for the past few years onto her slender shoulders.

Tianyan is a very rational woman.

This left her unsure of what choice to make, and even more unsure of how to face him.

"."

Raindrops pattered, and water stains slid down to both sides of the rain shelter formed by the Will Soul.

Xu Yuan raised his hand and rubbed his temples, feeling a slight stinging pain in his heart.

He suddenly felt that this was quite cruel to Tianyan.

This approach is essentially choosing to slack off and then shifting all the pressure onto Tianyan.

One's own feelings versus the interests of the sect.

A dreamlike reality, and a reality that may soon return.

As he pondered, Xu Yuan's emotions gradually calmed down.

Although he felt reluctant, he did not regret or feel guilty about what he had done.

Rather,

He would regret it if he didn't do it.

If you haven't developed feelings for someone, just let things take their natural course.

Since I've fallen in love, I'll stop at nothing to achieve it.

He didn't want to hold back in the present because of a future he didn't know when he could return to.

Life is but a hundred years. If one hesitates and looks back on everything, one will only leave regrets. Wouldn't that be a wasted trip on earth?

Even if you fail in the end, at least you tried.

The next morning,

As dawn breaks, the golden sunlight spills across the earth, dewdrops cling to the leaves, and the once-silent chirping of cicadas and birds returns with the rain dissipating, bringing a vibrant scene of life.

Amidst this post-rain vitality, Xu Yuan suddenly opened his eyes from behind the black tiger.

As soon as I looked up, several sparrows were startled and took flight, circling together as they flew from the branches into the woods and disappeared from sight.

After a moment of stunned silence, Xu Yuan raised his hand and rubbed his slightly swollen temples.

As a powerful being at the Origin Beginning, he actually fell asleep last night thinking about those things.

Thinking about it, Xu Yuan raised his gaze and looked around.

What comes into view is what appears to be a cliff in the mountains and forests.

Ahead lay an open space, and Tianyan stood quietly on the edge of the cliff.

Sunlight poured down,

A gentle breeze stirred her white robe, and her long, black hair shone like silk in the sunlight.

"."

After staring at her for a few moments, Xu Yuan stood up, leaped into the air, and instantly appeared beside her from behind the black tiger.

As he approached her, Xu Yuan's pupils contracted slightly.

I hadn't noticed it while we were in the forest, but now that I'm at the edge of this cliff, I realize just how majestic and terrifying the All Swords Valley truly is.

Silence reigned, the edge of the abyss stretched as far as the eye could see, and the swirling white mist within resembled an endless sea of clouds.

After a few breaths of silence, Xu Yuan hesitated slightly:

"This is All Swords Valley?"

Tianyan didn't turn around, staring at the bottomless abyss below:

"Um."

Hearing her familiar voice after so long, Xu Yuan smiled gently.

"Ha, I thought you were mute."

Tianyan did not respond to his words, but instead whispered a reminder:

"This ancient battlefield is somewhat unexpected. There might be more than one demonic being at the Saint level down there. Don't get separated from me."

Ancient battlefield.

Saints, demons, and ghosts

Xu Yuan's expression turned slightly serious:

"Yes, I know."

Tianyan lowered his eyes and said in a low voice:

Let's go.

"Wait," Xu Yuan suddenly called out to her.

Tianyan stopped, but still didn't turn around to look at him.

Xu Yuan said in a low voice:

"Although I am at the Origin Beginning Realm, without the Yantian Art, I might not be able to keep up with you in the Ghost Mist."

"The Ghost Mist isn't as scary as you think."

"I mean, what if?"

"."

Tianyan remained silent for a few breaths, lowered his eyes, and slowly raised the sleeve of his plain robe:

"Catch."

"."

Xu Yuan stared at her for a moment, then reached into the wide sleeves of his robe and grabbed her slender hand.

Tianyan's body trembled slightly as he tried to break free, but the grip was very tight.

Turning around to glare, I was met with a beaming gaze in the sunlight.

Their gazes met.

Tianyan looked away, biting his lip, his voice barely audible:

"It's happening again. You bastard."

"What."

"It's nothing, I'm leaving."

"Okay~ Remember to hold on tight!"