Feelings, Budding

"Tell me, why have you been hunting me down all this time?"

Mu Chen squatted beside the silver-haired girl, his tone remarkably familiar.

Their month-long, unconventional game of cat and mouse had, ironically, forged a profound friendship between them.

"I do not wish to feel anything for you."

"Emotions will only become my shackles, slowing my pace toward becoming stronger."

"Only by keeping my heart free of distractions can I pursue the Great Dao and stand at the pinnacle."

The silver-haired girl, who was eating fish in small, methodical bites, wore a look of earnestness on her delicate, palm-sized face as she replied word by word.

As the sole designated heir to the Luo God Imperial Clan, she bore too much.

She carried the rise and fall of her Ancient Clan, the safety of billions of subjects, and the continuation of her royal lineage.

The Luo God Clan was currently teetering in a storm; for her, emotions were an unaffordable luxury.

She could not even decide her own marriage.

There were only three major tasks in her life:

Grow stronger! Grow stronger! And grow stronger!

As long as she was strong enough, she could take the heavy burden from her aging grandfather's hands, shield the endless mountains and rivers, show mercy to billions of subjects, and restore the glory of their ancestors.

Mu Chen pondered for a moment before speaking, "Then have you ever considered that this chase has only deepened the bond between us?"

This past half-year had been anything but a hunt; it was clearly a way to cultivate feelings!

After hearing this, the girl looked thoughtful. She pressed a slender hand to her heart, feeling its rhythm, and murmured, "It seems that is the case."

"Therefore, Mu Chen, let us finish this today."

The silver-haired girl known as Luo Li wore an inscrutable expression. With a melodious metallic chime, she slowly drew the black sword from her back and pointed it directly at the Hundred Spirits Youth.

It seemed the silver-haired girl had long realized this problem as well.

She knew clearly that if she allowed this affection to fester any longer, she would sink deeper and deeper until she could never cut it away, never able to swing her sword at Mu Chen again.

It was better to sever it while she still could.

"The Bodhi is not a tree, nor is the bright mirror a stand."

"Originally there is nothing, where can the dust alight?"

"Luo Li, your heart... is in chaos."

Mu Chen rose to his full height and recited the Buddhist verse with a lingering tone.

He carefully took the roasted fish that had slipped from the beauty's hand to prevent it from falling into the dirt, placing it on a clean lotus leaf nearby; he would have to finish it after the fight.

"I am sorry."

The silver-haired girl offered an apologetic look. With a graceful twist of her slender waist, she swung the Luo God Sword, transforming it into a rain of blades that showered toward the human youth with extreme speed.

Knowing the girl's intent, Mu Chen said no more and silently summoned his spirit weapon.

Bang! Bang! Bang! The warmth on the field was instantly replaced by heavy killing intent.

The shadows of the staff and the light of the sword intertwined; the roar of metal against divine weapon was the romance of spirit power.

The two condensed their energy and surged their blood, pushing their spirit and focus to an unprecedented peak. They engaged in a battle to the limit, holding nothing back, offering a magnificent duel of kings.

By the eighteenth strike, Mu Chen attempted a "Tai'e inverted hold" to knock the girl's divine weapon away, but he eased his strength slightly, forfeiting the precious opportunity.

Clang.

The girl keenly sensed Mu Chen's hesitation. The sea of sword shadows shifted abruptly, coalescing into a brilliant killing blow that struck the archaic Demon-Subduing Battle Staff, sending it flying.

The Luo God Sword was incredibly fast, reaching Mu Chen's face in the blink of an eye.

Mu Chen stood with his hands hanging at his sides, watching the silver-haired girl holding the sword to him with a calm expression.

The tip of the blade was only inches from his throat.

If this Ancient Clan princess were to thrust forward, she could easily end his life.

The Demon-Subduing Battle Staff lay outside the battlefield, but Mu Chen did not summon it back, choosing to abandon his defense.

The Hundred Spirits Youth said softly, "Come, strike."

"But... I don't think... I can do it."

Luo Li held the Luo God Sword, shaking her head. Her expression was conflicted, her gaze lost.

She had thought that after half a year of chasing, finally "defeating" Mu Chen and being able to execute him at any moment would bring a sense of relief and liberation.

Instead, she found it to be an incredibly complex emotion, one even harder to describe.

Yes, she simply could not swing this sword.

Perhaps, long ago, the princess of the Luo God Clan had already let her heart be swayed.

"Mu Chen, I think I have fallen for you. What should I do?"

When Mu Chen heard this near-confessional whisper, his scalp tingled and his blood surged, feeling every pore on his skin instantly stretch open as a chill ran through his entire body.

To be favored by such a peerless beauty—how fortunate!

He had thought himself a player of the world, a cold observer, a man seasoned by life and well-versed in the ways of affection, yet he could not withstand this short, powerful sentence.

Mu Chen, I think I might like you.

What kind of strange emotion was this?

His heart twitched, his blood ran wild, and his heavy body felt as if it had suddenly become weightless.

The sword was slowly lowered, and the silver-haired girl's exposed emotions gradually receded.

Clang. Luo Li sheathed the Luo God Sword and turned to leave without looking back.

Mu Chen, whose health bar had been nearly emptied by a single blow, opened his mouth, wanting to call the beauty back, but not knowing how or for what reason, he could only give up in frustration.

Once, a sincere love was placed before me, but I did not cherish it. Only when it was lost did I regret it; the most painful thing in the world...

"Dummy, aren't you going to follow?"

Suddenly, the silver-haired girl stopped her slender frame and turned to look at Mu Chen.

Under the boy's gaze, beneath her mysterious and brilliant silver hair, a faint, unnatural flush appeared on her usually pale and cold, peerless face.

Though subtle, it was filled with a strange, captivating beauty.

Yet, the silver-haired girl did not retreat, instead continuing to meet his gaze bravely.

"Ah, oh, coming!"

Just as the girl felt she had exhausted the courage of a lifetime, the still-dazed Mu Chen nodded vigorously and trotted to catch up.

The two stood side by side, feet aligned, shoulders touching, facing the sunlight.

"Mu Chen, let's do it together. Let's brave the Spirit Road as partners."

In the clearing, the silver-haired girl, once again eating grilled river fish, said as much.

"You said earlier that I would become a hindrance to you, and that you didn't want to have feelings for me."

Having calmed down, Mu Chen returned to his usual demeanor of a refined, jade-like gentleman.

"But, the moment I held my sword against you, I realized that my feelings for you wouldn't slow my cultivation; instead, they make me want to become stronger."

"Only by becoming stronger, and becoming stronger faster, can I protect all of this."

The silver-haired girl sat prettily on a dead log, her gaze calm as she spoke.

Mu Chen felt his heart twitch, as if it had skipped a beat.

An inexplicable emotion swept through his entire body; he had been struck once again.

Luo Li, do you know that the way you say these things so earnestly is more moving than any love confession in heaven or earth—a hundred, a thousand times more moving?

Under the afterglow, two figures gradually leaned into each other, their shadows constantly overlapping.

The affection that the boy and girl had been desperately suppressing deep within their hearts could no longer be contained; it broke through layer after layer of obstacles, taking root and sprouting.

Though still immature, it would continue to grow in the future, eventually becoming a towering tree.

PS: Brothers, I'm back.

Isn't it just falling in love? I'm an expert at this (′｀)