Although Lian Yunzhi had many more words he wanted to quibble with.
In fact, just as he prepared to open his mouth, he staggered back two steps, and the world blurred unclearly.
—He had truly overexerted too much Divine Soul Force.
Before he fainted, Mu Cheng scooped him up and walked step by step back toward the Immortal Palace.
Regarding that sudden Illusion Realm and the slight fracture in his memories, Mu Cheng was not without any doubts at all, but deep in his heart, a voice continuously warned him.
Not to probe.
Not to probe.
Even the “Cyan-Clothed Person” and those eleven “Lin Xian Sect disciples” that Lian Yunzhi mentioned—the voice in his heart also admonished him not to delve deeper. If he encountered those “strange people” again, he should just kill them outright.
As for Lian Yunzhi…
He was truly extraordinary.
He was very clean and fragrant, could remove the Spiritual Power Restriction that Mu Cheng had laid with Black Mist on his own, and could even absorb Black Mist power without suffering backlash like he did.
But when Mu Cheng placed Lian Yunzhi on the bed and removed his outer clothes, what he thought about was not these extraordinary aspects of his.
Rather…
I’m sorry, Master. I failed to protect you last time.
Mu Cheng’s eyes flickered slightly.
Suddenly, he leaned down and bit hard on Lian Yunzhi’s lips.
.
“You treated me as a Human Cauldron and a slave.”
After a short nap, Lian Yunzhi finally thought of how he should quibble.
He looked at the beams of the room and counted on his fingers: “After the Lian Family sent me into the Immortal Palace, you used me as a Human Cauldron for seven days. Although you weren’t clear-headed at the time and forgot to draw the Acquired Furnace Cauldron Inscription on me, that doesn’t mean you didn’t do it.”
Mu Cheng: “…”
Mu Cheng couldn’t help but pinch Lian Yunzhi’s calf: “And then?”
“Then you sealed my spiritual power, making me only able to do things for you, ordering me around and treating me like a slave…”
Mu Cheng finally couldn’t hold back and interrupted him: “I ordered you around and treated you like a slave?!”
Lian Yunzhi: “…Uh.”
Lian Yunzhi lowered his head and glanced at Mu Cheng, who was massaging his calf. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to nod in agreement against his conscience. He blinked and said softly: “…My body still hurts a lot. Be a little gentler.”
Only after waking up did Lian Yunzhi discover that the Black Mist power he had absorbed wasn’t without side effects—his entire body felt swollen and painful. Upon closer inspection, every vein under his skin was clearly visible, even faintly pulsing, as if he had absorbed too much power and was about to burst open. It was quite frightening.
Only Mu Cheng’s massage combined with spiritual power circulation could slightly alleviate it.
As he felt Mu Cheng’s cool spiritual power flow through his boiling meridians, gradually soothing all discomfort, Lian Yunzhi sighed comfortably and said matter-of-factly: “No matter what, I saved you in the Illusion Realm this time. Otherwise, you would have been in big trouble.”
Mu Cheng didn’t speak; only his spiritual power continued as always, calmly and quietly circulating through Lian Yunzhi’s meridians.
Served so comfortably, Lian Yunzhi gradually felt sleepy again. He yawned, turned his head to look at Mu Cheng, and asked as if it were very casual: “Mu Cheng, the first time we met, why did you kick me into the pond?”
Mu Cheng’s movements paused.
“Why?”
Lian Yunzhi lightly kicked Mu Cheng’s leg.
Mu Cheng gripped his ankle and said nothing.
But…
Because there were scenes I didn’t want you to see.
A very soft voice rang in Lian Yunzhi’s mind.
Lian Yunzhi: “!!!”
Lian Yunzhi’s eyes widened instantly, and he was no longer sleepy: “Hasn’t the Beast Taming Contract been dissolved? Why can you still speak in my mind?!”
Mu Cheng: “…”
Mu Cheng heavily pinched Lian Yunzhi’s calf, his tone flat: “Because our Dao Companion Contract evolved from the Beast Taming Contract, it’s different from ordinary Dao Companion Contracts. The divine sense barrier between us is very thin, so not only can we communicate with divine sense, we can even do so unconsciously.”
Unconscious divine sense communication?! Doesn’t that mean he can hear everything I’m thinking?!
Mu Cheng: “…I heard that.”
Lian Yunzhi: “!!!”
Lian Yunzhi immediately used the Divine Soul Force he had just recovered a bit to reinforce the divine sense barrier in his mind, circling it over and over.
Mu Cheng: “…”
Mu Cheng had also cultivated the Divine Soul Technique and naturally saw Lian Yunzhi’s actions, but he neither stopped him nor told him that the barrier he painstakingly reinforced was still as thin as a cicada’s wing to the other holder of the Dao Companion Contract.
“Have you heard my thoughts before?” Lian Yunzhi asked suspiciously.
“No.” Mu Cheng’s expression didn’t change. “You haven’t heard mine before either, right?”
“Oh, right.”
Lian Yunzhi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
After a moment, Lian Yunzhi suddenly leaned his head over and asked: “Divine sense barrier? You’ve also cultivated the Divine Soul Technique?”
Mu Cheng: “…Mm.”
Lian Yunzhi: “What about Divine Soul Dual Cultivation Technique?”
Mu Cheng: “…I’ve learned it.”
Lian Yunzhi blinked.
Mu Cheng: “…Divine Soul Dual Cultivation causes the divine souls of Dual Cultivation Dao Companions to fuse tightly. This fusion is inseparable and irreversible. It makes Dual Cultivation Dao Companions share each other’s life force and Divine Soul Force, achieving true life and death together.”
