Yin Yuchen dared not expose the slightest hint of his feelings. He could only take this opportunity to get closer to her, not daring to let her notice anything unusual.

Brother Yuchen? Yanchun felt the arm around her waist tighten, feeling a bit embarrassed at her belated realization.

She was not so indifferent as to lack awareness of the boundaries between men and women. She had someone she admired since childhood. Now, even after the eleven years of unconsciousness, she was already thirty-five years old. Compared to the girls who got married in their teens in the village below, she could be considered an old woman.

Yin Yuchen was in the Illusion Realm, unable to maintain his appearance, meaning his looks matched his actual age, appearing to be only seventeen or eighteen.

The reason Yanchun treated him so naturally was partly because of his pure and kind nature, and partly because of his young age. She saw Yin Yuchen as a fun junior.

Yanchun was not naive enough to be completely defenseless. If Yin Yuchen had any ill intentions, the precious magical items in her storage bag would be enough to make him regret it.

However...

As Yanchun was contemplating whether she should return to the Spirit Cleansing Pool and not cause any more trouble, Yin Yuchen naturally released her.

Sister, be careful. The stones in the water are covered in moss and very slippery. Were almost there.

Yin Yuchen realized he had been a bit out of control and slowly let go of Yanchun, as if the previous embrace had just startled him.

Yanchun breathed a sigh of relief and looked up. When Yin Yuchen warned her about the slippery moss, she showed no hint of surprise on her face, even a hint of respect.

Lets go, Yanchun said. Ill be careful.

The two of them approached the stream and crossed it slowly. Yin Yuchen led Yanchun to the edge of a pool downstream, pointing at it. The two fish are right here.

As the sky darkened, Yin Yuchen kicked a rock into the pool with a thud, sinking it.

Soon, two foolish fish swam up.

Yin Yuchen usually summoned these two fish by throwing stones to feed them, so they thought it was feeding time and quickly appeared.

They were quite large, each as long as a sturdy man, one pure black and the other pure white, with eyes like black beans. They floated on the water, swirling around noisily.

Yanchun had seen countless mythical beasts and monsters, so she should not have been interested in such creatures.

But after being locked in a barren forbidden place for over a decade, even seeing an ant was entertaining, prompting a study of how many legs it had and whether it urinated and defecated in the same place.

Wow! Theyre really big, Yanchun said. Its my first time seeing such large Yin-Yang fish.

Yin Yuchen brought Yanchun closer to the waters edge, and the two sat down together slowly.

Yin Yuchen had been feeding these two fish for the past few days. These creatures had low intelligence and couldnt perceive whether Yin Yuchen intended to eat them alive or skin them. They just swam around him when he fed them, appearing very friendly.

When he didnt feed them, they even spat water at him.

Yanchun laughed and said, They really seem intelligent. The eyes of intelligent beings were different, and Yanchun could see that.

Therefore, Yan Chun became more determined. What Yin Yuchen said was true. He was almost beaten to death just to save these two fools, and he offended many people in the process.

Yan Chun decided that she must help Yin Yuchen. Maybe she could convince Senior Brother with a few words... as long as she promised not to run away again.

Thinking about this, Yan Chun felt a bit melancholic, recalling her pitiful fate.

Speaking of her fate, it was far from being described as merely tragic.

She was nurturing her spiritual palace at the bottom of the Diligence Pool when her soul inexplicably got entangled in the spiritual mist, wandering aimlessly in the mountains. Her soul was incomplete, confused, and by a stroke of luck, she was swept in front of the sects treasured Soul Mirror.

There, she intermittently saw her future, witnessing her extremely tragic life.

Thinking about all this made Yan Chun feel depressed. The most painful thing in the world is to gain something and then lose it. Her life imprinted in the Soul Mirror was a cycle of experiencing this kind of pain repeatedly, like falling into the depths of hell.

Whoosh! While lost in thought, Yan Chun was suddenly sprayed in the face by a Yin Yang Fish.

The creek water was cool, and with a start, Yan Chun snapped out of the broken tragedy in the Soul Mirror. She then heard the light laughter of the junior martial brother beside her.

Tsk, these two fish really owe a pot of soup, Yan Chun said, raising her hand to wipe her face. Yin Yuchen handed her a pure white handkerchief.

Accepting it, Yan Chuns expression was somewhat complex. Who carries a handkerchief these days?

Cultivators naturally dont need it; a simple dust removal spell would suffice. Even in the mortal realm, only overly particular gentlemen would carry such a thing.

Yan Chun was momentarily curious about Yin Yuchens background before joining the sect. Seeing his pure and gentle demeanor, she wondered if he was a dashing young master born into a prestigious family in the mortal realm?

However, Yan Chun didnt ask. They had met by chance, and today they had already shared enough to deepen their bond.

Yin Yuchen watched as Yan Chun used the handkerchief to wipe her face, not saying a word for a moment. He wished he was the handkerchief, wishing he could personally wipe her face, but all he could do was restrain himself and watch Yan Chun through the white cloth covering his eyes.

After Yan Chun finished wiping her face, he reached out to take the handkerchief back.

The Yin Yang Fish sprayed water at Yin Yuchen again, wetting his head, face, and robe. However, he didnt use the handkerchief to wipe himself, letting the cold creek water trickle down his clear features. He then quietly tucked the handkerchief close to his heart.

Ignoring the fish asking for food, he pondered that he couldnt forcibly use those two fish this time; he needed to find another way to achieve a good result in the outer sect competition.

Turning his head to look at Yan Chun, his eyes burned with intense desire, all hidden behind the thin white cloth. With a gentle appearance, he not only confused the two foolish fish but also Yan Chun.

As dusk fell, the two sat quietly by the creek, chatting about the amusing things Yin Yuchen experienced in the outer sect.

Only heaven knew that Yin Yuchen had rarely enjoyed a few days in his life. There was nothing fun to tell Yan Chun, so he racked his brain and clumsily mentioned a few things, almost biting his tongue in the process.

But Yan Chun listened with great interest. No matter how dull it was, could it be more boring than being trapped in the Diligence Pool without seeing daylight? Could it be more boring than being forced to witness her own miserable future?

Yan Chun kept a faint smile, one hand supporting her chin as she looked at Yin Yuchen, while the other occasionally played with the Yin Yang Fish. These two fish were indeed surprisingly foolish, forgetting about eating and swirling around Yan Chuns hand, creating small whirlpools in the water.

The faint spiritual light reflected from the Yin Yang Fish happened to shimmer around the two, providing enough light to see each other clearly.

Curiously, Yan Chun asked, Your eyes cant see daylight, but its already night. Why not take it off?

Yin Yuchen stiffened, subconsciously raised his hand to touch his left eye, then lowered his head.

He couldnt let Yan Chun see his left eye. Just as he was thinking of how to refuse, Yan Chuns expression suddenly changed.

She took her hand out of the water, and the Yin Yang fish lost its playmate, jumping out of the water towards Yan Chuns arm.

However, Yan Chun had already stood up from the waters edge. At first, a look of regret appeared on her face, but she soon sighed.

Then, looking up at Yin Yuchen with a puzzled expression, she shrugged and said, I have to go back, someone is here to pick me up.

The Guizhen formation was not broken, but it failed, it must be her senior brother who had come.

Yin Yuchen also immediately stood up, reaching out to pull Yan Chun. Suddenly, a spark of light flashed between the two of them, and in the next instant, the spark solidified into a figure dressed in white, Jing Yangyu, standing solemnly between them - blocking Yin Yuchens hand reaching for Yan Chun.

Youre causing too much trouble, junior sister, Jing Yangyu looked at the cowering Yan Chun, furrowing his brows slightly. To find you, the Double Respect almost had to use the Mountain Patrol Formation.

The Mountain Patrol Formation is a large formation used only when tracking traitors within the sect or invading demon cultivators. It requires the combined effort of at least ten high-level cultivators to activate.

The moment the formation is activated, even high-level cultivators will have their spiritual power drained by the formation, posing a risk of rupturing their meridians for the cultivators.

It is evident how urgent the situation had become for the two elders due to Yan Chuns departure.

Yan Chun, feeling guilty, lowered her head and revealed a slender and soft white neck in front of Jing Yangyu. Jing Yangyu always softened his expression when she made a mistake like this, he had no choice.

He softened his tone, raised his hand towards Yan Chun, and said, Come here.

Yan Chun obediently lowered her head and walked to Jing Yangyus side. She naturally raised her arm and handed it to Jing Yangyu. Jing Yangyu grabbed her wrist and probed her spiritual power, but his brow furrowed slightly.

Yan Chun didnt know what she had done all day running around, she had just managed to nurture her spiritual mansion, but now there were a few new cracks.

Feeling very guilty, Yan Chuns parents, senior brother, and even the elder from the medical pavilion who had been treating her injuries, had repeatedly warned her not to rush, not to exert herself, or even not to be overly joyful or sad, as it would worsen the injuries to her spiritual mansion.

Today, running around like this, she didnt intend to make her condition worse, it was all... just an accident.

She had thought that she would be caught and brought back soon, and even if she wasnt caught, she would return on her own. She just wanted to wander around before agreeing to let her parents try some technique they had gathered from who knows where to treat her spiritual mansion. These years, she had been holding back too much.

Yan Chun, although not young in age, had spent eleven years at the bottom of the Diligence Spirit Pool, her mind and appearance frozen in her early twenties. This age was unbearable for enduring loneliness.

Moreover, the cracks in the spiritual mansion of the cultivators were mostly incurable, especially in cases like hers, where the damage was extensive and the chances of recovery were slim.

Each attempt to heal carried great risks, and if unsuccessful, her parents would surely confine her at the Diligence Spirit Pool for who knows how long. Yan Chun just wanted to take a stroll before facing another failure.

Unexpectedly, she encountered an interesting junior martial brother.

Yan Chuns wrist was still held by Jing Yangyu. Thinking of the junior martial brother, she discreetly glanced over Jing Yangyus shoulder towards Yin Yuchen.

Yin Yuchen tensed up the moment Jing Yangyu appeared.

He watched Yan Chuns gentle demeanor in front of Jing Yangyu, the irreplaceable intimacy and understanding between them built over the years, and felt as if his heart was being painfully cleaved by a long sword.

He felt like a stray dog on the roadside, no matter how he acted cute and spoiled in front of Yan Chun, he was ultimately a despicable creature who couldnt rightfully stay by her side.

He watched Yan Chun wink and mouthed to him - Dont worry, leave it to me.

Beneath the white cloth, his eyes silently turned red, especially his naturally red-speckled left eye, looking as if it contained a pool of bloody tears.

Yet, he dared to stare at Yan Chun unreservedly through the white cloth, not concealing the desire and malice in his eyes, but he didnt dare to reveal any hint of unusual emotions in front of true high-level cultivators.

Fortunately, Yin Yuchen was adept at concealing all his desires. If he wished, he could appear as innocent and foolish as a disguise. Otherwise, he would not have been able to survive to adulthood under the sinister people of the Yin Family, successfully break free, and become an outer disciple of the Hengjue Sect.

Yin Yuchen knew that Yan Chun had admired the senior martial brother Jing Yangyu since childhood, and Jing Yangyu also had feelings for her. The only thing standing between them was Yan Chuns cultivation level, once she advanced further, they would become Dao companions.

It was supposed to be another beautiful story of cultivator couples in the cultivation world. The daughter of the Hengjue Sects dual leaders, if she married the sect leaders heir, the stability of the Hengjue Sects inner sect for at least a thousand years would not be a concern.

However, eleven years ago, the entire Hengjue Sect lavished affection on the very young junior sister Yan Chun. During her training outside, she encountered a demonic cave that manifested in the mortal world.

At that time, almost all the villagers were sucked into the demonic cave, which, once manifested, was like a whirlpool in water, capable of destroying everything around it.

To pacify the demonic cave, a blood sacrifice of a living person was required.

At that time, the disciples who had gone through trials were all of mediocre cultivation. Senior Brother Jing Yangyu went to the nearby town to capture demons, but no one expected to encounter a demon cave manifesting in the mortal realm. Using his magical tools for self-defense was already at its limit, unable to save the ordinary people who were being sucked into the demon cave.

However, An Chun at that time was truly ignorant and overestimated her abilities. At the moment when the demonic energy was surging and the mountains were trembling, in an attempt to grab a child who had luckily been thrown in front of their life-saving magical tool, half of her body was dragged into the demon cave.

Enveloped by the demonic energy, the fierce winds rushed into her body, tearing apart An Chuns spiritual mansion in the blink of an eye. Although Jing Yangyu arrived in time following the surging demonic energy and rescued An Chun, the shattered spiritual mansion left the cultivator in a state as damaged as an ordinary person suffering from multiple injuries.

Due to the destruction of her spiritual mansion, she was trapped at the bottom of the Purifying Spirit Pool for a whole eleven years. By now, her cultivation had almost completely dissipated, her limbs and body were like a spiritual shield that had lost its spiritual protection, sometimes responsive and sometimes not.

Even so, An Chun was not someone like Yin Yuchen could approach.

Upon Jing Yangyus arrival, Yin Yuchen voluntarily stepped back, suppressing his emotions and desires, positioning himself as an invisible figure behind the two.

Jing Yangyu carefully examined the meridians of An Chuns spiritual mansion. Although he was somewhat annoyed by her lack of self-care, he couldnt bear to reprimand her.

He didnt let go of her wrist, intending to take her back to the Purifying Spirit Pool directly.

From start to finish, Jing Yangyu didnt spare a glance at Yin Yuchen. In his eyes, Yin Yuchen was no different from the spiritual beasts in the mountains or the Yin-Yang fish in the water.

However, when An Chun saw Senior Brother Jing Yangyu about to take her away, she hurriedly said, Wait!

Pushing away Jing Yangyus hand, An Chun pointed to the Yin-Yang fish still swimming joyfully in the pool and said, These are mine, take them with us.

Yours? Jing Yangyu lowered his head to look at the pool.

An Chun explained, Yes, they were given to me by Junior Brother Yu Chen. Let me explain this carefully to Senior Brother Jing...

An Chun vividly described how she and Yin Yuchen met, how they were chased by a pig-faced man and a big monkey, how Yin Yuchens pure and rare intentions led to the rescue of the intelligent Yin-Yang fish, and swiftly recounted the whole story to Jing Yangyu.

Jing Yangyu remained expressionless throughout, looking down at the Yin-Yang fish in the pond that seemed to have intellectual disabilities, and remained silent for a while.

It wasnt until Yan Chun finally got to the point, Senior Brother, its time to rectify the outer disciples as well. Consuming creatures with intelligence goes against the natural order.

Senior Brother, please ask someone to inform the outer disciples. This way, Yu Chen wont have to be punished, nor will he be bullied...

Jing Yangyu finally turned his head slightly to look directly at Yin Yu Chen. Yu Chen, a junior brother?

The invisible pressure emanating from him was released towards Yin Yu Chen, his gaze cold and sharp as a knife. With Yin Yu Chens level of cultivation, he should have knelt down on the spot. It was only right for an outer disciple to kneel before the sect leader, a matter of course.

Yin Yu Chen had always been adept at concealing his flattery, able to charm even the old fellows of the Yin family. No matter how high Jing Yangyus cultivation was, compared to those old scoundrels who were full of male thieves and female prostitutes, he was still relatively innocent. It was too easy to appear harmless in front of him and deceive him.

But Yin Yu Chen was being stubborn at this moment, as men in this world often tend to be stubborn in the same way, refusing to appear inferior to others in front of their beloved woman. Moreover, Jing Yangyu excelled in every aspect compared to Yin Yu Chen, and was also admired by Yan Chun.

So Yin Yu Chen sat up straight, only slightly lowering his head in Jing Yangyus direction, refusing to bend his back, let alone kneel.

In just a moment, his mind was in turmoil, feeling dizzy. If he didnt clench his teeth tightly, his expression might have distorted.