This was his first kiss. And today, at this moment and this place, it had been dedicated to a fictitious man in a novel?

No. He was not even counted as a fictional man. There was no mention of such a person in the original book.

So what is he, Bai Fanlu, doing? What's with the speed of his heartbeat, and why? Bai Fanlu was utterly confused and could not comprehend his introspections.

He had forgotten to shut his eyes in a daze, and the youth on the opposite side kept his eyes open. However, he was obviously more in the mood for this action than Bai Fanlu was, and the tenderness reflected in his eyes was overwhelming. He was clearly expressing that the kiss was intentional and not accidental.

However, Bai Fanlu's lip performance was excessively terrible until even Xiao Liu couldn't sustain it in the end. The youth held back laughter and briefly parted those beautiful lips that enraptured him. His forehead lightly touched Bai Fanlu's, and he whispered, "Gege, are you real?"

"En…"

E-en? Bai Fanlu was so puzzled and had not recovered from his trance.

Xiao Liu smiled helplessly and adoringly as he brushed his finger on Bai Fanlu's lips. His eyes were dark, and his voice was low and hoarse, "If you don't return to your senses, I will come at you for real."

"Hold it." Bai Fanlu blocked Xiao Liu's lips which were fast approaching once more.

Real? Then was the earlier attempt fake?

Impossible! He had kissed him. This little bastard! How dare he not take responsibility for his deeds!

Bai Fanlu glared at Xiao Liu ‘angrily’, and Xiao Liu fixed a gaze back with affection and even planted a gentle kiss on Bai Fanlu's palm that was pressed against his lips.

Within the two rounds of this 'duel', Bai Fanlu was utterly defeated. He was no match for the youth when it came to audacity.

"You aren't cold anymore? Then I'll go."

"Don't leave! I'm still feeling cold," Xiao Liu hurriedly grabbed Bai Fanlu and answered pitifully, "You can feel it yourself. I am not lying. I am freezing."

Who the hell wants to feel you? Bai Fanlu libelled secretly, but Xiao Liu kept holding his hand and pressing it against his chest.

Bai Fanlu couldn't break away in time, but after coming into contact with his skin, he realised that it was as cold as ice. Usually, when one's body temperature fell to this level, one would have become a lump of ice long ago.

Just earlier, Bai Fanlu secretly hoped that Xiao Liu would remain an ordinary person, but now, he was genuinely thankful that he wasn't.

This inconsistency in sentiment was unusual for him. Bai Fanlu had a lingering feeling and admitted that the youth that did not exist in the novel and could not even be regarded as a fictional character now had a different position in his heart.

Aware of this ridiculous fact and the dismal situation at hand, Bai Fanlu had a profound understanding of the idiom ‘fate playing tricks on mortals’, and he couldn't help sighing emotionally.

"I won't die, Gege, don't be sad."

Bai Fanlu's eyes felt sore once more, he wanted to say that he was not sad, but the words that came out became, "Don't speak about dying."

Xiao Liu chuckled, embracing Bai Fanlu, still pressing his forehead against his. The duo stared into each other's eyes, and the youth's gaze was so intense that Bai Fanlu got embarrassed, yet no one moved away.

"Gege, you like me too, right?"

"..." Bai Fanlu wondered how this young man could speak of such frivolous matters facing the predicament they were in? So he stubbornly replied, "As I said before, I see you as my younger brother, naturally..."

"Naturally what?"

"..."

"You like me, right?" Xiao Liu circled this point tirelessly to get an answer out of him.

There was no end to this and no way to shut this guy up, so Bai Fanlu simply did not answer. He berated himself for believing Xiao Liu's words that he would become more sensible and mature.

Would any mature person discuss this kind of flippant topic in a moment of life and death? Shouldn't one be concerned and carefully think about how to save their own lives? Couldn't he wait until they get out before ensuing with the romancing?

Bai Fanlu didn't realise it at all—but his thoughts were undoubtedly an acknowledgement that he wasn't against a romance with the youth, but it was that the timing was terrible.

At this point, Bai Fanlu couldn't stand himself. He felt like he was becoming increasingly long-winded like Xiao Liu. He felt his eyes were trembling, and his nose felt sore once more. He honestly wanted to beat up the person before him but couldn't bear to.

Feeling that he was on the verge of an emotional breakdown, and to avoid humiliating himself in front of the other party, Bai Fanlu didn't struggle to move away from Xiao Liu and merely rolled over and back-faced him again.

Xiao Liu knew that Bai Fanlu was in a bad mood, so he stopped creating trouble. He was about to put his arms around him when he suddenly noticed something wrong. When Bai Fanlu turned over a moment ago, his long hair was tugged and pressed under his body and completely exposed the back of his neck

Xiao Liu's pupils shrank instantly, "Gege, what's on your neck?"

"En?" Bai Fanlu was puzzled and followed Xiao Liu's horrified gaze. He turned his head slightly, stretched out his right hand to touch his neck.

When his fingertips touched his skin, an inexplicable burning sensation suddenly hit, and Bai Fanlu quickly realised what was going on.

"I was accidentally hurt by Xun Huang. It's just a superficial wound and will be fine in a few days."

Xiao Liu frowned at the dark red mark encircling the man's neck. If it had been sustained during a fight, it shouldn't have been shaped this way...This looked more like a strangulation mark.

Staring at Bai Fanlu, Xiao Liu wanted to say something but held back.

Bai Fanlu didn't want to worry the youth too much and chose not to furnish him with further explanations. He was also baffled as to why Xun Huang would suddenly grab his neck and how he managed to launch that surprising counterattack.

As such, he merely told Xiao Liu that he encountered Xun Huang again when he came out, got into a brief duel, and managed to escape.

Bai Fanlu turned back again, recalling the plot of the original novel. He wanted to find clues about Xun Huang.

Behind him, Xiao Liu stared at the wound on his neck, and a gloomy expression flashed across his eyes. Just as he was about to reach out and touch him, he heard Bai Fanlu whisper, "You're back?"

"What?" Xiao Liu asked.

Bai Fanlu turned around and dangled his hand to show him. The two ribbon form of Cang Jin had now returned to his wrist.

"Have they safely crossed the wind and snow belt?"

Just as Bai Fanlu asked, another blue light darted by. Before Bai Fanlu made it out, Xiao Liu raised his hand and grabbed the light, "Mine is back too."

"What's that?" Bai Fanlu forcibly opened his palm, and Xiao Liu made no attempt to stop him, only to find that there was nothing inside.

"That was for reinforcing the protective barrier. They are indeed safe now."

Finally, there was something worth celebrating. Although the blue light seemed familiar to Bai Fanlu, he couldn't distinctly recall what it was. Regardless, Cang Jin had returned to him. The first thing he thought of was to buy more time for Xiao Liu.

Bai Fanlu didn't dare to hesitate for another moment and channelled both ribbons towards Xiao Liu's hands.

Despite being a magical weapon, Cang Jin did not have any combative power in its early stage. This weapon's characteristics were to overcome rigidity with fluidity and to use illusions to induce reality. In Cang Jin's later stage, as described in the book, it eventually got capable of inflicting damage after the weapon's illusion manipulation techniques were demonised.

Xiao Liu wanted to refuse this gesture, but when he saw Bai Fanlu's relieved expression as he fixed his gaze on Cang Jin, which was now on his hand, the youth said nothing.

But he slyly and covertly reached out and held Bai Fanlu's waist.

Bai Fanlu sensed that Xiao Liu seemed to have nudged himself slightly and asked, "What are you doing?"

"What do you want me to do?" Xiao Liu glanced back cheekily with a smile.

Bai Fanlu blushed, glared at him fiercely, and then turned back once more in silence.

Half a day had passed when the duo entered the temple again. Looking at the hidden door behind the altar that was ajar, Bai Fanlu felt sufficiently prepared.

Currently, there were two paths laid out for him. The first was that he continued to wait. If he got lucky, Xun Huang would be able to awaken soon and break the seal, and they would also be able to retreat.

But if he weren't, the endless delay would cause Xiao Liu to die from the poison. Even if Bai Fanlu could survive, once Cang Jin returned to him after the youth died, the poison would be transferred to his body, and his life would still be a race against time.

The second path was the one he was planning to take now. He would take the initiative to look for Xun Huang. Although no such plot line was written in the book, it made sense to return to the source of the poison. If he were willing, the Dragon God would have a way to neutralise it.

But this was an ancient Dragon God they were talking about. Why should he listen to him?

Did he have to say to him, "I know your future—you will die in the hands of someone named 'Yun Zhan' and I can help you avoid it?"

That would be too ridiculous. Nonetheless, Bai Fanlu ran out of ideas. He couldn't take the first path and wait ceaselessly. It had exceeded the duration mentioned in the book but there had been no movement from Xun Huang's true form. Moreover, Xiao Liu just passed out again and Cang Jin couldn't suppress the poison for too long.

If Xiao Liu were someone else, he might consider being cruel and retracting Cang Jin earlier to suppress the lower levels of poison transferred to him. This would buy him enough time to wait for Xun Huang's awakening. It was also the least laborious and most rational path to take.

But now, Xiao Liu was Xiao Liu and not just anyone else. Bai Fanlu couldn't let him die, regardless of how he repeatedly told himself that the youth was a fictional character and they would be separated sooner or later.

Bai Fanlu could no longer achieve the state of calmness and peace of mind he possessed at the start.

Even if it was a mere desperate attempt, Bai Fanlu willed himself to come back and negotiate terms with Xun Huang.

This time as he passed through the same secret door, Bai Fanlu planned to make the first attack before discussing conditions. But to his surprise, the Dragon God got much more polite than before and did not greet him with a series of attacks.

And he seemed to have expected that Bai Fanlu would come back. Xun Huang stood beside a stone platform, and when he heard footsteps approaching from the door, he turned his head slightly.

Bai Fanlu noticed that Xun Huang's appearance had changed, and his body had shrunk a fair bit. Although he was still much taller than him, that terrifying dragon tail was gone, and his murderous aura was slightly reduced. At first glance, he appeared like a human general donned in silver armour.

If his eyes were not still covered with an icy glaze, Bai Fanlu would have thought it was another person standing before him.

And even with those reptilian eyes, Bai Fanlu was certain that the other party was looking at him.

"Who's there? What do you want?"

Unexpectedly, Xun Huang was the first to speak. Bai Fanlu was secretly relieved and answered, "I am Lu Fan, a disciple of the Tianshu Sect. I humbly request an antidote for the frost poison from the Dragon God."

"Tianshu Sect? Lu Fan?" Xun Huang snorted arrogantly, "That nameless junior!"

Bai Fanlu remained on the spot respectfully and did reveal any expression. This Dragon God had been practising cultivation for thousands of years, and he was so powerful even when he hadn't fully awakened. If there were a way to not go head-on with him, it would be ideal.

As Xun Huang briefly examined Ban Fanlu, he walked over slowly from the side of the stone platform, "Why did you break into my Investiture of Gods Platform?"

"Under the order of my Shizun, I came to investigate the Demon Energy Rift. My investigation brought me here, for the Rift is under the platform. It was not my intention to damage it."

Xun Huang sneered, "You are quite courageous."

"Lord Dragon God is a revered ancient god. If the demonic energy gets out of control, the demons will become rampant. This shall also become a catastrophe for mortals and cannot be ignored. I believe you will not fault me for trespassing."

"Absurd! Mortals are such insignificant beings of the world. Why should I be concerned about them?!" Xun Huang retorted, and the surroundings shook faintly and reverberated with the trailing cries of the dragon.

Bai Fanlu felt intense divine oppression pressing down on him, but remained firmly rooted and upright.

The glaze on Xun Huang's eyes flashed and he seemed to be narrowing his eyes and looking at Bai Fanlu carefully.

To Xun Huang, Bai Fanlu was as meagre as an ant, but the resolution reflected in his gaze and his determined and stubborn expression rendered this man impossible to ignore.

"You seem to have no fear of death. Just like him."

Him? Who?

Xun Huang's behaviour today seemed to be directed at another person. Could he have mistaken him for someone? Could it be Bai Junming again?

With Xun Huang's seniority and being sealed for thousands of years, he should not have known Bai Junming. The timeline simply did not match up.

After Xun Huang's strange words, he paced slowly until right behind Bai Fanlu. Bai Fanlu felt the Dragon God's gaze fall on him and he got numb all over as if pricked by countless needles.

It was definitely not wise to turn one's back against the opponent. Bai Fanlu secretly clenched his fist, and Xun Huang noticed this reaction at once. The Dragon God lifted his eyebrows, and his lips seemed to curl into a smile, "Humph! It is not hard to neutralise the poison."

Bai Fanlu was overjoyed at these words, but he had to hold back, "What does Lord Dragon God need me to do?"

There was no free lunch in the world. Naturally, Bai Fanlu understood this universal truth.

"It's very simple," Xun Huang uttered coldly behind him, "Kill the person journeying with you."