Only after a long time did Xi Huai reluctantly let go of Chi Muyao. 

Chi Muyao stood up and gasped for breath. After collecting himself for a while, he pretended to ferociously scold Xi Huai, "Don't be so fierce next time!" 

Next time... 

The phrase pleased Xi Huai. He raised an eyebrow before nodding. "Okay." 

“I'm going to stay here and check on the blue fox and try to clear the miasma. You go ahead. I'll be fine alone." 

Xi Huai looked around.

When he came, he noticed that the blue fox came with Chi Muyao, but now it was gone. His gaze fell on the corpse wrapped in oil paper. It was evident that the corpse was slightly more full than before. 

In addition, when he had gone to refine the golden clock with the blue fox before, he knew that it had the ability to dissipate the miasma. 

He suddenly made the connection.

No wonder that strange pattern could temporarily quell the miasma...

But you didn't have to hurt yourself, did you?

Although he knew what was going on, Xi Huai didn't confront Chi Muyao. "I'm not busy. I'll watch over you from outside."

Chi Muyao thought about how it would be safer to treat the blue fox with Xi Huai around, so he replied, "Oh...okay."

Xi Huai walked out of the room, leaving Chi Muyao alone inside.

Once again, Chi Muyao opened the oil paper. He saw the blue fox open its eyes weakly, glance at him, and then close its eyes again. 

He felt a little guilty. After all, he did some shameful things in front of this elder.

He whispered, “The disciple is about to begin.” 

The blue fox moved slightly.

Chi Muyao sat cross-legged and pinched his fingertips together. With a shift of his eyes, he slowly channelled healing energy into the blue fox.

His spiritual energy flowed out of him, no, it was pulled out of his body.

If the He Huan Sect's cultivation technique continuously brought spiritual energy into his body, then the healing at this moment continuously sent it out.

The passing of cultivation and soul was accompanied by terrible pain. After all, his most precious belongings were being stripped away bit by bit. It was a type of torture.

The blue fox opened its eyes to look at the pained little disciple. It finally experienced some emotional fluctuation.

Before, it thought this little disciple was all words. It didn't expect this little disciple to really be foolish enough to drain his hard earned cultivation for a spirit beast, even leaving irreparable damage on his soul.

Outside, Xi Huai had been paying attention to Chi Muyao. Once he felt there was something wrong, he turned around and tried to get inside to put a stop to things.

Yet before his hand touched the door, it paused and clenched into a fist. Xi Huai forcibly resisted the urge to push the door open.

He stood in front of the door and hung his head. This was Chi Muyao's decision. He could only protect Chi Muyao from outside.

 At this moment, there was a sudden disturbance near the altar.

Xi Huai couldn't leave the room he was guarding, so he took out a mirror artefact from the Myriad Treasure Clock to check the situation there. 

A large number of corpse puppets could be seen near the altar in the mirror. At this time, they were already fighting with the cultivators who were dealing with the fox corpses.

Xi Huai was finally a bit worried. He suspected Su You was up to no good again. If Su You returned, he probably couldn't protect Chi Muyao.

Chi Muyao, who was helping the blue fox in the room, also heard the commotion. However, he could not leave or interrupt the treatment process. He could only continue to treat the blue fox. 

“There are corpse puppets coming." Xi Huai said from the door. “You don't have to worry. I'll keep this place safe.”

"En." Chi Muyao's faint voice came from within.

Hearing this weak voice, Xi Huai felt terribly pained. His chest clenched, but he could only endure.

Xi Huai reminded him from outside the door, "If I'm entangled with the corpse puppets, use that clock."

"The clock?"

"Yes, the clock I gave you. Pass spiritual energy into it until it recognises you as its owner. If that doesn't work, use blood. If it still refuses to, bind it with the thorny vine I put in your Thousand Treasure Bell until it does." 

With that, Xi Huai took out his sword and turned to deal with the corpse puppets wandering over. 

The place was so narrow that it was impossible to summon the Hui to help him without interrupting Chi Muyao's treatment. He could only fight the corpse puppets with his own cultivation. 

A mid Golden Core stage Demonic Faction Young Sect Master could deal with dozens of ordinary corpse puppets. 

But what if there were more than a hundred corpse puppets, and they all had Foundation Building or Golden Core stage cultivation? 

The corpses they saw on the way here had all turned into corpse puppets. They seemed to have been purposefully directed to attack him.

After being hacked and slashed for a while, the corpse puppets could still stand up. They felt no pain or fear, only attacking indiscriminately.

The corpse puppets could not be completely disposed of by ordinary methods. Xi Huai could only use the simplest, most brutal method. He simply cut them into so many pieces they could no longer attack.

However, this solution was a little strenuous. There were many corpses and it was very difficult.

Once surrounded by miasma, the Xiang Huang Pavilion turned into a different sort of hell now. 

The corpse puppets rolled down the mountain like a mud stream. Dirty, with a foul smell, they poured forward constantly, roaring roughly. When they gathered together, they were like irregular waves. 

Some corpse puppets retained their visage in life. Once tall and handsome men, they were now only very difficult corpses to handle.

There were too many corpses, and Xi Huai was being worn down. He could block dozens of them, but he could not stop hundreds. 

There were many dead in the Xiang Huang Pavilion. The sheer amount of bodies that the Luo Sha Sect could refine made this place a wonderland for them.

Xi Huai heard someone ask coldly from afar, “Young Sect Master, you also have a day like this! How does it feel to fall prey to our Luo Sha Sect, which you looked down upon in the past? Enjoy being torn apart by a hundred corpses!"

This malicious voice actually made Xi Huai relieved.

It seemed like this was just the people of the Luo Sha Sect coming to take revenge on him, not Su You.

They were easier to deal with.

"On your own?" asked Xi Huai in a cold voice.

“The person in that small room is the one you've been looking for, yes? How about we kill him in front of you before we end your life?"

The people of the Luo Sha Sect seemed to hate Xi Huai to the bone. The last sentence was almost roared.

Of course they would hate Xi Huai after he killed so many of them.

The other day, when they heard that Xi Huai had come to the forest, they already started preparing. They didn't expect Xi Huai to come knocking on their door on his own. 

Now Xi Huai was a bit anxious. He leapt out of the sea of corpse puppets and swung his sword, splitting several of them in half.

He fought like a dragon swimming in blood, a fish in the sea. From time to time, fire spells were thrown out that burned corpses indefinitely. 

Yet more always took their place.

Some corpse puppets began attacking the door of the small room. Xi Huai could sense that Chi Muyao's spiritual energy was in turmoil. 

Xi Huai finally panicked. With red eyes, he moved towards Chi Muyao's room, only to be surrounded by more corpse puppets.

At this time, both Xi Huai and the Luo Sha Sect disciples heard a clock chime.

 The bright sound made even the earth itself tremble. The air rippled for a moment, like a stone had been tossed into the center of a calm pond.

Xi Huai turned and saw that a golden clock-like shape covered the outside of the room, setting down a protective barrier.

The corpse puppets near the golden clock moved back in pain. It was obvious that the golden clock's holy light made them all miserable. 

Xi Huai was overjoyed. He knew that Chi Muyao had succeeded in making the golden clock recognise him as its master. 

He tried to throw a fire attack towards the golden clock. Only after seeing the golden clock block the attack did he feel relieved.

Next, a dragon roared as the Hui suddenly appeared above the Xiang Huang Pavilion. It looked down at the corpse puppets disdainfully, like they were ants.

Summoning this Great One to kill such disgusting things? 

Somewhat idly, the Hui swung its tail before spitting out a sea of fire to burn indiscriminately.

In the room…

At first, this golden clock really did refuse to acknowledge him. Luckily, it didn't attack him with golden lightning either and just ignored Chi Muyao.

Chi Muyao continued treatment with his left hand while attending to the golden clock with his right. 

He tried many methods to no avail. Injecting spiritual energy didn't work, nor did dripping blood. In the end, he pressed down on the golden clock so his blood seeped in before using the spiritual energy of the Colourless Yunni Deer.

At this time, the blue fox reached out a paw with difficulty and aided Chi Muyao.

 Finally, the golden clock was willing to pay attention. A golden light appeared from within and circled Chi Muyao.

Of course a Buddhist treasure preferred to have a pure, virgin master. 

That ray of golden light circled Chi Muyao, obviously observing him.

As it passed by, the deer antlers atop Chi Muyao's head appeared. The silver light from them noticed its golden counterpart. 

They seemed to communicate. To Chi Muyao’s surprise, the Colourless Yunni Deer's remaining divine soul pleaded on his behalf.

Finally, the golden clock recognised him as its master. 

Aside from not being a virgin, Chi Muyao seemed acceptable in other aspects. The golden clock supposed it could accept him. 

Afterwards, it immediately activated, using its ability to protect the entire room.

Chi Muyao realised when he looked up that this golden clock has the ability to split space.

For example, the fire attack Xi Huai tossed over struck the outside of the golden clock before exiting the other side. In the middle, he was safe from the attack. 

The space covered by the golden clock would be split from reality. 

So the pearl was able to purify while the golden clock could split space.

He wondered which artefact had the ability to forewarn.

Now protected, Chi Muyao continued to treat the blue fox.

The blue fox was trying its best to cooperate, diverting its own spiritual energy to the wounds caused by being sacrificed, minimising Chi Muyao's expenditure. 

After this, both Chi Muyao and the blue fox would need to rest for a few years to recover their cultivation. 

During this time, the blue fox would just be a weak little animal.

After an incense stick of time, Chi Muyao finally pulled back. His cultivation had regressed to early Foundation Building stage, even more unstable than when he first underwent tribulation. If it was not consolidated soon, it would regress to Qi Refining.

The blue fox was equally weak, but at least all the wounds from being sacrificed were healed. It rested on the oil paper. 

Chi Muyao could see that the nail wounds and the sewed mouth were healed. The blue fox's beautiful face in human form would probably be even more captivating now.

He rested cross-legged for a while. After recovering a bit, he brought the weak blue fox into his arms and walked out after hiding the golden clock and his deer antlers.

Outside, he saw the razed surroundings before turning back to the room he was just in. All the tall pavilions of the Xiang Huang Pavilion were no more, this the only structure remaining. 

Sure enough, the Hui's attack was powerful. 

The blue fox suddenly spoke, "Do you see it?" 

Chi Muyao looked up at the sky with a heavy heart. He sighed. "Yes."

The miasma had dissipated, signifying the blue foxes had let go of their hatred. 

The sky was revealed once again, but it was very dim with a white sun and red moon hanging over dark clouds. Heaven's anger had not yet dissipated.

The blue foxes relented, but Heaven was still angry.

An inauspicious sign. 

Chi Muyao could not find Xi Huai at first. He could only go back to the altar.

On the way, he saw Yu Yanshu hobbling towards him, obviously hurt. He hurried over. "Yu-shixiong!"

"Chi-shidi, can you treat me? I have to...go save them..."

"En, of course!" Chi Muyao immediately pressed a hand to Yu Yanshu and healed him.

Only then did Yu Yanshu notice Chi Muyao's unstable spiritual energy. He quickly asked, "What happened to your cultivation?" 

"I tried sealing the altar just now..." Chi Muyao could only say that. 

Yu Yanshu immediately grasped Chi Muyao's wrist and injected his spiritual energy to stabilise Chi Muyao's. 

The risk of regressing to Qi Refining stage was finally averted.

Then, someone's voice came, "Can you treat me too, Chi Muyao?" 

Chi Muyao jolted at the familiar voice and turned to look at Xi Huai. 

Xi Huai walked towards them, still doused sporadically in Hui Dragon Flames. His already vicious features dripped with bloodlust.

Like the dim and depressing sky before a rainstorm, or an eerily cold burial ground with ten thousand graves, Xi Huai's displeasure was extraordinarily apparent. 

Chi Muyao subconsciously scanned him. "Are you hurt?"

"En." Xi Huai walked up to him and ripped his wrist from Yu Yanshu's grasp, pulling Chi Muyao closer to him.

Yu Yanshu was a lot better now. He looked up at Xi Huai, then Chi Muyao.

Chi Muyao could only give the blue fox to Yu Yanshu. "Yu-shixiong, please give it to Shijie. Xi Huai and I must speak.” 

Yu Yanshu was a little worried. "Are you alright?" 

"I'm fine. Xi Huai wouldn't hurt me."

Yu Yanshu left with the blue fox. He glanced back occasionally, but didn't interfere. 

Chi Muyao was so weak he could only stand with the wall's support. He looked up and carefully examined Xi Huai's expression. "You're unhappy?"

"Does he know more secrets than me? Not only does he know you're from the He Huan Sect, he knows you have a healing ability?"

"He found out on his own.”

Xi Huai looked at Chi Muyao, a flash of sadness in his eyes. "You've never truly trusted me, have you?" 

"I don't trust anyone—"

"You do. You trust Yi Qianxi. She understands you better than I because you have shared secrets. You trust Yu Yanshu. Don't you know his intentions? I thought you were smart. Are you pretending to not know or are you purposefully leading us on?"

"I didn't!" 

"Oh, guess not. It's always been me chasing after you. So the one you're leading on, the one you trust is only Yu Yanshu?"

Xi Huai was always waiting. 

For Chi Muyao to open his heart and tell him his secrets. For the day Chi Muyao could completely trust him and tell him what he was thinking. 

However, it still hurt when he saw how everyone else but him knew Chi Muyao's secrets. 

It wasn't a coincidence that Yi Qianxi was able to provoke Xi Huai into reentering the pure land. 

Because Xi Huai truly envied her, he truly considered her a strong enemy of his. 

He was jealous. 

Envious. 

In those years he couldn't find Chi Muyao, someone by his side developed a relationship with him, shared secrets with him

All his efforts were not enough to make Chi Muyao acknowledge him, accept him,

Yet other people were able to.

He could feel aggrieved. He could feel so, so bad. He was so insecure, hanging onto every one of Chi Muyao's actions.

But Chi Muyao never gave him a chance.

This was why he was provoked by the image of Chi Muyao and Yu Yanshu helping each other just now.

Chi Muyao finally realised Xi Huai was jealous, to the point of being enraged this time.

He could only explain to him, "Yu-shixiong did find out on his own. I didn't want him to, because the less people who know the better. Little Shijie knows because she's a disciple of the Yu Chong School. She definitely wouldn't—"

Xi Huai cut him off. "So Yi Qianxi does know..." 

Xi Huai wasn't sure before, but now it was confirmed. 

He suddenly wanted to laugh at himself. He always used the purest of feelings to face Chi Muyao, risking his life several times. In the end, he couldn't earn his trust.

Chi Muyao was always wary of him.

Was what he had done not enough? 

Just what did he have to do to measure up to Yi Qianxi and Yu Yanshu in Chi Muyao's heart? 

Chi Muyao immediately asked, "Can't you see how I've treated you lately? I-I've already been good to you. Can't you see...that I like you?" 

It was hard for him to say such things, so close to a confession. It took a lot of courage.

Chi Muyao found it hard to accept that he would reveal his feelings under such circumstances.

Xi Huai once again took out the Cultivation Partner Knot, which only he could see. He bitterly smiled. Chi Muyao's end was still white. 

A pure white devoid of all colour. It meant Chi Muyao didn't feel a shred of goodwill towards him.

Xi Huai could only show a smile worse than crying and reply with difficulty, "It does lead to misunderstandings. I was wrong before, my bad. I shouldn't have thought you would like me just because I like you and chased after you. I even forced you to say such untruthful words.”

"Untruthful?" Chi Muyao was shocked. Why did he receive such an answer the first time he confessed to Xi Huai?

Why had it become like this? 

Things were all right before, so why did they suddenly...change?

"It's fine. Let's go see what’s going on at the altar." Xi Huai breathed out, unwilling to continue this topic.

He passed Chi Muyao, leaving him standing dully in place for a long time.

Chi Muyao was already weak. A breeze could blow him over at this point. 

He turned to look at Xi Huai in the distance and stumbled after him.

He knew this wasn't Xi Huai's fault. He always said he didn't like the man before, then suddenly went back on his words. It was only natural that Xi Huai didn't believe him. 

It was his fault for realising too late. It was his fault, so he should quickly explain to Xi Huai.

What should he do?

Confess again?

Press him against the wall and kiss him? 

Or just get Xi Huai in bed and sleep him into submission? 

"Xi Huai..." Chi Muyao called out. 

Xi Huai paused and turned to look at him. 

"I feel so bad, ah!" 

Xi Huai swallowed dryly. In the end, his heart softened and he walked back to Chi Muyao, supporting him and giving him spiritual energy.

Chi Muyao took this chance to hug his waist and bury his head in Xi Huai's collar. "I really do like you.” 

Xi Huai looked down, continuing to give spiritual energy. He replied quietly, "Sure..."