The next day… 

Chi Muyao was so tired that he didn't wake up for a long time. There were still fine beads of sweat on his forehead and neck, and his bangs were also wet and stuck to his skin. 

Xi Huai really was a bit too much. He tossed Chi Muyao around the very first time he successfully entered Chi Muyao's sea of consciousness.

Soul cultivation in the sea of consciousness was quite tiresome to begin with, and Chi Muyao was still at the Golden Core stage. His sea of consciousness wasn't as stable as Xi Huai's. It was natural for him to be so tired after soul cultivating for a full seven hours his first time. 

Shameless wretch! 

Debauched hooligan! 

Xi Huai took out a handkerchief from his own Myriad Treasure Bell and gently wiped the sweat from Chi Muyao. He also tidied his bangs before sitting beside him and watching him with his head resting on his hands. Even when asleep, Chi Muyao was so interesting to him.

The corners of his mouth rose slightly. His usually fierce eyes curved up a bit like crescent moons. The love in his eyes welled up from a deep place. 

Even a 'fierce-faced' person could become gentle.

Only after a long time did Xi Huai look away and study the techniques Chi Muyao gave him. 

Chi Muyao's script was neat and tidy. He seemed to have changed some of the language in order for Xi Huai to understand better. Every brush stroke was full without trailing, every sentence and every word just right. 

Ancient cultivation methods still circulating in the outside world were fragmented and incomplete.

Through communication with the Green Underworld Streamfires, Chi Muyao obtained a number of complete cultivation techniques. If even one of these pages made it out, it would be something the major cultivators would be willing to fight a bloody war for. It was quite jarring that more than ten methods were stacked in front of him to choose from. 

If other cultivators found out about this, they would be so jealous that their eyes would go bloodshot and their faces contort. 

Naturally he cherished this opportunity too. He used one hand to carefully turn pages, while his other held Chi Muyao's finger. 

Pinching the fingertip, rubbing the palm, or just feeling the softness of his cultivation partner’s hand, he simply couldn't get enough. 

He studied for about four hours before Chi Muyao woke up leisurely. 

Chi Muyao saw Xi Huai immediately after waking. He slowly sat up and then lazily leaned against Xi Huai's shoulder, silently closing his eyes again. It was unknown whether he had completely woken up or not. 

Reminiscent of a lazy cat sunbathing on the roof in the afternoon, his body was soft and his subconscious actions coquettish. 

Xi Huai let go of Chi Muyao's hand and draped the blanket over him. Hugging Chi Muyao, he continued to read. 

Chi Muyao latched onto his waist, using him to sleep for a while longer before turning to rest his forehead against his neck. "Is there anything you don't understand? I can help you ask the seniors." 

"En, I do have a few questions." 

"About?" Chi Muyao poked his head over.

Xi Huai once again grasped his hand and guided his finger to the paper. "This part." 

Chi Muyao familiarised himself with what Xi Huai did not understand, before going to communicate with the Green Underworld Streamfires. Then he conveyed their words to Xi Huai. 

Xi Huai's gaze remained thoughtfully on the paper. When Chi Muyao finished relaying, Xi Huai had already cast the necessary hand seals and used the technique to minor success. 

Chi Muyao looked dumbfounded. He burst into applause. "You're so awesome!" 

"I'm just a beginner." 

"The seniors said it takes two months." 

"Are ancient cultivators that stupid?"

Immediately after, Xi Huai's cheek was stung. His face went numb and his speech was somewhat affected. Xi  Huai was so angry he wanted to set fire to the Green Underworld Streamfires, but Chi Muyao stopped him. 

These Green Underworld Streamfires could be considered his Shifu of sorts, so Xi Huai could only endure. 

Chi Muyao carefully tended to Xi Huai's injuries, yet Xi Huai was surprisingly cute when it looked like he just had his wisdom teeth pulled. He couldn't hold back a laugh.

Xi Huai became irritated, and bit Chi Muyao's face several times until it was just as swollen.

Two people with swollen faces sat together to discuss how to set up the formation. No one had the right to laugh at the other. 

Xi Huai looked at the formation set up by Chi Muyao, before consulting the written technique. "I'm a little worried. Maybe I should go alone into Su You's internal demon illusionary realm. You're only at the Golden Core stage.  If you enter with me and are attacked by Su You, your divine sense will be damaged and you may never wake up again. This is not a joke."

"I know, but I can come and go freely since I'm the one who set up the formation. You do know some things about formations, but not as well as I do." 

"Why don't you teach me this one and I'll go alone." 

"I think I'll stay with you. I'm afraid you'll be disturbed by the internal demon and get lost in Su You's illusionary realm. I can protect you in some ways if I'm there." 

Xi Huai could not out stubborn Chi Muyao, so he ended up setting up the formation with him before they then tried to enter Su You's internal demon illusionary realm together.

This was a very sophisticated formation. They had to avoid detection by Su You himself while also not losing themselves in the internal demon illusionary realm so they had a way back. 

The first thing they did after entering was to hold hands and look at each other.

The safety of the other party was the most important thing, after all. 

When they saw each other's swollen cheeks, they laughed together. An unexpected start to their dangerous journey. 

Xi Huai then asked, "We're invisible right now?" 

"En, we're just spectators for now. We can see the contents of Su You's illusionary realm, but we cannot act rashly. We only have one chance to materialise, so we have to make the most of it and accomplish our mission."

"Okay." Xi Huai couldn't help but frown after looking around. "Why does this place look so familiar?" 

After walking around for a while, the two were surprised to see a familiar place.

Chi Muyao turned to look at Xi Huai. "Su You's internal demon actually originated in the Qing Ze Sect ?" 

"Our Qing Ze Sect and Su You never had any grudges. Although my dad did fight with him a few times, both of them are peak Nascent Soul stage cultivators. Although they are both very strong, my dad had the advantage after spirit contracting the Hui. Su You lost, but not to the point of a blood feud." 

"Could it be that the person in his bell coffin is from the Qing Ze Sect?"

"He did say I owed the person in there three kowtows, but no one in the Qing Ze Sect deserves that honour, unless you count my parents." 

Chi Muyao was frightened by his sudden thought. "Could it be that Su You dug up your mom's grave?" 

"..." Xi Huai also frowned. Was that really true? But there was no way the Qing Ze Sect wouldn't find out. 

At that moment, a smoky green figure appeared within their line of sight. They looked at each other once again.

Perhaps stealth made them careless, but the two simply walked up to the man who was very out of place in the Qing Ze Sect to take a look. 

The man looked to be in his twenties, but age was often deceiving in the cultivation world, Chi Muyao being a prime example. 

The man had clean, handsome features and an aura to match. Even the way he single-handedly cast seals to conceal his presence was as graceful as an immortal. 

The presence of such a dignified person in the vicinity of the Qing Ze Sect was really a bit incongruous. 

Chi Muyao commented, "That's the uniform of the Nuan Yan Pavilion. He's also a Golden Core stage Heavenly Venerable."

"Don't you think he looks a bit like that water spiritual root guy?" Xi Huai asked after looking at him for a while. 

To Xi Huai, Yu Yanshu didn't even deserve a name. "He does resemble Yu-shixiong a bit. Their aura and eyebrows especially." 

"And that curmudgeonly look." 

At this time, cultivators came out of the Qing Ze Sect. The man's hand on his sword tightened. He seemed to want to attack those cultivators, but held back. 

In the end, the man didn't act even as the cultivators were far away. His fists were clenched.

Xi Huai was puzzled. "He came to the Qing Ze Sect to watch the door?" 

"I think he's here to kill." 

Like the two of them, Su You was also puzzled after watching. He abruptly asked, "Are you here to sunbathe or something?" 

Those words made Chi Muyao, Xi Huai and that Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivator all look up in unison, only to find that Su You had been sitting on a tree this whole time, lazily looking over. 

Chi Muyao was subconsciously afraid to see Su You, but Xi Huai soothed him. 

This Su You couldn't see the two of them. 

The Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivator was no match for Su You. Seeing as the other party did not seem to have any killing intent towards him, he replied quietly, "I won't bother the senior with my reasons." He spoke as he made to leave on his sword. 

Su You laughed lightly. "Your cultivation partner was forced to marry the Qing Ze Sect Master, so you want to come here and kill some disciples to take revenge?" 

The statement left most people present frozen in their tracks. 

Xi Huai looked at that Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivator with an incredulous expression. 

Yet Chi Muyao looked at Xi Huai, suddenly feeling like spring must have come to this internal demon illusionary realm. Why else would everywhere be green?

Xi Huai hurriedly explained to Chi Muyao, "I don't know about this. My dad is not someone who would do that..." 

"It's fine, it's fine." Chi Muyao hurriedly ruffled Xi Huai's hair as a comforting gesture. 

Who would have thought that snooping in Su You's illusionary realm would end up snooping about themselves? 

These words really offended the Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivator. He glared at Su You. "Don't speak nonsense!" 

"You even have a Cultivation Partner Knot there. Or did you guys swear to be celibate?" Su You waved his hands. His eyes widened when he saw the Nuan Yan Pavilion Cultivation Partner's Knot. "Wow! The other side broke it off with you. So you were abandoned?" 

"No! She's not like that, she was forced to do it!"

"You have to fight for your own happiness, ah. Or you can go into the Qing Ze Sect now and kill that old dragon Xi Lin. After all, he just dual cultivated with your cultivation partner in that cave a few days ago. You must be—" 

"Shut up!" The Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivator was so furious he didn't care about the gulf between their power levels. He attacked Su You. 

Su You casually blocked the attack with a wave of his hand and smiled lightly at the cultivator. He continued teasing, "The Qing Ze Sect Master needs to conceive a child to share the backlash from the spirit contract with the Hui, and he just happened to fall for your cultivation partner at first sight and went to the Nuan Yan Pavilion to ask for her hand in marriage. The NUan Yan Pavilion, despite knowing the two of you are a thing, not only agreed but tried to tell you guys how this was for the best. If you agree, then the Demonic and Righteous Factions can leave behind those dusty grudges... How noble of you to even offer your own cultivation partner. That's something ordinary people can't do."

The Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivator was so angry that his eyes turned red. He attacked Su You with his sword again. 

Chi Muyao watched Su You toy with the Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivator. He turned to Xi Huai and asked, "Did you...know about these things?" 

"I did hear that my dad and the head of the Nuan Yan Pavilion negotiated a peace treaty, but I didn't know what conditions my dad brought up. So it seems he did it to marry my mom?"

"Everyone in the cultivation world knows that the Sect Master and Auntie didn't have feelings for each other. Maybe a lot of people know about this too."

"No, at least I've never heard of my mom having a cultivation partner before. My dad was probably none the wiser either. He's always doted on my mother and never deprived her of anything, but my mom had always been depressed. She passed away soon after having me. The cultivation world said my parents had no feelings for each other because they all felt that my Dad only found a cultivation partner in order to share the backlash of the Hui Dragon Flames. And because my mother died young, they felt like she was being mistreated. "

Chi Muyao observed a while before saying, "I heard that when Auntie 伯母 - wife of mother's brother, aka aunt.married the Sect Master, she was at the Nascent Soul stage. However, this person...seems to be at peak Golden Core stage."

"En. My mom was at early Nascent Soul stage back then. She had excellent aptitude and cultivated very fast. He's probably a peer that isn't as gifted." 

"Oh." 

Actually, this matter was very understandable. 

It was rare for Xi Lin to ask something of the Nuan Yan Pavilion, so they naturally seized this opportunity to propose some conditions. 

It's just a peace treaty between two realms. Xi Lin could do it for the girl he fell in love with at first sight, no problem. 

The Nuan Yan Pavilion kept the fact that the woman had a cultivation partner a secret and broke them up just to achieve their goals. This matter was also kept hidden. 

Nuan Yan Pavilion cultivators had always been low-key regarding cultivation partners. Unless they held a grand ceremony and officially cemented their relationship, most just interacted in secret. No one else was aware that the woman already had a lover. 

Xi Huai looked on for a while before suddenly becoming angry. "My mother was depressed over this kind of man? He's not worth her time. Actually giving up his cultivation partner...is that something a man could do?" 

"He probably wasn't willing, or else he wouldn't be here right now. It's hard to go against one's sect and elders, not to mention the pressure of maintaining peace between the two realms..." 

"But he still shouldn't have given up his partner. If anyone dares to try to take you from me, I'll make both realms pay for it. If this man had the courage to talk to my Dad, he wouldn't have taken away his lover. He didn't do anything and is now wandering outside of the Qing Ze Sect. Does he have brain damage?" 

Chi Muyao also thought about it and said seriously, "If it were me, I wouldn't agree either. Better to die together." 

"A lover's suicide? If they're willing to make things difficult for you, why can't you return the favour? Just kill them first." 

"En, you're right!" Chi Muyao quickly realised what he just agreed to. "Wait, this is Su You's illusionary realm. Why are we getting so worked up?"

Xi Huai was still a little angry. He even rolled his eyes dramatically.

In his opinion, this man was an indecisive loser who didn't deserve his mother's love. 

Chi Muyao, on the other hand, realised a problem. "Everyone in your family cultivates so quickly. Are your parents...older than me?"

"My dad is older than you." 

Chi Muyao could finally breathe a sigh of relief. 

Immediately after, Xi Huai added, "You are...twenty years older than my Mom?" 

"..."