At the base of the Spirit Spring Formation lies the Spirit Spring, where immortal lords cleanse themselves and ascend in a day.

The story goes back to the peerless deity who originally chose Fu Xi Mountain as the core of the formation because of the presence of a Spirit Spring in the mountain. Back then, the deity, ranked among the immortals, cleansed himself in the Spirit Spring and ascended to godhood in just one day, which became a famous tale in the immortal world.

Thus, the Spirit Spring, rich in spiritual energy, once attracted countless cultivators. But, much like a well-trodden tourist spot, the Spirit Spring, though still the same, no longer produced stories of ascension like that of the deity.

Nonetheless, it remains an excellent place for healing, nurturing one’s nature, and replenishing immortal power.

But Bai Fanlu couldn’t care less about these things right now. Every brain cell in his head was trembling in fear.

According to the original plot, Yun Zhan wasn’t injured at all. He successfully passed through the formation, while it was the original Bai Fanlu who was gravely wounded.

Although the master also mentioned that the original Bai Fanlu should bathe in the Spirit Spring, the original was determined to follow Yun Zhan down the mountain, even going so far as to use an illusion to hide his injuries. Ling Qingzi could see through it but didn’t have the heart to stop his devoted disciple, so he let him go.

The famous “Spirit Spring Bathing” scene happened much later, after Yun Zhan returned gravely injured from outside, and the original Bai Fanlu accompanied him.

As for the outcome of that… it’s indescribable.

“I need to retreat for a day. We’ll find another time to tackle the formation. Yun Zhan is in your care.”

Ling Qingzi’s voice snapped Bai Fanlu out of his wandering thoughts.

Awkwardly raising his eyes, Bai Fanlu saw that the bloodstain at Ling Qingzi’s lips had somehow been purified, but his complexion was pale, and his lips were so red that they were almost alarming. The battle just now had clearly taken a toll on his vitality.

“…Yes, Master.”

Bai Fanlu felt guilty, knowing that Ling Qingzi was injured because he had saved him, an imposter. He had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

Ling Qingzi closed his eyes once more, his robes fluttered lightly, and he turned into mist, disappearing.

On the platform, only Bai Fanlu and the seemingly unconscious blue-clad young man lying on the ground remained.

As fate would have it, Yun Zhan had injured Bai Fanlu’s right shoulder, and the two projectiles just now also happened to hit Yun Zhan’s shoulder, making things even!

Alright, just toss him into the Spirit Spring and be done with it. After all, Bai Fanlu wasn’t the original character; he had no reason to offer his body to heal someone else.

With this in mind, Bai Fanlu looked down at Yun Zhan, who was lying there so straight and tall. Judging by his physique, he was taller and stronger than Bai Fanlu. How was he supposed to get him to the Spirit Spring?

Looking around and seeing that the other disciples were gone, Bai Fanlu squatted down, grabbed Yun Zhan’s arm, and silently chanted a teleportation spell.

A flash of white light, and the next moment, he was standing by a spring.

It actually worked!

But when he looked down… his hands were empty.

Bai Fanlu had to teleport back.

He couldn’t teleport with another person, so perhaps he could fly with him? But remembering how he had fallen off the sword twice already, Bai Fanlu decided to give up on that idea.

The book said that the Spirit Spring was in a cave at the end of a small path behind the formation. He would have to do this the old-fashioned way.

Bai Fanlu squatted down again, “Junior Brother, forgive me.”

He gently patted Yun Zhan’s face and pinched the philtrum to ensure that he wouldn’t wake up immediately. Then, with great difficulty, he propped Yun Zhan up and slung him over his shoulder.

So heavy…

Bai Fanlu struggled to stand and limped down the steps.

But from an angle he couldn’t see, the young man on his shoulder, who was supposed to be unconscious, slightly opened his eyes. He stared at the pale neck exposed beneath Bai Fanlu’s dark hair, his cold gaze calm and unperturbed.

Compared to the barren round boulder that was the Spirit Spring Formation, the Spirit Spring itself had a more celestial atmosphere.

It should have been early morning in the mortal world, with the sun rising in the east and the sky adorned with colorful clouds. Fu Xi Mountain was home to rare immortal plants, with cranes chirping and light mist floating around, the spring babbling softly.

But Bai Fanlu was too exhausted to appreciate the beauty.

Yun Zhan was simply too heavy, and he seemed to grow heavier with each step. Bai Fanlu’s shoulder was already injured, and the fight with the demon was no illusion. He was now pushing himself to the limit, slowly shuffling forward.

He could only be grateful that the Spirit Spring was below the formation, not above it. If he had to climb the steps, he wouldn’t have made it.

He muttered to himself, “Junior Brother, you really should eat less in the future.”

“Okay.”

A warm breath brushed against his ear, causing Bai Fanlu to stumble, his ankle aching sharply as he lost his balance and… toppled over.

Before hitting the ground, he felt someone push him hard on the shoulder, and then he found himself face down on a firm body. Together, they tumbled down the stone steps, rolling uncontrollably.

They rolled who knows how many times, until Bai Fanlu was dizzy. Then there was a loud “thud” as they both plunged into the cold water at the bottom of the steps.

Soon, all sounds disappeared, and his vision turned white. The person who had been entangled with him slipped away like a fish, disappearing, while a massive sense of suffocation dragged Bai Fanlu further down.

Silence. Except for the bubbling sounds, there was nothing but silence.

Help! He couldn’t swim!

Bai Fanlu kicked his legs like a frog, trying to recall any spell that could save him, but in the critical moment, he couldn’t think of a single one.

Bubbles escaped from his mouth.

Just then, a figure broke through the ripples, swimming toward him.

Overjoyed, Bai Fanlu struggled to wave his arms, but as the figure got closer, his joy turned to terror.

It was Yun Zhan!

To be honest, Bai Fanlu was amazed at himself. Even in a life-or-death situation, as he watched his potential savior approach, the first thought that came to his mind wasn’t to desperately grab hold, but the passage from the book describing an intimate scene:

“He opened his mouth, capturing his soft lips, transferring spiritual energy mixed with oxygen, yet they did not part after the transfer. Someone secretly increased the pressure, and the two were entwined like intertwined water plants, tightly pressed together…”

!!!

With a desperate prayer, Bai Fanlu, just as Yun Zhan was about to reach him, miraculously managed to perform some unknown spell. Like an arrow shot from a bow—or rather, like a flying fish leaping out of the water—he shot to the surface.

He somersaulted into a pile of celestial grass, gasping for breath and coughing up the water that had choked him.

That was close… too close…

It wasn’t his fault he had such a good memory; it was just that the scene he’d just recalled was one of the only two explicit scenes in the original book.

After he surfaced, another head soon popped out of the water. Bai Fanlu quickly jumped up and backed away.

However, the male protagonist of the explicit scene did not come ashore. He didn’t even glance at Bai Fanlu. Instead, he slowly swam to the edge of the pool, leaned against a stone, and took a deep breath, his shoulders heaving slightly, as if extremely fatigued. Then, he became completely still.

Bai Fanlu waited and waited, and before he knew it, the immortal energy in the air had dried his clothes. The colorful clouds in the mortal world had drifted away, and Yun Zhan still hadn’t moved from his original position.

Bai Fanlu wanted to quietly slip away, but when he thought about the relationship between the original Bai Fanlu and this Yun Zhan, and remembered that Yun Zhan had even pulled him back when they were falling, he decided to stay a bit longer, just to make sure Yun Zhan was okay before leaving. That would be the reasonable thing to do.

Yun Zhan really seemed to be quite seriously injured. Bai Fanlu’s clothes were already dry, but Yun Zhan’s remained wet.

It was said that an immortal’s wet clothes could either be dried passively by their immortal energy or actively dried by their immortal energy. Bai Fanlu figured that his clothes had been dried passively, so maybe he should try drying Yun Zhan’s clothes actively.

Bai Fanlu silently chanted a cleansing spell and waved it over Yun Zhan’s back. His blue robes, which had been soaked to a dark blue, slowly returned to their original bright blue, and even the bloodstains were removed.

It worked pretty well. Bai Fanlu felt a bit of pride.

“Junior Brother?” he called out tentatively, but there was no response.

Gathering his courage, Bai Fanlu approached and patted Yun Zhan on the shoulder, but still received no reaction.

Looking around, he noticed a stone

 stele at the point where the steps met the water, inscribed with the words “Spirit Spring.” This was undoubtedly the Spirit Spring, and perhaps Yun Zhan was in a meditative state for healing, so Bai Fanlu decided not to disturb him.

Just as Bai Fanlu was about to sneak away, he suddenly realized something.

The discomfort from his earlier injuries seemed to have lessened, and he felt much lighter while climbing the steps. Could this be the effect of briefly falling into the water earlier?

He glanced back at the Spirit Spring, thinking it would be a shame to leave such a good healing place unused.

The original story mentioned that disciples were generally not allowed to bathe in the Spirit Spring without Ling Qingzi’s special permission. Of course, Yun Zhan, as the current acting sect leader, was an exception.

After a brief hesitation, Bai Fanlu returned to the spring, choosing the spot farthest from Yun Zhan, where he could still observe Yun Zhan’s movements. He then eased himself into the water.

The water was cold.

Bai Fanlu didn’t dare immerse himself completely. The near-drowning experience still haunted him, so he only dipped his legs into the water. As soon as the water touched his skin, it seemed to come alive, quickly coiling around his legs.

At first, it was icy cold, but gradually, it became warm and soothing. Bai Fanlu marveled at the sensation and noticed that the swelling in his ankle, which he had twisted earlier, was receding. In no time, it was completely healed, with no sign of discomfort.

Amazing. Bai Fanlu silently praised the spring. Then, seeing how clear the water was, he couldn’t resist playing with it, scooping up a handful and tossing it into the air.

As the water splashed, Bai Fanlu noticed that the person soaking in the spring across from him slowly opened his eyes.

“Uh…”

“Senior Brother seems to be in a good mood?”

Hearing the question, Bai Fanlu froze. It wasn’t the question itself that stunned him, but the voice. Now that Yun Zhan had spoken more than just a single syllable, the effect of his voice was even more pronounced—it sent shivers down Bai Fanlu’s spine and made his heart race…

“Today, I acted impulsively and accidentally injured you, Senior Brother. I hope you won’t hold it against me.”

This voice was absolutely enchanting!

Bai Fanlu’s heart pounded. What had Yun Zhan just said? Not to hold it against him?

Of course, he wouldn’t! As a voice enthusiast, Bai Fanlu thought, he could forgive this celestial voice for injuring him a hundred times over.

But…

An injury was one thing, but there was a limit to how much one could endure.

Bai Fanlu cleared his throat, silently repositioned his legs, and placed his feet together, “It’s fine.”

In the novel, the original Bai Fanlu was quite scheming. Such casual behavior as he had just shown was inappropriate.

He barely managed to regain his sense of propriety, silently raising his guard. He never expected Yun Zhan’s voice to be so irresistibly alluring.

If the original danger level he had anticipated was five stars, this voice could easily elevate it to a seven-star luxury hotel level.

Bai Fanlu knew his own weaknesses too well. He was certain he needed to stay away from this person, or the consequences could be disastrous.

“Master…”

“Are you feeling better?” Bai Fanlu cut him off, determined not to let Yun Zhan say another word.

“I’m better…”

“That’s a relief. You should rest a while longer. Master has something he needs to discuss with me, but I’ll be back shortly.”

Imitating the tone the original Bai Fanlu would have used, he spoke gently but firmly to this junior brother whom he had raised.

“Master?” Yun Zhan seemed puzzled.

Bai Fanlu was about to teleport when he suddenly stopped. He had forgotten that Ling Qingzi had gone into seclusion.

So, Yun Zhan might not have been unconscious after all. Could he have heard everything?

Could he have seen Bai Fanlu teleport away and then return?

No, no way… Bai Fanlu had even pinched him, and his eyebrows hadn’t moved an inch. He must have been unconscious.

Bai Fanlu paused for a moment. “The matter of the demon clan spy—I’m not comfortable leaving it to Chongyu alone, so I need to go check.”

“Senior Brother…” Yun Zhan lowered his head, gazing at the water in front of him. “You’re still upset, aren’t you?”

Bai Fanlu couldn’t stop Yun Zhan from saying this. But hearing such a melancholic, sorrowful, yet restrained voice made Bai Fanlu’s only thought—kneel.

“I’m not upset.” He was defeated.

The young man still looked dejected and forlorn. A moment later, he sank into the water on his own.

Bai Fanlu, unsure how to respond, suddenly heard a distant voice in his mind.

“Senior Brother, you should go.”