The awakening of the beast broke free from the depths of the earth completely. As depicted in novels, its true form was as large as the entire city of Ling, with a gigantic dragon’s body coiled in mid-air, its roar deafening, stirring up a storm that engulfed everything in the vast expanse of snow. Only a small ball of light continued to weave through the storm, like a dying candle flickering on the brink of being extinguished.

But in a moment, the ball of light suddenly brightened, circled the dragon several times, and then shot upward, disappearing into the clouds.

Bai Fanlu hadn’t fully processed what had just happened. He had been concentrating on maintaining the protective barrier while also keeping an eye on Xiao Liu, fearing that the sudden blizzard might be too much for him, turning him into an ice sculpture.

Unexpectedly, the seemingly weak youth took the lead. Just as Bai Fanlu was about to take flight with his sword, Xiao Liu suddenly pulled him into his arms. It was Bai Fanlu’s first time carrying someone with his sword, and he wasn’t very skilled at it. But with Xiao Liu holding him, the sword beneath them seemed to slip out of his control, yet remained unusually steady.

Bai Fanlu felt his body lighten as they soared effortlessly into the sky, leaving the menacing dragon far below, which quickly became a tiny, wriggling white worm in their view.

Bai Fanlu was slightly dazed and was just about to glance at Xiao Liu when the boy pressed his forehead against the side of Bai Fanlu’s face. Bai Fanlu could still feel the coolness of his cheek but made no protest. Instead, he lowered his eyes and vaguely noticed the sword they were standing on.

The blade was glowing faintly blue, flickering in and out of view among the retreating clouds. Was this his sword? Why did it look different?

Before Bai Fanlu could take a closer look, the hand on his head slid down to his neck. Xiao Liu seemed to relax his grip, allowing Bai Fanlu to feel a bit more at ease.

But that moment of relaxation lasted less than a second. The fingers at his neck slid to his chin, and Bai Fanlu felt Xiao Liu gently lift his face. Suddenly, everything went dark as his lips were sealed.

Compared to the last, somewhat uncomfortable experience, this kiss was soft, warm, and refreshing, like melting snow. The cool sensation gradually faded, replaced by a fiery, lingering heat.

Bai Fanlu squinted in surprise, finally realizing what was happening.

Was Xiao Liu really kissing him while flying with the sword? How was he so skilled at this? Could this even be done?

A novice managing such a fancy maneuver… Perhaps I should try it too someday…

Wait! Bai Fanlu finally snapped back to reality, realizing how far his thoughts had strayed. He pushed Xiao Liu away forcefully, causing him to lose balance and fall backward. Only then did Bai Fanlu remember that they were still in the sky. He opened his mouth to shout but was immediately caught again.

Before he could make a sound, his mouth was sealed once more, this time even more firmly. And it was his own fault.

By opening his mouth, he gave Xiao Liu the perfect opportunity. What had been a tentative kiss quickly escalated into something deeper, leaving Bai Fanlu’s words of protest muffled and eventually replaced by ambiguous, inviting sighs.

By the time Bai Fanlu felt he was about to pass out from lack of oxygen, they had already landed safely on the ground.

Xiao Liu finally released him, and Bai Fanlu immediately swung his “soft as jelly” fists at him. “What are you doing, suddenly—” He stopped himself mid-sentence, unable to articulate what he wanted to say.

“It wasn’t sudden,” Xiao Liu smiled faintly, his voice hoarse from the kiss, as he whispered in Bai Fanlu’s ear, “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.”

For a long time?

Bai Fanlu’s ears were already burning, and when he heard Xiao Liu’s words, his face turned as red as a firecracker. How long was this “long”? Had he been Xiao Liu’s imaginary target the entire time without realizing it?

Of course, he couldn’t have known that when Xiao Liu said “long,” he really meant a long, long time—much longer than Bai Fanlu could imagine.

At this moment, all he could do was silently cover his face in his heart and change the subject, “How do you know how to fly with a sword?”

“Me? I’m self-taught,” Xiao Liu lied without hesitation.

Bai Fanlu remembered the sword he had seen earlier and asked, “Where did you get that sword?”

He recalled that Xiao Liu only carried a knife.

Xiao Liu’s eyes flickered, but he said, “That’s your sword.”

“Huh?”

Bai Fanlu remembered that he had indeed used his own sword when they first took off, but his sword didn’t emit a blue light. And it had felt like Xiao Liu was controlling the sword afterward.

Xiao Liu drew the sword from Bai Fanlu’s waist, and with a ringing sound, the blade emitted a layer of faint blue light, much like the one Bai Fanlu had seen in the sky.

So it really was his sword? Xiao Liu’s sword-flying skills had reached the level where he could control someone else’s sword? It seemed that divine powers were no joke.

Bai Fanlu felt a pang of envy and resentment as he carefully studied Xiao Liu, who no longer looked like a sickly, poisoned youth. In such a short time, he had returned to his usual healthy self.

At that moment, Bai Fanlu almost wondered if Xiao Liu could cure the poison on his own without the antidote.

But as soon as the thought occurred to him, Bai Fanlu dismissed it. Even in the original story, not even Yun Zhan could deal with the poison. After returning to the Tianxu Sect, it had taken Ling Qingzi a great deal of effort to cure it. Xiao Liu had just been lucky to gain some divine power; he couldn’t be that strong.

Bai Fanlu didn’t realize that his thoughts were written all over his face, which was completely unguarded in front of Xiao Liu.

Xiao Liu gave him a deep look before turning his gaze to a certain direction. “Look, the snowflakes are coming.”

Bai Fanlu looked up and realized they had left the boundaries of Xunhuang City. Before them was an endless desert, where the yellow sand met the blue sky. From behind the mountains, snow rushed toward them, reaching them in no time.

Xiao Liu was the first to mount his horse. Bai Fanlu looked at Xiao Liu’s outstretched hand, hesitated, and ultimately didn’t take it. Instead, he called out his flying sword and stood on it, asking, “Where to?”

Xiao Liu withdrew his hand and shook the reins. “You were worried about those kids, right? Let’s go check on them.”

Bai Fanlu’s eyes widened slightly, his joy evident. He also felt a warm, indescribable gratitude for Xiao Liu’s thoughtfulness. Those words had touched him deeply.

“Alright! You lead the way, and I’ll follow.”

Xiao Liu chuckled, patted the snow-white mane of the horse, and said, “Let’s go.”

The wind was strong across the vast desert, but no longer icy. Occasionally, it kicked up some yellow sand.

Bai Fanlu followed closely behind the horse’s side, of course, staying airborne to avoid being hit by the dust kicked up by the horse’s hooves.

From his vantage point, the view was unobstructed. Under the setting sun, the vast desert stretched endlessly, with a lone black horse galloping across it, carrying a tall, proud youth on its back.

As Bai Fanlu flew, his mind began to wander.

“Brother, you’re falling behind.”

Suddenly, Xiao Liu’s clear, teasing voice echoed in Bai Fanlu’s mind.

Startled, Bai Fanlu realized he had fallen far behind. Xiao Liu had stopped his horse and was looking back at him.

His face suddenly felt hot again, and Bai Fanlu quickly muttered a calming chant, catching up to him.

He made a point of flying higher to avoid showing his flustered expression and saw that Xiao Liu was still waiting. He retorted in his mind, “Why are you just standing there?”

“Waiting for you,” Xiao Liu replied confidently, unlike a certain someone.

“… Let’s go!” The sword light cut through the sky as Bai Fanlu flew slightly ahead of the snow-white horse, determined not to lose focus again!

Xiao Liu looked up at Bai Fanlu flying with his sword and chuckled softly. The horse began to run again. They moved swiftly, needing no further words, until they reached an oasis in the desert, where the elderly and children they were looking for had been safely settled.

Even the little monkey, Zizi, rushed over as soon as it saw its master, clinging to Xiao Liu’s belly and even squeezing out a few tears.

Seeing them safe and sound, Bai Fanlu was even more appreciative of Xiao Liu. Although he didn’t express it directly, Xiao Liu could tell from the relieved and content expression on his face.

The oasis was quite large, with ample water and a vast seabuckthorn forest. However, the oasis was unstable and still a place of hardship, so they couldn’t stay long.

“It’s getting dark. We should rest here for the night and head south to Er Cang Mountain in the morning.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Bai Fanlu nodded.

He hadn’t expected Xiao Liu to have the same plan. Seeing him looking at him again, Bai Fanlu couldn’t resist ruffling his hair affectionately. “Not bad, you’re really maturing.”

“It’s more like we’re just in sync.” Xiao Liu was dissatisfied, feeling that Bai Fanlu’s gesture made him seem like a child.

“Who was it that said they wanted to mature earlier?” Bai Fanlu teased him.

Xiao Liu immediately retorted, “I’m already mature!”

The two of them playfully bantered back and forth. Just then, the talkative old lady from before came over with a baby in her arms and offered them each a seabuckthorn fruit, thanking them profusely.

The baby was sucking on its fingers, seemingly just waking up. It yawned and then, upon seeing Bai Fanlu, blinked its eyes and reached out with little hands for him to hold.

Bai Fanlu quickly took the baby, carefully holding it with one arm while gently tapping its little nose with the other. The baby suddenly grabbed his finger and put it in its mouth, sucking contentedly.

He’s so sweet, and he remembers people too? Bai Fanlu couldn’t help but smile.

But then he heard Xiao Liu huffing beside him. When he turned, he saw Xiao Liu wearing a mock scowl of indifference.

“Brother, you’ve never held me like that.”

“…”

Oh dear, was he actually jealous of a baby? Bai Fanlu had to take back what he said earlier. Who said this person had matured?

Bai Fanlu glanced up, embarrassed, fearing the old lady might notice something was off. But the old lady only smiled kindly and said to Xiao Liu, “Your brother seems like a very patient person. You must have been spoiled when you were little.”

It seemed she had heard Xiao Liu calling him “brother” and assumed they were siblings. Bai Fanlu didn’t bother to explain, but Xiao Liu deliberately made a funny face at the baby in the swaddle.

The baby’s big eyes blinked in confusion, but it continued to suck on Bai Fanlu’s finger, completely absorbed in its “delicious” treat.

This scene melted one person’s heart while leaving another soaking in a vat of aged vinegar.

As night fell and the camp quieted, Bai Fanlu, feeling drowsy, had just dozed off when he heard a rustling sound. Someone was sneaking up beside him in the darkness.

He had been sleeping against a tree, but now found himself being pressed against it. Fortunately, this time, Bai Fanlu reacted quickly and blocked the perpetrator—a repeat offender daring enough to stage another midnight ambush.

His hand was pushed away, revealing a face full of desire and frustration.

“Brother, let me kiss you.”

Xiao Liu whispered, his tone commanding, but his expression pleading.

Once again, Bai Fanlu had that feeling that Xiao Liu was like an oversized Samoyed. Most of the time, he could smile innocently, looking silly and cute, with a very likable appearance. But in essence, he was still a large canine, with sharp teeth and claws, and if not kept on a leash, potentially dangerous—especially a wild one.

“No,” Bai Fanlu didn’t want to be nibbled to pieces.

“Just one kiss,” Xiao Liu pleaded, but his face had already drawn closer.

Bai Fanlu felt that he should be angry, but he could only feel it because he couldn’t stop himself from smiling. He tried to maintain a stern expression, but in the dim moonlight, it lacked any real authority.

Xiao Liu finally seized the opportunity and pecked him lightly on the lips. It was really just a peck, because before it could go any further, Bai Fanlu pushed him away without hesitation, sending him tumbling over.

Xiao Liu shot him a fierce glare and then turned his back, lying down to sleep.

The deeply aggrieved and resentful look he gave Bai Fanlu was so comical that it left him both amused and exasperated, as if he had become a terrible villain.

After a while, with no further movement from Xiao Liu, Bai Fanlu wasn’t sure if he had fallen asleep.

He leaned back against the tree, pretending to doze off.

Sure enough, before long, he heard someone getting up and sitting beside him. Then a large, heavy head rested on his shoulder.

Bai Fanlu’s neck tickled where that head’s hair brushed against it. He tried to push it away but couldn’t and eventually gave up.

He let Xiao Liu lean against him, and as Bai Fanlu gazed up at the moon, he marveled at how quiet the desert night was, with a sky full of stars easily recognizable as the constellations of legend.

Such experiences were impossible in the city, and even since coming to this world, Bai Fanlu hadn’t had many nights as relaxing and stress-free as this one.

Tonight, for the first time, he felt a sense of inner peace.

A phrase came to mind: “The years are quiet and good.”

So that’s how it is… Bai Fanlu thought. As long as Xiao Liu was by his side, just quietly leaning against him like this, he felt at peace.

He smiled slightly and closed his eyes.

This time, unexpectedly, he didn’t suffer from insomnia. Without needing headphones or the voice of his male god, Bai Fanlu fell asleep in under a minute.

After he fell asleep, the boy beside him slowly opened his eyes. He carefully lifted his head, sat up, and then moved closer, gently laying Bai Fanlu down to rest his head on his lap. He bent his knees slightly to prevent him from rolling off in his sleep.

After doing all this, Xiao Liu lifted his hand and softly brushed away the hair from Bai Fanlu’s cheek, his fingers lingering over the slight curve of his lips. A flash of pain crossed his deep eyes.

“Brother, I’m sorry…”