Ye Feng’s movements stalled, and his calm face showed no sign of emotion.
However, Zhu Lan’s heart couldn’t stop racing with panic.
Although she was very reluctant to admit it, Zhu Lan knew clearly that she was a bit afraid of this fellow countryman of hers.
Ye Feng raised his hand, and Zhu Lan instantly squeezed her eyes shut.
‘Is the male lead really going to hit me?’
Fortunately, Ye Feng only gently pinched a lock of hair by Zhu Lan’s ear, bringing it to his nose to sniff.
Zhu Lan was baffled.
“Zhu Lan, you are actually so naive to think you have a choice.”
Ye Feng’s voice was clearly light, yet Zhu Lan’s legs couldn’t stop trembling.
The male lead being like this put immense pressure on her.
Ye Feng pressed close to Zhu Lan’s ear forcefully and irresistibly, his voice freezing cold.
“You only have one last path to choose. If you are proactive, you can suffer a little less. If you are still thinking of running… you’ll have a lot more suffering to endure.”
After Ye Feng finished speaking, he keenly noticed Zhu Lan’s body shaking.
“I am not an unreasonable person, as long as you stay by my side peacefully and contentedly. Proactively obey me and please me, and I will protect you for a lifetime, giving you endless supreme opportunities, okay?”
When he said this, Ye Feng’s tone carried a hint of lightness, as if the person who had just put pressure on Zhu Lan wasn’t him.
“If you are still thinking of running, you’d better pray you can hide somewhere beyond Tianya Haijiao. If I catch you again, I won’t wait for your Core Formation. Instead, I’ll use the best ropes to tie you up in a place where only I exist, claiming your favors day and night.”
Having finished, Ye Feng didn’t even look at Zhu Lan’s reaction.
He turned around and walked out.
“I will let you off today. You have two days to consider.”
From the moment he stepped out until he reached his own cultivation room, the heavy frown on Ye Feng’s brow never cleared.
His mind was filled only with the sight of her trembling.
His heart ached for her, yet he wanted to punish her severely.
Ye Feng felt somewhat conflicted.
He shouldn’t have scared her like that.
But he was unwilling to admit the truth in his heart.
‘I’m afraid of losing her again.’
…
After Ye Feng completely vanished from her sight, Zhu Lan collapsed onto the bed like a pile of broken wood.
She curled into a ball on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest.
Zhu Lan didn’t quite understand how things had reached this point.
She was lost and afraid, not knowing how to proceed on the path ahead.
She had a long, hard cry.
Vague sounds of sobbing drifted through the cultivation room to the outside.
Ye Feng wanted to go in several times, but in the end, he just frustratedly held his breath.
Since the words had already been spoken, he should use his usual ruthlessness to achieve his goal.
Ye Feng quietly departed.
The entire next day, Zhu Lan lay in bed and refused to get up.
Outside, the two spirit beast eggs that were half-buried in the soil shook several times, not understanding why there was no water today.
“Junior Sister, are you there?”
Bai Xue’s voice rang out from outside the cultivation room.
Zhu Lan snapped out of her daze, hurriedly wiped the tear stains from her face, and tidied her messy hair before reluctantly opening a small crack in the door.
“Senior Sister, you’re here. I’m sorry, I don’t feel well today, so I can’t go listen to your lecture.”
Zhu Lan’s voice was very soft, as if it would shatter at the slightest touch.
Bai Xue was startled.
“Cultivators who have stepped onto the immortal path generally don’t get sick. Junior Sister, where do you feel unwell? Master knows medicine; I’ll take you to see her.”
Zhu Lan remained silent for a moment before forcing a strained smile.
“No need, Senior Sister. I’ve rested all day and feel much better. I’ll continue coming to your lectures tomorrow!”
Hearing this, Bai Xue could only nod.
“I’ve already watered the two spirit beast eggs outside for you. Get some good rest, Junior Sister.”
Once Bai Xue left, the inside and outside of the cultivation room fell into complete silence.
Zhu Lan had reached a decision.
Blindly avoiding things could only deceive herself; the problem still existed and needed to be resolved.
She dressed neatly and specifically made her hair look messy before heading out.
…
In the cultivation room on the back mountain, Ye Feng opened his eyes the moment the door opened.
“You’re here.”
His voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.
Zhu Lan didn’t speak.
She walked straight forward and, with a hint of bashfulness, blocked Ye Feng’s mouth with her own.
Ye Feng was stunned, finding it hard to believe she was actually being so proactive.
Immediately afterward, he reacted and quickly seized the initiative.
He repeated his old tricks.
Zhu Lan endured the discomfort, closing her eyes and trying her best to suppress her instinct to resist.
After a long time, Ye Feng finally stood up, satisfied.
He casually tossed down a uniquely shaped spirit stone.
“This spirit stone helps with cultivation. You must use it when you circulate your technique to regulate your breathing. Under normal use, this stone is enough for you to reach the late stage of Foundation Establishment.”
Only then did Zhu Lan open her eyes, and Ye Feng immediately saw those watery orbs.
Ye Feng hid the dark emotions in the depths of his eyes and emphasized, “There is a problem with the cultivation technique you are practicing. When you circulate that manual, the aura of your Pure Yin Physique becomes very obvious. At that time, others will be able to see the abnormality at a glance.”
Zhu Lan’s head was a bit dazed.
Having stayed in bed all day, her head felt heavy, and she had just been toyed with by Ye Feng for so long that she didn’t react immediately.
Ye Feng was in an exceptionally good mood now, and he said patiently, “Every time you cultivate, you must bring this Heavenly Crystal Stone with you. It can cover the aura of your Pure Yin Physique.”
Zhu Lan thought of the Nine Yin Profound Nether Scripture she was practicing.
Could it be that something had gone wrong with the technique?
“Then why did I…”
Ye Feng seemed to see what Zhu Lan was about to ask and explained, “The bracelet I gave you last time was also made from a fragment of a Heavenly Crystal Stone. I hadn’t found a large one back then. Now that I have this large piece, you don’t need to wear the bracelet anymore.”
Zhu Lan reached out, revealing the bracelet on her snowy white wrist, feeling a bit surprised.
So it was thanks to this. She had only kept wearing it because she thought it looked nice.
Just as Zhu Lan was about to take it off, Ye Feng stopped her.
“Why? Didn’t you say it isn’t needed…”
“Since it’s a gift from me, you must wear it properly.”
Ye Feng was always persistent in the strangest places.
Zhu Lan blinked and gave a soft “Mm.”
Ye Feng’s heart raced seeing Zhu Lan acting so obediently.
“Can I?”
Ye Feng’s gaze was burning.
Zhu Lan looked away.
“As you wish.”
Ye Feng was not polite at all, and this time, he was even more excessive.
He focused intensely, staring for a long time before asking another question.
“Can I?”
“No… you said you would wait until I reached Core Formation.”
Zhu Lan’s face was as red as a ripe apple, her voice as thin as a mosquito’s buzz.
“What about other things?”
Zhu Lan was stunned by Ye Feng’s suggestive words.
She could only shake her head repeatedly, her voice soft and carrying a hint of a plea.
“Ye Feng, wait until I reach Core Formation, okay? I… I can’t take it.”
Ye Feng didn’t answer, finally unable to help himself from leaning over her.
“!”
The person in Ye Feng’s arms let out an alarming sound, like the whimpering of a small animal.
She could be heard pleading bitterly, “Ye Feng, don’t be like this. Wait until I reach Core Formation, okay? I—I’m scared.”
She resisted instinctively.
Tears welled up in her eyes almost instantly, making her look exceptionally pitiful.
She was frantically stimulating the man’s protective urge and his desire.
Ye Feng didn’t reply.
With every passing second, he discovered and understood new knowledge.
His heart grew even more manic.