Chapter 1496: That Cave Dwelling, That Pot of Peach Blossom Wine

The gate of the Cangxuan Sect stood silently as always. Beyond the gate, a massive protective formation shimmered with an unusual light, radiating a strong sense of security.

As Yaoyao, holding Zhou Yuan's hand, ascended the stone steps leading to the sect gate, she saw some familiar figures ahead: Zuoqiu Qingyu, Li Chunyang, Luluo, Chu Qing, Li Qingchan, and others. Further back, along the mountain path, crowds of people could be seen, their gazes subtly directed towards them.

Yaoyao's journey with Zhou Yuan across the Cangxuan Heaven had not been kept secret. Thus, all the major powers in Cangxuan Heaven were aware of their route and were paying close attention. After all, given their status, they were among the most powerful and influential figures in all the Heavens, and their every move captivated the hearts of mighty experts. Even the four Ancient Sovereigns of the Return to Ruin Divine Hall could not compare to their influence.

"Yaoyao!"

Zuoqiu Qingyu, barefoot, darted through the air like an arrow and embraced Yaoyao tightly. Her beautiful eyes were red, and she said, "It's wonderful to see you again."

Yaoyao gently patted Zuoqiu Qingyu's back.

Zuoqiu Qingyu released Yaoyao, then looked at Zhou Yuan, who stood beside them like a puppet, with a complex expression. She softly asked, "Has he not recovered yet?"

Yaoyao gently shook her head.

"Don't worry, Zhou Yuan will definitely get better," Zuoqiu Qingyu said earnestly.

Yaoyao offered a slight smile, then led Zhou Yuan forward to greet Li Qingchan, Chu Qing, and the others who had come to welcome them.

Luluo darted in front of Zhou Yuan, her large, clear black-and-white eyes wide. She asked, "Zhou Yuan, I'm Luluo, do you really not remember me?" Luluo's cute and innocent face was reflected in Zhou Yuan's blank, vacant eyes, yet there was no ripple of recognition.

Luluo immediately lowered her head, looking sad. On her shoulder, a small, ice-blue bird gently pecked her earlobe, offering comfort. Seeing this, the others nearby sighed inwardly.

"Yaoyao, you've worked hard. If you need anything here in the Cangxuan Sect, please don't hesitate to ask. Chu Qing is now the new sect master," Li Qingchan said, looking at Yaoyao.

Chu Qing, standing beside her, rubbed his bald head and said with a bitter expression, "Actually, Junior Brother Zhou Yuan is the most suitable for this sect master position. If he wakes up, I'd rather ask him if he could save me from it."

"I want to go to our old dwelling," Yaoyao said, her beautiful eyes filled with a trace of nostalgia.

"Don't worry, that dwelling has always been empty. No one else has been allowed inside," Chu Qing replied.

"Thank you," Yaoyao nodded in appreciation. She then said no more, simply leading Zhou Yuan along the mountain path, step by step, deeper into the Cangxuan Sect. Chu Qing, Li Qingchan, Zuoqiu Qingyu, and the others remained silent, following a short distance behind them.

As they proceeded along the mountain path, countless gazes fell upon them from all directions. These were disciples of the Cangxuan Sect, many of them newcomers, and they all looked at the pair walking at the very front with immense reverence. The girl in the white dress, beautiful as a celestial being descended to the mortal realm, must be the legendary Third God. Her appearance and aura seemed to embody the very essence of heaven and earth, capable of making everything else fade in comparison. They swore they had never seen a woman so stunning. In the past, they had thought Elder Li Qingchan represented the pinnacle of beauty and grace, but upon seeing this person today, they realized that the "ceiling of beauty" had been dramatically raised. And the tall, upright man beside her was clearly the Cangxuan Heaven Master, Zhou Yuan, who had emerged from their own Cangxuan Sect. For these countless Cangxuan Sect disciples, he was an idol in their hearts. Perhaps Zhou Yuan himself didn't realize the immense standing he held among the disciples of the Cangxuan Sect now.

Therefore, as the man and woman passed, the mountain path fell silent, and figures bowed deeply in postures of reverence and devotion.

Yaoyao, however, paid no mind to this. She led Zhou Yuan step by step along the long mountain path, eventually passing through the familiar pavilions nestled among the mountains. Finally, a cave dwelling appeared at the end of their sight.

In terms of size and status, that particular dwelling wasn't considered top-tier among the many in the Cangxuan Sect. Yet, it was now the most unique place within the sect. In earlier days, many Cangxuan Sect disciples would visit it as if on a pilgrimage. This was because many years ago, Senior Brother Zhou Yuan, who had not yet become the Cangxuan Heaven Master, had cultivated there. Since the founding of the Cangxuan Sect, he was the disciple who had achieved the most. In a sense, Zhou Yuan's strength had even surpassed that of the Cangxuan Ancestor, the sect's founder.

Yaoyao gazed at the dwelling, and a deep tenderness welled up in her usually serene eyes. In that moment, her cool, detached aura vanished, replaced by an unprecedented softness and allure. This dwelling held an irreplaceable significance for both her and Zhou Yuan. After they left the Great Zhou Dynasty, it was here that they truly lived dependent on each other, relying solely on one another. It was where their most cherished memories were made.

Yaoyao led Zhou Yuan, step by step, towards the dwelling, while Chu Qing, Li Qingchan, Zuoqiu Qingyu, and the others stopped, no longer following. They knew that small world belonged only to the two of them. Yaoyao bringing Zhou Yuan here as a last resort clearly indicated that she considered this place their final hope. If Zhou Yuan couldn't be awakened even here, then perhaps there would be no hope left in all the Heavens...

Under the gaze of countless eyes, Yaoyao, holding Zhou Yuan's hand with Tun Tun by her feet, slowly walked into the cave dwelling, their figures disappearing into the shadows within. Everyone collectively exhaled, leaving everything to fate.

Upon entering the dwelling, the first thing to catch the eye was the deeply remembered bluestone path. The path wound its way through delicate stone pavilions and streams. The cave's interior was cool, yet the lighting was excellent, with rays of light projecting through crevices, illuminating dancing dust motes. Deeper along the bluestone path, a flower garden came into view, where a hundred flowers bloomed in vibrant competition, a truly beautiful sight. Every seedling here had been planted by Yaoyao herself years ago. Over the years, those seedlings had matured, and their vivid colors made the dwelling exceptionally lively.

Yaoyao stood before the flower garden, quietly gazing at the mature clusters of blossoms, a faint smile gracing her red lips. Immediately, she led Zhou Yuan deeper, passing through a pavilion. Her steps gradually slowed, and rings of redness began to spread around her eyes. Reflected in her clear, limpid eyes was a flourishing peach tree, its blossoms in full bloom, scattering petals that warmed the entire dwelling.

Yaoyao stared blankly at the peach tree, then covered her mouth, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks. That year, the peach trees bloomed, their blossoms mirroring the blush on their faces. In this moment, Yaoyao truly wished that all of this was just a dream she had while napping with Zhou Yuan nestled beneath the peach tree. She didn't desire power, nor did she seek the reverence and awe of the world; she only wished to be quietly together with Zhou Yuan. However... she also understood that this was impossible.

Gently wiping away her tears, she led Zhou Yuan to the peach tree. The ground was now covered with petals; over the years, countless peach blossoms had bloomed and fallen, transforming into a thick layer of floral soil.

"Zhou Yuan, do you still remember..."

"Years ago, you brewed a wine for me called 'Peach Blossom Nectar,' and the very last pot of it was buried beneath this peach tree..."

"At that time, I thought this pot of wine would be for me to drink in the future, but I never expected..."

Yaoyao's slender, jade-like finger pointed towards the base of the peach tree, and the soil there parted. She then saw a pot of wine, covered in floral soil, lying quietly there. Yaoyao paid no mind to the soil on the wine pot, carefully lifting it. She gazed at the Peach Blossom Nectar, her smile filled with a tenderness more intoxicating than any wine in the world.

At this moment, Zhou Yuan's blank eyes also reflected the wine pot. Then, his puppet-like body seemed to tremble slightly. Yaoyao seemed to sense something. She gazed into Zhou Yuan's eyes and smiled, "Want to drink it?"

A seductive blush appeared on Yaoyao's beautiful, jade-like complexion. Ripples shimmered in her clear, lake-like eyes, and her pearly teeth gently bit her red lips. The next instant, her white dress visibly transformed, turning vibrant red. In mere moments, the stunning woman before him was adorned in a phoenix crown and embroidered robes, breathtakingly beautiful. With a flick of her jade-like finger, Zhou Yuan's clothes also began to change, turning bright red, just as they had been during their grand wedding.

Yaoyao knelt on the ground beneath the peach tree, covered in fallen blossoms, then pulled Zhou Yuan to kneel facing her. She gently opened the wine seal, and immediately, a rich, intoxicating aroma wafted out. That familiar, almost ingrained scent of wine made the smile on Yaoyao's lips even more enchanting. Holding the wine pot in one hand, she gracefully tilted her pale, slender neck, like an elegant swan. Yaoyao brought the pot to her lips and took a large, uninhibited gulp. Some wine trickled down the corners of her mouth, dampening her dress front. Finally, she lowered the pot, her jade-like face flushed with a captivating redness. The alluring charm that now radiated from her, never seen before, was enough to eclipse any other beauty in the world.

It was not the wine that intoxicated, but the person themselves. Yaoyao leaned forward, her cool, wine-moistened red lips directly pressing against Zhou Yuan's mouth. The wine flowed from her lips to his. At this moment, intense fluctuations emerged in Zhou Yuan's eyes. His hands trembled as he slowly wrapped them around the slender waist of the person before him. Sensing Zhou Yuan's seemingly instinctive reaction, Yaoyao's lips curved into a slight smile, and she responded with even greater fervor.

After a long while, their lips parted. Yaoyao's jade-like face was flushed with intoxicating red. She looked at the faint spark of life beginning to gather in Zhou Yuan's vacant eyes and smiled softly. She casually removed the jade hairpin from her hair, and her raven locks cascaded down like a waterfall. Immediately after, her phoenix crown and embroidered robes fell away completely, and the peach blossoms on the ground began to swirl, revealing a slender, graceful figure.

Yaoyao collapsed onto Zhou Yuan, her red dress half-draped, her jade-like skin faintly visible. She whispered into Zhou Yuan's ear, "Husband, on our wedding day, it seems there was one more step we didn't complete."

The next moment, she pulled Zhou Yuan down. Peach blossoms danced everywhere, converging to gradually form a spherical mass of petals, completely concealing them both. As the petals swirled, they resembled two rolling red waves, intertwining endlessly. The full bloom of spring, however, could no longer be concealed, filling the dwelling with vibrant life.

In the distance, Tun Tun covered its beast eyes with its paws and quickly scurried out of the dwelling, crouching by the entrance. Petals danced through the air, and the flecks of light cast into the cave from the crevices gradually transformed from the intense midday sun into cool moonlight, shining upon the spherical mass of peach blossoms beneath the tree.

Inside the sphere of blossoms, ethereal light now danced. Yaoyao lay quietly on Zhou Yuan's chest. His eyes were tightly closed, but Yaoyao could feel the fluctuations between his divine and human natures becoming peaceful, with his human nature beginning to take control. However, as the divine nature was suppressed, the divine power within Zhou Yuan also began to gradually dissipate. This was because he ultimately lacked a divine bone capable of bearing divinity. Therefore, when his human nature revived, his divine nature naturally began to fade due to this inherent flaw. When Zhou Yuan truly awakened, his power would regress to the Three Lotus stage.

Her red dress draped across her shoulders, Yaoyao also had her beautiful eyes slightly closed, listening to Zhou Yuan's vibrant heartbeat. This intimate moment made her wish to stay forever.

However... this would only be temporary. In the future, when the Saint God completed its metamorphosis, no one in all the Heavens would be able to contain it. At that time... whether it was her, Zhou Yuan, Tun Tun... everything would be annihilated. She was not afraid of destruction, but if possible, she wanted Zhou Yuan to continue experiencing the beauty of this world.

She slightly propped herself up, her gaze fixed on Zhou Yuan's sleeping face. Her red lips curved into a gentle arc, but tears once again streamed from her eyes. She leaned down and bit hard into Zhou Yuan's chest, leaving a mark.

"Zhou Yuan... my divinity has been absorbed by the Saint God. I can no longer defeat it. But... you might still have a chance."

"You... might be able to truly end the chaos in this world."

"Originally, I thought we could face destruction together, but now, I've selfishly changed my mind... Zhou Yuan, I don't want you to die. I want you to be well."

"You cannot truly become a god because you lack a divine bone..."

"So... Zhou Yuan..."

"Let me become your divine bone."

A look of determination appeared in her eyes. The next moment, divine light began to emanate from her body, tightly enveloping both of them. Yaoyao's form gradually transformed into countless shimmering points of light. These light particles, following the bite mark on Zhou Yuan's chest, one by one, completely seeped into his body. And Yaoyao's delicate body began to grow ethereal and translucent.

Yaoyao lowered her head and gently caressed Zhou Yuan's face, a radiant and moving smile blooming on her cheeks as her final words softly emerged.

"Zhou Yuan... Yaoyao has no other wish but for your future to be filled with peace and joy."

The next instant, her body completely transformed into countless divine lights.

Outside the dwelling, Tun Tun, who had just rushed out, suddenly stopped in its tracks. It stared blankly into the dwelling; at that moment, it sensed something. It tried to charge in, but at the entrance, it was as if an invisible wall of light pushed it back, sending it flying. Helpless, it stomped its four paws on the ground, making the earth tremble. Finally, it let out a long howl directed at the sky, a cry that shook heaven and earth, filled with boundless grief and sorrow.