Chapter 455: Talk

On the mountain path, two figures walked one behind the other. Tun Tun, positioned between them, occasionally turned its head to cast a rather smug glance at Zhou Yuan, evidently sensing Yaoyao's displeasure.

Zhou Yuan rolled his eyes at Tun Tun, then looked at the slender figure walking ahead, scratching his head. He hadn't expected Yaoyao, who usually seemed so indifferent to everything, to actually be upset this time.

Yaoyao remained silent, and Zhou Yuan dared not initiate a conversation. Thus, the two returned to their cave dwelling in a rather subdued silence.

Upon reaching the cave dwelling, Yaoyao said plainly, "Go wash yourself."

Zhou Yuan, smelling his own sweaty odor, gave a dry chuckle and obediently went to clean himself.

Meanwhile, Yaoyao sat in the pavilion by the cliff edge. She took out a jade flask, poured herself some wine, and held the cup in her delicate hand. Her ethereal eyes gazed out at the clouds beyond the cliff, watching them endlessly roll and unfurl.

After a while, Zhou Yuan emerged, now clean, and sat opposite Yaoyao.

Yaoyao still didn't acknowledge him, merely staring blankly at the clouds beyond the cliff.

After a long silence, she slowly withdrew her gaze. Her flawless face devoid of any emotion, she looked at Zhou Yuan and began, "You..."

"I was wrong," Zhou Yuan interjected without hesitation, just as she started to speak.

Yaoyao paused, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. "Wrong..."

"Sister Yaoyao is absolutely right!" Zhou Yuan said immediately, his posture perfectly deferential.

"Wh—"

"It won't happen again!"

Each time Yaoyao began to speak, Zhou Yuan immediately adopted an attitude of submission and surrender, humble and seemingly ready to endure any rebuke.

After being interrupted several times, Yaoyao's jade cup gently tapped the table with a crisp sound. Her beautiful eyes, now cold, fixed on Zhou Yuan. "Shut up!"

Zhou Yuan clamped his mouth shut.

Tun Tun, observing the scene from the side, shot Zhou Yuan a disdainful look, clearly finding his spinelessness unbearable.

Yaoyao shot Zhou Yuan a sharp glance. His continuous interruptions had somewhat defused her initial anger. With a slight huff, she immediately drained the wine in her cup.

Noticing the coldness on Yaoyao's face begin to recede, Zhou Yuan finally exhaled in relief. He quickly reached for the jade flask to pour her more wine.

However, Yaoyao brushed his hand away. She took the jade flask herself and poured her own drinks.

She drank several cups before finally lowering her gaze and slowly stating, "Zhou Yuan, you are far too impatient."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan sighed softly. "Sister Yaoyao," he began, "I have no reason to relax. I'm not like Senior Brother Chu Qing, who only exerts a fraction of his strength. I... I must always give my absolute utmost."

"The Great Zhou Dynasty still faces the looming threat of the Great Wu Dynasty. No one knows when the Great Wu will make its move, but once it does, the Great Zhou will undoubtedly pay a colossal price."

"The Great Zhou is currently incapable of resisting the Great Wu, and I am the Great Zhou's sole hope."

Yaoyao gazed at Zhou Yuan. Over the past few years, the once powerless youth had gradually transformed, and it was clear that immense pressure rested on his shoulders.

Even if he rarely showed it.

Yaoyao held her wine cup and said softly, "You know you are the Great Zhou's only hope. What will become of the Great Zhou if something happens to you?"

Her eyes fixed on the wine in her cup, she murmured, "And then, where would I go?"

A hint of confusion tinged her voice. Her origins were shrouded in mystery; she knew nothing of them herself. Previously, she had only one kin: Cang Yuan.

Cang Yuan had entrusted her to Zhou Yuan, and after years of companionship, her solitary heart had gradually come to regard Zhou Yuan as family. She couldn't fathom what she would do if something were to happen to him.

She held no attachment to the Cangxuan Sect; her presence there was solely due to Zhou Yuan.

If Zhou Yuan were gone, she would naturally have no reason to remain.

In that vast world, she would truly have nowhere to go.

She didn't even know who her parents were, and even regarding these 'parents,' she felt no emotion in her heart...

A rare glimmer of confusion and helplessness in Yaoyao's eyes sent a faint pang through Zhou Yuan's heart. He reached out and gently took her small hand, cool and smooth as jade.

Zhou Yuan said softly, "Sister Yaoyao, I know your background must be profoundly significant. After all, even beings like Master Cang Yuan and Old Ancestor Cang Xuan are connected to you. Compared to them, I am as insignificant as an ant right now."

"Over the years, every time I've faced danger, you've been the one to protect me."

"But I promised Master Cang Yuan I would protect you. I don't want to end up failing even this promise..."

Zhou Yuan looked at the flawless, jade-like face before him, smiled, and said, "Sister Yaoyao, I cultivate so desperately... first, to protect the Great Zhou, and second, so that one day, when you face danger, I can possess the ability to fight for even a sliver of hope for you."

"Even if the cost is my own life."

His smile was carefree, yet his eyes, fixed on Yaoyao, were filled with profound earnestness.

Gazing into Zhou Yuan's eyes, Yaoyao seemed to freeze. In her gaze, which was usually filled with indifference toward all things, there appeared at this moment a sign of melting.

Therefore, when Zhou Yuan took her small hand, she didn't pull away. Instead, her slender fingers gently curled, clasping his hand as she softly said, "If that day truly comes, I hope you... live on."

At that moment, outside the cliff, sunlight broke through the clouds, casting dappled light into the stone pavilion, as if enveloping the two of them. Motes of dust danced in the beams.

Zhou Yuan's heart, too, was quietly stirred by Yaoyao's soft whispers.

He gazed at her glowing, jade-like face, a tremor in his heart. He stood up, their eyes met, and he found himself slowly leaning closer.

Zhou Yuan's face was reflected in Yaoyao's bright eyes, and she seemed to stiffen.

They drew closer and closer, their breaths fanning across each other's faces.

Roar! Roar!

However, just as their lips were about to meet, a beast's roar suddenly echoed. Yaoyao instantly snapped awake, a rare flicker of panic in her eyes, and reflexively splashed the wine from her cup onto Zhou Yuan's face.

Zhou Yuan's face stiffened, the wine dripping down it.

A blush bloomed on Yaoyao's jade-like cheeks. She shot Zhou Yuan a glare, then quickly turned and retreated into the small building, slamming the door shut with a bang.

Zhou Yuan stood frozen, like a statue.

After a long moment, he slowly wiped the wine from his face. His expression grim, he turned to Tun Tun, gritting his teeth. "You scoundrel, I'm going to eat you today!"

He lunged forward with fierce intent.

That ungrateful creature, who had devoured countless of his meals, had actually ruined his moment!

Such an atmosphere was a rare occurrence; normally, Yaoyao would revert to her usual cold indifference, and Zhou Yuan wouldn't dare attempt such a thing, even with immense courage. Yet, this precious opportunity had been utterly ruined by Tun Tun.

Man and beast immediately engaged in a furious struggle.

Moments later.

Zhou Yuan lay on the ground, covered in scratches. Beside him, Tun Tun proudly strutted, emitting mocking snorts, clearly indicating that this skirmish had ended in Zhou Yuan's defeat.

Zhou Yuan let out a sigh of bitter indignation; he couldn't even defeat a mere beast...

Yet, amidst his indignation, his eyes slowly drooped, and he drifted into an exhausted sleep.

Tun Tun watched Zhou Yuan fall asleep on the ground, blinked its bestial eyes, then slyly crept to his head, lifted a leg, and was about to urinate on him.

However, just as its leg went up, a jade-like hand firmly pinched its ear, lifting it straight into the air.

Tun Tun struggled, but froze instantly upon seeing Yaoyao's clear, cool eyes, its bestial gaze now filled with a pleading, fawning expression.

"Take him back," Yaoyao instructed, glancing at Zhou Yuan sprawled on the ground.

Tun Tun was dropped. It enlarged its body, hoisted Zhou Yuan onto its back, and dutifully carried him back to the small building.

The following day, when Zhou Yuan awoke from his deep slumber, he found himself lying on a soft bed. As he gazed at the bed canopy, the abundant vital energy radiating within him gradually restored him to peak condition.

A clear, ancient bell chime suddenly resonated throughout the world.

A brilliant light erupted in Zhou Yuan's eyes. Deep within his gaze, a surging battle intent now burned.

The Chief Disciple competition had finally begun.