The passage of time had become an indistinct, swirling blur for Su Chan. He was adrift, tossed upon a tumultuous sea of conflicting, overwhelming sensations. First, there was the gnawing, corrosive agony of the curse, a terrifying, internal heat that had threatened to incinerate his very soul, leaving nothing but ash.
Then, much later, as if surfacing from an impossibly deep, dark ocean, a new energy began to permeate his ravaged being – incredibly pure, soothingly cool, and profoundly potent.
It felt like the first gentle spring rain upon earth long parched by drought, a soft, ethereal moonbeam piercing the deepest, most despairing night. This new energy, powerful yet tender, began to battle the destructive, malevolent curse, not with brute, overwhelming force, but with a profound, intrinsic harmonizing resonance, slowly, painstakingly, pushing back the encroaching darkness, mending what had been torn asunder, soothing what had been so cruelly burned.
He sensed, rather than saw, his dissipating Chaos Divine Body begin to stabilize, the chaotic, primordial energies within him finding a new, albeit fragile and externally supported, equilibrium under the influence of this sacred, pristine Yin power.
His rapidly regressing cultivation, which had plummeted catastrophically from the glorious Peak of Foundation Building, finally halted its precipitous, terrifying fall. Then, incredibly, it began to slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, recover some of its lost ground, his entire spiritual foundation now imbued with a unique, almost ethereal quality it hadn't possessed before, a subtle fragrance of frost and moonlight.
Slowly, agonizingly, consciousness began its hesitant return. His eyelids fluttered, heavy as mountains of lead. The first sensation that fully registered was a profound, bone-deep exhaustion, a weariness so complete that even the simple act of drawing breath felt like a monumental, almost impossible, effort.
Then, a faint, almost intoxicating scent reached his senses – the familiar, cherished aroma of frost-kissed orchids, his master's unique fragrance, now mingled with something else… something uniquely feminine, incredibly pure, and almost achingly vulnerable that seemed to cling to the very air around him, and even, strangely, to the essence of his own being.
His vision, blurry at first, gradually cleared. He was still within the serene confines of the main hall of Fairy Peak, but he was now lying on a soft, intricately embroidered silken mat that definitely hadn't been there before his collapse. And kneeling beside him, her usually immaculate snow-white robes slightly disheveled, her exquisitely beautiful face pale and etched with a weariness that starkly mirrored his own, yet shining with an inner light of profound, almost tearful relief and a subtle, entirely new shyness, was his master, Bai Lianxin.
Memory, sharp, brutal, and terrifying, came flooding back with the force of a tidal wave – his joyous examination of his newly fused physique, the sudden, indescribable, soul-rending agony, the horrifying system notifications detailing the curse that was devouring his body and cultivation from within, the crushing despair of imminent, unavoidable death… and then… nothing but suffocating blackness.
He vividly remembered the system's dire prognosis, its stark declaration of his impending demise, and its damning admission of its own current inability to provide him with a solution. How… how then, was he alive? What miracle had pulled him back from that final, precipitous abyss?
"Master…" Su Chan rasped, his voice hoarse and weak, his throat painfully dry. He tried to push himself up, to sit, but a wave of profound dizziness washed over him, and his limbs, heavy as stone, refused to fully obey.
Bai Lianxin's hand, cool and gentle as a mountain spring, immediately, instinctively, steadied him, her touch sending a strange, almost electric tremor through his weakened frame. "Easy, disciple," she said, her voice softer, more tender, more imbued with raw, undisguised emotion than he had ever heard it in seventeen years.
There was an uncharacteristic vulnerability in her luminous eyes, a delicate, almost maidenly flush gracing her usually alabaster cheeks, that was entirely new and deeply unsettling to him in its unfamiliarity, hinting at something profound and irrevocable having transpired. "The curse… it has been temporarily stabilized. You are safe, for now."
Su Chan looked at her, truly looked at her, his gaze intent, searching. He saw the profound, soul-deep exhaustion etched into the fine lines around her eyes, the slight, almost imperceptible tremor in her hand as it rested on his arm, the subtle but undeniable depletion of her usually overwhelming, oceanic Saint King aura. Her vast spiritual energy felt… diminished, almost fragile, like a mighty river reduced to a gentle stream. Then his gaze, drawn by an instinct he couldn't name, fell upon the pristine silken mat beneath him.
Near where her knees must have rested as she watched over him, he saw it – a small, yet starkly, horrifyingly crimson stain of blood, like a fallen plum blossom tragically beautiful on fresh winter snow. It wasn't his blood; he had no external wounds from the curse's internal ravages.
His breath caught painfully in his throat. Blood… a Saint King's blood… her blood… combined with her palpably depleted aura, the lingering, incredibly pure Yin energy he now felt resonating deep within his own stabilized chaotic power, a power that felt inexplicably intertwined with hers… The pieces, terrible and beautiful, clicked together in his mind with a horrifying, heart-wrenching clarity.
There were ancient, almost forbidden arts, sacrificial rituals spoken of only in the most obscure and hushed whispers within dusty, forgotten tomes, methods that involved the willing offering of one's most primordial, life-bound essence, often at an immense, irrevocable personal cost, sometimes involving the very essence of one's lifeblood…
The system… it told me I was going to die, that it couldn't offer me a solution, he thought, a cold dread, colder than any ice she could conjure, mixing with an overwhelming, almost unbearable surge of emotion. But it must have offered a different path, a different, terrible choice, to her, or to the others through their diaries. And she… she willingly paid this price to save my worthless life.
He reached out, his hand, still trembling with weakness but now imbued with a new, fierce strength of purpose, covering hers. Her skin was cool, yet a jolt, like the impossible meeting of purest ice and most sacred fire, passed between them, a silent acknowledgment of a bond forged in the crucible of near-death and ultimate sacrifice. He felt a profound, undeniable resonance, a connection to her energy that was entirely new, deeply intimate, and fundamentally, irrevocably, profound.
"Master…" he began, his voice thick with a dawning, terrible, beautiful understanding, his eyes fixed on that small, damning, eloquent stain on the silk, a stain that spoke more loudly than any words could.
"Bai Lianxin…" He used her name, a liberty he would never have dared to even contemplate before, but in this singular, transformative moment, the usual, revered master-disciple dynamic felt irrevocably altered, deepened, sacredly intertwined in a way that transcended all previous roles, all previous understanding.
"What… what did you do to save me?" he whispered, his gaze unwavering, his voice filled with a raw, burgeoning emotion that was part awe, part agony, part a love so fierce it almost choked him.
A breathtaking, almost painful blush, like the deepest crimson hues of a winter sunset painting a field of virgin snow, suffused Bai Lianxin's pale cheeks, spreading like wildfire down her slender, elegant neck. Her beautiful eyes, usually so calm, so composed, so like distant, untouchable stars, widened, a flicker of initial shock, then a complex, tumultuous wave of unreadable emotions – profound shyness, perhaps a touch of maidenly fear, a dawning, hesitant acceptance, and something else, something incredibly soft, incredibly vulnerable, and achingly beautiful – swirling within their luminous depths.
She had made her choice, a desperate, selfless choice based on the system's stark, last-ditch solution presented only to her and the other heroines through their diary copies, a solution that had demanded an unimaginable, almost unthinkable sacrifice.
A sacrifice she had undertaken without his knowledge, without his consent, driven by a desperate, all-consuming need to save him, her disciple, the boy whose unexpected strength of spirit had touched her so deeply, the boy whose diary had unveiled a world of danger and perhaps, a singular hope. She hadn't anticipated him piecing together the truth so quickly, so intuitively, just from these subtle, heartbreaking clues.
She opened her mouth to speak, perhaps to deny, perhaps to offer a gentle, reassuring explanation, but no words came. The profound, unspoken truth of her sacrifice, the sacred intimacy of the ritual that had snatched him back from the very jaws of death, hung heavy, potent, and undeniable in the charged air between them, confirmed with every beat of her own suddenly erratic heart, by her flustered reaction, and by the silent, eloquent testament of the bloodied silk.
Su Chan saw her reaction – the tell-tale, all-consuming blush, the averted, luminous gaze, the slight, betraying tremor of her hand beneath his. His dawning suspicion solidified into a soul-shattering, world-altering certainty. He knew, with every fiber of his newly saved, newly bound being, the immeasurable magnitude of what she had given, what she had sacrificed. For him.
A torrent of emotions, so powerful, so overwhelming it almost threatened the fragile stability she had just bought for him at such a cost, surged through his very soul – immense, soul-shattering gratitude that brought tears to his eyes; a profound, aching tenderness that made his heart clench; a fierce, protective anger at the insidious curse that had forced her to make such a devastating choice; and an unshakeable, bone-deep, irrevocable sense of profound responsibility.
"Master," he said, his voice now gaining a surprising strength, a resonant depth imbued with a conviction that came from the very core of his reborn being, "I understand. I understand fully what you have done for me. Such a sacrifice… I…" He swallowed, his throat tight with unshed tears. Then, his resolve, forged in the fires of near-death and tempered by her selfless love, became as clear and absolute as the Dao itself. "I, Su Chan, will take full responsibility for this. For you. From this moment onward… you are my woman. I swear upon my soul, upon my very Dao, upon the Chaos that now resides within me, I will protect you, I will cherish you, and I will never, ever let any harm befall you. I will not let your sacrifice be in vain. I will become strong enough to shield you from all storms."
Bai Lianxin's blush deepened to an almost impossible shade, her luminous eyes darting to his, wide and filled with a maelstrom of conflicting emotions, then quickly, shyly, away. She had acted to save her disciple, the unexpected hope of her Fairy Peak, the boy whose strange diary had inexplicably bound her fate to his. She had not considered… this. This bold, almost audacious, yet undeniably sincere, profoundly heartfelt, and strangely comforting vow.
She gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod, her gaze dropping shyly to their still intertwined hands. Then, as if suddenly, completely overwhelmed by the sheer intensity of the moment, the unspoken, life-altering implications of his solemn vow, she gently, almost hesitantly, withdrew her hand from his, her movements flustered, almost… panicked, like a startled forest sprite.
"Rest, Su Chan," she whispered, her voice barely audible, her cheeks still burning with a fiery, beautiful heat. "You… you need to recover fully. We… we will speak more of this… later." And then, with a speed that still hinted at her Saint King grace despite her depleted state, she turned and, like a startled moonbeam caught in the sudden light of dawn, almost fled from the main hall, leaving Su Chan staring after her retreating, exquisitely graceful figure.
A slow, warm, incredibly tender smile spread across Su Chan's face, a smile filled with a profound tenderness, an unshakeable resolve, and a love that was as new and overwhelming as the chaotic power now settling within him. His master… his woman. The thought sent a warm, possessive, protective thrill coursing through him, a sense of purpose even greater, even more profound, than before.
He took a deep, steadying breath, the lingering, delicate scent of her unique orchid-and-frost fragrance a comforting, almost intimate presence in the suddenly empty hall. He needed to understand his current state, the price of his survival.
"System," he commanded mentally, "open my information panel."
[Host Information Panel]
Name: Su Chan
Status: True Disciple, Fairy Peak
Cultivation: Foundation Building Realm – Fifth Realm (Stabilized, slowly recovering)
Physique: Chaos Divine Body (Primordial Grade – Initial Fusion Complete, Currently Suppressed by Curse/Stabilized by External Yin Essence Infusion)
Cultivation Art: Grand Primordial Chaos Art (Emperor Grade)
Movement Art: Shadowless Steps (Peak Earth Grade – Mastered)
Special Condition: Affected by Unknown High-Magnitude Curse (Temporarily Stabilized by Primordial Saint Yuan Yin of Bai Lianxin).
Luck Value: ??? (Chaotic - Unquantifiable)
Foundation Building Fifth Realm. He had indeed lost four realms of progress during the curse's initial, terrifying onslaught before his master's desperate intervention. But he was alive, and his Chaos Divine Body, though currently suppressed by the insidious curse, was fundamentally intact, protected by a sacred, external power. The system note, Primordial Saint Yuan Yin of Bai Lianxin, was a stark, poignant confirmation of his realization.
So, to find the true solution for this accursed shadow upon my soul, to discover its vile origin, I have to upgrade the system, Su Chan mused, his expression turning cold and grim. And for the system to upgrade, its primary directive is clear: I have to kill the Child of Destiny, Ye Fan. Everything, my survival, my future with Bai Lianxin, the very possibility of a cure, circles inexorably back to him.
The thought of Ye Fan brought a fresh wave of icy, implacable determination. But then, another, softer thought intruded, chasing away some of the chilling grimness – the vivid image of Bai Lianxin's breathtaking blush, her shy, almost imperceptible nod, her flustered, endearing retreat. He, Su Chan, now had his master, the revered Frost Moon Fairy, as his woman. A genuine, warm smile, one filled with a surprising, almost overwhelming depth of affection and possessiveness, appeared on his handsome face. This was an unexpected, almost unbelievable, yet incredibly precious, sacred development.
First, I intercepted Ye Fan's 'Shadowless Steps' opportunity, he recalled, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes. And now, through a twist of fate I could never have engineered, I have claimed a "heroine" who, in the original, tragic narrative of the novel, might have eventually, heartbreakingly, fallen into his harem. My master, my Bai Lianxin, is far too magnificent, far too pure, for such a vile fate. Let's see what this… profound realignment of destiny did to his precious Luck Value. I completely forgot to check its status after acquiring the Shadowless Steps in all the chaos of the awakening and then the curse.
"System, open Ye Fan's information panel."
[Son of Destiny Information Panel]
Name: Ye Fan
Cultivation: Qi Refining Realm – 2nd Level (Aptitude for Cultivation: Strong - Reawakening)
Gold Finger: Ancient Saint King Remnant Soul (Ring)
Targeted Physique (Ning Youxi): Primordial Yin-Yang Body
Luck Value: 6,000 (High – Blessed by Heaven's Way)
Recent Events: Successfully passed initial qualification and Dao Heart trial (aided). (Note: Shadowless Steps opportunity was intercepted by Host Su Chan, resulting in a minor luck deduction. Significant, fate-altering relationship development between Host Su Chan and designated heroine Bai Lianxin has resulted in a major deduction to Son of Destiny's luck value due to loss of fated connection and potential support network).
Su Chan's eyes lit up with a fierce, almost predatory gleam. Six thousand! It dropped by a full four thousand points from its original ten thousand! The Shadowless Steps must have been around fifty points, as I recall the system mentioning a 'minor luck fluctuation' back then. That means… establishing this definitive, life-altering bond with Master, irrevocably removing her from Ye Fan's list of potential conquests and a key figure within the Holy Land, cost him a staggering three thousand nine hundred and fifty points! Excellent! Utterly excellent! This was tangible, measurable progress on a grand scale.
I need to continue this, relentlessly, Su Chan vowed silently, his resolve hardening into adamantine certainty. More opportunities to seize, more heroines to protect and claim… then, and only then, can I kill him, upgrade the system, and finally find a true cure for this damn curse that holds my life, and now Bai Lianxin's sacrifice, in its shadow.
With renewed, almost desperate purpose, Su Chan focused his mind, preparing to write in his diary. He desperately needed rewards from the system to recover his strength, and he absolutely needed to document these monumental, life-altering, and terrifyingly recent events.
[Diary Entry – Day 2, Evening… or perhaps Day 3, Morning? Time has become a cruel, distorted blur.]
Woke up. Somehow, impossibly, I am still alive.
That, in itself, feels like a miracle beyond comprehension. The Chaos Divine Body fusion… it was a glorious, terrifying gateway to power, and then it was violently, almost fatally, interrupted by a curse.
An incredibly powerful, insidious, soul-devouring curse that was literally consuming my new physique and my hard-won cultivation from the inside out. The novel, that damned, incomplete script of a world, never breathed a single word about this. Another delightful, life-threatening deviation, it seems.
My own system, my supposed golden finger, couldn't even identify its origin properly, let alone offer me a direct cure. It basically told me I was going to die.
And Master… Bai Lianxin… she saved my life. I don't know the exact details of how she knew what to do, what desperate measures she took – the system certainly didn't enlighten me on that front. But the evidence is undeniable, etched into my very being and in the silent testament of this hall – her profoundly depleted aura, the heart-wrenching stain of blood on the silken mat where she must have knelt, the incredibly pure, sacred Yin energy that now resonates within me, a fragile shield stabilizing the horrific curse. She sacrificed something immense, something irreplaceable, for me.
Something I can probably never truly repay, only honor with every breath I take from now on. The debt I owe her… it transcends life itself.
I… I told her I would take responsibility. That she is my woman now.
My heart, my soul, my protection, all of it is hers. She didn't refute it. She blushed, her beautiful, usually icy composure shattering into a thousand maidenly shards, and then she fled. It seems my devastatingly beautiful, eternally cold master has a surprisingly shy, exquisitely vulnerable side. This… this sacred bond, forged in the crucible of death and sacrifice, changes everything between us. In a way I hadn't dared to imagine, but one I will now gladly, fiercely, with every fiber of my being, embrace and protect.
My cultivation, cruelly, dropped back to Foundation Building Fifth Realm during that terrifying ordeal, but it's stable now, thanks to her selfless gift. The Chaos Divine Body, my greatest hope, is suppressed by the curse but also, paradoxically, protected by her pure essence, at least for now. To fully cure myself, to understand this damn curse and obliterate it, I need to kill Ye Fan and force the system to upgrade. There's no other path. My life, and the honor of her sacrifice, depends on it.
Checked Ye Fan's luck. It's down to 6,000! From 10,000! Intercepting the 'Shadowless Steps' must have cost him about 50 points. But the major drop – nearly four thousand points – that has to be because of my relationship with Master Bai Lianxin. By her becoming my woman, Ye Fan has lost not only a potential prime 'heroine' for his harem but also any chance of leveraging her status, her influence, or her connections within the Tianshang Holy Land. She's a Saint King, a Peak Master! Her subtle support, even if he never directly obtained her, would have been a huge boon to his 'destined path' in navigating the sect's power structures and perhaps even influencing other key female figures. Now, that entire avenue is decisively closed to him. This is a massive blow to his Heaven's Way protection! Good. Every single point matters in this war against destiny.
There's another opportunity for him coming up soon, if the original plot still holds any sway in this increasingly chaotic timeline. Some kind of Outer Sect competition, followed by a trial or exploration in the 'Myriad Beast Mountain Range.' He's supposed to find a rare spiritual herb there, and perhaps, encounter another… 'heroine' destined for his collection. I need to be ready for that. The Myriad Beast Mountain Range… I need to recover my strength, get stronger, much stronger, and quickly, to even have a chance to participate, let alone effectively interfere and snatch away his fortune.
This curse… it's a ticking clock, a suffocating shadow over every moment, every breath. But now, I have even more reason to fight, more reason to live, more reason to become undeniably, overwhelmingly powerful. For myself. For my survival. And for Master… for Bai Lianxin. My woman. Her sacrifice will not be in vain.