After everyone was reborn, I was strictly disciplined.

Xie Xingran raised his eyes and glanced at He Chenyu, whose face was deathly pale. His slightly raised eyebrows held a hint of nonchalant mockery. He tilted his head, flicked his tongue between his teeth, and uttered two words lightly: "Are you sick?"

He Chenyu's gaze was as sinister as a poisoned blade, fixed on Xie Xingran's face. His thin, bloodless lips parted with difficulty, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth: "Give me back... the things."

Upon hearing this, Xie Xingran rolled her eyes without any attempt to hide it, casually twirling a strand of hair that fell beside her cheek with her fingertips, and said disdainfully, "What thing? I have no idea."

"ring."

He Chenyu's voice lowered even further, carrying an almost pleading stubbornness, "My ring."

No one could see that his hands, hidden behind his back, were already clenched into fists, his sharp nails digging deep into the flesh of his palms, and beads of scarlet blood slowly seeped out from between his fingers, spreading out in glaring red spots on the back of his fair hands.

But he felt no stinging pain in his palm at all.

The pain throughout my body had completely overwhelmed that slight discomfort.

The pain felt like countless thin, sharp blades were scraping his flesh and grinding his bones, drilling from his limbs to his internal organs, even piercing his very bones.

Even worse was the chaos in his mind. Countless fragmented and chaotic images, like a river bursting its banks, crashed into his mind, shattering his consciousness into pieces.

Some of those scenes were so familiar they were etched into his very bones, while others were so strange they seemed like a distant memory. But without exception, they were all his and Xie Xingran's past.

When he was a boy, he sat on the branches of an old locust tree, leaning against the trunk side by side with Xie Xingran, looking up at the starry sky and listening to Xie Xingran's rambling.

Inside the alchemy room, the two guarded the alchemy furnace, the fragrance of medicine lingering around their noses. Xie Xingran was secretly adding spiritual herbs to the pills, and when he was caught, he acted like a spoiled child.

The two were naughty and angered their master, so they were punished by kneeling outside the hall, but they still secretly winked at each other and shared the candied fruit hidden in their sleeves.

When they were exploring the secret realm, the two of them stood back to back fighting against a monster. Xie Xingran's sword blocked a fatal blow for him, and his clothes were soaked with blood.

In the end, it was Xie Xingran's longsword that pierced his heart without warning. Warm blood splattered on Xie Xingran's cheeks, and his always smiling eyes smiled even more beautifully.

"pain……"

He Chenyu let out a soft sob, as if an invisible hand was squeezing his heart and crushing it.

"My heart hurts so much... My head hurts so much... My whole body aches..."

His body trembled uncontrollably, like a withered leaf swaying in the autumn wind, and even standing became a luxury.

His vision began to blur, and Xie Xingran's face flickered in his eyes, overlapping with the smiling, crescent-shaped face in his memory.

"ring?"

Xie Xingran tilted her head, feigning confusion, her fingertips still twirling a strand of hair, as if trying to recall something.

A moment later, he casually shrugged, a nonchalant smile playing on his lips, "Sorry."

But there was not a trace of apology in his tone, only blatant perfunctoriness and contempt: "Your ring looks so worn out, I didn't like it, so I threw it away a long time ago."

"Lost..."

These two words struck He Chenyu like a thunderbolt, instantly freezing him in place. He was completely stunned, as if he had been frozen in place, the last trace of color draining from his face, leaving only a blank expression.

His thin lips moved unconsciously, repeating the two words over and over, as if he couldn't believe his ears: "Lost..."

"Yes, it's lost."

Xie Xingran nodded, a sly glint in his eyes, and his smile deepened. He lifted his foot and walked step by step toward He Chenyu.

He stopped in front of He Chenyu, raised his head slightly, and his beautiful peach blossom eyes shone brightly, as if they were filled with starlight, looking into He Chenyu's chaotic eyes.

He slowly extended his hand, palm facing upwards, his smile gentle, a stark contrast to his earlier disdain: "However, as compensation, I'll take you back to the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land. I'll find someone to cure your illness so you can cultivate again, how about it?"

"It will allow you to start cultivating again..."

These words, like a magical spell, echoed repeatedly in He Chenyu's ears, making his eardrums buzz.

His lips trembled slightly. He felt as if he had heard those words somewhere before, so familiar that they were etched into his very soul.

The scene before him suddenly blurred; the dazzling sunlight pierced through layers of clouds and fell upon him, its warmth dispelling all the chill and pain.

The small figure stood in the sunlight, like a celestial child descended to earth. Her eyebrows curved into a smile, and she reached out her hand to him. Her palm was warm, and her voice was clear and gentle: "Come with me, I will take you back to the sacred land so that you can cultivate again..."

At that time, he stayed in a dark and damp room, accompanied by the smell of mold every day. He was sick all over and could not even stand steadily. His path of cultivation had long been completely cut off, and his eyes were only gray, without a trace of light.

But when he saw the hand extended in front of him and felt the warmth within reach, his dull eyes suddenly began to sparkle again.

He heard himself use all his strength to whisper "okay," and then slowly reach out and gently place his hand on that small palm.

Warm and soft, it felt like holding the light of the whole world in your hands.

In an instant, the pain throughout my body receded like a tide, and even the confusion in my mind vanished without a trace. I felt so relaxed that I felt like I was about to float away.

He Chenyu's confused eyes gradually cleared, and his scattered focus slowly rallied, finally settling on the familiar eyes in front of him.

He gazed at Xie Xingran before him, his eyes swirling with complex emotions—a mixture of bewilderment, longing, tenderness, and an inexplicable dependence, all intertwined and tangled together, impossible to unravel.

Xie Xingran felt the slightly cool touch of his palm, and looking at He Chenyu's hand obediently placed in hers, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes, and she muttered to herself:

So obedient? I thought he was really having a relapse and it would take a lot of effort to get him to behave.

But this is good too, it saves a lot of trouble.

He tightened his grip on He Chenyu's hand slightly, pulled him outside, his steps light and quick, already starting to plan in his mind:

Having dealt with He Chenyu, the next step is to bring He Chenxuan back as well.

He Chenyu, He Chenxuan, and Lu Chengyuan, three chosen ones, have all been taken into his possession. He must be getting a system treasure chest every day, so he'll be overwhelmed with them.

Thinking of this, Xie Xingran couldn't help but smile even more, her eyes filled with the joy of certainty, feeling smug and even her steps became lighter.

He pulled He Chenyu along, and they soon found He Chenxuan.

Seeing Xie Xingran leading He Chenyu over, He Chenxuan immediately came to greet them. His gaze fell on their clasped hands, and then he looked at He Chenyu's condition. A hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, but he still asked first.

Xie Xingran didn't beat around the bush and directly stated his purpose: to take him back to the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land.

Upon hearing this, He Chenxuan's eyes lit up instantly, and his face was filled with undisguised joy.

He wanted to win Xie Xingran's favor anyway, so without the slightest hesitation, he nodded emphatically and readily agreed.

Before they knew it, it was afternoon. The ark that was going back to the Holy Land of Fire Marrow Pills was already ready, hovering in mid-air, emitting a faint spiritual light.

Standing at the gate of the courtyard, He Anyao watched Xie Xingran holding He Chenyu's hand with one hand and beckoning to He Chenxuan with the other, acting like the master of the house. She couldn't help but shake her head helplessly, but a hint of indulgence flashed in her eyes.

She knew Xie Xingran was impulsive, but she also understood that he meant no harm.

Now that the He family has a new heir, it would be awkward for He Chenyu to stay.

Moreover, sending He Chenyu to the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land for treatment is indeed the best option.

Under He Anyao's helpless gaze, Xie Xingran, along with the two brothers He Chenyu and He Chenxuan, leaped onto the ark.

The ark slowly rose, broke through the clouds, and flew towards the Fire Marrow Pill Holy Land, leaving behind a faint spiritual light that drew a beautiful arc across the sky.