When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Meanwhile, in Yuntian City, at the Imperial Palace.

Ji Fuyao rushed into the hall and went straight to the point, demanding, "You issued a kill order against that master and disciple. Why did you do that?!"

"What does this have to do with my elder sister?"

With a hand displaying well-defined muscles and bones, Ji Ran placed a chess piece down and asked a question slowly and deliberately.

Perhaps because of his rising reputation, the Crown Prince of Nancang looked much better than before, showing little sign of illness.

Since the day Yi Chen and Chu Xianlan disappeared, there has been much speculation in the cultivation world.

Some people believe that Master Zhiyue's act of cleaning up his own sect is just a formality and is actually an act of covering up for someone else; some people remember the contributions that Immortal Jixue has made to the cultivation world over the years and think that it is inappropriate to draw such a conclusion so hastily; and some people are watching coldly and waiting to see how this storm will end.

The royal warrant for his capture undoubtedly made the already murky waters even more turbid.

Ji Fuyao sneered, not even bothering to maintain royal decorum, and addressed the Crown Prince by his full name, saying, "Ji Ran, how dare you issue a kill order on behalf of the cultivation world without authorization? Did you consult the opinions of the various sects and factions?"

"This is the aspiration of the cultivation world," Ji Ran said with an unchanged smile. "Elder sister, do you perhaps harbor ulterior motives towards the half-demon? Alas, in the face of important matters, we should prioritize the greater good."

"They have never done anything to harm the cultivation world, so why should we be their enemy?"

"Are we going to wait until the victims appear, until the half-demon forces become so powerful that the entire cultivation world can't do anything about them, and then launch a second half-demon rebellion, before we regret it?"

Ji Ran calmly countered with a question.

"I cannot allow half-demon to wreak havoc on the cultivation world."

"Are you scared?" Ji Fuyao chuckled, her beautiful eyes narrowing slightly. "Don't you have those weapons made of Thousand-Frozen Cold Iron? As long as you stay in the imperial city, which half-demon can touch you?"

Ji Ran's expression changed slightly.

This was the most troublesome part of the whole thing—the original alliance plan had fallen apart, and the demon race did not intend to provide Thousand-Condensed Cold Iron in the future.

After the Tianyuan Conference, the demon race's attitude towards the human race became increasingly hostile, and the superficial peace of the past was gone. The atmosphere was tense, and there was even a hint of wanting to start a war.

Furthermore, the Demon King Ming Si did something that no one could have imagined.

After a small number of demons were affected by the malevolent energy, Ming Si went completely mad, believing that the power of half-demons could also be used by the demon race. He attempted to recruit and subdue powerful half-demons and bring them under his command.

The news caused an uproar in the cultivation world.

This was indeed an unprecedentedly bold decision, and it aroused fear and unease among the human race.

If such powerful half-demon energy were used by the demon race, and war were to break out between the two realms, they would not only face the demon army, but also half-demons with heaven-defying attack power...?

What would that situation be like?

Therefore, not all sects agreed when the Crown Prince proposed to pursue and capture him.

The Taiyi Sect maintained its opposition throughout. The Tianjian Sect believed that Immortal Lord Jixue had never harmed the cultivation world in all these years, and to exterminate him solely because of a bloodline issue was far too ruthless. The Xuanyang Sect also explicitly stated its opposition—if they were to truly force such a powerful half-demon to the opposite side, wouldn't that just play into Ming Si's hands?

Not to mention that many smaller sects and factions are also worried about this.

Despite the dissenting voices, Ji Ran still issued a kill order, mobilizing the entire cultivation world to search for the missing master and disciple.

Ji Fuyao returned to the Xuan Yang Sect, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.

Over the years, the royal children have come to know each other.

The Crown Prince is an extreme egoist who acts cautiously and only makes the safest and most advantageous choices for himself.

But this time, his actions were too hasty.

With differing opinions among various factions, and even the demon race unstable, issuing a kill order directly in the name of the royal family, forcing the master and disciple to a dead end—this is not something Ji Ran would do; it's very strange.

unless……

His goal wasn't actually to kill those two people.

It seems... that this tactic was deliberately used to force them to show themselves.

Ji Fuyao stood under the lamplight in the corridor. A night breeze blew by, and a voice came from the shadows, interrupting her thoughts.

"We intercepted a message that was about to be sent to the palace."

Ji Fuyao's expression hardened. "Leave it to me."

He took the jade slip from the shadows, probed it with his spiritual power, and the words appeared in his mind.

Ji Fuyao was taken aback for a moment, then her expression grew increasingly serious. After a long while, she finally asked, "Is this... true?"

The shadow guard replied respectfully:

"His Highness the Crown Prince has been investigating this matter for several months. During this time, we have been secretly tracking relevant clues, and I believe the information is accurate."

Ji Fuyao felt as if a thunderbolt had struck her heart.

The indescribable sense of closeness I felt upon first meeting, the similar small mole under the eyebrow, the doubts I had but couldn't verify—all these thoughts surfaced in my mind, and scenes flashed by one after another.

She pressed her hand to her chest and murmured, "It really is him..."

At this moment, a thousand miles away in Peach Blossom Spring, a torrential rain is falling and night is descending.

Chu Xianlan curled up on the bed, her forehead covered in fine sweat, her brows furrowed, as if she were in a nightmare.

The boy mumbled as if in a nightmare, his lips trembling as he mumbled incoherently, reaching out his hands to search around as if looking for something he could rely on.

"...Master...Master..."

A sigh echoed through the empty room.

A large, scarred hand gently pulled the boy into its embrace, tenderly and carefully patting his back and slowly stroking him.

Chu Xianlan was still trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake up. In his hazy and confused state, he naturally clung to that warm body.

Only when her face was buried in the familiar chest did her breathing gradually calm down. Chu Xianlan shrank into it, using both hands and feet, as if clinging to the only lifeline in the world, refusing to let go.

Yi Chen looked at the restless face in his arms, his feelings a complex mix of emotions.

He brushed aside the stray hairs on the boy's forehead, which were damp with cold sweat, and lingered his fingertips on the pale face for a moment, wanting to touch it, but finally withdrew them.

"Master...don't go..."

Indistinct murmurs came from my arms, tinged with aggrieved nasal tones.

The person in her arms stirred, and Chu Xianlan took the initiative to grab the hand that was about to leave.

She pressed it against her cheek and rubbed it, as if afraid he would disappear.

The next second, their clasped hands were gently adjusted so that their fingers were interlocked.

Palm to palm, fingers interlaced, inseparable.

Yi Chen lowered his eyes, all his emotions turning into a deep, inky gaze that surged silently in the quiet, rainy night.

She calls his name even in her dreams, and clings to him tightly even when she loses consciousness... Why is it that she just won't admit it?