Yun Ye stepped onto the top floor of the library pavilion and immediately noticed the disciple lying on the ground. His heart tightened, and his pace quickened involuntarily. “Master, where are you? Are you hurt?”

He swiftly moved past several rows of bookshelves and, at the far end, caught sight of a light-colored hem of a robe.

Yun Ye approached and called out softly, “Master?”

The sound of footsteps grew closer. Bai Tu hid behind the innermost bookshelf, his rabbit ears standing upright on his head, trembling with nervousness.

Change back, change back!

Hurry and change back—!

As Yun Ye rounded the bookshelf, Bai Tu leaned against the inner side, calmly flipping through the pages of an ancient tome.

Yun Ye asked, “Master, are you alright?”

Bai Tu closed the book and replied indifferently, “Why wouldn’t I be?”

Yun Ye: “Then what about the person outside…”

“Someone possessed him, trying to take this from me,” Bai Tu said calmly, raising the ancient book in his hand. “But I’ve already driven them away.”

Yun Ye furrowed his brow in confusion but replied, “As long as you’re unharmed, Master.”

Bai Tu nodded and instructed, “Go check on that disciple and see how he’s doing.”

“Understood,” Yun Ye responded without hesitation, turning to approach the unconscious disciple.

As Yun Ye walked away, Bai Tu finally allowed himself to relax, leaning against the bookshelf and letting out a silent, long breath.

…Thankfully, he made it in time.

Bai Tu didn’t mind his identity as a rabbit immortal, but he couldn’t let Yun Ye find out about it.

The concept of racial hierarchy wasn’t something to be taken lightly. This little wolf pup already didn’t fear him much—if he were to discover that Bai Tu was actually a harmless rabbit, how could he possibly maintain any authority?

The dignity of an immortal master had to be preserved.

After the brief scare, Bai Tu steadied his nerves, tucked the ancient book away, and walked over.

“How is he?” Bai Tu asked.

“He took a strike from you, Master. It’s likely he won’t wake up for a while,” Yun Ye said, crouching beside the disciple, his brow furrowed with concern. “Master, the person who possessed him…”

Bai Tu interrupted him, “We’ll discuss it later.”

The two of them carried the unconscious disciple to the Alchemy Pavilion to ensure he was properly settled before returning to Luoxia Peak.

Night had deepened, and Yun Ye poured Bai Tu a cup of calming tea.

Bai Tu was flipping through the ancient book he had retrieved from the library. Yun Ye glanced at it and was slightly surprised. “Master, are you searching for the entrance to the Demon Abyss?”

“Indeed,” Bai Tu replied, not intending to hide it. “The appearance of Wu Jiu proves that the seal on the passage connecting the Demon Abyss to our world has weakened. Now, we must locate the Demon Abyss and reseal that passage.”

Yun Ye silently adjusted the oil lamp to brighten the room. After a while, he suddenly asked, “Master, do you truly despise demons so much?”

Bai Tu’s hand paused. “Why do you ask?”

Yun Ye was silent for a moment before murmuring, “…It just crossed my mind.”

Bai Tu looked up at him. “I don’t hate demons.”

“…It’s just that I’ve seen demons wreak havoc, witnessed the world plunged into chaos, and personally experienced failure and pain. I hope that one day, there will be no more slaughter between humans and demons, that they can coexist peacefully, and that the world can remain at peace forever.”

Yun Ye’s eyes flickered, as if surprised. “Master, do you truly believe such a day will come?”

“It will,” Bai Tu said earnestly. “Just as ancient tribes once fought each other but eventually learned to make peace. Demons aren’t born evil. There may be misunderstandings between races, but they’re not insurmountable. It’s just that… I can’t achieve it yet.”

After a brief pause, Bai Tu added, “But I believe that, in a hundred or a thousand years, someone will be able to do it.”

Yun Ye gazed deeply at Bai Tu, his eyes soft, carrying a tenderness that wasn’t usually there.

After a moment, the corner of his mouth curved slightly, and he said softly, “You’re right, Master. Someone will surely be able to do it.”

Bai Tu felt slightly uncomfortable under his gaze and turned his head away. “By the way, why did you go to the library today?”

Yun Ye shrugged. “The teaching elder thought my studies were too far behind and kicked me out of the classroom, telling me to go to the library and read the scriptures on my own.”

Bai Tu frowned.

The teaching elder had held a grudge against Yun Ye ever since the incident with Taichu, and now this was clearly an act of personal vendetta disguised as official duty.

Though Yun Ye spoke of it lightly, Bai Tu knew he must have endured quite a bit of humiliation today.

Bai Tu’s protective instincts flared, and a surge of anger rose within him.

Fine. His disciple didn’t need their teaching anyway.

Bai Tu stood up and pulled Yun Ye toward the door. “Come with me.”

He led Yun Ye through the bamboo forest, bringing him to the cold spring at the back of the mountain.

The water in the cold spring was drawn from the snow-capped peaks of Kunlun through Daoist methods. It was bone-chillingly cold but brimming with potent spiritual energy. It could aid the circulation of meridians and significantly enhance cultivation, achieving twice the result with half the effort.

Since his childhood, Immortal Lord Zhaohua had practiced his cultivation in the snow pools atop the Kunlun Mountains. After arriving at Luoxia Peak, he used Daoist methods to channel the snowmelt from Kunlun into this cold spring, often practicing and cultivating here.

In the past, this place was off-limits to everyone.

Bai Tu pointed to the cold spring and said to Yun Ye, “Go in first. I’ll teach you how to use the cold spring for cultivation.”

Yun Ye didn’t move and instead asked tentatively, “Master, are you angry?”

“Not at all,” Bai Tu replied calmly. “Since you obtained Taichu, your cultivation has been advancing rapidly. It’s no longer suitable for you to train alongside ordinary disciples. From now on, you don’t need to attend the elders’ lectures at the front mountain. I’ll teach you personally.”

He’s definitely angry.

Yun Ye thought to himself as he slowly untied his robe.

“The water in the cold spring is extremely cold. When you first enter, you might feel some discomfort. You can use your cultivation to resist it, and also—” Bai Tu was in the middle of his instructions when he saw Yun Ye yank off his undergarments and kick them aside, leaving nothing to the imagination.

Bai Tu hastily averted his eyes, his ears turning red in an instant.

Noticing his reaction, Yun Ye took half a step forward, deliberately slowing down his movements as he continued to undress. “Master, what were you saying just now? Why did you stop?”

Bai Tu’s face burned, and he couldn’t bring himself to look at Yun Ye. Flustered, he said, “Just get into the cold spring first.”

Seeing Bai Tu like this, Yun Ye immediately understood why and couldn’t resist the urge to tease him.

He walked up to Bai Tu, leaned down, and deliberately whispered into his ear, “Master, your ears are so red. Are you feeling unwell?”

“No…” Bai Tu gritted his teeth, his voice tinged with frustration. “Hurry up and take off your clothes and get in. Are we going to practice or not?”

Yun Ye smiled. “I’ll take them off, right away.”

Yun Ye stopped teasing him, removed his clothes, and stepped into the cold spring.

The icy water soaked through his entire body, and Yun Ye activated his cultivation to resist the chill.

Bai Tu stole a glance at Yun Ye and, seeing that he had begun to focus on his cultivation, finally relaxed his tense body.

During their previous intimate encounter, Bai Tu had been influenced by his inner demons and wasn’t fully conscious, so he hadn’t paid attention to Yun Ye’s body. It wasn’t until today that he realized… the size… was it a bit too excessive?

Do all wolf demons have such extraordinary… gifts?

How brave had he been back then to take in something so terrifying?

Bai Tu shuddered at the thought, his face slightly flushed, and he quickly pushed the distracting thoughts aside. He found a spot by the cold spring to sit down and began teaching Yun Ye the cultivation techniques.

Yun Ye, with his natural talent, grasped the concepts immediately. In less than half an hour, he had already mastered the essentials.

After the training session, Bai Tu brought Yun Ye back to the courtyard and instructed, “From now on, you’ll spend two hours each day cultivating in the cold spring.”

“Understood.”

Yun Ye had just emerged from the cold spring, his hair slightly damp, his outer robe draped casually over his shoulders. He looked more relaxed and carefree than usual, exuding an air of effortless charm.

Standing so close, Bai Tu could even catch a faint, damp scent emanating from him.

Perhaps it was because he had seen something he shouldn’t have earlier, but Bai Tu felt like the heat in his face hadn’t subsided at all. He made an excuse about needing to rest and sent Yun Ye away before retreating to his bedroom.

Before bed, Bai Tu followed his usual routine of meditating to calm his mind. But for some reason, his thoughts refused to settle, and a faint restlessness lingered in his body.

Bai Tu lay back on the bed, absentmindedly stroking his lower abdomen.

Ever since he’d been carrying this little one, his body had been acting up from time to time. He wondered when this ordeal would finally come to an end.

As Bai Tu drifted into a hazy state of thought, his breathing soon evened out, and he fell into a deep sleep.

=^_^=