True to his word, Immortal Lord Qinghui sealed off the entrances and exits of Wuyagu, forbidding Yun Ye from entering and preventing Bai Tu from sneaking out to meet him.

By evening, rain began to fall in Wuyagu.

Thunder and lightning split the sky, and a steady downpour washed over the valley, bringing with it a cool evening breeze. Bai Tu tilted his head to look out the window, listening to the sound of the rain. His thoughts grew increasingly restless.

Including the day he had been unconscious, three days and nights had passed.

Yun Ye was still kneeling outside.

Fortunately, Yun Ye was a cultivator. If it had been an ordinary person kneeling in the wind and rain for three days, their life might have been forfeit.

“Immortal Lord, it’s your move.” Pei Ran’s voice pulled Bai Tu from his thoughts. He blinked and glanced down at the chessboard before him.

His white pieces had been forced into a corner with no escape. No matter where he placed his next piece, it was a dead end.

Bai Tu tossed the piece back into the chess box and said flatly, “I’ve lost.”

“Thank you for the game,” Pei Ran replied, setting down his piece. He rose and poured a cup of tea for Bai Tu. “Master has his reasons for making Yun Ye kneel outside. You’ve been too lenient with him in the past, letting him grow disrespectful and repeatedly cross the line. This time, he needs to learn his lesson and temper himself so he can meet your expectations in the future.”

Bai Tu took a sip of tea. “I understand, but…”

Pei Ran interrupted, “You feel sorry for him?”

Bai Tu choked slightly and set down his cup, feigning displeasure. “Pei Ran, why are you sounding more and more like my senior brother, teasing me like this? Do you still remember you’re a sword spirit?”

“Is that such a bad thing?” Pei Ran turned his gaze to the window, as if peering into a distant memory. “Before I met Master, I was just an abandoned, broken sword, ignorant of the joys and sorrows of the mortal world. It was only after meeting you that I realized there are so many fascinating things—and fascinating people—in this world.”

His final words carried a subtle undertone, as though hinting at something deeper. Unfortunately, Bai Tu was too distracted by his own restless thoughts to dwell on it.

After a moment, Pei Ran continued, “You just accused me of changing, but haven’t you changed as well?”

Bai Tu raised an eyebrow. “How have I changed?”

“Those who walk the path of emotionless cultivation sever all ties, free from love or hate. But now…” Pei Ran’s gaze dropped briefly to Bai Tu’s lower abdomen before quickly shifting away. “There are some things Master doesn’t know how to express, so let me speak for him.”

“…Does Immortal Lord truly feel only the bond of master and disciple toward Yun Ye?”

Bai Tu froze. The image of Yun Ye from his dream suddenly surfaced in his mind, vivid and unbidden.

He had never before considered the possibility of anything beyond the relationship of master and disciple between them. Yet in that dream, when Yun Ye walked toward him, speaking with such tender familiarity, and kissed him, a faint sweetness had inexplicably bloomed in his heart.

It felt as though… if things truly turned out that way, it might not be such a bad thing.

Steadying his thoughts, Bai Tu replied in a low voice, “He is my disciple. How could I possibly harbor any other thoughts about him?”

“If so… then that’s good,” Pei Ran murmured after a moment of silence. “Immortal Lord ascended through the Path of Detachment, which demands the rejection of all emotional ties. Any violation of this could destabilize your Dao Heart and provoke punishment from the Heavenly Way. I hope Immortal Lord keeps this in mind.”

“…I understand.”

Pei Ran continued, “In that case, the pill Master prepared for you has been completed. You may visit the Pill Pavilion to retrieve it.”

Bai Tu suddenly realized. “So, you trapped me in Wuyagu and kept me from seeing Yun Ye just to test this?”

Pei Ran quickly stood and bowed. “I hope Immortal Lord will not take offense.”

Bai Tu said no more and immediately headed for the Pill Pavilion. Xun Yi had already prepared the medicine and fussed over him with a litany of instructions and precautions before finally letting him leave.

By the time Bai Tu stepped out of the Pill Pavilion, the rain had eased to a light drizzle.

He walked quickly out of the valley, and from a distance, he could see the figure kneeling before the mountain pass.

Yun Ye’s clothes and hair were soaked through, water dripping along the sharp contours of his thin face and falling into the puddle before him. His eyes were lowered, his face pale, yet his back remained ramrod straight. He stood steadfast in the wind and rain, like a tall, unyielding pine tree.

He seemed barely conscious, not even noticing when Bai Tu approached him.

With a flick of his fingers, Bai Tu conjured a barrier of light, shielding Yun Ye from the rain just above his head.

Yun Ye’s eyes stirred faintly as he raised his head. “Master…”

His voice was hoarse and dry, tugging at something deep in Bai Tu’s heart.

Bai Tu closed his eyes for a moment before speaking softly, “Stand up.”

Yun Ye didn’t move. Instead, he looked deeply into Bai Tu’s eyes and asked, “Does Master still refuse to forgive me?”

Bai Tu didn’t answer. Yun Ye reached out, grabbing Bai Tu’s wrist, his voice low and subdued. “Disciple never meant to offend you. Master can punish me however you wish—hit me, scold me—but please don’t avoid me, and don’t ignore me.”

Bai Tu sighed softly in his heart, then bent down to wipe the raindrops from Yun Ye’s face with his sleeve. His voice was warm and gentle. “If you don’t get up, how are we supposed to go home?”

Yun Ye froze for a moment, as if unable to comprehend the words. Bai Tu didn’t wait for him to react and moved to help him up. However, the moment Bai Tu touched him, he realized that Yun Ye’s body was unnaturally hot.

Bai Tu frowned. “You’re running a fever?”

“Master…”

Yun Ye staggered to his feet, but his body felt unbearably heavy. His legs buckled, and he nearly collapsed again.

In his daze, a soft yet steady figure caught him, holding him upright. The familiar scent of fresh grass filled his senses. Yun Ye instinctively clung to that warmth, slowly closed his eyes, and soon lost consciousness.

When Yun Ye woke again, he was back in his room at Luoxia Peak.

The sky outside was still dim, wrapped in a soft blue hue that made the distant mountains appear hazy and dreamlike. Yun Ye squinted and belatedly noticed that he was dressed in a clean disciple’s robe—neater than he would have managed on his own.

The room was empty, but Yun Ye’s sharp senses caught a faint trace of the unique grassy fragrance that always lingered around Bai Tu.

Just then, the door creaked open.

Bai Tu stepped inside, his gaze flickering as he pretended not to notice the figure on the bed hastily retreating under the covers to feign sleep.

He had worried all night, yet this person seemed perfectly fine, even having the nerve to pretend to be ill in front of him.

Carrying a food box, Bai Tu walked to the bedside and placed it on the low table by the bed. The figure under the covers remained motionless.

Bai Tu stood there for a moment, watching him, before breaking the silence with a blunt remark: “If you’re not going to eat, I’ll just take it away.”

As he spoke, Bai Tu really did reach out to take the food box away.

But a hand shot out, firmly grabbing his wrist.

Yun Ye looked up at him with a disarming smile. “Master, I can’t fool you.”

Bai Tu was momentarily dazzled by that smile, and whatever irritation he’d felt melted away.

Yun Ye’s face was naturally striking. However, perhaps due to the demonic bloodline he inherited, there was often a faintly sinister air about his features, especially when he was serious. But when he smiled, all that shadow vanished, leaving behind a face that was both handsome and approachable—reminiscent of an obedient, large dog.

The kind you’d want to hug and pat on the head.

Bai Tu turned his head away, avoiding the sight, and instructed, “Eat your meal. You’ve missed several days of study, and you must attend morning lessons today.”

Yun Ye put on a pitiful expression. “But Master, I just knelt for three days…”

Before he could finish, Bai Tu silenced him with a sharp glance.

Yun Ye, whose body was far stronger than the average cultivator’s thanks to his Taichu constitution, had already recovered. Despite enduring three days of wind and rain and a brief fever, it had taken only a few hours for him to be back to his usual energetic self.

Bai Tu, on the other hand, had expended a great deal of spiritual energy bringing Yun Ye back. It wasn’t until the early hours of dawn that he’d finally managed to suppress the fox ears threatening to reappear.

Worried that they might show again, Bai Tu didn’t linger in Yun Ye’s room. After giving his instructions, he quickly left.

Back in his own quarters, Bai Tu sat down to meditate and restore his energy. Yet his thoughts kept drifting to the current state of affairs.

Decades ago, he hadn’t succeeded in completely destroying the Abyss of Demons.

The Abyss of Demons existed independently of the mortal world, its presence scattered throughout various realms, making it impossible to completely eradicate. The so-called “destruction” Bai Tu had achieved years ago was merely severing all the pathways that connected the Abyss to the present world.

Originally, Bai Tu had intended this as a stalling tactic, buying enough time for Yun Ye to achieve ascension and eliminate any chance of him falling into demonic corruption. What he hadn’t anticipated was how quickly the Abyss would find a way to return to the mortal realm.

The signs of its resurgence were already evident. The only solution now seemed to be sealing the passage once more—before the Abyss fully manifested in the world.

But where would the Abyss reappear?

Bai Tu sighed softly, his hand unconsciously resting on his lower abdomen.

This little one truly came at the worst possible time.

Cultivators were not incapable of bearing children, but doing so drained a significant amount of spiritual energy. As the child grew, the loss of Bai Tu’s cultivation would only accelerate.

Facing the Abyss in his current condition would be anything but easy.

As if sensing his turmoil, a strange ripple suddenly emanated from under Bai Tu’s palm.

The sensation felt like the gentle thrum of a heartbeat, pulsing softly against his hand, as though it were offering comfort.

Bai Tu was momentarily startled. Though he had an immortal body, and Yun Ye’s half-demonic, half-beast bloodline made this unborn child anything but ordinary, such an early display of spiritual sensitivity was unexpected.

After some thought, Bai Tu gathered a small amount of spiritual energy in his palm and slowly infused it into his abdomen.

The ripple clung to the spiritual energy he had infused, as if seeking comfort in its presence.

“So clingy already—how will you manage in the future?” Bai Tu chuckled softly, shaking his head as he rose from the bed.

The medicine Xun Yi had given him could conceal the child’s aura for a month. In other words, he had only a month to resolve everything.

He recalled that the Sect’s Library Pavilion held records that might include details about the Abyss of Demons.

The Tianyan Sect’s Library Pavilion was vast and well-stocked, containing everything from manuals on Daoist techniques and swordsmanship to tales of spirits and demons.

The pavilion had six floors, each with a similar layout. The higher the floor, the more restricted and confidential the books, with access determined by a disciple’s rank.

The sixth and topmost floor was accessible only to elders.

Bai Tu ascended directly to the top floor, where rows of tall bookshelves stretched endlessly. Moving swiftly through the aisles, he soon found what he was looking for.

It was a thin, weathered booklet, quietly resting in the deepest corner of a shelf, as though untouched for years.

Just as Bai Tu reached out to retrieve it, he sensed movement behind him.

A surge of pure spiritual energy hurtled toward his back, accompanied by the sharp whistle of a palm strike. Bai Tu reacted instinctively, spinning around and countering with a palm strike of his own. The two forces collided, and the assailant was sent flying backward, crashing into a bookshelf with a heavy thud before collapsing, motionless.

Bai Tu approached cautiously, finally getting a clear look at the attacker.

The person was dressed in the light-green uniform unique to the Tianyan Sect’s entry-level disciples. Bai Tu recognized the face—it was one of the disciples assigned to guard the Library Pavilion.

He crouched down and reached out to check the disciple’s pulse. At the same time, muffled voices drifted up from downstairs.

“What’s all that noise coming from upstairs?”

“No idea. Should we go check it out?”

“But we’re not allowed up there. Besides, isn’t Immortal Lord Zhaohua up there right now?”

Bai Tu recognized the voices as belonging to the disciples guarding the pavilion. He was about to call out a response when he suddenly froze.

A pair of rabbit ears poked out from his hair, their soft tips twitching and standing perkily atop his head.

Bai Tu: “!!!”

Of all times for them to appear, why now?!

Meanwhile, the disciples downstairs continued their whispered conversation.

“Maybe we should go up and see what’s going on. What if something’s happened to Immortal Lord Zhaohua…”

“You—what did you just say about my master?”

It was Yun Ye’s voice.

Bai Tu’s whole body stiffened as he hurriedly pressed his hands over the pair of rabbit ears, desperately trying to will them back into hiding. However, the disobedient ears had a mind of their own—his growing panic only made them perk up even more energetically.

Downstairs, the two disciples lit up as if they’d seen their savior. “Senior Brother Yun! We heard noises coming from upstairs earlier, but since the Immortal Lord had just gone up, we didn’t dare disturb him. Maybe you could go with us to check it out? If the Immortal Lord gets angry later, at least you could speak on our behalf as a witness.”

Yun Ye nodded. “Alright, let’s go.”

Moments later, light footsteps began ascending the staircase.

Cold sweat broke out across Bai Tu’s forehead as he panicked. Without thinking, he shouted, “No one is allowed to come up!”

The sudden command made Yun Ye pause mid-step, his brows knitting together slightly. There was something… odd about that voice.

Here’s a polished version of your text:

He thought for a moment, then turned to the two disciples and said, “You wait here. I’ll go check it out.”

Bai Tu: “……”

=^_^=