Bai Tu’s entire body felt weak, trembling uncontrollably like a fallen leaf in the wind. The familiar scent in the air seemed to morph into a potent aphrodisiac, igniting every nerve in his body. Every fiber of his being craved the touch of the person before him—wanted him…

No.

He couldn’t give in.

A sharp sting spread from his lower lip as he bit down hard, the pain snapping him back to his senses. He staggered backward, retreating until his back pressed against the cold, unyielding wall.

The formation had already been sealed. He couldn’t even escape this place.

He just needed to hold on until Yun Ye finished his breakthrough—just endure until it was over…

Bai Tu curled himself into a tight ball, his forehead pressed against the icy floor. A crimson mist of tears gathered at the corners of his eyes, his consciousness drifting into a hazy blur. He was too lost to notice the sickly-sweet scent seeping from his body once again.

It was the kind of scent only released by an animal in heat—an unmistakable signal of vulnerability, a silent plea for an imminent and inevitable… surrender.

Yun Ye’s thoughts were in turmoil.

From Qi Refining to Core Formation, the process was simple—gather enough spiritual energy and condense it into a core following the prescribed method. Having already experienced this in his past life, he should have found it effortless.

And yet…

But no matter how hard he tried, Yun Ye couldn’t calm his mind.

His once steady flow of true energy wavered, rippling with his inner turmoil. His brows furrowed, a thin layer of sweat quickly forming on his forehead. Within his spiritual sea, the disrupted energy began to unravel, slipping further from his control the more he tried to grasp it.

Yun Ye forced his consciousness deep into his spiritual sea, determined to rein in the chaos—until a sudden, cloying sweetness invaded his senses.

The scent was far more potent than before, crashing over him without warning, seeping into his very bones. His breath hitched, and something long-buried in his blood stirred awake.

A violent tremor tore through his spiritual sea. The gathered energy shattered, dispersing entirely.

Yun Ye’s eyes snapped open, a glint of eerie, inhuman light flickering within their depths.

Before him, a figure clad in white lay crumpled in the distance, as if caught in the throes of unbearable agony. That slender frame trembled uncontrollably, curled against the cold wall in a futile attempt to suppress its suffering.

He is mine.

The words echoed relentlessly in Yun Ye’s mind, his gaze darkening, yet the flickering glow in his eyes only grew brighter.

A moment later, he rose to his feet and strode forward.

Bai Tu’s consciousness had already blurred into a fevered haze. Somewhere in that fog, he felt a hand brush against his arm. The touch carried an inexplicable warmth, instantly easing the torment raging within him.

Instinctively, he leaned into the contact, his voice barely above a whisper.

“…It hurts… help me…”

A hand lifted his chin, and the next moment, a fierce kiss crashed down on him like a raging storm.

Yun Ye’s eyes burned with an eerie glow as he devoured those soft lips with an almost ruthless desperation, as if he wanted to consume Bai Tu whole.

A muffled whimper escaped Bai Tu’s throat. Struggling against the overwhelming heat surging through his body, he weakly pushed at Yun Ye’s chest.

“N-No… stop…”

Yun Ye’s movements abruptly softened. He gently laid Bai Tu flat on the ground before leaning down to kiss him again. From his forehead to his eyes, down the bridge of his nose, and finally his lips—he trailed gentle, lingering pecks, as if soothing him.

Dazed by the dizzying sensation, Bai Tu unconsciously relaxed, instinctively responding to the touch, though clumsily.

…Until a scorching hand slid down to his lower abdomen.

Bai Tu’s entire body stiffened.

In an instant, clarity slammed back into him like a cold wave.

His eyes flew open. But the man above him didn’t notice his sudden change—still lost in his own desire, still pressing forward.

“No—” Bai Tu gasped, his body trembling, his mind teetering on the edge of control. With all the strength he could muster, he gathered spiritual energy in his palm and struck Yun Ye lightly.

Yun Ye staggered back, stumbling to the ground. He was about to move forward again when—

A shimmering barrier of light suddenly flared between them, blocking his path.

Bai Tu pressed his back against the wall, fumbling to straighten his clothes before finally lifting his gaze to Yun Ye.

The man before him had completely lost his senses. His eyes were wild with madness, tendrils of demonic energy seeping uncontrollably from his body—a clear sign that he was on the verge of Qi deviation.

A chill ran down Bai Tu’s spine.

Thank the heavens he had come to his senses in time. Otherwise, he would’ve doomed his little disciple.

Ignoring the discomfort racking his body, Bai Tu forced himself to raise a trembling hand and dispelled the barrier of light. Then, with a gentle touch, he pressed a fingertip to Yun Ye’s forehead, sending a surge of pure spiritual energy into him.

The violent tremors within Yun Ye’s spiritual sea abruptly stilled.

Yet, the spiritual energy within him remained restless—layering, twisting, intertwining—yet stubbornly refusing to condense into a core.

Bai Tu’s heart tightened.

“Yun Ye!” he called urgently.

He himself had yet to escape his own heat, and at this rate, he wouldn’t be able to hold on much longer.

His lips had turned pale, sweat tracing a slow path down the side of his face. Gritting his teeth, he channeled even more of his cultivation, forcibly guiding the chaotic energy within Yun Ye’s spiritual sea into a single focal point.

Then, all at once—

The turbulence ceased.

Bai Tu opened his eyes—only to meet the clear, lucid gaze of the man before him.

Yun Ye quietly severed the lingering spiritual link between them and returned to the center of the formation, settling into a cross-legged position. Almost instantly, the energy within his body began circulating again, steady and orderly.

Bai Tu let out a breath of relief and collapsed onto the floor.

He had no idea how much time had passed when, at last, Yun Ye’s turbulent energy finally coalesced into a golden core. The overwhelming spiritual force that had filled the room gradually withdrew, sinking back into Yun Ye’s body and settling into calm stillness.

The breakthrough was complete.

Without hesitation, Bai Tu dispelled the formation and pushed open the meditation chamber’s door.

A cool night breeze swept into the room, clearing some of the fog from his weary mind. He turned back and cast a long look at the figure still seated at the center of the chamber. Yun Ye remained motionless, eyes closed—though he had successfully reached the Golden Core stage, he still needed time to stabilize his cultivation.

Bai Tu sighed softly, then staggered out into the night.

The door to the chamber slowly swung shut behind him. Yun Ye, lost in deep meditation, remained unaware.

Bai Tu hadn’t gone far—he hadn’t even made it back to his quarters—when a flash of light enveloped his body.

In the next instant, his human form vanished.

A small, snow-white rabbit tumbled out from beneath the layers of robes, now too weak to even lift a paw. It feebly kicked its legs, struggling to push the fabric off its head, then slumped into the soft folds of clothing, utterly drained.

The little rabbit was small, its delicate frame barely noticeable beneath the layers of fabric. Yet, on its soft belly, a faint, rounded bulge could still be seen.

Bai Tu sprawled out on the ground, limbs spread wide as he gazed up at the night sky with a deep, weary sigh.

What a mess.

After resting for a short while, the residual heat from earlier finally faded with his return to his original form. Strength slowly trickled back into his limbs, and just as he was about to get up—

A shadow loomed over him.

Before he could react, a hand reached down and picked him up by the scruff of his neck.

Startled, Bai Tu instinctively kicked out—his little hind leg landing squarely on the offender’s handsome face.

“OW!”

A pained yelp rang through the night as the person holding him jerked back, lifting Bai Tu further away as if to prevent another ambush.

“You trying to assassinate your dear senior brother?!”

Only then did Bai Tu get a clear look at the person in front of him.

“Oh, it’s you, Senior Brother.”

Bai Tu’s tense body relaxed, allowing Xun Yi to cradle him in his hands.

Xun Yi tapped a finger against his little head. “What’s going on with you? I don’t see you for a few days, and you’ve already reverted to your original form?”

Bai Tu’s ears drooped slightly. He had no intention of revisiting what had happened in the meditation chamber, so he gave a simple explanation. “Yun Ye broke through his cultivation stage. I stayed to protect him and used up some of my spiritual energy.” Then, shifting the subject, he asked, “Why are you here, Senior Brother?”

Xun Yi picked up Bai Tu’s discarded robes and carried him toward the courtyard. “I just had a feeling something was up. I was passing by Qingyun Mountain, so I figured I’d stop by—and sure enough, I was right.”

He clicked his tongue. “Seriously, you should just find a quiet place to rest. Who’s ever seen someone like you? Carrying a child and still worrying about everything else.”

Bai Tu remained silent.

He would have liked to leave, but at a time like this, if he were to walk away, Tianyan Sect would likely plunge into chaos.

Xun Yi carried him back to the bedroom, setting him down on the bed before adding, “If you really don’t want to leave, there’s another way.”

“…Your child is of an immortal lineage—it’ll absorb your spiritual energy to grow. But this child is Yun Ye’s as well. Now that the boy has reached the Golden Core stage, you could draw a bit of his energy to nourish the baby. At least that way, you wouldn’t keep reverting to your original form.”

Bai Tu froze. “This… doesn’t seem right.”

Xun Yi raised an eyebrow. “What’s so wrong about it? He’s the child’s father—what’s a little spiritual energy in exchange?”

“That’s not what I meant…” Bai Tu hesitated, words faltering on his lips.

To absorb someone’s spiritual energy required close physical contact. And after what had happened today between him and Yun Ye…

He hesitated for a moment longer but ultimately chose not to voice his concerns.

Xun Yi ruffled Bai Tu’s fur, his tone casual yet firm. “I’ve said my piece. Think it over. In the meantime, I’ll find a suitable place for you to rest. Once you’re ready, I’ll come fetch you.”

With that, he turned to leave. “Alright, that’s enough from me. The Lord of Penglai Island is still waiting for me to join him for a drink—I won’t linger.”

Bai Tu asked, “Penglai… is on your way here?”

Xun Yi’s steps faltered for a brief moment. Then, as if he hadn’t heard the question, he strode out the door and vanished into the night as a streak of sword light.

Bai Tu chuckled softly. In this world, only this senior brother cared for him so much.

He shifted onto his side, letting his slightly rounded belly rest against the bed. His eyelids drooped, and before long, drowsiness overtook him.

That sleep lasted until the late morning of the next day.

Meanwhile, Yun Ye had spent the entire night meditating, regulating his energy flow. When he finally opened his eyes, the meditation chamber was empty—he was alone.

A faint trace of that intoxicating scent still lingered in the air, though it had mostly faded. Yun Ye sat there in a daze, memories of the previous night flooding his mind.

He had pinned his master beneath him, kissed him recklessly, and even wanted to…

Heat surged through his body, his blood rushing straight to his head.

In an instant, Yun Ye shot to his feet and bolted out the door.

What the hell did I do last night?!

He arrived outside Bai Tu’s room, hesitated for a moment, then knocked lightly.

“…Master, are you inside?”

On the bed, a small white rabbit blinked its clear red eyes in confusion. Still unable to shift back into human form, its round little body looked even plumper than usual due to the slight swell of its belly.

Bai Tu struggled to sit up when Yun Ye’s voice reached his ears.

Outside the door, Yun Ye knelt and spoke in a low, remorseful voice. “Disciple was wrong to overstep last night. Please, Master, forgive me.”

Bai Tu sighed. This foolish wolf pup didn’t even realize he had been affected by Bai Tu’s heat cycle—he actually thought he had lost control and gone into qi deviation. Shaking his head, Bai Tu got up, preparing to shift back.

…Only to realize—

He couldn’t change back?!

No matter how he tried, his spiritual energy scattered the moment he attempted to gather it. Perhaps he had exhausted too much power last night, leaving him temporarily unable to return to human form.

Meanwhile, Yun Ye continued outside, his voice soft and full of guilt. “If Master is angry, you can punish me however you wish. Just don’t shut me out. Please… come out and see me?”

Why was he rushing him?! He’ll come out when he change back!

Cold sweat broke out on Bai Tu’s fur as he panicked. Yet that little wolf pup kept murmuring outside, making it impossible for him to focus.

Determined to ignore him, Bai Tu took a deep breath and carefully began gathering what little spiritual energy remained, slowly trying to piece it together…

Outside the door, Yun Ye’s gaze darkened. “Master… do you truly refuse to see me?”

He brushed his fingers lightly against the wooden door, a bitter smile forming on his lips. “If you don’t wish to see me, I’ll leave. Please… don’t let this anger harm your health.”

“Last night… last night was my fault.” His voice was low, filled with guilt. “I know I shouldn’t have such improper thoughts about my master, but… I couldn’t control myself. There are some things I probably shouldn’t say today, but… even if you cast me out, I still want you to hear them.”

He took a deep breath, his next words coming out almost in a whisper.

“Master… I have loved you since the first time we met. I—”

Before he could finish, Bai Tu’s painstakingly gathered spiritual energy shattered instantly. His body jolted, and in his moment of shock, he rolled off the bed, crashing to the floor with a loud thud. The sudden movement knocked over the teacup on the bedside table, sending it tumbling to the ground where it shattered into pieces.

The sharp sound of breaking porcelain jolted Yun Ye. Alarmed, he pushed the door open without hesitation.

“Master!”

But what he saw left him frozen in place.

Beside the bed, a small white rabbit lay on its back, its soft ears twitching slightly. Those clear, bright red eyes blinked up at him in a daze, utterly bewildered.

=^_^=