Su Yang's screams echoed through the dense forest as he fled, clutching his wounds, blood dripping with every step.
Watching him disappear into the shadows, Su Chen couldn't help but smirk. His eyes gleamed coldly.
"Son of a bitch… you think I'll let you die so easily?" he muttered, lips curled in disdain.
In his hand, he held a golden sword—once wielded by Su Yang against Han Yue. A divine weapon, forged from Immortal Gold and Divine Iron. Even now, the blade hummed faintly, as though resenting its former master.
Su Chen examined it with a satisfied expression. "Not bad," he murmured.
He hadn't used the Galaxy Sword, as he had kept that one for Huang Wu.
He didn't really need a sword—his powerful physique was more than enough—but still… something about wielding a sword made him feel cooler. More righteous. Like the kind of hero who still had the option to become a villain.
With a swish, he stored the sword in his system inventory.
Then he turned his attention to the bell lying nearby—the same one Han Yue had used earlier in her desperate escape attempt. He bent down, picked it up, and tossed it into the system storage without hesitation.
"She threw it to buy time. She clearly doesn't need it anymore," he reasoned aloud. "So… finders keepers."
Now, his eyes shifted toward Han Yue.
She was lying not far away, collapsed amidst the grass, her body still surrounded by faint wisps of the lingering yin-yang miasma. Her veil had fallen during the chaos, revealing her face—delicate, cold, and almost otherworldly.
A dangerous beauty.
Her body glowed faintly with a soft pink hue, and her mind was clearly affected by the gas—half-conscious at best. She struggled weakly.
Su Chen stared at her in silence for a moment, his expression unreadable.
"…Once heard a saying," he muttered. "'If you want a woman's heart, first earn her trust.' Yeah. Sounds more useful than that idiotic line about taking her body first…"
He approached her slowly, carefully.
"She was willing to die to protect her purity. So… this isn't a situation to mess around. Have to go the traditional route—hero saves the beauty," he whispered, his grin returning. "Heh… let's see if that still works in this world."
"Hero saves the beauty… hehe," he muttered, moving toward Han Yue, who had lost her mind. Fortunately, the Eternal Immortal Wind had restricted her, or she might have already torn her clothes off by now—Su Chen thought with a nervous smirk.
Han Yue, still on the ground, was struggling to break free from the restriction. When she sensed a male presence nearby, she started resisting even more.
Su Chen crouched down beside her, then gently lifted her in his arms. She was lighter than he expected—warm and soft, like a fragile flame. Her thigh pressed against his arm, her back against his chest. His heart thumped a bit faster.
"…I've touched a lot of spirit herbs," he muttered to himself, "…but none of them were ever this soft."
Han Yue thrashed weakly in his grasp, her breathing ragged. But she couldn't break free—her body still sealed by the Eternal Immortal Wind. Only her mouth could move.
"I should leave her in that tree hole. That would be a safe place for her."
Then he retracted the Eternal Immortal Wind into his body.
Swish… All the black air was sucked back into him.
And then, holding Han Yue in his arms, he flew toward the Immortal Pond's tree hole.
Then, suddenly, she leaned in and pressed her lips against his cheek.
"Umm… mmm…"
Su Chen froze mid-air, dumbfounded.
"…What the hell?" he whispered, blinking rapidly. "Is she… kissing me?"
His body stiffened. For a moment, he didn't know what to do.
This was the kind of situation that would've gotten him slapped back on Earth. Or sued. Or both.
But now?
"I mean… which beggar would reject a treasure dropped from the sky?" he thought.
And how could a two-lifetime single like him reject the kiss of a fairy from the heavens?
Such soft lips… Su Chen thought, and increased his speed.
He didn't push her away. He simply adjusted his hold and took off at full speed, flying through the jungle with her in his arms, weaving between the trees like a shadow in motion.
The faint sound of lips brushing his skin still lingered in his ears.
"…Damn," he muttered under his breath, "I really wasn't ready for this."
But he quickly adjusted his mentality and continued flying. Just to be safe, he activated his Plant Sensing Technique, expanding his spiritual awareness to avoid unnecessary trouble.
After all, he didn't want to get into a fight—not while carrying a woman in his arms.
Drrnnn...
He sensed someone up ahead.
A figure was standing not too far away, facing in his direction. But the person didn't take any action.
Maybe he saw the movement from my flight, Su Chen thought, but couldn't detect my presence due to the outsider aura.
He didn't slow down.
Swish!
He soared past silently, not wanting to risk an encounter.
Soon, he reached the massive ancient tree. Without hesitation, he flew toward its upper trunk—where the tree hole was located.
Boom!
A sonic boom cracked through the air as he surged forward at full speed.
Within a second, he arrived.
Everything was just as he left it—the trap he had set earlier was still untouched, undisturbed by any intruder.
Satisfied, Su Chen flew past it and continued toward the Immortal Pond without stopping.
He reached the Immortal Pond in seconds, then descended slowly, landing at its edge with barely a sound.
Still carrying Han Yue in his arms—her lips occasionally brushing against his cheek—he stepped into the shimmering water.
Bit by bit, the cool liquid rose around his legs as he walked forward, holding her carefully.
Then, gently, he lowered her into the Immortal Water.
The moment her body touched the surface, her kisses stopped. Her lips stilled. A soft breath escaped her mouth, and she fell into a peaceful sleep.
Just as he had expected.
The Immortal Water really did suppress the lingering effects of that black-and-white mist, Su Chen thought, watching the faint pink glow around her slowly fade.
Even though only ten percent of the water remained in the pond—most of it having been absorbed into his system storage or refined into his body during Huang Wu's birth—it was still potent.
But did Su Chen feel regretful for using the last bit of it?
Of course not.
If something exists in this world, then it's meant to be used. Either someone else uses it, or I do. So, it's better that I use it myself, he thought, his expression calm and utterly shameless.