Land of Lawlessness.
Green Lotus Palace.
On the large bed in Luoxiu Sleeping Hall.
Xia Chan bit her lower lip, her two delicate, jade-like hands clutching the sheets tightly. Her beautiful body, with skin as smooth as the finest white jade, twitched faintly from time to time as low, suppressed moans escaped her lips…
「A long time passed.」
Luo Xiu wiped the sweat from his forehead, let out a long sigh, and then withdrew… the dozens of Silver Needles from Xia Chan's body.
Xia Chan hurriedly pulled the quilt up to cover herself. She looked at Luo Xiu with a wounded expression, on the verge of tears. "You just love to bully me."
Luo Xiu wore an innocent look. "I was using the Creation Thirteen Needles to help you suppress the potent poison in your body. How is that bullying you?"
Xia Chan gave a soft huff and looked away. She suddenly asked, "How did you change your appearance to look like this? And... weren't you killed during the great calamity in the Execution Grounds?"
Luo Xiu smiled. "This isn't a disguise; I was just born this handsome. As for the great calamity in the Execution Grounds..."
He then briefly told Xia Chan about his rebirth. Upon hearing his story, Xia Chan suddenly threw herself into his arms and wept silently.
Luo Xiu gently patted her back. "The poison in your body… is it because you absorbed the Shu Poison during the calamity at the Execution Grounds?"
Xia Chan just nodded, saying nothing as her hands clung tightly to the clothes at his waist.
During the great calamity in the Execution Grounds, the White Skirt Medical Immortal, Lu Nianjiao, had sacrificed her own life to refine a God Blood Golden Pill to dispel the Shu Poison from the masses. Later, Xia Chan consumed that God Blood Golden Pill, fusing its medicinal properties with her own demonic power. She then dispersed this energy from her body, creating a great rain that cleansed the Shu Poison from all who were caught in it.
Subsequently, Zhang Yi used his Spirit Martial Markings to seal all of the Shu Poison within Xia Chan's Fire Dragon Body. However, Zhang Yi's mastery of the Spirit Martial Markings was not yet proficient. After they arrived in the Upper Realm, the seal on Xia Chan's body began to loosen over time, allowing the Shu Poison to merge with her flesh.
...
The two held each other and talked for a long, long time before they reluctantly parted.
Luo Xiu looked at the beautiful woman before him with a smile, but his heart was heavy. He couldn't cure her. The Shu Poison had already fused with her very flesh and blood, making it impossible to remove. Moreover, if too much time passed, her life would be in danger. Xia Chan herself was well aware of this.
"Don't worry," Luo Xiu said gently. "With me here, you won't die."
Xia Chan nodded lightly. "You touched my body… how come you weren't infected?"
Luo Xiu laughed. "That's because my constitution is exceptional."
While creating his Second Dantian, Luo Xiu had absorbed a Dao Crystal, which enhanced his Thunder Path Physique. He had also absorbed peerless treasures like Divine Blood Iron. As a result, his body was now impregnable and impervious to all poisons.
Xia Chan said softly, "Still, all these sheets, pillows, and the quilt will need to be replaced… so that if you're with another woman in the future… you don't accidentally infect her with the poison."
Seeing her cold yet shy demeanor, Luo Xiu suddenly couldn't hold back. He reached out and grasped her shoulders.
"What are you doing?" Xia Chan struggled symbolically.
A mischievous grin spread across Luo Xiu's face. "Well, since you're not wearing anything anyway, how about I help you with a deeper examination? Just to check for any lingering poison."
"No… I'm thirsty from the Swordfire. I want some water."
"Water? You'll be drinking milk later! I guarantee it'll fill you up!"
"Hey, let go of me… you're always bullying me."
"I won't. I'm going to bully you. Think back to the Wu Tian ritual. Our Holy Boi Religion Envoy was so obedient back then. Why are you so disobedient now?"
"…"
「A long, long time later.」
Luo Xiu led Xia Chan by the hand out of the Green Lotus Palace. She had some difficulty walking, her legs weak as if injured, so Luo Xiu had no choice but to hold her close. She had changed into a fresh white dress and had also washed up, her simple makeup making her look like a lotus emerging from water—pure yet alluringly cold and noble.
However, a hazy luster, like a veil of spring rain, still lingered in her beautiful eyes, not yet fully dissipated. That lingering afterglow also gave her skin a tempting pink hue.
"Our esteemed Messenger Lord has been pent-up for decades," Luo Xiu teased. "Now that you've finally gotten some release, do you feel much more relaxed?"
"Oh, shut up. Don't talk nonsense," Xia Chan retorted, her face flushing as she pouted coyly.
"Let's go, my baby's mama." Luo Xiu suddenly opened a spatial gateway.
Xia Chan asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"To get revenge for you, of course. Who told them to bully my woman?"
Hearing this, Xia Chan pouted. "Getting revenge for me is just a convenient excuse, isn't it?"
Just then, Master Ping flew over with a WHOOSH. "You damned couple, wait for this old master! I'm going too!"
"…"
When Luo Xiu brought Xia Chan and Master Ping back to the Swordfire Divine Sect's dojo, he found that the giant boulder he had created with Ten Thousand Manifestations hadn't fallen. Instead, it had been pushed by some force into a distant forest.
"He's out!" a sudden cry of alarm rose from the dojo.
Luo Xiu scanned the area and saw thousands of Divine Sect Disciples assembled in a Sword Array, waiting for him. His Divine Sense, however, detected no overwhelmingly powerful auras. This meant the old geezer still hadn't shown himself.
"He really is patient," Luo Xiu muttered to himself. "Let's see if you'll come out after I've killed all your disciples."
He then suddenly wrapped an arm around Xia Chan's slender waist. His Tricolor Thunder Wings unfolded behind him, and he carried her as they slowly flew up into the sky.
"Master Ping, take care of yourself."
On the ground, Master Ping looked up at Luo Xiu with a pained expression. "What the hell is this supposed to be? You're even bringing out the Tricolor Thunder Wings? Do you have to be so extra?" He suddenly felt that the warning "Don't easily display the Power of Laws before others" had gone in one of Luo Xiu's ears and out the other. This guy was practically dying to let the entire world know he possessed the Power of Laws!
Luo Xiu glanced down at Master Ping, a profound look in his eyes.
Master Ping met his gaze and froze, instantly understanding the meaning behind it. A look of sudden realization crossed his face.
"I see... so you just wanted to show off!" Master Ping sent via Divine Sense Communication, a wicked smile on his face.
Luo Xiu replied in kind, "If you knew, why aren't you playing along? What's with all the pointless chatter? Are we brothers or not?"
Master Ping pursed his lips and said no more. He knew that Luo Xiu was showing off for Xia Chan. Left arm around a beauty, right hand holding a sword, clad in Battle Armor… He figured Luo Xiu had completely mastered the art of showing off.
"Master Luo, you're a total badass! You're my idol! Go and wipe the floor with them!" Master Ping yelled, pumping his fist in the air, though his acting was atrocious.
Xia Chan watched the two of them, amused. Having been an Envoy for the Holy Boi Religion, she had met countless people and was no naive girl.
This guy… he just lives to show off in front of women. But… he really does look incredibly dashing like this.
Xia Chan glanced at Luo Xiu's profile, her cheeks flushing red as her heart filled with an overwhelming sense of security.