153: Chapter 153 Hope

The first rays of morning sunlight filtered through the gaps in the bamboo leaves, spilling over the summit of Purple Bamboo Peak.

Chen Zilong slowly opened his eyes, his vision still somewhat blurred.

He instinctively moved his fingers and felt the soft bed beneath him, only then confirming that he was still alive.

"Am I dead?" he whispered to himself, his voice terribly hoarse.

"Young Master! You're all right! That's wonderful!"

Ye Bingli, who had been dozing at the edge of the bed, woke up instantly at the sound.

Her eyes reddened in an instant, and her voice trembled with excitement as she turned toward the door and shouted:

"Everyone, come in quickly! The Young Master has woken up!"

Cluttered footsteps immediately sounded from outside the door.

Li Chenger was the first to rush in, her hair bun slightly disheveled.

Ding Shuyao followed closely behind, carrying a bowl of freshly brewed medicinal soup in her hands.

Jin Mei, Lu Bingyun, and Song Xiangsi also stepped inside quickly, each of their faces bearing the joy of relief.

The last to enter were Chen Xuan and Ji Fuyao.

Ji Fuyao almost threw herself at the bedside, trembling as she embraced her son, her tears falling uncontrollably:

"My son... you've finally woken up..."

Chen Zilong was still somewhat dazed; that nightmare of a battle at the Tianji Sect still lingered in his mind.

He looked around and suddenly remembered something, grabbing his mother's arm and asking:

"Mother, where is Xishui? And where is Xiaoxiao?"

Ji Fuyao's movement of wiping her tears paused, her eyes flickering as she hesitated to speak.

In truth, Chen Zilong already understood in his heart.

On that day, the two women had risked everything to save him; now, they were likely...

Two lines of hot tears fell uncontrollably as he gripped the corner of the quilt tightly, his knuckles turning white.

"However, there were Restrictions left in their Sea of Consciousness; they should still have a sliver of their life soul remaining, right?"

Chen Zilong suddenly looked up, a spark of hope igniting in his eyes. "Can they still be saved?"

Ji Fuyao nodded hastily:

"Your wife has already joined forces with Ye Changkong and Tushan Yaoyao to cast a spell. They're in the secret chamber at the back of the mountain..."

"Take me there!" Chen Zilong struggled to get out of bed, but was held down by his father.

"You've just woken up and need rest," Chen Xuan said in a deep voice.

"I can hold on."

Chen Zilong stubbornly pushed his father's hand away. "They did this for me... I must go."

Seeing his determination, everyone had no choice but to support him as they walked toward the secret chamber on the back mountain.

The secret chamber was located in a cave in the deepest part of Purple Bamboo Peak, surrounded by Restrictions.

As soon as the stone door was pushed open, a bone-chilling cold rushed toward them.

Stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, and the dripping sound of water was exceptionally clear in the silence.

Ye Xishui and Tu Shan Xiaoxiao lay on two white jade beds, their faces as pale as paper.

Their souls hovered above their physical bodies, flickering in and out as if they might dissipate at any moment.

Liu Mei, Ye Changkong, and Tushan Yaoyao sat cross-legged in a triangular formation, channeling their dharmic power toward the soul nurturing wood suspended in mid-air.

The piece of pitch-black wood emitted a soft white light, as warm as a mother's embrace, slowly nourishing the two fragile souls.

Chen Zilong stumbled forward and, without hesitation, pointed his fingers to inject his remaining dharmic power into the soul nurturing wood.

"Husband, you've just woken up; please go and rest," Liu Mei said, looking at him with concern, her voice weak.

Ji Fuyao and Chen Xuan also tried to persuade him from the side, but Chen Zilong only shook his head:

"No, I must do something."

Song Xiangsi and Lu Bingyun exchanged a glance and also silently stepped forward to help.

Soon, the light from the soul nurturing wood became even more brilliant, illuminating the entire secret chamber with a soft white glow.

This continued for several days without rest or sleep.

When Ye Xishui and Tu Shan Xiaoxiao's souls finally became fully solidified and were no longer transparent, Ye Changkong and Tushan Yaoyao simultaneously changed their hand seals and began to guide the souls back to their bodies.

Watching the two souls slowly sink into their respective physical bodies, Chen Zilong finally breathed a sigh of relief, nearly collapsing to the ground.

"The rest will depend on themselves."

Tushan Yaoyao wiped away some sweat. "The souls need time to adapt to the bodies; it might take a long time for them to wake up."

Everyone left the secret chamber one after another, leaving the two young women to sleep quietly.

...

In the back mountain of Purple Bamboo Peak, there was a secluded bamboo grove where Chen Zilong and Lu Bingyun arrived simultaneously.

Bamboo leaves rustled in the morning breeze, and dewdrops dripped from the tips of the leaves.

The two stood facing each other, speechless for a moment.

Chen Zilong looked away somewhat uncomfortably, the tips of his ears turning slightly red.

Lu Bingyun, however, appeared quite composed; she casually plucked a bamboo leaf and twirled it gently between her fingertips.

"Um... how is your injury?" Chen Zilong finally gathered the courage to speak.

"Same as you, I was bedridden for several months."

Lu Bingyun chuckled. "But I woke up a few days earlier than you."

"Thank you for saving me, I..." The words were on the tip of Chen Zilong's tongue, but he didn't know how to continue.

Lu Bingyun shook her head, her gaze clear:

"You don't need to thank me, nor do you need to blame yourself. That was my own choice."

Chen Zilong pursed his lips, his heart a whirlwind of emotions.

When his life was hanging by a thread, it was this woman and another who did not hesitate to save him with their virgin bodies.

As a man, he ought to take responsibility.

Just as he was about to say something, Lu Bingyun spoke first:

"Chen Zilong, gratitude is not love. I don't want to use this to tie you down."

Her voice was very calm, as if she were speaking about something that had nothing to do with her:

"You are my first man, and you will be my last. Loving you is my choice; even if you don't love me, I will always love you."

She said this with no pain on her face; instead, she wore a smile of relief.

But Chen Zilong could no longer hold it back, and tears burst from his eyes.

He lunged forward and pulled Lu Bingyun into a tight embrace.

Lu Bingyun clearly hadn't expected this action; her body stiffened for a moment before slowly relaxing.

The bamboo leaf in her hand fluttered to the ground.

"When Xishui and Xiaoxiao wake up,"

Chen Zilong's voice was choked but firm. "I will take you all to live together. From now on, just like Liu Mei, you are my woman—you are Chen Zilong's wife!"

The sword in Lu Bingyun's hand fell to the ground with a "clatter."

She threw her arms around Chen Zilong, finally unable to stop her own tears from falling.

She gave a soft "mm" and buried her face in his shoulder.

The morning light filtered through the bamboo leaves, casting mottled shadows on the embracing pair.

Chen Zilong cupped her face, and deep in the bamboo grove, the two exchanged a soulful and solemn kiss.

...

Meanwhile, deep within Fire Cloud Peak.

This place was starkly different from the elegance of Purple Bamboo Peak; the entire mountain peak exuded a sense of oppressive heat.

In a hidden secret chamber, Lin Yi, the Peak Master of Fire Cloud Peak, stood before a black coffin.

The surface of the coffin was covered in eerie runes, and black turbid air continuously seeped from the cracks, twisting into hideous shapes in the air.

The torches hanging on the walls of the secret chamber flickered, stretching Lin Yi's shadow long and making it dance menacingly against the wall.

Above the coffin, Ye Wushuang's soul hovered with eyes tightly shut and a distorted face, seemingly enduring immense pain.

"I have been lying low for so many years; I must not fail at the final hurdle," Lin Yi whispered sinisterly, a bizarre smile curling at the corners of his mouth.

He slowly raised his hand, and black demonic energy gathered in his palm.

"Ye Wushuang, become a member of my Demon Race and be reborn!"

...