Wen Yu's kiss was tinged with anger, yet it was also overly cautious, only daring to linger on the surface and not daring to go deeper.

He was proactive, yet incredibly passive.

Even though his cultivation was stronger than hers, and even though she was so weak that he could do whatever he wanted, he was still controlled by her.

She was like sand in his palm, impossible to grasp tightly, impossible to hold onto, and he couldn't bear to let her go.

However, Wen Yu knew perfectly well that Yan Li's actions were a deliberate attempt to provoke her, and that she did not trust his words at all.

That's why she resorted to such extreme measures to demand proof from him, proof that he wouldn't pose a threat to her.

She's too timid.

The slightest disturbance will make her retreat into her shell.

It was as if this way, no one else could hurt her anymore.

She could continue to pretend to be nonchalant.

At this moment, what he should really do is gently pat her head, like an elder, and softly tell her that he will fulfill any wish she has.

Let alone one Daoist partner, even if it were ten or a hundred, he should agree.

They even had to reason with her, telling her that indulging in pleasure was not the right path, and that the path of cultivating immortality should not be taken lightly.

Or, you could loudly reprimand her for speaking ill of her elders, disrespecting them, and having filthy thoughts.

Love is absurd.

Give yourself and your heart in exchange for the sincerity of a stranger.

It's utterly absurd.

But he was still terminally ill and beyond cure.

All reason vanished when she tried to distance herself from herself.

He could accept her using him, but he couldn't accept her using others for the same reason.

The moment their lips met, Wen Yu realized in a daze that perhaps she wasn't the only one who was sick; he, who had fallen into the same abyss with her, was also suffering.

The drumbeat in Yan Li's heart grew louder and louder, as if it were about to leap out of her chest, causing her thoughts to go blank for a moment.

Wen Yu.

Her master.

The strongest people in this world aren't really that different from those other people, are they?

She instinctively wanted to push Wen Yu away, as if she had seized a handle on him, found a way to make trouble for him, or even threaten and use him.

If people knew that the masters in the major sects were all so hypocritical, they would surely be condemned by many. Would he also end up like her, hated by everyone?

They dragged him into the water.

He, who was once so high and mighty, ended up with the same fate as her.

Yan Li's original intentions have long since changed.

What does becoming an immortal matter? What does a mission matter? She couldn't help but laugh at herself.

But thinking of this, the little voice in her heart began to shake its head again.

Countless facts have shown her that the major sects don't care about these things.

He might even tie her up and send her to his bed to please him after finding out the news.

Yan Li had long seen through the inherent flaws of these people, and after getting the result she wanted, she gradually became more serious about resisting them.

Even though she used all her strength in her hands, she still couldn't budge him at all, and all the spiritual energy attacking him was as gentle as a cat that had been stroked.

Like countless spider silks, or like a thin mist, they entwined around the two of them, inseparable.

In his anger, Wen Yu was unlikely to give in to her wishes. He slightly raised his head, his forehead touching Yan Li's, his voice slightly hoarse, yet also sounding like a cold mockery:

"Why are you hiding?"

"Didn't Ali want to find a cultivation partner for dual cultivation?"

"Shouldn't we have foreseen this situation of being controlled by others?"

"If Ali can't win, she will become a tool for others to improve their cultivation."

Do you know what a tool is?

Like an addict who had finally found the cure for his ailment, he gripped the back of her neck with his large, veiny hand and held her tightly in his arms.

After noticing Yan Li's resistance, he tightened his grip on her chin, expressing his love without reservation.

He bit her lips, his burning kisses falling slowly, leaving Yan Li no way to escape, forcing her to compromise, yield, or even cooperate.

He didn't know how much time had passed, so long that Yan Li felt his body was completely imbued with Wen Yu's aura, when he finally stopped again.

"The tool only needs to lie on the bed and wait obediently for its master to love it. If he is in a good mood, he will give it a little so that the tool can live a few more years."

"When you're in a bad mood, it's like a container that gets squeezed dry; it's common for your mental state to drop as well."

"If this tool misbehaves, its master can use spiritual power to destroy her consciousness, turning her into a mindless idiot who can only be at the mercy of others."

"If you're unlucky, you might even be used for trading, just like those poor souls who have fallen into prostitution."

“Ali thought…”

"Will you be the master of this tool, or will you become their tool?"

Wen Yu's kiss landed on Yan Li's lips, but the hand holding her never let go. She then bit her earlobe, whispering something like a murmur:

"Or perhaps, Ah Li wants me to find you a Daoist partner who truly loves you, is willing to be used by you, and serves as a stepping stone on your path to immortality?"

His eyes dimmed again as he quietly awaited Yan Li's answer.

But Yan Li's heart was already rotten, and she even had an extraordinary stubbornness. The moment she regained control, she raised her hand decisively.

"Smack—"

The slap landed on Wen Yu's face, but only produced a very faint sound, leaving no mark on his fair skin.

"so what,"

Yan Li tried her best to maintain her composure and didn't want to lose face. After a pause, she used the words she had been preparing in her mind for a long time.

"How do you know I can't find those who are truly sincere, and how do you know they are unwilling to be stepping stones on my path to immortality?"

“Until the very last step, who is whose tool, who can truly say?” Her tone was gentle yet sharp, light and airy, yet it was the most piercing of all:

"Since Master has already promised to make it up to me..."

As she spoke, she raised her hand, vigorously wiping her lips and abdomen with her fingertips, then, as if disgusted by the dirt, wiped them again on her sleeve. She then slightly raised her gaze.

"One should keep their promises and not do something so outrageous."

While watching this scene intently, Wen Yu, who had just been slapped, seemed to feel no pain at all. Her deep eyes, as dark as ink, became even more viscous.

Just a moment later, he actually grabbed Yan Li's hand, his slightly rough fingertips gently caressing her palm, as if it were her who was in pain.

But just when Yan Li thought he was only rubbing her...

The next moment, Wen Yu pulled Yan Li's hand to her chest with a slight pull, lowered her head, and kissed him.

In an instant, like a cat that had just stolen some cream, his eyes lit up. Then, he looked up at her and asked, seemingly casually:

"Is Ali still going to insist on doing things her own way?"

"Even knowing they have ulterior motives, you still want to use them. Or are you willing to risk your life to gamble on their sincerity towards you?"