Chapter 32 The chubby little paws stomped on the softest curve of the other person's heart...
"Guess? Guess what?" Bai's mind was buzzing. In front of him was Zhong Jiuli's face, which was close to his own. He could smell the cool fragrance on her body. With such beauty in front of him, who would have the mind to guess riddles?
Bai hadn't felt anything when netizens exclaimed that Zhong Jiuli's beauty was killing her before, but now she was truly stunned by Zhong Jiuli's beauty, and she felt like she was about to suffocate.
"Don't get so close." Bai Ye placed one hand on Zhong Jiuli's shoulder and pushed her away with a little force. "I can't breathe."
"Hurry up, let's go treasure hunting!" she muttered to herself, then left, not even caring that her wife hadn't followed.
Zhong Jiuli took a half step back and watched Bai Ye's fleeing figure, a smile spreading across her eyes.
This little guy is getting harder and harder to fool.
"Don't run so fast, wait for me." Zhong Jiuli called softly, and the figure running ahead immediately stopped and obediently stood still and waited.
Bai turned around and looked at the figure approaching gracefully from afar. Her pure white robes fluttered lightly as she walked, and even her hair shimmered with a soft light, making her seem otherworldly.
She sighed inwardly: The cultivation world is really too difficult to survive in. The female lead is so beautiful and alluring, she can bewitch people at the drop of a hat. How can she guard her Dao heart?
This really affects her ability to be a great female protagonist!
Zhong Jiuli walked closer and waved her hand lightly in front of Bai Ye's eyes.
Bai also came to his senses and grabbed the hand that was causing trouble in front of him.
"Let's go." She said dryly, grabbing Zhong Jiuli's wrist and pulling her forward. Her movements seemed rough, but the force she used was extremely light.
Inside the vast, empty hall, their footsteps echoed softly in the corridor. Bai stared at the seemingly endless corridor ahead, awkwardly trying to make conversation: "This hall is simply boundless..."
“Yes, it’s very big.” Zhong Jiuli responded gently, her eyes and brows filled with smiles. Her gaze was not looking ahead, but rather on their wrists where their skin touched. The little tiger’s fingertips unconsciously rubbed against her wrist bones because of nervousness.
Bai could clearly feel the pulse beating in the other person's wrist, one beat after another, gradually synchronizing with his own heartbeat.
She secretly glanced to her side and saw that Zhong Jiuli was calm and looking straight ahead, unlike her, who was flustered and confused. She looked away, somewhat annoyed, trying her best to ignore the warmth coming from where their skin touched.
After noticing that the gaze had withdrawn, Zhong Jiuli slowly let out a soft breath. For some reason, she had felt inexplicably nervous while being secretly observed.
Both were clearly a little uncomfortable, yet neither was willing to let go of the other's hand. They walked along the seemingly endless corridor, each lost in their own thoughts.
Bai was also somewhat relieved at this moment. As long as the corridor was long enough, they could hold hands forever, which felt good. They could treat it as their first date and walk.
Unfortunately, after walking a short distance, they suddenly heard the sounds of fighting ahead. The two quickened their pace and headed towards the direction of the sound.
Not far ahead, there was a large hall with its doors wide open, and the sounds of fighting were coming from inside.
Bai also peeked inside. Inside the main hall, swords flashed and spiritual energy surged as dozens of cultivators fought fiercely.
She glanced at it casually and noticed that the group of people were fighting over an ancient scroll that radiated a lustrous, precious light. The scroll was not yet opened, so it was impossible to see what was painted on it.
But the sheer amount of spiritual energy emanating from it was enough to convince one that this was definitely a treasure.
The scroll changed hands repeatedly in the chaos of battle. Sometimes it was knocked into the air by a palm strike, and other times it was desperately caught in someone's arms. Then it attracted several fierce attacks, forcing the person to let go.
It's like a crazy "passing" game, except that a slight mistake can cost you not the ball, but your life.
Bai shook her head, having no intention of competing for it. She had already acquired many good things in the secret realm along the way; there was no need to fight these people for more.
She turned her head and whispered to Zhong Jiuli beside her, "Let's go, let them fight."
Zhong Jiuli glanced at her in surprise, somewhat unexpected that her little money-grubber would one day be uninterested in treasures.
However, she had no interest in treasure hunting; with her cultivation level, ordinary rare and precious materials could no longer attract her.
Just as the two were about to turn and leave, they suddenly heard a sharp whooshing sound behind them...
"call out!"
The scroll was struck by something and flew straight towards the palace gate!
Bai's body reacted faster than her brain; almost instinctively, she raised her hand and grabbed the scroll, which landed steadily in her hands.
In an instant, the sounds of fighting inside the hall eerily stopped for a moment.
All eyes were fixed on her, and the air seemed to freeze.
Bai Ye: "......"
The next second, a deluge of attacks rained down on her like a storm! Sword energy, talismans, meteor hammers, bone-piercing nails...
A variety of deadly attacks were unleashed at the palace gate.
Bai rolled his eyes. Although he knew it was normal to fight for treasures in secret realms, these people didn't even say a word of politeness and went straight for the kill. It was just too uncouth.
She was the one who opened the door, after all. And that cultivator who used the bone-piercing nail, you wouldn't happen to be an evil cultivator, would you?
These thoughts flashed through Bai Ye's mind quickly, but now was clearly not the time to let his mind wander.
The moment she held the painting in her hands, she felt an inexplicable attraction to it. Bai knew that this item was destined for her, so naturally she couldn't return it.
She casually tossed the scroll into the air, simultaneously drawing her sword and unleashing a crescent-shaped sword aura that slashed out like a reversed Milky Way, colliding with the various magical attacks coming her way.
Before the shockwave of the explosion arrived, Bai had already leaped up, stepping on the head of the nearest cultivator and snatching the scroll back into his palm before he could reach it.
The moment she landed, she tossed the scroll back into the air, sending it tracing a perfect arc before it fell into Zhong Jiuli's arms.
Zhong Jiuli watched her series of actions with amusement, and she could vaguely understand some of the little tiger's thoughts.
She could have simply tossed the scroll over, but she chose not to. This unnecessary action was simply to make her movements appear more elegant.
Needless to say, he must have learned it from that sword cultivator Li Chengfeng. Sword cultivators are all a bunch of arrogant guys!
Zhong Jiuli couldn't suppress the smile in her eyes. This little guy, why does he keep picking up...bad habits?
After showing off, Bai turned around, sword in hand, facing the crowd, and without saying a word, gave them a good beating.
The first one to rush to the front, dressed in green, didn't even see how Bai drew his sword before his protective spiritual energy shattered like an eggshell.
When the sword's spine struck her cheek, her expression of shock was still frozen on her face. She was sent flying backward like a cannonball, knocking over three or four cultivators in succession.
"Bang!"
"Snap!"
"Ouch!"
For a moment, only various wails echoed in the hall. Bai Ye's figure flashed and moved among the crowd. Every time a sword flashed, someone would fall to the ground and not get up.
After the noise subsided, only Bai Ye remained standing in the hall. If she hadn't only struck people with the back of her sword, none of them would probably be alive by now.
Bai sheathed his sword, looked at the fallen cultivators, and strode towards the outside of the hall.
The group waited until the two women disappeared from sight before daring to get up. Everyone was bruised and battered, looking quite disheveled.
The young Taoist in blue rubbed his cheek and said with a sullen expression, "Why did you provoke her? Everyone knows she's not someone to mess with."
After saying this, she adjusted her disheveled hair and limped out of the main hall.
Meanwhile, after Bai Ye and Zhong Jiuli left this place, they found a secluded and empty hall.
Bai also closed the palace door, set up a restriction, and then turned to look at the scroll in Zhong Jiuli's arms, excitedly saying, "Quickly open it and see what's in this scroll. Could it be a treasure map or something?"
Seeing her curiosity, Zhong Jiuli reached out and untied the ropes binding the scroll.
As the silk cloth was slowly unfurled, the patterns on the scroll gradually appeared before the two people's eyes.
It was a colossal altar that stretched from heaven to earth, its steps seemingly made of white jade, inscribed with ancient and profound golden runes. At the top of the altar, a golden orb, as dazzling as the sun, floated in the void, its radiance even more brilliant than the sun itself.
Below the golden pearl was a pool of surging golden liquid, which, like a burning flame, also emitted a dazzling light.
Bai felt a strange sense of familiarity with the scene, even though she shouldn't have any memories of it. She involuntarily reached out, wanting to touch the altar on the canvas.
The next second, the golden bead suddenly emitted a beam of golden light, enveloping the two of them.
Bai felt a sudden dizziness, surrounded by dazzling golden light, as if he had fallen into the sun. Fortunately, it wasn't scorching hot, otherwise the two of them would have been roasted alive.
"Where is this? Is it a world in a painting?" Bai asked softly.
Before the words were even finished, the dazzling golden light around them began to transform, turning into countless golden divine weapons, including swords, spears, and halberds. At this moment, these divine weapons rushed towards them with the force to shatter mountains and rivers and break through the void.
"Watch out!" Bai Ye exclaimed, instinctively grabbing Zhong Jiuli's slender waist and shielding her in his arms. He then turned around, using his back to block the incoming divine weapons.
Her back was wide open, and the chilling killing intent stung her skin. Every nerve in her body screamed, "Get out of the way! These attacks could obliterate me!"
In that life-or-death moment, time seemed to suddenly stand still.
Zhong Jiuli raised her eyes, a silver light swirling within them, like a time wheel. Brilliant silver light emanated from her pupils, freezing all the golden swords, spears, and halberds in the void.
She slightly raised her fingertips and lightly touched the void. Before she could continue, in the next instant, all the divine weapons exploded and shattered into dust, transforming back into golden light that enveloped the two of them.
"Zhong Jiuli, did you block it?" Bai didn't see what happened behind her, but she could feel the killing intent dissipate.
"It wasn't me who dissolved it; the golden light dissipated on its own," Zhong Jiuli replied softly, her voice trembling slightly.
It wasn't out of fear, but because she was completely enveloped by the other party's aura. The little tiger's blood and energy, which were much more vigorous than those of ordinary cultivators, were revealed at this moment.
The scorching heat seeped through her clothes, more intense than a heater in summer, making her heart tingle. This near-skin-to-skin contact was almost unbearable for her.
"I know this golden light won't kill me," Bai said, leaning close to her ear, his voice low but firm.
Both of them are main characters; there's no way they would die in a place like this.
Zhong Jiuli tilted her head slightly, raising her slender neck to subtly avoid the scorching breath. She only responded softly, her gaze fixed on the golden light swirling around her.
"These golden lights seem to be formed from the condensed Geng metal energy of the White Tiger clan. That's why when we entered this place, the golden light transformed into divine weapons, trying to kill me." Zhong Jiuli had already roughly guessed what kind of place this was.
"Luckily, it was me who stood in front of you." Bai chuckled, his voice rising slightly at the end. "Otherwise, if someone else had taken the sword for you, they would have been stabbed right through."
Zhong Jiuli glanced at her smiling eyes out of the corner of his eye, "Yes, yes, thank you for taking the sword for me, Young Hero Bai. You are a man of great righteousness. However, you must not do this again next time."
Bai responded very quickly, "Yes, I won't shield others, I'll only shield you."
As they spoke, the two landed steadily at the bottom of the altar. Zhong Jiuli placed her hand on Bai Ye's shoulder and gently nudged her, signaling her to let go.
Bai understood, withdrew his hand from her waist, and looked up at the towering altar.
Zhong Jiuli also looked up at the altar. "Let's go, let's go up and take a look."
"Let me go first this time." Bai Ye quickly stepped forward and stepped onto the white jade altar before Zhong Jiuli could take a step.
The moment Bai Ye stepped onto the white jade altar, his knees suddenly sank, as if an ancient divine mountain was pressing down on his shoulders. It was similar to his previous experience on "Demon Mountain," but not entirely the same.
This is a mysterious and ancient restriction. At this moment, Bai also felt the scrutiny from the depths of her bloodline. The golden bead was like an eye that could see through the world, scanning her bones, flesh, and soul inch by inch.
Bai also groaned, his body slightly bent, each step he took was heavy, and his footsteps made a "thump thump" sound.
However, after climbing only a few dozen steps, beads of sweat began to roll down her smooth chin.
Unlike Bai Ye, Zhong Jiuli did not feel that pressure. She walked with ease and took only a few steps to be ahead of Bai Ye.
Bai was surprised to see her walking so easily. "Don't you feel any pressure?"
Zhong Jiuli turned around and smiled, "This place was probably left behind by your White Tiger Clan ancestor, specifically to test little tigers like you who are not skilled enough. I do not have the White Tiger bloodline, so I cannot feel that suppression."
Bai blinked her big eyes and pouted, saying, "Did my ancestor get it backwards? Shouldn't he have let his own descendants in and kept outsiders out?"
Zhong Jiuli stepped down a few steps, took Bai Ye's hand, and led her upstairs to relieve some of her pressure.
"Inheritance should naturally be left to those who are worthy of it. If you can't even climb this step, how can you be worthy of what your predecessors have left behind?"
Hearing her say that, Bai's eyes lit up, and he grinned, "Then it seems that I am the genius they have been waiting for."
“It’s good that you have this belief. Alright, save your energy.” After saying that, Zhong Jiuli stopped talking and focused on taking Bai Ye’s hand and walking upstairs.
The moment their hands touched, the pressure Bai Ye felt was also transferred to her, and she was not at ease either.
The long white jade steps seemed endless, and the two of them walked for several days.
Bai went from being sweaty all over to being pale, and then her cheeks became sunken, her once radiant skin losing all its color.
Climbing this altar consumes all her vital energy. Halfway up, she sensed something was wrong and even wanted to turn back.
But at this moment, the white jade steps did not intend to let them go.
As soon as the two turned around, the golden light that had dissipated earlier condensed back into countless divine weapons aimed at them.
"Don't rush, don't rush, we're not going down," Bai said with an embarrassed smile, turning around timidly to continue climbing.
Zhong Jiuli comforted her, saying, "The White Tiger Clan values physical tempering the most. This altar is the first test, which is to exhaust your blood and energy and force out the potential buried deep in your bloodline."
"Mm." Bai responded emphatically, composed himself, and continued walking upwards.
She wasn't afraid of this test, she just didn't want Zhong Jiuli to take the risk. If she were alone, she would climb up on all fours without any problem.
"That's right, use all four limbs!" Bai Ye's eyes lit up. She released Zhong Jiuli's hand and instead grabbed her slender waist, pulling her behind her.
"Awooo!" A deafening roar from the baby tiger echoed across the altar.
Bai Ye's figure suddenly shrank, transforming into her true form. However, unlike her previous kitten-like size, she now enlarged considerably, reaching the size of a snow leopard.
A shimmering light danced on its silky white fur as four soft, pink paws landed on the white jade steps with a few muffled thuds. The fluffy tiger tail coiled around Zhong Jiuli's slender waist, steadily supporting her on its back.
Bai turned around and grinned, "You can ride on me, how about it, Zhong Jiuli? I'm good to you, aren't I? You're the first person to ride on me."
A subtle look appeared in Zhong Jiuli's eyes. This little tiger probably didn't know what kind of lewd words she had said.
Noticing the odd expression on Zhong Jiuli's face, Bai Ye realized the ambiguity in her words and quickly shook her head to explain, "I meant the kind of riding, the riding of a mount, not that kind of riding..."
Her explanation only made things worse.
Zhong Jiuli chuckled and bent down to hug her furry neck, burying her cheek in her snow-white fur and rubbing it gently. "Perfect timing, I'm tired too, I'll ride you up."
"Roar, put it on my back!" Bai roared and continued walking uphill.
After reverting to my original form, the pressure was indeed much less. Even with someone on my back, I could walk much faster than before.
Several more days passed, and finally the top of the seemingly endless altar came into view.
The moment Bai stepped onto the platform, she collapsed to the ground with a "plop," sprawling like a flat, round pancake. Her pink tongue dangled on the jade brick, and she panted heavily like a broken bellows.
Zhong Jiuli lay down on her back next to her, her black hair cascading down and falling onto the snow-white downy fur, the black and white intertwined, indistinguishable from each other.
The two lay on the altar, which seemed to be perched atop the clouds, with the white jade bricks beneath them radiating a soft, spiritual light that nourished their weary bodies.
The surrounding clouds surged, and the golden pearl hung directly above, its light softened considerably, casting a warm glow upon the two like a small sun. Not far away, the pool of golden liquid churned quietly, its dense spiritual energy overflowing from it.
Without the two of them needing to circulate their energy, spiritual energy rushed into their bodies.
The long-dried-up meridians greedily absorbed the spiritual energy in the air, nourishing the weary body.
"Such abundant spiritual energy, it seems it was worth it... not a waste of effort." Bai muttered as he rolled over, his fluffy head unconsciously rubbing against Zhong Jiuli's neck.
Zhong Jiuli could push away the adult Bai Ye, but she couldn't resist this fluffy little tiger.
She reached out and hugged the other's furry little body, gently pinching its round tiger ears.
Before long, the little tiger in my arms began to breathe heavily and had fallen asleep.
Zhong Jiuli looked down at the little tiger sleeping soundly with its eyes closed. Its wet nose was pressed against the side of her neck, and its warm breath brushed against her, bringing a strange itch.
She wanted to escape, but ultimately she endured it. She simply closed her eyes, silently suppressing the strange feeling, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Bai knew he was dreaming.
Just a moment ago she was still in Zhong Jiuli's arms, and the next second, she reappeared on that familiar grassland.
A gentle breeze rustled through the grass, and you could almost smell the fresh scent of grass.
The elegant white tiger was silently watching her, its gaze so warm it brought tears to her eyes. "Child, you've come."
Bai nodded blankly and asked, "My ancestor?"
The elegant white tiger chuckled and shook its head. "I am but a remnant soul, waiting for you here."
Bai pointed at himself in surprise, "Waiting for me? Does that mean you knew I would definitely come here?"
The elegant white tiger shook its head again, "I don't know, no one knows. It's just a beautiful hope. Maybe one day, some of my clan's bloodline will still be able to come to this place again."
Bai also sensed the implication in her words: the remaining bloodline meant that all the tiger cubs she had seen earlier were dead.
"Are you all dead?" Her voice trembled slightly as she thought of the tiger cubs playing on the grass, and her heart sank.
The elegant white tiger nodded: "Child, there is no need to be sad. We have long been lost in the river of time. There is no need to grieve for what has already passed."
"So you have some task for me? Like dealing with an enemy who wiped out your clan or something?"
"No, child, you don't need to do anything. This place is a blessing left to you by our ancestors. Go." After the elegant white tiger finished speaking, it placed its paw on Bai Ye's forehead. A burst of spiritual light appeared, and all the information about this altar flooded into her mind.
Bai was as if she had fallen from a great height, instantly waking up from her dream, her pink paws accidentally kicking a soft spot.
"Hmm~" Zhong Jiuli frowned slightly and raised her hand to press down the claws that were causing trouble in front of her chest.
Bai then realized that his fleshy paws were landing squarely on the softest part of the other person's heart.
She held her breath, carefully retracting her claws, trying to slowly pull them back. Just as she moved an inch, a jade-white hand suddenly caught up and firmly pressed her furry claws back into place.
"!" Tiger's eyes widened instantly, and its paws could clearly feel the other's strong heartbeat, the warmth transmitted through the fabric of the clothes... and the soft touch.
She inexplicably opened her claws, only to be immediately startled by her own action and her fur stood on end!
"Pah!" Bai also secretly despised herself in her heart. She was a proper tiger, how could she do such a lewd thing as kneading breasts!
But it wasn't her initiative; Zhong Jiuli was holding onto her hand and wouldn't let go. So it shouldn't be considered Hu Hu's fault, right?
What bad intentions could Tiger possibly have? Tiger just wants to retract its paws.
After a fierce internal struggle, Bai Ye ultimately chose to decisively withdraw his claws and leave.
She couldn't be a lewd little tiger. Even if Zhong Jiuli was her wife, she couldn't secretly take advantage of her while she was asleep. That was disrespectful to girls and not the behavior of a good tiger.
As a result, when I looked up, I met a pair of smiling eyes.
Zhong Jiuli had woken up at some point and was looking at her with her chin propped up on her hand, her eyes still slightly red from just waking up.
Bai opened his mouth as if to explain, but didn't know what he wanted to explain. Should he explain that it wasn't that Hu Hu wanted to knead the milk, but that it was Zhao Zhao who did it on his own?
Zhong Jiuli chuckled, reached out and gently scratched her furry chin with his fingertip, and asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "Excuse me, young hero Bai, what mischief were you up to just now?"
After a few moments of rapid thought, Bai Ye's little brain clicked, and with a "splat," she snuggled back into Zhong Jiuli's arms, her amber eyes instantly closing, and she even started snoring softly.
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Author's Note: This afternoon while writing, I got a bit stuck, so I... ate a dried duck neck, still stuck. Then I ate a bitter coffee ice cream, still stuck. Then I drank a sports drink! So, I'm full! No more writing [doge head with rose in hand]. Today is a day to use up my saved-up drafts!
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