Chapter 64: Heart Crystal Body Tempering and Straight Man Confrontation
Heart Source Crystal Body Tempering and Straight Men Face to Face
The light gate rotated steadily, and the beating "Heart Source Crystal" behind it emitted pure and warm energy, like a lighthouse in the dark night, attracting everyone's attention.
However, the atmosphere in the tunnel was so awkward that it could freeze magma.
Bai Zhi's face paled, her lips trembling as she watched Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou quickly separate, each adjusting their robes as if they had just accidentally bumped into her. Her heart shattered into eight pieces. The disciples behind her also exchanged bewildered glances, clearly shaken by the method and outcome of the "Tsundere's Sincerity" trial.
Xuan Jia was still muttering excitedly in A Che's arms: "Did you see that? Did you see that?! A textbook example of someone who says one thing and does another! One hundred percent sync! If this isn't true love, I'll eat the tortoise shell raw!"
Man Gu picked up the small notebook that had fallen to the ground and carefully wrote down: "In the critical moment, Wang and Jiang Xianjun tacitly saved each other and successfully opened the Heart Tomb barrier. Conclusion: Fighting is not as good as falling in love (crossed out)... It's better to fight side by side."
The tips of Li Jiuyou's ears were so red that blood seemed to be dripping out. He tried to break the suffocating awkwardness with an angry voice: "What are you still standing there for! Waiting for that broken stone to pop out by itself?!" As he said that, he took the lead and almost roughly grabbed the wrist of Jiang Xuelan, who was still trying to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles on his ice-blue robe, and dragged him to rush into the light gate.
"Let go! I can walk by myself!" Jiang Xuelan tried to break free, his tone cold, but the lingering panic in his eyes and the other person's slightly higher body temperature transmitted from his wrist made his protest seem a little powerless.
"Stop the nonsense! Who knows what else is going on here!" Li Jiuyou stiffened his neck, refusing to let go, his grip so forceful it threatened to shatter Jiang Xuelan's wrist. Only he knew the stark contrast between the cool, delicate feeling of her wrist in his palm and his own pounding heartbeat (hopefully, this shabby contract didn't transmit the embarrassing noise).
Just as the two of them were about to step into the light gate,
"Wait!" Bai Zhi suddenly screamed. She seemed to have finally recovered from the shock, and her eyes flashed with unwillingness and a last glimmer of struggle. "That Heart Source Crystal is a treasure. How can we allow the demons to defile it! Junior Brother Jiang, I will go with you!"
As she spoke, she actually flew towards the light gate!
However, the light gate seemed to have self-awareness. The moment she approached, a flash of light appeared, and a soft but irresistible thrust surged out, gently pushing her back!
"Plop!" Bai Zhi staggered and fell to the ground, looking in disbelief at the light gate that was still rotating but closed to her.
The old thought rang out with a hint of sarcasm: "Those who are not sincere... have no chance..."
Bai Zhi: "..." She froze completely, and all the color disappeared from her face.
Li Jiuyou scoffed, not wanting to look at her anymore. He dragged Jiang Xuelan along and stepped into the light gate. Man Gu, A Che, and Xuan Jia followed closely behind.
Beyond the light gate lay a narrow, circular stone chamber. In its center stood a simple stone platform. A fist-sized "Heart Source Crystal," beating slowly like a living heart and emitting a soft bluish-white glow, hovered above it. Upon entering, all the external chaos and awkwardness seemed to vanish, leaving only an indescribable tranquility, an atmosphere of sorrow and longing so thick it seemed to become tangible.
The walls of the stone chamber were no longer covered with murals, but were instead inlaid with countless crystals of varying sizes and shapes. Most of these crystals were dim, but within each seemed to be sealed a faint breath or fragment of light and shadow—some a broken claw, some a charred feather, some a strand of silver hair...
"Are these... the crystals of the memories of the martyrs of the Zhe Clan?" Li Jiuyou gazed at the crystals, a complex expression flickering in his scarlet-gold eyes. He could sense a faint resonance between some of the crystals and his own bloodline. This was truly the Zhe Clan's "Heart Grave," a place where part of the power or obsession of those warriors who were never able to return to their homeland was stored.
The "Heart Source Crystal" in the center is undoubtedly the energy gathering and purification core of all the legacy crystals.
"So warm..." Ache held the Jianmu fragment in his hands and felt a friendly resonance between the fragment and the Heart Source Crystal, with emerald green and bluish-white light intertwining with each other.
"Quick! Use the power of this Heart Source Crystal to reinforce the outer seal!" Xuan Jia urged, "That evil source is still attacking the formation!"
Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou looked at each other, temporarily suppressed their embarrassment, and stretched out their hands at the same time, using their power to try to guide the energy of the Heart Source Crystal.
However, as soon as their power came into contact with the Heart Source Crystal, the mutation regenerated!
The Heart Source Crystal suddenly burst out with a strong light, no longer a gentle bluish-white, but suddenly split into two extreme beams of light! One was icy cold, the other was scorching hot, completely enveloping Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou respectively!
The two of them groaned at the same time, feeling a huge, pure energy with a strong sense of scrutiny and cleansing being forced into their bodies!
This energy was not an attack, but rather a domineering way of **tempering** their bodies and souls, while at the same time... **forcing them to face their deepest traumas and obsessions**!
Countless tiny ice crystal phantoms emerged in Jiang Xuelan's icy beam of light - the helplessness of his young self kneeling in the snow, the excruciating pain when his spiritual roots were stripped away, the loneliness of stroking the patterns of his mother's spiritual plants countless times in the middle of the night, and the disgust and fear of his own divine blood identity... There was even Li Jiuyou's irritable red-gold eyes that occasionally revealed a hint of other emotions!
In Li Jiuyou's scorching light column, red flame phantoms jumped - the humiliation of being called a "bastard", the blood when his father dug out his heart, the collapse when he heard the news of his brother Feng Ye's death in battle, the violence and loneliness of shouldering the heavy responsibility of the Zhe tribe alone... and the fragility that occasionally flashed under Jiang Xuelan's cold face and his own reflection in those ice-blue eyes!
"Ugh..." Both of them were enduring immense pain. It wasn't physical pain, but the excruciating torment of having their souls completely dissected open, their scars exposed and bloody! Their bodies trembled violently, veins bulged on their foreheads, and sweat instantly soaked their robes.
What's worse is that due to the existence of the Heart-Destroying Contract, they can not only feel their own pain, but can also clearly** perceive the equally intense pain that the other party is experiencing and those fleeting fragments of memory**!
This two-way, unconcealed "public execution" is more unbearable than any torture!
"Bastard... let me go..." Li Jiuyou growled while gritting his teeth, trying to resist the infusion of energy, but found it was futile.
Jiang Xuelan closed his eyes tightly, his long eyelashes trembling violently, his nails digging deep into his palms, and he used all his willpower to maintain his shaky clarity, trying to suppress the memories and emotions that were forced to flow out back under the ice.
The energy of the Heart Source Crystal became more and more turbulent, as if it was dissatisfied with their resistance.
Just when the two of them were almost driven crazy by this double pain and shame——
The energy suddenly changed!
It is no longer just a matter of instilling pain, but a matter of **repair**!
Icy energy gently caressed the hidden wounds within Jiang Xuelan's body. The meridians eroded by the God-Slaying Gu and the Evil Source were slowly repaired and strengthened by this supremely pure icy spirit power. Even the remnant spirit of the latent evil god was temporarily silenced. His previously overspent immortal energy also rapidly recovered, becoming even more refined than before.
The scorching energy poured into Li Jiuyou's essence, nourishing his damaged demon core and healing the cracks left by the rampage and the impact of the evil source. Under the guidance of this power, the violent demon fire became docile and powerful, as if it had undergone a thorough baptism.
The pain gradually faded away, replaced by an unprecedented clarity and ease.
It was as if a heavy burden had been lifted off my shoulders, and as if my soul had been thoroughly cleansed.
The Heart Source Crystal returned to its original gentle beating state, appearing to be a little smaller, but with more internal energy.
Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou almost simultaneously knelt on one knee, exhausted, panting heavily, their bodies soaking wet, as if they had just been pulled out of the water. Their faces were pale, but their eyes were clearer and sharper than before, and their breath was much stronger.
However, what was even more shocking than the physical changes was that they could clearly sense the shock, exhaustion, and the slight sense of bewilderment and extreme discomfort they felt after being forced to be "honest" with each other!
After being powerfully tempered by the Heart Source Crystal, the link of the Heart-Slaying Contract seemed to become... **clearer and harder to block**!
The two didn't even dare to look at each other.
The stone chamber was dead silent, with only the slightly rapid breathing of the two people and Ah Che's soft exclamation.
"Senior Brother, Brother Li, are you... okay?" Ache asked worriedly.
Man Gu looked at the obviously more powerful aura flowing from the two people and said naively, "Wang, it seems that you have... made a breakthrough?"
Xuanjia's green eyes gleamed. "Heart Source Crystal Body Tempering! This is a great opportunity! It's just that the process...tsk, it's a rather 'in-depth exchange'."
Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou: "..." Shut up!
At this moment, the Heart Source Crystal trembled slightly, and a thin blue-white light thread was separated, which seemed to have life and slowly floated towards Jiang Xuelan and Li Jiuyou's hands, which were still trembling slightly due to exhaustion and occasionally accidentally touched each other.
Threads of light wrapped around their fingers, and a warm, peaceful, and soothing energy slowly infused them.
At the same time, the old thought rang out for the last time, filled with relief and joy:
"The mental blockage... is gone for a bit... the strength... is temporarily increased..."
"With this...heart power...strengthen...the seal..."
"The road ahead...is difficult...hope...to be united..."
As he finished speaking, the light of the Heart Source Crystal completely retreated, slowly returning to the center of the stone platform. The dim crystals within the stone chamber also seemed to lighten slightly.
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