Chapter 33: Entering the Land of Deathly Silence

Chapter 33: Entering the Land of Silence

Ling Xuance's voice was completely hoarse, stripped of its usual warmth and gentleness, as he lowered his head to press against his sweat-dampened forehead.

"Good A Yu, you can do it."

In the sealed cave, a clear, bright moan escaped the young man's lips—fragmented, soft, carrying an irrepressible tremor.

Ling Xuance leaned close behind his ear, warm breath spilling across delicate skin, his voice low and raspy as he praised him over and over, tenderly: "A Yu is so good, my A Yu..."

An overwhelming ache surged through every inch of his body. Lin Yu's eyes reddened, a thin sheen of moisture gathering in them as he whimpered with a broken sob, "No... no more..."

Seeing the flush spreading across the brows and eyes of the person in his arms, Ling Xuance's heart softened into a mess. He tightened his arms, pulling the young man securely into his embrace, and murmured gently in acquiescence: "Alright, no more."

Gentle coaxing words fell on his ear—yet his actions said otherwise.

Within the barrier, only their intertwined warm breaths and delicate tenderness remained—quiet, lingering.

The road ahead stretched on and on. The secret realm's mountain forests rose in layered peaks, shrouded in drifting mist and clouds.

The Taiyi Sect members traveled through forests and over ravines for days, encountering several waves of high-tier demonic beasts along the way. Only through united effort and hard-fought battles did they manage to repel every powerful foe.

After successive battles, the group was physically and mentally drained. Elder Duan immediately ordered everyone to halt and rest.

Over these past few days, no one had caught sight of Ling Xuance.

At first, everyone assumed he was still concealing himself and following along, but as time passed, doubts inevitably began to take root.

Had he truly been angered by their public gossip and fabrication that day—offending the famously aloof and proud Elder Lin? Had he simply left on his own, no longer willing to guard them from the shadows?

The mood in the forest turned heavy. None of the disciples dared to laugh or joke any longer. They sat quietly, regulating their breathing and recuperating, their hearts heavy with unease.

The disciple who had started the gossip in the first place was especially consumed by regret.

He clutched his sleeve, gritted his teeth, got up, and strode quickly to Elder Duan's side, his voice thick with guilt.

"Elder Duan, this disciple offended Elder Lin and made him unhappy. That's why he no longer wants to show himself or accompany us. I've dragged everyone down..."

Elder Duan looked at the young man's remorseful expression and gently patted his shoulder.

"Don't overthink it. Elder Lin is just hidden in the shadows—he's never strayed far."

"Elder Lin has a magnanimous heart. Would he abandon the safety of all his disciples over a few reckless words from juniors like you? Rest easy and recover."

The disciple felt a slight weight lift from his chest, yet his guilt remained undiminished. He nodded heavily and silently retreated back into the formation.

When everyone had finished resting—spiritual power fully stabilized, fatigue dispelled—Elder Duan rose and surveyed the group. "Everyone, get back in formation. We keep moving."

The group rose as ordered, secured their packs and artifacts, silently reorganized, and set out once again on their journey of trials.

Not far away, in the shadows of the dense forest, Ling Xuance stood in white, hidden among the trees, keeping a steady distance behind the group.

These past days, he had deliberately concealed himself and never shown his face—all because he had been too unrestrained and lost his composure in that cave.

Inside the small world, Lin Yu sat by a shallow lotus pond, stewing in a bellyful of sulky anger.

He stared at the clear water in the pond, his mind churning over and over the events of that day. The more he thought, the angrier he grew.

The young man tapped the water's surface with his toes, kicking up fine splashes again and again, sending lotus petals and pond water flying everywhere—a thoroughly petulant display.

Through his spiritual sense, Ling Xuance watched the fuming figure and helplessly rubbed his brow.

He softened his entire demeanor, calling out through his spiritual sense with careful, coaxing gentleness: "A Yu."

Inside the small world, the petulant splashing came to an abrupt stop.

The next instant, instead of responding, Lin Yu's anger flared even higher. He viciously kicked his foot forward, sending a blooming lotus flying—petals scattering everywhere, littering the water's surface.

Ling Xuance's body jolted. Instinctively, he tensed and held his breath, all traces of his usual dignified bearing completely gone.

Knowing he was in the wrong, he softened his tone even further.

"I was wrong. It's my fault."

"If you're still angry, you can hit me or scold me—whatever you want. Just don't ignore me."

The small world remained silent. The young man kept his head lowered, back rigid, completely shutting him out.

After a long silence, Ling Xuance's voice grew slightly hoarse, tinged with genuine desolation and fragility as he murmured softly.

"A Yu, when you ignore me like this, it feels like someone is squeezing my heart—tight and suffocating, like I can't catch my breath."

The words were gentle yet heavy, striking Lin Yu's heart and shattering all the cold indifference he had forced himself to keep up.

He was soft-hearted by nature. Angry and annoyed as he was, he couldn't stand to see Ling Xuance sad or forlorn.

After a long moment, the young man finally spoke in a muffled voice, still thick with a stuffy nose, carrying a note of sulky reproach: "Brother Che is bad."

Those three simple words instantly loosened the tightness in Ling Xuance's chest. He hurriedly followed up, admitting fault: "Yes, I'm bad. I'm the worst of the worst."

"My good A Yu, can you forgive me just this once—"

The words "good A Yu" hit Lin Yu's ears, and the shame and irritation he had just suppressed surged right back up. He bristled instantly, puffing up with anger as he cut him off: "Don't call me that!"

His cheeks burned as he protested in a small voice: "When you call me that, I... I remember that day, how you coaxed me like that, when you were so...!"

That day, the man had coaxed him so gently, yet his actions had been utterly without restraint, leaving him completely helpless.

Ling Xuance fell silent instantly, quickly changing his tune, obedient and not daring to defy in the slightest: "Alright, alright, I won't call you that. Never again."

He paused for half a second, then couldn't help coaxing again: "My A Yu, my heart, my treasure—will you forgive me?"

Such absurdly affectionate nicknames dispelled most of the young man's anger. The corner of his mouth twitched upward almost imperceptibly, but he still forced his face to stay cold and distant.

"Then you're not allowed to do that again, got it?!"

As the words left his mouth, he feared Ling Xuance might misunderstand, so he added weakly, his voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "I'm not... not saying you can't be close to me. I'm saying you can't do that... and still coax me the whole time..."

By the last few words, his voice had completely faded into nothing. He was too embarrassed to make another sound, his face buried low, his ears flushed crimson.

Ling Xuance listened to his frank yet shy admonition, his throat inexplicably dry. Tenderness stirred quietly in his chest, and he could only suppress it with sheer force of will.

Afraid that saying anything more would provoke the young man into fresh embarrassment and anger, he didn't dare respond, remaining silent.

When no response came for a long while, Lin Yu's heart suddenly clenched, a nameless panic rising in his chest.

Thinking Ling Xuance was upset—that he found him too fussy—he spoke with anxious urgency: "It's not that I don't want to... it's just that day... it hurt."

His cheeks puffed up, and he said candidly, "Next time, be gentler and stay with me a little longer—I, I can take it."

Upon hearing this, Ling Xuance felt every last bit of his restraint shatter, unable to hold back even a trace of his pent-up longing.

In a flash, the next instant, Lin Yu found himself suddenly transported deep into the dense forest. Before he could even get his bearings, a pair of warm, strong arms wrapped tightly around him, pinning him against the thick, ancient tree trunk behind him.

The cool bark pressed against his back, while in front of him was a scorching, solid embrace. His breath was completely stolen in an instant.

Ling Xuance leaned down, planting a lingering, passionate kiss on him without a word, pouring out all the tenderness and restraint he'd been holding back.

The sudden intimacy made Lin Yu freeze up, every word trapped between his lips. All he could do was instinctively grab at Ling Xuance's robes, his fingertips curling slightly.

When the long kiss finally ended, their breaths mingled, scorching hot.

Ling Xuance rested his forehead against Lin Yu's, his voice completely hoarse, thick with emotion. "A Yu, stop teasing me like this."

One more soft, honest word, and he wouldn't be able to hold back his true feelings.

Lin Yu's cheeks burned, his head spinning. At the words, he muttered grumpily, "I didn't..."

But when he looked up and met Ling Xuance's gaze, the dark, surging passion in those eyes was so intense it scared him into silence, and he didn't dare make another sound.

He obediently tugged on Ling Xuance's robe, his voice soft and shaky. "I want to get down."

The gentle plea brought Ling Xuance back to his senses. He pushed down the emotion in his eyes, carefully loosened his hold, and set him down steadily.

The moment his feet touched the ground, Lin Yu swayed slightly, as if something sore was acting up, stumbling and nearly losing his balance.

Ling Xuance's heart tightened, and he immediately reached out to steady him.

Lin Yu's ears flushed so red they looked ready to bleed. He kept his eyes down, not daring to look at him, and murmured, "I want to go back to the small world."

Ling Xuance dared not defy him in the slightest and gently replied, "Alright."

With that, he hesitated for a moment before finally unable to resist adding, "Remember to apply the medicine when you get back..."

Before he could finish, he met Lin Yu's shyly indignant gaze and wisely shut his mouth.

Seeing him obediently silent, Lin Yu vanished back into the small world in an instant, completely escaping the embarrassing atmosphere.

The following days of training passed smoothly.

Until the group reached a vast expanse of withered grassland, where the atmosphere around them suddenly shifted drastically.

All they could see was a sea of yellowed, decaying grass, the earth cracked and mottled, littered with broken stones and scattered branches. The entire landscape was shrouded in a thick, lingering Death Qi.

As the group hesitated, a graceful white figure slowly materialized from the void.

The disciples of the Taiyi Sect immediately brightened, unable to hold back their voices, filled with relief and joy.

"Elder Lin! You've finally appeared!"

"We were worried—thought you were truly angry with us and left on your own!"

"Thank goodness, Elder Lin, you've been watching over us in secret all along..."

Ling Xuance paid them no mind, his deep eyes locked on the desolate forest ahead, his keen spiritual sense continuously spreading out to probe.

He turned to Elder Duan, his voice cold and grave.

"This place has a sinister, unnatural aura. It's best not to venture deeper—we should take a detour to avoid it."

Elder Duan also felt the suffocating stillness pressing in and nodded heavily.

There wasn't much time left for training in the secret realm—less than two months before it closed for good.

Along the way, they had faced countless dangers, and it was already a great fortune that everyone had survived unscathed. There was no need to recklessly court danger at the final juncture.