"Look. See anything missing?"

He bent down, set her on the ground, and pointed ahead. There was a very large clearing there.

The surrounding area was packed with dense trees, but that one spot was completely empty, looking strangely out of place.

"It’s really gone..."

Jiang Yunnuan blinked, a flicker of terror in her eyes. ’Where did that ancient tree go? The one that was so, so huge, with all those thick branches?’

She and Jun Yao had clearly been on it just a moment ago...

Thinking of those intimate scenes, her face instantly turned crimson. Shame and regret flooded her heart, and her mind was a chaotic mess. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

For a tree to be able to move at will, according to the principles of their Mystic Sect, it would need to have the cultivation of an Earth Immortal at the very least.

’This is bad!’

’We defiled it. What if it wants revenge?’

Not only had they made an enemy, but they had also been watched for who knows how long. Just thinking about that scene of absolute, soul-crushing social death made Jiang Yunnuan so ashamed she wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into and never come out.

AHHHH...

She turned her head to Jun Yao and complained, her thoughts in disarray.

"This is all your fault! Why did you have to pick that tree?"

Jun Yao: "..."

He had simply seen that it was the largest tree, with the sturdiest branches. It was lush and leafy, offering good cover. Paired with a barrier, it would have been an excellent spot.

But who would have known... the tree was alive!

"Yes, it’s my fault. What’s done is done. Don’t overthink it. We’ll leave this place after dawn and never come back."

Jiang Yunnuan: "..."

’And here I thought he might say something reassuring. I can’t believe his solution is just to run away.’

’Does never coming back mean this never happened?’

’Forget it...’

Besides, it seemed there wasn’t any better solution. She sighed, comforted herself a few times, and gradually let it go.

"Great Immortal, we two meant no offense. We hope for your forgiveness. This junior apologizes to you."

Facing the empty clearing, Jiang Yunnuan bowed deeply in apology.

Jun Yao: "..."

Before any thought could form in his mind, his wrist was grabbed. Jiang Yunnuan pulled his hand and turned to walk toward the barrier.

"Let’s go."

He obediently followed.

Near a large tree not far away, a slender, elegant figure appeared. He silently watched the two depart, a thoughtful look passing through his cold, moon-like eyes.

As they walked, Jun Yao and Jiang Yunnuan suddenly stopped and whipped their heads around to look back.

The sky was dim, and the forest was silent. They saw nothing, but Jiang Yunnuan’s scalp inexplicably tightened, and a chill ran through her body.

She leaned close to Jun Yao’s ear and whispered, "I have a feeling... we’re being watched..."

’It’s not really going to take revenge on us, is it?’

Jun Yao pulled her into his arms to comfort her.

"Don’t be afraid. I’m here!"

Jiang Yunnuan: "..."

’I’m afraid you can’t beat it!!!’

They returned to the barrier.

And were immediately met with a furious gaze.

Jiang Yunnuan froze, following the line of sight to meet a pair of bloodshot eyes.

A devilishly handsome man sat in the corner, a cold smile on his lips. His eyes blazed with rage, and a fire of jealousy burned in their depths.

A quick glance revealed Jiang Tang leaning on Jiang Wang’s shoulder; the two siblings were sleeping soundly in a corner.

Fu Yuan and Ming Ye each occupied their own spots. Hearing them enter, they lifted their eyelids for a glance before closing their eyes to continue sleeping.

Only he seemed to have not slept a wink all night.

Jiang Yunnuan’s heart skipped a beat, and she couldn’t control the wave of guilt and unease that washed over her.

’This is bad!’

’He didn’t sleep. He’s been waiting for me this whole time...’

She let go of Jun Yao’s hand and started walking toward him, but her wrist was quickly grabbed from behind.

She turned and glared at the man behind her. Afraid of waking the others, she connected to her Light Brain with her thoughts and sent him a private message to scold him.

"Let go!"

"I already spent the whole night with you. Don’t take it too far!"

’Can’t you see how upset Si Xie is?’

’If I don’t comfort him now, he’s going to break. I need to go comfort him.’

"I won’t. He’s so weak. What right does he have to compete with me for you?"

He retorted, full of self-righteousness.

’The weak don’t deserve to have a woman!’

Jiang Yunnuan: "..."

"Who are you looking down on? Haven’t you ever heard that fortunes rise and fall, so don’t underestimate the underdog? His talent is no worse than yours. He’s only weak now because he hasn’t fully developed. In the future, he’ll become very, very strong."

"And another thing, even if he is weak, he’s your equal. He has the right to be loved, too."

"In my heart, you are all the same. I won’t favor you just because you’re strong, and I won’t abandon him just because his combat power is less than yours. I hope you can understand that. Don’t always bully him just because you’re more powerful. Your strength is meant for outsiders, not for your own people."

"I’ll say it one last time. Let go, or I’m going to get really angry!"