367 - It Turns Out, They Are the Protagonists

Fan Fiction Network Search Fan Fiction Complete Fanfics Ongoing Fanfics Rankings Home > Fan Fiction > Turns Out, They Were the Protagonists All Along Turns Out, They Were the Protagonists All Along - Chapter 367 Author: ccc Mu Zhian tried to calm himself but did not display the panic Bai Ruoxi expected. Instead, he sighed softly. "Mu Lang, why do you sigh?" Bai Ruoxi asked, puzzled. Her demeanor, once gentle, now held a more seductive allure. A stray lock of hair fell against her delicate face, adding an air of languid charm. Her eyes sparkled with a lively brilliance, her lips pressed tightly in anger over the blatant NTR* event led by the Azure Emperor earlier that day. Yet, what most captivated Mu Zhian was her gown, where white and black intertwined in harmony, accentuating her fair skin that seemed to glimmer with an ethereal grace. After exchanging a long look with Bai Ruoxi, Mu Zhian let out another sigh and said, "Ruoxi, if you're going to scold or punish me, do as you will. But know that the Azure Emperor has shown me great kindness. It's not just because I once saved her." "If I were to publicly reject her today, how do you think she'd react?" Besides, who could truly say no to the Azure Emperor's confession in such a situation? "You and the Azure Emperor are partners in the Dao, but what about me?" Bai Ruoxi's eyes glistened with unshed tears, her voice filled with grievance. Yet in her sleeve, a faint silver glow began to emerge—bind us both. The ethereal sound of the heartlock echoed in the silent room, yet Mu Zhian remained indifferent. He suddenly bent down slightly, meeting Bai Ruoxi’s bewildered gaze, and gently kissed her cheek. She seemed to have applied a light makeup before going out today. Bai Ruoxi, naturally elegant and beautiful, now appeared even more breathtaking with a touch of cosmetics. Feeling the cool metallic cuffs quietly enveloping his wrist, Mu Zhian paid them no mind. He traced Bai Ruoxi’s cheek slowly until he reached her soft, tinted lips. After savoring a brief taste of her luscious lips, Mu Zhian released her, gazing down at her slightly breathless form with affection. "What do you think our relationship is?" The sudden question momentarily stunned Bai Ruoxi, who was already veering towards a darker path. Her tearful eyes stared at him in confusion. Mu Zhian sighed softly, "Whether it's you or the Azure Emperor, both of you are people I can't easily part with." "If I must choose, I'd rather let you punish me now than let either of you down." "Are you not angry, Mu Lang?" Bai Ruoxi lowered her eyelids, looking at the heartlock already binding Mu Zhian's wrist. She assumed Mu Zhian would be frantic, angry even at this sudden ambush, and would try to placate her with sweet words. Yet, his reaction was far from her expectations. Mu Zhian shook his head gently, speaking tenderly, "If this makes you happy, I'm willing to do anything." His words were frank and sincere, his gentle gaze softening Bai Ruoxi’s heart. His words had reached deep into the softest part of her heart, slowly melting away her dissatisfaction. At this moment, Mu Zhian positioned her to sit at the desk behind her. Glancing at the heartlock on his wrist, he softly requested, "Ruoxi, could you undo this?" Unexpectedly, Bai Ruoxi shook her head slightly, "No~" She tugged lightly on the lock, pulling Mu Zhian's face closer to hers, then pressed it gently, allowing him to feel the warmth from her heart. Ruoxi's reaction was unexpected; she should be more moved by now... Of course, thoughts were just thoughts. Mu Zhian wasn't too concerned, as his real purpose tonight was to transfer the celestial energy from the heavenly court into her cauldron, which naturally required some effort. Bai Ruoxi lightly placed a hand on the back of Mu Zhian's head, gazing lovingly at the boy in her arms. "Mu Lang, when did you confirm your relationship with the Azure Emperor?" "The night is long; let's not discuss these matters, Ruoxi." "Right now, I'd rather spend a delightful night with you." Mu Zhian sought ways to cheer up his beloved. Bai Ruoxi's brows slightly furrowed in displeasure. Before she could say more, however, a soft gasp escaped her lips, her hand covered her mouth, looking down at the boy with lowered eyes. Gradually, her initial words of complaint were replaced by burgeoning excitement and joy. Her eyes narrowed in pleasure as she softly ran her hand over the back of Mu Zhian's head, smoothing down his slightly unruly hair. ... Deep into the night. The celestial aura emitted a milky white glow, serenely floating in midair, providing the pair with abundant spiritual energy. Mu Zhian deftly resolved the inadvertent impact of Gong Lianyue on Bai Ruoxi with his dedicated attention, successfully returning Bai Ruoxi from 'blackened mode' to her original delicate persona. "Not quite ideal, Ruoxi hasn't even reached the Return to Void stage yet, and if in the future she does, if Palace Moon's spiritual consciousness awakens and finds out what the Azure Emperor did right before her eyes, she might really eat me alive on the spot…" Mu Zhian gently massaged his waist, sitting cross-legged on the edge of the bed, gazing at the white-clad beauty beside him, feeling a tinge of helplessness. I need to improve my strength quickly—not just to suppress Dao Integration, but also to possess some measure of self-protection. It's as much for me as it is to suppress Ye Yu's fortune once more at the Ascension Conference. Mu Zhian pondered over his fortune value, secretly drafting a plan. In his estimation, Ye Yu's fortune weight must have already been significantly reduced. The only unsettling elements remaining were the Ye Ancestor and the old man within Ye Yu. Yet, Ye Qingxin seems to have a positive impression of me, although she's inexplicably wary... I handled tonight impeccably, even convincing an observer I'd be the ideal gentleman... Recalling Ye Qingxin's behavior tonight, Mu Zhian couldn't make heads or tails of it. According to his original plan, Ye Qingxin's favor towards him should have been much higher, yet tonight it seemed she still held reservations. However, it didn’t matter much, as he had already made a connection with her through the celestial court event. As long as she stayed within the sect, he had ample opportunities to interact with her... Mu Zhian shook his head lightly, dispelling thoughts from his mind. He left the room, went to the study, and unfolded a paper crane to pen an explanation to his senior sister about today's events. The explanation might not placate her entirely, but it at least demonstrated his sincerity. They saw today themselves—it's not me who acted first; Yao Meng initiated it... Mu Zhian folded the paper crane and tossed it out the window. Then, Mu Zhian strolled back to Bai Ruoxi's room, closed the door, and retrieved a dan of pure white jade from his storage space. The rich medicinal aroma and gentle white glow overwhelmed the celestial aura hovering in midair, emanating a soothing radiance that seemed capable of calming the most restless of hearts. A ninth-grade pill, Ascension Elixir! "Ye Qingxin truly is a little tycoon. This item is likely unmatched across the nine continents. She's gone to great lengths for her family's people..." Mu Zhian remarked silently. He then swallowed the Ascension Elixir in one gulp. His innate cauldron stirred almost instantaneously, though Mu Zhian had prepared adequately, promptly ingesting three sixth-grade pills to feed the innate cauldron. Please bear with this, don’t covet my Ascension Elixir; it’s crucial for my future well-being... The innately restless cauldron, poised to devour the elixir at any moment, suddenly calmed down. Three sixth-grade pills actually worked...? Even Mu Zhian was a bit surprised. He had been ready for the worst-case scenario, planning to transfer the Ascension Elixir from the innkeeper to another girl if necessary, yet the cauldron displayed surprising composure? As his spiritual sense brushed over the innkeeper, the figure of a silver-haired beauty, curled up and sleeping, lodged itself in the center, coming to his mind. Since the celestial aura from the heavenly court was absorbed by the innkeeper, the original witch had fallen into slumber, seemingly nurturing her damaged awareness with the spirit within the court. Based on current observations, the presence of the original witch in the innkeeper had tamed its previous greediness. Mu Zhian had never seen the inner cauldron so obedient without a trace of avarice. Dropping further speculation, Mu Zhian held his breath and steadied his mind, refining the effects of the Ascension Elixir. Gradually, the path he was struggling to grasp regarding the Tianhuang Technique seemed to reveal its threshold... Unconsciously, Mu Zhian felt as if he was surrounded by a core of magma. *Note: NTR is a genre in storytelling that refers to a romantic or sexual relationship being infringed upon by a third party, often creating a sense of betrayal. At the heart of it all, a sudden phoenix cry pierced through—an ebony-flamed phoenix burst from the depths of dense magma, soaring into the sky. With that cry, the sky seemed ablaze with black fire, spiritual energy saturating the entire space. In his mind, Mu Zhian touched upon something inexplicable. Gently raising his fingertip, a wisp of black flame sprang forth. The next moment, Mu Zhian's consciousness returned to reality. He slowly opened his eyes and attempted to circulate the Tianhuang Technique. Thousands of black characters flickered behind him. The spiritual energy, once drained by Bai Ruoxi, swiftly returned to full, vibrant capacity as Mu Zhian's face lit up with astonishment. "Amazing..." Mu Zhian murmured, gazing down at his hands with delight in his eyes. With the Tianhuang Technique, he essentially had two lives... Even if his spiritual energy was depleted, he wouldn’t die, and the more he honed this technique, the more times he could 'reincarnate.' Bai Ruoxi seemed to sense the rich spiritual energy now emanating from the young man beside her. She slowly opened her eyes in surprise, "Mu Lang, how did your spiritual energy recover so quickly...?" Moments ago, he had seemed weak, yet now Mu Zhian's energy was at its peak, a rather remarkable scene. Mu Zhian looked at the seemingly fragile Bai Ruoxi beside him and thought of how she had used that very demeanor to dominate him earlier. A playful thought crossed his mind—to tease her as payback for the confinement of the soul lock earlier. "The spiritual energy just recovered on its own, knowing it still needs to serve Ruoxi later," Mu Zhian teased with a soft humor, wrapping an arm around Bai Ruoxi’s slender waist, drawing her into an embrace. Bai Ruoxi's delicate form shivered slightly, her eyelashes lowered, yet her heart felt a sweet tenderness. Though she knew she should teach him a lesson, punish him, whenever he embraced her so intimately, her heart inevitably fluttered. With a gentle nudge, Mu Zhian eased her to recline on the bed, pulling the coverlet over them. He could handle the Azure Emperor, surely the Sword Palace Master wouldn’t be much harder! ... The South Shore. Within a hall rich with the scent of ancient ink. "Today's declaration by the Azure Emperor before the South Shore was truly astonishing. Were it not for your clear disdain for falsehoods, even I would struggle to believe it." A woman clad in a luxurious white dress trimmed with gold leaned against a chair, her knee-high boots meeting the hem of her skirt revealed a sliver of translucent black stockings, tapping rhythmically against the floor. As she spoke, Lottan lifted her clear, bright eyes, gazing directly at the immortal before her. The vastness of the nine states defied imagination, and before, there had been no interaction between Yuzhou's Alchemy Emperor Lottan and the Azure Emperor. Even Lottan was surprised by tonight’s visit from the Azure Emperor. Yao Meng's lips curved into a faint smile, speaking softly, "As I've said during the day, matters of the heart are beyond self-control. I once devoted myself solely to cultivation, neglecting emotions. Now, finding where I belong is indeed fortunate." "And fortunate is the young cultivator at the Spirit Refining stage. Your choice of Dao companion might spark envy among countless cultivators across the nine states," Lottan laughed, her tone carrying a hint of playful banter. It was far from an exaggeration—considering the Azure Emperor’s allure, even without accounting for her innate Dao womb, she was the dream of numerous cultivators across the nine states. However, she was too distant, like a celestial maiden of the Moon Palace, revered but unattainable. Thus, people merely admired her as a goddess, not daring to entertain any disrespect. Today's revelation from the Azure Emperor, though, would break many hearts. Mu Zhian’s name would soon spread throughout the nine states. Not that it mattered to her, an observer. In fact, since reaching Dao Integration, everything seemed so mundane, and Lottan welcomed entertainment to keep herself amused. Shifting her tone, she asked, "What brings Immortal Yao Meng here tonight?" "It surely isn't just for idle chat, is it?" Lottan continued. A knowing smile played on Yao Meng's lips, as she replied, "I’m here to propose a trade involving the Heavenly Phoenix Pill." Lottan narrowed her eyes, asking, "What sort of trade?" For alchemists, the Heavenly Phoenix Pill was a highly coveted ingredient. Yet the Jade Pool had rarely traded it before, igniting Lottan’s interest with the Azure Emperor’s offer. "You’ll be hosting an alchemy contest at the Yin-Yang Sect once the Ascension Conference concludes, right? I hope you can concoct a Dao Heart Pill before that event," Yao Meng explained. "Consider it done." Lottan agreed without much thought, though she wondered aloud, "What do you need that for?" The Dao Heart Pill, an eighth-grade pill crafted to expand one's furnace, held challenges equal to that of ninth-grade levels. Expanding a furnace sounded appealing, yet in reality, the pill benefited only certain furnaces, leaving most cultivators unaffected by its effects. What exactly did the Azure Emperor intend to do? Lottan narrowed her gaze, casting a meaningful look at the Azure Emperor. The Dao Heart Pill benefitted her unique inborn cauldron type. For most others, the effect was negligible. However, Yao Meng didn’t plan to elaborate, responding only with a mysterious smile, "I have my uses." The inborn cauldron was occupied by the primordial witch, and she couldn't do anything about it. But what if it advanced with the cauldron's expansion? For cultivators, the sole means to expand their furnace is to elevate their realm; forcibly altering one's cauldron is impossible. Yet the potential of the Dao Heart Pill lies in its ability to alter a cauldron’s original constraints… while theoretically promising, few could harness its full drug efficacy. Nonetheless, there's one exceptional type among them. The inborn cauldron. Although this physique is exceedingly rare, Yao Meng happens to know someone who can utilize it... *Note: "NTR" is a genre theme involving situations of romantic betrayal, typically causing tension and drama in narratives.