Chapter 274
Late at night, when Gan Lin woke up to take over the night watch from Old Mo, he saw that Old Mo’s eyes were red.
“Old Mo, are you crying?”
Old Mo quickly wiped his tears and replied, “Soon, Lord SilverLight will be coming to Flame Dragon Fortress. Starting tomorrow, we need to get ready.”
“Wow, the Divine Envoy is coming to visit us?”
Although Gan Lin hadn’t been officially hired as an employee, Old Mo had never kept things from him, so he knew SilverLight was one of the Divine Envoys.
He just wasn’t sure if this was the same person who made deals with him in his dreams.
Old Mo looked at the boy and asked after a moment’s thought, “Did you tell the Divine Envoy that my health isn’t good?”
Gan Lin nodded, “I wanted to trade for some supplements for you to eat.”
Old Mo reached out and patted him gently on the head, his eyes full of affection. He said, “Lord SilverLight is probably the one who appears in your dreams—the one who’s always been helping us.”
“Really?” Gan Lin’s eyes lit up. “Did Lord SilverLight say why he’s coming? What should we prepare?”
Old Mo nodded and said hesitantly, “He said… he’s going to give us an oasis.”
“An oasis?” Gan Lin was stunned.
Could there really be an oasis in a place like Flame Dragon Fortress?
He thought for a moment, then declared decisively, “If the Divine Envoy says so, then it’s definitely possible! We just have to believe.”
Old Mo gave him a “you’re teachable” look.
Just then, Gan Lin noticed the thermal container sitting on the table.
“What’s this?” He opened it and caught a delicious aroma. “Is it edible? Smells amazing!”
Old Mo glanced at him and nodded. “You can have a bite.”
“Okay!”
Gan Lin grabbed a spoon, scooped up a spoonful of the constitution-enhancing dish, and stuffed it into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. “So tasty! What is this?”
He was just about to ask if he could have another bite when he suddenly clutched his stomach in pain.
“Ow—” Gan Lin yelped, and without another word, ran straight for the outhouse.
Old Mo looked at his retreating figure, then back at the “Constitution Elixir” in the thermal container.
…This stuff is pretty potent.
*
Alternate Plane – Small Cabin.
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi appeared in the cabin. Looking out at the pitch-black night sky, Tang Yu’an yawned.
“Time to sleep!”
As the boy flopped onto the bed, Zhou Qi pulled out a mattress and quilt, skillfully made up a bed on the floor, and laid down comfortably.
The ambient spiritual energy in this alternate dimension was much denser than in the other two worlds. Just being in it made you feel like every pore was soaking in energy from the air.
In a world like this, even sleeping could make you stronger.
“Goodnight, Brother Qi.”
“Goodnight.”
Zhou Qi closed his eyes. After a moment, he heard a soft rustling sound.
Soon, the boy tiptoed over and quietly climbed into bed beside him.
Zhou Qi curled his lips slightly into a smile. He was just about to wait until the boy settled down so he could sneak an arm around him and cuddle when…
There was the sound of soft rustling fabric. The cool night breeze slipped in through a gap in the window, but a warm presence next to him balanced out the chill.
“Gulp—”
He heard a small, nervous swallow.
Something felt off. Zhou Qi opened his eyes instinctively, and then—
Their eyes met.
Tang Yu’an was extremely close—less than a fist’s distance away. The boy was holding his breath, and his big round eyes darted away in panic after getting caught.
“An’an?”
“You’re still awake.”
Zhou Qi pressed his lips together and stared at the boy in the dim light, trying to picture the flustered look on his face.
His eyes darkened slightly, and he asked in a low, hoarse voice, “What were you trying to do?”
Tang Yu’an hadn’t expected to get caught just as he was about to do something naughty.
“I-I was… just trying to sneak a kiss.”
Even though his face was burning hot, his voice remained bold and shameless, almost defiant.
In the dark, he couldn’t see Zhou Qi’s expression, only heard the sudden quickening of his breath—and then a large hand cupped the back of his head.
He was pulled into Zhou Qi’s arms, his cheek pressed tightly to Zhou Qi’s chest.
He could hear Zhou Qi’s heart pounding wildly—thump, thump—each beat loud in his ears.
“Be good.”
Zhou Qi’s chin rested against the top of his head. His voice was filled with restraint.
Tang Yu’an deflated immediately. He figured he wasn’t getting that kiss tonight. He relaxed his body and lay quietly in Zhou Qi’s arms.
He breathed in the comforting scent on Zhou Qi’s body and soaked in the warmth.
After a moment, the boy asked, “If we can’t kiss… how about a forehead kiss, like this morning?”
“…”
Zhou Qi didn’t respond, and Tang Yu’an just waited silently.
After a long pause, just when he was starting to doze off, Zhou Qi finally replied in a low, hoarse voice:
“…Okay.”
Tang Yu’an instantly perked up. Feeling Zhou Qi’s hand ease off his head, he quickly sat up.
In the dim night, Zhou Qi could clearly see the bright sparkle in his eyes.
Like a little puppy—innocent and enthusiastic—he wagged his tail recklessly, expressing his anticipation and joy.
Zhou Qi could never be that open and unguarded, but he couldn’t help being drawn to it.
He liked Tang Yu’an. Liked him just the way he was.
Zhou Qi carefully lowered his head, his warm breath brushing over Tang Yu’an’s forehead. His movements were slow and reverent, and then—
The young boy suddenly lifted his chin, and his soft lips landed on Zhou Qi’s.
The moment they touched, both of them jolted as if struck.
Zhou Qi’s eyes widened in shock, and he instinctively reached out to switch on the night light. Tang Yu’an had already pulled back.
In the dim, warm glow of the night light, the boy’s cheeks were flushed red, avoiding his gaze with a guilty conscience.
Tang Yu’an’s lips tingled and went numb. It had clearly been just a brief touch, yet it made his whole body feel like it was on fire. His face was burning hot.
Facing Zhou Qi’s stunned expression, he pushed down his embarrassment and gave a triumphant grin.
“Hehe, I kissed you…”
Before he could finish his sentence, he felt the world spin. With a soft thud, he was pinned down on the floor mat by Zhou Qi.
The faint yellow light cast a shadow over Zhou Qi. His pitch-black eyes shimmered with a dark, unreadable light, as if a fierce beast was caged within, roaring to break free and devour him.
Tang Yu’an stared at him in a daze, the smile vanishing from his face.
He was a little scared by Zhou Qi’s expression.
“I-It was just lips touching lips… that’s all…” he stammered, and then his voice softened, “I’m sorry… I won’t ever do it again…”
Zhou Qi stared deeply at the boy, took a slow, deep breath, and reached out to switch off the night light.
He lay back down and pulled Tang Yu’an into his arms, gently kissing his forehead in comfort.
Only then did Tang Yu’an’s tense nerves begin to relax.
He hugged Zhou Qi back, resting his forehead against the warmth of his neck, calming down before asking, “Brother Qi, was it the spirit bug acting up again just now?”
Of course not.
Zhou Qi pressed his lips together. He had just almost lost control and wanted to kiss him hard and long.
Thinking about how they still had two years to go, he couldn’t help but feel a bit of regret.
Maybe… he shouldn’t have confessed so early.
“You’ve already kissed me, now go to sleep,” Zhou Qi said in a low voice. “Don’t do that again.”
“Oh…”
Tang Yu’an secretly touched his lips with his fingers. The kiss had happened too quickly; he hadn’t even gotten a chance to feel it properly.
Sigh… I really want to kiss him again…
He lay gloomily in Zhou Qi’s arms. But recalling Zhou Qi’s “angry” expression, he didn’t dare mess around again.
But…
The boy’s hand moved to rest over his own heart. Just thinking about Zhou Qi’s expression from earlier made his heart pound wildly.
Was this really fear…?
Gradually, Tang Yu’an’s breathing slowed, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep.
The next morning when he woke up, Zhou Qi was nowhere to be seen.
Remembering the awkwardness of the previous morning, Tang Yu’an quickly lifted the blanket to check underneath, then let out a breath of relief. He swiftly tidied up the bed and went out to look for Zhou Qi.
Time in the alternate dimension passed much faster than in their original world. Since the first time they came here, several years had already gone by.
The little house was full of the traces of time, and a sprout of the emerald plant growing beside it had already climbed up a nearby large tree.
“Chirp chirp chirp—”
A little red bird flew over.
During the time Zhou Qi left the main world and Tang Yu’an was staying in the Desolate City Haven, a few of their pets had run off into the alternate world.
After about two years there, the little red bird (a.k.a Ruby) had grown a lot. It used to only be able to spit out a tiny flame, but now it could hunt alongside Wang Cai and Yin Bi.
It chirped while circling above Tang Yu’an’s head, then led him to the incubation room where it had been born.
Tang Yu’an watched as it picked out a few beautiful red feathers from its nest.
“These are the ones you shed?”
The little red bird carried each feather into Tang Yu’an’s hand, chirping happily.
“You’re giving them to me?”
It jumped onto his shoulder and affectionately nuzzled him with its fluffy head.
Tang Yu’an smiled and thanked it, then ran off to show the feathers to Zhou Qi. “Brother Qi, look! Ruby gave these to me!”
Zhou Qi had just come back from morning training. When he saw the feathers, he paused.
“Don’t you think… these look kind of familiar?” he said.
“Hm?”
Tang Yu’an lowered his head to examine the red feathers in his hand. They were strikingly vibrant, with golden patterns lining the edges of the bright red.
They did look familiar…
“Wait a minute—don’t these look like miniature phoenix feathers?”
Zhou Qi nodded. “That’s what I thought too.”
Tang Yu’an immediately cast an identification spell on the feathers.
[Name: Phoenix Feather]
[Value: 50,000 points each]
[Description: Rare material. Feathers from a mythical bird, used to craft magical furniture, equipment, etc.]
When he saw the point value, Tang Yu’an’s hands trembled uncontrollably.
He had previously obtained phoenix feathers through a lottery to upgrade his purple-red carpet, so he’d never known how valuable they actually were.
Who would’ve thought—a single feather was worth 50,000 points!
And…
Tang Yu’an and Zhou Qi stared at the appraisal result, then simultaneously turned their gaze toward the little red bird preening its feathers atop Emerald’s offshoot.
So… Ruby was actually a phoenix?
Faced with their stares, the little red bird blinked its adorable beady eyes and then tilted its head innocently.
Tang Yu’an was struck by how cute it was and quickly used his light-brain device to snap a picture.
“Haha! Now I don’t have to worry about materials for upgrading the purple-red carpet anymore!” he said happily, cuddling the little bird and rubbing his cheek against it.
Zhou Qi glanced at Tang Yu’an and nodded with a complicated expression.
After breakfast, Zhou Qi went out to train.
He had absorbed the Water Spirit Bug earlier but hadn’t yet fully integrated its insights into his power system. He planned to stay in the alternate dimension for a while to train steadily.
Besides, the development of Linhai Town’s road system wasn’t complete yet, and Hai Jing still needed time to coordinate and prepare the villages that would take in the relocated people.
As for heading to Flame Dragon Fortress, the RV had autopilot, so they didn’t have to worry too much about it.
With Zhou Qi off training, Tang Yu’an stayed in the cabin to study.
Maybe it was because he was finally on the proper cultivation path—his mind felt increasingly clear, his memory had improved significantly, and his studying had become much more efficient.
Thanks to his hard work, he had finally entered the final sprint stage of the twelve-year compulsory education curriculum.
Once he finished the courses and passed the exams, he could go out with Brother Qi to have fun—no, wait, to go cultivate!
Speaking of which, Teacher Gu had told them that as they advanced in their cultivation technique and officially stepped onto the path of cultivation, their physical growth would gradually slow down.
Like Brother Qi—he had stopped growing taller once he hit 1.93 meters. Fortunately, with training, his physique had continued to develop, and the well-proportioned, defined muscles were a sight that made Tang Yu’an’s mouth water.
Their lifespan would also increase with cultivation, so they no longer had to worry about aging too quickly in the alternate dimension.
And so, the two of them peacefully stayed in the alternate world for another three months. Aside from returning to the main world to pick up floating message bottles, they hadn’t gone back at all.
Finally, one day, Tang Yu’an completed all of his high school coursework and passed every exam with flying colors!
He felt incredibly powerful—he could probably ace the college entrance exams if he went back now!
Zhou Qi had also further refined his control over water abilities, developing a number of new applications. He was ready to take a break as well.
“Shall we head back?”
“Yeah!”
Just as they were preparing to return to the main world to pick up people at Purple Sky Fortress—
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion suddenly erupted from across the river, startling the birds in the giant forest into flight.
