Chapter 143

If Ning Xu had to name the deepest realization she had after arriving in the cultivation world, it would be this—one must be highly decisive to survive here.

Procrastination was absolutely unacceptable in the cultivation world.

Dangers lurked everywhere, and falling behind even a single step meant falling further and further behind. If one failed to learn a particular spell today, that very failure could lead to their death tomorrow.

The same principle applied now.

Si Yan’s sea of consciousness was on the verge of collapse, and the Gu problem had to be resolved as soon as possible.

Ning Xu quickly projected her divine sense into Si Yan’s. Of course, before doing so, she made thorough preparations—first feeding Si Yan a pill to stabilize his divine sense, then releasing the artifact spirit of the Mountain and River Diagram, and finally setting up layers of formations around them to ensure they would not be discovered.

Recently, the artifact spirit of the Mountain and River Diagram had become infatuated with Snake Bro, to the point that even six male fox spirits couldn’t attract its attention anymore. Ning Xu promised that as long as it guarded the formations properly and ensured her and Si Yan’s safety, she would arrange for the snake to keep it company for three days after they returned.

Over the past year, Snake Bro had become the new star of Laurel Tower, firmly securing his position as the top male courtesan—his popularity even surpassing Fox Yao’s. The Three Thousand Realms Cultivator Exchange Area was filled with posts praising Snake Bro, and many cultivators had fallen for his charms.

Yet, his temperament was even more aloof than Fox Yao’s.

Even the artifact spirit, had never been able to get close to him, despite yearning for him for a long time.

However, Snake Bro only acknowledged the authority of Laurel Tower’s owner, completely disregarding even the artifact spirit of the tower. His arrogance was truly unmatched.

Ning Xu’s promise struck right at Cat’s heart, and it immediately agreed with great excitement.

With no more concerns, Ning Xu boldly entered Si Yan’s sea of consciousness.

As soon as she entered, both she and Si Yan were momentarily stunned.

Si Yan’s sea of consciousness looked like an apocalyptic wasteland. The sky was dark and oppressive, vast waters stretched endlessly in every direction, and the sea was anything but calm—towering waves, dozens of meters high, crashed relentlessly.

She found herself standing on a tiny island only a few meters wide, alone, surrounded by an endless ocean. There was no other sign of life.

This place was both oppressive and dangerous, on the brink of collapse at any moment.

Suddenly, the massive waves changed. What had been towering waves turned into a monstrous tsunami, capable of swallowing everything.

The dark clouds above seemed to press down, as if about to crush the entire space.

This sea of consciousness looked like it could spiral out of control at any second, yet due to the positive effects of the spiritual connection, there was a strange sense of restraint within the chaos.

As Ning Xu was still observing her surroundings, the environment shifted, and she suddenly appeared beside Si Yan.

This was his world.

He could control everything here.

Upon seeing Ning Xu, Si Yan raised a hand to his forehead, his handsome face carrying a trace of restraint. “If it were any other time, I would be glad to see you here, but right now…”

He lowered his hand, and the look in his eyes deepened. His usual gentle, innocent facade as an Innocent Cultivator faded, replaced by an undeniable hint of obsession. “Xu Xu, I’m afraid I’ll hurt you.”

A cultivator’s divine sense was the manifestation of their true self.

No matter how they appeared on the surface, their sea of consciousness always revealed their most authentic nature.

Ning Xu had long wondered—why did Si Yan seem completely unchanged after merging with Si Zang?

Now she understood.

It wasn’t that there were no changes. He had simply concealed the part of himself that belonged to Si Zang, only showing her the gentler, more harmless side.

Realizing this so clearly now, Ning Xu found that she wasn’t afraid at all.

Because she knew—whether it was Si Yan or Si Zang, neither of them would truly want to harm her.

Hearing his words, she asked, “Hurt me? How?”

“For example…”

Si Yan teleported in an instant, closing the distance between them until they were face-to-face.

In his sea of consciousness, a single thought was enough to make anything happen.

Due to the instability of his divine sense, his sea of consciousness had transformed into this vast ocean, filled with the ceaseless roar of waves. In some areas, one tsunami after another crashed down, the waves so high they seemed to reach the heavens. White foam lashed against the edges of the island, and occasional splashes of seawater dampened Ning Xu’s clothes.

Right now, this tiny island was the most peaceful place in this entire chaotic world.

Amidst the relentless sound of the waves, Si Yan cupped Ning Xu’s face in his hands and pressed his lips against hers.

The kiss was brief—only lasting two or three seconds.

When they separated, Si Yan rubbed his temples and spoke with a slightly subdued voice. “Xu Xu, I’m sorry. Right now, it’s difficult for me to restrain myself.”

Although he said that, Ning Xu knew that he had already made an effort to be gentle. Even in this state, he still cared about her feelings.

She did her best to ignore the lingering sensation on her lips, pressed them together lightly, and asked, “Do you have any idea where the Gu is?”

Suppressing certain instinctive reactions, Si Yan turned his gaze toward the surging waves and answered, “It’s in the sea.”

And that was the real problem.

The ocean was vast, boundless. How could they possibly locate a tiny Divine Sense Gu in such an enormous expanse of water?