Chapter 144

The problem was severe, but not unsolvable. Before today, Si Yan’s sea of consciousness had not been an endless ocean. To find the Gu, they had to first make this vast sea disappear.

And the most effective way to make the sea disappear was to stabilize Si Yan’s sea of consciousness.

The island beneath their feet was shrinking at a visible rate. It wouldn’t be long before even this last piece of land vanished. By then, Si Yan’s sea of consciousness would truly collapse.

Ning Xu took a step forward, cupped Si Yan’s face, and said, “Si Yan, I don’t like being surrounded by the sea on all sides.”

Si Yan stared deeply into her eyes and countered, “Then what do you like? The demon clan filled with male foxes?” After saying this, he turned his head away, looking annoyed with himself.

Ning Xu was slightly stunned.

Si Yan’s sea of consciousness only revealed his truest self. This was the first time she realized that he actually cared so much about those foxes, even though he had never mentioned them before.

His awkward jealousy was inexplicably a little cute.

She answered seriously, “No. I like the mountain peak where you used to live. There weren’t many plants, but every part of it carried traces of your sword intent.”

“Unfortunately, after three thousand years, it has become nothing but desolation.”

Looking into his eyes, she asked earnestly, “Can you take me back there?”

“No.”

Then he added, “Unless you kiss me.”

Ning Xu stood on tiptoe and placed a kiss on his eyelid.

The moment she kissed him, she noticed that the island beneath their feet had expanded significantly.

But to make this entire ocean disappear, it still wasn’t enough.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Mao Mao likes Hu Yao and the others, but I only see them as contract spirit beasts.”

“In my heart, they hold the same status as Brother Pig.”

Si Yan followed up, “Then what about me?”

Ning Xu coaxed him, “You’re different from them, of course.”

“You’re the most special one.”

Si Yan, straightforward and persistent in his sea of consciousness, asked, “How special?”

Ning Xu replied, “You’re the person I care about most in this cultivation world.”

Of course, the Melon-Eating System didn’t count as a person, so she was completely justified in saying this.

After speaking, she glanced around and confirmed that her guess had been correct.

As she soothed him, more and more of the seawater disappeared.

It was the first time she realized that Si Yan wasn’t just prone to jealousy—he also lacked a sense of security. Even though his two consciousnesses had fully merged, he only ever presented himself as Si Yan in front of her.

So what was he truly worried about?

After some thought, Ning Xu said, “Both Si Yan and Si Zang are wonderful.”

Si Yan said, “I thought you only liked Si Yan.”

After speaking, he shut his eyes with a look of exasperation. What was this? A resentful husband’s tone? How could a Sword Immortal say something like that? It made him seem so narrow-minded, as if he was only capable of getting caught up in small matters of love!

Ning Xu: ???

She seemed to have found what Si Yan cared about.

With a soft laugh, she said, “Of course not. Si Yan is important, and so is Si Zang.”

Before Si Yan could argue, she sincerely recalled, “I still remember how Si Zang burned his lifespan and cultivation without hesitation to buy me time to escape.”

“I also can’t forget the look in his eyes when I leaped into the Endless Sea.”

“And I haven’t forgotten how Si Zang personally handed me the jade token detailing Xu Hua and the others’ weaknesses, just because I said I had a grudge against them. Though that jade token was ultimately unused, I still appreciated his gesture.”

“From a very early point, Si Zang was already on my side. How could I possibly dislike him?”

Si Yan’s lips curved slightly, and a clear sense of joy appeared in his eyes.

Ning Xu couldn’t help but think—so this was how easy it was to coax the mighty Sword Immortal in the cultivation world. The Melon-Eating System had been right to call him an Innocent Cultivator. Just a little reassurance, and he would immediately forgive and forget.

But Si Yan’s smile didn’t last long before it faded again.

He spoke in a low voice, “But Si Zang is older. You really never minded that?”

Ning Xu: ???

Si Zang’s age was completely insignificant in the cultivation world. Why would he think that?

Aside from the Melon-Eating System calling Si Zang an ‘old dog,’ everyone else saw him as a young and accomplished cultivator.

She thought the same.

As for why she never corrected the Melon-Eating System’s wording—well, it had a sharp tongue by nature. If she stopped it from calling him an ‘old dog,’ who knew what strange nickname it would come up with next? At least ‘old dog’ fit well with ‘Innocent Cultivator.’

Shaking her head, she said, “I’ve never minded. Cultivators live for thousands of years—this age difference is nothing to me.”

Si Yan continued, “But Si Zang’s personality isn’t as likable as Si Yan’s. He doesn’t cook delicious food to make you happy like Si Yan does.”

Ning Xu: ???

What was this? Jealous of himself?!