...
When Xuan Hao's consciousness awoke from the endless darkness once more, he felt as if he had been trampled by hundreds of mammoths, every bone and muscle in his body groaning in agony from the unbearable pressure.
The simultaneous eruption of two ultimate dragon powers created a tearing force that nearly caused his physical body to collapse, even with the enhancement of a 100,000-year-old soul bone and immortal herbs.
"hiss..."
Xuan Hao gasped and struggled to open his heavy eyelids.
His vision gradually focused, and he found himself no longer in those cold ruins, but lying on a soft, large bed.
.The surrounding furnishings were extremely luxurious, clearly belonging to a very high-class palace somewhere within Wuhun City.
However, what surprised him even more was the person sitting by the bed at that moment.
Bibi Dong.
She had shed the hideous carapace of the Death Spider Queen and donned an elegant long dress.
At this moment, she was bowing her head, her hands folded on her knees, her beautiful face filled with deep turmoil and complexity, so much so that she didn't even notice Xuan Hao waking up immediately.
"cough..."
Xuan Hao coughed weakly, breaking the deathly silence in the room.
Upon hearing the noise, Bibi Dong's body trembled violently.
She looked up and saw Xuan Hao's clear, sky-blue eyes.
Her expression instantly became even more panicked and conflicted.
She opened her mouth, as if she wanted to say something, to explain the out-of-control madness of last night, to question him about why he had that kind of power that even Qian Daoliu feared, but the words just wouldn't come out.
"woke up?"
After a long silence, Bibi Dong managed to squeeze out two words, her voice hoarse and completely devoid of her usual papal majesty.
Xuan Hao, enduring the aches and pains throughout his body, used his hands to support himself on the bed and sat up with some difficulty.
He didn't ask about the "domestic violence" that had almost killed him the night before, nor did he inquire about the Rakshasa God Trial.
He simply looked at Bibi Dong's slightly pale face and asked softly:
Are you feeling... any better?
This greeting, devoid of any blame but filled with concern, tugged at Bibi Dong's heartstrings.
"I'm much better." Bibi Dong turned her face away, not daring to look him in the eye.
"But you… you forced that level of power, your body…"
"I'm fine, I won't die. I'm just exhausted, I'll be fine after a few days of rest."
Xuan Hao waved his hand dismissively, "As for that power... it actually came from the Yin-Yang Well of Sunset Forest."
"Beneath that spring lies the remnant soul of two ancient dragon kings.
I've been cultivating in seclusion there for the past few years, and it's probably because of the mutation of my martial soul that those two old guys took a liking to me.
They've allowed their dragon souls to reside in my body."
"In special circumstances like last night, when you lose your mind and are determined to kill me, they can lend me power for a short time, allowing me to use a cheat code to save my life. Normally, I can't use it; the price is too high."
After hearing Xuan Hao's explanation, Bibi Dong fell silent.
She knew that Xuan Hao was casually glossing over the terrifying backlash from that power, and that he was deliberately avoiding the core issue that had driven her mad last night.
A suffocating silence fell over the room once again.
Seeing Bibi Dong's conflicted, evasive, and even somewhat helpless expression, Xuan Hao sighed silently in his heart.
He knew that last night's experience had been too intense.
Although he forcibly tore open that thin veil of secrecy, he also directly triggered the most vulnerable string deep within Bibi Dong's heart, causing Rakshasa's evil intentions to spiral out of control.
If he continues to press on now, not only will he not achieve the desired result, but he may also push her completely into the abyss.
This woman is like a badly wounded hedgehog with all its quills standing on end. You can only touch her with the right fur, not against it.
"alright."
Xuan Hao slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. He didn't press further, nor did he shamelessly cling to Bibi Dong as usual.
He simply leaned quietly against the headboard, looking at Bibi Dong, his tone more earnest and gentle than ever before:
"Since you don't know what to say right now, your mind is in turmoil, and you don't even know how to face me..."
"Then I'll go."
Upon hearing those three words, Bibi Dong suddenly raised her head and looked at him in disbelief.
"I'm going back to Tiandou City first; there's a huge mess there waiting for me to clean up."
Xuan Hao looked into her eyes and said, word by word:
"When you've sorted out all those messy worries in your heart, when you've figured out how to tell me and how to face me..."
"I'll come find you again."
Xuan Hao smiled slightly, a smile devoid of his usual domineering and aggressive nature, filled only with pure tolerance:
"Teacher, as I said, I didn't force you, nor do I intend to force you to make any decisions. I was too impulsive last night, and I need to calm down."
"I did all this just so you could be truly happy, and so I could bring you into the sunshine."
"Instead of living in the shadow of the past and tormenting yourself like a vengeful ghost."
Xuan Hao, supporting his slightly weak legs, slowly stood up from the bed and walked to the floor.
He didn't even change his clothes, just casually put on a coat, and prepared to leave this luxurious but oppressive bedroom.
However, he stopped after taking only a few steps.
Xuan Hao turned around and looked at Bibi Dong, who was still sitting on the edge of the bed with her eyes downcast, as if she had been abandoned by the whole world.
A complex emotion flickered in his sky-blue eyes. There was heartache, helplessness, and a kind of understanding that saw through all her pretense.
"There's one more thing."
"if..."
"If you really feel that stepping into the sunlight is too dazzling, if you feel that the past is too heavy for you to let go of..."
Xuan Hao gazed at her. "If only in the shadows can you feel truly safe and at ease."
"That's fine too."
Bibi Dong's body stiffened abruptly. She slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with disbelief.
She had initially thought that Xuan Hao's words were an attempt to force her to confront the past and embrace the so-called light through "concession."
But she never expected him to say something like that.
"I can shield you from all the sunlight."
Xuanhao looked at her and said, "As long as you can live a little easier and happier in that shadow, even if you never want to come out of it, I'm willing to stay with you."
"To me, light or darkness is not important at all. What matters is you."
Xuan Hao paused for a moment, then said, "Of course, all of this is based on the premise that... you can truly feel happy doing that."
"If you hide in the shadows and still feel pain, still torment yourself..."
Xuan Hao shrugged. "You know me too. Deep down, I'm an unreasonable jerk, and I tend to act impulsively."
"If I see you continue to suffer, I might suddenly lose my temper one day and do something crazy to pull you out of it."
"Even if you pierce me with ten spider legs at that time, I will never let go."
After delivering this almost threatening confession, Xuan Hao didn't look at Bibi Dong's reaction anymore.
He turned around and strode out of the bedroom.
As the heavy doors of the sleeping quarters were gently closed, the room fell into a deathly silence once more.
Bibi Dong sat quietly by the bed, listening to the footsteps gradually fading away until they disappeared completely at the end of the corridor.
"Block out all the sunlight..."
How could she not understand the meaning behind Xuan Hao's words?
That arrogant, swaggering boy was telling her: if you don't want to walk towards the light, then he will fall into darkness for you.
This almost pathological, reckless favoritism was so heavy that Bibi Dong could barely breathe.
She really didn't know how to deal with Xuan Hao's feelings.
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