Very early in the morning, Zhuo Yichen woke up from his peaceful sleep under Zhu Yan's soft gaze. The first thing he saw was that beautiful face giving him a charming smile. He was back to his old self, his hair was no longer pure white, nor were his demonic tattoos or crimson eyes visible.
"Xiao Zhuo, how are you feeling?" Zhu Yan asked softly, as he was being cuddled in a warm cocoon of arms and legs. Yichen blushed as he remembered what had happened the night before, the sensations, the caresses, the love and how wonderful everything had been.
"Why are you asking me that? We didn't do anything that hurt at all..." Yichen said, while Zhu Yan smirked and gently caressed his beautiful face.
"I meant your bruises. Are they gone? Did it still hurts?" Of course, he would tease him like this first thing in the morning just to see him blush, but this time, he simply kissed Zhu Yan to wipe away that smile. He was too happy to have him back to let it get to him in an endless argument, when they could use their free time for better things.
"Xiao Zhuo..."
"It's all healed now..."
"You're so hot in the mornings..."
"I missed you..." Yichen said between kisses.
"Mmn, I'm glad to know... Yichen..."
"You left me for five days, and it was horrible..."
"My bad. Did Li Lun bully you that much?"
"You have no idea..." Yichen kissed him deeper, hoping to forget that humiliation.
"Xiao Zhuo..." Zhu Yan moaned softly.
"I really miss you..."
"Did he agree to the bond?" Zhu Yan asked as they broke apart to take a breath.
"Yes, my brother convinced him, which is why he agreed to train us as well. By the way, are you okay? When you came to me, you still retained traces of your demonic side. Did your cultivation go well? Yichen asked with some concern, but Zhu Yan simply kissed his forehead.
"Cultivation was a lot. I guess I overdid it a bit when I heard those demons planning to eat you if they get their claws on you..." Zhu Yan closed his eyes, and Yichen gently caressed his beautiful face.
"They'll never catch me, Zhu Yan. I may be young, but I know how to defend myself, and I also had Yun Guang with me, so please don't take their threats to heart; they'll never succeed, even if they try." Yichen whispered softly as Zhu Yan kissed his lips just as gently.
"I'm glad you can take care of yourself, but still... it's in my nature to protect you from all harm, even threats."
"That's sweet, Zhu Yan, but unnecessary here in the human world. You can worry more when we enter the demon world." Yichen pointed out, and Zhu Yan sighed.
"We need to bond before entering the demon world. I must admit that, although I crossed the gate at the beginning and saw what it looked like, I didn't stay there long, so the bond will give us all a good perspective from the one who lived there for centuries."
"You mean Li Lun's memories?"
"Yes, since we'll all be linked in mind and body, sharing memories will be quite easy, and so will having telepathic conversations." Yichen's eyes widened in amazement.
"That will also be awesome and useful too."
"Indeed. Now, tell me how good you've become at making mental shields with Li Lun's training?"
"We still need to practice; we haven't mastered it yet, but we can handle outside intrusions and keep our minds private for now." Zhu Yan smiled and kissed the top of his head.
"You work hard. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you then..."
"It's fine, and I think it's good that Li Lun taught us. He needed to get to know us better, to test us so he'd understand that we don't mean him any harm, we just want to survive and protect what we love."
"Perhaps you're right. He definitely need to soften up a bit."
"I think... I think my Ge has that cover..." Yichen blushed slightly, which made Zhu Yan laugh.
"Of course he had that cover. Your brother is just as amazing as you. Yun Guang! Do you think the binding spell can be performed tonight? Is it better to draw power from my father stars. Since he was so cunning and insightful, he should have seen this coming, right?" And a flash of cold blue light make them known he was about to change forms.
"He did..." Yun Guang said and stood by the nightstand, near the bed.
"The spell Bing Yi taught me is based on his so-called Nine Stars Spell, which, of course, is no coincidence that the number of people involved in this spell is nine in total, including me."
"Wow, Ying Long sure saw too far into the future." Yichen said with genuine admiration.
"He was Siming's rival..." Zhu Yan said, and Yichen smirked.
"I bet so... So, when the spell ends, will we immediately enter the demon world?" Yichen asked as he untangled himself from Zhu Yan's arms and sat up in bed.
"I don't advise it so soon." Yun Guang said, looking at them both more seriously.
"Why?" Yichen asked curiously.
"Getting used to being bonded to other people takes a little time, so it will be safer to train for a few more days under the spell and learn how to handle it. It may feel a little uncomfortable at first, but it will get better as we all get used to it." Zhu Yan explained.
"I think it's a good plan and... well, you won't let Li Lun bully us this time, will you?" Yichen asked hopefully, and Zhu Yan could not hide a grin.
"Of course not, my Baobei... this time it's my turn to have fun..." Zhu Yan sneered.
"S-stupid monkey! You will pay for that..." Yichen said as he threw himself at the great demon and, to Zhu Yan's surprise, he simply attacked him with tickles, as he knew exactly where to use his fingers to tickle him and soon he became a mass of laughter.
※※※※※
Once night fall over the forest, under the light of the stars, the nine-star constellation from which the spell drew its power, Ying Long's dragon stars was clearly seen from were they stood. Zhu Yan cast an additional barrier on his dimension so that when they gathered outside the mansion, no demon or human could see through the barrier, for great powers were going to be at play with only the moon as witness. They gathered in the formation that Yun Guang had taught them, each stepping in the correct place under Yung Guang's gentle command. The front yard was large enough for the ritual to be performed there, and Zhu Yan's tree seemed to shine even brighter that night.
Yun Guang stood at the head of the formation that mimicked Ying Long dragon constellation on the ground. As he sacrificed himself for the demons, his energy turned into stars that formed his constellation, something that Bing Yi could observe until they met again,(or at least that was Ying Long's wish as he turned into dust, even though external factors prevented him for ever seeing it). The sword spirit was in his human form, his delicate blue and silver robes shimmered slightly and swayed in the night breeze. His soft blue hair seemed almost white; his turquoise eyes shone like the stars from which he was about to draw his power. To the humans, he looked like a god, ethereal and beautiful, strong and mythical.
Zhu Yan was next in the zigzagging line. As the strongest of them all, he was the pillar of the spell, already blessed by the two gods, and his presence was what bound the demons and humans together. He was the reason they collaborated in the first place and was therefore the heart of the spell. Behind him was Zhuo Yichen, who body and soul connected his lover and companions, a pillar of support for both of them. Next was Zhuo Yixuan, bound by the power of Bing Yi and Nuwa, granting the link a connection to the heavens, the past and future, as well as Nuwa's extended protection to demons and humans alike.
Next up was Li Lun, whose great demonic power offered the link ferocity, strength, resilience, and after a night spent in closeness with Yixuan (including several kisses), protection as well. He no longer hated the humans he was to bond with, having meddled with their minds in training, gotten to know them better and the sincerity of their hearts. They mean no harm, no deception, no danger to his world, or demons who don't seek their own death by attacking first or killing those they so devotedly wanted to protect. At his back stood Wen Xiao, offering the bond a connection to the goddess Baize, the reason Cheng Huang had once lost his mind in grief over her death. That in turn connected them to the lingering spirit of the goddess who now extended her protection, a shield even against Cheng Huang's deep hatred.
Then came Pei Sijing, her strength and will cemented their resolve. Through her the bond gained enhanced hearing, precision, and unshakable focus. Then Pei Siheng, looming at her back, his soul flickering out to retain human form, something their bond would help achieve. Then there was Ying Lei, descended from a mountain god, from the god Kunlun himself at his root. He was as solid as the mountains he descended from, the source of great stability, an anchor of mind and heart, of space and land. His sense of land endowed the link with no more earthly boundaries, as soon they too would have a greater sense of distances.
Not far from him was Bai Jiu, a healer, something more divine running through his veins, a source of life, of rebuilding, of long life and rebirth, his blood being the oldest, even that of the two great demons, as the Divine Tree had been there since the beginning of time, revered by all, gods, divine beasts, and demons alike. He was the one who closed the circle, imbuing their shared connection with faster healing, stamina, and longevity that will materialize once his core is fully awakened, just like all that of the others will bring too.
Yun Guang watched the others closely to ensure they were ready to join in body and soul for life. They had spent the last five days in brutal training with Li Lun to learn how to shield their minds from both intruders and allies alike. Seen them answer his silent question with calm determination, he smiled, overjoyed to be about to unite his consciousness with theirs, a worthy group that both Bing Yi and Ying Long had chosen centuries ago. Thus, he raised his hand and began performing celestial seals that caused the star formation between them to begin to glow beneath their feet, with a star manifesting in a smaller-scale reflection of its true appearance beneath each one, enveloping them in a column of brilliant golden light.
The pillars of light were warm, pulsing with the energy of the stars, of Ying Long's wish for them to succeed, survive, and live the eternal happiness he had envisioned for them all before sacrificing himself for the demons. Their light illuminated the night, and a door deep within the celestial realm open to them. Nuwa took over Zhuo Yixuan's body, possessing him for an instant to connect heaven and earth, so they could receive the blessing of the gods and strengthen their bond.
Knowing the binding spell like the back of her hand, she also whispered it in her ancient and forgotten celestial language, which awakened Bai Jiu's ancient blood, making him glow with a deep green light. One by one the others follow, Zhu Yan with a crimson red, Li Lun with a dark blue, Yichen with a sky blue, Yixuan with a deep gold, Ying Lei with an orange, Pei Sijing with a light brown, Wen Xiao with a lavender, Pei Siheng with a dark brown, and Yun Guang with the same crimson red as Zhu Yan, as his sword was forged and born from Ying Long's blood and bones.
From the sky, the sight of the earthly star formation seemed as if shining souls were opening up to unite in the deepest way possible, for both humans and demons. Their traces began to connect with each pillar of light under the guidance of Yung Guang, who recited the spell and sealed them with his hand signs and the influence of Nuwa, who was drawing her true strength from the heavenly gate to bless them all, ensuring their lives and bodies were joined in perfect balance.
There was no pain as their souls united, only the warmth of Nuwa's blessing and their own energies mingling like ingredients in a hot soup after a cold rain, which once mixed together, gives that delicious taste that makes you drool, but can no longer be separated. As the spell worked, they could feel their connection growing stronger and stronger, making the humans more aware of things otherwise out of reach coming from both Zhu Yan and Li Lun, and they could all feel Li Lun longing for Yixuan's absence, as Nuwa had possessed him, but his longing was short lived, as with a knowing smile Nuwa returned Yixuan to his body, so that he could feel what Li Lun truly felt for him. Of course, all of that paled in comparison to what two other lovebirds felt for each other as Yichen blushed at Zhu Yan's deep affection, strong and real, vast and endless.
Once everyone was linked, threads of light spread beneath their feet, forming an intricate celestial seal. It came alive as their soul threads intertwined uniting all the colors into one, forging the bond. After that was done, a celestial energy entered their bodies forcefully, causing them to fall backwards from the force of their combined bond, but without any harm being done.
As they gasped at the feeling of this new, yet stronger energy within their cores, they looked at each other and then laughed, as their first link was quite loud, with all of them thinking about different things at the same time and Bai Jiu was on the verge of panicking as he looked at Ying Lei, causing his feelings to spill open up to the others like a page on an book, much to their amusement, making them laugh. He was still the youngest after all and it took more effort for him to block his growing feelings for Ying Lei from his mind. At least this time, the young healer didn't scream at the top of his lungs like he always did when he got scared or excited.
AN: I hope this bonding is good for you guys. Soon we will go into the demon world, but just a little bit of more bonding first. Thanks for reading and until next time, take care.