Zhuo Yixuan/Li Lun
Back in their room, Yixuan and Li Lun lay side by side on Yixuan's bed. The room was lit only by the faint glow of Zhu Yan's blue flowers and the golden/turquoise one that had unleashed all that chaos, Bing Yi's flower, which still shone with the same intensity as when Li Lun had picked it.
"Li Lun, are you sure you're alright? I know you suffered a lot of damage along with Zhu Yan, and if you need extra energy to recover what you've lost, I'd be happy to offer you mine." Of course Yixuan will offer to give him his energy, Li Lun thought as he smiled at him and took his hand to kiss it gently.
"There's no need. As a great demon, I can recover my energy faster than you think. After all, I'm a tree, so I can cultivate not only the energy of the forest, but also that of nature itself, deep within the earth, to its roots, where it's less tainted." Li Lun explained, and Yixuan rested his head in the crook of his neck.
"Is that why the tainted energy of the human world affects you less than other demons? I've noticed that even though you initially hate humans, you can cooperate with them if you have sufficient reason. To be honest, neither Zhu Yan nor you seem to be affected as much as others..."
"Zhu Yan grew up under the influence of the gods. He's an anomaly created by them, an exception to the rule, since the power of Ying Long is also quite rare, even among gods. Therefore, he was never tainted by the darkness of the human heart. I was born in a place where the earth was still mostly pure, where my original tree grew without it influence. That helped me cultivate a purer core and roots than others. Furthermore, spending so many centuries with Zhu Yan also dissipated the little influence of the dark energy that could get to me when it mattered most, in my pick cultivation to become a great demon," Li Lun explained as he gently combed with his fingers, the long silky hair that fell down Yixuan's back.
"I see... So the older demons weren't affected by the tainted energy either?"
"Great demons were initially unaffected by malicious energy, as their cultivation toward the fifth evolution of their cores was done with the energy that connected the heavens to the earth, before they separate." Faced with this sudden revelation, Yixuan looked at him with some surprise. He didn't know that demon cores could evolve. Seeing his surprise, Li Lun sighed.
"Humans indeed knew very little about demons. Let me explain the evolution of a demon's core." Li Lun gave him a soft kiss on his nose, making Yixuan smile.
"A demon's first evolution, is the creation of the core itself. By accumulating enough energy from its surroundings and storing it within that weak, undeveloped primordial core. The second is when it becomes aware of its nature, the third when it gains the ability to shapeshift, the fourth when it cultivates enough energy to become a higher-level demon, the fifth when it surpasses its level through cultivation over thousands of years—which would be when it becomes a great demon with a core capable of accumulating enormous amounts of energy—And the sixth would be when the core becomes immortal, transforming it into a god."
"Achieving an immortal core is quite rare and extremely hard to do, and currently, Zhu Yan is the closest to reaching that level. Ying Long did it before him, as did Cheng Huang. Although both were considered divine beasts at the time, the evolution of their cores was virtually the same. The reason the younger demons became violent was because their key cultivation was done when the dark energy was stronger. That influenced their cultivation, changed their roots, tainting it with malice, hatred, and vengeance. That's why I said before that humans brought their own destruction upon themselves..." This time it was Yixuan who sighed patiently.
"Li Lun, it really wasn't the humans' fault..." Yixuan began to gently disagree, but Li Lun turned his head to give him a soft kiss.
"Yes, I know it was Nuwa who created tainted humans by mistake, so you don't have to remind me that. I'm trying to accept it, and now I know that not all humans fall into their own darkness. You, for example, aren't tainted at all..."
"Ah, come on. I assure you I'm no saint..." Yixuan protested as Li Lun turned to face him.
"Perhaps not, but you're the closest thing to one I've ever seen, and you do have a purifying aura... you can't deny that..." Li Lun kissed him, and Yixuan returned the kiss, his heart reacting to their intimacy, their closeness, their growing passion and feelings. Despite the commanding aura Li Lun projected as a great demon, when they were alone, Li Lun's actions never demanded or took anything by force, but rather offered mutual exchange, mutual need, mutual desire, and open hearts.
Destiny had bound them together long ago, so there was no need to deny what was meant to be, even though Li Lun disliked the idea of being controlled by the gods. Besides, he had to admit that their choice suited him perfectly; it gave them both balance and power. When the humans began to resonate with the power of the Ying Long constellation within Zhu Yan's pendant, he saw how strong Yixuan's core truly was.
Every time he used his golden dragon, he also drew power from Nuwa's, for he had a direct connection to her. Therefore, it was fortunate that Yixuan only used it for defense and not for attack. If he had truly gone all out, perhaps both Zhu Yan and he would have suffered a much greater setback. Yichen was also beginning to awaken his core, so his divinity was also starting to escape from his sealed core more purely. Well, all of them, to be honest, since he could also sense the faint presence of the Baize goddesses near Wen Xiao and her connection with Pei Sijing in turn, which was also quite lethal. Not to mention Bai Jiu, who was the most unexpected of them all to awaken to his true divine side.
"Li Lun..." Yixuan whispered against his lips.
"Mmm..."
"You're letting it slip..." Yixuan said as they continued kissing.
"What?"
"Your thoughts... I now know we impressed you..." Li Lun pulled away for a moment, breathless, but not visibly concerned or angry with himself, as Yixuan had expected.
"Don't be surprised. I may seem like a great demon with complete control of my mind to others... but you're more than that to me. As my partner, lover, or mate—you can use whatever term you prefer—I won't close myself off to you. I value honesty above all else, and I offer it to you as proof of my commitment. I may not yet understand human love, but that doesn't mean I can't learn..." Yixuan smiled, proud of him, and pulled him closer.
"Very well, we can open up completely to each other... and about human love... then let me show you..." Yixuan kissed him this time, opening his heart completely.
He let Li Lun into his mind, into every corner of it that cried out how welcome he was, that he had nothing to hide except give, as he now surrendered his heart without asking for his in return, without hesitation, letting him experience his own emotions, how he made him feel, how his body couldn't resist him, how his blood boiled at his touch, how each kiss felt like heaven, desired and needed. Of how Li Lun had begun to fill the void that had frozen his heart for so many years. Everything he was, was at his disposal, and Yixuan was delighted that Li Lun was opening up to him as well.
Even if Li Lun was new to feelings for humans, or perhaps for anyone in general other than friendship or companionship, Yixuan could sense how much he cherished him. He could even feel the apprehension, anger and fear, he had experienced with Zhu Yan when he believed Zhu Yan was endangering him during their previous training. This filled Yixuan's heart with happiness and love. This was what he had been waiting for so long. Not just a partner, a lover, or a mate, but a soul that could complete him, the part that would make him whole, and Li Lun understood this loud and clear.
That night, under the soft light of the flowers, they forgot the rest of the world, too absorbed in themselves, on the path they needed to take for their connection to become more than just a bond of life force. They reached for something stronger. A bond forged in mutual understanding and acceptance. Of a future of intertwined lives, of love without limits or rules, and of two lonely souls becoming one in every sense. That night they made love nor just in body, but also in soul, just like Zhu Yan and Yichen before them, with just one step closer to mutual claims. There was not turning back for either of them and best of all, no regrets.
As the night deepened and both, Yichen and Yixuan, slept soundly, embraced by their respective lovers, the two great demons reconnected after centuries of almost nonexistent contact. A mental connection they had shared as friends traveling together had now returned in all its glory.
Li Lun felt Zhu Yan in the back of his mind, amused by the way he had given himself completely to a human. But Li Lun wasn't ashamed of what he had done with Zhuo Yixuan, for he saw no flaw in him and even said that, on this occasion, he was glad the gods had actually done something good for him, binding him to such a precious soul.
"You mocked me for being wiped by Yichen before, but look at you now, not so different from me, if not more so. You know I can tell you claimed Yixuan, right? I know it wasn't a physical claim, like I almost made with Yichen, but for a great demon to offer his own soul with such devotion is quite rare, especially coming from you."
"That's none of your business, Zhu Yan. My claiming of Yixuan won't affect our mission in the demon world. After all, I'm a great demon of that realm, so my presence there won't alert anyone, nor will it leave a physical mark on him, scent, or anything else that reveals I am willingly bound to a human. The only reason you know, is because we are already bound by a spell."
"True, I'm just curious, Li Lun. You're usually very reserved, but what you did with Yixuan is... too profound for lack of better words, something even I can't do with Yichen yet."
"Of course, you can't connect with Yichen at this level of intimacy yet. The two may be brothers, but they are essentially very different. Yichen is young, impulsive, passionate about everything, and still on the path to maturity. Yixuan is the complete opposite: calm, controlled, wise beyond his years, and very sure of what he wants. In a way, Yixuan was waiting for me to complete him, while Yichen is only just discovering his own feelings for you as your relationship deepens." At Li Lun's wise words, Zhu Yan smiled to himself.
"Indeed, you're right, which is even stranger. I congratulate you, on unofficially marrying my brother-in-law, in the old demon way, before the war broke out. He may not know it, but it's not like he will mind if he find out. The bond between you two is no joke, and this time I envy you. I'm sure that one day, Yichen will open up to me as deeply as Yixuan did to you, but as you said before, he's still very young and inexperienced. He may be afraid to give himself to me in more than just body, but in time we'll succeed. Now, tell me, will you curse the gods for tying your fate to his?" Li Lun sneered.
"I'll grant those foolish old gods, that they succeed this time, and although I don't like being manipulated, I don't mind, if what I gained is more than I could ever wish for. I needed this, and Yixuan did too, even more desperately than I did. And although I still don't have much sympathy for gods or humans, I'll try to keep an open mind to other possibilities. I understand that not all humans are bad, but I won't look away when I'm right and see evil in the hearts of others."
"And there's nothing wrong with that, Li Lun, as long as you can see both sides, not just one..."
"Yes. So... are we friends again?" Li Lun asked in their mental connection, almost holding his breath, waiting for the answer he'd longed to hear.
"Li Lun, we were friends in the past, and we'll continue to be in the future, as I try to convey to you last time we speak frankly. It's not that you betrayed me... it was just that we were destined to walk different paths for a while, before crossing paths again. I didn't hold a grudge, so yes, Li Lun, we're still the same as we were, good best friends, now also bound by humans sharing the same blood. Two pure souls that united us again, against all odds. How wonderful is that?"
"You're being too dramatic, Zhu Yan, but I agree. The two brothers are something special." Zhu Yan chuckled to himself, and Li Lun smiled too.
"Very well, congratulations again. You've made the older brother incredibly happy. So don't be surprised if he wakes up in the morning glowing from head to toe." Li Lun grinned.
"I don't mind, and who knows? Maybe I'll glow too..." Zhu Yan laughed again, feeling nostalgic like when they used to tell each other jokes like that.
"That'll be quite a sight. I just hope you don't start acting like Father and Bing Yi back in those days, when you hated seen them showing a little affection. That'll be embarrassing..."
"Stupid monkey, get lost now. Your annoying laughter might wake Yixuan up, even if only mentally..."
"Fine, go back and stare at your husband for the rest of the night... it should be quite a sight..."
"Yes, and that's all mine, now get lost." Then, as Zhu Yan laughed again, he cut off their connection and, in fact, looked at Yixuan with great affection, warm and beautiful resting over his chest. Li Lun kissed Yixuan's forehead, feeling happy too, and closed his eyes as he hugged him tighter.
He didn't care about the future that awaited them. As long as they were together, alive or dead, that was all that mattered to him now. He had found what he was looking for, and anyone who tried to take it from him would pay the price, whoever they were.
AN: Just some more soft moment before they enter the demon world, Bai Jiu and Ying Lei next, as well as Wen Xiao and Pei Sijing. Hope you like it. Here there is no top or bottom, just two souls loving each other freely and willingly. See you next time, please take care.