Gao Tian's grip tightened around the Ruler Dog's tiny body. The beast's limbs tensed as spiritual pressure seeped from the young cultivator's hand, pressing painfully into his bones.
With a sinister smile curling on his lips, Gao Tian leaned in, his voice low and cold.
"I wasn't asking nicely," he said. "I'm ordering you. Do it. And if anything goes wrong while Shu Yu is still unconscious, I can always blame that Heavenly Flame Tree, right?"
The Ruler Dog froze. His round eyes widened in disbelief.
This bastard… he's more vicious than he looks.
Cornered and without options, the beast sighed internally. He glanced up at Gao Tian and gave a reluctant nod.
"Good," Gao Tian said, releasing him and placing him gently on the ground.
The Ruler Dog looked up at him once again. His gaze clearly said, You better not try anything funny.
But Gao Tian only smiled faintly. "I'm unsealing your power temporarily. Try anything, and..."
His expression darkened, the faint light in his eyes becoming a shadow of threat.
The Ruler Dog swallowed hard.
Kneeling down, Gao Tian extended a glowing finger and gently touched the beast's forehead. Golden characters shimmered into existence, spinning and unraveling until the seal broke with a quiet hum. Instantly, a wave of powerful aura exploded from the dog's body, shaking the air and rattling loose dust from the walls.
Gao Tian tossed the two pills into the air.
The Ruler Dog caught them mid-air using his spiritual energy, hovering the pills before him. With a quiet huff, he ignited them in a swirl of golden fire. The pills cracked, melted, and then liquified into streams of spiritual energy.
With a flick of his paw, the dog guided the glowing currents gently toward Cai Xian. The energy seeped into her body, her wounds stabilizing slightly, and the trembling in her limbs calming as a hint of color returned to her cheeks.
Just as the final strands of energy vanished into her, Gao Tian stood tall and lifted his right hand.
He began tracing new symbols in the air, his fingers moving with controlled precision. Each stroke shimmered brighter than the last, runes glowing with a deeper authority, infused with a refined spiritual essence far beyond his earlier work.
The Ruler Dog's ears twitched.
This seal... it's stronger than before. Far stronger.
He narrowed his eyes.
That brat... Once I regain my full strength, let's see how long you can keep acting arrogant.
The golden seal took shape above the dog's head. With a gesture, Gao Tian pressed it down. The characters spun once before embedding smoothly into the Ruler Dog's body, locking his aura once more beneath an even firmer barrier.
The pressure vanished. The room stilled.
Gao Tian exhaled softly, wiping his brow.
"Done," he murmured, glancing over at Cai Xian and Shu Yu.
Now, all that remained was for them to awaken.
Gao Tian lay sprawled across the stone floor, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. The effort of reforging the seal had drained every last thread of spiritual energy from his body. With a quiet yawn, the Ruler Dog padded over to him, circled twice on his chest, and curled up comfortably before dozing off, its breathing soon matching Gao Tian's steady rhythm.
Time passed.
Roughly two hours later, Shu Yu's eyes snapped open. She sat upright with practiced silence, scanning her surroundings. Her gaze soon landed on Gao Tian, lying motionless on the floor, and then drifted to the small beast resting atop his chest.
Her eyes lingered.
So… that bastard didn't hurt my spirit beast. I thought for sure if I got knocked out, he'd take the chance to kill the little dog.
She rose to her feet and walked over, reaching down to scoop up the sleeping Ruler Dog. Stirred by her touch, the beast cracked open one eye. When he saw it was Shu Yu, his tail wagged lazily, and he pressed against her chest with a content little snort.
Shu Yu held him quietly, her gaze drifting to the faint golden rune glowing on his forehead.
The seal… it's stronger than before.
She looked down at Gao Tian again.
Why is he being so cautious about this beast?
The Ruler Dog nuzzled into her arms, falling back asleep as if the world no longer concerned him.
Moments later, Cai Xian's eyes fluttered open.
She groaned, holding her head. "Ugh… my head hurts…"
Pushing herself up with effort, her gaze landed on Gao Tian's limp figure lying nearby. Shu Yu stood over him, holding the spirit beast.
A terrible thought struck her.
She gasped. "D-Don't tell me… you killed him?"
Shu Yu blinked, her expression still blank as she tilted her head in confusion.
What is she even talking about?
Cai Xian misread the silence and expressionless stare.
"Oh no… You did! You really killed him! That poor boy… he was so talented…"
The loud voice stirred Gao Tian from his slumber.
He rubbed his eyes sleepily, sat up slowly, and groaned. "Ugh… what's with all the shouting?"
Cai Xian turned, saw him rise from the ground, and screamed. "AHHH! A ghost!"
"AHHH! Where?" Gao Tian shouted, looking around in panic.
"There's no ghost," Shu Yu said flatly, her voice cutting through the noise like a blade.
Cai Xian blinked, then looked between Gao Tian and Shu Yu in confusion.
"So… you didn't kill him?"
Shu Yu's expression didn't change, but her voice carried a trace of annoyance. "Who told you I did?"
As the chaos faded, Shu Yu's thoughts shifted again. Something was bothering her.
We were both unconscious… and Gao Tian was the only one awake. How did he feed me the pills?
She looked over at Cai Xian, a new realization dawning.
And how did he feed her the pills?
Just as Gao Tian and Cai Xian stood up and dusted themselves off, Shu Yu's voice cut through the air again.
"Hey. How did you feed me the pills?"
Gao Tian scratched the back of his head awkwardly and answered casually, "The same way you did."
Wait—what did I just say? Is she going to kill me now?
But Shu Yu didn't react. Her face remained as emotionless as ever.
So… he did it the same way. I see. At least he actually helped. I thought he'd just leave me unconscious and run away.
Still, her stare lingered, unblinking and unreadable.
Meanwhile, Cai Xian finally caught on to what he meant.
She turned to him with sudden interest. "Wait. What do you mean, 'the same way'? What method did you use?"
Shu Yu perked up slightly. She, too, awaited his answer.
Gao Tian waved his hand casually and said, "Oh, the beast helped me. The Ruler Dog fed you the pill, Miss Cai Xian."
The Ruler Dog, asleep in Shu Yu's arms, snorted softly as if scoffing in his sleep.
Shu Yu narrowed her eyes slightly, saying nothing.
Cai Xian looked doubtful. "The dog, huh…"
But Gao Tian had already turned away, stretching and yawning again as if the entire event had been nothing but a dream.
Shu Yu held Ruler Dog gently in her arms, the little creature curling comfortably against her chest. Her pale eyes glanced toward the shadowy corridors ahead, her voice calm and level.
"So… how are we going to exit from here?"
Gao Tian, who had been resting against a broken stone pillar, suddenly turned his head, eyes wide.
"Yeah, you're right," he muttered. "How are we supposed to leave this place?"
Both of them turned their gaze toward Cai Xian, who stood near an ancient wall decorated with faded runes, brushing imaginary dust off her dress.
"What?" she asked innocently.
Gao Tian pointed at the dim passageways behind them. "How are we getting out of here, hmm? I mean, we came down somehow, but that was a mess. Do you have a route or not?"
Cai Xian smiled mischievously, the corners of her red lips curving upward.
"Oh, you want to leave? I do have a way out," she said, her tone playfully mysterious.
Gao Tian's eyes lit up. "Really? What is it?"
With a teasing flick of her fan, Cai Xian leaned forward and whispered, "You have to kiss me."
A silence fell over the cavern.
Gao Tian and Shu Yu both stared at her, their expressions caught somewhere between disbelief and mild disgust.
Cai Xian's eyes sparkled with amusement. "What? You don't want to?" she asked, shifting into a more alluring posture, her spiritual charm seeping out subtly, like the scent of blooming nightshade.
Gao Tian felt his thoughts waver for a moment. The sway of her body, the softness of her voice—any normal man might fall under her spell.
But he wasn't a normal man.
He was an Immortal Emperor whose soul had endured countless trials in the higher realms. The spiritual charm dissolved against the walls of his will like smoke on stone.
He took a long breath, shaking his head internally. This old fox. If I didn't control my mind, I really might've fallen into that trap.
With a blank face, he straightened and said flatly, "Alright, then how about I kill you? Would that still open the exit?"
Cai Xian burst into laughter, clapping her hands. "Yes, that would do it too."
Shu Yu's face remained expressionless, but a faint, chilling pressure seeped from her. Her eyes narrowed at Cai Xian, lips pressed into a cold line. Still, her tone was as calm as ever.
"Cut the nonsense, you two. Miss Cai Xian, please… just take us out of here."
Cai Xian raised her eyebrows, then sighed with an apologetic smile. "Alright, alright. Sorry about that. I was just having a little fun."
As she turned to lead them through a hidden corridor, her thoughts lingered on Shu Yu.
This girl… she really likes him. But why does she always act so cold? Strange.
With Ruler Dog softly snoring in Shu Yu's arms and the shadows stretching long around them, the three of them moved forward—toward the exit.