CH 73

Chapter 73: Illusory Realm of Spiritual Vein

The system calmly reassured the host: [You have entered the deepest part of the spiritual vein, which is also the origin of malevolent thoughts. Everything here is an illusion created by Ao Yu based on his memories, or you can say it's a nightmare.]

Yun Zhao regained his composure and glanced around, realizing that he was in a mountain forest. He couldn't help but murmur, "This illusion seems to span a considerable period of time."

The system replied: [There's no other way. If you want to fully heal Ao Yu, you have to eradicate the source. The flow of time in the illusion is slower than outside, but don't waste any more time. Make good use of it.]

Yun Zhao asked again, "How do I heal him?" When he rushed in, he thought he would be able to see Ao Yu, but he was surprised to find himself in this situation.

However, the system only left him with a sentence: [Please explore on your own] and didn't respond further.

Perhaps the young man remained silent for too long, as the young child in front of him frowned and scrutinized him from head to toe.

The young man's robe was disheveled, stained with mud, but his aura was pure and amiable. He didn't seem like a demonic creature.

"I'm asking you a question. Who are you?"

Ao Yu repeated the question, and the young man in front of him finally regained his senses.

Yun Zhao couldn't help but fix his gaze on the young Ao Yu from his childhood. His eyes were a bit rounder, lacking the sharpness he used to have. The soft flesh on his face was still there, and even though he had a stern expression, it made Yun Zhao want to go forward and pinch his cheeks.

What delighted Yun Zhao the most was that the current young dragon, including its horns, barely reached his waist. It had to tilt its head up to look at him, which seemed to make it even more displeased.

Oh, it's getting angry!

Just before the young dragon could get angry, Yun Zhao spoke, "My name is Yun Zhao, and I came here to... find someone."

"Find someone?"

Ao Yu glanced at the young man and saw his resolute nod, feeling somewhat puzzled.

"This is Yuming Mountain, my celestial mountain. There's no one you're looking for here! Leave quickly." The young dragon emphasized the word "my" and swung its tail uncomfortably, patting the rocks in the forest.

Yun Zhao pursed his lips, finding the appearance of Ao Yu in this state amusing. "Your celestial mountain, huh? Who cares? In the future, it will be mine as well!"

It seemed like a long time since Yun Zhao heard the young man's response, and he didn't see him leaving either. Ao Yu, curiously pursing his lips, looked up at him.

"Annoying, why haven't you...?"

Suddenly, he caught sight of the dragon jade hanging from Yun Zhao's waist, adorned with a pearl. Puzzled, he asked, "Where did you get this dragon jade?"

Dragon jade was a precious item for every dragon, not something given away casually!

Yun Zhao looked down, touched the dragon jade, and proudly raised an eyebrow at the little dragon. "My lover gave it to me."

Ao Yu asked, "Is that the person you're looking for?"

Yun Zhao stifled a laugh and nodded without changing his expression. "Yes."

As soon as he finished speaking, sympathy filled Ao Yu's eyes as he looked at Yun Zhao.

Among the members of the branch clan, there were those who were charismatic and amorous. This mountain spirit looked dull and foolish; perhaps he had been deceived by one of his clan brothers.

But the dragon jade was in his hands... Ao Yu thought that perhaps there was some sincerity from this young man.

Yun Zhao, seeing the little dragon remaining silent, with a serious look of contemplation, squatted down and asked him, "So, do you know my lover?"

"I don't know."

Ao Yu cast a disdainful glance at the dragon jade and then at the young man's gleaming black eyes full of joy. He turned his face away and muttered to himself, commenting on their taste...

It was unclear whether he was referring to the young man's unfaithful lover or the pearl-embedded dragon jade at his waist.

As Yun Zhao crouched down, he discovered a faint black aura emanating from the little dragon's chest. Unable to resist, he reached out his hand.

Before his fingers could touch the little dragon's robe, the small hand slapped his hand back.

"Presumptuous! Who allowed you to touch me recklessly!"

Ao Yu glared at Yun Zhao, and as his gaze met Yun Zhao's astonished eyes, his momentum weakened slightly.

In Yun Zhao's mind, he asked the system: [System, did you see that! That black aura!]

Though he didn't make physical contact, Yun Zhao still sensed the repulsive aura emanating from the black haze.

The system reassured him: [Don't worry, that's left by Zhu Sui. You need to find a way to purify that thing.]

Yun Zhao pursed his lips, finding it too easy to say. It was not that simple. The current little dragon was pouting all the time, throwing tantrums at every opportunity. How could he obediently let himself purify him?

The system said: [Don't rush. If he feels repelled, it will accelerate his loss of control, and you will be in danger too.]

Yun Zhao silently muttered, "I understand," and contemplated his next plan.

Beside him, the little dragon noticed the young man once again becoming lost in thought, his long eyelashes trembling. Shadows cast by the lashes obscured his expression.

Could he be crying...?

Ao Yu's gaze lowered, noticing the red mark on the back of the young man's hand that he had slapped. His fingers couldn't help but clench his robe and rub against it.

He pressed his lips into a thin line, frustratedly looking away. It was his fault for suddenly reaching out towards his own chest, but he only lightly slapped it. Why did it turn red so easily...?

So delicate!

The white-haired child complained silently in his heart and took a step closer to Yun Zhao, bending down and tilting his head to meet the young man's eyes. "Did... did you cry?"

Startled by the little dragon's slightly immature voice and close proximity, Yun Zhao suddenly raised his head. Strands of hair gently swayed across his face as he did.

Perhaps the little dragon got too close, as the young man's soft fragrant hair brushed against his face, causing Yun Zhao's ears to turn red. He quickly straightened up and took a step back.

"I didn't cry, I was just lost in thought." Yun Zhao scratched his face in embarrassment and secretly thought that he shouldn't chat casually with the system anymore, so as not to be seen as foolish later.

The silver-white dragon tail straightened and then curved, finally landing discontentedly on a rock, causing cracks to appear.

Ao Yu thought to himself that this mountain spirit had some tricks up his sleeve. No wonder he managed to deceive the dragon jade from one of his clan brothers. However, he now seemed abandoned and pitiful for some reason...

With that in mind, Ao Yu's tail stopped moving, and he asked Yun Zhao, "I'm going back to the Dragon Realm in a few days. I can let you pretend to be my attendant and come with me. You can take the opportunity to find your lover, but don't give me any trouble."

A young child with a sour face pretending to be serious, saying things like "Don't give me trouble, be obedient." Yun Zhao found it more and more amusing. He replied, "Alright, thank you."

"Hmph."

Ao Yu wrinkled his nose and muttered, "I'm only doing this because you're foolish."

After speaking, Ao Yu ignored Yun Zhao and went to sit by the lake in the bamboo forest, focusing his mind on meditation.

The silver-white dragon tail mentioned by Bai Ze couldn't be fully retracted yet. It loosely enveloped the young child, quietly drooping down.

Yun Zhao noticed a simple grass hut by the lake and decided to tidy it up and stay there.

The little dragon remained vigilant, but since he agreed to stay by his side, Yun Zhao knew there would be more opportunities.

Yun Zhao never expected to have the chance to see Ao Yu in his infancy. He happily held his face and looked at the little dragon.

However, as time went on, Yun Zhao discovered that the little dragon's life was extremely dull and boring.

Most of the day was spent immersed in the cold lake, sensing and practicing the same spell repeatedly. The remaining time was spent venturing deep into the mountains to challenge various spiritual beasts.

Every time he saw the half-grown dragon return with a dirty body, dragging his tail, Yun Zhao felt a pang of worry.

Yuming Mountain was still thriving at this time, with countless powerful spiritual beasts. Although the young dragon could be defeated by formidable opponents, he would always retaliate twice as hard.

When Ao Yu threw down a creature that looked like a mix of a cow and something else in front of him, Yun Zhao was slightly taken aback.

"Don't you eat anything?"

Ao Yu looked at him strangely, kicked the beast at his feet, and generously said, "It's too ugly. You can have it."

He hadn't seen him eat anything for the past two days. Ao Yu sneakily opened his eyes while meditating and glanced at the young man in the grass hut. He snorted. Too weak.

He couldn't help but glance at the grass hut again, thinking for a moment, then got up early and went into the forest, returning with a hunted creature.

Yun Zhao chuckled and picked at the flesh of the beast. "Is this for me?"

"Mmm... I guess so," the little dragon impatiently replied. "I don't want you to starve on my celestial mountain."

Yun Zhao smirked, said "thank you," and then took out a small knife to efficiently dissect the little dragon's prey.

Although this type of creature wasn't attractive, its meat was tender and fatty, and it was incredibly difficult to find. Whenever Ao Yu brought Yun Zhao to the bamboo forest for cultivation in the past, if they encountered one, he would surely catch it to use as food.

Yun Zhao rolled up his sleeves, peeled the skin, opened the abdomen, and removed the internal organs. He then cut out the tenderest piece along the creature's bones.

Next, he took out a small pot from his storage bag and filled it with spring water. Finding a clean spot, he started a fire to boil the water for cooking.

Ao Yu was astonished by Yun Zhao's series of actions. He had never seen any immortal put a pot into a storage bag.

But it was evident that Yun Zhao had more than just a pot in there. He continued rummaging in the bag, throwing in seasonings and even found a few sour wild fruits which he chopped and added to the mix.

"What are you doing?" Unable to resist, Ao Yu walked over and peered into the pot, furrowing his brows inquisitively.

"Cooking. We're making a pot of sour soup to go with the meat." Yun Zhao casually replied.

"We?" Ao Yu pushed him away with disdain, crossed his arms, and glanced at him. "I'm not eating that."

Who knew what kind of strange taste that pot of odd stuff had. The corner of the little dragon's eye glanced at the young man who was cooking with his head down. He sneered, pretending to be indifferent.

"Fine, fine. You don't have to eat it." Yun Zhao ignored him and continued to simmer the soup. "I'll eat it by myself."

After saying that, once the soup in the pot started bubbling, a tangy and spicy aroma wafted out, making his mouth involuntarily water and produce saliva.

Yun Zhao used chopsticks to pick up the sliced meat and briefly swished it in the soup. As soon as the meat changed color, he fished it out and blew on it before stuffing it into his mouth.

The meat was tender, cooked to perfection, and when soaked in the tangy and spicy broth, it became even more flavorful. It would be even better if accompanied by some vegetables or adding sweet potato vermicelli and pea shoots!

Yun Zhao immersed himself in the satisfying meal. Suddenly, his sleeve was tugged twice.

He looked up and saw that the little dragon, who had just adamantly refused to eat, had somehow appeared by his side. Its eyes were fixed on the steaming hot pot.

Yun Zhao raised an eyebrow, used the chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat and blew on it near the little dragon's face, mischievously asking, "Do you want some?"

Ao Yu's face turned red, even his dragon horns turned a light shade of pink under the young man's gaze.

The silver-white dragon tail stretched straight, and after a long while, it hesitantly spoke, "I... I want to eat."