Gu Yunjue saw icy water flow from the mouth of the spring and summoned out the inherited Azure Fire Sword. At the moment, a chilly light flashed through as a long archaic black sword appeared in Gu"s hand with an awe-inspiring sound like a dragon roaring. The Azure Fire Sword came with turbulent killing intent, demonstrating a momentum of separating the heaven and earth, which terrified Bai Xiaoyue and made her tremble involuntarily in the red Fire Bead.
Mu Chen frowned and flicked his finger at the hilt of Azure Fire Sword. He grumbled sulkily, "Behave yourself!"
With a "hum", Azure Fire Sword restrained its light and calmed down.
Gu Yunjue blinked his eyes in disbelief, and mocked, "Well! Well! Not surprisingly, all of my properties obey Master."
In Gu Yunjue"s previous life, when he inherited Azure Fire Sword, his cultivation was but at Nascent Soul Stage. As for the sword, it was an archaic weapon that had experienced too much killing, and was quite rebellious. And back in the last life, Azure Fire Sword had also intended to influence or even swallow its owner. Yet when it was knocked by Mu Chen, Gu found it quite obedient. Gu used to believe that the sword was suppressed because of Mu"s high cultivation. However, it proved not so.
"Young Master is so special that spiritual lives or matters like to get close to him." Gu Yunjue was amazed and worried by such a merit. Yet his worries were concealed well, and n.o.body could detect a hint on his expression.
However, Mu Chen found the partner bond quite useful, as it enabled him to get close to his disciple"s thoughts. Understanding Gu Yunjue"s worries, Mu Chen grunted with dissatisfaction. To Mu, what his disciple worried was his business and it was completely unnecessary for Gu to do so.
While Mu Chen was deep in reflection, Gu Yunjue approached Mu"s ears and said fawningly, "From now on, let me do the labor. Master, you just stand by and watch."
Mu Chen tilted his head, and felt an abnormal tone in his unruly disciple"s words. As for what it was, Mu didn"t bother to find it out and resolved directly to pinch Gu.
Gu Yunjue bore the pain of the pinch, rived the bed rock of the spring with Azure Fire Sword. Much colder water surged out towards them. Gu circled his arm around Mu Chen"s waist and jumped into the rift, giving Mu Chen no time to react.
Feeling the coldness, Mu Chen wielded his soul power and intensified the boundary setting. Meanwhile, Mu took out a high grade spirit stone, crumbed it on his palm and recovered his consumed soul power with it. Being seized and taken into the spring mouth, Mu Chen intended to throw Gu a glare when suddenly Gu approached Mu Chen and gave him a kiss. At the moment, Mu Chen tried to turn his face to avoid the kiss, but was reduced to being held by the head and kissed hardly. To Mu Chen"s embarra.s.sment, his lip was frivolously bitten before they separated.
"You evil disciple!" Mu Chen pinched Gu Yunjue by the face and twisted it.
"OUCH!" cried Gu.
Seeing Gu Yunjue"s reaction, Mu Chen snorted a warning, "Don"t you dare do that again!" "Wicked disciple! How could he always want to get an upper hand over me? I"m his Master! Show me some filial piety!"
Gu Yunjue forced a smile and mulled. "If I daren"t to take the initiative in the relationship, I might never be able to touch young Master. Should I wait for him to call upon me to make love with him, I might have to wait forever."
When they entered Spirit Lifeline through the spring, the rived rock gradually closed, as if an unknown force brought everything back to its usual, like nothing had happened. Feng Jiuli witnessed the happenings in the distance and moved to the spring in disbelief. Feng raised his eyebrows, and had the feeling that someone would keep the master and his disciple inside the Lifeline, forever.
*
The master and his disciple went into the underground river and walked out of it later. To their surprise, the Spirit Lifeline was a fascinating cave. Time showed its wonders here, and kneaded rocks into numerous stalact.i.tes. The cave was s.p.a.cious with countless dark pa.s.sages leading to unknown places.
Mu Chen pointed to a direction and said, "Over there."
The pa.s.sage Mu Chen chose was no different from others, which were all dark and endless. Mu Chen knew his choice was utterly groundless. Notwithstanding, his instinct told him that something was waiting there for him.
As a matter of fact, being not in control made Mu Chen feel worried.
For the moment, Gu Yunjue let go off Mu"s waist and turned to hold his hand, which made Mu frigid for a moment before he soon interlocked their fingers together. Feeling the warmth from Gu"s palm, Mu was eased.
Seeing Gu Yunjue smile at him, Mu Chen, heart warmed, unwittingly smiled back. Mu"s mood was lit up. "As long as my young disciple is around me, all sorts of uneasiness disappear, as if blown away by the wind." The two had been together before, now they were bonded, and would always live side by side. Alive or dead, they should never be apart. There was nothing to worry about.
Mu Chen held Gu Yunjue"s hand tightly and said casually, "Let"s go."
Following his intuition, Mu Chen took Gu Yunjue and pa.s.sed by numerous caves until they came to a stone door.
A shocking power permeated the cave from beyond the door.
Gu Yunjue sensed the danger and withdrew his usual mischief, while Azure Fire Sword in his hand roared and unleashed surging killing intent.
Mu Chen made a fire ball and wielded it. The two exchanged a look, then Mu Chen walked into the stone cave and Gu Yunjue followed when suddenly two strands of power gushed out. The domineering one enveloped Mu Chen and pulled him inside.
Mu Chen was astounded, and subconsciously grabbled Gu Yunjue tightly only to find the other soft power instantly wrapped Gu. The two powers worked like two people cooperated to separate them. Both the disciple and the master suddenly were unable to mobilize their spirit power. Because of being pulled by the unknown power, the tightly held hands gradually loosened, while Mu Chen"s fire ball attack ended up damaging nothing.
Mu Chen, fingers trembling, looked at Gu Yunjue, worried.
Mu Chen was never separated with Gu Yunjue, let alone in such weird situation. In their previous life, they had parted once and never met again. Because of this, Mu Chen unconsciously avoided separation from Gu Yunjue. Wherever Gu went, Mu followed and didn"t allow Gu Yunjue to walk out of his sight.
"Don"t be afraid," Gu Yunjue said softly to console Mu Chen, and wielded his sword to cut off the power separating them. Taking use of the break, the two held each other"s hands and got closer, while the two strings of powers rebounded. Gu Yunjue gnashed his teeth, and was about to take another move, while Mu Chen detected his intention and scolded after sensing that Gu Yunjue"s meridians already got hurt, "Stop it! Are you asking for death?"
"Master…" Gu Yunjue couldn"t finish his words as he continued to fight with the control and tried to wield his spirit power, which internally injured his body with blood oozing down his lip.
"Rebellious disciple!" scolded Mu Chen, as he felt Gu Yunjue"s fingers with his heart aching, "Stop using spirit power. Let go of me."
The force separating them was almighty, stronger than everything they knew. Fighting it any longer could end up injuring both of them. They had better wait to see what was going to happen.
When confronting with such an irresistible force, Mu Chen felt again the pain of powerlessness.
In his previous life, Mu Chen was as powerless as he was right now. No matter how hard Mu tried, never was he able to master his own destiny. Nor did he in this life. Such mighty power made Mu look like an ant, which could be terminated easily. Mu Chen"s eyes instantly turned red. To Mu Chen, failing to protect his most concerned person—his little disciple, was his real inner demon.
The only thing he cared, from last life to this, was Gu Yunjue.
Gu Yunjue was aware of Mu Chen"s mind. Thanks to their partner bond, they could hug each other"s divine soul. Gu kissed Mu Chen, solaced him and said, "Don"t be afraid, no matter where you go, I will find you."
Mu Chen"s anxiety was slightly eased, and his heart was not so desperate.
Gu Yunjue then felt for his fingertips and smiled, "Trust me."
As soon as the words fell, the force suddenly intensified and pulled Gu Yunjue away. Mu Chen widened his eyes and watched Gu disappear from his sight together with Gu"s soul. No trace of Gu"s existence could be perceived. The door gradually disappeared and eventually merged into the stone wall.
Mu Chen, terrified, touched the wall with his trembling fingertips, and couldn"t figure out what had happened, as if his heart beat slower. Since Mu Chen apprenticed Gu Yunjue as his disciple, they had never been apart, let alone under such a dangerous situation.
Before Mu Chen became panic, the power controlling him suddenly was reinforced, and Mu was thrown into a stone chamber; only by then did the force fade away.
Sitting on the ground, Mu Chen"s immediate reaction was to find Gu Yunjue"s location. However, Mu felt nothing, not even their bond.
Mu Chen tried again and again with every conceived method to sense Gu Yunjue"s location. But he couldn"t find anything. Nor did Mu find any way out.
For the moment, Mu Chen felt stabbed in the heart, empty and agonized, as if his flesh was cut away.
Mu Chen lost his disciple and this time he even didn"t know where to find Gu Yunjue.
Mu Chen wore a frosted face and every breath he took made him so painful.
"Icy water turns things into ice. It cannot be touched by anyone except the Descendant of Guard," Bai Xiaoyue read out the words inscribed on the wall. Then Bai said in surprise, "My Lord, we are at the bottom of the Spirit Lifeline!"
Bai Xiaoyue"s words reminded Mu Chen. He looked up towards Fire Bead, and saw a fist-size jade ball hovering in the air, from which chill could be felt.
The ball was surrounded by a layer of moisture, which formed into droplets and turned into Ice Soul Pearl once they fell.
A sapphire plate was placed under the ball, where an ice droplet from the ball was kept. It lay quietly in the plate like a pearl, waiting for someone to take it away. Or, someone knew that somebody would come to take the Ice Soul Pearl, and saved one in advance for him.
Mu Chen didn"t touch the pearl, but instead looked at the words in the wall, which posed formidable force and confused Mu. "Who is the Descendant of Guard? I am? What is the guard for? Descendant from whom?"
When Mu Chen thought about those questions, his attention suddenly was attracted by un.o.btrusive words inscribed in the table by the plate, which read, "Whether it is your responsibility or destiny, you shall know that weal comes with woe. As your mom and dad, we wish that you would be an ordinary person. We hope you find someone you love, and lead a simple life with your lover forever. My son, I wish you never return to the Mu family. You shall live out of your destiny, and live for yourself."
After reading the words, Mu Chen understood what the writer meant. He was astounded and froze there for a long time.