Chapter 27: Give Me a Kiss and I'll Tell You

“Brother Yun, are you alright?”
Azhi’s gaze swept back and forth over Yun Zhonghe, checking his wounds.
At this moment, Yun Zhonghe was wholly focused, channeling the Northern Sea Divine Art to absorb Yuzhenzi’s inner strength, unable to spare any attention elsewhere.
The palm strike Yuzhenzi had unleashed, infused with over a decade’s worth of cultivated power, would take considerable time to completely devour and convert into his own.
Unaware of this, Azhi assumed Yun Zhonghe was too gravely injured to even speak, her expression growing ever more anxious.
The more perilous the moment, the more one must not lose composure.
Azhi took a deep breath, suppressing her negative emotions.
She needed to ascertain the precise state of Yun Zhonghe’s internal injuries before attempting treatment.
She gathered her energy, slowly pressed her palm to Yun Zhonghe’s back.
Unexpectedly, the instant her hand touched his body, she was repelled by a powerful surge of energy, forced backward, pain flickering in her chest, her inner strength suppressed as if by an immense force.
Though Yun Zhonghe could not speak, his awareness of the outside remained. Seeing Azhi’s efforts, a warmth flowed through his heart.
It was not in vain that he had risked so much to rescue her from Ding Chunqiu.
Azhi, struck by Yun Zhonghe’s internal force, felt a wave of agony spread within her.
What should she do?
Her own strength was too weak; she could not penetrate Yun Zhonghe’s body.
“Ha ha ha, little beauty, save your effort. Yun Zhonghe’s organs have all been shattered by me—no immortal could save him now.”
Just as Azhi was pondering any other way to help Yun Zhonghe, Yuzhenzi suddenly burst into wild laughter, declaring this.
Azhi’s face changed drastically at his words; she looked at Yun Zhonghe, disbelief filling her eyes.
She could scarcely accept that Yun Zhonghe’s injuries were so severe.
“You’re lying!” Azhi shouted fiercely, rushing forward and striking Yuzhenzi’s head with all her strength.
Bang!
Yuzhenzi’s body fell backward, his sword slowly sliding out of him.
The last traces of life in his eyes vanished completely under Azhi’s blow.
All his vitality had been destroyed by Yun Zhonghe’s sword earlier; he had no hope of survival. Had he not wished to witness Yun Zhonghe’s death, he would have closed his eyes long before.
His only regret was not seeing Yun Zhonghe die before him.
So be it!

I’ll wait below for you!
With that, he slowly closed his eyes.
Having killed Yuzhenzi, Azhi felt some of her pent-up emotions release. She turned to Yun Zhonghe, tears falling like broken pearls, and threw herself into his arms. Their bodies pressed tightly together.
“Brother Yun, you’ll be fine, you’ll definitely be fine,” Azhi murmured over and over.
Watching Azhi cry so sorrowfully, Yun Zhonghe felt pity rise in his heart. He coughed lightly: “I survived Yuzhenzi, but now you’re suffocating me.”
Azhi was stunned, then realized what he meant, her face lighting up with joy as she looked at him: “You’re alive! That’s wonderful!”
She hugged him tightly again.
“Miss, let go! Or you really will suffocate me,” Yun Zhonghe protested, feeling the pressure from her embrace.
Prompted by his words, Azhi calmed herself, realizing how intimate their current posture was.
“You really never change, even now you’re trying to take advantage of me.”
Yun Zhonghe chuckled, his gaze lingering on Azhi: “Blame your alluring figure, then.”
“Hateful!” Azhi pouted bashfully.
Her charming expression made Yun Zhonghe’s heart race; his eyes gleamed like a wolf, ready to howl at the moon.
He stared at Azhi’s tender lips, moving his head closer.
Just as he was about to succeed, Azhi tilted her head back, halting him.
“What exactly is going on?”
Azhi finally voiced her doubt.
Ding Chunqiu, hearing this, pricked up his ears; Yuzhenzi hadn’t lied, that palm contained over a decade of accumulated power.
Yet Yun Zhonghe was still alive—there must be a reason.
Yun Zhonghe, disappointed at missing his chance, saw Azhi’s inquisitive gaze and leaned in again: “Kiss me, and I’ll tell you.”
Azhi blushed instantly at his unreasonable demand: “If you won’t say, then forget it.”
Yun Zhonghe suddenly asked, “What did I just say?”
“Kiss me, and I’ll tell you.”
“Alright!” Yun Zhonghe excitedly pecked Azhi’s cheek.
Azhi realized too late what had happened.
But, having been kissed, she could only glare at Yun Zhonghe: “Now you must tell me what’s really going on!”

Yun Zhonghe licked his lips, savoring the moment: “It’s simple—I turned Yuzhenzi’s energy into my own.”
The phrase “turned into my own” made Ding Chunqiu’s eyes widen.
There was only one martial art in the world capable of converting another’s energy:
Northern Sea Divine Art!
But that was the secret skill of the Carefree Sect, and Yun Zhonghe was an outsider. Where had he learned it?
Azhi still didn’t fully understand; it sounded somewhat like Elder Ding’s Energy Dissolving Technique.
But seeing Yun Zhonghe unwilling to elaborate, Azhi wisely refrained from further questions.
As long as Yun Zhonghe was unharmed, that was enough.
She nodded, not pressing the matter.
This left Yun Zhonghe at a loss; he had prepared a series of explanations, but seeing Azhi’s attitude, he found them unnecessary.
“Azhi, guard me. I need to meditate and regulate my breath.”
Yun Zhonghe spoke, then sat down before Ding Chunqiu.
Azhi didn’t think much of it, nodding in agreement.
Yun Zhonghe fixed his gaze on Ding Chunqiu, leaned close to whisper in his ear: “You’re dying anyway, your strength is useless—why not give it all to me?”
As his words fell, Ding Chunqiu stared in shock. His energy began flowing uncontrollably out of his body, into Yun Zhonghe.
In a short time, Ding Chunqiu’s energy was completely absorbed by Yun Zhonghe.
Feeling the surge of power within him, Yun Zhonghe’s face showed satisfaction.
But as he reveled in the sensation of his increased strength, the energy within him, once docile as lambs, suddenly turned wild.
Yun Zhonghe’s face twisted with pain, an indescribable agony sweeping through his entire body.
What was happening?
“Ah!”
All his questions dissolved into a single, anguished cry.