Still half-elevated from the cold, purple-fog-shrouded ground by Zhu Yan's invisible body, Yichen felt the great demon tighten his grip on him. As if trying to strengthen Yichen, after being trapped in yet another illusion, and mercilessly experiencing how unprepared they were to face the demon world and survive. Yes, they managed to break free from the illusion, thanks to his brother's golden aura, and both Yixuan and he, managed to free the others before the illusion shattered. However, they had to fight very hard to survive the illusory pollen of a few flowers, with no high-level demons in sight. Thus, if mere flowers could deceive them so easily, breaking free from an illusion didn't feel like a victory, but a failure. One they had to face and overcome if they wanted to survive in the true demon world.
"Baobei... don't be discouraged, you can do this. You just need to better understand everything around you, including the members of your unit. You need to understand the true meaning of the bond, not just because of a spell, but also because of the blood you all carry from the gods." Zhu Yan's voice was calm and encouraging behind him, and although Yichen couldn't see him, since both great demons remained invisible to him, he felt his energy envelop him, as if trying to heal him, even though they hadn't suffered any real harm.
Everything they experience before was not real at all. Not the burning sensation, the fatigue, the numerous bruises he felt tearing across his skin, as he was dragged across the ground with lethal force, the loss of energy, the struggle against nature. None of that happen in reality, but in their minds. There was nothing to heal, but Yichen was glad to feel his familiar, soothing energy, for it had been his faithful companion, ever since he shared his bed with Zhu Yan.
"If you want the training to end, I..."
"Don't end it. If we want to prevent those demons from crossing into our world and avoid our destruction, we need this training. However difficult it may be, no matter how many times we stumble or fall, we must find a way to overcome this obstacle. I won't give up..." Yichen's words were meant to be heard only by Zhu Yan, but both Ying Lei and Bai Jiu were close enough to hear them, as Bai Jiu was nestled in Ying Lei's arm.
"He is right, Zhu Yan. We can't give up just because things didn't go our way. I know we can do better. I won't accept that all I'm capable of in the demon world, is falling into a trap and endangering others while rescuing me. I may be young, but I'm definitely better than what I was reduced to, in this illusion, so we must keep going. I need to become stronger..." Bai Jiu's words conveyed wounded pride, pain and confidence, but his determination to do much better next time was clear, and Yichen understood that perfectly.
"I agree. This isn't what we're truly capable of as a unit. We did much better training with Li Lun, so I won't accept that we can't fight the demon world either. We were chosen by destiny to carry the blood of the gods. Sealed or not, we are here to do greater things, for our world and perhaps for theirs as well. We can't give up. We aren't destined to fail in this quest." Ying Lei added as he looked not at Yichen, but at the invisible force that held him, Zhu Yan.
"There you have it, from someone other than me. We humans don't give up so easily. So don't you dare try to drag us out yet. We have very little time to do this right, before the demons get too close to the gate and make this mission even riskier." Yichen felt Zhu Yan kiss his forehead, so he closed his eyes and smiled.
"I'm so proud of you, Baobei. When this is over, I promise I'll devote myself to you and have you in bed with me for days..." Zhu Yan teased him, which made Yichen blush hotter, and he sat up so quickly, away from Zhu Yan, that both Ying Lei and Bai Jiu burst out laughing, making him blush even more.
"You perverted monkey! Get lost!" He shouted, attracting the attention of the others, who looked at him, amused.
Li Lun smiled mockingly, as he steadied Yixuan, who sat directly in front of him, with a hand on his back, transferring some of his energy, because Yixuan had used a lot of it to break Zhu Yan's illusion.
"I'm starting to feel sorry for my brother..." Yixuan whispered, amused.
"He's a lovesick monkey, don't pay him any mind. Be careful next time, Yixuan. Although this training doesn't mean any harm, the energy you expend is real, so don't overdo it."
"How could I not? If we treat this like mere training, we won't learn anything and will progress even less. Let us exhaust ourselves, as we would if this were real. You can always transfer some emergency energy through the bond if we go too far, or pull us out, if we endanger our lives through sheer stubbornness."
"I can definitely see something like that coming..." Li Lun sighed, watching the others mocking the hot headed Zhuo Yixuan.
"Don't worry, we may seem fragile, but we're very resilient."
"I never said I was worried."
"There's no need to, I hear it as clearly as water flowing in a river in your voice. Li Lun, I think we're close enough now for me to know how you truly feel. You may be acting tough, but I know that's not the case... I see your true self beneath that protective layer." Yixuan's words startled Li Lun, who looked at Yixuan's wide back, feeling exposed in a moment of genuine panic.
However, Yixuan turned around, sensing the shift in energy, and although he couldn't see him, he smiled at him gently and calmly, as always. Then he took his hand.
"Li Lun... you can't expect less from someone you choose to be with." Yixuan murmured, and soon he heard him sigh and gently squeeze his hand in return.
"Of course... I chose you, just as you chose me." Li Lun's body heat drew closer, and Yixuan felt his soft lips brush against his, making him smile.
"You're learning too much from Zhu Yan..." Yixuan teased and Li Lun chuckled.
"No one can see me, so it's fine. No harm done."
"It wouldn't have caused any harm, even if you were visible. I have no problem with an open relationship... nor does the rest of this unit. My brother's relationship with Zhu Yan already proves that."
"True, but I'm not Zhu Yan..."
"You are Li Lun, the great demon who fought Zhu Yan every few centuries for this world, the great demon who hated humans for thousands of years, and yet, you left all that behind not only for the sake of your own world, but also for ours. You are one of us, Li Lun, bind with us, not only by duty, but by choice, and you are as cherished as Zhu Yan. That was proven at the Citadel when we went together, so yes, you are not Zhu Yan, but you are still one of us..." Yixuan couldn't finish his sentence, as a cloud of blue smoke suddenly enveloped him, and he felt Li Lun's lips on his again, but this time with hunger and urgency, and he pulled him into his arms to deepen the kiss.
Outside the blue smoke bubble, Yichen blushed. Zhu Yan had used a similar one on him, so he knew exactly what was going on between his dear brother and Li Lun. Fearing that Zhu Yan would follow suit—he had already suggested they stay in bed for days—Yichen stood up and sat closer to Wen Xiao, Pei Sijing, and Siheng.
"Are you trying to escape your handsome monkey, Xiao Zhuo?" Wen Xiao teased him cheerfully.
"Not you too, Wen Xiao. Please have some mercy on me. I worked hard inside the illusion. And Zhu Yan is much worse than Li Lun when he shows..." He blushed. "...affection for me." Yichen pleaded shyly, and Wen Xiao smiled at him.
"Yes, we know..." Sijing said.
"Oh, please... I can keep it private too. Baobei, what do you say? Want to give it a try?" Zhu Yan's voice hung in the air, teasing.
"Shut up!"
"But Baobei..."
"I told you to shut up, or I swear I won't let you back into my bed ever again..." Oops, that didn't help at all! Why the hell did he said that! Was he losing his mind already? Yichen's face burned as the others laughed with his extreme embarrassment.
Feeling she should help the burning youth, Pei Sijing patted Yichen on the back in sympathy.
"You were very brave earlier, Xiao Zhuo, and so were Ying Lei and your... busy brother..." She glanced at the blue bubble, and Yichen blushed even more as Zhu Yan sat down near him again, placing a soft hand on his knee—not jokingly this time, but supportively.
"But we have to be better. Much better, if we want to survive this. We've been trained as demon hunters for years, so we can't even fathom the idea of us being hunted instead." Wen Xiao's eyes widened, as if she hadn't thought about it before, and she realized he was absolutely right.
"We definitely need a new approach. Perhaps if we take in this whole place and sense its vitality, we'll be better prepared to face it," Pei Sijing suggested, and Ying Lei and Bai Jiu also moved closer.
"I agree. We treat this world as if it were ours, when in reality there are differences not only in appearance, but also in how things work. Even flowers that haven't cultivated for long enough to change forms, can be a problem. So we can't just focus on sensing high-level demons. We already had make that mistake." Ying Lei was right, of course.
"What if we cultivate right here? Let our minds feel the energy, even if it's tainted, because that will help us understand it better. We also have the blood of the gods, already protected by seals; this energy won't harm us. Ying Lei can create a barrier, and we can wander as we delve deeper into the bond and the mind, assimilating everything and learning to identify not only the nine demons, but everything that already possesses some cultivation, small or large. Although our eyes can deceive our perception, our own cultivation can pierce through it," Bai Jiu suggested, still somewhat resentful of how useless he had been back then.
"Let's do it. I can also try sharing my golden eyes with you. I may not see through Zhu Yan's divine power of creation, but it will help you identify cultivated plants or trees. Insects and animals too." Yixuan, now out of his cozy cocoon, sat down next to Pei Siheng, the last free space in the circle they had unconsciously created.
"Ge..." Yichen looked at him, a little nervous.
"This is the right approach, Didi. Don't let Zhu Yan or I distract you. I think we can try a group cultivation. Since we're all bonded, why not cultivate together too? What do you think?" Yixuan looked around as everyone accented to his idea.
"How do we do that?" Pei Siheng asked curiously, having lost quite a lot of his cultivating, as a soul trapped inside a puppet.
"Holding hands?" Ying Lei suggested, earning a playful slap on the arm from Bai Jiu, who was standing next to him.
"Idiot, this isn't some shady spiritualism session to connect with ghosts. We're dealing with demons." Bai Jiu teased his lover, who rubbed his arm with an endearing pout.
"Xiao Jiu, don't be mean to your sweetheart... I think he's right." Wen Xiao saw the potential instantly.
"Really? How will holding hands help us?" asked Pei Siheng, who wasn't as convinced as she was.
"Physical contact has always been a way to transfer energy, right? Why not use it to share? We have nothing to lose by trying, but if it works, we're on the right track to conquer this strange world."She explained, and Bai Jiu immediately took Yichen's cold hand and Ying Lei's warm one with delight.
"Let's give it a try, Xiao Zhuo Ge." Bai Jiu smiled at him first, and when Ying Lei pouted again, he kissed his hand to reassure him, which pleased Ying Lei, whose face lit up with happiness. Wen Xiao laughed at their overload cuteness and then took Pei Siheng's hand between her own and Yichen's other empty hand.
"Wen Xiao, don't get too carried away. He's mine..." Zhu Yan's voice was audible again.
"Stupid monkey, don't talk nonsense now, please ignore him, Wen Xiao." Yichen tried to apologize for Zhu Yan's rudeness, but she knew that great demon wasn't serious, and Li Lun struck back at Zhu Yan for his brother-in-law sake.
"Relax, no one will steal him from you," Li Lun told him, and Zhu Yan hunched over as he looked at Yichen's clasped hands with others. Li Lun, standing behind him, sighed once more. And he was suppose to be the strongest great demon? He looked more like a grown kid, infatuated with his first crush than anything else.
"Well, now that we're holding hands, let's see if this works. If not, we can always try something different. Perhaps the great demons will give us some clues instead of remaining invisible." Wen Xiao complained, and Li Lun rolled his eyes.
"This is for your own good. You can't always rely on us; we'll have our work cut out for us too." Li Lun countered, and Yixuan smiled. Those two were always at odds, but not in a bad way.
"Yes, yes... now let's begin. Ying Lei, please use a barrier on us, just in case." Wen Xiao's plea was quickly answered. The young man did as he was told, cast a spell, and sealed it with four powerful talismans for extra protection. Then, they all closed their eyes in concentration, leaving their failure behind to start anew.
At first, they could only sense the energy they gathered from the forest, stored in their cores as they cultivated it. It was astonishing that, even though the entire dimension was fake, the energy flowing within, was one hundred percent real. Yichen smiled fondly as he absorbed the energy Zhu Yan offer them. It was indeed tainted, but not to the extreme, as that of the demon world. It was obvious that both energies stemmed from the same power, though the tainted one originated from somewhere else, other than the human realm.
Perhaps it was Cheng Huang's doing? There was also a hint of Bing Yi, as he was directly connected to him by more than just blood. He had also been possessed by him in the past, not to mention shown the path to his current seal. Perhaps his energy came from the Crystal Valley? Yichen couldn't be sure, since this was Zhu Yan's dimension, not the demon world, but at the same time, he felt a connection, somehow.
So Yichen concentrated even harder, letting the energy flow and expand into the bond and beyond. There, in the profound emptiness of colored threads, he could feel his whole unit intertwining into one. The Nine Stars formation protected them, as if Ying Long's hand were covering them from the other side. It was warm and very much like Zhu Yan's. His father, his world, his legacy, and Bing Yi had tried to protect it with his own life. Two fathers, and a son sacrificed themselves for two worlds. It was heartbreaking.
A tear rolled down Yichen's cheek, though his eyes were still closed, and he felt Zhu Yan's hand gently brush against his back, not to interrupt him, but to anchor him. Thus, he concentrated more intently, his energy flowing into the bond, sensing the others drawing closer as well. Although they all had the blood of gods, their energy projected different colors in their auras.
Ying Lei was brownish, like mountains; Bai Jiu, green, a healing energy. Wen Xiao, purple, enveloped in something he could only describe as a covering by a mantle of the long gone goddess Baize. Pei Sijing, orange; her brother's weaker aura, darker, like the wood in where his soul resided. Then there was his brother, blindingly golden and his own sky blue. There were three more, Zhu Yan's deep crimson and Li Lun's dark blue; but what bound them all together was Yun Guang's silver thread, for he was a sword with a soul, the core connecting them to the Nine Stars constellation and Bing Yi.
Yichen smiled, feeling the pulse of his sword at his side. It was silent most of the time, but always reliable, and even when they were trapped in the illusion, he responded to him like a safe line. If his sword hadn't possessed a spirit, he wouldn't have been able to break free from those draining vines. He was grateful to have been chosen to carry such a legendary legacy.
"Bing Yi..." The name escaped Yichen's lips like a blessing, and something stirred within him.
From outside the circle the humans had created, Zhu Yan watched as their energies intertwined and Yichen's surged considerably. He was in deep meditation, almost on the verge of shedding another layer of his sealed core, which worried Zhu Yan, but since he didn't seem to be in pain or discomfort, he let it be and continued watching. His beloved glowed, his body temperature fluctuating between warm and cool, but what struck him most was not that his lover was so deeply immersed in their connection and his own core, but that the pendant around his neck, the dimensional oval that carried a fraction of his father's soul, was also reacting to him.
"Is he really connecting with both worlds?" Li Lun asked incredulously, also sensing that Zhu Yan's dimensional energy was beginning to shift.
"This isn't the demon world. He's calling out to my father and Bing Yi, and they're resonating with his will."
"Is that even possible? Ying Long is dead, and Bing Yi is still sealed in the Crystal Valley."
"He's a descendant of Bing Yi, and if he could be possessed by him while sealed, Yichen could also reach Bing Yi in return."
"Then what are you waiting for? Stop him! We can't allow him to disturb Bing Yi when he's barely maintaining the seal trapping Cheng Huang."
"He's not disturbing Bing Yi. He's... he's using the power of the Nine Stars constellation to awaken his own core."
"That idiot! Did he want to die? He still can't undo the remaining layers! They're not ready for that yet." Li Lun was about to touch Yichen, but Zhu Yan grabbed his hand and pulled it away.
"It's not just him, look around, Yixuan too... and Ying Lei, Bai Jiu... they're all starting to resonate with their cores." Zhu Yan pointed out, and Li Lun watched the humans light up with cultivation auras like festival lanterns in a deep night, one by one.
"What in hell is that? How can their cores resonate so deeply?"
"They're taking this seriously... and since they're trying this hard, let's put them to the test."
"This is getting dangerous. They could suffer serious damage connecting at this level. Are you crazy?" Li Lun grabbed Zhu Yan by the collar, fearing Yixuan might have a devastating backlash.
"Ah, you grumpy tree-head... Would I dare harm my soulmate? I will only test them, not attack them mercilessly. They want to transcend their own humanity so they can fight with us on equal terms in the demon world. The only way I can honor their determination is to ensure it happens, prepare them, and give them the strength they need."
"So what then? Will you pop-up Gu Yue, the Lady in White?" Li Lun asked, but Zhu Yan just chuckled as he pulled away from Li Lun's hold.
"Not her..."
"Then who?"
"Ye Fengbao, the Black Calamity." And when the name struck Li Lun like a buckle of ice water, he turned to see the area begin to be enveloped in a thick layer of black smoke with flashes of golden lightning. A terror that was not only deadly, but a force of nature itself. Li Lun paled as he felt the terrifying energy of one of their most lethal enemies. One of the three most powerful demons approaching the gate.
"Oh hell..." And for the first time in ages, he force himself to remain still, when in reality he wanted to protect all of them.
AN: Ah, Li Lun is finally coming around, good for him. Thanks for reading and until next time, take care. Also Happy Thanksgiving for those who celebrate it this coming Thursday.