IS Chapter 55

The incense in the burner had burned out.

The faith fragrance was also gradually dissipating.

So-called gods and Buddhas, perhaps he once revered them, but from now on, he probably wouldn’t be able to anymore.

Ye Zhuo’s fingers rested on Li Yuan’s shoulder, originally intending to push him away, but considering that even if he did, the dragon wouldn’t budge and would instead attract unwanted attention, he simply didn’t bother exerting that much strength.

So, his fingertips lightly slid down along the lines of Li Yuan’s arm, stopping casually in the crook of his elbow.

There was nothing he wanted to see in his field of vision, only a feeling of utter disarray.

At this moment, his back was leaning against the pile of books between the northwest walls of the library, not yet carefully sorted, mostly Buddhist scriptures.

On top of them was a copy of a scripture he had transcribed himself, placed casually and not yet bound. Just now, someone had scattered it, and the pages were scattered all over the floor.

In his peripheral vision, light and shadow were scattered throughout the room. After the candles had burned out, Li Yuan had placed a box of pearls on the table to illuminate the room, which he had overturned when he became impatient.

In the shimmering light, Ye Zhuo looked at the nearest page of the scripture.

Li Yuan followed his gaze and saw at first glance words like “all dharmas are empty” and “no birth, no death.”

“What is this?”

Ye Zhuo: “…You need it.”

“I don’t want it,” Li Yuan said with a light laugh.

“Unteachable.”

Li Yuan pretended not to hear anything, only looking at the person in his eyes.

Behind this person was a sea of books like a Buddhist scripture library.

Scattered like snowflakes around him were the supreme secrets of the Sumeru Buddha Realm.

Spilled on the ground were rare and shining pearls.

–What a pity.

It was a pity that the eyes were on Ye Zhuo himself, preventing this person from seeing his current appearance.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t think that a mere page of Buddhist scripture could satisfy him.

So, Li Yuan lowered his head, his fingers delicately tracing his misty eyebrows and eyes.

His breath was still uneven, his skin warm and radiant, and his red robes had long since fallen to the side. Now, draped over this person was his own ink-colored outer robe.

Especially amidst the chaotic frenzy, what was disturbed were the scriptures that this person had personally transcribed.

–This person wouldn’t know that the purer the Buddhist principles here, the more solemn the Buddhist nature, the more profound and unassailable the lotus demon’s cultivation would appear.

If he were released, he would wreak havoc on the world.

He couldn’t help but lean down and grasp the wrist of his hand wearing prayer beads, kissing his long hair.

The Buddhist scriptures said that physical bodies are all illusions, and everything is emptiness.

But as he felt the warm and beautiful body of the person in his arms, he felt that the Taoist and Buddhist teachings that taught people to understand clarity and nothingness were merely distant dreams on the other shore.

He had tasted it, so he naturally knew what was real.

–Suddenly, he heard a light, laughing-like sound very close to him.

“What are you laughing at?”

“Someone saw the illusion of the physical body and forgot the great path of immortality. Don’t you think it’s worth a laugh?”

“So what?” Li Yuan said, “In my dragon clan’s cultivation, I’ve never heard of any method that requires cutting off worldly desires to succeed.”

Having said that, he scooped this person up, wanting him to sit astride him face to face.

One hand supported his waist. This person had been tossed about, and without support, he probably couldn’t hold on.

Ye Zhuo was also too lazy to exert any strength, so he simply put all his weight on this dragon.

He thought for a moment: “In the human world, there are many such methods. And some people have actually succeeded.”

“You have to do that to seek enlightenment. So your human race is truly impure in the six senses,” Li Yuan replied.

Ye Zhuo seemed to smile at that.

Seeing this smile, Li Yuan suddenly remembered something.

–So, he carefully examined Ye Zhuo from head to toe, quite surprised.

“Second Palace Master Ye, you’ve improved,” he said.

In the past, at this time, he would have been at his mercy, but now he could actually remain conscious until the end of a complete dual cultivation session, and even have the strength to mock him here. After the improvement, he really had become promising. No wonder he had become a bit more arrogant.

Ye Zhuo knew that nothing good would come out of this dragon’s mouth.

“Brother Li Yuan,” he looked at Li Yuan and said casually, “In the future, when you take a fancy to someone, check their cultivation level before releasing the faith fragrance.”

His voice was slightly teasing: “Otherwise, if they die, wouldn’t it be detrimental to your merit?”

Li Yuan had been looking at him with a smile, but upon hearing this, the smile gradually faded, and he stared blankly into the other man’s eyes.

He felt that these words were prickear.

He also felt that Ye Zhuo shouldn’t say such things.

But he couldn’t say why.

He just subconsciously wanted to refute, but looking at the other man’s eyes, which remained still and bright after the dissipating mist, he turned into a long silence.

And then faded away.

Finally, he shifted his gaze to the spilled pearls scattered on the ground.

Completely, Ye Zhuo saw the expression on his face that should have said harsh words, but in the end, did not.

A gentleman hides his talent within himself and does not speak of it. In fact, Dragon Li Yuan had always been a person who did not show his emotions easily.

An unusual silence was maintained between the two for a long time.

Until Ye Zhuo slightly lowered his eyelashes, all the brilliance in the room seemed to be contained in his eyes, and he could no longer see.

Li Yuan: “Tired?”

Ye Zhuo shook his head slightly.

“The Ghost Realm,” he said, “are you going?”

What a strange thing.

When discussing it with Wei Sheng Xian, no one had asked for his opinion, but now he was being asked.

“Brother Wei Sheng is concerned about the common people, so he’s going to venture into the Ghost Realm,” Li Yuan said. “I’m naturally willing to accompany a gentleman to the end, seeing Buddha all the way to the West.”

“Oh?” Ye Zhuo said, “Then you really have a relationship.”

Li Yuan played with his scattered long hair, his tone light and casual: “A gentleman’s friendship, you wouldn’t understand.”

“Gentlemen also need to restrain themselves and observe propriety. What do you think? Have you practiced it at all?” As Ye Zhuo spoke, he wanted to pull his hair out of Li Yuan’s hand, but this dragon took an inch and wanted a mile, grabbing his hand as well.

“With you, it’s not a gentleman’s friendship.” Staring straight at him, Li Yuan said.

The morning light gradually appeared outside the window, reflecting Ye Zhuo’s profile along with the light of the pearls.

In the lingering fragrance, this person’s face was still as dazzling as jade and rouge.

Moreover, his long hair was falling down, his clothes were disheveled, and the exposed skin was still flushed.

Such a person was within reach, and their breathing and heartbeat could be heard faintly. Even his rejections were just light movements, without strength, and just now he had jokingly asked him why he didn’t act like a gentleman.

So vivid and fragrant, even a saint here would be moved inwardly and outwardly.

But Li Yuan suddenly didn’t want to release the faith fragrance at this moment.

He didn’t want to do anything else either.

He was just feeling a sense of loss in his heart, and slowly pulled that person into his arms, just quietly holding him like this.

Ye Zhuo also didn’t speak, quietly resting on Li Yuan’s shoulder, letting him hold him.

It felt like a long time had passed.

But looking at the morning light outside the window, time was only flowing slowly, not much had passed.

When the sky was bright, Wei Sheng Xian’s divine sense transmission arrived.

–The barrier of Misty Green Peak had been modified again. Now, outsiders still couldn’t enter, but in case of an emergency, divine sense messages could be sent in.

Ye Zhuo got up and opened the flowing light transmission.

The transmission said that since this trip to the Ghost Realm was a certainty, Wei Sheng Xian would spend the next few days setting up a large array around Green Mountain.

If the array was completed, it could protect the safety of Micro-Snow Palace and ensure that the townspeople at the foot of the mountain would not be affected by the affairs of the Ghost Realm during their absence. In short, the array was complex and its effects were mysterious, especially since it was located between two realms, so it would take some thought.

Therefore, during this period, Wei Sheng Xian asked them to pay more attention to the affairs at the foot of the mountain. If there were any more ghost matters, they would also have to take action to resolve them, which could be regarded as protecting the Dharma for his array.

There was nothing to say.

Li Yuan: “Go to the foot of the mountain?”

Ye Zhuo: “Yes.”

“Then rest for a while,” Li Yuan said. “I’ll take you there.”