I lay covered in blood on a pile of rubble, struggling to stand and find immortal herbs to save myself.
Why am I here...?
Panicked, I remembered Master's palm strike at that moment.
It was just to make me admit my mistake.
To make me admit that I had pushed the new junior sister, causing her to be injured by the demonic energy of Chaos Cliff, her spirit root damaged.
I never did it, so of course, I wouldn't admit it. On the contrary, it was Bai Wanwan who wanted to push me down, but unexpectedly fell herself.
She tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice.
And so, when First Senior Brother, usually so steady, expressed his disappointment in me, Second Senior Brother, impulsive and hot-headed, cursed me for harming a fellow disciple.
Even Junior Brother, whom I had personally guided, called me vicious...
After Junior Sister Bai Wanwan woke up, she looked at me with a wronged expression and said she didn't blame me.
Master, with a calm face, dragged me to Chaos Cliff and used his spiritual pressure to force me to admit I had harmed Junior Sister. Otherwise, he would make me jump down Chaos Cliff.
First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, and Junior Brother — not one of them stopped him.
My expression remained unchanged. Why should I admit to something I didn't do?
I said, "If there's a next time, I will personally push her down."
Master angrily scolded me for being stubborn and unrepentant. He was so furious that he demanded to take my Heavenly Spirit Root to fill the void in Wanwan's spirit root.
When Bai Wanwan finally appeared, everyone fussed over her with concern, while scolding me for being vicious.
I smiled and said, "Yes, I pushed her."
But I only admit to what I've done.
If you all say I pushed her, then I'll push her for you to see!
Then I unleashed a full-powered palm strike directly at Bai Wanwan's face, intending to send her straight down Chaos Cliff.
The senior and junior brothers were all horrified and rushed forward to save Bai Wanwan. Fortunately, Master pulled her back in time.
Master, losing his composure from the pent-up pressure, impulsively struck me with a palm.
Only Master didn't realize, I didn't bother to dodge. My Golden Core was already shattered...
Under everyone's terrified gaze, I fell into Chaos Cliff.
Their expressions of regret felt so ironic to me.
As for me, did I regret it?
Of course not.
2
After I woke up, I held on with a tenacious breath, trying to find a chance to survive, but there was none...
Beneath Chaos Cliff, there was nothing.
I began to despair, until I saw a dark cave before me, surrounded by strange symbols.
I stumbled into the cave, hoping to find a glimmer of life, to see if there were any life-saving spirit herbs.
Until I saw a pair of glowing golden eyes in the darkness, I paused for a moment, but still bravely stepped forward.
It was a giant tiger, a white tiger with golden stripes, every strand of its fur as smooth as silk.
The enormous white tiger lay there like a small mountain, unmoving, gazing at me with a pair of cold, indifferent golden eyes.
My strength could no longer hold out. I collapsed to the ground before it, my eyes already starting to blur.
I thought to myself, it wouldn't be so bad to be eaten by this beautiful, fluffy big tiger.
I lay prostrate on the ground, breathing weakly, and clearly saw the white tiger's tail constantly swishing, mesmerized.
The fluffy white tail, with a shimmering golden tip, just looking at it, I knew it would be wonderful to touch.
I wonder if it's a spirit beast that has gained sentience...
White tigers are considered auspicious omens. Maybe it's very kind.
I took a breath and asked it, expectantly and weakly, "Can I pet your tail?"
My answer was an impatient flick of its tail.
Oh... it's not as kind as I thought.
I could only reach out to grab it myself, but it dodged to the other side. I stretched my hand to follow, and it dodged again.
"I'm about to die..." I said, feeling a little aggrieved, tears welling up as I looked at it, hoping to appeal to its sense of morality.
The white tiger's whiskers twitched slightly, and it let out an extremely cold snort, its eyes full of disdain for humanity.
But it seemed the white tiger didn't like seeing me cry; it looked a bit uncomfortable. After some thought, it simply turned around, slowly tucking its tail under its belly, pretending not to notice.
I thought I was about to die. If that's the case, I might as well forcefully hug this white tiger once; I wouldn't regret it even if I died.
Normally, I strictly restrained myself, spending every day only cultivating, appearing cold and aloof. But no one knew that I absolutely, utterly adored fluffy things...
I took a final breath and walked towards the white tiger, then with a sudden pounce, I landed directly on its white belly.
"Roar?!" The white tiger was startled, not even having time to react.
I immediately bounced up, reaching out to touch its leg next, and to feel the tail it had hidden away.
However, it seemed I made a slight mistake... I mistakenly touched the bell.
"How dare you!!" A deep voice, both furious and majestic, echoed through the mountain cave.
Unfortunately, I couldn't hear it. Losing a lot of blood caused me to fall unconscious, beginning to await death...
3
"It hurts so much..."
I groaned softly, my whole body dazed. It took a long time before I could open my eyes.
I looked at the gloomy mountain cave, feeling a bit bewildered.
"I actually didn't die?"
I found that the white tiger wasn't there; I didn't know where it had gone.
But where it had been lying before, the ground was covered with life-saving spirit fruits and spirit herbs...
Spirit medicines possess souls and are normally protected by guardian spirit beasts.
It turns out all these medicines were hiding under its rear, seeking protection...
I struggled to get over there and chose a hemostatic herb to treat my injuries.
Among the pile of spirit medicines in front of me, the hemostatic herb looked like a common weed, but it was enough to heal my injuries...
After all, these were its things. What if it had developed feelings for what it was protecting? The white tiger might just tear me to shreds.
Before, I hadn't found any life-saving medicine and thought I was certainly going to die, which was why I had been so rude to that white tiger, clearly not one to be trifled with.
Now that I had a chance to survive, I naturally wanted to carefully seize it.
The herb was dry and bitter. I gritted my teeth, chewed, and swallowed it, then struggled to sit upright and began to circulate my qi to heal my injuries. The golden core in my dantian was almost shattered, making it extremely difficult to gather qi.
That palm strike from Master had hit my right shoulder, breaking all the meridians on my right side. Every time I circulated qi, the spiritual energy felt like a twisted blade cutting through my body.
It hurt so much that I was drenched in sweat, but I didn't dare to stop. I wanted to live...
Just then, the white tiger returned, its entire body soaking wet. Perhaps it had just bathed...
It seemed my blood had dirtied its fur; it was a clean demon tiger.
The pain made my mind clearer than before, and I was a bit puzzled as to why this tiger hadn't eaten me.
The white tiger didn't even spare me a glance, treating me like an ant. It immediately went to another clear spot and started shaking off water, then slowly lay down, elegantly licking and grooming its fur.
I began to observe it... I didn't know why a spirit beast would appear under the Hundun Cliff.
"Had enough looking? Mortal cultivator." A deep, hoarse male voice rang out.
I was startled, my lips parted, and I frowned, looking at the white tiger with some uncertainty.
It can talk! It's not a spirit beast! He's a demon!
The Demon race is different from spirit beasts; their intelligence is no less than that of humans, and their innate talent is even higher. One could say the Demon race is the favored child of the Heavenly Dao.
I just... I just groped him...
My whole body stiffened, remembering how I had just offended him.
"I can take you out of the Chaos Cliff." The white tiger opened its eyes wide, its cold, clear golden eyes looking at me. "However... I need your blood."
I frowned, suddenly remembering something.
Rumor has it that the Chaos Cliff is permeated with demonic energy, only because a thousand years ago, the Immortal Sects joined forces to seal a Demon Emperor who had fallen to the demonic path...
So, he's *that* Demon Emperor?
If he were to be released, the world might...
But what does that have to do with me?
I raised my eyes to look at the white tiger and calmly asked him, "What do you want me to do?"
"You are a little different." His golden pupils narrowed. He had originally thought that someone with my appearance, a member of a righteous Immortal Sect, would rather die than surrender, and would never do anything to betray the Immortal Sect.
I possess the Heavenly Water Root, also known as the Nine Yin Immortal Physique.
My blood can be used as medicine to save people, and it can break formations and seals. When I was in the Azure Wind Sect, many fellow disciples often asked for my blood.
I had originally thought he might go too far and ask for my heart and such.
But I didn't expect him to say...
"Dual cultivate with me." The white tiger stood up, transforming into a tall, ethereal figure walking towards me. "I want your Primordial Yin."
What he wanted was Primordial Yin blood...
4
A young and handsome man stepped out, smirking and slightly raising his eyelids. His striking golden eyes coldly and indifferently glanced at me.
His platinum hair, soaked with water, dripped continuously, forming large droplets that rolled down his fair, muscular chest.
Gliding past the smooth skin of his abdomen and curving down to...
No matter how hard I tried to stay calm, I couldn't help but blush up to my neck, somewhat speechless. "Could you... put some pants on first...?"
*Cough cough!* The white tiger was covered in silver fur, so it turned out that even in human form, he was just as pale all over...
"My name is Bai Lin." The man paid no attention to my words, naturally approaching me and looking down as he asked, "I am willing to dual cultivate with you."
It would be too strange for me to meditate in this situation, so I struggled to stand up, looking straight into his eyes, trying my best not to look down.
"What do I gain?" I clutched my chest, where the unbearable pain was, and softly asked him.
Bai Lin slightly curled the corner of his mouth, as if in a mocking smile. He extended two bony fingers and lifted my powerless right hand.
"A sword cultivator's hand, crippled like this. Don't you want revenge?" Bai Lin casually pointed out my pain point.
I bit my lip and turned away, my expression cold, unwilling to draw attention to my still trembling right arm.
"Heal my hand, and help me form a Golden Core." I replied softly, naturally compromising.
"Of course, not just forming a Golden Core, forming a Nascent Soul is also possible," Bai Lin lowered his head, leaning close to my ear, and said in an icy tone, "However, if I find out you no longer possess your Primordial Yin, I will make you die a death ten thousand times more painful."
My face turned pale as I looked at his extremely cold face, saying nothing.
Instead, I used actions to prove it.
I stood on tiptoe, wrapped my arms around his neck, and gently gave him a kiss.
Bai Lin's golden pupils constricted, as if he hadn't expected me to kiss him.
I saw him narrow his eyes, seemingly enjoying it, so I closed my eyes, making the kiss even deeper...
Bai Lam’s slender, ice-cold fingers rubbed my smooth back. I shivered, unsure if it was from cold or fear.
……
I was afraid of pain, and also of discomfort… but thinking of my crippled right arm made me even more uncomfortable…
My sword was still at Qingfeng Sect. The Bamboo Chill Sword was waiting for me to retrieve it… to take it to a better sect.
I didn’t know if I missed my sword, or the hoard of spiritual medicines and treasures in my cave dwelling…
Anyway, my heart felt a bitter ache. I had taken such good care of my cave dwelling; the furnishings inside were numerous and warm, and I had spent a lot of effort maintaining them.
The discomfort was probably because I couldn’t return to that little home, after all, I had maintained it for so many years.
I bit my lip, trying to comfort myself, but in the end, I couldn’t hold back and burst into tears.
“It hurts…” I reached out and pushed Bai Lam, tears streaming down my face as I choked back sobs.
After seeing me cry, Bai Lam stiffened all over. His hoarse voice, unusually awkward and hesitant, said to me, “I am a white tiger, you already knew that.”
I sobbed even louder.
“I can be gentler,” Bai Lam mumbled in a low, hoarse voice.
5
It wasn’t until dawn that Bai Lam finally let go. He transformed into his true form and went to cultivate by the moon.
Exhausted, I curled up into a ball, feeling the strange demonic energy within my body.
The meridians Bai Lam had healed were almost completely restored.
I was too tired. I’d just cultivate tomorrow…
“Hey,” I said, looking at the white tiger beside me with an indifferent expression. “Get me some clothes, it’s too cold. I feel like I’m about to get a fever, or else, help me warm up.”
Bai Lam’s golden pupils narrowed vertically, shining with an unusual brilliance in the dim cave. He let out a low growl, as if displeased by my disrespect.
I was so uncomfortable that I wanted to ignore everything, and I didn’t care about his displeasure. I bit my lip, laboriously lifting my shaky legs, and kicked Bai Lam’s backside.
“How dare you! Don’t order me around!” Bai Lam indeed went furious, roaring in a cold voice.
As long as I felt uncomfortable, I would become very irritable. Seeing that Bai Lam had no intention of helping, my temper flared up.
Since we had already slept together, I didn’t seem to be that afraid of Bai Lam anymore. Seeing his warm, pure white fur, an idea sparked in my mind.
I bit my lip and propped myself up, walked straight towards Bai Lam, directly pounced onto his tiger body, and forcibly pulled his tail to use as a warm blanket.
Bai Lam’s fur immediately bristled, his pupils contracted. He directly threw me off his body, stood up, and roared at me.
Perhaps it was his first time seeing someone as fearless of death as I was. He was extremely angry.
But killing me after dual cultivation, Bai Lam felt a bit awkward. After roaring, he didn’t know what to say.
“Mortal cultivator, you probably don’t know who I am, yet you dare…” Bai Lam wanted to warn me in a cold voice, but my actions cut him off.
My expression was calm. I raised my hand and scratched his chin a little to appease him.
I had just discovered this during our dual cultivation: he liked people to scratch his chin… Every time his chin was stroked, he would slow down a bit… *Cough.*
If he liked it in human form, what about his true form?
The white tiger seemed to be glued in place, suddenly slowly circled me twice, then reluctantly lay down and embraced me, slightly raising his chin, wanting me to scratch it a little.
I also really liked his fur, especially in the darkness like now, where the golden stripes shimmered with faint light, and it felt wonderful to touch.
I stroked until I felt comfortable, and Bai Lin, being stroked, also felt comfortable, letting out soft, pleased purrs.
“Hey, why don’t you wash my clothes for me?” I said, stroking the cat, thinking of my clothes, covered in the blood I’d vomited earlier, which I didn’t want to wear again.
Bai Lin stopped purring. His massive tiger head turned, and he said, incredulously and angrily, “Mortal Cultivator! You clearly haven’t recognized your place.”
Sigh, he didn’t seem too willing at first glance.
I sighed and said, “Fine then. After all, it’s just a matter of convenience between us. I’m sure you won’t mind me not having any clothes to wear.”
Bai Lin stared at me coldly for a long time, then let out a cold snort, lay down, no longer looking at me, and grumbled, “You can figure it out yourself; I’d be quite pleased.”
After Bai Lin finished speaking, he fell silent for a moment, then shifted his massive beast body, wrapping me in his tiger form to warm me.
Bai Lin wagged his tail, seemingly very pleased with my tactful silence.
My expression unchanged, I stroked his white belly, feeling the comforting fluffiness spread to my fingertips.
Sure enough, if you make a request he doesn’t agree to, then make an even more outrageous one, the first request will be easily accepted.
I preferred being embraced by a giant white cat rather than a beautiful but dangerous man.
Bai Lin… wasn’t really that bad. But why was he sealed here?
Moreover, he also seemed very easy to coax…
While lost in thought, I drifted into a deep sleep.
I vaguely heard Bai Lin muttering something beside me.
“The human form is already unbearable… the true form still hasn’t…”