Having poured his tumultuous thoughts and earth-shattering revelations into the silent, receptive pages of his mental diary, Su Chan felt a profound wave of exhaustion, both physical and mental, wash over him. The day – or was it already the next? – had been an unprecedented rollercoaster: the Chaos Divine Body's glorious awakening, the terrifying plunge into the curse's agonizing abyss, the miraculous, sacrificial salvation at his master's hand, and the subsequent, life-altering shift in their relationship.
His cultivation, though stabilized at Foundation Building Fifth Realm, was still a far cry from its brief, exhilarating peak. His body ached with a deep, residual weariness from the curse's ravages and the infusion of Bai Lianxin's potent Saint Yuan Yin. Yet, amidst the fatigue, a new, fierce determination burned brightly within him, fueled by responsibility, by gratitude, and by a burgeoning, protective affection.
My master… Bai Lianxin… is now my woman, he thought, a slow, warm, incredibly tender smile spreading across his handsome face. The sheer audacity of it, the profound intimacy of their new bond, still sent shivers of disbelief and a possessive thrill through him. His gaze softened as he replayed her flustered retreat, her breathtaking blush. She is too magnificent, too pure, to ever fall into the clutches of a scumbag like Ye Fan.
Then, a mischievous, almost roguish glint, entirely out of character for the Su Chan of old but perhaps not for this new, twice-lived soul, flickered in his eyes. And my dear martial sisters… Fang Xin, so coolly elegant yet fiercely protective; Ning Youxi, so ethereally beautiful and endearingly shy; Lin Ruo'er, so bright and adorably playful… They too are treasures. Perhaps… perhaps it would be better if I ensured their happiness and safety by also making them my women, before any other opportunistic wolves come sniffing around. Yes, a proactive approach to protecting my precious Fairy Peak family seems… prudent. A devilish, slightly wicked grin touched his lips, quickly suppressed, though the thought lingered with a surprising, pleasant warmth. One step at a time, Su Chan. First, recover. Then, deal with Ye Fan. Then… we can explore other… protective measures.
With that final, rather audacious thought, and the comforting image of Bai Lianxin's blush firmly in his mind, Su Chan finally succumbed to the overwhelming need for rest, drifting into a deep, much-needed sleep upon the silken mat his master had provided.
Fairy Peak – Bai Lianxin's Boudoir
Bai Lianxin, having almost fled from the main hall, returned to the secluded tranquility of her personal boudoir, a place of refined elegance and profound, icy stillness. Her heart, however, was anything but still. It hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird, her usually flawless composure utterly shattered.
She recalled Su Chan's words, his solemn, unwavering vow: "From this moment onward… you are my woman… I will protect you, I will cherish you…"
A fiery blush, so intense it felt like her very skin was burning, once again suffused her exquisitely beautiful face, painting her usually pale, jade-like complexion with the vibrant hues of a dawn rose. Her luminous eyes, usually as calm and deep as glacial pools, were wide and filled with a tumultuous storm of conflicting emotions – disbelief, a strange, fluttering panic, an undeniable, melting tenderness, and a profound, almost terrifying shyness she hadn't experienced since she was a young, innocent maiden, centuries ago, before she had even stepped onto the true path of cultivation.
How could she face him now? Her disciple… who now saw her as… his woman? The very thought sent shivers down her spine, a mixture of maidenly trepidation and an unfamiliar, almost forbidden thrill. She sank onto her silken meditation cushion, her knees feeling strangely weak.
Just as she was attempting to regain some semblance of her usual icy calm, the familiar, ethereal glow of Su Chan's diary materialized in her mind, a new entry available. With a trembling hand, she mentally opened it.
As she read his account of the curse, his fear, his despair, her heart ached with a renewed wave of protective sympathy. But then, she reached the part where he described her sacrifice, his dawning understanding, and his subsequent, audacious declaration.
"My heart, my soul, my protection, all of it is hers. She didn't refute it. She blushed… and then she fled. It seems my devastatingly beautiful, eternally cold master has a surprisingly shy, exquisitely vulnerable side…"
Bai Lianxin gasped, her blush deepening to an almost impossible shade of crimson. He had noticed! He had seen her flustered retreat, her maidenly panic! And he had… documented it! For all the other diary holders to see!
"This… this traitorous disciple!" she thought, a mixture of acute embarrassment and a strange, almost helpless fondness warring within her. "He even writes about me becoming his woman in this… this public diary! Oh, by the Heavens! What will Holy Lord Lan Xianyi think? What about Shen Qingyu, Yu Xinyue, Hua Yueli? They will all know! They will all see me… see my reaction… see his claim!"
The thought of facing her fellow Peak Masters, especially the other women among them, now filled her with a mortification so profound she wished the icy depths of her cultivation grotto would swallow her whole. Her reputation as the Frost Moon Fairy, the aloof, untouchable Saint King of Fairy Peak… it felt like it was melting away like spring snow under Su Chan's surprisingly bold, possessive pen. Yet, beneath the overwhelming embarrassment, a tiny, almost imperceptible, treacherously warm curl of… something akin to pleasure… flickered within her. He had claimed her. So boldly. So fiercely.
Fairy Peak – Fang Xin's Chambers
Fang Xin, having ensured her younger martial sisters were settled, retreated to her own quiet chambers. Her mind was still reeling from the day's events. Su Chan's Chaos Divine Body awakening, the terrifying curse, her master's incredible sacrifice, and then… Su Chan's equally incredible declaration.
As she read his latest diary entry, a complex smile played on her lips. Junior Brother Su Chan… he truly has changed. That quiet, almost timid boy is gone. In his place stands someone… resolute, daring, and surprisingly possessive of Master. The thought of her master, the revered Frost Moon Fairy, being claimed as "his woman" by her own disciple was, on one level, shocking. Yet, on another, after witnessing the depth of their connection during the life-and-death crisis, it felt… strangely right.
A longing, subtle yet persistent, stirred within Fang Xin's own heart. Su Chan's newfound strength, his fierce protectiveness, his unexpected boldness… it was undeniably attractive. She thought of his vow to protect and cherish Bai Lianxin, and a wistful sigh escaped her. To be cherished so fiercely… it was a potent thought. Perhaps, Junior Brother, she mused, a faint blush touching her own cool cheeks, you will need more than one woman to protect and cherish on this dangerous path you now walk.
Fairy Peak – Ning Youxi's Thoughts
Ning Youxi, in her own room, read Su Chan's diary with wide, luminous eyes. Her heart ached with sympathy for the agony he had endured, then soared with relief at his survival, then throbbed with a poignant understanding of her master's immense sacrifice. When she read Su Chan's declaration – "you are my woman" – directed at their master, a strange pang, almost like… jealousy, but softer, more wistful, touched her.
Second Senior Brother is so brave, so devoted, she thought, her hand unconsciously touching her own chest, where her Primordial Yin-Yang Body lay dormant. He sees Master not just as a powerful Saint King, but as a woman to be cherished, to be protected. It's… incredibly moving. The image of Su Chan's handsome, resolute face, his eyes burning with conviction, superimposed itself over the memory of his earlier shy smile. That strange, warm feeling in her heart intensified, blooming into something she didn't quite dare to name.
Fairy Peak – Lin Ruo'er's Admiration
Lin Ruo'er, despite her youth, understood the gravity of what had transpired. Reading Su Chan's diary, she felt a surge of fierce admiration for her Second Senior Brother. He had faced death, been saved by their master's incredible sacrifice, and then, instead of being cowed, he had made such a bold, powerful vow! Senior Brother Su Chan is like a hero from one of those ancient legends! she thought, her eyes shining. He's going to protect Master, and he said he'd bring glory to us all! I know he will! He's the coolest!
Azure Sky City – Ye Fan's Courtyard (Earlier, during the Chaos Vision)
Far from the epicenter of the Chaos Vision, Ye Fan had been attempting to cultivate in his new, spartan Outer Sect courtyard. The sudden, overwhelming pressure that descended, the terrifying phantoms in the sky, had jolted him from his meditation, filling him with a mixture of awe and a primal fear.
"Master!" he had exclaimed mentally, "What is that? What is happening? Such terrifying power!"
The ancient Saint King's voice had resonated in his mind, tinged with a rare, profound shock and a hint of something that might have been envy. "Disciple, this… this is a Heaven and Earth phenomenon of the highest order! The primordial energies, the Dao resonance… this is the unmistakable sign of a Chaos Divine Body awakening! One of the foremost, most powerful, most legendary physiques in all of existence! Someone within this Tianshang Holy Land possesses such a heaven-defying constitution, and it is undergoing its initial fusion!"
Ye Fan's eyes had widened in disbelief. A Chaos Divine Body? Even more powerful than his own (once restored) potential? A fierce competitiveness, a burning desire to surpass, ignited within him. "Master, who could it be? Such a person… they will become a major rival!"
"Indeed," the Saint King had replied, his voice regaining its composure. "Disciple, you must endeavor to find out who has awakened such a physique. Knowing your rivals, understanding their strengths, is crucial. Go, make inquiries. Be discreet. This news will undoubtedly shake the entire Holy Land."
"Yes, Master! I will find out who it is! And no matter how powerful their physique, I, Ye Fan, will ultimately surpass them!" With that arrogant vow, Ye Fan, once the Chaos Vision had subsided and the initial lockdown of the Outer Sect eased, had begun to subtly ask around, trying to glean information about the source of the heaven-shaking phenomenon.
Throughout the Tianshang Holy Land – The Aftermath of the Vision
News of the Chaos Vision, and its origin above Fairy Peak, spread like wildfire, albeit in hushed, awed tones. The initial confirmation that it was indeed a Chaos Divine Body awakening, belonging to Fairy Peak's True Disciple Su Chan – a name previously synonymous with stagnation – sent shockwaves through every echelon of the sect.
Elders who had once pitied or dismissed Su Chan now spoke his name with newfound respect and a touch of trepidation. Disciples who had never given him a second thought now saw him as a figure of legendary potential, a future pillar of the Holy Land, perhaps even a future Emperor.
The implications were vast. A Chaos Divine Body, under the tutelage of the Saint King Bai Lianxin, on the usually quiet Fairy Peak… it was a development that would undoubtedly shift the power dynamics within the sect.
For the other True Disciples, especially those who harbored ambitions for the coveted position of Holy Son, Su Chan's sudden, spectacular emergence was a thunderclap.
In a lavish courtyard on Blazing Sun Peak, a young man named Jin Yaoyang, known for his fiery temper, his powerful Solar Yang Physique, and his backing from a family of influential elders, smashed a jade teacup against the wall. "Su Chan? That piece of trash from Fairy Peak? A Chaos Divine Body? Preposterous! This must be some kind of mistake, or a trick by Bai Lianxin!" His handsome face was contorted with disbelief and a furious jealousy. He had long considered himself the prime candidate for the next Holy Son.
On Jade Cauldron Peak, home to many of the sect's most talented alchemists, Yao Wuxin, a True Disciple renowned for his unparalleled talent in alchemy and his calm, calculating demeanor, merely raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow upon hearing the news. "The Chaos Divine Body… Interesting. This certainly adds an unexpected variable to the equation." A thoughtful, almost predatory glint entered his usually placid eyes. Such a physique would undoubtedly require immense resources, resources he might one day control.
And on the lofty summit of Sword Peak, Jian Wushen, the reclusive Eldest Brother whose entire being was dedicated to the Dao of the Sword, merely opened his eyes briefly from his perpetual meditation, a flicker of something unreadable passing through their depths before he closed them again, the news seemingly just another distant ripple in the river of time, yet a ripple that had undeniably been registered.
The Tianshang Holy Land was abuzz. Su Chan, once a footnote, was now the name on everyone's lips, a figure shrouded in sudden, earth-shattering legend. The path ahead, for him and for all those connected to him, had just become infinitely more complex, and infinitely more dangerous.