Chapter Sixty-Three: The Male Protagonist Has Frozen to Death

Ning Xianyu and Xuanyuan Tunhan stood side by side, hand in hand, eavesdropping on gossip. On the other side, the Demon Lords watched them holding hands and collectively felt a chill run down their spines.

“The cultivation world is truly cold,” they muttered, rubbing their arms as the sight struck them as utterly bizarre.

A snow-capped mountain, a tent, a man and a woman—a decrepit old fellow and a mysterious woman—standing hand in hand. No matter how one looked at it, there was nothing beautiful about the scene.

Xuanyuan Tunhan had actually found a woman he cherished, and she was a formidable one at that. Had he lost his mind, or was he finally about to die? It was terrifying beyond words.

The Demon Lords ignored Akali and Yi Tianling, their gazes fixed on the other pair, desperate to read something from their expressions.

Yet, after a long while, they gained nothing. Both wore the same cold, impassive look.

Meanwhile, Ning Xianyu was thoroughly engrossed in the gossip.

Yi Tianling and Akali first embraced and whispered sweet nothings, unable to resist kissing again and again, hands lingering on each other.

Of course, that wasn’t the crux of the matter.

The key was that Akali believed Yi Tianling shouldn’t have agreed to the ten-year pact for her sake.

“If you do this, you’ll die. They all know you won’t succeed, so they tricked you into sealing the contract. Ten years from now, you’ll be dead without a doubt.”

Akali was utterly heartbroken, yet deeply moved. Never before had anyone been willing to challenge the entire Demon Realm for her, let alone face such powerful Demon Lords and Kings.

But Yi Tianling remained optimistic. “Akali, believe me. As long as I, Yi Tianling, set my mind to something, I will accomplish it. Wait for me. Within ten years, I will surely come to save you.”

“Then you’ll be free. In these ten years, you can think about where you want to go and what you want to do. When the time comes, I’ll accompany you everywhere.”

Akali, moved to tears, believed him.

“I trust you. I’ll wait for you. Ten years from now, you must come for me.”

Yi Tianling gently wiped away her tears. “Ten years. Wait for me.”

The two exchanged yet more loving words, but in the end, Yi Tianling still didn’t clarify how he planned to resolve the Demon Realm’s demonic energy, revealing not a shred of crucial information.

The eavesdroppers gained nothing but the sound of lovers’ talk—how pointless.

The original author’s skill left much to be desired, recycling the same lines over and over.

But then again, this was a male-oriented power fantasy; romance was never the main focus.

Ning Xianyu soon lost interest and was about to let go when Akali finally mentioned something important.

“Brother Yi, don’t let Zhutiān and the others deceive you. Even though the Blood Source Stone is shattered, its effect is much stronger than before. You owe the Demon Realm nothing.”

Yi Tianling was puzzled. “Why would it be more effective now that it’s broken?”

Akali didn’t know either. “Strangely, during this year’s ritual, the Blood Source Stone was far more powerful than in years past.”

Yi Tianling mused, “Could something have happened this year to make the stone so much stronger?”

What could that change be? Was it him?

Akali added, “The only unusual thing this year was you all.”

Yi Tianling thought it very likely he was the cause, deciding to ask his system later, though nothing showed on his face.

“For now, the most important thing is to resolve the Demon Realm’s troubles. We’ll discuss this later. Akali, you must protect yourself until I return.”

As the pair finally parted, Xuanyuan Tunhan withdrew his spell.

Ning Xianyu also believed the Blood Source Stone’s increased power must be due to Yi Tianling. After all, he was the protagonist—every good thing fell into the hero’s lap.

She didn’t notice that when Akali spoke, Xuanyuan Tunhan watched her closely. Seeing her calm expression, he knew she was clueless.

A fool, but perhaps that was for the best.

Akali reluctantly followed the Demon Lords away, looking back repeatedly with red-rimmed eyes.

Yi Tianling was full of sorrow, rushing forward as the portal closed, only to fall and pound the snow in frustration.

Ning Xianyu thought it was unnecessary—since she’s gone, there’s no point in agonizing. He ought to focus on the task at hand.

He’d boasted so much; now he had to deliver.

Yawning, she waited for Yi Tianling to pick himself up, but he wallowed in misery endlessly.

Bored, she went inside.

Xuanyuan Tunhan followed her in.

They still shared a room—Xuanyuan Tunhan meditated while Ning Xianyu lay about on the bed, eating and drinking as she pleased.

The system found it odd: “Don’t you think the Demon Lord’s temper has improved?”

Munching on fried fish, Ning Xianyu asked why.

She honestly hadn’t noticed any improvement—he still looked ready to kill at any moment.

The system insisted, “No, no. Before, he’d have been disgusted seeing you eat on the bed and would have thrown you out, but not this time.”

Ning Xianyu considered for a moment. It was true—the Demon Lord did treat her better now.

“Could it be that the Demon Lord has finally grown a conscience, realized my efforts, and decided to treat me better?”

If that were the case, it would be wonderful. She wouldn’t have to live in constant fear anymore.

But the system disagreed: “He’s probably just lonely and has taken a fancy to you.”

Ning Xianyu gave a retching signal. “Stop flattering me. There's no way he likes me. I think he’s just grown a conscience.”

The system was firm: “He’s been looking at his own face for over a hundred thousand years—falling for himself is only natural.”

Ning Xianyu pondered. “So you’re saying, he likes his own body, not me.”

“Exactly.”

For some reason, that explanation left her feeling strangely annoyed.

They chatted idly for a while longer. Once Ning Xianyu was full and content, she was about to ask Xuanyuan Tunhan if she could go outside and build a snowman when a sudden thought struck her.

“Has Yi Tianling not come back yet?”

Xuanyuan Tunhan glanced at her. “Why are you so concerned about him?”

Ning Xianyu replied with a hint of alarm, “He’s been gone so long—could it be that he’s actually fainted out there?”

She’d thought Yi Tianling was just being melodramatic, but in retrospect, given how badly he’d been beaten—barely clinging to life—it was quite possible he’d fainted from the shock.

Even the ever-unflappable Xuanyuan Tunhan’s expression shifted, and he shot her a glare.

Understanding, Ning Xianyu ran outside at once.

Somehow, it had started snowing again—this time a blizzard. In such a short while, all the footprints outside were already covered.

Ning Xianyu searched in the snow for a while, fumbling about until she finally touched something cold. Flipping the body over, she found that he had indeed passed out and was frozen stiff, his face covered in frost.

“What should I do? Has the protagonist died?”