Han bent down and scooped up Bai Ruoyue in his arms. Without any further hesitation, the two of them stepped into the Pool of Life together.

  His original plan was for Bai Ruoyue to go in first—he didn’t mind if some of the life energy dissipated.

  But since she insisted, they might as well bathe together.

  There was no need to remove their clothes, so the situation wasn’t particularly awkward.

  However, once something like this was done, things would never quite be the same again.

  The water of the Pool of Life was strange—it wasn’t cold despite being deep inside a mountain cave. Instead, it was pleasantly warm, almost soothing.

  As soon as they stepped in, their clothes were instantly soaked. But that didn’t hinder their absorption of the life energy.

  No, they didn’t even need to actively absorb it—the life force in the water was already surging toward them, seeping into their bodies on its own.

  The pool wasn’t very deep. If Han sat down, his head would still be above the surface.

  But Bai Ruoyue was injured, and there wasn’t a suitable place for her to sit. If she tried, she’d be completely submerged.

  Dying from drowning in the Pool of Life instead of from a beast attack… that would be a joke too ridiculous to laugh at.

  After a brief hesitation, Han suggested, “Senior Sister, should I hold you?”

  “Mm.”

  Bai Ruoyue nodded obediently, no longer the lively and fiery presence she usually was.

  A delicate and fragile Senior Sister.

  Han sat down and pulled Bai Ruoyue into his arms. They faced each other, and she rested her head against his neck, saying nothing.

  Powerful life force continuously poured into their bodies. A whirlpool of energy even formed around them, drawn to their presence.

  This immense vitality worked tirelessly to heal their wounds, wrapping them in comforting warmth.

  It seeped deeper inside, settling in their bodies, fusing with their very being.

  “Junior Brother… this feels so good…” Bai Ruoyue murmured softly.

  “...”

  Han had no idea how to respond.

  Senior Sister, given our current position, I really don’t think that’s the best thing to say…

  As Han focused inward, he could sense the life energy permeating every part of him.

  His skin, muscles, meridians, organs, and bones—every inch of him was being revitalized.

  A body filled with life energy was completely different from a frail, decaying one.

  Even setting aside other benefits, this meant he could train harder, endure more, and recover faster. His overall resilience had increased significantly.

  Inexplicably, Han felt lighter. His breath was long and steady, and for a fleeting moment, he even had the illusion of immortality.

  Of course, that was just an illusion.

  Still, it suggested that his lifespan had likely increased.

  Just then, Han noticed that Bai Ruoyue was subtly shifting in his arms.

  “Senior Sister, what’s wrong?”

  “I… my body feels itchy.” Her cheeks flushed slightly.

  “Itchy?”

  Han scanned her condition and quickly realized why. The life force was not just healing her injuries—it was reconstructing her damaged meridians, organs, and bones.

  No wonder she felt itchy.

  He explained the situation to her.

  “This Pool of Life really is miraculous,” Bai Ruoyue said, delighted. “At this rate, I might be completely healed by the time we get out.”

  And the best part—there would be no lingering side effects, no damage to her future cultivation.

  As time passed, Bai Ruoyue’s itching sensation intensified. She could hardly bear it.

  The influx of life energy wasn’t just repairing her; it was fundamentally reshaping her body, almost like a rebirth.

  Her squirming became more pronounced.

  Han’s expression grew increasingly stiff.

  Senior Sister, stop moving. You’re really making things difficult for me…

  “Ah—!”

  Bai Ruoyue suddenly let out a startled cry, pressing her face against Han’s neck, refusing to look up.

  The part of her face that was still visible was burning red, as if about to drip blood.

  “Junior Brother, you—” She wanted to say something but hesitated.

  “Senior Sister, I swear it’s not intentional. It’s… just a natural reaction. I can’t control it.”

  Han forced himself to sound calm and composed.

  But on the bright side, Bai Ruoyue was now so flustered that she stopped squirming entirely, her body rigid against his.

  The only problem… their positioning had made things significantly worse.

  After a while, An Lang barged in.

  She had been listening outside for a long time and grew worried when she didn’t hear a sound. What if Han and Bai Ruoyue had drowned?

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  But the moment she stepped in and saw their posture, she immediately covered her eyes—though she left a suspiciously large gap between her fingers.

  Ahem. I, An Lang, am a respectable person who knows better than to peek.

  But… what exactly were they doing?

  An Lang, who had died a virgin, genuinely had no idea.

  She started creeping closer, her eyes squinting through her fingers as if she wanted to inspect the scene more closely.

  Han’s face darkened.

  As the Ghost Lord, he exercised his authority and promptly threw An Lang back outside.

  Nosy little girl. Why’s she so curious?

  The life force in the pool was overwhelming. Han and Bai Ruoyue absorbed it throughout the entire night.

  Han, on the other hand, endured an entire night of… pure torment.

  At some point, Bai Ruoyue stopped feeling itchy. Instead, she became so comfortable that she fell asleep.

  Watching her sleep, Han reached out and poked her cheek.

  Soft.

  As she slept, Bai Ruoyue looked even more delicate. Han found himself pinching her cheek again and again.

  By morning, the Pool of Life had turned crystal clear, completely drained of its energy.

  Bai Ruoyue stirred awake and looked up at Han, giggling foolishly.

  “You fell asleep like an idiot,” Han teased.

  “You always call me that…” Bai Ruoyue pouted.

  She shifted slightly but immediately froze. Her face turned red again.

  This early in the morning… Junior Brother, why are you…?

  Han’s face remained neutral. A man’s natural response in the morning. Not my fault.

  Blame the damn tree. Giving me all those techniques and pills… No wonder I’ve been so restless lately.

  This is all Tree Bro’s fault!

  “Senior Sister, how do you feel now?”

  “A lot better. I don’t feel any pain anymore.” Bai Ruoyue nodded.

  “In fact, I feel even better than before I got injured!”

  “Junior Brother, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise!”

  “Well, not exactly the easiest blessing to endure…” Han shook his head.

  Honestly, if he hadn’t consumed some extra luck beforehand, he doubted he would have even come this way.

  Han stood up naturally, lifting Bai Ruoyue in the process.

  Only then did he realize where his hand had landed.

  The sensation was unmistakable—soft, yielding, his fingers sinking into plush flesh, leaving imprints behind.

  His gaze flickered to Bai Ruoyue.

  She had buried her head against his chest, blushing furiously. Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, saying nothing.

  Han pretended not to notice. He walked to the center of the now-empty pool, picked up the stone with grass and the Life Pearl beneath it, and stored them away.

  These were precious items. He wouldn’t let them go to waste.

  As soon as he did, something miraculous happened—the remaining water in the pool started to drain, eventually vanishing entirely.

  “Maybe, years from now, this place will form another Pool of Life,” Han mused.

  “Not in our lifetime,” Bai Ruoyue muttered.

  Han chuckled. “But if we ascend to immortality, who knows?”

  As Bai Ruoyue loosened her grip around Han’s neck and took a step back, he suddenly caught sight of something unexpected.

  Her soaked clothes clung tightly to her body, accentuating every curve with striking clarity. The perfect silhouette left little to the imagination.

  Cough, cough. Han cleared his throat awkwardly. “Senior Sister, you should change into dry clothes. These are completely soaked.”

  Bai Ruoyue’s face, already flushed since she woke up, turned an even deeper shade of red.

  She glanced at Han for a brief moment before quickly looking away.

  With a slight exertion of her true energy, a wave of heat surged around her. Wisps of white steam rose, and in mere seconds, her damp clothes dried completely.

  Han couldn't help but feel envious. Releasing true energy like this is just unfair.

  Then, Bai Ruoyue stepped forward and grabbed Han’s sleeve, using the same method to dry his clothes as well.

  “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

  Instead of responding, Bai Ruoyue suddenly reached out and hugged him.

  “I should be the one thanking you, Junior Brother.”

  Han smiled and patted her head.

  “There’s no need for all this formality between us.”

  Bai Ruoyue pouted. “Why are you like my father? Always patting my head.”

  “Lalala~”

  At that moment, An Lang floated in, humming what seemed to be a tune from her hometown. Upon seeing the two, she instantly covered her eyes.

  “Young Master, did I come at a bad time?”

  Han was speechless. Dead ghost, you already know the answer, don’t you?

  Bai Ruoyue quietly let go of Han and stepped to the side.

  “Young Master, there’s not a single beast in this entire area. I didn’t even see a single blade of grass.”

  “All life force has gathered in the Pool of Life…” Han turned to glance at the now-empty pool.

  It was eerie.

  The immense vitality contained within it had come at the cost of rendering the surrounding cliffs and waterfall utterly lifeless.

  Absolute life, absolute death.

  “It’s still early. Let’s rest here for a while before we head out.”

  Han took out some dried beast meat and handed it to Bai Ruoyue, then gave An Lang a few incense sticks. The little ghost gleefully floated to the corner to enjoy her treat.

  Han had once asked her why she always went off alone when using incense.

  An Lang had answered seriously, “I’m afraid you’ll steal my incense.”

  That response left Han utterly speechless.

  Me? A living human being? Fighting over incense with a ghost?

  The audacity.

  That very night, Han had his soul leave his body and inhaled every last bit of An Lang’s incense before she could even take a whiff.

  “Oh, right. Senior Sister, here’s your spatial pouch,” Han said. “Things were urgent at the time, and I was running low on detoxification pills, so I had to remove your imprint and search through it.”

  Bai Ruoyue silently took the pouch. She had personal items inside—clothes included. That meant… he had seen them.

  But since it was Junior Brother, she didn’t seem to mind too much.

  —

  Several hours later, Han decided it was time to leave the Black Mountain.

  “Where exactly are we now?” Bai Ruoyue asked, a bit concerned. “How long will it take to find our way out?”

  “Don’t worry.” Han grinned. “I have an extraordinary sense of direction. I remember exactly where Black Cloud Town is. Just follow me—you won’t get lost.”

  In truth, he was using a rare treasure that Tree Bro had once dropped—the Guiding Leaf.

  By placing a single leaf in a location, it would forever point toward that spot.

  Han had placed one in the Peach Grove.

  Getting lost?

  Impossible.

  With An Lang’s help, the two of them were lifted up the cliff.

  Raising this ghost was definitely the right call.

  Following the direction of the Guiding Leaf, Han carefully made his way forward.

  His earlier mad dash had taken him far from where they started, and the beasts they encountered now weren’t nearly as terrifying as before.

  After a while, Bai Ruoyue suddenly ended up on Han’s back.

  After all, she was injured.

  Supporting her by the legs, Han could feel a warm, soft pressure against his back. Surprisingly, it made him feel even more energized—his steps light and effortless.

  By now, he was nearly fully recovered. The divine water and sacred artifacts had restored most of his strength, and his body had grown even stronger.

  Han even had the feeling that he was on the verge of another breakthrough.

  Throughout their journey out of the mountain, Bai Ruoyue remained silent, unusually obedient.

  —

  By the time the sky darkened, Han and Bai Ruoyue finally emerged from the Black Mountain and returned to the martial hall.

  “Senior Sister! Junior Brother! You’re back!” Shen Yu came bouncing over, eyes full of curiosity.

  “Junior Brother, why are you carrying Senior Sister on your back?”

  Han sighed. “We ran into some… unexpected situations.”

  The others soon gathered around as well. After listening to Han’s recount, Shen Yu let out a series of gasps.

  “The Huang family is too despicable! You never even provoked them, yet they tried to go after you?” she fumed.

  Shen Long clenched his fists, then relaxed them, then clenched them again. “If I ever run into the Huang family, I won’t let them off easily.”

  “This debt will be settled in time,” Han said coolly, having already marked the Huang family as an enemy.

  If those four Huang men hadn’t blocked their path, they wouldn’t have encountered that giant serpent. Given his and Bai Ruoyue’s strength, leaving the mountain safely would’ve been no issue at all.

  “Where’s my father?” Bai Ruoyue asked, noticing that Bai Tian was absent.

  “Master went to the Yun family.”

  “…He’s been going there quite a lot lately,” Bai Ruoyue murmured, slightly puzzled.

  —

  After lingering in the martial hall for a while, Han prepared to return to the Peach Grove, but Bai Ruoyue called out to him.

  “Junior Brother, I’ll go with you.”

  “Sure.”

  But the moment they stepped outside, Bai Ruoyue placed a hand on Han’s shoulder from behind.

  …Wait.

  Was she implying what he thought she was implying?

  “Junior Brother… carry me,” she whispered.

  “…”

  Bringing her to the Peach Grove was one thing, but if Aunt Mo saw them like this… that would be very awkward.

  Still, Han sighed and crouched down to let Bai Ruoyue onto his back again.

  As they entered the Peach Grove, a lone figure standing outside suddenly turned her head in their direction.

  Lu Qingmo.

  She had seen everything.

  Her gaze narrowed slightly.