I alone am the Honoured One!

A bit later, Zhao Tian returned and saw gentle steam still curling from the stone bath he had created.

The air was warm with the scent of water and faint traces of blood that had washed away.

He landed softly on a nearby ledge, looking at the scene above.

Yan Zijin is sitting half-submerged in the water and she is cradling the now-clean woman in her arms, gently rinsing the last traces of grime from her long black hair.

The unconscious woman rested silently against Yan Zijin's chest, with a peaceful expression, though her body still bore faint traces of old scars despite the healing.

His eyes briefly swept over Yan Zijin's delicate collarbone, the subtle curve of her waist, and the way her ample chest rose and fell with each breath along with her red nipples.

He quickly averted his gaze.

Clearing his throat, he looked away toward the horizon, "The surroundings are safe for now. No threats nearby."

Yan Zijin glanced up with a quiet softness in her gaze as she saw his eyes flickering "I saw you taking a peek..."

Zhao Tian let out a sigh and looked at her "...Come on now."

Yan Zijin tilted her head slightly with a faint smile on her lips "I know I'm beautiful, Tian. That much is a fact."

Her eyes narrowed playfully, "But I'm still your Master… so try to keep those naughty thoughts buried deep where they belong, alright?"

She let her fingers trail lazily along the woman's soaked hair, gently combing it back, "And this woman too. She may be stunning even in this condition, but stop ogling her, okay?"

Zhao Tian raised an eyebrow at that with a dry smile on his face "I'm not a pervert, Master. I don't look at every woman like that…"

She gave him a sidelong glance, brushing her wet hair behind her ear as the mist from the bath clung to her skin "Then… was that not you, earlier, frozen in place when you noticed her curves? Or perhaps when your eyes wandered to my chest just a moment ago?"

Zhao Tian rubbed the back of his neck, trying to maintain his composure "I was just… making sure everything was alright. You're both injured. It's called being observant."

Yan Zijin chuckled softly "Mhm. Observant, right."

Then her voice softened, "It's alright, you know. You're still young. I don't expect you to be a monk."

With a sigh, he turned his back to them, "Call me if anything changes. I'll keep watch a little farther up."

She looked up at him as he dashed into the air and flew away.

Then she smiled faintly to herself and resumed washing the woman's hair.

...

*swoosh*

Zhao Tian and Yan Zijin were dashing through the air with Yan Zijin carrying the woman in her arms as she is not waking up.

But no matter how long they travel, all they see is barren desertland, with no living beings or rich land.

Zhao Tian sighed in his heart 'Maybe Eleanor's soul shard is not captured in this rupture?'

'Hmm.. but the rupture is powerful, so it must have a shard.'

'I also need to find an end where the space energy is less chaotic...'

'Haa, I wonder how long it's been outside? Days? Months? I don't want to worry my wives.'

Their faces appeared in his mind 'I need to get back to them soon..'

He turned to look at Yan Zijin and sighed in his heart.

...

Two weeks have already passed-

Atop a jagged rocky hill near the edge of a glowing cliff, Zhao Tian and Yan Zijin sat side by side, their eyes cast toward the static horizon.

It is a barren expanse around them... a desert cracked with dryness, shimmering faintly under a pale light that had no source.

No sun, no moon.

Only a constant dull glow that refused to change, like the land itself had forgotten the meaning of time.

Not a single living creature had been seen since they crossed through the spatial distortion.

No trees, no birds, not even insects.

Just dust, silence, and fragments of space energy drifting faintly.

Zhao Tian lay back against the warm stone and let out a long, tired sigh. "Haa..."

Beside him, Yan Zijin sat quietly with crossed legs as if meditating.

But she wasn't cultivating... just trying to pass another stretch of time in silence.

After a while, she cracked open one eye and looked at him.

Then, with a soft grunt, she lay down beside him on the rock, mimicking his posture.

"Seems like we're trapped here forever, disciple…"

Zhao Tian's lips curled into a faint smile. "There surely gotta be a way. I refuse to believe this place has no end."

She turned her head slightly to glance at him. "How long do you think it's been? Three weeks? A month?"

Zhao Tian shrugged casually "Hard to say. With no sun or moon, time's just... a number. All I know is, the only thing keeping us alive is our cultivation base and the water."

Yan Zijin chuckled dryly. "Maybe we should just start a peaceful family here. You, me, and her... " she glanced toward the unconscious woman resting on a nearby flat rock.

"...living like hermits in a dead world. I can build a house out of boulders, and you can hunt mirages for food."

Zhao Tian blinked, then burst into laughter "Hah! Right. And we can plant an illusory orchard and raise invisible chickens and delusional cows."

She chuckled with him on the joke "Well, if we're stuck here forever, we might as well dream big."

Turning her head to the unconscious woman, she muttered "We are taking her and travelling around the rupture... with no sense of direction."

Zhao Tian looked at her and reached out to gently grasp her hand.

Hm? Yan Zijin was a little surprised by the sudden contact but then she smiled and intertwined her fingers with him.

"I am not broken yet, I still have the will to fight and survive..."

As she spoke, she glanced down at herself, idly adjusting the tattered robe on her wiast.

Her bust, usually supported by inner garments, had begun to press more obviously against the fabric after days of travel.

Looking down, she muttered, "Do you think my breasts are getting a bit saggy?"

Zhao Tian blinked.

Caught off guard, he instinctively glanced down and looked at her luscious breasts, "No… they look normal to me."

Yan Zijin tilted her head and raised an eyebrow. "Maybe it's just the lack of proper clothes," she murmured.

"No dresses to hold them up anymore. Makes me feel like they're drooping more than usual."

He chuckled dryly and replied, "Don't worry about it. They look beautiful, as always."

She turned her face to him then and spoke in an amused tone "You must've gotten tired of seeing them after so many days in the same space with me."

Zhao Tian smiled, meeting her gaze without hesitation "Not really. If anything… I could stare at them a lot longer."

Yan Zijin blinked, then burst out into a giggle "Shameless as ever, I see."

She propped herself up on one elbow and leaned slightly toward him, strands of her white hair falling around her face.

A playful glint sparked in her eyes as a teasing thought crossed her mind.

"Well then..." she began slowly, her voice dipping just slightly into a more mischievous tone.

"Let's say we do find a way out of this rupture. We survive. We get home safely."

He raised an eyebrow. "And?"

She smiled lazily, and then said, "If that happens… I'll let you squeeze my breasts. What do you say?"

Zhao Tian blinked again and he was speechless for a second.

He sat up a little straighter, looking at her in mild disbelief. "...Are you serious?"

She rolled her eyes, clearly entertained by his stunned reaction "I just thought… maybe it would motivate you a little more. A goal to strive toward."

Still slightly baffled, Zhao Tian gave her a long look "That's… one hell of a reward."

"Mm," she said, tilting her head thoughtfully. "That's the point. You work harder when there's treasure at the end, don't you?"

He laughed, "I'm not sure if I should be flattered or manipulated."

Yan Zijin lay back again and stared up at the still, endless sky "Well, I am just joking to get a reaction out of you."

'So, its a joke?' Zhao Tian's lips twitched in frustration.

"Though I hope you find a way sooner... because I am entirely relying on you, Tian."

Hearing this, his gaze softened and he gave a nod "Sure."

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I hope you guys liked this chapter!