The Ethereal Domains

Unavoidable Confrontation; Draw A Sword To Help . . .

Cha-Eun Xiao endured the flurry of punches with a mix of pain and frustration. He tried to evade the relentless blows, all while struggling to make sense of the situation. Finally, in exasperation, he burst out, "Can't you be a bit more reasonable?!"

His body bore the brunt of her furious assault, and he attempted to reason with her amidst the chaos, his voice laden with anger. "You... What lies did I tell you? You're accusing me of lying? What did I do wrong? You're completely unreasonable!"

Cha-Eun Xiao's pride suffered as he found himself on the receiving end of such a thorough beating. It was an unprecedented experience for him, both in his current and previous lives, and he couldn't help but feel deeply humiliated.

He silently berated himself, thinking, "I'm being beaten up by a woman! This is beyond embarrassing. She's so unreasonable..."

As the beating continued, Wen-Ren Chu-Chu unleashed her pent-up anger with each punch, and amidst her blows, she yelled, "I told you that you're a fool, but you didn't believe me. Arguing with a woman? You asked for this!"

Towards the end, a hint of amusement crept into her voice, softening her harsh words.

Hearing her taunts, Cha-Eun Xiao's spirit waned. He realized his mistake and thought, "I'm such an idiot. Arguing with a woman? I'm getting beaten up for no reason."

Wen-Ren Chu-Chu's punches grew more vigorous until she felt she had vented enough anger. With a graceful spin, she leaped away from him, her voice echoing playfully, "Brother Feng, I'll be back in three months..."

The door slammed shut, leaving Cha-Eun Xiao standing there with a battered face and a runny nose. He wanted to cry but couldn't find tears. He felt speechless and defeated, muttering to himself, "Women are so unreasonable..."

He turned to leave, not realizing that the door had been left slightly ajar. Half of Wen-Ren Chu-Chu's face peeked through the crack as she watched him walk away with indignation. When she heard his murmurs, she couldn't contain her laughter, muttering, "What a fool..."

Inside the secret hideout, two people observed her. The middle-aged woman looked at her curiously. 𝚋ｅｄｎ𝚘𝚟ｅｌ.ｃｏ𝚖

"My lady," she inquired.

Wen-Ren Chu-Chu's face briefly flushed before returning to its usual composure. She replied calmly, "Start packing. We need to leave as soon as possible. We're going home."

She offered no further explanation and returned to her room, her mind wandering to the moment when Cha-Eun Xiao had used his martial arts on her, his warm hands pressed against her belly. Heat coursed through her body at the memory. Sitting down, she gently stroked the spot where he had sat, feeling the lingering warmth.

Her eyes clouded with a mixture of desolation and haze as she whispered, "My sworn enemy... You truly are my sworn enemy."

After leaving Wen-Ren Chu-Chu's secret hideout, Cha-Eun Xiao took a series of winding detours to ensure he wasn't being followed. Once he was certain he was alone, he tossed the Regeneration Ink Lotus into his space.

As he prepared to discard the box, he discovered something else inside—a delicate, small handkerchief. Faint, cloud-like patterns were embroidered on it, with a faint lotus at its center.

To the average person, it might appear unremarkable, but Cha-Eun Xiao recognized the significance of this lotus. It was known as the Mist Lotus, which grew in mist-covered valleys. He knew the story behind this flower well.

The handkerchief held a certain mystique about it, its exquisite embroidery and faint lotus design masking its deadly nature. Much like the Mist Lotus it bore, it appeared soft, elegant, and beautiful, but its poison was swift and ruthless, capable of reducing a person to a skeleton within moments.

Gazing at the handkerchief, Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't help but draw parallels to Wen-Ren Chu-Chu. He mused to himself, "This girl may seem gentle and beautiful, but beneath that fa?ade lies a truly formidable spirit. If only she were to reveal her true self, she might be considered a world-class beauty."

His thoughts continued to drift as he read the delicate script on the border of the handkerchief. The characters seemed to convey a deeper meaning: "The flower is beautiful when seen through the mist; the heavens sink when she dances in the wind. A demon to the enemy; a beauty to the one she serves."

A smile played on Cha-Eun Xiao's lips as he quipped to himself, "A woman like you... You truly think of yourself as a beauty."

In this moment, he couldn't help but think of how Wen-Ren Chu-Chu would react if she heard his playful commentary. He was certain she would unleash a much fiercer storm of blows upon him. After all, she had placed a handkerchief in the box for him, and here he was, not comprehending her intentions and making unfounded assumptions.

Cha-Eun Xiao couldn't escape the irony of the situation. He chastised himself for lacking the emotional intelligence to perceive the deeper meaning behind Wen-Ren Chu-Chu's gesture.

With a wistful smile, he tucked the handkerchief into his coat, savoring the faint fragrance that lingered. It was as though Wen-Ren Chu-Chu's presence still enveloped him.

He marveled at the fact that she had concealed a Mist Lotus within her sleeve all along, completely eluding his notice. "How pathetic," he muttered, "I was thoroughly beaten by that madwoman."

Despite his complaints, a sense of satisfaction welled up within him as he imagined a future where he might have the opportunity to retaliate against Wen-Ren Chu-Chu, delivering a well-deserved comeuppance.

With a newfound determination, he headed home, brimming with thoughts of a victorious confrontation. However, as he walked further, a frown creased his brow.

A chilling wind was blowing in the direction of his house, carrying with it an unsettling premonition. It seemed that someone was rapidly approaching. Cha-Eun Xiao's instincts kicked in, and he readied himself for whatever was to come.

A figure approached him at lightning speed, blood-splattered and battered. Before he realized it, the man was within ten meters of him, his body twisting as he issued a low warning, "Move aside unless you want to die!"

The man flashed past Cha-Eun Xiao, brushing against him and propelling him towards the wall. The impact, though slight, sent Cha-Eun Xiao careening into the corner of the street, leaving him feeling shocked and bewildered.

He couldn't help but wonder, "Why is someone with such advanced cultivation so severely injured?"

As he contemplated this, three more figures approached him with blades gleaming like lightning. The lethal sword strokes whizzed past him, narrowly missing their mark. It was clear that these three individuals were in hot pursuit and wouldn't hesitate to eliminate any witnesses.

Cha-Eun Xiao was incensed. "Since they're targeting me, why not return the favor?" he thought.

The three attackers didn't give him a second thought as they pressed on, relentlessly chasing their original quarry. In their pursuit, they disregarded Cha-Eun Xiao completely, and their only reason for wanting him dead was that he had seen them during this chase.

Furious at being ignored, Cha-Eun Xiao dodged to the side as the three sword lights pierced the wall behind him. With a deft motion, he produced three cold lights and hurled them at his pursuers. This was the manifestation of the alien power within him, a force that didn't belong to this world.

In an instant, the air was filled with an eerie coldness as Cha-Eun Xiao unleashed his newfound power. The ambient moisture froze into ice, forming three small, exquisite knives that were hurled toward his unsuspecting pursuers.

Without glancing back at his targets, Cha-Eun Xiao swiftly activated the Lunisolar Shadow technique, vanishing from sight with a subtle whoosh.

The three assailants had just exited the narrow alley, believing they were leaving their pursuer behind, when a sudden and dire threat descended upon them. A collective shock rippled through their ranks as they turned in unison to confront the unexpected danger.

Their astonishment grew as they witnessed the three ice knives that had originally pursued them suddenly change direction and close in. It was as if the deadly blades had a mind of their own, relentlessly chasing down their prey.

Two of the men reacted quickly, swinging their swords with all their might. With a resounding clash, they managed to intercept the ice knives just before they could strike between their eyebrows. Yet, a chilling sensation seeped into their minds through the points of impact, causing them to shiver uncontrollably.

Examining their swords, they were horrified to discover that the blades were now covered in a thick layer of frost, while the sword hilts felt as frigid as ancient stalactites. The bone-penetrating coldness left them trembling and nearly compelled them to release their weapons. Desperate, they channeled their spiritual techniques to forcefully quell the overwhelming gelid energy.

An alarmed cry echoed through the alleyway, reverberating with a sense of impending doom. The third man was slower in his response, and when his sword made contact with the ice knife, it pierced his shoulder. Instantaneously, his shoulder went numb, and a surge of icy coldness spread from his forehead, paralyzing his entire arm due to the potent gelid power.

With a hollow thud, his sword fell to the ground as his body rapidly succumbed to the creeping frost. Even his beard, eyebrows, and hair became encased in ice, transforming him into a lifeless ice sculpture.

The three men were utterly terrified, brought to a standstill by fear. Their bodies were drenched in cold sweat, and their hearts pounded relentlessly. Despite their considerable cultivation levels, they found themselves utterly defenseless against this unprecedented and bizarre adversary.

Their relentless focus on the formidable foe ahead had rendered them oblivious to any other potential threats. Consequently, they were caught off guard by the enigmatic force that had ambushed them.

As they exchanged fearful glances, they couldn't fathom that someone in this world possessed such an otherworldly and overwhelming power. With trembling hands and determined efforts, they eventually managed to dispel the numbing cold. The third man's shoulder, however, bore the enduring mark of frostbite, its muscles now tinged with a haunting shade of blue.

One of them finally found his voice and muttered in sheer disbelief, "Who was that?"

The trio couldn't comprehend that within their world existed an individual of such formidable and perplexing abilities. It was an encounter that had left them awestruck, frightened, and wholly bewildered.

The wounded man's voice quivered as he added, "It was... It was the same man I attempted to kill..."