This was the deepest sleep Fu Mingxu had had during this period. He didn't even have time to clean his wet hair before he hurriedly drifted into a deep, sweet dream at the very end.
The sky was already bright, the red sun had risen above the horizon, and the folded space remained as quiet as ever.
Han Tao, however, felt no sleepiness whatsoever. His physical excitement had subsided, but his mental excitement remained undiminished.
His burning gaze traced the beautiful features of the person in his arms, while the warm dragon energy gently dried Fu Mingxu's wet hair.
His golden eyes held undisguised affection, his rough hands resting on her slender, smooth belly, his expression one of rare contentment.
His lean belly protruded slightly, as if he had just had a hearty meal.
Thinking of this, Han Tao's eyes darkened.
He held Fu Mingxu in his arms, wishing time could stand still, yet he was not satisfied with that and wanted to continue moving forward with him through time.
Fu Mingxu slept for three whole days.
When he woke up, there was no one beside him, only the flame of the beast candle remained burning.
Having felt no discomfort whatsoever, memories that made his face flush and his heart race surfaced. Fu Mingxu lay on the bed, looked around for a while, and then slowly sat up.
His body was filled with vital energy, his sea of consciousness was stable, and his divine sense could extend to the entire folded space.
He could see that the three side rooms of the Green Bamboo Courtyard had all been opened up, and an alchemy furnace and shelves had been placed inside.
Han Tao was busy working on the spirit field in the small courtyard. He sensed it the moment his divine sense arrived, then disappeared and sat down by the bed.
The hem of his black long robe was still covered in mud, as if the first thing a man did upon returning home from working in the fields was to check on his wife who had just gotten up.
Fu Mingxu didn't know why he thought of this metaphor, and he immediately blushed with embarrassment.
But he quickly regained his composure. "What were you doing just now?"
Han Tao wasn't surprised he asked, and smiled, "To cultivate spiritual herbs."
Cultivating medicinal herbs?
Fu Mingxu was surprised for a moment. He then used his divine sense to look over and saw several seedlings of spiritual herbs, still covered in dew, swaying gently in the wind.
A spirit-gathering array was also set up around the spirit field to ensure the early growth rate of the spirit herb seedlings.
Fu Mingxu withdrew his divine sense and remained silent for a moment. "You don't need to do these things."
The dragon race is not good at this kind of thing, and what's more, he could tell that those few spiritual herbs were seedlings that he had separated from the Heavenly Profound Grass, making them even more difficult to cultivate.
However, it is clear that these seedlings have survived.
Han Tao understood what he meant. Holding his hand, she said, word by word, "What you like, I'm willing to learn, and I can learn it well."
It would be a lie to say he wasn't moved. Fu Mingxu felt a lump in his throat, but he didn't pull his hand away. He just rested his head on Fu Mingxu's shoulder without saying a word.
...
Si Yang stayed at the City Lord's Mansion in Yunhan City for two days before seeing Fu Mingxu come out. He assumed that Fu Mingxu had indeed spent a lot of energy with the Merfolk as Han Tao had said, which was why he had been resting for so long.
Han Tao remained as cold and aloof as ever, but now he had a hint of smugness that was hard for others to detect.
"It's been a while since I last saw you, and your cultivation has improved a lot." Si Yang's gaze fell on Fu Mingxu. Seeing that he was full of energy and had a rosy complexion, he knew that he had benefited greatly.
Considering that he inherited the legacy of the merfolk, he was surprised but not incredulous.
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingxu also recalled the unusually high increase in his cultivation level after waking up this time. However, he felt no discomfort whatsoever and even had a faint feeling that he was about to break through, so he simply took it as a result of his accumulated strength finally coming to fruition and did not think much of it.
Han Tao seemed to remember something, and a slight smile appeared on his lips before he quickly suppressed it.
Fu Mingxu knew Si Yang Xianjun's purpose in coming. He was a little unaccustomed to seeing that Qi Muyuan was not behind him, but when he talked to him about the records of the Wu Clan, he put his discomfort aside.
In the following days, the three of them did not go out, but instead actually found the exact location of the former site of the Wu tribe based on the records of the Wu tribe.
In the southwest of the Cangling Continent, and to the north where demons dwell, lies the place of the Fate Shaman.
The first sentence is easy to understand, but what does "demon spirit" refer to?
"Ten thousand years ago, the Demon Realm was the abode of demonic spirits. Later, the demonic spirits disappeared, and demonic energy arose, which led to the Demon Realm we know today," Si Yang explained slowly, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.
Han Tao shook his head: "But the Cangling Continent did not split up ten thousand years ago."
Fu Mingxu knew that the Cangling Continent of today was not the original complete continent, but rather what remained after it was broken ten thousand years ago, which was why the Heavenly Dao was incomplete. Since the discovery of the broken Heavenly Ladder, many cultivators had been constantly consulting ancient texts, painstakingly and barely managing to reconstruct the once complete structure of the continent.
“You’re right. It’s a pity we weren’t here ten thousand years ago, so we don’t know what happened. Therefore, we need to further investigate the exact location of the Witch Clan’s ruins,” Si Yang said, then took out the reconstructed structure of the Cangling Continent.
Fu Mingxu glanced at it and immediately realized that the original Cangling Continent was more than twice the size of the current one.
"Where did the rest go?" he asked, a little curious.
Si Yang shook his head: "Time changes everything, and many traces have long been washed away by time. What is restored may not necessarily be accurate."
Ten thousand years is a very long time, and no one knows what happened during that time.
The three exchanged a glance and tacitly dropped the subject.
Two more days passed, and with the help of Si Yang Xianjun's deductions, the three of them finally determined the location of the Wu Clan ruins.
Beneath the sea of illusion.
However, one cannot enter directly from the Sea of Illusion; instead, one must enter through an underground passage in the Demon Realm. The exact location of this passage within the Demon Realm remains unknown.
Based on the records of the Wu tribe, it is inferred that this place should be the birthplace of the demon spirit.
It seems a trip to the Demon Realm is inevitable.
With the two Mahayana cultivators, Si Yang and Han Tao, present, Fu Mingxu wasn't too worried about his safety. He was still concerned about the demonic seed and wanted to take this opportunity to find a way to remove it and eliminate it at the same time.
Since they were all cultivators, there was no need for hesitation once they made their decision. Immortal Lord Siyang had already arranged the affairs of the Heavenly Evolution Sect before coming. Major sects have their own complete system of operation, so there was no need to worry too much.
With other dragons present in Yunhan City, there was no need for them to do much.
As for Fu Mingxu, he didn't need to explain anything before setting off.
The three agreed to set off the next day. Taking advantage of the early hour, Fu Mingxu made full use of the new alchemy room and refined many commonly used pills.
When the moon was high in the sky, he dragged his weary body out of the alchemy room. Remembering Shen Ange, whose message had gone unanswered, he used another communication talisman.
The little mermaid in the Mirror of Heaven and Earth was still asleep. Fu Mingxu glanced at him and felt that he had grown a bit, but seeing his peaceful expression, he didn't pay any more attention to him.
That night, the two did nothing but fall asleep in each other's arms.
"Go to sleep." Han Tao's deep voice came from above, and a hand gently stroked his back, carrying a soothing tone.
Nestled in warm, broad arms, Fu Mingxu felt completely at ease. He muttered, "Remember to wake me up tomorrow morning."
After saying that, he drifted off into a sweet dream.
Listening to his soft breathing, Han Tao silently tightened his arms, wanting to hold him even tighter.
He was glad that dragons didn't need to sleep, which allowed him to remember more of the moments he spent with Fu Mingxu.
The night was silent within the folded space, and the secluded cultivation room of the Tianyan Sect Master was also empty.
...
Fu Mingxu woke up slowly in the cabin of the flying boat. It was clear that Han Tao had not woken him up, but had set up a magic array to help him sleep better.
Without thinking about how he got into the flying boat, he threw off the covers, tidied himself up, and left the cabin. He saw Immortal Lord Siyang and Hantao sitting opposite each other, talking about something.
The moment he appeared, Han Tao's gaze swept over him.
With Si Yang present, he silently swallowed the words, "Why didn't you wake me up?"
"How much longer until we arrive?" With the defensive array in place, the sound of the flying boat cutting through the air was blocked, and all that could be seen was the sight of white clouds drifting by at high speed.
The sky high above is a deep blue that cannot be seen from the ground. The vast sky seems to have been washed by water all night, leaving only a rare clarity.
Han Tao got up and walked to his side. "We'll arrive in the Demon Realm in half a day."
"Your flying boat is excellent, extremely fast," Si Yang praised without reservation. "It's faster than many flying boats I've ever built."
When Fu Mingxu saw the gold coating around the deck, he belatedly realized that this was the flying boat that Han Tao had reforged for him.
“It is quite fast.” He glanced at Han Tao and added, “I heard it’s the fastest flying boat on the Cangling Continent.”
Si Yang nodded. "It seems so."
Half a day passed quickly, and the flying boat successfully arrived at the edge of the Demon Realm. The three of them did not continue forward but chose to stop.
Si Yang Xianjun and Han Tao concealed their spiritual energy, and Fu Mingxu showed no trace of spiritual energy. However, the three of them stood in the hidden formation, looking at the demons who passed by from time to time, and always felt out of place.
"The Demon Realm is indeed open-minded." Si Yang's gaze swept over several demons as he explained, "Demonic energy can amplify the thoughts within a person, which is why demons act in a more unrestrained manner than humans."
Han Tao nodded upon hearing this: "Unlike the human race's advocacy of day and night cultivation, they pursue immediate pleasure."
This is why the demon race always wants to invade the human race's territory. The demon race's resources are limited, while the human race's resources are incredibly abundant. Although the spiritual energy they cultivate conflicts with the demonic energy, the human race has a vast territory with diverse scenery, which is something no demon race dislikes.
Fu Mingxu looked as instructed and found that the entrance to the Demon Realm was in a desert. Even before stepping out of the formation, he could feel the sweltering heat. No wonder these demons were dressed so lightly.
He turned his gaze away, pointed to a man whose collar was almost plunging down to his chest, revealing his underwear as he walked, and asked with difficulty, "Do we have to dress like that too?"
He first thought of himself, and his face turned red with embarrassment. Then he thought of Han Tao dressed like that, and he was so frightened that he shivered and his face turned pale.
Si Yang chuckled, looking at Han Tao's dark face, and said with suppressed laughter, "That's not necessary. Those were all disciples of the Hehuan Sect in the Demon Realm."
There is also a Hehuan Sect within the human race, which Fu Mingxu has seen before, but they are all dressed neatly and properly, and apart from their different cultivation methods, they are also legitimate cultivators.
Upon hearing this, Han Tao silently breathed a sigh of relief and said with difficulty, "The Hehuan Sect in the Demon Realm is not a sect, but rather something similar to a brothel."
Is that so?
Fu Mingxu realized, "So, does the Hehuan Sect of the Demon Realm have a grudge against the Hehuan Sect of the Human Race?"
Otherwise, why would they deliberately come up with such a name to disgust people?
Fu Mingxu had not received a reply to the message he sent to Shen Ange, and he figured she was still in the Demon Realm, so he couldn't help but worry.
After a while, some more demons passed by, and the three of them carefully studied their clothing before disguising themselves.
Fu Mingxu straightened his clothes and looked up uncomfortably as he asked, "Han Tao, did all the demons you saw on the battlefield dress like this?"
The demons weren't dressed entirely in black; on the contrary, they were all colorful, like flowers vying for attention in spring.
"I didn't really notice." Han Tao straightened his collar, then felt that the sleeves of the hastily modified clothes were too short, and the small section of Fu Mingxu's wrist that was exposed was so white that it was practically glowing, attracting attention.
Fu Mingxu let him do as he pleased, thought for a moment and said, "That makes sense. You would definitely kill any demons you see, so you wouldn't be paying attention to their clothes."
The hand that was helping him roll up his sleeves paused for a moment, and Han Tao's voice was a little muffled: "I'm not that bloodthirsty."
Fu Mingxu realized he had misspoke and quickly added, "I know we have different perspectives, but you've done more than enough."
Upon hearing this, Han Tao's eyes curved slightly.