Junior sister, keep forbear for a while, I almost become invincible as soon!

"I have trodden upon countless lands and rivers, watched over the sun, moon, and stars, all to find you."

"Every place you've been, I've been there too, following your footsteps and scent..."

"You are as beautiful as a mountain flower that blooms in one season and withers in another. I could only stop and silently wait."

"Do you know?" Chen Pingping spoke softly, his gaze misty as he recalled the person deep in his heart.

She does not belong to this world.

Everyone was moved. This lad is truly no ordinary person, tossing out sweet nothings with such ease, they thought.

Nearby, Chen Shixian felt a tremor in her heart, stirred by his words. Her mind was in turmoil, like a frantic deer, her cheeks flushed, her affection profound, the love in her eyes impossible to hide.

Is he confessing to me?

Damn it!

He's my lifelong rival, and he's confessing to me?

Hmph!

While her mind raced with such thoughts, her body involuntarily leaned closer, slowly, ever so slowly.

Yes, just like this...

Under the gaze of many powerful experts, her head gently rested on Chen Pingping's shoulder, her long hair fluttering in the wind. From behind, it was a picturesque and beautiful scene, with the bright moon and stars as a backdrop, accompanied by the vast lands and mountains.

The atmosphere grew thick with anticipation; if nothing went awry, something unexpected was bound to happen.

However, Chen Pingping suddenly exclaimed, "Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing? Why are you leaning on my shoulder? Wow, are you trying to take advantage of me?"

His eyes widened as he pushed Chen Shixian away and immediately jumped back as if he had encountered something terrible.

The crowd was dumbfounded.

Chen Shixian was also stunned. What is he talking about? she wondered.

"Damn, this plot twist..." someone muttered.

"The mood was so perfect, and yet there's no follow-up."

"What a pity!"

"Right? Chen Pingping is way too dense, isn't he? With an IQ like that, how did he manage to... you know... with the Moon God?"

"He must have drugged her."

"What I'm more concerned about is how he became the foremost expert of the younger generation?" they all discussed in hushed tones, utterly speechless.

A scene that should have been tender and romantic had been twisted by Chen Pingping into one where he was the victim.

SIGH!

They all shook their heads in regret, disappointed not to see how the story would unfold.

However, one thing was certain to everyone: Chen Shixian liked him.

A cool breeze drifted by, heightening the sudden chill in the atmosphere.

Chen Shixian instantly calmed down. She remained silent, putting some distance between herself and Chen Pingping, her gaze fixed ahead.

"Hey! It was just a joke! Don't be like that!" Chen Pingping said with an awkward laugh, realizing his words had been poorly chosen. He immediately moved closer. "Are you angry?"

"Not at all!"

"'Not at all' means you are." Chen Pingping nodded and smiled. "When the Heavenly Road opens, I'll give you a great gift."

"I don't want it!"

"Why not?"

"I won't accept anything from you anymore." Chen Shixian lowered her eyelids, her voice light yet filled with an indescribable sense of hurt.

Why all the questions?

No means no.

If what you give to others is exactly the same as what you give to me, what's the point of me accepting it?

Chen Shixian was very calm.

But this calmness made Chen Pingping uneasy. He realized she was truly angry this time. "Here, take your sword and strike me down!"

"..."

"Then... how about you lean on me again?"

"..."

"Woman, I'll give you one minute to think it over. Right now. Or don't blame this great lord for being impolite," Chen Pingping feigned anger, his face stern.

But Chen Shixian remained unmoved.

Alright then, he thought, letting out a soft sigh and saying no more.

Suddenly, a loud BANG echoed from the night sky ahead. A black fissure bloomed like a flower bud, spreading rapidly and radiating terrifying fluctuations of energy.

Someone was engaged in a fierce battle.

The many experts present were jolted from their spectator's trance, their gazes fixed on the fissure.

A voice like crashing thunder boomed, "You can't stop me!" It reverberated with a mighty RUMBLE.

Immense Power of Laws pierced the heavens, shooting towards all directions. Any expert touched by it was instantly cleaved in two, without exception.

Chen Pingping gasped sharply and immediately tried to pull Chen Shixian back with him.

But just then, a beam of black light descended, piercing through Chen Shixian's body. With a sickening SQUELCH, she was gravely injured.

"Shixian!" Chen Pingping cried out, his face turning ashen.

The black light, like a living entity, burrowed deep into Chen Shixian's Dantian, unleashing terrible destruction.

Her face instantly paled, and her body trembled.

Damn it! Chen Pingping seethed with frustrated anger.

"Pale Moon..." Two ancient-sounding words drifted from the fissure, followed by two more: "...Curse!"

"You're courting death!" Chen Pingping roared, his eyes flaring, an icy glint shooting from them like sharp sword beams towards the fissure.

However, the fluctuations emanating from the crack were too powerful; his attacks couldn't even get close.

In his arms, Chen Shixian's consciousness was fading, her life force rapidly disappearing. If it weren't for the Tao Seed sustaining her, she would have perished already.

God damn it!

Why is this happening?

He took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself. He glanced around, then, no longer lingering, he fled with Chen Shixian.

"Hold on..."

"Don't fall asleep!"

"Hey, hey, hey? Wake up!"

"You're an Ancient Divine Body, a one-in-ten-thousand constitution, destined to be invincible across the Nine Heavens! How can you fall?"

"I won't mock you anymore, I swear."

"Don't sleep! Whatever you want in the future, I'll give it to you..." At that moment, Chen Pingping was truly panicking, an unprecedented wave of emotion washing over him.

He was terrified that Chen Shixian would die, terrified he'd never see her again.

He didn't know why.

「Back with the others」

Zi Ji hurried over. Seeing the unconscious Chen Shixian, her face filled with confusion.

Fortunately, the Tree of Great Dao had halted the spread of the "Pale Moon" curse.

Hong You emerged from the shadows, gasping. "A Netherworld Curse." Then she glanced at Zi Ji beside her. She seems to have one too.

Back on Luo God Mountain, the curse within Zi Ji had erupted, unleashing a terrible calamity. It was ultimately stopped by the Yuan Knight, at the cost of his own life.

Chen Pingping had blocked what remained of it, falling into a coma for a long time as a result.

Curses were generally unbreakable.

Unless the one who cast the curse was slain.

Chen Pingping naturally knew this, but the fluctuations seeping from the fissure were too overpowering. With Chen Shixian unconscious, his priority had been to escape immediately.

"Senior Brother, Sister Shixian..." Zi Yan began, then hesitated.

"That fiend at the end of the Heavenly Road launched the curse from another world. It was probably aimed at me. I pulled her, and the Power of Curse struck her instead," Chen Pingping said, his expression grim.

Zi Ji's mouth fell slightly agape. Hearing the word "curse," her complexion changed. Bearing a curse herself, she naturally understood the terrifying nature of such power. Nine Reincarnations, and the curse still remained; one could only imagine its tenacity.

She then asked, "So, what do we do now?"

"I don't know!" Chen Pingping shook his head, his mind in turmoil. "She's an Ancient Divine Body, with special manifestations within her, and she also has a Tao Seed. That should be enough to stop the curse from spreading."

Zi Ji nodded. "I believe Sister Shixian can make it."

Chen Pingping said, "Yes, she definitely can..." He paused, then added, "The Heavenly Road has opened, and an extraordinary power is spreading. The Central Continent will soon descend into chaos. None of you should wander off during this time."

His expression was solemn.