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Xuan Ming gently placed the two ten thousand year profound ice marrow and the storage spirit tool on the ice table in front of them.
"So, there's no need to feel that I've sacrificed much, or carried any burden. I'm just a very selfish person, doing what I want to do, and fulfilling my own promises. Giving these things to you is also my own choice; it has nothing to do with you, and even less with so-called responsibility."
After speaking, he said no more, turned and left the ice house, his figure merging into the night outside.
The Ice Empress looked at the two masses of ten thousand year profound ice marrow on the table, emitting an alluring glow, then looked at the silent Snow Empress, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing.
The Snow Empress stretched out her hand, her fingertips gently touching the cold ten thousand year profound ice marrow, feeling the immense energy within it. In her ice-blue eyes, her emotions were complex and hard to decipher.
She had always thought that Xuan Ming was kidnapped by Gu Yuena and the righteousness of the Spirit Beast Clan, forced to bear heavy responsibilities. But now she understood that he was more clear-headed than anyone imagined, and also more... stubborn.
He didn't care about the World; he only cared about the people he recognized.
This almost obsessive "selfishness" instead gave the Snow Empress a strange sense of being touched.
She seemed to, somewhat, understand... Leaving the ice house of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, Xuan Ming did not return to the castle but turned towards another part of the island.
There, the Life aura was exceptionally rich; it was the temporary dwelling Bi Ji and Zi Ji had created, mimicking the environment of the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest, with lush vegetation and babbling streams.
He walked to the edge of that vibrant woodland. Before he could speak, Bi Ji's gentle voice already came: "Come in, Xuan Ming."
Xuan Ming stepped inside and saw Bi Ji sitting on a section of ancient wood emitting a soft green light, with a comforting Life aura flowing around her.
Zi Ji leaned lazily against a nearby tree trunk, her Dragon eyes flickering faintly in the night, carrying a hint of wildness and inquiry.
"Looking for us?" Zi Ji spoke first, her tone not as sharp as the Ice Empress's, but equally direct.
Xuan Ming looked at them. Compared to the absolute calm he showed when facing the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress, there was a subtle hint of complexity in his eyes.
Just as Gu Yuena had said, he was a person with a lack of love in his heart, and Bi Ji's gentle and inclusive aura, like a Life spring, had instinctively made him want to get close, even to be immersed.
During those days at the Lake of Life when Di Tian relentlessly trained him, Bi Ji's healing not only repaired his body but also subtly soothed his tense spirit.
"To see you," Xuan Ming's voice was slightly softer than before, "and also to talk about... what's between us."
Bi Ji looked at him gently, saying nothing, waiting for him to continue. Zi Ji raised an eyebrow, signaling him to proceed.
"For you," Xuan Ming paused, seemingly choosing his words carefully, "my feelings are quite complex."
His frankness made a hint of surprise flash in Bi Ji's eyes, and Zi Ji also sat up slightly.
"During that time at the Lake of Life, I was very happy." Xuan Ming's gaze seemed distant, recalling that period when, although his body was constantly in extreme pain, his mind was rarely relaxed. "Even though most of the time I was beaten to a pulp by Di Tian and lying on the ground, that simple atmosphere... I was truly relaxed. I didn't need to think too much, nor worry about anything."
Those were rare moments when he could temporarily set aside all burdens, existing merely as a "Cultivator." Bi Ji's silent guardianship and healing, and Zi Ji's occasional teasing concern, became rare warm colors in that gray memory.
"I know Gu Yuena told you some things." Xuan Ming looked at Bi Ji, his eyes clear, "I also admit that facing your gentleness, I indeed... had an urge to get closer."
Bi Ji's cheeks flushed slightly, and she gently lowered her eyes.
"However," Xuan Ming's tone became firm again, "I am very clear that I do not have that opportunity right now."
"Choices always have to be made." He spoke as if to himself, and also as if explaining to them, "I first made a promise to the Ice Dragon King, so I will naturally do my best to fulfill that promise first. This is my choice, and it is the path I must take."
He looked at Bi Ji and Zi Ji, his eyes sincere and with a hint of apology: "If in the future... there truly is an opportunity, I might not hide my greed. But for now, I cannot."
He couldn't allow himself to be tied down by any emotions that might distract him, especially after clarifying his direction and goals.
"I also know," Xuan Ming's voice softened slightly, "that for your long Lives, I, a human friend you've only known for a few fleeting years, am merely a transient passerby, a small interlude."
Spirit Beasts' lifespans are measured in tens of thousands of years, and his Life, even if he became a god, would still be short in its initial stages compared to theirs.
"You still have a long time, and you will meet more in the future..." He tried to say something, but was interrupted by Zi Ji.
"Hey, kid." Zi Ji crossed her arms, a hint of displeasure in her Dragon eyes, "Do you think we're the kind of people who change our minds easily? Or do you think hundreds of thousands of years are too long, and we can't stand the loneliness?"
Xuan Ming was slightly startled.
Bi Ji also looked up, gazing at him gently yet firmly: "Xuan Ming, the length of Life does not equate to the depth of emotion. For us, in hundreds of thousands of years, those who truly enter our hearts are few and far between. That time at the Lake of Life, while perhaps a brief relaxation for you, was for us also a rare moment when ripples appeared in our long Lives."
Her voice was like a spring breeze across a lake, carrying a comforting power: "We understand your choice, and we respect your promise. You don't need to apologize for it, nor feel the need to give us an explanation."
Zi Ji snorted and interjected: "Exactly. Don't think too highly of yourself. We've lived for hundreds of thousands of years; what haven't we seen? Do we need you to worry about whether we'll be bored in the future?"
Despite her words, the concern in her eyes was not hidden.
Xuan Ming looked at them, remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "I understand."
He no longer made any promises, nor did he explain his "selfishness." Some understandings require no words.
He raised his hand, and two beams of light also flashed. One was a crystal of extremely concentrated Life energy, emitting an aura that was of the same origin as Bi Ji's but purer; the other was a dark purple scale-like crystal, containing pure devouring energy, subtly echoing Zi Ji's attributes.
"These might be helpful for your future Cultivation." He pushed the two items towards Bi Ji and Zi Ji respectively, "Consider it a small token of my regard."
Bi Ji felt the vast and intimate energy in the Life crystal, and a hint of emotion flashed in her eyes. Zi Ji held the dark purple crystal, her Dragon eyes slightly brightening. She could feel the attraction of its power to her Bloodline.
"I found these on the Sun Moon Continent," Xuan Ming said.
"After knowing you for so long, I haven't given you any gifts, and I've always troubled you..."
"Thank you."
Xuan Ming looked at them and finally said: "I cannot give any promises or guarantees right now. The road ahead is unknown. All I can do is try my best to become stronger and survive. As for the future... I don't know."
After speaking, he nodded slightly to them and turned to leave the vibrant woodland.
Bi Ji and Zi Ji watched his departing back, silent for a long time.
"What a... awkward and stubborn little fellow." Zi Ji finally sighed, her tone carrying a subtle softness.
Bi Ji gently held the Life crystal, feeling its warm energy, and smiled tenderly: "But he's very real, isn't he?"
It was precisely because of his realness, his "selfishness," and his stubbornness that these old beings who had lived for countless years were involuntarily drawn to him, willing to invest in him a different kind of attention and emotion than they would in others.