Conquering That Great Demon Lord [Xian Ni Fan Fiction] - Chapter 43: The Valley

Chapter 43: The Valley

Li Muwan’s mind was in a daze, her vision unfocused. The Wang Lin before her resembled an injured wolf seeking a sheltered place to heal.

The Soul Pearl transmitted sensations from between her brows.

[Soul Pearl: Fiend’s favorability has increased by 93%.]

Tears traced down Li Muwan’s cheeks as she endured the force, yet in this moment she seemed to grasp a glimmer of hope. Her slender fingers dug into the broad back, leaving several red marks.

[Li Muwan: I had already given up hope. Who would have thought a century of separation would bring a breakthrough in the Fiend’s favorability? Perhaps if I coax him a little more, I can reclaim my Soul of Life.]

[Soul Pearl: Master, conquering the Fiend is within reach.]

Pinned beneath him, Li Muwan flipped over and continued her conquest.

“Husband…” Wang Lin’s ears were filled with soft, lingering calls.

Lost in passion, he heard that long-unheard voice – it was Wan’er from the Southern Garden of Cloud Heaven Sect, the one who taught him how to love her, not that heartless woman who left without a word just to avoid him.

“Wan’er… Wan’er…” Wang Lin called out tenderly, over and over.

The red hair restraining her loosened slightly. Li Muwan felt the familiar warmth as his frantic plundering left her breathless.

His demands were filled with endless desire. Li Muwan couldn’t withstand it and could only beg for mercy repeatedly.

Seeing her pitiful state only satisfied Wang Lin more.

“Wan’er promised not to leave. Why did you break your word?” Teeth marks appeared on her delicate, rosy earlobe.

“Husband blames me…” Li Muwan’s eyes welled with tears, her face flushed crimson.

Wang Lin’s features tightened as his emotions reached their peak.

With a muffled sound, “Wan’er…”

After the storm subsided.

“Wan’er, I don’t blame you.” Wang Lin exhaled hot breath, his breathing gradually calming. “As long as you promise never to leave again.”

“You still believe me?” Li Muwan’s cheeks were wet as she parted her lips.

“I’ll believe whatever Wan’er says.” Wang Lin nuzzled her neck, greedily inhaling her scent.

Coming to her senses from the passion, Li Muwan asked, “Senior Brother, now that you’ve returned, will you leave again?”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Wan’er was wrong,” she said with tears in her eyes, her lips trembling in a way that tugged at Wang Lin’s heart. “Senior Brother has every right to blame me.”

Her face was like snow clearing after a storm. Nestled in his embrace, she appeared as docile as a rabbit, yet inside dwelled a fox that could captivate hearts and make him want her again.

From that day on, the disciples of Azure Water Sect never saw their Guest Elder again, while immense Spiritual Power emanated daily from the valley behind the mountain.

Li Muwan lost track of day and night, only remembering the light outside the courtyard brightening ten times and darkening ten times.

When doing nothing, Wang Lin would simply hold her quietly without speaking, afraid that if he loosened his grip, she would leave again.

Her body aching from the strain and unable to absorb more Spiritual Power, Li Muwan wanted to recuperate in the warm pools of Azure Water Sect’s back mountain.

Just mentioning Azure Water Sect made Wang Lin’s expression change abruptly. With a mere thought, the grand formation that the sect had been repairing for days shattered again overnight.

The elders looked at the broken Barrier, wanting to cry but having no tears. Had Azure Water Sect provoked someone they shouldn’t have? Was this the end of the road?

“If Wan’er wants to go, I’ll accompany you.” Wang Lin scooped her up horizontally. The robes she wore were his as well.

“Just… like this?” Li Muwan glanced at her disheveled state, finding it completely unpresentable.

“Hmm.” Wang Lin responded indifferently.

The back mountain of Azure Water Sect was already deserted. Wang Lin had no need to worry about his treasure being coveted or spied upon.

Entering through the back gate of the Azure Water Sect, the place was deserted. The battle from that day felt as vivid as yesterday. Li Muwan remembered clearlythe Azure Water Sect had become the second Cloud Heaven Sect, though the Azure Water Sect’s fate was even more tragic. The Fiend’s rationality was scarce, and it was a miracle that some disciples had survived.

A moment later, their figures landed beside the warm pool. Li Muwan hadn’t bathed in half a month; during the ten days Wang Lin had confined her to the courtyard, there had been almost no respite.

She tried to soothe the Fiend, yet she sensed a desire in him even more intense than during their time at the Cloud Heaven Sect. If he had held back before, now Wang Lin made no effort to conceal his cravings in her presence. The whispers by her ear were enough to make her blush crimson.

Wang Lin carried her into the warm pool, and Li Muwan lay in his embrace the entire time. “Wan’er, you must be tired. Let me wash you.”

Li Muwan’s arms, which had been wrapped around his neck, slipped down and pressed against Wang Lin’s chest. “Senior Brother, let Wan’er do it herself.”

But the slightest hint of defiance in her tone made Wang Lin frown. Instantly, Li Muwan changed her tune. “Then… I’ll trouble Senior Brother.”

She rested her arm in his palm, her slender wrist gripped firmly. The damp cloth slid from her shoulders, revealing bruises all over her body. She flinched whenever he touched her.

A hoarse voice brushed past: “Does it hurt?”

Li Muwan, nestled in the crook of his arm, shook her head.

“Then what?”

“It tickles,” she murmured, her voice as faint as a wisp.

Wang Lin buried his chin against her neck, gently nuzzling in. His tongue traced the smooth skin but refrained from pressing further. She nestled in his embrace, allowing him to savor her, her slight trembles accusing him of his teasing.

“Senior Brother, it tickles…” Li Muwan arched her neck, her breath unsteady.

Succumbing to passion, he released his bite and gazed at her pitiable state, damp from the pool. The wet cloth in his hand continued to wipe her, stray strands of hair clinging to her cheeks. Wang Lin tucked them behind her ears, enveloping her in silence.

Through his eyes, Li Muwan seemed to peer into the soul within this body. The words long held in her heart reached her lips only to be swallowed back.

Wang Lin no longer seemed fixated on why she had avoided him. As long as she was in his grasp now, he could let go of past grievances and didn’t care if Li Muwan was hiding anything from him.

“If Wan’er doesn’t like the Cloud Heaven Sect, I’ll stay with you in this secluded cottage on the back mountain of the Azure Water Sect. How does that sound?”

His words were deceptively soft, like being carried away by a gentle stream, yet the aggression and possessiveness in his expression left no room for negotiation. It was as if, should he hear an answer he didn’t want, the Fiend would shatter everythingincluding her.

“Alright, as Senior Brother wishes.” Li Muwan clung to him, the Soul Pearl at her brow undergoing another change.

[Soul Pearl: Fiend’s Favorability +95%]

Li Muwan offered only a faint smile, yet it carried a peerless grace that eclipsed all worldly allure. In Wang Lin’s heart, it was the most beautiful smile he had ever seen.

Little did he know, that smile concealed intentions known to no one else.

After soaking in the spirit pool, her body had recovered considerably, and even the bruises had faded significantly. Li Muwan straightened up, her spring-like radiance exposed, and straddled his waist before settling back down.

His powerful legs became a steady seat for her.

In this position, she lightly traced his nose bridge, her crimson hair floating on the water’s surface.

When she rose again, she pressed Wang Lin’s entire head against her soft fullness. Not long after, the two tumbled into the pool, the water submerging their chests. Beneath the calm surface, stormy passions ragedthe pool water surged over the edges, spilling onto the grassy courtyard.

Li Muwan’s wrists were bound tightly by strands of hair, raised high above her head. He began observing from beneath the waterher faintly visible figure swaying with the current, unclear yet pressed downward by the sinking force from the water’s surface. Wang Lin’s silhouette had already vanished.

Then a surge of power lifted her waist and abdomen from below, throwing Li Muwan off balance as she nearly toppled. Her arms splayed out against the pool’s edge, while currents slid between her legs, delving into unfathomable darkness. Unable to endure, she pressed her toes against the pool floor, her limbsattempting to closewere forcibly pried apart.

Underwater currents surged, allowing her only glimpses of floating crimson hair as the water’s surface obscured the arching, powerful back.

After a long while, Wang Lin emerged from the water, droplets streaming down his sharp features from his drenched face. Li Muwan, cheeks flushed crimson, slowly slid down to rest against his jaw, opening her mouth to catch the falling droplets.

This bold act provoked the beast within him. Pausing for half a breath, his fingers slipped into her cherry lips, the parted flesh enveloping his slender digits as his fingertips rubbed against her tongue bed. Her misty eyes, tinged with seduction, could captivate any soul.

Wang Lin had long shed his gentlemanly facade, devouring her like a starved predator.

The mixture of her saliva and water only fueled the raging flames of desire. “Senior Brother,” she breathed, “why don’t you ask Wan’er why she tried to escape?”

“No need,” Wang Lin murmured against her earlobe, “if Wan’er dares flee again, I’ll tear you apart.”

Li Muwan’s enchanting laughter fell like a drizzling rain upon parched earth, intoxicating and mesmerizing. Panting lightly, her coquettish tone wove a spell around his senses, “Come then, Wang Lin, tear Wan’er apart…”

Lost in passion, Wang Lin emitted low, stifled groans. Though he struggled to restrain himself, Li Muwan deliberately ignited his primal fire, urging it to burn brighter.

“Li Muwan…” he abandoned all restraint and mercy, gripping her arms as he thrust down fiercely, “I allow you to tease me, but I forbid you to abandon me…”

“Unless I cease to exist in this world, you can never escape.”

“Senior Brother,” Li Muwan transformed into a soothing Spirit Beast, winding around his body to lick his ruffled fur, “Wan’er won’t run. Wan’er wants to be with you…”

She enunciated each word deliberately: “For-ever.”

Wang Lin closed his eyes, the restless beast within him pacified. He succumbed to her words and movementsshe played the Fiend like an instrument, watching him spiral into madness before she tamed him again. The Soul Pearl’s affinity fluctuated once more.

By the time their figures returned to the valley cottage late at night, fireflies hovered among the Spirit herbs while mountain winds rustled through grassy waves. Li Muwan sat before the dressing table arranging her hair, draped in his outer cloak with nothing beneath.

Wang Lin’s outer robe hung loosely, revealing his broad chest, his long hair in disarray. When Li Muwan handed him a wooden comb, he held it motionlessly.

Noticing his dazed stare into the bronze mirror, Li Muwan coiled her hair and turned. “Senior Brother, why aren’t you combing your hair?”

Wang Lin looked down in confusion. His hair was too longa task easily accomplished with Spiritual Power. But Li Muwan had insisted that since they were secluding themselves here, he must refrain from using Spiritual Power unless necessary.

Honoring his wife’s decree, he could only gaze at her helplessly.

“Wan’er, comb my hair for me.”

He wasn’t like this when he was devouring me earlier, Li Muwan mused inwardly, though she willingly took the comb. “Turn around.”

“Wan’er…”

“How can I comb your hair if you don’t turn around?”

He obediently changed direction, not turning his back to her but facing her directly, lifting her to sit upright on his lap. “We can still do your hair like this.”

“Senior Brother,” Li Muwan narrowed her eyes as she studied him, “are you acting spoiled with Wan’er?”

Wang Lin remained silent, leaning against her shoulder. “Wan’er once said that between husband and wife, there’s no need for formalities. I remember everything.”

The corners of Li Muwan’s lips curved upward. All these years he had never given up searching for her, though she wondered if he had troubled any Cloud Heaven Sect disciples in the process. “Have you… returned to Cloud Heaven Sect?”

“Mm.”

“I waited for you there…” Wang Lin’s voice carried both loneliness and profound weariness.

Li Muwan’s heart ached as she cupped his face. “Senior Brother, it was Wan’er’s fault…”

Wang Lin smiled faintly and retrieved several jade slips from his storage bag, presenting them to her.

“What’s this?” Wang Lin watched her reaction carefully.

Then, with a hint of shyness, he averted his gaze and murmured softly, “A gift for you.”

Despite his calm demeanor, his evasive eyes betrayed his nervousness. Li Muwan took them in her hands, her tone carrying both delight and the same lively playfulness she had shown back in the Sea of Demonic Cultivation.

The gift box contained several Rank Six pill formulas. “These pill formulas are all precious items. Did Senior Brother specifically bring them back because you know what Wan’er likes?”

“Mm.”

Wang Lin then produced numerous immortal herbs. Li Muwan was astonishedshe had only seen these herbs in ancient books before. He had specifically brought them back from the Rain Immortal Realm.

“You remember everything I taught you?”

“I promised Wan’er.”

“But Senior Brother didn’t wait for Wan’er.” Having experienced this bitterness herself, Li Muwan felt her heart ache with empathy.

“I could find you.” Wang Lin grasped her wrist holding the wooden comb and pressed it against his chest.

Guilt welled up in Li Muwan’s heart as she nuzzled her nose against Wang Lin. “Wan’er was wrong. Wan’er won’t be willful anymore. I really like these pill formulas and immortal herbs.”

Though the Rank Six pill formulas were precious, given her current situation, she likely couldn’t afford the massive spiritual power required to refine such high-grade elixirs.

“I’ll study them properly when Wan’er has time.” She put away the jade slips and resumed combing Wang Lin’s hair.

After Li Muwan fell asleep, Wang Lin left the courtyard and summoned the Thunder Frog from the Primal Beast Driving Ring. During the battle with Hong Die, though they had narrowly escaped death to claim victory, the Thunder Frog had suffered severe injuries and its cultivation level had dropped. Since returning to Vermilion Bird Star, he had been feeding it spirit pills all these years.

This place was abundant with spiritual power. Leaving it in the valley to absorb the energy might help restore its cultivation level. A figure cast a shadow across the window’s lamplight as Wang Lin stood with his back to the darkness.

“This place will benefit your recovery. You may heal yourself here, but you must not damage Wan’er’s spirit herbs. If she gets angry, I won’t be able to protect you either.”

The Thunder Frog croaked twice. Wang Lin shot it a sharp glare, and it immediately fell silent.

“No noise at night. If you disturb Wan’er’s rest, I’ll have to put you back.”

The Thunder Frog miserably closed its mouth, its dull eyes rolling twice in dissatisfaction but not daring to make a sound before it kicked its legs and leaped into the grass.

Inside the room, Li Muwan, who had witnessed everything, smiled faintly.

Yet even a superior spirit beast like the Thunder Frog, with cultivation comparable to mid Spirit Transformation stage, had been injured. This showed just how many difficulties he must have faced in that immortal realm.

Noticing the gaze from behind him, Wang Lin turned and casually reentered the courtyard. When he opened the door, Li Muwan was lying on the daybed with the quilt pulled up to her chest.

Wang Lin knew she wasn’t asleep. He simply leaned over the bed and embraced her from behind. “Wan’er, your cultivation has remained at the Core Formation Stage all these years. Have you been neglecting your practice?”

Li Muwan stirred slightly, opened her eyes, and sighed inwardly, though her voice showed no trace of worry when she spoke.

She turned sideways, burying herself in his embrace, and said with feigned lightness, “I don’t pursue higher realms anyway. If my cultivation level stagnates, so be it.”

A moment of silence passed without response.

Tilting her head up playfully, Li Muwan teased, “Senior Brother, are you disdaining Wan’er for falling behind in cultivation and becoming your burden?””

“Wan’er, are you hiding something from me?” Wang Lin tightened his grip on her wrist. Li Muwan tried to pull back guiltily but found herself immobilized.

In that instant, fear enveloped herthe secret was about to be exposed.

As her wrist brushed against his brow, Wang Lin’s spiritual sense stirred, revealing the desolate void within her body, already showing signs of decay with faint traces of deathly aura lingering.

Wang Lin’s heart tore sharply, his brows furrowing tightly.

Li Muwan took a deep breath, attempting to comfort him, but felt a surge of warmth flowing into her arm.

“Wan’er, you…” He refused to believe his own assessment.

“Senior Brother, it’s nothing serious.”

He had known earlier about her failed Nascent Soul Formation and originally intended to seek opportunities in the immortal realm to aid her breakthrough, but his plans were disrupted by the conflict with Hong Die.

“Wan’er, I will help you achieve Nascent Soul Formation.” Wang Lin’s expression turned bitter, as if he had realized something. “When you left Cloud Heaven Sect back then, was it because you knew about your condition that you departed without saying goodbye?”

“You promised not to pursue this matter anymore,” Li Muwan avoided the topic. Having long accepted her fate of dwindling lifespan in this valley, she had made peace with her inevitable end.

“Wan’er, tell me. I need to know.” Wang Lin’s fingertips rested on her cheek, his pained expression making it impossible to deceive him further.

“All these years of attempting Nascent Soul Formation have yielded no results. Perhaps my innate talent is insufficient to break through.”

She concealed the matter of her Soul of Life and hid the truth about how refining that Jade Slip had damaged her foundation. Now reunited with him at Azure Water Sect, seeing him immersed in tenderness, Li Muwan couldn’t bear to reveal the past. She would simply be his wife for this lifetime.