Desire is not a sin, but desire leads to sin

That kind of thing... that kind of thing is absolutely unacceptable.

Just thinking about it made Xiaobai feel like she was suffocating.

Even though she knew this was the influence of the Dao Heart trial, Xiaobai was still in immense pain because Ye Shu's anger was justified.

She was just about to apologize.

The next moment.

Whoosh!

Ye Shu's figure suddenly appeared in the small world.

Hiding in the small world, Xiaobai was clinging to a large tree, trembling. Her big eyes were filled with panic and fear.

He stood before Xiaobai in clothes as white as snow. The sun hid behind him, casting his face in pitch-black shadow so that Xiaobai could not see his expression. She only felt that the aura exuding from Ye Shu's entire body was incredibly terrifying.

Oppressive, stagnant.

Xiaobai was very familiar with this aura.

It was exactly the same as when they were by the stream after Ye Shu defeated Lin Qingxue in chapter six.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

"I... I..."

Xiaobai shuddered all over, knowing that he was blaming her.

She lowered her head in grievance, her big eyes welling up with tears, and her voice choked with sobs. "I am sorry... I didn't mean it... I really didn't mean it. I didn't want things to be like this either, but I am stupid and always forget so many things. I really didn't mean it..."

"Please, please don't abandon me, okay..."

"I am sorry... really..."

Xiaobai half-knelt on the ground, her eyes blurred with tears, begging with all her might.

She also didn't understand why she always forgot things.

Perhaps after pulling Ye Shu into this world, she had depleted too much of her origin essence, causing her to shrink. How much could a seven or eight-year-old child remember anyway?

That was why she forgot things so often.

But... forgetting was forgetting, and being stupid was being stupid.

She knew that Ye Shu had always been lying to her before.

Saying that she was the most useful.

Saying that she was his trump card.

But she knew Ye Shu was just coaxing her. She was the most useless. She couldn't possess bodies like Danxia, nor could she provide backup like Lin Qingxue, and she wasn't even as good as Xia Hanmo's poison pills...

She only caused trouble.

Only forgot things.

Only made Ye Shu fall into desperate situations time and time again.

"I am sorry... I am useless..."

Xiaobai cried bitterly, almost unable to utter a word of explanation, only apologizing over and over again.

Until...

A pair of gentle yet strong arms softly embraced her.

Xiaobai looked up blankly, only to see that Ye Shu had crouched down at some point, gently pulling her into his arms. His right hand softly stroked her hair, and his voice was tender, speaking in a tone used to coax a child. "It is okay, I don't blame you."

"Eh?"

Xiaobai looked up blankly. "You don't blame me?"

"But I didn't even tell you the information about the Qingxuan Sword, causing you to be forced to undergo the trial."

"If you were to die..."

"I don't blame you."

Ye Shu shook his head, very calm.

"Because whether you told me or not, I had to come here to refine the Qingxuan Sword. So even if you had told me, I would still have grasped the hilt."

"Any information from you would not affect my decision."

"Furthermore, in your original design, I was able to pass the Qingxuan Sword's trial. Since the predetermined future has already been confirmed, then no matter what the trial is, passing it is inevitable."

"So, I don't blame you."

Ye Shu tried his best to say these words in a tone so cold it bordered on ruthless, because these words were not meant for Xiaobai's ears.

They were meant for himself.

Just now, the moment he entered the small world.

Looking at Xiaobai under the tree, he actually felt an impulse to strangle her to death. This terrifying thought only appeared for an instant, but it made him shudder.

Anger rose from his heart, and malice grew in his courage.

Unknowingly, his heart had suddenly filled with anger.

This made him realize that the Dao Heart trial had begun.

Fortunately, even though the emotions in his heart had long since stirred up stormy waves, Ye Shu always stuck to his own principles.

Judge actions, not thoughts; judge thoughts, not actions.

"Wu..."

Xiaobai bit her lip tightly, completely overwhelmed with emotion. She gripped Ye Shu's collar tightly, her lips trembling.

"But... but don't you hate me?"

"I was the one who brought you to this world, making you suffer so many attacks for no reason, making you experience so much danger. You originally could have..."

"You are wrong."

Ye Shu interrupted her, his gaze as calm as water.

"The one at fault is not you."

"The ones at fault are the system, Danxia, Lin Qingxue, Feng Mengli, Mu Wanxi, and Mu Yunxi."

"The ones at fault are those people who cannot distinguish black from white."

"I will never attribute the unreasonable mistakes of others to a source that they do not belong to. Venting anger on the innocent is an excuse for the weak and incompetent, and I am neither."

"But I brought you into this world!"

Xiaobai looked up, her eyes full of self-blame.

"..."

Ye Shu was silent for a moment.

"But this isn't the world you originally wanted, is it? Or rather, the original world wasn't like this. Everything now is caused by the system, not because of you. So what reason do I have to hate you?"

"I cannot think that transmigrating was a good thing eighteen years ago, enjoying it in peace, and then when bad things happen, instantly turn around and push the blame away."

"You might say that I was a piece of trash in the Ye family."

"I suffered so many cold stares, and I was not happy."

"But being the son of a clan leader, even as a cripple, is far, far better than my past life working on a 897 assembly line. I had clothes brought to me, food fed to me, and servants waiting on me."

"I had a father, Xiaosu, and a childhood sweetheart."

"Compared to my past life, this was already far, far better."

"Even now, at this very moment, I still have you accompanying me unwaveringly. This is countless times better than the me in the past who was completely alone."

Ye Shu cupped her tear-stained little face, looking utterly serious.

"Please do not belittle yourself."

"I do not hate you."

"Nor do I have any reason or standpoint to hate you."

"When you gaze into the extremely profound darkness of the night sky, you will overlook those shining stars."

When he finished saying this.

Buzz...

The Xiaobai before his eyes instantly dissipated, and the surrounding scenery shattered piece by piece like porcelain.

And Ye Shu was currently gripping the hilt of the sword.

Xiaobai was sitting on his shoulder, her face full of shock. "Idiot, why did you just grab it directly? I haven't even told you what the trial entails yet!"

"What?"

Ye Shu, holding the hilt, froze. He hadn't yet broken free from the illusion just now and subconsciously looked at Xiaobai.

"Ah!"

Xiaobai patted his head with a look of helplessness. "The Qingxuan Sword's trial has three stages: anger, hatred, and desire."

"Why did you just grab the hilt right from the start?"

"I couldn't even stop you!"

"Couldn't stop... me?"

Ye Shu murmured softly. Looking at Xiaobai's helpless little face, he suddenly realized that the trial hadn't begun when he grasped the sword hilt, but the very moment he entered the valley.

Xiaobai's appearance... was merely to provoke his anger.

To provoke his hate.

No wonder he had acted so completely out of character.

"Is this the Dao Heart Trial?"

Ye Shu muttered in a low voice, feeling a lingering fear. In the past, he always thought the Heart Demon tribulations in novels were incredibly stupid. If you already knew it was a Heart Demon tribulation and were on guard, how could you still be affected?

But now...

He looked at Xiaobai, who sat on his shoulder with a face full of worry, and recalled everything that had just happened in the minor world.

It was terrifying.

He didn't even know when he had fallen into the trap.

No wonder the Heart Demon tribulation was considered the greatest calamity for cultivators.

Just as Ye Shu was praising his own mental fortitude and letting out a sigh of relief, he suddenly remembered something. His eyes widened, and staring intently at Xiaobai on his shoulder, he grit his teeth and said:

"How many stages did you say this trial has?"

"Three stages, why?"

Xiaobai looked at him innocently, then patted her completely flat little chest. "Relax~ According to this Heavenly Dao's design, you'll definitely be able to endure it, so you don't need to worry..."

"That's not what I'm asking!"

Ye Shu abruptly interrupted her, gritting his teeth.

"You just said the trial has three stages."

"I've already experienced anger and hate. What about desire?"

As soon as his voice fell—Whoosh!

A cluster of pinkish-purple flames suddenly ignited in Ye Shu's dantian, spreading through his meridians to his limbs and bones. Soon, a faint pinkish-purple halo burned on the surface of his body, like a thin veil.

"Ah?!!!"

Xiaobai's eyes widened in shock, almost jumping out of her skin.

"Why did you skip straight to the fires of lust! I was planning to use my administrative privileges to skip this level! Are you kidding me!"

"When did you even pass the first two stages?"

Although under her original design, there were no cuckolding elements in this stage.

But the problem was, this wasn't the original design anymore.

Ye Shu couldn't understand a word Xiaobai was saying. He only felt his head instantly become dizzy, his entire body burning with a feverish heat.

He turned his head, finding Xiaobai to be incredibly adorable.

Her petite body, fair and tender cheeks, big round eyes, and those plain white little feet. Everything he was used to seeing on a daily basis suddenly became extremely seductive.

Ye Shu's breathing instantly became somewhat rapid.

Gulp!

He couldn't help but reach out, pulling Xiaobai into his embrace. He rubbed his nose against her collar and sniffed, a faint milky fragrance flooding his nasal cavity.

Hiss~

Ye Shu took a deep breath, an intoxicated look on his face.

"Xiaobai, you smell so good."

"Eek!"

Xiaobai cried out in alarm. She pushed against his head with all her might, but it was completely useless. Seeing that Ye Shu had almost buried half his face into her, Xiaobai was on the verge of tears from anxiety.

"What are you doing!"

She said that, but in reality, her hands didn't use much force, allowing Ye Shu's hands to roam freely over her body, gliding across every inch of her skin.

"Huff~ Huff~"

Ye Shu slowly raised his head, panting heavily. His eyes were bloodshot as he stared fixedly at Xiaobai's face.

"What... what do you want to do?"

Xiaobai clutched her disheveled clothes tightly, watching him warily.

"Mmph!"

The next moment, Ye Shu lowered his head and fiercely kissed Xiaobai's luscious lips, sucking on the sweet nectar in her mouth with all his might, as if he were drinking milk.

It was milky and sweet.

"Mmm..."

Xiaobai only resisted slightly before enjoyably wrapping her arms around Ye Shu's neck, closing her eyes, and kissing him back.

The two kissed passionately, unable to part.

After fully seven and a half minutes, Ye Shu really couldn't take it anymore and forcefully pulled away the Xiaobai clinging to his body. Only then did Xiaobai lick her lips, still longing for more, her big eyes filled with satisfaction.

Wait, who exactly was the one struck by the fires of lust here?

Ye Shu stared blankly at Xiaobai, who was as soft as a puddle of water in his arms. She crossed her arms over her chest, her clothes in disarray, revealing a large expanse of snow-white skin with a hint of pink on her chest, as well as half of a perfectly crystal-clear shoulder. Her big eyes were filled with mist, wet and watery like a frightened little fawn. Her damp hair stuck to her cheeks. A mixture of childishness and maturity intertwined, creating an extremely bizarre sense of seduction.

She was just short of having three words written on her face.

"Take me now."

Xiaobai gazed at Ye Shu infatuatedly, her eyes misty.

Ye Shu swallowed hard, his hands trembling. He reached out almost as if on a pilgrimage, wanting to peel away the half-undone clothing.

Xiaobai blushed shyly, but did not struggle.

"Be... be gentle."

However—

Those hands hovered in mid-air, yet hesitated to fall.

"N-no."

Ye Shu gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot. Looking at Xiaobai's tender little face, the moral defense line established by his previous life's nine years of compulsory education finally kicked in.

If he went through with this, never mind eternal damnation.

It would be at least a ten-thousand-year prison sentence.

In an instant, Ye Shu suddenly sobered up.

How old was Xiaobai? A few hundred million years old, sure, but this was a straight ticket to a dark prison cell!

With this thought, he violently threw a punch.

Bang!

The Xiaobai who was just like a blooming flower instantly spat out a mouthful of milk. She was sent flying by his punch, landing in a patch of grass, her fate unknown.

"Phew~"

Ye Shu breathed a sigh of relief. "I almost made a huge mistake. Out of sight, out of mind."

As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Medusa in the distance.

This...

This one should be fine, right?

Medusa was already an adult.

Besides, in the original plot, the two of them were also... Anyway, this was just following the historical course of events.

This should be... fine, right?

Ye Shu's eyes gradually turned bloodshot again. He looked at the little Medusa in the distance as if looking at a brand new prey.

Medusa's heart skipped a beat under his gaze.

"Just as I thought, this little thief still wants to force himself on me." She muttered in a low voice through gritted teeth, her eyes full of indignation.

Fortunately, she hadn't immediately begun comprehending the heaven and earth.

Otherwise, he definitely would have succeeded!

Medusa made up her mind. As long as Ye Shu dared to approach, she would bite him to death!

However, Ye Shu did not move.

Fully seven and a half minutes passed, and even though smoke was practically rising from his head and his lower body was pitched high like a tent, he still hadn't taken a single step.

As if seeing through Medusa's confusion.

He gave a faint smile.

"A hero doesn't break his promises."

"D-damn it." Little Medusa's pretty face flushed red, and she spat out, "What a show-off."

Even though Ye Shu said this, she still wasn't at ease.

With a wave of her hand, she laid down layers of formations. Ye Shu, who was only at the Golden Core stage, would absolutely be unable to get close.

Only then did she finally relax and close her eyes.

Just as everyone was silently immersed in cultivation or endurance, a soul that had been slumbering for a long time slowly awakened.