Chapter 178: Between Desire and Endurance

If he had not been told in advance that Bai He and Xu Feng would lose their lives because of his giving up, he might have considered it.

But since Ye Shiyuan already knew beforehand, that thought never arose.

Because he had someone he wanted to protect in his heart, even if it meant sacrificing his own life, he would not hesitate.

He overcame the fear within him, because in this world, there was nothing more terrifying than losing the person he did not want to lose.

Ye Shiyuan’s gaze deepened, and his fingers could not help but reach out to touch Bai He’s cheek.

"Host, take advantage of this moment and kiss him. The protagonist definitely will not resist," Mo Zhu suddenly said, thinking this was an excellent opportunity.

Bai He’s gaze could not help but fall onto Ye Shiyuan’s lips again.

This... was he really going to kiss him?

If he did, how would Ye Shiyuan react?

He might not get angry, but how was he supposed to explain it?

Explain what?

That he kissed him just for fun?

Or that he would take responsibility?

Bai He had not figured it out yet.

"Master, what do you think of how I look?"

"Huh?"

"Master, what makes me different from other men?" Ye Shiyuan changed the way he asked the question.

Bai He lowered his head and racked his brain to answer. "Hmm... I thinks compared to other men, you are naturally more outstanding. Ordinary people would not have your level of cultivation. And you are a rare handsome man in this world..."

Such a good man.

Bai He himself could not understand why he wanted to refuse.

Was it just because Ye Shiyuan was someone he had read about in a book?

"In Master’s heart, am I really that good as well?"

"Well..."

"Those are all other people’s evaluations of me. I think Master should have a different perspective, right?"

Bai He actually wanted to tell Ye Shiyuan that he was a rather ordinary person.

The strengths that others saw in Ye Shiyuan were exactly the same strengths that he saw.

But since Ye Shiyuan asked this way, he must have wanted to hear something different.

Bai He felt that he should have memorized a few poetic lines describing a man’s elegance and charm in the past.

If he had, he could have used them at this moment.

Seeing that Bai He was finding it difficult, Ye Shiyuan did not continue to press him.

He raised his hand and gently ruffled his hair. "When others said such things before, I felt nothing. But when Master says it, I feel very happy."

"Hm?"

"Master, are you tired? Do you want to lean in my arms and rest for a while?"

Bai He immediately shook his head.

He took out the bedding and other items he had brought, then spread them out on the ground. "I have prepared my own."

He had even thoughtfully prepared a set for both of them.

Perhaps because he had been too tired during the day, Bai He fell asleep very quickly.

Xu Feng returned after finishing his cultivation and wandering around for a bit.

He originally intended to call out loudly, but when he saw that Bai He was already resting, he naturally softened his footsteps.

"Senior Brother, I am going to sleep."

"Mm."

Ye Shiyuan, however, did not fall asleep.

He sat on a stone beside Bai He, watching him as if he had many things he wanted to say.

The next day, when Ye Shiyuan and Xu Feng woke up, Bai He was already gone.

He had probably gone back to the Frostfall Dominion.

At the agreed time, Bai He arrived at the Frostfall Dominion.

The power he had absorbed there yesterday had, during his rest and sleep last night, gradually integrated into his bones and cultivation.

Bai He felt that he was just a tiny bit away from reaching the late stage of the Golden Core.

There was still a trace of joy in Bai He’s heart.

"You arrived quite on time."

"Since I agreed to come, I naturally could not be late."

The Cryo Sovereign nodded slightly and raised his hand, bringing Bai He onto a stone platform.

Above this stone, there was another floating stone.

It seemed to share some kind of special connection with the one beneath his feet.

Bai He wondered if the stone might fall.

Of course, that was just his imagination.

The two stones formed a special bond, and Bai He felt an indescribable sense of comfort.

"Cultivate here for three hours. During this time, you will gradually feel the process becoming more and more painful. However, I must still warn you..."

Bai He did not even need to think to understand. "Senior, rest assured. Before you allow me to leave, I will not step out."

"You do have some awareness."

Bai He indeed had awareness, but having awareness and actually being able to endure were two different matters.

Over the years, countless people had come, hoping to inherit his power.

Among them, there was no shortage of geniuses.

However, geniuses had always experienced smooth progress in their cultivation, so when they came here, it was difficult for them to pass this stage.

After all, they had never truly suffered hardship.

But if one was not a genius, how could they possibly possess the ability to inherit his power?

The Cryo Sovereign thought that finding someone who was both a genius and capable of inheriting his power was truly a very difficult task.

"Host, how do you feel?"

After sitting there and resting for a while, Bai He began to feel that cultivation was becoming increasingly difficult.

"For now, it is still manageable. Remember to keep track of the time for me."

"Understood."

A gust of freezing wind swept through.

Xu Feng immediately grabbed onto a nearby tree, barely managing to avoid being blown away.

After the wind passed, the cold did not fade.

A man stood before them.