Chapter 7

After more than an hour, the black smoke inside finally stopped, and Xiao Jiao's figure floated out of the passage. She looked very happy.

"Xiao Jiao, you're finally out. Do you know that black smoke was coming out all the time, and I was so worried. I thought something had happened to you," Zhan Yi walked forward, speaking somewhat awkwardly.

"Master, you're so kind to Xiao Jiao. But don't worry, I've finished dealing with everything inside. Once my soul recovers, I'll be your third wife," Xiao Jiao's face flushed with a hint of shyness.

"Hehe, Xiao Jiao, it's so late. Let's go quickly," Zhan Yi smiled faintly. Although he felt a bit uncomfortable, he had already somewhat accepted this special relationship with Xiao Jiao.

"Okay, I'll repay Master's kindness when we get back," Xiao Jiao nodded slightly, and then the two of them walked towards the wall.

When they reached the corner, Zhan Yi, looking at the two-meter-high wall, thought about using a rope to climb over it. But then he changed his mind, feeling that his strength had increased significantly, and he might be able to jump over the wall.

In a flash, he exerted all his strength, and in an instant, his body shot up. With a thud, he landed on the wall, looking down in surprise. His body swayed, and Zhan Yi couldn't help but shout, "Ah... don't fall down."

Xiao Jiao, floating in the air, was also stunned. She flashed over to support Zhan Yi, but as she reached out to help, Zhan Yi instinctively leaned towards her and fell straight off the wall.

"Master, no!" Xiao Jiao cried out, diving towards Zhan Yi. There was a loud thud.

"Ah... it hurts so much." Zhan Yi landed on the ground. Fortunately, the soil was quite soft, but even so, the pain was intense, and he clutched his sore buttocks.

"Are you... okay, Master?" Xiao Jiao was by his side, looking worried.

"Xiao Jiao, my buttocks are almost split in two. It's all that old Taoist's fault for building such a high wall. If I ever catch him, I'll make him fall ten or eight times," Zhan Yi rubbed his buttocks, realizing he wasn't injured. He felt strange, wondering when he had become so strong.

"Master, it's all Xiao Jiao's fault for not being careful and causing you to get hurt," Xiao Jiao caressed Zhan Yi's face, her eyes filled with concern.

"Xiao Jiao, I'm fine. And my strength has increased so much, you should be happy about that," Zhan Yi, moved by her concern, comforted her.

"Okay, I'm glad you're fine," Xiao Jiao nodded lightly.

Soon, the two of them walked towards the main road, taking a taxi. Zhan Yi felt a bit uncomfortable, though he didn't know why, as if he had forgotten something.

At the same time, he began to recall everything that had happened in the basement. By now, he realized that it had been about ten hours since he opened the Yin-Yang Five Elements Demon Furnace. That meant he had been unconscious for more than nine hours, excluding the time he and Xiao Jiao spent cleaning up the basement.

But why did he not feel the passage of time? And what about those familiar images in his mind? Why did they seem so familiar? Most importantly, why had his body undergone such a miraculous change? Could it be related to the things he absorbed while unconscious? The more he thought, the more confused he became, so he shook his head and stopped thinking about it.

When he got home, he thought Xiao Jiao would still be waiting, but when he opened the door, she was already inside. Zhan Yi couldn't help but marvel at how fast ghosts could move.

However, once inside, he felt the atmosphere was somewhat intimate. It seemed that after this incident, their relationship had changed. Especially when he saw Xiao Jiao's current attire—her light outer garment was gone, leaving only a shoulder-baring short top that barely covered her chest, which seemed to be about to burst out.

"Master, am I pretty?" Xiao Jiao, noticing Zhan Yi's discomfort, came to his side, rubbing her chest against his arm and speaking coquettishly.

"Yes, you're pretty. But Xiao Jiao, can you now return that soul fragment to your body? I want you to get better soon," Zhan Yi, feeling uncomfortable from her touch, quickly changed the subject.

"Yes, I can. Open the Hundred Souls Bottle now. There are still many souls inside. Let them fly free, and I'll be better soon," Xiao Jiao nodded lightly.

Zhan Yi's face lit up with a happy smile, and his affection for Xiao Jiao deepened. He nodded and quickly took out the Hundred Souls Bottle and opened the lid. Bright lights flew out, like fireflies, filling the room in a beautiful display.

The lights circled Zhan Yi a few times, as if excited or expressing gratitude, then formed a stream of light and flew out the window.

Finally, one light remained, dancing in the room. Xiao Jiao made a few hand gestures and muttered some incantations. The light, as if summoned, suddenly brightened and entered her body.

Then, Xiao Jiao's body was enveloped in a rainbow glow, like meteors flashing in the room. After about ten seconds, the glow entered her body.

"Master, I've finally recovered," Xiao Jiao's face lit up with a radiant smile, and she stepped forward, throwing herself into Zhan Yi's arms.

Zhan Yi, still mesmerized by the magical scene, was suddenly embraced by Xiao Jiao. The softness of her body and the sweet scent made him momentarily dazed, but he still resisted, saying, "Xiao Jiao, that's great, you've finally recovered."

"Yes, all thanks to Master. Today, let Xiao Jiao serve you," Xiao Jiao said, touching Zhan Yi's head with her fingers and licking his earlobe with her tongue.

The cool sensation made Zhan Yi's body tingle. When he looked at Xiao Jiao, he was shocked to see a strange smile on her face. Although she was still beautiful, it made him feel very dangerous. He asked in alarm, "Xiao Jiao, what's wrong with you?"

"Master, I'm so hungry. Can I bite you? Hehe..." Xiao Jiao laughed coquettishly.

"What are you talking about? Xiao Jiao, I don't understand," Zhan Yi finally realized something was wrong and tried to break free from Xiao Jiao's grip.

"I said I want to eat you. Don't you understand? The true form of a hundred-lifetimes recluse. Eating you will make me a super ghost immortal. Hehe..." Xiao Jiao laughed more confidently, one hand tightly hugging Zhan Yi and the other caressing the back of his head, her face like that of someone seeing a feast.

"You... you've been using me all along. Why did you do this? Didn't you say you would rather disintegrate than leave me alone in the world?" Zhan Yi, no longer naive, felt intense anger in his eyes.

"Yes, Master, if I didn't do this, how could I recover? It's just that you are too special, a hundred-lifetimes recluse. Which demon wouldn't want to eat you to become an immortal? How could I disintegrate? Hehe..." Xiao Jiao laughed, suddenly applying force to the hand on the back of Zhan Yi's head.

Zhan Yi felt a slight pain, but at that moment, he sensed the powerful vortex in his mind suddenly appear. Then he heard Xiao Jiao's terrified cry, and she looked at him in disbelief, "Ah... Master, stop it!"

Zhan Yi, seeing the pain on her face, said expressionlessly, "Xiao Jiao, I may not fully understand what you're saying, but do you think I would let you go now?"

Xiao Jiao's expression twisted, her mouth slowly opening wider and wider, her eyes glowing with a piercing red light, her head becoming terrifying. When her mouth was large enough to fit Zhan Yi's head, she lunged at him.

However, just as she touched Zhan Yi's body, a golden light enveloped him. Xiao Jiao's body seemed to be pulled by a powerful force, moving towards Zhan Yi's body until it completely entered and disappeared.

Zhan Yi slowly closed his eyes, feeling a surge of powerful energy and fragments of memories entering his mind. He vaguely understood many things he had not known before.

Time passed slowly, and after a long while, he slowly opened his eyes, looking at the empty room. A bitter smile spread across his lips. Through the strange phenomenon, he had obtained Xiao Jiao's memories and all her energy, and he now fully understood the entire situation.