Chapter 262 The Seventh Day of Entering a Xuanhuan Novel

Chapter 262: The Seventh Day in a Fantasy Novel

Looking at those eyes, so clear they could reflect his own figure, yet so empty, as if untouched by even a speck of worldly dust, carrying a newborn's innocence and pure bewilderment.

Surely, he knew nothing of this world—not even himself?

Truly a blank sheet of paper waiting for someone to write on... tempting to defile.

This thought quietly slipped through Xie Xuandu's mind.

He was momentarily startled, almost imperceptibly so.

Defile? He would actually harbor such a thought toward a being whose race he couldn't even identify at first glance?

This was truly a first—refreshingly novel.

The curve of his lips formed a flawless arc as he stepped forward, the hem of his moon-white Daoist robe swaying gently in the residual glow of spiritual energy, untouched by dust.

His voice was as gentle as spring water flowing through a mountain stream, carrying a strange, soothing rhythm: "Don't be afraid."

An Yi: ...

Afraid? He wasn't afraid.

He was merely dazed from just having taken form.

He hadn't expected transforming back into human form to be so smooth.

He'd thought that, following the conventional path of cultivation, shedding that furry form would require at least decades or even a century of painstaking effort. Yet a single deep meditation session, drawing in a massive influx of spiritual energy, had directly broken through the barrier in one fell swoop.

But... this person before him—is he really oblivious to the situation?

An Yi's consciousness clearly registered his current state—naked, not a single thread on him, the cool air directly kissing every inch of his skin, bringing a subtle chill.

This feeling was far from pleasant.

This guy just stared straight at him without the slightest hesitation. Did he not know the meaning of "don't look at what you shouldn't"?

Show some manners!!

A hint of helplessness flickered through his mind, but his face betrayed nothing.

He ignored the rude Daoist, just shifted slightly, propping himself up with his arms.

As he moved, his ink-black, silky hair slid to both sides, revealing more of his lustrous skin to the air.

The smooth, jade-like curve of his back and the slender yet resilient waistline, glimpsed through the falling strands of hair, formed a strikingly impactful image.

Xie Xuandu's gaze traced over the sight before him inch by inch—from the slightly protruding shoulder blades, to the shadowed hollow of his spine, to the breathtaking curve where the waist narrowed.

The darkness in the depths of his eyes deepened, as if undercurrents churned beneath a calm sea, yet the perfect smile remained on his face, not changing in the slightest.

An Yi's mind stirred slightly, and the next moment, a set of robes silently materialized on him, covering all exposed skin.

Seeing the clothes materialize out of thin air, Xie Xuandu's brow twitched almost imperceptibly.

A mustard-seed space? Was that his divine ability?

And... looking at the garments—clearly carefully made, conforming to human aesthetics and dressing habits—he silently revised his earlier judgment.

It seemed this was no pure blank slate, no naive spirit beast that had just transformed and knew nothing of the world.

He had already had contact with this mortal world.

An Yi casually turned his back to Xie Xuandu and began dressing.

He lifted the wide sleeves, slipped them over his long arms, pinched the sash between his fingers, and wrapped it deftly around.

Xie Xuandu watched him turn away—the smooth lines of his back shifting subtly with the motion of raised arms and rustling fabric, the shape of his shoulder blades clearly visible beneath his thin skin.

His eyes flickered, then a pleasant chuckle escaped his throat—light and airy, carrying an indescribable quality.

So his earlier "Don't be afraid" and his unflinching gaze—hadn't they both become offenses?

Yet even realizing this, he stayed put, showing no intention of averting his gaze or turning away.

Instead, his gaze grew more brazen, carrying undisguised appreciation, lingering over the busy figure as he dressed—from his swaying dark hair, to his narrow waist gradually hidden by robes yet still showing its outline, to his long, straight legs.

Until An Yi fastened the last sash, smoothed out the final wrinkle in his robe, and slowly turned around.

The loose, plain robe draped over his slender, tall frame, making him stand like a lone pine—ethereal and aloof.

His ink-black hair, unbound, hung loosely down his back like flowing night, forming a stark black-and-white contrast with the plain robe, making his pale, translucent face all the more striking—handsome beyond mortal measure.

Xie Xuandu's smile deepened, his phoenix eyes narrowing slightly with amusement.

He spoke again, his voice still warm and courteous: "It seems I was presumptuous. Might I ask... what should I call you?"

An Yi didn't answer Xie Xuandu's question.

He sensed many auras gathered beyond the valley.

Varied in strength—demon qi, spiritual qi, even traces of yin and foul energy—all mingled together, tightly surrounding this once-quiet valley.

Though the spiritual energy had ceased its frantic convergence now that he'd stopped cultivating, and the external pressure had weakened, these auras hadn't dispersed. Instead, they grew more restless as the valley's spiritual energy gradually settled.

"Quite lively out there." An Yi retracted his perception.

Hearing this, Xie Xuandu's smile remained unchanged. He stood at ease, giving a slight nod, his tone light as if sharing an amusing tidbit:

"The heavenly phenomenon you stirred lasted half a month, spiritual energy surging like rivers flowing in reverse—naturally, it drew some... curious onlookers."

His phoenix eyes arched slightly, his gaze roaming over An Yi's unruffled face, watching his reaction with keen interest: "Mountain spirits and monsters, cultivators and demons—all believing a treasure was about to appear, they've been waiting here for quite some time."

An Yi listened to his tone, and a wave of speechlessness welled up within him.

Was he threatening him?

Trying to scare him into being afraid of being surrounded?

What a warped sense of humor.

But... spiritual energy, huh?

It seemed he'd guessed right. After all, that's what most novels called it.

He said no more, didn't even spare Xie Xuandu another glance, and simply strode out of the valley.

Xie Xuandu watched him walk away as if no one else existed, and the interest in his eyes grew.

He let out a low chuckle and followed along with measured steps.

An Yi's form flickered, and in an instant, he was already several dozen feet away, moving as if he weighed nothing. In a few bounds, he neared the gathering of people at the valley's entrance.

At that moment, those who had waited half a month at the entrance, sensing that the spiritual energy within the valley had finally settled to a tolerable level, were stirring restlessly, itching to swarm inside all at once.

Someone yelled, "Go!"—and in a flash, the crowd surged into the valley like a flood!

No one so much as glanced at An Yi and Xie Xuandu as they slipped by.

Moments later, when the first arrivals burst deep into the valley and reached the little cave, all they found was an empty cavern, faint lingering traces of pure spiritual energy, along with low-grade spirit flowers and herbs that had sprouted from the leaking energy. Everyone froze in place.

"Where's the treasure?!"

"Where's the rare treasure?!"

"Could someone have beaten us to it?!"