"It's calculated!" Ye Zhizhou lifted his head and combed through the fallen strands of hair. He handed the white paper to Dongfang Shu. "But there's one thing I can't figure out. Are the transferred soul flags considered new?"
Dongfang Shu shook his head. "No, the transferred soul flags are recovered from the ones that have already been removed. They are not considered new."
Ye Zhizhou glanced at his handsome face and smirked. "It seems that the Soul-Devouring Pennant really loves you. It actually sent three flags after you."
Dongfang Shu reached out and pinched his cheek.
"Don't pinch me; my face is getting swollen!" Ye Zhizhou turned his head to avoid his hand and pointed at the white paper in his hand. "Excluding the four fake flags from the previous world, we removed a total of seventy-two flags. So, there are still nine real ones left."
"You're very skilled, Little Zhou." Dongfang Shu took out some ointment and applied it to his face before pulling him into his arms. "The evil spirit has successfully reincarnated with the help of the Soul-Devouring Pennant. At this moment, it must be seriously weakened. Most likely, it's hiding somewhere."
"Will it retain its memories?"
"Yes, the Soul-Devouring Pennant will firmly hold onto the dark memories in its mind." Dongfang Shu took out the Heaven-Connecting Mirror, infused it with spiritual power, and handed it to Ye Zhizhou. "Inject your heart's blood and the spiritual power from your dantian into the mirror. From now on, it will be your lifelong spiritual weapon, and you will never be separated from it, no matter where you go."
Ye Zhizhou raised an eyebrow. "Is forging a spiritual weapon that simple? In novels, it's always portrayed as a very difficult process."
"Your situation with the Heaven-Connecting Mirror is different. The contract was established during your initial encounter. Now, we're just formalizing the mutual bond." Dongfang Shu explained carefully, with a hint of darkness in his eyes. "I originally intended to craft a spiritual sword for you using my own spiritual power, but you have accumulated too much merit. The spiritual sword may immediately turn into a spirit upon bonding with you. So, instead of choosing a completely unfamiliar spirit, it's better to go with the Heaven-Connecting Mirror, even though its offensive power is minimal."
The seemingly scorned Heaven-Connecting Mirror trembled slightly and transformed into two small daggers.
"It'll do, I suppose." Dongfang Shu placed the small daggers, conjured from the Heaven-Connecting Mirror, into Ye Zhizhou's hands and spoke sternly. "Now, bind it with your heart's blood and store it in your dantian."
Ye Zhizhou gave him a sidelong glance, sensing a hint of jealousy in the air.
Ignoring his expression, Dongfang Shu removed the scattered hair tie and took out a comb from his storage bag to help Ye Zhizhou tidy his hair.
Ye Zhizhou's heart softened once again, and he reluctantly withdrew his gaze from Dongfang Shu. He squeezed out a drop of blood from his heart and muttered to himself. "Well, despite being a jealous type, this guy has been with me for so many years. I won't mind."
As soon as the blood touched it, the Heaven-Connecting Mirror immediately transformed back into the shape of a small mirror and turned into a speck of light that entered his dantian.
"From now on, I won't lose you anymore." He patted his belly and asked in confusion, "But what's the deal with the Purple Void Space and the 'Purple Void Cultivation Technique'? Did you give those as a bonus?"
[The space and technique were left behind by the previous master, Purple Void Immortal, before his fall, only given to those with affinity.]
He stroked his chin. "So, strictly speaking, my master should be this Purple Void Immortal?"
"Yes, young master."
Dongfang Shu's combing action paused for a moment, and he gently turned Ye Zhizhou around to kiss his forehead, smiling. "If someone wants to harm me, won't I become your biggest weakness? No, we must sever this so-called mutual bond!"
"Once the mutual bond is established, it cannot be severed unless one of us dies." Dongfang Shu finished styling his hair and turned him around, planting a gentle kiss on his forehead. "So, you must take good care of yourself."
[Would you like to use the Heartless Pill?]
Dongfang Shu's smile froze for a moment, and he turned off the screen with a cold expression. "Heaven-Connecting Mirror, you no longer need to pretend to be a system."
The screen flickered and dared to go against him, [Given the young master's upbringing, system settings are more effective in gaining his trust and affection.]
Ye Zhizhou's attention shifted. "Why aren't you calling me the host anymore?"
The screen disappeared, and the child's voice echoed directly in his mind, "I have recognized you as the master, and since the master is Purple Void Immortal, you are the young master."
Ye Zhizhou felt a warm, soft sensation from head to toe as he squinted and said, "Then give me the Heartless Pill. Are you sure it can sever this bond?"
"It can."
Dongfang Shu looked down, his expression changing rapidly, deeply regretting making Ye Zhizhou his lifelong spiritual weapon. Seeing that Ye Zhizhou suddenly had a pill in his hand, he hurriedly snatched it away and crushed it.
"You!" Ye Zhizhou glared angrily, snorted, and conjured another pill out of thin air. He sneered, "I don't believe you can defend against this forever!"
Dongfang Shu remained motionless, staring at him expressionlessly as he ate the pill. Then, he once again drew blood from his heart and applied it to Ye Zhizhou's forehead, saying calmly, "I also don't believe you can stay awake forever."
The two of them stared at each other, and Ye Zhizhou exploded with anger. He stomped on Dongfang Shu's foot, then ran over to sit next to the still-sleeping Su Yin, sulking.
"Are you angry?"
"Hmph!"
"Come here."
He turned his back to Dongfang Shu.
"Do you want to see my lifelong spiritual weapon?"
"..."
"Lightning elemental spiritual power can create fireworks."
His attempts at coaxing were truly clumsy! While silently criticizing, Ye Zhizhou turned around.
From Qingcheng Sect to Yaocheng, Su Yin had flown on his sword for a day and a night. However, with Dongfang Shu as their auxiliary, it only took half a day for the three of them to return from Yaocheng to Qingcheng. Su Yin finally woke up before reaching Qingcheng Sect and, in a dazed state, introduced the two to the sect leader.
"Who is this..." Sect Leader Xuanzhongzi put down a chess piece, stood up, and looked at Dongfang Shu, who was holding Ye Zhizhou, with a puzzled expression. He asked, "May I ask who this fellow Daoist is?"
"This is Senior Tianhe, Little Zhou's master!" Su Yin hastily interrupted, winking at him. "Senior Tianhe has agreed to stay at Qingcheng Sect to help raise Little Zhou. Senior Brother, I think Lingyun Peak next to the main peak is a good place. How about arranging Senior Tianhe there?"
Sect Leader Xuanzhongzi's gaze towards Dongfang Shu changed instantly, but as a sect leader, he was more composed than Su Yin. He quickly regained his composure, raised his hand, and politely greeted Dongfang Shu, "So, you are Senior Tianhe. Please forgive my lack of courtesy. From now on, we entrust Little Zhou to your care."
"No need to be polite." Dongfang Shu returned a half bow, and after assessing him, he suddenly took out a book and tossed it over. "I've been stuck at a bottleneck for ten years. This book might be of help to you."
Sect Leader Xuanzhongzi picked up the book and saw that it was a collection of cultivation insights from an elder who had ascended. His heart couldn't help but skip a beat, and he quickly expressed his gratitude once again.
Ye Zhizhou tugged on Dongfang Shu. "The soul flags, they're probably fake."
Dongfang Shu glanced at the five flags suddenly appearing above Xuanzhongzi's head and sent a strand of spiritual power over. "The Soul-Devouring Pennant is getting anxious."
Ye Zhizhou nodded, and a plan formed in his mind. Impatience was a vulnerability that could be exploited.
Over the next month, they discovered several fake flags on various members of Qingcheng Sect. A year later, with Dongfang Shu's guidance, Ye Zhizhou reached the Foundation Establishment stage and bid farewell to his sect members, embarking on a journey across the world of cultivation.
Fifteen years passed in the blink of an eye, and Ye Zhizhou, now a handsome young man, awoke from meditation. He felt the flow of spiritual energy throughout his body and smiled at Dongfang Shu, the guardian. "I've successfully formed my Nascent Soul."
"Yes." Dongfang Shu approached, gently touched his face, and lowered his head to kiss his forehead. He said, "The sect-wide competition that only occurs once every hundred years will begin in ten days. The top one hundred winners from the Golden Core stage and above will be sent to the De Rong Secret Realm for training. This competition includes dozens of cultivation sects from three continents, and outstanding cultivators will gather. The malevolent spirits will undoubtedly seize this opportunity."
Ye Zhizhou's eyes shifted, and he asked, "How many fake flags have we found so far?"
"Sixty-three."
"So, there are still eighteen flags..." He stroked his chin, showing some curiosity. "Is the Soul-Devouring Pennant trying to play a game of 'Guess the Real Protagonist' with us?"
Dongfang Shu took out a newly refined robe for him, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "No need to guess; I have a way to distinguish."
Ye Zhizhou cooperatively removed his old robe and put on the new one. He hugged Dongfang Shu and planted a kiss on his cheek. "I know you're the best!"
Dongfang Shu returned the hug, turning the peck into a deeper kiss.
Ten days later, the two arrived at the venue of the competition, the Endless Abyss Valley.
"So many people." Ye Zhizhou stood at the front of their flying artifact, gazing down below. He marveled, "All the peaks near the valley are adorned with flags. Where will we stay?"
Dongfang Shu also surveyed the valley below, his brows furrowing. "It seems like there are unusually many participants this time."
A carriage made of high-grade spirit jade passed by them, causing a gust of spiritual energy-infused wind.
"There are wealthy individuals aplenty," Ye Zhizhou observed as he watched various flying artifacts used by the cultivators passing by. He felt a bit overwhelmed. "So many rare refining materials. The carriage that just passed by looks nice; I want to dismantle its wheels."
Dongfang Shu glanced at him and asked, "Jealous?"
Seeing his lover's jealousy, Ye Zhizhou quickly shook his head. "Not jealous, not jealous at all. A flying sword is just fine, simple and practical. Ever since we came to this realm, my beloved has developed a habit of showering me with treasures. It makes me both happy and exasperated. I don't want to become a walking money bag or the prime target for treasure hunting!"
Ding, ding! The jade carriage that had gone a short distance suddenly returned, and a familiar face appeared at the window. "Little Zhou? Is it really you?"
Ye Zhizhou carefully examined the person's handsome face and joyfully lunged forward. "Liusa! Are you participating in the competition too? Have Sect Leader and Master come as well?"
Dongfang Shu swiftly grabbed Ye Zhizhou's waist to prevent him from falling off the flying artifact and tumbling into the abyss below. After all, it seemed quite challenging for a cultivator to fall to their death.
"They have come," Liusa replied, then turned to look at Dongfang Shu with a much more respectful demeanor. "Senior Tianhe, Master has successfully ascended. Thank you for your generous gift all those years ago."
Dongfang Shu had a favorable impression of this morally upright young cultivator. He responded with rare warmth, acknowledging Liusa's gratitude.
Finally, Ye Zhizhou managed to clamber over to the carriage window and eagerly asked, "Where are you and Master staying? Once my Master and I are settled, we'll come find you."
"I can take you there now," Liusa said. He reached out to ruffle Ye Zhizhou's hair, smiling gently. "Little Zhou, you've grown so much. I almost didn't recognize you. Wait a moment; I'll go say hello to my friend first."
As the carriage departed again, Ye Zhizhou's smile faded, and he turned to Dongfang Shu. "Soul flags."
Dongfang Shu furrowed his brows. "How many? On whom?"
Glancing at Liusa and noticing no flags on his head, his expression softened. "Seventeen flags."
Ye Zhizhou's expression grew serious. "I carefully checked when I climbed onto the window just now. Two people, one with eight flags and the other with nine, totaling seventeen flags."