The pull of the void that had suddenly appeared was extremely powerful, even though the cultivation of Gu Bai's soul was already high. At the moment, he was just like an ant before this force and couldn't resist it at all.
"Baigu, you've returned at last…"
After the formidable force had disappeared, Gu Bai didn't open his eyes. At the sudden sensation of someone holding him, a voice that was slightly hoarse, with a joyful tone to it, sounded right beside his ear.
The voice was inexplicably familiar, leaving Gu Bai stupefied. In addition, an instinctive defiance arose in his heart.
He struggled hard to push away the arms that were embracing him. Upon opening his eyes, Gu Bai saw a beautiful man dressed in golden robes, with a golden crown upon his head, sitting right before him.
Their surroundings seemed to be a very magnificent bedchamber. Despite going through so many missions and seeing a lot, Gu Bai still couldn't help being surprised by the items in the palace.
A bed made of ten thousand year old ice jade, the highest quality silk curtains, passion fruit vine decorations, an immortal vermillion fruit plant, and an eastern sea night pearl, and furthermore, the immortal spirit qi that filled the air. Seriously, what was this place…
Gu Bai dazedly stared at everything before him. He really couldn't understand the current situation. He was supposed to go back to the starry space after he died in each world. So why did he suddenly end up here?
"Baigu…"
Noticing that Gu Bai didn't speak, and that his expression was shocked and stunned, the man in golden robes couldn't help calling his name again and reached for Gu Bai's hand.
However, the moment the other man's hand touched him, a rising wave of resistance rose in Gu Bai's heart again, and he backed away from the man's touch.
"Who are you?"
He stared at the man in front of him with vigilance and alienation. He instinctively didn't like the intimacy of this man.
Feeling his resistance, the golden robed man's body stiffened for a while, but then adjusted, and a smile appeared on his handsome face, suffocatingly slowly.
"My name is Yin Li. I am your lover…"
The voice of the man carried long-restrained emotions. This sentence had repeatedly appeared in his fantasy during these thousands of years.
At this moment, when the fantasy became reality, all the repression seemed to disappear in a flash. He couldn't control himself. Regardless of Gu Bai's resistance, he pulled him into his arms and spoke with a hoarse voice.
"I know you may not remember me now, but it doesn't matter. I'll help you recreate memories of us. As long as you remember I am your lover&#k2026;"
He tightly hugged Gu Bai and tried to suppress the pain in his heart. Ecstasy and sorrow filled his heart, which made him shiver constantly. He waited for this moment for far too long and almost went mad.
Yet it was all worth it. From now on, this person's breath, heartbeat, body warmth, happiness, and laughter were all his. He could only lean into his embrace and smile at him…
His strength was so great that Gu Bai was almost out of breath. He could feel a strong sorrow and joy from the other, the heavy sorrow making it hard for him to breathe.
However, he was not touched at all, and the inexplicable resistance in his heart became stronger and stronger, especially when the other party said "I am your lover". Gu Bai only felt that the resistance in his chest was about to explode.
He forced down the inexplicable emotion in his heart and struggled hard again, but the man didn't pay it any mind. He held him in his arms harder and said, "Baigu." He kept whispering, "Baigu, Baigu…"
Gu Bai felt that his waist was almost broken, but no matter how he struggled, he couldn't free himself. This golden robed man was very powerful, and he had no ability to resist at all.
Fortunately, a man in white clothing came up to help and advised Yin Li.
"Emperor, Baigu-xianjun just returned. His state of mind is still unstable. Your immortal breath will injure him. The day will be long in the future, so don't be hasty at this moment…"
Encouraged by the man in white clothing, Yin Li finally came back to his senses.
He looked at Gu Bai with reddened eyes. His long and slender fingers travelled back and forth through Gu Bai's smooth hair. A smile spread slowly and shallowly on his face, and he apologised gently.
"I'm sorry. I was too impatient. I hope I didn't hurt you…"
"..."
Gu Bai remained silent. He still didn't understand what was going on. Now all he wanted to do was to stay away from this person, inexplicably resistant.
Yin Li saw that his expression was a little bitter, but he understood that the other party currently had no memories of him, and that he was naturally a stranger towards Gu Bai. But it didn't matter, as everything had room for recovery, and they could just start afresh.
Just then, an attendant came in and reported to the elder for an audience. Yin Li somewhat impatiently furrowed his brows and then instructed the attendant to stay in the inner palace hall to serve him. Afterward, he left, taking along the man in white.
As soon as they left, Gu Bai let out a breath. Hurriedly, he closed his eyes and called out for Ye Cang.
He had made a contract with Ye Cang. Every time he encountered something in a world, he could call out just like this and then his man would appear. Gu Bai didn't want to stay in this place. He wanted to quickly return to his man.
But soon, Gu Bai opened his eyes in horror, having found that his contract with Ye Cang had disappeared!
I can't get in touch with Ye Cang, and I don't know where this is. Who was that man in the golden robes just now, and what's the current situation? Gu Bai could only give up for a while and look at the strange immortal aura-filled palatial bedroom around him and think up countermeasures.
Although he didn't know what was going on, he instinctively didn't like it. When he especially thought of what the golden robed man had just said, he had an indescribable resistance in his heart.
...
On the other side, after leaving Gu Bai, Yin Li moved to the white jade dragon seat of another majestic hall, and stared at the hall that had already gathered a crowd, with a light expression on his face.
"If you don't practice in seclusion, what do you call on the emperor to do?"
The chattering crowd calmed down and stared at him. They were scared but wished to speak. Finally, the most powerful elder in the front row came forth.
"Emperor, we are here for the strange figure in your Qin Palace. We've seen that strange figure. Emperor, may I ask if… if Baigu-xianjun is back?"
In the end, the elder's voice was hoarse, and people around him held their breath. Even though that name had been in the dust for thousands of years, when it was mentioned again, people still couldn't help but be afraid and frightened because of the incident caused by the owner of that name.
"Since you know already, why do you need to ask and waste our time…" Yin Li smiled and didn't deny it. He brushed his sleeve and then continued.
"Fine, since you're all here, this emperor will simply make things clear. This emperor intends to hold a dao companion grand ceremony with Baigu-xianjun on the 15th of the next month of the Immortal Calendar. You all should prepare well and send out the invitations on behalf of this emperor…"
When the emperor gave the first definite answer, the immortals in the hall were frightened, and a glimpse of fear and unease appeared on their faces. But when they heard the last sentence, they couldn't help but take in a deep breath of cold air.
Several elders glanced at each other with worry. A red-faced elder with quite a temper couldn't help but step forth. "Emperor, you can't, ah…"
"What can't I do? Do you have any opinions on this emperor's dao companion ceremony?"
Yin Li stared at him indifferently, and a wave of might fell on the red-faced elder, which immediately made the elder kneel unsteadily, his expression becoming bitter.
Ever since the event that had happened thousands of years ago, the gentle emperor's emotions had disappeared and instead was replaced by an unfathomable pattern of delight and fury. At even the slightest opposition he would directly blast the immortals he didn't like into smithereens.
Of course, the red-faced elder didn't want to get into trouble, but it was not a small matter for the emperor to perform a dao companion ceremony, let alone the other participant.
As long as he thought about what might happen in the future, the red-faced elder braced himself, cupping his hands in obeisance, and continued.
"Emperor, please calm down. not against you and Baigu-xianjun becoming dao companions, but this matter is of great importance and should be negotiated. One month is too short… not to mention the lunatic, Ye Cang. He—he, if he knew that Baigu-xianjun was back, and that he had become your dao companion, I'm afraid, I'm afraid that…"
The red-face elder really had no courage to say the following words. Scenes from the past remained vivid in his mind and he didn't even have the courage to mention them at all. The scenes from those days were too frightening.
"Yes, Emperor, the words of the three elders are reasonable. I dare not oppose you, but it's been more than three thousand years. Ye Cang, that lunatic, is still alive. In addition, there are those people in the demon realm. If the news that Baigu-xianjun is alive gets out, it's hard to guarantee that they won't exploit it to their advantage to burn bridges and to stimulate Ye Cang into breaking his seal. When the time comes, if Ye Cang appears, we'll be done for…"
All the immortals around agreed with each other. Today's emperor was not the former emperor. Who the emperor wished to marry and cultivate with had a purpose, but things were not so simple at all.
There was also Ye Cang's lunatic nature of never letting go. Furthermore… furthermore, does Baigu-xianjun really want to become the emperor's dao companion? If he is willing, he wouldn't have done that for Ye Cang back then…
Everyone was worried, but they dared not to say any more. If they said it, they would annoy the emperor, or worse, they would immediately be killed!
"Emperor, it's better to take your time making a decision on this matter…" they carefully recommended.
"Don't discuss it; just do it according to the emperor's wishes."
Yin Li stared coldly at the immortal minister below.
"This emperor knows what you are worried about. That Ye Cang will go insane once more. He has been sealed in that place for three thousand years. His cultivation has been refined. How mad can he become? Listen, from today on, the ban on the name Baigu will be lifted. But if anyone dares to mention the events of that year again, especially the name Ye Cang, then don't blame this emperor for being merciless!"
"But…" Everyone was still worried.
"Do you have the final say in this immortal realm, or does this emperor have the final say?"
Yin Li interrupted them and suddenly released a burst of pressure from his body, resulting in the crowd immediately spitting blood.
"Emperor, please calm down, your subordinates will obey your command."
The immortal officials were frightened and clutched their chests, not daring to refute him anymore. The immortals hurriedly fled the scene with ashen faces.