With the tremendous aid of the Proud Bone Golden Body, Yang Kai resisted again and again, fought back again and again — yet every meridian and every shred of flesh in his body burned with agonizing pain.
He didn't know how much longer he could endure, but one thing was certain: if this went on much longer, he would inevitably be incinerated to death. The scorching energy inside him was growing more and more violent, so fierce that he could barely withstand it.
The irony was almost laughable — a practitioner of the True Yang Technique, burned to death by yang-attribute energy. If anyone heard that, they'd call it the joke of a thousand lifetimes.
Compared to Yang Kai, Su Yan was in even worse shape. Had it not been for Yang Kai waking her whenever his mind briefly cleared, she would have long since lost the will to hold on.
Even so, her condition was deteriorating with each passing moment.
Yang Kai came to once more. Before he could even call out to Su Yan, he was startled to discover that she had somehow shuffled to within half a foot of him. She was half-kneeling before him, breathing ragged, eyes glazed and unfocused, reaching one trembling hand toward his cheek.
It was clear her movements were unconscious. She was still fighting, still struggling — the delicate hand reaching toward him trailed a biting chill, frost crystallizing on her fingertips in a layer of snow-white ice, her fingers quivering violently.
Occasionally, her motion would stall, and a flicker of pain crossed her face. Each time it did, a faint, almost inaudible moan slipped from her throat.
"Su Yan!" Yang Kai called out as before, though his voice was much weaker than previous times. He wasn't sure if his own guilty conscience was at play — he just felt oddly ashamed.
Yet even that single shout was enough to bring a glimmer of awareness back to Su Yan's lovely eyes. She saw what she was doing. She also saw the pity and tenderness in Yang Kai's gaze.
"I don't think I can hold on much longer," Su Yan said — the first complete sentence she'd managed.
Yang Kai looked at her and offered a faint smile. Then he reached out and took her hand.
The instant they made contact, the fire dragon and ice phoenix within each of them once again roared and cried out. Both of their bodies shuddered, and their divine sense rapidly returned.
They gazed at each other. Yang Kai didn't let go, and neither did Su Yan. Their fingers intertwined, lacing together.
They both knew that the moment they released each other, the pain and struggle would resume.
A strange, tender feeling rippled through them, warming both their bodies.
"You won't regret this?" Yang Kai asked with a soft laugh. He tightened his grip on Su Yan's hand — it was ice-cold, yet incredibly smooth, comfortable to hold.
Su Yan's cheeks flushed crimson. She lowered her lashes and whispered, "We've already done everything we can."
Yang Kai applied a gentle force, and with that pull, Su Yan floated lightly into his arms, settling sideways across his lap. One of his hands still held her delicate fingers while the other slipped around her waist.
One body blazed like fire. The other froze like ice. They pressed tightly together, yet it felt as though they were merging into one — an indescribable sensation rising within their hearts.
Though their minds had returned to clarity, the anomaly in their bodies remained unchanged — the same desperate yearning and need for one another.
"Su Yan," Yang Kai murmured softly, his voice trembling with nervousness.
After all, this was his first time experiencing anything like this. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.
Su Yan said nothing. She simply buried her face in the crook of Yang Kai's shoulder.
The two sat in dazed silence for a long while before Yang Kai finally extended one arm, wrapping it around her neck, and gently eased her down.
As she reclined, Su Yan closed her eyes, her lashes fluttering. Her expression was taut with nervousness, both hands clasped tightly over her lower abdomen, knuckles white from the pressure.
"Don't be so nervous!" Yang Kai couldn't help but chuckle. Seeing her like that actually put him more at ease. Between ragged breaths, he leaned in and pressed his lips to hers.
The moment their lips met, Su Yan's entire body went rigid.
Yang Kai gently patted her hand, conveying his reassurance. It took quite a while before she gradually relaxed.
Only then did Yang Kai part her tender lips with his own, awkwardly and tentatively teasing her.
Uncontrollable little whimpers echoed through the great hall. Su Yan's hands finally emerged, wrapping around Yang Kai's neck as she responded with passionate fervor.
In this moment, she had completely overturned the image of pristine purity Yang Kai had held of her in his heart. The desperate craving for his blazing heat had stripped away all restraint.
Clothing was peeled away layer by layer, tossed aside carelessly by Yang Kai, as disheveled as the emotions swirling within them both.
When the last garment was finally removed, Su Yan's face had flushed a deep shade of crimson bordering on purple. One hand shielded her chest while the other covered her lower abdomen, and she began to tremble once more.
Yang Kai surveyed her with eyes blazing with desire, silently marveling at the generosity and grace of creation. Su Yan's body seemed to have gathered the finest essence of the entire world — flawless, without a single imperfection.
Every inch of her skin glowed with a luster as alluring as the finest porcelain. The jade peaks sheltered beneath her hand were perfectly proportioned — neither too large nor too small, just right. Her flat, taut stomach bore not a hint of excess, smooth and supple as the most exquisite silk, impossible to resist touching.
At this moment, her entire body was suffused with a strange, rosy glow of surging desire.