NINE STAR HEGEMON BODY ARTS

“Liu Changtian? No problem. Bring him out, and I’ll smack him around,” Long Chen said.

Long Chen boldly rolled up his sleeves, looking ready to start boxing. But then, something clicked in his mind.

Hold on. Liu Changtian… why does that name sound familiar?

Suddenly, a memory resurfaced—back when the Daluo Azure Lotus race had provoked the Undying race, they had mentioned someone by that name. That was…

Long Chen’s expression froze, his eyes widening.

“The Liu Changtian you’re talking about, is it…”

“That’s right. He’s the Sovereign Lord of the Undying race. My father,” Liu Ruyan said coldly.

Long Chen instantly deflated. What kind of cosmic joke was this? That guy was a monster among monsters.

The Daluo Azure Lotus race had mobilized such a huge army just to test whether or not he was alive. Even Lord Brahma had shown some wariness toward him. No way was he someone Long Chen could afford to smack around.

“Ahem… your father? Then he’s my future father-in-law. How could I possibly beat up my father-in-law?” Long Chen let out an awkward chuckle.

“Hmph, father-in-law? If you actually said that to his face, he’d kill you on the spot. He hates humans more than anything. Even I, his own daughter—if I defy him, he won’t hesitate to kill me,” said Liu Ruyan, her voice turning cold.

“What? No way!” Long Chen was stunned.

“The fact that you can say such a thing just shows how little you understand him. Don’t try to judge him using human emotions. To him, children aren’t family—they’re tools, extensions of himself meant to revive the Undying race. He doesn’t feel familial affection,” said Liu Ruyan.

Long Chen noticed a faint trace of loneliness flicker across her face.

“Long Chen, you should go. Take big sister Chu Yao and leave,” Liu Ruyan said gently, her gaze shifting to the waterfall ahead.

“What are you talking about? You’re not coming with us?” asked Long Chen.

Liu Ruyan smiled bitterly. “Although I have no emotional ties to this place, the truth is, I wouldn’t exist without my father and mother. Being able to meet you and big sister Chu Yao in this lifetime is already more than I deserve. If I borrow the saying of the human race, maybe… this is where our fates end. I can’t leave the Undying race. This is my duty, my responsibility. It’s not something I can abandon just because I want to.“

With a more solemn voice, she continued, “But you and Chu Yao won’t be allowed to stay here much longer. If you stay here, he will kill you. He won’t tolerate the laws of the Undying race being broken and won’t let anyone challenge his authority. As painful as it is to part, it’s better than all of us dying. And besides… you still have many friends waiting for you.”

Liu Ruyan’s hard exterior finally broke down. Thinking of how she would stay in this emotionless world all by herself, she finally showed her fear.

Long Chen and Chu Yao had people—good brothers and sisters who cared for them. But other than Chu Yao and Long Chen, Liu Ruyan had no one.

Within the Undying race, she felt no ties to anyone, no warmth. She was like a foreign soul in a body that didn’t belong. And yet, she had no choice but to stay.

She wanted them to go. But she was terrified of being left behind.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her. Liu Ruyan buried her face in Long Chen’s chest, sobbing, her tears soaking into his shirt.

Her spiritual fluctuations, her warmth, the sensation of her body—everything confirmed what Chu Yao had said. At this moment, Liu Ruyan was truly human.

Even though the Undying Dragon Tree and Undying Willow races took on human forms, they lacked that authentic human aura. For example, when Long Chen held Huai Yushan’s hand—despite her being the Dragon Tree race’s most outstanding genius—he couldn’t sense any bloodline fluctuations from her, and her spiritual aura was clearly inhuman.

But Liu Ruyan was different. Her presence felt synchronized with his own. It was no wonder she couldn’t find any sense of belonging here. She was already human.

Maybe… this was why Chu Yao had been so furious with him before. Because at this moment, denying their past promise might become the cruelest blade stabbing into Liu Ruyan’s heart.

Long Chen gently patted Liu Ruyan’s back. He softly said, “Don’t be afraid. No matter what troubles lie ahead, we can face them together. The three of us—when we’re together, there’s nothing we can’t handle. I don’t believe in impossible things.”

To his surprise, Liu Ruyan gave a small, obedient nod in his arms.

This showed just how afraid she was… not of death—but of being alone.

Even if she was still lost, she knew Long Chen always had tricks up his sleeve. Maybe—just maybe—he would find a way. All she could do now was place her hope in him.

After a while, Liu Ruyan’s emotions gradually settled, and she gently pushed her way out of Long Chen’s embrace.

Just now, she had lost control of her emotions, which was the only reason she had been willing to engage in such an intimate act. Now that she had collected herself, she felt a bit awkward—her face flushed red, and she seemed to want to crawl into a hole and hide.

Seeing Liu Ruyan act like a bashful maiden, Long Chen almost couldn’t hold himself back. But he didn’t dare to hug her again. Who knew if she’d suddenly lash out? It was better to play it safe.

Just as the atmosphere became slightly awkward—

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Weren’t you always good with words? Cat got your tongue, or are you just laughing at me inside?” she suddenly snapped, glaring at him.

What the fuck? She really flips faster than a page in the wind!

Long Chen hastily laughed. “No, I’m just suddenly about something from my childhood. All these trees reminded me.”

“Oh, what were you thinking about?” Liu Ruyan asked.

She knew that Long Chen was up to something, but it was better than staying in this awkward atmosphere.

“I used to love climbing trees when I was a kid. But it’s been years… I wonder if I’m out of practice now,” Long Chen said.

Liu Ruyan smiled faintly, thinking he was being nostalgic. But then she caught a glint of mischief in his eyes. Immediately, she reached out and pinched his waist, making Long Chen yelp.

“Ow! What was that for?!”

“You think I’m an idiot? You think I didn’t catch your meaning?” she said with a half-smile.

“Wow, you’re really smart! You actually figured it out?” Long Chen praised, grinning.

Truthfully, her vicious pinch wasn’t painful at all—at least not for someone with Long Chen’s physique. And Liu Ruyan hadn’t really meant to hurt him anyway. His yelp was purely for show.

But thanks to it, the heavy atmosphere lifted.

As Long Chen wore a cheeky smile, he asked, “Beautiful Fairy Ruyan, as the young mistress of the Undying race, are you not planning on telling me the situation of the Undying race?”

Liu Ruyan was just about to speak when a cold voice echoed from the base of the mountain.

“Liu Qingyu, here for the challenge!”

Liu Ruyan’s smile vanished, replaced by a vexed expression.

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