Eternal Love of Dream: The Aftermath

The Canyon, Part 3 🔥

Donghua woke up early with Fengjiu snuggled in his arms.  He gathered her closer and kissed the top of her head.  He wanted to kiss her awake, but he knew he wouldn't be able to resist her advances.  Breathing in her scent one last time and giving her another kiss, he transported her clothes on her and turned her into her fox state. He carried her in his arms through the forest until they reached the cliff, when she finally woke up.

"Dijun, why am I in my fox form?" She yawned, rubbing her nose against his chest.

"With the fox air making you more... ahem... unrestrained, I don't think we will ever leave if you're in your human form. We need to climb this cliff. When you're tired, just let me know, and I'll carry you on my back."

Fengjiu scoffed. "Dijun, I'm faster than you in my fox form."

Donghua raised an eyebrow. "I recall beating a certain fox in a race back in Qingqiu."

Fengjiu blushed at the memory of that night, glad that her red fur for hiding her equally red face. She jumped out of his arms and onto the rocks.  The Canyon was imbued with a spell that prevented immortals from using magic to transport up it. Only through pure physical might could someone scale up.  By midday, Fengjiu was drained, though she didn't want to burden Donghua by carrying her and kept quiet as her gait slowed. She gasped when he picked her up, putting her in a pouch he made from his outer robe so her head was able to see out of it. He placed her on his back and secured her with a tie he ripped from his robe and some magic to ensure she wouldn't fall.

"Are you comfortable?" He asked. 

She nuzzled her nose in the crook of his neck as a yes and settled against him as he scaled further up. Fengjiu was glad she was confined to her fox form, because she didn't think she could resist how his hard muscles moved as he continued to climb the rocks. The years of fighting had cultivated his stamina, and his movements were steady and fluid.  

After an hour of rest, Fengjiu continued the climb with him, and on they continued, with Donghua making Fengjiu rest when she was tired and her continuing after she had rested. By nightfall, they came to a spot with a little nook that protected them from most of the wind. Sensing that she was at her limit, Donghua paused Fengjiu. "Xiaobai, let's rest here till dawn."

Donghua released the spell on her shifting so she could transform into her human form, as she preferred to sleep in that state. He made a small cut on his finger to give her a couple of drops of his golden blood, which made her feel immensely better. She drank some of the water and ate some fruits he offered from his sleeve before she settled against him. Donghua used magic to cleanse their bodies of the sweat and dirt from the day and created a shield of warmth around them to protect her from the wind and cold night air. She felt a kiss against her head as she laid on top of him. "Xiaobai, are you tired?"

She rubbed her nose against him, making a muffled sound that sounded like a yes. He laughed and kissed her head again. "Then rest. You climbed a lot farther than most immortals, Xiaobai. Your strength has increased a lot," Donghua praised her.

Fengjiu had felt defeated and tired after the long day but smiled at his comforting words. He could've turned her into a handkerchief but he always tried to balance his need to protect her from harm with the knowledge that he needed to let her fail, learn and grow. Though the full recovery of his cultivation was of paramount importance to the world, she knew increasing her cultivation was of utmost concern to him. Fengjiu wiped the sudden tears in her eyes before raising her head to look down at him.

"I love you, dear husband." Fengjiu whispered.

Donghua looked at her tenderly and smiled.  He adored it when she called him that.   "I love you too, Xiaobai."