After taking over the snake uncle's foundation, Sasuke came to surrender on his own initiative.

Chapter 259 Breathing

As the blue light of the crystal training grounds flooded her ankles, Honglian crushed the ice crystals in her palm for the third time. Pale blue crystal powder leaked from between her fingers, mixing with the cold sweat on her forehead and landing on the ground in the mineral vein, creating a glaring contrast with the faint glow of the natural crystals. She could feel Yinzhu's gaze on her, a gaze that didn't urge her, but made her even more difficult to calm down.

"Don't stare at the crystal, stare at me." Yin Zhu's voice suddenly approached, carrying a hint of coolness. He had unknowingly walked in front of her, the "Pure Heart Crystal" in his hand glowing warmly. Instead of handing it directly to her, he gently lifted her wrist and pressed the crystal against her pulse point. "Your chakra is trembling with memory. Look at me, focus on my chakra."

Honglian's breathing suddenly stopped. Yinzhu's fingertips, with a faint coolness, slowly injected gentle chakra along her meridians, soothing the turbulent crystal energy within her body like a stream. She was forced to raise her head, meeting his deep eyes—there was no mockery, no scrutiny, only focused guidance, and a hint of tenderness she dared not contemplate, reminding her of the warmth of her mother's hands as a child.

"Relax." Yin Zhu's thumb gently stroked the skin over her pulse point, as if soothing a nervous little animal. "Imagine your Crystal Escape is a piece of paper. Those painful memories aren't ink, but the fibers that make the paper strong." His chakra suddenly slowed, synchronizing with her Crystal Escape. "Follow me, inhale, exhale, and let the Crystal Escape flow in this rhythm."

Honglian subconsciously matched his breathing. Warm light seeped into her body from the Pure Heart Crystal, interweaving with Yinzhu's chakra. Those once sharp, painful memories, like softened fibers, gradually melted into the Crystal Release chakra. Her fingertips condensed the ice crystal once again, but this time, instead of shattering, it solidified into a complete crystal leaf, its edges shimmering with a soft glow.

"Very good." Yin Zhu's lips curled up slightly. As he withdrew his hand, he brushed away the crystal powder on her cheek. The action was so natural that it seemed as if he had done it a thousand times. "Try again. Don't rush this time. Let the crystal leaf grow along the chakra of the mineral vein."

Honglian's cheeks instantly burned, and she quickly lowered her head, refocusing her attention on the crystal leaf. But the warmth lingering from Yinzhu's fingertips, like a pebble dropped into the lake of her heart, spread ripples across the surface. She remembered the first time they'd met, when he'd stood in front of the ruins of the research institute, draping his coat over her shivering body; when she'd felt insecure about her test number, and he'd used the system to erase the mark on her arm; and after each training session, he'd always prepared warm medicine, saying, "Crystal escape consumes a lot of energy, so you need to replenish your Qi and blood."

She used to regard these subtle acts of concern as "the care a leader gives to his subordinates," but the lingering warmth on her pulse point and the gentle touch on her cheek suddenly made her no longer dare to define it that way.

"You're distracted." Yin Zhu's voice echoed again, but instead of blaming her, he crouched down, his gaze level with hers. His fingertips gently tapped the crystal leaf in her palm, and it instantly glowed with a golden light. "The chakra of the mineral vein awaits your response, just like... I'm waiting for you to trust yourself."

The last half sentence was spoken softly, yet it reached Honglian's ears clearly. She looked up sharply, meeting Yinzhu's gaze. The tenderness within was no longer concealed, enveloping her like the blue light of a crystal training ground. The crystal leaf trembled slightly in her palm, unexpectedly condensing into a small crystal flower, its petals stained with tiny "dewdrops"—the tears she couldn't hold back, frozen into crystal clear ice crystals by the crystal escape technique.

"I..." Honglian's voice was choked with sobs, but Yinzhu gently interrupted her. He reached out and caught the ice crystal with his fingertips. The ice crystal instantly melted in his palm, turning into a drop of warm water. "No need to rush to say anything." He stood up and put the Qingxin Crystal back into her hand. "Finish your training first, and we'll talk about the rest slowly."

This time, Honglian didn't run away. She gripped the Pure Heart Crystal tightly, closed her eyes, and channeled all her emotions—pain, gratitude, and the budding flutter of her heart—into her Crystal Release chakra. The energy of the mineral vein flowed through her palm, resonating perfectly with her Crystal Release. The crystal pillar began to hum softly, and countless crystal spikes rose from the ground, no longer aggressive, but weaving into a translucent crystal prison. In the center of the prison, the crystal flower hovered, the golden light on its petals the chakra infused by Yinzhu.

"Crystal Escape? Symbiotic Crystal Prison!" Honglian's voice was filled with unprecedented conviction. The Crystal Prison suddenly contracted, then slowly expanded, enveloping the entire training ground. Yinzhu stood outside the Crystal Prison, gazing at Honglian within, his eyes filled with relief. On the system panel, the message "[Honglian Crystal Escape Purity 100%, Emotional Resonance Value +30%]" flashed, reassuring him more than any other data.

By the time the training ended, it was already dark. Yin Zhu handed Hong Lian a coat, the same one he'd worn last time, imbued with his scent. "It's cold in the mountains, put it on." He didn't mention his previous emotional fluctuations, but simply walked naturally beside her, shoulder to shoulder, toward the village.

"Master Yinzhu." Honglian suddenly stopped and clenched the crystal flower in her hand - the crystal flower that condensed the chakra of both of them. "When you said 'speak slowly' just now, did you mean it?"

Yin Zhu turned, the moonlight falling on his face, softening his usual composure. He walked over to her, gently took the crystal flower, and pinned it into her hair. The blue light of the crystal flower matched her hair, a breathtaking beauty. "Of course." His fingertips gently touched the crystal flower. "When you're ready, we can start with 'your favorite flower as a child' or 'a crystal escape technique you'd like to try next time you practice.'"

Honglian's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, but she bravely raised her head and met his gaze: "Then... next time I practice, I want to try using Crystal Escape to make a gift for you."

A flash of surprise flashed in Yin Zhu's eyes, and then a gentle smile appeared: "Okay, I'm looking forward to it."

The two walked side by side again, the moonlight stretching their shadows long and close together. A crystal flower shimmered in Guren's hair, like a hidden star, witnessing the budding emotions tempered by power. Guren knew that her Crystal Release had not only broken through a bottleneck but also opened a new door—behind which lay the companions she wanted to protect, the Sound Village that accepted all her past, and the person who was willing to wait for her to "talk slowly."

Yin Zhu looked at Hong Lian beside him, the coolness of the crystal flower still lingering on his fingertips. He knew that this affection wouldn't burden her, but would only strengthen her—just as her Crystal Escape needed the support of a mineral vein, so her growth needed gentle protection. The road ahead was long, and they had plenty of time to slowly polish this budding bond, like polishing crystal.

When they reached the village gate, the minotaur was standing under the streetlight waiting for her. Seeing them walking side by side, a glimmer of understanding flashed in his cloudy eyes, but he didn't ask any more questions. He just handed her a thermos bucket and said, "This is the soup made by Karin. He said it will nourish you."

Honglian took the thermos and looked at Yinzhu, her eyes full of smiles. Yinzhu gently rubbed her hair, his movements natural and gentle: "Go back quickly, you still have to practice tomorrow."

Only after watching Honglian and the minotaur walk into the village did Yinzhu turn and leave. He touched a small crystal fragment in his pocket—he had quietly put it away when the Crystal Prison dissipated. It still held Honglian's chakra. He knew this fragment would become a treasured gift, just as he would treasure every bit of her growth and every heartbeat.

In the moonlight, the crystal fragments sparkled in his palm, reflecting the tenderness in his eyes.