"Brother Zhuang Cheng, you're badly injured! And..." Little Bowl hurriedly came close to support me.

At the same time, she seemed to notice more problems, such as the fact that I'm no longer the Void Envoy.

"Please help me heal first, Little Bowl," I said.

"Alright, I'll help you right away." Little Bowl nodded repeatedly, "Also, Sister Mazao has been waiting for you all this time, we..."

"Wait, don't tell Mazao yet," I said reflexively.

Little Bowl paused slightly and asked, "Why?"

Even I didn't quite understand why I wanted to do this. Fortunately, after a moment of thought, Little Bowl didn't pursue the matter but instead supported me as we walked into a guest room along the side of the corridor.

In the mansion, there were many such vacant rooms, rarely visited by guests. Although maintained by Lu Chan's cleaning spell in various places, ensuring hygiene automatically, opportunities to use the rooms were rare. Little Bowl let me lie down deep on the bed and then began to treat me.

It was only then that she inquired in a gentle tone, "Why don't you want to meet Sister Mazao?"

Why didn't I want to see Mazao now... In that short moment, as I carefully sorted through my thoughts and emotions, I finally understood.

To be precise, it wasn't that I didn't want to see Mazao; I didn't want Mazao to see me as I was now.

I lost the battle, battered with wounds, looking so pathetic. Even if it wasn't visible from the outside, I knew I was out of sorts. As for Mazao, I wanted to show the most composed and charming side of myself, which was quite the opposite of what I was now, truly lacking. I didn't want the girl I liked most to witness it.

Not that it's unacceptable to be injured. There's a saying that scars are a man's badge of honor, and I don't mind being seen covered in blood. Nor is it that I can't accept losing in battle; I've never considered myself an invincible war god and have always accepted the possibility of defeat, as neither inevitably victorious nor inevitably doomed adventures are of interest to me. Fleeing in disarray after first facing Great Demon Xuanwu, I've never felt truly embarrassed.

But... this time it's different.

This time is different.

Teaming up with Water Navy Xuanwu and Meng Zhang to besiege Shan Liangyi, then being defeated without any resistance, unable to resist until the last moment. Having the Divine Seal Fragment taken away and being lightly dismissed as a non-threat. Such a thoroughly defeated taste, this was my first time experiencing it. To put it more bluntly, this is the taste of shame.

Whether disadvantage or defeat, no matter how bitter the taste, I can swallow it, having had the determination to shatter in adversity. But this taste of shame is something I find hard to digest, never expected. Thinking it over, if conflicts are to occur, I should prepare for such possibilities in advance. Feeling this way might suggest I've been sailing too smoothly in the past.

So, I might be a bit awkward now. Initially, I was somewhat naïve in certain respects, and now the naivety has intensified, making even myself seem unfamiliar. Was I such a twisted person before?

This utterly dreadful thought, in any case, is something I can't express to Mazao. Though I'd said I wouldn't lie or pretend to Mazao again... somehow, this feels different. I hope to have a chance to hide and lick my wounds secretly, and surely, then I'll bounce back.

However, the words unspoken to Mazao, I somehow can say to Little Bowl. Not entirely without resistance, perhaps wanting to make some compensation on Little Bowl. Little Bowl is Mazao's closest friend, so maybe I've projected my thoughts onto Little Bowl.

The past me could openly tell Zhu Shi I liked her but found it difficult to say to Mazao, perhaps somewhat similar to this situation. Coincidentally, Little Bowl is also a kind of Zhu Shi.

Before I managed to speak a few words, as usual, Little Bowl seemed to see through my heart sharply, and smiling said, "Brother Zhuang Cheng, are you treating me as a substitute for Sister Mazao? That's not quite right."

"It's my fault," I wanted to get up.

But Little Bowl gently pressed me down, indicating I should continue to lie on the bed, saying as she resumed healing, "It doesn't matter. Whether as a substitute or another role, I can be. Even if you act spoiled before Little Bowl, it's okay."

Hearing her conclusion, I found it ridiculous and said, "Don't joke around."

"I'm not joking. You should show off and stick close to Sister Mazao. But if there are things that upset you or are awkward to say, sometimes you can vent them to me as well. Express childish complaints or throw tantrums like a child, it doesn't matter. I'll always be there to hug Brother Zhuang Cheng," Little Bowl said.

"I won't do that," I said.

"It's just an example." Little Bowl said, "By the way, do you want to try what we talked about last time now?"

"What thing?" I was taken aback.

"Like this..."

Little Bowl first made me sit up slightly, then she gently climbed onto the bed and sat at the head, which was right behind me. She then stuffed pillows and blankets behind her back, reclining lazily as if on a beanbag chair, and asked me to lie back with my head resting on her soft stomach, her delicate legs stretched around my shoulders.

She smiled as she reached her tiny hands down, touching my cheeks as if to hold me, saying, "How is it? Is this uncomfortable? Would another position be better?"

The power of blessing seeped from her hands into my body and soul, healing my True Spirit. The feeling of gradually being healed from severe injuries, if asked whether comfortable or not, is certainly comfortable. As for the posture itself, it was hard to shake my head in denial; there was a feeling of gentle care. Rather, I worried if she might feel uncomfortable, and if I directly accepted it, wouldn't it seem as though I were purposely acting spoiled with Little Bowl? That sounded a little shameless.

Little Bowl seemed to see through my concerns.

"I don't feel uncomfortable here; it's quite refreshing. Just take it as fulfilling my request, Brother Zhuang Cheng, can you stay still like this?" She smiled slightly, "Now, continue telling me about the previous events."

Honestly, there was a feeling of embarrassment. But I found it hard to resist Little Bowl's kindness; I didn't have the strength to oppose it. In the end, I obediently continued to recount my experiences on the battlefield.

Silhouettes passed through my mind like fleeting shadows.

The ones I respected secretly, yet regarded as destined opponents, who incredulously left me a gift before dying — Xuanming...

Once an enemy, then a comrade, finally died suddenly — Water Navy Xuanwu...

Burdened with unknown dark pasts, nearly succeeded in creating another universe — Meng Zhang...

The terrifying Shan Liangyi possessing overwhelming power...

Compared to partners, the images of enemies were more vivid in my mind. To be honest, all my action objectives in the Southern City were perfectly achieved. Whether Xuanming threatening Little Bowl's life, or Meng Zhang whom I once clashed with, they either were personally defeated by me or died after I thwarted their plans. The task of obtaining the Great Demon God Gui Spirit Pill from Water Navy Xuanwu was also completed successfully.

Except Shan Liangyi... His appearance at the last moment marked a hugely disgraceful pause. This might be my first time encountering such a major setback.

It's said that humans often require setbacks to grow. If I can overcome this setback, could I then achieve further growth?

Ever since becoming Impermanence, my power hasn't truly strengthened. First was gaining enhancement through Ash Weapon, then supplementing density techniques with experience from the Catastrophe Demon, but these are in the realm of external methods and techniques, not true strengthening.

Considering my level of mana as Impermanence existed unknowingly since when; before becoming Impermanence, more growth came from unlocking inherent potential through life-and-death crises. I haven't truly experienced growth in essence.

It's not that I haven't considered finding more unique paths to grow stronger, but given a high starting point, those methods generally proved ineffective, with Ash Weapon being the only useful answer, yet that path also seemed to have reached its end. The material "furnace slag" and weapons based on it are inherently simple, thus their use is highly singular, making it unrealistic to find new development directions.

As a Liangyi Inheritor, the path available was extremely narrow. Even if I want to surpass my personal limitations, it seems the only path is through the established Four Symbols and Five Elements system. Those who've become Impermanence likely have experiences surpassing limitations. Water Navy Xuanwu surpassed limitations by absorbing the White Tiger Seed, but how did Meng Zhang do it in the past? I tried using them as reference points.

Aside from their inherent attributes, those two possessed secondary powers of "alchemy" or "cultivation," while my "artifact refining" was mostly unusable. This made my path seem even narrower, with less direction available. It seems I'm the only Vermilion Bird inheritor to encounter such difficulty, making it a miracle to have successfully become Impermanence.

Shan Liangyi even specifically praised Meng Zhang and Water Navy Xuanwu, why not praise me? Even though I have no other commendable attributes besides this confusingly acquired strong power and manifestation nature.

Perhaps because my head was resting on Little Bowl's soft belly, there really was a pampered feeling, causing such peculiar thoughts to emerge. It's said that the gentle embrace of a woman is a hero's grave, yet "gentle embrace" feels odd when referring to a girl's hug, but I mustn't be led astray. I re-organized my thoughts, returning to a rational track.

"Manifestation"—perhaps I should focus my main efforts in this direction.

The Four Symbols and Five Elements, in the end, belong to Shan Liangyi's domain. If unable to carve my own path, it's impossible to contend against Shan Liangyi.