A Way Out With Enormous Price (1),

That's two words! Two. F-ing. Words! And she got punished? Isn't that just too damn strict? Give her some leeway, will you? Xu An thought to himself.

"Is this punishment going to be hurt?" Xu An pondered.

"Obviously," replied Heileen, and Xu An slapped his forehead with his hand.

"Let me change the question, can you survive through it?" Xu An asked.

"Chance of surviving, less than 20%" Her voice was grim as her lips were quivering. She anxiously gulped her saliva.

Shouldn't I be the one who should do that? Xu An thought to himself as he noticed the small details happening on Heileen.

"You have to survive. If you die, I will not allow you!" Xu An yelled as he felt complicated inside. He just found a reliable friend who would be by his side and the chance of her betraying him was the same as scientists discovering a way to cure idiots!

"Don't worry, Master. I will not! Just assume this as another Heavenly Tribulation!" Said Heileen so as to decrease the concern in Xu An's heart.

After that, the dark clouds above their heads were getting thicker and Xu An's heart sank when he saw how thick each lightning the cloud flickered.

Through his spiritual senses, Xu An picked up that the lightning was around fifteen million volts! 

"How did I know this? My spiritual senses are not that powerful and sensitive," Xu An wondered and instantly found out the answer but was uncertain.

"Heileen, despite not signing a contract. Can we still share senses?" Xu An asked.

"Yeah, once a person conquers a dungeon. The Paladin will automatically become theirs. There is no need for a complicated procedure," replied Heileen as icy blue particles appeared around her.

"Then another question, why did we suddenly share senses?" Xu An pondered.

Share senses meant what Heileen felt would be transferred to him. Of course, it was not everything she felt but only some factors.

"When a Paladin is in a situation where death is close, they will automatically share senses with their Master," answered Heileen.

Crackle

The thunderous boom in the sky shifted their attention as they looked up and felt a sense of despair.

Xu An clenched his fist so tight that one could hear him doing so. His eyes were narrowed as his mind raced.

What can I do to help her? He asked himself and many speculations popped up in his mind but none was applicable to the current situation as they lack one thing.

His strength.

Xu An's strength was just too low!

"Power, I need more power! Damn it!" Xu An cursed himself from being weak.

Abruptly, an idea came into his mind. He looked at the black flower next to Heileen.

"Heileen, throw it!" Xu An yelled as loud as he could as he pointed his finger at the pot, for he was afraid Heileen could not hear his shout as the thunderous boom in the sky slowly intensified.

Each boom shook heaven and earth!

After Xu An said that, lightning fell somewhere not far away from them.

Boom!

The ground shook hard as Xu An felt his every cell greatly trembled. His heart skipped a beat as his ears were ringing.

All of his stuff fell to the ground like figurines, a clock, and his carving tools which he placed neatly collapsed to the ground.

Heileen noticed his shout and followed where his finger pointed at. The black flower.

Just as Heileen was about to grab it and throw it to Xu An. A loud boom sounded in the distance. It frightened her as she accidentally kicked the pot and the latter hit the wall.

Kacha!

Soil left a mark on the wall before hitting the ground and glass fragments spread. One could hear loud glass being broken.

"Sorry, Master. When I was extremely shocked by loud noises, I reflexively kicked something nearby," said Heileen as she apologized. Not waiting for Xu An to utter a sound, Heileen reached out her hand and then made a new pot out of ice.

It was beautifully well made and probably had its chance should it be put on the market.

Putting the flower and the soil into the ice pot, Heileen lightly tossed it and Xu An accepted it.

Fishing out the flower seeds in his robe inner pocket, which probably around twenty or so. He put it into the pot. This was done rapidly 

Next, Xu An waited for what's going to happen. He had no idea what might happen though after placing the seeds into the pot.

The answer lies in the next moment. Which the seeds slowly sunk as though being drowned in quicksand.

In the soil, the roots were moving at rapid speed as they hit every seed there. Next, the seeds turned to white particles as they entered the root, getting absorbed.

Most of the seeds from beast carcasses had already been absorbed. The seed from humans had yet to be absorbed.

Though, that did not last long as the flower's roots smell something delicious.

Like hungry sharks smell the scent of blood, about five roots traversed and greedily absorbed the energy inside the seed.

Unlike the others, this seed exploded with enormous white particles. Though, it was sucked by the nearby roots like a vacuum.

As the entire seed was absorbed, the flower begin to exude a faint aroma.

It was pleasant to one's nose but due to the lightning of clouds above their heads, Xu An could not focus on this smell and subconsciously forgot it.

Later, one of the petals turned white and a new black petal was born. The process was amazing.

Xu An's eyes were wide open and he smiled, "It worked!"

Earlier, before he put down the seeds. He was nervous that it might not work but seeing it right now, he felt like a fool for doubting what was said in that book.

"Heileen, become one with me!" Xu An said.

Heileen looked at Xu An, "No Master! It's dangerous! You might get hurt because of a mistake I made!"

"I don't care! As long as it increases your chance of survival, I will do anything!" Xu An replied.

"But…" Heileen hesitated. The problem was she never heard becoming one with her Master would increase her chance to get away from this.

Heavenly Tribulation could injure your soul and body. By becoming one with Xu An, Heileen changed into a soul and possessed Xu An's body but not to take control, but to give him power.

As she was in his body, her body was completely safe.

"Hurry!" Xu An urged as he got the feeling the lightning clouds were about to attack them. 

Yup, his feeling was correct, the Heavenly Tribulation had gathered enough energy and was ready to strike down.

As there was no time to explain, Heileen had no choice but to heed Xu An's words. Her body turned to blue ice particles and entered Xu An's body.

From an outsider's perspective, it was a blue ice ray of light that traversed at high speed and went into his body.

Xu An took a few steps back after Heileen entered his body. It was as though a strong wind blew at him or he bumped into someone else.

In the next moment, Xu An plucked the white flower petal and ate it.

In the process, Heileen said, "Master, as we are one. Your overall capabilities increased by 50%. Though, I don't know if it is enough to survive from that."

"How do you speak?" Xu An pondered.

"Through mental transmission," replied Heileen.

"I see. Anyway, don't worry, what I have to do is to defend that, right?" Xu An said with a confident smile.

"Yeah but Master, you don't have a defense technique strong enough to endure the strike," said Heileen.

"I know that very well. Listen, Heileen, no matter what happens. Do not leave my body," said Xu An.

As he read a lot of cultivation knowledge in his mindscape thanks to that book. He got an idea of what he should do.

After Xu An said that, he entered his consciousness into his mindscape. Because he did this, his body fell to the ground as though he fainted.

"Master?!" Heileen was greatly worried. The Heavenly Tribulation could strike at any moment yet her master suddenly fainted? Their situation just got from bad to worse!

Should she get out of his body? But Xu An just said she must not, no matter what happened.

Could she trust his words? Regardless, whether she left Xu An or not. She died in the end. She might as well pick one which increased her chance to survive, yes?

However, at the same time. Heileen was not the type to sacrifice others to save herself.

In a dilemma, Heileen's mind raced. A few seconds later, she came with an answer.

Hesitated, she chose to stay put as she followed Xu An's words.

In his mindscape, the book pages flipped rapidly before coming to a halt. It was stopped on a certain defense technique.

"Here it is," smiled Xu An as he hurriedly read it and memorized it.