Dusk drew its curtain, and night enveloped the land.
After comforting Ning Rongrong, Ye Qiu did not stay overnight at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
After bidding farewell to Ning Rongrong and Xiao Lan, he immediately used his Divine Might to go to the secret chamber of the Prince's Residence.
The dark secret chamber was empty.
As space twisted, Ye Qiu's figure appeared there. The gentle light from the luminous pearls embedded in the ceiling shone upon him, and his blood-colored eyes scanned the surroundings.
He walked to the stone table in the center and sat down, quietly waiting for Qian Renxue to arrive, as she basically came in to cultivate every night.
Thump, thump.
Looking at the entrance of the secret chamber, his fingers unconsciously tapped the table, and Ye Qiu's expression gradually became solemn.
After his inquiry, he already knew that Ning Rongrong still planned to head in the direction of Soto City.
The development of events still seemed to follow the original trajectory.
That also meant that Xiao Wu would appear in Soto City at the same time, as would Zhuqing, and... Tang San and his father!
"Hoo~" Ye Qiu let out a long breath, his brows furrowing. Things seemed a bit difficult!
Although the trajectory of events had not deviated from his understanding, Ye Qiu was naturally a little happy, as this meant there were still many areas he could manipulate.
But along with that, there were also some troubles.
He definitely had to go to Soto City, but his appearance would inevitably lead to contact with Xiao Wu and the others, and would also attract Tang Hao's attention.
Should he use Life Mimicry?
Tap, tap.
While Ye Qiu was still deep in thought, a series of unhurried footsteps came from the secret passage at the entrance of the secret chamber.
Before he even saw her, Qian Renxue's clear and cold voice reached Ye Qiu's ears.
"Didn't you say you were going to hunt for spirit rings today and wouldn't have time to cultivate with me? What? Was it not smooth?"
Ye Qiu snapped out of it and looked in the direction of the voice.
Golden long hair, exquisite beauty; even in the dim secret chamber, she was still dazzling.
A pair of long, well-proportioned beautiful legs, carrying her proud figure, was walking towards him step by step.
Even before entering the secret chamber, Qian Renxue had already sensed Ye Qiu's arrival.
As soon as she stepped into the secret chamber, a golden aura surged from her, restoring her to her original appearance.
Only in this secret chamber could she shed this annoying disguise.
"I asked you a question!"
Not getting a response from Ye Qiu, Qian Renxue's delicate brows furrowed. She came to the stone table and sat opposite him.
"It went very smoothly. I've successfully broken through to Spirit Elder!" Ye Qiu put away his thoughtful expression and looked directly at her.
"Oh!" Qian Renxue nodded indifferently, then picked up the teapot on the table, poured two cups of tea, and slowly pushed one in front of Ye Qiu.
"Since everything went smoothly, why do you look so preoccupied?"
"I'm wondering when you'll fulfill the condition you promised me?"
He picked up the teacup and took a sip. The sweetness at the back of his tongue calmed his inner agitation, but his eyes never left Qian Renxue.
"Why are you suddenly in such a hurry?"
Looking at Ye Qiu's serious expression at this moment, Qian Renxue was a little puzzled.
She could easily get information about Dugu Yan, one of the members of the Royal Fight Team.
During this time, after observation by Porcupinefish and Snake Lance in the training ground, she was well aware that Dugu Yan possessed a Ten Thousand Year fourth spirit ring.
Based on Dugu Yan's breakthrough time and Ye Qiu's appearance time, Qian Renxue had already been able to deduce many things.
However, in the intelligence she had gathered, none of his women seemed to need to acquire new spirit rings right now, did they?
Driven by curiosity, Qian Renxue quickly concealed the doubt in her eyes and chuckled as she sipped the fragrant tea in her hand.
Looking at Ye Qiu with interest, her words carried a hint of probing.
"I'd really like to know what you plan to do with that thing? Could it be... for Dugu Yan?"
Hearing her words, Ye Qiu frowned. Dugu Yan's Ten Thousand Year fourth spirit ring indeed couldn't be hidden, but in the Royal Fight Team, Qin Ming had already issued a gag order!
Realizing that the other party had investigated him and Dugu Yan, Ye Qiu's tone also became a bit unfriendly.
"Why do you care so much? Just give me the thing."
Bang! The teacup in his hand was placed heavily on the table, splashing some water.
Qian Renxue's expression turned cold. Seeing Ye Qiu's attitude, an inexplicable anger rose in her heart.
Aside from that crazy woman, no one had ever dared to speak to her like that!
"Hmph! Do you think I want to care?"
Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, her face flushed with seven parts anger and three parts shyness, glaring at Ye Qiu resentfully.
"If you weren't still useful to me, just for offending me so many times, I would have sliced you into a thousand pieces long ago!"
Although their cultivation postures had changed a long time ago, before that, when they embraced face-to-face, accidents sometimes happened.
Aside from those bumps and scrapes, there were several times when Qian Renxue was mesmerized by Ye Qiu's eyes, making some inappropriate gestures like throwing herself into his arms.
"Those were just accidents, and I already warned you in advance!"
Facing her accusing gaze, Ye Qiu turned his head away.
"Accidents!? Hehe... So should I thank you for being a gentleman? Thank you for your repeated apologies after enjoying yourself every time?"
Qian Renxue sneered. She was well aware of Ye Qiu, who constantly frequented several women, as he occasionally emitted two different scents.
Every time she recalled the scene of herself, disheveled, pressing Ye Qiu beneath her, and feeling a slight heat in her body, she gritted her teeth.
"And, your Spirit... I don't need to say much, you should know what it's made of, right?"
Looking at Ye Qiu playfully, how could she, who was intelligent since childhood, not realize why she was experiencing abnormalities.
It was precisely because of Ye Qiu's improper and lewd eyes!
"Hmm! These are indeed my fault! I'm sorr..."
Ye Qiu also put down his teacup, nodding indifferently. As he habitually prepared to apologize, he remembered what she had just said and swallowed his words with a frown.
Then he looked directly at her.
"Now I don't want to argue with you anymore. I just want to know when you can give me the item?"
The two looked at each other. Ye Qiu's eyes were relatively calm, without much fluctuation.
Speaking of which, during more than a month of cultivation.
He and Qian Renxue had little communication beyond some physical contact.
Instead, several times after cultivation, they almost came to blows, causing this secret chamber to be repaired more than once, and even slightly expanded.
A cold light flashed in Qian Renxue's golden eyes, and her jade hand under the table had already clenched into a fist.
'You scoundrel! This time you're even too lazy to apologize!'
Gritting her silver teeth, she strongly resisted the urge to reward him with an Angelic Assault.
She definitely couldn't give the item to Ye Qiu now, otherwise, how would she explain the lie she had told?
"Hmph! Since you're in such a hurry, I'll help you expedite it. I'll try to have it delivered in the next few days."
"Hmm! In that case... then I'll trouble you!"
Hearing her reply, Ye Qiu's emotions also calmed down quite a bit. To be safe, he looked at her again and added a sentence.
"I hope what you say is true."
He was completely unaware that the color of his spirit ring had already been exposed.
Even the secret that he had the ability to help others obtain over-limit spirit rings, Qian Renxue had already guessed with great accuracy.
"Hehe... Don't worry, it will definitely arrive in a few days!" Qian Renxue smiled unhappily and picked up the teapot beside her.
"Here, have a cup of tea to calm down, and then we'll start cultivating!"
"Hmm!"
Qian Renxue refilled Ye Qiu's tea, and the two sat quietly by the stone table. After finishing the tea in their cups, they went to bed.
On the bed in the secret chamber, the single man and woman lay back to back.
Feeling the warmth from his back, Qian Renxue slightly turned her head and glanced back, only seeing a small part of his face.
Then she calmed her mind and gradually entered a state of cultivation.
Outside the Prince's Residence, the night grew deeper.
The handsome man and beautiful woman, lying close together on the bed, looked from a distance as if they were wrapped in a golden-red cocoon, with wisps of spirit power flowing in and out of their bodies.
Above their heads, a golden angelic phantom floated, with six wings on its back and eyes that were purplish-red. The entire secret chamber was filled with a faint golden-red glow.
As time passed, dawn broke in the sky.
The glow filling the secret chamber gradually faded, re-entering their bodies.
"Hoo~"
Both of them opened their eyes almost simultaneously, exhaling a mouthful of turbid air.
"Ye Qiu..."
"Qian Renxue, I still have some matters to attend to, so I'll be leaving first!"
Ye Qiu, who had just opened his eyes, glanced at the hourglass in the secret chamber. Before Qian Renxue could finish her sentence, he quickly greeted her and disappeared from the bed using his Divine Might.
Time was up; he needed to go back and take Dugu Yan to the academy.
"Ah~!"
Qian Renxue, who had been quietly leaning on Ye Qiu's back, was caught completely off guard and fell directly onto the stone bed.
There was a dull thud from the back of her head, and she let out a cry of pain.
"Ye~ Qiu~!"
In the empty secret chamber, Qian Renxue's gritted teeth roar echoed.
"What do you think this place of mine is?! Ah~ You ungrateful scoundrel!"
Bang!
With a loud bang, when the two Snake Lance Spirit Masters outside rushed in, they saw that the stone bed, which had just been replaced not long ago, had been cut in half again by their Young Lady's holy sword.
"You two!"
"Young Lady?" Porcupinefish and Snake Lance bowed, a hint of confusion in their eyes.
"Go and pour out the soup the kitchen prepared, pour it all out! You've infuriated me!"
She had originally planned to ask him if he wanted to stay for breakfast, but she didn't expect him to leave even more decisively than usual!
It was always like this; he'd leave after finishing his business!
It made her lose her appetite; she was full of anger!
She glared hatefully at the "Concealing Spirit Secret Technique" in her hand, muttering to herself.
"Still want something? Hmph hmph. Let's see if I don't make you wait a few more days!"
...Seven days later, in the forest outside the Royal Fight Team training ground.
On the horizon, the setting sun painted a golden skyline, and the golden afterglow fell here, enveloping a graceful young woman in a purple training uniform.
Her purple-green long hair swayed slightly in the evening breeze, and her green eyes held a touch of tenderness as she quietly gazed at the space not far in front of her.
Even though Ye Qiu was quite late, Dugu Yan showed no impatience, only anticipation in her heart.
After Ye Qiu dropped her off today, he hadn't been seen all day!
"Yan Yan!"
The space in her line of sight rippled, and two blue figures appeared in the clearing.
"Ye Qiu! Hmm? And Xiao Lan!"
A look of surprise flashed in Dugu Yan's eyes, and she jogged forward, about to crash into Ye Qiu's arms with a gift.
Seeing Xiao Lan held by his hand, she paused, and seeing Xiao Lan, Dugu Yan already knew why Ye Qiu was late today.
"Yan Yan Jie! Do you want one?" Xiao Lan greeted her happily.
She was still holding several strings of candied hawthorns; Ning Rongrong had bought them for a small sum in Heaven Dou City after seeing her constantly looking downcast, feeling touched.
There were also many other things piled up in the spirit tool in her hand.
"Haha. No need, you eat them yourself!" Dugu Yan chuckled and shook her head at Xiao Lan.
She habitually wrapped her arms around Ye Qiu's arm, leaned on his shoulder, and quietly asked.
"Has she left already?"
"Yes! I just sent Rongrong out of Heaven Dou City."
Ye Qiu nodded slightly, his face, which barely managed a smile, still showed a hint of worry.
Although he had told her many things, and even given her several Zhuge Repeating Crossbows.
"Ye Qiu~ Will you blame me?" Dugu Yan leaned into Ye Qiu's ear, her warm breath making the cool evening breeze a little gentler.
"How could I blame you? Besides, even School Master Ning supports Rongrong going out and exploring."
He gently rubbed his forehead against hers, then pulled out his hand, wrapped it around her delicate, snake-like waist, and pulled her into his embrace.
"That's good then! Let's go home! Mwah~" Dugu Yan smiled brightly and lightly pecked Ye Qiu's face.
"Brother~ Xiao Lan too…"
"Go away!" Ye Qiu disdainfully dodged Xiao Lan's red lips, which were covered in rock candy.
"Ah! Brother is biased."
Amidst a burst of noise, Ye Qiu unleashed his divine power, sweeping the two girls away and returning to the Sunset Forest... As Ning Rongrong stepped out of Heaven Dou City, far away on the border of the Heaven Dou Empire, near Soto City, at the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.
A fiery-figured young woman, dressed in leather, with cat ear hair accessories on her head and a cat tail attached to the fabric at her lower back, was constantly moving through the jungle.
Suddenly, figures flashed behind her, and arrows pierced the air, their tips glinting with a dark sheen, evidently coated with potent poison!
Swish!
Meow! Her Spirit instantly completed its possession, and with a roll, she dodged all the arrows.
Bang bang! More than ten figures quickly surged out, surrounding her.
"Young Lady Zhuqing, please come back with us! The Eldest Young Lady certainly won't harm you!"
Zhu Zhuqing turned and glanced behind her, her eyes icy cold, and her words seemed to carry a chill.
"Does Dai Weisi always act so secretively?"
The person in front of her was a Level 46 Spirit Ancestor, with four spirit rings—yellow, yellow, purple, purple—flickering beneath his feet.
"Your subordinate doesn't understand what you're saying; we are just acting on the Eldest Young Lady's orders!"
Looking at the three spirit rings—one yellow, two purple—under Zhu Zhuqing's feet, his eyes showed some admiration.
Too bad, the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind!
Zhu Zhuqing frowned and remained silent, the Shadow Spider Lance on her back stirring restlessly.
Her eyes scanned her surroundings, her expression a bit solemn.
If it were just one Spirit Ancestor, she might have some confidence. But there were three Spirit Ancestors in the team!
"It seems Young Lady Zhuqing prefers a toast to a penalty!"
The leading black-clad man's voice was hoarse, and he slowly raised his hand; the surrounding people also slowly activated their Spirits, a dazzling array of colors, truly magnificent.
"Everyone, act immediately! Life or death, no quarter given!"
The raised hand was quickly lowered, and the other dozen or so people immediately closed in on Zhu Zhuqing!
Puff! Just as Zhu Zhuqing's spider lances unfurled behind her, a rough voice came from outside the encirclement.
"Kill! Leave no one alive!"
Outside the encirclement, another group of black-clad figures appeared, and without a word, they began to attack those who were surrounding her.
"Who are you?! Oh no! They're Spirit Kings!"
"Ah~!"
"Mercy! We are the First Prince's… Ah!"
"…"
The clash of Spirit Abilities, mixed with the screams of death, echoed through the forest.
After a short while, these sounds died down.
The ground was stained with blood, and corpses lay everywhere, as if narrating the intensity of the recent battle.
"Young Lady Zhuqing, there's no need to be nervous. The Eldest Young Lady asked me to tell you that this is her sincerity, and she hopes you can bring back what she needs!"
They stood in front of Zhu Zhuqing, lined up in a row, and the tall man leading them, seeing her still on high alert, spoke to explain.
"Heh heh. Four Spirit Kings, did my sister almost empty her family's coffers? This sincerity is truly touching."
Zhu Zhuqing had watched the battle unfold and had a rough understanding of these people's strength.
She retracted the spider lances behind her and responded indifferently.
"You tell her, I'll do my best!"
"Then your subordinate wishes you success! Retreat!"
Swish swish swish!
They came quickly and left just as quickly; under the man's command, they swiftly disappeared.
Zhu Zhuqing looked at their retreating figures and the mess on the ground, and she too quickly left the area.
The sun was setting, and she needed to hurry and leave the Star Dou Great Forest.
Continuing towards Soto City, she looked at the setting sun in the sky, and an image of a black-haired, blindfolded young man couldn't help but appear in her mind.
"Ye Qiu! Will I be able to see you?"
...Notting College, Dorm 7.
Outside the bed surrounded by a screen, stood a black-clad young man, with black hair, looking somewhat thin.
He was Tang San, who was about to graduate from Notting College.
At this moment, he was standing outside a screen, with lowered brows and a bowed body, calling out in a gentle voice.
"Xiao Wu, are you ready? We should leave!"
Although he tried his best to control it, he still couldn't hide the joy in his voice.
Because Xiao Wu had actually agreed to go to Soto City with him, which made him incredibly excited!
Xiao Wu truly couldn't bear to leave him in her heart! His efforts weren't in vain… While Tang San was still outside fantasizing about the beautiful life in the future Spirit Master Academy.
Inside the screen, Xiao Wu had already packed her things; there was nothing left on the bed except the wooden planks.
Now a graceful and elegant young woman, she sat on the edge of the bed, gently spinning the bamboo dragonfly she had meticulously cared for in her hand.
Tears glistened in Xiao Wu's eyes; she didn't want to leave, she wanted to wait for Xiao Qiu to come back here.
But Tang Hao's prying gaze from the shadows forced her to leave with Tang San!
"Xiao Qiu~ You'll find me, right?!"
Composing herself, she moved her small hand, and the bamboo dragonfly was placed into the spirit tool Ye Qiu had given her.
She stood up and slowly walked out.
Two chapters combined into one, a five-thousand-character chapter.
Wishing everyone a pleasant life!
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