Ye Qiu stretched out his right hand, circulating his soul power.
A piercing roar echoed throughout the secret chamber.
Blue-purple lightning illuminated Qian Renxue's pretty face.
Qian Renxue frowned.
"Is this the soul bone skill you acquired?"
"Yes, the lightning emanating from the soul bone can activate my physical body, and then I concentrate the power in my hand to sprint and penetrate at maximum speed!"
With that, Ye Qiu thrust his hand towards the stone bed beneath him.
*Poof!*
Without any resistance, Ye Qiu's palm easily sank into the stone bed.
The lightning dissipated, the noise vanished.
"This power is indeed impressive!"
Qian Renxue looked at the mark on the stone bed and nodded.
Then she gave Ye Qiu a reproachful glare.
Since meeting Ye Qiu,
she had changed the stone bed in her secret chamber countless times.
"What's the name of this move?" she asked curiously
. "Well, the piercing sound it makes when used is like a thousand birds chirping at the same time, so let's call it Thousand Birds!"
Ye Qiu smiled faintly, a hint of something deeper.
She looked at her right hand, lost in thought.
This soul bone skill was quite fun to use, mainly because it was cool.
"Thousand Birds?"
Qian Renxue nodded slightly; the name was indeed fitting.
"Oh, right!" Ye Qiu seemed to remember something and suddenly smiled at Qian Renxue, saying, "After my mental strength recovered, I found that it had also improved considerably, and I'm not far from getting the sixth soul ring you need, which has a lifespan exceeding 20,000 years!"
"Hmm!" Qian Renxue responded softly, then sat down directly on the edge of the bed.
She wasn't in a hurry; it would still be some time before she broke through to level 59.
Qian Renxue suddenly leaned on Ye Qiu's shoulder again.
"Aren't you really afraid I'll kill you?"
"Uh..."
Ye Qiu looked at her strangely, paused for a moment, then, remembering his previous 'seduction' plan, he didn't think much of it and instead reached out to put his arm around her waist. He
was going to act according to his plan.
She had just finished bathing; her hair was still slightly damp, and her body exuded a pleasant fragrance.
Her soft waist was perfectly proportioned and comfortable to hold.
Looking into Qian Renxue's eyes, he chuckled and said,
"Didn't you say we were good friends? And this is what I promised you!"
"So... this is how you take advantage of a friend?"
Before he could fully process what was going on,
a resentful voice reached his ears.
Qian Renxue blushed slightly, then looked coldly at Ye Qiu.
"Hehe." Ye Qiu's face stiffened, and he could only chuckle awkwardly, withdrawing his hand.
"Ye Qiu, stop with your little schemes. Without my permission, you're not allowed to push your luck!"
Qian Renxue's voice was cold.
She went a step further, reaching out to hug Ye Qiu's waist, leaning her entire body against him.
Her breath was sweet as orchids, and she smiled as she looked at Ye Qiu's flushed face.
"And you're not allowed to refuse me! For now, I'm allowing you not to refuse, not to take responsibility for any of this, I'll settle things later!"
Ye Qiu felt her soft, warm body pressed tightly against him,
making him somewhat unable to control himself.
He turned to look at Qian Renxue, his face full of strange expressions.
"Isn't this a bit unfair?"
"Unfair? It's inherently unfair! After all, you, who previously claimed to be friends, have taken advantage of me quite a bit."
Qian Renxue nodded in deep agreement, raising a hand and placing it on Ye Qiu's face.
"Besides, I like you, but you don't like me, so what right do you have to touch me?"
"Huh?!"
Ye Qiu was utterly astonished.
What kind of nonsense was this?!
Qian Renxue, however, didn't care.
Her red lips lightly touched, like raindrops.
She gently, fleetingly, touched Ye Qiu's lips several times.
Ye Qiu silently endured it helplessly.
Only when her red lips were stained a vibrant, glistening crimson
did Qian Renxue finally stop, smiling wryly.
She then moved closer to Ye Qiu's neck, gently biting and nibbling, her wet lips swirling around.
Ye Qiu felt a little uncomfortable from her teasing.
Only when a bloody mark was left did Qian Renxue finally stop
, smiling wryly. She pressed her face against Ye Qiu's ear and whispered,
"Ye Qiu~ Are you feeling uncomfortable? If you treat me well, I'll reward you."
"Alright, stop it!"
Ye Qiu grabbed her hand, which she was trying to grasp freely, and rolled his eyes in exasperation.
This girl wouldn't let him use 'seduction'. But it didn't matter; Ye Qiu wasn't particularly interested in such temptations.
He preferred to first establish a connection with her Sharingan; she just needed to provide opportunities for that connection to begin.
He wasn't in a hurry.
"Didn't you say you had something else to tell me?"
"Go ahead and say it!"
Ye Qiu wiped his honey-smeared lips and asked Qian Renxue, whose face was flushed.
"Actually, it's nothing big!"
Qian Renxue leaned comfortably against Ye Qiu.
"I just wanted to remind you about the cultivation of the Martial Soul Fusion Technique!"
"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten!" Ye Qiu nodded immediately.
"Really? Who was it that said last time that once you finished that busy period, you could come and cultivate with me every day? But what happened?"
Qian Renxue frowned, her eyes filled with inquiry.
Ye Qiu chuckled awkwardly, unsure of what to say.
Qian Renxue snorted coldly and said,
"Hmph! You don't need to explain anymore. Let bygones be bygones. From now on, you have to come here at least once every three days!"
"Three days? I'm afraid that's not possible recently." Ye Qiu shook his head quickly upon hearing this.
"Is there anything else you need to do?"
Qian Renxue sat up straight, her face quickly turning cold.
"Yes, I have to go to the Star Dou Great Forest!" Ye Qiu spread his hands.
He then told Qian Renxue about the assassin he had discovered in the Star Dou Great Forest who was suspected of trying to assassinate her.
"Really?" Qian Renxue looked at him suspiciously.
"Of course it's true, why would I lie to you?"
Ye Qiu smiled helplessly.
His hand, however, had already begun to wander and grasp Qian Renxue's soft hand.
"Then should I have the Porcupine and Serpent Spear protect you closely?"
Qian Renxue thought carefully for a moment.
Now, the Qian Jun and Demon Subduing brothers had withdrawn from Soto City.
The agreement between her and Ye Qiu had not been fully fulfilled.
Out of concern for Ye Qiu's safety, and also to have the two boys, Citun and his companion, fill in and swap jobs with their two uncles.
"Forget it, I'm not used to this," Ye Qiu decisively shook his head.
Qian Renxue wasn't around.
How obedient these two would be was still unknown.
Besides, he wouldn't let others know about his affairs.
"If you don't want them, that's fine, but they should stay here in the manor. If you encounter anyone you can't handle, you can come to them, and I'll make arrangements!"
Qian Renxue didn't insist.
Instead, she changed her approach.
"That's a good idea!" Ye Qiu agreed with a smile.
For his Divine Might, this was not only a great tool for escaping, but also good for calling for reinforcements.
"Alright, if there's nothing else, I should leave! I've been out for so long, Rongrong and the others..."
"Ye Qiu!" Qian Renxue said coldly, interrupting Ye Qiu.
She took the soft hand from Ye Qiu's palm.
"Try not to mention them in front of me in the future, it makes me very unhappy!"
"Okay! I'll be careful in the future."
Although somewhat helpless, Ye Qiu was trying his best to accept the ambiguous relationship between the two.
"Remember, come find me after you finish that matter! I'm keeping an eye on Soto City!"
"I know!" Ye Qiu nodded seriously.
Then he disappeared into the secret room.
Qian Renxue looked at the empty secret room, feeling somewhat dazed.
She gently touched her red lips and murmured to herself,
"Ye Qiu, don't let me down! Hehe..."
Just
as Ye Qiu was absorbing the soul bone and breaking through.
Barak Kingdom.
Yale City Grand Soul Arena VIP waiting room.
At this time, most of the members of the Royal Fighting Team had already gone on stage to engage in one-on-one or two-on-two soul battles.
Qin Ming was watching his students' battles from outside.
In the waiting room, only Dugu Yan and the other two girls were there.
Xiao Lan, who was eating and drinking heartily, suddenly had a reaction.
Ye Lingling, who was feeding her, was stunned to feel the ever-growing aura emanating from Xiao Lan. She was
somewhat dumbfounded.
This wasn't the first time Xiao Lan had broken through so easily.
Dugu Yan, who was watching the Soul Battle through the glass wall, was also attracted by the movement from Xiao Lan.
"Xiao Lan, you broke through again?"
"Yes, yes! Xiao Lan is already level thirty-seven!" Xiao Lan, with her long red hair, nodded happily, her eyes curving into crescent shapes.
She could feel the changes in her figure, developing into the appearance her brother liked.
"That's great!" Dugu Yan shouted happily.
The reason she was so happy was that she understood the relationship between Ye Qiu and Xiao Lan.
Xiao Lan's breakthrough meant that Ye Qiu had also broken through!
It seemed that everything was alright for him!
Looking at Xiao Lan, who had grown quite a bit, but whose face still retained a certain clarity,
Dugu Yan couldn't help but reach out and pinch Xiao Lan's chubby cheeks, which were still filled with something.
She even leaned in and took a small sip.
The taste was quite similar to her husband's, which could soothe her longing. Xiao Lan
felt a little ticklish from Dugu Yan's pecks. She couldn't help but wrinkle her nose; she was already used to this kind of contact with Dugu Yan. After all, Sister Lingling often did the same to her. She was used to it. But Ye Lingling couldn't get used to it, couldn't get used to Xiao Lan's cultivation as simple as eating and drinking. Before, it was alright, she only broke through one level. But now, in less than a few days, she had broken through two levels! This was simply absurd! "Xiao Lan, how exactly do you cultivate? Can you just keep eating to improve?" Ye Lingling, her face veiled in black, poked Xiao Lan's round little belly with some surprise. Her face was filled with curiosity and confusion. Although she guessed part of it correctly, she wasn't entirely right. "Sister Lingling, Xiao Lan can't tell you!" Xiao Lan gently shook her head. Having been human for so long, she had gradually adapted. "Okay, fine!" Ye Lingling's personality prevented her from pestering someone who didn't want to answer her question. After receiving Xiao Lan's reply, she didn't say anything more. "Sister Lingling," just as Xiao Lan was about to say something, the host's voice rang out from outside the Soul Arena. "Ladies and gentlemen! Next up for the one-on-one Soul Battle are two Soul Masters!" "They are Lan Ruobing, a level 35 control-type Soul Master, with the Martial Soul Fire Ghost Vine! and Yan Que, a level 38 power-attack-type Soul Master, with the Martial Soul Firebird!"
"Let's give a warm round of applause to invite you both to the stage!"
"Xiao Lan, it's your turn!" Dugu Yan took off the scarf Xiao Lan was wearing.
"Yes, Sister Yan, I heard you!" Xiao Lan stood up happily.
"Sister Lingling, Xiao Lan is going to fight first!"
"Okay, be careful, good luck!" Ye Lingling nodded, smiling as she wiped her mouth for her.
"Then I'm off!" Xiao Lan happily grabbed a handful of candy and dashed off.
She smacked her lips as she walked towards the fighting arena.
She munched on the candy as she passed through the entrance passage.
When she stood on the fighting arena,
there was no smile on Xiao Lan's face. Her hands hung naturally at her sides, and her eyes were unblinking.
She looked at her opponent
with a cool, emotionless expression.
"This Xiao Lan is really mischievous!"
Ye Lingling in the VIP room couldn't help but chuckle when she saw Xiao Lan like this.
The corners of her mouth, hidden beneath the black veil, were slightly parted, a hint of barely suppressed emotion in them.
"Yeah! He's practically a completely different species from Ye Qiu,"
Dugu Yan nodded in agreement.
Ye Qiu wasn't as carefree.
He seemed a bit insecure, especially when dealing with emotions.
She wondered if his skills had improved over the past few days.
Had he listened to her and convinced Xiao Wu? If
so, she could practically give him her
all. "Yanzi, you and Xiao Lan are really too obsessed!" Ye Lingling rolled her eyes at Dugu Yan's seductive gaze.
These two talked about Ye Qiu every day.
As the only three girls in the team, they naturally shared a room.
She'd heard Dugu Yan calling Ye Qiu's name while sleeping with Xiao Lan, nibbling and touching her.
Xiao Lan was even more outrageous, asking her to choose a nickname for her character,
something like 'Brother's Xiao Lan'...
It almost gave her goosebumps, something she usually didn't find emotionally volatile.
Lan Ruobing.She even helped her choose that name!
Now it seems Little Lan can easily get into character.
"Then, Lingling, are you poisoned?" Dugu Yan, abandoning her lovesick demeanor, suddenly looked at Ye Lingling with a teasing expression.
"You silly goose, what nonsense are you spouting!"
Ye Lingling was startled, immediately glaring at Dugu Yan, her pretty face, hidden under the black veil, slightly flushed.
"Lingling, I'm not spouting nonsense. Someone as indifferent as you would actually help a stranger on our first meeting!"
"Alright, goose! I do have a bit of a crush on him, but it's just a crush! You know I wouldn't consider such things!"
Ye Lingling interrupted Dugu Yan, her voice turning cold.
Everyone has an appreciation for beauty.
Ye Lingling admitted that she initially had a slight crush on Ye Qiu because of his excellent appearance.
But it was definitely not to the point of any real feelings.
Dugu Yan hadn't expected Ye Lingling to admit it so readily.
It seemed she truly didn't have many feelings for Ye Qiu.
But that didn't mean she had none.
After all, she had clearly seen the strange look in Ye Lingling's eyes when she lightly kissed Xiao Lan.
There was a hint of her own gaze towards Ye Qiu.
However, Dugu Yan understood Ye Lingling's situation.
A hint of concern and sincerity appeared in her eyes.
Her words just now weren't a spur-of-the-moment remark;
they were carefully considered.
Shifting her shapely hips, she sat directly next to Ye Lingling, putting her arm around her slender shoulders.
"Lingling, even if you have feelings for Ye Qiu, I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd be more than happy to!"
"Yanzi, are you crazy?!" Ye Lingling looked at her in surprise. "Stop testing me. I won't ruin things between you two."
"Lingling, what are you thinking? You don't know, do you? Ye Qiu has several female confidantes besides me, including Ning Rongrong, the young lady of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School. They're probably all getting along well now."
Dugu Yan chuckled, lying down and resting her head on Ye Lingling's chubby thigh.
"Really?!" Ye Lingling looked at her in shock.
"What? You can't tell, can you?" Dugu Yan smiled.
Ye Qiu did indeed look harmless and honest. If you hadn't talked to him in depth, you really wouldn't have guessed he was a complete womanizer!
"Yeah," Ye Lingling nodded blankly.
She looked at her strangely again.
"Then Yanzi, how come you—"
"How did you end up with him? Of course, it's because I like him."
Dugu Yan quickly finished the sentence.
If it weren't for her genuine affection, even if her grandfather forced them together, she would rather die than submit!
Watching Dugu Yan speak of this with such composure, Ye Lingling clicked her tongue in amazement.
"Yanzi, you're really too deeply poisoned!"
"Yes! I've been poisoned for a long time. If it weren't for Ye Qiu, you might not be seeing me anymore!"
Dugu Yan changed the subject.
Before, she was poisoned by herself; now she was poisoned by Ye Qiu, and she didn't want to cure it, she wanted to deepen it.
"So, Lingling! I wasn't joking just now. If you joined me, I wouldn't be so alone."
"Yanzi, let's not talk about these things anymore. Don't you still have Xiao Lan as an ally?"
Ye Lingling shook her head, looking down at the Soul Arena below, where Xiao Lan was smugly displaying her power.
"Xiao Lan? Hmph, she's the most unreliable one. Lingling, you're much more reliable!"
"Yanzi!"
Seeing that Ye Lingling was a little angry, Dugu Yan didn't force her.
She believed that Ye Lingling wouldn't remain unmarried for life. As long as Ye Lingling was truly in love, she only needed some simple help.
Taking down Ye Qiu would be easy.
Recalling Ye Qiu's flushed face when she was coiled around him with her snake body, she chuckled softly.
Ye Lingling's pale blue eyes looked down at Dugu Yan's sweet and happy expression, a hint of envy and longing flashing within them.
But the curse she bore because of her martial soul prevented her from having even the slightest 'wishful thinking'.
She shifted her gaze to the Soul Arena, her eyes returning to their blank expression.
While the two were talking,
the battle on the Soul Arena below was raging fiercely.
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Because of the attack by Tang Hao, Xiao Lan not only used life mimicry to change the color of her eyes, hair, and clothes,
but also mimicked her Blue Silver Emperor to resemble a Fire Ghost Vine, claiming it to be a mutated Ghost Vine.
Her opponent, Yan Que, was a young woman.
After her Martial Soul was activated, her originally black hair suddenly turned fiery red, and pink wings covered her entire body.
Three spirit rings—white, yellow, and purple—floated up and down beneath her feet.
In contrast, Xiao Lan had none of those fancy features.
She simply stood still, making no movement.
As the three hidden yellow, yellow, and purple spirit rings beneath her feet appeared
, fiery red 'Fire Ghost Vines' began to emerge from the surrounding ground.
Yan Que looked at the configuration of the three spirit rings beneath Xiao Lan's feet.
She didn't underestimate her because of her age.
She immediately used her second spirit skill, a deep red flame, which she spat out from her mouth and swept
towards Xiao Lan .
Xiao Lan expressionlessly raised her hand.
Numerous Fire Ghost Vines immediately formed an impenetrable barrier in front of her.
The raging flames were kept at bay.
Having already gained fire immunity, the Blue Silver Emperor was completely unafraid of any fire.
Therefore, Dugu Yan had no concern for Xiao Lan's safety in this battle.
She herself was finding it somewhat difficult to deal with Xiao Lan.
Seeing that Xiao Lan could easily block her second soul skill without even using one, the Flame Sparrow on the opposite side
dared not be careless. Her
third purple soul ring flashed beneath her feet, and two fiery red wings suddenly appeared behind her.
She soared into the sky.
Xiao Lan reacted immediately, raising her head.
Several fire vines grew rapidly,
forming an encirclement around the Flame Sparrow.
The Flame Sparrow tumbled in the air, searching for an opening in Xiao Lan's attack.
Ultimately, her combat experience was superior.
She rose high, her first soul ring flashing.
The wings covering her suddenly stood upright, becoming as solid as a rock.
The Flame Sparrow's clear voice rang out:
"First Soul Skill, Feather Kill!"
She watched as the vines continuously tried to protect Xiao Lan.
Yan Que shouted again,
"Second Soul Skill, Crimson Blazing Flame!"
Her second soul ring flashed, and a thick burst of flame instantly ignited the feather blades she had previously shot out.
Fire Feather Kill!
In this way, even if Xiao Lan defended against her Crimson Blazing Flame, she wouldn't be able to completely block out the sky above her in a short time.
Those plenty of feather blades would be enough to find an opportunity to strike!
"Great!"
Yan Que's face lit up with joy.
She saw that the flames she had spat out were directly blocked.
But her composite soul skill - Fire Feather Kill - had passed through quite a bit.
Then, before she could be happy for long, with Xiao Lan's first voice, her attack plan was ruined.
"(Blue Silver) Spiral Barrier!"
Xiao Lan quickly raised her right hand and opened her palm.
A clear, bright sound, like a silver bell, rang out.
Suddenly, a crisscrossing 'Fire Ghost Vine' appeared in her palm and began to spin continuously.
This was a self-created soul skill that Xiao Lan had created based on the Rasengan technique that Ye Qiu had taught her.
Just in case, Xiao Lan secretly used the power of extreme ice to harden the disguised Blue Silver Emperor.
Clang! Clang!
Clang! The feather blades, trailing flames, struck the spiral protective barrier, clanging and sparking.
Having neutralized the attack, Xiao Lan held back.
She coolly waved her hand towards the still somewhat dazed Flame Sparrow in the sky.
Numerous Fire Ghost Vines continued to swarm forward.
At the same time, crimson fruits slowly appeared on the Fire Ghost Vines.
Flame Sparrow was puzzled when it suddenly noticed the third spirit ring beneath Xiao Lan flash.
It was immediately startled.
It saw crimson fruits flying towards it from below.
It frantically began to dodge.
"Hiss!"
Flame Sparrow cried out in pain, looking at its scalded arm, realizing that those were terrifyingly hot fireballs.
Suddenly, a few bright lights appeared in its eyes.
Apple-sized fireballs continued to hurtle towards Flame Sparrow.
Poof!
Several 'fruits' collided with a muffled thud.
The flames contained within immediately spread out, covering an area of more than two meters in radius.
"I concede!"
Seeing this, Yan Que understood that he had no chance of winning.
His opponent had only used his third soul skill from beginning to end.
Hearing someone concede, the host quickly reacted.
"The fireworks exploding in the sky were so beautiful!"
"Congratulations to our Lan Ruobing Soul Master for winning this soul battle. Please proceed to the designated location to settle your points!"
Hearing that she had won, and feeling the continuous cheers from the audience,
Xiao Lan's fiery red eyes darted around.
Just as the smile on her lips was about to burst out,
she immediately turned around in an orderly manner and began to run wildly to the exit passage.
She took out some snacks from her soul tool and ate them,
letting out unrestrained giggles.
Qin Ming in the stands, holding paper and pen, recorded Xiao Lan's and everyone else's performance.
He watched Xiao Lan's departing figure.
An expression of admiration couldn't help but appear on his face.
These two siblings are both so exceptionally talented!
...
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was bathed in the setting sun.
Most of its tower-like buildings were adorned with glazed tile decorations,
reflecting light in a dazzling, golden hue.
This gave the school a unique and magnificent feel.
Ye Qiu woke up in the afternoon, ate a meal, absorbed a soul bone, and spent considerable time with Qian Renxue.
When he returned to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, it was already late.
Zhu Zhuqing and the other two girls were in the courtyard, preparing food.
Ning Rongrong was making her specialty pastries.
Xiao Wu was stirring her favorite vegetable and fruit salad.
Zhu Zhuqing, meanwhile, was outside grilling her signature fish.
Ye Qiu silently appeared in the courtyard, looking around.
He then spotted Zhu Zhuqing crouching in the corner, turning the fish in her hands.
"Zhuqing? Why are you grilling fish yourself?"
"Ah, Ye Qiu! You're finally back!"
Zhu Zhuqing was startled, quickly turned around, and called out joyfully.
She immediately dropped the fish she was grilling.
She got up and jogged towards Ye Qiu.
"Hmm, you're back!" Ye Qiu gently embraced the graceful woman who had stopped in front of him.
Although there was a slight smell of cooking, her pleasant body fragrance was more prominent. Her
delicate body, so low that you couldn't see her toes, made Ye Qiu hold her tightly.
He wrapped his arms around her soft waist, the pressure shifting between tight and loose.
The slight change in their breathing brought a blush to her pretty face.
"Xiao Qiu~!" Hearing the noise from the kitchen, Xiao Wu, lively and playful, jumped out.
She quickly came to Ye Qiu's side, her fair face still covered in cream.
Ning Rongrong, who had also heard the noise, was delighted, but then stopped in her tracks. She
continued with her work.
Hmph, once I win this competition, I'm going to have all-nighters tonight!
"Xiao Wu, what are you doing in the kitchen? Where's Rongrong?"
Having taken a small advantage, Ye Qiu gently released the shy little cat in his arms.
He reached out and wiped the cream off Xiao Wu's face.
"It's a bit boring without you around. Rongrong suggested we have a cooking competition to see who can make the best food. The winner can make a small request to the other two!" Xiaowu said with a giggle.
"Is that so?" Ye Qiu was taken aback, wondering what Ning Rongrong was planning this time.
Last time she and Yanyan had a cooking competition, he didn't seem to have fared very well.
"That's right, Sister Xiaowu made a vegetable and fruit salad that she just learned!"
Xiaowu said with a smile, then pressed her cream-covered face against Ye Qiu's.
Ye Qiu smiled wryly. Although salad was relatively simple, he wondered how well Xiaowu could make it, given that she had just learned it.
He pinched her cheek, lowered his head slightly, and licked Xiaowu's cheek.
After the cream was removed, her soft, pink skin was revealed.
Ye Qiu looked at Zhu Zhuqing, whose nose was a little black and whose forehead was covered in sweat, and reached out to wipe it off for him.
"Oh! Zhuqing, is your grilled fish almost burnt?" Xiaowu sniffed lightly, smelling a burnt smell.
"Ah, I... I forgot!" Zhu Zhuqing jogged back to check on her grilled fish.
Although she didn't care about the small request, she couldn't let Ye Qiu eat anything burnt.
"Xiao Qiu, you're back just in time! My salad has one last step, could you chill it for me?"
Xiao Wu pulled Ye Qiu towards the kitchen.
"Okay!" Ye Qiu chuckled and followed her inside.
As soon as they entered, a fierce glare hit them.
Ning Rongrong pouted and glared at him resentfully.
"Ye Qiu, you still know to come back."
"Rongrong, I'm sorry, helping Brother Xue heal took up a lot of time!"
Ye Qiu scratched his head.
"Haha, Xiao Qiu, you didn't see Rongrong's dark circles this morning! She must have been waiting for you all night."
Hearing Xiao Wu's voice, Ning Rongrong didn't argue.
She glanced shyly at Ye Qiu and continued cutting the pastries she was making.
"Xiao Qiu, hurry!"
Xiao Wu brought a large bowl of salad—a mixture of carrots, bananas, cabbage, spinach, cream, peanut butter, and other ingredients—to Ye Qiu.
She wasn't really concerned about winning or losing the competition; she just found it interesting, since she had never made it herself before.
Ye Qiu held the large bowl in both hands, and a layer of frost immediately formed on the inside.
Xiao Wu then took an even larger bowl, filled it halfway with water, and placed it in front of Ye Qiu.
"Xiao Qiu, help me chill this too!"
Xiao Wu pouted and kissed Ye Qiu's face twice.
"Hmph~" Ning Rongrong watched this scene with a huff, continuing with her own work.
Ye Qiu dipped her hand in the water until some ice appeared before pulling it out.
"Alright, Rongrong, Zhuqing, I'm the first one to finish!"
Xiao Wu placed the medium-sized bowl of salad into the large bowl of ice water.
She shouted happily, then carried her finished product out.
Ye Qiu watched this scene with a smile.
Then, looking at Ning Rongrong who was already plating the food,
Ye Qiu noticed she was glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. Without hesitation, Ye Qiu
pressed himself against her from behind, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her ear.
"Ah~ Ye Qiu, what are you doing? I'm plating!"
Ning Rongrong blushed and struggled slightly.
"Alright then, it's good you're not angry anymore," Ye Qiu said, giving her a light kiss before turning to leave.
Ning Rongrong frowned.
"Ye Qiu~ Why do you smell like a girl? Did you leave us to sneak out and eat something else?"
Ye Qiu was taken aback and quickly explained.
He definitely couldn't reveal Qian Renxue's true identity.
"How could that be? I've been at the Crown Prince's residence the whole time, I haven't gone anywhere else!"
With that, Ye Qiu pressed himself against her again, activating his Blue Silver Fragrance to mask Qian Renxue's lingering scent.
"Smell it again if you don't believe me."
"You—you shouldn't be so close!" Ning Rongrong felt the discomfort behind her, her pretty face flushed red.
"If it's not there, it's not there. Hurry up and get out, I'm almost done!"
"I'm warning you, you can't be as perfunctory as last time. I can taste who makes the best food!"
"Don't worry, I'll try my best to be fair!"
Ye Qiu chuckled lightly, mischievously wiping his work.
Then he left the kitchen.
...
The sun was setting, only a sliver of afterglow still shimmering on the horizon.
Looking at the salad, grilled fish, and pastries on the table,
Ye Qiu and the women worked as judges.
First, the girls would judge. If they couldn't decide a winner, then it would be Ye Qiu's turn.
"Zhu Qing, your grilled fish tastes a bit burnt~" Xiao Wu bit her chopsticks, taking a small taste.
Zhu Zhu Qing nodded slightly; Xiao Wu was right.
"Xiao Wu, your salad is too sweet, and there's too much carrot; it's a bit off-flavor."
Hearing Xiao Wu's words, Ning Rongrong quickly tried Xiao Wu's 'first attempt' as well.
She looked at Ye Qiu with a smile.
Zhu Zhu Qing also tasted it; Xiao Wu's salad was indeed a bit too sweet.
"Haha. Looks like we don't need Ye Qiu then; I've won!"
Ning Rongrong laughed happily.
Zhu Zhu Qing and Xiao Wu picked up their chopsticks and tasted her pastries. The two girls exchanged a glance and nodded somewhat disappointedly.
"Then, Rongrong, what are your requests?" Xiao Wu immediately asked Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong's blue eyes darted around mischievously.
Suddenly, she pointed at Ye Qiu.
"I want you to give Ye Qiu to me for the night. You and Zhu Qing can rest in my room, and I'll sleep alone in his room with Ye Qiu!"
"Ah?! Rongrong, you're so cunning! This isn't a small request!"
Xiao Wu cried, her face contorted with misery. Ye Qiu hadn't been there during their competition; she'd been too busy having fun to think about this.
Ye Qiu rested his chin on his hand, quietly watching Rongrong and Xiao Wu argue, while Zhu Zhu Qing remained uninvolved.
He exchanged a glance with Zhu Zhu Qing, smiled brightly, and received a shy blush.
"Alright, let's finish our meal and rest! We'll be leaving Tiandou City for a while tomorrow; after all, Zhu Qing's matter isn't finished yet."
"Okay, Xiao Qiu."
Hearing Ye Qiu's voice, Xiao Wu, already resigned, pouted.
She moved a stool, squeezing Ning Rongrong aside, and sat next to Ye Qiu.
Ning Rongrong didn't mind; she had plenty of time tonight.
...
That night.
In Ning Rongrong's room.
Having just finished bathing, Zhu Zhuqing, sitting cross-legged on the bed, said to Xiao Wu, who was fussing about
wanting to sleep in her arms, "Xiao Wu, I'm going to cultivate for a while. Call me when you're ready to sleep!"
"Okay! I know, Zhuqing."
Watching Zhu Zhuqing close her eyes and sink into cultivation,
Xiao Wu leaned against the window, gazing at the moonlight, somewhat lost in thought, a look of despondency flashing in her eyes.
In Ye Qiu's room,
Ning Rongrong, who had been busy for half an hour,
suddenly got up, covered her pretty face, and ran towards the bathroom.
Ye Qiu lay sprawled on the bed, completely relaxed, feeling the soft mattress, incredibly comfortable, feeling like he had reached the pinnacle of life.
A short while later, Ning Rongrong, having washed up again, returned to Ye Qiu's side.
"Rongrong~ are you alright?" Ye Qiu turned and embraced the somewhat fierce girl.
"I'm fine, just a little sore throat!" Ning Rongrong snuggled into Ye Qiu's arms and gently shook her head.
She took Ye Qiu's hand again, letting him feel her heartbeat.
She whispered softly,
"Ye Qiu, you haven't massaged me in a long time."
"Mmm!" Ye Qiu nodded slightly, holding the girl in his arms even tighter.
He acted immediately.
Fortunately, he hadn't forgotten the techniques she taught him.
Now he was still very skilled and adept.
Thanks to his continued efforts, Ning Rongrong's breakfast became more elaborate, from just poached eggs and peanuts to adding steamed buns…
Early
in the morning, feeling refreshed, Ye Qiu got up after eating the steamed buns.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing looked at the radiant Ning Rongrong suspiciously, the three women huddled together whispering something.
Ye Qiu didn't linger, leading them to say goodbye to Ning Fengzhi and the others.
"Ye Qiu, you must take good care of them. In a few years, I will personally host a grand engagement banquet for you!"
Ning Fengzhi said with a friendly smile, giving Ye Qiu his instructions.
He also prepared some gifts for Xiao Wu and Zhu Qing, including some gold soul coins and the hidden weapons he had crafted over the past few days.
"Don't worry, Uncle Ning! Seniors, I will take good care of Rongrong and the others!"
Ye Qiu smiled, holding Ning Rongrong's little hand, and waved to Ning Fengzhi.
"Daddy, Grandpas, see you next time! Remember to miss Rongrong."
"Uncle Ning, goodbye to Seniors!" ×2
Ning Rongrong and the other two girls also waved goodbye to them.
Watching the group disappear from sight, a glint flashed in Sword Douluo's eyes.
"Fengzhi, that kid Ye Qiu has actually broken through again! I wonder how he cultivates!"
...
Shrek Academy.
At this time, Dai Mubai, Tang San, and the others were still carrying bamboo baskets filled with stones, training around the village.
Flander personally supervised, with Yu Xiaogang accompanying them.
Ye Qiu led the girls directly to their dormitory.
Before they could even stand still, Ye Qiu said goodbye.
"Xiao Wu, Zhu Qing, Rong Rong, I have some things to do these next few days, so you can stay here for now!"
"If you don't want to do the Shrek Academy training, then don't go. Just focus on practicing the Ghost Shadow Steps and such techniques I taught you before!"
"Ah? Xiao Qiu, where are you going? Can't you take us with you?"
Xiao Wu reluctantly held Ye Qiu's hand. (