Taking Xiao Lan with him, Ye Qiu quickly arrived in front of the Prince's Residence.
Ye Qiu didn't even need to announce his arrival here; the guards at the entrance were already used to it.
At this moment, Xue Qinghe had just finished handling state affairs and was sitting in a pavilion in the back garden, waiting for dinner.
"What's wrong? Do you need my help with something again?"
Seeing Ye Qiu appear before him, Xue Qinghe closed the book in his hand.
Aside from his daily cultivation every night, Ye Qiu rarely came to him; he was typically the kind of person who only showed up when he needed something.
"Indeed, there's something I need to trouble Big Brother Xue with." Ye Qiu didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly.
Xiao Lan also sat beside Ye Qiu.
"Hello, Big Brother!"
"Hmm, it's been a while, Little Meimei, you've become even prettier."
Facing Xiao Lan's greeting, Xue Qinghe responded with a smile.
Just as he was about to ask Ye Qiu, a fluttering butterfly suddenly flew in from outside.
Her voice was heard before she was seen.
"Crown Prince! Why didn't you come to see my performance again!"
A young girl with a golden circular laurel wreath on her head and short white hair cut to her ears, swept in a white afterimage and threw herself into Xue Qinghe's arms.
"Wasn't I too busy? Next time, I promise..." Xue Qinghe smiled helplessly, gently patting the young girl's slender back.
"You always say that! You must compensate me today!"
The white-haired girl was a bit relentless, but Xue Qinghe patiently appeased her, a doting expression on his noble face.
"Alright! Xue Ke, I have guests here!"
"Guests?!"
Xue Ke curiously lifted her head. The first thing that caught her eye was a mischievous blue-haired girl, seemingly a bit younger than herself.
Her cherry lips were sucking on a candied hawthorn, and her sapphire eyes held a strange smile, staring intently at her.
Xue Ke's face flushed slightly with embarrassment.
Then, another blue figure came into view, with a handsome face, deep and bright eyes, and an excellent temperament.
Xue Ke's face flushed slightly, and she looked a bit dazed.
Ye Qiu also glanced at her.
A delicate, childish face, thick, long eyelashes, looking very pure, with slightly slender eyes that carried a hint of softness, fair skin with a rosy glow, and a good figure.
"I am Ye Qiu, greetings, Princess Xue Ke!"
"Ah, oh! You, hello!"
Xue Ke nervously stood up from Xue Qinghe's embrace, a hint of shyness on her face.
"Xue Ke, Xue Ke?"
"Huh? Crown Prince."
Xue Qinghe pointed to another pavilion, where a table was already set with many dishes.
"I need to talk to Ye Qiu about something, you go and eat over there first!"
"Oh," Xue Ke responded, walking with a slight stagger, turning her head back three times with each step.
"Haha... If Xiao Lan Meimei is hungry, she can also go and eat, perhaps she can even become good friends with Xue Ke!"
Noticing Xiao Lan gazing longingly at the food, Xue Qinghe, who still remembered her as a glutton, invited her to join the table.
"Go if you want to!" Ye Qiu pinched Xiao Lan's tender cheek and sent her off.
"Heh heh..."
After the two girls, Xiao Lan and Xue Ke, left, Xue Qinghe let out a cold laugh, his voice becoming much stiffer.
He had also noticed Xue Ke's abnormality.
He looked at Ye Qiu with a playful, almost mocking gaze, his words somewhat resentful.
"Ye Qiu, your charm is truly formidable!"
"Why are you looking at me like that? I didn't do anything!" Ye Qiu shrugged helplessly.
Could he be blamed for this? Who told her she was a face-con?
Speaking of which, Qian Renxue herself seemed to be similar??
Ye Qiu looked at her deeply, as if trying to discern something.
"What kind of look is that!" A frown appeared between Xue Qinghe's brows; Ye Qiu's direct gaze made him very uncomfortable.
"Cough cough... Nothing!" Glared at by Xue Qinghe, Ye Qiu no longer dwelled on those issues.
He got straight to the point, a sketch appearing in his hand, which he handed to Xue Qinghe.
"Here! This is what I need!"
Taking the item Ye Qiu handed over, Xue Qinghe's face darkened.
"Why do you need so many long, large hollow pillars?"
"It's a secret!"
"You!"
Xue Qinghe's face showed annoyance; he didn't even know how many times Ye Qiu had used those two words to fob him off.
Asking for his help, and that's it?!
"Do you know how much iron that will use?"
"As for iron ore, I've already acquired quite a bit before, it's all here! And I'll reimburse you for other expenses too..."
Ye Qiu took out a spatial spirit tool from his Divine Might Space and placed it in front of Xue Qinghe.
"Who cares about your smelly money!"
"..."
Not far away.
Watching Xue Qinghe and Ye Qiu's friendly exchange.
Xue Ke's expression was a bit strange.
She had never seen her gentle and refined Crown Prince show such an angry expression before.
"Sister... why are you always staring at my brother?"
Xiao Lan extended her small hand, stained with a bit of grease, and waved it twice in front of her.
Xue Ke's golden, diamond-encrusted circular laurel wreath was already on Xiao Lan's head.
"I, I didn't, I was looking at my Crown Prince..."
Xue Ke's small face was red, and she withdrew her gaze. She frowned and glared slightly at Xiao Lan.
"Xiao Lan... it's time to go!"
Xiao Lan just opened her mouth, still wanting to say something more.
But Ye Qiu's call had already reached her.
He had already finished talking with Xue Qinghe.
"Coming, coming!" Xiao Lan responded hurriedly, quickly wiping her hands clean with a napkin, and then with a wave of her small hand, several dishes disappeared from the table.
She was about to leave under Xue Ke's bewildered gaze.
"Oh! By the way, Sister, here's this back to you!"
Having run a few steps, she didn't forget to turn back and return the laurel wreath on her head to its rightful owner, placing it back on Xue Ke's head.
"Xiao Lan, what are you doing!?" A black line appeared on Ye Qiu's forehead.
Having already mooched a meal wasn't enough; she even wanted to pack some?!
"That sister promised Xiao Lan..." Xiao Lan blinked her eyes, showing a hint of innocence.
"If Xiao Lan Meimei likes to eat, then take it with you. You can come often in the future if there's a chance..."
"Mm! Thank you, Big Brother!"
Xiao Lan gave Xue Qinghe a sweet smile, then hooked her arm through Ye Qiu's, sticking out her tongue at him.
Ye Qiu smiled bitterly. Since the host didn't care, he didn't want to fuss about it too much.
"In that case, Big Brother Xue, your little brother will take his leave first!"
"Mm!" Xue Qinghe nodded blandly.
The two exchanged a look.
Space slowly rippled, and Ye Qiu took Xiao Lan directly out of the Prince's Residence.
He was almost late to pick up Dugu Yan!
"Huh? Crown Prince, where did they go?"
Xue Ke jogged over, looking around but not finding where they had gone.
"They've already left!"
"They vanished into thin air?"
"That's right, if they didn't leave, you, this lovesick fool, would have stuck to them!" Xue Qinghe teased his younger sister.
"You, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm not a lovesick fool!"
Xue Ke stomped her small foot, refuting unhappily, then hooked onto his arm again.
"Crown Prince, is this Ye Qiu a student of the Royal Academy!? Ouch~"
Xue Qinghe knocked her on the head in exasperation, cursing that scoundrel Ye Qiu in his heart.
...
Night fell.
In a village not far from Soto City, one-third of the area was rented by Shrek.
In the dorm room.
Xiao Wu and the two other girls had no intention of sleeping, each sharing bits and pieces of their time with Ye Qiu.
However, they seemed to be getting a bit heated.
Their words became increasingly unrestrained in terms of scale.
"Rongrong! Why do you always talk about kissing, hugging, and carrying? Are you doing it on purpose!"
"I, I didn't!"
"Xiao Wu also always talks about sleeping with Ye Qiu!"
"Rongrong, you're talking nonsense, I only mentioned it once! It's clearly Zhuqing, who keeps talking about Ye Qiu putting clothes on her..."
"..."
Their conversation, filled with a scent of gunpowder, only subsided after a while.
They were muffled under the blankets, their faces flushed.
Shrek, enveloped by the night, seemed very peaceful.
Only in the small woods nearby.
The sudden muffled thuds and screams made the night much more whimsical.
A black shadow shot up from the woods and disappeared into the air.
Afterward, Dean Flender helped the unrecognizable Zhao Wuji walk out from inside.
Since Tang San was more seriously injured, Tang Hao didn't hold back.
Fully embodying the tradition of 'hitting the child draws out the elder,' he gave Zhao Wuji a full-body spa treatment.
"Cough cough... Ptooey!" Zhao Wuji spat out a tooth, mixed with blood, his speech not only a bit leaky but also slurred.
"This bastard hit too hard!"
"Alright! Just say less. Who knew that Tang San was his offspring! He's probably already far beyond Level 95. Just swallow this grievance!"
"Hmph! I'm just complaining a bit..." Zhao Wuji muttered. Facing a ruthless individual who even dared to strike the Supreme Pontiff, he didn't dare to harbor any thoughts of revenge.
...
Prince's Residence secret room.
Qian Renxue was waiting for Ye Qiu's arrival as usual.
Holding a letter sent from the Hall of Offerings in her hand, there was already news about Ye Qiu's matter.
This afternoon.
The Sixth Qian Jun Douluo and his younger brother, the Seventh Jiang Mo Douluo, had already departed for Soto City.
Buzz~
Invisible ripples spread out, and Ye Qiu's figure appeared in the secret room.
"What is this?"
Before he could even stand steady, a piece of paper had already landed on his face.
Qian Renxue's cold voice also echoed in his ears.
"Here's the result of your matter! The two Revered Elders will arrive at the Spirit Hall branch in Soto City early the day after tomorrow."
"That fast!?"
Ye Qiu looked at the letter in his hand, a little surprised. He hadn't expected Qian Daoliu to send this pair of twin brothers.
Both of them were Rank 96, and their Spirit was the Coiling Dragon Rod.
"Isn't fast good? Doesn't this just show how much I value you?" Qian Renxue rolled her eyes at him. She had sent the message back that very night.
"Thanks! But why does this letter seem to be missing an end?"
Ye Qiu sat down by the newly built stone table, raising the letter in his hand, looking at her strangely.
"Hmph! The part written there has nothing to do with you; it's my personal privacy!"
Qian Renxue pouted. A flash of light appeared in her small hand under the table, and the small piece of paper in her palm instantly vanished without a trace.
Ye Qiu looked at the crack, where half of the character 'Ye' seemed to remain, feeling a bit strange.
"But here..."
"Alright, I've told you the news. If there's nothing else, let's cultivate!"
Whoosh!
Qian Renxue stood up, snatched the letter from his hand, put it into her spirit tool, and then sat cross-legged on the bed.
"What are you spacing out for! Hurry up and come over!"
"Mm! Coming..." Ye Qiu followed her instructions, moving to the spot behind her, leaning against her back, and sitting down cross-legged.
"Oh, right, I might not come for the next few days. I have something to take care of!"
Pressed close to Ye Qiu, the blush on Qian Renxue's face became even more vibrant.
"Where are you going?"
"Secret!"
"Ye... Qiu!" Qian Renxue gritted her teeth, calling out his name one word at a time.
She tilted her head, wishing she could bite off his ear.
"Can't you say something other than those two words? Don't think I don't know, you're just going to find that little girl Ning Rongrong!"
"Keep your voice down, don't you already know?"
Ye Qiu felt a bit uncomfortable from her shouting right next to his ear.
"Hmph! You just don't trust me. You... how will our Spirit Fusion Skill ever become perfect if you're like this!"
"Trust isn't built in a day. Let's take it slow... and get to know each other more deeply."
"Alright... we can begin!"
Ye Qiu took both of Qian Renxue's hands into his, then intertwined their fingers.
"Hmph!" Qian Renxue snorted coldly, shifted her bottom back a little, leaned back forcefully, and pushed Ye Qiu unhappily.
This was their posture after they became proficient.
Back to back, hands clasped.
After performing the Two-Yin Heart Sutra, their spirit power and mental force connected, allowing them to progress together.
When cultivated to mastery, their minds would be in sync.
In the secret chamber.
Golden light intertwined with blood-red radiance.
The Seraphim, wearing cosmetic contacts, soared in the secret chamber.
spirit power melted into the meridians.
The sacred, fiery, blood-red spirit power surged within their Dantian.
The first rays of dawn accompanied the purple qi.
Sunlight spilled over Heaven Dou Imperial City, and the secret chamber returned to tranquility.
But the two people on the bed still hadn't opened their eyes, and Ye Qiu's face showed joy.
He had already broken through to Rank 32.
In his mind, Qian Renxue's surprised voice came through.
"You broke through?"
"Mm!" There was nothing to hide about this; with them so close, Qian Renxue would surely notice easily.
"I told you, if you understood my Spirit Ability, you wouldn't have...
"Bastard! Who told you to pry into my thoughts!"
"I didn't!"
Crack! A shattering sound echoed simultaneously in both their minds, and their consciousness returned to their respective bodies.
"I don't think you're stronger than me! Don't let it happen again!"
Qian Renxue opened her eyes and glared back, her face filled with anger, her voice icy.
Hate boundary-less bastards!
"Mm, got it."
Ye Qiu nodded. He was also a bit puzzled; this situation had never happened before.
He turned his head and gently explained,
"I really didn't pry into your thoughts just now."
"Hmph! Who knows!" Qian Renxue's earlobes were a bit red, and her expression was also somewhat unpleasant.
"Get lost! I'm a bit tired."
"Alright! Make sure you rest!"
In just a single sentence, Qian Renxue felt the space behind her become empty.
The secret chamber suddenly became a bit cold too.
"Hmph! That bastard, why can't I pry into his thoughts? Why was he the one who saw mine first?"
Qian Renxue, still sitting cross-legged on the bed, still had an unpleasant expression.
This involved the content she had torn out of the Two-Yin Heart Sutra.
She hadn't expected that in that instant, she would completely let down her guard against him, without any reservations!
It really wasn't his fault, but she was still angry at Ye Qiu in her heart.
Why had she tried to pry into him from the very beginning, and even now she couldn't detect any of that bastard Ye Qiu's thoughts, not even a tiny bit!
Qian Renxue straightened her body and took a deep breath.
"Hmm? What's this?"
Just as she was about to get up, her hand pressed against something.
She picked it up in her palm. It looked like a lily, and it carried a pleasant medicinal scent.
This was precisely the 'Polygala Lily' that Ye Qiu had left behind!
"Hmph! What's this useless flower for? I'm not really tired!"
Her voice had lost its earlier anger. Though she said it was useless, she still put it into her spirit tool.
The corners of her mouth also curved into a slight arc.
...
Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well secret realm.
"Damn it! You old geezer, you scared me!"
As soon as Ye Qiu appeared inside the wooden shed, a gray-robed old man appeared before him.
Hearing his voice, the gray-robed old man's face darkened, making his dark green beard and hair, and pupils, even more striking.
"I say, kid, how long has it been since we last met, and you're already so disrespectful? If you keep this up, do you believe I'll tell Yan Yan to make you sleep on the ground from now on!"
"Senior Dugu, who told you to always come and go without a trace? I was just a little too excited! Besides, my Yan Yan wouldn't do that!"
This gray-robed old man was Dugu Bo, who had been missing for quite some time.
Looking at Ye Qiu's teasing gaze, Dugu Bo's dark green eyes widened.
"Good kid, when did she become 'your Yan Yan'? You two aren't even married yet! When that time comes, won't you still have to look at my expression, hehehe!"
"Hmph! Do you dare to disagree?!"
"Of course I can... Ahahaha... How could I disagree?! As long as Yan Yan, you yourself think it's good, then it's fine... Haha."
Dugu Bo, who had initially been quite unyielding,
immediately broke into a smile upon realizing it was his granddaughter's voice, a smile that could even be described as fawning.
He turned his head to look at his granddaughter.
"Yan Yan~ Why are you up so early?"
"You two woke me up, that's why!" Dugu Yan rolled her eyes at them unhappily.
"Yan Yan~" Ye Qiu looked at the young girl behind Dugu Bo, a smile on his face.
"Mm!" Dugu Yan walked over to Ye Qiu, hugged his arm, and turned to look at Dugu Bo.
"Grandpa, can't you come back more often? You don't have to stay outside every day..."
"I'm doing this so you two can act more conveniently!"
Dugu Bo sat down at the table and took a sip of the freshly brewed tea.
"Senior, for the next few days, you probably won't need to go out." Ye Qiu pulled Dugu Yan down to sit as well, and poured her a cup of tea.
"What? Are you going on a long trip?"
"That's right, so I'll have to trouble Senior to look after Yan Yan during this time!"
Ye Qiu nodded calmly. He had to reach Soto City before Qian Jun and Jiang Mo.
"Stinky kid, you really treat Yan Yan like she's already part of your family, don't you? I'm her grandfather, okay? Isn't it my job to look after her?"
Dugu Bo was a bit indignant. How long had he been gone?
Folks, who understands this?! I found myself a grandson-in-law, and now I'm the outsider?!
"I'm just afraid you'll run off again, that's all!" Ye Qiu chuckled dryly, scratching his head.
"Are you going to Soto City?" Dugu Yan leaned on his shoulder, looking at his profile, her breath like orchids.
She already knew Ye Qiu's plan, so she wasn't too surprised.
"Mm, I'll set off after I send you to the academy! Xiao Lan, I'll trouble you to look after her during this time..."
"Don't worry! But don't get lost in a tender embrace and forget about me~"
Dugu Yan's eyes were resentful, yet helpless.
"How could I! I still have to come back and give you an explanation!" Ye Qiu wrapped his arm around her slender waist, turned his face, and met her gaze.
Speaking of which, Dugu Yan remembered that night, her face blushing intensely, and she softly agreed.
"Then... then I'll wait for you to come back! Kiss~"
"Cough cough..." Dugu Bo, on the side, coughed twice, an awkward expression appearing on his old face.
These young people nowadays, sigh!
He helplessly raised a hand to cover his eyes, not forgetting to bring the Nine-Section Jade on his shoulder along with it.
...
The scorching sun hung high.
In a town on the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest!
Ye Qiu, who had already bid farewell to Xiao Lan and the other girl, appeared out of thin air in the small forest outside the town.
He had passed through here before and left a mark.
Traveling from this location to Soto City could save a lot of time.
Two chapters combined into one, 5400 characters.
Wishing everyone a pleasant life!
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