"Let's just say you're here for Sister Lexuan, then."
With that, Huo Yuhao shifted his gaze to Zhang Lexuan, who was seated in the main chair.
"Sister Lexuan, did anything major happen at the Spirit Transmission Pagoda this month?" This was his routine inquiry.
"Nothing major," Zhang Lexuan replied, though her eyes involuntarily drifted between Ling Luochen and Huo Yuhao.
This junior of hers certainly didn't come here to see her.
Though she hadn't experienced such things herself, it was hard to ignore that her junior's first question after greeting her was about the whereabouts of their "hands-off boss" Tower Master.
It was as clear as day.
"As long as everything's fine. Thanks for looking after the Spirit Transmission Pagoda for me, Sister Lexuan. I'll take her and head out first."
"Please, Tower Master, do as you wish." Lexuan nodded gently, watching as Ling Luochen, who still seemed a bit dazed by the situation, was pulled out of the office by Huo Yuhao.
Are they... together now?
Zhang Lexuan blinked, feeling a strange, vicarious sense of "shipping" joy.
However, if she remembered correctly, this Tower Master of hers had more than one person by his side...
Zhang Lexuan sighed softly. As the former Eldest Senior Sister of the Inner Courtyard, she naturally didn't want to see her junior hurt by a playboy.
Unfortunately, this junior of hers clearly wasn't one for listening to advice. Even after being told that Huo Yuhao already had two girls—at least at the Titled Douluo level—beside him, she had only hesitated for a second before flashing an "Nah, I'd win" expression.
She wouldn't turn back until she hit the wall.
Shrek Academy advocated monogamy, but this Tower Master was clearly not someone who would follow Shrek's rules.
Sigh... I can only hope she gets what she desires.
...
"Let's go. I'll take you to absorb your soul ring."
One of the clauses in the contract signed with Ling Luochen was that he would handle all her future soul rings. Huo Yuhao naturally wouldn't break his word.
Since he happened to have time and the relevant technology was fully mature, attaching a soul ring for her wouldn't be difficult.
Huo Yuhao didn't realize that his habitual hand-holding was causing Ling Luochen's heartbeat to accelerate uncontrollably.
This was physical contact.
Huo Yuhao slightly underestimated his own body, which had been nourished by the triple powers of the Ultimate Ice martial soul, the power of emotions, and the Necromantic Holy Magic God.
For certain people—especially those with an ice attribute—simple physical contact could trigger an attraction similar to a cat's reaction to catnip, making it impossible to resist.
And as it happened, the girl not only had the Extreme Cold Imprint he left on her lower abdomen, but she also possessed an Ice Element martial soul herself, and her existing favorability toward him was already quite high...
Under this triple boost, the girl's longing for more grew. Her eyes remained fixed on Huo Yuhao, refusing to move an inch.
Though her expression remained calm, Ling Luochen involuntarily quickened her pace to walk side-by-side with Huo Yuhao, then naturally linked her arm with his.
Huo Yuhao: "???"
"What is it?" Ling Luochen's expression didn't change much. Instead, she looked at him with a "what's wrong with you?" face, as if he were the one with the problem.
"No... nothing. Let's keep walking."
Something's wrong... very wrong.
He felt that Ling Luochen was also starting to have "designs" on him...
Seeing Huo Yuhao's expression stiffen slightly, Ling Luochen felt a small sigh of relief in her heart.
She wasn't someone with an assertive personality, but the dual impulses of her body and martial soul gave her enough courage.
Even if something went wrong and she was rejected, she could just blame it on her martial soul!
Evil soul masters lose their original hearts and choose slaughter and fall because of their martial souls; it was only logical that she would unconsciously gravitate toward Huo Yuhao because of her martial soul, right?
Thinking this way, Ling Luochen's arm tightened slightly around Huo Yuhao's, causing him to touch a bit of softness.
As her heartbeat quickened further, her resolve grew firmer.
She had heard from Eldest Senior Sister that Huo Yuhao had two close female friends with cultivation levels of at least Titled Douluo...
This had completely upended her plans.
Originally, her feelings for Huo Yuhao were just a hazy attraction; she hadn't even confirmed her true thoughts yet.
She had intended to take it slow. After all, she initially thought her only competitors were that violent woman Ma Xiaotao and perhaps the young girl named Jiang Nannan—none of whom seemed like a threat.
And since there was no threat, there was no rush. They could get along for a few years, and she could figure out her feelings.
If she didn't like him then, she'd leave. If she did, she'd find a reason to drag him to the Sea God Fate blind date event!
But who would have thought? She noticed the internal threats but missed the external ones!
Where did these two Titled Douluo come from?!!!
The sense of urgency forced her to make a decision faster. After a brief hesitation, Ling Luochen decided to strike first! Never mind the rest; she had to make her move!
Her childhood personality made it hard for her to feel attraction toward peers of the opposite sex. After all—if they couldn't even beat her, how could they be worthy of her?
But what about the person in front of her?
Ultimate Ice, twenty-two years old, handsome, and they were already on good terms. To her, he was simply the best choice!
If she missed this chance, there wouldn't be another! She had to secure him first!
Ling Luochen rarely made up her mind, but once she did, she acted without hesitation!
Just like at this very moment.
And as the future Emotion God King, Huo Yuhao naturally detected the shift in Ling Luochen's emotions.
Another one... I... huh?
A torn future, bound to be my fate?
...
The conflicted Huo Yuhao and the joyful Ling Luochen didn't take long to reach a special room.
This place was dedicated to attaching "Custom Artificial Soul Rings." These "Custom" rings were the ones Huo Yuhao had mentioned at the Sea God Pavilion meeting—rings that could cause a martial soul to evolve.
Of course, the 100,000-year artificial soul rings also fell into this category.
"Before coming here, did you measure the limit of the years you can withstand?" Huo Yuhao stepped up to the "Custom Soul Ring Device" and began his routine calibration.
"I did. My body can withstand a soul ring of about 25,000 years."
Ling Luochen nodded.
Besides offering free martial soul awakenings for six-year-olds, the Spirit Transmission Pagoda also provided a free service to measure physical fitness—the limit of the soul ring one could carry.
Ling Luochen had naturally made use of this service.
25,000 years, huh...
Huo Yuhao nodded.
Ling Luochen came to his laboratory quite often and was frequently fed special Blue Silver Grass that could enhance the physique. It was normal for her fifth ring to reach this age.