The lights gradually dimmed. The spotlight in the center of the dance floor poured down like moonlight, enveloping the two.
Gu Yuena's silver hair flew with her spins, refracting tiny fragments of light under the spotlights. Huo Yuhao's arm steadily supported her lower back, leading her through a breathtaking tilting movement. Her body was almost parallel to the ground, supported only by his strong arm.
The tempo of the music suddenly quickened. Gu Yuena suddenly broke free from Huo Yuhao's lead, lightly tapped the floor with her toes to leap, and completed an elegant flip in the air. Her skirt spread like a blooming night blooming cactus.
His palm pressed against her bare back. Where their skin touched, a searing temperature came through. Gu Yuena used the momentum to press closer, their chests almost touching. She could clearly feel his accelerated heartbeat.
The exclamations of the surrounding guests were drowned out by the passionate movement.
When the music reached its climax, Huo Yuhao suddenly exerted force, lifting Gu Yuena high into the air.
She stretched her body in the air. Her silver hair fell like a waterfall. Her purple eyes sparkled like gems under the lights. As she descended, Huo Yuhao caught her steadily. Gu Yuena's hands wrapped around his neck. Their noses almost touched. Their breaths mingled.
The final note came to an abrupt stop. The dance floor fell into brief silence. Huo Yuhao held the ending pose, gazing at the slightly flushed cheeks of the person in his arms. Gu Yuena's long lashes gently trembled. Her purple eyes sparkled with lingering light.
Huo Yuhao smiled slightly. His right hand supported her waist and set her down.
Gu Yuena's silver hair glowed with a soft halo under the lights. A few strands of hair, loosened by the fierce dance moves, had scattered on her delicate collarbone. Huo Yuhao's gaze unconsciously followed those few silver strands. His fingers moved slightly, brushing them aside for her.
Gu Yuena, as if waking from a dream because of this action, looked at Huo Yuhao. But she did not move away. She quietly gazed at his face so close to hers.
Huo Yuhao's fingers still lingered in her hair. The tips of his fingers inadvertently touched her slightly cool skin. Their breaths mingled. The surrounding noise seemed to fade away, leaving only the reflections of each other in their eyes.
A different light flashed in Gu Yuena's purple eyes. Her red lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something.
Just then, the surrounding applause and cheers gradually became enthusiastic. Sima Lanxiao's voice came through the soul powered loudspeaker. "Absolutely wonderful. This is definitely the most perfect dance performance of the night."
Gu Yuena snapped back to reality. She frowned slightly as she looked at the host. Sima Lanxiao immediately shivered for some reason, but he quickly adjusted his state and continued enthusiastically, "Please, both of you, rest for a while. After the final winner list is statistics, the two of you will receive prizes of Xingluo specialties."
Huo Yuhao keenly noticed Gu Yuena's displeasure. The tips of his fingers gently pressed on her soft waist. "If there is something you want to say, we can talk slowly after the banquet ends."
"The mood is gone."
Gu Yuena shook her head, but she did not throw a tantrum. She walked out of the dance floor with Huo Yuhao.
Because of their performance, the rest of the dance seemed somewhat bland to everyone. Only when Xie Xie and Tang Wulin appeared together did they bring a different kind of "surprise" to the scene.
The final award ceremony itself was nothing special. But the prizes surprised everyone.
Dai Yun'er walked to the center of the stage to present the prizes. She smiled and said, "Given that Mr. Huo Yuhao and Miss Gu Yuena are both outstanding soul masters, I have decided to change the prizes to High Grade Qiankun Pills."
Some members of the Xingluo delegation showed surprise at this.
They had thought it would just be ordinary Xingluo specialties. They never expected it to be High Grade Qiankun Pills.
Le Zhengyu saw the surprised expressions of the crowd and felt confused. He asked his dance partner, "Are pills very rare in your Xingluo?"
Everyone present was elites from two countries. They were just a few pills. Was there any need to make such a fuss?
Or was Xingluo also far behind the Douluo Federation in terms of pills?
This Xingluo female student seemed to be knowledgeable. She gently shook her head. "You do not understand the value of the Qiankun Pill. It is different from ordinary pills."
Seeing Le Zhengyu showed a dismissive expression, she took a deep breath and said in a deep voice, "The Qiankun Pill can increase the age of spirit rings. And unlike the Spirit Transmission Tower's Spirit Elevation Platform, it can not only increase the age of spirit rings provided by spirit souls, but also increase the age of spirit rings hunted from spirit beasts."
Only then did Le Zhengyu show a surprised and uncertain expression.
Increasing the age of hunted spirit rings? Was that not the domain of deities?
Because his family originated from the Spirit Hall lineage, there were many records about deities in the family, such as divine trials being able to increase spirit ring age.
Therefore, in the eyes of Le Zhengyu and his family, the fact that the Spirit Transmission Tower had created a place like the Spirit Elevation Platform was simply inconceivable.
But now, from his dance partner's words, Xingluo also had a similar method. And it was even better?
This thought flashed through Le Zhengyu's mind for a moment, then he dismissed it.
As long as anyone paid attention, they would notice that the Xingluo Federation people's attitude toward the Spirit Transmission Tower was unusual. From this change of prize for Huo Yuhao and the others, one could see that they were showing goodwill to the Spirit Transmission Tower.
If the Qiankun Pill had no defects and was truly better than the Spirit Elevation Platform, they should have been more reserved.
Sure enough, the Xingluo student continued, "I do not know which family refines the Qiankun Pill. But you only need to know that a High Grade Qiankun Pill can increase a spirit ring's age by a thousand years to understand its value. However, this pill is too precious. It basically does not circulate out."
"Even the Medicinal Residue left over from refining is Priceless but No Market in Xingluo, because that residue also has certain effects."
This was also why they were so shocked after learning about the Spirit Elevation Platform.
Although the entry requirements for the Spirit Elevation Platform were not low, even Eastsea Academy could, at a certain cost, arrange for its students to enter. This showed that the threshold was not particularly high.
But the threshold for obtaining Qiankun Pills in their Xingluo was much higher than the Spirit Elevation Platform. Probably only top students of Monster Academy could obtain them. And they could not get many. She had never heard of a situation like Huo Yuhao directly turning his first spirit soul into a ten thousand year spirit soul.
Compared to the Xingluo delegation members who longed for this item, Huo Yuhao, upon receiving the pill, narrowed his eyes. He carefully examined it and sighed quietly.
Although he had long considered Xingluo's current situation with the worst case scenario, seeing the truth still made it difficult to remain calm.
If the Xingluo high ranking members were aware of the refining method of this pill and still allowed it to enter the market, to what extent had they fallen?
Huo Yuhao did not show his emotions on his face. After calmly putting away the pill, he chatted for a moment with Dai Yun'er, who had finally found an opportunity to speak with him. He politely declined her invitation for a deeper conversation and took Gu Yuena back to Soul Calming Douluo and the others.
Under the puzzled gazes of Duoqing Douluo and the others, Huo Yuhao silently unfolded his domain, took out the Qiankun Pill, and handed it to Soul Calming Douluo. "Your Majesty, what does this item look like to you?"
"From the discussions of those around, it seems to be a pill similar to the Spirit Elevation Pill."
Soul Calming Douluo smiled as he took it. But the moment his palm touched the pill, his expression suddenly darkened. A depressing atmosphere enveloped them.
***
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