"Yue'er is my wife now." Facing Leng Yaozhu's gaze, Xia Yi said proudly.
As he spoke, he directly took Gu Yue's delicate hand and waved it in front of Leng Yaozhu.
Being held like this in front of Leng Yaozhu made Gu Yue's fair face flush red instantly.
She didn't care about other people's opinions at all. They could think whatever they wanted, and she wouldn't be bothered.
But Leng Yaozhu was different. In front of her, for the first time, Gu Yue felt embarrassed.
She wasn't as thick-skinned as Xia Yi.
She immediately struggled, trying to pull her hand away, but Xia Yi was far too strong. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't break free from his grip.
Eventually, she gave up and accepted it. Instead, she took Xia Yi's hand and gave Leng Yaozhu a slight bow, speaking formally, "Teacher, Xia Yi and I are together now."
Leng Yaozhu gritted her teeth, her gaze cold as she glared at Xia Yi furiously, as if she wanted to tear him apart.
It wasn't that she couldn't accept them being together.
As long as Gu Yue didn't object, she naturally wouldn't either.
After all, Gu Yue would get married eventually. If she ended up with Xia Yi, that was still better than someone else.
She couldn't expect Gu Yue to remain unmarried like her for a lifetime.
What she couldn't accept was Xia Yi's smug expression.
He knew she had experienced heartbreak, yet he was deliberately flaunting his relationship in front of her.
And it was with her only student.
How unfair! She wanted to cry!
"Your relationship sure has progressed quickly," Leng Yaozhu said through gritted teeth.
"No choice. You raised Yue'er so well—if I didn't act fast, someone else might have taken her away," Xia Yi said with a cheeky grin.
Hearing this, Leng Yaozhu's mood improved slightly. She smirked and said, "That at least sounds reasonable. My Gu Yue isn't someone just anyone can have. You should consider yourself incredibly lucky."
She gave Xia Yi a sidelong glance. "I have something to say to Yue'er. Get out for a bit."
"Alright!" Xia Yi didn't argue and immediately left Leng Yaozhu's office.
Once the door was closed, Leng Yaozhu turned to Gu Yue and asked softly, "Yue'er, be honest with me. Are you serious about Xia Yi?"
"Yes!" Gu Yue answered without hesitation.
"Good." Leng Yaozhu nodded, then continued, "But have you considered his martial soul? Every evolution requires rare and powerful treasures. Even though he's had great luck so far, at his current stage, evolving to Nine-Tails would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens. In other words, he may never reach Title Douluo in his lifetime, while you are destined to reach the Limit. Have you thought about whether you'll regret this in the future?"
"It's not just the Limit—even if I become a god one day, I won't regret it," Gu Yue replied firmly.
"It's too early to say that now," Leng Yaozhu shook her head. "When you truly reach that level, there will be people just as strong as you, people more suited for you. By then, you might think differently. Even if you remain faithful, can he? With his pride, can he accept being forever overshadowed by his own partner?"
Leng Yaozhu assumed Gu Yue was only speaking figuratively about becoming a god. She had no idea that Gu Yue was genuinely confident she would ascend. In fact, barring any accidents, it was a certainty.
"Teacher, what's wrong? Didn't you encourage me to consider him before?" Gu Yue asked, puzzled.
Part of the reason she had been so bold was because of Leng Yaozhu's encouragement.
"I told you to consider him, not to throw yourself at him so quickly. At the very least, you should've waited for his martial soul to evolve a few more times before confirming your relationship," Leng Yaozhu rolled her eyes.
She had assumed that, given Gu Yue's pride, even if she did consider Xia Yi, she would put him through many trials.
At the very least, she expected Gu Yue to wait until he reached Title Douluo before truly accepting him.
But it had only been a few days, and Gu Yue had already fallen for him.
If Leng Yaozhu knew Gu Yue had practically delivered herself to Xia Yi on a silver platter, she might have died from frustration.
"They say women love bad boys. His shamelessness is exactly what makes him irresistible to innocent girls like you," Leng Yaozhu said seriously. "I'm not insulting him or looking down on him. I just want you to think carefully. This is a lifelong decision, and you two are moving too fast. I'm worried it's just a fleeting passion."
Gu Yue shook her head. "In my family, love is straightforward. We don't overcomplicate things. Besides, Xia Yi isn't the type to betray someone."
Gu Yue then looked into Leng Yaozhu's eyes and said seriously, "Teacher, I know you're looking out for me. But please trust me—I promise, Xia Yi and I will be happy. Our relationship is tied to secrets within my family. I can't tell you everything, but I've thought this through carefully."
"Even if his martial soul never evolves further, even if I become far stronger than him, I'll always find a way to be with him. I'll never let him feel inferior," Gu Yue took a deep breath. "My love for him was never about his strength."
"Oh? Then tell me—why do you love him?" Leng Yaozhu teased with a sly smile.
"I don't know. I just know I enjoy being with him more and more," Gu Yue shook her head.
She had plenty of reasons for loving Xia Yi, but when she tried to put them into words, none of them felt like the real reason.
Thinking about their time together, a sweet smile appeared on her lips.
"Forget it, I won't ask anymore." Seeing her expression, Leng Yaozhu sighed in defeat. "As long as you believe you'll be happy, that's all that matters."
"I will be happy," Gu Yue promised.
"Alright," Leng Yaozhu nodded, then waved her hand. The door Xia Yi had closed earlier swung open on its own.
"Get in here," she said coldly. She had no intention of being nice to the man who had stolen her precious student.
"Hehe, finished talking?" Xia Yi grinned as he walked in. "You weren't trying to convince my wife to leave me, were you?"
"You deserve to be dumped, but unfortunately, some people can't bear to do it," Leng Yaozhu snorted. Then, she flipped her palm, revealing two jade pendants, each about half the size of a palm, with a warm and smooth texture.
Both were golden-red in color—one was a deep crimson gold. Each pendant had a lifelike phoenix engraved on it. At first glance, they seemed identical.
But upon closer inspection, there was a subtle difference in the phoenixes' eyes. One had a domineering gaze, full of regal authority, while the other's gaze was strong yet gentle, exuding a queenly aura.
"This isn't much, just a Phoenix Heart Jade from my family. One phoenix, one dragon—symbolizing eternal love. Take these as my blessing, and I hope you two will stay together forever."
Leng Yaozhu waved her hand, and a red silk thread appeared out of thin air.
After threading the jade pendants, she handed them to Xia Yi and Gu Yue.
As Xia Yi took the pendant, he noticed Leng Yaozhu's hand tremble slightly.
When he looked up, he saw tears welling up in her beautiful eyes.
"What are you looking at? Listen, if you ever betray Gu Yue, don't blame me for being ruthless," she snapped, trying to hide her emotions.
"Sister Yaozhu, I promise—I will never let her down," Xia Yi said seriously, without any hint of mockery toward Leng Yaozhu.
He understood her feelings. Leng Yaozhu had remained unmarried all her life, had no children, and only had Gu Yue as her student.
Now that Gu Yue had found her own happiness and wouldn't have to live a lonely life like her, the emotions stirring in Leng Yaozhu's heart were easy to imagine.
Even though she had advised Gu Yue to think carefully, it was only for the sake of Gu Yue and Xia Yi's future.
It was never because she looked down on Xia Yi.
Since Gu Yue had made her decision, Leng Yaozhu would give them her blessing.
"I hope you remember the words you just said." With Xia Yi's assurance, Leng Yaozhu finally felt relieved. She then said, "The Phoenix Heart Jade is crafted using a secret technique by the soul masters of my family. It contains a full-power strike from its creator. If you ever find yourself in a life-threatening situation, you can use it as a one-time weapon. I hope you never have to use it."
"So powerful! Can we get a few more?" Xia Yi's eyes immediately lit up with excitement.
"In your dreams. A soul master can only create one pair of Phoenix Heart Jade in their lifetime. Otherwise, it would lose its significance." Leng Yaozhu rolled her eyes at Xia Yi. She had been in seclusion for the past few days precisely to craft the Phoenix Heart Jade.
The Phoenix Heart Jade was a family heirloom of the Leng clan, traditionally given as a token of love to one's beloved.
Regardless of their cultivation level, a person could only craft a single pair in their lifetime.
Moreover, the stronger the creator, the more difficult it was to make.
For someone like Leng Yaozhu, embedding a full-power strike of an Ultimate Douluo into such a small jade pendant was an unimaginable cost and effort.
If it weren't for the recent ambush by the powerful members of Shrek Academy's Sea God Pavilion, which had frightened her, she would never have spent so many resources and so much energy to make the Phoenix Heart Jade.
Now that Xia Yi and Gu Yue had officially confirmed their relationship, this pair of Phoenix Heart Jade was the perfect gift for them.
(End of Chapter)