Xia Yi looked up at the sky, where countless stars twinkled, appearing no different from a normal night sky.
"I don't really understand this starry sky. It's too high, and I can't fly up there. But I can sense that these celestial bodies are real," Leng Yulai explained.
Xia Yi nodded and said, "I'm leaving now. Just wait a little longer. After I see your sister in a few days, I'll arrange for you two to meet."
He had no intention of staying in the Bronze World for long.
After getting a general understanding of the place, he was ready to leave.
Unlike Leng Yulai, he didn't have the luxury of time to dedicate himself entirely to studying this world.
"I will obey my master's wishes," Leng Yulai responded obediently, watching Xia Yi leave with a seemingly submissive expression, as if she had completely adapted to her role as his maid.
But the moment Xia Yi disappeared from sight, the meek expression vanished completely.
Her gaze deepened, carrying an unfathomable intensity.
"Sister, I've sacrificed so much for you. How are you going to repay me?" Leng Yulai chuckled mysteriously.
Four years ago, if she had seen Xia Yi possessing Leng Yaozhu's Phoenix Heart Jade, she would have killed him without hesitation.
Although the Phoenix Heart Jade was powerful and contained Leng Yaozhu's strongest attack at the Ultimate Douluo level, it was still only a single strike.
If she could withstand it, Xia Yi would be at her mercy.
Now, however, the remnants of Xia Yi's past-life soul had completely dissipated, and no one could stop her from killing him.
But over the past four years, she had severed ties with the evil soul masters and had come to understand many things.
Even if Xia Yi hadn't presented her with the gift from Leng Yaozhu, she had already let go of her resentment toward her sister.
——
Back in the Spirit Transmission Tower's training room, Xia Yi took out a piece of metal and imprinted the He Tu and Luo Shu diagrams onto its two sides before handing it to Gu Yue.
[T/N: He Tu means Yellow River Map and Luo Shu means Luo River Writing, He Tu represents the order of Heaven (天道), while Luo Shu represents the order of Earth (地道). They influence Chinese astrology, medicine, martial arts, and architecture. They form the foundation of the Bagua (Eight Trigrams, 八卦) used in Taoism and Feng Shui.]
"What is this?" Gu Yue asked curiously.
"Something good. Take it and study it. Maybe you can figure something out," Xia Yi said with a smile.
"Alright!" Gu Yue trusted Xia Yi's words without hesitation and stored the He Tu and Luo Shu, planning to analyze them later.
"Are we heading back to Shrek City now?" Xia Yi asked.
"I want to stay in Mingdu for a few more days!" Gu Yue murmured softly.
Her main goal on this trip wasn't to complete Shrek Academy's final exam.
It was to win over Xia Yi completely.
Since she hadn't achieved her goal yet, she was unwilling to return.
"Then let's enjoy ourselves for a while and go back in a few days," Xia Yi said, patting Gu Yue's head, not objecting to her request.
Seeing Xia Yi agree, Gu Yue's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You promised to go shopping with me before, but you never fulfilled it. Now that we have time, you must make it up to me today."
"Alright!" Xia Yi nodded with a grin. "I'll risk my life to accompany the lady. Where do you want to go?"
"Ugh! Who talks like that?" Gu Yue rolled her eyes at him, then confidently pulled him out of the Spirit Transmission Tower. "You promised me, so wherever I want to go, you're coming with me!"
"As you command, my queen," Xia Yi replied playfully, making Gu Yue giggle uncontrollably.
——
Just as they stepped out of the training room, Xia Yi received a message from Wu Jin on his soul communicator.
Wu Jin informed them that he had business to attend to and planned to return to Shrek Academy to submit his final exam results. After that, he would be leaving for a while and wouldn't return until the new semester started.
Shrek Academy's school year included a one-month vacation. Their group had completed the final exam in less than six days, so Wu Jin didn't want to waste the remaining time and left early.
"Great! One less third wheel," Xia Yi laughed as he followed Gu Yue out of the Spirit Transmission Tower.
It was unfair to compare their situations to other Shrek students, who were still scrambling to find opponents and challenges.
Some students were even struggling to gather enough money for food and transportation.
Meanwhile, Xia Yi and his team had already completed their exam and even upgraded their soul communicators.
"Wow, this clothing store looks nice! Let's check it out!" Gu Yue's eyes lit up as she spotted a nearby boutique.
"How about you go in and pick something while I wait outside?" Xia Yi hesitated, his face darkening.
This store sold women's lingerie.
As a grown man, he felt incredibly awkward standing there.
"No way! You promised to accompany me. Waiting outside doesn't count!" Gu Yue ignored his reluctance and dragged him inside.
She even deliberately held up some lingerie in front of him, asking if it looked good.
Xia Yi was mortified. The items she picked were all intimate and seductive styles.
He had no choice but to hide in a corner while she shopped. After she finally finished, he paid and practically fled the store.
Gu Yue, of course, laughed the entire time.
——
The rest of the day, she didn't tease him too much.
Instead, they enjoyed a full day of eating, drinking, and sightseeing. In the evening, she even dragged him to a bar, where she forced him to perform a pole dance in front of a crowd.
"Damn it! I'm never going out with this girl again," Xia Yi grumbled as they returned to their hotel, still remembering the people in the bar who had filmed him.
"Alright, don't be mad. I was wrong, okay? I even deleted my videos," Gu Yue apologized immediately. She massaged his shoulders and legs, her attitude softer than ever.
But the mischievous smile at the corners of her lips suggested that she was still reminiscing about earlier.
"You still dare to talk?" Xia Yi glared at her.
Gu Yue shrank back guiltily.
"I said I was wrong! Here, drink some water to cool off," she coaxed, pouring him a glass.
Without thinking, Xia Yi downed the entire cup in one go.
He was genuinely irritated and hadn't noticed Gu Yue's nervous gaze.
Seeing him drink it all, her face lit up with excitement—before quickly turning tense.
"You rest first. I'm going to take a bath," she muttered, disappearing into the bathroom.
After a quick rinse, she patted her chest to calm herself. "Gu Yue, don't be scared. Believe in yourself."
Steadying her nerves, she stepped out.
But the sight before her stunned her completely.
Xia Yi sat calmly on the sofa, breathing steadily, completely unaffected.
What?
Wasn't he supposed to be overcome with desire by now?
Had she taken the wrong drug? Or did Zi Ji buy a defective one?
"Why are you spacing out?" Xia Yi flicked her forehead. "You rest first. I'll take a bath."
——
Meanwhile, on the hotel rooftop, a young girl sipped from a tiny wine flask, watching the scene unfold below.
"Heh, did you really think that lust-inducing drug would work on the boss? Even if it did, so what? That drug just makes people lose their minds in desire. Boss wouldn't even know what happened!"
She grinned.
"Hmph! In the end, I had to step in. Against the boss, you need emotion first, then desire. That's the only way."
She took another sip and giggled.
"Boss used this trick on Yan Xi and Xue Qiling before, right? He's not so innocent himself."