Since there were no disruptions along the way, the Douluo Continent's exchange delegation finally arrived at the capital of the Star Luo Empire, Star Luo City, located at the heart of the continent. After departing from Haibin City, they had spent another two days traveling by bus.
After such a long journey by sea, combined with the exhaustion of travel, everyone felt relieved to finally set foot in a grand metropolis.
They were accommodated in the luxurious Star Luo Grand Hotel. Perhaps as compensation for the shock they had experienced earlier, the hotel arranged exceptionally lavish suites for every member of the delegation.
The Star Luo Grand Hotel's architecture exuded opulence, with gold and white as the dominant colors, creating a dazzling and extravagant atmosphere.
After the long journey, almost everyone collapsed into sleep the moment they entered their rooms.
The next morning, with a crisp click, Xia Yi's room door was pushed open from the inside.
Leng Yulai stepped out.
Whether it was the Spirit Pagoda or Shrek Academy, she was undoubtedly one of the most esteemed guests in this exchange delegation. Naturally, she was accommodated on the highest floor.
The moment Leng Yulai opened the door, Yali happened to step out of her own room.
"Leng… Leng Yulai?!"
Seeing Leng Yulai, their eyes met, and Yali was immediately stunned.
But in the next instant, her gaze turned furious, and she loudly demanded, "Why are you coming out of Xia Yi's room?!"
Yali wasn't angry at Leng Yulai.
She was angry at Xia Yi.
Looking at Leng Yulai's radiant, flushed face, Yali couldn't help but recall the day Xia Yi and Leng Yaozhu publicly announced their relationship. That day, she had gone to the Spirit Pagoda to retrieve the wedding gift she had given them, and she still remembered the look on Leng Yaozhu's face.
"Oh my, it's Yali!" Leng Yulai chuckled and said, "It's been decades, and you're even more beautiful than when you were eighteen."
"I asked you a question—why were you in Xia Yi's room?" Yali's voice was cold, her heart burning with anger toward Xia Yi.
Leng Yaozhu was currently fighting a bloody battle against Abyssal creatures in the Blood God Legion, yet Xia Yi had somehow gotten involved with her long-lost sister? If Leng Yaozhu found out, how heartbroken would she be?
"I came to visit my brother-in-law, of course." Leng Yulai shrugged indifferently and said, "Isn't it normal for a sister-in-law to visit her brother-in-law?"
"Visit? Does visiting require sharing the same bed?" Yali gritted her teeth, her anger flaring. "Do you have any idea what your sister went through searching for you all these years? Do you not feel guilty doing this to her?"
Yali's voice wasn't just loud—it was sharp and piercing.
Even the Star Luo Grand Hotel's specially designed soundproof doors couldn't contain it.
She wasn't questioning Leng Yulai. She was questioning Xia Yi.
"My sister isn't here, so shouldn't I take care of my brother-in-law's daily needs?" Facing Yali's accusations, Leng Yulai remained unfazed and casually remarked, "I'm sure my sister wouldn't want her husband to be left unattended, right?"
"You—" Yali wanted to curse her as shameless, but the words got stuck in her throat. She forced them back down and instead said, "Come with me!"
Without another word, Yali pushed open Xia Yi's door.
She didn't want to argue with Leng Yulai anymore—she wanted to confront Xia Yi directly.
Inside, Xia Yi forced a smile and looked at the furious Yali. "Yali, what are you doing in my room so early in the morning?"
"Explain this to me." Yali pointed at Leng Yulai, her beautiful eyes practically blazing. "Do you think this is fair to Yaozhu?"
"Oh, you mean Yulai? She was sent by Yaozhu to protect me and Yue'er." Xia Yi glanced at Yali and sneered. "Your academy's Light and Dark Douluo went as far as spreading plagues among ordinary people just to set me up. Then there was the Abyssal creature outbreak. Yaozhu suspected that someone deliberately trapped her in the Blood God Legion to target me, so she sent Yulai to protect me."
Hearing this, Yali immediately lowered her head. But soon, she raised it again and retorted, "Is this what you call protection?"
"If it's not protection, then what is it?" Xia Yi countered.
"You—" Yali was momentarily speechless.
"Yali, this is my personal matter. I'll explain it to Yaozhu myself when the time comes. It has nothing to do with you. You can leave now." Xia Yi's voice turned cold as he issued an unmistakable dismissal.
"You're worse than a beast! Yaozhu must have been blind to fall for you!" Yali shouted, tears of frustration streaming down her face. She felt utterly heartbroken for Leng Yaozhu.
She stormed out, slamming the door behind her.
As she left, her voice echoed in Xia Yi's mind through a transmission:
"Leng Yulai has been missing for years. There have been rumors that she joined the Holy Spirit Cult. There's no solid proof, but such rumors don't arise without reason. Now she suddenly appears, and it's clear she has an agenda—likely targeting you. I don't know the full story, but I had to warn you. Yaozhu loves her sister dearly and might be deceived by her. If you don't want to fall into her trap, be more cautious. Don't lose your mind just because of a beautiful woman."
Although she was furious at Xia Yi, she still took the time to warn him.
"My reputation is ruined…" Xia Yi sighed in distress.
"It's all my fault. I've caused trouble for you, my lord." Leng Yulai spoke softly.
"That's too formal. You should be jokingly asking where this 'reputation' of mine even came from." Xia Yi laughed heartily.
Before Leng Yulai could respond, a soft, ghostly voice suddenly rang out.
"You certainly have no right to use the word 'reputation' anymore."
"Who's there?!" Leng Yulai was startled and immediately attempted to summon her martial soul, but Xia Yi stopped her just in time.
"It's fine. Just a friend. Sit down." Xia Yi reassured her and pulled her to sit beside him.
In the next moment, a figure slowly materialized on the chair across from them—it was the Demon Emperor.
Her long, snow-white legs were crossed as she gazed at Xia Yi and Leng Yulai with deep, ocean-like eyes, making it impossible to discern her thoughts.
"Care to explain?" The Demon Emperor's voice was calm.
Leng Yulai's voice trembled as she addressed her, "C-Cult Master…!"
She harbored a deep fear of the Demon Emperor.
"It's fine." Xia Yi patted Leng Yulai's hand, calming her down.
Once she had composed herself, Xia Yi turned to the Demon Emperor and said, "Let me explain. From now on, to everyone who knows that Yulai was once a part of the Holy Spirit Cult, they will assume she is still your planted spy."
The Demon Emperor nodded. "You want me to maintain the illusion that she's still with the cult, so no one within it turns on her, fearing she might betray their secrets. Correct?"
"Exactly." Xia Yi confirmed.
The Demon Emperor smirked. "You seduced a Holy Spirit Cult Super Douluo and now want me to cover for you? Do you think that's possible?"
"Why not?" Xia Yi countered. "Whether the cult gains or loses a Super Douluo, does it matter to you?"
"Not at all." The Demon Emperor admitted. "But you should offer something in return."
She waved her hand, and a set of four-word battle armor and a crimson mecha appeared before Xia Yi—Muye's battle armor and mecha.
"These are all for you, consider them the dowry for Dark Phoenix Douluo. However, your return gift needs to be double the value. You can wait until you become a Divine Craftsman to deliver it—surely that's not too much to ask?" the Demon Empress asked.
"You need to tell me who they're for first," Xia Yi replied.
If it was to craft a set of four-word battle armor and a mecha for the Demon Empress herself, he had no objections.
Even without the connection through Leng Yulai, he would still agree.
As a fellow soul beast, Xia Yi wasn't so petty.
But if it was for other members of the Holy Spirit Cult, he wouldn't agree so easily.
"One set is for me, the other for my daughter," the Demon Empress said, fully understanding what Xia Yi was asking.
"No problem!" Xia Yi agreed without hesitation and stored Mu Ye's battle armor and mecha away.
To the Demon Empress, Mu Ye's battle armor and mecha were nothing more than scrap metal.
Other than Mu Ye himself, no one else could wear them.
But to Xia Yi, they were exactly what he needed at the moment.
Not to wear, but to study.
Especially the red mecha.
Heart of the Ice God had already told Xia Yi to get the red mecha from the Demon Empress.
She had wanted to dismantle it for a long time to use in upgrading Xiao Bing.
However, Xia Yi was uneasy about letting Heart of The Ice God modify Xiao Bing on her own.
Not because he doubted her abilities.
But because he had seen her design blueprints.
Despite his repeated protests, the designs clearly depicted Xiao Bing's upgraded form as an absolute beauty.
Heart Of the Ice God was obviously modeling Xiao Bing's upgrade entirely after the Ice Snow Empress's appearance.
(End of Chapter)