A Day Apart Feels Like Three Autumns, Shamelessly Flaunting Their Romance

Bing Tianxiao rubbed his eyes and sat up, only then seeing the graceful young woman standing before him.

"It really is you, Luo Li."

He instantly sobered up, a signature, slightly roguish, brilliant smile appearing on his face.

He jumped straight down from the branch and moved over to Luo Li:

"How was it? Was my 'Ice Sword Message' handsome enough? Am I the most dashing guy for a hundred miles around?"

Seeing his smug expression, Luo Li's aloof, keep-your-distance aura seemed to melt for an instant, though her tone remained cool:

"You're being reckless. You scared away everyone within a hundred miles."

Bing Tianxiao waved dismissively, not caring in the slightest, though a hint of slyness showed in his eyes.

He stepped closer until he could clearly see Luo Li's long eyelashes trembling:

"Hehe, that was exactly what I wanted. I didn't want a bunch of clueless passersby to ruin our reunion."

"Though we've only been apart for a few days, in my heart, a day without you feels like three autumns."

Luo Li was slightly stunned by his sudden words.

A trace of imperceptible panic flashed through her originally cool eyes.

She turned her head away to avoid Bing Tianxiao's burning gaze, and a faint blush quietly spread across the tips of her ears.

"You're all talk."

"Hehe."

Seeing that he had gone far enough, Bing Tianxiao stopped teasing her, and his expression became somewhat more serious.

His gaze swept across the vast primeval forest as he spoke casually:

"To be honest, this trial in the Northern Cang Realm is practically a piece of cake for us."

"However, if we want to grind this thing to Level Nine or even max it out, we'll still have to put in some effort."

"After all, there are more wolves than meat, and we still have to find them one by one."

"So, we have two paths before us."

He raised two fingers and waved them in front of Luo Li:

"First, we charge straight for the central area, wipe out all the hotshots who show their faces, grab everything, and call it a day before heading to the Northern Cang Spirit Academy to register."

"The second option..."

The corners of his lips lifted into a mischievous smile, his eyes filled with amusement. "We can admire the scenery of the Northern Cang Realm while slowly wandering our way there."

Luo Li quietly watched him, her clear eyes reflecting the boy's spirited face.

When it came to choices like this, she had never cared much about winning or losing.

As long as he was there, anything was fine.

"Up to you."

As always, those were her two brief, cool words.

"Got it! I knew you'd choose this!"

Bing Tianxiao snapped his fingers, a triumphant smile spreading across his face:

"Then we absolutely have to choose the second option! There's no need to hurry here. Besides, neither of us is going to be eliminated."

With that, he naturally reached out and grabbed Luo Li's delicate hand, soft as a scallion stalk.

Luo Li's hand trembled slightly, but she did not pull away, allowing his warmth to envelop her cool fingers.

"Let's go!"

Thus, an extremely incongruous scene appeared in the Northern Cang Realm.

The other students traveled in groups, cautiously feeling their way through the forest.

They were terrified that a spirit beast or a robber might leap out from somewhere, leaving every one of them wound tight with nerves.

Bing Tianxiao and Luo Li, however, looked like a wealthy young master taking his beautiful wife out for an excursion.

Bing Tianxiao pulled Luo Li along, swaggering through the forest.

From time to time, he pointed at a strange rock or an unusual tree in the distance and gave his opinion, treating this brutal trial ground entirely like his own backyard.

Occasionally, a few blind spirit beasts or students hoping to take advantage of the situation would charge out, only to be blasted away by silver sword energy before they could even get close.

"Look at that flower over there. It looks like a ghost face—ugly but kind of cute..."

"Mm."

"And that bird, flying all crooked. Do you think it's drunk?"

"Perhaps."

The two exchanged remarks as their figures gradually disappeared into the distance, leaving only chaos behind and a faint scent of public displays of affection lingering in the air.

Before they knew it, the two stopped before a huge basin surrounded by mountains on all sides.

This was the only route to the central area of the Northern Cang Realm, as well as a naturally formed gathering point in this region.

Although the two had not deliberately searched for prey along the way,

there were always some "Fortune-Bringing Children" who thought they were capable enough and jumped out on their own.

When it came to such "deliveries" showing up at his door, Bing Tianxiao had always welcomed them all and accepted every last one.

Thus, by the time the two stood at the edge of the basin, the golden mark on their foreheads had already changed from the initial Level Five to a deep and dazzling Level Eight!

Looking out, the basin was packed with people, and the waves of clamor were even livelier than those of an outside marketplace.

A large number of students who knew they lacked the strength to seize marks through combat had gathered here.

To scrape together the "Level Four" passing grade needed to remain,

they had no choice but to reluctantly bring out spirit techniques bestowed by their elders, precious Spirit Array Diagrams, and even spirit artifacts for self-defense, setting up stalls and hawking them here in exchange for Marked Spirit Energy.

"Wow, it's pretty lively."

Standing at a high point, Bing Tianxiao looked at the bustling crowd below, and his eyes immediately lit up.

"I thought the Northern Cang Realm was nothing but fighting and gnawing on tree bark. I didn't expect there to be a place like this."

"Luo Li, come on, let's go treasure hunting!"

Luo Li helplessly allowed him to pull her along as they lightly leaped into the basin.

At first, their appearance did not attract much attention.

After all, far too many people came and went here every day.

However, as the two walked side by side into the crowd, an invisible pressure quietly spread outward like ripples.

Someone suddenly shouted:

"Holy crap! Look at the marks on those two people's foreheads!"

That shout was like a ladle of cold water splashed into boiling oil.

The previously noisy trading area instantly fell silent, with Bing Tianxiao and Luo Li at its center.

Countless gazes converged on them in unison.

Immediately afterward, the sounds of people sucking in cold air rose one after another, merging into a single wave.

"Level... Level Eight?!"

"My heavens, b-both of them are Level Eight?"

"What kind of monsters are those two? The guy is pretty handsome, and the girl... Tsk, she's beautiful! But those mark levels are way too terrifying!"

The crowd instinctively opened a path.

Wherever the two passed, the originally crowded road instantly became exceptionally spacious.

Bing Tianxiao pulled Luo Li through the stalls, looking to see if there was anything good.

"Luo Li, is there anything you want?"

"No."

Luo Li quietly followed beside him. As for the dazzling array of "treasures" around them, some of which had even caused people to fight over them, she did not so much as lift an eyelid.

Her nature had always regarded worldly possessions with indifference.

Besides, in her eyes, these things truly did not merit her attention.

She simply allowed Bing Tianxiao to pull her along, occasionally responding with a soft sound when his complaints became too outrageous.