Planning a Trip to the Star Dou Great Forest, Snow Empress's Embarrassment

After about the time it took to brew a cup of tea, the Snow Empress finally stopped examining Yinming's Fall. She used her soul power to lift it and send it back into Shu Yan's hand.

Shu Yan put the item away, then sat across from Snow Empress. After a moment of silence, he finally spoke.

"How was it? This Soul Tool should be considered one of the best among half-step Level Eight Soul Tools. It is probably only one step away from the most powerful Level Nine Soul Tools."

Snow Empress pressed her lips together before speaking after a long while.

"Not bad. It does have a certain ingenuity to it. But the origin of this thing is mixed with the resentment left behind after a Titan Snow Demon died. It is rather too sinister, and as for its purpose... to be honest, even I cannot quite make sense of it."

Shu Yan chuckled and shook his head before saying, "You will understand in time. There is no need to rush. Tomorrow, imperial secret guards will escort a group of utterly vicious Evil Soul Masters to wait outside Star Luo City. When the time comes, we will head straight for the Star Dou Great Forest."

"The Star Dou Great Forest?"

Snow Empress's expression shifted slightly. She murmured the name softly, somewhat unable to understand why Shu Yan wanted to go to that dreadful place for no reason.

Shu Yan casually picked up the teacup before him and drained it in one gulp, then slowly said, "That's right. I have to make a trip there. Everything I have been doing lately has been for the sake of accomplishing something major in the Star Dou Great Forest."

"Sister Xue, you should know that besides the Douluo Plane, other worlds exist as well, right?"

Snow Empress nodded gently and said softly, "A long time ago, when Di Tian visited the Extreme North Land, he spoke with me about this topic. He once wanted to see what lay above the heavens, but the conclusion he reached was startling. Once one reached the limit of altitude, one would suffer the plane's suppression and constraints, unable to advance even another inch. Di Tian once suspected that the God Realm was merely a plane attached to our world, but of a higher level. Unfortunately, I fear no one can reach a definite conclusion on that."

"As for other worlds, I believe they should exist as well."

Shu Yan was somewhat surprised. He pondered for a moment, then said, "Sister Xue, I might as well be direct. Everything I have done is because I know that within the Star Dou Great Forest, there remains a trace of the divine consciousness of a powerful expert from another world. In life, that expert was known as the Calamity of the Undead, the Holy Necromancer..."

"Holy... Necromancer?"

Snow Empress's long lashes trembled lightly as she instinctively repeated Shu Yan's words.

Divine consciousness, Calamity of the Undead, Holy Necromancer—these unfamiliar terms gathered in Snow Empress's mind. She spoke with a slight tremble in her voice.

"Is it the remnant soul of a deity?"

Shu Yan played with the white jade teacup and said with a chuckle, "You could say that. He was a very interesting person—or perhaps he was simply a human who refused to become a god."

Snow Empress lowered her gaze, deep in thought. Shu Yan did not disturb her. After a long time, she raised her head with complicated emotions in her eyes, sighed softly, and said, "You... just how many secrets do you know?"

For a moment, Shu Yan truly did not know how to answer Snow Empress's question. But after thinking it over, he still gave her an answer.

"Perhaps a great many, but perhaps not that many. It is hard for me to say. But Sister Xue, you can sense that I will not harm any of you."

Snow Empress looked at Shu Yan, then finally nodded and rose to her feet. "The Star Dou Great Forest is Di Tian's territory. If you want to make a major move on his turf without being discovered, that is nearly impossible. When the time comes, Bing'er and I will go with you. Consider it a precaution for your safety."

Shu Yan nodded. Snow Empress looked at him, vaguely feeling that something was strange, though it was not because of what they had just discussed. Her gaze swept over Shu Yan's entire body before finally settling on the teacup he was playing with.

If she remembered correctly, Shu Yan had just used that cup to drink water?

In an instant, an indescribable feeling surged wildly through Snow Empress's heart. Her expression changed drastically, yet upon closer inspection, a faint blush seemed to have appeared on her fair cheeks and crystalline earlobes, even spreading to her neck...

Seeing the rapidly changing emotions on Snow Empress's face, Shu Yan was utterly baffled. But in the next moment, he and the cup were thrown together into the nearby pond.

The slightly cool pond water instantly submerged Shu Yan completely. He choked on a mouthful of water, and after great difficulty surfaced, he heard an angry curse.

"Bastard!"

Shu Yan: ...???

When Shu Yan raised his head to look for Snow Empress, he found that she was nowhere to be seen in the backyard. Somewhat dazed, he looked around before struggling ashore and coughing twice, still having no idea what had happened.

But when Shu Yan saw the teapot placed on the table, his body involuntarily stiffened.

One teapot, one teacup... then what he had just drunk from...

With stiff, mechanical movements, Shu Yan lowered his head, picked up the white jade teacup, and turned it around. Sure enough, he found a faint red mark on one side. It looked like the lipstick Xu Jiujiu had given Snow Empress some days ago...?

At that thought, Shu Yan's hand holding the teacup suddenly began to tremble.

Good heavens, so he had just used the teacup Snow Empress had used to drink tea?

Shu Yan swallowed with difficulty. In an instant, a chill ran down his spine, and a bead of cold sweat slid down his forehead. Did this not mean that he had indirectly taken advantage of Snow Empress...?

Under those circumstances, the fact that Snow Empress had not killed him already made Shu Yan feel lucky...

After standing frozen in place for a moment, Shu Yan placed the white jade teacup back where it belonged with trembling hands. Looking at his drenched self beneath the moonlight, he bit the tip of his tongue. The pain abruptly cleared his mind somewhat. Shu Yan forced himself not to think about it and left the backyard with slightly disordered steps...

Elsewhere, in a quiet and secluded little courtyard, the wooden door was violently pushed open. Snow Empress hurried inside, and with a bang, the door was slammed shut again. Snow Empress leaned against it, a faint flush on her exquisite face and her breathing slightly hurried. Thinking of the sight of Shu Yan pursing his lips against the teacup as he drank, she felt her lips and cheeks burning fiercely.

Did that mean she had somehow shared intimate contact with Shu Yan...?

Snow Empress did not dare think any further. Ever since she had met Shu Yan, their relationship had gradually warmed without her noticing. From their initial dislike and conflict, to slowly accepting one another, and then gradually moving toward becoming friends and companions...

Time had actually changed their relationship so greatly. By now, she had even come to regard him as something like a younger brother. Yet tonight's accident...

Snow Empress could not describe how she felt. Her heart was a tangled mess. Watching the sunlight outside the window gradually fade, she collapsed weakly onto the soft couch. Amid the complicated turmoil in her heart, a strange sensation continued to rise...

The internet at home went out this morning!!! Sorry, everyone. The chapter scheduled for 11:30 can only be posted now. There are really so many unexpected things happening back in my hometown. Covers face.