At those words, Bei Bei went rigid.
He whipped around, his calm expression instantly falling apart, panic and shock flashing in his eyes.
"What?"
Huo Yuhao quickly pointed at the top of his head.
"There are a few green leaves. You must've gotten them on you when you leaned against the tree."
Bei Bei hurriedly raised a hand and patted the top of his head. Sure enough, several green leaves still damp with morning dew fell off.
Then he silently turned around again and continued gazing up at the sky, deciding it was better to keep pretending he was dead.
But the instant Bei Bei brushed off the leaves, something suddenly occurred to Huo Yuhao.
Leaves!
That's right!
Use leaves!
He looked at Tang Ya, who had leaned in so close that the tip of her nose was almost touching his cheek. He quickly raised a hand to gently hold her shoulder and took half a step back, speaking in a rush.
"Big Sis Xiao Ya! Wait! I've got an idea! We can use leaves! We can wipe up the sweat with them. Then we'll be able to collect the Life Crystals, right?"
Tang Ya had been thinking about that precious life force so intently that she froze when he called out to her. Then she suddenly realized what he meant.
She smacked her forehead, her cheeks instantly turning pink, embarrassment and frustration mingling on her face.
"That's right! How could I forget? I was so busy panicking. I'm such an idiot!"
She immediately turned and ran to the nearby bushes, picking out several broad leaves.
She used her Soul Power to brush away the dust and dew, then hurried back to Huo Yuhao. A bright sparkle returned to her eyes, though this time it was tinged with embarrassment.
"Um... Yuhao, sorry for the trouble. Let's hurry and collect it, or the sweat will dry."
Looking at the leaves in her hands, Huo Yuhao finally let out a sigh of relief. His tense body relaxed, too.
He first used a leaf to wipe the sweat from his forehead, then carefully dabbed away the sweat on his neck and cheeks.
The fragrant sweat clung to the leaves, where it shimmered with an exceedingly faint white glow. It was clearly no ordinary substance.
Tang Ya watched without blinking. Seeing the glowing sweat, she couldn't help exclaiming softly.
"Oh my god, there really is a life-force fluctuation. It's so pure... Bei Bei, come take a look!"
Only then did Bei Bei turn around and walk over to inspect the sweat on the leaves. He lightly touched it with a fingertip.
The instant he probed it with his Soul Power, his expression changed. He stared at Huo Yuhao in utter shock.
"Just as I thought! This life force is purer than that of any Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Herb I've ever seen. No wonder it can rebuild one's foundations. This is a heaven-defying treasure!"
Tang Ya carefully cradled the leaves, now coated in sweat, as if they were some priceless treasure. She arched her brows at Huo Yuhao and smiled brightly.
"Yuhao, thank you so much! Don't worry. I'll keep my promise about the cultivation funds and your place at Shrek Academy. I won't shortchange you by a single word!"
Huo Yuhao scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. He was just about to speak when Zhao Ze's languid voice sounded in his sea of consciousness.
"Don't just accept her thanks. Make her pay the deposit first. Otherwise, it's all just empty promises. Who knows if she'll go back on her word?"
Huo Yuhao immediately relayed Zhao Ze's advice word for word.
After hearing him out, Tang Ya and Bei Bei regarded the Life Crystals with even greater reverence. They also looked at this seemingly ordinary boy with a newfound seriousness, sensing there was more to him than met the eye.
Bei Bei didn't say anything else. He took a heavy pouch of Gold Soul Coins from his Soul Tool and handed it to Huo Yuhao.
Meanwhile, Tang Ya had already forgotten everything else.
After the deal was done, she carefully cradled the broad leaves coated with Life Crystals.
Her fingertips trembled with excitement, and the crisp vitality lingering beneath her nose made her heart itch with anticipation.
She knew better than anyone that although her talent wasn't bad, it was nothing special in Shrek Academy, where geniuses gathered.
Getting into Shrek Inner Court was practically impossible.
And without the resources of the Inner Court, how could she hope to revive the Tang Sect?
These Life Crystals were her only chance to rapidly improve her aptitude and catch up with those geniuses!
In short,
Tang Ya
wanted to improve more than anything!
No longer able to suppress her eagerness, Tang Ya lifted her head slightly and parted her full, rosy lips.
She carefully drank down all the glowing Life Crystals on the leaves.
Her movements were feather-light, as if she were afraid of missing even a single drop. She even gently licked away the faint traces left on the leaves before reluctantly setting them aside.
The moment the liquid entered her mouth, a crisp, sweet sensation slid down her throat and into her belly.
Then an extraordinarily gentle yet boundless life force suddenly erupted through every limb and bone!
Tang Ya couldn't help letting out a soft, contented hum. She felt refreshed from head to toe.
It was as if her body and soul had been thoroughly cleansed and rebuilt, leaving her with a feeling of transcendence, as though she had been reborn.
She even had a premonition:
Once she successfully hunted her third Soul Ring, her Soul Power would definitely break through to level thirty-two! It might even go higher!
And the biggest surprise was still to come.
After Tang Ya sat cross-legged and cultivated for a while, she could clearly feel her Soul Power circulating a full thirty percent faster than before!
This wasn't a temporary surge in Soul Power. Her talent and aptitude, her meridians and bones, had truly and completely transformed!
Overcome by the tremendous joy, she sprang to her feet and rushed over to Huo Yuhao, throwing her arms around him.
"Yuhao! Thank you so much! This stuff is amazing! I don't even know how to thank you!"
The girl's soft body crashed into his arms, carrying a faint herbal fragrance and that warm, gentle vitality.
Huo Yuhao instantly went as rigid as a stone. His cheeks flushed bright red, and he flailed helplessly, not knowing where to put his hands. All he could do was stammer.
"Uh, Big Sis Xiao Ya... I-I'm glad it helped..."
He finally managed to escape Tang Ya's enthusiastic embrace and instinctively turned toward Bei Bei, hoping to find some relief from the awkward situation.
But Bei Bei had somehow slipped back beneath the same big tree as before, his back to them.
He was still gazing up at the thick canopy, as if some peerless flower had bloomed in the branches, without sparing them even a glance.
"Oh, right, Big Brother Bei Bei, shouldn't you use some too? These Life Crystals are so good. They should help you as well."
Huo Yuhao asked curiously.
At that, Bei Bei's shoulders shifted slightly. Only after a long pause did he slowly turn around.
His face held no particular expression, just a faint smile.
"I don't need it for now."
For some reason,
Huo Yuhao felt an air of helpless desolation around him.
"Yuhao, I want to ask you something. Is it true that... everything your body excretes contains these Life Crystals?"
Tang Ya suddenly thought of something and asked.
Huo Yuhao nodded honestly and replied.
"Mm... I think so."
At those words, Tang Ya's eyes narrowed at once.
Even the trace of crystals dispersed in his sweat had boosted her cultivation speed by thirty percent and improved her aptitude.
Then what about the even purer Life Crystals inside Huo Yuhao's body...?
As the thought crossed her mind, Tang Ya suddenly came up with a plan. She stared at Huo Yuhao and unconsciously licked her lips.
Before you continue