Shhh, Don't Let Bei Bei Find Out

Tang Ya suppressed the surging excitement in her heart, feigning indifference as she discussed the itinerary ahead.

The trio followed the perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest inward for the entire afternoon, yet they failed to find a suitable third soul ring for Tang Ya.

As the setting sun dipped low, the orange-red glow was gradually swallowed by the darkness of the dense forest; the nights in the Star Dou Great Forest were always fraught with danger, and traveling recklessly would be no different than courting death.

After consulting one another, the three decided to leave the Star Dou Great Forest for the time being, settling in an open area on the outskirts to rest for the night.

The flickering flames dispelled the chill and darkness of the woods, illuminating the faces of the three.

"Alright, I'll take the first watch tonight; you two should get some rest."

Tang Ya volunteered to keep watch, allowing Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao to rest and conserve their energy so they would be prepared for any potential dangers tomorrow.

Bei Bei nodded, leaning against a tree to rest, preparing himself to assist Tang Ya in hunting for her soul ring the next day.

Tang Ya sat by the campfire with her knees pulled to her chest; while she appeared to be keeping a lookout, her peripheral vision remained fixed on Huo Yuhao, who was sitting cross-legged not far away.

The thoughts in her mind churned repeatedly, impossible to suppress.

Huo Yuhao did not notice her gaze; the moment he sat down, he focused his mind and entered a state of cultivation.

Nourished and reshaped by the pure life force of Zhao Ze, his body had undergone a heaven-defying transformation.

The meridians that had once been sluggish due to his innate rank-one soul power were now wide and supple.

His soul power circulated without obstruction, moving more than twice as fast as it ever had before!

"Yuhao, this kind of cultivation feels quite comfortable, doesn't it? I can feel your soul power rising rapidly."

Within the sea of consciousness, Zhao Ze reclined on a soft couch, watching him cultivate and nodding in satisfaction.

"It truly is..."

Huo Yuhao felt a surge of joy and was just about to reply in his mind, When a very soft, somewhat bashful call reached his ears, accompanied by warm breath brushing against his earlobe.

"Yuhao, Yuhao, sorry to bother you for a moment."

Huo Yuhao snapped his eyes open, startled in an instant.

Tang Ya had moved beside him at some point, the distance between them so close they were nearly touching.

The warm light of the campfire reflected on her face, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural crimson, and her almond-shaped eyes darted away, not daring to meet his gaze; she was clearly harboring a secret.

Huo Yuhao hurriedly shifted backward, sat up straight, and asked:

"Sister Tang Ya? What is it? Has something happened?"

Tang Ya twisted the hem of her clothes with her fingertips, pursing her lips and fidgeting for a long while before, as if having made a firm decision, she spoke in a low voice:

"I... I wanted to ask if you could trade some more Life Crystal with me?"

Huo Yuhao was stunned at these words, then scratched his head in embarrassment:

"Ah? But I'm not sweating right now. How about... when we travel tomorrow and hunt soul beasts, I'll collect some for you once I've worked up a sweat?"

"No, that's not it. I don't want sweat."

Tang Ya shook her head hurriedly, her voice dropping even lower.

Huo Yuhao was completely bewildered now, looking at her with a face full of confusion:

"You don't want sweat? Then... then what else is there to collect?"

Tang Ya's breathing hitched abruptly.

She took a deep breath, And as if using every ounce of her strength, she suddenly raised her head to look at Huo Yuhao.

Her cheeks were red enough to bleed, Even the tips of her ears were stained with a deep scarlet, Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum, yet every word was clearly transmitted into Huo Yuhao's ears:

"I want your... Golden Leaf."

The moment these words were spoken, the air turned deathly silent.

Huo Yuhao tilted his head, a look of confusion on his face.

Golden Leaf?

He looked at Tang Ya, puzzled, and asked strangely:

"Sister Tang Ya, I don't have any plants on me? Where would I get a Golden Leaf?"

"Oh, that's not it! Read the first character and the last character together."

Tang Ya explained in a panic.

Huo Yuhao thought about it in his mind, but still wore a confused expression, failing to understand what Tang Ya meant.

He didn't have any golden leaves, did he?

"Oh, I see, so that's what this girl is asking for!"

Within the sea of consciousness, Zhao Ze understood everything the moment he heard Tang Ya's words.

"Master, what exactly is that?"

Huo Yuhao suddenly had a bad premonition.

"It's just your thousands of purple descendants..."

Following that, Zhao Ze explained the details to Huo Yuhao in full.

After hearing Zhao Ze's explanation, Huo Yuhao felt as if he had been thrown into a pot of boiling water, his cheeks flushing a deep, scorching red in an instant.

He hurriedly dove into his sea of consciousness, curling his entire body into a ball, and stammered toward Zhao Ze:

"Ma, Master! This, this is just too... too outrageous!"

Zhao Ze remained lazily reclined on the soft couch, raising an eyebrow at the remark and waving a hand with an indifferent expression:

"No need to be so nervous; you don't have to sacrifice anything. Expelling the impurities from your body is good for you anyway. This is a good thing."

"That's not what I meant!"

Huo Yuhao's face turned even redder in his anxiety, his hands waving frantically as he struggled to get his words out.

"Doing something like this is just, it's just..."

"Yuhao, don't be shy."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was cut off by Zhao Ze.

"People always have to grow up; you might as well get used to it."

Huo Yuhao wore a bitter expression, unable to stop himself from retorting:

"I'd rather do without this kind of growth!"

"Do you still want to become a powerhouse or not?"

Zhao Ze turned his head to look at him.

"Expelling impurities will help you cultivate faster. You can think of this as a necessary path to becoming a powerhouse! If you want to become strong, you have to walk this road."

Huo Yuhao was choked by the question, his fists clenched and his face full of conflict.

Of course he wanted to become strong; he wanted to avenge his mother and make those who looked down on him see him in a new light.

But at the thought of having to do such a thing, he still found it hard to accept, fidgeting as he tried to say something more.

"Alright, stop being so wishy-washy."

Zhao Ze cut off his hesitation directly.

"Tell her, if she wants it, she'll have to pay more!"

Huo Yuhao opened his mouth, but in the end, no words came out.

He took a deep breath, as if making a monumental decision, before withdrawing from the sea of consciousness.

The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with Tang Ya's gaze, which was filled with both nervousness and anticipation.

The young girl was still sitting across from him, the warm glow of the campfire reflecting off her flushed cheeks, her fingertips nervously twisting the hem of her clothes.

Huo Yuhao's face burned up again instantly, and he spoke with a stumble:

"Sister Xiaoya... that thing... it'll cost extra."

Tang Ya's eyes lit up instantly, her breathing quickening as she leaned forward, saying with pleasant surprise:

"You agreed! Don't worry, Yuhao, Sister will definitely not treat you unfairly!"

Seeing Huo Yuhao nod, Tang Ya smiled slightly, then suddenly thought of something and said:

"Let's keep it quiet later; don't wake Bei Bei."