When it came to matters of identity, Ye Xuan had plenty to say.
Though he didn't have imperial princes' flocks of beauties fluttering around him, he did have a senior sister and a master—two great beauties he could actually touch... Ahem.
"Together with Holy Maiden Hu Liena? Could it be that you're His Holiness the Pope's second disciple, the Holy Son Ye Xuan?!"
Hearing Zhu Zhuqing reveal his identity, Ye Xuan felt immensely satisfied.
"What? You don't believe me?"
Ye Xuan didn't explicitly confirm it, but his words affirmed his identity.
Zhu Zhuqing was stunned. She hadn't expected that the person who had saved her would be the little Holy Son of Spirit Hall, who was the same age as her!
"No, I believe you."
A prodigy close to Spirit Hall's Holy Maiden, carrying the Pope's Order, and capable of rescuing her from a pack of Evil Eye Tigers—only Spirit Hall's beloved little Holy Son could meet all three of those conditions.
"Hmm? You believe me just like that? How boring..."
Ye Xuan shook his head, then handed Zhu Zhuqing the damaged leather jacket that had been drying beside him.
"Use some tiger hide to cover the torn parts."
Feeling Ye Xuan's gesture, warmth stirred in Zhu Zhuqing's heart.
But the goodwill she had felt toward him plummeted in an instant, because he was now staring at her without blinking.
His gaze seemed to be waiting for her to change clothes...
"Ye... Ye Xuan, could you..."
"No. I like girls with good figures. I like yours, and I like looking at it."
Ye Xuan's plainspoken answer instantly turned Zhu Zhuqing's cheeks red all the way to her ears.
What a blunt response. She couldn't think of a single way to argue against it.
Remembering what had happened after she woke up, Ye Xuan had already seen her entire body. Thinking of that...
"Al... all right."
Zhu Zhuqing dressed slowly and methodically, while Ye Xuan watched and nodded again and again.
"Good figure, a nice rear, and a pretty face, too. She'll bear healthy children, and they're sure to be good-looking as well."
Ye Xuan's appraisal made Zhu Zhuqing want to burrow into a hole in the ground.
Once she had put on the leather jacket, she cut off a few pieces of tiger hide to cover the torn area around her waist.
Though she was still a little weak, she could now walk on her own.
"Let's go. We've been here for nearly two hours. We need to hurry to the center of the Holy King Ruins."
Zhu Zhuqing was still weak. So as not to slow Ye Xuan down, she forced herself to keep moving as quickly as she could.
Before they knew it, two hours had passed.
The sky above the Holy King Ruins never seemed to grow dark.
Even after all that time, it was still bright.
Along the way, Ye Xuan and Zhu Zhuqing encountered two or three packs of Soul Beasts,
and even a thousand-year-old Evil Eye Tiger,
but the two of them killed them all on the spot.
The center of the ruins was an exceptionally vast plain.
No Soul Beasts appeared anywhere near the plain.
However, this place subjected Soul Masters to extremely powerful Spirit Interference.
Those with weak spiritual power could barely take a single step.
On the outskirts of the plain, Ye Xuan spotted many familiar faces.
Yang Zhentian of the Breaking Clan, along with many other commoner prodigies.
The Star Luo Imperial Family's disciples from the Evil Eye White Tiger lineage seemed able to travel farther thanks to their Martial Soul's advantage, but even so, quite a few of them had already collapsed.
Standing beside Ye Xuan, Zhu Zhuqing swayed unsteadily. Her pupils had begun to lose focus.
"Ye Xuan, I... I can't hold on any longer. It seems I won't be able to repay you for saving my life..."
She shook her head desperately, trying to clear it.
But faced with that terrifying mental pressure, everything she tried was futile.
"Zhuqing, can you really not hold on any longer?"
He held Zhu Zhuqing firmly, a trace of doubt in his voice.
"Mm... yes! I can't walk anymore. Ye Xuan, don't worry about me. I'm just a burden wherever I go, whether with my family or by your side. Just leave me to die here. Once I'm dead..."
Just as Zhu Zhuqing was about to say more discouraging things, Ye Xuan cut her off.
"Zhuqing, what if I told you I could get you out of here? What would you do?"
Hearing his words, Zhu Zhuqing answered almost without thinking.
She could feel her consciousness growing hazier by the second, and feared she would black out completely in this lightless place at any moment.
"Whatever you want, I... I'll agree to everything..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhu Zhuqing's consciousness sank into unconsciousness.
Ye Xuan didn't forcibly carry her away. Instead, he gently laid her on the grass.
At that moment, she was just like the people they had encountered earlier, fallen into a deep coma beneath the pressure of the Holy King Will.
"Heh. Evil Eye Holy King, you really did make a fine little plan."
Ye Xuan turned to look at the many Soul Master prodigies collapsed across the grassland, a trace of coldness in his eyes.
After speaking, he headed deeper into the plain, where the pressure on one's spiritual power was even stronger.
As he continued farther in, he suddenly felt a barrier of spiritual power.
But to him, with the spiritual power of the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm fused into his own, it was nothing.
Once he broke through the barrier, he found that the surroundings had changed.
By the time he came to his senses, he had already returned to Spirit Hall.
"What is this...?"
Ye Xuan found himself dressed in a festive red groom's robe, with Hu Liena seated before him in a phoenix crown and bridal robes.
Ning Rongrong had been dragged aside by Xiao Wu, who was pouting jealously. Zhu Zhuqing, serving as a bridesmaid, was watching Hu Liena with envy.
Their appearances had all changed considerably. They looked less youthful and had gained a touch of maturity.
"Ye Xuan, after tonight, your senior sister will officially be yours."
Hu Liena's voice was full of charm and bewitchment.
Seeing this scene, a knowing smile appeared at the corner of Ye Xuan's mouth.
At that moment,
the "Hu Liena" standing before him had a trace of amusement in her eyes.
Just as she was about to step forward and embrace Ye Xuan, her body froze in place the next instant.
"Hu Liena" stared at him in astonishment, disbelief written all over her face.
"Heh. Evil Eye Holy King, your acting is far too clumsy. My dear senior sister would never call me by my full name. And when I get married one day, my wedding won't be as cramped and rushed as the one in your illusion."
A cold smile spread across Ye Xuan's face, while a playful look appeared in the eyes of the "Hu Liena" standing before him.
"Human, you're really quite interesting."
The very next moment, the illusion surrounding Ye Xuan vanished. A phantom white tiger with red and blue eyes appeared before him.
"But it's a pity you aren't my descendant, and you still haven't passed my test."
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