Xue Ke blushed and nodded, obediently understanding the deeper meaning behind his words.
"Your Highness, please come with me."
Xue Ke stepped to Tang Yu's side and made an inviting gesture.
Tang Yu rose and followed her out through the palace gates.
The night breeze was cool, and red lanterns hung along both sides of the street, swaying gently in the wind.
On the way to the Wuyang Marquis Mansion, the atmosphere grew somewhat ambiguous.
Xue Ke clasped her hands in front of her and couldn't help sneaking a glance at the man beside her.
"Your Highness."
"Did you think my dance tonight was pretty?"
Tang Yu glanced at her, his tone direct.
"You danced well."
At his confident reply, Xue Ke's heart gave a sudden leap, and a shy blush instantly spread across her face.
She lowered her head, unable to keep the corners of her lips from turning upward.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance to the Wuyang Marquis Mansion.
When the guards saw their mistress return, they hurried to open the heavy gates.
Xue Ke stopped at the foot of the steps. She raised her head, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.
"Your Highness."
"May I come in and sit for a while?"
Looking at the little lamb who had willingly come to his door, Tang Yu naturally didn't refuse.
"Come in."
The two crossed the courtyard and went straight into Tang Yu's private room.
The moment the door closed, Xue Ke's heart began pounding fiercely.
This was the first time in her life she had ever entered a man's bedroom.
The room was simply furnished, without much luxurious decoration, yet it carried a distinctly masculine air.
Xue Ke stood where she was, feeling a sudden wave of panic.
Alone with a man in the same room, she had no idea what to do with her hands and feet.
To ease the awkwardness, she began talking about things that had nothing to do with anything.
"Um... the crabapple flowers in Your Highness's courtyard seem to have bloomed. I could smell their fragrance as we walked here."
"I wonder if Your Highness usually enjoys tending to flowers and plants. If you do, I can bring a few pots of rare varieties from the palace."
Tang Yu sat in a chair, watching her awkward, helpless manner with calm composure.
"Go to the bed."
His blunt words, without the slightest attempt to soften them, made Xue Ke shiver all over.
She drew in a deep breath, forcing down the panic in her heart.
Since she had already followed him through that door, she had been prepared for this.
Xue Ke walked slowly toward the bed, then turned to face Tang Yu.
She reached out with trembling hands and undid the sash at her waist herself.
Her gorgeous outer robe slipped from her shoulders, followed by her undergarment.
In just a moment, her flawless, breathtaking figure was revealed before Tang Yu, without a trace of concealment.
Her fair, delicate skin glimmered invitingly in the candlelight. Her long legs were straight and shapely, without a trace of excess flesh.
Tang Yu rose from his chair and walked toward her.
He reached out and gently stroked Xue Ke's burning cheek.
Xue Ke instinctively shrank her neck, then closed her eyes in embarrassment, her whole body trembling with tension.
"Take it slow."
"You don't need to be so nervous."
Tang Yu spoke softly, then led her to sit on the edge of the bed.
The two leaned together and chatted about everyday things.
"Your Highness, do you ever feel afraid on the battlefield?" Xue Ke asked quietly.
Tang Yu chuckled.
"Only the weak feel fear. When I possess overwhelming strength, the battlefield is my backyard."
The admiration in Xue Ke's eyes deepened at his words.
"Serving Your Highness is something I do willingly. I only ask that, from now on, you always keep me by your side."
Tang Yu said no more. He swept her into his arms and laid her on the soft bed.
The bed curtains slowly fell.
Night deepened, and all was silent.
Just then, a crisp system notification suddenly rang out in Tang Yu's mind.
"Ding! The system has detected that the activation conditions have been met."
Hearing the notification, Tang Yu immediately perked up, all his fatigue vanishing in an instant.
The system's mechanical voice continued to announce in his mind.
"Rewards have been issued!"
"Congratulations, host. You have obtained a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone: Thunder Prison Star Dome Left Leg Bone!"
"This Soul Bone is a supreme-grade speed type and comes with the skill Step of a Thousand Miles. Upon use, it can ignore all spatial seals and all aura tracking, allowing you to come and go freely throughout the world!"
"Congratulations, host. You have obtained the divine weapon God-Slaying Spear!"
"This spear ignores all defenses below the divine level and also possesses conceptual-level attack properties! As long as the host determines that an opponent is present here, once the spear is thrown, the opponent will suffer a fatal blow regardless of how they dodge or defend. Escape is absolutely impossible!"
After scanning through the information, Tang Yu's eyes burned with excitement.
These two items were top-tier killing weapons, practically made for slaughter.
He immediately extracted the Thunder Prison Star Dome Left Leg Bone and equipped it on his left leg.
A violent force of thunder surged through his entire body.
Tang Yu glanced at the sleeping Xue Ke beside him and focused his thoughts.
His figure vanished from the room without a sound, not even stirring the air.
The next moment, he appeared atop a towering mountain beyond the imperial city.
The night wind whipped his clothes with a loud snap.
Tang Yu reached behind him, and a long spear, dark purple from tip to end and etched with fine lightning patterns, instantly appeared in his hand.
The instant the God-Slaying Spear touched his palm, the surrounding air let out a thunderous crack, as if it could no longer bear the strain.
He gripped the spear and hurled it at the pitch-black night sky.
The spear became a streak of purple lightning that ripped through the heavens and shot into the sky.
BOOM!!
The sky exploded in an instant!
The thick clouds overhead were blasted apart by the terrifying force, turning into countless waves of air that swept wildly in every direction.
The sudden boom woke the people of the imperial city. They flung open their windows in terror and stared up at the sky.
"What happened?!"
"The sky has split open! Could a heavenly punishment be upon us?"
The entire imperial city was thrown into panic and confusion.
Standing atop the mountain, Tang Yu watched the ripples of energy that lingered in the sky for a long time before recalling the spear.
"Not bad!"
He was very satisfied with the weapon's power.
The next morning.
Sunlight streamed through the window and spilled across the room.
Xue Ke slowly opened her eyes. As she recalled what had happened the night before, her pretty face instantly flushed red with embarrassment.
She sat up in bed and saw Tang Yu at the table, stroking and admiring a long spear that radiated a terrifying aura.
The man's focused, earnest manner had a lethal charm that left her utterly entranced.
Tang Yu sensed her gaze and turned to look at her.
"You're awake?"
"How are you feeling?"
Xue Ke pulled the quilt over her chest and nodded shyly, her face red.
"Your Highness, I'm fine."