Possession

An endless chill spread out from the cold spring at the center of the room, but this temperature was nothing to either Huo Yuhao or the Ice Empress.

Icy blue light flowed through the room, illuminating the tiny specks of light floating in the air.

The Ice Empress's golden eyes followed those specks. After a while, she spoke calmly. "Yuhao, I want to become stronger."

"Hm? But Ice Empress, you still need to nurture your body's origin." Huo Yuhao paused slightly, somewhat puzzled.

"Too slow. At this rate, even another ten years may not be enough to completely restore my origin."

The Ice Empress gave a soft snort through her delicate nose, her tone clearly impatient.

"Yuhao, you know there's a faster way, don't you?"

"But..."

Before Huo Yuhao could finish, his words were cut off.

What touched his lips was cool and refreshing, soft and tender.

At that instant, Huo Yuhao felt his mind go blank.

Acting on instinct, the Ice Empress could not help wrapping her arms around Huo Yuhao's neck.

The tingling sensation at their tongues made both their breaths grow heavier.

A long time passed.

Huo Yuhao remained dazed in his original posture, his gaze fixed on the Ice Empress before him.

Her face, always so proud, was now flushed with a captivating blush. Her moist lips were slightly pursed.

Huo Yuhao subconsciously licked his lips, as though the cool, soft sensation still lingered there.

"Ice Empress, you..."

Just as he was about to say something, the Ice Empress forcefully interrupted him.

"Yuhao, you didn't reject me, did you?"

Though the Ice Empress's voice still carried a trace of unease, she quickly became self-righteous.

"For you as you are now, wouldn't it have been easy to push me away just now?"

Looking at the still-stunned Huo Yuhao, the Ice Empress seemed to regain her usual pride. She spoke bluntly. "Yuhao, I'm jealous. When I heard you say that you liked Wang Dong'er and liked the Snow Empress, I was jealous."

"Are you going to say that much of these feelings I have for you are an illusion caused by my origin residing within you?" The Ice Empress's golden eyes held unprecedented seriousness.

"Yuhao, that's precisely why I can't control my desire to possess you. For us Soul Beasts, if we like something, we just take it! And right now, I want to take you for myself!"

While Huo Yuhao was still dumbfounded by her direct and bold declaration, the Ice Empress brought her lips close to the bare skin of his shoulder, opened her mouth, and bit down without hesitation.

Huo Yuhao frowned slightly as a faint pain came from his shoulder.

In the end, he did not push the Ice Empress away.

After a long while, the Ice Empress extended her pink tongue and gently licked the distinct mark, savoring the subtle taste of blood spreading through her mouth.

"Yuhao, now you belong to me."

The next morning.

Huo Yuhao emerged from the Mimicry Cultivation Ground. His lips still seemed to retain a strange sensation and were slightly red and swollen.

Last night, the Ice Empress had practically held him and nibbled on him all night.

If his physique had not been so strong, the Ice Empress might have drained him dry.

The satisfied Ice Empress had already returned to Huo Yuhao's Spiritual Sea, enjoying the contentment of digesting the newly acquired energy.

As for Tian Meng? She was still sleeping soundly.

Huo Yuhao shook his head, pulling himself free from last night's romantic haze, then headed toward the canteen reserved for Inner Court disciples on Sea God Island.

The canteen was near the center of Sea God Island, but the island itself was not particularly large. In less than a quarter of an hour, Huo Yuhao arrived at its entrance.

Compared with the canteens of the Martial Soul Department and Soul Guidance Department in the Outer Court, the Inner Court Canteen was much smaller and more refined.

However, the food provided by the Inner Court Canteen far surpassed even the finest dishes served in the innermost section of the Outer Court canteens. The ingredients were more luxurious, and the nutritional balance was more meticulous.

It was also fully furnished with tables and chairs, had an elegant environment, and most importantly, was completely free.

Of course, that was also because there were extremely few Inner Court disciples to begin with.

Even counting everyone who remained on Sea God Island to cultivate long-term, there were only a little over sixty people.

And with it still being early, there were even fewer people eating in the canteen.

Looking around, there were only five or six people in total.

The Inner Court Canteen used a completely open buffet system, with all dishes neatly arranged in designated warming areas.

The ingredients used in every dish were at least the essence of thousand-year Soul Beasts.

Looking at the dazzling array of dishes, Huo Yuhao could not help recalling an experience from his previous life. He had once come to eat at the Inner Court Canteen without wearing his school uniform and had nearly been caught by a newly arrived discipline teacher. He should not be that unlucky this time, right?

He picked up a clean plate, intending to casually select a few dishes he liked. After eating, he would bring a portion back for Ling Luochen, who was still resting.

While Huo Yuhao was choosing his food, two people seated at a table in the corner of the canteen had already noticed him.

One of them was a woman with brilliant crimson hair like flames. She wore a neat red combat outfit that outlined her lovely figure.

She was dazzlingly beautiful and appeared to be around twenty-five or twenty-six years old.

At that moment, she lightly nudged her companion beside her with her elbow. With a teasing smile, she lowered her voice and said, "Sister Ruoruo, doesn't that junior suit your tastes perfectly?"

The woman being teased was tall and slender, with a gentle and tranquil temperament and peerless beauty.

Hearing Wu Ming's words, Han Ruoruo immediately looked embarrassed. "Ming'er, don't talk nonsense."

"Oh, Sister Ruoruo, it's not like either of us doesn't know the other," Wu Ming said with a charming laugh, making no attempt to hide her teasing. "Don't you like cute boys who look obedient and mild-mannered the most?"

As Wu Ming's beautiful eyes shifted, she simply stood up, waved in Huo Yuhao's direction, and shouted, "Junior, over here! Come sit with us!"

Seeing Wu Ming's bold move, Han Ruoruo became even more embarrassed. She hurriedly reached out to grab her arm, trying to pull her back into her seat, her voice carrying shame and irritation.

"Ming'er, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"Sister Ruoruo, I'm helping you." Though Wu Ming was pulled back into her seat, she continued teasing her relentlessly. "In a few years, you'll be thirty. If you miss such a cute junior, you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

"You should worry about yourself first, Ming'er." Annoyed by Wu Ming's actions and words, Han Ruoruo could not help retorting, "You're known as the Golden Crow 'Saintess' in the Inner Court."

Though she said that, the corner of her eye caught sight of the junior in white actually walking toward them with his plate. The blush on her face immediately deepened.

Especially when Huo Yuhao drew close enough for her to clearly see his refined and handsome features, Han Ruoruo found herself unable to keep her composure.

This junior was completely, utterly her type.