The Last Time

As they returned to their residence at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, the afterglow of the setting sun bathed the courtyard, shrouding the entire small yard in a warm golden radiance.

Pushing open the courtyard gate, Li Changqing was greeted by a breathtakingly beautiful figure.

Na'er sat on a stone bench in the courtyard, her slender, graceful form outlined by a flowing white dress.

She had now grown into a poised young woman, her exquisite beauty like a work of art meticulously sculpted by the heavens.

Her amethyst-like eyes were clear and bright, as though they held within them a sea of stars.

Her silver hair cascaded down to her waist like a waterfall, gleaming faintly beneath the sunset.

She sat there quietly with a book in her hands, elegant and composed, her entire being radiating an ethereal, noble air.

The current Na'er had both strength and beauty.

The men who liked her could line up from Heaven Dou City all the way to Spirit City.

Even Xue Beng, a prince, was pursuing her.

Unsurprisingly, she rejected him without mercy.

From then on, everyone at Heaven Dou Royal Academy knew that this silver-haired, violet-eyed girl was beyond the reach of ordinary people.

Li Changqing entered the courtyard, placed both hands on Na'er's shoulders, and asked with a smile, "Girl, where did Sister Xixi go?"

Without turning her head, Na'er's gaze remained on the pages in her hands as she casually replied, "Sister Xixi is taking a bath. She should be coming out soon."

As soon as she finished speaking, the room's door was pushed open.

The first thing to enter their sight was a fair, slender jade-like leg.

Bo Saixi walked out of the room.

She had clearly just finished bathing. Her long blue hair was still slightly damp and hung loosely over her shoulders.

She wore a loose white bathrobe, its collar slightly open to reveal her delicate collarbones and a stretch of snow-white skin.

The hem of her bathrobe reached only the middle of her thighs, leaving her two fair, slender legs exposed and faintly gleaming in the sunset's afterglow.

Her face remained as stunning and noble as ever. Time seemed to have left no mark on her; instead, it had added the charm and allure of a mature woman.

Wiping her wet hair with a towel as she walked out, she casually asked upon seeing Li Changqing, "You're back? How did things go with the Ye Clan?"

Looking at Bo Saixi's fresh, radiant appearance, Li Changqing said with a grin, "Sister Xixi is getting prettier and prettier."

Bo Saixi rolled her eyes and ignored his teasing.

She walked over to Na'er, sat on another stone bench, draped the towel over her shoulder, then looked at Li Changqing and asked, "Is the matter with the Ye Clan nearly over?"

Li Changqing nodded. The smile on his face faded somewhat as he turned serious. "Yes, today is the last time. If all goes well, the Nine Heart Begonia's flaw in the Ye Clan will be completely resolved next week."

As he spoke, he took something from his robes and handed it to Bo Saixi.

It was a blue crystal the size of a fist, clear and translucent throughout. Waves seemed to churn within it as it emitted a soft blue glow.

A vast, profound aura as boundless as the sea emanated from the crystal.

It was the Heart of the Sea God.

The moment she saw the Heart of the Sea God, Bo Saixi's eyes lit up.

She reached out and accepted it, examining it carefully and sensing the vast divine power contained within. An unconcealable look of delight appeared on her face.

It truly was the Heart of the Sea God.

The Ye Clan had not deceived them.

Holding the Heart of the Sea God in her hand and feeling that familiar, intimate aura, she let out a soft breath.

Then she looked up at Li Changqing and said, "Xiaoqing, once we settle the Ye Clan's affairs, we'll return to Sea God Island."

Li Changqing nodded without saying much.

He knew that Bo Saixi had been away from Sea God Island for six years. It was time for her to go back.

Seven days later, the day of the final round of absorption arrived.

To witness this moment, Bo Saixi and Na'er came along as well.

This time, however, they chose not to enter. Like Ye Wanqing, they quietly waited outside the Bronze Gate.

No one knew whether they might interfere with what was about to happen.

So, to be safe and ensure everything was completely resolved, it was best for them to remain outside.

In any case, with Bo Saixi's strength and spiritual power, if anything happened to Li Changqing, she could enter immediately.

Ye Wanqing stood at the entrance, her hands clasped before her, anticipation and unease in her eyes.

Though she appeared calm on the surface, her faintly trembling fingers betrayed the nervousness in her heart.

After all, this concerned the fate of the Ye Clan for a thousand years.

The Bronze Gate slowly opened, and Li Changqing and Ye Lingling walked in side by side.

Inside the Ancestral Land, the scene remained as beautiful as a fairyland.

Brilliant rosy clouds shone overhead, auspicious mists filled the air, and the faint fragrance of flowers, grass, and trees lingered everywhere.

The two walked to that familiar stretch of grass and sat down cross-legged.

Li Changqing took a deep breath and summoned the Ancient Tree of Life martial soul.

The phantom of a colossal ancient tree emerged behind him, its branches and leaves swaying as it exuded a rich aura of life.

This time, he held nothing back and activated the Ancient Tree of Life's power with all his strength.

Emerald light spread outward like a tide, dyeing the entire space green.

The next moment, the Life Force within the Ancestral Land seemed to answer some sort of summons and began to surge wildly.

Streams of emerald Life Force rushed toward Li Changqing from every direction and poured into his body.

Then, guided by him, they flowed into Ye Lingling's body.

The immense Life Force surged into the sky, forming an enormous green pillar of light that pierced through the entire space.

Its radiance grew richer and stronger, as though it were about to burst the entire space apart.

Ye Lingling closed her eyes and circulated her Soul Power with all her strength, absorbing this vast Life Force.

She could feel that her Nine Heart Begonia martial soul was undergoing some strange transformation, as if some sort of shackle was being shattered.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred.

A massive mansion abruptly appeared on the previously empty grassland.

The mansion was built entirely from white jade, with carved beams and painted rafters, resplendent in gold and jade, radiating an ancient and mysterious aura.

Above its front gate hung a plaque bearing two simple, ancient characters: Ye Mansion.

Seeing this, not only was Li Changqing stunned, but Ye Lingling also looked utterly bewildered.

What was this thing?

They had never seen it before!

The two exchanged a glance, each seeing confusion and shock in the other's eyes.

They had visited the Ancestral Land countless times and knew every blade of grass and tree here intimately, yet they had never seen this mansion.

It had appeared out of thin air, as though it had always been there, merely concealed by some power.

Just then, the mansion's gates slowly opened, and an aged, imposing voice rang out from within:

"Come in."