Just Kidding, How Could a Lone Man and Woman Sleep Separately?

The White-Eyed Demon Tiger King's corpse had completely vanished.

Not even a fragment of bone remained.

Within dozens of yards around where Dai Mobai stood, the ground had been shaved down by an entire layer. Grass and trees had been destroyed, rocks shattered, as though an invisible giant palm had slammed down with all its might.

The night wind swept past, stirring up fine stone dust. A faint scorched smell from burned Soul Power still lingered in the air.

Li Yue stood where she was, staring blankly in Dai Mobai's direction.

Her lips parted slightly, and her usually composed expression carried a rare hint of dazed disbelief.

It was not as though she had never seen high-level soul skills before, but the power of that strike had far surpassed what a Soul King should possess.

That utterly pure destructive force had made her forget to breathe for an instant.

Dai Mobai walked out of the wreckage with calm, unhurried steps. Not even much dust had clung to his robes.

Seeing Li Yue like this, he could not help but laugh. He walked over, waving a hand in front of her eyes.

"Scared stupid? Wake up."

Li Yue blinked, and her gaze gradually refocused.

The dazed look on her face quickly faded, returning to her usual cold composure. Yet the tips of her ears were faintly tinged with suspicious red.

"What did you think of that move?"

Dai Mobai asked with a smile.

Li Yue fell silent for a moment before giving him a definite answer.

"If I took it head-on, I would die."

There was no exaggeration in her words.

Over those three years, Dai Mobai had not been the only one to grow.

Li Yue had also successfully broken through a year ago, officially entering the realm of Soul Emperor.

Precisely because her own strength was formidable, she understood even better how extraordinary that strike had been.

A Soul King unleashing an attack powerful enough to instantly kill a Soul Emperor would cause no small stir in the Soul Master world.

"Instantly killing a Soul Emperor? Barely."

Dai Mobai spoke casually, the corner of his mouth lifting. He still wore that infuriatingly smug expression.

For some reason, Li Yue felt a little stifled in her chest upon hearing that.

"I'm setting up the tent."

She shot Dai Mobai a glare and turned away.

Finding a sheltered spot beside a large bluestone, Li Yue took a tent from her Soul Tool.

Her movements were swift and practiced—setting the poles, securing them, laying out the tent—all in one smooth sequence.

Before long, a finished tent stood firmly on the ground, its canvas gently billowing in the night wind.

After finishing, Li Yue took out a second tent and was about to set one up for herself when Dai Mobai suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"What are you doing?"

Li Yue looked up at him.

"As my shadow guard, isn't warming my bed only natural?"

He did not care whether Li Yue agreed. Or rather, Dai Mobai never gave her any choice at all.

He very decisively dragged Li Yue into the tent that had already been set up.

Just kidding. When a lone man and woman traveled together, how could they possibly sleep separately?

Dragged into the tent, Li Yue opened her mouth, but in the end, she did not say anything in protest.

The night swallowed the last trace of light at the tent entrance, and night fully descended upon the Star Dou Great Forest.

Nothing was said that night.

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the gaps in the tent, casting several thin golden rays inside.

Dai Mobai crawled out of the tent looking refreshed. Facing the morning light, he stretched lazily, then lightly rubbed his somewhat sore lower back twice before heading toward the nearby bushes.

When he returned, he was carrying two cleaned Soft Bone Rabbits.

The rabbit meat had been washed clean in the stream, its surface a fresh pale pink.

He set the Soft Bone Rabbits over the campfire and slowly turned them. Flames licked at the meat as oil sizzled and glistened, and the fragrance drifted far away on the morning breeze.

After roasting for nearly an hour, the rabbit meat had turned an enticing golden brown.

Dai Mobai took one down and bit into it while it was hot. The skin was crisp, the meat tender, and juices burst between his teeth, leaving a rich fragrance in his mouth.

It was not until the sun had climbed high into the sky that the tent flap was lifted slightly.

Li Yue emerged from within, hunched over.

Her movements were much slower than usual. As she straightened up, she instinctively supported her lower back before finally standing upright.

Seeing Dai Mobai sitting by the fire with a smile on his face, the absurd scenes from the previous night surged uncontrollably into her mind, and her cheeks instantly burned red.

Li Yue lowered her head instinctively without saying a word, yet her legs seemed to move of their own accord as she quietly shuffled over to sit beside Dai Mobai.

"You worked hard last night. Eat up and recover."

Dai Mobai handed Li Yue the roasted meat he had kept warm beside the fire. The golden, fragrant rabbit meat still gave off wisps of steam.

"Don't... don't say that."

Li Yue reached out to cover Dai Mobai's mouth, only for him to seize her hand instead.

Her hand was soft, her fingertips cool. After Dai Mobai grasped it, she struggled lightly but could not pull free.

"I never knew you had such a shy side, Li Yue. Last night, you clearly—"

Before he could finish, Li Yue firmly covered his mouth with her other hand.

Dai Mobai looked up to see that Li Yue's face was so red it seemed ready to bleed.

Even from a distance, he could feel the scorching heat radiating from her palm, as though it had burned all the way to his face.

"D-Don't say another word."

Li Yue's voice carried embarrassment and irritation. Her eyes were slightly red, as though veiled in a thin layer of mist.

Seeing how close she was to tears, Dai Mobai finally gave up on teasing her further and nodded.

Only after seeing Dai Mobai nod did Li Yue slowly remove the hand covering his mouth.

But she did not pull back the other hand he was holding.

"Eat."

Dai Mobai held the roasted meat out to her again.

Li Yue accepted it and lowered her head to take a small bite.

The rabbit meat was warm and tender. With food in her stomach, her weak body finally regained some strength, and even the discomfort in her legs eased somewhat.

She ate slowly, bite after bite. Sunlight fell across her profile, making the lingering blush on her ears especially clear.

After eating more than half of the Soft Bone Rabbit, Li Yue was already full and could not eat any more.

As she worried over what to do with the remaining roasted meat, Dai Mobai naturally took it from her hand and finished it in a few bites.

The corners of Li Yue's lips rose slightly as she took out a waterskin from her Soul Tool and handed it to Dai Mobai.

While Dai Mobai drank, Li Yue softly asked,

"We've gotten the soul ring. Are we going back?"

There was a trace of reluctance in her voice that she herself had not noticed.

Dai Mobai shook his head.

"No rush. Obtaining a soul ring was only one of the reasons for this trip."

Hearing that, Li Yue's eyes brightened slightly.

Her usually frosty eyes now resembled a stream illuminated by morning sunlight, clear enough to reveal its depths.

Even the corners of her lips unconsciously curved upward with a hint of delight.

"Then what are we going to do?"

She moved a little closer to Dai Mobai, her shoulder nearly touching his arm, and asked with earnest curiosity on her pretty face.

Dai Mobai smiled, turned his head toward her, and lowered his voice mysteriously as he uttered two words.

"Treasure hunting."

"Treasure hunting?"

Li Yue blinked in surprise.

"Could the Star Dou Great Forest have treasures buried in it besides soul beasts?"

"There are indeed plenty of treasures in the Star Dou Great Forest, if you know how to find them. But the place we're searching for treasure this time isn't the Star Dou Great Forest."

Dai Mobai stood up, brushed the grass clippings from his robes, and extended his hand toward her.

"Come on, while it's still early."

Li Yue naturally placed her hand in his palm and used his support to rise.

The two of them quickly packed up the campsite, extinguished the fire, dismantled the tent, and stored it in the Soul Tool.

After finishing everything, Dai Mobai checked the direction and tilted his head toward one side of the forest.

"That way."

"What exactly are you looking for?"

Li Yue followed at his side and could not help asking again.

"You'll know when we get there."

Dai Mobai continued to keep her in suspense, a meaningful smile in the corner of his eyes.

"That thing is much older than the White-Eyed Demon Tiger King."

Li Yue's steps paused slightly at those words.

Something older than a forty-thousand-year soul beast? What could it possibly be?

Her heart was full of curiosity, but no matter how she questioned him, Dai Mobai did not reveal a single thing. He merely led her steadily out of the Star Dou Great Forest.