"Cough, cough."
Han Tianyi coughed lightly twice, breaking the delicate atmosphere.
Gu Yue snapped out of it as if waking from a dream. She hurriedly pulled her hand free of Fang Lin's, a faint blush appearing on her face.
Fang Lin withdrew his hand as well, his expression calm, showing no sign that anything was amiss.
Only the tips of his ears were slightly red, and his heart was inexplicably beating a little faster.
"You two..."
Leng Yaozhu watched the scene, her red lips parting slightly as disbelief flashed in her eyes.
She couldn't help blinking, almost certain she had seen wrong.
Was this really her disciple Gu Yue, who was usually so aloof and ethereal, and never got close to anyone?
"Teacher..."
Gu Yue spoke, her voice carrying a rare hint of embarrassment.
She opened her mouth as if to explain, but didn't know where to begin.
"All right."
Leng Yaozhu raised a hand and made a shushing gesture.
Her red lips curved in a knowing smile. "I won't say anything."
Even so, her beautiful eyes shifted with interest between Fang Lin and Gu Yue, full of meaning.
Han Tianyi held his teacup, his gaze settling discreetly on Fang Lin. He took a thoughtful sip without saying a word.
The atmosphere in the office sank into an awkward silence.
"Big brother, I'm here."
Just then, a clear, melodious voice rang out.
Na'er pushed the door open and walked in with a bright smile.
But the next moment, her gaze fell on Gu Yue. Her steps faltered slightly, and her smile froze for an instant.
World-Shocking Appetite and World-Shocking Wisdom!
Na'er muttered to herself, "Gu Yue... why is she here too?"
A bad feeling immediately welled up inside her.
She instinctively looked at Fang Lin, then at Gu Yue, her gaze darting between them.
As if trying to catch some clue from their expressions.
"Hmm?"
Gu Yue looked calmly at Na'er, her expression composed.
She too felt a flicker of confusion. Na'er, why is she here?
And... she called him big brother?
Their gazes met for an instant, then calmly shifted away.
The air seemed to fall silent once more.
"Teacher, Your Excellency Heavenly Phoenix, please continue."
Fang Lin spoke first, breaking the delicate silence.
His voice was calm and steady, as if nothing had happened.
"Elder Han, what do you think?"
Leng Yaozhu looked away and brought the conversation back on track, her tone once again composed.
"Some time later."
Han Tianyi set down his teacup, his tone calm and impossible to read.
"All right."
Leng Yaozhu nodded, then stood and looked at Gu Yue. "Gu Yue, let's go."
"Okay."
Gu Yue replied softly.
She gave Fang Lin one last, lingering look.
Then Gu Yue followed Leng Yaozhu out of the office.
The door closed softly, and their footsteps gradually faded away.
"Big brother..."
Na'er began, her voice tinged with hesitation.
She looked at Fang Lin, pressing her lips together as if she wanted to say something but didn't know how.
Fang Lin asked gently, "Na'er, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Na'er shook her head and said no more.
There was just a hint of gloom in her bright violet eyes.
"All right, Na'er."
Fang Lin said, reaching out to gently ruffle her silver hair. "How about I take you to eat chicken cartilage?"
"Okay."
At the mention of food, Na'er's violet eyes lit up at once.
That brief gloom seemed never to have existed. She smiled, her eyes curving into crescents, and her cheer returned.
"Little Lin, have you finished constructing your Spirit Illusion Realm?" Han Tianyi suddenly asked, his tone even.
"Mm."
Fang Lin nodded.
"I see."
Han Tianyi set down his teacup and stood. "I'll let you experience the Spirit Illusion Realm."
The next instant, a silver-hued mental wave spread outward, centered on his real body.
In that moment, the entire room dimmed.
In Fang Lin and Na'er's vision, they had entered a completely new, white world.
Everything they could see was pure white, stretching without end.
"All right, we'll begin now."
Han Tianyi's voice rang out, echoing through the white space with unquestionable certainty.
"Teacher, didn't you say we were going to experience it?" Fang Lin asked, his voice tinged with helplessness.
He clearly remembered Han Tianyi saying they would "experience" it. How had that turned into something else in the blink of an eye?
"I never said training wasn't an experience."
Han Tianyi replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
Fang Lin's mouth twitched slightly, but in the end, he said nothing more.
The next moment, the white world where Fang Lin and Na'er stood underwent a drastic transformation.
The pure white receded like a tide, replaced by rough rocks and cracked earth.
The air was dry and scorching, carrying a faint smell of sulfur.
A desolate world unfurled before them, vast and bleak.
A massive volcano rose into view, towering overhead. Dark red cracks covered its slopes like scars across the earth.
A blazing sun hung high in the sky, its scorching heat baking every corner of the land. Even the air shimmered and warped.
Fang Lin and Na'er stood on the cracked earth, feeling the waves of heat rushing toward them.
This wasn't an illusion, but a world so real it was suffocating...
Every grain of sand, every wisp of heat, every crack was rendered with flawless detail.
From a crevice in the rocks not far ahead, a group of creatures came crawling out with a rustling sound.
Earth-Fire Lizards.
These fire-attribute Soul Beasts ranged from one to three meters long. Dark red scales covered their bodies, gleaming like metal in the sunlight.
Their limbs were thick and powerful, their claws sharp as hooks. A long tail dragged behind each one, a cluster of undying flames burning at its tip.
Earth-Fire Lizards were fire-attribute Soul Beasts with extraordinary defenses. They usually lived near volcanoes and possessed powerful fire abilities.
Now, they stared coldly at Fang Lin and Na'er with their vertical pupils, flicking their crimson tongues and hissing low.
"Na'er, let me handle this."
Fang Lin stepped forward, shielding Na'er behind him.
He raised his hand slightly, his gaze focused.
The next moment, terrifying mental power erupted from him,
The invisible force took tangible form as an oppressive presence, making the air tremble.
Spirit Illusion Realm—Gate of Darkness!
A phantom Gate of Darkness took shape in the void, pitch-black and radiating a mighty pressure that seemed to suppress everything.
Sensing danger, the Earth-Fire Lizards let out terrified cries and turned to flee.
But their bodies seemed bound by invisible chains, frozen in place and unable to move.
The Gate of Darkness's pressure swept over them like a giant wave. The Earth-Fire Lizards' bodies stiffened.
Then, without a sound, they fell to the ground, all crushed to death on the spot.
Their scales remained intact, and not a single mark marred their bodies, but their souls had been utterly annihilated by that terrifying force of suppression.
Fang Lin slowly lowered his hand. The Gate of Darkness vanished with it, dissolving into specks of light that merged into the void.
"Not bad."
Han Tianyi's voice rang out, carrying a hint of approval.
Then the Spirit Illusion Realm receded like a tide.
Fang Lin and Na'er returned to reality.
The light in the office returned to normal. Sunlight streamed in through the window, warm and gentle, a stark contrast to the scorching volcanic world they had just left. It felt like a lifetime ago.
"Teacher, there aren't any more monsters?"
Fang Lin asked, a little surprised.
He had thought there would be a few more waves of monsters, or some even harder trial.
"No, you killed them all in one move."
Han Tianyi lifted his teacup and took a sip, his expression calm.
After a pause, he looked at Fang Lin. "The object your Spirit Illusion Realm is modeled on—is it a door?"
"Yeah."
Fang Lin nodded.
"I see."
Han Tianyi responded thoughtfully, his mind elsewhere.
"Teacher, we'll be going now."
Fang Lin said, then left with Na'er.