Chapter 2681: Chapter 2681
"This elixir is specially formulated for me—it’s extremely potent. For now, just take less than half a pill at a time. Start slow, and you’ll gradually figure out the right dosage," Ye Liuyun advised her.
"You’re not trying to trick me again, are you?" Liu Yunyao instinctively retorted.
"Have I ever tricked you without bringing you benefits?" Ye Liuyun countered with a smirk.
"One hundred million divine crystals per pill. You’d better stock up—I might not be back often in the future."
"You really never miss a chance to make money, do you?" Liu Yunyao carefully stored the pills away. "Fine, prepare a thousand for me first."
Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun retrieved a spatial ring, filled it with the elixirs, and handed it to her.
"These aren’t for sale to anyone else, so don’t go reselling them," he warned.
Liu Yunyao rolled her eyes, ignoring him. As if she would ever sell something he gave her.
Their playful bickering eased the tension between them, making the subsequent training session much smoother.
"Don’t rush into devouring the beast’s soul. First, use your Crimson Eyes to observe its form, then try tapping into your illusionary powers," Ye Liuyun continued guiding her.
Following his instructions, she quickly grasped the various functions of her Crimson Eyes. But when she caught a glimpse of Ye Liuyun’s soul form, she gasped in shock.
"Your soul power is this immense? And you’ve cultivated two souls?" Liu Yunyao couldn’t believe it.
"Now you see how weak yours is in comparison?" Ye Liuyun chuckled.
"Just what level have you reached?" she finally asked.
"Dominator, Second Tier." Seeing no reason to hide it—and not particularly caring even if she spread the word—he answered truthfully.
"May I sense your cultivation aura?" Liu Yunyao asked cheerfully, pleased that Ye Liuyun hadn’t concealed anything from her.
Ye Liuyun immediately channeled his profound energy, allowing her to sense it. However, standing too close, she couldn’t withstand the pressure before he’d even fully released his aura. He quickly withdrew the energy.
"Your aura feels so much stronger than others’," Liu Yunyao remarked curiously.
"My true essence is more condensed. And I might break through to the third level of Dominance soon," Ye Liuyun replied. He’d recently sensed an impending breakthrough, though advancing in the Dominance realm required vast amounts of energy. He wasn’t sure how long it would take to accumulate enough profound energy for a smooth breakthrough.
"So you’re this powerful! You’re already invincible in this world—why hide your cultivation level?" Liu Yunyao pressed, her curiosity piqued again.
"Alright, you’ve asked enough for today," Ye Liuyun deflected with a smile. "I’ll tell you next time." Liu Yunyao didn’t push further. The fact that he hadn’t concealed his strength from her spoke volumes about his trust; she could learn the rest gradually.
Liu Yunyao was growing increasingly adept at controlling her crimson pupils. After hunting five beasts at the first or second level of Celestial Realm, she noticed the soul energy transferred through her red pupils had diminished significantly.
Ye Liuyun analyzed, "Your own soul energy might still be too weak to absorb more. Tonight, take some pills to refine your soul power, then practice on your own. You won’t need me to accompany you anymore."
"Let’s head back then. We’ve kept the others waiting too long—people might start gossiping," Liu Yunyao suggested.
"Agreed," Ye Liuyun nodded. "Just say you’ve tamed the red serpent and brought me along to hunt beasts for its food." He helped fabricate an excuse so that if anyone targeted Liu Yunyao later, she could catch them off guard with her crimson pupils.
Soon after, Ye Liuyun summoned his falcon to carry Liu Yunyao back to the warship before returning to the main tent.
"Master Ye, you’re finally back! How was your time with the princess?" someone teased with a smirk.
"Indeed, did you get to see what the princess looks like?" someone else asked curiously.
Ye Liuyun explained with a casual wave of his hand, "Special treatment? Hardly! After helping the princess tame that red serpent, I had to demonstrate how to handle it. Then came the endless explanations—how to raise it, what to feed it, its habits, preferred prey, and so on. Sure, there were tea breaks, but sitting through all that was exhausting. And just when I thought it was over, she dragged me out to hunt more beasts to stock up as food for that serpent..."
He feigned a look of relief, sinking into a chair and downing a few cups of wine before finally getting around to taming beasts for the others. To sell his fabricated story, he went into slightly more detail about a few particularly unusual creatures, leaving everyone satisfied and free of gossip.
Among the crowd lurked a spy sent by the Sixth Prince. After observing for a while and finding nothing suspicious—no hint of any special connection between Ye Liuyun and the princess—he slipped away to report.
Lin Fengzhi approached, handing over the spirit stones he had collected on Ye Liuyun’s behalf and offering his thanks.
"Master Ye, you’ve truly worked hard! This hunting competition wouldn’t have been possible without you."
"You flatter me, Commander Lin. I only did what was expected." Ye Liuyun returned the courtesy before broaching the subject of his departure. "If there’s nothing else requiring my attention here, I’ll be leaving tomorrow on the Sixth Prince’s warship, heading straight back to the capital."
"My duties here are finished as well. We’ll all be withdrawing tomorrow. Some might linger to hunt more beasts, but that’s none of my concern. Please, Master Ye, don’t worry about us—go as you please!" Lin Fengzhi had no reason to stop him.
"Good, then it’s settled for now." With their plans confirmed, Ye Liuyun returned to his quarters.
Meanwhile, when Liu Yunyao returned, Hongling was already waiting with a mischievous grin, ushering her back into the princess’s chambers.
"So? How did it go?" Hongling couldn’t resist prying the moment the door closed.
"Why are you so nosy?" Liu Yunyao’s cheeks flushed slightly as she shot her a reproachful look.
"Did you two... *sleep together*?" Hongling ventured, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"What do you mean ’sleep together’? What kind of nonsense fills your head all day? From now on, you’re staying by my side around the clock—no more running off to pick up bad habits from those palace folks!" Liu Yunyao feigned anger, though her eyes sparkled with amusement.
Hong Ling stuck out her tongue, entirely unrepentant, and tugged at her sleeve, swinging it playfully. "Oh, come on! You have to tell me, or I’ll die of curiosity!"
"You’re impossible!" Liu Yunyao sighed in exasperation, shaking her head.
"It’s just... how do I even say it? It’s so embarrassing!"
"Then start from the beginning!" Hong Ling urged eagerly, her eyes wide with anticipation.
With cheeks flushed pink, Liu Yunyao reluctantly recounted the events—though she carefully omitted details about the falcon’s abilities, Ye Liuyun’s cultivation level, or the fact that he had given her medicinal pills.
And when she mentioned Ye Liuyun seeing her unclothed, she simply explained it away by saying his spiritual perception had manifested as a crimson eye.
