"I wouldn't dare."
Xiao Tian immediately surrendered.
"You're my beloved Xun'er. Whatever you say is right. I'll obey unconditionally."
Her shameless flattery came naturally.
Xun'er could feel the sincerity in Xiao Tian's words, and her body gradually relaxed in his embrace.
She looked up at her beloved and softly said,
"Kiss me."
Xiao Tian didn't hesitate for even a moment.
She lowered her head, gently cupped the back of Xun'er's head with one hand, and kissed her soft lips.
The starlight in the night sky seemed to be drawn toward them by their lingering affection.
Tiny specks of light descended from above, scattering around the two figures like a curtain of stars.
Xiao Tian only reluctantly released Xun'er when she lightly pounded against her chest, struggling to catch her breath.
Their foreheads nearly touched.
Their noses brushed against each other.
Their eyes met.
Neither needed to speak.
The affection in their eyes said everything.
Suddenly, Xun'er lightly bit Xiao Tian's lower lip.
"You're really too much."
She spoke in an annoyed yet coquettish tone.
"You're practically crushing me with how tightly you're holding me. It hurts."
Xun'er finally released her hold on Xiao Tian.
She pushed Xiao Tian's hand away, stood up, and quickly straightened her slightly disheveled clothes.
Then, without giving Xiao Tian any chance to react, she hurried out of the palace.
Xiao Tian stared blankly at her departing figure.
"Wait, Xun'er!"
She hurriedly called after her.
"You're really leaving just like that?"
Xun'er didn't stop.
"You're the one who started all this, and now you're leaving after getting me all worked up?"
Xun'er finally stopped on the palace wall.
She turned around and looked at Xiao Tian with a mischievous smile.
"I don't care about you anymore, you shameless womanizer."
She deliberately stuck out her tongue before turning around again.
Xiao Tian stared at her in disbelief.
Then Xun'er suddenly added,
"Don't think I don't know what you've been doing."
Xiao Tian's expression froze.
"What?"
"I know you secretly created several isolated spaces."
Xun'er turned around and looked at her with a triumphant smile.
"And each one has a completely different environment."
Xiao Tian's eyes widened.
She was genuinely stunned.
How did she discover that?
Xiao Tian was now a powerful Dominator, while Xun'er was only a Dou Zong.
Normally, even someone much stronger would have difficulty detecting those hidden spatial fluctuations.
Yet Xun'er had actually noticed them.
As expected of a Divine Bloodline.
"Why are you looking so confused?"
Xun'er smiled mischievously.
She reached into her storage ring and pulled out a rhombus-shaped crystal.
She deliberately shook it a few times in front of Xiao Tian.
The moment Xiao Tian saw the crystal, everything suddenly became clear.
She covered her face in exasperation.
I completely forgot about that!
That communication crystal could transmit information across the isolated spaces.
She had completely overlooked such an important detail.
"Wait a moment."
Xiao Tian suddenly narrowed her eyes.
"Who exactly told you?"
Her expression became suspicious.
"Could it have been Cai Lin?"
From somewhere in the distance, Medusa suddenly sneezed.
"...?"
She looked around in confusion.
Why do I feel like someone is blaming me for something again?
Am I some kind of scapegoat?
However, Xiao Tian had no intention of giving Xun'er another opportunity to catch her off guard.
She had already been teased enough tonight.
If Xun'er stayed any longer, she might really bite her.
Xiao Tian looked up at the night sky, which had gradually returned to normal.
"The night is still young, and I can't sleep."
A mischievous smile appeared on her face.
"Perhaps I should find someone and teach them some new knowledge."
Xiao Tian suddenly remembered that Xun'er had been wearing a light-blue dress today.
And there was another girl in the palace who had also been wearing a light-blue dress.
Since tonight was supposed to be a reward, Xiao Tian decided to teach her something new.
She casually extended her hand.
Space fluctuated.
A figure with emerald-green hair instantly appeared in front of her.
The girl looked around in confusion.
She had clearly been preparing to go to sleep.
How had she suddenly appeared here?
Then she saw Xiao Tian sitting at the edge of the bed, smiling at her.
"Young Master~~!"
Qing Lin's eyes immediately lit up.
She happily threw herself into Xiao Tian's arms.
"I never expected Young Master to prepare something especially for Qing Lin!"
Her face was filled with excitement.
"Qing Lin loves it so much!"
"Of course."
Xiao Tian smiled and gently stroked her hair.
"You're my beloved Qing Lin."
"Meeting Young Master is the greatest blessing of Qing Lin's life."
Qing Lin buried her face against Xiao Tian's chest.
Her voice was slightly muffled, but the happiness within it was impossible to hide.
Xiao Tian gently caressed Qing Lin's emerald-green hair.
"You've just finished your seclusion."
A warm smile appeared on her face.
"So let me teach you some new knowledge."
Qing Lin immediately understood why Xiao Tian had summoned her.
After being in seclusion for so long, she had greatly missed her Young Master.
Naturally, she was looking forward to spending time with him again.
She nodded vigorously.
Her eyes contained both anticipation and a trace of shyness.
"What will Young Master teach Qing Lin?"
She was genuinely curious.
After all, she had received such a wonderful gift from him.
She absolutely had to study hard.
"Don't worry, Young Master."
Qing Lin clenched her little fists.
"Qing Lin will definitely study hard. I won't disappoint you!"
She then stood up and gathered her loose emerald-green hair.
Since she had been preparing for bed, her hair had been hanging freely over her shoulders.
She quickly tied it back into her familiar twin ponytails.
"Young Master, Qing Lin is ready."
She looked at Xiao Tian eagerly.
"Shall we begin our studies?"
"Of course."
Xiao Tian waved her hand.
The missing roof of the palace instantly reappeared.
Then, with another wave of her hand, numerous books, manuals, diagrams, and other learning materials appeared throughout the room.
"Today, we'll study the identification and practical application of strategic resources."
Qing Lin immediately became serious.
Her eyes fell upon the various materials.
"Then Young Master, let's start with this one."
She pointed toward one of the manuals.
It was relatively thin and concise compared with the others.
"This one looks easier to understand. Young Master can explain the most important parts to me first."
Xiao Tian smiled.
"Alright."
"Get comfortable. Once you're ready, we'll begin."
"Yes, Young Master!"
Qing Lin nodded happily.
"Qing Lin loves studying the most!"
...
By morning, Qing Lin finally left Xiao Tian's palace.
As soon as she stepped outside, she reached up and rubbed her twin ponytails.
Perhaps they had become uncomfortable after being tied for so long.
Nevertheless, her expression was completely different from when she had entered.
She looked extremely satisfied.
It was obvious that she had learned quite a lot.
Her face was filled with happiness, as though she had gained an enormous harvest from her studies.
...
Xun'er remained in the Divine Emperor Imperial Palace for three consecutive days.
During those three days, something rather amusing happened.
A strange phenomenon of bad habits spreading from person to person appeared within the palace.
Xun'er had somehow picked up several of Medusa and the others' mischievous habits.
She even secretly hid nearby at night to spy on them.
The women quickly discovered what was happening.
And soon, the palace became considerably livelier.
...
Four days passed in the blink of an eye.
Inside a pavilion, Xiao Tian and Xun'er sat together.
The peaceful atmosphere was suddenly interrupted when Xiao Tian received a report.
"We just received intelligence."
Xiao Tian's expression became slightly serious.
"A group of cultivators has been spotted approaching this direction."
Xun'er immediately understood who Xiao Tian was referring to.
"Is it the Black Annihilation Army?"
"Yes."
Xiao Tian nodded.
"A four-winged unicorn and those distinctive purplish-black robes."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Other than the Black Annihilation Army of the Ancient Clan, there shouldn't be another force with such a distinctive configuration."
Hearing Xiao Tian's confirmation, Xun'er's expression immediately became displeased.
"They're really like persistent ghosts."
She sighed.
"And those old fellows are just as annoying."
Just thinking about the elders of the Gu Clan gave Xun'er a headache.
If it weren't for those stubborn old men, she could have remained beside Xiao Tian without so many restrictions.
The Black Annihilation Army was one of the elite forces of the Ancient Clan.
Every member had been carefully selected and possessed considerable talent.
They were directly under the authority of the Gu Clan's elders.
Those old fellows had always wished to keep Xun'er within the Gu Realm.
Their concern wasn't entirely because they cared about her safety.
More importantly, they placed enormous importance on Xun'er's divine bloodline.
They wanted her to marry one of the clan's outstanding young geniuses, allowing her descendants to inherit an even purer and stronger bloodline.
Thinking about this, Xun'er couldn't help feeling irritated.
Xiao Tian reached out and gently stroked her long hair.
"When I go to the Gu Clan, I'll help you settle this score."
She smiled.
"But I'm actually more curious about who they've sent this time."
There was a reason Xiao Tian wasn't immediately alarmed by their arrival.
The spies stationed outside the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace weren't particularly powerful.
Meanwhile, the Black Annihilation Army was an elite force.
Among its members were naturally cultivators skilled in reconnaissance, perception, and concealment.
Because of this, the spies of the Heaven Punishing Divine Palace had no intention of approaching too closely.
They merely maintained a safe distance while monitoring the approaching force.
After all, there was no reason to sacrifice their lives simply to learn something they could discover from a distance.
Xiao Tian looked toward the horizon.
A faint smile appeared on her lips.
"Let's see what kind of trouble these persistent ghosts have come looking for this time."