After a long while, Bai Jue finally opened his eyes.
Feeling the changes within his body, the corners of his lips lifted into an excited smile.
"Looks like your gains were pretty good."
Di Yao's voice sounded beside him.
Bai Jue turned his head and saw her leaning casually against the wall, a lollipop in her mouth. She had clearly woken up long ago.
Bai Jue nodded with a smile.
"Yeah. The power of my Yin Fire has increased a lot—far stronger than before."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand. Yin Fire surged in his palm, rolling and churning, releasing an aura that made one's heart tremble.
"Alright,"
Di Yao said cheerfully.
"Let's head to the camp. Rest properly for a couple of days, then we'll continue your training."
"The camp?"
Bai Jue asked, puzzled.
"Mm, the camp,"
Di Yao nodded and explained.
"In some space gates, the Federation has established camps to provide supplies for Festival Bearers who enter. There's one in this spirit domain too—just a bit far away. Summon your mount. It'll be faster that way."
"Got it."
Bai Jue nodded. With a thought, the Fiend Tiger appeared before him, letting out a low growl as it rubbed against him affectionately. Its fierce appearance now looked more like an oversized kitten.
The two of them mounted the Fiend Tiger, which immediately kicked off with powerful strides, racing off in a certain direction.
The camp within the spirit domain wasn't very large.
From afar, it looked like a cluster of tents gathered together, surrounded by a ring of wooden barricades. However, the defensive presence was strong.
Numerous soldiers stood guard—every one of them a Festival Bearer.
Inside the camp, it was lively and bustling.
Festival Bearers could be seen entering and leaving in groups, chatting occasionally, sharing stories of their experiences.
Mounts were not allowed inside the camp.
So Bai Jue and Di Yao dismounted outside and entered on foot. They underwent inspection by the soldiers before being allowed inside.
The moment they stepped in, the noise and liveliness hit them.
"What are they doing over there?"
Bai Jue asked curiously, pointing in one direction.
That area was filled with stalls. Many Festival Bearers were selling strange stones and even bones—an unsettling sight.
"Materials,"
Di Yao explained.
"Because of the special environments inside space gates, unique metals and materials form. They're perfect for forging weapons. Festival Bearers are different from ordinary people—while firearms can still be used, ammunition runs out. Close-combat weapons are far more reliable. But ordinary weapons can't withstand Festival Bearer combat, so weapons forged from these materials are extremely popular."
"Many freelancers make their living this way."
Bai Jue nodded in understanding.
Following behind Di Yao, they soon arrived at a bustling restaurant.
The rich aroma of food hit Bai Jue immediately, and he swallowed hard.
He was starving.
Without hesitation, he ordered a huge spread of dishes.
Once the food arrived, Bai Jue ate voraciously, completely unconcerned with manners. Di Yao wasn't much better.
After eating their fill, the two left the restaurant and found an inn, booking two rooms.
Lying on the slightly hard wooden bed, the conditions weren't great—but Bai Jue was more than satisfied.
Just as he was about to fall asleep, he suddenly slapped his face lightly, as if remembering something.
With a thought, the gate to Yama's Underworld opened.
The Fiend Tiger appeared.
Bai Jue raised his hand, and a drop of White Tiger essence blood materialized in his palm.
This was something he had obtained earlier but hadn't had time to use.
Now was the perfect moment.
After all, it could only be used by beasts—not humans.
Although the Fiend Tiger had already become a malevolent entity, it was still fundamentally a beast. It should work.
Sure enough—
The moment the White Tiger essence blood appeared, the Fiend Tiger's eyes lit up with naked desire and fervor.
"Want it?"
Bai Jue asked with a grin.
"Roar!"
The Fiend Tiger nodded rapidly.
"Haha, then take it."
With a flick of his hand, the essence blood flew toward the Fiend Tiger, which lunged forward and swallowed it in one gulp.
Immediately after, dense Yin energy enveloped its body, forming a cocoon-like shell of black threads, completely obscuring its form.
Seeing this, Bai Jue rubbed his chin, thought for a moment, then decided to rest first.
He could check on it after waking up.
However—
Just as Bai Jue lay down, hugging the soft blanket and preparing to sleep, he suddenly felt a cold sensation against his back.
Something soft pressed against him.
Startled, Bai Jue opened his eyes and turned his head—
Only to shoot upright and scramble away in shock.
"Changxi—what are you doing?!"
Changxi was still dressed in her bridal gown, lying there with her head propped on one hand, reclining gracefully. The sight was irresistibly alluring.
"Of course I'm resting with my husband,"
Changxi said gently.
"Surely husband is tired. Rest well—Changxi can give you a massage. I won't disturb you."
As she spoke, she blinked, her expression full of expectation.
Bai Jue twitched at the corner of his mouth.
He wanted to refuse.
But in the end… he obediently lay back down.
His neck rested on Changxi's pale wrist, his head nestled against her chest.
Because she was a malevolent being, her body wasn't warm—rather, it was pleasantly cool.
Originally, Bai Jue hadn't planned on sharing a bed with Changxi so soon.
But there was no helping it.
She was simply far too proactive.
As a normal man, Bai Jue decided to follow his heart.
Unfortunately, his body was utterly exhausted.
Before anything could happen, he fell fast asleep.
This sleep was incredibly comfortable.
It was a long-lost sense of peace.
When Bai Jue woke up, the sky outside was still dim—it was unclear whether it was day or night.
Looking down at the delicate face resting in his arms, eyes closed peacefully, Bai Jue couldn't help but smile wryly.
"When you're asleep… you're actually pretty cute."
The one in his arms was, of course, Changxi.
After hesitating for a moment—
Bai Jue lowered his head and gently pressed a kiss to those vivid red lips…
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