Gu Yuena and Leng Yulai chatted at the hotel for quite a while. A sound transmission reached Leng Yulai's ear.
"Bring her over."
Leng Yulai's expression instantly condensed. She looked at Gu Yuena. "Come with me."
Snow Empress's transmission continued. "Just her alone."
Leng Yulai: "..."
What about me?
Her expression was complicated, but she still gave Gu Yuena a reminder, stopped, and remained outside.
Gu Yuena shot her an odd glance and walked toward the pavilion.
Why had Dark Phoenix Douluo been talking to her about romantic experience just now? Come to think of it, did Dark Phoenix Douluo even have romantic experience?
Hadn't she been one-sidedly in love, nearly turning into an evil spirit master? And she could still teach others like that?
Thinking this, Gu Yuena had already entered the pavilion. She passed through a layer of space and saw Huo Yuhao and Snow Empress's actions.
At that moment, Huo the Grilled Fish was processing fresh fish. Beside him was a rack made with spirit abilities clearly intending to grill fish. Snow Empress stood quietly to the side, waiting.
The height gap between them was now quite large like an adult with a child. But seeing them standing together so naturally, their positions so close, Gu Yuena inexplicably felt... a bit uncomfortable.
When she entered, both of their gazes turned to her.
"Your Majesty the Silver Dragon King, greetings. Not knowing that you had emerged, and causing you to make a trip in vain — that is my fault."
Snow Empress's gaze paused for a moment on the bracelet on her wrist, but she didn't let it affect her mood. She stood and performed a bow.
The Extreme North believed in the Ice God. Sea spirit beasts believed in the Sea God. Strictly speaking, the title of the Silver Dragon King as the co-lord and co-lord of spirit beasts is only applied among spirit beasts like those in the Star Dou Great Forest.
But the other was a First-Class God. Even just her strength deserved respect.
"No matter."
Gu Yuena exchanged a few pleasantries with Snow Empress, then walked over to Huo Yuhao. Watching him grill the fish, her eyes blinked. Her tone was a bit light. "Yuhao is there one for me?"
Seeing the lack of enthusiasm on Gu Yuena's face, Huo Yuhao turned his head and glanced at Snow Empress, who was watching him calmly, giving him an inexplicable sense of pressure. His movements paused. "Yes."
Was the atmosphere a bit off?
In the Sea of Spirit, watching the subtle and subtle atmosphere among the three outside, Ice Empress, who had returned here, sighed inwardly. After thinking for a moment, she transmitted to Huo Yuhao:
"Xue'er has already hinted that much, Yuhao. Think about it. You've just never thought about it in that direction. I don't think you're slow enough not to have noticed... As for Gu Yuena's side you should think about her too."
She didn't want to be a riddler like Snow Empress. Wouldn't it be better to just say it directly? Given their affection, could Yuhao run away?
If she didn't say it clearly now, what would happen when another Gu Yuena appears in the future?
Although Ice Empress didn't think anyone else could make Huo Yuhao feel indebted, nothing in the world was absolute. Just as Huo Yuhao had said, you couldn't set up flags like that.
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao sprinkled seasoning on the dozen or so poor fish he had caught from the lake, while recalling what Snow Empress had said earlier.
Yes — status, using kindness to demand... stringing these together, he felt he had seen quite a few similar patterns.
"Without a proper status, it is not mine."
Recalling Snow Empress's words, Huo Yuhao's heart jumped.
Suddenly, he wanted to be alone.
And the next moment, he did be alone. A wisp of gray aura appeared on him.
Necromancy — Necromancy Extinction Heart!
Three-second version —forcibly calm down!
Beside him, Gu Yuena, whose mood had recovered upon hearing there was one for her, saw the gray aura rise on Huo Yuhao's body and looked at him strangely.
What was Yuhao doing?
Snow Empress, who had seen necromancy before: "..."
What was wrong with Yuhao? Why did he need to forcibly calm himself? There were only the three of them here. She had only exchanged a few words with Gu Yuena and hadn't done anything more, nor caused him any strong emotional fluctuations.
Could it be...
Snow Empress's expression became subtle. She sighed inwardly.
Binger was really something else. Matters like these should be left to the parties involved to resolve. She had only spoken those words because she had been quite emotional upon seeing Yuhao after ten thousand years. It didn't mean she needed an answer now.
Especially after learning about the pressure Yuhao was facing, she wanted even less for it to be so.
Yuhao had to re-cultivate and cope with deities — his stress Pressure was already great enough. She didn't want him to be troubled by her. Ten thousand years had passed. There was no need to rush.
Huo Yuhao's hands never stopped moving. His heart completely calmed down.
The matter was already at this point. What needed to be faced must be faced. Some things could be avoided, some could not.
Ten thousand years — how could it be summarized in just a few words?
Snow Empress was the benefactor of this life. For ten thousand years, even though they hadn't seen each other, she had always been his apologist.
If he were to step back now, saying he had no such feelings — would he feel guilty?
Yes!
Thinking about this, Huo Yuhao glanced at Gu Yuena, who was obediently waiting for food, and sighed.
And this one... seemed to be no different from him?
Both were a bit dull.
He had thought before that the reason Gu Yuena had given him her Reverse Scale might just have been because she was influenced by the atmosphere. So he had treated her normally... But Gu Yuena's downcast expression just now — that hadn't been his imagination, had it?
...She had given him her Reverse Scale. To treat it now as his imagination would be escape escape.
It was he who had initially made Gu Yuena mistakenly believe he was a God King. It was he who had brought her into Tang San's divine consciousness's vision. It was he who had given her the gift. The fault was his.
Trouble, trouble. He couldn't solve this.
"Did Binger tell you?"
Just then, Snow Empress's gentle voice sounded in Huo Yuhao's ear. She transmitted:
"Don't worry about it. I know your aspirations. You can proceed as you wish. I will support you, just as I did ten thousand years ago. We are merely familiar on that path — at most, we have some good feelings toward each other. The road is long. It's too early to speak of such things. Let's discuss the answer when everything is over."
Facing Huo Yuhao's increasingly complex gaze, Snow Empress raised her hand to brush a strand of hair from her temple, glanced at Gu Yuena, and continued:
"Based on my understanding of you, have you thought before — if you cannot repay the debt, when everything is over in the future, you would stay with her... After all, she gave you her Reverse Scale. You couldn't pretend not to have seen it."
Huo Yuhao instantly felt as if swords and blades were pressing against him. It seemed even the Sea of Spirit had eyes staring at him. He instinctively coughed lightly and looked away.
Indeed — the fatal question had arrived!
But Huo Yuhao did not refute, nor did he refute. He silently admitted it.
If it truly came to that point, he dared not guarantee he wouldn't choose that. Why deceive Snow Empress?
He needed to think quickly now. If Snow Empress got angry, where would be a good place to bury him in the future? He should choose a place with beautiful mountains and clear waters.
Speaking of which, what words should be carved on the tombstone? "Spirit-Ice's Tomb"?
Just then, Snow Empress said: "I just learned from Binger that you gave her a trump card. I was indeed a bit displeased. But! She is a First-Class God. Having her by your side will bring you many benefits in the future. I know you don't like to reduce everything to interests. But even if it's only to avoid making an enemy of her — that alone is good. I would not tell you to distance yourself from her."
Huo Yuhao looked up at her, a trace of doubt in his eyes.
"According to human saying, the one who falls in love first is the loser. I moved first, so I lost to you. I can only swallow the bitter fruit myself."
Snow Empress's eyes sparkled with light. "In my view, human partners are merely people who support each other, accompany each other, and understand each other. For us to be now like teacher and friend, like family — that's not bad at all. The path of cultivation is long, and after becoming a god, lifespan is even longer. As long as you are willing to accompany me as we go forward — that's enough."
"Because of the kindness I have given you, to force you to do anything, to favor me — that is not reasonable. My words earlier about using kindness to demand were only to give you a hint. Looking back now, I even slightly regret mentioning it to you. The Divine Realm has disappeared. This is the time for you to soar upward. Don't be troubled by me. That wouldn't be like you."
The gentle breeze blew by the lake. Snow Empress's long hair, like silver threads, danced lightly in the wind. Her skirt, like clouds unfurling, drifted toward Huo Yuhao in the breeze, as if silently tell something.
***
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