"Teacher?"
"Lin Xiao?" Electrolux's voice rang out from the bottom of Lin Xiao's heart. "What happened to you? You suddenly froze just now. And that power from before..."
Hearing Electrolux's voice full of concern, Lin Xiao only felt a sense of peace in his heart.
"I seem to... have had a very long dream. I'll tell you about it slowly later."
Lin Xiao replied in his mind, slightly lowering his head. He saw that he was still in the posture he had been in when he wanted to leave this place earlier, but he had not succeeded. From beginning to end, he had simply stood there motionless.
In his arms, Zhang Lexuan seemed to sense his movement. She slightly raised her head to look at him. Their eyes met, but she quickly lowered her head again, without any other actions.
"By the way, that Nightmare Douluo from earlier..."
Zhang Lexuan did not raise her head. Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, she spoke softly.
"He's already dead."
Zhang Lexuan was about to breathe a sigh of relief when she heard Lin Xiao speak again. "Two years ago, right here, I personally killed him."
Lin Xiao's tone was very calm, as if he were talking about something completely unrelated to himself. Zhang Lexuan's heart trembled slightly upon hearing this. "Then his attacks..."
"Those were also methods he had prepared to deal with me." Lin Xiao paused, turning his head to glance at the lake in the valley. The surface of the lake had already calmed down, but it still emitted a faint white glow.
"It should have been recorded here during the battle between him and me back then."
Zhang Lexuan no longer spoke, simply quietly feeling the night breeze blowing past them.
"Alright, you should go now." Lin Xiao gently loosened his arms.
"This is, after all, the territory of the Sun Moon Empire. As I said before, head north from here and take the water route back to the Heavenly Soul Empire."
Lin Xiao paused here. "Additionally, before your cultivation reaches Super Douluo, you absolutely must not enter the Sun Moon Empire alone. The power of the Holy Spirit Cult is far stronger than what all of you imagine."
Zhang Lexuan's expression gradually calmed down. She slightly raised her head to look at Lin Xiao for a long time before finally turning around and flying northward.
"Finally, I'm sorry." Lin Xiao watched Zhang Lexuan's departing figure, unsure if she had heard those last words.
The trip to the Valley of Love in this valley had perhaps truly allowed him to understand what was truly in his heart.
But in the end, he was not someone who would give everything for the sake of "love."
And neither was she.
Slightly raising his hand, he felt the soul power surging endlessly through his meridians. His soul power level had indeed reached level 85. Some of the experiences in the valley were illusions, while others brought real changes.
The Yin Yang Love Querying Valley.
Lin Xiao finally understood why this place, filled with dangers, was called a treasure land, and why it had such a name.
He did not know what was truly in his heart, so he experienced it personally to clarify his thoughts.
She harbored reservations about his past, so she saw it with her own eyes to understand what his past was truly like.
The universe encompasses all things, and time and space are thrown into chaos within it. All of this was merely to inquire into the single word "love" in one's heart; this was the true Yin Yang Love Querying Valley.
If betrayal between lovers was the "end of love," then the budding, hazy feelings in one's heart were the "beginning of love."
If no other forces interfered, using the "end of love" as a sacrifice would make this place a land of death, while using the "beginning of love" as a sacrifice would make it the true foremost among the three great treasure lands.
It would bless every pair who found true love here. Besides soul power, what it gave Lin Xiao was the comprehension that all soul masters dreamed of, and what it gave Zhang Lexuan was the ninth soul ring most suitable for her.
As thoughts flowed through his mind, Lin Xiao looked at the lake before him, which had already calmed down, his eyes slightly narrowing.
With such a beautiful name, this place absolutely could not, and should not, become a tool for some gods to toy with mortals.
Slightly raising his head to glance in the direction of Mingdu, Lin Xiao gently took a step forward, crossing a great distance as if traversing space...
...
"What? They didn't catch up?"
In the imperial palace, the lighting soul tool in Xu Tianran's study had been on for a long time.
"Y-Yes... Your Highness." The guard in front of Xu Tianran trembled slightly in his voice.
Xu Tianran raised his head to look at him, let out a long sigh, and waved his hand to dismiss the guard.
"Thank you, Your Highness."
After watching the guard leave the study, Xu Tianran turned to look at Feng Ling beside him. "Teach Leader Feng, do you think this matter was the work of Shrek Academy?"
"Probably just some students." Feng Ling gently nodded.
"Bang—"
Xu Tianran slammed the table heavily again. "This is truly going too far!"
"There have been frequent discussions in the city lately, and I am not unaware of them." Xu Tianran fell silent for a moment before suddenly gritting his teeth. "Why not just—"
"Your Highness." Seeing this, Jing Hongchen beside him suddenly spoke up.
"Oh?" Xu Tianran's expression quickly calmed down. "Does Hall Master Hongchen have something to say?"
Although he was now acting as regent in his capacity as crown prince, there were still a few surviving princes around him who were not entirely at ease. Toward Jing Hongchen, who controlled the Ming Detang, his attitude was naturally different.
Jing Hongchen pondered for a moment.
In truth, as the controller of the Ming Detang, he did not care who ultimately ascended to the throne.
But now, with Emperor Xu Jing gravely ill and Xu Tianran handling state affairs as crown prince, some decisions were best made early. Otherwise, by the time Xu Tianran ascended the throne, speaking up would no longer hold value.
Moreover, he was not unfamiliar with this crown prince before him.
"Your Highness, the Ming Detang has recently discovered a brand-new technology that is sufficient to update and iterate all soul tools in the entire Sun Moon Empire. As long as there is enough time to complete it, sweeping across the three great empires will be effortless."
"Truly?"
Xu Tianran's expression changed drastically.
Ever since losing his legs and certain abilities, the only thing left in his heart was ambition. Hearing Jing Hongchen's words, even someone as deeply scheming as he could not help but show slight emotion.
Jing Hongchen's words were naturally somewhat exaggerated, but they were not without basis. Glancing at Feng Ling beside him, he nodded with certainty.
"According to my prediction, this technology can fully mature within a year at most. As for how much time is needed to reorganize the army, that will depend on Your Highness's requirements."
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The author's words, not mine: The matter of the Universe Love Inquiry Valley ends here.
Actually, I am not very mature when it comes to relationships, and I truly lack experience in writing them, so I could only do my best to write up to this point.
I wrote, revised, deleted, and rewrote along the way. In the end, I modified it into this form based on the original plot.
As I said, beautiful love is always something people yearn for. A place like the Universe Love Inquiry Valley should not become a tool for some "gods." I hope that what I have written in this way will satisfy everyone.
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