As Xia Yi and Yali were drawn toward the center of the lake, the golden sun and silver moon in the water instantly became dazzling. Immediately afterward, the clear golden light and bright silver light soared upward and completely enveloped the two of them.
The power was exceptionally strange. They didn't feel any impact on their bodies, but it felt as though their bodies were out of control.
Both of them were surrounded by a layer of golden and silver light.
Xia Yi and Yali looked up at each other, surprised to find that each of them had a golden and silver bubble-like light shield around them. They were both floating in mid-air.
Before they could react further, the golden and silver bubbles began to fall toward the golden sun in the center of the lake.
"Whoosh!" Xia Yi and Yali fell into the water, surrounded by the golden and silver light.
Upon entering the water, Xia Yi didn't feel the golden light on the surface, but rather felt as though everything around him was spinning and constantly changing.
Even with his spirit domain-level mental power, he couldn't escape the dizziness.
Xia Yi glanced at Yali, who was at the peak of spirit domain, but it seemed that she was in an even worse state than he was.
It seemed that the stronger one's mental power, the greater the impact.
Finally, when the dizziness began to fade, Xia Yi opened his eyes again. He seemed to have arrived in a translucent world.
Everything around him looked like it was made of golden and silver crystal, and he was still in the bubble, but his feet were standing on a huge circular platform.
This platform was entirely a light golden color, about twenty meters in diameter, with a platform of about one meter on both the front and rear edges.
Xia Yi's current position was on one of these smaller platforms.
Opposite him was Yali.
Looking up, the golden sun and silver moon's light filled the sky, and the surroundings were a blur of light and shadow. Aside from the platform, there was nothing else to see.
They were still in golden and silver bubbles.
Xia Yi tried to call out to Yali, but his voice couldn't travel outside.
Yali also mouthed something to him, but her voice couldn't reach him either.
Stay calm, stay calm.
Xia Yi had only heard of the Valley of Love and Judgment before and knew it existed. However, he didn't know what was inside.
The Spirit Pagoda's records about the Valley of Love and Judgment weren't something he had ever studied.
He wasn't sure if there was any specific record about what would happen next.
Yali must have researched the detailed information about the Valley of Love and Judgment carefully before bringing him here.
There shouldn't be anything to worry about.
Just then, the golden circular platform beneath their feet emitted a mist of light. Suddenly, a narrow golden beam shot out from the center of the platform and began to rapidly rotate around the platform.
"Love and judgment, a true-hearted adventure. Begin." A peaceful voice, with no way to determine its gender, resonated in both Xia Yi and Yali's ears.
They immediately fell silent, for they both discovered that a golden and silver light curtain had appeared before them, blocking their view of each other.
The golden beam in the center of the platform began to spin rapidly, continuously passing through the bubbles around Xia Yi and Yali.
Every time the beam passed through, their bubbles would light up, and after it passed, they would return to their original state.
Suddenly, the golden light froze and stopped, the beam pointing directly at the small platform where Yali was.
Yali was struck by the golden light. She paused for a moment as her bubble illuminated brightly.
Surprised that the golden light had chosen her first, Yali took a deep breath.
Since she had dared to bring Xia Yi here, she was prepared to face whatever came next.
In the next moment, her bubble disappeared.
A beam of golden light rose from the circular platform beneath her, enveloping her body. As the golden light surrounded her, her body slowly ascended until it stopped three feet above the ground.
Yali felt surprised as she experienced the change in her body. She realized there was no discomfort, but her body couldn't move. Even a semi-god would find it impossible to break free.
At that moment, the previously emotionless voice echoed again, but this time, only Yali could hear it.
"Do you have a lover?" Yali's heart skipped a beat. Even though she had prepared herself mentally, she didn't know how to respond immediately and couldn't help but think back to Huo Wu's previous warning.
"Do you have a lover? If you don't answer after being asked three times, the penalty is death."
"Yes." Yali gritted her teeth and said loudly.
She looked at Xia Yi, and from his somewhat confused expression, she could tell that he couldn't hear the voice, so she turned away and answered the voice.
"Who is your lover?" The peaceful voice asked.
"Yun Ming." Yali glanced at Xia Yi and, after confirming he really couldn't hear her, she clenched her teeth and replied.
"He is not here, right?" The voice asked.
"Yes." Yali quickly answered.
There was a brief pause from the voice, and it then asked, "What is the one thing you would most like to do for your loved one?"
Yali responded quickly, "If possible, I would be willing to die for him."
The peaceful voice asked, "You would die for him, do you think he would be happy?"
Yali replied, "No. Without him, it's like I don't have him. Every day without him feels like a year of suffering."
"So you believe that in his heart, you are the most important?" The voice asked.
"No, the most important thing in his heart will always be Shrek Academy. Like everyone in Shrek Academy, nothing can replace the importance of Shrek Academy in their minds. As long as Shrek Academy needs something, they will do anything," Yali said through gritted teeth, her voice tinged with bitterness.
If not for Yun Ming's tolerance, Shrek Academy would not have become what it is today.
"Then, do you still love him?" The peaceful voice asked.
"Yes." Yali said firmly, "No matter what, I still love him."
"In your heart, is he the most important?" The voice asked.
"Yes!" Yali said.
"Then why don't you go down and accompany him?" The voice asked.
"Because I can't?" Yali shook her head, "When Ming Ge just died, I did think of going down to accompany him, but as the Sea God Pavilion Master, I must atone for the sins that Shrek Academy has committed."
"So, in your heart, there are other important things, like your values?" The voice said.
"I wish it were as you say," Yali lowered her head.
Back then, she was afraid of completely falling out with Yun Ming and feared losing him, so she didn't do everything she could to stop Yun Ming from being with Long Ye Yue.
If she had really stepped forward without hesitation and stopped Long Ye Yue and Yun Ming, though the chances of success were slim, who could say for sure what the result would have been without even trying?