That's right... all of these problems can be resolved when I have strength. Absolute power supersedes all rules and laws.
As Bai Xinyue's spiritual energy gradually calmed his nerves, he let out a stale breath, giving a bitter smile.
Seeing that he had calmed down, Bai Xinyue gave a slight pinch on the hand that was currently entwined with hers, forcing his attention back to her. What he saw made his heart lurch.
She was currently lying on her side, staring at him with a look of infatuation; like she said, she was still confused about how she felt about him, but at the same time, she didn't try to hold back any of her budding emotions as well. She had decided to just let nature run its course.
Trying to gain some semblance of control back, he suddenly spoke with a bit of a teasing tone. "Hey Xinyue, are you really the type of woman to go crazy over a man? Doesn't that seem a bit... contrary to your persona?"
Bai Xinyue started to blush red, a bit of embarrassment seeping into her features, and yet she still confidently held his gaze as she replied, "So what if I'm crazy? If I like you, then I like you... if you don't like me, then I'll force you to like me!"
Once again, that slight hint of crazed obsession appeared inside of her eyes, giving him a glimpse of a potential future where he failed to properly establish boundaries with this woman.
Fuck, this woman is like a ticking timebomb, isn't she? I need to make sure that it's me who wears the pants in this relationship, or my future love life is gonna be damn bleak.
Huang then flipped over on his side, causing a yelp to sound out from her, before he looked her deeply in the eyes and said with affection, "Do you really think that there's a man—or woman, for that matter—that can resist your charms in this world, Xinyue? If there is that kind of person in this world, they must be some type of spiritual beast! Although, I doubt even spiritual beasts wouldn't fall for your charms."
Bai Xinyue gave a happy smile as she nodded her head with a confident look, before looking at him with a smug expression. "That's right. So you better take care of me in the future, or else..."
After this, he and Bai Xinyue had long talks into the night, talking about all sorts of different things. She asked about how his life was in the sect, how he was being treated, and the kinds of problems that he faced, while he asked her about what kinds of things she had done in her life, the people she met, and how she spent most of her time—which basically consisted of just training the entire time.
Suddenly, things became quiet between the two of them as the chirping of insects and the cool night breeze seeped into the room. Moonlight hung over both of their bodies, making them appear like fated lovers enjoying their final moments together.
Once again, it was Bai Xinyue who broke the silence first, speaking in a soft voice; if you listened closely, you could hear the sadness therein.
"I'll have to go back to the Bai Clan by tomorrow... I've already exceeded the time I told my parents that I would return by about a week. If I stay any longer and they don't immediately find where I am, they will flip your sect over and destroy everything just to find me, and we both don't want that to happen..."
Huang Shi nodded his head, the sadness in his eyes mirroring hers as he tightened his grip on her hand. "I have something that I need to take care of within the sect before I leave for the outside world. Unless I finish that task, I'll be stuck here for a while..."
Bai Xinyue moved her hand once more, holding his cheek with a soft and tender look in her eyes as she replied, "Guess it will be a while before we see each other again, huh?"
"Yeah, it's gonna be a while... wait, aren't you coming back here for the tournament? At least, that's what my father said."
Bai Xinyue shook her head with a bitter smile. "Before, I didn't think of you as highly as I do now, so... I found some excuse to not attend, and it worked. I told my mother I would go to a secret realm to train for about two years..."
Huang Shi felt a weight in his chest. Even though he expected that the two of them would be separated after tonight, he didn't expect it would be for that long. "Can't you take some time off your schedule to visit me?"
Bai Xinyue rubbed her fingers on his cheeks with tender affection before shaking her head with a sad smile. "It's not possible. Even for my mother's sect, it takes a tremendous amount of resources to open that secret realm—not to mention it will be opened just for me..."
Hmm? Her mother's sect? Her mother has a separate faction outside of the Bai Clan?
Just as he was about to ask this question, Bai Xinyue said something that brought him out of his thoughts.
"Don't worry. I'll be there to compete for the Heavenly Sky Spirit Qi with the other Heaven's Chosen of the Great Tang Empire's during the Imperial Sky Battle. If you reach the Earth Profound Realm by the time I get out from my secluded training, we will see each other again..."
Beneath the covers, Huang Shi's free hand started to clench as he realized how difficult it would be to reach that level in two years.
Fuck... Nascent Profound to Earth Profound in just two damn years... that's a difference of two whole major realms... Shit.
Seeing the look on Huang Shi's face made her chuckle, and this time she pinched his nose.
"Don't worry, I won't be improving my cultivation while I'm in the secret realm. In fact, there's no spiritual energy in that place at all; it's a place where people go so they can master their spiritual arts.
So, basically, what I'm saying is... you have exactly two years to catch up with me..."