Chapter 438: Her Heart

The southwest corner of the Holy Extreme Star Academy.

Amid a stretch of green shade, red-bricked, steeple-roofed pavilions rose one after another. This place was somewhat unfamiliar to the students within the academy, because those steeple pavilions were cultivation spots that only Purple-Glory mentors were qualified to rent, so ordinary students rarely came to this area.

Under Mentor Xi Chan's lead, Li Luo's group passed through unimpeded and arrived before a cultivation pavilion.

Pushing open the cultivation pavilion's heavy stone door, the cultivation ground that met the eye was exceptionally spacious. The floor was paved with white crystal stones, within which a faint golden light seemed to flow, and at the very center stood a stone platform about a zhang tall.

The cultivation ground was permeated with extremely astonishing Heaven and Earth energy, which surged forth like a flood as the stone door was pushed open.

Mentor Xi Chan and Yu Yu Hongxi were both Marquis-ranked powerhouses; this energy was to them like a gentle breeze against the face. But Li Luo, caught off guard, felt as if a man who couldn't hold his liquor had fallen into a wine vat—his mind grew fuzzy, and he nearly toppled over in a daze.

But Mentor Xi Chan seemed to have anticipated it, and reached out in advance to grip his arm.

A stream of cool yet surging phase force flowed in, rousing Li Luo from that stuporous state.

"What… what enormous Heaven and Earth energy…"

Once he came back to himself, Li Luo couldn't help swallowing a mouthful of saliva. Worthy of a cultivation ground reserved for Marquis-ranked powerhouses—the Heaven and Earth energy here was simply denser than even atop the Phase Force Tree.

"This is Dragon Blood Golden Crystal, isn't it?"

Yu Yu Hongxi walked into the cultivation ground, her slender high heels lightly tapping the white crystal stones flowing with golden light beneath her feet, producing a crisp sound. She gave a soft laugh and said, "The Holy Extreme Star Academy truly has deep foundations. This Dragon Blood Golden Crystal is extremely expensive. A cultivation room built from this material not only gathers Heaven and Earth energy, but as the energy passes through, it also becomes tinged with a trace of Dragon Blood resonance. Even when a Marquis-ranked powerhouse absorbs and refines it, it will still enhance their own phase force."

Mentor Xi Chan smiled and said, "President Yu is being modest. Throughout the entire Great Xia, if one speaks of financial resources, who could compare with the Golden Dragon Treasury?"

"The Golden Dragon Treasury reeks of money—how could the Holy Extreme Star Academy stoop to such things?" Yu Yu Hongxi said.

"If President Yu finds the smell unpleasant, I wouldn't mind lending you the House Luolan Mansion storeroom." Li Luo rolled his eyes and said.

Yu Yu Hongxi's red lips pursed. "How much could that little place of yours House Luolan Mansion even hold?"

Li Luo immediately felt as if he'd taken a critical hit. President Yu, those words are just too insulting! Is being rich something to be proud of?! Do you think having money brings happiness?!

Thinking of this, Li Luo suddenly sighed wistfully. If he had enough money, his Water Light phase would probably already be Eighth Grade by now, right? The Wood Earth phase might well be Seventh Grade as well. Looking at it that way, having money really could bring a great deal of happiness.

Too bad, this isn't my money.

As Li Luo's face showed a bitter expression, Yu Yu Hongxi turned her head and said to Cao Sheng, who stood outside the great door, "Mentor Cao Sheng, I'll trouble you to stand guard tonight."

Mentor Cao Sheng hurriedly waved his hand and laughed, "President Yu, rest assured, I won't let anyone come cause trouble. But the academy is extremely safe, so there shouldn't be any incidents."

"It's always better to be cautious."

Yu Yu Hongxi gave a slight nod, then her gaze shifted to Li Luo. "If there are no other issues, then let's begin directly."

Her way of doing things was, as always, decisive and swift as thunder.

Li Luo was naturally happy to oblige, and nodded in agreement.

Mentor Xi Chan gave a light wave of her flowing sleeves, and the heavy stone door slowly closed with a deep rumbling sound.

Mentor Cao Sheng watched the closed great door, then plopped himself down on a stone block nearby. He rubbed his rugged face and revealed a smile. It had been many years since he had spoken with Yu Yu Hongxi at such close quarters. In truth, he understood it wasn't that Yu Yu Hongxi was avoiding him—it was that he himself didn't dare appear before her.

In matters of the heart, he was indeed a coward.

Back then, he didn't even have the courage to confess his feelings to Yu Yu Hongxi, because he knew what awaited him would surely be her rejection—Yu Yu Hongxi had made it perfectly clear to him that she liked Li Taixuan.

After that, he left the Golden Dragon Treasury and entered the Holy Extreme Star Academy. Although both were still within the bounds of Great Xia City, he never went to find Yu Yu Hongxi again. And Yu Yu Hongxi was such a proud person—her heart surely held nothing but contempt for such behavior on his part—so she too almost never contacted him again.

Cao Sheng understood that this was because of his own inferiority.

Yu Yu Hongxi was too perfect in his heart; he didn't dare harbor the slightest delusion toward her.

The tragedy was, he still developed feelings for her. But that was normal—after all, Yu Yu Hongxi was so outstanding that any man would like her.

Cao Sheng sighed. His eyes closed slightly, and the memory scenes that had gradually yellowed under the erosion of time were still clearly branded in the deepest part of his mind.

Back then, he was still a youth. His hometown had suffered a disaster, and he had fled to Great Xia City, his clothes barely covering his body, his stomach never full.

He collapsed from hunger outside the city. Just as he thought he would starve to death like this, a warm steamed bun landed on his face. Its aroma was as if it hooked his very soul, compelling him to use his last strength to wolf it down.

By the time he had licked the life-saving steamed bun clean, he finally had the strength to raise his head and look at the person standing before him.

It was a girl dressed in red. The girl was very pretty, and also very proud. Her gaze looked him over condescendingly.

"Big dummy, if you want to eat, then be my laborer."

After saying that, she turned and walked away directly, not caring about his answer or reaction.

He stood frozen for a few seconds, then finally scrambled after her on hands and feet.

Later, he was able to display his talent, gradually entering the world of cultivation, and ultimately becoming a top powerhouse of Great Xia. In truth, all of it was brought to him by Yu Yu Hongxi.

Cao Sheng scratched his head, a smile appearing on his rugged face.

The reason he hadn't appeared before Yu Yu Hongxi all these years was, more than anything, that he didn't want to disturb her life. But in his heart, his life had long ago been bought by her forever with a single steamed bun.

Over all these years, she had never asked him to do anything, as if the kind of grace that could make a Marquis-ranked powerhouse give his life had already been forgotten by her.

Now, after much difficulty, she had finally opened her mouth and asked him to do something.

Although it was only standing guard at a door, he felt he should perform well.

Cao Sheng patted his knees, raised his head to look at the night curtain gradually shrouding the academy, then shifted his gaze to the right side and laughed, "I say, Old Jin, for today here, just do me a favor and don't come cause trouble, alright?"

Under Cao Sheng's gaze, energy ripples surfaced in the night, and a human figure slowly walked out from the air.

Moonlight poured down, revealing without surprise the face of Shen Shen Jinxiao.

"I never expected that the always wild and arrogant Mentor Cao Sheng would actually be willing to stand guard for someone." Shen Shen Jinxiao smiled.

Mentor Cao Sheng sighed, "Standing guard at a door is nothing. As long as she asks, I'd even be willing to go back to being a laborer."

"What a touching and humble love."

Shen Shen Jinxiao smiled and said, "Mentor Cao Sheng, you are now a Purple-Glory mentor of the Holy Extreme Star Academy, a Marquis-ranked powerhouse counted among the top of all Great Xia. Your status is no weaker than President Yu's. You are fully qualified to pursue her—there's no need to belittle yourself like this."

"I wouldn't dare. She's too perfect." Mentor Cao Sheng said with a bitter smile.

"This is your obsession." Shen Shen Jinxiao said.

Mentor Cao Sheng nodded. He looked at Shen Shen Jinxiao and said, "Then what is your obsession? Li Luo? Or rather, Jiang Qing'e?"

Shen Shen Jinxiao smiled without speaking.

"Mentor Shen Shen Jinxiao, I don't want to make a move against you, so don't make things difficult for me either. The past struggles between you and Li Luo, and Xi Chan's side, I could overlook. But tonight, if you want to cause trouble, then don't blame me for disregarding whatever little friendship we've had." Mentor Cao Sheng's voice grew calm, and beneath his disheveled hair, his gaze gradually became exceptionally cold, sharp, and domineering.

Without Yu Yu Hongxi's targeted intelligence-dampening aura, this Mentor Cao Sheng finally revealed the true bearing of a Marquis-ranked powerhouse.

Shen Shen Jinxiao waved his hand.

"I won't make a move."

"Oh? Then you ran over here to watch me guard the gate?" Cao Sheng raised an eyebrow.

Shen Shen Jinxiao smiled. He walked over and sat down on the stone steps beside Cao Sheng.

Watching Shen Shen Jinxiao's strange behavior, Cao Sheng's brow furrowed slightly, but he had no reason to forcibly drive off Shen Shen Jinxiao, who had done nothing, so he could only raise some wariness in his heart and said at the same time: "Mentor Shen Shen Jinxiao, I've actually always felt that your targeting of Li Luo seems a little unreasonably baseless."

"So tell me, what exactly do you want?"

Shen Shen Jinxiao still did not answer. He simply raised his head and gazed at the bright moon in the sky.

In the bright moon, it seemed as if Jiang Jiang Qinge's figure was reflected.

But his gaze did not linger on Jiang Jiang Qinge's cheeks; instead, with a strange look, it fixed on the position of Jiang Jiang Qinge's heart, and then he licked the corner of his mouth.

I want her heart.