Chapter 25: Drunk in the Beauty's Embrace

The carriage slowly made its way toward the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, having already traveled more than half the distance. The sun was gradually setting, and the lonely night was about to descend, returning darkness to the land.

Inside the carriage, Ye Lingling sat motionless, her heart in turmoil as she looked down at Ye Hao, who was resting his head on her lap. For a moment, she could not think of a solution.

Should she try to wake him up?

Obviously not possible. Just looking at how soundly Ye Hao was sleeping, it was clear that waking him was pointless. Besides, after hunting the Purple Winged Demon Spider and absorbing the soul ring and external soul bone, did that not drain his energy? Add to that the exhausting journey, and Ye Hao became sensitive to the carriage's movements. If Heaven Dou City had not prohibited soul masters from using their martial souls to fly within the city limits, Ye Hao would have arrived at the dormitory ahead of schedule and been sound asleep by now.

Unless the world ended, no one could wake him.

Ye Lingling felt like a statue at this point, with her cold gaze gradually giving way to a hint of confusion. It was her first encounter with such a situation, and she could not make a decision.

She understood Ye Hao's personality; he was a straightforward little brother, only eleven years old, innocent, and playful.

Ye Lingling and the others could not deny Ye Hao's efforts since he joined the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

Ye Lingling felt profound sympathy for Ye Hao's lonely upbringing; her own martial soul was a clear example of this, was not it? They could be said to have the same plight. Unconsciously, Ye Lingling extended her delicate hand. As soon as it touched Ye Hao's head, she yanked it back, as if shocked; it was a sensation she had never felt before.

How subtle...

Ye Hao slept soundly, inhaling Ye Lingling's fragrance and falling into a peaceful dream. Without realizing it, his head burrowed deeper into Ye Lingling's chest.

This flustered Ye Lingling, causing a faint pink tint to appear on her icy cheeks.

Ye Lingling recalled Ye Hao as a young brother, barely eleven years old. People on this continent matured early, with many becoming fathers at the age of thirteen or fourteen.

But there was no doubt that Ye Hao was not that kind of person—at least not right now.

People can change; as the saying goes, "At the beginning of life, human nature is inherently good."

Even the whitest of papers would inevitably collect some ash as the environment changed; this was unavoidable. Nobody could maintain their innocence for a lifetime.

Ye Hao slept peacefully, while Ye Lingling was torn between waking him up and not.

Waking him up felt cruel; despite her usual silence and indifference, she was aware that others might laugh and talk while she remained alone in the corner, keeping silent.

However, in these unassuming moments, Ye Hao took the initiative to approach her. It was not that the team did not like Ye Lingling; she was born with that personality. If someone attempted to engage her, she frequently declined.

Ye Lingling would only speak in critical moments; otherwise, she was silent or on her way to becoming silent.

However, in such unintentional moments, Ye Lingling developed a slight fondness for Ye Hao—not romantically; after all, Ye Hao had not yet fully matured. He was still a child, and such feelings could not have existed between them.

Their bond was solely that of siblings, bolstered by their shared hardships.

Ye Lingling's heart trembled as her delicate, smooth palm lightly touched Ye Hao's cheek. The gentleness of the touch almost caused her to lose herself for a brief moment; it turned out that such feelings were not limited to petting cats; humans could elicit similar sensations...

The carriage continued until the sun had set.

Finally, the group arrived at the base of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, which was built on a mountainside, nestled between mountains and waters—an ideal location for cultivation.

To be able to cultivate here was undoubtedly a dream for all soul masters, but the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was not accessible to everyone.

The carriage came to a stop. Ye Lingling felt dizzy in the last carriage and appeared to be dozing off. Ye Hao had fallen asleep first, so the entire carriage was unusually quiet.

As the carriage came to a halt, Ye Lingling opened her eyes and looked at the familiar foot of the mountain. She understood that they had already reached the academy.

She looked down at Ye Hao, who was still soundly asleep on her lap, and felt a pang of guilt as she gently nudged him a few times.

"Wake up; we've arrived at the academy."

Ye Lingling said in a neutral tone.

In contrast, Ye Hao remained lost in his sweet dreams, unable to break free from Ye Lingling's embrace. It was difficult for anyone to pull away, particularly Ye Hao, who had never slept in the arms of a beautiful girl before.

(Would you want to wake up if you were in that situation?)

Ye Hao subconsciously rubbed against the beautiful older sister while enjoying her gentle touch.

Ye Lingling: "..."

"Ouch!"

Ye Lingling wouldn't indulge Ye Hao and decided to get up and exit the carriage.

"What's happening? Who just touched me?"

Ye Hao jolted awake, taking in the enchanting night scene outside and the magnificent buildings on the nearby mountain.

They had arrived at the academy. Looking around the empty carriage and noticing that Ye Lingling had already left, Ye Hao stretched lazily, a bit confused about what had just happened.

Ye Hao shook his head in a daze and exited the carriage, heading for the Heaven Dou Royal Academy.

The Heaven Dou Royal Academy was located not far from Heaven Dou City and was funded by the Heaven Dou Empire. Emperor Xue Ye served as Dean, with three major commitees: Principal Meng Shenji, Bai Baoshan, and Zhi Lin. Emperor Xue Ye rarely participated in academy affairs because he had a nation to govern.

Thus, the three major commitees were unquestionably towering figures in the academy.

Under the dim starlight, in a lavishly decorated circular room, three elderly men, one thin, one fat, and one tall, sat imposingly and calmly, exuding unshakeable authority.

The three were the commitees of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and opposite them, Qin Ming hurriedly returned. The primary purpose of his recent trip to the Sunset Forest was to find a suitable soul ring for Ye Hao. Now that the task was completed, as Ye Hao's supervisor, he was expected to report on the situation.

"Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Qin."

Meng Shenji, seated in the center, placed his hands on the sides of his chair, speaking with a satisfied expression.

Qin Ming smiled slightly. "Chief, you flatter me. The hard work wasn't mine; it was those kids. To be honest, they all have high potential, particularly Ye Hao. He made the most significant progress this time, not only obtaining his third soul ring but also reaching the thirty-second level of soul power and acquiring a soul bone.

"What?!" ×3