"So you were there too?" Mu Ningxue frowned, her expression dark and brooding.
"Of course! I've already told you—Mo Fan and I are on the same level. How could you possibly detect us?" Ye Chenfeng replied nonchalantly.
"Luckily, I used magic to alert Xiaoxue at the time. Otherwise, you would have all been seen naked," he added, addressing the girls with a tone that was absurdly casual.
The girls froze, their expressions shifting to a mix of devastation and disbelief.
Mu Ningxue: ""
Mu Nujiao: ""
Everyone: ""
Wait… so he's admitting to seeing us?!
The room practically shouted in silence: How can he say that so naturally? Why does his brain work so differently?!
Song Xia, recovering first, exclaimed, "You! You—" but her flustered protest was cut short.
"What?" Ye Chenfeng turned to her, his gaze cold and detached. "Do you have something to say?"
Song Xia faltered under his icy stare, hesitating for a moment before walking determinedly toward him.
Mu Nujiao: Song Xia is so brave!
Bai Tingting: She's a hero!
Mu Ningxue: It's okay. I'll protect her if anything happens.
As Song Xia approached, her pace slowed. She hesitated, then suddenly turned around and stormed over to Mo Fan instead.
"You! Shame on you!" she cried, leaving Ye Chenfeng untouched.
The other girls stared, bewildered.
Mu Nujiao: ?
Bai Tingting: ?
Mu Ningxue: ?
Song Xia thought to herself, Anyway, I wasn't in the water. It's not me who got seen. Why should I argue with Ye Chenfeng?
The other women quickly seized the opportunity, surrounding Mo Fan instead.
"A beast in human form!"
"Hypocrite!"
"Liar!"
Meanwhile, Mu Ningxue remained focused on Ye Chenfeng. She wasn't afraid of him. Walking right up to him, she declared, "You too!"
She reached out to pinch his waist in frustration, only to have her hand slapped away with a loud pa.
Mu Ningxue: ???
"Don't take advantage of me," Ye Chenfeng said flatly.
Mu Ningxue's jaw dropped. "What?! Who's taking advantage of whom?"
This man hadn't even warned her when he'd watched her bathing, and now he had the audacity to act like the victim? Her frustration boiled over as she turned and stormed off toward the tent.
Fine! He's a high-level mage, but I'll show him. Just wait until I get stronger!
Mu Nujiao, left standing there, didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She had been hoping Mu Ningxue would put Ye Chenfeng in his place, but seeing him slap her hand away so forcefully had changed her mind.
She decided to follow Mu Ningxue's lead, silently retreating to her tent.
Mo Fan, observing the bizarre scene from a distance, was utterly dumbfounded.
What is wrong with these people?!
I'm the one who failed to peep! He's the one who admitted it—and yet, they're twisting the facts?
Then he watched in disbelief as Mu Ningxue, the unflinching ice queen, tolerated Ye Chenfeng's audacity.
Mu Ningxue… actually let it slide?!
For the first time, Mo Fan reconsidered his entire strategy. Maybe Old Ye has a point after all.
Late that night, a figure slipped out of the tent, moving stealthily under the cover of darkness.
Perched in a tree, Ye Chenfeng glanced down and saw it was Lu Zhenghe. He shook his head but said nothing. That guy does this every night. Let him be.
Instead, Ye Chenfeng turned his attention back to his jade pendant. Within its mysterious space, the Black Demon Spring glowed faintly as it absorbed the residual souls collected earlier. The slow fusion of these souls into spirit essence fascinated him.
He contemplated the nature of the demons he had encountered. The cave demon slaves… they're low quality. Hardly any of their residual souls evolve into essences.
By contrast, the three-eyed demon wolf was far more competitive. Two of their residual souls had already advanced into essences, far surpassing the results from the cave demons.
The jade pendant's space teemed with possibilities, the spirits within steadily growing in strength. It was like raising Gu—a process of refinement through competition and devouring weaker spirits.
The next day, the group set out for Jinlin City. The journey was relatively uneventful, though finding a safe place to camp remained a tedious task. By 3 p.m., they were already scouting for a spot, mindful of avoiding dangerous areas.
Their camp that night was nestled under a sturdy rock formation—a haven of peace and quiet.
Ye Chenfeng, ever proactive, pulled Mo Fan aside.
"Old Ye, what's up?" Mo Fan asked, curious.
"I've awakened the summoning system," Ye Chenfeng announced. "This is the perfect place for dimensional summoning."
Mo Fan's eyes widened in shock. Awakened the summoning system?
"Damn, Old Ye! With your ridiculous power, adding a summoned beast is just overkill!" Mo Fan exclaimed, imagining the possibilities. A summoned creature would not only aid in battle but also give Ye Chenfeng more time to cast his high-level magic without interruption.
Ye Chenfeng smirked. "Let's see what I can summon, then."