Xueyin had turned to leave but stopped halfway. Restlessness still churned inside her. She’d come overnight to help them out of goodwill, only to witness this mess.

It left her utterly unsettled! Who was responsible?

If she did nothing, Xueyin couldn’t shake the mood that scene had stirred.

Silently, she drew her long katana, "The Pure Encounter," a foot from its sheath—then slammed it back with a sharp *Clang!*

That single move was enough.

A transparent blade-ripple soared through the night.

Meanwhile, Lin Luo found himself leaning against a tree. Somehow, he and Feier had swapped positions.

The side effects of the Guiding Art—linked to the female phantom spirit within her—had fully surfaced.

"Lin Luo..." Feier’s eyes lost their coquettish glint, turning bewitching instead. Her rosy lips moved without her mind’s consent. No confirmed relationship, no certainty of true feelings—yet she leaned in to kiss him.

Lin Luo’s medium-length blue hair spilled over his shoulders. His stunning face rivaled hers.

*Wait, Feier—this...* Holding her now might be the manly thing, but this was moving way too fast!

No. Feier seemed playful normally, but she wasn’t that kind of girl.

A thought struck Lin Luo: since he’d applied the Guiding Art to her abdomen that morning, she’d acted strangely.

Could it be a side effect?

If this wasn’t her true will, he couldn’t take advantage.

But even as the God Emperor, his resolve here was just an ordinary boy’s. He was struggling to hold back...

Just then, the blade-ripple arrived.

Not because it flew slowly—events had unfolded too fast.

*Crack!* It shattered branches above them. They crashed down in a clatter.

"Feier, watch out!" Lin Luo—the God Emperor with an otaku’s heart—had been so focused on her he’d missed everything else.

Only now did he realize.

He swept Feier into a princess carry and dodged aside. The branches weren’t truly dangerous.

Yet each one seemed charged with a black-haired senior sister’s fury.

"Damn!" Lin Luo recognized the retreating figure in the woods—and that Spirit Energy aura.

*Isn’t that... Senior Sister Xueyin? Why’s she still here? Her move wasn’t hostile, nor a friendly senior’s greeting. What was she trying to say?*

Then he remembered: he’d only met Xueyin as Lord Luo. In this form, she might not know him. He relaxed slightly.

*Wait—I can’t breathe easy yet. How’ll I explain this when we meet again?*

"Lin Luo? Lin Luo?"

Feier snapped back to awareness. She was meters from the crash site. This slender, pretty boy had effortlessly carried her—her tall, mature frame cradled like a doll.

*Something fell just now... When did Lin Luo scoop me up and dash this far? I never expected... such strength from this frail boy.* She blushed, her face nestling against his slender chest.

Her pointy wizard hat brushed his fair cheek.

It hid his blush—but forced him to turn his face away.