Just as Xi Yang was astonished, Ye Jingyu had already grabbed a spoon, served himself a bowl of Red Lotus Porridge, and began to drink it, acting as if he were in his own home rather than a guest in someone else's.

Seeing Ye Jingyu simply helping himself to the Red Lotus Porridge with such an expression of enjoyment, Xi Yang felt nothing but absolute surprise, her expression unwavering.

In the blink of an eye, that entire basin of Blazing Red Lotus Porridge had been completely consumed by Ye Jingyu...

Scraping the bottom of the bowl fiercely until not a single drop of the porridge remained, Ye Jingyu finally looked up and asked Xi Yang with lingering desire, "Is there any more?"

"Uh..." Seeing the bowl bottom scraped clean, and looking at Ye Jingyu's pathetic expression, Xi Yang opened her mouth but for a moment didn't know what to say.

Few people ever visited her; only Fang Zhuguo and Xue Ming came, and even they were usually just discussing matters, perhaps occasionally having some Red Lotus Porridge, but never finishing an entire pot like Ye Jingyu. Did his body feel nothing? He wasn't even a Fire Attribute Spiritual Body!

"...It takes forty-nine days to stew a pot of Red Lotus Porridge. I... I don't have any left..." After a long pause, Xi Yang finally stammered out the words.

"Oh, I apologize. I didn't know how this Blazing Red Lotus Porridge was made?" Ye Jingyu suddenly remembered he was a guest. But the thought that this porridge could greatly enhance his cultivation—that drinking it for a year or so might allow him to successfully condense the Flame Core—made him understand the necessity.

Since Dugu Bachen departed, he deeply understood how heavy the burden upon him was. Whether it was revenge or protecting those he cherished, it all demanded immense strength.

Without power, everything else was just empty talk. Therefore, he would never pass up an opportunity to increase his strength.

As for feeling embarrassed? Well, it seemed our young master Ye had never encountered those specific words in his vocabulary since arriving in this world.

"It requires collecting the seeds of the Blazing Red Lotus, combining them with Flame Dragon Fruit and Dragon Tooth Rice, and stewing it over Earth Core Flame Fire for forty-nine days!" Although she didn't understand why Ye Jingyu wanted to know the preparation method, Xi Yang told him anyway. Since he was a friend of Fang Zhuguo and Xue Ming, he was her friend too, and she was always generous with friends. Of course, she wouldn't hold back when joking; if an opportunity arose for a relationship surpassing mere friendship with such a handsome man as Ye Jingyu, Miss Xi Yang wouldn't mind it either...

"Earth Core Flame Fire. Your lotus seat must be connected to the earth's core, right? I assume that's how you draw the Earth Core Flame Fire. The Flame Dragon Fruit and Dragon Tooth Rice aren't rare items; they are traded on the Ancient Hua Continent, albeit in scarce quantities. But where did you obtain the Blazing Red Lotus?" Ye Jingyu instantly searched Fang Jiuyou’s memories but found no mention of such an item, prompting his curious question.

"Hehe, Brother Ye wants to know?" Hearing his question, Xi Yang didn't answer immediately, but instead, a strange smile bloomed on her face.

"Uh, perhaps my question was too abrupt. If it inconveniences Miss Xi Yang, just disregard it!" Ye Jingyu, seeing her expression, assumed she was unwilling to share. Furthermore, he realized this was their very first meeting. She had offered him such exquisite sustenance, and yet he was pressing for details—it was entirely impolite.

"Hehe, since Brother Ye wants to know, of course, I must tell you, Brother Ye. But this place is of great importance. Brother Ye must not tell anyone else, alright?" Xi Yang gave Ye Jingyu a captivating, seductive smile.

"Certainly..." Ye Jingyu nodded heavily.

"Then have Brother Ye lean his ear closer!" Xi Yang murmured softly.

Ye Jingyu didn't hesitate, leaning his ear right over...

Xi Yang brought her flushed, scarlet lips close to Ye Jingyu's ear, exhaling a warm breath that sent a thrilling tingle through his entire body...

"This place grows in..." He tried to pull back, but Xi Yang’s voice reached him just then, accompanied by the heat of her breath...

At such close proximity, even as Ye Jingyu constantly tried to stabilize his mind, the green energy constantly billowing from his Azure Bell caused him a degree of confusion. Coupled with drinking so much Blazing Red Lotus Porridge—even though most had been absorbed by the Blazing Abyss—a residual heat still lingered inside him...

Tempted by Xi Yang like this, how could he not start to burn...?

His breathing grew ragged, his complexion flushing deeply, and even his heartbeat began to accelerate relentlessly...

Sensing the change in Ye Jingyu, Xi Yang paused her words. Her slender, fair, and smooth hands had already taken hold of Ye Jingyu's wrist...

"Brother Ye, the terrain there is incredibly complex; I can't explain it clearly in a moment. Why don't I take you to see it?" Saying this, she gently pulled Ye Jingyu and led him toward the interior of the room...

Feeling the smoothness of Xi Yang’s skin and the soft weight of her ample bosom, Ye Jingyu suppressed the flames within his heart and allowed her to lead him into the inner chamber...

This turned out to be a massive barrier, or perhaps an array leading to another dimension. After they stepped inside, Xi Yang chanted an incantation, and a flash of crimson light enveloped them. As the light slowly faded, the two found themselves in an entirely different world...

It was a valley the size of a football field, surrounded by towering cliffs that scraped the clouds. The entire valley resembled a massive well. Sensing the intense, scorching energy surrounding them, Ye Jingyu suddenly realized this might not be a valley at all, but the opening inside some colossal volcano.

The ambient temperature was quite high; even Ye Jingyu felt the heat. Half of Xi Yang’s gauze skirt had slipped down, exposing a large expanse of her snow-white skin. Tiny beads of sweat dotted her forehead, making her appearance even more breathtakingly beautiful...

"Hot..." Xi Yang let out a soft moan, and her body involuntarily leaned toward Ye Jingyu...

She had initially thought that after drinking so much Red Lotus Porridge and being utterly captivated by her, Ye Jingyu would surely embrace her and initiate a relationship beyond friendship. But unexpectedly, he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. There was no sign of the bewitched Ye Jingyu behind her; instead, he had bolted toward a pool erupting with fierce flames, staring intently at the Blazing Red Lotuses growing within the pool, all trace of his previous daze completely vanished...

"Hmph, I refuse to believe I can't seduce you!" Stamping her foot fiercely, Xi Yang’s body moved toward Ye Jingyu...