Ye Jingyu’s gaze was entirely fixed upon those scarlet lotuses. Sensing the dense, almost frightening concentration of Fire Spirit Qi emanating from them, his eyes widened. If he could absorb all these Blazing Red Lotuses, his Fire Eye Aperture could be at least one-third filled, couldn’t it? One-third—how many years would it take him to cultivate that much on his own?

He clearly understood that the cultivation technique he practiced was terrifyingly abnormal. If he relied solely on his own practice, who knew how long it would take him to condense a single Golden Core...

Just then, Xi Yang’s figure arrived beside him. Paying no mind to what Ye Jingyu was thinking, she looped an arm through his, her voice turning delicate: “Brother Ye, I’m so hot…”

“Mmm… it is a bit warm here!” Ye Jingyu nodded casually, though in his mind, he was wrestling with how to ask Xi Yang for these Blazing Red Lotuses. After all, she was the one who brought them, and she was also friends with Fang Zhuguo and Xue Ming. Ye Jingyu couldn't bring himself to forcefully seize assets from an ally...

“Brother Ye, look, aren't I beautiful?” Seeing Ye Jingyu slightly distracted, Xi Yang gently swayed his arm, speaking with practiced coquetry. As if to enhance her allure, she pulled her already slipping gauze skirt down a little further. Her already half-exposed delicate shoulders were now fully revealed, appearing even more radiant under the faint crimson glow cast by the Blazing Red Lotuses...

“Beautiful, incredibly beautiful…” Ye Jingyu replied without turning his head. At this moment, the entire pond filled with red lotuses was the most beautiful thing in his eyes...

“Then, do you want me or not…” Hearing Ye Jingyu praise her beauty, Xi Yang’s voice grew even more seductive. She truly believed her charm had captivated him...

“I want you, of course I want you! But do you really want to give me?” Upon hearing this, Ye Jingyu suddenly spun around, gripping both of Xi Yang’s arms tightly, his eyes blazing with excitement. He had been worrying about how to even broach the subject of asking for the Blazing Red Lotuses, never expecting her to offer them up so directly...

Seeing Ye Jingyu suddenly become so proactive and full of fervor, it was Xi Yang who was momentarily surprised. However, the surprise vanished quickly as she registered the heat in his gaze, the handsomeness of his face, and the slightly sun-kissed tone of his skin.

“Mmm, if Brother Ye desires it, then take it all…” Xi Yang murmured shyly, slowly closing her eyes and leaning her body toward Ye Jingyu, posing as if awaiting his capture.

“Then I won’t be polite!” Hearing Xi Yang say this, Ye Jingyu let out a low cry, spun around, and lunged toward the pond brimming with Blazing Red Lotuses...

When Xi Yang heard Ye Jingyu say he wouldn’t be polite, she had completely let down her guard, causing her entire body to fall towards Ye Jingyu...

“Plop…” With a heavy thud, Xi Yang landed hard on the ground. She looked up in confusion only to see Ye Jingyu had already plunged into the flame-shrouded pool...

“Brother Ye, what are you doing?” she asked, climbing up from the ground, sounding quite aggrieved.

“Uh? Aren’t we picking lotuses? Didn’t you just say if I want it, I can have it?” Ye Jingyu said, having just uprooted a Blazing Red Lotus and about to shove it into his mouth, chewing deliberately with an expression of profound satisfaction...

Seeing Ye Jingyu shamelessly devouring the red lotuses, without even sparing her a glance, Xi Yang finally understood that when he said he wanted it, he meant the Blazing Red Lotuses, and it had nothing to do with her at all?

“Hmph, if you want these, just take them all, hmph…” She stomped her foot fiercely and, casting that declaration behind her, rushed away toward the rear...

“Thanks a bunch, Sister Xi Yang…” Ye Jingyu called out gratefully, immediately beginning to devour the red lotuses at top speed.

These were all top-tier Spirit Medicines of the Fire attribute; they were things that could greatly enhance his strength. He wouldn't let them go for anything...

After running several hundred meters, Xi Yang stopped, turning back to look at Ye Jingyu, who was continuously plucking the Blazing Red Lotuses. The fiery depths of her eyes swirled constantly...

“I don't believe I can’t handle you? There is no man in this world that I, Xi Yang, cannot conquer! Hmph…” With a sharp snort, she turned and walked off to the side...

For the next several days, Ye Jingyu spent nearly every waking moment submerged in the lotus pond. Xi Yang visited three or four times a day, each time appearing in a different costume: maid outfits, professional attire, nurse uniforms, semi-sheer fabrics, completely transparent garments, and even one instance where she appeared completely bare. Yet, our student Ye Jingyu never even glanced her way...

He continued to concentrate solely on chewing the lotuses. By the seventh day, when every mature Blazing Red Lotus in the pool had been completely consumed, Ye Jingyu finally climbed out, looking deeply satisfied...

Seeing Ye Jingyu, whose face glowed red and whose body was enveloped in swirling flames, Xi He’s eyes shone even brighter. As a Fire Attribute Spirit Body, she was naturally immune to flame; these Blazing Red Lotuses, poisons to most others, were the finest tonic for her. She possessed an innate affinity for fire...

Initially, she had approached Ye Jingyu as a game, but as he repeatedly ignored her advances, her competitive spirit was gradually ignited. She became fixated on conquering him. Now, seeing Ye Jingyu wreathed in flames, her desire to possess him intensified tenfold—this was the man she genuinely desired...

However, realizing that Ye Jingyu was completely immune to her usual tactics, her brow furrowed deeply. What could she possibly do? Should she really let such a prize slip away? Besides, he had consumed so many of her Red Lotuses; she certainly deserved some interest in return, didn't she?

Should she resort to force? Yes, force. She recalled her mother had left behind some potent aphrodisiacs in the storage. Rumor had it that her mother had used that very drug to subdue her father and conceive her. As her mother’s daughter, shouldn’t she inherit that fine tradition?

The moment this thought crystallized, the tight knot in her brow immediately smoothed out, and her face once again settled into a captivating smile...

“Brother Ye, since you’re absorbing so much spiritual energy from the Blazing Red Lotuses, are you cultivating some kind of Fire attribute technique?” Having settled on her plan, Xi Yang acted as if nothing had happened, walking up to Ye Jingyu and speaking with intimate familiarity, her small hands naturally looping through his arm once more...