As the two ascended, the staff member at the counter didn't forget to warmly greet them.
"Wishing you two celestial lovers a delightful evening!"
Ye Yun was initially puzzled by these strange words, but after entering the room, he understood completely...
Crimson Dust Tower, Room 601.
While nominally a single room, it was surprisingly spacious and lavishly decorated.
However, the items equipped in the room truly opened Ye Yun's eyes...
"I say... is this Crimson Dust Tower a legitimate inn?"
Xing Wu chuckled lightly and said, "Why isn't it legitimate? This Crimson Dust Tower is the largest chain of inns for couples in the Heavenly Domain, considered a venerable establishment spanning millennia."
Despite her casual explanation, Ye Yun pointed to some items in the room, his lips twitching.
"But from what I see, none of these look legitimate..."
The entire room was filled with various recreational items, such as certain metal racks, ropes, chains, and exquisitely crafted wooden horses with protruding hindquarters...
On the bedside table next to the large bed, several small tools, seemingly powered by spiritual energy, were arranged.
Everything was even more elaborate than what Ye Yun remembered from the themed hotels of his previous life...
"Don't you think some of these are a bit too vulgar?"
"Vulgar? That's because your heart is vulgar, so you see everything as vulgar."
Xing Wu seemed unfazed, flicking a jab at Ye Yun with a leisurely remark.
However, it was her first time in such a place too, and she couldn't help but curiously examine the items by the bed, fiddling with some peculiar tools she had never seen before.
"Do these things really make people feel good?"
She looked like a child exploring a toy store, appearing remarkably calm and composed.
Ye Yun, on the other hand, was utterly speechless, thinking that any normal person would be flustered in this place.
Helplessly, he casually sat on the edge of the bed and complained, "As a female cultivator, can't you act a little shy in a place like this?"
Xing Wu, however, looked at him with confusion, and whether intentionally or not, retorted,
"Hm? Why should I be shy?"
"..."
Ye Yun's lips twitched. He wondered if she was teasing him or genuinely didn't care.
At this moment, Xing Wu explained, "This Crimson Dust Tower belongs to the Crimson Dust Mountain, one of the Three Mountains of the Heavenly Domain."
"Crimson Dust Mountain has always advocated and promoted the method of dual cultivation for mutual advancement, and it pairs suitable celestial partners for its disciples."
"But over the long years, to maintain a sense of novelty, many items for dual cultivation have naturally emerged, wouldn't you agree?"
Hearing this explanation, Ye Yun finally understood.
"So that's how it is... I see."
An organization that even assigns partners, that's quite interesting...
A word inexplicably popped into Ye Yun's mind; it sounded somewhat like the Joyous Union Sect in cultivation.
At this, Xing Wu tilted her head, observed him, and raised her delicate eyebrows with a smile.
"Looking at your expression, do you also want to try something?"
She casually picked up a red rope, wound it around her wrist, and tugged at it in front of her.
"Hmm... quite sturdy."
Following that, Xing Wu cast her gaze towards Ye Yun.
"Speaking of which, I have a bold idea."
"No, you don't."
Ye Yun stared at her warily, strongly suspecting that he would be on the receiving end of whatever idea she had.
After all, in this room, he had seen items suitable for female cultivators, as well as many suitable for male cultivators.
It seemed the XP systems of male cultivators in the Heavenly Domain were also rich and varied...
However, Ye Yun had no such inclination and decisively changed the subject, saying,
"Alright, stop fooling around. Let's talk about business first."
Upon hearing this, Xing Wu sighed softly, "What a shame. I was going to say, based on your performance earlier, I might have offered you some rewards."
She tossed the red rope aside and her expression became slightly more serious.
"Fine, then let's discuss business first."
Hearing this, Ye Yun eagerly asked,
"I saw that the Disciplinary Hall and the Heavenly Dao Branch were both your doing, weren't they?"
Xing Wu nodded, "That's right, it was this Empress who did it."
"The reason? You didn't have to do that, did you?"
Xing Wu glanced at him, "Naturally, it was for your sake. Otherwise, you would have likely been captured by the Branch Master and dissected for research by the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall."
"I obtained some interesting news from him."
Ye Yun's brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but ask, "What news?"
Subsequently, Xing Wu recounted the prophecy of the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall to him.
"Do you understand now? If you, the ascender, were caught by the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall, what fate would await you?"
After listening, Ye Yun's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but curse.
"Damn it, who's this prophet? I really want to kill him!"
As he said, under normal circumstances, even if he had forcibly ascended, the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall wouldn't have made such a fuss over him.
But with this prophecy, regardless of whether he was the prophesied person, he couldn't escape unscathed.
At this moment, Xing Wu smiled and looked at him, asking,
"Based on the information I have, since the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall completely sealed the ascension channels, only the two of us have successfully ascended by force."
"So, who do you think the prophesied person would be – you or me?"
Sensing her meaningful gaze, Ye Yun simply shrugged and said,
"Who knows about such a vague question."
Despite his words, Ye Yun knew better than anyone.
Based on countless story tropes he had read in his previous life, in such a situation, the prophesied person was most likely himself, who possessed the system cheat.
After all, no matter how powerful Xing Wu was, when it came to growth potential, she couldn't compare to him.
To his answer, Xing Wu merely smiled charmingly, then changed the subject, saying,
"But no matter what, most of the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall's attention will now be focused on me alone."
"As for you, you'll have a relatively stable period of growth. I hope you won't disappoint me."
These words startled Ye Yun, and he immediately asked, "What do you mean? What did you do?"
"Nothing much, just left a survivor to tell those guys at the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall that this Empress has ascended back."
Xing Wu said with a light smile, "This way, they will naturally shift most of their attention to me."
She said it so casually, but Ye Yun's brows immediately knitted together.
"Don't you realize that with your reputation as the Sword Emperor of the Night, what kind of pursuit you'll face once you're exposed?"
Ye Yun wasn't stupid. This was another instance of her clearing the path for him by ascending early.
Now, she was even actively taking the blame, shouldering the burden of the prophesied person.
Without a doubt, since the prophecy foretold someone who would overthrow the Divine Hall, the Heavenly Dao Divine Hall would undoubtedly hunt down the prophesied person by any means necessary.
Not to mention that person was the once-dominant Sword Emperor of the Night in the Heavenly Domain, the pursuit would only be more intense.
"Why are you helping me so much?"