The wind howled, and yellow sand surged.
Behind the dim void, it was as if a scorching fireball hid, filling the sky with visible heat waves. The entire land was enveloped in a haze.
The people of Hezhen were accustomed to it all.
The scorching heat still did not affect their daily work. The entire town was bustling, and occasionally, they would glance at the verdant hues in the distant mountains, their eyes instantly becoming firmer.
“Heavens!”
“It’s way too hot, I feel like I’m going to melt.”
Heidou, sprawled in the shade, stuck out his tongue, completely listless from the searing heat.
“Can you stop being so spineless?” Suddenly, Nuoyi, sitting under the shade of a tree and eating from a can, sneered as she looked at Heidou, her eyes full of disdain. “The Batou Federation side is a desert region, so the temperature is indeed higher than in the Tatou Kingdom. It shouldn’t be this bad, though. I really can’t fathom how Batian Ge could have a brother like you. You can’t even endure a little hardship, and you even have Ice Crystal Ore!”
“I’m not from here!”
Heidou, holding the Ice Crystal Ore to cool himself, retorted righteously.
“Then you’re still holding the Ice Crystal Ore!” Nuoyi glared and exclaimed. “I don’t have any treasure to ward off the heat, yet I’m still sitting here as steady as Mount Tai!”
“What’s your realm, and what’s mine?” Heidou pouted.
Unbelievable!
Everyone knew Nuoyi was a master of the Colored Realm. With the improvement of her realm, her various bodily functions were naturally much higher than those of someone with a lower realm. Was she comparing herself to Heidou intentionally to annoy him?
Unexpectedly, Nuoyi, who had been eating from the can, directly put down her spoon.
“You bringing this up makes me want to mock you even more. Stingy, cheap, and spineless, you don’t show a single good quality of Batian Ge. You’re not striving for improvement either. You’ve been in Hezhen for so long, and I haven’t seen you cultivate even once. Look at your Bronze level, tsk tsk tsk, truly pathetic.”
Bang!
Heidou, clutching the Ice Crystal Ore, threw it forcefully onto the ground.
“Who are you talking about!”
“I’m talking about you, what’s it to you?” Nuoyi glared back without backing down. “I’ll tell you the truth, I had a decent impression of you at first. But after interacting with you recently, I can’t be bothered to deal with you. And you still want to pursue Sister Liuyue? Don’t blame me for speaking harshly, you should just go to sleep, you’ll have everything in your dreams.”
“Nuoyi, you’re going too far!” Heidou clenched his fists.
“Did I hit a sore spot?”
Nuoyi, full of mockery, looked at him nonchalantly.
“Heidou, I’m telling you this as a friend, wanting to earn respect from others, you need to show your own abilities. Relying on Batian Ge’s regard for you, you just muddle along day after day, and what kind of future will you have? Let me put it this way, no matter where Batian Ge goes, no one dares to look down on him. But without Batian Ge backing you, what are you?”
Heidou, with his fists clenched, remained silent for a long time. Nuoyi then said sternly,
“You’re clamoring to pursue Sister Liuyue, but what are you doing now? Do you still expect Batian Ge to help you marry Sister Liuyue? I don’t believe Batian Ge hasn’t told you that this matter depends on yourself. And how have you responded? By just loafing around?”
“Nuoyi!”
Just as the sharp words continued to flood Heidou’s ears, a girl sitting under the shade of the tree, eating from a can just like Nuoyi, heavily slammed the table.
Only then did Nuoyi purse her lips and quietly sit down.
“Sis~”
“What you said is a bit too much.” The girl’s eyes held a stern warning. Luoni also smiled and tried to smooth things over. “Oh, this weather is indeed a bit sweltering. It’s all Chen Batian’s fault for cultivating fire-attribute magic, making it hotter here than outside, even our hearts are getting restless. Heidou, don’t take it to heart. Nuoyi definitely means no harm, and you…”
Heidou clenched his fists tightly and left the shade without a word.
Watching Heidou’s departing back, Nuoyi bit her lip as if feeling guilty, while the girl in the white gauze dress also frowned.
“Nuoyi, you’re really going too far.”
“What did I do wrong? I just want to spur him on, to stop him from being so lazy. He wants to pursue Sister Liuyue, and Sister Liuyue’s standards are so high, others may not know, but we do, right?” Nuoyi said sternly. “He’s so fond of comfort. As long as we’re here, he’s almost always lying around. There’s never been a time he wasn’t.”
“Actually…”
Seeing Heidou leave the courtyard, Luoni pursed her lips and whispered.
“Heidou works very hard. Nuoyi, you’ve misunderstood him. When you were not around, he cultivated diligently. He only came out to accompany you when you arrived, mainly to get acquainted with you. You know his intentions, he just wants to entertain you well. He…”
For a moment, Nuoyi, whose face was full of anger, couldn’t speak.
“See? You made a mistake, didn’t you?” The girl frowned, looking at Nuoyi with disappointment. “I’ve told you many times, you need to change your temper. When have you ever listened? You can lecture others like Heidou, but what about you? After you broke through to the Colored Realm, have you cultivated for even a single day?”
“I…”
“Think about yourself before you talk about others, okay?”
“I didn’t expect it, Sister, to be so majestic?” Suddenly, Chen Yu, accompanied by Barbara, walked out from the corner of the courtyard with a smile. “Let me see. I didn’t expect the mighty Nuoyi to also be lectured into looking downcast. I must record this quickly.”
“Brother Chen.”
“Mr. Chen.”
Luoni and the girl at the table both stood up, and Chen Yu walked over with a smile.
“I just saw Heidou looking very dejected. Did something happen here? If I’m not mistaken, Nuoyi argued with Heidou?”
As he spoke, Chen Yu had already arrived at the table and sat down, taking a drink.
“Tell me about it?”
The few exchanged glances, and finally, Luoni repeated what had just happened. The girl’s eyes were also filled with apology, and she bowed slightly to Chen Yu.
“Mr. Chen, I’m truly sorry, my sister is just being glib…”
“So that’s what happened.” Chen Yu nodded slightly, gesturing for the girl not to be so concerned, then looked up at Nuoyi. “So, you actually support Heidou pursuing Liuyue? Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gotten so angry. Or is there some inside story?”
“Mmm~”
Nuoyi pursed her lips and looked up at Chen Yu for a while, then her expression suddenly changed, and she exclaimed.
“Batian Ge, you’ve broken through! Judging by your aura, you’re about to enter the Golden Realm. Your cultivation efficiency is astonishingly fast. How long has it been?”
“Don’t change the subject.” Chen Yu smiled slightly, narrowing his eyes.
“I didn’t~”
“To be honest, didn’t your sister tell you that you can’t lie?” Chen Yu said with a soft laugh. “Why are you so eager to wake Heidou up, wishing he would achieve greatness soon out of disappointment, what hidden reason are you keeping?”
Nuoyi still stammered and couldn’t speak. In the end, the girl beside her chuckled.
“As expected, nothing can be hidden from Mr. Chen.”
“To be frank, Sister Liuyue’s arranged suitor will be coming to Hezhen tomorrow. We… don’t like him!”