Feng Xing's eyes also held a touch of emotion as she slowly raised her gaze to meet hers. "We'll have plenty of opportunities to dine together in the future. The Strongest Academy is a good place, and we can stay there with peace of mind."
The disciples of the Strongest Academy were kind and united. Its position as the foremost among all academies was not without reason.
Bai Niannian's eyes, however, were tinged with sadness at this moment. She lowered her head and sighed softly, "I haven't been home in a long time. I miss my parents and brothers."
Upon arriving in Dragon Domain, she had prepared herself mentally, understanding that she wouldn't be able to return to Xuanzhou Continent anytime soon. Yet, her heart still couldn't help but yearn for home.
Seeing her homesickness, Feng Ninghe smiled gently. "Dragon Domain is not entirely safe. Once the crisis here is cleared, I think you can invite your family to visit. I believe they would like it here."
Dragon Domain was rich in spiritual energy.
No cultivator would dislike such a place.
Cultivating here was far more effective than in Xuanzhou Continent.
These words gave Bai Niannian a glimmer of hope, and she nodded repeatedly in agreement. "Master is right. The spiritual energy here is abundant, and cultivating here yields twice the results with half the effort. I'm sure they would like it here."
The fact that human puppet nests were hidden throughout Dragon Domain was no secret; the news had spread quickly to everyone's ears.
Su Hongxiu casually picked up a piece of meat and chewed it slowly, a hint of contemplation on her face. "How did the human puppets manage to hide? Were they always dispersed?"
Logically, human puppets only existed at the borders.
The existence of human puppet nests was unexpected by everyone.
Feng Linyuan looked at Su Hongxiu with a hint of approval, voicing his thoughts. "I have the same doubts. The borders have a large number of human puppets, and there are a few in other places, but not many. The existence of so many human puppet nests is quite peculiar."
In response to the question, Si Jianye raised his eyes slightly, his expression unchanged. His voice, as always, was cool and indifferent. "Someone deliberately did this."
His words sent a ripple of shock through the group.
"Someone deliberately did this?"
Bai Niannian's eyebrows shot up, her fair face creasing in concern. "Why would anyone do this intentionally? The proliferation of human puppets is a disaster for everyone in Dragon Domain. This is not good news at all."
Si Jianye did not rush to explain. His voice was simple and direct. "Some people are inherently evil; it's not surprising."
Su Hongxiu looked directly at the man before her, her words filled with intense curiosity. "Who did this?"
She had a premonition that the man before her knew a great deal. Si Jianye's words were clearly not baseless speculation.
Si Jianye lowered his gaze, his icy expression devoid of much emotion. His low, husky voice slowly fell. "Before long, you will all understand."
It was evident that he was unwilling to elaborate further.
Su Hongxiu was understanding and did not press further, though her gaze occasionally fell on him, a clear hint of doubt in her eyes.
The meal soon concluded.
Si Xin Xin patted her round belly, her small, palm-sized face filled with satisfaction. "Mommy, I'm done eating. Tonight, I want to sleep with Daddy and Mommy!"
Her childish voice was soft and adorable.
Feng Ninghe's eyes involuntarily curved into a smile as she gently took her daughter's small hand. "Then let's go back to our room to rest."
Si Jianye followed the two into the room.
As soon as they entered, he abruptly stopped and turned to look behind them.
The man's eyes, as dark as ink, were incredibly deep. His handsome face instantly turned cold.
"What is it?"
Sensing the change in the man, Feng Ninghe paused and looked at him.
Si Jianye narrowed his eyes, a chilling aura emanating from him. "I need to go somewhere."
The man's behavior was unusual.
Feng Ninghe sensed something was amiss and instinctively asked, "The place you need to go, is it the border? Are you going to find him?"
Besides Si Jianye's brother, she couldn't think of anything else that would cause such a drastic change in his expression.
In response to her question, Si Jianye nodded slightly. "I sense something is wrong, and I must go."
He had a persistent feeling of unease, as if something bad was about to happen.
Feng Ninghe took his hand, her eyes filled with concern. "Be careful. Xin Xin and I will wait for you to return."
Si Jianye offered a faint smile. His usually cold eyes were now filled with tenderness. "I'm just going to check the situation. I'll be back soon and won't take too long. You don't need to worry too much about me."
"Daddy!"
Si Xin Xin blinked her bright eyes and quickly scurried over. "You must go and come back quickly, don't make Mommy and me wait too long."
After a brief farewell, Si Jianye did not linger and strode away.
That night.
The bright moon hung high in the night sky.
Inside the room.
Feng Ninghe and Si Xin Xin were sleeping soundly.
Suddenly, a gust of cold wind swept through.
Feng Ninghe's eyes fluttered open instinctively, and she looked around the room.
A figure flickered in the darkness within the room.
"Who is it?"
She exclaimed sharply and quickly got up, her eyes filled with warning.
In an instant, the candlelight in the room flared, illuminating the figure that had appeared.
The man's physique was tall and broad-shouldered. His handsome face bore a hint of coldness as his gaze fixed upon Feng Ninghe.
"You're back?"
Feng Ninghe's eyes involuntarily filled with joy as she quickly jumped out of bed.
To prevent Xin Xin from being disturbed, she had even cast a formation on Si Xin Xin, shielding her from any external noise.
The man let out a muffled grunt.
Feng Ninghe grabbed the man's hand and led him towards a chair. "Sit down first, and we can talk slowly."
At this moment, she also noticed that the man's hands were exceptionally cold.
His hands felt as cold as shaved ice.
She frowned deeply and quickly cupped his large hands in hers, rubbing them. "Where did you go? Why are your hands so cold?"
No matter how much she rubbed his cold hands, they remained frigid.
Feng Ninghe failed to notice that the man's gaze was fixed on her.
Watching Feng Ninghe rub his hands, the man's eyes flickered, and a strange sensation began to creep into his gaze.
His hands were simply too cold to warm up.
Feng Ninghe then took a hand warmer from her spatial bracelet and ignited it with her phoenix fire. "Use this to warm up. I've used my phoenix fire, which should help you somewhat."
As the hand warmer entered his palm, a wave of warmth flowed into his hand.
The man nodded with a hint of approval. "It is indeed very warm."
His gaze was now fixed intently on Feng Ninghe, as if he were contemplating something.
Feng Ninghe raised her eyes, meeting his gaze.
The eyes before her were piercingly cold, making her feel uneasy all over.
Yet, the man's face was intimately familiar, the face she adored.
The man before her was Si Jianye, but goosebumps were prickling all over her skin. This strangeness was deeply unsettling...