Lin Qiwen let out a long sigh. In the end, he resisted the urge to toss the tortoise shell away. Suppressing his curiosity, he tucked it back into his robe.

Later, he fabricated some excuses when reporting to Liu Qianzhong, effectively burying the matter.

Truth be told, Liu Qianzhong had always favored the fourth prince as his successor. But since Lin Qiwen’s investigation turned up nothing, he lost interest in Ye Liuyun. Besides, he didn’t believe a mere magical beast could alter the course of events.

Eventually, he decided to wash his hands of the royal siblings’ power struggle altogether. "Let them fight it out," he told Lin Qiwen. "Whoever emerges victorious will have earned it through their own merits."

Lin Qiwen understood all too well. This decision would inevitably unleash a storm of bloodshed among the princes and princesses. Many might perish, but in the end, the princess would undoubtedly emerge unscathed—and seated upon the throne.

Yet such sacrifices paled in comparison to greater losses. Throughout history, royal successions had always claimed the lives of countless princes and daughters. Such was the inescapable tragedy of being born into an imperial family.

Meanwhile, the fourth prince, Liu Yunheng, had been keeping close watch on Liu Yunyao’s residence. The royal advisor’s personal visit to the princess’s manor was anything but ordinary.

Then came the news that the king intended to remain neutral in their power struggle—a severe blow to Yunheng’s prospects. Previously favored by his father, he now found himself stripped of that advantage, with no royal endorsement in sight.

Despite his extensive inquiries, Yunheng couldn’t uncover what the advisor had discussed with the princess. Determined, he resolved to approach the advisor himself—both to gather information and to request a divination about his chances of ascending the throne.

His request for an audience, however, was flatly refused. The advisor claimed to be indisposed and temporarily unable to perform divinations.

This only deepened Yunheng’s suspicions. Had the princess already won over such an influential figure? As rumors spread, more powerful factions began shifting their allegiance to her.

"If Father won’t intervene, then neither shall I hold back!" Seeing the tide turning against him, Yunheng immediately plotted drastic measures to regain the upper hand.

Yet Liu Yunyao had been keeping to her quarters lately, leaving him no opening for attack. His only option was to maintain close surveillance on Liu Yunfei for the time being.

After Lin Qiwen departed from the princess’s residence, Ye Liuyun and Liu Yunyao returned to her chambers, where Hong Ling helped clear away the wine and dishes. Without delay, Ye Liuyun whisked Yunyao into his doppelganger’s spatial realm, urging her to expand its boundaries.

Yunyao attempted to focus on her cultivation, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Ye Liuyun. After a half-hearted effort, she finally gave up altogether.

"What’s wrong?" Ye Liuyun asked, puzzled as he looked at Liu Yunyao.

"I... I want to go back to my room... to rest for a while..." Liu Yunyao stammered, her face flushed crimson.

"Oh. If you can’t focus on your cultivation, then go ahead and take a break."

Ye Liuyun didn’t press her, seeing how distracted she was. The way her cheeks burned and her fingers fidgeted told him exactly what was on her mind.

*Looks like unless I address this directly, she’ll never relax. Since everyone says I shouldn’t reject her, maybe we should just share a room—spare us both the awkwardness later.*

With that thought, he guided her back to the bed in her chamber.

"You... you’re staying here tonight?"

Liu Yunyao tensed as Ye Liuyun led her to the bedside, her words stumbling nervously.

"What? Not welcoming?"

He took her hand, pulling her smoothly into his embrace.

"No, it’s just... I’m nervous..."

Before she could finish, Ye Liuyun leaned in and kissed her.

A soft gasp escaped her lips. One hand clutched his fingers, the other gripped his sleeve—her breath hitched, frozen in the moment.

---

Ye Liuyun stayed with Liu Yunyao that night. It wasn’t until the next morning, when Hongling knocked to pay her respects, that they finally rose.

Hongling waited outside the door for what felt like ages before Liu Yunyao permitted her entry. One glance at her mistress’s expression, and Hongling understood everything.

"Congratulations, Princess! You’ve finally become a real woman!" Not daring to tease Ye Liuyun directly, she sent a secret message to Liu Yunyao instead.

"Don’t say that!" Liu Yunyao wished she could vanish into thin air out of sheer embarrassment.

Ye Liuyun, meanwhile, pretended to be nonchalant, pouring himself some tea to rinse his mouth. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

"Fetch some water for us to freshen up. And... change the bedsheets..." Liu Yunyao continued whispering to Hongling, too mortified to say it aloud.

Hongling suppressed a giggle, nodded, and hurried off to fetch water. When she returned, she helped tidy up the bed, replacing the sheets with fresh ones.

After they had washed up, Hongling brought them breakfast. The two ate lightly before Ye Liuyun took Hongling back into his clone’s spatial realm to continue their cultivation.

Liu Yunyao, however, struggled to focus on her training. Her mind kept drifting back to the previous night, her cheeks frequently flushing crimson, and she occasionally broke into a dreamy smile. Ye Liuyun could do nothing but let her work through it at her own pace.

Meanwhile, he sparred with his clone, acclimating to the power of the third level of Dominance. He also released Tuolin and its clone for practice.

But even their training had to be cautious now. Ye Liuyun’s strength had grown so immense that he dared not unleash his full power, fearing he might accidentally obliterate entire planets within the spatial realm. The restraint left him unsatisfied, and he longed for an opportunity to battle freely in the vastness of space.

That night, they stayed in the clone’s spatial realm. Given the difference in time flow between dimensions, they didn’t return to the princess’s residence.

It took several days before Liu Yunyao could finally settle her mind enough to cultivate properly. Ye Liuyun stayed by her side until she had expanded her spatial realm enough to accommodate a small island. Only then did he decide to take her out, gradually helping her expand her world further.

Ye Liuyun first escorted Liu Yunyao out to bid farewell to Hongling. Then, using the Black Tower of Teleportation, he sent his clone’s team back to continue their exploration while he remained with Liu Yunyao and another group to continue harvesting planets.

During this time, Liu Yunyao also met Liang Xue and the others. Though initially shocked to learn of Ye Liuyun’s many women, Liang Xue, Wu Qingcheng, and the others patiently explained things to her, singing Ye Liuyun’s praises all the while.

Discovering that some among them were also princesses made Liu Yunyao slightly more accepting. Moreover, Liang Xue and the others treated her kindly, and gradually, she came to terms with the situation. After all, what was done was done—she and Ye Liuyun had already crossed that line, leaving her with little choice.

"We’ll give you the chance to teach him a proper lesson!" Using this as an excuse, Liang Xue and the others convinced Ye Liuyun to spend a few extra days with Liu Yunyao until her anger finally subsided.

Later, Ye Liuyun helped her find a suitable small island to refine into her spatial realm. Once she had fully assimilated it, he guided her in absorbing an entire planet before sending her back into the clone’s spatial world to digest the gains.

Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun and his clone took advantage of the time to scour the entire northern region, collecting every uninhabited planet they could find. Along the way, he and Tuolin frequently clashed in the void of space, honing his mastery of this new realm’s power.