Xue Qinghe's order, issued outside the study of the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace, caused not a single ripple.
The guard bowed in acknowledgment, his movements swift and silent.
Meanwhile, inside the library of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, time seemed to stand still.
Li Yifei had been sitting there for quite some time.
The data scanning and analysis from his wrist device continued silently in the background. It was a more massive undertaking than anticipated; even with the computational power of advanced intelligence, digesting the entire continent's knowledge system required time.
Especially establishing model data and conducting simulation derivations based on that model data.
The more derivations performed, the higher the probability of success when experiments commenced later.
His eyes were closed, part of his mind immersed in familiarizing and controlling his newly Awakened Spirit, while another part observed the chattering group of girls in the Chat Group.
Suddenly, the faintest sound of footsteps approached from a distance.
Li Yifei didn't open his eyes, but within his spatial perception, the newcomer's outline was crystal clear.
Tall, well-proportioned, with that signature silver-grey short hair.
It was the girl named Ye Lingling.
She also seemed to be searching for a quiet corner. Her footsteps light, she passed row after row of bookshelves, finally stopping at another window seat not far from Li Yifei, separated by two aisles.
She pulled out a chair and sat down, her movements producing almost no sound.
Then, she retrieved a thick tome from her soul guide and began quietly flipping through its pages.
Between them lay silent bookshelves and an intangible layer of distance.
In Li Yifei's perception, the girl's body stiffened for an instant after she sat down.
She appeared engrossed in her book, but for a fleeting moment, her beautiful eyes involuntarily flickered in his direction.
Immediately, like a startled rabbit, she swiftly averted her gaze.
A ripple stirred within Li Yifei's consciousness.
Social anxiety disguised as aloofness.
How interesting.
If this had been before his Spirit Awakening, his interest in this girl would have been far greater.
Nine Heart Begonia.
The top-tier healing-type Spirit on the Douluo Continent, possessing a near-resurrection-level healing capability.
The scene from before at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the Sunset Forest flashed through Li Yifei's mind.
To help Dugu Yan absorb the Immortal Herb and evolve her Spirit, he had conducted a bold experiment. That time, Dugu Yan's body endured immense pain and damage, nearly reaching the brink of collapse.
Had Ye Lingling been present then, with the powerful healing of the Nine Heart Begonia, she could have completely protected Dugu Yan's heart meridian, allowing her to safely pass through the most dangerous phase.
Then, he wouldn't have needed to expend a single drop of the water of life.
Thinking about it now, it still felt somewhat regrettable.
However, if a similar situation arose now, Ye Lingling's healing ability might not be strictly necessary.
Because...
Li Yifei's mind sank into his spiritual sea.
There, two distinctly different halos slowly revolved.
One was a dark, profound singularity, seemingly capable of devouring all light—the manifestation of the space Law, the Eye of Guixu.
The other was an exquisitely structured phantom of an eternal hourglass, with flowing, iridescent sands of time circulating within, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura.
The time Law Spirit, Momentary Eternity.
His will gently touched that eternal hourglass.
One of its abilities, "Fleeting Splendor," could now be barely employed.
It marked an object, allowing its state to "rewind" within a short period.
If he were to conduct another experiment like Dugu Yan's now, he could activate time rewind at the moment the subject's body began to collapse, restoring the damaged tissues to their pre-injury state.
Although his current spirit power was limited, and the degree and scope of the rewind were very small, it was already an ability conceptually difficult to counter.
Compared to the "healing" of the Nine Heart Begonia, the "restoration" of time rewind was undoubtedly more overbearing, more unreasonable.
A pity about that drop of water of life.
Back then, his spirit power was insufficient, and his control over time rewind was utterly unfamiliar. He simply didn't dare attempt it on Dugu Yan.
One could only say it was a bit of a waste.
However, Ye Lingling's Nine Heart Begonia still held significant utility. In a situation like Dugu Yan's last time, time rewind would have also undone the enhanced physical constitution Dugu Yan gained through enduring such pain.
Whereas Ye Lingling's healing ability wouldn't have such side effects.
Therefore, my time rewind is more suitable for use at the moment of ultimate failure, offering only some spiritual gains in the end.
Ye Lingling's healing would be much better. It seems... it's still necessary...
Just as Li Yifei was deep in thought, not far away, that seemingly focused gaze once again, very quickly and discreetly, swept over him.
Ye Lingling's heart was not on her book at all.
She felt slightly relieved because the man named Li Yifei had kept his eyes closed since she entered, seemingly meditating, with no intention of coming over to strike up a conversation.
This allowed her taut nerves to relax considerably.
Yet, she couldn't control her own peripheral vision.
The image of her good friend Dugu Yan kept surfacing in her mind.
The look Yanzi had when gazing at this man was something she had never seen before.
It was a complex mix of admiration, infatuation, respect, and a trace of fear.
Yanzi was an incredibly proud person, especially after her Spirit evolution, her confidence soared.
Yet, in front of this man, she was as docile as a kitten.
Ye Lingling truly couldn't understand.
Apart from being extraordinarily handsome, what kind of magic did this man possess?
She was curious.
This curiosity felt like a kitten's claws scratching at her heart, preventing her from settling her mind.
But, for her to take the initiative to approach Li Yifei for conversation, or to directly go ask Yanzi...
That was impossible.
Just imagining that scene made her palms start to sweat.
Time flowed slowly in this silence—one lost in thought, the other stealing glances.
Sunlight streamed through the tall arched windows, casting long patches of light on the floor; dust motes danced in the pillars of light.
The library was so quiet one could hear the faint rustle of turning pages.
Once again, Ye Lingling stole a glance at the figure in the corner with the corner of her eye.
He remained in that posture, motionless.
Like a perfect sculpture.
Just as she was about to withdraw her gaze, the "sculpture," without warning, opened his eyes.
"You've been sneaking peeks at me? Is there something you need, Miss Ye Lingling?" Li Yifei directed his gaze towards the beautiful girl who was acting as cautiously as a thief.
Elsewhere, the tranquility of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was broken by the arrival of the Crown Prince's procession.
A group of the academy's higher-ups, including the three Spirit Douluo deans, followed anxiously behind "Xue Qinghe." The crowd surrounded him as they headed towards the library.