Previously, when Bai Meier came out of seclusion, she had already heard about the enmity between Jun Xiaoyao and Long Aotian.

Jun Xiaoyao had once killed Long Aotian's younger brother, Long Haotian.

Moreover, the Desolate Ancient Jun Family and the Ancestral Dragon Nest had been mortal foes for generations.

One could say that Long Aotian and Jun Xiaoyao were sworn enemies, destined to fight to the death.

Because Bai Meier was fond of Long Aotian, she subconsciously viewed Jun Xiaoyao as her own enemy as well.

But now, Bai Meier never expected that the one who saved her would not be Long Aotian, but Jun Xiaoyao. It was somewhat absurd.

By instinct, Bai Meier put some distance between herself and Jun Xiaoyao, a trace of vigilance in her beautiful eyes. Although Jun Xiaoyao was very handsome, and at this moment wore an expression of calm gentleness with no hint of hostility, Bai Meier still felt an instinctive wariness.

After all, she belonged to an Ancient Royal Clan, and strictly speaking, she was on the same side as the Ancestral Dragon Nest.

"Being this guarded toward me truly hurts a little," Jun Xiaoyao said, slightly shaking his head in regret.

That faint look of disappointment on his handsome brow was enough to make anyone's heart ache, as though they wanted nothing more than to smooth away his furrowed brow.

Bai Meier also felt that her attitude was somewhat inappropriate. No matter what, Jun Xiaoyao had saved her. Acting so wary was almost like being ungrateful.

"Jun Gongzi, why did you save me?" Bai Meier asked, her tone easing a little.

"Must there be a reason to save someone? The greater one's ability, the greater one's responsibility. Helping others is a kind deed. Why not help?" Jun Xiaoyao replied.

Hearing this, Lei Mingyuan, who was watching from the side, was dumbfounded. He was at a loss for words.

Earlier, when Jun Xiaoyao spotted Bai Meier trapped in the valley, wasn't he just about to wave his sleeve and leave, unwilling to bother with someone else's life or death? How could he suddenly sound so noble and righteous, like a beacon of the righteous path shining upon the land?

The problem was that, just a few days ago, Jun Xiaoyao had slaughtered several hundred justice-seeking geniuses. Though Lei Mingyuan wanted to complain, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

"So Jun Gongzi is truly so upright and altruistic," Bai Meier said, slightly moved.

To tell the truth, Jun Xiaoyao's behavior had completely taken her by surprise. Initially, Bai Meier disliked Jun Xiaoyao because of Long Aotian. But seeing him now, he was not only graceful and incomparably handsome, but also calm and gentle—completely different from what she had imagined.

Before, those fox-maidens in the Heavenly Fox Tribe had told her how incredibly handsome and powerful Jun Xiaoyao was, but she hadn't believed them. She thought there was no man more perfect than Long Aotian. Now, Bai Meier could no longer say such a thing. In every aspect, Jun Xiaoyao was indeed stronger than Long Aotian, especially the aura he exuded, which made Bai Meier feel suppressed. His aura was more unfathomable than Long Aotian's.

"So those rumors about the Divine Child of the Jun Family are all true…" Bai Meier murmured to herself. Previously she thought they were exaggerated stories. Seeing him now with her own eyes, it was undeniably real.

"Since you're fine now, I'll be on my way," Jun Xiaoyao said.

He was just going to leave like that?

Bai Meier was taken aback. Did he really want nothing in return?

"Jun Gongzi, do you know that I'm the Heavenly Fox Princess and have ties to Long Aotian?" Bai Meier couldn't help saying. She thought perhaps Jun Xiaoyao wasn't aware of her identity.

"So what if you are? You're you, he's him. I separate gratitude and grudges clearly, and I'm not about to use a beautiful woman like you to threaten Long Aotian," Jun Xiaoyao said calmly.

Hearing Jun Xiaoyao call her a beautiful woman, a faint blush appeared on Bai Meier's cheeks. Being praised by such an outstanding man inevitably made her feel a tinge of delight. The discontent she had felt over Long Aotian earlier seemed to have faded considerably.

"Jun Gongzi's character is truly admirable. If you weren't at odds with Aotian Brother, perhaps we could even be friends," Bai Meier said.

"Why couldn't we be?" Jun Xiaoyao smiled warmly, then suddenly extended a finger and pointed it at Bai Meier. Her face paled, thinking Jun Xiaoyao was going to make a surprise attack. Instead, he pressed his finger to her chest, sending a surge of warmth into her body.

"You spent considerable energy in that maze formation and depleted a lot of your power. This is just a small kindness from me." After infusing her with the restorative energy, Jun Xiaoyao withdrew his hand.

Bai Meier's cheeks tinged red as she lowered her head. A slight tingling spread from her chest, comfortable and warm. "Thank you, Jun Gongzi. I'll take my leave."

With that, Bai Meier departed, though her footsteps carried a hint of fluster.

Watching her receding figure, the smile on Jun Xiaoyao's lips gradually faded, replaced by a cold, amused indifference.

"Honored Divine Child, why did you…?" Lei Mingyuan began, unable to hold back his curiosity. Though he knew he shouldn't ask, he still wanted to know.

"Do you know the strongest divine ability in this world?" Jun Xiaoyao asked suddenly.

Lei Mingyuan thought for a moment. "Is it the Supreme Laws, the ancient emperor's ultimate move, or perhaps a legendary immortal scripture?"

"No. None of those," Jun Xiaoyao replied with a faint smile, shaking his head.

"Then what is it?" Lei Mingyuan asked, intrigued.

"Controlling the human heart is the most powerful divine ability," Jun Xiaoyao said.

He raised his palm, slowly curling his five fingers inward. Bai Meier was already unable to escape the palm of his hand. She could only allow herself to be used and manipulated—just like Bai Yuer and Wu Mingyue before her. Using people's hearts as tools to control the overall situation and toy with one's enemies was extraordinarily delightful.

Seeing the shift in Jun Xiaoyao's demeanor, Lei Mingyuan was even more in awe. Calling Jun Xiaoyao an "acting king" was a gross understatement.

"Honored Divine Child, what do we do next?" Lei Mingyuan asked.

"Wait for her to come looking for me. Also, my clothes are dirty—I need to change," Jun Xiaoyao said nonchalantly.

"Your clothes are dirty?" Lei Mingyuan repeated as he glanced at Jun Xiaoyao. His white robe was as immaculate as fresh snow, never seeming to gather a speck of dust. How could it be dirty?

Suddenly, Lei Mingyuan remembered that, when Bai Meier escaped the trap, she clung to Jun Xiaoyao. Realizing this, he looked in her direction with a faint hint of pity in his eyes. Truly, Bai Meier was nothing more than a tool to him.

Meanwhile, Bai Meier, having parted ways with Jun Xiaoyao, still hadn't regained her composure. "What's going on with me?" she muttered, pressing a hand to her lightly flushed cheek.

Honestly, if she hadn't met Long Aotian first, Bai Meier might have fallen in love with Jun Xiaoyao at first sight. Jun Xiaoyao was simply too perfect, without any discernible flaw. Yet Bai Meier wasn't someone who took such matters lightly.

"The world thinks all of us in the Heavenly Fox Tribe are seductive and fickle, but I, Bai Meier, am not like that. Though Jun Gongzi is excellent, he remains an enemy of Brother Aotian. I, Bai Meier, absolutely won't betray Brother Aotian," she firmly reminded herself.

Even though Long Aotian had upset her, Bai Meier was still willing to give him another chance—provided he still cared about her.

With that in mind, Bai Meier decided to tell Long Aotian what had happened with Jun Xiaoyao, as a gesture of honesty. As for how he would react… she could only wait and see.

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