Xu Xi pondered for a moment.

He softened his tone and slowed his speech.

He tried to make his words as convincing as possible.

However, the red dragon's attitude remained hesitant, its claws fidgeting awkwardly.

"It's not that I don't believe you, but..."

The red dragon wavered.

Faced with the invitation so close at hand, it felt uncomfortable, unsure whether to take it or not.

It was as if it were stuck in sticky slime, feeling extremely awkward.

Finally.

The red dragon realized what was wrong.

It suddenly understood and made a strange request to Xu Xi.

"Dragon Speaker, please... threaten me!"

"Threaten?"

"Yes, just threaten me!"

The red dragon, Rex Santos, was exceptionally serious, claiming that only through a threat could it comfortably accept the invitation.

Xu Xi seemed thoughtful.

He gazed at the red dragon before him, and the mountains of gold and silver behind it.

Xu Xi thought that perhaps he could extend the red dragon's rest time a bit in the future.

Look at how miserable the poor thing has become!

"Little Red."

Xu Xi said gently, "If you don't go, I'll strip your dragon scales, extract your dragon bones, drain your dragon blood, torture you with eighty-one thousand cuts, refine your soul, and ensure you never find peace."

"!!!"

The dragon's vertical pupils widened instantly.

Yes.

That was the right feeling!

Cold sweat streamed down the red dragon's face, which now showed a mix of joy and relief. It eagerly took the invitation with its claws: "I'll definitely go!"

Seeing this, Xu Xi nodded with satisfaction.

He turned to leave.

The fluctuations of space swept over the countless treasures, and amidst the dazzling brilliance, Xu Xi's figure gradually blurred and faded.

Before he completely vanished, the red dragon, filled with nervous curiosity, asked him:

"Dragon Speaker."

"Those words you said earlier, they weren't true, right?"

That extremely cautious voice.

Reached Xu Xi's ears.

He stood in the ripples of time and space, paused, turned back, and gave the red dragon a meaningful look: "Who knows?"

"!!!!!"

Xu Xi left.

With one step, he crossed a vast distance.

Silently traversing time and space, he returned from the treasure-filled underground palace to Yanshan City, leaving the red dragon stunned in place, its expression suddenly filled with terror.

High above in the blue sky, thick white clouds gathered and drifted, stretching for tens of thousands of meters and beyond.

A sky once only explored by planes and birds.

Now, extraordinary beings occasionally soared through it.

Some flew on swords.

Others rode the storms.

On the surface of Yanshan City, neatly planned modern buildings spread along the riverbanks, winding and scattered like stars.

When Xu Xi returned to the courtyard gate.

The afternoon sun, at a peculiar angle, cast a slanting light on the stone pillar at the entrance, illuminating the deep green vines coiling around it and a few broad leaves.

The air was just right, and the sun was bright.

It made his eyes feel drowsy.

And his mouth dry.

"I wonder what Krisha and Ailei have prepared to eat while I was away."

Xu Xi stepped forward, ready to push open the gate and enter the courtyard.

Out of the corner of his eye, Xu Xi noticed a familiar figure at the street corner, waving at him. The person looked furtive, cupping their hands around their mouth in a silent shout:

"Mister~~ Come over here~"

Her hands waved animatedly.

The lively demeanor broke the summer's stillness.

The sight of someone eager to speak loudly but holding back in such a sneaky manner made Xu Xi chuckle.

"What's up, Yingxue?"

"Why not talk at home? Why here?"

Xu Xi pulled back the hand he had extended towards the courtyard gate.

He walked a short distance to the street corner, where he met the tense and secretive lady.

"Ahem."

She lightly coughed twice, her right hand forming a loose fist.

Wu Yingxue glanced cautiously towards the courtyard, ensuring there was no movement, then looked at Xu Xi with a playful smile: "Of course, I have something very, very important to discuss."

After saying that, the eager young lady grabbed Xu Xi's arm.

She ran towards the other side of the street.

The crisp sound of her running was particularly noticeable in the silent, sweltering summer, startling insects in the grass and waking birds resting in the trees, causing them to flutter away.

When they finally stopped.

Xu Xi looked up at the name of their destination.

[True Love Sweet Summer Heartbeat Ice Cream Truck]

There was nothing particularly special about it; it was just like its name, a truck selling ice cream of various flavors.

If there was something special.

It was the way the ice cream was made.

To keep up with the times, it had incorporated cultivation formations and ice element magic arrays to attract children's attention.

"Boss, I want this, this, and this one!"

Wu Yingxue seemed to have been here before.

While holding Xu Xi's hand, her other free hand tapped the menu on the ice cream truck three times.

"Alright, that'll be forty yuan."

The vendor moved swiftly.

With skilled movements, he shaped the ice cream.

In no time, two heart-shaped cones and a specially made double straw ice milkshake were prepared and handed to Wu Yingxue.

"Yingxue, did you call me over just to treat me to ice cream?"

"Hehe, that's one of the reasons."

The lady kept some secrets.

She pulled Xu Xi's arm, sat down on a nearby public bench, and handed him one of the heart-shaped cones, saying they would discuss important matters after finishing the treat.

Xu Xi glanced down.

The cone was shaped like swirling clouds, entirely white with a subtle fragrance, topped with a heart-shaped chocolate.

"Nom!"

Wu Yingxue didn't hesitate to bite off that piece of chocolate.

She chewed with satisfaction.

A crisp cracking sound came from her mouth.

"Delicious!" Her eyes brightened.

She urged Xu Xi: "Mister, you should try it too. It's really tasty."

Xu Xi tried a bite, savoring the crispy sensation of the chocolate in its frozen state, nodding in agreement: "It is indeed delicious."

Hearing Xu Xi's words.

The lady's smile grew wider.

She rested her head on Xu Xi's shoulder, turned sideways to lick her cone, watching the world outside the shade being enveloped in gold, with the heat making passersby sparse.

Before long.

Both cones were finished.

Wu Yingxue opened the lid of the ice milkshake, appearing quite excited under Xu Xi's gaze.

"Sir, let me tell you, this milkshake is absolutely incredible."

"How incredible?"

"Extremely, extraordinarily, super incredible!"

Xu Xi's gaze softened as he patiently listened to the girl's chatter. Through her rambling, he learned about the surprise and joy she felt when she first encountered the ice cream truck.

"Sir, let's share it together."

"I asked the vendor to add lots of extra toppings. You can have more, sir."

"But what if I want to finish it all by myself?" Xu Xi asked curiously.

"Ah... then, then I'll just have it next time."

The girl glanced longingly at the milkshake but quickly and resolutely looked away, as if making a great sacrifice.

At the same time, though, the corner of her eye kept darting toward Xu Xi.

It was adorable.

The kind of adorableness that made one laugh sincerely.

"No need, Yingxue. I was just joking," Xu Xi said with a gentle smile. As soon as the words left his mouth, the young lady reverted to her cheerful self, her radiant smile returning to her face.

"I knew it! You're the best, sir~"

The milkshake was served with two straws, one facing Xu Xi and the other Wu Yingxue.

The girl blinked, her intentions clear—she wanted to share the milkshake with Xu Xi.

"Alright," Xu Xi replied warmly.

The heat from outside surged in, brushing against their faces, but the coolness of the milkshake soothed them, bringing a wave of comfort to their bodies and minds.

"After Earth's ascension, it seems the sun is evolving along with it," Xu Xi mused, looking up.

His gaze pierced through the gaps in the dense foliage, catching sight of the blazing fireball in the sky and the thick, distorted air shimmering with heat.

"Huff—"

A sudden inhalation interrupted Xu Xi's thoughts.

Under the simultaneous sipping of the two, the icy milkshake didn't last long and was soon finished down to the last drop.

It was at that moment—

Satisfied and full, the young lady grew languid, collapsing into Xu Xi's arms. She drifted off into a deep nap, unfazed by the time or place.

"Sir, let me borrow your lap for a nap~~"