Chapter 79: The Perils of the Pole and a Heartfelt Farewell

“Are you suggesting that for my fourth-tier breakthrough, I need to go to one of the poles?”

Bai Yu suspected she had misheard, for even venturing into the polar circle did not guarantee absolute perpetual night; only by positioning herself precisely at the pole would she truly experience “perpetual night.”

“Precisely,” Moweila stated calmly. “Personally, I recommend the South Pole, as it is at least land. The North Pole, being an expanse of ocean, would undoubtedly present a far greater challenge!”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait,” Bai Yu interjected. “This isn’t the time to be discussing land versus ocean, is it? If I actually go to such a place, won’t I literally freeze to death?”

Her understanding still clung to the perspective of an ordinary person, having been indoctrinated since childhood about the frigid, unforgiving cold of Antarctica.

[You are no ordinary person. By then, you will have already absorbed the Reverse Metal, reaching the third, or even fourth, tier! Coupled with being a Kin of the Night, your physical constitution will attain a terrifying degree of resilience. You could traverse the coldest continent wearing only a single layer of clothing.]

‘That… that does seem to make sense, doesn’t it?’

[Your concern should not be the cold, but rather the grotesque monsters lurking on the Antarctic continent. The deeper you venture into that untouched land, the more terrifying it becomes.]

Moweila’s tone seemed to carry a hint of excitement. Confronted with such danger, she felt no fear; on the contrary, she grew even more thrilled.

“Hey… this isn’t right, is it?”

Bai Yu said weakly, truly doubting if she could return from such a venture alive.

[We need to start preparing now. As far as I know, the Antarctic continent isn’t even open to ordinary people anymore, is it?]

Moweila pursed her lips, having already gleaned the current state of the Antarctic continent from Bai Yu’s mind.

Over a century ago, humanity had begun exploring the Antarctic continent.

Yet for reasons unknown, after merely a few years of exploration, all nations had completely blockaded the operation and prohibited anyone from traveling to the Antarctic continent.

After that, the public’s understanding of the Antarctic continent remained entirely unknown.

“So, you’re saying there’s something terrifying there that forced the exploration teams to cease their operations?”

Bai Yu asked weakly. If that was the case, shouldn’t she be avoiding it even more? Why would she deliberately choose such a perilous place to visit?

[Precisely. It is for that very reason that you must go!]

“Why…?”

[No one will interfere, and you won’t be discovered. That alone is enough!]

Moweila explained that while the ocean at the North Pole might not present the same dangers as the Antarctic continent, it was nonetheless an area thoroughly monitored by all major global organizations. Should Bai Yu venture there, she would not only risk exposing her spiritual core but also inevitably attract the attention of various powerful factions.

“This…”

Bai Yu lowered her head in thought. Despite Moweila’s logic, the perils lurking on the Antarctic continent remained utterly unknown.

“Wait!”

Bai Yu suddenly realized. She possessed a drop of Divine Radiance, and in the direst crisis, she could still use it to escape.

However, that would only be possible after absorbing the Reverse Metal. Upon closer consideration, there indeed seemed to be a glimmer of hope for her survival.

[Although I’ve said a great deal, this is all merely a plan. The best approach is to first allow your Stellar Spiritual Core to break through to the fourth tier. The mysterious Fantasy World you gained through this dream is your greatest asset.]

Bai Yu nodded, acknowledging that while Moweila’s words seemed outlandish, they were not entirely without reason. Indeed, this was the method that would maximize her benefits.

“But… how am I supposed to get to the Antarctic continent?”

Bai Yu pondered, lowering her head. The Antarctic continent was currently under a worldwide blockade; let alone her, even ninth-tier powerhouses would find it difficult to gain entry.

‘Never mind,’ she thought, ‘I’ll ask Xingyao if I get the chance.’

Bai Yu eventually gave up on thinking, dismissing any notion of consulting the Dragon Summer Investigation Bureau, as that would only make her more suspicious.

“I want to sleep again!”

Bai Yu flopped onto her bed. Despite the ambitious scope of her plans, in reality, she was still merely a weak little second-tier.

Seeing Bai Yu in this state, Moweila’s temper flared once more.

‘Lazy creature!’

Just then, a knock echoed at Bai Yu’s door.

“Hm?”

Bai Yu quickly scrambled out of bed and opened the door.

The familiar young woman appeared before her eyes; it was Lu Xingyao.

Her mood did not seem good at all, as if she had encountered something deeply upsetting.

“Xingyao, what’s wrong? Come in quickly.”

Seeing Lu Xingyao in such a state, Bai Yu couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache. After all, this was a girl who liked her, a girl with whom she had shared intimacy.

Lu Xingyao sat on the bed, her expression remaining incredibly heavy, with faint, shimmering tears just visible in her eyes.

Bai Yu leaned against Lu Xingyao, gently wiping away her tears. Although she didn’t know what had happened, Bai Yu knew that Lu Xingyao’s mood was certainly far from good.

She didn’t rush to ask questions. Instead, she embraced Lu Xingyao, nuzzling into her with her own warm body, offering silent comfort.

“Xiao Yu, I might have to leave you for a while.”

After a long silence, Lu Xingyao suddenly uttered these words.

This instantly startled Bai Yu into a momentary daze. Her first reaction was the terrifying thought that her affair with Cecilia had been discovered.

“Xingyao, you, you have to let me explain…”

Bai Yu immediately stammered, her small face turning pale with fright.

“What’s wrong, Bai Yu? Are you feeling unwell? What were you trying to say?”

Lu Xingyao was now the one with questions, utterly unsure why Bai Yu was so nervous.

“It’s nothing, nothing!”

Bai Yu quickly reassured her. It seemed Lu Xingyao wasn’t leaving her because of that matter. ‘That’s good, that’s good,’ she thought, letting out a sigh of relief.

“Then why are you leaving, Xingyao? And where are you going?”

“It’s because of my parents,” Lu Xingyao said softly. “They said it’s not safe here, and they want me to return to the capital to break through to the fourth tier.”

Her voice carried a hint of sadness, given their promise to always be together.

“And this time,” she continued, clenching her fists, “I’m afraid I can’t take Xiao Yu with me, because of the family.”

If it weren’t for those who still coveted her position as family head, she would have long since been able to rightfully bring Bai Yu back with her.

Bai Yu directly took Lu Xingyao’s hand, her silver-white eyes seeming to glow as she looked earnestly at her.

“It’s alright, Xingyao. I’ll wait for you.”

These were not the lies of a scummy girl; her words were, of course, genuine and heartfelt, for she loved every girl equally.

Seeing Bai Yu’s earnest gaze, Lu Xingyao felt a surge of emotion in her heart. ‘Xiao Yu truly is the best and most adorable girl in the world,’ she thought.

Originally, Lu Xingyao had many more things she wanted to say, but in that moment, she found herself utterly speechless.

She directly embraced Bai Yu’s shoulders, and their lips met. Bai Yu’s tender lips were immediately captured by Lu Xingyao, who then fiercely invaded them.

“Mmph…”

Bai Yu was startled by this sudden turn of events, instinctively struggling.

However, her body instantly went soft, leaving her utterly devoid of strength.