Yuanen Yehui deliberately lowered her cold voice.
Xie Xie shivered and hurriedly said, "No, no, I definitely wasn't thinking anything inappropriate."
His voice was small, but the entire carriage still heard him clearly.
Immediately, everyone's expressions turned strange.
Only Gu You remained indifferent. If you looked, you looked—just admit it. Trying to hide it will only make it more awkward when the truth comes out.
Except for Xu Lizhi, who had no clue what was going on, everyone else understood exactly what Xie Xie meant.
Yuanen Yehui's face flushed slightly. Although she was still dressed as a man, her makeup skills were exceptional, so her facial expressions didn't seem unnatural.
However, Xie Xie's face instantly turned pale for a simple reason—two slender fingers had just grabbed a piece of soft flesh on his thigh and twisted it 180 degrees.
Xie Xie immediately covered his mouth to stop himself from crying out in pain. His expression made the others chuckle, but no one spoke up to defend him.
Xu Lizhi was simply too big, making their seating space in this row incredibly cramped.
Gu You and Gu Yue's bodies were completely pressed against each other. Even so, there still wasn't enough space. Gu Yue had to lean slightly against the side of the carriage, with half of her hip resting on Gu You's thigh.
The soul car was already on the road. Occasionally, the bumps in the road made Gu Yue's body press even closer to Gu You.
Soft and warm.
Both Gu You and Gu Yue's cheeks flushed unconsciously.
"Is this the limit of this body?"
Gu You asked himself. Having a reaction was normal. If there was no reaction… that would really mean this body was useless.
At this age, in the middle of puberty, Gu You felt his body tense up. It was incredibly uncomfortable.
The butler drove fast and steadily. The soul car quickly left the inner city of Shrek and entered the highway, heading slowly towards the iconic building of Shrek's outer city—Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
The car was quiet. No one spoke.
A subtle youthful tension filled the carriage.
Shrek City was enormous. Even though they spent most of the trip traveling on the highway, it still took them over forty minutes to reach the towering, magnificent Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
The car gradually came to a stop, the door opened, and Gu Yue was the first to jump out, almost as if fleeing.
Gu You took in the lingering scent in the air near his lips, shook his head, and stepped out of the car.
The others followed.
For those visiting for the first time, the sight of the enormous pagoda left them in awe. This was one of the most authoritative places on the entire continent!
Shrek City's status as the pinnacle of the continent wasn't just because of Shrek Academy. Another major reason was that Spirit Pagoda Headquarters was also located here.
If these two great organizations combined forces, even the entire Federation government would have to tremble.
Comparatively, Shrek Academy was more independent and self-sufficient. Apart from the area occupied by the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters, almost the entire Shrek City was under the academy's jurisdiction.
The Spirit Pagoda, however, had a much wider sphere of influence. It maintained an excellent relationship with the Federation government, cooperating and complementing each other. It also maintained good relations with Shrek Academy. The wisest decision of the Spirit Pagoda Council was to avoid getting involved in politics or controlling Soul Masters.
The true core of the Spirit Pagoda consisted of only thirty-six council members, representing major families and organizations, including some from the Federation. It was a fusion of various forces. The organization had a vast number of registered Soul Masters, but its actual direct subordinates numbered no more than three thousand. These individuals formed the core of the Spirit Pagoda, but given the rapid development of soul technology, they posed no real threat to the Federation.
Because of this, the Spirit Pagoda had received strong support from the Federation for thousands of years.
The establishment of the council system was a suggestion from none other than its founder, Ice Spirit Douluo. It was this very idea that allowed the Spirit Pagoda to endure and prosper for millennia, standing firm atop the continent even today!
Just as no one knew the full extent of Shrek Academy's resources, no one knew exactly how much wealth or how many powerful individuals the Spirit Pagoda possessed.
"Gu Yue, where is the Soul Spirit Tower you mentioned?" Xie Xie asked.
Gu Yue replied, "It's inside the headquarters. The Soul Spirit Tower isn't an actual building but a virtual structure. Its rank is even higher than that of the Spirit Ascension Platform. It is one of the most important parts of the headquarters. Follow me."
As she spoke, she led the group into the Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
They climbed the steps and arrived at the entrance.
Everyone registered their identities before being granted entry.
"When did entering the Spirit Pagoda become this easy? Their efficiency has improved a lot!" Yue Zhengyu said in confusion. This wasn't his first visit.
Gu Yue turned to look at Gu You. Even though she was a Spirit Pagoda envoy, it was normally not this simple to pass the identity verification.
Among the people present, who had the power to make the Spirit Pagoda accommodate them so easily? At this moment, only Gu You seemed capable of that…
"Vice Pagoda Master, he's here," a staff member reported to Leng Yaozhu.
"Hmm, I know. You may leave," Leng Yaozhu responded, a flash of red light flickering in her eyes.
They stepped into a vast lobby with counters and numerous elevators. Gu Yue led them to a red elevator. She swiped a badge she had previously taken out, and the elevator doors immediately opened. She gestured for the group to enter.
"A red elevator? That's the internal elevator for high-level officials!" Yue Zhengyu exclaimed. He was well-informed and immediately recognized the difference. "Gu Yue, what exactly is your status?"
Gu Yue glanced at him but shook her head without explaining.
The elevator ascended for a full minute before the doors opened again, and the group stepped out.
Gu Yue took out her soul communicator and made a call, speaking in a low voice. Then, she gestured for the group to follow her.
The interior was decorated in a pristine white, and combined with the high-altitude view outside, it gave the illusion of walking among the clouds.
They walked deeper inside until they reached a silver door. Gu Yue knocked a few times before pushing it open and leading the group in.
It was a spacious room with a simple yet exquisitely designed layout.
Behind a desk sat a tall woman who appeared to be in her thirties. She had stunning features, her long red hair cascading down her back.
She was like the most beautiful decoration in the room—her very presence filled the space with vitality and energy.
As she saw them enter, she smiled warmly and stood up.
She was tall...
(End of Chapter)