Just as she was about to defect, Bibi Dong obtained a simulator.

Chapter 85 There is a God Above
"Your Highness, Ning Fengzhi and the Shrek Academy team have arrived."

She Long bowed and reported, but his eyelids twitched uncontrollably—because he caught a glimpse of Xia Yu waving at him from beside the dining table.

He had always thought that Xia Yu had only managed to drag him into the illusion by sneaking up on him, and he was unwilling to accept it, so he asked for a lesson again. It wasn't until he saw his old colleague, Ci Xue, dancing a seductive dance in the illusion that he completely suppressed his arrogance and obediently submitted.

"Okay, bring them in." Qian Renxue nodded, but her gaze fell on Xia Yu's hand reaching for the plate. She slapped it shut, her tone tinged with helplessness: "Can't you wait until the guests arrive before you eat?"

Xia Yu paused, his face full of shock: "Am I not considered a guest?"

Qian Renxue: "Hehe."

"Don't laugh like that! I suspect you're mocking me."

"No doubt about it."

"..."

Xia Yu was speechless for a moment and silently withdrew his hand.

She Long kept his head down and acted as if he hadn't heard their bickering. He even quickened his pace as he bowed and retreated.

He couldn't afford to offend either of them—one was his superior; the other was a ruthless character who could easily control him, and someone His Highness currently indulged quite a bit. Why bother making a fool of himself?

Inside the warm pavilion, Qian Renxue glanced at Xia Yu, whose cheeks were puffed out, and her lips curled up almost imperceptibly. She looked up towards the doorway, a deep meaning flashing in her eyes.

She Long pushed open the door and walked straight to the Shrek team and Ning Fengzhi who were waiting at the door. His voice was calm and polite: "Everyone, His Highness the Crown Prince has prepared a sumptuous lunch. Please come in."

"Good work."

Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, his tone gentle. This time, he did not bring Sword Douluo or Bone Douluo with him, and surprisingly, he went to the appointment alone, which made him appear dignified and reserved.

"I don't deserve such praise. Please come with me."

She Long led the way, his steps steady.

The group of nine followed immediately—Ning Fengzhi walked in front, Yu Xiaogang followed closely behind, and the Shrek Seven Devils walked side by side in twos and threes. The young men and women still had the sharpness of the arena in their eyes, but they could not hide their curiosity about the royal luncheon. They passed through the carved and painted corridors, with palace maids and eunuchs bowing their heads along the way. The air was filled with the faint aroma of delicious food, mixed with the sweet fragrance of osmanthus in the courtyard.

She Long continued walking, leading the group towards Qian Renxue's location.

Turning through a crescent-shaped gate, the space suddenly opened up, revealing an exquisite warm pavilion. Two rows of palace lanterns were placed under the long corridor outside the pavilion, and figures could be vaguely seen moving inside.

She Long stopped and gestured, "Everyone, the luncheon will be held here. His Highness the Crown Prince is already waiting inside the pavilion."

Inside the pavilion, Qian Renxue sat at the head of the table, while Xia Yu was getting impatient on the other side.

Ma Hongjun had just stepped inside when he suddenly froze, his eyes widening in disbelief. He nudged Oscar hard with his elbow: "Holy crap! It's that kid who was with the dim-witted child before. What's he doing here?"

Oscar was also completely bewildered. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things and muttered to himself, "Who knew! He actually has a connection with His Highness the Crown Prince."

The two looked at each other, their minds filled with the scene of their conversation in front of Shrek Academy. Now, being at a royal luncheon felt incredibly strange.

Hearing the noise, Xia Yu looked up and caught sight of Ma Hongjun and Oscar. A smile played on her lips as she raised her hand to greet them, "Oh, we meet again."

Qian Renxue glanced at him and said in a flat tone, "Don't wander around, sit still." She then pushed a plate of fresh fruit toward him. Xia Yu didn't stand on ceremony, picked up a cherry, popped it into his mouth, and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Thanks."

Qian Renxue didn't reply, but a hint of gentleness flashed across her eyes. This natural interaction made them seem like long-time friends.

This scene sent a chill down everyone's spine.

Ning Fengzhi picked up his teacup and took a sip, his gaze subtly sweeping over the two of them as he thought to himself: Xia Yu's identity must be extraordinary, to be able to make His Highness the Crown Prince so casual.

Yu Xiaogang frowned slightly as he sized up Xia Yu. He noticed that Xia Yu was dressed plainly and his words and actions were unremarkable. He seemed like an idle person with no real skills, and Yu Xiaogang couldn't figure out his background.

The Shrek Seven Devils exchanged glances privately, and Dai Mubai lowered his voice to Tang San, saying, "Xia Yu looks like a Great Soul Master, how can he stay by His Highness the Crown Prince's side?"

Tang San shook his head slightly, signaling him not to say anything more.

Everyone secretly thought that Xia Yu probably didn't have any real ability and was only there because of special connections, but no one dared to say it aloud. They simply bowed and greeted, "Greetings, Your Highness the Crown Prince."

Qian Renxue raised her hand to indicate, "No need for formalities, please take a seat. Today's meal is just a casual one, so please don't be shy."

Xia Yu picked up a piece of food and ate it, his expression indifferent, as if he hadn't noticed the strange looks from everyone. His casual demeanor only made everyone more convinced that he was a good-for-nothing playboy with royal blood.

Xia Yu didn't care about the disdain in everyone's eyes, after all, these were future enemies.

As thoughts raced through his mind, a ruthless idea suddenly popped into his head: Why not just slap the Shrek Seven Devils to death right now and eliminate any future troubles?

With a thought, Xia Yu abruptly stood up, his soul power instantly gathering. Just as he was about to strike, the Myriad Transformations Mask within his body suddenly became scorching hot, and the Qilin Martial Soul at his heart trembled violently, as if issuing a warning. The chaotic soul power churned uncontrollably through his meridians, like countless steel needles piercing through them. Xia Yu felt a sharp pain all over his body, and cold sweat instantly soaked his clothes.

He suddenly realized that this was his martial spirit reminding him that if he made a move now, he might kill a few people, but he himself would also suffer.

Xia Yu forcefully suppressed his restless soul power and slowly sat back down, his fingertips turning slightly white from the exertion. Qian Renxue noticed his unusual behavior, turned her head to look at him, and asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Xia Yu said calmly, concealing the hostility in his eyes. He picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and said casually, "I just sat for too long, so I moved around a bit."

Qian Renxue raised an eyebrow, but didn't ask any more questions. She just lingered on his face for a moment, as if she had noticed something, but didn't point it out.

Ning Fengzhi's gaze fell on Xia Yu, and he spoke first, his tone gentle yet inquisitive: "May I ask who this gentleman is?"

Qian Renxue raised her eyes, her tone casual as if she were talking about something ordinary: "He is my cousin. I haven't seen him for a long time, so I brought him along."

"Sure enough."

Ma Hongjun and Oscar exchanged a quick glance, a hint of "as expected" flashing in their eyes. They even secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and a subtle smile appeared on their lips, a kind of smug satisfaction at "guessing the answer correctly."

As the luncheon ended and everyone gradually left, Xia Yu remained seated, his fingertips lightly tapping the table as if deep in thought. Qian Renxue walked slowly to his side, her gaze sweeping over the mostly empty plates, and asked, "What do you think of them?"

"So-so." Xia Yu didn't even look up, his tone indifferent. As he got up and passed by Qian Renxue, he suddenly pointed to the sky above, a meaningful smile playing on his lips: "However, it seems that one of them is being protected by a god."

Qian Renxue's pupils contracted slightly, but her face remained expressionless. She merely glanced at him, a hint of seriousness flashing in her eyes—Xia Yu's words clearly indicated that he had discovered something.

(End of this chapter)