Usually, a person would fall into deep thought after someone asked them a question that literally could and probably would affect their entire future from that point until the rest of their life. At the end of the day, unlike casual questions that didn't have any overly deep meaning, these types of questions could determine how far they would go in their respective paths throughout life.

However, to Bai Zemin's surprise, Xian Mei'er didn't even take a moment to think.

The beautiful gem-like blue eyes of the alluring former First Princess and current Queen of the East Sea Kingdom glistened softly after hearing Bai Zemin's question. She looked into his eyes and, in a voice somewhat hoarse from exhaustion, replied, "As long as we can live in peace, why not? Everyone wants to be stronger, but aren't there myriads of races out there waiting for us? We might as well fight them to level up."

Bai Zemin's breathing stagnated after hearing this answer. After a moment's hesitation, he couldn't help but ask what was on his mind.

"You really don't want to rule all the oceans on Earth? Power, prestige, honor, status, wealth... Even though you're a proud Queen now there's no way to compare what you could have if you become Empress..."

"Still," Xian Mei'er shook her head softly and said, "What do I want to rule all the oceans for anyway? It's not like I could split myself into millions of pieces and be everywhere... Then again, I might as well take care of what I can really handle and let others take care of the rest. I know my limits. I am not you after all."

Bai Zemin watched her silently for almost a full minute before smiling bitterly. A hint of embarrassment shone in his eyes as he slowly said, "Now I regret a little bit asking you that."

"Uh? Why is that?" Xian Mei'er looked at him with obvious confusion in her eyes.

"Actually," Bai Zemin explained everything about what had happened without hiding anything from his conversation with the First Princess of the Coral Kingdom. Finally, he sighed, "I admit that I didn't completely trust you... Even now it's like this. This is also part of the reason why I accepted the proposal from that mermaid named Shui Meiying."

Bai Zemin somehow felt that he could trust Xian Mei'er completely, that she was not a ferocious shark waiting in the darkness of the waters for the right moment to deal him a big blow. Yet, he could not control his heart and decide who to trust and who not to trust.

Shangguan Bing Xue had saved his life on numerous occasions and the extent of help she had given him simply could not be put into words.

Wu Yijun may not have been particularly important to Bai Zemin in terms of strength as while she was very strong her growth speed was still far behind what was needed to be able to provide him with quality help on the battlefield. However, the girl not only spent sleepless nights repeatedly preparing dozens of political cabinets in different areas and conquering the hearts of the people, but she even opposed her family more than once, all for his benefit.

Seraphina Di Gales, that little tsundere princess of Gales Kingdom not only saved Bai Zemin when he fell unconscious after hurting his soul after the repeated activation of Overlap Regeneration but she even went against her family's rules to protect him and prevent them from taking away his treasures. She didn't even know him but still showed that her character was extremely pure and good-natured.

Kali? Kali only had Bai Zemin. In the eyes of this beautiful and talented but pitifully sickly little beauty, Bai Zemin was her present and also her future; he was the only family she had and the only person she could really trust. Someone like that would never betray him even if the sky fell apart and the earth broke into infinite pieces.

As for Lilith... If Shangguan Bing Xue had given Bai Zemin help that could not be described in words, then Lilith was the reason why he was him today. To say that if it were not for Lilith he would not have the strength he had today was by no means an exaggeration, and considering that time was not necessarily his ally given the circumstances of the universe, Lilith was the one who saved not only Bai Zemin but his entire family and everything else.

In contrast to them, the experiences that Bai Zemin and Xian Mei'er lived together as well as the bonds that linked them were by no means that strong. Perhaps this could change in the future, no one knew what tomorrow had in store... But for now, that was the way things were.

...

Back in his room late at night, Bai Zemin sighed heavily. Actually, he had already showered and was lying under the sheets of his comfy bed.

"That little mermaid princess isn't bad at all."

Beside him, Lilith gently moved and rested her head on his rock-solid chest while drawing endless circles on his abdomen using her slender index finger. Her voice was so bewitching that Bai Zemin's worries disappeared every time he listened to it.

Bai Zemin caressed her bare shoulder using his right hand with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. After a long time, his much softer-than-normal voice sounded inside the silent room.

"Lilith."

"Mm?"

"Will you be with me forever?"

Lilith's finger paused for a moment, and for a few seconds, she said nothing.

After what Bai Zemin felt like an eternity, her soft, delicate voice sounded across the four walls.

"I would like to. And I hope so."

Seeing that even after a long time he said nothing, Lilith continued,

"For that to happen, so that nothing and no one can ever pull us apart, we have to be stronger. Infinitely stronger."

Bai Zemin continued to caress her soft shoulder gently, and after a long time, he slowly nodded without saying anything.

Just as Lilith's eyes were closing and her consciousness becoming blurry in preparation for entering the dream world, Bai Zemin's voice played softly in her ears again.

"I will become that much stronger... So much so that even the laws of the multiverse and the laws of the Soul Record won't be able to keep you away from me ever."

Her beautiful ruby-colored pupils trembled softly as she heard this. She half rose and looked at his face dimly illuminated by the artificial moonlight in disbelief.

"Zemin, you..."

However, Bai Zemin shook his head and drew her back into his embrace as if she belonged there, "Let's sleep... Something tells me we won't have much time to rest soon."

With her heart filled with questions and concerns, Lilith found no strength so she obediently returned to her previous position. A few minutes later, Bai Zemin's soft snoring as well as his steady breathing told her that he had already fallen asleep.

She smiled bitterly and secretly shook her head as she mumbled to herself before finally falling asleep.

That night the couple did nothing erotic and simply hugged.

They were both respected and feared among the Higher/Lower division to which they respectively belonged, but only they knew that they were little wooden boats in the middle of the stormy sea. Perhaps precisely because of this, they both felt warmer and safer in each other's embrace; more in understanding.

* * *

The next day.

In front of the north wall of Hero City, a small number of people gathered early in the morning.

"Are you sure you don't want to bring more people?" Chen He frowned tightly as he looked at Bai Zemin's group of three standing in front of him.

Bai Zemin shook his head in response and remarked, "I don't think it's necessary. Besides, if what this Shui Meiying girl said is true then we should be more cautious. We can't risk Hero City no matter what."

"That's..." Chen He hesitated as he realized that Bai Zemin was right.

Currently, Bai Zemin was preparing to leave. However, he was only taking Shangguan Bing Xue and Feng Tian Wu this time.

"The three of us are the three with the most overall destructive power in the entire faction if we leave aside Shangguan Xinyue who isn't present. Although Hero City has many protective shells, the power consumption is not small." Bai Zemin took a deep breath as he explained to the group in front of him, "We can't afford to take any risks... Besides, even if we are underwater we are still more than enough to clear an entire kingdom even if there are 5 or 6 Fourth Order soul evolvers on the enemy side."

Meng Qi approached at that moment. To everyone's surprise, she wrapped her arms around Bai Zemin's neck, and just as he was preparing to push her away for fear that she might do something she stood on her tiptoes and gently kissed his forehead. With a slight blush and taking a step back, she said genuinely worried, "Be careful brother... Remember many people are waiting for you."action

Bai Zemin could feel his heart beating fiercely at this point. He almost fainted in fear thinking that his dear sister was going to do something else but seeing her worried eyes he couldn't help but blame himself a little.

Evidently, what happened in the battle against Thao Zhi under the sea was something that Meng Qi still remembered vividly. Therefore, battles under the sea for her were the equivalent of nightmares.

This time it was he the one who stepped forward, and after a gentle but long hug he stepped back again, "I promise you that everything will be fine. I'll be back. We'll be back."

Meng Qi smiled and nodded. Since he promised then he would definitely do it.

Bai Zemin made a few more orders and also pointed out that if they did not return within two days they should go back to the surface to support the faction. Approximately ten minutes later, the group of three went through the magic portal and appeared directly in deep, dark water.

...

After leaving Hero City, the group of three composed by Bai Zemin, Shangguan Bing Xue, and Feng Tian Wu swam in deep water for approximately 5 kilometers in an easterly direction until they reached a large underwater volcano.

Shui Meiying was supposed to be waiting for them there.

According to what they discussed yesterday, Shui Meiying would take Bai Zemin directly to the place where this "great gift" was.

* * * * * * *

Really thank you very much to all those who send gifts to the novel and support with valuable Golden Tickets. I hope we can all keep it up <3