The celestial phenomenon continued.
Danheng walked to the window, gazing at the pillar of light rising from the city center.
There were now several more divine auras present there.
Some of them were even "old acquaintances" of his.
That Bibi Dong could become a god was within his expectations—but the descent of deities? That was unexpected.
Something unusual was definitely happening…
"Dear…"
Gu Yuena suddenly appeared, her voice low.
Danheng turned around to see her beautiful face slightly frowning, clearly lost in thought.
He gently embraced Gu Yuena, her soft body falling into his arms.
Resting her head on his shoulder, Gu Yuena sighed softly.
"I'm a little worried…"
She could naturally sense the arrival of divine beings.
Gods descending like this was abnormal. It didn't take much imagination to realize it had something to do with Di Tian and the other fierce beasts becoming gods.
How could the divine realm possibly sit idly by?
Everything had been planned well—but now, facing such risk, even she couldn't help but feel a shadow over her heart.
Danheng tightened his embrace and said softly, "It's okay. I'll handle everything."
Gu Yuena gave a gentle "Mm," inhaling his scent and relaxing. "I trust you, my love…"
"Dear, when do you think our child will be born? Boy or girl? I have a feeling… it'll be very soon."
She smiled with joy on her lips.
With Danheng's promise, she wasn't afraid—even if the divine realm descended now!
Danheng shook his head. Her hand grabbed his and placed it on her belly.
It was slightly rounded. Even through her clothes, he could feel the delicate warmth of her skin.
The soft sensation made Danheng feel like he was touching the call of new life.
"No matter if it's a boy or girl, I'll love them just the same… So, can we stay home for the next few days?" Danheng asked gently.
In the Chi Ming clan, natural-born children were almost unheard of.
Now that he was about to have his first child, a wave of indescribable emotion surged in him.
Gu Yuena nodded with a smile. "I hope the baby comes soon. That way, we can take them out to see the festivities… Dear, when the time comes, can we visit the Fontaine Empire as a family?"
She blinked her large eyes—the Fontaine Empire was her great gift to their child!
Of course, to wear the crown, one must bear its weight.
As someone who had once pushed herself to "compete," her child would surely need to "compete" as well.
Danheng gladly agreed.
In fact, if Gu Yuena asked him now to help soul beasts regain their former glory, he would not hesitate.
However, even after achieving her original goal, Gu Yuena still refused the temptation of instant success.
The strange phenomenon in the sky gradually faded.
But Heaven Dou City was only getting livelier.
Though the emergence of the Sea God's Tower two years ago had revealed that gods were no longer just myth, Bibi Dong's ascension was still the first successful divinization in tens of thousands of years!
Especially now—Bibi Dong's reputation had not yet collapsed.
As the High Priestess of the Spirit Hall, with countless merits to her name, she naturally received widespread admiration. Major factions were likely to shower her with congratulations. The atmosphere would be grand and festive.
The Heaven Dou Empire, however, was about to become very nervous.
They had taken advantage during the Spirit Hall's internal split.
Of course, Danheng didn't care about any of this.
No matter what kind of ceremony the Spirit Hall was planning, he had no desire to get involved.
But the very invitation that others would beg and grovel for was quietly placed on Danheng's front counter.
The one who delivered it was Qian Renxue.
She had changed a lot in the time they hadn't seen each other. She wasn't even using her "Xue Qinghe" persona anymore—she appeared as her true self.
Blonde hair, fair skin, shimmering eyes, and a cold elegance.
Many eyes turned toward her, but none dared stare too long.
Her presence was simply overwhelming.
"Mr. Danheng, this invitation from Bibi Dong is not from the public Spirit Hall—it's a private one. Fewer than ten people received it," Qian Renxue said softly.
Her voice was warm and gentle when she spoke to him, and her eyes carried a touch of indescribable affection.
Danheng frowned slightly, puzzled.
Did he even have a close relationship with Bibi Dong?
Why would he be invited to such a private gathering?
"Sorry…" Danheng declined, raising his hand politely.
Qian Renxue smiled, placing the invitation on the counter and nodding. "I figured you'd say that. But that woman insisted. Mr. Danheng, feel free to ignore her. She never could distinguish fantasy from reality."
She looked at him with a gentle smile.
Suddenly, Danheng noticed a deep resemblance between her and Qian Yu Han.
Or rather, though their appearances differed, their divine auras had somehow completely merged.
Qian Renxue shook her head and added:
"Mr. Danheng, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Well… I have a friend. She's been hiding under a false identity somewhere. But now she wants to reclaim her true self…"
Qian Renxue explained in detail.
Danheng was silent for a moment before replying, "I have no advice to offer. But if she's thinking in terms of the bigger picture—gods have already appeared. There will be no more war, unless one of the gods starts it."
Qian Renxue blinked, not responding immediately.
Just then, a cheerful voice rang out from outside.
"Mr. Danheng! I'm back! Did you miss me?"
The voice came first. A blue figure ran in through the door.
Long blue hair and a sweet face with an innocent smile—
It was Shui Yue'er, whom he hadn't seen in two years.
This girl was a hopeless fangirl, but she never gave Danheng any trouble—always knew her limits.
So Danheng actually felt a bit indulgent toward her.
As she approached, her voice softened. Standing in front of Qian Renxue, her once-proud beauty felt completely overshadowed.
She stole a glance at Qian Renxue and couldn't help feeling inferior.
This woman… how could she be so unrealistically beautiful?
Danheng gave her a slight nod—his version of a greeting.
"Mr. Danheng, I've changed a lot, right? I've been training with those books you recommended. I haven't fallen behind my sister in cultivation at all!"
Shui Yue'er giggled.
Danheng didn't respond, instead asking, "How long until the Soul Master Tournament begins?"
She tilted her head. "Only eight days left!"
"…" Danheng nodded slightly. The granddaughter that Long Gong Meng Shu had entrusted to him would likely arrive within the next couple of days.
Shui Yue'er proudly said, "Mr. Danheng, we've made great progress over the past two years. We're definitely going to defeat the Blue Tyrant Team. Will you cheer us on?"
"No." Danheng was firm.
The Blue Tyrant Team was guided by his wife, after all.
Shui Yue'er wasn't discouraged. She chuckled goofily. "Then… what if we're fighting another team? Will you cheer for us then?"
"If I happen to be watching," Danheng replied with a nod.
"Thank you, Mr. Danheng!" she cheered, then quickly quieted herself and took a seat across from him at the service counter—her "throne" from two years ago.
Qian Renxue suddenly turned to Danheng and smiled. "Alright then, Mr. Danheng. I know what I'll do now…"
With that, she also took her leave.
Meanwhile, Di Tian and the other fierce beasts had finally returned to the Fontaine Empire.
After nearly three years of governance, the empire had fully established independence from Heaven Dou and Star Luo.
That was thanks to its unique system.
The empire disregarded nobility—soul masters held no special privileges.
To the rulers, everyone was equal.
Ironically, in a country ruled by beasts, true progress had arrived first.
Because of that, the soldiers were fiercely loyal, and the people lived in peace and happiness.
Aside from the emperor, no one had the power to enslave them—life only kept getting better.
If any nobles from the previous dynasty tried to cause trouble or secretly oppress others?
The Fontaine Empire had no tolerance—they were simply executed.
Even Prince Zhu had no say in the matter.
There had been several noble rebellions. At first, they were suppressed by the beasts—but later, even the nobles' own soldiers refused to revolt.
The empire was thriving…
If the Fontaine Empire had one flaw, it was the emperor's obsession with aesthetics.
National holidays were expected, but this emperor had created many odd ones—like the "Sacred Wedding Festival," two versions of "Christmas," and more.
These had no cultural traditions, but since they were supported by the emperor—with holidays and state subsidies—the people embraced them.
And the emperor had a clear preference for the color cyan.
The number of cypress and maple trees planted surpassed any other nation.
The buildings, store decorations, and even guardrails on public roads—all were colored cyan.
The common people couldn't understand the reason…
But their sense of aesthetics had gradually shifted to match.
As Di Tian and the other beast kings returned, passing through various cities, they were all confused.
Things weren't like this when they left!
When they arrived at the palace, they saw Zi Ji dozing on the throne.
Seeing them return, Zi Ji immediately let out a joyful cheer.
"Wonderful!!!"
Even Di Tian and the others couldn't help but smile. They hadn't expected the usually unreliable and mischievous Zi Ji, their playful "little sister," to genuinely be happy for them.
It turned out that the bond between them was far deeper than any of them had realized.
"Zi Ji, thank you for all your hard work. You've done a great job…"
Di Tian nodded in praise.
He had originally wanted to question why she'd made so many strange changes in the empire.
But seeing her happiness at their return, he couldn't bear to speak harshly.
Chi Wang (Red King) also said, "Yes, we passed through several cities. The people there all say they're 'Fontaineans' now. Zi Ji really knows how to run a country—she's even better than us."
Yao Ling and the Ten Thousand Demon King joined in with their praise.
Only Bi Ji chuckled softly and shook her head.
Others might not know what Zi Ji was really up to—but she certainly did.
Sure enough, the next second, Zi Ji darted over to Bi Ji's side and grabbed her shoulders.
"Hehe! I've finally waited long enough! You're so mean, Bi Ji! You're so late coming to relieve me—ugh!"
Zi Ji grit her teeth.
Bi Ji gave a wry smile, gently patting Zi Ji's hand. "Zi Ji, don't you remember? For us soul beasts, two years isn't actually a long time…"
"..." Zi Ji opened her mouth to speak. That was true—before.
But now that she had something she cared about in her heart, the days had felt endless.
What she thought would just be a quick nap had turned out to be unbearably dull.
"Well, I don't care! I'm leaving right now! Bi Ji, you can stay here by yourself! Haha… I'm never coming back!"
Zi Ji put her hands on her hips, looking immensely pleased with herself.
She was ready to abandon her duties and never come back to take a turn again!
Saying that, she happily ran off.
Di Tian asked, puzzled, "Zi Ji, aren't you going to stay for a few days so we can celebrate?"
Chi Wang and the others looked equally confused.
After such a long separation, shouldn't they at least spend a few days together?
Zi Ji had already reached the door, but turned around to glance at them, snorting, "Why would I want to celebrate with you guys? You took so long—I was nearly driven mad!"
With that, she vanished like the wind.
"..."
Di Tian and the rest were all stunned.
This wasn't what they expected at all.
Zi Ji wasn't happy because of their reunion?
Bi Ji smiled helplessly and shook her head. "Don't take it personally."
Di Tian turned back and said, "Forget it, then. Now that we're back, there's no major crisis in the Fontaine Empire. Let's just focus on completing our divine trials as soon as possible. The sooner we become gods, the sooner we can assist our lord."
The other beasts all nodded in agreement.
Bi Ji pressed her hands over her chest and suddenly had a bad feeling.
She couldn't shake the sense that things might not go as smoothly as expected…
At the same time, a figure was flying swiftly toward the Fontaine Empire.
Her destination was clear—the very place where the beast kings had gathered!
Bibi Dong!!!
Whether for the mission given by the gods, or the integration demands of the Spirit Hall, she had to come here!
In the library.
A young woman suddenly came looking for Dan Heng.
She had short hair, a sultry presence, but also a proud and imposing air.
"Mr. Dan Heng… do you remember me?"
"…"
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow slightly—it was Meng Yiran, whom he hadn't seen in over three years.
The biggest difference from before was her aura. She had become far more forceful and domineering.
She was the granddaughter of Lord Meng Shu, who had asked Dan Heng to look after her.
He had worried that some bad guy might trick her.
Meng Yiran also sized up Dan Heng. Three years ago, she hadn't thought much of him at first—but later, she developed a fondness for his intelligence and courage.
Unfortunately, Dan Heng hadn't felt the same, and he already had a "sickly" wife back then.
Now, three years later, her mindset had changed.
Looking at Dan Heng, whose appearance hadn't changed and who was still just a librarian, she realized her younger self had been too immature.
She had actually fallen for Dan Heng?
Now, as a more mature woman, she could easily face her former infatuation.
"Long time no see." Meng Yiran smiled faintly and extended her hand gracefully.
Dan Heng looked at her, somewhat surprised. Her overly normal attitude actually made him feel a little uncomfortable.
"Mr. Dan Heng, my grandfather probably told you, right? Sorry to trouble you—he's such a stubborn old man…"
Meng Yiran sighed, helpless.
Dan Heng nodded slightly. "It's no problem. It's just for a short stay."
"Hey hey hey! Mr. Dan Heng, can I stay at your house too? Are there any beds left?"
Shui Yue'er suddenly popped up like a spring and looked at Dan Heng with hopeful eyes.
Meng Yiran turned to Shui Yue'er and was startled. "You… you're from the Tianshui Team…"
(End of Chapter)