"Lord, you...!" Di Tian's expression changed drastically, his face full of worry. With just one glance, he could tell that Gu Yuena had condensed an incarnation using her divine blood, splitting off a fragment of her soul's origin to enter it.
If this were the Silver Dragon King at her peak, such an act might not matter much, but right now, Gu Yuena's body was gravely injured. Wouldn't this just be adding injury to injury?
"It's fine. At most, I'll just sleep for another hundred years. Compared to the possibility of coexistence between Creation and Destruction, this price is nothing I can't bear." Her ethereal voice sounded again, now tinged with resoluteness.
On the surface of the lake, a black-haired, black-eyed girl slowly opened her eyes. She gently landed on the surface of the Lake of Life, her toes barely touching, yet the lake didn't ripple at all. She stood quietly, like a transcendent immortal untouched by the world's dust.
The girl's appearance was graceful, her features exquisitely beautiful—maybe not the absolute beauty that could topple cities, but she had a uniquely cool and extraordinary aura.
This temperament made her seem detached from the hustle and bustle of the mundane world, radiating an untouchable beauty.
If you judged her by looks alone, she might only score an 80, but coupled with that unique aura, she could easily be rated above 90.
"From now on, I'll be called Gu Yue. Arrange a human identity for me. It's the perfect chance to understand the current human world." Gu Yue spoke softly, her voice gentle yet leaving no room for doubt.
"Yes, my lord. I'll handle it at once."
Di Tian responded in a deep voice, his figure flickering and vanishing from sight.
With his power, arranging a human identity for Gu Yue was a simple matter.
...
Meanwhile, Lu Jingming, who was being watched by Gu Yuena due to the Black Abyss White Flower, was currently under Jing Liu's protection, fully focused on absorbing the soul ring of the Holy Flame Sky Tiger.
The process was extremely difficult—not only did he have to keep his physical body from being torn apart by the wild soul power, but he also had to battle the remnant soul of the Holy Flame Sky Tiger in his spiritual world. But the outcome was already determined.
After successfully absorbing the soul ring, Lu Jingming and Jing Liu left the Star Dou Great Forest and smoothly met up with Zhang Lexuan and the others outside the forest. Then, without delay, they set off straight toward the Heavenly Soul Empire.
Because Zhang Lexuan and the others' flying speed was limited, the group spent a full seven days before finally reaching the capital of the Heavenly Soul Empire—Heaven Dou City.
If Jing Liu had traveled alone, with her extraordinary speed, she could have arrived in just a few hours.
Heaven Dou City, as one of the largest cities on the Douluo Continent, was imposing and magnificent. The city gates alone were ten meters tall, towering and majestic.
In front of the gates, squads of soldiers clad in silver armor patrolled and guarded back and forth, their postures upright, eyes sharp, exuding the city's authority.
At this time, because the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament was about to begin, Heaven Dou City was bustling like never before.
The city's streets were extremely prosperous, lined with a dense array of shops filled with dazzling goods.
The streets were packed with people—soul masters, merchants, and tourists from all over the world weaving among each other. The cries of vendors and the laughter of people intertwined, playing out a symphony of urban prosperity.
According to the tournament rules, the participating teams were required to go to the Heavenly Soul Square in the southern part of the city.
There stood the empire's largest hotel—Sky Vault Hotel. Whether to register or to arrange accommodation, all teams had to go there.
Although the city was now overflowing with people and all sorts of inns and hotels had long been taken, the participating teams had nothing to worry about—the empire's officials had already fully prepared.
Soon, Lu Jingming and the others arrived at the Sky Vault Hotel and strode into the lobby.
However, as soon as they entered, Lu Jingming's gaze was instantly drawn to a familiar figure. At the same time, that person sharply sensed his presence.
"Sister Lexuan, Keqing, I knew you two would come." A fiery red figure, like a burst of flame, quickly approached Zhang Lexuan and Keqing.
It was Ma Xiaotao, dressed today in a bright red outfit that accentuated her fiery personality—though at this moment, she deliberately ignored Lu Jingming.
"Xiaotao, you came so early!" A trace of surprise flashed across Zhang Lexuan's face.
Shrek Academy was already within the Heavenly Soul Empire, not far from Heaven Dou City, and as the reigning champions, they had no need to hurry for the competition.
"This time, my teacher's leading the team, and we all wanted to have fun in Heaven Dou City, so we set off early." Ma Xiaotao said excitedly, her eyes sparkling with liveliness.
She used to be tormented by evil fire and couldn't even be a reserve member of Shrek. But ever since Jing Liu sealed her evil fire, she broke free from its constraints and successfully became a reserve member, earning her a place in this tournament.
"Is that so? Dean Yan is leading this time?" Zhang Lexuan nodded gently, recalling her year of cultivation at Shrek—most of her and Keqing's time was spent training in the Golden Tree, with only Ma Xiaotao and Yan Shaozhe as regular contacts.
"Isn't this the great Lord of Haiyuan City? This isn't a place for little brats like you." Ma Xiaotao finally couldn't resist, turning to Lu Jingming with a mocking smile, starting to tease him without mercy.
Lu Jingming remained calm, gently stroking the pink-furred fox in his arms. The little fox's soft fur slipped through his fingers. He smiled coldly, speaking slowly, "Heh, am I too little? Do you dare to try?"
His voice wasn't loud, but everyone present was a soul master with sharp hearing, and immediately, curious gazes turned toward them.
"Huh? What wouldn't I dare? You want to fight me?" Ma Xiaotao blinked, a bit confused, obviously not catching the innuendo in his words. But her fearless nature instantly flared up, and she loudly responded, never doubting herself.
"Xiao Ming!" Zhang Lexuan quickly shot Lu Jingming a reproachful glare, full of blame.
Keqing was even faster, grabbing Lu Jingming's ear and saying angrily, "No being a pervert!"
Her cheeks flushed slightly at his words, embarrassed. She knew Lu Jingming had a mental age far beyond a child's, but she didn't expect him to be so dirty.
PS: Sending free waifu.
PS2: Read atleast 25 chapters at patreon.com/AbsoluteCode