Sure enough, it was all because I was too handsome

[Going to Shrek Academy today? What's the rush?]

[Oh, wait... I guess it isn't really a rush. Judging by the timing, Huo Yuhao should be leaving the White Tiger Duke Manor for the Star Dou Great Forest around now. Before long, he'll reach the turning point in his destiny.]

[I'd been hoping to say goodbye to Xiao Bai and Xiao Zi at Moonview Tower today.]

[In that case, I'll have to decide as soon as possible whether to snatch Electrolux's divine consciousness fragment before he gets it. In theory, with the diary, I don't need Electrolux's help at all, but there's no reason to hand something like that over to Huo Yuhao for nothing.]

[That Undead Demiplane is a pretty good thing to have, never mind that Electrolux can single-handedly pioneer the Soul Spirit Method... If I can get the Soul Spirit Method, maybe I could get the Soul Beasts' support?]

[Granted, that support wouldn't be much use, but Di Tian is still pretty good. With Di Tian protecting me, I could easily lie low all the way to godhood.]

[Of course, I could also hope the diary gives me a massive reward jackpot, taking me straight from lying low until godhood to becoming Homelander.]

After casually jotting a few things down in the diary, Aoyao smiled with easy confidence. "There's nothing much to pack. We can just leave."

He's even more handsome when he smiles!

Ning Tian marveled inwardly once again, though none of it showed on her face. Her smile remained as radiant as a flower, while she committed the words appearing in the diary to memory.

The Star Dou Great Forest, huh...

It's on the way, anyway.

Ning Tian chuckled softly. "I've already broken through to level thirty, but I haven't obtained a Soul Ring yet, so we need to visit the Star Dou Great Forest before heading to Shrek Academy."

At her words, Aoyao's eyes suddenly lit up.

He had been trying to think of an excuse to visit the Star Dou Great Forest, or considering heading to Shrek Academy first and doubling back afterward. Now, everything seemed to have fallen perfectly into place.

[Good thing Ning Tian needs to get a Soul Ring in the Star Dou Great Forest. That saves a lot of trouble. Come to think of it, my current persona is still a weakling with only two and a half levels of innate soul power. If we run into danger in the Star Dou Great Forest, should I step in, step in, or step in?]

[Not stepping in would be pretty hard to justify, and it'd be letting down the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Clan after all those years of giving me a comfortable life. But if I do step in, should I give them a crooked smirk to suit the occasion?]

[The four Kun-year term has ended! Welcome back, Dragon King!]

A crooked smirk? Four Kun-years?

What on earth is any of that supposed to mean?!

And how did a Dragon King get dragged into this?

Wu Feng looked at Aoyao, somewhat speechless. She couldn't shake the feeling that this handsome-looking fellow might not be quite right in the head.

How should I put it... a little unhinged?

The Star Dou Great Forest.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion cautiously glanced at the Silver Dragon King beside her, feeling that her sovereign seemed to be in a rather poor mood.

She had clearly been quite calm just moments ago, but after the diary updated, her mood had taken a visibly sharp turn for the worse.

I can't figure out why... Also, it's so boring here!

There's no one to play with me, and none of those plump, juicy Soul Beasts to eat. When will these days ever end?!

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion flopped down, beginning to question her entire beastly existence.

Beside her, the Silver Dragon King glanced at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, who had given up trying, but said nothing more. Her attention was entirely focused on the "Soul Spirit Method" mentioned in the diary. She instinctively felt that this so-called Soul Spirit Method would greatly benefit Soul Beasts.

What annoyed her, however, was that Aoyao had only mentioned it in passing, without offering any further description.

And then he had even gone on to say that support from Soul Beasts was useless?

That was simply... utter nonsense!

Gu Yuena wanted to refute him inwardly, but faced with this miraculous diary, she seemed... unable to find anything to say in rebuttal.

With this diary in his possession, Soul Beasts really might not amount to much in Aoyao's eyes.

After turning it over in her mind, Gu Yuena took a deep breath, a thoughtful look appearing in her silver-tinged eyes.

Aoyao would soon arrive in the Star Dou Great Forest. Could she use this opportunity to try making contact with him? Even if she wasn't doing it for that reward, she still needed to find out what this divine consciousness fragment belonging to someone called Electrolux was, and what exactly the Soul Spirit Method entailed.

She had no memories of this Electrolux.

In other words, Electrolux wasn't a god of the Divine Realm...

Could there be gods outside the Divine Realm that even I know nothing about?

After pondering for a moment, Gu Yuena raised her enormous head and looked at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion beside her.

"Auspicious Beast, go bring Di Tian here. I have some tasks for him."

Gu Yuena's sudden words startled the completely unprepared Three-Eyed Golden Lion so badly that she toppled over with all four paws in the air.

But once she understood her sovereign's words, delight immediately shone in the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's eyes.

She could finally leave this place and get some fresh air outside!

Unfortunately, before her joy could fully spread, Gu Yuena's next words brought her crashing back to reality.

"Come back with Di Tian afterward. Until the threat posed by Sea God Tang San has been dealt with, don't even think about leaving this place."

Inside the carriage.

Aoyao looked rather oddly at the hostile-faced Wu Feng, then at Ning Tian, who sat beside her with laughter still in her eyes. He couldn't help feeling that the atmosphere in the carriage was a little strange.

Ever since they had boarded the carriage, Ning Tian had kept striking up conversations with him. Wu Feng's expression had initially been fairly calm, but as time passed, it had grown increasingly sour. By now, she looked downright hostile, stopping just short of glaring at him with her eyes wide open.

Setting Wu Feng's attitude aside for the moment, Ning Tian's behavior was rather intriguing.

It seemed to carry a certain inexplicable... favor?

After thinking it over, Aoyao simply chalked it up to being far too handsome.

As for Wu Feng, it was understandable that seeing Ning Tian's attitude toward him would make her jealous and sour her mood.

[Sigh, sure enough, is it all because I'm too handsome?]

[Still, Ning Tian's behavior has knocked Wu Feng's vinegar jar right over... But Wu Feng actually hasn't hurled any abuse at me. That really caught me by surprise.]

[With Wu Feng's temper, shouldn't she be insulting me outright?]

[Oh, wait, not getting insulted seems like a good thing. I'm not a masochist, so why am I looking forward to that...]

Insult you outright?

You make it sound like you know me so well.

Wu Feng couldn't resist grumbling inwardly. Then she gave Aoyao a discreet glare, only to receive a somewhat innocent look in return. Helpless, she turned her head away and shut her eyes, deciding not to look at that face of his, which was growing more detestable in her eyes by the moment.