Join Us

"Join us. Let me introduce everyone again. This is Di Qiu'er, formerly the Emperor Auspicious Beast and now the Lord of Soul Beasts."

Chen Ming raised a hand and introduced her again. Once Dong Qianqiu came to her senses, she looked at the silver-haired figure seated on the sofa, surprise flashing in her eyes.

"The Emperor Auspicious Beast? The Lord of Soul Beasts?"

"That's right. I'm the Lord of Soul Beasts. Did you feel a boost to your cultivation last night? That should be enough to prove who I am, right?"

Di Qiu'er folded her arms, putting on a lofty, imposing air as she spoke. Dong Qianqiu recalled that she had indeed felt a very noticeable boost to her cultivation the night before.

Auspicious Beasts had an aura that accelerated the cultivation of Soul Beasts. Dong Qianqiu was currently in a transformed state and hadn't fully become human, so she could still benefit from it.

"So? Have you made up your mind?"

Chen Ming looked at Dong Qianqiu, waiting for her choice. Images flashed through her mind: Poseidon protecting Sea God Island long ago, and the island's decline after Tang San took power.

At the thought, she clenched her fists. If she could kill that Sea God, she'd accept it even if this was a trap. She nodded at once and said:

"I'm willing to join you..."

"Wise choice. There are only three of us for now, but we're all pretty capable. See this world? This is my power: I control an entire world."

Chen Ming began painting a rosy picture for the silly little shark.

"We can take our time growing stronger. Becoming gods will be a piece of cake, and then we can beat the crap out of Tang San."

Dong Qianqiu's thoughts raced. The power to control an entire world... Could he be a god reincarnated? And did he have a grudge against Tang San, too?

"Then... what should I call you from now on?"

Dong Qianqiu looked at Chen Ming, who controlled an entire world and seemed to be a god reincarnated, then at Di Qiu'er, whose aura was unfathomably powerful and whose status as the Emperor Auspicious Beast was exalted.

It seemed she could only be a little shark who bowed to them. At her question, Chen Ming waved a hand.

"Call me whatever you like, as long as I know you're talking to me. Just remember to keep my identity a secret."

As for titles, there were only Chen, Di, and Dong here. Were they supposed to imitate Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei and swear brotherhood in the Peach Garden?

"When we're alone, you can call me Your Majesty. Back when I was in the Soul Beast Forest, the people under my protection all called me that. But you can call me by my name, too."

Di Qiu'er wasn't particular about what she was called, as long as no one insulted her. Hearing this, Dong Qianqiu fell silent for a moment.

Soon, a faint blush rose on her pretty face. She looked at Chen Ming, fidgeting and stammering.

"M-Master..."

The moment she said it, Chen Ming fell silent. Di Qiu'er didn't seem to feel anything about it.

After all, she used to have to call Gu Yuena "My Lord," too. But now... the Silver Dragon King was dead, and the Auspicious Beast would take her place!

Chen Ming, though, looked a little strange. Hey, girl, you're already calling me master?

"I-Is that not okay...?"

Dong Qianqiu fidgeted awkwardly with her hands, her face bright red. A few scenes flashed through her mind. Her mother had called Poseidon "Lord" just like that.

"Whatever you like. All right, I know you'll need some time to get used to all this. Take your time. From now on, you'll train with me and Qiu'er."

Chen Ming reached out and patted Dong Qianqiu on the head, giving her time to adjust. Dong Qianqiu obediently nodded.

Now that she'd decided to avenge her mother, she'd have to work hard. Besides, with two powerful people backing her, she definitely had to cling to them.

At lunchtime, Dong Qianqiu's attention was drawn to the sumptuous meal and all the unfamiliar dishes.

"Go ahead and eat. Afterward, train hard this afternoon."

"Yes, M-Master."

Dong Qianqiu still wasn't used to calling Chen Ming "Master." It felt strange, but she'd get used to it soon enough.

That afternoon, they did sparring practice. Dong Qianqiu was no match for the two of them, but Chen Ming and Di Qiu'er went easy on her. After all, this wasn't a competition; it was practice to hone their skills.

Now that Dong Qianqiu had joined My World, she also benefited from the Skill Mod, and her improvement was steady.

Dinner was just as lavish. After training all afternoon, Dong Qianqiu was starving, so she ate a lot.

That evening, they worked on their secondary professions. Di Qiu'er went to forge, while Chen Ming asked Dong Qianqiu to choose a secondary profession.

"Qiu'er's studying forging, and I'm studying all three. You can choose one of the three: design, inscription, or forging. We'll definitely need it later when we make Battle Armor."

Chen Ming laid three books in front of Dong Qianqiu and let her choose. After some thought, she ultimately chose Battle Armor design.

The three of them studied their secondary professions in an orderly fashion until it was almost time for bed. Then Chen Ming made some late-night snacks.

The rich milky aroma made Di Qiu'er drool, and Dong Qianqiu swallowed unconsciously.

"That smells so good! Chen Ming, what are you making?"

Di Qiu'er came trotting over, curious. When she saw a plate piled high with cookies, her eyes lit up and she immediately tried to sneak one.

Chen Ming caught her and chased her out of the kitchen. He'd known she'd try to steal some.

"How stingy... They were all going to end up in my stomach anyway... What's wrong with eating them early...?"

Di Qiu'er pouted, her tone full of grievance. Dong Qianqiu giggled beside her. The two of them really did seem so cozy together.

"It's better if we all eat together. What's the point of always eating by yourself? Qianqiu, come on. Let's eat together."

"Okay."

The three of them sat around the table, and Di Qiu'er immediately began devouring the cookies. Chen Ming divided them up: Di Qiu'er got the most, then Dong Qianqiu, and finally himself.

Dong Qianqiu took a bite. The rich milky flavor filled her mouth, making her close her eyes and relax her brow. Her eyes curved into two little crescents.

"Delicious! Chen Ming, you're a great cook."

"Yeah, not bad."

The three of them happily ate their late-night snack. Di Qiu'er finished first and gazed at the cookies on Chen Ming's plate.

"Your Majesty, are you going to eat those?"

Dong Qianqiu noticed that Di Qiu'er seemed to want more, so she pushed her cookies over to her.

"Ahem. Since you're so thoughtful, I'll protect you from now on."

Di Qiu'er patted Dong Qianqiu on the shoulder, then took the cookies and started eating. Chen Ming was speechless. He picked up a shark-shaped cookie and placed it against Dong Qianqiu's lips.

"Help me eat this one. See if this little shark-shaped cookie tastes good."

Chen Ming's fingers touched Dong Qianqiu's lips. Her cheeks immediately grew warm, and her earlobes turned pink. She nodded slightly and answered.

"Mm..."

After their snack came game time. Chen Ming took out several unusual little blocks, and Di Qiu'er and Dong Qianqiu immediately looked over curiously.