The Arrival of Xue Ye

"You have done well in this matter." In the back garden of the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, after dismissing his attendants, Great Emperor Xue Ye nodded toward Qian Renxue upon learning of the existence of Xiao Yu.

"A soul beast capable of commanding hundreds of birds, understanding human speech, and possessing extraordinary intelligence... its value is far beyond that of an ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. If it is a friend, it will be a tremendous asset to the Heaven Dou Empire; if it is an enemy..."

Xue Ye did not continue, but the cold glint that flashed in his eyes said everything.

Qian Renxue, disguised as Xue Qinghe, bowed slightly, maintaining the deference of a crown prince: "Father, your judgment is wise. It was only by chance that I made its acquaintance. This beast is named 'Yu'. Although its temperament is proud, it is reasonable and not a creature of slaughter."

"Regarding the incident with Xue Beng yesterday, had it not been for the provocation by his soul beasts first, Yu would not have struck. It seems... it cares more about its territory and those fruits."

"Fruits?" Xue Ye raised an eyebrow, surprised by this detail, and then chuckled, "That is... interesting. Such a powerful existence, yet it has such mundane preferences."

"That wretch Xue Beng acted recklessly and nearly caused a disaster! Confining him for three months and docking his salary for a year is a lenient punishment, considering his youth. Those two guards—were they dealt with cleanly?"

"Rest assured, Father, they have been properly handled. There will be no future trouble," Qian Renxue replied firmly, her eyes devoid of any ripples.

She knew that the "handling" Xue Ye spoke of meant the same thing as the "handling" she had actually carried out—only the dead could keep secrets.

"Good." Xue Ye nodded with satisfaction, quite approving of the crown prince's methods.

He pondered for a moment, his gaze turning sharp again: "Qinghe, this beast is of great importance. Since you have a history with it, you must maintain this connection. Whatever it needs, as long as it does not endanger the foundation of the empire, satisfy it."

"I obey your decree." Qian Renxue felt a surge of joy; this was exactly what she wanted.

With Xue Ye's explicit support and allocation of resources, her visits to Xiao Yu would be more legitimate and face less resistance.

"Also," Xue Ye's voice lowered: "Find a suitable opportunity, on the premise of not disturbing it and ensuring safety... I wish to see this 'Yu' with my own eyes."

Such a miraculous beast was rare in the world; even he was curious about what it looked like.

Qian Renxue felt a slight chill in her heart, but her expression remained calm: "I understand, Father."

Xue Ye looked deeply at the "crown prince," as if trying to discern something beneath his calm expression, and finally nodded slowly: "You are thorough. I leave this matter entirely to you; ensure it is handled securely. Go."

"Yes, I take my leave." Qian Renxue bowed respectfully and turned to leave the back garden.

Nine days later, in the Royal Soul Beast Forest, atop a giant tree.

Xiao Yu was hovering over the newly built platform, overlooking the army of bird soul beasts below, which were carrying out the expansion of their "homeland" in an orderly fashion under the command of Yu Yi.

After being baptized by the Primary Leader Bloodline Secret Medicine, Yu Yi and the others had not only greatly increased their strength but also significantly improved their intelligence, making their coordination and scheduling much more efficient.

As for Qian Renxue, she had come to stay for half a day almost every day during this period, as if she never grew tired. It made Xiao Yu feel it was incredible—isn't your current identity the crown prince? Are you really that free? Do you still plan on executing your schemes?

Xiao Yu did not know that Xue Ye had given Qian Renxue a long vacation, but he had learned quite a bit about other things, such as the Soul Master Tournament, which he had heard about from Qian Renxue.

"Two months? That should be enough." Xiao Yu murmured. At his current rate of leveling up, two months would be enough for him to reach the next stage, and he wouldn't be far from the one after that.

Through his communication with the system, he knew that the path he was taking was similar to that of a web game, consisting of five forms, with the addition of the flashy aesthetics of a mobile game.

Leo — Spirit Feather Champion — Spirit Feather Divine Guard — Holy Wing King — Soaring Feather Holy Wing King; this was his evolutionary path.

As for what lay beyond level eighty, Xiao Yu did not know, as that was the extent of his knowledge from his previous life.

As for his current level, in nine days, with fourteen Cocoa Fruits, he had pushed his level to 30 (0/300).

Exactly level thirty, not a bit more or less. Who would have thought he had been transmigrated for less than a month?

Just as Xiao Yu was organizing his recent gains, the sound of footsteps reached his ears, causing him to frown slightly. With this formation and the number of people, could it be that Xue Qinghe had brought people again?

Xiao Yu looked down at the sound.

He saw Qian Renxue leading a middle-aged man in plain clothes, who walked with a steady and composed demeanor.

The man had a majestic face, and although he deliberately restrained his aura, the grace of one who had long held a high position and the subtle, hard-to-detect scrutiny in his eyes still allowed Xiao Yu to confirm his identity instantly—the Emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, Great Emperor Xue Ye.

Xiao Yu was not surprised by this. He knew his own uniqueness, and since there were two guards present in addition to Qian Renxue at the time, it was impossible for Xue Ye not to know about him. It was only natural that he would come to see him.

Xue Ye's gaze locked onto the hovering figure on the platform immediately.

Even though he had heard the "crown prince" describe it many times, the shock of seeing it in person still made his pupils contract.

Holy feathers, flowing black and white starlight, an elegant and majestic hovering posture, and those sharp eyes that watched him calmly, filled with the luster of wisdom... this truly did not look like an ordinary soul beast.

"Father, this is 'Yu'." Qian Renxue introduced him at the right moment.

After Xiao Yu landed, she immediately stepped forward and handed over the fruit in her hand to show Xue Ye that Xiao Yu was harmless.

Xiao Yu also saw through Qian Renxue's intentions, took it gently, tossed it into his mouth, and then turned his gaze toward Xue Ye, nodding slightly in acknowledgment.

At this moment, Xue Ye felt as if he were not facing a soul beast, but a living person, and he couldn't help but marvel.

"Yu... a good name." His voice was not loud, carrying a peaceful majesty. "I have heard Qinghe mention you many times. Seeing you today, you are indeed extraordinary."

"Ao~" Xiao Yu let out a clear, resonant cry, which served as a response.

Xue Ye did not mind Xiao Yu's "rudeness," instead feeling that it better matched his imagination of a "spiritually intelligent beast."

He looked around, his gaze sweeping over the bird soul beasts working below, and finally landed on Yu Yi, a trace of imperceptible surprise flashing in his eyes: "Truly remarkable. Even though they are soul beasts without intelligence, under your command, they are like well-trained soldiers."

Xiao Yu shook his head; this was not his command, but mostly the effect of the "Primary Leader Bloodline Secret Medicine."

Xue Ye observed for a while, and after satisfying his curiosity, his gaze returned to Xiao Yu, with a hint of inquiry: "I am curious, how do you... view this forest? How do you view... the Heaven Dou Empire?"