You Recognize Me

The Soul Guidance Car drove smoothly along the bumpy road.

Huo Yuhao sat in the passenger seat, using Spiritual Detection to scout ahead while sneaking glances at the two people in the back seat from time to time.

Xu Yanli leaned by the window with his eyes closed, resting. Every so often, his gaze swept over Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena beside him.

At that moment, Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena was curled up on the other side, clutching a lunchbox and eating at a furious pace.

An indescribable delight flickered across Gu Yuena's face.

A glint of delight flashed in Gu Yuena's eyes, and she shoveled the food into her mouth even faster.

Xu Yanli playfully reached over as if to snatch the lunchbox. Gu Yuena instantly shielded it with her hand, then raised her head and stared at Xu Yanli warily.

Xu Yanli smiled at him, then drew his hand back, acting as though nothing had happened.

But Huo Yuhao, who had been keeping an eye on the whole thing with his spiritual power, had of course seen it...

Huo Yuhao's face was frozen with shock. He hadn't expected that his teacher, who seemed so decisive and ruthless, could also be a little childish.

What shocked Huo Yuhao even more, though, was Gu Yuena's table manners. How many days had she gone without eating?

Xu Yanli looked up at Huo Yuhao, signaling for him to withdraw his spiritual power and stop peeking.

Gu Yuena seemed to sense something, then looked toward Xu Yanli, who had already closed his eyes and was basking in the sun.

Xu Yanli immediately noticed Gu Yuena's gaze. It had all happened in an instant.

"What's wrong? Is the food bad?" Xu Yanli smiled.

Gu Yuena immediately acted as if nothing had happened, turned her eyes away, and asked in a small voice, "It's good. Is there more?"

Xu Yanli paused, looking at the lunchbox, which held twice as much as a normal person's serving. He sighed, then took another portion from his Storage Soul Tool and handed it to Gu Yuena.

Gu Yuena muttered a thank-you, took a deep breath, and continued eating.

Back at Sea God Pavilion in Shrek Academy, everyone was still discussing the Silver Dragon King's emergence the other day.

Clearly, the people at Shrek Academy had no idea what had happened. Nor did the Star Luo Royal Family or the royal families of the Heavenly Soul and Dou Ling Empires, who had come to inquire at Shrek Academy.

Representatives from all three sides were now discussing the matter in a Council Hall in Shrek Academy's outer court.

Xu Yanli hadn't been entirely unaware of the upheaval in the Star Dou Great Forest. At the time, he had only had a few guesses.

He'd suspected the Ferocious Beasts there were up to something, but after seeing Gu Yuena today, he finally understood what had happened that day.

But had he just heard Electrolux's voice?

Xu Yanli closed his eyes again and slowly sank his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness.

There, in his Sea of Consciousness, where green and purple intertwined, floated a brilliant gray-gold orb.

Xu Yanli slowly walked over and bowed. "This junior, Xu Yanli, pays his respects to Your Excellency Electrolux."

Xu Yanli bowed with great respect, but without a trace of servility.

The instant he lowered his head, a flicker of ambition crossed his eyes, though he kept it hidden.

Electrolux!

The Holy Necromancer, Electrolux!

With his help, the Evil Soul Master problem would be much easier to solve. And it wasn't just Evil Soul Masters; plenty of other problems could be resolved as well.

There was also the matter of Soul Spirits and the Soul Rings for his Second Martial Soul.

Xu Yanli knew he couldn't use this Martial Soul to move about in the Sun Moon Empire. After all, he still planned to use it, along with his identity as Pavilion Master of Xiaoyao Pavilion, to make his way around the Original Three Kingdoms.

The Sun Moon Empire simply didn't have many cultivation resources. Most of the resources and talented people were in the Original Three Kingdoms.

That made Soul Spirits all the more important, as was figuring out how to earn Gu Yuena's trust.

Electrolux slowly took on a human form and looked down at Xu Yanli. In a calm voice, he said, "You recognize me."

Xu Yanli hesitated. Given his own temperament, he knew he might not win Electrolux's favor, much less convince him to bestow Necromancy upon him.

The best approach, then, was to be sincere—and offer an incentive.

A trace of calculation flickered in Xu Yanli's eyes. Then he put it aside and slowly raised his head.

A faint smile curved Xu Yanli's lips. It was slight, yet somehow gave others a sense of candor.

"Your Excellency, of course I know who you are." Xu Yanli looked Electrolux straight in the eye.

Electrolux grew curious. He raised an eyebrow and said, "Oh? Then tell me."

After all, little remained in this fragment of his soul of his memories of the past.

He still remembered most of the crucial details, though. This was a good chance to see whether the boy was bluffing or telling the truth.

"The Holy Necromancer, the Scourge of the Undead, Electrolux." Xu Yanli raised his head and enunciated each word.

"You were the son of the lord of Xidi City in the Pangbo Empire. At six, you awakened with 98% affinity for light elements. At fifteen, you became the youngest sixth-rank Grand Archmage on the continent and were hailed as the Child of Light." Xu Yanli smiled. "Later..."

"That's enough. I know you know." Electrolux's expression changed. A trace of sorrow surfaced in his eyes, but above all, there was a shock he couldn't put into words.

Xu Yanli smiled. He kept his eyes fixed on Electrolux, his gaze warm with a hint of a smile. "I know how proud you are, and I know how lonely you've been. I've seen you stand at the summit, looking down on all living things. I've also seen you betrayed, and now, stranded in another world as a wisp of a soul, only to be killed in the end. You don't know it, but when I read your story back then, my heart truly ached for you."

Yes, a character who died because of monthly votes really was heartbreaking...

Xu Yanli sighed. He remembered voting for Electrolux back then, hoping he'd survive. Sadly, he still hadn't been able to save him.

Electrolux fell silent for a long while, until gray mist began seeping out from the gray orb...

"How... how do you know all this?" Electrolux asked hoarsely.

Xu Yanli smiled at Electrolux. There was no calculation in his expression, no smugness—only a sincerity no one could refuse.

He wanted to offer his true heart in exchange for a teacher who would treat him sincerely. He wanted a haven in this world, a place where he could find peace.

He wanted someone he could share his thoughts with. He couldn't trust outsiders; the only one he could trust was Electrolux, who dwelled in his Sea of Consciousness.

Someone he could safely tell everything to.

Xu Yanli spoke very softly. "Because I don't belong to this world either."

His voice was soft, but every word was clear, as if he were entrusting Electrolux with his deepest secret.

"I come from a place called Blue Star. You've surely never heard of it, because there are no wondrous Martial Souls there, nor the remarkable magic from your world. When people die there, they all return to dust. By all rights, I should have done the same."