Those from the Yuanen Family

Two months later, the Star Pavilion was finally completed.

It was a night with a very large moon.

Shrek City fell silent earlier than usual.

One by one, the lights on the main street went out, and even the Soul Guidance Lamp on the construction site were dimmed.

As if by prior arrangement, everyone turned to look north of the city.

There, atop the old Launch Shaft, a moon-white pavilion has been erected.

The tower is not sharp; its lines are minimalist from the foot of the mountain to the top, and it is not bright.

At least initially, no.

Then, at midnight, the Star Pavilion suddenly lit up.

The light doesn't come from the outside; it seeps out from within.

Millions of extremely fine silver-blue rays spilled out from the gaps in the tower.

The lights rose higher and higher, converging at the top of the tower, resembling a star blooming in the sky.

At that moment, the entire Shrek City saw a figure hanging from the rooftop.

Yun Jingheng.

He stood very tall, in a strong wind, with Ye Xinglan on his left and Gu Yuena on his right.

The shadows of the three people were reflected in the night sky by the light.

In the distance, Yun Ming stood beside Ya Li.

He gazed at the attic, then at the top, and suddenly murmured, "So that's how it can be done? Then what I did before... um~"

Ya Li turned her head to look at him. "Are you envious?"

Yun Ming froze, and remained silent.

Ya Li snorted, but a smile lingered at the corners of her eyes.

She actually knew all along, but she just didn't say anything.

Yun Ming's expression became even more complicated.

Throughout his life, he would even choose a secluded spot to hold Ya Li's hand.

The sons, on the other hand, stood on either side of each other, so tall, as if they were declaring their presence to the entire continent.

He suddenly wondered if he was really getting old.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie were walking this way by the lake.

Xu Xiaoyan looked up, her face full of amazement.

Xie Xie's mouth dropped open. "Holy crap... he really dares to stand that high! If the Federation delegation sees this, they'll have to hold another meeting Ming Capital."

Xu Xiaoyan said, "I think it's fine; he didn't secretly hide it."

Xie Xie glanced at her. "Isn't your acceptance level a bit too high?"

Xu Xiaoyan blinked. "What can I do if I don't accept it? Can you beat him?"

Xie Xie shut his mouth.

Tang Wulin just smiled.

Beside him, Yuanen Yehui remained silent, gazing at the Star Pavilion as if looking towards the distant west.

A night breeze blew by, her expression was indifferent, but her fingertips tightened slightly inside her sleeve.

Tang Wulin noticed.

He asked in a low voice, "What's wrong?"

Yuanen Yehui did not answer immediately.

After a few moments, she said, "It's nothing."

"Well... my family is here."

Xie Xie looked back, a little nervous, "You're here already? Should I go change my clothes?"

Yuanen Yehui gazed at the ever-rising Star Pavilion, the light illuminating half of her face, while the other half remained hidden in the shadows of the night.

She spoke slowly, "My second uncle, on my grandfather's orders, is to take me back."

Xie Xie's expression became even more tense. "Huh? Going back to your house? Should I go?"

Xu Xiaoyan leaned closer and gently took her hand.

Tang Wulin patted him on the shoulder. It was obvious that things weren't as Xie Xie thought. Couldn't this idiot read her expression?

He looked at Yuanen Yehui, "Shall we wait until the three of them come down before we talk about it?"

Yuanen Yehui nodded slightly and gently clenched his fist in return.

When Yun Jingheng descended from the top of the Star Pavilion with Ye Xinglan and Gu Yuena, a hint of smugness still lingered on his face.

The night wind reached the ground, causing the three people's clothes to flutter wildly.

He walked very lightly, as if he had just accomplished something extremely satisfying.

Ye Xinglan stood to his left, Gu Yuena to his right.

Just as Yun Jingheng was about to say something, he saw Tang Wulin and the others standing by the lake.

Four faces, each more somber than the last.

His smile faded, and his steps slowed.

"What's wrong?" Yun Jingheng walked over, first looking at Tang Wulin, then at Xie Xie, and finally at Yuanen Yehui.

Xie Xie seemed to have been acupunctured; his lips moved slightly, but he didn't say anything.

Xu Xiaoyan was still holding Yuanen Yehui's hand. Tang Wulin shook his head at Yun Jingheng and whispered, "People from the Yuanen Family have come."

"Who?" Yun Jingheng asked, looking puzzled.

Isn't this a good thing? Why the long face?

"My second uncle," Yuanen Yehui began.

She loosened her grip on Xu Xiaoyan's hand and looked at Yun Jingheng.

The night breeze ruffled the stray hairs on her forehead.

Her voice remained relatively steady. "I was ordered by my grandfather to come and take me back. My Second Martial Soul... is about to go out of control."

Yun Jingheng's expression froze instantly. "Disappointed..."

Oh right, I forgot that when Yuanen Yehui's Fallen Angel Martial Soul breaks through to the Titled Douluo, it will automatically obtain Soul Ring and open a passage to the Demon Plane.

More than a year has passed, and Yuanen Yehui is now level 89, just one step away from becoming Titled Douluo.

Yun Jingheng took a breath. "So...?"

Yuanen Yehui remained silent.

Ye Xinglan gently squeezed Yun Jingheng's hand without saying a word.

Yun Jingheng turned his head and glanced at her. He slowly exhaled, and when he looked up again, the relaxation on his face was gone.

He looked at Yuanen Yehui and said, word by word, "Don't worry, we're here."

Tang Wulin nodded, took a step forward, and stood side by side with Yun Jingheng: "Yuan En, this is Shrek. You are one of us. We'll figure out your problems together. The path to becoming Titled Douluo isn't solely up to the Yuanen Family."

Xie Xie's eyes were still red. He gritted his teeth, holding back for a long time, but finally couldn't hold back any longer. "That's right! Don't go back! What kind of lousy grandfather and lousy second uncle are they? They just came up here and wanted to take you away without even asking us!"

"If you're really worried about your Martial Soul going out of control, I'll go with you to the west to find a place! I'll go in first and see what that godforsaken place is like!"

Xu Xiaoyan didn't raise her voice as loudly as Xie Xie, but instead tightened her grip on Yuanen Yehui's hand. "I'll stay with you, I'm not going anywhere."

Gu Yuena stood a little behind, her voice clear and cold, yet extremely confident. "We're all here; perhaps we can find another way. We don't necessarily have to seal it off."

Ye Xinglan spoke last, raising her eyes to look at Yuanen Yehui.

"We're with you."

Yun Jingheng also said, "We'll go with you."

Tang Wulin repeated, "We'll stay with you."

Xu Xiaoyan, Xie Xie, Gu Yuena, one after another, all said, "We'll stay with you."

They weren't particularly neat or loud, but these words, falling into Yuanen Yehui's ears, were heavier than the light when the Star Pavilion rose.

She stood between them, blinking hard to keep the tears from falling.

She said softly, "Okay."

Yun Jingheng glanced at Ya Li looked slightly excited in the distance, and said, "Now then."

He then looked at Yuanen Yehui, "Take me to see your second uncle. No one can take away the future elder of the Sea God Pavilion from my hands without reason."

"No."

Yuanen Yehui could no longer hold back her tears, Xie Xie hurriedly stepped forward to help wipe them away.

It was already very late at night.

The light from the Star Pavilion had not yet completely faded, and its afterglow still shone on the newly paved streets of Shrek City.

Yun Jingheng walked at the front, his clothes fluttering gently in the wind.

Tang Wulin and Xie Xie stood on either side, while Yuanen Yehui walked in the middle, with Xu Xiaoyan holding her hand.

Ye Xinglan and Gu Yuena followed side by side at the back.

They arrived at West Street, where the teahouse without a sign was still half-closed.

There was only one lamp in the room, its light leaking from the crack in the door and falling on the bluestone steps. Yun Jingheng did not knock on the door.

He reached out and pushed, and the door creaked open slowly.

Yuanen Tianshang was still sitting by the window; he had been waiting for a while.

Hearing someone push the door open and come in, he didn't get up, but slowly put down his teacup.

"Yehui, you've come."

No one responded. He frowned and slowly turned around.

But what he saw was Yun Jingheng.

The slight relaxation on Yuanen Tianshang's face vanished instantly, and he stood up almost instinctively.

The chair slid back with a very short thud.

"Pavilion Master," he spoke first, his voice no longer as steady as before.

Yun Jingheng did not respond.

He just stood at the doorway and didn't go any further inside.

The wind outside rushed in from behind them, making the dim yellow light in the teahouse flicker. Yuanen Tianshang met his gaze.

"Why has Pavilion Master come so late?" Yuanen Tianshang asked.

Yun Jingheng said calmly, "Let's see who wants to take away the elder I appointed."