Conflict Is About to Unfold

"Are you going to kill my brother?"

A voice rang out abruptly in Gu Yue's mind. Her originally calm expression turned to one of shock, followed by a quick recovery as she coldly demanded an explanation.

"Na'er?!"

"Hmph! As my other half, you actually dare to betray me? Spending every day mingling with a human cub."

Na'er seemed somewhat guilty; she did not answer this accusation, but instead softened her voice, speaking as if pleading.

"Gu Yue, I will go with you, but can you please not touch my brother?"

Outside the villa in Aolai City, the various powerful beasts from the Star Dou Forest had already arrived.

The black light condensed at the tip of Di Tian's finger, pulsing with terrifying energy capable of tearing through space, suddenly froze in mid-air just as it was about to be unleashed.

For the first time, his perpetually cold and unchanging face showed clear astonishment.

Because within his spiritual perception, an aura originating from the same source as his own—even purer—had abruptly intervened with his will. It was a command from the deepest depths of the soul.

Di Tian frowned. The black light at his fingertip did not dissipate, but it did not move forward either. He looked up, his gaze seemingly piercing through the roof of the villa toward the distant Star Dou Forest, and said in a deep voice.

"My Lord, what is the meaning of this?"

In the spiritual network, Gu Yue's will did not respond to him, for at this moment, Gu Yue was locked in a silent confrontation with another "self."

Deep within the sea of consciousness, a galaxy hung upside down. Two identical figures stood facing each other, yet their temperaments were vastly different. One was as cold as ten-thousand-year black ice, surrounded by the cold arrogance and dominance belonging to a half of the Dragon God.

The other, though possessing the same face, had eyes filled with the warmth of the mortal world and misty, tearful light.

Gu Yue looked coldly at the half who shared her origin yet betrayed the original intent of the soul beast race, her voice suppressing anger.

"Betrayal? Do you know that without the complete power of the Dragon God, our race will be forever trapped in this Star Dou Forest, destined to be the stepping stones for human Soul Masters for all eternity! And you are here begging me for the sake of a human cub who doesn't even have soul power?"

Na'er's figure appeared somewhat translucent; it was a sign that she was about to be reclaimed and merged. She bit her lower lip, her purple eyes brimming with tears, yet she stubbornly refused to let them fall.

She could feel Gu Yue's fury, the biting killing intent of being "betrayed" by herself, scraping against her soul like a knife.

But she did not retreat, only repeating that near-begging phrase:

"I will go with you, I will merge with you, and let you be restored to wholeness. But, Gu Yue... no, I am you, and you are me. You should be able to feel it—what that human emotion you view as weakness actually tastes like."

Na'er's small hands gripped the hem of her skirt—the little dress Lin Qingzhou had bought for her, still carrying the faint, clean scent of laundry detergent.

"He is my brother. He is the first and only person in this world who, without asking for anything in return, gave me food to eat, warmed my bed, and held my hand to take me out into the sun."

"Even though he was in so much pain every night he couldn't sleep, and even though he knew he was just an ordinary human who could be crushed to death by a Soul Master at any moment, he still gave all his gentleness to me."

"Gu Yue, you say humans are hypocritical, greedy, and selfish. But in my brother, I have only seen restraint, patience, and a light warmer than any divine power."

Gu Yue fell silent.

She could clearly feel Na'er's memories and emotions surging toward her like a tide. The first meeting on that rainy night, the boy's eyes clearly hiding all sorts of calculations, only to be easily dismantled by her ravenous eating, turning into a helpless sigh.

The mornings of clumsy hair-braiding, his fingers burned red, and that promise of "there will always be enough here with your brother"; the late nights awakened by nightmares, his hoarse humming as he forced himself to stay awake to pat her back...

Scene after scene, frame after frame, all wrapped in a warmth she had never experienced in her long life. This feeling was foreign to her, even causing a sense of panic.

Human emotion could be this resilient, enough to make her, the half carrying the Dragon God's will, willing to give up resistance, even willing to defy herself.

"Human emotion is a poison."

Gu Yue's voice was dry, as if she were convincing herself, or perhaps reminding Na'er.

"It will make you weak and cause you to lose your judgment. If one day he learns our true identity, learns of the irreconcilable hatred between soul beasts and humans, do you think he will still treat you the same?"

"I don't know."

Na'er looked up, tears finally sliding down her cheeks, but a faint smile tugged at the corners of her mouth—a smile filled with the stubbornness Lin Qingzhou had subtly instilled in her.

"But I am willing to gamble. Even if he hates me in the future because I am a soul beast, I will accept it."

"But at this moment, Gu Yue, at this moment before you take away my consciousness, I want to protect him. This is my own will, the only thing that 'Na'er' wants to do."

Gu Yue was stunned. Na'er no longer referred to herself as a "half," but defined herself as an independent existence named "Na'er." These few short years of human life had actually allowed her to develop an independent sense of self.

Silence, a long, lingering silence.

Finally, Gu Yue coldly and slowly closed her eyes. Her heart, like a frozen lake, was struck hard by Na'er's scalding emotions, cracking open an imperceptible fissure.

In reality, inside the villa's study.

Di Tian sighed deeply and slowly withdrew his hand, sparing the boy who was hunched over his desk writing.

But in his eyes, there was reluctance and confusion, yet it all ultimately settled into absolute obedience.

Wan Yao Wang and the others did not know what had happened, looking at Di Tian in a daze, wondering why he had suddenly stopped.

"The Lord has other orders."

Di Tian spoke coldly, breaking the deathly silence. He retracted his finger and stood with his hands behind his back, his immense pressure receding along with his intent.

Lin Qingzhou felt something, and the pen in his hand clattered to the floor. He did not know what had happened, but the chill of death that had been hanging over his throat had truly dissipated.

Di Tian's figure flickered, appearing in Na'er's room.

He did not hold any contempt for Na'er; after all, he understood that Na'er was also his Lord, and he bowed in accordance with his heart.

"Na'er, you may remain by his side for now."

However, Di Tian shifted his tone, looking toward Na'er with an unquestionable majesty in his voice.

"But the Lord has spoken. Na'er, you must understand the mission you shoulder. When the time is ripe, you must return of your own accord to complete the fusion. Before that..."

"The specific time is three months from now. Otherwise, according to the Lord's orders, we will still kill him."

Di Tian paused, his gaze passing through the wall to land on Lin Qingzhou, who was hunched over his desk writing. This time, there was no killing intent, only scrutiny and warning.

"Human, you had best pray that day comes later rather than sooner. Conduct yourself well."

Having said this, Di Tian did not linger. His figure gradually faded into a swirl of distorted darkness, eventually vanishing entirely as if he had never appeared at all.

The villa returned to silence. The pages overturned by the pressure lay scattered across the floor, and the flowers and plants outside the window, eroded by the power of darkness, withered rapidly. Only the cicadas continued to drone on tirelessly.

Na'er took a deep breath, tears still shimmering in her eyes. Hearing the movement in the living room, she slowly walked out the door.

She saw Lin Qingzhou adjusting his apron and froze for a moment, then lunged forward, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

"Na'er... you..." Lin Qingzhou's throat moved. A thousand words were stuck in his chest, eventually reduced to a single, trembling call.

He knew that something he couldn't comprehend had just happened. It was certainly related to Na'er, but if she didn't want to say, he wouldn't force her.

Na'er looked up, tear tracks still wet on her small face, yet those purple eyes were brighter than the stars in the night sky. She sniffled hard and forced a smile that looked worse than crying:

"Brother, it's okay. Na'er wants to eat the egg fried rice you make. I'm so hungry."

Watching her pretend to be strong, Lin Qingzhou felt a sharp ache in his heart, and his own eyes reddened. He asked no more, simply reaching out to gently ruffle her soft, silver hair, just as he had done for countless nights before.

"Alright, Brother will go make it. I'll add two eggs for you."

He stood up, took Na'er's slightly cool little hand, and walked step by step toward the kitchen.

"Alright, Na'er, Brother has to go to work now."

Na'er nodded, watching Lin Qingzhou's departing back with obedient eyes, saying nothing more.