Jin Ruiqiu's Dazzling Debut

While Huo Yuhao was absorbing his soul ring, Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena sat on a bluestone not far from him, quietly standing guard.

The two of them restrained all their aura, their gazes landing on Huo Yuhao with a hint of approval in their eyes.

This child's temperament was truly far beyond his peers. Even if there was trepidation in his heart, once he made up his mind, he would forge ahead without the slightest hesitation; this temperament was the key to reaching the pinnacle in the future.

Just as Huo Yuhao's soul ring absorption was drawing to a close and the soul power around his body was gradually stabilizing, a series of light footsteps came from the path in the forest.

Immediately following, a delicate and lively voice rang out, carrying a hint of grievance and a touch of coquettishness: "Exalted One! You snuck out to play without taking me!"

Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena exchanged a glance, both seeing a flash of realization in the other's eyes.

The moment the voice fell, a small golden figure darted out from the forest like the wind, throwing herself straight into Gu Yuan's arms.

It was a little girl who looked to be only about ten years old, wearing a golden dress, like a small, glowing sun.

She had fluffy, soft golden curls, a round face, and a pair of large, golden almond-shaped eyes with slightly upturned corners, looking both lively and charming.

There was a faint rose-colored vertical eye mark between her brows; if one didn't look closely, it resembled an exquisite floral ornament, making her look even more adorable.

She was none other than the transformed Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.

When Tang San had moved to scheme against the destiny of the soul beast clan, Gu Yuan had decisively intervened, quietly intercepting the soul fragments that were meant to fall upon the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. Thus, her transformation had followed her own will entirely, without the slightest shadow of anyone else.

That "Buddha Tang" had truly gone to great lengths to scheme against the Child of Destiny, splitting his own daughter Tang Wutong's soul into three to create a twisted love triangle. He was truly worthy of the title "benevolent father."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion had stayed in the Star Dou Forest for countless years and had long since grown weary of it. Having previously sensed Gu Yuan's aura and heard that he was leaving the Star Dou Forest for the human world outside, she could no longer restrain herself, sneaking out of the Life Lake and following Gu Yuan's trail all the way here.

The little girl buried herself in Gu Yuan's arms, rubbing her small head against his chest. She looked up at him with a pair of wet, large golden eyes, her small mouth pouting high in a display of grievance.

"The Exalted One is too mean! You clearly promised to take me out to play, but you snuck away! I don't care, I'm going with you!"

Gu Yuan smiled helplessly and raised his hand to ruffle her fluffy curls. This little one had a natural affinity for him and Gu Yuena; ever since he returned to the Star Dou Forest, she had been sticking to his side every day like a little tail that couldn't be shaken off.

Gu Yuan actually enjoyed it; although her personality was a bit spoiled, it couldn't hide her cuteness, so he had come to raise her like a daughter.

"The Star Dou Forest is your home; the human world outside is very dangerous." Gu Yuan deliberately put on a stern face to tease her.

"I'm not afraid!" The little girl immediately straightened her small chest, patted her little belly, and looked proud.

"I am the Emperor Auspicious Beast! With you and the Exalted One protecting me, no one can bully me! Besides, I can bring you good luck! Take me with you, take me with you~"

As she spoke, she turned and threw herself into Gu Yuena's arms, shaking her arm and acting like a spoiled child, "Exalted One~ You are the best~ Please put in a good word for Rui-Rui~ Rui-Rui promises to be obedient after we go out and will never cause trouble!"

A rare, soft smile appeared on Gu Yuena's cold face. She reached out to pinch the girl's soft cheeks and looked at Gu Yuan: "Take her with us. This child has stayed in the Star Dou Forest for too long; it is time for her to go out and see the world. With us here, nothing will happen. Besides, she and Yuhao already have a bond of destiny; they were bound to meet sooner or later."

Gu Yuan nodded slightly upon hearing this. He looked at the little girl who was watching him expectantly and sighed helplessly: "Fine, you can come with us. But you must remember, once we are out, you must never reveal your identity as the Emperor Auspicious Beast, nor can you use your innate abilities at will. You must listen to me and Yuena in everything, understand?"

"I know! I will definitely be obedient!" The little girl's eyes lit up instantly. She hugged Gu Yuan's neck, gave him a peck on the cheek, and happily kicked her short legs, like a kitten that had just received a treat.

Gu Yuan shook his head with a smile and swept his hand across her forehead. A faint golden light descended, completely concealing the third vertical eye mark between her brows and suppressing the auspicious beast aura on her body, leaving only the aura of an ordinary soul master. She looked like a little girl from a wealthy family, with no trace of the Emperor Auspicious Beast left.

"Since you are coming to the human world with us, you must have a name." Gu Yuan looked at her, pondered for a moment, and thought carefully before speaking.

"From now on, you shall be called Jin Ruiqiu. 'Jin' is the color of your true form, 'Rui' is the origin of your auspicious beast nature, and 'Qiu' is taken from the saying 'spring flowers and autumn fruits,' wishing you a smooth life filled with peace and joy."

"Jin Ruiqiu..." The little girl tilted her head and recited it twice. Her eyes grew brighter and brighter, and she nodded vigorously, saying happily.

"I like this name! Thank you, Exalted One! From now on, I am Jin Ruiqiu!"

Gu Yuena looked at the happily bouncing Jin Ruiqiu, her eyes filled with tenderness.

She knew that Gu Yuan choosing this name also secretly aligned with the child's original destiny, but this time, with them around, this child would never again suffer the tragic fate of sacrifice as she did in the original story.

Just then, a dazzling purple light suddenly erupted from Huo Yuhao, who was sitting cross-legged nearby.

The thousand-year soul ring had completely merged into his body. His Spirit Eye martial soul slowly emerged, the pale blue halo flowing more brilliantly and deeply than before.

His soul power climbed steadily from level 20, finally stopping firmly at the level 23 Soul Grand Master realm. His spiritual power had increased significantly, and the detection range of his Spirit Eye had expanded directly from a few hundred meters to nearly a thousand!

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes, a flash of pale purple light crossing them before quickly fading.

He clenched his fists, feeling the more majestic soul power and spiritual power within his body, and an unconcealable ecstasy appeared on his face.

He had succeeded! He had actually absorbed a thousand-year soul ring and become a Soul Grand Master!

"Brother Yuan! Sister Na! I did it! I absorbed a thousand-year soul ring!" Huo Yuhao stood up abruptly and shouted excitedly at Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena, his voice full of excitement and gratitude.

If not for them, he could never have possessed such a perfectly suited second soul ring.

As soon as he finished speaking, he saw the bouncing blonde little girl beside Gu Yuan.

The moment their eyes met, Huo Yuhao froze.

The little girl before him was extremely beautiful, like a porcelain doll, lively and charming. But what made him freeze was not her appearance, but an inexplicable and indescribable sense of familiarity.

It was as if they had met a long, long time ago, and their souls shared a natural attraction and bond. He looked into her eyes as if he were looking at another version of himself, and his heart skipped a beat uncontrollably.

Jin Ruiqiu also froze, tilting her head as she looked at the young man before her.

She could clearly feel an aura of the same origin as her own within the boy's body, and there was even a trace of her destiny mark tightly intertwined with him.

That feeling of soul attraction made her want to get close to him, to see what was hidden in his eyes.

One was the Child of Destiny born from the will of the Douluo Continent, and the other was the Daughter of Destiny of the soul beast clan. Both were favored by fate; if nothing went wrong, this was the most perfect match.

The air seemed to stand still at this moment.

The boy and the girl gazed at each other from afar, the golden sunlight filtering through the gaps in the leaves and spilling onto them. The threads of destiny quietly intertwined and wove together at this moment, binding them together earlier and more deeply than in the original trajectory.

Gu Yuan and Gu Yuena took all of this in. Both saw a flicker of realization in the other's eyes.

Those destined to meet would meet in the end. Only this time, they would protect these two children and not let the original tragedy play out once more.

"Ahem." Gu Yuan gave a light cough, breaking the silence between them.

Huo Yuhao and Jin Ruiqiu snapped back to reality, their cheeks flushing simultaneously. They quickly averted their gazes, both lowering their heads in embarrassment.

"Yuhao, let me introduce you." Gu Yuan smiled and gestured toward Jin Ruiqiu beside him.

"This is our little sister, her name is Jin Ruiqiu."

He then turned to Jin Ruiqiu and said, "Qiu'er, this is Huo Yuhao. You two must look after each other from now on, understand?"

"Hello, Huo Yuhao!" Jin Ruiqiu immediately beamed, calling out to Huo Yuhao with a sweet voice. Her large, golden eyes curved into crescents, looking incredibly adorable.

Huo Yuhao's face turned even redder. He hurriedly scratched his head, responding somewhat awkwardly, "H-hello."

Watching his flustered state, Gu Yuena couldn't help but curl her lips, her cold, aloof features softening slightly.

Gu Yuan stood up and brushed the dust off his clothes. His gaze drifted toward the direction outside the Star Dou Forest as he spoke slowly, "The second soul ring has been absorbed. Our next destination is Shrek City, Shrek Academy."

"Shrek Academy?" Huo Yuhao was stunned, a flicker of longing flashing through his eyes.

He had certainly heard the name; it was the holy land in the hearts of all soul masters on the continent, the place every soul master dreamed of. It was just that he had never dared to imagine he might one day have the chance to go to Shrek Academy.

"That's right." Gu Yuan nodded with a smile.

"Shrek Academy is the best springboard. There are countless geniuses and rivals there that will allow you to grow faster."

In Gu Yuan's eyes, Shrek Academy was merely a checkpoint for Huo Yuhao. If not for God King Tang, he wouldn't have let the arranged plot collapse entirely and force the man to act out of desperation.

He paused, a subtle, hidden depth flashing in his eyes: "Besides, we also want to see just how much weight this so-called number one academy on the continent really carries."

Jin Ruiqiu immediately raised her small hand, bouncing as she said, "I want to go to Shrek Academy too! I want to go with you!"

"Alright, we'll go together." Gu Yuan agreed with a smile.

Gu Yuan raised his hand, and an invisible dragon power enveloped the three of them. Avoiding all human soul-hunting teams within the Star Dou Forest, the figures of the four sped toward the outskirts of the forest like the wind.

Sunlight pierced through the trees, casting long shadows behind them.