Watching Gu Tian held domineeringly in Chiyan's arms, her blazing body nearly swallowing him whole, Na'er stood by, grinding her teeth. Her small, fair fists clenched tight, indignation filling her violet eyes.
But against this ancient Fire Dragon King, Na'er truly felt powerless before the gap in their status. She couldn't beat her, and she couldn't drive her away. All she could do was watch helplessly.
It made her feel just like the impotent husband in those island movies.
"No! This is intolerable! If Uncle can put up with this, Auntie can't!"
Suddenly, Na'er's bright eyes darted as if she'd thought of a brilliant topic. She calmed herself, put on an innocent smile, and sidled closer, curiously eyeing Chiyan's fiery-red pajamas.
"Big Sister Chiyan, where did you just come from?" Na'er asked, blinking her big eyes, curiosity plain in her voice. "You weren't here a moment ago. You just appeared out of thin air!"
Leaning against Gu Tian's shoulder, Chiyan twirled a long strand of her fiery hair around one slender finger and replied lazily, "Me? I'm living in Xiao Tian's Sea of Consciousness now. It's much more interesting than this cold Dragon Palace. It has everything. Whatever I want to eat or play with, I can have it with just a thought."
At that, Na'er's eyes lit up. Xiao Wu and Gu Yue gathered around, too.
"Anything you want?" Na'er asked wistfully, taking Gu Tian's other hand and shaking it. "Brother Gu Tian, I want to go in and look around, too! Take us to see that amazing place, okay?"
With several pairs of sparkling eyes fixed on him, Gu Tian felt himself starting to give in. He called out inwardly, "Sister Lin Xi, can you bring them in for a look around?"
Inside the Sea of Consciousness, Ao Linxi rose from a lounge chair in the villa and gracefully brushed her skirt. She nodded, but her tone turned serious. "We can, but Xiao Tian, remember that the Sea of Consciousness is a Soul Master's most vital and vulnerable place. It's directly connected to your soul and spiritual awareness. They can come in because they're your most trusted companions, but never bring in any stranger with ill intentions. If your Sea of Consciousness suffers a devastating external attack, you'll be doomed in an instant."
"I understand, Sister Lin Xi," Gu Tian replied firmly.
Then Gu Tian stood up, and the Nine-Colored Divine Light of the Dragon God spread from his palm, forming a gentle barrier around Xiao Wu, Gu Yue, and Na'er.
"Close your eyes, clear your minds, and don't resist my guidance."
After a slight dizzying spin, the pressure around the three girls eased. When they opened their eyes again, the sight before them left them completely stunned.
Beneath their feet lay a beach of fine, soft, snow-white sand. Ahead stretched an endless ocean, its rippling surface shimmering with nine-colored light. At the center of the beach stood a modern, gleaming white, two-story luxury villa, radiant in the sunlight.
"Wow! It's so huge!" Xiao Wu excitedly kicked off her shoes and ran barefoot across the beach, savoring its unreal softness. "Brother Gu Tian, you built such a big house inside your head?"
"That's how the Sea of Consciousness works," Gu Tian explained as he walked over. "I'm the only creator here. As long as my spiritual power is strong enough, anything I imagine can become real."
Curiosity got the better of Xiao Wu. She crouched down, closed her eyes, and murmured, "I want carrots... Lots and lots of them, the sweetest, crunchiest kind!"
With a thump, a large basket of fresh, dewy carrots really did drop from the sky. Xiao Wu cheered, picked one up, and took a bite, her face brimming with happiness.
Watching the three girls happily playing on the beach, Gu Tian suddenly felt a mischievous streak rise within him. He glanced at the girls, who had their backs to him as they curiously examined the villa's floor-to-ceiling windows, and a wicked smile curled his lips.
"Since this is my territory, I get to make the rules."
Gu Tian lightly tapped a finger and silently thought, "Disappear."
"Ah—!"
With three startled cries, the school uniform, leather armor, and long skirt worn by Xiao Wu, Gu Yue, and Na'er dissolved in an instant, turning into colorful motes of light that swirled through the air.
"Brother Gu Tian! You're so mean!" Na'er's face turned bright red, and she instinctively tried to find something to cover herself with. But in the Sea of Consciousness, she couldn't make anything appear unless Gu Tian allowed it.
"So this is what they call a spiritual cleansing?" Gu Tian burst out laughing as the three girls chased him around. Their pure laughter echoed through the Sea of Consciousness, filling the once-quiet space with a vitality it had never known.
After playing for a while, the three girls grew tired from the intense interaction between their spiritual forms. Gu Tian sent them back to their bodies.
In the Dragon Palace bedroom, the three girls recovered from the dizziness of the transfer, thoroughly exhausted. They sprawled across the enormous crystal bed, leaning against one another. They slept especially soundly, smiles still on their faces from all their fun in the Sea of Consciousness.
Chiyan came out with them, too. Even back in reality, she still held Gu Tian domineeringly, pressed tightly against his back like a blazing ball of fire.
The following morning.
When the first rays of dawn pierced the layers of water over the Lake of Life and shone into the hall, Gu Yuena had already been waiting for a long time on the silver throne.
Chiyan's return had given Gu Yuena unprecedented confidence. She looked down at Gu Tian, who stood below, full of energy, her eyes shining with a cold, resolute light.
"Chiyan's revival is not merely the return of our Lord. It's a turning point in the fate of the Soul Beast Clan." Gu Yuena rose, her silver skirts swaying.
"I've decided not to wait passively any longer. We're taking the first step toward our great cause."
Gu Yuena raised her hand, and a complete map of Douluo Continent appeared in midair, dotted with countless points of light.
"Over the next while, I'll personally seek out the Soul Beasts of more than a hundred thousand years who are slumbering across Douluo Continent."
Gu Yuena pointed to several remote regions. "Whether they're the overlords of the Extreme North, ancient beasts in the deep sea, or reclusive old monsters in the great mountain ranges, I'll awaken them all and unite them in the name of the Dragon God."
"The Soul Beast Clan has been dormant for far too long. From today on, we'll make those self-important human Soul Masters understand who the true masters of this land are!"
At that moment, Gu Yuena looked every bit like a formidable woman confidently plotting her next move in the workplace, as if anything she resolved to do was certain to come to pass.