The Emerald Swan Bi Ji

After leaving the ruins of Holy Soul Village, which were in a state of utter disarray, Gu Tian used spatial teleportation to instantly return to his luxury apartment at Nuoding Academy with Gu Yue and Na'er.

By this time, Xiao Wu had already followed Gu Tian's instructions and packed all their luggage.

Several exquisite leather suitcases were piled on the living room floor. Gu Tian took one look and couldn't help but laugh: "Xiao Wu, you're quite fast, but I'm afraid there isn't much of my own stuff in these boxes, is there?"

Xiao Wu tugged at the corner of her shirt, blushing as she whispered: "Well... because Brother Gu Tian bought us so many clothes, I just packed them all. Brother Gu Tian, as for your own... there really wasn't much to bring, just two or three sets of daily wear."

Indeed, compared to the girls' trunks filled with gorgeous silk gowns, delicate deerskin boots, and all manner of shimmering hair accessories, Gu Tian's personal belongings appeared exceptionally meager and sparse.

Gu Tian waved his hand, and the Dragon God Ring on his right finger flashed with a faint, sacred nine-colored light under the lingering rays of the sunset. In an instant, the pile of boxes on the floor was pulled into an invisible black hole and vanished, all of them stored within the vast, world-like internal space of the ring.

This storage Soul Tool had been a gift from Gu Yuena; its space was countless times larger than Tang San's Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlit Night.

"Let's go. After all that trouble, let's fill our stomachs first. As for that Tang San, he's irrelevant, completely irrelevant."

Gu Tian stretched and led the four beauties out of the apartment. He had no interest in Tang San's life or death; the pain and anger born from the boy's paranoia would not hinder him, but rather, it would quietly accelerate the progress of his divine trials.

The group arrived at the most luxurious restaurant in Nuoding City—the Nuoding Grand Hotel.

Gu Tian booked a rotating private room on the top floor. The view was excellent, overlooking the lights of the entire city. Delicacies were brought to the table as if money were no object: century-old Spirit Deer Tenderloin, century-old abalone from the waters around Sea God Island, and Jade Spirit Ginseng Soup that emitted a faint, medicinal fragrance.

The meal left the girls glowing, especially Xiao Wu, who was happily gnawing on a thousand-year-old Jade Spirit Ginseng, having long since cast Tang San and the mess at Holy Soul Village to the back of her mind. In the face of absolute material comfort and pampering, such fragile emotional bonds seemed trivial.

"I am very sorry, but there are only three servings of the century-old abalone left," the waiter apologized repeatedly. This meant that, aside from Xiao Wu who didn't eat meat, one person would go without.

Gu Tian generously gave his portion to Gu Yue, Na'er, and Meng Yiran.

"Brother Gu Tian, what will you eat?" Na'er asked curiously as she watched Gu Tian place the abalone onto her plate.

"It's fine, Na'er. You eat. Tonight, I'll be able to eat three hundred-thousand-year-old abalones." Gu Tian looked at the girls before him. Although Meng Yiran hadn't been conquered yet, there were still three others! And all of them were transformed Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

After the meal, Gu Tian wiped his mouth and looked at Meng Yiran, who was leaning back in her chair, looking somewhat lazy from being too full. He lowered his voice and said: "Yiran, the place we are going to next is quite special. It is in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest. I intend to tell you a great secret, but you must swear that you will never reveal a single word to the outside world, not even to your closest grandfather and grandmother."

Seeing Gu Tian's solemn expression, and noticing the serious looks on Gu Yue and Na'er's faces, Meng Yiran felt both sweet and nervous. The feeling of being fully included in her beloved's inner circle and entrusted with such a heavy responsibility made her puff out her chest and promise earnestly: "Don't worry, Brother Gu Tian. If I leak a single word, let my martial soul suffer a backlash!"

"It's not that serious, relax." Gu Tian chuckled and signaled for Na'er to open a spatial passage.

The silver light gate flickered, and the group reappeared in the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest—the Lake of Life.

The moment Meng Yiran landed, she was completely stunned. The life force was so dense it had almost liquefied, flowing through the air like a pale green mist, causing every pore on her body to open; her soul power began to circulate spontaneously without even needing to meditate. She had never seen a lake so clear and emerald, like a giant piece of jade embedded in the earth, nor had she ever imagined that such an otherworldly fairyland could be hidden in the center of the notoriously dangerous soul beast forest.

"Brother Gu Tian, this is..."

"This is the Lake of Life, and also the location of the Dragon Palace." Gu Tian led them toward the shimmering, crystalline structure looming in the center of the lake.

Inside the Dragon Palace, the silver starlight remained brilliant, and every crystalline pillar was engraved with ancient totems of the dragon race. Gu Yuena sat on the main throne, her silver hair cascading down to her ankles, looking sacred and peerless.

But today, beside her, there was an additional powerful aura that felt somewhat unfamiliar to Gu Tian.

It was a life force as gentle as jade, filled with maternal radiance, yet carrying a steadfastness that had endured for ten thousand years.

"Master, you have returned."

Following this gentle, water-like call, a woman slowly emerged from the starlight shadows behind Gu Yuena.

Gu Tian's pupils contracted sharply in that instant.

She was an incredibly beautiful woman, so beautiful that the surrounding starlight seemed to dim. She had long, emerald-green hair that looked as if it were dripping with life, draped loosely behind her. Occasionally, green light like fireflies danced at the tips of her hair—a phenomenon caused by life energy condensed to the extreme. Her eyes were a deep, clear emerald, filled with endless gentleness and compassion, as if one look from her could soothe all the pain in one's soul.

She wore a pale green silk dress, tailored to fit her mature and voluptuous curves. The hem of the dress was layered like the white wings of a swan, edged with tiny, sparkling diamonds. With every step she took, faint phantoms of life flowers seemed to bloom on the starlight-crystal floor beneath her feet, only to vanish quietly.

Her figure was not as hot and aggressive as Chiyan's; instead, it possessed a balanced, elegant, and vibrant softness. Her snow-white, delicate skin, set against the green dress, emitted a warm, ivory-like luster.

Her temperament was extremely holy, like a saintess of the forest or a deity saving all living beings.

"This is Bi Ji, a five-hundred-thousand-year-old Emerald Swan," Gu Yuena stood up and introduced her to Gu Tian. "She is the first true high-level combatant I have awakened recently."

Bi Ji bowed slightly, her lowered head showing a shyness like a water lily touched by a cool breeze. She performed a standard, ancient etiquette toward Gu Tian, her voice ethereal and pleasant: "Bi Ji greets the Dragon God Envoy. The Master has already informed me of the revival plan, and I am willing to contribute my meager life essence for the rise of the Dragon God."

Gu Tian looked at Bi Ji, inwardly marveling. A five-hundred-thousand-year-old fierce beast—this was an almost invincible existence in the outside world.

Gu Yuena walked to Gu Tian's side, took his hand, and transmitted her voice directly into his mind: "I chose to awaken Bi Ji first for three reasons: First, she was sleeping at the bottom of this Lake of Life, making her the easiest to contact and the most loyal; second, she is a peak healing-type, capable of not only ensuring your safety but also cleansing your meridians at any time, ensuring your body does not collapse when you forcibly absorb high-level soul rings that exceed your limits..."

Gu Yuena paused, a deep meaning flashing in her purple eyes, and a sly curve appearing at the corner of her mouth: "Third... Bi Ji has the gentlest and most peaceful temperament, and she is the most prone to developing attachments to others. I hope she will fall in love with you as soon as possible, helping you complete that damned second divine trial and awaken a deeper level of bloodline. With a partner of five hundred thousand years of cultivation to assist you, your position will be unrivaled."

After hearing this, Gu Tian couldn't help but look again at the gentle and jade-like Bi Ji, who was currently observing him with a hint of curiosity and shyness.

This kind of super big sister, full of maternal radiance and possessing holy, redemptive attributes... Gu Yuena's assist was truly delivered straight to Gu Tian's heart.

Meanwhile, Meng Yiran was completely dumbfounded, her mind buzzing. She looked at the Silver Dragon King on the high throne, who looked like a god or a demon, and then at the woman with emerald-green hair whose aura was so terrifying that she found it difficult to even look directly at her.

She finally realized just how heavy the secret Gu Tian had spoken of truly was. This was no ordinary genius from a Soul Master Academy; this was the co-ruler of the entire soul beast world, a true god about to overturn the Divine Realm!