"It has been a long time." Leng Yaozhu spoke softly, her voice filled with emotion.
For decades, all three of them had lived in Shrek City, yet had deliberately avoided one another, never once crossing paths.
She had imagined countless times what it would be like to meet again. She had thought her heart might stir once more, but when their eyes finally met, she felt none of the flutter she had known in her youth.
No nerves, no bitterness, no excitement, not even any particular feeling. It was much like seeing two ordinary friends—her heart was as still as water!
In the end, the tumultuous years of their generation had already come to a close. This was no longer their era.
If there was anything she still resented, it was that her younger self had lost to Ya Li, a defeat she had never quite let go of.
A faint smile slowly curved Leng Yaozhu's lips. Matters of love and romance were far too trivial for people at their level.
Looking back now, she had six clear victories over Ya Li.
Ya Li had been bound by love, with Yun Ming filling her heart and mind. Her state of mind had not improved at all since those days; Leng Yaozhu, on the other hand, had long since seen through worldly romance and lived for herself, with a perceptive, clear-eyed understanding of life. That was her first victory.
Ya Li had joined Shrek Academy and betrayed the Federation, and to this day she had not dared set foot in the Ming Capital; Leng Yaozhu, by contrast, came and went freely throughout the city, doing as she pleased. That was her second victory.
Ya Li seemed to hold a lofty position at Shrek Academy, but much of that prestige came from her attachment to Yun Ming. In the eyes of someone as thoroughly Shrek as Long Yeyue, Ya Li remained an outsider, never truly part of the academy. Leng Yaozhu, meanwhile, had built the Phoenix Family with her own hands and secured her position as vice tower master of the Spirit Pagoda. Her power and status came entirely from her own strength, with nothing to lean on. That was her third victory.
Ya Li had drained her life force in her early years to save others, suffering bodily damage that could never be reversed. She had no hope of becoming a Limit Douluo in this lifetime; Leng Yaozhu's bottleneck at the limit had already begun to loosen, and she could advance further at any moment, reaching the summit. That was her fourth victory.
Because Ya Li had exhausted her life force, she had lost the ability to become a mother; Leng Yaozhu was healthy and free of illness, and if she wanted to complete her life with a family, she could have two children within three years. That was her fifth victory.
The younger generation at Shrek Academy was short on talent, with no one able to shoulder the burden; meanwhile, her own niece, Leng Qingning, had already become a demigod, and Na'er and An Lan were both exceptionally gifted. Under her leadership, the Phoenix Family was thriving. That was her sixth victory.
At that thought, Leng Yaozhu finally let go. The knot that had weighed on her heart for decades burst apart and vanished.
She had reached Level 99, a Limit Douluo!
In an instant, a staggering aura erupted from within her, sweeping outward like a world-shaking tidal wave. The air crackled under the pressure, and space itself began to warp.
Everyone present was a peerless powerhouse of the age. Though their thoughts differed, their reactions were lightning-fast. The moment her aura escaped, they all summoned their Soul Power at once, firmly containing the force of her breakthrough without disturbing a single passerby on the street.
Watching Leng Yaozhu break through to Limit Douluo right before her eyes, a flicker of complexity crossed Ya Li's gaze.
She quickly composed herself and offered her sincere congratulations. "Congratulations, Yaozhu. The Federation has gained another Limit Douluo."
"It came decades later than I expected, but... I've finally broken through." Leng Yaozhu let out a long breath. The tension between her brows faded, leaving her looking utterly relieved.
Among their generation, those with the talent to reach the summit had broken through long ago, like Yun Ming, Zang Xin, and Cao Dezhi. Those without the talent saw no hope at all, like Cai Yue'er, Zhuo Shi, and Feng Wuyu.
Only she had possessed the talent, and should have reached the limit decades ago, yet had been trapped by an obsession in her heart, stuck at Level 98 and unable to advance. That delay had dragged on until now.
Even Qiangu Qingfeng, long overlooked by Qiangu Dieting, had already broken through to Limit Douluo in the Spirit Pagoda.
Battle Heaven Douluo, Spirit Transmission Douluo, and Purgatory Douluo had created the legend of three Limit Douluos from the Qiangu Family.
Heaven knew how much pressure the Qiangu Family had put on her over the years.
Fortunately, after weathering the storm, the clouds had parted and the moon had emerged. At last, she could see the light, with open skies and broad horizons before her.
Leng Yaozhu then thought of Qiangu Dongfeng's grandson, Qiangu Zhangting, who had become a Soul Emperor at just fourteen and was expected to become a Titled Douluo around the age of twenty.
Over the years, Qiangu Dongfeng had spared no effort in building Qiangu Zhangting's reputation, plainly treating him as the sole candidate to become the Spirit Pagoda's next tower master.
In the past, with no one in the Phoenix Family to take her place, she would have had to accept it. But now...
Her gaze drifted over An Lan and Na'er behind her, and a sharp glint of ambition kindled in her eyes. The Spirit Pagoda might yet come under the Phoenix Family's command!
Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar Leng Yaozhu before her, Ya Li saw a woman who was confident and imperious, a phoenix reborn from the flames, dazzling and radiant.
For a moment, Ya Li seemed to see the young Leng Yaozhu again. Back then, she had been just like she was now: a proud girl, every bit as magnificent as a phoenix.
Ya Li could see it clearly: Leng Yaozhu had truly put the past behind her and let it all go.
For a moment, Ya Li found herself unable to bring up what she had wanted to say about Na'er.
She sighed softly to herself, then slowly turned her gaze to the young man beside them. Her eyes held a little more warmth now, along with emotions she could not quite put into words.
She asked softly, "This is that child, isn't it?"
Leng Yaozhu gave a slight nod but said nothing.
Ya Li went on, "If I remember right, his name is An Lan."
An Lan knew his mother had a history with Her Holiness Holy Spirit. He straightened slightly and greeted her in a clear, courteous voice. "Greetings, Your Holiness Holy Spirit. I'm An Lan, your junior."
Leng Yaozhu did not stop them from talking. People of Leng Qingning's generation, including An Lan's mother, Shi Lan, knew only that Ya Li had wanted to take Shi Lan as her disciple back then, but Leng Yaozhu had turned her down. No one had ever looked deeper into the reason.
But as someone who had lived through the same era as Ya Li, Leng Yaozhu saw more.
Shi Lan and Ya Li were very alike. Both came from humble backgrounds and had outstanding talent; both were geniuses the Federation had valued and nurtured. Even Shi Lan's Martial Soul, the Photon Sprite, had much in common with Ya Li's Prayer Angel.
Ya Li had insisted on taking Shi Lan as her disciple back then. Appreciating her talent was only part of it. More than anything, Ya Li had seen another version of herself in Shi Lan—a glimpse of the path her life might have taken if she had never met Yun Ming.
If Yun Ming had never appeared, how similar would Ya Li's path have been to Shi Lan's?
So Ya Li's feelings for Shi Lan were more of an obsession, an obstinate longing for another possible version of her own fate.
Leng Yaozhu shook her head to herself. Truly, those caught up in a situation were blind to it, while outsiders saw clearly.
The Federation had raised Ya Li, only for Yun Ming to take her away. She had followed him into betrayal, joining Shrek Academy and severing all ties with the Federation.
The Federation had already suffered that once. How could it allow Shi Lan to become Ya Li's disciple and risk the same thing happening again?
In her eyes, Ya Li's obsession made even less sense.
Life offered no second path. Once she had chosen Shrek Academy and Yun Ming, she had cut herself off from the Federation for good.
So many years had passed, and both sides had tacitly agreed not to mention it again. Now Ya Li was putting on this show—who was it for? Her own conscience?
Ridiculous!
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