Di Tian remembered that their Master had always been the one stationed in the Dragon Realm. Now that she was handing it over to him, where was she going???
"Master, what about you? Where are you going?"
The silver-haired girl looked at Lie Xu, who seemed uncomfortable all over, and smiled faintly. "I'm going to find a way forward for our Soul Beasts."
After a pause, she continued, "So I'm going with him to the human world."
"Master, you absolutely mustn't!!!!"
Di Tian hurriedly tried to stop her, then sent her a voice transmission using Soul Power. "Master, your injuries haven't healed yet. And Asura is watching you. You still can't act recklessly. The human world is far too dangerous. The risk is too great."
"I know. But the power of destiny is on this boy. Without it to conceal me, I'd have to expend my origin power to seal the Dragon God Divinity, which would slow my recovery."
The silver-haired girl likewise sent Di Tian a voice transmission using Soul Power.
"But, Master, we could just..."
"Enough!"
The silver-haired girl stopped using voice transmission and cut him off aloud. "I've made up my mind. There's no need to try to persuade me. I have my own way of doing things. You just need to follow my orders, guard the Dragon Realm, and wait for me to return. If something comes up that you can't handle, use the scale in your hand to contact me."
Di Tian clenched the dragon scale in his hand and could only accept it helplessly.
"All right, go back."
The silver-haired girl turned and looked at the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape, who had been hiding off to the side with hardly any presence.
"You two, go back where you came from and guard the Lake of Life!"
At those words, the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python looked like scolded children finally set free. They nodded so vigorously their heads bobbed like pounding garlic, then raced toward the other side of the Lake of Life, leaving the space to this venerable ancestor.
They had cultivated in this lake for tens of thousands of years, always thinking they were the masters of the Lake of Life and the kings of the Star Dou Great Forest, treating the forest as their own.
But who could have imagined that an ancestor was hidden in their own home? Not only had this ancestor lived for over eight hundred thousand years, there was an even older "little" ancestor above her, whose age was anyone's guess.
Perhaps the Titan Giant Ape hadn't felt much toward Di Tian and the silver dragon, sensing only the overwhelming pressure of their Soul Power and the gulf in strength. But as a mutated descendant of the dragon race, a faint trace of dragon blood still remained in his body.
It was that very trace of blood that had made him feel, the first time he faced Di Tian, an irresistible urge to submit rising from deep within his bloodline—a suppression of his very level of existence, an insurmountable chasm...
Di Tian walked to the edge of the lake and couldn't help reminding her once more.
"Master, be careful in everything. Come back soon..."
"I know, I know. Since when did you get so long-winded???"
The silver-haired girl spoke without turning her head, her tone full of impatient disdain.
Di Tian glanced at her again and let out a soft sigh. In a flash, he was above the Lake of Life. He revealed his true form, exuding a savage, primordial aura, then plunged headfirst into the water. His enormous body sent up waves a hundred meters high, setting the lake heaving and leaving it unsettled for a long while...
Once all the unrelated people had withdrawn, only the silver-haired girl and Lie Xu's group remained on the shore.
"Let's get properly acquainted. I'm the Silver Dragon King, sovereign of all the Soul Beasts on this continent."
The silver-haired girl imitated the way humans greeted one another and extended her fair hand toward Lie Xu.
Qian Daoliu didn't know what the Silver Dragon King was planning, but he remained on guard against her, afraid she might threaten the lives of Lie Xu and Qian Renxue. After all, both children had the potential to become gods, and they were his own children, too. He naturally couldn't afford to let his guard down.
"From now on, I'll be staying with you. Please take care of me."
The Silver Dragon King pointed to herself with the index finger of her other hand, then pointed at Lie Xu.
"Huh? Me?"
Lie Xu looked completely incredulous. He pointed at himself and asked uncertainly, "Are you talking about me?"
"Mm, yes."
The Silver Dragon King nodded and extended the hand she'd been holding in midair a little farther toward him.
Lie Xu looked up, wanting to glance at Qian Daoliu, but the Silver Dragon King blocked his view completely.
Seeing the troubled expression on Lie Xu's face, the Silver Dragon King's expression darkened at once, and her voice turned icy.
"What? You're unwilling? You got what you wanted, and now you don't want to take responsibility?"
Lie Xu was speechless at that. Was that really how the saying was supposed to be used?
He could only ask awkwardly, "Esteemed Silver Dragon King, why do you insist on staying with me?"
"What do you think?"
The Silver Dragon King lowered her outstretched hand and folded her arms across her chest as she continued, "You seduced our Emperor Auspicious Beast and made her sacrifice everything she had to you, causing the fortunes of the Star Dou Great Forest to shift onto you. If I don't keep a close eye on you, who should I watch?
"If you don't want me to follow you, that's fine. You can stay in the Star Dou Great Forest and be a lucky charm."
Watching the Silver Dragon King put on her strenuous performance right in front of him, Lie Xu couldn't help sneering inwardly. That might fool other people, but he was a man with the whole script in his hands. Did she really think she could fool him? He absolutely refused to believe that she was doing this solely for the little bit of fortune in the Star Dou Forest.
He could only feign hesitation. "Th-then... all right..."
Seeing that she'd achieved her goal, the Silver Dragon King forcefully pressed down the corners of her upturned mouth...
Things had come to this, and everyone could only accept the fact that this sovereign of the Soul Beasts would be staying by Lie Xu's side. There wasn't much point in trying to impose conditions on her. Restrictions were naturally useless against someone of her caliber—nothing but empty words.
Everyone began setting up camp by the lake to rest and recuperate, lighting a fire and preparing food. The successive battles had already exhausted them both physically and mentally. The moment the taut string inside them finally relaxed, their fatigue hit even harder. Qian Daoliu especially needed time to sit down and recover from his injuries...
Lie Xu eagerly devoured the roasted meat Chi Yuan handed him, his face full of satisfaction.
He was at the age when he was growing fast, and he hadn't eaten all day, so he was naturally starving.
Even Qian Renxue, who had always observed the manners expected of nobility, had become a little uncouth after going hungry for an entire day and night.
"Wow." (╯▽╰) So good~~
"Sis A-Yuan, I thought..." (￣~￣) munch munch
"This is my first time tasting your cooking since I got here."
"It's so delicious." Ψ(◉ཅ◉)Ψ
"You should eat some too." After saying that, Lie Xu continued to bury his head in the animal leg, while Qian Renxue nodded along without stopping.
Chi Yuan crouched on the ground with one hand propping up her chin. Watching the two of them wolf down their food like they hadn't eaten in eight lifetimes, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "Slow down. No one's going to steal it."
"Hey... um... kid."
"My name's Lie Xu."
Lie Xu answered without looking up when the Silver Dragon King walked over.
"Oh, right... Lie Xu. You gave the Emperor Auspicious Beast a name before, didn't you? I want one too!!!"
Before you continue