"I'm not qualified to know?" Leng Yaozhu's face darkened at once.
She stared intently at Long Yuan, trying to spot some telltale sign—or see through any bluff.
But no matter how she looked, Long Yuan's expression remained perfectly calm, as if he were merely stating a fact.
Of course, it was a fact.
Even some newly ascended gods knew nothing about the affairs of the Dragon Clan and the Divine Realm. How could a mere Limit Douluo possibly know?
Seeing that Leng Yaozhu still looked baffled, Golden Light gradually lit up in Long Yuan's pupils.
"Roar—"
A deafening dragon's roar rang out beside Leng Yaozhu's ears. The Golden Light in Long Yuan's eyes seared her vision, and his domineering Dragon Might made even her Martial Soul tremble.
Leng Yaozhu froze. Cold sweat instantly broke out across her back, and she didn't dare move a muscle.
A full three seconds passed before she recovered from the Dragon Might. She barely managed to gather her spiritual power and resist the surging pressure.
"Huff—huff—"
Her heavy breathing echoed clearly in her ears, but it couldn't drown out the shock in her heart.
How was this possible?
He was clearly only a sixty-level Soul Emperor. How could he unleash such overwhelming pressure? She might not be a Limit Douluo known for her spiritual power, but she had reached the level of Thought Materialization. Otherwise, she could never have become a Limit Douluo.
And then there was that Dragon Might. Her Heavenly Phoenix Martial Soul was a super Martial Soul no less formidable than the Golden Dragon, yet in front of him, it trembled like a little chick, unable even to muster the will to fight back.
Lu Fengnian hadn't felt that pressure, but one look at Leng Yaozhu's pale face and Long Yuan's effortless composure told him what had happened.
But what could he do at a time like this? Nothing at all. He could only hunch his shoulders and play dead.
My little ancestor, why'd you have to stir up trouble now?
Long Yuan and Leng Yaozhu had no time to pay attention to Lu Fengnian's reaction. After a while, Leng Yaozhu had barely managed to adapt, so she released her vast spiritual power, hoping to win through sheer numbers.
Long Yuan naturally wasn't going to give her that chance. He released eighty percent of his spiritual power all at once.
Golden Light blazed in his eyes. His terrifying Dragon Might almost condensed into solid form, surging toward Leng Yaozhu from all sides.
Caught completely off guard, Leng Yaozhu had no time to resist before the Dragon Might bore down on her. Her spiritual power shot back into her Sea of Consciousness, only to rebound and lash back at her.
"Pfft—"
A mouthful of blood sprayed from her lips, and Leng Yaozhu's face went deathly pale.
Long Yuan, on the other hand, only staggered twice before steadying himself with his powerful physique.
Gu Yuena was right beside Long Yuan. Though she couldn't feel the clash just now, her ample experience told her what had happened.
So she sat up straight, looking immensely proud, and even smiled.
Anyone who didn't know better would have thought she was the one who'd beaten Leng Yaozhu.
Lu Fengnian wiped the cold sweat from his forehead.
So... it was Lord Heavenly Phoenix who'd been defeated by Long Yuan just now.
Gasp—
Lu Fengnian sucked in a sharp breath.
This kid was terrifying!
"Cough—cough—" Leng Yaozhu coughed up two more mouthfuls of blood before finally coming around. She no longer looked as disheveled as before.
And yet, for some reason, Long Yuan noticed a smile on her face.
What the heck? Was Leng Yaozhu a masochist?
Now Long Yuan was genuinely at a loss. With her acting like this—and her hopeless romantic streak—if he left his own little lovestruck girl in her hands, would she turn her into some kind of oddball?
Leng Yaozhu had no idea what Long Yuan was imagining. She cupped her hands toward him. "Thank you. My spiritual power suffered a backlash, but I was able to experience the power of a higher realm. I've gained a great deal from it."
As she carefully recalled the Dragon Might, Leng Yaozhu realized that the level of her spiritual power had actually advanced a little. Once someone reached the realm of Thought Materialization, even the smallest improvement took painstaking effort and could take who knew how long to achieve.
That was why she was smiling. As for the backlash, she only needed time to recover. As Vice Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda, she could find any number of treasures to repair her spiritual power. But chances to make progress were few and far between.
Seeing that the other party had already conceded, Long Yuan knew he'd achieved his goal.
"All right, Lord Heavenly Phoenix. Let's get down to business. You specifically wanted to see me today. What was it about?"
How could Leng Yaozhu still put on airs now? She smiled wryly. "Originally, I just wanted to check your aptitude while I was in the area. But now..."
There was no need for her to assess him anymore. If someone like Long Yuan caught Qiangu Dongfeng's attention, he'd probably beg him to join.
"Then may I ask what brought Lord Heavenly Phoenix to Eastsea City?"
Leng Yaozhu had meant to refuse, but then she reconsidered. It wasn't a secret, after all, and since he'd already joined the Spirit Pagoda, there was no harm in telling him.
So she explained, "Five days ago, a batch of high-tier Soul Spirits produced by the Spirit Pagoda's headquarters was supposed to be sent to Skysea City. But a group of Evil Soul Masters stole them. The four Spirit Envoys were occupied with important matters, so I, with nothing better to do, had to make the trip myself."
Long Yuan nodded.
He hadn't expected a group of Evil Soul Masters to have stolen a batch of high-tier Soul Spirits. No wonder Vice Tower Master Leng Yaozhu had come in person.
The Spirit Pagoda had stood at the pinnacle of the continent for ten thousand years. How could it not have channels of its own? Especially when it came to Soul Spirits, such a crucial business. Anyone could guess how tightly they were guarded.
And Skysea City was the seat of the Skysea Alliance, as well as the undisputed top city near the East Sea. Its security would naturally be even tighter.
Yet the Evil Soul Masters had still managed to steal the Soul Spirits. That showed just how powerful they were.
There was probably a Titled Douluo supporting them in secret. To make absolutely sure, sending Leng Yaozhu, a Limit Douluo, was entirely reasonable.
At this point, Leng Yaozhu kindly warned him, "I don't know why, but those Evil Soul Masters have been growing more active lately, and bolder too. You should be careful."
"Thanks for the warning. But if those Evil Soul Masters dare show up, none of them will be leaving."
Leng Yaozhu nodded, then looked at the girl beside Long Yuan who had caught her attention. "I haven't asked yet—who is this?"
Long Yuan replied, "She's my younger sister, Gu Yuena."
"Your younger sister?" Leng Yaozhu's instincts told her there was more to their relationship than that.
"I can tell your younger sister has a gift that's seen only once in a century. Would you let me take her as my disciple?" Leng Yaozhu asked after hesitating for a moment.
It was rather awkward to ask to take the other person's younger sister as her disciple right after they'd just clashed.
But for some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that she and Gu Yuena were fated to meet.