The moment the words "Sis Tian Meng" left his mouth, a smile more painful to look at than a sob spread across Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's round face.
"My Lord, please stop teasing me." Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's voice was full of grievance.
When Lin Shuo had first met Tian Meng, she had been trying to escape the Star Dou Great Forest and become humanity's first Wisdom Soul Ring. Tian Meng had just detected Lin Shuo's presence in the forest, but the moment she rushed up to him—before she could even say, "Young man, I can tell you have extraordinary bones"—she triggered the Reverse Scales Di Tian and Gu Yuena had left on Lin Shuo.
In the next instant, Di Tian tore through space and appeared on the spot.
Originally, Di Tian had wanted to slap Sky Dream Ice Silkworm to death right then and there. But Lin Shuo thought Tian Meng would be useful later, so he spared her life.
Her death sentence had been commuted, but she still had to pay for her crime.
The next day, Lin Shuo had Xiong Jun perform a minor operation on Tian Meng.
That day, the whole Lake of Life echoed with Tian Meng's pig-slaughtering screams.
What was worse, as time went by, her voice grew sweeter and sweeter.
Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was on the verge of tears. She squirmed along behind Lin Shuo, her round body wriggling as she muttered under her breath, "I may be the first million-year Soul Beast in history, but look at me now..."
"All right, all right. You should be grateful I spared your life." Lin Shuo waved away her endless muttering. "The Lake of Life is just ahead. I'm going there for a bit. Stay right around here and behave yourself. Don't go anywhere."
At once, Sky Dream Ice Silkworm clamped her mouth shut and obediently stayed beneath an ancient tree. Sunlight filtered through layers of leafy canopy, casting dappled flecks across her ice-blue body. She might be a chatterbox, but she listened well to her lord. If he hadn't spoken up back then, Di Tian would have slapped her to death. After all, she had been the one to offend him first.
See? She even had to thank us.
Lin Shuo headed for the Lake of Life alone.
At twelve, the boy already stood 1.7 meters tall, his figure straight as Lone Bamboo. His once-round baby fat had long since disappeared, revealing a clean, handsome jawline. He wore a silver-white fitted outfit embroidered with fine dragon patterns along the lapels. The breeze passing through the forest stirred his short black hair. Between the shifting strands appeared a face so beautiful it made everything around him fade. It was a face too exquisite to seem real. His skin had a translucent, cool pallor, smooth and lustrous as fine mutton-fat jade. His nose was straight and delicate, his lips neither too thin nor too full.
The surface of the Lake of Life remained still as a mirror, its emerald waters reflecting the ancient trees that blotted out the sky. Lin Shuo entered the independent space with practiced ease, using his spatial power.
Inside the independent space, Gu Yuena stood with her back to him, her long silver hair falling to her waist like silk woven from moonlight. She wore a simple white dress, as she always did, with a silver chain cinched around her waist. She stood perfectly still, as if she had become one with this space—or as if the space itself had sprung from her existence.
"Sis Nana," Lin Shuo called softly.
Gu Yuena turned. When her violet eyes fell on Lin Shuo, the faintest smile appeared on her cool face. In these six years, she had remained the lofty, coldly detached Silver Dragon King before the other Ferocious Beasts. Only when she was with Lin Shuo did a little human warmth soften her features.
"Xiao Shuo, come here." She beckoned.
Lin Shuo walked over and sat in her arms as naturally as could be. Gu Yuena raised a hand and gently brushed aside the strands of hair the wind had tousled over his forehead with her cool fingertips.
"Have you really made up your mind?"
"Mm, Sis Nana. I'm human, after all. I don't want to stay in the Star Dou Great Forest forever, shut away and cultivating. And from what you've told me, the Divine Realm has disappeared for some reason. Even if I leave the forest, no god will come after me. Besides..." Lin Shuo paused and turned to look at Gu Yuena. "I want to think carefully about how humans and Soul Beasts can coexist in the future."
Soul Masters needed Soul Rings to cultivate, and Soul Rings could only be obtained by killing Soul Beasts. That was a deadlock that had divided the two races for tens of thousands of years. Whether it was the future creation of Artificial Soul Spirits or reducing Soul Masters' need for Soul Rings, Soul Spirits would be essential. As someone who belonged to both humanity and the Soul Beasts, he had to find a balance between them, one that could ease or even resolve their conflict. He would never allow the tragedy that befell the Soul Beasts in the Dragon King's Legend era to happen here.
"I understand." Gu Yuena looked into Lin Shuo's dark eyes. "The Star Dou Great Forest will not become your cage." She paused.
"So go and do what you want to do. But remember, the Star Dou Great Forest and the world of Soul Beasts will always be your home."
A long silence settled over the independent space.
After saying those words, Gu Yuena fell silent. Her eyes lowered, and her exquisite, otherworldly face revealed little emotion. But Lin Shuo knew her too well. The calmer she seemed, the more turmoil she was hiding inside.
They had spent twelve years together, day in and day out. Twelve years was already half the length of Lin Shuo's previous life. Gu Yuena had long since become both a mother and a big sister to him. She was the first person he had seen after opening his eyes in this world.
"Sis Nana." Lin Shuo broke the silence and hugged Gu Yuena tightly. His voice was firm and earnest. "Wherever I go, I'll never forget my duty. No matter what, this place will always be my home, and you'll always be the most important person to me."
After holding him for a while, Gu Yuena broke the silence. "Di Tian and I both gave you our Reverse Scales. If you run into trouble, we can reach you in no time. We've also put everything you might need in your storage ring. If you need anything else, just tell us." She paused. "Remember to come back and visit the Star Dou Great Forest whenever you have time."
Lin Shuo met her eyes and nodded solemnly.
Gu Yuena said nothing more. She rose to her feet, her silver hair cascading down like a waterfall, and reached out to straighten Lin Shuo's collar.
"Go," Gu Yuena said, her voice as calm as still water.
Lin Shuo hugged Gu Yuena tightly one more time, then turned and summoned his spatial power to leave the independent space where he had lived for twelve years.
Gu Yuena stood alone in the independent space, her silver hair stirring in a windless breeze. She gazed in the direction where Lin Shuo had disappeared and did not move for a long time.
After a long while, she raised a hand and lightly touched her shoulder. The warmth of the boy's embrace still lingered there.
She closed her eyes, the corners of her cool lips curving upward.
"Safe travels." Gu Yuena murmured, so softly that only she could hear.