A Year and a Half Later, the Awakening Concluded

"If you can't remember, forget it. We'll talk about it when you do. Let's go to the principal's office first and get you enrolled."

After saying that, Xu Jiujiu took Di Qiuxi by the hand and headed to the principal's office.

Once they entered, Xu Jiujiu explained Di Qiuxi's enrollment to the principal.

The principal looked at the two young women before him and nodded.

He asked Di Qiuxi to introduce her martial soul and Soul Power Level.

Standing beside Xu Jiujiu, Di Qiuxi gave a low shout.

"Martial Soul Possession, Golden Dragon."

Dazzling golden light rose from her body as golden scales rapidly spread from her spear-wielding right hand, covering every part of her body except her face.

Three soul rings lit up in succession. The phantom of a golden dragon emerged behind her, and a powerful dragon's might rushed forward. Strange golden light rippled through her eyes, her bearing majestic and domineering.

"Di Qiuxi, twelve years old, Rank 38 assault-type Soul Elder. Martial soul: Golden Dragon."

That overwhelming dragon's might made even the martial soul of the principal of Star Luo Royal Academy tremble.

He had never expected the girl before him to possess the Golden Dragon, the ancestor of strength, as her martial soul.

After all, the girl in front of him looked so delicate that she did not resemble someone with the Golden Dragon martial soul at all.

"Principal, did I pass?"

Hearing Di Qiuxi's voice, the principal finally recovered from his shock.

"You passed. Welcome to Star Luo Royal Academy, Di Qiuxi."

With that, he handed her the items needed for enrollment.

"As for your class, I'll place you in the same class as Princess Xu Jiujiu."

"Alright, Principal. There's no need to call anyone over. I'll take Qiuxi with me."

Once the principal had finished speaking, Xu Jiujiu took Di Qiuxi and left the office.

The two did not go to the dormitories, instead heading straight for the classroom.

Before coming here, Xu Jiujiu had told Di Qiuxi that she did not need to stay at the academy and could live with her in the imperial palace.

They could look after each other and deepen their bond as well.

When they arrived at the classroom and explained the situation to the teacher, the teacher asked Di Qiuxi to introduce herself.

Hearing the teacher's words, Di Qiuxi nodded and briefly stated her name and martial soul.

When the students heard her martial soul and Soul Power Level, they could not help drawing sharp breaths.

"Such a monstrous genius had actually come to Star Luo Royal Academy instead of going to Shrek Academy."

However, most of the class was filled with confusion at that moment.

Di Qiuxi paid no attention to the others' gazes and walked straight over to sit beside Xu Jiujiu.

"You picked quickly enough."

"You're the only person I know. Who else would I choose?" Di Qiuxi rolled her eyes helplessly.

"That's true." Xu Jiujiu laughed as she looked at the exasperated Di Qiuxi.

Time quietly passed, and a year and a half went by in the blink of an eye.

Over that year and a half, Xu Jiujiu and Di Qiuxi grew increasingly close, becoming friends who could talk about anything.

During lunch breaks, Di Qiuxi would occasionally tell Xu Jiujiu about Star Dou Forest, about Liu Lin and the things that had happened between them.

Xu Jiujiu would also tell her about how she used to drag Liu Lin to the cafeteria by his ear when they were at the academy. Whenever the two spoke of Liu Lin, they would laugh, only to gradually fall silent.

Each time, Di Qiuxi would sense the thread of fate and then tell Xu Jiujiu, "He's fine. He's just still in seclusion." Xu Jiujiu nodded and continued flipping through the Soul Tool notes in her hands.

Elsewhere, after leaving the Star Luo Empire, Zhang Lexuan began her true training.

Following the guidance of her future self, she traveled north and found many heavenly treasures.

In less than half a year, her cultivation rose five ranks in succession.

A year later, she even broke through the Rank 80 bottleneck. With the help of her future self, she slew a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, successfully fused its soul ring, and officially entered the Soul Douluo realm.

"Finally, I'm a Soul Douluo." Zhang Lexuan stood atop a mountain peak, feeling the surging soul power within her.

"Soul Douluo is only the beginning. Our goal is Titled Douluo, and an even higher realm," the future Zhang Lexuan said within the Sea of Consciousness.

Zhang Lexuan nodded. "I want to return to the Star Luo Empire and see whether Liu Lin has come back."

"That's fine. Judging by the time, his inheritance should be nearing its end as well."

Hearing her future self's words, Zhang Lexuan nodded and set off for the Star Luo Empire.

Star Luo Royal Academy, evening.

Huo Yuhao hurried to the entrance of Xu Jiujiu's classroom.

The moment Xu Jiujiu came out, Huo Yuhao saw her and called out in a tearful voice, "Sister Jiujiu!"

Xu Jiujiu had just stepped out of the classroom when she saw Huo Yuhao's face covered in tears. As he spoke, he suddenly dropped to his knees.

Xu Jiujiu was truly startled. "What happened?"

"My mother suddenly collapsed. No matter how I called to her, I couldn't wake her up."

"I really had no other choice but to come find you. Sister Jiujiu, please save my mother!"

Xu Jiujiu sighed. For Liu Lin's sake, she ultimately nodded and agreed.

She immediately had Di Qiuxi, who was nearby, fetch Elder Lin, while she followed Huo Yuhao to the side courtyard of the White Tiger Duke Mansion.

Upon hearing Xu Jiujiu's words, Huo Yuhao was so overwhelmed that he could barely speak coherently, managing only repeated words of thanks.

After Elder Lin arrived and carefully examined her, his brow furrowed tighter and tighter.

Elder Lin found nothing visibly wrong, yet her life force was rapidly fading. Even he was helpless.

After hearing his words, Xu Jiujiu summoned another healing-type Titled Douluo.

The elderly man injected his Soul Power into Huo Yun'er's body and examined her for a long time before finally shaking his head.

"This old man is powerless. This is neither an illness nor poison."

"An extremely strange force is wrapped around her heart meridians. The moment my Soul Power approaches it, it is dissolved."

"My apologies, Your Highness. Forgive this old man's incompetence—I cannot resolve her condition."

After saying that, the Titled Douluo offered an apology and left.

Meanwhile, Huo Yuhao knelt beside the bed, holding his mother's hand as tears silently streamed down his face.

Wang Dong also came after hearing the news.

She stood at the doorway, looking at Huo Yun'er's ashen face on the bed, then at Huo Yuhao silently weeping beside it. Her lips moved, but she had no idea what to say.

Though her relationship with Huo Yuhao was not as close as it had been in the original story, they had still been classmates for so long. Seeing him like this made her feel awful as well.

She stepped closer, intending to offer a few words of comfort, but suddenly sensed an extremely familiar aura.

Wang Dong's expression changed slightly. She subconsciously took half a step back and bumped into the doorframe.

Di Qiuxi noticed her strange reaction. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Wang Dong steadied herself, her tone returning to calm, though complex emotions churned in those pink-blue eyes.

Instinctively, she felt that this energy was connected to her father, yet she did not dare be certain.

She had not seen her father in a very long time. Besides, why would her father harm an ordinary person with no cultivation?