Di Tian?

After dealing with the Azure Wolf, Xiling looked at the three of them, too stunned to speak, shook his head, tapped the signal device on his right hand, and exited the Spirit Ascension Platform.

He had had enough fun for today. Bullying weak opponents was entertaining once in a while, but doing it too much became boring.

As for Gu Yue and the other two, they had yet to recover from what they had just witnessed. Although they had always known Xiling was strong, every time they saw him act, they felt an indescribable shock.

When Xiling opened his eyes in the metal chamber, he heard a staff member praising him beside his ear. "As expected of Lord Xiling. Your talent truly is unmatched."

He had witnessed all six of their performances. Though Gu Yue and the others had also performed brilliantly, they could only be described as promising talents.

But compared to Xiling, they were nowhere near enough.

Besides, Xiling was Heavenly Phoenix Douluo's direct disciple. Before Leng Yaozhu left, she had instructed them that if her disciple made any requests, they were to comply. Xiling's wishes were her wishes.

Those words were enough to demonstrate Xiling's standing in Leng Yaozhu's heart. He was practically the next vice tower master of the Spirit Pagoda, and they absolutely could not afford to slight him.

Hearing the staff member's heartfelt praise, Xiling merely smiled faintly. "They were only ten-year and hundred-year soul beasts. There's nothing to be proud of."

Zhang Yangzi wore a complicated expression. Among the six members of Zero Class, he had been eliminated first. Everyone else had been saved by Xiling at a critical moment and was still fighting monsters and leveling up in the Spirit Ascension Platform. He alone had drawn the short straw.

After greeting Wu Zhangkong and the others, Xiling headed back early. A rather interesting guest had arrived today.

Not long after he left, Wang Jinxi, Tang Wulin, Xie Xie, and Gu Yue woke up one after another.

The first thing Gu Yue did upon waking was look around. When she did not see the person she wanted to see, she could not help asking, "Teacher Wu, where is Xiling?"

"He said he had something to do and left early."

After returning home, Xiling first brewed a pot of tea, then leaned back on the sofa and moved his lips slightly.

"Gu Yue will not be back for a while. Since you are here, stop hiding. A guest is a guest. Show yourself."

As his voice fell, the air fell silent for several seconds. A middle-aged figure clad in a black robe, with golden eyes, quietly appeared in the living room.

Xiling smiled faintly and gestured for him to sit. "For the great Beast God Di Tian to grace my humble home, it truly brings honor to this place."

Di Tian did not take a seat. Instead, his face was filled with gravity. This was the second time he had been discovered by such a weak human.

The first time, when he had taken Na'er away, could be explained as an accident. But what about this time? How was he supposed to explain it?

He had concealed every trace of his aura. Even a Super Douluo standing right beside him would never have been able to detect him.

Yet how had this human, not even ten years old and merely a Soul Elder, discovered him? Di Tian could not make sense of it no matter how hard he thought.

As if seeing through Di Tian's confusion, Xiling explained calmly, "If you had merely restrained your aura and observed from afar, I might not have noticed you."

"But you chose to use spatial power right in front of me to conceal yourself. That was why you were exposed."

As he spoke, Xiling poured two cups of tea, picked up one of them, and drank it by himself.

Hmm... this felt strangely familiar.

Upon hearing this, Di Tian's expression grew even more solemn. After a long while, he finally spoke, his tone filled with coldness and warning. "Human, I do not care what secrets you are hiding. Stay away from my lord."

He had not deliberately released any pressure, yet the entire room was shrouded in a suffocating oppression, as though a mountain were pressing down upon them.

Di Tian had already been puzzled as to why Gu Yue had traveled all the way to Eastsea City. Then he learned that his lord had grown so close to a human that they even lived beneath the same roof. Who could imagine how he had felt then?

He had come here this time precisely to see what sort of person would dare do such a thing. Yet this was what had happened instead.

The Xiling before him was simply too strange. If not for Gu Yue, he would likely have killed Xiling on the spot.

Faced with Di Tian's undisguised killing intent and warning, Xiling remained composed.

He raised a hand in summons. Benares spread its wings and flew out from the room, landing obediently in his arms.

"Di Tian, you have been mistaken from the start." Xiling looked up at him. "It was not I who deliberately pursued her. Your lord was the one who approached me. You should ask her about this yourself."

"Also, I am curious. Ten thousand years ago, you were unquestionably the strongest being on the continent, and the soul beast race as a whole was far stronger than humanity."

"Even after losing the Emperor Beast, the Star Dou Forest should not have fallen into such a state, should it?"

Xiling was genuinely curious about this. Could it be that the great hand in the heavens was still interfering even after Huo Yuhao ascended to the Divine Realm?

That single sentence instantly struck the deepest place in Di Tian's heart, the place he least wished to touch. His originally icy expression suddenly stiffened.

However, when he saw Benares in Xiling's arms, his golden pupils abruptly contracted, and instinctive wariness enveloped his entire body.

A dragon!

Genuine dragon bloodline!

And it was absolutely not the bloodline of any dragon clan currently existing on the Douluo Plane.

At that moment, the Beast God who had stood in the Star Dou Forest for hundreds of thousands of years was utterly dumbfounded.

A dragon stronger than him? In his memory, aside from the Silver Dragon King, there was no one else!

Yet how was he supposed to explain what stood before him? And why was such a noble dragon so intimate with a human?

Too many doubts surged into his mind. Di Tian felt as though his brain was no longer enough to process them all.

Seeing Di Tian's ever-changing expression, Xiling chuckled softly.

Sure enough, whether human or soul beast, to speak calmly, one ultimately needed strength to back it up.

At that moment, the sound of a lock turning came from the entryway, and the front door opened.

Gu Yue stepped into the house and immediately saw the scene before her: Di Tian, his expression dark and grave; Xiling, sitting leisurely on the sofa; and Benares in his arms.

Gu Yue's heart skipped a beat. Why was Di Tian here? He had not offended Xiling, had he?! If he had, what could she do to protect Di Tian?

Nothing could happen to Di Tian now. The soul beast race still needed him.

Thought after thought flashed through her mind. She knew Di Tian's temperament well. He had definitely threatened Xiling. If Xiling became angry, then Di Tian's fate...

With that thought, Gu Yue stepped forward and came before Di Tian. Her brows furrowed as the authority unique to the Silver Dragon King filled her voice. "Di Tian, who allowed you to leave the Star Dou Forest without permission?"

"My lord."

Di Tian bowed slightly, his voice low and respectful, without a trace of the forcefulness he had shown when warning Xiling moments earlier.

He had never expected Gu Yue to return at this time.

Before Gu Yue could continue, Xiling raised his eyes calmly, a faint smile on his lips. "There is no need to be so serious."

"He was acting for your sake. A minor verbal dispute is not enough to anger me."

He did not expose Gu Yue's thoughts and gave her a way out. It was better to let them resolve such matters privately.

Those simple words put Gu Yue at ease. She first shot Di Tian a fierce glare, then turned to Xiling, her tone carrying a hint of apology. "I'm sorry. I failed to discipline my subordinate properly."