Back when she had met Li Qinglian in the Star Dou Great Forest, he had possessed only a thousand years of cultivation, while she had already cultivated for ninety thousand years.
But ten thousand years later, Li Qinglian had broken through to the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast level and had even undergone a tribulation!
Li Qinglian said nothing, merely looking at her quietly.
"Xiao Wu, I hadn't expected to see you here."
The corners of Li Qinglian's lips lifted slightly.
He wanted to obtain Tang San's Hidden Weapons Encyclopedia to lay the foundation for the development of Soul Tools.
Perhaps Xiao Wu could help him.
"Xiao Wu. You're that rabbit? You've taken human form too?"
Bi Ji looked at the pretty girl beside Er Ming, her hair tied in a scorpion braid.
"Mhm, Lady Bi Ji."
"My mother died at the hands of those Human Clan Titled Douluo, so I chose to recultivate and take human form. I want to take revenge on those people."
Xiao Wu clenched her fists, hatred in her eyes.
But at the same time, she felt deeply ashamed.
What exactly had she been doing during these six years in the human world?
"Do you truly still want to avenge your mother? Or have you already become immersed in the humans' glittering world?" Li Qinglian looked deeply at Xiao Wu.
He did not criticize Xiao Wu.
In truth, after entering the human world, he had never arrogantly considered what he could do for the Soul Beast race either. Those matters were too distant. At the very least, he would need to become a god before he had the standing to think about them.
"I..."
"I really have been too indulgent these past six years. I've let Mother down."
Xiao Wu lowered her head in shame.
She had lived for a hundred thousand years, but the human world was far richer than the world of Soul Beasts.
During this time, she truly had lived far too loosely.
There was another reason as well.
Only after entering Spirit Hall did she truly realize just how powerful Spirit Hall was. And that woman was Spirit Hall's Pope. Even if Xiao Wu cultivated back to her peak, she still would not be that woman's match.
The enormous gap left her unable to see any hope.
"Big Tree, if I want to avenge my mother, can you help me?"
"You've taken human form too..."
Xiao Wu looked at Li Qinglian hopefully.
"My identity in the human world is Spirit Hall's Holy Son. How do you expect me to help you?"
"Spirit Hall's Holy Son?"
"How did you manage that? Can you conceal your aura?"
Xiao Wu cried out. Bi Ji and Er Ming also stared at Li Qinglian in shock.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast had taken human form, entered the human world, and even become Spirit Hall's Holy Son! How could that not alarm them?
Although Soul Beasts appeared to look down on humans, in reality, among the Soul Beasts that had broken through to the hundred-thousand-year level over the years, a considerable number had chosen to take human form.
As long as they had the chance to recultivate in human form, even ferocious beasts would risk trying it. The Far North's strongest being ten thousand years later, Snow Empress, choosing to recultivate in human form was the clearest example.
The fate of the Soul Beast race was worsening by the day. The stronger a Soul Beast was, the more clearly it could sense this.
"Mhm. My situation is rather special. Once I recultivated and took human form, I was already in the most perfect human state," Li Qinglian said.
Ordinary Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had to cultivate to the Titled Douluo level after recultivating before they could completely disperse their Soul Beast aura and become indistinguishable from pure-blooded humans.
But Li Qinglian's bloodline was more advanced. Once he took human form, he was already in a perfect state.
"So that's how it is. But Big Tree was already very strong to begin with, so it seems normal for you to remain so strong after taking human form." Xiao Wu found it perfectly natural.
Back then, when Li Qinglian had possessed less than ten thousand years of cultivation, she had already suffered a great loss at his hands.
"Xiao Wu. If you still want to save your mother, I may have a chance to help you. But the prerequisite is that you listen to me."
Li Qinglian spoke calmly.
Xiao Wu truly had value he could make use of.
Tang San eventually became the ruler of the God Realm in the original story. He even controlled the Dragon Clan through Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena, that married couple.
Tang San's ability to reach the end and repeatedly escape danger may very well have relied on the momentum of the Human Clan's rise. Human Emperor, ruler of the God Realm, master of the Dragon Realm... Tang San was none of those, yet he faintly controlled all three realms.
If Xiao Wu stands on my side, Tang San will have no secrets from me in the future.
As Li Qinglian thought of this, his gaze turned cold.
"Fine. I'll listen to you in everything, as long as you can do it..."
Xiao Wu took a deep breath, and her gaze sharpened.
If she had any other choice, she would not have fallen into depravity in the human world.
She understood clearly that Big Tree's upper limit was far beyond her own.
She had chosen to take human form to seek revenge, but what about Big Tree?
He had already survived the Heavenly Tribulation, so why would he willingly take the form of a human with only a little over two hundred years to live?
Unless he had an even greater goal!
To become a god!
Li Qinglian wanted to become a god!
If anyone in this world could become a god, then in her opinion, Tang San had a very good chance.
But Li Qinglian had taken human form, so Li Qinglian was the most likely candidate! She knew how powerful Big Tree was. He was a ferocious beast among ferocious beasts, and in her eyes, he was even more terrifying than the Dragon Clan.
In truth, aside from the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King, the other members of the Dragon Clan were indeed far inferior to Li Qinglian.
"My human name is Li Qinglian."
"You should catch up with Er Ming first. We'll talk later."
Li Qinglian did not continue chatting with Xiao Wu. Instead, he followed Bi Ji briskly toward the core region.
Life Lake.
The lake water was still clear as a mirror, reflecting the sky and drifting clouds.
Li Qinglian had just reached the lakeshore and had not even had time to speak when a silver-white figure swept out from the shadows of the trees by the lake. Carrying a refreshing fragrance, she fiercely pulled him into her embrace.
That soft body pressed tightly against him, her slender arms squeezing him so hard that he could barely breathe.
Silver-white hair cascaded down over his shoulders. A few strands were lifted by the breeze and brushed against his cheeks.
An incomparably beautiful face was close at hand. Her large silver eyes were faintly red, carrying a hint of deliberately fierce reproach.
"Six years."
"And you still remembered to come back?"
Gu Yuena's voice carried a trace of gritted-teeth resentment.
Li Qinglian was nearly dazed from being squeezed by her. His nose was filled with her crisp yet gentle body fragrance, like the cleanest snow and the softest flowers deep within a forest blended together.
He struggled to raise his head and looked into those silver eyes reflecting the heavens. Helplessly, he tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"Sister Na... give me some air."
"I'm about to suffocate."
Li Qinglian truly could not understand it.
Why did Dragon Clan Soul Beasts and Soul Masters with dragon Martial Souls all seem so well-endowed?
Gu Yuena was even more impressive than the Goddess of Life.
"If you dare stay away this long again, I'll make you regret it."
Gu Yuena released Li Qinglian. Seeing his awkward expression, she could not help but laugh.
"How come you went to the human world and became almost like those humans? Among us Soul Beasts, why should we care so much about such things?"
Gu Yuena knew a little about the boundaries between men and women in the human world, but the Soul Beast world was far more uninhibited.
"How could it be the same?"
Li Qinglian rolled his eyes.
Most Soul Beasts appeared in their original forms, so naturally there was no need for such precautions.
Soul Beasts of different species had different standards of beauty. But after taking human form, things were different.
If Li Qinglian had not held back with all his strength just now, with Gu Yuena wearing such a low-cut dress, he definitely would have kissed her.
Six years ago, Gu Yuena had even wanted to be his godmother, but Li Qinglian did not want to truly have a mother.
"Fine. By the way, how has your cultivation been these past six years?"
"I can sense an unusual aura from you."
Gu Yuena's expression turned serious.
Before you continue