Two "Worlds"

The sea breeze was shut outside the windows, leaving only the low hum of the central air-conditioning system and the faint freshness of circulating air indoors. Di Tian's "safe house," located high above the Seaside District of Aolai City, had a spacious, brightly lit living room. Beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows stretched a glittering sea, while the furnishings inside blended strangely well with the modern view.

Huo Yuhao looked around. Rather than a human residence, this place resembled a miniature "soul beast civilization exhibition hall." A thick, soft silver-gray carpet covered the center of the living room, its patterns like rippling water and drifting clouds, wonderfully pleasant to the touch. It was a high-end furnishing product from Emerald Court's home line, said to embody Bi Ji's understanding of softness and healing. Several lush green plants stood in the corners and atop the coffee table, none of them ordinary varieties. The leaves of one Starlight Orchid glimmered faintly beneath the indoor lighting, as if it had stored away the night sky. Another Serenity Vine curled upward, naturally purifying the air and releasing a subtle fragrance that soothed the mind. They were clearly improved varieties from Myriad Demon King's Forest Life Chronicle laboratory, bringing the spiritual energy of the soul beast forests into human homes in a more livable form.

An entire wall was occupied by bookshelves made of steady black walnut, their edges trimmed in dark-gold metal. Their simple yet powerful design bore the unmistakable style of Dark Gold Mountainforge Workshop, though Di Tian had polished away its sharpness, leaving only weight and solidity. Aside from a few human books, the shelves held more internal soul beast technical materials, design blueprints, and several exquisite metal ornaments—a cute little Dark Gold bear with clearly defined muscles, likely one of Bear Lord's early practice pieces, and a miniature ornate Western rapier displayed beside an equally tiny Chinese dagger, undoubtedly the result of Zi Ji and Bi Ji competing with one another.

Most eye-catching of all was the massive soul-guidance screen occupying nearly the entire opposite wall, along with the matching sound system, sleek and black as obsidian. The entire audiovisual setup bore the matte-black logo of Deep Space Dragon Domain, and its technology far surpassed ordinary products on the market.

At that moment, Di Tian was slumped despondently into the sofa—also a Deep Space Dragon Domain creation. Its ergonomic support cradled him, but he had no mind to enjoy it. He merely stared at the ceiling, muttering over and over, "Why? Why?" The powerful Black Dragon King now resembled a bewildered young man unable to solve a difficult problem. "Even if the main body herself had personally infiltrated that boy's side, I could understand. That would be strategy! But why... why separate out such a... weak portion, one that seemed to have even forgotten her own power? Has my lady... truly become a fool?" This was far too different from the calculating, majestic, powerful image of the Silver Dragon King in his mind, leaving him with a profound sense of helplessness.

Demon Spirit sat obediently on the carpet, watching her two older brothers worry. She blinked, remembered something, and repeated to Di Tian Huo Yuhao's earlier analysis of the Silver Dragon King from the soul-guidance train.

"Oh, right, Uncle Di Tian. Brother Yuhao and I also speculated on the train before... The Golden Dragon King received this 'unexplained enhancement' within its Divine Realm seal, gaining intelligence and an ability to learn rules that did not belong to it. Could that mean... some kind of balance had been broken? For instance, might the corresponding other side have been weakened?"

"Oh? Is that so..." After hearing her out, Di Tian fell into thought, and his tightly furrowed brow relaxed slightly. He felt somewhat better. At least, logically speaking, it seemed to barely explain this abnormal move.

He turned his gaze to Huo Yuhao and voiced the question that had long been circling in his mind. "Huo Yuhao, you have always emphasized that, in the future, the Golden Dragon King's God Core must be stripped from Tang Wulin's body. I understand that this is to eliminate a hidden danger. But as far as I know, if the Golden Dragon King's remaining consciousness within the God Core can be completely destroyed, allowing Tang Wulin to absorb and merge with that power to become a new Golden Dragon King or something similar, wouldn't that be the more powerful choice? Don't you humans often say that power itself is neither good nor evil?"

Huo Yuhao sighed and sat down beside Di Tian in a single armchair, looking equally exhausted. The soft chair supported him. "The problem lies precisely in that 'consciousness,' Di Tian." He extended his right hand, palm up. An extremely tiny stream of dark-gold energy appeared, like a small living dragon swimming through the air. It radiated a heart-palpitating aura of brutality and immortality, yet seemed constrained by more complex and exquisite laws.

"These past few days, I have been trying to analyze it. The result was that its 'enhancement' far exceeded expectations. Within it is an incomprehensible, almost instinctive ability to learn combat and imitate laws. It may even... have touched upon part of the Dragon God's concept of 'authority.' Even an attack from the Creator God failed to erase it completely. To safely inherit this power, its consciousness must first be thoroughly wiped out. But this enhanced consciousness is bound unusually tightly to the God Core. A simple separation or destruction could very likely trigger unforeseeable mutations or backlash." He withdrew the energy, his face bearing exhaustion and helplessness wholly at odds with its nature. "Separation seems to be the safest approach for now, but how to do it safely, I... still have no idea."

Watching Huo Yuhao, who was usually so confident, and the imposing Uncle Di Tian, both wilted on the sofa like two grown children trapped by a difficult problem, Demon Spirit sat on the carpet between them and rolled her large amber eyes. Suddenly, she copied them by falling backward with a plop onto the carpet, limbs spread wide. Deliberately drawing out her voice, she cried in an adorable tone, "Ahhh—! I'm tired! I'm not doing this anymore either—!" Afterward, she mischievously stuck out her little tongue and blinked at them.

This sudden "imitation show" and silly expression instantly shattered the oppressive atmosphere in the room. Di Tian froze at first, then the corners of his lips rose at Demon Spirit's impish appearance. The heavy knot in his heart seemed to lighten somewhat. He reached out, his broad hand gently covering the top of her head as he softly ruffled her hair. A rare, completely relaxed gentleness entered his deep voice. "Enough, enough... Let's put those headaches aside for now."

His gaze grew distant, as though seeing through the walls to the companions scattered across the continent, each striving to "live" in their own way—Bear Lord obsessed with forging, Scarlet King studying perfumes, Myriad Demon King cultivating plants, Bi Ji and Zi Ji competing fiercely in the fashion world... and this little Demon Spirit before him, who had created games that swept across the continent and laughed without a care in the world.

"As long as you..." Di Tian's voice was quiet, yet carried immense weight, "can all live happily and peacefully like this, that is enough. As for everything else, we'll slowly find a solution."

"Hehehe." Feeling the warmth from Di Tian's hand and affection rarely shown in ordinary days, Demon Spirit laughed happily. A soft glow spread over her body as she shrank into her true form: a furry little beast that seemed condensed from moonlight. With a light leap, she accurately burrowed into Di Tian's arms, found a comfortable spot, rubbed against him affectionately, and let out a satisfied purr. Di Tian naturally adjusted his posture as well, wrapping an arm around the small warm bundle and absentmindedly stroking her smooth fur.

Huo Yuhao watched this scene, warmth rippling through his ice-blue eyes as well. He turned his attention back to the enormous soul-guidance screen. Playing on it was a live broadcast from the finals of some top fashion design competition, where Bi Ji and Zi Ji—two queens of utterly different but equally dazzling styles—were calmly answering the judges' questions onstage. Beneath them, flashes sparkled like a river of stars.

"By the way," Huo Yuhao said, pointing at the screen, "isn't the signal reception on this Deep Space Dragon Domain television a little too good? I remember this Universal Fashion Summit Showdown was a closed final. Only a few invited media outlets and the internal network could watch it, yet you have a high-definition live broadcast. You didn't... 'happen to' tap into their internal signal again, did you?" As he spoke, he settled comfortably into the sofa just like Di Tian, who still held the little beast in his arms, and took out his soul-guidance phone. Demon Spirit poked her little head out from Di Tian's embrace, waved a paw, and her own specialized phone floated over.

"...Sigh, fine. You caught me." Di Tian glanced at the screen and admitted it without much guilt. "Bear Lord is busy hammering iron, Myriad Demon King is soaking in the laboratory, Scarlet King is searching the continent for spices, and Zi Ji and Bi Ji compete in beauty every day... Of all of us, I seem to be the most 'idle.' Sometimes... well, only sometimes, when I'm bored, I just 'look' at what they're doing." His tone made him sound exactly like an old father who kept up with his children's lives but was too embarrassed to admit it. He took out his own phone as well, its screen lighting up to reveal the login interface. "Logging in?"

"Come on!" Huo Yuhao immediately perked up. The games popular in this era had always seemed rather dull to him. Feeling stranded in a "gaming desert," he had entrusted this "major task" to Demon Spirit several years ago, when she had been fascinated by electronic entertainment in human society. Unexpectedly, Demon Spirit had displayed astonishing talent in this field.

"Spirit Bonding All Things, Anomaly Containment Records, Echoes of the Spirit Realm, Contract Battlefield... Which one shall we play?" Demon Spirit transformed back into human form and squeezed herself between the two of them, her little face full of pride. "All four games are pretty good, right? Stable operations and positive player feedback!" The Demon Spirit Gameworks she founded had swept across the continent in only three years with these four games of vastly different styles and innovative gameplay. The profits even supported other soul beast industries, making it her proudest achievement.

Looking at the four exquisite icons on the screen, Di Tian praised her without reservation. "They truly are impressive. Especially the core concepts of 'bonds' and 'contracts' in Spirit Bonding All Things, as well as the vast 'anomaly' system and player trading ecosystem built by Anomaly Archive... As expected of you, Xiaoling." He was not merely being polite. He genuinely appreciated the unique understanding of power, bonds, order, and chaos contained in these games. Perhaps that was precisely the different spark that the soul beast perspective brought to human entertainment.

"Hmph, I'm playing Containment Records! My national ranking is about to fall out of the top ten!" Huo Yuhao rubbed his hands together and directly opened the app bearing a mysterious file-folder icon.

"Tenth?" Di Tian was somewhat surprised. As he logged into his own account and organized the various "containment tools" and "investigator equipment" in his virtual warehouse, he asked, "You mean... the city rankings?"

"The national rankings." Huo Yuhao spoke casually and displayed the dazzling golden badge on his character panel, ranked ninth: "Strongest National Containment Specialist." Its glow nearly blinded Di Tian.

"Not bad!" Di Tian was genuinely impressed. The game was incredibly popular, and competition for national rankings was exceptionally fierce. "But why haven't you pushed for first place? With your abilities, you shouldn't be unable to."

"First?" Huo Yuhao pulled up the server-wide rankings and pointed at the top ID—"Xie Xie." "There. That guy's family isn't merely rich. Rumor says they make top-tier mechas. The rare items he bought with real money and the professional teams he hired could practically build an entire 'anomaly museum.' Can't beat him, can't beat him." There was no dissatisfaction in his voice, only a statement of fact.

Di Tian glanced at the name, found it somewhat interesting, but did not think much of it. Soon, the three formed a party and entered the tense, thrilling Joint Containment Operation instance.

In less than a minute, the previously quiet and cozy living room was filled with intense game sound effects and the trio's overlapping shouts:

"Huo Yuhao! Where's your Silence Field for crowd control? Cast it, quickly! The monster horde is rushing over! It's in my face! Ahhh—!"

"Di Tian! Your Area-Sealing Scroll! Throw it! Aim properly!... You missed! You hit me! My shield points! Wah!!"

"Ahhh—! Uncle Di Tian! Brother Yuhao! You're so loud! My ears!" Demon Spirit complained while covering her ears, but her hands never stopped moving. Onscreen, her support character precisely released waves of healing.

"Cough... Sorry." "My fault." The two men who had been utterly despondent moments ago were now completely focused, apologizing in a rush while their eyes remained fixed on the screen. The battle was intense.

Completely unlike the lively, heated, down-to-earth excitement on their side.

In a fourth-year classroom at Red Mountain Academy, afternoon sunlight streamed through the glass windows, casting bright patches over the desks. The teacher's voice from the podium seemed to come through a curtain of water, blurred and indistinct. Na'er sat perfectly straight, her purple eyes fixed on her textbook, yet she had not taken in a single word.

Irritation.

An unfamiliar yet intense emotion wrapped around her heart like fine vines, tightening more and more. That glance at the school gate that morning, that mental fluctuation from Di Tian aimed precisely at her, had been like a boulder dropped into a still lake. The ripples it caused had yet to settle.

"Why is Di Tian here?" This question spun through her mind again and again. "Shouldn't the core members of the Star Dou Great Forest, especially him, be under the strictest indirect surveillance of the Spirit Pagoda and every major power? Even if he infiltrated in disguise, he should have remained extremely low-profile. How could he so... flamboyantly sell grilled fish outside an ordinary academy?" It completely contradicted Di Tian's consistently cautious, even conservative style. It also did not fit the soul beasts' current grand policy of "learning to integrate." Unless... something more urgent had forced him to come personally, even at the cost of exposing himself to a certain extent.

What had he discovered? Was his target me, or... Wulin?

At the thought of Tang Wulin, a trace of icy concern mixed into her irritation. Di Tian's appearance meant an unexpected variable. It meant that the peaceful observation period she had carefully maintained might be shattered. If Di Tian had noticed the secret within Wulin's body... the consequences would be impossible to predict.

The bell for recess was like salvation. Na'er rose almost immediately, avoided her classmates, and hurried toward a public communications booth in a secluded area of the teaching building. After closing the door and shutting out the noise beyond, she drew a deep breath. Her fingertips were slightly cold as she pressed a complex soul-guidance communications code she had memorized.

After a brief waiting tone, the call connected. There was no sound from the other side, but she knew Gu Yue was listening.

"It's me." Na'er's voice was low, yet carried unmistakable confirmation. "Di Tian is in the human world. I encountered him. In Aolai City." She stated it concisely, her heart beating a little faster in her chest.

Yet the instant the words left her mouth, she regretted them.

What would Gu Yue, the main body, think? Would she come in person? If she came... with her personality and strength, could the situation still be controlled? More importantly—

How did I forget?! Tang Wulin is here too!

The thought exploded like thunder. She had only wanted to report the anomaly, but instinctively avoided the most crucial issue. The identity of Na'er was a "pure perspective" separated by the Silver Dragon King to observe humans, especially this unusual Golden Dragon King's God Core vessel. Meeting Tang Wulin, being adopted, and living together had been an unforeseen yet natural development outside the plan. It had also become the "accident" she found hardest to explain and most wanted to hide.

How would Gu Yue view this "accident"? Would she believe Na'er had been affected by human emotions? Would she take direct action against Tang Wulin?

Her turmoil grew wildly like weeds. Her earlier concern, her current regret, uncertainty toward the future, and a subtle fear of losing this ordinary yet warm life before her... all these emotions mixed together and left her suffocatingly upset.

"Hmph. If you don't believe me, come see for yourself." In the end, she added stiffly into the communicator, then quickly ended the call without waiting for a response. Leaning against the booth's cold metal wall, she closed her eyes and tried to steady her breathing, but with little success.

During the following lessons, she was even less able to concentrate. The teacher's gaze swept over her obviously distracted face several times. Finally, after asking her a question and receiving no answer, the teacher stopped lecturing.

"Na'er," the teacher said, her voice carrying dissatisfaction and concern, "please stand up. Repeat the key point I just explained."

Na'er rose mechanically, her mind completely blank. Nothing remained in her purple eyes but lingering irritation and confusion. She opened her mouth, but could not say a word.

Whispers rose through the classroom. The teacher's brow furrowed even more deeply, and she began a serious lecture that made Na'er feel as though she were sitting on pins and needles. Words about "paying attention in class" and "cherishing learning opportunities" sounded especially piercing now.

Ahhh—! So annoying! Let it all be destroyed!

A nearly violent impulse flickered through her heart before she forcibly suppressed it. She lowered her head, silver hair falling to cover the side of her face. Only the hand beneath the desk quietly clenched, her nails nearly digging into her palm.

The sunlight outside remained bright, and time flowed steadily through the classroom. Yet in Na'er's world, dark clouds had already gathered, and a storm was approaching. At the other end of the city, in some upscale apartment, the sounds of gaming battles and laughter continued, as if they were two unrelated parallel worlds.