Cyrene

Although they had not personally witnessed Zhang Lexuan's death, everyone, including Xuan Zi, had already assumed that she had fallen.

Leaving aside the fact that she had already been severely injured, absorbing a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring beyond her level would have required at least half a year of recuperation. Then the Rift Realm descended, and in order to protect her junior brothers and sisters, she had forced herself to act despite her injuries, worsening them further.

After that, she had been caught up in the battle between the Rift Realm Lord and Xuan Zi and fallen into a spatial rift. How tough would someone have to be to survive that?

So, they had never considered the possibility that Zhang Lexuan was still alive.

That was also why Xuan Zi was in such pain. Zhang Lexuan had grown up under his watch, and she had fallen because of his mistake. It was all his fault.

He did not even know how he was supposed to face the elders of Sea God's Pavilion when he returned, or how he was supposed to face Mu En.

He had not only caused the deaths of eight elite inner court disciples, but also the death of the academy's foremost genius of the younger generation, the number one person in the inner court.

At twenty-two, she had become an Eight-Ring Soul Douluo, and her eighth ring had successfully absorbed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring. Barring any accidents, Zhang Lexuan was certain to break through and become a Super Douluo. She might even have had a chance of becoming a Limit Douluo.

Strictly speaking, this time, he had directly killed a future Limit Douluo—perhaps even the future master of Sea God's Pavilion.

After looking around Herta's storage room, Xu Tianming picked out several suitable Soul Tools and prepared to auction them off in the name of the Fools.

These Soul Tools were all byproducts of Herta's research. They came in every grade, and some were even products far beyond their era. If they were made public, they could advance the Sun Moon Empire's Soul Tool technology by at least five hundred years.

And that was with Herta not even focusing her efforts on Soul Tools. This was the value of a genius.

If Herta had not been restricted by the lack of the Path energy she was familiar with in this world, as well as the limitations of its materials, Xu Tianming suspected that she could have handcrafted a Star Destroyer Cannon—or even built another Herta Space Station.

Carrying a large number of Soul Tools, Xu Tianming left the high-rise building. It was worth noting that this entire thirteen-story building belonged to the Fools. Its main business was dining, with the Ordinary Alliance holding shares.

The first through tenth floors served the dining business, but the eleventh floor was Herta's laboratory. Other than a select few, no one was allowed above the eleventh floor.

Northwest Mingdu, Hearth House.

Afternoon sunlight filtered through the clouds and fell upon the maple tree in the center of the courtyard. Golden leaves drifted down in the breeze as several children chased and played beneath the tree, their laughter bright and clear.

After three years under the Fools' management, this orphanage was no longer as desolate as it had been at the beginning. Following several expansions and the purchase of nearby land, it had become the largest orphanage in all of Mingdu.

With Jingliu, a publicly acknowledged Titled Douluo, stationed there, no one foolish enough to cause trouble at the orphanage had appeared. Its development had proceeded extraordinarily smoothly.

Dormitories, a cafeteria, a library, a martial soul awakening room—the necessary facilities had all been provided. They had also hired many teachers to care for the children, along with cooks, cleaners, and security guards.

It could be said that even without Jingliu, this orphanage could continue operating smoothly.

And that was indeed the case. Aside from the effort Jingliu had put in at the beginning, she spent most of her time training the Cloud Knights, teaching Xu Tianming swordsmanship, or eliminating Rift Realms.

All the orphanage needed was a few trustworthy people to run it.

Xu Tianming entered Hearth House and immediately spotted the most conspicuous figure in the courtyard.

She was a beautiful girl who looked to be in her teens, with long pink hair that faded to blue at the tips and gave off tiny specks of starlight.

The girl was tall and slender, with fair skin and a pair of unusually thin, pointed ears. Her violet eyes seemed to contain an entire river of stars.

Dressed in a white-and-purple formal gown, she looked like a bride waiting to be wed.

At that moment, she was crouched before a little girl of five or six, holding a freshly baked honey cake in her hand as she said gently,

"Little Eileen, eat slowly. There's plenty more cake, okay? ♪"

The little girl timidly accepted the cake. Her eyes were red, making it obvious that she had cried not long ago.

Cyrene reached out and gently stroked the little girl's head. A soft white glow appeared at her fingertips, and the child's tense body gradually relaxed as she began taking small bites of the cake.

"Cyrene, you've worked hard."

Seeing this, Xu Tianming smiled and stepped forward.

Hearing his voice, Cyrene stood up, dusted off her skirt, and turned toward Xu Tianming. Her eyes brightened slightly, then she puffed out her cheeks and said, "Partner, you finally came. I thought you'd forgotten all about me."

Her voice carried a trace of grievance. Her violet eyes lowered slightly, and her long lashes trembled softly.

"How could I? I might forget anyone else, but never the most beautiful girl in the world."

Xu Tianming paused. Looking at Cyrene's teary-eyed expression, the corner of his mouth twitched. After spending so long with her, he naturally knew she was acting, but he was not some clueless straight man. When it was time to praise her, he did not hesitate at all.

"'Most beautiful in the world' is a little exaggerated, Partner, but I really am a beautiful girl, you know. ♪"

Cyrene was clearly quite pleased by Xu Tianming's flattery. She touched her chin with a slender, fair finger and smiled sweetly.

"Of course. Cyrene's beauty is number one in the world."

Xu Tianming said it without blushing or skipping a beat, as if it were simply the truth.

"Really? Then how do I compare to Miss Herta?"

A hint of mischief appeared in Cyrene's eyes as she asked with a sweet smile.

A cold sweat immediately broke out on Xu Tianming's forehead. Damn, a lethal question. If I answer this badly, someone might actually die.

"Alright, alright, I'm done teasing you. I'm really not angry. This place is wonderful, and the children are all so adorable. Taking in homeless children and giving them a home... I think it's very romantic. ♪"

Cyrene stopped joking, stepped forward, and took Xu Tianming's hand. "Partner, you did very well. Without you, these children probably would have had a hard time finding a beautiful future."

The girl's hand was soft, and she carried a pleasant fragrance. Turning his head slightly, Xu Tianming could see her fair neck. His gaze drifted downward, and he estimated she was probably a D.

However, compared with a certain counterpart jokingly called a pink chubby auntie, she might still have been lacking a little.

"Partner, I think you were just thinking something rude."

Cyrene lowered her head suspiciously, leaned closer to Xu Tianming, and narrowed her eyes at him.

Her face suddenly drew near. Xu Tianming could feel her breath against his face, and his heartbeat abruptly accelerated. He instinctively took a step back. Her actions were far too intimate, far too unfair. Xu Tianming could not handle it.