Hearing Zhan Shan mention the Heaven Dou Empire crown prince, a trace of mischievous amusement flashed in the depths of Qian Renxue's eyes.
"People belonging to the Heaven Dou crown prince?"
"That works out well. I was originally cultivating on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest by myself anyway. Since we are heading the same way, we might as well travel as companions."
She said this casually, but when it landed in the ears of Zhan Shan and the deputy commander, it made the two Titled Douluos' hearts sink.
On the surface, Spirit Hall and the Heaven Dou Imperial Family maintained a polite facade, but high-ranking personnel knew that the two major factions had long been at loggerheads with each other.
Now, a core prodigy of Spirit Hall was proactively offering to travel alongside a noble youth of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Should this young woman have any guardian at the Titled Douluo level following in secret, their meager number of people simply wouldn't measure up.
Zhan Shan very much wanted to refuse outright, but the other party's status was right there; butting heads directly would only make matters even more rigid.
The deputy commander also wore a troubled expression, secretly exchanging a glance with Zhan Shan.
Suppressing his churning thoughts, Zhan Shan did not reply immediately. Instead, he turned around, squatted down halfway to look at Meng Chen, and lowered his voice to consult him.
"Young Lord, before setting out, His Highness the Crown Prince specifically instructed this subordinate to obey your arrangements all along the way."
"This girl has an unusual identity. If we travel together, there will be a lot of inconvenience."
This remark could be said to have served as a very clear reminder, intended to have Meng Chen refuse directly.
Meanwhile, watching this scene from the side, Qian Renxue smiled inwardly.
However, she was even more eager to see what kind of attitude Meng Chen would actually hold toward her after shedding the identity of Xue Qinghe and changing to this appearance.
Meng Chen wasn't foolish, and he also saw the change on Qian Renxue's face.
This woman looked arrogant on the surface, but the trace of anticipation in her eyes was already beyond words.
If it were someone who didn't know the truth, they probably would have been scared out of their wits by Spirit Hall's reputation, but he was as clear as a mirror inside.
With this future Angel God by his side to escort him, along with the Titled Douluo behind her, they could practically walk unhindered in this outer region.
What's more, if he rejected her, who knew whether this proud and haughty young mistress might stomp her feet in anger behind the scenes?
Blinking his eyes twice, Meng Chen put on an innocent look and spoke.
"Commander Zhan, I think Sister Qian is great."
"That big lizard just now, Sister Qian killed it with a single sword. With such a powerful big sister around, wouldn't it be even safer for us to find soul beasts?"
Hearing this, Zhan Shan was somewhat stunned for a moment, and his heart felt even more bitter.
He wanted to explain, but he couldn't find the words.
After all, Meng Chen was only six and a half years old. No matter how clever he usually was, he was ultimately a child. How could he possibly understand the intricate and complicated open and hidden struggles among the continent's major factions?
Zhan Shan wore a troubled expression: "Young Lord, this?"
Meng Chen grabbed Zhan Shan's sleeve and shook it: "Commander Zhan, didn't Brother Xue say he would listen to me? Just let Sister Qian come along. Having more people makes it lively, and besides, Sister Qian just praised me for being handsome."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.
She thought to herself, consider you brat sensible; it wasn't in vain for this young lady to change her outfit and make this trip.
Withdrawing her smile, Qian Renxue gave a light cough, raised an eyebrow, and said to Zhan Shan.
"What is this, Lord Commander, your young lord has already spoken, and you're still going to try to stop it?"
"Rest assured, this young lady has no interest in your Heaven Dou Empire's messy affairs; I simply find this kid pleasing to the eye."
Zhan Shan let out a heavy sigh in his heart.
So be it. Since the young lord himself has agreed, he can only be doubly careful.
If anything truly went wrong, he would have to risk his life to ensure the young lord's safety.
"Since the young lord has spoken, then please feel free, Miss."
Zhan Shan stood up, cupped his fists, and said in a deep voice: "It's just that it is my duty. If there are any unusual movements along the road, don't blame us for being merciless with our swords."
"Just you?"
Qian Renxue let out a sneer and didn't bother with Zhan Shan any further. Instead, she strode over to Meng Chen's side and unceremoniously flicked Meng Chen's rabbit ears lightly once more.
Covering his ears, Meng Chen glared at her: "Sister Qian, we agreed on being companions, you can't keep getting hands-on!"
"Who told your ears to look so good?"
Qian Renxue's eyes and brows were filled with smiles, her mood exceptionally good.
The troop set off once more, except the atmosphere was far more subtle than before.
Twelve royal knights surrounded Meng Chen in the center, while Zhan Shan and the deputy commander split their attention to keep their eyes on the golden-haired girl in the rear.
Meanwhile, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, lay the Lake of Life.
This forbidden area, enveloped by dense life energy, was as calm as a huge jade mirror.
The lake water was emerald green and crystal clear, surrounded by countless immortal herbs and spirit woods, with misty vapor slowly drifting across the surface of the water.
A layer of silver ripples resembling water waves suddenly stirred within the void.
Immediately following, a cold and ethereal graceful figure stepped out from a spatial fissure, landing on the lakeside grass.
The girl's long silver hair danced lightly in the breeze; she was none other than Gu Yuena, who had left the Heaven Dou Royal Junior Soul Master Academy.
The very instant she landed, a black figure silently appeared on the bank of the Lake of Life.
He possessed a tall build of about two meters, dressed in a black robe with dark-golden dragon patterns faintly flowing across it.
His black hair hung loose, and amidst the dark strands, a streak of long golden hair was particularly striking.
His facial features appeared to be around thirty or forty years old, handsome and resolute, with his most eye-catching feature being a pair of pure golden slit pupils.
The head of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, the Beast God Di Tian, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian.
Yet the moment he laid eyes on the petite girl by the lake.
The majesty in the eyes of the ordinarily overbearing Beast God vanished completely at this time.
Di Tian bowed respectfully and said: "My Lord, you have finally returned."
With a calm expression, Gu Yuena raised a hand: "Rise."
Di Tian stood up, carefully sensing Gu Yuena's aura.
As the highest secret of the Soul Beast Clan, Di Tian naturally knew why the Lord had taken on human form and infiltrated human society.
"My Lord, you have been in the human world for several months. I wonder... have you found the existence of the Golden Dragon King?"
Di Tian asked in a low voice, yet his tone carried eagerness.
The Soul Beast Clan had been suppressed by the rules of the Divine Realm for far too long; even someone like him, a Beast God, would eventually face a day of exhaustion when confronting heavenly tribulations.
If they could welcome back the Golden Dragon King and merge as one with the Lord to manifest the might of the Dragon God once more, the Soul Beast Clan could completely cast off their shackles.
Gu Yuena fell silent for a moment.
In her mind, the scene at the Heaven Dou Royal Junior Soul Master Academy involuntarily surfaced.
That human toddler who usually followed behind a group of children, swaying two fluffy golden long ears from time to time, laughing in a carefree manner.
"Found it."
As soon as these words were spoken, golden light surged wildly in Di Tian's eyes, so excited that even the surrounding space began to churn restlessly.
"Really? Where is the Golden Dragon King now?"
"This subordinate is willing to immediately lead the Soul Beast Army to flatten the human empire and retrieve the Golden Dragon King for you, My Lord!"
"Retrieve him."
Gu Yuena glanced at Di Tian, her gaze carrying a peculiar expression.
Di Tian was stunned by this look: "My Lord, has something changed?"
Turning around to gaze at the sparkling lake water, Gu Yuena's expression grew increasingly puzzled, yet she spoke truthfully all the same.
"The Golden Dragon King has reincarnated into a human infant."
"Reincarnated as a human?"
Di Tian furrowed his brow; although it felt somewhat unbelievable, it wasn't entirely unacceptable either.
"If he has reincarnated as a human, bringing that physical body back to the Lake of Life and refining his soul at that time to strip away his origin is not out of the question, is it?"
Before he could say anything more, however, Gu Yuena interrupted what he was about to say.
"His Martial Soul is a rabbit."
The vegetation around the Lake of Life was still rustling, but Di Tian froze in place as if struck by lightning.
The dignified Golden Dragon King? Reincarnating as a human was one thing, but upon awakening his Martial Soul, it turned into a rabbit?
Di Tian roared in a low voice: "Impossible! This must be the doing of those despicable false gods of the Divine Realm! Using such a lowly Martial Soul to humiliate the Golden Dragon King's integrity and impair the majesty of our Dragon Clan!"
Gu Yuena shook her head: "It is not the handiwork of the Divine Realm. I have probed secretly many times; that physical body appears fragile, but the blood qi within it truly contains the aura of the Dragon God."
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