At the sight of this,
Gu Yunxiao fell silent too, sighing inwardly.
"Gu Yunxiao, you... could you stay? Could you just stay here?" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion caught Gu Yunxiao's sleeve between her teeth.
"No."
Gu Yunxiao shook his head. "I've learned almost everything there is to learn on the Soul Beasts' side. What remains is the human world's Soul Tools."
"Soul Tools are the way of the future. Even the Soul Beast Clan must accept them."
"I don't have to know how to make them, but I must know how to use them."
"Besides, the Star Dou Great Forest doesn't have many supreme ice treasures. If I want to improve quickly, I can't stay here forever."
There were two places Gu Yunxiao was determined to secure.
The Earth Dragon Sect's ten-thousand-year Profound Ice Marrow, and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the Sunset Forest.
Both places held extremely precious supreme ice treasures.
He wasn't foolish enough to leave such priceless treasures untouched.
"I want to..."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion had barely begun when Gu Yunxiao pressed his large hand onto her head and interrupted her. "Stay in the Star Dou Great Forest. You absolutely must not take human form and run off on your own."
"Even if you really want to take human form, now isn't the time."
"You must have my permission, and you must do it according to my requirements."
Gu Yunxiao had immediately guessed what the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was thinking.
He wasn't opposed to her taking human form.
But he would never allow her to destroy her own future.
He wanted the Three-Eyed Golden Lion to use her own true form as her Martial Soul when transforming, rather than choosing that trace of the Golden Dragon Bloodline as her Martial Soul.
And that required thorough preparation.
At the very least, he had to gain a firm foothold in the human world and have backing powerful enough that no one would dare covet the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
"No! You can't boss me around!" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion shook her head, looking defiant.
"I'm the Young Master of the Soul Beast Clan."
"No, you're not! You're just Gu Yunxiao!"
"...If you won't listen, I really will get angry." Gu Yunxiao's expression grew stern, his voice taking on a heavier tone.
"You... all you ever do is bully me." The Three-Eyed Golden Lion stared pitifully at Gu Yunxiao.
"Don't try that on me."
Gu Yunxiao shot her a glare. "I'm not joking this time. Your identity is special. There are always villains plotting to harm you."
Thoroughly dejected, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion lay down without a word.
Seeing this, Gu Yunxiao sighed inwardly. His heart softened after all, and he gently reassured her, "I promise you, once I've made a name for myself in the human world, I'll definitely take you out."
"When that time comes, wherever you want to go have fun, I'll go with you."
"..."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking. "You said it. No lying to me."
"When have I ever lied to you?" Gu Yunxiao smiled, looking amused. "If I remember correctly, you're the one who's always lying to play tricks on me."
"You... you're talking nonsense! I never did."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion turned her head away, her voice lacking conviction. Clearly, she had a guilty conscience.
Gu Yunxiao shook his head with a smile and stroked her head. "How about... we give you a name first?"
"Okay."
"Big Goldie?"
"Gu Yunxiao!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion sprang up in fury and pounced, knocking Gu Yunxiao down. "Try again, or I'll fight you!"
"Hahaha, I was teasing."
Gu Yunxiao laughed heartily, then changed tack. "Do you have any names you like, or anything you'd like to be called?"
"Hmm..."
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion pondered for a moment, then looked at Gu Yunxiao. "I want to use 'Gu' as my surname, just like you."
"As for my given name, pick one for me. It has to sound really pretty... if you dare say 'Gu Goldie,' you're done for!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was now particularly sensitive to the words "Big Goldie."
"All right, let me think."
Gu Yunxiao smiled. After a moment's thought, his eyes brightened slightly. "You possess Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Light, dazzling like the sun. How about 'Ming,' meaning brightness? Its character contains both the sun and the moon."
"And you're sure to be beautiful after taking human form, so let's use 'Li,' from the word for glazed glass. After all, glazed glass easily brings beauty to mind."
"So... Gu Mingli?"
Hearing this, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion thought it over carefully before finally nodding. "All right, I'll go with your choice. From now on, my name is Gu Mingli."
"Now, can you get up?"
Gu Yunxiao smiled helplessly.
"You've ridden me for so many years. What's wrong with letting me pin you down for a while?"
Gu Mingli grumbled, but she still stepped away.
Once Gu Yunxiao got up, she used her paws to smooth the creases in his clothes.
"Have you got an appetite now?" Gu Yunxiao picked up the skewers beside him and asked with a smile.
"So-so."
Gu Mingli answered casually.
Then, right before Gu Yunxiao's eyes, she ate all the grilled meat, leaving not a single skewer behind.
The corner of Gu Yunxiao's mouth twitched as he looked helplessly at Gu Mingli, as though saying, That's what you call a so-so appetite?
Gu Mingli's gaze wandered, and she didn't dare look at Gu Yunxiao.
"What a little glutton."
"Now I have every reason to suspect it's not me you're reluctant to part with. It's the thought that no one will grill meat for you anymore."
Gu Yunxiao looked at Gu Mingli in amusement.
Utterly embarrassed, Gu Mingli lay beside Gu Yunxiao. After a long silence, she said softly, "It's because you're the one grilling it."
Gu Yunxiao froze for a moment. He said nothing, but a faint smile lifted the corners of his lips.
He placed a few more skewers of raw meat over the campfire, admiring the stars with Gu Mingli while controlling the heat as he grilled.
A long time passed.
Gu Mingli fell asleep.
"Young Master."
Just then, Bi Ji and Zi JI slowly approached. Something about their auras had changed, making their identities difficult to discern at first.
"What did Na'er say to you?" Gu Yunxiao asked curiously.
Bi Ji and Zi JI exchanged a glance.
Only recently had they noticed the unusual relationship between the Young Master and their lord.
Now that they had personally heard the Young Master call their lord "Na'er," their suspicions were confirmed.
To say they weren't shocked would certainly have been a lie.
"Young Master, our lord used certain means to conceal the Soul Beast auras of Zi JI and myself."
Bi Ji spoke slowly, explaining, "From now on, we will accompany the Young Master to the human world to ensure your safety."
"Only in major matters or emergencies. We won't intervene in grudges or disputes among your peers."
In truth, Di Tian was the best candidate to serve as his guardian.
However, as the Beast God, Di Tian still had to manage the Star Dou Great Forest. Sometimes, he even had to keep that rebel, Bear Lord, in check.
The Scarlet King, the Myriad Demon King, and Yao Ling weren't particularly suitable either.
After considering every option, only Bi Ji and Zi JI were qualified. One alone certainly wouldn't be enough, so both would have to go.
"Mm."
Gu Yunxiao nodded slightly, raising no objections.
Since he had backing, of course he should use it. If he never used it at all, what was the point of having it?
"Young Master, our lord has asked you to come see her," Zi JI said.
"All right. Keep an eye on Mingli."
Gu Yunxiao left Gu Mingli in Bi Ji and Zi JI's care, then headed toward the underground space beneath the Lake of Life.
Before you continue