His advantage in establishing a force of his own was his Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon bloodline.
Such a bloodline was a supreme treasure to every member of the Dragon Clan on the Douluo Continent.
He only needed to offer a little blood to easily win over Soul Masters with dragon martial souls.
"Yunxiao?"
Suddenly, a somewhat familiar voice came from behind him, interrupting Gu Yunxiao's thoughts.
Hearing that voice, Gu Yunxiao paused, instinctively turning to look at her.
The young woman had a slender, well-proportioned figure and long, wavy golden hair.
Her features were soft and beautiful, her skin whiter than snow. Her eyes resembled pools of clear water, and every glance carried an air of refined elegance.
Without a doubt, she was an exceptionally beautiful young woman, with a bearing far beyond that of ordinary women.
"Nannan, long time no see."
Gu Yunxiao greeted her with a smile.
The young woman before him was none other than Jiang Nannan, one of the friends he had made while traveling through various human cities several years ago.
Strictly speaking, Gu Yunxiao was also Jiang Nannan's benefactor.
Back then, while heading to the Far North to seek guidance from the Ice and Snow Empresses, Gu Yunxiao had passed through a small border town in the Heaven Dou Empire and happened to meet Jiang Nannan.
At the time, Jiang Nannan had been distressed over her mother's persistent illness, seeking medical help everywhere.
Gu Yunxiao had casually given her a spiritual herb. Not only had it saved Jiang's Mother's life, it had also strengthened her constitution and improved her immunity.
To him, it was merely a "weed" found everywhere in the Star Dou Great Forest. He could have as many as he wanted; the supply was inexhaustible.
But to Jiang Nannan, that spiritual herb was a priceless treasure.
Afterward, whenever Gu Yunxiao traveled to and from the Far North, he would occasionally take a detour to visit Jiang Nannan and Jiang's Mother, freeloading a few meals along the way.
With her mother's health improving, Jiang Nannan had been able to save money. Not only had she successfully entered Shrek, she occasionally even had money to spare for nourishing supplements for her mother.
"Yunxiao, it really is you!"
Looking at Gu Yunxiao, Jiang Nannan immediately ran forward in excitement, looking ready to throw herself into his arms.
However, Gu Yunxiao casually raised a hand, placing his broad palm against Jiang Nannan's forehead and stopping her.
"Nannan, you're trying to take advantage of me the moment we meet? Is this how you repay kindness with enmity?"
Gu Yunxiao smiled and teased her.
"Pfft!"
Jiang Nannan burst into laughter, abandoning her attempt to leap into his arms. "Of course not!" she protested. "I just got a little excited seeing you here."
Although that was what she said, a hint of reproach appeared in her eyes.
As the saying went, a young woman had no way to repay someone for saving her life except to pledge herself to him in this lifetime, or toil like an ox or horse for him in the next.
Not only was this something her mother often repeated in her ear, it was also something she herself dreamed about in the stillness of the night.
The next life was too far away. She wanted to repay Gu Yunxiao in this one!
On the one hand, she genuinely wanted to thank Gu Yunxiao.
On the other, after spending time with him on numerous occasions, she had come to love his face-and even more, the person he was.
"Calmed down now?"
Gu Yunxiao smiled faintly.
"I have." Jiang Nannan answered, pulling Gu Yunxiao's hand away with some frustration and muttering, "We haven't seen each other in so long. What's wrong with a hug?"
Though her voice was quiet, Gu Yunxiao heard every word clearly.
But Gu Yunxiao said nothing.
That only made Jiang Nannan feel even more frustrated.
Still, she quickly composed herself and asked curiously, "Yunxiao, why are you in Shrek City too? Did you come here to gain experience?"
She knew Gu Yunxiao's background was mysterious. He was very likely a core disciple of some great family or sect, perhaps even its heir.
Of course, curiosity was one thing; she would not pry.
"Yes."
Gu Yunxiao nodded. "Whatever else one might say, Shrek Academy truly deserves to be called the foremost Soul Master Academy. I'm planning to spend some time gaining experience here."
"I enrolled a few days ago, so I'm a new student now. I just happen to be a student of both the Soul Tool Department and the Martial Soul Department."
"Double the resources, less coursework."
Hearing this, a flash of shock crossed Jiang Nannan's eyes.
Then her gaze gradually filled with admiration.
"You're as outstanding as ever."
Jiang Nannan sighed, then changed the subject and asked curiously, "Yunxiao, what's your cultivation now? Soul Grandmaster?"
"Four ranks higher than yours."
"Huh? A rank thirty-seven Soul Elder!"
Jiang Nannan exclaimed in surprise, then added somewhat regretfully, "I thought I might surpass you in cultivation, but it turns out you're still ahead of me."
Gu Yunxiao chuckled and said sincerely, "Nannan, you're impressive too. You're already a rank thirty-three Soul Elder."
Jiang Nannan's cultivation talent was truly as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.
With no resources, no backing, and an impoverished upbringing, she had nothing but innate full soul power, yet she had still managed to become a rank thirty-three Soul Elder at her age.
It was worth noting that Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, known as the Outer Court Twin Stars, were more than a year older than Jiang Nannan.
Moreover, even with all kinds of resources nurturing them, their cultivation had only reached the threshold of Soul Ancestor.
By that comparison, Jiang Nannan was unquestionably gifted.
If Jiang Nannan had access to good resources too, she would definitely have already broken through to Soul Ancestor.
"I'm still not as good as you."
Jiang Nannan shook her head.
"Why insist on comparing yourself to me? I'm your great benefactor, not your mortal enemy." Gu Yunxiao rolled his eyes at Jiang Nannan in exasperation.
"I want to repay your kindness, so I don't want to fall too far behind you." Jiang Nannan looked at Gu Yunxiao and spoke meaningfully.
Gu Yunxiao understood what she meant.
But he simply changed the subject and asked, "How has your mother been lately? Is she well?"
"...Yes, Mom's doing very well. She mentions you often, too. Just a few days ago, she asked when you'd come over for a meal."
Jiang Nannan smiled. A trace of heartache flickered in her eyes, but it quickly vanished, replaced by resolve.
She would never change her mind.
Even if she could only watch Gu Yunxiao in the future, she would still quietly remain by his side.
"Now that you mention it, I do miss your mother's cooking, especially her roast duck, roast young chicken, roast goose, braised pig's trotters, soy-sauce chicken..."
Gu Yunxiao listed the dishes one after another.
Never mind him-even Jiang Nannan was getting a little hungry listening to him.
"If you want them, I can make them for you too." Coming from poverty, Jiang Nannan could take care of herself, even if she was not an expert at every household task, from washing clothes to cooking.
"Sure. I'll try your cooking when I get the chance and see whether you've improved."
"Hmph, I guarantee you'll be amazed."
Jiang Nannan gave a playful huff, then suggested, "Yunxiao, let me treat you to lunch. All that talk has made me a little hungry."
"Sure, lead the way."
Gu Yunxiao smiled faintly. "Shrek City has changed a lot. There are so many places to eat now that I don't know which ones are good."
"You love meat, so I'll take you to a very famous barbecue restaurant. There's a long line there every day."
"As it happens, my roommate works there part-time. We can ask her to help, so we won't have to queue."
Jiang Nannan smiled, took Gu Yunxiao's hand of her own accord, and led him away.
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