After two days of travel.
Luo Chen and the others finally arrived in Star Luo City, the capital of the Star Luo Empire.
Although Star Luo City covered a vast area, it had city walls, something already exceedingly rare on the Douluo Continent. It looked more like a city from ancient times.
Luo Chen and the others were settled into a luxurious hotel. The moment Luo Chen reached his bed, he fell fast asleep. His time aboard the cruise ship had truly worn him out.
Unlike Luo Chen, Gu Yue next door did not rest. She kept going over his words in her mind.
Just then, a figure wearing a black cloak appeared beside Gu Yue.
"My lord, should we believe what Luo Chen said?"
Gu Yue did not answer. Luo Chen had given her too much information, and she needed time to digest it.
"My lord, are we really going to let Na'er do as she pleases?" the figure asked again.
"If what Luo Chen said is true, then there is no need to worry about Na'er," Gu Yue said calmly.
"Do not forget the purpose of our journey. Everything else can wait until we find Dragon Valley."
"Yes," the black-clad figure answered respectfully, but did not leave.
"Is there something else?" Gu Yue noticed and asked.
"My lord, we found the Emperor Auspicious Beast, but..." The black-clad figure paused before continuing.
"The Auspicious Beast said she traveled here from ten thousand years ago, but she did not explain the exact reason."
"I believe she probably does not know the reason herself."
Hearing this, Gu Yue looked puzzled.
Ten thousand years ago? She traveled here from Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao's era?
Then... what exactly happened ten thousand years ago?
They rested at the hotel for an entire day.
On the third day, Luo Chen and the others received notice that the emperor of the Star Luo Empire would personally receive the delegation that day.
Luo Chen and the others were required to attend in formal attire.
"The suit Gu Yue prepared for me last time will come in handy again."
As evening approached, luxurious limousines arrived one after another outside the Star Luo Grand Hotel to pick up the delegation from the Douluo Continent.
As the convoy reached the palace, clear, resounding horn blasts rang out, marking the beginning of a grand state reception before the Star Luo Empire's imperial palace.
A scarlet carpet stretched all the way out from within the imperial palace.
The Douluo delegation was led by a deputy speaker, accompanied by several highly respected legislators.
Yet even they deliberately slowed their steps to walk alongside Luo Chen.
Who did not know that Luo Chen was currently the Federation's golden boy, backed by several deputy speakers?
He also had the support of the Spirit Pagoda, the War God Temple, the Blacksmith Association, and the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Most importantly, he had strength. Others might not know much about what had happened at Shrek Academy, but they knew all too well.
That was Yun Ming! The strongest man on the continent! Even the Federal Speaker had to treat him with utmost courtesy.
Yet Luo Chen had not only climbed onto his head and taken a dump, but had walked away completely unscathed afterward. Yun Ming had done nothing to him.
They could not afford to offend someone like that!
Luo Chen had reportedly even announced publicly that he would run to become the next Federal Speaker!
Outside the sky screen, Yu Xiaogang was clearly displeased by the lavish welcoming ceremony.
"Aren't Luo Chen and the others merely representatives of that so-called Sun Moon Federation? Does the emperor really need to come out and welcome them personally?"
Just then, within the sky screen, Tang Wulin, who had been dozing off the whole time, suddenly seemed to react to some kind of stimulus.
His Golden Dragon Body activated instantly, and Blue Silver Emperor vines surged out in a swarm.
Yu Xiaogang could no longer hold back. "Seriously? Is this really a student of my Shrek Academy? Why is he releasing his martial soul out of nowhere? Does he not understand the situation?"
Unlike Yu Xiaogang, who berated Tang Wulin without understanding what was happening, Huo Yuhao from the Peerless Tang Sect era seemed to have figured it out.
"Brother Sky Dream, that was Spiritual Shock just now, wasn't it? That girl beside the emperor of the Star Luo Empire has the Spiritual Eyes martial soul too, right?"
Huo Yuhao asked the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm within his Sea of Consciousness.
"Yes, Yuhao. You saw correctly," the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm confirmed.
"So I really did change my surname to Dai in the end?"
Judging by their conversation, that girl was clearly a princess of the Star Luo Empire, and she possessed the Spiritual Eyes martial soul.
Huo Yuhao had also learned from their exchange that the emperor of the Star Luo Empire bore the surname Dai!
"No, I could never take the surname Dai!" Huo Yuhao reacted as though something had struck a nerve.
Abandon his mother's surname and cast aside her grievances? He could not do it!
Wasn't avenging his mother the very reason he cultivated?
"Once I become a Soul Saint, I'll go take my revenge on Dai Hao!"
Huo Yuhao made up his mind. Having already awakened through the Body Sect's secret method, his soul power was rising rapidly.
Meanwhile, Xu Jiawei of the Star Luo Empire looked utterly grief-stricken.
"The Star Luo Empire still bears the Dai name in the end!"
"But why is there no one from my Xu Family in the picture?"
Xu Jiawei could not understand it. When the Xu Family ruled as emperors, the Dai Family held the title of duke.
Why, now that the Dai Family had become emperors, were the members of the Xu Family nowhere to be seen?
"Could our Xu Family... have been wiped out?"
An absurd thought exploded in Xu Jiawei's mind.
The Dai Family had openly seized power, driven the Xu Family off the throne, and relocated the Star Luo Empire to another continent!
"That's it! That would explain everything!"
"Fine, fine, fine. Dai Hao, it seems I can no longer let you live!"
At the same time, Tang San, who was watching from the Divine Realm, also noticed Tang Wulin's Blue Silver Emperor martial soul.
"Blue Silver Emperor, Tang Wulin?"
"Could this boy be my son?"
By this point, the God of Destruction and Tang San had completely laid their cards on the table, and the entire Divine Realm had split into two factions.
Nearly all the deities had already chosen their sides.
All that remained was to see where the other three God Kings stood.
Meanwhile, within the sky screen, Luo Chen did not react much.
He did not need to think to know Dai Yun'er was behind it.
He wondered whether this famous Under-the-Bed Douluo would get her wish this time.
Sure enough, during the dancing that followed, Dai Yun'er approached Tang Wulin again.
Tang Wulin was a sly little schemer, and he kept stomping hard on Dai Yun'er's feet as they danced.
"What? Do you want to dance with Her Highness too?" Just as Luo Chen was watching with rapt attention, Gu Yue's voice suddenly sounded beside his ear.
"No, of course not," Luo Chen hurriedly denied.
Gu Yue had remained silent these past few days, saying nothing. Anyone else would surely have thought she no longer liked Luo Chen.
But Luo Chen did not think so. He was a man with a system!
In the system, his affection level with Gu Yue had already surpassed that of many others...
"Come, dance with me." Gu Yue pulled Luo Chen onto the dance floor.
Luo Chen smoothly took Gu Yue's small hand and rested his other hand on her slender waist. He said softly, "I'm a very good dancer, you know. You'd better be careful, or I might outshine you."
"Don't worry," Gu Yue said confidently.
[My dancing has earned the approval of Qian Renxue, Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong, Wang Dong'er, Wang Qiu'er, Xu Jiujiu, and Vina!]
[How could I fail to conquer you, the Silver Dragon King?]
Outside the sky screen, the female leads heard those words.
Qian Renxue: ? Fine, fine, fine. I wondered why you begged me to teach you how to dance back then. So this was what you were after!
Hu Liena: Luo Chen really is such a good dancer. I love it!
Ning Rongrong: ? Hmph! Luo Chen, you actually danced with other people too!
Vina: ? Why are there so many of them? Does that mean I'm last in line?
Before you continue