"Since you've come to take the Blue Silver Emperor to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, go ahead."
"Once that's done, you should be returning to the Human World as well."
Di Tian reckoned it was about time.
Jin Jiuxiao had also finished everything he needed to do at home.
"Um, Beast God..."
"Hm?"
"Bi Ji will probably be coming with us to the Human World too. Would you...?"
"Oh." Di Tian gave a casual acknowledgment. "With your current strength and Bi Ji's support, you'll be able to handle even a Limit Douluo."
"With me overseeing the Star Dou Great Forest, nothing will go wrong here."
"Your main task is to ensure Jiuxiao's safety."
Neither of those two little ones, the Emperor Auspicious Beast and Jin Jiuxiao, could be allowed to come to harm.
As it happened, Zi JI's cultivation had broken through.
That made it possible to protect both little ones at the same time.
The Emperor Auspicious Beast slept in the Star Dou Great Forest, with him, the Scarlet King, and the Myriad Demon King nearby. She was perfectly safe.
With Zi JI and Bi Ji guarding Jin Jiuxiao, and his reverse scale as a last resort, his safety was also taken care of.
"Yes, Beast God." Zi JI smiled brightly and flew toward the Blue Silver clan's grounds.
This clone of the Myriad Demon King turned back into vines and disappeared into the ground.
Di Tian likewise turned, tore open space, and returned to the Lake of Life.
By the time Zi JI brought the Blue Silver Emperor back to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, only a few hours had passed.
"I'm back!" Zi JI called from the entrance.
She handed the Blue Silver Emperor, whom she had been holding aloft in midair, to Bi Ji.
Bi Ji carefully examined the Blue Silver Emperor's condition. "Hmm... the Blue Silver Emperor has recovered to fifty-seven thousand years."
As she planted the Blue Silver Emperor in a suitable spot, she asked Zi JI, "How is the Blue Silver clan doing now?"
Zi JI sat down beside Jin Jiuxiao, wrapped her arms around her legs, and rested her chin on her knees. "They've been overdrawing their life energy to help the Blue Silver Emperor recover her cultivation. The Blue Silver Grass around the outskirts has all gone limp and wilted."
"How reckless." Bi Ji sighed softly. "Even if they're anxious, this isn't the way to go about it."
It wasn't as if they wouldn't help the Blue Silver Emperor recover.
"It's understandable, though." Jin Jiuxiao could understand the Blue Silver clan's actions. "Reunions are always joyful."
"With the Blue Silver King's intelligence, he should have guessed there was another candidate for the 'throne.'"
"With their former emperor back, why would they choose to crown a new one?"
Still, that was the Blue Silver clan's choice.
Zi JI had arrived relatively early, before the Blue Silver clan had overdrawn too much.
For now, only the Blue Silver Grass on the outskirts was limp and wilted. It would recover after a period of rest.
Jin Jiuxiao waited until Bi Ji finished planting the Blue Silver Emperor before standing up. "Everything's done. It's time to go back and have a look at the Human World."
Hearing Jin Jiuxiao's words, Dugu Bo immediately came out of his cultivation state. "Little Monster, you're leaving?"
"Yes. What about you?"
Dugu Bo was a little surprised inwardly.
Was he... not going to give me any orders?
"I'm planning to finish the first round of compressing and purifying my Soul Power here, then set out to handle what you asked me to do."
"It's just that this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well..."
Jin Jiuxiao knew what Dugu Bo was worried about. "Uncle Xiong will guard the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Don't worry about anyone else taking it."
"That's good, then."
Since Jin Jiuxiao had made arrangements, Dugu Bo was reassured. "Safe travels."
He didn't even need to remind Jin Jiuxiao to stay safe.
Please, with a seven-hundred-and-thirty-thousand-year-old Hell Demon Dragon King and a five-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-year-old Emerald Swan accompanying him, could this Little Monster run into danger?
Not to mention that Jin Jiuxiao was already powerful himself.
Two carries paired with a support-there really weren't many in the Human World who could beat that trio.
Jin Jiuxiao nodded, then said goodbye to Xiong Jun as well. "Uncle Xiong, we're off."
After returning to Nuoding City, Jin Jiuxiao first took Zi JI and Bi Ji to clean their rented courtyard home inside and out.
Only then did he set off for Nuoding Academy.
He went straight to the dean's office and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Jin Jiuxiao pushed the door open and entered. "Dean, I'm back."
"Jin Jiuxiao?" The old dean was delighted to see him. "I thought you weren't coming back after going home this time."
"You were gone for three whole months without so much as a message."
Jin Jiuxiao laughed. "Finding a suitable Soul Ring took over a month, and stabilizing my cultivation took another half month."
"My elders at home had arrangements for my cultivation, which took nearly another month."
"Sorry, Dean. I didn't get a chance to send the academy a letter explaining the situation."
Hearing this reasonable explanation, the old dean waved his hands repeatedly. "Understandable, understandable."
"Finding a Soul Ring that suits you really does take quite some time."
"Then your current level is...?"
"I've already broken past level twenty."
He had indeed broken past level twenty.
He was already level forty-six now. He was telling the truth, not lying.
"Your talent is truly unlike anything I've seen in my life."
"Tang San and Xiao Wu are about your age, but they're still a step behind you."
Jin Jiuxiao smiled faintly. "I have my family's support, after all, so I have a few more cultivation resources than they do."
Indeed, at home, he had Soul Rings hundreds of thousands of years old to choose from as he pleased.
There were Immortal Herbs and cultivation treasures like the Lake of Life, too.
His cultivation resources could be said to be maxed out.
"Then what are your plans next?"
"I'll return to regular classes tomorrow."
"Good, good." The old dean nodded repeatedly.
If Jin Jiuxiao graduated from Nuoding Academy, it would greatly benefit future enrollment.
"I'll head back now, then, Dean."
After saying goodbye to the dean, he left Nuoding Academy and returned home.
Only to find that Zi JI and Bi Ji had already started tinkering with food from the Human World.
"What... are you doing?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Bi Ji pointed at the apron she was wearing. "Trying out how to cook food from the Human World. You need to eat now too, don't you?"
Jin Jiuxiao turned his gaze to Zi JI.
Zi JI shrugged helplessly. "I couldn't stop her."
"..." Jin Jiuxiao opened his mouth, but in the end, said nothing to dissuade her.
If Bi Ji wanted to have some fun, he might as well let her.
It wasn't as if they lacked money, anyway.
Four whole years of peaceful life passed in a flash.
Early one morning.
As usual, Jin Jiuxiao wriggled free of the sandwich hold Bi Ji and Zi JI had him in from either side.
"Sister Bi Ji, Sister Zi JI, I'm going to school. Today's graduation."
Zi JI and Bi Ji each made an OK gesture to show they understood.
Tang Hao was already dead, and no one in Nuoding City could threaten Jin Jiuxiao anymore.
Bi Ji and Zi JI no longer needed to stay by Jin Jiuxiao's side around the clock, either, and spent most of their time lounging at home.
Jin Jiuxiao yawned as he set off for Nuoding Academy. "Once I raise my Spiritual Power to the peak of Soul Douluo, I should be able to form my first Soul Core without any trouble."
By now, Jin Jiuxiao's Soul Power had reached level fifty, and over these past few years, his Spiritual Power had also come close to the peak of Soul Douluo.
Although he hadn't added his fifth Soul Ring, his Soul Power would continue to grow; it wouldn't stop accumulating just because he hadn't added a Soul Ring.
After forming a contract with the Myriad Demon King, his Soul Power would definitely surge straight to level sixty.
Reaching the entrance to Nuoding Academy, he looked up at its sign. "I can start the next step now."