"Ever since Elder Bei, the previous Sea God Pavilion Master, passed away, their clan hasn't taken part in any major conflicts," Qiangu Zhangting said slowly.
Qiangu Dongfeng nodded. "That's right. Elder Bei's death was a tremendous blow to the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. Afterward, it wasn't Yu Qitian who succeeded him; Yun Ming himself took the position."
"And as the clan's future heir, Yu Longyue's actions and decisions will affect the future of the entire clan."
"Judging by Yu Longyue's performance so far, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan may not be our enemy."
Qiangu Zhangting nodded, looking a little bewildered.
He didn't quite understand.
But he kept that to himself.
"Yu Longyue has lived up to expectations. He returned to Shrek City and began stirring up this pool of stagnant water," Qiangu Dongfeng said, rising to his feet. With his hands behind his back, he looked in the direction of Shrek Academy.
"Shrek has grown accustomed to living in peace. One survives in times of hardship and perishes in times of comfort."
A trace of killing intent flashed in Qiangu Dongfeng's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. He picked up a file containing footage from a security camera.
It showed Yu Longyue holding Gu Yue's hand as they approached the Spirit Pagoda's main entrance.
He knew Gu Yue. She was Leng Yaozhu's disciple, and like Yu Longyue, she was a thirteen-year-old Soul King, a genius on the same level as him. The clan backing her was also a reclusive power with an impressive background.
Since she was Leng Yaozhu's disciple, she was also one of his Spirit Pagoda's people.
If he could use this opportunity to win over the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's future heir, that would be good. If that really didn't work, should he have Zhangting try?
If one road was blocked, he could take another. All roads led to Rome, after all. One of them was bound to succeed.
Once he succeeded, there would be plenty of ways.
"Hehe, look at me. I couldn't resist saying more than I needed to again." Qiangu Dongfeng slowly shook his head and looked at Qiangu Zhangting. "Your cultivation has come along quite well, and you haven't disappointed my expectations. You've already reached rank seventy-four. Good, good."
"I thought I was doing pretty well, but when I saw that Yu Longyue was already a rank fifty-four Soul King at thirteen, I didn't have much to be happy about." Qiangu Zhangting sighed.
Qiangu Dongfeng's tone was calm. "You were never going to compare to him. That little fellow Yu Longyue spends his days out eating, drinking, and having fun. Every day, from five or six in the afternoon until seven or eight at night, he shows up at entertainment venues and lives it up. There's no sign that he cultivates at all."
"Huh?" Qiangu Zhangting was stunned. Although he was very curious about why his grandfather kept Yu Longyue under surveillance, he couldn't help complaining, "Doesn't he cultivate? He has that kind of cultivation without cultivating?!"
"Perhaps this is what a true chosen child of the gods is like. Ninety-nine percent talent and one percent sweat. Hehe, it makes all our efforts look so ridiculous." Qiangu Dongfeng quietly sat back down, took out his phone, and fell into thought.
"Some people are destined to be anything but ordinary from the moment they're born."
"What do you mean?"
"I was bored, so I read a few novels online. People in that kind of situation are usually said to have the fate of a protagonist, and most forces that oppose the protagonist come to a bad end..."
Qiangu Zhangting's mouth twitched. "...Grandpa, don't get addicted. Those are fictional stories. We're living in the real world!"
Qiangu Dongfeng glared and pointed toward the door. "Keep working hard at your cultivation. You can worry about me when you become a Titled Douluo."
"All right. Remember to take good care of yourself, Grandpa." Dejected, Qiangu Zhangting turned and left.
Only then did Qiangu Dongfeng go back to reading on his phone with a cheerful smile.
"Hmm, not bad, not bad. If I became the protagonist's angel investor, would things change? If I help Yu Longyue more and send him charcoal in the snow time and again, he might develop a favorable impression of us. Perhaps the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will help me turn the Spirit Pagoda into what Spirit Hall was twenty thousand years ago, when it ruled the entire continent?"
The thought nearly made Qiangu Dongfeng's grin split his face.
A whole new line of thought had opened up.
"Your Simulation Soul Skill reached the ten-thousand-year level?"
After leaving the Spirit Pagoda, Yu Longyue looked at Huo Yuhao.
"Mm, thanks to you. Otherwise, it couldn't have gone so smoothly." Huo Yuhao nodded, then looked at Yu Longyue with some puzzlement. "By the way, don't tell me you anticipated everything that happened today? You said we'd draw Leng Yaozhu's attention, and we did just that today. You're really something."
"You've misunderstood." Yu Longyue shook his head.
"This really was an accident. I didn't expect anything like that to happen myself. That's why I always say, let nature take its course and leave everything to heaven's will."
Yu Longyue sounded as mysterious as an old charlatan.
"The more you try to shape a situation into what you want, the more likely it is to go against your wishes. In that case, why go to all that trouble? Better to meet all changes by remaining unchanged, let events unfold naturally, and build up your own foundation. When the right moment comes and something unexpected happens, that's your opportunity to change things."
"So that's why you slack off every day instead of cultivating?" Huo Yuhao's face was covered in black lines.
"Yes and no." Yu Longyue glanced at him. "Then take a guess. Why do I slack off every day without cultivating, yet my cultivation hasn't fallen behind at all?"
"Because you're so talented that even casual cultivation takes you to heights most people couldn't reach in a lifetime?"
"No, I'm just letting nature take its course. Those elders at Shrek spend all day pushing me to cultivate hard and strive to reach the limit before I'm twenty. There are results, but they don't consider what the process is like."
Yu Longyue stood with his hands behind his back, looking perfectly serene.
"This world may be one where the weak are prey to the strong, but if you really think about it, what world isn't? The bigger fist may be the truth, but if you pursue the result blindly, you'll overlook the process, and the answer you get in the end may not be what you wanted."
Huo Yuhao was somewhat confused, but he still understood part of it:
"The dream is beautiful, but reality is cruel?"
Yu Longyue nodded with a smile. "Build up your foundation and always be ready to deal with anything. When the unexpected happens and no one else is ready, you will be. If you seize the opportunity, then you've seized it."
"The principle is simple. Your goal was to chase women and be a simp, but you spent the golden years when you should have been building your foundation chasing women instead. Honestly..."
Yu Longyue didn't continue on that subject. Instead, he said:
"But if you worked toward something else and improved yourself in every way, then the moment you had money, power, and status-or even if you didn't have money, you'd have to have some ability, wouldn't you? Countless women would naturally throw themselves at you, and your goal would be achieved. Would you need to prepare any plans or techniques for chasing women? No. The key is to leave it to fate."
"Why do I feel like you're taking a dig at me?" Huo Yuhao's facial muscles twitched.
"I won't even bring up that bullshit story about how you swore to be deeply devoted and faithful, only to get entangled with other women later." Yu Longyue looked at Huo Yuhao without expression. "Right now, our cooperation is important. If something else delays our real business, you'll have to answer for it yourself."
"It won't happen again. You can rest assured of that." Huo Yuhao could guarantee that much. After all, he had stumbled over this in his previous life, and he wouldn't be stupid enough to do it again.
"Mm. Your second Soul Skill has reached the ten-thousand-year level, and your Soul Power has reached rank forty-four. Next, we're going to cooperate with the Spirit Pagoda and help you get inside their ranks. Naturally, we need to produce some results so the Spirit Pagoda has a legitimate reason to bring you in."
"You've figured out the principles. Do you have any plans?"
"Yes."
Huo Yuhao answered without hesitation.
"As long as you can get me the resources, I'll make you a prototype Spirit Ascension Platform. Are you satisfied with that result?"
"Really?" Yu Longyue raised an eyebrow.
Huo Yuhao, however, was brimming with confidence. "When have I ever talked big and failed to keep my word?"
"Just tell me what you need. I can provide it all, but if you fail... you'd better not disappoint me."
"You can put ten thousand worries to rest. This concerns bringing my teacher back to life, so I definitely won't be careless."
Yu Longyue stopped and turned to look at Huo Yuhao.
"Who?"
Huo Yuhao's eyes were a little sad, with a hint of remembrance in them.
"Electrolux."