"Yuhao, a message from Emperor Tian."
In the blueprint storage room, Gu Yuena handed her soul tool light screen to Huo Yuhao. Watching him finish reading the information, she transmitted, "Yuhao, the Mingde Hall Master said two years ago it was a warning. But when we reached an agreement with Shrek and went to negotiate to reduce the public opinion, they agreed too quickly. That shouldn't have achieved much, should it?"
The remote chat function had been added to the soul tool light screen in the past two years.
Huo Yuhao looked at the information Emperor Tian had sent on the light screen, his eyes flickering.
"It's nothing. Now that their attitude is confirmed, we can test their specific plans step by step. After the future trip to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, we should be able to see their intentions."
Gu Yuena nodded thoughtfully.
Just then, Huo Yuhao saw a message flash across the light screen.
Gu Ruiqiu: Na'er sister sister, when are you coming back to Mingdu? I waited until evening yesterday.
"..."
Addressing "Na'er" directly as "little sister"?
Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow, calmly handing the light screen back to Gu Yuena. He keenly noticed her fingertips pause slightly, a dangerous glint flickering deep in her amethyst eyes.
Gu Yuena silently put away the light screen. She looked up at Huo Yuhao. Her face became as cold as frost, but a trace of barely perceptible embarrassment and annoyance floated at the bottom of her eyes.
"Go ahead and laugh if you want." She pressed her lips together. "It must be hard holding it in."
The dignified Silver Dragon King, the co-owner of spirit beasts, addressed so intimately by her own subordinate as "little sister"?
Yuhao must find it amusing.
Compared to her, she had not a shred of dignity.
Huo Yuhao chuckled and shook his head. He reached out and gently ruffled her silver hair, his fingertips sliding down through the soft strands.
"There's nothing to laugh at. On the contrary, I'm very happy to see so many people around you who care about you and are close to you."
With that, he pointed to the light screen. Gu Yuena looked and saw a new message scrolling across.
Gu Ruiqiu: Don't ignore me! Oh, I've developed a new dessert. Want to try it? I promise it's better than what I brought you before!
"..."
Gu Yuena's expression fell. She helplessly replied, then looked at Huo Yuhao. "I was too lenient with her before. I should have kept her in the position of Peace Ambassador."
Huo Yuhao smiled. "Speaking of which, in all these years, hasn't she ever changed back? Reassumed the role of Peace Ambassador?"
The Auspicious Beast's transformation was different from the ordinary transformation and re-cultivation of spirit beasts. Although she only had one chance in her lifetime to take human form, she could switch between the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and her transformed human form. This was similar to Savage Beast transformation.
From the fact that her martial soul was Imitation and her cultivation was so high upon first appearance, it could be seen that she had never re-cultivated. The transformation would not affect her lifespan. Otherwise, Emperor Tian and the others would not have allowed the Auspicious Beast to roam free.
"No." Gu Yuena said. "Building an identity takes time. She has no intention of changing back now. And she seems to really enjoy her current life. Just like her name, her appearance, this period of her life was also her own choice."
She paused, a faint, barely perceptible smile appearing at the corner of her mouth. "You can tell she's enjoying her current life."
Otherwise, she would complain daily.
"Is that so?" Huo Yuhao smiled at this. "That's good."
Wang Qiu'er was a person born from specific times and specific needs.
Without the Golden Dragon Spear, the divine consciousness of Tang Wutong, and the memories transmitted by Fate Guidance, plus different experiences and knowledge, Gu Ruiqiu was destined not to be the Wang Qiu'er he knew. Perhaps that was a good thing.
(Note: According to the original work, the Golden Dragon Spear was thrown to the Auspicious Beast by Tang San at the time of Fate Guidance, together with Tang Wutong's divine consciousness. It was not originally hers, nor could it have been brought down from the Divine Realm by Gu Yuena. Gu Yuena had fled immediately upon her birth. She had no time to take anything from the Divine Realm.)
(And whether it was the version from the Golden Dragon King's rib, or the version from the Dragon God's rib... well, in the fourth part of Douluo, the Golden Dragon Spear became a pseudo over artifact formed from the Dragon God's rib. Neither version clearly has anything to do with the Auspicious Beast. So the novel uses the setting that the Golden Dragon Spear was thrown to the Auspicious Beast by Tang San. In this novel, there is no Fate Guidance, so the Golden Dragon Spear has nothing to do with her.)
Gu Yuena looked at Huo Yuhao with some suspicion. "Yuhao, are you close with her?"
Ten thousand years ago, Yuhao's relationship with the Auspicious Beast hadn't been very close, had it? Why did he seem somewhat interested in her situation?
"No particular relationship. Just maintaining a normal friendship in the future is fine."
Huo Yuhao stood up. "Let's go. We've been here long enough. Time to head back."
Seeing Huo Yuhao's natural expression, Gu Yuena blinked and nodded slightly.
The two walked outside, drawing attention and discussion from the people passing by. As they rounded a corner, they saw Ling Zichen standing by a window.
Huo Yuhao's steps paused slightly. His gaze fell on Ling Zichen's back. She stood quietly looking out the window. The golden sunlight streaming through the glass fell on her profile, outlining a indifferent contour.
"Waiting here. Do you have some advice?"
"The President asked me to relay to you that the Mingde Hall Master has extended you an invitation."
Ling Zichen turned her head to look at the two of them, her tone flat. "That special soul tool manufacturing technique of yours has attracted their attention."
The hushed discussions around them instantly stopped. Some people instinctively widened their eyes.
As the holy land for researchers, Mingde Hall rarely invited outsiders to enter. Over the past ten thousand years, the number of invitees under nineteen had not exceeded twenty!
And they had basically been invited after graduating from academies, without having joined a specific power.
But now, right before their eyes, an internal member of the Spirit Transmission Tower, a candidate for the next Tower Master, had been personally invited by Mingde Hall?
"So this is the next Spirit Transmission Douluo?" a staff member murmured. "Not only is his cultivation far ahead, but his soul tool talent is also beyond reach. He's actually made Mingde Hall open its doors wide."
"I recall there were two similar cases ten thousand years ago: Spirit-Ice Douluo and Master Xuan Ziwen. I heard that the latter was originally a disciple of Silver Moon Douluo, but was later taken in by Spirit-Ice Douluo instead… Ahem, ahem."
The female speaker, seeing the looks around her, quickly shut her mouth.
Spirit-Ice Douluo seemed to have a penchant for abducting people. One couldn't say such things casually.
"..."
Ling Zichen heard the discussions. Her gaze toward Huo Yuhao was also somewhat complicated.
Among those invited to join Mingde Hall, one was her ancestor. And that ancestor had participated in the manufacturing of Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. He had been one of the researchers of the God-Slaying Grade soul tool shells!
"I understand. Thank you for relaying the message." Huo Yuhao nodded at this. He walked forward, continuing toward the door with Gu Yuena beside him.
As they passed each other, Ling Zichen murmured, "The Soul Tool Research Department has a special energy research project. Do you dare to come and try it?"
Huo Yuhao did He didn't stop walking. He went straight to the left.
***
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