"Second Brother, why are you stopping me?"
Azure Luan Douluo slammed the table furiously, glaring at Golden Crocodile Douluo in front of him.
At most, Bibi Dong was just a Super Douluo.
He couldn't understand why Golden Crocodile Douluo acted so timidly toward her.
Golden Crocodile Douluo raised his hand and sipped his tea, watching Azure Luan Douluo with one eye.
"You think the current Spirit Hall is still the same one it was a hundred years ago?"
His tone was cold and indifferent.
"Matters concerning Bibi Dong are part of the Grand Worship's family affairs. Outsiders like us have no right to interfere."
"You'd better go read up on the histories of the two great empires."
"See how it ended for outsiders who meddled in palace affairs throughout the ages."
"Hmph!"
Though Azure Luan Douluo internally agreed with what Golden Crocodile Douluo said, he was unwilling to admit it outwardly and angrily flicked his sleeve.
He remained silent.
Having known Azure Luan Douluo for over a century, how could Golden Crocodile Douluo not understand his temperament?
A smile crept up on Golden Crocodile Douluo's lips as he gestured for him to sit.
"The Spirit Hall of the future will surely become the Angel Clan's private domain."
"Brothers like us will be no more than vassal kings at best."
"Recognize the situation clearly. Only by following the rules can we survive long-term."
Golden Crocodile Douluo took another sip of tea, not even glancing at Azure Luan Douluo as he advised.
"Things really have changed…"
Azure Luan Douluo looked up at the sky, full of emotion.
Back when he first met Qian Daoliu, they were all spirited youths.
They called each other brothers and treated one another as equals.
A hundred years had passed in the blink of an eye.
The people were still the same…
But their hearts had changed.
He still remembered that back then, his second brother would always take revenge on the spot and never hold back.
Who would've thought he had now become calm and composed?
"I was too reckless. If you hadn't stopped me, Second Brother, I might've made a huge mistake."
Azure Luan Douluo rarely lowered his head, but he admitted it sincerely.
"As your second brother, how could I just watch you jump into a pit of fire?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo closed the lid on his teacup and placed it on the table.
With a heavy tone, he continued: "The entire Spirit City is already under our covert control."
"I've ordered Ghost Leopard and Demon Bear to guard the city gates. Don't worry, Bibi Dong and the few junior elders in the Pope's Hall won't escape."
"Once the Grand Worship returns, they'll all be dealt with together."
Azure Luan Douluo's expression eased somewhat. He rested his hand on the table, thinking aloud:
"Let's hope Qianjun and Jiang Long return safely."
"We seven brothers have weathered over a hundred years together."
"I don't want to see us losing any of our brothers now that we're finally approaching retirement."
...
"I'm about to die…"
In a side hall of the Pope's Palace, the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was extremely weak.
Even its voice was barely audible.
Upon hearing this, Ye Tian no longer drew life essence from it.
Instead, he removed the thirty-six Taiyi Divine Needles from its body.
"Ye Tian, I've done everything I can! You better keep your promise!"
The Ice Silkworm sprawled out, limp and motionless on the magic circle.
Ye Tian looked serious. "Don't worry. I never go back on my word."
Once the Ice Silkworm stopped transferring its life essence to the outside world—
—others around them began to wake up.
The first to stand up was Zhou Long. He looked down at his hands, his face full of disbelief.
"I can't believe it… In just three days…"
"My soul power rose two full levels. I'm now a Level 94 Titled Douluo."
He had never imagined this outcome.
He knew his own talent. Reaching Titled Douluo was already thanks to forcefully stacking medicinal pills.
Any further breakthrough was nearly impossible.
But after absorbing the Ice Silkworm's life essence and pure soul power—
His level, which hadn't budged in two years, finally broke through.
This unexpected joy was indescribable.
His biggest urge now was to immediately test just how much his strength had improved.
Next to stand up was Ghost (Gui Mei).
As an elder of Spirit Hall, Ghost remained calm and composed.
He first cupped his hands toward Ye Tian. "Many thanks."
"Hey, hey! I'm the one who gave you the opportunity! Why are you thanking him?!"
The Ice Silkworm lifted its head in protest.
Ghost shot it a cold glance and ignored it.
Even if the bug hadn't cooperated, he was confident Ye Tian would've still had a way.
It would just have taken more time.
The true credit belonged to Ye Tian.
The Ice Silkworm didn't matter.
In fact, Ghost thought Ye Tian had been too kind—there was no need to honor a deal with a soul beast.
Soon after, Chrysanthemum and Porcupinefish also stood up.
Their soul power had significantly improved too, but unfortunately, neither broke through to Super Douluo.
Before long—
The Sea Witch slowly opened her beautiful eyes, full of surprise.
Ye Tian looked at her and chuckled. "So? Did you make it past the Super Douluo threshold?"
The Sea Enchantress gave a bitter smile.
"I tried countless times over the past three days. But I failed every time."
"My soul power ultimately stopped at Level 95."
"My foundation… is still too shallow."
"The only good thing is that my spiritual power has nearly doubled."
She had always excelled in the domain of spiritual power.
Compared to other Titled Douluos of the same rank, her mental power was much stronger.
Now that it had doubled again, she could easily surpass a typical Super Douluo in that aspect.
"Well, that's still a nice surprise," Ye Tian didn't criticize.
After all, leveling up wasn't something that could happen overnight.
Besides, the effects of the Ice Silkworm's essence wouldn't be instantly obvious.
It would still take time to fully absorb and integrate it.
For everyone, the benefits would last a long time.
Ye Tian looked around.
Only Bibi Dong and Xiaobai hadn't woken yet.
…Oh, and Gu Yuena.
His gaze finally fell on Gu Yuena.
To be honest—
Among everyone, Gu Yuena showed the greatest transformation after absorbing the Ice Silkworm's essence.
Two-thirds of the Silkworm's life force had gone into her alone.
After absorbing that massive amount, her silvery hair gleamed more brilliantly.
Her body seemed to mature overnight into a slender, beautiful young woman.
Her stunning eyes remained closed—like an ice goddess in slumber.
Her smooth, long legs wrapped in a blanket were especially alluring.
Ye Tian subconsciously glanced—then quickly looked away.
He knew that as Gu Yuena's body matured, her consciousness would also awaken.
The Silver Dragon King from ancient times was, at best, a half-friend.
Ye Tian had no intention of stirring up trouble at this crucial moment.
He raised his hand. "Everyone, leave. Let Pope Bibi Dong and Xiaobai continue their cultivation in peace."
"Alright." Everyone nodded in agreement.
Two days later.
Xiaobai stepped out from the room, followed by Gu Yuena wrapped in a blanket.
Seeing this, Ye Tian became thoughtful.
There seemed to be some subtle connection between soul beasts.
Back in the Star Dou Forest, Xiaobai was the only one who sensed the Ice Silkworm's presence.
The Sea Enchantress and the others hadn't.
Now Xiaobai had finished cultivating—and Gu Yuena awakened right after.
This confirmed Ye Tian's guess.
"Ye Tian."
Following the voice, he looked up. Xiaobai had approached with a smile.
She immediately gave him a big hug.
"I've become a Super Douluo! I'm so happy!"
Her face was full of joy.
Under normal circumstances, even with her soul beast potential, reaching Super Douluo would have taken another ten thousand years.
But because of Ye Tian, she no longer needed to endure that long, bitter cultivation.
Her joy wasn't just from a power-up…
She was also feeling excited—for the sake of her own tribe.
One had to know that under her leadership, the Devil Soul Great White Shark tribe had a natural enemy.
That was the Evil Demon Orcas.
Because of the existence of the Evil Demon Orcas, the Devil Soul Great White Shark tribe lost dozens of members every year.
For a tribe that was already small in number, this was undoubtedly a devastating blow.
If it continued like this, it wouldn't take long…
Before the entire Devil Soul Great White Shark tribe would head toward extinction.
But once she attained the strength of a Super Douluo, that disadvantage would cease to exist.
The ones trampled underfoot would no longer be the Devil Soul Great White Sharks—but the Evil Demon Orcas!
"The old hatred we've carried for generations… it's finally time to repay it."
Xiaobai clenched her fists tightly and muttered quietly.
"Congratulations."
Facing Xiaobai, Ye Tian's hand floated awkwardly in mid-air, unsure of where it would be appropriate to place it.
Fortunately, Xiaobai quickly sensed this. Her ears flushed slightly as she let go of his hand, took two steps back, and lowered her head.
"Gu Yuena has something she wants to say to you alone. I'll take my leave first."
"Huh?"
Before Ye Tian could fully register her words, Xiaobai had already vanished from the courtyard.
This left Ye Tian with no choice but to turn and look back at Gu Yuena, who was draped in a blanket.
Her face showed not a hint of expression.
For a moment, Ye Tian couldn't tell what emotion she was feeling.
His gaze briefly flicked to Gu Yuena's smooth, slender, snow-white legs before quickly looking away. He politely said:
"Silver Dragon King, congratulations on recovering so quickly."
Now that Gu Yuena had regained her memories, being polite was the safest move.
If he tried to bring up the emotional bond they'd built over the past few months…
Ye Tian figured he'd probably get smacked.
No one understood the Silver Dragon King's temper better than he did.
Gu Yuena's face remained completely blank. She didn't even open her mouth immediately.
She simply stared directly at Ye Tian with her sapphire-blue eyes.
It had to be said—her gemstone-like blue eyes were indeed beautiful.
But being stared at like that made Ye Tian feel a little uneasy.
"Do I have flowers on my face or something?"
Ye Tian chuckled softly.
Gu Yuena remained unmoved, motionless. Her beautiful eyes continued to bore into him.
Finally, Ye Tian sensed that something was off.
Could it be… her memory hasn't fully returned yet? Is she mentally unstable?
That had to be it.
Ye Tian felt he needed to give Gu Yuena some time—to recover properly.
He bowed slightly in farewell and said:
"Once you've recovered a bit more, let's talk again another time."
Just as he turned to leave and took a step forward—
Gu Yuena's voice, unfamiliar yet familiar, rang out behind him.
"Am I really that scary?"
"I could feel the distance in your actions."
Her tone carried a trace of melancholy.
Like a child abandoned by her family.
What kind of scam was this?
Ye Tian stiffly turned his head.
Did she expect him to just run over and hug her affectionately despite the awkwardness?
He figured that would be a fast track to dying on the spot.
He didn't believe for a second that a few months of companionship could change the heart of the Silver Dragon King, a being who had lived for thousands of years.
Especially since just half a month ago, in Elephant Armour City, her true form had revealed itself again.
That haughty gaze still lingered clearly in Ye Tian's memory.
He understood—most likely, Gu Yuena was setting a trap.
So Ye Tian only turned his head and stayed put, not approaching.
Instead, he flashed a polite smile, spread his hands, and said:
"Distant? Haven't I always acted this way?"
Not far away, Gu Yuena fell silent.
She wrapped herself tighter in the blanket, curling her body slightly, as if she were long used to the loneliness of the human world.
Seeing this, Ye Tian couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. A complicated emotion stirred within him.
These past three months, he had truly treated the young Gu Yuena like a beloved little sister, pampering and protecting her.
But Ye Tian also knew clearly—it had all been one-sided on his part.
"Just a few days ago, I could still call you 'big brother.'"
"You even hugged me…"
Gu Yuena suddenly squatted down, sobbing.
"Why did everything change just because I grew up?"
She looked up at Ye Tian in despair, searching for an answer.
Hearing this, Ye Tian froze.
Was Gu Yuena… joking?
Could it be… her memory hasn't returned…?
That thought cleared Ye Tian's mind instantly.
He had assumed that as Gu Yuena matured, her memories would naturally come back.
But that wasn't necessarily the case.
Perhaps…
Gu Yuena must have noticed his shocked expression, for she suddenly burst into hysterical tears:
"I'm not the Silver Dragon King—I'm just your little sister! And I only want to be your little sister!"
Without waiting for Ye Tian's response, Gu Yuena suddenly threw herself into his arms.
Her fair arms wrapped tightly around Ye Tian's shoulders, holding him close.
"I know—you're still the same big brother!"
"And I'm still that same little sister! Nothing has changed!"
Gu Yuena wept bitterly.
In that moment, she even forgot that when she had let go of his hand earlier, the blanket had slipped off her body.
Gu Yuena's sobbing triggered a subconscious desire in Ye Tian to comfort her.
He gently patted her back.
Huh?!
Something felt… off.
Ye Tian's expression instantly froze.
He instinctively looked down—
Only to find his view completely blocked by two soft, ample mounds.
Now it wasn't just his face that stiffened—his whole body went rigid.
In that moment, he couldn't even think of what to do next.
He didn't know what to do…
But his rational mind screamed at him—not to make any wrong moves.
Otherwise, even if he fled the Douluo Continent, the Silver Dragon King would probably still hunt him down.
"Big brother, what's wrong?"
Gu Yuena stopped crying and looked into Ye Tian's eyes with confusion.
Following his gaze, she looked down—
Her face instantly flushed red to the ears.
As a clone of the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena was far more intelligent than the average person.
How could she not understand human male-female relations?
"Does it… look good?" Gu Yuena bit her lip and asked.
"It looks good… no, no—it doesn't!"
Ye Tian stepped back, waving his hands frantically.
Then he quickly shook his head vigorously.
"No, no—I shouldn't be looking!"
His survival instincts screamed at him as he turned away, taking a deep breath.
He already felt himself teetering on the edge of death.
(End of Chapter)