The second night after returning to the academy, inside Zhu Ziyang's room.
Diwu Huan'er walked in and saw Zhu Ziyang teasing Xingcai. She greeted sweetly, "Brother Ziyang!"
"Huan'er? What brings you here at this hour?" Zhu Ziyang asked with a smile.
"Well..." Diwu Huan'er hesitated, her face showing a trace of shyness. Then she said, "I have something I want to talk to you about."
"Oh? What is it? Go ahead, I'm listening." Zhu Ziyang stood up, walked to her side, took her hand, and sat with her on the edge of the bed, speaking gently.
In truth, he had already guessed what Diwu Huan'er wanted to say. The girl had clearly come to confess something. After all, they were going into the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow to look for a soul spirit for her.
As a divine beast, once she returned to the Star Dou Great Forest, the other fierce beasts would certainly sense her presence. Her identity would be exposed, and conflict with Zhu Ziyang would be inevitable. That was something she clearly wanted to avoid, hence this confession.
"Actually..." Diwu Huan'er took a deep breath and said, "Actually, I'm not human."
After speaking, she immediately lowered her head, afraid to see Zhu Ziyang's reaction. But all she heard was a soft "Mm!" from him. That put her a little at ease. She peeked up and saw that Zhu Ziyang's face showed no surprise—only a calm smile as he quietly looked at her.
Diwu Huan'er felt reassured and, biting her lip, said, "Actually, I'm the Three-Eyed Golden Lion from before—the auspicious beast of the Star Dou Great Forest!"
"Mhm, I know," Zhu Ziyang replied with a smile.
"Brother Ziyang, I didn't mean to hide it from you guys—wait, what?! You knew?" Diwu Huan'er, who was full of guilt just moments ago, froze completely. Her delicate face went blank in disbelief.
"Silly girl!" Zhu Ziyang couldn't help but find her reaction adorable. He scooped her up into his lap and held her close. "Of course I knew your identity! Don't forget, our souls once merged. The moment you appeared before me, I already recognized you. You just foolishly thought you'd hidden it well."
"Aaah!" Diwu Huan'er cried out in embarrassment, burying her face in his chest. Her tiny fists pounded on him as she fumed, "Why didn't you say something earlier?! I kept worrying you wouldn't accept me!"
"Hahaha!" Zhu Ziyang laughed and gently held her hand. "How could I not accept you? My little Huan'er is so cute—I'd have to be a fool to reject you!"
"Hmph! You're not a fool—you're a meanie!" Diwu Huan'er huffed adorably.
"Oh? You're calling me a meanie? Then I'll show you just how bad I can be!" Zhu Ziyang pretended to be angry and pinned her down on the bed, eyes burning with desire.
A trace of shyness flickered in Diwu Huan'er's eyes, but she still wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at him expectantly—with a hint of challenge.
With that look, Zhu Ziyang naturally knew what he needed to do. He lowered his head.
After a long while, the two finally separated. Diwu Huan'er's face was flushed, her eyes hazy. Zhu Ziyang could tell she was truly stirred, and he planned to take things all the way.
But just as he was about to move, Diwu Huan'er stopped him. Her breath was quick, her voice trembling with emotion. "Brother Ziyang, wait—I still haven't finished what I came to say."
"Oh? What is it?" Zhu Ziyang paused his eagerness, smiling warmly. He had waited so long already; what's another minute or two? Though his hands, notably, had not stopped their mischief.
"It's about soul spirits!" Diwu Huan'er gasped, her face burning red. "To us soul beasts, the appearance of soul spirits is a great thing. It may not fully resolve the conflict between soul masters and soul beasts, but it can at least ease the tension. I believe you think the same, right?"
"Mhm." Zhu Ziyang nodded, still moving.
"So if we run into Uncle Di Tian tomorrow, please don't hurt him! Uncle Di Tian and Aunt Bi Ji are good beasts!" she pleaded. "They'll definitely be interested in soul spirits. You can discuss how to build the soul spirit system with them. They're not unreasonable or violent. So please, Brother—promise me, okay~?"
Her final words turned into a coquettish whisper that stirred Zhu Ziyang's heart.
"Don't worry," Zhu Ziyang said, barely holding back, "I already planned to negotiate with the soul beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Now that I have you as my go-between, as long as Di Tian isn't too aggressive, I'll stay calm and keep the peace."
"Thank you, Brother Ziyang!" Diwu Huan'er beamed, wrapping her arms around him and whispering in his ear with warm breath, "You can have me..."
That sentence lit a fire in Zhu Ziyang's heart, and the rest... well, the room was soon filled with sounds not suitable for children. Skip.
—
The next morning.
Zhu Ziyang took Diwu Huan'er and left Shrek Academy, entering the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Huan'er, do you already have a target?" he asked, holding her hand as they walked.
"Mhm!" Diwu Huan'er seemed a bit more enchanting than the day before, less innocent and more womanly. She nodded. "I do! Just follow me, Brother!"
With Diwu Huan'er leading the way, they quickly reached the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest and located a hundred-thousand-year Crimsongold Flame Lion King.
The Crimsongold Flame Lion was a rare variant of the Flame Lion—one with awakened golden blood. Among lion-type soul beasts, its status was like that of a True Dragon among dragons. It was the most likely to revert to the ancient Golden Lion lineage. Its strength and nobility were immense.
The one Diwu Huan'er chose was the king of the Flame Lions in the forest, with a cultivation over 150,000 years. Yet in front of Diwu Huan'er, it acted like a kitten, docile and obedient.
It had no choice. Diwu Huan'er's true form, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, carried golden blood and the blood of the Dragon-Lion, completely overpowering it. More than that, she was the sole auspicious beast bearing the fate of the entire soul beast race. To be "handled" by her was an honor for the Crimsongold Flame Lion King.
After all, there were many beasts with golden blood—but only one auspicious beast.
When Diwu Huan'er explained soul spirits, the Crimsongold Flame Lion King immediately agreed. Heaven or hell—it had no real choice. Tragic. Still, it was genuinely curious about soul spirits. Since resistance was futile, it might as well enjoy it.
Everything went remarkably smoothly. Even after the soul spirit contract was completed, Zhu Ziyang felt a bit dazed. Things had gone too well. Where were the fierce beasts? The Beast Kings? Where was Di Tian? Why hadn't any of them shown up?
Just as he was puzzling over this, terrifying auras began descending all around him within a kilometer radius centered on Diwu Huan'er. One after another, mighty soul beasts appeared—some large, some small, some strong, some weaker.
"Human." A black-clad man stepped forward with a cold face and spoke slowly. He was strikingly handsome, his aura icy and aloof. His long black hair flowed to his waist—not feminine, but rather ethereal and refined. What stood out most was a streak of gold dyed in the front of his hair—very distinctive.
"You're the boldest human I've ever met!"
"Thank you for the compliment!" Zhu Ziyang smiled and replied politely. "You must be the Beast God, Di Tian, ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest. I am Zhu Ziyang, new Pavilion Master of the Tianyuan Pavilion at Shrek Academy—Tranquil Heaven Douluo!"
(End of Chapter)
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