Yao Yang, coming back to his senses, looked at Zhu Yao, whose expression had instantly shifted from gloomy to bright, smiling sweetly. How could he not realize he had been tricked by her?
However, he didn't feel any dislike toward it.
People are always double-standard. Toward those they care for and feel close to, they are always more tolerant.
Zhu Yao also did not push further, asking about Xu Zihuang's true identity. She was a smart woman.
What she wanted was nothing more than simply being together with Yao Yang; everything else had nothing to do with her.
But Yao Yang's words—"To me, Zihuang is like my own younger brother"—she engraved in her heart.
Night fell, the starry sky above pouring down endless silver light.
The castle built upon the mountainside seemed to be covered with a thin veil of starlight, like a fairyland on earth.
At the edge of the flower garden before the castle, there was a cliff jutting outward, upon which stood a quiet pavilion. On both sides, soul-tool lamps stretched the shadows of two figures long, accompanied from time to time by the crisp sound of chess pieces being placed.
Clack—
A slender index and middle finger placed a smooth black piece onto the exquisite chessboard before him. The cool sea breeze blew a few strands of purple hair from his forehead, revealing Xu Zihuang's handsome face.
"Zihuang, do you know what you are most lacking right now?"
Seated opposite Xu Zihuang was Yao Yang, who had not come to this castle for nearly half a month.
One's chess style best reflects one's character.
Looking at where Xu Zihuang placed his piece, Yao Yang suddenly put the piece in his hand back into the basket and sighed softly.
"Never having entered the world, how can you talk about transcending it? Whether it's you or me, in the end, we are both just members of the countless living beings."
Xu Zihuang raised his head in a daze, looking at Yao Yang on the other side, showing a thoughtful expression.
Yao Yang's words jolted him awake.
"Brother Yang, I understand what you mean."
Ever since he had awakened the memories of his past life, he had always carried a faint sense of superiority in his heart. Not only because of his noble origin, but also because, knowing the future, he had subconsciously always felt he was a special existence, one blessed by heaven.
Maintaining such a mindset was extremely dangerous.
Of course, Yao Yang did not know about Xu Zihuang's past-life memories. He was merely warning him to conceal that royal pride from being born in the Sun Moon Empire's imperial family.
"It's not too late now." Yao Yang smiled faintly and stood, gazing at the boundless ocean in the distance.
"The myriad forms of the human world—you must begin tomorrow to immerse yourself in the worldly smoke and fire you have never experienced, to be tempered and polished by mundane life. With your talent, you are destined not to be ordinary. You must restrain and internalize the superiority of your royal birth. Only then will I feel at ease sending you to study at Shrek Academy."
Xu Zihuang also stood, walking to the pavilion's edge.
"Brother Yang, but there's only half a year left before Shrek Academy starts. Isn't time a little tight? To enter Shrek Academy, one must also have a handwritten letter of recommendation from a city lord of at least a main city within the Heavenly Soul Empire, the Dou Ling Empire, or the Star Luo Empire."
"Young master, regarding this letter of recommendation, I may have a way to resolve it."
As soon as Xu Zihuang's words fell, a slightly deep voice suddenly rang out behind the two of them.
Their bodies instantly tensed, but relaxed once they saw who it was.
For it was none other than Wang Xiao, who had gone into closed-door cultivation half a year ago.
Seeing Wang Xiao, who seemed completely fused with his surroundings, Yao Yang asked in surprise, "Uncle Wang, did you break through?!"
With his cultivation, not sensing the slightest aura earlier said it all.
Wang Xiao nodded with a complicated expression. The bottleneck that had troubled him for nearly ten years had been broken through in one fell swoop. Even with his steady state of mind, he couldn't help but feel waves of emotion.
As long as he obtained one more suitable spirit ring, he would reach the Title Douluo realm that every spirit master dreamed of.
"This is all thanks to the young master. Because of him, the world's elemental energy here became especially dense. I never expected I would succeed in condensing a spirit core in one go."
Wang Xiao solemnly bowed to Xu Zihuang from the bottom of his heart.
"After breaking through level ninety and with the power of the spirit core condensed in my body, even the poison spread throughout me can now be easily dissolved."
"There's no need for such courtesy, Elder Wang." Xu Zihuang quickly helped Wang Xiao up.
At the side, Yao Yang smiled and stepped forward, congratulating him. "Congratulations, Uncle Wang, on achieving the Title."
Wang Xiao waved his hand, his previously weathered face now glowing with vigor. After breaking through to Title Douluo, even his life force had grown much stronger.
"The young master's talent is astonishing. If he enters Shrek Academy, he will surely draw the attention of the upper echelons. With the influence Shrek Academy holds across the continent, it will be difficult to guarantee they won't discover something about his background."
"If the young master wishes to forge a legitimate identity, perhaps we can start with the Heavenly Dragon Sect, from which the late consort came. Although the old sect master still holds a grudge over the consort's matter and bears prejudice against us, his eldest son—your maternal uncle—secretly used the Heavenly Dragon Sect's power to search for your whereabouts back then. If I go to the Heavenly Dragon Sect in person, he likely won't refuse our request to forge such an identity."
Xu Zihuang froze slightly, then closed his eyes, waving his hand listlessly.
"Elder Wang, I'll leave this matter to you."
Family ties—for him, how distant a thing they were.
Yao Yang and Wang Xiao exchanged glances, then tacitly left the pavilion together, giving Xu Zihuang space alone.
The next morning, Wang Xiao departed Moon Pivot Island alone.
His journey was long. Not only did he have to cross the seas between the Southern Moon Archipelago and the Star Luo Empire, but also traverse the entire continent of Douluo from south to north.
He and Xu Zihuang had agreed to rendezvous in Shrek City. On the one hand, it would save him an extra trip, and on the other, it would make it more convenient to help Xu Zihuang obtain his third spirit ring.
Beside Shrek Academy was the Star Dou Forest. If Xu Zihuang wished to acquire a satisfactory spirit ring, there was no place more fitting than the continent's number one gathering ground of spirit beasts.
As for Xu Zihuang, he ceased his past self-tormenting cultivation and instead roamed across Moon Pivot Island, tempering his state of mind.
Just as Yao Yang had said earlier, as a prince of the Sun Moon Empire, every movement he made exuded the unique nobility of one born to rule. In Moon Pivot City, it was hard for him not to attract attention.
What he needed to do during this time was to experience the myriad states of human life, to learn how to approximate the demeanor of an ordinary person and maintain a calm heart.