In the blink of an eye, another three days passed. As a royal princess, Xu Jiujui's breakthrough into the Soul Ancestor realm caused no disturbance in the outside world at all—or rather, the outside world didn't even know her exact cultivation level.
Much like Shu Yan's own existence.
Despite having followed Xu Jiujui since the age of six—so close that they were practically inseparable—the only impression the public ever had of him was that of a favored attendant doted on by the princess…
To make matters even more absurd, some people had even mistaken him for the princess's male concubine…
From this alone, it was clear just how efficient the Star Luo Empire's intelligence system truly was. In order to conceal the specific information about Xu Jiujui and Shu Yan, an utterly staggering amount of manpower and resources had been expended over the years.
Fortunately, all of it had been worth it.
Shu Yan's performance had earned Xu Jiawei's complete and absolute satisfaction, and it also caused the emperor to gradually develop other thoughts. Perhaps in the not-too-distant future, everything Shu Yan had once spoken of might truly come to pass…
...
That afternoon, Starcloud Douluo personally escorted a strangely shaped soul beast into the Princess Residence.
In the open space of the rear courtyard, Starcloud Douluo wore a faint smile as she looked at the horse-type soul beast lying limply on the ground, its ability to move completely beaten out of it. She then spoke to Xu Jiujui:
"Your Highness, after extensive searching by our forces, we finally found an extremely rare Ten-Thousand-Year Holy Spirit Horse in the Star Dou Great Forest. Although its age is slightly below the standard A-Yan mentioned, the powerful bloodline within it more than compensates for that difference. This really was a stroke of luck."
Nearby, after examining the majestic Holy Spirit Horse—with its pure white coat and noble bearing—Xu Jiujui's face also lit up with clear delight.
Among horse-type soul beasts, the Holy Spirit Horse was exceedingly rare. Its value even rivaled that of the Sky Dragon Horse, which possessed traces of the Light Holy Dragon bloodline. However, unlike the Sky Dragon Horse, the Holy Spirit Horse carried the bloodline of the Starlight Unicorn. Once that bloodline reached a certain concentration, a single horn—seemingly capable of commanding the entire starry sky—would grow from its forehead, and its pristine white fur would gradually transform into brilliant, star-flecked multicolored hues.
The Holy Spirit Horse before them was only slightly over ten thousand years in cultivation, yet the horn on its forehead was already nearly five centimeters long, and its coat was in the midst of transformation. This was a clear sign that its bloodline was on the verge of fully reverting to its ancestral origin, allowing it to evolve into a true Starlight Unicorn.
Unfortunately, it was fated never to realize that destiny.
Instead, it would become the most suitable fourth soul ring for Xu Jiujui, offering up its power for the growth of a princess of an empire.
As the blade pierced its body, the Holy Spirit Horse took one final look at the azure sky before closing its eyes forever. A black soul ring slowly rose into the air, faint points of starlight flickering within it.
Standing to the side, Shu Yan softly encouraged Xu Jiujui. She clenched her fists, steadied her breathing, and then began absorbing the soul ring.
Nearby, the Snow Empress leaned lazily against the railing and let out a small yawn. Watching Shu Yan—who appeared calm on the surface but couldn't hide the concern in his eyes—she found the situation oddly amusing.
"What, don't you trust my judgment?" she asked.
Her voice was clear, tinged with helpless amusement. Shu Yan snapped back to his senses and immediately shook his head.
"That's not it. Jiujui and I have taken all kinds of rare treasures since childhood. While her physique may still be slightly lacking, it's far from fragile. The Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue she consumed two days ago, combined with the Ten-Thousand-Year Snow Lotus, boosted her physical strength by more than one level in a very short time. Absorbing a ten-thousand-year soul ring isn't difficult for her now—I'm just a bit worried about the soul shock."
The Snow Empress rolled her eyes at him and said lightly,
"You're overthinking it. I left a trace of my aura in Jiujui's Sea of Spirit. Forget a ten-thousand-year Sky Dragon Horse—even a fifty-thousand-year one wouldn't be able to harm her in the slightest."
Shu Yan looked at her in surprise, then smiled.
"Then I worried for nothing…"
The Snow Empress simply smiled and said nothing more.
...
Not long after Xu Jiujui began absorbing the soul ring, a maid from the front courtyard suddenly delivered a visiting card. After opening and reading it, Shu Yan said in mild surprise,
"Why are they here…?"
The Snow Empress glanced at the card along with him, then calmly looked away, her expression unchanged from beginning to end.
Shu Yan tossed the card into his soul tool and said to her,
"It's Luo Qinghan and the others. I'll go receive them. Sister Snow, if you get bored, you can head back first—Grandma Man Yi is here to watch over things."
The Snow Empress nodded lightly, watching Shu Yan disappear into the corridor before turning and walking off in another direction.
...
In the front courtyard, Shu Yan looked at the crowd gathered there and said with an amused smile,
"Skipping cultivation and all running over here—what for? Curious about what the Princess Residence looks like, so you decided to pay a visit?"
Chen Ming, walking at the front, chuckled and scratched his head.
"It's our first time in Star Luo City. Everything feels new, so we just followed the pass you gave us and came over…"
Behind him, Tian Ling pushed Luo Qinghan forward. Huyan Hao and the little girl Meng Ning also popped out from the side, while Wang Lin walked alone nearby. Even Qian Gu Yueyin—still dressed in black—was among them, and the moment she saw Shu Yan, she shot him a familiar provocative glance.
Tian Ling swept her gaze over the exquisitely designed front courtyard and its dazzling, luxurious decorations, clicking her tongue sourly.
"Tch! Damn rich people! Just randomly hauling out any exotic flower or rare plant from this courtyard would cover this lady's expenses for half her life. Wuwu… Boss, don't you think it's time to put my application to be Her Highness's bed-warming maid on the agenda? I want to experience a life where I never have to worry about spending gold soul coins too…"
Shu Yan laughed softly and gestured to the attendants. Instantly understanding, they opened the doors to the reception hall, while others brought in fruit platters, drinks, and pastries.
After inviting everyone to sit, Shu Yan looked helplessly at Tian Ling—who was touching everything she could reach—and said with a chuckle,
"As far as I know, life in the south might be a bit tougher, but it shouldn't be this bad, right?"
Tian Ling smacked her lips, then plopped down beside Luo Qinghan and replied,
"Even though the royal family provides us with millions of gold soul coins in support every year, the alliance keeps growing. Spending on cultivation resources and facilities just keeps increasing. Honestly, a few million sounds like a lot, but it doesn't last long at all. That's why the alliance leadership had no choice but to establish our own merchant guild. I'm currently in charge of trade here in Star Luo City…"
...
First day's ten-thousand-word update complete. Feeling dizzy and out of it. The weather's turned suddenly—everyone who needs to, remember to dress warmly so you don't catch a cold. It's really miserable.
PS: Read Advance Chapters at patreon.com/c/Xentronix