Star Dou Forest,
Lake of Life
The serene air of the Lake of Life rippled faintly with lingering spiritual energy. Shafts of light danced on the lake's mirrorlike surface, scattering silver reflections across the mist-veiled trees.
Da Ming,Er Ming and Xiao Wu who are off to the side observing Hanrui's group and the newly arrived Radiant Swan Soul beast and Bi Ji, one of the women who put pressure on them before.
Suddenly 3 more people came out of the lake, the child who literally sealed them before and the other lady who put pressure on them before.
And the moment they stared at the last person, all three froze simultaneously, feeling the pressure from their very bloodline, without the person in question doing anything.
They stiffly look at each other in silence.
'Big brother, im having a bad feeling' Er Ming transmitted his thoughts to his brother Da Ming who echoed his thoughts.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wu stared at the child curiously as she didn't feel any hostility from him earlier and even felt closer to him.
But the moment she felt the bloodline pressure from the silver haired girl she got startled and put her down and hid behind her brothers.
Noticing the trio Gu Yuena turned her head to look at them and instantly her mood turned sour as she recalled the memories shared by Hanrui.
But she inexplicably felt guilty of judging them for their actions that haven't happened yet. Still she couldn't help but look at them with killing intent.
Er Ming looked at his brother as he communicated with him while shielding xiao wu from the killing intent.'big brother,we are in trouble aren't we'
But Da Ming didn't respond, he just stood there, Frozen.
Hanrui stood quietly, deep in thought, considering what kind of soul beast would best suit his father's seventh soul ring. The rhythmic whisper of water calmed his mind—until he noticed Gu Yuena.
She stood beside him, still and silent, her violet eyes gleaming with a cold light as they fixed on something in the distance.
Though her aura remained controlled, the air around her shimmered faintly, betraying the suppressed tension beneath her calm exterior.
Following her gaze, Hanrui noticed three familiar figures—Da Ming, Er Ming, and Xiao Wu—frozen in place, their faces pale and their bodies trembling slightly under the pressure of her restrained killing intent.
Understanding her feelings, Hanrui stepped closer and gently squeezed her hand. The touch broke through her cold composure like sunlight cutting through mist.
"I'm here," he said softly. "Let me handle it."
Gu Yuena's eyes flicked toward him, the frost in her gaze melting for just a heartbeat. After a moment's silence, she nodded, her long silver lashes lowering in quiet acknowledgment.
Hanrui walked toward the three siblings, still holding Gu Yuena's hand. She followed silently but wrestled internally.
'I'm not a child. I can walk on my own. Why does he keep holding my hand? And why does it feel so soothing—so calming?' she thought, frustration barely concealed beneath her composed exterior.
As they neared the siblings, Hanrui broke the silence with a smirk.
"As I said before, your boss invited me here for a chat." He nodded toward Gu Yuena.
"Since you don't exactly understand the hierarchy here, allow me to introduce your boss properly." Gu Yuena stepped forward, radiating quiet authority.
"Meet Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King. She is the Elemental half of the former Dragon God."
The siblings stiffened, confusion etched on their faces—unsure why Hanrui kept calling her their boss.
But the moment they heard her true identity, their posture changed instantly.
They lowered their heads deeply in respect, and fear bowed as the weight of her presence settled upon them like a storm cloud.
Though they had only heard rumors of higher-level soul beasts, none had ever seen one firsthand.
Even the term "Dragon God" had nearly faded into legend among the soul beasts of this era.
Off to the side, Hanrui's group listened intently to his words, their eyes wide in disbelief as they stared at the girl by his side.
"Dragon God" they collectively gasped as they said these 2 words out loud.
Whispers of confusion passed among them—'why was such a majestic being walking with Hanrui like a little girl, and even letting him hold her hand?'
Yet, trusting his judgment, they refrained from interrupting, knowing he would explain everything in time.
Their doubts quickly dissolved. 'This is Hanrui we're talking about. If he's involved, then everything makes sense,' they thought in unison.
Oblivious to their silent exchange, Hanrui turned his gaze to Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu" Hanrui called out, getting her attention then he continued.
"you're coming with us," he stated firmly, voice cold and unyielding—no sweetening, no negotiation, just a command.
Xiao Wu stiffened, but she did not argue. She understood the weight behind his words; to refuse could bring trouble upon her brothers.
With a heavy heart, she bid her siblings farewell, then fell into step behind Hanrui.
'I thought I had more time before leaving my brothers,' she mused silently. 'But it seems I was wrong.'
A strange calm settled over her. 'Why don't I feel anger at being ordered around like a servant? Why does this feel... strangely comforting?' she wondered, perplexed by the warmth his command evoked within her.
Hanrui stared at the simp brothers and sighed.
"I'll take you two out of the forest later. Xiao Wu is a special case, so I'm taking her now, instead of later."he said making the brothers confused yet feel relieved they get to see their sister again completely forgetting how the child can accomplish that without getting attention.
Turning his attention to Zi Ji he commanded her "Find a Fire attribute soul beast with a qilin bloodline around 60,000 year Cultivation for my father."
Hearing him command her, Zi Ji pouted in dissatisfaction but the moment she was about to retort she noticed her lord look at her and instantly swallowed her words and followed his orders.
An hour passed before Zi Ji returned with an unconscious soul beast as they waited.
Hanrui stepped forward to check the soul beast as it's been beaten so badly it's hardly recognizable.
Annoyed yet helpless he gave her a look, as if saying 'ill deal with you later' to which she turned her head away guiltily.
Hanrui touched the soul beast and checked its species and age using the system analysis.
[Species : Fire Qilin
Cultivation : 63,000 years]
Nodding his head he called out his father to finish it and absorb the soul ring.
Wu Tian came forward and summoned his Martial Soul the Flame Sword and killed the soul beast who was helplessly unconscious and started absorbing the soul ring.
While his father Wu tian is busy absorbing the soul ring, Hanrui couldn't help but doubt himself.
'Have I selected Charm or Luck?How come I choose "Arctic Qilin" for my mother's 7th soul ring and faster hit Fire Qilin?'
'Hell i didn't even mention qilin as a possible choice to Zi Ji. And she dragged one with my minimum requirements and even beat it up to make it easier.' Hanrui thought.
As he looked at Zi Ji again he decided to drop the earlier annoyance.
Suddenly sensing the unusual resistance from the soul ring, Hanrui placed his hand on his father's back, closed his eyes and entered the soul sea of his father where his father is fighting the Fire Qilin.
Seeing the fight between them, Hanrui noticed the abnormal level of intelligence of the soul beast and thought of a solution and quickly stopped their fight by locking both of them with his adamantine Sealing chains.
Once his father noticed him he released him from the chains and nodded at him then he approached the soul of Fire Qilin.
"I know you can understand me, so I'm giving you 2 options,1.submit obediently and I'll give you a contract so your soul is preserved and you get a chance to become a God alongside my father.
2. I'll scatter your soul right now, and you know I'm capable of that." Hanrui stated as he stared at the soul beast.
After a minute of thinking the fire qilin nodded its head, and stopped resisting, Hanrui produced a new contract and let each of them sign it. With their mental energy, once it's done he left the soul sea and lets his father take care of the rest.
Hanrui opened his eyes and stood beside Gu Yuena again.
Time passed as Wu Tian finally came out of his cultivation state.
His soul power shot up a few ranks.
Han Mei, eager to know her husband's rank, congratulated first and started pestering him.
"Alright alright, mei'er stop pestering I'll say it, level 72 now, close to level 73." He replied.
Seeing her husband's smug expression Han Mei shot back "Hmph I'm level 75,3 levels higher than you, husband, you still need to catch-up" she teased.
Being teased by his wife he laughed heartily and then he remembered something and went back to look at the soul beast corpse and retrieved a soul bone from it and handed it to his son.
"Here, Rui'er, this soul bone is yours, whatever you wanna do with it, it's up to you.
Hanrui just took it without any ceremony and tossed it into his inventory just like the soul bone his mother gave him after absorbing Arctic Qilin.
"Ok let's go home, our business is done here for now." Hanrui declared and everyone got into position to move.
"Oh right, Zi Ji and Bi Ji you two are also coming with us." He declared as he turned to them who were standing there looking like lost puppies.
Hearing him say that both of them look surprised and asked. "Can we take go with you"
Hearing their doubt instead of answering directly he asked a question of his own.
"Why did you think I hadn't given you two meeting gifts when I gave everyone of Sister NaNa's subordinates a void crystal?"
"It's because I have other gifts for you two and want to take you home with me" he continued and walked ahead with his group.
They looked at each other and smiled as they followed him.
A few hours later they reached their carriage without any incident and stopped.
Hanrui looked at Dugu Bo and started speaking to him.
"Old poison,I originally planned to take father to your garden if nothing worked out but things went much more smoothly, so I'll trouble you next time."
Understanding Hanrui's intent to send him away he bowed his head with a smile.
"It's no trouble master Hanrui, duggu family will always follow your instructions"he said.
'Did my future self hit him too hard or something? He is acting way out of his character in having goosebumps all over.' Hanrui thought.
Putting his thoughts aside he took out a few low level Void Crystals and gave it to him. "Take this, it will shorten the time of your level up. I'll see you in 3 years at most, I hope you level up in that time." He said.
Taking the void crystals he quickly put them away and said his farewell and left in excitement.
Laughing at his action, he quickly turned his head to look at his father "you are riding the first carriage this time father, me and my new companion's going to take the second one." He declared and hopped inside the second carriage after kissing his grandmother and mother on the cheek.
Gu Yuena,Bi Ji,Zi Ji and Xiao Wu followed after him. While his family boarded the first carriage with a smile.
Once everyone was inside the carriage Hanrui took out 2 pills and 2 high quality Void Crystals and gave one each to Bi Ji and Zi Ji.
Looking at the pills all four feel an inexplicable attraction to it, which Hanrui noticed and started explaining.
"The pills will give you a permanent human body while keeping your soul beast form as a transformation.
Meaning, you get to keep your Cultivation and gain human level talent and cultivation speed." he said, shocking them.
"An added benefit being, if you are killed there won't be any soul bone or soul ring drop" he continued dropping a bomb at the end.