"Oh, no need for these formalities," Yun said calmly, his voice carrying an effortless authority that filled the quiet room.
"How can I not?" The woman turned slightly, a faint smile curving her lips. "After all, standing before me is the most powerful man on the entire Douluo Continent."
Yun Ming's expression hardened. "That's enough, Leng Yaozhu. We're not here for idle chatter."
The warmth in the room vanished with his tone. The hum of the equipment on the workbench was the only sound left. Leng Yaozhu's smile faded. Slowly, almost reverently, she set down the tools in her hand, their metallic clink echoing through the still air.
Straightening her posture, she turned toward them, her gaze unreadable. "If you've come only for your purpose," she said quietly, "then let's go."
As she passed by, her voice lowered to a whisper—soft, yet heavy enough to linger in the air.
"It would be better… if you hadn't come."
Hearing those words, Yun Ming could only sigh. There was a trace of helplessness in his eyes—some things, no matter how one wished, could not be changed. He already had someone he loved and cherished deeply… and now, he even had the symbol of that love walking beside him.
Silently, he took Yun Xian's small hand in his and followed after Leng Yaozhu.
Yun Xian, still dazed by everything that had happened, blinked a few times before coming back to his senses. He looked up at his father, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
"Father," he whispered, "who is she?"
Yun Ming paused for a moment. He realized he had never told Yun Xian about Leng Yaozhu before. Just as he opened his mouth to answer, a soft yet clear voice cut in.
"If you wish to know someone," Leng Yaozhu said without turning around, "you should introduce yourself first, little boy."
Her tone carried a teasing elegance, light yet sharp enough to make Yun Xian freeze in place. His face turned crimson. He had been so stunned by her beauty earlier that he'd forgotten—someone of her level could sense even the faintest shift in air or emotion.
To think he'd spoken so casually in front of her… it was a wonder she had only teased him and not scolded him.
With that, Yun Xian fell silent, quietly trailing behind the two adults. The air between them carried a faint tension—unspoken, yet heavy enough to feel.
Before long, they arrived at a room that looked like a well-kept office. The faint hum of machinery filled the space; glowing screens and neatly arranged instruments gave off a soft, cold light. At the center stood a desk, upon which rested a sleek device resembling a computer.
Leng Yaozhu moved with quiet grace, taking the main seat behind the desk. Yun Ming and Yun Xian sat across from her, the boy's gaze flickering around with barely contained curiosity.
"So," Leng Yaozhu began, turning her eyes toward Yun Ming, "you want to arrange an identity for this little boy?"
Yun Ming's tone was calm, almost indifferent. "Didn't I already explain it to you over the communicator?"
"Ah, yes. You did." She nodded slightly, then her gaze drifted toward Yun Xian, her lips curving into that familiar teasing smile. "But, you know, boy… when you meet your elder, it's polite to introduce yourself first."
Yun Xian stiffened, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks. Gathering what little courage he could, he spoke up, "My name is Yun Xian."
For a brief moment, Leng Yaozhu's smile froze. Surprise flickered in her eyes, quickly followed by disbelief. Her gaze shifted sharply to Yun Ming, who simply closed his eyes and leaned back, pretending not to notice.
A swirl of emotions passed across her face—shock, realization, and something softer, perhaps regret. Then, after a deep breath, she composed herself.
"Congratulations, Yun Ming," she said quietly. "And… please give my congratulations to Ya Li as well. You did the right thing by coming to me."
As someone from the upper echelons, Leng Yaozhu understood perfectly well why Yun Ming would go to such lengths to alter his own son's identity. She didn't question him—some matters of power and secrecy were better left unspoken.
"Alright," she said at last, her tone softening as she looked toward Yun Xian. "Since you've introduced yourself, it's only fair I do the same."
She leaned back slightly in her chair, a faint, almost playful smile tugging at her lips. "I'm Leng Yaozhu, Deputy Head of the Spirit Pagoda. And your father…" she cast a glance at Yun Ming, "is an old friend of mine. The same goes for your mother."
Her voice carried a hint of pride, as if subtly reminding them of the weight her name held.
Yun Xian blinked, studying her expression. For a moment, he wondered if all powerful people of his father's generation acted like this—projecting authority one moment, then showing this strangely childish side the next.
He didn't voice the thought, of course. He simply nodded, his lips pressing into a polite line.
"Yun Ming," Leng Yaozhu began, her tone professional again, "you know that changing an identity takes time. It won't be done in a day. Give me a week—once it's complete, I'll send it to you personally."
Yun Ming nodded without hesitation. "Alright. I have no problem with that."
"Good." A faint smile touched her lips as she turned to the second matter. "Now, for the other thing you requested."
She tapped a few commands on her console, and a data sheet appeared on the screen before printing into a thin stack of papers. "This," she said, handing it to him, "is the list of Spirit Souls with the Life Attribute. The age is arranged in ascending order. Go through it and decide which one you want."
Yun Ming took the list, his eyes scanning the names and descriptions. A faint, knowing smile appeared on his face. Then he turned toward Yun Xian.
"Xiao Xian," he said gently, "why don't you decide for yourself?"
Yun Xian blinked, surprised, as his father passed him the list. He took it carefully, his small hands trembling slightly.
He read the entries one by one, his brows furrowing. Some of the Spirit Soul species he recognized from his studies, but many were entirely unfamiliar. After a long silence, he finally looked up.
"Dad… could I see all of these Spirit Souls before I decide?"
Yun Ming's smile widened, pride glinting faintly in his eyes. Leng Yaozhu, on the other hand, could only sigh, shaking her head.
"As expected of father and son," she muttered under her breath. "Both exactly the same."
Her gaze lingered on Yun Xian for a brief moment, a trace of amusement flickering in her eyes. Though she didn't say it aloud, one thought crossed her mind—
He's going to be a lady killer one day too.
"What do you say?" Yun Ming asked, turning his gaze toward Leng Yaozhu.
"Of course, you can," she replied with an easy smile. Then, her tone softened as she looked at the boy. "Xiao Xian—may I call you that?"
Yun Xian straightened slightly, surprised by the gentleness in her voice. "No problem," he said, shaking his head.
"Good." Her smile deepened, a faint sparkle of amusement in her eyes. "Then, Xiao Xian, if you wish to take a look first, that's perfectly fine."
She reached toward the panel on her desk and pressed a small glowing symbol. A soft digital chime resonated through the air—clear and melodious. The sound was followed by a faint vibration, signalling that a message had been sent to someone's communicator watch.
As the gentle hum faded, the room settled back into silence, filled only by the faint rhythm of machines and the quiet anticipation of what was to come.
A few seconds later, the door slid open with a soft hiss.
A young girl, about Yun Xian's age, stepped into the office. She wasn't dazzlingly beautiful, but there was a quiet grace in her features—delicate, refined, and easy on the eyes. Her calm, composed expression gave her an air of maturity beyond her years.
"Teacher, you called for me?" she asked respectfully, her clear voice echoing softly in the room.
The word teacher made Yun Ming's eyes flicker for a brief moment. An unspoken emotion—part apprehension, part realization—passed through his gaze.
"Oh, Gu Yue," Leng Yaozhu said warmly, motioning toward Yun Xian. "Could you please take Xiao Yun here and show him the section with the Life Attribute Spirit Souls?"
Gu Yue turned her head toward the boy. For an instant, surprise flashed in her eyes—so quick it could have been imagined—but she masked it almost immediately behind a cool, composed expression.
"Alright," she said curtly. "Follow me."
"Thank you, Yue'er," Leng Yaozhu said with a gentle smile. "Xiao Yun is about the same age as you, so try to get along with him, alright?"
Gu Yue gave a faint nod, though her tone remained indifferent. "Understood."
Yun Xian, unsure how to respond, simply followed after her, curiosity and a strange sense of familiarity stirring in his heart.
Yun Xian—currently known as Xian Yun—followed quietly behind Gu Yue through the long, echoing corridors of the hall. The soft rhythm of their footsteps blended with the distant hum of machinery.
He wanted to ask her something, anything, but the cold indifference on her face made him hesitate. Every time he opened his mouth, the words caught in his throat.
"Do you want to say something?" Gu Yue asked suddenly, her tone calm yet sharp, as though she'd read his thoughts before he could voice them.
Xian Yun froze, caught off guard. "Uh… I just wanted to get to know you a little," he said, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Oh." She glanced at him briefly, then turned her eyes forward again. "My name is Gu Yue, as you already heard from my teacher. I'm the same age as you. What else do you want to know?"
Her words were straightforward, her expression unreadable.
"Uh—right." He smiled faintly. "Let me introduce myself properly, then. My name is Xian Yun, also your age. My Martial Soul is the Nine Heart Begonia, and… I awakened with innate full soul power—level ten. That's why I came here, to choose a suitable Spirit Soul."
He spoke casually, but a hint of caution lingered in his tone. He left out the details he didn't fully understand himself—because one truth he remembered clearly was that wealth and strength often attract trouble.
Gu Yue let out a soft hum, her eyes glancing toward him once more. "Hmm. I see. Although I'm not as gifted as you," she said evenly, "I've already reached level ten too—and it's only been four months since my awakening."
Her voice remained cool, yet there was a faint trace of pride hidden beneath the calm.
"Oh," Xian Yun replied simply, unsure what else to say.
The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable—just quiet. A strange, subtle tension lingered between them, like the air before a storm.
After that, both of them fell silent. Their footsteps echoed faintly in the long corridor, the sound of metal and glass humming quietly around them.
After a few minutes, they stopped before a large reinforced door guarded by two uniformed personnel.
"Stop right there!" one of them barked, stepping forward. "This area is under strict control. Unauthorized entry is prohibited."
Before Xian Yun could say anything, Gu Yue calmly reached into her sleeve, pulled out a small silver token, and tossed it toward the guard.
The man caught it effortlessly, his expression stern—until he looked closer. His eyes widened slightly. Straightening his posture, he handed the token back with both hands.
"My apologies, Miss Gu Yue," he said respectfully, stepping aside. The other guard quickly followed suit, pressing the panel to open the door.
The heavy gates parted with a soft hiss, releasing a faint, cool mist from within.
Xian Yun blinked in astonishment, his mouth slightly open. What kind of authority does she have? he thought. But Gu Yue didn't pause or explain. She simply walked forward, composed and confident.
He hurried after her.
"According to Teacher," Gu Yue said as they stepped inside, "you wanted to choose a Life Attribute Spirit Soul. This section contains all of them."
The room was smaller than he expected—but it radiated a quiet, sacred aura. Rows of crystalline racks lined the walls, five in total. Inside transparent spheres, soft glows pulsed gently—green, gold, and faint white hues shimmering like captured stars.
Xian Yun's eyes widened in awe. Each crystal sphere contained a Spirit Soul—fifteen in total. Four racks were marked with a yellow insignia, while one at the far end gleamed with a deep violet symbol.
He could tell even without asking—the yellow racks housed standard-grade Spirit Souls. But the purple one… that was something entirely different.
Without saying a word, Xian Yun closed his eyes and let his spirit power flow outward.
He remembered reading once—that by extending one's spirit power, it was possible to sense the emotions of Spirit Souls, to feel which one resonated most deeply with your own.
So he tried.
The moment his spirit power spread across the room, countless faint emotions surged into his mind.
Some were crying out in despair…
Some were silent, hollow shells of what they once were…
Some trembled on the edge of breaking…
And some, even while fading, still burned with a desperate will to live.
The flood of sorrow and longing was overwhelming. His heart clenched tightly, and before he realized it, a single tear slid down his cheek.
When he opened his eyes again, the glow from the Spirit Souls reflected in his moist gaze like tiny fragments of broken stars.
"Why are you crying?" Gu Yue's calm voice cut through the silence.
"What?" Xian Yun blinked, startled. Only then did he notice the tear on his face. He quickly wiped it away, forcing a faint, awkward smile but saying nothing.
Gu Yue watched him quietly, her usual cold expression softening just a little—though only for a heartbeat.
Without another word, Xian Yun stepped forward, his feet carrying him instinctively toward the purple-marked rack.
There, among the softly glowing spheres, one called out to him—a radiant green orb that pulsed gently, exuding a pure, vibrant life aura. Inside, the faint silhouette of a small bird fluttered like a heartbeat of light.
He stared at it for a long moment. Something deep within him stirred—sadness, warmth, and an inexplicable connection.
Finally, his voice broke the silence.
"I choose this Spirit Soul."