"I know," Su Yu's expression turned serious as he spoke calmly.
"You know, yet you still let her stay so close to you?"
"Do you understand what this means? It means there's a human God King behind her! Do you get that?"
"Have you forgotten your identity?"
Gu Yuena glared at Su Yu with frustration, as if she couldn't believe how clueless he was.
She didn't doubt Su Yu's loyalty. After all, Su Yu was the reincarnation of the Dragon God—by nature, the greatest enemy of the gods. If it weren't for Su Yu not yet having reached his full strength, she wouldn't have become the leader of the soul beasts. In terms of identity, Su Yu was even more legitimate than her. How could a leader possibly defect?
But Gu Yuena didn't know that some leaders had defected. And that defector was none other than herself.
"Of course, I haven't forgotten. I'm very clear-headed," Su Yu said.
"Then what are you planning? Don't tell me you want to side with the human gods."
Gu Yuena's expression turned cold, her eyes sharp and chilling like ice.
"What are you thinking? Even without considering Uncle Di Tian, Aunt Bi Ji, and Ming Li, who are all my family, I wouldn't betray you, not even for your sake alone," Su Yu said seriously, looking at Gu Yuena.
A trace of hidden shyness flickered in Gu Yuena's eyes, but her face remained cold.
"Useless! Is love and romance all you think about day and night?"
Gu Yuena asked in a frosty tone.
"What else would I think about?"
Su Yu pretended to be confused, though inwardly he was laughing to himself.
You, with your love-stricken brain, dare to say that? If I can win you over, that would already be one of my greatest successes. Deal with internal matters before external threats!
"You!"
Gu Yuena trembled with anger.
"When you're invincible in this world, what won't you be able to get? You've disappointed me."
She looked at Su Yu with a disappointed gaze and turned to leave.
Su Yu quickly reached out and grabbed her.
"I was just joking, just joking," he soothed her.
"I was teasing you. How could I know you'd take it seriously?"
"I haven't forgotten my mission and responsibilities."
"Nana, please always remember—we're on the same side."
Ever since Su Yu had realized he was the reincarnation of the Dragon God, Di Tian had instilled in him the importance of his responsibilities. Later, Gu Yuena also had many heart-to-heart talks with him, emphasizing that the Divine Realm was their enemy. The enmity between the Divine Realm and the soul beasts was well understood between them.
Gu Yuena believed that Su Yu couldn't just think about women; he also had to bear the responsibility for the Soul Beast clan. But she had no idea that Su Yu was thinking much further ahead than she was.
Hearing Su Yu's words, Gu Yuena's expression softened slightly. She raised her delicate hand and gently touched Su Yu's face.
"You're still young, and I know you're easily distracted, but you must never forget your responsibility. I haven't forgotten the promises I made to you, so I hope you won't forget the promises you made to me either."
"Before you turn thirty, I hope to see you ascend to godhood," Gu Yuena said softly.
"I will," Su Yu nodded.
"Then what's the deal with this girl?"
Gu Yuena changed the subject, returning to the topic of Wang Dong.
Su Yu took a deep breath, activating the Dragon God Seal to isolate his spiritual sea, and then said, "Nana, I've caught the attention of the Divine Realm. This girl was sent by a God King from the Divine Realm to stay by my side."
"What?"
Gu Yuena's face paled.
"The Divine Realm has discovered your identity?"
"Not exactly, but they've discovered that I'm the Child of Destiny," Su Yu explained.
"The Child of Destiny is destined to become a god. So, the God King sent a girl to you in hopes of binding you emotionally and controlling you that way?"
Gu Yuena's face darkened as she made an educated guess.
When it wasn't about her own emotions, Gu Yuena's intellect was sharp. See? Her intelligence was in full force now.
"Maybe that's exactly what the God King is planning," Su Yu replied, spreading his hands.
"I'll kill her!"
A fierce light flashed in Gu Yuena's eyes. How could she tolerate someone attempting to manipulate the future of the Soul Beast clan?
"No. If you act, you'll be exposed, and then we'll face a full-scale invasion by the Divine Realm," Su Yu shook his head, rejecting the idea.
"Then what's your plan?"
Gu Yuena calmed down a bit.
"We can only take it as it comes. I'm cautious, and they won't be able to manipulate me so easily. But, Nana, from now on, don't seek me out. It's too dangerous. If I need to see you, I'll come to Star Dou to find you. We need to be careful to avoid exposure."
Su Yu's eyes were serious as he warned her. They were lucky this time, but if Gu Yuena appeared suddenly again, it wouldn't be long before Tang San noticed something.
"I understand."
Gu Yuena nodded, her expression gloomy. She hadn't expected Su Yu to end up in such a predicament because of his identity as the Child of Destiny.
"If I find out who you are, I'll kill you when I attack the Divine Realm," Gu Yuena muttered fiercely, her hatred for the God King growing stronger.
How dare this God King try to manipulate the future of the soul beasts? They must have a death wish.
"By the way, how did you find out that a God King from the Divine Realm was watching you?"
Gu Yuena suddenly realized something. Su Yu was still so weak. How did he know all this?
Su Yu blinked.
"The World's Will told me."
When in doubt, just blame it on the World's Will. If you don't believe it, go ask the World's Will yourself.
"What? The World's Will values you that much?"
Gu Yuena was surprised. The World's Will seemed to have placed a lot of importance on Su Yu.
Was this the true value of being the Child of Destiny? Could it be that the Douluo Continent wanted to break away from the Divine Realm and become a God Star itself?
Gu Yuena speculated in her heart. But her guess wasn't entirely without merit. The Divine Realm had been harvesting faith from the lower realms, stunting the world's progress. How could the World's Will not want to break free?
In the original story, Huo Yuhao had been its chosen one, but unfortunately, he failed, becoming a pawn of the Tang family, and the World's Will was later usurped by Tang Hao. This time, the World's Will had chosen Su Yu and was betting even more on him.
Every moment, a vast amount of fortune was gathering around Su Yu.
What is a Child of Destiny, a Child of the World?
It's someone truly blessed by fate—the focal point of the world!
Wherever fortune goes, dangers turn into blessings, and obstacles become opportunities. Whatever he wanted to achieve, it would be hard for him not to succeed.
Looking back on Su Yu's journey, it had indeed been quite smooth.
In contrast, Huo Yuhao, the original Child of Destiny, seemed to have faced a series of misfortunes. Especially after he became hostile to Su Yu, his fortune seemed to decline even further. What he would face in the future was hard to predict.
"Maybe so. Sometimes I can sense the presence of the World's Will in mysterious ways," Su Yu shrugged and replied casually.
Gu Yuena's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she sighed softly.
"That sounds like a good thing, but it's also the reason why you've been noticed by the Divine Realm."
"Whether this is good or bad remains uncertain," she added, looking at Su Yu seriously.
"Like I said before, be careful."
"If you ever face a challenge you can't overcome, return to Star Dou. The Soul Beast clan will always be your strong support."
These words were a clear promise. She was telling him that, no matter what, the Soul Beast clan would never abandon him.
Su Yu couldn't help but feel touched.
"Nana!"
Su Yu grasped Gu Yuena's hand with a look of gratitude.
"You're so good to me, I have nothing to repay you with. How about I offer myself to you?"
Gu Yuena: "..."
We were just having a serious conversation, and now this?
Suppressing the urge to slap Su Yu, Gu Yuena spoke as calmly as possible.
"You're still young. Let's talk about it when you're older."
"We have an agreement, don't we?"
"But what if I can't wait?"
"Smack!"
Su Yu covered his forehead, wincing in pain.
"Why do you always provoke me? You just can't help yourself, can you?"
Gu Yuena slowly withdrew her hand, her delicate face a mix of anger and frustration.
"Focus on your cultivation! If you don't become a god before you turn thirty, just wait and see what I'll do to you, hmph!"
With a glare, Gu Yuena disappeared in a huff.
Su Yu rubbed his forehead and sighed softly.
"This fierce woman... she hits hard. That hurt."
He grinned despite the pain. The bump on his head was large and sore, but Gu Yuena had shown impressive control, hitting him without causing real harm.
It wasn't that Su Yu was deliberately provoking her; he just didn't want Gu Yuena's emotions to fully settle. A completely calm Gu Yuena would be much harder to manipulate.
As it stood, while she had left, her mind was undoubtedly still unsettled. At the very least, whenever she thought of him, she'd probably feel a little irritated.
And that was enough.
For someone like Gu Yuena, who had lived for many years but had a simple emotional world, ordinary methods wouldn't work. You had to be a bit unconventional.
In the original story of Douluo 3, Gu Yuena made a huge mistake by trying to split personality, allowing others to take advantage. But the current Gu Yuena was at her full strength. Though emotionally straightforward, she wasn't easy to conquer.
Su Yu had made progress with her thanks to his identity, potential, and some clever provocations. But to truly win her over, he would need unmatched power.
In the world of soul beasts, strength was everything.
Taking a deep breath, Su Yu's eyes grew calm like still water. He closed them once again, allowing the power of the Golden Dragon King's blood to surge through his body.
Su Yu's physical strength was increasing rapidly.
...
Before long, an hour had passed.
"Su Yu, Su Yu!"
Noticing that Su Yu hadn't come out for a long time, Wang Dong finally grew restless. Su Yu had never taken more than ten minutes to bathe before. Known for his quick, decisive actions, it had now been over an hour, and he still hadn't come out.
Worried, Wang Dong knocked softly on the bathroom door.
"Su Yu, are you alright?"
"Are you okay?"
His voice carried a hint of urgency, and the knocking continued.
Inside the tub, Su Yu slowly opened his eyes, a flash of golden light flickering in his icy blue gaze before quickly fading.
A layer of golden light briefly flashed across his body before being reabsorbed. Su Yu could feel the explosive surge of power coursing through him—much stronger than before. His soul power had broken through to level thirty-nine, just shy of level forty.
Meanwhile, the golden liquid in the tub had completely transformed into clear water.
Hearing Wang Dong knocking, Su Yu responded, "Wang Dong, I'm fine."
Wang Dong relaxed, his urgency fading.
"Why have you been in there so long?"
"I was soaking and accidentally fell asleep," Su Yu replied.
"Oh, I see. Well, hurry up and get ready. Let's go have breakfast together. If we wait much longer, the cafeteria might run out of food."
Wang Dong's voice now sounded calm and reassured.
"Got it. I'll be out soon."
Su Yu stood up from the tub, drained the water, and stored the medicinal tub in his soul tool. After quickly washing up, he put on clean clothes and walked out.
Wang Dong sat on a chair, his light blue eyes flickering as he observed Su Yu closely.
"Su Yu, you seem a bit different," Wang Dong commented, curiosity filling his face as he looked Su Yu up and down.
"What's different?"
Su Yu smiled as he headed toward his seat.
"You have more presence, somehow."
Wang Dong tapped his chin thoughtfully.
"Really?"
Su Yu chuckled, silently admiring Wang Dong's keen observation. Indeed, he had noticed the change. After this round of body-tempering with the Golden Dragon King's blood, his physical strength had grown noticeably, as had his aura.
Even Su Yu's height had increased by a few centimeters, making him close to 1.8 meters tall. While the physical changes might not be immediately apparent, his presence had certainly shifted.
"Did you make another breakthrough?"
Wang Dong asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.
"Maybe. I just broke through to level thirty-nine."
"While you were taking a bath?"
"Mm."
Su Yu nodded.
"Monster!"
Wang Dong's mouth twitched. He was speechless.
Su Yu had broken through again. Was it that easy for someone with an Ultimate Martial Soul?
Sharing a dorm with this guy was starting to feel stressful.
No, he had to work even harder. Wang Dong clenched his fists, silently motivating himself.
"Let's go. Time to eat," Su Yu said as he put on his shoes, calling for Wang Dong to join him.
The two left the dorm together, heading to the cafeteria for breakfast.
Afterward, Su Yu planned to find a place to test his strength. The Golden Dragon King's blood had tempered his body remarkably well, and he wanted to see just how strong he had become.
PS: I will only use the 'she' or 'her' for Wang Dong in romantic moments.