Although the meaning was clear, Xue Tianyu couldn't connect her words with desire.
Perhaps humans really were too complicated.
Seeing Xue Tianyu lost in thought, Gu Yuena smiled charmingly. Her fair, delicate feet lightly tapped the lush grass, and in an instant, she appeared right in front of him.
"Did you just say that before going to find Skydream Ice Worm, you wanted to return to the human world first?"
"Yes."
Xue Tianyu looked at Gu Yuena, who was only two fingers' width away from him, and instinctively tried to step back.
However, Gu Yuena reached out and grabbed his hand.
"Are you really so afraid of getting close to me?"
Her eyes flickered, and her smile deepened.
"Could it be that one of those two soul beasts outside has already—"
"Alright, stop talking about that." Xue Tianyu quickly cut her off.
Seeing him flustered from her teasing, Gu Yuena laughed even more happily.
"Then tell me, what should we talk about?" Her lips curled up playfully.
She realized that teasing this pure-hearted boy was quite fun.
"Sigh…"
Xue Tianyu decided to brush the topic aside.
"I'll head to Heaven Dou Empire first, take care of some things, and then I'll come back for you."
"We can go find Skydream Ice Worm together then."
Hearing him get serious, Gu Yuena stopped teasing and became thoughtful. Since she had confirmed that Xue Tianyu could help her take revenge, waiting in the core area of the Great Star Dou Forest no longer made sense.
She gazed into Xue Tianyu's eyes, her expression soft.
"How about I go with you? I'd like to see for myself whether the human world is really how we soul beasts imagine it to be."
"Hm?"
If Gu Yuena was willing to come along, it would naturally be beneficial for Xue Tianyu.
"But what about your subordinates?"
Xue Tianyu was concerned that if so many powerful soul beasts left the Great Star Dou Forest at once, it could cause chaos.
"Don't worry, I'll be the only one going with you." Gu Yuena chuckled. "Look, I'll go tell them now."
With that, she grabbed Xue Tianyu's hand and led him out of the core area.
At that moment, the icy phenomenon had only just ended, and the pillar of light had faded not long ago.
Outside the core area, all the soul beasts were still in shock.
But one thing was certain—Xue Tianyu was the source of that phenomenon.
Bear Lord's face showed a hint of relief.
When Xue Tianyu fought him before, they had been evenly matched. Yet, in just a few days, Xue Tianyu had received such an overwhelming inheritance.
Judging by the phenomenon alone, the power he had inherited was unimaginably terrifying.
Fortunately, they were likely to be allies in the future.
Compared to Bear Lord's optimism, Di Tian was filled with unease.
Right now, in the core area, only Xue Tianyu and Gu Yuena were inside!
If Xue Tianyu had any improper intentions toward the Lord…
After all, it was well known among soul beasts that human men were lustful.
Before, Di Tian had never worried about this because he thought Xue Tianyu wasn't strong enough to defeat the Lord.
But now, after witnessing that phenomenon, he wasn't so sure…
Ironically, the truth was the exact opposite—Xue Tianyu had almost fallen into Gu Yuena's hands.
Meanwhile, the other soul beasts were still in shock.
Zi Ji, Bi Ji, Scarlet King, and Yao Ling had yet to recover from their astonishment.
Scarlet King was even trembling under a tree.
Ice and snow elements countered him the most.
They had never felt such a powerful presence before.
Just then, Gu Yuena stepped out of the core area, still holding Xue Tianyu's hand.
"This…"
Di Tian's face froze when he saw their hands intertwined.
Had something already happened between them in there…?
Thankfully, Xue Tianyu quickly pulled his hand away and returned to Bing Di and Xue Di's side.
The gathered soul beasts immediately surrounded Gu Yuena.
Gu Yuena paid no mind to Xue Tianyu's retreat. She addressed everyone and announced her decision.
"Today, I will be entering the human world with Xue Tianyu. There's no need for you to follow."
"Huh?"
Di Tian was the first to object.
"No, my Lord, you still need to heal! Even if you need Skydream Ice Worm to recover, you shouldn't take the risk of going to the human world!"
"He's right, my Lord, we don't want you to go."
"Yes, wouldn't it be better to continue healing in the Great Star Dou Forest?"
Hearing their protests, Gu Yuena merely smiled.
"I've been cultivating here for so many years, yet my injuries haven't healed much, and I've only become more stifled."
She shrugged her delicate shoulders and said bluntly, "I want to go out and play. First, I'm curious about the human world. Second, I want to clear my mind."
"Besides…"
She turned to look at Xue Tianyu with a soft smile.
"I want to spend more time with Xue Tianyu and understand him better."
The moment she said this, Di Tian was dumbfounded.
He immediately caught the underlying meaning in her words.
But judging by Gu Yuena's demeanor, her mind was made up.
She wasn't asking for their opinion—she was simply informing them.
"At the very least…"
Di Tian sighed. "Let us protect you from the shadows. Otherwise, we won't be at ease."
"Protect me from the shadows?"
Gu Yuena's eyes narrowed slightly.
A silver dragon's roar instantly rippled through the air, and the overwhelming aura of the Soul Beast Empress bore down upon everyone.
Di Tian and the other soul beasts were forced to their knees in submission.
"If even I can't defeat him, how do you expect to protect me?"
Only now did the soul beasts remember how vast the gap between them and Gu Yuena truly was.
She was already a being they could never hope to match.
Her injuries only limited her actions, not her strength.
"Besides…"
Suddenly, Gu Yuena withdrew her oppressive aura.
Lowering her gaze slightly, she looked at Xue Tianyu with a shy yet teasing expression.
"In the human world, Tianyu will protect me."
"...Huh?"
"...Huh?"
Xue Tianyu instantly noticed the questioning looks on Bing Di and Xue Di's faces.
"When did your relationship…"
Both of them turned to Xue Tianyu at the same time, their expressions full of intrigue.
"...become this close?"
Uh…
Xue Tianyu felt a headache coming on.
Meanwhile, Gu Yuena simply smiled, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
…
Time passed.
Xue Tianyu brought Bing Di, Xue Di, and Gu Yuena back to Heaven Dou City, staying at the hotel near Tianshui Academy.
As soon as he entered his room, a strange scent filled the air.
It was then that he remembered—before leaving, he had caught Xiao Wu and tossed her into the bathroom, completely forgetting about her.
"Bro… Brother Tianyu, you're finally back!"