If it were anyone else, Xu Jiujing wouldn't bother trying to get close. But Lu Jingming's talent was obvious to all, and with Jingliu—a powerful ally—behind him, plus his position as a city lord in the Xingluo Empire, he was undeniably someone worth befriending.
If Lu Jingming had maintained a polite but distant attitude, it would have been hard for her to make a move. But if they could become good friends, that would be the best outcome.
"Then in that case… Jiujing-jie," Lu Jingming said naturally, without any awkwardness or pretension.
He understood clearly that Xu Jiujing's friendliness stemmed from seeing his potential value.
That was reality: if he had no value, he wouldn't even get the chance to address a princess so familiarly as "older sister," let alone get close to her.
Xu Jiujing valued his exceptional talent and the unfathomable strength of Jingliu behind him. Lu Jingming, on the other hand, saw the noble status of Xu Jiujing and the many benefits that came with her.
In this way, both gained what they wanted—a mutual benefit, a kind of "meeting halfway."
Before long, much to the astonishment of the guards, the two who had only just met were as familiar as siblings who'd grown up together.
Xu Jiujing called him "Jingming-didi" affectionately, while Lu Jingming replied with "Jiujing-jie," both voices warm and natural.
Jingliu stood silently nearby, expression unreadable.
Watching Lu Jingming's unrestrained, even somewhat slick demeanor, her thoughts drifted to another disciple of hers.
The Star Cloud Douluo, Manyi, carefully studied Lu Jingming, then nodded in approval.
In her eyes, whether considering his position as the City Lord of Haiyuan or his backing by a title Douluo, or his incredible talent, Lu Jingming fully deserved Xu Jiujing's friendship.
After all, making connections with promising noble heirs like Lu Jingming was part of Xu Jiujing's routine as a princess of Xingluo—it helped consolidate the royal family's influence within the empire.
But in Manyi's gaze toward Lu Jingming, there was a deeper meaning.
Having watched Xu Jiujing grow up, she could see through the princess's unusually intense curiosity about Lu Jingming.
As someone who'd been through it, Manyi knew such curiosity was often the start of all kinds of feelings.
Still, she welcomed it. The Xingluo royal family had always been small—only a princess, no prince. Xu Jiujing would marry someday, and finding a talented match early on could only be beneficial in the long run.
Lu Jingming was unaware of these complicated thoughts. Noticing Manyi's gaze, he was a little puzzled and glanced back at her.
Manyi's face held a kind, friendly smile. Yet Lu Jingming felt there was something strange in her eyes—an indescribable subtlety.
After a pleasant chat, Lu Jingming and Xu Jiujing agreed that he would visit Xingluo City to see his new "adopted sister" when he had the chance.
Soon after, Lu Jingming and Jingliu bid farewell to Xu Jiujing and her entourage, beginning their journey back.
Xu Jiujing still needed to search for a suitable third soul ring in the Star Dou Forest, and Lu Jingming had no intention of tagging along just for the fun of it.
Though luck had favored him, and he'd found a fitting soul ring quickly, he'd already been away from home for some time and was starting to miss life in Haiyuan City—and the people waiting for him there.
Compared to roughing it in the Star Dou Forest, he longed more for the comfort of home.
As they neared the edge of the Star Dou Forest, Jingliu glanced back unconsciously, gazing deeply toward the forest's mysterious core.
At the heart of the forbidden zone in the Star Dou Forest, the shimmering Life Lake rippled gently.
By the lake stood a middle-aged man in black robes, his long black hair streaked with strands of golden highlights, his face suddenly registering surprise.
Quickly recovering, he bowed respectfully and lowered his voice, "Master, you've awakened!"
"Hmm," came a faint response from the void.
That single, brief word seemed to carry supreme authority, causing the middle-aged man in black to bow even deeper with greater reverence.
If anyone who knew him were to witness this scene, they would surely be dumbfounded.
For this devout, respectful man was none other than Di Tian, the acknowledged ruler of the Star Dou Forest and ranked first among the ten ferocious beasts of the Douluo Continent—the Beast God Emperor.
At that moment, a pair of dazzling dragon eyes, like deep violet crystals, slowly opened within the void.
In an instant, the elemental forces of heaven and earth surged to a boiling point, as if heralding the arrival of the Elemental Sovereign.
"Creation and destruction? Strange…" The purple dragon eyes flickered with a trace of puzzlement, their gaze drifting lazily toward the distant horizon.
After a moment, the violet dragon eyes gradually closed, leaving behind a faint murmur that dissolved silently into the tranquil space.
Hearing the whisper, Di Tian's expression instantly changed drastically; a storm of turmoil raged within his heart.
Countless questions flooded his mind, but when he saw the Life Lake gradually returning to calm, he forced down his curiosity and stood silently where he was, not daring to make any unnecessary movements.
Though the surrounding world fell back into silence, Di Tian's heart churned like turbulent waves, unable to settle.
The words "creation and destruction" were far too familiar to him—so familiar that hearing them stirred endless unrest within his soul.
Di Tian had once served as a Dragon God's guardian, even personally receiving the divine skill Dragon Claw from the Dragon God himself.
He knew well that the Dragon God's supreme divinity was formed from the intertwining forces of creation and destruction.
And his current lord—the Silver Dragon King—was the Dragon God's avatar, incarnated from the creation divine essence.
Because of this, when the Silver Dragon King spoke those two words, "creation and destruction," Di Tian's excitement was almost uncontrollable.
Yet at this very moment, he was filled with nothing but confusion.
What event could have drawn his lord's attention so deeply to utter those words?
But amidst this stillness, Di Tian could only suppress his questions, feigning calm as if nothing had happened.