In the familiar courtyard, Shu Yan suddenly turned around, a smile lighting up his face. He called out loudly, "Granny Manyi, long time no see! Aren't you coming out to say hello?"
As he spoke, the figure of Xingyun Douluo Manyi materialized out of thin air. A look of bright shock and surprise appeared in her slightly clouded eyes. Her aged body trembled before she finally spoke, "Little Yan, you're really back..."
Shu Yan shifted his weight, replying with a warm smile, "It's really me, Granny Manyi, I am indeed back."
Xingyun Douluo quickly stepped forward and grasped one of Shu Yan's wrists. The astonishment on her face intensified. She said in disbelief, "You actually came out of the Extreme North Land alive, and your spirit power has skyrocketed to the Spirit King level, this..."
Realizing her words might sound harsh, Xingyun Douluo quickly adjusted her tone and asked again, "Little Yan, how did you return from the Extreme North Land? How did Snow Empress agree to let you go? Also, why have your cultivation, appearance, and aura changed so much?"
A flurry of questions from Xingyun Douluo gave Shu Yan a headache. He rubbed his forehead and said softly, "The reason Snow Empress was willing to let me go is that we reached a consensus on a major matter. Now, she and I are partners. As for my cultivation, appearance, and temperament—that's because Snow Empress gave me a treasure to consume, which allowed me to completely transform and ascend."
Upon hearing this, Xingyun Douluo's pupils suddenly shrank. Her body involuntarily staggered back two steps, as if she'd heard something unbelievable. She looked completely stunned.
After a long silence, Xingyun Douluo swallowed hard and spoke again, "Then, when you returned this time, did Snow Empress stay in the Extreme North Land?"
Shu Yan's expression became a little strange. He stretched out his finger, pointed behind Xingyun Douluo, and sighed, "Naturally not. When I returned this time, both Snow Empress and Ice Empress, who ranks second among the Far North Three Great Heavenly Kings, came to Star Luo City with me. They are right behind you, Granny Manyi."
Encounter with the Two Emperors
Xingyun Douluo's body went stiff, and a sudden chill ran down her spine. She had been prepared to face a literal flood of monstrous Spirit Beasts, but after stiffly turning her head, her gaze couldn't help but freeze.
In her line of sight, the Snow Empress wore a sky-blue long dress, making her exceptionally beautiful. Her white hair fluttered behind her, noble and untouchable like a goddess.
Beside her, the Ice Empress had twin pigtails. Her dark green hair contrasted with her skin, which was as white as ice and snow, giving her a unique, translucent look. Her face showed less arrogance than the Snow Empress but a little more cold beauty. However, contrary to her appearance and temperament, this young girl was holding two ice creams of completely different flavors, licking one side and then the other. It was as if she hadn't even noticed Xingyun Douluo at all.
The Snow Empress looked at Xingyun Douluo, whom she had met before. Perhaps out of consideration for Shu Yan, she even nodded slightly in greeting. However, the stunned Xingyun Douluo was completely rigid and dared not make any sudden movements.
Good heavens, the two most powerful beings among the Far North Three Great Heavenly Kings were standing alive in front of her! This was an unparalleled shock to Xingyun Douluo, an old woman who had lived for over eighty years. With her heart pounding, Xingyun Douluo was temporarily speechless, appearing somewhat foolish.
Shu Yan was already used to this reaction. He opened his mouth and introduced them to the Ice and Snow Two Emperors: "This is Granny Manyi, Title Xingyun. She is an elder who has accompanied Jiu Jiu since childhood and was also one of the guides who led me into the path of cultivation. She is one of my closest elders."
Xingyun Douluo had recovered her wits by this time. She bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Seniors..."
Xingyun Douluo's heart was complicated. She had never imagined that one day she would address two monster Spirit Beasts as Seniors. This was unimaginable before. When had humans and Spirit Beasts ever had such a precedent of peaceful coexistence? Various worries arose in Xingyun Douluo's mind, and Shu Yan clearly noticed her strange demeanor.
Setting Up a New Alliance
Organizing his thoughts, Shu Yan spoke again: "Granny Manyi, you can rest assured. Both Snow Empress and Ice Empress are not unreasonable people, and our Star Luo Empire has never had major conflicts with the Extreme North Land. I will go to see His Majesty later, and some things still need to be explained. But please rest assured, Granny Manyi, Snow Empress and Ice Empress staying in the Star Luo Empire will only benefit us. You will see this in the future."
Shu Yan's words were true. When the benefits brought by a matter are large enough, the disadvantages are often subconsciously ignored, or rather, they are not even worth mentioning compared to the enormous interests.
"This..." Xingyun Douluo hesitated for a moment, then gently nodded.
She looked at the Ice and Snow Two Emperors, who were still standing in place. Hesitating once more, she offered, "Seniors, as you are new to the human world, you are probably still unfamiliar with Star Luo City. If you don't mind, there is a quiet and pleasant courtyard next to the Princess Manor. You can stay there for now. If you have any other needs, just instruct the servants."
Ice Empress licked her red lips, then looked up at Snow Empress and asked in a low voice, "Xue Er, what do you think?"
Snow Empress and Shu Yan exchanged glances, then she nodded gently, her voice flat, without any discernible emotion. "Then we shall trouble you."
Xingyun Douluo quickly nodded in agreement. In front of the Snow Empress, who was comparable to a human Limit Douluo, she truly couldn't maintain the pride of a Title Douluo. After all, even if the Ice and Snow Two Emperors completely sealed off their auras, Xingyun Douluo could still feel how terrifying the energy within these two stunning women was. If they chose to act, perhaps even the combined powerhouses in the entire Star Luo City would not be enough to stop them.
A Quiet Night
Shu Yan just smiled and shook his head, then walked toward the hall while saying, "Granny Manyi, please help me inform them. I will go to the palace to see His Majesty tomorrow morning. I'll trouble you with this matter."
His gaze shifted and fell on the Ice and Snow Two Emperors again. "Xue... Xue Jie, take that greedy little girl and rest well tonight. No one here will be against you, and no one dares to be. If anything comes up, you can come find me. It's just a wall away; it's very convenient."
The Snow Empress raised her eyebrows, seemingly touched by Shu Yan's address. She nodded gently and said, "Mm."
Shu Yan was already accustomed to the Snow Empress's usual coldness. He waved his hand, and after talking with Xingyun Douluo for a few more sentences, he watched her leave. Only then did he quietly enter the hall and look at Xu Jiujiu, who was curled up in a ball on the soft couch.
Shu Yan sighed softly, took off his outer robe, and then gently pulled Xu Jiujiu into his arms.
Xu Jiujiu struggled slightly at first, but then seemed to smell Shu Yan's familiar scent. Her tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. Her fair arms wrapped around Shu Yan's waist, and she wrapped her legs around one of his. After rubbing her cheek against Shu Yan's chest, she slowly quieted down.
Shu Yan held the warm girl, and his thoughts couldn't help but recall the past.
At first, he only saw Xu Jiujiu as his support in this strange world. To be more intimate, she was like a non-biological older sister.
But later, Xu Jiujiu took the initiative to break the invisible and unknowingly thin film between them, pushing their relationship to another level. Now, the two were legitimate lovers. Everything felt like an incredibly real dream, making both of them unable to help but immerse themselves in it, unable to pull away.
Shu Yan had lived two lives, but to be honest, his feelings for Xu Jiujiu grew little by little through the changes in his mindset and their long-term interaction. This was an instinct formed over time. Xu Jiujiu might not have expected that childhood friendship would eventually turn into love, but she could clearly tell herself that if she could do it again, she would still choose to follow the same path without hesitation.
Some people are ultimately irreplaceable. Perhaps there are many excellent people in the world, but when that person appears in front of you, you will find that whether they are excellent or not is actually not important, because that person has already become your whole world at some point...
(Word Count: 1045)
(Original Author's Note: When I wrote this part, I was actually very hesitant and conflicted. I was conflicted about the arrangement of the Ice and Snow Two Emperors for a long time.
A human at the Spirit Grandmaster realm was forcibly taken away by the third-ranked land monster beast in the world, but returned safely in less than a year, and even his cultivation skyrocketed.
This situation is difficult to explain, and even if it is explained, probably no one would dare to believe it, because too many things are involved, and it might even make people suspect that the protagonist is a transformed Spirit Beast...
Therefore, the author simply wrote it out directly, clarifying everything and highlighting the main theme of "god creation". The author will try to write this in detail, not so abruptly, to make the whole process as smooth and natural as possible. The world is bustling for profit, and the world is bustling for profit.
When the common interests are large enough, many problems actually seem less serious. This is also more for paving the way for the later plot. Shrek must be destroyed, and the other three Empires must also be destroyed.
The Continent must be unified, and the protagonist's position is set here. You can discuss any problems you encounter while reading from now on.