Night had fallen, and a bright moon hung in the night sky, casting its cold radiance across the earth.
On the highway, a silver-gray soul tool automobile was driving steadily forward, its headlights casting two bright beams of light onto the road, cutting through the darkness ahead.
Sima Jinchi sat in the driver's seat, his hands gripping the steering wheel steadily.
He glanced in the rearview mirror at Na'er, who was sitting in the back seat. She was leaning against the car window, her long silver-white hair shimmering with a soft halo in the moonlight filtering in from outside.
She gazed out the window at the night scenery flashing by, lost in thought, wondering what she was thinking about.
However, Sima Jinchi noticed that the corners of her mouth had unconsciously curled into a slight arc.
The smile was faint, but it carried an irrepressible joy, as if she had thought of something worth looking forward to.
What Na'er was thinking about at that moment was indeed a good thing.
She was thinking about how she should "mock" Gu Yue when she met her later.
Both were halves of the Silver Dragon King, sharing the same Origin, but because Gu Yue had received more of the Origin when their souls were originally separated, Gu Yue had always been the primary one between them.
Na'er didn't say anything, but deep down, she had always been a bit resentful. Why should she have to listen to Gu Yue!
But things were different now. She had successfully achieved Fusion with the Golden Dragon King's Bloodline Power, and her cultivation had caught up, making her the first to reach the Spirit Saint Realm.
On top of that, she had found the Dragon Clan's Dharma Blade, Sima Jinchi; that Titled Douluo, who was the manifestation of the Dragon-Slaying Blade, had already acknowledged her as his master. She was definitely going to "show off" when she saw Gu Yue.
However, her smile didn't last long. She withdrew her gaze from the window and let it fall upon her own reflection in the car window.
The arc of her mouth slowly faded, and a trace of gravity surfaced in the depths of her silver eyes. She remembered the message Di Tian had sent her earlier.
The Huo Yuhao that Gu Yue had taken a fancy to was actually the Spirit Ice Douluo from Ten Thousand Years ago.
Di Tian's tone had been certain and solemn, not like he was speaking of an unverified guess.
Na'er knew Di Tian. If he could send a message in such a tone, it meant he was at least seventy or eighty percent certain.
This news was simply too shocking. Na'er had pondered it over and over again, but still found it hard to believe completely.
But she also knew that Di Tian was not the type to speak recklessly about important matters.
Regarding how to deal with Huo Yuhao, Na'er held the same judgment as Di Tian.
She had always felt that Gu Yue had invested too much unnecessary energy into matters of emotion, to the point where she was losing sight of what was important.
The grand plan of the Spirit Beast resurgence was the fundamental reason for their existence. In Na'er's eyes, Huo Yuhao was that "Femme Fatale" who was slowly pulling Gu Yue's attention away, causing her to deviate from her original path.
Since he had already become a threat to their plans, he naturally had to be eliminated.
Na'er's gaze darkened. She tapped her fingertips lightly against her knee, saying nothing.
She simply turned her gaze back to the window, watching the distant mountains swallowed by the night, silently calculating something in her heart.
After Shrek Academy was destroyed, Na'er had been taken away by the Tang Sect along with Tang Wulin and his group.
Although she was not a member of the Tang Sect herself, given the deep-rooted connection between the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy over the years, taking in and caring for the survivors of Shrek was a matter of course.
Now that she had returned to Heaven Dou City, she had gone to the Tang Sect immediately.
When she arrived, it was already late. She had only briefly met with Tang Wulin and the others in the Tang Sect's reception hall before going to rest.
The next morning, after breakfast, Xu Xiaoyan took Na'er through several corridors of the Tang Sect, finally stopping in front of a plain-colored door.
Xu Xiaoyan made a "please" gesture, said nothing more, and turned to leave.
Na'er stood at the doorway for a moment, then pushed the door open and walked in.
The room was not large, and the furnishings were very simple.
The overall tone was warm. On the windowsill sat a green plant whose name she didn't know; its leaves shone with a lush luster in the morning light.
A small bed was placed toward the back, and near the window, there was a recliner.
A figure was lying on it, facing the window, with her gaze lost somewhere in the distant sky.
The person was dressed in plain white clothes, and her formerly round cheeks now had a noticeably gaunt contour.
Her long hair was loosely tied behind her head, with a few stray strands falling beside her ears. She looked as if something important had been drained from her, so quiet she almost blended into the morning light.
Na'er stood at the doorway, looking at that back, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.
She was silent for a moment, then spoke softly: "Teacher's wife, I'm back."
The one who could be called "Teacher's wife" by Na'er was naturally the Holy Spirit Douluo Yali, who had survived that catastrophe.
In the past when meeting Ya Li, she was either gentle and smiling, or lively as the wind; even in the most dangerous moments, she could maintain a sense of composure and calmness.
But at this moment, she seemed to be shrouded in an invisible aura of twilight, like an old object forgotten in a corner, even her breathing appearing light and airy.
The dignified Limit Douluo hadn't even noticed someone entering the room immediately.
It wasn't until Na'er's words fell into her ears that she seemed to be pulled back from her daze, slowly turning her head, her gaze landing on the figure at the door.
Immediately, a faint glimmer of light finally surfaced in those slightly hollow eyes, and the corners of her lips moved slightly: "Na'er... you're back."
The moment Na'er saw her face clearly, it felt as if her heart had been tightly gripped by something.
Ya Li's originally vibrant, ink-green long hair had now turned completely silver-white.
A wave of sorrow surged into Na'er's heart. Almost without thinking, she walked to Ya Li's side in a few steps, knelt halfway down, and couldn't help but throw herself directly into the other's arms.
Her forehead rested on Ya Li's shoulder, her eyes stinging. She bit her lip to keep from losing her composure, but those silver eyes were already noticeably red.
During those days at Shrek Academy, every little detail of her time spent with Yun Ming and Ya Li had been real and warm.
Back then, she had thought that human emotions were merely bubbles that easily faded, but now she understood that once some things took root, they could not be easily erased.
In this instant, she seemed to understand Gu Yue a little; humans were not all that detestable.
She lifted her head, looking at Ya Li with red-rimmed eyes, her voice carrying a suppressed sob: "Teacher's wife, your hair... what happened?"
Ya Li looked down at Na'er's red eyes, squeezing out a forced smile.
She raised her hand and gently stroked the top of Na'er's head: "Now Teacher's wife's hair is very similar to yours. I think it looks very nice."
Na'er opened her mouth, but found her throat as if blocked by something; she couldn't say a single word.
After a moment of silence, she spoke again, her voice lower: "Teacher's wife... do you have any plans for the future?"
Ya Li shook her head, the movement very slight. Her gaze landed on the sky in the distance outside the window, and she was silent for a long time.
Then she spoke softly: "If it weren't for you still being here, I might have already followed your teacher."
She withdrew her gaze and let it fall on Na'er's face; a faint warmth finally surfaced in those eyes: "Now I just want to watch you grow up. This is also Brother Ming's wish."
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A/N:
I hope all of you are enjoying this story so far. I would appreciate some Power Stones if you can spare any. Leave a review if you like the story. Thank you.