If it were anyone else, Xu Jiujiu wouldn't bother to spend the effort to get closer, but Lu Jingming's talent was obvious to all, he had the powerful Jingliu as his backer, and he was even the lord of a city in the Star Luo Empire. From every angle, he was someone worth befriending.
If Lu Jingming had always kept that respectful, distant, and polite attitude, she really would have found it hard to make a move.
But if they could become good friends, then that would be the best outcome.
"In that case, Sister Jiujiu…" Lu Jingming, without the slightest hesitation or pretense, naturally called her by this title.
He understood in his heart that Xu Jiujiu's friendly and warm attitude toward him was simply because she saw the potential value in him.
That's reality. If one has no value, not to mention being able to intimately call a princess "sister," one probably wouldn't even get a chance to approach Xu Jiujiu at all.
What Xu Jiujiu valued was his outstanding talent and Jingliu's unfathomable strength, while Lu Jingming valued Xu Jiujiu's noble status and the many benefits she could bring.
In this way, the two could be said to be taking what they needed from each other; to some extent, it was a mutual pursuit.
So, before long, under the stunned gazes of the guards, the two who had just met soon became as close as friends who had grown up together.
Xu Jiujiu affectionately called him "Xiao Jingming", sounding natural and close, and Lu Jingming called her "Sister Jiujiu" with equal warmth and ease.
Jingliu stood silently to the side, saying nothing.
Watching Lu Jingming's relaxed, even slightly glib appearance, her thoughts drifted, and the image of another disciple of hers appeared in her mind.
Man Yi, meanwhile, observed Lu Jingming with great interest and, after a while, nodded in satisfaction.
In her view, whether it was Lu Jingming's status as the Lord of Haiyuan City, his backing by a Titled Douluo, or his astonishing talent, he was fully qualified to be Xu Jiujiu's friend.
After all, befriending promising young nobles like Lu Jingming was something Xu Jiujiu, as the Star Luo princess, needed to do regularly to help consolidate the royal family's influence within the empire.
And the look Man Yi gave Lu Jingming carried its own deeper meaning.
Xu Jiujiu had grown up under her watchful eye; how could she not see through Xu Jiujiu's extraordinary curiosity about Lu Jingming?
As someone who had been through it all, she knew that such curiosity was often the beginning of all feelings.
But she was happy to see this happen. After all, the Star Luo royal family always had few heirs—so far, only a princess, no prince. Xu Jiujiu would have to marry eventually.
Finding her an outstanding candidate early might not be a bad thing in the long run.
Lu Jingming was unaware of Man Yi's complicated thoughts. He noticed Man Yi staring at him and, confused, glanced back at her.
He saw a smile full of kindness and friendliness on her face, but he couldn't help but feel that Man Yi's gaze was strangely odd and indescribable.
After a pleasant conversation, Lu Jingming and Xu Jiujiu agreed that he would visit Star Luo City to see her when he had the chance.
Afterward, Lu Jingming and Jingliu said their goodbyes to Xu Jiujiu and the others and set off on their return journey.
Xu Jiujiu still had to continue searching for a suitable third soul ring in the Star Dou Great Forest, and Lu Jingming had no intention of joining the excitement.
Although, thanks to his luck, he had quickly acquired a suitable soul ring, he'd been away from home for a while and had started to miss life in Haiyuan City and the people waiting for him there.
Compared to roughing it in the Star Dou Great Forest, the comfort of home was more appealing. As they were about to leave the forest's range, Jingliu inadvertently turned back and gazed deeply toward the forest's core.
…
In that mysterious forbidden area of the Star Dou Great Forest, the shimmering Lake of Life was rippling gently.
By the lake, a middle-aged man with long black hair streaked with gold and dressed in black suddenly showed a look of surprise.
But he quickly regained composure, bowed his head respectfully, and said in a low voice, "My Lord, you're awake!"
"Mm." A faint response came from the void.
Just this single word seemed to carry supreme authority, making the black-clad man even more respectful, bowing deeply.
If anyone who knew him saw this scene, they would be utterly shocked.
Because this pious, respectful middle-aged man was none other than Di Tian, the apparent ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the number one among the ten great fierce beasts of Douluo Continent.
At this moment, a pair of dazzling, deep amethyst dragon eyes slowly opened in the void.
In an instant, the elemental power between heaven and earth boiled, as if welcoming the arrival of the master of the elements.
"Creation and destruction? Strange!" In those purple dragon eyes flickered a hint of doubt, her gaze drifting into the distance.
Moments later, those purple dragon eyes slowly closed, leaving only a faint murmur that faded into the tranquil space.
When Di Tian heard this murmur, his expression changed drastically, like a storm raging within.
Countless questions rose in his mind, but seeing the Lake of Life gradually returning to calm, he ultimately suppressed his curiosity and stood quietly in place, not daring to make any extra moves.
Although all around returned to silence, Di Tian's heart was still in turmoil and could not calm down for a long time.
The words "creation and destruction" were simply too familiar to him; so familiar that just hearing them sent endless ripples through his heart.
Di Tian, once a Dragon God's guardian, had even been personally taught the Dragon God's divine skill, the Dragon God Claw.
He knew very well that the Dragon God's supreme divinity was formed from a combination of the powers of creation and destruction.
And the master he now served—the Silver Dragon King—was the Dragon God's other half, formed from the divinity of creation.
For this reason, when the Silver Dragon King uttered the words "creation and destruction," Di Tian's excitement was almost uncontrollable.
Yet at this moment, he was full of doubts.
What in the world had happened to make his master so concerned, and utter these two words?
But in this quiet atmosphere, Di Tian could only forcibly suppress his doubts and pretend nothing had happened at all.