It was nearing late afternoon, with the bright red and yellow sunlight shining directly down.
On Sea God Lake, the clear waters rippled gently, and the reflection of Gu Yue's face could be seen in the water. She had truly arrived at Shrek Academy's inner courtyard.
Entering the inner courtyard was very difficult, not only were there powerful figures probing the area, but there were also multiple layers of checks. Only after obtaining the real Shrek Inner Courtyard badge and having the soul master's personal information logged could one gain access.
Although Cai Yue'er had granted Gu Yue an inner courtyard spot, she could not enter without registration. However, Gu Yue, with her precise control over space, along with assistance from various ferocious beasts, managed to infiltrate successfully.
Even though Yunming, a semi-god, existed, his spiritual energy couldn't be constantly extended. Typically, it was the title Douluo guardians of the inner courtyard who conducted these checks.
In any case, getting in had a certain element of luck.
"Isn't she out yet?" Gu Yue looked up, gazing at the distant silhouette of a small boat on the horizon.
The distant Sea God Island, the closest island to the Golden Ancient Tree, stood out with its towering trees, some reaching heights of hundreds of meters, likely over a thousand years old.
On Sea God Island, even the trees were protected by the Golden Ancient Tree, and the heavenly thunder couldn't destroy anything here.
The ancient trees here were full of mysterious vitality, their towering forms exuding immense life force, ancient and weathered.
The boat approached, and on it stood a silver-haired girl.
Gu Yue seemed insignificant next to her, as if completely overshadowed by the girl's beauty.
Her long silver hair fluttered in the air, and she looked no older than eleven or twelve. Wearing a red sports outfit, her delicate face was revealed in the breeze, showing an absolutely stunning beauty.
Na'er had become even more beautiful. Her exquisite features were flawless, and she resembled a spirit from the lake. Her large eyes, devoid of any emotional fluctuations, were a pale silver, extremely cute.
"You're crazy! You actually brought Di Tian and the others here." Na'er shot Gu Yue a glare.
"If I didn't bring them, how could I get in?" Gu Yue said calmly. "Besides, aren't Xiong Jun and the others also here?"
"What on earth is wrong with you?" Na'er jumped off the boat and walked up to Gu Yue.
"Don't you think you're becoming more and more like a human?" Gu Yue's face was emotionless.
"Human…" Na'er closed her eyes and softly repeated the word.
"The boring bet between us is now over."
The wind began to pick up, and the view of the sunset became clearer. The sun met the water's surface, casting a warm glow on Gu Yue's side profile. After saying this, she seemed to feel a sense of relief and stared blankly at the beautiful sunset.
Na'er's pupils widened in shock. "The bet was sworn upon the heavens! You dare break it? Don't you fear the heavenly punishment outside?"
Heavenly punishment? When Gu Yue heard these words, she laughed loudly. "The pain of a hundred thousand years! How could heavenly punishment compare to that? When I woke up and saw the decline of the soul beasts, the fall of the dragons, I knew our chances were slim. But by integrating with humans, learning their knowledge, understanding their culture, perhaps there's still a small chance. I never knew why I split from you, and never expected you to be so laughable, ending up in human society, picked up again. I finally find you, and then you make this ridiculous vow. Don't you feel ashamed?"
Na'er fell silent, but… she didn't want to die! Without the bet, her fate would be to merge with Gu Yue, and during her time in human society, she had to admit she had become more and more human, a complete person who had let go of the worries of the Silver Dragon King and the revival of the soul beasts.
"But…" Na'er could not accept the reality of fading into nothingness. "Do you really think all humans are bad? Shouldn't promises be kept?"
Gu Yue fell into deep thought, recalling the moment when the Imperial Beast Rui was released, and the moment when Xu Xiaoyan and Xie Xie's letting go occurred. She had once considered that humans perhaps shouldn't all be destroyed; after all, there were kind people, and kindness would always be in the majority.
But then, she realized. The kindness of humans was always based on one thing: some humans were only kind to other humans, others were kind with pity, and some even twisted their kindness into bad deeds.
"So what if they're bad? And what if they're not? The moment we were born, the revival of the dragon clan was already determined. As for promises, they're just a joke. Only humans would keep promises, and even then, they treat promises as something trivial. I'll still give you some time. When you turn eighteen, enjoy these last moments. As a human, I'll grant you the most beautiful and joyful years of human life." Gu Yue's body emitted colorful light, and as she spoke, pressure erupted, making it hard for Na'er to breathe. Even her Silver Dragon Spear was trembling.
"Why?" Na'er's martial soul, the Silver Dragon Spear, released waves of dragon might. Don't forget, she also inherited a third of the Silver Dragon King's strength.
"You're really beyond saving." Gu Yue coldly sneered.
"I just want to live. What's wrong with that? Isn't the original mistake yours? You created me, gave me sentience, and made me unknowingly come into contact with the human world…"
"It's useless. Treasure the time you have left. There's nothing wrong with living, but if you live, then I'm wrong. If it comes to choosing between the revival of the dragon clan and me, I'll choose the former. But don't be sad. After I merge with you, your soul won't be erased. After all, when you existed in this world, you were already unique. If I'm in a good mood, I might even let you take control of the body for a while." Gu Yue vanished with a strong fluctuation of energy.
As expected.
After Gu Yue left, Yali appeared. She looked at Na'er, who was full of sorrow, and asked with concern, "My good disciple, has someone bullied you? If someone has, I'll go deal with them."
Na'er tried to calm herself and slowly spoke, "No, Master. I'm just a little scared, scared that I'll never see you again."
"What nonsense are you talking? Even if we don't meet, we'll meet!" Yali pretended to be angry, hands on her hips.
Na'er was much better than that little brat, Gu You. He hadn't been home in three years, and now that they were so close, he still didn't come back.
"I may never have been meant to exist." On the boat heading to Sea God Island, Na'er looked back at the place where Gu Yue had disappeared, a faint smile on her face.
Ah-choo!
Gu You rubbed his nose and sneezed twice. How strange? Could someone be talking behind his back?
Gu You thought hard about who it could be, wondering which person had the audacity to criticize him.
(End of Chapter)