Douluo Continent: The Eternal Order of the Azure Sky

Chapter 189 Beibei: Let's apply some glue first, then grab something...

Chapter 189 Beibei: Let's apply some glue first, then grab something...

Zhang Lexuan looked at the Jiamu Divine Pill, a hint of shock and longing flashing in her beautiful eyes, but she quickly concealed it.

She knew that such a thing was probably beyond her current reach.

She whispered, "The refining of the Jia Wood Divine Pill is incredibly difficult. Not only does it require dozens of rare and precious natural treasures and the essence blood of specific soul beasts as a catalyst, but it is even more demanding that a plant-type soul master with a cultivation level of Title Douluo or above must use the special environment of Shrek Academy's Seagod Island to expend their own essence to condense a trace of the purest Jia Wood innate energy in order to complete the pill."

"In the world of Soul Masters, this pill, along with the legendary Dragon Maiden and celestial herbs, is known as one of the three great steps to ascending to the heavens for Martial Souls, enough to create a genius Soul Master. I never expected that the academy would be willing to put such a precious treasure at the treasure appreciation event."

Her words, besides expressing amazement, also subtly contained a hint of warning.

Shrek Academy so easily displayed its most prized treasure, and had even given him the right to purchase it for free beforehand; the intentions behind this are quite intriguing.

Kong Tianxu listened, feeling a warmth in his heart. He naturally understood Zhang Lexuan's unspoken meaning.

However, improving the quality and potential of the Silver Dragon Martial Soul is a path he must take. Otherwise, whether it's the pressure that Xuanzi might bring from burning his bloodline to activate Taotie, or the Silver Dragon King's natural restraint on him, these are obstacles he cannot accept.

Therefore, the opportunity to invest in Holstein, even with the associated risks, is worth trying.

Moreover, this risk seems insignificant.

Kong Tianxu's gaze shifted to the Jiamu Divine Pill, and a faint silver-purple light flashed in the depths of his eyes.

"I'm afraid Shrek will end up losing more than he gains," Kong Tianxu thought to himself with a cold laugh, but his face remained impassive.

Without further hesitation, he raised his hand and gestured to the young woman from the Treasure Pavilion standing to the side: "I'll take this Jiamu Divine Pill. And that piece of Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue next to it, we'll settle the bill together."

He lightly tapped his fingertip onto a piece of dark yellow, crystalline gelatinous substance beside him.

He had seen this piece of ancient whale glue from the very beginning; it was one of the few things in this treasure pavilion that he had never enjoyed.

The vast ocean, its immensity and mystery surpassing even the Star Dou Great Forest, is said to contain thousands of times more spirit beasts than those on land. In the deep sea, whale-like spirit beasts are undoubtedly the true overlords.

Once humans reach the sea, they are like meat on a chopping board; almost no human dares to venture deep into the ocean. Therefore, hunting thousand-year-old demonic whales might be possible with the help of powerful soul masters, but those demonic whales that are over ten thousand years old not only live in the deep sea, but are also extremely powerful; even titled Douluo might perish among them.

In the original story, Huo Yuhao, who was at level 89, and Tang Wutong, who was at the title Douluo level, almost capsized in an ambush by a group of ten-thousand-year-old sea spirit beasts, which shows how dangerous and rare the situation was.

To find a product like Huo Yuhao, which is only superficially spoiled, is already extremely lucky. It's simply impossible to buy one from any random roadside vendor.

The young woman paused for a moment, then her face broke into an even more respectful smile: "Honorable Red-level VIP, the Jiamu Divine Pill is priced at 33 million gold soul coins, and the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue is priced at 500,000 gold soul coins. You have two free selections. Are you sure you want to use this to offset the cost?"

"Confirmed." Kong Tianxu replied crisply.

The exchange process went even more smoothly than expected. The black card with dark red patterns slid across the special soul tool, flashed slightly, and the transaction was completed instantly.

The Divine Elixir of Wood and the Glue of Ten Thousand Years Whale were placed in two simple and elegant jade boxes and delivered to him.

Zhang Lexuan herself didn't have any particular needs. She was already at the Soul Douluo level, and most rare and precious treasures had little effect on her. In the end, she only chose a Golden Mountain Fruit, which was a pure natural amplification of a Soul Master's physique, on Kong Tianxu's advice.

"This box is heavy, let me carry it." Kong Tianxu naturally took the jade box containing the Golden Mountain Fruit.

"Okay," Zhang Lexuan nodded, and picked up the box containing the ten-thousand-year-old whale glue. "I'll hold this for you."

Having seen most of what interested them, the two were about to leave when a slightly deep voice came from behind them: "Sister Lexuan, Kong—classmate."

The two paused slightly and turned around. They saw that Beibei had also arrived near this top-tier exhibition area at some point, standing a few meters away, looking at them with a complicated expression.

More accurately, it was looking at Zhang Lexuan.

He was dressed in a simple dark blue outfit, with one hand behind his back. His temperament remained gentle and refined, but a lingering weariness and melancholy shrouded his brows, and there seemed to be bloodshot eyes, indicating that he had not been resting well recently.

The upheaval in the Xuanming Sect had devastated Xu Sanshi. The pressure of Tang Sect affairs, the search for Tang Ya, and certain deeper emotions were clearly draining his mental energy.

"Beibei." Zhang Lexuan nodded when she saw him, her tone was normal, but it lacked the unique intimacy and gentleness of the past, and she appeared calm and polite.

Kong Tianxu nodded slightly, as if to say hello. He could tell that Zhang Lexuan's tone still contained some concern and eagerness, but it was so subtle that Beibei, with her preconceived notions, didn't even notice it.

Beibei's gaze lingered on Zhang Lexuan's bright and beautiful makeup for a moment, a deep, indescribable sadness and bewilderment flashing in the depths of her eyes. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but her somewhat unfocused gaze swept over the jade box that Kong Tianxu had handed to Zhang Lexuan, as well as the label that had not yet been removed from the empty display case behind him.

What held his gaze even longer than the Divine Wood Pill was the Ten-Thousand-Year Whale Glue.

Despite the dramatic price difference, the Jiamu Divine Pill is something specially created by the Sea God Pavilion and would never normally appear on the market.

In fact, the value of the ten-thousand-year whale glue at this treasure appreciation event is already quite high, with a price of 500,000, which is in no way inferior to some excellent ten-thousand-year soul bones.

Times have changed, and the purchasing power of Gold Soul Coins has actually been increasing year by year. The annual expenses of a family of three are only a few dozen Gold Soul Coins.

What does 500,000 gold soul coins mean? It's enough to arm a 500-strong elite heavy cavalry force to the teeth, men and horses alike.

Has Sister Lexuan already accepted his precious gift of the ancient whale glue? Then—

In comparison, what he wanted to give away was rather unpresentable.

As the great-grandson of the former Sea God Pavilion Master and Limit Douluo, the usually confident and composed Bei Bei felt a rare sense of embarrassment at this moment. Mu En did have some savings, but hundreds of thousands of gold soul coins were not a number he could easily come up with.

After all, unlike soul bones, whale glue is relatively useless for most soul masters.

For the first time, he clearly felt a sense of loss and self-doubt.

Beibei's already sensitive self-esteem was instantly stung. The movement of putting her hands down behind her back suddenly stopped. Unconsciously, she squeezed the jade box, which was very similar to Zhang Lexuan's but obviously smaller, and cracked it.

Why does this look like a confession of love?

Kong Tianxu looked at him with some doubt, his eyes sparkling, and then he understood.

It turns out it was also whale glue.

But it's not as big as his, nor as good.

"Beibei?" Seeing him standing there in a daze, the warmth in Zhang Lexuan's eyes gradually faded, and she asked with a hint of urgency.

Beibei felt a thousand words stuck in her chest, but in the end, they all boiled down to one sentence: "Sister Lexuan, are you—leaving?"

"Yes, I've almost finished reading it," Zhang Lexuan replied. After a pause, she asked, "Did you find the materials you needed? Any progress on Tang Ya's matter?"

Mentioning Tang Ya, Bei Bei's eyes narrowed, and she shook her head with a wry smile: "Still looking. I've seen some of the rare metals I need, but we're still short a lot of funds. Let's think of another way."

A moment of silence fell. The intimacy of the past seemed to have been replaced by an invisible barrier.

"Well—I won't bother you any longer." Bei Bei forced a smile and stepped aside to make way. "Classmate Kong, if you're free tomorrow, could you allow me to visit you in person to apologize for what happened with San Shi?"

He eventually found a relatively legitimate reason.

"We'll see," Kong Tianxu said noncommittally.

Zhang Lexuan glanced at Bei Bei, her gaze shifting several times before turning into a silent sigh. In the end, she said nothing more and walked side by side with Kong Tianxu toward the exit.

Beibei stood there, watching the two perfectly matched figures walk further and further away, disappearing among the dazzling display cases. The surroundings were still filled with the faint sounds of people and the glittering lights, but he felt as if he were in another silent world.

He remembered when he was a child, his older sister Lexuan would hold his hand and stroll through the market, gently asking him what he wanted; he remembered how he had vowed to become strong and protect her; he remembered the time they spent together.

Now, she stands beside another man, a powerful, mysterious man with resources he can hardly match, and—the attention she once had, which seems to be slipping away.

"Senior Brother?" Wang Dong's voice rang out from not far away. "Hey, how did you manage to ruin the Millennium Whale Glue you just bought? Wasn't it supposed to be a gift for Senior Sister Le Xuan?"

Beibei suddenly came to her senses and realized that she had unconsciously used too much force and completely destroyed the box containing the whale glue.

However, when he saw the whale glue, which he had just kneaded into a mess, quickly return to its original shape after he let go, he seemed to have suddenly figured something out and revealed a magnanimous smile.

Honestly, what am I thinking? Although Sister Lexuan is my childhood sweetheart, I already have Xiaoya. How can I be greedy?

To be honest, if we disregard Kong Tianxu's identity as a member of the Sun Moon Empire, he might actually be a suitable match for Sister Lexuan.

Besides, it's small and cute, at least Xiaoya will definitely like it.

Beibei carefully put away the small, exquisite piece of millennium whale glue, quickly concealing all the vulnerability and confusion on her face, and putting on that gentle and calm smile again.

But is that heavy, brand-like feeling really so easy to forget?

Wang Dong turned his head to look in the direction Bei Bei had been gazing, where Kong Tianxu's figure was faintly visible.

For some reason, even though she should hate this guy who humiliated Huo Yuhao and patted her butt, she couldn't seem to hate him at all. It was as if a voice from the bottom of her heart was telling her to be closer to him. This split between reason and emotion made her feel extremely awkward.

Yuhao, when are you finally coming back? There are still three years left. Can I really wait until then? Amidst the glitter and clamor, Wang Dong seemed somewhat lost.

Yan Shaozhe looked at the transaction information sheet that the servant had just handed him, then looked at Elder Lin with great surprise. Finally, he let out a long sigh of relief, but his face showed little joy, instead adding a touch of complexity.

He turned to Lin Huiqun, who was resting with his eyes closed, and said, "Elder Lin, you and Elder Zhuang actually took out that Jiamu Divine Pill, which is worth more than ten million? Isn't that a bit too much of a price to pay?"

Lin Huiqun slowly opened her eyes, her gaze calm yet weary.

"If everything goes smoothly and the plan succeeds, Xiao Tao will also gain immeasurable benefits. That girl has a strong personality and high aspirations, and this setback in the competition has been a big blow to her. Consider this pill as a small compensation from me, the old woman who has watched her stumble and fall as she grows up in the academy, on behalf of the academy."

She stood up, her gray robes billowing without wind, and walked towards the door of the secret chamber. Her aged voice still echoed in the air: "Let's do it the way you've discussed. I hope things really develop as you expect. Otherwise, this Jiamu Divine Pill might be the greatest gift we've ever given to our future enemy."

Yan Shaozhe's expression hardened, and he bowed deeply to Lin Huiqun's departing figure, remaining there for a long time.

Shrek Academy is indeed very generous. Knowing that they were a bit unsure about their own martial soul evolution, they gave them something as valuable as the Wood Divine Pill.

Walking back the way they came towards the exit, Shrek City was still brightly lit. Zhang Lexuan gently explained the precautions for taking the Jiamu Divine Pill, and Kong Tianxu turned his head to look at her beautiful profile, which was bathed in moonlight and lamplight, and his mood became more and more relaxed.

Moreover, the thought that Yan Shaozhe would soon personally escort him into the Golden Tree to retrieve the Dragon Pill made him even happier.

It has to be said that Shrek's feng shui is indeed very auspicious, with good elixir, good trees, and good conditions for growth.

Feeling Kong Tianxu's undisguised, appreciative, and playful gaze lingering on her, Zhang Lexuan's cheeks involuntarily flushed with a captivating blush.

Before parting, the two had reached the vicinity of Kong Tianxu's dormitory. Zhang Lexuan paused slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Kong Tianxu stopped and turned to look at her with a smile, "Senior Lexuan, my dorm is right here. The night is still lovely, why don't you come in, have a seat, and have a cup of tea?"

This invitation was originally partly joking and partly tentative; given Zhang Lexuan's usual temperament, she would most likely have declined. However, to his surprise—

Zhang Lexuan raised her eyes, her beautiful eyes reflecting the moonlight silently looking at him for a moment, and then gently nodded: "Alright."

The room was simply furnished. The two sat facing each other, the aroma of tea filling the air. Zhang Lexuan held the warm teacup, her fingertips unconsciously tracing the inside. After a moment, she finally composed herself, gently set the teacup down, stood up, and faced Kong Tianxu, her expression more solemn than ever before.

"Tianxu, in the Star Dou Forest, you saved my life and helped me fuse my soul ring and soul bone. I have always remembered this kindness. I have never found a suitable opportunity to formally thank you."

After speaking, she took a half step back, took a deep breath, lifted her skirt, and slowly performed a simple and elegant bow of thanks from a noblewoman of the Heavenly Soul Empire towards Kong Tianxu. Her posture was graceful and her expression solemn, as if she were not in a cramped dormitory, but in a grand palace.

"I will always remember your life-saving grace and your kindness in giving me a second chance." She lowered her head slightly, revealing her fair and slender nape.

After the ceremony, Zhang Lexuan straightened up but did not immediately raise her head, seemingly trying to calm herself down.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she whispered in a very soft voice, just enough for Kong Tianxu to clearly hear, "You know my dorm. If you need any help, you can always come to me."

Zhang Lexuan had said this to Kong Tianxu when they first met, but now that she was saying it again, it clearly carried a different meaning.

After saying that, she quickly walked towards the door as if she were afraid of being chased by something.

Kong Tianxu held his teacup, watching her slightly flustered back, a deep light flashing in his purple eyes.

The smile on his lips deepened slightly as he turned his gaze to the window—the moonlight tonight was indeed exceptionally beautiful.

However, just as Zhang Lexuan had stepped one foot across the threshold, a knock on the door, neither too loud nor too soft, but very clear, suddenly rang out.

Thump, thump, thump.

Zhang Lexuan froze instantly, a clear look of panic flashing across her face, and she subconsciously looked at Kong Tianxu.

Kong Tianxu, however, seemed to have expected this. His expression remained unchanged. He put down his teacup and said loudly, "Who?"

There was a moment of silence outside the door, then Bei Bei's deep voice came through: "Classmate Kong, it's me, Bei Bei. I'm so sorry to bother you so late. I wanted to apologize to you in person about what happened with San Shi."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lexuan visibly breathed a sigh of relief and turned to leave quietly from the other side, not wanting to encounter Beibei at this moment and cause further embarrassment.

However, Kong Tianxu suddenly reached out and gently grabbed her wrist.

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