"Leng Yaozhu!"
The atmosphere quieted down as the rising anger in Zhuo Shi's heart was once again suppressed.
"If you lost to her, and she is truly capable of teaching you, then cherish it." Zhuo Shi's gaze became clouded again. He hadn't expected the Spirit Pagoda to act so quickly. But he was also curious—after all, Gu You was someone entrusted to them by the Federation. The Sun-Moon Empire had already made their stance clear. While the three major organizations appeared to pledge allegiance to the Federation on the surface, behind the scenes, their movements were unpredictable. At first, he had even found it odd that the Federation would send a genius like Gu You to Shrek Academy. What were they thinking? But now, Gu You had formally apprenticed under Leng Yaozhu. Did this mean the Federation truly didn't care?
Perhaps sensing something, Gu You spoke up. "My teacher understands my current situation. I am apprenticed to her in a personal capacity."
Zhuo Shi remained silent for a long time. That was for the best.
Just then, the space around them rippled slightly. Shen Yi immediately became alert, releasing her martial soul as six soul rings rose into the air. At the same time, small, shy grass-like plants sprouted all around.
"Girl, this is Shrek," Zhuo Shi reminded her, his expression suddenly turning respectful.
A spatial rift was torn open, and two figures stepped out, coming into Gu You's view.
The man in the lead was strikingly handsome, his white shirt exuding an air of elegance. Beside him, the woman wore a flowing light-green dress that matched her long hair, emanating a noble and serene aura filled with life energy that made people feel at ease.
Yali gazed at Gu You curiously, while Yun Ming chuckled at the sight. "Yali was curious about this child. When she heard that your disciple brought him back, she insisted on meeting him."
Zhuo Shi remained silent. The fact that Gu You had already accepted a master made him particularly frustrated at this moment. Though a soul master could have multiple teachers, there was still a distinction between primary and secondary masters. It was easier for secondary professions, but the principle remained the same.
Shen Yi, standing aside, looked on enviously. The strongest person on the continent, the Shrek Pavilion Master, and the most powerful healer, the Holy Spirit Douluo—these two had set aside their lofty statuses to meet an unknown boy. If this news got out, the entire Federation's network would explode.
"Child, are you Gu You?" Yali asked with a gentle smile, her eyes filled with interest.
Gu You nodded. He enjoyed the feeling of Yali's life energy surrounding him, and the unique power of faith emanating from her also caught his attention.
Yali took Gu You's hand, and to everyone's shock, a staircase brimming with life energy appeared before her. Without hesitation, she sat on it and pulled Gu You into her embrace.
Huh?!
Gu You wondered if his eyes were deceiving him. In Yali's gaze, he saw the deep glow of maternal love—was she treating him as her own child?
He knew that in the original storyline, Yali couldn't have children, so she took Na'er as both a disciple and a foster daughter. But due to his presence, had Yali now set her sights on making him her foster son? What kind of situation was this? And considering the history between his master, Leng Yaozhu, and Yali, if he really became Yali's foster son, wouldn't this relationship become impossibly complicated? Not to mention, he wasn't sure if Leng Yaozhu would kill him when she found out.
"Gu'er... may I call you that?" Yali asked softly.
Gu You was unsure of what to do at this moment and could only respond with a quiet "Mhm."
"I heard you are an orphan and that life hasn't been easy for you. If you don't mind, I would like to take you as my foster son. Would you accept?" Yali asked tenderly, her eyes brimming with motherly love.
Despite already knowing what was happening, Gu You was still momentarily stunned. Even Zhuo Shi nearly choked at the revelation. He had originally wanted to inform them that Gu You was Leng Yaozhu's apprentice, but Yun Ming's cold gaze locked onto him, forcing him to swallow his words.
Shen Yi, on the other hand, felt as if the sky had collapsed. She had just been mocking Gu You for relying on connections to enter Shrek Academy, but now she realized she had been utterly wrong. The Holy Spirit Douluo was about to adopt him! The sheer absurdity of the situation overwhelmed her, and she hastily flew away.
"I…" Gu You hesitated.
"What's wrong? You don't want to?" Yali's eyes held a hint of disappointment.
"N-No, that's not it." Even though Gu You had seen much in his past life, the sheer number of earth-shattering events happening to him in such a short time was overwhelming. First, he gained an unparalleled martial soul, then an unparalleled master, and now, unparalleled foster parents. Not to mention, his master and foster mother had unresolved emotional baggage. This was beyond complicated—it was outright chaotic!
"So, you agree?" Yali asked, smiling as she hugged him tightly.
Meanwhile, Zhuo Shi felt like his world was crumbling.
Gu You was still in shock, struggling to process the surreal chain of events.
A mischievous chuckle suddenly came from Yali. It was nothing like the voice of a dignified mother—it sounded like a playful girl who had just pulled off a prank.
"Pavilion Master Yun Ming, I know it's impolite to interrupt, but I must say something. Leng Yaozhu is this child's master," Zhuo Shi finally spoke up, gathering his courage.
Yun Ming frowned slightly, but Yali didn't seem to mind in the slightest. A love rival? So what? She had already won—and in the most spectacular way possible. She had even taken in Leng Yaozhu's apprentice as her foster son! Just imagining the look on Leng Yaozhu's face when she found out made Yali giddy with excitement.
"That's even better. We were already like sisters, and now we're even closer—family, in fact. In a few days, I'll make a personal visit to check on my dear sister and see how she's been doing lately," Yali said with a smile.
Seeing this, Zhuo Shi wisely chose to stay silent. He had witnessed too much absurdity for one day. Best to retreat before getting caught in the crossfire of this "family reunion."
"Gu You, show me your martial soul," Yun Ming suddenly requested.
Gu You nodded, stepping away from Yali. As he activated his martial soul, his body became adorned with golden-purple dragon scales, and thousand-year soul rings shone brightly.
Feeling the dragon's might emanating from Gu You, even Yun Ming was taken aback. And that peak Level-13 soul power… all he could do was sigh at the rise of yet another prodigy.
(End of Chapter)