SWNOVELXO Chapter 36: Great Beasts
But duty could not be ignored.
Gu Yuena's soft smile faded as she turned toward Wu Lan, her tone shifting no longer that of a lonely woman, but the sovereign of all soul beasts.
"Wu Lan," she said gently, yet formally. "It's time I introduced you to the Great Beasts."
Wu Lan gave a slight nod. "Alright. But first… could you bring Xiao Wu here? She'll be worried if I'm gone too long."
Her eyes lingered on him for a breath, then she gave a soft nod. With a graceful motion of her hand, a circular portal shimmered into existence, revealing a view of the lake clearing in Star Dou Forest.
Through it, Wu Lan immediately spotted Xiao Wu pacing near the water's edge, her rabbit ears drooping slightly, her expression tight with anxiety. Da Ming and Er Ming stood quietly nearby, silently waiting.
Wu Lan leaned slightly forward, his voice carrying through the portal. "Rabbit."
Xiao Wu's ears twitched. She froze then turned.
The moment she saw his face through the dimensional veil, her eyes lit up like stars breaking through fog.
"Brother!"
Without hesitation, she vanished in a blur, using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Step at full strength. In a heartbeat, she burst through the portal, throwing herself into his arms with a forceful hug that nearly knocked him over.
Her arms clung tightly around his waist, her face buried in his chest.
He gently stroked her head. "I'm fine," he whispered. "I promised, didn't I?"
Xiao Wu didn't answer at first she just held him tighter, her body trembling faintly with relief.
Then, a soft chuckle rang out behind them.
"So this is Xiao Wu?" Gu Yuena asked lightly.
Xiao Wu stiffened.
Slowly, she turned her head toward the voice and froze.
Gu Yuena stood not far away, her silver gown fluttering gently, long starlight hair cascading like a waterfall, violet eyes glowing like divine amethysts. Even without releasing any pressure, her very presence made it hard to breathe.
A sense of crisis instantly surged in Xiao Wu's heart.
This woman was beautiful beyond imagination. Regal. And standing far too close to Wu Lan.
Xiao Wu narrowed her eyes warily, then immediately tightened her hug on Wu Lan, clutching him as if she feared he'd vanish.
Wu Lan blinked, instantly realizing what she was doing. He smiled helplessly.
"Rabbit, this is Gu Yuena," he said, gently resting a hand on her shoulder.
Xiao Wu continued to stare with guarded eyes.
Gu Yuena didn't seem offended. If anything, she found it… cute.
Then, she raised her hand.
A signal.
Moments later, a ripple appeared in the distance. A dimensional portal shimmered open, and from it, Di Tian stepped forth, kneeling respectfully beside them. Following him came the rest of the Great Beasts.
Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan, landed gracefully. In human form, she appeared as a gentle woman in green robes, her long green hair flowing behind her, her eyes intelligent and kind but now filled with confusion as she spotted the unfamiliar humans.
"A human…?" she murmured. "Standing beside the Lord?"
The Myriad Demon King, in the form of a towering tree monster, rooted beside the lake.
The Bear Lord, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, lumbered forward with thunderous steps.
Scarlet King, the Three-Headed Scarlet Devil Mastiff, growled low in greeting.
Zi Ji, the Abyss Demon Dragon, descended from above. In human form, she was a cold beauty clad in dark violet silk, her long hair trailing like smoke, her narrow pupils pulsing with abyssal pressure.
The moment Zi Ji saw Wu Lan, her body tensed.
Her instincts screamed at her this man was not ordinary.
Even without emitting a single wisp of aura, his presence felt dangerously close to Gu Yuena's own.
Her gaze shifted to Xiao Wu, then back to Wu Lan.
Each of them bowed to Gu Yuena respectfully but soon their eyes turned to the unfamiliar male and female standing at her side.
Gu Yuena's face had returned to her usual cold mask, concealing the warmth she had just shown.
"This is Wu Lan," she said. "He carries the Golden Dragon King's bloodline."
The clearing fell into stunned silence.
Di Tian showed no surprise. But the others were visibly shaken.
They knew what that meant.
The other half of the Dragon God.
Gu Yuena's equal.
Hearing this, Xiao Wu bit her lip and instinctively increased her wariness toward Gu Yuena.
Gu Yuena's voice was soft but carried divine weight.
"From this day forward… Treat him as you would treat me."
Di Tian stepped forward again and bowed.
"Greetings, Master Wu Lan."
The others quickly followed.
"Greetings, Master Wu Lan."
Wu Lan blinked not because of their kneeling, but because of what he saw in their eyes.
It wasn't fear.
It was trust.
Respect.
Hope.
And it was undeserved.
They believed he was truly the other half of the Dragon God. But in reality, his bloodline had been stolen not awakened.
Still… seeing their trust, Wu Lan felt a sharp pang of guilt.
He wanted to be worthy of it.
If nothing else, he could give them something valuable.
He remembered the soul beasts' greatest obstacle the Heavenly Tribulation at every hundred thousand years.
When a soul beast reached that age, their cultivation triggered a unique energy fluctuation. The plane itself would react, sending a tribulation. There were only two options: face the trial or become human.
Was there another way?
[Author's Note:
I would like to extend my gratitude to Wasdum and Сергей Карпачев for their generous support.
Your kindness doesn't just help this novel grow it breathes life into every chapter.
Thank you for believing in this journey.]