Dragon Phoenix Hall, ninth-floor conference room.
"Tomorrow I'll depart with Yunze and Ditian for the Star Luo Continent, so let me give some brief instructions," Gu Yuena said.
Everyone's eyes turned to her, listening intently.
"Our trip will likely take over a year. During this time, all matters of Dragon Phoenix Hall will be handled by Bi Ji."
"You must all obey her commands. If anyone dares defy her, don't blame me for being merciless. Understood?"
Gu Yuena swept her gaze across the room, finally fixing on Xiong Jun—the proudest among them.
Feeling her stare, Xiong Jun shrank his neck and quickly said, "Understood, understood!"
"Bi Ji, I have two reminders for you." Gu Yuena looked at her seriously.
"First, you must restrain the clan members. With Ditian gone, they may become like untamed wild horses, reckless and unbound."
"Some minor trouble is nothing. But if they leak something they shouldn't… that would be disastrous."
"Our secret—that we soul beasts can take human form—must never be revealed. Otherwise, all our prior efforts would be wasted. Do you understand?"
"I understand. I will keep them in check," Bi Ji said solemnly, knowing how grave this was.
"Second, be on guard. Many covet our pill recipes. While Ditian's here, they may not dare act rashly. But once word spreads of his absence, intrusions at night may happen again."
"You must ensure no clan member is abducted."
"Xiong Jun, once Ditian leaves, you will be our strongest. Protect the clan well," Gu Yuena instructed.
"Rest assured, my lady. With me here, whoever comes will die!" Xiong Jun thumped his broad chest, radiating confidence.
Now that he had forged his own Three-Word Battle Armor, his strength neared quasi-god level. He had reason to boast.
Three months earlier, he had advanced to become an eighth-rank forger. Since then, he had been smelting the rare metals required for their Three-Word Battle Armors.
They had delayed forging, waiting precisely for his breakthrough, so the armor quality would be optimal.
Once smelted, Gu Ming, Xu Lin, and Xu Chuan carved the soul-guide arrays. For payment, they received three top-grade advanced soul-raising pills.
Now, Ditian, Xiong Jun, and Bi Ji each had complete sets of Three-Word Battle Armor. The fourth set was underway.
"Remember your words—don't disappoint me," Gu Yuena said. She acknowledged Xiong Jun's strength.
"I won't," Xiong Jun replied firmly.
Gu Yuena then turned to the Myriad Demon King and Yao Ling. "The heaven-and-earth treasures you retrieved greatly aided Dragon Phoenix Hall's growth. I will remember this merit and reward you in time."
They had indeed found most of the rare, aged herbs, some even over a thousand years old—essential for refining advanced soul-raising pills.
"Thank you, my lady!" the two said with joy. Their efforts had been worth it.
"Keep searching for such treasures. The more, the better," Gu Yuena added.
"Oh, and if anything urgent arises, contact the principal of Sun Moon Royal Academy. He'll find a way to reach us."
That was meant for Bi Ji, letting her know the channel of contact.
"Understood," Bi Ji nodded.
The next day, Yunze, Gu Yuena, and Ditian departed with the Sun Moon Royal Academy delegation for the gathering point: Tianhai City.
Tianhai lay on the eastern coast, over five thousand li from Mingdu. Even aboard the Academy's high-altitude flying car, it took them more than ten hours to arrive.
Upon entering Tianhai, they went straight to the Tianhai Grand Hotel—the designated assembly site.
The Federation had booked the whole hotel. Besides staff, only envoys and members of the Star Luo delegation resided inside.
Their escorting teachers quickly handled formalities. Yunze, Gu Yuena, and Ditian each received their own rooms.
By then, it was already past ten at night. The hotel halls were quiet.
Thanks to the teachers' arrangements, the chefs prepared four lavish tables of food.
At two tables sat four Academy directors, six teachers, and five other students.
Gu Yuena and Yunze shared one table; Ditian had one to himself. Not out of arrogance—simply because otherwise, the food would never suffice.
Gu Yuena alone could eat eighty to ninety percent of a table's dishes. How could others share?
Ditian was even worse—he could finish one and a half tables, all meat.
Those unfamiliar with Gu Yuena's appetite were stunned. Who would think such a slender beauty was a bottomless pit?
Yunze, used to it, calmly ate his modest portion. His normal appetite stood in stark contrast to hers.
"The food's tasty, but too little," Gu Yuena said wistfully after clearing the table.
Tianhai, as a coastal city, offered mostly seafood—lobster, sea cucumber—hardly filling.
"I'm only half full," Ditian said, having already finished his own table and now seated at theirs.
"The extra dishes you ordered are being prepared. Please wait a while," a waiter apologized.
Ditian had indeed ordered another table. Money wasn't an issue; hunger was.
"I'll head back to my room," Yunze said, rising. He'd had enough. Taking the elevator to the seventh floor, he found his room and settled in.
The room was decent. Sitting cross-legged on the floor, he began cultivating.
He usually trained until around three in the morning, then washed up and slept five to six hours—sufficient rest.
In half a year, his soul power had risen five ranks, now level 37.
At barely over seven years old, he was already a Soul Elder at rank 37—an unprecedented pace, likely never to be matched.
During this period, he hadn't drawn on the Dragon Pearl's energy. Overusing such vast external power would only destabilize his foundation.
He planned to absorb the Pearl's remaining energy in two bursts—once at Soul Ancestor, once at Soul King.
Each time, a quick one-to-two level leap, followed by steady consolidation. Far safer and more effective.