“You know Li Lu?” Huang Xiaolong was happy seeing Cheng Susu’s reaction, asking in return.
Cheng Susu gave a self-deprecating smile and said, “If the Li Lu you’re asking about is the same Li Lu in my mind, I dare say not a single person in the whole Fortune Gate doesn't know of her. I know her, but she doesn’t know me.”
Huang Xiaolong was stumped.
He then described Li Lu’s features to Cheng Susu, surprising her. The two of them finally confirmed that they were referring to the same person.
When Huang Xiaolong inquired about Li Lu’s situation, complicated feelings flashed across Cheng Susu’s face as she spoke enviously, “More than ten years ago, she came to our sect and said that she is the personal disciple of the lower realm's Fortune Gate Ancestor and has a top emperor rank godhead. Not only had her appearance alerted our Fortune Gate Chief, but also several old ancestors that had been in seclusion for a few thousand years.”
Cheng Susu paused slightly before continuing with obvious jealousy, “In the end, both Myriad Flames Ancestor and Profound Ice Ancestor accepted her as their personal disciple!”
To be chosen by one Ancestor was something that no Fortune Gate disciple dared to imagine, yet Li Lu was chosen by two of them at the same time. As a Fortune Gate disciple, it would be a straight up lie if Cheng Susu’s said she wasn’t jealous of Li Lu.
Huang Xiaolong nodded; Li Lu’s godhead was the Yin Yang Godhead, it was granted she would catch the eye of two Fortune Gate Ancestors.
“What’s her strength now?” Huang Xiaolong asked as an afterthought.
Cheng Susu shook her head, “I’m not clear about this. After she was accepted by the Myriad Flames Ancestor and Profound Ice Ancestor, she has been cultivating in the All-Spirits Land and rarely appears in public. It is said the two Ancestors discovered that her cultivation level was simply unmentionable, so they resorted to a supreme technique in order to channel their godforce into her, causing her strength to rise overnight.”
Hearing that they were treating Li Lu well, Huang Xiaolong inwardly heaved in relief.
All these years he had been worried that she would experience something like Yao Chi did, falling into unfavorable circumstances. However, now that he heard she was accepted as a personal disciple by two Fortune Gate Ancestors and was valued by the Fortune Gate as a whole, Huang Xiaolong finally let go of his worries.
“You know Li Lu? You also ascended from the lower realm?” Cheng Susu suddenly asked Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong nodded, admitting openly, “Yes, I ascended from the lower realm.”
Cheng Susu’s big eyes widened up to her eyebrows as she looked at Huang Xiaolong, “In the lower realm, was the relationship between you two very good? Do you like her? But I have to tell you, Li Lu is extremely popular among our Fortune Gate male disciples, even our sect’s Young Lord is the same. Our chief disciple, Eldest Senior Brother Wang Wei, also likes Li Lu.”
Huang Xiaolong subconsciously frowned. He already knew Li Lu was a catch, so her popularity in the Fortune Gate was nothing out of the ordinary, but when he heard Cheng Susu say that the Fortune Gate Young Lord and the chief disciple Wang Wei had feelings for Li Lu, his heart felt uncomfortable.
Cheng Susu continued, “Although Eldest Senior Brother Wang Wei’s godhead isn't as good as Li Lu’s, it is still a high grade emperor rank godhead. Before she appeared, Eldest Senior Brother Wang Wei was the number one genius of our sect, but then again, our Young Lord’s talent is quite high as well, a low emperor rank godhead.” As she was saying this, a mischievous twinkle flitted across Cheng Susu’s eyes, “If you want to woo Li Lu, the obstacles are many.”
Huang Xiaolong smiled wryly.
Cheng Susu probably thought his ‘quality’ was far from Wang Wei and that Fortune Gate Young Lord’s level.
Then again this wasn't without reason. Emperor rank godheads weren't something everyone could possess, thus Huang Xiaolong felt it was only normal for Cheng Susu to think he might be inferior compared to Wang Wei and the Fortune Gate Young Lord.
Cheng Susu suddenly patted her chest magnanimously, “How about this? If you want to enter the Fortune Gate, I can ask my Master to introduce you. With my Master’s word and your talent, you entering our sect wouldn't be difficult.”
Although Cheng Susu did not directly say who her Master was, Huang Xiaolong easily guessed that it would be either an influential Elder or a Grand Elder.
Huang Xiaolong shook his head, refusing gently, “No need, I will be participating in the All-Islands Great War.”
He hadn’t reached the point of requiring a woman’s help to enter the Fortune Gate.
Cheng Susu was surprised by his answer, “The All-Islands Great War? But there are close to a hundred thousand disciples participating, and only the top one thousand disciples are qualified to enter the Fortune Gate. Are you sure you want to take this route? Also, there’s only a decade’s time until the next All-Islands Great War, with your current strength… Forget top one thousand, even top ten thousand would be difficult!” Cheng Susu shook her head at the end, disagreeing.
It wasn’t her intention to give Huang Xiaolong’s confidence a severe blow, only speaking from the standpoint of a friend. Huang Xiaolong was only a mid-Sixth Order Heavenly God currently, at most he might be able to break through to Seventh Order in a mere decade's time, or mid-Seventh Order Heavenly God Realm.
In the past All-Islands Great Wars, in order to enter the top one thousand, one needed to have Tenth Order Heavenly God Realm strength at the very least.
She could naturally see that Huang Xiaolong’s battle prowess wasn't ordinary, but no matter how extraordinary it was, Cheng Susu couldn’t imagine how he could enter the top one thousand with just a decade of effort.
Understanding that Cheng Susu said those words out of concern, Huang Xiaolong smiled, “If I fail to enter the top one thousand in the coming All-Islands Great War, then I will participate in the next one. I’ll definitely succeed somehow.”
Cheng Susu shook her head at his stubbornness, “Even if you succeed in grabbing a spot in the top one thousand in the next All-Islands Great War and enter our Fortune Gate, you won’t catch any Grand Elder’s fancy unless you’re within the top ten. You might successfully enter the sect, but with your common disciple status, there would be no chance in the world that you’ll be able to meet Li Lu.”
Huang Xiaolong didn't know how to reply, smiling silently.
The night soon passed.
When morning came, Cheng Susu stood up and bid farewell to Huang Xiaolong.
“You’re leaving now?” Huang Xiaolong was stumped, “This place is still within the sea tribes' territory, going alone…?”
Cheng Susu shook her head, “It’s alright, we’ve left the Soul Tribe’s territory, I have a way to safely return to the Fortune Gate.” Cheng Susu took out a communication talisman and gave it to Huang Xiaolong, saying, “If you come to the Fortune Mainland for the next All-Islands Great War, look for me.” She blinked mischievously at Huang Xiaolong, “For your Li Lu, you must strive a hundred times harder.”
Huang Xiaolong accepted her communication talisman, helpless at her teasing. “I will.”
Having said their farewells, Huang Xiaolong watched her figure disappear above the Endless Sea.
“Are we returning to the Punishing Heaven City now?” The little cow asked Huang Xiaolong.
Huang Xiaolong looked at Xie Du, Xie Tu, and Bing Jiuyi’s injuries, shaking his head, “There's no hurry.” The three puppets’ injuries had yet to completely heal, moreover, he planned to first refine the two Fourth Order Ancient God Realm Cloud Devouring Divine Beast corpses into puppets. It wouldn't be too late to head to the Punishing Heaven City at that time.
With that, Huang Xiaolong stayed on the small island.
At one of the cliffs on the island, Huang Xiaolong dug a tunnel that went straight into the belly of the hill and smashed out a big cave. He had the little cow lay out several formations at the entrance before taking out the two Cloud Devouring Divine Beast corpses.
Looking at the two corpses, Huang Xiaolong sat cross-legged on the ground as he began circulating the Grandmist Parasite Medium. His concentration was solely focused, entering the first Cloud Devouring Divine Beast’s mind.
However, when his soul force had just entered the beast corpse’s mind, a brutal and savage force slammed against Huang Xiaolong’s soul force.
