For anyone else, Xu Jiujiu wouldn't bother to bridge the gap, but Lu Jingming's displayed talent was evident to all. He also had Jingliu as a powerful backer and was the City Lord of Haiyuan. From every angle, he was someone she wanted to win over.
If Lu Jingming had maintained his respectful, distant, and polite attitude, she would have found it difficult to execute her plans.
But if the two could become good friends, it would undoubtedly be the best possible outcome.
"In that case, Sister Jiujiu." Lu Jingming was neither reserved nor pretentious, naturally calling out the address.
He understood that Xu Jiujiu's friendly and amiable attitude towards him was simply because she saw his potential value.
This was reality; if he had no value, let alone intimately addressing the princess as "sister," he probably wouldn't even have the chance to get close to Xu Jiujiu.
Xu Jiujiu valued his outstanding talent and Jingliu's unfathomable strength, while Lu Jingming valued Xu Jiujiu's noble status and the many benefits she could bring.
Thus, both were getting what they needed, a kind of "mutual progression" in a way.
Soon, to the dumbfounded gazes of the guards, the two, who had only recently met, had become as familiar as siblings who had grown up together.
Xu Jiujiu affectionately called him "Little Brother Jingming," sounding natural and warm, while Lu Jingming likewise called her "Sister Jiujiu," his tone enthusiastic and smooth.
Jingliu stood quietly to the side, silent. Watching Lu Jingming's uninhibited, almost glib demeanor, her thoughts drifted, and the image of another one of her disciples surfaced in her mind.
Xingyun Douluo Manyi, observed Lu Jingming with interest, then nodded in satisfaction. In her opinion, Lu Jingming, whether it was his identity as the City Lord of Haiyuan, his backing by a Title Douluo, or his astonishing talent, was entirely qualified to gain Xu Jiujiu's friendship.
After all, befriending promising noble offspring like Lu Jingming was part of Xu Jiujiu's daily duties as a Star Luo Princess, helping to consolidate the imperial family's influence within the empire.
Moreover, there was a deeper meaning in Xingyun Douluo Manyi's gaze towards Lu Jingming. Xu Jiujiu had grown up under her watch, so how could she not see Xu Jiujiu's extraordinary curiosity towards Lu Jingming? As someone who had experienced life, she knew that this curiosity was often the beginning of all emotions.
However, she was pleased by this. After all, the Star Luo Imperial Family had always been small in number, with only princesses and no princes to date, and Xu Jiujiu would eventually marry.
Scouting out an excellent and outstanding talent for her in advance might not be a bad thing in the long run.
Lu Jingming was unaware of Xingyun Douluo's complex thoughts. Noticing that Manyi had been observing him, he felt a little puzzled and looked back at her. Manyi offered a kind and benevolent smile, but Lu Jingming always felt that Xingyun Douluo's gaze was strange, conveying an indescribable peculiarity.
After a pleasant conversation, Lu Jingming and Xu Jiujiu agreed that he would visit his newly recognized "honorary sister" in Star Luo City when he had time.
Afterward, Lu Jingming and Jingliu bid farewell to Xu Jiujiu and her group and began their journey back. Xu Jiujiu still needed to continue searching for a suitable third soul ring in the Star Dou Great Forest, but Lu Jingming had no desire to tag along.
Although he had fortunately obtained a suitable soul ring relatively quickly, he had been away for some time and began to miss life in Haiyuan City and the people waiting for him there.
Compared to roughing it in the Star Dou Great Forest, the comfort of home was much more appealing.
As they were about to leave the Star Dou Great Forest, Jingliu inadvertently looked back, gazing deeply in the direction of the core. In the mysterious forbidden land of the Star Dou Great Forest, the shimmering Lake of Life rippled gently.
By the lake, a black-clad middle-aged man with long black hair and a few golden streaks instantly showed surprise on his face. But he quickly recovered, respectfully bowing his head and lowering his voice, saying, "Master, you're awake!"
"Mm!" A faint response came from the void. This single, short word seemed to carry supreme authority, making the black-clad middle-aged man even more deferential, his body bending deeply.
If those who knew him saw this scene, they would likely be dumbfounded. For this devout and respectful middle-aged man was none other than Beast God Ditian, the overt ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest and the top-ranked fierce beast among the Ten Great Fierce Beasts of the Douluo Continent.
Just then, a pair of dragon eyes, as brilliant and deep as amethyst, slowly opened in the void. In an instant, the elemental power between heaven and earth boiled, as if welcoming the arrival of the elemental overlord.
"Creation and Destruction? Strange!" A hint of doubt vaguely flickered in those purple dragon eyes, which gazed leisurely into the distance. A moment later, the pair of purple dragon eyes slowly closed, leaving behind only a faint murmur that dissipated into the quiet space.
The black-clad middle-aged man's expression changed dramatically upon hearing this murmur, his heart churning like turbulent waves. Countless questions flooded his mind, but when he saw the Lake of Life gradually return to calm, he ultimately suppressed his curiosity and stood quietly in place, not daring to make any superfluous moves.
Despite the return to silence, Ditian's heart was still in turmoil, unable to calm for a long time. The words "Creation and Destruction" were far too familiar to him; so familiar that merely hearing them would stir endless ripples within him.
Ditian had once been a Dragon God Guard, and had even received a divine skill personally taught by the Dragon God, the Dragon God's Claw.
He knew very well that the Dragon God's supreme divinity was forged from the intertwining powers of creation and destruction. And his current master, the Silver Dragon King, was precisely the Dragon God's half-body, formed from the Creation Divinity.
It was precisely for this reason that when the Silver Dragon King uttered the words "creation and destruction," Ditian's excitement was almost uncontrollable.
However, at this very moment, he was filled with doubt. What had happened to warrant his master's intense attention and the utterance of these two words? But in the silent atmosphere, Ditian could only force himself to suppress his inner questions, pretending as if nothing had happened.