191: A Yin's proposal

In the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Lake of Life's water was as still as black jade, reflecting the gnarled branches and vines of towering ancient trees, and the fragmented sky above.

The flow of time here seemed utterly different from the outside World; thick Soul Power, like substantial mist, slowly flowed through every leaf and every inch of soil, with each breath carrying the vigorous vitality of primeval plants and the profound aura of earth that had slumbered for millennia.

By the lakeside, on a flat bluestone uplifted by a massive tree root, Bibi Dong sat cross-legged.

She was no longer wearing the complex and luxurious light-gold gown symbolizing her status as the Saintess of Spirit Hall, but had changed into a simple and elegant moon-white battle attire, concise and sharp, outlining a tall and powerful silhouette.

Her originally meticulously combed light-purple long hair was now casually draped behind her shoulders, with a few strands gently clinging to her smooth forehead, blown by the slight breeze from the lake.

That beautiful face, once imbued with an unapproachable aura by the Saintess's glory, now in the primal light and shadow of the Star Dou Great Forest, revealed a tranquility and depth after shedding all superficiality.

She slowly opened her eyes.

Deep within those profound purple eyes, stars seemed to die and be reborn, and an indescribable, cold murderous aura belonging to a top predator flashed by, immediately replaced by a deeper composure.

The ceaseless flow of power within her body was unprecedentedly abundant and mighty; the Soul Power of a level 90 Titled Douluo surged and roared through her meridians like a dormant volcano, ready to erupt with the power to incinerate mountains and boil seas at any moment.

This power was the new life Mo Yuhan had given her, the proof of her struggle out of the abyss of despair.

However, at the core of this power, a persistent chill lingered.

That was the mark of the wound Qian Xunji had left in her essence, the deep-seated humiliation and hatred from that event that had almost completely destroyed her.

Every time her Soul Power circulated deeply, that coldness, like a maggot in the bone, subtly spread, reminding her of those unbearable moments, and also tempering the poisonous fire of revenge in her heart, making it burn even colder, even purer.

Her gaze turned to a nearby spot.

A massive Blue Silver Grass swayed gently in the lakeside breeze, its leaves unfurling like the finest jade carvings, radiating a warm and vibrant azure glow.

At the center of that enormous Blue Silver Grass, Ah Yin's figure was faintly visible.

She seemed to have completely merged with the vegetation, her aura serene and distant, like an extension of the forest's own will.

As a 100,000-year Spirit Beast cultivating to human form, her realm was steadily ascending to a higher level, nourished by the immense life energy of the Lake of Life and the Star Dou Great Forest's core, her Soul Power fluctuations restrained yet profound.

Bibi Dong looked at Ah Yin's serene profile, and amidst her chaotic thoughts, another figure would unexpectedly flash through her mind—Mo Yuhan.

That taciturn young man with a rock-like will, that child who pulled her out of hell from Qian Xunji's clutches, the one who bestowed her with her current power.

Where was he now in the Dou Qi Continent? Was he safe?

A subtle worry, like a stone dropped into a calm lake, rippled faintly in her heart.

He was her adopted son, her only glimmer of light in her dark years.

This emotion was complex and heavy, mixed with an elder's concern, gratitude for surviving a catastrophe, and a bond that even she herself had not fully clarified, nor wished to delve into, a bond that transcended familial affection.

“Auntie.”

Mo Yuhan's voice still seemed to echo in her ears, carrying the clear and undeniable firmness characteristic of a young man.

Bibi Dong's fingertips unconsciously twitched, as if she could still feel the warm and steady touch when he had transmitted Soul Power to her back then.

“Sister Bibi Dong, thinking of Yu Han again?”

A soft voice, like a clear spring in the forest, interrupted Bibi Dong's thoughts.

Ah Yin had emerged from her Blue Silver Grass state at some unknown point and quietly walked to the bluestone.

Her clear azure eyes, with a gentle understanding of human hearts, gazed at Bibi Dong.

Her simple, plain dress blended perfectly with the surrounding nature, her aura pure and untainted by dust.

Bibi Dong did not deny it, merely turning her head slightly, her gaze once again cast towards the calm, unruffled lake surface, a hint of subtle softness flashing in the depths of her purple eyes, immediately covered by her usual composure.

“He acts with his own principles; we needn't worry excessively.”

Her voice was calm, carrying the detachment of someone long in a high position, but Ah Yin still keenly caught the hint of concern beneath that calmness.

Ah Yin walked over and sat beside Bibi Dong, her slender fingers unconsciously stroking a tiny Blue Silver Grass sprout stubbornly pushing through a crack in the stone.

“Yu Han… he's always like that. He carries so much in his heart, but he never says much.”

Her voice carried nostalgia, and a subtle hint of resentment, “During our time in the Star Dou Great Forest, he told me so much… about Spirit Beasts, about humans, about that… somewhat incredible World in his heart.”

Bibi Dong's fingertips moved almost imperceptibly.

“Oh? What kind of World?”

She asked seemingly casually, but her gaze did not leave the lake surface. Mo Yuhan rarely confided such deeper thoughts to her.

“He said,”

Ah Yin's voice was very soft, yet carried a peculiar infectiousness, as if repeating some sacredmotto, “Spirit Beasts and humans are not natural enemies. The acquisition of a spirit ring is a rule, a conduit for power transfer, but beyond this conduit, why must it always be eternal hunting and hatred?

He said… the World is so vast, the forms of power so diverse, perhaps… perhaps there exists another possibility, a possibility of… coexistence.”

“Coexistence?”

Bibi Dong finally turned her head, her purple eyes fixed on Ah Yin, sharp as knives, as if to dissect this seemingly fantastical word, examining the truth and feasibility of its core.

As the former Saintess of Spirit Hall, she knew how deeply rooted the hatred and resource struggle between humans and Spirit Beasts, accumulated over countless generations and steeped in blood, truly were.

Ah Yin met Bibi Dong's scrutinizing gaze without flinching, her eyes sparkling with the light of conviction Mo Yuhan had once given her.

“Yes, coexistence. Just like this Star Dou Great Forest, powerful Spirit Beasts have their own territories, and weaker beings also have space to survive. Why can't the human World also draw such boundaries?

Or, find a gentler way of power interaction? Yu Han said it's very difficult, perhaps requiring the efforts of several generations to change mindsets and explore new paths… but he believes this is a worthwhile direction to pursue.”

The mist from the Lake of Life permeated the air, carrying a coolness.

Bibi Dong remained silent, her long eyelashes casting a small shadow beneath her eyes.

Qian Xunji's atrocities, the internal strife within Spirit Hall, the endless conflicts in the human World… all of this made her feel a deep weariness and disgust.