Douluo Continent: Apollo, the Sun God King!

After they left, a golden figure slowly emerged from the depths of the nearby jungle.

Its body is covered in golden fur, and its entire body seems to be made of translucent crystal, full of strange texture. Its overall shape is similar to a lion, but its four claws are like those of a dragon, and each dragon claw rests on a ball of golden flame.

In addition to her normal two eyes, she also possessed a third eye. The two eyes shimmered with gold, while the vertical pupil in the middle emitted an eerie red hue.

Behind her followed a magnificent soul beast, over five meters long. The beast resembled a lion, but had three identical large heads, and all six eyes were fixed on the direction where Lin Yaoyang and Xue Di had disappeared.

Three-eyed Golden Lion.

The Imperial Beast, the darling of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Her nose twitched slightly as she sniffed the lingering scent in the air, a complex light flashing in her golden eyes.

"It's him again."

Her voice was clear and crisp, yet it carried a coldness that seemed otherworldly.

This wasn't the first time she had seen this human boy.

The last time, also in this forest, he was absorbing a spirit ring. She watched from afar but did not show herself.

Because she noticed the white figure beside him, Xue Di.

She didn't want to be taken away by Xue Di.

The Red King stood behind her, his three large heads gazing at the sky, his six eyes filled with confusion.

He was genuinely curious.

Why would the Snow Empress, the Heavenly King of the Far North, personally hunt souls for a human? And judging from her attitude, it's almost like she's... raising a child?

He had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, and this was the first time he had ever seen anything like it.

After a moment of silence, the Crimson King spoke, "Let's go back."

The three-eyed golden lion did not move.

She continued to gaze in the direction where Lin Yaoyang had disappeared, her golden dragon eyes slightly narrowed.

That boy's aura...it's so warm.

Just like... the sun.

"Hmph." She snorted softly, turned around, and disappeared into the depths of the jungle.

The Red King quickly followed.

……

Shrek City.

As Xue Di and Lin Yaoyang flew out of the Star Dou Great Forest, a magnificent city came into view on the distant plains.

The high city walls stretch out to the left and right, seemingly without end.

Shrek City is surrounded by continents in all directions, making it easily accessible by transportation.

This place is not only the location of Shrek Academy, but also the most important commercial city at the junction of the three major empires that originally belonged to Douluo Continent.

The city gate was bustling with people, caravans, travelers, and spirit masters coming and going in an endless stream. The sounds of hawking, shouting, and bargaining mingled together, creating a lively and bustling atmosphere.

Xue Di led Lin Yaoyang to a small grove of trees not far from the city gate.

"Yaoyang." Xue Di turned around, looked at the boy in front of her, and reached out to straighten his collar.

Her movements were very light and slow, as if she were doing something extremely important.

"You need to be careful and pay attention to your safety."

She reached out her delicate hand and gently touched his head. His short, orange-red hair brushed against her palm, carrying a warm touch.

Her eyes were full of tenderness and reluctance, and her sky-blue eyes shone slightly.

"Don't just focus on cultivation, remember to rest well. Eat on time..."

She kept talking, as if she wanted to explain everything she could think of.

Lin Yaoyang listened obediently without interrupting.

He knew that this was Xue Di's way of expressing her reluctance to part.

In her seven hundred thousand years of life, she had never cared for anyone like this before.

He nodded: "I understand, Sister Xue'er."

Xue Di patted his head again, then seemed to suddenly remember something. She withdrew her hand, poked his forehead with her jade finger, and spoke with a hint of jealousy in her voice.

"You didn't come here because of that Jiang Nannan, did you?"

Lin Yaoyang held her delicate hand, smiling and shaking his head: "How could that be? I just thought it would be more convenient to have an acquaintance there."

Several years ago, they met Jiang Nannan in Lingdou City.

Lin Yaoyang met her at a pharmacy.

At that time, her mother was seriously ill, and she went to get medicine.

She stood before the counter, clutching her few remaining soul coins, her face as pale as paper. The pharmacist waved her away impatiently, her eyes reddening, but she stubbornly refused to shed a tear.

After learning about the situation, Lin Yaoyang used the excuse that he needed someone to help manage his house in Lingdou City, and paid for the medicinal herbs for her, so that the mother and daughter could work for him.

Actually, there wasn't much work to do; it was just helping with cooking and cleaning every day.

Later, Jiang Nannan and he became acquainted. That stubborn and strong girl would only show her soft side in front of him.

Xue Di gave a soft snort: "You'd better be like that!"

Although she said that, the jealousy in her eyes had clearly dissipated considerably.

There was silence for a moment.

Xue Di suddenly took a deep breath, as if she had made a major decision.

Her body shimmered with light, and her slender figure, which was over three meters tall, gradually shrank to about 1.8 meters.

Her white dress remained as white as snow, her long, white hair cascading down to her waist, and her exquisite features were breathtakingly beautiful in the sunlight.

Before Lin Yaoyang could ask her what she was going to do, Xue Di reached out and wrapped her arms around his waist, gently pulling him into her embrace.

Then, she kissed him.

It was a deep, lingering kiss.

The coolness of ice and snow and the warmth of the sun intertwine.

For a long time, the lips are divided.

A faint blush spread across Xue Di's pretty face, reaching all the way to her ears. She turned her head slightly away, not daring to look Lin Yaoyang in the eye, her voice so soft it was as if she were talking to herself.

"Don't let other girls steal you away."

Lin Yaoyang was stunned for a while before he came to his senses.

He reached out and touched Xue Di's waist, feeling its slender, delicate shape, and blurted out, almost unconsciously, "Sister Xue'er, what if I can't help myself?"

Xue Di suddenly turned her head and glared at him, her eyes filled with both shame and anger.

"You dare?!"

She pinched Lin Yaoyang's waist lightly, as if she were tickling him.

The two lingered tenderly for a while before Xue Di reluctantly let go of her hand.

She took two steps back and looked deeply at Lin Yaoyang, as if trying to etch his image into her memory.

Then she turned around, her figure flashed, and she transformed into a white streak of light, flying towards the north.

Lin Yaoyang stood there, watching the white figure gradually disappear into the horizon.

After a long while, he took a deep breath, composed himself, and turned to walk along the main road toward the city gate.

The city gate was bustling with people.

Lin Yaoyang mingled in the crowd, walking at a leisurely pace.

He looked up at the magnificent city.

On the city wall, the three large characters "Shrek" gleamed in the sunlight.

A golden glint flashed in Lin Yaoyang's eyes, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, forming a meaningful arc.