Douluo: The Peerless King of Beast Tamers

Chapter 360 The Golden Dragon Girl, A Fateful Encounter
The evening breeze by the Sea God Lake carried the fragrance of grass and trees. When Zhou Sichen returned to the villa, he was listening to Long Xiangyue talk about the new soul skill combo he had come up with when he suddenly caught a glimpse of a dazzling golden figure out of the corner of his eye.

The figure stood under a willow tree not far away, her long, gilded dress fluttering in the evening breeze.

Her waist-length golden hair was blown about by the wind, and tiny particles of light seemed to dance among the strands.

She was tall and slender, possessing both the delicate grace of a young girl and an indescribable air of nobility.

The other person simply stood there quietly, like a beautiful painting frozen in time, instantly capturing Zhou Sichen's gaze.

Long Xiangyue was getting into the conversation when he suddenly noticed that the person next to him had stopped moving. He turned around and saw that Zhou Sichen's gaze was fixed on the blonde woman, and even his eyes were brighter than usual.

His heart skipped a beat. He nudged Cao Jinxuan beside him and gestured with his lips in that direction.

Cao Jinxuan followed his gaze and immediately understood. The two exchanged a knowing look, and a mischievous smile appeared on their lips.

Cao Jinxuan quietly leaned close to Zhou Sichen's ear and whispered, "Brother, I'm not trying to be mean, but aren't you busy enough with Sister Gu Yi and the others? This one is notoriously difficult to deal with. I think you should just let it go."

Zhou Sichen then came to her senses, raised an eyebrow at him, and said, "What's going on in your head? Do you think I'm the kind of person who falls in love with every girl I meet?"

"Hey, you were practically glued to her just now," Long Xiangyue added from the side.

He then scratched his head, giving a knowing look, and said, "Brother, we're not trying to discourage you, but this 'Golden Dragon Girl' Di Xi has a temper as formidable as her martial spirit."

"Last time, a senior tried to chat her up, but she sent him flying into the lake with her Golden Dragon Fist. He didn't dare to show his face for three days."

"Golden Dragon Girl?" Zhou Sichen caught the name and his heart stirred slightly. He turned his gaze back to the figure.

As the sun set, the woman raised her hand to tidy her wind-blown hair, then looked at Zhou Sichen with bright eyes.

Zhou Sichen was certainly not attracted by the other person's beauty.

Although Di Xi's appearance was indeed stunning, with skin as white as snow, eyebrows like distant mountains, and especially her eyes, which were clear yet had a wildness in them, it was truly captivating.

But Zhou Sichen was never short of beautiful women: Ye Guyi's aloofness, Ma Xiaotao's passion, Xu Jiujiu's gentleness, and Xiao Xianmeng's wildness...

These stunning beauties had long since made him immune to "beauty".

Moreover, he is currently cultivating the flawless golden body, which emphasizes purity of mind and few desires. Let alone taking the initiative to provoke someone, even if the other party shows goodwill, he would have to consider whether it would affect his cultivation.

What truly concerned him was the familiar feeling that lingered around Di Xi.

It was a unique aura that blended the breath of life with a sacred pressure, much like the aura he had felt up close three years ago at the Lake of Life in the Starry Sky Forest.

Especially during the brief moment their eyes met, Zhou Sichen clearly felt a faint yet familiar mental fluctuation emanating from the other person.

The fluctuation carried a hint of probing, a hint of surprise, and a hint of... indescribable intimacy.

It's her! The Imperial Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion!
The thought flashed through Zhou Sichen's mind like lightning, and he instantly became certain.

He remembered clearly that back in the Lake of Life, the aura of the auspicious beast carried this pure life energy and special power of destiny.

When the Three-Eyed Golden Lion transformed, it chose the Golden Dragon Martial Soul, the ancestor of power, which corresponds to the title of "Golden Dragon Girl".

"But why can she transform into human form?" Zhou Sichen frowned.

According to his plan, he formed an alliance with the Star Dou Great Forest in advance and destroyed the backup plan left by Tang San, which should have prevented the auspicious beast from sacrificing itself to take human form for someone.

Now that the Star Dou Great Forest is safe and secure, why would the auspicious beast choose to leave the core area and transform into human form to come to Shrek Academy?
There must be some hidden secret that he doesn't know.

"Alright, you two, stop guessing." Zhou Sichen interrupted the two who were still muttering to themselves, her tone carrying an undeniable certainty:
“She’s an old friend of mine. I’ll go say hello and explain to you later.”

After saying that, he walked straight toward Di Xi, leaving Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue standing there dumbfounded.

"An old friend?" Cao Jinxuan was stunned, scratching his chin with a puzzled look. "My elder brother went to the Sun Moon Empire three years ago, and this Di Xi only came to the inner courtyard a year ago. How did they get to know each other?"

Long Xiangyue scratched the back of his head, completely puzzled: "Could it be that my older brother secretly came back?"

But then I thought again, something didn't quite make sense: "Wait a minute, we're at the academy every day, and we haven't heard anything about my brother coming back. It can't be... a family reunion across a thousand miles?"

The two looked at each other, and finally saw admiration in each other's eyes.

As expected of the eldest brother, his connections and methods are truly unmatched.

On the other side, Zhou Sichen approached step by step, the bluestone pavement under his feet making a slight sound.

The closer he got, the more clearly he could sense the aura emanating from Di Xi. The sacredness of the auspicious beast and the domineering power of the golden dragon intertwined, forming a wondrous balance.

Di Xi stood quietly under the willow tree, neither avoiding him nor approaching him, but simply watching him walk closer.

Her eyes were complex, showing surprise, curiosity, and a hint of barely perceptible tension.

When Zhou Sichen stopped a few steps away from her, her originally straight back seemed to tense up slightly, and even her breathing slowed down a bit.

"Long time no see." Zhou Sichen spoke first, her voice gentle, with a hint of confirmation: "I didn't expect to meet you here."

Upon hearing this, Di Xi's eyelashes trembled slightly, like butterfly wings fluttering in the wind.

She raised her head and looked directly into Zhou Sichen's eyes. His image was reflected in her clear eyes, and the once calm lake surface seemed to be rippled as if a pebble had been thrown in.

"You..." She opened her mouth, her voice carrying a barely perceptible softness, completely different from the domineering rumors of the "Golden Dragon Girl": "You recognized me?"

Zhou Sichen smiled and nodded, saying, "I will not forget your scent."

A simple sentence, yet it was like a key, unlocking a long-sealed memory in Di Xi's heart.

The scene of the Lake of Life from three years ago instantly flooded my mind.

The human boy who suddenly arrived was surrounded by pure life energy. He not only did not harm her, but also brought her a lot of joy and allowed her to experience a different kind of life.

His eyes were clear and open, without greed or covetousness; he was the first human to make her lower her guard.

Thinking of this, a faint blush suddenly appeared on Di Xi's cheeks, spreading from her ears all the way to her neck, like she had been smeared with rouge.

She subconsciously lowered her head, looking at her fingers hanging at her sides, the fingertips slightly curled, and golden hair slipped down her shoulders, covering her slightly flushed cheeks.

Where is the domineering aura of the "Golden Dragon Girl" in this appearance?

She was clearly a shy young girl. Zhou Sichen looked at her blushing ears, somewhat surprised, yet also finding it perfectly natural.

No matter what form it takes, the Imperial Beast is essentially still that simple little guy.

"How did you end up here?" Zhou Sichen asked, his tone filled with genuine doubt. "Logically speaking... you shouldn't have left the Star Dou Great Forest."

Upon hearing this, Di Xi raised her head, a complex look flashing in her eyes. She pursed her lips, seemingly hesitating whether or not to speak.

After a moment, she whispered, "I ran away secretly."

"You snuck out?" Zhou Sichen raised an eyebrow. "You're really bold, sneaking out all by yourself. Aren't you afraid of being watched?"

Hearing this, Di Xi smiled confidently: "Who am I? With my abilities, no one can find out. Even Di Tian doesn't know I've left."

As she spoke, Di Xi couldn't help but lean closer to Zhou Sichen and whispered a reminder: "I'm telling you, you're not allowed to secretly tell anyone about my human form, or I'll never talk to you again."

Zhou Sichen didn't find anything wrong with Di Xi's sudden close approach. He smiled slightly as he looked at her clenched fists with a hint of threat.

Zhou Sichen said with a smile, "I'm not the kind of person who would snitch, so don't worry. Now that you're at Shrek Academy, I'll naturally protect you."

Then, Zhou Sichen looked at Di Xi and deliberately asked, "Then why did you choose Shrek Academy? Isn't there the Spirit Pagoda? I created that."

At this, Di Xi's eyes lit up: "Didn't you say before that this is the best academy on the continent, with many powerful Soul Masters here?"

"I want to become stronger so that I can... protect myself and the people I want to protect."

As she spoke, she raised her head, her eyes flashing with determination, the blush on her cheeks still present, but with an added touch of stubbornness.

Zhou Sichen didn't think anything was wrong with her appearance.

Whether she was an imperial mythical beast or a golden dragon girl, she was ultimately growing, transforming from a mythical beast that needed protection into a soul master who wanted to become stronger.

However, Di Xi's last sentence clearly had a strong romantic undertone. If Zhou Sichen, a seasoned pro, couldn't even understand this, then I might as well stop being a Shrek succubus.

Fortunately, Zhou Sichen's mind wasn't on romance at the moment, so she pretended not to know and just nodded repeatedly, saying with a hint of agreement:
"Shrek is indeed a great place; you can learn a lot here."

Neither of them spoke for a moment. Only the sound of the evening breeze blowing across the lake, carrying the coolness of the water vapor, brushed between them, easing the slight awkwardness.

Di Xi secretly glanced at Zhou Sichen, noticing his taller and more upright figure than three years ago.

Looking at the calm and composed look in his eyes, my heart skipped a beat for no reason, and my cheeks started to burn again. I quickly lowered my head again.

Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue, who were still secretly watching from a distance, exchanged shocked glances upon seeing this scene.

"Am I seeing things? That's Di Xi! She's actually blushing?" Long Xiangyue rubbed his eyes, looking incredulous.

Cao Jinxuan was also dumbfounded: "Big brother is indeed big brother... Just a few words and he's turned the 'Golden Dragon Girl' into a 'little fangirl'?"

The two marveled at the sight, but wisely refrained from disturbing the conversation.

They could tell that Zhou Sichen and this Golden Dragon Girl did indeed have a past they didn't know about, and it was definitely not a casual flirtation.

By the lake, Zhou Sichen looked at Di Xi, who was bowing her head and remaining silent, and suddenly remembered something. She took out a crystal-clear jade talisman from her soul tool and handed it over: "Take this."

Di Xi looked up, puzzled, at the jade talisman in his hand. The jade talisman was pure white, with flowing light inside, emitting a gentle aura.

“This is a communication soul tool,” Zhou Sichen explained. “If you encounter any trouble you can’t solve, you can use it to contact me. In Shrek Academy, with me here, no one can bully you.”

His tone was calm, yet it carried a reassuring power.

Di Xi looked at the hand he offered, his fingers long and clean, his palm warm. She hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took it.

The moment her fingertips touched the jade talisman, a gentle energy flowed through them, making her feel inexplicably at ease.

"Th...thank you," she whispered, her cheeks flushing even more.

Zhou Sichen smiled and was about to say something when he heard Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue coughing behind him, clearly impatient.

He glanced back at the two of them, shook his head helplessly, and turned to Di Xi, saying, "I have important business to attend to tomorrow, so I'll go back with them first. We can chat more when we meet at the academy later."

Di Xi nodded, watching his retreating figure as he turned away, her hand tightly clutching the jade talisman.

Only when Zhou Sichen's figure disappeared at the end of the road did she slowly let go of his hand, looking at the lingering warmth on the jade talisman, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up slightly.

On the other side, Zhou Sichen had just walked up to Cao Jinxuan and Long Xiangyue when the two surrounded him from the left and right.

"Brother, be honest, how did you meet this Golden Dragon Girl?" Cao Jinxuan asked with a gossipy look.

Long Xiangyue chimed in, "Exactly! How did a newbie who only arrived a year ago become your old friend? Tell me, is there some secret you're hiding?"

Seeing the curious looks in their eyes, Zhou Sichen sighed helplessly: "It's a long story. I'll tell you the details on the way back."

"But remember one thing: if you encounter her at the academy in the future, take good care of her and don't let her be bullied."

"Although... with her current strength, there's probably no one who can bully her."

Although it was only a brief encounter, Zhou Sichen had just quietly sensed Di Xi's soul power strength, which was at least at the Soul Emperor level.

This level is far beyond what was achieved in the original work at the same time, although it's unclear how the author managed to do it.

However, given the power of her Golden Dragon Martial Soul, this girl in the inner courtyard, who is known as the Golden Dragon Girl, is unlikely to be bullied by anyone.

"Don't worry, bro!" Long Xiangyue patted his chest and assured him, "Your friend is our friend! Anyone who dares to bully her will have to get past me first!"

Cao Jinxuan raised an eyebrow: "Big brother, are you kidding me? Who can bully her? It's good enough if she doesn't bully others!"

Zhou Sichen smiled and said, "That's true..."

The three of them walked toward the villa, chatting and laughing, the moonlight casting long shadows on them.

Di Xi put away the jade talisman and returned to her villa.

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(End of this chapter)