Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

……

Elf Star, amidst endless forests and seas of flowers.

Xuanming did not immediately lead the Three-Eyed Golden Lion back to the God Realm.

Just kidding. He just quelled the anger of those old ladies in the God Realm. If he were to bring back such a beautiful newcomer with a face that's a combination of all three of them, wouldn't that be like pouring water into a pot of boiling oil?

Wouldn't Bibi Dong and the others be furious?

For the sake of his kidneys and for the sake of family harmony, Xuanming decisively chose a "roundabout tactic".

Taking advantage of the time difference between the divine realm and the mortal realm, he took the Three-Eyed Golden Lion on a year-long "honeymoon trip" to the Elf Star.

A year on Elf Star is equivalent to only one day in the God Realm. By the time he returns, everyone will probably still be in shock.

During that year, Xuanming took her to every corner of the Elf Star.

They watched the sunrise over the Tree of Life, listened to the moonlit song festival of the elves, and chased after the luminous whale in the deep sea.

For the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, this was the happiest time of her life.

In the past, in the Star Dou Great Forest, although she was an auspicious beast with a high status, she was also too well protected and had almost no freedom. Later, she spent her time sleeping and waiting.

Only in this one year was she vibrant, free, and completely belong to Xuanming.

……

Time flies, and in the blink of an eye, a year is almost up.

Elf Star, a place with stunningly beautiful scenery, like a mirror-like lake.

As the sun set, its golden rays shimmered on the lake's surface. Xuanming sat beneath a weeping willow, while the three-eyed golden lion—or rather, the stunningly beautiful girl who combined the beauty of Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, and Gu Yuena—lazily rested her head on his lap, idly toying with a willow twig in her hand.

"Xuanming".

The girl suddenly spoke, her voice soft and sweet, with a hint of coquetry.

"Hmm?" Xuanming reached out and ran his hand through her dazzling golden hair, responding casually.

"I want a name."

The girl raised her head, her deep purple eyes staring straight at him. "I don't want to be called Three-Eyed Golden Lion anymore. That's a race name, not a name. And... it's too long, and it doesn't sound good at all."

"I used to be a soul beast, so it didn't matter what I was called. But now I've taken human form, and I'm still your... you know."

A blush rose to her cheeks, but she still said confidently, "I can't possibly introduce myself to Sister Xiaowu and the others in the God Realm by saying, 'Hello, I am the Three-Eyed Golden Lion,' can I? That would be so silly."

Xuanming paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Indeed, having a name is more convenient."

"So what kind of name do you want?" Xuanming asked. "Have you thought about it yourself?"

"I have thought about it."

The girl blinked. "But none of the names I've thought of sound nice. Besides... in this world, you're my only family. Of course, you should be the one to name me."

"I'll like any name you give me."

Upon hearing this, Xuanming felt a headache coming on.

He's good at fighting, scheming, and even scientific research. But when it comes to the art of "naming," his talent is practically nonexistent.

Back in the day, he named his moves in a simple and straightforward way.

"This one……"

Xuanming stroked his chin, looking at the expectant eyes of the girl in his arms, his brain began to work at lightning speed.

She is an auspicious beast, representing good fortune and luck.

Her true form is golden and possesses the attributes of fire and light.

Her transformed appearance was so...

Xuanming pondered for a moment, then tentatively asked:

"You are an auspicious beast. As the old saying goes, 'A timely snowfall promises a bumper harvest.' You represent good fortune and luck."

"And your hair is blonde, and you have such a cool and elegant demeanor... how about we name you 'Ruixue'?"

"Auspicious snow?"

The girl chewed on the two words for a moment, and her expectant eyes instantly drooped, her little mouth pouting so much it could hang an oil bottle.

"not good."

She resolutely refused, saying, "It's not good at all."

"Why?" Xuanming asked, puzzled. "The meaning is quite good, and it sounds nice too."

"The meaning is good, but..."

The girl sat up from Xuanming's lap and began to list things on her fingers, "There's already a sister Qianrenxue in the family, everyone calls her 'Xue'er. There's also a Snow Emperor in the far north, you usually call her 'Snow Emperor' or 'Snow Maiden'."

"There are already too many people in this family with 'snow' in their names!" "If my name is 'Ruixue' (瑞雪), then when you call me 'Xue'er' (雪儿), are you calling Qian Renxue (千仞雪), or me? Or are you calling me the Snow Emperor as well?"

"I don't want to be a stand-in, nor do I want to be one of the 'ones'."

The girl crossed her arms, turned her head to the side, and said with a haughty expression, "I want something unique. Something like... a name that immediately sounds like it belongs to me."

Xuanming chuckled in disbelief upon hearing this.

This girl hasn't even entered the door yet, and she's already thinking about "competing for favor" and "distinctiveness." No wonder she's that Frankenstein's monster, possessing the traits of three "queens"—she certainly has a lot of little schemes up her sleeve.

"Okay, okay, no snow."

Xuanming shook his head helplessly and pulled her back into his arms. "Let me think... No snow, something unique, and it has to sound good..."

Ruijin? That's too tacky, it sounds like a hardware store.

Ruilin? That's a Qilin, a hybrid.

"Third son? That sounds like a mistress, you'd get beaten to death."

Xuanming looked at the golden maple leaves covering the mountains and fields, at the autumn scenery that seemed to burn under the setting sun, and then looked down at the girl's equally golden long hair and the light flowing in her eyes.

Golden, autumn, harvest, waiting...

A name suddenly popped into my head.

"There is."

Xuanming smiled slightly as he combed her long hair again. "Since you don't like the auspicious snow in winter, then be an elf in this golden autumn."

"Your hair is golden, just like the color of late autumn, radiant, mature, and full of the joy of harvest."

"Moreover, the ancients often used the phrase 'longing until one's eyes are dry' to describe the yearning for a lover. You've been waiting for me here for so long; doesn't that perfectly reflect this feeling?"

Xuanming gazed into her eyes and said softly:
"How about we name her... Qiu'er?"

"Qiu'er?"

The three-eyed golden lion blinked and gently chewed the two words in its mouth.

Unlike the straightforwardness of "auspicious snow," it carries an indescribable gentleness and artistic conception.

In the golden autumn, I long for home.

Those were the years she waited for, and those are the fruits she has now reaped.

"Then...do I have a surname?" she asked again.

"Surname..."

Xuan thought for a moment and realized that in this world, names often carry a certain kind of bond.

"Since it's called 'waiting until your eyes are dry,' then it's you who's looking at me."

"so……"

Xuanming tapped her nose lightly. "You shall have the surname 'Wang'. It's a homophone of 'Wang' (meaning 'hope')."

"Wang Qiu'er".

Do you like this name?

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion... no, it should be called Wang Qiu'er now.

She looked at Xuanming, the smile in her eyes gradually spreading until it finally turned into the most radiant smile.

"Wang Qiu'er... Wang Qiu'er..."

"Yes! I like it!"

She happily kissed Xuanming on the cheek, "From now on, my name will be Wang Qiu'er!"

"I finally have a name!"

Seeing the girl's joyful expression, Xuanming's eyes were full of doting affection.

Although this name seems to overlap with something in the trajectory of fate, in this time and space, what gives it meaning is no longer the ethereal shadow of Tang Wutong, but the real bond between them.

"Alright, we've chosen a name and had enough fun."

Xuanming stood up, brushed the fallen leaves off his clothes, and reached out his hand to Wang Qiu'er.

"Let's go, Qiu'er."

"It's time to go home."

"Go to that... more people, more lively, but also more fun home."

Without any hesitation, Wang Qiu'er placed her hand into that broad and warm palm.

"Yes! Let's go home!" (End of Chapter)