Chapter 251: Worthy of Brother Xu, Always So Awesome_1

As dusk fell, Xu Ran and Zhu Zhuqing were swiftly approaching Xingluo City on their Black Steed.

The One-Horned Devil Horse was already incredibly fast with its near thousand-year "Cultivation Level." Later, as Xu Ran desired, he fed the horse some meat from the Skydream Ice Silkworm, and in an instant, the enormous energy brought it to the threshold of a thousand-year soul beast.

After its breakthrough, its body became even larger, its black fur sleek, and the black horn on its head exuded a terrifying aura. With the "Cultivation Level" reaching a thousand years, its presence grew powerful.

However, it became increasingly docile towards Xu Ran.

Though with its bloodline, it didn't recognise Xu Ran as the Auspicious Beast, nor did it understand what an Auspicious Beast was. Yet it felt a profound sense of kinship emanating from Xu Ran, and it knew that its rapid transformation into a thousand-year soul beast was a gift from him.

But Xu Ran was somewhat troubled, as riding a thousand-year soul beast seemed too ostentatious.

In Soul Land, the number of Soul Masters compared to the total human population was not high, most people were commoners, and high-level Soul Masters were even fewer. Although Xu Ran and his companions mostly interacted with Soul Masters, they frequented places like Soul Master Academies and soul fighting arenas, which were exclusively for Soul Masters, so naturally, they were all around them.

A thousand-year soul beast was already incredibly powerful to the vast majority of people.

Moreover, there were no known methods of taming soul beasts at present. Xu Ran having such a docile thousand-year soul beast as a mount would definitely attract the attention of countless people.

"Xu Ran, Sister and the Great Crown Prince seem to be waiting for us at the city gate," Zhu Zhuqing said.

"Yes, I see them too," Xu Ran replied, his gaze lingering on "Zhu Zhuyun," filled with yearning.

Having been away from the Xingluo Empire for so long without seeing Zhu Zhuyun, he naturally missed her terribly. In Tiandou Empire, there were many beautiful women, but he had never seen one with such a majestic feminine curve like Zhu Zhuyun.

And now, Zhu Qing seemed even more enchanting.

Dressed so formally, standing at the city gate, she looked simply captivating.

Especially the trace of worry and longing among her willow brows made her appear like a woman pining for the return of her husband.

Xu Ran knew the feelings Zhu Zhuyun harbored for him, but for now, he was powerless and lacked the strength to forcibly take her from the hands of the royal household.

Dai Mubai was a waste, only of face value to the Dai family, which is why he could easily snatch Zhu Zhuqing. But Zhu Yun was Davis's fiancée. Davis is a Crown Prince of The Empire, and should the affair between him and Zhu Yun be exposed, the Dai family would not be so easy to speak with.

However, fortunately, Zhu Yun and Davis maintained a respectful distance, and before marriage, Davis would not lay a hand on Zhu Zhuqing. For now, he still had ample time to grow.

With his rate of development, he could change the landscape of the Xingluo Empire in at most two years. With Zhu Yun's help, he might even have a chance to usurp Davis's influence. After all, he was not lacking in money now; a few dozen soul bones alone entering the market could cause a sensation across the Continent.

Who would have thought he was the Auspicious Beast?

The soul bones that humans lacked, he just happened to have in abundance.

...

"Brother Xu is back."

"But is that the aura of a thousand-year soul beast?"

"Brother Xu can actually make a ferocious and irritable thousand-year soul beast so tame as his mount?"

When Davis saw the figures of Xu Ran and Zhu Zhuqing, he was somewhat excited, but soon he felt the breath of the thousand-year soul beast, and his mouth gaped open, somewhat incredulous.

Soul beasts and humans have always been at odds, especially those that have reached a thousand years or more. These soul beasts are inherently proud. Such high-level soul beasts, even if captured by human powerhouses and taken to the Hunting Soul Forest, are hard to subdue, and would rather kill themselves than be domesticated by humans.

To domesticate them is troublesome enough, let alone to tame them.

Yet at this moment, he saw clearly, a thousand-year soul beast was indeed so submissive, carrying Xu Ran and Zhu Zhuqing on its back, as they galloped swiftly.

"Brother Xu truly is extraordinary, even a thousand-year soul beast willingly acknowledges him as its master," Davis exclaimed. Compared to the thousand-year soul beast under Brother Xu, those so-called Sweat Blood Treasure Horses in our Imperial stables are nothing. And those so-called 'thousand-mile horses', do they have even a tenth of the speed of Brother Xu's mount?

No matter how fast ordinary horses may be, they are merely beasts, how can they compare to soul beasts? Not to mention a thousand-year soul beast?

"Ran Di..." Zhu Zhuyun's gaze turned toward Xu Ran, watching him holding Zhu Zhuqing, the two sharing a ride, her heart flickering with an unusual light.

To be so carefree together with the one you love, it must be so blissful.

At this moment, she felt somewhat envious of Zhu Qing.

If she weren't the eldest sister, if she wasn't the one to marry Davis, how wonderful it would be? Then it would be her who could be this close to Xu Ran now.

Even though Xu Ran has come back now, even if she wants to date Xu Ran, they have to sneak around, and they can't even be too intimate.

How she longs to entrust the most precious thing a girl has to Xu Ran, but now, she cannot. Once their relationship gets exposed, it would cause a national uproar, and the Zhu Clan would also be implicated.

"What a terrifying aura, is that the Marquis of Destiny? Riding a soul beast, it's too horrifying," said the Guards at the city gate when they saw this scene, their faces full of shock.

They had imagined countless times what that peerless genius of a young Marquis would look like, but they never expected him to be so extraordinary.

Commanding a soul beast, and accompanied by such a peerless beauty. What a heroic young man!

"Great Crown Prince His Highness, Sister." Having arrived at their destination, Zhu Zhuqing dismounted directly, and affectionately ran over to Zhu Zhuyun, embracing her.

"Brother Dai, Sister Zhu Yun, I didn't expect you to come greet me with such formality. I, Xu Ran, am truly unworthy of such honor," said Xu Ran, leading the horse with one hand, as he spoke.

"Brother Xu is too modest. You are a once-in-a-lifetime genius of our Xingluo Empire, the Qilinzi; you deserve such a greeting. If it weren't for fear of drawing too much attention and exposing your identity, I would have led my numerous followers to meet you, one by one," Davis said, patting Xu Ran on the shoulder.

It was another round of mutual flattery and pleasantries.

Xu Ran and Davis were both old hands at this game, naturally exchanging boasts and courtesies.

"Brother Xu, you've only been gone for a few days, and your strength has become so formidable. I can't even see through your 'Cultivation Level' anymore. Even a thousand-year soul beast willingly becomes your mount. You truly are a peerless genius," Davis said, looking at the compliant mount behind Xu Ran, somewhat drooling. If he had such a mount, he could show off during the royal hunt in a few days.

"You flatter me, Brother Dai. Likewise, having not seen you for several months, the imperial aura about you has grown even stronger. I can tell, Brother Dai, that you are destined to be a Great Emperor of Ancient Times," Xu Ran returned the compliment. At the same time, his gaze turned to Zhu Zhuyun, who was embracing Zhu Qing. Her purple dress outlined her figure's curves, that slim back and her perky, rounded buttocks were so enticing.