Chapter 100: The Nature of Soul Beasts

Happy 100 chapters!!!

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"Your Excellency, this is the headmistress of Skywater Academy—Shui Xinrou."

Wang Wan quickly introduced the woman, sensing the confusion in Aether's eyes.

"Shui Xinrou greets Your Excellency."

The elegant woman named Shui Xinrou smiled warmly, placed her right hand over her heart, and offered the traditional Douluo Continent greeting with a slight bow.

Aether, being respectful of local customs, mirrored her gesture in return.

"Hello, big sis! I'm Paimon, this is Koko, and this is Fire Meow Meow…"

Naturally, the traveler's loyal diplomat, Paimon, made her grand entrance in a scene like this.

She waved enthusiastically from behind Aether and introduced everyone in their party—yes, including the soul beasts.

"Greetings to Your Excellency's companions~"

Shui Xinrou returned the gesture with another bow and then continued, "It is truly an honor to welcome such esteemed guests to Skywater Academy. I've prepared a humble feast in your honor. I hope you won't find it lacking."

As she spoke, she made a graceful gesture toward the entrance of the hotel.

"You're too kind, Headmistress."

Aether responded with a nod, then returned the gesture. Shui Xinrou led the way inside, and he followed with Paimon and the others trailing behind.

Among the academy staff, only Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er remained. The rest had already returned to the academy.

The reason the two sisters managed to stay? They insisted they'd be needed to pour tea and serve dishes—a flimsy excuse Shui Xinrou graciously accepted.

They were led into a luxurious private room. The space was large and elegantly arranged, steeped in classical charm and refined craftsmanship.

"Wow! It's so big in here~"

Paimon looked around in awe, wide-eyed and marveling at every detail.

"This must be the most luxurious hotel in all of Skywater City~"

Aether casually looked around and made small talk with Paimon.

"Really? Then they must have tons of amazing food, right?"

"This place is known for its specialties. I've already asked them to prepare everything. The dishes should be arriving shortly—I just hope they suit your tastes, Miss Paimon~"

Shui Xinrou covered her mouth and chuckled lightly.

"No worries, no worries! I love regional delicacies, hehe~"

Paimon's eyes practically sparkled at the mention of food.

"Then let's make sure to enjoy it today."

Aether nodded in agreement.

"Yeah yeah! Let's dig in properly."

As Aether's most trusted companion, Paimon always backed his plans—especially when food was involved.

She felt like she'd found a kindred spirit. The best part? Aether didn't eat much, so she could devour all the goodies herself. Just the thought made her giddy…

Their unrestrained conversation was clearly heard by Shui Xinrou, but rather than finding them crude or ill-mannered, she grew even more respectful.

As the head of Skywater Academy, she had long heard rumors about the legendary traveler.

When she first received Wang Wan's secret letter, she had been stunned.

If she hadn't known Wang Wan wasn't one to joke around, she would've thought it was some elaborate prank.

But as she read on, her initial doubt turned into shock—and eventually, reverence. She personally oversaw all the arrangements for their arrival, terrified of even the smallest misstep.

Her goal was simple: to meet the traveler in person.

Women are naturally drawn to the strong.

They don't fall for weak little lambs.

Especially at Skywater Academy, where the philosophy promotes self-reliance and independence. They only admit female students and teachers, believing that women can stand equal to men in every way.

But ironically, this makes them even more susceptible to true strength.

These women are typically headstrong, proud, the ice-queen or dominatrix types—but when someone displays overwhelming power in a field they value, and utterly dominates them…

The sense of conquest and satisfaction you receive from them can be unparalleled.

[T/N: Bruh… ]

So even though Aether and Paimon looked like two country bumpkins marveling at the big city, Shui Xinrou only saw them as unpretentious, genuine, and refreshingly down-to-earth.

These carefree gestures made her perception of Aether even more vivid and profound—and filled her with admiration.

This is the so-called self-domination effect.

When you have enough strength and confidence, you don't need to win others over. They'll conquer themselves for your sake.

Of course, there's also a faster—though riskier—method: acting.

A skilled actor can also enjoy the privileges of power.

And though few like to admit it, acting is a form of strength too.

As long as you're good enough. If you're not…

After the round of polite greetings, everyone took their seats. Even Fire Meow Meow had a chair all to itself.

There it sat upright, like a stone lion guarding a noble house.

On its left was Yu Keke, on its right the Shui sisters.

Even though it wasn't seated next to Aether or Paimon, it didn't dare move an inch.

Heavens above—since its birth as a soul beast, Fire Meow Meow had been enduring the brutal law of survival of the fittest.

After its soul power grew strong enough, it gradually developed sentience and started perceiving the world through a more human lens.

Why do soul beasts eventually take human form?

Because humans are the apex of all living beings.

They can view the world through lenses no other species can match.

Thus, many soul beasts strive to mimic human behavior, suppressing their feral instincts.

As one of the top beast kings in the Star Dou Forest, Fire Meow Meow had a simple code:

Kill.

Disobedience? Kill.

Defiance? Kill.

Noncompliance? Kill.

Don't like the way you look? Still kill.

That was how soul beasts interacted.

Before gaining sentience, they were mere beasts. Afterward, they became savage beasts or beast kings.

Even after surpassing the 100,000-year mark and gaining maturity, many still had minds as blank as paper when it came to human understanding.

That's why they needed to secretly observe and study human behavior.

Their emotional development was like an empty slate—what remained was mostly instinctive judgment.

Take that one plant-type soul beast, for example.

It finally took human form, wanted to explore the world, feel its beauty…

Then bam—ran into some idiot with a giant hammer. Got sweet-talked into having a kid, and then the hammer guy got greedy for her soul power.

With just a few clever tricks, she ended up sacrificing herself—literally.

She thought she was doing it for love.

Turns out, she was just a stepping stone on someone else's path to power.

_

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