stonecrandall Chapter 277 Xu Jiujiu: Senior, would you be willing to serve me as a Star Luo Offering?
Chapter 277 Xu Jiujiu: Senior, would you be willing to serve me as a Star Luo Offering?
Chapter 282 Xu Jiujiu: Senior, would you be willing to serve me as a Star Luo Offering?
Xingluo City truly lives up to its reputation as the capital of the Xingluo Empire and is one of the most magnificent cities on the entire continent.
The hustle and bustle of the daytime traffic gradually subsided as dusk fell, but it did not truly subside; instead, it continued to flow in a different guise.
As night fell, the entire world was shrouded in a deep, inky blue, with a lone crescent moon hanging in the night sky and countless stars twinkling in the air.
However, in stark contrast to the tranquil starry sky above, Xingluo City on the ground remained bustling with activity.
As dusk settles, the guiding lights hanging on both sides of the long street light up one after another, illuminating the entire street as if it were daytime with their warm yellow glow.
The entire city seemed to have just woken up; Xingluo City's nightlife was only just beginning.
The Star Emperor Hotel is the highest-class and most luxurious hotel in the entire Star Luo Empire.
Upon learning that Huo Yuhao had arrived in Xingluo City, Xu Jiujiu immediately arranged for him to occupy the entire top floor of the hotel.
Huo Yuhao was no stranger to this place. When he came to Star Luo City with Shrek Academy to participate in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Battle Tournament, he stayed in one of the top-floor suites of this grand hotel.
After dinner, Huo Yuhao, Leng Yaozhu, and Gongyang Mo moved to a spacious and elegant reception room on the top floor.
The interior was luxurious yet understated. The three of them sat on a leather sofa, waiting for their guests for the evening.
Before long, there was a gentle knock on the door.
Gongyang Mo stepped forward and opened the door, and a slender figure appeared in Huo Yuhao's sight.
Xu Jiujiu was clearly dressed up carefully today, but not in her usual elegant princess attire.
She wore only a plain white long dress, simple and elegant in style, without too many embellishments, but the waist was perfectly cinched, outlining her tall and graceful figure.
Her long golden hair was loosely pinned up with a silver hairpin, with a few stray strands falling casually beside her ears. Her delicate face was free of makeup, but she was naturally beautiful, and even without makeup, she was still radiant and charming.
This kind of attire makes her less aloof and dignified like a royal princess, and more elegant and gentle like a young woman.
She walked gracefully into the room, her gaze falling on Huo Yuhao. A beautiful smile unconsciously curved her lips as she greeted him, "Young Master Huo, it's been a long time."
Huo Yuhao stood up politely and returned a proper smile: "It hasn't been long, only a little over a month."
After a long while, she gracefully sat down on the sofa opposite Huo Yuhao, her skirt flowing like water.
Hearing this, she tilted her head slightly, a faint smile playing in her bright eyes, and said in a tone that was half joking and half serious, "A month is not a short time. I really hope that Young Master Huo can stay in Xingluo City."
Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept over Xu Jiujiu imperceptibly, a meaningful smile curving her lips. Her face remained impassive, but she secretly used her soul power to send a whispered message into Huo Yuhao's ears.
"Yuhao, this girl is pretty good too."
"If you could marry Princess Xingluo, wouldn't the Xingluo royal family go to great lengths to pave the way for you regarding the Spirit Pagoda?"
Huo Yuhao was just about to bring his teacup to his lips when he heard this and almost choked on his tea.
He forced himself to remain calm, put down his teacup, and maintained a polite smile on his face, but secretly he hurriedly sent a telepathic message back, his voice carrying a hint of embarrassment and helplessness.
"Aunt Leng, please don't try to matchmake us. Princess Jiu Jiu and I are just business partners."
Leng Yaozhu chuckled inwardly, finding Huo Yuhao's outwardly calm but inwardly anxious appearance quite amusing.
However, she wasn't someone who didn't know her limits. A little teasing was enough, so she immediately stopped making jokes and didn't say anything more.
She turned her gaze back to Xu Jiujiu, the smile in her eyes slowly fading, replaced by a calm and sharp expression.
According to their pre-arranged plan, it was now her turn to make her move.
"Bang!"
A sudden loud noise shattered the elegant and tranquil atmosphere of the reception room.
The door was suddenly pushed open from the outside, and the heavy wooden door slammed against the wall with a dull thud.
A figure rushed in like a gust of wind, instantly blocking Xu Jiujiu's path.
Xu Jiujiu was startled by this sudden turn of events. Looking closely, a look of surprise appeared on her face, and she called out in confusion, "Grandma Manyi?"
The person who arrived was her personal bodyguard and also a retainer of the Star Luo royal family, Nebula Douluo Manyi.
In my long-held memory, Grandma Manyi was always composed and calm. Unless something extraordinary had happened, she would never have been so rude as to break down the door and barge in.
Xu Jiujiu's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously followed Manyi's gaze.
But they discovered that the direction Manyi was staring at was the cold and beautiful woman next to Huo Yuhao.
Manyi did not answer the long call, nor did she even glance at her.
Her muscles were taut to the extreme, her soul power was circulating rapidly, and her eyes were fixed on Leng Yaozhu as if facing a formidable enemy.
Just now, she suddenly felt an extremely subtle yet powerful aura rise abruptly from the reception room outside the door.
Although the aura was only released briefly and then withdrawn, at Manyi's level, even a momentary leak was enough for her to make an accurate judgment.
That's at least the aura of a Super Douluo, or even higher.
A super Douluo she was completely unfamiliar with appeared silently in Xu Jiujiu's room. How could she not be terrified?
Although the aura did not reveal any malice, her duty was to protect Xu Jiujiu's safety, and she could not let go of any potential threat.
So without hesitation, she broke down the door and rushed in, making sure to stand in front of Xu Jiujiu immediately to prevent any accidents from happening.
Man Yi's expression was more solemn than ever before as she stared at Leng Yaozhu and asked in a deep voice, "Who are you?"
Despite Man Yi's wary and defensive demeanor, Leng Yaozhu calmly picked up her teacup and took a sip.
The aura she just released was naturally intentional on her part. If she hadn't deliberately revealed it, it would have been impossible for Manyi, with her cultivation level, to see through her secrets.
The reason she did this was quite simple.
Her purpose in coming to Xingluo City was to demonstrate her strength.
However, the Star Luo Royal Family was a partner that Huo Yuhao had won over, and their relationship was based on mutual benefit and trust. Naturally, she couldn't use her power to intimidate them like she did at Shrek Academy yesterday. So she had no choice but to resort to this "last resort"—to subtly reveal a trace of her aura and let the powerful members of the Star Luo Royal Family come to her on their own.
It now appears that the "plan" has indeed worked.
Leng Yaozhu sat upright on the sofa, her expression calm and composed. Her slender fingers rested lightly on the porcelain rim of the teacup, without even lifting her eyelids.
It was as if the titled Douluo opposite them, exuding an imposing aura and poised to strike at any moment, did not exist.
Just then, Huo Yuhao stood up at the opportune moment.
He looked at Manyi, who seemed on high alert, and introduced her with a gentle smile, "Senior, don't be nervous. This is my teacher, Leng Yaozhu!"
Upon hearing this, the tense expression on Manyi's face visibly relaxed considerably.
Since he is Huo Yuhao's teacher, he shouldn't be an enemy.
She secretly breathed a sigh of relief, suppressing her outward aura, though a hint of solemnity remained in her eyes.
Xu Jiujiu also stepped out from behind Manyi. Although she was startled by Manyi's sudden intrusion, she quickly regained the composure befitting a princess.
She bowed slightly to Leng Yaozhu in a junior's greeting, her tone sincere yet elegant: "I didn't expect you to grace us with your presence, senior. I apologize for any oversight in our hospitality."
Leng Yaozhu then raised her eyes and looked at the Star Luo Princess.
A faint smile appeared on her lips, and her tone was unusually gentle: "No need to be polite. We didn't give you any prior notice and came uninvited, so please don't blame the princess."
"However, I am very satisfied with Princess Jiu Jiu's arrangements."
Upon hearing this, a smile involuntarily appeared on Xu Jiujiu's face, a smile typical of someone praised by an elder.
However, the smile only lingered on her face for a moment before a thoughtful look reappeared in her eyes.
She gracefully raised her eyes and smiled, "The soul tools that Young Master Huo provided to the Starlight Auction House are of no less quality than those produced by the Mingde Hall of the Sun Moon Empire. In fact, many of them are even better in terms of ingenuity and craftsmanship."
"These soul tools always attract fierce competition from all sides whenever they appear at auctions."
At this point, Xu Jiujiu's eyes sparkled, and she stretched out her slender hand. Suddenly, a flash of light appeared in her previously empty palm, and a crystal-clear sphere, shimmering with starlight, appeared out of thin air.
This was the top-tier level nine defensive soul tool that Huo Yuhao had taken out earlier—Starry Glazed Glass.
It was originally auctioned off at the Starlight Auction House for a staggering 80 million gold soul coins to a mysterious buyer. Little did anyone know that the Star Luo Royal Family had personally intervened and quietly stored this rare treasure in their private treasury.
After holding the Starry Glazed Glass for a long time, her gaze fell on Leng Yaozhu.
Her bright eyes held a cautious probing as she softly said, "This level nine soul tool is truly incredibly powerful. The craftsmanship and power it displays are unparalleled in the world."
"To be able to teach a disciple as talented as Young Master Huo, the senior's strength and vision must be far beyond that of an ordinary Title Douluo."
"With utmost boldness, I ask: would you, senior, be willing to condescend to serve as an honorific to the royal family of my Star Luo Empire?"
"You can name any conditions you wish to set. I hereby promise that as long as it is within the power of the Star Luo Royal Family, we will never refuse."
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