After confirming that Zang Xin and Zhou Shi had departed, Le Zhengen retrieved his soul communication device. Though he typically muted the device during events, he could still discern if someone had attempted to reach him.
Observing several missed calls from Le Zhengyu, Le Zhengen erected a soul barrier and returned the call directly. Once the connection was established, he preempted Le Zhengyu, asking, "Have you returned?"
Le Zhengyu, recognizing his grandfather's voice, replied, "Yes, the two of them wish to meet with Grandfather. Might you have time?"
Le Zhengen pondered briefly, acknowledging it was indeed time to encounter Anping and Gu Yuena. He was eager to discern their intentions. He knew that if their motive was merely self-preservation, the soul beast would have already been relocated by them.
If vengeance against humanity was their goal, collaboration would be ill-advised. They could simply unleash Ditian and several savage beasts to sow chaos within human society. Despite the prevalence of human soul masters, many high-level ones were preoccupied with combating the abyss. Should these ferocious creatures be deployed elsewhere, the Federation would be powerless to respond.
Thus, Le Zhengen stated, "The time is correct to meet these individuals. I've heard you've caused quite the commotion in the Star Luo Empire. The Tang Sect and Shrek Academy are presently seeking you. Exercise caution in the coming days."
"I've just dismissed the Amorous Douluo from the Tang Sect and the Scarlet Dragon Douluo from Shrek Academy. I refuse to comply with their demands. Avoid drawing attention."
Le Zhengyu was taken aback, not anticipating the Tang Sect and Shrek Academy would approach his grandfather. It appeared they had indeed prioritized their care for them, as his grandfather suggested.
Relieved that Le Zhengen hadn't summoned him back due to issues with Anping and Gu Yuena's faction, Le Zhengyu exhaled. This indicated his grandfather's provisional agreement to collaborate with Anping and Gu Yuena.
"Grandfather, fret not for our safety. We are currently in Skysea City. You may visit us directly at your convenience, regardless of the weather," Le Zhengyu assured.
Le Zhengen, momentarily surprised by the mention of Skysea City, swiftly grasped the implication. An uncharted region lay beyond Skysea City's maritime boundary, linked to Anping and Gu Yuena. Le Zhengyu had informed him of this.
Le Zhengen then declared, "I will come to Skysea City, though not immediately. Having just dispatched Zang Xin and Zhuo Shi, they will undoubtedly monitor my movements. Setting that aside, how is your cultivation progressing?"
Le Zhengyu's progress was Le Zhengen's paramount concern. Anping and Gu Yuena had vowed to reveal a transformed Le Zhengyu upon their return from the Star Luo Continent, prompting Le Zhengen to inquire directly about his foremost concern.
Intelligence reports had already apprised him of Le Zhengyu's ascension to Soul King and the acquisition of a mysterious holy sword. Regardless of the sword's nature, Le Zhengen was immensely pleased with Le Zhengyu's advancement. He yearned for confirmation from Le Zhengyu himself.
Simultaneously, he harbored curiosity regarding Anping and Gu Yuena's methods. As an angelic martial soul himself, Le Zhengyu's cultivation pace had markedly outstripped his own past rate, not to mention the rumors suggesting an evolution of Le Zhengyu's Spirit.
Le Zhengyu offered a slight smile, saying, "Regarding my cultivation, I ask you to indulge my secrecy for now. Rest assured, Grandfather, I shall present you with a surprise in due course."
Le Zhengyu told Le Zhengen he had a surprise for him, but Le Zhengen didn't think much of it. He smiled and said, "You're still hiding your relationship with me. When I see you, you'd better satisfy me, or I won't let you off the hook!"
Le Zhengyu knew that Le Zhengen had probably heard about his cultivation progress in the Star Luo Empire, and was very pleased with him. But Le Zhengen had no idea what had happened after he left the empire.
Le Zhengyu chuckled and said, "Don't worry, Grandpa. I'll definitely impress you when the time comes. If you're not happy with me, you can punish me however you want."
Le Zhengen wondered if Le Zhengyu had reached a plateau in his cultivation. But he quickly dismissed that thought. He knew that cultivation was not easy.
They chatted casually for a few minutes before ending the call. Le Zhengyu then looked at Anping and gestured for him to block the communication.
Once they were secure, Le Zhengyu said seriously, "My grandpa told me that Tang Sect's Amorous Douluo and Shrek Academy's Scarlet Dragon Douluo are looking for us."
Anping frowned and said, "Zang Xin and Zhuo Shi. It seems that Shrek Academy and Tang Sect won't give up on us."
He was not surprised, but he was still a bit alarmed by how fast they had joined forces.
Xu Xiaoyan said, "Brother Anping, you can't blame them. You and Sister Nana have both Dragon Valley and Ice and Fire. How could they let you go?"
Anping smiled and said, "You're right, Xiaoyan. But they won't find us, so we don't have to worry. By the way, did your grandpa say when he'll come over?"
Le Zhengyu said, "My grandpa is afraid that Tang Sect and Shrek Academy will track him down, so he might not be able to come soon. But from his tone, I can tell he's open to working with you."
Anping nodded and said, "That's fine. We have plenty of time. We can wait a bit longer."
As Anping said, their main concern now was to practice hard. They needed to be strong enough to deal with Tang Hao and Ah Yin's situation. The only thing they didn't know was when they would return to the divine realm.
Xu Xiaoyan asked curiously, "If I remember correctly, your family is not the only one in charge of the Southern Army. Can your grandpa control them all?"
Le Zhengyu nodded and said, "Of course. We're the Angel family. You don't know how much influence we have in the Southern Legion. And my grandpa is an Limit Douluo."
He added, "To be honest, it's not an exaggeration to say that the Southern Army belongs to our Angel family. Even the Federation has to get our consent to mobilize them."
He paused for a moment. He finally understood why Anping wanted to cooperate with them, but he didn't mind.
Xu Xiaoyan nodded and said, "I see. No wonder you're not worried about what Tang Sect and Shrek Academy will do to your family."
Le Zhengyu shook his head slightly and said, "That's not the main reason. The main reason is the issue of affiliation. After all, our Southern Legion is part of the Sun-Moon Federation, while Shrek Academy is just an independent academy. And Tang Sect is just a sect."
"Without conclusive evidence, they couldn't take any action against the Southern Army. Even though the Federation granted Shrek Academy autonomy, I had heard that many people in the Federation despised Shrek Academy. I believed that neither Tang Sect nor Shrek Academy would willingly surrender anything to the Federation, since both organizations cherished their reputation above all else."
Xu Xiaoyan nodded in agreement. She had never realized how complicated the situation in the Federation was.