Forbidden: Descent of the Hydro God! The Second Place on the Golden Ranking List Revealed! Radiance of Still Waters! Furina's Forbidden Power!

At the same time.

Star Dou Forest, Core Circle.

The air here was so fresh it was intoxicating, and every breath was rich with life.

Ripples spread across Lake of Life in the gentle breeze.

Gu Yuena stood silently by the lakeshore, her silver hair falling to her waist like moonlight spilling down.

In her hand, she held the Silver Dragon Spear, which had just dazzled everyone on the Golden Ranking List.

This divine weapon, once a source of pride, now felt somewhat heavy in her grasp.

Fifth place.

When the ranking had first been revealed, Gu Yuena had been dissatisfied.

But now—

After seeing the absurd attributes of the Cangming Dragon Sacrifice Jade—

Gu Yuena lowered her gaze to the spear in her hand.

Suddenly, she felt... less impressed by it.

She even felt like tossing it into the lake.

"The Dragon Sacrifice Contract..."

A light unlike any she had ever shown before glimmered in Gu Yuena's violet eyes.

To humans, it might have been no more than a divine skill for saving their lives.

But what did it mean to her—to the entire Soul Beast Clan?

It meant survival.

It meant no longer being hunted at will by humans.

It meant Soul Beasts could have an absolutely safe habitat under that man's protection.

"We're both dragons."

Gu Yuena spoke softly, her voice carrying a faint, barely perceptible tremor.

"If you possess the power to control the Hydro Dragon King, and if you can create a contract like this..."

"Then you must be one of my kin, even if I've never known of you."

"You'll help me, won't you?"

She lifted her head and looked toward Skywater City. The confusion in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a resolve unlike any she had felt before.

Asura God.

The sword of Damocles that had always hung over her head.

The culprit who had nearly wiped out the Dragon Clan.

Gu Yuena had never been very confident about fighting the Divine Realm, especially now that Tang San had inherited the Asura Godhood.

But now, a new variable had appeared.

A powerful "kin," possessing a supreme Dragon Clan artifact.

"Di Tian."

Gu Yuena didn't turn around. She simply called his name in a calm voice.

A burly figure dressed in black emerged silently from the shadows of the trees behind her and dropped to one knee.

"My lord."

"Pass down the order. Pack our things."

Gu Yuena's voice was clear and pleasant, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

"When this Sky Screen ends, we'll set off."

"Where to?" Di Tian asked, startled.

"Skywater City."

Gu Yuena turned around, an arresting smile appearing on her breathtaking face.

"If Neuvillette is of the Dragon Clan, then I'll go and visit my relatives."

"No point in passing up a chance to cling to someone that powerful."

She had waited for tens of thousands of years.

She had watched her kin dwindle, one by one, and seen the Divine Realm's oppression grow ever heavier.

She was truly tired.

Now that she had finally glimpsed a glimmer of hope, she didn't want to wait another moment.

While the various factions were occupied with their own thoughts—

The Golden Ranking List in the heavens blazed with brilliant light once more.

This time, the radiance was neither the emerald green nor the azure blue of before. It was a purer, gentler water-blue, yet carried a sharp edge.

The noisy Douluo Continent fell silent in an instant.

Everyone held their breath.

Third place had already belonged to an existence so powerful it defied reason.

What manner of splendor would second place possess?

Tang San put aside his envy and unease for the moment, staring fixedly at the sky.

He wanted to see who else could rank above him.

Was it Bibi Dong?

Or Qian Renxue?

Light rippled, and golden lettering slowly appeared.

[Second Place on the Divine Weapon Ranking List Revealed!]

[Artifact Name: Radiance of Still Waters!]

[Holder: Furina of Skywater City!]

The whole continent erupted into an uproar at the sight of that name.

Skywater City again!

It was that girl who was always following Neuvillette around, looking like a mascot!

Tang San felt a sudden tightness in his chest and nearly spat up a mouthful of blood.

It was bad enough that Neuvillette was powerful. He was the city lord, after all, and his strength was unfathomable.

But what was Furina's excuse?

She looked like a delicate, frail young girl. What gave her the right to outrank him, Tang San, with his Dual Godhood?

Before Tang San could recover, the images on the Golden Ranking List had already begun to change.

A long sword slowly emerged from the light.

It was an extraordinarily elegant sword, even somewhat ornate.

Its blade was not made of ordinary metal. It was a flowing, mercury-like substance that drifted through the air while retaining the keen shape of a sword.

A huge water-blue gemstone was set into its hilt, like the heart of the deep sea, glowing with a faint blue light.

[Description: A supreme offensive artifact of the water element.]

[This sword is formed from the purest law of "Still Waters." Though shaped like water, it can cut through anything in the world, no matter how hard.]

[Abilities Revealed:]

[One: Flowing Blade. The length and shape of the blade can change at will to suit its wielder's wishes, ignoring physical defenses.]

[Two: Radiance of Tranquil Waters. Wherever its blade light passes, it can cleanse all negative statuses and strip enemies of their buffs.]

[Three: Night-Severing.]

This final ability was summed up in just two simple words.

But the image that appeared next made everyone's scalps tingle.

The scene showed a pitch-black void.

It was utter darkness, as though it could swallow all light.

Just then—

A slender figure held the "Radiance of Still Waters" and gave it a light swing.

There was no flashy flourish.

Only a blue sword wave, like a ripple on the water, swept casually across the darkness.

Riiip—

The seemingly boundless darkness was cut open, as easily as a piece of cloth, leaving a massive gash.

Light poured through the opening.

That single slash had cut through more than darkness. It had cut through some kind of law.

[Night-Severing: The power to cut through all darkness, illusions, curses, and even rifts in space. Whatever the heart desires, nothing can withstand the blade.]

The light of the Golden Ranking List grew ever more dazzling. The tranquil blue radiance, which had flowed so quietly before, now seemed to come alive, performing a silent spectacle across the heavens.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the newly appeared lines of text.

This was the artifact ranked second.

This was the existence that could suppress the Asura Demon Sword.

The lettering shifted, and more of the divine sword's abilities appeared one after another.

[Further Abilities Revealed:]

[Four: Flowing Water Without Trace. The sword's movements are like water: they penetrate every opening and leave no trace. It can neutralize all forceful attacks, and when used for defense, it can rebound eighty percent of physical and energy impacts.]

[Five: Shield of Still Water. Condenses high-pressure water elements into an absolute defensive shield. While the shield remains active, its wielder enters a "super armor" state and is immune to all control effects.]

[Six: Water Mirror Reflection. Creates an illusionary duplicate with exactly the same strength as the original. The duplicate has one hundred percent of the original's attack power. If it suffers a fatal blow, it bursts into bubbles, dealing massive area damage.]

[Seven: Forbidden: Descent of the Hydro God.]