Six streaks of strange light twisted together like strands of a braid, carrying an exotic fragrance as they plunged straight into the surface of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Summoned by the combined efforts of the Six Immortal-Grade Fierce Beasts.
In less than three breaths, the entire two-colored pool began to boil.
Two utterly opposite soul fluctuations rose swiftly from ten thousand zhang beneath the pool. In the blink of an eye, they reached the air above the surface.
Two enormous red and blue dragons leapt from the water, coiling above the spring with the might of extreme cold and searing heat.
They were none other than the remnant souls of the Water and Fire Dragon Kings.
Aromatic Silk Beauty and the other five Ferocious Beasts all bowed deeply to these two benefactors.
"We welcome the two Dragon Kings!"
A torrent of water and fire energy came crashing down, like an icy sea and a sea of lava swallowing the sky.
Under the nourishment of the dragons' water and fire energy, all the vegetation in the little mountain valley of the medicinal garden began growing at a visible speed.
At the same time, at least five of the six Ferocious Beasts shot the Dragon Emperor and the others a look that said, "Good luck to you."
Only Aromatic Silk Beauty, who had a broader perspective, saw this as an internal matter among their fellow plants.
So he wondered: Should I plead with the two Dragon Kings' remnant souls on behalf of the only God-Rank Ferocious Beast in this world?
Watching this unfold, the Dragon Emperor shook his head in regret. "You can't even roar when you wake up anymore..."
Just as the Immortal-Grade Ferocious Beasts thought these three outsiders were about to face the wrath of water and fire...
The Holy Dragon King, standing behind the Dragon Emperor's left shoulder, choked out a call. "Younger Brother Fire! Younger Sister Water..."
The utmost holiness and light surged from his body, ignoring the dragons' water and fire energy and the fragrance of nearly a hundred medicinal plants as it enveloped the entire valley.
A phantom Platinum Azure Dragon slowly emerged amid the holy light. It was the Holy Dragon King's projected dragon soul.
Before the Platinum Azure Dragon, the two red and blue dragons seemed like younger siblings meeting their big brother.
Beneath the might of light and holiness, the water and fire energy that had been running rampant immediately calmed.
The Azure Dragon projection appeared for only a breath before vanishing beneath the seven-colored sky. The holy light likewise withdrew into the Holy Dragon King's body.
But the Six Immortal-Grade Ferocious Beasts could no longer stay on their feet.
They dropped to their knees, trembling, and grumbled inwardly: What outsiders? These are relatives from back home, come to visit!
Even if they didn't know the visitors' identities, they could still guess roughly who they were.
The pair of dragons formed from the red and blue waters of the pool dissolved in midair, turning into a torrential downpour.
Two illusory dragon souls, one red and one blue, wound their way out of the rain and circled slowly around the Holy Dragon King's shoulders.
Overwhelming joy and excitement surged between the two dragon souls of water and fire.
The Holy Dragon King held the remnant souls of the Water and Fire Dragon Kings in a gentle embrace. Tears streamed down his face as he said, "Younger Sister Water, I'm sorry. Big Brother let you down."
"Father God... has finally perished completely."
Though the Water and Fire Dragon Kings' remnant souls were on the verge of dispersing and could no longer speak in dragon tongue, the basic consciousness they retained still conveyed a deep sorrow.
Noticing how hazy their consciousness had become, the Holy Dragon King immediately summoned the Platinum Dragon Crown, intending to pour his will into the two remnant souls on his shoulders.
But the Dragon Emperor stopped him in time. "Your own dragon soul isn't all that solid, either. Instead of weakening yourself to help them, you'd be better off saving your strength to serve me for a few more days."
Then, the Will of Destruction that had made the Water and Fire Dragon Kings recoil in terror flared beneath the Dragon Emperor's pinkish-purple hair!
The surrounding plants seemed to have glimpsed the end of the world. They yanked themselves out of the ground and fled for the edges of the garden. Even the Six Immortal-Grade Ferocious Beasts huddled together and ran off, carrying their own true forms with them.
The Will of Destruction, born from the Destruction Godhead, surged out of the Dragon Emperor and gave chase, enveloping the fleeing red and blue dragon souls.
Under the Will of Destruction's shaping and nourishment, the dragon souls of water and fire stopped their pointless panic and struggle.
Yet the blurry outlines of their remnant souls gradually took shape, detail by detail, and their semitransparent forms grew much darker.
Time passed.
As the Will of Destruction withdrew, a trace of weariness appeared in the Dragon Emperor's eyes.
The two dragon souls, now with distinct features, dove from the air and prostrated themselves on the ground before the Dragon Emperor.
"Greetings, my Emperor." Their two voices rang out clearly in dragon tongue amid the red and blue mist.
Their eyes still held a lingering fear.
It stemmed from the campaign they had once taken part in. Yet the Dragon Emperor, the one they had wronged long ago, did not seek to wipe them out over the past.
The Holy Dragon King hurried forward and, in the language of the Dragon Clan, recounted the Dragon Clan's current predicament, the Dragon Emperor's plan for Creation, and the path to unite True Dragons and Sub-Dragons, with just the right amount of detail.
The red and blue mists silently steamed above the spring...
The Two Kings of Water and Fire understood at once, and voiced their sincere approval of the paths of gold and amethyst.
But the Dragon Emperor had no interest in empty words.
Interrupting the three Dragon Kings as they caught up, he reached a hand toward the Fire Dragon King's remnant soul and said, "I'm requisitioning your Crown of Fire. Go. I need it right now."
The Fire Dragon King's remnant soul froze for a moment. But thinking of the Dragon Emperor's broad, open road ahead, it turned and plunged into the spring's sunny half without hesitation.
Before three breaths had passed, the Fire Dragon King burst back up from the bottom of the pool, a blazing triangular crown clenched in its jaws.
It was the royal inheritance of the True Fire Dragon Clan: the Crown of Fire.
It contained the Fire Dragon King's divine position, but unfortunately, with the current iteration of the universe's laws, this Rank 150 godhood had become invalid.
After the Crown of Fire left the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the red spring on the sunny side still held the Fire Dragon King's remains, but its color abruptly faded by two shades.
The Dragon Emperor took the crown, keeping its divine might suppressed. His face, unchanged for ages, showed none of the joy he had displayed earlier.
He held the Crown of Fire in his left hand, while a grain of Crow-Absolute Stone appeared in his right palm.
Then he tossed the black pebble into the center of the crown's ring.
Under the Dragon Emperor's slightly tense gaze, the grain of Crow-Absolute Stone gradually shrank as it was tempered by the Crown of Fire, taking on a crystalline appearance.
Only then did the Dragon Emperor breathe a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, the Crown of Fire still retains its power. It can easily serve as a forging platform for the Crow-Absolute Stone."
That was right. The trip to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had only three main objectives: to nourish the Flower Immortal Physique, stabilize the Goddess of Love's soul, and...
Find the world's only divine-grade ore, the Crow-Absolute Stone, a God-Rank forging platform worthy of it.
One major reason human Battle Armor technology remained stuck below Rank Five was the insufficient strength of its materials.
Now, with the world's greatest divine ore emerging, the problem that had kept Rank Five Battle Armor from appearing might well be solved!
With the Holy Dragon King's explanation, the Two Kings of Water and Fire could understand why the Dragon Emperor had taken the Crown of Fire.
With that, the trip to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had nearly reached perfection.
The Dragon Emperor was already thinking of leaving.
He nodded toward the Holy Dragon King and the Goddess of Love. "Anything else you need to take? Hurry up. I want to return to my body at the Dragon Tomb and awaken the Origin Sub-Dragon Martial Soul."
In the distance, the Six Immortal-Grade Ferocious Beasts huddled together, their skin prickling under the feeling of being coveted.
Though they couldn't understand dragon tongue, his meaning was obvious enough. He was going to harvest them!
Monthly and recommendation tickets, please!
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