A Fated Union

Seeing Na'er, who had originally been so resistant to returning to her true form, sacrifice herself willingly to save her lover, the Silver Dragon King felt no joy upon reclaiming that power; instead, she was overcome with agonizing grief.

Gu Yuena was deeply moved, her cheeks twitching and her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

She coiled her tail twice, resting her chin upon its tip, while her massive silver dragon wings retracted and pressed tightly against her back, curling her entire form into a ball.

From the moment she was born, she had been forced to flee for her life, eventually hiding for hundreds of thousands of years in this isolated space where not even another living creature could be found.

The sky never changed, the ground never changed; while this ten-thousand-foot space might have seemed vast, to a being with a thousand-foot body, it was no different from a tiny cage.

There was no one to speak with, no one to relieve the boredom, no surprises, and nothing new to experience.

Endless loneliness and solitude sprouted, spread, and flooded her heart; she was utterly defenseless against such a narrative.

Na'er and Yue'er, Na'er and Huang Tian, Yue'er and Huang Tian—familial love, romantic love, friendship—these were all the things she craved most in her heart.

Sometimes, she even thought about leaving this place regardless of the consequences to live the life of a normal person.

Yet, the future of her kin and the blood feud of Father God always prevented her from acting on her whims, forcing her to shoulder it all and continue suppressing herself.

Gu Yuena thought to herself in secret:

"Once Na'er is born, I will certainly not think of reabsorbing her, but will treat her as a dear younger sister, living in harmony and loving one another."

"I also won't keep Huang Tian at arm's length or act coy; since we love each other so deeply, what is the point of clinging to such boring things?"

"The three of us living a good life together would be better than anything else."

As this sequence ended, several short vignettes followed.

[After Na'er merges with the main body, the Silver Dragon King gains all of her clone's memories. She puts on Na'er's clothes, acts coquettishly toward Huang Tian just as Na'er did, and calls Huang Tian 'Master.']

[The Silver Dragon King consumes her life essence to help Huang Tian awaken, after which the two contemplate the mysteries of the Yin-Yang Great Dao together, accelerating their recovery.]

[Because of Na'er's departure, Huang Tian often falls into memories and grief, silently reminiscing and weeping alone.]

[The Silver Dragon King and Huang Tian make a pact: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, she will be Yue'er, wearing red; on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, she will be Na'er, wearing blue.]

[Yue'er in red is cold and aloof, like an ice-mountain snow lotus.]

[Na'er in blue is gentle, considerate, empathetic, and as passionate as fire.]

[Huang Tian refines his cultivation techniques here, creating new martial skills.]

[The Silver Dragon King examines Na'er's memories and discovers some interesting things; though she should be angry, a look of doting warmth appears on her face.]

Na'er's memory fragment one:

[On the eve of heading to the core of the Star Dou Great Forest to meet the main body, Na'er desperately urges Huang Tian to conquer her so she won't have to be reabsorbed.

She says to Huang Tian:

"That woman has been imprisoned for hundreds of thousands of years; she must be lonely and bored to death. With your methods for dealing with women, she'll be hooked with just a little flirting.

When the time comes, let her experience for herself just what a supreme and wonderful taste love truly is."]

Na'er's memory fragment two:

[After the Soul Spirit incident, Na'er says to Huang Tian with a face full of admiration:

"Master, you are truly too clever. How did you think of pretending to mistake her for me just to take advantage of her?

Hey, tell me, do you think the main body is secretly savoring the feeling of that moment from this afternoon right now?"]

Na'er's memory fragment three:

[In a magnificent palace somewhere unknown, Na'er complains about the main body's stubbornness, then offers Huang Tian advice on how to orchestrate a situation to force the main body and Huang Tian to become a couple, so she can join this big family.]

The mystery is finally revealed; Gu Yuena widens her eyes and pouts, looking thoroughly indignant.

Previously, it was only a suspicion, but now the evidence is ironclad.

"Fine, I always said that while the main body and the clone look the same, there was a clear difference in their power signatures within my spiritual sense. If I had just paid attention, how could I have failed to distinguish them?

So this guy was doing it on purpose from the very beginning. He never gave up his wicked intentions."

"And Na'er, always siding with outsiders—are you still my sister or not?"

"Including you... myself, I was far too much of a fool. How could I have failed to see through such a simple trick all this time?"

Without sufficient divine power to replenish them, and lacking even low-level heavenly energy, it took Huang Tian and the Silver Dragon King over thirty thousand years to fully recover, even with their profound techniques and the aid of the Gold of Life.

The two were meticulous, always utilizing the Gold of Life in the most efficient way possible; even if it meant being slower, they didn't waste a single shred, finally reaching their peak exactly as the supply was exhausted.

At some point, someone had built a row of houses at the edge of the space, likely by shaping mud and then using soul skills to solidify it.

They were oval-shaped, like a row of eggshells standing on the ground, but the colors were bright—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple—a colorful and quite beautiful sight.

One of the houses was painted silver, with faint dragon scale patterns on the roof. Huang Tian's expression was regretful and embarrassed, yet deep within his eyes lay a profound tenderness as he said:

"Today, I must tell you two things. The first is that I truly loved Na'er, and perhaps until the day I die, I will never forget her gentleness or the happy times she brought me.

However, my feelings for you are not simply because you are a substitute for Na'er or because she became a part of you.

Whether it is Na'er, Yue'er, or you, the union of both, I have poured the same feelings into you all. In my heart, I love Yue'er just as I love you.

Perhaps I am indeed a greedy and insatiable fellow. Yue'er's persistence, Na'er's gentleness, your deep affection—each of you is unique; no one is another, and no one can replace anyone else.

No matter what happens, please remember firmly: you have done nothing wrong. You are an innocent victim. The fault lies with this world, and with those who seek to do evil."

"The second matter is that the Gold of Life has been completely exhausted. Without a replenishment of energy, our condition will only continue to decline from here on out.

Right now is the absolute peak of our strength, spanning from tens of thousands of years in the past to countless years into the future; there is no moment greater than this.

If there is even a sliver of a chance to escape the pursuit of the God Realm, then, without a doubt, it is now.

This sole opportunity rests on four words: feint to the east, attack in the west. It requires someone to voluntarily sacrifice themselves to draw the gaze of the God Realm and lure away the Five Great God Kings, creating an opening for the others to escape.

You have always been a thorn in the side of the God Realm, the very person they are most desperate to eliminate. Furthermore, you are the most proficient among us in the mastery of spatial power, allowing you to attract and restrain the God Kings to the greatest extent.

You would be willing, wouldn't you?"

"Very well."

The Silver Dragon King did not hesitate in the slightest. Even though she was on the verge of sacrifice, the joy in her heart far outweighed her fear.

She failed to notice the strange look in the eyes of Huang Tian beside her, nor did she consider how Huang Tian could ever bear to let her sacrifice herself.