The Dragon God Returns

Within the Douluo Continent, hidden deep within a remote and unfamiliar land, lies a forbidden zone unknown to the vast majority of powerhouses.

There is no alternation of day and night here, no changing of the four seasons; there is only an eternal, unchanging silence and desolation.

Colossal dragon skeletons stretch across the boundless darkness. Even the smallest sub-dragon remains measure dozens of meters in length, and the lingering dragon might upon their jagged bones is enough to shatter the spirit and soul of any Title Douluo-level powerhouse.

Deeper within, the remains are as towering as mountain ranges. Inscribed upon these dragon bones are the supreme laws of the dragon race, radiating a pressure that makes the heavens and earth tremble, even after countless eons of dormancy.

At the very core of this Dragon Graveyard lies a circular altar paved with Dragon God Crystal Jade. Nine dragon-shaped patterns wind from the edge of the altar, eventually converging upon a massive dragon crystal a hundred meters in diameter at the center.

This is the final origin core left behind after the fall of the Dragon God, the ancestor of the dragon race who once stood toe-to-toe with the five God Kings of the God Realm.

For countless years, this dragon crystal has remained silent, as devoid of life as the burial ground itself, with only the occasional faint flicker of dragon patterns proving the glory it once held above all living things.

Until this day.

The timeline of the Douluo Continent has reached the era of the Peerless Tang Sect, where the three great empires of Heaven Dou Empire, Star Luo, and Dou Ling stand in a tripartite balance, the Tang Sect has declined, and Shrek Academy holds the reins of the continent's spirit master world.

A full ten thousand years have passed since the battle at Jialing Pass, which saw the destruction of the Martial Soul Empire and the ascension of Sea God Tang San and the other gods to the God Realm.

Ten thousand years of time is enough to turn oceans into mulberry fields, to reduce the former hegemon of the continent into a reviled villain in history books, and to make the world completely forget that an Angel God once stood at the pinnacle of the continent's power.

And on this very day, the Dragon God Crystal core in the deepest part of the Dragon Graveyard finally showed signs of movement.

It began as an extremely faint golden light flashing within the depths of the dragon crystal, like the first glimmer of a star that had been silent for billions of years.

Immediately following, a second, a third... countless golden streams of light surged and pulsed within the crystal like awakening dragons.

The originally cold and dead dragon crystal began to radiate a scorching heat. Dim dragon patterns lit up one by one, and the golden radiance pierced through the crystal, illuminating the entire empty altar and the mountain-like remains of the Dragon Kings surrounding it.

"Hum--"

A low, resonant hum spread from the dragon crystal. It did not travel through the air but echoed directly through every inch of the Dragon Graveyard, vibrating in the depths of every dragon bone's soul.

The next second, the entire Dragon Graveyard erupted into a frenzy.

Golden dragon patterns lit up simultaneously across countless dragon bones. The dragon might, silent for countless years, exploded like a tsunami. The skeletons stretched across the darkness trembled slightly, and the dragon souls emitted low, mournful roars.

From sub-dragons to true dragons, from true dragons to Dragon Kings, all dragon remains offered their most devout bloodline resonance to the dragon crystal at the center of the altar at this very moment.

It was a brand etched into the deepest part of the dragon race's bloodline, a summons for the return of their ancestor.

The countless golden streams of light within the dragon crystal finally converged into a blurred, dragon-shaped phantom. The phantom radiated a supreme pressure that transcended all laws; even a single strand of its awakening will was enough to make the entire God Realm tremble.

After lying dormant for countless eons, the will of the Dragon God had finally awakened completely within this Dragon Graveyard.

The phantom slowly opened its eyes—golden dragon pupils containing the birth, death, and reincarnation of the universe's stars.

Its gaze swept across the entire Dragon Graveyard, across the dragon remains that had been silent for billions of years, and finally landed on an ice coffin on the other side of the altar, encased in endless golden light and frigid air.

The ice coffin was carved entirely from ten-thousand-year profound ice, its surface inscribed with countless intricate angel patterns. The holy golden divine light and the extreme cold intertwined to form a flawless seal, isolating everything inside from the outside world.

Lying within the ice coffin was a woman.

She had long, golden hair as brilliant as sunlight, skin as white as snow, and features of the utmost delicacy. Even with her eyes closed, she could not hide her innate nobility and pride.

Her golden dress was inscribed with the exclusive patterns of the angels, and even after ten thousand years of dormancy, the holy aura belonging to a deity had not dissipated in the slightest.

She was Qian Renxue, the former Angel God and the last young mistress of Martial Soul Hall.

The world believed she had perished along with the fall of Martial Soul Hall, yet no one knew she had been sleeping for a full ten thousand years in this isolated Dragon Graveyard.

A complex emotion flashed through the Dragon God's pupils. A low voice, as if coming from before the ancient eons, slowly pierced through the seal of the ice coffin and echoed in the depths of Qian Renxue's soul: "The ten-thousand-year covenant has arrived. Qian Renxue, it is time to wake up."

The moment the voice fell, the angel patterns on the ice coffin suddenly lit up, echoing the golden light of the Dragon God's crystal core.

Qian Renxue's consciousness, which had been asleep for ten thousand years, felt as if it had broken free from the shackles of an endless deep sea, slowly awakening at the sound of this call.

Memories flooded back like a tide, finally settling on that blood-stained Jialing Pass from ten thousand years ago.

Ten thousand years ago, the blood-red setting sun at Jialing Pass covered the entire battlefield. Broken blades, dried bloodstains, and the corpses of Martial Soul Hall spirit masters lay in layers; the once-glorious Martial Soul Empire had reached its end at this moment.

Bibi Dong fell into her arms, her Rakshasa God position completely shattered, her body turning into transparent points of light bit by bit.

This mother, who had lived her entire life in hatred and schemes, finally shed all her disguises in the last moment of her life, her eyes filled only with endless exhaustion and apology.

"Xue'er... I'm sorry..."

This was the last sentence she left for Qian Renxue.

As the words fell, her body completely turned into points of light and dissipated in the wind.

Qian Renxue knelt on the ground, her arms empty, with only the last trace of her mother's warmth remaining on her fingertips. She looked up at the man in the air, clad in blue Sea God divine armor and holding the Sea God Trident.

Tang San—it was this man who had destroyed everything she had.

Her Angel God position had been completely shattered by him in the final battle just moments ago. She had fallen from a high-and-mighty deity to the mortal world, with less than one-tenth of her divine power remaining.

Her mother had died at his hands. The Martial Soul Hall she had spent her entire life protecting had collapsed, and the armies of Heaven Dou and Star Luo had broken through Jialing Pass, advancing at full speed toward Martial Soul City.

She was the only successor of the Angel God lineage, the future hope of Martial Soul Hall. But now, she had nothing.

The pride etched into her bones had been completely crushed, the glory she had pursued her whole life had turned to dust, and the faith she had held onto for a lifetime had collapsed into pieces at this moment.

Tang San's gaze fell upon her, devoid of killing intent, holding only a coldness that bordered on pity.

He did not kill her; he merely crippled her remaining cultivation and left behind the words, "Martial Soul Hall is destroyed; take care of yourself," before turning to leave.

Yet, this "mercy" was more painful to Qian Renxue than if he had killed her.

As a descendant of the Angel God, her pride would not allow her to accept charity from an enemy, nor would it allow her to watch everything she had sworn to protect turn to ash.

That day, the blood at Jialing Pass stained her vision red.

The days that followed were nothing but an endless flight.

Heaven Dou and Star Luo joined forces to issue a purge order against the remnants of Martial Soul Hall; any spirit master registered with Martial Soul Hall, regardless of rank, was to be executed on sight.

The once lofty spirit masters of Martial Soul Hall became, overnight, like rats scurrying across the street, reviled by all.

Qian Renxue led the remaining remnants of Martial Soul Hall, hiding and fleeing toward the east.

Among them were the last surviving Titled Douluo of Martial Soul Hall, loyal Spirit Douluo, young spirit masters who had just awakened their spirits, and the elderly, weak, women, and children from Martial Soul City who had lost their families.

They were the final embers of Martial Soul Hall; homeless, they could only follow her, the last Young Mistress of Martial Soul Hall.

She had seen a level ninety-five Titled Douluo stand alone against pursuers to cover the retreat of the main force, ultimately detonating his spirit rings and leaving not even a corpse behind.

She had seen teenage spirit masters use their own bodies to block enemy blades to protect their companions, dying with the emblem of Martial Soul Hall still clutched tightly in their hands.

She had seen those women and children who had lost husbands and fathers bow to her even while starving, calling out to her as "Young Mistress."

Every time she saw these things, Qian Renxue's heart felt as though it were being sliced by knives.

She hated Tang San; she hated him for destroying Martial Soul Hall, and she hated him for leaving so many people homeless.

She hated herself even more; she hated her own incompetence, hated that she could not protect her mother, could not protect Martial Soul Hall, and could not protect those who followed her.

She had once thought of ending it all, but she could not.

If she died, these last remnants of Martial Soul Hall would truly have no hope left.

She had to live; even if she had to linger on like an ant, she had to preserve the final spark of Martial Soul Hall.

Just as she reached the depths of despair and helplessness, unable to hold on any longer, that voice intruded into her sea of consciousness.

It was a deep, majestic voice, containing infinite power, as if it had come from before the dawn of time, from the deepest reaches of the universe.

"Descendant of the Angel God, Qian Renxue. Do you wish for revenge? Do you wish to recast your godhood and reclaim everything that belongs to you? Do you wish for the glory of Martial Soul Hall to reappear in this world?"

Qian Renxue became instantly vigilant, her shattered divine sense tightening as she demanded sharply, "Who is it?!"

"I am the Dragon God."

The moment those words fell, Qian Renxue's soul could not help but tremble violently.

There was no other reason; this forbidden name simply carried that much weight.