Gu Yuena's Probe

Passing through the long white jade staircase, Gu Tian followed Gu Yuena through the majestic throne hall and into a heavy crystal door.

The world behind the door completely overturned Gu Tian's imagination. It was an incredibly cozy and luxurious private bedchamber. The room's color palette was a dreamy silver-purple, with countless tiny soul power crystals embedded in the ceiling. These crystals drifted slowly in mid-air, as if the entire summer night sky had been forcibly plucked and laid across the roof.

In the center of the room sat a massive circular bed carved from starlight crystals, covered in the soft, snow-white fur of an unknown soul beast.

Gu Yuena turned around and gave a casual wave.

"Clatter—"

A ripple of silver energy surged outward. Her previously taut silver dress loosened slightly, revealing a vast expanse of delicate skin as dazzling as frost and snow. Her collarbones were clear and graceful, leading down to breathtaking curves that would make any man hold his breath. That hazy, semi-concealed allure, under the reflection of the starlight, possessed a temptation capable of making any man succumb.

Seeing this, Gu Tian's heart skipped a beat, his throat went dry, and he didn't even know where to cast his gaze.

Gu Yuena paid no mind to this. Her purple eyes flickered with a near-obsessive desire for research. In her mind, she kept replaying the content of the First Trial of the Dragon God she had seen in her spiritual sea: Subjugate a harem and achieve a bond of true heart.

In her view, wasn't this so-called subjugation just this most primitive ritual?

"Come here," Gu Yuena commanded softly.

Gu Tian was stunned. Before he could react, an irresistible force of space pushed him right in front of Gu Yuena.

The next second, a cold, refreshing fragrance assailed his senses.

Gu Yuena reached out her arms and pressed firmly onto Gu Tian's shoulders. Her beautiful face, which could make all things in the world lose their luster, rapidly magnified in Gu Tian's vision. Finally, two cold, soft lips pressed tightly against Gu Tian's without warning.

Gu Tian's eyes widened instantly.

This kiss was not gentle; it even carried a raw, clumsy force. Gu Yuena was as stiff as if she were completing a ritual, yet also as if she were conducting a violent exploration. Gu Tian was pinned firmly against the edge of the bed by her; even with his innate level twenty soul power, he was like a helpless kitten before the Silver Dragon King.

After a long while, their lips parted.

A faint, crystalline thread flashed in the light. Gu Yuena raised her fair finger and wiped her red, swollen lips. Her eyes held a trace of confusion as she lowered her head slightly to look at Gu Tian.

"The first trial... is it complete?" Her voice remained cold, yet carried a hint of impatience.

Gu Tian was still dizzy. Feeling the lingering warmth on his lips, he called out frantically in his mind.

"There's... no reaction," he said helplessly to Ao Linxi in his spiritual sea.

Seeing this, Gu Yuena frowned slightly. Thinking her force was insufficient or the duration too short, she leaned forward and kissed him again without a word. This time, she even infused a trace of faint divine power, attempting to forcibly trigger a resonance within Gu Tian's body.

However, even as Gu Tian was kissed until he was nearly suffocated, the golden divine trial panel remained completely unresponsive.

Just as Gu Yuena unbuttoned Gu Tian's collar and lifted her own skirt to take further action, Ao Linxi's voice finally echoed in their spiritual connection.

"Alright, Gu Yuena, stop."

Ao Linxi's figure flickered above Gu Tian's head. Watching Gu Yuena's somewhat disheveled appearance born of her eagerness for success, she couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.

"The content of the first trial is love; it is to achieve that indelible bloodline bond. This requires true mutual understanding of your hearts, not this simple physical contact."

Ao Linxi explained it bluntly. Her warm eyes held a hint of playfulness. "Gu Yuena, right now you feel more awe and curiosity toward him, and he is merely stunned by your beauty. Without that sincerity, even if you kiss like this ten thousand times, it is all wasted effort."

Upon hearing this, a deep sense of frustration flashed across Gu Yuena's beautiful face. She sighed and sat dejectedly on the edge of the bed, lamenting, "How troublesome. This kind of emotional trial of humans is even more complex than fighting the God Realm."

She looked up, her eyes flashing with a dangerous light.

"Master, I thought this would complete the task. If it were truly just to complete such a task, I didn't think it needed to be this troublesome. I count as one, and Zi Ji and Bi Ji outside can also be included. If that's not enough, I'll go to the Far North in a few days and drag the Ice Empress and Snow Empress over as well. If that still doesn't work, I can bring back the Demon Soul Great White Shark Xiao Bai and the mermaid princess Li Ya from the deep sea. If I send them all into Gu Tian's bedchamber, surely we could achieve the bond quickly?"

Hearing these words, Gu Tian nearly drooled.

Capture the Ice Empress and Snow Empress? Send in Bi Ji and Zi Ji? And those top-tier sea soul beasts!

This wasn't a divine trial; this was paradise! His heart screamed frantically at that moment: Gu Yuena, please, by all means, execute your plan!

However, Gu Yuena's subsequent sigh poured a bucket of cold water on him.

"Unfortunately, if it requires that ethereal love, such coercive methods are likely useless. It seems the road to reviving the soul beast lineage is indeed longer than I imagined."

Actually, for Gu Tian, the hard part was making others love him. He was different; he already loved everyone on the Douluo Continent equally—well, except for Tang San, of course.

Gu Yuena composed her disheveled state, her gaze returning to its cold, sharp demeanor. She took Gu Tian's hand—a very natural gesture as she attempted to gradually cultivate their feelings through such means—and led him out of the bedroom to the center of the Dragon Palace hall.

At this moment, two behemoths had been waiting for a long time.

They were the Sky Azure Bull Python and the Titan Giant Ape. These two overlords of the Star Dou Great Forest appeared exceptionally humble before Gu Yuena.

"Greetings, Master. Greetings... Lord Dragon God Envoy," Da Ming's deep, thick voice echoed through the hall.

Gu Yuena sat on the high jade throne, while Gu Tian stood by her side.

"Tell me," Gu Yuena's voice was distinctly different from before, becoming incomparably majestic. "What is the current state of soul masters and soul beasts on the Douluo Continent?"

Da Ming sighed, his massive bull head lowering slightly as he began to recount the tragic encounters of the soul beast clan in recent years.

"Human soul masters are developing too quickly. Especially with the rise of the Martial Soul Hall, they have organized large-scale hunting operations. In just these few years, our Star Dou Great Forest has suffered heavy losses. Da Wu and Ah Yin, these two kin who reached one hundred thousand years of cultivation, both encountered human sieges one after another, eventually sacrificing themselves or falling."

Mentioning these names, Da Ming's tone was filled with sorrow. "Ah Yin's soul returned to the Blue Silver Grass, and Da Wu... her only daughter, Xiao Wu, in order to seek revenge, ignored our objections and resolutely chose to undergo human reincarnation, intending to sneak into the human world to find a glimmer of hope."

"Xiao Wu?"

Hearing this name, Gu Tian's heart skipped a beat. He knew all too well what this name represented.

"Where is she now?" Gu Tian asked impatiently.

Er Ming scratched his head and recalled, "Just a few months ago. She passed the edge of the forest, saying she was going to a small place called Nuoding City. It's remote and unlikely to attract the attention of the high-ranking members of the Martial Soul Hall. We originally wanted to send someone to protect her in secret, but she insisted on relying on herself."

Nuoding City!

Gu Tian clenched his fists. He knew that place was the intersection of fate. That guy Tang San was likely enrolling at this very moment. If he allowed Tang San to make contact with Xiao Wu first, the difficulty of his first God Trial would skyrocket.

"Gu Yuena, I must set off for Nuoding City immediately." Gu Tian turned his head to look at Gu Yuena.

Gu Yuena remained silent for a moment. She looked at the young child before her, who possessed only twenty levels of soul power, her eyes filled with complex emotions. Although she had already acknowledged Gu Tian's status, he was still far too fragile in her eyes.

"The revival of the soul beasts cannot be rushed." Gu Yuena stood up, her tone carrying an unquestionable dominance. "With your current strength, going out there is just asking for death. Er Ming, take him away and lock him in a room in the side hall. He is not to take a single step outside the Lake of Life until he has mastered basic elemental fusion."

"Hey? Wait! Gu Yuena, listen to me!"

Before Gu Tian could even resist, he was hoisted up like a chick by Er Ming's massive, furry palm and carried directly toward the living quarters behind the main hall.

Within the sea of consciousness, Ao Linxi watched Gu Tian get shut down and let out another round of gloating laughter.