High above Lake of Life, dark clouds blanketed the sky as purple lightning roared and rolled through them. Every flash illuminated the entire forest as if doomsday had arrived.
The pressure made every Ferocious Beast's hair stand on end.
Yang Teng sat cross-legged on the lake. Thanks to the immense vitality of Lake of Life and the extraordinarily dense energy of heaven and earth, he gradually recovered his strength.
Silver light flowed over his body, faintly resonating with the purple lightning in the sky.
Silver-purple light gleamed in his eyes.
The next moment.
"Roar!!!"
A thunderous dragon's roar rang across Star Dou Great Forest.
Yang Teng transformed into a streak of silver-purple light and shot into the sky. The light rapidly swelled into a giant dragon more than ten zhang long!
Silver-purple scales shimmered, each one rippling with the waves of space and time.
Di Tian and the other Ferocious Beasts couldn't help but feel afraid.
Emerald Swan Bi Ji took half a step back. King of Ten Thousand Monsters' vines shrank involuntarily, while Xiong Jun clenched his claws.
Even the two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape, trembled faintly beneath this dragon might.
Di Tian fared a little better. He had once witnessed Yang Teng descend directly into Star Dou Great Forest, but now, seeing his true form, Di Tian's own dragon blood surged faster within him.
It was a resonance and reverence that came from deep within his bloodline.
"Di Tian!"
Zi JI asked in a low voice, unable to hide her shock.
"He isn't the Dragon God, is he?"
Zi JI was also a true-blooded dragon. Her Hell Demon Dragon bloodline made her especially sensitive to the auras of dragonkind.
She could feel that the silver-purple dragon's aura was different from the Dragon God's—more ancient, more mysterious, and... more powerful.
Di Tian shook his head, his expression complicated.
"No..."
He didn't continue, instead turning his gaze to Gu Yuena.
Their lord stood motionless by the lake, silver eyes fixed on the dragon overhead. The Silver Dragon Spear in her hand trembled faintly, though it was impossible to tell whether from excitement or wariness.
Seeing this, Zi JI asked no more.
In the sky, the dragon Yang Teng had become threw back its head and roared.
"Come on!"
He was provoking the heavenly tribulation.
As if enraged, the purple lightning in the clouds crashed down!
A massive pillar of lightning struck straight down. It was so fast it left no afterimage. Yang Teng had only just shot into the sky when it slammed him back into Lake of Life!
"Boom!!!"
The lake exploded into waves a hundred meters high, scattering vitality in every direction.
There was no chance to catch his breath.
The second bolt gathered incredibly fast, taking shape almost the instant the first one fell.
Purple light tore through the sky and struck the dragon in the lake with unerring precision. Then came the third...
Yang Teng tumbled through the water. His silver-purple scales began to blacken, and lightning tore open patches of his body, spilling blood that shimmered with nine colors. When the blood dripped into Lake of Life, the water gleamed with an uncanny radiance.
"Yang Teng!"
Gu Yuena finally couldn't hold back.
She shot into the air, her silver hair streaming like a waterfall in the lightning's glow. The Silver Dragon Spear tore through space, and she landed beside Yang Teng's enormous dragon head, pressing one hand against the scales on his brow.
Vast, pure vitality poured into Yang Teng's body.
It was the Silver Dragon King's source power, far purer than the vitality of Lake of Life. The charred scales on Yang Teng's body began healing at a visible speed, and the flow of nine-colored blood stopped.
The heavenly tribulation seemed satisfied. It gave a startled cry in the sky, then vanished.
"Don't worry."
Yang Teng's voice rang in Gu Yuena's mind, tinged with amusement.
"This was only a warning! I can still take it!"
The silver-purple light drew inward, and the dragon form disappeared.
Yang Teng returned to human form. His clothes had been utterly shredded, revealing a sturdy body covered in scorched marks and wounds that were already healing.
He grinned, a trace of nine-colored blood still at the corner of his mouth.
Gu Yuena steadied his head and pressed her other hand to his chest, continuing to channel vitality into him. Her touch was gentle, and a hint of worry flickered in her silver eyes.
Yang Teng looked at her face, so close to his, and thought, Gu Yuena really looks like my little wife right now.
The thought made him grin again.
"You're still smiling?"
Gu Yuena shot him a glare, but didn't stop what she was doing.
"Why provoke it? Three bolts in a row without a break—even Di Tian couldn't take that."
Yang Teng looked up at the sky, watching the dark clouds gradually disperse, his eyes brimming with excitement.
After spending two weeks in Star Dou Great Forest, Yang Teng had fully recovered.
Not only had his injuries healed, but his Soul Power had also reached level 44 after being tempered by the heavenly tribulation and nourished by Lake of Life.
More importantly, the plane's suppression of him had eased a little.
It was only the faintest loosening, but Yang Teng could clearly feel the ever-present rejection receding slightly. Even breathing felt easier.
"Time to head back."
Yang Teng stretched and looked at Gu Yuena.
"The Elite Tournament is about to begin."
Gu Yuena nodded and slashed open a spatial rift with the Silver Dragon Spear.
When the two returned to Skywater Academy, only three days remained until the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament.
Yang Teng had missed the match against Balaque Academy, but with Gu Yuena leading the way, they had won with overwhelming ease.
When Shui Yunxia saw Yang Teng return, she let out a long breath of relief.
"Was it an easy win?" Yang Teng asked casually.
"Gu Yuena fought all seven by herself."
Shui Yunxia's tone was complicated.
"One minute, and it was over."
Yang Teng whistled and looked at Gu Yuena.
The silver-haired girl remained expressionless, as if she had done nothing more than some trivial task.
"The Continental Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament starts the day after tomorrow."
Yang Teng rubbed his hands, excitement shining in his eyes.
"I can beat Tang San to a pulp and get three Soul Bones. What a sweet deal."
Gu Yuena glanced at him. "You seem excited."
"Of course I am."
Yang Teng grinned like a fox that had stolen a chicken.
"Shrek Academy, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Dai Mubai... they're all old friends."
He put particular emphasis on the words "old friends."
Shui Yunxia didn't understand what they were talking about, but she could feel the battle intent in Yang Teng's voice.
"Make sure you're prepared."
That was all she said before turning to leave.
Only Yang Teng and Gu Yuena remained in the room.
"Are you sure your injuries have completely healed?"
Gu Yuena suddenly asked.
"They have."
Yang Teng rolled his arm.
"Not only that, the plane's suppression has eased too. With my current physical strength, I can probably take an ordinary Soul Saint's attack head-on."
Gu Yuena was silent for a moment, then spoke softly.
"Don't push yourself too hard."
Yang Teng paused and looked at her, but Gu Yuena had already turned toward the door, her silver hair hiding her profile.
"Xiao Na."
He called after her.
Gu Yuena stopped but didn't turn around.
"Thank you."
Yang Teng spoke, unusually serious.
"For Lake of Life, and... for everything."
Gu Yuena's shoulders shifted faintly.
"You don't need to thank me."
She spoke quietly.
"You still owe us that promise. As long as I don't die, you can't die!"
With that, she opened the door and left.
Yang Teng watched the door close, smiled, then walked to the window and gazed into the distance.
That was the direction of the tournament venue: Heaven Dou City.
"Tang San!"
He murmured to himself.
"This time, it's time to rewrite the story."
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