Reunited with an Old Acquaintance

Deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, the light was shattered by layer upon layer of overlapping canopies. Only faint, dim green rays barely filtered through, casting mottled shadows across the thick carpet of fallen leaves. The air was filled with an almost viscous vitality, along with the oppressive aura of ancient wilderness. The deeper they went, the quieter their surroundings became. It was not that there was no life, but that every living creature lay hidden, watchful and reverent.

Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena walked side by side. They had restrained their auras to the utmost, like a breeze passing through the forest. Yet the higher-level presence that originated from the source of life still made the powerful Soul Beasts with keen senses wary of approaching. They could only watch from the shadows before quickly disappearing again.

Tang Wulin could clearly feel the bloodline resonance of the Blue Silver Emperor within him growing stronger and stronger, like tiny streams flowing toward a vast ocean, guiding him unwaveringly in a certain direction. Meanwhile, Gu Yuena silently sensed the pulse of this Soul Beast kingdom. An indescribable sense of familiarity and belonging quietly revived within her heart, easing some of the emptiness caused by her missing memories.

Suddenly, an exceptionally violent surge of energy erupted from far ahead, shattering the tranquility of the area!

In the sky, what had merely been dark clouds gathered and spun at a visible speed, forming a low-hanging vortex of thunderclouds streaked with destructive silver lightning! The mighty heavenly pressure descended, leaving every Soul Beast within several miles silent and trembling in fear.

"It's a heavenly tribulation." Gu Yuena's purple eyes narrowed as she gazed toward the center of the thunderclouds. She could sense an extremely condensed lifeform with an incomparably sharp aura attempting to break through into a higher level of life.

The two exchanged a glance, neither intending to interfere. A Soul Beast undergoing tribulation was part of the laws of heaven and earth, an unavoidable path toward greater strength. Outside interference could bring either fortune or disaster. In tacit agreement, they veered from their original route and prepared to go around.

However, as they drew closer and saw the tribulation candidate clearly, Gu Yuena's steps halted slightly.

It was an exceptionally beautiful creature. Its entire body seemed sculpted from the finest jade, its feathers flowing with a lustrous sheen. It was not enormous, yet it possessed a perfect streamlined form, with long tail feathers drifting like elegant ribbons. Its eyes were crimson, burning with an unyielding will as it faced the thunder of the heavens.

An Emerald Demon Bird.

Moreover, judging from its aura and the intensity of the heavenly tribulation it had drawn, this was no ordinary Emerald Demon Bird. Its cultivation had to be at least ninety thousand years! Yet there was an unwritten rule in the Soul Beast world that creatures as bloodthirsty as Emerald Demon Birds were not permitted to attain higher cultivation.

BOOM!

A purple bolt of lightning as thick as a bucket tore through the air like the lash of a god and struck the Emerald Demon Bird savagely!

It let out a sharp yet resolute cry. Dazzling emerald light erupted from its body, transforming into countless incomparably sharp blades of wind that met the lightning head-on. The blades and lightning collided with a piercing tearing sound before both annihilated each other. Yet the Emerald Demon Bird's body swayed violently, several jade-like feathers drifting down as its aura visibly weakened.

Each wave of the heavenly tribulation was stronger than the last.

Immediately afterward, the second and third bolts descended in succession, each more violent and deadly than the one before. The Emerald Demon Bird resisted with all its strength, but the emerald radiance around it grew dimmer and dimmer. Scorched marks appeared across its beautiful body, and even fine cracks began to form. The defiance in its crimson eyes remained, but it was inevitably tainted by a trace of despair.

The fourth bolt of lightning had turned deep purple, nearly black, carrying an aura capable of destroying everything as it crashed down! Its power far exceeded the previous bolts!

The Emerald Demon Bird let out a mournful cry. It no longer had the strength to gather enough power to resist and could only barely raise its wings, preparing to meet this fatal strike with its body. Longing and unwillingness flashed through its eyes as it looked toward the heart of the forest.

At that critical moment—

Gu Yuena, who had watched in silence, showed a trace of pity in her purple eyes. The Emerald Demon Bird's defiance and despair, along with the pure and powerful Soul Beast origin aura it possessed, touched a tender place within her heart. Almost instinctively, she raised her slender hand.

There was no earth-shaking display. Only an extremely pure, threadlike silver radiance flowed from her fingertips, seeming to cross the distance through space and arrive first, gently winding around the Emerald Demon Bird's body.

The destructive black lightning struck down fiercely, yet upon touching that seemingly fragile layer of silver light, it was like ice and snow meeting the blazing sun. Its violent energy was rapidly broken down, neutralized, and guided into a relatively gentle current of energy, which the severely destabilized Emerald Demon Bird barely absorbed.

After the tribulation lightning passed, the Emerald Demon Bird remained covered in wounds and its aura was weak, but it had ultimately preserved a thread of life. It hovered unsteadily in midair as the gathered tribulation clouds slowly began to disperse.

Confusion filled its crimson eyes after surviving the calamity. Then it abruptly turned toward Gu Yuena and Tang Wulin. Its gaze first fell upon Tang Wulin with a trace of surprise and suspicion, but when its eyes finally settled on Gu Yuena, its entire body suddenly froze!

That silver hair, those purple eyes, that peerlessly cold and beautiful face, that supreme bloodline pressure originating from the depths of its soul... Though faint, though she seemed to be in some special state, the imprint engraved in the deepest part of its inherited memories could never be mistaken! She was its master from ten thousand years ago.

The Emerald Demon Bird struggled to descend, landing in a clearing not far ahead of them. It withdrew all its sharpness and, ignoring its injuries, lowered its proud head in an utterly humble and reverent posture. Its long tail feathers spread across the ground as it sent out a trembling, excited thought: "Is... is that you? My Lord... Your Majesty the Silver Dragon King?!"

This sudden form of address startled both Gu Yuena and Tang Wulin.

Gu Yuena looked at the powerful Emerald Demon Bird before her, her brows slightly furrowed. "You know me?"

"There is no mistake! Even though Your Majesty's aura has changed, this unique bloodline pressure, this grace that protects our kind... Little Cui... this subordinate could never mistake it!" The Emerald Demon Bird's thoughts carried a sob, filled with the excitement of finding its long-lost faith. "Ten thousand years ago, Your Majesty showed mercy and took us under your command, granting us great fortune... This subordinate is from the Emerald Demon Bird clan."

It raised its head, its crimson eyes brimming with devotion and loyalty. "Your Majesty, have you... have you finally returned? Ever since Lord Di Tian and the others returned ten thousand years ago, they have never mentioned you again!"

Gu Yuena remained silent. Feiyun's words were like another piece of a puzzle, confirming the vague fragments within her mind. The Silver Dragon King, sovereign of the Soul Beasts... these identities were gradually changing from empty concepts into something real and tangible.

Tang Wulin stood beside her, his heart equally turbulent. Gu Yuena's identity was being confirmed step by step. Looking at the respectful Emerald Demon Bird, he could sense the reverence it held for Gu Yuena from the depths of its soul.

"I... have forgotten many things." Gu Yuena finally admitted it frankly. Her voice remained cool, but it carried less distance than before. "Including you, including the past."

Pain flashed through its eyes, but it quickly became even more resolute. "Whether or not Your Majesty remembers, you will forever be our lord! This subordinate is willing to die for you!" It struggled to straighten itself. "Your Majesty, now that you have returned, are you going to Lake of Life to lead our Soul Beast clan once more?"

Lake of Life.

The name stirred both Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena. That was precisely the direction indicated by the Blue Silver Grass and the destination of their journey.

"We are heading there," Gu Yuena said with a nod.

"Please allow this subordinate to guide you!" it said eagerly. "Lake of Life is the sacred land of our clan today. Its outer perimeter has natural illusions and ancient restrictions, as well as a barrier established by Lord Di Tian. With this subordinate leading the way, much trouble can be avoided."

It looked at Gu Yuena, then cautiously glanced at Tang Wulin beside her, whose black hair and black eyes concealed an unfathomable aura. Hesitantly, it asked, "Your Majesty, is this the former... Lord Golden Dragon King?"

Gu Yuena looked at Tang Wulin. A softness she did not even notice herself flashed through her purple eyes. "He is my... most important person."

There was no further explanation, but those simple words were enough to make her stance clear.

Little Cui recalled how Tang Wulin had nearly killed it ten thousand years ago, and it treated Tang Wulin with equal respect.

After a brief rest, once it had barely suppressed its injuries, it spread its wings and took flight, leading the way ahead. With this Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and an old subordinate of Gu Yuena, guiding them, the road ahead indeed became much smoother. Many hidden dangerous auras quietly retreated after sensing the aura of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Emerald Demon Bird and the two even more terrifying presences behind it. The paths through the forest seemed to come alive, revealing shortcuts to the core under its guidance.

Tang Wulin could feel that the closer they came to Lake of Life, the stronger not only the Blue Silver Grass's call became, but also the deeper Gu Yuena's aura seemed to resonate with this ancient forest.

The truth seemed to be waiting ahead, beneath that lake shrouded in mist and legend.