Dragon Valley

Tang Sect.

Black One had arrived.

When Tang Wulin entered, he found that aside from Black One, everyone else was a White-rank fighter.

Black One said, "It's been approved, but whether you can get in will depend on you."

Tang Wulin nodded.

Black One gave Tang Wulin a meaningful look, knowing that this person's identity had to be far from ordinary.

He had only submitted the request as a trial. The higher-ups had rejected it outright at first, then later changed their minds for some unknown reason. He had heard that Amorous Douluo had personally issued the order.

Whatever the reason, this man was certainly no ordinary Yellow-rank fighter.

Seeing that everyone had arrived, Black One said, "This is a survival mission. You must survive in Dragon Valley for a sufficient amount of time before the mission is considered complete. There are no rewards or punishments for this mission, but the mission itself can bring you enormous benefits. The longer you remain in Dragon Valley, the greater the benefits you can obtain. Otherwise, you will miss the only opportunity in your lifetime to gain something from Dragon Valley."

"At the same time, there are restrictions within Dragon Valley. Soul Masters may not use their martial souls."

"Later, I'll give each of you a Dragon Pearl. Wear it close to your body and connect to it with spiritual power. Once you feel your life is in danger, stimulate the Dragon Pearl with spiritual power and you'll be teleported out of Dragon Valley. Or, when your vital signs weaken to a certain extent, the Dragon Pearl will automatically teleport you out."

Black One warned them again, "Opportunities are rare, but life comes first. Be careful, everyone."

"Yes!"

"Very well. Move out!"

Since it was nearby, the thirty of them would take a soul guidance bus to Dragon Valley.

On the bus, White Seven, his assigned partner, sat beside Tang Wulin.

He propped up his face and stared out the window. Memories he could not suppress flashed through his mind.

She'll go too, won't she... I'll have to face it eventually. Tang Wulin sighed inwardly.

White Seven sat beside him, somewhat surprised. She tried to use spiritual detection to probe Yellow Three, but an indistinct barrier blocked her spiritual power.

Tang Wulin glanced at her. "Don't do unnecessary things."

White Seven was embarrassed. "Sorry..."

Tang Wulin did not particularly care. Of course, he knew who she was, but his mind was in turmoil now, and he had no inclination to deal with anything else.

The day Dragon Valley opened had not yet arrived, so the thirty of them temporarily stayed in dormitories in the mountains.

Black One said, "There's a town at the foot of the mountain where you can buy daily necessities. Two to a room, according to your groups."

Tang Wulin and White Seven were in the same group. He said, "You take the room. I'll go out."

White Seven froze for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you."

Tang Wulin lightly leaped onto the roof and lay there, gazing up at the stars.

He could sense the direction of Dragon Valley. It seemed to be calling to him.

With a sigh, Tang Wulin extended a hand. A point of green light lit up between his brows, and green-gold radiance instantly spread across his entire body, forcibly sealing part of his soul power like chains.

The process was exceedingly painful. Even with Tang Wulin's endurance, it hurt badly enough to leave his forehead drenched in cold sweat.

As the green-gold glow gradually faded, only soul power at the peak of four rings remained within him.

The waiting time passed quickly.

Black One gathered everyone again. "We're preparing to set off. Have you all confirmed that you've brought your personal belongings?"

"Yes!"

"Good. Follow me!"

He suddenly accelerated, leading the group through the mountain forest.

Tang Wulin followed behind the main group at an unhurried pace.

Mountain peak.

An elderly old man was waiting for them.

Black One respectfully said, "Elder Wu."

Elder Wu nodded. "Then I'll begin."

He raised a hand, and soul rings rose beneath his feet. There were actually nine of them!

As his soul power poured forth, an enormous formation appeared out of thin air. The ancient, dense patterns were enough to make one dizzy.

Elder Wu's seventh soul ring flashed, and a blue-violet giant dragon appeared behind him, roaring toward the sky.

The formation blazed with light, and a massive gash suddenly tore open in the air.

Black One shouted, "Get ready!"

The members joined hands in groups, and Black One flung them one by one into the rift.

White Seven was pulled along by Tang Wulin as the world spun around her.

She cried out, "My martial soul!"

Tang Wulin gave her wrist a light tug, leading her to land steadily.

Still shaken, White Seven said, "My martial soul really can't be used."

Tang Wulin said, "I have something to do. Act on your own."

White Seven said, "What did you say?!"

Tang Wulin ignored her and merely stood there quietly.

His spiritual power had already enveloped all of Dragon Valley. When he fully released his divine consciousness, everything around him seemed to turn into particles. He could clearly see the movements of the elements, the heaven and earth energy, and even the laws suppressing their martial souls.

Naturally, he could also see the flashing heart within the largest grave at the very center of Dragon Valley.

White Seven knew that Yellow Three was definitely powerful, at least stronger than she was. If she could act together with him, her chances of survival would certainly be higher than if she were alone.

"You're violating the mission rules! I'll report you when I get out!" White Seven snapped.

Tang Wulin suddenly raised a hand and tapped her between the brows. White Seven shuddered, feeling her sluggish soul power suddenly begin to flow again. Her martial soul could be used once more!

"Act on your own. Be careful," Tang Wulin said, then left directly.

White Seven was left standing there in a daze, her heart filled with shock.

Who... was he, really?!

Tang Wulin slowly walked toward the heart of Dragon Valley. Along the way, whether it was drifting dragon clouds or running dragon souls, all of them drew close to him.

The deeper he went, the more pale dragon bones he saw. They howled unwillingly toward the center, as though chasing something.

The further Tang Wulin walked, the stronger the sorrow in his heart became.

Low dragon roars echoed across the wilderness. The dragon souls fell to their knees, whimpering in response to their king's grief.

War...

Crossing the valley, Tang Wulin stroked countless dragon bones, feeling their unyielding spirit and sorrow.

Seven-colored mist filled the valley, and the voice calling to him became increasingly clear.

Passing through the mist, his vision blurred, and an incomparably massive dragon soul floated in the air before him.

That dragon soul was twice as large as even the Mountain Dragon King, its entire body gleaming with seven-colored light. Its scales were irregular, every piece shaped differently, yet they fit together in perfect harmony, as if countless gemstones had been inlaid into its body.

"I'm here," he said softly. "I know you have something to tell me."

The Dragon God's dragon soul merely watched him quietly, showing no reaction at all.

"I don't know why you fought the God Realm. The dragon clan and the God Realm each have their own version of events."

"I can't investigate the rights and wrongs of history, but I should still do something for the world as it is now. Is that why you chose me?"

It was as though he were speaking to himself.

The Dragon God's dragon soul stretched across the valley, as if countless millennia had passed.

Tang Wulin fell silent. Raising a hand, he gently placed it against the dragon soul. An incomparably powerful suction force devoured his divine consciousness. The Dragon God seemed to suddenly come back to life, roaring toward the red Judgment Light in the sky.

Golden and silver light separated, falling in different directions.

Tang Wulin was sent flying with a Bang!, smashing into the mountainside.

The Dragon God returned to stillness, remaining upright within the valley as though nothing had happened.

But now Tang Wulin could see clearly—

Beneath its scales, a heart flowing with nine-colored radiance was slowly beating.

A deep buzzing suddenly sounded in the air. The dragon clouds overhead began to churn violently, and then the surrounding space erupted in intense resonance.

A black mark in the sky gradually lengthened. Then, a pair of enormous claws boldly reached halfway out of the crack.

The dragon claws slowly pulled apart to either side, accompanied by one deep roar after another.

The gap pulled open by the pitch-black giant claws grew wider and wider, but the entire space produced violent energy fluctuations, as if squeezing the crack shut and refusing to let it open further.

At that moment, figures descended from within the crack.

Five figures landed in total, three men and two women. One man was exceptionally tall, with a bald head, a face full of flesh, and an incomparably burly build.

Another man beside him had dry, shriveled skin, looking like a withered branch, but his eyes flickered with an eerie green glow, carrying a sinister air.

The third man was likewise muscular, though not as massive as the bald man. His red hair was slightly curly, and even his eyebrows and beard were red. His eyes gleamed sharply, and his entire body seemed to brim with explosive strength.

Both women were breathtaking beauties. One had black hair and a black dress, along with a pair of strange violet eyes.

The other wore a long aqua-green dress and looked much more normal. She had a well-proportioned figure, exquisite features, and a gentle expression.

After the five landed, hazy radiance rose from their bodies, and Dragon Valley's suppressive force immediately lost its effect on them.

The five raised their hands simultaneously. Light shot from their palms and struck the edges of the black crack. At once, the crack, which had been straining against those black giant claws, stabilized.

A deep dragon roar came from the black crack. The pair of giant claws suddenly tore outward, instantly pulling the crack open to twice its former size. An enormous body slowly squeezed out through the rift.

At first, only a head emerged. It was a huge dragon head, entirely black, but the deep gold of its eyes seemed capable of piercing the entire world.

It roared, and its dragon claws tore again. Its immense body finally forced its way through.

"Roaaar—" The black dragon howled toward the sky. The surrounding dragon clouds suddenly surged madly toward it and were drawn into its body. The black dragon's aura immediately swelled, and with a fierce wrench, it broke free from the crack.

Its colossal body, a hundred zhang long, spread its wings and blotted out the sky. A layer of purple-black radiance, like a domain, enveloped the enormous black dragon.

Its body rapidly shrank, and then it descended from the sky. By the time it landed, it had transformed into a tall, handsome middle-aged man.

Black hair fell down both sides of his head, his center-parted long hair draping over his shoulders. A lock of golden hair hung slightly to the left of the center.

After landing, he stood with the previous five. He too raised both hands and pushed toward the sky. Two dark-purple beams shot upward, likewise supporting the crack.

The rift remained enormous. A silver glow slowly appeared, shining as it descended from the sky. It was another figure.

When she emerged from the crack, the six who had landed earlier shouted in unison, "Welcome, my lord."

The silver figure descended without producing the slightest energy fluctuation.

"Guard the crack."

The six nodded. "Yes!"

She alone swiftly approached the core of Dragon Valley.

She slowly descended into the valley, but after landing, her eyes widened.

The Dragon God's heart was already gone!

Terrifying pressure suddenly covered the entire valley. Killing intent flashed through her eyes as she sensed someone slowly walking out from behind the Dragon God.

Yet the moment her killing intent touched that person, it abruptly stalled. She stared at him in disbelief.

A golden figure stroked the Dragon God's soul, holding a gold-and-silver core in his hand as he quietly met her gaze.

"Gu Yue..."

"Or should I call you... the Silver Dragon King?"