Qian Renxue: Rest in Peace

"Not even a true resting place..."

She looked at the enormous remains strewn across the valley and recalled everything she had seen and heard over the past year in this land where countless dragons had been buried.

Her heart trembled slightly. The whimpering yin wind, the bones with nowhere to be laid to rest, the Dragon Souls wailing without cease...

Scene after scene flashed through Qian Renxue's mind, and an impulse surged within her!

Let them rest in peace!

Bury these unclaimed bones beneath the earth!

Grant release to these Dragon Souls that still suffered even after death!

"I have to do something."

Compassion slowly filled Qian Renxue's eyes.

Since she could not find the core, then she would stop looking for it!

Outside Dragon Valley, she had received the Dragon Clan's grace. Now, she should give these long-departed souls their final dignity.

Their bones should not be left exposed in the wilderness after death.

Qian Renxue jumped into the valley. The remnant souls of the Icefire Dragon Kings within her seemed to sense her intentions and began to stir restlessly.

The instant Qian Renxue's little hand touched the ground, the Icefire Dragon Kings' power climbed along her meridians and onto her hands, transforming into one red and one blue dragon claw that fiercely pierced the earth.

Qian Renxue merely glanced at the changes in her body before ignoring them.

No matter what changes happened to her body, nothing would shake her determination to continue this task!

She would lay every last set of remains in Dragon Valley to rest beneath the earth!

After several hours, with the Icefire Dragon Kings' power, Qian Renxue had "dug" a massive pit with her bare hands—one large enough to bury dozens of people her size!

After digging the pit, Qian Renxue went to the nearest dragon skeleton. She carefully removed a single white bone, found the right spot, and placed it in the pit behind her.

After placing that bone, she jumped back up and removed another from the dragon skeleton, repeating the process over and over.

An entire day passed before the seemingly small dragon skeleton was completely buried in the soil beneath it.

If she had merely wanted to save time and effort, Qian Renxue could have tossed the entire dragon skeleton into the pit in one go. But she did not.

She was a descendant of angels, a kind child personally praised by Lord Heavenly Dao, and someone who respected the dead above all else. She could not bring herself to commit such desecration.

When Qian Renxue scattered the final handful of earth, the sorrowful aura around the dragon bones somehow faded considerably. Even the energy within them weakened until it was on the verge of dissipating.

Qian Renxue rose to her feet, feeling power surge within her. She looked out over the boundless Dragon Valley, and there was no despair in her eyes—only determination!

A relatively small dragon skeleton had taken her a full day. The time required to bury them all would be immeasurable, but that did not matter!

Once she made up her mind, she would do her utmost to see it through!

A blazing fire rose in Qian Renxue's heart. With both hands covered by the Icefire Dragon Kings' power, she plunged headlong into Dragon Valley and began this great undertaking!

One day, two days, three days...

When another dragon skeleton had been assembled and was about to be covered with earth, a small Dragon Soul suddenly rose from the ground. After curiously examining Qian Renxue, it sniffed her scent, then flew away without looking back, just like the other Dragon Souls.

Witnessing the wondrous birth of a Dragon Soul, Qian Renxue felt no stirrings in her heart and continued filling in the pit expressionlessly.

Only after the final handful of soil fell did the aura of the buried dragon bones fade once more, becoming so faint it was nearly undetectable, just like the dragon bones she had buried before.

But unlike before, when Qian Renxue turned around after growing stronger yet again, she saw a Dragon Soul rapidly flying toward her.

This Dragon Soul seemed to be the one that had flown away earlier?

For some reason, Qian Renxue sensed a trace of confusion and fear in its eyes.

Then, under her slightly astonished gaze, this Dragon Soul, born in Dragon Valley and previously indifferent to her, directly offered itself to her.

Qian Renxue felt the sudden surge of power within her, her gaze turning blank for a moment. Why had it come back? Why had it suddenly offered itself to her?

Qian Renxue did not know what was happening. She only knew that her power had grown much greater and her body had become much stronger.

Shaking her head and forgetting this strange experience, Qian Renxue found a dragon corpse that looked enormous and immensely powerful.

A day later, something strange happened.

After this larger dragon skeleton was laid to rest, not only did a Dragon Soul Qian Renxue had never seen before fly over and offer itself to her in confusion, but an object resembling a Soul Bone floated above the buried dragon remains.

"What is this?"

Qian Renxue looked at the "Soul Bone" before her, confusion in her eyes.

It looked like a sternum, but the knowledge in her mind told her that it was not a Soul Bone. Curiosity drove her to lightly touch it, yet her body had no desire whatsoever to absorb it.

It was not a Soul Bone.

Then what was it?

Qian Renxue did not know what it was, so she turned and left, with no intention of taking the "Soul Bone."

She was here to help these pitiful dragons rest in peace, not to seek benefits for herself!

The Dragon Souls offering themselves to her was something she could not avoid. If she had a choice, she certainly would not choose to absorb them.

However, Heaven did not grant her wish. The "gift" from the dragon bones did not bend to Qian Renxue's will.

When Qian Renxue turned around and took her first step away, the "Soul Bone" shot into the air and flew straight into her body.

But the moment it entered, a wave of ice and fire power wrapped around it in layers before it vanished without a trace.

Throughout the entire process, Qian Renxue noticed nothing at all.

Time passed unnoticed. Qian Renxue buried another dragon skeleton, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and lifted her head to look at the Dragon Valley, which had become somewhat empty.

A sense of pride welled up within her.

She had done this.

Through her unrelenting efforts, the valley that had once been filled with mournful winds, white bones, and wandering spirits had begun to take on an overall atmosphere of peace.

Before long, this valley would surely return to how it had originally been.

And every dragon that had died long ago would be laid to rest beneath the earth by her hands.

Work hard! Keep striving!

Sweeping her gaze over the remaining dragon remains in the valley, she charged forward with boundless enthusiasm!

"Hmph, hmph!"

Compared to the beginning, Qian Renxue had not only become far more skilled at digging pits and burying dragons, but had also grown much stronger.

Dragon bones that had once taken an entire day to bury could now be laid to rest by her in merely three or four hours.

However, after her long efforts, there were very few of these smaller dragon skeletons left. Even the smallest remaining ones were as large as hills.

But that was fine. Qian Renxue did not care!

She had already adapted to this monotonous life and had even begun to enjoy the process of digging earth and burying dragons!

Because it had begun to give meaning to her previously dull and numb life.