Rebirth

The Far North Wasteland lay shrouded in endless freezing mist all year round.

A heavy, lead-gray sky pressed low over the earth. Not a ray of warm sunlight graced the world, and bone-deep cold held the entire snowy expanse in its relentless grip. Across the continent, it was known as a forbidden land for all life. Howling winds swept shards of ice across the wilderness. This was no ordinary blizzard, but the Far North Frostwind, fierce enough to tear flesh and freeze Soul Power. It surged over the empty Icefield, filling the air with shrill, mournful cries.

Layers of ancient ice that had never thawed held the chill of countless ages. An icy, lifeless stillness permeated heaven and earth, and the desolation and bitter cold accumulated through the years filled every inch of space.

Yet at the heart of this storm, where no living person ever ventured, two figures locked in an embrace broke the age-old silence.

Neither summoned even a trace of Soul Power to shield their bodies. They let the cold, powerful enough to gravely wound a Title Douluo, ravage them as they held each other tight. It was as though no snowstorm, chill, or decree of fate could separate them in the slightest. Their bodies pressed together were the only warmth and salvation in this boundless frozen prison.

The Golden Dragon Spear that pierced both their bodies shimmered with a golden light at once gentle and imperious. The Dragon Clan's supreme treasure had now become the most irrevocable bond, fastening two lives entangled by fate together.

The cold, sharp shaft ran straight through Gu Yuena's slender chest, and warm blood instantly soaked her clothes. Tang Wulin clutched the spear's butt in a death grip. Its hard edges cut into his flesh, leaving his palm torn and bloody, yet he felt no pain at all.

With every ounce of strength he possessed, he drove the butt deep into his own heart, fulfilling their promise to share life and death in the most brutal way.

The muffled sound of metal piercing flesh spread softly, clear and cruel—the prelude to life slowly slipping away.

Scalding blood poured from both wounds, instantly freezing in the Far North's bitter temperatures into translucent, blood-red crystals. They slid down the gilded shaft and fell onto the pristine Xue with faint, crisp sounds. Flecks of blood spread across the white Xue, painting it a crimson of devastating beauty, painfully vivid against the barren Icefield.

"Wulin..."

Gu Yuena's vision gradually blurred. Her violet-gold eyes, always so clear and brilliant, slowly lost focus, their light fading little by little. Her Xue-white silver hair was soaked with blood, its disheveled strands clinging to her pale, bloodless cheeks. With her vitality exhausted, her body could no longer support itself.

She wanted to raise her hand and smooth away the resolve between the young man's brows. She wanted to stem his ebbing life, to keep this man who had willingly chosen to die beside her. But her failing body no longer obeyed her. Every last trace of strength vanished into the freezing wind along with her rapidly fading warmth.

Tang Wulin's face was equally pale as paper, and his life was draining away swiftly. Yet there was not the slightest fear of death in his eyes, only the relief and peace of everything finally settling into place.

The shackles of fate that had bound half his life, the burden of his race upon his shoulders, and the endless torment of impossible choices all dissolved in that moment.

He tightened his arms, drawing the increasingly cold girl closer, wishing he could fuse their souls completely and overcome this parting of life and death.

"Don't be sad."

His breath was faint, his hoarse voice barely audible, but every word was resolute and filled with a tenderness he would never regret. "You always wished for me to live well. But all the splendor of this world, all my duties to home and country—without you beside me, they would leave me with nothing but endless loneliness, a living hell."

Warm tears slipped from the corners of Gu Yuena's eyes, traced her cold cheeks, and froze into tiny beads in the wind.

Only at the end of her life did she finally see the full extent of the stubbornness and mistakes that had marked half her lifetime.

She had plotted for ten thousand years, bearing the fate of the Soul Beast Clan's revival. Maneuvering between the conflicts of the Human Race and the Soul Beasts, she had laid out an impossible chessboard with her own hands. All she wanted was to end ten thousand years of grievances between the two races through her own sacrifice, to let Tang Wulin cast off every shackle and live in peace.

She had willingly taken on every curse and every sin, shouldering all the anguish of fate alone. Even if it made him hate her, she wanted only for him to live a safe, peaceful life.

But in the end, she had underestimated Tang Wulin's devotion.

That young man, sincere and pure since childhood, who treasured loyalty and affection; that young man, who had endured countless hardships without ever abandoning his true heart—once he chose someone, he would stay beside her for life, unwavering even in death.

"You still have your family, your dearest friends, an entire continent to protect... You're the hope of the Human Race. You shouldn't fall like this..." Gu Yuena's breath faltered. The metallic sweetness of blood rose in her throat, and every word carried boundless regret and choked grief.

Tang Wulin gently interrupted her. In his dimming eyes, her figure alone remained clearly reflected, held within an immeasurable love. "Everything in this world is an illusion. You're the only one I've ever wanted. Without you, hope, duty, and all the lives of this world mean nothing."

Half a lifetime of memories rushed through their minds like fleeting glimmers of light.

The shy distance of their first meeting, the gentle understanding of their companionship, the days and nights spent cultivating side by side, the heartfelt confession amid a sea of people, the anguish of their opposing identities, the torment of misunderstandings and tangled emotions, and finally, the tenderness of hearts united and souls saving one another...

All their joy and pain, sweetness and regret, bonds and obsessions converged in this final moment, becoming the deepest marks upon their lives.

"I was too selfish." Gu Yuena rested her forehead lightly against his shoulder, her voice as soft as an evening breeze's sigh. "I only wanted you to live well. I never asked whether you were willing to bear everything alone and spend the rest of your life in solitude."

"It had nothing to do with me." Tang Wulin lowered his head and tenderly kissed her bloodstained hair, his movements infinitely gentle. "I failed to protect you. I let you endure ten thousand years of loneliness and burdens alone. If there's another life, let's cast aside every shackle of fate. We won't be Dragon Clan Heirs or carry the burden of our races. We'll just be ordinary people, together every morning and evening, beside each other year after year."

"All right."

A gentle, heartbreakingly beautiful smile curved Gu Yuena's lips. Tears slipped from her eyes again, and her soft voice carried one final hope. "In our next life, you must find me sooner. Don't make me wait so painfully again."

The gale grew fiercer, and the swirling Xue seemed to grieve, as though heaven and earth mourned together for the passing of the Dragon Clan's two supreme beings.

Xue slowly covered their embracing figures, fixing their refusal to part, even in death, into eternity. The Golden Dragon Spear trembled with a low hum. Its golden radiance slowly receded, dissolving into tiny streams of light that entered their bodies, placing the final seal upon this tragedy of fate.

Amid the unchanging, ancient storms of the Far North Wasteland, these lovers who had spent half their lives together and died for love fell silent.

The years turned, and time sank into stillness. Who knew how many days and nights passed? A moment became ten thousand years, and time itself lost all order here.

Suddenly, a vast, scorching current burst from the deepest recesses of her soul, rushing through every limb and bone, driving away all frozen stillness and death.

Gu Yuena's eyes flew open. She gasped violently, her back already drenched in cold sweat. The grief and terror of their final sacrifice still lingered in her eyes, but the scene before her overturned everything she knew.

There was no Far North Wasteland frozen for endless miles, no bone-cutting frostwind, no despair of parting in death.

Layers of lush greenery filled her vision. Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, while warm sunlight filtered through gaps in their branches, scattering dappled light across the ground. A breeze carried the fresh scents of vegetation and earth. In the distance, the low growls of Soul Beasts rose and fell. Everything brimmed with life, warm and vivid.

This was—the Star Dou Great Forest.

This was the past, before any tragedy had begun, before any regret had come to be.

Gu Yuena's heart shook. Instinctively, she raised her hand. Utterly pure silver elemental power curled around her fingertips, flowing with dazzling radiance, light yet immense. She focused inward, and astonishment filled her heart.

Her damaged origin, her depleted power, and the torn foundations of her dragon body had all been perfectly restored. Her cultivation, tempered by ten thousand years of frozen imprisonment and a catastrophe of life and death, had not merely returned to its peak. It had broken through its shackles and reached an entirely new realm far beyond her former prime.

Her power was now as vast as an ocean, her reserves unfathomably deep. Every movement carried the supreme majesty of the Dragon Clan's sovereign.

"I... was reborn."

Her low murmur held an almost imperceptible tremor. The loneliness of ten thousand frozen years in her previous life, the piercing agony of dying for love in the Far North, and the endless regret of half a lifetime lost all surged into her heart.

Heaven had shown mercy, granting her the chance to live again, to leave every tragedy in the past and make amends for every regret.

In this life, she would never repeat her mistakes.

She would no longer bear all of fate's burdens alone, no longer leave Tang Wulin trapped between impossible choices, no longer allow tangled love and hatred or grievances between races to tear apart their determination to stay together.

In her previous life, she had entered the game passively, constrained by heaven's decree. In this life, she would move the pieces herself and command heaven and earth!

Her cool, gentle demeanor vanished, replaced by the bearing of a sovereign who looked down upon the world and held the four seas beneath her might. Gu Yuena stood among the trees, her gaze clear and unwavering, her voice carrying the resolve to smash her cauldrons and sink her boats. "In this life, my fate belongs to me, not heaven."

She closed her eyes. Boundless spiritual power swept outward, instantly enveloping the entire vast Star Dou Great Forest.

Her all-encompassing draconic might spread across heaven and earth. Countless high-ranking Soul Beasts lurking in the depths trembled and prostrated themselves. Sensing this familiar yet immense supreme aura, Di Tian and the other foremost Ferocious Beasts were shaken to their souls. They bowed respectfully, not daring to make the slightest move.

Reborn, she possessed ten thousand years of memories from her previous life and knew every storm and crisis the future held.

She knew clearly that the coming invasion of the Abyss Plane, the rapid rise of the Human Race's Soul Guidance Technology, the layers of conspiracy hidden within the Spirit Pagoda, and the Divine Realm's lofty schemes were all deadly shackles wound around Tang Wulin and the Soul Beast Clan.

To rewrite their ending completely, protect the one she loved, and preserve the Soul Beast Population, she had to lay her plans early, build her strength, and fortify every step of her advance.

Her resolve settled, Gu Yuena summoned her vast inner origin and unleashed a forbidden secret art she had comprehended during the frozen years of her previous life. This art could divide her soul and origin power without harm, preserving complete memories and awareness to create an independent avatar.

"Soul Division."

At her softly spoken words, brilliant silver light, luminous as white jade, separated from her body. It slowly gathered and took shape in midair, finally becoming a delicate silver-haired girl with clear, bright eyes.

It was Na'er.

The two figures, identical in appearance, faced each other quietly. The same maturity and understanding flowed through their eyes. They bore memories of two lives and boundless experience, with none of their former ignorance or division.

"Big sister." Na'er spoke softly, emotion threading through her gentle voice.

Gu Yuena looked at her avatar, her gaze tender yet utterly firm. "Na'er, from now on, you'll carry part of my origin and all my memories into the Human Territories. Find Tang Wulin. Stay beside him, protect him as he grows, and accompany him on his journey."

"In our previous life, I endured in silence, concealed the truth, and deliberately kept my distance, bringing about countless mistakes and regrets. In this life, you'll go to him, speak honestly of our feelings, and stay tenderly by his side. Make amends for everything we owe him and keep him safe year after year."

Na'er nodded firmly, tears glimmering in her resolute eyes. "I'll remember. But what about you, big sister?"

"I'll remain in the Star Dou Great Forest." Gu Yuena looked toward the forest's depths, a sharp gleam flashing in her eyes. "I'll unite every Soul Beast force, establish order throughout our race, nurture powerful fighters, and build our foundations, strengthening the Soul Beast Clan completely. In our previous life, Soul Beasts were left at others' mercy, passively dwindling away. In this life, I'll give the Soul Beast Clan the strength to stand beneath heaven. We won't beg for the Human Race's charity. We seek only true equality and coexistence between our races."

She paused briefly. A deep chill passed through her eyes, carrying the vigilance born of seeing through schemes across two lifetimes. "There's one more thing you must remember. Never forget it for as long as you live."

"No matter when or where, even when dealing with Tang Wulin's closest family, you must never trust Tang San completely."

Confusion crossed Na'er's face. "He's big brother Wulin's father and the supreme ruler of the Divine Realm. Why must we guard against him?"

"He's a God King who protects all living beings, but he's also someone who places the greater picture above everything else." Gu Yuena's voice was icy and lucid, every word clear. "In his eyes, the order of heaven, the stability of the three realms, and righteousness will always stand above family affection. For the so-called greater good, he can sacrifice anything—even his own child."

"He sealed Wulin's memories from infancy and abandoned his newborn son in the mortal world, leaving him to suffer its hardships and countless trials alone. That is the truest answer."

"I will never allow anyone to treat Tang Wulin as a chess piece again, as a bargaining chip in their calculations of gain and loss. If anyone dares to scheme against him or harm him in the name of righteousness, I'll spare nothing to show the world the thunderous fury of the Soul Beasts' sovereign."

After the upheavals of two lifetimes, she had long since seen through every scheme and every heart. The Divine Realm's apparent protection was truly layer upon layer of shackles. Its supposed arrangements and kindness were nothing but a script of fate written long beforehand.

In this life, she would tear every script apart with her own hands.

"I understand." Na'er etched the warning deep into her heart, her gaze growing ever firmer. "I'll protect big brother Wulin well and stay vigilant at all times. I won't let anyone hurt him."

"Go." Gu Yuena waved gently, reluctance and hope hidden in her eyes. "In this life, we're no longer pieces on heaven's chessboard. No one can control us. No one can separate you from him."

Na'er bowed and nodded, then became a light streak of silver that soared through the air toward the flourishing Human Territories, racing toward a companionship delayed by ten thousand years.

Watching her avatar disappear, Gu Yuena gathered her thoughts. The vast draconic might surrounding her burst forth, resounding throughout the heart of Star Dou.

"Di Tian."

As her low, majestic summons fell, dark currents surged. A massive black dragon suddenly appeared. Di Tian, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, prostrated himself with utmost reverence. "My lord."

"Convey my command. Summon every Emperor-Rank Ferocious Beast to the Core Sacred Hall to discuss our race's great undertaking."

Gu Yuena stood amid the sea of trees, her silver robes snapping in the wind. Her gaze swept imperiously in every direction. "Troubled times are coming, and the storms will not cease. From this day onward, restore order among our people, cultivate diligently, prepare for war, and gather strength."

"In our previous life, the Soul Beast Clan retreated step by step, passively facing extinction and suffering endless schemes and slaughter. In this life, I return with the experience of two lifetimes. I will ensure our race rises and stands beneath heaven, never again to be manipulated or bullied!"

Immense pressure swept across the wilderness. Every Soul Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest sensed the winds of change heralding a new age.

At that same moment, high above the heavens, in the Divine Realm Center.

The Divine Domain Sacred Ground, wreathed in auspicious clouds, was now oppressively still. Godhoods stood in solemn silence across the sky, and the air brimmed with an unbearably taut aura of Destruction.

The Golden Dragon King's Origin power, which had ravaged the Divine Realm, collapsed completely, and his violent, imperious dragon soul scattered into nothing. Even at his death, the Golden Dragon King's lingering obsession refused to fade. His voice resounded throughout the Divine Realm. "Tang San! You seek to shackle heaven's decree and control everything, but it's all an illusion! My lifetime's origin and the obsession of my bloodline will be branded into your own son's flesh and bones. Our fates will remain entwined for all eternity!"

Before his words faded, the essence of the Divine Core the Golden Dragon King had condensed over ten thousand years, along with the violent, imperious origin of his physical body, broke through every Divine Power restraint and tore apart the spatial barriers. It became a dazzling golden torrent that plunged straight into the body of a newborn infant still crying in his swaddling clothes.

That child was the newly born Tang Wulin.

"Lin'er!" Xiao Wu's face went deathly pale. Heartbroken, she desperately tried to rush forward and protect her young son, but Tang San forcibly stopped her.

The swaddled infant instantly turned scarlet. Beneath his skin, it seemed that molten lava surged and churned. A savage power capable of shaking the Divine Realm's foundations suddenly awakened, far beyond what his fragile little body could bear.

Tang San immediately sent his divine consciousness into his young son's body. His expression changed sharply, his eyes filled with grave concern. "This is bad! The Golden Dragon King's Origin is violently corrosive. It's assaulting his meridians and soul. If we can't suppress it, either his body will explode and his soul will be annihilated, or that lingering obsession will possess him and turn him into a savage puppet!"

Faced with such peril, every god looked aghast.

This ultimate power, inherited from the ancient Dragon Clan, was incomparably domineering. Even if all the gods joined forces, they could not forcibly extract it from the infant. The slightest mistake would cost Tang Wulin his life.

"Only a seal can preserve his life for now." Huo Yuhao stepped forward, resolute divine light gleaming in his Spirit Eyes. His tone was certain. "We must seal the Golden Dragon King's savage origin layer by layer and block the obsession's corruption. Then we can send Wulin to the mortal world of the Douluo Continent, away from the Divine Realm's turmoil, to slowly refine and suppress it."

Tang San's brows knitted tightly, his heart full of concern. "Divine Power is scarce in the mortal world. The seals could easily loosen. With such terrifying power inside him and danger lurking everywhere, no one there could protect him throughout his life."

"I'll go."

A clear, resolute female voice suddenly rang out.

Tang Wutong slowly stepped out from the ranks of the gods. Looking at her little brother struggling in agony within his swaddling clothes, her eyes filled with tenderness and determination.

"Father, Mother, let me escort my little brother to the Douluo Continent." Her gaze was earnest, her voice unwavering. "I'm his older sister. It's only right that I protect him as he grows. Our elders will watch over us in the mortal world, and old friends will help. I'll never leave his side. I'll protect the seals and fend off danger until he's grown and can control the power within him himself."

Xiao Wu's eyes brimmed with tears. Though she could not bear to part with them, she knew this was the only safe course and could only struggle to contain her grief.

"All right." Tang San looked into his daughter's determined eyes and gave his solemn consent. "Be careful in everything. If trouble arises, protect yourself first. Don't push yourself beyond your limits."

Just then, two figures slowly descended, their auras weak yet their majesty boundless.

Kindness and Evil, the two God Kings whose Divine Power had been exhausted by the Divine Realm's internal conflict, stood before the others with guilt upon their faces.

"Tang San, Xiao Wu, this all arose from the upheaval of the Divine Realm Order. We cannot escape responsibility." The Goddess of Life's gaze was gentle and full of remorse. Raising her hand, she gathered a sphere of pure, soothing origin radiance. "This is the origin of life condensed from my lifetime of cultivation. It can nourish the child's soul and body, temper the violent power, and keep his foundations stable."

Still defiant by nature, the God of Destruction gave a cold snort, yet he too raised his hand and summoned a sphere of dense, savage purple-black origin power. "This power can counterbalance the Golden Dragon King's Destruction attribute and help him refine his bloodline power in the future. Whether he can master it depends entirely on his own fortune. He must bear the blessings or disasters himself."

The two supreme origins, utterly opposite in nature, slowly merged into Tang Wulin's body.

The supremely gentle power of life soothed his agitated meridians, while the domineering counterbalancing force suppressed the savage dragon origin. Supporting one another, the two powers miraculously stabilized the infant's precarious condition, creating the perfect opportunity for the sealing that followed.

Tang San stilled all his emotions. Golden light blazed from his divine eyes. Empowered by both the Sea God's power and Asura God power, he summoned endless, profound golden runes from thin air. Layer upon layer, they slowly branded themselves into Tang Wulin's meridians, soul, flesh, and bones.

The Eighteen Fate Seals formed one after another, firmly imprisoning the rampaging Golden Dragon King's Origin and cutting off every trace of the obsession's corruption.

As the final seal settled into place, Tang Wulin's cries gradually quieted. The redness faded from his skin, and his turbulent aura became completely calm.

"Depart!"

Tang San shouted, and his God power tore open the Void. A Spacetime Gate connecting the Divine Realm to the mortal Douluo world suddenly opened.

Tang Wutong carefully lifted her swaddled little brother and held him protectively against her chest. After one last, lingering look at her parents and Huo Yuhao, she turned and stepped resolutely into the Spacetime Gate.

"Father, Mother, Yuhao, esteemed elders! Once my little brother has grown up safely, we'll return to the Divine Realm in triumph!"

Light flowed, space and time shifted, and the two figures descended fully into the mortal world, embarking upon Tang Wulin's destined journey.