"You did! You absolutely did! I wasn't making things up."
Gu Yunxiao folded his arms across his chest and looked at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion with amusement. "If I remember correctly, you're the one who takes me out to stir up trouble in the Star Dou Great Forest every time."
"You handle the little things yourself, and I take the blame for the big ones."
"I... I don't."
"All right, then. No more playing from now on."
"You!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion bristled with anger, her large red eyes fixed on Gu Yunxiao.
Gu Yunxiao watched her quietly, the smile on his lips unchanged.
The boy and the beast stared each other down, neither willing to give an inch.
Watching them, Bi Ji did not know whether to laugh or cry.
She could barely remember how many times she had seen Gu Yunxiao and the Auspicious Beast bicker.
Although neither of these two little tyrants of the Star Dou Great Forest would submit to the other, they shared a very close bond.
Yunxiao will surely become the leader of the Soul Beast Clan, while the Auspicious Beast embodies its fortune. If the two could come together...
As Bi Ji watched Gu Yunxiao and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion cross verbal swords, a few ideas sprang to mind.
In an unknown space beneath the Lake of Life.
Deep in the darkness, an image lit up, clearly showing Gu Yunxiao, Bi Ji, and the Emperor Auspicious Beast.
"The Ice God's remnant soul..."
As a soft murmur sounded, a pair of purple eyes opened in the darkness.
Her gaze remained on Gu Yunxiao from beginning to end.
Even though Gu Yunxiao was not there in person, she could see straight through to the Ice God's remnant soul hidden deep within his sea of consciousness.
"My lord."
Just then, a voice came from the entrance to the space.
The owner of the purple eyes did not answer. With a slight shift of her intent, she allowed the person at the entrance to enter.
Then, with a flash of light, Di Tian walked in.
"Di Tian pays his respects, my lord!"
Di Tian dropped to one knee, lowered his head, and formed a complicated gesture with both hands, respectfully saluting the depths of the darkness.
In the entire Star Dou Great Forest, only one person could command such a respectful salute from Di Tian.
The Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena!
"Di Tian, what happened to Gu Yunxiao in the Far North?"
From the darkness, Gu Yuena's voice rang out, cool and filled with authority.
"My lord, I originally intended to obtain an Ice Jade Scorpion martial soul for Yunxiao, but I learned from the Ice and Snow Empresses that there was also a place in the Far North where one could receive the Ice God's blessing..."
Di Tian recounted everything that had happened when he took Gu Yunxiao to the Far North, leaving out not a single detail.
The only thing he knew nothing about was the process of receiving the Ice God's blessing.
When Di Tian finished, the entire underground space fell deathly silent.
The silence made Di Tian's heart skip a beat.
"My lord, was there something wrong with the Ice God's blessing? Could it harm Yunxiao?"
"..."
Gu Yuena remained silent for a long while before saying, "It is a good thing for him."
"Phew..."
Di Tian immediately let out a breath of relief.
For that brief moment, he had truly begun to panic.
If a mistake of his had left some hidden danger within Gu Yunxiao, even ten thousand deaths would not have redeemed him.
"My lord, forgive your subordinate for daring to ask."
"The power of heavenly tribulation within Yunxiao surpasses the Dragon God's power. Does that mean... it was actually Yunxiao who devoured the Dragon God's power?"
Ever since he had sensed how terrifying the power of heavenly tribulation was, Di Tian had harbored this suspicion.
He had always believed Gu Yunxiao to be the reincarnation of the Dragon God's remnant soul. Now, it seemed that a dragon from elsewhere had devoured the Dragon God's power.
Furthermore, the bloodline of this outsider dragon, Gu Yunxiao, surpassed even the Dragon God's.
"Dragon Valley's sudden appearance was inextricably linked to Gu Yunxiao in the first place."
"The Dragon God's power remaining in the valley fell short of the Dragon God of old. It is only natural that the power of heavenly tribulation within Gu Yunxiao devoured it."
"Since he was born in Dragon Valley, possesses a dragon bloodline, and has also obtained the Dragon God's power, he should be counted as a member of the Dragon Clan."
In truth, Gu Yuena did not understand the power of heavenly tribulation within Gu Yunxiao either.
However, she saw in him the hope of reviving the Dragon Clan and the Soul Beast Clan.
"Your subordinate understands."
Di Tian had grasped Gu Yuena's meaning.
With matters having reached this point, rather than dwelling on who had devoured whom, they should nurture Gu Yunxiao and make him the next Dragon God.
He might even surpass the Dragon God of old.
"From this day onward, Gu Yunxiao is the young lord of the Soul Beast Clan, second only to me in status."
Gu Yuena's voice brooked no argument. "Di Tian, you will arrange this. No soul beast is permitted to offend Gu Yunxiao."
"Yes!"
Di Tian answered respectfully, "Rest assured, my lord. Your subordinate will also do everything in his power to protect Yunxiao."
"Good. See to it."
"Your subordinate takes his leave!"
Di Tian bowed and left.
"Gu Yunxiao, the future of the Dragon Clan and the Soul Beast Clan rests on your shoulders..." Gu Yuena murmured, her voice gradually fading into silence.
Night.
Beside the Lake of Life, a campfire crackled.
Because his formal cultivation would begin the next day, Gu Yunxiao had accompanied the Three-Eyed Golden Lion on one last romp through the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Huff, huff, huff..."
Beside the campfire, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion lay next to Gu Yunxiao with her eyes closed. Even asleep, her breathing was loud.
Gu Yunxiao stroked her head and shook his own with a smile. "The phrase 'panting like an ox' paints quite a vivid picture when applied to you."
After stroking the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's fur for a while, Gu Yunxiao found a comfortable spot and leaned back against her, thoroughly enjoying himself.
A Three-Eyed Golden Lion-brand bed was well worth having.
Whoosh-
Just then, light flickered a short distance away, and Di Tian and Bi Ji stepped out.
"Uncle Tian, Bi Ji."
Gu Yunxiao raised a hand in greeting and slowly stood.
"Yunxiao." Bi Ji smiled faintly, her expression gentle.
"Yunxiao, you will begin cultivating tomorrow."
Di Tian came up to Gu Yunxiao. "Before that, there is another matter to settle concerning your status in the Star Dou Great Forest."
As he spoke, Di Tian waved a hand behind him and said calmly, "All of you, come out."
The moment those words fell.
Staggering auras immediately rose around the Lake of Life. Any one of them was far beyond what Gu Yunxiao could match at present.
Gu Yunxiao was no stranger to these auras.
They belonged to the other ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest. Including Di Tian and Bi Ji, there were seven in total.
Whoosh!
Their imposing presence surged in like an avalanche toppling mountains and overturning seas, pressing the surrounding vegetation into a swaying tangle.
The commotion also woke the sleeping Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
"Hmm?" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion lifted her head and surveyed her surroundings, then lay back down without the slightest tension.
Thud, thud, thud...
Heavy footsteps sounded as a dark-gold bear fifty or sixty meters tall emerged.
The bear was powerfully built, with thick, strong limbs and claws ten meters long. They gleamed with a dazzling, cold light, as though they could tear heaven and earth apart.
The first impression this bear, as massive as a small mountain, gave was one of ferocity and savagery.
Behind the bear stood a tree.
The tree towered hundreds of meters high, its roots twisting and intertwining. An uncanny face marked its trunk, its eyes gleaming with an eerie light.
The first impression it gave was sinister and unsettling.
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