Gu Yunxiao's vision blurred, and the world spun around him. When he came to his senses again, he was already in another space.
It was vast, countless times larger than the special space where the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had been imprisoned.
Exquisite gemstones lay piled all around. Light from some unknown source fell upon them, illuminating the entire space.
"My lord!"
Di Tian dropped to one knee and bowed toward the depths of the space.
Gu Yunxiao stood beside him and looked over, only to see utter darkness.
Even when he probed with his mind, all he could detect was a bottomless abyssal vortex devouring his spiritual power.
"Thump! Thump! Thump!"
A heartbeat rang out, seemingly belonging to an incomparably enormous creature.
What Di Tian sensed was the oppressive might of the Dragon Clan.
Gu Yunxiao sensed something different: a mighty dragon with a formidable bloodline deep within the darkness.
Then a pair of amethyst eyes opened in the darkness, noble and mysterious, bearing a certain resemblance to Gu Yunxiao's own gaze.
Yet however imposing those violet eyes were, they still held a woman's gentle beauty.
Gu Yunxiao's were different, filled with pure, domineering majesty.
"Yunxiao, stay."
A clear, melodious female voice came from the darkness.
"Yes."
Di Tian answered, bowed to Gu Yunxiao, then turned and left.
In the blink of an eye, only those enormous violet dragon eyes and Gu Yunxiao, who was smaller than the eyes themselves, remained in the space.
"Bzzz..."
The surrounding crystals hummed, casting their light into the depths of the darkness.
Under Gu Yunxiao's gaze, the darkness lit up. There seemed to be a nearly impassable spatial barrier between him and the other side.
There lay a colossal dragon, fully a thousand zhang in size.
The dragon's scales were silver. Rather than savage ferocity, her body exuded a mysterious, noble beauty.
Her horns, her claws, and even the pair of silver wings upon her back all seemed perfectly proportioned.
Gu Yunxiao quietly watched the silver dragon, and she watched him in turn.
Large eyes stared into small ones, neither side speaking.
A long while passed.
The silver dragon finally moved, slowly lowering her enormous head toward Gu Yunxiao.
As she drew closer, a wave of oppressive might came with her.
"ROAR!!!"
Sensing a provocation, the Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon Martial Soul within Gu Yunxiao instinctively possessed him. The power of heavenly tribulation and the Dragon God's power surged wildly outward.
An equally enormous demon dragon phantom appeared behind Gu Yunxiao. It had twelve heads, three of which had already revealed their true forms.
Intimidated by the Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon phantom, the silver dragon instinctively felt a trace of fear rise within her, along with... submission.
"A power never seen before..."
The silver dragon seemed to be speaking to herself, yet also to Gu Yunxiao.
The clear, melodious female voice from earlier had also come from her.
"According to Di Tian, the power within you that surpasses the Dragon God's power is called... the power of heavenly tribulation?" the silver dragon asked.
"Yes."
Gu Yunxiao nodded slightly.
"This power is formidable, greater than destruction."
"But it hasn't completely fused with the Dragon God's power within you yet. That should be related to your own strength."
The silver dragon saw at a glance that the two powers within Gu Yunxiao were slowly merging.
"..."
Gu Yunxiao fell silent for a moment before saying, "Back then, you brought me back from Dragon Valley and let me live in the Star Dou Great Forest."
"I won't forget those two favors."
Although Gu Yuena had brought him back because of his identity, ultimately, he still owed her those favors.
"So you were already aware back then."
The silver dragon watched Gu Yunxiao calmly, then changed the subject. "You needn't repay those favors. Just remember the responsibility you bear: to restore the Dragon Clan and the Soul Beast Clan."
"...What should I call you?"
Gu Yunxiao asked, pretending not to know.
"The Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena." Gu Yuena made no attempt to conceal her identity.
"You can take human form, right?" Gu Yunxiao suddenly asked.
"Hmm?"
A trace of confusion flashed through Gu Yuena's violet eyes.
"Maintaining the Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon Martial Soul consumes a lot of energy." Gu Yunxiao's tone carried a deeper meaning.
The Silver Dragon King was looking down at him from above, which the Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon regarded as a provocation.
Although Gu Yunxiao could forcibly withdraw the Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon, he could not force down the pride buried in his very bones.
"Yes."
Gu Yuena answered softly, clearly understanding what Gu Yunxiao meant.
She had indeed failed to consider that.
The Dragon God could not be insulted, much less Gu Yunxiao, whose bloodline surpassed even the Dragon God's.
"Whoosh-"
Silver light flashed, filling the entire space.
Gu Yunxiao closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again. The silver dragon before him had vanished, replaced by a graceful silver figure.
She approached slowly with delicate steps, her flawless, jade-white feet touching the ground. A faint layer of silver light enveloped them, keeping them free of even a speck of dust.
Her figure was exquisite, her curves graceful. Not only did she harbor great "evil" upon her chest, but she also had straight, slender, jade-white legs, displaying her alluring beauty to the fullest.
As she drew closer, her face became clearer.
It was a face of unparalleled radiance. Even beneath a light veil, the perfect features hidden behind it were faintly visible.
Her amethyst eyes held boundless nobility and mystery, lending her beauty an added air of distinction.
Calling her a goddess descended to earth would hardly do her looks justice.
In fact, her beauty was already beyond description.
To date, Gu Yuena was the most beautiful woman Gu Yunxiao had ever seen, without exception.
Her reputation as the greatest beauty on the Douluo Continent was well deserved.
By then, Gu Yuena had reached Gu Yunxiao, leaving less than a meter between them.
At such a distance, each could catch the other's unique scent.
The captivating fragrance of Gu Yuena's body left Gu Yunxiao momentarily distracted.
The unusual aura surrounding Gu Yunxiao likewise distracted Gu Yuena, making her unable to resist wanting to draw closer.
Both their looks and their bearing were rarities seen once in a hundred years. Their names alone could have replaced the word "perfect" as a new adjective.
A long while passed.
They came to their senses almost simultaneously, their gazes wandering and their expressions turning awkward.
For a moment, the atmosphere grew strange.
No one knew what either of them was thinking.
A moment later, their eyes met with uncanny coordination. That single glance left them both briefly stunned.
"What are you looking at?" ×2
Gu Yunxiao and Gu Yuena asked in unison.
Their voices faded.
An inexplicable look crossed both their faces again. The atmosphere grew stranger and stranger, and they once more fell silent.
In the end, Gu Yunxiao broke the silence with a faint smile. "I was surprised by how you look. You're beautiful."
"...You should have seen me back then."
"Yes."
Gu Yunxiao nodded, his smile unchanged. "So you've grown more beautiful. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been surprised."
At those words...
Gu Yuena suddenly felt her heartbeat gradually quicken, and a certain emotion quietly began to rise deep within her heart.
It was a very strange feeling.
Before you continue