"You've changed a lot compared to back then, too."
"When I first brought you back, you were stark naked. Now you've got clothes on..."
As Gu Yuena spoke, her voice gradually faded away.
She suddenly felt there was something a little wrong with her assessment of Gu Yunxiao. Perhaps she shouldn't have judged him that way?
"..."
The corner of Gu Yunxiao's mouth twitched slightly, but he didn't dwell on it. Instead, he teased, "How about I strip again now so you can take a good look?"
"No need. I can see."
Gu Yuena shook her head, light flashing in her violet eyes as she effortlessly saw straight through Gu Yunxiao.
With her strength, seeing Gu Yunxiao stark naked was far too easy.
She could even go a step further and see the energy flowing through every part of his body, along with the condition of his meridians.
There was only one thing she couldn't see through: the Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon.
"Wait, you're actually looking?"
Gu Yunxiao instinctively raised a hand and covered Gu Yuena's eyes.
The gesture left Gu Yuena stunned.
All she felt was the warmth of the palm before her eyes, and that aura that made her unable to resist drawing closer had grown even stronger.
"I'm examining your physical condition."
Gu Yuena moved Gu Yunxiao's hand aside, her voice calm. "A remnant soul lies dormant in your sea of consciousness. It belongs to the Ancient Ice God, who once served under the Dragon God."
"Presumably, on the day you received the Ice God's Blessing, she sensed the Dragon God's Power and entered your sea of consciousness to keep this remnant of her soul alive."
"Are you... aware of all this?"
As she finished speaking, a sharp glint flashed through Gu Yuena's eyes, and a chill rose with it.
Although the Ice God had once been one of the Dragon God's subordinates, that was no excuse for her to take up residence in Gu Yunxiao's sea of consciousness without permission.
If Gu Yunxiao answered that he didn't know, she would erase this remnant of the Ice God's soul.
Moreover, the Ice God had given Gu Yunxiao the Extreme Dust Ice Bow as his martial soul.
All of this inevitably made her think of possession.
Although Gu Yunxiao possessed the Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon bloodline and it was almost impossible for the Ice God to possess him, no one could guarantee that absolutely.
The possibility of there being no hidden danger didn't mean there was none at all.
She wouldn't gamble with Gu Yunxiao's safety.
"I know."
Gu Yunxiao nodded. "It's a deal I made with her. I let her reside in my sea of consciousness, and she gave me the Extreme Dust Ice Bow martial soul."
"She wants to keep this remnant of her soul from dissipating and seek a way to revive in the future."
"Mm."
Gu Yuena's expression softened somewhat.
Even though some of it was almost exactly what she had guessed, she still needed to hear Gu Yunxiao say those words himself: "I know."
"The Extreme Dust Ice Bow's Ice Devouring ability is quite good. It suits your current circumstances very well."
"Moreover, Ice Devouring can not only increase your cultivation speed, but also increase the ages of the Extreme Dust Ice Bow martial soul's soul rings."
As one half of the Dragon God, Gu Yuena naturally knew about the Extreme Dust Ice Bow's Ice Devouring ability.
Although the Ancient Ice God was a major god, the Extreme Dust Ice Bow's Ice Devouring ability gave her all the potential she needed to become a God King.
The Extreme Dust Ice Bow itself also had the potential to grow into a Super Divine Artifact.
"Increase the soul rings' ages?"
Gu Yunxiao was a little surprised. "I hadn't noticed that. The Ice God didn't tell me, either."
"It's perfectly normal that she doesn't know."
"The Extreme Dust Ice Bow was originally a major divine artifact. Even she couldn't predict what changes would occur when it became a martial soul."
Gu Yuena shook her head.
She was stronger than the Ice God and controlled multiple elements, so seeing through the connection between the Extreme Dust Ice Bow martial soul and Ice Devouring wasn't difficult.
"I'll give it a try."
With a thought, Gu Yunxiao summoned his Extreme Dust Ice Bow martial soul. Three soul rings descended from above his head and shone beneath his feet.
Platinum, purple, black.
The platinum soul ring came from the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and possessed four mental attribute soul skills.
The purple soul ring came from an Ice Jade Scorpion nearly ten thousand years old. Because it had already been on the brink of death, it had become his second soul ring.
The soul skill the Ice Jade Scorpion provided was quite good, too. It was called "Ice Blast Arrow," and, as its name suggested, it fired ice arrows with an explosive effect.
The black soul ring came from a ten-thousand-year-old Ancient Frost Beast and provided the "Icefall Arrow" soul skill. It possessed tremendous single-target attack power, enlarging an arrow that fell from the sky, and could be used in conjunction with Ice Soul Mark.
"Perfect. I'll devour the Frostdew Grass and raise my second soul ring's age to ten thousand years."
Gu Yunxiao took out the ten-thousand-year-old Frostdew Grass and activated Ice Devouring.
In the blink of an eye, the Extreme Dust Ice Bow devoured the Frostdew Grass completely, turning it into a stream of pure icy energy.
Gu Yunxiao split that energy in two, using one portion to raise his soul power level and channeling the other into his second soul ring.
Hum!
As the soul power around Gu Yunxiao fluctuated, he successfully broke through to become a level thirty-five Soul Elder.
The color of his second soul ring also slowly deepened, finally transforming into black-a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
"Now that's much easier on the eyes."
Gu Yunxiao looked at the three soul rings beneath his feet-platinum, black, and black-with satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
Gu Yuena looked at the platinum soul ring and fell silent for a moment before casually releasing a burst of energy. "Your Million-Year Soul Ring is too conspicuous. I'll conceal it for now."
"Since you want it to be easier on the eyes, I'll make it look like a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring."
Her words faded.
Under the energy's influence, the platinum soul ring gradually turned black.
Its age remained a million years, but to powerful outsiders, it would look like nothing more than an ordinary Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.
Unless someone was stronger than Gu Yuena, they wouldn't be able to see this soul ring's true nature.
"Even easier on the eyes."
Gu Yunxiao smiled faintly and looked at Gu Yuena. "Thanks... a verbal thank-you is all I can offer. I don't have anything else to give you right now."
"Just fulfill your responsibilities to the Soul Beast Clan."
"...Will you?"
"I will."
Gu Yuena answered without even thinking.
"Mm..." Gu Yunxiao responded as well, though his gaze was a little strange, as if he had thought of certain suffocating maneuvers.
"Gu Yunxiao, what's with that look? Do you think I'd stab you in the back?" Gu Yuena frowned, somewhat displeased.
"No."
Gu Yunxiao shook his head and tossed out an excuse. "I'm admiring your beauty."
"Don't spend all day spouting slick talk."
"As the hope of the Soul Beast Clan, I hope you'll focus more of your attention on the clan, rather than romantic entanglements."
"Once you possess strength that stands above everything, you can have whatever you want."
Gu Yunxiao's words had made her inexplicably happy.
But more than that, she hoped Gu Yunxiao would understand what mattered most.
Winning you over would be the greatest success of all.
After grumbling inwardly, Gu Yunxiao asked with a smile, "Have everything... I just wonder whether that includes you?"
"...It does."
Gu Yuena nodded, but then changed tack and said solemnly, "However, if you fail to live up to expectations, I'll take your place and continue planning a future for the Soul Beast Clan."
"As for you... I'll still mate with you and give birth to a stronger Dragon Clan bloodline."
"Only, you'll no longer have any freedom to speak of."
Before you continue