"Na'er, I'll leave it to you." Gu Yunxiao nodded and asked, "What do I need to do? Wake the Ice God's remnant soul?"
"No need."
Gu Yuena shook her head. "Keep your Heavenly Tribulation Demon Dragon Martial Soul under control. I'll split off a strand of divine consciousness and send it into your sea of consciousness to place a safeguard on her."
"All right, go ahead."
Gu Yunxiao agreed without a second thought and willingly opened his mind to her.
Guard against Gu Yuena?
There was no need whatsoever.
If Gu Yuena truly wanted to harm him, he would have died long ago. Even if he wanted to resist, he couldn't.
Gu Yuena nodded slightly. With a thought, she split off a strand of divine consciousness, entered the depths of Gu Yunxiao's sea of consciousness, and approached the Ice God's sleeping remnant soul.
Then she formed seals with both hands, sending a special silver mark into the Ice God's remnant soul.
"Ice God, assist Yunxiao faithfully. He will resurrect you in the future." Gu Yuena's commanding voice rang out deep within the Ice God's heart.
The Ice God's sleeping remnant soul flickered faintly, as though responding.
Gu Yuena nodded and left Gu Yunxiao's sea of consciousness.
"It's done."
"I'll teach you how to control her. If you ever sense that she intends to act against you, show no mercy. Destroy her outright."
Gu Yuena touched her index finger to Gu Yunxiao's brow and imparted the method for controlling that mark.
Only then did she feel reassured.
The Silver Dragon Reverse Scale would protect him, Bi Ji and Zi JI would guard his path, and the danger posed by the remnant soul had been eliminated.
She had explained everything that needed explaining. There shouldn't be any surprises.
"Na'er, thank you."
Gu Yunxiao drew Gu Yuena into his arms and held her tightly.
Gu Yuena didn't resist. Her beautiful eyes closed slightly, and her voice softened. "If you would just make something of yourself and stop making me angry so often, I'd be happy."
"I won't disappoint you."
Gu Yunxiao looked utterly confident, but then he changed tack with a wicked grin. "Though making you angry less often might be a little difficult."
"Yunxiao, are you asking for another beating?"
"No. I want to kiss you."
"No... mmph."
Just as Gu Yuena tried to refuse, Gu Yunxiao swooped in and kissed her.
Now, even if Gu Yuena wanted to refuse, she couldn't.
Besides, deep down, she didn't really mind.
Without her permission, could Gu Yunxiao truly have kissed her?
Of course not!
He understood her proud coyness, just as she understood his boldness.
The two sat on the crystal bed, locked in an intimate kiss.
Perhaps because their parting was imminent, neither could bear to let go, each responding to the other.
A long while passed.
Gu Yuena straightened up on Gu Yunxiao's lap, her violet eyes shimmering with a soul-stealing radiance, her voice laced with tenderness.
"Yunxiao, I just remembered something else. You have something very important that you haven't given me yet."
"What is it?"
"You."
With that, Gu Yuena pushed him down with her delicate hand, then leaned over and kissed him.
This time, Gu Yuena took the initiative entirely.
If Gu Yunxiao still didn't understand what she meant after things had reached this point, he might as well stop living.
Truthfully, he was astonished.
He had thought winning the beauty for himself would happen someday in the future, never imagining that someday would be today.
At that thought, heat surged through Gu Yunxiao's heart, and he responded to Gu Yuena's first advance.
With their mutual affection and the attraction between their bloodlines, it was only natural for things to take a delightful turn.
The gauze curtains on either side of the crystal bed slowly descended. They barely obscured the figures within, and as for the sounds... they couldn't conceal those at all.
In this underground space, there were only Gu Yunxiao and Gu Yuena.
Several days passed in the blink of an eye.
The gauze curtains had been drawn back. The crystal bed inside bore a few cracks, but they slowly mended, soon leaving it as good as new.
As for what had been on it... that, too, had vanished.
"Yunxiao, I've already given you what you wanted."
Gu Yuena straightened Gu Yunxiao's collar, her voice gentle. "And I will only ever be yours. Not for one lifetime, but forever."
"Until you grow strong enough, I'll manage the Soul Beast Clan for you."
"Even if you truly fail to live up to expectations in the future, I won't place myself above you. I'll work alongside you, and we'll lead our clan together."
She and his responsibilities held equal importance in Gu Yunxiao's heart.
And Gu Yunxiao and her responsibilities held equal importance in hers.
Whether Gu Yunxiao lived up to expectations or not, she would never devote herself wholeheartedly to helping him.
"Na'er, I won't disappoint you."
Gu Yunxiao smiled faintly and gently stroked Gu Yuena's lovely face.
Over these past few days, he had seen that face at its most beautiful, blossoming for him alone.
Gu Yuena was his first woman.
Without question, she now held a special, irreplaceable place in his heart.
"Mm."
Gu Yuena murmured softly and took the initiative to embrace Gu Yunxiao, resting her head against his chest.
Gu Yunxiao held Gu Yuena tenderly.
They quietly embraced, nestled together for a long time.
"All right, you should go."
Gu Yuena raised her head. A trace of reluctance flashed through her violet eyes, but she suppressed it.
"Na'er, wait for me at home." Gu Yunxiao kissed Gu Yuena on the lips, gently lifted her, and set her down on the crystal bed.
Then he turned and left.
Gu Yuena sat on the crystal bed, silently watching Gu Yunxiao enter the spatial passage.
Only at the final instant, as Gu Yunxiao's retreating figure disappeared, did she find herself rising to her feet, instinctively wanting to follow him.
But after taking just a few steps, she gave up.
"...What a naughty boy."
Gu Yuena's brows drew together slightly. She returned to the crystal bed and chose to rest.
She had thought she could subdue Gu Yunxiao, only to end up subdued by him instead.
Still, she was happy.
Because she knew Gu Yunxiao was deeply enamored with her. He didn't merely love her body; he loved her even more as a person.
"Besides Yunxiao's blood, that... seems to have remarkable effects too." Gu Yuena touched her lower abdomen, her cheeks faintly flushed.
Without trying it, she never would have known; after trying it, she couldn't forget.
Although she had been the one pestering Gu Yunxiao over the following days, hopelessly outmatched yet eager for more, the results had been good. It had helped her greatly.
"Yunxiao..."
As she thought of him, a dreamy look flickered through Gu Yuena's eyes.
Just as Gu Yunxiao was enamored with her, how could she not be enamored with him?
It was simply that, proud and coy as ever, her body would admit it, but her mouth would not.
By the Lake of Life.
After so many days, Gu Yunxiao finally emerged.
Bi Ji and Zi JI exchanged a glance, each seeing the shock in the other's eyes, yet tacitly choosing to act as though they had noticed nothing.
Gu Mingli naturally noticed as well, and she felt terribly frustrated.
But there was nothing she could say. She didn't even dare say anything.
First, Gu Yuena was their lord.
Second, when it came to the ties of fate, Gu Yunxiao and Gu Yuena had been the first pair whose paths crossed.
Of course, what concerned Gu Mingli most right now wasn't the matter of "Gu Yunxiao losing his virginity," but the fact that he was leaving.
Though she had already prepared herself, when the moment of parting truly arrived, she still couldn't bear it.
"Mingli, let go-no, I mean, unclench your teeth."
Gu Yunxiao looked helplessly at Gu Mingli, who had bitten down on his sleeve and refused to release it.
"When... when will you come back?" Gu Mingli's eyes were filled with reluctance to part.
Before you continue