The Ice and Fire Dragon Kings

After taking another dose of Wangchuan Autumn Dew and raising his spiritual power to a new level.

Lin Xiao sat quietly cross-legged within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.

His eyes snapped open, and he plunged into its depths.

The deeper he went, the more intense the cold and heat became.

The pressure underwater also continued to rise.

Even after tempering his Ice and Fire Golden Body, Lin Xiao still felt uncomfortable.

An inexplicable drowsiness suddenly washed over him, impossible to stave off.

Lin Xiao held on for a little while, but eventually closed his eyes.

His consciousness gradually drifted into the deepest reaches of the spring.

A white light flashed, and he arrived in an unfamiliar place.

With a thunderous boom, Xuan Zi and Dugu Bo, who were waiting above the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, suddenly sensed two immensely powerful draconic auras.

Both their expressions changed.

Two pillars of light, one ice blue and the other crimson, shot into the sky.

Terrifying, god-level pressure crashed down on the surroundings.

Both men were forced a step backward and coughed up blood.

"What is this? Master, he..."

Dugu Bo did not dare continue.

Xuan Zi appeared much calmer. As someone summoned by the system, although the underlying code of his memories had been completely altered, he had retained his combat skills and common knowledge.

"The two great dragons said to slumber beneath the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well... it seems the legends were true..."

Xuan Zi spoke slowly, his expression grave.

"Then what should we do?"

Dugu Bo was somewhat anxious. His savior had just bestowed an incredible opportunity upon him.

It had allowed his Dugu Family to defy heaven and rewrite their fate, rising to greater heights.

Yet how could he have met such a fate so soon afterward?

"Lin Xiao is unharmed. We shall bestow upon him a blessing meant for him alone!"

A majestic voice, impossible to distinguish as male or female, reached their ears through a telepathic transmission.

Only then did the two breathe sighs of relief, though neither dared lower his guard.

Their Martial Souls were wreathed in Soul Power, ready to erupt into action at any moment.

Lin Xiao opened his eyes again.

Within a world of white, two enormous dragons, thousands of meters tall, looked down upon him.

These were the true forms of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings.

Then the great dragons slowly shrank, and two human figures appeared before Lin Xiao.

One man and one woman.

"Honored seniors..."

Lin Xiao began.

The Fire Dragon King looked at him and snorted coldly, cutting off his next words.

"Human brat, are you the Child of Nature nurtured by this Douluo Plane? You don't look particularly strong, yet you dared awaken us from our slumber!"

The Ice Dragon King shot the Fire Dragon King a glare, and a cool, clear feminine voice reached Lin Xiao's ears.

"Pay him no mind. Old Fire has always had a fiery temper... so, what exactly have you come for? We each have only a wisp of our souls remaining. Before long, we will dissipate completely."

He frowned and sighed softly.

"Now that you have awakened us, another portion of our meager strength has been consumed. You had best give us a satisfactory answer."

Lin Xiao drew a deep breath and spoke slowly.

"My name is Lin Xiao. I came today with no intention of disturbing your slumber, honored seniors, and I am truly sorry."

"I sought you out today for an inheritance."

"An inheritance?"

The Fire Dragon King burst into wild laughter.

"We are two of the Nine Great Dragon Kings under the Dragon God, wielders of ultimate ice and fire. This Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well itself formed from our bodies. You little brat, not content with plucking Immortal Herbs, you even want my inheritance?"

The mighty draconic pressure bore directly down on Lin Xiao. Though it held no tangible force, it left him drenched in cold sweat.

But Lin Xiao did not retreat.

Gungnir appeared in his hand, its divine aura resisting the Fire Dragon King's pressure.

An almost imperceptible flicker of satisfaction crossed the Fire Dragon King's eyes, and he increased the pressure another notch.

As Lin Xiao felt the pressure intensify.

The Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring automatically emerged beneath his feet.

Ah Yin's right leg bone also manifested, joining in the resistance against the stronger pressure.

Just as Lin Xiao was about to buckle, the Fire Dragon King withdrew his pressure.

"Very good. You pass."

Lin Xiao looked up and saw the corners of the Fire Dragon King's lips lift slightly.

"We can transform our remaining strength into two God-Level Soul Bones and two God-Given Soul Rings and give them to you. But as our inheritor and the Child of Nature, you must promise me a few things."

A trace of desolation flashed through the Fire Dragon King's eyes.

"First, you must help the Dragon Race break the shackles preventing them from becoming gods."

Lin Xiao froze.

"Wasn't that imposed by the Dragon God? How am I supposed to break it?"

A flicker of puzzlement and surprise crossed the Fire Dragon King's eyes.

"How did you know that? Never mind. Since you know, I will tell you how."

"Back then, that madman, the Dragon God, had intended to leave our Dragon Race a way out. No matter how many restrictions there were, at least our race could survive..."

The Fire Dragon King suddenly fell silent.

The Ice Dragon King gently patted his shoulder.

Then he picked up where the Fire Dragon King had left off.

"In his pursuit of greater heights, the Dragon God lost himself to madness. Countless Beast Gods and Human Gods perished in that great war. Even we Nine Great Dragon Kings were not spared."

"Fortunately, he regained his senses at the very last moment. To make amends for his mistakes, and to leave the Dragon Race and the beast races a sliver of hope.

"He resorted to this desperate measure."

At those words, Lin Xiao's expression turned odd.

Although he did not know this part of the Dragon God's history in much detail, he remembered that there seemed to be a remnant of the Dragon God's soul in Dragon Valley...

He didn't seem quite so... selfless?

"But the Dragon Race has now fallen into decline... although we have spent all these years deep within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, we can still sense the general state of affairs."

"You must find the Silver Dragon King and the Golden Dragon King, who split from the Dragon God. Create a new Dragon God, and then the restriction preventing Soul Beasts from becoming gods can be broken once more."

After a pause, the Ice Dragon King spoke again.

"If one day you become even stronger than the Dragon God, you will be able to break this restriction through your own strength."

The Ice Dragon King did not continue. Perhaps he believed Lin Xiao could not reach such heights.

The Fire Dragon King recovered and continued laying out his conditions.

"Second, after we give you our power, we will fall into slumber. We need to enter your Sea of Consciousness.

"In return, we can protect you whenever your mind comes under attack."

The Ice and Fire Dragon Kings exchanged a glance.

"Human brat, do you have anything else to say?"

Lin Xiao shook his head.

"I will do it. But the Dragon God killed you. Don't you hate him?"

"Heh... tens of thousands of years have already passed. Even if he caused it all, those grudges should have faded by now. We will not carry our hatred over to the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King, nor to the new Dragon God..."

He seemed to notice a hint of misgiving in Lin Xiao's eyes.

Although the Ice Dragon King did not know its cause, he still shook his head.

The remnants of their souls had little time left.

As their end approached, the two great Dragon Kings suddenly unleashed mighty auras.

The power of blazing fire and freezing ice poured ceaselessly into Lin Xiao's body.

A fiery-red Soul Ring became Lin Xiao's second Soul Ring.

"The God Kings of the Divine Realm fear the emergence of a new Dragon God and the rise of our Dragon Race. But they will also be your most reliable allies on your path to godhood.

"You must forge a path of your own..."

The Ice Dragon King's body grew ever more insubstantial as his final words entered Lin Xiao's mind.

An ice-blue Soul Ring condensed at the center of his Sea of Consciousness.

Two Soul Bones attached themselves to his left and right arms.

A powerful pull dragged him back to reality.

Spring water flooded into his mouth, making him choke.

He immediately swam upward.

He leaped out of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and began coughing.

Seeing Lin Xiao looking as though nothing had happened, Xuan Zi and Dugu Bo finally set their minds completely at ease.

The three began discussing what he had gained this time.