The Ice Dragon King didn't look at her, and continued, "You know what? Before I Sacrifice, I always thought I was the one who understood him best. I knew how tired he was, what he was carrying. I thought that by paving the way for his final moments, he could have an easier time."
"But I was wrong." Her voice held a hint of self-mockery. "After I died, he carried even more burdens. To resurrect me, he faced the pressure of the entire Divine Realm alone, embarking on a path a hundred times more difficult than I had imagined."
Qian Renxue remained silent, listening quietly.
"That's just how he is." The Ice Dragon King turned his head, his icy blue eyes looking intently at Qian Renxue. "If you treat him well, he will find a way to repay you tenfold. If you give your Life for him, he will reverse life and death for you. He has a scale in his heart, clearly remembering every kindness and every affection."
"However," the Ice Dragon King changed his tone, "He also remembers every debt, every grudge. Your grudge against Bibi Dong, the Golden Crocodile's grudge, even Qian Daoliu's grudge—that's a fact. This debt stands between you, and he can't get over it. It's not that he doesn't want to, but his principles prevent him from doing so."
Qian Renxue's face turned pale, and her jade-like hands unconsciously clenched.
"So, do you think there's still a possibility between you and him?" The Ice Dragon King's question was direct and cruel.
Qian Renxue bit her lip and did not answer.
"I know you've done a lot for him and suffered a lot of injustices." The Ice Dragon King's voice softened slightly. "Back then, you disguised yourself as Xue Qinghe and risked falling out with your own grandfather to save him. He knows all of that."
"It's precisely because he knows this that he's in even more pain," the Ice Dragon King sighed. "Your kindness, and Bibi Dong, have become an intractable knot in his heart. Therefore, he can only choose the most extreme way to push you away and make you hate him. Because for him, making you hate him is much easier than making him owe you a debt of gratitude."
Qian Renxue trembled all over, staring at the Ice Dragon King in disbelief.
So... that's how it is?
"Then... what should I do?" Her voice trembled with helplessness.
The Ice Dragon King looked at her, his eyes revealing a hint of sympathy, but also a hint of determination.
"Put it down, Qian Renxue."
"Let go of your obsession with him, and let go of your hatred for your mother. You've done enough for your family. From now on, live for yourself."
"Go and see this brand new Divine Realm, and find your own meaning. You and he may not become lovers, but you can certainly have another kind of relationship."
Inside the nine-colored palace.
An awkward negotiation is underway.
On one side of the long table was the " Soul Beast Faction," led by Gu Yuena.
Sitting beside her were Snow Empress, Ice Empress, Bi Ji, and Zi JI. Their attitude was clear: everything was subject to the will of Gu Yuena and Xuan Ming.
Their ascension to godhood was a gift from Xuan Ming and Gu Yuena. Although they had feelings for men and women, they would never participate in any farcical rivalries or jealousies.
For them, being able to stay by Xuan Ming's side and watch the future of the Soul Beast Clan become glorious was enough.
On the other side of the long table was the "human power faction" led by Bibi Dong. Beside her were Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Huo Wu, and Dugu Yan.
Each of them has a deep emotional entanglement with Xuan Ming, and they are relatively strong-willed, so they will obviously not compromise easily.
At the far end of the long table was the "Buddhist faction," led by Bo Saixi.
Ah Rou, Shui Bing'er, and Ye Lingling sat beside her. Their attitude was also clear: no fighting, no grabbing, let everything take its course.
They knew very well how dense Xuan Ming was when it came to relationships; hoping he would take the initiative to sort things out was like hoping the Divine Realm would Destruction tomorrow.
Therefore, they chose a more relaxed lifestyle, content to simply be with him; as for titles or status, they didn't care.
Looking at the three clearly divided camps, Gu Yuena cleared her throat and spoke first, "I think the purpose of us sitting here today is not to argue about who went first or last, nor is it to divide into camps."
Her gaze swept across the room, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable authority. " Xuan Ming has resolved all the external crises for us. Now, our internal problems deserve a resolution. I don't want him to have to shoulder the burden he just laid down again because of us."
Bibi Dong snorted coldly, picked up the teacup in front of her formed from Divine Power, and said indifferently, "Easy for you to say. Do you think you can explain our relationship with him in just a few words?"
Hu Liena stood close to Bibi Dong, looking at Gu Yuena with a hint of hostility in her eyes. "That's right, we were the first to know him!"
Xiao Wu stood up as well, hands on her hips, and said defiantly, " Xuan Ming and I have a life-or-death bond! If it weren't for him, my mother and I would be dead long ago!"
Although Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing did not speak, their firm gazes made their stance clear.
Gu Yuena looked at them, not angry, but calmly said, "I acknowledge that each of you has unique experiences and feelings with him. I have no intention of Negation anyone's past. I just want to tell you all that the future is long, and we have eternal Life. If we continue to interact in this way, we will only become a burden to him."
She paused, then continued, "You know Xuan Ming's personality better than I do. He won't reject anyone who is sincere to him, and he's incapable of handling complex emotions. If we force him to make a choice, the only result will be that he chooses self-exile, distancing himself from all of us."
Upon hearing this, the previously aggressive "powerful faction" members fell silent.
They knew that Gu Yuena was telling the truth. That Xuan Ming guy was really capable of doing such a thing.
Looking at the stalemate, Bo Saixi spoke slowly, her voice as gentle as a sea breeze. "Perhaps we are all wrong. Why must we force him to make the choice? We are already gods, possessing freedom and eternity. Our emotions should not become shackles binding him, nor should they become shackles binding ourselves."
Shui Bing'er and Ye Lingling nodded as well.
" Bo Saixi is right," Gu Yuena agreed. "Each of us is an independent individual. Our future should be decided by ourselves, not placed in the hands of another person."
Her gaze finally settled on Bibi Dong.
" Bibi Dong, what do you think?"
Bibi Dong remained silent for a moment, took a sip of tea, and calmly looked at Gu Yuena.
"The suggestion is good, but..."
As soon as she finished speaking, two streams of malevolent Divine Power erupted from Bibi Dong's body, instantly suppressing everyone present except for Gu Yuena.
Tonight, he's mine!
"..."
Chapter 475 A Gift to the Goddess of Life
Beneath the silver waterfall, upon the blue stone.
Not long after the Ice Dragon King fled with Xuan Ming, two figures quietly descended.
One was dressed in a white-gold gown, holy and majestic; the other in a jade-green gauze dress, full of Life. They were the Godess of Kindness and the Goddess of Life.
Xuan Ming remained lying on the Ice Dragon King's lap, eyes closed, looking as if "the sky falling down has nothing to do with me."
"What brings you two here?" The Ice Dragon King's voice carried a hint of displeasure.
It disturbed her and her younger brother's time together, which made her very unhappy.
The Godess of Kindness nodded slightly to the Ice Dragon King as a greeting, then turned his gaze to Xuan Ming, who was pretending to be asleep, and said gently, " Xuan Ming, we know you need to rest. But there are some things we still need to discuss with you."
Xuan Ming didn't even open his eyes, and said lazily, "I don't want to discuss anything right now. If you have any problems, find Gu Yuena, or Bibi Dong."
The Goddess of Life chuckled softly, "But they are, after all, newly ascended God King; there are many things they don't understand. Moreover, this matter is closely related to you."
Hearing this, Xuan Ming reluctantly opened one eye and looked at them. "Speak, what is it?"
Seeing that he had finally responded, the Godess of Kindness spoke up, "First, regarding the God Realm Committee. The Divine Realm has undergone a great change; the Asura God has passed on his Godhood and his seat on the committee to Bibi Dong. The Dragon God's problem has also been resolved; he just sent me a message saying he is preparing to leave the Divine Realm with Poseidon to explore the wider universe."
The Godess of Kindness continued, "Their departure means a vacancy has arisen in the God Realm Committee. Moreover, ten powerful beings at the God King Realm have suddenly emerged in the Divine Realm, including you and Gu Yuena. The old committee rules are no longer applicable. We need to revise the rules to maintain order and stability in the future of the Divine Realm."
"Besides that, there are many other issues. For example, after the expansion of the Divine Realm, how to manage the newly added divine domains; after the mortal planes are upgraded, how to connect them with the Divine Realm; and... how to deal with those newly ascended deities..."
Before the Godess of Kindness could finish speaking, Xuan Ming impatiently waved his hand, interrupting her.
"Stop, stop, stop."
He sat up and said calmly, "I'll say it again, don't bother me with these things. I don't care, and I have no interest in them."
"Making rules? Managing the divine realm?"
"Do you think I'm the kind of person who has the patience to deal with all this red tape? My principle is simple: whoever disobeys, I'll beat them until they obey; if they still don't listen, I'll destroy them. Are you sure you want me involved in making the rules?"
The Godess of Kindness and the Goddess of Life exchanged a glance, both seeing helplessness in each other's eyes.
They simply couldn't imagine what kind of chaotic scene it would be if Xuan Ming, who seemed stable but was actually extremely willful, were to manage the Divine Realm.
The Godess of Kindness seemed to have anticipated this outcome and didn't insist further, instead changing the subject. "Alright, since you don't want to participate in management, what are your plans next?"
"Plans?" Xuan Ming lay back down, putting his hands behind his head and looking at the sky. "No plans. I just want to rest for now, I don't want to think about anything, I don't want to care about anything. Maybe... once I've rested enough, I'll go see other places."
Upon hearing this, both goddesses felt a slight unease. Their greatest worry was that Xuan Ming would feel no sense of belonging to the Divine Realm.
"Of course," Xuan Ming seemed to sense their concerns and added, "If any fools dare to cause trouble in the Divine Realm, I wouldn't hesitate to crush them."
These words finally put the two goddesses at ease. With this promise, at least the highest combat power in the Divine Realm was guaranteed.
After all, if Xuan Ming leaves, Gu Yuena and the others will likely follow, which is not good news for the Divine Realm.
The Godess of Kindness nodded and said nothing more. She knew that forcing someone like Xuan Ming was pointless.
Just as they were about to leave, Xuan Ming suddenly sat up again.
He stretched out his hand, and pure white Godhead power condensed in his palm, eventually transforming into a crystal-clear white mark that seemed to contain endless mysteries.
"Here, take this." He handed the mark to the Goddess of Life.
The Goddess of Life paused slightly, looking at him with some confusion. "This is...?"
"I suppose it's... a way of thanking you for your help on the previous occasions," Xuan Ming said.
The Goddess of Life received the mark, and a strange power instantly surged into her soul. She could sense that the mark contained a power of law she had never encountered before, a power that transcended all rules.
"What... is this thing for?" she asked curiously.
Xuan Ming looked at her, then glanced into the distance, seemingly in the direction of the God of Destruction, before lying back down on the Ice Dragon King's lap.
"It can... Negation some established principles."
"For example, the principle Negation you and the God of Destruction cannot have offspring because of the opposition of your power attributes."
The Goddess of Life was struck dumb, frozen in place, her emerald green eyes filled with unbelievable shock!
She and the God of Destruction were the two oldest God King in the Divine Realm. They were each other's other half and also each other's nemesis.
Their combined power can create the world, but because of this extreme opposition, they can never have offspring like other living beings.
This is their eternal regret, and also an unchangeable rule left by the Creation God.
But now, Xuan Ming is actually saying... he can Negation this rule?!
"Your Godhead... you can even do something like this?" The Goddess of Life's voice trembled slightly.
She could clearly sense that the power contained within that white mark was neither creation nor distortion, but the purest and most domineering " Negation "!
Instead of looking for loopholes within the framework of the rules, it directly pulls the rule itself down from the position of "truth" and declares it "invalid"!
At this moment, the Goddess of Life finally understood just how terrifying Xuan Ming's Godhead truly was.
That even surpasses the "creative power" she could generate after merging with the God of Destruction!
Creation is creation within the bounds of rules.
Xuan Ming, however, is creating rules!
She gripped the mark tightly, feeling the power emanating from it—a power capable of changing her destiny—and her heart was filled with mixed emotions. She looked at Xuan Ming, wanting to say something, but found that any words of gratitude seemed so pale and powerless in the face of such a generous gift.
Xuan Ming simply turned his back to her, waved his hand, and closed his eyes.
For him, it might have been a simple matter. But for the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction, it was a miracle they had waited for countless years but never dared to hope for.
Chapter 476 When do you plan to have a child?
The figures of the Goddess of Life and the Godess of Kindness disappeared into the sky, and tranquility returned to the area beneath the waterfall.
Feeling Xuan Ming's even and steady breathing in his arms, the Ice Dragon King knew that he was truly and completely relaxed this time.
She looked down at his sleeping face, which had shed all its fatigue and wariness, his icy blue eyes filled with tenderness.
She reached out and gently brushed away a strand of silver hair from his forehead, her movements as soft as if she were afraid of waking a sleeping baby.
They hugged quietly for a long time before the Ice Dragon King seemed to suddenly remember something. A playful smile appeared on his lips, and he asked in a seemingly casual tone, "Hey, little brother."
"Hmm?" Xuan Ming mumbled a response with his eyes closed.
When do you plan to have a child?
Xuan Ming's body visibly stiffened, and his tightly closed eyelids twitched involuntarily. He slowly opened his eyes, looking at the Ice Dragon King with a speechless expression. "... What did you say?"
"I said," the Ice Dragon King repeated, his tone somewhat matter-of-fact, "When are you planning to have a child? Look around you, there's a whole bunch of beautiful women around you, Gu Yuena, Bibi Dong, Bo Saixi... aren't they all stunning beauties? Just if each of them had a child for you, our Divine Realm would have several more guaranteed God King level second-generation beings out of thin air."
"Not to mention Xiao Wu and her group." She counted on her fingers, "If you include them all, just if each of them were one, the Divine Realm would be teeming with gods, guaranteed to be at least First-Level God. At that point, who would dare to cause trouble in our Divine Realm? We could overwhelm them with just the second-generation gods."
Xuan Ming's lips twitched as he listened, completely losing his sleepiness. He sat up, looking at the Ice Dragon King with a wry smile, " Sister Bing, what kind of nonsense are you thinking about?"
"What nonsense! This is called long-term planning!" the Ice Dragon King declared emphatically. "Procreation and the continuation of bloodlines are the most normal principles in the world. How come they're considered nonsense by you?"