"Legend has it that a very, very long time ago, the Divine Realm above the Douluo Continent was not what it is today."
"Today's Divine Realm can only be called a Divine Realm for humans. Across its vast multitude of realms, only a few descendants of ancient divine beasts remain, creatures of meager intelligence and little standing. Even so, their bloodlines are about to wither and die out, exhausted entirely. As for godhood, it is a station we beasts can never attain. Even the position of Phoenix God, a godhood that belongs entirely to our kind, has been occupied by a human and cannot return to our hands."
"All of this began with a calamity unleashed by the Dragon God after he fell into madness. That disaster destroyed more than half the Divine Dragon Realm and claimed the lives of countless human and beast gods. Afterward, the Dragon God was filled with remorse. He swore to the laws of the universe that unless he revived and the dragon race regained its former glory, beasts would never become gods or ascend to the Divine Realm."
"This Dragon God of yours was pretty selfish. He was the one who caused the disaster, yet he made all beasts pay the price for him."
After hearing Gu Yuena's story about the Divine Realm and the Dragon God, Xiao Yan curled his lip and voiced his criticism. That was indeed the case. Although the Dragon God had not intended to go mad, the decision that would harm his own kind for thousands upon thousands of years had ultimately been his. Xiao Yan truly looked down on what this so-called Dragon God had done. Gu Yuena merely chuckled at his words, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. She continued:
"At the end of the Dragon God's calamity, the human God King-the Asura God-vowed to slay the mad Dragon God to prevent the Divine Dragon Realm from being destroyed. Countless dragon gods also died beneath the Asura God's sword as they sought to protect the mad Dragon God. In the end, at the request of the Dragon God, who had regained his senses, the Asura God destroyed his physical body and split him into good and evil halves. The evil half was suppressed in the remaining space of the Divine Dragon Realm-what is now the Divine Realm-to be worn down day after day. The good half was allowed to fly into the outside world, leaving a sliver of hope for the dragon race. The Dragon God's body was completely destroyed, and his soul was riddled with wounds. His remaining soul could not bear to see all his kin perish there, and regretted his madness. Thus, it gathered thousands upon thousands of dragon remains and bones, tore through layer upon layer of space, and descended here."
"I am the Dragon God's good half. My mission is to end the suffering he brought upon the countless beast races."
Gu Yuena placed a hand on her chest, her gaze resolute as she spoke. Xiao Yan nodded repeatedly, marveling at how heavy a burden she bore. He had long guessed that the Dragon God must have left a contingency behind. And as the Silver Dragon King, the shared ruler of this world's Soul Beasts and the Dragon God's other half, her responsibility was clearly to resolve the troubles he had left behind. But that responsibility was easier spoken of than fulfilled; carrying it out was beyond her strength...
"Xiao Yan, the divine soul before you is the Dragon God's final inheritance."
With that, Gu Yuena gently stroked the seven-colored form. The enormous creature seemed to sense her touch and slowly lowered its head. Only then did Xiao Yan see that the vast, seven-colored figure before him was an enormous dragon, large enough to blot out the sky and sun.
More precisely, it was a dragon's soul.
The dragon soul's eyes held no color. Compared with the seven-colored divine light surrounding it, they were utterly dim, as though it had long since lost its mind. Clearly, the passage of countless years had worn away all the intelligence within the dragon soul. The lord of ten thousand dragons, who had once commanded wind and cloud and ruled countless Star Domains, was now reduced to this lone, broken soul. It was a lamentable sight.
"Just as I thought... Even a being like the Dragon God, who stands at the pinnacle of dragonkind, cannot exert the slightest pressure on you. Your Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline truly is unparalleled..." Gu Yuena sighed. She had been right: bringing Xiao Yan here was a rare opportunity for him. And now, on all of Douluo Star, only the man before her could lend her a hand.
"The Dragon God's other half, the Golden Dragon King, inherited all of his negative emotions and was utterly mad. But he also inherited the Dragon God's mighty body and strength, earning him the title of ancestor of strength. Now he is suppressed in the Divine Realm, worn down day after day, and I cannot make use of his power. Without the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, the Silver Dragon King is in no better condition. 'My' body is riddled with wounds, and less than a tenth of my strength remains. There is almost no chance of my obtaining the Dragon God's inheritance, and my wish to save the beast races is nothing but empty talk."
"But now, I have you." Gu Yuena smiled at Xiao Yan. For this separate self, who had inherited too many emotions, her soul was as fragile as a human's. Those great responsibilities had nearly crushed her. Now, at last, she had someone she could confide in, someone with whom she could rely on and support one another. Thank you, Xiao Yan... She only dared say those words in her heart.
"Now, I have you. The Dragon Phoenix Purple-Gold Bloodline within you is far stronger than the Golden Dragon King Bloodline. It, too, is rooted in strength, and its attributes are similar to the Golden Dragon King Bloodline's. Over these three days, I channeled the power of all the wandering dragon souls in the Dragon Graveyard into you. Your Bloodline Power has already risen to the limit of what your body can bear. Add my control over the elements and my innate affinity with the Dragon God's soul, and if we join forces, breaking the seal on the Dragon God's final inheritance probably won't be too difficult."
"Of course, even after being worn down for thousands upon thousands of years, the Dragon God's mighty power still surpasses the experts of this world. While you help me break the seal, your body will also absorb these ownerless powers of its own accord. I can guarantee that if we do obtain the Dragon God's Heart, then, during our joint effort to break the seal, even without counting any increase in Soul Power, your Bloodline Power alone will rise to the six-ring realm. Sigh... Actually, you should have reached that level when you absorbed those dragon souls. Your bloodline is simply too powerful. If those dragon souls had been used on someone else, they might have been enough for three breakthroughs, but after your Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline absorbed them, you didn't even break through one level."
At her words, Xiao Yan's passion ignited. During those three days of cultivation, absorbing dragon souls had raised his Bloodline Power to the very peak of the four-ring level, leaving him only one step from the five-ring realm. The vast majority of those dragon souls had also gone toward strengthening his body. Xiao Yan had already experienced quite a few of the Dragon Graveyard's wonders. And now Gu Yuena was telling him he could advance to the six-ring realm here. Six rings meant combat power on the level of a Soul Emperor, and Xiao Yan was only nearly fourteen. Where else could one find a fourteen-year-old Soul Emperor?
Gu Yuena noticed Xiao Yan's excitement and naturally realized that the prospect of breaking through to six rings had captured his attention. She reached out with her right hand and gently placed it on the dragon soul. "Xiao Yan, place your hand on it with mine. Use your powerful Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline to resonate with the Dragon God's soul! As long as you can help me bear some of the pressure from his soul, I have an eighty percent chance of breaking the seal!"
However, Xiao Yan heard none of what she said. Something unusual seemed to have captured his attention, and he unconsciously placed his hand on the dragon soul. Suddenly, the Dragon God's dragon soul emitted waves of dazzling seven-colored light. Countless streams of colored air spilled from him, some surging into Gu Yuena's body and making her presence grow stronger and stronger. Seven elemental spheres of light circled her, raising her Soul Power. Under the wash of the seven-colored currents, even a Soul Ring gradually took shape.
Even more of the seven-colored currents poured into Xiao Yan, gathering between his brows. His eyes were shut tight, and purple-gold dragon scales and horns had grown out without his noticing, greedily absorbing the currents. Amid those currents, his dragon body grew increasingly solid and robust. His scales and horns swelled with it, becoming incomparably hard. Deep within his dragon body, where no one could see, a tiny purple flame burned for a moment before quietly going out, flickering with the light of a galaxy.
Within Xiao Yan's soul space, Yan Xiao and Xiao Yan stared silently at the uninvited guest who had barged in. Ever since Xiao Yan's hand had involuntarily touched the Dragon God's dragon soul, the enormous being had forced his way in without an invitation. Xiao Yan did not know what to do.
"Ahem... Young friends, I don't have much time. Shall we get straight to the point?" The enormous being seemed forced to speak by the awkward atmosphere, yet also seemed truly close to death and left with no choice. Yan Xiao took the opportunity to reply, "Lord Dragon God, you honor us with your presence. Unfortunately, I am now but a soul, and could not come out to welcome you properly. Please forgive me."
"There is no need for courtesy, young friend. I know full well what that presence about you is," the enormous figure said with satisfaction. "An Ancient Void Dragon Phoenix. I never imagined that after a thousand years, I would truly see such an immortal bloodline, born of heaven and earth and endowed with nature's divine gifts."
Indeed, the enormous figure was none other than the Dragon God's own soul. Xiao Yan had thought that the Dragon God's soul showed no sign of intelligence and that time had probably worn it away long ago. Who could have imagined that the Dragon God's intelligence had been suppressed deep within his soul, falling into a long slumber and thus escaping the erosion of the years? When he sensed Xiao Yan's strange bloodline, its power interrupted the Dragon God's slumber, and he could no longer continue sleeping. He knew full well that the opportunity he had to seize to atone for his sins lay before him.
"Lord Dragon God... You know about the Ancient Void Dragon Phoenix?" Xiao Yan asked in confusion. The Dragon God of the Douluo God Realm knowing of a magical beast race from another, distant world was clearly unheard of.
"When I was young, before I attained the position of Dragon God, I too loved traveling the myriad heavens and worlds, repaying kindness and settling grudges as I pleased, and championing justice," the Dragon God said with a smile. Clearly, he missed those distant days and found them hard to forget. "Back then, I met a brother in a distant world. He came from the Ancient Void Dragon Clan and possessed the power of the Great Dao of space. His body was mighty, and his talent was no less than mine. We traveled famous mountains and great rivers together and formed a deep friendship. He once told me that if the Ancient Void Dragon Clan found the right opportunity, they could devour a Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and advance their bloodline, becoming the Ancient Void Dragon Phoenix, the king of ten thousand beasts, unrivaled in their world. He intended to find that opportunity and bring further glory to his clan. After traveling with him for a time, I left that planet. I wonder how Brother Zhu Kun is doing now..."
"Zhu Kun...! The Ancient Void Dragon brother you spoke of was Senior Zhu Kun?!" Yan Xiao exclaimed in shock.
"Indeed. Young friend, do you know him?"
"Of course I do. My memories are incomplete now, but when this Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline awakened, some of them became clear. Senior Zhu Kun has now reached the pinnacle of the Dou Sheng realm, comparable to a First-Level God of this world. He is even only half a step away from the God King, or Dou Di, realm. I obtained this Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline from his daughter, my friend Zi Yan."
"A daughter... I never imagined Brother Zhu Kun has a daughter now... He once told me his world lacked something important, preventing him from breaking through to the God King realm, overcoming his world's limitations, and ascending to a higher plane. I wonder what can be done..." Silence fell once more. The Dragon God lamented how things had changed: his old friend was still alive, while he himself was on the verge of death and the dissolution of his Dao. Yan Xiao sighed. He naturally knew the flaw in the Dou Qi Continent, but with his memories incomplete, he could find no answer. As for Xiao Yan, he was the only one present who understood none of it. Though he could read Yan Xiao's memories directly if he wished, at the moment he was more concerned with just how far his own body had evolved.
After thinking for a moment, the Dragon God continued, "I must thank you both for this. The Silver Dragon King is my other half, yet she is also like a daughter to me. That girl regards the revival of the beast races as her life's mission, but the other half of my power is suppressed in the Divine Realm. For her to accomplish that mission is harder still... If not for your help, I'm afraid her life would have been in danger."
"There's no need for thanks. Gu Yue is my friend, so naturally I have to keep her alive."
"Gu Yue... A good name. But to return to the matter at hand, that girl now has only thirty percent of the original body's strength and cannot withstand the pressure of the Dragon God's power currents at all. With your Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline, young friend, your resistance to those currents far surpasses hers. That is why I directed the vast majority of them to you. Once the currents are exhausted, the Dragon God's Heart will appear. Though these currents will put pressure on your body, they are also formed from the strongest power in my entire being. They can be considered a fortuitous opportunity."
"Young friend, I know my sins are beyond measure. I brought disaster upon my own kind, and my death would be no great loss. But the beast races, too, are born and nurtured by heaven and earth, and have the right to survive. I wish to ask you to seek a sliver of hope for the survival of our Soul Beast lineage..."
"If anyone in this world can do it, it is you. You are not wholly beast, nor wholly human, and you are not of this world. Only you can fulfill such a request."
Xiao Yan scratched his head in dismay. Clearly, the Dragon God had found him a troublesome task. He had wanted to refuse, but when he looked outside and saw Gu Yuena gritting her teeth and struggling to hold on, a pitiable sight, something seemed to stir in his heart. Two figures appeared in his mind: one wore a long crimson dress and was like a queen; the other was a little girl in purple robes, adorable beyond measure. Thinking of them, and of how the Douluo Continent's cultivation system would one day slaughter the Soul Beasts to extinction, Xiao Yan was moved and agreed to the Dragon God's request.
The Dragon God smiled. His indistinct dragon soul grew even fainter, as though it might scatter at any moment.
"Thank you, young friend Xiao Yan."
"I do not leave debts of gratitude unpaid. This fortuitous opportunity will surely raise your cultivation beyond the reach of your peers."
"Brother Zhu Kun once said that the Dragon Phoenixes of the Dou Qi Continent came into being in imitation of the true Dragon Phoenixes of a higher plane. Those so-called true Dragon Phoenixes are the crystallization of the bloodlines of true dragons and true phoenixes. Now, I shall give you the Bloodline Power I have amassed over my lifetime. With my Dragon God's Power added to the might of the Ancient Void Dragon, your bloodline will surely rise to the level of a true dragon, making you half a true Dragon Phoenix. Your future will be limitless, far surpassing an ordinary Ancient Void Dragon Phoenix."
"Also, Brother Zhu Kun once had a signature technique. Now that I have met one with whom it is fated, I shall teach you this dragon-slaying technique, young friend!"
With that, a beam of purple-gold light shot from the Dragon God's remnant soul and entered Xiao Yan's brow. After the beam emerged, the Dragon God's soul became even more insubstantial, as though it were about to disperse, and his voice grew barely audible.
"Thank you, young friend Xiao Yan..."
"This final fortuitous opportunity is... the last Super Divine Artifact I left behind... the Dragon God's Heart..."
"I already took some of your blood beforehand... and refined it. From now on... you will be the Dragon God's Heart's second master. Together with my daughter, the Silver Dragon King... you will wield it."
"You will become... the third shared ruler of our Soul Beast lineage."