White clouds like dogs, changing the world in a day.
For how long and how much time, it passed quietly.
Deep within the Dragon Graveyard, the appearance had now completely changed. Those countless dragon bones that once covered the earth and stretched endlessly out of sight still stood there unchanging and eternal like guards, but the spirituality within them had vanished completely, as though they had their souls scattered and had turned into utterly withered bones.
And similarly, the huge, multicolored dragon soul that they had once guarded and that had slumbered quietly in the centermost place deep within the Dragon Graveyard had now also completely dissipated, as though it had never existed in this world. Because of its dissipation, the Dragon Graveyard lost its only light source and became dim and lightless.
The Dragon Graveyard of today truly resembled a graveyard, devoid of all life.
In the place where the Dragon God's soul had fallen into slumber, a huge silver dragon lay dormant, entering a beautiful dream. At the center of the silver dragon's massive body coiled in a circle, a huge purple-gold cocoon now stood in this place, its surface mottled, showing the colors of time.
That giant cocoon seemed to be covered in a layer of dragon scales, with scale-tips sharp as knives, and a long-accumulated power was sealed within it. Throughout endless time, it seemed never to have suffered the slightest damage, still standing firmly here, waiting for the person inside to wake up.
Such a tranquil scene terminated on a certain day. That day, a sudden fierce wind blew in the windless Dragon Valley, thunder rolled, and all the elements between heaven and earth transformed into fine particles, merging into the silver dragon's body.
Miraculously, as more and more elemental particles merged in, the silver dragon's body instead grew smaller and smaller. Her physique grew increasingly close to human form, and the scales on her body also gradually peeled away, transforming imperceptibly into a beautiful maiden bearing silvery-white dragon horns.
In the purple-gold giant cocoon that the maiden had once guarded, a blinding light shot straight into the sky, and the giant cocoon rapidly dissipated like spring snow melting under the sun. Meanwhile, the huge scales covering it overlaid themselves perfectly onto the body of the youth flying out from the cocoon, flawless to the point of seeming to grow along with the youth since birth, just like an incomparable suit of armor.
The youth's eyes snapped open, and within that pair of night-black eyes, a purple-gold light flashed abruptly, adding a touch of imperial presence to his eyes. Everything in the Dragon Valley emitted successive rumbling cries in response, which was an obeisance paid to the absolute monarch.
The black robe around the youth's body fluttered without wind, and he stood steadily above the void without spreading any wings. At his feet, a trace of subtle spatial fluctuation flickered in and out of view, symbolizing that the power of space was already grasped in the youth's hands-that was a spatial Great Dao, more miraculous and powerful, distinct from the spatial elements of this world.
At his side, the silver-haired maiden flew into the air imperceptibly. Countless elements bore her up, as though she ought to be like this from birth, as though she were the queen of the endless elements. Her expression shifted slightly, and she opened her pair of purple eyes that outshone all others, nine elemental spheres appearing around her body accordingly, spinning incessantly.
The youth and the maiden wore indifferent expressions, taking in all things in the Dragon Valley with a single glance.
At this moment, they resembled deities.
The purple-gold light on the youth and the silver-white light on the maiden gradually dissipated between heaven and earth, and their bodies gently landed on the ground accordingly.
The two of them bowed deeply toward the place where the Dragon God's soul had once resided, and afterwards, a nine-colored crystal emerged from the void and landed in the maiden's hand.
"This item is the Dragon God's Heart?" Seeing this scene, Xiao Yan felt a sense of relief and asked casually.
"That's right. This way, all the objectives of this trip of ours have been successfully accomplished. Speaking of which, you are still its half-master. How is it, did you feel any power?" Gu Yuena smiled. After a year of elevation, the two people's temperaments had undergone slight changes, but fortunately, Xiao Yan had not grown unfamiliar.
"As for power, there is indeed some, but it's a bit elusive; I probably have to completely comprehend it before I can utilize it. That Dragon God is indeed powerful in name and in fact. A mere remnant soul's power could also manipulate the time elements and compress the time around here to one percent of the outside flow rate," Xiao Yan sighed. Such a feat was simply breathtaking; probably among everyone Xiao Yan had ever seen, only that Dragon God who was once a Supreme God King could achieve it.
Gu Yuena nodded. That peerless power was precisely her goal. Only by reaching that level would she be able to slaughter her way back to the Divine Realm and break the millions of years of suffering of the Soul Beast Clan. She then asked, "After a year of arduous cultivation, I don't know how your results are, and whether you've made good use of this fortuitous encounter."
Hearing this, Xiao Yan examined himself, and a surging power immediately met his perception, making him feel incomparably pleasantly surprised. Then, Xiao Yan stepped forward, the Ancient Void Dragon Phoenix possessing him. Purple-gold dragon horns and dragon scales far larger and harder than before appeared on his body, a pair of lifelike, unimaginably huge Heavenly Phoenix Wings grew from his back, and what made him feel the growth of power the most were still Xiao Yan's hands. At this moment, Xiao Yan's hands had completely transformed into a pair of powerful purple-gold dragon claws, and between his gestures, the power to move mountains and split the earth was contained within them. Six purple-gold Blood Essence Soul Rings appeared, showing just to what extent the current Xiao Yan had elevated himself.
Xiao Yan looked at his own claws. At this moment, only he himself knew to what terrifying extent his power had elevated. At this present time, he was entirely equivalent to a six-ring Soul Emperor.
Xiao Yan waved his sharp claws, then put away the Ancient Void Dragon Phoenix with satisfaction and released the Emperor Flame Martial Soul. After all, he had already sensed that his elevation this time was not limited to his Bloodline Power.
With a thought from Xiao Yan, the Emperor Flame was cradled in his left hand, and an irresistible scorching heat raged outward. Taking a closer look, the Emperor Flame seemed to have undergone a certain change, and this change manifested in an instant.
A massive purple flame somewhat similar to Xiao Yan's Ancient Void Dragon Phoenix form appeared on Xiao Yan's body. After circling around Xiao Yan once, it flew back into the Emperor Flame. Meanwhile, Xiao Yan's fifth soul ring also manifested accordingly.
The fifth soul ring was not purple like the Three Thousand Burning Flame, but presented a brownish feel.
"Turtle Spirit Earth Flame... Utilizing the Dragon God's power, I broke through yet another layer of the Emperor Flame's seal, which indeed saved me the trouble of seeking soul ring energy from soul beasts," Xiao Yan sighed with emotion. Even without counting his Bloodline Power, he was now fully a five-ring Soul King-a fourteen-year-old Soul King. "Sorry, little senior sister, I accidentally broke your record."
As for that Three Thousand Burning Flame, he still had to thank the Dragon God. Due to the evolution of the Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline, this Heavenly Flame, which had deep origins and a bloodline connection with the Ancient Void Dragon Clan, had sensed for the first time that Xiao Yan was undergoing bloodline cultivation and automatically broke the seal to appear and protect its master. That huge purple-gold giant cocoon was the handiwork of the Three Thousand Burning Flame's starry-sky power participating. Although Xiao Yan did not know why he didn't have much favorable impression of this Three Thousand Burning Flame, this active seal-breaking still filled Xiao Yan with emotion.
"Not bad. Your soul power has risen to level fifty, and your Bloodline Power has risen to level sixty. This can already be considered a bountiful harvest, especially since you are not a person of this world; raising your rank must definitely not have been easy... Oh? This soul ring of yours actually doesn't need to absorb the soul rings of soul beasts? This isn't a Blood Essence Soul Ring, but a true Martial Soul soul ring... You really are very much like my Soul Beast Clan." Gu Yuena looked at those uniquely colored soul rings with full interest, evidently having never heard of such a thing.
"Stop looking, Miss Gu Yue. You've been asking me for half a day, and I haven't asked you what level you've elevated to yet?" Xiao Yan put away his Martial Soul and smiled. Hearing this, Gu Yuena released her simulated silver dragon Martial Soul, and powerful soul power was unleashed along with it, proving unexpectedly even more formidable than Xiao Yan's.
"You've also broken through to six rings?" Xiao Yan sighed. Back during the battle at the Great Soul Arena, Gu Yuena's Soul Power Level was still inferior to his, but now she had already reached the six-ring realm, and judging from her aura, her cultivation level was probably even higher than Xiao Yan's Bloodline Power grade. Of course, Xiao Yan not only possessed Bloodline Power, but also over level fifty soul power; the combination of the two was by no means a simple addition of strength, but a multiplier-like enhancement in intensity. If they were to really fight with genuine skill, Xiao Yan still wouldn't lose. But Xiao Yan still felt much emotion. Clearly, the Dragon God had apportioned more power to Xiao Yan to alleviate Gu Yuena's pressure, yet Gu Yuena's improvement was still stronger than Xiao Yan's. One could only say that bloodlines belonging to the same lineage indeed possessed their own unique merits.
"Not bad, and the seven-ring realm is not far off either. Moreover, the Dragon God's power not only elevated my soul power, physical strength, and mental power level, but also enhanced my bloodline purity," Gu Yuena sighed. "Before, I was merely transformed from a soul shard of the Silver Dragon King, possessing only thirty percent of the main body's strength. Although my bloodline was still formidable, it was very weak compared to the main body-no different from humans. But now, although I am still far inferior to the main body in terms of actual strength, in terms of bloodline level, the main body probably can't even compare to me. Furthermore, I am finally able to transform into a dragon form!" At the end, Gu Yuena even felt somewhat on the verge of tears of joy, and she immediately transformed into dragon form, fluttering about the sky above the Dragon Graveyard like a joyful butterfly. After flying a few laps, she landed on the ground and tightly hugged Xiao Yan.
No matter what Gu Yuena thought, she was a member of the Soul Beast Clan. She must have been quite distressed previously at being unable to transform into beast form, Xiao Yan thought, and patted her.
Afterwards, the two of them glanced at those mottled dragon bones and then left this place. Before dissipating, the Dragon God used its final power to lead all the dragon souls here to fly out of the Dragon Valley, obtaining peace for their souls-on the other hand, it also completely dissipated between heaven and earth. But those dragons were fortunate; after millions of years, they once again roamed the void following their Majesty the God King, enjoying hard-earned freedom.
Although the two of them spent a year in the Dragon Graveyard, no more than three days had passed in the vast majority of the Dragon Valley. The five ferocious beasts led by Di Tian were still waiting for the return of the two, and that Emperor Auspicious Beast was currently chasing a few little dragon souls to play-the vast majority of dragon souls and Dragon Cloud had been completely absorbed by the two of them, and these little dragon souls were probably the only remaining little playmates in the Dragon Valley.
Just as the Auspicious Beast was playing to her heart's content, the expressions of the five ferocious beasts suddenly stirred. Being rare powerhouses, their perceptions were naturally formidable, and they sensed that two much more powerful forces were flying toward them at extreme speed. A moment later, the Auspicious Beast also released the little dragon soul under her claws and looked in the direction whence the two figures were flying.
Gu Yuena landed first, a nine-colored crystal shining brilliantly in her hand. She held the crystal high up, and the five great ferocious beasts consequently fell to their knees. "Congratulations, Lord, for accomplishing the great mission!"
The Auspicious Beast looked at that crystal and likewise bowed in prostration. Afterwards, she quickly got to her feet, pounced joyfully upon Gu Yuena, and shouted excitedly, "Lord!"
"Little one, do not be impudent!"
"It's fine, Di Tian." Gu Yuena stroked the furry head of the Emperor Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. The Auspicious Beast clearly enjoyed it very much, obediently rubbing against Gu Yuena's palm. "Why has the Auspicious Beast come here?"
"I missed you!" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion blinked her three sparkling eyes. To this junior within the Core Circle of the Star Dou Great Forest, probably only Gu Yuena could barely be considered her peer.
The five great ferocious beasts stood up and closely scrutinized that Dragon God's Heart. With this item, the revival of the soul beasts would be filled with infinite hope.
Only then did they notice Xiao Yan, who was gazing gently at Gu Yuena from behind her. The five ferocious beasts were surprised to discover that the bloodline power surrounding Xiao Yan seemed to have far surpassed everyone present, including their Lord.
Xiao Yan smiled and nodded toward the five ferocious beasts, but the expressions of the five ferocious beasts turned somewhat solemn, without a trace of a smile. They slowly walked toward where Xiao Yan was.
"Di Tian!" Seeing this scene, Gu Yuena abruptly stood up, extended her left hand to shield Xiao Yan behind her, and said, "Don't do anything foolish."
Xiao Yan's smile remained unchanged, as though he didn't possess any sense of fear, as if the five people before him were not the supreme powerhouses of heaven and earth, but merely five ordinary people.
Among the people or beasts present, only the Three-Eyed Golden Lion wore a puzzled expression. Looking at the five great ferocious beasts, then at her common master and that human male, she doubted aloud, "Lord, Di Tian, what are you all doing... Who is that human male?"
Gu Yuena waved her right hand, and the Silver Dragon Spear materialized out of thin air in her right hand, pointing straight at Di Tian's glabella.
However, the chaotic brawl Gu Yuena had imagined did not occur. The five great ferocious beasts stopped two steps away from Xiao Yan, and then, amidst the puzzled gazes of Gu Yuena and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, they knelt on one knee and saluted:
"Lord!"
Xiao Yan still did not say a word, nodding slightly and calling out, "No need for formalities, rise."
With that, he glanced with a mischievous look at the clueless Three-Eyed Golden Lion. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion noticed his gaze and locked eyes with him for a moment. Then, Xiao Yan turned his head aside, gesturing with it toward the five ferocious beasts who had just stood up, still wearing a mysterious smile on his face. The meaning of that behavior was self-evident.
The Auspicious Beast experienced a mental storm for a long time, evidently not understanding why Di Tian and the others would address a human as "Common Master." Yet that human kept smiling wickedly at her, and even seemed to want her to do something. In her haste, the inexperienced Auspicious Beast was practically on the verge of crying. Finally, she prostrated herself on the ground with all three eyes squeezed tightly shut, not daring to look at that strange and seemingly malicious human male, and said in a voice as faint as a mosquito's: "Lord..."
Seeing this scene, Gu Yuena's shock was clearly beyond description. But intelligent as she was, she obviously knew that Di Tian and the other ferocious beasts never did anything without reason; this so-called "Common Master" probably wasn't groundless. Thinking back to when the Dragon God's remnant soul was on the verge of death, it had told her that the Dragon God's Heart would be jointly owned by her and Xiao Yan. This position of Common Master should be the final handiwork of the Dragon God. Hence, Gu Yuena's tension suddenly transformed into relaxed joy, and upon seeing Xiao Yan deliberately bullying the Emperor Auspicious Beast, that joy grew even more intense. In the end, a helpless Gu Yuena could only fiercely pat Xiao Yan's back and say, "Stop bullying the Auspicious Beast," before laughing uncontrollably and failing to stop.