The sky and earth suddenly darkened.
The moment Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan stepped onto the border of the Ming Yuan Continent, the entire sky seemed to be covered by a layer of inky black soul membrane. The sun, moon, and stars all disappeared, and the cold wind was like a blade, mixed with indescribable soul cries, coming from the distant mountain that seemed to be in Eternal Silence, like whispers, or like the wails of ten thousand dead spirits.
That mountain is the origin of the [Abyssal Rift Realm].
It lies at the very edge of the Ming Yuan, towering thousands of feet high, with a thousand peaks like halberds, as if it were a wound torn open when heaven and earth fell. The mountain is barren, with only countless gray-black, ghostly thorn pillars coiling around its peaks like twisted nerves, stretching towards the sky. Each thorn is as thick as a city wall, its surface covered with intricate soul patterns, upon which hang countless dried and broken corpses—the remains of humans, beasts, and gods—all nailed to it, as if being judged one by one by a god called "Death."
This is the legendary "Abyss of No Return for the Myriad Races".
According to records, throughout countless eons, all the most malevolent spirits sentenced to incorrigible soul punishment have been cast into this place. And among them, the most terrifying is the dwelling place of the Nether Abyss Black Dragon.
Qin Yu, shrouded in the light of the Azure Ring Concealment, stood with Qian Ruishan before a precipice.
Below the precipice lay an endless Black Abyss, bottomless, where even the light of the soul was extinguished. Qian Ruishan hugged her arms, feeling that the cold here penetrated even deeper into her soul than the Extreme Cold Realm Wall, and that every breath felt like it would freeze her very being.
She gazed at the distant, thorny mountains and asked softly, "... Is she here?"
Qin Yu nodded, his expression solemn. "The Black Mother Dragon, the Nether Abyss Black Dragon, the legendary oldest soul Adjudicator in the Ming Yuan... even the gods fear her scrutiny. If anyone is truly qualified to resonate with her, then her soul lineage is far more extraordinary than we imagine."
Qian Ruishan smiled gently but said nothing more. She understood that Qin Yu's trip, besides the Soul Contract, was also about—bringing the dragon back to its origin.
The two continued deeper, crossing seven chains of ghostly souls, entering the Soul-Sinking Marsh, and traversing seventy-two Soul Tower remnant arrays. Every step felt like stepping on the ruins of another era, with whispering ghosts, confused consciousness, and overlapping spaces. Only Qin Yu, with the power of the Realm Consciousness Realm · Fifth Stage Perfection and the protection of the Azure Ring Soul, was able to stabilize Qian Ruishan's sea of consciousness.
Finally, on the evening of the seventh day, the two reached the deepest part of the Rift Realm, where a dark red stone gate of ten thousand bones suddenly appeared before them. The stone gate was a hundred feet high, and a faint ray of scarlet soul light shone through the cracks in the gate—as if some ancient being was gazing at them from the other side.
At that moment, the sky suddenly trembled, and the entire Rift Realm groaned.
Rumble!
As the Stone Gate of Ten Thousand Bones slowly opened, a beam of eerie light shot out from within, like a spear of soul judgment, sweeping across the entire sky!
Behind the door, in the pitch-black mist as vast as a night sea, a pair of enormous blue-black dragon eyes slowly opened.
In that instant, the entire Ming Yuan Continent trembled!
--The Nether Abyss Black Dragon, a sign that it is about to appear.
The sky lost its color.
The deepest realm of the Abyssal Continent, known as the "Abyssal Rift Realm," is no longer a place of ordinary order. There is no sky, no earth, only crisscrossing cracks and raging eerie flames, as if even space itself is weeping. The surrounding area is silent, yet it seems as if ten thousand souls are whispering. The sky hangs upside down like a veil of corpses, pitch black as ink, and from the depths of the rifts, wisps of dim purple flames erupt, constantly licking the torn walls of spacetime around them, bringing a terrifying agitation.
Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan stood side by side on a shattered rock platform, with a bottomless abyss beneath their feet. Light could not penetrate their surroundings; only the faint glow of the Azure Ring protected them from absolute darkness. Qian Ruishan bit her red lips and whispered:
"This is... the slumbering place of the Black Mother Dragon?"
Qin Yu nodded slightly, his eyes showing neither joy nor anger, only a barely perceptible hint of solemnity. He sensed it; the soul pressure was approaching. It wasn't ordinary pressure, but something that even the Azure Ring was slightly resonating with.
The next moment, the entire Rift Realm suddenly trembled!
"Roar----!!!"
It was a voice that was not human, yet so ancient that it could make all languages bow down in defiance. The soul-stirring sound from the void shattered space, and a colossal shadow slowly rose from the bottom of the abyss.
It was ten thousand feet long, its entire body covered in dark dragon scales, between which endless soul mist swirled, like the wailing of billions of broken souls. Its dragon horns pointed backward, curved like obsidian blades, and its dark eyes opened in the black mist, reflecting the only two figures remaining in the world— Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan.
That was the Dark Mother Dragon of the Abyss, the legendary Soul Abyss Forbidden Dragon that could devour the Lord of the Styx River.
The Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly and the Silent Spirit Snow Fox simultaneously appeared behind Qian Ruishan. The former's colorful wings trembled, and its seven-colored butterfly light sprinkled across the soul realm, like a dream, yet it couldn't withstand the slight chill; the latter's nine tails unfurled, and its silvery-white breath quietly condensed into frost, yet it couldn't help but take a half step back, whispering:
"This aura... seems to emanate from the Nine Souls Death Abyss..."
The black dragon mother slowly raised her head, and wisps of soul mist exploded in the void beneath her claws. Her dragon eyes fell on Qin Yu, revealing a strange expression, seemingly wary, yet also... confused.
The will to fight has already risen!
Qin Yu lightly gripped the Black Bone Long Spear in his right hand, the Azure Ring around his body trembled slightly, and a ray of azure light concealed between his fingers:
"Don't actually hurt her... she's just in a defensive stance. Try to suppress her."
"Understood!" Qian Ruishan leaped lightly, and the Cold Stamen Ice Tassel danced around her, with three layers of frost overlapping, and the Profound Cold Domain Lock was instantly unleashed.
The Silent Spirit Snow Fox let out a soft howl, unleashing the [Mirror Soul Dream Domain] technique to spread its soul-sensing illusion, attempting to temporarily draw the Black Mother Dragon's consciousness in; meanwhile, the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly flapped its wings in the air, unleashing the [Flowing Frost Butterfly Dance] technique, with thousands of butterflies fluttering down, scattering colorful starlight and icy light, enveloping the airspace above the Rift Realm.
"Hmph!" How dare you disturb me?
The Black Mother Dragon merely trembled slightly, and the entire Rift Realm sky suddenly spun back!
Countless illusory butterflies were forced into the void, and the Silent Dream Domain was instantly torn apart. Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan suddenly felt a wave of soul pressure, almost crushing their sea of consciousness.
"As expected... the 'Mother Dragon' among the transcendent divine beasts." Qin Yu took a step forward, causing the Azure Ring to vibrate slightly, blocking the head-on impact.
Qian Ruishan did not retreat. Instead, she unleashed a powerful counterattack with her icy aura, unleashing a single sword strike—[Stamen Extremity Frost-Sealing Slash]!
Ice Tassel pierced the air, frost swirled around the blades, forcing the black mother dragon to slightly turn her head, a trace of frost appearing on the scales of her left shoulder.
"It works." Qian Ruishan whispered, a fighting spirit appearing in her eyes.
The black dragon slowly flipped in the air, its head slamming down again. Soul mist poured down like a torrential rain, forcing Qin Yu to meet it with a spear thrusting backward—[Ring Spear: Silent Severing Abyss]!
Boom!!
Annihilation light bloomed within the black mist, causing the entire Netherworld to tremble once more.
Heaven and earth are dark, only the souls resound and clamor.
The Black Mother Dragon of the Abyss hovered in the vast, dark mist, its massive black wings slowly unfurling, stirring the surrounding soul mist as if tearing the entire abyss apart. Its gaze remained calm and majestic, yet gradually took on a probing quality—as if it didn't see Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan as enemies, but rather as a test...of their "qualifications."
But probing is inherently a dangerous confrontation of soul pressure.
"Ruishan!" Qin Yu shouted in a low voice. The Azure Ring moved slightly, releasing a layer of almost imperceptible soul domain protection, sealing off the area behind Qian Ruishan.
"Understood." Qian Ruishan had already seen through it all—the Black Mother Dragon was enormous, yet its attacks were as swift as a shadow; any carelessness would result in instantaneous crushing.
"Ice Butterfly, Nine Dances - Full Power."
The wings of the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly gently unfolded, and at that moment, the entire abyss seemed to brighten up a bit.
The seven-colored frost light transformed into fragments of butterfly wings, swirling in the air and gradually transforming into nine butterfly shadows, dancing and swirling wildly around the Black Mother Dragon. This was the Ultimate evolution of [Flowing Frost Butterfly Dance]—the butterfly shadows constructed an illusionary domain, disrupting the enemy's judgment and preventing them from accurately locking onto Qian Ruishan's location and her true form.
The Silent Spirit Snow Fox gracefully landed on Qian Ruishan's shoulder, its nine tails slowly unfurling to release the [Snow Breath Illusory Tails], which transformed into nine icy tail lights that enveloped the Black Mother Dragon from all directions—forming a chilling cage that spread to her very soul!
"It's so beautiful... This isn't a battle. It's a Wancai spectacle," Qian Ruishan murmured, as she suddenly thrust out the Cold Stamen Ice Tassel in her hand.
[Spirit-Shattering Ice Lamp]!
A crystal lamp appeared in her palm, instantly shattering into millions of ice crystal fragments, carrying the edge of soul destruction, aimed directly at the soul mark on the Black Mother Dragon's jaw!
--boom!!
Instead of being angry, the black mother dragon roared, and with a flap of its enormous dragon wings, an invisible soul pressure formed a vortex, instantly swirling up all the butterfly shadows and ice shards, scattering them high in the sky.
Qin Yu had already charged into the dragon's shadow, his Black Bone War Spear aimed directly at its dragon neck scales, the spearhead transforming into a single move:
[Ring Spear - Heaven-Extinguishing Ash]!
The Soul Spear pierced through the clouds, shattering the ten-thousand-foot-high soul mist ahead, determined to strike the Black Mother Dragon's left neck head-on!
"Roar--!!!"
The Black Mother Dragon finally displayed her "counterattack" for the first time.
A roar shattered the space, and a dark blue rune suddenly lit up on the dragon pattern on its abdomen. Then, a destructive soul aura emanated from its body, directly pressing down on Qin Yu and Qian Ruishan.
"Retreat!" Qin Yu forcefully blocked the impact with his Azure Ring Soul Light, retreating five zhang, but he was still shaken by the soul energy, causing his blood and qi to surge.
"That was... Soul Source Explosive Shock." The Silent Spirit Snow Fox's voice trembled. "She wasn't unleashing her full killing intent; she was merely issuing a warning."
"She's testing our limits..." Qin Yu narrowed his eyes, "And we must hold on."
At this moment, a stubborn look appeared in Qian Ruishan's eyes, and she asked softly, "Qin Yu, hold on a little longer. Ice Butterfly and Snow Fox just said that they can borrow my soul to unleash another attack."
"Um."
She closed her eyes slightly, and in an instant—
The souls of the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly and the Silent Spirit Snow Fox resonated and converged in the air, and as the butterfly wings fluttered, nine snow-like patterns solidified.
Dual Divine Beast Combo Skill: Extreme Cold Illusion Butterfly - Soul Snowfall!
The entire Abyssal Rift Realm suddenly fell silent. A rainbow of ice, spanning ten thousand feet, appeared in mid-air, with illusory butterflies fluttering and snow foxes soaring in the air, as if it were the beginning of the freezing of heaven and earth and the Annihilation of all souls!
The black mother dragon's expression changed slightly for the first time.
But it did not retreat. It raised its head and roared, and a vast, soul-shaking will slowly rose up, transforming into a black soul magic circle on its body.
It is finally ready to respond with its true soul realm, which transcends even divine beasts!
A dragon's roar echoed from the heavens, piercing the abyss.
It wasn't anger, nor murderous intent, but a kind of "scrutiny" from the very source of her soul. It was as if the Black Mother Dragon had finally determined that these two beings before her were not humans who had come to invade her land, but rather—"candidates" worth trying.
However, candidates still need to establish their credibility through action.
--The next moment.
The entire Abyssal Rift Realm trembled violently!
With a flap of its wings, the Black Mother Dragon gathered black mist around its body, and then slowly formed a dark purple Soul Seal on its chest. The Soul Seal flowed like a living thing, shining with a cold radiance like Annihilation star.
"Qin Yu, that's..." Qian Ruishan's pupils contracted.
"Her soul domain awakening... has probably already entered the 'Transcendent Soul Realm' state."
Black Mother Dragon, unleash your full power!
Above its head, a black soul array quietly opened, and the nine soul marks unfolded one by one, transforming into the "Nine Nether Spirit-Extinguishing Formation"—a soul domain suppression array unique to transcendent divine beasts, capable of forcibly sealing the soul consciousness fluctuations of all non-divine soul level beings.
"This level..." Even Qin Yu's Azure Ring trembled slightly, as if sensing a resonance with some equal existence.
Boom!
A strong, oppressive spiritual aura suddenly descended from the sky, suppressing the entire abyss and causing it to tremble with a low rumble. Qian Ruishan was almost forced back, and Bingdie and Xuehu hurriedly erected the double protective domains of ice and illusionary light, but they were still firmly suppressed in mid-air.
"She doesn't want to kill us; she wants to see if we can withstand her soul power..."
Qin Yu's expression changed slightly. He held the Black Bone War Spear in front of him and asked softly, "Can you still hold on?"
"Can."
Qian Ruishan's Cold Stamen Ice Tassel trembled slightly, yet it still pointed straight to the sky.
"Then let's approach her." Qin Yu's eyes darkened. "Step by step, get closer to her True Soul Domain."
So, the two defied the pressure of the soul and stepped forward!
Every step felt like walking at the edge of the world.
Every step is a thorough test of one's soul, blood, and will.
"Ice Butterfly, release [Extreme Cold Rainbow Realm]."
"Good."
As the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly danced lightly, a seven-colored ice ring domain instantly opened, covering a thousand feet of land. Under the suppression, it formed a small breathing space, allowing Qian Ruishan's steps to become steady.
"Silent spirit, a dreamlike realm that entangles the soul."
The nine tails of the Silent Spirit Snow Fox spread out, and the [Mirror Soul Dream Domain] spread out beneath its feet. Illusions intertwined and soul breaths shifted, causing the Black Mother Dragon's soul pressure to shift slightly for a moment!
At that very moment, Qin Yu suddenly accelerated, his Azure Ring flashing slightly, and stepped into the core area of the Black Mother Dragon Formation!
Qian Ruishan followed closely behind, her Ice Tassel piercing through the soul mist, and the two figures finally approached within three hundred feet of the Black Mother Dragon!
--At this very moment.
The black mother dragon suddenly stopped attacking.
It hovered silently high in the sky, gazing at the two of them, as if it had a pair of weathered eyes, scrutinizing the deepest recesses of their souls.
The Black Soul Magic Circle stopped expanding and instead slowly contracted—as if it were... accepting something?
"She didn't continue to oppress us," Qian Ruishan whispered.
"She's waiting for us to take the final step." Qin Yu's tone was low, yet resolute.
The next moment--
Qin Yu slowly raised his hand, and a ray of light emanated from the Azure Ring in his right hand, illuminating the Abyss of Black Mist with an arc of azure light.
"I am the Lord of the Source Ring, the one who has attained the Azure Ring stage." He uttered each word with a resonance of his divine soul.
We are not here to conquer you.
"We've only come to... make a contract with you."
Boom--!
The black dragon's pupils trembled slightly, and its soul energy suddenly contracted!
Its tail fin twitched slightly, and it slowly landed, its massive body lying flat on the ground, its wings outstretched and motionless, its head slowly lowering, as if facing some irreversible destiny, or perhaps...
It accepted the words of the Lord of the Azure Ring.
But it did not give up.
It retracted its soul domain, leaving only a very clear projection of its soul consciousness:
"Want to be in harmony with me? You must undergo trials."
"If you cannot defeat my raging phantom, you will never be worthy of our union."
At that moment, the world was deathly silent.
The black mother dragon's enormous eyes slowly closed, and then, a dark blue dragon soul slowly rose from its forehead, like a death consciousness climbing from the eternal abyss, silent yet reaching the very source of its consciousness.
The next moment--
Qin Yu, Qian Ruishan, Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly, and Silent Spirit Snow Fox all trembled in shock!
Boom!
The entire Abyssal Rift Realm seemed to collapse in an instant, the abyss of ten thousand miles suddenly changed, the black mist swirled back, and the Rift Realm was actually peeled apart, as if a crack that would never close had been torn open in space, and the four of them were directly swallowed by this soul intent!
"Dark Abyss Trial, Soul Illusion Realm - Activated."
The sea of consciousness reversed, and the mind was pulled into boundless darkness.
When Qin Yu opened his eyes, he stood in a shattered space, with broken Soul Realm crystals paving the ground beneath his feet. In the distance, stars swirled and disappeared, and the whole world looked like a ruin scorched by some kind of soul energy.
Before him stood a dragon projected from a black soul—undoubtedly the "Soul Manifestation" of the Black Mother Dragon!
Unlike the majestic and aloof nature of the original body, this soul shadow seemed to be the "wrathful soul" within the Black Mother Dragon's heart. Its entire dragon body was twisted and ferocious, its eyes burning with ghostly flames, and it let out a roar as if the realm of death was collapsing!
On the other side, Qian Ruishan was also pulled into another illusion.
The environment she was in was completely different; it was a frozen, icy void where time had been frozen.
The snow and ice were frozen solid, like a mirror; there was no wind, no sound, and all things were still.
But at the end of this "mirror world," a figure wielding the same ice soul as her was slowly approaching.
That was... herself?
No, it was the Black Mother Dragon's complete simulation and projection of her soul, temperament, and fighting spirit—
It's the "Mirror of the Ice Soul," a mirror image of her opponent!
"If you can't even defeat your own reflection, how can you... be in harmony with me?"
She, the woman behind the ice mirror, had eyes as cold as frost. She wielded a longsword made of icy crystal, and with a single stroke, she slashed!
"Silent Spirit, engage in battle!"
Qian Ruishan let out a low shout, and the nine tails of the Silent Spirit Snow Fox suddenly opened, spreading its illusory aura. The entire Ice Mirror Void Realm began to collapse, creating a domain of shattered light!
Qin Yu's battlefield has also begun.
The Black Soul Dragon opened its mouth and spat out a [Soul Abyss Nether Lightning], instantly shattering the Shattered World Soul Stone!
"Although the illusion is not the real world, if the sea of consciousness is lost, the consciousness will be completely annihilated." He knew that this was no ordinary "illusion."
"Since that's the case..."
He slowly raised his right arm, Azure Ring was already in his hand!
Azure Ring ·One Style: Spirit Edge Piercing the Realm
Just as the raging phantom collapsed, Qin Yu's sea of consciousness trembled, as if some long-hidden divinity had been completely unsealed.
"Buzz--"
At that moment, Azure Ring quietly bloomed behind him.
At first, it was only about a foot in size, like a still blue arc of light behind his shoulder. However, as the aura surged forth, the entire abyss trembled!
The cyan halo slowly expanded, passing over the spine and shoulder blades, and finally condensed into a complete and dazzling cyan divine halo behind him.
The divine ring was not activated by Qin Yu's voluntary action, but it seemed to awaken autonomously with every thought he had!
The toroidal surface rotates slowly, and is engraved with countless unrecognizable ancient symbols, divine scripts, and mysterious marks. Each one is like a chain of fate hanging from the Milky Way, eternally unsolvable and difficult to fathom.
--Those were not runes recognizable by any known race, but rather "primordial seals" that transcended all soul paths, spells, and celestial secrets.
Strands of azure light fell like aurora borealis through a crack in the sky, gentle yet unbearable to behold; and at its center, there was a source core light that could not be looked at directly, like the heart of the "Primordial Realm" beating.
The air freezes, and time and space stand still.
Even a transcendent divine beast like the Black Mother Dragon bowed its head slightly the moment it saw the Azure Ring appear—not out of submission, but out of instinctive awe and acknowledgment.
"What... is that...?"
Qian Ruishan murmured softly. She had seen Azure Ring appear before, but this time, witnessing Azure Ring's rebirth, she had never felt it so clearly—clearly sensed that this was not a weapon, nor some kind of supernatural power, but rather...
A unique rule that transcends "the logic of existence".
At this moment, the entire Netherworld seemed to fall silent as the Azure Ring slowly rotated.
Qin Yu stood in the center of the Azure Ring.
His figure was reflected in that divine halo, as if it had been engraved in some unknown "Primordial Will" countless eons ago.
He is— the Lord of the Azure Ring.
The sky was deathly silent, the void still.
The Azure Ring light slowly rotated in the darkness of the abyss, like a sun of order in the eternal primordial realm, illuminating a world where all things were still.
In that silent instant, the black mother dragon, which had been perched high in the sky and was tens of thousands of feet long—that supreme body shrouded in dark soul mist and resembling the embodiment of heaven and earth—suddenly froze in the air, its limbs trembling slightly, and an uncontrollable spiritual turmoil flashing in its eyes.
Bathed in the Azure Ring light, it slowly and willingly lowered its godlike dragon head!
"I..."
The Black Mother Dragon's voice, deep and resonant like thunder in the Silent Realm, echoed directly in the hearts and souls of everyone in this space.
"I do not believe in gods, nor in heaven, nor in the lord of the Soul Realm."
But today... seeing the circle around you, I know my destiny has come to pass.
It descended step by step in front of Qin Yu, its enormous body dispelling all its oppressive aura, as if a thousand mountains were bowing in reverence. The dragon's head lowered, and beneath its dark soul scales, an ancient Soul Seal emerged, activating on its own.
"I swear an oath with my soul: from this day forward, for all eternity, I will never disobey you, I will follow you alone, obey your commands, and bury the souls of your enemies."
"As long as the Soul Seal remains, I will never repent."
His words caused a stir throughout the entire region.
Qin Yu remained silent, simply watching as the colossal soul, bathed in the Azure Ring, prostrated itself like a subject.
At that very moment, two tiny figures beside Qian Ruishan also trembled slightly.
The Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly reacted first. Its fluttering wings, like a seven-colored starry sea, suddenly retracted, its body trembling slightly as it hovered in mid-air. Then, under the pressure released by the divine halo, as if pushed to its Limit, it swooped down without hesitation.
"I... I submit... Master, please forgive Ice Butterfly for Pre-Nonbeing..."
"This Azure Ring... this is the aura of a world before it existed... You are... the only one..."
The Silent Spirit Snow Fox, which had been standing still amidst the ice flowers, now unconsciously lowered its head and prostrated itself, its nine tails slowly unfurling, spreading their crescent-shaped phantom tails across the ground like a sacrificial offering. It gazed at the divine rhythm of the Azure Ring, its voice trembling slightly:
"If there is anything in this world that transcends fate... it is you."
"I would not refuse to serve whomever Master Qian Ruishan wishes... but now I know that I also wholeheartedly submit to your command, simply because you are the only lord in the Soul Realm who cannot be disobeyed."
The two divine beasts knelt before him. These rare celestial treasures, transcending the Ice Soul and the Nine-Tailed Illusory Spirits, actually set aside all their pride and the arrogance of their divine bloodline at this moment, and paid homage to the boy who was only a little over ten years old.
At this moment, Qian Ruishan looked at everything before her and gently glanced at Qin Yu's profile.
That was still the boy she knew, with clear eyes and not a trace of arrogance.
Behind him, however, the azure divine halo was slowly rotating, exuding an aura of supreme power and overlooking all things.
He will eventually become the sole king of the Soul Realm.
Qin Yu gazed at the Ice Butterfly and Snow Fox prostrate on the ground. These two deities, who once held independent Venerable Rank in the Myriad Races Soul Beast Register, were now bowing in worship. Yet he merely smiled gently, his brows softening and his voice warm:
"You two little ones, get up."
"You just need to follow Shanshan closely."
He looked at Qian Ruishan beside him, his gaze as gentle as light skimming across a lake, filled with indescribable tenderness and affection.
"Shanshan is one of the people deepest in my soul. If you are willing to follow her, then you will be the best patrons."
Upon hearing this, the Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly and the Silent Spirit Snow Fox immediately lowered their heads and cried out in unison, "As you command, Master's wish is our destiny."
At this moment, the black mother dragon in the distance slowly raised its head. In its deep pupils, as profound as the soul of an ancient abyss, an unprecedented gentleness and sense of belonging appeared. As its body trembled, its ten-thousand-foot-tall form suddenly began to shrink—the dark mist receded like a tide, and the dragon scales and horns gradually dissipated, replaced by—a human figure!
A moment.
The dragon's body completely melted away, and standing atop the shattered ice and light was a young girl dressed in a long black and gold patterned veil.
That was the dragon maiden's form, not an illusion, but a true transformation of her physical body.
The girl looked to be only a little over ten years old, yet her features were breathtakingly perfect—her face was as delicate as jade, as if it were the Ultimate image sculpted by the myriad forms of heaven and earth; her pair of icy black eyes seemed to hold the ancient past and the future, flowing with the breath of the starry sea of the Soul Realm.
Her figure was Ultimate elegant, yet a faint mist of dark fog still lingered in her aura, like mist and smoke, swirling between her snow-white slender fingers and shoulders, revealing an indescribable eerie and alluring figure in the hazy light.
She stood there, like a blend of the Ming Yuan and the galaxy, a queenly statue formed from the darkness of night.
Despite her imposing presence, she displayed no arrogance or haughtiness; instead, when her gaze fell upon Qin Yu, her eyes were filled with awe and tenderness.
"From this day forward, I am your dragon servant," she whispered, her voice calm yet like a vow from the soul, "My heart, my soul, my life... all belong to you."
"I wish to follow you until the end of Annihilation."
In an instant, the entire Myriad Thorns Mountain fell silent, as if even the wind and time themselves had stood still.
Qian Ruishan stood to the side, watching the dragon girl suddenly transform, an expression of disbelief in her eyes. "She... she can actually transform into human form?"
The Myriad-Colored Ice Butterfly and the Silent Spirit Snow Fox beside her also looked on in astonishment. "No... this is... true spirit transformation and human form!"
"Throughout the millennia-old records of the Myriad Spirits Contract Beast Clan, there has never been a single divine beast that could truly transform into human form... This is the pinnacle of soul beasts, the pinnacle of divine souls!"
The Silent Spirit Snow Fox's tail trembled slightly, its voice filled with awe. "She... might truly have stepped into the 'Chief Divine Beast Rank' realm... her bloodline may have already crossed that boundary..."
At this moment, the dragon girl slowly walked up to Qin Yu and looked at him tenderly:
I am Nameless.
"But from this day forward, you may name me."
Qin Yu gazed at the girl standing quietly amidst the mist, a slight glint in his eyes. She was no longer the Nether Abyss Black Dragon, but the being that had once suppressed countless souls with divine might, now transformed into a woman standing before him.
He chuckled softly, his tone so gentle it seemed to melt away the entire Abyssal Rift Realm.
"Alright, now I will name you."
He stepped forward, lightly touching the girl's brow with his fingertip, and a wisp of blue light quietly flowed in.
"From this day forward, your name will be -- Youlong Yunyi."
"May I call you 'Yunyi'?"
The girl paused for a moment, then her eyes trembled slightly, as if she had heard the most beautiful music in the world. A faint mist seemed to well up in her eyes, but she nodded with a smile.
"Yunyi... that sounds nice."
"Then I am Yunyi."
"May this name accompany you through countless lifetimes, never to be parted."
Her voice was soft, trembling with the emotions of newborns, as if a Fate Soul destined to exist for Qin Yu was surging within her.
At this moment, even the remaining snowflakes on the horizon fell silently, as if covering her with a soft light, a vow made for her.
Qian Ruishan stood to the side, watching Qin Yu and Yunyi whisper to each other, but there was no trace of jealousy in her eyes, only a smile and a warm light in her eyes.
She knew that everything in this world that truly resonated with Qin Yu would eventually share the same path as her.
Qin Yu turned around, looked at her with a gentle expression, and said softly:
"Shanshan, it's time for us to set off."
"Go see them—let this path of soul-binding continue anew."