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The next day, it was already noon by the time Gu Yuena woke up leisurely. Her body still felt somewhat weak and tingly, and when she looked down, she saw marks scattered all over her skin, making her flush with embarrassment.
"Awake?"
The greeting from the person beside her shattered any remaining composure she had left. She curled into a ball and burrowed deeper under the covers, leaving only her silver hair visible. A faint murmur came from beneath the blankets: "You scoundrel..."
Bai Xu was now stuck with that title, whether he liked it or not.
"Let's go. We have business to attend to," Bai Xu said, rising first. With a wave of his hand, his clothes materialized onto his body, erasing any trace of last night's disheveled state. It was as if he had simply pulled up his pants and moved on without a second thought.
"You're awfully carefree—kissing, doing whatever you wanted... and now you just leave without a second thought?" Gu Yuena grumbled.
Bai Xu paused, misinterpreting her meaning. "Hmm? Do you want to continue?"
"Absolutely not!"
A flash of silver light later, Gu Yuena was also fully dressed. She got up and followed Bai Xu. As she stepped out, she glanced back at the messy room behind her and slammed the door shut with force.
"I have something to take care of. You go ahead and wait for me at the foot of the Skyreach Mountain," Gu Yuena commanded imperiously, vanishing before Bai Xu could even respond.
Watching her hurried departure, Bai Xu rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She wouldn't... actually have someone deliver the Dragon God Core, would she?!"
His lips twitched slightly, and he immediately took off toward the Skyreach Mountain.
---
Meanwhile...
"My Lady, the Dragon God Core has been brought to you," Di Tian said respectfully as he presented the core. He knew that his mistress was planning to devour the abyss to restore her strength, but the Abyss Monarch was a deity—and no ordinary one at that. Without the Dragon God Core, her safety couldn't be guaranteed.
Gu Yuena took the core and asked further, "What about the Beast Platform? How long can it last without the Dragon God Core?"
"The Beast Platform is being maintained by those two. Since the Dragon God Core had already stabilized it earlier, there won't be any issues for the time being."
"Di Tian, take this." Gu Yuena pulled out a strangely shaped piece of metal and tossed it to him. "Absorb it when you return. It's equivalent to the battle armor of human Limit Douluos. This won't increase your cultivation, so you don't have to worry about your heavenly tribulation arriving prematurely. Instead, it will enhance your combat power—at the very least, it'll ensure you don't fall behind human technology."
"My Lady... is this... Bai Xu's creation?" Di Tian asked hesitantly. He knew how precious battle armor was, especially four-word battle armor. There were only a handful of people on the continent capable of forging it.
"Yes. Consider it an advance on the interest he owes us. Also, the other fierce beasts of Star Dou Forest will each receive one. He'll deliver them personally later."
With that, Gu Yuena left.
Di Tian attempted to refine the metal, and the process went smoothly—the strange material offered no resistance. His armor was black, adorned with dark golden dragon patterns. Just as his mistress had said, it didn't increase his cultivation at all. Otherwise, his 900,000-year heavenly tribulation might have arrived ahead of schedule.
As the power within the armor flowed through him, he sensed something akin to the cycle of heaven and earth, the reincarnation of all things. His soul core seemed to resonate with it, allowing him to harness the Five Elements contained within. His vitality also appeared to be enhanced, circulating through his entire body. His strength had grown significantly compared to before.
With a light punch, a tiny black hole formed in the air before slowly sealing itself.
"And this is just some of the interest?" Di Tian murmured to himself as he turned and walked away. Perhaps Bai Xu was someone worth trusting. Di Tian had lived for countless years and witnessed many prodigies—even the Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao, who had defeated him ten thousand years ago before ascending to the God Realm.
But Bai Xu gave him a different feeling—one unlike Huo Yuhao or any other human he had encountered.
"If others do not betray me, I shall not betray them..." Di Tian recalled his mistress's words when describing Bai Xu. Considering everything Bai Xu had done so far, this man's brilliance surpassed even Huo Yuhao's.
"This world is truly unfair. Humans only need the favor of a deity, receiving divine trials, and even if they fail to become gods, they can still stand at the pinnacle of the continent. But we spirit beasts must struggle through countless calamities, only to find that the ultimate answer lies in the shackles left within our bloodline by the Dragon God himself—unable to ever ascend..."
He let out a long, sorrowful roar. "My Lady... why must you do this? Won't this break the hearts of countless beasts?"
In the future, when all the great secrets were revealed, Di Tian could already imagine the image of the Dragon God collapsing almost instantly in the hearts of spirit beasts. That figure belonged solely to the Dragon Clan of the past, now buried in the Dragon Tomb. In this new era, a new "Dragon God" would eventually rise to lead the spirit beast race to glory.
---
"You're back?" Bai Xu looked at the returning beauty. His sixth sense warned him—Gu Yuena had definitely retrieved the Dragon God Core. His steps stiffened slightly, but he continued forward in silence.
"Mm. Let's go. We're climbing the mountain." After a pause, Gu Yuena added, "I've already given that armor of yours to Di Tian."
Bai Xu froze for a moment, thinking to himself, 'So she really did take back the Dragon God Core!'
"Good. I'll forge a few more sets for the other fierce beasts of Star Dou Forest later."
"Will that place any burden on you?" Gu Yuena asked.
"No. I just tinker with small creations in my spare time outside of cultivation. The armor will gradually adapt to its new hosts, growing stronger as they nurture it. Consider it another way of repaying some interest," Bai Xu explained.
"Your cultivation has improved again?" Hearing this, Gu Yuena realized something.
"Mm. The first two major realms of Meridian Opening have been perfected."
The two of them flew toward the Blood God Legion's base, beginning their ascent of the Skyreach Mountain.
As soon as they arrived at the military camp, they noticed several soldiers clad in heavy white uniforms. Bai Xu and Gu Yuena immediately presented their letters of introduction to avoid misunderstandings.
"Since you're here to report, follow me," the leading man said sternly, gesturing for the others to remain on guard while he escorted the two inside. From their interactions, it was clear that the soldiers here were proud—even somewhat exclusionary toward outsiders.
The lieutenant led them to a building, pressed his palm against a hidden panel, and allowed a scanning light to pass over him. The metal door slid open, and the three stepped into a corridor. As they entered, a wave of warm air rushed over them, bringing an indescribable comfort.
The lieutenant walked into a room and announced, "Whether you can stay will be decided within three days. There will be an assessment first. Xiao Yu, take them to the examination room."
A female soldier hurried over, saluted the lieutenant, and then guided Bai Xu and Gu Yuena away.
Along the way, she explained warmly, "We'll head to the armory first. You may each choose one weapon. After that, you'll enter a space similar to a Spirit Ascension Platform, where you'll get your first look at abyssal creatures. The most classic example is the Baan..."
As she spoke, the soul tool on her wrist projected the image of a grotesque figure, giving the two a preliminary idea of what they'd face.
"The goal of the assessment is to eliminate all abyssal creatures. Succeed, and you'll be allowed to stay. Fail, and you'll be sent back. Understood?" Xiao Yu asked.
"Understood. Will we be taking the assessment together?" Gu Yuena inquired.
"Yes. The difficulty will be slightly higher since it's for two people."
"Good. Let's begin, then."
Inside the armory, a wide array of weapons and equipment was displayed—many of them modern soul tools, including beam rifles, soul cannon artillery, and other portable, single-soldier combat gear.
Bai Xu picked a soul cannon, and Gu Yuena did the same.
"Wouldn't it be easy for you to pass this assessment with just your physical body? And since they're prohibiting the use of martial souls, that restriction doesn't even apply to you—you don't have one," Gu Yuena said, puzzled.
"It's not difficult, but modern weapons are more efficient. Why waste effort with fists and feet when I can save time?" Bai Xu chuckled, shaking the soul cannon in his hand.
*****
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