The smoke of battle over Sea God Island gradually dispersed. The Seven Sacred Sons struggled to their feet and looked toward the depths of the sea, their eyes filled with reverence and excitement.
Little White also rose from the ocean. Sensing the stabilized aura of the divine island once more, tears slid down her face.
"High Priestess, Lord Sea God… we protected the divine island."
In the depths of the ocean, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King lay dormant at the bottom of a trench. Its aura was sluggish, and its eyes were filled with humiliation and fear.
It finally understood that between a true god and a pseudo-god lay an unbridgeable chasm. Today, the Sea God had spared its life, but in doing so had completely shattered its ambition to challenge a god. From now on, it could only remain obediently hidden in the deep sea, no longer daring to set foot near the surface.
The appearance of this Sea God divine will once again shook the entire continent.
Whether it was Di Tian of the Star Dou Forest, the Evil Emperor of the Evil Demon Forest, or the various human factions, all clearly sensed that supreme divine power and were deeply shaken.
At that moment, the Soul Beast Ranking changed once more. The third place appeared.
(TL/N: Going to clarify something here real quick. The author called Fire Dragon King as Chi Yang. Or better known as Crimson Sun or Red Sun. Whereas he calls Water Dragon King as Xuan Shuang. Or better known as Profound Frost. In some text, the author is switching between Fire Dragon king - Water/Ice Dragon King and their names to fit the dialogue in some paragraphs. Just wanted to let you know that i did not switch the translation quality and been translating the text as is... While edit and correct some of misinformation here. If there's any incorrect soul land information or errors that i missed, please do let me know and i will fix it right away.)
[Soul Beast Ranking Third: Fire Dragon King]
[Affiliation: Heavenly Path Academy]
[Age: 1,200,000 years]
[Evaluation: Originally a first-tier god of the Original God Realm, the Fire Dragon King. After falling, his remains were buried in the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes. He lingered on the brink of extinction, later subdued by Li Tianyi, the headmaster of Heavenly Path Academy, and partially restored.]
[Reward: Restoration to peak first-tier god combat power.]
On the sky screen, the golden light of the third-ranked Soul Beast had yet to fade. The words "Fire Dragon King," carrying the pressure of a first-tier god, branded themselves onto every inch of the Douluo Continent like a red-hot iron. Even the air seemed to grow dry and scorching, as if seared by crimson flames.
With a base of 1.2 million years of cultivation and a reward that directly restored peak first-tier god combat power, this leap in strength was far more shocking than the earlier advancements of Di Tian and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
After all, those two had reached divine-level combat power but had not truly touched the realm of gods. The Fire Dragon King, however, stood firmly at the peak of first-tier gods of the Original God Realm.
...
Star Dou Forest, by the Lake of Life.
The lake surface, which had earlier rippled due to lingering water-element divine power from the Sea God's divine will, was now steaming with wisps of white mist, evaporated by the blazing pressure of the Fire Dragon King.
Half of the strange flowers and rare plants along the shore curled their leaves inward. Only the core spirit plants rooted deep within the lake barely maintained their vitality under the unconscious protection of Gu Yuena's Dragon God origin.
The million-year Black Dragon King body hovering in midair sank slightly the moment crimson dragon might swept in. Solemnity and an unmistakable trace of apprehension filled Di Tian's golden eyes.
He could clearly sense that the flame divine power emanating from the direction of Heavenly Path Academy not only carried world-destroying destructive force, but also bore the unique suppression of divine laws.
Even as the son of the Dragon God with a million years of cultivation, there was still an insurmountable gap between him and a peak first-tier god.
"A first-tier god… the Fire Dragon King of the Original God Realm."
Di Tian's dragon speech was low and hoarse, trembling with disbelief. "Back during the Divine Realm War, dragon gods suffered catastrophic losses. It was said the Fire Dragon King had long since been annihilated in both body and soul, buried in the lower realm. How could he still linger, and even be subdued by the dean of a human academy?"
Dark-golden dragon scales tightened across his body. His dragon wings slowly beat as he tried to draw upon the power of the Dragon God bloodline to resist the fiery pressure. Yet the faint resonance from deep within his bloodline only made him more uneasy.
That was the instinctive response between dragon gods of the same tier. It not only confirmed the Fire Dragon King's true identity, but also made the disparity in their combat power painfully clear.
Gu Yuena stood upon a bluestone by the lakeshore. Her pale violet dress fluttered gently in the wind, and the calm that usually filled her cold eyes was gone.
In its place surged turbulent emotions, mixed with confusion and doubt, finally settling into suppressed irritation.
Her fingers at her side curled slightly. Pale violet Dragon God origin quietly surged forth. The core region of Star Dou, previously suppressed by the Fire Dragon King's pressure, was instantly covered by a layer of soft violet light, isolating the scorching heat. Only then did the spirit plants by the lake gradually unfurl their leaves.
"The Fire Dragon King… Red Sun."
Gu Yuena spoke softly, her voice carrying a faint chill as fragments of memory surfaced.
As a Dragon God avatar, bearing part of the Dragon God's memories and origin, she naturally knew the past of the dragon clan in the Original God Realm.
The Fire Dragon King, Red Sun, had once been one of the Dragon God's most valiant subordinates. At peak first-tier god cultivation, he controlled the ultimate fire law. During the Divine Realm War, he followed the Dragon God into countless battles.
He had slain several enemy gods, his combat power unmatched.
But after the Divine Realm War ended, the Dragon God was sealed away and the dragon gods scattered. During a breakout attempt, the Fire Dragon King was besieged and slain by multiple gods. His divine soul shattered, and his body fell into the lower realm.
It was said he had long since perished in the extreme cold and heat of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes, with not even a remnant soul remaining.
"To think a shattered divine soul could still linger on. He hid himself well."
Gu Yuena's gaze darkened, her tone tinged with displeasure.
"But as a dragon god, even in death he should have upheld the dignity of the dragon clan. How could he willingly be subdued by humans and become the battle power of a human academy?"
In her understanding, the dragon clan was the supreme race of heaven and earth. Even in decline, they should never submit to humans.
Moreover, the Fire Dragon King had once been a first-tier god of exalted status. Now he belonged to Heavenly Path Academy. To the dragon clan, this was undoubtedly a humiliation.
She lifted her gaze toward the direction of Heavenly Path Academy. A sharp glint flashed through her eyes. "Li Tianyi… to find the Fire Dragon King's remains and help him recover part of his strength, this man is no ordinary human."
"Did he subdue the Fire Dragon King to protect the continent, or does he harbor other ambitions?"
Gu Yuena was filled with doubts. The appearance of the Fire Dragon King shattered her understanding of the continent's forces and elevated her vigilance toward Heavenly Path Academy to its peak.
Previously, she knew Heavenly Path Academy was powerful, but she had never imagined it concealed a potential god-level soul beast.
"My liege, the Fire Dragon King belonging to humans may be a major threat to us."
Di Tian slowly descended. His dragon head leaned close to Gu Yuena as he spoke in a deep voice.
"The Evil Emperor attacks in three days. We already must commit all our strength to face him. If Heavenly Path Academy and the Fire Dragon King intervene at this moment, the consequences would be unimaginable."
Worry filled his heart. The Evil Emperor's space-time and mental powers were already troublesome. Now there was also a peak first-tier god Fire Dragon King. Star Dou's situation had grown even more dire.
Gu Yuena gave a slight nod. Her fingertip traced across the lake surface, creating rings of pale violet ripples. "Do not worry. The Fire Dragon King has only just recovered his peak combat power. In the short term, he is unlikely to act rashly."
"He has been subdued by Li Tianyi, so his actions will certainly be constrained. As long as we do not provoke Heavenly Path Academy, he will not easily interfere in the conflict between Star Dou and the Evil Demon Forest."
She paused, determination flashing through her eyes. "Our immediate priority is to stabilize Star Dou's defenses and improve your strength and mine, ensuring that in three days we can decisively defeat the Evil Emperor."
"As for the Fire Dragon King and Heavenly Path Academy, we can investigate them slowly after dealing with the Evil Emperor."
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