Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

……

The moment this thought arose, Xuanming felt a strong sense of absurdity, followed by a surge of anger directed at himself.

It was directed at that weak thought that had flashed through my mind countless times in the dead of night when I was overwhelmed by heavy burdens!

Yes! He admitted it!
In those long and arduous days, when he faced the pressure from the divine realm alone, when he racked his brains for the future of the dragon race, when he couldn't sleep at night burdened by the sins of millions of lost souls... he had indeed thought more than once:

If... if only I hadn't jumped into the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire, hadn't provoked the remnants of the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King, and hadn't gotten involved in the murky waters of the dragon race...

Would he be able to live a more relaxed life? Would he not have to bear so much burden? Would he... be able to become a "normal" strong person and have a relatively "stable" life, just as Qian Renxue once promised?

This thought, like a poison that numbs the pain, once gave him a moment of illusory comfort when he was most exhausted.

But at this moment, in this illusion constructed by the will of the God-King, which attempts to uncover his inner weaknesses, when this thought is stirred up again, it brings no comfort, but... a raging inferno!

I'm furious that I even had such a thought!
Anger at the weak version of myself that once thought of "giving up"!
Where is the Ice Dragon King?!
The Ice Dragon King who placed his last hope in him, entrusted his remnant soul and power to him, and silently and steadfastly accompanied him through the most difficult path! His sister who believed in him—could he abandon her?!

Where is Gu Yuena?!
The Silver Dragon King who staked the future of the entire dragon race, and her own destiny, on him! That woman, outwardly cold, yet carrying the sorrow and hopes of her entire clan within her heart! Could he possibly give her up?!

Bi Ji, Zi Ji… what about those soul beasts deep in the Star Dou Great Forest who entrusted their trust to him, waiting for the day when the Dragon Clan would be restored?!
Can he give up?!

And what about... the one who struggled to survive in despair, ultimately relying on his own will and countless life-or-death choices to get to where he is today...?

Can Xuanming, who would rather bear everything than not walk his own path, allow himself to deny all his past perseverance and sacrifices here because of his yearning for "ease"?
impossible! ! !
"Heh." A short, cold laugh escaped Xuan Ming's throat, carrying undisguised self-mockery and resolute determination.

That moment of disorientation and wavering was like ice and snow under the blazing sun, instantly melting away.

In the past, he might have backed down because of the fear of the dangers ahead, but now he is no longer the boy who only looked at the small world beneath his feet.

He didn't hesitate at all, and didn't even bother to explain to Dugu Bodo beside him.

The dark red spear in his hand instantly materialized, and two soul rings, one yellow and one purple, rose from beneath his feet, their light swirling.

He leaped off the cliff, his blood-red spear piercing the air with an indomitable spirit.

Using the brief flight of his second soul skill, Thunderclap, and the protection of his domain, he swiftly and precisely swept across both sides of the spring.

The blood-red spear flashed with a cold light, cleanly severing the eight-cornered ice grass. Without pausing, he used the jade dagger given to him by Dugu Bo to slice through the Fiery Apricot Blossom.

Two celestial herbs, exuding extreme cold and heat, fell into his hands. The terrifying toxicity instantly began to corrode his palms, and frost and scorch marks appeared simultaneously.

Xuanming didn't even look at them, and directly stuffed the two highly poisonous immortal herbs into his mouth. The medicinal power melted as soon as he entered his mouth, turning into two torrents of ice and fire that instantly surged wildly within his body.

Red and blue light alternated violently on his body, his skin sometimes covered with ice crystals and sometimes turned crimson. The intense pain made his body tremble slightly, and the veins on his forehead bulged.

But there was no sign of retreat in his eyes, only a cold determination.

He turned his head and looked at the Yin-Yang Eye of Ice and Fire, where red and blue spring water churned, a forbidden land that could cause even a Title Douluo to perish.

Then, amidst Dugu Bo's exclamation, "You've gone mad, kid!", Xuanming leaped into the air, his resolute figure striking precisely at the very center where the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Eyes converged!

The spring water surged and instantly swallowed his figure.

Perhaps at some point in the past, he regretted embarking on this thorny path because of its hardships.

But at this moment, immersed in this source of destruction and rebirth, feeling the ice and fire power within him that seemed to tear him apart, and the faint resonance deep within his soul with the two dragon kings…

Xuanming closed his eyes, letting the violent energy wash over his body and will.

He has no regrets.

……

Outside the illusion, the five God-Kings, who were sensing everything through the marks, fell into a brief silence. They could clearly feel that at the moment Xuanming made his choice, what surged in his heart was not greed for the Dragon King's power, nor a weighing of the risks to the God Realm, but rather a kind of…

Absolute acceptance of one's own path, and a complete rejection of the thought of "giving up"!

He even... embraced that destined-to-be-difficult path with a sense of anger!

"This kid..." the God of Destruction murmured, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

“He’s not choosing power… he’s… confirming himself.” The Asura God’s blood-red eyes narrowed slightly.

The God of Kindness and the Goddess of Life exchanged a glance, both seeing solemnity in each other's eyes.

Xuanming's reaction exceeded their pre-set "temptation-choice" pattern.

The god of evil smirked: "Interesting...how interesting! He loathes the version of himself that once dreamed of an 'easy life'!"

"But it's not enough."

Faced with choices, success, hardship, and despair, Xuanming gave his unquestionable answers.

But what about failure?
Faced with an irretrievable loss, like the emptiness he once felt that the Ice Dragon King would never return, what will he do?

……

The illusion vanished silently, like a burst bubble.

Xuanming's consciousness was once again thrown into that familiar, unattached void.

The anger and resolve sparked by the thought of "regret," the resolute figure throwing himself into the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire—all related memories were once again quietly erased by an invisible hand, leaving no trace.

When he "opened his eyes" again and his consciousness re-anchored to reality, the scene around him was still the desolate and barren Dragon Valley of the Dragon Tomb.

But this time, the atmosphere was completely different!

It was no longer a relatively peaceful gathering of energy and comprehension of laws, but... a scene of chaos and rage!

Rumble——! ! !
In the sky, the gray dragon soul mist churned violently, emitting a deafening roar! It was no longer a low, mournful wail, but a furious roar filled with violence, resentment, and unwillingness!

On the ground, countless enormous dragon bones seemed to come alive, radiating a terrifying pressure!

One after another, solidified phantoms of dragon souls rose from the dragon bones. They were all different in shape, some ferocious and some majestic, but without exception, their eyes were burning with angry flames as they stared intently at Xuanming, who was suspended in the center of the Dragon Valley!

"Roar--!!!"

"Humanity!!!"

"Ants that steal the power of the dragons!!!"

"You are unworthy to bear the glory of my people!!!"

The lingering remnants of countless dragon souls converged into a violent mental shock, like billions of steel needles, madly piercing Xuanming's core soul!

They are no longer merely "nourishment" that provides energy, but have transformed into hostile and vengeful spirits!

These dragon souls were all powerful dragons in life. They perished here, their remnants lingering, filled with endless grief and indignation over the decline of their race, and deep-seated hatred for the enemies who caused all of this!

At this moment, they sensed a being that was not a pure-blooded dragon, and even carried the aura of a human, frantically absorbing the primordial power of the dragon tomb in an attempt to condense a divine spark!

This touched their most sensitive nerve!
How could a human without legitimate Dragon King bloodline receive the legacy accumulated by the Dragon Clan over millennia?!
His mind was filled only with the Ice Dragon King, Gu Yuena, and his personal promises! Did he even consider the future of the dragon race as a whole?
This "selfishness" made countless dragon souls feel extremely angry at being used and desecrated!
They tore at his soul, interrogated his will, and tried to completely annihilate this foreign "strange entity" carrying human characteristics. (End of Chapter)