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

……

Gu Yuena slowly opened her eyes.

The moment she regained consciousness, the first thing she felt was an unprecedented...weakness.

It's not the weakness after an injury, but a weakness that originates from the very source of life, as if all strength has been drained away.

The vast, ocean-like power of the Silver Dragon King within her, and the innate creative laws that belonged to half of the Dragon God, all... vanished.

She subconsciously looked inward and discovered that the mark at the core of her soul, which had originally emitted a nine-colored halo and contained the immense energy of the Dragon God's Heart, had also disappeared without a trace.

Instead, a gentle yet resilient life energy, like the purest spring water, nourished her damaged soul and body, sustaining her vitality.

She sat up somewhat dazedly and found herself outside that shattered forbidden land of the gods, enveloped in a soft green light that emanated the aura of the goddess of life, nourishing her weakened soul and body.

"you're awake."

A gentle voice rang out. Gu Yuena turned her head and saw the Goddess of Life standing not far away, radiating a soft green aura, looking at her with concern.

“Goddess of Life…” Gu Yuena’s voice was a little hoarse as she asked anxiously, “Where is Xuanming? How is he?”

The Goddess of Life gently walked to Gu Yuena's side and said softly, "Don't worry, he's fine. Or rather... he's undergoing an unprecedented transformation."

As she spoke, she pointed to the distant sky.

Gu Yuena looked in the direction the goddess of life pointed and saw a scene that shocked her to her core.

The violent energy storm that had been raging in the Forbidden Land of Gods had subsided, and the shattered void had been smoothed and stabilized by a gentle yet powerful force.

In the center of that space, the most eye-catching thing was a gigantic nine-colored dragon cocoon suspended in mid-air!
The dragon cocoon was nearly a hundred meters tall, radiating a soft yet vast nine-colored divine light. As the light flowed, it seemed to contain the ultimate truth of the birth and death of the universe.

The surface of the dragon cocoon is covered with mysterious and complex patterns of laws, with faint dragon shadows swirling around it.

It floated there quietly, without the slightest leakage of energy, and without any signs of violence or loss of control. It exuded a heart-palpitating, extremely restrained majesty and power!
“That is…” Gu Yuena’s pupils contracted slightly. She already had a guess in her mind, but she still found it hard to believe.

“That is Xuanming.” The Goddess of Life’s voice carried a hint of amazement and complexity. “He is fusing the complete bloodline of the Dragon God with the heart of the Dragon God.”

She pointed to the enormous nine-colored dragon cocoon: "During the time you were unconscious, this dragon cocoon grew from its initial height of three or four meters to its current size. The entire process was incredibly smooth, with no energy wasted or going out of control. Its control over the power of the Dragon God exceeded all of our expectations. The fusion... was a great success."

Successful.

The power of the Dragon God is about to reappear in the world in a completely new and controllable form.

This should have been the result Gu Yuena had been dreaming of, the hope for the revival of the dragon race.

However, upon hearing this news and seeing the nine-colored dragon cocoon exuding supreme majesty, Gu Yuena felt no joy, but rather an indescribable sorrow and heaviness.

She knew Xuanming was very tired.

She always knew.

He broke free from the shackles of human traffickers, survived under Dugu Bo's probing, dealt with the Spirit Hall, fought against the God Realm, bore the sins of millions of dead souls, condensed a unique divine personality, and finally fought the Golden Dragon King to the death in this forbidden land of gods... Every step he took was soaked in blood and sweat, and he carried an unimaginable burden.

What he longed for was never supreme power, but rather... an end, peace, and a moment's respite after shedding all responsibilities.

He had finally made it this far. Having slain the Golden Dragon King and fulfilled his promise to the Ice and Fire Dragon King, only one final step remained. He was now just one step away from the peace he craved, the peace that came with being free from all burdens.

Upon entering the forbidden land and facing the mad Golden Dragon King, her first suggestion to let Xuanming devour her was in her hope that he could live and be safe. She would rather disappear herself than see him perish.

Xuanming refused, and miraculously killed the Golden Dragon King with his own power.

At that moment, she felt proud of him, and a sense of relief that he had finally reached the finish line he longed for. He was safe; he was just one step away from the peace he desired.

Therefore, when the five God-Kings proposed that Xuanming fuse with the power of the Dragon God, and when she briefly awoke and sensed Xuanming's hesitation and exhaustion, she preferred to take the risk herself. She didn't want to impose the title of "Dragon God," which symbolized endless responsibility and trouble, on him any longer.

She didn't want to be the last shackle on his path to freedom.

but……

Gu Yuena closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

In the end, the power of the "Dragon God," which she desperately wanted to avoid and which represented endless responsibility and trouble, the burden she would rather have her own soul scattered than place on him, still... fell on his shoulders. Because of her.

Because she wasn't strong enough, because she couldn't bear that power, because she... became his weakness.

Looking at the steadily operating nine-colored dragon cocoon, and feeling the familiar yet unfamiliar aura within it, which belonged to Xuanming but was even more vast, Gu Yuena felt no joy at the impending revival of the dragon race, only endless heartache and complex, indescribable emotions for that figure who was always carrying the burden forward.

In the end, he still gave up his seemingly attainable goal for her sake.

The Goddess of Life looked at the complex and indescribable emotions in Gu Yuena's eyes, sighed softly, and said nothing more.

Some responsibilities, once shouldered, are difficult to relinquish.

Some roads, once embarked upon, offer no turning back.

Xuanming's choice was for protection. And the price of this protection was perhaps what he had once longed for most... freedom.

……

Douluo Continent, Martial Soul City, deep within the Shura Abyss Secret Realm.

Time flows at a completely different pace here compared to the realm of gods. What lasts only a few days in the realm of gods can pass in the mortal world in several years.

Deep within the secret realm, on an altar constructed of stark white bones and a dark red aura of slaughter, a figure slowly opened his eyes.

She wore a magnificent dark red robe with black trim, her figure graceful yet exuding a chilling aura of menace.

Her face was stunningly beautiful, yet as cold as ice that had stood for millennia. In her deep eyes, the left eye was blood-red, containing the ultimate killing intent of a demon's judgment, while the right eye was as dark as an abyss, concealing the mysterious and sinister power of a demon to bewitch people.

It was Bibi Dong.

At this moment, the aura surrounding her had undergone a tremendous change.

The vast and boundless Asura divine power and the cold and unpredictable Rakshasa divine power, like the two poles of Yin and Yang, achieved a strange balance and coexistence within her body.

A divine might that transcended the mortal realm naturally spread out, causing the entire Asura Abyss Secret Realm to submit to it.

Two gods coexist!

She succeeded. After enduring unimaginable hardships and tests of will, she finally fully inherited the Asura Godhood, and with the help of her own powerful will and the remnant soul of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, she also brought the power of the Rakshasa Godhood under her control.

A blurry, blood-red phantom materialized before her—it was the soon-to-be-retired God of Asura. He looked at Bibi Dong, whose demeanor had drastically changed, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his blood-red eyes.

"Very good. The position of Asura God, who governs the judgment and order of the divine realm, is the head of the law enforcement gods of the divine realm. You are qualified." The Asura God's voice was still cold, but it carried a hint of relief. "Once you ascend to the divine realm, you must immediately assume your duties."

He abruptly changed the subject, his tone becoming grave: "The divine realm has been peaceful for too long, and deep-seated problems have accumulated. Ancient grudges, conflicts left over from the gods and the beastmen gods of the past, and the rigidity of internal rules... Change is imminent. As the Asura God, you bear a heavy responsibility in the coming upheaval."

Bibi Dong remained calm, showing little emotional fluctuation regarding the Asura God's instructions. She knew in her heart what she should and shouldn't do. What she cared about more was something else entirely.

"Xuanming... how is he now?"

The Asura God's blood-red eyes flickered slightly as he replied, "His condition is excellent, even... better than ever before."

He gazed into the void of the secret realm, as if he could penetrate layers of barriers and see the enormous nine-colored dragon cocoon of the forbidden land.

"He is currently integrating complete power. Once he emerges from his cocoon, his realm will reach that of a supreme god-king." The Asura God's tone carried a rare hint of complexity. "In fact, with the potential of his unique divine nature, in the future... he might even surpass the former Dragon God."

Upon hearing this, a glint flashed in Bibi Dong's eyes, but she then frowned slightly.

Asura God seemed to see through her thoughts and continued, "However, given his personality, even if he possesses supreme power, he probably won't bother with the tedious affairs of the divine realm. At that time, the heavy responsibility of maintaining order in the divine realm and promoting change will most likely fall on your shoulders."

His gaze swept over Bibi Dong, carrying a hint of ease as he was about to step down, or rather, a nonchalant attitude of passing the buck: "The fusion and clash between the old and new orders always require strong hands to guide and adjudicate. Just like the Martial Soul Empire in this mortal realm, it can only be reborn after destruction."

"My divine position has been passed on, and I am about to depart. The ensuing troubles..."

The figure of the Asura God began to slowly dissipate, his last words carrying a hint of mockery.

"I'll leave it to you." (End of Chapter)