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

……

The outer perimeter of the forbidden land.

After Xuanming was forcibly taken away by the Ice Dragon King on a "vacation," the tense atmosphere suddenly turned into an eerie calm.

Gu Yuena looked at the group of newly promoted God Kings and Level One Gods in front of her, whose auras were still not very stable, and felt overwhelmed.

But as the nominal "hostess" and the most powerful person present, she knew she had to step up and take charge.

"Alright, everyone, stop standing there." Gu Yuena's voice was clear and calm, carrying the unquestionable majesty of a dragon god. "I know everyone has a lot to say and a lot to settle. But standing here won't solve anything. Why don't we find a place to sit down and have a proper talk?"

With a wave of her hand, the immense power of the Dragon God instantly condensed into a magnificent nine-colored palace in the void.

Inside the palace, there were long tables and chairs, all made of the purest divine power.

The women exchanged glances, and then silently entered the palace.

However, Qian Renxue stopped at the palace gate.

She glanced at the distinct groups of people inside the palace, a complex emotion flashing in her golden eyes.

In the end, without saying a word, she turned and transformed into a golden streak of light, flying off in another direction of the divine realm, her figure appearing somewhat lonely.

Gu Yuena watched her departing figure, her brows furrowing slightly, but she did not stop her.

She knew that what Qian Renxue needed now was not negotiation, but for her to figure things out on her own.

……

The realm of gods, an ancient temple suspended above a sea of ​​clouds.

This was once the Temple of Angels. After the expansion of the divine realm, it was separated from the old divine domain and stands here quietly.

Qian Renxue slowly landed on the plaza in front of the temple. She could sense the pure and sacred aura of the Angel God lineage that remained here, which gave her a sense of comfort, but more than that, she felt a deep-seated confusion.

Did she win? She inherited the divine position, even becoming the God-King, standing at the pinnacle of countless beings.

Did she lose? She lost her father, her grandfather, everything she had fought for, and even... the person she wanted to hold onto most was drifting further and further away from her.

What should she do next? Compete with Bibi Dong for Xuanming? Question Xuanming about why he treated her this way?
Or will we remain as we are now, guarding this empty temple, spending eternity in solitude?
Just as she was in a state of utter confusion, an ice-blue figure quietly landed beside her.

"What are you thinking about all by yourself hiding here?" came the voice of the Ice Dragon King.

Qian Renxue turned her head and looked at the woman in front of her, who was also at the God King Realm, with a hint of wariness in her eyes: "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to see you." The Ice Dragon King walked to her side and stood beside her, looking at the sea of ​​clouds in the distance. "And, by the way, I'd like to have a chat with you."

"We have nothing to talk about," Qian Renxue said coldly.

“No, we have a lot to talk about.” The Ice Dragon King shook his head. “For example, let’s talk about that idiot Xuanming.”

Upon hearing the mention of Xuanming, Qian Renxue's body stiffened slightly.

The Ice Dragon King didn't look at her, and continued, "You know what? Before I sacrificed myself, I always thought I was the one who understood him best. I knew how tired he was, and what he was carrying. I thought that by paving the way for his final journey, he could have an easier time."

“But I was wrong.” Her voice carried a hint of self-mockery. “After I died, he carried even more burdens. To resurrect me, he faced the pressure of the entire divine realm alone, embarking on a path a hundred times more difficult than I had imagined.”

Qian Renxue remained silent, listening quietly.

“That’s just how he is.” The Ice Dragon King turned his head, his icy blue eyes looking intently at Qian Renxue. “If you treat him well, he will find a way to repay you tenfold. If you give your life for him, he will reverse life and death for you. He has a scale in his heart, clearly remembering every kindness and every affection.”

“However,” the Ice Dragon King changed the subject, “he also remembers every debt, every grudge. Your grudge against Bibi Dong, the grudge against Jin E, and even the grudge against Qian Daoliu, that’s a fact. This debt stands between you, and he can’t get over it. It’s not that he doesn’t want to get over it, but his principles prevent him from doing so.”

Qian Renxue's face turned pale, and her jade-like hands unconsciously clenched.

"So, do you think there's still a possibility between you and him?" The Ice Dragon King's question was direct and cruel.

Qian Renxue bit her lip and did not answer.

"I know you've done a lot for him and suffered a lot of injustices." The Ice Dragon King's voice softened a bit. "Back then, you disguised yourself as Xue Qinghe and risked falling out with your own grandfather to save him. He knows all of that."

“It is precisely because he knows this that he is in even greater pain.” The Ice Dragon King sighed. “Your kindness and Bibi Dong have become an intractable knot in his heart. Therefore, he can only choose the most extreme way to push you away and make you hate him. Because for him, it is much easier to make you hate him than to make him owe you a debt of gratitude.”

Qian Renxue trembled and stared at the Ice Dragon King in disbelief.

So...is that so?
"Then...what should I do?" Her voice trembled with helplessness. The Ice Dragon King looked at her, his eyes revealing a hint of sympathy, but also a touch of determination.

"Put it down, Qian Renxue."

"Let go of your obsession with him, and let go of your hatred for your mother. You've done enough for your family. From now on, live for yourself."

"Go and see this brand new realm of gods, and find your own meaning. You and he may not become lovers, but you can certainly have another kind of relationship."

……

Inside the Nine-Colored Palace.

An awkward negotiation is underway.

On one side of the long table was the "Soul Beast Faction," led by Gu Yuena.

Sitting beside her were Xue Di, Bing Di, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji. Their attitude was clear: everything was subject to the will of Gu Yue Na and Xuan Ming.

Their ascension to godhood was a gift from Xuanming and Guyuena. Although they had feelings for men and women, they would never participate in any farcical rivalries or jealousies.

For them, being able to stay by Xuanming's side and watch the future of the Soul Beast race become glorious was enough.

On the other side of the long table was the "human power faction," led by Bibi Dong. Beside her were Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Huo Wu, and Dugu Yan.

Each of them has a deep emotional entanglement with Xuanming, and they are relatively strong-willed, so they will obviously not compromise easily.

At the far end of the long table was the "Buddhist faction," led by Poseidon.

Arou, Shui Bing'er, and Ye Lingling sat beside her. Their attitude was also clear: no fighting, no grabbing, let everything take its course.

They knew very well how dense Xuanming was when it came to relationships; hoping he would take the initiative to sort things out was like hoping the God Realm would be destroyed tomorrow.

Therefore, they chose a more relaxed lifestyle, content to simply be with him, without caring about titles or status.

Looking at the three clearly divided camps, Gu Yuena cleared her throat and spoke first: "I think the purpose of us sitting here today is not to argue about who went first or last, nor is it to divide into camps."

Her gaze swept across the entire room, her voice calm yet carrying an undeniable power: "Xuanming has resolved all the external crises for us. Now, our internal problems also deserve a resolution. I do not want him to have to shoulder the burden he just laid down again because of us."

Bibi Dong snorted coldly, picked up the teacup in front of her formed from divine power, and said indifferently, "Easy for you to say. Do you think you can explain the relationship between us and him with just a few words?"

Hu Liena stood close to Bibi Dong, looking at Gu Yuena with a hint of hostility in her eyes: "That's right, we were the first to know him!"

Xiao Wu also stood up, hands on her hips, and said defiantly, "Xuan Ming and I have a life-or-death bond! If it weren't for him, my mother and I would be dead long ago!"

Although Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing did not speak, their firm gazes made their stance clear.

Gu Yuena looked at them, not angry, but calmly said, "I admit that each of you has a unique experience and feelings with him. I have no intention of denying anyone's past. I just want to tell you that the future is long, and we have eternal life. If we continue to get along in this way, then we will only become a burden to him."

She paused, then continued, "You know Xuanming's personality better than I do. He won't reject anyone who is sincere to him, and he can't handle complicated emotions. If we force him to make a choice, the only result will be that he chooses self-exile and stays away from all of us."

Upon hearing this, the previously aggressive "powerful faction" members fell silent.

They knew that Gu Yuena was telling the truth. That Xuanming guy was really capable of doing such a thing.

Looking at the stalemate, Poseidon slowly spoke, her voice as gentle as a sea breeze: "Perhaps we are all wrong. Why must we make him make the choice? We are already gods, possessing freedom and eternity. Our emotions should not become shackles binding him, nor should they become shackles binding ourselves."

Shui Bing'er and Ye Lingling nodded as well.

“Poseidon is right,” Gu Yuena agreed. “Each of us is an independent individual. Our future should be decided by ourselves, not placed in the hands of another person.”

Her gaze finally settled on Bibi Dong.

"Bibi Dong, what do you think?"

Bibi Dong remained silent for a moment, took a sip of tea, and calmly looked at Gu Yuena.

"The suggestion is good, but..."

As soon as she finished speaking, two streams of malevolent divine power erupted from Bibi Dong's body, instantly suppressing everyone present except for Gu Yuena.

"Tonight, he's mine!"

"..." (End of this chapter)