Su Wen glanced indifferently at the stunned Tang Sect crowd, then flashed into the sky.
Gu Yuena's eyes shimmered with tears; feeling that familiar aura, she followed at once.
As the two went deeper into Dragon Valley, the torn sky slowly closed, returning to normal.
It was all like a dream.
Had it not been for the huge pit and Elder Wu's shattered body, everyone might've thought it hallucination.
A breeze revived the Tang Sect disciples.
"No use…" Hei Yi muttered.
With modern communications, even a message from Tang Sect's main headquarters in Shrek City could arrive in minutes.
That morning, Vice Sect Master Zang Xin had personally sent out a red-letter warning.
Su Wen's danger rating was at the highest in Tang Sect history.
Do NOT provoke. Do NOT cross him.
Look what happened to Shrek Academy, and that was Su Wen going easy on Yun Ming!
But now the Star Luo branch's leader was in closed cultivation, leaving Elder Wu in charge.
Who could imagine such disaster would ensue?
"He must have a poor impression of Tang Sect…" Hei Yi sighed. As the strongest present, a rank 97 Super Douluo, his "Black" grade signified a minimum three-word armor.
Yet before a mere glance from Su Wen, he bowed—the attack that crushed Elder Wu lusting his body's automatic survival drive kick in, erasing all other emotions.
"What now?" others whispered.
"He's always regarded Tang Sect as ants—provoking him only disgusts, not endangers us. But Elder Wu escalated things..."
Everyone went silent.
They all looked at Bai Qi.
Behind her mask, Dai Yun'er wore a bitter smile: "I tried to warn him. I should've explained everything earlier…"
"No help for it." Hei Yi sighed, then took charge.
"Bai Qi, go notify His Majesty, Star Luo Emperor, immediately."
"Zi Qi, report to Tang Sect headquarters. If possible, recall the Sect Master. Even if Abyssal Plane is in chaos, the Sect Master must be told..."
The Tang Sect's trump card still lay with the Blood God Legion, led by Sect Master Cao Dezhi, also known as Xue Yi.
"Zi San, guard against the Green Skulls in case those bastards come stirring trouble."
"Yes, sir!"
Orders issued in turn.
Hei Yi gazed at the sky.
So far, the worst had been averted. But if Su Wen were truly angered, the entire Tang Sect could be annihilated.
Within Dragon Valley
Su Wen surveyed the bones all around, sighing.
Legend spoke of the Dragon God's Nine Sons; eight had formed their own clans, pioneering lands, managing, multiplying.
The youngest, the Mountain Dragon King, gave himself and his kin as the land for the dragon race's rest.
Only these nine clans were true dragons. All others—at most, sub-dragons.
If Di Tian ever signed a pact, he'd be of the Black Dragon King's level, the Dragon King Defender.
Water and Fire Dragon King's corpses were buried beneath Ice and Fire Eyes, their dragon cores now in his hands.
The other dragon kings' bloodlines perished long ago.
Nobody knew the full reason for the disaster.
But this dragon grave remained.
The sky floated with clouds in every color—red, white, black, yellow...
Su Wen beckoned, drawing a red cloud into his body.
"Dragon Clouds, huh?"
"With all sorts of elements—this one's fire."
"There's also space, earth, water, wind, light…" Su Wen mused.
For normal soul masters, these were treasures for body training and improving element affinity.
For him—meh.
Gu Yuena was silent, heading straight for the deepest part.
At last, they reached the seventh canyon.
Bones everywhere—all true dragons.
Su Wen saw the cleaved skeleton of the Mountain Dragon King—most likely the Asura God's handiwork. Since the Dragon God fell, racial wars had doomed the dragons.
No more glory, only sorrow.
Now the fruits of all their labors had been stolen by the ones the Dragon God had invited to found the Divine Realm.
But in the end, all began with the Dragon God.
The details had been lost long before.
At the very bottom, a seven-colored wisp—remnant of the Dragon God's origin—rushed at Gu Yuena, merging into her body.
At the same time—
Gu Yuena shone with bright light.
Dragon clouds and the lingering spirits joined her, her power swelling until she seemed a living Dragon God...
"Absorb well. I'll bury the dragon bones," Su Wen told her gently.
"Bring those two here too," Gu Yuena said.
"Huh?" Su Wen puzzled.
"Especially Gu Yue!!" The beauty gritted her teeth. "All these years fighting, all these sacrifices by the dragon race—no way I'm letting her just live her love story!"
"..."
Gu Yue and Na'er appeared, the former sleepy, the latter chomping on a meat bun.
"Bury the dragon bones, Gu Yue, that's your job."
Gu Yuena gave her a look. "And Na'er, stop eating…"
"Oh, oh…"
"What about Di Tian?" Su Wen asked.
"Let him focus on Star Dou Forest stuff. He's the dragon king defender, doesn't need to follow." Gu Yuena mused.
"With you here, I'm at ease."
"We're old married couple, no need to say such things..." Su Wen smiled.
"No one will dare disturb us now. I promise."
"Mm."
Gu Yuena gazed at Su Wen, waving for him to come closer. As he approached, her slender arms pulled him into a passionate kiss.
Fragrant, soft.
Gu Yue's eyes widened.
She just walked into a mouthful of dog food.
Truthfully, these two made a perfect match.
He was ethereally handsome, impossibly strong; she—slender, delicate, with a ponytail and colorful eyes, her noble aura almost made Gu Yue jealous.
Na'er, meanwhile, peeked through her fingers in shy curiosity.
"All right."
Gu Yuena reluctantly moved toward the canyon's bottom.
Su Wen watched her vanish.
The dragon grave was now full of spirits watching, their gazes now gentle, respectful, viewing Su Wen as one of their own.
These proud dragons now accepted Su Wen as kin.
"You called us just to watch your PDA?" Gu Yue complained.
"No...to bury these bones, so they may rest eternally, undisturbed." Su Wen said quietly.
"You handle the front, I'll do the rest."
"All right."
Gu Yue nodded in silence.
She had direct Dragon God blood—as the Silver Dragon King—but the origin wisp paid her no heed.
Indeed, from some perspectives, she had failed them: she could have devoured the Golden Dragon King, restoring the Dragon God and return the dragons to greatness.
But...
"Don't think too much."
Resolutely, Su Wen pressed a hand to her shoulder, smiling: "It'll take you months to bury all these bones at your strength."
"And you?!" Gu Yue gritted her teeth.
"I'll supervise!" Su Wen grinned like a rascal.
"Ugh!"
Gu Yue was vexed, but oddly, she felt lighter now.
After being scolded awake by Su Wen, she'd realized how naive she'd been, and how unsuited she'd been to the weight of her task. All this time had been spent internally flogging herself in guilt.
But now, she felt better.
Eventually, Gu Yue muttered, very softly:
"Thank you…"
At the same time…
Deep below the Douluo World's surface.
A pair of eyes opened, filled with disbelief.
"This is...Dragon God's aura?!"
"No, it's much weaker than the Dragon God, but the godhood is real…"
Tang Hao stared, uncertain.
He drew a light screen in the air, seeing Dragon Valley shrouded in unstable energy, a transparent membrane blocking his sight.
If only he were completely the world's consciousness.
Alas, he was merely a stealer, halfway devouring its origin, and still recovering.
If the Silver Dragon King took the Dragon God core, it wouldn't matter, since in the end, she'd have to marry his grandson, and if he played his cards right, the core would still fall to the Tang family.
But—
This now seemed more like the real Dragon God would revive!
Even he was unnerved.
"Don't tell me..."
"Oh no! That's the Dragon God...it already has a godhood, only missing the source!"
"The Dragon God will revive!!!"
Tang Hao's face changed dramatically.
To them—it'd be all for nothing!
The Silver Dragon King had been watched by Tang San for millennia, and so had the Golden Dragon King.
As long as things proceeded, Gu Yue (Silver Dragon King) would marry his grandson, and the kid would either be the Golden Dragon King, or (if ruthless), devour the Silver Dragon King and become the Dragon God.
Then the Tang family would rule.
But now, not only had the Silver Dragon King been taken by the other side.
Now, even the Dragon God core—the final key—was poised to be claimed by the Dragon God...
For others, this was a return to the rightful owner.
For Tang Hao, anything he targeted was already Tang property. Anyone taking it was seeking death.
He could endure everything before.
But for the Dragon God core to be taken...this he could not tolerate.
"Abyss Sage Monarch!"
"And the Demon Empress!"
"I'll tear open a passage for you to enter the world, but you can only bring a limited group."
"Remember—stop that fellow from absorbing the Dragon God core at all costs. Or your Abyss Plane will never escape!"
Tang Hao panicked.
Gu Yuena, held back by Su Wen, could not yet become a god. Thus, the core was only for recreating dragons, and a life-saving trump card.
But Tang Hao didn't know.
To him—the Dragon God would soon descend, right on top of his world.
And he dared not act himself, lest he be exposed.
So—use others to kill.
In his eyes, Su Wen was strong, but not enough to defeat the Abyssal Plane's Sage Monarch and Demon Empress.