Gu La couldn't remain in the plane's core space indefinitely, but as long as the Silver Dragon King didn't stop trying to expel his visualization diagrams, he could always sense it and instantly arrive to stop her.
After days of deadlock and over a dozen skirmishes, the Silver Dragon King finally came to a realization—Gu La could indeed keep guarding the plane's origin indefinitely.
Deep within the Life Lake, the Silver Dragon King no longer bothered maintaining her dignified composure as a ruler, frequently letting out frustrated roars that left Di Tian and other ferocious beasts suffering from sleepless nights.
"Damn you! Once my injuries heal, I'll make you pay first!"
After the Silver Dragon King finished venting, Di Tian suggested, "My lord, your injuries haven't healed yet, so continuous combat isn't advisable. Why not step back for now? Divine beasts don't rely on faith energy anyway—a little less won't hurt."
"A temporary retreat is for a better future."
If the enemy were weak yet still dared to provoke a true dragon, Di Tian would have personally taught them a lesson.
But upon learning from the Silver Dragon King that Groudon possessed 1st Class god-level combat strength, even Di Tian had to set aside the dragon race's pride, regain his rationality, and advise the Silver Dragon King to yield.
The Silver Dragon King fell silent. With an impatient wave of her hand, she dismissed Di Tian under his watchful gaze.
ε=(ο｀*))) Sigh!
Once Di Tian left, the Dragon King sighed deeply.
When she was first born, she had been struck by the Asura God's sword and fled in panic to Douluo Star, where she encountered Di Tian, the reincarnated personal guard of the Dragon God.
Di Tian had asked her, as the Dragon God's half-body, what had happened in the god realm.
The Silver Dragon King had no memories of the Dragon God, but she couldn't admit ignorance either—that would undermine her authority as the leader in front of her subordinates.
Of course, based on the circumstances at the time and the difficulty for soul beasts to ascend to godhood, she fabricated a plausible truth!
A rebellion by the human gods seemed like a reasonable explanation.
Naturally, the Silver Dragon King believed her own deduction was correct.
"Fine. As fellow divine beasts, they deserve to share in humanity's offerings."
The Silver Dragon King convinced herself to stop trying to seize Gu La's faith energy, content to settle for second place.
---
In Tian Dou City.
Intense energy coursed beneath Gu La's skin, scorching fine burn marks onto his bed. He reclined on a bed carved from rock, gazing at the churning dark clouds outside with a bitter smile.
The faintly glowing dark red patterns left by Groudon flickered on his neck. Each time the pattern brightened, the room's temperature rose slightly.
Sensing the resentment conveyed by the Plane Consciousness, Gu La exhaled in relief. The Silver Dragon King had finally relented. He reassured the Plane Consciousness, "Let her have this one. You can get revenge later. If we kept fighting, even I wouldn't last much longer."
The Plane Consciousness, with its limited intelligence, realized Gu La couldn't fight for her this time and decisively withdrew, retreating into the core space to rest.
She vowed to grow stronger, ensuring no one could bully her or her son ever again!
Gu La closed his eyes. Until now, he hadn't noticed how childlike the Plane Consciousness was—clingy, but not annoying like a brat.
Fighting the Silver Dragon King wasn't as effortless as it appeared.
As a mortal, accommodating Groudon's power was taxing, even though their souls resonated, granting Gu La's soul a trace of divine characteristics. His physical body remained his weakness.
One or two times were manageable. When Tang Wulin was born, even the God King-level Golden Dragon King could handle such power effortlessly. With Gu La and Groudon working together, there shouldn't have been any issues.
But repeated use highlighted the hardware limitations, leaving Gu La temporarily paralyzed—just like Huo Yuhao.
The difference was that Huo Yuhao only lost mobility in his lower body, while Gu La's entire body became unresponsive.
Fortunately, he still had telekinesis to assist with walking, dressing, and eating.
---
When Zhu Zhuqing offered to take care of him, Gu La quietly retracted his telekinesis.
Thus, Gu La lay weakly on the bed, barely breathing, while Zhu Zhuqing sat beside him, tending to him.
It was almost romantic, akin to the phrase "adding fragrance to sleeves." Why not give it a try?
"Sizzle—"
Zhu Zhuqing used her soul power to cover a celadon bowl, condensing water droplets that rolled down the rim.
She had deliberately changed into a shoulder-baring dress today, though the floral pattern on her left shoulder was slightly blurred by the intense heat.
"This is snow lotus porridge made using the method you taught me, simmered with thousand-year ice marrow."
She scooped up a spoonful of creamy white gelatinous liquid, her dark black soul power enveloping the spoon to insulate it from the heat. "It might be a bit cold."
Gu La tried to move his facial muscles, but only managed to twitch his right eyelid slightly.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing pursed her lips, her long lashes casting butterfly-like shadows on her cheeks. As she leaned forward, a few strands of her hair fell onto Gu La's chest, curling and yellowing instantly, releasing a faint burnt smell.
"Let me help."
Her ear tips flushed a vivid coral color as she gently pried open Gu La's jaw with her gloved left hand.
The snow lotus porridge touched his scalding lips, sending up wisps of steam. As the semi-solid liquid slid down his throat, Gu La's pupils contracted—it felt like drinking an icy soda on a summer day: refreshingly cool.
Gu La's skin burned like fire, and by the time the meal was over, Zhu Zhuqing was drenched in sweat. Her silk robes clung to her damp body, and strands of hair stuck to her flushed cheeks.
While Gu La enjoyed the attention of a beautiful caretaker, inside the Tian Dou Imperial Palace, a three-day lockdown remained in effect.
Emperor Xue Ye locked himself in his study, poring over royal records to uncover the origins of the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud.
Though he had coincidentally activated the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, the Sea God's divine consciousness wouldn't casually acknowledge someone as "mediocre" as him—an auxiliary system soul master.
Finally, on the fourth day, when the Sea God's fragment could no longer tolerate the incessant interruptions, it manifested as a blue humanoid shadow in anger.
"Mortal, do you have any idea how irritating you are?!"
The wrath of a god could alter the heavens and earth.
Though just a fragment of divine consciousness, it wasn't something to be underestimated. The overwhelming pressure from the gap in life essence made Emperor Xue Ye feel as if he were facing a true deity.
"You… you must be a noble god?!"
Emperor Xue Ye felt his hands and feet turn icy. He hadn't expected to awaken such a powerful entity.
Soon after, he grew excited. If he could persuade this god to assist him, what need would he have to fear the Spirit Hall, the Star Luo Empire, the various sects, or the nobles? He could dominate the entire Douluo Continent without hesitation!
"No."
The Sea God's fragment saw through Emperor Xue Ye's fleeting ambition and mercilessly shattered his fantasy.
"My original self is indeed a god, but I am merely a fragment of divine consciousness. Think of me as a stray thought of a god—I can't help you. So you can stop your endless chatter."
The Sea God's fragment retreated back into the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, sealing itself off from the outside world.
Emperor Xue Ye held the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud aloft, overwhelmed by a mix of joy and despair. Even a Title Douluo couldn't escape the emotional turmoil.
"Impossible! I refuse to believe it! I've worked so hard for you…"
Emperor Xue Ye was suffocating under the pressure of multiple factions. If there were no way out, he could simply give up, but now that he had broken through to Title Douluo and found what seemed to be a divine artifact, how could he accept being bullied endlessly by those powers?
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