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...On the outskirts of the God Forbidden Land.
Xuan Ming felt several familiar and powerful God King auras rapidly approaching, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but twitch slightly.
He could imagine the scene that was about to unfold.
Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, Bo Saixi... these individuals who just had various complex entanglements in the Mortal Realm had now all become God Kings, rushing over with their explosive power and even more complicated emotions. Add to that Xiao Wu, Hu Liena, and the others... a century-level Shura Field was practically a certainty.
Previously, he had been forced by a series of heavy pressures like the responsibility of the Dragon Clan, the trials of the God Realm, and the order of the continent. His way of thinking had become simple and direct, with solving problems as the highest priority. He would push away or avoid emotional entanglements whenever possible.
But now, the crisis had been completely resolved.
The God Realm was expanding, Douluo Star was evolving, and his friends and partners had all reached the heavens in a single bound, possessing the power to protect themselves and eternal Life.
The heaviest mountains pressing on his shoulders had vanished in an instant.
Without the pressure, his mind—which belonged to a normal person capable of feeling awkwardness and embarrassment—was finally 'reinstated' to its post.
Official business had been perfectly settled; next were the private matters that could not be avoided no matter what.
At the thought of facing so many pairs of resentful, searching, and perhaps even slightly angry eyes at once, even with Xuan Ming's current state of mind, he felt his scalp go numb.
Just as he froze in place, debating whether to bite the bullet and face them or find an excuse to slip away for a while, a figure blocked his path.
The Ice Dragon King stood with her arms crossed, looking at his embarrassed face with amusement, her ice-blue eyes full of teasing.
"What? Now you know how to be afraid?"
Xuan Ming gave a dry cough and said somewhat helplessly, "It's not that I'm afraid..."
"Alright, don't explain," the Ice Dragon King interrupted him directly, an 'I get it' expression on her face. "You, a guy who doesn't even blink when dealing with World-shattering events, become a total coward as soon as you run into these private matters of girls."
She glanced at the several streaks of light getting closer in the distance, her gaze turning sharp.
"However, it's time to end this," the Ice Dragon King's voice suddenly became serious. "Brother, you've done enough for them and for this World. The remaining mess shouldn't be carried by you alone anymore."
Xuan Ming was slightly stunned, not yet understanding what she meant.
The Ice Dragon King, however, fully exercised her sense of responsibility and initiative as an 'elder sister.' She suddenly turned around and shouted toward Gu Yuena, "Gu Yuena! I'm leaving this to you! Talk to them properly! Don't let them vent all their anger on my brother!"
Gu Yuena had clearly anticipated this scene; she smiled helplessly and gave a slight nod toward the Ice Dragon King.
Having received a response, the Ice Dragon King no longer hesitated. She grabbed Xuan Ming's arm, and God King-level Ultimate Ice divine force erupted from her body, turning into a brilliant ice-blue streak of light that soared into the sky!
"Sister Bing, you're..." Xuan Ming was a bit dazed by this sudden turn of events.
"Taking you on a run! What else?" The Ice Dragon King's voice came through the divine wind, carrying a hint of unquestionable dominance.
"You idiot, you should take a good rest too! Let those women handle the rest themselves!"
Before her voice finished fading, the two had already become a small dot on the horizon, vanishing without a trace in an instant... A moment later.
Bibi Dong, Qian Renxue, Bo Saixi, Xiao Wu, Hu Liena, and the other newly ascended God Kings and Peak First-Class God goddesses arrived at the outskirts of the God Forbidden Land almost simultaneously.
However, they were greeted only by a stomach-aching Gu Yuena.
"Where is Xuan Ming?" Bibi Dong spoke first, her voice cold and her sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.
"He..." Gu Yuena pointed to the sky, saying between laughter and tears, "He was taken away by the Ice Dragon King."
"Taken away?" Qian Renxue's brow furrowed, a flash of displeasure in her golden eyes.
He forcibly pulled her to the God Realm, only to run away himself?
Gu Yuena sighed and spread her hands, saying, "She said Xuan Ming is too tired and needs to rest. The remaining matters... we should discuss them ourselves."
As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere on the scene became incredibly subtle.
The women looked at each other; the words they had prepared were now stuck in their throats. They could feel the powerful God King auras on each other and read the same complex emotions in each other's eyes.
Xuan Ming had run away.
He left the most thorny problem to them.
Gu Yuena looked at this "Goddess Group," which could be called the most luxurious and dangerous in the history of the God Realm, and felt her own head starting to ache.
It seemed this negotiation was destined to be difficult... In a remote Star Domain of the God Realm.
A brilliant ice-blue streak of light sliced through the Void Realm, finally coming to a stop in a peaceful and serene place.
Surrounded by mountains and wreathed in Immortal Qi, a silver waterfall cascaded from the clouds like a Nine Heavens silver river, crashing into the green pool below and splashing up billions of crystal-clear water droplets that refracted a seven-colored halo in the sunlight.
The Ice Dragon King landed slowly on a bluestone by the waterfall with Xuan Ming.
She let go of his hand and looked at the familiar yet strange scenery, a hint of reminiscence flashing in her ice-blue eyes.
"This place... used to be my territory in the God Realm." Her voice was very soft, carrying a trace of imperceptible emotion. "Only now, the things are different and the people are gone."
Former playmates had long since perished in the long passage of time, and former palaces had turned into the dust of history.
Perhaps the only thing that remained unchanged was this ceaselessly flowing waterfall.
Xuan Ming didn't speak, just quietly watched her. He could feel the loneliness in her heart that spanned a million years.
The Ice Dragon King withdrew her gaze, turned around, and sat gently on the bluestone. She patted her leg and tilted her chin at Xuan Ming.
Xuan Ming obediently lay down, resting his head on her soft and slightly cool thighs.
The Ice Dragon King naturally reached out, adjusting his head to a more comfortable position, and then gently held him in her arms.
Neither of them spoke again.
The roar of the waterfall became the only background sound.
Xuan Ming closed his eyes, feeling the reassuring aura coming from the Ice Dragon King. His nerves, which had been tense for so long, finally relaxed completely at this moment.
He was truly too tired—not just physically exhausted, but mentally weary as well.
After an unknown amount of time, long enough that Xuan Ming was almost about to fall asleep, the Ice Dragon King's cool voice finally rang out.
"How do you plan... to handle your feelings for Qian Renxue?"
Xuan Ming opened his eyes, looking at the sky above that was slightly blurred by the waterfall's mist, and remained silent for a moment.
The Ice Dragon King continued, "I'm not worried about the others. Gu Yuena has the responsibility and burden of the Dragon God, Bibi Dong has experienced Life and death with you, and Bo Saixi, Xiao Wu, and the others have found their own answers. The moment I was resurrected by you, I became aware of everything that happened in the past."
"But only Qian Renxue," her tone shifted, "that girl is still very troublesome. Her obsession is deeper than you imagine. It's not pure love; it's mixed with too much resentment, jealousy, and a need for self-validation. This kind of emotion is the hardest to resolve."
Xuan Ming sighed, "I don't know either."
He paused, organized his thoughts, and slowly said, "I hope... she can let go of her obsession with me. We could perhaps get along like friends, or even like siblings. But because of Bibi Dong's existence, because her mother personally killed her father... she and I can never walk that path. It's an insurmountable chasm, and it's a form of respect for her, her mother, and myself."
"But I also know it's almost impossible. With her personality, asking her to let go of her obsession is harder than killing her."
He had tried the most drastic methods, using the most hurtful words and cruelest means to try and sever this bond.
The result, however, was only letting her sink deeper and deeper into the abyss of pain.
"Yes, it is indeed impossible," the Ice Dragon King nodded in agreement, then her tone lightened. "However, if you need, I can help you solve it."
"You?" Xuan Ming turned his head slightly in surprise, looking at her. "How would you solve it?"
"Minor issue."
"..."
"What do you plan to do? You can't just give her a beating, can you? She's a God King now too, and... I don't want to hurt her anymore."
The Ice Dragon King looked down at the man in her arms, who had shed all his burdens and looked a bit like a boy next door, her lips curling into a sly yet gentle arc.
Her finger lightly traced Xuan Ming's cheek, her voice carrying a hint of matter-of-factness.
"Just like the two of us, wouldn't that work?"