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...On the periphery of the God Forbidden Land.
After Xuan Ming was dragged off on 'forced leave' by the Ice Dragon King, the formerly tense, drawn-bow atmosphere sank into an eerie calm.
Gu Yuena looked at the newly promoted God Kings and First-level Gods whose Auras still quivered with instability and felt her head swell to twice its size.
Yet as the de facto hostess and the strongest presence on the scene, she knew she had to step forward and take charge.
"All right, stop loitering," Gu Yuena said, her voice cool and steady, carrying the Dragon God's unquestionable majesty.
"I know everyone here has plenty they want to say—and plenty of scores to settle. But we won't solve anything standing around. Let's find somewhere to sit and talk this through properly."
With a wave of her slender hand, vast Dragon God Power condensed in the Void Realm into a magnificent nine-colored palace.
Inside, a long table and chairs—all forged from the purest divine force—were laid out in full.
The women exchanged glances, then in the end walked silently into the palace.
At the doorway, however, Qian Renxue stopped.
She glanced at the clearly divided groups within, a complicated emotion flickering through her golden eyes.
Finally, without a word, she turned into a streak of golden light and flew off toward another part of the God Realm, her figure looking rather lonely.
Gu Yuena watched her go, brows faintly knit, but made no move to stop her.
She understood that what Qian Renxue needed now wasn't negotiation—it was to figure things out herself...
In the God Realm, an ancient temple hovered above a sea of clouds.
This was the former Angel God Temple; after the God Realm's expansion it had been cut away from the old divine domain and now stood here in silence.
Qian Renxue landed slowly on the plaza before it. She could feel the pure, holy Aura left by the Angel God lineage, a faint comfort—and yet, more than that, a bewilderment that reached into her bones.
Had she won? She had inherited a God Position, even become a God King, standing at the pinnacle of countless beings.
Had she lost? She had lost her father, her grandfather, everything she once fought for, and... the one person she most wanted to hold onto was drifting ever farther away.
What was she to do next? Fight Bibi Dong over Xuan Ming? Confront him and demand why he treated her this way?
Or, as now, guard this empty temple and spend eternity alone?
While her thoughts tangled, an ice-blue figure alighted soundlessly beside her.
"What are you hiding here brooding over?" the Ice Dragon King asked.
Qian Renxue turned, regarding this fellow God King with guarded eyes. "What do you want?"
"To see you," the Ice Dragon King replied, walking to her side and gazing out over the sea of clouds. "And to talk."
"We have nothing to talk about." Qian Renxue's voice was icy.
"Oh, but we do," the Ice Dragon King countered. "Let's talk about that fool Xuan Ming, for instance."
At his name, Qian Renxue's body stiffened slightly.
The Ice Dragon King kept her eyes on the horizon. "Before I sacrificed myself, I thought I understood him best. I knew how tired he was, what burdens he carried. I believed I'd smoothed his final path and he could breathe easier."
"I was wrong." A note of self-mockery crept into her tone. "After my death, he took on even more. To bring me back, he faced the entire God Realm alone and walked a road a hundred times harder than I'd imagined."
Qian Renxue remained silent, listening.
"'That's how he is," the Ice Dragon King said, turning to fix her ice-blue gaze on Qian Renxue.
"Show him one ounce of kindness and he'll return ten. Give your Life for him and he'll reverse death itself. In his heart is a scale, keeping every debt—every kindness—perfectly balanced."
"But," she went on, "he also remembers every injury, every grudge. Your feud with Bibi Dong, Golden Crocodile's, even Qian Daoliu's—it's all there. That debt stands between you, and he can't cross it. Not because he won't, but because his principles won't let him."
Qian Renxue's face paled; her jade-like hands clenched unconsciously.
"So—do you think there's any chance left for you and him?" the Ice Dragon King asked bluntly, mercilessly.
Qian Renxue bit her lip and gave no answer.
"I know how much you've done for him, how wronged you've felt," the Ice Dragon King continued more gently. "Back when you disguised yourself as Xue Qinghe and defied your own grandfather to save him—he knows all of it."
"And knowing is exactly why it torments him," she sighed. "Your kindness and Bibi Dong's are knotted tight inside him. So he chose the most extreme way: push you away, make you hate him. Because to him, having you hate him is far easier than owing you that debt."
A tremor ran through Qian Renxue; she stared at the Ice Dragon King in disbelief.
So… it was like this all along?
"Then… what should I do?" A tremor of helplessness crept into her voice.
The Ice Dragon King looked at her, sympathy and resolve mingling in his eyes.
"Let it go, Qian Renxue."
"Let go of your obsession with him, and of your hatred for your mother. You've done enough for your Family. From this day on, live for yourself."
"Go see this new God Realm; find a meaning that belongs to you alone. You and he may never be lovers, but that doesn't mean you can't be something else."
…Within the Nine-Colored Palace.
A negotiation thick with unease was underway.
On one side of the long table sat the "Spirit Beast faction," led by Gu Yuena.
Flanking her were Snow Empress, Ice Emperor, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji. Their stance was clear: whatever Gu Yuena and Xuan Ming willed, they would follow.
Their Ascension had been a gift from Xuan Ming and Gu Yuena; though they knew love, they would never stoop to jealous squabbles.
To them, staying beside Xuan Ming and watching the Soul Beast Clan rise to glory was enough.
Opposite them, Bibi Dong headed the "Human Ascendancy faction," with Hu Liena, Ning Rongrong, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Huo Wu, and Dugu Yan at her side.
Each had deep emotional ties to Xuan Ming and strong personalities; compromise would not come easily.
At the far end of the table lounged the "Easy-going faction," led by Bo Saixi.
A Rou, Shui Binger, and Ye Lingling sat beside her. Their position was equally clear: no contest, no strife—let fate decide.
They knew too well how obtuse Xuan Ming's wooden head could be in matters of the heart; hoping he would sort things out was less likely than the God Realm ending tomorrow.
So they chose the gentler path: simply being with him; titles and status meant nothing.
Gu Yuena studied the three sharply defined camps, cleared her throat, and spoke first: "I believe we're here today not to argue over precedence or to draw battle lines."
Her gaze swept the hall, her voice calm yet unyielding: "Xuan Ming has resolved every external crisis for us. Now it's time to settle our internal affairs. I won't let our issues place the burden he just set down back upon his shoulders."
Bibi Dong gave a cold snort, lifting the teacup formed of divine force. "Easy to say. Can one sentence from you define what lies between us and him?"
Hu Liena, seated beside Bibi Dong, eyed Gu Yuena with a hint of hostility. "That's right—we knew him first!"
Xiao Wu sprang to her feet, hands on hips. "Xuan Ming and I have been through Life and death together! Without him, my mother and I would've died long ago!"
Though Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing stayed silent, their resolute eyes spoke volumes.
Gu Yuena showed no anger, only calm. "I admit each of you shares unique experiences and feelings with him; I don't seek to erase anyone's past. I only wish to say: the future is long—we have eternal Life. If we keep relating this way, we'll only become his burden."
She paused, then continued: "You know Xuan Ming's nature better than I. He can't refuse anyone sincere, yet he can't navigate tangled feelings. If we force a choice, the result will be self-exile—leaving us all behind."
At these words, the previously aggressive "Ascendancy" group fell silent.
They knew Gu Yuena spoke the truth; that man was perfectly capable of such a thing.
Bo Saixi regarded the deadlock and spoke slowly, her voice soft as a sea breeze: "Perhaps we've been thinking wrongly. Why must we make him choose? We are already gods, free and eternal. Our feelings shouldn't chain him—or ourselves."
Shui Binger and Ye Lingling nodded in agreement.
"Bo Saixi is right," Gu Yuena said. "Each of us is an individual; our futures should be decided by us, not hung upon another."
Her gaze finally settled on Bibi Dong.
"Bibi Dong, what do you think?"
Bibi Dong remained silent a moment, sipped her tea, and regarded Gu Yuena calmly.
"A fine proposal, however…"
With that, two strands of malicious divine force erupted from Bibi Dong, pressing down everyone present except Gu Yuena.
"Tonight, he is mine!"
"…"