The timing to reveal the Dragon God's bloodline is crucial.
If not used wisely, it could instantly escalate the conflict between him and the Silver Dragon King. However, if used correctly, it would be a powerful tool to turn the tables and help him gain absolute control over the subsequent developments.
The previous exchange seemed as though Su Cheng was at a disadvantage, forced to reveal his trump card in the end. But in reality, the situation was always under his control.
First, he laid out the evidence and reasoning, revealing her true intentions, breaking through her calm and cold demeanor. Then, he painted a picture of a nearly impossible scenario, making grand promises.
Did he not know the potential consequences of such actions? The Silver Dragon King, who had been dormant and cautious for hundreds of thousands of years, wouldn't be easily swayed by a few words. If his words had been more realistic and gradual, she might not have outright rejected him. However, his words were so enticing and too good to be true that they made the Silver Dragon King hesitant to respond.
Throughout this process, Su Cheng gave her the highest expectations and hopes, using incredibly exaggerated rhetoric to make her waver and desire more. He continuously pressured her, slowly reaching the deepest fantasies hidden behind her defenses. Finally, when that layer of hope was about to shatter and reason was about to reassert itself, he delivered the most fatal blow—the Dragon God's bloodline!
This was the most direct and powerful evidence, proving that his words were true, that he understood the power of the Dragon God even better than the Silver Dragon King herself.
"Why do you possess the power of the Dragon God's bloodline? How did you achieve this?" The Silver Dragon King's eyes were unfocused as she looked at Su Cheng, this human boy who completely baffled her.
The balance between reason and temptation, which had been wavering, completely tipped over the moment she sensed the Dragon God's bloodline.
"That energy core was supposed to be just the remnants of the Dragon God's will..." Su Cheng's eyes glimmered with a hint of a smile.
Without the prior conversation, the Silver Dragon King's first thought might have been how to seize his bloodline to replenish her own, or even to uncover more secrets from him. But after the groundwork he laid, she wouldn't entertain such thoughts anymore.
Joking aside, the Silver Dragon King wasn't foolish. If she found a way to grasp the power of the Dragon God, then a mere trace of bloodline would pale in comparison.
Unconsciously, the initiative in their cooperation had shifted. Initially, as the one proposing an alliance, Su Cheng should have been in a weaker position. However, after their exchange, the Silver Dragon King's emotions were entirely led by him. Amidst her internal turmoil, she finally realized her true desires deep within. Her previous caution and dormancy were mere facades born out of necessity. What she truly longed for was far more than she had initially expected.
This change in mindset was something that the Silver Dragon King might not have fully realized, but Su Cheng saw it clearly.
He softly asked, "Can we have a proper discussion now?"
"So this is your confidence..." The Silver Dragon King gazed at Su Cheng, standing on the dragon's skull in the distance, her eyes filled with complex emotions. At this moment, there was no trace of her previous cold decisiveness. She didn't even know how to express her current feelings.
The atmosphere became silent.
"It's just a fortunate insight into a bit of the Dragon God's bloodline, nothing impressive." Seeing the awkwardness of the Silver Dragon King, Su Cheng didn't make things difficult for her and offered a way out.
As he spoke, he leaped down from the dragon's skull and approached her. "Do you want it? I can give it to you."
"Give it to me?" The Silver Dragon King was surprised. "This is the power of the original Dragon God, higher even than the power of a God King."
"It does sound appealing," Su Cheng chuckled. "But you need it more, don't you? Consider it a gesture of goodwill."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand, where a wound silently appeared. In the next moment, a small blood orb floated above his palm, which he then tossed forward. "Catch it."
The Silver Dragon King hurriedly raised her claw, her movements surprisingly flustered. The tiny blood orb appeared minuscule under her massive claw, like a speck of dust. Yet, her expression was extremely serious, as if this drop of blood weighed as much as a mountain.
"Oh, by the way," Su Cheng casually remarked, "It seems you don't mind that my body carries this Dragon God's bloodline?"
"...Why would I mind?" The Silver Dragon King seemed momentarily confused by the question and responded with a counter-question. "Why would that matter?"
"I'm human, doesn't that bother you?"
Only then did she realize, shaking her head lightly, she replied, "Dragons don't have such narrow views. Our concept of lineage is very different from yours. Bloodline transmission can happen in many ways, far less restrictive than in human society. When the Dragon God first created the realms and its children, it wasn't to develop vassals, but to raise them as kin. Even the complete Dragon God bloodline was never hoarded."
She paused and glanced at Su Cheng again. "Unfortunately, most dragons couldn't contain the Dragon God's blood. Even the nine original Dragon Kings could only hold a portion of it."
As she said this, she couldn't help but give Su Cheng another look. Regardless of how this human managed to reawaken the Dragon God's bloodline, the fact that he could merge it into his body was truly remarkable. Was it because he was special, or was it that humans, as a race, were inherently unique?
"Wait, did you just say 'created children'?" Su Cheng frowned, finding it difficult to comprehend.
"Yes." The Silver Dragon King nodded. "That's why, to me, soul beasts—those creatures that evolved due to the influence of dragon aura—are also my kin."
"..." Su Cheng was speechless.
Was that really the point? Don't answer the wrong question.
But he didn't pursue the matter further. Such questions probably couldn't be answered by the Silver Dragon King either. She was clearly not well-versed in such topics, and the previous question had clearly gone beyond her knowledge.
Temporarily setting aside the deeper questions, he joked, "So, does that make us kin too?"
"This..." The Silver Dragon King hesitated, surprised and unsure, "Would you be willing?"
Su Cheng smiled without answering and instead asked, "Tell me more about your situation, and the state of the outside world. You mentioned before that humans broke through their limits using your powers. How exactly did that happen?"
Seeing him shift the topic, the Silver Dragon King's eyes flickered, but she didn't dwell on the earlier question. She began to recount the history and current state of the Douluo Star.
Yes, humans were the protagonists under this starry sky, the darlings of the world. Compared to them, the dragon identity held little glory.
"This is the world I come from, and the current state of affairs."
After finishing her story, the Silver Dragon King's tone seemed a bit lighter. Despite spending most of her time in deep slumber to heal, her spiritual awareness allowed her to easily perceive what was happening outside. From the rise of humans, the decline of soul beasts, the flourishing of Spirit Hall, and the ascension of new gods, she was well-informed about all the major events.
However, no matter what thoughts passed through her mind during this time, she couldn't find anyone to confide in, nor did she see the need for such conversations.
Including Di Tian, all those powerful beasts were her subordinates, who revered her deeply.
She always remembered her identity and mission. She was the spiritual pillar of her clan, the hope of the future.
If she herself harbored doubts, what would others think? Pointless emotional outbursts would only further erode the already diminishing confidence of her people.
She had suppressed many thoughts deep within her heart for many years.
"I have a few questions to ask you," Su Cheng said after pondering for a moment. "The origin of human Spirits—does it fundamentally stem from your Dragon Clan?"
The Silver Dragon King looked at him and nodded. "Logically, yes."
"So according to your logic, humans—at least those on this planet—should be considered your kin, just like the Spirit Beasts, right? But why do you treat humans differently than the Spirit Beasts?"
"You're wrong." The Silver Dragon King's eyes showed a hint of either mockery or self-mockery. "Humans don't see us as kin... Do you?"
The Silver Dragon King didn't look at him but silently stared at the small blood droplet hovering in her claw, which resembled a speck of dust.
Su Cheng shook his head. "I'm human."
"....."
"Don't misunderstand me. I say I'm human simply because I am human, and it has nothing to do with other factors. I remember telling you before, didn't I? I have no so-called 'racial stance.'" He took a few steps forward, raising his head to look up at the massive, graceful, silvery dragon in front of him.
"To be precise, I won't be swayed by the narrow positions you've introduced. Everyone has their own free will, the right to choose their path, and the right to choose their stance."
At this point, he paused for a moment and then gazed into those purple dragon eyes. "Silver Dragon King, let me ask you a question. When the Dragon Clan stood at the pinnacle of all races, did they ever enslave other species?"
"Of course not." The Silver Dragon King met his gaze calmly. "In those days, the Dragon Realm allowed the exceptional beings from various galaxies to become deities in the Divine Dragon Domain. All creatures that inherited the bloodline of the Dragon Clan were our kin. The Dragon God treated them all equally."
"Then that's it," Su Cheng smiled at her. "Although I don't consider myself part of your kin, that doesn't mean I should side with the God Realm. This is just a choice made by some humans, isn't it? The divisions among humans have never ceased. Human emotions and desires are far more complex and intense than yours."
"Yes, I know. You advocate for absolute freedom. But your choice isn't wise. I hope you won't regret this decision in the future."
"I don't need your reminder. I will take responsibility for my decisions. From now on, you no longer have to persist alone. We can fight side by side."
The Silver Dragon King slowly nodded, her eyes calm as water, completely concealing the emotions surging within her heart.
She understood that this was a promise from the other party.
She was willing to believe this statement, but deep down, she found it hard to trust fully.
However, even if his words were just empty promises, they were already precious to her.
"Although I'm not your kin, we can be considered friends now, right? At least comrades-in-arms?"
"....."
The Silver Dragon King didn't respond, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes.
Friends...
Su Cheng had mentioned something similar before, saying, "More friends mean more paths," but she hadn't paid any attention to it then.
To the Silver Dragon King, this was an extremely special relationship, one she couldn't comprehend.
Because she had never had friends.
Nor had she ever thought of making friends.
Her birth destined her to have difficulty interacting normally with others.
Even more so with creatures from other species.
This had nothing to do with her personality, nor was it due to arrogance.
It was because she was inherently unique.
It's like how a human might feel pity for a kitten or puppy, or even be filled with compassion for insects and ants.
But no matter what, they would never consider them as equals.
There was an insurmountable gap between them.
Even Di Tian and the others were just subordinates from the past, far from reaching the level of "friends."
Noticing the hesitation in the Silver Dragon King's eyes, Su Cheng raised an eyebrow and casually said, "What, did I offend you by saying that?"
"....."
After a moment of silence, the Silver Dragon King softly murmured, "What exactly is a friend?"
She wasn't illiterate; of course, she knew the literal meaning of the word "friend."
In human society, it roughly refers to two people who have a good relationship.
She just couldn't understand the specific connotation of such a relationship.
What kind of people could be called "friends"?
"....."
Su Cheng also fell silent, pondering her question.
After thinking it over, he realized he couldn't quite explain it either.
He could only sigh helplessly and say, "Forget it, we'll discuss this later. It's not that important anyway."
"Oh." The Silver Dragon King opened her mouth as if wanting to say more, but in the end, she remained silent, her gaze a bit vacant.
"Next is the second question."
Su Cheng quickly moved past the topic and continued, "You just mentioned that when Spirit Beasts reach a certain level, they can transform into human form. Can you explain this in more detail?"
"....."
After a long pause, Su Cheng looked up in confusion, wondering why there was no response.
He found the Silver Dragon King seemingly lost in thought, her mind wandering.
"Silver Dragon King?"
"Hmm?" The Silver Dragon King finally returned to her senses and looked at Su Cheng, her tone indifferent. "What is it?"
Seeing this, Su Cheng frowned and repeated his previous question.
Then he emphasized, "This matter is very important and could be crucial to how you enhance your strength moving forward. So you'd better take it seriously."