Looking at Huo Yuhao's somewhat confused expression, Gu Yuena softly explained.
"Back in the days when the Dragon Clan was at its peak, they were direct subordinates of the Dragon God. And I am a part of the Dragon God that separated, so you could say I am the Dragon God incarnate. Naturally, my status is different."
"So, the Eyes of Ice and Fire is where the remains of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings lie?"
Huo Yuhao pondered for a moment, then suddenly looked up at Gu Yuena.
"Does it benefit you?"
Gu Yuena didn't answer immediately but instead raised her head and gave him a strange glance. Huo Yuhao, feeling puzzled by her gaze, hesitated and asked.
"What is it?"
"Nothing."
Gu Yuena withdrew her gaze and shook her head.
"Only the power left behind by the Dragon God, which shares the same origin as me, would benefit me. In comparison, the remnants of the Ice Dragon King would be far more beneficial to you. It could not only evolve your ice-attribute spirit, but it would also provide immense advantages to your own strength."
Hearing this, Huo Yuhao was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected Gu Yuena to bring it up because the Ice Dragon King would help him, intending for him to absorb its power.
After opening his mouth several times but not knowing what to say, Huo Yuhao finally spoke softly, uttering two simple words.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. The stronger you become, the sooner you can gain influence among the human race. It's mutually beneficial."
Her voice remained ethereal, but Huo Yuhao vaguely sensed that her tone seemed slightly lighter than before.
Returning to their discussion, though absorbing the Ice Dragon King sounded promising, the actual process wouldn't be so easy.
Gu Yuena had mentioned before that her current strength was only at the level of a first-class god, and the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings were even stronger than her. Wouldn't that make them... god-kings?
Could he really absorb something like that?
He only had one ring!
He couldn't even absorb the cold spring energy leaking from the Ice Dragon King's remains, and now he was thinking of absorbing the Dragon King itself? Wasn't he biting off more than he could chew?
It had to be noted that dragons were typically proud and domineering. Even if they had died, their lingering will would not easily allow their power to be absorbed by others.
In his previous life, his teacher Mu En had suffered greatly because of a dragon core. Even after nurturing it for over a century, he had still been caught off guard and suffered a backlash from the violent energy hidden within the core, injuring his own life force.
And that was just a regular Light Holy Dragon. It had already caused significant harm to the famed Dragon God Douluo. Now Huo Yuhao was supposed to absorb the power of a dragon king. How much harder would that be?
"Those two Dragon Kings have been dead for many years. The remaining energy is far from the level of a god-king. It's uncertain whether it even retains the power of a first-class god," Gu Yuena said, as if she had guessed Huo Yuhao's thoughts. She shot him a sidelong glance and softly explained.
"Besides, although you can't fully absorb it now, taking in a small portion of it to complete one evolution of your spirit is definitely possible. Get ready; we're leaving soon."
Huo Yuhao, hearing this, said nothing more. He turned and gave a few instructions to Tang Ya, who was still collecting life force, before looking back at Gu Yuena.
"Let's go. I know the way."
Before he could finish speaking, he felt a soft, tender sensation in his hand. Startled, he instinctively looked down at the slender hand holding his, while Gu Yuena's ethereal voice echoed in his ears.
"There's no need for that."
As soon as she spoke, Huo Yuhao immediately felt an invisible wave of energy spread out from Gu Yuena's body. The soul beasts around them, terror flashing in their eyes, whimpered before quickly fleeing the area.
In the next moment, a pitch-black spatial rift appeared before them and swallowed them whole.
When Huo Yuhao's vision cleared again, what lay before him was a colorful poison cloud in the sky, and not far ahead, a lake split into distinct red and white sections.
The surrounding plants had obviously noticed the arrival of these two unexpected guests. Some emitted a faint glow, while others shifted their stems and leaves, subtly facing their direction.
A large, pale pink flower swayed gently by the shore where the two colors met. Its tone carried a hint of wariness as it spoke.
"Who are you? How did you get here?"
It had every reason to be cautious. After all, it hadn't sensed the slightest disturbance in the poison formation outside, yet these two had appeared out of nowhere. Even more unsettling, the silver-haired human girl didn't emit any detectable energy fluctuations.
Plants had far superior senses compared to animal soul beasts, and it had never encountered anything like this.
However, the silver-haired girl seemed too indifferent to even answer. Her purple eyes glanced at the flower, then she pulled the boy along, heading directly toward the cold spring.
"Stop! Answer my question! Or don't blame us for being rude!"
Seeing itself ignored, the pink flower's voice became tinged with anger.
This wasn't just about the other party's attitude—it was also about protecting their habitat from being destroyed by humans. If they didn't figure out these two's origins, who knew if they would reveal this place to the outside world? Such an event would spell disaster for all the plants here.
The girl finally stopped, as if granting its wish. She turned her head slightly in its direction. Though her eyes remained calm, the flower felt an indescribable chill.
"Wh-what do you intend to do...?"
Instantly, the pink flower's petals instinctively curled inward. Under Gu Yuena's faint but undeniable pressure, even its tone became careful and timid.
"You... you've intruded into our home. At least... At least tell us who you are..."
"Home?"
As if she had just heard a joke, Gu Yuena sneered softly. Upon arriving at the Eyes of Ice and Fire, she had quickly scanned the surroundings and noticed, just as Huo Yuhao had described, that the surrounding plants—including the Jade Phosphor Seven-Petal Flowers and Nine-Petal Flowers—bore signs of human cultivation.
Whoever had planted them seemed to be trying to protect this place. But in reality, even the plants were trapped by the poisonous barrier, confined and unable to leave.
"You call this place a home when you're nothing more than parasites that gained intelligence through the Dragon Clan's blessing? You dare threaten me?!"
By the time she finished speaking, Gu Yuena's once-ethereal voice had taken on an icy edge. Her crystalline silver hair stirred without wind, glowing brilliantly.
In an instant, terrifying pressure descended upon every plant in the Eyes of Ice and Fire. Everywhere one looked, the plants trembled under the weight of her aura. The pink flower, directly in the line of this pressure, let out a pained cry of submission.
"Stop! Please stop! I was wrong—I truly know my mistake!"
(End of chapter)