Although the conflict between humans and soul beasts remained irreconcilable for now, this did not mean that Jiang Qingtong, Jiang Shengyu, and the Silver Dragon King harbored any personal enmity between them. On the contrary, they shared a common enemy at this moment—the gods of the Divine Realm.
All smaller disputes had to give way before this greater one. The questions of when the age of peace between humans and soul beasts would come, how it would arrive, and what would happen when it did—these could only be addressed after the matter of the gods.
Jiang Qingtong agreed to cooperate with the Silver Dragon King, and seeing this, the Silver Dragon King finally let out a breath of relief.
She raised her massive silver claw, and lightly tapped it against Jiang Qingtong's small fist before speaking:
"May our cooperation be smooth, and may we both break free of the shackles of the gods."
Jiang Qingtong opened her hand and looked at the seven-colored silver dragon scale that now rested quietly in her palm. She asked:
"What does this scale do? A locator?"
The Silver Dragon King nodded.
"You can think of it as a locator. It allows my power to descend to your side and protect you from harm. However, because my origin has not yet fully recovered, unless it is a true life-and-death crisis, I will not project my strength. I hope you can understand this."
"Of course I understand. One's body is the foundation of all endeavors—no matter what, you've got to keep yourself healthy!" Jiang Qingtong nodded, showing she fully accepted the Silver Dragon King's decision.
Suddenly, Jiang Qingtong thought of something and brought up the matter of her brother, Jiang Shengyu.
After listening to her, the Silver Dragon King fell silent for a moment, then said:
"I can only bestow a single protective dragon scale. Any more would harm my origin at this time. But for your brother, Di Tian can go. As the Dragon King of the Black Dragon Clan, he also possesses an inverse scale, which he can give to your brother."
Jiang Qingtong nodded.
"Alright! Thank you."
The Silver Dragon King shook her head.
"When the day comes that your mission succeeds, it is we soul beasts who will owe you thanks. Go now—grow stronger. When you raise your blades and march upon the Divine Realm, whether I have regained my peak or not, I shall fight at your side."
"May there come a day when you may ride upon my dragon's body, soar to the skies, and trample the arrogant gods beneath your feet."
Her words carried the sorrowful grandeur of a hero in twilight.
A pulling force came from behind Jiang Qingtong. She turned back toward the passage that led outward, and suddenly asked:
"Silver Dragon King, what do you look like when you take human form? I imagine it must be beautiful, right?"
The Silver Dragon King froze for a moment at this question.
"Why bring that up so suddenly?"
"It just crossed my mind. After all, Di Tian is handsome, and Bi Ji is beautiful. As the true lord of the soul beasts, I can't imagine you'd fall short." Jiang Qingtong said with a smile.
After hearing this, the Silver Dragon King was silent for a while. Then, before Jiang Qingtong, a silver radiance slowly gathered, and a stunning woman with long silver hair appeared.
It was not the childlike form she had shown in Douluo Dalu III, but the mature appearance of an adult.
Looking at the beautiful form the Silver Dragon King had revealed, Jiang Qingtong drew in a deep breath.
"Alright then! To have seen such a gorgeous dragon lady, this trip was well worth it. I'm off now, Silver Dragon King!"
As she watched Jiang Qingtong enter the passage and depart, the Silver Dragon King stood in silence for a moment, then murmured to herself:
"Grow well, Jiang Qingtong. I don't even know if I'll be able to maintain this form the next time we meet. The erosion… it grows deeper and deeper. Damn those gods."
Jiang Qingtong emerged from the Silver Dragon King's side. The passage extended into the waters of the Lake of Life, and she was enveloped by its rich vitality before being carried to the shore by the waves.
Soaked through, she sighed helplessly.
"This passage is falling apart with age—it really ought to be replaced."
"Being bathed in the waters of the Lake of Life is a great blessing for you." Di Tian looked at her and asked calmly:
"You've met the Lord. How did it go?"
Jiang Qingtong briefly relayed what had transpired between her and the Silver Dragon King, then showed them the seven-colored silver dragon scale she had been given.
Di Tian looked at the radiant glow shimmering upon the scale in silence, his expression unreadable. After a long pause, he finally said:
"Since it is the Lord's command, we shall obey. Once the talks with Shrek Academy are concluded, I will depart for the Sun–Moon Empire and deliver my inverse scale to your brother."
"Then I must thank you, Beast God!" Jiang Qingtong smiled in gratitude.
"Just call me Di Tian. You are a friend to soul beasts—you are not like other humans."
"Yay!" the Three-Eyed Golden Lion cheered. "Human, that means you can stay here now, right?"
At its words, both Di Tian and Jiang Qingtong replied in unison:
"No."
"Why not?" The creature looked at them, confused.
Jiang Qingtong gazed into its puzzled eyes.
"Because I am human. I am destined to return to the human world. Otherwise, the plan I made with the Silver Dragon King could never unfold."
"But here you have the Lake of Life—it could make your cultivation much smoother, couldn't it, Di Tian?" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion turned to Di Tian hopefully.
Di Tian shook his head.
"Sacred Beast, for the future of our kind, Jiang Qingtong must indeed return to the human world. This is the pact between her and the Lord."
Hearing even Di Tian say this, the Golden Lion drooped with disappointment.
Jiang Qingtong suddenly reached out to rub its head gently.
"I'm not going that far away. I'll be at Shrek Academy. Whenever I get the chance, I'll come visit you—won't that be enough?"
Her words lifted its spirits. It nodded eagerly.
"Mm! You must keep your promise, human!"
"Mm! I promise." Jiang Qingtong nodded firmly.
Reassured, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion finally let go of the idea of making her stay in the core region.
Jiang Qingtong then glanced over at the figure lying on the ground—Xiao Xiao—still unconscious, eyes tightly shut.
"She… still hasn't woken up?"
Could one fall really have caused such serious injury?
Bi Ji shook her head and explained:
"She woke up once while you were meeting with the Lord, but I put her back to sleep."
"Uh…" Jiang Qingtong blinked, unsure how to respond.
Bi Ji continued:
"I thought you hadn't revealed your secret to anyone at Shrek Academy. If she woke up while you were gone, it would only cause you trouble, wouldn't it?"
Hearing this, Jiang Qingtong couldn't help but give her a thumbs-up.
"Senior Bi Ji, you're truly thoughtful!"
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