Marquis Estate,
The early sunlight spilled gently across the silk curtains, warming the polished marble floor of the Marquis Estate's one of the most luxurious bedrooms.
The air carried a faint sweetness—part morning dew, part the lingering scent of white lilies and red camellias drifting from the open balcony.
Amid the soft, golden glow, Gu Yuena stirred awake. The Silver Dragon King who is looking like a teenager sat in an intricately carved chair beside the bed rather than on it.
Her long, silver hair flowed freely down her shoulders, its sheen catching the light like ripples of moonlit water.
A small black cat was curled up in her lap, its steady breathing rising and falling against the fabric of her robe. Its warmth seeped into her, an unfamiliar comfort that loosened something long dormant inside.
Despite the stiffness caused by her sleeping position, she felt rested—for the first time in what felt like an eternity.
Her violet eyes softened as she gazed down at the tiny creature, still sleeping peacefully in her lap.
Without a word, she reached out and gently rubbed the cat's back, her touch tender, her expression calm.
A faint, almost invisible smile curved her lips—serene, fleeting, but undeniably warm.
For just a moment, the mighty Silver Dragon King felt… peace.
The cat feeling the warmth of her hand stirred awake slowly and nuzzled its head into her palm.
"Morning Yuena," the cat who is still half asleep muttered.
Gu Yuena smiled at Hanrui's action, amused, but strangely indulgent.
"Morning, O high and mighty Cat Emperor, do you want this lowly Dragon Maid to prepare anything for you." She teased.
The cat, stunned by her words, backed away from her hand and looked at her smiling face. with a tilt of his head he asked.
"Who are you, what have you done to my Majestic Silver Dragon King, the Ice Queen."
Gu Yuena hearing the cat's words about to flick a finger at the cat's forehead in annoyance, when the cat jumped away from her and landed beside her chair.
In a puff of smoke it transformed into a child.
Hanrui who turned back to his usual self ignored her annoyed look, grabbed her hand and dragged her to the garden.
Gu Yuena, who is dragged into the garden, sighed in resignation.
But seeing the garden with different plants, even plant type soul beasts aging from 1000 to 50,000 around her, she couldn't help but get surprised.
Hanrui grinned at her reaction before speaking smugly. "So, do you like my garden?"
She nodded absentmindedly at his words, after all it's her first time seeing a human raise plant type soul beasts in absolute harmony, especially when there are opposite species and rivaling elements are involved.
Then she recalled how Hanrui healed her and it instantly clicked in her mind.
"Your soul skill, you used it to raise these soul beasts" she said with certainty as Hanrui nodded.
"I discovered my soul skill helps the plant type soul beasts increase their cultivation, when I first formed my soul ring,so I started doing it and here we are.
I only started with the blue silver grass, but now, we have Frostflame Orchid(12,000 years),Yin-Yang Spirit Lotus(9,000 years),Hell Eye Tree (Myriad Hell Kings)(11,000 years),Ice Jade Scorpion Grass(5,000 years), Blue Silver King(55,000 years) and last but not least Golden Tree of Rebirth(10,000 years).
I really didn't expect the last one though. After all, it's quite special and its requirements for birth are quite intricate." Hanrui explained while casting his soul skill Dragon King's Grace on them.
Gu Yuena, seeing him care for the soul beasts, smiled softly and was about to sit down on the grass when the blue silver grass suddenly moved and made a throne for her, making her surprised.
"What, you think I'll let you sit on the ground and spoil your clothes?"Hanrui chided while looking at her then took out the sword to start training while Gu Yuena took her seat on the throne.
"Anyway, since we are here, why don't you tell me why you wanted to see me? We didn't talk about it beforehand, being distracted with other things." Hanrui asked.
Hearing his question Gu Yuena replied "The day you Awakened your martial soul, i felt a Dragon that i didn't know of, especially the bloodline which felt on par with mine.
I thought it was absurd at the time but also got intrigued so I had Bi Ji and Zi Ji have a look out for you to see for myself, what this unfamiliar dragon looks like." while enjoying the view of Hanrui training.
"To be honest, your Azure dragon feels familiar, like it has my resemblance to it while it also has the resemblance of the Golden Dragon King.
So, tell me Hanrui, what do you think of your martial soul?" she asked.
"Well, would you believe me if I said I don't have a clue?" Hanrui asked as he stopped his sword swings to look her in the eyes only to be met with a raised eye brow from her.
"At least for now, that's the truth because I only have suspicions on what it could be, but not what it is." He shrugged as he replied to her while getting back to his practice.
Gu Yuena, hearing this, thought for a second and accepted his answer for now and changed the subject.
"You already reached level 22 when are you going to create your second soul ring. Need any help with that?" she asked with a smirk.
"Well, I was lazy on that for one, I wanted a higher age ring, and two, I'm confused on which element to pick, fire or ice for my second ring." Hanrui confided his dilemma.
"So, do you have any suggestions?" he asked.
"Your first soul skill is a field control and support and heal skill, so your 2nd soul skill should have an attack ability and support.
Both fire and ice do an excellent job but I think ice suits much better for your situation." Gu Yuena suggested thoughtfully.
Hanrui nodded his head and replied "then I'll go with your suggestion."
Both of them grew silent as Hanrui confided his training while Gu Yuena watched him.
An hour passed in silence as Hanrui ended his training. Then he created 2 clones and let them fight each other in the training room for combat experience while he sat down crosslegged on the ground.
"Oh right,I haven't mentioned this before but my Azure dragon isn't the only Martial Soul i have." Hanrui smirked at her while he summoned both his martial souls out.
Gu Yuena watched Hanrui in stunned silence as he summoned his Azure Dragon King on his right hand and Void Weaver on his left hand.
As she gazes at the Void Weaver she visibly flinches, her hands clutching the armrest tightly.
'It's like gazing at the endless abyss,' she muttered under her breath.
Hanrui, satisfied with her reaction, closed his eyes and started cultivating.
First he opened the void with the help of his Void Weaver and absorbed the energy and then directed it to his Azure Dragon King.
Slowly a white halo appeared on top of the little dragon curled up on Hanrui's right hand.
Gu Yuena, deciding to help out, retrieved one of her discarded dragon scales and infused it with ultimate ice and threw it to the little dragon.
The little Azure Dragon, noticing it, opened its eyes lazily and caught the scale and in one swift motion swallowed it whole, making her speechless.
Shaking her she just watched the duo cultivate.
Thus one dragon and one child cultivated for 3 whole hours before they completed forming the 2nd soul ring which is a black 10,000 year ring.
Just as the soul ring formation was completed, Hanrui felt his Soul Power skyrocketed to level 29 in just an instant.
Confused, Hanrui opened his eyes and looked at Gu Yuena and the Little Dragon with suspicion.
"I gave your Azure dragon an Ultimate Ice infused Dragon Scale." she admitted.
Hanrui facepalmed hearing that.
" So you accidently evolved my extreme ice to Ultimate Ice.
I was trying not to increase my extreme attributes to ultimate yet, to preserve my early stage Cultivation speed.
sigh,forget it, you were trying to help, anyway thank you." He explained as he turned her.
Gu Yuena looked away in embarrassment, and tried to change the subject.
"So what is your soul skill?"she asked, still looking away.
"Frozen Dominion—Eternal Hailfield" Hanrui muttered instantly, with him as the centre 290 meters around him turned into an ice domain.
Gu Yuena, felt surprised after all she possesses the ultimate ice element, and felt a slight chill from the domain as she is in the range of the soul skill.
"As you can see it's a Domain skill. Though it's still not in full bloom. It has both control and support capabilities.
The soul skill will create (my level x10 meters) ice domain.
Enemies within the field continuously lose mobility, spiritual stability, and energy flow, while the user's body becomes the nexus of all ice energy — immune to cold and empowered by every frozen particle in the air.
Major Effects
Absolute Freeze (Control Effect):All enemies' movement speed and attack velocity decrease by up to 50%(increases with soul ring age and level cap).
Projectiles and elemental attacks within the area progressively lose momentum and solidify into ice particles mid-flight.
Frozen Resonance (Amplifier):Any ice-type attack unleashed within the field receives a +50% amplification(increases with soul ring age and level cap).
Ultimate Ice users can manifest secondary constructs (e.g., glaciers, ice beasts, or hailstorms) sustained by the domain's essence.
There are other effects but I'll have to research that" Hanrui explained while Gu Yuena looked at him with her mouth open.
"You are a monster" she said in the end, to which Hanrui smirked.
He walked over to her and squeezed her cheeks playfully.
"No, I'm the Cat Emperor—so, is my Dragon Maid preparing my bath water?" he teased, throwing her earlier words back with a grin.
'What's this warm feeling in my chest?' she thought as she escaped from his claws.
"Ok then, I'll be right back after taking my bath, you can stay here or go to the dining hall and have breakfast." He said about to leave.
Just as she was about to think on his words he added "or you can join me in the bath" and disappeared making her blush while laughing at his dissapearing back.
"Pervert" she shouted at him but took no further action, just relaxed on the throne.
'Strange, why do i act like a different person around him.it really makes me wonder what ungodly charm this child has, to make me, The Silver Dragon King act like a teenager.' she mused as she fell into sleep again in the serenity provided by the garden.
Shortly after Bi Ji and Zi Ji arrive at the garden and witness the scene of Gu Yuena sleeping on the throne.
They look at each other and sigh in exasperation.
"Master sleeps in human form and is so unguarded. She should've summoned us to her side" Zi Ji complained.
"Maybe she believes nothing will happen while she is around lord Hanrui" Bi Ji says in response.
"Lord Hanrui? Since when did you acknowledge him as a lord we just met him yesterday. If Di Tian heard of this, he would kill you for betraying master Yuena." Zi Ji said in disbelief.
Bi Ji just raised an eyebrow at her while saying. "Our master recognised him as her mate, so it's only natural we call him 'lord'. Not to mention the gifts he gave us.
Besides, do you really think I can't see the looks you are giving him?" She teased her.
Hearing her words Zi Ji hurriedly clamped Bi Ji's mouth shut with her hands.
"Are you trying to get me killed? We are practically beside master Yuena." Zi Ji muttered in a low voice.
But just then a voice sounded making them freeze.
"Oh why would I kill you Zi Ji. Care to elaborate" as these words are spoken both Zi Ji and Bi Ji look at the source stiffly and gulp.