The deeper he went into the Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Spring, the stranger and more unreal the scenery became—and the more dangerous as well.
Chen Yi concealed his aura and relied on his newly acquired resistance to extreme ice and flame, slipping downward through the endless darkness like a slick fish.
On his right side was the domain of the extremely cold ice spring, its chill sufficient to freeze a Soul Saint-level expert in an instant. On his left side was the domain of the scorching yang spring, whose roiling heat waves could easily melt refined steel into liquid.
If he had not just completed the water-and-fire body tempering with the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass and Infernal Delicate Apricot, thus obtaining an exceptionally high resistance to the ice and fire of this place, the violent energies alone would have been enough to either freeze him into shards of ice or burn him to ash the very moment he entered.
Even more terrifying was that Chen Yi felt as if, from the depths of the darkness, two invisible, colossal eyes were staring at him. Those gazes seemed to carry an ancient vastness and majesty that made his very soul tremble involuntarily.
Chen Yi also speculated silently in his heart. This was probably not an illusion at all; the likelihood that the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings were watching him was exceedingly high. Even though two ten-thousand-year cycles had passed, their dragon souls still existed—yet what remained was nothing more than instinct.
Chen Yi swam for a very long time. The spring water was no longer simply ice-blue on one side and dark crimson on the other. The colors gradually blended into a chaotic hue, radiating a faint glass-like luminescence. Light twisted and blurred, as if he had stepped into some secret realm beyond the mortal world.
He didn't know how much time had passed. The very concept of time became vague here. Only the spiritual power surging within his body and the increasing external pressure kept reminding Chen Yi that he was steadily drawing closer to the true source of the Yin-Yang Ice-Fire Well.
Just as the surrounding pressure was about to reach the limit of what his body could endure, Chen Yi felt the scene before his eyes suddenly shift.
It was as if he had pierced through an invisible yet tangible energy membrane.
When Chen Yi opened his eyes again, he found himself within a vast, hemispherical space.
What lay before him were two skeletal remains of giant beasts so enormous they defied imagination.
They were entangled and coiled around one another, as if locked in eternal combat, their massive frames filling almost the entire space.
One skeleton was a chilling ice-blue, every bone glimmering with crystalline cold. The contours were slender and elegant, yet the aura it released was enough to freeze the soul. The other skeleton was a blazing dark red, like cooled yet not fully solidified lava. Its bones were thick, savage, and brimming with explosive power. Invisible flames seemed to flicker constantly over it, quietly recounting its master's fury and ferocity in life.
What shocked Chen Yi even more was that both dragon skeletons were covered in countless, horrifyingly massive wounds—deep gouges, craters, and fractured gaps. In particular, their cervical spines and skulls were grievously damaged, as if they had been forcibly shattered by some irresistible force.
Faced with this magnificent scene, Chen Yi was struck by an unprecedented shock, and could only stand there, stunned. Compared to this tragic, grand fall, the battles between humans and soul beasts seemed like nothing but petty skirmishes.
Yet, just as he was immersed in the awe of this ancient ruin and his heart was deeply shaken, a sudden change occurred.
The two dragon king skeletons—one ice-blue, one dark crimson—that had lain silently prone suddenly burst into brilliant light without any warning.
In the next instant, two colossal, condensed dragon soul phantoms rose from their respective skeletons and floated up to the upper part of the space.
"This is… the dragon souls of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings!"
Chen Yi murmured in shock. From these two dragon souls, he sensed the same lofty divine aura as from his teacher Thunder God. They were undoubtedly gods!
Of the two dragon souls, one was covered in scales like ice crystals of diamond and starlight, with glacial blue pupils that would never yield. Cold and elegant, it exuded an aloof and noble air, as if looking down on all living beings. This was the dragon soul of the Ice Dragon King.
The other dragon soul was wrapped in undying dark-red dragon flames. Its scales were like burning black iron, its pupils like churning lakes of molten lava, blazing intensely and filled with an unyielding battle spirit and an aura of destruction. This was the dragon soul of the Fire Dragon King.
The moment their gazes fell upon Chen Yi, two terrifying, indescribable dragon's mights crashed down on him like tangible mountains.
Puff—
He clenched his teeth so hard that the veins on his forehead bulged. Driving his already-transformed soul power and his body tempered to resist ice and fire with all his might, he barely managed to resist the pressure and avoid collapsing to his knees.
"Thunder God's successor?"
The Ice Dragon King voiced its thought. Its voice was as cold as a blizzard sweeping across a snowfield, carrying a faint curiosity and doubt, echoing directly in Chen Yi's mind.
Hearing this, Chen Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. For one who had once been the First God, even if he had fallen long ago and only a wisp of soul remained, seeing through his origin was naturally an easy task. However, it seemed they had not fully discerned the true depth of his bloodline.
"It really is him…"
The Ice Dragon King's voice was no longer as cold and sharp as at first, but instead carried a trace of distant emotion.
"Never would I have thought that after countless ages, we would encounter that man's successor here."
The crimson flames encircling the Fire Dragon King's soul shadow quieted slightly. Its thoughts reverberated with undisguised admiration and reminiscence.
"Human boy, you need not be afraid. In the past, I had the fortune to drink with Thunder God, and personally witnessed his peerless valor as he fought His Majesty the Dragon God in the Forbidden Land."
Those thoughts seemed to carry images. It was as if, under an endless starry sky, two god-like figures faced one another—one ruling over ten thousand dragons with boundless divine might, the Dragon God; the other wielding heavenly punishment and twin clubs—the God of Thunder. With each clash, the stars trembled and the laws roared.
Even His Majesty the Dragon God, after that battle, sighed that Thunder God was a true hero. Thunder God's comprehension and application of the Law of Lightning had reached a state of near-perfection. Otherwise… ah, what a pity.
"Ten thousand years later, when news of him reached us again, the Central Authority of the God Realm was shaken to its core. It heralded the fall of the God of Thunder."
At those words, the two dragon souls fell silent for a moment. A heavy air filled the cavern. The faction of Spirit Gods to which Thunder God belonged had always maintained good relations with the beast gods, unlike other gods who suppressed beast-god bloodlines. Even in retrospect, they could only sigh with sincere regret.
When His Majesty the Dragon God learned of this, he remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "The cosmos has once more lost an unparalleled hero. The path of the Grand Dao… is indeed lonely."
After a long silence, the Ice Dragon King slowly spoke again, lowering his gaze back to Chen Yi. In those ice-blue dragon eyes, the surprise and admiration grew stronger.
"However, seeing you today, and sensing that the sacred imprint of the God of Thunder has already been condensed and has reached the realm of a God King, I finally understand how terrifying Thunder God truly is. He is indeed worthy to have once stood alongside our Father God. Even with his path wounded, he can still break through and rise again!"
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