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"I never expected that a mere Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King like you would end up in such a state." Tang San narrowed his eyes, his gaze icy as he regarded Di Tian. The half-step God King-level Di Tian, in his frenzied state, required several God Kings to suppress him.
Fortunately, they had intercepted him at this stage. If this Dragon God Di Tian had broken through to the God King level, the Divine Realm would likely have had to pay a heavy price to subdue him.
"I'll ask you one last time—where is the person who altered the course of history?" Tang San demanded. The only reason Di Tian had been left barely alive was to extract this information.
Behind Tang San stood the elite forces of the Divine Realm. They were already aware of the alternate history of Douluo.
In that other timeline, the Divine Realm had also existed, but its fate was summed up in just four words:
Annihilated in an instant.
"Heh… You're not worthy of knowing."
"Won't talk? Then die!"
Dragon God Di Tian had to die—this was non-negotiable, as it concerned the Dragon God throne meant for Tang San's grandson, Lan Xuanyu.
The Blood Sword of Asura slashed down. Di Tian showed no fear, nor did he utter any last words. In his final moments, he saw a figure standing in the sky, silently observing everything.
"My Lord…?"
Di Tian perished, his body disintegrating into nothingness, leaving not even a trace behind.
Tang San led his forces away. The next matter to address was his son and grandson. The Tang family had to be reunited in full. Xiao Wu was on the verge of death, and she needed to see them one last time. After that… he no longer wished to live either.
Under the Starry Sky
A silver figure materialized. With a gentle wave of her hand, wisps of energy flowed back, slowly coalescing into a familiar form—Di Tian, restored to life.
Gu Yuena had not intervened earlier. Instead, she chose this moment to resurrect him. From her sleeve, she retrieved a peculiar object, murmuring, "It's been a long time. Consider this a gift."
"Break free from the shackles of the Dragon God's bloodline, Di Tian. Soul beasts… must embark on a new journey."
---
The Dragon Horse Battlefield.
The stalemate on the battlefield was shattered by the arrival of a colossal silver dragon. Lan Xuanyu, who had been dominating the fight, was abruptly halted. Despite wielding his full strength and an arsenal of super artifacts, he could not overcome the massive silver dragon before him.
"Who… are you?" Lan Xuanyu's expression turned grave. This was the first time his Dragon God bloodline had failed him.
"We met once, years ago." Bai Yue assumed a human form, speaking candidly.
"It's… you." Lan Xuanyu recalled the scene on Spirit Planet when he first encountered the Beast God Di Tian—two Di Tians standing opposed, while he had been overwhelmed and collapsed in terror.
"Young Lady!" A dragon clansman rushed to Bai Yue's side, shielding her protectively.
"So, the dragons of this world revere you as their Young Lady. Yet, you don't possess the Dragon God's bloodline. You have no right to that title!" Lan Xuanyu roared. Among dragons, bloodline was everything, and the Dragon God stood at the pinnacle—none could surpass its nobility.
"How dare you bark such insolence?!" A Dragon King retorted furiously, incensed by the disrespect shown to their honored one.
Just as Lan Xuanyu prepared to retaliate, a strange sensation surged within him, filling him with an inexplicable confidence.
"That Dragon God Di Tian is dead!" Lan Xuanyu exclaimed in delight, assuming Di Tian had failed his God King ascension and perished. His face twisted into ecstatic glee—this meant the Dragon God's throne now belonged solely to him!
Once he completed the final trial, he would become the Dragon God—a complete, fully empowered Dragon God at the peak of his strength!
From the Dragon God's memories, he had learned one thing: during the Divine Star Cataclysm, if the Dragon God had wished to live, not even the combined might of the entire Divine Star could have stopped him. And back then… the Divine Star had eighteen God Kings!
"What?!" The Water Dragon King gasped in disbelief. "Dragon God Di Tian… is dead?"
"Stop celebrating prematurely. You won't be leaving here alive today," Bai Yue said coldly, as if preparing to unleash her true power.
But—
A hazy light flickered, and divine energy enveloped Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxi. In the next moment, the two vanished from the battlefield.
!!!!
Bai Yue was stunned, then furious. "If Dad hadn't sealed my powers, I would've seen through this! Ugh!"
"Don't blame your father, Xiao Yue. When you were born, we were still being hunted. He had no choice but to seal you."
A purple figure emerged from the void, smiling warmly as she approached Bai Yue, offering comfort in an attempt to salvage Bai Xu's image in his daughter's eyes.
Recognizing the newcomer, Bai Yue gasped. "Third Mother!"
Na'er nodded gently, her demeanor serene. She led Bai Yue to Yun Ming's side and greeted him softly, "Master, it's been ten thousand years. How have you been?"
Yun Ming was momentarily dazed, staring at Na'er as if in a trance. After a long pause, he replied, "Your master's wife and I are doing well. But you…"
"I've returned to my homeland to see old friends."
"And how have you been… with him all these years?" Yun Ming asked.
"Very happy. We've weathered many storms and witnessed countless events. Looking back now… it's a relief that not everything has changed. The people from back then are still here."
"That's good… That's good…"
As the reunion unfolded, the Heavenly Dragon Chief felt insulted. Yun Ming had shown him no respect. But more importantly—who was that "Lan" character? To think such a terrifyingly powerful being would intervene to rescue him. He wondered if someone was scheming to seize Lan Xuanyu's bloodline.
What a pity. The Heavenly Dragon Chief had been planning to claim the Dragon God's bloodline for himself.
"Third Mother! You're too kind! You could've stopped those fleeing just now!" Bai Yue complained.
"Don't be so bloodthirsty at such a young age. I'll lift some of your seals. Finish this quickly—your mother and second mother have returned too." Na'er tapped Bai Yue's forehead, and a terrifying surge of energy erupted. Bai Yue's gaze sharpened as she glared at the Dragon Horse Federation's forces, ready to take them all on alone.
The Douluo Federation's forces pressed their assault. With this legendary figure from ten thousand years ago as their rallying point, the battle turned one-sided. Though the purple figure did not intervene, merely observing from the sidelines, the pressure she exerted on the Dragon Horse Federation was palpable.
---
The Divine Realm.
Nana and Tang Wulin followed Huo Yuhao to the Divine Realm, coincidentally encountering Tang San, who had just returned with Lan Xuanyu in tow. At last, the family was reunited. Tears flowed freely as Tang San, Tang Wutong, Tang Wulin, and Lan Xuanyu embraced joyfully. Surrounding them, the twelve God Kings watched the touching scene, moved to tears.
The Tang family had endured countless hardships to reunite—nothing could be more heartwarming.
Finally, a frail pink figure approached, forcing herself forward despite her weakened state. She wanted to see her son and grandson—ten thousand years apart, and they had grown so much.
Huo Yuhao and Nana, who had married into the Tang family, stood to the side. Huo Yuhao smiled tearfully, while Nana stared at Tang San's face, her emotions in turmoil. She knew Tang San had planted a mental imprint in her spiritual sea, but… what could she do now? Surrounded by twelve God Kings, she was powerless.
"Mom!"
"Grandma!"
Xiao Wu embraced the two tall figures, wishing desperately that she could continue living with her family. But her body was failing, and she knew her time was short. Still, she couldn't bear to tell them yet—she had to keep it hidden for now.
"My son… my grandson… How wonderful!"
Xiao Wu gestured for Huo Yuhao and Nana to join the family. Huo Yuhao eagerly rushed forward, his joy overflowing as he called out, "Mom!"
But Nana did not move. She offered Xiao Wu a faint smile and simply watched the scene unfold.
Xiao Wu didn't press her. Seeing her family together filled her with unprecedented contentment.
Tang San's expression darkened, though he suppressed his anger. He knew Nana had discovered the imprint he'd left in her spiritual sea. He transmitted a mental message:
"I'll explain the imprint in your spiritual sea later. For now… for Xiao Wu's sake, fulfill her final wish. Please."
Nana was surprised. Tang San was actually negotiating with her? He seemed genuinely unwilling to ruin this moment. She replied mentally:
"I can't bring myself to say it."
"Silver Dragon King! Don't you love Wulin?" Tang San pressed urgently.
Nana didn't answer. She simply watched the mother and son's reunion, unmoved by Tang San's increasingly stormy expression.
She didn't know why, but she just… didn't want to go over there. She didn't want to call Xiao Wu "Mom."
"Gu Yuena!"
A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Tang Wulin was waving at her, beckoning her over. Not just him—
"Mom!"
Lan Xuanyu was also calling for her, urging her to join the family.
Nana saw Huo Yuhao and Tang Wutong standing hand in hand, their eyes filled with expectation as they watched her. It seemed everyone was waiting for her to take Tang Wulin's hand, walk up to Xiao Wu, and respectfully call her "Mom."
But she felt… this wasn't right.
She thought of the soul beasts and humans who had died in the stars, the Douluo Federation's fleet annihilated in battle. She thought of Di Tian—she had seen the Dragon King-class battleship forged from his corpse, drifting through the cosmos.
She thought of the other Douluo, the other version of herself, the other dragon race.
Nana lowered her head and slowly walked away, leaving the gods with only her retreating back.
Tang San's face turned thunderous. Xiao Wu's smile froze.
Tang Wulin quickly tried to smooth things over. "I'll go talk to Gu Yuena."
Lan Xuanyu added, "I'll go check on Mom too!"
And so, the grand reunion came to an awkward end.
By the Divine Realm's Forest
Nana stood alone, gazing at the trees as if searching for traces of the Star Dou Great Forest. The Divine Realm's energy was abundant—this single forest contained hundreds of times more life force than the Douluo Continent's Life Lake.
But what did it matter?
"Gu Yuena… why?" Tang Wulin approached, his voice pained. The distance between them seemed to grow wider by the day.
"I don't know. I just feel… that someone like me doesn't belong here. Doesn't belong in the Divine Realm." Nana's voice was heavy with melancholy.
"Your identity? Didn't we agree long ago to abandon all allegiances? Ten thousand years later, you're no longer the Soul Beast Sovereign, and I'm no longer the Sea God Pavilion Master. We—"
"No, Wulin, that's not it. Do you know what I've realized? I don't even know if any of this is real!" Tears welled in Nana's eyes, as if she bore some deep grievance.
Lan Xuanyu and Bai Xiuxi, hiding nearby, perked up at the juicy family drama.
"What are you talking about?"
"Do you remember when I saved you ten thousand years ago? When I used my Silver Dragon form to suppress your rampaging Golden Dragon bloodline?"
Tang Wulin nodded. "Of course."
"That was when your father took advantage of my weakened state to plant a mental imprint in my spiritual sea!" Nana sobbed.
!!!!
Tang Wulin's eyes widened in horror. His body turned ice-cold, his heart stuttering to a stop.
A mental imprint—what did that mean?
It was a mark engraved in the deepest recesses of one's spiritual sea, branded onto the soul itself. With it, one could control another person—even detonate the imprint to inflict severe damage. If Huo Yuhao were here, he'd know all about it.
"What are you implying?" Tang Wulin asked numbly, though he already dreaded the answer.
"I don't know… I can't tell what's real anymore. I don't know if any of my feelings are my own!"
"That's impossible! My father would never do such a thing! I'll make him remove the imprint right now!" Tang Wulin grabbed Nana's hand, ready to drag her to Tang San.
But she didn't budge.
"It's already gone."
"Then let's go ask him for an explanation!"
Tang Wulin was desperate, but Nana had no such intention. Once suspicion took root, it festered. Would Tang San ever admit to his schemes?
Would he admit to splitting his daughter's soul in half ten thousand years ago, or to manipulating the Emperor Beast?
Some questions had no answers. If they confronted him now, he'd only offer placating words: "It was all to protect Wulin."
But who knew what else he had done in the shadows?
Or perhaps… Tang San truly had done nothing.
Either way, there was no going back.
"What do you want to do?" Tang Wulin asked, his voice choked. He felt Nana slipping away.
"First, help Xuanyu become the Dragon God. After that…" Nana trailed off. Once she sacrificed her Silver Dragon bloodline, she'd be nothing more than an ordinary human.
"Nana, once Xuanyu becomes the Dragon God, with the Divine Realm and my father's power, we can defeat the other Douluo world. Then we can live peacefully in the Divine Realm. Okay?"
Nana gave Tang Wulin a long, searching look before walking away. "In that other Douluo, I saw history unfold. Ten thousand years ago, the Divine Realm returned. That man spoke a single sentence, and the universe shattered. The Divine Realm and all its gods turned to dust in an instant."
Tang Wulin didn't stop her. He stood frozen, watching her retreating figure. He couldn't bring himself to confront his father. All of this… had started because of him.
Then—a heavy hand landed on his shoulder.
Tang San, having eavesdropped on their conversation, spoke solemnly. "Wulin, I hope you can forgive me for listening in. But I need you to know—I never did such a thing. That imprint was only meant to protect you from the Silver Dragon King's influence back then."
"I believe you, Father."
"You need to find out who removed the imprint. It had long since fused with her soul. For it to be extracted now…"
"What are you saying?" Tang Wulin asked, confused.
"It's likely that during her captivity, she met someone—someone with power surpassing even a God King's—who removed it for her."
---
Meanwhile…
"Mom!" Bai Yue and Bai Na called out in unison, throwing themselves into the arms of Gu Yuena and Na'er. After so long apart, their reunion was filled with warmth.
"Second Mother, where's Second Brother?" Bai Yue asked, holding Gu Yuena's hand.
"He's in another star system. He found this place too weak and didn't bother coming back," Gu Yuena replied helplessly.
"That kid… Since when did he become such a battle junkie?" Gu Yuena chuckled.
The three women—Gu Yuena, Na'er, and Gu Yue—stood together, accompanied by Bai Xu's two daughters. It seemed Bai Xu's return was imminent.
"Mom, I met another version of you here! She didn't have your aura, but she looked a bit like you," Bai Yue said excitedly.
"Really? I'd love to meet her," Gu Yuena mused, glancing at Gu Yue. "Have you seen her?"
Gu Yue nodded. "Yes. In that world, Gu Yue and Na'er never fully merged. Their hearts were divided. The dominant personality was Gu Yuena's—different from ours."
The three women exchanged puzzled looks. How many variations of their fusion could there be?
If Gu Yuena's personality was based on Gu Yue and Na'er, how could she exist independently of them?
"Should we go meet her?" Na'er suggested, sensing Gu Yuena's interest.
"I've already seen her. I'll stay with Bai Yue and Bai Na in the Valley of Ten Thousand Dragons," Gu Yue said.
"Alright."
---
The Divine Realm – Illusory Space.
Nana didn't know why she had wandered here. The space was pure white, devoid of color, stretching endlessly in all directions. It felt like someone had lured her here to kill her.
But then—a figure appeared before her, freezing her in place.
"Gu Yuena?"
This wasn't a mirror image. Ten thousand years of cultivation had altered Gu Yuena's appearance. Marriage and power far beyond this world's limits had left their mark, making her visibly distinct from Nana.
"I'm you from another world," Gu Yuena said calmly, conjuring chairs and a table. "I heard the parallel universes were converging, so I returned to see you."
Nana laughed bitterly. "To see how miserable I am?"
"No. Just to talk."
"Where is he? That man—Bai Xu." If there was one thing Nana was curious about, it was him.
"Not here. Do you want to meet him?"
Nana nodded. "I want to see the 'Otherworldly Demon' who changed everything. They say the Bai Xu of this world ignored everyone, left once he grew strong, and vanished without a trace. Even after ten thousand years, the Federation has no records of him."
"Possible. But I can't observe every Bai Xu across realities. Different worlds have different versions of us. You are one of my possibilities, and I am one of yours."
"You already know my story?" Nana asked.
Gu Yuena nodded. "After the Star Luo Empire's tournament, I entered The Heaven of Selfless Transformation and saw the original future—the one you're living now."
"What was my fate?"
"Without the other Douluo Federation's interference, you would've become the Life God King, living in the Divine Realm with the Tang family."
"Sounds like a happy ending. The Silver Dragon King was only a half-step God King, but the Life God King is one of the Divine Realm's five supreme rulers." Nana's tone was self-deprecating. She sighed. "But now… it's too late. With you here, with Bai Xu here, the Divine Realm has no chance. The irony is, they think Bai Xu is still weakened from that attack ten thousand years ago. They have no idea how strong you've all become."
"I have a question."
"Ask."
"The Water Dragon King once told me that you confessed your love for Bai Xu to the Beast Kings… yet you were willing to kill him in the end. Why?" This had always puzzled Nana. She had never truly wanted to harm Tang Wulin.
Her subordinates had forced her into a corner.
Now, most of those Beast Kings were gone—some became spirit souls, others vanished without a trace. Di Tian's corpse had been turned into a battleship, still roaming the cosmos.
Gu Yuena fell silent for a long moment before sighing. "Fine. Let me show you the river of time."
Suddenly, Nana found herself standing above a vast river, flowing backward through ten thousand years of history. They arrived at the moment Bai Xu and Gu Yue first met.
Silently, they watched as the events unfolded—their meeting, cooperation, Bai Xu's guidance, the conflict between love and duty. Their relationship was less of a partnership and more of Bai Xu patiently teaching Gu Yue and Na'er.
Watching Gu Yue weep alone by the Life Lake, Nana couldn't help but shed tears of her own.
So this was how love and duty could coexist. Love was beautiful, but if it demanded betraying one's race, abandoning everything… was that really a love worth singing about?
The visions continued—Gu Yue's burdens, Na'er's struggles, the secrets of the Dragon God, Gu Yuena's confusion, the Silver Dragon's fate.
It turned out everything had been part of a grand scheme.
The Silver Dragon King was never meant to succeed. No matter how hard she fought, she was destined to be a stepping stone for the Divine Realm.
Becoming the Life God King was the best outcome she could've hoped for.
And the Dragon God? A being of immense power but little wisdom. The circumstances that led to the soul beasts' current plight were almost laughably absurd.
"So that's how it is. Now I understand." Nana wiped her tears, seeming to find closure.
"Is that so?"
A male voice echoed through time.
The Bai Xu of the past suddenly turned—and looked directly at the two women observing from beyond the river.