The silver-haired girl withdrew her gaze and fixed her eyes on Dugu Bo.

"Little girl, what are you looking at?"

"Keep staring, and I'll dig your eyeballs out."

A fierce light flashed in Dugu Bo's eyes. His tone was arrogant—he didn't take Gu Yuena seriously at all.

She's just a little girl, not even a Titled Douluo. Shouldn't she be trembling in fear in front of me?

The silver-haired girl narrowed her purple eyes.

Ma Hongjun's heart skipped a beat.

The girl casually raised her hand and slapped toward Dugu Bo.

Dugu Bo sneered, about to move—but suddenly, his expression shifted to horror.

My body… I can't move at all!

The space around him was completely sealed!

Panic surged through his heart. His eyelids twitched wildly, and his eyes widened as he stared at the silver-haired girl in disbelief.

Boom!

With a loud crash, Dugu Bo's body was slammed directly into the ground.

Dust and smoke billowed.

Ma Hongjun sighed heavily, rubbing his forehead.

I didn't expect Dugu Bo, who managed to avoid other Titled Douluo, to end up provoking the most troublesome existence.

Dugu Bo's vision darkened, and blood slowly trickled from the corner of his mouth.

He tried to get up, but to his horror, the force imprisoning him hadn't faded. His body was still completely immobilized.

A trace of shock appeared in the old man's green eyes.

Who… who is this girl?

Just one slap, and I had no ability to resist…

Still in disbelief, Dugu Bo frantically searched his mind, trying to figure out her identity.

"You acted too quickly," Ma Hongjun muttered, walking over and scratching his head. "I was still waiting for him to take me somewhere."

"I can sense the aura of the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King."

The girl turned her head, her gaze shifting into the distance.

In the blink of an eye, her figure disappeared and reappeared further ahead.

Ma Hongjun was startled, then quickly understood.

Gu Yuena must have discovered something.

With a flap of his Phoenix Fire Wings, he hurriedly followed.

Neither of them spared another thought for Dugu Bo.

After crossing the mountain pass, the two came to a stop.

A wave of hot, humid air mixed with the strong smell of sulfur hit them in the face.

Without slowing down, Gu Yuena strode toward a distant cliff, jumped lightly, and disappeared into the darkness below.

Ma Hongjun hurried to follow, quickly vanishing into the darkness as well.

Soon, light reappeared. Joy flickered in the red-haired boy's eyes as he looked around.

The valley was quiet and secluded. In the center was a small hot spring, perfectly divided into two halves—one crimson red, the other pure white. The two sides remained completely separated without mixing.

At the point where the two pools met, a mist of water vapor floated upwards, carrying the same sulfur smell as before.

Gu Yuena walked slowly toward the hot spring. She stood still for a moment, her eyes filled with sadness.

"This is where the remnant souls of the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King reside."

Her voice was soft but laced with a deep sorrow.

Her silver-purple eyes looked blank, and her expression turned dazed.

Seeing her like this, the joy in Ma Hongjun's eyes faded. A wave of heartache surfaced.

He stepped forward and gently pulled the girl into his arms.

Looking at the Yin-Yang Ice and Fire Eyes in front of him, the boy whispered with determination,

"One day, we will definitely ascend to the God Realm... and slaughter all those false gods."

Gu Yuena, who was immersed in her grief, lifted her small face when she heard his words.

As if sensing the boy's unwavering resolve, the sadness in her eyes softened slightly.

A faint smile curved her lips.

"Mm."

Gu Yuena softly responded.

"I can extract the remnant souls of the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King. Together with my Dragon God's blood essence, you can form a Qi and Blood Soul Ring."

"This will greatly strengthen your body."

"And coincidentally, a rare herb that replenishes qi and blood has been growing here for a long time."

Gu Yuena stared at the hot spring for a long time before speaking in a calm tone.

Hearing the words Qi and Blood Soul Ring, Ma Hongjun's eyes immediately lit up.

This is amazing. It will strengthen both my body and soul power.

"How do we start?" he asked.

"This process might be a bit painful."

The girl bit her lip slightly.

Ma Hongjun smiled without hesitation.

"Go ahead. A little pain is nothing. I can handle it."

The silver-haired girl nodded and stepped toward the hot spring.

With her palm facing down, a stream of silver energy flowed from her hand, covering the entire hot spring.

Her expression became focused, eyes staring unblinking at the water.

Suddenly, the balance of the hot spring shifted, and waves of energy surged.

The previously calm water instantly boiled, sending splashes in all directions.

Clenching her hands, two shadows slowly materialized.

They were dragon shadows—one pure white, the other fiery red. Though small in size, a powerful dragon might radiated from them.

Deep in the forest…

Countless soul beasts instinctively collapsed to the ground, trembling.

The two dragon shadows floated in Gu Yuena's palms. She turned and walked toward Ma Hongjun.

"Sit cross-legged."

The girl instructed.

Without hesitation, Ma Hongjun sat cross-legged, focused his mind, and prepared himself.

Gu Yuena bit her index finger. A single drop of blood squeezed out, radiating a faint divine glow.

The moment her blood appeared, her complexion turned deathly pale.

Her body was still injured, and she had little Dragon God's blood essence left. Even a single drop as her life origin severely weakened her.

But she didn't hesitate.

The girl began merging the three forces together.

Sensing the scent of her blood, the two initially restless dragon shadows instantly became obedient.

The fusion proceeded smoothly.

Gu Yuena gently pushed the gathered energy into Ma Hongjun's body. His face instantly paled before flushing red.

A wave of searing heat hit him, followed by bone-chilling cold. It felt like his body was being thrown back and forth between magma and an ice cave.

The two conflicting forces rampaged violently within his body. His skin split open under the strain.

A layer of blood mist enveloped him—tiny crimson beads suspended in the air.

His body was simultaneously destroyed by the violent forces and then rapidly healed by an even stronger restorative power.

Every cycle of destruction made the energy of the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King weaken slightly, gradually being absorbed into his blood.

As time passed, Ma Hongjun began adapting to the overwhelming pain. His expression calmed as his body continued the process of fusion.

Gu Yuena stood quietly beside him, watching silently until he stabilized.

"It'll probably take a few more days for you to fully absorb all this energy."

"I'm heading back now."

She turned to leave but paused as if remembering something.

She raised her hand.

"I made this ring using the power of space. The form isn't set—you can shape it however you like."

With that, she casually tossed an ordinary-looking ring to the boy.

Ma Hongjun didn't move to catch it, still deep in the process of cultivation. Gu Yuena didn't say anything else—she simply turned and left.

Just before disappearing, a trace of confusion flashed in her eyes.

Feels like I've forgotten something…

The girl tilted her head, rolled her eyes, thought about it, but came up empty.

Shaking her head, she quickly vanished.

Far away…

Dugu Bo was struggling desperately.

But no matter how hard he tried, his body remained frozen in place.

A trace of despair flashed across his face.

"It's been so long... that brat didn't forget about me, right?"

He howled in frustration.

Dugu Bo felt utterly miserable.

Even so, he could only pin all his hopes on Ma Hongjun.

Please... let that kid remember to come back and save me…