Chapter 52: The Arcane Method of Dragon Transformation (Seeking Monthly Votes)

Lightning was hardly a terrifying sight for either Chun or Gu Yena. Yet, the moment it struck, both of them instantly raised their heads, sensing something unusual.

Gu Yena caught the aura of utter lifelessness and the faint remnant of divine consciousness carried within the lightning. She frowned. A shattered divine soul?

She could not fathom why a shattered divine soul would appear at such a moment. Moreover, the fluctuation of power radiating from it differed vastly from the gods of the God Realm she knew; they seemed to belong entirely to two different systems.

She quickly deduced that this deity probably did not originate from this stellar region, but hailed from another distant cosmos.

Chun naturally spotted the entity as well, and he knew far more than Gu Yena, perfectly aware of the true origin of that shattered divine soul. After all, it had been deliberately arranged by him back when he still served as the Plane Will.

Looking past the flash of thunder, his gaze locked directly onto the dissipating dark clouds, catching sight of even more secrets hidden behind the scenes.

With a soft chuckle, Chun turned around and said, "State your terms. What do you want?"

His abrupt change in attitude caught Gu Yena off guard. Her silver eyes blinked, looking somewhat dazed.

After a long pause, she tentatively asked, "Are you certain you can help me?"

"You really are... How on earth did someone with your intelligence become the Lord of Soul Beasts?" Chun was speechless. Since she had sought him out on her own initiative, she must have been entirely convinced of his capability before coming.

Yet, she had actually forgotten about this crucial point.

"..."

A hint of grievance flickered in Gu Yena's exquisite eyes. How else could she have become the lord? Naturally because she was strong.

Soul beasts measure status by strength. As a born deity, even in her injured state, she was far more powerful than Di Tian and the others, not to mention her equally noble status.

Chun soon figured out the reason and massaged his temples. "Fine, my mistake."

"You simply wish to restore your strength, do you not? I shall impart a technique to you, known as the Marvelous Dragon-Transforming Dharma. Though named after dragons, it does not transform one into a reptilian beast; rather, it is a secret art that purifies bloodlines and grows one's power. Restoring your strength is merely the most insignificant part of it."

Chun spoke at length, handing over to Gu Yena this secret art he had synthesized from the *Jade Records of Immortal Sands and Returning Souls* and the *Taiyin Corpse-Dissolution Metamorphic Scripture*.

Yet the more she listened, the more wrong Gu Yena felt. What was all this talk about condensing blood to forge embryos, scattering fetal souls to shrink spirits, and entrusting one's past life?

Her true body, resting on the other side beneath the Lake of Life, flushed a deep red. Interpreted simply, wasn't this essentially asking her to bear children? And yet she was still an untouched maiden!

She could not help but suspect that Chun was playing a trick on her, but judging by his expression, he appeared entirely serious.

Once he finished speaking, Gu Yena immediately questioned, "How can you guarantee this secret method is genuine? To my knowledge, all of your secret arts come with immense flaws and severe side effects."

Since she intended to rely on the power of Abundance to recover, she had naturally gathered intelligence regarding them, knowing full well that while Abundance was generous and charitable, its bestowals were frequently accompanied by unknown and terrifying side effects.

Those mindless Abundance-spawned monstrosities were the absolute proof of this.

She was terrified this secret art might carry similar risks.

"Tch, the method has been given to you. Use it if you wish, leave it if you don't. Why are you being so picky?"

Chun curled his lip. "In your condition, even another ten thousand years might not guarantee recovery. By then, the law storms on the crystal wall would have long since subsided. Just imagine what kind of treatment you might face in the end."

"Very well, I must take my leave. Someone is still waiting for me."

Lost in deep contemplation over his words, Gu Yena did not attempt to stop him, letting him depart freely.

A golden shadow peeked out from the nearby grass. Seeing that beautiful figure leave, the twin beastly pupils were filled with curiosity. The power of destiny veiled its form, allowing it to bypass the perception of the Wicked King and the others, and it followed silently behind.

...

"Ah, Yuhao, trust your big brother. Brother truly didn't see a second person besides you just now. Had I seen anyone else, I definitely would have protected them as well."

The voice of Heavenly Dream Iceworm echoed in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, but Huo Yuhao completely ignored it. With bloodshot eyes, he wandered and searched through the area trampled by the beast horde, a dense wave of sorrow coalescing in his heart.

He rummaged through piles of rubble and shoved aside the carcasses of soul beasts with all his might, missing not a single spot. As time passed, his hands were stained with blood—whether his own or that of soul beasts, he could not tell—and his frail arms trembled uncontrollably.

Even so, he refused to give up, muttering under his breath, "Impossible... It's impossible! Chun said he is very strong, he will definitely be alright!"

No matter what, he would never give up!

He took another step forward toward the next unsearched corner. However, the rocks above the cliffside nearby had loosened due to the commotion caused by the beast herd, and now they suddenly plummeted downward.

Startled, Huo Yuhao looked upward. The falling boulders expanded in his field of vision, their shadow swiftly engulfing his slender frame!

"Close your eyes tightly, young lad!"

"Sow white dew upon the high mountains, plant the autumn equinox in the flat plains!"

"Rise!"

A familiar shout made Huo Yuhao's dim eyes burst with bright light. He obediently closed his eyes just as told, showing no fear of the falling rocks above.

All vegetation surged into life. The grass beneath his feet instantly shot up by half a zhang, acting like numerous arms that hoisted Huo Yuhao up and moved him toward safety.

Several massive vines lunged at the falling boulders, wrapping and tightening around them until the rock shattered into countless tiny fragments that rained down onto the ground. The kicked-up dust covered Huo Yuhao in grime from head to toe.

He opened his mouth, and a mouthful of dust was spat out.

Seeing him in such a comical state, Chun burst into loud laughter from his perch on the cliff above, then leaped down abruptly!

His action gave Huo Yuhao a fright. Lacking even the time to dust himself off, he hastily opened his arms to catch him.

Chun utilized the plants to break his momentum several times in mid-air before finally landing in Huo Yuhao's arms. Yet, he still seemed unable to withstand the impact, and the two of them tumbled backward, colliding into a full embrace upon the soft turf.

The uncleaned dust on Huo Yuhao also smeared onto Chun's face. Propping himself up with his arms, Chun looked at the dusty Huo Yuhao and suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! You look so hideous!"

Hearing his laughter, Huo Yuhao, who had been somewhat embarrassed, felt a surge of courage well up from goodness knows where. Gritting his teeth, he thrust his forehead straight into Chun's.

"Ouch!"

Both of them cried out in pain simultaneously. Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth and said, "You're still laughing! Do you have any idea how worried I was about you just now? I thought... I thought..."

The rest of the words refused to leave his lips, and the terrified emotions in his eyes leaked out uncontrollably.

"Hehe, I didn't expect my position in your heart to be so important," Chun giggled. "Relax, relax, I told you I'm very strong. Besides, there are elders at home watching over me from the shadows."

At this, Chun grew vexed. "That's precisely why it's troublesome! I originally wanted to use the excuse of helping you obtain a soul ring to linger outside a bit longer, but you've actually gone and found one already. Now I've got no choice but to be dragged back."

He could tell that Huo Yuhao had spent six years cultivating his soul power from rank 10 up to break through to rank 11, knowing everything had gone smoothly.

Yet he did not expect Huo Yuhao to be startled by his words, exclaiming, "You're leaving?!"

A wave of distress instantly surged into his heart. Although they had interacted for less than two days, Chun had long since been regarded by him as a close friend. Now that he was leaving, Huo Yuhao felt deeply saddened.

A bitter smile appeared on Huo Yuhao's face. "Right, after all, you still have a home. You were bound to return eventually."

"Unlike me..."