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Sea God Island, Ice Crystal Castle.
A temporary castle constructed from a mixture of ultimate ice and indestructible rock stood silently. This was a dwelling Xuan Ming had casually conjured with his power for himself and Gu Yuena to temporarily reside in.
Gu Yuena's figure, like a silver stream of light merging with the moonlight, appeared silently in the castle's core hall. She barely paused, her powerful divine sense spreading out like invisible ripples, precisely locking onto four auras.
In just a moment, four graceful figures entered the hall one after another.
The Snow Empress remained as cold as a snow lotus, exuding an aura of frost that kept others at bay. The Ice Empress carried a hint of rebelliousness and curiosity. Bi Ji was gentle and serene, her jade-like eyes filled with inquiry. Zi Ji's dragon eyes flickered slightly, her posture alluring, possessing a wild beauty.
"Mistress, you summoned us. What is the important matter?" Bi Ji was the first to speak, her voice gentle. She could sense that Gu Yuena's aura was somewhat unusual.
Gu Yuena's gaze slowly swept over the four, her silver-purple eyes devoid of any hint of jest, only a cold, almost ruthless clarity and determination. "I called you here for Xuan Ming, for yourselves, and even more so for the Spirit Beast Clan."
Upon hearing this, the four women's expressions subtly changed, becoming serious.
Gu Yuena did not beat around the bush, directly stating the core issue: "Xuan Ming's potential is obvious to you all. He is now a ninety-ninth-level super Douluo, bearing multiple embryonic divine laws, just one step away from becoming a hundred-level God. His future is limitless."
"The revival of the Spirit Beast Clan, hope lies with him. This is beyond doubt."
The four women nodded silently. They had all witnessed Xuan Ming's incredible growth rate firsthand and deeply understood his significance to the Spirit Beast Clan.
"However," Gu Yuena's tone shifted, becoming a little more solemn, "the revival of the Spirit Beast Clan is not just about resolving the problems left by the dragon god; more importantly, it's about… the continuation and strengthening of the race."
Her gaze deepened, as if seeing into the distant past: "Looking back at the glorious era ruled by the dragon god, how powerful our race was, with a constant stream of powerful bloodline descendants. Many achieved God Position by their own strength, overcoming heavenly tribulations. But what about now? The energy of heaven and earth is declining, laws are suppressed, and even those who cultivate to over a hundred thousand years are few and far between, let alone aspiring to the God-level."
"Even if we successfully resolve the hidden dangers left by the dragon god and break the shackles of the God Realm, the current situation of our race's top combatants being out of touch and our bloodlines withering will still be difficult to change in the short term."
The Snow Empress, Ice Empress, Bi Ji, and Zi Ji all fell silent. As fierce Spirit Beasts who had lived for hundreds of thousands of years, they felt this most deeply. The Spirit Beast Clan was indeed declining.
It was not just because of the rise of humans, but more so because of the withering and decline of the Spirit Beast Clan's bloodlines. Those powerful bloodlines of the past were now few and far between.
"Although I have ways to gradually improve this situation, it will take a long time." Gu Yuena looked at them, her eyes becoming sharp, "And now, there is a simpler, more direct method that can accelerate this process, and even bring new hope to the Spirit Beast Clan."
The four women seemed to have a premonition, and their heartbeats involuntarily quickened.
Gu Yuena's gaze swept over them one by one, finally settling on Bi Ji, her tone calm but profound: "This method is… having offspring with Xuan Ming."
"He has fused the bloodlines of the two First Dragon King (Original Dragon Kings) and has been enhanced by the heart of the dragon god. The nobility and power of his bloodline far surpass any Spirit Beast today. His descendants will naturally possess unparalleled potential and are destined to become the new pillars of the future Spirit Beast Clan!"
"Even if there are no immediate offspring, as long as you can establish the most intimate relationship with Xuan Ming and forge a deep bond, it will not only greatly benefit your personal future but also bring immeasurable benefits to the tribes you represent."
Her gaze finally rested on Bi Ji, with a hint of insight and gentleness: "Bi Ji, I know you once had feelings for Xuan Ming. There's no need to deny it; I also know that out of respect for me, you suppressed those feelings."
Bi Ji's delicate body trembled slightly. She looked up, her eyes filled with surprise and a hint of panic at having her thoughts revealed. She hadn't expected that her Mistress would see through even this.
"But what I want to tell you today, and to you," Gu Yuena's voice echoed through the hall, carrying the majestic bearing of the Silver Dragon King and the co-ruler of the Spirit Beasts, "I do not care about this."
"The Spirit Beast Clan has always followed the laws of nature. Powerful males having more companions is inherently a way to optimize bloodlines and strengthen the race. The human concepts of one-on-one love are not our race's ironclad rule."
Her gaze swept over each face, finally settling on the void, as if stating a truth that was only natural: "Feelings are inherently a matter of mutual willingness. If Xuan Ming is unwilling, even if I bind him by my side and forbid him from contacting anyone, what I would gain is just an empty shell, meaningless. I, Gu Yuena, would not stoop to that."
"Therefore," she concluded, giving them the right to choose, "whether for your personal desires and future, or for the tribal interests you represent, I hope that in this crucial year, you can set aside unnecessary reservations and concerns, and strive to win your own destined relationship."
"Of course," her tone carried a hint of final leniency, "I will not force you. The choice is yours."
As her voice fell, the hall plunged into a long silence. The Snow Empress's icy eyes flickered with thought, the Ice Empress's scorpion tail unconsciously swayed gently, Bi Ji's gentle face showed struggle and reminiscence, and Zi Ji's dragon eyes ignited with aggressive flames.
Gu Yuena said no more, turning to look out the castle window at the boundless night sky. The seeds had been sown; whether they would blossom and bear fruit depended on their own courage and destiny.
Just as the atmosphere in the hall was subtle, and the four fierce Spirit Beasts were lost in thought and silent, the heavy ice crystal door of the hall was gently pushed open.
Xuan Ming's figure appeared at the doorway, a hint of fatigue from just coming down from Sea God Mountain on his face and… obvious confusion.
He had just finished contemplating his spirit ring plan and decided to return for a short rest before discussing the spirit rings with the Snow Empress and the others.
However, as he stepped into the hall and felt the almost frozen air, along with the four gazes uniformly fixed on him, his footsteps involuntarily paused.
The Snow Empress still had her usual cold demeanor, but her eyes seemed deeper than usual, as if weighing some major decision.
The Ice Empress was somewhat restless, her gaze flitting about, occasionally stealing a glance at him, then quickly looking away.
Bi Ji's gentle face carried a rare hint of struggle and a blush. Seeing him enter, she even subconsciously avoided his gaze.
And Zi Ji… her wild dragon eyes were staring straight at him, burning with an aggressive flame he couldn't understand.
This atmosphere… was too strange!
It was as if he had stumbled into a scene where something big was being secretly plotted, and he himself seemed to be the subject of that plot?
"What… are you talking about?"
Xuan Ming subconsciously stopped, standing at the doorway, asking somewhat warily. A strange sense of unease quietly arose, making him even want to turn and leave.
The five gazes in the hall instantly focused on him.
Being simultaneously stared at by these five pairs of beautiful eyes, each with a different style but all containing complex emotions, especially with some of those gazes carrying a "scrutinizing" meaning that made his scalp tingle, Xuan Ming felt his hairs stand on end.
"Nothing much." Gu Yuena was the first to speak, her voice as clear and calm as ever, as if nothing had just happened, "Just discussing some ideas about the future development of the Spirit Beast Clan with them."
Future development?
Xuan Ming frowned slightly.
Discussing future development required looking at him with such… "I'm going to devour you alive" eyes?
He looked suspiciously at the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress.
The Snow Empress met his gaze, her ice-blue eyes flickering slightly. She uncharacteristically looked away first, but the slightly pursed line of her lips revealed her inner turmoil.
The Ice Empress, meanwhile, snorted, flicked her scorpion tail, and turned her head away, but a faint, almost imperceptible blush seemed to creep up her earlobes.
Xuan Ming: "???"
He then looked at Bi Ji.
Feeling his gaze, Bi Ji's gentle cheeks flushed even deeper. She lowered her head slightly, her hands anxiously clasped together. Her hesitant, shy demeanor made Xuan Ming even more bewildered.
Finally, his gaze met Zi Ji's.
Far from avoiding his gaze, Zi Ji met it, taking a small, alluring step forward. The flames in her dragon eyes grew hotter, and a wild, seductive smile played on her lips, as if saying:
"Guess what we were talking about?"