Chapter 122: This game can only be played by me, Huo Yuhao!
"Huo Yuhao, aren't you worried about those guys from the God Realm? If they knew of your existence, they would never stand by and do nothing."
"For the balance of the World, unstable factors like you and me will only be targeted or even eliminated by those Gods. You don't belong here; your appearance has changed the destiny of this World."
"Those Gods won't let you find Yu Nian'an so easily, either."
She didn't think there was anything in this World that could tempt a powerhouse like Huo Yuhao.
Just now, she did sense a World—a vast World—that was full of deathly silence yet truly existed.
Did she come from there, or did he create it himself?
If Yuhao was coming for her, she felt she might indeed have difficulty coping. After all, though she was unwilling to admit it, she was indeed the greatest opportunity in this World, because she was a part of the Dragon God.
Huo Yuhao had no idea of Gu Yuena's deluded thoughts. He found it hard to explain that he had long been targeted by a certain scoundrel in the God Realm. If it weren't for the End-time Bell, he would now be unable to escape the fact of being leashed and turned into a puppet.
The grilled fish in his hand had all been arranged. Gu Yuena, being familiar with him, picked up and ate it without waiting for Huo Yuhao to hand it to her.
As Huo Yuhao slowly walked to the lakeside, his tall and solitary back made Gu Yuena fall silent for a moment. His subsequent tone was very relaxed, as if he didn't think Gods were an unchallengeable existence.
"Yes, neither of us belongs to this World, but what does that matter? God, what a small and ridiculous title."
"The future is inherently full of danger and uncertainty, but should we just stand still because of that?"
Success and failure have their times; one must not lose heart!
Small?
This was the first time Gu Yuena had heard someone call a God small. Her expression was full of disbelief. Even that person from back then wasn't so arrogant. Gods had always been high and mighty.
They left their inheritances in various planes, constantly collecting faith, enjoying eternal life. They could watch the evolution of various planes in the God Realm, and they could freely decide their successors.
Just like that time ten thousand years ago, when the heavens and earth changed color and the gods ascended—that was an absolute leap in their life level. Even a second-rank God in the God Realm would definitely not be considered small.
But Huo Yuhao said Gods were small. He couldn't possibly not know about the God Realm, so there was only one possibility: his previous strength was definitely much stronger than a God's. Grand—he said he was much grander than a God!
Huo Yuhao didn't know that she was imagining his strength. He slowly turned around, and his eyes met Gu Yuena's, a gentle smile appearing at the corner of his eye.
"Self-pity won't solve anything, Your Excellency, Silver Dragon King. He who overcomes others is powerful, but he who overcomes himself is strong."
"You've been sleeping in this world for so long. Besides your own injuries, isn't it because the Dragon God failed back then?"
"Subconsciously, you're actually afraid, worried that those guys from the God Realm will discover you and wipe you out, thus implicating the Soul Beast Clan."
"You want to recover from your injuries, but then what? Once you've recovered, can you really lead the Soul Beast Clan to fight against those Gods in the God Realm? You and I both know that this possibility is minuscule and unrealistic."
Gu Yuena clenched her fists, biting her silver teeth. She hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to be so blunt, practically revealing all her secrets.
But the more he did this, the more unfathomable Huo Yuhao seemed to her. He truly knew everything: her injuries, the Gods of the God Realm. Yet, he still didn't care in the slightest, as if these things weren't obstacles at all.
She took a step forward, meeting Huo Yuhao's gaze with resolute eyes.
"I'm not afraid of death, nor have I ever feared those guys from the God Realm. As the co-lord of the Soul Beasts, my core goal is to rebuild Soul Beast civilization and preserve ourselves. I carry the fate of the Soul Beast race on my shoulders."
"The Dragon God is dead. Does the Soul Beast Clan have to be buried with him?!"
What she said was true. After all, even until the very end, she always thought of the Soul Beast Clan in her heart and never gave up on making it flourish.
Whether it was the Myriad Beast Platform or the various arrangements in the original timeline, it all proved that Gu Yuena was indeed worthy of leading the Soul Beast Clan. Even in her eventual death, she secretly left a contingency plan for the Soul Beasts. Of course, this only refers to the Soul Beasts of Douluo Star.
Such a co-lord of the Soul Beasts, who had never enjoyed power or benefits, yet as soon as she recovered from her injuries, she busied herself running for the Soul Beasts, fulfilling her obligations. Even if her methodology was flawed, it was still quite commendable.
Ultimately, all of this was the result of Dragon God's absurd actions. You say you lost, fine, but you just had to set the rule that Soul Beasts cannot become Gods, and you even called it for the sake of preserving the Soul Beast Clan.
Then someone might ask, How did the Soul Beast Clan fall from its peak to a state where it needed to be preserved? Where did that old man, the Dragon God, go? Well, don't ask; this is an even more powerful and astonishing wisdom.
However, facing these words, Huo Yuhao still shook his head, slowly turned back to look at the lake, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.
"So this is your goal? Has the Soul Beast Clan flourished in your hands, or can recovering from your injuries in the Lake of Life change the fate of the Soul Beast Clan?"
"Wake up, Silver Dragon King. The development of humanity will only accelerate, and the conflict between Soul Masters and Soul Beasts is irreconcilable. Soul Masters need to hunt Soul Beasts to improve their strength, and if Soul Beasts do nothing, their living space will only be further compressed. How many Soul Beasts will be left by the time you recover from your injuries?"
"You and I both know that this is the doing of Gods. The reason—well, isn't it because of that Dragon God back then? Soul Beasts cannot become Gods, huh. Is that really something God forbid?"
Gu Yuena's expression was conflicted; clearly, something deep within her had been stirred by Huo Yuhao.
An ant trying to shake a giant tree—ridiculously overestimating itself. She now increasingly felt that she couldn't accomplish things on her own.
'But even if I recover to my peak state, I'd still be helpless against those God Kings in the God Realm. Besides preserving myself, I don't know how to reverse the current situation.'
Gentle breezes stirred ripples, scattering like stars across the sky. Their figures stood side by side, the breeze rustling through their hair and across the lake, creating ripples.
This was more like it. Now, there was a semblance of honest communication. Huo Yuhao had turned the situation around in less than half an hour.
"Your past choice to preserve yourself wasn't wrong, but now, I can help you."
"You want to change your fate, and so do I. Perhaps, we can become like-minded friends next."
Like-minded friends?
Gu Yuena had never heard such a term. In the eyes of the Soul Beasts, she was the noble and powerful Dragon King, the hope for the revival of the Soul Beast Clan.
But a conversation like this, where they were honest with each other and all secrets seemed not to exist, was a first.
Although it was a bit uncomfortable and somewhat annoying, she had to admit, it was indeed very interesting and novel.
"Huo Yuhao." Gu Yuena turned slightly, slowly extending her right hand. "If I die, then there will be nothing left!"
Holding the soft, tender hand for the second time, Huo Yuhao knew that basic trust had been established, and their relationship had entered the next stage.
His tone remained indifferent, as if he didn't care about these things.
"Actually, my life was initially only worth a few gold coins and a few grilled fish. If Gods want to make a move, then let them come. But this game can only be played by me, Huo Yuhao."
He added, "Of course, if Your Excellency, Silver Dragon King, is willing to join, as I said, I can help you, help you recover from your injuries the fastest."
These arrogant words left Gu Yuena at a loss for how to respond. Putting herself in his shoes, she couldn't view her own life and death so lightly. She slowly withdrew her right hand, but for a moment, she could only stammer out a sentence that even she found ridiculous.
"Aren't you afraid?"
She didn't doubt whether Huo Yuhao could help her recover from her injuries. From her perspective, a powerhouse like Huo Yuhao, who seemed to be playing in the human World, must have many trump cards.
"Afraid?"
It would be truly terrifying if he were leashed by some lowly scoundrel.
Now, everything was still salvageable. There were no Gods who could remain high and mighty forever. As long as they could bleed, the Gods were not to be feared.
"It seems that your long slumber has made you forget your former glory. Since you dare not challenge God, what are you doing here now?"
Gu Yuena wanted to plant a thorn to create conflict with those Gods, but Huo Yuhao didn't care. Instead, she would go with the flow.
Compared to Gu Yuena, a clone of the Dragon God, he was actually the one truly coveted by someone in the God Realm. And now, they strangely had a unified 'external enemy,' reaching a consensus.
This astonishingly wise co-lord of the Soul Beasts might be able to play a good role, and in this relationship, he would not only gain an incredibly powerful ally but also the friendship of the Douluo Star Soul Beasts.
"Good!" Gu Yuena made up her mind completely. "I am willing to join your game, but you must first help me recover from my injuries."
She made a decision she couldn't even believe herself.
"A wise decision!"
Their shoulders seemed to draw closer. Just like that, the co-lord of the Soul Beasts and the Son of Destiny of Douluo Star—the latter, in her deluded eyes, an otherworldly powerhouse—formed for the first time an unstable alliance.
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End of Chapter