章 357: Chapter 337: Give Me Your Hand
Standing on the outside of a towering city wall over a hundred meters high, Su Yue gazed into the distance at the massive city not far ahead and asked casually, "Why do you seem so familiar with this continent?"
It had been half a year since they left the Star Dou Forest.
Apart from spending over a month in a small town near the forest initially, they had subsequently traveled through several other villages, towns, and major cities.
The two of them journeyed at a leisurely pace, stopping here and there, and finally arrived at the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City.
Although they were still quite young, their strong cultivation caused their bodies to develop much faster than ordinary people, making them appear older than their actual age—a young man and woman on the verge of adolescence.
"I have a mouth," Su Cheng tapped his lips with his finger, hinting, "You can find out by asking around. Plus, I have a map."
He raised a roll of parchment in his hand as he spoke, a map he had purchased long ago showing the cities and topography of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Hearing this, Su Yue cast a doubtful glance at him with her now pitch-black eyes, sensing that his explanation wasn't entirely truthful.
But she had no intention of digging deeper and shifted her attention to the imposing city ahead.
As one of the two largest and most prosperous cities on the entire continent, Heaven Dou City had incredibly high and vast walls, all made from the sturdiest granite. Flags fluttered atop the walls, giving off an air of grandeur.
Moreover, numerous soldiers patrolled both the top and base of the walls, each clad in armor and exuding a strong sense of discipline and battle-readiness.
"Quite a show," Su Yue scoffed disdainfully.
These city walls wouldn't withstand a top-tier expert, let alone someone of Zhao Wuji's caliber. He could easily break through them.
Su Cheng chuckled, "These walls are meant for the ordinary folks. How many soul masters exist in the world? And how many reach the level of Soul Saint? Ordinary people are the foundation of an empire. If there were no external symbols of grandeur like these, how could the imperial capital display its prestige? The rulers have to consider every aspect when rallying people's hearts. You're looking at this too narrowly. Not everyone in this world values what's inside over what's outside, like me."
"Stop flattering yourself," the girl rolled her eyes, dismissing his words, and walked straight toward the city gate.
Throughout their travels, her behavior had grown increasingly human. While her gaze still held a trace of cold detachment, it now contained a bit more humanity.
Once they entered Heaven Dou City, Su Yue couldn't help but feel impressed as she observed the wide streets, the shops lining both sides, and the bustling crowds.
Though she had spoken with disdain earlier, she had to admit that this city was genuinely prosperous, completely different from the other cities they had visited.
In fact, every place they had traveled through on their journey had continually challenged and expanded her understanding of "humans."
Whether in terms of food, clothing, shelter, or the many different tools and innovations, there were countless things she'd never heard of or seen before.
As a member of a naturally powerful race, dragons placed far more importance on the individual than the collective.
They possessed a sense of racial identity but lacked the same level of societal organization.
When one could defeat their enemies single-handedly, why would they need to rely on others?
Born with strong bodies and sharp claws, there was no need for them to forge tools or conduct seemingly pointless research.
"When do you plan to break through to a Soul Grandmaster?" Su Cheng suddenly asked as they walked.
With Su Yue's accumulated experience, reaching the next level would not take much effort in the early stages. It was merely a matter of when she felt ready to attach her second soul ring.
Su Yue didn't immediately answer. Instead, she countered, "How much more of the Dragon God's bloodline are you hiding?"
"You finally asked. What, do you want it?" he responded.
She didn't say anything but stared at Su Cheng silently.
Of course, she wanted it. If she could absorb enough of the Dragon God's bloodline, she wouldn't need to strive any further.
She could directly become the next Dragon God, wielding the power of creation and destruction to restore the glory of the Dragon Clan.
"Then sweet-talk me a bit. Make me happy, and I might give you more."
"You can keep it," Su Yue lowered her head, allowing her bangs to obscure her eyes, and lightly stroked the back of her right hand.
Though she had used a portion of the bloodline power when she advanced to Soul Master, a fair amount remained.
As this body's strength increased and her Silver Dragon King bloodline awakened, the efficiency of nurturing the Dragon God bloodline had improved. All it required was more patience.
Besides, Su Cheng didn't seem to have any interest in the Dragon God's power.
Seeing through her thoughts, Su Cheng smiled, "You're thinking I'll eventually hand over my entire stock to you, right? Remember, this is the power of the Dragon God, the apex of all beings. Who knows, I might just end up using it one day."
"I can always take it by force."
"Heh, you're quite the bold little girl for your size."
Su Yue ignored his teasing.
Seeing this, Su Cheng stopped joking and said seriously, "I do have more, but it's not nearly enough for a complete bloodline transformation unless you're willing to abandon the Silver Dragon King's bloodline. However, I don't recommend that. The Dragon God's power is incredibly complex, filled with contradictory laws, and you won't be able to control it with your current abilities. It's better to improve gradually."
"Then let me hold onto it. If you die, the bloodline will be wasted, won't it?" she suggested.
"Can you be a bit more pleasant?" Su Cheng rolled his eyes in exasperation, "Relax, even if you die, I won't. Once you surpass me, then you can start talking like that."
"…"
"Besides, you can't properly manage pure Dragon God blood. You can't suppress your natural urge to absorb it."
Su Yue pressed her lips together, falling silent.
She knew he was right.
To her, the allure of the Dragon God bloodline was too powerful; she couldn't resist that urge to absorb and evolve.
This wasn't about willpower—it was simply that her current body was too weak.
"…Can you tell me where you got all this Dragon God blood?" she asked. When Su Cheng didn't immediately respond, she continued, "And why, even though you haven't fully fused with the Dragon God's power, do you understand it more deeply than I do?"
This had puzzled her for a long time, and she had spent ages pondering the question but had found no answer.
There were plenty of dragon remains in the Dragon's Grave, and the Dragon God's mental core was there as well. Extracting even a trace of the Dragon God's bloodline from it would already be an exceptional feat.
But looking at Su Cheng, it was clear he had far more than that, meaning it didn't come from the Dragon's Grave.
She had originally planned to take her time observing him, trying to learn more gradually.
However, at this moment, perhaps due to his casual, nonchalant attitude or maybe the assistance he had provided her with over time, Su Yue no longer felt the need to hold back and decided to ask directly.
Su Cheng glanced at her, and after a moment of thought, perhaps considering her longing for the Dragon God's bloodline, he stopped walking.
He then looked around and said, "Let's find somewhere quieter to sit and talk."
With that, he led the way toward a nearby teahouse. Su Yue followed him silently, her thoughts a mystery.
Inside a private, quiet room, a cup of fragrant tea sat before each of them, with wisps of steam curling into the air, filling the room with a soothing aroma.
A shop in Heaven Dou City wouldn't lack for quality; the finely crafted soundproof walls isolated the noise from outside, creating a separate world of calm.
Of course, with their level of perception, such soundproofing hardly mattered.
Su Cheng took a sip of his tea, smacked his lips, and commented, "Not bad."
Su Cheng took another look at Su Yue, who was sitting rigidly across from him, still as a statue. "You don't want to try it?" he asked.
The young girl shook her head, showing no interest in such things. "It's just a matter of satisfying cravings," she replied indifferently.
"Life isn't just about cultivation; you should know how to enjoy yourself," Su Cheng remarked.
"…"
Su Yue stared blankly at the wisps of steam rising from the teacup in front of her, her gaze slightly unfocused.
Enjoyment?
For someone like her, there was neither the time nor the right to enjoy life.
Su Cheng, without dwelling on her reaction, took a sip of his tea and then tapped his fingers lightly on the table, asking in a serious tone, "Su Yue, do you think strength is more important, or knowledge?"
Hearing this, Su Yue's eyes flickered slightly, but she did not respond to the question.
Of course, strength was more important.
With strength, she could reclaim everything she had lost in the past.
As for knowledge?
What was that worth?
The dragon race had never bothered with such things and never would.
But she guessed this wasn't the answer Su Cheng was looking for, so she chose to remain silent.
However, Su Cheng didn't seem to expect an answer from her.
After giving her a glance, he continued, "Having knowledge means having power, but having power doesn't necessarily mean having knowledge.
"Soul power, dragon god power—whatever you call it—are merely tools to manifest and utilize the laws of the world. In fact, soul power originally stems from the power of the Dragon God. But does that make a difference?
"Even though humans are physically far weaker than the dragon race, they can still catch up to and even surpass dragons through martial souls and spirit rings. There have even been humans who reached the power of a god.
"What I want to tell you is, if you can understand the essence of different powers and grasp their underlying principles, then all other things will become mere side benefits.
"The more knowledge you acquire and comprehend, the easier it becomes to understand other abilities. That's why I was able to figure out the Dragon God's power."
Su Cheng looked directly at her, his tone serious and resolute. "Su Yue, have you ever considered that if you had the confidence to truly return to your peak, would you still fear failure?"
"…"
Su Yue's hands, which were resting on her legs, clenched into fists, and her delicate brows furrowed slightly.
She wanted to refute him but found herself unable to.
Indeed, she feared failure. She feared losing her strength.
This attempt at rebuilding herself was, for her, nothing but a gamble she was forced to take.
She had waited too long, and with no confidence in her future, she had allowed herself to be swayed by Su Cheng's words.
Especially when she saw that trace of pure Dragon God bloodline, the balance in her heart completely tilted.
"…Why is it that, as a mere avatar of the Dragon God, you've spent hundreds of thousands of years and still can't restore your lost essence? I'll be honest with you, when I first arrived in this world, I was even weaker than you are now. I didn't have the massive energy reserves from a past life like you do.
"But in less than six years, I achieved strength equivalent to the strongest Titled Douluo in this world. How do you think I managed that?"
Su Yue's eyes widened in shock.
She knew that Su Cheng's current body wasn't very old.
It was precisely this fact that made her believe his claim of "coming from another world."
Because there simply wasn't any other explanation that could justify how a mere child could possess such incredible power.
No one could be that much of a genius.
But even so, she hadn't expected that he'd achieved such a high level in such a short amount of time.
Even with her foundation from her days as the Silver Dragon King, she couldn't be sure she'd reach the rank of an Ultimate Douluo in such a brief period.
What she didn't realize was that Su Cheng had exaggerated a bit.
The "True Force Physique Replica" granted by the simulator played a pivotal role in his rapid growth.
But even without that, if he had to cultivate innate force as a transitional stage, it wouldn't have been too difficult.
"Ahem, actually, while we're here, you could consider returning to your previous form. No one else is around, so there's no need to worry about drawing attention."
"…"
Just as she was listening intently, Su Yue nearly lost her composure upon hearing his suggestion. Her usually calm and indifferent expression almost cracked. Her eyes twitched slightly, and she lowered her head, refusing to respond.
Seeing her ignore him, Su Cheng sighed regretfully.
He claimed not to have any strange inclinations—after all, she was just a little girl and hardly enough to shake his resolve. However, he did admit that white hair was quite pleasing to the eye.
He took another sip of tea and continued, "Once you grasp the core principles, what difference does it make if you lose your strength temporarily? You can always cultivate it again. The truth is, you still lack confidence.
"Great strength can give you temporary confidence, but once it's gone, you'll be left with nothing.
"The dragon race is strong. I've seen the thousand dragon bones in the Dragon Tomb—their bodily structures are beyond anything I could have imagined. But given enough time, all of that can be replicated.
"That's why I urged you to rebuild from the beginning, and why I've kept advising you not to rush your cultivation. Power is just an accessory; understanding the laws and principles of this world is what truly matters."
Suddenly, as if something had crossed his mind, Su Cheng said, "Give me your hand."
Su Yue was momentarily taken aback but still extended her delicate hand.
In the next instant, her slender, fair hand was enveloped by his much larger, stronger one, and an exceptionally unique energy flowed through the connection of their skin.
"Feel my power closely. Compare it to the Dragon God's power," Su Cheng instructed as he infused his immense True Force into her, letting her experience its profoundness.
"…"
Su Yue's eyes suddenly became a bit panicked.
At that moment, her now-human heart began to beat faster.
Her sense of the outside world seemed to fade.
All her senses became focused on the connection of their hands.
Was it the resonance between their shared Dragon God bloodline? Or was it something else? For now, she couldn't tell.
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