บท 361: Chapter 341: The Disappearance of Ah Yin
Atop a hill on the outskirts of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the Sunset Forest, a young woman overlooked the valley.
Steam surged with intense energy fluctuations, and Su Yue's expression was complicated.
"It really is them..."
In truth, she had never seen the Ice Dragon King and Fire Dragon King in person. These two Dragon Kings had died long before the fall of the Dragon God.
The Silver Dragon King, however, was born when the Dragon God was split into two after being slain by the Shura God's sword.
Even so, as the new generation's Dragon King, Su Yue could never mistake the aura of her kin. Her emotions inevitably sank.
Each of the Nine Dragon Kings was immensely powerful, inheriting a portion of the Dragon God's strength.
Yet the once supreme beings who stood atop the myriad worlds now lay eternally dormant in this valley, never to awaken again...
Su Cheng glanced at her and said softly, "Let's go. We'll talk more once we're down there."
In his perception, the valley was currently empty, and Dugu Bo was not present.
Perhaps he had left temporarily for something, which made things a lot easier.
Although this Poison Douluo's strength posed no significant threat to him, it did save them a lot of trouble.
If unnecessary, he preferred not to have a confrontation with Dugu Bo or expose his presence to the latter.
"Hmm," Su Yue responded softly before flying down toward the valley where the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well lay.
Although she was only at the peak of the Spirit Master level, her mastery of various elements and her strong physical constitution made entering the valley effortless.
The two quickly arrived by the hot springs.
All around, strange flowers, exotic grasses, and rare plants glittered under the sunlight, creating a breathtakingly vibrant scene. The air was filled with a rich mix of ice and fire energies, so intense it almost corroded the human body.
Yet, this magnificent sight and anomaly didn't seem to stir Su Yue's heart.
She stood by the spring, gazing blankly at the surface of the water, which was split into distinct red and white zones.
Su Cheng looked at Su Yue, his eyes flickering, but he didn't offer any words of comfort. Instead, he silently turned around and walked toward the area where the immortal herbs grew.
He didn't want to spout some grand philosophy, as it would be meaningless.
To the dragons, he was ultimately just an outsider, a bystander, incapable of truly empathizing with their loss, nor could he mourn the death of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings.
Since that was the case, there was no need to pretend and offer hollow words.
It was better to let her have some quiet time.
Before long, Su Cheng had swiftly collected the valley's immortal herbs, including the Daffodil Jade Flesh Bone, Yearning Heart Broken Red, and Beautiful Silk Tulip, storing them away.
As for the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid and the Infernal Delicate Apricot that grew beside the spring, there was no way for him to take them.
Though he had true power within him and wasn't afraid of the poisonous ice and fire energies contained in the two herbs, he couldn't preserve them for long. He decided to throw them into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to be destroyed.
It was a bit of a waste, but there was no better way to handle them.
After all, neither he nor Su Yue had any use for these items.
Looking at Tang San's future opportunities, this place and the Blue Silver Grass Forest were the only locations where he could make any meaningful moves.
As for the other opportunities, whether it was the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud or the City of Slaughter, or even the King of Slaughter Tang Chen and the divine artifact, the Shura Sword, all were tied to the gods. Su Cheng was unsure if meddling with these would attract the attention of the divine realm, so he refrained from touching them lightly.
Still, these were all minor details in the grand scheme of things.
Methods to alter someone's aptitude in the mortal realm were hardly impressive in the face of divine power.
In fact, forget divine kings; even Su Cheng himself, once he regained his peak strength, could easily enhance the aptitude of any ordinary Spirit Master if he wanted to.
So, if Tang San was already chosen as a successor by a deity, then tampering with this place would at best be a slight hindrance.
While taking the immortal herbs here seemed like an attempt to weaken Tang San, his true goal was more about influencing the other members of the Shrek Seven Devils.
After everything was dealt with, Su Cheng returned to the young woman's side.
Her mood no longer seemed as low as before. She just stared blankly into the distance, lost in thought.
Su Cheng also glanced at the strange, bubbling spring before them, but he didn't ask whether she was interested in the dragon bones at the bottom or whether the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings' souls might still remain.
Su Yue knew his strength, and if she needed something, she wouldn't hesitate to ask.
Since she hadn't spoken, it was clear she had no interest in the dragon bones or souls. In that case, there was no need to ask further. It was better to let this treasure trove remain as it was.
Su Cheng shifted his gaze back to the garden behind the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well and said, "Su Yue, how do you find the view of this valley?"
"Hmm?"
Hearing his question, Su Yue returned to her senses and looked in the direction he pointed.
This place was indeed beautiful.
Sunlight filtered through the sparse clouds into the valley, painting the flowers in a myriad of vibrant colors, like a flowing painting...
"Honestly, I've traveled to many places—mountains, oceans, grasslands, mighty passes—but I've never seen a view more beautiful than this," Su Cheng praised softly, as if his heart had been completely captivated by the magical scenery.
After a brief silence, he turned to Su Yue and said, "I remember you mentioned the story of the Mountain Dragon King once. Could you tell me more?"
Su Yue glanced back at him without asking why and began speaking in a soft voice.
"Back then, the Dragon God discovered a planet completely covered by oceans. Although dragons aren't afraid of water, they couldn't live in the sea. So, the Dragon God created the Mountain Dragon King and ordered it to transform its body into mountains and continents, providing the dragons with a place to live and reproduce...
"The Mountain Dragon King lineage, once matured, must transform into mountains and continents, allowing the dragons to thrive, making them incredibly rare...
"In gratitude for their contributions, the Dragon God bestowed the title 'Mountains Shall Forever Be Kings' upon the Mountain Dragon King lineage...
"Every Mountain Dragon King, upon maturing, received the title of royal lineage. Though they lost their freedom, they held a position of great honor. Within the Dragon Clan, they were revered as the foremost of the Nine Dragon Kings who no longer walked the earth."
"Truly remarkable..." Su Cheng sighed after listening quietly. "Some people, even after death, are buried in remote, unmarked places, with maybe a tombstone as their only mark upon the world.
"In comparison, the Mountain Dragon King continues to nurture all life and cast light across eternity. It could be considered, in a way, a continuation of life."
"..."
Su Yue pressed her lips tightly together and once again looked at the magnificent valley full of blooming flowers, her lips curling slightly.
She knew that Su Cheng's words were simply his way of comforting her, trying to lift her spirits indirectly.
But he needn't have worried.
When she first sensed that the bones of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings were buried here, her mood did drop briefly, but she wasn't that fragile.
The feeling passed as quickly as it had come.
The Dragon Clan had undergone great changes for many years. Aside from the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, all the other Dragon Kings had been dead for an unknown period. Some were even slain by the Dragon God himself.
In such a situation, it would be strange if she was still deeply affected.
However, knowing that someone beside her could notice when she was feeling low and offer words of comfort, even in such a roundabout way, wasn't unpleasant.
"Maybe I've changed too..." Su Yue quietly mused.
In the past, she wouldn't, and couldn't, show the slightest hint of weakness.
She was the king of the Dragon Clan, the ruler of soul beasts, and the hope of her people.
If even she succumbed to feelings of sorrow, the others would only become more hopeless about the future.
Su Yue turned her head, feigning disdain as she said, "You sure talk big. But if you had to sacrifice yourself for future generations, would you do it?"
"Well, I suppose I wouldn't want to, at least not for now," Su Cheng scratched his head, his expression frank. "Can't help it; I'm just a selfish, narrow-minded human. Not like you dragons, who are so noble and selfless."
"Tch." Su Yue snorted lightly and extended her fair hand toward him. "Hand it over."
"What?"
"The rare herbs you just stole."
"Stole?!" Su Cheng's eyes widened as he retorted loudly, "Those were ownerless! Can it really be called stealing if it's part of a Spirit Master's business?"
"Either way, those aren't your things. Hand them over."
"No."
"Hmph, thief!"
"Robber."
Su Yue's brow furrowed as she snapped angrily, "Who are you calling a robber?"
"I picked them first, so they're mine. If you're going to forcibly take them, wouldn't that make you the robber?"
"Nonsense! Those herbs naturally grew here. You just picked them early!"
"Well, they're mine now. If you want them, wait until you're stronger than me."
"I already told you, it's not robbery!"
But Su Cheng ignored her and turned to walk out of the valley.
Su Yue bit her lip at the sight but found herself helpless, her face darkening as she silently followed him.
However, she wasn't truly angry. In fact, there wasn't even a hint of anger in her eyes.
After their brief exchange of words, her mood actually felt brighter than before.
Those rare herbs that had originally grown there were indeed extraordinary, containing an immense and special power.
For an average Spirit Master, even a single one of these herbs would be enough to reverse their fate or change their destiny. But for Su Cheng, they weren't particularly remarkable.
The real reason he had argued with her over the herbs just now was to stir up her emotions and divert her attention.
"This jerk, does he really think I'm a little kid…?"
---
A month later, in the southern mountain range of the Heaven Dou Empire, Su Cheng and Su Yue stood beside a pool of water.
While this location wasn't as breathtakingly beautiful as the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, it was far more majestic and grand.
Surrounded by towering mountains, a massive waterfall thundered down into the pool below, creating a spray of water that erupted into the air with a deafening roar.
In the sunlight, a colorful rainbow spanned across the pool, a stunning sight.
But despite the magnificence of the scene, Su Cheng's expression was dark.
He couldn't sense Ah Yin's presence behind the waterfall.
"Wait here for me."
Without waiting for Su Yue's response, his body shot into the air, easily passing through the waterfall's barrier and entering a deeply hidden, pitch-black cave.
In the darkness, he quickly passed through a narrow passage, reaching the innermost stone chamber.
His feeling was correct.
Beneath the small mound directly under the hole in the cave's ceiling, there was nothing—no trace of the Blue Silver Emperor's grass.
And in the hidden compartment above the cave, as expected, the Blue Silver Emperor's right leg bone was also gone.
"..." Su Cheng frowned deeply, his mind racing with heavy thoughts.
Unexpected changes are always the worst for those who plan long-term schemes.
If it were some insignificant piece of the puzzle, he wouldn't care. But Ah Yin was a very special existence to him.
Regardless of her usefulness, her identity in the real world made it impossible for Su Cheng to simply ignore her.
With Zhu Zhuqing's unique situation, he could still accept it.
But a fragile Blue Silver Emperor seedling, still slumbering, with no soul or consciousness restored, couldn't have run away on its own, right?
"Why is this happening…?"
There were two most likely reasons for this situation.
Either Tang Hao had moved Ah Yin to another location in advance, or someone else had beaten him to it.
Neither option was good news.
However, the first scenario would be easier to deal with—he just needed to find Tang Hao to figure out the issue. The latter case, though, would be far more troublesome.
Though Ah Yin in this simulated world wasn't the real one, Su Cheng still didn't want anything to happen to her, even if she was just a fictional character.
Feeling annoyed, Su Cheng couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret.
He had been too careless!
In his memory, from the moment Tang San formally started his journey as a Spirit Master, Tang Hao had almost never come back here.
This cave was located in such a remote area that even with Tang Hao's power, it would take considerable time to travel here.
Once Tang San joined Shrek Academy, Tang Hao never visited the place again.
Aside from occasionally causing trouble at various Spirit Hall branches or acting as his son's bodyguard, he rarely came by.
Given that, Su Cheng hadn't rushed to this location and had followed his initial plan, advancing step by step.
"…Huh?"
At this moment, Su Cheng's eyes flickered, noticing something unusual about the lingering aura in this place.
The concentration of spirit energy in the air here was at least ten percent higher than in other areas.
To others, such a slight difference in the energy of the environment might go unnoticed.
But Su Cheng was different.
His unique physical constitution gave him an extraordinarily keen sensitivity to his surroundings, almost to an exaggerated degree.
After thinking for a moment, Su Cheng knelt down, placing his hand on the small mound.
Immediately, his inner energy spread out, expanding in all directions.
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