Di Tian led Furina and Neuvillette to the shore of the Lake of Life and stopped.
"This is the place." He turned to look at the two, his tone calm but carrying a hint of imperceptible complexity, "Please wait a moment."
After speaking, he faced the mirror-like calm surface of the lake and knelt on one knee, his posture pious and respectful:
"My Lord, I have brought the people."
The surface of the lake remained calm, as if nothing had happened. But the next second, an ethereal yet majestic female voice drifted up from the depths of the lake:
"Mm, you have done well, Di Tian."
The voice paused, its tone softening slightly: "There is no need to kneel, rise."
"Thank you, My Lord." Di Tian then stood up, stepped to the side, and stood solemnly with his head bowed.
The owner of the voice spoke again, this time with a hint of unquestionable majesty in her tone:
"Except for Di Tian, everyone else withdraw for now. I wish to speak personally with this human girl, and the... Dragon by her side."
"Yes, My Lord!"
Xiong Jun, Bi Ji, Zi Ji, and the other Vicious Beasts responded in unison, showing no dissatisfaction—or rather, even if they had any, they dared not show it at this moment. They turned around one after another and quickly withdrew from the perimeter of the Lake of Life.
Once all auras had vanished, the once-calm surface of the lake began to ripple.
At first, it was only a slight fluctuation, but gradually, the ripples became denser, and the water at the center of the lake began to bulge upward. A silver figure slowly emerged from the bottom of the lake.
Her silver hair cascaded down like a waterfall, her purple eyes were as deep as the starry sky, her figure was tall and elegant, and her temperament was cold and noble. She stood quietly on the surface of the lake, her clothes fluttering without wind, and her entire body was shrouded in a faint halo, making her look too beautiful to be of this world.
Furina recognized her at a glance—wasn't this the fully-formed Gu Yuena from Douluo 3?
However, a thought flashed through her mind instantly: The Silver Dragon King actually dared to appear directly?
By all logic, she shouldn't dare to reveal her true body right now. The one before her was either a portion of her mental body or a projection she had condensed.
The Silver Dragon King's gaze first fell on Neuvillette, lingered for a moment, and then turned to Furina. Those purple eyes were as deep as an abyss, as if they could see through all falsehoods.
Furina did not retreat; instead, she took a step forward, bowed slightly in greeting, and wore a calm smile on her face:
"Hello, Silver Dragon King. I am the Pope of the Axis Cult and the Water God herself—Furina. It is our first meeting, please treat me well."
She turned to point at Neuvillette beside her and introduced him: "This is the Water God Special Envoy of my Axis Cult, Neuvillette. The Water Dragon King among the Seven Elemental Dragon Kings, holding authority over the Water Dragons. Of course, not the Elemental Dragon Kings you are familiar with."
Neuvillette nodded slightly, his demeanor elegant and distant: "Greetings, Your Excellency. I am merely accompanying Ms. Furina here to serve as a bodyguard, and I am not responsible for the specific matters."
The Silver Dragon King nodded slightly. She had long since used her First-Class God level mental force to take in the entire conversation between Furina and Di Tian and the others, so she naturally knew Neuvillette's position.
She spoke slowly, her voice ethereal and cold, yet carrying an undeniable majesty: "Speak, little girl."
Her gaze swept slowly over Furina, as if she could see through all her secrets:
"You carry the aura of the Goddess of Life, and also the aura of a Water God. Your own aura is also very strange... it does not seem like that of a pure human. What exactly is your purpose in coming to find me?"
Furina sighed in admiration internally: As expected, she is sharp.
She smiled indifferently; she liked this straightforward style. Those convoluted, scheming dramas were just too tiring and a waste of time.
She took a step forward, tilted her head to look directly into the Silver Dragon King's purple eyes, confident and open:
"Didn't I already say? I am only here for cooperation."
"Cooperation?" The Silver Dragon King's lips curled slightly, but the smile carried a hint of coldness, "There are many kinds of cooperation. Which one are you talking about?"
She paused, her tone suddenly becoming sharp:
"Also, the cooperation you speak of, is it you yourself who wants to cooperate with me? Or is it the two gods behind you? Is it your true Water God? Or... the Goddess of Life among the five great God Kings of the God Realm?"
When mentioning the three words "Goddess of Life," her tone noticeably deepened, and a complex light flashed in her eyes.
There was wariness, vigilance, and also a trace of deeply hidden hatred.
Furina felt a shiver in her heart.
She understood the Silver Dragon King's wariness of the Goddess of Life. Although the Goddess of Life was not skilled in combat, she was, after all, a God King-level existence. Moreover, her husband was the God of Destruction, a God King second only to the God of Asura in strength.
It was only natural for the Silver Dragon King to distrust her.
Furina shook her head, her tone firm: "It is not them; the latter two do not yet know about this matter. It is just me, wanting to cooperate with you."
She looked directly into the Silver Dragon King's eyes and said word by word: "Are you really willing to just keep staying in the Lake of Life to recover from your injuries, watching the survival range of your Soul Beast tribe get smaller and smaller, watching them gradually perish, watching the God Realm become increasingly powerful, while you yourself can do nothing?"
This sentence was like a sharp blade, stabbing straight into the heart of the Silver Dragon King.
The Silver Dragon King was silent.
In those purple eyes, complex emotions were churning—anger, unwillingness, and endurance.
A moment later, she snorted coldly, but her tone was not as sharp as before: "Hmph! You say cooperate, so we cooperate? Why should I trust you? What bargaining chip do you have that can move me?"
She raised her chin slightly, her tone carrying a hint of arrogance: "Just because you know of my existence? Know that I am recovering from my injuries in the Lake of Life? Know about the Dragon God?"
Furina smiled.
The smile was calm and unhurried, carrying the confidence that everything was under control: "No, of course not. How could I use such small bargaining chips to negotiate with you?"
She paused, and word by word, clearly and powerfully: "The bargaining chip I want to use is the Golden Dragon King."
The Silver Dragon King's body stiffened suddenly.
She widened her eyes, and that face, which had always been as calm as water, finally showed a crack.
She took a deep breath, trying hard to restore her calm, but the slight urgency in her tone betrayed her: "Golden Dragon King? Do you know where he is?"
Furina's lips curled upward, her smile deepening:
"Of course I do. In the God Realm."
She looked directly into the Silver Dragon King's slightly trembling purple eyes, her voice soft yet unquestionable: "Cooperate with me, and I can take you to the God Realm, and I will also help you deal with the Golden Dragon King."
"What do you... think?"
The surface of the lake remained calm, a breeze blowing across, stirring up layers of fine ripples.
The Silver Dragon King was silent, those purple eyes staring deeply at Furina, as if trying to see through her entirely.
After a long while, she finally spoke slowly:
"...You have great courage."
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