"Dead fox! Why don't you just drop dead!" Gu Yue gnashed her teeth, wishing she could tear Xia Yi apart.
Damn Xia Yi!
It was one thing for him not to inherit the position of Soul Beast Sovereign, but now he was even using her as a scapegoat to please his little lover.
Did she look like some kind of pushover?
"This is called competence brings more responsibility. Who told my dear Yue'er to be a born ruler?" Xia Yi chuckled shamelessly as he pulled Gu Yue into his arms and said, "You should go find the Demon Emperor and discuss this with him. I won't interfere."
Seeing that Xia Yi didn't even give her a chance to refuse, Gu Yue was so angry she could grind her teeth to dust. She wanted to slap him twice, but since she was trapped in his embrace, she couldn't do anything. She could only grit her teeth and say, "Fine, I'll agree—but only if you meet one condition."
"What condition?" Xia Yi asked curiously.
"Simple. I want you!" Gu Yue giggled.
"Want me?" Xia Yi was stunned. "What do you mean?"
"Just what it sounds like!" Gu Yue smiled at him and said, "I want you to help me with something."
"What kind of help?" Xia Yi asked.
"Become the protector of the Origin of Creation." Gu Yue looked up at Xia Yi and smiled. "As long as you agree, I won't mention passing the Soul Beast Sovereign title to you anymore. How about it? Quite a bargain, right?"
"Where's the bargain in that?" Xia Yi scowled.
"Being a protector only means offering the Origin of Creation some help within your means. It's not like being the Soul Beast Sovereign—it won't tie you down, and there's much less to deal with. What's the problem?" Gu Yue snorted coldly. "You're already doing most of it anyway. I'm just giving you an official title. Can't even agree to that?"
"Fine, fine, I agree, alright?" Xia Yi said helplessly.
"Hee hee, you said it, no take-backs." Gu Yue smiled brightly when Xia Yi agreed so readily.
Letting her take on part of the Demon Emperor's responsibilities was no big deal to her.
For the sake of the Soul Beasts and the Origin of Creation, a bit of responsibility was nothing.
Besides, it actually gave her more power.
It would also help her rule over the Soul Beasts better.
She was more than happy to accept.
The reason she pretended to be reluctant was just to squeeze some benefits out of Xia Yi.
"Do I seem like someone who goes back on my word?" Xia Yi rolled his eyes. He understood Gu Yue's little ploys better than anyone.
He knew Gu Yue was just using this as an excuse to tie him down.
But Xia Yi didn't really mind.
Just a protector, right?
So be it.
"Yes, you do!" Gu Yue replied seriously.
"Talking like that is a conversation killer, you know?" Xia Yi turned his head to the side with a sigh.
"Hee hee." Gu Yue grinned proudly, slipped out of Xia Yi's arms, made a face at him, and said, "You promised me, don't forget. You'll also need a token of identity. Once you get it, we'll go see your Divine King cutie together to talk about the future responsibilities and structure of the Origin of Creation."
"Token? What token? And what do you mean by power structure?" Xia Yi asked with a serious tone. He was starting to feel like Gu Yue had tricked him. There was no way she would just make him an ordinary protector.
There had to be more.
"Of course, a protector's token of identity." Gu Yue giggled. "Just like the three Kings and three Cauldrons of the Origin of Creation. I'm the Soul Beast Sovereign, and I have the Silver Dragon Spear. If you're going to be a protector, naturally you need a symbol that lets others instantly recognize who you are."
"A protector needs a token?" Xia Yi was still reluctant. "Besides, don't I already have the Earth Cauldron?"
"That's different. The token I'm giving you is a priceless treasure. Ever heard of the Ascending Dragon Pillar?" Gu Yue asked.
"Nope. What's that?" Xia Yi shook his head.
"'What's that?'—how dare you call it that! That's an ultra-divine artifact once owned by the Dragon God himself—the most powerful one, in fact! Aren't I generous, giving it to you?" Gu Yue said proudly.
"Is it really that amazing?" Xia Yi muttered.
"Of course it is!" Gu Yue was displeased with his attitude and snorted. "The Dragon God had many divine artifacts, even ultra-divine ones, like the Silver Dragon Spear, Golden Dragon Spear, Dragon Slayer Blade, and the Dragon God's Heart. These were all made from his own body. Not just him—most divine beasts believe the body is the strongest forge, so they craft weapons from their own parts. The result is a perfectly attuned and immensely powerful artifact. But the Ascending Dragon Pillar? It wasn't made from his body—just that fact alone tells you how extraordinary it is."
"Hehe, ordinary deities might not even have a divine artifact. Even Divine Kings struggle to get their own ultra-divine weapon. But the Dragon God made so many! If he hadn't become Soul Beast Sovereign, he'd have been a top-tier forging master," Xia Yi laughed. "With so many artifacts, I bet even Divine Kings are jealous."
"That's what you took from everything I said?!" Gu Yue glared at him. If she could, she really would have slapped him.
Was this a story about forging!?
"I wasn't wrong!" Xia Yi laughed and shrank back at her murderous glare. "Okay, okay, go on!"
Gu Yue took a deep breath. "When the Dragon God forged the Ascending Dragon Pillar, he originally meant for it to test the strength of dragon subordinates. Back in the Divine Realm, only dragons at Tier 3 deity or higher could use it—and only when breaking through. The Dragon God once said, 'With the Ascending Dragon Pillar, the dragon soul will remain steadfast, the heart unmoved.' It was great for stabilizing the dragon race's spirits. But then, the pillar was stolen. Not long after, the Dragon God War broke out, and the Dragon God was killed under siege by several Divine Kings."
"Stolen?" Xia Yi was stunned. A being at the Dragon God's level could lose something? And an ultra-divine artifact at that?
Artifacts of that level are linked to their user's soul. No matter the distance, they should always know where it is.
Let alone a Dragon God!
Even ordinary deities can summon their artifacts back over long distances.
Divine Kings can summon ultra-artifacts across entire galaxies.
Stealing a Divine King's ultra-divine artifact? Practically impossible.
Unless you forcibly severed the connection between the artifact and its owner.
But how could a Divine King not notice that?
There's only one explanation: it was taken by force.
Ripped from the Dragon God's hands, severed by sheer strength.
But who could overpower the Dragon God and steal from him?
"That's right, it was stolen. I know what you're wondering. The reason the Dragon God couldn't sense it was because even he hadn't fully mastered the Ascending Dragon Pillar. His connection to it wasn't strong enough. So when it was stolen and hidden, he couldn't sense where it was," Gu Yue explained.
"Didn't you say it was a super artifact forged by the Dragon God? How could he not control it?" Xia Yi was even more curious now.
"There's a deeper story behind it—complex secrets," Gu Yue sighed. "The Dragon God spent tens of thousands of years forging the Ascending Dragon Pillar but still couldn't fully control it."
"What really happened?" Xia Yi asked, more intrigued than ever.
"To explain that, we need to start from the very beginning—with the origins of the Dragon God, and the true identities of me and the Golden Dragon King," Gu Yue said with a bitter smile. "If we're being serious, the Golden Dragon King was actually more qualified to inherit the Soul Beast Sovereign title. He was the true clone of the Dragon God."