It's not one hundred percent certain, but from various signs, the spacetime rift that the ancient black phoenix entered after escaping the seal is Dragon Valley, with an extremely high probability.
It couldn't be that Gu Yuena was bored and wandering around the Extreme North aimlessly!
"Kurumi, it's starting." Ning Rongrong stood beside Kurumi. Even without fusion, the two could unleash considerable power.
Simply put, it was similar to a martial soul fusion skill.
Due to the contract, Ning Rongrong and Tokisaki Kurumi's powers were basically interconnected, but the directions they emphasized weren't quite the same.
Ning Rongrong's side emphasized space, while Tokisaki Kurumi emphasized time.
"There's a first-level god, and possibly a battle. Are you really sure about this?" Tokisaki Kurumi rarely spoke up to advise.
Even if they fused now, there was no guarantee they could truly contend with a first-level god, and they still had to bring Bing Di and Xue Di along—there was no way they could bring them in without bringing them out.
"What you're saying is right, but if we don't confirm the ancient black phoenix's situation, it won't be very reassuring."
"Besides, the Silver Dragon King might not necessarily try to kill us." As Ning Rongrong spoke, a trace of cold intent rose in her voice. "Unless she wants everyone she brought in to die."
"You really are..." Tokisaki Kurumi sighed, shaking her head. "Who let you be my master? I get it. Anyway, if things go wrong, run quickly. I don't want to die this soon."
After speaking, an aura similar to Ning Rongrong's flowed out from Tokisaki Kurumi.
After contracting with Ning Rongrong, Tokisaki Kurumi was no longer considered a Dark Devilgod Tiger; she was basically fused with the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, becoming part of Ning Rongrong's power.
The two simultaneously extended their right hands, forming several seals.
If looking directly ahead, one could see the pupils of Ning Rongrong and Tokisaki Kurumi.
Both had changed.
They had become like clock faces, especially Tokisaki Kurumi—besides her original golden pupil, the other wine-red eye's pupil had turned silver-white.
"Open!"
The two shouted lightly in unison.
Xue Di and Bing Di beside them retreated several steps, and Xue Di reached out to disperse the pressure that had spread onto Bing Di.
Looking at the two opposite, Xue Di's expression carried traces of complexity.
From their first meeting until now, how long had it been? Both of their strengths had surpassed her, the Snow Lady with 690,000 years of cultivation.
"Crack, crackle—"
The space over ten meters away suddenly peeled off.
Like the shell of an egg being peeled away, pieces fell off one by one.
In an instant, the area formed a spacetime rift several meters high, pitch-black and profound inside, completely indiscernible what the scene was.
"Xue Di, Bing Di, no matter what happens, don't resist. Otherwise, I can't guarantee you can survive in the crevice between two worlds."
Mysterious energy appeared under Xue Di and Bing Di's feet. Because of Ning Rongrong's reminder, Bing Di and Xue Di exchanged a glance and didn't use any soul power.
Bing Di and Xue Di, Ning Rongrong and Tokisaki Kurumi, simultaneously turned into two streaks of flowing light.
With a whoosh, they merged into the cracked space.
...
Unclear how much time had passed.
The four appeared at an open position on a cliff.
The surroundings were a desolate expanse.
Occasionally, some sparse bushes dotted the barren scene with a bit of green.
"So oppressive." The one speaking was Xue Di. After entering here, Xue Di inexplicably felt a sense of deathly silence and oppression.
"Can it not be oppressive? Gu Yuena calls it Dragon Valley, but actually, it's a dragon tomb."
Ning Rongrong said calmly, extending her perception outward.
Having reached two extremes of utmost perfection.
Her perception range far exceeded that of so-called ordinary Limit Douluo, or even god-level.
"Dragon tomb?"
Hearing Ning Rongrong's explanation, Xue Di and Bing Di both turned their gazes over.
"That's right. The god-level dragon clan from the ancient era that fell—most are buried in this place." Ning Rongrong chuckled lightly.
"This is also the reason Gu Yuena thinks she can counter-kill the God Realm."
"Ancient dragon clan... that was a very strong race, right?"
"There are many versions of legends about the dragon clan here. Some say the five great God Kings joined forces to plot against the Dragon God's dragon clan."
"Others say the Dragon God of the dragon clan wanted to elevate the Dragon Realm, but in the end, it seemed to fail due to some special reason. It appears a dragon from the clan betrayed the Dragon God."
"Thus, the Dragon God went on a rampage, slaughtering almost the vast majority of the dragon clan."
"The Dragon God, having regained sanity, lamented the depth of its own sins, split its kindness and wisdom to the Silver Dragon King, while leaving the brutality and slaughter to the Golden Dragon King, and had the Asura God slay it, then seal the Golden Dragon King."
"And so, the event of the five great God Kings sealing the Golden Dragon King occurred."
"As for the Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena, she seems not to know the full details of this matter." Ning Rongrong said. "Of course, which version is true is up to individual interpretation. However, the Dragon God prohibiting soul beasts from becoming gods is indeed true."
"So, regarding the Dragon God's actions—whether it was designed or for some purpose—I think he had some issues with his brain no matter what."
"Not allowing soul beasts to become gods." Bing Di's mouth twitched. "Is it that he felt soul beasts weren't being killed fast enough?"
Thinking of the human world ten thousand years ago, and now...
In another ten thousand years, perhaps half the soul beasts would be gone.
Production and consumption were completely out of proportion.
"I'm very curious, Ning Rongrong, how do you know all these things?" Xue Di's voice reminded the Bing Di who was nonstop complaining about the Dragon God, and with a "swish," all gazes gathered on Ning Rongrong.
"After all, I'm also considered an inheritor of a god exam. Of course, but I don't really like that position, so I've been putting it off."
"God exam, related to your cultivation method?" Xue Di pressed.
"No." Ning Rongrong sighed. "My cultivation method is a result of an accidental situation; it doesn't belong to the scope of gods in this world."
"The god exam involves, roughly, the Evil God King's god exam!"
"One of the five great God Kings, the Evil one!" Xue Di widened her eyes.
"That's right. Originally, this should have been Kurumi's thing, but..."
"Master, don't; I don't want it either. A mere God King! And a God King in prison at that—what's so rare about it."
"What do you mean?" Bing Di was baffled.
God King—that was a God King. Not to mention soul beasts couldn't become gods; if one of the five great God Kings tossed a god exam to her, she might even abandon the Extreme North.
"Asura, Kindness, Evil—these three great God Kings are all looking for their inheritors."
"Beyond the God Realm, there are even larger worlds. Without passing on the divine position, there's no way to leave."
"You mean the divine position is restricting their strength?" Xue Di's delicate eyebrows furrowed. No wonder these gods were all tossing out their divine positions; there were so many twists and turns involved.
"Who knows. The vast majority of beings cultivate to become gods, but after becoming gods and reaching a certain foundation, they discard the God King position to seek higher dimensions."
"So, gods with divine positions can't cultivate?" Bing Di's eyes also carried curiosity.
"I don't know." Ning Rongrong spread her hands. "Perhaps they can, or perhaps before you know it, second-level gods, no matter how hard they try, find it hard to break through to first-level god."
"Even a first-level god like the Sea God, who condensed his own divine position and possesses the Seagod's Trident."
"Once the divine position is determined, the level is basically set, and becoming a God King is basically impossible."
"In any case, I'm not very interested in the gods and such that I mentioned to you all."
"Of course, becoming a god means very long lifespan. As long as the God Realm doesn't perish, basically without courting death, one won't die."
"Why do you know so much?" Xue Di grew more confused the more she listened. What Ning Rongrong was saying was already extremely secretive matters of the God Realm.
Upon careful thought, it was terrifyingly secretive—truths that even the Silver Dragon King, who had close personal experience, didn't know.
How did Ning Rongrong know?
Eliminating all impossibilities, could it be that the mastermind behind the scenes was...