Douluo Dalu 3: Legend of the White Fox

Gu Yue glanced at Xia Yi, seemingly aware of what was on his mind, and said, "This dragon scale is indeed silver. The Spirit Pagoda, the Holy Spirit Cult, and even the God of Emotions all believed it to be the scale of the Silver Dragon. But in truth, it does not belong to the Silver Dragon."

"Not the Silver Dragon's scale?" Xia Yi was stunned. Could there be another type of dragon with silver scales?

That didn't seem likely. Even if the colors matched, without the Silver Dragon's bloodline aura, it wouldn't have fooled the higher-ups of the Spirit Pagoda, let alone the God of Emotions.

"If my judgment is correct, this should be the dragon scale of the Silver Dragon Maiden." Gu Yue took a deep breath and turned to look out the window. She knew that Xia Yi, being clever, would glean a lot from her expressions, so she deliberately turned away, facing her back to him.

Xia Yi wasn't bothered by her actions but asked curiously, "Silver Dragon Maiden? I've never heard of her, not even from Di Tian."

Gu Yue took another deep breath to calm her emotions. Afterward, she explained in a flat tone, "The Dragon Maidens also originated from the Star Dou Forest. But for certain reasons, the Golden and Silver Dragon Maidens led their entire clan away from the forest. The last time Di Tian had any news of them was ten thousand years ago. If that's the case, then the Silver Dragon Maiden's death was likely around ten thousand years ago. However, the Sun-Moon Empire deliberately claimed it was thirteen thousand years ago and misrepresented her as the Silver Dragon."

"Why would the Sun-Moon Empire go to such lengths?" Xia Yi was puzzled. From a human perspective, wouldn't a country take pride in killing a powerful soul beast, as it would boost public morale?

If that were so, why would the Sun-Moon Empire shift the timeline back three thousand years?

"Perhaps because the Dragon Maidens are humanoid soul beasts. Pulling off their dragon scales is equivalent to skinning them alive. For a country to publicly declare such a thing to its citizens might cause negative repercussions. As for pushing the timeline back three thousand years, it might have been because the Silver Dragon Maiden's scales were far inferior to those of the Silver Dragon, and they needed to create an impression that some of the scales had already been used over time," Gu Yue replied with a calm voice, revealing no trace of emotion.

Yet despite her composed demeanor, Xia Yi noticed her deliberate avoidance of the topic.

If it weren't for Lina giving Xia Yi a piece of the Silver Dragon Maiden's scale, forcing Gu Yue to explain, she probably would never have brought up the subject of the Dragon Maidens.

However, Xia Yi was deeply curious. Not only had Gu Yue never mentioned the Dragon Maidens before, but even the other fierce beasts of the Star Dou Forest had never spoken of this race.

"Dragon Maidens… Even if they aren't dragons, just by their name—Golden and Silver Dragon Maidens, Golden and Silver Dragon Kings—they should at least be close relatives to dragons, right? If that's the case, why did they leave the Star Dou Forest?" Xia Yi asked inquisitively.

"The Dragon Maidens were also created by the Dragon God. Besides possessing combat power comparable to dragons, they also wielded a formidable power of curses. But judging by the present, they seem to be extinct," Gu Yue finally showed a slight emotional reaction, snorting coldly as she added, "Even their strategist, the Silver Dragon Maiden, is dead. The rest of the Dragon Maidens couldn't have met a better fate. Being hunted and stripped of their scales would have been considered lucky. Those captured alive likely suffered fates countless times worse."

"What do you mean?" Xia Yi grew even more curious.

"Let me put it this way. Not only are the Dragon Maidens all peerless beauties, but whether it's a soul master or soul beast, anyone who dual cultivates with them can obtain their source powers. In other words, the Dragon Maidens were born as perfect cultivation furnaces. Even the weakest among them could create a Titled Douluo, while the Golden and Silver Dragon Maidens could potentially cultivate gods. Their source essence was far more valuable than their scales. However, since they were usually covered entirely in scales except for their heads, dual cultivation was impossible unless they were emotionally moved, at which point their scales would transform into skin, revealing their perfect bodies. Yet, these Dragon Maidens were all incredibly stubborn. When captured by humans, they would inevitably be subjected to various forms of torture designed to force them into emotional arousal. So, if a Dragon Maiden had her scales forcibly removed like the Silver Dragon Maiden, she must have died in battle instead of being captured alive. Because of this, she escaped the torment others endured," Gu Yue explained in an even tone, but Xia Yi noticed her hands clenching into subtle fists.

"So both soul masters and soul beasts can benefit from dual cultivation with them… I think I understand why they risked extinction to leave the Star Dou Forest," Xia Yi remarked, glancing at Gu Yue with a pointed expression.

"I don't want to discuss this. The long-standing grievances between the Dragon Maidens and the Star Dou Forest, spanning tens of thousands of years, can't be explained in a few words. Besides, they're extinct now. There's no point talking about it." Gu Yue snorted coldly once more.

"That's true," Xia Yi nodded in agreement.

What he didn't tell Gu Yue was that the Silver Dragon Maiden's scale gave him a strange sense of familiarity.

It was as if he had seen the Silver Dragon Maiden before.

However, it was merely a feeling, and he had no way to confirm it.

"The Federation is already tracking Lina's whereabouts. She probably won't come looking for you again anytime soon. Focus on dispelling the resentment she left in your body for now. We'll deal with everything else later." Gu Yue, clearly in a bad mood, glanced at Xia Yi before turning and leaving.

Xia Yi initially wanted to ask her some questions about the Spirit Ascension Platform, but seeing her mood, he decided to wait for another time.

As Gu Yue reached the door, Xia Yi said faintly, "If I were you, I'd send Di Tian to help Lina."

Gu Yue paused, turned her head, and looked at Xia Yi with a half-smile. "What, can't bear to see her die at the hands of the Federation?"

"If you insist on thinking that way, there's nothing I can do," Xia Yi shrugged indifferently.

"I'll think about it," Gu Yue replied seriously, dropping her playful tone.

"Dragon Maidens…" After Gu Yue left, Xia Yi examined the Silver Dragon Maiden's scale in his hand. It resembled the one Gu Yue had previously given him.

But upon closer comparison, there were significant differences. This scale was much smaller and less refined than the one Gu Yue had given him.

It was indeed not a Silver Dragon scale.

If Lina had stayed a bit longer, she would have noticed that the resentment in Xia Yi's mental world, just like the resentment in his body, was being gradually refined.

Before long, her control over Xia Yi would completely dissipate.

This was why Gu Yue had called Xia Yi a freak.

Yet Xia Yi still wore the Silver Dragon Maiden's scale around his neck.

Since Lina had gone to such great lengths to control him, she wouldn't give up easily. He didn't want her to know he could break free from her control.

"Dragons, Dragon Maidens, the Spirit Ascension Platform, the Holy Spirit Cult… Things are getting more and more complicated," Xia Yi muttered to himself.

He realized just how little he truly understood about this world.

"Forget it, no use thinking about it." Xia Yi shook his head and began circulating his soul power to refine the resentment in his body and mental world.

With this resentment, it wouldn't be long before he could break through again.

If he could experience this a few more times, he might even catch up to Gu Yue in soul power.

For Xia Yi, increasing his strength was the top priority. Without sufficient cultivation, he had no right to uncover the truths of this world.

While Xia Yi meditated and cultivated, the upper echelons of the Douluo Continent were in an uproar.

Earlier that day, the East Sea City Police Department received an anonymous tip-off claiming that an evil soul master was in the city, accompanied by a photo of Lina.

The police immediately launched a citywide search.

But any officer who encountered Lina met the same fate—death. Not a single survivor remained.

Even the soul saint and one-word battle armor master serving as the police chief was killed in a single blow by Lina.

It was only then that the Federation realized Lina was no ordinary evil soul master.

The Federation wasted no time and deployed warriors from the Battle God Hall.

To ensure success, the Fifth Battle God led the Fifteenth and Eighteenth Battle Gods to track Lina's movements.

By nightfall, the severely injured Fifteenth Battle God returned with devastating news: the Fifth and Eighteenth Battle Gods had perished, and Lina had escaped.

A Super Douluo with three-word battle armor!

This was the only information they had on Lina after losing two of the Battle Gods.

Lina had initially been bluffing Xia Yi. Though she indeed had the cultivation of a Super Douluo, she was under thirty and had rarely shown herself. As a result, the Federation was unaware of her identity as an evil soul master.

If not for Di Tian's anonymous report, the Federation would still be in the dark about her existence.

The sudden emergence of a Super Douluo-level evil soul master prompted the Federation to notify organizations such as Shrek Academy, the Spirit Pagoda, and Tang Sect.

A Super Douluo-level evil soul master was a threat too great to ignore.

"Who killed the Battle Gods of the Battle God Hall and framed me?" Lina was in a daze for a long time after hearing about the deaths of the Fifth and Eighteenth Battle Gods.

The Battle Gods of the Battle God Hall were at least two-word battle armor masters, while the Fifth and Fifteenth Battle Gods were three-word battle armor masters.

When she was being pursued, she didn't dare to engage the three Battle Gods in prolonged combat. After severely injuring the Eighteenth Battle God, she seized the opportunity to escape.

As for killing them, even with her advantage in cultivation, defeating three three-word battle armor masters in such a short time was impossible.

"So that's why they suddenly stopped chasing me halfway. Someone must have intercepted them. It must have been the person who reported me. They've been following me all along, then killed them and pinned the blame on me." Lina quickly pieced the situation together.

A chill ran down her spine at the thought of being tracked all this time without realizing it.

Fortunately, the hidden expert hadn't targeted her.

Otherwise, escaping alive might not have been possible.

"This person's scheme isn't just about framing me; they're trying to provoke a conflict between us and the Federation. I must report this to the cult leader and the two emperors, so they can prepare for what's coming." Lina's voice was grave. She never imagined that her plan to deal with Xia Yi would spiral into such chaos.

(End of Chapter)