C3 Purple Polar Dragon Eye

A girl of about fifteen stood outside the Purple Flame House, her bright eyes and pearly white teeth radiating a gentle charm. She was clad in a light purple gown that hugged her youthful, delicate frame. Her long black hair, secured with a green ribbon, cascaded into a flowing ponytail. But what truly set her apart was the ice-blue mark on her forehead, lending her an ethereal air.

She was brimming with potential; in a few years, she was destined to be a beauty of the highest order, surpassing even Xia Ningjing, once hailed as the most beautiful in Heavenly Fire City.

Her name was Guu Linger, the sister of Guu Tianyi. Though they shared a sibling bond, they were not related by blood.

Fifteen years prior, Guu Yuntian had led the Guu family caravan through the treacherous Great Desolate Mountain, teeming with Demon Beasts. In a perilous encounter that nearly cost them their lives, a miraculous event scattered the beasts and saved them. Shortly thereafter, they discovered the newborn Guu Linger within the mountain and Guu Yuntian took her into the Guu family, raising her as his own daughter.

To Guu Tianyi, Linger was nothing less than his true sister.

"Brother Tianyi!" Linger's eyes brimmed with tears, her usually delicate features marred by the tracks of her crying. She looked so pitiable that it tugged at the heartstrings.

Guu Tianyi rushed to her side and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. "Linger, don't cry. Has someone been bullying you? Tell me, and I'll set them straight!"

Lifting her tear-streaked face, Linger's eyes shimmered with unshed tears. "Brother Tianyi, I heard... you tried to take Sister Ningjing's Martial Soul at the Star Cloud Sect and failed, leading to its destruction. And then... then you were expelled from the Sect..."

Her voice broke as she began to sob.

"Linger, do you actually believe that rumor?" Guu Tianyi asked, his smile tinged with sadness.

Her head shook vehemently. "I trust you, of course, but your Martial Soul..."

Guu Tianyi gently stroked her head. "It's okay, Linger. Remember, a year ago before I left for the Star Cloud Sect, I promised you I'd reach its core within three years and secure the Divine Flame Fruit to cure your Cold Aura. That promise still stands."

The saying goes that beauty is fleeting, and in Linger's case, it seemed cruelly apt. Born with a cold constitution, she suffered monthly bouts of Cold Aura, each episode only quelled by the fire attribute Spiritual Essence and the protection of a Martial Master. Without it, she would perish painfully within an hour and forty-five minutes.

The Star Cloud Sect harbored the Divine Flame Treasure Tree, the only known cure for her condition in the Azure Nether Country.

In three days, the Heavenly Fire Competition would commence, bringing together envoys from the Azure Nether Country's three great sects for the initial trial. Despite his expulsion from the Star Cloud Sect due to his Martial Soul's self-destruction and the loss of his cultivation, Guu Tianyi knew that a strong performance in the upcoming assessment could pave his way back into the Sect.

The so-called Three Sects refer to the Star Cloud Sect, the Spirit Void Sect, and the Purple Polar Sect.

"Brother Tianyi..." Guu Linger gazed at Guu Tianyi, and her worries melted away. Ever since she was a child, she found solace behind him; no danger seemed too great when she was in his shadow.

"By the way, Linger, are you aware of what happened with Father?" Guu Tianyi took Guu Linger's hand, leading her into the Purple Flame House.

Guu Linger cocked her head, deep in thought. "Father must have known he was about to depart. He instructed me the day before he left to heed the words of the Grand Elder and you."

"Beyond that, I'm clueless..." The Grand Elder and others would need to be consulted for more information.

After conversing a bit more with Guu Linger and with time running short, Guu Tianyi settled her into the adjacent room before he dove into his cultivation practice.

"Attaining Martial Cultivator Level Four, I can surpass the likes of Guu Linyuan among Heavenly Fire City's youth. But against true prodigies, I stand no chance. Three days—hopefully, that's enough."

With a sigh, Guu Tianyi laid out the Essence Stones, Healing Spirit Grass, and Fire Fruits he had recently acquired. His reliance was on the Top-grade Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon and the enigmatic God Level Snatching System.

The Healing Spirit Grass, a potent medicinal herb for Martial Cultivators, promised substantial healing. The Fire Fruit, a more common Spiritual Essence imbued with fire-attribute energy, greatly benefited fire attribute Martial Souls and could even temper Guu Linger's cold constitution.

"I'll reserve the Healing Spirit Grass and refine a Fire Fruit for myself; the other two will be kept for Linger," Guu Tianyi resolved with a steely gaze.

"Snatch!"

The Essence Stone's Genuine Qi was drained, causing a surge in his Dantian. His cultivation leaped forward, propelling him to Martial Cultivator Level Five as the Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon Martial Soul manifested.

To Guu Tianyi's astonishment, the dragon descended upon the Fire Fruits and devoured them whole.

"A Martial Soul consuming Spiritual Essence?" It was beyond belief.

Before he could process the sight, the dragon had ingested the remaining fruits.

"These were meant for Linger!" But the dragon, lacking both control and sentience, vanished after its feast.

Guu Tianyi blinked hard. Had the Fire Fruits not disappeared, he would've thought it all a dream. It seemed he'd need to seek another opportunity to plunder from Guu Linyuan.

Guu Tianyi pressed on with his training, reinforcing his newfound level. By nightfall, he had peaked at Martial Cultivator Level Five. Yet, as his power swelled, his eyes blazed with determination. "Xia Ningjing, your time is coming."

The night deepened, and weariness crept over Guu Tianyi. Despite their enhanced strength, Martial Cultivators were still merely mortals.

But as he settled down to rest, a tumultuous dark purple Genuine Qi roiled within his Dantian. His Martial Soul emerged of its own accord, radiating intense heat. Amidst the pitch-black night, its purple glow was starkly visible.

At this moment, the Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon appeared slightly altered from its daytime form. It had grown in size, and its once pitch-black eyes had transformed into a deep purple, with what looked like flames flickering within.

Guu Tianyi, who had been asleep, suddenly awoke with a start. His eyes seared with pain as if scorched by fire.

"My eyes feel like they're on fire!"

It wasn't just his eyes; his entire body felt as though it was engulfed in a blazing inferno.

Guu Tianyi's agonized cries pierced the stillness of the night.

The door burst open, and Guu Linger, startled by the sight of Guu Tianyi writhing in agony on the floor, gasped.

"Brother Tianyi, what's happening to you? You're frightening me!"

"My eyes!"

As Guu Tianyi's eyes snapped open, twin beams of purple light erupted from them.

Guu Linger let out a shocked cry. Before her, Guu Tianyi's eyes had turned a solid purple, with what appeared to be violent flames raging within. His gaze was hauntingly peculiar.

Lifting her gaze, she was met with the sight of the Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon hovering above Guu Tianyi's head, their eyes mirroring each other's.

"This has to be a dream..."

The moment Guu Tianyi's eyes opened, the searing pain vanished, but the world around him seemed subtly changed.

Even in the pitch-black night, he could discern every detail with crystal clarity.

"Brother Tianyi, are you okay?"

With Guu Tianyi's struggles ceasing, Guu Linger asked in a soft, worried tone.

Regaining his composure, Guu Tianyi reassured her, his eyes meeting her slightly disheveled appearance. "I'm okay, Linger. Go back to bed."

"But you were just..."

She was cut off as Guu Tianyi gently ushered her out of the room, insisting, "It was just a bad dream."

Meanwhile, in a secluded ancient tower within the Guu Mansion, two elderly men with white hair and beards sat on prayer cushions, their eyes reflecting a mix of emotions.

"The Martial Soul of our First Ancestor has vanished from the Soul Suppressing Stone. This is no trivial matter."

"As those two purple lights containing the essence of the Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon flashed by, an inexplicable sensation stirred within me."

"Could this be the legendary Purple Polar Dragon Eye mentioned in the ancient texts?"

"Could it be..."

Exchanging knowing glances, the two elders realized they had come to the same conclusion.

"The Purple Polar Heavenly Flame Dragon hasn't perished; it has been reawakened!"