The Love Challenges of Snow Sky Dog

Long ago, when the sky and the earth were still immersed in chaos, a beam of light suddenly flashed amid the eternal darkness of disorder. The sky and the earth began to separate at this moment, and the void celebrated the creation. In that era, the Heavenly Realm appeared in the sky, while deep beneath the earth formed the Underworld. In the Heavenly Realm, 700 gods were born, among them, the most powerful and adept in magic was the Water Ancestor of the Gods.

Under the earth, 18 demon lords also emerged, each ruling over a layer of the underworld and controlling 108 demon nobles and 1200 demon legions. On the surface, the world of humans was formed, and various mythical creatures coexisted in that realm.

On the southern edge of the human world, there was a massive mountain, devoid of any beasts. This mountain didn't experience the four seasons but only had a perpetual winter. On the mountain's peak, there was a wolf-shaped stone absorbing the essence of heaven and earth for a thousand years. One day, a god in the heavens dropped the eternal hammer into the human world. This magical item fell onto the wolf-shaped stone of the snowy mountain. Strangely, the eternal hammer and the stone fused, transforming into silver light that illuminated the southern land of the human world. When the silver light faded, the stone became a creature, part god, part mythical being. The creature looked up to the sky and bowed three times. Then, he cut his index finger, and as his blood dripped onto the snow, three drops turned into a small box. He spoke:

"From now on, I am Snow Sky Dog, and I will return to this snowy mountain to retrieve the magical item that belongs to me when I awaken all the power within me."

Snow Sky-Dog spread his wings, as white as snow, behind him and soared to the heavens. He headed towards the Academy of the Gods, founded by the Water Ancestor of the Gods, where young gods were trained.

Snow Sky-Dog flew straight to the east, passing through the gate connecting the world of gods to the world of humans. He continued until he saw a giant castle made of pure gold. He landed in front of the castle gate. Suddenly, two other gods landed at the same time. The three of them were about to speak when a god in silver armor, holding a crystal spear, stepped forward and addressed them:

"Hurry into the academy; the Water Ancestor of the Gods has been waiting for you!"

The three gods looked at each other in surprise and confusion for a moment before hurrying into the academy. The place was bustling with students, all of whom were outstanding talents chosen from the world of gods. Some had handsome, sharp features, balanced bodies, and an air of elegance, while others had peculiar and exotic appearances. Three drums sounded, and an old yet agile god with a tall figure stepped forward and said:

"Young gods, welcome to this academy! You are the future of the world of gods, those who will bear the heavy responsibility of maintaining the stability and balance of the three worlds: the world of gods, the world of humans, and the world of mythical beings. In the future, upon graduating from this academy, you will have to undertake and fulfill the difficult and complex tasks of all three worlds. These tasks will be directly assigned to you by the Lord of the Gods. If, during your training, I notice any of you committing misdeeds, I will punish you accordingly. You will be divided into small groups for convenience. Each group will consist of three members, and each group will have a teacher who is a god from the academy to guide and manage. A special group will be led by me. Now, I will read the names of the three student gods. After I read the names, the three of you step forward, introduce yourselves, and share your views and ideals."

The entire hall fell unusually silent. All the students quietly hoped that their names would be read by the Water Ancestor of the Gods before all others. In the entire academy, where only gods were trained, everyone wanted to become the favored disciple of the Water Ancestor. The heavy atmosphere of silence seemed to pull down the curtain of time. Suddenly, the first name was called, the god that Snow Sky-Dog had encountered at the academy gate.

"Kurogami Masayuki, come forward!"

Kurogami Masayuki stepped forward swiftly and decisively. He stood in front of all the students and spoke with a resonant voice.

"I am Kurogami Masayuki, born from the rare but intense light within eternal darkness. I always hold the truth in my mind: ' Truly glorious are the words that express courage; those words guide the courageous actions of an honorable man - a warrior leading the way.'"

"Well said, Kurogami Masayuki. Now, stand behind me; you are the first student I will directly oversee. You are the top student among the three I find most favorable, so you must take responsibility for protecting and assisting the other two student gods."

"Yes, Master!"

The voice of the Water Ancestor of the Gods echoed once again.

"The second chosen is Snow Sky Dog!"

Snow Sky-Dog was extremely surprised; he didn't expect a newly-born god like him to be personally selected by the Water Ancestor of the Gods. He felt his body tremble with excitement at this incredible honor. He felt a bit confused and anxious about the speech he was about to make. To deal with this favor, he summoned all the courage scattered in his mind, focusing it on his pounding heart. He clenched his fist tightly, quickly stepped forward, and began his speech.

"I am Snow Sky Dog, born from the snow of a thousand years, the soul of a wolf, and eternity. If I have a cherished principle in life, it is: In life, as in the art of war, if you cannot adjust the rhythm, you are merely a failure. A strong warrior must know when to attack and when to retreat."

"You also speak well, Snow Sky Dog. I have high expectations for you. In the future, the order of all three worlds depends on your spiritual strength! Strive on."

The Water Ancestor of the Gods fell silent for a moment, then spoke again.

"The last one is Mizuchi Haruka, a goddess!"

Mizuchi Haruka slowly stepped forward and spoke gently.

"Hello, everyone. I am Mizuchi Haruka, the goddess of spring and various flowers. I don't have a strong life philosophy like the two senior brothers who just spoke. I just want to say: 'No joy without sorrow. No victory without pain. No freedom without sacrifice.'"

"Mizuchi Haruka, you also speak very well. From now on, I hope you will maintain and embody that precious spirit. You are also a significant hope for the three worlds, so try your best to uphold your admirable spirit."

The eldest brother, Kurogami Masayuki, spoke enthusiastically with a resounding voice in the first-morning session in the room reserved for the most outstanding students of the academy.

"Wake up, everyone! It's a bright day, and today is our first day. We need to ignite our spiritual energy!"

Snow Sky-Dog had already woken up, but Mizuchi Haruka remained calmly asleep. Kurogami Masayuki pulled her blanket.

"Wake up, little sister! It's morning, and you didn't come here to be a princess!"

"Forgive me, big brother! Who has as much energy as you do?"

"Do you think you're the goddess of spring and flowers? Why don't I see any signs of spring in you?"

"Leave me alone! A creature born of darkness!"

Snow Sky-Dog couldn't help but laugh, putting down the book he was reading to burst into laughter.

"Why are you laughing, snow wolf? Do you think being born from a rock makes you so talented?"

Mizuchi Haruka defended Snow Sky Dog,

"Born from a rock, so what? At least, he let me sleep comfortably!"

"Do you sleep comfortably here? Do you know where this is? This is the Academy of Divine Beings, not the flower field in your homeland!"

"Whatever about the Academy of Divine Beings? Miss here wants to sleep, so what?"

"Master has appointed me as your elder brother, so I have the right not to let you sleep!"

Kurogami Masayuki pulled the blanket of Mizuchi Haruka, who resembled a sleeping princess. Mizuchi Haruka said,

"Snow Sky Dog, help me, this Shadow God is bullying me!"

Snow Sky-Dog joked,

"What do I get if I help you? Will you become my lover?"

Kurogami Masayuki frowned,

"Hey, wolf, who said that a god is allowed to have love?"

"I just like having love affairs with women, you know, Shadow Deity!"

"I'm not a Shadow God; I'm a god born from rare light rising in eternal darkness!"

"Just the same!" Mizuchi Haruka teased Kurogami Masayuki.

"Hey, flower princess, snooty miss, You're on the same side as the snow wolf, huh?"

"If I say it's true, then what about it, Shadow Deity? If I like to love someone, then I love that person, so what?"

"I will inform the master that you all love each other in this academy!"

Snow Sky-Dog couldn't contain his laughter because he found it amusing.

"You two are hilarious!"

"Why are you laughing? The hungry wolf. Wait for me to deal with the lazy princess lying on that bed; I'll deal with you too!"

A deep voice echoed from behind the three of them.

"You all seem quite friendly. Excellent! I'm very pleased with that! It's only been a day, and you already treat each other like siblings in a family; that's very good!"

All three were surprised, and in unison, they asked Thủy Tổ Của Các Vị Thần.

"Huh! Master, when did you come here?"

"I just arrived! Your noise made the academy so lively; how could I not hear such loud sounds?"

"We apologize, Master!"

Thủy Tổ Của Các Vị Thần was not angry; he laughed and said,

"Everyone, let's go have breakfast, hurry up!"

In the cafeteria of the Academy of Divine Beings.

"The food here is delicious!" Snow Sky-Dog spoke while eating.

"Have you been hungry for a thousand years, snow wolf?"

"If he says the food is good, he's praising the food, what's bothering you?"

"Flower princess, haven't you fallen for this little guy?"

"Consider it that way! So what? Are you jealous? I like whoever I want, how about that?"

"I'll go tell the master that you guys are in love at this academy!"

Snow Sky-Dog couldn't resist laughing even more.

"Haha, you two are hilarious!"

"Why are you laughing? I'll give you a beating right now!"

A person at the opposite table couldn't contain his anger. He insulted all three of them.

"Indeed, a bunch of noisy and useless people! I don't understand why Thủy Tổ Của Các Vị Thần chose you as his outstanding students. Perhaps, he's old and has some mental issues!"

Snow Sky Dog slammed the table.

"What did you say? You are a scoundrel! If you dare to touch our master, I'll kill you right here!"

"Kill me? Should I be afraid of you? Probably not, half-god, half-youkai, lowly being!"

"Yeah, you're fed up with life, so you dare to provoke me? Fine, I'll break all the bones in your body." Snow Sky-Dog mobilized the divine power within him, but Kurogami Masayuki stopped him.

"Snow Sky Dog, I'm your older brother. Let me handle these trivial matters; you don't need to bother!"

As Kurogami Masayuki finished speaking, a powerful suction force emanated from his right hand. The arrogant god who insulted all three was swiftly drawn towards Kurogami Masayuki with great speed. When he touched Kurogami Masayuki's hand, a powerful backlash sent him flying far away, causing his nose to bleed.

"Do you know who I am?"

"I do. You're a stray dog who doesn't know who its master is, so you bark and bite recklessly!"

The minions of that arrogant deity rushed forward to assault Kurogami Masayuki, Snow Sky-Dog couldn't restrain himself any longer; it was time for him to act.

"Big brother, I'm here to help you!"

A powerful snowstorm erupted, blowing away the lackeys of the arrogant god who had caused trouble with the trio of outstanding students under the guidance of the Water Deity. As they fell to the ground, vines of unknown origin sprouted and tightly entwined them. Kurogami Masayuki praised his younger sister.

"Mizuchi Haruka, my dear sister, you're quite strong!"

"If I'm not strong, then who is strong here?"

The brawl among the divine academy students reached a climax when the Ancestral Deity of the Divine Beings stepped into the academy's dining room and spoke.

"All of you, come to my office, quickly!"

The Water Ancestor of the Deities couldn't conceal the anger on his face.

"I have said something to you when you first set foot in this academy. Even if you are my most beloved student, if you do something wrong, I will still punish you."

Snow Sky-Dog said,

"But, Master, they provoked us, and we could endure it! However, if they insult you, we won't forgive them because we owe you our gratitude!"

After leaving the office of the Water Deity of the Divine Beings, the trio, consisting of Snow Sky Dog, Kurogami Masayuki, and the only goddess in the group, Mizuchi Haruka, happily chatted about the cafeteria brawl. Snow Sky-Dog exclaimed,

"Ha ha, that defiant deity got his nose bleeding from my older brother's punch. Someday, you have to teach me that move!"

"The snowstorm you created wasn't bad either! It's powerful; the comrades of that defiant deity got a taste of bone-chilling cold on the snowy mountain! Someday, you should teach me that technique, Snow Sky-Dog!"

Mizuchi Haruka, feeling a bit dissatisfied, interjected,

"Why don't you praise me, the youngest? I'm strong too, didn't my rope tie them up tightly?"

Snow Sky-Dog laughed and replied,

"Ha ha, my little sister is also powerful. Interestingly, I'm inclined to start a love story with strong girls. Do you want to create a beautiful love story with me like those in novels?"

Kurogami Masayuki, slightly annoyed by Snow Sky Dog's teasing, retorted,

"Always flirting with women, are you the kind of man who specializes in seducing them?"

Mizuchi Haruka hastily defended Snow Sky Dog and taunted Kurogami Masayuki,

"If he's like that, so what? Are you jealous? Don't you also like me? But I've fallen in love with the handsome, intelligent, and strong Snow Sky Dog! I want to see if Snow Sky-Dog deceives my feelings or if I play with his feelings!"

"If that's the case, you're not innocent either, Flower Princess."

"What about you? You're not innocent either!"

Then, she turned to pull Snow Sky-Dog closer.

"Hey, my love, why don't you defend me? That Dark Deity bullied me."

Kurogami Masayuki threatened Snow Sky Dog,

"Dare to provoke me, Snow Wolf? I want to see between you and me, who is the stronger deity! If you dare to protect the flower princess, then let's see how I'll deal with you."

"You scare me too much; I'm afraid that if you die, my master will punish my husband and wife. Isn't that right, my love, Mizuchi Haruka?"

Mizuchi Haruka charmingly said,

"Exactly, my love! If my older brother freezes because of you, the master won't let us love each other anymore. At that time, I will be sad because no one will warm my heart!"

Kurogami Masayuki sarcastically commented on the "couple."

"Whether I freeze or not, the master won't allow you two to love each other. The Master of the Divine Beings has long forbidden gods from loving each other! So stop dreaming, you two. Otherwise, the master won't be able to protect you. At that time, don't come to me for help."

After chatting like friends for a while, they realized it was already midnight. Kurogami Masayuki said,

"Enough joking, go to sleep, you two. The flower princess and the snow wolf go to sleep! Otherwise, tomorrow I'll have to pull your blankets to prevent you from oversleeping!"

The second day at the Academy of the Divine Beings.

As soon as the trio woke up, they received a secret mission order from the Water Deity of the Divine Beings. The three friends quickly arrived at their teacher's office. The Water Deity of the Divine Beings spoke to all three of them,

"I have just received an order from the Lord of the Divine Beings that my three outstanding students must undertake a secret mission. In the southern forest of the human world, a dark force is rising. I suspect that the youkai of the youkai world are trying to establish a force against the world of the gods. What's more dangerous is that I fear a magical item with extremely terrifying power may fall into their possession. If that happens, the empire of the gods is at risk of destruction. You must not let those youkai plot against the world of the gods. If possible, bring back the head of the youkai behind this plot to me. And most importantly, if you discover that magical item, bring it back to me. Among you, whoever performs best in this mission will earn my highest trust!"

Kurogami Masayuki asked his teacher,

"Master, what is that magical item? Can you tell us?"

"Alright, I will tell you! But you must promise not to disclose this information to anyone."

"We promise not to reveal information about this magical item to others."

The Water Deity of the Divine Beings, after a brief silence, spoke in a shallow voice,

"It is the Four Souls Gem!"

Snow Sky-Dog was the most surprised of the three upon hearing this.

"The Four Souls Gem? I thought it was just a myth!"

"It's real! It is one of the eight magical items with the most tremendous power in all three worlds. If it becomes the possession of an evil youkai, it will be very dangerous for the world of the gods."

Mizuchi Haruka was surprised by this information. Until now, she had never heard anyone discuss a magical item called the "Four Souls Gem." She asked her teacher,

"Master, although I may lack knowledge, can you explain to me the power of this magical item?"

The Water Deity of the Divine Beings patiently explained to his disciple about the Four Souls Gem.

"All creatures in the three worlds have four souls. There is the wild soul - the soul of courage; the strange soul - the soul of intelligence; the mind soul - the soul that controls the body; and finally, the virtue soul - the soul of love. If these four souls are directed towards goodness, the creature can absorb the energy of the sky, earth, and sea to become a god; if not, it can still increase in strength and longevity over time. But if all four souls of that creature lean towards evil, it will become a monstrous being. The Four Souls Gem is a magical item capable of providing an extremely large source of power for all four souls. It will be a great disaster if this gem becomes the possession of a youkai who wants to become the king of youkai. Do you understand the importance of this secret mission? This mission is given by the Lord of the Divine Beings himself! Try your best to complete it! Because that way, you will undoubtedly have a high position in heaven in the future."

Kurogami Masayuki confidently spoke to his master,

"I, on behalf of all three, accept this mission from my master and the Lord of the Divine Beings. I promise that we will surely complete this mission and not disappoint our master and the Lord of the Divine Beings."