Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape

That night, Clear Sky Fortress.

An ancient gray castle stood atop sheer cliffs, clouds and mist endlessly churning around it, lending the place a hazy, mysterious air.

In the grandest hall of the fortress, a somewhat illusory golden trident floated at the center. Golden light flowed across it, and the enormous trident faintly radiated a majesty that no one dared look upon directly.

"What is it this time?" A burly, short-haired middle-aged man muttered in the hall. He was one of Tang San's two Divine Officials, the human form assumed by the Titan Giant Ape from ten thousand years ago.

Ten thousand years ago, they had sacrificed themselves for Tang San and were later resurrected in the Divine Realm. With the aid of the Divine Realm's abundant primordial energy, they directly attained the cultivation of Divine Officials and had remained in the Divine Realm ever since.

A thousand years ago, after the two God Kings of Goodness and Evil left the Divine Realm, the two of them had secretly descended to the lower realm under Tang San's arrangements. Since then, they had lived in seclusion within the Clear Sky Sect, occasionally handling matters on Douluo Continent for Tang San.

Niu Tian, the Sky Azure Bull Python with long azure hair, cast a warning glare at the insolent Titan.

The golden light emitted by the trident grew ever brighter. Amid a swath of blue-gold radiance, the Sea God's phantom appeared out of thin air.

Tang San nodded slightly to them. "Da Ming, Er Ming, it has been a long time. I have something for you to do."

"Yes, please give your orders." Niu Tian and Titan lowered their heads respectfully.

"Why be so formal between brothers?" Tang San said with a smile, looking every bit magnanimous and tolerant.

If we really weren't formal, you wouldn't be this easy to talk to, Titan grumbled inwardly, though he did not dare show it.

Tang San raised a hand, and an exquisite little box appeared before the phantom, floating silently in midair.

"You two also know of the Auspicious Beast in the Star Dou Great Forest, yes? Xiao Wu mentioned it to me before. The Auspicious Beast is Star Dou's most important existence and the key to the prosperity of soul beasts." Tang San spoke calmly. "I have a premonition that Douluo Continent will no longer remain peaceful. Perhaps the Auspicious Beast may face danger."

When Sun Moon Continent crashed into us three thousand years ago, you didn't think things were unsettled. What could possibly be unsettled now? Titan thought bitterly.

Niu Tian seemed to sense something and quietly stepped on his foot.

"After all, both my mother and my wife are soul beasts. I cannot bear to see soul beasts decline either." Tang San did not notice their little exchange. "This box contains a trace of my divine power. I will have to trouble you two to place this power upon the Auspicious Beast. At a critical moment, it may save its life."

"That will be easy enough. As long as we return and speak to those Fierce Beasts in Star Dou, they surely will not refuse goodwill from a god," Niu Tian said with a slight nod.

"You must not do that." Tang San frowned and stopped him coldly. "Though this does not exactly violate the rules, it is still exploiting a loophole in them. It should not be publicized. You two need only sneak into Star Dou and place this on the Auspicious Beast. Do not let anyone discover you, and do not remain away from Clear Sky Fortress for too long. If you operate outside Clear Sky Fortress for an extended period, the God of Destruction may discover your movements."

After giving his instructions, Tang San's phantom vanished.

"This will not be easy," Niu Tian said quietly. "You know what those Fierce Beasts in Star Dou are like. Each of them guards the Auspicious Beast as if it were the apple of their eye... The two of us need not fear them in terms of strength, but placing this thing on the Auspicious Beast without alerting any Fierce Beast will be no simple matter."

"I really do not know what meaning there is in protecting the Auspicious Beast." Titan snorted, seeming to harbor resentment. "Back then, the Auspicious Beast talked about Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts helping each other resist human hunting. But tell me, who remembered any of us then? If Aunt Rou had received help from other Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, how could she have been killed by humans? And not to mention Sister Xiao Wu... If there had been just one more Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast helping her back then, would she still have sacrificed herself to that Tang San? Would we still have to live by watching Tang San's expression like this?"

Yet no one knew that when Bibi Dong obtained information from Slaughter City about the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast Soft Bone Rabbit in the Star Dou Forest... Xiao Wu, the Titan Giant Ape, and the Sky Azure Bull Python were fated to become soul rings for the old Asura God's successor!

"It is too late to say any of this now. No matter how much you resent the other soul beasts for not helping..." Niu Tian shook his head with a bitter smile. "Aunt Rou herself was the one who refused to visit the Auspicious Beast in the Forbidden Land of the core region, suspecting that the Fierce Beasts wanted to lure weaker Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts there to eat them... Besides, without the Auspicious Beast presiding over Star Dou, you and I might not have attained this level of cultivation either."

"Sigh, Big Brother, I know all that." Titan shook his head. "It is just that this life... sigh, it feels like being in fucking prison."

Returning from the Divine Realm, where primordial energy was abundant, to the spirit-energy-starved Douluo Continent had already left him and Niu Tian extremely uncomfortable. Not only was it impossible for their cultivation to advance any further, they could not remain away from their little patch of land at Clear Sky Fortress for long. Naturally, their days were stifling and miserable.

"Also, Titan, you must never show your dissatisfaction with Tang San again." Niu Tian suddenly spoke solemnly. "In the future, hold back whatever you want to say. Do not blurt it out. Tang San is no longer the man he was back then."

"Hah, he became a god and got arrogant." Titan snorted. "Just look at how he treats those brothers of his..."

"Titan!" Niu Tian growled.

"Whatever else, the two of us count as Sister Xiao Wu's family. Even though we both liked Sister Xiao Wu in the past, after she chose Tang San, neither of us said anything, much less entertained any other thoughts." Titan's face was full of mockery. "But Tang San guards against us as if we are thieves... What? Is he worried Sister Xiao Wu will betray him? He sent us back to Douluo Continent like he was chasing off thieves, leaving Sister Xiao Wu alone in the Divine Realm. We do not even know whether Sister Xiao Wu is being mistreated."

He shook his head. "I will only say this once in front of you, Big Brother. Sigh, I am going for a drink. As for how to fulfill Tang San's request... Big Brother, you can worry over it yourself."

One month later, Shrek Academy joined forces with the Body Sect, the royal families of the three nations of Douluo Continent, and other somewhat powerful sects. They dispatched elite disciples and attacked the Star Dou Great Forest under the banner of a "Joint Soul Hunt."

Most of the Fierce Beasts left the core region to meet the enemy. A level ninety-five elder of the Clear Sky Sect lured away Scarlet King, the Auspicious Beast's final guard, and was ultimately killed by Scarlet King.

Titan and Niu Tian personally placed Tang San's divine power, meant to "protect" the Auspicious Beast, onto Wang Rui.

"In that battle, a Frenzied Sand Demon Ape with Hundred-Thousand-Year Cultivation unfortunately perished. The heir to the Body Sect's leader obtained his soul ring and soul bone." Wang Rui revealed a faintly bloody smile. "But it did not matter. He spat out the soul ring and soul bone on the spot."

That young sect master of the Body Sect had only just broken through to the Titled Douluo level when Bear Lord and Zi Ji killed him.

Peace was never something that simply fell from the sky while one sat and waited. All peace rested upon the formidable strength of the Star Dou Great Forest.

As the victorious side, the Star Dou Great Forest seemed to have gained no tangible benefit beyond the three great empires' promise to stop targeting Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

In truth, the Beast Sect had mediated the peace talks. While earning a great deal of prestige, it had also received considerable "gratitude" from the three great empires.

And the Beast Sect becoming stronger meant that Star Dou's strength grew as well.

The three great empires and some weaker sects had not wanted to move against Star Dou in the first place—after all, the Hundred-Thousand-Year soul rings being contested in this war had nothing to do with them. Yet they had still been coerced by Shrek into joining the allied forces.

Naturally, the three great empires grew even more dissatisfied with that colossal academy—though their dissatisfaction did not accomplish much.

"I do not care who wins or loses in this war between soul beasts and humans. I only want to ask how you plan to deal with this thing in your soul." Electrolux pulled the derailed topic back. "Do not let me wake up one day to find that my landlord has been replaced."

"That is easy. I know where the main body of this Soul Fragment is." Wang Rui shrugged. Wang Dong'er should already be at Shrek Academy. "The Soul Fragment and its main body will attract each other. When the time comes, I can directly pull the consciousness body of her soul's main body into my Sea of Consciousness."

"With a consciousness body wrapped around it, this fragment will no longer contaminate me. Whether she takes it away afterward or lets the consciousness body absorb it, it will have nothing to do with me."

This was an excellent opportunity. He could fully use this connection to influence Wang Dong'er in reverse.

My editor told me I am getting a recommendation! Could everyone please keep reading every day and scroll to the end? Only if my read-through rate meets the requirement can I possibly get another recommendation.

Help this kid out, QwQ