Fierce Beasts

"Di Tian, the Auspicious Beast has appea—" A terrifying giant bear with dark-gold fur charged to the lakeshore, transforming into a muscular man clad in dark-gold armor.

A dignified yet furious roar rang out like a thunderclap from a clear sky. Bear Lord immediately froze, his voice weakening considerably as well. The burly man gave an awkward smile. "Oh, so the Tiger Empress is here too."

"We already know that the Auspicious Beast has appeared," Di Tian said unhurriedly. He was in an exceptionally good mood and did not hold Bear Lord's intrusion against him. Looking closely, there even seemed to be a hint of amusement in those brilliant golden eyes.

"The Auspicious Beast appearing in Star Dou is truly a blessing from heaven." The Emerald Swan Bi Ji, the Demonic Eye Demon Tree Myriad Demon King, and other powerful soul beasts also appeared around the beautiful lake at the heart of Star Dou Forest.

"Although the Auspicious Beast has appeared in Star Dou, it is still being nurtured. Before it is officially born, no Fierce Beast is to disturb it excessively." Once Star Dou's Fierce Beasts had gathered near Lake of Life, Di Tian spoke solemnly. He glanced at the Tiger Empress, then pondered for a moment. "Scarlet King, Fox King, the two of you will guard the area three kilometers from where the Auspicious Beast is located. If any humans approach, kill them without mercy. If you encounter an opponent you cannot defeat, seek aid immediately."

"Yes." A massive three-headed hound and a somewhat more slender nine-tailed silver fox answered in low voices, transforming into streaks of light as they flew toward the southeast of Star Dou Forest.

"We need only await the Auspicious Beast's birth. Once it is here, Star Dou Forest's strength will surely rise to another level with the Auspicious Beast overseeing it," Di Tian said.

The Fierce Beasts present all voiced their agreement and departed one by one. Lake of Life returned to tranquility.

The Tiger Empress did not leave. She lay by the lake, her tail lazily swatting at the water.

A woman in emerald-green robes walked to her side.

The Emerald Swan Bi Ji's human form was already exceptionally tall by human standards, but standing beside the Tiger Empress, she looked like an exquisite doll.

She raised a hand and stroked beneath the giant tiger's chin. A thunderous purr rumbled from the big cat's chest.

"Dark Cloud..." Bi Ji spoke, genuine sorrow in her voice. "The Auspicious Beast can increase the chances of Fierce Beasts surviving their Heavenly Tribulations. It will be born soon. Can't you... give up your plan? I can replenish the vitality you lost, I—"

"Bi Ji." Tiger Empress Dark Cloud interrupted her, her voice utterly calm. "When have you ever seen me regret anything?"

"There's an Auspicious Beast now! Maybe you don't have to die!" Bi Ji cried almost hysterically, tears pouring from her emerald eyes. "There was no Auspicious Beast when you made that decision. Back then, you thought you would definitely be unable to survive the seven-hundred-thousand-year Heavenly Tribulation! But now the Auspicious Beast has appeared. If you—if you don't stop, you truly won't have even the slightest chance!"

The Tiger Empress remained unmoved, merely licking Bi Ji's hair with the tip of her tongue.

"Di Tian! Di Tian, persuade her!" Bi Ji clutched the black tiger's fur and turned toward Di Tian, pleading.

"I understand the Tiger Empress. She will not turn back," the Beast God said flatly, as though the beast Bi Ji spoke of, one soon to die, was not his old friend of many years. "So I will not waste my effort. I respect every decision she makes."

"Enough, good girl." The giant tiger rose, stretched lazily, then let out a long yawn, revealing a mouthful of fangs and a tongue covered in barbs. "Don't sigh for me. There are still about ten thousand years left."

The Emerald Swan let out a loud sob.

Beyond Star Dou, the foremost powerhouses of other soul beast territories also turned toward Star Dou Great Forest as though sensing something.

At the deepest point of Demon Whale Sea Territory, the largest demonic whale abruptly stopped swimming. A moment later, a strange humming sound emerged from his mouth.

"Those guys on land really stepped in shark shit." The enormous Deep Sea Demonic Whale King muttered in the unique language of whales. "An Auspicious Beast was actually born."

"What's an Auspicious Beast?" A young whale, tiny compared to the Demonic Whale King, asked innocently. Its cry was crisper and more pleasant than the Demonic Whale King's, like an underwater lark.

"It's an extremely useful cultivation accelerator." The Demonic Whale King lowered his head, scooped his calf up from the seafloor, and balanced it atop his head as he floated upward. "Once Daddy reaches Million-Year Cultivation, I'll go to the surface and catch it for baby to play with~"

"Yay!" The silly little whale happily blew out a string of bubbles atop her father's head.

"Don't make promises to the child so casually." The much smaller female whale smacked the Demonic Whale King hard with her tail. "You stupid fish, once you go ashore, how could you possibly beat those soul beasts guarding the Auspicious Beast?"

"Ow, dear, be gentler!" The Demonic Whale King did not hurt at all, but he cried out cooperatively. "Dear, why are you always boosting others' morale and crushing your own? Don't you want the Auspicious Beast to speed up our cultivation? And how am I inferior to that black dragon? Even if I can't beat him, I should at least be able to take him down with me!"

"Don't talk nonsense!" The female whale grew angry and smacked the Demonic Whale King with her tail again. "The only thing I want is for our family to stay safe and sound. Ever since that human became a god, I haven't felt at ease. Behave yourself!"

"Human soul masters can't come back after becoming gods. The Sea God has already fucked off," the Demonic Whale King said indifferently.

"But the sharks raised by the Sea God are still near Sea God Island, along with the Sea God's priest. I've always felt uneasy."

"Have a little faith in me, dear."

"Daddy! Fly!" The little whale balanced atop her father's head could not understand her parents' worries. Seeing that her father was not moving, she began urging him on.

"Alright!" The brutal Deep Sea Demonic Whale King's eyes were now filled with fatherly affection. He lifted his enormous head and tossed his calf toward the sea surface above.

The female whale watched father and daughter playing ahead of her and listened to the calf's bright, joyful calls, yet her eyes were instead filled with deep worry.

The family of three floated toward the bright sea surface.

In the Extreme North Land, the Heavenly Snow Woman, who had been quietly conversing with the Ice Bear King, abruptly fell silent.

"Snow Empress?" The large white bear looked at her in confusion.

"The Imperial Auspicious Beast... has been born." Snow Woman sighed softly. She looked south, her gaze seeming to pierce through the boundless snowy plains of the Extreme North. "That direction should be Star Dou Great Forest... Sigh, what a pity. The Auspicious Beast was not born in my Extreme North Land. With the Auspicious Beast's aid, our chances of overcoming the Great Tribulation would be far more secure... What a pity."

"You're so powerful. You'll definitely overcome the Great Tribulation safely." The Ice Bear King nudged Snow Empress's hand with his wet nose.

His cultivation was insufficient, so he had not sensed the subtle ripple accompanying the Auspicious Beast's birth. He was also too young to understand what the Auspicious Beast meant to soul beasts. He had merely heard the trace of sorrow in Snow Empress's words and instinctively tried to comfort her.

"Mm." A genuine smile appeared on Snow Empress's beautiful face as she raised a hand and patted the white bear's large head.

In the more distant Evil Demon Forest, the largest and most terrifying evil eye awoke from its nap.

"I sense the ripples of fate." An ancient voice rumbled out. "An omen of fortune has descended."

"Huh?" His most beloved offspring, a smaller evil eye, raised a tentacle and scratched where its huge eyeball's pupil was in confusion.

"It's too far away. It has nothing to do with us." Evil Emperor snapped at his child. "Hurry up and cultivate. Your older brothers and sisters had already reached Hundred-Thousand-Year Cultivation at your age. But you? Wandering aimlessly through the forest all day, not knowing how to work hard at all!"

The little evil eye muttered things like "balance work and rest" and "you can only cultivate after resting well," then returned to cultivation resentfully.

At the same time, in the Divine Realm.

Inside a tower in the Forbidden Land, blood-red, black-and-white, and purple-green runes covered the structure. Layer upon layer of strange symbols overlapped in rings, forming an incomparably intricate formation.

This formation had been jointly established by the five great God Kings of the Divine Realm Committee, and it had only one purpose: sealing.

A pure golden double-pointed spear was embedded in the blood-red altar at the center of the room. Like a golden heart, it was imprisoned within the formation.

Yet at that moment, the spear, jointly sealed by five God Kings and theoretically incapable of ever breaking through the seal, suddenly trembled once.