Negotiation

There was a strange aura around this kid, one that even Di Tian could not make sense of. Why was that?

Perhaps it was because of that god.

Di Tian naturally knew of Ye Su, the god said to be omniscient and omnipotent—the only true god walking the earth in millions of years.

It would have been hard not to know.

Ripples spread across Lake of Life in the core region of Star Dou Forest. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the towering ancient trees, scattering flecks of gold across the lake's surface.

Di Tian stood by the lakeshore with his hands behind his back, his dark-gold robe embroidered with dragon patterns swaying slightly in the night breeze. He stared at the boy opposite him, who did not even reach his waist.

Solomon, the one humans called the "Holy Son," was meeting his gaze with golden eyes that seemed capable of seeing through all things.

"May I ask what brings the Holy Son here?" Di Tian's deep voice echoed through the forest. He deliberately emphasized the word "sir," and a trace of scrutiny flashed through the vertical pupils unique to dragons.

The aura emanating from this human hatchling was simply too strange. It was as pure as a newly hatched chick, yet it carried a depth even he could not see through.

Solomon smiled faintly, and sincerity as clear as water rippled through his golden eyes.

He raised a hand and gently brushed the silver cross hanging from his chest. The sacred aura flowing over it made the soul beasts hiding in the shadows let out uneasy growls.

"You flatter me, Mr. Di Tian." The boy's voice was clear as a spring. "I came here in hopes of reaching a cooperation agreement with everyone in Star Dou Forest."

Di Tian raised a brow slightly, dark dragon scales faintly appearing around his neck.

Naturally, he thought of the soul beast contracts that had recently caused such an uproar in the human world.

But he feigned ignorance, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. "Oh? What cooperation could there possibly be between humans and soul beasts?"

"The times are changing, Mr. Di Tian." Solomon spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly. "The conflict between soul beasts and humans has lasted far too long. It is time to seek a new path forward."

"More importantly, The Lord is merciful and cannot bear to see humans and soul beasts slaughtering one another. This is The Lord's will; we are merely its executors." As he spoke, the sunlight above seemed to brighten, as though something truly was watching this conversation from on high.

Hearing this, Da Ming, the Sky Azure Bull Python coiled beside the lake, could not help raising his enormous head. His azure scales glimmered coldly in the moonlight. "Human, what do you mean by that?"

Solomon turned toward Da Ming and said gently, "Da Ming, you should know very well that the living environment of soul beasts is worsening by the day."

With a wave of his right hand, a three-dimensional map formed from particles of light appeared in the air. It marked the extent of human urban expansion over the past century. "Human hunting and the shrinking of habitats—these are indisputable facts."

Da Ming knew this. He had personally witnessed the wails of soul beasts in the outer regions. Di Tian understood even better; over the eight hundred thousand years he had guarded this forest, he had watched its boundaries retreat by more than a hundred miles.

The Black Dragon King's gaze sharpened. Thinking of the corpses of his kin stripped of their soul rings, and of the ancient trees that had stood for millennia being endlessly felled, his voice turned as cold as black ice from the far north. "So? What are you trying to say?"

"What I mean is that The Lord is willing to provide shelter for soul beasts." Solomon's voice suddenly became ethereal, every word carrying an echo like a divine oracle.

"The merciful and generous God is willing to shelter soul beasts and offer them a new choice."

The boy stepped forward, and a six-pointed star formation bloomed beneath his feet. "As long as Star Dou Forest is willing to accept soul beast contracts, we can establish dedicated protected zones and forbid humans from hunting soul beasts." He raised his left hand, and the light screen immediately displayed a projection of a forest shrouded by the Sacred Barrier. "At the same time, we can help soul beasts grow stronger, even help you break through the one-hundred-thousand-year limit."

"So-called contracts are merely another way for you humans to turn soul beasts into slaves." Di Tian sneered. As he loosely clenched a dragon claw, faint cracks appeared in space itself. "What difference is there between losing one's freedom and the right to control one's own life, and being dead?"

"Not so." Solomon showed no fear in the face of the Dragon Might bearing down on him. The cross on his chest suddenly erupted with dazzling white light, erasing the oppressive force without a trace.

The boy formed a complex hand seal before his chest, and the contract rune immediately split into two. "This kind of contract is a mutual and equal one. There is no such thing as one party being the other's slave."

"I swear in The Lord's name!" Solomon's tone remained gentle and calm. "If there is even half a lie in my words, then may I fall into Hell forever, never to be freed!"

Solomon's oath echoed through the forest, startling countless golden butterflies from the treetops. They formed a brilliant ribbon of light beneath the sun.

Di Tian's golden pupils contracted slightly. Swearing in a god's name was an exceedingly solemn promise in the world of soul beasts.

"An equal contract?" Di Tian repeated quietly, his tone filled with an indescribable complexity.

He thought of his wife, who had fallen beneath the Heavenly Tribulation; of his kin who had gone mad in pursuit of breaking through their limits; and of The Lord, sleeping beneath the lake.

The Black Dragon King's sharp claws dug deeply into his palm. Dark-red dragon blood dripped onto the grass, instantly giving rise to large patches of spirit herbs radiating Dragon Might.

At that moment, a pink figure suddenly darted out from the woods.

"Uncle Di Tian!" Xiao Wu hurried forward, the agility unique to a Soft Bone Rabbit allowing her to reach the center of the standoff in an instant.

She held a snow-white Soft Bone Rabbit in her arms and said anxiously, "What Brother Solomon said is true! Look at my Xiao Ba—even I can form a contract with a soul beast. Look!" As she spoke, she showed the rabbit-shaped mark flickering on the back of her hand. The Soft Bone Rabbit affectionately rubbed against her cheek.

"Xiao Wu!" Da Ming abruptly interrupted her, his enormous snake tail uneasily slapping the water's surface. "How can you be sure this is not a human conspiracy?"

Er Ming chimed in with a muffled voice, "Yeah, Sister Xiao Wu. Humans are the best at lying!"

Xiao Wu stamped her foot anxiously. "Why can't you understand? Brother Solomon, he..."

Solomon raised a hand, signaling her to remain calm.

His gaze remained as clear and steady as ever. He stepped forward. To be honest, he wanted to take Di Tian hard right now—ah, no, contract him.

But relations between humans and soul beasts were already tense. If he acted like a bandit now, he would definitely be rejected.

He still had to take it slowly.

He spoke gently. "Besides, this is an opportunity for humans and soul beasts to change the way they coexist. I think you, Di Tian, should understand as well: humans cannot possibly give up becoming soul masters. If the old path continues, humans can only become soul masters by hunting soul beasts. And soul beasts, in order to survive, will in turn hunt soul masters. This is not good for either side."

He looked at Di Tian, his tone sincere. "Now that such an opportunity exists, why not give it a try?"

At this point, his tone shifted as he looked toward the lake overflowing with majestic life energy. "Or is it that the Silver Dragon King hidden within the lake is unwilling?"