Myriad Spirits, Di Tian's Concern

After dealing with the Cyclops King,

a Purple Soul Ring appeared in the air.

Zi Yao did not hesitate. He sat cross-legged and used his Soul Power to draw close to the Soul Ring.

His physique was now extremely strong, fully capable of bearing a Soul Ring of more than eight thousand years.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion did not stand on ceremony either, stepping forward to feast heartily.

Half an Hour later,

Zi Yao slowly exhaled and emerged from his meditative state. His Soul Power Level had officially entered the Soul Elder realm.

At the same time, the ability of his new soul skill entered his mind.

"Myriad Spirits can infuse Spiritual Power into any object or living creature, granting it temporary vitality."

He tentatively used the soul skill.

In an instant, his Spiritual Power blanketed the entire hill, invading every object.

Those objects seemed to begin speaking, pouring all their information into his mind.

The information was not chaotic. Since they had gained vitality through the invasion of his Spiritual Power, they would "speak" according to his needs—for example, the direction of the wind, the pulse of living creatures' muscles, the lushness of the trees, and so on.

It could be regarded as an enhanced version of Spirit Detection. Not only could it detect things, but it could also obtain comprehensive information about whatever it detected.

He could even manipulate those objects through Spiritual Power like the Cyclops, though that would undoubtedly consume far more Spiritual Power.

Zi Yao had read the original novel.

He knew that the soul skill which first set Huo Yuhao on his path of constant power-ups was Spirit Detection. It allowed Huo Yuhao and his teammates to face enemies from a god's-eye view.

Yet the skill itself was actually rather ordinary.

Most Mental System Soul Beasts possessed Spirit Detection. It was an extremely common ability.

After all, aside from its Talent Ability, Mimicry, the Ice Silkworm could not even obtain ordinary mental attack soul skills, let alone higher-tier Spiritual Power abilities. That was the limitation of a Soul Beast's bloodline.

It was only because Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Spiritual Power was of such an extraordinary caliber that even Spirit Detection had become a godly skill.

In terms of Soul Beast bloodlines,

the Cyclops King surpassed Sky Dream Ice Silkworm by who knew how many leagues, and its Talent Ability was far stronger as well.

Nearby, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion lay on the ground with a satisfied expression, licking the blood left on its claws.

The food it had been yearning for had finally fallen into its paws, making it feel quite pleased.

The Ice Empress hurriedly said, "Enough. You're full now, so hurry back to the Star Dou Core. I don't want Di Tian holding me accountable."

"You don't need to order me around."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion said indifferently.

With elegant feline steps, she leisurely walked out of the cave, giving Zi Yao one extra glance before leaving.

For some reason, she felt as if she had seen this human before...

She thought to herself.

But on second thought, she was probably just overthinking things after eating her fill.

She had lived in the Star Dou Core since childhood and had barely seen humans a few times. How could she possibly remember a human youth?

She transformed into a streak of light and flew toward the Star Dou Core.

Upon arriving within the Lake of Life,

she yawned. Full and satisfied, she was preparing to enjoy a good sleep when she suddenly felt a chill run down her back.

She turned around.

A powerfully built Middle Aged Man sat by the shore. He wore black-scaled armor, his golden eyes imposing beyond measure, with two black-red Dragon Wings extending from his shoulders and back.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion hurriedly rose. "Di Tian, you're awake?"

"Yes. I saw everything that happened just now."

Di Tian's expression was grave.

"You should not have borrowed an outsider's strength to deal with Soul Beasts of Star Dou, even if they were a group you regarded as prey."

"I'm sorry, Di Tian. I was wrong."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion did not dare disobey and obediently replied.

"I sentence you to a thousand years of confinement in the core region. During that time, I will have Scarlet King find food for you. You are not permitted to leave!"

Di Tian said coldly.

A thousand years?

The third eye of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion opened wide in shock. Being confined to the core region for a thousand years would bore her to death.

"There is no room for discussion in this matter."

Di Tian cut off her impending pleas in advance, transformed into his Black Dragon True Form, and dove into the Lake of Life.

"Di Tian, is the Auspicious Beast well?"

At the very bottom of the Lake of Life, a cool female voice rang out.

"Reporting to my lord, she is safe. I have ordered her to cultivate in seclusion in the Star Dou Great Forest for a thousand years. She should be able to avoid this so-called calamity."

Di Tian replied.

He regarded the Auspicious Beast as his own daughter. Naturally, he would not sentence her to over a thousand years of confinement over such a minor matter.

As an auspicious being blessed by heaven and earth, the Auspicious Beast possessed greater fortune than ordinary Beasts and rarely encountered threats.

One possibility was encountering an opponent whose fortune countered hers.

The other was a bottleneck she was destined to face.

Neither was good news.

As the supreme treasure of the Star Dou Great Forest, Di Tian did not want her to face even the slightest threat. That was why he had chosen to confine her for a thousand years.

"It is useless. This is a great calamity she is fated to encounter. If she can overcome it, her Power of Destiny will rise further and help her rapidly cultivate to the hundred-thousand-year level."

"If she cannot... her fate will be like that of the previous Auspicious Beast, perishing during the ten-thousand-year stage."

The cool woman's voice became regretful.

This Three-Eyed Golden Lion was the offspring of the previous Auspicious Beast, who had perished in the Star Dou Great Forest after only several tens of thousands of years of cultivation, never taking that step.

Di Tian's expression also grew solemn.

If the Three-Eyed Golden Lion could break through her bottleneck and reach one hundred thousand years, the entire Star Dou Great Forest would receive even stronger blessings of fortune. His nine-hundred-thousand-year great tribulation would no longer be cause for concern.

By then,

no matter how rapidly humanity's Soul Tools developed, Soul Beasts would never be inferior to them!

"My lord, if that human youth is the Auspicious Beast's calamity, then perhaps..."

Di Tian was eager to make a move.

He had naturally discovered Zi Yao's presence and had been secretly watching to ensure the Auspicious Beast's safety.

"No. You sensed that youth's aura as well. He must be a descendant sent down by some God King of the God Realm. If you act rashly, those selfish God Kings will seize upon it as an excuse to send down divine punishment."

The Silver Dragon King immediately stopped him.

"But those Deities have already extended their hands into the mortal world. If we wait step by step for that youth to grow stronger, what will await us?"

"Are we truly going to sit and await death?"

Di Tian could not help asking.

After merely waking from a sleep,

the entire continent had long since changed beyond recognition, while Soul Beasts had not progressed nearly as much. They still relied on their bloodlines and accumulated cultivation over time.

The tiny humans once regarded as food and ants had, through the evolution of time, established a cultivation system of their own and even developed Soul Tool technology.

Human Soul Tools were gradually compressing the living space of Soul Beasts.

Now, even Deities had begun making arrangements in the lower world.

Perhaps if the Auspicious Beast successfully broke through to one hundred thousand years, the Star Dou Great Forest's situation would improve.

But what if she failed?

"Di Tian, calm down."

The Silver Dragon King said evenly, her silver dragon eyes unwavering.

"My injuries have already healed considerably. Wait a while longer. Our current concealment is only laying the groundwork for our return to the peak one day."

"My lord, I look forward to that day," Di Tian said respectfully.