Spiritual Origin, Capturing Tian Meng

In the lush forest,

a massive white-jade Ice Silkworm was fleeing at tremendous speed, leaving a long trench across the ground. Its smooth skin was ringed with glowing patterns—ten in total—and its tiny golden eyes gleamed with exhilaration.

"If I could cry, I'd be sobbing my eyes out. Ten thousand years, ten thousand years! I've finally been reborn!"

It was the first Million-Year Soul Beast on Douluo Continent—Sky Dream Ice Silkworm.

After enduring the inhuman, round-the-clock torment of the Star Dou Fierce Beasts, it had finally, secretly advanced to the million-year level and slipped away while the Star Dou Fierce Beasts were asleep.

Sensing that it was about to reach the outskirts of Star Dou and completely escape those Beasts' clutches,

it could not help feeling delighted and smug.

"Di Tian lacks cunning, and Bear Lord lacks brains. Sure enough, neither can compare to my astonishing wisdom."

"Just wait. Once I find a Mental System Soul Master host and nurture him into a god, I'll definitely come back and make you Beasts answer to me!"

Just as it fantasized about punching Di Tian and stomping Bear Lord beneath its feet,

two figures descended from the sky, landing directly in its path.

"Sky Dream Ice Silkworm? You're not dead yet?"

Ice Empress was astonished.

Among the things she had once most wanted to eat, Snow Empress ranked first, while Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was undoubtedly second.

However, she intended to eat them in different ways. She truly regarded Tian Meng as food, but unfortunately, his Spiritual Power was too strong, allowing him to escape in time every single time.

In the past ten thousand years,

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had completely vanished. She had thought another Soul Beast had gotten to him first.

"Ice Empress? Why are you here? Did you come to save me?"

Sky Dream's mung-bean-sized golden eyes lit up as he wriggled desperately toward Ice Empress.

Ice Empress revealed a look of disgust. With a wave of her hand, she sent Sky Dream Ice Silkworm flying with Soul Power, then used Frost Power to firmly trap him in midair.

"Save you? Stop flattering your fat, bloated self."

She had only ever considered Sky Dream Ice Silkworm food.

So what if he had pursued her for ten thousand years? Would anyone feel desire for a hen?

"You passed the Four Hundred Thousand Years Heavenly Tribulation? How is that possible? Wasn't your Origin Power damaged?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm asked incredulously.

He had already planned that, after possessing a Human Soul Master, he would go find Ice Empress and half-force her to sacrifice herself.

"Food like you has no right to be curious."

Ice Empress spoke coldly.

"Ice Empress, don't rush! I've already used up almost all my Heaven and Earth Origin Energy. You won't gain anything from eating me!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said with a powerful will to survive.

His body was really just an empty shell now. The Heaven and Earth Origin Energy from the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow had all been drained by the Beasts. If he failed to find a Mental System human host in time, he would still die.

"It's actually true. Wait, you broke through to a million years?"

Ice Empress was utterly shocked as she stared blankly at the ten Golden Rings on Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's body.

This was a Million-Year Soul Beast. Before this, no one had ever heard of a Soul Beast reaching the million-year level. Even someone as powerful as Di Tian was nowhere close.

"Just luck. If the Beasts of Star Dou Great Forest hadn't captured me, I'd have reached a million years long ago!" Sky Dream Ice Silkworm said proudly.

"Captured by the Star Dou Fierce Beasts? Don't tell me you offered all that Heaven and Earth Origin Energy of yours to those Beasts!"

Ice Empress's beautiful eyes widened.

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was a little embarrassed. "I didn't do it on purpose..."

"I really want to kill you right now!"

Ice Empress gritted her silver teeth.

The Extreme North already had fewer powerful Beasts than Star Dou Great Forest. It was bad enough that Sky Dream Ice Silkworm had consumed the Ten Thousand Year Profound Ice Marrow, such a precious treasure of the Extreme North.

Yet he had actually traveled all this way to Star Dou just to deliver himself to them. Did he think Star Dou's Beasts were not strong enough already?

"Ice Sister, let me talk to him."

Zi Yao said with a faint smile, patting Ice Empress on the shoulder.

Only then did Sky Dream Ice Silkworm notice him. Seeing the hand casually resting on Ice Empress's shoulder, and seeing that the proud Ice Empress did not resist but instead complied with Zi Yao's command,

his heart filled with bleak sorrow.

The proud Ice Empress had never allowed anyone to touch her casually, aside from Snow Empress, whom she secretly admired.

Now that someone else could touch her so freely, they must have already...

"Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, do you want to live?" Zi Yao asked bluntly.

"Ah, what meaning is there in living for me now..."

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm put on a heartbroken expression.

Zi Yao sneered and turned away. "Fine, then. We'll leave you here. I'm sure a pack of wild beasts will come along before long and tear you apart."

"Hey, no, no, no! I was joking! I want to live, I want to live!"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm hurriedly changed his tune.

He had two reasons for escaping. One was immortality, and the other was Ice Empress.

Of course, if he could attain immortality together with Ice Empress, that would be even more perfect.

But Ice Empress was clearly no longer an option.

Still, he had not given up hope on immortality.

"Seal half your Spiritual Origin inside my Sea of Consciousness, and I'll let you leave. I can even point you toward a path to godhood."

Zi Yao said calmly.

Without making Sky Dream Ice Silkworm sacrifice himself, the most valuable thing Zi Yao could covet was his vast Spiritual Origin.

The Ice Silkworm Clan was chiefly outstanding in the Mental System. Some Ice Silkworms around a thousand years old could use Spiritual Power to imitate the aura of a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

As a Million-Year Soul Beast, Sky Dream's

Spiritual Power might not match Evil Emperor's in terms of density, but he had the sheer volume of a million years behind him.

"Half of my Spiritual Origin?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm clicked his tongue.

This was what he depended on to survive. It was the cultivation he had gained by lying around for who knew how many years.

Zi Yao opened his mouth and demanded half of it. Naturally, Sky Dream was reluctant.

Zi Yao had considered this carefully.

He had not chosen to have Sky Dream sacrifice himself to him. If he wanted Sky Dream's Spiritual Origin, Sky Dream had to personally seal it within Zi Yao's Sea of Consciousness.

Even if he killed him,

he still would not be able to obtain that vast Spiritual Origin. Sky Dream Ice Silkworm might even choose to self-destruct in desperation, and no one knew how much destruction a Million-Year Soul Beast would cause.

Furthermore, taking more than half of his Spiritual Origin was no different from killing him, and Sky Dream Ice Silkworm would never agree to that.

Therefore, this was already the greatest benefit Zi Yao could obtain.

"Um, could you take a little less?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm tried to negotiate, asking timidly.

"You have no bargaining power. Agree, or I'll feed you to the wolves."

Zi Yao said with a faint smile.

On Douluo Continent, strength was supreme. Although Sky Dream Ice Silkworm was currently the continent's only Million-Year Soul Beast, he could barely defeat a Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. He was simply a giant walking cake.

"Still, I'm not some devil. Once you honestly separate half your Origin Power, I'll grant you a path to godhood."

"A path to godhood?"

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm became interested. He sized Zi Yao up and down, then said somewhat skeptically,

"You're only a Soul Elder, yet you dare speak so casually about godhood. As far as I know, the last great human expert to become a god did so Ten Thousand Years Ago."

Zi Yao smiled and revealed his Soul Rings.

With Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's Spiritual Power, he could thoroughly detect everything before him. He was slightly surprised when he looked at the First Soul Ring.

"The aura of a two-hundred-thousand-year Beast?"

But the aura hidden within the second Soul Ring shocked him even more.

"Even I can't see through it? A Deity?"