"Please grant this servant's wish, my lord!"
The Auspicious Beast Qilin's voice rang like a great bell, sending ripples racing across the lake. Its enormous head was pressed desperately into the mud, as humble as an office worker who had missed their targets and was begging their boss for one more chance.
The entire scene fell deathly silent.
Even Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan's hand, posed in an Orchid Finger gesture, trembled. He looked at the nine soul rings beneath his feet, then at the Hundred Thousand Year Auspicious Beast begging to die, and felt as though he had cultivated for nothing his entire life.
Back then, Old Ghost and he had nearly lost their lives just hunting a fifty-thousand-year Cave Demon Spider.
And now?
A Divine Beast that started at one hundred thousand years had delivered itself to their doorstep—and even came with the humble service of "please accept me."
"Um..." Qian Mo scratched his head, looking troubled. "Actually, I don't really want to kill. Look at how imposing you are, with all those colorful scales. Wouldn't it be cool to bring you back as a mount? Even going out to buy groceries would look impressive."
The Qilin panicked at once.
It suddenly raised its head. Tears had actually filled its enormous eyes, and it looked like even bubbles of snot were about to come out from crying.
"My lord! You must not!"
The Qilin wept bitterly, its tone tragic. "This little beast's lifespan is nearly over, and its body is already decaying. If I cannot become your soul bone and coexist with you, then within three years, I will be nothing but dry bones! Only by becoming part of your body can this little beast mooch... no, bathe in your auspicious divine radiance and obtain eternal life!"
Qian Mo: "..."
This was rather awkward.
He wanted to take in a little brother, but the little brother only wanted to become equipment.
"Fine." Qian Mo sighed and nodded reluctantly. "Since you're this sincere, I'll take a loss and accept you."
"Thank you for your great grace, my lord!"
The Qilin was overjoyed, as though Qian Mo had not agreed to kill it, but had instead handed it a green card straight to the God Realm.
Afraid that Qian Mo might change his mind, it did not even leave behind any final words. A blinding golden-red light suddenly erupted from its body.
There was no bloody smell.
Nor was there any resentment from a final desperate counterattack.
Its massive body rapidly melted away within the light, transforming into the purest torrent of energy.
A golden-red soul ring slowly rose, obedient as a tamed hula hoop, and automatically settled around Qian Mo.
Immediately afterward, a crystal-clear skull emitting seven-colored light floated in midair.
It was the condensation of the Auspicious Beast Qilin's lifelong wisdom and essence—[Hundred Thousand Year · Auspicious Beast Qilin Wisdom Skull].
Whoosh.
The skull turned into a stream of light and entered Qian Mo's brow.
Boom—!
Qian Mo's aura surged explosively.
His soul power shot upward like a rocket, directly breaking through the Level 40 bottleneck and soaring onward.
Level 41... Level 43... Level 45!
Nine years old.
A Level 45 Soul Ancestor.
Four Hundred Thousand Year soul bones across his body: Holy Light Unicorn Right Arm, Seven-Colored Auspicious Cloud Deer Left Arm, Golden-Eyed White Tiger Torso, and Auspicious Beast Qilin Skull.
If he revealed that setup, even the Asura God in the God Realm would probably dismantle his divine equipment overnight and start over.
Qian Mo closed his eyes, feeling the coolness spreading from his brow.
Information about two brand-new soul bone skills surfaced in his mind.
Skill One: [Auspicious Protection].
Passive Effect: Immune to all Mental Control and curses.
Active Effect: Activate an absolute golden-body defense. Its duration depended on soul power, and while active, it reflected all physical and energy attacks.
Skill Two: [Omniscience Omnipotence].
Effect: Consume mental power to activate God's Perspective, allowing one to perceive information about all things in the world and even observe a designated target's real-time movements. Limited by the target's strength and distance. Current range: the entire continent.
"God's Perspective?"
A playful curve formed at the corner of Qian Mo's mouth.
This skill was quite interesting.
If anyone dared curse him behind his back in the future, he could follow the internet cable... no, the Karma Line, and slap them hard across the face.
"Xiao Mo, how is it?" Qian Renxue stepped closer and looked curiously at her younger brother.
She noticed that Qian Mo's temperament had changed again.
If he had previously been a sunny, warm boy next door, he now carried an added air of depth and mystery. Those eyes seemed capable of seeing through the deepest secrets hidden within people's hearts.
"This skull gave me a very interesting ability."
Qian Mo opened his eyes, a flash of golden light passing through them. "Perfect. We can watch a show and relax."
"Watch a show?" Zhu Zhuqing also moved closer, her cat ears twitching slightly.
Qian Mo raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
"Omniscience Omnipotence, activate!"
An invisible mental fluctuation spread outward.
In the empty air before them, Auspicious Qi gathered and slowly unfolded an exceptionally clear image, like a projector.
Within the image was a noisy, filthy blacksmith shop.
The furnace blazed red, and heat waves rolled through the room.
A youth dressed in coarse cloth covered in patches, his face blackened with coal dust, was swinging a hammer larger than himself as he pounded away at iron.
It was none other than nine-year-old Tang San.
At that moment, he was truly miserable.
Without Immortal Herbs and without the tempering of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, his Mysterious Heaven Skill had become stuck at a bottleneck and simply would not advance.
In order to save money to buy rare metals for hidden weapons, he had no choice but to work day and night at the blacksmith shop.
"Who's that?" Qian Renxue frowned in disgust and covered her mouth and nose with a handkerchief. "He's filthy, like a beggar."
"This is the famous Son of Clear Sky Douluo, Tang San." Qian Mo introduced him with a smile. "Also that genius who goes around shouting, 'You have a death wish.'"
In the image.
Tang San stared intently at a piece of heated Iron Mother.
He had saved three months of wages to buy this top-grade material and planned to use it to forge a Sleeve Arrow.
"Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer!"
Tang San shouted softly, his eyes shining as he felt unbelievably cool.
Just then.
A passing wild dog seemed to have been attracted by the special mineral scent coming from the Iron Mother. While Tang San turned to get water, it shot inside like lightning, grabbed the scorching metal in its mouth, and ran.
"My Iron Mother!!"
Tang San turned back and saw it, his eyes splitting with fury.
You wretched beast! You’re courting death!
"Beast! You have a death wish!"
Tang San roared and activated Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, preparing to give chase.
However.
This was the "unluckiest person of the day" selected by Omniscience Omnipotence.
The instant Tang San started moving, he failed to notice a fresh pile of waste beneath his foot, left behind by that wild dog moments earlier.
Splat.
His foot slipped.
Tang San's entire body traced a beautiful arc through the air.
Bang!
His face hit the ground first.
And without missing by even an inch, he plunged directly into the filthy bucket of water beside him, used for quenching and covered in grease and rust.
Glug glug glug...
The bucket shook violently, releasing a string of bubbles.
The wild dog held the Iron Mother in its mouth and glanced back at the upside-down two-legged beast. Its eyes revealed thirty percent mockery and seventy percent disdain. Then it wagged its tail and strutted away.
At the edge of the Lake of Life in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Deathly silence.
Then—
"Pfft, hahahahaha!"
Qian Renxue burst into unrestrained laughter, tears flying from her eyes. She had to hold onto Qian Mo's shoulder to keep from collapsing.
"This... this is Clear Sky Douluo's son? This is a genius?"
Qian Renxue pointed at Tang San in the image, who was pulling his head out of the bucket with rotten vegetable leaves and rusty water hanging all over his face. Her stomach hurt from laughing.
"That dog... that dog's footwork was way better than his!"
Even Zhu Zhuqing, usually so cold and composed, could not stop the corners of her mouth from rising wildly.
She tried hard to hold it in, but her shoulders shook like a sieve.
"This is the so-called Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track?" Zhu Zhuqing added another stab. "He can't even dodge dog shit. It seems agility attack-type soul masters don't need this footwork."
Chrysanthemum Douluo and Ghost Douluo exchanged glances.
Their expressions were marvelous.
Originally, they had been quite wary of the Clear Sky Sect. After all, Tang Hao's hammer was no joke.
But after watching that scene...
The tension of facing a great enemy instantly vanished. They even felt like awarding that dog a Martial Soul Hall Honorary Elder medal.
Qian Mo watched the image, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
What concerned him was neither the dog nor the shit.
It was the battered bundle behind Tang San.
Through Omniscience Omnipotence's data analysis, he saw a corner of a map protruding from the bundle.
The marked location was deep within the Soul Hunting Forest.
"Man Faced Demon Spider..."
Qian Mo rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
According to the original course of fate, Tang San should encounter that Man Faced Demon Spider soon and obtain that External Soul Bone considered practically a divine skill—the Eight Spider Lances.
That was a good thing.
Though it looked a little ugly, its ability to devour and evolve was truly overbearing.
"These Little Spider legs look rather distinctive." Qian Mo narrowed his eyes, a wicked smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "They should be good as toothpicks for my pet, or perhaps roasted for Zhuqing."
Since he had seen it, there was no reason to leave it for someone else.
That was the joy of Omniscience Omnipotence.
Your lucky opportunity?
Sorry, I've got my eye on it. That means it's my delivery now.
"Alright, we've watched enough."
Qian Mo waved his hand and dispersed the image, stretching lazily. "Clean up. We're heading back to the city."
"We're going back already?" Qian Renxue still seemed unsatisfied. "Let's watch a little longer. I think he stepped on a nail again just now."
"There will be plenty of chances to watch later."
Qian Mo turned around, his gaze falling on the distant lands beyond the forest, in the direction of Suotuo City.
"Next, it's time for us to visit that legendary Shrek Academy that 'only accepts monsters.'"
"I'd like to see whether they're the monsters, or whether my fists are."
The convoy slowly left the Core Area.
Not long after Qian Mo and the others departed.
The waters of the Lake of Life suddenly began to boil violently.
Deep beneath the lake, a pair of enormous vertical pupils, as if forged from molten gold, slowly opened.
A terrifying pressure instantly enveloped the entire Star Dou Great Forest.
Every soul beast, regardless of age, fell prostrate to the ground at that moment, trembling in fear.
That was the Beast God, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian.
"My lord..."
Di Tian's deep voice echoed beneath the lake, carrying an incredulous tremor.
"That aura just now... was it a new Dragon God?"
"No... more noble and more sacred than the Dragon God."
"That was an Auspicious Source... one that stood above the God Realm."
Di Tian slowly raised his enormous dragon head, his gaze piercing through ten thousand meters of lake water toward the direction Qian Mo had left.
"The heavens are changing."
"Perhaps the turning point for the soul beast race lies with this person."
"Go. Investigate his background thoroughly."
"If he is a friend, protect him with the full strength of our entire race."
"If he is an enemy..."
The golden light in Di Tian's eyes suddenly turned icy and murderous.
"Then at all costs, kill him before his wings have fully grown!"
Before you continue