Huo Yuhao watched Lin Xiao's retreating figure, a bitter feeling stirring in his heart. Why did I feel a little envious of him?
Huo Yuhao did not know that his destiny had changed from the moment he met Lin Xiao. The greater current remained unchanged, but the smaller currents could shift, and Lin Xiao had only altered a few of those smaller currents.
Once enough smaller currents changed, the greater current would change as well.
That was how little things added up.
Huo Yuhao left the Heaven Dou Empire and hurried toward Shrek Academy. Classes at Shrek had already started, and Huo Yuhao was already late.
Wang Dong was probably very worried by now.
"Brother Sky Dream, can my Martial Soul still evolve into Extreme Ice?"
Huo Yuhao felt miserable. He had thought he could obtain an Extreme Ice Martial Soul, but with the Ice Empress nowhere to be found, he could only settle for the next best thing.
"I don't know. Probably, but there's no need to worry. Your Martial Soul isn't bad, either."
The Sky Dream Ice Silkworm spoke lazily. Huo Yuhao had already obtained it, so there was no point agonizing over it now.
Huo Yuhao nodded. He would take things one step at a time.
Inside the Star Dou Great Forest, Lin Xiao once again arrived at the place where he had agreed to meet the Auspicious Beast.
Lin Xiao had missed their appointment again.
"Xiao Xiaozi, back to swindle the Auspicious Beast again?" The Ice Empress lay on Lin Xiao's shoulder and laughed.
"What do you mean, swindle? The Auspicious Beast and I are as close as siblings. How could I possibly swindle her?"
Lin Xiao flicked the Ice Empress's head for talking nonsense.
"Pfft, as if I don't know you!" The Ice Empress stretched and lay comfortably on Lin Xiao's shoulder.
Lin Xiao could not be bothered to argue with her. After spending so much time with Old Medicine and Electrolux, even the Ice Empress had become mischievous.
The Two Elders treated the Ice Empress like a daughter, naturally doting on her.
Having missed another appointment, Lin Xiao had no idea where to find the Auspicious Beast and could only wait here.
Lin Xiao began refining medicinal pills. He had gathered plenty of medicinal herbs since entering the Star Dou Great Forest, and using the pills' fragrance to attract Ling'er seemed like a good idea.
With that thought, Lin Xiao took out his pill furnace and began refining medicinal pills.
As Lin Xiao refined batch after batch, the pills' fragrance drifted outward, filling the air with a faint scent.
The Emperor Auspicious Beast, Xiao Linger, had already detected that pleasant fragrance in the air.
"Lin Xiao, it's Lin Xiao!!"
"That scoundrel is here."
Joy lit up Xiao Linger's face, and even the beast brains beneath her paws lost their appeal. "Scarlet King, take me there! Hurry, take me there!"
Xiao Linger was terribly excited. She had eaten all the medicinal pills he had given her last time and had not had a chance to restock.
Just thinking about it made her unhappy.
The Scarlet King received her command, but before they could set off, a black-clad figure appeared. "I'll go with you."
The speaker was none other than Beast God Di Tian.
With Di Tian having spoken, what else could they say?
Soon, drawn by the pills' fragrance, all kinds of Soul Beasts gathered around Lin Xiao. The Ice Empress floated beside him. Even though she had become a Soul Spirit, her imposing presence remained.
Intimidated by the Ice Empress, those low-level Soul Beasts dared not make any rash moves.
"Lin Xiao, I'm here!!"
Xiao Linger's voice rang out, accompanied by a terrifying aura. The surrounding Soul Beasts immediately scattered in fright.
Xiao Linger leaped down from the Scarlet King's back and went straight to Lin Xiao's side.
"Ling'er, there are medicinal pills here." The Ice Empress floated down and approached Xiao Linger.
Xiao Linger swallowed one in a single bite, utterly delighted. "Thank you, Sister Ice Empress."
Soon, Lin Xiao withdrew his flames, and the final medicinal pill appeared in his hand.
None of these pills reached the first tier. They could only be considered unranked, but they made decent snacks.
"Senior Di Tian!"
Lin Xiao looked in surprise at Di Tian behind the Auspicious Beast. Why had he come as well?
Di Tian nodded slightly. "Level thirty already. You really do cultivate quickly."
"Do you only come looking for the Auspicious Beast when you need a Soul Ring?"
Di Tian stared straight at Lin Xiao, as though trying to see right through him.
Lin Xiao gave an awkward smile. Put that way, it did seem he had only come these past few times when he was on the verge of a breakthrough.
When he counted them up, he really did look suspicious.
"Ahem, it's mainly that once I start cultivating, time just flies by."
Lin Xiao's explanation was utterly unconvincing. Di Tian rolled his eyes at him. Did he really expect me to believe that?
"Come with me. Ling'er, play with the Ice Empress for a while."
Di Tian looked at Lin Xiao while giving the Auspicious Beast her instructions.
Lin Xiao froze and looked at Di Tian in confusion. Why did he suddenly want to speak with him?
Lin Xiao hesitated, but ultimately decided to leave with Di Tian.
The Auspicious Beast glanced at them, then began playing with the Ice Empress.
The two arrived at a quiet spot. Di Tian raised his hand and enveloped Lin Xiao.
"Lin Xiao, how about letting the Auspicious Beast stay with you?"
Di Tian opened with his strongest card, leaving Lin Xiao dumbfounded on the spot.
Wait, was this right?
Lin Xiao's head buzzed. Was this really the Di Tian I knew? Something was wrong, but Lin Xiao could not figure out what.
The Auspicious Beast was the hope of the Star Dou Great Forest. Would Di Tian really say something like that?
Lin Xiao asked in bewilderment, "Senior, you're not joking with me?"
Di Tian shook his head. "No. This is the decision we reached after discussing it among ourselves."
Di Tian spoke very seriously and did not seem to be joking.
"Why?"
"You hadn't made any such decision before."
"Something must have happened. I'd like to know why you decided this, Senior."
Lin Xiao looked at Di Tian. He truly was curious. Nothing like this had happened in the original story.
And now, Di Tian had actually brought it up himself. That really piqued Lin Xiao's curiosity.
Di Tian thought for a moment, then asked, "Lin Xiao, you're human, so you must know about that fellow who became a god ten thousand years ago."
Lin Xiao nodded. "You mean Tang San?"
Di Tian nodded. "Him. You may not know this, but ten thousand years ago, two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts guarded the Lake of Life."
"And those two Soul Beasts ultimately sacrificed themselves to Tang San, helping him become a god."
"I thought they had died, but just over two months ago, I detected their auras."
"They had become gods."
At this point, Lin Xiao could more or less guess the purpose behind Di Tian's decision.
Because of the incident at the Ice Fire Yin Yang Well, those two bootlicking beasts had made their move.
Lin Xiao had not expected the Clear Sky Sect to intervene, but they would not be able to uncover anything anyway.
Lin Xiao continued asking, "And then?"
"Presumably, Tang San resurrected them after becoming a god and made them gods along the way."
"That is also what I value in letting the Auspicious Beast stay with you. With your talent and aptitude, becoming a god won't be difficult. We believe in you, too."
"When the Auspicious Beast becomes a god someday, she won't be like those two vile traitors. For you humans, becoming a god takes only a few short decades."
"We Soul Beasts can afford to wait."
Di Tian had real resolve and dared to make the decision. The Auspicious Beast was the hope of their entire kind.
Yet he was entrusting her to Lin Xiao just like that, without fearing that Lin Xiao might harm her.
"Senior, aren't you afraid I'll harm the Auspicious Beast?"
Lin Xiao blurted out the question in a daze.
Di Tian smiled and shook his head. "We chose you precisely because we believe you won't."
"Otherwise, do you think we're that foolish?"
Lin Xiao paused. Fair enough. The Auspicious Beast did not hold that much allure for him.
Only an idiot like Tang San would scheme to seize the Soul Beasts' fortune.
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