Although Soul Beasts fought among themselves, they were united in their hostility toward humans.
That was one of the unspoken rules between Soul Beasts and Soul Masters.
Because of these unspoken rules, even powerful Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts would band together for warmth, especially those that had survived a heavenly tribulation. They were even more determined to stay alive.
Gu Yuena didn't care about the Soul Masters of the human world. Even a Titled Douluo was nothing in her eyes.
But she was wary of the gods. The human world had many inheritances left behind by gods, and the divine servants who guarded those inheritances were connected to them. If things got out of hand and the gods behind them were alerted, the Divine Realm would find out, and that would be trouble.
Honestly, I found Gu Yuena's plan to understand why humans were so powerful that they could surpass Soul Beasts pretty absurd. She sealed herself, took human form, and infiltrated human society, only to end up with a split personality.
Isn't it obvious why Soul Beasts can't develop?
Can't you see those massive heavenly tribulations?
Is it that Soul Beasts don't want to develop?
It's because simply staying alive is already difficult enough. Where would they find the time to develop?
Humans didn't have to endure heavenly tribulations to become gods, but Soul Beasts were struck by one every hundred thousand years. The greater their talent, the more fiercely they were struck.
The Divine Realm had also completely blocked Soul Beasts' path to godhood.
You, the Silver Dragon King, couldn't even become a god, yet you're wondering why Soul Beasts can't develop and keep up with humans? And you even sealed yourself and went to the human world to serve yourself up on a platter?
Kill the gods in the Divine Realm who send down the heavenly tribulations, and open the path for Soul Beasts to become gods. Plenty of Soul Beasts who were hundreds of thousands—or even a million—years old would immediately be able to ascend, and the Soul Beasts would flourish.
Your followers and subordinates were struck by lightning right in front of you, putting their lives at risk, and you still wondered why Soul Beasts couldn't develop?
Blocking
Gu Yuena could only vaguely sense that this new rival had appeared in human territory.
And not on the outskirts, either, but in the heart of human territory.
Why would a newly born pure-blooded Dragon Clan member end up deep in human territory?
Gu Yuena's strength was between that of a First-Level God and a God King. As an upper-ranking member of the Dragon Clan, she could freely change between human and beast forms.
It wouldn't be difficult for her to infiltrate the human world.
"I need to go to the human world," Gu Yuena ordered, but didn't explain the reason for her unusual behavior.
She didn't want her subordinates to know that a newly born pure-blooded Dragon Clan member could obtain the Dragon God's inheritance.
"Yes, My Lord!" Di Tian bowed in reply, his manner respectful.
Although he was puzzled that Gu Yuena was suddenly going to the human world instead of meditating in seclusion to recover from her injuries, he chose to trust his master, the incarnation of the Dragon God. She must have had her reasons.
Quite a few of the Ferocious Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest that had lived for over a hundred thousand years chose to take human form.
Taking human form could delay the arrival of heavenly tribulations and allow them to break through the limits of their lifespan and strength through the human cultivation system. In human form, they could also cultivate more efficiently.
But even after taking human form, no Soul Beast would go to the human world before reaching level seventy. That was their weakest period, and even an ordinary Soul Master could easily kill a Soul Beast that had just taken human form.
Most Soul Beasts who took human form were sensible enough to stay in the forest under the protection of their companions. With their top-tier talent, they could cultivate quickly. Even if they slacked off, they could still become Soul Saints within fifty years.
Fifty years was a short time for Soul Beasts.
But there were always a few Soul Beasts with something wrong in their heads. They couldn't even stay put for fifty years, were curious about the human world, and liked going out for a stroll—as if they were afraid of staying alive.
When it came to such weak, brainless fools, Di Tian couldn't be bothered to care, as long as they didn't disturb the Silver Dragon King deep in the Star Dou Great Forest.
Gu Yuena and Di Tian both took human form, left the Star Dou Great Forest, and entered the human world.
The Silver Dragon King knew little about the human world. The memories she had inherited were of an age when Soul Beasts had flourished, while humans could only cling to life in remote corners.
She had been healing for far too long.
The two Dragon Clan Ferocious Beasts hurried on.
Gu Yuena could only follow her senses in search of the newly born Dragon Clan member, and her route twisted and changed repeatedly.
Di Tian followed quietly, without raising any objections.
Meanwhile, Bian Que stared at the Dragon Egg, which kept glowing and stirring, perplexed.
Judging by his knowledge, the egg clearly hadn't matured yet. Donghuang Taiyi's Dragon Egg should have been developing quietly, not showing such unusual signs.
As the leader of Yunmengze, Donghuang Taiyi's strength and wisdom were beyond doubt.
There had to be a reason for his agitation.
Just as Bian Que was about to take the Dragon Egg back to Spirit City to find Qian Xunji, it stopped moving. Its aura faded until it was almost imperceptible, as if it had merged with nature.
While he was still hesitating over what to do, the heroes' internal chat interface lit up. Donghuang Taiyi sent him a private message.
Donghuang Taiyi: [The problem has been resolved. Continue with the original plan, but hide me. Don't let anyone see me.]
Bian Que: [All right.]
Inside the Dragon Egg, Donghuang Taiyi—still only an embryonic young dragon—sensed Bian Que's movements and settled down. He continued to develop, purify his bloodline, and draw upon the inheritance power that lay beyond his perception.
Donghuang Taiyi was not only the leader of Yunmengze, but also a master of the Yin-Yang School, erudite and skilled in many rare techniques.
The moment he was summoned by the Summoner, he sensed the world's faint hostility toward him.
The Yin-Yang School was exceptionally sensitive to nature and destiny. Donghuang Taiyi was certain his perception was accurate.
So he decided to use Guiguzi's art of nature to diminish his presence and blend into the natural world.
At the same time, he used Guiguzi's reincarnation technique to transform his innate talent and bloodline, advancing toward greater heights.
He hadn't expected this to lead him to discover the so-called Dragon God's inheritance.
But the Dragon God's inheritance was clearly poisoned. After obtaining it,
Donghuang Taiyi sensed that some being seemed to be using the inheritance to locate and perceive him.
The person on the other end didn't have much control over the inheritance. It seemed they'd only obtained partial control of it for some special reason.
The Yin-Yang School's philosophy combined the mathematical and divinatory ideas of antiquity with the theories of yin-yang and the five elements. It developed them further into a vast cosmological framework, attempting to explain the causes of natural phenomena and the laws governing their changes.
For a master like Donghuang Taiyi, this was no more than a trivial nuisance, easily resolved with a simple technique.
Heaven Dou Empire
After traveling without stopping, Gu Yuena suddenly lost the sense of where the newly born Dragon Clan member was. She froze.
Then came disbelief!
She was the Silver Dragon King, the Dragon God's incarnation and inheritor. How could her senses be blocked?
She tried again to sense the newly born Dragon Clan member, but still found nothing. That aura seemed to have merged with nature: it was everywhere, yet impossible to locate.
Gu Yuena lowered her head and considered what might have caused this. "A natural life attribute? Or a special use of a Mental Attribute? No, if it were a life attribute, the aura should be powerful, like Bi Ji's, and easier to sense."
"Then it must be a Mental Attribute, or some other special innate ability."
Gu Yuena thought the newly born Dragon Clan member's innate ability was more likely than a Mental Attribute.
After all, as the Silver Dragon King, she had inherited all of the Dragon God's spiritual power. Her mental strength was at the level of the Creator God, far surpassing that of an ordinary God King.
Special innate abilities were rare, but Soul Beasts did possess them. The most typical example was the Auspicious Beast Three-Eyed Golden Lion, whose presence enhanced and empowered all Soul Beasts.
Soul Beasts of this kind were born with special innate abilities and could be considered the favored children of the Soul Beast Realm. In the age when Soul Beasts had flourished, they would inevitably have become gods.
Having suddenly lost her target and learned of the newly born Dragon Clan member's "innate ability," Gu Yuena was unwilling to give up.
She continued toward the area where she had sensed the aura before.
And then...
She passed right by Bian Que and Donghuang Taiyi, who were heading to Sunset Forest.
Seeking Advice
To Donghuang Taiyi, Gu Yuena's business was just a minor episode. Even the Dragon God's inheritance he had obtained was merely a decent subject of study for someone from the Yin-Yang School.
They had always pursued deeper knowledge and laws.
Without end!
Gu Yuena searched the general area where she had sensed the aura before, going over it countless times, but returned empty-handed.
Her injuries had yet to heal, and she also had Golden Dragon King, a powerful rival, to contend with. She had to return to the bottom of the lake to keep healing in seclusion.
Besides, the newly born Dragon Clan member would need time to grow. Soul Beasts grew stronger through talent and longevity. Soul Beasts with a hundred thousand years of cultivation were at least ten thousand years old.
Gu Yuena didn't believe he could hide forever without ever leaving a trace.
Heaven Dou Empire, Heaven Dou City
Yu Xiaogang had finally managed to contact the family members who wanted little to do with him. He learned that his father, Yu Yuanzhen, had gone missing.
His first reaction was disbelief.
His father was one of the strongest people in the world, a Titled Douluo. How could he have vanished without a trace?
With his father missing, what was he supposed to do?
Yu Xiaogang had at least a little self-awareness. He knew he'd been able to live freely all these years because of his family.
Without his family and his father, there was no way his half-level innate Soul Power would have reached his current level of twenty-nine, making him a Soul Grandmaster.
Without his family and his father, how could someone with his talent have entered Spirit Hall, met Bibi Dong, the Saintess of Spirit Hall, and ultimately made it out alive?
Without his family and his father, he could never have published his Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul.
The monopoly on knowledge was one of the unspoken rules of this world. Ordinary people didn't even know what a Titled Douluo was, much less have the chance to study more advanced knowledge. Aside from Spirit Hall Academy, only the nobility taught such things.
That was also why Soul Masters from common backgrounds often had terrible Soul Ring combinations. Most of them had a white First Soul Ring.
Before you continue