Conclusion

[Author's Note: I have compiled an explanation chapter for the questions raised by readers. If I missed anything, please leave a comment. I am fixing typos every day, but there is a daily limit to how many changes I can make, so please bear with me.]

In the coniferous forests of the southern lands, Yanjin, the second strongest being on the Zheer Continent and a Crimson Fire Dragon with 280,000 years of cultivation, received an urgent call from her niece, Iyuda. She brought Barus and Elena along to investigate what could have made Iyuda so nervous. Who would have thought that Iyuda had actually undergone an evolution—and one that occurred before her 100,000-year heavenly tribulation, at that.

"So, you accidentally evolved after absorbing a 100,000-year-old giant white worm that was hiding in the far south, stealing ten-thousand-year profound ice?"

"Yes, Aunt Yanjin. Not only has my appearance changed, but my attribute has also shifted to ice!"

Having absorbed most of the nutrients from the giant worm and reached 80,000 years of cultivation, Iyuda was now so frightened by her sudden evolution and attribute change that she didn't dare continue absorbing it.

"Actually, it's not that bad, sis. According to Dad's stone tablet records, one of the nine great Dragon Kings of the past, the Water Dragon King, was also known as the Ice Dragon King."

Barus looked at his second younger sister, whose appearance after the evolution bore a slight resemblance to how he looked after surviving his 600,000-year heavenly tribulation with his father, Rus Wang, and felt a twinge of envy. After all, finding a 100,000-year-old trash worm to absorb and gaining over 50,000 years of cultivation in just a few months—he would be happy too. He might look like he had 100,000 years of cultivation now, but most of it was shared by his wife, Elena, through a spiritual contract.

"Go away! You stinky brother! This has nothing to do with you in the first place!"

Iyuda was already flustered by her evolution. Not only had her troublesome older brother been brought along by Aunt Yanjin, but he had even dragged Elena with him. It wasn't that she didn't welcome Elena, but having her brother by her side was an eyesore for a single dragon like her.

Barus had no choice but to sheepishly go keep Elena company.

Seeing this, the corners of Yanjin's mouth curled up slightly as she said:

"Your brother is actually right; your evolution is a good thing. Take the soul core inside you right now, for instance—that is something only 100,000-year soul beasts can possess. Even your brother, in his pseudo-100,000-year state, doesn't have one."

Just like humans who condense a soul core before stepping into the Title Douluo realm, when a soul beast's life form reaches a certain age, a soul core will form. Afterward, if humans and soul beasts want to advance their strength further and condense a second soul core, humans can choose resonance of the same position, while soul beasts can only condense one through the yin-yang complementary second attribute.

Yanjin was very lucky that, with the help of Rus Wang, she achieved a yin-yang complementary dual soul core at only 280,000 years of cultivation. This allowed her to face subsequent 300,000, or even 400,000 to 500,000-year heavenly tribulations with great ease.

However, Yanjin herself believed that the key to her achieving the yin-yang complementary dual soul core lay not only in Rus Wang's medicinal care and his help in resisting part of her 200,000-year tribulation, but also in the fact that she had encountered her 100,000-year and 200,000-year tribulations within a single day—a feat that was almost impossible to replicate.

"Is that giant worm still there?"

"It's locked up, Aunt. It's a great supplement, after all."

Iyuda said, gesturing to the storage soul guidance device on her right forelimb.

"That's good. Since your father, Rus Wang, has gone to the Dragon Valley Continent and I can't reach him by phone, I will protect you. Absorb the rest of that worm and cross the 100,000-year threshold this year; I'll help you block some of the pressure."

"Okay."

However, just at that moment, the figure of Rus Wang descended from the sky. He was panting, clearly having rushed back. Yet, seeing that he had no injuries on him, it was unclear what had happened.

This left Iyuda and Yanjin feeling surprised.

"Dad?"

"Rus."

Because Ximing was no longer by his side, Rus Wang's return speed was significantly faster, though the distance was still considerable.

"We'll talk later. Ximing is currently in the forest on the Dragon Valley Continent. I came back this time because the Light Dragon King entrusted me with an urgent matter. Oh, right, daughter, you evolved? Not bad."

Rus Wang explained briefly to his daughter and Yanjin, then immediately began choosing a spot to carve the spatial teleportation rune array given to him by the Light Dragon King.

"Who is the Light Dragon King?"

Iyuda was full of confusion. Unlike her brother, who spent his days exploring and researching new gadgets, she knew very little about these ancient legends.

"According to what Aunt Ximing told us before, he should be one of the ancestors of our dragon race. But he is not the source of the bloodline for my Fire Dragon clan; he belongs to the Heavenly Sun Dragon lineage of Aunt Ximing."

"Finally done. Sigh, my soul power was drained and hadn't recovered, and this rush back really wore me out."

Rus Wang dragged his exhausted body to the side of his second daughter, Iyuda, who had changed so much, and his wife, Yanjin. Although Yanjin's personality was relatively fiery, she only acted that way toward outsiders and offspring who made mistakes; under normal circumstances, she was the Zheer Continent's second strongest, whom Rus Wang could fully trust.

It was just that once the soul beasts of the Dragon Valley Forest retreated to the Zheer Continent, the situation would change, but that was a matter for decades or even centuries later.

He looked at his daughter, Iyuda. Compared to a few months ago when he took Ximing to the Dragon Valley Forest, she had changed completely, and her growth in strength was fast enough to stun even him.

"Daughter, tell me about your situation."

Douluo Continent, Star Luo City

Since the old emperor, Dai Luoli, passed away, his ninth son, Dai Hengyu, inherited his soul spirit and the throne, and was promoted to a Super Douluo.

Having ruled the Star Luo Empire for a hundred years now, in order to extend the empire's mandate and ensure it wouldn't be ruined in his hands, he had strengthened cooperation with Shrek Academy and the Spirit Pagoda to diplomatically contain the Sun Moon Empire. As for the exploration and conquest of overseas territories, he had continued his father's strategy, still using the full strength of the nation to support it, and the results were significant. The Star Luo Continent had been reclaimed, and they had already relocated domestic nobles and a large number of technical personnel there.

But today, he received unexpected news.

His older brother, his eighth brother by a different mother, Dai Zuoheng, had died during a soul-hunting expedition in the Dragon Valley Forest. Duke Libai announced that he bore primary responsibility for the death, and the one who killed his brother was a 600,000-year dragon-type soul beast that had suddenly appeared. The only previous record related to it was its connection to the mysterious annihilation at the far southern research station on the Star Luo Continent.

"Another relative I knew is gone."

As an emperor, a hundred years of time had allowed Dai Hengyu to remain calm and composed in all matters, with his considerations devoid of personal emotion.

"My minister."

He instructed the official who had reported the matters of the Star Luo Continent to him to remember his stance on this incident.

"I obey, Your Majesty."

"Large-scale soul beast trading with the Spirit Pagoda should not be the empire's primary task on the new continent. The empire's military focus for the next hundred years will remain on clearing and conquering the local indigenous kingdoms. As for that forest where the soul beasts reside, treat it the same way as the Star Dou Forest—it is an area within the Star Luo Continent that belongs to no one under the Star Luo Empire."

Every Title Douluo, high-ranking member of the Spirit Pagoda, and even the soul master clans and sects knew that the grand vision of peaceful coexistence with soul beasts, once established by Lingbing Douluo, was ultimately just a fleeting dream. As a profession deeply rooted in human history for ten thousand years, being a soul master was no longer just a simple job; it had become a symbol of status, a symbol for commoners to improve their standing, and the foundation of strength for nobles to further consolidate their power.

The personal will of Lingbing Douluo could not change that, even if he had brought humanity the method of obtaining soul rings through soul spirits; in essence, it only provided soul masters with another path of cultivation.

Human greed could never be satisfied. When the soul beast resources of the other two continents were exhausted, the eyes of soul masters would inevitably turn back toward the soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest.