Breaking Their Defenses, the Soul Beast Sovereign?

Groudon's life story was nothing special. After Lu Feng drew upon the power of Douluo Continent's core to create its initial form, he simply left it to grow on its own.

Over the years, it had continuously absorbed Earth Power from the planet's core, though the power Groudon absorbed was not limited to the earth.

Whenever it occasionally sensed the remains of powerful soul beasts, it would use Earth Power to extract the energy within them.

Sometimes, by absurdly good luck, it stumbled upon the skeletons of divine beasts. That was how it used its authority over earth to absorb the divine power within those remains and become a First-Level God.

Because of Giratina's experience of being struck by lightning during its breakthrough, Lu Feng had made Groudon's development lean more toward becoming the lord of a plane.

Its aura was deeply fused with the Douluo Plane, and with the assistance of the Power of Creation, it ignored the Dragon God's rule that prevented soul beasts from becoming gods.

Yet upon seeing Groudon's absurd life story, the Spirit Masters did not have much of a reaction.

They had already seen far more outrageous things. Most people were not even sure whether they would possess Soul Power after awakening their martial souls.

When the gap became large enough, people lost even the desire to catch up.

The Spirit Masters truly did not react much, but the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts of the Douluo Continent completely broke down.

A soul beast's hundred-thousand-year tribulation was something ordinary Spirit Masters could not begin to understand.

Even Titled Douluo could not empathize with them. The lifespan of soul beasts was simply incomparable to that of humans.

But only the soul beasts themselves knew just how cruel tribulations truly were.

Especially when they watched Groudon emerge from the land and soar in strength all the way.

Every Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast was curious about how Groudon had evaded heavenly punishment and become a divine beast. Once its power reached a certain threshold,

sure enough, heavenly punishment descended. Then a golden figure appeared and coated Groudon in a layer of golden light.

After that, it simply ate and drank as usual.

The heavenly punishment never fell at all.

When Groudon's seemingly "ordinary" life story—where every step actually landed squarely on the hearts of every Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast—

was displayed before them through the Sky Screen, all the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts across the Douluo Continent were on the verge of breaking down.

This was especially true for those high-level soul beasts that had endured untold hardship and countless brushes with death just to survive tribulation after tribulation.

Extreme North, core region.

The Ice Empress's emerald eyes widened into circles as she stared fixedly at the scene on the Sky Screen, where Groudon was effortlessly "coated" by the golden silhouette before the heavenly punishment vanished. Her body trembled violently from the sheer intensity of her emotions.

She had endured three terrifying Heavenly Tribulations. Each had left her nine parts dead and one part alive, and each had filled her with both fear and hatred toward the "rules" that sent down those destructive bolts of lightning.

And Groudon? It had merely found powerful remains through "good luck," absorbed them, and then... then it was fine just because it had been "coated in a layer of golden light"?! The heavenly punishment could not even touch it?!

"Why?!" The Ice Empress's shrill voice nearly tore through the silence of the ice plains, filled with boundless fury, resentment, and grievance. "We struggle so hard, tread on eggshells, and risk our lives against every Heavenly Tribulation!

Why does it get to have it so easy?! Who was that golden figure? Was he the one behind the Pokemon World? Could he ignore the rule preventing soul beasts from becoming gods?!"

The Snow Empress was in no better mood than the Ice Empress. Seeing Groudon's birth had basically confirmed that it was a nature spirit much like herself.

Yet it had no concerns about heavenly punishment at all, and there were absolutely no bottlenecks in its growth.

Every heavenly punishment was aimed at destroying soul beasts. Once encountered, it would inevitably cause injury, perhaps even severe wounds.

Most of the time afterward would then be spent recovering from those injuries.

"The Pokemon World... We must go there. The hope of becoming gods lies there." The Snow Empress repeated softly, determination filling her icy blue eyes.

Star Dou Forest, core region, Lake of Life.

Bang!

Di Tian's enormous Dragon Claw slammed viciously into the rocks beside the lake, instantly reducing the hard stone to dust!

Terrifying fury and an... indescribable sense of frustration burned in his majestic golden dragon eyes.

"Ignoring heavenly punishment... becoming a god directly..." Di Tian's low voice rumbled like muffled thunder, each word seeming to be squeezed through clenched teeth. "Is this how divine beasts are born in the Pokemon World? It is really that simple!"

Though he was known as the Beast God, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, and led soul beasts through their difficult struggle for survival under humanity's oppression,

he knew better than anyone the danger and injustice of soul beast tribulations. They were shackles carved into their bloodlines and their fates.

His life's pursuit had been to shatter those shackles, lead the soul beasts back to the God Realm, and even... restore the glory of the Dragon God's era.

Yet countless years had passed. Other than their mistress, who slumbered while healing her wounds, they still struggled within those shackles.

And Groudon? A being that had been "created," left to grow freely, and had even gotten a little "damn lucky," simply because it had chosen the right "master"—

could effortlessly obtain everything they had dreamed of and safely break through to God Rank.

That contrast was like a red-hot branding iron, viciously searing the hearts of Di Tian and every ferocious beast of the Star Dou Forest!

"Di Tian..." Xiong Jun spoke in a deep, muffled voice, unable to suppress the irritation and doubt within it. "That Pokemon World... It really seems capable of helping soul beasts become gods without passing tribulations... We..."

He did not finish, but his meaning could not have been clearer.

Even ferocious beasts like Scarlet King and Wan Yao Wang had flickering gazes as they all looked toward the depths of Lake of Life.

They followed the Silver Dragon King because she was the incarnation of half the Dragon God, the sovereign of all soul beasts, and their only hope of breaking free from fate.

But where was that hope? Aside from the long periods of slumbering to heal, aside from the occasional orders telling them to remain hidden and wait, had they seen any tangible progress?

Before, without anything to compare it to, they could endure and continue believing.

But now, a living, breathing, far more "efficient" form of "hope" stood right before them! How could they possibly remain unmoved?

Compared with the Silver Dragon King, the one from the Pokemon World seemed more like the sovereign of all soul beasts.

Deep within Lake of Life, Gu Yuena, the Silver Dragon King, naturally sensed the tidal wave of doubt, wavering, and resentment outside, emotions that had nearly solidified into substance.

Her voice rang within the consciousness of Di Tian and the other ferocious beasts. It still carried authority, yet seemed to lack its former absolute certainty.

"The power and rules commanded by the Pokemon World truly exceed expectations. To so easily 'conceal' heavenly punishment and even help it merge with a plane, such methods... may have touched the level of 'creation.'"

She could no longer simply view Lu Feng and the Pokemon World as "invaders from another world" or a "potential threat," because they held the "key" most desperately desired by the soul beast race.

A path to becoming gods safely!

This was not merely Di Tian and the other ferocious beasts wavering. Even the Silver Dragon King's own thoughts, dormant for countless years, had begun to stir.

Should she cling to the old, slow, and uncertain recovery plan, or attempt contact with that unknown being who could casually create divine beasts and conceal heavenly punishment?

The faith and path of the soul beast world had developed an unprecedented crack—and the possibility of a new direction—because of the arrival of a land divine beast that "could not fly."

In the depths of the sea, Sunset Forest, and the major soul beast habitats...

Every soul beast over ten thousand years old that possessed intelligence and understood the terror of Heavenly Tribulations had fallen into similar shock, jealousy, fury, and confusion. Groudon's "success"

was like a mirror, reflecting the cruelty and injustice of their own fates, while also revealing another seemingly attainable "God Realm" where soul beasts could become gods.

Many powerful soul beasts, especially the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts trapped at bottlenecks and terrified of their next Heavenly Tribulation,

no longer looked toward Groudon's Divine Domain with mere greed. Their gazes now carried an intense longing and plea, nearly tangible in its strength.

They wanted to break through safely too! They wanted to become gods too!