Di Tian's Concerns

Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong had vanished beyond Star Dou Forest. Only then did the lingering aftershocks of the annihilation and eternity divine powers surging through the Crystal Palace gradually subside.

Di Tian stood beneath the throne with Bi Ji, Xiong Jun, Ten Thousand Demon King, Scarlet King, and the other core Ferocious Beasts, all bowing respectfully.

Yet the beast god, who had lived for eight hundred and thirty thousand years, no longer wore the excitement and fervor he'd shown when receiving the Dragon God's blessing. His dark golden eyes held only an anxiety too deep to dispel.

His brows were tightly furrowed. His fingers clenched unconsciously, his knuckles turning white.

He stood rooted to the spot, trying several times to speak. But each time his gaze met Gu Yuan's from the throne, the words died on his lips. His shoulders tensed, and his whole body radiated barely concealed restlessness.

Behind him, Bi Ji also furrowed her brow slightly, worry filling her jade-green eyes. She gently tugged at Di Tian's sleeve and murmured, "Di Tian, speak your mind. His Excellency sees everything clearly. He'll understand our concerns."

Xiong Jun chimed in with a rumbling voice. "Exactly! Just say what's on your mind! Quit fidgeting like a woman! The Dragon God is right here. What can't you say?"

Ten Thousand Demon King nodded, his back hunched. "We're all carrying the same worry in our hearts. If you don't say it, we won't know how to bring it up."

Every Ferocious Beast turned its gaze to Di Tian.

Like Di Tian, they all had a heavy stone weighing on their hearts. Ever since Gu Yuan had proposed having Qian Renxue and her mother establish Douluo Hall and train countless human powerhouses, that stone had hung over them. They just hadn't dared raise their concerns before.

Gu Yuan took it all in from his seat on the dragon throne, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingertips. There wasn't a trace of surprise in his deep eyes, as though he'd seen through their thoughts long ago.

He spoke calmly, his gentle voice carrying a power that instantly settled everyone. "Speak freely. Di Tian, you've seemed distracted for a while now. Tell me what's troubling you."

With Gu Yuan's permission, Di Tian could hold back no longer.

He stepped forward and dropped to one knee with a thud, bowing deeply to Gu Yuan. His voice carried restrained dread and reverence carved into his very bones. "Your Excellency, this subordinate is guilty. I shouldn't question your decision. But there are things I must say. If I keep them to myself, I won't be able to eat or sleep, and I'd be letting down the entire Soul Beast Clan and betraying your trust."

"Get up and speak," Gu Yuan said, raising a hand to gently lift him.

"You're the guardians of the Soul Beast Clan. You've protected this home for countless years. It's only natural you'd have concerns."

Di Tian rose. His dark golden eyes were weighed down by an unshakable heaviness. Drawing a deep breath, he voiced every concern he'd been keeping inside.

"Your Excellency, you've asked Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong to establish Douluo Hall and raise countless top experts within the next two hundred years, creating a superpower capable of standing toe-to-toe with Shrek. This subordinate understands that this is part of your grand plan to oppose Tang San and overturn the Divine Realm's order. I also have absolute faith in their loyalty to you. Their hatred of Tang San is so deep that they would never betray their pact."

He paused, his tone growing heavier as he shifted to the heart of the matter. "But I'm not worried about the two of them. I'm worried about the future!"

"Your Excellency, you know that human Soul Masters can never cultivate without Soul Rings and Soul Bones. The stronger they become, the more they need high-grade Soul Rings. A Titled Douluo needs nine Soul Rings, including at least several ten-thousand-year or even Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Rings, to support their cultivation."

Before Di Tian could finish, Gu Yuan already knew what concerned him.

When Douluo Hall rose to power and its ranks filled with experts, their demand for Soul Rings would be astronomical!

Di Tian's voice trembled slightly. In his more than eight hundred thousand years, he had witnessed far too many bloody massacres sparked by human greed for Soul Rings.

Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts had been surrounded and slaughtered by human Soul Masters, leaving not a bone behind. Entire Soul Beast species had been wiped out because humans prized their rare Soul Rings.

Countless Soul Beasts on the outskirts of Star Dou Forest had been hunted like grass cut by a scythe. Even their young were spared nothing.

The Douluo Hall they were about to establish would be even more powerful than the Spirit Hall of old, producing even more experts. When those experts sought to break through and grow stronger, their eyes would inevitably turn to the Soul Beasts!

High-grade Soul Beasts were already few in number, and those over a hundred thousand years old were precious resources.

If Douluo Hall's experts began hunting high-grade Soul Rings on a large scale, Star Dou Forest—the greatest habitat of the Soul Beasts—would bear the brunt!

Even if Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong strictly forbade it, human greed could never be stamped out!

"Then the Soul Beast Clan will face an even bloodier slaughter than before, and be driven to extinction even sooner!"

At the end, Di Tian dropped to his knees again, his forehead pressed to the floor. His voice was full of desperate pleading. "Your Excellency, I'm not questioning your decision. It's just... the Soul Beast Clan truly can't withstand any more devastation."

Over countless years, the Soul Beast Clan had lost far too many of its people. There was nowhere left for them to retreat.

Behind him, Bi Ji, Xiong Jun, Ten Thousand Demon King, and the other Ferocious Beasts all fell to their knees as well.

Bi Ji lifted her head, tears brimming in her eyes. Her voice caught as she added, "Dragon God, Di Tian speaks for all of us. These are the fears we all carry. In my life, I've seen countless members of our clan hunted by humans. I still can't forget their cries as they died."

Xiong Jun knocked his head heavily against the ground and rumbled, "Dragon God, I, Xiong Jun, am not afraid to die! Just give the word, and I'd gladly risk my life to tear countless humans apart! But I can't stand by and watch our clan be destroyed!"

The Ferocious Beasts' tearful pleas echoed through the Crystal Palace.

They were the mightiest Ferocious Beasts on Douluo Continent, beings who made countless human Soul Masters tremble in fear. Yet now they were like a group of desperate children, begging their ancestor for a way to survive.

It wasn't that they didn't trust Gu Yuan. They had simply been terrified by countless years of slaughter.

For ten thousand years, they had watched their people die one by one, their home gradually devoured, their race step by step driven toward extinction. They had fought with all their might and still couldn't change a thing.

Now, at long last, the Dragon God had returned, and hope for their clan's revival had appeared. They couldn't stand by and watch that hope become the final straw that broke their clan.

Gu Yuan listened quietly without interrupting. Looking at the kneeling Ferocious Beasts, at the despair and pleading in their eyes, he felt a deep ache and guilt stir within him.

He was the Dragon God, the sovereign of all Soul Beasts.

But it was his death that had led to the Dragon Clan's destruction. Without their greatest protector, the Soul Beast Clan had fallen into its present state, at the mercy of others.

Their worries, fears, and pleas all stemmed from him.

Only after every Ferocious Beast had finished voicing their fears and silence had returned to the hall did Gu Yuan speak. There was not a trace of displeasure in his voice.

"Rise. I understand your concerns. I'd already thought of what worries you before deciding to establish Douluo Hall."

He walked down from the dragon throne and stood before the Ferocious Beasts. His gaze swept over each of them as he spoke, every word clear and firm. "I returned to restore the Dragon Clan, to free the Soul Beast Clan from slaughter and captivity, and to give you a genuine path to a future. I would never let the road you've fought so hard to pave become the road to your ruin. Never."

His words were like an anchor, and the fears weighing on every Ferocious Beast's heart immediately began to settle. They slowly raised their heads to look at Gu Yuan, their eyes filled with hope.

"As for Douluo Hall hunting Soul Rings, I've already laid down rules with Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong," Gu Yuan said, setting out the regulations he had established.

All Soul Masters belonging to Douluo Hall had to swear an oath upon their Martial Souls: whenever they needed a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring, they were absolutely forbidden from hunting the Soul Beast. The Soul Beast had to offer itself willingly.

During the offering, the Soul Beast's soul and origin had to remain intact. Its spiritual foundation could not be harmed in any way.

Anyone who violated this rule, no matter who they were or how talented they might be, would suffer the backlash of the divine soul contract. Their origin would collapse, their soul would be annihilated, and they would never be reborn.

Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong would be the highest authorities in Douluo Hall. They would personally oversee the enforcement of this rule, and anyone who broke it would be killed without exception.

Di Tian lifted his head sharply, and much of the worry in his eyes faded.

With this contract in place, at least Douluo Hall's upper ranks would never slaughter Soul Beasts over a hundred thousand years old at will.

"That's not all," Gu Yuan continued.

"Douluo Hall will establish protected areas in every Soul Beast habitat across the continent. No one may set foot inside without permission from Douluo Hall. Anyone who trespasses will be killed."

Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong would use Douluo Hall's power to protect the Soul Beasts' homes and keep greedy Soul Hunting parties at bay.

Bi Ji's eyes lit up at once. She had spent her whole life working to protect Soul Beasts, but not once had a human power been willing to establish protected areas for them and shield them from human hunters.

If these rules were truly enforced, countless Soul Beasts would be spared slaughter.

"But, Dragon God..." Di Tian still seemed uneasy. Frowning, he said, "Even with these rules, humans will always need Soul Rings. The hunting of low-grade Soul Beasts will continue, and over time, it will still undermine the foundations of our clan."

Even if Douluo Hall could restrain its own people, countless other sects and Soul Masters remained across the continent. To improve their cultivation, they would keep hunting Soul Rings.

It was as if the human race and the Soul Beast Clan were caught in an endless knot, unable to live in peace no matter what they did.