Even Xiao Wu couldn't believe it. She covered her mouth in shock.
She hadn't expected Huo Yuhao to have such a huge secret, or that a Ferocious Beast would actually be willing to become his Soul Spirit.
"Ice Empress? You're the Ice Empress? Is what this human said true?" The Sky Azure Bull Python looked utterly astonished.
Ice Empress was a little displeased at being summoned as proof. She shot Huo Yuhao a glare.
Then she nodded helplessly. "It's true. Yuhao is my host. You should be able to sense my condition."
There was no other way. Compared to the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, Ice Empress was far more famous among Soul Beasts. She was the best one to step forward.
Huo Yuhao raised his head and met the Sky Azure Bull Python's eyes, still wide with shock.
"Senior Sky Azure, this proves I wasn't lying, right?"
The Sky Azure Bull Python's expression shifted uncertainly.
"This is truly unheard of... Something this incredible actually exists."
He examined Ice Empress's condition closely. It was just as Huo Yuhao had said; there wasn't a single flaw.
If this was a hoax, how could a human who was only at level thirty possibly have the ability to fool him?
"If your method works, it could indeed attract Soul Beasts to make this deal. I keep my word, human. Go with Tai Tan and settle in. I'll go let her know."
With that, he headed deeper into the forest.
"Thank you, Senior."
Huo Yuhao cupped his hands. Seeing that she was no longer needed, Ice Empress flashed forward and plunged into Huo Yuhao's chest, vanishing from sight.
Seeing how smoothly things had gone, Xiao Wu was both happy and a little annoyed.
"Something this important, and you didn't even tell me. So that's why you went to the Far North two years ago..."
Huo Yuhao nodded and smiled. "I was afraid it would be too shocking."
Xiao Wu nodded in agreement. No one would believe something like this if they heard it, and no one would be foolish enough to go around telling people.
"Fine. Then let's make it our little secret."
Xiao Wu's lips curved slightly.
She didn't mind Huo Yuhao keeping it from her. No one would believe it if he told them anyway. Instead, she was glad she understood him better now.
The two of them climbed onto Tai Tan's hand, and he carried them to an open clearing with beautiful scenery. It seemed to be the territory of these two Soul Beasts.
Feeling the rich aura of life, Huo Yuhao nodded slightly. As expected, becoming a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast wasn't simply a matter of cultivation. Soul Beasts also needed fortune on their side.
This blessed place had greatly aided the two Soul Beasts in their cultivation. It was their good fortune.
Still marveling at the place, Huo Yuhao had no idea that a Soul Beast in the distance was anxiously pacing in circles.
Huo Yuhao had an easy time following Tai Tan into his territory, but the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was having a hard time of it.
She had sensed Huo Yuhao the moment he entered the Star Dou Great Forest and had hurried over. But then she discovered that his aura had entered the territory of the Sky Azure Bull Python and Tai Tan.
She wasn't close to those two big brothers! Trespassing in a Ferocious Beast's territory was a provocation. It'd be one thing if they bullied her, but if she went and picked a fight, she'd probably get scolded.
"That human! How did he get in there? Do they know each other? I can't just barge in... Di Tian told me not to get into a fight with those two..."
"Forget it. Next time, then. There'll always be another chance. Next time I'll wait for you at the outskirts! Let's see where you can run then!"
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion flicked her little tail in frustration. After one last look toward the place where she sensed his aura, she trudged back to her own territory.
In the territory.
With nothing to do, Huo Yuhao asked Tai Tan about the Seven-Colored Elk clan.
His knowledge of them was limited to a few records in ancient books from his previous life. He had no idea what had happened to them.
Fortunately, Er Ming knew the story. Though his speech came in fits and starts, Huo Yuhao eventually pieced together why the clan had gone extinct in his previous life.
Every part of this clan was valuable—not just to Soul Masters, but to Soul Beasts as well. Their disappearance into the long river of history was practically inevitable.
But the reason no Soul Beasts had gone after them yet was their king, a Soul Beast who had surpassed the hundred-thousand-year mark.
She had appealed to Di Tian, who, in consideration of her being a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, had ordered that no one kill the Seven-Colored Elk within their clan's territory.
As a result, the Seven-Colored Elk never left their territory and rarely appeared in human sight.
But all of this was nearing its end. The Elk King's cultivation was already close to two hundred thousand years. At most, in another thousand years, she would face the heavenly tribulation.
It was already an incredible feat for this clan to produce a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast. There was practically no chance of surviving the two-hundred-thousand-year tribulation.
So the history of his previous life was clear: without Di Tian's protection, the clan became nourishment for other Soul Beasts and Soul Masters.
"Then why doesn't Di Tian keep protecting them?"
Tian Meng's voice sounded in Huo Yuhao's mind.
"Ice Empress already explained the reason. The strong prey on the weak."
"In Di Tian's eyes, this clan's value lies in giving other Soul Beasts a chance to advance further."
"He doesn't care what happens to one clan. What he needs is for Soul Beasts as a whole to produce more powerful individuals. If the death of a clan can give rise to more Soul Beasts with formidable spiritual power, why would he refuse?"
"Yuhao's right. The same natural law applies in the Far North." Ice Empress chimed in as well.
Huo Yuhao let out a long breath, his expression complicated.
"It really is... cruel."
He didn't know whether the Soul Beasts' way of thinking was right or wrong. He had come here this time to make a deal for his own benefit.
Even if he wanted to do something, he was powerless. He was still far too weak.
They had talked for a while when the Sky Azure Bull Python returned, accompanied by a very beautiful deer.
Her fur grew in strands, each one a brilliant color like a rainbow.
She had no horns, but sunlight revealed a faint, invisible barrier around her body. It even blocked Huo Yuhao's Spirit Detection.
"You're the one Sky Azure told me wanted to make a deal?"
Her voice was gentle, and even a single sentence revealed her unconcerned, unworldly nature.
"That's right, Lady Elk King. It's a pleasure to meet you. I assume Senior Sky Azure Bull Python told you about the terms of the deal on the way here."
Huo Yuhao bowed slightly to show his respect.
"May I ask whether there are any Soul Beasts in your clan nearing the end of their lifespans who would be willing to make this deal?"
"Yes."
The woman's voice remained as gentle as ever. Huo Yuhao felt a flicker of joy, but then his smile froze.
"I'm willing to make this deal with you, on the condition that you protect my clan."
Huo Yuhao hadn't expected this Ferocious Beast, who was close to two hundred thousand years old, to be willing to deal with him. When he heard the rest, he was stunned.
He couldn't help interrupting her.
"Wait. I don't currently have the ability to protect your clan. I can't agree to that condition."
"You don't seem surprised that I asked you to protect my clan. It seems Tai Tan already told you."
"Don't worry. I don't mean that you have to protect them now, but in the future, after you become a god."
"You're so sure I can become a god?"
Huo Yuhao couldn't help asking what he had been wondering. This deer seemed to have such faith in him.
"If you, who were chosen by two Ferocious Beasts, can't become a god, I don't know who could."
"I can sense the aura of a spirit-type Ferocious Beast on you. Add the Ice Empress that Sky Azure Bull Python told me about, and that makes two. If my senses are right, you also carry the Snow Empress's aura. I've never heard of a human who met the Snow Empress and lived to tell the tale."
The Elk King slowly laid out her reasoning. Inside Huo Yuhao's spiritual space, everyone had fallen completely silent.
Just from meeting him, she'd already figured out almost everything about us.