First Collective Meeting

"Uncle Scarlet King, Brother Lintian is with the Lord, and there are humans beside them."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion lay beneath a massive boulder, watching Di Lintian, Na'er, and the other members of the Imperial Dou Team.

"Lintian must have sensed your aura as well. If he wishes to, he will find an opportunity to meet you," Scarlet King said. His beastly form was nowhere to be seen, yet his voice reached the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's ears.

"Then I'll keep following them." The Three-Eyed Golden Lion nodded emphatically.

"The habitats of Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are the Mixed Area and the Core Area. Soul Beasts with dragon blood in their bodies are even rarer. We'll likely have to venture deep into the Core Area to find one."

Yu Tianheng led the way at the front and explained to those unfamiliar with dragon-type Soul Beasts, "Although Teachers Red Fire and Mystic Water are secretly protecting us, we still need to proceed carefully and avoid provoking powerful Soul Beasts whenever possible."

As Yu Tianheng was explaining things, a dull boom sounded in the distance, and the ground began to shake violently without warning.

"What's going on?" Yu Tianheng asked Yu Feng above them.

"It... it's an enormous ape-type Soul Beast, like a small mountain that came to life!" Yu Feng stammered.

"It should be the Titan Giant Ape from the outer region. Is he here to find that hundred-thousand-year transformed Soul Beast?" Na'er asked Di Lintian quietly.

"Yes. We'll head back later and have Di Tian bring them into the Core Area." Di Lintian nodded.

Unlike Xiao Wu, whose heart held only her Third Brother, the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python still had the Soul Beast race in their hearts, Di Lintian believed. If not, he would place them under house arrest in the Core Area of the Star Dou Forest. They would make perfect seventh and eighth Soul Rings for him.

Oh, and there was that Dark Demon Evil God Tiger. Its attributes suited him very well too, though its cultivation was a little too low at only sixty thousand years. It would need some nurturing.

Di Lintian decided to speak to Di Tian when he returned and have him make arrangements for the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger to break through to one hundred thousand years as soon as possible.

"It's a hundred-thousand-year Titan Giant Ape. I'll take you out of here!" Mystic Water used Soul Power to lift the five people other than Di Lintian and Na'er, then swiftly flew toward the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest.

"Young Pavilion Master, are we leaving?" Red Fire appeared beside Di Lintian and Na'er and asked.

"No need. Go search for Dragon Duke nearby and see if he is chasing a thousand-year Man Faced Demon Spider. If he is, capture the Man Faced Demon Spider and bring it back to me. If not, follow the Soul Master from Shrek Academy with the Blue Silver Grass martial soul. He will find that Man Faced Demon Spider," Di Lintian instructed.

"Yes." Red Fire answered and vanished from the spot to search for Dragon Duke.

"Brother Lintian!" Only after all the nearby humans had left did the Three-Eyed Golden Lion happily leap out.

Di Lintian spread his arms and gently caught her.

"It's only been a few years, and our little Golden Lion has grown so much." Di Lintian teased her.

"Hmph, Brother Lintian never came back to see me." The Three-Eyed Golden Lion turned her face away and refused to look at Di Lintian.

"Wasn't I too busy? Didn't I come back to see you today?"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's round eyes rolled. That seemed right—Brother Lintian did not need to obtain Soul Rings either.

"Then I forgive you." The Three-Eyed Golden Lion spoke haughtily.

"Scarlet King!"

"Here! What can I do for you, Lord?" Scarlet King immediately emerged and replied respectfully.

"How exactly have you been protecting the Lucky Beast? You actually allowed her to appear in the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest?" Na'er demanded sternly.

Di Lintian keenly detected a faint trace of jealousy drifting through the air. Could Na'er be... jealous?

He placed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion onto Scarlet King's back, waved a hand, and played peacemaker. "All right, all right, it hasn't been easy for either of you. With Scarlet King protecting her, nothing will happen in the outer region. We do not have much time, so let's hurry back to the Core Area and discuss serious matters."

Star Dou Forest, Lake of Life in the Core Area.

An oval table newly crafted by Di Lintian stood there. Nine people and one beast sat around it. Di Lintian occupied the seat of honor with the Three-Eyed Golden Lion in his arms, while Na'er sat beside him. Behind them were the Seven Great Savage Beasts, along with the Dark Demon Dragon Lion sitting on the ground.

"Since everyone is here, I hereby declare the first collective meeting of the Star Dou Forest open!"

Di Lintian tapped the tabletop and conjured a book. "First, this is the Transformation Chapter from my inherited cultivation method. It will allow you to unleash your full strength in human form. When you take human form, you will be exactly like normal humans, without the slightest trace of Soul Beast aura. The cultivation method is very simple. With your hundreds of thousands of years of cultivation experience, I believe you will master it within a month."

"Afterward, I need you to take human form and head to Sky Dragon Pavilion to serve as Supreme Offerings. Strive for Sky Dragon Pavilion to unify the continent, and strive for the revival of Soul Beasts."

Xiong Jun scratched his head in confusion. "Why do Soul Beasts need to unify the continent to revive?" Xiong Jun simply felt that unifying the continent was too exhausting. Sleeping in his own tree hollow was far more relaxing.

"Are you stupid? If I don't unify the continent, how will I gather faith? If I don't gather faith, how will I become a god? If I don't become a god, how will Soul Beasts revive?" Di Lintian fired off three questions in a row, leaving Xiong Jun completely bewildered. He nodded repeatedly.

"Since none of you have any objections, I'll move on to the second matter." Di Lintian looked around. Seeing that no one objected, he said to Di Tian, "There is a sixty-thousand-year Dark Demon Evil God Tiger in the outer Core Area. I feel that he would be very suitable as my ninth Soul Ring, but his cultivation is too low. Find a few Soul Beasts that do not have much time left and raise his cultivation."

After Di Tian nodded, Di Lintian continued, "Bring the gatekeeping Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python here as well. Find an opportunity to test whether that rabbit or the revival of Soul Beasts matters more to them. If that rabbit is more important—" A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "I think they have the makings of my seventh and eighth Soul Rings."

"Leave it to me," Yao Ling said.

"With that, our first collective meeting has come to an end. Everyone may return home. Remember to cultivate the Transformation Chapter diligently. Xiong Jun, do not slack off." Di Lintian did not forget to warn Xiong Jun.

"I got it." Xiong Jun nodded foolishly. He decided that after returning home and sleeping, he would begin cultivating that Transformation Chapter or whatever it was.

After the Savage Beasts departed, only Di Lintian, Na'er, and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion remained. He lowered his head and stared deeply at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's third eye, which was filled with the power of destiny. From within it, he sensed a powerful attraction.

"Na'er, do you know about Destiny Convergence?" Di Lintian suddenly asked.

"You want to undergo Destiny Convergence with the Lucky Beast?" Na'er asked.

"I sensed a powerful attraction within her Eye of Destiny," Di Lintian answered truthfully.

"I'm willing."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion understood what they meant. Before Di Lintian could speak, she agreed.