It's You, Golden Hawksbill

Kong Bo scanned Zi JI with Red Moon while she held him in her arms. At the same time, he considered that he needed a Soul Ring with an extremely high age limit. Now that he had the framework for a Soul Ring, he needed a great deal of energy. But where would that energy come from?

Sky Dream Ice Silkworm has already been taken by Huo Yuhao. Where can I find such a massive amount of energy? Kong Bo thought. Should I ask Gu Yuena for a piece of Gold of Life? Forget it, forget it...

At that thought, Kong Bo's eyes lit up. That's it. Buried in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest aren't just Sky Dream Ice Silkworm, but also the Golden Hawksbill. Right, I have the energy source for my first Soul Ring. It'll be you, Golden Hawksbill.

This Golden Hawksbill was a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. In the original story, Xu Sanshi had gotten lucky with it, and it had become his soul spirit. Kong Bo planned to use this Golden Hawksbill to power his first Soul Ring. It should be enough to create a hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring.

Not long afterward, Zi JI opened her eyes, released Kong Bo, and stretched lazily. Kong Bo silently gave her a thumbs-up. Zi JI really took good care of him.

"Wow, Kong Bo, you're awake?" Zi JI said. "After you fell asleep last night, your three moons began circling in the sky and absorbing the energy between heaven and earth. It seemed to be moonlight energy. Then your red moon kept shining on me."

"Alright, Sister Zi JI, feel yourself out. Do you feel anything different now?" Kong Bo asked.

Zi JI sensed herself for a moment, then shook her head. "Nothing feels unusual."

Zi JI then picked Kong Bo up again, still carrying him princess-style. "Come on, Kong Bo. Whatever soul beast you want for your first Soul Ring, Lord Beast God will get it for you."

After Zi JI carried Kong Bo outside, Di Tian was already waiting there. "Kong Bo, what Soul Ring do you want?"

"Senior Beast God, there really is a soul beast I have my eye on. However, I'll have to trouble you to investigate the bottom of Lake of Life. There is a Golden Hawksbill at the bottom of the lake. Please bring it up for me. If possible, I'd also like to trouble you all to persuade it to sacrifice itself to me."

"There's a hawksbill at the bottom of Lake of Life?" Di Tian frowned. "Kong Bo, are you telling the truth? Why can't I sense it?"

"Lord Beast God, according to the Lord's rules, you are supposed to inspect the lakebed once every fifty thousand years. But the last inspection was ten thousand years ago, and you were asleep," Bi Ji reminded him. "I remember it clearly. After you woke up, you only used your spiritual sense to inspect the lakebed before going back to sleep. But hawksbills and other turtle soul beasts are extremely good at hiding in water. Still, turtle soul beasts are slow, so it can't run away. Why not take a look?"

"Fine." Di Tian said, then plunged headfirst into Lake of Life and vanished from everyone's sight.

About an hour later, an enormous black dragon burst from the lake. Something seemed to be clamped in its jaws. Di Tian landed on the ground, flung the thing in his mouth onto the earth, and then transformed into human form.

The thing Di Tian had dragged out was truly enormous and exceptionally beautiful. It was a turtle entirely covered in dazzling gold. Its golden shell was not only eye-catching, but also appeared to possess an extremely thick keratin layer. The shell's gold was remarkably even and profound; even the color within every shell pattern was dark gold, without the slightest flaw.

This turtle's head was also very different from that of an ordinary turtle. It had three ridges, and rather than being turtle-like and oval, it was slightly triangular. Several barb-like spikes protruded from its lower jaw. Its entire head was dark gold, becoming brighter the closer it got to its jaw.

"It really is a Golden Hawksbill!" Bi Ji said. "Kong Bo, this is a supreme specimen among turtle soul beasts, like royalty among turtle soul beasts."

"I never expected there really to be a hawksbill at the bottom of the lake!" Di Tian said. Then he glared viciously at the Golden Hawksbill. "You little hawksbill, you've got some nerve. You actually dared to eat something from the lakebed that you had no business eating. Tell me, how should I deal with you?"

"Lord Beast God, I have nothing more to say. Please act quickly!" the Golden Hawksbill said, trembling. Kong Bo couldn't help twitching his lips. Was a hawksbill really putting on a tragic lovers' act here?

"No, no, no. I won't do it myself," Di Tian said. "See that human child? You will sacrifice yourself to him."

"I... I'm to sacrifice myself to a human?" The Golden Hawksbill looked at Kong Bo. "Lord Beast God, you want me to sacrifice myself to a human?"

"That's right," Di Tian said. "Sacrifice yourself to this child, and I'll write off the matter of you stealing food from the lakebed."

The Golden Hawksbill was considered royalty among turtles, and its ambitions were not small. Why had it gone to the bottom of Lake of Life? Because it wanted to cultivate beyond two hundred thousand years, perhaps even replace Di Tian and lead the Golden Hawksbill clan to rule the Star Dou Great Forest. Thus, when Di Tian had nearly sensed it, it had directly swallowed a piece of Gold of Life.

Now that it had been caught, dying at Di Tian's hands would at least be a fitting death. Twenty years later, it would be a fine turtle again. But sacrificing itself to a human felt humiliating to him.

At that moment, King of Ten Thousand Demons also sensed the aura of Gold of Life within the Golden Hawksbill's body, and he was furious. He grabbed a dagger, narrowed his eyes at the hawksbill, and said, "You little hawksbill, do you think we're easy to talk to? As a Demon Eye Demon Tree, I know a thing or two about poison. If you refuse to sacrifice yourself to him, that's easy. I'll have Bear Lord slice you into strips, then throw you into my poison. By then, you'll wish you were dead."

Hearing King of Ten Thousand Demons say that, the Golden Hawksbill became utterly terrified. Its eyes filled with fear.

Kong Bo spoke at that moment. "Sacrifice isn't frightening. Sacrifice is nothing more than a cool summer night that lets you sleep peacefully without a care. The story of the deep love between the Sea God and the Sea God's wife has spread throughout the entire Douluo Continent. Who hasn't heard of it? But that isn't the important part. You should know that resurrection is possible after sacrifice. I'll be able to become a god in the future, and then I can bring you back to life directly. Hey, you'll become the first turtle soul beast in history to become a god. What do you think?"

After King of Ten Thousand Demons had issued his threat, Kong Bo naturally had to paint the Golden Hawksbill a grand picture.

"Really?" The Golden Hawksbill was somewhat astonished.

"Of course," Kong Bo said. "I'll make a Martial Soul Vow to you. As long as you sacrifice yourself, I'll guarantee you a place as a divine beast. How about it?"

"Alright!" Upon hearing Kong Bo's oath, the Golden Hawksbill no longer had any worries. "Show me your Martial Soul. I will sacrifice myself to you!"

Kong Bo then summoned his Three Moons Martial Soul and drew out the Soul Ring framework with Darkness Affinity from Red Moon. "My Martial Soul differs from others'. You only need to sacrifice yourself toward this Soul Ring phantom."

"How strange," Bi Ji said. "Isn't Kong Bo only level ten now? Where did he get a Soul Ring?"

"That isn't a Soul Ring, because there's no energy inside it," Di Tian said. "It's an empty Soul Ring. I suppose the energy produced by the Golden Hawksbill's sacrifice will fill this empty Soul Ring and turn it into a real Soul Ring."

"That truly is unique," Bi Ji said. "What does the Lord think of Kong Bo's Soul Ring?"

Di Tian told Bi Ji, "The Lord said that Kong Bo's Martial Soul is extraordinary. Its potential is immense, perhaps even greater than that of a God King."

At the same time, golden light rose from the Golden Hawksbill's body. This was also the sign that it had begun burning its life force and that the sacrifice had started.

At that moment, Kong Bo's Red Moon flew out and hovered between the Golden Hawksbill and the empty Soul Ring. The life force the Golden Hawksbill sent toward the Soul Ring first passed through Red Moon before flying into the Soul Ring, gradually filling it. As energy poured into the empty Soul Ring, its color slowly deepened. It began white, then turned yellow. The transition toward deep yellow meant it was gradually becoming a higher-age Soul Ring.

Around half a minute into the sacrifice, Red Moon suddenly became active. The life force produced by the Golden Hawksbill's sacrifice also became highly activated. Massive amounts of life force surged toward Red Moon like a tide, while Red Moon absorbed the rushing life force like a vortex.

It seems the Gold of Life swallowed by the Golden Hawksbill is taking effect. Red Moon governs the authority of life and death, so Gold of Life must greatly enhance the Red Moon in my Three Moons Martial Soul, Kong Bo thought. Wasn't the power of Gold of Life precisely why he wanted the Golden Hawksbill to sacrifice itself to him?

It would not have been easy for Kong Bo to directly ask Gu Yuena for the Gold of Life in Lake of Life, but asking for this Golden Hawksbill was another matter entirely.

As the energy of Gold of Life continuously flowed into Red Moon through the sacrifice, Kong Bo's Red Moon was also being strengthened. As mentioned previously, Kong Bo's Red Moon could record soul beasts' soul skills and record soul beasts themselves as Martial Soul archives, like a computer capable of printing life force. As the power of Gold of Life continued entering Kong Bo's Red Moon, he could feel a significant improvement in the performance of this computer. For example, when he used Red Moon to scan soul beasts and record Soul Ring frameworks, record Martial Souls, or absorb and store moonlight energy at night, the efficiency would improve noticeably.

Choosing this soul beast was the right decision, Kong Bo thought.

As the vast life force surged through Red Moon into the empty Soul Ring, the Soul Ring framework the Golden Hawksbill was sacrificing itself to gradually turned purple, deep purple, black, and then black-red. Just as the Soul Ring became red, something happened that none of the ferocious beasts could understand.