Di Tian and Leng Hanyuan's conversation left the Phoenix Family's upper ranks utterly baffled.
This middle-aged man seemed to know their family's ancestor?
But wasn't their ancestor someone from ten thousand years ago?
At that thought, a terrifying conjecture arose in the minds of the Phoenix Family's many higher-ups.
The way they looked at Di Tian changed considerably.
Their previous contempt had vanished completely, replaced by extreme gravity.
How could someone who had been friends with their ancestor ten thousand years ago possibly be ordinary?
"Brother Tian, what brings you to the Phoenix Family?"
Leng Hanyuan looked at Di Tian with a faint, ambiguous smile.
He did not directly reveal Di Tian's name.
After all, the Beast God's name still carried some renown across the continent.
Although it had gradually faded from the sight of major Soul Masters as the Soul Beast Clan declined.
There was still a chance that some particularly knowledgeable Soul Masters would recognize the name.
Unless absolutely necessary, Leng Hanyuan did not want anyone making an issue of the Phoenix Family colluding with Soul Beasts.
After all, being saddled with such accusations was indeed troublesome.
This...
Di Tian fell silent.
Their original plan had been to follow Gu Yue's instructions and cooperate with the Phoenix Family under the guise of a reclusive family.
Then they would enter the Spirit Pagoda through the Phoenix Family.
And use the Spirit Pagoda to further their plan of reviving the Soul Beast Clan.
Yet they had never expected to encounter Leng Hanyuan here, an old acquaintance who should have died ten thousand years ago.
Someone who knew his identity.
All their previous excuses about being a reclusive family had now fallen apart.
For a moment, Di Tian did not know how to come up with another explanation.
At that moment, Gu Yue, who had remained silent and sat between Di Tian and Bi Ji as the leader of the three, finally spoke.
She raised her eyes and stared directly into Leng Hanyuan's snow-white eyes.
"How about discussing a collaboration?"
Naturally, Leng Hanyuan knew that Gu Yue was the core of their group.
He neither agreed nor disagreed. He merely narrowed his eyes and gave a soft laugh, like a little fox.
"Go on?"
Gu Yue did not answer immediately.
Instead, she glanced at the many Phoenix Family higher-ups behind Leng Hanyuan, including Leng Yaozhu.
Leng Hanyuan understood what she meant.
He turned back to look at everyone and calmly ordered,
"Everyone except little Yaozhu, withdraw."
"Yes, Ancestor."
These Phoenix Family higher-ups knew that this ancestor was likely going to discuss something important with these mysterious figures.
They said nothing and asked nothing.
After bowing, they withdrew from the hall.
Only five people remained in the reception hall: Leng Hanyuan, Gu Yue, Di Tian, Bi Ji, and Leng Yaozhu.
Gu Yue gave Di Tian a look.
Di Tian immediately understood.
He swept his sleeve.
Invisible Soul Power spread over the entire reception hall like a thin veil.
The purpose of this layer of Soul Power was simple.
It isolated them from outside detection.
Because what they were about to discuss was not suitable for too many people to know.
Di Tian's strength was unquestionably among the very best on the continent.
Even among quasi-gods, he was one of the strongest.
With the Dragon Clan's inherited ultimate technique, the Dragon God Claw, even Yun Ming, the continent's strongest man, likely would not dare claim certain victory over the Beast God.
Only Leng Hanyuan might be able to overpower the Beast God.
Even a quasi-god would find it difficult to spy on the Soul Power barrier Di Tian had set up without being noticed.
Leng Hanyuan had no objection to Di Tian's move.
He knew what Di Tian was concerned about and agreed with it.
After all, even he, the ancestor, did not believe that every member of the Phoenix Family was utterly loyal.
Planting undercover agents and spies was an old trick among major powers.
Other than Leng Yaozhu, anyone in the Phoenix Family could potentially be an agent or spy from another faction.
That was why Leng Hanyuan had dismissed them all and kept only Leng Yaozhu behind.
"Now you can speak, Silver Dragon King."
Gu Yue's expression shifted ever so slightly.
"You know who I am?"
She frowned, clearly not expecting Leng Hanyuan to identify her at a glance.
Di Tian and Bi Ji had crossed paths with Leng Hanyuan ten thousand years ago.
But at that time, she had still been recovering beneath the Spring of Life and had never had any contact with Leng Hanyuan.
"If even the Beast God, Brother Di Tian, follows your lead, then aside from the Silver Dragon King of legend, who did not fall in the God Realm, I cannot think of anyone else."
Leng Hanyuan spread his hands.
Yet those words dealt another blow to Leng Yaozhu's worldview.
Beast God Di Tian?
The Silver Dragon King who had not fallen in the God Realm?
The Heavenly Phoenix Douluo suddenly felt as though this world had become unfamiliar.
She had known that Di Tian and the others were far from ordinary, but she had never imagined they were this extraordinary.
Hearing Leng Hanyuan's explanation, Gu Yue gave him a deep look.
After a moment, she chuckled.
"Worthy of being the human Di Tian called the most astonishing he had seen in ten thousand years. Your reputation is well deserved."
She frankly acknowledged her identity.
"That is correct. I am the Silver Dragon King, Gu Yue."
Then she directly revealed her purpose.
"My purpose in coming is simple. I wish to use your Phoenix Family to enter the Spirit Pagoda and leave a path of survival for my Soul Beast Clan."
Since Leng Hanyuan knew even her identity so well, Gu Yue simply stopped concealing anything and laid everything bare.
"Ten thousand years have passed. As human soul tool technology has continued to advance, the living space of my Soul Beast Clan has been compressed to a precarious point, nearly to the brink of extinction."
"As the Silver Dragon King, I have a responsibility to contribute to the future of the Soul Beast Clan."
Leng Yaozhu pressed her red lips together.
She knew that everything Gu Yue said was true.
The Soul Beast Clan's living space had now been compressed to an extremely dangerous extent.
Aside from places with harsh environments, such as the vast oceans and the Far North.
Soul Beasts had nearly vanished everywhere else.
Even the Star Dou Great Forest, once the most prosperous Soul Beast forest ten thousand years ago, had been destroyed.
The remaining Soul Beasts had been kept captive by the Spirit Pagoda.
The Beast God Di Tian should originally have been among them.
Yet for some unknown reason, he had broken through the captivity blockade.
But on second thought, it was not all that surprising.
Although the blockade established by the Spirit Pagoda was powerful.
It had never truly been capable of restraining a supreme expert who had entered the quasi-god realm tens of thousands of years ago.
Within Leng Hanyuan's sea of consciousness, the expressions of the Two Emperors of Ice and Snow also darkened.
They had never expected the Soul Beast Clan's circumstances to become so dire after ten thousand years.
Although the Far North had been affected so little that it was almost negligible by comparison.
They were Soul Beasts after all, and could not help feeling saddened.
However, Soul Beasts also had their own factions. The two rulers of the Far North were not overly distressed, nor did they have any intention of asking Leng Hanyuan for help.
Leng Hanyuan's expression did not change in the slightest.
He remained as still as an ancient well, without a trace of emotion.
He merely raised a question.
"What does that have to do with me?"
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