What Do You Think of Humans and Soul Beasts

"Ahem!"

Teased by his son and disciple, Qian Daoliu finished his self-reflection and coughed, cutting off the pair who were becoming increasingly brazen.

Even if he had been a little impulsive at the time, you two brats didn't have to be so blunt to his face!

At least talk behind his back—don't let him hear it!

Qian Xunji had respected Qian Daoliu for so many years; the moment he heard his father's cough, his previously beaming face instantly stiffened, and he clamped his mouth shut.

Huo Yuhao also lowered his head silently, struggling to control his facial expressions to keep from laughing out loud.

To be able to roast one of the three strongest people in the world while still being a weakling himself—that was quite an achievement!

Seeing that Qian Xunji and Huo Yuhao had finally quieted down, his expression recovered from its slight awkwardness back to normal.

"Since your first soul ring possesses so many skills, I imagine your second ring is no less impressive."

Huo Yuhao nodded obediently and recounted all four soul skills of his second ring to Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji.

"Eight soul skills!"

Qian Xunji looked up at the sky, speechless.

He was thirty-six years old and had reached level 80 as a Soul Douluo, yet he only had eight soul skills in total!

His junior brother had only two soul rings, and he already had eight skills!

Wasn't this cheating a bit too excessive?

Even if a couple of those skills seemed useless at first glance, when it came down to it, they were god-tier life-saving abilities!

Whether it was Simulation or Breath Concealment, if used for an ambush, they would hit the mark every single time!

In a proper soul master tournament at an academy, as long as Huo Yuhao took the stage, there would be no way to fight.

If you couldn't even see where your opponent was, how were you supposed to fight?

And what about Huo Yuhao? Even if the opponent used all sorts of methods to hide their presence, one Spirit Detection from him would reveal them clearly, and he could even share that vision with his teammates in real-time!

The place where Huo Yuhao's abilities could be displayed to their maximum effect was actually the battlefield.

However, Spirit Hall had no intention of conquering the Douluo Continent, so Huo Yuhao would likely only be able to bully students at the soul master academies.

"Sigh... those in the same generation as Yuhao will likely have a very hard time."

Above their heads stood a mountain that could never be climbed.

Never mind the brats of his own generation; even the generation before him would likely feel the pressure.

What Qian Xunji could think of, Qian Daoliu could naturally see as well; he even thought deeper.

"Yuhao, the million-year Soul Beast of the Soul Beast clan sacrificed itself for you and elevated your martial soul's capabilities to such a degree. You must be grateful to them."

A million-year Soul Beast was equivalent to a god.

For the Soul Beast clan to invest so much in Huo Yuhao, what they sought in return would surely be significant.

Huo Yuhao understood the deeper meaning behind Qian Daoliu's words and nodded slowly. "I am, to an extent."

"Yuhao, do you know the relationship between humans and Soul Beasts?"

Huo Yuhao was silent for a moment before saying, "I do. My teacher has told me before. There is an irreconcilable conflict between humans and Soul Beasts."

The primary source of this conflict was the way soul masters increased their strength.

A soul master needed nine soul rings in their lifetime, which meant at least nine Soul Beasts had to die for them.

The age of these Soul Beasts only grew higher and higher.

The relationship between humans and Soul Beasts was one of life and death.

"Then, in your heart, which is more important: humans or Soul Beasts?" Qian Daoliu sighed deeply. "Your bloodline is so unique, the Beast God calls you 'My Lord,' and that 'Sovereign' personally went to great lengths for your soul rings. Your status within the Soul Beast clan is extraordinary."

Huo Yuhao's stance was far too important.

Yet, Qian Daoliu could not take action against Huo Yuhao.

The Soul Beasts letting Huo Yuhao tell him about the soul rings was their way of letting him know just how important Huo Yuhao was to their clan.

If anything were to happen to Huo Yuhao, it wouldn't just be Spirit Hall—the entire human race might face the wrath of the enraged Soul Beast clan.

After all, there was still a mysterious god among the Soul Beasts.

This was a show of cards that Qian Daoliu had no choice but to accept.

All Qian Daoliu could do for now was guide Huo Yuhao toward being friendly to humanity while he was still young and his character and values had not yet fully solidified.

"Teacher." Huo Yuhao's voice was calm and clear. "This disciple is human."

Although Huo Yuhao might not have much human blood left in his body at this point, his perspective as a human had never changed.

Therefore, he was human.

Qian Daoliu did not speak, waiting for what was to follow.

"Soul master cultivation cannot exist without soul rings. And soul rings come from Soul Beasts. Teacher, have you ever thought about what would happen to soul masters if one day, Soul Beasts were to go extinct?"

This sentence made Qian Xunji, who had been standing silently to the side and felt it inappropriate to interrupt, turn his head in surprise.

Qian Xunji thought of the Soul Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest and couldn't help but speak aloud, "The number of Soul Beasts is vast; how could they possibly go extinct?"

Aside from a few rare species that are difficult to breed, many Soul Beasts produce multiple offspring in a single litter.

"They won't now. But what about in ten thousand years? A hundred thousand years? Humans don't just hunt Soul Beasts for Spirit Rings; they slaughter them indiscriminately to obtain Spirit Bones. Can the growth rate of Soul Beasts truly keep up with human consumption?"

The cultivation speed of Soul Beasts is not as fast as that of humans, yet the faster a Spirit Master grows and the better their talent, the greater their demand for high-age Soul Beasts.

Not to mention a hundred thousand years, in twenty thousand years, Soul Beasts will all be endangered species.

Is this something a seven-year-old child should be thinking about?

Is he, the next Pope of Spirit Hall, perhaps too incompetent?

Qian Daoliu sighed, "The cultivation system for Spirit Masters is just that cruel. As long as the cultivation system remains unchanged, humans and Soul Beasts can never coexist."

"Why not?"

"Because our power is insufficient. Perhaps after becoming a god, it might be possible to resolve the flaws in the cultivation system, but becoming a god—how could it ever be that simple?"

No, perhaps even becoming a god wouldn't solve it.

Even that "Sovereign" on the side of the Soul Beasts can only watch this situation unfold, unable to change it.

"Didn't Teacher ask me how I view the relationship between humans and Soul Beasts? This disciple believes that the two can coexist!"

As soon as Huo Yuhao said this, even Qian Daoliu was stunned for a moment.

"How to coexist? In what way?"

"That million-year Soul Beast that sacrificed itself to me hasn't actually truly died. This is a method it researched itself; it calls it a Wisdom Spirit Ring. Although its body is gone, its soul remains within the Spirit Ring and can exist alongside the Spirit Master."

As Huo Yuhao spoke, he communicated with the Sky Dream Iceworm, who had only just woken up in his Sea of Spirit.

A giant worm, seven meters long and made of pure white jade, appeared abruptly before Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji.

The moment it appeared, it raised its upper body and flashed a smile at the dumbfounded Qian Daoliu and Qian Xunji.

"I heard you all admire me greatly and wanted to see my magnificent form."

As the Sky Dream Iceworm spoke, it wiggled its body to better show off its chubby physique.

Huo Yuhao's mouth twitched; the prestige of a million-year Soul Beast vanished the instant it opened its mouth.