Soul Tools Rule the Future—Could the Ancestor Have Fallen in Love with a Soul Beast Too?

Tang Potian's mind buzzed, going completely blank.

There had been records in classified military archives of soul beasts being able to speak.

But those records had never mentioned a soul beast using a tone as though it had seen through his entire life, nor saying something as earth-shattering as "usher in the era of soul tools."

The Storage Cube in his hand was something he had spent ten years of painstaking effort developing through countless failures. Aside from him, no one knew how it worked.

How could this little beast know?

Before he could figure it out, that crisp yet authoritative voice rang out in his mind again.

"Follow me. This is not the place to talk."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion turned around and strode elegantly toward the depths of the forest. The five vicious Nether Wolves remained sprawled on the ground, not even daring to breathe.

Tang Potian had no choice.

Leaning on his Black Iron Hammer, which was covered in cracks, he limped after it.

The chat group had already erupted completely.

[Ning Fengzhi: The Imperial Auspicious Beast, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion! A supreme existence said to bring fortune and auspiciousness to soul beasts! Why would it appear in Sunset Forest and take the initiative to contact the Tang Clan ancestor?]

[Tang Xiao: There has never been any record of this in the Clear Sky Sect's ancient texts! What exactly did our ancestor experience afterward?]

[Qian Daoliu: Usher in the era of soul tools... Could it be that the origin of soul tools truly lies with this Clear Sky Sect ancestor? This... this is an achievement capable of remaking the world!]

Everyone's scalps went numb at the possibility.

If it was true, then the Clear Sky Sect's status would be far more than simply that of "the world's number one tool martial soul sect." They were the forebears who had created an entire cultivation system!

Within the heavenly curtain, Tang Potian followed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion through layer after layer of dense forest.

The deeper they went, the more terrifying the auras of the surrounding soul beasts became. Several of them even made his heart pound in fear despite him being a Soul King. Yet after sensing the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's aura, those powerful beings all retreated far away.

At last, they arrived at a valley surrounded by vines and towering trees.

The sight before Tang Potian made him freeze once more.

Several wooden huts stood in the center of the valley. Though crude, their structures were distinct, and there was even a small yard enclosed by a fence. It was clearly a miniature human village.

Yet there was no one here. Only the Three-Eyed Golden Lion stood quietly in the center of the village.

"You have many doubts."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion turned around. Its golden vertical pupils gazed calmly at Tang Potian, as though it was not looking at a person, but at a history that was about to change.

"Words are too pale an explanation. See for yourself."

As soon as it spoke—

The Third Eye on the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's brow, that tightly shut vertical eye, abruptly opened!

Buzz!

An invisible golden beam instantly enveloped Tang Potian's head.

Tang Potian's body shuddered violently. His consciousness was dragged by an irresistible force into a bizarre and dazzling world!

The next second, he saw it.

He saw savage steel warships, their prows blasting out destructive pillars of light that easily tore apart the sea and reduced the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, a creature as massive as a mountain range, to charred remains.

He saw floating metal fortresses blotting out the sky. Countless cannon barrels extended from beneath them, and every volley could flatten a vast primeval forest, turning innumerable howling soul beasts into drifting ash.

He saw humans clad in strange armor, flames jetting from their backs as they swept across the skies like a swarm of locusts. The weapons in their hands came in all forms, firing beams of light, ice spikes, and fireballs with power no less than a Soul King's full-force attack!

And the core driving it all—the energy sources for those armors, warships, and fortresses—were unmistakably incredibly complex... soul tools!

Humanity had become the true ruler of this continent.

Meanwhile, soul beasts could only cower within the last few forests known as "soul beast reserves," barely clinging to life.

Boom!

Tang Potian's consciousness was viciously kicked back into reality. He staggered back two steps and fell onto the ground, his single eye filled with terror and disbelief.

The chat group had long since fallen silent.

In the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace, Emperor Xue Ye slumped limply on his dragon throne, his lips trembling as he failed to utter a single word.

At the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the glazed cup in Ning Fengzhi's hand slipped free and shattered, tea splashing all over the floor.

This... was the future?

Humanity would completely trample soul beasts beneath its feet?

[Yu Xiaogang: Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! The power of soul beasts, especially those over a hundred thousand years old, is simply beyond what humans can contend with! These scenes are fake!]

[Bibi Dong: Heh, what a frog at the bottom of a well. Just because you cannot understand it does not mean it will not happen. So this is the level technology can reach...]

In the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

At the center of the Lake of Life, Di Tian suddenly opened his eyes. Endless fury and killing intent erupted from his golden pupils.

[Di Tian: Traitor!! Three-Eyed Golden Lion! You dared show the prophecy of fate to a human! You have betrayed the entire soul beast race!]

Terrifying dragon might spread through the heavenly curtain, and soul masters across the entire continent felt a shudder rising from the depths of their souls.

Beneath the heavenly curtain, in the valley.

Tang Potian panted heavily, staring fixedly at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. "Those... what were they?"

"The future. A future ruled by your creation."

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's voice remained calm, though it carried a trace of sorrow.

"I saw the potential of soul tools. They represent an entirely new system of power, a power that can be mass-produced and widely adopted. They are the future. So I proposed to the Beast God that soul beasts should also learn and master this power, use it to arm our kin, make ourselves stronger, and thus preserve the soul beasts' status as rulers forever."

"But..." A flicker of desolation passed through the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's golden eyes. "In their eyes, learning to use human tools was degradation, was betrayal. They drove me away and regarded me as a traitor to soul beasts."

"So I left the Star Dou Great Forest and came here to find you."

Step by step, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion walked up to Tang Potian and looked at him solemnly.

"You are the pioneer of this era. I want to learn from you—learn human wisdom, learn the forging methods of soul tools."

Tang Potian's heart began to pound wildly.

What had happened today was far too bizarre!

In the chat group, the people of the Clear Sky Sect could barely breathe.

Tang Hao's eyes shone as he excitedly typed into the group.

[Tang Hao: Holy crap! Is our ancestor going to form an alliance with the auspicious beast? Soul beasts helping fight soul beasts—now that's a profitable deal!]

[Tang Hao: Wait... a man and an incomparably beautiful soul beast in human form, spending every day together in a secluded valley... Could it be...]

[Tang Hao: Our ancestor, just like me, fell in love with a soul beast!]

The moment he said that, the entire chat group fell into strange silence once again.