Soul Beasts that chose to rebuild themselves as humans were, after all, rare among the rare. The vast majority of Soul Beasts capable of cultivating to a hundred thousand years, no matter how poor their bloodline or talent, would try their luck against the Heavenly Tribulation. Dying in the attempt was commonplace.
However, Soul Masters who possessed their true forms as martial souls were far more numerous by comparison. Moreover, one could choose those whose attributes merely matched, which left even more room for selection.
This was especially true for spiritual-attribute Soul Beasts like Eve and the others. They were practically universal fits.
The Heavenly Tribulation was the Sword of Damocles hanging over every Soul Beast's head. Even if they survived this one, what about the next?
And to escape a doomed fate, the only path was ascension to the God Realm.
Yet even Di Tian, hailed as the Beast God, had never truly become a god. Soul Beasts had witnessed the long ages of the Douluo Continent, but throughout those years, only humans had become gods.
"Then what if the host inhabited by the Soul Spirit becomes a god?" Lijing spoke up. Of everyone present, only she was suited to ask that question. Her younger sister should have been the one asking, but her sister's eyes were now filled with that human, as though she had been bewitched. She had probably forgotten who she was.
"Though Soul Spirits have their own consciousness and emotions, they are still considered the host's weapons. Naturally, they can accompany the host to the God Realm," Huo Yuhao said calmly. Er Bai and Little White nodded along with grave expressions.
"Hah, you make it sound like you've actually become gods before." The Ice Empress turned away disdainfully. Little White, that guileless fool, had instead grown close to this person he had only just met.
Huo Yuhao did not argue. They had only just met, so a lack of trust was normal. He had the confidence and patience to wait until everyone returned to how they had once been.
"Becoming a god is vague and distant, but Soul Spirits are something you can see for yourselves." As Huo Yuhao spoke, he gently removed Liya's hand and rose to his feet.
A faint gray tint spread through his eyes, and a strange gray soul ring appeared. Before anyone present could marvel at yet another unusually colored soul ring on the youth—
A gateway emanating an eerie aura of death appeared. "Er Bai, bring them out," Huo Yuhao ordered.
Er Bai nodded and leaped straight into the gateway. Soon afterward, two enormous figures were thrown out from within. They were a Titan Giant Ape and a Sky Azure Bull Python, both Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, and both severely injured.
Er Bai emerged last. He then released his bear paw and tossed a girl around twelve years old beside the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python.
And the instant Xiao Wu hit the ground, a sudden change occurred.
"Moo—" A long beastly roar emerged from the Sky Azure Bull Python's mouth. At the same time, a dazzling red light burst from his brow. Blood-red flames ignited across his body, and brilliant crimson light dyed the entire sky of the Far North red. Even time and space froze.
The violent energy fluctuations immediately blasted the surrounding Soul Beasts who had been watching back hundreds of meters. The only two who remained where they were were Er Bai, the strongest person present—
And the youth enveloped in red light.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast sacrifice! But he's only level ten." Lijing covered her mouth in shock.
"A level-ten Soul Master absorbing a hundred-thousand-year soul ring is destined for only one outcome: exploding to death," the Ice Empress said with a frown. She remained wary of the changes occurring to the Snow Empress because of the youth's arrival, but he had brought both her and the Snow Empress hope of surviving their next Heavenly Tribulation. She did not want him to die just like that.
"Yuhao!" Upon hearing the Ice Empress's words, Liya immediately coughed up blood. Golden pearls streaked with faint blood-red patterns slid down her cheeks. Even the scales on her body dimmed somewhat, and she fainted completely.
"..." The Snow Empress watched the youth shrouded in red light, and an image of him turning into a bloody mist flashed through her mind. Her heart suddenly clenched. Lowering her head, she looked at the ring in her palm just as a glistening Ice Crystal fell into the center of its band. Was I crying?
Sea Princess Eve and Lijing also wore solemn expressions. A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast sacrifice was something neither of them had ever witnessed. The youth's fortune and methods truly defied the heavens, but his influence over their daughter and sister was simply too great. If he truly died, Liya might not survive either.
They had never imagined that merely bringing their daughter and sister out to broaden her horizons would lead to such consequences!
"Mom, quickly give Sister Liya's pearl to Dad! As long as his spiritual power is enough, he can definitely do it. Dad's first soul ring was once a million years old. How could a mere hundred-thousand-year soul ring possibly stump him?" Seeing everyone's anxious expressions, Er Bai immediately shouted at the Snow Empress. At this moment, he no longer cared about Huo Yuhao's repeated warnings not to call him Dad.
Only then did everyone come back to their senses and look toward Little White. "You said his first soul ring was a million years old?!" The Ice Empress could not believe it.
What did a million years mean? Legend had it that when a Soul Beast broke through a million years, it was equivalent to a human breaking through level one hundred. That meant—becoming a god!
"Spiritual power! Dad needs more spiritual power!" Little White shouted. This was the message Er Bai had conveyed to him.
Sea Princess Eve looked at the daughter in her arms, then at the youth surrounded by red light. She bit her lower lip, and her body began to glow faintly. Golden radiance gradually surged forth and gathered at her brow. Then, a fist-sized golden "pearl" flew from above her head, while her aura weakened noticeably.
Lijing immediately supported her mother in panic, then reached out with her other hand to support her sister Liya as well, staring at her mother's actions in shock.
With a wave of her hand, Eve sent the spiritual origin she and her daughter had condensed into the Snow Empress's hand. "Give it to him for me."
The Snow Empress looked at the pearl in her hand, paused for a moment, then nodded. She walked resolutely toward the youth enveloped in red light.
"Mom, you..."
Lijing wanted to say more, but her mother stopped her. The price Eve had paid this time was no small one—fully one-third of her spiritual power origin. She would need to recuperate for quite some time. If anything went wrong during that period, she might very well fail to survive her next Heavenly Tribulation.
She remained doubtful about the claim that his first soul ring had been a million years old, but a youth with a hundred-thousand-year first soul ring was worth gambling on.
She knew that the Sea God had been searching for an inheritor all these years. If the Sea God could not even take a fancy to a youth whose first soul ring was a hundred thousand years old, then he likely would not take a fancy to anyone.
If one day, the youth truly became the Sea God, then with the hundred years a deity could remain in the mortal world, along with Liya's connection to him, perhaps her branch could also develop into a family power like the Qian Clan of Spirit Hall's Angel family.
Who would not want descendants with divine bloodlines and god-bestowed martial souls?
Naturally, Eve would not let anyone else know of this little ambition of hers. Her gaze remained fixed upon the Snow Empress. Whether they succeeded or failed depended on this attempt.
Before you continue