This Was a Sacrifice for the Future of the Soul Beasts

Myriad Demon King was the first to ask Di Tian.

Di Tian looked at the gathered ferocious beasts, his expression somewhat strange. In the end, his gaze fell on Bi Ji, but he quickly looked away again.

"Our lord has decided to befriend this person with a Special Destiny."

The ferocious beasts nodded upon hearing this. That was only normal, considering it concerned the fate of the Soul Beast Clan.

"Our lord believes that since this person possesses a Special Destiny, as long as we can befriend him and even bring him into our camp, then even if he cannot change the mechanism preventing soul beasts from becoming gods after he ascends, he may still improve our living conditions and ease our current oppression."

After all, the territory of the Star Dou Forest had noticeably shrunk over the tens of thousands of years. Besides, a race could not rely solely on its high-level combat power.

At this point in time, the soul beasts still had quite a few ferocious beast kings and hundred-thousand-year soul beasts. But if all the low-year soul beasts at the bottom were slaughtered, what use would it be to leave only these top-tier powerhouses behind?

Sometimes, the soul beasts really ought to kowtow to Tang Buddha. Although he had overthrown Spirit Hall, leaving many commoners unable to awaken Martial Souls, that had also drastically reduced the number of Spirit Masters and greatly eased the soul beasts' predicament.

Just look at the Star Dou Forest ten thousand years later. Only ferocious beasts like Di Tian remained, along with a scattered few low-year soul beasts. That was only because the humans feared that Di Tian, free of racial ties, would go on a killing spree and had shown restraint.

"However, the human heart is unfathomable. Humans are cunning, and it is not unheard of for them to go back on their word. So we cannot merely provide him with resources; we must also keep him under watch. We need to ensure that he does not become an ungrateful wretch who stabs us in the back and makes our situation even worse."

"So..."

At this point, Di Tian felt somewhat embarrassed. He could not help it; what came next was difficult for him to say. Saying it made their lord sound like a pimp, but not saying it left out a crucial step in the plan.

In the end, Xiong Jun, Star Dou's number-one honey badger and a notoriously hot-tempered fellow, could no longer endure Di Tian's hesitant, roundabout manner and roared directly:

"Di Tian, can you just say it already? Stop acting like an old woman! Get to the point!"

Di Tian was also somewhat uncomfortable inside, so he tolerated Xiong Jun's urging. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, if Xiong Jun dared speak to him like that, he would at least be treated to a Black Dragon Claw. Not Dragon God's Claw, though—he could not go and get Xiong Jun killed.

"Our lord hopes that the soul beast responsible for monitoring him can stay by his side and preferably become his partner. Then, through that relationship, we can influence his attitude toward the Soul Beast Clan to some extent, allowing him to bring us more assistance and secure greater benefits for us."

In the end, Di Tian gritted his teeth and blurted everything out in one breath.

"Hmm?!"

"Ah?!"

"Woof?"

"..."

Myriad Demon King, Xiong Jun, Scarlet King, and Demon Spirit were instantly struck blank, finding it utterly unbelievable!

Bi Ji and Zi Ji also revealed shocked expressions, their faces full of disbelief. At the same time, they muttered inwardly, Did our lord really devise this plan? Isn't our lord said to have inherited the Dragon God's wisdom? How did he come up with something like this?

"Th-then, who is this person?"

Zi Ji asked uneasily, her voice carrying a trace of nervousness.

"It depends. If it is a female Spirit Master, then it will be me."

As Di Tian spoke, an awkward expression appeared on his face, and he hardly dared look directly at the group of ferocious beasts before him.

"And if it is a man?" Bi Ji asked as she looked at Di Tian, whose expression suggested that he found the matter difficult to voice.

"Then it will be you, Bi Ji!"

Di Tian looked at Bi Ji and somewhat sheepishly pointed at her.

Bi Ji's beautiful eyes instantly widened, filled with disbelief. Then, a flush slowly spread across her fair neck.

Logically speaking, if the target is a woman, Di Tian would go. Shouldn't Zi Ji go if the target is a man? Why me?

Seeing everyone's expressions, Di Tian turned around and presented his back to Xiong Jun and the others. He raised his head to gaze at the sky and said:

"This is a necessary sacrifice made for the future of our soul beasts!"

Yet Xu Tianchen, who had already reached the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest, had no idea how great an impact his visit had caused. Right now, he was still thinking about how to get through the period from level thirty to level seventy with an Ultimate Martial Soul.

An ordinary single Ultimate attribute was already slow enough to cultivate from level thirty to level seventy. He had dual Ultimate attributes on top of the Purple Radiance Annihilating Heaven Dragon, so compared to before, his cultivation speed would be as slow as a crawling turtle.

"Little Brother Chen, what are you thinking about? The food is ready. Come eat!"

A pleasant voice, as clear and sweet as silver bells, interrupted Xu Tianchen's anxiety about his future cultivation speed. It was Zhang Le Xuan, who had only recovered after leaving Star Dou, calling him over to eat.

"Coming." Xu Tianchen put aside his distracting thoughts. Whatever. When the boat reaches the bridge, it will naturally straighten out. Food first!

Xu Tianchen walked toward Zhang Le Xuan. Since Long Xiaoyao had not told them his identity, Xu Tianchen had not given them his name either. He had only told Zhang Le Xuan that she could call him Little Brother Chen.

Beneath the towering ancient trees, Long Xiaoyao was roasting a tender, plump Soft-Bone Rabbit nearby, while Zhang Yue Bai was changing the medicine on his elderly father's wound.

Zhang Le Xuan was crouching beside the campfire. The firelight reflected off her youthful, lovely face, and the small face that had been slightly pale from her earlier injuries had now regained some rosiness.

Xu Tianchen quickly stepped forward and sat beside Zhang Le Xuan, casually taking the rabbit leg she handed him and beginning to eat.

"Crunch~~"

The first thing he heard was the crisp sound of the skin breaking beneath his teeth. That roasted, crispy outer layer released a rich smoky fragrance in his mouth. Next came the tender, juicy rabbit meat, its abundant juices flowing over the springy flesh in his mouth. The juices carried not only the richness of the meat's fat, but also a faint fruity wood aroma.

Paired with the special seasoning, it was absolutely perfect! It gave him an indescribable sense of satisfaction!

As expected of a top-tier foodie, Long Xiaoyao's cooking was something else.

Xu Tianchen's verdict was: he did not know whether Xiao Huo's grilled fish was actually good, but Old Long's barbecue definitely scored a hundred!

Very soon, Xu Tianchen finished an entire rabbit leg. Seeing this, Zhang Le Xuan hurriedly handed him a water bottle, while also wiping away a bit of grease at the corner of his mouth.

"Eat slowly. No one is going to fight you for it."

"Thank you, Sister Le Xuan."

Long Xiaoyao and the Zhang father and son, watching the two children get along so harmoniously, also wore indulgent smiles.

After eating and drinking their fill, it was time to part ways.

Long Xiaoyao patted the dust from his clothes, his expression returning to its usual calmness. Looking at the Zhang father and son, he said:

"Alright, it is about time for us to leave. You should be careful as well."

Zhang Yue Bai hurriedly rose and gave Long Xiaoyao a deep bow. "Thank you for your help today, Senior. Should you ever need anything from me in the future, I would not hesitate to die for you!"

Long Xiaoyao waved dismissively. Xu Tianchen also looked at Zhang Le Xuan and said, "Sister Le Xuan, we will be leaving first. Take care of yourself, and be especially careful of the enemies you have offended."

"Understood. You take care as well. I hope that when we meet again, you can tell me your full name."

Zhang Le Xuan nodded as she spoke, her tone carrying a hint of reluctance.

"I will. I promise."

After saying that, Long Xiaoyao took Xu Tianchen and leaped into the air, flying in the direction of Mingdu.