Crackle—!
A campfire had been built beside Life Lake.
Sparks burst from the fire, complementing the fireflies drifting through the shadowy woods.
The Goddess of Life crouched beside the fire, awkwardly but earnestly turning the skewers of meat.
Though she had no experience, her god-level control allowed her to regulate every inch of heat with precision.
The fat was forced out, sizzling across the meat's surface and evenly coating every fiber. The fragrance spread through the air, and even the surrounding grass and trees seemed to sway hungrily.
She was a Goddess and had no need to eat.
But Li Qinglian was still a human child. He could not go hungry.
"Delicious."
Li Qinglian clutched a spicy rabbit leg in both hands and tore into it with huge bites, not even bothering to wipe away the juices running down the corners of his mouth.
His eyes had even turned a little red as he ate.
This familiar flavor...
Spicy, piping hot, with the satisfying burst of grease upon his tongue.
He was practically moved to tears.
Ten thousand years. A full ten thousand years.
Who could understand the suffering of a tree?! Rooted in the soil, day after day, watching the sunlight and rain, watching birds and beasts come and go, yet unable to taste even a sip of water.
Now, he had finally become human again.
Drinking, eating meat, a campfire, and the evening breeze. This life was far too pleasant.
Taking human form had truly been the right choice.
He would rather live freely as a human for a lifetime than be a tree rooted in the earth, restricted even in his ability to move.
"Lady Goddess, your cooking is really incredible."
Li Qinglian took another gulp of wine and praised her indistinctly.
Her cooking was definitely better than that of the finest chefs in the human world!
And these ingredients were top-notch as well.
"Do not call me that. You should call me Wan'er. My human name is Wen Wan—you just gave it to me!" The Goddess of Life put on a stern face, pretending to be displeased.
"Alright, Sister Wan'er. Your cooking is wonderful. I do not know how I will live once you leave." Li Qinglian wiped his mouth and readily changed his words.
Actually, the Goddess of Life was quite nice.
He had been lonely for tens of thousands of years. This was the first time anyone had treated him so well, and she was such a beautiful God King at that.
"I cannot stay here for long. Otherwise, Little Zi will definitely kill you."
The Goddess of Life blinked, wrapped her arms around her knees, and stared blankly into the distance.
What occupied her mind now was not romance, but how to protect Li Qinglian.
With his talent, he would certainly reach the limit of a Soul Master within thirty years. But during those thirty years, if any god discovered his existence, it could bring catastrophic disaster.
"That is true."
Li Qinglian shrank his neck.
He felt like crying without tears.
He was only a tiny nobody right now. Why did he keep getting tangled up with these powerful figures?
"What are your plans now? Wherever you want to go, I can take you there."
The Goddess of Life rested her cheeks in her hands, her beautiful eyes filled with gentle warmth.
"Spirit Hall. I want to cultivate deeply at Spirit Hall."
Li Qinglian's eyes flickered.
Spirit Hall was the strongest human power on this continent, overwhelmingly so.
He had no masochistic hobby that would make him go to some rundown academy like Shrek Academy in pursuit of growth through adversity.
Was that not just a disease of the brain?
Li Qinglian did not need to grow through adversity.
He was the Death Divine Tree, born of heaven and earth. As long as living beings in this world continued to perish, he could continuously grow stronger!
"Spirit Hall? That is indeed a good destination."
"And Spirit Hall is Angel God's territory, right? Angel God is also a deity under Goodness."
"The Goddess of Kindness is a good friend of mine. When the time comes, I can ask her to take care of you."
The Goddess of Life said in delight.
"The Goddess of Kindness?"
Li Qinglian froze for a moment.
"That is right. Other than me, she is the only other female God King in the God Realm, and she is very powerful. With her character, even if she learns of your existence, she will keep it secret."
"When that happens, you will have another older sister."
The Goddess of Life smiled until her eyes curved into crescents.
However, her bright smile quickly fell.
She had suddenly thought of something.
Humans were allowed to have multiple wives and concubines. And human men were all fickle.
Those human men with the means seemed to enjoy having relationships with multiple women.
She glanced at Li Qinglian's face. Though it was still young and childish, it was already clear that he would grow into an exceptionally handsome man. Suddenly, she felt a little uncomfortable.
...Forget it. It was too early to think about such things.
The night passed without incident.
The next morning.
The outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena, escorted Li Qinglian to the forest's edge before stopping.
Morning light filtered through gaps in the canopy, falling over her silver-white hair and casting a faint glow upon it.
"Little Brother Qinglian, as a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who has taken human form, you may not need to obtain additional Soul Rings, but you still need to return to the Star Dou Great Forest often."
Gu Yuena crouched down and held Li Qinglian's cheeks in both hands, a trace of reluctance flashing through her gorgeous eyes.
Li Qinglian was one of the rare few people she could call a friend. The Goddess of Life did not count; Gu Yuena knew that the Goddess of Life had always been wary of her.
However, if Gu Yuena knew that the only reason Li Qinglian did not guard against her much was because he thought she was a "big-chested, brainless, sweet fool," she would probably be so furious that she fainted on the spot.
"Sister Na'er, do not worry. I will definitely come back often."
"Although I can produce Soul Rings on my own, I still need to put on an act."
Li Qinglian chuckled.
"Life, once you return to the God Realm, do not reveal anything. If the God of Destruction learns of his existence, it will be troublesome."
"It is not only the God of Destruction. The God of Evil and the Asura God in the God Realm likely do not want a new God King to emerge either." Gu Yuena shifted the topic and looked toward the Goddess of Life.
"I understand. I will be careful." The Goddess of Life looked serious. "You should be careful as well. If other gods discover that you are still active in the lower realm, I will not protect you."
Gu Yuena smiled indifferently.
The Dragon Clan of old had placed far too much pressure upon the God Kings. Now that the Dragon Clan had declined, they would not want it to rise again.
Unless... someone no weaker than the former Dragon God emerged in the God Realm in the future. Otherwise, the God Realm would always remain wary of the Dragon Clan.
"Li Qinglian now possesses a human body. Although a human body is somewhat frail, it is the finest vessel. Humans can absorb the power of other powerful lifeforms and make it their own."
"Among the myriad living beings in the universe, besides the Dragon Clan, only the Human Clan can reach the pinnacle. Yet the Dragon Clan has already declined after developing to this point."
A trace of cunning flashed across Gu Yuena's stunning face.
If Li Qinglian had merely been a pure Death Divine Tree, becoming a God King would have been his limit. But he had already taken human form. It seemed as though he had become weaker, but in truth, he had gained far more possibilities.
There were countless powerful creatures in the universe, but only two great races had created brilliant civilizations: the Dragon Clan and the Human Clan.
The Dragon Clan was born strong, with formidable bloodlines. They only needed to awaken the power within their blood to dominate a region. Humans were born weak, yet they were the most perfect vessels. They could absorb the power of other creatures for their own use, and their potential was limitless.
"If the God Realm is to produce a God King in the future who can rule over a realm like the Dragon God... or even a God Emperor."
"That being will surely come from the Human Clan."
Gu Yuena looked directly into Li Qinglian's eyes.
Li Qinglian's original form was the Death Divine Tree, and he had taken human form.
His innate bloodline had already reached its peak, while humans were the race most capable of growing stronger through acquired means.
With both the Goddess of Life and herself protecting his growth, his future potential was limitless. Even if he could not reach the Dragon God's level, there was an enormous chance that he would surpass those God Kings of the God Realm.
Before you continue