Investiture

"Di Tian, I'm your future master, at least. You're making this very difficult for me."

Xu Feng leaned lazily against the tree trunk, watching the Beast God's openly displeased expression. Especially that look of wanting to do something yet being unable to do anything—it was quite amusing.

Di Tian's face was filled with undisguised disdain. Ever since that Auspicious Beast's human form had been revealed on the Skyscreen, this guy had been coming to the Star Dou Great Forest every few days. Even ghosts knew what he was after!

Di Tian knew full well that his lord had sacrificed herself to give the Spirit Beasts this hard-won opportunity to become gods. But! He would never let the Auspicious Beast he had personally raised get close to this pervert whose head was full of improper thoughts.

"Get to the point. If you don't have any actual business, I have things to do."

Di Tian radiated an aura that said, "Keep talking nonsense and get lost."

"Fine, fine. I really do have business this time. Yu Tong needs a thousand-year mental-type Spirit Beast. The age shouldn't be too high, though—something around that level will do. You know she only broke through recently. A Spirit Ring that's too powerful could cause problems instead."

"What do you take this place for?! A Spirit Ring extraction depot for your Sun Moon Empire?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, several Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts whom he had just summoned behind him revealed vicious expressions. Their fangs showed as low growls rose and fell, as though they were ready to pounce at any moment.

Huo Yutong nervously grabbed Xu Feng's clothes. With a flick of his right hand, the List of Gods appeared directly in his grasp. "One Spirit Ring in exchange for a place on the List of Gods!"

The next second, all the Ferocious Beasts turned their heads in unison, their gazes shifting from Xu Feng to the List of Gods. Their eyes first filled with shock, then transformed into frenzied greed.

King of Hundred Beasts was the first to react. His massive body instantly squeezed up beside Xu Feng. "It's only some thousand-year creature without even a shred of intelligence. Di Tian, you're truly too stingy. I can catch that kind of trash for you in minutes!"

"Exactly, exactly! I'm ashamed to stand alongside you!" Scarlet King refused to fall behind, rushing to Xu Feng's other side. His thick tail wagged excitedly like a big dog's. "A thousand-year Spirit Ring for a place on the List of Gods—where else could you find a deal like that? Di Tian, has water gotten into your brain?"

"You lot!" Di Tian's face turned livid. He wanted to fly into a rage, only to discover that the Ferocious Beasts who normally obeyed his every command were not even looking at him now. One by one, they circled Xu Feng like starving wolves that had spotted meat.

It could only be said that they wanted to become gods far too badly. King of Hundred Beasts had even begun mobilizing the entire Star Dou Great Forest's plant-type Spirit Beasts to capture the target Spirit Beast. Countless vines and roots spread madly underground, searching every inch of land.

"Quick, quick! Don't let that thing escape! This is a chance to become a god—I've waited hundreds of thousands of years for this!"

"Damn it! We absolutely can't let that bastard get ahead of us!" Scarlet King shouted, then immediately ran off to search as well. The other Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts also rushed away at once. For a time, the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest were thrown into complete chaos.

Di Tian stood where he was, watching those Ferocious Beasts who were usually so imposing now race away like wild dogs fighting over food. His lips twitched a few times before he could only let out a deep sigh.

"Your Highness, I have a question."

Yaoling did not join them in searching for a Spirit Beast, for one simple reason: he himself possessed the mental attribute. If he chose to sacrifice himself, then with their attributes matching, even if Huo Yutong was merely a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster, she could still fully absorb his Spirit Ring.

"Oh? I didn't expect you to think of that. You're quite clever, finding another method besides placing one's physical body on the List of Gods."

When the List of Gods had first fallen into his hands, it had only said that anyone whose name was listed could become a god. Everyone had assumed that he would only be able to grant investitures after he himself became a god. Unexpectedly, Yaoling had directly discovered another way to become one.

"You flatter me."

Yaoling had merely noticed the statement that even a ten-year Spirit Beast could become a god. Unlike humans, who could hide so completely that they could not be found, a ten-year Spirit Beast did not even have a name. Even if it was fortunate enough to receive one, whether it could survive was another question entirely.

How could a Divine Artifact of the List of Gods' caliber possibly have such a flaw? Therefore, this method of becoming a god had to be divided into two paths: one through the physical body, and one through the soul.

"Then the deal is made."

Xu Feng directly wrote Yaoling's name onto the List of Gods. Yaoling immediately performed a sacrifice, and a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-year Spirit Ring appeared on the spot.

"No way. Setting aside thirty-nine rising to forty, you can even raise twenty-five to thirty..."

Xu Feng watched as the third golden pattern gradually appeared on the Spirit Ring before him. She truly was the Douluo plane's favored daughter. A two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand-year Spirit Ring had been forcibly raised to three hundred thousand years. It really did not want its daughter to suffer even the slightest disadvantage.

Because it was a sacrifice, Huo Yutong experienced no adverse reaction while absorbing it. She easily absorbed the three-hundred-thousand-year Spirit Ring, and her meridians, which had not yet fully recovered, were instantly completely repaired. Her Soul Power directly rose to level twenty-eight.

"Once she absorbs the Spirit Bone later, she'll probably reach level thirty. Her second Spirit Ring is already three hundred thousand years old. Looks like there's some room to work with for her third Spirit Ring too."

Through the sacrifice, Yaoling allowed Yu Tong to directly obtain a Spirit Ring, while his soul could enter the List of Gods and become a god on the spot. Once the Spirit Beasts learned of this, they would surely all be desperate to sacrifice themselves.

"Then, Yaoling, Three-Eyed Yaoling Patriarch and the first Spirit Beast to become a god in a million years, I hereby appoint you as one of the Ten Yama Kings, in charge of overseeing all soul judgments!"

As Xu Feng finished proclaiming the official appointment, Yaoling, who had already died, directly regained a body, and his strength immediately reached the god level.

Xu Feng's List of Gods could do far more than appoint divine offices in the Celestial Court. This place did not even possess a proper reincarnation system.

Therefore, the List of Gods also contained the Netherworld's complete reincarnation system. As the first Netherworld office appeared, the entire system of reincarnation emerged upon the Douluo Continent.

The wandering ghosts that had originally lingered in the mortal realm instantly received guidance from the Netherworld. As for the Evil Soul Masters who cultivated through souls, every soul they had imprisoned flew out beyond their control.

This investiture was also broadcast on the Skyscreen. Although no one knew exactly what had happened, they all understood one thing: a true god had appeared on the Douluo Continent.

Moreover, this god came from the Spirit Beast race and had been appointed by Xu Feng. For the Holy Spirit Cult and Shrek Academy, this was not good news.