Confrontation with the Beast God, Yuhao Enrolls

Unlike Xiong Jun, Di Tian had neither overlooked Huang Jinxu nor failed to notice him.

Di Tian had not shown himself, but he had not left either. His meaning was clear: he was waiting for Huang Jinxu to approach.

"Well, this is..."

Huang Jinxu gave a helpless smile, then turned into a streak of starlight and shot toward the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Back when he lacked strength, facing Di Tian had filled him with fear and dread. Now that he had the power to protect himself, his attitude toward Di Tian was entirely different.

As Huang Jinxu saw it, Di Tian was overbearing, but he had a stubbornly proud side too.

"What are you doing in the Star Dou Great Forest? Don't tell me you're here to poach another Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."

Di Tian fixed Huang Jinxu with a cold stare. A crushing force of darkness burst from him and pressed down on Huang Jinxu's heart like a mountain.

At a thought, Huang Jinxu wrapped himself in starlight. It formed a rippling shield that steadily dispersed Di Tian's pressure.

"I no longer need Soul Rings. Naturally, I wouldn't hunt Soul Beasts without good reason."

"I only came to help my disciple obtain his First Soul Ring in the outer reaches."

Huang Jinxu explained with a smile.

His history with Di Tian had begun with a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

When Huang Jinxu's cultivation had reached level eighty, his physical strength and the state of his Martial Soul had been enough to withstand a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring.

But Shrek Academy had an agreement with the Star Dou Great Forest, so the academy would not readily help him hunt a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. Mu En had only recently suffered a sudden, devastating injury and lay unconscious; Shrek Academy did not want a conflict with the forest.

Still, Huang Jinxu could not bring himself to settle for a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

He could have tried for a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring as his Seventh Soul Ring. Circumstances had not allowed it, though, so he had given up and chosen a Soul Ring just shy of a hundred thousand years old.

If he had to settle for less again with his Eighth Soul Ring, he knew he could never accept it.

So he had ventured deep into the Star Dou Great Forest in search of the Golden Hawksbill Turtle.

Only after months of searching had he finally found his target. With the aid of other means, he had slain it.

He had successfully absorbed its hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Ring as his Eighth Soul Ring.

Perhaps killing an auspicious Soul Beast like the Golden Hawksbill Turtle had earned the forest's hatred. Perhaps it was something else. Whatever the cause, he had encountered Di Tian.

Di Tian had tried to kill him without a word. Only the Auspicious Beast's appearance had saved his life.

Why the Auspicious Beast had helped him had something to do with the Power of Destiny it controlled.

It had taken Huang Jinxu years just to gain a rough understanding of its Fortune. He did not possess the far more mysterious Power of Destiny himself, nor did he have anywhere to study it, so naturally he knew little of its workings.

That was why he no longer dared enter the depths of the Star Dou Great Forest lightly. With Kong Deming's help, he had obtained his Ninth Soul Ring in the ocean instead.

Once he had grown strong enough, Huang Jinxu had ventured into the forest's depths several more times. He still did not know what the Auspicious Beast had seen through the Power of Destiny, or why Di Tian no longer wanted to kill him. Whatever the reason, his life was no longer in danger.

After that, he had gone to the Star Dou Great Forest every so often to spar with Di Tian. Sparring was a generous word for it; he was really stealing what he could from Di Tian's insights.

He had also come to be on decent terms with some of the forest's Ferocious Beasts. Xiong Jun, of course, was the exception.

That was not only because Xiong Jun hated humans, but also because he could not beat Huang Jinxu.

"You took on a disciple? That's a rare surprise."

"To think someone in the human world was willing to accept you."

Di Tian was surprised to learn that Huang Jinxu had taken on a disciple.

The Ferocious Beasts deep in the Star Dou Great Forest were willing to sit down and talk with Huang Jinxu for more than the Auspicious Beast's sake. Another important reason was that they believed the human world had rejected him completely.

At least, that was the image Huang Jinxu had cultivated for himself in the Ferocious Beasts' eyes: a man utterly cast out by humanity.

"Beast God, did you come here for something?"

Huang Jinxu showed no reaction to Di Tian's faintly teasing tone. Sometimes he almost felt bad deceiving these Ferocious Beasts. They looked fierce and bloodthirsty, but they were not especially quick-witted—or, rather, they had trouble thinking around corners.

Once he drew close enough to them, fooling them was quite possible.

"Do me a favor. Find a chance to communicate with the Golden Tree. You don't need to ask it anything. Just confirm whether he's still there."

"This is your payment."

As Di Tian spoke, a Soul Bone flew toward Huang Jinxu.

It was a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, and its attributes suited him remarkably well.

Huang Jinxu showed little emotion, but his mind raced.

What was going on?

This shouldn't be happening.

In the original course of events, the Ferocious Beasts had never done anything like this.

Had something changed among the Ferocious Beasts?

Or had my actions set off a chain reaction?

Lost in thought, Huang Jinxu looked at the Auspicious Beast beside Di Tian.

The next moment, silver light flashed in his eyes, brilliant as the stars.

Everything in the world instantly looked different to him.

Golden Fortune soared into the clouds, but streaks of crimson light ran through it. The crimson light merged with the golden pillar of Fortune, yet remained distinct.

That's the Power of Destiny. The little one has already begun to master it...

Huang Jinxu did not know what had happened, but he was certain something had changed among the Soul Beasts—something that had not occurred in the original story.

"All right. I'll look for a chance to make contact. Beyond that, I won't do anything else."

After a moment's consideration, Huang Jinxu gave his answer.

He already had a plan involving the Golden Tree. He could communicate with it while carrying that plan out. Whatever the result, he would have done what Di Tian asked and could give him an answer.

Besides, a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone that suited him was the payment.

He had no reason to refuse.

While Huang Jinxu and Di Tian reached their agreement, Huo Yuhao had already left the Star Dou Great Forest. On his way back, he happened to meet Bei Bei and Tang Ya.

When Tang Ya learned that Huo Yuhao had obtained his First Soul Ring and was now going to enroll, she eagerly offered to take him to register.

And so Huo Yuhao made his way to Shrek Academy's registration desk.