"Since I've reached my limit, I'll leave it at that. It's only natural that there's a gap between my speed and theirs. After all, I'm only level thirty-four."
With a thought, Zeng Tian steadied his speed.
Meanwhile, Miss Auspicious Beast looked back at Zeng Tian, who had finally stopped accelerating, and couldn't help breathing a sigh of relief.
She was already moving at her limit. If Zeng Tian went any faster and overtook her, his big sister, it would be utterly humiliating.
As the Scarlet King sensed what was happening behind him, he was astonished too.
This little fellow is actually faster than a Sharp-Tailed Swift. With that speed and the self-created special moves he displayed while fighting the Auspicious Beast earlier, he practically has no weaknesses.
Although Sharp-Tailed Swifts were fast, their offensive power was lacking.
Yet the offensive power and combat ability Zeng Tian had just displayed clearly far surpassed a Sharp-Tailed Swift's, and even seemed to edge above a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's.
After all, Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears carried a trace of Behemoth blood. Who knew what kind of soul beast Zeng Tian had mutated from to become so powerful?
After they entered the core region, powerful soul beasts became more numerous. Ten-thousand-year soul beasts, which could only occasionally be seen in the Mixed Zone, were everywhere here.
Zeng Tian even saw a soul beast over ninety thousand years old. Judging by its size and the aura it exuded, it was clearly only a single step away from reaching a hundred thousand years.
But under the combined deterrence of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's and the Scarlet King's auras, none of them dared approach. They only watched from afar.
A long while later, after passing ancient trees that towered straight into the clouds, Zeng Tian and the others arrived before an enormous lake.
Its surface was as smooth as a mirror. The pale green water resembled the most exquisite piece of natural emerald, shimmering with green light brimming with life. A faint mist hung over the lake, and the moist air washed over them, carrying the distinctive fragrance of plants.
This was the very heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, the dwelling place of Di Tian and the other ferocious beasts-the Great Ferocious Land, a forbidden zone for humans, the Lake of Life!
"What a powerful aura of life. And the fire elements here are actually denser than at the volcano where I live."
Gazing at the pale green lake water shimmering before him, Zeng Tian froze for a moment. How could an environment like this contain such dense fire elements? It defied all reason!
The Scarlet King stopped before the Lake of Life first, then called out in a clear voice, "Di Tian, I have something to discuss with you."
Gurgle-
No sooner had the Scarlet King finished speaking than wisps of dark aura suddenly rose from the calm, pale green water. Then a blond man three meters tall slowly emerged from the lake, his features handsome and resolute, an imposing aura surrounding him.
Di Tian gave the Scarlet King a calm glance, his voice deep. "What is it?"
The Scarlet King pointed at Zeng Tian and said, "An exceptionally gifted youngster has appeared in the forest. I can't discern his origins. You're widely knowledgeable, so I brought him for you to take a look."
At those words, golden light flashed in Di Tian's eyes, and he turned his gaze toward Zeng Tian.
In an instant, Zeng Tian felt a powerful surge of spiritual power sweep over his body, as though everything about him had been laid bare. The sensation made him deeply uncomfortable.
"Hmm?"
A moment later, the golden light faded from Di Tian's eyes, and surprise appeared on his face. In a flash, he moved before Zeng Tian and examined him more closely.
"Di Tian, what have you found?"
Seeing this, the Scarlet King hurried forward to ask.
Di Tian shook his head. "How strange. His physical structure is completely different from that of ordinary soul beasts, as though he isn't a creature of this world."
It had to be said that Di Tian's perception was keen. Charmander truly wasn't a creature of this world.
Then Di Tian frowned and asked Zeng Tian, "Do you know who your parents are?"
"I was born on a cliff. I was the only one there."
Zeng Tian shook his head. Are you kidding? I became a Charmander the moment I transmigrated. How would I know who I was?
"I see."
At that, Di Tian regained his composure and looked toward the Scarlet King. "You said earlier that he was exceptionally gifted?"
"That's right!" The Scarlet King nodded and continued, "His combat strength is even greater than a Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear's at the same cultivation level. He also has excellent comprehension and can create his own skills. I've witnessed all of this myself."
"Yes, yes! With Zeng Tian's combat strength, plenty of forty- or fifty-thousand-year soul beasts are no match for him. I can vouch for that."
At this point, Miss Auspicious Beast eagerly chimed in.
Hearing this, Di Tian looked at the Auspicious Beast in puzzlement. Since when had this little one taken such an interest in another soul beast?
Seeing Di Tian's confusion, the Scarlet King promptly transmitted his voice. "The Auspicious Beast just took that little fellow under her wing as her little brother. What do you think?"
As he said this, the Scarlet King felt rather uneasy. If Di Tian disagreed, there was no telling what sort of fuss the Auspicious Beast would kick up.
"Little brother?"
Di Tian paused, then replied through voice transmission as well. "That's not a bad thing. With a playmate, perhaps the Auspicious Beast will settle down a little in the future. I approve.
"But keep a close eye on them. Don't let them stir up any major trouble, and be especially wary of humans.
"If you encounter anything you can't handle, remember to notify me immediately."
Although the soul beasts had an agreement with the humans, when enough profit was at stake, such agreements were nothing more than scraps of paper that could be torn apart at any moment.
Besides, deep down, Di Tian didn't trust humans at all. Humans were deceitful by nature and short-lived. The next generation was very likely to refuse to honor the contracts signed by the previous one. If not for the deterrence posed by ferocious beasts like them, those contracts would long since have become empty formalities.
Even so, many soul masters still came to the Star Dou Great Forest every year to hunt for soul rings. Even hundred-thousand-year soul beasts had fallen victim to their ruthless hands.
If he hadn't been worried about thoroughly enraging humanity, and if he hadn't needed to guard the Lake of Life, he would have acted long ago to teach the humans a lesson.
"Rest assured. The Auspicious Beast is the treasure of our Star Dou Great Forest. Naturally, I won't let anything happen to her."
The Scarlet King was brimming with confidence as he gave that reply.
After all, he was the Scarlet King, ranked eighth among the ten great ferocious beasts. How many humans could possibly be his match?
As for the weaker ones, never mind him-they couldn't even defeat the Auspicious Beast.
Hearing this, Di Tian nodded in satisfaction. He had confidence in the Scarlet King's abilities.
He had only given that reminder as a precaution.
After all, the Auspicious Beast's existence was far too important to the Star Dou Great Forest. They could not afford to lose her.
"Your name is Zeng Tian, correct?"
At this point, Di Tian glanced at Zeng Tian and spoke.
Zeng Tian hurriedly nodded. "Yes, Lord Di Tian."
"Since you're an outstanding youngster of our kind, and we've now met, I can't fail to offer some token as the Beast God."
As he spoke, Di Tian considered briefly, then drew a blood-red medicinal herb from the empty space beside him.
"I can see that you seem to possess a trace of Dragon-type blood, though it's extremely faint. I'll give you this Ten-Thousand-Year Dragon Blood Grass. Perhaps it can lend you a helping hand."