Di Tian and the many ferocious beasts froze at the same time.
Their lord had always rarely shown emotion.
Yet now, as she watched the golden radiance in the Sky Screen, longing appeared in her eyes.
Xiong Jun and the Myriad Demon King exchanged a glance.
They had never seen Gu Yuena wear such an expression.
Di Tian lowered his head without asking.
Gu Yuena soon withdrew her gaze.
"Keep watching the rankings."
She looked toward the Sky Screen again.
"Only after the Evil Emperor receives its reward will we know just how far it can go."
The images in the Sky Screen continued to change.
The Evil Emperor's figure gradually became clear.
A pitch-black eye loomed above the Sun Moon Empire.
Vast spiritual power spread outward, enveloping the entire city in its power.
Golden text appeared in turn.
[The Evil Emperor commands the Evil Demon Forest.] [The Sun Moon Empire reveres it as a totem.] [It is the Sun Moon Empire's most powerful soul beast.] [It is also one of the powers controlling the Sun Moon Empire from behind the scenes.]
The various major factions were shaken once more.
A soul beast commanding a forest was already astonishing enough.
But the Evil Emperor not only commanded the Evil Demon Forest; a human empire also revered it as a totem.
It could even influence the situation in the Sun Moon Empire.
Such a relationship went far beyond ordinary cooperation between soul beasts and humans.
Bullet comments flashed past.
[ A soul beast became an empire's totem? ]
[ The Evil Emperor doesn't just command soul beasts, but humans too? ]
[ This soul beast is far too powerful! ]
[ Why would the people of the Sun Moon Empire willingly revere it as a totem? ]
[ Could the Evil Emperor possess some special mind-control ability? ]
[ A seven-hundred-and-eighty-thousand-year-old mental-attribute soul beast-who could withstand its power? ]
In the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiong Jun's eyes widened.
"That works too?"
The Myriad Demon King also fell silent.
Soul beasts and humans had always regarded one another with hostility.
Though the ferocious beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest were powerful, they had never made a human empire submit.
The Evil Emperor, on the other hand, had become the Sun Moon Empire's totem.
Even they could not understand this.
Di Tian's gaze flickered.
"Mental-attribute soul beasts can influence human minds."
"If the Evil Emperor wished, perhaps it could make vast numbers of humans regard it as their faith."
Gu Yuena shook her head gently.
"Spiritual power alone cannot keep an empire orderly for long."
"There should be other reasons why the Sun Moon Empire reveres it as a totem."
She looked at the Evil Emperor in the image.
"Perhaps the Evil Emperor protected that empire."
"Perhaps the Sun Moon Empire took the initiative to draw upon its power."
"We'll have to keep watching to learn the specifics."
Outside Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
As Dugu Yan listened to the contents of the Sky Screen, a measure of wariness arose within her.
She cultivated the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul and knew little about the mental attribute.
But Dugu Yan knew that spiritual power was also extremely important when soul masters fought.
If the Evil Emperor could truly influence an empire, then its power was no longer merely a matter of combat ability.
"Ning Xian."
She looked toward the white-robed figure ahead.
"Can this soul beast control people?"
"Yes."
Ning Xian answered very directly.
"However, controlling a human empire requires more than spiritual power."
Dugu Yan pondered for a moment.
"Then why would the people of the Sun Moon Empire willingly revere it as a totem?"
"Perhaps the Evil Emperor once sheltered them."
Ning Xian gazed at the Sky Screen.
"It's also possible that they need the Evil Emperor."
Dugu Yan asked no more.
The images on the Sky Screen continued to unfold.
Black light blotted out the sky.
The Evil Emperor hovered above the Sun Moon Empire, its enormous eye slowly turning.
Below, countless humans knelt in a city square.
An enormous Evil Eye Statue stood at the center of the square.
The statue's eye was exactly the same as the Evil Emperor's in the Sky Screen.
Golden text appeared again.
[The Evil Emperor has ruled the Evil Demon Forest for many years.] [The Sun Moon Empire reveres the Evil Eye Tyrant Clan as its totem.] [The Evil Emperor possesses the power to influence human minds.] [It shelters the Sun Moon Empire with its own power, protecting it from attacks by numerous soul beasts.]
The bullet comments erupted again.
[ So that's how it is! ]
[ The Evil Emperor protected the Sun Moon Empire, so the humans revere it as a totem! ]
[ Soul beasts and humans can coexist peacefully too? ]
[ It's more than peaceful coexistence-the Evil Emperor has already become the faith of an entire empire! ]
[ This is completely different from the Star Dou Great Forest! ]
[ The Evil Emperor truly deserves eighth place! ]
At this sight, the expressions of the two empires' royal families grew even graver.
The Sun Moon Empire had the Evil Emperor's protection.
This meant that a different order had already formed between the humans and soul beasts on that land.
If the Sun Moon Empire truly existed beyond the Douluo Continent, the two sides would come into contact sooner or later.
The Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire had to prepare in advance.
In the Star Luo Imperial Palace.
Dai Tianfeng watched the Sky Screen and slowly said:
"The Evil Emperor is more than a soul beast."
"It is also the guardian of the Sun Moon Empire."
"If the Sun Moon Empire has large numbers of soul masters, with the Evil Emperor holding the fort as well, its strength cannot be underestimated."
Inside the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace.
Xue Ye nodded.
"Continue investigating."
"I want to know exactly where the Sun Moon Empire is."
The scene in the Sky Screen suddenly changed.
The city that had belonged to the Sun Moon Empire gradually faded.
A black forest replaced the city.
Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky and sun.
Dense soul power permeated the woods.
Beneath the lofty canopy, a lake lay quietly.
The Lake of Life.
Many soul beasts darted through the woods.
In the distant sky, black light rapidly approached.
That enormous Evil-Eyed Tyrant Overlord crossed the sky above the forest and appeared in the Core Region of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The image froze.
Countless beings stared at that familiar forest, all of them stunned.
Inside Heaven Dou City, many soul masters blurted out:
"That's the Star Dou Great Forest!"
"The Evil Emperor has been to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"Why would it appear here?"
The Star Dou Great Forest.
Di Tian's expression darkened.
He watched the Evil Emperor in the image, his gaze lingering above the Lake of Life.
"It came here."
Xiong Jun raised his head and asked:
"When?"
Di Tian did not answer.
Too much time had passed since that memory.
But he would never forget the sight of the Evil Emperor descending upon the Star Dou Great Forest.
Gu Yuena also raised her head to gaze at the Sky Screen.
Her long silver hair fell behind her shoulders.
At last, a measure of seriousness appeared in her violet eyes.
Why exactly had the Evil Emperor come to the Star Dou Great Forest?
And what had happened between it and Di Tian?
Golden radiance gathered at the edges of the image.
New text was about to appear.
Ning Xian stood outside Heaven Dou Royal Academy, looking up at the Sky Screen.
Dugu Yan held her breath as well.
The eyes of the entire continent were focused on that familiar forest.
The Star Dou Great Forest.
Above the Lake of Life.
The images in the golden Sky Screen did not immediately continue.
Di Tian looked up at that familiar lake, his long black hair falling behind his shoulders, distant memories already surfacing in his golden eyes.
Gu Yuena likewise recalled that day.
"It was that time."
She stood at the center of the lake's surface, her long silver dress spreading out a layer of finely scattered silver light.
"The Evil Emperor chased the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm into the Star Dou Great Forest."
Before you continue