Gu Yuena

The bright moon hung high, stars shining around it, illuminating the Star Dou Great Forest as brightly as day. Ripples glittered across the lake. Suddenly, a silver light gathered like flowing water over its surface, gradually forming a human figure.

She was a cool, aloof silver-haired girl in a long silver dress, her long silver hair falling loosely down her back. Her features were exquisite and beautiful, and her eyes were a noble purple! Even Huo Yuhao had to marvel at her face, which looked like a work of art! In the Imperium, quite a few noble ladies would probably have undergone surgery using her as a model.

The girl merely watched Huo Yuhao without answering him.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're their leader, aren't you?" Seeing that she remained motionless on the lake, Huo Yuhao spoke softly again.

"How did you discover me?" After a moment of silence, the girl finally spoke, her voice ethereal and pleasing to the ear.

"When you discovered that I'd discovered you. There's a hidden, layered space down below. Its fluctuations are almost imperceptible, but thanks to my keen perception, I noticed it."

In truth, Huo Yuhao was also deeply shocked. He had never expected a place like Douluo Star to possess spatial technology. Even the Imperium still struggled to create a pocket dimension!

"You're very unusual. Your soul power is only rank ten, yet your perception is so strong. No, even the strongest perception shouldn't have detected it." The girl's voice remained ethereal, but there was a trace of fear that even she failed to notice.

"We aren't enemies, so that's a good thing, isn't it?" Sensing something unusual in her mood, Huo Yuhao immediately offered reassurance.

"Not enemies? Hmph! How could humans and soul beasts possibly not be enemies!"

Huo Yuhao could not help frowning at how categorical she sounded.

"As far as I know, the conflict between humans and soul beasts centers on humans having to hunt soul beasts and obtain their soul rings to advance, correct?"

"Since you know that, what else is there to say?"

"Then who decreed that? The laws of the universe? Or this planet's will?"

"How do you know that the land beneath our feet is actually a planet?" a voice filled with astonishment rang out. Di Tian strode quickly to the lakeside and knelt on one knee in salute. "My lord!"

"Isn't that common knowledge?" Huo Yuhao replied, somewhat surprised.

"Common knowledge? No, on the Douluo Continent, only my lord and I know this. Who exactly are you?"

Di Tian had already conjured a dragon claw, while the girl who had been standing on the lake also came to Huo Yuhao's side, staring at him gravely.

Huo Yuhao immediately fell silent. He suddenly realized that he had made the mistake of relying on past experience. Based on his understanding of the Douluo Continent's technological tree, it should already have entered the Age of Exploration. Yet from the looks of things, the people of this continent had not explored continents overseas.

A moment later, his anger became somewhat difficult to contain. "I'm Huo Yuhao. As for why I know this, I can't say. But I still want to know who exactly decreed that soul beasts could only serve as stepping stones for humans.

"A person can't choose the circumstances of their birth, but if they make up their mind about what sort of person they want to become, they should be given a chance. Since soul beasts have a chance to become human, why are they still unable to change their fate?"

Hearing Huo Yuhao's words, the girl pondered for a moment, then waved at Di Tian, signaling him not to attack. "Stepping stones? Heh, that's fitting. I don't understand why a human like you would care about soul beasts."

"You aren't xenos creatures with whom humans can share nothing. Your emotions and worldview are highly similar to those of humans. I even suspect that humans and soul beasts can be traced back to a common origin."

This was not idle speculation on Huo Yuhao's part. He thought of how beast martial souls also existed among humans. Along his journey, he had seen the bodies of beast martial soul holders take on bestial traits when they summoned their martial souls. He even speculated whether beast martial soul masters could transform completely into beasts if they became strong enough. If this conjecture was true, then did humans and soul beasts in this world actually share a common origin?

However, he had also seen quite a few tool martial soul holders, and there was even his own Spirit Eyes Martial Soul, which left him unable to understand it for now. Still, understanding a part of it was already quite good.

In the end, Di Tian answered him. "In the distant past, humans and soul beasts could indeed be considered to have lived in harmony. But one day, the human gods grew jealous of our beast gods and launched a rebellion. In the end, the Dragon God could not withstand the encirclement of so many enemies and fell in a bitter defeat. The Divine Realm also stopped allowing beasts to become gods, and even established the soul master system to exterminate our kind to the last!"

Di Tian also realized that this human bore soul beasts no ill will. He had even shown extraordinary anger upon learning that someone was maliciously targeting the Soul Beast Clan. Combined with the Scarlet King telling him that this was a human genius, perhaps they could nurture him into a spokesman for the Soul Beast Clan in the Divine Realm. In any case, as long as this human had not become a god, Di Tian could snuff him out.

After listening to Di Tian's account, Huo Yuhao did not entirely believe him. After all, speakers often unconsciously concealed the truth within a perspective favorable to themselves. Still, he seized on one key point.

"The Divine Realm? You mean that on this planet, there's a group of self-proclaimed gods controlling the fate of mortals?" Huo Yuhao's voice held anger he could not suppress.

"That's right, but..."

Before Di Tian could finish, Huo Yuhao abruptly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and interrupted him. "How could I tolerate those charlatans playing god and manipulating those lovely mortals!"

"Humanity's fate should rest in its own hands. There should be no other heaven above their heads!"

Huo Yuhao's voice was very low, yet it thundered in their ears.

Both the girl and Di Tian were stunned by Huo Yuhao's words. They had never imagined that this human actually intended to stand against the entire Divine Realm!

"Mortals cannot defeat gods. The gulf between humans and gods is too great."

"But they can be killed, right? Ultimately, they're just people with greater power."

"By your understanding, that isn't wrong."

Through his conversation with the girl, Gu Yuena, Huo Yuhao naturally learned that this world's gods differed from the gods of the Warp. They were merely people with greater power who held certain authorities! But their existence would inevitably hinder the development of human civilization. Since they had willingly fallen into depravity, they should be destroyed!

Of course, Huo Yuhao also acknowledged that there were "good people" among those gods. If they were willing to admit that they were human and act on it, then they were good citizens. But rulers called "gods" should not exist!

"We can become allies in opposing the Divine Realm. I'll also find a way to resolve the soul beasts' current predicament."

"If you can resolve the soul beasts' crisis as you say, then I can also promise not to take revenge on humanity or restore the Divine Realm." The girl, Gu Yuena, saw Huo Yuhao's determination to destroy the Divine Realm. In truth, she herself held little hope for the revival of soul beasts. Now that someone willing to destroy the Divine Realm, and very likely capable of doing so, was stepping forward, this outcome was not bad for her either. For some reason, this human boy gave her a feeling that he was worthy of trust!

"Then, here's to a happy partnership."

"To a happy partnership."