Illusory Beasts!

How was that 355-degree over-the-top flattery?

Zhu Wu was quite satisfied inwardly. He nodded slightly and continued, "In the years that followed, the Dragon God led the various races in a long campaign to restore this world. During that time, he gained the faith of countless living beings and won this world's recognition, advancing his strength even further. However, no matter how hard they tried to restore it, a shattered mirror could never be made whole again. This world could never return to its former prosperity. The Dragon God gradually realized that powerful beings like them could no longer remain in this world."

"Otherwise, this world would sooner or later collapse again because of the activities of primordial beings like them."

"So, the Dragon God thought of creating an independent Small World separate from this world."

"He wanted to transfer all the first batch of beings born in this world into that Small World, preventing them from bringing disaster upon this world again."

"From then on, he would simply be an observer, a guardian, protecting this world in another way."

"And of course, it would also free him of worries, allowing him to explore the universe and pursue higher realms."

At this point, he paused and looked at the Silver Dragon King. "By the way, Your Majesty, was Lord Dragon God born in this world?"

"Or did the Five Great Divine Kings know which world the Dragon God was born in?"

"He was indeed born in this world." The Silver Dragon King nodded. "However, to prevent his homeworld, Douluo Star, from being targeted and retaliated against by enemies, the Dragon God once warned all his subordinates during his conquests of the universe not to mention to outsiders that he had been born on Douluo Star. The beings who first followed the Dragon God into battle were all from Douluo Star's Beast God Branch, so there was no possibility of them leaking it. Therefore, the Five Great Divine Kings do not know."

"And not only the Five Great Divine Kings. No one outside Douluo Star's bloodline could possibly know, including the Beast Gods."

So it was his homeland. The Dragon God sending those dragon remains back probably meant he wished for them to return to their native soil as well. Zhu Wu nodded. "In that case, we need not say that Douluo Star was encountered by the Dragon God during his cosmic conquests."

Di Tian immediately frowned. "But if this information reaches the Asura God's ears, might it draw the God Realm's attention and make them send people to the Lower Realm for a massive search?"

"It has been so many years. If they could have found anything, they would have done so long ago." Zhu Wu shook his head. "After that great war, it was not as though no gods had been born in this world. As far as I know, the Angel God was one of them. Even these native gods found nothing, much less the gods of the God Realm."

"Besides, truth mixed with falsehood is exactly how I intend to conceal my identity."

"You mean...?" A flash of insight struck Di Tian. He seemed to have thought of something, yet did not dare confirm it.

Zhu Wu smiled. "After the Dragon God led the powerful primordial beings into the Small World, the Lower Realm continued to evolve, and humans were born during that time. The Dragon God appreciated that although humans were weak at birth, they possessed extremely high intelligence and were vastly different from ordinary soul beasts. As beings born of the same world, the Dragon God did not favor one over another. He treated humans as an offshoot of the soul beast race."

"Unwilling to see a race born with intelligence perish, he bestowed certain abilities upon those humans to improve their chances of survival. He also arranged for a member of the Dragon Clan to descend into the Lower Realm and protect and guide them for a time. Thus, the first humans who worshipped the Beast God were born. The ability granted to them was the talent to freely switch between human and beast forms and mimic soul beasts in battle."

"So, as long as we spread this information, even if the Asura God sees the dragon scale between your martial soul's brows, or even discovers a trace of the Dragon God Bloodline within you, he will regard it as a gift the Dragon God bestowed upon those humans back then. He will never think that you are a survivor of that God Realm war, much less that you are the Treasure Hiding Beast he killed with a single stroke of his sword." Di Tian stared wide-eyed.

"So, the next thing to do is sever any connection." Zhu Wu smiled and nodded, then continued.

"Because they had always been protected, that member of the Dragon Clan soon became the object of these humans' faith and was revered as the Beast God. Even after returning to the Small World, that member of the Dragon Clan continued watching over these humans and often responded to their prayers. But one day in the future, the descendants of these humans suddenly discovered that they could no longer communicate with the Beast God they worshipped."

"And generation after generation afterward found the same. Without the Beast God's response or aid, these humans encountered many troubles in the years that followed. Gradually, they came to believe that the Beast God they worshipped had abandoned them. In the end, they changed their faith and began worshipping nature."

"A fine concept." The Silver Dragon King nodded.

"Next comes the specific framework." Zhu Wu continued, "The Illusory Beast Clan cultivates in a very special way. They use the degree to which they mimic soul beasts to distinguish their realms. The first stage is the Liberation Form. After switching into beast form, they mimic the aura of the corresponding soul beast, blend into soul beast communities, and live alongside them, observing soul beasts to comprehend their methods of battle and abilities."

"In the end, they turn themselves into true soul beasts, allowing their own skills to be freely released like soul beasts' bloodline talents and achieving perfect mastery. This is also a trial that every Illusory Beast Sect Disciple must complete. Life and death are left to fate; those who die return to nature."

"In fact, this cultivation method is what this subordinate comprehended during his recent training in the Star Dou Great Forest. It is a stage-by-stage cultivation method tailored specifically for myself."

"The second stage is the Transcendent Form."

"It refers to perfectly mastering one's abilities in beast form, then comprehending them anew in human form, so that one can perfectly wield those abilities even while in human form."

"To advance into this realm, one must return to human society, cleanse away one's beastly nature, and return to one's true self."

"Afterward, one fuses soul rings into one's body, multiplying one's attributes and turning all soul skills completely into innate abilities, achieving a perfect fusion between martial soul and body. I call this final step Ring Fusion."

"After that, naturally, one must strive for that illusory realm of the Beast God. This is the cultivation path that the Beast God, himself a soul beast, opened up for these humans."

"The only difference is that in the past, one only needed to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy to break through. But later, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy sharply declined, and one had to absorb soul rings to advance."

"In that way, these humans and soul beasts became complete enemies." Di Tian's eyes lit up.

"And this kind of martial soul talent, this way of cultivating by mimicking soul beasts, can also serve as cover for us Ferocious Beasts to travel outside in human form."

"Together with the Illusory Beast Sect's worship of nature and its own duties, it also provides a fitting explanation for why the sect has never been known to the outside world throughout countless years."

"The Illusory Beast Sect protects nature and forests, so naturally it has always remained deep within the mountains. Since humans outside often destroy the natural ecosystem, they are naturally rejected by the sect."

"Exactly." Zhu Wu smiled and nodded, continuing.

"Because the soul beast talents bestowed by the Dragon God upon that first group of humans differed from one another, the martial souls that later evolved also varied greatly. By now, the sect's disciples have evolved into several branches."

"The Sect Leader is inherited by the leader of the Dragon Branch, the strongest in combat, who is also known as the Dragon Head. The leader of the Nine-tailed Fox Branch, which once presided over sacrifices, is the Wisdom Head. As a spiritual-attribute martial soul, this branch possesses powerful spiritual strength, wisdom, and foresight, so it serves as the Sect Leader's assistant and advisor. This Fox Vein is merely nominal, included only to complete the sect's framework."

"As for the rest, we can simply base them on the true forms of the major Ferocious Beasts outside. Di Tian, if you have seen any other Ferocious Beasts capable of taking human form, you can include them as well. They may prove useful in the future."

"Understood." Di Tian nodded.

"I once traveled the continent and saw two in the Far North Land. One was a Heavenly Snow Woman with cultivation exceeding six hundred thousand years. One was an Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion with cultivation exceeding three hundred thousand years. There was also a Titan Snow Devil King. Its bloodline potential was quite good, though I do not know whether it has become a Ferocious Beast yet. Beyond that, on the continent across the sea, there is a spiritual-attribute Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord whose age has already exceeded seven hundred thousand years. As for the sea, I was flying through the air on my journey back then and did not pay much attention to it."

"That is already enough," Zhu Wu said. "We can discuss the details of this matter with those Ferocious Beasts outside later, make sure everyone is informed, and unify our story."

"In that case, if there is nothing else, you may leave." The Silver Dragon King was very straightforward. "Di Tian, from this day onward, you must fully cooperate with every action Zhu Wu takes."

"Yes!" Di Tian respectfully bowed.

"Your Majesty, we take our leave." Zhu Wu bowed as well.

"Mm." The Silver Dragon King nodded. Her massive head swiftly sank beneath the water, soon vanishing into the lake.

"Let's go." Di Tian turned around.

"Mm." Zhu Wu nodded and followed him toward the exit.