Thinking of this, Toji's gaze involuntarily fell on Di Qiu'er, who was quietly accompanying him.
Di Qiu'er met his gaze, as if she understood his predicament and desire, and nodded gently.
"Let's go, take me back to the Star Dou Great Forest."
Toji stood up and spoke concisely.
There was no farewell, no explanation.
With Toji by her side, like two bolts of lightning tearing through the sky, Di Qiu'er left the Body Sect and sped towards the most mysterious and dangerous core of the Douluo Continent, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest, Great Ferocious Land.
Great Ferocious Land, Lake of Life.
The rich primordial energy of heaven and earth almost condensed into a tangible mist, flowing and swirling across the lake's surface.
On the lakeside, several figures exuding a terrifying aura sat or stood; they were the rulers of the Star Dou Great Forest.
In the center of the lake, Di Tian, dressed in black robes, sat with his eyes closed, seemingly one with the Life force of the Great Ferocious Land. He was like the Sea God of this forest, his aura as deep and unfathomable as the sea.
The space distorted slightly, and Toji and Di Qiu'er appeared silently on the lakeside.
Di Tian slowly opened his eyes, his golden vertical pupils like two burning suns, instantly locking onto Toji.
The powerful pressure spread out as if it were a tangible force, causing even the Ferocious Beast like Bi Ji to feel a chill run down their spines.
" Qiu'er?" Di Tian's gaze first fell on Di Qiu'er, carrying a hint of gentle inquiry, before turning to Toji, his voice deep and authoritative, "Human, what brings Qiu'er back?"
He was somewhat surprised that this ridiculously powerful human would take the initiative to return.
Di Qiu'er didn't speak, but simply stood quietly beside Toji.
Toji he met Di Tian's gaze—a gaze powerful enough to freeze the soul of Titled Douluo —his face showed no fear, only a calm brimming with pure fighting spirit. He took a step forward, his voice not loud, yet it resounded like thunder across the tranquil Lake of Life, clearly reaching the ears of every Ferocious Beast:
" Di Tian."
"May I challenge you?"
Time seemed to freeze at that moment. The ripples on the Lake of Life ceased to move, and the drifting mist remained suspended in mid-air.
Bi Ji, the Myriad Demon King, Xiong Jun... the expressions on the faces of all the Ferocious Beast present froze instantly, from confusion to astonishment, and then to unbelievable shock.
They even suspected there was something wrong with their ears.
Challenge Di Tian?
Has this human gone mad?
Di Tian himself was also stunned for several seconds, which was rare for him.
His imposing, golden vertical pupils clearly reflected Toji's cold and serious face. Then...
"Ha ha ha ha!!!"
A deafening burst of laughter, seemingly capable of tearing the heavens apart, suddenly erupted.
The laughter exploded like a million thunderbolts across the lake, containing unparalleled dominance and a kind of unbridled ecstasy rekindled after being sealed away by the long years.
The terrifying sound waves materialized into tangible sound waves, violently impacting the surroundings.
Huge waves surged up on the lake, ancient trees shook violently, and branches and leaves flew everywhere.
The massive trunk of the Myriad Demon King trembled violently.
Xiong Jun instinctively took a step back, his eyes filled with horror.
Even Di Qiu'er couldn't help but furrow her brows, raise her hand to cover her ears, and show a hint of pain on her face.
The laughter lasted for about ten breaths before gradually subsiding.
Di Tian slowly stopped laughing, his dignified face now carrying an indescribable sense of emotion and... appreciation.
"How many years..." Di Tian's voice echoed with a distant resonance, as if it came from ancient times, "How many years has it been since any living being dared to stand before me and utter the word 'challenge'!"
His golden, vertical pupils locked onto Toji, his gaze intense, as if trying to see right through him.
"The last time... it was in that forest of the Sun Moon Empire, when that arrogant evil eye challenged me, wasn't it? Unfortunately, it was still my defeated foe."
"And you, human." Di Tian's tone suddenly rose, and an overwhelming pressure, more terrifying and vast than his previous maniacal laughter, descended like a primordial beast, pressing down on Toji.
The surrounding air instantly became as thick as lead and mercury, and the space itself groaned under the unbearable pressure.
"You are the first, the first human to stand before me, to look me in the eye, and to declare your challenge to me."
Under this God Level pressure, powerful enough to crush steel and crush souls, Toji's body suddenly sank.
The ground beneath their feet instantly cracked and sank.
His bones creaked painfully, his muscles were taut to their limit, and the veins beneath his face bulged out like writhing dragons.
However, instead of showing any pain or fear, his face revealed an extremely excited, even fanatical, smile.
That smile, like fangs gleaming in the darkness, carried a pure joy of encountering prey.
Pressure, unparalleled pressure.
A crisis, a crisis that could be fatal.
Excitement stems from a tremor and thrill deep within the soul.
Sure enough, it was him, only this peerless Ferocious Beast revered as the Beast God, standing at the pinnacle beneath the gods...
Only Di Tian could bring him the long-lost, terrifying sense of oppression that was enough to shake the very essence of his Life.
Only then could his long-dormant, Tyrant heart, yearning for battle and breakthrough, be ignited.
"Did you agree?" Toji asked.
Di Tian looked at the almost manic battle-ready smile on Toji's face and felt the immense Bloodline Power within the other's body, churning and roaring like a volcano about to erupt, no less powerful than that of a top-tier ferocious Ferocious Beast.
In his vertical pupils, which burned with golden flames, rose a blazing fighting spirit that had been dormant for far too long, a spirit powerful enough to incinerate the entire world.
Loneliness has lasted too long, solitude has lasted too long, and invincibility has lasted too long!
The human before him, this monster who defied all common sense and challenged him with a mortal body, made his long-cooled blood boil again.
"Nature."
Di Tian's voice shook the universe. His black robes fluttered without wind, and his terrifying aura rose steadily, stirring up the entire Great Ferocious Land!
"I couldn't be happier!"
As soon as they finished speaking, the two figures, with perfect coordination, instantly took off and sped towards a relatively open Ancient Wasteland Plain outside the Star Dou Great Forest.
That will be their battlefield.
A battlefield capable of withstanding the most intense clashes below the God Level.
Di Tian's speed seemed slow, but it carried a spatial rhythm that seemed to shrink the earth to an inch. His black robes fluttered, and wherever he passed, faint black ripples were left in the space.
Toji relying solely on pure power, each step he took in the void produced a muffled sonic boom. He tore through the air purely with his physical strength, and his speed was in no way inferior.
Their departure was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up a monstrous wave in this Great Ferocious Land.