He, Di Tian, Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, the undisputed pinnacle below the gods, actually lost just like that?
" Bi Ji, quick!"
Di Qiu'er called out anxiously, then plunged into the giant pit like a shooting star.
She first frantically supported the swaying Toji, and only breathed a slight sigh of relief when she felt the violent yet vigorous Life within him.
Then he immediately lunged at Di Tian at the bottom of the pit.
Emerald Swan Bi Ji, as if waking from a dream, suppressed the turmoil in her heart and transformed into a stream of emerald light, flying into the bottom of the pit. The extremely rich Life energy was like sweet rain, showering Di Tian and Toji.
Just then, the space around Toji rippled slightly.
Two stunningly beautiful figures quietly appeared.
On the left was Ice Empress, her eyes fixed on Toji, filled with indescribable excitement and fervor.
On the right is the Snow Empress, whose temperament is ethereal and holy, like Snow Girl, and whose icy blue eyes also sparkle with an unprecedented brilliance.
"You... you really did it..." Ice Empress's voice trembled with disbelief, "Without borrowing a single bit of our power, relying purely on this physical body... you defeated Di Tian."
The Snow Empress slowly nodded. "Achieving godhood through physical means, breaking free from the shackles of mortal existence... In this battle, you have declared to this world that you are the undisputed strongest Douluo Continent."
His gaze was fixed on the sky, as if piercing through the dimensional barrier.
"The first condition for ascension to the Divine Realm has been perfectly met."
She paused, her gaze returning to Shen'er, whose breathing was gradually calming but whose eyes were growing Toji deep and cold. Her voice carried a sacred yet chilling tone:
"Next..."
"It is through endless blood and bones... that your supreme divine Godhood will be forged."
Two years have passed since Toji fought the Di Tian.
The misty air Lake of Life seemed even more tranquil and peaceful than usual.
The scars left by the great battle have long been soothed by Bi Ji's vast Life energy, leaving only faint traces of violent energy in the air, telling the story of the devastation of that earth-shattering war.
Toji sat cross-legged on a blue stone by the lake, his golden Qi and Blood contained within him, like a dormant volcano.
His bare upper body had long since lost the horrific, deep-seated wounds that revealed the bone. Beneath the newly formed skin, the muscle lines resembled the most perfect sculpture, containing a power capable of shaking mountains.
The dark red murderous knife lay across his lap, its blade gleaming with a warm luster, as if it too were absorbing the Life essence of this place and undergoing some kind of transformation.
Not far away, Di Tian also sat quietly.
The gruesome knife scar on his forehead had faded considerably, leaving only a faint mark, like some kind of special medal.
His eyes were closed, and a profound aura of darkness flowed around him, creating a strange harmony with the vibrant life of the Lake of Life.
Two years is but a fleeting moment for Ferocious Beast with a long Life, but the exchange and reflection during these two years are invaluable to these two beings who stand at the pinnacle of the mortal realm.
There was no tense standoff, only mutual respect between the strong and an exploration of the essence of power.
Di Tian slowly opened his eyes, his golden vertical pupils looking at Toji with a complex and inscrutable expression—a deep-seated, indescribable envy, and a hint of relief.
"Your path... is now clearly visible." Di Tian's voice was deep and calm. "The physical body becomes a god, the Qi and Blood connect with the divine. Nourish yourself through battle, prove your Dao through killing."
"Such a purely domineering path is rarely seen throughout history. Perhaps... it can truly allow you to break through that final barrier and ascend to the Divine Realm."
He paused, gazing at the sky above the Lake of Life, obscured by the tree canopy, as if he could pierce through the planes and see the unreachable Divine Realm.
"I... have been trapped in this realm for over eight hundred thousand years, seeking only a sliver of hope for the Soul Beast Clan, and to protect my lord's peaceful rebirth. The path to godhood has long been severed for us."
His tone carried a touch of distant desolation, but it quickly transformed into firmness.
"It is a fortunate thing to witness the rise of someone who defied the divine path with a mortal body."
"May you forge ahead through bloodshed, never look back, and never betray this unparalleled talent and bloodthirst."
Toji opened his eyes, his deep gaze calm and still, like a still pool reflecting Di Tian's figure.
He did not respond to Di Tian's expectations, but simply nodded slightly.
The path to godhood is inevitably paved with bones; no further explanation is needed.
And the murderous knife on Toji's lap emitted a barely audible groan, as if responding to Di Tian's words, which were interwoven with desolation and expectation.
The restrained crimson-gold divine light surrounding him rippled slightly, like the faint glow of magma overflowing from a dormant volcano.
He didn't waste those two years.
Countless sparring and exchanges with Di Tian, drawing upon the Life essence of the Star Dou Great Forest and the pure dark elemental power of the Ferocious Beast king to temper himself, plus that life-or-death battle that laid the foundation for everything...
He finally carved out an unprecedented crack in that thorny path paved purely with flesh and blood and fighting spirit.
"Half a Godhood, you've already succeeded more than halfway." Di Tian stared at the strange core mark in Toji's body, which was formed from pure Qi and Blood, battle intent, and the rules of slaughter, existing between reality and illusion. His golden vertical pupils burst with an unprecedented light, a yearning and amazement for a higher realm that had not been extinguished even after eight hundred thousand years of vicissitudes.
"With an ordinary body, one can forge the foundation of divinity."
"Such achievements cannot be described as mere 'miracles'! Persist, and you will completely forge and solidify this Godhood... The barriers of this realm will no longer be able to hinder you in the slightest."
He could Toji clearly feel the pulse of the nascent Godhood position within his body.
It greedily absorbs the essence of Qi and Blood pumped out by each heartbeat, and the true intent of slaughter imprinted by each battle.
As Di Tian had said, the growth of power did indeed slow down to an extreme degree after reaching a certain critical point, almost stagnating.
Ordinary sparring, even against an opponent like Di Tian who stands at the pinnacle of the mortal realm, can no longer provide enough pressure and nourishment.
He needs a more intense flame and a more brutal whetstone to truly refine this half- Godhood to its full potential.
Just then, a powerful and familiar aura, carrying a rare solemnity, stormed into the tranquil atmosphere of this Great Ferocious Land like a storm.
Emerald Swan, Bi Ji, instantly appeared at the outer perimeter, blocking the hurried figure. "Sect Master Du Busi, please wait. Di Tian and Toji are currently in meditation."
"Miss Bi Ji, it's extremely urgent!" Du Busi's rugged face was filled with anxiety, his voice like muffled thunder, "I must see Toji immediately!"
Di Tian's golden vertical pupils gazed towards the entrance, and his voice came calmly. "Let him come over, Bi Ji."
Bi Ji bowed slightly and made way for him.
Du Busi was like a dark green whirlwind, instantly rushing to the Lake of Life.
He was slightly taken aback when he saw Toji Di Tian sitting quietly, clearly not expecting these two mortal enemies to be able to get along so peacefully now.
But he had no time to be surprised; his gaze was fixed intently on Toji.
"Kid, you've got some peace and quiet here." Du Busi's voice was filled with barely suppressed anxiety. "Outside... outside is in complete chaos! The whole continent is practically being turned upside down!"
Toji raised her eyes, looking at him calmly, waiting for him to continue.
Di Tian also cast a probing glance his way.
Du Busi continued:
"Those bastards from the Sun Moon Empire have gone mad! They've launched a full-scale war against the Douluo Continent!"