At the heart of the Star Dou Great Forest, in the area surrounding the Lake of Life.
If the Star Dou Great Forest was a rare treasure land on Douluo Star, then the Lake of Life was a treasure among treasures, a place of fortune rarely found in the world.
If the Star Dou Great Forest was the most perilous and vicious place on Douluo Star, then the Lake of Life was the most vicious place within it. Any being that ventured here might not make it out unscathed.
And that was only because of the presence of ten peerless Ferocious Beasts, whose might defied the fortune of heaven and earth and whose names were renowned far and wide.
And because of the only Half-Step God King body on the Douluo Continent.
After their trip to the Dragon Graveyard, Xiao Yan followed Gu Yuena to the area surrounding the Lake of Life, deep within the Star Dou Great Forest. As a matter of sentiment, he was now the second common ruler of the Soul Beast Clan, so he had to meet everyone. "You've just taken office, so don't put on airs," Gu Yuena had once said. As a matter of reason, it was also time he met the true form of the Silver Dragon King, the lady with whom he had been trading all along...
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion was chasing butterflies, happily bounding up and down. Although she was already over a thousand years old and clearly not the youngest of everyone present, Di Tian and the others had evidently raised her well. The little Auspicious Beast was still innocent and lively, and utterly adorable.
But for all her cuteness, she also held grudges and liked to throw little tantrums. After Gu Yuena said that Xiao Yan had been bullying her, the little empress spoke to the human common ruler in a huff.
Xiao Yan did not say much about the Auspicious Beast's adorable temper. Although there was a considerable gap between their actual ages, her cuteness and innocence had long since led Xiao Yan, like the other Ferocious Beasts present, to regard her as an adorable child.
Chatting and laughing, the group passed through the outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest and entered its core. Generally speaking, humans who entered the core would almost certainly die. Anyone who managed to escape with a sliver of life had to possess immense willpower and might.
The innermost heart of the Star Dou Great Forest lay near the Lake of Life. To prevent ignorant humans or Soul Beasts without awakened intelligence from barging in and disturbing the Silver Dragon King's secluded cultivation and recovery, the Myriad Demon King, a 520,000-year-old Soul Beast ranked fifth among the ten great Ferocious Beasts, led many powerful plant Soul Beasts and his fellow Demonic Eye Demon Trees in concealing and protecting the area. There was only one doorway, and even that doorway, known only to Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, was not a place ordinary people could enter.
The gatekeepers were none other than two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, and famous ones at that.
The king of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Titan Giant Ape.
The emperor of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Sky Azure Bull Python.
These two, whom humans called the rulers of the Star Dou Great Forest and the pinnacle of Soul Beasts, were in fact merely agents of the ten great Ferocious Beasts, governing only the areas outside the Lake of Life. As for this core of the Star Dou Great Forest, a place that could even be called the "true Star Dou Great Forest," they had no right to lay a finger on it and were not even worthy of setting foot inside. The two of them were nothing more than watchdogs for more powerful Soul Beasts.
Xiao Yan glanced at the Titan Giant Ape, evidently recalling much of the past. But he was not one to seek revenge for the slightest grievance. Besides, he really had killed a relative of the Titan Giant Ape before, so it was understandable that the enraged ape had hunted him down. Though the two could hardly be said to have settled their grudge, Xiao Yan did not want to pursue the matter further now.
The Titan Giant Ape, however, seemed somewhat lacking in intelligence. The moment he saw Xiao Yan, he would not stop letting out low growls. His elder brother, the Sky Azure Bull Python, was more rational. He gave his foolish younger brother a stern glare and urged him not to court death. Several days earlier, a resonance in their bloodlines had resounded within every Soul Beast. It was the voice of the Dragon God, announcing that the entire Soul Beast Clan had gained a new common ruler, a human bearing an unparalleled Dragon-Phoenix Bloodline who would lead the clan to revival.
Although the Sky Azure Bull Python cared deeply for his younger brother, he was not so protective of him as to lose his reason. Now, five great Ferocious Beasts surrounded this human common ruler, and the Silver Dragon King's incarnation accompanied him. He was no longer merely a human, but the shared master of their countless Soul Beasts. Now, he and the Titan Giant Ape had no choice but to submit.
The Sky Azure Bull Python coiled his long, thick body low to the ground and slowly lowered his massive, ox-like head, as though paying homage to a monarch. Seeing this, the Titan Giant Ape remained defiant at heart, but he was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast and could at least tell what was good for him. He could hardly throw away his life for a relative, could he? And so, his muscular, hill-like body also lowered to the ground, his head bowed in silence.
As the two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts bowed, the gate formed by countless Demonic Eye Demon Trees slowly opened, revealing the majestic sight of the "true Star Dou Great Forest."
In Xiao Yan's view, there was probably nowhere else on the entire Douluo Continent that could compare. Even the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well could not catch up on horseback.
The abundance and violence of the energy here had reached a terrifying degree. If someone sufficiently skilled examined it closely, they could even sense its surging currents. Of course, this energy was extremely violent. Without a body as tough as a Soul Beast's, a human cultivating here would likely leave their entire body covered in wounds, their life hanging by a thread. But that was where another of this place's wonders lay.
If it merely had abundant energy favorable to cultivation, there would be nothing particularly remarkable about it. But near the Lake of Life, not only was the energy of heaven and earth exceptionally strong, the life force from the lake flowed in an endless stream. It spread through the air, healing the bodies and nourishing the souls of everything here. It could even nourish body and soul until they evolved, its marvelous uses without limit. Thus, the violent energy and the enduring life force complemented each other, providing the Soul Beasts with a treasure land unlike any other under heaven.
As Xiao Yan breathed in the violent energy in the air, the seals within his body grew restless. Within the Emperor Flame, countless dim flames were coming alive with vigor, desperately battering the barriers of those seals.
"This truly is a treasure land for cultivation," Xiao Yan marveled. He saw countless powerful Soul Beasts absorbing the energy of heaven and earth here, frantically advancing their cultivation. Strangely, however, a large white worm lay lazily on the ground. Rather than cultivating, it was having its energy devoured by the other Soul Beasts, leaving him somewhat puzzled.
"This...?" Xiao Yan could not help asking.
"That Soul Beast is called the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm. He came from the Far North. I don't know how he managed it. The Ice Silkworm Clan has always been weak, occupying the bottom of the Soul Beast food chain, yet he cultivated to 900,000 years, only a few steps away from a million."
"Unfortunately, for all his cultivation, he has no combat power. After he came to the Star Dou Great Forest, these Soul Beasts caught him and began drawing on his power to strengthen themselves," Di Tian explained.
"The world of Soul Beasts really is savage. The weak are truly prey to the strong," Xiao Yan sighed. Yet Soul Beasts generally had low spiritual cultivation, and not one of them had noticed that the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's mastery of spiritual power had reached such a level. A thought flashed through Xiao Yan's mind, and he decided to take the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm for his own use.
There's no need to worry about lacking strength. It's only that this world has no method of using soul power to defeat enemies. With that thought, Xiao Yan ordered Di Tian to drive away the Soul Beasts draining the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm and protect him, so that he would no longer suffer such torment. Once he had spoken, Di Tian passed the order down, and the group left.
That human boy... is the new common ruler? How strange. Why did he save me? Could he have been attracted by this brother's handsome looks? the enormous white silkworm baby wondered. Yet he clearly could not know the answer. So the silkworm baby went back to sleep. In any case, no Soul Beasts were squeezing him dry now, so he could sleep whenever he pleased.
The group continued forward until they reached the shore of the Lake of Life. There was nothing near the lake except a golden spear standing there, waves of pressure emanating from it. The water seemed immensely deep; a single glance could not find the bottom. A vast silver-white figure drifted indistinctly beneath the water, releasing a faint pressure. At last, he saw the source of the pressure he had vaguely sensed ever since setting foot here.
Di Tian bowed. "My lord, the other lord has arrived." At that moment, he did not quite know what to say. Both were his superiors, and by rights, he should not have been the one to say this. But Xiao Yan's strength was still only around the six-ring level, and the Silver Dragon King's pressure was too powerful. He did not know whether Xiao Yan could withstand it, so he had no choice but to speak up and ask the Silver Dragon King to restrain herself.
"Di Tian, I can see him." A voice Xiao Yan knew very well, yet which had become somewhat cold and unfamiliar, sounded behind him, leaving him somewhat shocked.
Xiao Yan and the five Ferocious Beasts spun around at the sound. Gu Yuena was watching them quietly, but her eyes, beautiful as amethysts, were no longer as beautiful and gentle as before. Instead, they shone with a faint, cold silver light, as chilling and distant as an ice cellar.
"Miss Silver Dragon King, I presume?" Xiao Yan was the first to notice that something was wrong and extended his hand. "Gu Yuena" took it and continued coldly, "I've heard of you for a long time. We finally meet, Mr. Xiao Yan."
They held hands for a long time. Anyone who did not know better would have thought they were very close. Who could have known that both of them were thinking of putting the other to death in the future?
"Thank you, Mr. Xiao Yan, for helping me retrieve my Dragon God's Heart. The Soul Beast Clan will be grateful to you." The Silver Dragon King placed heavy emphasis on the word "my." This woman is angry that I took half the Dragon God's Heart, isn't she? Unfortunately for you, that was your old Dragon God's move to win me over. Without it, I wouldn't have dared cooperate with a grievously wounded Half-Step God King like you, Xiao Yan thought. Then he replied heartily:
"You're too polite, Miss Silver Dragon King. As a common ruler of the Soul Beasts, it's only right that I do my part for the clan. This time, I should also thank the Dragon God for a great opportunity. You and I share the Dragon God's Heart, so how could I not help you?"
Every word Xiao Yan spoke stabbed at her heart. He spoke of his own legitimate position, which the Silver Dragon King did not want to acknowledge, and of the great opportunity the Dragon God had willingly granted him. Most importantly, he spoke of sharing the Super Divine Artifact, the Dragon God's Heart, equally with her. That was probably what angered the Silver Dragon King most.
Yet the Silver Dragon King was indeed deeply shrewd. She could not possibly lose her temper under these circumstances, much less kill the second common ruler acknowledged by the Dragon God in a fit of rage. Xiao Yan could not know what she was thinking, but on the surface she remained just as cold as before, as though his words had not caused the slightest ripple in her heart. She gave a soft laugh and said:
"Then congratulations on your plentiful gains, Mr. Xiao Yan. We can begin our transaction now, can't we?"
As she spoke, "Gu Yuena" tossed her long silver-white hair and plunged straight into the Lake of Life. Then a deep, deafening voice rang out.
"Xiao Yan, let your blood drip in."
Without a word, Xiao Yan let a drop of purple-gold blood fall and dissolve into the water.
A dazzling golden light glittered and shot straight into the clouds. The Silver Dragon King's enormous body danced with the light like a fish, and her injuries improved a little more. Then everything fell silent once again.
Xiao Yan knew that, although his strength had advanced a thousand miles a day since he chose to cooperate with the Silver Dragon King, it was not enough. He had to grow stronger even faster, so that the Silver Dragon King would not flip the table once she had fully recovered.
Xiao Yan knew that this was why the Dragon God had given him authority over half of the Super Divine Artifact, the Dragon God's Heart. The Dragon God knew that the countless hatreds the Silver Dragon King bore would lead her to slaughter all humanity, then fight her way back to the Divine Realm. It was a journey like a moth flying into a flame, with little chance of success. The remaining Soul Beast races might all perish without even their bones left behind, but she would not turn back, nor could she. It was not her decision alone as a dragon, but the result of countless ages of suffering endured by Soul Beasts.
Xiao Yan knew he needed to race against time, for all humanity and for the Soul Beasts as well.
High above countless layers of void lay the Divine Realm.
A blood-red figure was playing a board game with another figure dressed in purple-black robes. Suddenly, the golden light that had soared into the sky passed through the Divine Realm and shot onward, leaving them somewhat shocked.
The blood-red figure acted first, trying to intercept the column of light, but it dissipated in an instant, as though it had never existed.
The purple-black figure pondered for a moment, then shook his head. "It came from Douluo Star, but how could such a barren plane possess a dragon bloodline as pure as a God King's?"
"Is it the Dragon God's other half, the one you once let go?"
"No," the blood-red figure said firmly. "The Dragon God's bloodline was part of my agreement with the Dragon God: I released the Dragon God's benevolent will."
"This bloodline is even stronger. He comes from another world."
"Another world..."
The purple-black figure seemed to recall something: an event from the past, one directed by the Asura God.
At the time, they had not thought it a serious matter, but now it seemed likely to be a disaster rather than a blessing.
The two majestic figures gazed quietly in the direction of the Douluo Continent, pondering that not-so-distant event. Neither spoke a word.
In a forbidden area of the Divine Realm.
A golden dragon bound by countless seals opened its eyes.