The Might of Tiger Soul, the Gaze of a God
Because the Diamond Tiger was no longer vicious enough after losing its evil power.
Although the Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul could turn it into a demonic soul, the weapon did not seem particularly interested in a benevolent soul like this.
"In that case, I won't devour it. Let it pass into reincarnation."
Dai Mubai could have devoured the Diamond Tiger's soul to strengthen his spiritual power, or turned it into a demonic soul, a ghost bound to the tiger, and taken it into the Tiger Soul Domain to enslave and command it.
But after giving it some thought, Dai Mubai ultimately chose not to do so.
Perhaps it was just as he had described himself earlier.
He had evil in him, and not a little of it;
He had goodness in him, though not much.
But there was indeed goodness in his heart.
He was neither good nor evil; he was both righteous and wicked, capable of being either-
He was wicked.
Good and evil were separated by a single thought of his; which he chose depended entirely on his will.
Clang~ Sensing Dai Mubai's wishes, the Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul let out a blade's cry within the Sea of Consciousness.
Then it cleaved open a rift directly behind the Diamond Tiger's soul, as though opening a gate of reincarnation.
Roar~ The ten-thousand-year-old Diamond Tiger's soul let out a low growl and gave Dai Mubai a look filled with mixed emotions. Then it turned and stepped through the gate of light Tiger Soul had opened, vanishing completely.
As the Diamond Tiger's soul entered the gate of reincarnation to be reborn,
The passage to reincarnation cleaved open by the Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul also began to close and heal.
But in the final second before the gate of reincarnation closed completely, a speck of stardust, so tiny as to be almost imperceptible yet clearly sensed by Dai Mubai, flew out of it.
It flew straight toward Dai Mubai's consciousness, passed through his chest, and ultimately merged into his heart.
"What is this?" Dai Mubai was somewhat surprised and puzzled.
He did not know what the speck of light was or what exactly it did.
Although he could sense that it meant him no harm, something he did not understand had merged into his body, and Dai Mubai could not help but feel wary-
Especially since so many things he had never anticipated had happened while he absorbed and refined the Diamond Tiger's Soul Ring.
For example, his First Martial Soul, the Evil Eye White Tiger, and his Second Martial Soul, the Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul, had suddenly appeared in his Sea of Consciousness while he was absorbing and refining the Soul Ring and resisting the assault of the Diamond Tiger's soul;
Then the Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul had wanted to devour the Diamond Tiger's soul and turn it into a demonic soul, a ghost bound to the tiger, to strengthen the domain's power.
The Evil Eye White Tiger Martial Soul, meanwhile, had first devoured the towering evil flames surrounding the Diamond Tiger, obtaining the evil power of Wrath, one of the Seven Deadly Sins, which it needed to complete itself and advance.
The Diamond Tiger's soul had changed from an evil soul into a benevolent one, and the Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul had lost interest in devouring and transforming it. At the same time, Dai Mubai had felt a trace of compassion.
In the end, he had chosen not to devour it, but to let the Diamond Tiger's soul leave and pass into reincarnation.
After that, the Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul had cleaved open a passage leading straight to reincarnation with a single stroke.
Then, as the Diamond Tiger's soul passed into reincarnation, a speck of light of unknown purpose had flown out of the passage and merged into Dai Mubai's heart.
What should have been an ordinary absorption and refinement of a Soul Ring had resulted in so many things beyond Dai Mubai's expectations.
Dai Mubai was suspicious by nature, so it was only natural that he felt uneasy.
What Dai Mubai did not know was this.
The Demonic Weapon Tiger Soul had cleaved open a passage to reincarnation, skipping numerous procedures and steps and allowing the Diamond Tiger to enter the gate of reincarnation directly.
When that happened,
It attracted attention in a strange spatial realm above Douluo Star, one that seemed an infinite distance away, yet also seemed to lie between illusion and reality, close beside the star.
In a magnificent, sacred palace of pure white, it caught the attention of a black-haired woman dressed in a plain white robe, her entire body shrouded in boundless holy majesty and a divine presence.
"Hm? This is..." The holy woman with long, straight black hair suddenly exclaimed, gazing with some curiosity beyond the palace, toward the world beneath the ethereal sea of clouds.
"Has something interesting happened? It's been a long time since I've seen you look so surprised."
Just then, a man entered the palace. His long hair was an eerie snowy white, his black robes bore ornate golden patterns, and his eyes were dark red. His face was handsome, yet profoundly sinister.
He asked with a hint of curiosity.
"Something very interesting did happen," the holy black-haired woman replied without turning, her serene voice tinged with interest.
"Oh?" The white-haired man in black came to her side. He reached out to gently stroke her soft, flowing hair and gave a mild response.
The holy woman paid no mind to her lover's reaction and simply continued speaking:
"Just now, on Douluo Star in the lower realm, a Soul Elder boy of only thirteen, whose Soul Power had only just reached rank 35, actually touched upon a trace of the authority over reincarnation."
"And he also absorbed and merged with a seed I released using the Super Divine Artifact, the Heart of Goodness, to select an heir to my godhood."
"Though it's too faint to detect, the boy now truly possesses an affinity with my godhood."
The corners of the holy black-haired woman's lips rose slightly, and a trace of lighthearted pleasure entered her serene mood.
"Oh~" Hearing her words, the white-haired man in black grew a little interested as well.
"The reincarnation of souls is part of your authority. For him to stir a trace of that authority with the power of a Soul Elder shows that this boy has an affinity with you."
"To have reached the Middle-Stage Soul Elder realm at rank 35 in Soul Power cultivation at thirteen-such talent is worthy of the name of a heaven's chosen."
"Especially since he also merged with a seed of Godhood Inheritance that you scattered through reincarnation using the Super Divine Artifact, the Heart of Goodness, and gained a trace of affinity with your godhood."
"He's worth keeping an eye on. If you find him suitable, you could add him to the list of candidates to inherit your godhood."
"Once I find a suitable heir to my godhood as well, we can send down our God's Tests together and pass on our godhoods."
"Once we have heirs to succeed us, we can leave the Douluo God Realm and travel through the myriad worlds and seas of stars."
The white-haired man in black spoke, his mood growing somewhat more cheerful as well.
The mortal beings of the lower realm longed to become gods, to live forever.
But for these primordial gods, who had been born undying and imperishable alongside the Douluo World,
Their eternal lifespans, the godhoods they held, and the divine offices under their charge were like cages and shackles to them, who no longer knew how many years they had lived.
Even though passing on their godhoods would weaken them,
Compared with freedom,
They longed more for freedom, the freedom they had never possessed!!
"The boy's talent does make him a suitable prospect to observe and consider as an heir to my godhood."
"But his Martial Soul is rather special. Not only is he compatible with my godhood and divine office, he's also highly compatible with yours-"
"In fact, he's slightly more compatible with your godhood than with mine." The holy woman in white turned to the lover standing beside her and broke into a smile.
"Oh~ He not only has an affinity with your godhood, but is also suited to mine." Hearing the holy woman's words,
The white-haired man in black, who had not paid much attention before and whose attention had been entirely on the holy woman, suddenly raised his head, a trace of surprise on his face.