The ocean had always been home to the largest number of soul beasts.
Sea soul beasts had always far outnumbered land soul beasts.
This became even more apparent after the rapid decline of soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest.
Sensing the presence of so many soul beasts, Gu Yue's previous understanding of the power of fate was validated, and she immediately gained new insights.
In her spiritual world, her spiritual power surged violently.
When she broke through to the Soul Ancestor level, her spiritual power had also successfully advanced to the Spirit Abyss Realm.
At present, her cultivation was roughly the same as Xia Yi's, but her spiritual power had already been surpassed by him back in Mingdu.
Although both of them were in the Spirit Abyss Realm, from Mingdu until now, her spiritual power had always been slightly weaker than Xia Yi's.
Now, her spiritual power was rising rapidly, soon reaching a level equal to Xia Yi's, and it continued to ascend.
She directly surpassed Xia Yi.
"If this continues, could she actually reach the mid-stage of the Spirit Abyss Realm while still at the Soul Ancestor level?" The Demon Empress's beautiful eyes were filled with shock.
Spiritual power at the Spirit Abyss Realm was already enough to support a soul master in reaching the Title Douluo level.
Most Title Douluos' spiritual power remained within this realm.
Many Title Douluos spent their entire lives unable to break into the mid-stage of the Spirit Abyss Realm.
Yet Gu Yue was already showing signs of reaching this stage.
How old was she?
"As expected of the Star Dou Forest. Even in its decline, it can still produce two such monstrous geniuses," the Demon Empress sighed in her heart.
Gu Yue's enlightenment lasted a full three days and nights. By the second day, her spiritual power had successfully broken through to the mid-stage of the Spirit Abyss Realm.
Overjoyed by the surge in her spiritual power, Gu Yue eagerly pulled Xia Yi into a session of dual spiritual cultivation after her enlightenment ended.
As their divine powers intertwined, Gu Yue discovered that although her spiritual power had now surpassed Xia Yi's, she could no longer suppress him as she had back at Shrek Academy.
Her spiritual power was like a vast ocean, while Xia Yi's was like a towering mountain—no matter how much she stirred, she could not shake it.
"Freak!" Gu Yue gritted her teeth in frustration, but there was nothing she could do about him.
Seeing Xia Yi's ever-growing terrifying strength, she began to seriously doubt whether she would still be able to overpower him after merging with Na'er.
Though she complained aloud, deep down, she was extremely excited by Xia Yi's immense power.
Even though she could no longer suppress Xia Yi with her spiritual power, Xia Yi was also unable to suppress her in this regard.
Thus, during their spiritual dual cultivation, the two of them remained evenly matched.
Gu Yue enjoyed it immensely and would seize any available moment to drag Xia Yi into another session.
In their spare time, Xia Yi would either meditate, study the mysteries of the River Diagram and Luo Script, or continue attempting a 100% fusion rate in his forging.
No matter what they did, Xia Yi and Gu Yue were making daily progress.
And it wasn't just them.
The fierce beasts of the Star Dou Forest were also improving.
They, too, would find a quiet place to study the River Diagram and Luo Script.
The secrets of the River Diagram and Luo Script were already imprinted in their minds, and by following Leng Yulai's method of gradual comprehension, they were each gaining insights in their own ways.
Occasionally, they would even study knowledge related to battle armor and mechas, leaving the Demon Empress dumbfounded.
She could clearly sense that these fierce beasts were also improving daily.
Though their rate of improvement was not as fast as Xia Yi and Gu Yue's, for soul beasts, this level of progress was unprecedented.
"If they can keep improving like this, then tribulations will no longer be a threat to them," the Demon Empress murmured to herself.
"This is the complete set of courses from Shrek Academy on battle armor and mechas. Do you want to study with us? In the future, our Lord can forge a set of battle armor for you. If your secondary profession reaches rank nine, then once our Lord becomes a Divine Craftsman, you, too, can possess four-word battle armor," Bi Ji offered, handing over the Shrek Academy materials that Xia Yi had purchased.
The River Diagram and Luo Script could not be shared—it was currently the Star Dou Forest's greatest secret.
As for the Shrek Academy courses, although Xia Yi had spent an astronomical amount of contribution points to obtain them, they could be freely distributed.
All it took was making a copy.
"Shrek Academy's courses! Four-word battle armor!" The Demon Empress's eyes flickered.
With her cultivation, three-word battle armor held little significance for her, but four-word battle armor was something even she found hard to resist.
"Do you know why our Lord is so obsessed with achieving a 100% fusion rate in forging? It's because he wants to transcend. He aims to forge metals capable of creating five-word battle armor," Bi Ji said with a smile.
"Five-word battle armor!" For the first time, the Demon Empress's expression grew unpredictable.
Though she didn't own any battle armor herself, she had witnessed the might of four-word battle armor.
Every single four-word battle armor master stood at the pinnacle of the continent.
Without four-word battle armor, even on land, she could still go head-to-head with someone like Yun Ming.
But due to the existence of four-word battle armor among humans, she had to tread carefully.
She couldn't even begin to imagine how powerful five-word battle armor would be.
Perhaps it could rival gods.
Perhaps five-word battle armor was meant to be worn by deities.
"How confident are you that you can create five-word battle armor?" the Demon Empress asked gravely.
She didn't even notice the slight tremor in her voice.
"We don't know, but our Lord and all of us are working toward it," Bi Ji replied.
"What price must I pay?" the Demon Empress asked in a deep voice.
To her, Bi Ji was clearly trying to tempt her into submission—just like Di Tian.
"It costs nothing. We simply wish to help a fellow soul beast," Bi Ji shook her head with a smile. "If I really wanted to entice you, I wouldn't be offering just these things."
"Is this your decision, Di Tian's decision, or your two Lords' decision?" the Demon Empress continued to press. She did not believe Bi Ji's words.
Four-word battle armor alone was enough to win over an Extreme Douluo. Five-word battle armor, yet Bi Ji claimed it was just mutual assistance?
She didn't buy it for a second.
"This is my own decision," Bi Ji smiled.
"You're acting on your own? Will your Lord accept this?" The Demon Empress's beautiful eyes flashed with disappointment.
"Don't worry. Our Lord is easy to talk to," Bi Ji chuckled. "You're not his subordinate, so you might not feel it. But if you join us, I believe you'll understand. You know, back when Di Tian ruled the Star Dou Forest, he relied solely on strength. He was a dictator—his word was law. Those who opposed him were subdued by force.
"But our Lord… I can't explain it exactly. He has a unique charm. Even if he had no talent, no strength, we would still follow him."
"You're quite loyal," the Demon Empress said indifferently.
"Is that a compliment or sarcasm?" Bi Ji smiled calmly.
"Does it matter?" the Demon Empress asked.
"If it's a compliment, I accept it. If it's sarcasm…" Bi Ji paused and then laughed. "I'll accept it too."
The Demon Empress rolled her eyes. "Don't waste words when you talk to me."
Bi Ji chuckled. "I'm speaking the truth. Following our Lord makes one feel secure, like the future is full of hope."
Gazing at the warm smile on Bi Ji's face, the Demon Empress furrowed her brows and asked, "What exactly is the temptation you mentioned?"
"I can't tell you," Bi Ji shook her head. The secret of the River Diagram and Luo Script could never be revealed.
What are four-word battle armor or five-word battle armor?
Before the Hetu Luoshu, they are all mere scraps.
"Alright!" The Demon Empress nodded, took the tutorial from Bi Ji's hands, and said in a deep voice, "If I seek your master to forge four-word or five-word battle armor, I will pay the appropriate price."
Bi Ji claimed that this was merely mutual assistance between fierce beasts, but her goal had always been the same as Di Tian's—to make the Demon Empress pledge her service to the Star Dou Forest.
The Demon Empress understood well that there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Anything from the Star Dou Forest could never be taken for free.
Once she accepted something, she would likely fall under the Star Dou Forest's control.
Though Bi Ji could not reveal certain things, the Demon Empress could more or less guess.
It was probably something that continuously allowed fierce beasts to grow stronger.
She was indeed envious, but she knew that the Star Dou Forest would never hand over such a precious thing so easily.
Unless she swore loyalty to Xia Yi and Gu Yue.
But that was something the Demon Empress could never accept.
She had already found her own way to become a god.
Once she was ready, she would make her breakthrough to the divine level.
Once she became a god, she would be invincible on the Douluo Continent.
At that time, the sky would be boundless for birds to soar, and the sea would be vast for fish to leap.
She had no intention of waiting tens of thousands of years, struggling for so long, finally attaining godhood, only to be bound by someone else's command.
Wouldn't that be just seeking her own suffering?
"As long as you're happy." Bi Ji smiled, unconcerned.
Like Di Tian, she was simply tempting the Demon Empress step by step.
The more the Demon Empress refused, the more it played into their hands. If she agreed too readily, they would instead worry that she harbored ill intentions.
On the contrary, if they could gradually make the Demon Empress submit, they would earn her genuine loyalty.
Compared to last time.
This time, after seeing the changes in Xia Yi and Gu Yue, and witnessing the transformation of the fierce beasts, the Demon Empress did not reject Bi Ji as coldly as she had once rejected Di Tian.
She hesitated.
Even if it was just the slightest hesitation, it was enough to prove that making the Demon Empress completely submit was not impossible.
Although Xia Yi had no desire to control all soul beasts,
The fierce beasts of the Star Dou Forest did not share that sentiment.
Since the arrival of humans, their habitats had been carved up bit by bit. Though Di Tian bore the title of Beast God, in reality, he could only govern the Star Dou Forest.
In other regions, few soul beasts would listen to Di Tian.
Even the powerful soul beasts paid no heed to Gu Yue, the supposed Sovereign of All Soul Beasts.
The Star Dou Forest's status as the legitimate ruler of soul beasts had long since become an empty title.
For the Star Dou Forest and for the dragon race, this was an undeniable source of pain.
Di Tian had originally planned to wait for Gu Yue to grow stronger, resolve the human problem, and then use absolute strength to reunify the soul beasts.
To lead them to rise again and recreate past glories.
But Xia Yi's appearance changed Di Tian's mind.
He wanted all soul beasts to submit to the Star Dou Forest from the heart.
Not just through sheer strength.
Truthfully, Di Tian's original approach wasn't wrong—among soul beasts, as long as one could conquer another through combat, loyalty would follow.
Betrayals were rare.
If a soul beast refused to submit, they would openly challenge the ruler, aiming to defeat them fair and square.
Take Di Tian as an example—countless fierce beasts had challenged him over the past hundreds of thousands of years in an attempt to seize the title of Beast God.
But they had all done so honorably.
For the last shred of glory of the Star Dou Forest and the dragon race, Di Tian had accepted every challenge.
To hold onto the title of Beast God, he had suffered countless injuries.
Even those who challenged him never attacked him while he was recovering.
Take Bear Lord, for instance—he had once fought Di Tian. Though he lost, he still managed to wound him.
Yet he never sought to take advantage of Di Tian's injuries.
Again, it was a matter of honor—if one wanted to challenge another, they would do so openly.
Before Xia Yi's appearance, Di Tian had never thought there was anything wrong with ruling the Star Dou Forest through sheer strength.
If he were defeated by a stronger fierce beast, it would mean that beast was more capable of protecting the Star Dou Forest, and he would step down willingly.
The other fierce beasts thought the same way.
Strength determined status.
But Xia Yi's appearance made them realize that sometimes, intelligence was more important than brute force.
Especially for those in positions of power.
Thus, Di Tian and the others wanted to try a new approach—winning over other fierce beasts without resorting to violence.
Soul beasts were not like humans.
If they swore loyalty, they rarely went back on their word.
So they weren't too worried about the Demon Queen betraying them.
Still, better safe than sorry. They had to remain cautious.
"I want to see for myself what charm you possess that makes the fierce beasts of the Star Dou Forest submit to you wholeheartedly." The Demon Empress sneered inwardly.
Over the next period of time, she studied the tutorials Xia Yi had purchased from Shrek Academy while secretly observing Xia Yi and Gu Yue.
When it came to battle armor research, Shrek Academy was undoubtedly the most authoritative.
The Spirit Pagoda had soul spirits, Shrek Academy had battle armor, and the Tang Sect had soul tools.
These were all renowned across the entire Douluo Continent.
For battle armor masters, Shrek Academy's tutorials were one of the most precious gifts.
With her unparalleled spiritual power and occasional guidance from Zi Ji, the Demon Empress learned quickly.
She chose to study mecha design, and in less than a month, she had already mastered the core formation design for yellow mechas.
Zi Ji was envious—back in Donghai City, the books Xia Yi had bought for them were complete garbage compared to Shrek Academy's tutorials.
Without anyone to guide her, she had to fumble through the learning process alone.
It took her over half a year to design her first yellow mecha's core formation.
Yet the Demon Empress had mastered it in just a month.
Staring at the design papers on the table, the Demon Empress suddenly looked up at the sea and said in a deep voice, "It's here!"
The next second—BOOM!
The entire Star Luo warship trembled violently.