Madman!" The Azure Bull Python gritted his teeth.
With his vast experience, he could naturally distinguish between those who were merely bluffing and those who were truly willing to risk their lives…
"Big Brother!" The Titan Giant Ape called out anxiously. If Wutong didn't return, things would become disastrous!
"Shut up!" The Azure Bull Python took a deep breath, then looked at Xu Cheng, who still had a faint smile on his face. "Put down Dong'er, and we'll withdraw!"
They had originally assumed they could storm into the Sun-Moon Empire without much resistance.
But now, the situation had far exceeded his expectations.
Most importantly, there was no need for an all-out battle at the moment. After all, Wang Dong was always here—once they found the other soul fragment, they could simply come back and take her again.
For now, the Sun-Moon Empire could take care of Wang Dong, but in the end, it would all be for nothing.
After contemplating for a moment, the Azure Bull Python felt much better.
"Put her down!"
He waved his hand.
"This… sigh!" The Titan Giant Ape let out a long sigh and tossed Wang Dong over.
Xu Cheng caught her with one arm, and she immediately buried her head in his chest like an ostrich. She clutched tightly onto his collar, not saying a word.
"It's alright now," Xu Cheng gently stroked her soft hair while secretly calculating the next move.
Most likely, their next stop would be the Star Dou Forest to search for the soul fragment that had already been shattered beyond repair by the Silver Dragon King.
Whether or not she told them the truth, Wang Dong would still be in danger during this time.
"Senior Kong, there's one more matter," Xu Cheng turned to look at the elderly man with white hair and a long beard, who was just about to leave.
"You mean…?" Kong Deming turned back, glancing at the youth—no, the girl—in Xu Cheng's arms.
"Yes," Xu Cheng nodded solemnly. "I need to trouble you to look after her for a while."
"Where's all that confidence you had just now as a teacher?" Kong Deming stroked his beard with a chuckle.
"Senior, please don't tease me," Xu Cheng scratched his head with an embarrassed smile. "In front of you, I'm just a junior—how could I dare to show off? It's only because I have you all supporting me that I dared to act tough…"
Before his respected elder, he had toned down the madness he displayed earlier.
Kong Deming nodded slightly. "Alright, since you personally requested it, she can stay with me for now."
After bidding farewell to the reluctant Wang Dong and Kong Deming, Xu Cheng turned to the Fallen Angel, Ye Cheng.
"Uncle Ye, I won't forget our agreement. However, despite sending my forces to search, there's been no sign so far. I'm afraid you'll have to wait a little longer."
According to the original timeline, Ye Guyi wouldn't appear until four years later, during the next All-Continent Soul Engineer Tournament. Huo Yuhao and He Caitou would only meet her when participating in the competition hosted by Nangong Wan.
Since she hadn't been recruited yet, there was no urgency—things would happen when they were meant to.
"No rush. I've spent most of my life searching without success; at this point, it's just a lingering hope," Ye Cheng said reassuringly.
Angel Martial Souls were already rare.
Ten thousand years ago, Spirit Hall's lineage had been built upon them.
However, after Spirit Hall was overthrown and Qian Renxue, the then Angel God, was defeated—her divine position shattered—she harbored feelings for Tang San and never married. As a result, the Angel Martial Soul's bloodline grew increasingly thin, and the main lineage was never passed down.
His small family only had distant traces of Angel Martial Soul heritage. After hundreds or even thousands of years, only one true inheritor had ever appeared. He had carried the weight of his family's expectations, but fate had played a cruel trick on him…
With the crisis averted, the surrounding Soul Engineers also began to disperse.
Star Dou Forest
A golden three-eyed beast lay listlessly atop an ancient tree, utterly unmotivated.
Ever since she exchanged memories with that human boy, she had found life in the Star Dou Forest increasingly dull and uninteresting.
Compared to her memories, that human boy—despite his short lifespan of barely a century—had lived a truly exciting life.
Towering skyscrapers built with soul tools, advanced transportation, exhilarating battle techniques… Human society, with its love, friendship, and family bonds, was far more thrilling than the monotonous existence of eating and sleeping in the Star Dou Forest.
"I want to be human! I don't want to be a soul beast!"
The Auspicious Beast protested in her heart.
"But they're watching me too closely. Forget sneaking out of the Star Dou Forest—if I even step out of the core region, they'll probably notice… Damn it!" She fumed.
"Wait! I've got an idea!"
"Didn't I hear the Lord mention a few days ago that the human is researching something… Yes! Artificial soul rings to replace soul beast hunting! I can be the soul beasts' envoy! I'll go supervise his research!"
Overjoyed by her brilliant idea, the Auspicious Beast immediately set off toward the core of the Star Dou Forest.
However, just as she arrived, she sensed the fluctuations of battle.
A towering black gorilla, massive like a mountain, was facing off against a similarly colossal dragon-like creature, while Di Tian and his group stood in opposition.
"Di Tian, we don't want a fight. Just hand over the soul fragment, and I guarantee peace between us!" The Azure Bull Python growled.
"I told you—we don't have it."
A man clad in elegant black robes looked down at them with his hands behind his back, exuding the powerful aura of a true dragon.
For dozens of miles around, silence reigned. Even the normally unruly ten-thousand-year soul beasts trembled in fear.
Di Tian cast an indifferent glance at the two beasts. "Leave. Stop disturbing us."
The Azure Bull Python's expression darkened, but he dared not attack recklessly.
Di Tian's strength was unfathomable—like an endless ocean.
Even if he and his brother fought together, they wouldn't stand a chance.
After all, Di Tian carried true dragon blood and had cultivated for over 800,000 years—his power was terrifying.
Not to mention, several other powerful soul beasts were watching the scene unfold.
Even Bear Lord, despite having only cultivated for 400,000 years, possessed combat strength nearing 600,000 years. The sharp aura radiating from his body made the Azure Bull Python wary—those razor-sharp claws seemed capable of tearing through anything…
"Di Tian, we're not here to fight." The Azure Bull Python took a deep breath.
"You know whose daughter that soul fragment belongs to! If he finds out the truth, not just you—even the one hiding beneath the lake won't be able to survive his wrath!"
"You—!" Di Tian's eyes shrank.
Tang San…
"Hmph! He covets the luck of our soul beast race. I have yet to settle this score with him!" Di Tian snorted coldly.
"Where is the fragment?!?" The Azure Bull Python's voice grew urgent.
"Get lost!"
Before Di Tian could answer, a voice echoed from the lake's depths.
A terrifying pressure crashed down upon the two beasts. Even they couldn't stop their legs from trembling.
The Silver Dragon's bloodline was the origin of all beasts—it naturally suppressed all soul beasts to some extent.
"You… you…" The Titan Giant Ape trembled.
"If you want the soul fragment, tell Tang San to come find me himself. You two lackeys don't qualify," the voice continued coldly.
"Traitors to the soul beast race."
"Leave!"
Watching the two great beasts retreat in disgrace, the Auspicious Beast cautiously approached the lake.
"Lord! We…" Di Tian's expression was grave.
After all, this matter involved a god.
No matter how strong he was, in the face of a deity, he was nothing.
"Don't worry. If Tang San could sense anything, he would have already come wielding his Seagod Trident the moment I shattered that soul fragment," the Silver Dragon King sneered.
"Perhaps he's being restrained by the God Realm."
"And that—" she said with a gleam in her eyes, "is our opportunity!"
"To revive the soul beast race… perhaps…"
"Lord… um…"
A small voice interrupted the Silver Dragon King's grand vision.
"Oh? The Auspicious Beast." The Silver Dragon King's tone softened.
"What do you want to say?"
"I want to go to the human world! To supervise that Xu Cheng guy! To make him develop artificial soul rings faster! Then… then we can revive the soul beast race!" The Auspicious Beast blurted out before shrinking back nervously.
Because she had just seen Di Tian raise his hand…
(End of Chapter)