Douluo Continent: The Legend of the Gods

The faint life force emanating from Brigitte still lingered in the air, proving that everything that had just happened was not an illusion.

Wang Xian'er let out a long breath and relaxed completely. Having lived for so many years, this was the first time she had encountered a being at the level of one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts; it would be a lie to say she wasn't nervous.

Winged Fire Douluo also withdrew his soul power and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. His cultivation was lower than Wang Xian'er's, and the oppressive feeling just now almost made him release his Martial Soul True Body directly.

"Let's go," Winged Fire Douluo said, his voice tinged with urgency. "Leave here immediately. Forget about that Emerald Crystal Turtle; we can find another spirit ring, but we only have one life."

Wang Xian'er frowned slightly: "Why are you in such a hurry?"

Winged Fire Douluo looked at her, his eyes full of confusion: "Elder Wang, that's Bi Ji. Bi Ji, ranked fourth among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts. You believe her when she says she'll come back in a day? What if it's a trap? What if she goes back and calls the other ferocious beasts, and we're still here a day later? Wouldn't that be walking right into their trap?"

Wang Xian'er was silent for a few seconds, then shook her head: "I don't think she's lying."

"Doesn't seem like it?" Winged Fire Douluo's voice rose a few decibels. "These ferocious beasts have lived for tens of thousands of years. Which one of them isn't an old fox? If they wanted to deceive people, would they let you see through it? Elder Wang, I know you care about this disciple and want to give him the best spirit ring, but you can't gamble with his life."

Wang Xian'er raised her hand to stop him from continuing, looking at him earnestly: "Winged Fire, my martial soul is the Healing Angel, and my perception of good and evil is much more acute than that of ordinary people. When Bi Ji spoke just now, I didn't sense any malice. There was only goodwill in that aura, and even a bit...closeness."

Winged Fire Douluo paused for a moment, but quickly shook his head: "Even if she has no ill intentions now, what if she's influenced by other ferocious beasts after she goes back? What if Di Tian doesn't agree? Who can guarantee that?"

The two argued louder and louder, while Yun Qinglin stood aside, listening quietly.

He could actually understand Winged Fire Douluo's worries. If a human Soul Master encountered one of the Ten Ferocious Beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, and the beast said, "Come back tomorrow," a normal person's first reaction would be to run away as fast as possible.

This has nothing to do with trust; it's purely a survival instinct.

But Yun Qinglin thought differently from them.

He remembered the Crimson Fox. It hadn't attacked him, nor had it avoided him; it had simply accepted his treatment quietly.

He recalled the spirit beasts he had encountered along the way, those little creatures that relaxed when they saw him. They could sense his aura and knew that he was different from other hunters.

Biji is also a soul beast. Moreover, she came to him of her own accord; he didn't just stumble upon her.

More importantly, he was also sensing what Brigitte had said. Although his second martial soul hadn't awakened yet, his mental strength was far superior to that of an ordinary person, and his perception of emotions was much more acute. He truly didn't sense any malice from Brigitte.

"Teacher, Grandpa Yi Huo," Yun Qinglin said.

The two stopped arguing and looked at him.

Yun Qinglin said, "I want to stay and wait for one more day."

Winged Fire Douluo frowned even more deeply: "Little guy, do you know what you're saying?"

Yun Qinglin nodded: "I know. Grandpa Yi Huo is right to worry. There is too much hatred and too much scheming between humans and soul beasts. No one can guarantee that Senior Bi Ji's words will come true. But I still want to wait."

He paused, then continued, "In these three days in the forest, I encountered many spirit beasts. Some ran away when they saw me, some stopped to look at me, and some even approached me. I could sense that they weren't hostile towards me because of my aura. Senior Biji also said that the Emerald Swan Martial Soul makes spirit beasts naturally close to me."

"So what?" asked Winged Fire Douluo.

Yun Qinglin looked at him and said seriously, "I want to take a gamble. I'm betting that Senior Biji is telling the truth, and that sometimes the credibility of soul beasts is better than that of humans."

Winged Fire Douluo opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found himself at a loss for words.

Yun Qinglin continued, "I mean, I once heard a saying: Humans lie because they can scheme, but soul beasts don't. They either attack you or let you go; they rarely use tricks."

"If Senior Brigitte wanted to harm us, she could have done it directly just now. With her strength, even if you and Master could have stopped her, it would have come at a great cost. But she didn't; she simply gave us a choice."

He looked at Wang Xian'er: "Teacher, I want to take this gamble. Not for a better spirit ring, but because I believe what she said is true."

Wang Xian'er looked into her disciple's clear eyes, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled.

"Okay," she said, "then we'll wait one day."

The Winged Fire Douluo panicked: "Elder Wang!"

Wang Xian'er raised her hand to stop him: "Yi Huo, you don't need to stay with us. You can go back first, and if there's nothing else in a day, I'll take Qing Lin back."

Winged Fire Douluo was taken aback, then sighed, "What are you saying? How can I leave? What if something happens? How am I supposed to explain this to the Hall of Worship?"

He waved his hand and sat down on a nearby rock: "Alright, let's wait. Anyway, you saved my life back then, so if I really die here, consider it repaying you."

Wang Xian'er smiled and didn't say anything more.

Looking at the two Title Douluos, Yun Qinglin knew that their willingness to stay wasn't solely due to their trust in Bi Ji, but more so because they cared about him as their disciple. He would remember this kindness.

The three set up camp nearby. Although Winged Fire Douluo verbally agreed, he remained vigilant, occasionally releasing his senses to probe the surroundings. Wang Xian'er, on the other hand, appeared relaxed, leaning against a tree trunk and closing her eyes to rest.

Yun Qinglin sat to the side, watching the few emerald turtles still sunbathing by the pool in the distance, thinking about what Bi Ji had said.

A day later, she will bring a more suitable soul beast.

What could it be?

Meanwhile, in the core area of ​​the Star Dou Great Forest, a forbidden zone for life.

The three-eyed golden lion lay on a blue stone, its golden fur shimmering faintly in the sunlight. Suddenly, it raised its head, its three eyes opening simultaneously, gazing towards the mixed zone.

Something has changed there.

It stood up and ran towards the Lake of Life.

Deep within the Lake of Life, Di Tian was resting with his eyes closed.

The voice of the three-eyed golden lion echoed in his mind: "Di Tian, ​​the fate has changed."

Di Tian opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing in his deep dragon pupils. It was well known that the auspicious beasts were inextricably linked to the fate of the Star Dou Great Forest, and were extremely sensitive to changes in its destiny.

"What happened?"

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion conveyed everything it had sensed to him: the thread of fate had undergone a subtle change, a change that was slight but undeniably present.

Di Tian was silent for a few seconds, just about to say something, when he suddenly sensed Bi Ji's aura approaching.

Brigitte's figure landed by the lake, her expression much gentler than when she left, her eyes carrying a complex and indescribable look.

"You saw him?" Di Tian asked.

Brigitte nodded, sat down beside him, and recounted everything that had just happened: the human child with the Emerald Swan Martial Soul, his kindness towards the soul beasts, his unwavering actions in healing the Crimson Flame Fox, and his final decision to trust her.

After listening, Di Tian remained silent for a long time.

"You have feelings for him," he said, not as a question, but as a statement.

Brigitte didn't deny it: "He's different. There's something pure about him. It's not the naivety of someone who hasn't seen the world, but the purity of choosing kindness even after seeing the world clearly."

This might seem contradictory to a six-year-old, but that's exactly how Brigitte felt when she met Yun Qinglin.

Di Tian glanced at her: "Do you know what this means?"

Brigitte nodded: "I know. But I'd like to try it too."

Di Tian remained silent. He stood up and walked towards the center of the lake.

"My lord," Di Tian said respectfully.

Deep in the lake, a pair of purple eyes slowly opened.

Silver Dragon King Gu Yuena.

"Di Tian." Her voice echoed in Di Tian's mind, "You won't bother me unless it's important."

Di Tian relayed Bi Ji's words to her, and also told her about the changes in fortune that the Three-Eyed Golden Lion had sensed.

Gu Yuena remained silent for a moment, a complex expression flashing in her purple eyes.

"Fate is changing," she said. "Although it's subtle, it's definitely changing."

She paused, then continued, "Let Brigitte do what she wants. If that child can truly become a bridge between humans and spirit beasts, it will be a good thing for us. Di Tian, ​​don't hurt him, and don't stop Brigitte. Let her try."

"Yes."

Just as Di Tian was about to step down, a golden light suddenly rushed over from the lakeside.

The three-eyed golden lion rammed into Di Tian's arms, rubbing its head against his chest.

Di Tian was taken aback for a moment, then looked down at it: "How did you get here?"

The three-eyed golden lion raised its head, its three eyes blinking as it looked at him, then at Brigitte, then back at him.

Di Tian understood.

It wants to go together.

"Nonsense." Di Tian frowned. "That's to deliver soul rings to humans, what are you going there for?"

The three-eyed golden lion wouldn't let it go.

"I really want to go!"

Brigitte watched from the side and couldn't help but laugh.

Di Tian had no choice but to sigh and said, "Alright, alright, I'll take you there."

The three-eyed golden lion stopped immediately, looking quite pleased; it was incredibly curious about the human world.

...

The next morning, as the sunlight streamed into the valley, a figure in emerald green appeared before Yun Qinglin and his companions.

Brigitte.

Wang Xian'er and Winged Fire Douluo stood up almost instantly, but this time, they were more vigilant, and even a little fearful.

Two more figures followed behind Brigitte.

One was a tall man dressed in a long black robe, his aura as deep as an unfathomable abyss. The moment Wang Xian'er and Winged Fire Douluo saw him, they felt they were no match for him.

Emperor Tian.

The true ruler of the Star Dou Great Forest, and the leader of the Ten Ferocious Beasts.

If Bi Ji can still inspire them to resist, then Di Tian will treat them as if they were facing any Soul Master below the Title Douluo level.

The other figure was much smaller; it was a strange soul beast with a golden body and three eyes on its forehead. It was hiding behind Di Tian, ​​curiously peeking out at Yun Qinglin.

What kind of spirit beast is this?

Wang Xian'er also had the mind to observe the soul beasts behind Di Tian.

How could they actually get Di Tian to personally protect them?

Very few people know about the existence of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion; even Shrek Academy doesn't have many records of it.

Yun Qinglin recognized it at a glance, but he wasn't very curious about the Three-Eyed Golden Lion right now. He could disable some of Tang San's plans when he had the ability.

After all, he owed the Star Dou Great Forest a debt of gratitude.

Wang Xian'er took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in her heart, and bowed slightly to Di Tian: "Greetings, Senior Di Tian."

Winged Fire Douluo also bowed, his palms sweating with nervousness, but he couldn't be impolite in front of such a being.

Di Tian simply nodded slightly, without saying a word. His gaze fell on Yun Qinglin, a strange light flashing in his deep dragon eyes.

In fact, Di Tian had no good feelings towards humans, especially after the Body Sect's large-scale hunt for 100,000-year-old soul beasts. That time, Di Tian showed them what fear was.

He unleashed a brutal beast tide, with millions of soul beasts surging out of the forest, flattening three cities, and causing the entire continent to tremble. That was also the first time humanity truly realized that such a terrifying existence slumbered within the forbidden zone of life in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Since then, humans have signed contracts with spirit beasts and have become more cautious when hunting 100,000-year-old spirit beasts.

This further solidified Di Tian's belief that only by instilling genuine fear in humans could a space for soul beasts to survive be created.

Goodwill, concessions, peaceful coexistence? Those are all signs of weakness. Humanity will not yield because of your kindness, but only because of your strength.

Looking at Yun Qinglin in front of him, Di Tian remained indifferent. He had only come because of the change in the fortune of the Star Dou Great Forest, which started when Bi Ji promised to give him a suitable soul beast.

The timing was too coincidental; he had to come and observe for himself.

When faced with such a terrifying being, Yun Qinglin felt physically afraid and uncomfortable due to the overwhelming power of the other party's aura, but he wasn't actually that scared.

Di Tian is actually quite reasonable; at least he won't bully the weak unless they really piss him off.

The three-eyed golden lion looked at the human opposite it with curiosity in its eyes, feeling that the change in its fortune was related to the other person.

So she leaned closer to Di Tian and whispered, "Uncle Di Tian, ​​what do you think of him?"

Di Tian did not answer.

The auspicious beast pursed its lips, unconcerned, and continued to curiously observe Yun Qinglin.

Biji walked up to Yun Qinglin and smiled slightly: "I've arrived."

Yun Qinglin bowed slightly, "Thank you, Senior Biji."

Biji stepped aside, avoiding Yun Qinglin's view. Behind her, a pale golden stag slowly emerged and stood before Yun Qinglin.

It was a Radiant Deer with two thousand years of cultivation. Its fur was pale gold, with red stripes on its back like the morning glow. Its antlers were forked in many places and shimmered softly in the sunlight. But upon closer inspection, one could see that its eyes held a sense of listlessness, and its posture was somewhat strained.

"A Glowing Deer?" Wang Xian'er's expression changed. This kind of soul beast is extremely rare. Its antlers contain a large amount of life essence, and it recovers very quickly after being injured. A Glowing Deer that is over a thousand years old can even regrow its antlers within three days after they are broken.

The innate skill of these soul beasts—limb regeneration—is something that only powerful healing-type soul masters could achieve with their eighth or ninth soul skills. If it became Yun Qinglin's first soul skill...

However, like the Emerald Swan clan, the Glowing Deer is closely protected by various soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, and no healing-type soul beast has ever obtained its soul ring.

The spirit beast that Bi Ji brought is extremely rare...

"This Radiant Deer is born with a deficiency," Brigitte said softly. "It's already its limit to live to two thousand years old. I've tried many methods, but congenital problems cannot be remedied by external forces. It will die in a while."

She looked at Yun Qinglin: "It is willing to give you its soul ring, but it hopes that you can grant it a request, which is also what our Star Dou Great Forest hopes for."

"Please speak, senior."

"Never indiscriminately kill soul beasts. I hope you can spread your kindness towards soul beasts among humans. Do not underestimate the emerald swan's affinity. You will not lack strong human warriors around you. Child, your influence among humans in the future will be no less than my influence among soul beasts."

Yun Qinglin did not hesitate.

"I promise." His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear. "I will do my best to spread this kindness and find a way for humans and spirit beasts to coexist. This road is long, and I may not be able to finish it, but I promise I will keep walking it."

Biji looked at him with a hint of relief in her eyes, and Di Tian's expression softened as well.

Wang Xian'er hesitated, knowing that this was no easy task. But since the child had already agreed, perhaps she could also do her part.

As the strongest healing-type Soul Master on the continent, she has a strong appeal, and it would be unwise to refuse at this time.

The radiant deer stepped closer, lowered its head, and gently touched his forehead. Golden light surged from its body, growing ever brighter, enveloping Yun Qinglin completely.

The sacrifice began.

Yun Qinglin closed his eyes, letting the warm life force flow into his body.

He seemed to be able to sense the life of the Radiant Deer.

Its frailty at birth, its struggles during growth, the hope it felt upon being discovered by Brigitte, the helplessness of having its congenital deficiencies unable to be compensated for even after being given a few hundred years of extended life, and finally, the peace of this last moment. Its entire life was a struggle against fate, which it ultimately failed to win, but it chose to end it in its own way.

The soul power brought by the two-thousand-year soul ring far exceeded his expectations. After that power surged into his body, it flowed wildly along his meridians, widening and strengthening them time and time again wherever it passed.

That feeling is very painful; even if a soul beast sacrifices itself, the energy erosion it has to endure is still immense.

This pain is still within a tolerable range.

But at that moment, the sea of ​​the spirit began to tremble violently, as if something was churning at the bottom of the sea, trying to break through the surface.

The second martial soul, which had been dormant for a long time, suddenly awakened.