Douluo Continent: My name is Lu Mingfei, and my martial soul is Lu Mingze.

Hyotei's pupils contracted slightly.

"After the Dragon God War, the God Realm established a rule." Lu Mingze's voice was as calm as if he were reading a history textbook.

"Soul beasts are not allowed to become gods, not because they cannot, but because they are forbidden. No matter how many tens of thousands of years you cultivate, no matter how many heavenly tribulations you overcome, the gates of the God Realm will never open to you."

"Whether it's a 700,000-year calamity or a 400,000-year calamity, even if you survive it, you'll only live for another 100,000 years. You'll still die in the next calamity."

"This is a vicious cycle."

The cave-like space was eerily quiet.

Hyotei's tail hook slowly drooped down.

Xue Di's expression changed as well.

They all knew about it, but no one had ever said it so bluntly.

Xue Di spoke, her voice cold and clear: "Go on."

Lu Mingze nodded.

"In ancient times, the Dragon God was the supreme ruler of the Soul Beast lineage and the first beast to ascend to the God Realm through his own power. After entering the God Realm, he created the Nine Dragon Kings and established the system of the Divine Beast lineage. At that time, human deities and beast deities in the God Realm were evenly matched, and neither could suppress the other."

"But then the Dragon God launched a war."

There are many theories about why the war was started. Some say it was because the Dragon God was dissatisfied with the attitude of human gods towards soul beasts, some say it was because the Dragon God's own power went out of control and led to madness, and some say it was because of the instigation of villains.

"But the result was the same—the Dragon God lost."

"The Asura God cleaved the Dragon God in two with a single sword strike. The Golden Dragon King was sealed in the Forbidden Land of Gods, while the Silver Dragon King escaped."

"After the war, the Divine Realm Committee issued a decree: permanently disqualifying beasts from ascending to the divine realm and abolishing the beast deity system."

After Lu Mingze finished speaking, he picked up his glass of red wine and took a sip.

Hyotei remained silent for a long time.

Then she spoke: "I believe what you're saying."

Having lived for 400,000 years, her perception of the divine realm is more acute than that of any human soul master.

She could sense that there was indeed an invisible suppression on the soul beasts during the tribulation, like an unseen hand pressing down on the heads of all the soul beasts.

"So?" Hyotei looked at Lu Mingze. "You've said so much, what's your solution?"

Her tail hook pointed to the surrounding space: "The space you've created so far is not enough for us to overcome our tribulation. Isolation is one thing, but withstanding the heavenly tribulation is another."

Lu Mingze put down his wine glass and stood up.

Then he turned around, faced Lu Mingfei, spread his hands, and made a gesture of solemn introduction.

"He's the solution."

Lu Mingfei pointed to his nose: "Me?"

Yes, you.

Lu Mingfei paused for a second, then realized what was happening.

"Lu Mingze, you tricked me again!"

"Brother, when have I ever betrayed you?"

"You always trick me!"

"I swear to God," Lu Mingze said innocently, "I really am trying to help you this time."

"Help me?" Lu Mingfei's voice trembled. "You want me, a level 20 Soul Master, to help two Soul Beasts that are hundreds of thousands of years old undergo their tribulations? You might as well just send me to my death!"

Both the Ice Emperor and the Snow Emperor's gazes fell on Lu Mingfei at the same time.

The pressure of being stared at by two super soul beasts made Lu Mingfei feel his knees go weak.

"Him?" Hyotei's tone was clearly distrustful. "Level 20?"

Lu Mingze ignored Hyotei's questioning.

He walked up to Lu Mingfei and looked up at him. Although he was short, his presence was in no way inferior.

"Brother, you have a skill that you yourself are unaware of."

"What ability?"

"The four monarchs were officially appointed."

Lu Mingfei's expression froze.

"What the hell?"

"To confer titles upon the four monarchs," Lu Mingze repeated.

"This ability has nothing to do with your soul power level or the number of your soul rings. It is engraved in your soul; it is something you were born with."

Lu Mingfei opened his mouth, but his mind went completely blank.

The investiture of four monarchs?

he?

A newbie who hasn't even acquired a second spirit ring?

"Brother, have you ever thought about why your martial soul is me? Why I can create space? Why I can give you words of power?"

Lu Mingze's voice was soft, but every word was clear: "Because you're not an ordinary person. Your martial soul is a body-based martial soul, but it's different from others'. Your body-based martial soul is me—a consciousness that can exist independently of you. Do you think this is a coincidence?"

Lu Mingfei remained silent.

He always felt that Lu Mingze was an accident, a freakish martial soul that he was unlucky to have.

But now Lu Mingze tells him that this is not an accident.

"What are the Four Monarchs?" the Snow Empress asked.

Lu Mingze turned around to face the two Northern Heavenly Kings.

"The Four Monarchs represent a rank. They are not divine ranks, but they are higher than divine ranks. Soul beasts that obtain the rank of Monarch can circumvent the suppression of the rules of the God Realm. This is because the authority of the Four Monarchs comes directly from the origin of heaven and earth, not from the God Realm. The God Realm has no control over them."

"By becoming his followers and helping him to become a god, you will obtain the status of a monarch."

"With the status of a monarch, whether it's a 700,000-year calamity or a 400,000-year calamity, it's not a problem."

Hyotei and Yuki-tei both fell silent.

They were thinking.

It wasn't because Lu Mingze spoke so nicely, but because the space he created genuinely isolated some of the rules.

If even the rules of the divine realm can be isolated, then his claim of a monarchical status may not be false.

Lu Mingfei had by then recovered from his shock.

He looked at Lu Mingze, who was standing in front of the Ice Emperor and the Snow Emperor, talking eloquently, and only one thought came to his mind.

Damn it, that little rascal is showing off in front of everyone again.

This is always the case.

Every time, it was Lu Mingze who stood up and said a bunch of high-sounding words, and then Lu Mingfei was put on the spot. What was this about conferring the title of the four monarchs, or the monarchical status? He had never even heard of it.

As Lu Mingfei watched Lu Mingze's retreating figure, he secretly made a decision in his heart.

One day, he'll get his hands on that little rascal.

Let him also experience what it's like to be roasted over a fire.

But right now, the most important thing is to survive.

"Um..." Lu Mingfei raised his hand, "Can I ask you a question?"

Three pairs of eyes looked at him at the same time.

"What kind of price are you talking about?" Lu Mingfei asked Lu Mingze. "Helping them overcome their tribulations can't be for free, can it?"

Lu Mingze smiled.

That smile sent chills down Lu Mingfei's spine.

"The price is simple." Lu Mingze turned around and looked at Bingdi and Xuedi.

"Become his followers and help him become a god. In the process, your power will be bound to his. As he grows stronger, you grow stronger. As he becomes a god, you gain the title of monarch. But if he dies—"

"We will die too," Xue Di said for him.

"right."

The cave-like space remained quiet for a long time.

Lu Mingfei looked at the Ice Emperor and then at the Snow Emperor, his mind racing with the same thought: What merit do I, Lu Mingfei, have to have two soul beasts that are hundreds of thousands of years old as my subordinates?

This isn't recruiting followers, this is courting death.

If he were to die someday, these two would have to be buried with him.

Hyotei and Yuki-tei exchanged a glance.

They did not answer immediately.

Four hundred thousand years of cultivation, seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, cannot be handed over casually.

Lu Mingze didn't urge him, he just stood there, taking small sips of his red wine.

Lu Mingfei felt like punching someone because of that look.

"I need time to think about it," Hyotei finally said.

"Of course," Lu Mingze nodded. "But before that, there's something I need to remind you two older sisters."

"What?"

"That fat worm outside." Lu Mingze's lips curled up slightly. "Whether you agree in the end or not, whatever you do, don't go looking for it."

Hyotei's tail hook twitched: "Why?"

"Because it's not worth it." Lu Mingze's voice was very serious.

"Although the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm is a million-year-old soul beast, you know its strength better than I do. It has survived until now not because of its power, but because of luck. Going to find it will only be a waste of your time and energy."