The sprawling, sun-drenched training grounds of the Crimson Zenith City estate were a testament to the absolute power and unyielding luxury that Zhang Tian had meticulously constructed over the past three years. The air was crisp, carrying the faint, pristine chill of the distant Extreme North, yet the advanced geothermal arrays hidden beneath the polished stone tiles kept the courtyard perfectly, comfortably warm.
Jin Xi, the Golden Auspicious Beast, was currently wrapped tightly around Zhang Tian, her arms locked behind his neck and her face buried affectionately in the crook of his shoulder. Her massive, soft breasts pressed heavily against his chest, her curvy body radiating a profound, innocent joy. Zhang Tian laughed softly, his large hands resting comfortably on her wide, plush hips, returning her embrace with a genuine, gentle warmth.
However, Zhang Tian was a man of boundless appetites, and he naturally didn't just favor the golden-haired beauty clinging to him.
From the sidelines of the arena, two devastatingly gorgeous, feline figures approached with synchronized, lethal grace. Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun, having just concluded their intense sparring session, moved toward their shared master. Their skin-tight, dark leather and purple silk combat suits were glistening with a light sheen of sweat, clinging desperately to their voluptuous figures and highlighting every magnificent curve.
Zhu Zhuqing did not hesitate. She possessed the quiet, supreme confidence of a woman who knew she was one of his absolute favorites. She stepped right up to his side, wrapping her slender arms around his waist from the left. She boldly pressed her massive, incredibly heavy breasts against his side, using her devastating assets and naturally seductive, feline movements to let Zhang Tian thoroughly enjoy the friction of her body.
"Husband," Zhu Zhuqing purred, her voice a low, incredibly sultry melody that sent a pleasant shiver down his spine. She tilted her beautiful, flushed face upward, her dark eyes half-lidded with affection and lingering adrenaline. "You watched our entire spar. Were you pleased with our progress?"
On his right side, Zhu Zhuyun mirrored her younger sister perfectly. The elder sister wrapped her arms around his other side, pressing her equally massive chest against his ribs. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, looking up at him with a deeply submissive, eager gaze.
"We worked very hard to perfect the shadow techniques you taught us, Hubby," Zhu Zhuyun whispered, her tone carrying a delicious blend of royalty and absolute devotion.
Zhang Tian didn't shy away from their bold advances in the slightest. He possessed the physical and mental stamina of a god, and he unapologetically enjoyed the feeling of three of the most beautiful women on the continent wrapping their soft, curvaceous bodies around him. He shifted his stance slightly, his hands leaving Jin Xi's hips for a brief moment to wrap around the slender waists of the two feline sisters. He squeezed their hips firmly, pulling them even tighter against his sides, marveling at the sheer, breathtaking softness and explosive power contained within their mature figures.
"I was incredibly pleased," Zhang Tian replied, his icy blue eyes dancing with dark, perverted amusement. He leaned his head down, pressing a lingering, passionate kiss to Zhu Zhuqing's soft lips before turning to do the same to Zhu Zhuyun. "Your control over the dark attributes is growing flawless. You both looked absolutely breathtaking out there."
They lingered in the multi-way embrace for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet intimacy of the afternoon. After they were done meeting up and exchanging their sweet, passionate affections, Zhang Tian gently untangled himself from the feline sisters, keeping one arm wrapped securely around Jin Xi's waist.
"As much as I would love to spend the rest of the day analyzing your combat forms up close," Zhang Tian told the two dark-haired women, his tone shifting to a slightly more serious, focused cadence, "I actually need to have a talk with Jin Xi in private. It concerns an incredibly important matter regarding my cultivation."
Zhu Zhuqing and Zhu Zhuyun naturally understood. They knew their husband was a man who balanced his insatiable lust with a terrifying, unrelenting drive for absolute supremacy. If he said it was an important matter, it was likely something that would shake the foundations of the martial world. They didn't mind the dismissal in the slightest.
Though, before she stepped away, Zhu Zhuqing leaned in close. She pressed her soft lips directly against his ear, her warm breath tickling his skin.
"Once that important matter is done, Husband," Zhu Zhuqing whispered, her voice dropping to a scandalously seductive pitch that made his blood run hot, "you should come visit my chambers tonight. Elder Sister and I ventured into the city yesterday and bought some special, highly revealing new dresses. They leave very little to the imagination. You can enjoy our combined services together later."
Zhang Tian's eyes darkened with raw, surging lust. He looked at the icy, elegant beauty making such a shameless, erotic proposition, and a wide, wicked smile spread across his face.
"Naturally, I will do so, my beautiful kitten," Zhang Tian replied, his hand trailing down to give her firm, curvy backside a solid, appreciative squeeze. "Prepare yourselves. I won't be holding back tonight."
After all, among all the women in his massive estate whom he liked to take to bed, Zhu Zhuqing really was his absolute favorite, standing right alongside the mature, maternal perfection of Ah Yin. Her lethal grace combined with her uninhibited passion in the bedroom was an intoxicating addiction.
Zhu Zhuqing smiled, a rare, breathtaking expression, and turned away, leading her elder sister back toward the residential wing of the estate, their wide hips swaying mesmerizingly with every step.
Once the two women were gone, Zhang Tian turned his full attention back to the golden-haired girl in his arms. He led Jin Xi to a quiet, shaded stone bench near the edge of the courtyard, sitting down and pulling her onto his lap.
"Jin Xi," Zhang Tian began softly, his fingers gently brushing a stray lock of golden hair behind her ear. "I need your unique assistance. My cultivation has reached the absolute peak of Level 69. I have spent months compressing my Spirit Power, and I am finally ready to condense my Seventh Spirit Ring."
Jin Xi's crimson eyes widened with innocent excitement. "That is wonderful, Zhang Tian! You are going to become a Spirit Saint!"
"Yes," he nodded. "But I do not want an ordinary ring, nor do I intend to hunt for one. I need the purest, most profound source of life energy in existence. I need you to help me locate the Ancient Golden Tree."
Jin Xi tilted her head, her cute brow furrowing in slight confusion. "The Ancient Golden Tree?"
"Yes. I need you to utilize your Eye of Destiny to find it," Zhang Tian requested calmly.
Although Jin Xi had lived her entire life in the core of the forest, she didn't know much about this specific Ancient Golden Tree or what immense cosmic weight it truly represented. She was the Auspicious Beast, tied to the fate of the forest, but the deeper, planetary secrets of the world were still mysteries to her young mind. However, she trusted Zhang Tian implicitly. If he needed to find a tree, she would find it for him.
She nodded readily, her expression turning incredibly serious and focused.
She closed her eyes, centering her mind. A moment later, a brilliant, blinding vertical slit opened directly in the center of her smooth forehead. The Eye of Destiny revealed itself, glowing with an ethereal, profound golden light that seemed to pierce through the physical fabric of the world. Through this third eye, she could see the invisible, winding rivers of destiny, the threads of fate that connected all living things, and the ultimate convergences of luck and ancient power.
She swept her gaze across the continent, her mind surfing the currents of fate. The search didn't take long. A beacon of life energy so dense and impossibly bright that it nearly blinded her third eye drew her attention like a magnet.
The vertical eye snapped shut, and she opened her normal crimson eyes, a look of distinct, mild surprise painting her beautiful features.
"I found it, Zhang Tian," Jin Xi announced, her voice carrying a trace of wonder. "But... I am slightly surprised. It is actually located deep within the Star Dou Great Forest."
Zhang Tian's eyes narrowed slightly in calculation. "Where exactly?"
"Moreover..." Jin Xi bit her lower lip nervously. "The specific location is actually incredibly close to the true Lake of Life. The absolute core region where the fiercest ancient beasts slumber."
A shadow of genuine worry instantly clouded her innocent face. She grabbed the lapels of his dark robes, pulling herself closer to his chest. She was a beast of the forest; she intimately knew the terrifying, uncompromising nature of the entities that ruled that domain.
"Zhang Tian, I am worried about you going back into the Star Dou Great Forest," Jin Xi confessed, her voice trembling slightly. "I know that Lord Di Tian and the other Fierce Spirit Beasts have no good relationship with you. They remember the clash above Spirit City. If you go near the true Lake of Life, they might perceive it as an invasion. They might launch a coordinated, lethal attack against you."
Zhang Tian smiled warmly, his heart touched by her desperate, protective concern for his safety. He reached up, his large hand gently rubbing her smooth forehead right where her third eye had appeared, soothing her anxiety with his calm, confident touch.
"Do not be worried, my sweet Jin Xi," Zhang Tian reassured her, his voice a steady, unshakeable anchor. "I do not plan on having any conflict with your family. I have no desire to wage war against the Vicious Spirit Beasts of the core region."
He looked out over the courtyard, his mind already formulating the perfect deterrence strategy.
"However, to ensure our peaceful passage and to completely deter Di Tian and the others from doing anything rash, I will not be going alone," Zhang Tian explained. "I will take Bibi Dong along with us."
Jin Xi's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the Supreme Pontiff.
"With Bibi Dong's overwhelming strength as a peak Level 99 Limit Douluo, and considering that she is the recognized inheritor of a God from the Divine Realm who has nearly completed her trials, her mere presence will be an absolute, undeniable deterrent," Zhang Tian reasoned flawlessly. "Di Tian is incredibly powerful, but he is a creature of deep intellect. He will definitely not act aggressively against us when faced with a mortal who wields divine authority. He knows the catastrophic cost of drawing the ire of the heavens."
He kissed her cheek, pulling her into a comforting hug. "Besides, I will make my intentions incredibly clear. I won't go there to hunt for any spirit beast, nor will I unsheathe my weapons. I will just go, stand before the Ancient Golden Tree, and respectfully request its assistance in condensing my Seventh Spirit Ring."
Hearing those confident, logical words, Jin Xi let out a long, shuddering sigh of profound relief. The tension melted from her curvy frame. She was acutely aware of Bibi Dong's terrifying, world-ending strength. Furthermore, over the past three years of living in the mansion, she had seen firsthand that the feared Supreme Pontiff seemed to never, ever go against a single one of Zhang Tian's words, obeying him with a devoted, almost fanatical loyalty. Jin Xi had also secretly watched Bibi Dong training in the isolated meditation towers, wielding that horrific, suffocating Divine Artifact, the Scythe of the Rakshasa God. Knowing that such an apocalyptic power would be walking by Zhang Tian's side, Jin Xi firmly believed that Di Tian wouldn't dare act against them rashly.
With her fears assuaged, her worry was instantly replaced by a bubbling, radiant excitement.
To Jin Xi, traveling back to the core region near the Lake of Life felt exactly like going home after a long, wondrous vacation. She missed the scent of the ancient leaves and the pure, untainted ambient spirit power of the woods.
"Can we really go?" Jin Xi asked, bouncing slightly on his lap, her breasts jiggling delightfully against his chest. "I want to show you everything! I want to show off all my favorite sleeping spots near the lake, and the hidden glades where I used to play, and even my old hunting spots!"
To this adorable, enthusiastic outburst, Zhang Tian simply smiled. He thoroughly enjoyed her innocent, radiant, yet incredibly bright and lively personality. In a world defined by bloody cultivation and ruthless political scheming, her pure, unadulterated joy was a rare, precious treasure that he fiercely guarded.
"We will leave in a few days," Zhang Tian promised, stroking her golden hair. "You can show me every single spot you wish."
A few days later, the preparations were complete.
Zhang Tian stood in the central courtyard of the estate, dressed in his finest, dark traveling robes. Beside him stood Jin Xi, practically vibrating with excitement, and Bibi Dong, who wore a majestic, form-fitting gown of deep purple silk that highlighted her voluptuous, mature curves, her face veiled by a thin, elegant layer of dark lace to maintain her anonymity.
Bibi Dong did not carry the massive, terrifying Scythe of the Rakshasa God openly, but the divine weapon was safely secured within her spiritual sea, ready to be summoned in a fraction of a heartbeat.
"Are we ready, Husband?" Bibi Dong asked softly, her pink eyes looking at him with total devotion.
"We are. Take us to the coordinates Jin Xi provided, Dong'er," Zhang Tian commanded.
Bibi Dong nodded. As a Level 99 Limit Douluo, her profound, absolute control over the spatial elements of the world and her ability to manipulate the ambient energy of Heaven and Earth was simply unparalleled by any mortal beneath the divine realm. She raised her elegant hands, her vast spirit power flaring.
The space around the three of them suddenly warped and twisted, folding inward like a collapsing mirror.
With a silent, rushing sensation of displaced air, they vanished from Crimson Zenith City. It didn't take them days of arduous travel or weeks of navigating treacherous forests. It truly felt like an instant. The freezing, biting air of the north was abruptly replaced by the incredibly humid, suffocatingly dense, and vibrant atmosphere of the Star Dou Great Forest's absolute core region.
They materialized on a high, moss-covered ridge overlooking a sprawling, ancient valley.
Once they were safely inside the core region, Jin Xi took the lead. She navigated the treacherous, overgrown terrain with the flawless, instinctual grace of a creature born to the woods, leading Zhang Tian and Bibi Dong deeper into the heart of the forest toward the specific location of the Ancient Golden Tree.
As they walked, a soft, incredibly soothing, yet rather dense and overwhelming Life Energy washed over them. It was a sensation that Zhang Tian and Bibi Dong could clearly sense, a palpable thickness in the air that felt remarkably similar to the restorative, pure aura of the Lake of Life, but carrying an even older, more primordial resonance.
However, the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest was not an empty, unguarded sanctuary. It was the heavily monitored domain of the continent's most terrifying apex predators.
The moment the spatial tear deposited them on the ridge, the overwhelming, combined presence of Zhang Tian, Jin Xi, and the Limit Douluo Bibi Dong was naturally, instantly sensed by the true rulers of the forest.
Deep within the subterranean caverns near the true Lake of Life, the shadows shifted. Massive, ancient eyes snapped open.
Di Tian, the Beast God; Xiong Jun, the terrifying Duskgold Dreadclaw Bear; Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan; Zi Ji, the Abyssal Demon Dragon; and Chi Wang, the Scarlet Mastiff, all felt the intrusion.
The Fierce Spirit Beasts immediately gathered in a vast, subterranean chamber illuminated by glowing crystals to hold an urgent, tense discussion on what they should do regarding the intruders.
Naturally, the hyper-aggressive Xiong Jun was the first to speak. The massive, heavily muscled man slammed his fist into a stone pillar, his golden-brown eyes burning with feral outrage.
"They dare!" Xiong Jun roared, his voice a grating rumble that shook the cavern. "Humans dare to enter so deep into our Core Region! They are standing practically on the shores of the true Lake of Life! We must eliminate these threats immediately! We must tear them apart and seize the Imperial Auspicious Beast. She is finally near us again. We all know the immense, irreplaceable benefits of cultivating near the Imperial Auspicious Beast. She belongs to the forest, not to some red-haired human!"
His bloodlust was palpable, completely disregarding the sheer, terrifying power of the individuals he wished to attack. To his beastly mind, territory was absolute, and intruders were meat.
However, the rest of the council did not share his reckless enthusiasm.
It was Chi Wang, the fiery mastiff; Zi Ji, the seductive dragoness; and Yao Ling, the ancient demon tree, who remained utterly, profoundly silent. They had been present at the catastrophic standoff above Spirit City three years ago. They had personally, intimately witnessed the terrifying might of Bibi Dong and even Qian Daoliu fighting against Di Tian in the sky. They knew that among the fragile humans existed those who could harness the laws of the world, those who could use Divine Energy to legitimately fight against Di Tian, and that there were true inheritors of Gods walking the earth.
'If we attack,' Zi Ji thought, her violet eyes narrowing in deep, cautious calculation, 'Di Tian could likely win against them in the end. He is the Beast God. But he would suffer great, potentially permanent injuries. The collateral damage would level the core region.'
More importantly, they all shared a singular, paralyzing fear. If a full-scale battle erupted involving a God's inheritor, the massive, chaotic clash of divine and draconic energies would undoubtedly draw the direct, highly unwanted attention of the God Realm. It would be a great, apocalyptic danger not just for them, but even to their Lord, the Silver Dragon King, who was currently slumbering and healing directly beneath them.
And among the three humans currently walking through their woods, they distinctly sensed the familiar, comforting aura of their Imperial Auspicious Beast, and the terrifying, cold, and utterly overwhelming aura of that human inheritor of a dark divinity.
As the silence stretched, Bi Ji stepped forward. As the Emerald Swan, she possessed a breathtakingly beautiful, gentle human form, her green hair cascading down her back. As Di Tian's wife and universally recognized as the kindest, most compassionate Spirit Beast in existence, her words carried immense weight.
"We should not take action lightly, Xiong Jun," Bi Ji spoke, her voice a soothing, melodious chime that instantly calmed the rising aggression in the cavern. "The Auspicious Beast is with them, and she does not project an aura of distress. We must observe them closely before taking any rash, irreversible decisions."
Bi Ji was naturally, greatly respected by every single spirit beast in the forest. Even the volatile Xiong Jun respected her greatly, as it was Bi Ji who had tirelessly treated the grievous wounds of any and all spirit beasts over hundreds of thousands of years without any distinction or prejudice. Her healing grace was the glue that held their violent society together.
Xiong Jun grunted, his anger warring with his respect for the Swan. "But Bi Ji, it might be a catastrophic mistake to let them wander! What if that human with the God's Inheritance is here for a dark scheme? What if she takes secret, lethal action against our Lord? Her divine aura might be intended make the Lord's injuries worse, or she might be a pawn in some scheme of the Gods to finally locate and kill her while she sleeps!"
At this tense, critical moment, the shadows at the head of the cavern parted. Di Tian, the Beast God, stepped into the light. His imposing, tall human disguise radiated an absolute, crushing authority that instantly silenced all debate. His golden eyes were cold and unreadable.
"I will be monitoring all of them carefully," Di Tian spoke, his voice an absolute, resonant command that brooked no argument. "Every breath they take, every step they make, I will see it. And if they indeed take any hostile action, or even direct a sliver of killing intent against the Lord..."
Di Tian's golden eyes flashed with a terrifying, apocalyptic light.
"...I will fight to the death without a single moment of hesitation. I will burn my origin to erase them from the mortal plane."
Hearing those absolute, chilling words, Xiong Jun swallowed hard and fell completely silent. Although arrogant, hot-blooded, and believing in his own devastating physical strength greatly, Xiong Jun intimately knew the true depths of Di Tian's terrifying strength.
Especially if Di Tian decided to fight to the death, abandoning all defense for pure offense, it would be absolutely no exaggeration to say that the Beast God would be completely invincible on the Douluo Star, as long as the true experts of the God Realm did not directly intervene.
In fact, if Di Tian burned his life force and fought to the death, his mastery over darkness and space was so profound he could potentially even drag a few true gods down into the abyss before his own death. This was the raw, unadulterated strength of Di Tian as the Dragon God's premier Guard.
Xiong Jun knew that Di Tian could tolerate everything—the arrogance of humans, the loss of territory, even his own eventual death—but he would absolutely never tolerate anything happening to their Lord, the Silver Dragon King, who was the half of the mighty Dragon God.
Thus, the tense matter proceeded rather calmly. The Fierce Spirit Beasts remained hidden in the depths, while Di Tian's vast, golden eyes remained intensely, unblinkingly fixated on Zhang Tian's group as they navigated the ancient woods.
Meanwhile, Zhang Tian's group had finally reached the specific, secluded site where the Ancient Golden Tree existed.
It was a breathtaking, awe-inspiring sight. The tree was impossibly massive, its trunk thicker than a fortress tower. Its bark resembled plates of solid, polished gold, and its sprawling canopy of leaves radiated an immense, blinding light energy and an overwhelming, dense life energy that made the very air feel thick and sweet like honey. It stood in a pristine, sunlit glade, untouched by the rot or decay of the surrounding forest.
Zhang Tian stopped a respectful distance away. He closed his eyes and called upon his martial spirit. He expanded his Blood Silver Domain at this moment, casting a faint, crimson-silver hue over the glade.
He didn't use the domain to attack or suppress; he utilized its absolute connection to the plant kingdom, sending out a gentle, probing pulse of spiritual energy. He tried to communicate directly with the ancient, slumbering spirit of the Ancient Golden Tree. He respectfully wished to meet the spirit, requesting it to manifest, as he wanted to have a profound talk with him.
The Ancient Golden Tree did not ignore the call of a fellow Emperor of the plant kingdom.
HUMMM.
The massive golden leaves rustled, glowing with a blinding brilliance. The dense life energy in the glade coalesced, gathering in front of the massive trunk.
The Ancient Golden Tree responded back to his request by forming a tangible Spiritual Body. The projection appeared as an elderly, impossibly wise-looking man with long, flowing golden hair and a beard that resembled trailing vines. He wore robes woven from pure, emerald light.
"What does the human, who is the current Blood Silver Emperor of the newly created Blood Silver Grass clan, the chosen companion of the Imperial Auspicious Beast, and surprisingly, the inheritor of the Rakshasa God, have come to meet me for?" the Spiritual Body asked.
His tone was ancient, carrying the slow, deliberate cadence of a being who had watched mountains rise and fall. It was gentle, yet it carried an underlying, terrifyingly powerful resonance that vibrated through the very soul.
Even Bibi Dong, a Level 99 Limit Douluo who had stood before a God's Divine Sense, felt a profound, instinctive sense of great threat radiating from this being. The sheer volume of raw, unadulterated life energy was staggering.
She realized instantly that if not for the Scythe of the Rakshasa God resting in her spiritual sea, through which she could actively utilize true Rakshasa God's Energy, she would likely not be able to exchange even a single, meaningful attack against this Spiritual Body that had just appeared. It was an entity that operated on a scale entirely different from human cultivation.
Zhang Tian stood tall, staring directly at the ethereal projection of the Ancient Golden Tree. He did not bow, but he maintained a perfectly respectful posture.
"I greet the Ancient One," Zhang Tian stated clearly, stating his request without any deceit or preamble. "I have come here to respectfully ask for your assistance in condensing my Seventh Spirit Ring. And, if it is possible, I humbly request that you bestow a Seed of Nature upon me."
The Spiritual Body of the Ancient Golden Tree fell completely silent upon hearing those bold words. The golden eyes of the projection studied the red-haired youth intensely.
"Why?" the Spiritual Body finally asked.
It didn't immediately ask whether it would grant the request or not, nor did it demand tribute. It rather asked the fundamental reason behind the desire. Why did a human seek the core essence of the planet?
Zhang Tian answered truthfully, knowing that lying to a being of such profound connection to the earth was utterly pointless.
"My own selfish purpose is naturally to push my limits. I wish to have my martial spirit evolve entirely into that of a true God-Level Spirit," Zhang Tian confessed, his voice steady. "And I know that only by integrating with the absolute, primordial origin of the Ancient Golden Tree can I successfully achieve that evolution."
He paused, taking a breath before revealing the broader scope of his ambition. "Secondly, it is because of the fact that I want to create and globally popularize the creation of Self-Condensed Spirit Rings, and eventually, even Self-Condensed Spirit Bones. Having your essence would be a great, unparalleled benefit for me in finalizing this revolutionary research."
The Spiritual Body smiled gently, the golden light around it shimmering. It could naturally see deep into Zhang Tian's soul, confirming that the boy had spoken the absolute truth. There was no deception, only raw, unyielding ambition.
"Condensing your Seventh Spirit Ring for your Blood Silver Emperor spirit is not a major, difficult task for me," the Spiritual Body spoke, its voice like rustling leaves. "Even if you want it to be forcefully condensed to the extreme level of a Million Year Old Spirit Ring, this is also not impossible given the vast reserves of my energy. However..."
The projection's expression turned incredibly serious. "Condensing a true Seed of Nature is a vastly different matter. Doing so would directly, permanently harm my own foundational origin by at least thirty percent. It is an astronomical cost. Why should I take such a massive, potentially fatal risk for you, mortal? After all, I am not just a mere, powerful Golden Ancient Tree. I am the very Life Core of the entire Douluo Star. If my core energy is reduced to such a drastic extent, the life of every being, and the very vitality of the entire Douluo Star would be negatively affected."
Zhang Tian met the ancient gaze without wavering.
"It is naturally because this would be the greatest, most profound investment you could ever make," Zhang Tian stated confidently. "Because my lover is the Imperial Auspicious Beast, representing the fate of the forest... I have absolutely no intent of harming the long-term interests of the Spirit Beasts. In fact, I wish to extend my ultimate support to them."
He held up a hand, acknowledging the brutal reality of his own actions. "Naturally, I know this claim might appear incredibly hypocritical. I know that among my companions, and certainly among humans as a whole, we have not hunted a low number of spirit beasts. Even I myself have personally hunted spirit beasts to fill my Spirit Rings, and realistically, probably I will still need to hunt them in the near future to complete my immediate arsenal."
His icy blue eyes burned with a visionary fire. "But my vision of the future extends far beyond this generation's bloodshed. My ultimate goal is that I intend to fundamentally change the future of the spirit beasts, and even the humans, by entirely, permanently changing the very cosmic law of spirit beasts being hunted by humans for power."
He lowered his hand, his voice softening slightly into an admission of vulnerability.
"I admit that this is merely a nascent, incredibly ambitious idea right now," Zhang Tian confessed honestly. "It is a dream that I, as a relative weakling who hasn't even reached the God Realm, have thought of. I am not even entirely sure if I can practically implement it even if I successfully become a god. I don't even fully know how to proceed in this specific direction yet to rewrite the laws of the universe. But I believe, with absolute certainty, that I can succeed if I grow stronger."
He looked directly into the golden eyes of the Life Core. "Because by becoming stronger, I won't just have greater physical and magical strength. I will also gain a greater, divine understanding of the world's underlying mechanics, and I will be able to think of and enact solutions which are currently far beyond my mortal understanding or means. Thus, I want to obtain as much absolute power as possible, right now, to eventually have the undeniable ability to change the bloody laws of this world."
The Ancient Golden Tree heard his passionate, brutally honest words.
Standing beside him, even Jin Xi and Bibi Dong were visibly surprised by his profound declaration. They knew he was ambitious, but they hadn't realized the sheer, world-altering scope of his ultimate goal.
Not just them. Deep beneath the earth, Di Tian, Bi Ji, Xiong Jun, and all the other Fierce Spirit Beasts who were currently listening intensely, secretly monitoring the conversation with their vast mental energy, were completely shocked by Zhang Tian's words.
For Di Tian, Bi Ji, and Xiong Jun, their mental level could be considered at the Limit Douluo tier. And with Di Tian, whose profound mental energy was even touching the untouchable domain of the gods... they could all clearly, undeniably sense the fluctuations of his soul. They sensed that Zhang Tian had not said a single lie. It was all truth. He truly, genuinely intended to find a way to end the eternal slaughter of their kind.
The Ancient Golden Tree, an entity whose consciousness could be considered equivalent to a Second Class God or even above, possessed even stronger, more encompassing mental energy. It naturally could also easily sense the absolute truth resonating in Zhang Tian's words.
The ancient being also fully understood the profound, long-term implication behind Zhang Tian's words. If the eternal, bloody conflict between humans and spirit beasts was finally resolved...
As the Life Core of the planet, there would be much greater, unhindered life flourishing within the entire Douluo Star. Without the constant slaughter and absorption of life energy for rings, the planet would heal. He would be able to not just recover from the loss of thirty percent of his origin, but he would even grow tremendously in the future, evolving the very planet itself.
The Ancient Golden Tree now fell into a deep, profound thought.
It closed its glowing golden eyes. It began to use its vast, unimaginable powers as the planet's Life Core to check whether this specific, ambitious individual, Zhang Tian, truly possessed the necessary potential and the ruthless capability to achieve this impossible ambition that he wanted.
And as the Life Core focused its will, not just the plants in the glade, but the very heaven and earth seemed to be responding. The winds, the soil, the roots stretching across the continent were silently communicating with the Ancient Golden Tree, transmitting fragments of history, letting it understand and intimately witness Zhang Tian's life trajectory until now. It saw his innovations, his ruthlessness, his protection of his own, and his unwavering drive.
The Ancient Golden Tree then made its final decision. After a few seconds of having fully understood that this Zhang Tian possessed the limitless potential, had even already been actively working in this direction, and had achieved tangible, revolutionary results with those Spirit Tools that he had created to bypass hunting...
The Ancient Golden Tree opened its eyes, a warm, brilliant light flooding the glade.
"I will bet on you, then," the Spiritual Body whispered, its voice echoing with the weight of planetary destiny.
And soon, a brilliant, overwhelming green light filled with the purest, most concentrated life energy imaginable erupted from the massive trunk of the Ancient Golden Tree. The light surged forward like a tidal wave, completely enveloping Zhang Tian's body in a cocoon of emerald brilliance.
Instinctively, Zhang Tian's martial spirit flared to its absolute maximum. All six of his Spirit Rings—every single one radiating the terrifying, deep blood-red hue of a Hundred Thousand Year Old ring—appeared, revolving rapidly around his body.
BOOM!
The massive influx of pure life essence shattered his compressed bottleneck instantly. Zhang Tian's Spirit Power violently broke through to Level 70. He had now officially become a Quasi-Spirit Saint.
And soon, amidst the swirling emerald light, a new ring began to form. A brilliant, radiant Green-Gold Spirit Ring began forming above his head as Zhang Tian's Seventh Spirit Ring.
The energy did not stop. Fed by the Life Core, his tightly compressed, immense Spirit Power broke through rapidly, surging from Level 70 to Level 71, then to 72, 73, and finally hitting Level 74 before finally, smoothly stopping its violent ascent.
The current Green-Gold Spirit Ring settled into place. It was a ring pulsing with an energy equivalent to the level of a One-Hundred Fifty Thousand Year Spirit Ring. But Zhang Tian immediately sensed that this Spirit Ring was not like any other standard ring. It possessed a living, breathing elasticity. It was a ring that could naturally, seamlessly evolve in age and power as Zhang Tian grows stronger, as his Spirit Power inevitably increases, and as his physical physique becomes stronger to handle greater loads.
But this glorious ring wasn't all.
At this profound moment, the Ancient Golden Tree's ancient, wise words resounded directly, telepathically within Zhang Tian's mind.
'Instead of acquiring the severed Seed of Nature from me, which would always remain a foreign, borrowed power for you,' the Ancient Golden Tree communicated, 'I am going to assist you in creating a true Life Spirit Core directly within your lower dantian. This is achieved in the exact same profound way the ancient Spirit Beasts create their own Spirit Cores after crossing the ultimate threshold of the Hundred Thousand Year Old Spirit Beasts in their cultivation.'
The voice carried a tone of immense, satisfying logic. 'Through this method, you will be able to utilize this Life Spirit Core entirely as your own, intrinsic power. You will eventually be able to actively convert any form of energy—even pure, volatile Destruction Energy—directly into sustaining Life Energy. In this way, I will not have to utilize and permanently lose Thirty Percent of my origin energy to create a physical Seed of Life for you. I will be able to maintain the vast majority of my planetary origin and will only need to expend a short, concentrated bit of my origin to guide and fuel the initial condensation process for you.'
This was a miraculous, entirely unexpected revelation. It was something that even the brilliant Zhang Tian hadn't thought of.
He was incredibly excited to hear this. This path was, in fact, infinitely more in line with what he truly wanted as a cultivator. He absolutely preferred to have another permanent, internal power of his own generation, fully integrated into his biology, rather than relying on using a borrowed, external power—even if that borrowed power, like a Seed of Nature, was initially much greater and stronger. He was supremely confident that with time and his Quasi-God mental control, he could cultivate and make his own internal power even stronger than any bestowed artifact.
'I thank you, ancient spirit of the Golden Tree,' Zhang Tian replied mentally, his gratitude genuine. 'I respectfully request you to condense the Life Spirit Core in my lower dantian, and please, allow my consciousness to remain fully active to let me intimately experience and study the exact mechanics of the condensation of his Spirit Core.'
'I will comply,' the Ancient Golden Tree warned, 'but be prepared, human. It will mean enduring great, unimaginable pain if you wish to remain conscious and intimately experience the forceful condensation of a spirit core directly within your lower dantian.'
'I accept this pain,' Zhang Tian replied without a shred of hesitation. 'This is an academic and martial opportunity that I could never, ever miss.'
And thus, the agonizing, miraculous process began.
An impossibly rich, dense torrent of emerald Life Energy permeated Zhang Tian's physical body. Instantly, his mortal vessel was placed under immense, terrifying strain. It was caught in a brutal, microscopic process of instantaneous destruction and immediate reconstruction. His cells were being torn apart by the sheer volume of power and then flawlessly rebuilt stronger by the life essence. His vast Spirit Power was completely subjugated and placed under the absolute control of the Ancient Golden Tree as the entity began to forcefully, methodically condense the dense Life Spirit Core within the center of Zhang Tian's lower dantian.
Outside his body, his martial spirit began to visibly mutate.
The Phantom of the Blood Silver Emperor, which previously featured regal golden veins running through its crimson stalks, now started to rapidly develop brilliant, glowing green veins over it. This visual change marked the profound evolution of the very attributes of the Blood Silver Emperor. The spirit, which previously housed a volatile, chaotic mixture of diverse attributes—such as Flame, Earth, Dragon, Ice, Water, Gold, Lightning, Destruction, Light, and all sorts of other minor attributes absorbed from the Immortal Herbs—began a massive, internal harmonization process. The chaotic elements began to seamlessly merge them with this massive, overarching Life Energy of nature, acting as a universal binder.
Surprisingly, due to the overarching, accepting nature of life itself, the complex merger of these conflicting elements was actually exceptionally smooth for these attributes.
Meanwhile, internally, the pain of the Life Spirit Core forming was absolute agony. It far surpassed anything that Zhang Tian had ever imagined or endured. It felt as though a miniature sun was being violently crushed into a singularity within his gut. But his willpower was forged from iron. He gritted his teeth, blood dripping from his lips, but he didn't dare to let his intense concentration slip up for even a microsecond, terrified he might miss anything crucial regarding the mechanics of core formation.
And sure enough, after hours of relentless pressure, the Life Spirit Core—which had been successfully condensed into a solid, glowing emerald sphere within his dantian—began to revolve rapidly on its own axis. As it spun, it hungrily drew in and assimilated all of the remaining, ambient Life Energy that was being continuously infused by the Ancient Golden Tree, stabilizing its own existence.
Watching from the sidelines, Bibi Dong was deeply shocked and intensely worried, wondering exactly what was happening to her husband as he groaned in agony, sweat pouring from his body. But Jin Xi, who was the Imperial Auspicious Beast and who had lived intimately among the Fierce Spirit Beasts her entire life, was perfectly clear on what was happening.
"Do not worry, Dong'er," Jin Xi whispered, grabbing the older woman's hand. "The Ancient Golden Tree is actually condensing a true Spirit Core directly for Zhang Tian! It is a miracle! It is a great, wonderful thing for him. He is gaining the foundation of a hundred-thousand-year beast!"
Upon hearing Jin Xi's confident, knowledgeable words, Bibi Dong's frantic worries lessened quite a bit. She understood the immense value of a Spirit Core. But still, her pink eyes never left his trembling form, maintaining her entire, absolute vigilance for Zhang Tian's well-being, ready to summon her Scythe and sever the connection if he appeared to be dying.
The grueling, transformative ordeal lasted for nearly an entire day.
Finally, as the last rays of sunlight faded from the forest canopy, Zhang Tian finally opened his eyes. The icy blue irises now carried a faint, deep emerald ring around the pupil. It was done... The Life Spirit Core had been successfully, perfectly condensed.
And at this moment, as the adrenaline faded, the true toll became apparent. Even though he possessed a body tempered by dragon blood and herbs, he had been in excruciating, mind-bending pain for this entire day. Because the dense Spirit Core had been condensed directly within the fragile confines of his body—entirely bypassing the usual, safer process used by beasts of creating it outside the body over centuries and then slowly fusing it within—the localized pain and physical trauma was exponentially, vastly much greater.
But the reward was unfathomable.
Because of the massive influx of pure Life Energy during the reconstruction process, Zhang Tian's physical body had become unimaginably, vastly stronger. His muscles, bones, and meridians possessed the density and resilience of a true dragon. He stood up, flexing his hands. He felt like a being operating on an entirely different, superior level of existence at this moment. He firmly believed that, right now, he could effortlessly defeat tens of the past versions of himself simultaneously.
Bibi Dong and even Jin Xi rushed forward, immediately hugging his sweat-drenched body tightly as he finished up.
And it was at this tender, triumphant moment that he noticed the profound, fundamental changes in his own martial spirit. He summoned it fully.
The crimson, gold, and green vines erupted. But the aura was different. It no longer felt like a mere plant, no matter how imperial. His Blood Silver Emperor spirit had completely, successfully transformed and evolved into the divine-tier Blood Silver God spirit.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that at this exact moment, if measured strictly in terms of fundamental, cosmic ranking... His newly evolved Blood Silver God spirit could be considered to be on the exact same, supreme level as the Ancient Golden Tree itself. It was a god-ranked foundation though their power was at completely different realm as the Ancient Golden Tree was atleast a Second Class God while his own Blood Silver God spirit was merely his spirit and had not yet stepped into the domain of a god.
He could instantly feel the connection to the earth. He knew instinctively that he could now effortlessly command any and all ordinary plants, and even manipulate the forces of nature to some extent.
The evolution had granted him the supreme, passive authority known as the Child of Nature.
As the recognized child of nature, he was now able to perform miracles. He could grant all plant-type spirit beasts virtual immortality by linking their lifeforces to his own vast reserves. He could safely, perfectly absorb the foundational seed of any plant-type spirit beast to preserve their lineage and even grow any plant-type spirit beast or accelerate their progress that he has absorbed.
The Child of Nature was the ultimate status, recognized by Nature itself. The plant, animal, or human entrusted with this status grant him authority over the planet's vitality itself.
What a truly shocking, world-altering development it was.
Moreover, as he looked inward, he realized his new Life Spirit Core could now actively, continuously cultivate autonomously. The emerald sphere rotated constantly within his dantian, drawing in ambient energy without him needing to consciously spend time sitting in meditation to cultivate. He was always growing stronger.
And most importantly of all... As he cycled his spirit power, he could feel the incredible harmony within.
The violent, dangerous clashes between the myriad, chaotic attributes that he possessed had been completely, flawlessly merged and smoothed out by the life essence. They were enhanced significantly to the absolute point that he felt a terrifying certainty. If he wanted to...
He could now effortlessly unleash the pure, 'Ultimate Attribute' version of any single elemental attribute that he possessed—be it Ultimate Fire, Ultimate Ice, or Ultimate Destruction—by simply channeling it through his Spirit Power and filtering it through his Life Spirit Core.
This was a tremendous, reality-breaking blessing for him. Armed with a god-ranked spirit, a self-sustaining core, and ultimate attributes, his path toward total, undeniable supremacy was now paved in gold and emerald light.
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels [Villain: Manipulating The Heroines Into Hating The Protagonist] and [Harem Master: Seduction System].
Also, check out 20 Chapters Ahead for this fanfic on my P.atreon.
P.atreon link: https://bit.ly/evildragon04