Star Dou Great Forest.
The dense canopy blotted out the sky, with only a few stray beams of sunlight struggling to pierce through the gaps in the foliage, casting mottled shadows on the ground. The air was filled with the scent of damp earth and the fragrance of unknown plants; occasionally, a low beastly roar echoed from afar, only to quickly subside into silence.
Furina and Neuvillette walked almost side by side.
Strangely enough, the Soul Beasts hidden in the surrounding forest, upon catching the scent of the Aura radiating from Neuvillette, would panic and scatter in all directions, desperate to keep their distance. Some even collapsed directly to the ground, trembling, losing even the courage to flee.
Neuvillette possessed not only the terrifying Aura of a Limit Douluo but also the Bloodline pressure of the Ancient Dragon Authority. He was the true "Water Dragon King." Although this Aura was extremely foreign to the Soul Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest, at the level of the Bloodline, it was an absolute, unquestionable suppression.
For Soul Beasts, the Bloodline was everything. A strong Bloodline meant strong strength and an absolute ruling status; it was a gap between a king and a Mortal, even more exaggerated than that. In the Face of this pressure, ordinary Soul Beasts couldn't even summon the thought of harbouring malice or resisting.
Neuvillette, however, seemed completely unaware of the commotion he was causing. He tilted his head slightly to look at Furina beside him, his tone tinged with helplessness and confusion:
"Ms. Furina, why did you bring me here? There is still a lot of official business waiting for me to handle at the Axis Cult."
Furina blinked playfully, smiling like a little fox that had stolen a fish: "Oh my, I need a bodyguard like you to protect me!"
Neuvillette sighed helplessly, his expression looking just like an old father who couldn't do anything about his mischievous daughter: "Then don't come to such a dangerous place, Ms. Furina."
Furina pouted, rarely showing a serious expression: "I have no choice. For the sake of my grand plan, I must find a way to recruit allies. Although that Silver Dragon King might not be very bright, at least her strength is sufficient."
She muttered inwardly: Although the Silver Dragon King inherited the wisdom of the Dragon God, Furina wondered, considering the Dragon God's insane, unrecognizable state when he went mad, plus the fact that he didn't forget to curse the Soul Beasts before he died—as long as he did not return, the Soul Beasts would never be able to become gods.
From this, his wisdom was likely limited as well. As his other half, it was hard to say how much wisdom the Silver Dragon King could have inherited.
But regardless, she was still a First-Class God, and her mental force had reached the God King Realm. Although she was still recovering from severe injuries and would need another ten thousand years to fully heal, it was estimated that at full strength, she was currently around the level of a First-Class God.
Having her strength would be an important asset in her confrontation against Tang San.
Although the God of Destruction was powerful and had strong subordinates, one shouldn't put all their eggs in one basket. If Tang San had any new tricks or managed to recruit powerful helpers, or even released the Golden Dragon King, it would be troublesome.
Having one more combatant provided an extra layer of security. One had to know that once a person was truly desperate and had nowhere to retreat, they were capable of anything, especially a hypocrite like Tang San.
Under Neuvillette's protection, the two traveled without obstruction and soon approached the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest.
However, just as they were about to arrive at the Lake of Life.
Several powerful Auras suddenly erupted, sweeping in from all directions, carrying undisguised warnings and hostility.
But in front of Neuvillette, those Auras were merely a flash in the pan and quickly dissipated into nothingness.
Neuvillette paused his steps, looking around vigilantly, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity: "Ms. Furina, be careful. It seems the guests here do not welcome us."
As soon as he finished speaking, several figures slowly emerged from the depths of the dense forest.
At the lead was a man dressed in black with waterfall-like black hair and golden pupils. His Aura was restrained, yet he gave people an unfathomable sense of oppression. Standing beside him were a green-haired woman and a purple-haired woman—the former as gentle as water, the latter as enchanting as fire.
Further behind were three more figures: an ancient tree with a peculiar appearance, a giant bear with a sturdy build, and a majestic three-headed mastiff.
Without exception, they all exuded the Aura of cultivation over one hundred thousand years.
Furina's pupils constricted slightly.
She had anticipated that Di Tian would appear, but she hadn't expected all the Vicious Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest to come out in full force.
The man in black was naturally Di Tian himself—the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, the leader of the Ten Great Vicious Beasts, with nine hundred thousand years of cultivation.
The green-haired woman beside him was the Emerald Swan Bi Ji, and the purple-haired woman was the Hell Demon Dragon King Zi Ji.
The remaining three were naturally the Ten Thousand Demon King, Xiong Jun, and Chi Wang.
Six gazes fell squarely on Neuvillette, filled with scrutiny, vigilance, and a hint of undisguised wariness. As for Furina—this little girl who was only at the Spirit King level, except for an occasional glance from Di Tian, she was almost completely ignored.
Di Tian stared at Neuvillette and spoke in a deep voice: "Who are you?"
He could clearly perceive the powerful Bloodline pressure on the other party. If it weren't for the fact that he had once followed the Dragon God, had a sufficiently top-tier Bloodline, and was powerful enough, he would have likely already fallen to his knees under this pressure.
Zi Ji's condition was clearly not good; her Face was pale, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from her forehead. Di Tian originally hadn't wanted her to come, but Zi Ji insisted; she could not retreat in the Face of battle, nor could she lose Face for the Ten Great Vicious Beasts.
Di Tian couldn't refuse her and had to agree, while secretly mobilizing his own power to help her resist Neuvillette's Bloodline suppression.
"I am merely accompanying her," Neuvillette answered calmly, gesturing slightly in Furina's direction as he spoke.
Di Tian and the others immediately understood—the little girl at the Spirit King level whom they had ignored was the real protagonist.
Furina did not rush forward rashly.
She was guarding against the Silver Dragon King suddenly launching a sneak attack. She was currently carrying the Aura of a god, especially the Aura of the Goddess of Life, which the Silver Dragon King must be very familiar with.
After all, that was one of the five Great God Kings who had besieged the Dragon God back then. If one were to say she couldn't smell it, that would be absurd.
Although she did have the Divine Sense left by the God of Destruction on her, he would appear to help deal with things if she encountered an emergency. But this trump card could not be used prematurely, especially at this time, as it could easily give Tang San ammunition against her.
Furina coughed twice, cleared her throat, and spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly: "As for me, I have come to discuss something important with your master."
Her tone was calm, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake.
Di Tian and the others were immediately shocked.
It was impossible for a Spirit Master to know that they, the Ten Great Vicious Beasts, had a true master—the co-ruler of all Soul Beasts, the supreme existence in the hearts of all Soul Beasts. Even the few remaining Limit Douluos on the Douluo Continent did not know this secret.
How did the little girl in front of them know?
Countless thoughts flashed through Di Tian's mind: Could it be that a god told her? But if the God Realm knew about their master's existence, why hadn't they sent deities down to encircle and suppress them?
He couldn't figure out if Furina's words were true or false, so he could only choose to play dumb.
"What master?" Di Tian frowned, his tone containing a hint of impatience, "I don't know."
His Aura suddenly surged, and golden light flickered in his eyes: "I, Di Tian, the first on the list of the Ten Great Vicious Beasts in the mouths of you humans, a nine-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, am the only Dominator of this Star Dou Great Forest!"
These words were spoken with great dominance and were unquestionable.
Xiong Jun, who was standing to the side, was quite dissatisfied with Di Tian's "holier-than-thou" attitude, but he wasn't stupid enough to undermine him at a time like this. He just snorted coldly and didn't speak.
Furina just waved her hand, a half-smile on her Face: "Forget it, Di Tian, stop pretending. Do you really want me to finish my sentence in front of everyone? Your boss is resting and recuperating under the Lake of Life in the core area; she is the Dragon God's..."
"Stop!"
Di Tian's expression changed drastically, and he quickly spoke to stop her.
He could not let Furina say the master's real name on the spot. If she had only learned this secret through some accidental means, and the God Realm was still unaware, wouldn't her saying it out loud expose the master's location?
Besides, if a god had told Furina, it must be some deity who wanted to cooperate with the master and had selfish motives. After all, even gods had their own calculations, not to mention that the vast majority of gods were elevated from humans.
Regardless, he could not let her continue.
Di Tian took a deep breath, trying to calm his surging emotions, and said in a deep voice: "What exactly do you want to find our... master for?"
In the end, he had acknowledged it.
Furina's lips curled up slightly: "Just a mutually beneficial cooperation. As for the details, I would like to talk to your master in person."
"Just you?"
A rough voice suddenly rang out.
Xiong Jun transformed into human form, strode forward, and pointed at Furina, his eyes full of disdain and anger: "Just you, this little girl, and that Dragon King beside you? Although his Aura is very powerful, at least a top-tier Limit Douluo, comparable to that guy Di Tian. But on our side, all the Vicious Beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest are here! As long as we give the order, other one-hundred-thousand-year Soul Beasts will swarm over!"
He grinned, revealing his stark white teeth: "How many can he hold off by himself? And can he protect you well in that situation?"
Neuvillette heard this and frowned slightly. He did not get angry, his tone remained calm, but carried an unquestionable firmness: "If possible, I do not want to fight with you all. But if force is needed to resolve this, I will never go soft."
As the words fell, the hidden Aura on his body was suddenly released; although it was not sharp, it was as vast and boundless as the deep sea, making people awestruck.
Di Tian reached out to stop Xiong Jun and said in a low voice: "Do not be impulsive. Fighting here is unwise."
Xiong Jun might not be able to perceive it, but Di Tian had once followed the Dragon God and had also stepped into the God Realm, so he could clearly detect the two faint traces of divine Aura on Furina.
Fighting here would have unpredictable consequences. If they really provoked the God Realm, that would be troublesome.
Di Tian turned to Furina, his gaze like a torch: "How do I know if you are sincere about cooperating, or if you have other motives?"
Furina was unhurried, her Face still wearing that calm and breezy smile: "I only know that this is your only choice."
She said word by word, her tone certain: "Otherwise, Soul Beasts will sooner or later be exterminated. Your great wish can never come true—Soul Beasts will never be able to become gods."
She paused, her gaze sweeping across the six Vicious Beasts in front of her, and finally landed on Di Tian's Face: "Think it over carefully."
The dense forest was silent.
There was only the rustling of the wind through the leaves and the low whimpering of unknown Soul Beasts in the distance.
Di Tian was silent for a long time, complex emotions flashing in his eyes. He finally spoke slowly: "...You, you follow me."
He turned and walked towards the direction of the Lake of Life.
Furina and Neuvillette looked at each other and followed.
Behind them, Xiong Jun's expression was gloomy, but in the end, he didn't say anything more.
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