Chapter 491: Confronting Di Tian – Until Death
The Star Dou Forest.
Countless soul beasts sensed an immense pressure approaching from the southern sky. Before they could react, a formidable aura bore down on them, pinning them to the ground as though a mountain had fallen atop them. Moments later, as the pressure lifted, the frightened beasts scattered in all directions.
"It's almost time," Dai Yao muttered to himself, his gaze fixed on a sapphire-blue lake that came into view through the trees.
As he made his way through the forest, he encountered far more soul beasts than in previous visits. They were stronger and more varied, a clear sign that the beast tide was imminent.
He channeled his soul power, accelerating as he approached the core of the Star Dou Forest—Lake of Life.
"By now, Bibi Dong should already be on her way to Zhen Nan Pass with her forces. Within a month, she should secure the route, leaving the Heaven Dou Empire with no terrain advantages. Tang San and the Clear Sky Clan will soon be at our mercy."
"For the next month, I just need to hold things down here," he thought, his gaze darkening. "Now, it all depends on my acting skills."
Dai Yao's survival skills from his time in the cold palace had honed his talent for deception. As he grew in strength, he hadn't needed to use those skills much, but now, they would serve him well.
The soul beasts were stirring, intent on forcing Dai Yao to agree to Di Tian's terms. Yet, while Di Tian could leverage a beast tide as a threat, Dai Yao couldn't simply agree. However, if he refused, Di Tian might unleash the full force of the soul beasts, plunging the human world into chaos—a scenario Dai Yao wanted to avoid at all costs.
Still, no matter how strong he was, defeating Di Tian wouldn't necessarily prevent the tide. To stop it, he would need to delay Di Tian personally.
A strong wind swept past as Dai Yao hovered in midair, his golden hair billowing around him as he stared down at the Lake of Life.
Suddenly, three high-pitched screeches rang out, followed by the emergence of three massive ants on the lake's shore, baring their hostility.
Dai Yao glanced at them, then smirked in recognition. "Three Thousand-Jin Ants? Aren't these the ant kings mentioned in the original story, the rulers of the Lake of Life?"
Seeing these familiar figures, Dai Yao felt a strange sense of nostalgia. However, he had no intention of killing them. Despite their high cultivation, they weren't suitable as his spirit rings.
The three ant kings, however, continued to shriek, perceiving Dai Yao as an intruder in their territory.
Casting them a brief, disinterested look, Dai Yao released a surge of soul power. The cloth covering his back tore as the golden Sea God Trident materialized in his hand, emanating an aura so powerful that it stilled the entire Lake of Life, not even a ripple breaking its surface.
"Di Tian! I'm here—are you still planning to hide?" he bellowed.
His thunderous voice reverberated over the lake. The three ants, bristling with hostility, were about to leap at him when a dark shadow appeared, prompting them to cower in terror.
A figure in black stood before them, hands behind his back, his expression calm.
As he arrived, the lake, which had been frozen still by the Sea God's power, resumed its normal flow, the gentle breeze sending ripples across the surface.
Seeing this, Dai Yao's eyes narrowed.
Di Tian had broken through the Sea God's influence effortlessly—a clear sign of the terrifying might of his 880,000-year cultivation. Dai Yao had underestimated him.
Di Tian glanced briefly at the Sea God Trident in Dai Yao's hand before remarking with a sigh, "In just a few years, you've reached the rank of Titled Douluo and obtained a divine inheritance. Truly, you are a child of destiny."
"Since you've come, I assume you've made your choice?"
Dai Yao's gaze turned icy. "My choice? Hmph! Di Tian, for someone who calls himself the Beast God, do you not feel shame for using such vile tactics, threatening me with a beast tide to force my compliance? Where's the honor in that?"
"Ha!" Di Tian burst into laughter, shaking the trees around the lake. "Honor as a strong one? What nonsense! I've lived for 880,000 years, watching as family and friends perished under the wrath of the heavens. I've witnessed human empires rise and fall, seen the glories and tragedies of those who ruled their era."
"I envy you humans."
"Every century, a human rises to stand as my equal. But us soul beasts? In tens of thousands of years, I'm the only one of my kind who has reached my level. Where you humans need only centuries, we soul beasts need tens of millennia!"
"Do you think that's fair?"
"For hundreds of thousands of years, I've protected the soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest. For that, they revere me as the Beast God. And though we beasts may never become gods ourselves, I still bear the responsibility of keeping our kind alive!"
"Our survival hangs in the balance!"
"For each level you humans attain, another of my kind falls, their spirit rings plundered, their bones harvested. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before soul beasts are driven to extinction by humans."
"In the face of our species' survival, what need have I for honor? Be it strength or subterfuge, so long as the soul beasts survive, I will stop at nothing!"
Di Tian's tone was resolute, unwavering.
For him, this plan was a final gambit.
Initially, he had approached Dai Yao with diplomacy, hoping that the young man would agree to his terms peacefully. But Dai Yao had flatly refused.
Thus, he was forced to turn to coercion.
Yet even his well-calculated scheme had been foiled by Dai Yao in a manner beyond his comprehension. Not only had Dai Yao avoided a fallout with Qian Daoliu, but Bibi Dong had also spared him, leaving Dai Yao with allies in the human world and no need for the soul beasts' help.
With the failure of his plan, not only were their operatives exposed, but Dai Yao had become a formidable enemy. If Di Tian couldn't secure Dai Yao's agreement before he fully matured, then the beast clans would face Dai Yao's wrath.
However, Dai Yao's rapid rise in strength had caught Di Tian off guard. Within mere years, he had reached Titled Douluo, and if given time, he would soon ascend to godhood. Thus, with the human empires locked in conflict and distracted, Di Tian saw this as his final opportunity.
The lake fell silent as Di Tian's words faded.
"The survival of the soul beasts?" Dai Yao scoffed. "Do you think I'm a child, Di Tian?"
"Since soul beasts first appeared on this continent, not one has ever broken past the barrier dividing mortals and gods to become a true Beast God! Your real goal is to use me to infiltrate the Divine Realm, to discover the secret to godhood, isn't it?" Dai Yao's voice was firm.
"If you were to succeed and soul beasts managed to produce gods, it would trigger an unending war across the continent, rivers of blood flowing, countless humans driven from their homes or perishing tragically."
"Do you think I would willingly become the greatest traitor to my own kind?"
Di Tian gazed at Dai Yao with cold indifference, while Dai Yao's glare was equally unyielding. After a moment of silence, Di Tian sighed heavily.
"I am well aware of your position. As a chosen child of destiny, you're likely to become a legend in the human world if you continue to grow unchecked. But tell me, what of the soul beasts? Should we simply sit back and watch as we fade from existence?"
"Right now, countless soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest await my command. With a single word, they would pour out of the forest and swarm into the human world."
"Dai Yao, you should know the consequences of such an action. If you refuse, the human world will face immediate ruin. If you agree, we might someday break the 100th-level barrier to godhood, though that could take untold years."
"Even if we do reach divinity, by then, perhaps new human gods would have emerged, and we could battle them fairly. And who's to say that victory would be ours?"
"You humans have a saying: the waves of the future push aside those of the past. Why not trust in the wisdom of future generations?"
Hearing these words, Dai Yao's face tensed, a pulse of anger rising in his chest.
Trust the future generations?
How could the fate of humanity be entrusted to anyone but themselves? Despite being a traveler from another world, Dai Yao had long since woven his heart into the world of Douluo Continent; his bonds were too deep to sever.
As a human, he could not stand idly by while the soul beasts' strength grew unchecked. Even in the original story, Tang San managed to suppress the soul beasts and brought the most powerful females among them into the Tang family, neutralizing their threat to humanity.
If Tang San could do it, why couldn't he?
The Sea God Trident glinted as Dai Yao swept it to his side, its aura surging above the Lake of Life. With a determined look, he called out:
"Di Tian, there's only one way this ends—through battle. If there's any trace of pride left in you as a true beast king, let us settle this with a fight! If you win, I'll submit to your demands, but if I win, you will end this impending beast tide. Do you accept?"
Di Tian's rock-hard expression flickered as his dragon claws flexed instinctively, sharp enough to tear through any living being.
He stared intently at Dai Yao's resolute expression, his gaze then shifting to the radiant Sea God Trident.
How he longed to fight this human of destiny!
He was the 880,000-year Beast God, one of the most powerful beings among the soul beasts. Dai Yao, though marked by destiny, had cultivated for just over twenty years. How could he be a threat?
But…could he afford to take that risk?
As the saying went, one must consider failure before victory. If he won, all would be well. But if he lost, then the soul beasts' chance at revival might vanish forever.
The long years had taught Di Tian caution. In the human world, every child of destiny proved to be an unpredictable phenomenon. These chosen ones had incredible growth rates, could cross boundaries to slay enemies of higher levels, and often broke through at the moment of crisis. Worse, meddling gods were known to intervene, bolstering their chosen with divine power.
No matter how powerful he was, could he really match a god?
And even if he somehow emerged victorious, could he risk exposing the 'Master' beneath the Lake of Life?
Di Tian lowered his gaze slightly, reluctant but understanding that certain matters transcended personal pride. For the survival of his kind, he would forsake all honor and dignity, enduring the vilest reputation if need be.
He exhaled heavily and raised one hand, signaling a wave of energy that rippled outward.
In an instant, a cacophony of rustling sounds filled the air as shadows moved swiftly through the forest, converging toward the lake. Tremendous beasts materialized from the surrounding trees, crowding the banks of the Lake of Life.
In just a few breaths, beasts of fifty-thousand years or more gathered along the lake. Even those who resided farther away in the forest hurried to the scene.
Hovering above the lake, Dai Yao was awestruck by the vast sea of beasts filling the area. All around him, stretching to the horizon, stood soul beasts, an endless ocean of eyes gleaming with cold fire as they locked onto him.
Yet, despite their multitude, not a sound escaped them. Even natural enemies among the soul beasts restrained their instincts, standing in silent deference to Di Tian's will.
All those piercing eyes trained on Dai Yao, creating an atmosphere of unyielding dread.
Di Tian raised his arms, and every beast turned its gaze toward him. At his signal, worlds could be overturned, and all creatures would bow.
This was the might of the Beast God.
"Dai Yao, all the soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest are gathered here, awaiting my command. At my word, they will march forth. You have no room to bargain. Make your choice: do you agree, or don't you?"
The weight of Di Tian's ultimatum, backed by the force of countless beasts, pressed down on Dai Yao like a crashing wave.
Agree or disagree?
Dai Yao had no real choice. As a human, he could never agree to Di Tian's demands. Yet refusal would unleash a tide of soul beasts upon the human world.
He hesitated, his arm trembling slightly, yet the light of the Sea God Trident burned all the brighter.
Dai Yao's plan had been to challenge Di Tian one-on-one, to draw out time. While entrusting the fate of two species to a single duel was absurd, it was the best way he could balance his sense of duty with his principles.
Moreover, the battle's odds heavily favored Di Tian, whose terrifying 880,000-year cultivation gave him an immense advantage.
But to his surprise, Di Tian didn't even have the courage to fight, choosing instead to wield his followers as a threat.
Taking a deep breath, Dai Yao's heart hardened. One by one, his soul rings rose into view, illuminating him under the intense gaze of every soul beast.
"Di Tian, as the so-called Beast God, you lack even the courage to fight me. Instead, you would threaten all humanity to force me into submission. So let me be clear—I refuse your terms."
"If humanity is destroyed because of your actions, will you feel no guilt?"
Di Tian's brow furrowed momentarily, a flicker of hesitation crossing his face.
"Guilt? Of course, I'll feel it. Many lives will be lost because of my choice. So I'll stay right here and atone. I will unleash everything I have, slaughter every last one of you, and fight to the death."
The Lake of Life fell into utter silence as the soul beasts around it froze in shock.
Only Dai Yao's thunderous voice echoed across the lake, resonating powerfully.
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