Chapter 546: The Struggle for Fate, Part 3
Utilizing the advantage of his three heads, the Crimson King released a torrent of flames from his central head towards the Titan Giant Ape, while the other two heads held on tightly, adding searing fire to their bites.
During this moment, Ye Wen took the opportunity to move the two "little ones" Huo Yu'er and the Three Eyed Golden Lion a bit further from the battle. Although the Crimson King was only around the level of a 98 ranked Super Douluo, it would still take the 99 ranked Titan Giant Ape some effort to bring him down instantly. If the fight escalated, these two innocents could be caught in the crossfire.
The Three Eyed Golden Lion, highly intuitive, seemed to sense Ye Wen's goodwill and didn't resist being moved. Instead, it turned to give Ye Wen a curious glance.
Meanwhile, the battle between Er Ming and the Crimson King was drawing to a close. Despite holding back his full godly power, Er Ming's strength had long since evolved to the Ultimate Earth attribute. While the Crimson King's flames were fierce, they hadn't quite reached the level of Ultimate Fire, making them unable to break through Er Ming's defense. With this advantage, Er Ming managed to gravely wound the Crimson King.
But the Crimson King's three heads served him well realizing the immense strength of his opponent as soon as the first head took damage, he immediately raised the remaining two and let out a piercing howl into the sky.
Er Ming's face fell as he recognized the call for help. He knew that, as a former soul beast himself, this was a cry for reinforcements. Although soul beasts might claim to hold grudges against spirit masters for hunting them, Er Ming had long abandoned his soul beast identity, dedicating himself entirely to Tang San's service. As a beast turned loyal servant, he no longer saw himself as part of the soul beast kin.
"Get out of my way!" Er Ming shouted at Ye Wen, anger blazing in his eyes as Ye Wen again blocked his path.
Ye Wen remained calm and unyielding, silently noting that Er Ming was as brute and impetuous as ever, charging headfirst into battles without a second thought. It made Ye Wen wonder why Tang San had even sent him for such an important mission.
Hovering unwaveringly in mid air, Ye Wen's serene demeanor only fueled Er Ming's rage. Enraged, Er Ming launched a punch toward him.
However, his fist came to an abrupt halt, suspended just a foot away from Ye Wen's face. That familiar sense of helplessness crept back into Er Ming's heart as he recalled the fear of being soundly defeated by Ye Wen before. But he couldn't afford to fail this mission.
"Da Ming!" Er Ming bellowed, pushing his gravity domain to its limits in an attempt to restrain Ye Wen.
In a past defeat, Da Ming had helped analyze Ye Wen's abilities, concluding that Ye Wen was likely a master of spatial manipulation. Against such a tricky opponent, the best strategy was to use an indiscriminate gravitational field.
Seeing that his gravity domain had managed to pull Ye Wen down slightly, Er Ming felt a fleeting sense of triumph. Yet he quickly tempered his pride, knowing that the smallest advantage did not guarantee victory. His priority was to buy enough time for Da Ming to capture the Three Eyed Golden Lion.
Out of the corner of his eye, Ye Wen noticed a streak of green light shooting toward where he had placed Huo Yu'er and the Three Eyed Golden Lion.
Now it made sense: Tang San hadn't just sent the reckless Er Ming alone. He had deployed his two loyal lieutenants together, counting on their combined strength. Ye Wen's gaze turned cold. Did Tang San really believe these minor tricks would get past him?
Seeing Ye Wen briefly distracted, Er Ming prepared to launch his most powerful long range skill, a move he rarely used the Titan Sky Cannon.
Ye Wen's lips curled slightly, amused by Er Ming's lack of strategy. Was he really going to attempt a long range attack against someone with spatial abilities?
Raising his hand, Ye Wen opened a portal, diverting Er Ming's attack toward Da Ming. Annoyed, Da Ming dodged the attack with a scowl, silently cursing Er Ming's carelessness. Thankfully, his smaller form made him more agile and allowed him to evade in time, though it slightly hindered his approach.
Ye Wen smirked. He'd aimed that attack with perfect accuracy it seemed Da Ming was indeed the more intelligent of the two.
Just in case, Ye Wen opened another portal.
Meanwhile, Huo Yu'er was cheerfully petting the "big kitty," the Three Eyed Golden Lion, which seemed to enjoy the attention. For reasons it didn't fully understand, this human felt strangely familiar, and the petting was oddly soothing.
Suddenly, a sense of weightlessness overtook them both, and in the next moment, they found themselves beside Ye Wen.
Seeing this, Er Ming became desperate and charged forward, trying once more to grab the Three Eyed Golden Lion.
But Ye Wen didn't dodge or move instead, he murmured, "Finally."
A wave of chillingly dark energy surged into the scene, striking Er Ming squarely and shattering his Ultimate Earth defense. Even his mountainous form was hurled backward.
Ye Wen turned to the direction of the attack, locking eyes with a large, imposing figure dressed in dark battle robes with piercing golden eyes the Black Dragon King himself, Di Tian. Formerly a god tier beast and the chief guardian of the Dragon God, Di Tian held the title of the first of the Ten Great Beasts.
"How dare you harm the Emperor Auspicious Beast! Prepare to die!" Di Tian declared coldly.
Di Tian glanced briefly at Ye Wen, noting the absence of hostile intent. He decided to settle matters with him later his first priority was to punish this intruder who had dared to defile the dignity of the entire Star Dou Forest.
A lethal aura surged around Di Tian, his dark energy coalescing ominously as he prepared to end Er Ming with one strike.
Seeing the severity of Di Tian's intent, Da Ming sped toward Er Ming, his face a mask of worry.
"Die! Myriad Dragon Flames: Dark Rend!" Di Tian bellowed.
Though his attribute was Ultimate Darkness, as a dragon, he still possessed a formidable dragon's breath. This attack was the result of refining his power into a unique, devastating move.
Just as the attack approached, Da Ming reached Er Ming.
"Stasis Field!"
His massive field paused even Di Tian's devastating attack for an instant just long enough for Da Ming to grab the injured Er Ming and flee.
The swift decision making left Ye Wen impressed; Da Ming indeed lived up to his reputation as the strategic mind of Xiao Wu's family.
Di Tian, however, looked furious, his face darkened as his prey escaped. He couldn't let them get away with insulting him and attacking the Emperor Auspicious Beast under his very nose.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10
Chapter 547: The Struggle for Fate, Part 4
A bone chilling soul power exploded forth, plunging the forest into a suffocating darkness. Even Da Ming, who had seen far more wondrous sights in the Divine Realm, could not hide the shock in his expression in the face of this formidable aura.
"Courting death!" Di Tian roared, reverting to his true form as the Golden Eyed Black Dragon King. Despite the passage of time eroding his divine power, Di Tian could still gauge Da Ming and Er Ming's level at a glance. To capture them, Di Tian knew he would have to unleash his full strength.
"Dragon God's Claw!"
Though his power couldn't match his former prime, Di Tian's Dragon God's Claw was far beyond any move Mu En had ever managed. It was, after all, a technique inherited directly from the mightiest of all god kings.
The colossal claw descended over the forest, as if to annihilate everything beneath it.
Panic surged through Da Ming's eyes. He could not recall the last time he had faced such a threat of mortal danger. Instinctively, he released his own restraints.
A Sky Azure Divine Dragon, though much smaller than the vast black claw, rose to meet the strike. Da Ming's True Dragon form channeled divine power, and despite Di Tian's god king tier technique, the difference in the level of strength allowed Da Ming to break through the claw's attack.
In that instant, Di Tian saw the truth: the foes before him were agents of the Divine Realm.
At that moment, Ye Wen's voice reached Di Tian's ears.
"They are indeed agents of the new Asura God King and were once two 100,000 year old soul beasts living around the periphery of the Lake of Life."
Di Tian glanced over at Ye Wen, who maintained a calm and indifferent demeanor as if entirely unperturbed by the frightening powers before him. However, from Ye Wen's words, Di Tian discerned that this human was not as simple as he seemed.
Yet he posed no threat.
For now, Di Tian focused on the two traitors before him.
Da Ming, barely escaping death, realized his mistake in revealing his godly power and quickly suppressed it back down to his quasi god level. Yet, he maintained his dragon form, locking eyes with Di Tian's Golden Eyed Black Dragon King form, both wary of making the first move.
Da Ming inwardly rejoiced, relieved that Di Tian's ultimate dark power had prevented the Divine Realm from detecting the burst of his godly power. From their brief clash, Da Ming concluded that Di Tian, though formidable, was not beyond what he could handle as a quasi god.
Er Ming, regaining his composure, re entered his Titan Giant Ape true form, bringing the three colossal beasts into a tense standoff.
Di Tian narrowed his steely gaze. He remembered the Titan Giant Ape, one of a kind after a war had decimated its species. The Sky Azure Bull Python, a rare mutation, was unique in its aura, and though it had evolved into a dragon, the traces of its former self remained.
Once upon a time, these two might have been considered rising talents among soul beasts, though the Crimson King and Bear Lord had ultimately surpassed them. Back then, Di Tian hadn't even bothered to meet them personally, leaving them to guard the Lake of Life's periphery with only vague warnings of the terror at its core.
But Di Tian never imagined that these two, whom he had once dismissed, would achieve godhood before him, even if it was as godly agents without formal god positions. Di Tian could not afford to take chances, especially since he was sworn to protect his master, the Silver Dragon King. Though no longer bound to the previous Asura God King, he could not risk it.
Feigning ignorance of their identities, Di Tian spoke coldly, "Humans, consider yourselves fortunate that I am feeling lenient. Leave the Star Dou Forest now, or face my wrath!"
Di Tian's fierce killing intent radiated as he spoke. As a former guardian of the Dragon God, the blood on his hands was far beyond anything Da Ming and Er Ming could fathom.
The two exchanged uneasy glances.
Neither Da Ming nor Er Ming had ever personally met Di Tian, knowing only of a rumored terror at the Lake of Life's heart. Their mother, Xiao Wu's mother Ah Rou, had warned them to avoid that forbidden region, after Xiao Wu's father and brother had vanished when venturing into it.
However, they bore no particular grudge against Di Tian or the Lake's other denizens. Their loyalty was to Xiao Wu and Ah Rou, and they held little connection to the father and brother they had never known.
But they were here on Tang San's orders. To secure faith power for Tang San, they needed Tang Wulin to reinvigorate the Tang Sect, and this mission required acquiring the fortune of this place.
Da Ming spoke up, "Beast God Di Tian, we come with no ill intent. We only wish to borrow this young soul beast and will return it unharmed. You have my word."
Di Tian's gaze grew even colder.
Though the Three Eyed Golden Lion wasn't his own child, raising it over the years had naturally forged a bond. The Emperor Auspicious Beast was also a tremendous asset for soul beast cultivation, exponentially accelerating the growth of other soul beasts. This precious creature, Di Tian would never allow it to be harmed.
"Leave!" he commanded, his tone as fierce as a whip crack.
Da Ming and Er Ming shared a resigned glance. Negotiations were futile, but Ye Wen's ominous presence made them hesitant to act.
Suddenly, Da Ming turned to Ye Wen, proposing, "Skywalker Douluo, how about we join forces against Di Tian? If we succeed, you can claim his soul ring, bones, and even his corpse. We only need the little creature."
Ye Wen's lip twitched slightly. Though literacy levels had not improved much over ten thousand years, Da Ming's lack of insight was painfully apparent. Did he really think Ye Wen would accept such a ludicrous offer?
To Ye Wen, the very fact that Di Tian was an 800,000 year soul beast made him vastly more valuable than a mere 10,000 year old creature. In fact, Da Ming's suggestion only confirmed the greater importance of the Three Eyed Golden Lion.
With a look of contempt, Ye Wen cast a sideways glance at Da Ming, as if to say, "Do you take me for a fool?"
Da Ming felt a prickling embarrassment, but he didn't have long to dwell on it as Di Tian's fury surged.
"Impudence! Prepare to die!"
Di Tian had been evaluating his options, aware that the Divine Realm no longer operated under the Dragon God's rule. Nonetheless, divine laws were still in place to govern it, essential for maintaining order across realms.
After a quick assessment, Di Tian recognized Da Ming's deliberate suppression of his godly power, indicating he too was bound by these divine restrictions.
Both at quasi god level, neither was likely to back down.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10
Chapter 548: Struggle for Fate, Part 5
The sheer darkness of Di Tian's soul power permeated every corner of the space, casting the entire forest into shadow. Da Ming inwardly cursed; despite Di Tian's god king powers being dulled by time, his Ultimate Darkness still carried a domain rule force strong enough to suppress the two former kings of the Star Dou Forest.
Di Tian unleashed his Dragon God's Claw in close combat against the two traitors, drawing them further from Ye Wen and the others. Di Tian himself wasn't entirely sure why, but for some reason, the human Ye Wen brought him a strange sense of reassurance.
The fierce clash between Di Tian and the traitors wreaked havoc on the surroundings, with the aftermath alone reducing large swathes of the verdant forest to dust. Any soul beasts unlucky enough to be nearby either perished instantly or bolted in fear, hoping to escape the onslaught.
Meanwhile, the three left floating midair no, rather two humans and one beast exchanged awkward glances, caught in a strange silence.
Suddenly, a crisp, childish voice broke the stillness. "Human, are you planning to keep holding onto me?"
Ye Wen was unsurprised that the Three Eyed Golden Lion could speak. Besides possessing Ultimate Fire and Ultimate Light, the lion's main attribute was its strong spiritual power. Soul beasts with mental attributes often exhibited higher intelligence, and the Three Eyed Golden Lion was arguably an even rarer specimen than the Titan Giant Ape. Achieving speech within ten thousand years was quite within reason.
In truth, Ye Wen had brought Huo Yu'er here to replicate the original story's "attribute resonance," hoping for a connection between her and the Three Eyed Golden Lion. However, unlike Xuan Zi, Ye Wen had no intention of forcibly restraining the Three Eyed Golden Lion and risking everything on an old, unreliable rumor he'd read in an ancient book.
The ancient text stated, "Where the auspicious beast dwells, all beasts are blessed. Its rank is highest, and humans may share its fortune. With its auspicious blessing, one's path is boundless."
Leaving aside its accuracy, records of humanity on the Douluo Continent only spanned about twelve thousand years. Unlike ancient lore on Earth, Douluo's history showed a progression of increasing strength, meaning humans were genuinely weaker in the past. And the emergence of the Emperor Auspicious Beast was always guarded by powerful beasts. Who would be fool enough to believe that any ancient human could pull off something so contradictory?
If anyone might have tried, it would be one of the gods. Yet the Asura God existed long before any of them, and he had no reason to risk the wrath of soul beasts. The Rakshasa God was a maniac, uninterested in any such peaceful endeavors. As for the Sea God, he had potential but lacked the fortune needed for a smooth journey; he would never have languished at sea for a millennium before finally becoming a lower tier god.
None of this mattered now, though. Ye Wen looked down and spoke calmly, "Little one, I'd like to make a deal. Would you consider sharing your attributes with my disciple here?"
The Three Eyed Golden Lion froze for a moment, then shook its head rapidly, speaking in its lilting, childlike voice. "No, no! You two humans do feel comfortable to be around, but sharing my attributes would drain my life force and could even kill me."
Only then did Ye Wen recall the details of that distant memory. When Huo Yuhao connected with the Three Eyed Golden Lion in the original story, he already possessed the Eye of Life, a spiritual eye created from Life's Gold. During their connection, not only did he absorb the lion's attributes, but his own Life's Gold returned life energy to it. The "memory sharing" was merely a bonus effect.
Xuan Zi had complained at the time about his over reliance on ancient texts, underscoring just how reckless his methods were. If that encounter had gone poorly, it could have sparked an all out war between humans and soul beasts.
The Three Eyed Golden Lion noticed Ye Wen nodding in contemplation and assumed he was calculating how to deal with it. Frightened, it pulled its head back, eyes watering. Huo Yu'er gently petted the creature's soft fur, murmuring, "Don't be afraid. My master is kind hearted. He won't harm you without reason."
Yet having been raised to fear human deception, the Three Eyed Golden Lion could only whimper in doubt, its small cries growing louder.
Ye Wen was about to reassure the creature when suddenly, a battered Red King landed nearby, baring one of its three intact heads in a fierce snarl as it threatened Ye Wen.
"Human, release it! If you dare harm it, we soul beasts will launch a full scale war against your kind!"
Despite the Red King's imposing words, its battered appearance lacked much of a menacing effect. Still, Ye Wen soon sensed the formidable presences closing in from all around.
One by one, mighty soul beasts emerged and surrounded Ye Wen. At the forefront was an elegant, ethereal figure with an aura as gentle as it was formidable: Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan, the fourth ranked among the Ten Great Savage Beasts and the leader of the Emerald Swan Clan. Her terrifying healing power was known far and wide.
Standing beside Bi Ji was the fifth ranked Wan Yao King, a 540,000 year old demon tree spirit and the most powerful plant type soul beast.
In other directions, other powerhouses appeared. To one side was Bear Lord, the sixth ranked Dark Gold Dreadclaw Bear, with a cultivation of 480,000 years. On the opposite side, the Abyssal Demon Dragon Zi Ji, who rounded out the lower ranks of the Savage Beasts, emerged, her battle prowess as fierce as her ranking implied.
Only Di Tian was absent, but the entire Star Dou Forest's top warriors had assembled to confront Ye Wen, their gaze fixed on the human who appeared to have "captured" their Emperor Auspicious Beast.
Though she wasn't strong in combat, Bi Ji's unparalleled healing abilities and her status as Di Tian's mate granted her great authority. She stepped forward, speaking gently, her voice as soft and clear as a mountain stream.
"Human, if you have demands, state them freely. Soul rings, soul bones, whatever you desire, we will provide. But please, release the soul beast you hold. If you harm it, we soul beasts will never cease fighting against your kind."
Bi Ji refrained from mentioning the Emperor Auspicious Beast by name, subtly emphasizing its importance instead. Her diplomatic skill was evident.
However, she underestimated human greed. Had this encounter been with someone like Xuan Zi or the unscrupulous Holy Spirit Cult, the confrontation would have escalated beyond repair.
The gathered beasts watched Ye Wen warily, unwilling to attack outright, as he held the Three Eyed Golden Lion in a firm grip. One misstep and the creature could be harmed, something none of them were willing to risk.
For now, the two sides remained at a tense stalemate.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10
Chapter 549: Struggle for Fate, Part 6
As Ye Wen surveyed the fierce soul beasts ready to strike, he sighed inwardly.
"Everything I've done has been for the sake of Douluo Star. Why do these locals always insist on getting in my way?"
Prejudices can be like mountains; Ye Wen knew that no amount of reasoning would convince these beasts otherwise. If that was the case, he planned to achieve his goal in the simplest, most direct way possible.
Every move Ye Wen made heightened the tension in the surrounding beasts. When they saw him lift his hands and unleash waves of soul power, they instinctively assumed he intended to flee or launch some sort of attack, prompting them to unleash their own powerful strikes.
But in the face of absolute power, their efforts were ultimately meaningless.
"Domain Expansion: Infinite World."
The surrounding space began to blur and stretch, eventually transforming into an endless, immaculate white void. Huo Yu'er watched with bright eyes, still in awe. No matter how many times she saw Ye Wen's domain, it never failed to leave her astonished.
At one point, she had begged Ye Wen to teach her how to use it. But when he told her that without spiritual power at the level of a Titled Douluo, it was impossible, she had accepted the reality and redoubled her training.
Once the domain was fully deployed, the beasts' attacks were effortlessly redirected, missing Ye Wen completely. Bi Ji frowned, sensing something amiss.
"Everyone, our opponent is a spatial soul master. Track his soul power fluctuations and look for an opening in his power that's our best shot. First, I'll enhance everyone's abilities. Emerald Wish!"
As soul beasts without inherent combat abilities, the Emerald Swans were only able to hold such valuable territory within the Star Dou Forest because their powerful healing ability made them indispensable to most beasts with even a scrap of intelligence, providing healing in exchange for safety. On top of this, the Emerald Swan clan possessed potent enhancement skills, making them ideal companions for many high level soul beasts.
With Bi Ji's emerald green soul power infusing the area, Bear Lord, Wan Yao King, Zi Ji, and Red King all received a significant boost, advancing a minor realm higher than before. Red King's grievous injuries, too, were instantly healed, showcasing the formidable prowess of the Emerald Swans.
During the short negotiation, Bi Ji had pieced things together. The human hadn't harmed the Three Eyed Golden Lion yet, which meant he had some reason to keep it alive. With this in mind, the beasts could afford to launch a full scale attack. Even if things went awry, Bi Ji, the best healer in the Star Dou Forest, could heal any injuries sustained.
With a growl, Bear Lord swung his mountain sized Darkgolden Terrorclaws, sending five terrifyingly sharp strikes that seemed to slice through space itself toward Ye Wen.
Not to be outdone, Red King and Zi Ji unleashed torrents of scorching flames in Ye Wen's direction, while Wan Yao King's true form, the Demonic Eyed Tree, fired countless waves of mental energy from its myriad of eyes.
If even one of these attacks hit, it could flatten an entire town in moments.
But summer insects cannot comprehend winter's frost, and frogs at the bottom of a well cannot imagine the heavens; the difference between these beasts and Ye Wen was simply too vast.
As the beasts' overwhelming attacks neared Ye Wen, they inexplicably slowed, halting a hundred meters from him as if frozen in midair. Though they continued to advance toward him, the attacks grew smaller, shrinking until they vanished completely.
Shocked into silence, the beasts momentarily forgot to continue their assault. Spatial soul masters were rare, but these ancient beasts, with tens of thousands of years of experience, had encountered them before. Yet the type of spatial manipulation Ye Wen displayed was beyond anything they'd ever seen.
Bear Lord, furrowing his brows, muttered, "Everyone, stop. This one is beyond our abilities. His spatial power is as advanced as that Death Arena ability the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger had. In other words, we're currently inside a god level spatial domain. Unless we can either break or disrupt its rules, our attacks are completely ineffective."
The other beasts fell into uneasy silence.
Since taking refuge near the Lake of Life, Di Tian had rigorously trained them all. After all, to Di Tian, they were his key assets in a future campaign against the gods. Over the years, the beasts had gleaned insights into the nature of divine abilities. One crucial lesson was the fundamental difference between god level rules and mortal level ultimate attributes.
Bear Lord's own fight against a Dark Demon Evil God Tiger was a memorable case. If not for his inherent combat prowess, he would have died in that battle, underscoring the terrifying might of divine level rules.
Realizing they couldn't influence Ye Wen's actions, Bi Ji's expression grew mournful. She spoke with quiet desperation, her voice soft but earnest.
"Powerful human, please, we can discuss this. Just show mercy and spare the young one. We'll agree to any terms you propose."
Ye Wen merely glanced at her, replying coolly, "Rest assured, I bear no ill will toward soul beasts. In fact, this may just turn out to be a great opportunity for the little one."
With that, Ye Wen gestured for Huo Yu'er to step forward.
Huo Yu'er and the Three Eyed Golden Lion locked eyes, both looking uncertain as they wondered what was expected of them next.
Ye Wen stroked his chin thoughtfully. In the original timeline, the presence of someone like him on Douluo Star had negated the need for the birth of an Emperor Auspicious Beast to stabilize Douluo's supernatural ecosystem. Thus, his knowledge in this area was patchy at best.
Luckily, with the canon example and his own scientific insight, he soon formed a plan.
In the original story, the Three Eyed Golden Lion had been restrained by Xuan Zi, forced into a mental connection with Huo Yuhao, which ultimately led to an exchange of memories. During this process, Huo Yuhao's own soul power circulated with that of the lion, and was refined by the lion's own force.
Thus, the first step was a mental connection.
Hmm.
Ye Wen felt a bit at a loss. After all, the spiritual expert Electrolux was no longer in Huo Yu'er's mind, nor did she have the Life's Gold that had helped Huo Yuhao unlock his Third Eye. Still, Ye Wen had learned a thing or two from his academic exchanges with Electrolux. Knowledge of souls was rare and precious to him.
After reviewing his mental notes, Ye Wen gave Huo Yu'er a gentle smile.
"Don't worry; it won't hurt a bit."
???
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10
Chapter 550: Struggle for Fate, Part 7
As he spoke, Ye Wen gently pressed the two youngsters' foreheads together, forcing them to look each other in the eye.
"Keep your eyes on each other. Don't look away."
His voice was soft and carried a hypnotic quality, causing the two to grow dazed, their eyes gradually unfocused as faint ripples of mental energy began emanating between them.
Ye Wen chuckled to himself, thinking it surreal that he a mighty god king was actually resorting to hypnosis. Still, the technique was proving effective.
The two beings' mental energies intertwined, syncing to an indescribable frequency. Without them even realizing it, their foreheads pressed closer, and at last, the attribute connection began.
Witnessing this, the distant soul beasts grew increasingly agitated, some stomping their feet in frustration. Trapped in Ye Wen's Infinite World, however, there was nothing they could do.
Bear Lord let out a low growl of fury. It was bad enough to be constantly beaten by Di Tian, but now he was being held back by a mere human. This humiliation was unbearable!
Bi Ji remained silent, watching Ye Wen intently. Even though he wielded a god level domain, she was undaunted; her husband, Di Tian, had once been a god himself. If this human dared to harm the Three Eyed Golden Lion, she vowed Di Tian would hunt him down across the realms until he had nowhere to hide.
As the attribute connection deepened, Ye Wen could see that the life force within the Three Eyed Golden Lion was depleting, its essence drained as it empowered Huo Yu'er. The lion's expression was dazed, its eyes showing signs of discomfort and pain. Gently, Ye Wen stroked the creature's neck, channeling energy from the Life's Gold into its body to replenish its fading life force.
Gradually, the Three Eyed Golden Lion's discomfort eased, and a soft smile appeared on its face, as if it was lost in a beautiful dream. Ye Wen knew that the memory exchange had begun.
But then he felt a subtle pulse of divine energy.
"Ah, there you are, sneaking around as usual," he muttered.
In the Douluo Divine Realm, inside the Asura God Temple
Ever since sending Da Ming and Er Ming on their mission to claim the soul beast's fate, Tang San had been keeping a close eye on Star Dou Forest, tracking fluctuations in its fate and energy. Of course, this kind of surveillance was against the rules, so Tang San made sure not to be too obvious.
Upon detecting the existence of the Three Eyed Golden Lion, Tang San had been thrilled. As someone who had once held a fate connection, he knew all too well that possessing a fate connection brought immense power.
Though he had initially aimed for his son Tang Wulin to inherit the human fate connection, things had gone awry, forcing him to set his sights on the Three Eyed Golden Lion instead. Whether human or soul beast, fate energy was equally valuable.
Once Tang San had located the Emperor Auspicious Beast, he refrained from checking on it too frequently, mindful that too much interference could attract unwelcome attention from other gods or the cosmic consciousness of the lower realm. It was why he had only periodically visited Huo Yuhao, sending his daughter Tang Wutong in his place.
Confident that Da Ming and Er Ming could handle the task, he allowed himself only brief glimpses to monitor the situation. But now, sensing a shift in the Star Dou Forest's fate, Tang San's smile widened.
"It's finally happening, is it? Thank me, dear son, for I've prepared the perfect bride for you," Tang San mused. Given that his own wife was a soul beast, how could his son settle for anything less?
The Emperor Auspicious Beast young, powerful, and female was ideal. Still, since she hadn't taken human form and shared no bond with his son, Tang San decided he'd create one.
As a Sea God and Asura God, Tang San had godly powers like memory manipulation and soul fragmentation, which allowed him to intervene in uncanny ways. With a sly smile, he took out a prepared soul fragment, ready to implant it in the lion and forge an attachment.
But as Tang San extended his divine perception toward the origin of the fate fluctuation, he froze.
???
"Where is my Emperor Auspicious Beast, my fate child?" he muttered, bewildered.
Scanning the area, now a desolate wasteland, he found nothing. Tang San continued his search, combing over every inch in vain for over a quarter of an hour, only to come up empty handed.
His time was running out; he could feel the eyes of other gods probing his domain, curious about his activities. Reluctantly, he withdrew, but his frustration echoed through the empty halls of the god temple.
"Damn it, what were those two fools even doing? What about my Tang Sect and my daughter in law?!"
Ye Wen, having sensed Tang San's probing presence, finally relaxed as it faded. If anyone could pull such a shameless stunt, it would be none other than the eternally virtuous Tang San.
Most gods in the realm had long since succumbed to idleness, reluctant to act even when summoned. Eternity spent in confinement was more akin to a curse than a blessing.
As for why Tang San couldn't find him, the answer was simple. Ye Wen's Infinite World domain had evolved beyond the rudimentary model, and instead of a visible spatial shell, it now worked on a microscopic scale. If Tang San had been physically present, his Purple Demon Eyes might have found it, but from across the vastness of space, he had no chance.
Just then, the attribute connection between Huo Yu'er and the Three Eyed Golden Lion finally concluded.
Huo Yu'er appeared a bit dazed, her mind overwhelmed by the lion's centuries old memories, many of which were trivial or dull yet too abundant to process all at once. The Three Eyed Golden Lion also seemed disoriented, its gaze softening as it glanced at Ye Wen, a hint of awe in its eyes.
Finding this reaction strange, Ye Wen scratched his head, unsure of what to make of it. Then, unable to resist petting the large, soft creature before him, he reached out and gently stroked its back.
The lion emitted a pleased purr, bringing a smile to Ye Wen's face. Replenished by the Life's Gold energy, it had not only recovered from the connection but also appeared even more radiant, its cultivation level rising considerably, much to the relief of the watching soul beasts in the distance.
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10