Without waiting for permission from the Supreme Pontiff or seeking a signal from the Grand Enshrinement standing nearby, Zhang Tian summoned his spirit power. His vast, internal reserves flared to life, a crimson glow illuminating his meridians. His body floated gracefully upward into the darkened sky above the ruined market. He ascended like a single spark rising from a dying hearth, moving against the oppressive gravity of the battlefield with an effortless, fluid elegance.
Di Tian followed suit.
BOOM!
The Beast God ascended with a violent burst of dark energy, his takeoff shattering the remaining cobblestones beneath his boots into fine, gray dust. The two figures shot into the sky, their trajectories converging until they hovered face-to-face, suspended high above the tense, watchful eyes of the human experts below. They floated within the eye of a spiritual hurricane, a pocket of calm amidst the swirling, chaotic clouds of dark and holy elements that still warred in the atmosphere.
Down on the ground, the situation shifted. Jin Xi stepped out of the shadowed alleyway, her golden hair catching the erratic flashes of light from the lingering spirit abilities. She walked forward with cautious, measured steps and stood directly next to Bibi Dong. In the eyes of any onlooker, the Golden Auspicious Beast appeared exactly like a precious hostage, strategically placed on the front lines in case Di Tian tried to kill or harm Zhang Tian during their aerial parley.
Bibi Dong kept a firm, protective hand resting near the golden-haired girl's shoulder. The Supreme Pontiff did not speak a single word, nor did she glance down at her new ward. Her glowing pink eyes remained locked onto the sky, tracking the black-robed figure of the ancient dragon. Her dark purple spirit rings pulsed with a slow, venomous rhythm, ready to unleash a localized apocalypse at the very first sign of treachery from the beast.
Up in the heavens, the wind howled around the two floating figures like a chorus of grieving widows.
SWISH!
The fierce gales ruffled Zhang Tian's long red hair, the blue highlights dancing like frozen flames. Across from him, Di Tian's heavy black robes snapped and billowed like flags caught in a violent storm, projecting a silhouette resembling a mountain of shadows.
"Speak your piece, hatchling," Di Tian demanded.
His voice was a low, rumbling tremor that vibrated through the very air, carrying the weight of ancient thunder. His golden eyes radiated a terrifying, suppressive pressure, a physical manifestation of his soul designed to crush the willpower of weaker beings into absolute submission.
"If your goal is to beg me to let you keep our Auspicious Beast," Di Tian sneered, his tone dripping with ancient, unyielding arrogance, "then you will be wasting my time and forfeiting your life."
He crossed his arms over his broad chest, his posture an unyielding fortress of dark scales and pride. He glared down his nose at the human youth.
"Because I will not let you keep her," the Beast God declared, his words echoing like a finalized death sentence. "She returns to the forest today. She belongs to the sanctuary of leaves, not this prison of stone. I will take her back, regardless of the blood spilled to secure her. If I must turn this city into a graveyard to pave her path home, I shall do so without a second of hesitation."
Zhang Tian did not flinch under the crushing spiritual pressure. A lesser man would have found his knees buckling in mid-air, his spiritual sea boiling from the sheer density of the dragon's aura. But Zhang Tian's Boundless mental capacity easily weathered the storm. His mind was a deep, tranquil ocean, absorbing the violent waves of suppression without a single ripple disturbing the surface.
Instead of cowering, Zhang Tian lazily tilted his head. A dark, knowing smirk played on his handsome features as he looked the ancient dragon directly in the eye, meeting the gaze of a myth with the casual confidence of a merchant haggling over fruit.
"What if the information I wish to share concerns the Silver Dragon King?" Zhang Tian asked.
His voice was a calm, carrying whisper, yet the words sliced through the howling wind like a masterwork blade cutting through silk.
Di Tian's body went completely rigid.
The casual arrogance vanished from his face in a fraction of a second, his expression freezing as if he had been struck by a bolt of divine lightning. The ambient darkness swirling around his form stuttered and halted, reflecting the sudden, catastrophic halt of his thoughts.
"The one who is currently healing herself in the depths of the Lake of Life?" Zhang Tian continued, his tone remaining infuriatingly casual. He was deliberately dropping the absolute, most guarded secret of the entire beast race into the open air, treating the sacred knowledge like a piece of casual gossip.
"And what if that specific information reaches the ears of the Asura God?" Zhang Tian pressed, his icy blue eyes glinting with lethal, predatory cunning. "Would you still not back off? Would you still risk a war today?"
The mention of those two specific, forbidden names acted like a physical, devastating blow.
CRACK!
The air around Di Tian fractured, sending ripples of shock through the very fabric of the Beast God's reality.
Di Tian was instantly, profoundly shocked. His golden eyes widened to the size of saucers as the impossible, terrifying truth spilled from the lips of a human youth who barely possessed five spirit rings.
'How does he know of her existence?!' Di Tian's mind screamed, his ancient composure shattering completely, leaving behind a frantic, swirling vortex of panic. 'How does he know of the healing slumber?! That secret is buried beneath the roots of the world, guarded by the highest echelons of the core zone! No human has stepped foot near the lake and lived to breathe another breath! Who told him?!'
The shock quickly morphed into something far more dangerous. The panic crystallized into a cold, absolute resolve to protect his sovereign at any cost. Di Tian's eyes were now pools of raw, unadulterated killing intent that turned the surrounding air into a storm of dark, invisible ice blades.
The Beast God stared at Zhang Tian, his mind rapidly calculating a dozen different, bloody scenarios. He needed to quickly, silently kill this human, severing the leak of information at its source. Then, he had to dive toward the plaza, steal the Auspicious Beast from the clutches of the Limit Douluos, and somehow fight his way back to the Great Star Dou Forest, tearing a path through the human armies to protect their ultimate secret from the divine gaze of the heavens.
BZZZT!
The dark element flared wildly around Di Tian's hands. The shadows condensed, hardening into metallic scales as he prepared to manifest the dreaded Dragon God's Claw. He intended to obliterate the boy entirely, leaving not even a soul behind, before the human could spread the dangerous knowledge any further into the mortal realm.
In response to the suffocating murderous aura bearing down upon him, Zhang Tian merely chuckled. A soft, genuine sound of amusement escaped his lips, demonstrating that he was completely unfazed by the looming threat of immediate, brutal execution.
"Killing me right now would perhaps be an easy feat for you to accomplish," Zhang Tian told him. His voice was steady and pragmatic, acknowledging the vast gap in their raw, destructive power without a hint of fear.
"But," Zhang Tian added smoothly, raising a single, pale finger to halt the dragon's escalating wrath, "I am willing to make a highly beneficial deal with you. A pact that transcends the petty squabbles of species and territories."
Di Tian paused. His claws hovered mere inches from full manifestation, the dark energy swirling around his fingertips like trapped smoke. The rational, calculating part of his ancient brain fought against his protective instincts. He decided to hear the boy out before silencing him forever, curious as to what kind of bargain a dying insect could possibly offer a dragon.
"Speak your final words, human," Di Tian hissed, his voice a dangerous, low vibration. "If they are lies, you will die very slowly and painfully."
"I know that the Silver Dragon King is entirely unconscious," Zhang Tian revealed, showcasing his deep, impossible understanding of their desperate plight. "I know she is desperately trying to heal her profound, lingering injuries from the Asura God's devastating attack, a wound that has festered since the time she split from her merged state as Dragon God."
Zhang Tian slowly raised his right hand.
SHINE!
His palm began glowing with a faint, pulsing crimson light, the foundational essence of his Blood Silver Emperor spirit answering his call.
"I possess a unique martial spirit," Zhang Tian told Di Tian, his icy blue eyes reflecting the crimson glow. "It is a spirit of supreme vitality, possessing properties that go beyond simple healing. When I ascend, I can use my spirit to heal that ancient, divine attack. I can knit the sundered flesh of your sovereign and purge the lingering malice from her divine core."
Di Tian's golden eyes widened a fraction of an inch, his breath catching in his throat.
"But for that to happen," Zhang Tian explained, his tone shifting into the measured cadence of a merchant setting the hook, "I need my spirit to absorb a very specific resource. I require the Life Gold metal, a treasure hidden within your domain. Furthermore, I must become a god before I can even attempt such a miraculous, divine feat. A mortal vessel cannot channel the required energy to accomplish this."
Di Tian's golden eyes narrowed into slits of profound contemplation. The overwhelming, suffocating killing intent receding slightly, rolling back like a tide exposing a hidden shore. A faint, treacherous spark of desperate hope ignited within his broad chest. The Silver Dragon King's recovery was the ultimate, sacred goal of his existence. If this human truly possessed the key to her salvation, striking him down would be an act of supreme treason against his own race.
'He speaks of Life Gold,' Di Tian thought, his mind racing. 'Another secret known only to the deepest beasts of the forest. He is not bluffing. He holds pieces of a puzzle he should not possess. But can a human truly heal a divine wound? Not even Bi Ji can accomplish this.'
Moreover, Zhang Tian did not allow the dragon time to rationalize his doubts. He leaned forward, delivering the final, fatal piece of leverage that would cement the negotiation.
"I also know that there are inheritors of the Asura God's God Position roaming in this world right now, acting as the eyes and blades of that god," Zhang Tian stated coldly, his voice devoid of any warmth.
Di Tian stiffened, the mention of the Asura God acting like a spur against his flank.
"The current one is Tang Hao," Zhang Tian revealed, dropping the name like a heavy stone upon a glass table. "He is one of the strongest Super Douluo in the entire world, a man wielding a hammer that carries the weight of a mountain. He walks the path of slaughter."
Zhang Tian paused, letting the silence stretch for a heartbeat before delivering his promise.
"And I would be extremely willing to kill that Tang Hao for you," Zhang Tian proposed, his blue eyes flashing with a ruthless, predatory light. "I will sever the lineage of your greatest enemy, ensuring the Asura God's gaze remains blind to your sanctuary."
The thick, suffocating killing intent Di Tian was releasing against Zhang Tian faded considerably. The dark, icy blades of pressure dissolved, replaced by a profound, heavy, calculating silence. The only sound between them was the howling of the high-altitude winds.
The ancient dragon weighed the impossible promises against the catastrophic risk of the Asura God's legacy discovering their hidden sanctuary. Tang Hao was a known anomaly, a human whose power defied conventional logic. If he was truly walking the path of the Asura God, he represented a ticking time bomb for the Star Dou Great Forest. A human ally capable of assassinating this threat, while simultaneously offering a cure for their sovereign, was a proposition that demanded serious consideration.
"Why should I trust a human?" Di Tian asked. His voice was a low, suspicious rumble, carrying the weight of countless betrayals. "Your kind speaks with honeyed words while hiding poisoned daggers behind your backs. You harvest our rings to fuel your own greed. Why should I believe you wish to heal our supreme being?"
Di Tian pointed a scaled finger downward, gesturing toward the plaza where the golden-haired girl stood.
"And why should I let our Auspicious Beast remain with your kind?" Di Tian continued, his tone hardening with possessive authority. "Especially now that her identity has been publicly released to your leaders. Those two Limit Douluos guarding her now know her worth. They will lock her in a gilded cage and drain her destiny to fuel their empires. I cannot leave her in a den of starving wolves."
In response, Zhang Tian met the dragon's piercing gaze with absolute, unshakeable sincerity. He did not offer empty vows or flowery promises. He offered the unvarnished truth.
"It wasn't me who actively pursued your Auspicious Beast," Zhang Tian stated, his voice calm and level.
He gestured vaguely toward the south, indicating the vast expanse of the forest. "I did not march into your woods with an army to capture her. I did not set traps or weave illusions to lure her away from her guardians."
"Rather, your Auspicious Beast came to me entirely on her own accord," Zhang Tian told Di Tian, revealing the truth of her solitary journey. "She crossed the continent, braving the dangers of human cities and the wilderness, solely to find me."
Di Tian's brow furrowed, a flicker of doubt crossing his ancient features. 'The Auspicious Beast left the core zone willingly? She abandoned the safety of the lake to seek out a human youth?'
"She came because she saw a profound vision," Zhang Tian explained, his words carrying the weight of destiny. "A vision woven by the very threads of fate that govern her existence. She saw a vision of me ascending the heavens and becoming a god. And, more importantly, she saw a vision of me eventually healing the Silver Dragon King."
Di Tian's breath hitched, a soft, sharp sound escaping his throat.
His golden eyes widened in genuine awe. He knew the absolute, prophetic power of the Auspicious Beast's destiny-sight. Her visions were not mere dreams or hopeful illusions; they were glimpses into the tapestry of the future, glimpses that held the absolute truth of the world's progression. If she had seen this human healing their sovereign, then it was an event ordained by fate itself.
"If you try to take her away from my side forcefully today," Zhang Tian warned. His voice taking on a solemn, heavy tone, like a judge delivering a final verdict. "The delicate threads of destiny she followed to find me might snap. Her path will be violently altered, falling off in an unknown, chaotic direction."
He leaned slightly closer, his icy blue eyes pinning the dragon in place.
"It might prove to be ultimately harmful, or even fatal, for the recovery of the Silver Dragon King," Zhang Tian concluded, planting a seed of terrifying doubt in the dragon's mind. "Are you willing to risk your sovereign's life simply to satisfy your pride today? Are you willing to shatter the only vision of salvation your race has received in thousands of years?"
This profound revelation caused Di Tian to fall into a deep, heavy silence.
He stared down at the golden-haired girl standing safely beside the Supreme Pontiff. Jin Xi looked up at the sky, her crimson eyes filled with a trusting innocence that tugged at the ancient dragon's core. He remembered the day she was born, the golden light that had bathed the forest in hope. He remembered her playful antics by the lake.
After all, he was immensely, unquestionably loyal to the Silver Dragon King. His devotion to his sovereign was the very foundation of his existence, a loyalty that preceded the rise of human civilizations. He absolutely did not wish to do anything, no matter how minor, that might inadvertently harm her chances of recovery.
Moreover, destiny was truly an illusionary, intangible power. It was a force that even he had no idea how it should be treated or manipulated, despite his immense, world-breaking strength. He could shatter mountains and tear the sky, but he could not mend a broken thread of fate. To interfere with the Auspicious Beast's chosen path felt like walking blindfolded through a field of divine traps.
Zhang Tian's carefully crafted words seemed to strike a resonant cord with Di Tian, bridging the vast, historical gap between their species through shared goals and mutual preservation.
"By my side, she will not be harmed," Zhang Tian told Di Tian, his voice carrying a reassuring, absolute confidence. He gestured down toward the assembly of human experts standing in the plaza below.
"You should see the powerful people I have by my side," Zhang Tian pointed out, his gaze sweeping over the golden dome of Qian Daoliu and the venomous stance of Bibi Dong. "You have tested their might yourself. Two Limit Douluos, multiple Super Douluos, and the backing of the continent's strongest faction. As long as she is with me, no one else can touch her. She is safer within my walls than she is wandering the borders of your forest."
Di Tian followed Zhang Tian's gaze, his golden eyes analyzing the defensive formation below. The humans were greedy, yes, but their protective instincts toward this red-haired youth were undeniable. If the boy decreed the girl was under his protection, the human powerhouses would act as a fortress of absolute deterrence.
Di Tian grunted in reluctant agreement.
HMPH.
The sound was a low vibration of concession. Even he hadn't been able to defeat the two Limit Douluos quickly. He knew that pushing the battle to its absolute conclusion would result in devastating casualties on both sides. He was acknowledging that the boy possessed a fortress of absolute protection, a sanctuary built from human power rather than ancient trees.
"Your words carry the weight of prophecy, human," Di Tian rumbled, his voice losing its sharp, hostile edge. "If the Auspicious Beast has chosen this path to secure the salvation of our sovereign, I can not be the one to sever the threads."
The Beast God slowly lowered his arms, the residual dark energy dissipating into the howling wind.
"However," Di Tian warned, his golden eyes flashing with a stern, paternal strictness. "You will be held accountable for her safety. If a single drop of her golden blood is spilled upon this earth, I will shatter your fragile pact. I will descend upon your cities, and I will not stop until your civilization is nothing, but a memory whispered among the ashes."
"A fair condition," Zhang Tian agreed smoothly, a satisfied smile touching his lips. "She will be treated with the utmost care. I consider her a valuable guest."
"And the matter of the Asura God's inheritor," Di Tian continued, his tone shifting back to the pragmatic evaluation of a military commander. "You promise his head?"
"Tang Hao will fall," Zhang Tian stated, his voice devoid of hesitation. "His path crosses mine, and I do not tolerate obstacles. When the time comes, I will deliver the news of his demise."
"See that you do," Di Tian replied, his massive, black-robed form beginning to drift downward. "We have an accord, human. I will recall my kin and depart. But know this: the eyes of the forest are always watching."
Zhang Tian nodded politely, observing as the ancient dragon initiated his descent back toward the ruined plaza. The negotiation was a flawless victory, securing an alliance of convenience while removing the immediate threat of annihilation.
'A beast, no matter how old, is still bound by its primal devotions,' Zhang Tian thought, a dark, triumphant light dancing in his icy blue eyes as he began his own descent. 'He believes he is preserving his sovereign's destiny, completely unaware that he is merely arranging the pieces on my chessboard. When the time comes for me to ascend, the forest will find itself bowing to a new master.'
Down in the plaza, the heavy, suffocating tension remained unbroken. The human elders stood with bated breath, their weapons drawn, watching the two figures slowly lower themselves from the sky.
Qian Daoliu maintained his golden barrier, his holy sword humming with anticipation. Bibi Dong's dark purple aura flared, her spider legs twitching as she prepared for the negotiation to collapse into violence.