Evil Demon Forest.
The black fog here grew ever more violent under the surge of ultimate spiritual power. Beneath the Evil Emperor's colossal eyeball, black vortices expanded without cease. Six-hundred-meter-long tentacles lashed at empty space from time to time, tearing open twisted spatial fissures.
The moment the words "one million years" reflected in his dark violet pupils, the Evil Emperor's laughter stopped abruptly. Within the deep vortex of his gaze, an unprecedented greed and blazing fervor surged.
"One million years… a spiritual-type…"
The hoarse voice carried a barely perceptible tremor, its abyssal tone echoing layer upon layer through the black fog.
"No offensive methods? Hah. That is simply because it has not yet awakened. This Emperor knows best. The purity of million-year spiritual power is enough to crush all mortal beings."
He could clearly sense that faint yet supremely pure spiritual fluctuation coming from the direction of the Star Dou Forest. Like a firefly flickering in the darkness, it was weak, yet contained a primal force that made his heart tremble.
His cultivation of nine hundred and thirty-five thousand years granted him perception of energy far beyond his peers.
The spiritual foundation accumulated for a million years within the Tian Meng Iceworm was, to him, nothing less than a peerless divine medicine for breaking through to the million-year realm.
"The Light of Time and Space is powerful, but if I can fuse it with million-year spiritual origin…"
The Evil Emperor's pupils shrank sharply. Dark violet lightning surged wildly at the tips of his tentacles.
"At that time, even Di Tian's Dragon God Claw will not be able to stop this Emperor's spiritual tempest!"
He violently rotated his eyeball, his gaze piercing through tens of thousands of meters of spatial distance, stabbing straight toward the bottom of the Life Lake in the Star Dou Forest.
The ice layers and lake water there were completely exposed under his spiritual probing. That snow-white iceworm curled at the bottom of the lake had already transformed into the most tempting sacrificial offering in his eyes.
"Those idiots of Star Dou actually imprisoned such a supreme treasure beneath the lake, and even planned to use it as nourishment?"
The Evil Emperor let out a low sneer. All eighty-one of his tentacles tensed simultaneously, black scales reflecting ghostly green phosphorescent fire.
"All of you, get out of my way!"
A furious roar shook the bone mountains of the Evil Demon Forest, causing them to rattle violently. The power of time and space around the Evil Emperor instantly boiled over, and a dark violet light curtain expanded in a flash to cover a radius of twenty miles.
Spatial distortion grew increasingly severe. Even the distant phosphorescent flames were stretched into thin streaks of light, as if the entire forest were about to be dragged into a chaotic spatial torrent.
"Tian Meng Iceworm…"
The Evil Emperor's voice carried unquestionable tyranny.
"Your million-year spiritual power rightfully belongs to this Emperor. Once I take your origin, I will trample Star Dou and the Extreme North one by one. On this continent, there will be only this Emperor standing supreme!"
He slowly raised his thickest tentacle. At its tip, dark violet spiritual energy condensed, intertwining with the power of time and space to form a coldly gleaming spear.
The surrounding black fog surged madly into the spear, causing its size to expand without limit, until it finally became a colossal war spear hundreds of meters long, pointing straight toward the Star Dou Forest.
"Di Tian, guard this Emperor's prey well."
Killing intent overflowed from the Evil Emperor's pupils.
"In three days, this Emperor will personally descend upon Star Dou. I will take the iceworm and slay the dragon beast!"
The war spear pierced through the void with a violent thrust, leaving behind a spatial fissure that refused to heal for a long time, carrying terrifying evil might as it shot toward the Star Dou Forest.
This was both a display of force and a test, as well as his declaration that he was about to act.
Within the black fog, countless sinister soul beasts sensed the Evil Emperor's resolve and let out frenzied roars. The entire Evil Demon Forest began to accumulate power for the coming great battle.
Meanwhile, the Evil Emperor's gigantic eyeball still hovered above the palace roof, its dark violet pupils locked firmly on the direction of the Star Dou Forest. Within them lay not only greed, but also an ultimate yearning for million-year power.
He understood clearly that this battle was not merely about a single million-year soul beast, but about who would become the true ruler of all soul beasts on the continent.
And he, the Evil Eye Tyrant Overlord, would never miss this chance to ascend to the heavens in a single step.
At that very moment, the fifth place of the Soul Beast Ranking began to be revealed.
[Soul Beast Ranking Fifth Place: Di Tian]
[Age: 880,000 years]
[Affiliation: Star Dou Forest]
[Evaluation: True body is the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King. Bloodline is pure. Grandfather was a Dragon God Honor Guard. Inherits the dragon clan divine technique Dragon God Claw. When fully unleashed, combat power can reach the divine level.]
[Reward: 170,000 years. Bloodline evolves into the Dragon God's Tenth Son, the Black Dragon King.]
When the golden light of the fifth-ranked Soul Beast tore open the heavens, and the name "Di Tian" appeared alongside that earth-shattering information, the entire Douluo Continent seemed to be muted for an instant, before erupting into an even greater upheaval than when the Evil Emperor and Tian Meng Iceworm had entered the ranking.
...
Star Dou Forest, beside the Life Lake.
Di Tian's golden pupils stared unblinkingly at the words on the light screen. His dragon body trembled uncontrollably.
Eight hundred and eighty thousand years of cultivation plus a reward of one hundred and seventy thousand years meant one million years. What stirred his soul even more was the phrase "bloodline evolves into the Dragon God's Tenth Son, the Black Dragon King."
This was no longer a simple surge in cultivation. It was a leap in bloodline hierarchy, a qualitative transformation from a "descendant of the Dragon God's Honor Guard" to a "son of the Dragon God."
"Milady…"
Di Tian suddenly turned his head toward Gu Yuena. His voice carried unprecedented excitement and reverence. Dragon might and wild joy surged within his golden eyes.
"This subordinate…"
Gu Yuena gazed at the light screen. A trace of understanding and relief flashed through her cool eyes.
"The favor of the Heavenly Dao is also born of your own accumulated foundation. A million-year Black Dragon King. From this day on, Star Dou truly possesses the power to intimidate the entire continent."
Before her words had even faded, a vast and boundless golden light descended from the heavens like the Dragon God incarnate, instantly enveloping Di Tian.
The golden energy contained pure dragon origin and the power of time, pouring madly into his body.
Di Tian felt crisp cracking sounds erupt from his dragon scales. His physique slowly grew taller within the golden light. The originally jet-black dragon body became suffused with deep dark-golden patterns. His golden pupils grew ever more brilliant, as if they could pierce time and space.
Eight hundred and eighty thousand years. Nine hundred thousand years. Nine hundred and fifty thousand years.
His cultivation surged like a raging river, charging straight through to the million-year threshold.
Even more astonishing was the bloodline within his body. The original Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King bloodline, tempered by primal power, transformed like a butterfly breaking free from its cocoon. A dragon might far surpassing the past erupted from within him, sweeping across the entire Star Dou Forest.
All ferocious beasts have prostrated themselves on the ground, feeling the suppression that came from the depths of their bloodlines. Their eyes were filled with shock and submission.
This was no longer Di Tian's former authority, but the supreme dragon might belonging to a son of the Dragon God, enough to make all beasts bow their heads.
When the golden light dissipated, Di Tian hovered in midair. The body of the million-year Black Dragon King blotted out the sky and covered the land. Dark-golden dragon scales flowed with metallic luster under the sunlight, while divine-level pressure settled deep within his golden pupils.
He slowly spread his dragon wings. Each flap caused heaven and earth to change color. The waters of the Life Lake actually parted under his dragon might, revealing the hidden caverns at the lake's bottom.
"Evil Emperor…"
Di Tian spoke. His voice was no longer the previous low rumble, but carried the authority of a son of the Dragon God, rolling forth like thunder.
"The three-day appointment. This Emperor will be waiting for you."
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