Douluo Continent: The Book of Witness and Peerless Tang Sect

Chapter 277 Preparations for Making Things Happen

After Long You completed the most basic manufacturing preparations for the six selected inner shell materials through high-temperature burning, engraving, and slight forging and shaping, he also casually crafted the remaining rare metal materials in the material cabinet into high-energy soul-guided bombs.

Seeing that it was getting late, Long You decided not to stay any longer in order to collect more Soul Master techniques. He simply turned off the still-working "Touch of God," picked up his work, and strolled over to the judging panel.

As expected, Long You saw Manager Zhuang, with whom he had previously signed an agreement, waiting behind the review table.

Smiling, she handed the exquisite baby bottle in her hand to the presiding judge, and also handed the high-energy soul-guided bomb she had casually made to Manager Zhuang.

"Manager Zhuang, please don't be offended. The six rare metals remaining in the materials cabinet are exactly the materials needed for a soul tool I'm currently making. I really don't want to part with them, so this is the only way to settle the material costs."

As mentioned before, according to the tacit agreement of the contract, it wouldn't matter if Long You simply took the remaining rare metals from the materials cabinet. However, if he actually did that, Long You would be too greedy, and there would be a price to pay (the price could be intangible). Long You isn't foolish enough to burden himself with an unpleasant karmic consequence for some rare metals that aren't particularly valuable.

Long You, feeling "unburdened by karma," left the Yafei Auction House with a light heart, planning to stir up some trouble. However, Long You hadn't even started his own involvement yet! At the same time in the Star Dou Great Forest, a ferocious beast had already begun to act according to Long You's previous "troublemaking and instigation."

Starry Sky Forest, Lake of Life.

"Your Highness, it's been a long time." As a guest, and one who was weaker and had received favors from the other, Liu Jun immediately bowed respectfully to Di Tian after obtaining Di Tian's permission to enter the area of ​​the Lake of Life.

"Liu Jun, it's been a long time. If I remember correctly, you should be preparing to overcome the calamity that lasts for 20 years. Why did you leave your homeland at this time and come here to see me?"

"Your Highness, you are aware of my situation. Although my strength is greater than that of most 20-year-old ferocious beasts due to various opportunities, I am inherently deficient. During the previous 10-year calamity, I was still barely able to cope, but the ferocious beast calamity was already my limit. If Your Highness had not arrived at the right time, I would have already died and perished."

"Because of my innate deficiency yet excessive strength, I've prematurely attracted a calamity that will last for two hundred thousand years. There's no way I can overcome it, so I'm preparing to try a different approach."

"Another method? Souls? I know humans are exploring new continents, but who have you taken a fancy to?"

"Long You, the one who proposed the Soul Spirit Law and was the first human to find the New World. Perhaps because the Soul Spirit was originally his idea, he had a complete plan for its development and the development he could make using it, and in my opinion, the plan had a high probability of success."

I chose him. If I succeed, I can achieve a different kind of immortality; if I fail, I'll live a few hundred more years—either way, I won't lose out.

"Speak frankly, Mr. Liu. I don't think you came here specifically to gossip with me."

Soul beasts are always straightforward, so Liu Jun was already quite surprised that Di Tian was willing to exchange pleasantries with him. However, Liu Jun couldn't just blurt out what he was about to say. While expanding his domain, Liu Jun pointed to the Lake of Life nearby and said, "This matter involves heavenly secrets; Your Highness, would you mind taking a moment to discuss it?"

Seeing that Liu Jun's expression seemed genuine, and that Di Tian suddenly sensed something and vaguely realized what Liu Jun wanted to say, a layer of dark energy enveloped the life force field released by Liu Jun. "Do not resist!"

Di Tian's majestic voice rang in Liu Jun's ears. The next moment, Liu Jun felt a blur before his eyes and keenly realized that even with Di Tian's domain in between, his own domain had received a strong life force from the outside world.

Before Liu Jun could ask a question, Di Tian spoke up, "This is already the bottom of the Lake of Life. Do not withdraw your domain. You can speak now."

With his eyes slightly closed, Liu Jun once again processed the things Long You had told him in the New Continent's small world—things that, after using the semi-independent boundary of that small world to block the senses from the God Realm, were things that absolutely could not be spoken casually, and which would also instill deep despair in soul beasts.

"Your Highness, spirit beasts cannot resolve the conflict between spirit beasts and humans. While this method alleviates the conflict, it also completely eliminates the meaning of the natural reproduction of spirit beasts. The profits from hunting spirit beasts are enough to make some capable and ambitious humans take more extreme measures against them."

For example: exterminate most of the spirit beasts, leaving only a few small gathering places where they are kept in captivity.

Whoosh! Almost at the same moment Liu Jun finished speaking, an extremely powerful aura erupted from Di Tian not far away. The force of this aura was so great that the unprepared Liu Jun staggered backward, and the Emerald Willow Domain that had been surrounding the two of them (human-shaped soul beasts) began to flicker under the strain.

Fortunately, Di Tian was, after all, a Soul Beast King. Before Liu Jun could completely lose control of his domain, he realized that his anger couldn't bring about any real change. Although his golden pupils still flashed with an extremely cold light, he eventually restrained his aura.

"This isn't a question you could have thought of. Who told you that? What else did they say?"

“Your Highness, the person who told me about this is Long You. The reason he didn’t tell you is because this topic involves a deeper reason that absolutely cannot be brought up without being isolated from the divine realm.”

"Divine Realm Sensing? I understand. Liu Jun, the place where you've taken root has grown into a small world. Although it's only a dependent world, it's not a direct material world anymore, which is why that kid dared to speak up there."

Why would he tell you this information? Or what does he want to get?

"What Xiao You wants is very simple: he wants me to become his spirit, to help him step into the realm of gods. As for the deeper reason, it's probably because he doesn't care. From my observation, Xiao You is a person who believes in the impartiality of the Way of Heaven. As long as the referee doesn't interfere with the order on the field, he doesn't care how the people on the field compete."

Xiao You told me that the relationship between spirit beasts and humans is now completely abnormal. After all, humans can obtain spirit rings, spirit bones, and even highly nourishing flesh and blood from spirit beasts, but all spirit beasts can get from humans is enough to fill their stomachs.

The relationship between these two is fundamentally unequal, completely contradicting the rules of the Heavenly Dao and the requirements of world development. The root cause of this situation is unknown and can only be guessed, but the most plausible guess is the divine realm.

Since the fall of the Dragon God, there have been no more Soul Beast Gods in the God Realm. Those human gods, having lost the restraint of the Soul Beast Gods, must have tampered with the rules of Heaven.

These hands and feet are beneficial to humanity but not to the development of the world. They might even turn the world into the backyard or private domain of some human god-king. This is unacceptable to the soul beasts and also unacceptable to the world consciousness. Therefore, the world consciousness subconsciously resists this outcome. It draws the power of destiny and gives it to the auspicious beasts on the side of the soul beasts. As long as the auspicious beasts can represent the fortune of the soul beasts and enter the divine realm like the dragon god, this situation can naturally be changed.

Moreover, it is currently the only feasible method to fundamentally change the fate of soul beasts' extinction.

"Only auspicious beasts?"

"Of course, it's not just auspicious beasts, but only when auspicious beasts enter the realm of gods can it represent a complete rebirth of the soul beast race's fortune. Other soul beasts becoming gods can certainly bring about positive changes, but firstly, it's only a temporary solution, and secondly, if auspicious beasts don't become gods, other soul beasts basically can't ascend to the realm of gods on their own. At most, they can only attach themselves to human gods in the form of soul spirits."

"I understand. I will increase the protection of auspicious beasts."

"No, what I want to tell you is that the auspicious beast has already run into trouble."

"what?!"

Another wave of intense pressure almost suffocated Liu Jun. In the blink of an eye, Di Tian had already darted in front of Liu Jun. "How could the auspicious beast be in trouble? I left a mark on the auspicious beast, and it is fine now."

He took a deep breath. Although Di Tian's power was truly astonishing, Liu Jun was indeed a ferocious plant-type soul beast. The mere pressure from Di Tian was not enough to render Liu Jun unable to move.

"Your Highness, the problem lies with the soul of the auspicious beast. The world consciousness wants to rebel, but the human gods in the divine realm have long held too much power over this world. They sensed what the world consciousness wanted to do when the auspicious beast descended, so they tampered with it as soon as it was born."

"From them to Him, there is only one culprit. Who is He? How did He do it? What proof do you have? I have never found anything wrong with the existence of the auspicious beast's soul."

"The sea god of ten thousand years ago, now the king of the gods. He infused a fragment of his daughter's soul into the growing soul of the auspicious beast, ultimately achieving symbiosis with the beast's soul."

As for evidence, the auspicious beast's actions are the evidence. Had the auspicious beast ever expressed a desire to leave the Star Dou Great Forest before? No, right? Thinking about it carefully, doesn't the auspicious beast's desire to see the human world seem rather abrupt?

Perhaps having regained his senses, Di Tian withdrew his extremely oppressive aura and said with a calm expression, "This evidence is insufficient."

"Then please take a look at this."

Liu Jun had long known that a mere change of mind would not be enough to convince Di Tian completely; he was prepared, no, it was Long You who was prepared.

Liu Jun pulled out a soul-guided camera that had recorded a short video clip. After the soul-guided camera was turned on, the video stored in it was automatically projected into the air and began to play.

The video content is simple: two stunningly beautiful women are battling it out. What's unusual is that these two women look exactly alike; even twins shouldn't be so similar.

"Who is the other person?"

"That daughter of the God-King, that poor little thing whose soul was separated and merged with the auspicious beast."

On the side of the Soul Beasts, there are auspicious beasts gathering their fortune; on the human side, there are naturally their own chosen ones. That God King is plotting to seize the fortune of the Douluo World. The soul of the auspicious beast has merged with the soul of His daughter. If the Soul Beasts cannot make an effective change, He has many ways to directly acquire the fortune belonging to the Soul Beasts. As for the fortune of the human side, that's why His daughter descended to the mortal realm; He wants his daughter to become a leash that can restrain the chosen ones of human fortune.

Incidentally, this god-king is currently undertaking a dog-training program for the chosen one of humanity's destiny, but so far, there hasn't been any particularly substantial progress. Furthermore, the auspicious beast has also taken a liking to the chosen one and is trying to attract his attention.

"I understand. The auspicious beast never came into contact with the daughter of that god-king, but when it transformed, it took the form of that person. This is all due to the influence of that soul."

As for the idea that it fell in love with a human chosen by destiny, that's utter nonsense. Perhaps destiny can attract each other, but that attraction isn't love, and a mythical beast would never interfere between two people who have already established a relationship.

Is there any solution?

"I don't know, but Xiao You hopes you can come with me to secretly enter Mingdu. Near Mingdu, there is a relic left by that God-King before he ascended to the God Realm. If nothing unexpected happens, the first fierce clash between the auspicious beast and the Chosen One will take place there, and that God-King will also take the opportunity to further manipulate the auspicious beast. If you are far away, you probably won't be able to stop these things from happening. Even if you could, if the auspicious beast refuses you, you will have no other choice."

Furthermore, if the cooperation is proper, you might be able to see concrete evidence that the auspicious beast's soul has been mixed with "impurities." Even if concrete evidence isn't available, preventing that collision would give our soul beast side more room to maneuver later.

“That makes sense. There’s no need to rush. I need to make some preparations for the God-King who might make a move.”

"Of course there's no rush, please go ahead."

"Get a good night's rest, and we'll set off tomorrow."

The conversation at the bottom of the Lake of Life came to an end. Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the special nature of the Lake of Life, coupled with the separation of the two realms, meant that not only could the God Realm not notice the conversation, but even the Silver Dragon King, who was recuperating underground in the Star Dou Great Forest, could not hear the exchange between Di Tian and Liu Jun.

The scene shifts back to Mingdu. After leaving the Yafei Auction House, Long You has reverted to his original appearance. He finds a bar that operates all night, pays for a booth, and quietly raises his non-alcoholic beverage to sip, waiting for the guests he just booked to arrive.