Star Dou Great Forest, Core Zone
Ancient trees towered here, their canopies blotting out the sky. The air was filled with a dense Aura of life radiating from the Lake of Life within the forest, containing energy fluctuations that made one's heart tremble.
Spirit Beasts transformed into human forms sat or stood, scattered throughout various parts of the Core Zone.
Every single one capable of staying in this area was a powerful existence. Their Auras were restrained and deep; any one of them placed in the outside World would be a Vicious Beast enough to make human Spirit Masters tremble with fear.
However, at this moment, all the Spirit Beasts stopped their movements.
"That's Scarlet King's voice!"
A burly man with a rugged face stood up abruptly. His bell-like eyes looked toward the direction the sound came from, his face full of shock and suspicion.
"Scarlet King wouldn't usually let out such an anxious roar."
Another woman with a slender figure frowned, her voice carrying a hint of worry.
"Could it be... something happened to the Auspicious Beast?"
"The Auspicious Beast is tied to the Luck of the entire Star Dou Great Forest. If something goes wrong with it..."
"Silence!"
The one who spoke was a middle-aged man. He was tall, over two meters in height, with handsome features, sword-like eyebrows, and starry eyes. His entire body radiated an Aura of natural authority.
He wore a black robe embroidered with dense golden patterns.
He was the head of the Ten Great Vicious Beasts, Beast God Di Tian.
Di Tian's brow furrowed slightly as he looked toward the shimmering lake deep within the Core Zone, a flash of solemnity crossing his eyes.
"Lord."
He turned and bowed slightly toward the direction of the Lake of Life, his voice respectful.
"Scarlet King has sent a signal. There may be trouble with the Auspicious Beast. I will go handle it first."
As his voice fell, a faint ripple appeared on the surface of the Lake of Life.
A voice came from the bottom of the lake.
"Go."
"The Auspicious Beast is vital to our Spirit Beast race. You must not let anything happen to it."
"Yes."
Di Tian straightened up, and in the next instant, his figure vanished from the spot.
...
Star Dou Great Forest, the boundary between the outer and inner regions.
Very quickly, Di Tian's figure appeared before Wang Dong'er and the others. His speed could be described as incredibly fast.
Feeling this Aura, Wang Dong'er and the others couldn't help but be stunned. Wasn't this the same Aura used to test their willpower during the Shrek Academy entrance exam?
Could the middle-aged man before them be the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Beast God Di Tian?
Di Tian's gaze first lingered on the Emperor Auspicious Beast for a moment. After confirming it was safe and sound, he let out a small sigh of relief.
Then, his gaze swept over Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, Xu Xiaoyan, and Seele, his brow furrowing slightly.
"Scarlet King, what happened?"
Seeing Di Tian appear, Scarlet King's heart immediately relaxed. He hurriedly stepped forward a few paces, all three heads bowing simultaneously.
"Boss, these... these humans, they..."
He paused and gave a brief account of what had happened.
"Boss, I wanted to drive them away, but the Auspicious Beast blocked me from acting. I had no choice but to ask you to come and decide."
After hearing Scarlet King's report, Di Tian's frown deepened.
He turned his gaze toward Wang Dong'er and the others, a complex light flashing in his eyes.
"You say that the Ice Empress and Snow Empress are teaching at your academy?"
Wang Dong'er nodded.
"Yes."
Di Tian was silent for a moment. Such a thing was essentially impossible, but that wasn't his primary concern right now.
Di Tian shifted his gaze to the Emperor Auspicious Beast.
"Auspicious Beast, you must remain in the Star Dou Great Forest."
The Emperor Auspicious Beast looked at Di Tian with a flash of fear in its eyes, but it still plucked up the courage to ask.
"Why? I just want to go take a look..."
"No."
Di Tian interrupted it with a firm tone.
"The human World is too dangerous. You are tied to the Luck of the entire Star Dou Great Forest. If something happens to you, the consequences would be unimaginable."
"You will stay in the Star Dou Great Forest; you cannot go anywhere."
The Emperor Auspicious Beast lowered its head, its eyes full of disappointment, but it didn't argue further.
While it could ignore Scarlet King, it always felt a natural sense of awe when facing Di Tian.
Di Tian withdrew his gaze and let it fall back onto the Golden Radiance Moon Butterfly in Wang Dong'er's palm.
From its appearance, it was almost indistinguishable from a real Spirit Beast, possessing form and movement.
But there was still a difference. This thing was not physical, and its life fluctuations were completely different from a real Spirit Beast.
"This is what you call... a Spirit Soul?"
Di Tian's voice carried a hint of scrutiny.
Wang Dong'er nodded.
"Yes."
"One can obtain a Spirit Ring without needing to hunt Spirit Beasts?"
"Yes."
Di Tian fell silent.
His gaze lingered on the Golden Radiance Moon Butterfly for a long time, a look of contemplation flashing in his eyes.
Was this thing really created by human technology? Or was it...
Di Tian's eyes narrowed slightly.
Perhaps this so-called 'Spirit Soul' was made from Spirit Beasts.
It might just be a different name and form for a Spirit Ring.
Humans were best at these kinds of conceptual sleights of hand.
However, regardless of the truth, the fact that human technology had progressed to this level forced Di Tian to become cautious.
To be able to create such an energy body that existed between reality and illusion—human technical levels were likely far beyond his imagination.
But... if there came a day when humans no longer needed to hunt Spirit Beasts to obtain Spirit Rings, then the situation of the Spirit Beast race might undergo a World-shaking change.
A complex surge of emotion rose in Di Tian's heart.
However, now was not the time to think about these things.
He withdrew his gaze and looked at Wang Dong'er and the others, his tone cold.
"Since you did not harm the Auspicious Beast and did not hunt any other Spirit Beasts, I will not pursue this matter this time."
He paused, his voice gaining a hint of warning.
"But the Star Dou Great Forest is not a place where you humans should come."
"Now, leave this place."
"If you insist on not leaving..."
Di Tian did not finish, but a cold, icy glint flashed in his deep eyes.
Wang Dong'er, Xiao Xiao, Xu Xiaoyan, and Seele looked at each other, and the four of them nodded simultaneously.
"Let's go."
Wang Dong'er spoke without the slightest hesitation.
If they didn't leave now, they would likely invite real trouble.
While they could call Teacher Zang Xin, if they relied on their teacher every time they went out for experience, then what was the point of the training?
Wang Dong'er put away the Golden Radiance Moon Butterfly and the Soul Guided Car, turned around, and walked toward the outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Xiao Xiao, Xu Xiaoyan, and Seele followed behind her. The four of them said nothing, their footsteps hurried.
Watching their departing backs, Scarlet King's three mouths let out a cold snort simultaneously.
"At least you know what's good for you."
Di Tian did not speak, simply watching quietly as those figures disappeared into the depths of the dense forest.
The Emperor Auspicious Beast stood to the side, looking in the direction Wang Dong'er and the others had left, its eyes full of reluctance.
"Di Tian..."
It spoke softly, wanting to say something.
"Go back."
Di Tian interrupted it, his voice carrying a hint of helplessness.
"In the future, do not casually come into contact with humans."
"...Oh."
The Emperor Auspicious Beast lowered its head and followed behind Di Tian, walking toward the Core Zone.
After a few steps, it couldn't help but look back once more, and then looked at Scarlet King.
There was still a chance.
...
The outer regions of the Star Dou Great Forest.
"Phew..."
Xu Xiaoyan let out a long breath and plopped down on a rock by the roadside.
"That scared me to death. I thought I was going to lose my life there today."
Xiao Xiao also let out a sigh of relief, but her face was more full of gratitude for their Luck.
"It's a good thing we didn't kill that Iron-Horned Rhino. If we had laid a hand on a Spirit Beast, I reckon Scarlet King and Di Tian wouldn't have let us go so easily."
Seele nodded.
Wang Dong'er leaned against a tree trunk, recalling everything that had just happened, her heart filled with emotion.
"Who would have thought that we'd just want to enter the Star Dou Great Forest for some experience and end up meeting the Emperor Auspicious Beast, then Scarlet King showed up, and then that Di Tian came too..."
She shook her head.
"Isn't our Luck a bit too Heaven-Defying?"
Xiao Xiao stood up and brushed the grass off her clothes.
"Where do we go next?"
The four of them looked at each other and began to discuss.
"We can't go to the Star Dou Great Forest anymore. Di Tian said that if he sees us again, we'll have to bear the consequences."
"Then let's go check out some other cities."
"Mhm!"
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A/N:
5 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter
1 Review = 1 Bonus Chapter
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