Chapter 22: Xue Ling has arrived

In the depths of the ocean, the Demon Emperor might be able to suppress the immensely powerful spiritual force of the Sea Princess, but completely subduing her was nearly impossible.

Di Tian nodded in understanding. He didn't care much about the top-tier fence-sitter, the Sea Princess. This was the benefit of growing stronger—he would use the soul beast race's traditions to make her obey not just his commands but also his decrees.

Moreover, he was quite grateful that the Sea Princess had already unified the sea soul beasts, saving him the trouble of hunting them down one by one. Not only would that have been a hassle, but it also risked him missing some entirely.

The current work strategy of the Soul Beast Bureau had already been clarified: unification and revitalization of the soul beast race were the main objectives. This would be split into two branches—land soul beasts and sea soul beasts—both eventually converging at the final goal: seizing survival space from humans and triggering an explosive surge in faith power.

Di Tian wasn't worried about the sea soul beasts. They would be easy to suppress and assimilate, and there was plenty of time to do so.

His only real concern was the land soul beasts, which had suffered the most from human encroachment. Among the taller, more powerful land soul beasts, only Di Tian remained. Bear Lord and Myriad Demon King barely counted as half a member each.

Gu Yuena was busy with romance, Da Ming and Er Ming were indecisive, and Bi Ji specialized in healing. As for the other ferocious beasts that had reached two or three hundred thousand years in age, their combat power was at best equivalent to a human Hyper Douluo. They wouldn't be able to compete in the final peak battles. Against a human Ultimate Douluo, they would essentially be nothing more than fodder.

If Di Tian fought the final battle alone, it wasn't that he couldn't do it, but it would make all the land soul beasts feel as though the revival of their race depended solely on a single supreme powerhouse—making the generational gap all too evident.

Hope born from despair had to be strong, intense, and stable enough. Otherwise, their faith would waver, and its power would weaken significantly.

At present, he needed to find a way to make the existing ferocious beasts much stronger in a short time.

"The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the Sunset Forest... Hmm, it contains many immortal herbs. That sacred ground could speed up cultivation by tenfold."

"No, no, that won't work. Soul beasts are fundamentally different from humans. Even if their cultivation speed increased tenfold, their level and combat strength wouldn't rise significantly in the short term."

"The Holy Spirit Cult's various evil cultivation techniques? Tsk, their side effects are severe—even the Demon Emperor struggles with them."

"Swallowing other soul beasts like the Deep Sea Demon Whale King did to rapidly increase cultivation... Ugh, let's eliminate that option immediately. Our race is already on the verge of extinction—we can't afford that kind of destruction."

 Di Tian, lowered his gaze in contemplation, completely unaware of a figure standing on the distant coastline.

Against a backdrop of clear blue skies, deep blue seas, and golden sandy beaches, a woman stood poised and graceful.

It was none other than Xueling, who had traveled thousands of miles from the Extreme North to reach the southernmost end of the continent, with a small beast perched on her shoulder.

Her breathing was hurried, and her chest rose and fell sharply, suggesting that she had only just arrived.

Her delicate nose twitched as she picked up a familiar scent.

"It's the same as the aura on Di Tian's reverse scale. Did he go into the sea?"

Whether it was excitement from tracking down Di Tian or exhaustion from her long journey, she wasn't sure.

Her pale, bare feet pressed into the sand, and her jade-like toes suddenly curled up, allowing fine grains of sand to collect between them.

But in the next moment, her curled toes relaxed again.

"Di Tian! Di Tian! Over here! Over here!"

Xueling scanned the distance, her sapphire-blue eyes shimmering brightly.

Her light, clear voice, carrying a penetrating quality, reached Di Tian's ears. Snapping back to attention, he raised his head to locate the source of the voice.

"Xueling?"

Before his words of confusion had fully left his lips, his figure flickered, and in the next instant, he was already standing before Xueling.

"What are you doing here?"

With a subtle perception check, he immediately noticed that the black dragon reverse scale he had entrusted to the Titan Snow Demon King was now hanging around Xueling's neck.

"The Titan and Ice Empress must have forced you to bring my reverse scale before letting you leave, right?"

"Mhm! Mhm!" Xueling nodded rapidly, about to respond when she suddenly caught sight of the black-robed Demon Emperor appearing to Di Tian's left.

Her heart clenched with alarm, and she instinctively shrank to Di Tian's right side, using his tall frame to shield her smaller figure. Only her little head peeked out as she nervously observed the Demon Emperor.

Her reaction startled the Demon Emperor, who momentarily wore a look of reminiscence before sighing inwardly.

Sigh...Once upon a time, she, too, had been like this—a silly, naive little woman.

Regaining her composure, she reassured Di Tian, "Rest assured, the soul beasts in the Extreme North's core region are safe."

Upon hearing this, Xueling immediately grasped the underlying meaning behind her words and was displeased.

So she was implying that Xueling had just run off with the reverse scale, abandoning her homeland?

Pouting in protest, Xueling retorted, "The Extreme North is my home. How could I possibly abandon it?"

"I brought a soul beast from the Extreme North with a special spatial ability. It can transmit non-living objects back using the spatial imprint left in the core region."

"If anything happens to the Extreme North, I can send the reverse scale back immediately and return there myself at once."

She pointed to the small beast on her shoulder, the very creature with the special spatial ability she had mentioned.

Facing two of the soul beast race's most powerful figures—Di Tian and the Demon Emperor—the little beast, with its slightly fierce-looking features, trembled. Whether it was out of fear or excitement, it sent a telepathic message.

"G-Greetings, Beast God."

Di Tian gently stroked the small beast's head, soothing its tense nerves and calming its trembling form.

Xueling, meanwhile, looped her snow-white arms around Di Tian's extended forearm.

"You told on me at home, but I'll forgive you."

"But don't forget what you promised me. We even made a pinky swear."

"My cultivation speed is very fast. I can definitely help you and our soul beast race."

Di Tian scrutinized Xueling from head to toe.

Internally, he mused: A humanoid soul beast, an ice spirit... Her cultivation speed is indeed fast.

Unfortunately, still not as fast as true humans.

Hmm? Humanoid... Humanoid...

Xueling could clearly feel Di Tian's unwavering gaze on her. From initial appraisal to contemplation, and finally, to a rising excitement and enthusiasm.

That excitement and enthusiasm bore a striking resemblance to what she had seen in the eyes of many human men.

Throughout her journey, she had drawn countless stares. From many of those men's eyes, she had glimpsed raw desires—instinctual impulses for reproduction and mating.

Thinking of this, her cheeks flushed pink.

"What are you looking at? If you don't say something soon, I'll assume you haven't changed your mind."

However, the response she received wasn't quite what she expected.

"Come. Follow me."

Di Tian grabbed her hand, called for the Demon Emperor, and set off in a particular direction.

On the way—

Xueling's pale cheeks, initially tinged with a soft pink, deepened into a crimson red.

She saw that the excitement and enthusiasm in Di Tian's eyes hadn't diminished. On the contrary, they had only grown more intense.

It was obvious—she thought—Di Tian was just like those human men filled with thoughts of reproduction and mating.

Although Xueling was simple-minded, she understood these matters quite well. She had even witnessed such acts multiple times in the Extreme North.

For soul beasts, who had a much more open view on such things, mating and reproduction were simply natural instincts, not something indecent.

But still—

She didn't object to mating with Di Tian.

However, this was only their second meeting!

Even for soul beasts—

It was way too soon!

(End of Chapter)