Chapter 27: Zi Ji Follows the Scent

Inside the Small Dining Hall

The so-called "small dining hall" was only small relative to the luxurious, president-exclusive forging chamber they had just left.

In truth, as the personal dining area of a Divine Craftsman, it occupied a considerable amount of space. A sandalwood dining table stood adjacent to a large panoramic window, offering a breathtaking view of the busiest street in the entire Heaven Dou City.

The interior décor was not particularly lavish but had a rustic, classic charm. However, what contrasted with this simplicity was the extravagance of the ingredients used in the dishes—so luxurious that they were almost on par with heavenly materials and earthly treasures.

After seating the Demon Empress and Xueling, Di Tian did not hesitate to enjoy the rare delicacies that Mu Ye had painstakingly collected from all corners of the continent.

Ingredients infused with the essence of heaven and earth were, in essence, divine treasures. They required little to no additional preparation, yet they could easily captivate the taste buds of even the most discerning eater.

Di Tian and the Demon Empress remained composed, given their vast lifespans and extensive experiences.

However, for Xueling, whose existence had only spanned a mere ten thousand years—most of which had been spent confined to the core of the Extreme North—many of these delicacies were things she had only heard about but never tasted.

She picked up a small bowl of rice and exclaimed, "Top-grade Moonlight Rice! It only grows in the bitter cold regions at the outskirts of the Extreme North, and it takes three years to harvest a single batch. The yield is extremely low."

A hint of nostalgia surfaced in her voice.

"Unfortunately, the high-altitude areas where Moonlight Rice thrives were all taken over by the Northern Army Corps of humanity several thousand years ago. I rarely get to eat it now."

Then, her gaze fell on another dish, and her brilliant eyes widened in excitement.

"Is this... Red Jade Shrimp?!"

She eagerly picked up one, peeled off the shell, and popped it into her mouth, savoring the flavor as she chewed.

"Wow~"

"It really is Red Jade Shrimp! The meat is so tender, sweet, and soft—it's almost like biting into a piece of fruit!"

Between exclamations, she eagerly swallowed the rest of the shrimp and wasted no time peeling another one. This time, she placed the crystal-clear shrimp meat onto Di Tian's plate.

"Red Jade Shrimp only live in the deep sea, thousands of meters below the surface. They can mostly be found in a few abyssal trenches inhabited by numerous powerful marine soul beasts. They're incredibly rare and absolutely delicious!"

As for the Demon Empress? Xueling had no intention of peeling shrimp for her. Besides, she was seated closer to Di Tian and much farther from the Demon Empress, practically at the very edge of the sandalwood dining table.

The Demon Empress, unfazed, sighed lightly, "Humans truly know how to enjoy life."

She took a few bites, then subtly activated her spiritual power, creating an invisible barrier around them.

She had no interest in idle chatter. Instead, she communicated directly with Di Tian using mental transmission.

Or more precisely, she was conversing with Di Tian while Xueling was simply an eavesdropper.

"Leaving them to forge unsupervised—aren't you worried they'll pull some tricks with the Four-Word Battle Armor and the God-Level Mechas?"

Di Tian's mental response was calm and unwavering.

"They might, or they might not. Humans have many strengths, but they also have obvious weaknesses—such as becoming slaves to their emotions."

"And the moment they agreed to forge Four-Word Battle Armor and God-Level Mechas for soul beasts, they had already fallen into that trap."

"Besides, even if they do tamper with them, what can they possibly achieve? Any immediate triggers wouldn't be enough to harm me, and for delayed effects, they'll never get the chance to activate them."

"Once Zhen Hua and Mu Ye finish forging all the Four-Word Battle Armor and God-Level Mechas for the Ferocious Beasts—kill them."

The Demon Empress could sense the chilling murderous intent in Di Tian's words and nodded in agreement.

"That is how it should be."

"However, both of these humans are quite strong, and we still need them for now."

"That means one of us must remain here to keep an eye on them, in case they attempt any subtle deceptions."

She then asked, "So, what do you need me to do?"

Di Tian smirked and responded, "Each set of Four-Word Battle Armor and God-Level Mecha takes about half a year to forge. You should return to the Holy Spirit Cult headquarters in the Extreme North first."

"Push the cult's evil soul masters to contact individuals in the Spirit Pagoda and the anti-Shrek faction within the Sun-Moon Federation Parliament. Have them steal the twelve-class God-Slaying Fixed Soul Ammunition and prepare to bomb Shrek Academy, gathering souls to fuel the Blood River God-Slaying Array."

"Make sure everything is in place so we can firmly control the situation."

The Demon Empress was no longer surprised by Di Tian's near-omniscient level of intelligence. She simply nodded and responded with a curt "Understood," then prepared to leave.

However, before she could move, Di Tian grabbed her wrist and sighed with a hint of helplessness.

"At least finish eating before you go."

"Besides, I'm not done talking yet."

"A year from now, regardless of the progress, as long as things are running smoothly, return as soon as possible."

"You'll get your own Four-Word Battle Armor and God-Level Mecha—and take over for me in overseeing Mu Ye and Zhen Hua."

"I need to make a trip to the deep sea to have a long-overdue conversation with an old friend—the neutral faction's leader, Sea Princess."

The Demon Empress paused for a moment before nodding slightly.

Outside the Headquarters—A Visitor Drawn by Scent

As they continued eating and discussing, an unexpected visitor arrived outside the Forging Association's headquarters.

Or, more accurately, a soul beast had followed the scent of Di Tian to this very location.

From the shadows, a stunning figure emerged.

Her silhouette was graceful and alluring, her chest full and curvaceous, her skin smooth and pale as jade, and her long, slender legs exuding an irresistible charm.

Her shoulders were exposed, revealing flawless, snowy-white skin and a deep, mesmerizing cleavage.

Her long, purple-black hair cascaded down her back, rippling as if stirred by an unseen breeze.

Her delicate and strikingly seductive face was enhanced by deep violet eyes and glossy, bright-purple lips.

At the center of her forehead, a pitch-black dragon scale shimmered with layers of swirling violet light, naturally flowing above her like a mystical crown.

This soul beast—who had followed the scent all the way here—was none other than the ninth-ranked Ferocious Beast of the continent.

She was the Hell Demon Dragon King, Zi Ji—one of the two great Dragon Kings of the soul beast world alongside the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian.

Of course, this title of "two great Dragon Kings" did not refer to their cultivation levels. Di Tian's power far surpassed Zi Ji's by a tremendous margin.

It referred to the purity of their bloodlines and the potential of their true dragon forms. The Hell Demon Dragon King was no less noble than the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, as she was one of the last few remaining pure-blood true dragons.

Of course, that was in the past.

Now, Di Tian had not only surpassed Zi Ji in cultivation but had also left her far behind in bloodline potential.

At this moment, Zi Ji's delicate nose twitched continuously.

Having accompanied Di Tian since she was a dragon egg, she was more familiar with his scent than anyone else.

"There's no mistake! He's here—his aura is especially strong!" Zi Ji murmured with certainty.

However, when she looked toward her destination, a slight frown formed on her beautiful face.

"The Blacksmith Association headquarters? What is Di Tian doing here? Didn't he say he was going to roam the world?"

She pondered for only a few seconds before dismissing the thought with a chuckle.

"Eh, why think about it?"

"Wherever Di Tian goes, I'll just follow."

Then, with a smug smile, she added,

"Hmph~"

"Bi Ji, in the end, I was the first one to find him! You can stay wherever you are and enjoy your solitude!"

However, just as she locked onto Di Tian's aura through a scenic window, the scene inside struck her like a bolt of lightning—leaving her completely dumbfounded.

(Chapter End)