As the Spirit Fusion Technique passed down through her family, even though her own martial soul wasn't the dominant one, Zhu Zhuqing was still very familiar with the Netherworld White Tiger.
In the initial fusion stage, the Netherworld White Tiger took on the normal appearance of a white tiger.
When the compatibility between the two martial souls reached 70%, a pair of wings would appear.
According to historical records, the founding emperor and empress of the Star Luo Empire had achieved an unprecedented 100% fusion compatibility, reportedly possessing power rivaling that of gods.
Of course, due to the passage of time, whether in the Star Luo imperial archives or her own family's records, 100% fusion compatibility had long since become a legend.
The Netherworld White Tiger before her was 99% identical to her family's Spirit Fusion Technique. However, the glaring red and blue eyes of this tiger bore a golden eye at the center of its forehead, where the "king" marking should have been.
This Netherworld White Tiger actually had three eyes!
For a moment, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help but wonder if the image before her was the legendary Netherworld White Tiger said to possess god-like power.
But soon, she grew puzzled again.
Why had she dreamed of such a Netherworld White Tiger? Could it be that her desire for strength was so intense that even her dreams were filled with fantasies of divine power?
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing noticed that all three eyes of the Netherworld White Tiger were fixed on her.
Then, a voice both ancient and supremely authoritative slowly emerged from the mouth of the Netherworld White Tiger:
"Zhu Zhuqing, do you... desire power?"
Though phrased as a question, Zhu Zhuqing could sense the certainty in its tone.
Realizing this was just a dream, Zhu Zhuqing thought it wouldn't hurt to speak her mind and vent some of her frustrations. So, she nodded and replied:
"Yes, Netherworld White Tiger."
A low chuckle followed, and the Netherworld White Tiger spoke again:
"Netherworld White Tiger? Though this is indeed part of my power, I'd prefer you call me by another name."
Zhu Zhuqing found herself perplexed. What kind of strange logic had conjured this dream? Did the Netherworld White Tiger have another name?
Still, anyone who has dreamed knows that instinct often overrides rational thought in dreams. Playing along, Zhu Zhuqing asked:
"What is your name?"
"Remember this, Zhu Zhuqing. My name is the Evil-Eyed Holy King. It was my bloodline that granted the Star Luo imperial family and your Zhu family their power," the Evil-Eyed Holy King declared proudly.
It was this overwhelming pride, so vivid and real, that finally jolted Zhu Zhuqing's previously half-awake mind into full clarity. Her lips trembled as she muttered, "Evil-Eyed Holy King!?"
Her pupils contracted sharply as she realized something was amiss.
This place was not reality—it was a spiritual domain unknown to her.
Yet strangely, as Zhu Zhuqing gazed at the mountain-sized Evil-Eyed Holy King before her, she felt no fear, as one might when facing a soul beast. Instead, she felt a deep, instinctive reverence, as if drawn to him by her very bloodline.
It was as though she were his child.
Though unable to fully comprehend the situation, Zhu Zhuqing realized resistance was futile. If what he said was true—if he truly was the source of her family's power—then he likely meant no harm.
Thus, she respectfully asked:
"Honorable Evil-Eyed Holy King, may I ask why you've summoned me here?"
Seeing Zhu Zhuqing's composed demeanor, a flicker of satisfaction passed through the Evil-Eyed Holy King's eyes.
The Evil-Eyed Holy King—a character absent from the original novel but present in the manga—is the origin of the bloodline power of both the Star Luo imperial family and the Zhu family.
Moreover, he is the first million-year soul beast to emerge on the Douluo Continent after the Dragon God's fall.
Far surpassing even the Deep Sea Demon Whale King and the future Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, he is a true million-year soul beast.
However, the Evil-Eyed Holy King was born at an unfortunate time. Before the Dragon God's fall, the Douluo Continent was entirely dominated by dragon-kind. As a beast-type deity, he received no support and had to cultivate in solitude. Though he knew the path to godhood, his progress was slow.
Even so, thanks to his extraordinary talent, he succeeded in creating the Tiger God divine position at the moment of the Dragon God's demise.
Alas, fate was cruel. Shortly after completing his divine position, the Dragon God imposed a restriction: "Until the Dragon God returns, soul beasts may not ascend to godhood." The Evil-Eyed Holy King's newly formed divine position was shattered, and his painstakingly created godhood collapsed entirely.
From that point on, the Evil-Eyed Holy King became a prisoner of the Douluo Continent, forever barred from success unless the Dragon God returned.
At the time, the remaining five gods in the divine realm—aside from the Asura God—were not of human origin and initially held no animosity toward soul beasts.
However, the beast gods suspected that the remaining gods had betrayed the Dragon God, sparking a divine war. This conflict bred resentment among the gods, leading to new rules being imposed on the Douluo Continent.
From then on, the Douluo Continent entered a unique era where humans hunted soul beasts to grow stronger.
Though the Evil-Eyed Holy King had lost his divine position, he remained a quasi-divine existence. His wisdom far surpassed that of ordinary beasts, and even most humans.
He quickly realized that the age of soul beasts had ended, and humanity's era had begun under the protection of the gods.
Following the simplest law of survival of the fittest, the Evil-Eyed Holy King understood that his existence might one day attract the attention of powerful humans.
Before the Dragon God's restriction, soul beasts faced no heavenly tribulations upon ascending. Having already ascended once, the Evil-Eyed Holy King didn't need to worry about tribulations, and with hundreds of thousands of years of life ahead, he could afford to wait.
If left alone, he might survive unnoticed. But if targeted by hunters, it would spell disaster for his plans to bide his time and attempt to regain godhood in the future.
After much contemplation, the Evil-Eyed Holy King made a bold decision.
If he couldn't ascend as a soul beast, he would switch sides and become human.
But he also knew that directly transforming into a human would never gain him acceptance in the divine realm.
So, the Evil-Eyed Holy King took a different path. He severed his cultivation, erased his existence, and transformed into a pure bloodline legacy, merging with the bloodlines of a loving couple.
This couple's pure love and strong bloodlines allowed their Spirit Fusion Technique to reach 100% compatibility, nearly restoring the Evil-Eyed Holy King to his peak power.
With this immense strength, the couple joined forces with another faction to establish two of the early great empires of the Douluo Continent:
The Star Luo Empire and the Tian Dou Empire.
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