"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan's Martial Soul Fusion Skill can unleash power far surpassing mine?" Di Tian's eyes widened, his golden pupils filled with disbelief.
"Yes, stronger than you." Bi Ji nodded.
"Do you understand my strength? Surpassing me would mean..." Di Tian didn't continue, his expression shifting dramatically.
If not for the overwhelming power of the heavenly tribulation and the claim that soul beasts could not become gods, he, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, wouldn't have desperately suppressed his cultivation and would have long since ascended to godhood.
Yet even now, he was at the quasi-god level.
Even in a fight against the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, who had only lived for 300,000 years but reached 990,000 years through eating and sleeping, he might not lose.
The Deep Sea Demon Whale King was ultimately just a mere beast, while he, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian, was someone of far greater stature.
One of the former Nine Great Dragon Kings.
The Dragon God's personal guard, the leader of the Black Dragon Clan.
A peak first-level god, inheriting the Dragon God's secret technique, the Dragon God Claw, with strength comparable to a God King.
Even after falling once and reviving, descending from his godly position and suffering a significant decline in power, he was still not someone a mere fool like the Deep Sea Demon Whale King could compare to.
That's right, I am this powerful!
And now, a trash human boosted to level 98 with buffs, plus an 89-level external auxiliary.
Their combined Martial Soul Fusion Skill could suppress him, Di Tian? How could he tolerate this?
Di Tian, not yet tempered by tens of thousands of years of societal beatdowns, hadn't adjusted his mindset.
He believed humans could never be his match—even against divine servants, if he fought desperately, it might be a fair fight.
"I don't believe it." Di Tian's heavy voice echoed through the rented hall. "If they could suppress me, they'd at least have the strength of a third-level god. Do you think that's possible?"
"That girl named Ning Rongrong, her seventh soul ring is a million-year soul ring." Bi Ji said calmly. "Di Tian, you understand better than I do what that means."
"A god-bestowed soul ring?"
Di Tian frowned. "No, the rules of the Douluo Continent don't allow god-bestowed soul rings to reach a million years."
"Not a god-bestowed soul ring, but an inherently divine ring. The aura I sensed from that soul ring... perhaps it's related to the Dark Devilgod Tiger." Bi Ji's tone held some uncertainty.
"Tokisaki Kurumi—didn't you say she is the Dark Devilgod Tiger?" Di Tian shook his head, feeling like he was overthinking it.
"That little brat admitted it the last time we met."
"Mn, it should be her." Bi Ji nodded. "I'm not clear on the process, but the Dark Devilgod Tiger seems to have sacrificed itself to Ning Rongrong of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan. Yet, I feel something's off."
"I noticed it too." Di Tian pondered for a long time, recalling the first time in the Sunset Forest when his attack was delayed by some temporal manipulation.
"She and Ning Rongrong know about our master. Also, they claimed to have no connection to the God Realm, though they didn't state it explicitly, the context suggested as much." Bi Ji continued.
Silence. A long silence.
"What is their goal?"
Di Tian sighed.
"They told us not to act recklessly in Heaven Dou City, nothing more." Bi Ji thought for a moment. "I think we should report this to our master."
"The master is currently in slumber. Even if she wakes, it'll likely be years from now."
"Because of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings?" Bi Ji probed.
Di Tian glanced at her. "Yes. The two of them sacrificed their remnant first-level god souls to heal the master's injuries."
"Though, in my understanding, even their sacrifice won't fully restore the master, it will certainly have some effect."
"I see..." Bi Ji didn't press further. "Di Tian, what do we do next?"
"Speaking of which, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan and Qian Renxue—neither side seems to have revealed their true identities. I don't know if they're aware of each other."
Silence again. Di Tian fell into deep thought once more.
The two of them had come primarily to assess Qian Renxue's character and whether cooperation was possible.
Moreover, she possessed divinity.
This was also why Di Tian had stayed in the Heaven Dou Empire for so long.
"What's your opinion?" Di Tian asked.
"I can't guarantee whether the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan will side with Qian Renxue."
"Reason?"
"The fall of the Angel God and the targeting of the Spirit Hall—if Qian Daoliu learns of this, and if the situation isn't too dire, we might be able to recruit a first-level god."
"But the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan—specifically Ning Rongrong—gives me the impression..."
"Whether it's the God Realm or our master, she seems to know quite a bit. Moreover, what she cultivates isn't soul power but another method entirely."
"The power of the Dark Devilgod Tiger feels vastly different from what we sensed last time in the Star Dou Great Forest. That kind of..."
"Evil God?" Listening to Bi Ji, Di Tian sank into contemplation.
"Yes, the evil aura of the Evil God has completely vanished." Bi Ji fell silent for a long time.
"If that's truly possible, it's no surprise the Dark Devilgod Tiger would submit. She's dangerous."
"An unexpected turn of events!" Di Tian sighed. "But isn't that just perfect? Though, how much of that Martial Soul Fusion Skill is real remains unknown."
"Oh? Why do you think that?" Bi Ji was surprised.
"I don't specialize in spatial attributes, but before becoming a soul beast, I did study time and space to some extent."
"What you saw resembled a special kind of illusion, like the sensory manipulation you mentioned earlier."
"This is just baseless speculation, though. I can't guarantee its accuracy. As a life-attribute soul beast, you're far more sensitive than I am."
"So, let's assume they have the combat power of a third-level god and treat them as a backup plan." Di Tian looked out the window and took a deep breath. "Bi Ji, I'm returning to the Star Dou Great Forest to retrieve something."
"These next few days, try not to go out. After all, your strength is still too weak."
"Mn, what are you going back for?" Bi Ji looked puzzled.
"Consider it a gift for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, to settle our previous conflict."
With that, Di Tian transformed into a streak of black light and shot out through the open window.
Bi Ji rested her chin on her hand, a question mark slowly forming in her mind. She couldn't quite follow Di Tian's train of thought.
Spirit Hall.
On the seat of the Pope.
The desk where Bibi Dong had been reviewing documents now held only the square vessel containing The Heartbroken Acacia. After gazing at it for a long time, she waved her sleeve and stored it in her soul tool.
"Someone, summon Ling Yuan Douluo here." Bibi Dong's voice, infused with soul power, carried beyond the great hall.
Not long after, a woman with a graceful figure and short ear-length hair walked unhurriedly into the Pope's Hall.
"Your Holiness, you summoned me?" As a Title Douluo, even facing the Pope required no excessive deference. Ling Yuan merely nodded slightly in greeting.
"Go to the Heaven Dou Empire's Fasnuo Province and find Tuoba Xi, the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards." Bibi Dong paused briefly.
"Light Feather Douluo is already there. He'll tell you what to do."
"Additionally, if Grand Marshal Goron is willing to surrender, recruit him. If not, proceed according to the plan on his side."
"This..." Ling Yuan abruptly looked up, her eyes filled with astonishment.
"Go. You heard correctly." Bibi Dong paused, glancing at Ling Yuan Douluo before continuing. "I will soon attend Qian Renxue's coronation ceremony in Heaven Dou City. Do you understand my meaning?"
"Yes, Your Holiness."