Di Tian stood up, his golden eyes filled with an imposing pressure as he stared at the five other beasts.
"Today, you all understand the identity of the Young Master. Next, there's something I need you to do."
"You are to inform your respective clans, and also notify other clans with one-hundred-thousand-year soul beasts."
"Tell them to manage their clans well. If any soul beast over ten thousand years dares to disrespect the Young Master, I will personally skin them."
Di Tian's tone was stern. He was someone who valued hierarchical order greatly.
Now that Xin Yu was the Soul Beast Clan's Young Master, Di Tian would not tolerate any Soul Beast over ten thousand years showing him disrespect.
As for soul beasts under ten thousand years, except for those with inherently noble bloodlines, most had relatively low intelligence.
They mostly acted on instinct, possessing some intelligence but not much.
Expecting them to recognize Xin Yu was unlikely.
"Understood!" the five rulers nodded, indicating their agreement.
"Especially you, Bear Lord. Your Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears are all brutes. If any of them, in their ignorance, accidentally harms the Young Master, I'll cut off your claws."
The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears were incredibly powerful, and their dark gold claws were particularly terrifying in terms of destructive power.
Even a hundred-year-old Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear could pose a lethal threat to Xin Yu.
Moreover, the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bears were known for their love of fighting and their lack of brains. If they lost their temper, they might attack.
That's why Di Tian had to give Bear Lord an extra warning.
Being specifically called out, Bear Lord's face turned dark. Damn, why is he always targeting me?
What, just because I once challenged Di Tian and scratched him with my Dark Gold Terrorclaw?
Is he holding a grudge for that?
I got beaten up even worse by Di Tian!
Bear Lord felt bitter but said nothing.
Since getting beaten up by Di Tian, he had become a bit timid.
If Di Tian got angry, one Dragon God Claw strike would be enough to cripple him.
"I understand," Bear Lord grumbled in a low voice.
"Good. Now you can all return. Oh, and be sure to send a batch of heavenly treasures soon. The Young Master will be needing them."
Di Tian waved his hand, dismissing the beasts.
The mighty beasts all gave their farewells to Xin Yu before leaving.
"Uncle Tian!"
Xin Yu looked at Di Tian.
"Young Master, what can I do for you?"
Di Tian asked respectfully.
"Uncle Tian, just call me Yu'er or Little Yu. You keep calling me Young Master, and it feels too distant."
Xin Yu shook his head.
He truly wasn't used to it.
"Proper etiquette must be observed. Your status is different now, and there can be no overstepping," Di Tian refused.
Previously, Xin Yu was just Xin Yu, but from this moment on, he was the Young Master of the Soul Beast Clan.
He was now Di Tian's little lord, and with Di Tian's nature, there would be no room for any disrespect.
Xin Yu felt helpless. Di Tian was stubborn and hard to persuade. After several failed attempts to change his mind, Xin Yu could only let it go.
But he sighed inwardly. Now that Di Tian and Bi Ji had started addressing him formally, the only person left who still called him Little Yu was Sister Xuan.
He wondered how Sister Xuan was doing now.
...
The next morning.
Xin Yu began his daily training.
As usual, he was carrying a large cauldron while running around the Lake of Life.
Every step he took left a deep footprint.
After running ten kilometers with the cauldron, Xin Yu was gasping for breath as he set it down, his whole body drenched in sweat.
When unsure how to schedule his training, weighted running was indeed a good option.
However, weighted running had its techniques. Over-exerting oneself could damage the body, causing permanent injuries that would never heal.
Xin Yu could train this way because of his unique physique and the heavenly treasures he had consumed.
For ordinary people, it was best to know their limits, especially children in their developmental stages—they shouldn't overdo it.
In the original story, Zhou Yi's approach of making everyone do extremely weighted running without considering their situation or soul master class could easily ruin people.
If Huo Yuhao hadn't been blessed with extraordinary luck and constant opportunities, Zhou Yi, that old witch, would have ruined him long ago.
Her so-called high graduation rate was partly due to arbitrarily expelling students—fewer students meant a smaller base, and of course, the graduation rate would appear higher.
The other reason was that she burned through the students' future potential. They progressed quickly at first, but by the time they reached the Soul King or Soul Emperor level, they would find it nearly impossible to break through further.
Their potential had already been prematurely exhausted.
And yet, such teachers were revered at Shrek Academy as strict but excellent instructors.
Xin Yu didn't know what to say about that.
He could only conclude that having a deep background was great.
In this world, having connections is crucial.
Leaning against the large cauldron, gasping for air, Xin Yu finally recovered after about fifteen minutes.
He took out a bottle of water, sipping slowly to replenish the fluids his body needed.
After another fifteen minutes, Xin Yu had stopped sweating.
Feeling sticky and uncomfortable, Xin Yu slowly undressed and jumped into the Lake of Life.
The life-filled waters soaked his body, and Xin Yu let out a comfortable moan.
The water of the Lake of Life not only refreshed the mind but also provided great benefits to the body after prolonged soaking.
As Xin Yu was enjoying his bath, a strange soul beast slowly approached the Lake of Life.
This soul beast was about three meters long and stood eight feet tall, its body covered in a layer of radiant golden fur.
Its entire body seemed semi-transparent, like crystal, giving it an otherworldly texture.
It resembled a lion in shape, but its four paws were like those of a dragon, each one stepping on a cluster of golden flames.
Its mouth was longer than that of typical lion-like soul beasts, and beneath its fur, there appeared to be fine golden scales.
Aside from its normal pair of eyes, it also had a third eye—a vertical pupil.
The two normal eyes gleamed with golden light, while the third eye emitted a strange red glow, carrying a hint of mystique.
By human standards, this soul beast would be considered extraordinarily beautiful.
Its beauty surpassed even that of the Ice Empress.
Moreover, it moved without making a sound, silently approaching the Lake of Life, and Xin Yu hadn't even sensed its presence.
One step at a time, it reached the edge of the lake. Just as it was about to lower its head to drink, its gaze met Xin Yu's, who was bathing in the lake.
Suddenly, both of them froze.
The atmosphere became still, and their eyes locked in silence, neither speaking a word.
Xin Yu's expression turned slightly awkward. He hadn't expected that, of all times, he would encounter the Three-Eyed Golden Lion while taking a bath.
Yes, Xin Yu immediately recognized the Three-Eyed Golden Lion.
Although he had never seen the Three-Eyed Golden Lion before, its features were too distinct. Three eyes, golden fur, and an appearance that could be called the pinnacle of soul beast beauty—there was no way Xin Yu could mistake it.
Speaking of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, its fate was quite tragic. It was one of the characters Xin Yu sympathized with the most when reading the story.
As the Auspicious Emperor Beast, it bore the destiny of the Star Dou Forest and possessed the rare Golden Dragon bloodline, making it extremely noble. But it was precisely this nobility that brought it misfortune.
It was because of this that it was targeted by the God King Tang San. Through a series of schemes, it was ultimately sacrificed to Huo Yuhao, and its destiny and bloodline were completely taken away, indirectly benefiting the Tang Clan.
Losing the Auspicious Beast caused the Star Dou Forest to lose its fortune, and the soul beast lineage fell into decline ever since. You could say that the soul beasts of the Douluo Continent were genuinely pitiful and deserving of sympathy.
This was also one of the reasons Xin Yu didn't resist much and accepted Di Tian's arrangement to become the soul beasts' Young Master.
Possessing the power of the Dragon God was one reason, but another was that the soul beasts had indeed suffered greatly, and Xin Yu didn't mind helping them to the extent that he could.
Of course, Di Tian and Bi Ji's influence also played a part.