I Only Care About You"Dai Yao, do you know how long I've been waiting for you? You finally told me!"
The excited voice of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm rang in Dai Yao's mind.
"Stop talking nonsense and stick to the plan. Do everything you can to buy time."
Dai Yao said in a deep voice.
Even before coming to the Lake of Life, Dai Yao had planned to use the million-year-old Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm as his ninth soul ring.
The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was the first true million-year soul beast in the Douluo Continent, and its boost to soul masters was unimaginable. During the Douluo Continent II: The Peerless Tang Sect era, Huo Yuhao's great achievements were largely due to the sacrifice of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm.
Of course, if Tang Shenwang hadn't deliberately suppressed him, Huo Yuhao's limit would definitely not be that of an emotional god.
Moreover, the Soul Beast Clan had secretly framed him so many times; he wasn't the kind of person to repay evil with kindness.
Although some compromises had to be made for the sake of the greater good of humans and beasts, taking away the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm and preventing the soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest from absorbing the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's spiritual energy to improve their cultivation was undoubtedly a huge loss for the soul beast race.
More importantly, if the plan fails, the sacrifice of Tianmeng Ice Silkworm can not only delay the outbreak of the beast tide, but also improve its own realm, allowing it to break through to the Title Douluo level, thus increasing its chances of defeating God Tian.
Most importantly, the sacrifice of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm was a signal to Bibi Dong.
This means his plan has failed, and Bibi Dong should prepare herself.
To Dai Yao's surprise, while he was still pondering how to get Tianmeng Ice Silkworm to agree to his conditions, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm actually came to him directly, secretly contacting him and expressing its desire to sacrifice itself for him.
It should be noted that although he already possessed the potential to become a god, and after the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm sacrificed itself, he could obtain the immortality he had always dreamed of and the peace of not being captured by soul beasts to absorb the power of heaven and earth, it was still a soul beast after all, and his plan was for the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm to betray the soul beast race.
Later he learned that the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm had been imprisoned in the Lake of Life by Di Tian and the others for tens of thousands of years, its essence being absorbed by numerous ferocious beasts every day, utterly powerless to resist. Sooner or later, it would wither away and die.
It's had enough of this kind of life!
Regardless of race, it just wants to live!
But for tens of thousands of years it had been trying to escape, and in the end it was still suppressed by Di Tian in the Lake of Life. Just when it was in despair, Dai Yao appeared.
What surprised it even more was that Dai Yao was actually a divine inheritor! In other words, after it sacrificed itself to Dai Yao, it would not only gain eternal life, but also have no worries about its safety.
Is there anything more awesome in the world?!
It ate ice marrow every day, ate and slept, slept and ate, and gained unimaginable cultivation, which resulted in it being constantly hunted down by its own kind.
Now, having a place where he can lie down in peace is more than he could ask for. His own people treat him this way, so what does it matter if they're from the same tribe or not! He just needs to find a powerful patron!
In the Star Dou Great Forest, countless soul beasts gazed intently in the direction of the Lake of Life.
Even from a great distance, they could still sense that astonishing aura, a realm that even the Beast God Emperor Tian had never set foot in.
They never imagined that such a powerful figure was hidden among the soul beast race.
In the Star Luo Empire, on the border of the Heavenly Dou Realm, many powerful figures at the Title Douluo level sensed something and looked in horror towards the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Bibi Dong's expression changed instantly upon returning to Wuhun City. She gave a few instructions to Ju Gui and then transformed into a purple streak of light, flying towards the Star Dou Great Forest.
The entire Star Dou Great Forest seemed to freeze. As the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's sacrifice began, the vast and boundless fluctuations of soul power pressed all the soul beasts to the ground, rendering them immobile. Even the several ferocious beasts led by Di Tian could not move an inch within the sacrificial field.
Tang Hao stared in utter horror at the snow-white silkworm that was getting closer and closer to Dai Yao.
He had experienced the sacrifice of a 100,000-year-old soul beast, and the immense energy of that sacrifice remained vivid in his memory, though it was mostly a painful one. However, in this snow silkworm, he sensed energy far exceeding that of Ah Yin's sacrifice.
Why should such a soul beast be sacrificed to Dai Yao?!
"Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, do you know what you are doing? This human is a great enemy of our soul beast race. By sacrificing yourself to him, you are betraying your own kind."
Unable to move, the Crimson King could only roar in anger.
Now that all their soul beasts are suppressed by the aura released during the sacrifice of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, the beast tide cannot be launched immediately, and they have lost their trump card for negotiating with Dai Yao. The Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's move has put the entire soul beast race at an absolute disadvantage.
Once the army of the Spirit Empire turns back and prepares its defenses, their spirit beast race will be doomed.
Many soul beasts glared angrily at Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, but were immediately met with a sarcastic retort from Tianmeng Ice Silkworm:
"Betray your clan? Haha, how laughable. When you were absorbing my primordial energy, did you ever think of me as one of your own?! What, now that you're offering me as a sacrifice to Dai Yao, you're all panicking?!"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm sneered coldly, completely losing the playful demeanor she displayed when she was with Huo Yuhao.
Zi Ji retorted indignantly, "Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, we admit we owe you something, but now the survival of the Soul Beast race is at stake. Can't you put your grievances aside and discuss this after the matter is resolved? I guarantee we will not mistreat you afterward!"
"you······"
Faced with Zi Ji's moral blackmail, Tian Meng Bing Can was furious, but for a moment she didn't know how to refute it.
"Then why do you always have such a cold face when you were sent to my side by Di Tian, knowing your mission? In the end, you are not the one who was wronged, so you can say these words with such righteous indignation."
Dai Yao suddenly interrupted.
Upon hearing this, Zi Ji immediately recalled her various behaviors around Dai Yao and fell silent.
Seeing this, Dai Yao understood that Zi Ji wasn't completely unreasonable, so he ignored her and turned to look at the silent Di Tian, his eyes unreadable, and said in a deep voice:
"Di Tian, the sacrifice of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm can last for a day. You won't be able to move during that day, so why don't you just wait for a day?"
Under the watchful eyes of all the soul beasts, Di Tian remained silent for a long time. His dark eyes met Dai Yao's gaze, and he slowly said:
"Do you think the situation can be changed in just one day?"
Dai Yao tried to shrug, but found himself unable to move within the sacrificial domain, so he said indifferently:
How will you know if you don't try?
Tang Hao was sent to the Star Dou Great Forest to seek help, which clearly indicates that the situation at Zhennan Pass is extremely urgent, and the city may even be on the verge of falling.
Moreover, it would be extremely difficult for Tang Hao to pass through the army of the Spirit Empire and reach the Star Dou Great Forest.
First, Tang Hao cannot reveal his identity or use his soul power openly, so his speed cannot be fast; second, the journey from Zhennan Pass to the Star Dou Great Forest requires passing through numerous cities and undergoing repeated checks, which significantly slows down Tang Hao's speed.
By the time Tang Hao arrives at the Star Dou Great Forest, the Spirit Empire's army may have already breached Zhennan Pass and is returning home.
The longer he delays, the more complete Bibi Dong's preparations will become.
Upon hearing this, Di Tian gave Tang Hao a deep look, then simply closed his eyes and remained silent.
He knew he had fallen for Dai Yao's trap, his attention diverted by Dai Yao, causing him to overlook the changing situation in the Heaven Dou Empire. However, now that things had come to this, he could only play along, gambling that the Spirit Empire's army wouldn't be able to return in time. Otherwise, he would lose all his bargaining chips.
Thinking about this, he couldn't help but feel a little regretful.
He initially offered generous terms to win over Dai Yao, the chosen one, but in reality, he always harbored some reservations.
There are countless chosen ones among mankind, but most of them have turned into withered bones in graves, while only they, the ferocious beasts, live on forever.
What does it matter if someone is considered a chosen one?
So after Dai Yao rejected his conditions, he adopted an extremely tough stance, trying every means to force Dai Yao into a corner and compel him to agree to his conditions.
But in the end, he made a fatal mistake, and the plan failed. Dai Yao escaped death and transformed himself, and he could no longer control Dai Yao.
If a more moderate approach had been taken initially, the relationship between the soul beast clan and Dai Yao might not have become so strained; anything is possible.
The moon hides behind the stars, and the red sun rises.
As the sun rose higher, a light warmth enveloped the Star Dou Great Forest. Whether it was the several ferocious beasts or Dai Yao, they all tacitly chose silence, refraining from verbal attacks and maintaining their dignity.
As the sun rose high in the sky, Dai Yao calculated the time and felt the ninth platinum soul ring slowly taking shape. However, he felt no joy at obtaining a million-year soul ring. Instead, he became increasingly calm and prepared to fight to the death.
Aside from exposing the Chaos Green Lotus, he will spare no effort to minimize the destruction caused by soul beasts to the human world.
However, at that moment, Dai Yao suddenly sensed an evil yet noble aura slowly approaching from the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest—it was Bibi Dong's aura. Like an icebreaker breaking through ice, even activating the power of the Rakshasa God made movement within the sacrificial field extremely difficult.
Dai Yao understood. He had made an agreement with Bibi Dong beforehand: if everything was ready, Bibi Dong would come to the Star Dou Great Forest to face the ferocious beasts like Di Tian with him; if the defenses were not yet fully prepared, then Bibi Dong should not come, but stay in the human world to organize the defenses.
Bibi Dong's arrival in such a grand manner clearly indicates that she has made preparations to defend against the beast tide.
He then instructed Tianmeng Ice Silkworm:
"Tianmeng, there's no need to delay any longer, let's complete the sacrifice!"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm paused for a moment, then began to carry out Dai Yao's orders.
The immense spiritual power that had enveloped the entire Starry Sky Forest began to slowly recede.
A white-incandescent light enveloped Dai Yao's entire body, and the blue-gold trident of Poseidon on his forehead shone exceptionally brightly, causing the Lake of Life to suddenly boil.
The immense energy poured into Dai Yao's body like magma. Although it was a form of sacrifice and the energy was gentle enough, the soul power contained in the million-year-old soul beast was simply too vast, and even Dai Yao's incredibly resilient meridians developed some cracks.
However, as another jet-black dot lit up on Dai Yao's forehead, it seemed as if Dai Yao's meridians had been upgraded, and he began to slowly absorb the enormous energy.
Finally, as the last wisp of soul power returned to Dai Yao's body, an incomparably dazzling platinum soul ring slowly floated around Dai Yao.
Noble, majestic, mysterious.
Whether it was the many spirit beasts of the Star Dou Great Forest or knowledgeable humans like Tang Hao, they were all stunned when they saw this platinum spirit ring.
This is a soul ring color never seen before. It is the essence of a million-year-old soul beast. Even though the major ferocious beasts don't think much of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm, they have to admit that the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's cultivation is the highest in the soul beast world.
Dai Yao examined his body and couldn't help but smile with satisfaction.
With just one soul ring, his soul power level was pushed to level 96, surpassing the limit of Super Douluo. It has to be said that the million-year-old soul beast, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm, has accumulated immense power.
If it weren't for the several ferocious beasts absorbing the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's tens of thousands of years of spiritual energy, a single soul ring would probably have pushed Dai Yao's level to ninety-seven or ninety-eight.
"Dai Yao, don't forget, I still have a soul bone in my body! I know you're still missing a torso bone and a head soul bone, and my attributes are ice and spirit, so I specially prepared a head soul bone for you. Hurry up and take it and absorb it, lest someone else covet it!"
The anxious voice of Tianmeng Ice Silkworm echoed in Dai Yao's mind.
Immediately, Dai Yao reached out and grabbed the crystal-clear, jade-like head bone from the remains of the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm. After a brief examination, he put it into his Ruyi Hundred Treasures Pouch.
Now is not the time to absorb soul bones. The sacrificial field is slowly disappearing, and the ferocious beasts led by Di Tian are waiting for him with predatory eyes!
"Beast God, the sacrifice is over in less than a day. I think this kid has run out of tricks. We must take this opportunity to keep him here."
The Crimson King moved slightly, noticing that the power restricting him was slowly disappearing. He was overjoyed, glanced at Dai Yao, and offered his advice to Di Tian.
Di Tian remained silent, his expression blank, his gaze fixed on Dai Yao, and a barely perceptible twitch appeared at the corner of his eye.
After absorbing the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's spirit ring, Dai Yao's aura surged like a rocket. Even before Dai Yao obtained his ninth spirit ring, he had already made Dai Yao wary; now, with the Heavenly Dream Ice Silkworm's spirit ring, that unease intensified. Moreover, he sensed an extremely malevolent aura rapidly approaching from the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest!
That was a terrifying aura that was in no way weaker than his!
"Dai Yao, if that person is your trump card, then you've already lost. There are trillions of soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest. Even if you slaughter them all, you still won't be able to kill them all. Now, are you still not going to back down?"
Under the watchful eyes of an increasing number of soul beasts, Di Tian spoke in a deep voice.
Dai Yao glanced at the ever-approaching soul beasts, his mood sinking slightly.
After the sacrificial site disappeared, the soul beasts summoned by Di Tian continued to gather, densely packed like grains of sand, filling the area as far as the eye could see. From the distant forest came rustling sounds, indicating that even more soul beasts were converging.
However, as long as Bibi Dong arrives, even if she unleashes a beast tide, the losses to humanity will be entirely acceptable.
Bibi Dong's aura drew ever closer. Dai Yao smiled slightly and said:
"Di Tian, it's not me who lost, it's you all!"
Just then, an aura as scorching as the sun suddenly descended upon the area, even momentarily suppressing the soul beasts surrounding the Lake of Life. Among the several ferocious beasts, only Di Tian remained unfazed.
Bibi Dong didn't even glance at the surrounding spirit beasts; her beautiful eyes were fixed on Dai Yao, filled with worry. When she saw the platinum-gold spirit ring hovering around Dai Yao, she was also taken aback, but quickly suppressed her surprise and said softly:
Are you alright?
Dai Yao shook his head.
Immediately, Bibi Dong took a deep look at Bi Ji beside Dai Yao before turning her gaze to sweep over the countless soul beasts below, finally fixing it on Di Tian.
"Are you the supreme expert who has been hiding in the Star Dou Great Forest all this time?"
Bibi Dong's face returned to its cold expression. She glanced at Di Tian with her exquisite and alluring eyes and said icily.
Di Tian met Bibi Dong's gaze and said expressionlessly:
"Indeed. If I'm not mistaken, you are none other than Bibi Dong, the current Pope of the Spirit Hall. Your and Dai Yao's deception has truly broadened my horizons. However, even if you are the successor of the Rakshasa God, it is a gross underestimation of our Spirit Beast race that the two of you alone can stop my army of spirit beasts."
Bibi Dong snorted coldly, but her gaze turned to Tang Hao:
"Seeing your confident expressions, I suppose Tang Hao has some information he hasn't shared with you. I might as well tell you that the Empire breached Zhennan Pass the moment Tang Hao left. You can calculate for yourselves how long it would take Tang Hao to reach the Star Dou Great Forest, and how long it would take for the Imperial army to return to defend it?"
Upon hearing this, all the spirit beasts looked at Tang Hao in astonishment, their faces filled with disbelief.
They are not stupid. According to Tang Hao, it took him quite a while to get to the Star Dou Great Forest. Although this time was not enough for the Spirit Empire's army to return to defend, it was enough to make most of the preparations.
Of course, if the march is fast, it's impossible to say that everything is already prepared.
This means that their soul beast race has completely lost the strategic initiative, and even if they launch a beast tide, they will only be at the mercy of others.
"It seems you've already guessed that whether or not the beast tide is launched is entirely up to you. Of course, I strongly suggest you launch it. After all, you've prepared for so long; how will you know if I'm bluffing if you don't try?"
Bibi Dong mocked.
In an instant, the Lake of Life, where countless soul beasts had gathered, fell silent. The countless soul beasts stared intently at the purple figure in the sky. They could already imagine the scene after the beast tide began, with countless soul beasts crashing headlong into the impenetrable walls of human defenses, resulting in heavy casualties.
"Alright, Dai Yao, let's go."
Bibi Dong turned her head, and as if changing her expression, a gentle smile appeared on her delicate face.
Dai Yao nodded and said loudly:
"Di Tian, thank you for your hospitality over the past few days. Please reconsider the choice of the Soul Beast Clan and do not make a decision you will regret for the rest of your life."
Immediately, Dai Yao and Bi Ji soared into the sky, transforming into a streak of light and disappearing into the horizon.
······
Above the sky.
Dai Yao frowned as he glanced at Bi Ji, remained silent for a moment, and, recalling Bibi Dong's unusual behavior earlier, asked:
"Bibi Dong, are you really prepared for the beast tide defense?"
Biji was startled. Why would Dai Yao ask such a question? Could it be that this woman was just bluffing all along?
Bibi Dong glanced coldly at Bi Ji, shook her head, and said:
"No, although the imperial army has returned to defend in time, it is not enough to complete the defensive deployment in such a short period of time. More than half of the troops are still on their way. It will take another three or four days to complete the deployment. If we add the time it will take to settle in after arriving at the location, it will take another two or three days."
Dai Yao's heart skipped a beat. He took a deep breath and said with relief:
"It's all thanks to your quick thinking that you managed to fool Di Tian and the others. If we can just stall for a few more days, even if Di Tian realizes that we're bluffing, he'll have no choice but to accept it."
He didn't care that Brigitte had overheard this.
On one hand, he wouldn't allow Biji to spread this information; on the other hand, given Biji's personality, she wouldn't tell Di Tian and the others. Once the beast tide is unleashed, there will be no turning back for either humans or soul beasts.
Moreover, even if most of the troops have not yet reached their designated defensive positions, the current deployment can still inflict heavy casualties on the soul beast army.
Bibi Dong shook her head:
"No, I'm not trying to scare Di Tian. So what if a beast tide is launched and humanity suffers heavy casualties? What does that have to do with me? I only care about you. As long as you're safe, what does it matter if millions die?"
Dai Yao was stunned and stared blankly at Bibi Dong.
"you······"
He was speechless for a moment.
But what could he possibly criticize Bibi Dong for? Blame her for being audacious and reckless, disregarding the lives of tens of millions of people? But in truth, this whole affair started because of him. If it weren't for him, Di Tian wouldn't have launched the beast tide. Bibi Dong only returned to defend the Star Dou Great Forest to help him.
Moreover, it was also because he did not delay long enough for Bibi Dong to complete the deployment.
In the original novel, Bibi Dong already harbored the idea of destroying the world. If Di Tian were to launch a beast tide, it might just fulfill her wish.
But because of his existence, Bibi Dong changed her mind, deployed an army to defend the area, and protected the lives of the Li people.
He didn't know how to evaluate Bibi Dong. In many people's eyes, Bibi Dong was a crazy woman, extreme, and evil. However, Bibi Dong changed herself for her own sake and protected all living beings. In any case, it was not his place to criticize Bibi Dong.
Dai Yao suddenly stepped forward and, under the gaze of Bibi Dong's slightly widened beautiful eyes, pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
Bibi Dong seemed to understand Dai Yao's feelings. Her stiff face gradually relaxed. She closed her eyes, smiled slightly, rested her head on Dai Yao's shoulder, and gently hugged him, as if she would never let go again.
Beagle suddenly felt somewhat superfluous. (End of Chapter)