The Women MeetOn the southern slopes of the Starry Sky Forest, forces led by the Azure Lotus Sect and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect lined up in a row, with each town as their defensive center, forming a complete three-dimensional defense system.
Sensing two long streaks of light hurtling towards them from the distant sky, the disciples from the Information Department quickly took to the air.
The three-person team, one in front and two behind, armed with offensive soul-guided devices manufactured by the Ministry of Science and Technology, watched warily as the two streaks of light approached. When the streaks drew near, the woman in the lead raised her hand to stop them, shouting:
"Halt! This is the territory of my Qinglian Sect. No one is allowed to trespass. If you insist on passing through here, please state your identity."
As soon as the words were spoken, the two long rainbows slowly came to a stop, revealing two human figures.
Judging from their physiques, they were a man and a woman. Both were wearing long robes and bamboo hats. However, one's robe and hat were white with gold patterns, while the other's were emerald green. Although their true faces were not revealed, the disciples from the Information Department all felt a faint sense of oppression.
Clearly, these two were not people that the group of them could handle.
The woman in the lead made a gesture behind her back, signaling the two behind her to be on high alert and to retreat immediately if anything seemed amiss, so they could notify the sect experts on the ground.
Unexpectedly, a hearty laugh came from beneath the platinum hat.
"It hasn't been that long since we last met, and you don't even recognize me, the sect leader?"
Dai Yao removed his bamboo hat, revealing a face that the disciples recognized all too well. The disciples were momentarily stunned, then exclaimed with delight:
"It's the sect leader!"
Dai Yao laughed and said, "It's me. You've all worked hard these past few days. How's the patrol going?"
The woman in the lead glanced at the woman next to Dai Yao, whose figure was extremely slender and whose temperament was dignified and elegant under the green bamboo hat. A strange look flashed in her eyes.
The sect leader's several lawfully wedded wives are all stationed at the front lines. Even their former young sect leader, Bai Chenxiang, is rumored to have become the sect leader's confidante. Now that such an outstanding woman has appeared, they can't help but feel a little sorry for Xiangxiang.
Suppressing her emotions, the woman said seriously:
"Reporting to the Sect Master, our patrols are proceeding normally. Although there are occasional disturbances of soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, they do not pose a significant threat."
Dai Yao nodded and gave instructions:
"That's good, but we can't let our guard down. A beast tide that could engulf the entire Star Dou Great Forest might break out soon. You are on the front line of defense, so you must be careful."
After seeing the three disciples solemnly agree, Dai Yao then asked:
"By the way, where are Sect Leader Ning and Sect Leader Dugu currently stationed?"
Sect Master Ning is naturally Ning Fengzhi, while Sect Master Dugu is Dugu Yan. Back when Dai Yao was still in the Spirit Hall, it was Dugu Yan who served as the Vice Sect Master of the Azure Lotus Sect and built the sect up. In a sense, the sect's development had little to do with Dai Yao.
Dai Yao is a hands-off manager.
Upon hearing this, the woman turned around, pointed eastward, and said:
"Reporting to the Sect Master, Sect Master Ning is currently stationed in Green Town, overseeing the entire defense line. Sect Master Dugu and several mistresses are stationed at the front line in Sweetwater Valley. If you are looking for Sect Master Dugu and the others, simply head east. You will see a very conspicuous castle; Sect Master Dugu is there."
Dai Yao gazed eastward, nodded, bid farewell to his disciples, gestured to Bi Ji, and then sped off eastward amidst the strange looks of his disciples.
The scenery on the ground rushed past, and soon a castle standing atop the mountain came into view.
The castle soared into the clouds, overlooking the land and offering a panoramic view of everything below. In the event of a beast tide, any unusual movement of the spirit beasts in this region would not escape the castle's notice. To the left of the castle, a river meandered. At the bottom of the river valley, hundreds of military camps were stationed, with nearly ten thousand soldiers holding their positions.
Dai Yao noticed that in the open space in front of the castle, several stunningly beautiful women dressed in different styles were craning their necks and looking in his direction.
It was Zhu Zhuqing and her group.
A smile involuntarily crept onto Dai Yao's lips. With a sudden movement, and to Bi Ji's astonishment, Dai Yao's speed increased several times over as he flew towards the women.
A white shadow flashed by, and Dai Yao, who was far away on the horizon, suddenly appeared before Zhu Zhuqing and the others. Dai Yao opened his arms, waiting for the fledglings to nestle in his embrace, and excitedly said:
"I'm back!"
Surprisingly, none of the five women, including Zhu Zhuqing, stepped forward.
Dugu Yan crossed her arms, gave a soft snort, turned her head away, and ignored Dai Yao; Ning Rongrong put her hands on her hips, pouted her red lips, and looked annoyed; Zhu Zhuqing even made a half-smile; even Feng Wutong, who always obeyed Dai Yao, shook her head slightly, looking helpless.
Bai Chenxiang hid behind Dugu Yan, holding her arm, her beautiful eyes, slightly bloodshot, fixed on Dai Yao.
Dai Yao felt a chill run down his spine, knowing things were about to go wrong. He quickly forced a smile and said:
"What? Does nobody welcome me?"
Dugu Yan sneered, looked up at the green shadow in the sky, and said:
"You'd better explain yourself to the woman behind you first!"
Ning Rongrong immediately chimed in sweetly, "Sister Yan is right, you should explain this woman's situation clearly first! We can't have another woman entering our house without any clear background!"
The five of them had gone through thick and thin together at the Temple of the Sea God, so they could accept each other; as for Shui Bing'er and Hu Liena, whom Dai Yao had previously been involved with, they could barely accept it, but if another woman were to appear in their household in an ambiguous way, they would not be able to accept it.
Just then, the emerald figure finally arrived and slowly landed beside Dai Yao.
Looking at the women before her through the thin veil of her bamboo hat, Brigitte froze as if struck by lightning. Although she didn't care much about her appearance, she considered herself to be quite beautiful, but compared to the women before her, she was like a dim star next to the bright moon.
Dai Yao is so lucky to have such stunningly beautiful women. No wonder he remained unmoved when she and Zi Ji tried to seduce him. If she hadn't directly confessed her feelings, Dai Yao probably wouldn't have accepted her.
Suppressing his surprise, he removed his bamboo hat and bowed slightly, saying:
"Greetings, ladies."
The goddesses' expressions softened slightly.
This woman was sensible enough not to foolishly compete with them directly for favor. She was quite cunning, knowing how to feign weakness; otherwise, she might cause trouble later when the competition for favor intensified.
However, Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong were well-prepared. As heirs of a large family, they had ample experience in dealing with women vying for favor. Having trained together on Seagod Island for so long, they were already like sisters. Now that a newcomer had finally arrived, all their years of experience could finally be put to good use.
Dugu Yan opened her mouth as if to speak, but Dai Yao, who had vaguely guessed her thoughts, quickly explained:
"Yan Yan, this is Bi Ji, one of the most ferocious beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, with a cultivation level of over 500,000 years. She came back with me this time for two reasons: firstly, for personal reasons, we are together; secondly, because the two races of humans and soul beasts need a bridge of communication to resolve this beast tide."
The women were all startled, and their astonished gazes all turned to Dai Yao.
A soul beast that's over 500,000 years old—that's probably one of the most powerful soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, right? Dai Yao actually managed to abduct such a being? And she even became his woman? Although they were well aware of Dai Yao's womanizing ways, this was still a bit too outrageous.
Dugu Yan and Ning Rongrong exchanged a glance, and a blush rose on their pretty faces.
Fortunately, Dai Yao stopped her. If he had let her finish speaking, the question of seniority would have been incredibly embarrassing. A ferocious beast that had been around for 500,000 years was old enough to be her ancestor; she couldn't bear the thought of being called 'elder sister'.
However, according to Dai Yao, although Bi Ji's purpose in coming to Dai Yao's side was not pure, since she had joined this family, she could not act recklessly according to her own nature, lest she destroy the hard-won harmonious atmosphere of the family.
At the same time, all the women realized the importance of Bi Ji. With the beast tide about to erupt, having such a key figure in the Star Dou Great Forest mediating the relationship between the two sides could very well avert this unprecedented calamity for humanity. Sacrificing herself for her people, the women couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Bi Ji.
Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward and smiled slightly:
"Brother Yao, Sister Brigitte, let's go into the castle first. This isn't the place to talk."
Outside the castle, although the guards were all disciples of the Qinglian Sect, seeing the sect leader's wives standing together with a common hatred, questioning the sect leader whom they hadn't seen for a long time and that strange woman, their curiosity and gossip were written all over their faces!
Immediately, led by Zhu Zhuqing, the group entered the castle.
Everyone took their seats, with Dai Yao at the head of the table, and Zhu Zhuqing and the others sitting on either side of him. Bi Ji, on the other hand, sat the furthest away. Zhu Zhuqing spoke first:
"Sister Biji, we welcome you to our big family, but there are some things we need to say beforehand. We understand your position as a soul beast and that you will definitely consider the soul beast race, but before you take any action, please consider whether it will harm Dai Yao or us."
"Otherwise, we will not agree to let you join our family."
Brigitte's heart skipped a beat, and she looked at Dai Yao in disbelief.
These girls are too good. Even after all this hardship, they're still thinking of Dai Yao. Not only is Dai Yao ungrateful, but he's also having affairs and has an ambiguous relationship with the Pope of the Martial Soul Empire. She can't help but feel that Dai Yao is unworthy of these girls.
He rolled his eyes at Dai Yao, then turned around and said solemnly:
"I will."
Zhu Zhuqing, acting as the empress, set a bottom line for Biji.
Biji's agreement meant that she officially joined Dai Yao's family as a newcomer. However, this did not mean that she was inferior. Zhu Zhuqing and the others addressed her as "elder sister," which was a sign of respect.
The next moment, Zhu Zhuqing's face immediately turned cold. She glanced coldly at Dai Yao, snorted, and said:
"Alright, now it's time to settle accounts with someone!"
Dugu Yan, Ning Rongrong, Feng Wutong, and Bai Chenxiang all turned their attention to Dai Yao. Seeing those resentful eyes, Dai Yao felt like he was sitting on pins and needles.
He knew what he had done wrong. He had ignored the women's objections and ventured alone into the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest. They must have been living in constant fear during this time. He immediately admitted his mistake:
"I was wrong!"
What did you do wrong?
Dugu Yan snorted and sneered.
Ning Rongrong also stepped forward quickly, one hand on her hip, her slender white finger pointing at Dai Yao's chest, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, her voice trembling as she said:
"You think you can just get away with this now? Do you know how worried we were about you? You agreed to go to the Spirit Empire, but after bringing us a message, you went and ventured into the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest all by yourself. What would we do if something happened to you?"
Looking into those slightly reddened beautiful eyes, Dai Yao felt a deep sense of guilt.
However, time was of the essence then, and there was no time for discussion. Moreover, if he didn't take the risk and shoulder the responsibility for humanity, who would?
Ning Rongrong's trembling voice suddenly stopped. Dai Yao tightly grasped Ning Rongrong's hand, which was pointing at his chest, and pulled her into his arms. He then solemnly said:
"I made a mistake this time. I didn't mean to hide it from you."
Upon hearing this, the expressions on the women's faces softened considerably.
They knew that time was of the essence and there was no time to meet with them, but Dai Yao went to the extremely dangerous core area of the Star Dou Great Forest alone without consulting them. As Dai Yao's wife, even though she knew that Dai Yao was highly skilled, she still couldn't help but feel worried.
Zhu Zhuqing sighed softly and said in a low voice:
"We don't blame you. You went deep into the core area of the soul beasts all by yourself, shielding us from all dangers and protecting the human race. You are a great hero. However, as your wife, we don't want you to be a hero. We just want you to be safe and sound."
"We know your strength; even if a beast tide breaks out, you can return safely. But Xiangxiang doesn't know that she's the one who's been most worried about you during this time. This time you're back, you must spend some quality time with her."
Dai Yao looked at Bai Chenxiang leaning against Dugu Yan. Her beautiful face was pale, and her eyes were bloodshot. Clearly, Bai Chenxiang had been having a hard time lately. He was deeply moved, but the occasion was inappropriate, so he could only nod slightly in acknowledgment.
Meeting Dai Yao's apologetic gaze, Bai Chenxiang's eyes trembled, her tightly bitten red lips curled up slightly, and a blush rose on her pale face.
Seeing Bai Chenxiang's reaction, Dugu Yan secretly rolled her eyes. This little girl was too easily fooled; a single glance from Dai Yao was enough to satisfy her. If it were her, she would have interrogated her for three days and three nights…
Just then, the door suddenly opened, and before anyone could be seen, a sharp sword aura rushed towards them.
It was Sword Douluo and Ning Fengzhi.
Stepping into the castle, Ning Fengzhi, filled with questions, suddenly stopped, his gaze sharpening as he fixed on Bi Ji. Beside him, Sword Douluo frowned slightly; as one of the continent's top experts, he could sense the lingering aura of a soul beast emanating from Bi Ji.
How did a soul beast end up here? What's its relationship with Dai Yao and the others?
Who is this?
Ning Fengzhi looked at Dai Yao.
Dai Yao had no choice but to explain again. After hearing Dai Yao's explanation, the two were greatly surprised.
Ning Rongrong first looked at Ning Rongrong, and after Ning Rongrong shook her head to indicate that she hadn't been wronged, she glanced at Dai Yao with a strange expression. The Sword Douluo's forehead seemed to throb with veins; he regretted agreeing to let Rongrong marry Dai Yao. Now, he looked at Dai Yao with utter disgust.
Originally, Rongrong married Dai Yao along with several other women, and he had no choice but to accept it despite his reluctance. Now, he's even entangled with a soul beast woman!
His cultivation level is still so high!
Sensing Sword Douluo's emotions, Ning Fengzhi smiled slightly, indicating that Sword Douluo should calm down and focus on the overall situation, before smiling elegantly:
"Dai Yao, let's skip the formalities. You've returned from the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest. What's the situation with the beast tide? Will it break out?"
Dai Yao thought for a moment and replied:
"When I returned, the Spirit Empire's army had already surrounded the Star Dou Great Forest from the other three sides. If Di Tian were rational, he wouldn't let his people die. Moreover, with Bi Ji mediating between us, this beast tide is unlikely to break out."
When Dai Yao left the Star Dou Great Forest, Di Tian was still hesitant, so Dai Yao was certain that Di Tian would not dare to launch a beast tide.
Ning Fengzhi smiled and said:
"That's good. If the beast tide doesn't break out, it's a good thing for both humans and soul beasts. Here, on behalf of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, I must thank Biji. I hope you can communicate more with everyone in the Star Dou Great Forest and eliminate the hostility between us."
Brigitte's face showed little smile as she said seriously:
"As long as humans become Soul Masters, they will still need to hunt Soul Beasts, and the hostile relationship between humans and Soul Beasts will not change."
Upon hearing this, everyone's expression changed slightly. Then, Bi Ji sighed and continued:
"But as the soul beast that has gone the furthest on the path of healing in the Star Dou Great Forest, I don't want to see the two races fighting each other. Therefore, I will do my best to stop this beast tide from breaking out, which is why I stay by Dai Yao's side."
After he finished speaking, the air fell silent.
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Brigitte with goodwill, and Brigitte generously accepted their kindness.
"We will try our best to resolve the issue between humans and soul beasts in a peaceful manner, but we must also do our best to prepare for the beast tide in order to prevent any accidents from happening."
Dai Yao said solemnly.
······
Ten days later.
The soul beasts, led by Di Tian, contacted Dai Yao through Bi Ji, attempting to resolve the conflict between the two races peacefully.
After receiving Di Tian's goodwill, Dai Yao bid farewell to his wives again and went to Wuhun City to discuss matters with Bibi Dong. The next day, the Wuhun Empire and several major sects sent delegations into the Star Dou Great Forest to conduct negotiations in the area designated by Di Tian.
After several rounds of consultations, the differences between the two sides have narrowed, but they still exist.
Finally, a month later, with only Dai Yao, Bibi Dong, Di Tian, and Bi Ji—two people and two beasts—a peace treaty was established.
This event is historically known as the "Pact of the Stars".
The content did not hold the Soul Beast race responsible for attempting to launch a beast tide, but rather maintained the status quo as much as possible.
The soul beast race does not want to see humans grow too powerful, otherwise they will surely become human soul rings and soul bones. Therefore, they can only wait for Dai Yao and others to become gods before leaving Douluo Continent and ascending to the God Realm. Although humans have the right to demand compensation from the soul beasts, this will inevitably drive the soul beast race to the brink of extinction, resulting in a lose-lose situation.
Moreover, once all the soul beasts are slaughtered, human soul masters will also cease to exist.
Therefore, after the Soul Beast Clan offered some symbolic compensation, both sides' leaders tacitly ignored the previous unpleasantness.
However, the army guarding the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest never left.
After several months, a catastrophe that could have swept across the entire continent was quietly averted. Dai Yao, who played a crucial role in this event, once again vanished from public view, and no one even knew he had been involved. Only a few high-ranking humans, with glimpses of the whole affair, learned of Dai Yao's contributions…