Deep within the Star Dou Forest, above the endless sea of ancient trees, a colossal black dragon soared across the heavens. Its enormous wings blotted out the sky, and every beat of those wings carried an indescribable pressure. This pressure did not come merely from strength, but from bloodline authority—the aura of the Beast God himself. Under this overwhelming presence, millions of soul beasts throughout the forest fell silent, instinctively lowering their heads, trembling as they submitted to the ruler of the Star Dou Forest.
This black dragon was Di Tian.
Yet upon the head of this peerless Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King stood a young man.
The youth had jet-black hair that fluttered calmly in the violent wind, and his eyes shone with a deep golden brilliance, as if they contained the might of ancient ages. His posture was upright, his expression indifferent, and his bearing carried an invisible majesty that did not belong to ordinary humans.
This young man was none other than Huo Yuhao.
At this moment, Yuhao stood firmly atop Di Tian's head, his gaze sweeping across the endless forest below. There was no fear in his eyes, only calm authority, as though standing on the Beast God himself was the most natural thing in the world.
However, within Yuhao's spiritual sea, chaos had already erupted.
"Xiao Yuhao, what exactly are you?" Tianmeng Bingcan cried out in shock, his voice filled with disbelief. "Are you a human, or are you a soul beast? Why would Di Tian, the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, willingly obey your orders?"
Tianmeng Bingcan was completely stunned. He had thought he had latched onto an ordinary human child with decent talent. Who could have imagined that this boy not only possessed terrifying potential, but was now openly riding on the head of Di Tian—the leader of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, the undisputed Beast God of the Star Dou Forest?
"Of course I am human," Yuhao replied calmly within the spiritual sea. "As for why Di Tian obeys me, it should be related to my second martial soul. You should already understand that my second martial soul is not something ordinary."
Hearing these words, Tianmeng Bingcan fell into silence.
This was no longer a matter of being extraordinary. It was completely absurd.
A martial soul that could condense its own soul ring without hunting a soul beast. A golden soul ring that surpassed even hundred-thousand-year soul rings in terms of physical enhancement. A power that strengthened the body directly, far exceeding conventional soul ring logic.
Earlier, Tianmeng Bingcan had secretly used his origin spiritual power to investigate and discovered something even more shocking. The activation of Yuhao's so-called "Golden Dragon" martial soul did not rely on soul power at all. Instead, it was driven entirely by Yuhao's own qi, blood, and life force.
In other words, this might not be a martial soul at all.
It might be Yuhao's true body.
This realization was terrifying.
Under normal circumstances, even twin martial souls could not be activated simultaneously. The body simply could not withstand such strain. Yet Yuhao's Golden Dragon power was rooted in bloodline strength rather than soul power, allowing him to use it alongside his Spirit Eyes without conflict.
This was no longer a simple addition of strengths.
This was multiplication.
Taking Yuhao's Spirit Eyes as an example, this ultimate spiritual-type martial soul excelled at detection, control, and mental attacks. Among spiritual martial souls, it stood at the pinnacle. However, in terms of close combat and physical strength, it was far inferior to power-type martial souls like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon.
But once combined with the Golden Dragon King's power, everything changed.
With unparalleled physical strength, explosive speed, and a body inherited from the Dragon God himself, Yuhao's weaknesses were completely erased.
It was precisely because of this that Tianmeng Bingcan had asked whether Yuhao was truly human or a soul beast.
Unable to comprehend it any further, Tianmeng Bingcan finally sighed.
"I can't understand you at all," he admitted. "But since I've already become one with you, I naturally hope that you grow as strong as possible."
"Brother Tianmeng," Yuhao replied sincerely, "I won't let you down."
...
While one human and one ancient silkworm communicated within the spiritual sea, Di Tian had already descended into the core area of the Star Dou Forest—a forbidden land that no human had ever set foot in.
As Di Tian landed, terrifying auras awakened one after another. From deep within the forest, pairs of ancient eyes opened, gazing through countless trees toward the landing point.
What they saw caused their minds to tremble.
Their supreme leader, Di Tian, had lowered his head.
Even more unbelievable, a human youth calmly stepped down from Di Tian's head.
Di Tian had been used as a mount.
How could this be?
Di Tian's true form was the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King. Even gods of the Divine Realm had failed to make him bow his proud head. Yet now, a seemingly fragile human stood above him.
This scene enraged the ancient soul beasts watching in secret. To them, Di Tian stood above all soul beasts. If this human stepped on Di Tian's head, it was equivalent to trampling on the dignity of every soul beast in the Star Dou Forest.
"ROAR—!"
A gigantic figure suddenly burst forth.
A massive Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear, over fifteen meters tall and covered in dense dark-golden fur, appeared before Yuhao. Its arms alone stretched nearly ten meters, muscles bulging like mountain ridges.
"The sixth of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts—Xiong Jun," Yuhao muttered.
"Di Tian!" Xiong Jun roared furiously. "You actually allowed a human to stand on your head? You are humiliating the millions of soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest! Step aside and let me kill him!"
A terrifying storm erupted as Xiong Jun's aura exploded outward. Rocks were torn from the ground, ancient trees uprooted, and the violent wind swept toward Yuhao with destructive force.
"Presumptuous!"
Di Tian roared in fury. Endless dark dragon aura surged forth, forming an impenetrable barrier around Yuhao.
"Xiong Jun," Di Tian growled coldly, "if you dare lay a hand on my lord, I will kill you today."
To Di Tian, Yuhao was not only his master, but the hope of the soul beasts—the key to breaking the shackles imposed by the gods and restoring ancient glory. Compared to that, his own life was insignificant.
Feeling Di Tian's killing intent, which was so dense it seemed ready to solidify, Xiong Jun's heart trembled. He knew Di Tian was serious. Never before had Di Tian displayed such murderous intent, not even during their previous clashes.
"Di Tian, stop!"
A gentle yet authoritative voice echoed through the forest.
A woman dressed in flowing cyan robes descended from the sky. Her appearance was ethereal, her temperament pure and noble. She was Brigitte, the Emerald Swan, over fifty thousand years old and ranked fourth among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
Behind her appeared several terrifying figures—a three-headed crimson hellhound, an evil-faced youth radiating sinister aura, and a graceful woman clad in purple.
The Red King, the Evil Spirit, and the Purple Emperor—all among the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts.
Nearly all the most powerful beings in the Star Dou Forest had gathered.
Yet even facing them, Di Tian did not withdraw his killing intent.
Just as he was about to strike, an indifferent voice rang out.
"Enough. Go back."
Di Tian's terrifying aura instantly dissipated. He transformed into human form and respectfully stood behind Yuhao.
"Lord."
That single word shook the forest.
"Lord?" Brigitte, Xiong Jun, and the others stared at Yuhao in disbelief.
Yuhao slowly raised his head. Mobilizing the power of the Golden Dragon King within his blood, he merged it with his Spirit Eyes. His pupils radiated brilliant gold interwoven with deep blue light.
An ancient, supreme pressure descended.
It was the authority of the soul beast ruler.
One by one, the ferocious beasts lowered their heads.
"The Lord has returned from beyond," Di Tian shouted. "Kneel!"
Guided by instinct engraved in their bloodlines, Brigitte and the others knelt.
Yuhao looked calmly at Xiong Jun.
"I don't like looking up at others."
Before Xiong Jun could react, Di Tian appeared behind him in an instant. A massive dragon claw slammed his head into the ground, carving deep ravines into the earth.
Xiong Jun did not resist.
The fear in his eyes was not for Di Tian—
—but for Yuhao.
What he sensed was not a human.
It was a god.
The true god of soul beasts.
"My lord… my lord…"