Soul Land: I Am the True Grandmaster

Chapter 198: Di Tian

As Meng Shu, the Dragon Duke, regained his senses, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off, so he questioned Snake Lady about what had happened. After she recounted the entire event, his expression turned odd. He wasn't one to bully others with his status, but his anger had gotten the best of him when he saw his wife being treated that way, leading him to act rashly.

"Sigh… Recklessness on my part," Meng Shu muttered, feeling a pang of regret.

The memory of that final clash lingered, leaving him shaken. If not for his and Snake Lady's fusion skill elevating his strike to a Title Douluo's power, he might not have survived.

"What terrifying power… And that was just an assistant dean. It seems necessary for Yiran to study at Tianxing Academy and learn to gauge the world's strength."

Meanwhile, Liu Erlong paid no mind to what the Gai Shi Dragon Serpent pair thought. Although she had purposefully created distance during her battle, she was still uneasy knowing the group of juniors with her mostly around the 40th rank were fragile in comparison. A foolhardy confrontation like Shrek's against Er Ming wasn't something just anyone could attempt.

As she considered Ye Wen's instructions for guardianship, which emphasized not to put the students in unnecessary danger, Liu Erlong felt a wave of remorse. Her martial spirit, from its inception, had always amplified her fiery, impulsive nature a common flaw among fire based spirit users.

Deep in the Star Dou Forest, within the depths of the Lake of Life, golden eyes slowly opened from an ancient slumber.

"What is this familiar aura?" Di Tian murmured.

For long lived beings, the passage of time seemed blurred, and Di Tian had only recently reawakened after a slumber of over a decade. Confused, he wondered what presence had stirred him this time. The aura's source was distant, and Di Tian closed his eyes to sense it more deeply.

In the next moment, Di Tian's golden eyes widened, blazing with a sudden and overwhelming power.

"This is… the aura of the Fire Dragon King?!"

(Author's Note: The Fire Dragon King was the spouse of the Mountain Dragon King. In dragon lineage, first generation Dragon God split into the Golden and Silver Dragon Kings, the second generation consisted of the Nine Sons, and the third generation included the Nine Dragon Kings, all god king level entities.)

Di Tian was unable to remain calm. After fleeing the God Realm to protect the Silver Dragon King eons ago, he had remained vigilant, always concerned for the state of his fellow dragons yet unable to leave due to his waning strength. The sudden hint of a former companion's presence drove him to investigate.

Just then, a cold voice echoed from the heart of the lake Silver Dragon King herself.

"Di Tian."

Di Tian halted, lowering his head respectfully in the direction of the voice.

"Master, do you have any commands?" he asked.

Silver Dragon King's voice sounded out, clear and unyielding. "Proceed carefully. It could be a trap."

"Yes, Master," Di Tian replied, his tone reverent.

Though she was but one half of the Dragon God, as the Dragon God's closest protector, Di Tian held deep respect for the Silver Dragon King. With her permission, he quickly left the Lake of Life, cloaking his aura as he headed toward the location of Liu Erlong and her group.

To the Star Dou Forest, the aftermath of a battle spanning only a few hundred meters was trivial. Yet, Di Tian felt the lingering aura and intense heat across the destroyed land.

"This faint yet unmistakable scent it's truly the Fire Dragon King's," Di Tian muttered. "And the one who released this aura isn't far off. Let's see what's happening here."

Following the trail, Di Tian moved forward.

The hunters in Liu Erlong's group were still shaken from the battle's residual heat, though the three Ye siblings were particularly thrilled especially Ye Tianshui.

"Big sis, Aunt Liu is so strong! Just wait, I'll be that powerful one day too. You'll see," she exclaimed.

Ye Tianxin tousled Tianshui's smooth hair affectionately.

"Of course, you will! After all, you're our little Tianshui, aren't you?"

Meanwhile, the ever vigilant Ye Tianchen kept his weapon at the ready, remaining alert to his surroundings. Since childhood, he'd been taught by Ye Wen to always protect his family. No matter how powerful a person was, if they couldn't safeguard their loved ones, they were no more than worthless.

In this, Ye Tianchen fully agreed with his father's teachings. Born into such a loving family, he would never allow anyone to destroy that happiness.

When Liu Erlong returned from the sky above, Ye Tianchen finally relaxed, believing the danger had passed. He sheathed his weapon, his tension easing.

After a brief rest and recovery, the group resumed their soul hunting journey. None of them noticed the distant figure standing silently atop a mountain peak thousands of meters away Di Tian, his gaze cold and unwavering.

"Two carry the Fire Dragon King's aura, and two bear the Ice Dragon King's. Could they have found the remains of both Dragon Kings?" Di Tian's eyes narrowed. "Despicable, filthy humans, daring to taint the noble bloodline of the dragons."

The familiar auras stirred old memories within Di Tian. The Fire and Ice Dragon Kings had both perished long ago, so it was conceivable their relics had been discovered, influencing human spirit masters in the process.

The thought angered him. Fixating on the group below, Di Tian recalled a distant, twisted figure the infamous God of Evil, the God of Shura one who had torn the Dragon God in two. His growing hatred bubbled up.

Once he confirmed the details of the two Dragon Kings' relics, he would ensure that these humans were wiped from existence.

With a cold glare, Di Tian took his first step forward, his intent clear.

A piercing chill suddenly enveloped Di Tian.

The familiar aura instantly reminded Di Tian of the woman he had encountered the last time he awoke. Although she wasn't a threat to him, Di Tian sensed something abnormal in her spirit energy. He focused, and his expression shifted dramatically.

"Divine power!" he muttered in shock.

From within a cloud of frost, Snow Empress emerged, exuding her characteristic cold, noble aura. Yet, she was no longer just a spirit beast in physical form. Now, she had ascended her body reforged by divine power, elevating her to the rank of a God Officer.

To prepare for the increasingly formidable enemies that lay ahead, Ye Wen had already begun strategically setting his pieces. For him to cultivate his own God Officers, however, he had to sacrifice his own power of faith according to the rules of the Divine Realm. This would allow him to gather divine energy and help them reforge their bodies. These newly ascended beings would become gods of the lowest rank, existing without a godly title, sustained solely by the divine power of faith granted by Ye Wen.

Although this type of godly being had significant drawbacks, Ye Wen knew that if he were to spread the news, many powerful figures would eagerly pursue such an opportunity. However, Ye Wen still needed to rely on his own reserve of faith energy to raise his own level, so he chose candidates meticulously. Only those with the finest attributes and unwavering loyalty would be worth the divine energy it would take to empower them.

While he planned to reserve higher titles for his closest partners in the future, and with Bibi Dong currently occupied by other critical matters, Ye Wen chose Snow Empress loyal and powerful as his first God Officer. Reincarnated as a god, she had even reached the limit of a God Officer's power at level 109.

Ye Wen had also resurrected Elder Cang and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, though he only boosted their strength slightly to level 100. Since both were once at least Ultimate Douluo in life, restoring them took far less divine energy. Unlike Snow Empress, they'd have to cultivate the rest of their strength independently, without special aid.

Though Ye Wen's resources were considerable, they were not limitless.

As for how they would continue to strengthen themselves, without Ye Wen's divine energy to accelerate their cultivation, they would need to find ways to collect loose faith energy or establish their own faith network a significant challenge for gods without titles. However, Ye Wen's position was too precarious to let them form their own systems of worship.

Both accepted this limitation without complaint. They knew they had already achieved godhood under his guidance, and they were not being exploited unfairly. Having endured and grown through hardships, they understood how to assess and adapt to power.

Now, the two guarded Sea God Island in place of Bo Saixi, keeping the sanctuary safe. After all, that island remained the primary source of Ye Wen's faith energy.

This recent hunting mission led by Ye Tianxin was no mere excursion; it was a meticulously crafted plan by Ye Wen himself.

In understanding the supreme powers of Douluo Continent, Ye Wen knew he rivaled even the best informed figures and certainly didn't overlook the latent influence of the Dragon Kings' essence on his disciples. In fact, this entire expedition was carefully designed as… bait.

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