The heavy casualties among his kin had long filled Xiong Jun with bottled-up fury. Hearing that the humans were not only refusing to stop but were attempting to use this opportunity to completely encircle and exterminate them, his fur stood on end with rage. His fierce, brutal aura spilled out uncontrollably.
Although he now knew the truth—that the Soul Beasts had initiated the Beast Tide—the hatred for humanity had deep roots, and the destruction of Shrek City was something they were secretly pleased to see.
However, the Soul Beasts had also suffered massive losses and were ultimately manipulated. If the matter could end here, all would be well.
But now, the humans were planning an operation against the Star Dou Great Forest. The Soul Beasts, already seething with hatred and anger, were in no mood to sit down and calmly explain things.
Moreover, even if the truth were revealed, would the human side believe it? That Di Tian, the Beast God and the apparent leader of the Soul Beast race, was being controlled?
The shame of having their racial leader controlled was not something the Soul Beast side could widely publicize.
"My Lord, allow your subordinate to lead the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear tribe out! We must tear the despicable human's battle lines to shreds and make them pay a bloody price! We Soul Beasts are not lambs waiting to be slaughtered."
He began to rise, intending to rally his forces, but the next second, a gaze cold enough to freeze the soul silently swept across his entire body.
Xiong Jun's massive body instantly froze. A primal fear of absolute supremacy, originating from the deepest part of his bloodline, instantly swept over him, causing him to shiver violently. His boiling hot blood cooled almost instantly.
He stiffly turned his head and met Gu Yuena's purple eyes—they were utterly placid yet as deep as the starry sky.
There was no anger or reprimand in that gaze, only an extreme indifference, like looking down upon tiny ants.
All of Xiong Jun's arrogant bravado vanished without a trace. He fell back down with a heavy thud, kneeling on the ground, his huge head buried extremely low. He didn't even dare to breathe heavily.
He dared to contradict Di Tian on occasion and could be rude to the gentle Bi Ji, but he absolutely dared not show the slightest disrespect or arrogance in front of Gu Yuena.
The absolute bloodline suppression of the Silver Dragon King was an instinctive fear etched into his very soul, preventing him from even mustering the courage to look up directly.
He knew all too well that this seemingly frail, delicate silver-haired woman could extinguish his spirit and leave no corpse behind—despite his reputation for physical prowess as a Super Fierce Beast—simply by lifting a finger and invoking a sliver of the power deep within her bloodline.
Dead silence descended once more beside the Lake of Life. Only the rustling of the leaves in the wind and Di Tian's heavily suppressed, pained gasps could be heard.
All the Fierce Beasts' gazes were fixed on Gu Yuena, awaiting the final decision from the co-ruler who determined the Soul Beast race's fate.
Gu Yuena slowly raised her slender, jade-like hand. A faint but incredibly pure silver light shimmered at her fingertips, containing the primal power of creation and order.
The tranquil lake surface rippled, reflecting her pure, peerless, yet expressionless face.
She did not look at the kneeling and pleading Di Tian, nor did she acknowledge the restless Xiong Jun. She merely parted her red lips, her voice ethereal like the music of heaven, yet carrying an unquestionable, supreme majesty, clearly transmitting into the soul of every Fierce Beast.
"If the humans want war, then war it shall be. But my Soul Beast race absolutely cannot be unknowingly utilized and reduced to someone else's chess piece. The powers behind this matter are vast. I have my own plan. You all shall strictly guard this location. Without my command, no one is permitted to launch an attack unauthorized, nor may you easily engage with the humans."
Her gaze finally fell upon the struggling Di Tian. A fleeting, imperceptible complex emotion flashed in her purple eyes.
"Di Tian, your sin cannot be atoned for with a single death. The Soul Beast race is currently at a critical juncture of survival, and your power is still needed by the clan."
As she spoke, the brilliant silver light at her fingertip suddenly transformed into a stream of light and submerged into Di Tian's brow.
Di Tian's body violently shook. The expression of extreme agony on his face instantly lessened slightly, and the destructive ravings howling madly in his mind seemed to be temporarily muffled by a gentle silver veil, becoming much weaker.
"This sliver of primal power can temporarily suppress the Brand of Destruction within you, but it cannot eradicate it. Your mission from now on is to lead the Soul Beasts and safeguard the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest. Without my command, you shall not rashly initiate war with the humans, and you must absolutely not...easily succumb to that Will of Destruction."
Gu Yuena's voice remained calm, yet carried a subtle warning.
"Otherwise, I shall personally end you and purge the lineage."
Di Tian abruptly raised his head, his eyes filled with endless remorse, gratitude, and a determined, make-or-break resolve.
He spoke in a deep voice, "Di Tian... thanks my Lord for her mercy. Please rest assured, my Lord. Di Tian hereby swears that if the day comes when I am completely devoured by destruction and lose my sanity, I will... self-terminate before I lose control."
Gu Yuena nodded slightly, then turned toward the King of Myriad Monsters and Xiong Jun.
"King of Myriad Monsters, pass down the order: contract the defense line. Have all tribes retreat to the core area around the Lake of Life and construct the final line of defense. Xiong Jun, you will lead the Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear tribe and all tribes proficient in frontal combat. You will be responsible for the outermost alert. If the human army dares to step half a pace into the core area without permission... no need for further instruction, kill without mercy."
"Yes, we respectfully obey our Lord's command."
Xiong Jun and the King of Myriad Monsters responded in unison, their voices filled with awe and determination. They swiftly withdrew to execute the orders.
Bi Ji looked at Gu Yuena's calm profile, hesitated for a moment, and then softly asked, "My Lord, the humans are coming aggressively this time. Do we... truly have to launch a full-scale war against them? That might... lead to unimaginable consequences."
Gu Yuena slowly turned towards the direction of the forest's exterior. A chilling coldness, enough to make one's heart tremble, flashed in her purple eyes.
"I will seek a way to break this deadlock, but if the humans are stubbornly unwilling to yield and are determined to completely annihilate my Soul Beast race..."
Her voice was still calm, but it suddenly carried a majestic, overwhelming aura of supremacy that dominated all creation.
"Then we will let them witness firsthand the fury of Soul Beasts pushed to the brink. It is enough to burn this continent... into ruins."
Her voice was not loud, yet it was like a clap of thunder, exploding deep within the soul of every Fierce Beast.
In that moment, every Fierce Beast felt a profound jolt and shock originating from the most fundamental part of their bloodline.
It was the resurgence of the Dragon God's might, the Silver Dragon King's authority over the elements, the sharp, 'better to be broken jade' resolve that the Soul Beast race was displaying again after countless years of silence.
Gu Yuena had made up her mind.
She had to leave the Star Dou Great Forest immediately and head to the Sun Moon Empire.
Her primary goal for this trip was to assist Lu Jingming and jointly confront the unprecedented crisis in Mingdu.
That place not only had an Annihilation Overlord, Celenova, overseeing it but also concealed a powerful divine consciousness clone of the Sea God Tang San, plus Phantylia, who had stolen the Golden Tree and whose strength had surged. The threat level was already explosive, and she had to rush there as quickly as possible.
Secondly, if she truly wanted to resolve the endless, life-or-death deadlock between Soul Beasts and humans and secure a sliver of hope for her race, she might need to leverage Lu Jingming's power to create an opportunity for both sides to sit down and negotiate.
Even the troublesome Brand of Destruction within Di Tian might require her to seek help from Lu Jingming to see if he had a solution.
Of course, if things truly proved impossible—if the human side was dead set on exterminating the Soul Beasts, and even Lu Jingming could not persuade or stop them—
Then she, Gu Yuena, was certainly no coward. Her injuries were about seventy to eighty percent recovered, and she was not afraid of becoming an enemy of the entire human world.
It was just... the thought of that worst-case scenario, the possibility that one day she might have to clash with Lu Jingming, standing on completely opposite sides, caused a subtle but clear, indescribable pang of pain deep in her heart.
After all, Lu Jingming was ultimately human.
His position, his foundation, and what he sought to protect naturally belonged to the human side.
Within the alternate dimension above the ruins of Mingdu, Sun Moon Empire.
This domain, forcibly stripped from the main plane and suspended among the cold cosmic dust, was utterly silent.
Only the distant stars slowly rotated, casting their ancient, unchanging light.
Celenova, clad in white, stood gracefully, indifferently gazing down at Mingdu, which had been reduced to scorched earth but was still seeing skirmishes. She resembled a cold, emotionless god observing the struggles of ants.
Suddenly, her beautiful face, like ice-sculpted jade, subtly furrowed.
Her slender, pale hand lifted slightly and casually pointed at the void before her.
Space rippled like a tranquil lake struck by a stone. The image displayed within flashed quickly and became clear, finally locking onto a figure fearlessly charging out from a deep, pitch-black abyss crack.
Whirlwinds wrapped around the figure, sharp as knives. The majestic phantom of the Flying Aureus spirit manifested, roaring with its head held high, cloaking the figure in a brilliant halo. The huge halberd-axe in the figure's hand tore through space with unmatched might.
Bold and valiant, brimming with battle intent—it was the 'Sky Strike General' Fei Xiao of the Skyboat Alliance.
"Heh heh..."
A light laugh, carrying a hint of mockery and undisguised smugness, abruptly sounded from behind Celenova.
"Fei Xiao, the Victorious General of the Skyboat Alliance. You didn't truly believe she could be so easily buried, did you?"
Celenova's figure did not move; not even the energy field around her fluctuated in the slightest.
She merely slightly tilted her head, casting the corner of her eye and her cold, indifferent gaze toward Phantylia, who had appeared silently at some unknown moment.
Phantylia now held a Tuan Fan (Round Fan), her posture lazy and enchanting, yet the life force radiating from her was vast and boundless, forming a bizarre harmony with her original essence of destruction.
"It seems you succeeded."
Celenova spoke, her voice clear and flat. She did not seem bothered in the slightest by Phantylia's unauthorized intrusion into her exclusive observation domain.
At this moment, where strength was paramount, Phantylia had indeed pulled ahead.
As an Annihilation Overlord, even as a fellow Follower, her power exceeded the limitations of the Douluo plane. Although she had not been formally consecrated under the rules of this world, purely in terms of combat power, she was absolutely no weaker than the so-called True Gods of this world.
However, Phantylia had taken the lead.
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