"Ying!"
The Skydream Ice Silkworm let out a miserable cry.
Suddenly jolted awake from its dreams.
It struggled with all its might, glaring at Ye Tian. "How did you get through my cocoon?!"
"What the hell do you want?!"
The Ice Silkworm almost leapt up, desperately trying to flee from the room.
Bibi Dong's expression was frosty as ice. She waved her right hand.
A vast surge of purple soul power came crashing in like a flood.
"Spider Empress Bind!"
She shouted coldly.
The dispersed purple soul power instantly condensed into a net, pinning the fleeing Ice Silkworm firmly in place.
Ye Tian's movements remained calm and unhurried as he spoke slowly:
"I'll be borrowing your life origin."
The kind of borrowing that doesn't get returned.
Hearing Ye Tian's cold and lifeless words, the Ice Silkworm trembled all over.
"You're just robbing me! Robbery! You despicable human!"
But Ye Tian merely smiled calmly.
In the world of Douluo Dalu, might makes right.
A jade so precious that it can't be protected will ultimately lead to one's death.
Perhaps realizing that his end was near…
The Ice Silkworm's curses grew even louder.
"As expected, humans are all enemies of soul beasts!"
"I painstakingly cultivated my life origin, didn't steal it or rob anyone—why should I lend it to you?!"
"You'll be punished by the heavens for this!"
"Sorry to burst your bubble, but here's a fact— the Divine Realm is ruled by humans."
"Otherwise, with your million-year cultivation, you'd have ascended to the God Realm long ago."
Ye Tian's expression was like a still lake, utterly calm.
"Fairness in this world is something that only the strong can uphold."
"In other words, only the strong are qualified to speak of fairness."
The Ice Silkworm froze.
He hadn't expected Ye Tian to even know about the Divine Realm.
The Ice Silkworm had never dared to hope for ascension to the Divine Realm.
To him, it was an impossibly distant goal.
He never thought it was not a matter of qualification, but simply that the Divine Realm refused to accept soul beasts.
Silently mulling over Ye Tian's last two sentences, the Ice Silkworm was deeply shaken.
So that's how it is…Only the strong are qualified to speak of fairness.
The Ice Silkworm let out a bitter laugh.
His million-year cultivation… what a joke. A colossal joke.
No strength meant being at the mercy of others.
Perhaps, his fate had been sealed from the beginning.
Even if Ye Tian hadn't caught him, he would've been eaten by other soul beasts eventually.
This made the Ice Silkworm think of his dream lover—the Ice Jade Scorpion Queen.
Wasn't that woman just trying to trick and devour him too?
In that moment—
The Ice Silkworm suddenly felt a deep sorrow.
A million years had passed. Family and friends long gone.
And those who could talk to him? All were enemies coveting his life origin.
This kind of worm life… had lost all meaning.
"As long as you cooperate, I won't take your life."
Seeing the Ice Silkworm's emotional turmoil, Ye Tian took the chance to tempt him.
"As a soul beast, you're doomed to never reach godhood."
"So your life origin is wasted on you."
"Why not lend it to us—the Spirit Hall?"
"Spirit Hall… humans again?"
The Ice Silkworm, lost in grief, hadn't really listened to Ye Tian's words.
But the name "Spirit Hall"—that he heard clearly.
He had briefly come into contact with the human world after leaving the Extreme North a thousand years ago.
He knew that Spirit Hall was a soul master organization that rivaled the Seven Great Sects.
"Wasn't Spirit Hall hunted down by the Seven Great Sects? It's still around after a thousand years?"
Nearby, the Sea Witch—who had just entered the room—glanced at the Ice Silkworm with suspicion.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"How could the mighty Spirit Hall be hunted down by the weak Seven Great Sects?"
Bibi Dong spoke thoughtfully:
"That did happen… but it was a thousand years ago."
She smiled faintly:
"Now, Spirit Hall is the most powerful force on the continent."
"Among the Seven Great Sects, only two are still relevant in today's world."
"To think the human world has changed so drastically in just a thousand years!"
The Ice Silkworm was shocked.
Then he remembered Ye Tian's earlier promise.
He sneered, "Losing my life origin—what difference is there between me and a walking corpse?"
"No matter how powerful Spirit Hall is, it's still just a bigger group of robbers."
Ye Tian looked at the Ice Silkworm and said:
"As long as you agree to cooperate, Spirit Hall will ensure that you eventually ascend to godhood. That way, your contribution won't be in vain."
He wasn't exaggerating—two years later, he'd be able to deliver on this promise easily.
"Heh. Godhood?" the Ice Silkworm scoffed, as if he'd heard a joke.
"I may be a hermit in the mountains, but I'm not deaf."
"In all these million years, only two beings have ever become gods on the Douluo Continent."
"One was the Angel God. The other, the Sea God."
"Both were humans with incredible willpower. That's why they achieved divinity."
"Spirit Hall may be powerful, but still far from godhood."
"Not bad." Ye Tian chuckled.
He had clearly underestimated the Ice Silkworm.
To become a million-year soul beast, one couldn't exactly be stupid.
In the original timeline, had the Ice Silkworm not misunderstood his own strength, he wouldn't have been captured by the Silver Dragon King and turned into a living battery.
"You're right about all that. But this era is one of unprecedented turmoil."
"Even godly inheritances are more numerous than ever before."
"I have proof right beside me." Ye Tian gestured toward Bibi Dong.
It was always better to make the Ice Silkworm willingly offer his life origin than to forcibly extract it.
As for the promise—Ye Tian didn't consider it a big deal.
He wouldn't even need to break it. In a few years, it'd be easily fulfilled.
Bibi Dong caught the cue and released her spiritual power.
Two overwhelming divine forces swept toward the Ice Silkworm.
After a brief "tap," she retracted them.
Her control over divine power was still lacking.
Even using a soul skill could destabilize it.
So she preferred not to use it unless necessary.
But for intimidation? It was more than enough.
Feeling the two divine auras wash over him, the Ice Silkworm shrank back instinctively.
He mumbled: "Two divine inheritances? Are godhoods just being handed out these days?"
"Basically." Ye Tian said casually.
"Do you still think Spirit Hall is trying to trick you?"
"Our goal is to unify all life on the continent."
"Once that's done, Spirit Hall will possess an ocean of faith power from billions of beings."
"By then, creating a god will be as easy as snapping our fingers."
To the ignorant Ice Silkworm, Ye Tian lied with a straight face.
Faith power can create gods—but even in a hundred years, creating one might be difficult.
Still, time aside, what he said wasn't completely false.
Off to the side—
The Ice Silkworm's breathing noticeably grew heavier.
Ye Tian's offer truly sounded like a good deal.
The reason the Ice Silkworm had lived a million years was due, in part, to luck.
But more crucially—his true form was just a weak little Ice Silkworm.
Even after a million years, his strength wasn't that great.
He couldn't even compare to some top-tier soul beasts with only ten thousand years of cultivation.
This was both his strength and his weakness.
He had the age, but without the power, it meant nothing.
Even the Ice Jade Scorpion Queen, whom he loved…
Never once looked at him properly.
"If I can become a god… then I can finally obtain a true path of cultivation."
At that time, only then would his true strength be free from the shackles of his original body—Only then would he truly become a powerhouse in his own right.
"If I become a god, would the Ice Jade Scorpion Emperor still look at me with disdain?"
The Skydream Ice Silkworm asked himself.
At the same time, a seed of hope quietly sprouted in his heart.
"How about it? Have you decided?"
Ye Tian held a needle in his hand and asked.
"Just a reminder—your choice won't affect the outcome too much."
"If you choose not to cooperate, I'll still extract your life essence."
"It's just that… time is important to me."
"So now, I'm trading time for your cooperation."
Ye Tian said seriously.
"I... choose to agree!"
The Skydream Ice Silkworm knew he had no other choice.
Rather than resist, he might as well grit his teeth and go along with Ye Tian.
After all, the Spirit Hall was still the number one force in the human world.
Its credibility should be reliable.
Hearing that, Ye Tian smiled faintly.
Sometimes, words are more effective than brute force.
But his hand didn't stop inserting the needles.
Before long—
Thirty-six divine needles had been inserted into the Skydream Ice Silkworm's body.
At the same time, the essence within his body began to pour out wildly.
"Fine… the life essence isn't of much use to me in my current state anyway."
"I just hope, Ye Tian, you keep your promise."
The silkworm cocoon of the Skydream Ice Silkworm gradually receded, revealing his chubby face.
"Don't worry. As the Pope of the Spirit Hall, I am willing to swear along with Ye Tian to uphold our promise."
Bibi Dong stepped forward, her beautiful eyes fixed on the Ice Silkworm.
"Pure life essence…"
Gu Yuena sniffed sharply with her delicate nose—Then immediately collapsed at Ye Tian's feet.
Ye Tian quickly caught her—Only to find that Gu Yuena had already fallen unconscious.
But even in this state, her powerful absorption ability was undeniable.
Half of the life essence leaking from the Skydream Ice Silkworm had been drawn into Gu Yuena.
"What's this child's true form?"
The Ice Silkworm was startled by the immense attraction Gu Yuena gave off.
"She's the only deity of soul beasts in Douluo—the Silver Dragon King."
Ye Tian replied with a faint smile.
"No wonder I felt a strange sense of dread back in the cave…"
The Skydream Ice Silkworm mused thoughtfully.
Knowing that Gu Yuena was a soul beast deity, the Ice Silkworm's attitude toward her improved significantly.
His life essence even began to float toward the Silver Dragon King of its own accord.
This was because the Skydream Ice Silkworm didn't know Gu Yuena's true nature— He was simply deceived by her appearance as a little girl.
In another timeline— The Ice Silkworm had risked everything to flee from Gu Yuena, solely because she was too cold and ruthless.
She didn't bother with sweet words or promises.
If Gu Yuena in her true form saw the Ice Silkworm, she'd probably just say:
"You will sacrifice yourself for the future of soul beasts."
For someone like the Ice Silkworm—If he agreed to that, he'd have to be insane.
Seeing all this, Ye Tian only smiled and didn't say anything more.
He glanced toward Bibi Dong, who was still standing by, and at the Sea Witch, who had just arrived:
"What are you both standing there for? Hurry and absorb the life essence."
"Oh—"
The Sea Witch reacted slowly, then sat down cross-legged.
She hadn't expected Ye Tian to let her join in this feast.
After all, in a sense, she was still an outsider.
Bibi Dong also responded, sitting cross-legged before the formation—Channeling the surrounding life essence to enhance her second spirit.
As the heir to a divine position, her first spirit was already deeply bound to the Rakshasa God. Without continuing the divine trials, she had no hope of further advancement there.
But her second spirit—Hadn't even fully acquired nine spirit rings yet.
There was still plenty of room to grow.
Bibi Dong had a subtle feeling—As long as her second spirit devoured the Spider Emperor and enough life essence, it would undergo a qualitative transformation.
Then, she'd be able to bear the pressure of the ninth spirit ring.
Double spirit sets with nine rings each—She would become an Ultimate Douluo in one leap!
Time ticked by…
Ye Tian also felt the girl in his arms—Growing heavier.
With the nurturing of the Ice Silkworm's pure life essence and ice-type spirit power, Gu Yuena's physical growth became visibly rapid.
Especially her silver hair— It had almost reached the ground.
Her clothes had grown tight and ill-fitting.
Ye Tian's storage didn't contain any suitable clothes for Gu Yuena.So he had no choice but to wrap her in a soft, furry blanket—
To prevent an embarrassing scene if her clothes tore.
Just then—
Xiao Bai led Ghost Douluo and the others inside.
She saw Gu Yuena's silver hair had doubled in length,
Her mouth opened slightly in surprise. "What happened?"
Ye Tian explained:
"Gu Yuena only looks like a child because she sealed herself."
"Now that she's regained her power, it's normal to grow rapidly."
His gaze passed over Xiao Bai and landed on Zhou Long:
"This is a rare opportunity. Make good use of it."
After that, Ye Tian gently passed Gu Yuena into Xiao Bai's arms, smiling:
"I'll leave her to your care for now, Xiao Bai."
"What about you? Aren't you going to absorb any life essence?" Xiao Bai asked in confusion.
Even the now weakened Ice Silkworm couldn't help but speak:
"You may be an ordinary human, but if you absorb my life essence, your lifespan could be extended by a hundred years!"
"Isn't that something worth treasuring?"
Ye Tian smiled calmly:
"Better to leave opportunities to those who can make use of them."
"Even if I absorb it, I can't ascend to Title Douluo.
What use is a longer life if I gain nothing from it?"
These words shook the Ice Silkworm deeply.
Ye Tian, before his very eyes, was truly a rare kind of hero.
Since ancient times—even among soul beasts—how many could truly remain unmoved by the allure of immortality?
This gave the Ice Silkworm a new level of respect for Ye Tian's promise.
Perhaps Ye Tian really was the chosen one destined to reshape the balance of the Douluo World.
(End of chapter)