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Zhang Chenghuan couldn't help but ask, "Friend, are you planning to head to the Demon Forest?"
When Ning Tianchen had left before, he was already at the Soul Douluo level. Now that he had returned, if he were heading to a soul beast forest, it was most likely to hunt for his ninth soul ring.
However, Zhang Chenghuan's understanding of the ninth soul ring wasn't entirely wrong—it just differed slightly from reality.
Ning Tianchen didn't answer directly but instead countered with a question, "Has the Demon Forest been occupied by the Radiant Sun Empire?"
Zhang Chenghuan nodded and took out a map, marking the current situation of the Sun and Moon Continent on it.
The Radiant Sun Empire had almost completely seized control of the border cities of the Crescent Moon Empire and had torn open a breach deep within the Crescent Moon Empire's heartland, effectively cutting the empire in half, leaving its capital disconnected from the eastern regions.
By now, forty percent of the cities in the eastern region of the Crescent Moon Empire had fallen under the Radiant Sun Empire's control. Moreover, as more cities surrendered, the speed at which the Radiant Sun Empire annexed these territories only increased.
The Radiant Sun Empire aimed to unify the Sun and Moon Continent, so they imposed strict martial law in the occupied cities.
If Ning Tianchen wanted to reach the Demon Forest, he would inevitably have to pass through multiple occupied zones. This journey would require him to go alone—sending escorts would only invite trouble along the way.
As they spoke, Cang Tianyou and Cang Jinghong arrived at the city lord's residence.
Because of Ning Tianchen, the two families had formed an alliance, and their relationship had grown even closer than before.
The father and son duo of the Cang family were quickly ushered into the main hall.
Upon seeing Ning Tianchen, Cang Tianyou could clearly sense that his strength had grown significantly since their last meeting.
"Friend, might you be willing to visit the Cang estate tonight? I would like to extend my hospitality as the host."
Ning Tianchen waved his hand. "Elder Cang, there's no need for such formalities. However, I have important matters to attend to and won't be staying long in Binhai City."
"I'll be leaving soon. Before then, I'd like to ask for your thoughts on the current state of the continent."
The Yu Die sisters were still undergoing training on the continent, and if shifts in the political situation caused them trouble, it would be problematic.
Moreover, Zhang Erhe had been diligently carrying out the sect's missions. If he, as the sect leader, couldn't even protect Zhang Erhe's family, who would continue to work hard for the sect in the future?
"Friend, feel free to speak your mind. There are no outsiders here," Cang Jinghong said, cupping his fists.
Ning Tianchen asked, "Do you think the Radiant Sun Empire will manage the entire continent well?"
Ten thousand years later, there would only be one empire left on the Sun and Moon Continent—the Sun and Moon Empire—but its name would differ from the Radiant Sun Empire.
Ning Tianchen didn't know whether the Radiant Sun Empire would change its name to the Sun and Moon Empire or if another empire would replace them.
If it were the latter, the situation would be more complex. Would it be a top-down change or a bottom-up uprising?
"This..."
For a moment, Zhang Chenghuan and the other two were at a loss for how to respond.
Their ancestors had lived in the Crescent Moon Empire for generations, and their understanding of the Radiant Sun Empire was limited.
As for the personality of the Radiant Sun Emperor, they had only heard rumors.
Seeing their hesitation, Ning Tianchen added, "These matters—I imagine you might have different answers to them."
"As for the situation on the continent, it's the result of larger trends, and I won't comment on it. I hope that in the future, if my two friends encounter trouble, you can lend them a hand."
"There's no need to thank me. Please accept these medicinal herbs that enhance strength."
After returning to the sect, Ning Tianchen naturally had some inventory on hand.
Nowadays, his strength had reached the pinnacle of soul masters, so he no longer needed to temporarily store treasures from his spirit tools in the sect's treasury while traveling.
These three herbs were the newest quasi-immortal plants that had recently grown in the Ice-Fire Yin Yang Well. Though their potency wasn't as strong as true immortal plants, they could still boost soul power when consumed by Soul Sages.
"These are far too valuable. Since we're all friends, there's no need for such generosity," Zhang Chenghuan and the others said in unison.
The three of them tactfully refused to take the herbs, pushing them back toward Ning Tianchen.
Though they didn't recognize the types of herbs, the extraordinary aura emanating from them made it clear that these were no ordinary items.
Ning Tianchen suddenly chuckled. "These herbs are useless to me. Take them. In the future, I hope you'll look after the Yu Die sisters."
After a brief silence, Cang Tianyou finally spoke up. "Since that's the case, we won't stand on ceremony."
"From now on, you will forever be friends of the Cang family. If anything happens, our family will do our best to assist you."
Zhang Chenghuan patted his chest. "Our Zhang family feels the same way."
…
With the assurance of the Cang family and the city lord's residence, Ning Tianchen finally departed with peace of mind.
Neither the Tianjian Sect nor the Seven Treasures Glazed Sect had any presence on the Sun and Moon Continent. The only ones who could help the Yu Die sisters were them.
Though the strongest members of the Cang family and the city lord's residence were only Soul Sages, the combined strength of the two families was not to be underestimated.
As spirit tool masters, countless people owed favors to Cang Tianyou. When needed, this group, once united, would become a force that couldn't be ignored.
Ning Tianchen had a map of the Sun and Moon Continent. With his current strength, he could simply fly directly to his destination without worrying about depleting his soul power during travel.
Along the way, he released a small amount of his aura. As he passed through the major cities, no one dared to cause trouble for him.
Several days later, he arrived at the Demon Town.
Unsure whether the Yu Die sisters had left, he decided to use his spiritual power to search for traces of Lone Wolf in the town.
After about the length of time it took to burn an incense stick, he retracted his spiritual perception and flew toward the Demon Forest.
Lone Wolf wasn't in the town, but it was unclear whether he had accompanied the Yu Die sisters on their training or had left for other reasons.
There were no tall buildings in Demon Town, so Ning Tianchen's flight into the forest quickly caught the attention of others.
"Damn, is this guy courting death? How dare he fly straight into the Demon Forest?"
The Demon Forest housed a significant number of avian soul beasts.
Flying in the air was akin to being a sitting duck. Once targeted by high-year soul beasts capable of flight, there would be nowhere to hide.
Moreover, there were also ground-based soul beasts with incredible leaping abilities. Flying overhead would make him an easy target.
Just as this person finished exclaiming, a knowledgeable companion nearby interjected, "Are you crazy? Do you even know who that was?"
Confused, the person frowned and replied, "Demon Town has been around for ages. Anyone who's tried flying over the forest—has anyone ever come out alive?"
The companion leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "That elder just now was flying without activating his martial soul. On this continent, only Title Douluos can do that."
"If a Title Douluo stays near the forest's outskirts, even if they're flying, would any soul beasts dare attack them?"
"And did you not notice the direction he came from? That area is under the occupation of the Radiant Sun Empire, where the highest level of martial law is enforced. If he could fly here, do you think he's anything less than a Title Douluo?"
"What? A Title Douluo!"
A wave of shock rippled through the crowd.
The Sun and Moon Continent was not like the Douluo Continent—the number of Title Douluos here was extremely rare.
On the Douluo Continent, the appearance of a Title Douluo would immediately draw massive attention, let alone on the Sun and Moon Continent.
In no time, news of a Title Douluo appearing in Demon Town spread rapidly across the continent.
The Sun and Moon Continent was currently embroiled in a large-scale war, and the movements of powerful individuals were highly sensitive.
After all, a single Title Douluo could match the strength of a million soldiers. Both empires paid close attention to this development.
However, after some deliberation, they realized that the Title Douluo who appeared in Demon Town didn't belong to either empire.
The emergence of an unknown Title Douluo on the continent could potentially alter the balance of power.
Both empires took this matter very seriously and dispatched people to wait near Demon Town. As soon as Ning Tianchen appeared, they planned to immediately approach him and try to recruit him.
…
Ning Tianchen paid no heed to the movements of the two empires. For him, the top priority was to obtain a perfect ninth soul ring for his second martial soul.
He didn't know the exact routes within the Demon Forest, but he had a general sense of the direction toward its core area.
When he got closer, he only needed to slightly deploy his spiritual power, and the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor would surely sense it.
In the deepest part of the Demon Forest, an enormous eye slowly opened. Its tentacles, hundreds of meters long, gently slapped against the ground, each strike leaving behind bottomless trenches.
The soul beasts in the outer regions of the core area felt this immense presence and scattered like startled birds and beasts.
Though Ning Tianchen was far away, such commotion became less noticeable at a distance.
But his perception was incredibly sharp, and he quickly detected faint tremors and traced their source.
"To cause such a disturbance without using any soul power—it must be the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor."
With his mind made up, he accelerated and flew toward the site of the disturbance.
Ning Tianchen carried the aura of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, who had some past friction with the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor.
On the Douluo Continent, the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, and Di Tian were all among the top-tier combatants in the world of soul beasts.
Though they had clashed before, there was also a mutual respect among them.
"The old whale actually sacrificed itself to a human? How amusing, truly amusing!" The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor burst into laughter.
Everyone knew how much the Deep Sea Demon Whale King despised humans.
Once, he had reigned supreme in the seas for hundreds of thousands of years. But thirty thousand years ago, when the Sea God emerged, the oceans were no longer the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's domain.
Blinded by his own position, in the eyes of the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had become the stepping stone for the Sea God's ascension to godhood.
For someone who once sought to exterminate all human soul masters to now sacrifice himself to one—how ironic!
The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor shifted his body, his massive eye staring directly at Ning Tianchen.
Protected by the Asura God's power, Ning Tianchen could not be fully probed.
The fact that the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had sacrificed himself, combined with Ning Tianchen's impenetrable presence, forced the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor to take him seriously.
…
About half an hour later, Ning Tianchen arrived at the deepest part of the forest.
The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor's enormous eye stared unblinkingly at him.
"So you're the inheritor of a god. What brings you to see me?" The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor recognized Ning Tianchen's identity and showed no intention of attacking.
If it were just an ordinary human Ultimate Douluo, he might not have cared. But an Ultimate Douluo who was also a god's inheritor was someone he couldn't easily defeat.
If they fought, the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor would most likely die, but Ning Tianchen would undoubtedly suffer serious injuries as well.
Thus, he was confident that Ning Tianchen wouldn't act rashly, especially since he had already extended a gesture of "goodwill".
Ning Tianchen remained silent for a moment, pondering how to start the conversation.
Previously, he had imagined various scenarios of their meeting in his mind. The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor wasn't someone to be trifled with, and if Ning Tianchen came with ill intentions, the Tyrant would surely strike first—not remain calm as he was now.
For a moment, Ning Tianchen felt somewhat at a loss.
The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor's voice entered his mind, tinged with amusement. "Tell me, how did you manage to get the old whale to sacrifice himself? Explain it to me. Perhaps I'll offer myself to you as well."
"Hmph, someone of your strength seeking me out can only mean one thing: you're after my soul ring and soul bones. You're certainly not here to reminisce. So don't try to be clever—you only have this one chance."
Ning Tianchen shrugged and chuckled. "It's simple. The key point I made to the Deep Sea Demon Whale King was this: soul beasts cannot ascend to godhood in the mortal realm."
"The only way for a soul beast to achieve godhood is to transform into a soul ring or soul bone and enter the divine realm. After resurrection, they can use the divine realm's energy to evolve into true divine beasts."
As he spoke, Ning Tianchen revealed the Deep Sea Demon Whale King's soul ring beneath his feet.
The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor's gaze flickered—he sensed a trace of divinity emanating from the soul ring.
Though the Deep Sea Demon Whale King wasn't the strongest in terms of combat ability, his cultivation level was the highest among the three of them.
He was certain that this was a genuine million-year soul ring, and after sacrificing himself, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King had indeed taken the final step.
The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor was well aware that soul beasts couldn't ascend to godhood—a truth he simply refused to accept.
"So that's how it is," the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor laughed heartily. "In that case, it seems I should make a decision as well."
Unlike Di Tian, he had fewer burdens to worry about.
The dominance of the Tyrant Evil Eye clan over the Demon Forest wasn't due to the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor's individual strength but rather the collective power of the clan.
Aside from him, there were several other clan members with over ten thousand years of cultivation who would continue leading the clan to prosperity after his departure.
"I have no more attachments to this world, but it seems you're not in need of soul rings?"
Ning Tianchen hadn't expected things to progress so smoothly and immediately revealed his second martial soul. "This is my second martial soul, the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda."
"To cultivate twin martial souls to this extent—no wonder you've been blessed with such opportunities."
The Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor suddenly recalled, "A few days ago, I remember you visiting the Demon Forest?"
With his strength, the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor's perception covered nearly the entire deep region of the Demon Forest.
Moreover, they had previously encountered the pursuit of a high-year Tyrant Evil Eye.
"Since the old whale trusted you, I will too."
With that, the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor chuckled and released a blood-red pillar of light that pierced the sky, transforming the surrounding heavens and earth.
His 800,000-year cultivation was now burning completely.
Amidst the crimson light, streaks of golden radiance illuminated the entire forest.
"Don't disappoint me!"
Ning Tianchen clasped his fists. "Thank you, Senior, for your trust."
He had anticipated a fierce battle, but thanks to the influence of the Deep Sea Demon Whale King, the Evil Eye Tyrant Emperor chose to offer himself willingly.
For Ning Tianchen, achieving his goal without fighting was ideal—who would want to engage in a major battle unnecessarily?
…
Meanwhile, on the Douluo Continent.
Tang San appeared with Zhao Wuji and others at the outskirts of the Sunset Forest.
The Tang Sect's movements had already been reported to the three great sects by the Dragon Halberd Sect.
Before leaving, Ning Tianchen had instructed that if anyone wanted to enter the Sunset Forest, they should not be stopped.
The Sea God had been imprisoned, and his divine trial had inevitably failed.
The Sea God's crime wasn't a capital offense, and he would be released after serving time in prison.
But one mustn't forget—one day in the divine realm equaled a year on the Douluo Continent. A few years of imprisonment in the divine realm meant hundreds or even thousands of years had passed on the Douluo Continent.
As a result, the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud had lost its effectiveness and no longer held the ability to transmit godhood. Guarding it so strictly was now meaningless.
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