Tang Lan:"Evolve to 100,000 years, become my Soul Spirit… and ascend to the Divine Realm with me for eternal life. What do you say?"
The Dark Devilgod Tiger's eyes gleamed with intense excitement!
Especially after Tang Hao voluntarily released his two Soul Spirits, proving the authenticity of the Soul Spirit Equal Contract—
It was this close to nodding.
But—
Not everyone agreed!
"Let it evolve to 100,000 years?" Da Ming frowned. "Blue brat, do you even understand? The Dark Devilgod Tiger cannot cultivate—it can only evolve through devouring!"
Er Ming roared in agreement.
"Now. Kill. Do not keep!"
The two beasts were furious, and Tang Lan could completely understand why.
A creature that only grew stronger by devouring others was undoubtedly evil to its core.
But…
Tang Lan turned to Tang Hao.
"Dad, as one of the Slaughter Gods, how about you explain the Slaughter City?"
Tang Hao nodded and began to speak.
A haven for criminals,
A sanctuary for evil soul masters,
A final refuge for the most heinous of scoundrels…
After a thorough explanation,
The fierce killing intent in Da Ming and Er Ming's eyes gradually faded.
Meanwhile—
The Dark Devilgod Tiger's eyes sparkled like never before!
Oh my god!
It had lived for so long—why had it never heard of this paradise before?!
Just moments ago, it had resigned itself to death.
Who would have thought…
The human before it was so kind?!
"ROAR!"
The Dark Devilgod Tiger let out a low growl, its sharp eyes fixed on Tang Lan—before slowly lowering its proud head.
It had submitted.
Even Da Ming and Er Ming were amazed.
Was it really possible to persuade such a rebellious and untamable creature?!
The Equal Soul Spirit Contract was simply too enticing for soul beasts.
—Especially when Tang Lan shamelessly flaunted his Life Mark at every opportunity.
The temptation of eternal life—
What soul beast could resist?
Sealing the Dark Devilgod Tiger
"Very good."
Tang Lan smiled in satisfaction.
"Due to your unique attributes, I will now seal your consciousness inside a storage soul tool."
"When I travel to the Slaughter City, I'll release you."
"I can't say exactly when, but within a year."
In other words—
The Dark Devilgod Tiger would have to spend a year in solitary confinement.
Leaving such an evil creature roaming free was too dangerous—who knew what kind of havoc it would cause?
The Dark Devilgod Tiger was obviously unwilling.
But… did it have a choice?
It could only nod in resignation.
Tang Lan carefully marked himself before approaching the Dark Devilgod Tiger.
First, he used Sea God's Soul-Sealing Lock to completely seal its consciousness.
Then, he placed his hand on its forehead, storing it inside a spatial ring—
And finally, he sealed the ring inside his Blue King.
Only then did he let out a sigh of relief.
Third 100,000-year soul ring—acquired!
—And if it devoured enough, its age limit could increase even further.
He still had those three 90,000-year Gigaton Ant Emperors.
Absorbing them together could trigger a synergy effect, evolving them all into 100,000 years—
But since there was some uncertainty,
It was safer to raise them to 100,000 years first with Earth Dragon Gold Melons,
Then absorb them all at once.
Ten 100,000-Year Soul Rings—Confirmed
The Star Dou Forest alone had now provided six100,000-year soul rings.
From the Sea God Trials:
Two God-bestowed Soul Rings,The 100,000-year Evil Demon Orca King,And the million-year Deep Sea Demon Whale King.
That made ten 100,000-year soul rings—more than enough for the Clear Sky Hammer.
"If I get a God-bestowed Soul Ring, the later I use it, the better."
"The stronger my body, the higher the year limit I can obtain."
"I wonder… what's the true limit of a God-bestowed Soul Ring?"
Tang Lan would make sure to get the most out of it.
Preparing for the Next Move
While he was deep in thought—
Da Ming suddenly spoke.
"With the Dark Devilgod Tiger gone, there are no more obstacles in the Star Dou Forest. We can reclaim it within six months."
"Blue brat, will your progress keep up?"
Tang Lan snapped back to reality.
"For soul beasts under 10,000 years, no problem."
He nodded.
"For those over 10,000 years, they'll need time to get used to the Equal Contract first."
"Choose a group of spirit-type soul beasts. When the time comes, I'll personally guide them through the contract."
"That should speed up the process significantly."
Da Ming nodded in agreement.
The beginning was always the hardest part.
After all—
Soul beasts lived far longer than humans.
They had plenty of time to adapt.
They could afford to wait.
With that—
The goals of their Star Dou Forest expedition were complete.
Now, it was time to set off for the Extreme North.
After returning to pick up Shui Bing'er and Oscar,
The group left the Star Dou Forest, arriving at Tang Lan's territory.
The New Stronghold
In just two months—
Yu Tang had constructed a massive complex of buildings beyond the dense forest.
Yet, not a single soul beast had attacked the area.
Why?
Because—
At the forest's edge, a 10,000-year-old Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear lay basking in the sun.
As a solitary soul beast,
The Darkgold Dreadclaw Bear was one of the most explosive and powerful beings in the entire soul beast world.
Comparable to the Titan Giant Ape,
Even at 10,000 years, it could fight a normal 100,000-year soul beast alone.
With it guarding the outskirts,
What kind of short-sighted soul beast would dare cause trouble?
When Niu Gao saw Tang Lan again,
His respect was unmistakable.
"Sect Master, the Soul Spirit Research Base has already taken in a batch of soul beasts."
"Most of them are either injured or nearing the end of their lifespan."
"This is my first time witnessing soul beasts living peacefully alongside humans…"
"Even now, it still feels unbelievable!"
Tang Lan smiled in satisfaction.
Everything was moving just as he had planned.
Unfinished Business
Meanwhile—
Tang Hao had several moments where he seemed like he wanted to speak.
But—
Niu Gao completely ignored him.
It was as if he didn't exist.
Tang Lan was now changing the fate of the entire continent and reshaping the future of soul masters.
Compared to that,
Tang Hao's past actions… weren't worth mentioning anymore.
Tang Lan then toured the facility.
Most of the soul beasts were as described—
Elderly, wounded, or disabled.
Some, like the Meat Mountain Elephant, were simply lazy, happily basking in the sun.
It almost felt like a retirement zoo.
But—
"We still need combat patrols," Tang Lan reminded.
"Some of these soul beasts have only surrendered out of necessity, but their ferocity still remains."
"Even if they know they'll be executed for going berserk—if they take one of our people with them, we can't bring that life back."
"You are all valuable members of the Tang Sect. It's better to slow progress than to take unnecessary risks."
"Coordinate with Xiao San's side and get this base fully armed as soon as possible."
Niu Gao's Loyalty
Niu Gao was deeply moved.
Without hesitation—
He knelt on one knee.
"To die for the future of the continent is the greatest honor for us of Yu Tang!"
"We vow to serve the Tang Sect to the death!"
Tang Lan lifted Niu Gao back up, giving him a firm pat on the shoulder.
Then—
With a single glance,
He signaled Oscar and Shui Bing'er—
And left first,
Leaving Tang Hao and Niu Gao alone.
The two men stood there in silence,
Until, finally—
They clasped fists and half-kneeled toward each other.
A Weight Lifted
Ten minutes later—
Tang Hao walked over,
His steps light, his expression at peace.
Years of guilt had been partially lifted.
Tang Lan didn't ask any questions.
Without a word—
He "invited" the three of them into Blue King.
Journey to the Extreme North
With his destination locked in,
Tang Lan activated Blood Escape Technique—
And vanished.
He stopped at the border between the Extreme North and the Haagen-Dazs Kingdom.
His Blue Silver Emperor Right Leg Bone once again turned ashen white.
Still—
He didn't release Tang Hao and the others just yet.
Instead, he found a small town on the outskirts to confirm his exact location.
As he stood there, a thought crossed his mind—
So this was…
(Chapter End)