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"Wait… the Emperor Auspice Beast?!!"
Tian Meng was dumbstruck, staring at the small beast before him. It stood weakly, barely holding itself upright, its furious eyes glaring at a human and a silkworm. Small—of course, only in comparison to ten-thousand-year soul beasts that reached dozens of meters in size. Yet, the instant Tian Meng laid eyes on it, his heart nearly stopped beating.
(ps: The original novel is abstract here—Tian Meng's vast spiritual power couldn't recognize it at first and still had to rely on sight. This also serves to fill a previous plot hole.)
Oppressed for countless years by those soulless creatures in the Great Star Dou Forest, he naturally understood how important this being was. The Emperor Auspice Beast—Three-Eyed Golden Lion. If it were truly harmed, the entire forest would boil with rage.
But why would the Auspice Beast be injured?
Shouldn't it have protectors by its side? At the very least, guardians on par with the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts should be present. Yet Tian Meng sensed no powerful soul beast nearby. Instead, dozens of black-robed humans were rushing in their direction.
And those wounds… they were severe.
Clearly, someone had intended to kill it.
Could it be that this group was here to…
Tian Meng's mind raced, and he quickly arrived at a terrifying conclusion.
But as he looked at the staggering Auspice Beast before him, barely able to stay upright, a bold thought rose in his heart. Though its attribute was illusory auspice, Tian Meng had once heard from an old sea monster that had lived for hundreds of thousands of years: the Emperor Auspice Beast possessed the power to choose any life form in the world and transform into it.
It could be something it had seen—or even something it had never seen.
If it wished, it could even take the form of a Golden Dragon.
His own second martial spirit had restrictions, requiring it to be ice-attributed. But if the beast chose to transform into the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion—or even into the Snow Empress!—and then allow Huo Yuhao to absorb it… wouldn't that be an incredible windfall?!!
The thought of the days when he was exploited by Di Tian and the other ferocious beasts only made this idea burn stronger in Tian Meng's mind.
Damn it!
"Auspice Beast, do you want to live?" Tian Meng Iceworm suddenly spoke.
"Soul beast? Big worm?" The Auspice Beast's eyes lit up, its fear gradually receding. In its eyes, soul beasts were all one family. So when it sensed a familiar aura flowing from within this human youth, its vigilance lowered considerably.
Huo Yuhao stood frozen, dumbstruck.
A soul beast… actually speaking human words?
"Yes, it's me," Tian Meng said lightly.
The Auspice Beast had also absorbed some of his origin power, so there was no way it wouldn't recognize him.
But truth be told, the Auspice Beast was far too naive. Pampered excessively by Di Tian and the Silver Dragon King, it had never experienced the cruelty and deceit of the outside world.
"No, it's not just survival. The ones hunting you are infamous evil soul masters from the human world. They slaughter and plunder everywhere they go. Even more terrifying, they imprison the souls of humans and soul beasts, trapping them forever without escape. If that happens, even Di Tian may not be able to find you."
"Imprison my soul?" Fear flashed in the Auspice Beast's eyes.
It had heard Di Tian speak of the horrors of humanity, but it had never imagined such a fate could befall itself. If only it hadn't been so playful, wandering away from the core region…
"Then, big worm, do you have a solution?" After a moment of hesitation, the Auspice Beast finally asked cautiously.
"Of course. Transform into an ice-attributed soul beast and become his second martial spirit. That way you'll survive this crisis, and it will benefit us both. After all, he is the child of destiny, chosen by the will of the continent itself! Even your auspicious fate cannot compare to his." Tian Meng began fabricating with utmost seriousness, shamelessly trying to trick the Auspice Beast into compliance.
"Ah??? Me?"
Huo Yuhao was completely stunned, pointing to himself.
"That's right—you!" Tian Meng nodded solemnly.
"Huo Yuhao, the one who carries the destiny of the entire continent. His future achievements are limitless—he is destined to become a god! If you bet on him now, you will ascend alongside him in the future. This is part of my plan to create a god. Originally, I intended to seek out the Ice Empress, one of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts of the Extreme North. But since I met you first, I will give you this opportunity instead."
Tian Meng wore an expression that screamed, you just hit the jackpot. The Auspice Beast could only stare blankly.
"But isn't this no different from being locked in another cage?" it asked softly.
"They will imprison your soul and torment you. This is different. Here, we can enter and exit freely, like friends—chatting, keeping each other company. With your help, he'll have a great chance of becoming a god! By then, you'll enjoy endless life and time…"
"No. To me, there's no difference," the Auspice Beast said with a smile.
"Thank you, Tian Meng, for chatting with me. I've recovered some strength, so I'll continue on my way."
With those lighthearted words, the Auspice Beast leapt gracefully into the distance.
"Damn it!"
Tian Meng's face darkened. Clearly, the Auspice Beast was not as foolish as it seemed.
It had listened to his nonsense only to buy time.
"There's only one chance!" His gaze turned sharp. Without his discarded silkworm husk, he couldn't subdue the Ice Empress. And an opportunity like this… would only come once. Miss it now, and it would be gone forever.
"Buzz~!"
A vast spiritual force surged forth.
It rushed toward the Auspice Beast, enveloping it in a milky-white light that formed into a cocoon, tightly binding it.
This was nearly all the power he could muster.
"Auspice Beast, I have spoken kindly. If you are willing to sacrifice yourself to this youth, we can still be friends. But if you refuse—though I won't harm you, I will expose your position through my soul power fluctuations, trapping you here until those people arrive." Tian Meng's voice was calm, devoid of emotion.
"You! Despicable!" The Auspice Beast rammed against the cocoon, but it was powerless.
Despite its strength of nearly a hundred thousand years, it could not break free from the prison Tian Meng had woven with all his might.
"Despicable? Hmph. For the sake of his ascension, I don't care about bearing such infamy," Tian Meng replied coldly.
Time ticked by.
The Auspice Beast grew increasingly anxious.
Meanwhile, Tian Meng grew furious: "Why is he here?!! Damn it! He actually managed to follow?!"
"Who is it, Tian Meng?" Huo Yuhao asked nervously.
"Su Wen…" Tian Meng spat out the name bitterly, withdrawing the cocoon and retreating into Huo Yuhao's body. The white prison of spiritual force unraveled like silk, vanishing completely.
No matter what, he could not risk exposure.
"Su Wen?"
The Auspice Beast tilted its head curiously, gazing toward the depths of the forest.
A ripple spread, and Su Wen's figure appeared before their eyes.
Huo Yuhao looked guilty, while the Auspice Beast fixed its gaze on the newcomer. For some reason, this youth carried an indistinct yet comforting aura. Not some priceless treasure, but it gave the beast a sense of calm.
"Yuhao? You're here too?" Su Wen asked with a cheerful smile.
"Ah, y-yeah…" Huo Yuhao scratched his head awkwardly, his eyes darting everywhere.
If this had been Tian Meng, that old fox would have kept a straight face without batting an eye. But for Huo Yuhao, the guilt weighed heavily.
After all, forcing someone to sacrifice themselves was nothing more than exploiting their weakness. It was hardly honorable…
(End of Chapter)