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"Very well."
Bi Ji still agreed.
She herself could hardly imagine a mere youth like Su Wen daring to play tricks openly before Di Tian, her, and several other fierce beasts.
"Chi King, inform Bi Ling. Tell her to bring the entire clan here."
Bi Ji spoke after a moment of thought.
The Emerald Swan clan resided in the very core of the Star Dou Forest. Soon, a flock of noble and elegant swans arrived, their necks encircled with snowy white feathers, while from the base of their wings to their tails, their plumage deepened into a rich emerald hue.
It was clear that under Bi Ji's protection, this Emerald Swan clan had lived in great comfort.
"Clan Leader."
The leading Emerald Swan spoke respectfully.
"Mm. Is anyone among you willing to sacrifice themselves to him?" Bi Ji asked with a gentle smile, pointing toward Su Wen.
"Sacrifice?!" The Emerald Swans were stunned.
"If the Clan Leader orders me to sacrifice, then I shall sacrifice," Bi Ling gritted her teeth and said.
"No. I do not wish for you to sacrifice. But he saved the Auspicious Beast, and as his condition, he asked for one of our ten-thousand-year clansmen. If you are willing, then do so. If you are unwilling, no one will force you," Bi Ji smiled warmly.
"Then…" Bi Ling opened her mouth, ready to refuse.
Of course not! An endless lifespan awaited them. Who would be so tired of living as to sacrifice their life for a human?
"Wait."
Su Wen interrupted Bi Ling, drawing all gazes toward him.
"Hmph. Human, stop dreaming. Our Emerald Swan clan will never sacrifice ourselves to you. Not even a dog would do it…" Bi Ling glared coldly at Su Wen.
The word "sacrifice" was anything but pleasant to a soul beast.
Chi King, however, pursed his lips, feeling offended by her words.
"First, let me clarify—it isn't a sacrifice, but coexistence," Su Wen smiled.
He clapped his hands.
Hurricane, Little Gold, and the Ice Empress appeared instantly.
"These are all my spirits." Su Wen flipped his wrist, and a small violet sphere appeared in his palm.
"Each time I advance, what I obtain is not a soul ring—but a soul beast."
"Every beast retains its own independent consciousness, not a mere puppet under my control."
Understanding dawned in Bi Ji's eyes. Her expression softened—though only slightly.
"Come with me, all of you."
With a wave of Su Wen's hand, the violet spirit sphere drew the beasts inside. Within was an entirely new world, leaving the soul beasts stunned. Landscapes tailored to each spirit beast's nature, visible healing effects, and accelerated cultivation speed transformed their initial disdain into gradual acceptance, all in just a few minutes.
Of course, the most astonishing part was the cultivation speed bound to Su Wen himself.
He was human! A natural spiritual being.
His cultivation speed left soul beasts in the dust—at least a hundred times faster, if not more.
Though a human's lifespan was short, if that fleeting, meteoric existence could allow them to touch the threshold of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—or even several hundred thousand years—it would be a brilliance worth embracing.
"Furthermore… my talent ranks among the very top in all of human history. This means I have a considerable chance of becoming a god," Su Wen said softly.
"Hiss…"
Bi Ling drew in a sharp breath.
Becoming a god? Did that mean they too would ascend into the Divine Realm and enjoy an endless lifespan?
It seemed the final drawback had just been eliminated.
Even Bi Ji felt her heart stir.
Becoming a god…
The soul beast race had always been bound, unable to ascend to the higher realm. Many powerful soul beasts transformed into human form to try and bypass this law, but none had ever succeeded. The only one with any hope had ascended ten thousand years ago—and even he never became a true god.
"Hm? Why do your soul beasts show signs of mutation? It seems their very bloodlines have been altered at the root," Di Tian said in surprise.
He stared especially at the Ice Empress and Hurricane.
He had seen an Ice Jade Scorpion before, though he had no idea how this youth had advanced it with only a few thousand years of cultivation. But the Wind Baboon… was incredibly strange. To Di Tian, it should have been among the lowest creatures of the forest. Yet now, it seemed to have shattered its bloodline shackles.
"Oh, I almost forgot the last part."
Su Wen patted his head.
With a smile, he explained: "As my strength increases, all my soul beasts evolve. Hurricane was once an ordinary Wind Baboon; this is his second form. The Ice Empress is the same—she evolved from an Ice Jade Scorpion into the Ice Jade Empress Scorpion."
"…"
The air seemed to freeze.
Di Tian's throat bobbed as he forced out two words:
"Evolution?"
"Exactly. Every beast that signs a contract with me has multiple forms. When my power reaches a certain stage, they all evolve together."
"What about me?" Di Tian couldn't help but ask.
"In theory, it's possible. Your current stage would be your initial form. How far you could evolve as my strength grows… even I can't predict."
The soul beasts: "…"
Chi King muttered under his breath, "This almost makes me want to join."
"What would a Three-Headed Red Demon Dog evolve into—a Nine-Headed Hellhound?" Xiong Jun scoffed. "That's still nothing compared to our Dark-Gold Terror-Claw Bear clan's Behemoth bloodline."
As he spoke, Xiong Jun cast a complicated glance at Little Gold.
What luck, little one.
It wasn't just him—several other fierce beasts felt their thoughts shifting.
At their level of cultivation, further progress was nearly impossible. Each hundred-thousand-year tribulation was a death sentence; failure meant perishing in this forest.
The ability to influence bloodline evolution was simply terrifying.
And if they could evolve further, perhaps they could even…
"Alright, everyone, I stand by my words. If there is even a single lie in what I've said, Di Tian is welcome to come to Shrek Academy and find me," Su Wen said with a bright smile.
"So now—are there any Emerald Swans willing to join me?"
"I will!!!"
Bi Ling leaped forward at once. "I want to join!"
"Didn't you just say…" The other Emerald Swans were dumbfounded.
"A dog might not, but I will! I'll devote myself to this human!" Bi Ling declared solemnly.
"No. You're not quite what I'm looking for," Su Wen shook his head, passing on her.
"Now… it's my turn to choose…"
"You. Yes, you!" Su Wen pointed to an inconspicuous Emerald Swan in the group.
Because of the clan's natural talent for rapid cultivation and Bi Ji's protection, many had reached the ten-thousand-year level in recent years. Though none had yet reached a hundred thousand years, a single, ordinary ten-thousand-year Emerald Swan was hardly eye-catching among the flock.
"M-Me?!!"
The chosen Emerald Swan was dumbfounded, a look of shocked delight in its eyes.
"Are you willing?" Su Wen asked.
"Yes, yes, yes!" it nodded repeatedly.
"Then come forth—Emerald Swan!" Su Wen tossed out a black spirit sphere.
A pillar of light shot skyward.
(End of Chapter)