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Lan Minghua swung his arm and slapped Di Tian across the head.
At the same time, he cast the Dragon-Taming Technique from the True Dragon Treasure Arts.
In an instant, Di Tian felt his body slip from his control, as if it no longer belonged to him.
"Human, what have you done to me?!"
Di Tian roared, but he could not drive his thousand-zhang dragon body. He could only rage in helpless fury.
Lan Minghua vaulted up and sat cross-legged atop the dragon's head.
"I was actually considering joining forces with your soul beast race to storm the God Realm. But since you can't tell good words from bad, I'll just grant your wish and use you as a mount."
At those words, Di Tian's enormous golden vertical pupils shrank to slits, as if he had heard something truly terrifying.
"The God Realm? You intend to attack the God Realm?!"
To the soul beasts, the God Realm was an enemy they could never share the sky with.
Because of the Dragon God's fall, the soul beasts' path to godhood was severed.
As for the culprit behind the Dragon God's demise, Di Tian, lacking the power to uncover the truth, laid the blame at the feet of the Five God Kings.
In his eyes, it was the Asura God who delivered the final blow to the Dragon God.
Hearing that Lan Minghua's foes were also of dragon lineage, Di Tian suddenly glimpsed hope.
He had long pinned his expectations on the soul beast princess—the resurrected Silver Dragon King—believing she could lead their kind back to former glory.
"Yet the Lord is still asleep. Even if she awakens, she won't match those God Kings in the short term. Worse, she'll expose her location and be hunted down."
Di Tian's thoughts churned rapidly. He wanted to leverage Lan Minghua to launch a counterattack on the God Realm.
Soon, he struck upon a plan he believed would tempt Lan Minghua.
"Human, I can speak for the soul beast race. Let us ally and punish the God Realm together. However, you must stop preying on soul beasts. I can command our strong ones to obey your orders. How about this proposal?"
Lan Minghua merely snorted and pressed his palm to Di Tian's skull.
"I already gave you plenty of chances. Why don't you understand? I've changed my mind—I'll make you my puppet. That way, won't the soul beasts follow my orders anyway? Isn't that right, Beast God Di Tian?"
At the title "Beast God Di Tian," the great dragon was stunned.
He knew nothing of Lan Minghua's identity, yet the human spoke his own title without hesitation.
"H-How do you know my name?!"
Sensing Di Tian's agitation, Lan Minghua naturally couldn't say he was a transmigrator who knew Douluo Dalu by heart.
Bothering with explanations was pointless. The hand on the dragon's head began to glow with a faint blue light.
Dual Perfection Hands—Blue Hand.
The Blue Hand extracts or alters memory and can engrave a soul brand, compelling absolute obedience.
From the corner of his eye, Di Tian saw the pale blue radiance and a wave of dread spread through his heart.
Yet with his body bound by the Dragon-Taming Technique, he could not resist at all. He was like a fish on the chopping block, to be carved at will.
Helpless, he resorted to threats.
"Human, what do you think you're doing?! Since you know I am the Beast God, are you not afraid I'll raise a beast tide and wage war to the death with humanity?!"
Lan Minghua dug a finger in his ear, amused by the empty threat.
"You? In your current state? A beast tide? Don't make me laugh. Not just you—even your 'Lord' the Silver Dragon King—if I wish it, she'll be under my heel the same way."
He allowed no chance for rebuttal. A terrifying aura burst forth.
In a heartbeat, Di Tian's thousand-zhang dragon body crackled as if crushed beneath an invisible mountain.
At present, Di Tian's strength was only half-god level. Without a god position, he could not step into true godhood.
Lan Minghua's overall power, however, was that of a Supreme God King—several realms higher.
Subduing a half-god Di Tian was child's play.
"So strong! How can such power exist in the mortal world? Is he… a god?!"
Di Tian was dumbfounded. He could never have imagined a human of such strength walking the earth.
Lan Minghua patted the dragon's skull and spoke softly. "A beast of burden is a beast of burden, no matter who it serves. Better to be my mount than that timid Silver Dragon King's."
As his words faded, the hand on Di Tian's head erupted in blinding blue light.
Di Tian could not resist at all. His memories were altered, and a soul brand was carved into him.
The edit was simple.
The vow of eternal loyalty in his memory was shifted—its object became Lan Minghua. That was all.
After all, Di Tian's dragon soul was not especially formidable, making the modification easy.
The blue radiance slowly ebbed. A trace of confusion flickered in Di Tian's vast golden pupils, then clarity returned.
Now there was no anger left in his eyes. In its place lay awe and submission.
"Honored One."
Sensing Lan Minghua seated above, Di Tian lowered his voice and spoke with reverent respect.
Lan Minghua nodded in satisfaction and lifted his hand from the dragon's head.
He gave the dragon a light pat and smiled. "Good. From today on, you're my mount. Don't worry—follow me, and you won't suffer."
Di Tian lowered his head and rumbled, "Yes, Honored One. To obey unconditionally is my duty."
His memory had been rewritten, and deep in his soul the brand of absolute loyalty to Lan Minghua was etched.
If Lan Minghua ordered him to die now, he would not hesitate.
Lan Minghua rose and stretched lazily.
Gazing up at the sky, he murmured, "God Realm, gods, God Kings—wash your necks and wait. Your turn will come soon."
Di Tian trembled at the whisper.
Though his memories were altered, his hatred for the God Realm still lay buried in his heart.
At Lan Minghua's mention of the God Realm, a cold gleam of killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Honored One, do you truly mean to attack the God Realm?" Di Tian asked quietly.
Lan Minghua smiled slightly and looked down. "What, are you afraid?"
Di Tian shook his head. "No, Master. The soul beast race bears a blood feud with the God Realm. If you will lead us to war, I, Di Tian, will serve as vanguard and follow you to the death!"
Lan Minghua nodded, pleased. "Good. That's more like it. But for now, let them enjoy a little peace. Come with me—we'll kill hearts before bodies."
Di Tian did not hesitate. "Yes, Honored One."
He would obey Lan Minghua's orders without question.
Though Di Tian's draconic form still radiated crushing pressure, several patches of scales had been shattered by Lan Minghua, leaving him unsightly.
Lan Minghua therefore used the Dual Perfection Hands—Red Hand, and in an instant Di Tian's wounds were healed.
Then he glanced toward Heaven Dou City and flicked his arm.
"Come on. Let's go watch the festivities."
"As you command, Honored One!"
In his soul beast form, Di Tian bore Lan Minghua into the skies. As for the Silver Dragon King—
Apologies, he had forgotten her for the moment.
Meanwhile, in the Heaven Dou Empire—Heaven Dou City.
Hundreds of thousands of soldiers crowded the capital. Their faces were taut with tension, as though bracing for a calamity.
Two figures hovered above the city:
Yun Shan and Wu Song.
They looked down upon the army as if sizing up lambs for slaughter.
Yun Shan glanced at the sun. "Wu Song, it's getting late. Time to stretch your limbs."
"Ah, I've long been impatient!"
Before his words had finished, Wu Song dropped like a meteor, diving toward the army below.
On the ground, the commanding general—a Soul Sage—sensed a piercing shriek of air from above.
He shouted at once, "Enemy attack!"
(End of Chapter)