Chapter 11: All Part of the Plan
According to Di Tian's explanation of the Respected One's Yao Ling race, this soul bone was indeed a good fit for him.
After all, it enhanced spiritual power and likely came with a life-preserving soul skill.
No one ever knew which would come first—tomorrow or disaster—so survival abilities were always a welcome asset.
In the end, Lin Yun chose to keep the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear's right palm bone, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's external soul bone, and the Blue Shadow Divine Eagle's wings. The rest he returned to Di Tian.
When he turned around, he was startled by the sight of the Three-Eyed Golden Lion drooling uncontrollably.
"Sniff sniff… smells so good, Respected One, can I eat this? I want some…" she stared longingly at the whole roasted deer on Lin Yun's grill. Normally, she only enjoyed the brain matter of light-attribute soul beasts, but for some reason, whatever the Respected One had cooked smelled even better.
Tempted by the food, despite having just met Lin Yun, she followed Di Tian's example and began calling him "Respected One."
"Of course, go ahead. It's all yours." Lin Yun chuckled, rubbed her golden head, and handed the roasted deer to her.
She was just a little lion craving BBQ—how could he deny her?
Di Tian hesitated, wanting to stop her from disrespecting the Gold Dragon King's dignity, but seeing Lin Yun's cheerful demeanor, he swallowed the words before they left his mouth.
Ah… exhausting.
"Thanks!" The Three-Eyed Golden Lion affectionately nuzzled Lin Yun, then sat down beside him, using her two front limbs to hold the roast while crunching through it in large bites.
And it really was crunchy.
Her sharp teeth tore off an entire deer leg in one bite, pulverizing even the bones before swallowing it whole. Lin Yun's smile froze slightly.
Damn, what a ferocious eater.
Let's just hope that when she transforms into a soft and delicate maiden, she doesn't still eat like this.
"Di Tian, let her stay by my side. With me, her bloodline will strengthen much faster than feeding on low-grade soul beast brains, and I can also boost my own cultivation," Lin Yun said, stroking her golden fur.
Before Di Tian could respond, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion spoke up, "Respected One, if I stay with you, can I eat food like this every day?"
"Revered Beast, don't be rude. The Respected One is extremely busy. He cannot spend time cooking for you," Di Tian said with a stern tone.
"Hey now, Di Tian, don't say that. I'm not that busy right now, and I need to eat too. Making an extra portion isn't a problem," Lin Yun waved it off with a smile.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion bared her teeth, gave Di Tian a displeased glare, and nuzzled Lin Yun once again.
'Hmph, stupid Di Tian. I don't like you anymore. Respected One is better!'
Just like that, the little lion had been completely won over. Seeing Lin Yun's warm, fatherly smile, Di Tian could only nod in resignation.
So, a revered beast with the same bloodline as the Respected One really does gain more affection, huh?
Damn… I want that too.
After eating her fill, Di Tian had already wandered off somewhere, while Lin Yun leaned against the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's soft fur, sitting cross-legged in cultivation.
As the dragon aura continued to emanate from Lin Yun's body, the bloodline within the Three-Eyed Golden Lion stirred as well. Carefully positioning herself to avoid disturbing him, she curled up quietly and closed her eyes.
Soul beasts did not require cultivation. They simply needed to eat and wait, slowly growing stronger with time.
Of course, perhaps it was because soul beasts had never possessed proper cultivation methods to begin with. Thus, they could only rely on the most primitive path—accumulating time and nourishing their strength step by step.
For the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, staying by Lin Yun's side was the fastest path to growth.
Unknowingly, nine months had passed.
Lin Yun's soul power had already reached level twenty. Through normal cultivation, he had improved by three levels, and after absorbing the Darkgolden Terrorclaw Bear's palm bone, he gained another level.
Unlike regular soul bones, external soul bones didn't immediately provide large boosts of soul power like a soul ring would.
They needed time to grow. What they brought was primarily a physical enhancement, and their true benefits would gradually emerge with further development.
They didn't instantly grant soul skills or massive power increases upon absorption, like traditional soul bones did.
That year, Lin Yun was ten years old, and his soul power had reached level twenty.
"It's about time. The next phase of the plan can slowly begin." Lin Yun gently rubbed the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's head, his eyes lowering slightly.
She responded by nuzzling up to Lin Yun and closing her eyes with satisfaction.
During those nine months, Lin Yun and the Three-Eyed Golden Lion were nearly inseparable. She only left occasionally, when craving variety, to hunt a few light-attributed soul beasts with the Scarlet King for their brain matter.
The rest of the time, she stayed by Lin Yun's side, cultivating together with him.
Under the stimulation of the Gold Dragon King bloodline, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion's cultivation surged by a thousand years in just nine months—from fifteen thousand to sixteen thousand years.
It confirmed that for her, continuously awakening the Golden Dragon bloodline within her was indeed the best way to grow.
"Di Tian," Lin Yun called softly.
Behind him, Di Tian's figure silently emerged from space.
"Respected One, your subordinate is here."
Lin Yun looked northward, a strange smile appearing on his face. "Let's go. It's time to begin. Follow me to the Extreme North."
'The Extreme North…' Di Tian's golden eyes flickered slightly.
When Lin Yun mentioned that place, the first image that came to mind was that powerful presence hidden within the snow and ice—the leader of the Three Great Kings of the Extreme North: the Ice Sky Snow Empress, Xue Di.
But Di Tian didn't ask anything. Whatever Lin Yun said, he would follow. As a subordinate, there was no need to question—only to obey without hesitation.
The Respected One was never wrong.
This was all part of the plan!
"Yes, Respected One," Di Tian bowed in response. "Shall we depart now?"
"Of course. There's no time to waste." Lin Yun nodded and looked back at the Three-Eyed Golden Lion. "Play by yourself for a while. I'll be back soon."
"Understood, Respected One." Though a bit reluctant, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion understood Lin Yun's importance just from watching Di Tian's attitude over the past nine months.
Besides, she wasn't truly foolish—she wouldn't cling to him like a needy child.
She watched Di Tian and Lin Yun disappear into a spatial tunnel, then happily bounced off to go hunting with the Scarlet King.
"Scarlet King, Scarlet King!"
"The Respected One left, quick, take me to get snacks!"
(End of Chapter)
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