"Phew~"
Ma Hongjun let out a long breath.
His body was already under immense strain; if they continued fighting, it would truly be a fight to the death!
Fortunately, the sentimental Snow Empress prevented things from escalating to that point of no return.
Ma Hongjun could understand the feelings of the Ice Empress, the Snow Empress, and even the Titan Snow Demon King. Although this guy was constantly stirring up trouble and somewhat despicable, he was understandable.
Compared to the soul beasts like Xiong Jun who hated humans, the Titan Snow Demon King was already quite restrained.
Of course, here, the most restrained was Ma Hongjun!
Or rather, he was already feeling somewhat aggrieved!
But Ma Hongjun had his reasons for doing this.
Whether it was to compromise or to contribute to the better development of the world, Ma Hongjun ultimately saw the significance of this matter for the world!
He deeply understood the future development and outcome of the Douluo Continent and had deeply lamented the persecution of soul beasts by humans, which had brought them to the brink of extinction.
The unbalanced growth of power between soul beasts and humans...
Just like the previous world, in the end, technology replaced many things, and species disappeared.
The world is neither regressing nor progressing.
But like the environment, sustainable development requires balance!
Right now, it's clear that Douluo Continent has lost its balance!
Ma Hongjun once hunted spirit beasts relentlessly, losing himself in the pursuit of power.
He forgot that he too had once felt compassion for spirit beasts.
But that's growth. Now, he has the opportunity and the ability to change the rules of this world, to make it a better place.
The spirit beasts here aren't all as ferocious and terrifying as he imagined; they're diverse, like Pokémon, they can be cute and adorable. They
're not just tools for humans to hunt and enhance their strength.
They are living, breathing parts of this world, with emotions and thoughts.
It's just that the cultivation system of this world has created a natural antagonism between humans and spirit beasts, eliminating the possibility of friendship.
Even pets, a common part of life, have been lost.
People only know that the spirit rings and spirit bones on spirit beasts can enhance their strength.
They overlook that these spirit beasts can also live like partners, friends, even lovers.
This is a reform!
The old mindset of mutual hostility and destruction must be changed.
Every reform is difficult, often accompanied by bloodshed and a price.
Ma Hongjun had been too optimistic; he saw the harsh reality of Douluo Continent and envisioned the idyllic world of trust and harmony between humans and animals in Pokémon.
He assumed this would be supported and promoted!
However, things that are too good to be true all at once may not be readily accepted.
When someone is accustomed to darkness, suddenly bringing them light,
even if you think it's for their own good, can blind them and rob them of the chance to see again!
Everything, no matter how wonderful, needs a transition.
Ma Hongjun used to own pets and loved the special bond with animals. He
even fantasized about having Pokémon partners in the world of Pokémon!
The spirit beasts of Douluo Continent are simply animals with various abilities; they
're not much different from Pokémon!
Perhaps he could create a world where humans and animals truly live in harmony, the world of his dreams. He could
create a new world order and build his own imagined kingdom.
This was a goal that inspired him greatly!
So, some setbacks are acceptable.
When you see the world as you wish one day, all the grievances and setbacks you've experienced will have been worthwhile.
It's not some grand vision to change the world, or to sacrifice one's life for world peace and beauty.
Ma Hongjun isn't that great.
He just wants to do something for the world within his power!
Realistically, it's also for himself.
...
Such a high-intensity battle has almost depleted Ma Hongjun's soul power and physical strength.
Especially the final punch from the Titan Snow Demon King, which dealt a heavy blow to his body.
Apart from his mental strength remaining stable, Ma Hongjun is on the verge of collapse!
Fortunately, it was all worth it!
Shui Bing'er held Ma Hongjun in her arms, her face streaked with tears, looking at her beloved with heartache.
The great battle has just ended!
A beam of icy blue light appeared around Ma Hongjun.
"Alright!"
The Dragon Soul's voice came as if it were a hindsight attack.
Ma Hongjun couldn't laugh anymore; he had no strength left!
The Dragon Soul appeared, surrounded by a blue halo, hovering around Ma Hongjun and Shui Bing'er, enveloping them.
But now it seemed somewhat superfluous!
Ma Hongjun forced himself to stand up from Shui Bing'er's embrace. He
said calmly
, "Xiao Bai is awake. Let's go down and talk!" Xiao
Bai hadn't woken up at the crucial moment. Ma Hongjun had been beaten and almost had his soul frozen; he had no mood for excitement.
Landing on the ground, he saw that the battle here had stopped, and the fight between Ice Scorpion and the four teachers had also ceased.
"Where's Xiao Bai? Can you summon it now?"
Ice Emperor asked anxiously.
Ma Hongjun closed his eyes, his consciousness probing into his soul space. He sensed that Xiao Bai had broken through; Xiao Bai was currently sensing its own power.
In a state of enlightenment, its mind and spirit were focused on cultivation, unaware of what was happening outside.
Moreover, in the state of enlightenment, one is unaware of the passage of time; ten days might feel like a fleeting moment. It
's still basking in the joy of its breakthrough!
It has fallen in love with this environment; the breakthrough itself felt almost like a dream, and it has never experienced such exhilaration before.
Little White is already eager to persuade Snow Empress and the others to come inside.
The Soul Space, becoming a Soul Pet, is even more wonderful than Ma Hongjun described.
"Little White, stop sensing the power, come out first, everyone wants to see you!"
Ma Hongjun transmitted his voice.
"Ah, okay, I'll go out, I want to tell them this good news!"
Little White responded excitedly, becoming even more affectionate towards Ma Hongjun.
Ma Hongjun stretched out his hand, conjuring a Soul Realm Gate.
Little White suddenly appeared from the air.
It took a step and landed steadily on the open ground next to Ma Hongjun!
In the Soul Space, when Little White is awake, it can detect the outside world if it wants, only requiring a little mental energy. However, people outside cannot enter the Soul Space.
Therefore, Little White can know the outside world and find the best position after coming out!
"Little White!"
"Little White!"
...
The three Heavenly Kings, including the Snow Empress, excitedly called out to Little White, feeling as if he had been resurrected.
At this moment, they could all feel Little White's powerful aura. Having just broken through, Little White hadn't restrained his power at all.
No further explanation was needed; Little White's state had proven everything!
A sense of apology rose in the hearts of the Snow Empress and the Ice Empress.
Little White had initially been very excited and happy.
It was inherently simple-minded and straightforward, which was why it hadn't been wary of Ma Hongjun after entering the soul space, entering a state of enlightenment.
It wasn't that it hadn't doubted Ma Hongjun, but its first choice was still to trust him, so it broke through inside with peace of mind.
However, the scene before it made Little White's joy slowly cool. The simple-minded Little White wasn't stupid. The mess of the battle around it,
and Ma Hongjun's hideous wounds!
made Little White realize that something must have just happened.
"You, you injured Ma Hongjun?"
"Mom, why, why did you hurt him?"
Faced with Little White's question, the Snow Empress was speechless, and the Ice Empress felt guilty and dared not respond.
泰坦雪魔王也是一阵后悔.
不管它爽不爽马红俊,但是马红俊对魂兽的态度,这份友好,也应该值得尊重.
三大天王没有回答,小白更加气愤,马红俊真是他们打伤的.
为什么?
此时的小白,就像一个刚刚知道自己的丈夫因为误会被娘家人揍了一顿而两面为难的小媳妇.
它好委屈,为什么你们不能好好相处.
"不怪他们,小白,这都是误会!"
马红俊安慰着小白,伸手抚摸着它的绒绒的白毛.
看到马红俊已经变形的手臂,上面有深可见骨的伤口,还流着血液.
小白心疼了,它伸出舌头,轻轻的舔着马红俊手掌上的伤口.
马红俊欣慰的笑了笑,这就是值得!
小白,信任马红俊,在他的灵魂空间突破.
同样,马红俊也没有辜负它的这一份信任,遇到问题,也没有打扰它,让小白成功突破.
This is the unique bond between humans and spirit beasts; they come together because of their connection, and they journey through life because of that bond!
Seeing this scene, the Dragon Soul unconsciously shed tears of ice crystals.
Once, his master had stroked his scales in the same way, and he had licked his wounded master's wounds.
Those warm memories are gone forever!
So distant, so nostalgic!
The relationship between humans and beasts in Douluo Continent is too bloody and cruel; the Dragon Soul has always disliked it.
As a beast, he naturally had to consider things
from the perspective of the spirit beasts. He hated this world rule that offered no future for spirit beasts.
That's why, when the Vermilion Bird King and Queen sacrificed themselves, he didn't hesitate to expend his spiritual power to help them preserve their souls.
However, he didn't tell Ma Hongjun that it wasn't so easy for a fire-type spirit beast to remain within his ice-attribute soul.
This is also why the Vermilion Bird King and Queen, aged 400,000 and 700,000 years respectively, have remained in a deep slumber.
The Dragon Soul, in the end, sympathized with the spirit beasts.
As for the fact that the Dragon Soul absorbed spirit rings to recover, this isn't contradictory. At that time, the Dragon Soul hadn't fully awakened; it was still in a remnant soul state, its consciousness blurred, requiring a large amount of various energies.
Moreover, spirit beasts, or rather, species, naturally compete for growth.
It wasn't that the Dragon Soul indiscriminately killed spirit beasts; rather, spirit beasts were both hunters and prey to each other—this is the rule of the ecosystem, life striving for evolution, which is perfectly understandable.
However, the rules of this world are skewed; it's not a normal, orderly world. It has been artificially altered by the gods, and it's too cruel to spirit beasts!
The Dragon Soul wants to change this!
As a former spirit pet, it knows that not all humans are so cold-blooded and ruthless.
Human emotions are complex and diverse, and spirit beasts can also become good partners with humans.
Therefore, after partially recovering its strength, it hopes that Ma Hongjun can promote the development of the spirit pet master system, creating a system where humans and spirit beasts coexist in a balanced way on the Douluo Continent.
Touched by the scene between Ma Hongjun and Xiaobai, the Dragon Soul, deeply moved, decided to do something.
It flew up and hovered in the air between Ma Hongjun and the six people led by him, and the beasts led by Xue Di.
The Dragon Soul's sudden action drew the attention of everyone, both human and beast!
Throughout the entire battle, the Dragon Soul, acting as a third-person observer, was the one who understood everything best.
"Humans and soul beasts can coexist peacefully!"
The Dragon Soul's voice was ancient and resonant, clearly reaching the ears of everyone, human and beast.
Except for Ma Hongjun, Shui Bing'er, Xue Di, and others, everyone stared at the Dragon Soul in astonishment.
A talking martial soul!
Previously, the Dragon Soul and Ma Hongjun had only communicated through soul transmission. The Dragon Soul's special ability to preserve its spirit had only slightly attracted their attention, which they attributed to the unique nature of martial souls. The
Dragon Soul looked at Xue Di and the other soul beasts, his eyes filled with spirituality, like a true ice dragon.
His appearance possessed the handsome elegance of a beast god; he was like a benevolent beast god, instilling a sense of security and trust in the soul beasts.
His eyes were deep, filled with stories, experiences, and vicissitudes. This was an old dragon who had traversed time and space, wandering through multiple worlds.
Xue Di and the other soul beasts, looking at him, couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
The Dragon Soul continued,
"All of Ma Hongjun's plans to become a Soul Pet Master were secretly guided and assisted by me.
Don't doubt his ulterior motives. If he didn't do this, with my help, I could easily kill you all and extract your Soul Rings and Bones as a Soul Master."
At this moment, the aura released by the Dragon Soul was no weaker than that of the Snow Empress, and coupled with his unique divine charm, the Snow Empress and the other Soul Beasts had no doubt about his words.
"I am not a true Martial Soul. I am a Soul Beast from another world, but my remnant soul wandered into this world and became Ma Hongjun's Martial Soul.
I was once a Soul Pet like Xiaobai, and I even set foot in the God Realm, becoming a true divine dragon.
The path of Soul Pets imposes certain constraints on Soul Beasts, but it's not necessarily a bad thing.
In another world, it even became the mainstream, just like the path of Soul Masters in this world."
…
Xiao Bai entered Ma Hongjun's soul space and entered a state of enlightenment, a very wondrous state of cultivation. It
cannot be disturbed, or the consequences will be severe. Moreover, Xiao Bai is breaking through during this enlightenment; interrupting it will not only cause its breakthrough to fail but could even endanger it.
Therefore, to prevent Xiao Bai from being disturbed, Ma Hongjun cannot use any spiritual power. As his spiritual martial soul, I am directly connected to Xiao Bai.
That's why, during your battle just now, I protected Xiao Bai and did not help Ma Hongjun.
Even if all three of you attacked together, you wouldn't be able to harm Ma Hongjun if I had helped!
Ma Hongjun would rather be injured than let Xiao Bai suffer; he is a trustworthy human partner.
Not to mention, Ma Hongjun's talent destined him to eventually soar through the heavens. Only
by following him will you have a chance to break free from the shackles of this world.
I hope you can help him promote the Soul Pet Master system in this world and resolve the conflict between us Soul Beasts and humans.
This is the best way out for Soul Beasts.
Our cultivation is slow, and the cost is unmatched by humans; in the long run, Soul Beasts will only perish.
Furthermore, the path for Soul Beasts to become gods in this world has been blocked.
Your only option is to try the path for Soul Pets to enter the God Realm. "
Dragon Soul's voice still echoed in the air, his words deeply striking the hearts of Snow Empress and the other soul beasts.
Everything became clear. Dragon Soul, with a broad perspective, personal experience, and empathy, had clearly explained the matter.
Little White nudged Ma Hongjun with its head; Ma Hongjun's injuries were all for it.
Humans could be like this, making it feel warm!
Snow Empress looked at Ma Hongjun again, her eyes brightening, a smile appearing on her face.
Humans, no, this young man before her, were indeed worthy of trust.
Similarly, Ma Hongjun scanned the soul beasts.
Their gazes towards Ma Hongjun had become friendly, as if each soul beast carried a unique emotion.
It wasn't that they didn't trust humans, but rather that they had been hurt too deeply by humans.
But if someone was willing to understand them, to get close to them, they would eventually discover that their hearts were also warm!
Humans and beasts are the same, with good and bad, kindness and evil.
They are just different species, with different appearances." That's all.
Human faces hide beastly hearts, beastly faces hide human hearts; beneath the surface lies true friendship and
confidantship!
This beating was worthwhile!
Perhaps this was the best arrangement, or perhaps it was a deliberate arrangement by the Dragon Soul.
But none of that matters anymore; this outcome is just right!
A misunderstanding elevated the relationship between Ma Hongjun and Xiaobai, allowing their master-pet bond to withstand the test in a short time.
The soul beast trusts its master, confidently cultivating and breaking through.
The master protects you, ensuring your safety!
This showed the soul beasts the best human-beast relationship!
It dispelled their unknown fears of soul pet masters!
The Dragon Soul's final speech was even more reassuring; he is a soul beast, and soul beasts naturally revere and trust him!
He chose Ma Hongjun; what else is there to hesitate or doubt!
Ma Hongjun smiled; he truly felt the pure emotion of communicating with a soul beast.
He stroked Xiaobai, and the pain in his body lessened.
Soul pet—Ma Hongjun pondered this word deeply once more.
Soul pet, a companion of the soul!
(