Chapter 68: Asking Di Tian for a Soul Bone? Are You Serious?!
"Seeing through illusion—that's your ability, isn't it?"
Di Tian showed no emotional fluctuation despite his identity being exposed.
It was as though he had already anticipated this outcome. In fact, he even felt a faint sense of relief at having his identity revealed.
After all, constantly hiding things would inevitably lead to exposure sooner or later. As the saying goes, stand by the river long enough, and your shoes will get wet.
Since Fan Chen had already seen through it, things would actually be much easier moving forward.
"More or less. It's just one of my abilities. But none of that matters."
"What I'm more curious about is why you've been clinging to me this whole time."
"You even went so far as to send the Emperor Destiny Beast—the Three-Eyed Golden Lion—right to my doorstep. Oh, right, not exactly. She's now called Di Yue, and she even shares your surname."
Di Tian quietly observed Fan Chen before him. This young man showed no fear toward him whatsoever—completely different from their first meeting.
Back then, Fan Chen had been scared to the point of vomiting when he saw him.
Compared to the calm and composed Fan Chen now, it was as if they were two entirely different people.
"This kid is awfully arrogant. Do you even know what kind of situation you're in, daring to speak to us like this?"
A burly, ferocious-looking middle-aged man standing beside Di Tian spoke up. His bulging muscles and vicious appearance made his dissatisfaction obvious.
"What? Want to make a move against me?"
"I may not be able to directly influence the fate of the entire Star Dou Forest like the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, but severing the fate of a single individual is still no problem for me—Bear Lord."
Strange light flickered in Fan Chen's eyes as mysterious runes faintly surfaced within them.
His words instantly silenced the previously domineering Bear Lord. A strong sense of unease surged in his heart.
"Calm down. We're not enemies—there's no need for such hostility."
As he spoke, Di Tian shot Bear Lord a sharp glance, clearly warning him not to say anything unnecessary.
After admonishing Bear Lord, Di Tian once again turned his gaze toward Fan Chen.
"Let's get straight to the point."
"You already know who we are, so there's no need for me to elaborate on that."
Fan Chen had no issues with their identities. Auspicious Beasts were inherently kind by nature.
This was an instinct etched into their very bones—an unchangeable truth.
Although Di Tian didn't quite understand why Fan Chen's martial soul was also an Auspicious Beast, he was certain of one thing—Fan Chen would never harm his own kind.
And the fact that Fan Chen dared to come here alone was proof enough.
"From now on, I'll have to trouble you to look after Xiao Jin."
"Having her by your side will bring tremendous benefits to both you and her."
"However, her personality is far too pure. She doesn't understand the twists and turns of the human world."
This was Di Tian's greatest concern. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's innate kindness made her extremely vulnerable when faced with the complexities of human nature.
Within the Star Dou Forest, she was under his protection and relatively safe. But once she entered the human world, the extent to which he could intervene would be very limited.
That was precisely why Di Tian felt reassured with Fan Chen around. It was also the main reason he dared to let the Three-Eyed Golden Lion go.
As another Auspicious Beast, Fan Chen's personality was far better suited to human society. With his help, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion was unlikely to encounter major problems.
Moreover, Spirit City wasn't far from the Star Dou Forest. Di Tian could come check on her every so often.
It was much like sending a child on a long journey—Di Tian hoped for her growth, yet still worried about her safety as a guardian.
"As long as she doesn't actively expose her soul beast identity, there shouldn't be any major issues."
The Emperor Destiny Beast was an extremely special kind of soul beast. Her transformation was completely different from that of ordinary hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
To her, being human or being a soul beast was merely a shift in form.
The Emperor Destiny Beast was born without bottlenecks. Once she reached a certain level, she would naturally break through.
There were no heavenly tribulations like those soul beasts feared, nor was there the issue of aura leakage before reaching the seventh ring.
Otherwise, with her current level, Golden Crocodile Douluo and Guang Ling would have already detected her long ago.
Fan Chen's leaving her alone earlier was also a deliberate test.
After all, his master, Golden Crocodile Douluo, was undeniably the second-strongest powerhouse in Spirit City.
If she could fool even his perception, then there would be no real problem.
If not, then this whole plan would have to be abandoned immediately.
Fan Chen had no intention of letting Spirit City suffer a beast tide—far too many people would die.
"There's no need to worry about that. I've already left safeguards on her."
"Even your strongest individual wouldn't be able to detect anything."
Di Tian was referring to Qian Daoliu. After all, he had met Qian Daoliu before and was well aware of Spirit City's power structure.
What Fan Chen didn't know was that Di Tian had actually visited Spirit City several times since that day.
He simply hadn't made contact with Fan Chen or the others; instead, he had been quietly observing and gathering information.
Now that his intelligence gathering was nearly complete, he had originally planned to approach Fan Chen later.
Who would have thought Fan Chen would show up here instead? Naturally, Di Tian came straight to him.
"Just be mindful of your limits. If something really happens, I won't be able to protect her."
Fan Chen laid out the stakes clearly in advance—essentially a precautionary warning.
If she wanted to stay by his side and reap the benefits, then she had to be prepared to face the risks as well.
Di Tian understood this perfectly. He didn't refute it, only nodded silently.
"Alright, that's enough talk."
"You've been here long enough. If you don't go back now, those two fellows are going to come looking for you."
As he spoke, Di Tian turned as if to leave—but Fan Chen stopped him.
"Wait. You're just leaving like that?"
"Otherwise?"
Di Tian turned around and looked at Fan Chen in confusion. He had already said everything that needed to be said—why stay any longer?
He wasn't human, after all. What, was he supposed to invite Fan Chen to stay for a meal?
"Damn it, I risked my life coming here, and you're just going to send me off like this?"
"You're the mighty Beast God, yet you're this stingy?"
"At least give me something to show some sincerity. You're asking me to help raise your kid—giving me nothing makes this really hard for me."
Joking aside, did Di Tian really think Fan Chen came all this way just to exchange a few words?
Coming back empty-handed was absolutely not his style.
The surrounding fierce beasts were all speechless.
So that was his plan all along?
That was… unexpected.
"So what do you want?"
Di Tian didn't feel like wasting words and asked directly. A bit of compensation was nothing he couldn't afford.
"Nothing fancy. Just a few hundred stalks of immortal herbs or immortal fruits."
"Oh, and that Water of Life thing—fill a few hundred bottles for me. That stuff tastes pretty good."
"And while you're at it, throw in a few soul bones or something. You should have some lying around, right?"
"I don't need anything too high-end. Ten-thousand-year level is fine. My master just happens to be missing a head soul bone…"
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End of Chapter