As the saying goes, "Every man has his mother, and every demon has its demon mother."
Of course, soul beasts also have their own soul beast mothers.
... But Miss Jinji is the exception.
Because the Emperor Sacred Beast was directly created by the heavens and earth, not born from a mother.
At this moment, Wang Rui, who was kicked by Miss Jinji onto the Douluo Continent, was submerged in a void-like chaos.
He no longer had the five senses that he had as a human, but he could still vaguely feel that he had turned into something shapeless, like a slime.
A certain terrifying force, like an invisible hand, was compressing and twisting him, both rounding and flattening him.
Wang Rui tried hard to think in this state.
Was that force the will of the planet? Or, in more fantasy terms, the heavenly path of this world?
Maybe, but his intuition vaguely felt that the power seemed to far exceed the scale of a planet.
It was more conceptual, more abstract, and... more boundless and elusive.
Like endless fate.
As this thought appeared, Wang Rui suddenly felt his consciousness and thoughts beginning to sink, his thinking becoming slower, as if all his energy had been drained in that instant.
It was like sinking into a safe deep sea, surrounded only by thick water, empty of anything, where one could peacefully sleep during the fall.
—Because he had guessed the right answer, and his soul was temporarily unable to bear the "truth."
However, Wang Rui's dull thoughts couldn't come up with anything else at the moment. He was struggling desperately against the drowsiness, his nonexistent eyes wide open, determined not to miss the process where his existence was shaped by that hand of fate.
—After all, even if he didn't yet have a tail, he could tell that observing the power of heaven and earth shaping something was an experience that few people could hope for.
It was the flowing fate, the operating laws of heaven and earth, and the root of all things, the ultimate source of countless similar worlds.
Even though his reason could not comprehend this knowledge beyond understanding, his soul would forever remember this feeling.
The benefits of this perception would accompany Wang Rui throughout his life, until he transcended the highest point of this world.
The drowsiness grew heavier, and Wang Rui began to feel like his slime-like form was being kneaded into a ball, flattened like dough, and then wrapped with something like filling.
He was amused by his own thoughts.
And the force that had just merged with him was the power of fate bestowed upon the Imperial Sacred Beast, the destiny force.
With the power from fate itself, Wang Rui began to vaguely sense what fate was "thinking."
... Saying "thinking" wasn't quite accurate, as it had no "self-awareness," nor clear wisdom or personality.
If it had to be described, fate was more of a rule or a path... or more simply, the "wheel of history."
Such great power could never have clear emotions or intentions.
What Wang Rui felt was actually the karmic force in the dark.
The soul beasts of the world needed a "beast of fate" to bear the fate of soul beasts, so fate shaped the Emperor Auspicious Beast.
The Emperor Auspicious Beast, which should be the most powerful soul beast in this world, was given the bloodline of the most powerful soul beast—the Golden Dragon King, sealed in the divine realm—by fate.
And for balance, the Auspicious Beast could not represent only the interests of the dragon clan, so fate also blended the bloodline of an ancient lion king, who possessed the powers of ultimate light and fire, into the sacred beast's body.
Thus, the three-eyed golden beast was born, neither dragon nor lion, with the power of fate within it.
As different kinds of forces converged, a golden liquid with fiery red hues began to form into a mass, and a golden crystal-like eggshell gradually formed around it.
At this moment, Wang Rui realized a very serious issue: Miss Jinji was a girl... so what about him?
Before falling into deep sleep, his exhausted soul let out a desperate cry: "Turning into a girl? No, please! Absolutely not! Please make me the male three-eyed golden beast!"
...
The golden eggshell completely sealed, and a pure gold egg, glowing with iridescent halos, appeared in the dense forest.
As the tiny embryo within the egg began to beat for the first time, a mysterious, intangible wave of energy spread out, seemingly announcing its presence to the entire world.
At that moment, all the soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest, as if on cue, paused whatever they were doing.
The predators stopped chasing, the fleeing beasts halted, the sleeping ones opened their eyes, and the playful ones stood still.
Most creatures didn't understand what had happened, but they all gazed confusedly in the direction of the golden egg.
After a moment, they continued with their tasks, as if this was just a minor interruption.
Deep in the Star Dou Forest, where towering ancient trees surrounded a green gem-like lake, a massive purple-striped black tiger silently walked to the lakeside and sat down, its steel-whip-like tail elegantly coiled beside it.
"Di Tian, did you feel that? The Sacred Beast seems to have appeared in our Star Dou," the giant tiger said, her voice surprisingly cold and sharp, though still female.
"Yes," the tall man in a black robe, who seemed to have appeared from the shadow of the trees, replied. His usually stern face now wore a look of fanatical joy.
"The Sacred Beast has appeared in the Star Dou Forest. Ordinary soul beasts will speed up their cultivation, and ferocious beasts will find it easier to pass through the heavenly tribulations. Truly a blessing for the soul beast clan."
"However, the Sacred Beast is likely still in the process of being born, not yet fully manifested," the giant tiger said calmly. "Otherwise, this celestial phenomenon wouldn't have been so minor. Should we send forces to protect the yet-to-be-born Sacred Beast?"
Di Tian furrowed his brow, thinking for a moment before shaking his head. "No need, let it happen naturally. We can welcome it once it is born. The Sacred Beast will not be harmed in the forest."
"But—" The giant tiger hesitated, but her words were cut off by an excited shout.
(End of Chapter 3)