The swift swallow flaps its wings and flies into the sky.
Its delicate wings vibrate at a speed undetectable to the human eye, creating a silver blur across the azure sky.
The pointed-tailed swift has neither a sharp beak nor claws, nor does it shoot wind blades or light cannons. This weak soul beast, almost devoid of any special abilities, is unremarkable and nearly indistinguishable from ordinary birds.
Yet, it has found a way to survive in the dangerous Star Dou Forest, without being eaten to extinction by the forest's predators.
— The key lies in its speed.
Generation after generation of pointed-tailed swifts have evolved over long ages, developing more intricate skeletal structures, lighter feathers, stronger wings, and a body more favored by the wind... and with it, even greater speed.
Hundreds of thousands of years have passed, and the pointed-tailed swift has become one of the fastest flying soul beasts on the continent.
According to legend, ten thousand years ago, soul masters who possessed the pointed-tailed swift as their martial soul were also the fastest humans. Among them, the most skilled even set the terrifying record of crossing the entire continent in just two days.
However, today, the inheritance of the pointed-tailed swift martial soul has been severed, and the legend is now lost to time.
Yet, this swift's flying speed is now incomprehensibly faster than that of the legendary strongman by many multiples!
In less than an hour, it has flown from the Duke's residence in the heart of Star Luo to the northern border of the Star Luo Empire, crossing nearly a third of the empire's territory.
Such terrifying speed!
The swallow continues flying northward, and the distance between towns grows ever larger. Human homes become scarcer, orderly farmlands vanish, replaced by wild vegetation growing more abundant.
The roads built by humans gradually stretch into the woods, soon swallowed by the dense forest, disappearing from view, leaving only endless tree shadows.
The Star Dou Forest is here.
The swallow swoops over the tree clusters, where broken houses are faintly visible. They were once human villages, now completely overtaken by green plants.
Over the past fifteen thousand years, the Star Dou Forest has slowly expanded outward, and today, it is more than twice the size it was then.
Humans haven't reacted much to this.
This is not surprising.
Humans are a short-lived species, and fifteen thousand years is an incomprehensible period.
For ordinary people, a generation is twenty years. Even the most powerful soul masters live only around two hundred years.
Fifteen thousand years is enough for many generations of humans to live and die.
Dynasties rise and fall, families flourish and decay, and traditions are born and vanish... Countless records on paper have been lost.
Who would remember how large the Star Dou Forest was ten thousand years ago?
Humans respect strength, and the ruling classes devote most of their energy to cultivation. But how many humans are gifted with both extraordinary cultivation and political talent?
Governance by force always leaves a mess behind. Who would care if this forest expanded ten meters this year?
Furthermore, to human nations, the Star Dou Forest is also their land.
As the forest expands, the nation's land doesn't shrink. It simply turns from farmland into forest... Not a significant issue.
As for whether the peasants' lands are consumed by the Star Dou Forest?
Soul masters don't farm. Who would care?
Time is both the most lacking and most abundant thing for soul beasts.
Now, the Star Dou Forest has become the most dangerous human forbidden zone on the continent. Even in the outer regions, people have witnessed hundred-thousand-year soul beasts.
Without a Title Douluo-level protector, even entering the outer edges of the forest could be fatal.
The swallow continues its flight deeper into the forest.
At the heart of the Star Dou Forest lies the legendary forbidden area. There is a lake filled with all the life energy of the forest, guarded by terrifying beings over a hundred thousand years old.
However, not far from the Life Lake, there is an unusually large area filled with buildings.
It is a small town built in the heart of the Star Dou Forest.
The houses are mostly made of brown or dark green stones, appearing rough... even crude.
Yet, life is abundant here. Some houses are adorned with decorative graffiti, others have clothes hanging out of the windows, and some have small gardens growing vegetables in front of the doors.
If you ignore the geographic location, this could be any ordinary peaceful little town.
A child, about five or six years old, pushes open a window and looks up at the narrow sky between the tree crowns.
A silver flash crosses his vision.
...
In the blink of an eye, the pointed-tailed swift arrives at the center of the town.
There is a relatively flat open space in the middle, the ground hardened into black-brown soil, resembling a square.
At the center of the open space stands a thick, obviously modified with human or beast labor, strange dead tree.
The tree's extensive root system stretches deep into the ground, with the exposed roots and the blackened trunk engraved with complex, interconnecting patterns.
The dense branches have long since died, but still stubbornly reach toward the sky, with pale green, semi-transparent light spheres hanging at the tips of the dead branches.
Countless pale green light dots flow along these patterns, like a chaotic rain flowing upwards, eventually converging into the light spheres on the branches.
These light spheres seem to still be breathing, flickering in a mysterious, irregular pattern.
Beneath the tree is a white jade circular platform, about one meter tall and three meters in diameter, engraved with golden vertical lines. The surrounding air carries a faint chill.
A boy dressed in black and gold martial attire sits cross-legged on the platform.
He looks around eleven or twelve years old, with messy fiery red short hair that looks quite wild. Yet, his eyes carry a subtle scholarly demeanor, making him appear somewhat gentle.
The swallow lands in front of the white jade platform, its sharp beak emitting a melodious birdcall: "Fortune Beast, Fortune Beast, the human child you asked me to watch has left the White Tiger Duke's residence~"
A vertical slit opens on the boy's forehead, revealing a blood-red eye. The somewhat eerie blood-colored pupil turns a few times in its socket before the third eye closes.
"I understand," the transformed Three-Eyed Golden Lion says softly. A faint golden light drifts toward the swallow. "Thank you for your efforts. Go to your tribe's leader to collect your reward."
The leader of the swallow clan is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast.
For such a small species to reach a hundred thousand years of cultivation is nearly impossible, yet such a miracle has indeed occurred in the Star Dou Forest.
The swallow lets out an excited call, "Thank you, Fortune Beast!" Then it flaps its wings and flies toward the swallow clan's territory.
The reward from the clan leader isn't that important, what matters is the bit of luck the Fortune Beast has given it. With this luck, this pointed-tailed swallow will be very fortunate for a long time to come.
Wang Rui sits quietly, gazing southward toward the Star Dou Forest. After a long pause, he seems to make a decision and sighs deeply.
He raises his hand and pats the white jade platform beneath him. "Tianmeng, wake up. The human child suitable to be your host has set out."
There is no response.
"Tianmeng, Tianmeng?" He pats a few more times.
A symbol resembling a hashtag appears on Wang Rui's forehead.
"Ah, the summer weather is so hot... This ice silkworm still won't wake up, probably got heatstroke. You know, when an ice silkworm gets heatstroke, it's done for. We might as well eat it," he mutters to himself.
"At this time of year, eating the ice silkworm is just right. It can boost cultivation and cool off. This plump white bug has ten segments if you chop off the head. Let's divide it evenly: one segment for Di Tian, one for me, one for Zi Ji, one for me, one for Wen Wen..."
"No, no, no, I'm awake! I'm awake!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's panicked voice erupts.
"Who's the big brother here?" Wang Rui asks, smiling mischievously.
"You're my big brother! You're my big brother!" The white jade platform trembles and stretches, a chubby round head rising from its center.
The small golden eyes on the head gleam mischievously, and the entire insect has a rather annoying vibe.
"That's more like it," Wang Rui grumbles, "It's your own lifespan that's almost up. You're looking for a host, but you're too lazy to wake up. All you do is nap."
"Ah, who told you that you're my best friend, the omnipotent Emperor Beast of the Star Dou Forest!" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm chuckles.
Wang Rui doesn't respond to this. He lowers his eyes and says faintly, "That human child has set off for the Star Dou. He has the most powerful mental-type martial soul among humans. His eyes and brain are remarkable, though his physical condition is relatively weak. But for your plan, that shouldn't make any difference."
"He's a bit physically weak..." Tianmeng Ice Silkworm mutters reluctantly.
"Stop nitpicking," Wang Rui rolls his eyes. "Do you know how rare pure mental-type humans are? Or do you think your remaining lifespan can afford to wait? This human is the child of destiny in the Douluo world. You made the right choice for a host."
"How do you know?" Tianmeng asks foolishly.
"I'm the omnipotent Emperor Beast, I know everything." Wang Rui sneers.
Eleven years ago, when Huo Yuhao was just conceived, there was an immense disturbance in the human world's fortune.
Through Wang Rui's "Eye of Fate," a terrifying funnel-shaped cyclone appeared in the south, gathering massive fortune above the capital of Star Luo Empire.
Like ominous clouds hanging over the city or a storm ready to fall, this sight in Wang Rui's eyes resembled a foreboding disaster, though terrifying in appearance.
After all, this was the second protagonist of Douluo Dalu, Huo Yuhao, the world's favorite child who only appears once every ten thousand years—though his fate was a bit melancholic, he was still the child of destiny, standing at the center of the era's stage.
Before Huo Yuhao's birth, the Douluo world had already experienced such a significant fortune fluctuation — this is why Tang San, in the divine realm, sensed that a new child of destiny had been born in the Douluo world and precisely sent his daughter to "recruit" him.
On the day Huo Yuhao was born, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion chose to transform into human form.
As the Emperor Beast, Wang Rui is different from other soul beasts. He is not bound by fate or cultivation level. He has one opportunity to transform into a human during his life, and after that, he can freely switch between human and beast forms.
He chose to enter the human world in this era.
If soul beasts remain hidden in the forest, hoping for human mercy and abandoning conquest, it is utterly unrealistic.
Meanwhile, humans enjoy the favor of fortune, and although the threats of destruction posed by the bear lord sound plausible, they are not practical.
Soul beasts must possess far greater strength than humans and seize their own voice in the human world.
Wang Rui's ambition is far beyond merely safeguarding the Star Dou soul beasts. Over the last fifteen thousand years, he has achieved a lot.
He has united different soul beast species, built a force, and set up a base for soul beasts to intervene in the human world.
During the era of the Divine Realm and the Tang Sect, there were beings from other worlds, such as the Necromancer God, Electrolux, who might be swayed by the soul beasts' kindness. The three nations of Douluo and the Sun Moon Empire still wage war, and the destruction and life forces remain in the divine realm. Tang San does not dare to openly install his father as the ruler of the Douluo world's planes yet.
This era will be the perfect stage for the soul beasts, who have spent fifteen thousand years preparing.
The strength of the Star Dou Forest now far exceeds that in the original timeline, yet it is still not enough.
Wang Rui needs more support.
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's "God-Making Plan" is the most important part of the novel's original plot, and it is also part of Wang Rui's own plan.
Training a god-level powerhouse to stand as the representative of the soul beast forces is in line with the interests of the Star Dou.
Although soul beasts' predicament cannot be solved by just one god, and humans becoming gods can't directly intervene in the lower world, it's a huge difference between having a god and not having one.
... After all, just one Tang San was enough to shake the entire Douluo Three Kingdoms for thousands of years. Without the Sea God's Academy title, the Douluo Three Kingdoms would never have tolerated Shrek riding on their heads, plundering their resources and talents.
Without the deterrence of gods, no ruler with ambition and brains would allow Shrek to develop to the level depicted in the original story.
So, Huo Yuhao? You're coming with me.jpg
But Wang Rui does not share these considerations with Tianmeng Ice Silkworm.
He pats Tianmeng's huge body, "You should get going now, right? How many days will it take to move such a huge worm to the edge of the Star Dou? Take care of your host."
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm's body wriggles in the white jade platform, its huge round form expands, and it murmurs in a groggy voice, "Got it, got it. The human is already on his way, right? There's no need to rush. This time, he's definitely the one. We just need to let him grow up, step by step."
Wang Rui sighs deeply, watching the giant ice silkworm slowly begin to stir. His eyes glimmer with a calculating coldness as he watches the transformation unfold. In his heart, however, he cannot help but feel a flicker of excitement.
The future is something that can be molded by the right hands, and it is clear that Huo Yuhao, this child of destiny, is pivotal to the course of the coming storm.
"Good. And don't be lazy with the transformation process," Wang Rui orders, his voice firm. "The energy you'll need to channel to connect with this child's mind and spirit is immense. Don't waste time, understand?"
Tianmeng, now fully awake, lets out an exasperated hum, "Fine, fine, I'm not a child anymore. Don't worry, I know my limits." It wriggles its body a little before starting to retreat back into the platform, the swirling energy building around it.
"Remember, this is the perfect opportunity. Your host will be critical to shaping the future of both soul beasts and humans," Wang Rui adds, his voice quieter but laced with authority. "I expect no failures."
The silkworm responds with an affirming sound, and the transformation begins to take full form.
Wang Rui steps back, his gaze scanning the horizon where the vast Star Dou Forest extends in front of him. The forest, with its mysteries and dangers, is not only a barrier to humanity but also a place of life and potential power for those who understand it.
With his thoughts focused on the future, Wang Rui prepares to witness how the intertwining destinies of soul beasts and humans will unfold. In his mind, the upcoming challenges are but stepping stones toward the ultimate goal of awakening and securing the place of soul beasts within the human world.
The calm before the storm is over.
As the faint green glow of Tianmeng's transformation fades from sight, Wang Rui turns his attention to the distant Star Dou Forest. The battle for survival and dominance between soul beasts and humans is far from over.
But Wang Rui knows: it's only just beginning.
he large insect's snow-white body bounced up twice with a soft "duang duang" sound.
"Sacred Beast... Are you sure that if you let me go like this, Di Tian won't cause you trouble?" Tianmeng Ice Silkworm put away his mischievous smile, and his small golden eyes now held genuine concern.
Eight or nine thousand years ago, when Tianmeng Ice Silkworm had just escaped from the extreme northern ice plains to land, he was captured by the ten-thousand-year soul beasts of the Star Dou Forest.
If it hadn't been for the intervention of the Emperor Rui Beast back then, he might have already been torn apart and devoured by those powerful soul beasts. Instead, now he only needs to periodically release some of his energy for the soul beasts of Star Dou to absorb.
Thus, Tianmeng Ice Silkworm truly appreciated Rui Beast's help.
However, what Tianmeng didn't know was that even if Wang Rui hadn't stopped those ten-thousand-year soul beasts from trying to feast on him, he would have still survived and lived until now according to his original fate.
"Don't worry, Di Tian won't make things difficult for me." Wang Rui patted Tianmeng's large head.
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm nodded and then burrowed into the ground, disappearing from sight.
"I never understood why you'd be friends with a dinner," said Di Tian as he walked out from behind the massive dead tree.
The Beast God's cold, middle-aged face even showed a hint of sorrow, as if lamenting, "My son, makes friends carelessly"
Tianmeng Ice Silkworm didn't even notice that the actual ruler of the Star Dou Forest had been standing behind the tree, listening in.