Chapter 207: Fierce Competition
Ye Cheng's group of soul masters consisted of both men and women, all at the Titled Douluo level. The weakest among them had just stepped into this rank, while the strongest had reached the Limit Douluo stage, only half a step away from becoming a god.
However, these individuals shared one common trait they were not the absolute geniuses of their generation. Their path to godhood was uncertain; otherwise, they wouldn't have sought a contract with a soul beast.
Did they really think that merging nine rings and instantly becoming a god was that simple?
The risks and dangers involved were not something just any soul master could withstand. One mistake could result in shattered soul rings and instant death or worse, becoming a cripple for life.
Their primary reason for coming here was the ability to share a soul beast's cultivation progress. If they could form a contract with a high potential soul beast, then once the beast became a god, they would also ascend alongside it essentially being carried to godhood. The reverse was also true: if the human reached godhood first, the contracted soul beast would transform into a divine beast as well.
"Now, go find your suitable partners." Ye Cheng turned to the soul masters he had brought and instructed, "Remember what I told you when choosing a contract partner, it's best to find one that complements your abilities. If that's not possible, then choose one whose personality aligns with yours to avoid conflicts in the future. Potential is actually secondary."
"Be careful in choosing your contract partner. Once you decide, there's no turning back."
With that, he waved his hand, signaling them to proceed.
What followed was a scene reminiscent of a matchmaking event.
Hundreds of soul beasts remained in their original forms, doing their best to showcase their strengths while evaluating the soul masters before them.
There were only a few dozen soul masters present, while the soul beasts numbered in the hundreds. Since each soul master could only form a contract with one soul beast, the competition was bound to be intense.
Several soul beasts were vying for the attention of the same soul master.
These soul masters, who were not considered outstanding in their own ranks, had now become highly sought after partners.
After a period of selection, each of the soul masters had chosen a soul beast to be their partner.
The next step was to establish the contracts.
The first to proceed was Di Tian, the strongest among the gathered soul beasts. His chosen contract partner was also the strongest of the assembled soul masters a burly man with a face covered in a thick beard. His martial soul was a variant fire dragon, which held potential for evolution into a true dragon.
If his martial soul successfully evolved, he could aspire to become a first level god, though a god king was likely out of reach. This was merely his potential, not a guaranteed outcome.
The two stood face to face.
The bearded man clasped his hands together in silent concentration. Opposite him, Di Tian, now in his human form, also prepared himself solemnly.
Finally, the contract process began.
The bearded man extended his hand.
Di Tian did the same.
Their hands met and interlocked
In an instant, a three meter wide pillar of light enveloped both of them, making it impossible for onlookers to see what was happening inside.
The reaction was vastly smaller than the spectacle that had occurred when Ye Cheng and the Silver Dragon King formed their contract.
[That's it?]
[I was expecting something more dramatic.]
[Guess they're just not strong enough.]
[When did Titled Douluos start looking weak to me? Even though I'm not even close to that level…]
[Bro, you really know how to brag.]
A flood of comments filled the livestream.
In reality, both humans and soul beasts were watching the video intently.
This was a historic moment.
Previously, when Ye Cheng and the Silver Dragon King formed their contract, both were already at the Divine King level.
But now, this was the first contract between non godly beings.
Would Soul Pact Masters truly allow soul beasts to bypass their shackles and achieve divinity?
The answer would be determined by this first pair Di Tian and the bearded man.
In the video, the light surrounding them only lasted for a few dozen seconds before dissipating.
As the glow faded, both Di Tian and the bearded man appeared deep in thought.
Then, suddenly Di Tian's expression changed dramatically.
A powerful roar erupted from his throat!
"ROAR!!"
With a thunderous dragon cry, Di Tian reverted to his original form a massive black dragon and soared into the sky!
In an instant, heaven and earth reacted.
Countless streams of energy, glowing in brilliant hues, surged toward him.
The entire sky was shrouded in radiant light, enveloping the black dragon in a dazzling cocoon, obscuring him from view. The only thing that could be heard were the deafening roars of a dragon.
"Di Tian is ascending."
The Silver Dragon King observed calmly, her gaze piercing through the thick energy veil to see the truth within.
"Indeed. His accumulation has been profound. If not for the imposed rules, he would have become a god long ago," Ye Cheng remarked as he looked skyward. Despite the obscuring energy, his sight was unimpeded.
At the same time
The bearded man, Di Tian's contract partner, also felt an overwhelming surge of energy.
Without hesitation, he sat cross legged on the ground.
One by one, his soul rings appeared five black, four red.
Before the Abyssal invasion, this configuration would have been considered incredible. But in today's world, it was merely above average.
The true geniuses now had all of their soul rings at the 100,000 year level when they reached Limit Douluo.
The bearded man's configuration clearly marked him as less than exceptional.
However
Because of the Soul Pact, he was receiving an immense influx of power from Di Tian!
A torrent of soul force flooded into him, forcing his five black rings to evolve
One by one, they deepened in color, growing in intensity, until all of them had turned a brilliant red, signifying 100,000 years!
At this stage, he had reached the peak of mortal cultivation.
Now, the final step remained merging his nine soul rings into one to undergo his godly ascension.
If he succeeded, he would ascend instantly!
If he failed, the consequences were severe his soul rings would shatter, setting his cultivation back decades. Or worse he would die instantly.
Attempting this with higher year soul rings was exponentially more difficult to control.
In contrast, fusing lower year soul rings was much easier, though it resulted in a weaker god. Some low tier gods could even struggle against a Titled Douluo if their foundation was weak.
The ideal scenario was to have all nine rings at 999,999 years, but achieving this was nearly impossible.
Above, the dragon's roars reached a peak.
Below, the bearded man finished absorbing the energy and, seizing this once in a lifetime opportunity, began fusing his rings attempting to ascend.
The outcome?
A thrilling yet miraculously successful breakthrough.
Accompanied by a resounding dragon cry, the sky cleared, revealing Di Tian's massive form.
His body had grown larger, his aura had transformed he was no longer the same.
The oppressive divine aura that now emanated from him left the surrounding soul beasts trembling their bodies instinctively lowering in submission.
Their eyes reflected both awe and envy.
They had just witnessed the first divine beast of their era being born.
They regretted not being chosen.
And with that, the livestream exploded with reactions!
(End of Chapter)
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