At a certain point in the sky, the space trembled slightly, and the surrounding barrier became visible.
"That's…" The Demon Empress stared in shock at the figures emerging from nothing in the empty space. Before she could speak, Ning Rongrong's calm voice rang out: "It's been a while, Beast God Di Tian."
"Strange, even a Limit Douluo shouldn't be able to detect me," Ning Rongrong said as the barrier slowly descended to the ground, a trace of doubt on her face. "Is it because of the dragon scale?"
Though phrased as a question, her tone was quite certain.
"You're from the Nine Treasures Chamber," the Demon Empress said, her delicate brows furrowing. Her appearance now matched exactly how she looked when she intercepted Ning Rongrong earlier—her true form. This was why she became wary upon seeing Ning Rongrong.
Ning Rongrong noticed this, her brown-black eyes scanning the Demon Empress, whose tattered clothes and disheveled aura, under the sunlight, carried a suggestive allure.
"We meet again, Lady Demon Empress."
"When did you figure it out?"
At this point, if the Demon Empress didn't realize Ning Rongrong had seen through their identities early on, her hundreds of thousands of years of life would've been for nothing.
"From the very start," Ning Rongrong said with a slight smile. "The moment you stepped into the Nine Treasures Chamber, I knew you were a Deep Sea Demonic Whale."
"No need to be so cautious. The Nine Treasures Glazed Sect is with us," Di Tian said, noticing the Demon Empress's unease. Though unaware of their specific conflict, he stepped in to explain.
"With you?" The Demon Empress froze again, her gaze sweeping over the group of humans behind Ning Rongrong, including one whose presence felt as sharp as a honed blade, no weaker than herself.
Then, she turned to Di Tian, unable to resist a quip: "The Star Dou Great Forest sure has a wide circle of friends!"
During her time in Vast Sea City, the Demon Empress hadn't been idle. She'd gathered information on human forces.
The Martial Soul Hall and the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect were top-tier powers in the human world.
"Naturally, uniting all possible forces is how the Star Dou Great Forest operates…" Di Tian began, but Ning Rongrong cut him off.
"Wait, Beast God Di Tian," she said. "While we've cooperated with the Star Dou Great Forest, please don't lump the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect into your faction."
"We're not like certain forces, deeply tied to you," Ning Rongrong said, her gaze passing Di Tian and the Demon Empress to land on the silent Golden Crocodile Douluo.
"Is that so…" Di Tian shrugged off her rebuttal. "Then why did you notify me to come?"
The Star Dou Great Forest was far from Vast Sea City. Without Ning Rongrong's early notice, how could he have encountered Lan Fozi so quickly and saved the Demon Empress?
There are no such coincidences in this world—only inevitabilities.
"Well, let's just say we didn't want to make enemies with the Deep Sea Demonic Whale Clan," Ning Rongrong said calmly. "After all, the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect is a merchant sect. Building good relations with the region's top power aligns with our business principles, doesn't it?"
"Heh, whatever you say," Di Tian shrugged. "I can't outtalk you anyway."
"Father, take everyone back to Vast Sea City," Ning Rongrong said, turning to Ning Fengzhi. "I have some matters to discuss with Di Tian."
"This…" Ning Fengzhi hesitated, eyeing the three Limit Douluo across from them.
Noticing his concern, Ning Rongrong reassured him, "Don't worry. If I want to leave, a mere Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian can't stop me."
"I understand," Ning Fengzhi said, his eyelids twitching.
Wasn't Ning Rongrong being too arrogant, calling out the Beast God like that?
A mere Di Tian?
Good grief, that's a direct taunt!
Di Tian's face darkened like the bottom of a pot, increasingly resembling his black dragon form. Ning Fengzhi wisely said no more.
"We'll head back then. Stay safe."
At Ning Fengzhi's signal, Sword Douluo used his soul power to lift everyone and fly toward Vast Sea City.
"Aren't you a bit too much, calling me a mere Di Tian?" Di Tian said with a forced smile.
"Huh? That's what my Kurumi said," Ning Rongrong shamelessly threw the still-sleeping cat under the bus. "She said a mere Di Tian can't stop me if I want to leave, with that big clumsy body of his."
"Speaking of which, hasn't Kurumi escaped from you multiple times, Beast God?"
Ning Rongrong doubled down on the taunt.
"Phew—" Di Tian took several deep breaths.
Don't get mad, don't get mad.
Getting angry would just make him a laughingstock.
"Hmph, that Dark Devilgod Tiger?" Di Tian's mouth twitched. "You've tamed her well, but be careful she doesn't turn on you."
"Oh, you all have too much prejudice against the Dark Devilgod Tiger," Ning Rongrong said nonchalantly, smiling lightly. "I think Kurumi's pretty cute. Besides, if I got betrayed or something, wouldn't that make me look worse than a certain someone?"
"So it's impossible," Ning Rongrong said, never mentioning Di Tian by name, yet he remained central to her words.
"Tch—" Di Tian clicked his tongue. "I really can't get along with you, kid. Qian Renxue is much better."
"What's it matter? If I'm all polite with you, will you give me a few 100,000-year soul bones or have your master toss me some divine-bestowed soul rings?"
Di Tian: "…"
This bean sprout, dreaming too big.
Not 100,000-year soul bones, but divine-bestowed soul rings?
Their boss was still recovering, and condensing a 100,000-year soul ring was extremely taxing.
As Di Tian and Ning Rongrong bantered, the Demon Empress and Golden Crocodile shivered in the background.
Good grief, what was their relationship—good or bad?
Their dynamic was bizarre no matter how you looked at it.
Di Tian sized up Ning Rongrong. If she weren't an unconventional soul master who didn't need to hunt soul rings to grow stronger, and if her strength weren't so absurd, he'd have rushed up and given this bean sprout kid two black eyes.
But her unscientific combat power left him gnashing his teeth, helpless.
No way around it—her strength was just too abnormal.
Even with his master's help, Ning Rongrong could take down a secondary god and walk away. Faced with that kind of power, Di Tian decided to hold back.
After all, he was no longer the Black Dragon Clan's leader.
Just a frail 800,000-year soul beast.
Sigh, beast life is tough, Di Tian thought.
"So why did you stay?" he asked. "You deliberately sent the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect away. Don't tell me you don't have something confidential to say."
Though he didn't want to antagonize Ning Rongrong or the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect, he couldn't just nod along. Where would his Beast God dignity go—down the toilet?
"It's mainly about the sea beast tide. I'd like to ask Lady Demon Empress about it," Ning Rongrong said. "Also, there's something else I'm curious about." She paused thoughtfully. "You didn't touch that little rabbit? Leaving those three beasts at the gate as watchdogs—doesn't that bother you?"
"The Soft Bone Rabbit, Sky Azure Bull Python, and Titan Giant Ape?"
"You mean those three?"
Ning Rongrong nodded, and Di Tian explained, "My master found the Asura God's mark on that little rabbit."
"As for the monkey and the snake, they're insignificant. Someone's already reserved their soul rings."