When the Black Dragon Emperor Di Tian appeared again, his voice conveyed immense anger. Clearly, Sky Azure Bull Python had broken his promise by bringing people here once more.
Tang San quickly spoke: "Esteemed Senior, please calm your anger. I have something to discuss with you."
Di Tian glanced at Tang San: "Interesting. The inheritor of the Rakshasa God, but with your current strength, there's nothing worth discussing with me."
"Leave this place immediately, or I'll tear you all to pieces."
At this moment, Sky Azure Bull Python felt an overwhelming pressure, as if he were nothing more than a tiny snake before Di Tian—completely powerless to resist.
Tang San said: "Senior, the Angel God has already appeared on the Douluo Continent. I fear she might target you next, so I've come to warn you and seek cooperation."
Di Tian sneered: "You naive brat, I see through your little scheme. The Angel God and the Rakshasa God are natural enemies. Since the Angel God has appeared, she won't spare you, the inheritor of the Rakshasa God. Are you trying to hide among my soul beast race to escape her pursuit?"
Tang San clenched his teeth: "Senior, since you know I'm the inheritor of the Rakshasa God, then I should have the qualifications to cooperate with you. Once I ascend to godhood in the future, I will surely be able to aid your soul beast race."
A cold smile appeared on Di Tian's face: "Even if you're merely the inheritor of the Rakshasa God, what difference does it make? Even if you were truly the Rakshasa God, I wouldn't fear these false gods on the Douluo Continent."
Tang San inwardly rejoiced. He had initially feared that Di Tian wasn't strong enough to stand against Qian Renxue and wouldn't dare protect him.
But judging by Di Tian's tone now, it seemed he was completely unafraid of Qian Renxue. Perhaps this would buy him some time.
"Senior, if you could cooperate with the inheritor of the Asura God, why can't you cooperate with me, the inheritor of the Rakshasa God?"
Di Tian's eyes revealed a hint of disdain: "The inheritor of the Asura God already possesses a divine artifact and has mastered it, which gives him the qualifications to negotiate with me. But you, though you're the inheritor of the Rakshasa God, lack both a divine artifact and corresponding strength. What do you have to offer for cooperation?"
"Besides, the Rakshasa God is nothing but a madman, holding no status in the god realm. If not for the backing of evil forces, she'd have been torn apart long ago. How can she compare to a God King like Asura?"
Tang San quickly interjected: "Senior, have you considered another issue? Both Qian Renxue and Yang Xiong are human-born. As the saying goes, those not of our kind cannot be trusted. They won't genuinely cooperate with the soul beast race."
"On the other hand, I'm different. The person I love most in this life is Xiao Wu. For Xiao Wu, I'm willing to sacrifice everything. My mother also came from the soul beast race—I can practically count myself as half a member of the soul beast race."
"If I ascend to godhood in the future, regardless of how weak my power is or how low my status may be, I alone will truly consider the interests of the soul beast race. Only I am one of you."
"I can see your dissatisfaction with the god realm. With my help, perhaps your soul beast race will have a real chance."
Upon hearing this, Di Tian fell silent. Then, he let out a mighty roar, and the massive dragon rapidly shrank, eventually transforming into a black-clad man over two meters tall.
Di Tian stared at Tang San: "With your current strength, how do you plan to cooperate with me? What can you offer?"
After some thought, Tang San replied: "Senior, I'm already at Level 97. Once I reach Level 99, I can inherit the position of the Rakshasa God. During this time, I must avoid interference from the Angel God."
Di Tian said: "That's not a problem. This place is protected by a barrier created by my soul beast race. Not even the god realm can sense anything here. As long as you stay on this reef, no god can find you or harm you."
"But I'll say it again: what contributions can you make to my soul beast race? The Rakshasa God holds no real influence in the god realm. It's debatable whether it's worth protecting you."
Tang San countered: "Since you're willing to discuss cooperation with me, it must mean you have certain needs. Senior, feel free to state your requirements."
Di Tian nodded: "What I need you to do is simple. Once you enter the god realm, find a specific place for me. There's something sealed there related to my soul beast race. You must find a way to release it."
Tang San's expression shifted slightly: "This deal seems quite troublesome. Can't your soul beast race handle it yourselves?"
Di Tian sneered: "If it were that simple, why would I risk protecting you? Why would I oppose the newly ascended Angel God?"
"If not for the fact that you carry the bloodline of my soul beast race, you wouldn't even qualify to cooperate with me."
Tang San gritted his teeth: "Senior, do you not trust my strength at all? I have twin martial souls, especially my Hao Tian Hammer, which is equipped with spirit rings exceeding fifty thousand years. In terms of talent and strength, I am the strongest in this world."
"If I ascend to godhood and enter the god realm, I will undoubtedly become the strongest being in the world. When that day comes, I will surely help elevate your soul beast race to greatness."
Di Tian laughed: "Tang San, you overestimate yourself. You know nothing about gods. If it weren't for the fact that the god realm lost its soul beasts after the great war, why would I even consider cooperating with you?"
Tang San quickly asked: "Senior, doesn't the god realm value talent?"
Tang San had always been confident in his innate abilities. Not only did he possess the rarest full innate soul power, but he also practiced the Xuantian Technique. Moreover, both of his martial souls were incredibly powerful.
Over the years, Tang San had broken nearly every cultivation record in the soul master world. He had been the youngest Soul Elder and Soul Ancestor, and now he was the youngest Title Douluo—even surpassing Yang Xiong.
Di Tian sneered: "It seems you've been thoroughly misled by the Rakshasa God. While you may have some talent in the Douluo world, compared to the gods of the god realm, you're far behind."
"For example, the five God Kings of the god realm. Not only do they hold God King-level positions, but they were born with powers surpassing those of the Douluo world. Take Yang Xiong, whom you met earlier—he already possesses a trace of Asura God power. Even though this power is faint, it still exceeds the limits of the Douluo world."
"And you? You only possess a trace of Rakshasa God power. Compared to true God King-level experts, the gap is vast."
Tang San asked: "Senior, are the five God Kings of the god realm really that powerful? Is their level truly insurmountable?"
Di Tian shook his head: "Compared to humans, everyone in the god realm has undergone extremely long periods of cultivation. The five God Kings are beings who have reached Level 150. For ordinary gods, advancing even a single level after reaching Level 100 is incredibly difficult—far surpassing the gap between Level 99 and Level 100."
"Moreover, the hierarchy in the god realm is strict. Due to the limitations of their god positions, lesser gods can never reach the level of a God King. For instance, the Sea God and the Angel God you know—they are only 1st-Class Gods. They will never reach the level of a God King. The gap is far greater than you imagine."
"Even the strongest members of my dragon race can only reach the God King level—and that's after countless eons of effort."
Hearing this, Tang San swallowed hard. This was the first time he had heard news about gods and learned the vast differences between them.
A fierce determination burned in Tang San's eyes. He was merely inheriting the position of the Rakshasa God, while Yang Xiong had inherited the Asura God's position. The difference between the Rakshasa God and the Asura God was an entire tier—a massive disparity in potential.
Finally, Tang San clenched his teeth: "Senior, I believe that humans can overcome fate. If given the chance, I will become the strongest god in the world. Even the gods of the god realm won't be able to suppress me."
Di Tian chuckled: "You're an interesting young one, but it's a pity. If you had inherited the strongest bloodline of my soul beast race, you might have had a sliver of a chance. But now, it's too late. Since you've already inherited the Rakshasa God's position, your future is completely restricted."
Tang San remained silent, but his heart burned with a fierce desire. Compared to the gods of the god realm, the greatest advantage of the soul masters of this world lay in the Xuantian Technique.
After years of cultivation, Tang San understood the power of Xuantian Technique well. It was a top-tier Daoist technique from the Tang Sect of another world, representing an entirely different set of rules. Even gods might not surpass the Xuantian Technique.
Di Tian continued: "We can continue our cooperation. As long as you stay on this reef, you can avoid detection by the Angel God. As for what else you wish to accomplish, that depends on your own strength."
Tang San quickly responded: "Thank you, Senior. I won't disappoint our agreement."
Di Tian said nothing further and transformed back into a black dragon. The dragon exhaled, enveloping the area around the reef within hundreds of meters.
Tang San felt as if he had entered an illusory realm. He couldn't sense anything beyond the dragon's aura.
Then, Di Tian flew into the Lake of Life, and his imposing presence vanished without a trace.
Tang San gazed at where Di Tian had disappeared, a hint of doubt in his eyes.
The waters of the soul beast race ran deeper than he had imagined. This Di Tian didn't even fear gods—could there be other secrets hidden within the Lake of Life?
Xiao Wu quickly turned to Tang San: "Brother San, we're safe now. Though this reef is small, it's enough for you to cultivate. Now that I and Da Ming are here, you should be able to achieve your goals."
Tang San forced a smile: "Xiao Wu, though I can evade Qian Renxue's detection now, it's still not enough. I must quickly increase my strength. What I truly need to do is obtain the final two spirit rings for my Hao Tian Hammer."
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)