After thinking it through, Di Tian felt the day of the soul beasts' revival was just around the corner!
But Gu Xun hadn't expected Di Tian to come over after just a sniff. What should he do next?
Stuck here alone with no solutions, perhaps... hiring a bodyguard? After all, though Gu Xun possessed the Heaven-Supporting Spear, he was ultimately just a spirit master.
While he could ensure his own survival, he couldn't guarantee victory in battle. Ultimately, Gu Xun chose to impersonate the Dragon God and grow stronger over time.
"You... the Royal Guard Captain?"
Gu Xun stared at Di Tian, feigning surprise. But Di Tian, upon hearing this, was genuinely startled and immediately looked up at Gu Xun.
"My Lord, do you remember what happened in the Dragon God Realm?"
"Only fragments of memory remain."
Gu Xun's eyes twitched. It seemed he just needed to improvise freely, leaving the rest for Di Tian to piece together.
"My Lord, now that you've returned, the Spirit Beast Clan needs a leader. This position belongs to you. I humbly request you return to the Spirit Beast Clan and restore its glory."
Gu Xun didn't know what to say. He was just a low-level Spirit Master—wasn't it a bit much to ask him to revive the entire clan? Whatever the case, let me develop it.
"...First, show me the current state of the Spirit Beast Clan."
"Yes, Lord."
Seeing Gu Xun's willingness to return, Di Tian hurriedly brought him back to the Spirit Beast Paradise. The Elf Queen, who had witnessed the entire process, felt her mind go blank.
The ruler of the Spirit Beast Clan... a human? Huh? Is the world ending?
Along the way, Di Tian recounted the Spirit Beasts' transformation over hundreds of thousands of years—from strength to weakness.
Spirit beasts had been killed off by human schemes, the Spirit Beast Clan driven into retreat by human technology, the Silver Dragon King ran away and left—it was all a complete mess.
"So... my other half left me with this mess?"
Gu Xun fell silent, his eyes questioning Di Tian for answers. Di Tian, too, felt a twinge of guilt.
The Auspicious Beasts was gone, and the hundred-thousand-year-old spirit beasts were dwindling. Though the spirit beasts had signed a truce with humans, their clan remained in decline.
"It was my failure. I let the Auspicious Beasts be taken. The Silver Dragon King, our sovereign, was lured away by human emotions."
"Sigh... Di Tian, don't expect me to be of much use. After reincarnation and recultivating, my power is greatly diminished."
Gu Xun had been pondering the entire journey—how he could improve the situation for the spirit beast clan.
"Rest assured, Lord. During your recultivation I shall fulfill my duty as your guardian."
Di Tian led Gu Xun to a lake where life energy remained relatively dense. Gu Xun peered into its depths.
"Life Gold?"
"Indeed, Lord. This is the Life Gold left behind when the Silver Dragon King healed her severe wounds."
Gu Xun looked at the Life Gold. Seeing him stare intently, Di Tian asked,
"Does my lord require this Life Gold?"
"Not at all. This stuff is easy to make."
Gu Xun spoke, then flicked his hand. A jade-green cube materialized in his right palm.
With a flick of his finger downward, a one-cubic-meter block of Life Essence Gold materialized out of thin air.
In an instant, boundless life energy radiated outward. Di Tian was profoundly shaken, utterly stunned by Gu Xun's ability to conjure Life Gold from nothing.
Gu Xun plopped down onto the Life Gold, idly playing with the emerald-green cube in his hand.
"Di Tian, do you know what this is?"
Gu Xun held up the small cube and asked Di Tian. Suppressing his shock and confusion, Di Tian replied uncertainly.
"My Lord, is this Life Gold?"
"No. This is the power of creation."
As he spoke, Gu Xun waved his hand, and the emerald-green cube vanished.
At the same moment, somewhere else, a golden spear shot from the body of a man adrift at sea.
The golden spear shattered the void as it flew away. Meanwhile, on Gu Xun's side, a golden dragon spear instantly materialized in his hand.
"The Golden Dragon Spear!"
Di Tian recognized it. Originally, the Golden Dragon Spear had been with the Silver Dragon King. Later, after the Auspicious Beast took physical form and departed, it had been taken for self-defense.
It had then been taken by Tang Wutong, then held by Tang Wulin, and now unexpectedly appeared in Gu Xun's hands.
"Not only that."
Gu Xun spoke as he swiped through his inventory. The Destruction God Core, Life God Core, Dragon God Core, Silver Dragon Spear, Dragon God's Tear, Dragon Slayer Saber, Dragon God Spear, and Ascending Dragon Pillar flashed in his hands.
"This is the power of creation. Do you understand?"
Gu Xun turned to ask Di Tian, who had heard of the realm of the Creator God. An idea immediately sprang to mind.
"My lord has broken through to the legendary realm of creation!"
Though phrased as a question, Di Tian's tone was certain. Gu Xun nodded in affirmation.
"Back when the Dragon God Realm was overcrowded, I attempted to break through to the Creation realm to expand the divine realm. But I lost control, shattering the realm into pieces. Of course, those are trivial matters from a past life—best left unsaid."
"Though I've now reached the threshold of the Creation realm, as you see, I'm reincarnated and recultivating from scratch. Aside from inheriting the power of Creation, I possess nothing else."
Gu Xun spread his hands as he spoke to Di Tian, who couldn't help but feel Gu Xun was being incredibly humble. What did he mean, having nothing but the power of creation? Didn't possessing that power mean he had everything?