Douluo Continent: My Martial Soul is the Black Dragon, I am the Lord of the Gods

……

After much debate, Xuanming looked at Qian Renxue's unwilling and aggrieved expression, weighed his options, and finally made a decision.

"Never mind." He sighed, his tone softening. "The future development of the Martial Soul Empire does indeed need a relatively peaceful spiritual symbol that can unite people's hearts. Bibi Dong represents change and iron fist, while I represent absolute military protection; both of these lean towards rigidity. A more gentle image is needed to balance this."

His gaze fell on Qian Renxue: "Angel God, whether in appearance or in divine power, symbolizes light, order and hope, making her undoubtedly the most suitable choice. I'll leave this task to you. I hope you can achieve results and truly live up to the title of Angel God."

Upon hearing this, Qian Renxue was first stunned, and then a strange sense of humiliation welled up in her heart.

Xuanming's words sounded like he was entrusting her with an important task, but the subtext was clearly that she was currently useless and just a "pretty face" who needed to rely on her appearance to make a living?!

"You!" Qian Renxue's chest heaved with anger.

Bibi Dong then added without hesitation, "Hmph, the empire is now running smoothly, and there's no need for you to interfere in any aspects of its development. As for the future war, Xuanming and I have our own plans, and there's no need for you, as a symbol of peace, to take action. You just need to maintain appearances and not cause any trouble."

"Of course, if you insist on provoking a fight, causing the situation to get out of control, or even breaking out into war, then do whatever makes you happy."

"But in that case, you shouldn't be called the God of Angels, you should be called... the God of War, right?"

Qian Renxue was so angry at the two of them that she almost exploded, but looking at Xuan Ming's unquestionable gaze, and at Bibi Dong, Poseidon, and Gu Yuena who were eyeing her menacingly, she finally managed to swallow her anger.

At least, she's secured a ticket to participate in the empire's core affairs. Although her starting point might seem like a mere decoration, she will prove that Qian Renxue is far more than just a figurehead!
Starry Sky Forest, the core area of ​​Lake of Life.

Gu Yuena stood by the lake, her long, silver-purple hair swaying gently in the wind, her exquisite face bearing a hint of solemnity. A faint dragon's might emanated from her, blending with the boundless life force of the Lake of Life, yet also carrying an aura of majesty that transcended all things.

Before her stood several figures, each with a different form but exuding a powerful aura, some prostrate and others standing solemnly.

They are the overlords of the major soul beast gathering areas on the Douluo Continent today. Led by Di Tian, ​​there are Xiong Jun, Wan Yao Wang, Chi Wang, Zi Ji, Bi Ji, and others in the Star Dou Great Forest. There are also several 100,000-year soul beasts from the far north, led by Xue Di, and several 100,000-year sea soul beasts from the ocean, led by Mo Huang.

During this period, under the personal mobilization of Gu Yuena, the ruler of all soul beasts, and through the connections of these overlord-level soul beasts, the initial concept of "recycling soul rings" has been transmitted to the high-level members of soul beast clans across the continent with extremely high efficiency.

However, the feedback was not optimistic.

"My lord! Our people are outraged upon hearing this! Humans have slaughtered our kind for tens of thousands of years, taking their soul rings and soul bones—this is a blood feud! And now, they expect us to offer our soul rings to them as we approach the end of our lives? Absolutely not!"

"My lord, humans are insatiably greedy, always pushing their luck. If we yield a step today and offer our soul rings, they will demand even more in the future! They might even use this as an excuse to force our young and strong kin to sacrifice themselves prematurely! Once this precedent is set, the consequences will be endless!" The other soul beast overlords echoed, expressing their strong opposition and incomprehension. The hatred between them and humans was deeply rooted and could not be resolved overnight. To have them help their enemy become stronger, even after death, was emotionally unacceptable to them.

Gu Yuena listened quietly, having anticipated these vehement objections. How could racial hatred, especially a blood feud spanning tens of thousands of years, be so easily extinguished?
She raised her hand, signaling the spirit beasts to be quiet.

“I understand your anger.” Gu Yuena’s voice was clear and calm, yet it carried a calming power. “I know better than any of you the sins that humans have committed against soul beasts.”

Her gaze swept over the group of soul beasts: "But have you ever considered what the future of the soul beast race will be if the status quo continues?"

She pointed out of the forest: "Human progress is far beyond our imagination. Thousands of years ago, there were only tens of thousands of Soul Masters on the continent. Now, there are more than 100,000. What about a thousand or ten thousand years from now? When the number of human Soul Masters reaches millions, tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions, can we withstand it with our ever-decreasing numbers and territory?"

The spirit beasts fell silent. Although they hated humans, they were not stupid. Humans' terrifying reproductive and learning abilities were far beyond what spirit beasts could match.

In the long run, the living space of soul beasts will only be continuously compressed, eventually leading to their extinction. This is not an exaggeration.

“The direction Xuanming proposed is not about us submitting to humanity,” Gu Yuena continued. “It’s more like… a self-preservation strategy when we can’t change the overall situation, a backup plan to preserve the flame for the soul beasts.”

"If a system for the circulation of spirit rings can be established, at the very least, the fate of a large number of young spirit beasts being hunted down can be avoided. The way spirit masters acquire spirit rings will change from hunting to a transaction or contract. We can contribute the spirit rings of our kind whose lifespan is about to end in exchange for human respect for spirit beast territories, restraint on indiscriminate killing, and may even win more resources and rights for survival."

Gu Yuena put forward an even more tempting idea: "Moreover, Xuanming has a far-reaching vision—he is exploring a possibility: if the soul rings formed after the death of a soul beast can establish a deeper symbiotic or contractual relationship with a specific human soul master, perhaps... the original consciousness of the soul beast in the soul ring can be nourished by the cultivation and growth of the soul master, and even in the future, there is hope of re-condensing or even resurrecting!"

Upon hearing this, the overlords of the soul beasts were immediately in an uproar!
resurrection? !
This is undoubtedly earth-shattering news for soul beasts, whose lifespan is long but whose end is death!
"My lord, is this truly the truth?!"

"It's still just a concept, in the initial exploration stage," Gu Yuena truthfully reported. "But Xuanming's understanding of the soul and the rules of life far surpasses that of ordinary people. He believes it's not entirely impossible. If it can truly be realized, then the relationship between soul beasts and humans will undergo a fundamental transformation. Soul rings will no longer be spoils of war, but may become a bond of symbiosis and mutual prosperity. Soul masters need soul rings to become stronger, while soul beasts can gain hope of rebirth through soul masters."

Looking at the soul beasts lost in thought, she concluded, "Instead of heading towards mutual destruction in hatred, why not try a path that may bring new life and hope? Although this path is full of unknowns and difficulties, at least it points to a future, not despair."

Gu Yuena's words stirred up ripples in the hearts of all the soul beasts.

Pure hatred and anger begin to seem somewhat pale and powerless in the face of the heavy and alluring words "survival of the race" and "hope of resurrection".

Although the vast majority of soul beasts still harbor doubts and their strong opposition is difficult to quell immediately, at least a seed has been planted. They need time to digest this and weigh the pros and cons.

Gu Yuena knew this couldn't be rushed. Changing a mindset that had persisted for tens of thousands of years required patience and a catalyst. As for Xuanming, whether he could truly turn his vision into reality would be key to persuading these soul beast overlords. (End of Chapter)