Chapter 60: Solution to the Soul Ring Problem

Chapter 60: Solution to the Soul Ring Problem

Di Tian's gaze moved around Du Qianjue, looking at each soul beast spirit, and finally stopping at the Tianmen.

"You actually sacrificed yourself to this human? No wonder you can't be found in the Star Dou Forest," Di Tian frowned slightly. This was the poor soul beast that had been drained of blood by the fierce beasts of the Star Dou Forest for over ten thousand years, so Di Tian would never forget it.

During the time Tianmen had escaped, he had even ordered the entire Star Dou Forest to be turned over to find this poor soul battery.

"Hehe, Di Tian, didn't expect that, did you? I was the first to sacrifice to Qian Jue!" Tianmen tone was full of pride. "With Qian Jue's potential, he will definitely become a god in the future, and I can achieve eternal life. What about you? Are you confident in surviving the next heavenly tribulation?"

Facing Tianmen taunting, Di Tian showed no expression and ignored him, feeling no fluctuation in his heart.

"So, why have you come to my Star Dou Forest?" Di Tian stared at Du Qianjue.

"Xue'er is my partner. We love each other. She is a soul beast, so I don't want to hunt soul beasts. I came to the Star Dou Forest seeking cooperation. If there are soul beasts that are about to fail the heavenly tribulation or are nearing their end, I want to make a deal with them," Du Qianjue said directly. "If they are willing, they can sacrifice themselves to me. I can ensure their souls won't dissipate after the sacrifice."

"You've seen my potential, Beast God. You should be able to sense the divinity in the first ring of my Chaos Dragon King martial spirit. In the future, I will definitely become a god. Following me, they can live on and achieve eternal life."

Di Tian didn't speak, lowering his eyes and falling into deep thought.

If it were an ordinary human, Di Tian wouldn't even say a word and would crush him with one claw. But Du Qianjue was different. Not only did he have Snow Empress by his side, but he also carried the legacy of the Ice and Fire Dragon Kings, and the soul beast spirits around him showed no signs of resentment, which explained a lot.

He could see that these soul beast spirits were not controlled by any evil means and possessed independent consciousness. Moreover, he could also see that Du Qianjue had a favorable attitude towards the soul beast race. If he became a god, he would certainly not be weak in the God Realm and might even speak up for the soul beasts.

Di Tian, as the Beast God, naturally cared about the soul beast race and had many considerations to make. But Bi Ji didn't have so many thoughts and was even a bit tempted. This was about becoming a god and achieving eternal life, after all!

At this point, Bi Ji and Di Tian were not married, so their bond wasn't that deep. Her only concern was her Emerald Swan clan.

"Agree to his request, but with two conditions."

A majestic voice sounded in Di Tian's ear.

"Master!"

Di Tian was shocked, not expecting that this human, Du Qianjue, would awaken the dormant master.

Of course, Silver Dragon King Gu Yue had woken up. The moment Du Qianjue released his Chaos Dragon King martial spirit, the broken divinity in the Ice and Fire Dragon King soul ring startled her awake. After all, this was the Lake of Life, almost right under her nose. How could the divine fluctuation at her doorstep not wake her?

"So, what conditions should we ask for?" Di Tian asked respectfully.

"In the future, when I recover from my injuries, we are bound to attack the God Realm, so we need to make more preparations. This human is a breakthrough point, an opportunity."

"First, when he becomes a god, if we need his help, he cannot refuse within reasonable limits. Second, he must help restrain humans from wantonly hunting soul beasts."

"We need time, and this human can help us buy that time."

"Alright, I understand." Di Tian nodded, breaking off contact with Gu Yue , and then turned his gaze to Du Qianjue.

"I agree to your request. I can represent the Star Dou Forest to find ten-thousand-year soul beasts willing to cooperate with you, on the condition that they are not forced. But I have two conditions."

Bi Ji's eyebrows twitched, and she felt even more tempted. Should she go with this human? But what about her clan?

"Please state your conditions, Beast God," Du Qianjue said with a smile.

"First, when you become a god, if our soul beast race needs your help in the future, you cannot refuse within reasonable limits. Second, as a bridge between humans and soul beasts, you must help restrain humans from wantonly hunting soul beasts."

While stating these two conditions, Di Tian closely observed Du Qianjue facial expressions. When he heard the first condition, Du Qianjue' smile remained unchanged. But when he heard the second condition, his eyebrows raised significantly.

"What's the problem with the second condition?" Di Tian frowned.

What's the problem? Of course, there's a problem!

He, Du Qianjue, was from the Body Sect! And what was the Body Sect's principle? The world revolves around me!

The last beast tide erupted because the Body Sect killed several ten-thousand-year soul beasts in the Star Dou Forest and then fled. When the beast tide erupted, they returned to clean up the mess.

And now, you, Di Tian, want the young master of the Body Sect to help you restrain humans from hunting soul beasts?

Given a different setting, Du Qianjue might have laughed out loud.

"Indeed, it's a bit challenging. Beast God, you know the number of humans. With my personal capability, fulfilling this condition is quite difficult," Du Qianjue said, holding back his laughter and coughing a few times.

"Just do your best," Di Tian nodded. He also understood that this condition was a bit demanding.

Hunting soul beasts was an unavoidable step for every soul master who wanted to become stronger. Di Tian didn't quite understand why Gu Yue proposed such a condition.

"Regarding the second condition, while I cannot restrain human soul masters, there is another solution. Would you like to hear it, Beast God?" Du Qianjue asked.

"Speak," Di Tian said, curious.

The core conflict between soul masters and soul beasts was the need for soul masters to obtain soul rings, and the fact that soul bones from soul beasts could make them stronger.

In this cultivation system, soul rings and soul bones were unavoidable. The spirit system created by Huo Yuhao solved the crisis of no soul rings for future soul masters but also led to the extinction of the soul beast race.

Simply put, the spirit system created artificial soul rings, rendering soul beasts unnecessary. Their only value became soul bones, leading to their eventual extinction. So, Huo Yuhao left a mess with the Spirit Pagoda, solving the soul ring crisis but ending the soul beast race.

The only way for soul masters and soul beasts to coexist peacefully was to bind soul rings to soul beasts.

Du Qianjue and Electrolux had deeply discussed this. Neither was from this world, so they didn't have the unshakeable traditional beliefs of this world's soul masters. Guided by memories from their past lives, they didn't believe rules were unchangeable truths.

So why not try something new?

The two of them came up with creative ideas, combining Du Qianjue imaginative thoughts and Electrolux's necromancy magic to test their hypotheses. Why not give it a try?

The two hit it off, researching the relationship between soul masters and soul rings for nearly half a month. Using someone like Electrolux, a scientific genius, as a mere combatant was a waste. Letting him do research suited him better, and he enjoyed studying this world's cultivation system.

Back at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, Electrolux had mentioned that the cultivation system of this world intrigued him greatly. Why was it so unique and complex? From that moment, a seed of curiosity had been planted in Electrolux's heart. After feeling the power of martial spirits through Du Qianjue, Electrolux made some guesses.

First: Humans initially did not have martial spirits.

This guess was highly probable, as only Douluo Star in the universe had martial spirits. The first martial spirits likely appeared when the Dragon God shed blood during the Dragon God War, giving life to the creatures of Douluo Continent. Humans, by chance, integrated various 'spirits' into their bodies, creating martial spirits.

Second: Soul rings were a form of imprisonment set by the Dragon God for soul beasts on this continent.

In "Douluo Dalu 4: Ultimate Fighting," it was mentioned that the rule preventing soul beasts from becoming gods was established by the Dragon God. The manifestation of this rule was soul rings. Initially, soul beasts were no different from other world's magical beasts, limited only by their talents and lifespans, without heavenly tribulations.

The various colors and levels of soul rings—white, yellow, purple, black, red—clearly indicated that the power of soul rings grew with each tribulation a soul beast passed. As the soul rings grew stronger, so did their restraints on soul beasts. For humans, soul rings represented a similar constraint.

The stronger the soul rings, the more powerful they made soul masters, but also the greater the constraints. This resulted in soul masters finding it difficult to control soul power and almost impossible to create original skills. Their cultivation heavily relied on martial spirits, with most titled Douluo having physically weak bodies despite reaching the peak of the cultivation world.

Reaching the titled Douluo stage, without the ability to regenerate limbs, was absurd. When becoming a god, soul rings were useless, as they were not meant for gods. They provided no help to gods, so why break them into divine rings upon ascending to the God Realm?

Below god-level, cultivation without soul rings was impossible, yet reliance on soul rings hindered improvement in the original cultivation system. Soul rings' influence made soul masters hunt soul beasts continuously. The cycle of cultivation, growth, and hunting soul beasts for soul rings and bones was endless.

Du Qianjue and Electrolux reached this chilling conclusion. Even at Electrolux's peak, he couldn't alter the fundamental rules of this world. Forcefully changing the cultivation system was unrealistic. The spirit system accelerated the extinction of soul beasts, so Du Qianjue didn't let Electrolux develop it.

Given the original story, he knew the spirit system was the final nail in the soul beasts' coffin, so he wouldn't let Electrolux create it. Replacing soul rings was feasible but would lead to the same problem as the spirit system—making soul beasts redundant and hunted for their bones. Binding soul rings to soul beasts was the best solution.

"Bind soul beasts and soul rings together using a special ritual, allowing soul beasts to voluntarily condense soul rings for soul masters to absorb," Du Qianjue explained.

"This approach benefits soul beasts, as soul rings contain part of the soul beast's spirit. The ritual can maintain a connection between the soul in the ring and the soul beast."

"Soul masters don't have immortality and typically live for a few hundred years. During this short period, soul masters grow rapidly. A soul ring produced this way can grow with the soul master, even though it may slow down their cultivation."

"Even if the soul ring's growth slows the soul master's cultivation, it will still be highly sought after because a soul ring that can be cultivated is incredibly valuable."

"When the soul master dies, the soul ring dissipates into the world, and the soul within the ring can return to the original soul beast's body, speeding up its cultivation."

"In this way, soul beasts can grow with the help of soul masters, and soul masters can obtain suitable soul rings without risking their lives, with the rings becoming stronger over time."

"At this point, humans might even protect soul beasts because soul masters and soul beasts are no longer enemies but companions."

Du Qianjue words led Di Tian and Bi Ji into a hopeful reverie.

"Is this really possible?" Bi Ji's green eyes were full of hope.

"It is, but it still needs improvement. After all, I'm not even thirteen yet and haven't had much time to study it," Du Qianjue shrugged.

This was true, and Electrolux was still deep in thought within his Sea of Spirits. Creating a completely new magic was no easy feat, especially one involving the soul. A single mistake could lead to severe consequences, and soul masters would be fine since they were only absorbing soul rings. However, the soul beasts sacrificing parts of their souls could perish if things went wrong.

Even the legendary Tang San didn't understand the soul. He had to kill all the fragments of his daughter's soul before reassembling them with divine power to revive her.

"Soul-related matters are complex. Without my exceptional talent, I wouldn't dare research this. However, I will definitely develop it by the time I become a god," Du Qianjue assured Bi Ji.

"After becoming a god, I can remain in Douluo Continent for a hundred years, during which I will promote this ritual among soul beasts and form an alliance. By then, soul beasts will no longer face extinction."

"Even if the future doesn't turn out as beautiful as you describe, I personally thank you," Bi Ji gracefully curtsied, her face full of gratitude.

Di Tian remained silent, his eyes flickering.

"Master, is what he said achievable?" Di Tian couldn't help but ask Gu Yue .

Gu Yue hadn't returned to sleep after waking up and had heard everything Du Qianjue said. Di Tian's question made her silent, her expression complex.

"It's possible but very difficult," Gu Yue sighed, her gaze on Du Qianjue filled with a hint of praise. "At least soul power must reach the level of divinity and achieve my level of mastery to implement his plan across Douluo Continent."

"His talent is incredibly strong, and he might achieve my level. Even if he doesn't, he can still accomplish part of it. As a human willing to help soul beasts, he's quite remarkable."

"This plan was clearly prepared before coming to Star Dou. Otherwise, he wouldn't have such a detailed plan. It might be for the Snow Empress by his side. This human is quite commendable."

Forming a contract between a single human and soul beast wasn't difficult. The challenge was creating an autonomous ritual or even making it a fundamental rule.

Du Qianjue didn't trust the people of Douluo Continent enough to create a human-dependent system. Autonomous rituals, devoid of bias, were far more reliable.

Nonetheless, preliminary cooperation had been established, and Di Tian trusted Du Qianjue more than he ever trusted Huo Yuhao in the original story. After all, Huo Yuhao never received praise from Gu Yue .

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