Strange Fire is a peculiar substance from the Dou Qi (Martial Energy) continent. In the vastness of the multiverse, there are very few things that can withstand its burning.
"What is this thing?"
Mu Chen flicked his finger, and with his will, the blood-red orb floated in front of him. The orb was only the size of a hazy blur, yet the space around it directly collapsed into cracks.
"System, identify this object!" Mu Chen commanded.
As Mu Chen's command was issued, information related to the blood orb appeared before his eyes.
Blood of the Ruthless Great Emperor: Contains the energy essence of the Ruthless Great Emperor from the Shrouded Sky dimension.
"Ding dong!"
"System warm reminder: The blood of the Ruthless Great Emperor obtained by the host contains extremely terrifying energy. Ordinary people absolutely cannot consume it; otherwise, they will explode and die. Even a Soul Master at the Soul Douluo level must use this item with caution."
"A Soul Master at the Soul Douluo level must use this item with caution?"
Mu Chen secretly rejoiced; could it be that he had obtained an extraordinary treasure?
"What is this thing? It smells so bloody!"
Xiao Wu frowned and asked Mu Chen beside her.
"A drop of blood from a great emperor," Mu Chen replied.
"What is blood essence?" Xiao Wu asked, even more confused.
"It is the energy essence of a living being." While Mu Chen answered, he had already placed the blood of the Ruthless Great Emperor into his storage soul guide. He looked ahead at the figures emerging from the forest and said, "They're coming."
"It seems the Soul Beasts here have been scared out of their wits," Xiao Wu said gravely, gazing ahead.
From the forest ahead, soldiers clad in armor burst forth. There were quite a number of them, roughly estimated to be around one hundred thousand. The purple armor they wore stood out starkly against the lush green forest.
This was the Forbidden God Forest, once the territory of the first Dragon God. The forest was home to many Divine Beasts, but ever since the fall of the first Dragon God, all the Divine Beasts had been restrained by humans, who destroyed the God Cores in their minds that were comparable to divine status.
There were tens of thousands of Divine Beasts in the forest; if they had resisted the human army, the army would not have reached here so quickly. At least, with the geographical advantage of the forest, they could have held them off for a few days.
"Damn it, this is really embarrassing for us beasts," Di Tian clenched his fists. As the Black Dragon King, he wished he could drag the Divine Beasts in the forest out and give them a beating.
It is worth mentioning that since Di Tian, Bi Ji, Da Ming, and Er Ming ascended to the God Realm, the God Cores within them absorbed the God Power of the God Realm, completing the final step. Now, they were comparable to humans of varying levels: first, second, and third-tier Gods.
"They can't be blamed," Bi Ji, dressed in an emerald green gown, glanced at Di Tian and continued, "They have already had their God Cores destroyed and have been scared out of their wits. It is only natural for them to not resist the human army out of self-preservation."
The Divine Beasts of the God Realm not only did not resist the human army but also did not heed the calls of the Silver Dragon King and Golden Dragon King to join their ranks in the fight against the human Gods led by the Five Supreme Gods. For them, the fall of the Dragon God and the deaths of the Nine Dragon Kings were too much to bear; they could not withstand another war. As for the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King, they were not the Dragon God; they only responded to the Dragon God's commands.
"This isn't self-preservation; it's being a slave, a slave to humans. With their God Cores destroyed, they can no longer become Gods. Humans can ride them, kill them, or eat them at will. What's the point of living like this?" Di Tian said fiercely.
"They really can't be blamed; they are just observing," Mu Chen said, his gaze sweeping far away, where many powerful auras were focused on their every move.
"Observing?" Di Tian frowned.
"Yes. The fall of the Dragon God has scared them. They cannot afford to lose because they know that once they help us, the consequence will be that they are completely reduced to second-class beings for humans. They need a war to boost their morale, at least to let them see a glimmer of hope," Mu Chen patiently explained.
"Really?" Di Tian asked with longing.
"Mm." Mu Chen nodded.
Roar, roar, roar!
A synchronized shout came from the front; the army under the command of the God of Destruction had arrived at the ruins of the City of Myriad Beasts. They marched in orderly formation, their well-equipped ranks exuding a strong aura that intimidated Mu Chen and the others.
"Humans."
The God of Destruction, cloaked and stepping through the void, walked to the front of the ranks, casting a glance at Mu Chen and the others from a distance, saying, "You are all humans; I advise you not to play with fire."
Mu Chen stepped through the void, meeting the God of Destruction's gaze calmly, and asked, "What if we don't?"
In Mu Chen's camp, there were only the Gods who had ascended from Douluo Star and some Titled Douluo and Soul Beasts from the Star Dou Great Forest. In total, there were eleven first-tier Gods, thirty-six second-tier Gods, and four hundred thirty-nine third-tier Gods. Adding the first-tier Gods who brought people from the Ascension to the God Realm, there were exactly five hundred individuals.
The God of Destruction commanded an army of one hundred thousand, along with eight first-tier Gods, forty-three second-tier Gods, and three hundred sixty-eight third-tier Gods. It could be said that the God of Destruction alone was enough to contend with Mu Chen and his group.
"Lay down your weapons and surrender, and I can let the past be the past. Whatever divine status you obtain, you will be that God in the future," the God of Destruction advised.
"That sounds good," Mu Chen nodded.
"Then hurry up and surrender; kill the beasts beside you. I will only propose to the God Realm Committee that this was a misunderstanding," the God of Destruction said lightly.
If Mu Chen and the others surrendered, it would not be surprising to the God of Destruction. After all, this was the God Realm, the territory of the Five Supreme Gods. A hundred years ago, even the Dragon God was not their opponent; how could Mu Chen and these beasts possibly stand a chance against them?
"What? You want me to kill the beasts beside me?" Mu Chen exclaimed in surprise, glancing at Xiao Wu beside him.
"This is your only choice to continue surviving in the God Realm," the God of Destruction said.
"And if we surrender? Will we have to listen to you from now on?" Mu Chen asked, seemingly tempted, continuing to inquire of the God of Destruction.
"Mu Chen!"
"Mu Chen, what are you doing?"
"Mu Chen, don't forget. When you were looking for herbs, we helped you. It was also the master who assisted you, allowing you to win against Bibi Dong in your bet!"
Hearing the conversation between Mu Chen and the God of Destruction, Di Tian, the Ten Thousand Demon King, and the Bear King all looked at Mu Chen with wary eyes. Instinctively, aside from the Emerald Swan and Xiao Wu, all the other Soul Beasts distanced themselves from the humans beside them.
(End of Chapter)