The gods were still arguing about how to deal with the ferocious beasts, but as for Poseidon, the Sea God—he had decided not to care at all.
All he had to do now was properly nurture Liu Erlong and pass on his god position to her.
After that, he'd wash his hands of the whole matter!
After all, the child of Dan Heng and the Silver Dragon King was about to be born.
If soul beasts truly became enemies of the Divine Realm in the future, who could possibly stop them?
This was a sinking ship. He planned to jump off while he still could.
Meanwhile, the ferocious beasts returned to Dan Heng's house and formally submitted their resignations.
Gu Yuena, knowing they were about to leave, suggested they share one last meal together—and even had Dan Heng personally do the cooking.
When Dan Heng went out to buy ingredients, Xiong Jun (Bear Lord) tagged along.
But Gu Yuena didn't go. Instead, she sent Bi Ji and Zhu Zhuqing, and gathered all the other ferocious beasts in a room.
"Big sister...?"
As Di Tian and the others entered the room—
The door suddenly shut on its own.
Xiong Jun was so startled he immediately hid behind Di Tian, shivering.
Gu Yuena said calmly, "When your brother-in-law finishes cooking, don't you dare eat like pigs. I don't want any of you saying there wasn't enough food, understand?"
"Understood!" Di Tian and the others quickly nodded, breathing a sigh of relief.
So that's what this was about. From Gu Yuena's stern expression, they had seriously thought she was about to eliminate one of them.
Especially Xiong Jun—he had practically pissed himself from fear!
Gu Yuena added, "Also, you've received god-level trials, but that means the gods will likely become aware. If anything happens, you must inform me immediately."
Ever since the Dragon God calamity, the Divine Realm had been extremely hostile to soul beasts becoming gods.
Even Di Tian, who was once a Beast God, could no longer ascend again.
She suspected the gods wouldn't sit idly by!
The beasts all nodded in agreement.
Still, they didn't feel too worried in their hearts.
Especially Di Tian—having once become a god, he understood that once a god position began its inheritance trial, interference from others was usually rare.
Soon after, the yard of Dan Heng's house was filled with delicious dishes. The aroma alone was mouthwatering—perfect in color, aroma, and flavor.
Rumble...!
Xiong Jun's stomach let out a thunderous growl.
His eyes were wide with awe. Drooling, he dazedly said, "Brother-in-law, what... what is this? It smells amazing. I've never had anything like this in my life...!"
Gu Yuena rubbed her forehead and said, "Get him an apron."
Dan Heng chuckled, and the others joined in with a good-natured laugh, teasing Xiong Jun.
Scratching his head, Xiong Jun grinned sheepishly, "Brother-in-law's food is just too good! Just a little..."
Before he could finish the sentence, a cold chill ran up his spine from the base of his tailbone.
The word "too little" was forcibly swallowed back.
"What's wrong? Not enough food?" Dan Heng asked calmly.
"N-no! We've all eaten already! Just sampling now! Just tasting brother-in-law's amazing cooking!" Xiong Jun stammered out fluently, showing unprecedented eloquence.
"Then eat. Who knows when we'll meet again," Gu Yuena said with a rare smile.
The beasts eagerly picked up their chopsticks.
Even without Xiong Jun, they had long been lured by the scent!
For a while, no one spoke—they were all focused on eating.
Their eyes widened in amazement.
Back in the Fontaine Empire, eating cooked food alone had felt like heaven. Now with Dan Heng's cooking? It was downright divine!
The food was disappearing fast.
Di Tian was the first to recover, putting down his chopsticks. "Brother-in-law, it's all thanks to you. We wouldn't be where we are without you!"
Under the table, he stomped hard on Xiong Jun's foot.
The rest of the beasts snapped out of their food coma and raised their glasses to Dan Heng, expressing their gratitude and toasting together.
Dan Heng nodded slightly and drank with them.
If possible, he wanted nothing more to do with the gods.
But... would they really leave things alone?
He put down his cup and looked up at the sky.
Through layers of space, it was as if he could see those enraged deities in the Divine Realm!
That night, Di Tian and the others left Heaven Dou City.
Turning into streaks of light, they headed south—Xiong Jun stayed behind, while the others returned to the Fontaine Empire.
Chi Wang laughed, "Zi Ji's doing fine in the Empire—why would she come here now? She must want a god inheritance too."
Wan Yao Wang chuckled darkly, "Of course! In millions of years, has any soul beast ever inherited a god position?"
The others nodded proudly, their faces filled with satisfaction.
They had made history—brought honor to soul beasts everywhere.
Even Di Tian couldn't hide his excitement.
"This time, let's not trouble brother-in-law again. If we rely on him for everything, how can we prove our worth and give our master peace of mind?" Di Tian said.
"That's right! We must show that even without brother-in-law, we can still become gods!"
"I'm the first of the Crimson Demon Mastiff clan to become a god!"
"Hahahaha..."
Laughing uproariously, the beasts sped toward the south.
That evening—
Zhu Zhuyun and Zhu Zhuqing were still awake.
After cleaning the dishes, Zhu Zhuqing returned to her training. She had already obtained her fifth spirit ring and become a Spirit King!
Despite that, she maintained her diligent habits.
Zhu Zhuyun sat up, her blanket falling to reveal her snow-white skin and seductive figure.
Her eyes were filled with envy.
She was only a Spirit Ancestor, while Zhu Zhuqing—several years younger—was already a Spirit King. And her fourth spirit ring had even been a ten-thousand-year ring!
The most outrageous part? Zhu Zhuqing had spent a whole year with almost no spirit power cultivation!
The gap between them had unknowingly become immense.
She sighed. She had already been left far behind.
"Zhuqing, you really should remind Mr. Dan Heng..." Zhu Zhuyun said softly.
Zhu Zhuqing opened her eyes—red light flashed and faded. "What?"
"The Sea God's Tower. Dan Heng told you to wait for news, but it's been two years. He might've forgotten. You're his disciple—don't you deserve a god position?"
Zhu Zhuyun seemed anxious as she pressed the point.
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head slightly, "I will wait for teacher's word."
Zhu Zhuyun grabbed her arm, serious now. "Zhuqing, even those weirdos have god inheritance now. Aren't you worried? What if Dan Heng brings in more relatives and gives away all the god positions?"
"The God of Speed, especially—that's perfect for our martial souls. I'm not talented. I'll never get a god position. But you're different! I'm really afraid you'll miss your chance."
"The God of Speed is unmatched in speed. If you got that inheritance..."
Zhu Zhuyun bit her lip, her eyes watery. She genuinely worried for Zhu Zhuqing.
But Zhu Zhuqing remained calm and repeated:
"I'll wait for teacher's instruction."
"..."
Zhu Zhuyun could only sigh and shake her head.
She no longer knew how to persuade her.
The Next Day
Dan Heng and his family went to Blue Tyrant Academy.
The Soul Master Tournament was approaching, and the Blue Tyrant Team needed to intensify training.
Gu Yuena, though visibly pregnant, didn't even bother estimating her due date and insisted on overseeing everything in person.
Of course, given her recovered strength, she was already at god level.
Even when facing higher gods, she could escape with no issue.
Dan Heng wasn't worried. Meanwhile, he also monitored the Divine Realm.
Though he couldn't see through all the layers of obstruction—
The aura of a god was too powerful to miss.
If one descended to the Douluo Continent, or any divine power targeted them, Dan Heng would sense it instantly.
Back at the library, he found several letters on the service desk.
He opened them: one from Shui Yue'er, one from Elder Long (Meng Shu), one from Liu Erlong...
All of them related to the Soul Master Tournament.
Because this year's Soul Master Tournament was different from previous years.
The Douluo Continent now had three nations, with the newly emerged Fontaine Empire among them.
Both the Spirit Hall and the two major empires were curious about Fontaine, so after some negotiation, they decided to hold the finals in Fontaine.
Other factions would be responsible for escorting their region's teams.
This way, they could take the opportunity to personally visit Fontaine.
The Four Elemental Academies naturally belonged to the Heaven Dou Empire region.
In just a few days, they would arrive to compete.
Shui Yue'er, missing Dan Heng, sent him a letter.
Dan Heng shook his head slightly, then picked up the one from Grandpa Long Mengshu. After reading it, he shook his head again.
Mengshu wanted to send his granddaughter over, asking Dan Heng to look after her...
Liu Erlong's letter was simple — just greetings and an update on her situation. She was still on Sea God Island fighting sea soul beasts, and had already become a Titled Douluo.
"Sigh... Master Dan Heng, what is love…?"
A sudden sigh interrupted him.
Qian Daoliu had come over, looking utterly dejected.
Dan Heng looked at Qian Daoliu, who hadn't shown up in quite some time. Now that he did, his face was full of sorrow.
Dan Heng shook his head and said, "I don't know."
Qian Daoliu sighed again and gave a bitter smile, "Even someone as wise as Master Dan Heng doesn't know. Then how could a mere mortal like me ever understand? This is torture…"
Dan Heng said casually, "My wife was the one who came to me and proposed marriage."
"???"
Qian Daoliu's sorrow instantly froze on his face.
It was like the sound of glass shattering — the sound of his heart breaking.
He looked at Dan Heng, full of grief and a hint of accusation.
Couldn't you at least say something comforting?
His own sadness was already hard to bear, but Dan Heng's happiness was absolutely soul-crushing.
This contrast... was just too brutal!
Qian Daoliu turned away, not wanting to look at Dan Heng — or perhaps to hide his actions, like wiping away tears.
Under Dan Heng's teachings, he had become more and more human.
Dan Heng added, "But what she said last time… was just a joke. Don't take it seriously."
"!!!"
Qian Daoliu spun around immediately, unable to hide the joy on his face.
"Master Dan Heng, are you serious? But Bo Saixi clearly said— No, I get it now! She was trying to trick me! She wanted me to give up! Because she's afraid she might actually be moved by me! That means she does understand my feelings, and isn't sure about her own!"
Qian Daoliu grew more excited as he spoke, almost wanting to hug Dan Heng.
But under Dan Heng's gaze, he restrained himself from going overboard.
"Master Dan Heng, I… I'll be going now!" Qian Daoliu said joyfully, then dashed out of the library at lightning speed.
CRASH!!!
He even shattered the window on his way out.
"…"
Dan Heng shook his head slightly, helpless.
He really didn't understand this kind of emotion.
But he had seen a similar reaction once — in Qian Daoliu's ancestor, Qian Yuhan, the Angel God.
Though in that case, too, it had been a complete misunderstanding...
BOOM!!!
A dark red light suddenly shone, enveloping nearly the entire Heaven Dou City.
An incredibly powerful and deep aura burst forth.
The source of the crimson light column — was the Spirit Hall!
In that moment, every nearby lifeform felt that unmatched pressure.
Even Qian Daoliu, who was flying in mid-air, was forced to land and look toward the light column.
His expression shifted from confusion to joy.
"Bibi Dong… has become a god!"
Qian Daoliu said softly.
He was impressed. Bibi Dong had reached godhood faster than he had expected!
Meanwhile, other powerful beings nearby had guessed what was happening.
Inside the Spirit Hall—
A figure soared into the sky — it was Bibi Dong, clad in purple armor, hair loose and wild, her majesty greater than ever.
She gazed down upon the entire Douluo Continent, her eyes focused in the direction of Blue Tyrant Academy.
At the same time, a tenth soul ring began to manifest atop her nine existing ones.
A red-gold soul ring — like a strange sun — yet completely opposite in nature, pulling all its energy inward instead of radiating outward.
"I've become a god…"
Bibi Dong's lips curled into a smile.
For tens of thousands of years on the Douluo Continent, she was the first to ascend to godhood!
And because of her divine inheritance, there was no heavenly tribulation.
The sky was crystal clear — not a cloud in sight.
In that moment, an intense urge rose in her heart — one she had long held: to steal Dan Heng away!
After all, with the whole world beneath her feet and everyone bowing to her, she was now invincible— or not.
She had barely thought the thought when she snuffed it out immediately.
Forget just becoming a god — even if she was the Rakshasa God at full power, compared to Dan Heng, she was no more than an ant.
She suppressed the thought, clenched her thighs, and bit her lip.
"Dan Heng, I won't give up. One day, I'll become stronger than you. And when that time comes… I'll make sure you never leave my side again!"
Her face flushed crimson. Just imagining that day filled her with uncontrollable emotion.
"The new Rakshasa God…"
Suddenly, a broader, multicolored light beam descended from the sky.
It enveloped Bibi Dong.
A complex divine aura intertwined, followed by several other beams of light descending.
Bibi Dong's face showed shock as several illusory figures appeared around her — projections of gods from the Divine Realm.
Her expression turned wary.
Could it be that the Rakshasa God made too many enemies, and now they've come to punish me?
"Who are you…" she asked.
The Fire God spoke first:"New Rakshasa God, since you've become a god, you are now one of us. The Divine Realm is facing a crisis, and we need your strength to resolve it…"
"???"
The more Bibi Dong listened, the more skeptical she became.
A brand-new god like me is supposed to help fix the Divine Realm's problems?
Plus, on the Douluo Continent, she was a Pope. But in the Divine Realm, she'd have to take orders?
She didn't obey anyone — except maybe Dan Heng!
Including gods!
Seeing this, the Asura God added calmly:
"It's not for free…"
(End of Chapter)