Thunderous booms echoed across the sky.
Sacred aura intertwined with oppressive dark energy, the aftermath of battle spreading to every corner of the Great Star Dou Forest.
Trees swayed violently as the entire forest trembled under the killing intent radiating from this clash.
Even though Ning Rongrong's group had deliberately distanced themselves from the forest, they could still faintly perceive the shockwaves' effects.
"Young Mistress, Lord Dugu, what's happening over there..." Lou Gao asked as he approached the front of the caravan after seeing their horses prostrate on the ground unwilling to move, glancing toward the distant horizon.
"There are Title Douluos battling in the Great Star Dou Forest's direction," Ning Rongrong answered before Dugu Bo could speak. "One side belongs to the soul beast faction. The horses' fear preventing movement is likely connected to that soul beast."
"Yes." Dugu Bo nodded, his eyes filled with awe. "Even at this distance, I can feel my heart palpitating."
"This..." Lou Gao and Si Long, who had followed him, exchanged bewildered looks.
They'd seen Title Douluos before, but which Title Douluo could create such an enormous spectacle?
Looking toward the Great Star Dou Forest from here, black and white lights alternated brilliantly.
The terrifying aura occasionally descending from the sky felt godlike.
"Senior Lou Gao, don't worry. Minor figures like us wouldn't attract such beings' attention," Ning Rongrong reassured.
Lou Gao: "..."
Minor figures traveling with a Title Douluo?
The battle lasted about half an hour.
Only then did the skies above the Great Star Dou Forest gradually calm, the oppressive atmosphere dispersing.
The caravan's horses regained their mobility.
Along the journey, Dugu Bo seemed somewhat preoccupied, glancing at Ning Rongrong who was chatting with Dugu Yan.
As a god trial inheritor, she might know something about that situation.
"Rongrong, any thoughts about that earlier battle?"
"I do have some guesses," Ning Rongrong smiled slightly.
"Most likely Spirit Hall came to assert dominance and clashed with the Great Star Dou Forest's ruler."
"...Assert dominance?"
Dugu Yan and Dugu Bo exchanged confused glances.
"Qian Renxue is Qian Daoliu's granddaughter and a god trial inheritor. She nearly got killed by the Dark Devilgod Tiger - wouldn't he come to make a statement? If only to vent anger for his granddaughter."
"Hasn't Senior Dugu done similar things before?"
"Ah..." Dugu Bo coughed lightly. "So those were two 99th-ranked Title Douluos fighting?"
"That's the safest assumption." Ning Rongrong shrugged. "At any rate, they're stronger than the Sword Douluo empowered by my father Ning Fengzhi - either 98th or 99th rank."
"The Great Star Dou Forest has 99th-ranked Title Douluos too?" Dugu Yan was more curious about the forest's affairs.
"Indeed, if we're judging by combat strength." Ning Rongrong pondered briefly. "The Great Star Dou Forest's overall power surpasses even Spirit Hall's."
"What!" Dugu Bo inhaled sharply. "Rongrong, then who was that soul beast fighting Qian Daoliu?"
"After soul beasts reach 100,000 years, they undergo a heavenly tribulation within the first millennium, then every subsequent 100,000 years." Instead of answering directly, Ning Rongrong explained,
"Among known 100,000-year soul beasts, the Sky Azure Bull Python and Titan Giant Ape approximate 90th to 95th-ranked Title Douluos."
"But within the Great Star Dou Forest's 100,000-year soul beasts, they're essentially at the bottom."
"The Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python are bottom-tier?" Dugu Bo looked horrified.
Heaven Dou Empire's records mentioned a Title Douluo who ventured to the forest's core, only to flee in terror upon encountering the human-speaking Sky Azure Bull Python, not even daring to fight.
"The soul beast fighting Qian Daoliu is probably around 700,000 to 800,000 years old," Ning Rongrong stated.
"800,000 years?" Dugu Bo's eyes widened. Dugu Yan, lacking this knowledge, just looked confused.
"Correct." Ning Rongrong organized her thoughts. "Actually, Douluo Continent's soul beast world has several existences equivalent to 99th-ranked Title Douluos."
"The Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King Di Tian of the Great Star Dou Forest, the Ice Snow Empress of the Extreme North, and the 990,000-year soul beast Deep Sea Demon Whale King ruling the oceans."
"Their strength matches humanity's three great peaks, possibly surpassing them."
"By the way, Senior Dugu and Sister Yan might not know who these three peaks are."
"They are: the former Clear Sky Sect's 99th-ranked Title Douluo Tang Chen, hailed as invincible on land."
"Sea God Island's high priestess 99th-ranked Bo Saixi, who commands the seas."
"And Spirit Hall's Worship Hall high priest 99th-ranked Qian Daoliu, proclaimed unrivaled in the skies."
"Basically, these represent humanity's pinnacle strength." Having finished, Ning Rongrong fell silent, allowing Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan time to digest this information.
After a long pause, Dugu Bo asked curiously: "What is this Sea God Island place?"
He'd never heard of it before. With "god" in its name, it clearly wasn't ordinary.
"Similar to Spirit Hall, but instead of angel gods they worship the Sea God Poseidon. The 99th-ranked Bo Saixi is like Spirit Hall's Qian Daoliu - both serve as gods' mortal representatives."
"Rongrong, are you saying Sea God Island also has god trials?" Dugu Yan asked eagerly.
Qian Renxue had been the Angel God's trial inheritor, after all.
"Yes. The prerequisite for obtaining the god-level 9th trial is innate full soul power." Ning Rongrong guessed Dugu Yan's thoughts - who wouldn't want godhood?
After a brief pause, she continued:
"Actually, as divine representatives, they don't want anyone obtaining god-level trials."
"Because if someone does, the representative must die."
"Eh?!"
Dugu Yan froze. Even Dugu Bo looked shocked.
"To ignite the divine spark for godhood, unless the previous god intervenes, the divine representative must sacrifice themselves as the inheritor's final stepping stone."
"Meaning regardless of who achieves godhood, the representative dies."
"So if Qian Renxue becomes a god, Qian Daoliu would die?" Dugu Bo felt he'd stumbled upon an earth-shattering secret.
"Correct." Ning Rongrong nodded. "But Qian Daoliu probably hasn't told Qian Renxue this."
Dugu Yan couldn't help complaining: "How cruel!"
To become a god, first sacrifice a 99th-ranked Title Douluo.
Their conversations continued thus.
Ning Rongrong's group encountered no further incidents returning to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan.
Meanwhile, elsewhere during their journey...
At the Great Star Dou Forest's core.
"I don't understand why the master would spare that human."
The slightly injured Di Tian reported to the soul beasts' ancestral progenitor, but doubts lingered.
Though not yet at his peak from later in the series, current Di Tian was a genuine 99th-ranked Title Douluo in strength.
With the Dragon God's bestowed Dragon God Claw, he could match Qian Daoliu evenly.
Combined with soul beasts' innate physical superiority, he'd held the advantage during their battle.
While defeating or killing Qian Daoliu would have been difficult, it wasn't impossible.
What baffled Di Tian most was the sleeping Silver Dragon King's sudden appearance ordering Qian Daoliu's release.
Had the Silver Dragon King betrayed soul beasts for humans?
That seemed too absurd.