Chapter 141: The Soul Beast's Million-Year Master Plan (Part 2)
This thought struck like lightning in Dai Yao's mind.
His hairs stood on end, a cold chill shot up his spine, and his body trembled uncontrollably.
According to Dai Yao's guess, both Xiao Wu and A Yin had chosen partners who were exceptionally talented humans.
Tang Hao, the youngest Title Douluo and the owner of the Killing God Domain, was on track to follow in his ancestor's footsteps, inheriting the position of the Asura God. Moreover, he became a Title Douluo at a younger age than his ancestor, so his chances of becoming a god were even greater than Tang Chen's.
Tang San, with his twin martial souls, was destined to inherit the Sea God position according to the original storyline.
Of course, with Tang San's innate talent, even if he didn't choose to inherit Sea God, other gods would still fight for him to become their successor. After all, his talent was so extraordinary that even the Asura God would covet him.
At the end of the original work, Xiao Wu served as the sword sheath, and the Asura God handed over the Asura God position to Tang San.
Based on Dai Yao's speculations, if there were no accidents, both Tang Hao and Tang San would eventually become gods. And as their partners, A Yin and Xiao Wu would also ascend to the divine realm.
Since soul beasts couldn't become gods, they had to take another path, using this method to reach the divine realm.
Once they ascended, they would attempt to activate the Golden Dragon King's seal while also weakening the strength of the divine realm.
In the legends of the divine realm, Xiao Wu's persuasion of the God King Tang to kill the God of Destruction was the clearest proof of this plan.
For this grand plan, Emperor Tian had gathered a group of ten-thousand-year soul beasts, consulted them, and made them transform into human forms, even erasing their memories.
After finding the talented humans, they would send these transformed soul beast beauties to fall in love with the humans.
This explained why Xiao Wu, despite having ten thousand years of cultivation, was portrayed like a mere accessory to Tang San in the original work—without any autonomous personality. It could only be explained as Xiao Wu having transformed and acting like an innocent child.
Or perhaps, Xiao Wu knew everything and was using her ten thousand years of wisdom to perform, making it hard for others to tell whether she was truly innocent or just playing the fool.
"If this possibility is true, then I'm in danger!" Dai Yao suddenly realized. He looked up and warily glanced at Xiao Wu.
"What are you staring at? Keep looking and I'll gouge your eyes out!" Xiao Wu snarled.
Dai Yao shook his head. He couldn't tell whether Xiao Wu was genuinely acting foolish or was faking it.
He continued to think about the various plot holes in the original work, trying to make his guesses more reasonable.
Why were A Yin and Xiao Wu the ones to enter the human world? Did they have something special about them?
A Yin was a ten-thousand-year soul beast and a unique plant-type soul beast.
"Wildfire can't burn it all; spring wind blows and it grows again!"
Dai Yao's eyes lit up. Even if A Yin was recognized after transforming and faced the risk of being hunted, she could still revive after making a sacrificial offering.
But what about Xiao Wu?
Xiao Wu's mother was killed, and she became someone else's soul ring. As a soul beast, Xiao Wu would hate humans even more.
This time, she decided not only to avenge her mother but also to ensure the survival of soul beasts. She had joined this plan and became a part of it.
That's why she acted like an innocent and harmless person, showing none of the composure of a ten-thousand-year soul beast.
She wasn't really harmless—she was just acting harmless.
Decades of human love meant nothing in the face of over a hundred thousand years.
With this understanding, many of the plot holes started to make sense.
"I'm in great danger right now! Knowing Xiao Wu's true identity means that when I enter the Star Dou Great Forest next time, it might be my last!" Dai Yao suddenly realized, and cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
"Are you alright?" Xiao Wu asked, puzzled, noticing Dai Yao's changing expressions.
But Xiao Wu's concern sounded like a death sentence to Dai Yao.
"If I show any sign of abnormality, Xiao Wu, with her ten thousand years of wisdom, will immediately notice. Right now, my situation is incredibly dangerous!"
Dai Yao's mind raced, and fortunately, his experience in the Cold Palace, with its need for subtlety and feigned politeness, helped him stay calm.
He knew that the best approach was to remain unchanged and to play the part, so he continued pretending to think.
"When I asked Emperor Tian about this earlier, Xiao Wu seemed to be in great pain. I transferred soul power to her and was in close contact. This pain wasn't faked."
"Which means Xiao Wu's memory about Emperor Tian was erased."
"No, I can't afford to be complacent. Complacency could cost me my life."
"How can I be sure Xiao Wu isn't just pretending to be in pain? I can't underestimate ten thousand years of wisdom."
"Emperor Tian has been around for nearly 890,000 years. This is a soul beast plan spanning almost a million years, and countless soul beasts have been sacrificed along the way!"
"Perhaps some soul beasts have already ascended to the divine realm."
"And then there's Xiao Wu's work-study student spot. This spot can't be forged; it must bear her name. This means there are already soul beasts hidden in the Spirit Hall, and their positions must be significant!"
"After a soul beast transforms, only once it reaches level seventy can it avoid being discovered."
A chill ran up Dai Yao's spine, and he cursed inwardly:
"Is this still the Douluo Continent I know?!"
"I previously acted as if I were coveting Xiao Wu's ten-thousand-year soul ring, so I can't change that attitude now." Dai Yao silently thought.
Faced with a life-threatening crisis, his behavior was extraordinary.
He casually sized up Xiao Wu's body, a trace of greed flashing in his eyes.
"What do you want?" Xiao Wu stepped back in fear, eyeing Dai Yao warily.
Dai Yao sneered and said:
"You're a ten-thousand-year soul beast, a treasure that many people dream of possessing. If someone else finds out, wouldn't it be a waste of my opportunity?"
"How about a bet?"
"A bet?" Xiao Wu raised an eyebrow.
"I can help you hide your identity, and even give you a treasure that can conceal it, even in front of a Title Douluo."
Xiao Wu hesitated, unsure of what she was thinking.
"What's the wager?"
Seeing that Xiao Wu was interested, Dai Yao secretly breathed a sigh of relief and moved past the previous topic.
"I bet you'll make a sacrificial offering."
"A sacrificial offering?!" Xiao Wu exclaimed.
A sacrificial offering was an extremely domineering act.
Not only would one sacrifice their life, but also their soul.
Everything a soul beast has is integrated into its soul, so no matter what level the soul master is, their soul ring can successfully fuse with the soul beast.
Among soul beasts, this was a taboo term.
Which soul beast would offer itself to the human enemy?
"If you don't make the offering, then the treasure that can conceal your identity will be yours. You should understand the value of such a treasure, right?"
Xiao Wu looked at Dai Yao with eager eyes. As a hundred-thousand-year soul beast, she still hadn't found anything that could completely conceal her identity. Now that Dai Yao was making such a claim, how could she not be tempted?
However, she couldn't help but question him:
"Why should I believe you have such a treasure?"
Dai Yao smiled faintly and reached for his Hundred Treasures Pouch at his waist, producing what appeared to be an ordinary flower.
The flower resembled a peony, with its roots attached to a pitch-black stone. Its white petals bore striking red markings, as vivid as fresh blood.
"This is the Yearning Heartbroken Red," Dai Yao explained while gazing at the flower.
"Only those with true, heartfelt love can use their blood to pluck this immortal herb. Ask your Third Brother—he knows full well the value of this treasure."
Originally, Dai Yao had no intention of giving the Yearning Heartbroken Red to Xiao Wu. Her life or death was none of his concern.
The reason he had kept the herb was that it held little personal value to him. The flowers produced every ten levels by his Chaos Green Lotus martial soul were far more effective than the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
Unexpectedly, due to his speculations, he was now giving the flower to Xiao Wu, pushing the story back toward the original plotline.
"What if I sacrifice myself someday?" Xiao Wu asked cautiously.
"If that happens, no matter who you intend to sacrifice for, you must change the target to me," Dai Yao replied with a grin. The malice in his smile made Xiao Wu uneasy.
Clenching her hands tightly, she bit her lip, unable to make a decision.
For a soul beast, sacrifice was unthinkable. But for her, that impossibility had already been shaken—by one person.
That person was Tang San.
Her beloved.
If Tang San were gravely injured and only her sacrifice could save him, she would not hesitate to do it.
But that would mean losing the bet with Dai Yao.
Dai Yao continued to press her:
"Think about it. If you don't take this bet, you'll definitely be discovered during the Soul Master Tournament. What will Tang San think of you then?"
"Fine, I'll bet! But only if the Yearning Heartbroken Red has the effect you claim."
"Excellent!" Dai Yao clapped his hands and laughed.
"You don't need to worry. You can test it now to see if the Yearning Heartbroken Red can recognize you and conceal your identity."
Xiao Wu took the Yearning Heartbroken Red and immediately felt its weight. She was surprised and asked Dai Yao,
"How do I make it recognize me?"
"You must think of the one you truly love as you pluck it. Your feelings must be genuine. Then, spill a mouthful of your blood onto the petals. Without sincerity, it cannot be plucked," Dai Yao explained.
"Once the herb has recognized its master, it will never wither as long as it stays by your side."
Hearing his explanation, Xiao Wu hesitated no longer. She spat a mouthful of blood onto the Yearning Heartbroken Red.
The herb did not tremble in the slightest but detached silently from its stone base, landing gently in Xiao Wu's delicate hand.
Wiping the blood from her mouth, Xiao Wu smiled faintly. Her expression softened as she gazed dreamily at the captivating flower, her thoughts drifting to the image of a certain someone in her mind.
Watching the flower recognize Xiao Wu as its master, Dai Yao felt a complex mix of emotions.
Tang San, despite his flaws, his double standards, and his ruthless actions, undeniably loved Xiao Wu.
Yet, in the original novel, Xiao Wu was reduced to a mere accessory—a tool for Tang San to show off and gain advantages.
Now, Dai Yao only wanted to distance himself from Xiao Wu and have nothing more to do with her. His speculations were far too terrifying.
It was as if the original story had been completely upended.
Xiao Wu was likely a crucial part of the soul beasts' million-year plan. Getting too involved with her would put him in grave danger, especially without sufficient strength to protect himself.
He gave her a warning:
"Remember, this flower can heal the gravest injuries and restore life to the dead, but if you consume it, it will lose its ability to hide your identity."
"I understand," Xiao Wu replied.
Her heart swelled with gratitude toward Dai Yao. She could feel the flower's ability to conceal her soul beast identity.
But when she thought about the bet with Dai Yao, a shadow darkened her thoughts.
After Dai Yao left, Xiao Wu gently stroked the eternal flower, her emotions in turmoil.
"Brother, did you know? Xiao Wu feels so conflicted right now."
"Xiao Wu's mother is gone. You're the only family I have left."
"I want so badly to avenge my mother, to punish those who killed her. But Xiao Wu has no power now. I can only watch as those enemies continue to slaughter my kind."
"Xiao Wu has so many secrets I can't tell you, but rest assured—I will never betray you."
"And as for Dai Yao talking about sacrifices—hmph, as if! If he's not around when the time comes, even if I wanted to sacrifice myself for him, it'd be impossible!"
Once he was out of Xiao Wu's sight, Dai Yao let out a long sigh of relief.
"Good grief! I was just being a bit reckless, and now I've uncovered such a massive secret!"
"No, I need to get stronger immediately! The original plot has already been disrupted. The soul beasts' million-year plan was inadvertently sabotaged by Tang San's actions."
"The emergence of the Sun Moon Empire has sparked the technological development of Douluo Continent, and the rate of soul beast extinction is accelerating."
"Without this, Douluo Continent might have remained locked in stagnation, and the soul beasts' plan might have had a chance to succeed."
Thinking about the Divine Realm and how its deities were being replaced by ascended deities from Douluo Continent, all of whom had soul beasts as their companions, sent a chill down Dai Yao's spine.
When Di Tian eventually gave the order, all the soul beasts in the Divine Realm would rebel, ambushing the gods. Countless deities would perish, unleashing the Golden Dragon King and the Silver Dragon King from their seals. Together, they would resurrect the Dragon God.
Humanity would decline, and the age of soul beasts would begin.
Now, Dai Yao resolved to prevent Tang San from becoming a god. Countering the soul beasts' plan was now his responsibility.
But he couldn't share any of this with anyone.
First, it sounded too absurd—no one would believe him. Second, it might draw the attention of Tang Hao, who would undoubtedly bear a grudge.
Most importantly, he risked being discovered by the shapeshifting soul beasts hidden within the Spirit Hall.
Even soul beasts below level 70 could evade detection by Title Douluo. But what if there were more than one, and what if they were stronger—Soul Douluo, or even Title Douluo-level?
Joining the Spirit Hall was inevitable for Dai Yao. Exposing the soul beasts' plan would only endanger his life.
He had no noble intention of sacrificing himself for humanity's sake.
Exhaling deeply, Dai Yao shook off his unease, stretching his stiff body to relieve the tension.
"My priority now is to become stronger. Forget investigating the soul beasts' identities for now—securing my safety comes first. Once I ascend to godhood, all these conspiracies will crumble."
Clearing his mind, Dai Yao returned to his usual self.
Just then, a water-blue figure frantically searching nearby caught sight of him. Her face relaxed into a gentle smile as she ran toward him.
"Dai Yao, why are you wandering around alone? I've been looking for you everywhere! Father and the others are waiting for you," she said softly, a hint of complaint in her voice.
(End of Chapter)
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