Chapter 90: This World Shouldn’t Be Like This!
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Di Tian shook his head with a chuckle and walked over to Jiang Bai’s side.
By now, Jiang Bai had dispelled his Ice Sword and Dragon Claws; he was currently working to calm his turbulent vital energy and soul power.
"Kid," Di Tian said, patting him on the shoulder—the force wasn’t heavy, yet it conveyed a sense of steady, profound power to Jiang Bai.
"Your talent is indeed impressive. To have grasped the essence of the sword to this extent is already a rare feat. What is even rarer, however, is that you did not become completely shackled to her path; that final strike just now contained a distinct element of your own making. Though still unrefined, the direction you are heading is the right one."
After taking a moment to regulate his breathing, Jiang Bai cupped his hands in salutation and replied, "Senior, you flatter me. My cultivation is shallow; I was merely experimenting blindly—it is hardly worth mentioning."
Upon hearing this, Di Tian cast a glance at him, his tone calm yet imbued with a profound depth: "You humans are always so meticulous in your etiquette and humble in your speech. While humility is certainly a virtue, excessive self-deprecation can, at times, come across as nothing more than hypocrisy."
Jiang Bai straightened his posture, brushing away some non-existent dust from his robes. Meeting Di Tian’s gaze directly, he replied with perfect composure: "That is not hypocrisy; that is culture—it is an integral part of the legacy of our civilization. Perhaps it is precisely because of this accumulation and transmission of seemingly cumbersome rituals, moral codes, and knowledge that humanity—despite possessing individual strengths far inferior to those of many Soul Beasts—has managed to become the true protagonists of this world."
Di Tian’s gaze narrowed slightly: "Oh? You seem to have quite a profound insight into this?"
Gazing out at the shimmering waters of the Lake of Life, Jiang Bai spoke slowly: "Soul Beasts are born with powerful physiques, immense longevity, and even innate, formidable abilities. Yet, after countless ages have passed, why have Soul Beasts failed to transform this Douluo Star into a world inhabited solely by Soul Beasts?"
Di Tian fell silent for a moment, then spoke in a low, deep voice: "The Soul Beast race... lacks unity?"
"And are humans truly united?" Jiang Bai retorted.
"Within human society, the strife, massacres, and wars born of conflicting interests, ideologies, and power struggles have never ceased. In this regard, there is no fundamental difference between any intelligent beings."
"But the difference lies here," Jiang Bai turned around, his gaze burning with intensity, "Humans possess the spark of civilization—the legacy of knowledge. We record our experiences, lessons, technologies, and philosophies through writing, language, and established systems; we pass them down from generation to generation, constantly accumulating, refining, and advancing them. Perhaps every generation is bound to make mistakes, but the bedrock of civilization is slowly, steadily being raised higher."
He gestured toward the towering ancient trees and the vast, boundless lake surrounding them: "I saw through Li’er’s memories. Within the Star Dou Great Forest, Soul Beasts of a hundred thousand years or more are by no means rare; they possess immense power and longevity, laying claim to the most vital resources and territories. Yet, among them, how many would voluntarily shelter and mentor weaker Soul Beasts? How many would contemplate the future and development of the entire Soul Beast race? Most merely follow the primal instinct of ’the strong prey upon the weak,’ guarding their own little patches of land until the next Heavenly Tribulation descends, or until they fall in conflict with humans."
"Humans, too, have nobles who hoard resources without contributing to production, and ambitious schemers who incite wars for their own selfish gain... Yet, within the fabric of human society, there are always those who shoulder the responsibility of cultural transmission and progress. Moreover, when confronted with external crises that threaten the entire race, humans often demonstrate an astonishing capacity for unity."
Jiang Bai sighed, his tone carrying a gravity that belied his youth: "Furthermore, the times are ever-advancing, Senior. While cultivating Soul Power, humans are simultaneously developing Soul Tools, researching Martial Soul theory, exploring the fundamental laws of the world, and even beginning to delve into the deeper applications of space and energy... This is the self-iteration of a civilization. But what of the Soul Beasts? Over tens of thousands of years—aside from the accumulation of individual power and the utilization of innate talents—have you ever developed a systematic body of knowledge unique to your own kind? Have you ever created tools or institutions that transcend your own innate abilities? You still rely on sharp fangs, keen claws, and raw instinct to fight and to survive."
"Natural selection; survival of the fittest. This is a fundamental truth of the heavens and the earth. Yet, ’the fittest’ does not always refer to the individual possessing the greatest physical strength. In a world of constant flux, the groups and civilizations capable of rapid learning, adaptation, and actively driving change—perhaps they are the ones who will ultimately prove to be the fittest."
Finally, he turned his gaze toward Di Tian, his voice clear and resolute: "If the Soul Beasts cannot fundamentally alter their mode of survival and development—if they cannot shatter the shackles of that near-cursed rule dictating that a Soul Master’s advancement must come at the cost of hunting Soul Beasts to harvest their Soul Rings... then, no matter how many more hundred-thousand-year—or even million-year—Soul Beasts emerge within the Star Dou Great Forest, the ultimate fate awaiting your entire race is this: either to erupt in a blaze of glory, or to slowly... wither away in silence, until nothing remains."
Di Tian remained silent for a long, long time.
The breeze sweeping across the lakeside stirred the hem of his black robes. He had lived for far too long and witnessed far too much; many of the phenomena Jiang Bai spoke of had not gone entirely unnoticed by him.
Yet, never before had anyone woven them together—so clearly, so directly, and even so ruthlessly—and laid them bare right before his eyes.
Especially that final assertion regarding the "future of Soul Beasts"—it felt like the sharpest of ice shards, piercing deep into the very core of his being, striking at the hidden anxieties he least wished to confront.
After a long silence, Di Tian finally spoke, his voice tinged with a peculiar emotion: "You... seem to be pitying the fate of the Soul Beasts? Do not forget: you are human."
"I am human."
Jiang Bai admitted this without a moment’s hesitation, yet immediately shook his head, his eyes gleaming with a light that bordered on idealism.
"But... this world ought not to be this way!"
"Soul Beasts and humans were not born to be mortal enemies—predator and prey locked in a struggle for survival! This path of the Soul Master—paved with the blood of Soul Beasts—and the rules that drive two sentient races into eternal opposition... they are too extreme, too cruel, and... too foolish! They shackle the spiritual essence of the Soul Beasts and warp the very path of humanity!"
Di Tian cast a deep, penetrating gaze upon Jiang Bai—as if seeking to look past his physical shell and peer directly into the depths of his soul.
There was a certain quality about this young human—a quality he had never once encountered in any other human being.
It was not the hollow pity of hypocrisy, but rather a sentiment born of rational analysis and a grander vision—a blend of compassion and indignant defiance?
"Extreme? Foolish?" Di Tian repeated in a low voice. Suddenly, he let out a cold sneer—a laugh laden with boundless desolation and haughty pride.
"Do you even know who established these so-called ’rules’?"
He raised his head, his gaze seemingly piercing through the layers of dense canopy to fix upon the distant, unreachable firmament.
"It was the Divine Realm! It was those high-and-mighty deities! They laid down the decree: Soul Beasts are forbidden from attaining godhood! In the Divine Realm, the Beast Clan holds no status, possesses no voice! This path of the Soul Master is merely a microcosm of that greater injustice! This is... an unalterable destiny!"
His voice suddenly rose in volume, ringing with the majesty and indignant defiance of the Dragon King; yet, by the very end, it faded into a sigh so faint it was barely audible.
His gaze drifted back down to the emerald surface of the Lake of Life as he murmured a half-finished thought—as if speaking only to himself: "Unless..."
Unless the Master awakens, to lead us in tearing apart these damned heavenly laws!
Jiang Bai caught the unspoken words hanging on Di Tian’s lips, as well as the fleeting glint of fanaticism and anticipation that flashed within his eyes.
He did not press for an answer; instead, he posed a seemingly unrelated question.
"Di Tian, what if, one day, you were to discover that the truth you have held as absolute and unquestionable is, in fact, not the whole story—or perhaps has even been twisted, or...concealed—what would you do?"
Di Tian’s brows furrowed abruptly: "What do you mean?"
Jiang Bai spoke no further; he simply raised his right hand.
A nine-colored radiance surged forth from his palm as a crystal-clear, nine-storied glazed pagoda slowly materialized, rotating gently.
The very next instant, the pagoda’s body erupted with light; a beam—soft yet utterly irresistible—enveloped the unsuspecting Di Tian!
Di Tian instinctively moved to resist, but he hesitated for less than a heartbeat before ceasing his struggle.
This was a course of action he had agreed upon with the Ice Dragon King and the Fire Dragon King the previous night.
After all, they existed now only as dragon souls; should Di Tian encounter any trouble, they would be ill-equipped to intervene.
Thus, they had sought to persuade Di Tian to accept their protection.
At the same time, they wished to reveal to him the truth of events from long ago—for they sensed that Di Tian appeared to be entirely unaware of what had truly transpired back then.
Light and shadow swirled; space itself shifted and transformed.
When Di Tian finally steadied himself and took in his surroundings, even with the mental fortitude honed over eight hundred thousand years of cultivation, his pupils involuntarily constricted. An expression of utter, disbelieving shock was etched upon his face!
This was a self-contained, independent pocket dimension!
The concentration of energy within this realm was astonishingly high, and—more significantly—it resonated with a rhythmic order distinct from the outside world: a rhythm that felt far more "gentle."
Yet, what shook his very soul even more profoundly were the figures standing a short distance away!
Two true dragons?!
And... was that the Snow Empress?
"Little Di Tian?"
Which insolent fool dares address me as "Little"...?!
Di Tian spun around to look, his entire body freezing rigid. He stared unblinkingly at the ethereal, ice-blue dragon soul apparition, his voice trembling slightly—shaking with a mixture of overwhelming emotion and sheer disbelief.
"Ice... Auntie Ice Dragon King? Is it truly... you?!"
"And... Uncle Fire Dragon King?!"