Chapter 12: Chapter 12: Aftermath, Lin Yu's Weaknesses and Choices!
Next live broadcast in fifteen days?
In the live stream, many were surprised when they saw the system prompt.
Has the timing changed again?
It seems the interval between these Q&A live streams isn't fixed. However, no one could figure out what determines the timing.
As the live stream concluded, everyone began leaving, whether they had joined for the rewards or just to watch the spectacle.
Meanwhile, in the forest behind Holy Soul Village, on a high mountain, Tang Hao, dressed in tattered clothes with messy hair, was sitting beneath a waterfall. Next to him, a peculiar blue-silver grass swayed gently in the breeze.
"Ah Yin, I'm sorry I didn't answer the last question correctly. If I had, I would have wished for your complete recovery, for you to become human again."
Tang Hao sighed with a complicated expression as he spoke to the blue-silver grass beside him.
"Even if I knew the answer this time, the reward wouldn't have helped you... I just hope that one day, a question will come up with a reward that can help you."
As he sat there, the strange blue-silver grass wrapped itself around Tang Hao's arm, as if trying to comfort him. Tang Hao's eyes flashed with pain as he held his head in his hands, his expression growing more bitter.
"It's all my fault, Ah Yin! Now you have the chance to speak with Xiao San, but because our names can't be revealed together, it's too dangerous; the Spirit Hall would easily find us. So, you still can't reunite with Xiao San. Even I... Xiao San probably thinks I'm just an ordinary blacksmith and drunkard. He has no idea that I'm the Haotian Douluo mentioned by Yue Guan..."
Because Ah Yin was still in her blue-silver grass form, she couldn't speak. Instead, she continued to gently wrap around Tang Hao's arm, trying to console him.
Meanwhile, in the Far North, two of the region's rulers, Snow Empress and Ice Empress, stood atop a snowy mountain. The landscape was filled with structures and palaces carved from ice and snow, making the place look vibrant despite being the Snow Empress's solitary dwelling.
"Snow Empress, do you think this Q&A live stream will only ask questions about humans? If so, doesn't that mean we have no hope of finding a way to survive our tribulations?"
Ice Empress, dressed in a green outfit with twin tails of blue hair, frowned as she spoke. Being soul beasts, they could cultivate freely until reaching a hundred thousand years of age. However, once their cultivation passed this point and reached two hundred thousand years, they would face a terrifying lightning tribulation, known as the Beast Tribulation among soul beasts.
Even though soul beasts that could cultivate to a hundred thousand years were extremely gifted, only a tiny fraction could survive the Beast Tribulation. As the tribulations became more powerful every hundred thousand years, fewer and fewer could survive them.
At this point, Snow Empress and Ice Empress had both endured several tribulations, with Snow Empress nearing six hundred ninety thousand years of cultivation and Ice Empress nearly three hundred ninety thousand. Yet, neither had confidence in surviving the next tribulation. As such, they had been searching for a way to survive.
Unlike the human world, where various factions were focused on the rewards, Snow Empress and Ice Empress also found a way to use the punishments. By intentionally answering questions wrong, they could reduce their cultivation levels, avoiding reaching the next hundred-thousand-year mark and, therefore, the next tribulation.
However, both Snow Empress and Ice Empress were proud beings. When faced with challenges mixed with opportunities, they preferred to seize the opportunities. So, despite the risk, they hoped to find a way to survive their tribulations, rather than deliberately lowering their cultivation.
However, the second question's reward was only useful to humans, which frustrated Ice Empress.
"Ice Empress, don't be too anxious. This is only the second question."
"The first reward was useful to us soul beasts as well, so let's wait and see. There will be more questions and rewards in the future, and we might still have a chance."
Snow Empress, dressed in a luxurious white robe, with snow-white hair and ice-blue eyes, spoke calmly to the concerned Ice Empress.
Meanwhile, in the Demonic Whale Sea Territory, deep in the ocean, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King opened its enormous crimson eyes, gazing towards the distant human world.
The reward from this second question is useless to me. I wonder when this Q&A livestream will offer a reward that I can use...
In the core area of the Star Dou Forest, within a vast underground cavern filled with glowing crystals, the beasts of the Star Dou Forest were gathered. In the center of the cavern, sealed within a massive crystal, was an enormous ice silkworm marked with ten golden rings. This was none other than Di Tian, the other fierce beasts, and the Skydream Iceworm.
"Is this all the books we've obtained over countless years from the human soul masters we've killed, taken from their storage devices?"
Looking at the large pile of books on the ground, Di Tian asked in a deep voice.
"Yes, this is all of them,"
Bi Ji responded softly, her hands folded gracefully in front of her.
"Very well. Your task now is to read all these books. Understand?"
"We must obtain the rewards from this live stream if we know the answers, even if they aren't useful to us. We can use them for future deals with humans."
Di Tian spoke solemnly as his eyes swept over the other beasts.
"All... for the Lord!"
While Di Tian was instructing the other fierce beasts, an invisible spiritual force radiated from the crystal sealing the Skydream Iceworm, spreading through the pile of books on the ground.
Meanwhile, in Windmill Village, after the livestream ended, Lin Yu exited the livestream and frowned deeply. From this broadcast, he realized a serious issue: he only knew the major events of the main plot in Douluo Continent. However, when it came to the world's details—like the ancient Soul Guidance Empire that existed before the Heaven Dou and Star Luo Empires and invented the Soul Guidance Devices—he knew nothing.
From today's question, it was clear that future questions could involve many such historical details. To gain this knowledge, he would have to join a major faction.
This left Lin Yu troubled.
It seemed he had no choice but to join a faction.
The factions with the most extensive libraries were the Spirit Hall, Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, Heaven Dou Royal Family, and Star Luo Royal Family.
Among them, the Heaven Dou Empire was too weak, so it was out of the question.
The Star Luo Royal Family, though powerful, had a history of brutal internal conflicts, making it a difficult environment for freedom. So, he dismissed that option as well.
Now, the question remained: should he join the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan or the Spirit Hall?
Lin Yu fell into deep thought.
After a moment, he finally made his choice.