NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 9: God Of Destruction
In theory, the transformation of a 100,000-year-old soul beast could not remain hidden from a Titled Douluo.
However, the two vigilant children standing in front of her lacked any trace of a soul beast's aura. Instead, their presence was brimming with life energy, exuding a comforting feeling.
Unbeknownst to her, this was the lingering divine power of the Goddess of Life. Even a mere trace of it felt like being in the presence of a heavenly treasure of life element.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Firefly stepped in front of the Liuxing, shielding her. Her right hand, hidden behind her back, quietly gripped the wing-sheath transformer, ready to activate it at a moment's notice.
The blue-haired woman's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're not soul beasts in human form?"
Liuxing's mind raced as she spoke. "Big sister, you've misunderstood. We're not soul beasts; we're human."
Although being called "big sister" made her feel pleased, the blue-haired woman remained skeptical. "Human? You two little ones... if you're really human, how could you be here?"
Despite her doubts, the blue-haired woman did not act immediately. If they truly were 100,000-year-old soul beasts in human form, they would have already fled.
But the children before her seemed powerless, and they lacked the distinct aura of soul beasts. If she made a mistake and killed two innocent children, it would be a terrible blunder.
After all, she was not a cruel person. As the famous Ice Phoenix Douluo of Mingdu, a ninth-level Soul Engineer, she was known for her grace and benevolence. Killing innocent children by mistake would tarnish her reputation, perhaps irreparably.
Liuxing noticed Firefly's tense demeanor and quickly signaled for her to stand down. With a bitter smile, she turned to the blue-haired woman. "But we really aren't soul beasts! Big sister, if you don't believe us, you can check."
The blue-haired woman hesitated before nodding. Even the most well-hidden soul beast in human form could not conceal its true nature once soul power was injected into its body for examination. The physical structure of a soul beast was fundamentally different from that of a human, and their origins could not be disguised.
Liuxing calmed the uneasy Firefly and allowed the blue-haired woman to examine them.
Although Firefly's Sam transformation might have been able to defeat the blue-haired woman, avoiding conflict was always preferable. If they could resolve the situation peacefully, there was no need to escalate it further.
As the blue-haired woman injected her soul power, her expression became increasingly awkward. She had indeed made a mistake—these two children were not soul beasts in human form but genuine humans.
It was a blunder on her part. Thankfully, she had refrained from acting impulsively. Had she struck without confirming, it would have been too late for regrets.
She wasn't the type to enjoy killing. Her greatest joy in life was studying soul guides and earning a bit of money on the side. If she had mistakenly killed two innocent children, the guilt would have haunted her for years.
"Ahem! I'm sorry, little ones. I misunderstood you, and I sincerely apologize."
Despite her appearance being that of a woman in her thirties, her true age was likely much older. Yet, she shamelessly responded to the title of "sister."
Liuxing breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed this "auntie"—no, "sister"—wasn't a bad person after all. He had been wary of allowing Firefly to act; such a display would have drawn far too much attention.
"It's okay, Sister. You're a good person."
The blue-haired woman's lips twitched. The sudden receipt of a "good person" card caught her off guard, but she quickly recovered and asked suspiciously, "You two little ones, why are your elders leaving you out here in the wilderness?"
Liuxing, the actor, immediately squeezed out two tears and adopted a sorrowful expression. "Sister, we're orphans. We don't have parents or relatives. A senior brought us here but left shortly after."
Firefly gave Liuxing a strange look. She hadn't expected him to act so convincingly. For her, squeezing out tears on command would have been impossible.
However, Liuxing hadn't lied. Neither of them had any family in this world, and it was indeed a senior—or rather, the Goddess of Life—who had sent them here.
The blue-haired woman was momentarily stunned by his words, but her expression soon turned angry. "Who would be so irresponsible as to leave two such young children in the wilderness? It's outrageous!"
Her mind began filling in the blanks, conjuring an image of two poor, parentless children abandoned in the middle of nowhere. She imagined that their caretaker had only taken them in temporarily but, for some inexplicable reason, had decided to leave them behind.
The faint green light she had seen earlier must have been emitted by the person's flying soul guide or martial soul. Whoever it was had to be at least a Soul Saint-level powerhouse to fly in the air.
Clenching her fists, the blue-haired woman muttered angrily, "I don't know who you are, but leaving these two children here is beyond irresponsible! If I ever meet you, I'll make sure you regret it!"
Her indignation was palpable, her protective instincts kicking in as she scolded the imagined caretaker for their recklessness.
The corner of Liuxing's mouth twitched. Deep down, she wanted to punch the Goddess of Life. Sister, you're really brave, he thought sarcastically. He almost raised his hand to give the blue-haired woman a sarcastic thumbs-up for her righteous indignation.
Beside him, Firefly pursed her lips and turned her head, her little face flushed. She thought Liuxing was too devious. This kind sister clearly seemed like a good person, and yet he was taking advantage of her misunderstanding.
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Divine Realm, Forest of Life
"Ah-choo!"
The Goddess of Life sneezed suddenly. Her emerald-green eyes widened in surprise as she muttered to herself, "I'm a God King, how could I sneeze? This has never happened before."
A deep voice came from nearby. "Little Green, what's wrong?"
The speaker was a man with a noble presence, draped in a purple-black cloak. His handsome features and glowing purple eyes radiated divine majesty, and he appeared to be in his thirties.
"It's nothing," the Goddess of Life replied with a soft shake of her head. "I was just thinking about those two kids. They're probably talking about me. I wonder how they're doing. They should've arrived on Douluo Star without any issues, right?"
The man frowned slightly. "Are they the two heirs you mentioned before?"
The Goddess of Life nodded. "That's right, Xiao Zi. What do you think? Aren't they perfect candidates for our divine positions?"
The man—known as Xiao Zi—was none other than the God of Destruction, one of the Five God Kings of the Divine Realm and the husband of the Goddess of Life.
His brows furrowed as he replied, "If they truly meet the criteria you've described, I'll grant them a Divine Examination. But I want to observe them first. The position of God King is far too important to take lightly. I'm not like that Shura fool who risked the Divine Realm's safety for his own convenience."
The Goddess of Life sighed softly. The God of Destruction was clearly still angry with the God for passing his divine position to Tang San and then leaving the Divine Realm.
"Xiao Zi," she began, her tone gentle, "among the Five God Kings—Asura, Kindness, and Evil—all of them have already relinquished their divine positions to their successors. They've entrusted the Divine Realm to the next generation. Don't you think it's time for us to let go too?"
The God of Destruction fell silent for a moment before nodding. "I understand," he said gravely. "If they can prove themselves and gain my approval, I'll grant them a Divine Examination at the right time."
Then, his gaze softened as he reached out to hold her hands. His voice grew deeper, tinged with guilt. "Little Green, I owe you so much. Over all these years, it's my fault you haven't been able to conceive life."
The Goddess of Life's expression wavered slightly, and a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes.
The God of Destruction's divine will, centered around destruction, had always conflicted with her life-giving nature. As a result, she had never been able to create life with him. He had seen the envy in her eyes when the Sea God's wife gave birth to Tang Wutong, and it only deepened his guilt.
Now, there was finally a glimmer of hope. For her sake, the God of Destruction was willing to let go of everything. Protecting and strengthening the Divine Realm remained important to him, but nothing mattered more than the Goddess of Life herself.