The Legend of the Dragon King

The Green Jade Bird and the Thunderclap Nether Vine shared some similarities. One of them was their tendency to self-destruct. When the Green Jade Bird cultivated to the rank of a hundred-thousand years, there was almost no chance that it would survive. They would turn into jade and transform into a huge gemstone. The gemstone would be of extremely high quality. Since ancient times, they were kept as collections by the aristocrats.

Nonetheless, the Green Jade Birds’ extinction was not related to human activities. Because of their irascible nature, they would often attack their own species making it difficult for them to procreate.

According to Shrek Academy’s texts, it was a self-destructing species. In the end, they were the cause of their own extinction.

It was precisely because of Tang Wulin’s vivid memory of this statement that he remembered this soul beast.

Like the Thunderclap Nether Vine, the soul beasts’ tendency to self-destruct made it difficult for them to surpass a hundred thousand years. They were, nevertheless, extremely powerful.

The Green Jade Bird had flesh of ice and bones of jade. Its body’s quality was the most domineering among all the birds. They also possessed a certain spatial power. Their attacks could hardly be fended off. Their bodies were the most formidable weapons.

Unfortunately for the Green Jade Bird, it encountered Tang Wulin whose body’s qualities were more terrifying than itself. Its surprise attack was blocked.

Tang Wulin did not even have the time to take in the Green Jade Bird’s beauty when it launched another attack.

It adjusted its body and there was a flash of green light. It flapped its wings and released a piercing squawk. The green light instantly reached Tang Wulin.

This time, Tang Wulin was prepared. A bluish-purple light flashed in his eyes. He made a fist with his right hand and hurled a punch.

Out of the blue, the sound of crackling thunder was heard. Tang Wulin hovered steadily in the air while the Green Jade Bird froze before its fist. An electric light with a bluish-purple hue circled its body. In the next instant, its colossal body fell from the skies and crashed onto the ground.

Although the Green Jade Bird was strong, its cultivation base was not more than ten thousand years. It was hardly a match for Tang Wulin when he was prepared. However, Tang Wulin did not kill it. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet an extinct soul beast let alone have the intention of killing it.

Tang Wulin quickly descended into the forest. Although he was confident with his strength, during his studies in Shrek Academy, his teachers had taught him that he should never hover in midair above a forest with soul beasts. In midair, he would be attacked by the flying soul beasts from above while the soul beasts hiding in the forest would launch skyward attacks as well. Hence, the dangers he faced would be much greater.

Comparatively speaking, for a ground soul beast, the forest was the safest place to be. In general, soul beasts were territorial. This applied to the soul beasts which dwelled in the forests as well. Mostly, a soul master would face only one kind of soul beast at a time.

Currently, the Green Jade Bird lay sprawling on the ground. Its body was twitching, while its azure green eyes were still staring at Tang Wulin. They were filled with rage.

“Stay still. You’re a real stupid bird. Don’t you know how to pursue good fortune and avoid disaster?” Tang Wulin shook his head as he strode up to the bird.

Was this trial not about surviving in this place for as long as possible? Tang Wulin did not mind doing that. He would treat this as an experience of living in the Great Star Dou Forest.

A faint smile appeared on his face. Tang Wulin’s smile grew wider. He liked this environment. It felt great to relax after all he had been through. Lately, he had been drilled almost to death by his uncle master.

In spite of his perseverance, when he thought of his stern uncle master these past few days, his facial muscles could not help but twitch. He would rather not revisit those memories.

Naturally, he did not know how happily Zhen Hua was smiling in the Blacksmith’s Association at the moment.

Tang Wulin strode forward ignoring the Green Jade Bird. After he learned about the fate of the soul beasts, he could not find it in himself to harm another soul beast. Although there was a high possibility that the soul beasts here were virtual, he genuinely did not wish to do them any harm.

The world was balanced. The number of surviving soul beasts on the continent was very low. If the soul beasts truly went extinct, there was no telling what kind of problems would arise.

The gradual extinction of soul beasts and the disruption of the ecosystem’s balance was linked to the withering of the Ancient Gold Tree.

He was sure that it was because of the weakening life force on the Douluo Star that the Life Seed was growing so slowly.

When the forests of steel expanded day by day, it resulted in the continuous destruction of the spaces which humans and soul beasts alike depended on for survival.

Although the Douluo Star was a big world, it might just crumble like the smaller worlds when the destruction it faced became too great.

The more his cultivation base improved, the deeper Tang Wulin felt this.

Naturally, the high-ranking officials in the Federation were aware of this as well. However, they were not thinking about ways to improve the current situation. After all, mankind was already used to its current way of life. Technological advancement had also showed no signs of stopping. Hence, rather than restore the environment, it was easier to find suitable environments to develop and live in. That was how the space exploration agenda was raised, including the invasive war waged against the Star Luo and Dou Spirit Continents.

The Federation’s propaganda was to make space travel a reality in a hundred years and find a planet that was suitable to live on. They would complete the great migration in a thousand years before all the resources were completely exhausted.

Hence, almost all the research was focused toward this aim.

However, even if that were possible, would the soul beasts become history in the world?

Many intellectuals did not share this view. The Spirit Pagoda’s objective was to improve the situation to allow the soul beasts more space to live in. In any case, nobody could have foreseen they would be complicit in the extinction of the soul beasts instead.

When he thought about all this, Tang Wulin felt depressed. He was no longer a student of Shrek Academy like he was back then. He was the Tang Sect’s Sect Master and Shrek Academy’s Sea God Pavilion’s Pavilion Master. With his power, he had to work hard to try and change the situation.

The most important thing was to change the people’s attitude from a fundamental point of view.

Undeniably, there was a need to search for other habitats. However, what they should be doing now was to protect the Douluo Star’s environment regardless of the cost and not cause it further harm, so that future generations could continue to live in the environment.

When he gave all this some thought, Tang Wulin’s gaze slowly became determined. His motive for cultivating tirelessly in the beginning was to become a soul master. Initially, it was to look for his parents, after which all his hard work would then be for a long-term goal, for the continuity of the continent.

When he held a different post, the responsibilities he shouldered were different as well.

“Caw! Caw! Caw!” Unpleasant sounds came from the front. Tang Wulin suddenly felt his surroundings darken. It was as if the light had been sucked away.

With the darkening of the forest, he saw many pairs of eyes. They were scarlet red as if flames danced within them.

He did not have to see their bodies. Tang Wulin could already tell what he was up against.

The Dark Night Fire Monkeys! They were communal soul beasts.

They should have been extinct as well! Tang Wulin’s heart was filled with sorrow. He suddenly opened his mouth and let out a dragon’s roar skyward.

“Roar!” The resounding dragon’s roar was deafening. The entire Great Star Dou Forest seemed to shake strongly with it. The sound waves of the roar traveled far and sounded like thunder out of the blue. His powerful Dragon Might burst forth from his body as well.

The area around him seemed to brighten up quickly. The pairs of fiery eyes vanished from sight.

The Dark Night Fire Monkeys were skilled in pack hunting. However, they were also cowardly and weaker individually.

A dragon’s roar with the Dragon Might unleashed from Tang Wulin’s body was enough to scare them away.