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Normally speaking, a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form wouldn't be able to fool a Titled Douluo. But the two little kids standing in front of her, all wide-eyed and alert, didn't have a trace of soul beast aura on them. Instead, they radiated a vibrant life energy that made her feel comfortable just standing near them.
What she didn't know was that the pleasant feeling came from the lingering divine power of the Goddess of Life. Even the tiniest trace of it was enough to make it feel like she was standing next to some rare life-type treasure.
"Who are you? What do you want?"
Liuying stepped in front of Liuxing, her right hand secretly reaching behind her for her transformation device, ready to morph at a moment's notice.
The blue-haired woman narrowed her eyes. "You're not soul beasts in disguise?"
Liuxing's mind raced. He quickly replied, "Big sis, you've got it wrong—we're not soul beasts. We're human."
That "big sis" definitely hit the right note—she liked the sound of it. Still, the woman wasn't convinced. "Humans? You two little brats, if you're really human, what are you doing all the way out here?"
She didn't attack right away. If they were hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, she would've turned and run. But soul beasts in human form—especially ones still in their infancy—would be no match for her. And right now, these two really didn't give off any soul beast aura at all. If she was wrong, it'd be a major screw-up—she'd end up killing two kids for no reason. She wasn't some kind of heartless monster. In fact, she was well-known for her beauty and kind heart.
People in Mingdu called her the Ice Phoenix Douluo, a level-nine Soul Engineer. If word got out she killed two innocent children, people would definitely look down on her.
Liuxing grabbed Liuying's hand and gave her a look, signaling her not to transform. Then he put on a pitiful face and said, "But we really aren't soul beasts! Big sis, if you don't believe us, you can check."
The blue-haired woman nodded. If they were soul beasts skilled at hiding their aura, her soul power would still expose them once she injected it into their bodies. After all, even transformed soul beasts couldn't hide their biological makeup. At the very least, the soul beast core couldn't be concealed.
Liuxing gave Liuying a calming nod, then let the woman inject her soul power into their bodies for inspection.
Sure, Liuying's kamikaze-level transformation might be enough to take this woman down, but if they could avoid it, that was definitely the better choice.
As the soul power flowed through them, the woman's expression grew more and more awkward. She had definitely messed up. These two kids weren't transformed soul beasts—they were actual humans. She had made a huge mistake. Thank goodness she didn't act on instinct. If she'd attacked right away, it would've been too late for regrets.
She wasn't the kind of person who enjoyed killing. Her hobbies were more like tinkering with soul devices and making a little cash on the side.
If she had accidentally killed two innocent kids, she'd probably feel guilty about it for a long time.
"Ahem! Sorry! I totally misunderstood you two. That was my bad—my apologies."
Even though she looked like she was in her thirties—probably even older in reality—she shamelessly accepted the title "big sis." Liuxing let out a breath of relief. It looked like this lady—auntie... no, big sis—wasn't a bad person after all. He really didn't want Liuying to fight right after they arrived. That would've drawn way too much attention.
"It's okay, big sis. You're a good person."
The woman's mouth twitched. That "good person" card came outta nowhere. Then she frowned suspiciously. "So what are you two kids doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Where are your guardians?"
Enter Liuxing: the drama king.
He squeezed out two tears, face falling into a look of sorrow. "Big sis, we're orphans. We don't have any family left. A senior brought us here... but she's already gone."
Liuying gave Liuxing a strange look—she hadn't expected him to be such a good actor. If it were her, there was no way she could cry on cue like that.
Still, he wasn't lying. Both of them were alone in this world, and it was the Goddess of Life who sent them here.
The blue-haired woman paused, then her expression shifted to anger. "Who the hell just dumps two kids in the wilderness like this? That's totally irresponsible! Unbelievable!"
She began constructing a whole story in her head: Two poor kids, orphaned and alone, taken in by someone out of kindness. But then, for some unknown reason—or maybe some urgent matter—that person abandoned them here to fend for themselves. The green glow she saw earlier might've been from that person's flying soul device, or maybe a soul skill. Either way, if they could fly through the air, they had to be at least a Soul Sage-level powerhouse.
"Look, I don't know what that person was thinking, but just leaving these two kids here is beyond irresponsible. If I ever find them, I swear I'll beat them so bad they won't be able to walk straight."
She muttered angrily, clearly pissed.
Liuxing twitched. You wanna beat up the Goddess of Life? Lady, you're brave. He honestly wanted to give her a thumbs up.
Liuying turned her face away, lips tightly pressed together, her cheeks turning bright red.
She couldn't believe how shameless Liuxing was. This big sis clearly seemed like a good person.
In the Divine Realm – Forest of Life
"Achoo!"
The Goddess of Life sneezed out of nowhere, looking confused. She was a god-king, for heaven's sake. How the hell did she sneeze?
"Little Green, what's wrong?"
A tall, handsome man in a dark purple cloak with glowing purple eyes—he looked about thirty—asked with concern.
"Nothing," she replied, shaking her head. "Probably just those two kids talking about me. I wonder how they're doing... They should've arrived on Douluo Star by now, right?"
The man frowned. "You mean those two inheritors you mentioned?"
She nodded. "Yep. So, Little Purple, have you made up your mind yet? I really think the two of them are perfect for our divine thrones."
This "Little Purple" was none other than the God of Destruction, one of the five God Kings of the Divine Realm—and her husband.
He furrowed his brows. "If they're really as promising as you say, I'll send down a divine trial. But I want to watch them a bit first. Choosing a god-king successor is a huge deal. I'm not like that Asura guy who ignored the consequences and handed his position to Tang San just because he felt like it."
The Goddess of Life sighed. He was still holding a grudge about the God of Asura passing his position to Tang San and then leaving the Divine Realm altogether.
"Little Purple, look—Asura, Kindness, Evil... all of them have already stepped down and handed over their thrones. It's time for us to let go too."
She tried to gently persuade him.
The God of Destruction nodded. "I get it. As long as they can earn my approval, I'll grant them the divine trial when the time is right."
Then he pulled her into his arms, his voice low and full of emotion. "Little Green, all these years, I've wronged you. Because of me, you haven't been able to create life."
He was full of guilt. His destructive divine essence had interfered with the Goddess of Life's ability to conceive. When Sea God's wife gave birth to Xiaowu Tong, he'd seen the envy in her eyes—and it had hit him hard.
But now, there was hope.
For her sake, he was willing to let go of everything. He had always wanted to protect and strengthen the Divine Realm—but to him, nothing mattered more than the Goddess of Life.
"....."