Chapter 103: Ominous Fate
"Biji! Come quickly!" Di Tian shouted anxiously.
The Three-Eyed Golden Lion must not be harmed.
Even though Di Tian held it tightly, its body continued to tremble violently, golden blood streaming from its third eye. It looked as though it had witnessed a terrifying vision.
"It will die… all will die… the soul beast clan… will no longer exist…" it wailed in terror.
"What?!"
Gu Yuena's heart trembled. She stood frozen, her eyes slowly losing focus. The Three-Eyed Golden Lion's prophecy echoed in her mind—death whether they allied with the Human King or the Asura God. Was the only path forward one where they opposed both?
At this moment, Biji rushed in after hearing Di Tian's cry.
"What's going on?" she asked, her gaze locking on the injured beast.
"The little one… said something terrifying," Di Tian began, but he was interrupted by Gu Yuena's low call.
Di Tian then noticed Xiao Wu trailing behind Biji and sighed heavily. "Save the little guy first," he said to Biji.
Biji nodded solemnly. She knelt beside the Three-Eyed Golden Lion and gently placed her hand over its bleeding third eye. A wave of powerful life energy surged from her palm as she tried to soothe the little beast's pain.
But instead of calming, the golden lion's body spasmed harder, golden blood seeping through the cracks between Biji's fingers. Its aura was weakening rapidly.
Di Tian's brow furrowed. If even Biji—renowned as the strongest healing-type soul beast—couldn't save it, the danger was dire. This lion was no ordinary beast; it was the auspicious beast of the Star Dou Great Forest, bearing half the soul beast clan's luck. If something happened to it, the fate of all soul beasts could unravel.
After a tense period, the trembling finally began to subside. The lion's heartbeat grew stable, and the bleeding slowed.
It slowly opened its eyes, sorrow flickering in its gaze. It glanced at Xiao Wu before curling up and resting quietly in Biji's arms, slipping into a deep slumber.
"It has harmed its origin… I don't know how long it will sleep," Biji said quietly, holding the exhausted beast.
A heavy silence fell upon them. Even among the top soul beasts present, none spoke for a while.
Finally, Biji broke the silence. "Xiao Wu, you should go."
Xiao Wu nodded and left silently.
Once she was gone, Biji looked up at Gu Yuena. "My Lord… the little one told me what it saw… I believe I understand the cause."
Di Tian clenched his fists. "Are we really going to let the soul beast clan perish just like this?" he growled. He didn't want to believe the prophecy, but deep down, he knew they had to take it seriously.
"What exactly did the little one tell you?" Gu Yuena asked, voice calm but heavy.
"It saw fate twice," Biji replied. "And both times, the outcome was the same—our annihilation."
The despair in her words pierced the air like a knife.
Twice they had glimpsed the future. Twice it had foretold their destruction. There was no hope, no variance.
Gu Yuena clenched her fists, her voice quivering, "Why must we be exterminated regardless of our choice? Why can't we escape this fate?"
Di Tian remained silent, the fury in his heart directed at the Shura God. Since the death of the Dragon God, their race had declined. And in the centuries that followed, the Shura God had descended, suppressing soul beasts to the edge of extinction. He had even issued a divine decree—no soul beast may ever become a god!
"Shura God…" Di Tian hissed through gritted teeth.
"There must be something more to this," Gu Yuena muttered. "Logically, whichever side we join, that side should triumph. So why would we still be destroyed?"
"It's the Human King," Biji said softly.
"What did you say?" Gu Yuena turned sharply, shocked.
Di Tian's expression darkened. "Explain."
"We offended the Human King," Biji explained with a sigh. "That day we took the Soft Bone Rabbit from the Heaven Dou Empire… she was actually a gift from the Human King to Emperor Xue Ye."
"A gift?" Di Tian's fury reignited. "A hundred-thousand-year soul beast offered as a mere gift?!"
"Yes." Biji nodded. "Taking her away was tantamount to stealing from him. We've made an enemy of him."
Gu Yuena's brows furrowed in thought. This changed everything.
"If we return her—give her back to the Heaven Dou Emperor—perhaps we can soothe his wrath. At the very least, we might preserve some of our bloodline," she said seriously.
"My Lord…" Biji hesitated. She thought of Xiao Wu. Her mother had also been hunted and killed. Would offering her now not repeat that cruelty?
"I understand your concern, Biji," Gu Yuena said gently. "But the fate of our entire race is at stake."
Di Tian nodded solemnly. "She's already transformed. Technically, she's no longer a soul beast. If sacrificing her can save the rest of us…"
Seeing no alternatives, Biji lowered her head in silent sorrow. She could only choose the lesser evil to protect the clan.
"Di Tian," Gu Yuena said coldly, "in a few days, you and I will personally deliver her to Heaven Dou."