Douluo Dalu 2: The True God King-Chapter 206: [DD2]:

When Di Mingli mentioned compensation, Su Yu immediately knew this little lion was craving food again. However, thinking about it, she had been eating rough meals for three years, living a life of raw meat and blood. It truly was a tough time for her.

It's easy to grow accustomed to luxury but difficult to adapt to hardship.

With a gentle smile, Su Yu said firmly, "Compensation, of course, compensation."

"Today, you'll eat barbecue until you're full."

Hearing this, Di Mingli's heart leaped with joy, but she feigned indifference, replying haughtily, "That's more like it. I'll grudgingly forgive you, then."

Su Yu chuckled and gently stroked her golden fur, his eyes soft.

Di Mingli didn't resist his touch, allowing him to caress her fur.

"Where have you been these past three years?"

It wasn't just Su Yu's barbecue she missed—she missed Su Yu himself as well. After all, he was her only companion. Having grown up watching Su Yu mature, the time they spent together was the most interesting part of her life.

Their bond ran deep.

"I went to a place called the Sun Moon Empire and made some new friends," Su Yu said softly.

"Oh? Was this Sun Moon Empire fun?" she asked curiously, having never seen the world beyond the Star Dou Forest.

"It wasn't fun at all. It was dangerous," Su Yu replied meaningfully.

"Liar," Di Mingli retorted, bumping Su Yu with her head. "You're just saying that because you don't want me to leave the Star Dou Forest."

"Hmph, I've seen through you."

Hearing this, Su Yu put on a surprised expression.

She was far smarter than Wang Dong'er, that silly little butterfly. Wang Dong'er was always naive and clueless, nowhere near as sharp as this lioness in front of him.

"Hmph, did I guess right?" she teased. "You bad guy."

With puffed-up cheeks, she angrily stomped on Su Yu's foot with her golden dragon claw, grinding it a few times as if venting her frustration.

Su Yu chuckled helplessly. "Mingli, I'm doing this for your good."

"It's always for my good. That's your excuse every time," she retorted. Her golden eyes glinted with stubbornness and a hint of grievance.

That one phrase—for her good—had effectively kept her confined to the Star Dou Forest for three whole years.

How could she not harbor some feelings of resentment?

Looking into her defiant gaze, Su Yu hesitated slightly.

Though Di Mingli wasn't hard to approach and often displayed a bit of sass, deep down, she was still the same stubborn, unyielding Wang Qiu'er from the original story. She was bold, passionate, and fiercely loyal.

Su Yu had always treated her with indulgence, like a spoiled child. Although thoughts like marrying her someday occasionally crossed his mind, those ideas only applied to her humanoid form. Most of the time, he still subconsciously viewed her as a pet that needed his care.

After all, she hadn't transformed into her human form yet.

No matter how desperate Su Yu might be, he couldn't bring himself to view her current form in any romantic way.

But at this moment, something about her reminded him of the strong-willed Wang Qiu'er. For a fleeting moment, Su Yu seemed to see a human soul behind her lion-like exterior.

After a brief silence, Su Yu spoke softly, "You're right, and I was wrong. I won't say that anymore."

"You've grown up, and you have your ideas now. I won't stop you in the future."

"Does that mean I can leave now?" she asked, her excitement barely concealed. Though she didn't understand why Su Yu's attitude had changed so suddenly, it didn't stop her from feeling happy.

"No!" Su Yu said calmly.

She glared at Su Yu. This is your idea of not stopping me?

Su Yu sighed faintly. "At least not for now."

"Then when can I leave?" she asked, unwilling to give up.

"Just a few more years. Wait a bit longer," Su Yu said gently, stroking her scales. "Let me deal with some threats first, and then you can go. Trust me, okay?"

His eyes were serious, leaving no room for doubt.

Unless the God Realm was sealed off, Di Mingli absolutely couldn't leave. If she ventured out, she'd risk being noticed by Tang San.

Perhaps a few more years of grinding would allow Su Yu to acquire something capable of sealing the God Realm. He had faith in his luck—surely it wouldn't fail him forever.

The system had assured him that such an item existed. And it had no reason to deceive him.

"...Fine!"

Seeing Su Yu's earnest expression, Di Mingli couldn't find the words to argue further. Her special ability let her sense Su Yu's sincerity—he genuinely meant it.

"Good girl, Mingli. I knew you'd understand. Let's go home," Su Yu said with a smile.

Di Mingli's golden eyes glimmered as she muttered inwardly, Home, huh...

Yes, this was their shared home.

Her gaze softened as she gently nuzzled Su Yu with her large head.

"Get on!"

Su Yu blinked in surprise before breaking into a wide grin. "Alright!"

He climbed onto her back, and Di Mingli became a streak of golden light, rushing toward the forest's core.

A magnificent golden soul beast carried a young man on its back, a breathtaking sight as they dashed through the Star Dou Forest.

The speed of Di Mingli was incomparable, leagues beyond that of a Demon Tiger. In terms of physique, speed, and strength, even at just 15,000 years of cultivation, Di Mingli could easily overpower a 25,000-year-old Demon Tiger.

Despite her relatively young age, she could take on ordinary 100,000-year soul beasts without any trouble. Her mental attribute, dual elements of Ultimate Light and Ultimate Fire, and her Golden Dragon bloodline made her unparalleled in the Star Dou Forest, second only to Gu Yuena. Not even the Dark Devilgod Tiger from the first Douluo Dalu era could match up.

The Dark Devilgod Tiger might have multiple attributes, but it was nowhere near as absurdly powerful as Di Mingli, which possessed double Ultimate elemental attributes, overwhelmingly strong mental capabilities, and a physical body forged by the Golden Dragon bloodline—making her even more terrifying than a Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear of the same level.

Simply put, she was broken. Utterly overpowered, with no weaknesses whatsoever.

In comparison, soul beasts like the Dark Gold Terror Claw Bear or the Titan Giant Ape, often praised as having no weak points, still had their flaws. But Di Mingli truly had none—except perhaps her relatively low age.

If she had 50,000 years of cultivation, even a Super Douluo would flee at the sight of her. As the legendary Rui Beast, she wasn't just a symbol of luck; she was also one of the most powerful soul beasts in existence.

In the original story, Di Mingli experienced a significant drop in strength after transforming into a human form. While she did inherit the Golden Dragon Martial Soul and the Ultimate Strength that came with it, much of her natural racial advantages were sacrificed.

Frankly, Su Yu never understood why Di Mingli chose to transform in that way—she was practically wasting her talent. If she decided to transform this time, Su Yu resolved to offer his advice.

About half an hour later, the air began to feel humid, filled with a refreshing scent tinged with faint traces of life energy.

Su Yu's lips curled into a smile. They had finally arrived.

Sure enough, two minutes later, a massive, boundless lake appeared before them. Its crystal-clear surface sparkled like a precious mirror, reflecting dazzling rays of sunlight.

Taking a deep breath of the moisture-rich air, Su Yu felt an overwhelming sense of relaxation and joy. There was nothing quite like this place.

Di Mingli halted, her radiant golden fur gleaming brilliantly in the light. As Su Yu and Di Mingli arrived, two figures emerged before them.

One was a man dressed in black robes, his golden eyes exuding an air of authority. Among his jet-black hair was a streak of gold, further adding to his dignified aura.

The other was a woman in a water-green dress, her long green hair flowing gracefully. Her gentle and serene demeanor radiated a calming elegance.

Seeing the two figures, Su Yu smiled warmly.

"Uncle Di Tian, Aunt Bi Ji!"

"I'm back."

Di Tian and Bi Ji bowed respectfully, their gestures formal and their expressions reverent.

"Welcome back, young master!"

Su Yu dismounted from Di Mingli, walking forward to help them up.

Di Tian was deeply particular about hierarchical propriety. Even though Su Yu had told him not to bow, he stubbornly adhered to his formalities.

Su Yu had tried persuading him before, but Di Tian remained firm, citing reasons Su Yu couldn't refute. After all, as the reincarnation of the Dragon God, Su Yu represented a level of prestige that demanded certain protocols.

"It's been three years, Uncle Di Tian, but you remain as imposing as ever. And Aunt Bi Ji, you're still as radiant as always," Su Yu said with a chuckle.

Bi Ji covered her mouth as she laughed softly, her gentle green eyes filled with warmth and affection as they rested on Su Yu.

"You've grown up, young master," she said, smiling. Her beautiful eyes reflected his image like a mirror, brimming with maternal kindness.

Su Yu had grown taller, more muscular, and even more handsome over the past three years. The little boy from before seemed to have undergone a significant transformation.

"Well, it has been three years. It's only natural I'd mature a little," Su Yu replied with a smile. Around these two who had raised him, Su Yu felt nothing but warmth and closeness.

"In three years, you've improved immensely, young master. Your spiritual power has reached a staggering level," Di Tian said, his golden eyes piercing as he assessed Su Yu. Though Su Yu's gaze was calm and reserved, faint glimmers of divine light could be seen within them, evidence of his astonishing spiritual growth.

Perhaps he hadn't surpassed Di Tian yet, but he had already far outclassed soul beasts like the Scarlet King. It was an incredible transformation.

"Well, I couldn't just stay stagnant, could I?" Su Yu said, grinning.

Di Tian's golden eyes flickered. "Young master, forgive me for being presumptuous, but may I ask you to release your Martial Soul?"

"Of course."

Without hesitation, Su Yu unleashed his Martial Soul.

A brilliant icy-blue light spread outward, frost creeping across the ground and continuously expanding outward, coating everything in a layer of crystalline ice.

The shadow of the Ice Emperor appeared behind Su Yu, unleashing an aura of extreme cold that swept across the area.

Red, black, gold, black, red—five soul rings emerged one after another.

A chilling, primal, and violent aura surged forth, causing dramatic changes in the expressions of Di Tian and Bi Ji.

Di Tian's gaze locked tightly onto Su Yu's fifth soul ring. From that ring, he sensed a familiar icy presence.

That savage and brutal aura—only one soul beast could possess such a force.

"A fierce-class soul ring?"

"This is..."

Bi Ji's face showed slight alarm. The terrifying blood-red color and the aura of a savage beast were enough to reveal the soul ring's immense power.

"This is the Ice Empress's aura," Di Tian interjected. "Young master, is your fifth soul ring the Ice Empress?"

Su Yu nodded. "Indeed, it is. The Ice Empress willingly sealed her power to become my soul ring. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to absorb a 400,000-year soul ring."

Hearing this, Di Tian nodded in acknowledgment. "It seems that scorpion has some foresight. Becoming your soul ring is her good fortune."

To Di Tian, the Ice Empress had lucked out by hitching a ride on Su Yu's path to greatness. Without this, she would have inevitably perished under the tribulations of heaven.

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"A rank-57 Soul King—young master, you've made considerable progress in these three years," Di Tian remarked approvingly.

From a rank-37 Soul Elder to a rank-57 Soul King in just three years—this level of advancement was astonishing.

What impressed Di Tian even more was the solid foundation Su Yu displayed. This indicated that Su Yu had not relied on any soul power-enhancing pills or external forces to accelerate his growth. Under such circumstances, his progress was all the more commendable.

"Well, I've gained a bit during this time," Su Yu replied with a shrug and a smile as he retracted his martial soul.

He placed great importance on maintaining a solid foundation. Despite advancing seven levels in one leap, the majority of that growth came from his cultivation efforts.

While the Ice Empress did bring some enhancements, most of her power was sealed, so her influence on Su Yu's soul power was not particularly significant.

At the very least, Su Yu now had precise control over every ounce of his soul power, his foundation as stable and unified as one could imagine. This level of mastery was far beyond what those who relied on pills could achieve.

It wasn't that Su Yu was entirely opposed to using external aids—certain treasures like immortal herbs were acceptable—but he avoided conventional soul power-enhancing pills.

No matter how harmless such pills seemed, they couldn't compare to cultivating on one's own. Taking them only invited trouble.

Though it might appear that soul power increased rapidly with their use, the growth was often superficial and unstable, leaving the user unable to fully wield their newfound strength.

Su Yu wasn't someone who blindly pursued speed. If he were, he could simply add soul rings to his second martial soul and stack five 100,000-year soul rings to quickly become a Soul Sage level.

In that case, he wouldn't just be a 14-year-old Soul King—he'd be a 14-year-old Soul Sage.

But would that hold any true meaning?

None at all.

Su Yu's ambitions were far greater than that. His caution wasn't solely for the sake of maintaining a strong foundation.

He had even grander plans for his second martial soul.

Su Yu aimed to make every soul ring on his second martial soul the best of the best, pursuing perfect compatibility and the highest possible quality.

This level of meticulousness was simply his way.