As a sacred beast, this was the first time Di Mingli had ever experienced such a complete sense of being crushed by someone.
The oppressive force from the nine-colored seal made it difficult for her to even breathe.
At the same time, however, the aura emanating from the nine-colored radiance gave her an incredibly strong sense of attraction.
It made her instinctively want to get closer.
A feeling of reverence, yet intimacy.
The Dragon God Seal carried the power of the Dragon God, exerting absolute suppression over all dragons.
But at the same time, the Dragon God was the origin of the bloodline of all dragonkind, and that innate, bloodline-driven sense of closeness could not be denied.
In contrast to Di Tian and Di Mingli, soul beasts like the Scarlet King, who had no dragon bloodline at all, could only feel absolute suppression.
Under this oppressive force, it was impressive if their strength could remain at even fifty percent.
And this was when the Dragon God Seal was at its initial stage, without even a single soul ring on it yet.
If soul rings were added, it was unimaginable how powerful the Dragon God's suppression would become.
"Roar!"
Underneath the nine-colored seal came a furious roar.
Even while being suppressed directly by the Dragon God Seal, Bear Lod still struggled valiantly.
After all, Su Yu's Dragon God Seal was only in its initial state and didn't yet have the power to completely suppress a ferocious beast on the verge of reaching the Ultimate Douluo level.
"Roar!"
Another roar filled with rage erupted as the enormous nine-colored seal was forcibly lifted.
A massive dark-golden bear held the nine-colored seal aloft with both arms, its face twisted in fury, its amber eyes tinged with crimson.
"Get off me!"
Boom!
The nine-colored seal was sent flying. The dark-golden bear leaped out of the crater.
At that moment, a javelin wrapped in icy-blue radiance shot forward, piercing the dark-golden bear's shoulder.
Immediately, the icy-blue radiance spread rapidly, and within moments, Bear Lod was completely frozen.
The other ferocious beasts hurriedly turned to look, only to see a mysterious rune appear above Su Yu's head at some unknown moment.
The rune vanished in an instant, but the chilling aura it left behind, capable of freezing everything, sent a shiver through the hearts of all the beasts.
Even just a glance at it gave them the illusion that their very souls were being frozen. What on earth was that thing?
When they looked back at Bear Lod, it was clear this time that it couldn't break free from the ice.
The entire bear had turned into an ice sculpture.
Seeing this, all the ferocious beasts were struck with shock and fear.
Defeated!
The Bear Lod had been defeated!
It was the Bear Lod—the legendary ferocious beast of the Star Dou Forest, second only to Di Tian, whose attack power could rival that of an Ultimate Douluo.
And it had been defeated by Su Yu. To the gathered beasts, this was like a magnitude-twelve earthquake in their hearts, utterly shaking them to the core.
Swish!
A streak of golden light flashed, transforming into Su Yu's figure.
Dressed in white, Su Yu's face was slightly pale. He coughed lightly, a trace of blood dripping from the corner of his mouth.
Though he had turned the tide of the battle and acted with lightning speed, he hadn't come out unscathed in his fight against Bear Lod.
Bear Lod's combat power was nothing to scoff at. Su Yu's victory this time was only possible due to his extraordinary trump cards.
The Dragon God Seal and the Ice Ancestral Symbol.
By using both trump cards in succession, Su Yu had barely managed to subdue the Bear Lord.
If he had relied solely on his Ice Emperor abilities, he would have stood no chance against the Bear Lord.
After all, he was only a Soul Sage. Without these extraordinary methods, defeating a being whose combat power was nearly at the Ultimate level would have been impossible.
Especially considering the Bear Lord's Dark-Gold Terror Claws and Sky-Splitting Claws—he dared not take them head-on.
The Bear Lord truly lived up to its reputation, being astoundingly powerful.
Moreover, this victory had an element of luck. If the Bear Lord hadn't been careless from start to finish, the battle wouldn't have been so easily won.
"Young Master!"
The Scarlet King and the other ferocious beasts called out in unison when they saw Su Yu emerge.
Su Yu's performance this time had completely won them over.
Even the Bear Lord had been defeated. It was clear how powerful Su Yu had become.
If Su Yu wanted to deal with them, it would be all too easy.
This battle had firmly established Su Yu's authority, leaving them thoroughly convinced.
"You're injured?"
Di Mingli quickly approached, her bright eyes filled with concern as she looked at the blood at the corner of Su Yu's mouth.
Su Yu smiled faintly. "I'm fine, just a minor injury."
With the Life Gold in his possession, Su Yu was certainly confident in his recovery.
Di Mingli looked him over carefully and, seeing that there were no serious issues, finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Young Master, please release the Bear Lord from the ice."
Di Tian stepped forward, his eyes gleaming with admiration.
Su Yu had far exceeded his expectations.
Defeating the Bear Lord.
Su Yu had undoubtedly done his best.
Even Di Tian hadn't expected Su Yu to have grown so strong without anyone noticing.
Su Yu didn't respond directly but snapped his fingers lightly. The ice encasing the Bear Lord began to melt.
As the Bear Lord gradually regained consciousness and realized the situation, it lowered its head, the amber light in its eyes dimming slightly.
It had been defeated.
Defeated in front of everyone by Su Yu.
For the Bear Lord, this was undoubtedly a heavy blow.
It wasn't that it couldn't accept losing to Su Yu—it was that Su Yu was only a Soul Sage.
Losing to a Soul Sage was a bitter pill to swallow.
"What's with that expression? Are you so crushed by a single defeat?"
"If you're like this, how dare you dream of replacing me as the Beast God of the Star Dou Forest?"
"Fool, pull yourself together."
Di Tian scolded angrily, unwilling to see the Bear Lord so demoralized.
The Bear Lord glanced at Di Tian but remained silent.
Su Yu extended his hand, and the Golden Dragon Spear flew out of the Bear Lord's shoulder, bringing with it a spray of blood.
The Bear Lord flinched, clearly feeling the pain.
Su Yu raised his hand, and emerald-green light emanated from his palm, enveloping the Bear Lord.
An endless stream of life force poured into the Bear Lord's body, rapidly healing its injuries.
After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Su Yu withdrew his hand. By then, the Bear Lord's injuries were mostly healed.
"Th-thank you, Young Master."
The Bear Lord bowed in gratitude, looking both dejected and awkward.
Su Yu spoke calmly, "Bear Lord, a single victory or defeat doesn't define a hero."
"In this battle, though you lost, it was because you underestimated your opponent."
"If you had gone all out from the start, I might not have been able to defeat you."
"You don't need to take this too hard. Your strength is still formidable."
Su Yu offered some reassurance, not wanting the Bear Lord to lose its spirit entirely.
And he wasn't lying.
The Bear Lord's loss was largely due to its carelessness.
Otherwise, victory wouldn't have come so easily.
The Bear Lord remained silent, and Su Yu said no more, turning to leave.
He, too, needed to rest and recover.
As for the Bear Lord, it would have to reflect on things on its own.
...
...
Underwater Space.
Gu Yuena stood gracefully, draped in a silver veil, like an ethereal fairy whose beauty could shake the mortal world.
"Are you leaving?"
Gu Yuena's amethyst-like, crystal-clear eyes gazed at Su Yu as her ruby lips parted softly.
Su Yu nodded and said, "I've been staying in the Star Dou Forest for three months now. There are some important things I need to take care of, so I must leave."
"Nana, why don't you come with me?"
"Now that the Divine Realm is sealed, leaving here won't be dangerous for you."
"If you come with me, you can explore the cultural relics and scenic wonders of the Douluo Continent. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
Gu Yuena shook her head gently and said, "It's not the right time yet. I'll think about it once my injuries have mostly healed."
Su Yu stepped forward, grasped Gu Yuena's hand, and spoke firmly, as if making an unshakable vow: "Nana, I will find a way to help you heal as soon as possible."
"When the time comes, I'll take you out, accompany you to the ends of the earth, and let you witness the bustling beauty of the world."
Gu Yuena chuckled lightly and said, "Stop making empty promises to me. I'm not a Divine Beast who would fall for your tricks."
"You should focus on cultivating and becoming a god as quickly as possible—that's what matters most."
"Once you become a god, you'll naturally be able to help me."
"Everything you're saying right now is just an illusion, like flowers in a mirror or the moon in the water. I don't believe it."
Su Yu gently pinched Gu Yuena's cheek. Gazing at her flawless, delicate face, he spoke with unwavering determination: "I will. I'll become a god as soon as possible."
Letting Gu Yuena remain injured was not an option. Su Yu was determined to help her recover.
For now, the most effective method is to achieve godhood as quickly as possible.
Of course, he couldn't forget about the system either.
Who knew? Perhaps one day, he might obtain a healing item from the system—it wasn't entirely out of the question.
Gu Yuena smiled faintly, her jade-like hand gently caressing Su Yu's cheek.
Su Yu's heart was stirred, and he opened his arms, pulling Gu Yuena into a warm embrace.
In the underwater space, the pair leaned on each other, sharing an intimate moment filled with passion.
...
The Next Day.
Su Yu was about to set out on his journey back. After spending several months here, it was time to leave.
Not to mention, the All-Continent Elite Soul Master Sect Tournament was just around the corner, and the time he had agreed upon with Wang Dong'er and the others was fast approaching.
Breaking a promise was never a good thing.
At the Lake of Life, Di Tian stood with Su Yu and Di Mingli, seeing them off.
"Young Master, I'll leave Di Mingli in your care. She knows nothing of the outside world, so I'll need you to guide her along the way," Di Tian said.
Su Yu glanced at Di Mingli beside him and smiled. "Uncle Di Tian, don't worry. I'll take good care of Mingli."
Di Tian's face lit up with a satisfied smile. "Young Master, I believe you're still missing a few soul bones, correct?"
"When you return next time, I'll have a gift prepared for you."
"Oh?"
Su Yu raised an eyebrow. Was Di Tian finally bringing this up?
He couldn't help but feel curious. What level of soul bone had Di Tian prepared for him?
Given his current strength, it seemed he still hadn't reached the level Di Tian deemed sufficient.
Keep in mind, he'd defeated Bear Lord—was that not enough?
What kind of soul bone could Di Tian possibly have in store for him?
"Now I'm curious about Uncle Di Tian's gift," Su Yu said with a smile.
"You won't be disappointed," Di Tian replied confidently.
Su Yu chuckled, clasped his hands together, and said, "Uncle Di Tian, farewell."
With those words, Su Yu turned and left the Lake of Life with Di Mingli.
Di Tian stood watching as their figures gradually disappeared into the distance, lingering in place for a long time.
...
Rushing through their journey, Su Yu and Di Mingli left the Star Dou Forest.
Su Yu retraced the path he had taken when entering the forest. Once they exited, they found themselves within the borders of the Star Luo Empire.
For Di Mingli, this was her first time entering human society, and she was curious about everything she encountered. She was like Lan Lan in the past, wide-eyed and amazed at the world.
Su Yu took care of her, traveling at a leisurely pace so she could experience and learn as much as possible.
All the sights and sounds along the way greatly enriched Di Mingli's understanding.
Compared to the Star Dou Forest, the outside world was indeed much more exciting.
"Where are we going?"
Di Mingli, carrying a flying soul tool on her back, looked at Su Yu and asked.
Su Yu had been leading her across the Star Luo Empire without showing any sign of stopping.
"A coastal city. I've arranged to meet someone there," Su Yu replied honestly.
"A man or a woman?"
Di Mingli narrowed her eyes and asked in a low voice.
Su Yu chuckled and said, "All women."
Before finishing his sentence, Su Yu accelerated, instantly pulling away from Di Mingli.
"You coward! Don't think you can escape!"
Di Mingli gritted her teeth and quickly gave chase.
Two streaks of light zipped across the sky, chasing and teasing one another in a lively pursuit.
...
Two Days Later, Coastal City.
On a bustling street, a man and a woman walked side by side.
The man wore a white, tailored long robe, while the woman donned a light blue outfit accented with golden embroidery. Their striking looks drew the attention of countless passersby.
Naturally, this pair was Su Yu and Di Mingli.
This coastal city was the agreed meeting place for Su Yu and Wang Dong'er's group.
"Where exactly are we meeting? There are so many people here," Di Mingli muttered, glancing at the crowd around them.
"Don't worry," Su Yu said, releasing his spiritual power like a tidal wave.
After obtaining the Ice Ancestral Symbol and receiving the support of Di Mingli's destiny power, Su Yu's spiritual power had grown significantly.
Although he hadn't yet reached the realm of tangible spiritual manifestations, he wasn't far from it.
As his spiritual energy spread outward, figures flashed rapidly through Su Yu's mind.
Suddenly, he froze, his gaze fixed on the northeastern corner of the city. A faint smile appeared on his lips.
He waved at Di Mingli. "Let's go!"
The two figures quickly headed toward their destination.
...
In a Luxurious Hotel in the Northeastern Corner of the City.
Shui Lingguang, who had been meditating, suddenly opened her eyes, a flash of energy flickering before disappearing.
Wang Dong'er and the others were startled and turned toward her.
"The Young Master is here," Shui Lingguang said, scanning the room with barely concealed excitement in her voice.
"Really?"
Wang Dong'er's eyes lit up immediately, and she jumped up in joy.
But in an instant, she straightened her face again and snorted, "That heartless man, he remembers to come back."
Shui Lingguang smiled without saying a word. Wang Dong'er was a typical tsundere; though she spoke like that, her heart was probably overflowing with joy.
"Lady Dong'er, shall we go to greet the young master?"
Shui Lingguang asked with a smile.
"Yes, Lanlan wants to see brother!"
Before Wang Dong'er could say anything, Lanlan had already raised both hands, speaking repeatedly.
Beside Lanlan stood a girl dressed in a moon-white gown, with long, deep blue hair cascading down. Her gaze flickered slightly, and she gently pressed her lips together.