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"That's right. If you truly have higher aspirations, it's better to focus on expanding the soul master system."
The nine Dragon Kings had all been god-level beings in life, and their advice was even more insightful than Elder Tree's.
"The Douluo Plane has accumulated enough potential. With just a little stimulus, there's a chance it could ascend to the god level. That stimulus might very well be the emergence of a hundred-level soul master," said the Light Dragon King.
Xu Yuan sighed and shook his head. "That may be something the nine Dragon Kings aren't aware of. To be honest, there have been soul masters with god-level potential on the Douluo Continent before, but the plane itself hasn't ascended."
Xu Yuan wasn't just complaining—he was taking advantage of the nine Dragon Kings' willingness to guide him in his cultivation to probe further into the specifics of advancing the Douluo Plane.
While voicing his complaints, he also laid out his reasoning.
"My teacher already possesses god-level strength, but he can't break through. He is certain of this. Once he breaks through to the god level and shatters that barrier, the Douluo Plane will no longer be able to contain him. Moreover, he won't be able to maintain his godhood for long. After a brief period of brilliance, he will inevitably fall."
The nine Dragon Kings didn't doubt Xu Yuan's words.
After all, they had spent time in Xu Yuan's dreamscape and occasionally observed the outside world. They were well aware of how extraordinary Yun Ming was.
As for Xu Yuan's claim that Yun Ming was confident in his ability to break through, the nine Dragon Kings found it reasonable.
"Unable to break through? That shouldn't be the case."
Xu Yuan smiled and explained to the Light Dragon King and the others: "Actually, the reason is quite simple. The Douluo Plane isn't as saturated as you just described. On the contrary, it's currently in a state of deficit. If not for the soul master system reaching its peak and getting closer to the god level—allowing soul masters to sustain the plane by feeding it star energy—the Douluo Plane would have already begun to decline."
"How could this be?"
"Have any of you heard of the Abyssal Plane?"
The nine Dragon Kings shook their heads.
There was no such thing as the Abyss when they were alive.
Xu Yuan patiently explained.
"The Abyss is an energy plane that grows by devouring other planes. It has been consuming the Douluo Plane for at least six thousand years."
"What?!"
The nine Dragon Kings were shocked.
The Dark Dragon King was first astonished, then visibly angered, his tone carrying a hint of accusation: "How dare the Abyss do such a thing?"
"In fact, the Abyss has been gnawing away at the Douluo Plane for more than six thousand years," Xu Yuan sighed.
The Dark Dragon King fell silent.
Beside him, the Light Dragon King explained to Xu Yuan.
"Back then, Douluo Star was the core of the Divine Dragon Domain and served as a place where many divine beasts under the dragon race left behind their legacies. Its foundation and significance were extraordinary. In the universe, Douluo Star once held an unparalleled position. Hearing that it has now become prey for an Abyssal Plane, being drained of its vitality, naturally makes Dark angry and agitated, which is why his words carried some heat."
The Light Dragon King paused to think, then slowly continued: "In that case, the near-extinction of soul beasts isn't solely due to pressure from human soul masters. The plane itself being unable to support the vast population of soul beasts is also a factor."
After all, purely from an energy demand perspective, soul beasts are far harder to sustain than soul masters.
A ten-year-old soul beast becomes a hundred-year soul beast, then a thousand-year soul beast, and eventually a ten-thousand-year or even a hundred-thousand-year soul beast. Even if we assume only one in ten advances to the next stage, the existence of a single hundred-thousand-year soul beast implies ten ten-thousand-year soul beasts, a hundred thousand-year soul beasts, a thousand hundred-year soul beasts, and ten thousand ten-year soul beasts!
How many hundred-thousand-year soul beasts are there on Douluo Star?
Though rare, there are certainly more than a hundred.
This means there are at least a million ten-year soul beasts.
And how many soul masters are there in total?
Even a ten-year soul beast, despite being inferior in intelligence and creativity compared to a Level 10 soul master, is no weaker in combat power and requires no less energy from the plane's ambient essence.
The stronger soul masters become, the more they contribute to the plane by absorbing star energy, while consuming less overall. Naturally, the plane favors them in its operation.
This cycle perpetuates, growing like a snowball, leaving soul beasts on the brink of extinction.
Xu Yuan was hearing this explanation for the first time.
Upon reflection, it made sense.
Survival of the fittest, adaptation determines survival.
Species compete with one another for the right to survive, but the world itself is also selecting.
Who can say for sure whether environmental changes aren't the result of the world favoring one species over another?
---
Returning to the topic at hand.
Xu Yuan and the nine Dragon Kings discussed some aspects of god-level power, then steered the conversation back.
"The dragon eggs you mentioned earlier..."
The nine Dragon Kings exchanged glances.
The Mountain Dragon King stepped forward, his expression extremely serious.
"Xu Yuan, these are the last remnants of our dragon bloodline, the purest inheritance we have. We're telling you about their existence because we hope you'll ensure they grow up safely, rather than being forced into becoming soul entities upon hatching."
Xu Yuan waved his hand, indicating he had no interest in dragon-type soul entities.
"No, I'm not talking about you. I mean other soul masters."
"Other soul masters? Are you asking me to act as a full-time babysitter and bodyguard for these true dragons? Are you saying that if any soul master sets their sights on them, I need to step in and stop them?"
The Mountain Dragon King shook his head. "Of course not. We simply hope Shrek Academy can establish a program. If there are truly talented soul masters who lack dragon-type soul entities, we ask that they refrain from targeting these true dragon hatchlings. Instead, they can choose from the soul entities we plan to revive in the future."
After all, the chances of true resurrection are slim. Following a soul master and experiencing the world again wouldn't be a bad choice.
This could also serve as an option for the dragon souls that will later be revived in soul entity form.
After hearing the Mountain Dragon King's explanation, Xu Yuan found this proposal acceptable.
There were plenty of dragon souls in the Dragon Valley. Once they were fully revived as soul entities, there would be many options to choose from.
There was no need to fixate on a few true dragon hatchlings.
"Seniors, how many dragon eggs are currently in the Dragon Valley?" Xu Yuan asked curiously.
The Mountain Dragon King thought for a moment, then answered honestly.
"Originally, we left behind hundreds of dragon eggs. Over time, some of them lost all vitality. We're not sure how many remain viable, so we're bringing this up now in hopes that you'll help search for the eggs that still have life."
"Of course, if you find it troublesome, the nine of us can go look for them."
Xu Yuan understood.
The key point wasn't asking him to search—it was that the nine Dragon Kings needed to leave for a while and wanted to explain this in advance.
This was a gesture of respect.
In response, Xu Yuan showed them respect as well.
"Seniors, go ahead. I won't interfere."
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