"So this is your Soul Beast God Realm," Xia Yi said, appearing within it.
The Soul Beast God Realm—called a god realm—was not truly a god realm in the traditional sense.
In a normal god realm, only Gods could enter, and even the weakest had to be at least at the Divine Officer level.
But the Soul Beast God Realm was home to numerous ordinary soul beasts.
Some were directly brought in from the Douluo Plane, some had been revived as soul spirits, and others were introduced from the Myriad Beast Platform by Gu Yue.
The entire realm was divided into two layers. The first was a massive planet, its life force reaching a demi-god realm level. Ordinary soul beasts lived there. Only god-level powerhouses could break through the void to ascend to the second layer—the true Soul Beast God Realm.
It could be said that the Soul Beast God Realm encompassed both a god realm and a demi-god plane.
Currently, only a handful could truly enter the divine layer of the realm.
Aside from Xia Yi, Gu Yue, and the Demon Empress, there were only the Nine Great Dragon Kings and the two great beasts from the Myriad Beast Platform, Da Ming and Er Ming.
When Gu Yue found the Myriad Beast Platform and proposed integrating it into the Soul Beast God Realm and relocating all soul beasts from the Douluo Plane, they agreed without hesitation.
After the successful creation of the realm, they chose to stay.
Gu Yue didn't reject them. As long as they didn't harm the realm, and given that they had preserved some of the most precious soul beast bloodlines, their status in the realm remained high.
"What do you mean my Soul Beast God Realm? This is our Soul Beast God Realm—you're not escaping that," Gu Yue snorted with dissatisfaction, then smiled at Xia Yi. "Come up with a name for it. I thought of names like 'Dragon Realm,' 'Soul Beast Realm,' and 'Divine Beast Realm,' but none of them feel right."
"Name it?" Xia Yi frowned slightly. "I haven't really thought about that."
"It's not too late to start now," Gu Yue said with a charming smile. "The Soul Beast God Realm is still a work in progress. With enough energy, it can be elevated further—at minimum, to a demi-god star level."
"A demi-god star? That high?" Xia Yi raised his eyebrows. He had some understanding of god realms and god stars. Reaching god star level was the ultimate goal for any god realm.
Even the Douluo God Realm, after so many years of development, hadn't reached that threshold.
And yet Gu Yue was confident in raising the Soul Beast God Realm to that level?
"Elevating a god realm is similar to cultivating a deity. The total power is one factor, but the level and depth of its laws are another. If the realm lacks deep enough laws, it can't reach god star status no matter how much raw power it has," Gu Yue said with a proud smile. "But our god realm contains our understanding of the Hetu Luoshu. Though our comprehension is incomplete, it's enough to raise it to demi-god star level. Once we grasp it further, and infuse that understanding into the realm's core along with enough power, it could become a true god star."
"The Hetu Luoshu really is incredible. It seems simple, but contains the essence of all things in the universe. If we fully understand it, reaching beyond god star might not be impossible," Gu Yue said, her beautiful eyes gleaming. The Hetu Luoshu that Xia Yi gave her was a key reason why the realm had reached this point.
"What's beyond a god star?" Xia Yi asked.
"I don't know." Gu Yue shook her head and giggled. "Neither the former Dragon God nor the Five Divine Kings of the Douluo God Realm ever went beyond the god realm. Even god stars were legends to them. If no one's reached it, we'll define it ourselves if we ever do. Isn't that fair?"
"Fair enough." Xia Yi nodded, stroking his chin. "Since the Soul Beast God Realm has infinite growth potential, let's call it 'Genesis Origin.'"
"Genesis Origin?" Gu Yue's eyes lit up. "'Genesis' and 'Origin' are great words. But why that name?"
"Genesis represents the infinite possibilities of the realm. As for Origin—you said nothing exists beyond god stars yet. If our realm reaches that level, we'll be the first. Why not call that next level 'Origin'? Though the Soul Beast God Realm isn't even half a god star yet, I believe one day it will surpass even god stars." Xia Yi raised his hand, summoning the Earth Cauldron and channeling the realm's laws—no, Genesis Origin's laws—into the sky to condense a massive stone stele, on which he engraved the Hetu Luoshu.
"What are you doing?" Gu Yue asked curiously.
"I'm leaving the Hetu Luoshu here. I hope that future powerhouses of Genesis Origin can comprehend it. Maybe they'll help it evolve further," Xia Yi said with a smile. "Unlike the Huangdi Neijing ( Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon), which can mislead people if cultivated carelessly, the Hetu Luoshu is all-encompassing. Everyone can gain something different from it if they're perceptive enough."
Leaving it here for all to comprehend would benefit the entire realm.
"No way." Gu Yue shook her head firmly. "Are you kidding? You're basically making the Hetu Luoshu public! I can't accept that."
How was this any different from when Tang Sect made Xuantian Skill public, or when the Spirit Pagoda disclosed how to make soul spirits?
Except the Hetu Luoshu was far more precious than either of those.
"Reluctant?" Xia Yi chuckled, gently ruffling Gu Yue's silver hair. "You have to understand—every being in Genesis Origin is your people. Their strength is your strength. Giving them the chance to comprehend the Hetu Luoshu could help them push the realm to new heights."
"That's exactly what I'm worried about," Gu Yue snorted. "If they comprehend it and go off to create their own god realms, won't we be helping them for free?"
"Let them go. Children grow up and leave. As long as they don't turn against us, I'd be happy for them—even if they create a god realm stronger than Genesis Origin," Xia Yi said.
"I can't argue with you, but I still say no." Gu Yue raised her hand and summoned the Sky Cauldron. Beams of law descended, forming powerful formations around the Hetu Luoshu. "I won't stop you from giving others a chance to comprehend it—but nothing in life is free. They'll have to pass trials first."
"Fair enough," Xia Yi nodded. "What trials?"
"First: Loyalty. Second: Strength. Third: Perception. Fourth: Talent. Fifth: Mentality. For now, just these. I'll refine them over time," Gu Yue said proudly. "I derived these trials from my understanding of the Hetu Luoshu. I was going to use them at the ascension site for reaching Genesis Origin's second layer. Every deity must pass them to ascend. But using them here works too. The Hetu Luoshu isn't something just anyone can comprehend."
"I still don't think it's enough." Xia Yi and Gu Yue both took action, and the Demon Empress summoned the Ocean Cauldron. A boundless sea surged forth, transforming the area into a vast ocean.
Only the area with Xia Yi's stele and Gu Yue's formations remained above water, forming an island.
"This sea is made of law power. Let's call it the Sea of Hetu Luoshu. It seals divine power and senses—even god kings can't fly or use powers here. The island carrying the stele will drift on the sea. Anyone who wants to comprehend the Hetu Luoshu will have to find it, relying on luck or determination," the Demon Empress said, her eyes shining with pride in her creation.
"With you two around, the creatures of Genesis Origin are in for a tough time," Xia Yi joked, shaking his head. He didn't stop them—this did have merit.
He turned to the Demon Empress. "Even if divine power is sealed, a god won't drown. But if aquatic creatures ascend later, assign patrols in the Sea of Hetu Luoshu. If someone falls in and wants to give up, bring them ashore. Also, create a similar island in the lower realm—for the non-divine."
"No problem." The Demon Empress nodded. "One more thing: I believe Genesis Origin shouldn't be just a soul beast god realm. The old god realm oppressed more than just soul beasts from the Douluo Plane. We should search for other planes that once belonged to the god realm and give their oppressed beast clans a chance too. What do you two think?"
She looked to Xia Yi and Gu Yue. Genesis Origin currently had only one subordinate demi-god realm—too few people.
To grow, it needed new blood.
"Good idea—but finding those planes won't be easy," Gu Yue sighed. "The former Dragon God had god beasts from other planes under his command, not just soul beasts. But since he wasn't on the God Realm Council, we don't know where those planes are. Without coordinates, it'll be hard to find them in the universe."
"We'll find them slowly. Once we do, we'll open ascension paths. One day we'll find them all," the Demon Empress said.
"When we have god king-level powerhouses, we'll start the search," Gu Yue nodded. Without such strength, wandering the universe was dangerous.
Genesis Origin had just been founded. They couldn't rush.
"I wonder if that foreign race hidden in the War God Temple comes from one of those old subordinate planes," Xia Yi suddenly remembered what Gu Yue told him on Devil Island last time.
He sighed and looked at Gu Yue and the Demon Empress. "You both need to seriously consider—should Genesis Origin allow other races besides beasts to enter?"
As soon as Xia Yi said this, Gu Yue and the Demon Empress immediately fell silent.
They both knew, deep down, that in the vast universe, there were all kinds of races—humans, soul beasts—they were only a part of it. For a divine realm, a future divine star, or even an origin realm, the best outcome would be one where all races thrived together in harmony.
That would be what's truly best for the Genesis Origin.
But they were soul beasts. The Genesis Origin was their creation, born of their dedication and efforts. It was something soul beasts had waited countless years to achieve.
To simply hand it over to other races… they were not willing.
"Think it over carefully. I won't get involved in this matter—I'm not putting any pressure on you or offering any suggestions. Whatever decision you make, I'll support it," Xia Yi said, fully understanding how Gu Yue and the Demon Empress felt. He didn't want them to make a decision that went against their hearts just for his sake.
So, he chose to step back from the issue.
"Hmph, just say you want to be hands-off if that's what you're aiming for. You always toss these difficult questions to us," Gu Yue glared fiercely at Xia Yi, then said helplessly, "This isn't something we can decide in a short time. We'll need to weigh the pros and cons. For now, we'll head to the Douluo Plane and pay a visit to the War God Temple—see what this foreign race is all about."
(End of Chapter)