The Beast God and the others radiated powerful auras, their gazes fixed on Ao Tian.
Seeing that Ao Tian wasn't affected by their auras, they raised their assessment of him once more.
Ao Tian dismounted and transformed, taking on the appearance of a young man.
These guys in front of him weren't his close companions; he didn't have a habit of looking up to others.
Ao Tian wasn't particularly burly, but he was over one meter eighty tall. His muscles weren't overly prominent, giving him a slender build.
Dressed in white robes, coupled with his perfect face, his appearance was extremely captivating.
He smiled and said, "I've come uninvited, you don't mind, do you?"
As if. The Beast God and the others inwardly scoffed, but wary of Ao Tian's strength, they wouldn't act rashly before understanding his true capabilities.
The Beast God chuckled, "A distinguished guest arrives, how could we possibly mind? Please, come inside and sit."
He gestured with a hand, indicating a tall wooden cabin nestled near the forest.
Er Ming set down Xiao Wu and Xiao Wu's Mother, saying, "Senior Ao, Big Brother and I will stay here."
Their size prevented them from entering the cabin.
At that moment, a faint urge to transform into human form stirred within them.
Xiao Wu's Mother pulled Xiao Wu closer to Ao Tian. Ao Tian had mentioned that these individuals were formidable Soul Beasts, so Xiao Wu's Mother felt compelled to be cautious and stick close to Ao Tian.
The Beast God's gaze lingered on Da Ming and Er Ming for a moment, assessing them. Once he was certain these two hundred-thousand-year-old Soul Beasts wouldn't cause trouble outside, he led Ao Tian toward the wooden cabin.
"Big Brother, these guys are terrifying. Do you think they're really Soul Beasts?" Er Ming whispered to Da Ming.
Da Ming said, "Senior Ao shouldn't be lying to us, and the aura they give off is very similar to us Soul Beasts."
"Then why are they in human form?" Er Ming wondered.
In their eyes, the only way to take on a human form was to shapeshift into a human and cultivate like one.
But Ao Tian had said that these were Soul Beasts that were hundreds of thousands of years old, not ones who had shapeshifted into humans.
Da Ming thought for a moment and said, "Senior Ao also said he wasn't human, but doesn't he have a human form? I guess that when Soul Beasts reach a certain level of strength, they can change their form freely."
Er Ming nodded, accepting Da Ming's guess.
It suddenly turned its head to look at the lake that exuded life energy, its eyes lighting up. "Big Brother, look, this lake is much prettier than yours, and it also gives off a strong life aura."
Da Ming was a little tempted and wanted to go down and swim, but he thought that this was someone else's territory, so he held back.
"We should just stay put here, and not go anywhere," it cautioned.
The Beast God and his group led Ao Tian and the others into the wooden house and sat down at a long wooden table.
Judging by the layout, this should be a meeting place.
There were only seven chairs around the table, probably because they hadn't expected anyone to arrive uninvited, so there weren't any extra chairs.
Ao Tian pulled Xiao Wu to sit down and also gestured for Xiao Wu's Mother to sit.
The Beast God's side could only have three people standing.
The Beast God said, "We don't like the human way, so we don't have tea to serve you. Please forgive us."
Ao Tian said, "It doesn't matter. I didn't come for tea either."
The Beast God smiled slightly. "I'm Di Tian, they all call me the Beast God. May I ask what your name is, sir?"
Ao Tian replied, "I'm Ao Tian."
Di Tian said, "We both have the character for 'sky' in our names, which is quite a coincidence. Where are you from, Mr. Ao? I've never heard of you."
"I was asleep before, and I only recently woke up," Ao Tian answered.
"Mr. Ao isn't human?" Di Tian asked in surprise.
He hadn't sensed any of his own kind from Ao Tian, and had assumed he was human.
Ao Tian shook his head. "I'm not."
Hearing Ao Tian's reply, Di Tian and the others felt a little more relaxed.
Their biggest worry was that Ao Tian was a human expert.
Soul Beasts and humans were natural enemies. If Ao Tian was a human expert, he was most likely coming with hostile intent.
But now, they didn't have that worry.
Di Tian smiled and said, "So, Mr. Ao is also a Soul Beast like us."
Ao Tian shook his head and said, "You're mistaken. I am neither human nor a Soul Beast."
He pointed at Xiao Wu and her mother, saying, "Those two are the Soul Beasts."
Di Tian and the others were slightly stunned, their gazes falling on Xiao Wu and her mother.
"Mr. Ao, you jest. Besides humans and Soul Beasts, are there any other strong races in this world? Also, these two girls don't have any Soul Beast aura. How can you say they are Soul Beasts?" Di Tian asked.
All the big shots were present, and Xiao Wu and her mother didn't dare to speak, sitting quietly and feeling a bit nervous.
They had been excited before coming, wanting to see the strong ones of the Soul Beast race.
But now, they didn't feel that anticipation anymore.
Facing Di Tian's question, Ao Tian didn't speak. He raised his hand and gently waved it, removing the seal on Xiao Wu and her mother. Their Soul Beast aura was immediately revealed.
Di Tian and the others looked surprised, all wondering in their hearts how Ao Tian had managed to conceal Xiao Wu and her mother's Soul Beast aura.
Even they themselves couldn't completely hide a Soul Beast's aura.
Ao Tian continued, "As for my identity, you lot weren't even born when I was invincible."
Standing behind Di Tian, the burly Xiong Jun sneered, "What a big mouth. May I ask, Senior Ao, how old are you this year?"
Di Tian frowned, wanting to scold Xiong Jun, but after considering it, he held back.
This guy was the least obedient, with a bad temper and a stubborn streak. It wasn't a good time to start a conflict.
Ao Tian looked at the burly Xiong Jun, and said, "A little bear, quite arrogant, aren't you? I was already invincible in the world five hundred million years ago. Am I wrong in saying you weren't even born yet?"
"Five hundred million years? Haha, even the gods in the heavens wouldn't dare to say they've lived for five hundred million years. You really know how to brag."
Xiong Jun had locked horns with Ao Tian, clinging to Ao Tian's age and refusing to back down.
He seemed to have been displeased with Ao Tian from the start, perhaps because of Di Tian's earlier reprimand, or something else.
Ao Tian shook his head, a look of disdain on his face. He wouldn't stoop to arguing with a little bear.
"What are you laughing at?" Xiong Jun roared, his voice filled with fury.
"Xiong Jun!" Di Tian was also angered.
The atmosphere had been pleasant, and this Mr. Ao's boasting wasn't a big deal, not affecting the enjoyment of their conversation.
As long as they kept talking, he could learn more about this Mr. Ao and his purpose for being here.
But now, Xiong Jun's few words had ignited a sense of conflict.
If this Mr. Ao was truly strong, the consequences of a battle here would be beyond their ability to handle.
Perhaps this place would be exposed to the enemy, and it would also affect the recovery of the Beast God.
Therefore, Di Tian had always maintained sufficient caution when facing Ao Tian.
(End of this chapter)