Thus, the origin of soul tool technology—humans and soul masters—became an unavoidable barrier.
The soul beast race had not failed to consider replacing them. The reparations from the previous war between Di Tian and the human alliance included tens of thousands of years' worth of soul tool technology accumulation, which was quickly taken over by Di Tian's appointed subordinates.
Xue Ling had once led a group composed of intelligent hundred-thousand-year soul beasts, two-hundred-thousand-year fierce beasts, and other highly intelligent ten-thousand-year soul beasts to establish a soul tool research base.
Unfortunately, the development turned out to be a huge disappointment after an initially hopeful beginning.
Aside from Xue Ling, who achieved some results due to her innate brilliance, the contributions of the hundred-plus soul beasts serving as data subjects were mediocre at best.
Given these various circumstances, Di Tian chose a third method to deal with humans and soul masters—a great racial integration.
Such a precedent was exceedingly rare in this world.
Even with Di Tian's vast knowledge of life planets in this universe, he had never seen a complete and replicable case of this nature.
But in his past life, there had indeed been such a precedent.
In the long river of time, full of sweeping tides, there were cases to draw upon.
Great ethnic integration.
Though called "integration," it was really just a nice-sounding term.
Different lifestyles, a thousand unique customs—"I call you barbaric, you call me weak"—such mutual rejection.
The staggering differences, like isolation between different species, had only been bridged over centuries of generational changes, at the cost of countless lives and bloodshed. It resulted in assimilation through shared bloodlines and the gradual acceptance of culture and lifestyle through the growth of new generations.
The cost was so brutal, it could be summed up by: "White bones exposed in the wild, no rooster crows for a thousand miles."
It was predictable that once Di Tian made this decision, the Douluo plane would enter a time of blood and fire.
Heretics and dissenters would be buried beneath the foundation of the new era.
Yet, for the sake of a better future, growing pains were inevitable.
And this era of transformation toward great racial integration would require meticulous care and oversight—entrusted to the Core of Life and the Plane's Master, who would constantly monitor and correct the path forward.
Once the Douluo plane's internal rules were restructured, Di Tian began his second major transformation of the plane:
To make it serve as a transit station for ascenders from lower planes to the Divine Realm.
He left the Mountain Dragon King, the Plane's Master, to continue perfecting the revised laws and filling in the gaps.
Then, with the Core of Life in hand, Di Tian arrived at the heart of the Star Dou Forest—by the shore of the Lake of Life, where the Tree of Life had been planted.
The Core of Life, her elfin face always gentle like a spring breeze, suddenly flashed with intense surprise.
"Huh?!"
"Bene... benefactor, are you really going to do it?"
"Of course," Di Tian answered firmly, his expression unchanging.
Seeing his unwavering gaze, the Core of Life closed her eyes.
Her long, delicate lashes quivered slightly, and her humanoid elfin form began to fade.
Only her translucent red lips softly uttered: "Grow."
In the next instant, her entire body dissipated, fusing into the Tree of Life behind her.
Almost as if her words held magical power, as soon as she merged into the tree, the already enormous trunk began growing rapidly—piercing into the heavens.
The lush green canopy tore apart cloud after cloud, making the sky appear twisted and fierce.
But with the Tree of Life's relentless ascent, the heavens were ultimately penetrated.
Gradually, that once twisted sky took on a calm and refreshing expression beneath the rolling clouds.
Misty energy, like flowing water, began to spill through the rift in the sky pierced by the Tree of Life.
That was Immortal Spirit Energy from the Divine Realm. Even as residual overflow, it was a high-level energy that greatly benefitted the lower plane.
In an instant, golden lotuses bloomed from the ground, rainbows surged in the skies—wondrous phenomena filled the heavens.
The immortal energy transformed into mystical beasts and celestial maidens, descending in fragrant clouds.
Treasure lights swept across every direction, and the Douluo plane's flora and fauna seemed rejuvenated—as if a parched land had been blessed with living waters.
A new era had begun, and all of creation was renewed.
The Star Dou Forest and nearby skies, being closest to the Tree of Life, benefited the most.
On the Douluo plane, countless creatures bore blissful expressions of overwhelming comfort.
The only one not feeling so pleased was probably the Core of Life.
On the now-towering Tree of Life, her once gentle expression showed signs of pain—as if the sky's earlier distortion had transferred to her face.
"Benefactor… is this enough?"
Even her voice carried a distinct sense of pain.
Unfortunately, her answer came in the form of Di Tian's sudden movement—he flashed to the base of the Tree of Life.
Without explanation, Di Tian pressed his hand against the tree's massive trunk.
The tree, as if it were a living being with sensitive skin, shuddered and quivered at his touch.
Atop the new Divine Realm—a floating landmass shaped like a divine ship—this massive tree pierced upward like a newborn sprout breaking the soil.
Its momentum did not stop. Instead, it grew even faster.
In the empty expanse of the Divine Realm, this Tree of Life became a splash of vibrant green—a symbol of burgeoning life.
This tree, linking the Divine Realm to the Douluo plane, now fully formed. If allowed to keep growing in the future, it could connect many lower planes and truly become a Jianmu—the mythical world-connecting tree.
But… this Jianmu was clearly not happy.
It stared at Di Tian with deep resentment, grumbling:
"Benefactor, I've just been born, and you're already tormenting me like this."
Faced with this grievance, Di Tian's expression remained as calm as an undisturbed lake.
So calm it felt unnatural, as if he were deliberately hiding something.
After all, the Core of Life had indeed just been born, and he really wasn't being very considerate.
"Cough~"
"This will benefit you greatly. You've just been born and already have the cultivation of a Second-Rank God, with five divine rings."
"After establishing a passage to the Divine Realm and receiving its blessings, you should reach six divine rings. The Mountain Dragon King, who occupies the role of Plane's Master, should receive similar benefits."
"As long as you follow the proper steps, you two ascending to First-Rank Godhood is guaranteed."
"For now, just rest well."
With a quickened pace, Di Tian spoke and then vanished in a ripple of space, leaving the Core of Life behind.
He reappeared in the mixed zone of the Star Dou Forest.
Here, many soul beasts were gathered—mostly kings of various species.
Thanks to Di Tian's earlier adjustments to the plane's rules, most soul beasts who were originally in beast form could now take humanoid shape, just like the fierce beasts standing in the front rows.
(End of Chapter)