He Yi Ming’s eyes widened in disbelief. He shook his head, then looked at the exasperated expressions on the faces of the others, finally certain that he hadn't misheard.

This colossal Dragon, demanding that Bao Zhu, White Horse Lightning, and the others breed successors indiscriminately—this was quite a severe test for Divine Beasts.

Ancient records stated that in the primordial era, Divine Beasts were plentiful across the world. While not exactly rampant, their numbers were certainly in the thousands.

However, the Divine Beast population had been steadily declining over time.

Conflicts between humans and Divine Beasts, which occasionally resulted in the fall of a deity, were one aspect, but the true reason for their generational decrease was their inherent arrogance.

Powerful beings of the Divine Beast caliber absolutely refused to procreate unless they encountered a mate truly worthy of their affections. Furthermore, the first law of nature dictated that the stronger a being’s inherent power, the lower its fertility. Thus, even if two Divine Beasts found each other appealing, often only one would successfully bear offspring.

Consequently, the number of Sacred Beasts had dwindled throughout history. By the time humanity rose to prominence ten millennia ago, recorded Divine Beasts numbered fewer than twenty.

Of course, throughout the ages, some Divine Beasts had engaged in illicit couplings. It was precisely because they differed from pure-blooded Divine Beasts that creatures like the Dragon-Snake, Bao Zhu, and White Horse Lightning, those possessing Divine Beast bloodlines, came to exist in the world.

They certainly inherited the power of the Divine Beasts within their bodies, but to reach the Divine Beast realm, they still needed to cross the final threshold: ascending to the Divine Dao, just like humans.

In this regard, they were significantly inferior to the Qilin Beast, for a Qilin Beast, given sufficient Heaven and Earth energy, had a one-hundred-percent chance of ascending to the Divine Dao. Clearly, White Horse Lightning and the others faced a much harsher ordeal.

This was the crucial difference between pure-blood and mixed-blood.

Now, the Dragon’s intent was perfectly clear: send the three of them back to the mortal world to tirelessly produce a host of little Qilin Beasts, little White Horses, and tiny Bao Zhus. If possible, they should even contact every other creature in the world that possessed Divine Beast bloodlines and sire descendants like little Dragon-Snakes and others.

When the next millennium arrived, these youngsters carrying the Divine Beast bloodline should be sent here. Nurtured by the abundant Heaven and Earth energy, they would attempt the advancement to the Divine Dao. If a hundred top-tier Sacred Beasts arrived here, and even half succeeded, that would equate to fifty strong Divine Dao cultivators. Then, no matter how terrifying the Death Creatures became, they would have a fighting chance.

However, upon hearing this plan, the first thought in everyone’s mind was: was such a method even possible?

White Horse Lightning and Bao Zhu cried out simultaneously. A moment later, the Qilin Beast shook its head. “Respected Lord Dragon, we cannot fulfill your demand. This is a defilement of the Divine Beast bloodline, something we absolutely cannot tolerate.”

The Dragon snorted, and even the air pervading the heavens and earth seemed to vibrate intensely.

“Is the purity of Divine Beast blood truly that important?”

A strange sensation arose in everyone’s hearts. This Dragon was the supreme existence among Divine Beasts, yet its tone was rather odd, as if questioning the very importance of bloodline purity.

“Yes, it is extremely important,” the Qilin Beast replied gravely.

“Qilin, open your eyes and look clearly,” the Dragon said without mercy. “Even among the three of you, two are mixed-bloods, yet their strength is immense. I can assure you that if all three of you remained, you could all certainly advance to the Divine Dao. If the Divine Beast blood had not dispersed so early, how many Divine Beasts or creatures with Divine Beast bloodlines would still exist in this world?”

The Qilin Beast immediately clamped its mouth shut, abruptly recalling that on the Eastern and Western Continents today, seemingly only the Totem Clan retained an untainted Divine Beast bloodline; all the other powerful figures were, in fact, mixed-blood, top-tier Sacred Beasts.

This was true for White Horse Lightning and the Dragon-Snake from Ghost Cry Ridge alike.

Its gaze shifted to Bao Zhu, and memories flooded back. The Holy Dragon Lord of the Totem Clan in those days was also a powerful top-tier Sacred Beast, but its Divine Beast blood was not pure. Therefore, despite being familiar with the Qilin Beast, it always received a subtle degree of differential treatment.

It was not without reason that the Holy Dragon Lord, before its natural lifespan ended and while attempting to advance to the Divine Dao in the Boundary of Life and Death, entrusted its descendants to Di Shitian of the Heavenly Pond lineage.

The Qilin Beast lowered its head, realizing abruptly that the bloodlines of Divine Beasts were already impure. If it clung to its original belief, the Divine Beast lineage of the Qilin clan might completely end with its generation.

The Dragon patiently continued, “Listen closely, the three of you. If you want the Divine Beast blood to continue flowing in this world, you cannot be too concerned with conventions. If you encounter someone marginally suitable, do not let the opportunity pass. Otherwise, a thousand years from now, forget a hundred top-tier Sacred Beasts—I fear even your own bloodlines will be severed. In this respect, you should learn from humans.”

He Yi Ming’s lips curled slightly; he genuinely didn't know how to describe his feelings.

However, one thing he was certain of was that this Divine Beast's mindset was remarkably close to human thinking, fundamentally different from the legendary arrogance of Divine Beasts who disdained other races.

“You all know the situation. Now, those who should stay, stay; those who should leave, leave. Those staying must cultivate quickly and strive to enter the Divine Dao soon. Those leaving must breed quickly and produce a batch of top-tier Sacred Beasts sooner.” The Dragon roared thunderously.

Yuan Li Xun’s face grew paler, and she tightened her grip on He Yi Ming’s hand.

He Yi Ming sighed deeply, patting her hand gently, his own mind a tangled mess.

Di Shitian suddenly spoke, “Lord Dragon, this He Yi Ming is an unparalleled genius among humans. He is not yet thirty this year and should not remain here.”

Bing Xiao Tian and the others subtly shifted their expressions. Di Shitian’s thought process was understandable. He Yi Ming was, after all, from the Heavenly Pond lineage. If he were allowed to leave, the Heavenly Pond lineage would be rock-solid for centuries of prosperity during his lifetime. Conversely, the other sects would not fare so well.

Especially the Nine Nether Lands and the Grotto-Heavens and Blessed Lands, which had past grievances with He Yi Ming, would likely have to tread carefully and endure in silence.

For a moment, everyone’s expressions were markedly different, yet none dared to speak rashly.

A hint of joy flickered across Yuan Li Xun’s face, and her gaze toward Di Shitian was filled with deep gratitude. He Yi Ming opened his mouth but said nothing.

Because even he didn't know his true desires.

If he couldn't leave, he would have to stay here for a hundred years. But for the outside world, that was a thousand years. A thousand years later, everything would certainly have changed; it wouldn't be surprising if even the He Family Village had vanished into dust.

But if he left alone…

Looking at the people around him and the immensely powerful Dragon overhead, He Yi Ming didn't believe he could contend with it. Moreover, once he left, he was certain the path to the Divine Dao would be closed to him forever; he would never have the chance to reach that legendary realm.

The Dragon seemed to ponder for a moment. “He is a human genius, therefore he should stay, not leave.”

Di Shitian’s face changed slightly, and he asked, “Lord Dragon, you can allow Divine Beasts to leave descendants; why are you unwilling to leave a spark of hope for us humans?”

The Dragon roared in anger, “I already said it: humans and Divine Beasts are different. Even if a human is a genius, their offspring may not be geniuses. But the descendants of these three, after a thousand years of cultivation, are guaranteed to be top-tier Sacred Beasts with Divine Beast blood. If I let him leave, can you guarantee that a hundred peak Human Dao experts will appear here after a thousand years?”

Di Shitian was instantly struck dumb, unable to say another word.

Hoping for He Yi Ming’s descendants to produce a hundred Human Dao peaks, especially ones cultivated under such extremely harsh conditions, was an absolute impossibility.

“Furthermore, this human’s physique is special; he is on the verge of advancing to the Divine Dao. If his luck holds, fighting those detestable creatures here for a century might give him a chance to enter the Pseudo-God Realm,” the Dragon’s voice held an indescribable hint of wistfulness. “Therefore, he must stay. If he truly advances to the Pseudo-God Realm, we gain another trump card…”

A chill ran down everyone’s spines. Upon hearing this, they immediately understood that the Divine Dao cultivators remaining here were not limited to just the Dragon, and among them were Pseudo-God Realm experts.

“Of course, I am not human, and I will not force you to stay. The final decision rests in your hands.”

Di Shitian and Yuan Li Xun’s eyes lit up; they both let out a sigh of relief unconsciously.

“Those who are unrelated must prepare themselves,” the Dragon’s voice boomed continuously. “In half an hour, I will send them away, and then I will use spatial power to temporarily seal this passage, awaiting its formal closure a year from now. Those Human Dao peaks remaining should go to where they need to be; whether you can break your limits depends on your own efforts.”

The Dragon’s voice slowly faded, leaving the group staring at each other. Before this day, they had never imagined that the situation within Ice Island was so bizarre.

“Everyone, what are your intentions?” Bing Xiao Tian suddenly asked.

Liu Changju, the Master of the Glazed Cave,’s eyes flashed. “I’m staying. Heh heh… None of the seniors from the past escaped, so I certainly cannot disgrace the reputation of Glazed Island.”

Ao Bo Rui, Zi Lu Li, and Di Shitian exchanged a glance. A smile simultaneously surfaced on their faces—a smile that contained multitudes, but within it lay an unmistakable firmness.

Their choice had actually been made from the very beginning.

Ji Mo Fan Shu snorted coldly. “I’m staying.”

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