"Look at this, still calling himself an Emperor, what a coward."
With a single soul search, Chen Chang'an had this so-called Emperor-level powerhouse trembling on the verge of collapse!
The stronger the soul, the more agonizing a soul search becomes.
This Emperor-level expert knew all too well—Chen Chang'an's soul strength was absolutely capable of probing his mind without suffering any backlash.
But for him? The consequences would be dire. Forget the unbearable pain of the search; afterward, he’d be reduced to a mindless fool.
If death was inevitable, better to die with dignity, swiftly and cleanly.
"Speak. What’s your purpose here?"
"Who sent you?" Chen Chang'an demanded.
"I’ll talk… W-we’re from the Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance."
"Our mission was to capture the Beast God."
The Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance?
What kind of faction was that?
"Do you know them?" Chen Chang'an turned to the old dean.
"I… I do."
The old dean’s expression twisted with fury, and it was clear—there was history between him and this alliance.
"An old acquaintance?" Chen Chang'an asked.
"The leader of the Ten Thousand Beasts Alliance… was once a citizen of Beast God’s Land."
"The first—and only—traitor to the Beast God."
"To think, after all these years, he still covets the Beast God’s power," the old dean said coldly.
"If you already know, then there’s no need for further questions."
"Alright, you can die now."
Chen Chang'an didn’t press for more details. Since the old dean was familiar with the alliance, he could likely extract more information from him later.
Watching Chen Chang'an effortlessly annihilate an Emperor-level expert, the old dean realized he wasn’t even shocked. Somehow, this felt entirely normal.
"Let’s talk, Beast God."
Huh?
Beast God?
Chen Chang'an’s words left Da Huang stunned. Where was the Beast God?
"You’re not saying… Little Qiqi is the Beast God, are you?"
"She’s strong, but surely not the Beast God."
"That leaves only…"
"The old dean?"
Da Huang stared at the old dean, struggling to believe it. The Beast God… was a person?
That was downright absurd!
Did this mean the legends of the Beast God were fabricated from the start?
Were the tales of a tenth-rank beast also lies?
Had this entire journey been a waste of time?
"Chen Chang'an, this isn’t funny."
"Are you sure he’s the Beast God?"
"How did you figure it out?" Da Huang asked, baffled.
"I’d also like to know why you’d call me the Beast God," the old dean added, equally confused.
Sigh.
Chen Chang'an exhaled in frustration. Here he was, forced to explain again.
"At this point, the Beast God has never appeared. Isn’t the answer obvious?"
"The Beast God was never in the Beast God Mountains to begin with."
"I knew that much, but what does it have to do with the old dean? If the Beast God doesn’t exist, how did Little Qiqi achieve human form? She said it was the Beast God’s blessing!" Da Huang argued.
Chen Chang'an gave Da Huang a weary look. After all this time together, how had his intelligence not improved at all?
"You just said it yourself—Little Qiqi’s transformation was the Beast God’s blessing."
"So why is it strange if the Beast God also took human form?"
"When did I ever say the old dean was human?"
Not human?
That made even less sense. The old dean’s cultivation was at the Emperor level—a human realm.
Beasts couldn’t practice human techniques, nor did they have cultivation stages.
Beasts had ranks, not realms!
"I… I can’t wrap my head around this. Can you spell it out for me?" Da Huang asked, utterly lost.
"Fine, I’ll make it simple. Little Qiqi is a peak ninth-rank beast, correct?"
"Even if beasts and their tamers share a harmonious bond, it’s an equal partnership."
"But how does Little Qiqi treat the old dean?"
"That alone is suspicious."
"Also, the Beast God hasn’t appeared in ages. Why? Either it chooses not to… or it can’t."
"Given the circumstances of Beast God’s Land and the mountains, the latter seems far more likely."
"Because the Beast God shed its beastly identity and became human."
"But there’s a cost—its power has been fading over time."
"In all of Beast God’s Land, who else could it be but the old dean?"
"The Beast God Academy has had three deans. Where are the first two now? Or were there ever three to begin with?"
"Rumors say only the leader of the Beast Tamer Alliance can meet the Beast God."
"That’s because the leader is the Beast God."
"The Beast God can’t vanish entirely, but it can’t appear either. So the story had to be spread—that someone could meet it."
"Long story short, the old dean is the prime suspect."
"Though what truly confirmed my theory was the Beast God Mountains."
The Beast God Mountains?
The old dean frowned at Chen Chang'an. What did the mountains have to do with this?
"So?"
"What did you discover?" the old dean asked.
"The restrictions in the Beast God Mountains don’t affect me… or you."
"Oh, and Da Huang too!"
What kind of revelation was that?
Just because you two aren’t affected, that makes me suspicious?
"Da Huang is a divine beast—that’s a natural advantage."
"I’m immune due to my physique."
"But what about you?"
"Why aren’t you affected?"
"Because you’re the one who set those restrictions in the first place."
"Am I right?" Chen Chang'an smirked.
"You’re incredibly sharp."
"No one has ever suspected me. Some doubted the Beast God’s existence, but none guessed it had become human."
"Whenever skepticism grew too loud, a ‘new’ dean would emerge, blessed by the Beast God."
"That’s why I took on three identities to serve as dean three times."
"Holy hell, so you really are the Beast God?"
"But how… what’s going on?"
"How did you fully become human?"
"And how did Little Qiqi achieve human form?"
Da Huang gaped at the old dean. This was beyond its comprehension.
Transformation was one thing—becoming fully human was another.
Little Qiqi could take human shape, but at her core, she remained a beast.
The old dean was different. He’d completely shed his beastly nature, becoming human in every way.
Sigh.
"Fine. There’s no point hiding it now."
"Wait here. I’ll first disperse the beast tamers heading for the mountains."
"Then I’ll take you somewhere and explain everything."