The Extreme North? It was bullshit.
Basically, it was the North Pole of the Doulou world except not really, sure it was far in the north of the physical planet but it still wasn't the actual North Pole of the planet.
Instead, it was the nexus of all the cold energy of the planet... Basically, every wind swirled through the land and would bring every iota of 'cold' to the Extreme North and in this frozen hellscape it was literally colder than the void of space.
Because the cold energy actively attacked my form due to me existing with the offense of having my own warmth. That fucking sucked, to say the least until Tian Meng directed me to other Ice Worms so I could create a pelt cloak out of their skins to keep my warmth.
From there, I continued my path through the Extreme North with myself avoiding the stronger spirit beasts using my rapid-fire teleportation to send me deep into the frozen hell as I hunted down Tian Meng's waifu.
With Tian Meng resting to regain his strength for the inevitable meeting with the Ice Emperor Scorpion who was his 'waifu'. Nothing else happened as anything that came up, I just teleported away from.
Until I reached the haunting ground of the Ice Empress, the second most powerful Spirit Beast of the Extreme North and was the Spirit Beast that Tian Meng had a crush on.
"Bing Bing! I am here, stop stalking my partner!" I heard Tian Meng call out as he used his spiritual strength to send a mental message outwards.
And in an instant, I kicked off the ground as a massive van-thick scorpion tail stabbed through where I was previously from the ground below me.
A feminine voice spoke out with cold humor. "Worm. Why are you here? And within a human at that. Did you take over his body or something?"
My lips twitched hearing that. And for a moment I wanted to give the divine entity shit for calling Tian Meng a worm... But he literally was a worm, just a silk ice worm that had evolved into a Skydream Ice Worm so I couldn't be offended on Tian Meng's side.
Though on the other hand. The Ice Empress, this Ice Jade Scorpion was also much stronger than me as I could feel her soul pressure all but crushing me as she investigated me as nothing but food.
"No, you haven't taken over his body... Worm what have you done to keep your consciousness as a spirit ring?" Bing Bing all but demanded as her full body was unveiled as she crawled out of the thick ice below my feet.
Her body for a scorpion was honestly beautiful to behold, its sides and legs were like burnished gleaming metal, and atop its main body were gem-like scales that covered its body while its scorpion tail was made out of five segments that were like gleaming individual emeralds that glowed with power.
Tian Meng spoke quickly but seriously. "Bing Bing, I abandoned my body to evade the Heavenly Tribulation. And before you can say it was a stupid idea and I should have stuck with a Title Doulou or something... This guy more than anything has the potential to reach godhood!"
Bing Bing's large body paused while I stiffened at feeling the ice energy that was swirling around my form also pause.
And then Bing Bing's multiple eyes laser-focused on me as she seemingly realized no one else was here at Tian Meng's mention of the Title Doulou's of humanity.
"And? What have you come here for? Have you come to feed your partner to me or something?" She asked sarcastically making my lips twitch at the blunt question.
But I wasn't offended frankly. I knew Bing Bing was a Spirit Beast, she may be able to take on a more human form should she wish. But the reality was she was a Spirit Beast who had spent hundreds of thousands of years living with the rule of might makes right.
"You know you can't pass through the next Heavenly Tribulation right." Tian Meng said coldly and I flared my own mana and power as Bing Bing's soul pressure fell on my body with the solid steel hard ice shattering beneath my feet.
With Bing Bing's voice coming out glacier cold as she said coldly. "I am perfectly aware, I have at best another eleven thousand years at best Worm. Now for the last time, I am going to ask, why have you come here little morsel?"
I could feel Tian Meng shifting in my soul as he whispered to me alone. "Partner be careful. If she relaxes, teleport out of here immediately it means she is getting ready to strike!"
In return I sent a feeling of affirmation towards Tian Meng with the Sky Dream Ice Worm taking a metaphorical deep breath before he said bluntly. "I wanted you to also join Jake as a spirit ring with your soul and intelligence intact so we can make a god and become immortal without the Heavenly Tribulation."
And I watched ever so closely as Bing Bing tensed instead of relaxing and then I felt a spiritual connection bearing Bing Bing's mental flavor connecting to Tian Meng with my face twitching as I realized the 'adults were talking.'
They had formed a private connection and were purposefully leaving me out of it as they had made a mental energy sharing connection with their divine might that I couldn't peak into without doing something like cutting the connection with my Mystic Eyes of Death Perception.
Which wouldn't be subtle in the slightest so I just stood there fucking awkwardly as the two semi-divine spirit beasts considered my future.
Though I wasn't just standing there like a dumbass, I put a barrier under my feet so no ice spears could shoot up from below me to allow me a split moment to teleport out of here should things go sideways.
But... After a whole five minutes of standing there, Bing Bing refocused on me with her gaze being more piercing as she spoke directly to me. "As you are aware, I go by the name of Bing'er with your... Your partner Tian Meng calling me Bing Bing which is his own foolish action, now I have agreed to Tian Meng's suggestion tentatively but there is a caveat."
I slowly nodded and asked bluntly. "What is the test?"
Bing'er gave me a long measured look before she spoke equally bluntly. "I will abandon my physical body leaving my Spirit Ring behind to become your Spirit Soul. But you will need to survive integrating my Spirit Bone which I will force to be my exoskeleton."
I frowned hearing that as I didn't know which part of the body that would be attached to. As even if it was a 400,000 years of cultivation Spirit Bone, having a single Spirit Bone across my entire body would be a bit lacking.
So I asked curiously. "Would your exo-skeleton Spirit Bone take over my entire body so I can't get anymore Spirit Bones?"
Bing'er scoffed and then said more calmly. "No, I am aware that would be a loss to you not to mention there would be no need for that. No, I am named the Ice Empress for a reason and the exoskeleton would basically be an armor you can summon from under your flesh, and even when unactivated it will help provide your body with enhanced durability and complete immunity to ice and the cold."
I nodded in understanding as I was well aware that Bing'er had the bloodline of the Ice God from the Heaven Realm... So hearing the Spirit Bone would just be my External, Spirit Bone I was relieved and popped my neck before I grinned. "Alright, do it then. I am ready."
"Jake... Take this seriously." Tian Meng groaned aloud with Bing'er chuckling coldly as her spiritual pressure grew ever more powerful and then abruptly snapped to silence as she cut off the connection her soul had with her physical body.
And as a Red Spirit Ring formed in the air with four golden notches showing how Bing'er had four hundred thousand years of cultivation... I approached the remains of the massive Jade Ice Scorpion as Bing'er's soul watched me carefully as I took hold of her flesh.
As soon as my hand made contact with Bing'ers old body I could feel flesh moving inside and I hissed as molten-like glass ice grew over my hands freezing my flesh solid as her Exo-Skeleton Spirit Bone left the body and began growing and transferring to my own.
'Fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck.' I mentally chanted cursing as I centered my body and mind as the contrasting feeling of horrific agony as the powerful Spirit Bone melded into my body.
But honestly, it wasn't as painful as Tian Meng forming his own Martial Spirit inside myself. It wasn't as painful as his divine soul taking root within my own soul and mind either.
But the worst part was Tian Meng's casual conversation with Bing'er as I felt their souls connecting to share in conversation as I was absorbing the Spirit Bone.
'Dammit Tian Meng. I am fucking dying a little over here and you are busy trying to rizz up the damned scorpion waifu!' I thought hatefully and for a split second, I thought about killing myself to just fuck with the both of them with how painful this was.
But I got over that bitch mode of thought and after like another ten minutes of agony I face-planted with a harsh cracking noise as I groaned into the compacted snow with a groan.
And I could feel my spiritual energy popping as bloating as I reached the 20th level and at that, I heard Tian Meng say. "Alright Bing Bing, move inside his body now."
"Fucking ugh! Can't you let me rest a minute?" I demanded as Bing'ers large crimson Spirit Ring floated into my body and my eyes darkened as the Spirit Beasts much rougher and powerful soul all but trampled my soul, unlike Tian Meng's much more deliberate and careful entrance.
For all that I was rather powerful and could even kill Bing'er with a knick from a knife if I had my Mystic Eyes active... That didn't change the fact that her soul was so much bigger than my own that it wasn't even funny.
But with Tian Meng's help the Ice Empress's soul was contained and the Spirit Ring slotted into the Martial Soul he created with his million years of cultivation in the Heavenly Evil Sea/Martial Soul.
[Ultimate Ice Explosion- Using 'Ultimate' Grade ice that is immune to the concept of melting besides at the behest of another Ultimate grade fire. The user is capable of coating their body with explosive Ultimate ice energy that will grow and then explode after making contact.]
The information download that entered my consciousness after Bing'ers Soul Ring entered my mind didn't sound all that special at first glance.
But conceptual 'fuck you' ice that ignored heat and defenses. And that acted as both armor and offense for me was an extremely powerful tool should I use it correctly. As Bing'er had 400,000 years of cultivation...
Her Spirit Ring ability wouldn't be weak in any case.
"Jake you still alive?" Tian Meng asked me.
I groaned out loud before I rolled over on the snow and I idly realized the brutal freezing winds that previously surrounded me weren't messing with me at all now.
"I will live Tian Meng." I stated flatly as I stared up at the admittedly beautiful winter light show in sky before I sat up and willed the exoskeleton to rise up making green gem-like armor plates form over my body until I was encased in the scale armor.
'Wait... I now basically got my own Scale Mail. Even if I didn't bother getting the Boosted Gear, here I am now.' I thought with a hearty chuckle escaping me at the realization.;
"Did his mind melt from the pain and spiritual shock?" Bing'er asked quietly inside my soul making my lips twitch.
So I quickly clapped my hands and said very fucking firmly. "Ok now! We need to set some ground rules if you two and god knows if any other sentient spirit beasts will be entering my soul. When I put you guys behind a mental wall, you guys don't break the wall and in return I won't do the same alright!?"
"If you wish for privacy for cleaning your body and such then that is fine." Bing'er's voice came out faintly amused but Tian Meng coughed and said with amusement.
"Actually Bing Bing... He already has a harem. He means not to intrude then."
And my soul was quiet for a long moment before Bing'er hissed out. "You! You fiend you tricked me! How could I bring Bi Ji and Xue Nu into him knowing he already has a harem!?"
I twitched feeling the souls of the two spirit beasts tussling inside my soul but now Tian Meng had the far stronger advantage with his pure spirit energy within my soul and soon enough I heard Bing Bing whimper out. "Youuu! Don't bully me like this you terrible Skydream Worm!"
I was about to look inwards at my soul before I felt Tian Meng's soul energy block me with him whispering back. "I got this in hand bro... Just gonna close the curtain for a bit."
And I was left in fucking bewildered silence as the divine worm 'bullied' the Jade Ice Scorpion in my soul until the 'woman' sounded defeated as the curtain came down.
"Hmph... Scoundrel, so Jake do you need to rest or are you ready to move on? You still have two more Martial Spirits to get rings for and the Snow Empress would be a perfect fit for your Death Scythe." Bing'er spoke with her voice barely hiding her emotions as I could all but feel Tian Meng's smug aura.
I exhaled and I asked frankly. "The Snow Empress is the strongest Spirit Beast in the entire Extreme North, and is ranked third in the top ten Beast Kings of the planet... Will you both be able to convince her?" I asked calmly.
There was a bit of a pause before Bing'er said plainly. "She won't kill you for asking. She is in an even worse situation then myself as I at least had a hope to struggle with my next Heavenly Tribulation. She even with the help of Di Tian, the Beast God and Bi Ji barely survived her last tribulation."
After a moment Bing'er spoke again. "Bi Ji is an Emerald Swan with top tier healing abilities and is one of the best-regarded spirit beasts in the entire world. I also count her among my friends... Though she isn't the type to push away friends or even deny making friends even with people who just want to use her healing abilities."
Although I had a good bit of knowledge of Di Tian who was the god of beasts from when I did read Doulou Dalu. I was well aware that there wasn't any way I could get him as a Spirit Soul like Tian Meng and Bing'er so I couldn't have him as any of my Spirit Ring slots.
Though frankly, spending god knows how long hunting down, hundred-plus thousand-year-old Spirit Beasts to hopefully convince them to shack up into my soul was an un-needed. I more than anything just needed good Soul Ring abilities that I could then boost if needed later on.
"Tian Meng, please send me her location details in some memories so I can begin making my way over there." I requested as I got myself ready for another series of teleports.
-
Back within the Heaven Dou City Zhu Zhuyun was frowning as one of her trusted assassins she had raised with the clan's methods of assassin training delivered news she wasn't expecting to hear.
"You saying Jake Bariss and his lovers just... Tore through space and left their hotel?" She demanded.
As the tearing of space was something only a few people could do, and the vast majority of them were people in the higher levels of being a Title Doulou and reaching the limits of power this world allowed.
Which was the literal point of shredding space, it was power beyond what the world could handle. So the world gave way to your intent and power allowing the space shredder to go where they pleased.
"He... He looked like he had some kind of ocular Martial Spirit along that had ice abilities." Zhu Zhuyun spoke to herself in confusion.
'Does he have the fabled Twin Martial Spirits? And if so... Then what are his eyes? His ice is also a special kind of ice as well. And if he can part space by his will then he is much more powerful or skilled than I expected.' Zhu Zhuyun thought with a frown.
She had her own plans in using Jake Barriss to get rid of Dai Weisi but playing with too powerful of forces would blow back on her even more so than her finding another peer to deal with Dai Weisi.
As although Dai Weisi was the Crown Prince, she was well aware that he wasn't... That is important to the Star Lou Empire. No should the current emperor die then one of the Title Doulou would take over until Dai Weisi, Dai Mubai, or another of the Emperor's sons became a Spirit Doulou.
Which would require them to be around rank 70-80 in their cultivation. Though more likely was that Dai Weisi and the other sons of their infernal blasted clan would end up killing one another to secure that damned throne.
Zhu Zhuyun scowled at the thought of the Star Luo Empire throne. Oh sure, there was the emperor who was always the head of the Evil Eyed White Tiger Clan which was the Dai bloodline. But there wasn't even a position for an empress for the Empire for the Hell Spirit Cat clan.
"Should we continue to look through the capital for him my lady?" The female assassin who was clad in a dark cloak asked calmly.
Zhu Zhuyun shook her head and broke out of her thoughts as she said more calmly. "No, if he tore open space to leave the capital with none of the Title Doulou picking up the sensation to check things out. Then he obviously teleported a good distance away."
She tapped the arm of her chair with a finger before she huffed and said. "Return to watching the Heavenly Dou Empire's Crown Prince... There is something off with him and it sets me on edge."
The assassin bent their head in supplication before she got up and then removed herself from the room while Zhu Zhuyun took a deep breath and considered the future.
'Jake Barriss... I hope you can kill him, I won't be married to a man who actually abhors women and prefers the arms of another man.' She thought with a shudder before snorting and taking a drink that didn't wash down the disgust at the thought.
While she finally wondered why the hell Dai Weisi couldn't be a strong normal man and just have a harem of women like Jake did... Which would have been totally acceptable for her even!
-
Meanwhile in the smaller city of Xiaolo, Mami and Mash were teaching the quintuplet vampires the fine arts of combat and training them in heavy physical exercises in order to train them to get used to pain and moving past it.
With the vampire quintuplets currently sprawled out across the hotel rooms floor groaning in pain as their bodies and even souls felt weak after Mash had them training their Martial Spirits and their abilities in trying to get past her shield.
"Mash is too damned demanding!" Itsuki groaned as she laid face down on the ground unable to even muster up the strength to untangle herself from her sisters and make it to one of the beds.
To which Mami hearing Itsuki's complaint called out in amusement. "Well if you want to stand beside Jake and not just literally be a leech, you need to be able to defend yourself."
There was a pause before Miku's more deadpan voice cracked out sharply. "Hey... Check yourself, thats racist. You can't use the L word around us."
With Mash and Mami sharing an amused look at the quintuplets before snorting and Mami spoke more to herself as she sunk into a bed with a book on herbs to begin reading it. "I wonder how Jake's trip up to the Extreme North is going?"
And a voice filled with some indignation spoke up. "I bet he is going to come back with another woman."
Mami's eyes went to Nino who said that and she raised an eyebrow before she teased gently. "Aww I understand Nino, Jake although having made a bond with you, hasn't taken you properly like he has your sister Itsuki."
The bright red-haired quintuple's voice sharply rose as she squeaked out. "Don't bring me into this!"
But Mami was merciless as she giggled and said. "And yet you yourself aren't jealous at the thought are you Itsuki? You already have the full soul connection with Jake and can at any time you desire, feel his essence within yourself."
The quintuplets one and all flushed deeply with Mash smiling awkwardly as she asked weakly. "Is it really... That strong of a connection Mami?"
Which Mami laid a hand over her ample breast and exhaled softly as she could feel her crystalized soul within her chest where her magical girl gemstone was converted back into her body.
And she could feel how Jake's essence had corrupted, overloaded, and tainted her physical soul in all the best ways.
"Yes, Mash... I can feel Jake even now and when I calm myself deeply I can ride the connection between us and see what he is doing. And even universes apart, I can even share thoughts with Serafall to convey anything I wish to say to my old friends in Madoka and such."
Miku's cat ears from her Beast Martial Spirit twitched as she stated bluntly with a groan as she rolled over onto a sitting position. "You are a fanatic Mami."
And Mami could only shrug as she was well aware her adoration and love for Jake was... Unusual but then again these girls just didn't understand or appreciate Jake coming into their lives and literally saving them from being hunted down for being a monster.
Not only that but Jake had even deigned to share his blood and vitality with the girls when those girls brought no immediate use behind simple carnal release for Jake. Of which... Jake had only properly fucked one of the five sisters.
Mami shook her head and said. "Mash help me get these girls into bed... The least we can do while Jake is busy getting stronger, is help these five become useful to the faction Jake will be building."
"What if we become stronger than you two then?" Ichika asked mischievously after Mash helped her into a bed.
And both Mash and Mami both chuckled with Mami saying calmly. "Then all the better, I mean you will have more time with Jake. More of his blood and of course the respect of others as well."
All the girls most especially Itsuki who actually slept with Jake looked at least intrigued at the thought with Nino asking quietly. "Is there any way we can help Jake in getting aid from a vampire of that Carmillia clan to teach us vampire magic?"
There was a pause before Mami said frankly. "No, honestly I doubt Jake will be too involved in that situation unless he directly snatches up a Carmillia clan vampire or something. The Carmillia clan hates men with a passion so he would likely need to have Sona or Serafall act as an intermediary or something."
The explanation made the girls frown before Yotsuba spoke up with more vigor then expected. "What if we try to get in contact with them on our own? To like show how motivated we are!"
Mash tilted her head to the side and there was a depth in her eyes as her face twisted in place as she said. "Contacting the Carmilla Clan on our own? Hmm it could work, maybe even be the best plan altogether but we would just need to make sure you will be allowed to leave after learning their secrets."
-
Thousands of miles passed by as I performed rapid-fire teleportations until I reached the core of the Extreme North. And even with my Ice Worm pelt, and even Bing'ers Spirit Bone making me immune to ice and cold.
I could feel the conceptual cold covering my form with Tian Meng saying quietly from within my soul. "The Snow Empress is pushing back her death via the Heavenly Tribulation via freezing the world around her to the point that time itself is slowing down."
My lips twitched hearing that and then I felt Bing'er shifting in my soul before she spoke. "Jake, I am going to shift a bit outside of your soul to manifest. Please bear with me."
And I felt a sliver of her powerful power slipping out of my body and although it hurt a bit with how her previously leashed power was forcibly leaking out I could take it just fine as my body was more physically powerful then the typical Soul Masters of this world.
"Xue Nu! Bing Bing is here to meet you!" Bing'er spoke out with her spiritual power carrying the message far and wide into the distance.
There was a long silence before the soft snow my feet had been walking in swirled around and a soft but cool voice spoke out like a snow-filled whisper on the winds.
"Bing Bing... You have done something drastic I see." The voice spoke from behind me and I turned around and blinked at the astoundingly beautiful woman behind me.
Her skin was as fair as unmarked and untainted snow, and her hair was a gleaming silverish white that reflected the multiple of winter lights above our heads.
But it was her eyes which were the deepest of ocean blue with snowflakes within them that captured my gaze.
'Damn, now this is a jade beauty.' I thought as I shook off the distracting sight.
The Snow-Woman whose only tell of her being a Spirit Beast was her eyes. Seemingly looked past my mortal frame and she tilted her head to the side as she looked upon Tian Meng and Bing'er within myself.
"I see..." She sighed and looked within my eyes as she waved her hand and the mental energy connections that both Tian Meng and Bing'er created were thrown aside. "You managed to convince the two of them. Including that cowardly Skydream Worm to fill your Martial Spirits with their souls. And now you are here for I assume to be the same reason correct?"
After a moment of thought, I nodded and replied honestly. "That is correct. I want you to form a Soul Ring to give me the most powerful ability I can get. And in-"
She cut me off with her saying in that same soft but cold voice. "I am more than three hundred thousand years old young man. They are hoping that you will become immortal as a god in the standard Soul Master cultivation method. And then with your Apotheosis, they will be free of the Heavenly Tribulation."
Xue Nu's snowflake pupils gazed at me at unseen depths before she said calmly. "I am not so ignorant as those two. I know of the divine wars of gods between Spirit Beasts and Immortals. So I ask why I should accept this offer and still be considered a second-class entity even if we manage to enter the Heavenly Realm?"
There was just one major fault with Xue Nu's thoughts as it was. There wasn't any Heavenly Realm planned for me, I wasn't going to be shackled to this world's weird cultivation system that was built around the build-up of soul power.
I actually shook my head and said frankly. "This world... This universe itself is not my home Xue Nu." I waved my hand and I saw her tense as a weak greyed out portal swirled to life beside myself.
My portal was still on cooldown with more than a week remaining before I could go home. But that didn't mean I couldn't summon a dead portal to the universe of DXD.
And Xue Nu being several hundred thousand years old and only locked to her power via this worlds restrictions on Spirit Beasts. Knew that the spiritual energy coming from that portal wasn't the spiritual energy found on this world at least.
DXD's ambient spiritual energy was heavily tainted by the faith energy of the many Pantheons, along with the taint of the modern age combined with the spiritual energy that was tied so closely to humanity.
I liked to think it was the spiritual energy that formed based on the infection a world had due to humans being noted at the top of the food chain spiritually speaking.
"Beyond this universe, there is no Heavenly Realm that suppresses the Spirit Beasts, I can walk between universes with only breaks needed to recover from the trip." I spoke before I closed the portal with another hand wave.
There was a moment of silence as Xue Nu starred at me before she waved her hand and swept aside more tendrils of Tian Meng and Bing'er which made them both recoil and I could feel Bing'er's indignantion at who she considered to be a friend refusing to speak with her.
And Xue Nu remained silent for a long moment before she spoke slowly. "I was considering reincarnation honestly, either reincarnating as another snow woman or even as a human so I wouldn't be suppressed anymore."
Her cold eyes focused on me before she asked frankly. "Why should I serve you? Why should I tie myself to you?"
I was silent for a moment as I considered her question. First, there was the whole I was her path towards future power, and not having her soul mulched via the Heavenly Tribulation. Secondly how she could leave after I achieved a certain amount of power.
But after a moment I answered honestly. "Because just like Tian Meng and Bing'er you will be able to leave my body and be free after I achieve apotheosis. I more than have the potential to reach that level... No it's a statistical certainty frankly, I just have no reason to suppress or bully you for helping me reach that level of power."
My words resonated with Xue Nu with her considering those thoughts before she hummed and I felt her mental energy emanate past my body and she connected to Tian Meng and Bing'er inside of my soul.
After a long minute, she broke the connection with her flushing slightly as she looked at me unsurely and my lips twitched as I drew a hand across my face and said with a wry smile. "Yes, I am romantically involved with several women... But our interactions do not need that."
Sure Xue Nu was frankly appearance-wise the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in pure appearance. But yeah... Things could be awkward if I was fucking one of the tenants held up inside my soul.
And it seemed that Xue Nu understood my point and what I was thinking as she took a deep breath and said firmly as she re-adopted her previously royal demeanor. "Very well Jake Bariss, I will leave what is left of my life in your hands."
Her eyes filled with power and the surrounding essence of snow dimmed. When she lowered herself to the ground and I felt a tinge of mourning as a loud crack out rang as she like the other two spirit beasts basically committed suicide by shattering the connections their soul had with their own bodies.
'How terrible must this world be to the Spirit Beasts when they so readily are willing to commit suicide and lose their physical bodies.' I mused before I mentally shrugged as in reality who knows, I still had both Bing'er and Tian Meng's bodies in my spatial storage.
Maybe they could retake their bodies in time.
But from Xue Nu's body came both a Spirit Bone, and of course her Spirit Ring. And with her having seven hundred thousand years of cultivation, her large red Spirit Ring had seven golden notches within the spirit ring.
Her spirit bone took the form of a skull piece or something and as I gently picked it up, I felt Xue Nu's Spirit Ring flew into my body making my form lock up. With her skull cap melting in my hand as it merged into my body.
"Why didn't you give a warning?!" I growled as I stood my ground as my body vibrated and then made cracking noises as my cultivation shot up from the twenty-third level straight up to the fucking thirtieth level.
And Xue Nu's voice was tinged with amusement as she retorted. "Whether I warn you or not makes no difference in whether your soul can take my Spirit Ring to host."
'Damn Spirit Beasts not giving one whit of thought to my pain.' I thought hatefully but I just bore with it. My nose, and eyes leaked blood as I pushed through the pain of the damned process.
And besides myself letting out some mild whimpers of agony, the integration process went off without a hitch. With her Spirit Ring sliding into my Life Hunter Scythe-Martial Spirit without any issue besides the general agony at least.
After a long moment of peace I felt the knowledge of the new Spirit Ring's ability sliding into my soul. [Life Hunter's Scythe Winter Storm- Swinging the Life Hunter's Sycthe will send a wave of snow that will directly attack the soul, and conceptual existence of whatever or whoever it hits with freezing energy.]
'And that is a much more clearly powerful ability.' I thought happily as I wondered how jealous Serafall would be... Before I actually had an interesting thought as I recalled something.
"You know... Xue Nu, I have a wife back home in another universe. She leads a large collection of races that are in some ways similar to Spirit Beasts, but either way the youkai has a race of Snow Women as well."
There was a pause before I felt Xue Nu's consciousness touch upon my mind and I opened it up to her to show my interactions with Yasaka, the love I had for my 'adopted' daughter in Kunou and the truth of my words as I had seen a Yuki-Onna in Yasaka's palace being a servant.
"I see... And what is the point of you telling me this? Not that I am unhappy to learn my kind are prospering in another universe mind you." She spoke at the end with a bit more emotion.
I took a breath and then said. "Well. When we get back to that world, and my body is strong enough to properly absorb and digest your Spirit Ring, I can help you become a Goddess as you can become the center of the Yuki-Onna race."
"Oi! Partner why are you promsing this new one, godhood instantly!? Did you fall in love with her or something?" Tian Meng demanded with exasperation.
To which I retorted flatly. "Kinda hard to paint you as a great god when you are just a weirdo who just ate divine crystals that had accumulated for literally billions of years."
And I could feel Tian Meng all but clenching his chest at my stinging words.
Either way Xue Nu spoke more carefully. "Then I will thank you for the effort Jake. As you know I will be helping you as much as I can still help you here in this universe in either case."
After that she coughed and continued. "In that vein... You still have a Martial Spirit that's lacking its core Spirit Ring. Do you have an idea what kind of Spirit Ring you want for it?" She asked.
And I could hear the other two damned tennants in my soul perking up as they wondered how I was going to answer.
I took a breath and then with a wry expression I explained what the Key of Solomon was and how it was even as a Martial Soul. Still a semi-sentient tool that through the merging of love, and sex I could create bonds between myself and the target.
Allowing me to use special bloodline abilities and the magical abilities they naturally had... This brought me to another thought that even Xue Nu had to voice. "Wait... So if you sleep with another Soul Master, then would you be able to use their Martial Spirit or the Spirit Rings they had absorbed?"
I shrugged and said honestly. "Yeah probably. It allows me to use bloodline and soul bound abilities though if the abilities aren't that strong, just the formation of the bonds are extremely useful as it sends a large amount of spiritual energy into my body."
Me fucking Serafall and Yasaka were perfect examples of why I had grown powerful so quickly in both of those powerful women pushing a large amount of magical energy and potential into my body.
Either way I took a long breath before I said frankly. "In either case... I still need a decent Spirit Ring or even a Soul Spirit to act as the base who can give me more Spirit Rings over time maybe."
My occupants kept quiet for a minute as they seemingly discussed some things... Then after a bit Tian Meng spoke. "Well Jake, we have two suggestions. Though it won't be easy as neither Spirit Beast is dying due to the Tribulation."
"We suggest you either go to the Heaven Dou Forest gain and go to its core region. From there you look for the Spirit Beast Bi Ji, the Emerald Swan Queen whose abilities lie in healing and strengthening others in another Spirt Soul." Tian Meng spoke.
Then Bing'er continued. "Or you go directly to the core of the Heaven Dou Forest and Approach the two Beast Gods in Di Tian and Gu Yuena to show them your process of making Spirit Souls so humanity doesn't need to hunt Spirit Beasts if the Spirit Beasts are willing to make Spirit Souls that can give Spirit Rings."
I had three Martial Spirits... I wasn't going to go around hunting fucking twenty-seven god damned Spirit Beasts who had above a hundred thousand years of cultivation so I could get red Spirit Rings and thus the best ones I could get.
No, now with Bing'er in my Heavenly Evil Sea acting as the Spirit Soul for that Martial Spirit, she with her own power could create spirit rings for that Martial Spirit so long as she had plenty of spiritual energy to recover her spiritual origin.
Same process as my Life Hunt Sycthe with Xue Nu as well.
And for other Spirit Beast's they wouldn't need to kill themselves likes these ones did as they wanted the safety of my soul away from the Tribulation. No, this could just be a mostly painless thing when the stronger spirit beasts found out how to make soul clones to form the Spirit Souls.
Either way after a bit of thought I brought a hand across my face and I said. "If Bi Ji is such a softy we should probably meet with her first. If we go with her to meet with Di Tian and the others maybe that will give us more credence."
But Tian Meng then spoke out in warning. "Jake you need to be careful though. Di Tian has the Dragon Claw... He can lock down space and time around him so you likely won't be able to teleport away from him."
My lips twitched as I retorted. "The 'Dragons Claw' isn't that redundant when he himself is a dragon?"
To which Xue Nu said dryly from within. "No, its name comes from the fact that it originated from the Dragon God... One of the strongest entities within the Divine Realm and it's a transcendent technique that goes beyond this world's limit of power. Which is why the Tribulation hasn't been able to kill Di Tian yet even after hundreds of millennia."
'And the saltiest of bastards who refuse to die goes to Di Tian!' I thought with an eye roll as I popped my shoulder as I stood back up.
"Well in that case. I should teleport to the Heaven Dou Forest now at least." I spoke as I was feeling a good bit better after resting for a few minutes.
-
A long series of teleportations later I was back inside the humid Heaven Dou Forest and I was heading to the core of it while all three of my soul occupants put out hints of their soul pressure to tell the other Spirit Beasts to fuck right off.
As although they were weak now, that didn't mean the pressure of their souls weren't weak with Tian Meng able to beat up both Bing'er and Xue Nu in my soul sea apparently.
But it was as we were flying through the primordial forest that my soul's occupants got into an argument. "Jake! Doing this tournament even if you have been goaded into it is foolish! The entire world will be after you when they see you with multiple red and even a gold Spirit Ring!"
To which I shrugged and said calmly. "And they will die quite horribly should they attack me. In the worst case, I can go back to the Extreme North where only Title Doulou can survive its simple environment. But I do want those feline Spirit Bones for one of my girls."
"It's still a dangerous and foolhardy thing to do with no benefit besides getting a few spirit bones." Tian Meng muttered and I said with proud shamelessness.
"If anything it could help with dealing with Di Tian when I show the power of humanity and Spirit Beasts working together," I said shrugging but either way I knew I wanted to... Well, I wanted to leave a mark on this world.
And being the one fucking random psycho who beat the shit out of everyone with nonsensical Spirit Rings for Doulou Dalu 1's thoughts on reality sounded just perfect honestly.
Or in the wise words of a matyr. 'I am going to make a name for myself.' Sure Tang San and the rest of his goons may ascend to godhood in a couple of years or whatever... But it doesn't matter what they do and accomplish. When everyone will be asking. 'Why aren't all your Spirit Rings gold or at least red like Jake's were?'
But as we kept going through the forest I blinked as another powerful soul's projected power slammed into me making me grunt with effort as a howling roar of fury rang out.
"Uh oh... She is awake again." Xue Nu said in horror before hissing. "Jake teleport now! Flee away from the forest!"
I spun in place as I activated another teleport sigil and I was sent out of the Heaven Dou Forest. And I grimaced as it felt like space itself was like syrup and so much thicker as I fled the area.
"Keep going! She can follow your spatial signature!" Bing'er howled and then even as I created another portal from the plains I had teleported to. To send me back to the Extreme North, several thousand miles away.
I choked as space itself was frozen. My DXD teleportation magic was completely unable to teleport through the rock-solid spatial sea surrounding me that had turned into a damned mountain in density.
"Human! Die!" A feminine voice howled and I summoned up my Life Hunt Scythe with Xue Nu's Spirit Ring activating with a howl as I pulled at my full power.
A massive... An utterly massive fucking stupidly huge dragon bigger than literal mountains had silently ridden my spatial tunnel and teleported in behind me.
Her scales were of silver and purple gems that sparkled with the sun's glare and her purple-slitted eyes glared at me with hate for the mere affront of existing.
"Die!" She snarled with the massive dragon's claws smashing down towards me.
"Silver Dragon King! Have mercy please!" I heard Xue Nu yell out but I didn't hesitate, I activated my Mystic Eyes of Death Perception to see the many lines of death across her body.
I stomped on the ground and pulled at all my magical power with a massive spear of ice shooting up from the ground making who I realized would be Gu Yuena... Tens of thousands of years later on gets pushed back as the Ultimate Sitri Ice shattered on her scales.
"Using elemental powers on me... How foolish, and how dare you a spirit beast work with a human!" She hissed but there was no hiding the confusion in her gaze as she seemingly sensed the spirit beasts within myself.
Holding up my Life Hunt Sycthe in warning I finally spoke calmly as I resisted the divine might of the shattered dragon god power. "My name is Jake Bariss, and I am not even from this world as you can probably tell with how I can teleport without the use of a spirit ring nor even being a god."
My power overflowed as I glowed with chilling blue energy along with nine tails of excessive life force blooming from my back as I fell into sage mode that I inherited from my bond with Yasaka.
"You will not kill me without dying yourself, Silver Dragon King." I calmly stated as two other Martial Spirits in the Heavenly Evil Sea covered the ground, and my Seal of Solomon's chains ran up my off arm that wasn't holding the scythe.
There was a pause as Gu Yuena looked at me and the Martial Spirits before she said darkly. "You aren't from this world... Your body is like the child of the divines but different, your very elemental alignment and channeling isn't something this universe has."
To which I replied calmly as I knew this was my make-or-break time. "That is correct. I don't want any trouble from you, nor am I hunting Spirit Beasts besides defending myself."
And she glared at me for mentioning the hunting of Spirit Beasts with Tian Meng's voice reach out as his golden spirit ring formed behind me and I saw Gu Yuena shrink back at seeing the Million-year cultivation ring.
"Silver Dragon King. My partner has no bad blood with you or the Spirit Beast race, he is if anything helping us greatly with the method we learned in making artificial spirit rings from Spirit Souls. That humans can absorb from having absorbed a tiny portion of a Spirit Beasts soul clone or something to that effect."
Gu Yuena's eyes tightened hearing that and I said. "We can prove it even now. I am already at level thirty now with my cultivation so I can absorb another spirit ring from the Ice Empress and Snow Empress."
There was a pause before Gu Yuena said calmly. "Show me then." Her large draconic form lounged in place with her purple eyes lancing into me as she stared.
My lips twitched before I spoke mentally. 'You guys ready to make another Spirit Ring?'
And Xue Nu said with a bit of annoyance. "Yes, I will make you another one. But I will need a couple of weeks if not a full month to recover my origin as I just incarnated my soul into your own after all."
"Thank you Xue Nu." I said out loud as the Snow Empress's spiritual and soul energy filled the surroundings and I could see Gu Yuena's eyes tightening as she saw the sight of another red Spirit Ring forming.
But as it formed I looked at Gu Yuena and asked bluntly. "So, will you swear to not attack me while I absorb this. Swearing on your pride as a Spirit Beast, the Beast God, and the Dragon God lineage itself?"
Gu Yuena gave me a dark look with her soul pressure waving over me like an ocean's tidal wave.
But I just raised an eyebrow even as I resisted the literal divine power. I had fucked Yasaka and Serafall, I wasn't someone who would just fold over in the face of a powerful goddess or whatever Gu Yuena technically was.
There was a pause before she snorted and said flatly. "I am not so craven... I also want to see if you will explode as merely a level thirty wretch dare consume a Hundred Thousand year Spirit Ring.
And I just grinned as the Spirit Ring flew into me.
As I just stared into Gu Yuena's eyes as blood leaked from my nose and mouth as my frankly overstressed body from all the bullshit that had happened was telling me to fucking take a rest.
But my body didn't fail me. I felt the next Spirit Ring slot into place within my Life Hunt Sycthe and the Spirit Ring's knowledge hit my mind.
[Freezing Dimension Cutter- By freezing spatial energy on the edge of the Life Hunt Sycthe the user can create gashes in space and launch the spatial tears at foes or step into the spatial tear should the user cut deep into space to create another cut on the other side where the user wants to go.]
And as I held up my Life Hunt Scythe another large red Spirit Ring formed behind my back with Gu Yuena's eyes staring at me blankly as I quickly drank a vial of Phenex tears and healed myself with the Great Healing Spell I snagged from Aqua.
"Sooo..." I drew off as I quickly healed my body and bought some time as Gu Yuena drew back into her cold persona.
There was a long pause as the Silver Dragon King stared at me before she said slowly. "Don't kill any hundred thousand-year-old Spirit Beasts for a spirit ring. And I won't come after you."
"After all... You aren't even from this universe, so you technically aren't even human." She continued firmly with her nodding as though having come to a fucking mind-blowing comprehension that just made me deadpan at her.
"Yeah. I am totally an alien." I said dryly with Gu Yuena giving me a bland look somehow with her massive draconic face that showed how little she cared for my opinion.
So I shrugged and said plainly. "Whelp, since neither of us are dying today. I am leaving now... I got another Spirit Beast to convince to be my Spirit Soul, and I am going to go spoil the next hundred thousand years of life for Di Tian with my outside knowledge."
There was a long pause before the Silver Dragon King's aura bound me in place making my eye twitch as she hissed as I broke her spatial bindings with the Life Hunt Scythe. "What do you mean? Do you know the future with being an outsider to this universe?"
I gave her a dry look before I shrugged and decided to be a shameless asshole knowing I wasn't even lying and no one could call me out on it.
"Yup, I literally know everything to happen to everyone of note. I know the Golden Dragon King, your opposite has been draining the divine spirit beasts of the Divine Realm of energy and in another couple dozen millennia he will come to devour you to get the other half of the Dragon God's power."
I could feel the Spirit Beasts within myself perking up as only Tian Meng had really delved into my memories all that much and he with his countless millennia took the information that 'fictional' universes were real just as any imagined universe was real due to omniverse being endless.
And he didn't mentally break down or anything... He was just a based Skydream Worm and asked if he got with his waifu Bing'er in the main timeline and hearing that yes it did happen. He was A-Ok with sticking with me through thick and thin.
"So I recommend you to uhhh... Actually, you are actually completely fucked as you can't break through the world's strength limit. Whelp enjoy your next couple dozen millennia Silver Dragon Queen."
And with that, I broke through her spatial pocket with the new spirit ring that I was already falling in love as I knew it would be a lifesaver when dealing with asshole gods and other entities back in the world of DXD that wouldn't want me teleporting away.
But... The Silver Dragon King in Gu Yuena was a dragon 'goddess' whose domains were the control of elemental energy.
Meaning my teleport only resulted in the fucking massive dragon chasing me across the world through a series of high-speed teleports as I tried shaking off the damned haughty dragon woman.
Until finally her anger, frustration, and annoyance at being incapable of locking down space around me anymore boiled over with her yelling out. "Wait dammit! You owe me answers!"
To which I said with complete deadpan honesty. "What do you mean? I literally told you exactly what will happen in the future and with our difference in power in our souls your soul that has been trying to smother mine can easily tell I am not lying."
"You bear half of the Dragon's power, the Golden Dragon King has the other... He has been draining power from the divine realm for hundreds of thousands of years while you been in a simple coma and when he comes, his goal will be to eat you."
There was a long moment before Gu Yuena said calmly. "You said all this to make me panic... I am not so foolish, and I won't be dragged into being your Spirit Soul or whatever for a nebulous view of the future."
I tilted my head to the side in thought before I shrugged and pulling on my senjutsu that made nine large ethereal fox tails bloom from the back of my tailbone. And I just held out my fist towards Gu Yuena.
"Put your fist to mine Gu Yuena... I will literally show you the future."
Fuck it. I might as well talk no jutsu the white-haired dragon waifu.
Gu Yuena gave me a dry look as she raised up one of her massive draconic legs and I idly noted how her claw fillled paw was a solid couple dozen times bigger than I was altogether.
'God damned Xianxia rules of size.' I thought with annoyance before I mentally snorted as I realized Ddraig and Albion were also obscenely large to say nothing of Great Red which was like twice the size of Gu Yuena actually anyway.
A single claw came slowly into my fist that I helped connect with a step forward and as our fists connected I used my Senjutsu to connect to Gu Yuena's own lifeforce and then with the other soul beasts within myself.
They helped build a mental connection between the two of us, and from there I began sending snippets of the later parts of Doulou Dalu which included her later death.
Though the details were a bit sparse as trying to shove entire years of a journey of the dude who got the Golden Dragon King's power and was doing stupid Xianxia shit was taxing on me.
But it wasn't just memories of reading the book. It was my interpretation of it, it was the view of how I saw the events happening.
And after my Great Value ninshu session broke with Gu Yuena's claw left my hand and she leaned away from me. There was a whole couple of minutes of silence as the dragon digested that information.
The minutes of silence stretched on with Tian Meng muttering to me mentally. "Dude... Ladies don't go silent this long, when they are left with their thoughts this long they can literally explode!"
My lips twitched as I held in any sort of response as I could feel Bing'er and Xue Nu were curious about what Tian Meng and I were talking about.
And frankly, I wasn't that great at separating out my mental energy to speak to only one of them... I wasn't some hundred thousand-year-old monster after all.
Finally... There Gu Yuena broke her silence as she seemingly comprehended something. "So if the Silver Dragon King... And Golden Dragon King have a child, that will unite the powers in both with their child having the potential and path of ascension to the Dragon God?"
I froze as I heard that and Gu Yuena's unfocused eyes zeroed in on me as she stared at me hard as she spoke slowly. "You know where the Golden Dragon King is slumbering in his deep coma and absorbing the divine essence. You could slay him and take his power with how the Golden Dragon King is deep in stasis!"
She pointed at me with a large claw with her going on. "I saw in your own memories how you can still teleport without having to break through the world's limit barrier! You could just teleport straight to him if you amassed enough power to do so and with your conceptual death abilities you could slay him before he could see you for the threat you are!"
'Oh, dear god... This is the fucking explosion Tian Meng warned me about when a woman is left in her thoughts for too long.' I thought as Gu Yuena's eyes became judging and I felt like a small mouse being eyed by a tiger on how to eat it.