It was quiet in the stone room the class eight soulbeasts were gathered in. Everyone was staring at the Bloodhowl Wolf King in shock after what they had just heard.

“Am I hearing you correctly, Wolf King? You want to bring him there?!”

The Golden-eyed Ape King exclaimed after a half-beat of silence.

The Bloodhowl Wolf King nodded in earnest. “I believe Bai Yunfei has earned the right. Everything he’s done for us soulbeasts has been of the utmost help. Our descendants will be blessed if he can destroy the Beast Taming School for us. Therefore, I believe it’d be appropriate that he be given the opportunity to go to that place.”

He turned to face the Three-eyed Tiger King and Violet Dragon King. “The Three-eyed Tiger King and Violet Dragon King have already agreed to this proposal. We gathered you all here today for your agreement. As an alliance, the ‘opening’ of that location is a right for all of us to know.”

“Wolf King, do you realize how serious it is for a soul cultivator to set foot in that place? Especially that Bai Yunfei—that place is a treasure trove for him. If he’s greedy and destroys the sanctity of that place and our ancestors, then we’ll be condemned by the rest of our kind!” The Ancient Crocodile King protested.

“I know that, of course. I thought about this for a very long time already. Everyone should have some kind of idea of what kind of character Bai Yunfei is. I know from my understanding of him that he would never be so base as to destroy that land or do anything of that kind. He is a man of repute. I believe there have been several soul cultivators to gain access to that land, am I correct?”

“While you are, our records have shown that those soul cultivators were heads and shoulders above the rest of their kind. The soul cultivators back then shared the world with us back then, but those days are long over. The relationship between soul cultivator and soulbeasts are nowhere as well as they were in the past. I never would’ve trusted a soul cultivator before Bai Yunfei.” The Stegosaurus King spoke.

“Does Bai Yunfei not stand heads and shoulders among the others? Is he not a dragon amongst men? According to what I know, the last humans to enter that place were the ‘Three Sages’ a thousand a two hundred years ago. Does Bai Yunfei not share the same level respect as they did?”

The next to speak was the Three-eyed Tiger King.

“Bai Yunfei helping us destroy the hated Beast Taming School is something not even those three could do or were willing to do. Are we soulbeasts really not capable of differentiating Bai Yunfei from the rest?”

The Ancient Crocodile King fell silent to the Three-eyed Tiger King’s words.

“If it concerns everyone that much, then we can make another Vow of Souls with him. Surely that would solve the problem?”

This time the Ancient Crocodile King blinked. He had forgotten about the Vow of Souls.

“I never had any qualms about Bai Yunfei entering that place...” The Violet Spider King spoke, “I agree.”

“Letting him in won’t hurt us. If he breaks through, he breaks through. Having him owe us a favor sounds fine to me.”

The next to speak was the most surprising one; the Golden-eyed Ape King. Had losing to Bai Yunfei in three moves really changed the Golden-eyed Ape King’s opinion of Bai Yunfei?

“Then that’s that. He’ll be allowed to go, and if he manages to become a Soul Emperor, then our chances of destroying the Beast Taming School will only become greater. We aren’t in a hurry by any means. Some of the soulbeasts haven’t even gathered here yet. Waiting a little longer won’t hurt anyone.”

In the end, the Ancient Crocodile King acquiesced to the Bloodhowl Wolf King’s proposal along with the Stegosaurus King.

“It’s settled then. I’ll let Bai Yunfei know tomorrow and bring him there.” The Bloodhowl Wolf King said.

———————

Bai Yunfei stepped into the conference hall. Not many soulbeasts were here so the noise of his own footsteps could be clearly heard to himself as he walked.

He came to a stop when he saw the class eight soulbeasts gathered there in the hall. Bowing, he spoke, “Seniors...what might I do for you?”

“Take a seat, youngling, we’ve a big gift for you!” The Golden-eyed Ape King jerked a finger for Bai Yunfei to sit down.

“Ah...” Still confused, Bai Yunfei looked first to the Bloodhowl Wolf King for approval before sitting down.

“Bai Yunfei,” smiled the Bloodhowl Wolf King, “We’ve decided to bring you to a location that should help you grow stronger.”

“Oh?” Bai Yunfei was surprised by the Bloodhowl Wolf King’s words, “What do you mean by that?”

“We mean that we plan to help you become a Soul Emperor!!” The Three-eyed Tiger King replied.

“What?!” Bai Yunfei exclaimed. What a gift that was! Was it a joke? It didn’t look like it, with how serious everyone looked.

“Could you clarify what you mean, seniors?” He prodded cautiously.

“The place we plan to bring you to is known as the ‘Tomb of the Emperor Beasts’! Many of our class eight soulbeasts are buried in that place, making it a holy land for all us soulbeasts. That land is rich with the insights of our ancestors and a place where many of the peak late-stage class seven soulbeasts go to train in hopes of gaining one of the inheritances. Today we plan to take you and your soulbeast partner there. If your luck is good, then there’s a chance you’ll breakthrough and become a Soul Emperor!”

“The Tomb of the Emperor Beasts?! A burial place for your ancestors?!” Bai Yunfei exclaimed, “You can make a breakthrough in such a place?!”

“You think we’re lying?” Laughed the Golden-eyed Ape King, “All of us became class eight soulbeasts there. The insights left behind by our ancestors are far beyond the levels of any medicine or resource. Those with the right knowledge to understand those insights will without a doubt become Soul Emperors or class eight soulbeasts! You are the last soul cultivator to enter that land in the last thousand years, so don’t disappoint us and make the breakthrough!”

“I...”

Bai Yunfei’s head was reeling with all this information—a land specifically meant for people to become Soul Emperor?! The soulbeast world had such a place like that?!