The towering trees grew so dense that not even sunlight could penetrate, and so within this vast forest, there was nothing to be seen but shadow.
Deep within the forest lay a lake whose waters were clear to the very bottom, pure and crystalline as a slab of sapphire blue — yet its waterline had retreated far from the banks, and drought seemed as though it might arrive at any moment.
The breath of life rippled through the lake's waters, yet it was not strong — even, one might say, somewhat faint.
By the lake stood a lone figure.
He wore a black robe and appeared to be in his forties, his features handsome and resolute. At his brow, a strand of golden hair fell loose against one side of his cheek.
He just stood there, his gaze seemingly a little vacant, his entire bearing carrying a faint air of dejection.
Not far from him stood a cluster of people — tall and short, stout and lean, of every shape and form. Yet in every pair of eyes, the light had gone utterly dim.
"Beast God." A woman clad in a jade-green gown approached silently behind the black-clad man and spoke with deference.
The black-robed man known as the Beast God trembled from head to toe, a trace of bitterness creeping to the corners of his mouth. "Beast God? We spirit beasts — I fear only those standing before us remain. Whose god am I now?"
The woman in the green dress fell silent for a moment before murmuring softly: "Ten thousand years. From the day Huo Yuhao founded the Spirit Transmission Tower organization to now, a full ten thousand years have passed. The Spirit Transmission Tower organization still stands — yet have we, at last, reached the brink of extinction?"
Beast God said bitterly, "The strength of humanity has already grown beyond our ability to withstand. The Star Dou Great Forest has but this last unspoiled land remaining."
"Yes……" The green-skirted woman was about to say something more.
The man known as the Beast God suddenly snapped his head upward. Two beams of solid golden light burst from his eyes, and the terrifying aura that erupted in that instant seemed to make the entire world tremble.
*Hum…* The ground beneath their feet gave a faint shudder, and then the lake before them began to roil as though it had been set to boil, countless bubbles breaking across the surface. Those bubbles surged upward at a frantic pace, and in their wake, the tremors rippling through the earth grew sharper and more violent.
"What's going on? Humans are here?" the green-skirted woman cried out in alarm.
"Fight them to the death!" A powerfully built man of towering stature let out a furious roar, his body shuddering as he transformed into a colossal bear standing over thirty meters tall, every inch of his form radiating a dark golden luster.
"Lord Bear, calm down. It's not human." Beast God called out in a loud voice, and upon his previously dim countenance, there bloomed an expression of indescribable, almost uncontainable ecstasy.
"It's over, it's over, it's over…" A low, hollow voice drifted through the forest without warning. It seemed to come from all directions at once—so deep, so toneless, that one could not even tell whether it belonged to a man or a woman.
*Boom—* The earth cracked open, and the entire great forest shook with violent tremors. What little water remained in the lake came rushing back in, and in an instant, the lakebed lay bare.
*Boom——* A mass of silver radiance surged suddenly from the fissures in the earth, then crashed heavily against the bank.
It was a massive claw, brilliant silver from tip to base. Across that resplendent silver talon, hexagonal scales blanketed every inch of its surface, each one refracting an otherworldly shimmer. The thunderous impact it unleashed carried an incomparable, crushing pressure — one that would drive every living creature to its knees in submission.
The ecstasy in Beast God's eyes grew even more intense. He stepped forward, dropped to one knee, and said in a reverent voice: "Welcome, my lord."
The earth shattered in an instant. The overwhelming aura sent even the thirty-meter-tall giant bear tumbling away—then a colossal figure, its body stretching over a hundred zhang in length, surged abruptly into the sky, only to crash down upon the ground with tremendous force a heartbeat later.
Massive trees burst from the earth one after another, and the humans who had stood around them transformed, every last one, into enormous beasts. Yet before that colossal silver entity, all they could do was prostrate themselves upon the ground.
"It is dead, but I still live." The deep voice seemed to roar, yet was steeped in a profound, overwhelming sorrow. "These despicable humans — they seek to exterminate us? Now that I have awakened, the day of their destruction has come as well."
The resplendent silver radiance was too blinding to behold, leaving all the massive soul beasts with no choice but to prostrate themselves humbly upon the ground, trembling and overcome with rapturous ecstasy.
Beast God said urgently: "My Lord, the humans of today have grown far too powerful. Their most advanced soul guide mechas — even I cannot stand against many of them. Through the power of technology, humans have made it so that we can no longer match them."
The massive silver form slowly lowered its head, its deep voice reverberating through the forest that was no longer vast: "To destroy them, we must first understand them. You — follow me. The world we inhabit is on the verge of being utterly laid waste by them. And so, we shall conquer their world."
The massive silhouette slowly set its feet in motion, moving toward the edge of the forest. Beneath the shelter of those great canopies, in the dim and fading light, its enormous form gradually shrank — shrank and shrank still — until, at the far limit of sight, it vanished, and in its place stood a human figure…… ———————————————————————————————— **A Word at the Beginning** *Tang:* Dear friends of the Tang Sect, the world of Douluo Continent has returned. *Dragon King's Legend* is the third installment of our Douluo Continent series, and it will be a deeply significant one. Those of you who have read the spin-off *Tales of the Gods' Realm* already know: the Divine Realm was swept away by the chaotic currents of space and time, and Tang Wulin was left behind on the continent — for the essence of the Golden Dragon King had entered his body, and Tang San placed ten seals upon him. The story of *Douluo Continent III* begins with Tang Wulin. He is the male lead of this volume. The Douluo series has always been the one closest to all your hearts, and the one into which I have poured the most of myself. The story of *Dragon King's Legend* is something I conceived long ago, with a complete plan already laid out. You will see a world more magnificent than ever before. We will introduce an entirely new system — the Battle Armor — while your most beloved Martial Souls will also return. Yet everything will be different from what you remember. Do you want to know how Tang Wulin will resolve the ten seals and the Golden Dragon King's essence within him? Do you want to meet the new generation of Shrek's Seven Monsters? Do you want to know who the ultimate female lead will be? Then follow me into the world of Douluo III. The new book has just begun — I am posting this first to claim the spot. *The Great Dao of Fire* is entering its final week. During that week, *Dragon King's Legend* will update occasionally, so feel free to check in from time to time. Please add it to your collections and cast your recommendations. At midnight next Monday — January 18th — we will begin uploading in earnest. Seamless, as always! The twelfth year of the Tang Sect draws to a close; the thirteenth year is about to dawn. I love each and every one of you deeply, and I look forward to walking with you back into Douluo — back into the world that haunts our dreams. Love you all. Love Douluo! The story is about to begin.