I have added this story to my Patreon. You can support me and read the latest chapters there. It also fed and motivate me to write more chapters!
Link: Patreon.com/NineClouds69
--- Chapter 382 ---
After earning the trust of the Phoenix Clan, Han Yuan visibly relaxed and sighed in relief.
Although Han Yuan had united the spirit beasts with Di Tian's help, he had not fully subjugated all of them, but the situation was different now.
He's human at the end of the day, and his prestige couldn't compare to Di Tian in a very short time.
The effect of Spirit Souls and Spirit Contracts had yet to be known by all spirit beasts, nor did they last for ten thousand years.
However, now that Han Yuan has the Phoenix Clan on his side, everything is going in the right direction.
The late Phoenix Clan is one of the most prestigious beast clans among the myriad of spirit beasts, holding a status comparable to that of the Dragon Clan.
With the Dragon Clan having fallen due to the Divine War—now left with only a handful of True Dragons and one Dragon King, the Silver Dragon King—the Phoenix Clan's status is poised to rise significantly.
Moreover, unlike the Dragon God, the Phoenix God has not severed the Phoenix Clan's inheritance, ensuring that their rise is only a matter of time with Han Yuan's support.
Even then, Han Yuan remained prudent and did not easily waver in this alliance. He understood the importance of keeping the existence of the Phoenix Clan a secret for the time being.
The current Phoenix Clan lacked ferocious spirit beasts that could rival Di Tian in combat, excluding the Nine Phoenix Lords, who also required considerable time to recover to their peak condition.
"What? You want to borrow the Land of Ten Thousand Nirvana to forge Divine Artifacts?" The Fire Phoenix Lord was shocked by Han Yuan's request.
Han Yuan tilted his head, "What? Can't I?"
The Fire Phoenix Lord collected his thoughts and chuckled, "It's not that you can't borrow the land."
"I just didn't expect you to be capable of forging Divine Artifacts. After all, your fighting prowess is already quite extraordinary."
'Should I tell him I can do alchemy as well?' Han Yuan considered briefly, then decided to keep that information to himself for now. 'Let's not give a group of elders a heart attack.'
"Are Divine Forgers really that rare?" Bi Ji asked, confused.
Storm Phoenix Lord laughed, "More than rare. They're practically non-existent in this current age!"
"There was once a God of Forging from the Giant Race, but he fell in the Divine War between Beast Gods and Human Gods, I reckon," The Purple Phoenix Lord added casually.
"That guy was impressive, not gonna lie. Despite being only a 2nd-Class God, his importance to the Divine Realm was comparable to that of a Godking."
"No can rival his skill in Divine Forging."
Di Yating commented in Han Yuan's mind, 'After that God of Forging from the Giant Race fell, another God of Forging from the human gods instantly emerged, but his skills were not even a tenth of the former's.'
'The new God of Forging's skills might have improved today, but someone with a stolen God's Position can never match the original.'
'Is there such a history?' Han Yuan was surprised.
'A bad one, indeed,' Di Yating grumbled slightly. 'In that Divine War, the situation of God's Seats falling into the hands of others was an everyday occurrence. One moment, you might believe your friend is still alive, and the next day, someone has used their remains to fight you.'
'It's nothing short of nightmarish...' she lamented, her voice moody.
'Do you have a story? Never mind, I won't ask,' Han Yuan sighed, realizing that Di Yating must have been traumatized by the Divine War.
'But I promise that such things won't happen again as long as I am here.'
Di Yating sensed Han Yuan's concern for her, even if it was fleeting. Yes, it warmed her heart.
"Divine Forgers, or Divine Craftsmen, are highly sought-after in the Divine Realm," White-Eyed Phoenix Lord suddenly explained. "It's not that other gods can't create Divine Artifacts for themselves. It simply takes a long time and is very labor-intensive."
"Especially with Ultra Divine Tools, the pinnacle of Divine Crafting. Even Godking Experts sometimes lack such tools."
"If 1st-Class Gods paired with Ultra Divine Tools, their strength could rival that of a Godking."
"And Divine Craftsmen help these gods refine their Divine Tools more quickly."
"They can also assist in specializing Divine Tools, enabling them to synchronize better with a God's Position and achieve amplifications of over 100%."
"So, that's the situation..." Bi Ji murmured solemnly. "But what if there are no Gods of Forging or Divine Craftsmen?"
"Then those gods need to be very patient to forge their Divine Tools, as it will cost them millennia," White-Eyed Phoenix Lord answered bluntly.
"They either need to nourish their natal Divine Tool with their essences for thousands of years or use the power of faith to augment the Divine Tool, gradually raising its grade."
"The latter is easier, but how many followers can a God have? Only influential 1st-Class Gods and above tend to have many followers."
"Hehehe, that sounds familiar, doesn't it, Thirteen?" Han Yuan chuckled.
Thirteen chuckled faintly in response, "Yeah."
White-Eyed Phoenix Lord narrowed her eyes and asked, "Hmm, has a god done something to cultivate faith on the Douluo Plane?"
"Rather than cultivating, you can say this shameless fellow is farming the faiths of living beings in the Douluo Plane and treating mortals like fools."
"What? How can that be?" the White-Eyed Phoenix Lord and the others exclaimed, shocked.
"There should be some repercussions for gods acting so blindly, right?"
"Has the Divine Realm fallen so far that gods are willing to deceive mortals to gain their faith?"
"Well, not all of them, just one in particular," Han Yuan replied, shaking his head gently.
"Still, what about the Law Enforcer? Shouldn't they punish a lawless god like this?" Ice Phoenix Lord said, frowning slightly.
"Heh, they are in cahoots. Why do you think this lawless divine being dares to behave like this in the Douluo Plane?" Thirteen scoffed, his disgust evident even though he couldn't physically show it.
"Why do you think I, as the Plane's Consciousness, am afraid of exposing ourselves to the gaze of the gods?"
"Because of these two bastards!"
"They have been eyeing the fate of the Douluo Plane like it's a juicy piece of steak!"
Everyone fell silent upon hearing Thirteen's words, recognizing the grave state of the Douluo Plane.
The Nine Phoenix Lords were shocked to learn how low the Divine Realm had fallen, which left them feeling nauseated. In their era, gods wouldn't even bother to cultivate faith, as their strength arose from within.
Yet, the new generation of gods seemed worse than they had expected.
"Who are the two bastards you're talking about, exactly?" the Holy Phoenix Lord asked, irritation cutting through his tone.
"1st Class God, Sea God, Poseidon!" Thirteen replied calmly.
"Godking, Asura!" Han Yuan added indifferently.
The atmosphere became tense instantly.
The Nine Phoenix Lords and everyone else present gasped in disbelief, understanding that while a 1st Class God was formidable, a Godking's allowance of such chaos in their world was unfathomable.
It was no longer merely a matter of lawlessness; it was a clear abuse of power and authority!
Fire Phoenix Lord narrowed his eyes at Han Yuan. "I see, so our enemies are these two, huh?"
"Yes," Han Yuan shrugged, not offering any excuses.
"For better or worse, Asura needs to be taken down. If not, the future of the Douluo Plane will be bleak—very bleak."
"From now on, the Asura God and the Sea God are the Phoenix Clan's sworn enemies!" Fire Phoenix Lord declared decisively. Yes, He fully understood the meaning and the weight of Han Yuan's words.
Although the Asura God was a Godking, they had no choice but to fight for a better future.
Han Yuan smiled in response. "Thank you for your understanding, seniors."
"Now, back to our earlier discussion. Besides the Land of Ten Thousand Nirvanas, I hope you can bestow your trials on my companions. The faster their cultivation rises, the better our situation will be in the future."
"Approved!" The Nine Phoenix Lords glanced at each other and made their decision on the spot.
"The Phoenix Clan will bestow our most important trials upon you and your companions! We will also grant you our most precious inheritances and resources!" Fire Phoenix Lord added immediately.
Since they had aligned themselves with Han Yuan, they might as well gamble everything on him. At the same time, this will also improve the relationship between two sides.