Douluo Dalu 2: Reincarnated as the Auspicious Beast

Wolves are nocturnal creatures. They took the shortest route, almost in a straight line, through the Star Dou Forest, heading directly northwest.

As dawn broke, mist began to rise in the forest, and a faint layer of moisture clung to the wolves' fur.

Wang Rui unceremoniously smacked Lang Xingying, who had fallen asleep on his back and was snoring softly, waking him up. Then, more gently, he shook Huo Yuqing, who was resting in front of him. "Wake up, we're almost there."

The girl rubbed her eyes groggily and looked back at Wang Rui, whose eyes were clear and alert. Embarrassed, she said, "Wang Rui, you didn't sleep all night?"

"I wasn't that tired," Wang Rui replied softly.

"Double standards," Lang Xingying muttered under his breath from behind.

"We're not far from Emerald City now," the white wolf said. "Once we arrive, we wolves will deliver the goods and supplies to the designated location. Will you two come with us, or do you want to stop outside the city and explore on your own?"

"Drop us off outside," Wang Rui replied.

Soon, the dense forest gave way to a spacious clearing.

Huo Yuqing's gaze was immediately drawn to a magnificent giant tree in the distance.

The tree stood over a hundred meters tall, with golden branches as thick as they were sturdy and lush green leaves that shone like emeralds. Even in the faint light of dawn, under an iron-gray sky, the tree seemed to radiate a golden vitality.

Just gazing at it from afar, one could feel the tree's overwhelming aura of life.

Huo Yuqing activated her spirit eyes. She could clearly see thick vines hanging down from the tree's branches, with pear-shaped huts woven from plants suspended below. Higher up in the canopy, exquisite treehouses were partially concealed.

"That's the Golden Tree, a rare and precious light-element plant," Wang Rui explained. "Legend has it that this tree was blessed by the gods and contains an abundance of life energy. This particular tree has been growing for over ten thousand years."

The wolf pack stopped at the edge of the clearing. Lang Xingying slid off the wolf he had been riding, stretching and complaining about how bumpy the ride had been.

The white wolf snorted and whipped Lang Xingying across the back with its tail, causing him to yelp and fall silent.

Huo Yuqing followed Wang Rui off the wolf. They bid farewell to the pack, with Lang Xingying pestering Wang Rui and Huo Yuqing to promise to visit him in Moonshadow City someday.

Wang Rui smiled insincerely and agreed, secretly deciding to have Zhang Lexuan assign Lang Xingying even more training tasks in the future.

Around the Golden Tree stood an array of small, exquisite buildings, arranged in a circular layout. These houses, no more than three stories high, featured green roofs and gold-brown walls adorned with abundant vegetation. The architectural style was completely different from the structures around Xingluo City.

"Emerald City... It doesn't seem to have any walls?" Huo Yuqing asked hesitantly.

"There's no need for walls here," Wang Rui replied. "Over ten thousand years ago, this area was home to the Emerald Swan Bi Ji and her kin, the fourth-ranking soul beast in the Star Dou Forest. Known for her benevolence and unparalleled healing abilities, Bi Ji provided treatment to any injured or ill soul beast that managed to reach the Golden Tree, regardless of species. Over time, this place became a neutral zone, where no soul beast would fight—a consensus upheld throughout the Star Dou Forest.

"Later, a descendant of the original Heaven Dou Empire's royal family fled to the Star Dou Forest and befriended a Jade Swan. Gaining its trust, they formed a contract, evolving their martial spirit from a regular swan into the Emerald Swan. That human eventually built Emerald City.

"Injured soul beasts and desperate humans could come to Emerald City for healing. The healing-oriented soul masters here also regularly go out to provide free medical services. Many people and soul beasts, grateful for being saved, chose to settle here."

"Healing..." Huo Yuqing murmured, her voice trembling slightly. "Do they charge for it?"

Wang Rui paused, immediately understanding that she was thinking of her late mother. He sighed inwardly.

He gently patted her head. "If the issue can be resolved directly by healing-oriented soul masters or soul beasts, there's no charge. However, if medicine is required, patients need to work in Emerald City to pay for it."

The girl bit her lip, her eyes reddening.

She wished she had known about this place earlier. Perhaps her mother wouldn't have passed away. But deep down, she also understood that even if she had known about Emerald City, she might not have been able to bring her frail mother across the Star Dou Forest to this sanctuary.

Wang Rui said nothing more, letting Huo Yuqing take her time to collect herself.

Hidden beneath his forehead protector, the Eye of Fate opened. A green thread of causality extended upward, connecting the Golden Tree to the Divine Realm.

If the Golden Tree continued to grow, it would eventually evolve into the Tree of Life. Given that the Goddess of Life's true form was also a Tree of Life, the connection between the two seemed almost inevitable.

The Golden Tree was one of Shrek Academy's greatest assets. During the Dragon King Legend era, it even became the life core of Douluo Continent after being parasitized by Tang San's mother, A Yin, serving as the most solid shackle for Tang San's control over the continent.

A millennium ago, Wang Rui had deliberately sought out the Golden Tree. Against all odds, he had found it thriving peacefully in the dense forest northwest of the Star Dou.

He had debated whether to destroy it preemptively—a powerful tool that the Tang Clan would later exploit. But doing so risked offending the Goddess of Life.

In times of uncertainty... ask Dad.

Golden Dragon King, bored in his seal and having counted every scale on his body multiple times, was more than happy to share ancient gossip about the Divine Realm with his son.

To Golden Dragon King, it was mere gossip. But for Wang Rui, it was invaluable intelligence.

Among the five God Kings, only Destruction and Life received even a modicum of positive remarks from Golden Dragon King.

From his father's scathing words, Wang Rui inferred that the Goddess of Life possessed the qualities of a traditional deity—she loved all beings equally.

Of course, Golden Dragon King's original phrasing was far less flattering. Nonetheless, Wang Rui surmised that the Goddess of Life was an idealist, yearning for peace and equality.

So, he took a gamble.

The relocation of the Jade Swans to the Golden Tree was partly necessary and partly a gesture to showcase the benevolence and kindness of soul beasts to a higher power—something only the Emperor Auspicious Beast knew for sure.

If Wang Rui's gamble had failed, his backup plan would have been to find a proxy to blow up Shrek Academy.

Fortunately, he won.

A thousand years ago, Tang San attempted to move the Golden Tree.

[T/N: Of course Tang San would]

Half of Star Dou Forest witnessed a colossal projection of a mighty tree—the Tree of Life, the Goddess of Life's true form—manifesting from the Golden Tree.

No one knew what the two deities discussed. In the end, Tang San withdrew and left the Golden Tree alone.

Perhaps he deemed the Goddess of Life doomed.

Thus, Emerald City was born.

A sanctuary dedicated to aiding the suffering, offering equal treatment to all beings in pain, and promoting harmony between humans and soul beasts—a utopian vision brought to life.

A city that sought to impress the Goddess of Life, build goodwill for soul beasts among humans, and preserve Wang Rui's faint hope for a better future for soul beasts.