Space whales? Nope rather deal with devils.

Gu Yuena's judging eyes were too heavy for me, so I pulled back and said flatly. "The Golden Dragon King is a literal god, just as you are, but with much more power and not at all constrained by this world's hard limits on power."

"Assuming I could actually integrate the Golden Dragon King's bloodline safely. That requires me to stick my neck into the Divine Realm where I, an alien to this very reality, will be enemy number one." 

The Silver Dragon King, Gu Yuena, snorted, and with a calm voice, she retorted. "You may be alien to this universe, but the intention to seek power for one's is a trait all living beings have regardless of their origin." 

"Even if seeking that power puts them in danger... But I will not force you. I will simply just follow you around this world in my draconic form wherever you go!" 

My face twitched as I heard Tian Meng, Xue Nue, and Bing Bing in my soul giggling and laughing at my awkwardly pinched expression. As Gu Yuena's true draconic form was literally like two hundred plus meters tall and even longer from snout to tail.

If I had Gu Yuena following me around in her giant ass stompy dragon form I would be screwed! I wouldn't be able to go deal with the tournament, and I wouldn't be able to face-slap the 'young master' in the crown prince of the neighboring empire...

"I can just teleport to the Southern Endless Sea's and just hide in the bottom of the ocean?!" I retorted.

And Gu Yuena's expression became smug as her massive fangs were exposed in a grin as she retorted. "I am the Silver Dragon King, I can follow you through space, and when you try to hide underwater, I will just freeze the surrounding ocean!"

We locked eyes in a battle of wills... I clenched my Death Scythe as Gu Yuena's smug smile grew, at she evidently took pride and smug joy at how helpless I was in refusing her, as I certainly wasn't going to throw away my life trying to kill her as well.

Finally, I took a deep breath before I looked at her and said. "Fine! But you will do me a favor first. I want you to go to the Heaven Dou Forest and find a valley that's surrounded by poisonous mist. Within the poisonous mist is a small holy site filled with heaven and earth treasures that I want."

The dragon woman gave me a look of confusion before she asked blandly. "Why do you want them? Are the herbs and treasures even compatible with your body?" 

I nodded and said plainly. "Yes, yes, they are compatible and thus rather valuable to me. Either way, if you help me find the thing, I will make an honest attempt on the Golden Dragon King's life." 

There was a long pause as Gu Yuena stared at me, trying to distinguish my motives beyond me just sending her away. Until finally she asked slowly. "And beyond your word. How do I know you will keep your promise?"

I gave her an entirely too cutting of a flat look that made her look even flustered if a giant dragon could actually look flustered. And I said bluntly. "Because you have caught my scent psychically, spiritually, and following my spatial tracks won't be too difficult for you."

"Just... Give me something of yours that has your spiritual imprint, so you can easily find me after you find what I want. Hell, I am going to be just relaxing for the next few days to recover from absorbing these Spirit Bones and Spirit Rings before I go meet with Di Tian and Bi Ji to ask Bi Ji to become a Soul Ring if she wants."

Though I rather doubted Bi Ji would accept it honestly. She was extremely kind, supportive, and many other good things. But she probably wouldn't want to abandon her body and life, with how she was able to rally thousands of Spirit Beasts willing to help her through her Tribulations. 

Gu Yuena finally nodded in agreement and I watched as she pulled a single scale off her body that was as big as my damned chest with her dropped the scale at my feet and saying. "Very well, I accept this deal. Jake Bariss... I will see you soon once I find that area." 

With that, Gu Yuena tore space open with a claw, and she teleported away with myself, calmly putting the draconic blood-covered scale into my pocket space.

"Well, that's the Silver Dragon King for you." Tian Meng muttered inside my mind.

"She isn't so bad! She is just really strong-willed, a real heroine! But Jake, you need to be careful... If you do kill the Golden Dragon King somehow and absorb his power, she could possibly do the same to you." Bing Bing warned me.

However, Xue Nue's cool voice spoke up next as she said. "I doubt she would kill Jake to take the Golden Dragon's power. Sure, it would allow her to become the Dragon God, but in taking that mantle, she would lose much of herself in doing so. Merging the powers to create a new Dragon God would be the best path for her." 

"I'd rather we stick with the plans that don't kill Jake Bariss; he much prefers living," I said flatly as I took a breath and released it before I pushed my senses into my Seal of Solomon, and sensing my girls weren't significantly stressed or hurt. I decided they were fine for now.

So with that confirmation in mind, I just teleported back into the Heaven Dou Forest. "I am going to take a quick nap for a bit. I need to recover from the spirit rings and spirit bones integration." I said honestly, after I created a large pyramid of Sitri ice around me so I could be safe from any spirit beasts, toxic spores, or insects.

"Alright, Jake, I will put a mental barrier between us." Tian Meng said helpfully and I nodded as I took out a small tent complete with a mat so I could comfortably sleep on the frozen jungle floor I made sure to flash freeze to get rid of any bullshit as well.

-

Across the Heaven Dou Forest, Gu Yuena teleported into a large field with her mighty dragon form crashing down between the massive trees that filled the continent-spanning endless jungle and forest with her shrinking down quickly.

And then after a moment, a humanoid woman with stark silver hair and bright purple amethyst eyes was where the Silver Dragon King was, with her having crystal horns atop of her head to show she truly was the Silver Dragon King.

"He wasn't lying about anything... His soul may have some differences due to being from a different world line. But his soul is nothing if not human, despite his soul having what seems like a dozen connections and karma to others." Gu Yuena muttered to herself as she considered the interaction she had with the 'human'.

A part of her wanted to just decry Jake as not being a human as to say the least, as a Spirit Beast who has been hunted by humanity on more than one occasion, to say the least, she wasn't feeling charitable towards humanity.

But she was also well aware that life was a cycle of predator and prey, with Spirit Beasts eating plenty of one another. To say nothing of whenever a stronger Spirit Beast just wipes out a small city that didn't have a Title Douluo protecting it.

There was just one issue... Despite Jake's soul being protected by the soul aura of two very powerful soul auras that were a threat to her potency. That didn't change the fact that Jake's soul was, but it was a couple of decades old, and some of it changed old at best. 

His soul wasn't refined via this world's cultivation system, and thus she could easily feel his soul wavelength, to say nothing of that mental connection they shared in which he showed her his vision of the future of her inevitable death to the mad Gold Dragon King.

So there was no way he could lie to Gu Yuena, to put it simply.

"Now... How will the world change should he bother to let the humans see his use of Beast Souls that doesn't require hunting Spirit Rings?" Gu Yuena muttered again to herself as she began actually mentally sorting her memories of what Jake wanted from her.

Finding some kind of holy land that held several Heaven and Earth treasures that was surrounded by a miasma of toxic mist... Such a place, even with the Heaven Dou Forest, was unusual. So she mentally sorted where it wouldn't be, before she began picking out targets where it could be.

Then, after mentally marking down areas of the massive Heaven Dou Forest to search, Gu Yuena took a deep breath as she looked down at her hands, with her hand filling with a dozen tiny orbs of various elements.

"I saw the Golden Dragon King's might in Jake's memories... How hateful! He is just sleeping and devouring the souls of all the past Dragon Kings and divine Dragon Spirit Beasts that have died. I can't match that obviously, even if I could literally devour this entire planet." 

But the reason Gu Yuena wanted to use Jake was that scary scythe Martial Soul he summoned, that matched his special eyes, he could activate... Even though she could control all elements with her nature as the Silver Dragon King.

Higher concepts like Karma, Life, Souls, and Death itself were out of her reach due to the fact that touching upon those concepts typically led one to their death or worse, so there wasn't a real way to learn how to tap into those concepts.

Jake, on the other hand? "He has conceptual death as a weapon within that Sycthe and in his eyes... I don't like my chances of fighting him." Gu Yuena admitted to herself.

It was one thing to fight someone on your level, as she knew that even with a massive power difference, she could give the Gold Dragon King. That had transcendental physical might, a decent fight.

But it was a whole different situation when you had to fight someone who had to just tag you once, and you just keel over as your soul is smothered to death by the concept of Death itself.

Gu Yuena considered things for a long moment before a flush entered her cheeks as she recalled how flustered Jake himself got at how she was thinking of the future generations and how merging the Silver and Golden Dragon King's power would be the best way to go forward.

In making a new Dragon God, as a union of the powers wouldn't harm her own psyche and make her a wildly different person due to the heavy karma of the Golden Dragon King's might merging into her own.

"That idiot... I didn't mean. Well, I did actually, Ugh, I messed up a bit." Gu Yuena admitted with embarrassment at how she blurted out that breeding was the solution to all her problems obviously. 

Sure, it was true... But admitting it to a man she was ready to kill naught like an hour ago was certainly something she never did before, nor would she ever do something. So abrupt again.

Gu Yuena paused as a sudden thought struck her with horror. "Wait, even if he has a harem, which I don't really like... Does he think I am some kind of dirty girl with how I went straight to breeding to solve all my problems???" 

-

"So, Jake, I am curious. Why aren't you more worried about how Gu Yuena thought to breed with you than actually killing the Golden Dragon King?" Tian Meng asked me curiously and despite how I could feel Bing Bing and Xue Nue's disdain for my harem ways.

As for some reason, the world of Doulou Dalu didn't really like harems. Its cultivation-based, 'Might makes Right' atmosphere was perfectly fair with ladies being able to be just as strong as men, frankly.

So it wasn't as easy for men to pull together a bunch of women normally. But either way, I just shrugged to Tian Meng's question and answered honestly. "I already have an adorable kitsune I adopted back home who basically sold her mother to me, all in order for me to really adopt her to the max." 

"I have a good bit of resources back home, so I am not worried about the logistics of taking care of children, and I even welcome it, honestly. I do like kids, and for the ladies I am involved with. It's just a natural thing when you are intimate with them repeatedly for hours a day... That kids come eventually." 

"So you would just have kids with anyone??? Even someone of a different species?" Xue Nue asked, and I could literally hear the blush in her words.

And I was actually a bit offended... A bit because she was kinda right on the end. "Hey! I don't want to hear that from a snow woman whose entire race is just women and needs to get with other races to continue!"

Bing Bing giggled and said teasingly. "Well, Xue Xue, his words strike true like an arrow to the heart in your case at least."

And Xue Nue at least had the pride to admit she walked right into that one. "That is a fair point, admittedly. Though I have never cared for such a thing in my several hundred thousand years of life." 

Just the placid, casual reminder that Xue Nue was literally older than humanity's recorded history made my face twitch as a thought struck me.

'She has remained chaste and pure for literally hundreds of thousands of years... Artemis and the other virgin goddesses have nothing on her!'

I kept walking as I was now in the deepest core of the Heaven Dou Forest, as I was looking for Di Tian to speak with. And more importantly, the Emerald Crane Bi Ji, who could possibly become my beast soul for my Seal of Solomon, Martial Soul.

Oddly, despite me technically being in the most dangerous and hostile section of the Heaven Dou Forest. I was actually in the safest part with my soul passenger's soul aura emanating from my form.

As the spirit beasts here in the core were very old, very powerful, and I bet half of them that picked up on the aura Xue Nue and Bing Bing were putting out. Thought it was just the kings of the Extreme North coming to visit for some reason.

But I didn't need to be walking around for long. As Xue Nue and Bing'er's Aura was anything but subtle, so soon enough I heard the flapping of powerful wings with the surrounding trees being pushed aside with the force of the coming winds.

I looked upwards and raised an eyebrow as a form shot forward into view, with the winds soothing, as the woman I expected to need to find Di Tian for first came into view.

Bi Ji was an Emerald Swan spirit beast, but she also had the Phoenix bloodline. So with that talent, she looked like a very humanoid harpy with beautiful emerald wings on the ends of her arms, and only past her knees were bird-like legs. 

Bi Ji was clad in a beautiful white and emerald green dress that clung to her voluptuous form, and her avian green eyes were filled with an innate kindness that couldn't be ignored as she gazed at me, though her gaze did carry clear confusion.

"Xue Nue, Bing'er? How... Are you both alright?" Bi Ji spoke with a voice that was a beautiful velvet caress to my ears and honestly rather concerning to my mind.

Like her voice, even unaugmented with magic, had so much innate kindness and care that it made me relax just hearing it.

Both ladies in Xue Nue and Bing'er quickly made mental a mental line towards Bi Ji, who quickly accepted the mental strands of energy, and I just casually froze the ground beneath me so I could sit down and wait patiently.

And I remained patiently waiting as Xue Nue and Bing'er stopped putting out their aura to gain Bi Ji's attention. I remained sitting for... A good long while, honestly. 

But after a few minutes after I felt Tian Meng join the mental conversation as well. Bi Ji finally decided to include me on the conversation as well. "You know. I am not really having any issues with the Tribulation with all the friends I have. Not to mention my phoenix bloodline makes it so I can heal from the Tribulation as well."

Bi Ji's voice, although kind, was firm, and she asked me bluntly. "Why should I become your Beast Soul, Jake? What reason do I have to do so?"

I gave her a searching look before I stood up, and then I took a deep breath. "Well, if it was impossible, you would have just said no to Xue Nue and Bing'er."

And Bi Ji gave a sharp smile before she said softly. "I did say no to their request despite their points. I do not have the ambition of exceeding this world's power restraint, nor am I struggling with the tribulation."

I nodded slowly in understanding, and for a moment, I considered this a done deal, but Bi Ji wanted to know what I could offer her. As some form of a test, perhaps.

But knowing of Bi Ji's innate kindness, I spoke. "I cannot offer you power for you have plenty and want none more, I cannot offer you riches as you care for it not... But I can offer you something you will never be able to have in this universe."

I held up a hand, and true divine power filled it as my very soul roiled in pain as I called upon Aqua's greatest miracle. "I offer you the power of resurrection. A gift that once I become a god, and your soul is free. And on its own, no one will be die in front of you."

Saying all that, I released the divine ability of Aqua, whose mantle included reincarnation. Bi Ji, plus the rest of the Soul Beasts within my soul, were silent. As that option seemingly never came to their minds, and Tian Meng didn't think I would straight up offer it, probably.

"You... Also, have healing abilities? No, that power over resurrection. How does it work?" Bi Ji asked with concern as she gazed at me with fervor.

I took a deep breath and I explained carefully. "It's a multi-step process. First, time-based magic is used on the body to reverse the damage to the body fully before it was harmed, along with great healing magic that purges any innate damage within the body in case the death was of sickness or similar."

Taking a breath, I continued. "Then the death must have been relatively recent. Like, less than ten minutes ago, as the next part is pulling the soul back into the healed body, and the soul properly anchored into the host's body. That is how it is done, and even I can only do it once every few months at best due to the strain it puts on my soul." 

Bi Ji was silent for a long moment. She was clearly considering what I had said, and in after a while, she looked at me and said calmly. "I hate violence, I hate betrayal, and most of all. I hate cruelty, Jake Bariss... Are you a cruel man?" 

Taking a deep breath, I looked back at my life. Well, second life anyway. And from instantly leaving Worm to landing in DXD, to heading to Madoka's world, to heading to Konosuba, to even landing here in this world. 

I exhaled and said with a light smile. "I have committed... A good deal of violence, honestly, I feel no shame in it, as whoever I killed was a monster who reveled in hurting others. But in killing them, I did it as quickly as possible when I could. I gain no pleasure in making an enemy suffer, Bi Ji."

The Emerald Crane, in an almost completely human form, closed her eyes in thought. And then she opened up those emeralds that were her eyes, and she stepped forward and got right up close to me and said calmly. "You wish to trade my life, my service, and aid for your ascension in return for allowing me to never have to see a friend or another person dying in front of me again."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement, and after a moment, she said quietly. "Jake, open your mind to me."

I stared into Bi Ji's eyes for a long moment. And for all her innate kindness, I realized this was the ultimate test to Bi Ji. And I surrender to her.

Tilting my head downwards, I closed my eyes with the taller harpy gently touching my jaw with both her hands, and then I felt her own forehead meeting mine.

And just like when Tian Meng fully implanted himself in my mindscape. I felt Bi Ji's mind literally divine grade mind and soul, fill my mindscape as she began gently as much as she could anyway. Sorting through my memories and actions.

For a Spirit Beast who had lived for hundreds of millennia, though. Ruffling through not even three decades of life was literally nothing for her.

As for why I allowed Bi Ji into my mind to begin with... If I was going to allow her into my soul to act as fuel for me becoming a 'god' basically. Letting her view my memories in part made literally no difference, as she was going to be seeing them anyway if she accepted.

Finally, Bi Ji broke apart from me, but with her wing hands still gently holding my face as she spoke softly. "You have lived two lives, huh... Well, you have done a good bit of violence, and as much as it goes against my nature. Said violence was necessary for your people and the safety of others."

I opened up my eyes and saw Bi Ji's beautiful, all but glowing emerald eyes readily waiting to stare into my own. And once we made eye contact, Bi Ji spoke again. "Do not let go of your innate kindness, Jake... And I accept this partnership." 

Before I could react, Bi Ji's eyes dulled, and I almost freaked out as her voluptuous form slumped into my arms, and I mentally cursed as a red Soul Ring from Bi Ji formed above us both.

"You didn't even let me say anything..." I muttered as her Soul Ring was being drawn into my body, and even through the pain, I just bit my lip to get through it as I carefully put Bi Ji's lost body into my spatial pocket.

While her Spirit Bone also began merging into my body as well in a breast bone of some sort.

'A skull Spirit Bone from Xue Nue that makes me immune to all extreme cold temperatures and highly resistant to high temperatures as well. The exoskeleton from Bing'er acts as basically a Scale Mail. And now a breast bone from Bi Ji.' I mused as I just rode out the pain of the integration.

But thankfully, I had the ability to take heart in how this was likely going to be the last time I needed to do this. Or at least the last time I needed to do such a painful integration as the Soul Beasts within myself, making new Soul Rings to integrate was so much easier, it wasn't even funny.

And finally, I felt Bi Ji's soul fit within my own, and I exhaled in relief as her breast bone Spirit Bone and what her first spirit ring did within my very soul.

Wing of emerald flames burst from my back and I knew intrinsically that the Phenex family back in the world of DXD would be trying to honeypot the shit out of me. As the breast bone was actually her wings, which carried her pheonix bloodline.

The bloodline of the Pheonix God, which for a cultivation universe was a much scarier thing than a randon pheonix in DXD. And then there was the bullshit passive effect the first spirit ring gave me.

[Blood of the Phoenix God- I heal passively all physical, spiritual, mental, and harm done to my form at a highly accelerated rate based on the total stores of mana/spiritual energy I had internally.]

'Do I even need to make a contract with Ravel to get their clan trait?' I mused as I could literally feel my ample mana stores being slightly drained to heal all the piled-on strain from integrating four divine souls over the course of a couple of days.

"Well, this is probably the best Spirit Ring I could have gotten, honestly," I said even as I experimented with flapping the large emerald wings of flames behind me.

Bi Ji's tired voice rang out in my mental sea. "I am glad to hear that, then in this case I will be resting for a while, as making sure you got my Pheonix Bloodline took much out of my essence."

I hummed and said gently. "I understand, Bi Ji. Go ahead and rest. I need to go meet with my friends now anyway." 

I had given the girls a good little vacation as I went for my trip around the world. And now, with two days left until the tournament, back in the capital. It was time to meet back up with them.

'I hope they spent the last few days productively... And not just fooling around.' I mused as I could actually feel my mana stores growing a bit from the contracts I had with the vampire girls, along with Mash in particular.

This was probably the result of them leveling up their cultivation, as the cultivation system in this universe was a number system of all things, which kept it stupidly simple.

A spell sigil formed beneath my feet, and I could feel the girls in Xue Nue, Bing'er, and Bi Ji forming their own mental partition as Tian Meng seemingly curled up to also begin resting.

Which, to be fair, all four of my Beast Souls were clearly exhausted after all the nonsense that has happened. 

A flare of light flowed out as I teleported out of the Heaven Dou Forest's core and returned to the smaller city I dropped the Quintupplets, Mami, and Mashu at.

Coming out of the teleport, I pulled at the Key of Solomon, and with a hum, I quickly flew towards the direction of my girls, which seemed to be out of the smaller city I had dropped them off at.

-

Long clanging noises rang out as Mash's shield blocked a dozen sword strikes that seemingly came from several different angles all at the same time.

"Haa!" Mash cried out as she smashed the bandit with her shield, making the three glowing Soul Ring floating behind the bandit flicker as the bandit's concentration broke.

Then, from behind the bandit, whose primary attack ability was making projection-like attacks matching his real attacks. Yotsuba Nakano, with her Blood Drinking Stileto- Martial Soul, didn't pause for a single second as she slammed her dagger into the back of the skull of the bandit.

The secondary leader of the bandits' head exploded as Yotsuba's Blood Explosion Soul Ring activated, which obviously killed that bandit instantly, with him being unable to react in the slightest.

"You rat bitches! Who sent you all after us? We haven't targeted any clans or the large merchant groups!" The leader roared hatefully as he flew through the air with the aid of his bird-type beast soul while five Soul Rings flew behind him, meaning he was within rank 50-60 in cultivation.

Mami, who was in hot pursuit, shot at him with her summoned magical muskets that were augmented by her musket martial soul continued shooting at the leader with a calm and cold expression, uncaring of his fury.

As just because Mami was a magical girl... Well, she was an old hand at killing monsters and evil people at this point. "I am killing you not because we are being paid... But purely because you are an acceptable target in being evil and deserve it." Mami retorted blandly.

And Mami took advantage of using the bland wording to drive the man crazy, as he was obviously beyond furious at how he was. Someone within the rank fifty to sixty of cultivation was being bullied by someone with only a single spirit ring.

Mami gave Mash a sideways glance as she saw she was using the expertise she had in fighting humans with special abilities, handily defeating the other, much weaker bandits with the help of the Nakano Quintuplets.

Mami rolled through the air to avoid a hail of razor-sharp feathers that the bandit leader shot out at her from his wings, and Mami shot through the air as those feathers swerved through the air and began tracking her through the air.

"I am going to sell your mutilated bodies to the worst brothels I can find for killing the rest of my crew, I promise!" The bandit leader howled furiously as he himself noticed that his lieutenant was dead.

But it was clear that the bandit leader didn't care about his underlings; it was simply that having his already broken-in underlings being killed was clearly a major inconvenience to him.

Mami and the bandit leader kept flying around as Mami expertly kept him busy, as any time he tried to go after the other girls who were waiting down at the ground. Mash would either easily protect the others with her oversized shield that was augmented by her Soul Ring.

Or Mami herself would make him abandon any attacks as he hurriedly had to defend himself from her own attacks that were aimed at lethal points.

This dance of death continued for a good twenty minutes until finally Mami chuckled loudly as she relaxed in the middle of the air, making the bandit leader freeze. At the sight of the previously cold and merciless young woman blooming with a wide smile.

"Ahh! My beloved is here, his pulling on the bonds that bind us haha!" Mami cheered as Mash tilted her head to the side, and Itsuki herself flushed as she had the strongest bond with Jake after properly sleeping with him. 

And thus could feel his searching for their location and swiftly making their way closer.

Then a powerful flicker of light rang out and Jake Bariss came out of his teleportation with his clothes a bit ragged from probably having to fight a lot of spirit beasts to get the spirit rings he needed.

"Oh? And what is going on here?" Jake asked quietly as he took in the scene of all the dead bandits and the quintuplets standing behind Mash to remain safe from the stronger man in the air.

And then seeing the corpses of the other men in the other bandits, he quickly realized that they were in a fight as Mami quickly flew away from the bandit leader, who looked at the obvious leader of this little troupe.

"He is the leader of the bandits we are hunting, my love! He also just hit a merchant caravan carrying a bunch of herbs and a couple of heaven and earth treasures we retrieved." Mami happily reported.

Jake blinked, and Mami's soul gem shuddered in joy as a smile crossed his face and he nodded at her before he said calmly. "I see. Bandit's huh... I am glad you have gotten the other girls up to a good standard, Mami, and you too, Mash." 

With that,t Jake looked to the bandit leader and everyone. Including the bandit leader froze as four red Soul Rings, which symbolized a hundred thousand years of cultivation... And the reason everyone froze was simple yet utterly terrifying to the bandit leader.

As in the center of the spirit rings was a huge golden spirit ring, which signified a million years of cultivation, all slammed into their spiritual senses in the most primal of ways. It was like a dozen Title Doulou's who were at the peak of this world's strength decided to sit on your head, and there wasn't a thing you could do to withstand it.

Abruptly, the man's face twisted and he screamed before blood shot out of his eyes, nose, ears, and then body just exploded into red mist.

"Well... Remind me not to use your Soul Shock on people I don't want to kill, Tian Meng. Some people's souls are just that fragile, huh." Jake muttered aloud, but then his expression widened as he came down to the ground, and three of the quintuplets rammed into him in a tackle hug.

And Mami smiled mischievously, seeing Jake's oh-so 'cool' entrance was utterly shattered by the wheezing noise he made when Itsuki, Nino, and Miku aggressively hugged him as their bonds and bloodthirst made them all too needy upon Jake's arrival.

-

'Hmph, this is the problem with a harem. Though it is astonishing, they do love you for some reason.' Xue Nue said pointedly, and I directed the memories of Highschool DXD to them all just for the hell of it, even as I filled in the girls on what has been happening.

"So what happened with all of you? You five have basically doubled your mana capacity and blood energy. While Mash has almost tripled hers!" I asked curiously.

We had moved towards another clearing after the vampire girls ripped the blood out of the bandits to have as a later snack to hold them over if I wasn't around.

And Mash saluted and reported quickly. "Master, Mami, and I began training the Quintuplets in martial exercises while leveling up in this universe's cultivation system, typically four to five times for them. Seven for me. And Mami has reached level two and needs a new Soul Ring to level up anymore."

I nodded in understanding, giving Mami a look of pride, who smiled demurely as though to say silently that it was, of course, only natural that she did so well.

"Well, I am glad you seven have done so well. And doing so well in only a week as well." I praised them as they truly did deserve it.

With that said, however, I took a breath and said. "Alright, girls, anyway,y so I am back and are you all ready to get back to Heaven Dou City so I can take part in that tournament?" 

The girls shared a look before Itsuki, the pure red head of the quintuplets, said. "It's a bit dangerous. But it's the best place for us to get more of the heaven and earth herbs, as you did set up that commission right." 

I nodded in agreement, as that was still true, and I still wanted to take the herbs and such back home so that I could use the Agres clan trait of time manipulation to accelerate their growth.

With that, there was no other reason to stick around in the small city I dropped the girls off in. So I powered up a teleportation and we were sent into an alleyway within the capital city of the Heaven Dou Empire in the wonderfully named city of Heaven Dou City.

"Alright, let's go to stores selling the Heaven and Earth treasures," I said, leading my group out of the alley towards the higher-end part of the capital city.

The girls followed me with us talking about what I went through, along with going over the girls training which was actually pretty damned thorough. As Mami and Mash put the five quintuplets through the grinder basically.

We made our way through the city without too much issues, and once we reached the store, I set up the commission to collect the prepubescent heaven and earth treasures... I was happily surprised to see them with a couple dozen useful such things.

Though they would need to be sent back home to the world of DXD and have the Agares treatment of having their lives accelerated through their time control.

Leaving the shop, I said with a slight hum. "Well, that was well worth the down payment. And in any case-" I paused before frowning slightly, feeling the rude feeling of a strong spirit sense washing over my form.

And the girls flinched as my eyes glowed with the Mystic Eyes of Death Perception, and I violently tore apart the spiritual energy scanning my form, destroying the mental energy of the person scanning me.

"Well, that was quite rude." A feminine voice spoke out and I lazily looked to the side and saw as from the side I saw Zhu Zhuyun had come out of the shadows on a park bench. And I could see how her eyes were taking in what was clearly my harem with an inspecting eye.

"Zhu Zhuyun, I expected you to wait till I won that tournament... Are you anxious or something?" I asked with a slightly sarcastic smile, even as I felt several of Zhu Zhuyun's personal guards she had collected and helped raise into her helpers close in slightly.

Though not within our actual sight, they were on the opposite sides of the nearby huge buildings, well out of sight and out of the way.

"Jake, this is that Zhu Zhuyun, right?" Mami asked for confirmation, and I nodded simply.

But then my face froze in horror as Mami said something I literally never... Never would have seen her doing with how calm, collected, kind, and otherwise good-mannered she typically was.

"So you are the woman who wants our man to kill yours because he prefers the touch of other men instead of you. As Jake said before, are you so anxious that you are willing to come out into the open?" 

Zhu Zhuyun raised an eyebrow before she looked between me and Mami before she said calmly. "Of course I am a bit anxious... I did invest quite heavily into you, Jake. Not only that, but I also managed to get you the most important fight for your first fight, though there is but one issue." 

She took in my girls and said honestly. "The issue is how the tournament is a two-man team event. Which one of them will you be fighting with?" 

I looked between my girls and said easily. "Mash could use the time to shine. Though that's not what you wanted, right?" I said, looking away from Mash, who nodded firmly to say she was ready to help if needed, back to Zhu Zhuyun, who smiled thinly in appreciation.

"Correct, frankly, I would prefer you to take me into your team. It would also allow you, following me, to get close access to Dai Weisi if you still have the spite and pride to continue."

I raised an eyebrow at her and said calmly. "I will be sticking around the Heaven Dou Empire for likely a couple more weeks at least. So yes, dealing with Dai Weisi at least for my own peace of mind, frankly, as he most certainly won't let me off."

Zhu Zhuyun raised an eyebrow and said with a knowing smile. "And your answer? Will you team up with me?" 

I stared at her for a long while, until I said. "Why are you actually standing forward to fight? That is unlike you. Not to mention that allying with me publicly in a tournament could put strain between your clans."

Zhu Zhuyun's face darkened at the mention of her clan and the crown prince's clan, but she just took a deep breath and said coldly. "Dai Weisi's plan is to have you fight his younger brother Dai Mubai, who has my younger sister as his partner in the duo team battles."

Taking a breath, Zhu Zhuyun continued bluntly. "I love my sister, but I don't want her rising up to take the political power and prestige I have been gathering. So I want to publicly defeat her to suppress her." 

I slowly nodded in understanding as I wryly smiled as a thought came to me with calm amusement. 'Well, well, a woman with grand ambitions. She is beautiful, but she is more than just bound to this world, I guess, no point in trying to seduce her as I wouldn't leave a woman I loved behind.'

In seeing Zhu Zhuyun as just a woman who wanted to ascend to obviously become empress or something. I saw her for what she was. A dangerous, charismatic, and yet still loyal to the ones she actually loved. However, that love would be ruthlessly cut down should they get in the way of her ambitions.

I could respect it honestly... Certainly not like I had any room to say anything when I was a murderhobo running between worlds to gain power without care, all in the hopes of paying off some infernal debts.

After a moment of thought of considering fighting against Dai Mubai, and the woman he would end up marrying. And in fighting Dai Mubai, I would technically become enemies with the canon cast.

I chuckled as I gave Zhu Zhuyun a look of humor and said honestly. " Zhu Zhuyun, you don't understand how strong I am. And if you team up with me, it will draw trouble to you." 

She snorted and, looking me up and down, she said teasingly. "Jake... Even if you were a once-in-a-millennium genius who was already a Spirit Emperor close to rank 70 and having the best soul ring configuration. I am still the heiress of the Devil Civet clan, whatever storm comes my way, so long as Dai Weisi's death isn't put on me. I have an untouchable background."

My smile became a smirk, and Zhu Zhuyun's eyes flashed with some irritation at my smirk of joy at putting her on the back feet, but I just said slowly. "And how would you react should I have a red soul ring? At my age and cultivation. How would you react, I wonder?"

I could instantly see it. The denial in her eyes, as it spat in everything she understood about this world's cultivation. But I just shook my head and took in my surroundings before I said quietly.

"So no, even though I don't have a strong relationship with you. I won't drag you into the mess me publicly fighting will bring."

With that, I shrugged. "Anyway, do you have the pass I will need to get into the tournament, seeing as you already registered me?" 

Zhu Zhuyun gave me a cool look before she smirked and leaned back on the wall of the ornate marble of the building we were next to. "Hmm, there is just one little problem with that, Jake. You are already registered as my partner. So I look forward to the storm you will bring to the world, as you will need to bring your best for the very first fight."

That sarcastic smirk at knowing she won, seeing as it was all but impossible for me to just register again as a whole new tea,m probably. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if it was already closing times for making teams anyway.

So she won this time. But if she didn't want my generous warning... Whelp sucks to suck for her. "Alright, Zhu Zhuyun, you can have your way. I will see you tomorrow at the tournament."

With that, I turned on my heel and walked away from the woman who was eyeing me like a cat eyes their prey... And she very much was a real predator as she had the Hell Civet martial soul and got cat ears and claws when she activated her martial soul.

But she was going to learn a couple of hard facts. Sometimes... You shouldn't play with your food, and she should take care of the size of the trouble she was leaping into.

Once we got to a hotel room, I rented out for us. Nino snapped out with annoyance. "Hmph! I can't wait for her to get bitten in the backside when everyone goes crazy seeing your Soul Rings." 

Though Yotsuba, being the kinder of the sisters, gave me a searching look and asked carefully. "Are you okay, Jake? I don't know too much. But I know you aren't supposed to be able to absorb a hundred thousand-year-old spirit rings normally." 

I nodded and I explained how, with the help of Tian Meng, who they had met previously, I found an additional three more hundred-plus thousand-year-old spirit beasts to become Beast Souls and join my Martial Spirit's

After explaining that and how I met Gu Yuena, Itsuki, still being more of a spitfire, snorted and said with amusement. "Wow, even while literally convincing people to kill themselves for your sake. Your harem still expands."

And I just gave her a dull look as I felt Xue Nue, Bing'er, and Bi Ji especially looking through my eyes towards Itsuki, who shivered, feeling the divine souls giving her the stink eye.

"Anyway... Moving away from that topic." I said dryly before I took a deep breath and spoke more seriously. "So, tomorrow is likely going to be a total shit show. As the moment I open up and display my soul rings. The world is basically going to be after me for my secrets." 

Miku quietly interjected. "So you want to drop us off in another city or town again?" 

I frankly nodded as I said firmly. "That would definitely be the most intelligent idea. I was thinking of actually sending you girls over to the Star Luo Empire's capital and giving you all my money and stuff for you to sell. Having you collect all the Heaven and Earth treasures and special herbs there would be a good idea." 

The girls frowned. Obviously unhappy with me just sending them away... Yet again. But I said somewhat helplessly. "It's not that I don't trust you girls. But I am literally kicking a hornet's nest with a lot of scary people, obviously going to come for me."

"Having you girls being productive elsewhere is just the best decision. Much better than you seven being possible hostages and whatnot, right?" I asked putting them on the back feet.

"Girls, remember he can teleport should he get into too much trouble. We aren't devils who can easily teleport after all." Mami said reasonably, and I nodded.

And with a pout, Nino dramatically pointed at me, saying. "Fine! But we deserve some personal time with you! As we worked really hard, you know!?" 

I just smiled and said easily. "We have plenty of time today and tonight for me to spend some time with you all before I need to teleport you all to the Star Luo Empire." 

With the girls comforted, besides Mash, who was pouting a bit at how Zhu Zhuyun was a controlling witch and didn't get a chance to shine, I spent some time with the girls. With each of the sisters getting some of my blood, we just generally relaxed together.

Then we got some sleep before I used the memories of Bi Ji, who had actually flowed somewhat near the Star Luo Empire's capital at one point to teleport there.

With the girls safely literally on the other side of the known world and thus well out of the way of any assholes who would become an issue once I showed off.

I went straight to the stadium where the tournament was supposed to be held, as the tournament was starting early in the day. As it was supposed to be a smaller tournament... Supposed to be anyway.

As I stood in front of the worker who checked my name off the contenders list who was explaining carefully. "With how the Star Luo Empire's crown prince is in attendance to see his little brother compete. The crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire as well. So make sure to not do anything... Too noticeable." The worker said with a weak smile.

I blinked at that news as I knew something very... Very few people knew about. I knew that the crown prince of the Heaven Dou Empire had been replaced years ago by Qian Renxue, who was actually a woman.

A young woman my age with the Seraph Martial Soul and like her mother in Bibbi Dong who was the leader of Spirit Hall. Typically, the antagonist of Doulou Dalu. Qian Renxue hated her mother for a laundry list of reasons.

'Though... Bibbi Dong and Qian Renxue are both the literal definition of their baggage and trauma, making them hotter. Gods, they are hot and have interesting personalities, but they have so many issues.' I thought with amusement as I strolled through the contestant tunnels leading to my assigned room, where I could watch the other fights.

Well, normally that would be the case. But Zhu Zhuyun decided to rig the tournament so we were fighting Dai Weisi's little shit heel of a younger brother in Dai Mubai for the first fight.

I stood at the edge of the arena, awaiting my fight, as I could feel it, I could now even see it with my Mystic Eyes of Death Perception. "Interesting... I never saw this in my previous worlds." I muttered as I could see something that disgusted me on a deep level.

Chains as far as my eyes could see. And my eyes could see far indeed. The chains were made of fate, of karma, and it was only now, with so much fate and karma intertwined within myself after I took on my Beast Soul's that I could see them.

'To cultivate is to break the chains of heaven and fate put upon you... But the heavens and your ordained fate isn't so easily broken.' I mused with a heavy heart and I could see how stronger people had weaker, more see-through chains binding them.

But a couple of minutes later, I raised an eyebrow before snorting as I saw my opponents in the first fight coming onto the edge of the massive arena. With tens of thousands of people filling the stands, impatiently waiting for the fights to begin.

Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing, with Zhuqing being Zhu Zhuyun's little sister, I looked upon them and I couldn't help a helpless grin of annoyance. "And of course, one of the side protagonists aren't bound by fate either. That makes sense in any case." I said to myself, even as I felt Zhu Zhuyun coming up behind me.

"What are you going on about?" Zhu Zhuyun questioned blandly before she flinched as I turned my mystic eyes on her, and the primordial truth of death touched her soul for but a brief moment before I deactivated them.

I considered how to respond to her for a moment, before I shrugged and said honestly. "Your sister isn't bound by fate. Beyond her natural bodies bottlenecks and limits, fate itself won't block her advance to becoming immortal."

Zhu Zhuyun just stared at me before she snorted and retorted. "And how... No, it doesn't matter, I am still stronger than her either way, so your cryptic nonsense doesn't matter!"

I elegantly took a slurping drink from my thermos, making the cat girl next to me twitch and throw me a dirty look at making the uncouth noise. But I just wore a small, enigmatic smile before I said calmly.

"Oh yeah... She also just consumed a hundred-plus thousand-year-old Heaven and Earth treasure herb. Any natural limits her mortal body has till basically, Title Doulou doesn't exist. So good luck cultivating faster than that."

With that, a loud gong rang out, and I just stepped into the arena with that same smile as I walked over to Dai Mubai with my blood heating up, as I knew he was going to be an interesting melee fighter that I wasn't going to bully with my ranged options.

Nope, even though I was going to bully him. I was going to fight him fairly, as I wanted to see if his side protagonist's halo would give him some form of protection from losing the fight.

Zhu Zhuyun silently followed up behind me, and once we got a couple of meters away from Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing. Dai Mubai snorted and looked between me and Zhu Zhuyun. "So, Zhuqing, think your sister is cheating on your brother?" He asked teasingly.

Zhuqing herself was a very beautiful young woman. Not quite her older sister's match with how Zhuyun was a young adult in her early twenties, but she held herself well. And she rolled her eyes at Dai Mubai's words and said flatly. "You know that's not the case."

I popped my neck side to side and said curiously. "So, how you guys been? Do anything interesting?" I asked curiously, making the two blink at my friendly tone.

Dai Mubai chuckled and said. "Brother, we aren't so easily to befriend, especially right before a fight. So don't think I will be pulling my punches as we need those spirit bones being offered up!"

I shrugged and said in an easily going manner. "Nah, I just see something special in you two... And I am here just for fun and spite towards your older brother, so just hold this fight against me, alright?" 

"Jake... Please take this seriously." Zhu Zhuyun said with a bit of exasperation, and I gave the woman beside me a helpless smile before I said.

"Alright, alright." I looked back to the other two and said. "Just don't say I was bullying you two, and if anything, tell that brat Tang San to teach you both his Jade Hand technique after this to make you stronger."

Both of them looked rather confused at my sudden mention of the Shrek team leader's name. But Tang San was the 'protagonist' of this world, and I looked forward to knowing seeing his expression if they did ask for the technique that came from his previous life.

And then the gong rang again, meaning the fight was on!

My lips curled up as I saw Zhu Zhuqing and Dai Mubai both had 'perfect' spirit ring configurations in two yellow, two purple, and one black spirit ring. 

While Zhu Zhuyun was actually weaker than her younger sister, as she hadn't had the overpowered heaven and earth treasure and I could all but feel her shock and frustration as she only manifested two yellow and two purple spirit rings.

But then the arena went silent as a heavy pressure filled it. I unveiled my own spirit rings, and I saw how my opponents lost all intention of fighting as the soul pressure of my all-red spirit rings, with Tian Meng's golden spirit ring, destroyed their will to fight.

"That... That's impossible!" Dai Mubai shouted and I looked him straight in the eye.

Before I grinned and said with an evil shit-eating smile. "Tell Tang San that as a fellow reincarnator. He is a fucking hack and it's pitiful he also doesn't have the same spirit ring configuration!"

"Bro, that's just not fair haha!" Tian Meng howled with laughter within my soul, even as I felt several Title Doulou's unique spiritual energy fill the arena as they tried to scan my spirit rings for illusions.