Zhuo Shi and Feng Wuyu started arguing as soon as they met, but there was no sign of them actually fighting.
Nowadays, both were pillars of Shrek Academy; bickering was fine, but actual combat was out of the question.
In the past, the two had appeared ready to fight, knowing full well that someone would intervene soon enough.
Now, though Long Yueyue was still present in the Sea God Pavilion, her personality didn't suggest she'd mediate any disputes.
"Hmph, when I break through to become a Limit Douluo after my seclusion, you'll see that being the first to break through isn't always a good thing," Zhuo Shi grunted. Without further ado, he ignored Feng Wuyu and headed towards the Sea God Pavilion. Once inside, he found his room and began preparations for his seclusion.
Feng Wuyu did not stop him.
Standing in place, he couldn't help but be lost in memories.
To be honest, the changes in Shrek Academy were quite evident.
Under the pressure of the Godslayer Missiles, those elders stuck at Level 98 seemed to have their breakthrough barriers cleared, each finding their own path to the Limit.
However, Feng Wuyu's expression showed no excitement, only concern flashing in his eyes.
In the twenty thousand years since Shrek's founding, apart from the two occasions of ascension to godhood, there hadn't been such a flourishing era.
"The Pavilion Master, Elder Long, myself, Old Zhuo, and if we consider combat strength, even Xiao Yuan counts—making five in total. It's said Yue'er also has some fluctuations in her soul power, while Ya Li is stationed in the Demon Plane, accumulating merit visible to the naked eye..."
Soon, Shrek might possess seven Limit Douluos.
After the Godslayer Missile crisis was over, Zhuo Shi, Cai Yue'er, and Ya Li seemed to undergo some transformation, feeling relieved while their bottlenecks loosened somewhat.
After the pressure came opportunity.
Lan Muzi had condensed Yin Yang Complementary soul cores and, over the past three years, continued to make impressive progress in soul power, now striving for Level 97.
Everything was moving towards an absolute peak period.
The uniqueness of this era was already becoming apparent.
Even though the crisis had passed, Feng Wuyu could still feel an underlying sense of impending danger.
Such fortune indicated that something significant was bound to happen.
Twenty thousand years ago, it was the fall of the Spirit Hall, with Shrek rising to become the new holy land of soul masters, leading to a war for control within the continent. Ten thousand years ago saw the resurgence of the Tang Sect, the establishment of the Spirit Pagoda, and the sweeping invasion of the Sun Moon Empire across the original Three Kingdoms of the Douluo Continent—a war that engulfed the entire continent.
Now, everything seemed to be entering a new cycle, with a threat that matched these conditions looming on the horizon.
"According to the intelligence gathered by Xiao Yuan and the Pavilion Master, the Abyss does indeed have the capability to threaten the entire continent, and war is almost inevitable. This time, it will be a cross-plane war."
Feng Wuyu shook his head.
"First, we must resolve the issue of the evil soul masters. Only by addressing our internal troubles can we better face external threats." His gaze turned cold. "The evil soul masters are growing more audacious, even daring to attack Tian Dou City."
With great enemies at the gates, internal parasites must be swiftly eradicated.
Otherwise, a repeat of the tragedy from ten thousand years ago would occur.
These heartless individuals, driven by mad schemes, might even conspire with the Abyss.
"We must quickly resolve the evil soul master problem. At the very least, we can't allow these scoundrels to continue their rampage unchecked. We need to support the Blood God Legion as soon as possible."
In fact, the Blood God Legion had already summarized the information regarding the Stellar Anomaly and reported it to the Federation, requesting support.
The Stellar Anomaly was evidently a unique site. After nearly two years of probing by the Blood God Legion, it was clear that even the Abyss had temporarily shifted its focus from invading Douluo Planet to exploring the Stellar Anomaly. Although Abyss creatures still approached Douluo Planet, the core objective had shifted to seizing more territory within the Stellar Anomaly.
Unfortunately, the Federation was also plagued by internal and external troubles. Compared to Shrek, the Federation was even more troubled by the evil soul masters.
The public discourse surrounding the Godslayer Missiles had yet to settle. Under the pressure of public opinion, they also had to deal with the damages caused by the evil soul masters.
Under normal circumstances, no matter how rampant the evil soul masters became, the Federation wouldn't be so overwhelmed. The current situation was exceptional; the impact of the Godslayer Missile incident had eroded public trust in the Federation.
There was undoubtedly the handiwork of the evil soul masters behind this, stirring up trouble from the shadows.
But even so, the Federation lacked the energy to address all issues simultaneously.
Even identifying those who incited public sentiment was futile now, as the Federation's credibility had been severely compromised.
The only solution was to tackle the root cause: resolving the evil soul master problem.
At this moment, even Chen Xinjie, who had been sent to Shrek alongside the exchange students from the War God's Hall, was recalled to handle the current evil soul master crisis completely.
As for the revocation of Chen Xinjie's position as the head of the War God's Hall, it had already been unanimously denied by the current parliament members, shifting the blame onto previous legislators.
Decisions made by the former regime need not be upheld by the current one.
---
South Sea
Near the deep-sea region, several figures hovered above the ocean.
"The fact that the Godslayer Missiles were blocked was unexpected," Ghost Emperor said gravely.
Among the other figures, one wore a mocking smile, while two others adopted an attitude of enjoying the spectacle.
Such excuses had been repeated countless times.
"Our estimates of the Godslayer Missile's power weren't wrong. What we didn't expect was the strength of the Golden Ancient Tree, along with the Tang Sect possibly possessing power left behind by the Sea God."
Ghost Emperor grew increasingly frustrated and finally couldn't help but reveal the entire truth.
Upon hearing Ghost Emperor's words, even the shadowy figure hiding in the darkness, whose face had never been revealed, experienced fluctuations in soul power.
It seemed the mention of the Sea God had triggered a profound reaction.
"Can we confirm that it was the Sea God's power?"
"I've never interacted with the Sea God, so how can I be absolutely sure? But it was definitely divine power, and not just any ordinary deity," Ghost Emperor said sternly.
"Enough. If the Godslayer Missiles didn't kill enough, then let's orchestrate more attacks. There's no need to restrain those under us anymore."
The cold voice of the Demon Emperor emerged from the darkness.
She didn't utter phrases like sacrificing subordinates being acceptable.
Neither Ghost Emperor, Underworld Emperor, nor the two Heavenly Kings questioned her words.
Evil soul masters were inherently wicked, with killing being their nature. Even if death was certain, they couldn't resist their murderous impulses, seeking to create catastrophic disasters.
This was the essence of an evil soul master.
All of them were twisted beings unable to control themselves.
Awakening their martial souls at six years old and constantly training under the influence of evil martial souls, who could withstand the distortion of a soul master's cognition and character?
And this was just part of the issue.
Even those who developed evil martial souls later in life—just the fact that they mutated into evil martial souls spoke volumes about the soul master's inherent character.
Whether born with evil martial souls or developing them later, the resulting evil soul masters were all twisted beings incapable of self-control.
Such evil soul masters, even in death, sought to bring calamity upon society, even perceiving their actions as artistic creation.
Thus, though the Demon Emperor's words were cold, they were faultless. Even the high-ranking evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Sect voiced no objections.
Currently, the existence of the Holy Spirit Sect constrained the vast population of evil soul masters, with the intent of concentrating their destructive potential to erupt all at once, creating even more terrifying effects.
For decades, the Holy Spirit Sect had played a positive role, but ultimately, its purpose remained anti-social.
That was the true horror of it.
Because it served a function, the Federation, despite fully understanding its dangers, still had factions that chose to leave this cult intact, nurturing its growth to allow the Holy Spirit Sect to restrain even more evil soul masters.
Generations had successfully withstood the disasters wrought by the Holy Spirit Sect, so even if it erupted again, it wasn't unmanageable.
And besides, once I'm gone, what do I care if the world drowns in chaos? What does it have to do with me?
Collaborating with a tiger, yet there were always those who chose this path.
"Additionally, there's news from the Abyss side. The previous Abyssal passage underwent a mutation, forming a peculiar space. In the universe, this phenomenon is called a Stellar Anomaly, which nurtures unique divine objects. Even the lowest-tier ones are god-level, granting ordinary lifeforms the most basic benefit of ascending to godhood."
The Demon Emperor's next words caught the attention of the Ghost Emperor and Underworld Emperor.
Their reactions were the most intense.
The remaining two Heavenly Kings also reacted, though not with the same desperate fervor of those trapped at their limits, unable to break through.
"The Abyssal Sage King's words should be true, but whether they'll share anything with us is another matter entirely," Ghost Emperor said.
"That's right. The Abyss cannot be trusted, but cooperation is still possible. In the end, it'll be based on individual capabilities," Underworld Emperor supported Ghost Emperor's statement.
"Their intention isn't to share the treasures equally with us, nor do they need our help in seizing them," the Demon Emperor's voice carried no emotional fluctuation.
"If they don't need us to seize anything, why are they sharing this information with us?"
Ghost Emperor didn't believe the Abyss would be so kind as to merely share intelligence.
They must be expecting the Holy Spirit Sect to shoulder some burden for them.
However, they claim no cooperation is needed?
Is this preparation to use the Holy Spirit Sect as free labor?
Although he understood this point, he didn't care. He was only concerned about the target that could attract them as free labor.
"The Stellar Phenomenon site is suspected to be capable of birthing a third Plane Master," the Demon Emperor said in a soft, eerie voice.
She placed great value on this position.
Only she knew how many difficulties she would face in becoming a god.
First, breaking through from Level 99 to Level 100 already exceeded the plane's limits. She had to complete the breakthrough while masking her presence so the plane wouldn't reject her, and then stabilize her realm.
This seemed like the hardest part, but in reality, it was only difficult for human soul masters.
She wasn't a human soul master.
Therefore, she also needed to overcome the issue of soul beasts not being able to ascend to godhood.
Even after preparing for twenty thousand years, she still didn't have absolute certainty.
The position of Plane Master was an excellent opportunity that might solve all her problems at once.
However, for now, all the positions of Plane Masters she could aspire to were already occupied.
Douluo Planet unknowingly gained a Plane Master, and the Abyss didn't need to be mentioned—it was completely under the control of the Abyssal Sage King.
Originally, she had planned for twenty thousand years and already devised a strategy to conceal her breakthrough to Level 100. However, she felt her ceiling was low, estimating that even if she broke through to godhood, she would likely remain stuck at Level 100 forever and dared not continue advancing.
It wasn't until she learned about Plane Masters that she saw a glimmer of hope.
But when she discovered Douluo Planet already had an owner, that faint hope was extinguished.
Six thousand years ago, when the Abyss descended, her hope reignited. By cooperating with the Abyss, there was a chance to take over a lifeless plane after resolving the issue of Douluo Planet.
Even if the plane lost its vitality, it should still have some effect. What she needed was simply to bypass her own numerous issues. Even if she couldn't ascend directly to greatness through the identity of a Plane Master, it didn't matter. At least she would bypass the barrier of being unable to become a god, and afterward, she could roam around devouring everything until she gained the strength for revenge.
Over six thousand years, her ambition changed, and gradually she set her sights back on the Abyss.
With every collaboration, the Abyssal Sage King plotted and laid out plans, and she quietly prepared her final trump card.
"The emergence of the Stellar Phenomenon has caused two planes to show signs of fusion. A plane that combines both energy and material characteristics seems non-existent in the universe, at least among planes naturally formed by conventional cosmic processes. In this soon-to-be-born new plane, there are three positions for Plane Masters: the Abyss can occupy one, Douluo Planet another, and the Stellar Phenomenon node can produce an unconventional Plane Master."
As the Demon Emperor spoke, the eyes of the Ghost Emperor and Underworld Emperor flickered.
Sure enough, the Abyss wasn't offering tangible benefits but had provided information—a piece of information that would absolutely draw them in and ensnare them.
---
Spirit Pagoda Headquarters
Gu Yue's Cultivation Room
Three figures flashed into the room, kneeling respectfully on one knee.
"Master."
Gu Yue faced away from the three figures, her voice cold and distant.
"How are the arrangements proceeding?"
"They've been carried out according to your orders," Di Tian replied.
A trace of hesitation flickered in his golden eyes, but without delay, he asked, "Master, the construction of the Beast Arena is crucial to our soul beast revival plan. We've completed all the prerequisites. Why halt the plan at this critical juncture?"
They had even contacted those two individuals who had once traveled to the God Realm and secured their agreement to guard the Beast Arena.
Yet at this pivotal moment, Gu Yue, their master and the architect of the entire plan, suddenly ordered a suspension of everything.
"Because there's a better option," Gu Yue responded, not acting arbitrarily, but offering Di Tian an explanation.
A better option?
Di Tian raised his head, looking at Gu Yue's silhouette, his eyes flashing with surprise.
Could there really be a better option?
"We became so obsessed with reviving the soul beasts that we overlooked the threat of the Abyss invasion—a point I neglected in my planning. Recently, the spatial channel between the Abyss and Douluo Planet underwent a mutation. My teacher received the news that it transformed into a Stellar Phenomenon."
"A Stellar Phenomenon!" Di Tian exclaimed.
How could a normal spatial channel evolve into a Stellar Phenomenon?
Who tampered with the spatial channel?
And how dare someone have the audacity to create such an anomaly?
"My teacher analyzed the data transmitted by the Blood God Legion. That area is spatially sensitive—illusory yet real, real yet illusory—and unexpectedly similar to the principles of the Spirit Ascension Platform's space. Moreover, it perfectly aligns with our Beast Arena plan."
Gu Yue gazed through the window toward a specific direction—the location of the Endless Mountains.
"A space situated between illusion and reality? Can such a Stellar Phenomenon, born at the intersection of two planes' spatial channels, truly endure for long? And the entanglement between the two planes and this Stellar Phenomenon will undoubtedly be extremely troublesome."
"Therefore, we must compete for it." Gu Yue's gaze turned sharp.
She turned around to face the three ferocious beasts behind her.
"The revival of the soul beast race doesn't depend solely on us. It also requires the efforts of the revived soul beasts themselves. The struggle for territory and the expansion of living space require the efforts of the entire race, not just me alone."
"Master is wise!" Di Tian and the others could only flatter her.
Unfortunately, Gu Yue showed no reaction to their words. She retracted the oppressive aura she had unconsciously released earlier, turned back, and continued staring at the direction of the Endless Mountains.
The Beast Arena could only be man-made.
But the Stellar Phenomenon was unpredictable. It might continue evolving, and the future looked even brighter.
"My teacher has already dispatched professional researchers to explore the area and attempt spatial compression technology in this sensitive environment. If successful, even though it may appear to be just the range of a spatial channel, its interior could be expanded into a vast plane!"
Di Tian, Xiong Jun, and Bi Ji behind him showed no dissatisfaction.
Only initial confusion lingered.
From the moment they learned of the Stellar Phenomenon, they harbored no disobedience.
On the contrary, the more they understood it, the more elated they became.
This was equivalent to gaining an unclaimed, entirely new world?
Hiss~
The birth of this Stellar Phenomenon was tailor-made for the revival of soul beasts!
"Prepare to participate in the competition for the Stellar Phenomenon. The Blood God Legion hasn't just requested support from the Spirit Pagoda; the War God Hall, Shrek Academy, and various secluded sects and families will also send strong reinforcements."
"Rest assured, Master. Backed by the Spirit Pagoda and with our assistance, the establishment of the Beast World will proceed without any issues!" Di Tian declared solemnly.
After speaking, he left with Xiong Jun and Bi Ji.
Now, he had to go negotiate with those two outsiders.
The Beast Arena plan was replaced by the Beast World plan!
On this Douluo Planet, the various forces aware of the Blood God Legion's existence each had their own thoughts.
Among them, the secluded sects began revealing their tracks.
The Hao Tian Sect, Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, and Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, these top-tier sects and families that disappeared from history two hundred thousand years ago, were gradually showcasing the accumulated strength they had amassed over these long ages.
In addition to these three top sects from two hundred thousand years ago, other forces like the Moonlight Sect, which possessed Limit Douluos, also showed interest in the Stellar Phenomenon site.
The entire continent was rife with undercurrents.
All eyes converged on the Stellar Phenomenon.
---
Endless Mountains
Blood God Legion
Xu Yuan once again answered the call.
"Xiao Yuan, the results are out. The suppressant's effects match your hypothesis. The cost for deeply asleep individuals to regain consciousness will be greater."
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