Another world? Ten thousand years later? The Lu Jingming before them, and his extraordinary companions, were actually travelers from another world.
And those suddenly appearing powerhouses were also people from another world.
"Wait—you just said… Shrek Academy?"
Huo Wu shot up from her seat, her beautiful eyes round with shock, her voice jumping an octave.
"Do you mean that Shrek Academy? The one with only a handful of teachers, shabby school buildings, and so poor-looking even when entering a soul master tournament?"
She repeated herself in disbelief, as if chewing the words to swallow them, yet still unable to digest their meaning.
"And you're saying that ten thousand years later… it's the continent's number-one academy?"
Although the last Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament had been cut short due to Lu Jingming's interference, Huo Wu certainly knew Shrek by name.
Precisely because she knew of it, she found it even harder to imagine—the academy that looked unremarkable, even run-down, could endure not only without vanishing over ten millennia, but grow into a colossus standing atop the continent?
Feng Xiaotian and Shui Bing'er finally caught up, their faces equally incredulous.
Feng Xiaotian's usual carefree smile had vanished, replaced by deep thought.
Shui Bing'er's ice-blue eyes surged with emotion. Her slender fingers unconsciously tightened on the armrest.
Ten thousand years of legacy. The continent's foremost academy.
Those few simple words contained a depth of heritage, honor, and resilience sufficient to set any soul master clan or great power dreaming—and inspire a sense of awe.
Even a force as ascendant as the present Spirit Hall had existed for only a few thousand years. Who could guarantee its glory would last ten thousand?
Yet Shrek—that seemingly unremarkable academy—had done it.
Watching the vivid play of expressions on their faces, a faint, subtle smile flickered through Lu Jingming's eyes.
He even had the mischievous thought that, if he told them that in the original timeline their statues would stand in Shrek's plaza ten thousand years later to be revered by students, the uproar would be something to see.
But remembering that today's Shrek in the far future had already been destroyed—and those statues likely… He pressed down the thought; there was no point raising it now.
"So that's why Spirit Hall's meticulous soul-hunting kept failing, why the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan could be preserved, and why the Heaven Dou Empire managed to keep a sliver of hope as it toppled."
Huo Wu murmured, trying to sort through the tangled threads until she reached a conclusion that left even her dazed.
"All of these variables… trace back to the intervention of Shrek Academy from a parallel world ten thousand years in the future?"
It sounded absurd, yet logically explained every anomaly.
Feng Xiaotian took a deep breath and forcibly pressed down the surging waves in his heart. As the relatively steadier of the three, he grasped the key point and looked sharply at Lu Jingming.
"Brother Lu, you wouldn't reveal such a sensational truth on a whim. May I ask—why tell us now?"
He believed Lu Jingming had a clear purpose.
Lu Jingming shot him an approving look. His expression settled into candor and gravity.
"The reason is simple. The barrier between our worlds has been greatly weakened by certain events. Xuan Zi and his group are only the beginning, not the end."
His gaze swept over Shui Bing'er, Huo Wu, and Feng Xiaotian. His tone was steady:
"The overlap between the two parallel worlds will become more frequent and more profound. There's no longer any need to keep this from you. Doing so might leave you passive in the upheavals to come."
He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in.
He knew the spacetime passage in Mingdu was stable. Though the Sun Moon Empire was currently too busy with internal consolidation and war preparations, exploring the world on the other side would be only a matter of time.
When that happened, knowledge, technology, power—and conflict—from that world would pour into this one.
"Since you chose to follow me and joined the Jade Chamber, you are acknowledged by me."
Lu Jingming said calmly, "I want you to know all this early and prepare yourselves mentally. This is not only a crisis—it's an unprecedented opportunity."
Light flashed in his eyes.
"In this tide that sweeps across two worlds, those who stand still will be eliminated. Those who can see clearly and embrace change will ride the winds and waves."
"I hope you seize this chance. Leverage the resources and trials brought by these intersecting timespaces to continually improve yourselves. In the future, Haiyuan City will need stand-alone powerhouses, pillars who can support a new order—and you have that potential."
"Haiyuan City…?"
Feng Xiaotian repeated the unfamiliar name softly, a glint of understanding in his deep eyes.
He drew a deep breath, suppressing the great shock brought by the parallel-world revelations. Reason quickly returned as he asked in a low voice:
"Brother Lu, is this the true name of your faction?"
"Indeed."
Lu Jingming smiled, his gaze passing over the three young soul masters.
"From the moment you chose to join the Jade Chamber, your fates became intertwined with Haiyuan City. You could say you have long been members of Haiyuan City—only today do you truly learn its name."
His words were mild, but carried a peculiar weight.
Among the three, Shui Bing'er was the first to fully regain her calm.
The surges in her ice-blue eyes settled, and she recovered her usual clarity and acuity.
As the strongest and most gifted of the three, and the one with the most leadership potential, she swiftly recalibrated her assessment of the situation.
Elysia's private guidance had not only elevated her strength, but broadened her horizons.
She nodded slightly, her voice clear and firm:
"I understand. Mr. Lu, please rest assured: since we are protected by Haiyuan City and enjoy its resources, we will strive with all our might and not fail your expectations and cultivation."
Her thoughts turned quickly and lucidly.
Amid these tectonic shifts on the continent and god-level powerhouses stepping onto the stage, their academies and families were like tiny boats in a raging sea, their fate uncertain.
Yet reality had provided the best answer—even the deified Qian Renxue chose respect and even concessions when facing the Jade Chamber and its affiliated forces tied to Lu Jingming.
Skywater City had changed hands, but Skywater Academy and the Shui family's status remained unshaken. That alone was a silent proof.
Even gods gave him face.
That realization completely steadied her heart.
Following Lu Jingming was not only the wisest choice for now—it was the only path to a wider world.
What's more, looking back, since cooperating with the Jade Chamber, the benefits they'd received were real and transformative.
Those powerful soul tools, the rare and precious spirit bones, the stigmas that could substitute for soul beasts—these resources not only nourished their personal growth, but also transformed their family foundations.
Elders long stuck at bottlenecks had even glimpsed hope of breaking through to Title Douluo.
All of this was brought by Lu Jingming.
With such grace and such formidable strength worthy of entrusting the future—what was there to hesitate over?
Huo Wu and Feng Xiaotian met each other's eyes and found the same resolve reflected within.
Though fiery and straightforward, Huo Wu knew how to weigh pros and cons. With great benefits and a clear future before her, she understood what to choose.
Feng Xiaotian, even more clear-headed, grasped the crux immediately.
Following someone capable of crossing spacetime and inspiring awe in deities was a tremendous opportunity in itself.
"Rest assured, Brother Lu—we will do our utmost."
The two spoke almost in unison with solemn pledges.
In that moment, they were no longer merely academy prodigies or family heirs—they were members of Haiyuan City.
Seeing the three young soul masters swiftly steady themselves, their gazes firming, Lu Jingming nodded in satisfaction.
Heroes are born of troubled times—and the stage he could provide was far broader than anyone of this era could imagine.
By sheltering them under his wing and granting them resources and protection, he hoped they would rapidly grow, amid this cross-world tide, into the pillars he needed—people who could stand on their own.
"Good."
Lu Jingming's voice held a note of encouragement.
"Remember today's choice. Haiyuan City's future needs your strength, and your names will be passed down through the ages because of Haiyuan City."
Shortly after Lu Jingming revealed the world's truth to Shui Bing'er and the others, a sacred, vast aura descended over Skywater City without warning, coming straight for the Jade Chamber, unhidden.
Those within the pavilion felt it immediately. Gu Yuena was about to rise, but Lu Jingming waved a hand with a smile: "No need. An old friend has arrived."
Before he finished, the reception hall's door was gently pushed open.
A breathtaking figure bathed in the light streaming through the window stepped in—golden hair like a waterfall, eyes like stars, exuding an ineffable nobility and majesty. It was none other than Qian Renxue, now an Angel God.
She had clearly come in a rush; even her divine regalia had not fully withdrawn. The faint, divine pressure made Shui Bing'er and the others feel a pang of awe. They quickly stood and bowed.
Qian Renxue's gaze passed over everyone and landed directly on Lu Jingming at the head seat. Complex emotions flickered in her sacred eyes—expectation and joy.
She had been waiting for his return. The network she laid in Skywater had finally brought definite news.
"Brother Lu."
Her voice was still melodious, but it carried a divine ethereality and distance now—though that distance notably softened when she faced Lu Jingming.
"You've finally returned."
Lu Jingming regarded the familiar acquaintance who now bore a transformed aura with interest, a teasing smile on his face. He didn't rise; instead, he spoke in a tone of easy familiarity:
"My, my… three days apart and one must view you anew. After just a short separation, Brother Xue has become the exalted Angel God. I wonder what I should call you now—keep calling you Brother Xue, or perhaps Miss Xue… or should I use something more befitting your current status?"
He deliberately emphasized "Brother Xue," his eyes playful, clearly reminding her that when they first met, Qian Renxue had been the refined and courteous Crown Prince Xue Qinghe.
At his words, a faint blush flashed across Qian Renxue's fair cheeks, quickly replaced by helplessness and a hint of mock reproach.
Naturally, she heard the teasing in his tone. If anyone else dared bring up her past disguise so lightly, they would have incurred divine wrath.
But before Lu Jingming, she felt no anger—only a rare sense of ease.
In front of this man, she didn't have to keep the perfect mask of an Angel God on at all times.
"Brother Lu!"
She lightly frowned and cut off his teasing with mock annoyance.
"Call me whatever you like. You've never really cared about such empty formalities anyway."
Though she had become a god, Qian Renxue still couldn't see through Lu Jingming. Coupled with her prior goodwill, she did not adopt a lofty divine posture with him.
In her heart, Lu Jingming was one of the few before whom she could lower part of her guard and be more genuine.
Shui Bing'er, Huo Wu, and Feng Xiaotian held their breath to the side, their hearts surging.
They had witnessed a deity revealing such a… human side before Lu Jingming.
Not only did he dare tease a god—this Angel God truly didn't mind.
This further affirmed their earlier judgment: following Lu Jingming was absolutely the right choice.
Seeing the moment was right, Lu Jingming laughed and let it go. "Just a joke. Sister Xue it is. Congratulations on becoming the Angel God, transcending the mundane."
His tone became more sincere.
Yet hearing his sincere congratulations, Qian Renxue's exquisite face did not show joy. Instead, a shadow that wouldn't disperse fell over it.
A bitter arc tugged at her lips, and the sacred golden light in her eyes dimmed slightly.
"Congratulations?"
She repeated softly, with a faint tremor in her voice.
"Brother Lu… the price for this godhood… was too great."
She seemed to have found someone she could confide in. No longer maintaining the lofty posture of a deity, her tone revealed fatigue and sorrow:
"For the Angel God's inheritance, I lost too much."
Qian Renxue's expression darkened, sadness in her eyes. The grandfather who had given her the most love and support since childhood had willingly sacrificed himself for her godhood. This was the deepest pain in her heart.
Even if she didn't want to, to oppose the ever-strengthening negative-energy entities, to check Bibi Dong, and for the Spirit Hall, she had to become the Angel God.
Only by becoming a god could she stop Bibi Dong—now the Rakshasa God—from doing evil and endangering the Douluo Continent. Only as a god could she cleanse the increasingly numerous nodes of negative energy.