"After you two went into seclusion, all four remaining regiments of the Hand of the Nation's soul engineer legions—aside from the Sun Moon Imperial Soul Engineer Legion—were dispatched to the Mingdou Mountains.
But contrary to what we expected, the three nations that once formed the Douluo Continent actually struck first, launching the attack ahead of us!"
Kong Deming was briefing Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong on the current situation.
"They dared to take the initiative?" Jiang Shengyu was startled, clearly surprised.
Qingtong immediately asked, "Was it that man named Niu Tian leading them?"
Kong Deming shook his head. "No. It was Xue Yu, Prince of the Heavenly Soul Empire—commander of their entire army."
"A single Super Douluo leading the charge? Could it be that…"
As soon as Kong Deming mentioned Xue Yu's name, Jiang Shengyu's expression changed—he had already guessed what that meant.
Kong Deming nodded gravely. "Yes. That Xue Yu possesses the strength of an Ultimate Douluo. Most likely, this power came from that man named Niu Tian—just as that Elder Song suddenly unleashed Ultimate Douluo strength before."
"The protection of the Sea God's power…"
Jiang Qingtong's brows furrowed deeply. "If that's the case, then it won't just be the Heavenly Soul Empire!"
"At present," Kong Deming said, "we've confirmed that both the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Star Luo Empire each have Ultimate Douluo-level powerhouses. As for the Dou Ling Empire and Shrek Academy, their current status remains unclear."
Jiang Shengyu sighed. "If both the Heavenly Soul and Star Luo Empires have them, there's no way Shrek Academy won't."
Lifting his head, he gazed toward the sky, as though trying to see beyond the black clouds shrouding it, and murmured,
"Sea God Tang San… To control the entire continent, you would even go this far?"
"The power that the gods wield truly surpasses our imagination," the Snow Empress said softly, reminding them, "and I doubt that those Ultimate Douluo are their only trump cards."
Jiang Shengyu quickly nodded. "You're right. The Sea God isn't the only deity who once walked this land. We may have to prepare ourselves to face many who bear the blessings of different gods in the future!"
"To stand against the gods with only the strength of the Sun Moon Empire—now that would be a feat never before seen in history!"
Kong Deming actually laughed, not out of arrogance, but with the calmness of someone who had lived long enough to fear nothing anymore.
"Teacher," Jiang Shengyu said after a moment's thought, "gather all the Rank-9 Soul Engineers still here in Mingdu. Summon representatives from the Tang Sect, the Body Sect, and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to attend as well."
Kong Deming acknowledged the order and went to carry it out.
Compared to before their seclusion, there were now fewer than ten level-9 Soul Engineers remaining in Mingdu. Around twenty others were already deployed—some patrolling the Sun Moon Empire, others stationed at the Mingdou Mountains to guard against the three nations of the former Douluo Continent.
When Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong entered the grand hall, the dazzling flow of their yin-yang complementary soul power left Du Bushi utterly stunned.
"You two… you've condensed your Soul Cores? And they've achieved a yin–yang complementarity between them? That's impossible!"
Qingtong smiled gently. "Senior, turning the impossible into the possible—that's precisely what we're doing now. So don't be too shocked."
But how could anyone take that explanation at face value?
Whose Soul Core could possibly complement another's?!
Du Bushi's eyes followed the pair intently, trying to discern more, but before he could, the Snow Empress stepped forward, blocking his view.
Jiang Shengyu walked up to the throne and sat down, looking over the gathered figures below him.
"Everyone," he began, "the three nations of the former Douluo Continent have produced Ultimate Douluo—and more than one. I'm sure some of you have already heard the rumors. If not, that's fine; you'll hear it from me now.
They have Ultimate Douluo among them—and there will likely be even more in the future."
His words made several of the level 9 Soul Engineers exchange startled glances.
"But it doesn't matter," Jiang Shengyu said lightly, his tone suddenly casual. "It's just an Ultimate Douluo. It's not as though we haven't killed one before."
At that, a few of the gathered masters couldn't help but smile wryly. His confidence was contagious.
"In the legends of this continent, the original Seven Shrek Monsters all became gods. The transformations now sweeping across the former Douluo lands are all the work of Sea God Tang San.
And in the days to come, other deities will surely intervene as well. You must all be prepared."
He spoke plainly, hiding nothing.
To know why one fights, whom one fights, and what the outcome might be—and still charge forward without hesitation… only such people can truly shape the future.
Looking at the crowd's determined faces, Jiang Shengyu continued:
"Don't worry. I won't have you face the gods unarmed. We too… have our own means."
As he spoke, he withdrew a large number of Immortal Herbs from his storage soul tool. These were the plants he had harvested from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, preserved in stasis to maintain their vitality as if freshly picked.
Even many of the younger herbs had been stored together with their surrounding soil to ensure their survival and the possibility of replanting them later.
"These immortal herbs all grow at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, and each possesses miraculous effects! The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda's evolution into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda was thanks to one of them—a plant called the Qiluo Tulip!
Even ten thousand years ago, when the first generation of the Shrek Seven Monsters ascended to godhood, these immortal herbs played a vital role."
As Jiang Shengyu introduced the names and functions of the herbs, he handed them all to Kong Deming. "Try applying soul tool technology to cultivate and reproduce these herbs—boost their yield."
He could have easily handed the herbs privately to Mingde Hall for research, but instead, he chose to reveal them publicly—to inspire confidence among the people.
Faith built on empty slogans would eventually fade; only by continually renewing their hope could morale remain strong.
Among the crowd, Ning Haoyu's gaze fixed on the cluster of Qiluo Tulips, unable to look away.
So many of them! Though they seemed less mature than the one Jiang Shengyu had once given to Ning Tian, even these could surely induce a qualitative evolution in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda! Perhaps not a full nine-story tower—but eight stories should be within reach!
After lifting everyone's spirits, Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong paid a long-awaited visit to the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Academy.
Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen had both reached the sixty-ninth level—one step away from breaking through to the Soul Sage realm.
The astonishing speed of Jiang Shengyu and Jiang Qingtong's growth had spurred the siblings to train with renewed fervor. Without compromising their future potential, they pushed their talents to the limit, cultivating as though possessed.
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