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Bai Xu had already mastered numerous techniques, most of which were derived from his own understanding of the world. Now, with newfound insights into time and space, his abilities had advanced to another level.
Many of Bai Xu's techniques were inspired by the principles and behaviors of natural organisms. For instance, the willow tree—its drifting catkins, those snow-white tufts, were the absolute bane of abyssal creatures. But now... this technique had been refined even further.
Inside the room, Bai Xu sat cross-legged, a verdant willow tree manifesting behind him. Its branches stretched out, and catkins scattered endlessly into the air. Strangely, however... these catkins did not float gently as before. Instead, they took root in the void, their presence causing the surrounding space to fracture and collapse.
Every new path of comprehension could be fused with his existing techniques. As his methods continued to improve step by step, they would become another key to reaching the pinnacle.
"Still... the spatial fabric of Douluo Continent is truly fragile. Even my current techniques can easily tear through it," Bai Xu muttered, watching as the fractured space in the room slowly mended. "And time..."
As he pondered, fragments of time and space began swirling around him once more, enveloping his entire body. It seemed to be a peculiar state, but Bai Xu's understanding of it was still shallow—not yet refined into a formal technique.
The Spirit of the Plane suddenly materialized before him. "My lord, you truly live up to being an otherworldly demon! To have gained such insights into these two great Daos in just a few days..."
"Enough flattery. I have a question for you," Bai Xu cut in, ignoring the Spirit's obsequious tone.
"Please speak, my lord."
"Once I reach rank 90, we will separate. At that point, all the soul power within me will return to you. Will you then exist in the form of a soul master?" Bai Xu asked.
"Yes, my lord. By then... well... you may be exposed to the gaze of the Plane's Master."
"Explain in detail," Bai Xu pressed.
"If a plane lacks its own consciousness, it pays little attention to otherworldly demons. But for someone like Tang Hao, who has usurped control... without my protection, he would instantly sense that you are neither a soul master nor a native of Douluo Continent. The innate aura of an outsider cannot be concealed."
"I see... By the way, how do you cultivate yourself?" As he spoke, Bai Xu summoned the two soul spirits within him. These two had little presence, but upon appearing, they immediately grew affectionate toward Bai Xu and the Plane's Spirit.
"My cultivation defies common sense—I don't even need to condense a soul core. If you assist me, my lord, I may be able to reclaim some of the plane's authority from Tang Hao. And there's still the Demon Plane to consider. If that fails..." The Plane's Spirit had already made ample calculations.
"Heh, since you put it that way..." A sinister grin spread across Bai Xu's face as a scheme formed in his mind.
Tang Hao, the Plane's Master, could not act recklessly. As the final trump card in Tang San's ten-thousand-year plan, he was the decisive weapon against the Abyss Sage Emperor. If the Abyss Sage Emperor detected his presence prematurely, it was uncertain whether the invasion would even proceed.
"Speaking of which... what are your thoughts on humanity as it is now? I may come into conflict with them in the future." Bai Xu sought the Plane's Spirit's opinion.
The Spirit flicked its tail and replied, "My lord, you overestimate the situation. At most, it would be the soul masters of the major factions—hardly all of humanity."
Its words were veiled, but they conveyed a clear determination to aid Bai Xu—and itself.
Just then, Bai Xu's Blood God Ring suddenly flashed, transmitting a message summoning him to the Blood God Camp.
Rising slowly, he asked one final question: "If I fail in the future, what will you do?"
"Then I can only fade away with you, my lord. Let Douluo Continent be left to their own devices. In my next life, I hope to encounter at least a few normal people, not petty thieves who steal my authority. You, my lord, are already an anomaly. I had expected to fade away in solitude—your acknowledgment alone is more than I could have hoped for."
---
Blood God Camp.
Bai Xu stood before Blood One and the Legion Commander, seated at the head of the room, and saluted respectfully.
"Ah, Bai Xu," Blood One began with a chuckle. "The reason we called you here is that our Legion Commander wishes to meet the Blood God Camp's... 'external member.'" He emphasized the last two words, as if teasing Zhang Huanyun.
"Greetings, Legion Commander," Bai Xu said.
"Mm. Bai Xu, I'll be brief—may I witness your techniques firsthand?" Zhang Huanyun cut straight to the point.
"Sure." Bai Xu was not one for unnecessary words. He immediately formed a hand seal.
The air filled with drifting willow catkins, swiftly enveloping Zhang Huanyun. He reached out, brushing his fingers against the soft tufts, but unlike the lethal force recorded in reports, they merely rippled past his hand, carrying the gentle breath of spring. Then, with a surge of soul power, he effortlessly dissolved one of the catkins into nothingness, silently evaluating its properties.
"Excellent! No wonder you've been sighted at every Abyssal Tide—this is nothing short of a natural disaster for low-tier abyssal creatures! Good! From now on, you, Tang Wulin, and Gu Yuena will each oversee different battlefronts. With you three present, we might truly reverse the tide against the Abyss!"
"Understood."
Bai Xu's heart remained unmoved, his emotions placid.
---
The nights in the Endless Mountains were bitterly cold, with temperatures plunging below negative fifty degrees Celsius. The landscape was blanketed in endless snow, but if one were to observe the energy in the air with specialized instruments, they would notice a vortex forming above the Blood God Legion—a whirlpool that devoured the surrounding heaven and earth energy.
Like a funnel, its tail poured directly into the Blood God Camp's dormitories. This vortex had persisted for nearly an entire day and night.
Finally, the first light of dawn crept over the horizon, the dark sky shifting into deep blue as a new day approached.
Inside Bai Xu's dormitory, he could sense an overwhelming surge of vitality enveloping the Blood God Legion.
Tang Wulin, meanwhile, was completely unaware of the situation—his body had temporarily slipped beyond his control.
Unable to contact the Qiluo Tulip, he only felt as though a hole had opened on his forehead, a bottomless abyss that voraciously devoured all surrounding energy. This energy poured relentlessly into the Seed of Nature he sensed within himself.
The Seed of Nature released dense waves of life energy, nourishing his body while simultaneously expanding outward to revitalize the world around it. At the same time, it seemed to struggle, as if searching for something.
The rich life energy benefited Tang Wulin the most, as it first passed through his body, allowing him to absorb its essence before radiating outward.
Blood Two, Blood Four, Blood Five, Blood Six, Blood Seven, Blood Eight, and Blood Nine, along with all other legionnaires at or above the Title Douluo level, had already taken to the skies.
The life energy was rejuvenating every member of the Blood God Legion.
...Except Bai Xu.
Pushing open the window, he murmured, "The Seed of Nature... has sprouted? Now the entire Blood God Legion owes Tang Wulin a tremendous favor. An opportunity like this isn't something one can simply wish for."
At the same time, he soothed the agitatedDa Huang in his arms. Baring its teeth, it nearly erupted into curses: "That was originally my Heart of Nature! First stolen to become the Golden Ancient Tree for ten thousand years, and now reduced to a seed..."
The Plane's Spirit was steeped in bitterness, unshed tears glistening in its eyes. It had truly suffered, dismantled piece by piece until nothing remained but these scattered remnants.
"Don't worry," Bai Xu reassured. "I've made further progress—I've now reached the final stage of the Foot's Three Yin Meridians, the Supreme Yin." As he spoke, a wisp of cyan energy flickered in his palm, contrasting against the life energy flooding the Blood God Legion.
The Plane's Spirit made no move to reclaim the Seed of Nature. Wiping away its tears, it feigned composure and uttered words that nearly made Bai Xu stumble:
"Whatever. The otherworldly demon will handle it."