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...The afternoon sun spilled onto the streets of Heaven Dou City, coating this technologically advanced metropolis in a layer of gold.
At the entrance of a restaurant, Xuan Ming's group had just stepped out.
Right then, a gentle sea-blue light descended from the sky, like a passing breeze.
As the light dissipated, Bo Saixi appeared before everyone, clad in blue-gold robes and holding the sea gods scepter.
She had actually entered Douluo Star a step ahead of Bibi Dong and the others.
However, as the Sea God, the first thing she did upon returning was to go to Sea God Island to stabilize the divine force barrier, preventing God King-level power fluctuations from affecting the ocean too much.
Having handled the affairs in her own "backyard," she hurried to Heaven Dou City to meet up.
The moment she saw Xuan Ming, even the habitually dignified and steady Bo Saixi couldn't help but have ripples of emotion in her eyes.
Without a word, she stepped forward quickly and gave Xuan Ming an embrace that carried the scent of the ocean. That embrace wasn't as deep as Bibi Dong's, nor as fiery as Qian Renxue's, but rather a kind of water-like inclusion and peace.
"Long time no see."
Xuan Ming gently patted her back and smiled.
"Long time no see." Bo Saixi released him, a gentle smile on her face, "You're finally awake."
Side by side, everyone strolled through the streets of the Mortal Realm.
Xuan Ming wasn't in a hurry to discuss those troublesome church issues on Douluo Star. Instead, he asked casually as they walked, "Speaking of which, I was too focused on eating at the table just now. How have you all actually been faring in the God Realm all these years? Are you really as busy as Destruction said, barely having a moment to rest?"
Just as Bibi Dong was about to speak, Xiao Wu, beside her, looked like someone had stepped on her tail and couldn't help but start venting.
"It's more than just barely having a moment to rest!"
Xiao Wu pulled a bitter face and poured out her grievances. "In the beginning, everyone thought being a guardian god in the Lower Realm was quite prestigious—being revered by ten thousand people and being able to play everywhere. But later on..."
"It was basically like being in prison guarding a gate!"
Xiao Wu gestured exaggeratedly. "Before, I thought Cultivating in the God Realm every day was boring, and I wished I could be out playing twenty-four hours a day. But now... I feel like Cultivating is simply the happiest thing in the World! At least I don't have to stare at every move of those Mortals every day, or write those plane observation reports that are as thick as bricks!"
"Reports?" Xuan Ming was stunned.
"Yeah!" Xiao Wu said indignantly. "Sister Dong Dong is simply a devil! She not only makes us watch in shifts but also mandates a detailed plane development report every month. From political landscapes to technological levels, from the number of experts to potential threats—everything, no matter how small, must be written! If even one word is missing, it gets sent back to be rewritten!"
Hearing this, Bibi Dong slightly raised an eyebrow, her deep purple eyes glancing indifferently at Xiao Wu.
"Oh? It seems you have a lot of opinions about my work arrangements?"
Xiao Wu's expression froze, instantly transforming from an "angry youth" into a well-behaved little white rabbit.
"No! No! How could I!"
Xiao Wu shook her head frantically, her face piled with a flattering smile. "Sister Dong Dong is wise and martial! The work arrangements are scientific and reasonable! I... I'm just saying I'm too stupid to grasp Sister's deep meaning, I definitely don't have an opinion!"
What a joke!
Bibi Dong's talent for giving people "small shoes" to wear was unparalleled in the God Realm!
In the past, every time she protested slightly or wanted to slack off, she would be assigned the next day to those most remote, desolate planes where there wasn't even anyone to talk to for an "inspection," under the fine name of "tempering her Mind."
And she'd be gone for half a year, having to write double the reports!
Who could withstand that!
Looking at Xiao Wu's cowardly state, Xuan Ming couldn't help but find it a bit funny. But he couldn't say much about it; after all, Bibi Dong was the one managing the God Realm. If he intervened casually, it would mess up the rules.
Only... "Is there really that much work?"
Xuan Ming was somewhat puzzled. "My original intention was to only step in when a plane-level crisis occurred. Usually, just keeping a general eye on things would suffice. This business of writing reports... isn't it a bit too tedious?"
"Tedious?"
Bibi Dong shook her head, her expression becoming serious. "Xuan Ming, you underestimate the development potential of these Mortal Realm planes, and you underestimate the complexity of human nature."
"If we were merely watching for dangers capable of destroying the World, there naturally wouldn't be much work. We could just send any divine official to watch."
"However, what we want is to nip things in the bud."
Bibi Dong explained, "Many massive disasters start as a negligible spark. For example, a dangerous taboo experiment, the quiet rise of a cult, or the spread of an extremist ideology."
"If we don't discover them early and guide or suppress them, by the time things truly blow up and become a World-ending crisis, even if we can solve it by stepping in then, we'd have to pay a tragic price. It might even cause the civilization of the entire plane to regress by thousands of years."
"So, I have everyone go deep into those Mortal Realms to record every tiny change, then summarize, analyze, and report. If something needs to be resolved in advance, I will directly order a bolt of heavenly lightning to strike down, snuffing the spark in its cradle."
"For everything else, we observe first. We either descend a divine oracle to give the Mortal Realm guidance and warnings, or... we wait until they truly cross the line to carry out judgment."
"The lightning work is all done by my papa!"
Yan Linger, standing to the side, held up the candied haws in her hand and added as if answering a quiz, "Sometimes he even has to strike lightning for a whole month! The sky of that plane was almost struck through by Papa!"
"Destruction Divine Lightning for a whole month?"
Xuan Ming felt his scalp go numb hearing that.
That image... he simply didn't dare imagine it.
Was that heavenly punishment? That was treating that plane like an oven, wasn't it?
"That was a matter of necessity."
Bibi Dong said indifferently, "That plane was conducting a taboo ritual attempting to summon Abyss Demons, involving as many as millions of people. Destruction's barrage of lightning, though it looked terrifying, only destroyed the ritual formation and the masterminds; it didn't harm the innocent."
"Since you want us to manage it, then naturally we must manage it well."
Bibi Dong looked at Xuan Ming, a hint of persistence in her tone. "We can't just glance at it casually; how would that be any different from the free-range approach of the past? Gods who sit high above and only come to clean up the mess after something goes wrong don't deserve to be called guardians."
"Moreover, since the establishment of the Great God Circle, the God Realm's energy has been flowing back. Now, the Mortal Realm planes below are all becoming stronger and evolving."
"Places like Douluo Star are already close to becoming a god star. Other planes are slower, but they are all leaping toward higher levels."
"The stronger the power, the greater the risk of losing control."
"If we don't establish a complete monitoring and management system now, by the time these Mortal Realms all reach the god star level and possess the power to oppose the God Realm, it will be too late to try and manage them."
"At that point, the so-called Great God Circle would turn into a powder keg full of civil wars and chaos."
After listening to Bibi Dong's words, Xuan Ming fell silent.
He had to admit that Bibi Dong was indeed much stronger in management and strategic vision than a hands-off boss like him who only knew how to "overpower everything with raw strength."
She wasn't just executing his orders; she was paving the way for the future of the entire divine system.
"Thank you for your hard work."
Xuan Ming squeezed Bibi Dong's hand. "It seems that handing the God Realm over to you was the most correct decision I've ever made."
The corners of Bibi Dong's mouth curled up, revealing a proud smile.
"Naturally."
"However..."
"While we've done quite well in other planes, your private plot, Douluo Star... seems to have run into a bit of a snag."
"The Angel God Cult and the Sea God Church—those guys acting under our banners are quite the big shots now."
Hearing this, the expressions of Qian Renxue and Bo Saixi both became somewhat unnatural.
After all, those were their believers. When such a scandal occurred, it reflected poorly on them as well.
"Then let's go."
Xuan Ming withdrew his smile, his gaze shifting toward that distant Angel Cathedral which shone brilliantly in the sun yet emitted a faint aura of rot.
"Let's go see just how much these 'big shots' have ruined this World."