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Shrek City, a Remote Palace.
Gu Yuena listened to Di Tian's report. Today, she had come in person to discuss the matter of the small pocket dimension known as the "Ten Thousand Beasts Platform." The strength of Da Ming and Er Ming alone was ultimately insufficient to sustain the operation of the pocket dimension, so they sought the help of the Beast Monarch, hoping to contribute their part.
Di Tian said, "Sovereign, according to the plan, we intend to use the Dragon God Core as the foundation of the Ten Thousand Beasts Platform. This will ensure the stability and longevity of the pocket dimension, and we have already relocated most of the soul beast seeds there."
Gu Yuena rested her cheek lazily on one hand and mused, "Di Tian, do you think it's better for me to expend my strength to split off a spiritual seed to control human soul masters, or should I focus on recovering my power to oppose the Plane Master?"
"This…" Di Tian hesitated. Frankly, after understanding the current state of the continent, controlling human soul masters seemed rather pointless. The Plane Master was an insurmountable obstacle for soul beasts.
"Let's slightly adjust the plan. I won't damage myself to split off a spiritual seed. The Ten Thousand Beasts Platform is still worth it, though. Take the Dragon God Core and instruct those two to take good care of the soul beasts inside. But there's a condition—the Ten Thousand Beasts Platform will still be open to humans in the future. Although the lack of a spiritual seed will significantly reduce our control over human soul masters, it remains a bargaining chip for us."
Di Tian accepted the Dragon God Core and bowed respectfully. "Understood, Sovereign. However… I have a question."
"Speak."
"Given Bai Xu's current abilities, can he achieve our future goals? If not, we…" Di Tian spoke cautiously.
Gu Yuena chuckled. "To be honest, even without the Dragon God Core, I'm no match for him. Moreover, he mentioned that the day of reckoning with the Plane Master is approaching. When that time comes… the entire plane might turn against him. You'll see for yourself then."
---
Nighttime.
Gu Yuena's Room.
Bai Xu's body once again radiated a luminous glow as his meridians were unblocked. The essence of the Five Elements flowed through his meridians, nourishing his entire body. He had reached the Shaoyang stage within the Three Hand Yang Meridians. Gu Yuena watched this strange phenomenon with growing curiosity.
As the essence continued to circulate, the Three Hand Yang Meridians took on a faint, colorful hue. Even through his skin, the pathways inside his body were clearly visible. Unable to resist, Gu Yuena reached out and traced her fingers along Bai Xu's chest, trying to sense the principles behind it.
She asked, "What lies at the end of your meridian-opening cultivation?"
Bai Xu, his brows slightly furrowed, answered, "The end is forging the Five Elements Body. The essence of the five organs flows through the meridians, nourishing and accumulating until a critical point is reached. With a single opportunity, the body undergoes destruction and rebirth, and the Five Elements Body is born." He glanced at the delicate hand wandering across his chest but ultimately suppressed his reaction.
"No matter how many times I hear it, your cultivation method always sounds incredibly profound," Gu Yuena sighed.
Finally, Bai Xu couldn't take it anymore. He stopped his cultivation and grabbed her hand, preventing further exploration. "Do you really think I have no desire for you? If I were to activate the Five Elements Formation, you wouldn't be able to escape. I could restrain you at any moment…"
In one swift motion, he pulled her close. His eyes burned with intensity, as if he was on the verge of losing control and taking her right then and there.
Gu Yuena met his gaze, surprised by his directness. A faint blush colored her cheeks, but her eyes sparkled with mischief. She broke free from his grip, turned away gracefully, and laughed. "I've heard you say that immortals transcend worldly desires, standing above the mundane, looking back upon eternity as they walk the path of the Great Dao alone. How could such beings possibly indulge in mortal affections? Yet seeing you like this today, it seems they're not as unfathomable as you made them out to be."
Bai Xu didn't respond. Instead, he flicked his wrist, and the Five Elements Flags scattered to the four corners of the room. A formation activated, sealing the space.
Realizing he was serious, Gu Yuena panicked. "Wait, Bai Xu! I was just joking!"
But it was too late. Chains of elemental energy coiled around her, dragging her back before him.
Her composure shattered. Her face flushed crimson like a ripe apple, and she struggled futilely against the restraints. A glimmer of moisture appeared in her eyes as she pleaded pitifully, "I—I shouldn't have played with fire… I was just curious about your body…"
Bai Xu scoffed. "Still pretending?"
"Wait!"
As his hand reached for her, she finally dropped the act and sighed. "Alright, I admit it. I was wrong."
True to her expectations, Bai Xu stopped. But his gaze remained fixed on her. With a beauty before him, the night dark and silent, a man and a woman alone in a room—it was hard not for things to escalate.
Seemingly losing control, he pinned her beneath him, their faces inches apart. Softly, he asked, "If I were to continue… would you use the Dragon God Core?"
She averted her eyes, biting her lip. After a long silence, she finally whispered, "You won't continue."
"What if I do? I'm struggling to hold back."
Gu Yuena: "…"
Silence stretched between them.
Eventually, Bai Xu collapsed onto the bed beside her, dispelling the formation. True to her words, he didn't press further. The two lay side by side, staring at the ceiling in wordless companionship.
After a while, Bai Xu spoke. "I think… I've found a way for you to become the Dragon God. Even without devouring the Golden Dragon, you can ascend to the Dragon God's throne—without any risk of conflicting energies."
"What!?" Gu Yuena bolted upright, staring at him in shock. But she quickly composed herself, waiting for his explanation.
"The Golden Dragon and the Silver Dragon are like yin and yang. Your relationship can be explained through the Dao of Yin and Yang. The Golden Dragon inherited the Dragon God's power of destruction, while you inherited the power of creation. As the saying goes: The clash of yin and yang gives birth to all things. All existence in the world follows the principles of yin and yang. We can glimpse the truth of this Dao in all things. Yin and yang oppose each other, yet they also transform into one another. Lone yin cannot exist, solitary yang cannot endure. Extreme yin births yang, extreme yang births yin. This is the Yin-Yang Reversal Art of the Great Dao of Yin and Yang. Perhaps it can restore you to the Dragon God's throne. What do you think?"
Gu Yuena trembled. "You mean… I could independently cultivate the other half of the Dragon God's origin power and become the Dragon God again?"
"Most likely. I haven't fully comprehended it myself—it's a technique one learns after forging the Yin-Yang Body. I've only read about it, but I believe it's possible."
As the texts said, all things contain yin and yang. By understanding their essence, one who masters yin and yang—if they possess only yin or only yang—can naturally cultivate the other half, achieving balance and reaching their peak.
Gu Yuena collapsed onto the bed, her voice tinged with emotion. "Why… why have you helped me so much?"
Bai Xu, his eyes still closed, replied, "I haven't given you anything substantial. Before, it was just words. Today's technique isn't something I can perform—I only shared it because I thought it might help."
"No. To me, this is the greatest help you could've given." Gu Yuena took his hand. "The spirit herbs, the wealth the soul beasts offered you—none of it compares to the information and insights you've shared."
"I don't know how to repay you."
Before Bai Xu could respond, she kissed him, pressing him down with surprising force. He was startled but didn't resist, allowing her to take what she wanted.
---
The Next Day.
The Spirit Soul Research Conference at the Spirit Pagoda.
For once, Qiangu Dongfeng made an appearance. Beside him sat his grandson, Qiangu Zhangting. The moment the young man entered and saw Gu Yuena, he was entranced, so lost in her beauty that he didn't hear a single word of her presentation.
His grandfather wanted to facepalm. How had his once-refined grandson turned into this? Sure, she was stunning, but she already had a boyfriend—one who had been with her even before her transformation.
"Ahem!" Qiangu Dongfeng coughed pointedly, but it had no effect.
When the meeting ended, Zhangting didn't even attempt to approach her.
Qiangu Dongfeng realized with dismay that his grandson was following in his footsteps. Back in the day, he had been infatuated with Leng Yaozhu, who had loved Yun Ming so deeply she vowed never to marry. He had waited in vain for her to change her mind. Now, his grandson was doing the same—falling into unrequited love!
Was this the Qian family's curse?
"Zhangting! What was today's meeting about? Did you even hear the progress report on the ten-thousand-year spirit souls?" Qiangu Dongfeng demanded.
"Ah? What?" Zhangting scratched his head, utterly clueless.
Qiangu Dongfeng snorted. "Have you lost your mind? Is Gu Yuena so captivating that you'd forget everything else?"
"Grandfather, I think she's wonderful! So beautiful, so talented—not just in strength but in intellect too!"
Qiangu Dongfeng: "…"
"What do you plan to do? Steal her from Bai Xu? Zhangting, it's time for you to settle down, but not like this. If she were unattached, I'd even propose on your behalf—she's exceptional. But she and Bai Xu have been together for years. Even if he seems unworthy, it's her choice. Back when she was still Gu Yue, I told you to befriend her. What did you do? You just introduced yourself and never followed up! Now that her martial soul has awakened and her appearance has transformed, you suddenly take interest? Isn't this embarrassing?"
"I…" Zhangting had no rebuttal. It was inappropriate, but he couldn't let go. In his entire life, Gu Yuena was the only woman who had stirred his heart.
He didn't know what to do. He envied Bai Xu but couldn't find any justification for it.
Bai Xu and Gu Yuena were genuinely in love. They had walked out of Eastsea Academy together, experienced Shrek Academy, and now stood side by side in the Spirit Pagoda—childhood sweethearts in every sense.
Moreover, unlike in the original timeline, Gu Yuena hadn't hidden their relationship or manipulated Zhangting's feelings to climb the ranks of the Spirit Pagoda. She hadn't used illusions to deceive Qiangu Dongfeng into trusting her.
Her stance this time was simple: if she could become the Pagoda Master, great. If not, she'd inherit her teacher Leng Yaozhu's position as Vice-Pagoda Master. Either way, once the truth about the Spirit Pagoda's schemes came to light, she'd end up in charge regardless.
Qiangu Dongfeng left. He had much to do—suppressing the forces of Shrek Academy and the Tang Sect wouldn't be easy. He was too busy for this drama; Zhangting would have to figure it out himself.
But Zhangting was still immature, too caught up in romance. It seemed the old man's retirement would have to wait a few more decades.
Alone on the sofa, Zhangting reflected. He had truly fallen in love at first sight, but his beloved was already taken. "I can wait," he declared.
Perhaps it was a quirk of the Douluo Continent, or perhaps love triangles were simply in vogue, but its people were remarkably devoted. Even if the one they loved married another, they would wait. After all, look at the Sea God Douluo, Chen Xinjie—he had done the same.
Well, time would tell how this would end.
---
Meanwhile
Tang Wulin had already enlisted in the military. The Shrek Seven Monsters were split into four groups, assigned to camps in the north, south, east, and west. Tang Wulin was sent to the harshest location—the only one without any influence from the Tang Sect or Shrek Academy. But it was also the least likely place for him to be discovered.
The survivors of Shrek and the Tang Sect had begun to suspect the Spirit Pagoda. The three super organizations—the Spirit Pagoda, the Tang Sect, and Shrek Academy—had all been headquartered in Shrek City. Yet only the Spirit Pagoda had emerged unscathed.
From the perspective of threat to evil soul masters, the Spirit Pagoda surpassed the Tang Sect, at least in terms of visible strength. The number and power of soul masters gathered at its headquarters far exceeded the Tang Sect's. Yet the second Godkiller-ranked fixed soul ammunition hadn't struck the Spirit Pagoda—it had hit the Tang Sect instead. Could there be something sinister behind this?
Moreover, this catastrophe proved that the Federation, with its superweapons, had long possessed the means to destroy Shrek. They simply hadn't acted. Was this the Federation's doing, using the evil soul masters as a scapegoat? Or had certain individuals within the Federation colluded with the evil soul masters to annihilate Shrek City?
The Holy Spirit Cult didn't care about being blamed—they were already public enemies. But the true masterminds had achieved their goal. Without Shrek Academy's influence, ambitious individuals could act more freely.
Clearly, those with eyes could see the truth behind the disaster. Tang Wulin understood his role. His mission now was to gather strength, rebuild Shrek, uncover the truth, and avenge the dead—his teachers, his fellow students, the innocent civilians.
That was why he had come to the Abyss for training.
Bai Xu, too, had his reasons. He sought to harness the power of the Abyss creatures to accelerate his soul power growth and meridian cultivation. This was likely his final stop before reaching the pinnacle of his current path.
Once his meridians were fully unblocked, his identity as an "Otherworldly Demon" might be exposed. How would Douluo Dalu react? What would Tang Hao do?
And in the future, he would have to confront Tang Wulin—because the planet's life core, the Seed of Nature, now resided within him.
Would the conflict be resolved… or would it explode?