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In the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, Gu Yuena waited quietly, the Heaven and Earth Five Directions Formation slowly rotating in her hand, with the flow of creation's mysteries circulating within it.
Suddenly, space rippled slightly, and a golden figure hurriedly emerged. Panicked, he said, "Quickly, Beast Sovereign, come with me."
Without hesitation, Gu Yuena followed the Spirit of the Plane into the spatial tunnel.
"How is Bai Xu?" Gu Yuena asked calmly.
"His injuries are severe. His body is nearly shattered, his abdomen blown open—though his organs remain intact. Multiple fractures cover his body, and most of his meridians are severed," the Spirit of the Plane explained.
"Is this… the cycle of death and rebirth?" Gu Yuena murmured in confusion, glancing at the miniature formation in her hand. This array was likely the key to Bai Xu's recovery.
The Spirit of the Plane elaborated, "His power has nearly reached the peak of what Douluo Continent can sustain. To ascend further, to undergo nirvana and transformation, he requires resources beyond what this world can provide. Aside from the plane itself, there is nothing left here to offer him."
When one's cultivation reaches a certain level, if the surrounding resources cannot keep up, this is the inevitable result.
"So, that's how it is… But won't Tang Hao notice us?" Gu Yuena asked worriedly, looking back.
"No. Though I may not be confident against Tang San's divine sense, Tang Hao himself stole the power of the Plane's Master. Now that I've recovered somewhat, and given our shared origin, I'm certain I can act unnoticed under his watch."
The spatial tunnel was brief. Half a minute later, Gu Yuena arrived at the Demon Plane—a hellish realm where darkness saturated the air, so thick that a single breath of its tainted energy could corrupt one into a demon.
The Spirit of the Plane led her to a cave deep within a dark forest.
There, Bai Xu lay motionless. Unlike the inhabitants of Douluo Continent, his body remained translucent, though now covered in cracks like shattered porcelain hastily glued back together.
"Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water—Five Directions of Heaven and Earth, go!" Gu Yuena did not step forward to embrace Bai Xu. Instead, she activated her four-word battle armor, using its five elemental foundations to power the Heaven and Earth Five Elements Formation.
The formation enveloped Bai Xu, suffusing him with boundless vitality.
At the same time, Gu Yuena retrieved countless rare herbs and divine treasures from her soul storage device—items she had ordered Di Tian and others to gather at all costs. She poured them all into the formation. Though their exact efficacy was uncertain, every bit helped.
Preparations had been thorough.
"We are outsiders in the Demon Plane. This world naturally suppresses us. If the demons discover us and attack en masse, the consequences would be dire. Return and bring Di Tian and the others here. They should be willing to forge another bond of goodwill with Bai Xu. I cannot stay long—after this storm passes, the Spirit Pagoda has many matters awaiting my attention." Despite Bai Xu's critical condition, Gu Yuena remained composed, though her gaze lingered on him for a long moment.
"Understood. I'll send you back."
Gu Yuena said nothing more. She understood Bai Xu's plan. With his current strength… even if his cultivation didn't advance upon awakening, the Heaven and Earth Five Elements Formation might truly allow him to rival the Plane's Master. The formation was overwhelmingly powerful—the higher one's cultivation, the more profound its mysteries became, and it was far from fully unleashed.
If she had barely grasped Bai Xu's previous cultivation… then his next steps—forging the Five Elements Body and stepping into the Divine Forbidden Realm—were beyond the comprehension of Douluo Continent.
---
Bright City.
The city was now deserted. The Federation had relocated its citizens to nearby towns, for the massive void ten thousand meters above still lingered. Even Tang Wulin, blessed by the plane and bearing the Seed of Nature, could not repair it.
This battle had exposed the crumbling foundation of Douluo Continent.
Unless the plane's essence was replenished, unless humanity expanded into space, extinction loomed.
Yet now, the extraterrestrial demon was dead. The Spirit Pagoda's collusion with the Holy Spirit Cult had been proven. Tang Wulin, the people's hero, was elevated to new heights. The Dove Faction resurged in parliament, overwhelmingly suppressing the Hawks. Their first act was revoking the order labeling the Tang Sect as traitors.
The Federation pledged full support for Shrek Academy's reconstruction and the Tang Sect's revival within it. Meanwhile, the Spirit Pagoda's upper echelons underwent a sweeping purge, culminating in the awakening of Qiangu Dongfeng.
Half-crippled, devoid of cultivation, his eyes hollow yet seemingly at peace, Qiangu Dongfeng declared:
"The conspiracy with the Holy Spirit Cult to destroy Shrek and the Tang Sect was my doing alone. The other Spirit Pagoda council members are innocent."
---
A Blank Room.
Qiangu Dongfeng lay weakly on a hospital bed, reporting to the new Tang Sect Master, Sea God Pavilion Master, and Federation hero.
"What about Bai Xu? Why did he attack the Spirit Pagoda?" Tang Wulin asked.
"Him? The otherworldly demon… Hah. To think I'd fall to him. I thought he was just a scapegoat, a tool to dispel rumors of the Spirit Pagoda's ties to the Holy Spirit Cult in the Douling Empire. Yet in the end, he alone broke free. Those from beyond the heavens are truly troublesome!"
"So, the charges of Bai Xu colluding with the Holy Spirit Cult were fabricated?" Tang Wulin pressed.
"Hah. Sect Master Tang, compared to being otherworldly demon, that charge is meaningless. Who knows why that outsider came to Douluo Continent? If his home plane is filled with beings like him, our world faces annihilation. His stance and ours were never aligned!"
Tang Wulin's expression darkened. That day, Bai Xu had vanished abruptly, leaving no trace. Despite scouring Bright City and its surroundings, not a clue was found.
Qiangu Dongfeng was right. Stances differed. No matter how much one changed, allegiances could not be bent.
Tang Wulin fought for Douluo Continent's survival, to fulfill his father's duty of protecting this world. For that… even the slightest threat could not be ignored.
Those who walk different paths cannot work together.
---
Star Dou Forest Core.
Led by Di Tian and the other fierce beasts, the soul beast legion slowly marched through the spatial tunnel into the Demon Plane. Clearly, Di Tian had agreed to the Spirit of the Plane's request—to guard Bai Xu and seize the Demon Plane's essence.
That final battle had shaken even him. The black-and-white dragon seal left an indelible mark, a killing intent that seemed to draw the hostility of all life in the universe. It was enough to inspire reverence.
Moreover, Bai Xu's conduct commanded respect. Aiding him now would surely yield greater rewards in the future.