The current Jing Ziyuan truly embodied the meaning of rebirth—emerging renewed and revitalized.
At fifty-four years old, she had regained twenty years of youth—not as an exaggeration, but in literal terms. Her body brimmed with vitality, indistinguishable from women in their twenties or thirties. Already blessed with delicate features, Jing Ziyuan now appeared even more beautiful and gentle after reclaiming her youth.
As Jing Shaoyu gazed at her face, which bore some resemblance to the Goddess of Life, a question arose in his mind: Had the Goddess imitated Jing Ziyuan's appearance, or was this merely an uncanny coincidence?
For Jing Ziyuan, the rejuvenation of her body was merely the least significant change. What truly astonished everyone was the transformation of her Martial Soul and Soul Power.
Under the baptism of the Goddess of Life's residual God Power, Jing Ziyuan's Blue Silver Grass Spirit Soul had evolved directly into the Tree of Life Spirit Soul—ascending from a so-called "useless" Martial Soul to a top-tier life-attribute Spirit Soul in a single leap. This was nothing short of a meteoric rise!
Her Soul Power had also reached the fiftieth rank.
When Ya Li returned from the Sea God Pavilion to the Shrek Seven Monsters' activity room and saw the transformed Jing Ziyuan, her reaction was no less shocked than Jing Shaoyu and the others. However, she quickly accepted the reality and happily took Jing Ziyuan aside to familiarize her with her new Spirit Soul and abilities.
Jing Shaoyu was more than pleased with this arrangement. After all, Ya Li was a Limit Douluo with a life-attribute Spirit Soul—there was no one more suitable to guide Jing Ziyuan.
Truthfully, he was overjoyed. The Goddess of Life's intervention had achieved what he had wanted but couldn't yet accomplish—ensuring his adoptive mother wouldn't pass away before he attained godhood, though the likelihood had always been slim.
As night deepened, Jing Shaoyu, Gu Yue, and the others retired to their respective rooms.
"Let go. Don't hold me."
In Gu Yue's room, she lay on her side, facing inward, her voice icy.
Jing Shaoyu, also lying on her bed, wrapped his arms around her slender waist from behind, pressing his chest against her back and burying his face in her silky hair. At her words, he responded shamelessly, "No!"
"You… stop it!" Gu Yue squirmed, trying to break free, but their proximity only aggravated the situation. Instead of shaking him off, her movements provoked Jing Shaoyu's "sword," and the threatening presence made her freeze instantly, her voice trembling.
"Don't move," Jing Shaoyu whispered softly. "Otherwise, I can't guarantee I won't do something very reckless… After all, we've both grown up~"
Gu Yue stiffened, her upper body rigid, as Jing Shaoyu exhaled lightly against her earlobe—the scorching warmth instantly triggering her sensitive nerves.
"I-I won't move, and you can't either!" Gu Yue's voice quivered. She was genuinely afraid Jing Shaoyu might act impulsively. While she wasn't opposed, she wasn't mentally prepared either.
She preferred taking the initiative, not being forced.
"Fine, I won't move. Neither of us will." Jing Shaoyu inwardly rejoiced. He had expected Gu Yue to be furious and difficult to handle, but she had yielded far more easily than anticipated.
"Mhm." Gu Yue gave a faint acknowledgment, her eyes flickering with a mix of tenderness and shadow.
Did Gu Yue really mind that Jing Shaoyu had connections with the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction? Perhaps not. Only now did she understand why the heroines in romance novels sometimes acted so petty, often picking fights or giving the cold shoulder over trivial matters.
What truly bothered her was that Jing Shaoyu hadn't been honest with her. She felt wronged—after everything she had done for him, he still kept secrets from her. What a scoundrel.
Jing Shaoyu could sense the knot in Gu Yue's heart, which was why he had come to see her tonight.
"Yue'er, I only found out about it today," Jing Shaoyu whispered softly, burying his face in her silky hair, his gaze resting on her smooth, jade-like neck.
"…Oh." A flicker of joy flashed in Gu Yue's eyes, but her response was indifferent, as if she didn't care at all.
In truth, her heart was bursting with happiness. As she had said before, she didn't care about Jing Shaoyu's ties to Life and Destruction—only about her place in his heart. So his initiative to explain things to her left her deeply satisfied.
"Sweet Yue'er, turn around and look at me, won't you?" Jing Shaoyu's voice was tender, murmuring by her ear with a hint of pleading.
"No, this is fine," Gu Yue refused with a touch of tsundere pride, though the slight fidgeting of her hands and feet betrayed her true feelings.
Seeing this, Jing Shaoyu smiled faintly before using his hands and feet to swiftly turn her around, forcing her to face him, their chests pressed tightly together.
"You jerk, let me go!" Gu Yue protested verbally, but her body betrayed her as she wrapped her arms around Jing Shaoyu's waist and draped her legs over him.
Their position was intimate.
A sword yearning to return to its sheath.
Yet he didn't act on it. Unlike Gu Yue, he preferred passivity over initiative.
Gazing at Gu Yue, who clung to him like a koala, Jing Shaoyu nodded, capturing her lips in a slow, savoring kiss. Gu Yue responded passionately. Though she wasn't ready to give herself to him completely, small intimacies like kissing were something she allowed him freely.
The room was warm as spring.
The next day.
Five Limit Douluos arrived simultaneously at Shrek Academy: Tang Sect's Heartless Douluo Zang Xin, Spirit Transfer Pagoda's Spirit Transfer Douluo Qiangu Dongfeng and Sky Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu, and War God Hall's Hanhai Douluo Chen Xinjie and Surpassing Heaven Douluo Guan Yue. Together with Shrek Academy's own Skycrosser Douluo Yun Ming and Holy Spirit Douluo Ya Li, this gathering of seven Limit Douluos represented a force capable of sweeping across Douluo Planet.
Currently, the only publicly acknowledged Limit Douluo of the Douluo Federation was the Tang Sect's leader, Heartless Douluo Cao Dezhi, who was unable to attend due to his duties.
The reason so many Limit Douluos had gathered at Shrek Academy was simple: as those who had reached the pinnacle of human strength, their greatest concern was ascension to godhood. And just last night, they had all unmistakably sensed the presence of divinity.
Thus, upon receiving Shrek Academy's invitation, they came without hesitation—even Qiangu Dongfeng, despite his hidden schemes, knew that compared to the path to godhood, his petty schemes were insignificant.
They were now desperate to know how Yun Ming had achieved it and whether the path to godhood he had discovered was universally applicable.
Since Yun Ming had invited these Limit Douluos, he naturally didn't hold back, sharing his insights and understanding of the divine realm with them in full. Yun Ming wasn't the least bit worried about inviting trouble—he had absolute confidence in himself.
At the Limit Douluo level, he could easily suppress these people, and at the divine level, it would be no different!
However, just in case some might resort to desperate measures, Yun Ming also casually mentioned that he could briefly wield divine-level combat power by drawing on the Golden Tree's strength. Although he knew the Golden Tree couldn't provide such conditions again in the short term, the others didn't. So even if someone truly wanted to unite against him, the others would still have reservations.
Over the next few days, the seven Limit Douluos engaged in profound and intense discussions about the divine realm, achieving remarkable results. Even Yun Ming, who had progressed the furthest, gained validation for some of his ideas from the others.
Among the seven Limit Douluos, Yun Ming was undoubtedly the closest to godhood. Previously, Chen Xinjie might have been on par with him, but now, Yun Ming had truly left everyone else in the dust. Below Yun Ming, Chen Xinjie was a clear second. As the head of the Poseidon family and also a Poseidon priest, it wasn't surprising that he had come far on the path to godhood.
After them, Guan Yue, Zang Xin, Leng Yaozhu, Qiangu Dongfeng, and the absent Cao Dezhi were roughly on the same level. Ya Li, being the newest to reach the Limit Douluo realm, had the shallowest understanding of the divine path.
This gathering of demigods and quasi-gods lasted half a month.
After the discussions concluded, Guan Yue and Chen Xinjie couldn't wait to return to Mingdu to go into seclusion and digest their gains, so they left first. Leng Yaozhu and Qiangu Dongfeng didn't linger either, departing with them.
Zang Xin was the last to leave, as he still had to go to the Blood God Mountains to share the results of the discussions with Cao Dezhi.
"By the way, after the Shrek Seven Monsters finish their special training on Devil Island, don't rush them to the Blood God Mountains. I'll take them to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well first," Zang Xin said to Yun Ming and Ya Li before leaving.
"That sounds fine," Yun Ming agreed with a nod.
With that, Zang Xin also left.
Yun Ming then convened a Sea God Pavilion meeting to announce his upcoming seclusion and the personnel arrangements during his absence. None of the Elders raised any objections.
However, Yun Ming didn't immediately enter seclusion. Instead, he decided to first impart the insights from the discussions to Jing Shaoyu, lest he miss the opportunity after secluding himself. Thus, Jing Shaoyu was soon immersed in a busy period of learning.
As for his adoptive mother, Jing Ziyuan, and Lin Xin, Jing Shaoyu planned to send them back to Donghai City before heading to Devil Island.
After all, Shrek City and Shrek Academy were still too dangerous at the moment.
Meanwhile, after leaving Shrek Academy, Qiangu Dongfeng appeared to return to the Spirit Transfer Pagoda with Leng Yaozhu. But in reality, the moment he reached his office, he quietly slipped away again.
He traveled swiftly to a dark, secluded corner at the edge of the continent.
There, two mysterious figures clad in black robes, their faces hidden, were already waiting for him.
"Why the urgency? Any news about Shrek's divine aura?" The black-robed figure on the left asked impatiently.
"Naturally," Qiangu Dongfeng replied with a grave expression. "We can't wait any longer. We must act immediately. I fear Yun Ming might truly ascend to godhood if we delay further!"
"Is it really that serious?" The right black-robed figure questioned skeptically, his voice laced with disdain.
"Hmph!" Qiangu Dongfeng snorted coldly. "The severity isn't for me—it's for you. Do you think the Federation would still support you if Yun Ming becomes a god?"
"..." Both black-robed figures fell silent simultaneously. They knew all too well that Qiangu Dongfeng spoke the truth.
The Federation's tolerance—even covert support—stemmed from their desire to weaken, if not eradicate, Shrek Academy through these intermediaries. Should Yun Ming ascend, the current balance of power would collapse instantly, leaving Shrek Academy dominant once more. To preserve their own interests, the Federation would undoubtedly abandon—or even betray—them.
"What's your plan?" The left black-robed figure asked solemnly.
"Advance the operation. Strike now—the sooner, the better. We can't afford delays," Qiangu Dongfeng said icily, his eyes glinting with malice.
"Easier said than done," the right figure retorted with a cold laugh. "What if Yun Ming taps into that ancient tree's power again to ascend? You don't actually believe a God-Slaying Soul Missile can kill a god, do you?"
"Then what do you propose?" Qiangu Dongfeng snapped irritably. "You fear Yun Ming might use the Golden Tree's power to ascend, yet you'd rather do nothing and let it happen? Either way spells doom for you—but at least the former offers a sliver of hope, while the latter guarantees annihilation."
"True," the left figure agreed grimly, nodding in acknowledgment.
"Besides," Qiangu Dongfeng pressed, "if we hesitate now while the Golden Tree might still be recovering, waiting until it fully restores would only diminish our chances further!" Though he didn't fully understand the Golden Tree, recent observations suggested it wasn't the same as before—though he couldn't pinpoint why. This uncertainty fueled his urgency.
"Agreed!" The left figure found the logic compelling and quickly seconded. "That makes perfect sense."
"Very well," the right figure conceded, his hesitation fading. "We'll launch the assault early. But the final God-Slaying Soul Missile must be handed over to us."
"Out of the question," Qiangu Dongfeng refused without hesitation. The idea was absurd—he had no intention of risking his Spirit Transfer Pagoda being destroyed.
The right figure wasn't surprised by the swift rejection, having anticipated it. "Then forget Tang Sect for now. Both missiles will target Shrek Academy."
Qiangu Dongfeng closed his eyes, weighing the options. After a moment, he opened them and nodded. "Agreed."
Compared to Tang Sect, Shrek Academy posed the greater threat—and the deeper loathing.
"Then it's settled," the right figure said, pleased. "We'll advance the plan and begin preparations immediately."
"Remember, you only have three days. I expect to see results in three days!" Qiangu Dongfeng said coldly.
"Kekeke, then let our esteemed Tower Master Qiangu watch closely," the two black-robed figures let out sinister laughs. "A fireworks show exclusively for Shrek Academy!"
The two black-robed figures departed, while Qiangu Dongfeng remained standing in place.
Yun Ming, don't blame me. Blame your Shrek Academy for being too dominant and too envied, Qiangu Dongfeng's eyes were icy cold, with even a hint of joy in his heart.
A terrifying storm was about to descend, yet Shrek Academy, at the center of this storm, remained peaceful. After the events of the Sea God's Fate night, the student body of Shrek Academy was quietly undergoing a transformation. The most notable change was the unprecedented level of admiration for Yun Ming.
In the past, although Yun Ming was highly regarded by students, he had always ranked third, behind Tang San and Huo Yuhao. But now, Yun Ming had surpassed them to become the undisputed number one in the hearts of Shrek's students.
After all, Poseidon Tang San and Spirit Ice Douluo Huo Yuhao were merely legends, while Sky Douluo Yun Ming was someone they had witnessed with their own eyes!
For Jing Shaoyu, this was undoubtedly good news.
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