From a bird's-eye view, one could see a violet vortex devouring everything in its path within Shrek's inner city.
That place was once the Inner Academy of Shrek Academy—home to the Sea God Pavilion, Sea God Island, Sea God Lake, and the Inner Academy district. But now, it had become a domain of devastation, consumed by the violet vortex of the God-Slaying Soul Missile.
The terrifying energy storm swallowed everything within the Inner Academy. The entirety of Sea God Lake and Sea God Island was rapidly vanishing from the world. The Golden Tree burned with golden flames, its radiance flickering defiantly as it surged forth from the very heart of the explosion, abruptly slowing the expansion of the violet vortex.
At the same time, the vortex's advance met resistance. The energy released by golden runes swiftly recoiled, forming a massive countercurrent that relentlessly compressed and eroded the vortex's power, forcing the catastrophic storm to stall at the boundary between the Inner and Outer Academy, trapped in a stalemate.
As time passed, an eerie equilibrium settled in. Both sides were locked in a battle of endurance, awaiting the final outcome.
Jing Shaoyu was enveloped in golden flames. He felt incredible—his blood and Soul Power boiling in unison, surging endlessly. The last words of Jin Lao echoed in his ears:
"With this broken body, I shall forge a Star Spirit!"
Sacrifice!
Jin Lao had offered himself in sacrifice, carving out an absolutely safe space for Jing Shaoyu, shielding him from external dangers while also unlocking a new ascension.
Grief and sorrow weighed heavily on Jing Shaoyu's heart, but he had no time to mourn. The overwhelming energy released by the Golden Tree's sacrifice had already flooded into his body, coursing through his veins to every corner of his being. The sheer density of this power plunged his body into slumber, while the abundant vitality stimulated his instincts.
His Origin Elf Soul manifested instinctively, greedily devouring the vast and pure energy, growing stronger by the moment. His Soul Power thrummed with unprecedented vigor, flourishing wildly. Meanwhile, Jing Shaoyu himself slipped into a peculiar state—neither fully dreaming nor fully awake.
He could perceive the changes in the outside world, acutely aware of the savage growth of his own cultivation. Yet his soul, his consciousness, seemed to have fallen into an illusory golden realm.
A vision, both real and surreal, slowly unfolded before him, striking Jing Shaoyu like a bolt of lightning. Shock and melancholy flooded his heart. This was less a vision and more like the memory of the world itself.
He saw a wisp of pure, untainted qi emerge within a chaotic void. This qi was simple yet balanced, containing the very essence of the world. After countless cycles of time, it evolved from an unconscious wisp into an infant.
The moment the infant was born, Jing Shaoyu realized the entire chaotic space had transformed. Day and night alternated, seasons cycled, and all things natural and alive—flowers, trees, mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas—appeared as if celebrating the infant's arrival.
The newborn's eyes remained closed, as if in deep slumber, and the isolated chaotic space fell into profound silence.
"Thump!" "Thump!" "Thump!"
A strange sound, faint at first but growing stronger, reverberated throughout the space. With each beat, the flora, the mountains, the rivers—everything pulsed in rhythm, as if responding, as if harmonizing.
This sound was the infant's heartbeat.
The heartbeat emerged, and the infant's tightly closed mouth opened, letting out its first cry of life. Though the baby's eyes remained shut, it did not hinder the fact that it had become a true living being.
Born of heaven and earth, the Planet Spirit!
Jing Shaoyu stared blankly at this scene, his mouth agape, feeling it somewhat absurd. He would need time to fully accept such a reality.
Yet, the vision did not stop. The next scene was the most astonishing of all.
Streaks of purple and green light streaked across the sky from beyond, yet for some reason, each left behind a trace of light before vanishing into the horizon. These two lingering lights descended into the space, forming a peculiar small lake. The waters of this lake were extraordinary—half purple, half green. The purple resembled a thunderous purgatory, while the green was like a paradise of life. The two coexisted seamlessly, a true miracle.
The miraculous lake was quite a distance from the infant, and they should have remained undisturbed. Yet, the baby inexplicably floated into the air, swaying unsteadily toward the purple-and-green lake before plunging straight into its center. Instantly, both the purple and green waters began to boil.
Violent destructive power and dense life energy surged simultaneously into the infant's body, triggering an intense reaction. The baby's skin flickered alternately with purple and green light, and its wails echoed throughout the space.
For two diametrically opposed laws to converge within a single being—even a god would approach such a fusion with extreme caution, let alone an infant.
The infant's agonized cries filled the mysterious space. The flowers, trees, mountains, rivers, and lakes within trembled incessantly, all expressing their anxiety for the child. Their reactions were also manifestations of the world's own fear.
Jing Shaoyu remained silent. He understood all too well that things had spiraled out of control, and he could guess what would happen next.
As the infant wailed, the two streaks of light returned from beyond the sky, halting at the edge of the space. They tore open the spatial barrier, descending into this realm and landing by the shores of the dual-colored lake, revealing their true forms.
A handsome young man and a breathtakingly beautiful woman. At the sight of them, Jing Shaoyu felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life!
The Goddess of Life gazed at the wailing infant, her face filled with pity. With a wave of her hand, she cradled the baby in her arms, soothing it gently. The infant's cries immediately softened, though the pain on its tiny face did not lessen.
Heartbroken, the Goddess of Life knew exactly where the problem lay. She turned to the God of Destruction beside her and said, "Xiao Zi, look—what an adorable child. Let's help him."
"Alright," the God of Destruction replied succinctly. Though he had reservations about this heaven-born infant, since the Goddess of Life wished to extend her care, he would not withhold his aid.
Thus, the Goddess of Life placed the infant back into the lake formed by the convergence of their two essences. She stepped into the purple waters of destruction, her body radiating a gentle green divine light as she tenderly stroked the baby's body.
The God of Destruction, in turn, stepped into the green waters of life. In contrast to the Goddess of Life's tenderness, his demeanor was far more austere. Purple divine light emanated from him, descending directly upon the infant.
The two God Kings intervened to regulate the infant's life essence and destruction essence, with immediate effect. The pained expression on the baby's face vanished instantly, and his wails were replaced by laughter. The divine lake on the ground had already dried up, as the God Kings' essences were completely absorbed and fused within the infant, giving rise to Divine Blood within him.
The Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction looked somewhat pale, their figures slightly translucent. Yet the Goddess of Life was overjoyed, cradling the infant with a tender, loving smile.
For the first time, the baby, who had kept his eyes tightly shut, opened them and gazed at the woman before him. He raised his tiny hands, babbling incoherently—a sight that melted the Goddess of Life's heart.
"This child is fine now. Let's go," the God of Destruction said, watching the interaction between the Goddess and the infant. His stern expression softened slightly, though he remained rational, reminding her.
"Oh, right." Hearing his words, the Goddess of Life reluctantly nodded. She gently tapped the baby's cheek and whispered, "Goodbye, little one. We'll meet again, I promise!"
A soft light emanated from her jade-like hand, and the infant in her arms immediately yawned, blinking drowsily before falling into a deep slumber.
The Goddess of Life laid the baby down, then turned to the God of Destruction. "Let's go, Xiao Zi."
The God of Destruction remained silent, soaring out of the spatial rift. The Goddess of Life followed without hesitation.
The moment the two deities emerged from the mysterious space, a unique presence intercepted them. "We thank the two exalted gods for your assistance."
Neither the Goddess of Life nor the God of Destruction seemed surprised by its appearance. The Goddess replied, "We weren't helping you—only that child."
"If you have nothing else to say, step aside," the God of Destruction said bluntly.
"Regarding that child… do the two exalted gods have any requests?" it asked.
"Even if we had the will, we lack the means for now," the Goddess of Life said helplessly. "Let the child grow freely. Once we recover somewhat, perhaps we can offer him some guidance."
"Let's go," the God of Destruction declared, bypassing the presence and vanishing into the sky.
The Goddess of Life did the same.
The presence silently withdrew as well.
With that, the memory came to an end. Jing Shaoyu's heart remained unsettled for a long time—now, he finally understood his origins.
As the Planet Spirit born of Douluo Star, it was no exaggeration to say he was a child of heaven and earth. His relationship with the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction was complex. At the moment of his birth, due to the schemes of the previous Planet Spirit, he had forcibly fused with the essences of both deities. Had the two gods not generously intervened, he would have perished.
The essences of the two God Kings had given rise to Divine Blood within him, and his Martial Soul was deeply influenced by this, intertwined in symbiosis. In a way, the Goddess of Life and the God of Destruction could be considered his blood relatives.
Jing Shaoyu closed his eyes. The energy of the Golden Tree awakened the dormant Divine Blood within him. He felt his body, his mind, and his Martial Soul begin to ascend—an evolution that shattered all constraints. He had a premonition that this metamorphosis would utterly transform everything.
He sank into a deep slumber.
Thick, viscous life energy filled every inch of the space. In his Martial Soul Avatar state as the Origin Elf Soul, Jing Shaoyu floated serenely in the air, seated in a meditative posture. Six emerald-like wings unfurled around him like blooming petals, while the Crown of Nature pulsed with a rhythmic glow, akin to breathing. Unbeknownst to when, six crimson Soul Rings had manifested behind him, encircling his body and forming a hexagram array.
Shaoyu's Soul Power surged rapidly. Before long, the first pair of his Wings of Origin became enveloped in a gentle white light. The radiance flickered like an illusion, then split into two identical masses of light before dissipating slowly, revealing two brand-new pairs of Wings of Origin.
Now, four pairs of wings—eight in total—gleamed like flawless jade, casting a warm, shimmering glow in the dim space.
The Crown of Nature pulsed faster, its flickering light revealing a gem emitting spatial fluctuations embedded within the jade circlet. The Grand Dao Source Stone representing the spatial attribute had appeared, while the one embodying the earth attribute had also completed its evolution.
At the center of the hexagram formed by the six crimson Soul Rings behind Shaoyu, a faint circle gradually solidified. Its golden radiance was dazzling yet gentle—neither domineering nor arrogant, but brimming with compassionate solemnity. This was a true golden Soul Ring, not a forcibly forged Blood Energy Soul Ring.
The golden Soul Ring—a God-level Soul Ring—was the first gift the Golden Tree bestowed upon Jing Shaoyu.
The moment his seventh Soul Ring fully materialized, Shaoyu's entire aura transformed. Though he remained seated in emptiness, though chaos still raged outside, gazing upon him was like witnessing the rebirth of all things—flora and fauna, birds and beasts, fish and insects—as if beholding nature itself.
Threads of green and purple condensed along Shaoyu's arms, legs, torso, and head, emerging from his meridians and acupoints. They intertwined into a violet strand and an emerald strand, their collision erupting into an intense light that surged into his body. In an instant, his form was illuminated, revealing the flow of his blood and the beating of his heart with crystalline clarity.
The four pairs—eight wings—of the Wings of Origin ignited with a green-gold radiance before transforming into pure white. Then, all the white light gathered and fused, forming two wings of seemingly ordinary size yet capable of encompassing heaven and earth. As the glow faded, the jade-like wings merged into a single pair of lustrous, jade-white wings, their gilded patterns etching the laws of the world—a sight so mesmerizing it could ensnare the soul.
While the Wings of Origin underwent refinement and metamorphosis, the Crown of Nature—embedded with seven Grand Dao Source Stones—also underwent profound changes. The jade circlet, originally intangible, grew even more ethereal and expanded to twice its size, hovering behind Shaoyu's head like a divine halo.
The seven Grand Dao Source Stones detached one by one, floating above Shaoyu's forehead. At his glabella, a light flickered as the Eye of Dao and Dharma slowly opened. Like homing birds, the seven stones aligned in a row and swiftly flew into the vertical pupil.
The Eye of Dao and Dharma, bearing seven Grand Dao Source Stones, underwent a cataclysmic transformation. Its black-and-white appearance seemed ordinary—white in purity, black in depth. Surrounding the black pupil were tiny circular symbols, visible only when magnified. These symbols unmistakably bore the inscriptions of the Grand Dao Source Stones, and their number precisely matched: seven.
The Doomsday Godslaying Spear lay quietly across Jing Shaoyu's lap, its faint glow unobtrusive, its aura growing ever more profound. Within its solitude brewed the laws of apocalypse.
As the metamorphosis brought by the awakening of Divine Blood neared its end, a suit of armor flew from Jing Shaoyu's body and landed midair not far away—his Battle Armor, now undergoing its own peculiar transformation. Alongside it emerged a jade of black and white hues. The two, as if answering a summons, resonated in an uncanny harmony.
Jing Shaoyu's Soul Power fluctuations continued to surge. In the blink of an eye, half of a second golden Soul Ring had condensed—yet when he furrowed his brow slightly, the golden ring dissipated slowly, and his aura halted at a critical threshold.
"When one attains enlightenment, even his chickens and dogs ascend to heaven." Under Jing Shaoyu's rational judgment, the principle of equilibrium began to take effect.
While Jing Shaoyu completed the most pivotal transformation of his life, Leng Yaozhu—who had been transported into this space alongside him by the Golden Tree—also reaped immense benefits from the dense life energy saturating the area. However, while basking in the boons of life energy, one inevitably bore its corresponding burdens.
The advantages of life energy for living beings were undeniable: extended lifespans, rejuvenated youth, and leaps in vitality—all coveted by Soul Masters. Yet, extremes beget opposites; the pinnacle of yin births yang. When life energy reached its zenith, it produced additional effects on living beings.
It became a catalyst for primal instincts, orchestrating nature's most fundamental melody.
At this moment, Leng Yaozhu's eyes shimmered with a rosy glow. The vast life force accumulated within her had awakened the primal needs of this phoenix, and the sole antidote lay in the presence of Jing Shaoyu beside her.