"You're a demigod too?!!"
Tang San cried out in shock.
The ocean surged around him with tremendous might, yet at this moment, it felt like Xu Cheng—aloof and elevated—was the one truly commanding the sea, not him…
"Is that so hard to believe?"
Xu Cheng smiled faintly, a glimmer of disappointment flashing in his eyes.
By sharing cultivation with the Silver Dragon King, his growth had accelerated. With her injuries visibly healing, her strength was returning to her peak (God King level), and Xu Cheng's own power had skyrocketed. If not for the lack of a divine position barring his advancement, he would've stepped into the divine realm already.
He had many trump cards.
He'd expected Tang San to at least force out the presence of the Rakshasa God's divine consciousness—but now…
"I overestimated you," Xu Cheng said calmly."Though I expected this. After all, within the same realm, no one can last a single exchange against me."
"Your so-called divine techniques… to me, they're not much different from regular skills. Just with inflated stats, that's all."
He slowly looked up.
The blazing sun dazzled the sky.
A figure holding a trident faintly appeared in the glare.
"Once we enter the Divine Realm, let's settle this properly. A mere avatar… it's frankly insulting."
"Snap~"
With a crisp snap of his fingers—
Tang San's figure instantly disintegrated into bubbles, dissolving into the sea he had summoned beneath his feet.
He vanished into the ocean's waves.
Up in the cloud layer.
Tang San's eyes were icy.
At this moment, even if he were a fool, he knew now that he had let an extremely dangerous enemy grow unchecked. No wonder the God of Destruction had been so confident. After all, this spiritual avatar of his—
Had been reinforced and perfected with Rongrong's help, empowered with the Sea God Trident—his first-class divine weapon. Even ordinary divine officers would've found it a challenge to defeat.
Yet in that man's hands, it was utterly helpless.
If even his divine consciousness could be obliterated… then if his real body had been present, the result would've been the same.
And what about after Xu Cheng ascends to godhood?
Could even his dual god positions compete?
Tang San took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing his unease and frustration, trying to reassure himself:
No, it won't happen. Even if he ascends and inherits Destruction's divine position, he'll still be a new god. I've been in the Divine Realm for decades. That depth of foundation… he can't possibly compare.
"Destruction… well played."
He shot a cold glance at the God of Destruction beside him, gritting his teeth.
Only now did real panic begin to set in.
"Hahahaha—"
In contrast to Tang San's alarm and fury, the God of Destruction was in an extremely good mood.
Back then, when he and Kindness and Evil plotted to select a successor capable of standing against Tang San, the plan had gone perfectly.
Now that Xu Cheng had proven himself, entrusting him with the future of the Divine Realm felt totally justified.
"He won that easily?!!"
Ji Dong's eyes bulged, his face twitching.
From the start, he'd assumed this would be a battle of equals. After all, this was a God King's avatar, someone wielding dual god positions. Even at the same level, the outcome would be hard to predict.
But that guy…
"He's still holding back," Lie Yan clicked her tongue."You're already among the most elite talents in our realm, but looking at him… don't you have anything to say?"
"Fk, that's just obscene."**Ji Dong cursed after holding it in for a while.
"He's kind of smug, but not wrong. With that strength, being undefeated at his level is the bare minimum. Even if you, me, and Tang San suppressed our powers to demigod and ganged up on him, we still might not win," Lie Yan sighed.
"Just wait—things in the Divine Realm are about to get exciting."Ji Dong crossed his arms with a grin. He'd just reached godhood and was dreading boredom…
"Individual Elimination Match, Round One: Victory to Xu Cheng of the Sun-Moon Empire!"
Jing Hongchen could barely hide his smile.
As the announcement rang out—
It was as if someone pressed "play" again. The previously stunned audience began to murmur loudly, then erupted into thunderous cheers.
"He won? That's it?"
"That scene was insane! Tang San looked like he dragged the entire ocean onto the field, and still lost to His Majesty."
"What level is this even? Title Douluo? Higher? Could that have been a god appearing in the mortal realm?"
The crowd—mostly citizens of the Sun-Moon Empire—buzzed with excitement. Their representative team's victory filled them with a deep sense of pride.
But their knowledge of soul masters was vague at best. In previous years, they'd seen soul masters visit their villages or towns to awaken children.
To them, those soul masters were already godlike.
As for the two fighting now? They only knew they were powerful (thanks to the overwhelming display), but couldn't comprehend the true level.
Even the teams present had no idea.
"Does this level of battle mean they've already touched godhood?"
"I blinked, and the match was over."
"Normal Title Douluo battles shouldn't be like this, right?"
Back in the arena.
The Clear Sky Sect disciples jumped onto the stage—not to confront Xu Cheng, but to obediently search for Tang San's body… or what remained of it.
Yes, the elder leading them had ordered it: "Alive, we want to see the man. Dead, the corpse."
He personally led the group, combing the arena for any trace.
The waves summoned by Tang San had vanished with him, leaving behind only the empty metallic battlefield.
And in one quiet corner of the arena—
Lan Ruoruo's beautiful eyes widened.
"No wonder he was saved for last. So he's actually the Sun-Moon Empire's trump card. I even thought Xiao Hongchen was their strongest at first, especially after…"
She stopped mid-sentence.
That overwhelming aura from yesterday still hung over everyone like a nightmare.
Despair. Powerlessness.
But now—another powerhouse had revealed himself!
"Today wasn't a waste." Lan Susu nodded in agreement.
Dai Huabin clenched his fists tightly.
He stared darkly at Xu Cheng in the arena.
But then he slowly relaxed his grip.
He wasn't Xu Cheng's match. He never would be.
Zhu Lu held his hand and gently shook her head, her eyes full of longing.
In the silent moment, Dai Huabin let out a heavy sigh and nodded.
Life must go on.
Even if they lived in obscurity, as long as they were together, it wasn't so bad.
"Clear Sky Sect… concedes."
Seeing the helpless smile of the sect elder, Jing Hongchen happily announced the tournament's final result.
The symbol representing the Clear Sky Sect disappeared from the big screen.
The Sun-Moon Empire's emblem filled the display.
"Champion!""Champion!""Champion!"
The citizens of the Sun-Moon Empire erupted in joyous cheers.
Many teams slunk away in defeat. But some sects and academies chose to stay—secretly putting down roots in the Empire. The situation was settled. Since the tide couldn't be reversed, they figured it best to place their bets early…
"You heading back, Sanshi?"
"Be careful in the Sun-Moon Empire. Take care of your health. I'll deliver your message to your father…"
The elder leading the Xuanming Sect, Xu Sanshi's fourth uncle and a Soul Douluo, looked at him with misty eyes.
The boy had entered this political game willingly. He'd betrayed Shrek Academy to win a future for the Xuanming Sect.
"I'm not going back, Uncle." Xu Sanshi forced a bitter smile.
As a "hostage," he had to stay in the Empire's territory.
That was his fate—one he couldn't escape.
"I understand…"
The middle-aged man cried with streaming tears, turning back every few steps as he led the Xuanming Sect disciples away.
Though they had reached the Top 8—a feat worthy of their history—no one felt joy.
Because their young sect master might never return home.He would remain in the Empire as a political hostage.
Meanwhile—
Xu Sanshi stared blankly at their fading silhouettes.A warmth touched his hand—Tiantian's hand had slipped into his.
In this foreign land, he finally found a sliver of comfort.
"You're not going with them?"
A voice suddenly cut in.
Xiao Hongchen sipped a cup of coffee, eyeing Xu Sanshi with suspicion before glancing at the departing group.
"Don't test me," Xu Sanshi said righteously."As a hostage, I'm fully aware of my duties."
Xiao Hongchen: ???
"Hostage?"
"Since I'm the bridge of communication between the Douling Empire and the Sun-Moon Empire, naturally I must remain here for your peace of mind. I understand completely. I won't run."
Xiao Hongchen's face twitched. He took a sip of coffee and smacked his lips.
"You might be… overthinking this."
Xu Sanshi was dumbfounded.
"Why would I be worried about you betraying us?"Xiao Hongchen placed a hand on his shoulder, staring into the distant sky.
"Honestly, if you did betray us, the only trouble would be killing a few more people and managing our territory for a while. But even that's not a bad thing. Think about it—if we wipe out all those local warlords, the early cost is high, but in the long run, it's way more stable."
He counted on his fingers and smacked his lips again."Honestly, the more I think about it… I'm kind of looking forward to your betrayal."
Xu Sanshi: "…"
"Then I'm leaving!"
Xu Sanshi hesitated.
It wasn't until he and Tiantian quickly left Mingdu that the city gate guards glanced at him several times, recognized his identity, yet made no attempt to stop him.
Only then did Xu Sanshi turn his head and take one last look at the city.
Then he looked at Tiantian. "Let's go home."
On the other side, Xiao Hongchen shook his head and downed his coffee in one gulp:"Sometimes people really shouldn't be too self-absorbed. The entire empire combined can barely produce a single Super Douluo—would we really need hostages? If you can think clearly, then just behave yourself. If you can't, then you're dead. What's there to hesitate about? Seriously…"
Moonlight streamed through the carved window lattices, spilling into the room.
This was Xu Cheng's residence in Mingdu. Ever since he'd gained some power, he'd moved here. But in recent years, overwhelmed with matters concerning soul tools, he had rarely returned.
Xu Cheng lay on a soft couch, lost in thought.
With the conclusion of the grand tournament, everything seemed to have settled.
Everywhere within the Sun-Moon Empire, the word "victory" could be heard.
From the highest officials to the lowest clerks—it was the same.
As if singing praises to his achievements, showering him with flattery.
But he knew… everything wasn't over yet.
Not to mention the Abyss Plane, which was about to arrive soon—that guy was a god in the true sense. Though he had no divine seat to support him, his power was by no means weak. Based on Xu Cheng's calculations, it would arrive in one or two months.
While trying not to use Ye Guyi's immense power, the current options were:—advance to godhood within this extremely short timeframe to achieve a crushing dimensional advantage,—or tear everything apart and unleash the seven main gods under Destruction to instantly finish it,—or…
Xu Cheng narrowed his eyes slightly.
There was also the system reward for unifying the continent.
Previously, he hadn't rushed to unify it because Shrek Academy had Ah Yin, that demigod-level figure.
But now…
The hinge of the bathroom door creaked softly.With it came the scent of cedarwood and mist creeping through the gap.Each flower has its own fragrance, and this familiar scent naturally belonged to the Silver Dragon King.
Steam wafted out of the door, along with a beautiful naked woman.
Perhaps due to her draconic nature, she didn't like wearing clothes—especially on the brink of a fierce war—finding it more liberating to remain unbound...
"When do you plan to ascend to godhood?" Gu Yuena stepped barefoot onto the floor, her arch forming a perfect curve. As Xu Cheng lay quietly, the beauty suddenly leaned down, her unbound silver hair falling onto the back of his hand. Like a sleek little panther, she lay atop him.
One had to admit, Gu Yuena's figure was exceptionally outstanding among all women.
Everything about her was just right.
And after this half-month of "cultivation," he had become thoroughly familiar with her full form.
Even so—
Seeing her like this, Xu Cheng could barely hold himself back.
The beauty giggled softly, clearly noticing the change.
"In a few months… At least after the Abyss Plane arrives," Xu Cheng replied softly, eyes closed.
"Then you'd better put in more effort."
Gu Yuena chuckled lightly. "You're not allowed to run away tonight…"
"Run away?"
Xu Cheng opened his eyes. "We'll see who ends up running!"
As he spoke, he tugged her arm gently, and with a startled gasp, the beauty fell into his embrace. Her smooth, delicate skin glowed like polished jade under the moonlight.
With that, Xu Cheng princess-carried her straight toward the bedroom.
As the door locked behind them—
A soft moan echoed—
And the room instantly filled with spring-like passion.
Meanwhile—
Mingdu, Military Intelligence Division.
The moon hung high as darkness blanketed the city outside the window.
Ju Zi, dressed in military uniform, stared solemnly at the map before her.
The room was packed.
More surprising was the fact that nearly everyone present held the rank of Major General or above—at least 20 or 30 people. Nearly 90% of the high-ranking army generals were here, excluding only the space forces.
The rank of General on Ju Zi's shoulders commanded a serious response from all present.
This imperial secretary not only handled the court's affairs in a precise and orderly fashion, she also had a solid reputation in the military. After all, years ago, she had served in one of the Sun-Moon Empire's Four National Guardian Armies—the Fire Phoenix Legion.
And her status back then had not been low.
Now, as she commanded this "epoch-defining" war, some might question her qualifications—but that was only a fleeting thought. After all, behind her stood that man...
"Since everyone's here, I'll keep it brief."
Ju Zi spoke in a deep voice.
"I'm sure you've all guessed the purpose of today's gathering—just moments ago, I received His Majesty's order: Unify the continent!"
(End of chapter)