"Brother Ming? How did you come here?"
It had been a month since the spatial channel was restored, and the inner court students of Shrek Academy had already dispersed to retake the many cities they had previously abandoned.
To deal with unexpected situations, all of Shrek's manpower had been concentrated back into this initial city, which was also the former imperial capital of Alba.
After the Demon Gate was re-established, it was naturally urgent to reclaim the previously lost cities as soon as possible.
By the side of the Demon Gate, Ya Li watched as the man emerged from it, momentarily unable to believe her eyes.
Even with Yun Ming and the Golden Ancient Tree stabilizing the passage, this channel still hadn't reached the level where it could accommodate a Limit Douluo.
"I've suppressed my cultivation. Right now, I'm roughly at the level of someone who has just broken through to become a Title Douluo, so I managed to make it over," Yun Ming said with a smile.
He looked at Ya Li, his eyes filled with boundless tenderness. Strictly speaking, the two of them hadn't seen each other for two years.
"But even though you're here, Brother Ming, you won't be able to unleash your full power here. Otherwise, you'll be rejected by the plane's laws," Ya Li hesitated.
She didn't think that Yun Ming would seal himself and come here just to see her.
A seal that could deceive the plane channel and the laws of the world wasn't something easily achieved.
"It's fine. My seal is actually quite convenient to apply, and even here, I can still use my full strength," Yun Ming stepped forward, pulling Ya Li into his arms and patting her shoulder to reassure her.
Ya Li wore an expression of doubt.
Seemingly noticing her confusion, Yun Ming continued to explain, "I've gained many insights from recent cultivation. I'm now able to partially transcend the restrictions of the plane's laws. Moreover, I can resist some of the suppression imposed by the plane's laws."
"So, why have you come here this time, Brother Ming?"
"Ya Li, it's been two years since we last saw each other," Yun Ming held Ya Li gently and whispered.
It seemed that this trip was solely to see the person he longed for day and night.
Ya Li's eyes curved upward, pleased, but she still knew that Yun Ming had important matters to attend to.
"Brother Ming, you should go take care of your main task first."
After spending three days with Ya Li, Yun Ming left Shrek City and headed toward the Demon Plane.
The Demon Plane was a vast platform. Through the bloodline talents of the nine great Demon Lords, it invaded one plane after another, with numerous channels connecting various foreign planes.
Previously, Xu Yuan had discovered a Dragon Plane, a plane dominated by dragons. The dragon race in this plane was not related to the dragon race on Douluo Star and had no connection to the ancient Dragon God. If placed in the universe, its distance from Douluo Star would be incredibly far, far beyond the coverage of the former Divine Dragon Realm.
Apart from the Dragon Plane, Shrek had discovered information about many other planes over the past two years. However, these planes were controlled by Demon Lords, making it impossible to forcibly intrude. If the other party closed the channel, there would be no way to return.
And infiltrating them posed too great a difficulty.
Thus, despite knowing about these foreign planes, Shrek had been unable to explore them.
This time, Yun Ming came to the Demon Plane to resolve this issue.
The Demon Plane held many secrets. Aside from the numerous foreign planes it connected to, there were also thirteen major forbidden zones. Each forbidden zone was terrifying, and even the Demon Lords dared not tread lightly within them.
These forbidden zones were also the primary path for the creatures of the Demon World to advance. Those demonic beings who didn't wish to rely on Demon Lords could only gamble their lives in these forbidden zones to ascend to dominance.
And upon completing their ascension, it wasn't about breaking any bloodline restrictions but rather mastering nearly law-like arcane techniques.
Xu Yuan was the first to discover this intelligence, and subsequently, the inner court students of Shrek gradually gathered more information, refining and summarizing the characteristics of some of the forbidden zones.
The thirteen forbidden zones were also Yun Ming's target.
"Having invaded so many planes, the laws of the Demon Plane itself have become somewhat chaotic. Despite being heterogeneous, they coexist harmoniously," Yun Ming, having left the range of the Golden Ancient Tree, immediately sensed something unusual.
The laws of the Demon Plane were truly chaotic, but they were also genuinely stable.
"Perhaps after some time, without Elder Tree's intervention, the laws of the Douluo Plane will gradually stabilize here as well."
The entire Demon Plane resembled a patchwork monstrosity.
---
Demon Plane.
Three hundred kilometers south of Shrek City.
Here stood a mountain range shrouded in demonic flames.
The demonic flames burned endlessly, having existed in this mountain range for an unknown number of years.
Though the entire mountain range had been scorched by the demonic flames, the flames themselves never extinguished.
Deep within the mountains, a figure faintly appeared.
It was a giant dragon.
A giant dragon engulfed in crimson-red flames.
The red flames on the dragon clashed with the demonic flames, growing fiercer and more violent under the grinding of the demonic flames, as if capable of burning everything.
The dragon roared, and a powerful soul force fluctuation spread throughout the surroundings.
"I can't break through."
Zhuo Shi was startled and immediately suppressed his state.
Indeed, the Crimson Dragon was Zhuo Shi transformed.
Over the past two years, he had frantically sought opportunities and finally found this place of demonic flames. He felt that these flames could temper his own flames, transitioning from stillness to motion, reigniting the aging Zhuo Shi and allowing him to leap over the threshold of the Limit Douluo.
He had secluded himself here for a year.
But he couldn't break through.
Until recently, when he was summoned back to Shrek City and the Demon Gate was severed. After three months of quiet cultivation in Shrek City, he returned here and finally broke through.
"Feng Wuyu, that old guy, broke through before me. It seems he can perform heavenly forging now, and he might already have four-word battle armor. No, I can't fall too far behind!"
Zhuo Shi took a deep breath and cast a reluctant glance at the surrounding demonic flames.
These flames seemed eternal, burning everything, and had made a tremendous contribution to the advancement of his fire attribute.
Through prolonged confrontation, his Crimson Dragon had absorbed some characteristics of the demonic flames, allowing him to burst forth after a period of dormancy.
Now, as he prepared to leave, he still felt some reluctance.
After all, having broken through to become a Limit Douluo, he most likely wouldn't return to the Demon Plane again.
"Before leaving the Demon Plane, I need to settle the matter of the Northern Three Kings."
Shrek's exploration of the Demon Plane was extensive and didn't specifically target the Northern Three Kings or the Hell Gate for focused operations.
From the earliest days, when Xu Yuan opened the western route, the southeastern directions were quickly cleared as well. However, the northernmost region where the Northern Three Kings resided offered little exploration space. Alba's territory spanned the entire northern part of the Demon Plane, and beyond the Northern Three Kings lay the edge of the plane.
The matter of the Northern Three Kings had always been Zhuo Shi's responsibility. Since no major conflicts had occurred, both sides had maintained stability.
Even though the Northern Three Kings were Alba's subordinates, with Alba now gone, they were left to guard the Hell Gate alone. Without Alba's assistance, guarding the Hell Gate had become extremely difficult, leading to preliminary cooperation with Shrek.
However, as time passed and Shrek cleared the surrounding routes, the Northern Three Kings were indirectly isolated, forcing them to rely on Shrek to ensure the Hell Gate wouldn't be breached. But the Northern Three Kings weren't about to sit idly by.
Place all hope on invaders from another plane?
Why not simply release the Lord of Hell behind the Hell Gate?
Out of fear that the Northern Three Kings might completely give up, Shrek had refrained from dealing with their constant covert actions.
Zhuo Shi, nearing his breakthrough, planned to complete his mission before returning.
---
In the eastern part of Shrek City, beneath a floating island suspended in mid-air, a figure flickered in and out of view.
Ye Xinglan's steps were firm as she ascended what seemed to be a staircase. Her sword intent grew sharper, and the oppressive forces around her were all transformed into means to refine her sword intent.
In Ye Xinglan's vision, the sky was filled with stars. Each flash of starlight traced a trajectory resembling a sword mark, compelling her to unconsciously swing her sword in harmony.
She relied on repeatedly swinging her sword in sync with the starlight to climb step by step.
---
Southeast.
In the Land of the Underworld, Wu Siduo's figure darted about, freely switching between her two martial souls.
Her White Tiger martial soul had long since changed form. It was no longer a mere White Tiger but had acquired an ethereal quality atop its original form.
---
West.
A broken holy sword was embedded in the ground, surrounded by unceasing sacred flames.
Though it was merely such a simple source, the area spanning tens of kilometers had become a forbidden zone. Ordinary demonic creatures dared not approach, and even Shrek's explorers were repelled by the seemingly purifying and burning sacred flames.
However, there was one exception.
Yue Zhengyu, embodying the Holy Angel, had three pairs of wings spread behind him. One pair was naturally integrated with his body, but the other two, formed from sacred flames, were patched onto his back, seemingly compensating for the gaps in his martial soul.
---
The rest of the Seven Monsters of Shrek each had their own encounters.
Yuanen Yehui naturally focused on developing the talents of her Fallen Angel martial soul. Xu Lizhi began studying the energy of the Demon Plane, researching demonic creatures, and attempting to create buns corresponding to different soul skills using special energy.
Fang Yuan transformed into a demon suppressor, ambushing powerful demonic creatures everywhere, subduing them to nourish his own cultivation.
Among the eight members of the Seven Monsters of Shrek, one person stood out as particularly unique.
Tang Wulin had disappeared over a year ago.
More than a year ago, shortly after entering this plane, he vanished. Around the time Xu Yuan obtained intelligence about the Dragon Plane, Tang Wulin had quietly disappeared.
Now, nearly a year later, Tang Wulin still had no news. Even when all of Shrek's students retreated back to Shrek City, he didn't reappear.
But he wasn't dead.
With Old Tang's protection, even provoking a god-level being wouldn't kill him.
His disappearance was simply because he was no longer in the Demon Plane.
Unlike Xu Yuan, who hadn't rushed ahead, Tang Wulin had entered the Dragon Plane under Old Tang's guidance after discovering it. For over a year, he had been cultivating a special kind of dragon source energy in the Dragon Plane, which seemed capable of transforming his Golden Dragon King essence, making the subsequent sealing and fusion process easier.
However, as his cultivation progressed, the entire Dragon Plane grew increasingly desolate.
Douluo Star.
Endless Mountain Range.
Within the Starry Sky Phenomenon, Xu Yuan held his spear.
Before him, a terrifying mantis-like creature wielded scythes that gleamed with an icy cold light.
This was the Abyss Emperor, the ruler of the 65th layer of the Abyss—Qing Emperor.
Qing Emperor's strength approached that of a Super Douluo at Level 96. Facing him put Xu Yuan at a significant disadvantage.
However, this was precisely what Xu Yuan needed.
Under the pressure brought by Qing Emperor, Xu Yuan's spear techniques had become much more refined than before.
His two-word battle armor fused seamlessly, and his mech-like combat armor layered tightly over the outer surface of his battle armor.
Xu Yuan only utilized these two layers of enhancement.
On the Heavenly Origin Five Elements Spear, blood essence, life force, five-element energy, mental power, and a faint golden sharp-metal luster intertwined.
Among them, the sharp golden sheen enveloped all the other forces while simultaneously integrating into them, unifying the various energies into one cohesive whole.
The five elements formed the foundation, with blood essence and mental power complementing each other, yin and yang balancing in endless rotation.
The eternal flame of life burned without ceasing, fusing into the spear.
A burst of sharp golden light erupted.
The spear in his hand thrust forward.
With one strike, it encompassed everything, erasing all resistance.
Qing Emperor swiftly swung its scythes, sending blade-shaped streaks of energy slicing through the air.
Xu Yuan's will was resolute. He and his spear became one, shattering every blade streak along his path.
Qing Emperor crossed its arms in front of its chest, and a dark green glow emerged.
The five elemental forces rotated endlessly, while blood essence and mental power ground down the dark green glow on Qing Emperor's arms.
Boom!
In an instant, the dark green glow was worn down, creating an opening. The spear's radiance pierced through Qing Emperor's body.
Bang!
A surge of explosive forces shredded Qing Emperor's body into fragments.
With a wave of his hand, Xu Yuan isolated the Abyss energy released after Qing Emperor's death.
"This spear encompasses all my power, with the sharp-metal force of the Dark Golden Terror Claw as its explosive core, fusing all my energies. Its destructive power is far greater than before."
"This spear… is truly the spear of penetration."
Penetration requires not just an endless edge but also boundless momentum.
At the moment of collision, what matters most is the depth of one's reserves.
The five elements rotate ceaselessly, while blood essence and mental power grind away relentlessly, finding flaws in any defense and breaking through with pinpoint precision.
Once the defense is breached, the unleashed force becomes a spear that pierces through everything.
"However, the method of fusion is still too crude. There's room for further refinement and improvement."
Xu Yuan quickly left the scene and returned to a position halfway along the Abyss Passage before beginning to assess his gains.
"The energy of an Abyss Emperor is of a higher grade, and the influx of stellar energy it brings back is immense!" Xu Yuan's heart stirred as he devoured all the accumulated stellar energy from Qing Emperor's essence.
Within him, his soul power surged, rapidly breaking through the barrier that had troubled him for so long.
Three months had passed since the explosion of the God-Slaying Missile.
"I've reached Level 80."
Xu Yuan exhaled deeply.
Finally, Level 80.
The leap from Level 79 to 80 had been a significant hurdle, taking him a month and a half. Now, propelled by the vast stellar energy gained from slaying Qing Emperor, he had finally broken through.
His soul power quality was already extremely high. At this stage, even if solely used to increase his soul power level, each level would require the equivalent of hunting down hundreds of Abyss creatures of the same tier.
However, this was nearing a limit. His soul power quality had already approached a peak under the influence of stellar energy, and this ratio would no longer continue to grow.
Having broken through to Level 80, Xu Yuan sat cross-legged.
Rings of soul rings appeared beneath him, swirling.
Black, black, black, black, black, black, red.
Six black, one red.
An astonishing configuration!
Beyond the seven soul rings, an eighth soul ring condensed—a blood-red circle. Within the crimson glow of the soul ring, shadows and light seemed to flow, mysterious and profound.
The halo solidified, transforming completely into a soul ring that encircled Xu Yuan. With this, Xu Yuan ascended to become an eight-ring Soul Douluo!
"Eight rings."
Six black, two red.
Looking at his soul rings, Xu Yuan was relatively satisfied.
He stood up and stretched his body.
"My soul power has reached Level 81. There are only five months left until my promised trip to Dou Ling Continent," Xu Yuan frowned.
Five months seemed insufficient to reach Level 89.
Glancing down at his battle armor, he let out a bitter smile.
"It's true. Pursuing soul power levels isn't wrong, but I've been obsessing lately. Even my battle armor can't keep up. My two-word battle armor hasn't been completed for long, and it doesn't even have a name yet, yet I'm already a Soul Douluo."
By external standards, judging solely by soul power level and battle armor grade, Xu Yuan would be considered a prodigy who had fallen behind—an inadequate battle armor master.
Already a Soul Douluo, yet he hadn't upgraded his battle armor to three-word battle armor.
Either he would remain stagnant forever, or he might scrape by as a three-word battle armor master, but he would never achieve the pinnacle of three-word battle armor mastery.
After all, the truly top-tier three-word battle armor masters complete their three-word battle armor during the Soul Sage stage. Then, as they advance to Soul Douluo, Title Douluo, and even throughout the Super Douluo stage, they continuously refine their three-word battle armor.
Just like the stages of a soul master's advancement.
The leap in strength required for three-word battle armor is no less than the leap from Soul Sage to Level 98 Super Douluo. In fact, the gap for three-word battle armor is even greater.
If one can't achieve three-word battle armor mastery during the Soul Sage stage, how could they possibly pursue higher levels of mastery?
Of course, none of this applied to Xu Yuan.
Because Xu Yuan was exceptionally unique.
"These five months, I'll need to upgrade my battle armor again. First, I'll upgrade all the materials to soul-forged. Soul power cultivation must continue as well. Let's set a minimum goal: increase soul power by two levels."
If other Soul Douluos heard Xu Yuan's "minimum" goal of increasing two levels in five months, they wouldn't know what to think.
Perfecting his spear techniques, upgrading his battle armor, cultivating soul power…
Time flowed on.
The five months passed amidst diligent cultivation.
---
Blood God Legion.
"You're leaving the Blood God Legion?" Cao Dezhi looked at Xu Yuan, feeling a headache coming on.
Service in the Blood God Legion was a minimum of five years, and Xu Yuan had formally joined the legion, so he was bound by this rule.
Even if there were urgent matters, he shouldn't be allowed to leave.
The Blood God Legion was stricter than any other legion!
"You need to give me a reasonable explanation," Cao Dezhi said gravely.
"A reason?" Xu Yuan thought for a moment, then looked up at Cao Dezhi and said, "What about further researching the technology to devour Abyss energy?"
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