Xu Yuan was surprised.
Sharing the burden?
He released his spiritual power, carefully sensing the current state of the Underworld and the aura of Yun Ming before him.
"Teacher, you should now be—"
"That's right, I've broken through to the 1st Class God level," Yun Ming said with a calm nod.
With the entire Underworld as his support, along with the evolving Stellar Phenomenon, his setup was no less impressive than Lex's comprehension of the Blood God Star's transformation.
No, just the evolving Stellar Phenomenon alone was comparable to the opportunity of the Blood God Star transforming into a true plane. Add in the support of the Underworld, and Yun Ming didn't need to exhaust himself improving his foundational divine soul power.
Breaking through to the 1st Class God level was only natural.
Although he had broken through to the 1st Class God level, Yun Ming still felt somewhat overwhelmed. He gave a bitter smile.
"I have broken through, but the Abyssal Sage King somehow found reinforcements."
Xu Yuan's heart sank.
Listening to Yun Ming's explanation, he understood where the current pressure on the Underworld came from.
The Abyssal Sage King had actually found another 1st Class God-level helper.
This was like adding insult to injury for Douluo Planet. Dealing with one Abyssal Sage King was already the limit for Douluo Planet; adding another being of the same level as the Abyssal Sage King would bring the battle back to square one.
The only fortunate thing was that Xu Yuan had advanced to the Super God level in just three short years.
A fully comprehensive Super God level.
"The person the Abyssal Sage King brought is named Yan Long. He doesn't know where he came from, but he possesses 1st Class God-level strength."
Hearing Yun Ming's account, Xu Yuan increasingly felt the situation was tricky.
The Abyssal Sage King was notorious in the universe. How could he find help?
How was this possible?
Yan Long...
Unfortunately, Xu Yuan's understanding of the universe was shallow, and he didn't know which 1st Class God-level entity Yan Long was.
"Teacher, it's not a big problem. Although I'm only at the Super God level, my essence, energy, and spirit have simultaneously reached the Super God level, and my foundation is solid. With essence, energy, and spirit fused together, I'm confident in bursting out with 1st Class God-level power." Xu Yuan said, "Now we effectively have two 1st Class God-level forces, and the Underworld is our home ground. The victor of this struggle is destined to be us."
Yun Ming looked at Xu Yuan, showing a gratified smile, but soon revealed a bitter expression.
"If only things were so simple. But the current situation is different from when you left. I can sense that a second channel between Douluo Planet and the Abyss has been established."
"What?"
Xu Yuan was shocked.
A second channel?
His mind quickly flashed through a flood of information, finally locking on the memory of Ardent Emperor, whom he had forcibly left behind on Douluo Planet.
"Back then, you let Ardent Emperor stay on Douluo Planet. Ardent Emperor conspired with the Holy Spirit Sect, and together they plotted to open another channel in the ocean."
"In the ocean?" Xu Yuan frowned.
He knew this change was significant.
In the original storyline, there were indeed two channels. When the channel on the Endless Mountain Range side was blocked by the Blood God Legion, the Abyssal Sage King lured the Demon Emperor to establish the second channel in the far north.
But now, although the second channel was opened similarly, its location was no longer in the far north.
"I could only make this judgment through the Underworld's perception. The Underworld is now a connecting node between two planes, and through it, I discovered an additional node between the two planes."
Yun Ming sighed.
"Although I can feel that the channel over there is still weak, it has existed for three months. If the opportunity provided by the Stellar Phenomenon cannot be seized, the Abyssal Sage King will likely launch an attack directly, using the other channel to enter Douluo Planet from the ocean."
The ocean...
That should be the most vulnerable place on Douluo Planet.
Once they entered the ocean, whether it was the Federation or the other two empires, none would be able to mount an effective counterattack.
Even finding traces of the Abyss army would be extremely difficult.
Adding to that, the Holy Spirit Sect, which had operations in the ocean.
It was as if all negative buffs were stacked full.
Currently, all of Douluo Planet's forces were concentrated in the Underworld, barely holding back the Abyss invasion.
But if the Abyss could shift their invasion point, Douluo Planet's prevention efforts would become much harder.
When that time came, it would be a disaster for Douluo Planet.
Even though Douluo Planet's combined strength might be enough to resist the Abyss, the battlefield would inevitably be on Douluo Planet, causing ecological destruction. Even if the Abyss was driven away, the damage would be severe.
"It'll be fine."
Xu Yuan spoke.
His words caught Yun Ming's attention.
"Xiao Yuan, do you have a plan?"
Xu Yuan smiled.
"I do have a plan. As long as we seize this opportunity presented by the Stellar Phenomenon and upgrade Jue to a Super Divine artifact, I'm confident in rushing into the Abyss to confront the Abyssal Sage King."
"Are you sure?" Yun Ming frowned.
"He is the plane master of the Abyss. Within the Abyss is when he is at his strongest. And if you directly enter the Abyss, your powers will also be suppressed."
Xu Yuan laughed, "Normally, that would be the case. But now I have my own realm."
"Your realm?"
"Yes, I have created an inner realm. Now, I am essentially a plane myself, capable of resisting any plane's suppression. In fact, I am now independent of the Douluo plane and consider myself a starry life form."
Hearing Xu Yuan's words, Yun Ming felt a bit of joy.
He noticed Xu Yuan's latter statement and immediately used the Underworld's space to sense Xu Yuan. Sure enough, he felt a repulsive force emanating from Xu Yuan.
It was a shielding power.
"I am a plane myself. No matter how they suppress me within the Abyss, there will always be at least one area under the scope of my realm where I can unleash my full power."
"With Jue upgraded to a Super Divine artifact, you indeed have a chance to suppress the Abyssal Sage King." Yun Ming nodded, acknowledging Xu Yuan's reasoning.
Internally, Xu Yuan bitterly smiled.
Suppress?
At most, it would be a stalemate, after which he could wreak havoc inside the Abyss.
The reason he said to seize this opportunity was that he wasn't confident against the Heavenly Sacred Splitting Abyss Halberd.
No matter what, it was a Super Divine artifact, and its attacks were all true damage.
Without a Super Divine artifact, Xu Yuan wasn't confident either.
If the Abyss really shifted the battlefield to within Douluo Planet, then Xu Yuan could only go deep into the Abyss and cause destruction inside.
And Xu Yuan operating alone would be very convenient. Plus, given the Abyss's structure, swallowing one emperor would cause the corresponding entire space to collapse. The destruction Xu Yuan could cause would far exceed that of the Abyss.
"That's good." Yun Ming sighed in relief.
"By the way, the core formation has already begun to prepare. You can start preparing."
"It has already started?"
"This valley is a place I specially transformed for you during this period. I separately hid some peculiar items here, burying them to form a large array."
Yun Ming led Xu Yuan deeper into the valley.
At the center of the valley, there was a huge platform.
As Yun Ming arrived, energy within the entire platform began to circulate, forming intricate patterns of the core formation in mid-air.
From all directions, light points appeared, each representing a peculiar item. These items were connected to energy columns emitted by the formation on the platform, resonating with each other.
"Take out your Jue."
Following Yun Ming's instructions, Xu Yuan took out Jue.
Jue slowly flew towards the platform in mid-air.
Seemingly sensing a compatible aura, the formation activated, swiftly pulling Jue to the center.
Each peculiar item resonated with Jue.
Meanwhile, peculiar items scattered throughout the Underworld, regardless of whose hands they were in, now emitted light and sent out special fluctuations.
"That's good. I can feel that Jue has started adapting to the core laws. When the core laws finish gestating, it will naturally fuse with these laws."
So simple?
What Xu Yuan didn't know was that during the three years he was gone, Yun Ming had to put aside distractions, not pondering whether Xu Yuan had encountered mishaps or couldn't return on time. He devoted himself entirely to crafting this grand array, facilitating Xu Yuan's immediate initiation of this plan upon his return.
After seeing Yun Ming and placing Jue, Xu Yuan temporarily had no more tasks.
He returned to the Divine Forging City.
Forging Department.
Xu Yuan's return caused a stir throughout the Forging Department.
After calming the many blacksmiths' hearts, Xu Yuan went to his former office.
"Xu Yuan?"
Tang Wulin was also pleasantly surprised by Xu Yuan's return.
This past year, he had been exhausted.
The Forging Department's celestial forging tasks were too numerous, to the point that even his Golden Dragon King bloodline body couldn't handle it.
Moreover, during this year, he had practiced countless practical operations using these celestial forging tasks. He was thoroughly familiar with celestial forging but still couldn't replicate Xu Yuan's divine forging.
He even sought advice from Zhen Hua, learning from him the key to divine forging.
However, no matter what, he hadn't succeeded.
In the Divine Forging City, he had conducted two public forging sessions, three months ago and one month ago, both attempts under the pressure of many watching blacksmiths trying to break through, yet both failed.
This was why Xu Yuan's position in the hearts of many blacksmiths remained firm.
Divine forging was currently something only he could successfully accomplish.
Just like Zhen Hua back then, who solely mastered celestial forging—he was the god in all blacksmiths' hearts, an object of respect for all soul masters.
Xu Yuan mastering divine forging was the hope for all Limit Douluos pursuing the god level.
Though they themselves could also break through, the role of divine-forged metal...
Though so far, the only known person with divine-forged metal, Xu Shengqun, had not yet broken through, his changes over the past three years were earth-shattering.
He possessed true god-level strength.
Tang Wulin, with his irrational Golden Dragon King bloodline, became the second Xu Yuan, but he couldn't completely suppress Xu Shengqun now.
If not for the age difference, Xu Shengqun could also contend for the honor of being the second Xu Yuan.
Of course, this might not be considered an honor for Xu Shengqun himself.
Actually, it wasn't just Xu Shengqun who possessed divine-forged metal; Ya Li did too.
Both of them were sufficiently accumulated, ready to break through at any moment.
Ya Li was waiting for Douluo Planet's opportunity, while Xu Shengqun was waiting for that instant fluctuation.
"Wulin."
Xu Yuan glanced at Tang Wulin, sensing extra fluctuations on him.
"How is this possible?"
Inside Tang Wulin's heart, a voice with disbelief seemed to shout through gritted teeth.
"Old Tang, what's wrong?"
"He broke through."
"I sensed it too. Xu Yuan's aura is completely different now."
"No, it's not that simple. His divine soul power is at the Super God level, and his spiritual power is no longer ordinary Divine Origin Realm."
"What?"
Tang Wulin was incredulous, and his mental fluctuations even projected into reality.
Xu Yuan stood quietly opposite Tang Wulin, not interrupting his conversation with Old Tang.
Just now, he had captured Old Tang's divine consciousness fluctuations.
While Old Tang's power hadn't changed or had even weakened, Xu Yuan kept advancing.
Everything was no longer untraceable.
"When did Xu Yuan's spiritual power reach the Divine Origin Realm?" Tang Wulin didn't know that Xu Yuan's spiritual power had broken through the Divine Origin Realm.
Now he did, but he simultaneously received updated intelligence—that Xu Yuan's spiritual power had advanced another realm beyond the Divine Origin Realm.
"His blood essence fluctuations are higher than yours, and his divine soul power is at the Super God level. How is this possible?" Old Tang muttered to himself, finding it inconceivable.
In three years, from Limit Douluo to Super God level?
This was a leap that even the main bodies possessing the Sea God and Asura God positions hadn't achieved.
The existence of a divine position cleared all obstacles up to level 150 for the main body just breaking through level 100.
Even under such unobstructed cultivation, the main body hadn't managed to raise its soul power to the Super God level in just three years.
Old Tang muttered repeatedly, finally saying bitterly to Tang Wulin, "Wulin, hurry up and complete the Nine Trials of the Sea God, then break through."
After completing the Nine Trials of the Sea God, even if the main body couldn't pass down the divine position, the power left by the divine trials could help Tang Wulin break through to the god level.
Without the restriction of the god level, Tang Wulin could better digest the Golden Dragon King's power.
Thus, he could better integrate the Golden Dragon King's power.
Simultaneously, the main body could more precisely locate Douluo Planet.
From the connection during previous trials, Old Tang understood the current state of Douluo God Realm, learned about the formation of the Great God Circle, and knew that the main body should be in need of Douluo Planet's coordinates now.
"Alright."
Tang Wulin was deeply stimulated and felt low at the moment.
Suddenly, he remembered he was currently facing Xu Yuan.
When he looked at Xu Yuan, he met Xu Yuan's calm eyes.
"Xu... Xu Yuan, you're back."
He tried hard to pretend nothing had happened just now.
"Keep the divine consciousness on your body in check; don't scan randomly," Xu Yuan said indifferently.
Tang Wulin awkwardly smiled, looking guilty.
In his inner world, Old Tang was furious.
A mighty God King, when had he ever been warned like this?
"You're back, regarding the Forging Department—"
"Stop. I have more important things to attend to now. The Forging Department still needs you to take charge for the time being." Xu Yuan interrupted Tang Wulin's words.
Celestial forging?
Then you'll have to work.
"Ah?" Tang Wulin didn't expect Xu Yuan to continue letting him manage the Forging Department.
"Well, many Limit Douluos are seeking divine-forged metal. They've repeatedly applied to the Forging Department, and the Federation has exerted pressure many times..."
"Hmph, pressure?" Xu Yuan sneered.
"Tell them that if their cultivation direction doesn't match mine, even if they get the divine-forged metal I forge, they won't be able to break through relying on it."
Tang Wulin lowered his head, resembling an employee receiving orders from his superior.
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