"Run, run, run, run, run, run, run, run… RUN!!!"
The Skydream Iceworm screamed inside Huo Yuhao's mind.
Startled, Huo Yuhao shivered and, without thinking, started sprinting at full speed.
Before he'd even run a few steps, a gentle white light enveloped his body and whisked him away in an instant.
A few moments later, Huo Yuhao landed tens of miles away.
The white light vanished as his feet touched the ground.
He looked around in astonishment. The incredible speed just now was unlike anything he'd ever experienced.
So it wasn't a dream—there really was a million-year soul beast offering itself up to him voluntarily!
"Brother Tianmeng, why were we running?" Huo Yuhao asked, confused.
"Do you have any idea how strong those two people were?!"
The Skydream Iceworm was panting, his voice trembling.
Huo Yuhao scratched his head. "No, but... I thought they seemed like good people."
"Good people... heh! Whether they're good or bad, if they're that strong, one stray thought, one sneeze, if they're in a bad mood, you're dead! You think powerful beings like that care about some ants underfoot?"
"Yuhao, do you even know how many ants you've accidentally stepped on in your life?" the Iceworm snorted, self-assured.
Huo Yuhao fell silent, recalling the scene with the two people earlier. For some reason, he just didn't think they were evil.
But he also didn't argue—he knew who was on his side.
The Iceworm continued, "I told you before, didn't I? I fought many powerful soul beasts before being ambushed and forced to spend ten thousand years buried underground in darkness. So I've seen the pinnacle of soul beasts."
"And that man—the one who looked like a total goofball—he filled me with pure fear. That kind of fear only comes from someone at the god level! Or at the very least, he's the strongest being among mortals!"
Huo Yuhao's eyes widened. He couldn't help but think back to that carefree man—Poseidon. Could he really be a god?
A god… who asked to eat his grilled fish?
"And the other one?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"I couldn't sense anything—like a normal human." Skydream replied.
Huo Yuhao sighed in relief. Good. Just a normal person. If both of them were gods eating his grilled fish, that would've been terrifying.
"Why are you relieved?! That's even worse!"
The Iceworm shrieked. "The first one at least gave off some signals I could detect. But the other? I couldn't sense a thing! That kind of blank presence? That's definitely a god!!!"
"!!!"
Huo Yuhao's face scrunched up from the yelling. His head felt like it was going to explode.
"Brother Tianmeng, quiet down a little…"
After venting, the Iceworm huffed, "Yuhao, your luck is insane... Oh, and let me remind you: gods hate soul beasts. If they find out I'm inside you, who knows what they'll do to you!"
Huo Yuhao froze. All the color drained from his face.
"Why do you think I was so quiet? Only a top-tier spiritual-type soul beast like me could hide from them. Any other soul beast would've been exposed immediately!"
"Anyway, let's just get out of here! Once those other beasts realize I escaped, they'll come searching. But those fools will never guess I'm with you!"
Huo Yuhao nodded firmly.
After being scared like that, he didn't want to waste any more time.
BOOM—!!!
Suddenly, a deafening thunderclap echoed through the air.
Looking up, he saw that the skies above Star Dou Forest had filled with dark clouds at some unknown point, completely blocking out the sunlight.
The sky rippled like the ocean.
It was hard to tell where the sea ended and the sky began.
High above, beneath the clouds…
Two figures floated.
Poseidon held one hand to the sky. A sea-blue light connected to the dark clouds above, radiating immense pressure. Wind howled around him, making his robes billow.
"I've observed the Douluo Plane's timeline for ten thousand years and derived this divine skill… Sea-Sky Convergence. What do you think?"
Poseidon laughed, looking at Dan Heng.
Dan Heng raised an eyebrow, scanning the area.
This guy did have some skill.
No wonder he was the strongest god beneath the God King level.
A thousand-mile radius was under his divine domain.
And this wasn't just a powerful offensive skill—it was also a domain that enhanced Poseidon's strength.
He called himself Sea God, but Sky God might've been more accurate.
"You're impressive," Dan Heng said truthfully.
Poseidon's face twitched. To him, it sounded like an adult humoring a boastful child.
Wasn't this way too dismissive for someone of his stature—half a step from godhood?
"Dan Heng, if it were you… how long would it take to break my divine skill?" Poseidon asked.
Dan Heng held up one finger.
"A day? You're being modest. No need to flatter me."
Even as he said that, Poseidon's smile nearly split his face.
"One breath." Dan Heng replied.
"..."
Poseidon's expression froze.
"That's too much! It's a domain, a divine miracle! Even I can't dispel it in one breath!"
Dan Heng shook his head and looked to the sky. "Disperse."
With that single word…
The clouds stopped swirling.
A second later, they turned white.
Then, a strong breeze blew in, and the clouds turned to mist, fading with the wind.
The sun reappeared, shining warmly on the two men.
The sky cleared completely.
Not a single cloud remained.
Poseidon stared, dumbfounded.
Looking far into the distance, he couldn't even see one cloud.
He… really did it in one breath?!
"You you you you you—"
Dan Heng nodded calmly. "One breath."
Poseidon pointed at him, about to retort, when something clicked. He lit up. "I get it! It's the Plane Will! Dan Heng, you're cheating! That's not your power!"
Dan Heng smiled faintly. "Then you try it."
Poseidon flushed, stammering.
He couldn't argue.
This was insane cheating!
The Plane Will listened to Dan Heng like a servant.
He just said, "Disperse," and everything obeyed?!
Worse yet, Poseidon couldn't even anchor the clouds with divine power—it was more like summoning them.
Without divine power, they were fully controlled by the Plane Will.
As for his own words?
The Plane Will wouldn't even blink.
And there was nothing he could do about it.
"You… Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't look down on—!" Poseidon grumbled.
Dan Heng ignored him and looked toward the sun.
"Come out."
Poseidon blinked. "What now?"
The next moment, it felt like something was approaching from the direction of the sun.
But visually, there was nothing there.
Yet a presence—subtle but vast—was undeniably near.
Poseidon looked at Dan Heng, then toward the sun, his face suddenly turning pale.
"The Plane Will?!"
The Plane Will—an emotionless consciousness born from the Douluo Plane itself—governed its laws and balance.
The Plane Master was the god who wielded authority over it—there were levels of this too.
Weak ones like Tang Hao had long lives and strength, but little control over the plane.
What the Plane Will gave Long Long (Dan Heng and Gu Yuena's child) was a higher-level authority, capable of altering some of the world's laws.
Calling wind and rain was trivial. Moving mountains and rewriting rules—that was real power.
But true Plane Master status, above the Plane Will?
Only a Creator God could reach that level.
Ordinarily, the Plane Will wouldn't bestow such a title easily.
But Dan Heng's power had forced it to.
Out of pure survival instinct, the Plane Will had granted Long Long the status of Plane Master.
Now, it had created another "child of destiny"—another "Plane's chosen one"… Huo Yuhao.
What was it trying to do?
In the original story, when Tang San found Huo Yuhao, he immediately sent his daughter to him, carefully arranged everything, and even gave him a god position—yet still left Tang Hao as Plane Master.
All because he feared Huo Yuhao might replace Tang Hao one day.
Now, the same thing was happening with Dan Heng.
The Plane Will didn't speak—but its presence was clear.
"What do you want?" Dan Heng asked calmly.
He wasn't threatening it—he didn't even care about the authority of being Plane Master.
After all, his and Gu Yuena's child, Long Long, was far beyond even the highest level of Plane Master.
Even if others held the title, Long Long would naturally supersede them.
Poseidon stood silently beside him, smirking at the Plane Will—even though he couldn't actually see it.
"Huo Yuhao… is a chosen subordinate, a collaborator with the Plane Master. He will not usurp divine authority…"
The Plane Will finally responded.
Even without emotion, Poseidon could sense its fear.
Understandable, really. Anyone facing someone strong enough to exile the entire god realm would be terrified.
Even if the Plane Will didn't have emotions, self-preservation was instinctual.
Dan Heng frowned slightly, not replying.
The Plane Will added, "If you disapprove, I can retract the fortune I've bestowed on Huo Yuhao…"
Poseidon almost laughed out loud.
It was really scared?!
It actually offered to revoke Huo Yuhao's chosen status?
"No need. Leave it as it is," Dan Heng said blandly.
The Plane Will slowly faded away.
Poseidon, the Sea God, gave Dan Heng a thumbs-up."You're impressive—so powerful that even the will of the plane is terrified of you!"
Dan Heng gently shook his head. He had no intention of forcing anyone; he just wanted some clarity.
It was better to ask now than cause misunderstandings later.
He looked down at the Star Dou Forest and then glanced toward Huo Yuhao.
"Go check on him."
"Sure, sure... Let's see what kind of skills this helper the plane's will picked for our Longlong has,"Poseidon said with a cheerful smile.
In the forest—
Huo Yuhao was running, drenched in sweat. His clothes were soaked through, and his steps grew heavier and heavier—as if something was chasing him.
He looked back, and suddenly—bam!—slammed straight into a "wall" and fell over.
Looking up, he realized it wasn't a wall, but a towering, burly man with wild red hair and a rugged face. Just by standing there, the man radiated a powerful aura.
A true expert!Huo Yuhao was shocked. His luck was beyond words.
First, he met a million-year soul beast. Then two gods. Now another powerhouse shows up…
"Skydream Iceworm, is that you transformed?"
The Crimson King bent down, pulled Huo Yuhao up, and looked at him with suspicion.
Huo Yuhao looked nervous and awkward. He quickly shook his head, forcing a smile."Senior… you've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Skydream Iceworm. My name is Huo Yuhao."
"No need to lie to me. Skydream Iceworm, you can't fool my eyes,"the Crimson King said seriously, pointing at his own eyes.
Huo Yuhao immediately released his martial soul. His pupils flashed."Senior, look! My martial soul is Spiritual Eye, not Skydream Iceworm."
If he were a transformed soul beast, his martial soul would reflect his former form.
The Crimson King was slightly stunned. He stared at Huo Yuhao for a moment—
Then his face showed a look of shock.
"Skydream Iceworm… you sacrificed yourself? You… why would you go that far?"The Crimson King sighed.
At that moment, a white light flew out from Huo Yuhao's forehead. It hovered in the air and morphed into a large white worm—
It was the Skydream Iceworm himself.
"Hmph! Crimson King! Who would've thought… After all these years, your cultivation has reached just below the divine level! Out of all those bastards, I didn't expect you to be the one with the most potential!"
Skydream Iceworm said defiantly,"Since you've found me, I've got nothing to say! Kill me if you want! Anyway, you guys can't devour me anymore!"
The Crimson King sighed."No… we never intended to devour you again. In all these years, did we ever return underground? We came looking for you now because we sensed something was wrong with you."
Skydream Iceworm was taken aback.That was true—he hadn't seen Di Tian or the other ferocious beasts in over ten thousand years!
"Then what are you after?!"he asked cautiously.
"We honestly forgot about you. We thought you'd come out on your own eventually. We never expected that…"
The Crimson King looked a bit awkward.
Who would've thought Skydream Iceworm was this useless? Without the suppression of other soul beasts, he still had to stew for 10,000 years before he could emerge.
He then began explaining what had changed over the past 10,000 years.
With the gods no longer a threat—and due to a certain special reason—the Master of the Plane had become their Young Master, and the heavenly tribulation for soul beasts had weakened to the extreme.
Now, as long as a soul beast could cultivate to a million years, they could become a god with ease!
"???"
Skydream Iceworm was dumbfounded.
He had panicked at the million-year threshold and chose to sacrifice himself to a "trash" host.
Did that mean…If he had just been a little braver and chosen to face the million-year tribulation…
He would have already become a god?!
(End of chapter)