On Sea God Island, upon the Sea God Lake.
Gazing at the golden Ancient Tree soaring into the clouds and profoundly sensing the restrained yet vast and terrifying life force within it, Phantylia's consciousness couldn't help but reveal a hint of excitement and absolute resolve.
Without any hesitation, the cluster of azure flame immediately converged, transforming into a subtle streak of light. Like a drop of water merging into the ocean, it silently slammed directly into the Ancient Tree's old and massive trunk, vanishing in an instant.
At this moment, Yan Shaozhe, Xian Lin'er, and the others, who were fighting with blood and sacrifice outside the city walls, were completely oblivious to everything happening in the forbidden area behind them. They were still pouring everything they had into protecting the city beneath their feet, yet utterly unaware that the core, the greatest foundation of the academy they were sworn to defend, had already been silently infiltrated and invaded by the most dangerous enemy.
"Hmm?"
The moment she integrated her consciousness into the vast life energy within the Ancient Tree's inner space, Phantylia's powerful psychic body suddenly paused, letting out a soft exclamation of obvious surprise.
As a Heliobus (Heliobus) by origin—a life form composed of pure energy, formless and non-material—her perception of spiritual power far exceeded that of any Soul Master in this world. She was an absolute expert and master in the spiritual domain.
Almost instantly upon entering the Golden Tree, her massive perception keenly detected a subtle discordance. Deep within this gigantic tree's vast and pure ocean of life energy, besides the scattered soul fragments that had willingly merged and become part of its nourishment, two other strikingly powerful, condensed, and independent psychic bodies were hidden, completely out of sync with the surroundings.
"Interesting... truly unexpected."
A trace of playful, teasing laughter emerged in Phantylia's mind, like a hunter discovering unexpected prey.
"There are actually 'fellow travelers' who arrived before me? Good taste, indeed."
She had already read Di Tian's memories and was familiar with the concepts of so-called Gods and Divine Sense in the Douluo Continent. In her view, the so-called Divine Sense was essentially the product of spiritual power's ultimate sublimation through some special means, a hundred times purer and stronger than the ordinary spiritual power of Soul Masters.
The two psychic bodies she currently sensed were the real deal: genuine Divine Sense.
One of the Divine Senses was exceptionally powerful, its psychic fluctuations like a boundless, deep ocean—vast and majestic, exuding a solemn, sacred, and inviolable aura. It stood like the most loyal guardian, fiercely protecting the relatively weaker Divine Sense beside it, shielding it closely.
The other, relatively weaker Divine Sense, appeared full of vitality, conveying a sense of resilience and incredible tenacity. Its current state greatly piqued Phantylia's interest. It was slowly and continuously assimilating, absorbing, and merging with the Golden Tree's massive life energy. Judging by the trend, it seemed intent on thoroughly refining and swallowing this ancient divine tree, which was the life core of Douluo Star, turning it into a part of itself.
—This was exactly what Phantylia had planned to do next.
"It seems this trip will be much more interesting than anticipated."
Phantylia's consciousness filled with the excitement and greed of discovering a new toy. She began to silently creep toward the source of the two Divine Senses.
The plan had encountered an unexpected variable, yet Phantylia felt no anger. Instead, her mental eyes, which flickered with azure flames, flashed with even richer interest and playfulness. If a God's main body had personally descended, her current, non-peak power might have required her to temporarily avoid conflict and cautiously maneuver. But now, merely two Divine Sense clones detached from their main bodies... to her, an Annihilation Monarch, they were an unexpected delight, like exquisite, self-delivered gourmet food to a famished traveler, not a problem.
The Heliobus race is a rare, pure energy life form in the cosmos, its very existence rooted in devouring all spiritual energy and emotional fluctuations. Phantylia, as an elite Heliobus and an Annihilation Monarch, had reached an almost Law-level peak in the spiritual domain. The Divine Sense that Soul Masters of the Douluo Continent could only dream of was, to her, merely a collection of purified, larger-scale spiritual power, fundamentally her favorite food.
She was already pleasantly calculating how much her power could recover—two-tenths? Or three-tenths?—after devouring these two high-quality Divine Senses containing a trace of divine attribute. How effortless would the process of taking the Golden Ancient Tree become then? It would likely take no effort at all to completely infiltrate and assimilate it, turning it into the most perfect vessel.
Phantylia's formless consciousness, driven by greed and elegance, began to spread through this spiritual ocean teeming with life energy, stealthily approaching the two Divine Sense sources, which stood out like beacons. Within the Golden Tree, this sacred place of life, which should have been serene, a perilous spiritual battle far beyond mortal comprehension, and known to no one, was about to quietly begin its bloody overture.
Meanwhile, above Shrek's towering city walls, the brutal slaughter continued amidst flying flesh and blood. The deafening shouts of battle and the explosion of Soul Skills masked every subtle change. No one knew that the truly fatal crisis for Shrek Academy, and indeed the entire Douluo Continent, had long bypassed all defenses, lurking and infiltrating its most core foundation.
"Time to go. Let Phantylia and those two Divine Senses play by themselves. We don't need to stick around and watch the show; the risk is too high, and the ticket price isn't worth it."
Herta's doll form walked with quick steps to the side of Ningguang and Ganyu, her clear, melodious voice breaking the heavy silence on the roof terrace of the Jade Chamber . She tilted her head slightly, glancing at the distant city wall battlefield, where energy was still flashing and the shouts of killing roared, then precisely glanced toward the seemingly calm direction of the Sea God Lake.
There, on a level imperceptible to ordinary people, two obscure yet immensely powerful psychic fluctuations had already begun testing, colliding, and intertwining like deep-sea giants. Clearly, Phantylia had already engaged the two early guests in the Golden Tree.
Ningguang followed Herta's gaze to the streets and alleys of Shrek City below. All core and non-core staff of the Jade Chamber had already assembled according to the highest alert protocol, waiting orderly in the square beneath the main building, their faces showing tension and absolute obedience to command.
She remained silent for a moment, her slender, jade-like fingers unconsciously stroking the valuable chalcedony pipe in her hand, the gilded bowl faintly gleaming in the dim light. Her tone carried a trace of hardly noticeable complexity and emotion.
"This mighty city, which has stood for ten thousand years, may soon completely turn into the dust of history..."
The effort she had poured into Shrek City far exceeded anyone's imagination. From that inconspicuous small pavilion at the very beginning to this top-tier commercial complex that now dominated the city center and rivaled any in luxury across the continent, the resources, planning, connections, and energy invested were immeasurable. To say she felt no regret or heartache would be deceiving herself. But these slight business losses seemed so trivial in the face of the vast chessboard Lu Jingming was playing, like a grain of sand before a giant wave.
"Madam Herta, with your main body's capabilities, you actually have a way to stop Phantylia right now, don't you?"
Ningguang didn't immediately issue the final evacuation order. Instead, she turned her head, her gaze sharp as she looked at the small doll beside her. Her gold-amber eyes, which saw through worldly affairs, flickered with doubt.
She saw clearly that although Yan Shaozhe and the others on the city wall were showing fatigue and were at a disadvantage, they could still hold out for at least another half-hour, thanks to their relentless ferocity and the remaining defensive structures of the wall. This time was more than enough to calmly evacuate all personnel and supplies through the pre-arranged channels. Moreover, with Herta's doll clone present, even if the situation suddenly deteriorated completely, a single long-distance spatial teleportation could instantly bring the core personnel back to Seabyss City, so there was no need for such haste.
What truly puzzled her was the attitude of Lu Jingming and Herta towards this matter. Herta's main body was currently not involved in the seemingly chaotic battle in Mingdu. Coupled with the near-bug level of inter-spatial mobility of the Star Rail Express, Herta was entirely capable of bringing her main body here to directly and precisely strike the Annihilation Monarch Phantylia. Even if she couldn't kill her, it would be enough to force her retreat or severely wound her, saving the Golden Tree.
Yet, both Herta and Lu Jingming, who was issuing commands from far away in Mingdu, tacitly chose to stand by. It was as if they had silently agreed to the outcome of Phantylia seizing the Golden Tree and even allowing Shrek City to fall to ruin. This was absolutely not an oversight; it was more like a cold acquiescence.
"It's understandable that you'd have this doubt."
Herta placed her hands on her hips, the doll's face making a cute expression akin to helplessness.
"You've been independently responsible for Shrek City's operations for a long time and haven't participated in the highest strategic planning of Seabyss City. It's normal not to understand that little guy's deepest strategic thinking. But, little rich lady, since you're so smart, you should already understand the most basic principle—"
She shook a single finger.
"Some things, especially major affairs involving the fate of a civilization and the unification of a continent, absolutely cannot be judged by temporary gains and losses on the surface. You cannot be misled by the local brutality before your eyes. You must take a long-term view, leap off the chessboard, and see the grand layout of the next ten, hundred, or even longer years."
"I understand."
The doubt in Ningguang's eyes quickly faded like mist dispersed by the wind, replaced by a clear realization and profundity.
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