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Bai Xu's Room.
He had been sitting cross-legged on his bed for ten days. By now, the entire room was enveloped by a grand formation, leaving the wandering abyssal energy with nowhere to go, forced to drift aimlessly in the air. Bai Xu exhaled wisps of the Five Elements, which intertwined endlessly with the abyssal energy. This cycle continued for ten full days.
Finally, comprehension was achieved.
With a low shout, he declared, "Five Elements, Transform into Demon."
The formation stirred as winds and clouds surged within. Bai Xu condensed a single seed and tossed it onto the ground. A willow tree began to grow, soon reaching his height. Willow catkins floated through the air, seemingly drawn to the abyssal energy. The two gradually approached each other, entering a state akin to quantum entanglement. Then, the abyssal energy was slowly devoured and fed back into Bai Xu's body.
"Finally done," Bai Xu exhaled deeply, his gaze sharpening as he looked into the distance. "Now, it's time to reveal some of my methods."
Knock, knock!
A knocking sound came from the door. Gu Yuena's voice followed: "Finished?"
"Mm. Come in."
Gu Yuena stepped inside, glancing around curiously before her eyes settled on the willow tree. "The Federation's latest research project is about to officially launch. The Spirit Pagoda wants us to participate—and secure a high ranking. Rumor has it that the final champion will receive either a full set of resources to craft a Red-level mecha or the heavenly-forged metals needed for a four-word battle armor."
"You go ahead. I won't be joining."
"Alright."
"Anything else?"
"I want to see your research results on abyssal energy."
Bai Xu frowned slightly. "It's dangerous—especially for you, now that I've deciphered its essence."
"It's fine. Go ahead." Gu Yuena assumed a defensive stance.
Seeing this, Bai Xu formed a hand seal. The willow tree stirred, releasing pure white catkins that filled the room. Gu Yuena felt an itch on her skin and looked down to see the catinals clinging to her body. Almost immediately, her life force seemed to resonate, gradually draining away.
"Ah—!" Instinctively, the Silver Dragon unleashed elemental flames, attempting to incinerate the catkins.
But the fire had no effect.
With a wave of his hand, Bai Xu dispersed the catkins. He caught Gu Yuena as she collapsed and placed her on the bed. "I warned you—it's dangerous. Now that I've fully analyzed it, these catkins can practically latch onto you and siphon your Silver Dragon essence."
"Why didn't the flames work?" Gu Yuena watched as a green glow flickered in Bai Xu's palm, waves of vitality radiating outward to restore her. Since this was only a test, no actual essence had been drained, and she recovered quickly.
"The Five Elements are under my control. Naturally, I can grant them fire immunity—unless your flames surpass my level of mastery."
"This technique of yours defies reason. If word gets out, the Federation will label you a dark soul master." Gu Yuena, now fully restored, sighed. Bai Xu had already deciphered the essence of many things—most soul beasts, plants, and even humans. If he unleashed this technique, she suspected he could drain all life in the vicinity.
"I know my limits. Besides, don't you have the devouring power of the Silver Dragon Spear? It's just that if this technique is exposed, controversy will inevitably follow." Bai Xu seemed to be considering the distant future as he spoke.
He sighed. "I could always stay behind the scenes."
As he spoke, he conjured several more seeds in his palm and scattered them across the room. The seeds sprouted and grew, swiftly transforming into towering trees.
"I can even control them remotely. If these willows are 'discovered' by the Blood God Legion, I'll be the one to reap the benefits. The higher-ups of the Blood God Camp would undoubtedly treasure them."
"Then why not do that? Why deliberately reveal yourself?" Gu Yuena frowned in confusion. Suddenly, her expression shifted to disbelief, a mix of shock and fear. "You—you're deliberately provoking the Douluo Continent into opposing you? Aren't you afraid of making a mistake and getting yourself killed?"
They had spent too much time together—or perhaps Bai Xu's demeanor was simply too kind—giving Gu Yuena the illusion that he was inherently good-natured. But that wasn't the case. His apparent kindness stemmed from his low-profile lifestyle, avoiding conflicts, never being challenged, and often holding back in battles.
Yet, those who earned his attention almost invariably died.
"I'd like to keep it a mystery, but I hate being cryptic. Fine, I'll tell you. The final step of the Meridian Opening realm—the Eight Extraordinary Meridians—can't be unlocked through cultivation alone."
"In truth, once the first four realms are perfected, Meridian Opening is already complete. But when the Eight Extraordinary Meridians are fully unlocked, combined with one's own comprehension, the Five Elements Body might manifest. However, the manual only offers one phrase regarding this: 'Only in death is there life.'"
"What if you're wrong? This is practically suicide!" Gu Yuena protested.
"Don't worry. Even if I'm wrong, I'll still repay my debt to you and the soul beasts. Since I've involved you, I'll take responsibility. At that point, I can only hope you grow strong enough to resurrect me." Bai Xu half-joked.
"Won't the other Bai Xu help you?"
"No."
Beep beep beep!
"You—" Gu Yuena was about to say more when the platform alarm cut her off. A message flashed across everyone's Blood God Rings:
"Secondary Abyssal Tide incoming! All legion personnel, prepare to defend."
"See? The opportunity has arrived."
The two quickly geared up and headed out to face the abyss.
—
"The first soul shield is repaired! All personnel to the first line of defense!"
"Too many abyssal creatures—bring out the soul cannons!"
Updates flooded the Blood God Rings, indicating fierce combat. Blood Seven personally sought out Gu Yuena. "Come. This is a great opportunity for you. A Secondary Abyssal Tide doesn't bring many powerful foes. If you play your cards right, you might make significant progress."
"Understood." Gu Yuena didn't look back at Bai Xu, leaving decisively.
Abyssal Tides typically began with a surge of destructive energy, followed by hordes of abyssal creatures launching a full assault. While energy shields could block the destructive waves, they drained immense power. Thus, once the destructive energy faded, the Blood God Legion had to deactivate the shields to conserve energy for the next wave.
Against the abyssal creatures, the legion had to rely on pure combat strength.
For most veterans, Secondary Abyssal Tides were nothing unusual. They waited calmly as the gray-black destructive energy battered the shields. After about an hour, the energy receded, and swarms of low-tier abyssal creatures surged forth like a tidal wave.
This was when the brilliance of soul technology shone. Countless soul cannon shells, beams, and advanced weaponry rained down, reducing the creatures to gray mist that retreated into the abyss.
Once the legion's soul weapons were depleted, close combat began. Melee wasn't strictly necessary—the Federation had plenty of ways to eliminate these grunts—but it served as vital training, a key reason the Blood God Legion had stood firm against the abyss for a millennium.
Every soldier remained composed, handling emergencies with practiced calm.