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Bai Xu's passage was packed with nearly a thousand soldiers, more than enough to handle the scattered tide of second-level abyssal creatures. Yet Bai Xu, a rookie, stood among them. Explosions erupted one after another, accompanied by piercing shrieks. The abyssal creatures seemed to have no blood—only thick, gray-black mist continuously flowed back into the abyssal passage as they died.
"Squad Leader!" Bai Xu shouted.
Dai Zhaoxiong was surprised to see Bai Xu, but the situation was tense, and they were about to charge at any moment. "Get over here! Stay behind us. I'll ask you for details later!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Prepare for battle!" a commander roared. In a flash of light, his battle armor materialized, twin wings spreading behind him—clearly a two-word battle armor.
The moment the bombardment ceased, he led the charge, plunging into the horde of abyssal creatures.
Following their commander, the soldiers unleashed their martial souls and battle armor, their war cries shaking the heavens. The hatred between Douluo Continent and the Abyss ran deep—only the annihilation of one side would end this war.
Bai Xu, however, remained motionless, seemingly lost in thought. The sight of the thousand-meter-long battlefield, the countless lives clashing—perhaps only such a scene could leave Bai Xu momentarily dazed.
Not far away, Gu Yuena was also on the battlefield. Bai Xu's actions caught her attention. He formed hand seals, and behind him, a towering willow tree emerged, its verdant hue stark against the gray-black backdrop of the abyssal passage. Many were stunned by the sight.
"Whispering Willow."
Whoosh!
An invisible gust of wind seemed to brush through the willow branches, scattering countless willow catkins into the air. Their target? The abyssal creatures and the abyssal energy they left behind upon death.
Thud!
Jiang Wuyue's eyes widened in shock. After gutting a Ba'an in front of him, he saw willow catkins actively wrapping around the escaping abyssal energy, slowly devouring it. As a commander, his initial reaction was disbelief, but he quickly roared, "The willow catkins can absorb abyssal energy, preventing their resurrection! Kill them!"
His call was answered. As the leader of this operation, countless soldiers followed his command. Witnessing the willow catkins trapping the abyssal energy, they grinned in relief, glancing gratefully at the figure beneath the willow tree before charging back into battle.
Gu Yuena stood among the crowd, catching a single catkin in her palm. Just moments ago, in the room, these had been deadly, capable of draining even her Silver Dragon essence. Now, they had become poison to the abyssal creatures, invigorating the Blood God Legion.
"To shift the tide of battle so effortlessly… Is this the weight of an 'Otherworldly Demon'?"
Yet there were also terrifying scenes.
The most striking was a forty-meter-tall Ba'an and a strange, dragon-like abyssal creature, their massive bodies radiating raw power. Dozens of soldiers surrounded them.
But now… fluffy willow catkins had taken root on their bodies, draining their abyssal energy.
Roar—!
They howled in agony, thrashing and slamming against the abyssal walls to no avail. Their flesh disintegrated, their energy devoured—resurrection was now impossible. The willow catkins consumed the abyssal creatures entirely, a horrifying sight.
"For us, it's a divine tree, but for the Abyss, it's a demonic one! Unbelievable!" a soldier exclaimed. With the willow catkins filling the air, the Blood God Legion advanced unhindered. Such a large-scale suppression was truly astonishing.
But the next moment, a chilling presence emerged in the passage. A gray-white streak shot toward Bai Xu. With his spiritual power, Bai Xu instantly recognized it—an Abyssal Monarch had made their move.
Bathed in moonlight-like radiance, a woman in a gray-white dress appeared. Her eyes and long hair were the same ashen hue, cascading down to her feet.
Despite the Blood God Legion's attacks, any strike that entered a thirty-meter radius around her instantly dissipated.
Strangely, behind her, gray-white energy flowed from her body back into the abyssal passage, her form gradually turning translucent.
The Blood God could no longer remain passive. Materializing, he blocked the path between Bai Xu and the Enchantress. "You again. Last time, you failed to kill our seed. Now you're trying again?"
Ignoring Blood Seven, the Enchantress waved a hand, dissolving nearby abyssal creatures into energy that surged back into the passage.
"Trying to escape?" Bai Xu shouted. The willow catkins surged faster, chasing the abyssal energy.
But gray-white chaotic currents sliced through the catkins—yet they stubbornly clung, even attempting to encircle the Enchantress. Bizarre. As a powerhouse equivalent to a Super Douluo, the Enchantress wasn't enough to intimidate Bai Xu.
Blood Seven glanced back at the young man. "I misjudged you earlier. To think you're the perfect counter to the Abyss. After this battle, come with me to the Blood God Camp."
With that, his three-word battle armor materialized, and he charged at the Enchantress. The clash of two Super Douluos rendered the battlefield theirs alone. Behind Bai Xu, the willow tree slowly dissipated, the absorbed abyssal energy instantly refined—the power of his Five Elements Body on full display.
His soul power surged from rank 65 to 68, but most of the energy was channeled into his meridians, aiming to unblock the Three Yang Leg Channels.
Blood Seven and the Enchantress were evenly matched. After a final glance at Gu Yuena and Bai Xu, her gray-white eyes indifferent, the Enchantress withdrew. This abyssal tide had been meant to eliminate the silver-haired girl wielding the dragon spear, but now an even more terrifying nemesis had appeared. The scale of losses was significant, but to the Abyss, it was merely a scratch.
"You two, come with me!" Blood Seven said excitedly, leading Bai Xu and Gu Yuena toward the Blood God Camp. The other Blood Gods watching the battle footage would soon see—they had gained a new hope in weakening the Abyss!
---
Meanwhile…
Tang Wulin's Room
Assigned a mission by Blood One to excel in the Star Battle Network tournament, Tang Wulin had been training hard and competing, which was why he hadn't joined the abyssal battle.
One victory!
Exiting the arena, the name above Tang Wulin's head shimmered gold—"Little Tang"—with a golden upward arrow replacing his win-loss record. He had advanced.
A smile crept onto his lips.
"Well done." A familiar voice suddenly echoed in his mind, startling him before joy took over.
"Old Tang?"
The newly awakened Tang San had watched Tang Wulin's entire match, amazed by his soul core and blood essence core. For the first time, he saw hope that Tang Wulin might fully absorb the Golden Dragon King's essence.
Old Tang's voice was warm. Tang Wulin closed his eyes, his consciousness soon merging into a shared mental space where Old Tang stood, hands behind his back, smiling faintly.
After some conversation, Old Tang suddenly asked, "Now that you know of your Golden Dragon King bloodline, have you encountered someone with its counterpart? A power entirely opposite to it."
Tang Wulin paused. "Old Tang, are you talking about the Silver Dragon King?"
"You already know?"
"Yes. I have a friend named Gu Yuena—she seems to have some Silver Dragon King bloodline."
"That girl… I've seen her in your memories. What's your relationship with her?"
"Uh… Just friends. But Old Tang, I feel a connection between our bloodlines, a resonance from the very source."
"Naturally. The combined power of the Golden and Silver Dragon Kings can birth a trace of the strongest deity—the Dragon God. But I must warn you: stay away from her. Avoid contact."
"Why?"
"Don't ask. You'll understand in time."
Tang Wulin fell silent.
Old Tang changed the subject, teaching Tang Wulin a spear technique—"Thousand Strikes, One Point." Watching him practice, Old Tang frowned, hesitating before subtly activating a strand of spiritual energy.
"Hm?"
Gu Yuena sensed something amiss. Activating the Dragon God Core within her, she tried to trace the source but failed. Staring at Bai Xu's back, doubt crept in.
Was he truly right?
Was her choice correct? Could the future of soul beasts really rest on an Outsider?
For a moment, she wavered, weighing Bai Xu against the Divine Realm. But this shouldn't be how it was!
Slap!
A sharp sound made Bai Xu turn. Gu Yuena's cheek was red, a trickle of blood at her lips. "Sir, I have personal matters to attend to. I won't be accompanying Bai Xu."
Blood Seven was baffled. "Very well. You've been briefed already."
Without another glance at Bai Xu, Gu Yuena left.
Bai Xu: "…"
Silent, he watched her retreating figure, his expression unreadable.