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Since Bai Xu was transferred to the Blood God Battalion as an auxiliary member, his movements gained significant freedom. Almost every time he went to the Abyssal Battlefield, Blood Seven accompanied him to prevent the Abyssal Kings from targeting him for assassination.
Under these circumstances, Bai Xu's efficiency in slaughtering the enemy was terrifyingly high. Moreover, due to the Star Battle Network competition, Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena were not active on the Abyssal Battlefield, leaving Bai Xu as the undisputed star of the show for the time being.
"Floating Willows!"
Every time the soldiers of the Blood God Legion saw Bai Xu raise his hand in a sword-like gesture, they couldn't help but feel exhilarated. The snow-white willow catkins drifting through the air had become the nightmare of the abyssal creatures. The gray-black energy could no longer escape back to the abyss—instead, it was entangled by the white strands and slowly devoured.
Blood Seven watched Bai Xu's figure on the battlefield and couldn't help but sigh in amazement. "In just a month, he's gone from level 65 to level 70... And judging by his current state, he can still keep absorbing energy. Truly blessed by the heavens! At this rate, he'll undoubtedly reach the Limit Douluo level!"
Suddenly, Blood Seven froze, realizing something. A thought crossed his mind: If... Bai Xu were to devour the entire Abyssal Plane... could he ascend to become a god?
This wasn't just his own speculation. Almost every Blood God who had witnessed Bai Xu's recent performance had begun to entertain the same idea. That resolute figure had given the Blood God Legion immense confidence and inspiration. The drifting willow catkins had become their greatest shield.
However...
Somewhere Unknown
The Demon Empress sensed the latest message transmitted by that presence and murmured, "They want us to ensure the death of one additional target... Bai Xu?"
Frowning, she turned to the Ghost Emperor beside her and said, "Ghost Emperor, investigate this person's background."
Originally, after their meeting, the Demon Empress and the Abyssal Sage had reached a collaboration. The hidden evil soul masters within the Blood God Legion would cooperate with the Abyssal Tide to assassinate the nine Blood Gods—not necessarily to succeed, but to weaken the legion's defenses. But why had an additional target suddenly been added?
---
Bai Xu's Room.
His seventh soul ring had finally been bestowed, and the will of the plane had fully awakened. From this moment on, the faintest traces of authority—causality, fate, time, and space—were all handed over to Bai Xu. He clenched his fist in the air, and with a wave of his hand, his position shifted instantly, achieving teleportation.
Bai Xu sighed. "Space is the most practical of them all. The others are barely at the threshold of comprehension—I can't even begin to apply them."
The will of the plane chimed in, "You'll need to meditate further, Master. Perhaps you'll be able to create some grand divine ability!"
Bai Xu frowned slightly. Easier said than done. Grasping these great laws was already difficult enough—he couldn't even begin to understand them, let alone create techniques from them. He also didn't understand what his other self was thinking.
Feeling somewhat frustrated, he suddenly remembered that a month had already passed. He picked up his soul communicator and dialed Blood Seven. "Sir, I'd like to request leave."
"Leave? Granted!"
Blood Seven didn't refuse. Bai Xu had been extremely active on the battlefield over the past month, forcing the abyssal creatures to tread carefully. The frequency of Abyssal Tides had significantly decreased, replaced by sneak attacks and probes from powerful individuals who deliberately avoided Bai Xu. Until Bai Xu was restrained or eliminated, launching a tide on his battlefield would be tantamount to feeding the enemy.
There had even been instances where Abyssal Monarchs descended with super Douluo-level clones to kill Bai Xu. But the Blood God Battalion was no pushover—Blood Seven lurked nearby, and reinforcements arrived swiftly. The protection around Bai Xu was flawless.
"Thank you, sir."
The moment he stepped out of the military camp, Bai Xu received a message: Come to the Spirit Pagoda in the Fire Basin.
It was from Gu Yuena.
'It's already dark. By the time I get there, it'll be night.' Bai Xu gazed at the setting sun over the Heavenly End Mountain Range, braced against the wind and snow, and stepped onto his white sword, soaring into the sky.
To be honest, he was a little worried. The Sword-Slaying Divine Art was incomplete, but he could tell that Gu Yuena had been deeply affected that day. Even if the technique wasn't perfect, he had to help her remove the spiritual imprint in her divine consciousness—it was necessary.
Gu Yuena stood atop the highest floor of the Spirit Pagoda in the Fire Basin. This wasn't a major city, nor was it one of the Spirit Pagoda's Eighteen Heavenly Pillars. The local tower master was only a Soul Douluo, subordinate in rank to Gu Yuena.
She, too, was gazing at the setting sun. Over the past month, she had achieved a flawless victory in the Star Battle Network, securing a promising position for the Spirit Pagoda. The research on artificial ten-thousand-year soul rings was nearing completion, but widespread distribution would still take some time.
A glimmer of emotion flashed in Gu Yuena's eyes as she murmured, "Almost here?"
Before long, a black-robed figure appeared on the horizon, his dark hair fluttering in the wind. Bai Xu descended with his hands behind his back, carrying hope as he approached her. The setting sun cast a golden glow over the Spirit Pagoda, and atop its highest floor, a peerlessly beautiful woman stood in the void, a sweet smile on her lips as she watched him arrive.
Bai Xu grinned. "You seem happy?"
"Can't I be happy?" Gu Yuena's eyes curved into crescents as she teased him.
"That day... it was Tang San's spiritual imprint, wasn't it?"
"Yes. But it doesn't affect me anymore."
"Then let's go. I'll help you remove it." Bai Xu's voice was firm.
"Alright. I'll take you to the room."
As they entered the reception area of the Fire Basin's Spirit Pagoda, Bai Xu grew puzzled at the increasingly familiar path. "This is the same room we stayed in when we first reported to the Blood God Legion, isn't it?"
"It is. Are you remembering what happened that day?" Gu Yuena asked.
Almost instinctively, as he entered the room and saw the identical layout—along with the freshly changed bedsheets—Bai Xu's mind couldn't help but wander back to their entanglement that night. "Cough... Today is about helping you. My mind is on nothing else."
"Really?"
"Of course."
"Then let's begin." Gu Yuena looked at him expectantly, waiting for instructions.
"Just sit cross-legged opposite me."
The two settled onto the bed. "Clear your mind and open your spiritual sea. I'll take care of the rest."
"Alright."
Gu Yuena closed her eyes, adjusting herself to the optimal state. Her spiritual sea was undefended, completely open to Bai Xu.
Walking through the boundless ocean of her consciousness, Bai Xu saw Gu Yuena's true form for the first time—the silver-white hexagonal scales shimmering with each breath, the vertical purple pupils snapping open to lock onto him. Her wings fluttered slightly, stirring waves in the spiritual sea.
"Don't be nervous," Bai Xu soothed softly. His divine sense pulsed, and within seconds, he located the trident-shaped imprint embedded in the scales—an intruder upon the Silver Dragon's essence.
"Found it?"
"Yes. I'm starting now!"
Almost the moment he spoke, Bai Xu's divine consciousness transformed into a sword embryo. The blade bore no elemental attributes—it seemed to target the soul itself. A colorless radiance, like immortal light, emanated from it as it slashed toward the spiritual imprint.
'With the sheer quality of my divine consciousness... Back when I was weak, even the Silver Dragon couldn't withstand my spiritual assault. Now... this mere imprint stands no chance.'
Bai Xu gritted his teeth. His divine consciousness could no longer be measured by ordinary spiritual power. His soul's intrinsic quality was already extraordinarily high, having descended from beyond this world. Now, with his breakthroughs, his divine consciousness could leave his body freely, existing independently.
But... the Godking's imprint erupted with a brilliant blue light, resisting the Sword-Slaying Divine Art.
As the two forces clashed, Gu Yuena screamed in agony, collapsing onto the bed as pain wracked her body.
'A Godking-level spiritual imprint is still a bit much for me now... But no matter the cost... today, it must be destroyed!' Bai Xu channeled every ounce of his energy, directing it through his meridians toward his brain.
Recalling the path to the first layer of Divine Prohibition, he stimulated his brain repeatedly, attempting to unlock deeper reserves of power. Fortunately, the manual's instructions on activating Divine Prohibition were complete. However... given Bai Xu's current capabilities and the energy stored within his body, he was far from reaching that level.
But any additional strength would help.
Sizzle!
After half a minute of stalemate, Bai Xu was drenched in sweat, his aura rapidly diminishing. But finally, the imprint began to crack under the sword embryo's relentless assault.
Whoosh!
A gust of sword wind howled as the trident imprint shattered completely. Bai Xu's sword embryo halted just above the Silver Dragon's neck, its blade resting against her scales. At this moment, a single slash would have devastated her divine consciousness, leaving her dead or crippled.
Pant... pant...
Back in the physical world, Bai Xu's divine consciousness returned to his body. He collapsed onto the bed, gasping for breath, his energy utterly drained. Weakly, he turned his head to look at Gu Yuena, who was slowly sitting up.
"How do you feel?" he asked.
"It's... gone." Tears welled in Gu Yuena's eyes as she bit her lip, a single drop sliding down her cheek. She reached out, wanting to touch his face.
Guh—! Bai Xu clutched his head, his body convulsing in agony. The backlash had only just begun. The impact of his energy against his brain, without fully breaching Divine Prohibition, had unlocked some latent power—but the price was a soul-deep torment that even unconsciousness couldn't shield him from.
Gu Yuena's outstretched hand faltered at his violent reaction. Panicked, she pulled him into her arms, summoning the Dragon God Core to envelop them both, nourishing his tormented soul.
"You should've told me the cost would be this high... Bai Xu..."
In her embrace, Bai Xu writhed, his eyes rolling back as he groaned in pain. But she held him tightly, doing her best to soothe him.
In his delirium, Bai Xu glimpsed fragments of his deepest memories—scenes from his childhood, his past life. His memories of Earth were vivid, impossible to forget. But when he reached the very depths of his mind, only one image remained.
It was a scene from an exam hall.
He had finished his test paper, checked it once, then looked up at the clock before scanning the room at his classmates still scribbling away on their answer sheets.
Over a decade of schooling had dominated the first half of his life. Back then... he couldn't see the end of the exams.
Was the end the college entrance exam?
Perhaps. Probably. Maybe.
The scene shifted. He saw the university brochures plastered on the school's white walls, his heart yearning for those prestigious names.
Time flowed. He went from his first year to his third. In the beginning, he was full of passion, dreaming of getting into a top school to bring honor to his family. By the second year, he'd settled for a decent university. By the third, he realized he was just another face in the crowd—his dreams shrinking again and again, reality forcing him to accept his mediocrity.
On the night a hundred days before the exam, as he walked back to his dorm, a thought crossed his mind: If only... I could know the results in advance.
He had put in the effort. He didn't know whether the outcome would be good or bad. But this was the fruit of over a decade of labor—his own hard work, his family's expectations, his youthful ideals all condensed into a single result.
He just wanted to know.
The memory didn't show the results. Instead, in reality, Bai Xu's lips moved weakly, murmuring incoherently: "Sow the cause, reap the effect... Effect before cause..."
"What are you saying, Bai Xu?" Gu Yuena leaned in urgently, trying to catch his words.
The first layer of Divine Prohibition—the fundamental marker of this realm was the awakening of one's innate divine ability. The nature of this ability varied based on one's heart and experiences.
But... the manual had mentioned that some inheritors had awakened their innate abilities without fully entering Divine Prohibition.
After uttering those words, Bai Xu fell unconscious.
Gu Yuena didn't stop. She continued channeling the Dragon God Core's energy, nurturing his wounded soul.
The Next Morning.
Thanks to her efforts, Bai Xu awoke after just one night. His eyes fluttered open to see Gu Yuena's face, still streaked with dried tears.
"Uh... how long was I out?" he whispered.
Instead of answering, Gu Yuena threw herself into his arms.
"If the cost was this high, why didn't you discuss it with me first?" Her voice was laced with reproach, her violet eyes red-rimmed from crying as she glared at him.
"It's fine. It went better than I expected. My divine consciousness is weakened—I won't be able to use spiritual attacks for a while. I might look a little frail, but my body's unharmed. Probably thanks to your healing."
"As long as you're okay... Don't do this again."
"I won't."