"Xiao Zi," the Goddess of Life turned her head, speaking softly, "I personally believe Yang Yunhai's proposal for fair competition is acceptable."
From her long observation of Yang Yunhai, she knew clearly: if they chose the third option, he would absolutely slaughter the entire God Realm without hesitation—and he had full confidence to do so. That strike just now was not only a display of strength, but also a stalling tactic.
With the Space God Shuttle's teleportation array destroyed, the God Realm's reinforcements would take far too long to arrive.
And looking at Douluo Star's current state, Yang Yunhai already had the support of all living beings on the planet.
As long as resources were distributed properly during this window, even if Yang Yunhai's own strength didn't reach unfathomable heights, the Eight Dragon Kings' power would improve dramatically. Even if they could not return to peak, their strength would grow enough to delay God Kings. Defeating one outright might not be possible, but stalling one or two was certain. After all, Ji Dong, Lie Yan, and Bibi Dong were all newly risen God Kings.
With such a lineup, even if the God Realm emptied itself, they would never be able to conquer Douluo Star. But the opposite? That was uncertain.
Just as Yang Yunhai had said—the Golden Dragon King still lingered like a ticking bomb. If released, the consequences would be unimaginable.
From the looks of it, the first two options were without doubt the wisest, and could prevent catastrophic casualties on both sides.
The God of Destruction's gaze flickered. He spoke coldly: "Yang Yunhai, Bibi Dong inheriting the Asura God position—was that arranged by you?"
"A coincidence," Yang Yunhai replied evenly. "Had the former Asura God not acted, I would not have taken advantage of the moment."
"The Three Realms Judgment Sword wielded by the Asura God was too great a threat to me. But in Bibi Dong's hands, it's an entirely different matter."
"With the whole of Douluo Star as her backing, I am confident enough to resist."
"Furthermore, if I am not mistaken…the Evil God and Goddess of Kindness have already passed on their positions, haven't they?"
The God of Destruction's expression shifted instantly. "Did Bibi Dong tell you this?"
"No," Yang Yunhai smirked, spouting nonsense. "I divined good fortune for myself—so naturally, the Goddess of Life's divination must have shown misfortune. Such opposing omens can only mean there is a great disparity in top-level combat power. The cause is not difficult to deduce."
"The God Realm has five God Kings. How could a small difference in strength among them result in such a gulf? Obviously, other factors are at play."
"Of course, I haven't been idle either."
"The Sea God, Asura God, Angel God, Rakshasa God—all their inheritances were passed here, on this plane. I knew your gods would be tempted. All I had to do was show desire to reach the God Realm, then work to raise the talents and strength of those around me."
"Tempting your own gods while I bolstered mine. Weakening the God Realm while strengthening Douluo. That has always been my plan."
"I will never waste a single opportunity."
'We actually never considered this…' Both the Goddess of Life and God of Destruction felt regret creep into their hearts. As fellow cores of the Life Tree, the Goddess of Life's abilities were not beyond Yang Yunhai's reach. His meticulous planning was terrifying.
He wagered with his very life, thinking through every detail. They, in contrast, had grown complacent.
"So, those bodies walking around outside—are they avatars?" The God of Destruction suddenly asked, realization dawning.
"Correct," Yang Yunhai said calmly.
"True avatars, formed with blood as the guide."
"God of Destruction, you must understand. With the Asura, Evil, and Goddess of Kindness positions passed down, and the Goddess of Life not adept at combat, the God Realm's peak battle power is at a low ebb. With only you left, you stand alone. If I were to strike, the Silver Dragon King and Eight Dragon Kings could restrain you. Then, with my spatial power, I could locate and release the Golden Dragon King."
"By then—what could you use to stop me?"
"You dare threaten me!?" The God of Destruction's forehead veins bulged with fury.
"This isn't a threat. It's simply fact," Yang Yunhai said coolly. "And there's something else you should know."
"You saw it yourself—the technique I released just now, using the planet as my core. I can amplify my perception through the planetary energy fields."
"Through that…I sensed the aura of a Space-Time Storm. Its path leads directly to the God Realm."
"What!?" The gods of the God Realm all blanched.
"Are you certain!?" the Goddess of Life demanded urgently.
"Of course," Yang Yunhai replied. "At this point, Douluo Star is already safe. I don't need to worry about the storm, so why would I lie?"
"Frankly, my original plan was to strengthen myself, let the God Realm exhaust itself resisting the storm, and then crush you at minimum cost."
"So this 'fair competition' is nothing but your delaying tactic!" The God of Destruction's eyes went cold.
"Each of us acts for our people," Yang Yunhai said lightly. "Besides, a Space-Time Storm is heaven's will. I did nothing. It's simply fortune favoring me."
The God of Destruction fell silent, frustration tightening his chest. It felt as if everything in recent years had gone against the God Realm.
"Yet misfortune and fortune are bound together. Destruction, Life—this storm may also be our chance." Yang Yunhai's tone deepened. "At the storm's core is a singularity that breeds Primal Chaos Qi. Surely you know this."
The Silver Dragon King froze. He remembered! That promise he once gave her.
"This is one of the reasons I hesitate to wage all-out war against you," Yang Yunhai said. "Primal Chaos Qi not only raises strength, it allows us to assault higher realms. It is also a chance for Douluo Star to ascend as a God Star."
"If I can infuse a portion of that energy into the planet's core, the success rate will soar."
"The Dragon God's downfall will not repeat under my watch. I cannot squander such an opportunity."
"With your aid, the chance of success would rise even higher. But if you resist, I'll simply wait until the storm batters the God Realm down, then devour it, grow stronger, and venture into the storm myself."
"Compared to peace, that's a desperate mid-plan. War breeds casualties, and no one likes variables. With your cooperation, our odds of harvesting Primal Chaos Qi multiply greatly."
"To be exact—with your cooperation, I have absolute certainty!"
"Both of you—when the storm arrives, the Primal Chaos Qi will be abundant. If we cooperate, I will share it."
'Together, we win. Apart, the God Realm suffers.'
The gods knew he was right. If the God Realm expanded, its outer shell would thin, making it weaker against the storm. If it did not expand, its faith intake and god numbers would stagnate. Even if it miraculously survived, how would it then resist Douluo Star?
But if they merged peacefully—not only could they withstand the storm, they could harvest Primal Chaos Qi too.
And who wouldn't want such a treasure? The Dragon God himself had reached his height through it.
"Do you know when the storm will reach the God Realm?" the Goddess of Life asked.
"By Douluo Star's time flow, about ten thousand years," Yang Yunhai said. "That is also the limit of our wager. If no one in the God Realm becomes a Creation God by then—or if I defeat you here today—you must yield. Opportunities like this cannot be wasted."
"Hmph! The outcome is far from certain!" the God of Destruction snapped. Yang Yunhai's words made it sound as if victory in single combat was guaranteed. His pride burned.
He was an ancient God King, alive for countless eons. Yang Yunhai had cultivated just over a century.
"So—you choose the second wager, battle?" Yang Yunhai asked.
The God of Destruction turned to the others. "What do you all think?"
The gods looked at each other, then nodded one by one. Facing a storm of such magnitude, cooperation was the only way to minimize risk and maximize gain.
The God of Destruction turned back. "Very well. If you win this duel, I will persuade the gods to merge the God Realm into Douluo Star. But as for who leads the new core—that depends. When the storm comes, whoever first becomes a Creation God will command. Only the stronger core can lead us to God Star ascension. As you said, we cannot waste resources. You show astonishing talent, Yang Yunhai, but who knows if you'll hit a bottleneck? Even a small difference in potential could cost us vast energy."
"On this matter, we must be impartial."
'At least he's serious about this…not like Tang San, who only thought of turning both Douluo and the God Realm into his backyard.' Yang Yunhai sighed inwardly. Then he replied solemnly: "Agreed."
Light burst from the Ancient Life Tree as Yang Yunhai's body stepped free of it.
Just as the Sea God forged his Martial Soul into the Trident, and the Goddess of Life shaped her body into the divine tree core, Yang Yunhai too could now sever his Martial Soul as an independent divine artifact. Having become a god and condensed his divine core, all his abilities were already innate to him. The Martial Soul was no more than the most perfect weapon aligned to his nature.
Without it, he could still fight.
Golden-haired, golden-eyed, clad in golden armor, Yang Yunhai appeared before all.
"Since you won't use your divine weapon, I won't either. We'll fight only with the powers we've each comprehended," the God of Destruction declared. His hand opened, and the Destruction Scepter dissolved into light, vanishing into his brow before flying off into the depths of space.
Yang Yunhai's Ancient Life Tree remained, performing its function of gathering planetary energy and faith. With so many lives depending on it, he would not withdraw it. The God of Destruction understood—his wife too was a Life Tree.
"To avoid harming innocents, we fight beyond the star." His voice rang clear.
"Very well." Yang Yunhai smiled faintly, body streaking into the void.
"Let's watch." The Silver Dragon King and the others soared upward, gods of Douluo and the God Realm alike splitting into two groups to follow.
Douluo Star shrank behind them until they reached an open space in the void.
"Please, senior," Yang Yunhai said with a slight bow.
"Then I shall not hold back." The God of Destruction's gaze sharpened. Raising his hand, pure destructive might roared out. A violet pillar shot into the void, space cracking and twisting. A purple-black vortex formed, its edges sparking lightning, its core shrinking into a vertical eye.
"The Eye of Destruction," the Water Dragon King explained gravely. "Power condensed to its extreme. Struck by its thunder, the body disintegrates instantly. It was this very force, bound to the Asura God's Judgment Sword, that once cut down the Dragon God. Its disintegration effect spares nothing material."
"My wounds never healed because of that very power," the Silver Dragon King added with a nod.
Then Yang Yunhai spread his hands. A peculiar energy rippled, twisting space around him.
With his divine core as the planet's core, his head the north pole and feet the south, he treated himself as a star. Compressing inward, he generated an immense magnetic field to block any attack. Only the poles were weaknesses.
But unless he stood still and let himself be struck, they would not be easy to exploit.
"What is this power? Lightning fused with space?" the gods muttered, baffled.
"Annihilation Thunder!" the God of Destruction cried. The great vertical eye flared, unleashing a black-violet thunderbolt that shattered the void and locked straight onto Yang Yunhai.
But when it struck, there was no sound. It plunged into a space folded like layer upon layer of cotton. As it pierced, its arcs unraveled, scattering like filaments of lightning into an oval-shaped sphere.
"Folded space!?" The God of Destruction frowned.
"Gather!" Yang Yunhai flicked his hand. The scattered lightning instantly converged.
"Return!" It shot back through the folds, emerging behind to spear at the Eye of Destruction.
"Impressive!" The God of Destruction's eyes lit. His hand clenched, releasing another surge to meet it.
"Starburst!" Yang Yunhai's palm opened. Space cracked, bursting in shockwaves that rushed toward his foe.
"To think you've comprehended lightning and space to this extent," the God of Destruction admitted. He clapped his hands forward, raw destructive force tearing space into a black void.
"Not just space!" Yang Yunhai chuckled as his ripples spread, wrapping the God of Destruction.
"Hm?" The God of Destruction felt his body lighten.
"Gravity?" he muttered.
"Correct!" Yang Yunhai answered. With a fist clenched, the magnetic field shifted, gravity pulling the God of Destruction straight toward him.
"This Yang Yunhai is treating himself like an actual star," the God of Envy said bitterly. He was envious indeed—how could someone so young already reach such heights?
"You dare draw me close!?" the God of Destruction's expression did not falter. His power flared, his body condensing into a black-violet sphere of destruction, space shattering around him as he accelerated forward.
Yang Yunhai only smiled, lifting his hand. "Spatial Shift."
The surrounding void twisted, wrapping the destructive sphere, compressing it like a crystal around a smaller sphere.
"Spatial Fold!" The prison of facets shrank, wrapping tighter until the black orb collapsed inward.
"Spatial Collapse!" The void caved, peeling away toward its center.
The gods stared, dumbstruck.
'Space can be used like this?' Many felt their horizons shatter.
Yang Yunhai hooked his finger. The collapsing crystal drifted into his palm.
"Space-Time Trap." A silver glow flashed at his brow. The crystal warped—the black sphere inside flickering between substance and illusion, over and over, like the God of Destruction was resisting and being undone in a cycle.
Then solid, then false, repeating endlessly.
"This is…time!" The Goddess of Life's voice carried her growing worry.
Space ruled, but time reigned supreme. Driven by Creation God power, its weight was undeniable.
'If not to make you yield utterly, I'd never waste my precious Creation Core energy like this.' Yang Yunhai clenched his hand.
"Spatial Fold—World in the Palm!"
The crystal shrank to a palm-sized gem, floating in his hand, its interior still repeating endlessly.
"It seems we have lost."
The Goddess of Life's voice finally broke the silence, tinged with resignation.
(End of Chapter)
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