Meanwhile, somewhere beyond time and space, in a strange dimension where laws seem blurred.
Two figures, whose grandeur and mystery defy description in ordinary language, stood silently.
Their very existence seems to be one of the sources of the concept of "existence".
One of the larger figures emanated an aura of boundless warmth, inclusiveness, and the nurturing of all things.
It carries the most primal meaning of "mother," originating from the cradle of life.
If Jiang Zhen were here, he would surely feel a stirring and familiarity that originates from the deepest part of his soul...
The other, relatively smaller figure exuded a unique aura belonging to the Douluo Continent. Illusions of mountains, rivers, forests, oceans, and all living things flickered around her, but her expression was unusually solemn, even carrying a trace of unyielding iron-blue and anger.
She is the consciousness of the Douluo Continent.
A crystal ball, sparkling and translucent, floated in front of them.
Inside the sphere, everything that had just happened in the Yin-Yang Well of Ice and Fire was clearly displayed: the tragic sacrifice of the Deep Sea Whale King, the baptism of the crimson-gold pillar of light descending from the sky, and Jiang Zhen's eventual successful absorption of the soul ring that had transformed into a million-year soul ring...
The gaze of the Douluo plane's consciousness was fixed on the other party's slender hand.
There, it was not empty, but rather held another, even smaller, yet more unsettling sphere of light.
Inside the sphere of light, scenes are silently unfolding:
That was ten thousand years later... A young man with long blue hair, who looked compassionate but had cold and ruthless eyes, held a cage that emitted a strange seven-colored light and forcibly separated and imprisoned her!
Then, an even more ferocious figure appeared and devoured her imprisoned source of power!
The images were crystal clear, and the despair and pain of being stripped away, imprisoned, and devoured as nourishment were so palpable that even those who were merely observing felt the same way, causing their souls to tremble!
She was 100% certain that the person imprisoned and devoured in the picture was herself!
Her fists clenched tightly, and the dimensional landscapes flowing around her became chaotic and turbulent due to her anger.
Boundless rage intertwined with a bone-chilling cold.
She was initially wary of this mysterious and powerful figure who had suddenly intruded, and the completely different yet equally vast and boundless aura emanating from him made her uneasy.
But at this moment, the other party doesn't need to say anything more; the cruel future presented here is the most powerful proof!
The powerful aura emanating from the other party, along with the power of rules from a higher-level world surrounding them, suggested that their immense strength could destroy the divine realm to which she belonged with a mere flick of their finger.
A powerful figure like her wouldn't need to beat around the bush to eliminate her.
"How about it?"
The other party spoke gently, her voice like a spring breeze, capable of soothing all anxiety, yet also making the consciousness of the Douluo plane more clearly aware of the despairing gap between the two sides.
"Now, would you be willing to help my good-for-nothing child?"
Her gaze shifted to Jiang Zhen, who was familiarizing himself with the power within the crystal ball, her eyes filled with a hint of affection: "Although he is a bit impulsive, he is not a bad person. He keeps his promises and is grateful for kindness."
"...I think he will bring you far greater rewards than you can imagine...at least, much better than the current situation."
These words were like a heavy hammer blow, pressing down on the heart of the Douluo plane's consciousness.
She thought of the divine realm to which she belonged.
She once gave birth to the first life and witnessed the rise of civilization.
Two exceptionally talented children, through their own efforts, gathered faith, obtained authority from her, and ultimately condensed their divine status, ascending to godhood.
That was her pride.
But what happened next?
The sea god colluded with the Asura god to ambush and brutally murder the angel god when he was on a dangerous mission to another realm!
All for the sake of faith, for the sake of so-called power!
She vividly remembered the mournful cries and bewilderment that echoed back to the primordial land when the angel fell.
But the sea god, stepping over the corpses of his companions, divided the spoils and became even more arrogant.
They never looked back, even once, at the "mother" who gave birth to them.
They had long regarded the Douluo Continent as a backyard and pasture of faith where they could take whatever they wanted.
In contrast, the boy in front of me, whom the consciousness of the other world called "good-for-nothing," although he also followed the path of plundering the power of soul beasts, his core power stemmed more from his understanding of the laws and his ultimate control over power.
And…he granted those who offered sacrifices a promise of continued existence…
His path is more like a kind of equivalent exchange and cooperation.
And look at that foreshadowed future... imprisonment, being devoured...
The consciousness of the Douluo plane stared intently at the orb of light in the other's hand, which foreshadowed a tragic future, and then looked at Jiang Zhen, whose aura in the crystal ball had become incredibly powerful.
The chaotic aura around her gradually subsided, her ashen face remained, but the anger in her eyes was gradually replaced by a cold decisiveness.
She nodded slowly and very heavily.
The voice was no longer filled with emotional fluctuations, but rather carried the grandeur and desolation of a dimensional will itself:
"...I will help him."
In order to save herself, she was willing to place a heavy bet on this anomaly!
Upon hearing this, a gentler and deeper smile appeared on her face, as if she had already anticipated this answer.
She nodded slightly, her voice carrying a reassuring strength: "Very good."
"Don't worry. Everything..."
Her gaze seemed to pierce through endless time and space, landing on the figure of her wayward child. Her tone remained gentle, yet contained an undeniable air of authority:
"I'll cover for him..."
————
In a certain divine realm, at the Asura Temple.
Endless bloodlust permeated this magnificent yet cold temple, the residence of the Asura God, one of the five great god-kings and enforcers of the divine realm.
On the throne, the Asura God, shrouded in dark red demonic armor and exuding an incomparably fierce aura, closed his eyes and concentrated.
Suddenly, without warning, he shivered violently!
A feeling, as if he had been glanced at by something extremely terrifying, extremely ancient, yet completely incomprehensible, from beyond the endless void, instantly swept through his divine core!
That feeling wasn't direct killing intent or hostility, but more like... being indifferently scrutinized as prey or a pawn.
This caused an unprecedented chill and tremor to rise from the depths of his soul, making this god-king who was in charge of killing and judgment.
The Asura God suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise and uncertainty flashing in his scarlet divine eyes.
His powerful divine sense swept across the entire temple in an instant, and even extended beyond the temple, carefully investigating every clue in the surrounding divine realm.
Nothing was gained.
"Is it just my imagination?"
The Asura God muttered to himself in a low voice, his brows furrowed. At his level, it was almost impossible for him to have unnecessary illusions.
That sudden impulse just now must have foreshadowed something.
"A time of great turmoil..." He slowly tightened his grip on the armrest of the throne, his blood-red fingernails scraping against the metal with a teeth-grinding sound.
...
Poseidon Temple.
Unlike the somber and cold atmosphere of the Temple of Asura, the Temple of the Sea God is filled with azure light and soft water vapor, making it sacred and peaceful.
Poseidon, the sea god at the pinnacle of first-level deities, was leisurely leaning on his throne, toying with a ball of light formed from pure faith power in his hand.
Suddenly, he felt a slight, inexplicable ache in his kidneys, as if a trace of some primal power had been silently drawn away. Although it was insignificant, the feeling of being "empty" was exceptionally clear.
"Um?"
Poseidon touched his kidneys in confusion and muttered to himself:
"Strange...why do I suddenly feel so much weaker?"
He carefully examined his divine body from within and found nothing unusual; his divine power remained as vast as the sea.
He shook his head, attributing the discomfort to a minor flaw in his own cultivation.
Soon, his attention returned to the orb of faith, and a confident and expectant smile returned to his face:
"Forget it, let's not concern ourselves with such a trivial matter. Hmph, the remnants of the Angel God's forces have been mostly wiped out, and that old bastard, the Deep Sea Whale King, looks like his days are numbered..."
"Before long, all faith on the Douluo Continent will belong to me completely, and there will be no more dissent!"
Thinking of the wonderful possibilities, a glint of greed and fervor flashed in his eyes: "At that time, with the combined faith of the entire plane, I might be able to break through to the supreme realm of God-King! Brother Shura will also do his utmost to help me..."
"Hahahaha!"
He could almost see himself ascending the throne of the God King, standing shoulder to shoulder with the God of Asura, and jointly wielding the power of the divine realm...