Spirit Transmission Tower. Qianku Dicing watched Qianku Dongfeng, who was about to head to the Federation Council meeting, and said earnestly, "During the meeting, whatever decision that person makes, give it your full support."
Qianku Dongfeng paused mid-step and turned back to look at his father, confusion flashing in his eyes. "Father, why do you and Emperor Tian trust and support that deity so much?"
He naturally knew Qianku Dicing was referring to Huo Yuhao, but that was precisely why he didn't quite understand.
Just a short while ago, his father had told him to be mentally prepared to step down at any time to make way for Huo Yuhao. Now, in every word, he was being told to follow Huo Yuhao's lead.
Even if Huo Yuhao was a deity, it shouldn't warrant such an attitude from his father, should it?
Qianku Dicing glanced at him, not answering immediately. He slowly rose and walked to the window, gazing at the distant horizon. After a moment of silence, he spoke: "A deity alone wouldn't make Emperor Tian and me support him so strongly—but another identity would. Do you remember the phenomenon at the Spirit Transmission Tower that resembled a divine artifact's emergence?"
Qianku Dongfeng felt he was grasping at something. "I remember. I wasn't in the tower at the time, but I saw that pillar of light. Later, I heard it was that person forging a weapon."
Qianku Dicing sighed softly. "It was indeed forging, but he used the faith power accumulated in the Spirit Transmission Tower."
With that, he glanced at his stunned son and left without another word.
Though the Spirit-Ice Ancestor had said his identity couldn't be revealed, Qianku Dicing could see he was no longer actively hiding it—just not wanting it publicized. Giving his dull son a little hint should be fine... right?
He hoped the Ancestor wouldn't take offense.
And Qianku Dongfeng, hearing his father's almost explicit words, felt his mind explode.
Who else could use the faith power accumulated by the Spirit Transmission Tower?
Looking through all history, only one person fit!
Qianku Dongfeng stood frozen, his thoughts in turmoil.
No wonder Snow Empress's re-cultivation timing was so impeccable. No wonder Emperor Tian and his father supported that person so completely.
If it was the Spirit-Ice Ancestor, everything made sense.
It wasn't his divine status that caused his father and Emperor Tian to bow their heads—it was the words "The Spirit-Ice Has Returned," which were enough to make those in the know follow willingly.
Qianku Dongfeng took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, confusion was gone, replaced by a complex emotion tinged with reverence.
He straightened his attire and strode toward the Federation Council.
Several dozen minutes later.
The Federation Council's meeting room was full, with high-level soul tool devices forming strict protective and monitoring barriers around it.
The conference table was packed. The Federation Council Chairman, Rong Tianling, Wang Hongchen, Harossa, Yu Guanzhi, Zhang Huanyun, Nanaly, and other Federation higher-ups were all present.
Additionally, Qianku Dongfeng and Emperor Tian were also among them.
When Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, and Snow Empress entered, everyone's gazes converged on them. Some acquaintances nodded slightly in greeting.
Nanaly, who'd been dragged along to keep Harossa company since he still acted as a absentee leader, cast strange glances at Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena, as if she had much to say.
After all, she'd known them both for a long time. Now that she knew their "identities," she felt an indescribable complexity—her promising juniors had suddenly turned into "reincarnated deities." Was there anything more absurd than that?
Sharing her complex feelings was Qianku Dongfeng, who had just learned Huo Yuhao's identity. But he hid it well.
Unlike them, those who didn't know Huo Yuhao well—such as Rong Tianling—remained relatively calm, though they couldn't help but glance at the trio a few extra times. After all, two of the three were rumored to be deities, and the third was a being infinitely close to the divine level. Seeing them up close naturally stirred a mix of curiosity and awe.
Rong Tianling was especially curious. She'd already learned from her adoptive father Rong Lingji that he'd essentially joined Huo Yuhao's side. To have won over a deity—how strong must Huo Yuhao be?
"Three Lords, please have a seat." The Federation Council Chairman rose to gesture, his attitude polite and natural.
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly and took his reserved seat, with Gu Yuena and Snow Empress flanking him.
After sitting down, Huo Yuhao's gaze swept across the meeting room.
The Federation Council Chairman, the Dark Department Head, the War Temple Temple Master, the Mingde Hall Head, the Central Corps Commander, the Blood God Legion Commander—all these Federation higher-ups gathered together showed how seriously the Federation took the upcoming discussion.
But considering today's topic involved how to deal with the Abyss—a great enemy—it wasn't surprising.
Among them, Huo Yuhao paid the most attention to the Blood God Legion Commander, Bright Mirror Douluo Zhang Huanyun.
After all, he'd met most of those present, except this one.
As for Emperor Tian and Qianku Dongfeng—the former was here representing the Star Dou Great Forest, the latter representing the Spirit Transmission Tower.
Even Snow Empress, who'd come with Huo Yuhao, was strictly speaking representing the Extreme North today.
After all, opposing another plane was a major matter; the Federation naturally wouldn't overlook the strength of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Extreme North, and the Spirit Transmission Tower.
One could say that the leaders of the Douluo Continent's major powers were all present today.
Clearly, this meeting wasn't just about seeking advice from Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena—it was also about refining and finalizing the preliminary strategy the Federation had drafted with the Spirit Transmission Tower, ultimately settling on a complete plan against the Abyss.
Confirming all invitees were present, the Federation Council Chairman cleared his throat and spoke first: "Since everyone's here, let's begin."
He raised his hand in a gesture, and his secretary activated the holographic projection. Above the table, a three-dimensional map of the Endless Mountains in the continent's west appeared, with a crimson marker glaringly prominent.
"As you all know, the Abyss Plane exists—a persistent problem that's plagued the Douluo Plane for six thousand years. Now it's even made contact with the Holy Spirit Cult, its desire to invade Douluo undiminished. I've called you here today to discuss how to resolve the Abyss Plane issue."
"However, the Abyss Plane has become such a persistent problem precisely because of its troublesome nature—the undying nature of Abyss creatures and the Abyss Plane's formidable strength have prevented the Douluo Plane from escaping their threat."
The Council Chairman surveyed the attendees, ultimately fixing his gaze on Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena. Seeing their calm expressions, he felt somewhat relieved.
"So today, I've invited these two Lords, hoping to leverage their power to help us eliminate this threat."
As the Council Chairman finished, his gaze was earnest as he looked at Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena.
The meeting room fell silent for a moment, with everyone else waiting for the two to speak.
Huo Yuhao didn't answer immediately. He slightly tilted his head, exchanging a glance with Gu Yuena. She nodded lightly, indicating he had full authority to decide.
Still, Huo Yuhao didn't speak directly. Instead, his gaze lingered on the Chairman's secretary for a moment.
"Will the contents of this meeting be recorded?"
Before the secretary could answer, the Council Chairman waved his hand to dismiss him, then said solemnly, "This meeting will not be recorded. All participants will be placed under restrictions at the end, unable to divulge any details—including myself!"
"The restrictions can be set by you, Lord, or other Divine Origin realm experts, ensuring that even Possession Demons couldn't leak the information."
"Good."
Huo Yuhao nodded slightly, then continued, "The Abyss Plane issue can be resolved."
His first words put everyone present at ease. But Huo Yuhao immediately changed the subject. "But before that, I'd like to know—when you say 'resolve the Abyss Plane issue,' do you mean simply cutting off the passage between the Abyss and Douluo Planes, or completely eliminating the Abyss threat?"
The meeting room fell abruptly silent.
Wang Hongchen and the others looked at Huo Yuhao with flickering eyes.
Sealing the Abyss Passage had been the Federation's strategy for six thousand years—isolating the Abyss Plane so its creatures couldn't invade Douluo.
If they could directly cut off the passage, the Federation would welcome it. When Huo Yuhao hinted that he might have a way to do so, some even became excited.
But compared to the prospect of eliminating the Abyss entirely, that excitement paled.
Zhang Huanyun's breathing grew heavy, his hands unconsciously gripping the armrests.
As the Blood God Legion Commander, he wanted to resolve the Abyss problem more than anyone in the room.
If not, why would he, who'd been guarding the Abyss Passage frontline for years, temporarily hand over his duties to his deputy and travel all the way to Mingdu for this meeting? That alone showed how seriously he took it—and his hope for a resolution.
Now, upon hearing that Huo Yuhao seemed capable of completely eliminating the Abyss, he was the most excited of all.
Zhang Huanyun took a deep breath, trying to suppress his surging emotions. Ultimately unable to contain himself, he asked, "Lord, when you say 'completely eliminate'... are you serious? Do you truly have confidence in completely resolving the Abyss Plane?"
Even if the passage were severed, as long as the Abyss Plane still existed, it could still invade Douluo again. Who knew if, six thousand or sixty thousand years from now, it would return?
Compared to that, a permanent solution was naturally more secure.
Moreover, even if only to honor the martyrs who'd died resisting the Abyss over all these years, they needed to end this once and for all!
The Council Chairman, having snapped back to reality, saw Zhang Huanyun's expression and understood his excitement. He, too, turned a fervent gaze toward Huo Yuhao. "If there's a way to thoroughly resolve the Abyss Plane, the Federation will naturally choose to eliminate it completely—to remove the threat forever."
He paused, then added, "The Abyss has been invading Douluo for so many years. No one here wants it to leave unscathed. If only it were possible to simply cut off the passage, that would be one thing. But since there is the potential for a complete and total resolution, we will not let this opportunity slip by. Please speak plainly, Lord."
Taking in everyone's fervent gazes, Huo Yuhao said solemnly, "Very well, I'll hold nothing back. To resolve the Abyss, we must deal with the Abyss Plane's Plane Lord!"
"Plane Lord? The Abyss Saint Lord?"
Zhang Huanyun frowned.
"Correct," Huo Yuhao continued. "The Abyss Plane is a plane of energy. Unless we can kill the Abyss Saint Lord and completely destroy the Abyss Plane, he will be able to continuously revive fallen Abyss experts."
"This... Lord, do you know the Abyss Saint Lord's level of strength?" Yu Guanzhi hesitated.
The Federation knew the Abyss Plane's ruler was the Abyss Saint Lord, and that he was a divine-level expert. But exactly how strong he was, the Federation couldn't determine.
Knowing oneself and knowing the enemy was the key to victory.
Since resolving the Abyss meant facing the Abyss Saint Lord, they at least needed to know his strength.
Huo Yuhao glanced toward Yu Guanzhi, thought for a moment, and said, "Let me give you an example—if the Douluo Plane's Plane Lord had consciousness, its divine consciousness could cover the entire Douluo Plane. The Abyss Saint Lord's strength is above that!"
Everyone's expression grew solemn. Nanaly even gasped.
And that was just his divine consciousness. How strong was the Abyss Saint Lord overall? The enemy they'd faced for six thousand years was this kind of monster?
If the Abyss Saint Lord had charged into the Douluo Plane before, it would have been the end of them long ago.
After a long moment, the Council Chairman steadied himself and forced a smile. "Since you've proposed this plan, Lord, you must have a strategy for dealing with the Abyss Saint Lord."
Huo Yuhao nodded. "Though the Abyss Saint Lord is powerful, if he wants to devour and occupy the Douluo Plane, he must enter it. And that's not easy—which is why he's cooperating with the Holy Spirit Cult and has been inactive for six thousand years."
"And once he enters the Douluo Plane, he'll inevitably face various restrictions and his strength will decrease. At that point, on our home turf, that's the best opportunity to deal with him."
Hearing this, Zhang Huanyun understood Huo Yuhao's plan. "Lord, you're suggesting we turn the tables—use the Holy Spirit Cult to lure the Abyss Saint Lord into the Douluo Plane, then eliminate him? I don't mean to question your plan, but doing so could put the Douluo Plane in grave danger. Do you have certainty of victory against the Abyss Saint Lord?"
Huo Yuhao said calmly, "Yes."
Certainty? He had plenty.
Though Tang Hao and Ah Yin were their enemies, before becoming enemies, the Abyss Saint Lord would certainly be dealt with first. Even if the one-in-ten-thousand chance occurred and they only severely wounded him without killing him, Ah Yin and the others would come out to finish the job.
Among the three-way standoff, the Abyss Saint Lord remained the common enemy—that never changed.
Receiving Huo Yuhao's answer, the meeting room's atmosphere relaxed noticeably.
Though Zhang Huanyun and some others still had doubts, seeing Huo Yuhao speak so confidently, they couldn't very well press further. No one present knew divine-level combat better than these two deities. If Huo Yuhao said he was confident, then he was confident.
Moreover, whether the Abyss Saint Lord would enter the Douluo Plane wasn't up to them. He was already planning to enter and could invade at any time.
So rather than questioning Huo Yuhao's plan, it was better to prepare for facing the Abyss Saint Lord.
The Council Chairman had the same thought. He immediately asked, "If we follow this plan, the burden of facing the Abyss Saint Lord will fall on you and your people, Lord. Is there anything you need from the Federation?"
This was a chance to lay their cards on the table.
With that thought, Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered, and he said in a low voice, "I need Heaven-Destroying Earth-Shattering and Heaven-Devouring—and I need them refitted into true God-Slaying Grade Fixed-Type Soul Tool Shells!"
The meeting room fell abruptly silent. Many looked at Huo Yuhao in disbelief.
What... did he just say?
***
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