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After a wisp of Zhou Weiqing's divine soul escaped back to the Netherworld, it was restored and reshaped with the help of the Netherworld Lord. During this process, Zhou Weiqing also learned about the situation on Douluo Continent.
"Tang San is actually that powerful, and—"
"My Eternal and Creation Godly Throne... has abandoned me?"
Xu Huang's eyes burned with fury as his aura condensed into a field of resentment so vast that it almost enveloped the entire planet. The incomprehensible phantoms and wraiths within this domain caused even the Abyssal Holy Monarch and his subordinates to tremble in fear.
Having seized control of the 108 layers of the Abyssal Plane, Xu Huang's power had reached new heights, fully elevating him to the level of a God-King.
Moreover, with the Abyssal Plane merging with the planet, Xu Huang, as the ruler of the Netherworld, continued to grow stronger. Within a millennium, he could very well ascend to the level of a Supreme God-King.
The original powerhouses of the Abyssal Plane also experienced significant boosts in strength. For instance, the Abyssal Holy Monarch, though still at the level of a First-Class God, had condensed a divine position of "Demon" by absorbing the lingering resentment and hatred on the planet under Xu Huang's guidance.
The other rulers of the Abyssal Plane followed suit. The emperors of the first 36 layers reached power equivalent to Super Douluos above rank 95. The emperors of the middle 36 layers achieved rank 99, akin to pseudo-Demigods. Among the emperors of the last 36 layers, 27 reached the Demigod level, and nine even attained rank 100.
Yet, despite their newfound strength, none dared to show any defiance under the oppressive might of the Netherworld Lord.
"Master, please don't be angry," Zhou Weiqing cautiously said, avoiding any inquiry into the connection between Tang San, the Eternal and Creation Godly Throne, and his master. "The world of Douluo Continent has many powerful figures, so we can only advance slowly. The aura of our Netherworld will gradually infiltrate their realm..."
Xu Huang understood Zhou Weiqing's strategy—a war of attrition. After all, the will of Douluo Continent's plane actively resisted them.
Of course, if they fully invaded, the plane's consciousness would only be at the level of a Second-Class God and could do little to stop them.
However, brute-forcing their way through wouldn't guarantee success. When Zhou Weiqing returned, a powerful explosive force from the planar passageway had obliterated millions of abyssal creatures.
This was something that required attention.
"What's the current status of the planar passageway?" Xu Huang asked.
"The passageway wasn't destroyed, but its exit has been sealed. Breaking through the seal will likely take about ten years," the Abyssal Holy Monarch reported promptly.
"Ten years, huh? It seems that burst of energy came at a cost. Otherwise, with Tang San's personality, he'd have attacked directly instead of sealing the entrance," the Netherworld Lord chuckled, feeling he had deduced Tang San's situation. His mood improved significantly. "Losing a Blood God Child to gather intelligence about the other side wasn't a total loss."
Having experienced the Netherworld Lord's unpredictable temperament before, the Abyssal Holy Monarch cautiously inquired, "Should we accelerate efforts to break the seal on the planar passageway?"
"No need. Ten years is nothing to me. Let's consider it my old rival's preparation time—I'll have a grand gift ready for him by then," Xu Huang sneered coldly. "In the meantime, we'll continue expanding into other life-bearing planets. We'll devour everything and elevate the Netherworld to a level on par with the God Realm. You 108 individuals must all reach the divine level!"
The Abyssal Holy Monarch quickly added, "If we can locate a planet with high life quality and assimilate it into the Netherworld, we can indeed ascend faster—reaching the divine level or even surpassing ordinary gods."
"Then what are you waiting for? Get moving!" Xu Huang waved his hand dismissively, commanding his subordinates to search for other planar coordinates and launch invasions. He didn't believe any other planet would house beings as powerful as Tang San or the Silver Dragon King.
---
Meanwhile, back on Douluo Continent:
"Third Brother, did you sneak food?"
As soon as Tang San returned to Spirit City, he was surrounded by his wives. Xiao Wu, the one with the keenest sense of smell, sniffed suspiciously before narrowing her eyes. "Or were you... forced?"
"Forced? I let her have her way," Tang San said with a grin, wrapping an arm around Xiao Wu's waist. He beckoned to the others before heading to the Soul Martial Manor for a shared rest, bringing everyone together for a peaceful night.
*Crack!*
While at her desk, Bibi Dong clenched her fists tightly. "Tang San, how dare you? The moment you return, you don't report to me, the Pope, but instead indulge in... that with your women? You've really grown bold!"
The next morning, Tang San woke up refreshed. Rather than immediately studying the Blood God Child, he made his way to the Pope's Hall to report to Bibi Dong about the situation and his upcoming plans.
"So... you spent last night indulging in debauchery with your girlfriends?" Bibi Dong suddenly asked.
"A soldier returning from the battlefield would naturally first visit his family—his wife and children. It's human nature," Tang San replied calmly, glancing at Bibi Dong's expressionless face. He showed no embarrassment and even prepared to cite examples from the historical records he had read in the Heaven Dou Empire. However, Bibi Dong cut him off.
"Alright, alright, human nature. Spare me the details—I'm not interested in that. But connecting the Abyssal Plane's passage to the Starry Sky World—is that really safe?"
"There's no absolute certainty," Tang San admitted. "That's why I need to investigate personally before proceeding."
"Investigate personally?" Bibi Dong raised her eyebrows. The Spirit Hall couldn't afford to lose Tang San. Without him, research progress in all areas would slow down significantly, potentially leading to disastrous consequences.
"Not me directly," Tang San clarified. "I captured a fragment of the enemy leader's soul. By analyzing its structure, I may be able to send a similar projection of myself into the Abyssal Plane."
He continued, "Also, the Abyssal creatures weren't entirely eradicated. Although Gu Yuena's attack was incredibly powerful, the Abyssal aura likely seeped into the Douluo Continent's Great Soul Energy Cycle."
The so-called Great Soul Energy Cycle was a system proposed by Tang San that described the interaction of energy between soul masters, soul beasts, and the heavens and earth. Both soul masters and soul beasts, when cultivating soul power to advance their levels, refined the energy of heaven and earth.
This process wasn't one-way; it wasn't just absorption.
Tang San's research revealed that during the process of cultivating soul power, soul masters also released a peculiar form of energy.
Just as plants require the carbon dioxide produced by animals to perform photosynthesis, this energy, exhaled by cultivators, was not directly useful to humans but played a critical role in sustaining the heavens and earth. It underwent a kind of "chemical reaction" with cosmic energy, forming the foundation of heaven and earth's energy.
This meant that in a balanced world, the increase in cultivators would not deplete the energy of heaven and earth. Instead, it would increase it, up to the saturation point of the planet.
For example, this would occur if every inch of the planet's surface were inhabited by people—a somewhat exaggerated notion.
Nonetheless, Tang San was certain that the Douluo Continent was still in a period of growth. The Great Soul Energy Cycle hadn't reached its saturation point. In fact, as Tang San's martial souls spread across the continent, the upper limit of this system would continue to rise.
However, when Abyssal creatures died, part of their aura entered the Great Soul Energy Cycle. Yet, due to the specific nature of energy aggregation—such as fire-elemental energy gathering in deserts or volcanoes—the Abyssal aura also tended to concentrate in specific locations rather than being directly absorbed by soul masters.
That said, if this energy accumulated to a certain level, it would inevitably affect the living beings on the continent. How long this process would take, however, was unknown to Tang San.
This was one of the reasons Tang San intended to connect the Abyssal Plane's spatial passageway to his Starry Sky World.
"That's indeed an issue," Bibi Dong mused. "However, since you already have a plan, I won't meddle further. Just make sure to keep me informed—whether it's handled successfully or not. If needed, I'll assist you personally."
Bibi Dong offered her affirmation and added, "In the meantime, I'm also preparing to break through to rank 100. The spatial passageway between our world and the God Realm has been severed, which means we no longer fall under their jurisdiction.
"Additionally, the connection you established between your Starry Sky World and the God Realm provides an endless supply of celestial energy. Once I ascend to godhood, I should be able to quickly consolidate my foundation and reach the God-King level..."
(End of Chapter)