The Asura God's voice paused, and his blood-red divine eyes slowly swept over each of the main gods on the circular platform. The previously rising and falling discussions gradually faded away.
The sound of the churning sea of clouds became the only background noise. The fragments of the Milky Way floating among the clouds, their faint light flickering, seemed to be silently observing this discussion that concerned the fate of the mortal realm.
He withdrew his hand from the hilt of the Asura Demon Sword, raised his palm and waved it. The projection that had been frozen in mid-air at the moment the Soul Spirit Contract formed slowly faded away, replaced by a hazy, chaotic scene.
The figure was not visible in the image; only a thick, cold shadow hung silently above the Douluo Continent, separated by a blurry dimensional barrier.
"The variables I mentioned earlier are not limited to the issue of Soul Spirit Symbiosis."
The Asura God's voice was even lower, less sharp than it had been during the debate, and more tinged with a lingering solemnity.
"Just as I was about to intervene and intercept the dimensional resonance triggered by the Soul Spirit Contract, something appeared out of nowhere and blocked my divine punishment."
After those words were spoken, the platform fell silent instantly.
The God of Destruction's previously nonchalant demeanor vanished, and much of the nonchalance in his purple eyes disappeared.
After all, as fellow God King, only the God of Destruction knew just how powerful the Asura God was.
He took half a step forward. "Stop your divine punishment? Within the Douluo Plane, there's actually someone capable of withstanding a single strike of your Asura God's power? The Silver Dragon King?"
"It's not her."
The Asura God slowly shook his head, crimson divine light swirling in his eyes.
"The Silver Dragon King is still far from the peak of the Dragon God back then, and is even inferior to a few First-Level Main Gods. He couldn't withstand my attack. That power transcended the upper limit of the Douluo Plane itself, and even transcended the laws of the heavens that we are familiar with."
The Food God frowned slightly and exchanged a glance with the Nine-Colored Goddess beside him. The Nine-Colored Goddess spoke softly, "Could it be an ancient God lying dormant in another plane? Or perhaps a surviving Dragon King who escaped from the Dragon God War?"
"I can't discern his origin; I can't tell if he's a god, a demon, or something else entirely."
The Asura God recalled that moment when time and space were locked, and the chill that had followed his divine thoughts upwards still lingered deep within his Divine Soul.
"He didn't fight me; in an instant, he froze spacetime in that area. I couldn't even discern his appearance or the source of his aura; I only heard him leave behind a single sentence."
He paused, then repeated, word by word, the warning that had crossed dimensions.
"Dark Turmoil is coming."
The six short words landed lightly on the circular platform, yet they felt like a massive boulder crashing into a calm lake.
The God of Sloth, whose eyes had been half-closed, suddenly opened them, and the languid and weary look on his face vanished.
The God of Greed suppressed his amusement, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the divine seal at his waist.
Even Sea God's fingers tightened slightly as he gripped the trident, a deep blue ripple appearing in his eyes.
The Goddess of Life's emerald skirt fluttered slightly without wind. She furrowed her brow gently, a hint of unease creeping into her soft voice. "Dark Turmoil... that name sounds rather ominous."
Since the end of the Dragon God's Rebellion, the Divine Realm has been peaceful for a long time.
"That was my first thought too."
The God of Destruction grunted, a faint, purplish-black divine light of destruction surging around him. "A warning without any beginning or end—who knows if it's a trap? Maybe that guy deliberately fabricated it to restrain us, allowing the Soul Spirit Symbiosis to grow stronger, and then, when the time is right, use the power of the Douluo Plane to turn around and attack the Divine Realm! This kind of provocation is not uncommon throughout the heavens."
"This is precisely where my biggest decision lies."
Asura God frankly admitted.
"Two possibilities lie before us. First, this is a trap. That mysterious being, through a prophecy of Dark Turmoil, is holding us back, allowing the Soul Beasts' fortune to accumulate infinitely, until the Douluo Plane grows strong enough to rival the Divine Realm, then joining forces with the Beast God to launch an attack on the Divine Realm."
He extended a second finger, his bloodshot eyes dark and intense. "The second possibility—he's telling the truth. Dark Turmoil is indeed brewing, and this upheaval is far more terrifying than the Dragon God War of yesteryear. This newly Soul Spirit Symbiosis Path on the Douluo Continent may be the only chance for the beings of this plane to save themselves before the upheaval arrives."
"If we forcibly erase this path now, it would be tantamount to cutting off Douluo's last chance for survival. When the chaos arrives, the disaster will spread all the way to the Divine Realm along the dimensional rift."
The two conjectures are diametrically opposed, yet both harbor a risk that could shake the very foundation of the Divine Realm.
The Sea God remained silent for a long time, gazing at the shattered fragments of the Dragon God deep within the sea of clouds, before slowly speaking, "If there truly is Dark Turmoil, where does its source lie? Is it a demon from beyond the void? Or a forbidden being sealed away long ago? We uphold the order of the heavens, yet we don't even know who our enemy is. To make a hasty decision would be too risky."
"That's the problem."
The Asura God said in a deep voice.
"I mobilized all my divine sense to deduce the future, but as soon as I touched the words 'Dark Turmoil,' all the threads of fate snapped. That future was a complete blank. I couldn't deduce good or bad fortune, and I couldn't see the path ahead—that was the most terrifying thing."
Gods, who govern the laws, can foresee the tributaries of fate. Yet, the fact that even they cannot predict the future suggests that the upheaval has already transcended the scope of the existing divine laws.
The Goddess of Life whispered, "Could it be that this mysterious being is the very source of this Dark Turmoil? He uttered these words to confuse our judgment, to divide us, and to sow distrust among us?"
"That's possible."
The Asura God did not deny it.
"But he might also be the only guardian who foresaw the catastrophe beforehand. He clearly possessed the power to severely injure me, yet he chose not to wage war against the Divine Realm. He merely intercepted an attack, left a warning, and then vanished without a trace."
He still can't figure out the other party's purpose.
If the other party wanted to destroy the Divine Realm, they could have easily taken advantage of the time-space freeze to kill him directly. But they didn't.
Silence fell once more on the high platform, each god lost in their own thoughts.
The God of Destruction stood with his arms crossed, his purple eyes churning with conflicting emotions. "In my opinion, we cannot be bound by a statement whose truth is uncertain. Even if there is Dark Turmoil, that is a matter for the future. Right now, the path of Soul Spirit Symbiosis is itself disrupting the dimensional cycle that has lasted for billions of years. If we let it go unchecked, we are tantamount to deliberately opening a breach."
Since the safety of the entire Divine Realm was at stake, the God of Destruction changed his mind and decided that he should take the initiative to attack.
"But what if we bet wrong?" Sea God looked up at him, his tone serious.
"If the unrest is true, our actions today in crushing the Soul Spirit Symbiosis are tantamount to extinguishing the life force of all beings in the lower realms. When that time comes, calamity will descend, and we will be carrying the lives of all living beings in the heavens."
That's why I suggested we monitor the situation first and not rush into action.
The Asura God gripped the hilt of the Asura Demon Sword again, the scarlet blade trembling slightly.
"We're keeping an eye on both lines simultaneously."
"On one hand, we will arrange for reliable divine envoys to be stationed permanently in the Douluo Plane to closely monitor Su Zui and the Silver Dragon King's group, recording the speed of the spread of the Soul Spirit Contract and the changes in the Soul Beast's fortune, thereby judging the impact of these changes on the Divine Realm."
"On the other hand, we will dedicate some of our forces to explore the depths of the void, tracing the source of the Dark Turmoil and searching for traces of that mysterious being. We must find out who he really is, and whether the turmoil he speaks of is truly real."
The God of Sloth frowned, looking impatient. "Spread out on both sides at the same time? How much Divine Power would that consume? The depths of the void are already dangerous enough; tracking down someone who won't even show their face would most likely be a waste of time."
But we had no choice.
The Asura God's voice remained unwavering, "Sitting in the Divine Realm, waiting for disaster to come knocking on my door, is not something I, as an enforcer, should truly be doing."
The God of Greed pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, "Surveillance is permissible, but boundaries must be set. The divine messengers are only responsible for observation and communication; they must not kill beings in the lower realms without authorization, nor interfere with their choices. Once these boundaries are crossed, our position will be put on the defensive. If that mysterious being has been watching our every move from the shadows and takes action without permission, it could very well ignite a conflict."
I agree with that.
Sea God immediately agreed, "Surveillance is the bottom line; killing is the last resort. Before we confirm the truth behind the Dark Turmoil, we cannot easily shed the blood of the lower realms."
The Goddess of Life nodded gently. "I second that proposal. I can spare a portion of my divine sense to accompany the monitoring messenger, to sense the flow of the plane's fortune. If the fortune shows any abnormal surge or decline, I will receive the signal immediately."
The God of Destruction scoffed, but didn't object forcefully anymore. "Do as you please. But let me make this clear: if things get out of control, I won't stand by and watch. When it's time to destroy, I will act without hesitation."
The Asura God glanced around and, seeing that the gods had largely reached a consensus, a trace of melancholy flashed in his blood-red eyes.
"Then it's settled."
He raised his hand, and a crimson divine decree rose from his palm, flying towards the depths of the sea of clouds to summon the divine messenger responsible for patrolling the lower realm.
"Remember, everyone keep this secret. Do not let news of the Dark Turmoil spread for now, lest it cause panic within the Divine Realm and breed unnecessary internal strife. We'll discuss everything once we've found more clues."
The divine command pierced the sky and disappeared into the churning sea of clouds.
The gods gradually dispersed and returned to their respective divine abodes, but each of them carried a heavy weight on their hearts.
The Asura God remained alone at the edge of the high platform, gazing once more towards the Douluo Continent below.
The Asura Demon Sword hummed slightly, and a scarlet aura of slaughter flowed slowly across the ancient jade surface.
The Asura God murmured to himself, his voice so soft it dissipated in the wind:
Hopefully, I'm overthinking it.