The God King's Chessboard and the Empire's Fangs

After Elder Muen made the final decision, the Sea God's Pavilion meeting came to an end. An unprecedented "special research team" was formally established, personally led by Xuan Zi, with its sights set on the two unknown "Paths to Godhood" of Huo Yuhao and Ji Juechen.

This decision was like a shot in the arm, temporarily suppressing the panic and chaos within Shrek Academy. The teachers began shifting from the shock of "being unable to understand" to the excitement of "figuring out how to study it."

However, just as Shrek sought a way out of its internal "teaching crisis," an even greater, colder shadow from beyond had silently begun to blanket the entire continent.

[God Realm, Douluo God Realm Central Hub]

Tang San slowly withdrew his gaze from that azure planet and returned it to the chessboard before him.

On the board, the two chess pieces representing Huo Yuhao and Ji Juechen radiated an "uncertainty" that even made his heart tremble. They were no longer mere chess pieces, but like two variables with wills of their own, capable of straying from the board's course at any moment.

"A clash between the thinking of old and new gods..." Tang San murmured, a complicated glint flashing through his eyes.

What he represented was the Traditional Divine Path: the path of relying on ten thousand years of accumulation, using martial souls, soul rings, and divine trials to stack and fuse power step by step until one ultimately reached the peak. This path was steady, powerful, and proven true.

Yet Huo Yuhao's "Rule Creation" and Ji Juechen's "Logic Deconstruction" were like two invisible carving knives, attempting to carve entirely new branches into this path of truth.

"If... they truly manage to walk this path..." Tang San lightly tapped the chessboard with his fingers, producing a crisp sound. "Then what kind of transformation will the God Realm undergo in the future?"

He could not predict it. He had not experienced this feeling of unpredictability in tens of thousands of years.

At that moment, a faint will filled with slaughter and the aura of steel came from the lower realm. It pierced through the barrier of the God Realm and was keenly caught by him.

Tang San cast his gaze toward Douluo Continent once more. This time, his sight passed over Shrek Academy and fell upon that nation where technology and ambition were Intertwined—the Sun Moon Empire.

His brow gradually furrowed.

"The internal variables have yet to settle, yet the fangs beyond... have already been bared?"

He saw massive Soul Tool Cannons flickering with a ghostly glow being assembled within the Sun Moon Empire's enormous Soul Tool factories. He saw Jing Hongchen in Mingde Hall, looking down at a map of Star Luo Da Luo with a cold smile.

"Soul Tool Technology Civilization... waging all-out war against traditional Soul Master Civilization." Tang San slowly rose to his feet and walked to the edge of the God Realm, overlooking the continent where the winds of change were rising once more.

"Huo Yuhao, Ji Juechen... perhaps your emergence was not a coincidence."

"This game is no longer mine alone. Players beyond the chessboard have entered the field."

"In this war that will sweep across the entire continent, will you become dust crushed beneath its wheels, or... will you seize this tide of the times and truly imprint your 'Dao' upon the laws of this world?"

A trace of anticipation flashed in Tang San's eyes. He no longer tried to "plan" Huo Yuhao's path, instead choosing to become a true "observer."

He wanted to see what brilliance these two entirely new "Daos" could unleash before a true war of blood and fire.

[Shrek Academy, Outside the Infirmary]

Huo Yuhao and Ji Juechen had spent only half a day in the infirmary before Xuan Zi drove them out on the grounds that "they're just minor injuries, what are you resting for?"

The two walked side by side along an academy path without speaking. The surrounding students still looked at them with reverence before giving them a wide berth.

"Your 'domain' still isn't stable enough." Ji Juechen was the first to speak at last, his voice restored to its usual coolness.

"Your sword consumes too much." Through the Spiritual Net, Huo Yuhao directly transmitted his thoughts to him. "If that final strike had failed, you would have lost all ability to resist."

Ji Juechen fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "That's why I need greater power to support my 'logic.'"

"I need a broader Sea of Consciousness to carry my 'rules,'" Huo Yuhao replied.

Each of them saw in the other the direction they needed to advance.

Just then, a burst of hurried footsteps came from behind them. The two turned and saw Wang Dong and Beibei hurrying over with grave expressions.

"Yuhao, Ji Juechen!" Beibei's expression was more serious than ever. "Something huge has happened!"

"What is it?" Huo Yuhao asked.

"An urgent military report just arrived from the Heaven Dou Empire!" Beibei lowered his voice, his eyes blazing with anger. "The Sun Moon Empire has torn up the peace agreement! They gathered three Soul Engineer legions, crossed the border, and launched surprise attacks on the three major western strongholds of the Heaven Dou Empire!"

"What?!" Huo Yuhao's heart jolted.

The war... had truly begun!

"According to the scattered reports sent back from the front lines," Wang Dong added, her small face full of worry, "the Sun Moon Empire deployed a kind of gigantic Soul Tool we've never seen before. Its power is terrifying. The defensive barriers of all three major strongholds were blasted apart in less than half a day! The front lines have now completely collapsed and are requesting emergency support from Shrek Academy!"

Gigantic Soul Tools...

Those terrifying steel creations he had previously seen through Xuan Zi's spiritual perception instantly surfaced in Huo Yuhao's mind.

Ji Juechen, meanwhile, tightened his grip on the hilt at his waist. For the first time, an intense yearning for the word "power" arose in his still, unruffled eyes.

His Logic Sword Dao could sever soul skills and dismantle martial souls, but could it cut apart those war fortresses built of countless metals and energies, those things with no "logic of life"?

"The academy has decided," Beibei said after taking a deep breath, looking at them, "to send our Seven Monsters of Shrek, along with a group of outstanding upper-year students, to form the first support squad and depart immediately for the Heaven Dou Empire's front lines!"

He looked at Huo Yuhao and Ji Juechen, his expression becoming incomparably complicated.

"You two... Xuan Zi's intention is for you to go with them as well."

"He said that a true 'Dao' is not tempered in the arena, but carved out on a battlefield of blood and fire!"

Huo Yuhao and Ji Juechen raised their heads at the same time.

Their gazes crossed the walls of Shrek Academy and turned toward the Heaven Dou Empire.

There lay the smoke of war, the fangs of an empire, and countless lives fading away.

There, too, awaited the first—and cruelest—trial that their two new Paths to Godhood had to face.

The chessboard had been laid, and the Chess Players had entered the field.

Now, it was their turn to make a move.