The Future of the Plane on His Shoulders!

Aolai Bay was only four kilometers from the center of Aolai City and was one of the city's most important industries. Many locals worked there.

Along the highway, tall tropical trees stood one after another. Low-rise buildings were packed closely together, with all kinds of advertising signs hanging outside. At night, when the neon lights came on, the nightlife truly began.

It was still afternoon, and the sunlight had yet to fade. On the beach several hundred meters from the food street, many tourists had already arrived to enjoy the crystal-clear sea and the warm sunshine.

After parking the Soul Guidance Vehicle in the free parking lot, the group of four entered the bustling food street as though they were on vacation.

The streets were packed with people. It was nearly mealtime, and those tired out from playing on the beach had all returned.

Na'er was somewhat afraid of strangers. Her little hand remained tightly clasped around the hem of Nan Liujing's clothes, while her gaze was constantly drawn to the people and things passing by. She had the curious air of someone stepping out of the deep mountains and into a vast, bustling world for the first time.

Interestingly, perhaps because Na'er's clothes were far too shabby, creating a stark contrast with her delicate and obedient appearance, passing tourists would more or less glance at her. Most of those looks, however, were kind.

The middle-aged soul master smiled. "Thanks to Aolai Bay, Aolai City is considered quite prosperous among Eastsea City's satellite towns."

The driver smiled as well. This was a company-paid trip, and he could be said to have benefited from Nan Liujing.

Nan Liujing noticed a restaurant called Old Zhuang Seafood. There was a steady stream of diners outside its entrance. After considering it, he said, "Let's eat at Old Zhuang Seafood. Uncle Li, Uncle Bai, please go order some food. Get plenty."

"Alright." Uncle Li was the middle-aged soul master. He nodded.

Sun Kong was the typical sort of person who held high status yet remained approachable. Nan Liujing himself had experienced compulsory education in his previous life, so he was not the sort to look down his nose at people just because his background was impressive. Whether it was the middle-aged soul master or the driver, he spoke to them as he would elders.

The two adults went to order, while Nan Liujing took Na'er to a luxurious four-story hotel.

He had booked a suite with four rooms on his phone while they were on the way over. He definitely had no plans to return to Eastsea City tonight. After dinner, they would stroll by the seaside, then set off again tomorrow.

Inside the suite, Na'er looked nervously at Nan Liujing. A woman in her fifties stood beside her.

"It's fine. Go on." Nan Liujing forcefully suppressed the urge to rub her little head and smiled.

He had asked the front desk to find someone and brought in an auntie to help Na'er take a bath. At the same time, he had someone purchase a suitable set of children's clothes for her.

Only after hearing that did Na'er reluctantly set aside her resistance and follow the auntie into the bathroom.

While he leaned against the sofa and waited, the bored Nan Liujing cautiously spoke in his heart.

"Senior, are you still there?"

"What is it?" The voice responded quickly.

He really was there. Nan Liujing's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly organized his thoughts. "May I ask, Senior, are those people hiding in the open and in the shadows still nearby?"

"They're not." The voice answered casually.

Nan Liujing finally let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you for telling me, Senior."

"Since you asked me something, I'll ask you something in return." The mysterious man whose true name was Ling Ting said, "Have you heard of the Dragon God?"

Nan Liujing froze. "I have."

Within the sea of consciousness, inside the Heavenly Tribulation Bead, Ling Ting's gaze flickered. "Tell me, in detail, every legend your world has about the Dragon God."

Nan Liujing narrowed his eyes. He was already ninety percent certain that this mysterious powerhouse was the long-fallen Thunder God.

He said, "According to legend, the Dragon God went berserk and was ultimately slain by the God Kings. He split into two, becoming the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King. The Silver Dragon King's whereabouts are unknown, while the Golden Dragon King was imprisoned in the God Realm, which no longer exists today."

Slain. So Asura was the one who acted. No wonder I just sensed two familiar yet unfamiliar auras, Ling Ting thought. But then, upon hearing the words "the God Realm, which no longer exists," his expression changed instantly. He said in a deep voice, "You said the God Realm is gone?"

Nan Liujing said, "In reply to Senior, I cannot give a definite answer as to whether the God Realm still exists. However, over the years, more than a dozen powerhouses with the potential to become gods have tried to ascend, yet without exception, none of them sensed the God Realm's summons. Even those who tried to condense a god position through their own cultivation and ascend failed. Thus, the widely circulated belief at present is that the God Realm is gone."

"Besides that, an evil plane called the Abyss is eyeing us covetously. The entire world faces a crisis of destruction. If the God Realm still existed, it certainly would not stand by and do nothing. That further supports the speculation that the God Realm is gone."

The moment he finished speaking, Nan Liujing suddenly felt everything fall silent.

When no further question came, Nan Liujing could not help feeling puzzled.

A full minute passed. Just as Nan Liujing thought that this senior, who was likely the Thunder God, had decided to stop talking and he helplessly prepared to close the chat window, a vague, indistinct voice suddenly rang out again, seemingly speaking to itself.

"Since the Plane Spirit has already been born, it should have been enough to sever the Abyss's lock-on. Unless someone deliberately caused it, the Abyss could never have descended. No wonder this plane, despite possessing such immense potential and seemingly even producing a Child of Destiny, is so weak. It must have caught the eye of someone greedy, who seeks to claim it for themselves."

"You risked everything, disregarding the severe damage to your own strength, and forcibly opened a Spatial Node to bring the Heavenly Tribulation Bead into the world again in the hope of finding a chance. Thanks to you, I too have seen daylight again alongside it. I will certainly help you with this."

"Young one." Ling Ting abruptly changed the subject, his voice seeming like thunder exploding beside Nan Liujing's ear.

Nan Liujing's expression turned solemn, and he instinctively replied, "Please speak, Senior."

"From now on, whenever an opportunity appears, you must not give it up. From the moment you obtained the Heavenly Tribulation Bead, this Supreme Treasure that surpasses even a Divine Artifact, you no longer bear only your own life on your shoulders. You also bear the future of this entire plane."

A tremendous burden had been thrown onto him, leaving Nan Liujing somewhat stunned.

Weren't we talking about the Dragon God and the God Realm?

How did I suddenly end up carrying the future of the plane on my shoulders?

"If you are unwilling, it is best that you give up the Heavenly Tribulation Bead now. If you are willing, then before this wisp of my Spiritual Sense dissipates, I will tell you the Heavenly Tribulation Bead's true abilities."

The Thunder God's tone became earnest and stern, causing Nan Liujing to take the matter seriously as well.

"May I ask, Senior, what will I have to face if I am willing?"

Ling Ting said in a deep voice, "The Abyss in the open, as well as the other planes that wish to take a bite out of your world. But most importantly, the deity manipulating everything from the shadows."

Tang San?

When it came to a deity manipulating everything, Nan Liujing instinctively thought of the Buddha.

But at this time, the Buddha was most likely still somewhere far away, playing a real-life Honor of Kings match with God Kings such as the Child of Light, the Mad God, and the Qin Emperor Who Killed the Boss Every Day. Whoever won would be in charge.

Nothing could not be solved with one match. If there was, then two matches.

Nan Liujing said helplessly, "Senior, everything else is negotiable, but if the enemy is truly a deity, then I really do not know how to deal with that. I just told you as well: after the God Realm vanished, no one has been able to ascend anymore."

He was confident he could become a Limit Douluo, and he was willing to fight for it, but becoming a god was simply impossible. The path ahead had already been sealed off. Even Tang Wulin had only truly become a god in Douluo Continent IV, ten thousand years later.

As for becoming a god through faith, had Ya Li become a god?

Ling Ting said calmly, "I possess a method to make you a god and transform your body into a divine body."

But then again.

Nan Liujing's expression became solemn, and he declared passionately, "Senior, say no more. For the future of this plane, I am willing to brave fire and water without hesitation."

"..." Ling Ting fell silent for a moment. "Talk after you survive your first heavenly lightning baptism."

Nan Liujing blinked, and his consciousness whooshed back into reality.

Buzz—

His phone had apparently been ringing for a while.

Nan Liujing took a deep breath, suppressing the slightly surging blood within him after speaking with a god, then took out his phone and pressed the answer button.

A gentle voice sounded. "Liujing."

"Uncle." Nan Liujing called out.

Sun Kong explained why he had called. "An elemental storm has erupted four hundred kilometers off the Eastsea City coastline. There is a high chance of a typhoon forming, and it may affect the waters near Eastsea City. Your plan to see the ocean will most likely have to change."

"An elemental storm? No wonder the people here said a typhoon was coming despite the clear skies." Nan Liujing understood, then asked in confusion, "Change?"

Sun Kong said, "The Spirit Pagoda in Mingdu is undergoing renovations and cannot open the Spirit Ascension Platform for the next half month. Your uncle intends to send you to Heaven Dou City first, to raise your soul spirit to the thousand-year level."

"I can ascend in Eastsea City." Nan Liujing was curious why his uncle wanted him to go to Heaven Dou City.

Sun Kong smiled. "Your Uncle Ye is from Heaven Dou City. His daughter is about your age and is also planning to raise her soul spirit's age. You two can form a team."

Nan Liujing raised a brow.

Remembering Uncle Ye's sword-like sharpness, he thought to himself, Could Uncle Ye's daughter be Ye Xinglan? I remember she's from Heaven Dou City.

"Alright." Nan Liujing did not hesitate and agreed. "Then I'll buy a ticket now and leave for Heaven Dou City tomorrow."

The two chatted a little longer. Just after they hung up, the door to Na'er's room opened.

The auntie came out first. Then, a sight that made Nan Liujing's eyes light up appeared before him.

To be clear, he was not into kids.

Secondly, Na'er truly was unbelievably adorable after taking a bath and changing into new clothes.

Her slender, petite body was set off by a high-quality grayish-white dress. Her silver short hair, no longer stained with dust, glowed with a soft, delicate luster under the setting sun. Her eyes, already as beautiful and clear as purple crystals, seemed even more translucent after her bath, like the sky clearing after rain, carrying a hint of liveliness and purity.

Her fair, round little face still held some bewilderment, but when she saw Nan Liujing looking at her, Na'er smiled from the bottom of her heart once again, revealing a row of pearly white teeth.

Perhaps even the most restless heart would be soothed by such a gentle breeze.

The auntie smiled and praised her. "The more I look at this little girl, the more I like her. She's as cute as a porcelain doll."

"You're right." Nan Liujing took out nearly thirty thousand Federation Coins as a tip for helping Na'er bathe.

The auntie's smile became even brighter. She nearly praised Nan Liujing as a porcelain doll too—no, he should have been called a money doll.

Thirty thousand! That was equivalent to her annual income.

"You're the first person who's ever been nice to me."

On the way to the restaurant, Na'er spoke softly. Because Nan Liujing walked quickly, she had no choice but to speed up as well, afraid that she might lose him.

Nan Liujing was surprised. He felt that Na'er truly did not have the slightest memory of anything else. It was as though she really were a little beggar girl who had endured every hardship.

He had only treated her a little better, yet the girl had already grown attached to him.

Why had Gu Yue arranged for Na'er to appear like a little beggar?

He could not figure it out.

What Nan Liujing did not know was that Gu Yue had originally planned to place Na'er beside the person carrying the Golden Dragon King Bloodline, so she had asked the Myriad Demon King to help fabricate some childhood memories for her.

The problem lay here. Because the Auspicious Beast had died after sacrificing herself for humanity ten thousand years ago, the Myriad Demon King hated humans beyond measure. The death of the Auspicious Beast had affected plant-type soul beasts the most. Their cultivation was already slow, and after the Auspicious Beast was gone, it became even slower.

Thus, after receiving Gu Yue's order, the Myriad Demon King simply used beggars he had secretly seen in the human world years ago as templates to hastily construct a set of memories. To him, humans ought to live like this. Gu Yue approved them without checking. By the time she noticed something was wrong, it was too late to change them back, so she could only dress Na'er according to those memories.

Yet this also caused Na'er to develop a quiet and timid personality.

If he could not figure it out, he would stop thinking about it. Watching the little girl hurry to catch up, Nan Liujing inconspicuously slowed down and casually said, "More people will treat you well in the future."

Na'er stopped walking.

Nan Liujing turned and asked, "What's wrong?"

Na'er rubbed her eyes hard and said weakly, "I got sand in them."

The Spiritual Power of the Spirit Connection Realm had given Nan Liujing extremely sharp senses. He could tell that Na'er's emotions were fluctuating violently at this moment.

Nan Liujing was stunned for a moment, then his expression became one of realization.

Because of his preconceptions, he had always treated Na'er well as Gu Yue's accessory and the future fusion vessel for Gu Yuena. Yet he had never considered that the Na'er before him was an individual. She was not anyone's accessory or fusion vessel.

She had her own consciousness and understood how to distinguish people and things. Naturally, his kindness would make this girl depend on him.

Everything suddenly made sense. Nan Liujing watched a butterfly flutter past them, then suddenly smiled. He stepped forward and rubbed Na'er's head. "Are you hungry?"

Na'er raised her slightly reddened eyes and softly said, "I'm hungry."

"Then come eat with me. The kind where you'll never go hungry again." Nan Liujing grabbed her hand and led her onward at an unhurried pace.

Na'er discovered that she could keep up without quickening her steps. Delighted, one of her small hands tightly clasped the other, larger hand.

The fading sunlight fell upon Na'er. No hazy glow could conceal her bright smile.

In the original timeline, Na'er had fulfilled others and abandoned herself. But now, Nan Liujing suddenly wanted to try changing that. If Na'er was not silently taken away after tonight, then she could stay.

A dining table was like a battlefield.

After they arrived at the restaurant, Na'er gave Nan Liujing, the middle-aged soul master, and the driver a harsh lesson.

The two large round tables around Na'er were already piled high with all kinds of seafood shells and dishes. She was not eating food—she was drinking it. After snapping open a crab leg, she would slurp up the tender crab meat with her little mouth, and it would be in her stomach in an instant.

The key was that despite eating so much food, her little belly did not even bulge. She was like a bottomless pit.

Nan Liujing stopped eating altogether near the end and happily passed food to her instead. The two worked together perfectly: he picked it up, she ate it.

This scene quickly drew the attention of the restaurant's other diners. Before long, a crowd had gathered in front of Na'er.

She was already exquisite and adorable, yet her appetite was so astonishing. That immense contrast naturally attracted attention.

Some people took pictures with their phones as souvenirs. Some counted the dishes and cried out in amazement. Some customers had merely been passing by, but seeing how deliciously she ate, they could not help wanting to eat as well.

Yet just as they were about to order, the busy owner told them that the restaurant was temporarily no longer serving other customers.

There was no helping it. The restaurant was only so large, and they truly could not keep up.

The diners were not annoyed. There were plenty of restaurants on the food street anyway, so they simply stayed to watch.

After finishing another plate of Red Jade Shrimp, Na'er was finally full. She leaned back against her chair with narrowed eyes and a face full of smiles. Her obedient appearance made several aunties' eyes shine.

After resting briefly, Na'er prepared to thank Nan Liujing, only to suddenly freeze.

What met her eyes was several dozen people all staring at her.

"You're amazing, little girl!"

"If you entered Eastsea City's big eater competition with that appetite, you'd definitely win first place."

"If that brat of mine could eat as well as you, I'd be laughing in my sleep."

"Exactly. Just mentioning it makes me angry."

The diners did not know that Na'er was timid. They began praising her all at once, but as they praised her, the conversation somehow turned into denouncing their own children.

Na'er was initially bewildered. Then her little face flushed red, and she hurriedly lowered her head. Her fair fingers twisted together nervously, leaving her exceptionally tense.

Yet the scolding voices from her memories did not come. Na'er could not help finding that strange. When she raised her head, she saw Nan Liujing smiling as he handed her a tissue.

"I told you, more people will like you."

Na'er froze. Listening to the lively chatter around her, the timidity in her eyes was like a seafood shell, tossed into the trash by Nan Liujing.

This book does not use the God Realm setting from Douluo Continent IV.

Actually, there should not have been a gap of ten thousand years between the God Realm leaving, the Abyss invasion, and Tang Wulin's appearance. Based on the timeline, the God Realm had not yet left when the Abyss appeared. How could the God of Destruction possibly not know that Douluo Star was in danger?

Also, when Na'er first appeared in the original novel, she really was timid and submissive. I'm not making it up.