Gray Terror and Undead Calamity (Requesting Monthly Tickets)

No one knew how much time had passed.

Nan Liujing's body had long since been shattered beyond recognition. One of his legs had even broken, forcing him to kneel on one knee, yet his eyes remained filled with unwavering resolve.

Let the winds blow from east, west, south, and north; I shall stand firm and unmoved.

As the power of the heavenly tribulation surged, the sky trembled without cease, as though it were about to collapse and collide with the earth.

Yet no matter how the thunder crashed down, sensing the tenacity of Nan Liujing's will, the Heavenly Tribulation Bead continued to emit a violet-red glow, protecting his sea of spirit from destruction.

As the sole witness, the Thunder God watched with his own eyes as an increasingly complete Plane Imprint took shape upon Nan Liujing's forehead.

"I knew I hadn't misjudged you. Perhaps entrusting my regrets to you was the right choice."

The Thunder God spoke wistfully, as though he had returned to those bygone days.

He, too, had once endured the baptism of heavenly tribulation and obtained a Plane Imprint. After that, he rose steadily, even condensing a godly position on his own before ascending. Even in the Divine Realm, when it came solely to the combat power of main gods, he had been among the strongest.

Unfortunately, just as his ambitions soared, disaster struck.

If the Dragon God had not launched the divine war, then in another three years, he would surely have challenged the position of God King.

In truth, he could have fled the Divine Realm, but he had given up that chance and chosen to remain, to live and die alongside it.

Withdrawing his Spiritual Sense from the Heavenly Tribulation Bead, the Thunder God gazed at the violently trembling sea of spirit. He laughed loudly, and his tall, powerful body transformed into thunderbolts that filled the sky before finally merging into Nan Liujing's sea of spirit.

"Young man, once you awaken, you will understand everything. I hope you succeed. In my stead, go and see the paths those seniors once walked, and the vast universe they beheld."

At that moment, within Spirit Pagoda Headquarters in Shrek City, the highest alert had already been issued.

Strange thunderstorm weather had appeared without warning within the Spirit Ascension Platform, causing signs of disorder in its core array. The outside world could not observe what was happening within at all.

Even the Soul Masters still inside could not awaken after pressing their emergency signal devices.

For Spirit Pagoda, this was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue.

Those qualified to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform were either wealthy or influential. Ordinary civilians had neither the money nor the status to compete for entry. If anything happened to them, the powers across the continent would surely condemn Spirit Pagoda.

Pagoda Master Qian Gu Dongfeng personally issued an order for all researchers at headquarters to put down their work and devote themselves fully to maintaining the stability of the Spirit Ascension Platform's core array.

And that was not all. Sky Phoenix Douluo Leng Yaozhu, Purgatory Douluo Qian Gu Qingfeng, Cold Rhyme Douluo Xia Zheng Leng, Netherflame Douluo Zhang Geyang, Heavenly Sage Douluo Xu Shengqun, Brain Domain Douluo Han Tianyi, Witch Douluo Li Mengjie, Fist Emperor Douluo Da Mo... whether they were vice pagoda masters, councilors, or Spirit Messengers, everyone had mobilized.

If the Soul Masters were harmed and the Spirit Ascension Platform could not be saved either, then they would truly be finished.

The most anxious person was undoubtedly Qian Gu Dongfeng himself. If he had to resign as pagoda master because of this, the Qian Gu Family's plans would come to nothing, and that was absolutely not something he wished to see.

In contrast to the urgency within Spirit Pagoda, an eerie atmosphere had descended five thousand meters above Heaven Dou City.

Separated by several thousand meters, two groups faced each other from afar. Above their heads, dense black clouds churned wildly, releasing deafening roars from time to time.

Bolts of lightning flashed through the air like knife marks, leaving behind rifts that were difficult to erase. The howling rain and violent wind crashed toward the ground, reflecting the neon lights that had been switched on throughout the city because of the darkness.

Yun Ming stared at the silver lightning emerging from the storm clouds, his heart gripped by an intense tremor. It felt as though, if he entered them, he might cross that final step that seemed as insurmountable as a heavenly chasm.

Beside him stood an elderly man nearly two meters tall. Though old, his face remained incomparably resolute, and his body stood as upright as a mountain peak. He wore a military uniform, and three golden stars on his shoulder displayed the dignity of a Federation general.

Likewise, he watched the thunderclouds in the sky with a grave expression.

At the center of the storm clouds, it was as though an invisible giant hand were tearing apart space and twisting time.

The pressure was so immense that it seemed capable of crushing even one's soul, leaving one unable to breathe or think.

Every bolt of lightning carried world-ending power, as though it would annihilate the soul and body of any intruder. It was enough to inspire fear at a glance.

The fact that Vast Sea Douluo Chen Xinjie, who had long stood at the pinnacle of the continent, reacted this way only proved how extraordinary these storm clouds were.

The only one who showed no reaction to the silver lightning within the clouds was Holy Spirit Douluo Yali. Her pure green-gold eyes were fixed tightly on the two figures several thousand meters away.

Two terrifying beings capable of bringing ruin to the entire world.

The two emperors of the Holy Spirit Cult.

Gray Terror, Nether Emperor Ha Luosa.

Undead Calamity, Ghost Emperor Ax.

"This aura is truly intoxicating." A hoarse voice came from beneath the dark green cloak. The concealed pale face of Ghost Emperor Ax revealed an intoxicated expression.

In contrast, Nether Emperor Ha Luosa wore a complicated expression.

The being that claimed to be the Plane Consciousness had clearly told him that if he wished to become a god, he could only join the Holy Spirit Cult, assist them in completing the blood sacrifice, and accumulate faith before ascending in the future. Yet the scene before him clearly showed that there was more than one path to godhood.

Having realized he had been deceived, Ha Luosa now only wanted to leave and seek an explanation.

As for that lightning tribulation, he had no intention of touching it.

Lightning was supremely yang and unyielding, immensely lethal to any Evil Soul Master—let alone the lightning of heavenly tribulation, which was no ordinary lightning.

"Yun Ming, why don't you go in and give it a try? Maybe you'll ascend," Ghost Emperor said with a cold laugh, his voice passing through the curtain of rain and reaching Yun Ming's ears.

A faintly visible long spear condensed beside Yun Ming, and the surrounding space instantly froze. He said indifferently, "Have you recovered from your injuries?"

Ghost Emperor narrowed his eyes and smiled impassively. "To heal my injuries, I slaughtered more than ten thousand people. Their deaths were all thanks to you."

Ya Li's expression changed dramatically, and just as she was about to act, Chen Xinjie suddenly spoke. "Those who commit many injustices will bring about their own downfall. Your road will not be long."

"Hahaha, I'll take that as a blessing. Then let's see who lives longer."

Ghost Emperor burst into laughter, but then the storm clouds in the sky suddenly began to weaken. That intoxicating aura gradually faded, and his figure began to disperse as well. His icy voice echoed through the heavens. "Yun Ming, enjoy these last days of peace while you still can."

A mass of dark green light collapsed inward, turning into a streak of light that vanished into another dimension.

Nether Emperor did not speak throughout the entire exchange. He merely gave Yun Ming and the other two a cold glance. The space behind him shattered, and a force of suction drew him inside. He disappeared as well.

"I never expected this heavenly tribulation to draw them here." Chen Xinjie looked deeply toward the place where the two Evil Soul Masters had departed, his expression grave. "The Nether Emperor has not appeared for a century. Now that he has emerged again, I fear another disaster is coming."

Ya Li said solemnly, "Not long ago, the Holy Spirit Cult planted spies within our Shrek. Had we not discovered them in time, they might have caused a great catastrophe. Judging by what Ghost Emperor said before leaving, the Holy Spirit Cult must be secretly planning something again. I'll have to trouble Elder Chen to have the Federation stay on heightened alert."

Chen Xinjie nodded. "Spirit Pagoda has also proposed an internal campaign to exterminate Evil Soul Masters. We can coordinate with them."

"Who proposed it?" Yun Ming looked over.

Chen Xinjie replied, "Qian Gu Qingfeng."

"Him?" Yun Ming's gaze shifted slightly. "That makes sense, then."

Ya Li frowned. "But we cannot push the Evil Soul Masters too hard, either. Otherwise, no one knows what horrifying things those people might do."

The Sun Moon Federation was vast. No matter how closely it was monitored, there would always be gaps. Once the Evil Soul Masters found one, ordinary people were always the ones who suffered.

Yun Ming and Chen Xinjie's expressions darkened. Even with their heaven-defying cultivation, they were deeply troubled by such matters.

The Holy Spirit Cult was like weeds that could never be burned away. Spirit Ice Douluo had clearly wiped them out ten thousand years ago, yet for some unknown reason, they had suddenly grown powerful again.

As the era progressed, Evil Soul Masters were indeed less active than in ancient times. Yet every time they acted, it represented the deaths of dozens or even hundreds of people.

They remained a shadow hanging over the heads of ordinary civilians.

"Forget it. Though this opportunity has come, it does not belong to me." Chen Xinjie was about to leave when he suddenly paused. With his back to Yun Ming and Ya Li, he asked in a subdued voice, "How is she?"

Yun Ming and Ya Li exchanged a glance. After considering his words, Yun Ming said, "Elder Long is doing well."

"That is good." Chen Xinjie let out a long sigh toward the sky. With those words, he swiftly departed, soon turning into a streak of light and vanishing from sight.

Since it involved matters from the previous generation, Yun Ming and Ya Li found it hard to discuss it further. The latter took the initiative to change the subject. "What a pity. If those two Evil Soul Masters had not been here, perhaps this heavenly tribulation could have helped you make a breakthrough, Brother Ming."

Yun Ming shook his head and smiled gently. "In such haste, this heavenly tribulation is not something I could withstand casually. One moment of carelessness, and both soul and spirit would be destroyed."

Ya Li sighed. Of course, she knew the dangers of enduring heavenly tribulation, but she knew even better how deeply her beloved yearned to improve his strength.

Yun Ming smiled and comforted her. "Though I share Elder Chen's regret, I still gained something from this. This trip was not in vain."

Ya Li's eyes lit up. "What did you gain?"

Yun Ming looked down at the sprawling city beneath them, his gaze sharp. "Heavenly tribulation represents the power of a plane's laws. Any person or object seeking to transcend those laws will be tested. To condense my godly position, I narrowly escaped death and only managed to achieve half of it. In the decades afterward, I made no further progress."

"But this heavenly tribulation just now gave me an unfamiliar feeling. Though it too was a law, it did not bring me any sense of suppression that I could not overcome."

"There is one more point." Yun Ming's tone grew solemn. "From beginning to end, no one was undergoing tribulation. What does that mean?"

Ya Li suddenly realized. "The heavenly tribulation formed on its own. It was not caused by someone undergoing tribulation."

"Exactly." Yun Ming's eyes shone brilliantly. "This is completely different from the heavenly tribulations recorded by generations of predecessors over the past twenty thousand years. I have a premonition that this kind of heavenly tribulation will appear again. Once I slowly become familiar with it and determine its risks and benefits, perhaps the heavens will no longer be able to stop me."

As his words fell, a surge of heroic spirit shot into the clouds. A dazzling radiance in the shape of a spear spread across the skies above Heaven Dou City. Though it vanished in an instant, it still made heaven and earth tremble.

Spirit Ascension Platform.

The roaring thunder gradually subsided. A beam of sunlight piercing through the clouds shone upon a body that was too ghastly to behold.

Its scabbed, mottled skin resembled parched earth, covered in countless cracks. He knelt there on one knee like a withered tree, devoid of all life.

Yet on his forehead, a pale silver mark flickered in and out of sight.

Drawn by some force, every plant throughout the vast forest released its purest life energy. Like droplets converging into an ocean, it flowed without end into that withered-tree-like body.

A dead tree encountered spring, and the figure gradually began to move.

Inside the Spirit Ascension Chamber.

Na'er stared without blinking at the boy on the screen, who was hurriedly putting on his clothes. A layer of shyness covered her gorgeous purple eyes.

Gradually, the silver radiance that had floated throughout the room receded like the tide.

One lamp after another lit up again.

As darkness was once more replaced by light, Na'er's vertical pupils quietly returned to normal. She narrowed her eyes as though suffering from a headache, and voices speaking reached her ears again.

"Quick, check whether the equipment is... Hm? Why has it recovered again?" The staff member operating the screen checked the undamaged equipment in confusion.

The staff member who had led them there could not help saying, "Could the core array of the soul-guided screen have frozen?"

The tight furrow between Ye Changming's brows eased. It was good that nothing had happened.

But when he looked at the soul-guided screen, his brows furrowed once more.

Where was my daughter?

At the same time, one piece of good news after another swiftly reached Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.

Across the Douluo Continent, the Star Luo Continent, and the Heaven Dou Continent, all those trapped in Spirit Ascension Pods and unable to awaken had regained consciousness and exited their pods.

The dark clouds that had appeared in the Spirit Ascension Platform world had dispersed, and internal monitoring had been restored.

Qian Gu Dongfeng released the railing that had long been dented beneath his hands and finally breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the researchers conduct follow-up inspections.

As pagoda master, he did not forget to issue orders for all pillar-class Spirit Pagodas across the continent to stop sending people into the Spirit Ascension Platform. Those already inside were to be forcibly withdrawn as well. The Spirit Ascension Platform would suspend operations and could only reopen after passing inspection.

As for compensation, the opportunity to enter the Spirit Ascension Platform this time would be retained.

"Lu Mingfei."

After waking from the Spirit Ascension Pod, intense worry filled Ye Xinglan's azure eyes.

Before the staff member who had brought her to the Spirit Ascension Chamber could speak, she grabbed the woman's arm and urgently said, "Miss, please help me find a Soul Master named Lu Mingfei. He was struck by lightning."

Struck by lightning?

The staff member froze.

"Heh, that's another new way to die." A staff member operating the soul-guided screen shook his head with a smile. But after entering the Soul Master's name, he received no result.

He asked doubtfully, "Little girl, are you sure the companion you met in the Spirit Ascension Platform was named Lu Mingfei?"

Ye Xinglan nodded quickly. "It was Lu Mingfei."

The staff member frowned at the screen. "But among the people who entered the Spirit Ascension Platform today, there was no one named Lu Mingfei."

"What?" Ye Xinglan was stunned.

Just then, a deep voice sounded through the broadcast. "An order has arrived from headquarters. Spirit Ascension Platform operations are suspended. Immediately sever the consciousness connections of everyone in every Spirit Ascension Chamber and bring them out. Explain to them that their entry qualification for this Spirit Ascension Platform session will be retained. Once the Spirit Ascension Platform reopens, they may use this proof to enter again."

"Little girl, why don't you go ask in the front hall? Maybe you'll find the person you're looking for."

After the staff member helping Ye Xinglan offered that suggestion, he hurriedly got to work with the other two staff members. Soon, the walls split open, and one Spirit Ascension Pod after another reappeared. The Soul Masters lying within all opened their eyes, still somewhat dazed by the bright lights.

Ye Xinglan pressed her lips together and turned to rush toward the elevator, her pretty face filled with anger.

That guy had clearly told her that companions should trust one another, so why had he lied to her?

You're not called Lu Mingfei at all!

Dou San has been much harder to write than I imagined. Up to this point, ninety percent of my plot has been original, while the remaining ten percent comes from the part where Na'er is encountered in Aolai City. I adapted it with help from the original work.

In the original work, Tang Wulin spent several years in Aolai City before going to Eastsea City. I can't just have the male lead skip through the plot and connect directly to it, so for now I can only continue writing original material before tying it back into the original main storyline.

I hope everyone understands!