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, tropical trees stood tall one after another. Low Building Complexes were packed closely together, with all kinds of GG signs hanging outside. At night, when the neon lights came on, the nightlife truly began.

It was afternoon then, 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 clear sea and warm sunshine.

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

The place was packed with people. It was probably almost mealtime, and those exhausted from playing on the beach had returned as well.

Na'er was somewhat shy around strangers. Her little hand remained clutching the hem of Nan Liujing's clothes, while her gaze was constantly drawn to passing people and things. She had the curious feeling of having stepped out of the mountains and into a bustling, colorful world.

Interestingly, perhaps because Na'er's clothes were too worn-out, creating a sharp contrast with her obedient and delicate appearance, passing tourists would more or less glance at her. Most of them, however, meant no harm.

The Middle-aged Soul Master smiled. "Thanks to Aolai Bay, Aolai City can be considered wealthy among Eastsea City's affiliated towns."

The driver smiled as well. This was a company-funded trip, so he had benefited from Nan Liujing too.

Nan Liujing noticed a restaurant called "Old Zhuang Seafood." Diners streamed in and out of its entrance. After thinking for a moment, he said, "Let's go with Old Zhuang Seafood. Uncle Li, Uncle Bai, please go order for us. Get plenty."

"Alright." Uncle Li was the Middle-aged Soul Master. He nodded.

Sun Kong was the typical sort who held high status yet remained approachable. Nan Liujing himself had gone through compulsory education in his previous life, so he was not the kind of person who looked down on others just because of his background. Whether it was the Middle-aged Soul Master or the driver, he spoke with them as elders.

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

On the way there, he had booked a four-bedroom suite on his phone. He clearly had no plans to return to Eastsea City tonight. After dinner, they would take a walk by the sea and leave tomorrow.

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

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

He had asked the front desk for help and called over a woman to give Na'er a bath. At the same time, he had someone buy her a suitable set of children's clothes.

Only after hearing him say that did Na'er reluctantly lower her guard and follow the woman 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 response came quickly.

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

"No." The voice answered casually.

Hearing that, Nan Liujing finally Breathed a Sigh of Relief. "Thank you for informing me, Senior."

"Since you have asked me something, let me ask you something as well." 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 Pearl, Ling Ting's gaze Slightly Moved. "Tell me every legend your world has about the Dragon God."

Nan Liujing narrowed his eyes. There was already a ninety percent chance that he had correctly identified this mysterious expert as the long-fallen Thunder God.

He said, "According to legend, the Dragon God went berserk and was ultimately slain by the God King. He split into two and became the Gold Dragon King and Silver Dragon King. The Silver Dragon King vanished without a trace, while the Gold Dragon King was imprisoned in the God Realm, which no longer exists today."

"Slain." It seemed the Asura God King had been the one to strike. No wonder I had sensed two familiar yet unfamiliar auras earlier, Ling Ting thought. But as soon as he heard the latter half of the sentence, the words that the God Realm no longer existed, his expression changed instantly. He asked in a Deep Voice, "You said the God Realm is gone?"

Nan Liujing said, "In reply to Senior, I cannot give an exact answer as to whether the God Realm still exists. But over the years, more than a dozen experts with the potential to become gods have attempted to ascend. Without exception, none sensed the God Realm's call. Even those who tried to condense a God Position through their own cultivation and ascend failed. Therefore, the most widespread belief at present is that the God Realm is gone."

"Besides that, an Evil Plane called the Abyss is eyeing us greedily. The entire world faces a crisis of destruction. If the God Realm still existed, it definitely would not stand idly by. This further confirms the speculation that the God Realm is gone."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly felt everything fall silent.

Nan Liujing received no further questions, and he could not help feeling puzzled.

A full minute later, just as Nan Liujing thought 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 mutter suddenly sounded again.

"Since the Plane Spirit has already been born, it should be enough to cut off the Abyss's lock-on. Unless someone deliberately caused it, the Abyss could never descend. No wonder this plane clearly has enormous potential and has even vaguely produced a Child of Destiny, yet is so weak. I fear it was noticed by someone consumed by greed, who sought 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 Pearl into the world again for a sliver of hope. Thanks to you, I too have seen the light of day again with it. I will definitely help you with this."

"Young man." Ling Ting suddenly changed the subject, his voice seeming to rumble beside Nan Liujing's ears like Heavenly Thunder.

Nan Liujing's expression turned serious, and he instinctively said, "Please speak, Senior."

"From now on, whenever an opportunity appears, you cannot give it up. From the moment you obtained the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl, this treasure that surpasses even a Super Divine Artifact, what you bear is no longer merely your own life, but the future of the entire plane."

A heavy burden had been thrown at him, leaving Nan Liujing somewhat dazed.

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

How had he suddenly become responsible for the future of the plane?

"If you are unwilling, it would be best to give up the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl now. If you are willing, before this strand of divine consciousness dissipates, I will tell you the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl'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, if I am willing, what will I face?"

Ling Ting said in a Deep Voice, "The Abyss in the open, as well as the other planes that want to bite a piece of flesh from 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 point, the Buddha was most likely still somewhere far away, playing a live-action Honor of Kings match with God Kings such as the Child of Light, Mad God, and Qin Emperor Who Killed the BOSS. Whoever won would become the Spokesperson.

There was nothing that could not be resolved by a match. If there was, then two matches.

Nan Liujing said helplessly, "Senior, everything else is manageable, but if the enemy is a deity, then I truly have no way to deal with them. I just told you as well: after the God Realm disappeared, no one has been able to ascend again."

He had confidence that he could become a Limit Douluo, and he was willing to fight for it. But becoming a god was simply impossible. The road ahead had been blocked. Even Tang Wulin only truly became a god in Soul Land IV, Ten Thousand Years Ago.

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 turned solemn as he spoke with impassioned righteousness. "Senior, there is no need to say more. For the future of the 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 Thunder Baptism."

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

Bzz~

His phone had apparently been ringing for some time.

Nan Liujing took a deep breath, suppressing the slightly surging Qi and Blood caused by his conversation with a god. He took out his phone and pressed the answer button.

A gentle voice sounded. "Liujing."

"Uncle." Nan Liujing called out.

Sun Kong explained his purpose. "An Elemental Storm has erupted four hundred kilometers off Eastsea City's coastline. There is a high chance of a typhoon forming, and it may affect the waters near Eastsea City. Your plan to see the sea will most likely need 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 Ming Du Spirit Pagoda is undergoing renovations and will not be able to open the Spirit Ascension Platform for half a month. Uncle plans to send you to Heaven Dou City first, so you can raise your Soul Spirit to the thousand-year level."

"I can undergo Spirit Ascension in Eastsea City." Nan Liujing was curious why 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 also plans to raise her Soul Spirit's age. The two of you can form a team."

Nan Liujing raised an eyebrow.

Remembering Uncle Ye's sharp, sword-like aura, he thought to himself, Uncle Ye's daughter can't be Ye Xinglan, can she? 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 for a while longer. Just after they hung up, the room assigned to Na'er opened.

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

To clarify, he was not into little girls.

Second, Na'er really was unbelievably cute after bathing and changing into new clothes.

The high-quality grayish-white dress accentuated her slender, petite figure. Her short silver hair, no longer stained with dust, glowed softly and delicately beneath the setting sun. Her Eye Pupils, originally as clear and beautiful as amethysts, seemed even more translucent after her bath, like clear skies after rain, carrying a touch of liveliness and purity.

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

Perhaps even the most restless heart could be soothed by this gentle Qing Feng.

The woman praised her with a smile. "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 woman smiled even more happily. She was just short of praising Nan Liujing as a porcelain doll too. No, he should have been called a money doll.

Thirty thousand! That was equal to her annual income.

"You're the first person who has treated me well."

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

Nan Liujing was surprised. He felt that Na'er truly did not retain even a trace of any other memories, as though she really had been a little beggar who had endured every kind of hardship.

He had only treated her a little better, yet the girl had already become 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 intended to place Na'er beside someone carrying the Golden Dragon King bloodline. Therefore, she had Myriad Demon King help fabricate a set of childhood memories.

The problem lay there. Because the Auspicious Beast had died after sacrificing herself for humanity Ten Thousand Years Ago, Myriad Demon King hated humans beyond measure. The Soul Beasts most heavily affected by the Auspicious Beast's death were the Plant-type Soul Beasts. They already cultivated slowly, and after the Auspicious Beast was gone, they cultivated even more slowly.

So, after receiving Gu Yue's instructions, Myriad Demon King simply used the beggars he had secretly seen in the human world back then as a template and hastily constructed a set of memories. To him, humans ought to live like that. Gu Yue agreed without checking, and by the time she discovered the problem, it was too late to change it back. She could only continue dressing Na'er according to those memories.

But this also caused Na'er to develop a silent and timid personality.

If he could not figure it out, then he would stop thinking about it. Seeing the Little Girl hurrying to catch up, Nan Liujing quietly slowed down and said casually, "There will be more people who 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 Mental Power of the Spirit Connection Realm gave Nan Liujing extremely sharp perception. He could sense that Na'er's emotions were fluctuating intensely.

Nan Liujing froze for a moment, then suddenly understood.

Because of his preconceived assumptions, he had always treated Na'er well as Gu Yue's accessory and Gu Yue Na's future fusion vessel. Yet he had never considered that the current Na'er was an independent individual. She was not anyone's accessory or fusion vessel.

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

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

Na'er raised her slightly reddened eyes and softly answered, "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 realized that she could keep up without quickening her steps. Delighted, one of her small hands tightly gripped the other, larger hand.

The glow of the setting sun fell over Na'er. No hazy light could conceal her bright smile.

In the Original Timeline, Na'er fulfilled others and gave up 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 arriving at the restaurant, Na'er fiercely taught Nan Liujing, the Middle-aged Soul Master, and the driver a lesson.

The two large round tables beside Na'er were already piled with all kinds of seafood shells and plates. She was not eating food; she was drinking it. Once she snapped open a crab leg, she would slurp up the tender crab meat with her little mouth, and it would disappear into her stomach.

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

By the end, Nan Liujing simply stopped eating. He happily handed food to her instead. The two worked together with perfect coordination: he picked it up, and she ate it.

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

She was already exquisite and adorable, but her appetite was so shocking. That enormous contrast naturally attracted attention.

Some people took pictures with their phones as souvenirs, some counted the plates and cried out in amazement, while some customers had merely been passing by. Yet seeing how deliciously she ate, they could not help wanting some food too.

But just as they were about to order, the busy owner informed them that the restaurant was temporarily closed to other customers.

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

The diners were not upset. There were plenty of restaurants on the food street, so they simply stayed behind as spectators.

After another plate of Red Jade Shrimp was finished, Na'er was finally full. She leaned back in her chair with narrowed eyes and a beaming face. Her obedient appearance made several women's eyes shine.

After a brief rest, Na'er was about to thank Nan Liujing when she suddenly froze.

What entered her sight was dozens of people staring at her in unison.

"Amazing, little girl!"

"With that appetite, you'd definitely win Eastsea City's big eater competition."

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

"Exactly. Just mentioning him makes my stomach ache with anger."

The diners did not know Na'er was timid. They all began praising her at once, but as they praised her, it turned into a collective denunciation of their own children.

Na'er was initially confused. Then her little face turned red all at once. She hurriedly lowered her head, her fair fingers twisting together nervously as she became exceptionally tense.

But the scolding voices directed at her that had appeared in her memories never came. Na'er could not help feeling confused. The moment 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 conversations around her, the timidity in her eyes was tossed into the trash by Nan Liujing like seafood shells.

[This book does not use the Soul Land IV God Realm setting.]

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. When the Abyss appeared, based on the Timeline, the God Realm had not yet left. 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 truly was timid and meek. I'm not making it up.