Tang Hao: Could the Silver Dragon King Be Behind This?

A massive sphere of light floated in the center of the vast hall, constantly radiating the most peculiar spatial power. Silver light spread through it, dazzling like a galaxy.

Researchers in white coats could be seen moving about everywhere, working around the most sophisticated instruments of the era.

The walls around them had long since activated the highest-grade Defense System. Even a Limit Douluo who broke in would find no advantage here.

At that moment, an Old Man hurried toward Qian Gu Dong Feng, who stood with his arms folded and a grave expression.

"Tower Master, the source of the Spirit Ascension Platform anomaly has been identified."

Qian Gu Dong Feng promptly asked, "Was it the headquarters or a branch?"

"A branch." The Old Man held a tablet-like soul tool device and explained, "After inspection, the first city to report the problem was Heaven Dou City. Its Spirit Ascension Platform's Core Array was affected by an untraceable force, causing brief lag."

"Because Heaven Dou City is of an extremely high rank and possesses a secondary-level Spirit Ascension Platform, the problem there indirectly affected headquarters, causing Spirit Ascension Platforms across the continent to be impacted."

"The Tower Master of the Heaven Dou Spirit Pagoda branch has stated that they are conducting a full inspection to determine whether the Spirit Ascension Platform's Core Array was damaged. They have also contacted the Federal Government to conduct joint patrols and ascertain as soon as possible whether that unknown force was the work of a Soul Master."

Qian Gu Dong Feng frowned.

Ming Capital, Star Luo City, and Heaven Dou City were the Federation's three most important cities. The first was controlled by the Phoenix Family, while the latter two were under the control of the Qian Gu Family.

After an incident like this, those councilors who liked banding together would probably be unable to resist jumping out again.

Qian Gu Dong Feng said in a deep voice, "Has the issue of Soul Masters being unable to awaken from the Spirit Ascension Pods been investigated?"

The Old Man looked grave. "Since the Spirit Ascension Platform was created, there have been cases where Soul Masters inside Spirit Ascension Pods failed to awaken. Thus, researchers throughout the generations continuously made improvements. By now, it should have been impossible for pod malfunctions to occur."

"I suspect it was caused by that mysterious force that attacked the Heaven Dou Spirit Pagoda. The strange part is that from beginning to end, neither the Spirit Pagoda's external defenses nor its internal defenses were ever activated."

Upon hearing that even the Defense System had not activated, Qian Gu Dong Feng's expression changed drastically.

It was as though he had thought of something. His face shifted uncertainly as he turned and left. "Continue investigating."

Brain Domain Douluo Han Tianyi watched the Tower Master leave without saying anything. As both a councilor and the Minister of Scientific Research, he was extremely busy at the moment.

Qian Gu Dong Feng took the elevator upward until he reached the one hundred and seventh floor. This was the Tower Master's exclusive domain. Without his permission, no one could enter.

Soundproofing, Mental Power lockdowns—Qian Gu Dong Feng had arranged every security measure available.

Only after completing all that did he take out a deep blue bead with a cold expression and inject a strand of Soul Power into it.

As light flickered within the bead, a hoarse voice emerged moments later. "I was just about to speak with you, and you came looking for me first."

"Ghost Emperor." Qian Gu Dong Feng went straight to the point, saying coldly, "Did you go to Heaven Dou City?"

"Heh, Yun Ming and Chen Xinjie's information traveled quite quickly. Even your Spirit Pagoda knows already." In a dark underground chamber far away, where only the glow of a Whale Bead provided faint illumination, Ghost Emperor gave a cold snort and laughed.

"Yun Ming? Chen Xinjie?" Qian Gu Dong Feng was somewhat puzzled upon hearing those two names.

Ghost Emperor suddenly realized something. "They weren't the ones who leaked that I appeared in Heaven Dou City?"

"No." Qian Gu Dong Feng answered in a grave voice.

Ghost Emperor immediately grew confused. Since he had matters to discuss anyway, he explained, "I did indeed go to Heaven Dou City, but I merely confronted Yun Ming and that old bastard Chen Xinjie for a while before leaving."

"So you didn't go to the Spirit Pagoda?" Qian Gu Dong Feng asked with a frown.

Ghost Emperor immediately understood why Qian Gu Dong Feng had contacted him and denied it. "I may not be a good person, but I understand that mutual benefit comes first during a partnership. I have never been to your Spirit Pagoda."

Qian Gu Dong Feng did not refute him. He knew very well that their goals were aligned. Until their objective was fulfilled, Ghost Emperor would not act recklessly. There was no need to deceive him.

Ghost Emperor said sinisterly, "Compared to the Heaven Dou City Spirit Pagoda, I think you need to pay more attention to Yun Ming. Or rather, we both do."

Qian Gu Dong Feng's heart tightened. "Could it be that his cultivation improved during his confrontation with you?"

Ghost Emperor's voice became somewhat solemn. "He has not broken through yet, but something that could allow him to break through has appeared."

"What is it?"

"Heavenly Tribulation."

"Heavenly Tribulation?" Qian Gu Dong Feng's agitated emotions suddenly calmed. "A Heavenly Tribulation is all it is. Once one reaches the Quasi-God Realm, one can actively draw one down. Yun Ming has tried so many times—when has he ever succeeded?"

Ghost Emperor lowered his voice. "What if this Heavenly Tribulation has no suppression?"

The words were like a colossal bomb, setting off Towering Waves in Qian Gu Dong Feng's Sea of Consciousness. His expression instantly froze.

Qian Gu Dong Feng was still in the Demi-God Realm of a Limit Douluo. To attempt ascension to godhood, he had to advance further into the Quasi-God Realm. Everything he knew about the sensation of ascension tribulations came from his father, Qian Gu Dieting. The Heavenly Tribulations of the Douluo Plane clearly contained some unbreakable restraint that prevented anyone from transcending and ascending.

The most widespread theory at present was that the God Realm had vanished, leaving nowhere to receive ascenders, which was why no one could break through to that stage.

But that was merely rumor. Thus, learning from Ghost Emperor that an Anomalous Heavenly Tribulation had appeared naturally shocked him.

"As for how I know this Heavenly Tribulation has no suppression, I cannot tell you. Believe it or not, that is up to you." Ghost Emperor knew how shocking his words were, and his tone gained a hint of persuasion.

"Now then, we both know exactly why you and I hit it off so quickly."

"The reason I went to Heaven Dou City was because I sensed an extremely special Heavenly Tribulation Power. By coincidence, I encountered Yun Ming and Chen Xinjie."

"Perhaps Yun Ming was wary of me, or perhaps he was insufficiently prepared, but he did not rashly enter the Heavenly Tribulation. Still, regardless, a change has occurred. If several more tribulations like this appear and Yun Ming truly ascends, then our plan will be ruined."

"You dream of having the Spirit Pagoda completely replace Shrek Academy's position, but that will become nothing more than a fantasy."

"Don't try to provoke me." Qian Gu Dong Feng truly feared Yun Ming, but he was not so easily triggered. "I have never changed my mind about destroying Shrek."

"Since you have never changed your mind, then I will be direct." Ghost Emperor laughed darkly. "The main plan against Shrek Academy need not be rushed, but the side operation must accelerate. As an Evil Soul Master, I must do things befitting my identity, don't you agree?"

"Besides, if Yun Ming breaks through, the first people he will trouble will be us in the Holy Spirit Cult. I do not wish to face an opponent at the level of Godhood."

"Furthermore, Qian Gu Pagoda Master, you don't want the world to know that you are involved with Evil Soul Masters, do you?"

"What do you want to do?" Qian Gu Dong Feng's pupils contracted, his tone icy.

"Simple." Ghost Emperor said indifferently, "Just as Shrek Academy and that damned Tang Sect conduct targeted exterminations of us Evil Soul Masters, I will conduct targeted purges of Shrek Academy's students. During that time, you will be responsible for preventing the Federation from interfering. Given your connections with the upper ranks of the Sun Moon Federation, that should not be difficult."

"Fine."

Qian Gu Dong Feng put on a grave expression, though an unusual smile appeared at the corner of his lips.

Ghost Emperor only knew that he wanted to destroy Shrek Academy, but he had never known that Qian Gu Dong Feng's ambitions extended far beyond that.

Simply destroying Shrek Academy was not enough to make him curry favor with the Federation authorities so eagerly, even at the cost of ceding so many benefits and drawing dissatisfaction from factions within the Spirit Pagoda.

Since you are so eager to become this blade, I will grant your wish.

"Excellent." Ghost Emperor smiled in satisfaction.

"Don't be so quick to smile." Qian Gu Dong Feng interrupted him. "There is something I need to inform you about."

Ghost Emperor had already begun anticipating Yun Ming's reaction when he saw his students die miserably. In high spirits, he asked, "What is it?"

Qian Gu Dong Feng said blandly, "Your Holy Spirit Cult's Dark Hummingbird caused trouble in Shrek City not long ago, frightening many civilians. To ease public sentiment, Shrek Academy has decided to cooperate with the Federation. And our Spirit Pagoda cannot ignore public opinion. Even if we are merely putting on a show, we have to participate. Thus, the Internal Meeting will soon discuss this matter. I expect that for the next half year, perhaps even several years, strict investigations will be conducted throughout the continent. If you reveal yourselves now, I will not be able to help you."

The smile in Ghost Emperor's eyes faded.

Qian Gu Dong Feng added, "Once things settle down, I will notify you to act."

Suddenly, the bead in his hand dimmed.

Qian Gu Dong Feng stored it in his Storage Soul Tool and looked toward one side of the wall.

A painting hung there.

It depicted a magnificent palace.

Several words were prominently inscribed in one corner of the painting.

[Spirit Hall Empire]

If Spirit Hall could establish an empire, why couldn't he?

Ring, ring, ring!

Suddenly, an urgent call bell rang.

Qian Gu Dong Feng took a deep breath. "Speak."

"Tower Master, all the councilors are in position." A respectful female voice came through.

"I understand. I will be there shortly."

"Ming Du Television report. Following this session of the Federal Council, the plan for humanity's advancement into space has received an initial blueprint. According to the Speaker of the Federation..."

The television's glow flickered inside the dim, airtight room. Clear broadcasts continued to sound. A short-haired announcer dressed in professional attire presented the day's news to viewers with a solemn demeanor.

On the sofa sat an exceptionally handsome, even beautiful young man, staring fixedly at the television. Smooth black hair cascaded down the back of his head. In contrast, his face was entirely bloodless, making him appear particularly unsettling.

"You have called upon me repeatedly. What is the matter?"

Suddenly, a deep, imposing voice instantly froze the entire room.

The icy expression on Ha Luosa's face regained a trace of life, and the room seemed to brighten slightly. He spoke with a measure of respect. "I wish to ask you to clarify something."

"Speak." The deep voice seemed to be suppressing something and was somewhat unsteady.

Ha Luosa said, "To repay your assistance, I have always done my utmost to fulfill your instructions, causing slaughter throughout the world. Later, one day, you told me to temporarily stop acting. Thus, I remained dormant for a hundred years, seeking only the path to godhood."

"But you said that because the God Realm no longer existed, coupled with the Abyss's invasion, the Plane Law had become uncontrollable, leaving no one able to take either of the normal paths to godhood."

"Afterward, you directed me to join the Holy Spirit Cult, saying that there was a special path to godhood here. I trusted you and joined. Yet after all these years, I have never seen hope. Instead, several days ago, I saw an opportunity to form a God Position on my own."

"An opportunity?" The deep voice abruptly intensified, seemingly drawn in by this information.

Ha Luosa said in a deep voice, "When the God Realm still existed, mortals could ascend to godhood either by inheriting a God Position or by passing through a Heavenly Tribulation to form a God Position themselves. With the God Realm gone, God Position inheritances have been severed. As for forming a God Position oneself, the loss of the God Realm and the Abyss's suppression caused the Plane Law to lose control, leaving no one able to use Heavenly Tribulations to condense a God Position."

"But two days ago, I sensed a special Heavenly Tribulation Power. It contained no feedback of suppression. Had I not sensed that its power could annihilate me, I would have already entered it."

"May I ask whether the path to godhood is truly as you said, with joining the Holy Spirit Cult being the only remaining route?"

Ha Luosa voiced the doubt in his heart.

Yet the existence communicating with him from the shadows fell silent.

At the same moment, a pair of eyes opened within a chaotic space.

Tang Hao, who had been refining and suppressing the Plane Spirit, revealed intense killing intent in his eyes. "Special Heavenly Tribulation Power?"

Looking toward the sphere of light beneath the Clear Sky Hammer, now compressed to less than one-third of its peak size, Tang Hao suddenly understood. "No wonder you were willing to suffer severe injuries from me just to forcibly tear open some Spatial Nodes."

As the main plane, Douluo Star would naturally attract certain Small Worlds. When Spatial Nodes remained stable, the two sides did not infringe upon each other. But once a Spatial Node developed a problem, Small Worlds would attach themselves to it like magnets, becoming extremely difficult to remove.

If too many Small Worlds appeared, gaps would inevitably form in Douluo Star itself, allowing Cosmic Law to leak in through those Small Worlds.

Cosmic Law was inherently stronger than local laws, but if left unused for a long period, it would gradually assimilate and become nourishment for the native plane. However, before Cosmic Law was assimilated, should someone attempt to undergo tribulation and ascend, the Heavenly Tribulation they drew down would be primarily governed by Cosmic Law.

To Tang Hao, it seemed that the Plane Spirit intended to use this method to forcibly produce a god and catch him off guard.

"If Ha Luosa had not taken the initiative to awaken me, I would probably still be in the dark. If someone truly became a god, they would certainly not escape the Abyssal Sage King's notice. Whether he left out of wariness or launched a direct assault, Xiao San's ten-thousand-year scheme would be destroyed in an instant."

Believing he had figured everything out, Tang Hao could not help but sneer. "All this effort will only accelerate your Path to Death."

After a pause, Tang Hao's gaze passed through space and landed on Ha Luosa, whom he had taken from the Plane Spirit's control. "The Heavenly Tribulation Power you sensed can indeed be used to form a God Position."

Ha Luosa maintained a calm expression, as though he knew the Plane Spirit that had helped him since childhood would answer.

Sure enough, upon hearing the reply, his eyes lit up. But before he could speak, Tang Hao continued, like a basin of cold water ruthlessly extinguishing the fire in his heart that sought godhood.

"However, the law origin contained within this Heavenly Tribulation Power does not belong to the Douluo Plane. It belongs to certain Small Worlds attached to the Douluo Plane. They are inherently incomplete powers. If you attempt to use it to condense a God Position, there will be only one outcome: your God Position will shatter, and your Divine Soul will perish."

Ha Luosa's pupils trembled, and his complexion darkened.

He trusted the Plane Spirit completely and did not question it.

"I know you are eager to become a god." Tang Hao guided him as he always had. "But the Blood River God Slaying Great Formation is your only opportunity to attain godhood. Do not rush. That day is not far away."

"Understood."

Ha Luosa's heaving chest gradually calmed.

Within the chaotic space.

Having successfully deceived Ha Luosa, Tang Hao's expression turned cold. Already in control of eighty percent of the Plane Origin, his divine sense immediately pierced through space and swept across all of Douluo Star.

As he sensed the feedback provided by his divine sense, a trace of bewilderment gradually appeared on Tang Hao's face.

He had not sensed the existence of any Cosmic Law at all. Even the number of Small Worlds was roughly the same as usual, far from enough to create a gap.

Then where had the special Heavenly Tribulation Ha Luosa mentioned come from?

"Could it be the Silver Dragon King?" Tang Hao tried to think it through, musing inwardly, If it is her, then using special methods to conceal her actions from my senses and introduce Cosmic Law would not be impossible.

"Could she have noticed the anomaly in the Douluo Plane?"

"But I am at a critical juncture and cannot act easily."

Tang Hao looked grave as he lowered his head toward the Plane Spirit's sphere of light beneath the Clear Sky Hammer. An idea arose in his mind.

After transmigrating to the Douluo Continent, Chen Ming relied on his Soul Martial Soul to reincarnate life after life, accumulating a profound foundation.

In his first life, however, Shrek labeled him an Evil Soul Master because of his Martial Soul. He endured repeated pursuits, suffered severe damage to his foundation, and stopped at the title rank, with no hope of godhood. He studied the mysteries of the soul before reincarnating to cultivate anew.

In his second life, his soul suffered grave injuries. Fortunately, he successfully reincarnated and awakened the Martial Soul Tombstone. Relying on his understanding of Martial Souls, he evolved it into the Soul Suppressing Stele, yet his soul injuries caused him to stop at Soul Saint.

In his third life, his Martial Soul was a Coffin. It evolved into the Soul Nourishing Coffin and repaired his soul injuries, but his lifespan was limited, leaving him at Soul Douluo.

In his fourth life, his Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass.

In his eighth life, he forcefully became a god, entered the God Realm, and used the Gate of Reincarnation to detonate the God Position of the God of Time, plunging the God Realm into chaos.

In his ninth life—

"This time, I succeeded!"

"I succeeded through my own effort!"

"I am the Reincarnation God King. Tang San, die!"

Note: No joining Shrek, opposing Tang San, no Sun Moon route. Four nations competing with five countries is perfectly reasonable, right?