Fatherly Love, Filial Piety

"Oh..."

An expensive teacup was slammed heavily onto the table.

"You mean... you want me to join you in your corrupt practices?"

"No, no, no, Master of the Ancient Tower, you've misunderstood."

Faced with that terrifying aura that was enough to crush Titled Douluo, the Black-Robed Figure trembled slightly, but still managed to let out a hoarse chuckle.

"Shrek and Tang Sect are currently at their zenith, monopolizing almost all resources and influence in the Soul Master World."

"Don't you want to... break this stagnant situation, let the Spirit Pagoda truly stand at the pinnacle of the continent, and even... touch that legendary Godhood?"

"Godhood?"

Qiangu Dongfeng paused slightly as he tapped the table, a barely perceptible ripple flashing in the depths of his eyes, but his tone remained icy. "You bunch of shameful rats, do you think you're worthy to talk to me about Godhood?"

"The Holy Spirit Cult acts despicably and has always been despised. If I were to associate with you, wouldn't I be willingly degrading myself?"

"The tower master is mistaken."

The Black-Robed Figure slowly stepped forward, speaking in a sinister tone under immense mental pressure, "Shrek prides itself on justice, but what makes them so special that they stand out from the crowd?"

"Yun Ming is high and mighty, but has he ever even glanced at the Spirit Pagoda? Our pursuit of power and evolution is no different from yours, the Pagoda Master."

"If only you would do me a small favor at a crucial moment..."

"Hmph, what a pipe dream."

Qiangu Dongfeng sneered, abruptly standing up. His powerful aura forced the Black-Robed Figure to retreat repeatedly. "If I wanted to deal with Shrek, why would I need to rely on you heretics? The Spirit Pagoda has stood on the continent for many years because of its genuine strength, not such despicable methods!"

"Get out of here before I change my mind and kill you!"

The Black-Robed Figure ' expression shifted rapidly, clearly not expecting Qiangu Dongfeng's attitude to be so firm.

He took a deep breath and threw out his last card. "Lord Tower, it's always been the case that only the victor is remembered, and the loser is condemned."

"Once Shrek and Tang Sect fall, the Spirit Pagoda will become the sole overlord of the continent. Are you really going to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become a god for the sake of so-called 'reputation'?"

"Those two ' God-Slaying Level ' Fixed Soul Guidance Cannonball from the Federation are our carefully prepared pledge of allegiance to you..."

"... What do you mean?"

Qiangu Dongfeng's Soul Power, which was already poised to be unleashed, was abruptly halted in mid-air. He slowly raised his eyelids, and the previous rage and disdain were gone from his deep eyes. In their place was a chilling depth and apprehension.

What he feared was not the insignificant Evil Soul Master before him, whom he could crush at any moment, but rather what those two words represented.

A Destruction force powerful enough to overturn the entire Douluo Plane.

"Presumably... the Tower Master is aware of this."

Qiangu Dongfeng narrowed his eyes.

I know exactly what you're capable of! Who knows if you can even get a third one to attack the Spirit Pagoda?!

The Black-Robed Figure lowered his voice, his tone slightly seductive, "Those two level-twelfth Fixed Soul Guidance Cannonball, once detonated, would be powerful enough to flatten a medium-sized city. Even... a demigod-level expert would be doomed if hit head-on."

Qiangu Dongfeng's pupils contracted slightly.

As a Level 99 Limit Douluo, he was only one step away from the gate to godhood, and he understood the weight of the word "god" better than anyone else.

In this world, there are very few means that can threaten Limit Douluo, and those that can truly "kill a god" are unheard of.

If the Holy Spirit Cult truly possesses this knowledge, then its nature completely changes.

"What exactly do you want?"

"Master of the Eternal Tower, Yun Ming Immortal, can you... sleep soundly?"

These words precisely pierced the most hidden and festering corner of Qiangu Dongfeng's heart.

A deathly silence fell over the study.

The terrifying Soul Power that had been surging wildly around Qiangu Dongfeng now receded slowly like a tide.

He leaned back in the large mahogany chair, the furious look on his face vanished, replaced by an unfathomable depth and sinister intent.

The despicable Black-Robed Figure before me is nothing more than a mouthpiece.

Even if he were to blast it to dust right now, it would only be a temporary venting of anger. The two "God-Slaying Level" shells, capable of threatening the lives of demigods, could still fall at any moment.

Killing him would not only be futile, but would also cause the Spirit Pagoda to completely lose its knowledge and control over this Destruction power.

Qiangu Dongfeng slowly raised his eyelids, his gaze falling on the Black-Robed Figure. He no longer looked at him as an ant that could be easily destroyed, but as a pawn that, though dirty, was extremely valuable.

"You Holy Spirit Cult have quite the appetite."

The voice of Qiangu Dongfeng was unreadable, his fingers rhythmically tapping the table. "Dare to meddle in the Federation's top secrets? Aren't you afraid of getting burned and not even knowing how you died?"

The Black-Robed Figure was secretly pleased, knowing that this powerful tower master, who held sway over the entire continent, had finally begun to weigh the pros and cons.

He bowed deeply, his tone becoming increasingly respectful and urgent. "Lord Tower, you are wise; fortune favors the bold. Since we dare to do this, we naturally have a foolproof plan. As long as you are willing to cooperate with us... the rest is up to fate."

"God willing?"

Qiangu Dongfeng's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. "It's nothing more than a trick of using someone else to do the dirty work."

"Aren't you going to tell me your plans?"

The Black-Robed Figure grinned. "Tower Master, no rush. We will contact you when needed."

Shrek, Sea God Pavilion.

Yun Ming sat in a chair reviewing files, while Yun Jingheng wandered around, looking left and right, poking at things.

A teacher knocked on the door and then came in.

"Pavilion Master, these are the assessment results for the first-year students of the Outer Court. Please take a look."

"Okay, put it there."

Hearing the noise, Yun Jingheng quietly put down the vase in his hand and approached like a curious cat, blinking his big eyes at the files on the table. "Dad, you're meddling in first grade matters too?"

Yun Ming put down his pen, rubbed his temples helplessly, and gently tapped Yun Jingheng's forehead, his tone tinged with affection. "All you do is watch the show all day. Why don't you use that time to cultivate your Soul Power and become Soul Emperor sooner?"

"I've reached the Soul Emperor, do you have Soul Spirit to give me?"

Yun Ming was taken aback by his son's self-righteous retort, then chuckled and rolled his eyes at him, "You brat, trying to negotiate with me? When you really reach the breakthrough point, don't even mention Soul Spirit, I'll find a way to pluck the stars from the sky for you."

As he spoke, he casually flipped open the heavy performance evaluation report.

His initially casual gaze shifted, but his brow furrowed as he swept over a few pages.

"What's wrong, Dad?"

Yun Jingheng keenly sensed the subtle change in Yun Ming's aura, put away his playful smile, and cautiously approached.

He glanced at it.

Hmm? My name?

In the first grade, he skipped school a total of 82 times...

Yun Jingheng's pupils dilated instantly, his whole body bristled, and he roared in shock, "WTF! How could this thing be in the assessment report?!"

He suddenly reached out with both hands, trying to snatch the "evidence" from Yun Ming's hand, while incoherently shouting, "Dad! Dad, let me explain! There's definitely a problem with the registrar's office's statistics!"

"Was that skipping class? I called it... called field research! Yes, I went to investigate the ecological balance of Shrek!"

Yun Ming didn't even lift his eyelids; with a slight flick of his wrist, the report slid into his other hand as if it had eyes.

He watched with a half-smile as his son frantically scrambled across the table, only to find nothing. He slowly recited, "82 skips of class, countless late arrivals and early departures, slacking off in practical classes, sleeping through theory classes... Jing Heng, tell me, what did you find out by this 'field investigation'? Hmm?"

"The ecology is well maintained."

Yun Ming raised an eyebrow, his fingertip emphatically tapping the bright red number "82 times." "I think you've completely ignored Shrek Academy's rules! Back when I was at Shrek, I was always at the top of my class in every assessment!"

"That's you! You're Yun Ming! I'm Yun Jingheng!"

Yun Jingheng, in a fit of despair, slumped into a chair and began to act like a scoundrel with complete self-righteousness.

"Besides, if I perform too well, some people will say I'm using your name to get special treatment. I'm doing this to protect your reputation, deliberately keeping a low profile!"

"Who's talking nonsense? Why don't we just go beat them up? Is your pseudo- Soul Emperor cultivation fake?"

Yun Jingheng rolled his eyes, his hand still tentatively reaching out.

"Do you think your mom will react when she sees this?"

Yun Jingheng abruptly withdrew his tentative hand with lightning speed.

He paused, then slowly said, "Guess... what will Mom do if she finds out you're hiding money?"

Yun Ming's fingers holding the report stiffened slightly, and a rare crack appeared on his usually stern face, which remained unmoved even in the face of a collapsing mountain.

He slowly raised his head, his deep, ocean-like eyes fixed on his son.

"Threatening me?"

"Mom seems to have taken a fancy to a set of glass teaware lately..."