Deep within the Evil Demon Forest of the Sun Moon Empire.
Towering ancient trees blotted out the sky, while twisted vines coiled like giant pythons.
This was a forbidden ground for Soul Masters, a nest occupied by countless powerful Soul Beasts. Every inch of shadow might conceal deadly danger.
Yet, in the depths of this fearsome forest, a figure was strolling along as if taking a leisurely walk.
It was Xia Ming.
More than two months had passed since that God Rank battle that had shaken the continent.
After thoroughly eliminating Tang San's remaining contingencies and rebuilding Shrek City, Xia Ming had not rested for long.
Following a brief period of consolidation, he began gathering Faith Power to complete his God Trial.
On the human side, reforms began with Shrek Academy.
Driven forward with all his will, a series of deep-reaching reforms involving resource distribution and even social values were quietly unfolding.
He was also attempting to establish a new framework for cooperation with the four great empires of Star Luo, Heavenly Soul, Dou Ling Empire, and the Sun Moon Empire.
However, shifts in ideology and the redistribution of interests needed time before they could benefit the common people.
Drawing stable Faith Power from billions of humans with complicated thoughts and countless desires was by no means something that could be accomplished overnight.
Compared to that, the faith provided by individual humans was unlikely to produce any astonishing breakthrough in the short term.
Soul Beasts, especially high-level Soul Beasts that had developed intelligence, possessed comparatively simpler minds.
Their reverence for strength, desire for survival, and loyalty to their clans were more readily transformed into direct faith.
The devout faith of a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would inevitably surpass the vague prayers of a hundred thousand ordinary humans in quality.
Of course,