The commotion and bloodshed of the Star Dou Forest finally fell far behind them.
Li Hao traveled through a stretch of woodland on the outskirts with Xiao Wu and Medusa.
The golden emergency mission had been suspended by some unknown turn of events the instant he arrived at the location with the two of them.
The system had only announced: [Target has left the lock-on range. Mission temporarily suspended.]
A tremendous calamity had passed them by just like that, for no apparent reason.
Li Hao couldn't be bothered to investigate why.
Since the trouble had gone away on its own, he was more than happy to enjoy the peace and quiet.
He had more important things to do than concern himself with the royal infighting of the Star Luo Empire.
He needed to find the Soul Beast Paradise a real, permanent home.
The paradise had previously been nothing more than an independent space suspended in the void.
It was safe, but rootless, like a duckweed drifting on the water.
After the system upgrade, he had gained a new permission.
[Space Anchoring].
It allowed him to merge the paradise with a real location on the Douluo Continent, making it a true, secluded paradise, isolated from the rest of the world.
"Dad, where are we going?"
Xiao Wu tugged at Li Hao's sleeve, curiously looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"To find a good place and build a big house."
Li Hao answered succinctly.
The Karma Rod in his hand was giving off a faint glow.
As his strength increased, the fishing rod had become more than just a weapon. It was more like an ultra-high-precision radar.
It could sense the faintest flows of spiritual energy between heaven and earth and detect places where the world's favor and fortune converged.
Now, its tip pointed steadfastly in one direction.
A remarkably pure and dense aura of life emanated from there.
Medusa followed behind them, remaining fully alert. Her vast spiritual power spread out, taking in every stirring of wind and grass for several miles around.
"Master, it looks like there's no way forward."
The three of them reached the edge of a cliff.
A colossal waterfall plunged from the heavens, its roar deafening as it sent mist billowing into the air.
The Karma Rod's guidance ended here.
Li Hao walked up to the waterfall and reached out, passing his hand through the icy curtain of water.
His hand went straight through without resistance.
There was no solid rock wall behind the waterfall.
Instead, there was a thin, shimmering spatial barrier that rippled faintly.
"Let's go."
He glanced back at them, then walked through first.
Xiao Wu and Medusa followed without the slightest hesitation.
The moment they passed through the curtain of water, the deafening roar abruptly ceased.
The scene before them opened up.
A vast, secluded valley lay quietly before the three of them.
The valley was ringed by towering cliffs that pierced the clouds, completely isolating it from the outside world.
Lush grass carpeted the ground, and flowers bloomed in profusion. A clear stream wound out from the deep pool beneath the waterfall, nourishing the entire land.
The life energy in the air was so dense it seemed almost ready to condense into something tangible.
This was a natural gathering place for spiritual energy.
"Wow! It's so beautiful!"
Xiao Wu cried out in delight, releasing Li Hao's hand and bounding across the grass like a happy little rabbit.
Medusa was astonished by the sight as well.
She could feel that the spiritual energy here was even purer than that around the Lake of Life in the core of the Star Dou Forest.
Most importantly, there was no sign of any powerful Soul Beasts occupying this place. Only a few harmless, timid herbivores peeked curiously at them from afar.
A pristine, untouched land.
Li Hao stood at the center of the valley and slowly closed his eyes.
This was the place.
He planted the Karma Rod in the ground beside him, then sat cross-legged.
"Xiao Wu, Medusa, come stand beside me."
The two did as he asked.
Li Hao drew a deep breath and connected his mind completely to the core of the Soul Beast Paradise.
"Merge."
The word slipped softly from his lips.
Rumble!
The entire valley—no, the entire world—began to quake violently!
Centered on Li Hao, a vast, phantom world appeared, encompassing mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas!
Then it dropped heavily over the real valley!
Xiao Wu and Medusa watched nervously.
They could feel the two worlds merging in a way beyond anything they could imagine.
The mountains Li Hao had created joined with the cliffs around the valley, rising higher and growing more magnificent.
The rivers he had carved joined the valley's streams, their currents growing more turbulent as they flowed through a far wider expanse.
The forests and grasslands he had planted mingled with the valley's native vegetation. The greenery deepened, brimming with endless vitality.
The Soul Beast Paradise had covered barely a few dozen miles. After merging with the natural valley, its area expanded more than tenfold!
The sun, moon, and stars that had hung over the paradise now overlapped with the real sky.
From then on, the land would have true sunrises and sunsets, frost and snow, rain and wind.
Buzz!
At the very center of the paradise, the Illusion Dream Tree Demon sapling—barely half a person's height—burst into dazzling green light the moment it touched the land!
It was like a child who had been thirsty for ages, greedily absorbing the life energy that had accumulated in the valley over countless centuries.
Its branches grew visibly upward, spreading out.
One meter.
Five meters.
Ten meters!
In barely ten minutes, it had grown from a sapling into a towering tree with a broad, graceful canopy.
Vast waves of life energy radiated from it, rippling through the newborn paradise.
Within the valley, the wild Soul Beasts that had once been timid completely let down their guard under the soothing influence of this aura.
A colorful songbird flew over curiously, landed on the Illusion Dream Tree Demon's branches, and let out a clear, melodious chirp.
A doe led her fawn cautiously to the lakeside and lowered her head to drink.
The Wind-Seeking Bird, Wind-Speed Deer, and nest of Velvet Fire Rabbits that Li Hao had rescued earlier also emerged from their respective corners. Delighted, they looked around at their new home, now vast and real beyond compare.
Xiao Wu happily ran over to the Velvet Fire Rabbits and rolled around in the grass with them.
Medusa flew into the air and silently surveyed the brand-new territory. Even her cool, beautiful face showed a rare trace of relief and satisfaction.
Li Hao slowly rose to his feet.
He looked down over the magnificent landscape he had created with his own hands, watching the lives given a new beginning run and play freely here.
An unprecedented sense of fulfillment and achievement filled his heart.
Socially awkward or lazy, it didn't matter.
Creating a perfect haven for himself and his family with his own hands...
It truly felt wonderful.
This was a real home.
This was the paradise he wanted.
Just as Li Hao's heart surged and he savored this moment of peace and contentment,
the Karma Rod he had planted in the ground beside him trembled faintly without warning.
Thump.
A sound too faint to hear, yet unmistakably clear, reached the deepest part of his soul.
The smile on Li Hao's face froze instantly.
It wasn't an echo of joy.
It was a sensation... of utter coldness and deathly stillness.
Completely at odds with the vibrant life of the entire paradise.
His gaze snapped toward a corner deep in the valley, shrouded in dense fog and still unexplored even by him.
That aura was coming from there.
As if, from the very beginning, his new home had concealed something that didn't belong here...
A desperate, struggling spirit of the dead.
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