A New Look for Paradise

The clamor and bloodshed of the Star Dou Forest were finally left far behind.

Li Hao traveled through an outer forest area with Xiao Wu and Medusa.

The golden emergency mission had been aborted the moment he arrived at the scene with the two of them, due to some unknown change in circumstances.

The system merely prompted: [Target has broken lock, mission temporarily suspended].

A massive disaster had brushed past them just like that, for no apparent reason.

Li Hao couldn't be bothered to investigate the cause.

Since the trouble had walked away on its own, he was more than happy to enjoy the peace.

Compared to meddling in the internal power struggles of the Star Luo Empire, he had more important matters to attend to.

Finding a true, permanent home for the Soul Beast Paradise.

The previous paradise was, in the end, merely an independent space suspended in the void.

While safe, it was like duckweed without roots.

After the system upgrade, he had obtained a brand-new permission.

[Space Anchoring].

It allowed him to merge the paradise with a real location on the Douluo Continent, turning it into a genuine, yet secluded, blessed land.

"Daddy, where are we going?"

Xiao Wu tugged at the corner of Li Hao's clothes, curiously observing the unfamiliar surroundings.

"To find a good place and build a big house."

Li Hao's reply was concise and to the point.

The Karma Rod in his hand was currently emitting a faint glow.

As his strength increased, this fishing rod was no longer just a weapon; it was more like a high-precision radar.

It could sense the most subtle flows of spiritual energy between heaven and earth and capture the places where the luck favored by the laws of the world converged.

Right now, the tip of the rod was persistently pointing in one direction.

There, an exceptionally pure and dense aura of life resided.

Medusa followed behind the two, maintaining absolute vigilance; her vast mental power spread out, taking in every movement within a radius of several miles.

"Master, there seems to be no path ahead."

The three arrived before a cliff.

A massive waterfall descended from the sky, the sound of water roaring and splashing mist into the air.

The guidance of the Karma Rod stopped right here.

Li Hao walked up to the waterfall and reached out, passing his hand through the icy curtain of water.

His hand passed through without any obstruction.

Behind the water curtain was not a solid rock wall.

But a thin, shimmering barrier of space.

"Let's go."

He turned back to say this, then stepped through first.

Xiao Wu and Medusa followed without the slightest hesitation.

The moment they passed through the water curtain, the deafening roar came to an abrupt halt.

The view before them suddenly opened up.

A massive, secluded valley lay quietly before the three of them.

The valley was circular, surrounded by towering cliffs that completely isolated it from the outside world.

Inside the valley, the grass was lush and flowers bloomed in profusion; a clear stream meandered out from the deep pool beneath the waterfall, nourishing the entire land.

The life energy permeating the air was so dense it was almost tangible.

This was a natural gathering place for spiritual energy.

"Wow! It's so beautiful!"

Xiao Wu let out a cheer, let go of Li Hao's hand, and ran and jumped across the grass like a happy little rabbit.

Medusa was also astonished by the scene before her.

She could feel that the concentration of spiritual energy here was even purer than that of the Lake of Life in the core area of the Star Dou Forest.

Most importantly, there were no traces of any powerful soul beasts occupying this place, only some weak and harmless herbivorous animals peeking their heads out from afar in curiosity.

A perfect virgin land.

Li Hao stood in the center of the valley and slowly closed his eyes.

This was the place.

He planted the Karma Rod into the soil beside his feet and sat down cross-legged.

"Xiao Wu, Medusa, stand by my side."

The two women complied and moved to his flanks.

Li Hao took a deep breath, connecting his consciousness completely to the core of the Soul Beast Paradise.

"Merge."

The single word slipped softly from his lips.

Rumble!

The entire valley—no, the entire world—began to tremble violently!

With Li Hao at the center, a colossal, illusory projection of a world encompassing mountains, rivers, and seas suddenly manifested!

Then, it descended heavily, overlaying the physical valley.

Xiao Wu and Medusa watched the scene with bated breath.

They could feel the two worlds merging in a way that defied imagination.

The peaks Li Hao had created connected with the valley's cliffs, rising higher and becoming more majestic.

The rivers he had carved merged with the valley's streams, the currents growing swifter as they carved through a vast expanse of territory.

The forests and grasslands he had planted intertwined with the valley's native vegetation, the greenery deepening and brimming with endless vitality.

The Soul Beast Paradise, which had previously spanned only a few dozen miles, surged in size by more than tenfold after merging with this natural valley!

The sun, moon, and stars that once hung in the paradise's sky now overlapped with the real heavens.

From this moment on, this place would have true sunrises and sunsets, wind, frost, rain, and snow.

Hum!

Located at the very heart of the paradise, the Illusion Dream Tree Demon sapling, only half a person tall, erupted with a brilliant, dazzling green light the moment it touched this soil!

Like a long-starved child, it began to frantically absorb the life energy that had accumulated in the valley for thousands of years.

Its branches grew upward and spread out at a speed visible to the naked eye.

One meter.

Five meters.

Ten meters!

In just over ten minutes, it transformed from a tiny sapling into a towering tree with a canopy like a parasol.

A majestic aura of life radiated from it, forming ripples of green that washed over the entire newborn paradise.

Inside the valley, the timid wild soul beasts, soothed by this aura, completely let down their guard.

A colorful feathered bird flew over curiously, landing on a branch of the Illusion Dream Tree Demon and letting out a crisp, melodious chirp.

A sika deer led its fawn cautiously to the lakeside to drink.

The Wind-Seeking Bird, the Wind-Speed Deer, and the litter of Velvet Fire Rabbits that Li Hao had previously saved also emerged from their respective corners, looking at their vast, authentic new home with delight.

Xiao Wu ran happily to the Velvet Fire Rabbits, rolling in the grass with them.

Medusa flew into the air, silently patrolling this brand-new territory; for once, a rare look of peace and satisfaction graced her cold, beautiful face.

Li Hao slowly stood up.

He looked down at the magnificent landscape he had forged with his own hands, watching the reborn lives running and playing freely.

An unprecedented sense of fulfillment and achievement flooded his heart.

Call him socially anxious or a slacker, it didn't matter.

But to personally build a perfect sanctuary for himself and his family—that feeling was truly not bad.

This was a real home.

This was the paradise he had wanted.

Just as Li Hao's heart surged with the joy of this fleeting peace and satisfaction, the Karma Rod he had planted in the ground beside him trembled slightly, without warning.

Thump.

A sound, barely perceptible yet crystal clear, resonated directly into the deepest part of his soul.

The smile on Li Hao's face froze instantly.

It was not a resonance of joy.

It was a sensation... carrying an extreme, icy, and deathly chill.

It was completely out of place with the vibrant life of the paradise.

His gaze snapped toward the depths of the valley, to a corner shrouded in thick fog that even he had yet to explore.

That aura was coming from there.

As if, in his new home, there had been something hidden from the very beginning that did not belong...

A dead soul, struggling in despair.