The Continental Situation

Deep within the Dragon Graveyard, the passage of ten thousand years had not only allowed the essence of the Dragon God to quietly recover, but had also caused this forbidden land—once home only to silent dragon bones—to sprout the foundational heritage belonging exclusively to the remnants of the Spirit Hall.

Under the shroud of the Ten Thousand Year God-Locking Array, a magnificent palace had been carved out of the core area of the Dragon Graveyard: the Spirit Hall.

Built with Dragon God crystal jade as bricks, the floor was inscribed with angel patterns intertwined with draconic motifs, where holy golden light and vast dragon might blended perfectly.

On both sides of the hall, the spirit tablets of the sages of the Spirit Hall were arranged in neat rows; even after ten thousand years, the most complete imprints of the Spirit Hall's glory remained preserved here.

At this moment, the atmosphere within the Spirit Hall was solemn.

Seated upon the main throne was none other than Qian Renxue, who had only recently awakened.

She had shed the long gown she wore in her slumber, replacing it with a sharply tailored golden combat suit. Six-winged angel patterns snaked from the collar to the cuffs, and her brilliant golden hair was tied high, revealing a smooth, full forehead.

In those golden eyes remained only the cold, steady composure born of surviving life and death, alongside a noble pride etched into her very marrow. Even as she sat in silence, the pressure once belonging to a deity kept everyone in the hall from daring to show the slightest impropriety.

To her left sat a man dressed in black brocade robes.

The man's features were gentle and handsome, his ink-black hair draped down, and his eyes held a detachment and depth that seemed to have seen through the ages. Though he emitted not a shred of soul power fluctuation, he caused every powerhouse at the Title Douluo level in the hall to feel an irresistible awe rising from the depths of their souls.

He was the Dragon God, who had taken human form after his revival and adopted the name Gu Yuan.

To facilitate discussions with the members of the Spirit Hall and to avoid attracting attention while walking the continent in the future, the Dragon God had restrained all his dragon might, appearing as a human male while keeping the essence power that transcended all living beings hidden deep within his divine soul.

Below, seated on the left and right, were the core leaders of the Spirit Hall remnants. Each one was a figure capable of stirring up storms within this Dragon Graveyard, and indeed, across the dark side of the entire continent.

In the first seat on the left sat a burly middle-aged man.

His skin was bronze, his face resolute, and a crocodile-shaped mark sat between his brows. A heavy, mountain-like pressure radiated from him, and as his tiger-like eyes opened and closed, golden dragon shadows flickered within.

He was Jin Chen, the direct descendant of Golden Crocodile Douluo.

Ten thousand years ago, Golden Crocodile Douluo had died in battle at Jialing Pass while defending Martial Soul City. His direct descendants had followed Qian Renxue through a life of displacement before finally entering the Dragon Graveyard.

For ten thousand years, the Jin clan had guarded the outer perimeter of the Dragon Graveyard. Nourished by the endless dragon aura and the essence of the Dragon God, Jin Chen's inherited Golden Crocodile King spirit had undergone an unprecedented evolution, shedding the beastly nature of the crocodile soul and awakening the bloodline of the Golden Dragon to become the Golden Dragon Crocodile spirit.

He was now a level 98 power-attack type Title Douluo with the title "Dragon Crocodile." His strength surpassed that of the original Golden Crocodile Douluo, making him the primary combat force of the Spirit Hall remnants today.

Seated below Jin Chen was a woman of breathtaking beauty.

She wore purple, her eyes possessing a natural charm that was nonetheless tinged with a cold, distant air. Behind her, nine fox-tail phantoms swayed faintly, and her soul power fluctuations were ethereal and unpredictable. Her peach-blossom eyes seemed capable of peering into the human heart.

She was Hu Lingyue, the direct descendant of Hu Liena.

Hu Liena had not died at Jialing Pass; after the collapse of the Spirit Hall Empire, she had risked her life to gather the remnants and follow Qian Renxue to the Dragon Graveyard, where she eventually passed away, leaving behind a lineage.

For ten thousand years, the Hu clan had inherited Hu Liena's mental techniques. Nourished by the essence of the Dragon Graveyard, their original Demon Fox spirit had evolved until, in Hu Lingyue's generation, it fully awakened as the Nine-Tailed Sky Fox spirit. She was a level 97 control-type Title Douluo with the title "Sky Fox."

She held command over the intelligence network that spanned the entire continent and was the person among them most knowledgeable about the current landscape of the continent.

Further down sat Ye Fantian, the current commander of the Angel Legion.

He wore silver-white armor, his face stern, with an angel phantom behind him. His spirit was the Angel inherited from the Angel Legion, a level 95 power-attack type Title Douluo with the title "Holy Wing."

For ten thousand years, the lineage of the Angel Legion had never been broken. Even while dormant in the Dragon Graveyard, they had maintained the most rigorous training. The current Angel Legion was the sharpest blade of the Spirit Hall, and Ye Fantian was the one who wielded it.

Beyond them were the successors of other Douluo, and the direct descendants of the various sects and branches of the old Spirit Hall were all present.

Their ancestors had followed Qian Renxue into this Dragon Graveyard, and they had taken root here for generations, guarding the last embers of the Spirit Hall, waiting for ten thousand years.

"Be seated."

Qian Renxue's cold, clear voice rang through the hall. It carried no excess emotion, yet it added a layer of majesty to the already solemn chamber.

The people below bowed in unison before settling firmly into their seats, their gazes fixed entirely upon the two figures on the main throne.

They had only heard the legend of this Sovereign through the oral traditions of their ancestors.

Only today did they truly see this Angel God who had slumbered for ten thousand years. Even though she released not a shred of divine power, the majesty etched into their bloodlines made them willingly bow their heads.

"The Sovereign has awakened! Our ten-thousand-year wait has finally reached its fruition!" Jin Chen was the first to rise and kneel on one knee, his voice like a booming bell.

"The Jin clan has followed the ancestral will for generations; we swear to follow the Sovereign to the death and remain loyal to the Spirit Hall, never faltering even unto death!"

"The Hu clan swears to follow the Sovereign to the death!" "The Angel Legion swears to follow the Sovereign to the death!" "We all swear to follow the Sovereign to the death and revive the Spirit Hall!"

In an instant, everyone in the hall rose and knelt on one knee. The oaths that shook the hall echoed for a long time, and a burning light ignited in every person's eyes.

For ten thousand years, they had lived in the shadows, bearing the stigma of "remnants of the Spirit Hall." Now that their Sovereign had finally awakened, they had waited for the hope of revival.

Qian Renxue looked at the loyal faces below, at the determination and fanaticism in their eyes, and a flicker of uncharacteristic emotion passed through her golden eyes.

Ten thousand years ago, she had failed to protect the Spirit Hall; she had failed to protect those who followed her. Yet for these ten thousand years, these people and these families had guarded their loyalty to the Spirit Hall and their promise to her without a moment of wavering.

"Rise, all of you." Qian Renxue's voice softened involuntarily.

"Ten thousand years ago, I failed to hold the Spirit Hall. I let its glory be tarnished and left your ancestors to wander in displacement; that was my fault. For these ten thousand years, you have stood firm through the generations, guarding the embers of the Spirit Hall. You have suffered."

"The Sovereign is too modest!" Ye Fantian looked up, his tone ringing with conviction.

"The Spirit Hall has never fallen! As long as the Sovereign is here, as long as the glory of the Angel God remains, the Spirit Hall will always exist! All we have sought for generations is to wait for the Sovereign's awakening, to lead us in reforging the brilliance of the Spirit Hall and making those people pay in blood!"

Qian Renxue nodded slightly and turned her gaze to Hu Lingyue. "You command the intelligence network of the continent; tell us first what the current landscape of the Douluo Continent truly is."

"As you command." Hu Lingyue rose, bowing slightly. Her peach-blossom eyes, capable of enchanting all living things, were now filled with rigor.

"Reporting to the Sovereign and the Lord: it has been nine thousand, seven hundred and sixty years since the Battle of Jialing Pass and the fall of the Spirit Hall Empire."

This sentence caused the breathing of everyone in the hall to hitch for a moment.

They all understood that from this point on, they would truly begin to stir the winds and clouds of the continent. And now was the perfect time for them to lay their plans.

Hu Lingyue continued, "The current Douluo Continent is no longer the landscape of ten thousand years ago, where the Heaven Dou and Star Luo empires stood as rivals. Three thousand years ago, due to internal royal strife, the Heaven Dou Empire split into the current Heaven Spirit Empire and Heaven Dou Empire. With the original Star Luo Empire and the Sun Moon Empire that collided with it, we now have a situation of three nations against one."

"The empires check and balance one another, with constant friction and frequent warfare along the borders. No one can completely annex the others, which is an excellent opportunity for us."

"The landscape of the continent's soul master world has also been turned upside down," Hu Lingyue's tone deepened.

"Because of Tang San, Shrek Academy is now recognized as the premier academy on the continent. Its status is transcendent, free from the jurisdiction of the three empires, and every year it absorbs the top genius soul masters from across the continent. Its foundation is unfathomable."

"Yet, the Tang Sect, founded by Tang San himself, has already declined."

Hearing this, Jin Chen clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles cracking, and a thick killing intent flashed in his eyes: "Shrek! If it weren't for Tang San and that group from Shrek back then, how could my Martial Soul Hall have fallen to such a state! This blood debt will be repaid with interest sooner or later!"

"Calm yourself," Hu Lingyue soothed, then continued.

"Besides the Tang Sect and Shrek, there are several other forces on the continent that cannot be underestimated."

"The first is the Mingde Hall of the Sun Moon Empire. They focus on the research and development of Soul Tool technology, which has now reached a level beyond our imagination. Mingde Hall is deeply trusted by the Sun Moon Empire's royal family and controls the empire's military Soul Tool supply; their strength is formidable."

"The second is the Body Sect. This sect focuses on cultivating body martial souls and acts in an overbearing and secretive manner. In recent years, their influence has expanded rapidly, and they show signs of being able to rival Shrek."

"Beyond these, there are countless sects and soul master families within the various empires, constantly fighting among themselves. The continent's landscape appears stable but is actually rife with undercurrents, providing us with breaking points we can exploit everywhere."

Qian Renxue listened quietly, her fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, her golden eyes devoid of any ripples.

Ten thousand years was indeed enough to change everything. The Douluo Continent in her memories was already a completely different place from the world Hu Lingyue described.

Soul Tool? Body Sect? These were things she had never encountered before.

She turned her head to look at Gu Yuan beside her and asked softly, "My lord, what is your take on this?"

Gu Yuan raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall. His voice was gentle, yet carried a clarity that pierced through the entire situation: "The current landscape may seem unfavorable to us, but in reality, it is full of opportunities."

"Ten thousand years is enough for any sect to breed corruption and cracks, especially when they stand at the pinnacle of the continent; they will only have more enemies than we do. The Body Sect, Mingde Hall, and even the four empires—none of them will willingly watch Shrek stay on top of them forever."

"The empires check and balance each other, and constant warfare means they need a steady stream of soul master power, and they need bargaining chips that can break the balance."

Every word Gu Yuan spoke struck the hearts of those present.

The atmosphere, which had been somewhat heavy due to Shrek's dominance, instantly lightened significantly.

Only then did they remember that the one sitting beside the Young Master was no ordinary powerhouse, but the Dragon God who had once contended against the Five Great God Kings of the God Realm.

With him here, what was there to fear?