Douluo God Realm, Committee Hall.
Although the Goddess of Life let out a piercing scream, and divine blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, making every God King's heart pound with alarm,
no one truly believed that tree was so terrifying.
"Xiao Lu, you're being too sensitive!"
The God of Destruction caught his tottering wife and frowned. There was no fear in his eyes—only anger.
Then he abruptly looked up at the charred Willow Tree standing motionless in the Sky Screen. Destructive intent surged wildly around him, making the entire hall tremble with a low hum.
"It's nothing but a rotten tree on the verge of dying!" the God of Destruction scoffed, then looked away, his tone still incomparably arrogant.
"What supreme vitality? If you ask me, that's just some kind of trick unique to that world."
"You should have confidence in yourself. When it comes to vitality, who could surpass you?"
"And the reason Tang Hao lost was that he was a good-for-nothing to begin with!"
"How could an ant who hadn't even reached the divine level possibly gauge the depths of such an existence?"
The Asura God stood nearby. His brows were knitted, but he gave a slight nod all the same. The Asura Blood Sword in his hand glimmered faintly red once more. "Destruction has a point."
"Life, your divine soul is too fragile, so you're easily misled by the other party's aura."
"We are God Kings, supreme beings who govern the laws of the universe. If the mere aura of a tree can scare us witless, how are we supposed to rule the Lower Realm?"
"Besides, even if that Willow Tree's vitality really is nearly on par with yours, that's all it amounts to—vitality. When it comes to combat strength, it must still be inferior to us."
However, the Goddess of Life had truly felt a glimpse of Willow Deity's presence. Now she weakly raised her head and looked at her self-assured husband and companions. A hint of despair flashed in her eyes.
"No, you don't understand. That's a matter of dimensions..."
"Enough!" The God of Destruction clearly didn't want to hear her say anything else that bolstered the enemy's prestige and diminished their own.
He rudely cut off his wife, then rose to his feet. His purple cloak billowed without a breeze, and his domineering aura was impossible to hide.
"There's no such thing as dimensions!"
"Before absolute power, everything is an illusion!"
"If the Sky Screen chooses me to go to that world..."
As he spoke, the God of Destruction pointed at Willow Deity in the Sky Screen, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit.
"Then I'll personally go and face that so-called rotten willow tree whose vitality supposedly surpasses yours!"
"I'll use my Destruction Scepter to smash its trunk and show it what true divine might is!"
The God of Evil and God of Goodness exchanged a glance behind him. They still had their doubts, but seeing how confident the God of Destruction was, they had nothing more to say. They could only choose to trust the Divine Realm's foundations.
After all, it came down to this: to admit that the other side was strong was to admit that they were weak.
And for lofty God Kings, that was worse than death.
Meanwhile, high above the heavens, after Tang Hao had plunged headfirst into the ground and his life or death had become unknown,
the scene that had been showing the latest batch of chosen ones' experiences shifted once more, returning to the Spirit Beast Garden.
At the same time, in the Perfect World, within the Primordial Immortal Court.
A gentle breeze stirred through the Spirit Beast Garden.
Zhu Zhuqing had just spent quite a while playing with the Primordial White Tiger Cub. The little tiger had been having a wonderful time, but Zhu Zhuqing was utterly exhausted.
The invisible pressure of a high-dimensional Divine Beast, even when it came from only a faint, unconscious trace released by a cub, kept her mind taut the entire time. Her Soul Power, too, had been completely drained.
"Huff, huff..."
Before long, Zhu Zhuqing was so tired that she collapsed onto a smooth Warm Jade Stone, drenched in sweat and pale-faced.
Just then, footsteps sounded, drawing nearer.
When Zhu Zhuqing looked back again, the Wet Nurse had appeared behind her without her noticing.
Seeing how weak she looked, the Wet Nurse's brows drew together slightly. But soon, a faint glimmer of satisfaction flickered deep in her eyes.
She had managed to hold on this long without fainting. At least her will was decent.
"Here."
As she spoke, the Wet Nurse turned her palm over. A glistening fruit, translucent as though carved from jade, appeared in it.
The fruit was only about the size of a thumb, but a faint green radiance curled around it.
The instant it appeared, a refreshing fragrance spread through the air. Just one breath of it left one feeling clear-headed and invigorated.
"This is a Clear Heart Fruit grown in the Spirit Beast Garden. It's nothing particularly precious, but it works wonders for stabilizing the divine soul and restoring your energy."
"Your divine soul is too weak right now. Although Xiao Bai has completely reined in its aura, you've still been battered by its baleful energy for so long. If you don't eat this, you might be left with hidden damage."
As she spoke, the Wet Nurse casually tossed the fruit to Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing hurriedly caught it. The moment its cool surface touched her hand, excitement and delight spread across her face.
"Thank you, Wet Nurse!" Having already witnessed the benefits of this world's spirit fruits and medicines, she didn't hesitate. She brought it straight to her lips and took a small bite.
"Crunch!" The flesh was crisp and tender, melting as soon as it entered her mouth.
A cool stream of juice slid down her throat, instantly turning into a warm current that rushed through her limbs before finally pouring into her sea of consciousness!
"Hum!"
In an instant, Zhu Zhuqing felt her mind clear. Her exhaustion and dizziness vanished completely!
She could even feel her soul power growing more than ten times as condensed under the nourishment of the medicinal energy!
"What a miraculous fruit..." Zhu Zhuqing covered her mouth in wonder as she looked at the fruit in her hand, still only half-eaten.
It was just a little fruit, one that could be found all over the garden, yet it worked even better than the spirit medicines guarded by Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts on the Douluo Continent!
After regaining her energy, Zhu Zhuqing looked at the unfathomable Wet Nurse before her. She gritted her teeth. The question she had kept buried for so long finally escaped her.
"Wet Nurse."
Zhu Zhuqing rose to her feet and first bowed respectfully. Then she asked,
"Earlier, you mentioned the Immortal King. That is the peak of longevity."
"Is there still a path beyond that realm? Or is the Immortal King realm the end of this world?"
At those words, the Wet Nurse, whose expression had been calm, abruptly changed countenance. She hurriedly cut Zhu Zhuqing off with a low cry.
"Silence!"
After speaking, the Wet Nurse looked up toward the depths of the firmament. Only after confirming that no strange phenomenon had appeared did she let out a breath of relief. Then she glared at Zhu Zhuqing.
"Girl, there are taboos you're not yet in a position to touch!"
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing realized she had clearly asked about something she shouldn't have. She shrank her neck in fright.
Seeing her like that, the Wet Nurse fell silent for a moment, as if weighing her words.
After a long while, she finally spoke in a low voice.
"Very well. In the Primordial Immortal Court, the Immortal Lord's presence veils the secrets of heaven, so there's no harm in talking about it. As long as you don't speak that one's true name, it'll be fine."
"Besides, it's still an open question whether there truly is a living Emperor beneath the heavens." The Wet Nurse glanced up once more toward the depths of the firmament, then lowered her gaze and her voice.
"The Immortal King is indeed the end toward which all living beings look up."
"But it's said that at the far end of the endless Boundary Sea, upstream from the flow of ten thousand ancient ages, there may well exist beings even more ancient and terrifying."
"We call such beings Emperors!"
Before you continue