The Divine Realm, God Committee Hall.
It was a magnificent hall suspended in the endless void, radiating an awe-inspiring pressure that made one tremble.
At the very front of the hall, five figures sat upon the supreme divine thrones.
Asura God wore dark red divine armor, his expression stern, an almost imperceptible aura of killing intent swirling around him.
God of Destruction wore black robes and had black hair, his expression sinister.
God of Evil always seemed to wear a faint smile, evil light glimmering in his eyes.
God of Goodness wore a plain white dress, her face as gentle as spring water.
Goddess of Life wore an emerald-green divine robe, vibrant life force swirling around her.
Below the five God Kings, thousands of deities sat on either side, their expressions varied.
"Everyone."
Asura God spoke first.
"I'm sure you already know why I've summoned you all today."
He raised a hand and waved. A huge image appeared in the empty space at the center of the hall. It showed the Sky Screen shrouding the sky above the Divine Realm, with information from the Genius Ranking displayed upon it.
"Today, this Sky Screen suddenly appeared in the Divine Realm. It hangs above the entire Divine Realm and cannot be destroyed, driven away, or concealed."
Asura God's voice grew increasingly icy. "Even worse, the God Realm Hub hasn't reacted at all."
His words immediately caused an uproar in the hall.
Fire God shot to his feet, his flame-colored divine robe billowing despite the lack of wind. He asked urgently, "My lord, have you traced the Sky Screen's origin? Was the God Realm Hub infiltrated?"
Asura God shook his head, a rare trace of gravity appearing on his stern face. "No. The Sky Screen doesn't belong to the Divine Realm. Its energy fluctuations and the laws that compose it are completely different from those of the Divine Realm."
God of Destruction picked up the thread. "In other words, someone or some faction from outside made it."
"An outside faction!"
The gods' expressions instantly turned grave, and some even unconsciously tightened their grips on their divine weapons.
An outside faction! What did that mean?
It meant that beyond the Divine Realm, there was some existence capable of silently sending its power into the Divine Realm. And they—the five God Kings and thousands of deities—hadn't noticed at all!
"Hiss!" Someone drew a sharp breath, the sound especially jarring in the hall.
"How is that possible? The God Realm Hub is maintained by the five God Kings together! Who could bypass it?"
"If the Sky Screen was created by an outside faction, then the other party's strength... wouldn't that mean..."
"Enough!" God of Destruction slammed a hand against the armrest, anger filling his sinister face. "What are you panicking for? So what if there's an outside faction? Our Divine Realm has stood for countless years. What storms have we not weathered?"
He turned to Asura God and said gravely, "Has the God Realm Hub been checked? Are there any signs of infiltration?"
Asura God nodded. "We've inspected it carefully countless times. There's nothing wrong with the God Realm Hub. All defensive formations are intact, the laws are operating normally, and there's no sign that anything has been altered."
At that, God of Destruction's expression grew even uglier.
The most terrifying thing was that nothing was wrong with the God Realm Hub.
It meant that whatever lay behind the Sky Screen hadn't slipped in through a loophole or exploited some vulnerability. Instead, it had ignored all the Divine Realm's defenses and forced the Sky Screen inside by sheer might!
God of Evil suddenly spoke, his voice, forever tinged with a faint smile, echoing through the hall. "Perhaps we can start with the lower realm. If I recall correctly, quite a few deities ascended from Douluo Continent. Angel God, Sea God... They should be more familiar with the situation in the lower realm."
Asura God nodded, his gaze sweeping toward the two figures among the crowd. "Angel God, Sea God, contact your followers on Douluo Continent immediately. Find out exactly what this Sky Screen is."
Poseidon, the Sea God, stood and said solemnly, "My lord, after the Sky Screen appeared, I tried to contact the lower realm. Unfortunately... my connection with Sea God Island was severed by an unknown force. I can't even sense the divine avatar I left there anymore."
Angel God also rose. "It's the same on my end."
The atmosphere in the hall instantly turned icy.
Asura God's brow furrowed even more deeply. He turned to look at God of Goodness and Goddess of Life, who had remained silent all along.
"Goodness, Life, do you have anything to say?"
God of Goodness and Goddess of Life exchanged a glance, and each saw a flash of guilt in the other's eyes.
What could they say? That they'd already had countless intimate encounters with Brother Cao in their dreams? That they were more familiar with the Sky Screen than anyone?
How could they possibly say that!
God of Goodness gave a light cough, forcing a smile onto her gentle face. "No. We don't know either."
Goddess of Life hurriedly nodded as well, her voice gentle but carrying a hint of nervousness that was difficult to detect. "Yes, we don't. We're very shocked too."
Asura God stared at them for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and said gravely, "In that case, we have no choice but to send God Officials down to Douluo Continent. Whatever it takes, we must uncover the secret behind the Sky Screen."
God of Destruction was the first to raise his hand. "Agreed."
God of Evil lazily raised his hand as well. "Agreed."
"Agreed." "Agreed." "Agreed."...
The gods voiced their agreement one after another. Even God of Goodness and Goddess of Life hurriedly raised their hands.
Asura God rose to his feet, the dark red divine armor gleaming with a cold light. "Give the order! Dispatch ten God Officials at once to descend upon Douluo Continent. They must uncover the Sky Screen's origins and investigate the backgrounds of everyone on the ranking!"
"Remember," his voice was as sharp and cold as a blade, "if they resist, kill them without mercy. The Divine Realm's dignity must not be challenged!"
"Yes!"
A short while later, the ten God Officials received their orders and departed, turning into ten streaks of light as they sped toward the lower realm.
In the hall, the gods whispered among themselves, their discussions growing lively.
God of Goodness and Goddess of Life, however, exchanged another glance.
In their eyes were worry, anticipation, and even a hint of... shyness.
Brother Cao... you have to be careful.
A certain mountaintop on Douluo Continent.
Cao Xiyu stood with his hands behind his back, his robes snapping in the wind.
He gazed up at the sky as though he could see through the endless void and witness everything unfolding.
"So the Divine Realm noticed too?" He gave a soft laugh, a playful glint in his eyes. "Ten God Officials? They're underestimating me."
He shook his head and turned to look in the direction of Ye Family Fortress.
There, his wife was facing the coming storm alone.
"My dear wife," he said with a soft laugh, "did you send me away because you wanted to bear everything by yourself?"
His smile grew gentler.
"Too bad... your husband isn't just some ordinary person."
"God Officials?" The corners of his mouth lifted slightly. "Good. This will be the perfect chance to show certain people what it means to be... a frog at the bottom of a well."