Gods' Astonishment, Divine Official Descends

God Realm, God Committee Hall.

This was a magnificent palace suspended within the endless void, radiating a terrifying pressure.

At the very front of the hall, five figures sat upon the supreme god thrones.

Asura God, clad in dark red divine armor, wore a cold and stern expression, his body wreathed in a faint, lingering aura of slaughter.

God of Destruction, with black hair and black robes, had a sinister face.

God of Evil, the corners of his mouth curled into a perpetual, mocking smile, his eyes flashing with a wicked light.

God of Goodness, dressed in a simple white gown, possessed a face as gentle as spring water.

Goddess of Life, draped in emerald divine robes, was surrounded by a vibrant, flourishing vitality.

Below the five God Kings, thousands of deities sat on both sides, their expressions varied.

"Everyone."

Asura God spoke first.

"I believe you already know the reason for today's gathering."

With a wave of his hand, a massive image appeared in the void at the center of the hall; it was the Sky Screen shrouding the God Realm, displaying information about the Genius Ranking.

"As of today, this Sky Screen has suddenly appeared in the God Realm. It hangs above the entire realm, impossible to destroy, expel, or obscure."

Asura God's voice grew colder and sharper, "More seriously, the God Realm Hub has shown no reaction to it whatsoever."

As these words fell, an uproar erupted throughout the hall.

Fire God stood up abruptly, his flame-imbued divine robes fluttering without wind, and asked urgently, "Lord God King, has the origin of the Sky Screen been identified? Has the God Realm Hub been breached?"

Asura God shook his head, a rare trace of gravity appearing on his stern face: "No, the Sky Screen does not belong to the God Realm. Its energy fluctuations and the laws that compose it are completely different from those of our realm."

God of Destruction took over, "In other words, it was created by someone or some force from the outside."

"An external force!"

The expressions of the gods turned grave in an instant, and some even instinctively gripped the divine artifacts in their hands.

An external force! What did that mean?

It meant that outside the God Realm, there existed some entity capable of silently infiltrating the realm with its power, while they—the five God Kings and thousands of deities—had remained completely unaware!

"Hiss!" Someone drew a sharp breath, the sound piercingly harsh in the hall.

"How is this possible? The God Realm Hub is maintained by all five God Kings! Who could bypass it?"

"If the Sky Screen is the work of an external force, then the opponent's strength... wouldn't it be..."

"Enough!" God of Destruction slammed his hand against his armrest, his sinister face filled with rage, "What is there to panic about? So what if there is an external force? My God Realm has stood for countless ages; what storms have we not weathered?"

He turned to look at Asura God and said in a deep voice, "Has the God Realm Hub been checked? Are there any traces of an intrusion?"

Asura God nodded: "We have meticulously checked countless times, and there is nothing wrong with the God Realm Hub. All defensive arrays are intact, the laws are functioning normally, and there is no sign of any tampering."

Upon hearing this, the expression of the God of Destruction became even uglier.

The fact that the God Realm Hub was fine was the most terrifying part.

It meant that the entity behind the Sky Screen hadn't exploited a loophole or found a vulnerability; rather, it had ignored all of the God Realm's defenses in a straightforward manner and forcibly shoved the Sky Screen inside!

God of Evil suddenly spoke, his mocking voice echoing through the hall: "Perhaps we can start from the lower realms. I recall that quite a few deities have ascended from the Douluo Continent. Angel God, Poseidon... they should be more familiar with the situation down there."

Asura God nodded, his gaze sweeping over the two figures in the crowd: "Angel God, Poseidon, contact your believers on the Douluo Continent immediately. You must find out exactly what this Sky Screen is."

Poseidon stood up and said in a deep voice, "Lord God King, I attempted to contact the lower realm as soon as the Sky Screen appeared. Unfortunately... my connection to Sea God Island has been severed by an unknown force, and I can no longer sense the divine avatar I left behind there."

Angel God stood up as well: "It is the same on my end."

The atmosphere in the hall plummeted to freezing point.

Asura God's brow furrowed even deeper as he turned to look at the God of Goodness and the Goddess of Life, who had remained silent.

"Goodness, Life, do you have anything to say?"

The God of Goodness and the Goddess of Life exchanged a glance, both seeing a flash of guilt in the other's eyes.

What could they say? That they had already interacted deeply with that Brother Cao countless times in their dreams? That they were all too familiar with that Sky Screen?

How could they ever say such a thing!

The God of Goodness gave a light cough, forcing a smile onto her gentle face: "No. We are not sure either."

The Goddess of Life nodded quickly, her voice soft but tinged with a hint of imperceptible tension: "Yes, nothing. We are just as shocked."

After staring at them for a moment, Asura God withdrew his gaze and said in a deep voice: "In that case, we have no choice but to dispatch divine envoys to descend upon the Douluo Continent. Regardless of the cost, we must uncover the secret behind the Sky Screen."

God of Destruction was the first to raise his hand: "Seconded."

God of Evil lazily raised his hand as well: "Seconded."

"Seconded." "Seconded." "Seconded."...

The gods responded one after another, and even the God of Goodness and the Goddess of Life hurriedly raised their hands.

Asura God stood up, his dark red divine armor flashing with a cold, icy light in the radiance: "Issue the order! Dispatch ten divine envoys immediately to descend upon the Douluo Continent. You must ascertain the origin of the Sky Screen and uncover the background of everyone on the ranking!"

"Remember," his voice was as cold and sharp as a blade, "if you encounter resistance, kill without mercy. The majesty of the God Realm brooks no provocation!"

"Yes!"

A moment later, ten divine officials received their orders and departed, transforming into ten streaks of light as they sped toward the lower realm.

Inside the grand hall, the gods whispered and murmured in heated discussion.

Yet, the God of Goodness and the Goddess of Life exchanged another glance.

In that gaze, there was worry, anticipation, and a hint of... shyness.

Brother Cao... you must be careful.

Douluo Continent, atop a certain mountain peak.

Cao Xiyu stood with his hands behind his back, his robes snapping loudly in the wind.

He looked up at the sky, as if he could pierce through the endless void to see everything that was unfolding.

"The God Realm has discovered it, too?" He chuckled, a trace of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Ten divine officials? They underestimate me far too much."

He shook his head and turned to look in the direction of Ye Family Fortress.

There, his wife was facing the coming storm all on her own.

"My dear wife," he said with a soft laugh, "by sending me away, did you intend to shoulder everything alone?"

His smile grew increasingly tender.

"What a pity... your husband is no ordinary man."

"Divine officials?" The corners of his mouth curled upward. "They come at a good time; it is the perfect opportunity to show certain people what it means to be... a frog in a well."