Sky Conference

"Senior Brother, we came a step too late. They successfully rescued the Titan Giant Ape."

"Yes, we were late, but that was precisely the outcome we wanted. Everything is within Heavenly God's plan."

"To make the act convincing, should we give chase?"

"No need. The Titan Giant Ape is, after all, a god. Even though it has only just broken its seal and retains less than a tenth of its strength, it can still unleash god-level power if it fights for its life. It is only natural that we would refrain from pursuing it out of caution, at least from their perspective."

In a corner of the rocky cave, two men stood side by side. Both had gray hair. One was incomparably handsome, while the other had ordinary yet somewhat refined features.

"They left in too much of a hurry to take the sealed objects stored within the Jade-forged Golem. Our mission is to bring those sealed objects back and hand them to Teacher."

The speaker was the incomparably handsome man.

His name was Ha Luosa. His Martial Soul was the Underworld Sword, his title was "Saint Underworld," and he possessed peak Quasi-God cultivation. He was Electrolux's eldest direct disciple.

The somewhat refined man beside him was named Guan Pingyuan. His Martial Soul was the Blood Demon, his title was "Saint Soul," and he possessed peak Demigod cultivation. He was Electrolux's second direct disciple.

Ha Luosa stepped forward and used an ancient token to store the Jade-forged Golem, which had been fixed in place, into its internal space. His gray eyes gave the devastated rocky cave one final look before he left with his junior brother.

Within a mysterious space, Meng Xinghe sat in the seat of honor.

It was a sky—or, more precisely, a boundless nebula within the cosmic starry expanse.

The nebula flowed like water, dotted with brilliant stars. Some were large and some small, some dark and some light. Some floated upon the surface, while others remained concealed in its depths.

Before Meng Xinghe stood a long marble table, with rows of stone high-backed chairs on either side. At the far end of the table opposite him was another identical seat.

At that moment, some of those high-backed chairs were occupied, while others remained empty.

"Good. It seems everyone who had time to attend tonight's meeting has arrived. We will not wait any longer. Let us begin."

Meng Xinghe rested his hands on the table, his fingers interlaced, and looked toward the kind-looking elderly man with white hair seated at the head of the left side.

"Elder Yi, how is the plan to lure the snake from its hole progressing?"

Electrolux looked at Meng Xinghe, who sat at the head of the table, and gave a slight nod before speaking in a steady tone.

"Everything is proceeding smoothly at present. Tonight, Shrek successfully rescued the Titan Giant Ape sealed beneath the Earth Ape Mountains. The three quasi-divine artifacts used to seal it—the Prison Peak, Demon Suppression Chain, and Soul-Sealing Needle—have also been retrieved."

"For thousands of years, these three quasi-divine artifacts have absorbed the power of the earth veins and the Titan Giant Ape's strength. They have long stood on the verge of transformation. If you personally reforge them, they will become true divine artifacts."

"In addition, Lü Yue, the Plague Emperor dispatched by the Wild Holy Spirit Cult to seize the Three-Eyed Golden Lion, took two Golden Apples. I have already slain him, and he is currently in the process of resurrection."

Lü Yue, the Plague Emperor, was also known as the Plague Demon King. His Martial Soul was the Source of Plague. He was one of the two Children of Fortune created by Tang Hao, the Lord of the Plane. The other was naturally Ha Luosa.

Ha Luosa was the first Child of Fortune, and his Martial Soul was the death-attributed Underworld Sword.

Death, death.

What difference was there between playing with death before Electrolux and showing off one's axe before a master?

Electrolux went directly to the young Ha Luosa. After casually displaying a few of his abilities, he gained a direct eldest disciple of outstanding talent.

Tang Hao was so furious that he stomped his feet and stripped Ha Luosa of his status as a Child of Fortune.

His main account had only just been created and had not even had time to be developed before it was ruined. He could only create another alt account to continue training, and thus Lü Yue came into being.

Lü Yue and Ya Li were figures of the same era. One spread the poison of plague everywhere, while the other saved lives and healed the wounded everywhere. Both regarded the other as a mortal enemy.

Because of the inherent characteristics of their Martial Souls, Lü Yue, despite his Quasi-God cultivation, could do nothing to Ya Li, who only had Demigod cultivation. Yet likewise, Lü Yue could resurrect endlessly. So long as even a trace of plague poison remained in the world, he could return. Ya Li could do nothing to him either.

"Mm." Meng Xinghe nodded and turned to look at Di Tian, seated on the right, giving him an inquiring look.

"Heavenly God," Di Tian said respectfully, "after that attack, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion returned to the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest with the two Golden Apples. With me and the other ferocious beasts there, those rats will have no chance to strike. Nothing will go wrong before the Skysea Alliance Grand Tournament arrives."

The other ferocious beasts seated beside Di Tian also echoed his words.

"Please rest assured, Heavenly God. The plan will absolutely not suffer even the slightest error in our hands!"

As the ambassador of peace, the Three-Eyed Golden Lion would normally need to frequently attend various events promoting peaceful coexistence between humans and soul beasts.

However, the attack on her gave her the perfect excuse to remain in the Star Dou Great Forest and recuperate properly. For the time being, those reactionaries determined to sow discord between humans and soul beasts could find no suitable reason to criticize her for failing to fulfill her duties as ambassador of peace.

The Three-Eyed Golden Lion herself was rather unhappy with this arrangement. Attending all sorts of events was exhausting, but it allowed her to fly between the Federation's major cities, sample all kinds of local delicacies, and visit scenic landmarks.

Now, she had to remain in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest all the time. It was so boring.

Although there was the internet, she was a Three-Eyed Golden Lion who had lived from ten thousand years ago until now. She had been using the internet for as long as it had existed and had long since grown tired of it.

"Mm." Meng Xinghe nodded, then turned to a handsome man with sharp eyes and star-like brows and asked, "How are things on the Abyssal Plane side?"

"There have been no major movements these past years, only minor skirmishes. At this rate, they are likely preparing a major offensive."

The handsome man who spoke was Blood One of the Blood God Battalion within the Blood God Legion.

The Blood God Legion was the army established by the Douluo Federation to resist the Abyssal Plane's invasion. It was not among the eight major legions and held an exceptional status, second only to the War God Hall within the Federation's military system.

To the Blood God Legion, the Blood God Battalion was what the War God Hall was to the Federation military: its sharpest blade.

The Blood God Battalion had ten Blood Gods, using "Blood" as their designation and numbered from one to ten. The strongest among them was Blood One.

In the original work, Blood One had been Cao Dezhi, the master of the Tang Sect. But the current Blood One was named—Ji Juechen!

"You are so devoted to the sword, yet you have failed to enter the absolute pinnacle of the sword path. Do you not feel regret?"

Ji Juechen, already in his twilight years, looked at the visitor and replied frankly, "I do. Therefore, would you be willing to fight me, so that in the final moment of my life, I may let the sword path bloom with its last radiance?"

"I can, but if I defeat you, you must agree to one condition."

Ji Juechen gripped the Heavenly Meteoric Iron Sword and solemnly nodded. "Fine. But I am about to die. If you win, please state your condition quickly. If you wait too long, I can only break my word."

"Rest assured, I will not let you break your word."

Meng Xinghe chuckled softly and defeated Ji Juechen with a single finger strike.

"Now, it is time to discuss my condition..."