After the Terrorist Attack

Since the Heaven Dou terrorist attack, the Holy Spirit Cult seemed to have vanished without a trace under the military's continuous strikes.

Follow-up reports emerged one after another. The entire Federation was holding press conferences, while both the Pigeon Faction and Hawk Faction did everything they could to promote their own positions.

Several council members stepped down. The Pigeon Faction and Hawk Faction argued until they were red in the face, while the Neutral Faction continued to play deaf and mute as always.

The seemingly calm waters of the Federation were gradually showing signs of being muddied by the Holy Spirit Cult's reemergence.

Golden Crown.

"Pavilion Master." Tang Wulin stood at Yun Ming's side.

"What did you find?"

"Just as we expected, the military has made no major move to inspect its armories. That means Godslayer has most likely already been transported out." Tang Wulin replied, "The only ones worthy of making them deploy Godslayer are Shrek."

"The heavens are bound to change in the end." Yun Ming stared directly at the dazzling sun overhead, the premonition in his heart flickering in and out of sight. "Still, I am quite curious why you are so certain."

Tang Wulin sighed softly. "People cannot make the same mistake twice."

Yun Ming's pupils contracted sharply. "What did you say?"

Tang Wulin glanced at the lightning tribulation that had begun to appear on the horizon, shook his head, and said no more.

Yet the amount of information contained in that single sentence was already more than enough.

No wonder... no wonder! Yun Ming looked at Tang Wulin with a complicated expression.

No wonder Tang Wulin displayed talent completely unlike that of an ordinary person. No wonder he always seemed to foresee the future, eliminating every wrong choice ahead of time with a clear purpose. No wonder his attitude at the Sea God Pavilion's secret meeting had been so forceful...

Seeing the faint bitter smile tug at his lips, Yun Ming suddenly realized something. His expression gained a trace of bitterness as well. "So..."

"It is all in the past." Tang Wulin said quietly. "But this is the last chance."

Yun Ming took a deep breath. "I understand.

"Has everything been arranged?"

"Of course."

Yun Ming looked into the distance and said solemnly, "Then we shall wait for the show to begin."

Far North.

The frigid wind swept up ice and snow as it howled past.

A massive Bell slowly took shape amid the icy plains.

Beneath the Bell, Na Nali sat cross-legged, her face pale. Black mist enveloped her, keeping out the wind and snow.

She had been forced to self-destruct her Martial Soul to escape. Her cultivation had temporarily fallen, and if she did not restore her Martial Soul, her position in the Holy Spirit Cult would inevitably be replaced.

Fortunately, the Far North was safe for her now.

Na Nali opened her eyes and exhaled a mouthful of turbid air.

The Bell above her swayed once. A sonic explosion erupted, and the surrounding wind and snow instantly scattered, leaving the area around her calm.

The Bell shrank, turning into a stream of light that fused into her body.

Na Nali gritted her teeth in hatred, but when she recalled that person's uncanny abilities, she could not help shuddering.

She had truly come so close to being finished! Na Nali still felt lingering fear.

She stretched lazily and murmured, "Perfect. I can use my injuries as an excuse to avoid that matter..."

Na Nali slowly headed in a certain direction, utterly unaware that a trace of lingering tenderness had blended into the faint wind around her.

Shrek City, Spirit Pagoda.

"Yue'er, this is my grandson, Qiangu Zhangting. He is about your age, so the two of you should interact more when you have the chance." The middle-aged man said with a smile.

Gu Yue glanced at the young man standing behind him with a confident smile on his face, her expression indifferent. "Pagoda Master, if you called me here just for this, then I will be leaving first. There is still much to advance with the Myriad Beast Platform. I am very busy."

The young man's smile instantly froze on his face.

Qiangu Dongfeng, the Spirit Pagoda's Pagoda Master, was somewhat displeased as well. He felt that she had embarrassed him, but remembering that Gu Yue and the family behind her controlled the core of the Myriad Beast Platform, he could only maintain the smile on his face. "Ah, it seems my grandson is not blessed with such fortune. I mainly came this time to ask about the Myriad Beast Platform's progress."

Gu Yue said flatly, "Everything is proceeding smoothly. The stability within the Myriad Beast Platform has already undergone three rounds of testing. The possibility of an error is very low. Even if one occurs, it will remain within the scope of public relations."

Qiangu Dongfeng nodded. "Very good. I am quite reassured leaving this to you. Go on, then. If there are any problems or anything you need, tell me anytime."

Gu Yue acknowledged him and turned to leave.

After she left, Qiangu Zhangting wore a disappointed expression in the Pagoda Master's office floor. "Grandfather, can't you think of another way?"

Qiangu Dongfeng snorted coldly. "Can you not fight for it yourself?"

Qiangu Zhangting scratched his head. "Every time I speak to her, she ignores me."

Qiangu Dongfeng said, "Once the Myriad Beast Platform she leads enters the market, I may be forced by pressure to grant her the position of Spirit Envoy. If you are not outstanding enough, is it not perfectly normal for her to look down on you?"

Qiangu Zhangting immediately said, "Grandfather, you are right! Is the family's secret realm about to open?"

Qiangu Dongfeng said approvingly, "It is good that you have such determination. Go prepare yourself. It will be here soon."

Qiangu Zhangting nodded, yet he vaguely felt that his grandfather's final words referred to more than just the family's secret realm. Still, he did not ask. He simply left directly.

Watching Qiangu Zhangting depart, Qiangu Dongfeng rose to his feet and glanced toward the spreading shadows. "Every one of your appearances is utterly nauseating."

The shadows twisted. "Pagoda Master Qiangu, your duplicity is no less impressive."

Qiangu Dongfeng sneered. "I advise you to act as soon as possible. They have already begun constructing defensive works. With their capabilities, completion will not take long. By then, whether you can still achieve your objective is hard to say."

"There is no need for Pagoda Master Qiangu to concern himself with that. We have our own arrangements."

"You had better do as you say. Otherwise, you will lose more than you gain. Not only will our cooperation end here, I will personally collect interest from you." Qiangu Dongfeng said. "I do not think you would want to experience such a situation."

The office floor fell silent. After a while, that sinister voice rang out from the shadows again, tinged with anger. "Qiangu Dongfeng, even if we fail, if you intend to turn on us, then prepare to have a layer of your skin torn off!"

As soon as the words fell, the shadows instantly receded. The thin membrane shrouding the office floor also dispersed along with them.

Qiangu Dongfeng's expression changed. The aura around him became exceedingly heavy, brewing with terrifying forces. Even the air rippled under the crushing pressure, as though it could no longer bear the strain.

"A pack of lunatics!"

Using his private terminal, Qiangu Dongfeng placed a call.

"Be ready to cut it off at any time." After saying that, he immediately ended the communication.

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling window with his hands behind his back, Qiangu Dongfeng gazed into the distance at the mountain that had weighed on his heart for so long.