Movements Across the Continent

"Heavens—! Dear viewers! We interrupt with an emergency broadcast! Unprecedented breaking news! At this very moment, in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, the legendary sovereign of all soul beasts, leader of the Ten Great Ferocious Beasts, king of beasts who ruled that vast forbidden land—the Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King, Di Tian... it... it is undergoing a tribulation! A heavenly phenomenon of utterly terrifying proportions!"

The news soul tool agencies closest to the forest had almost mobilized their entire staff. Braving enormous risks, they set up dozens of aerial recording soul tools at the furthest relatively safe distance and began a live broadcast so excited their voices nearly cracked. The footage shook violently, yet it still clearly captured the apocalyptic scene in the distance: dark as ink and slowly rotating, the Nine-Colored Tribulation Clouds were filled with wildly darting golden, purple, and black lightning dragons. They covered a vast expanse of sky as far as the eye could see. Even through a screen, the heavenly might that combined destruction and majesty was enough to leave every viewer breathless.

The camera abruptly swung toward the outskirts of the forest. The once lush region, filled with towering ancient trees, now looked as though it had been viciously struck by an invisible god's giant palm, leaving behind a huge, irregular fan-shaped zone of destruction. Massive trees had either been uprooted or reduced to dust. The earth was cracked, and rocks had melted. Even more shocking was the Spirit Pagoda branch built at the forest's edge, a forward monitoring station symbolizing humanity's presence at the border of soul beast territory. Half of its tower had completely collapsed. Broken walls and ruins smoked beneath the lingering energy shockwaves, while the remaining half teetered on the verge of collapse.

The reporter tremblingly held the microphone toward a Spirit Pagoda staff member who had just been dragged from the rubble by rescue workers. His face was covered in soot and blood, and his soul tool uniform was shredded beyond recognition. Extreme terror still lingered in his eyes. "We... we don't know anything! The monitoring soul tools only had time to issue the highest-level energy overload warning, and the next second... that completely indescribable force crashed down like a tsunami! It was too fast! Too sudden! The entire branch... was gone in an instant!" He seized the microphone. His voice was hoarse, trembling with the shock of surviving and fear of the unknown, as he asked the question that made every ordinary citizen watching the broadcast clench their hearts. "What... what will Di Tian do if it succeeds? Will it think humanity invaded its territory and come destroy us? Take revenge on the human world?! Like... like in the movies?!" That final sentence inadvertently revealed the profound influence the film Battle Against the Dragon King had exerted on public perception.

Undercurrents stirred among the major powers.

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

Yun Ming, the Pavilion Master, stood before the enormous floor-to-ceiling window, gazing toward the sky above the Star Dou Great Forest. Even from distant Sea God Island, the energy disturbance there could faintly be sensed. His brows were tightly furrowed. His aura was deep and still as the sea, yet it carried a rare trace of doubt.

"Yun Ming." The Holy Spirit Douluo, Ya Li, silently appeared beside him. Her gentle hand lightly rested on his arm, and her eyes held the same concern.

"Ya Li, something is wrong. Very wrong." Yun Ming's voice was low, carrying the sharpness of someone who saw through worldly affairs. "The evil soul masters have been lurking strangely for five years without any warning. And now Di Tian... Though I have never fought it directly, according to records through the ages and my own senses, given its cultivation and bloodline strength, its next true great tribulation should still be tens of thousands of years away. Could the records be wrong? Absolutely not." He turned to Ya Li. "The rules of heaven and earth, the tribulations of soul beasts—all have their fixed order. This tribulation... has come for no reason, yet with such overwhelming force. It is as if... it deliberately triggered it, or some change forcibly brought it forward."

Ya Li sighed softly, distant flashes of lightning reflected in her beautiful eyes. "Whatever the reason, the tribulation clouds have formed, and the continent's eyes are fixed upon them. Shrek cannot remain uninvolved. Let's go and see. What must come must be faced." Her voice was gentle yet resolute, soothing her husband while also representing Shrek's responsibility to watch over the world.

Tang Sect, rooftop outside Douluo Hall.

Deputy Hall Master Zang Xin lay in his beloved old rattan recliner, idly turning a crystalline throwing knife in his hand. He appeared to be leisurely sunbathing, but his gaze was likewise fixed in the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest. He smacked his lips, then suddenly sighed and muttered to himself in a tone half complaint, half contemplation. "What is this? Just because a movie came out and gave the scene where it got beaten up a little 'artistic enhancement,' it got its old nerves worked up and decided to put on a big show to prove its strength?" Thinking of the world-destroying Dragon God Claw in Battle Against the Dragon King and its splendid portrayal of the Tang Sect hidden weapon, Guanyin's Tears—though history had not actually been like that—Zang Xin's mouth twitched. He had to admit the movie was indeed entertaining, and it had earned the Tang Sect quite a bit of goodwill.

"Forget it." He patted his clothes as he rose, stretching lazily. His figure in the sunlight carried a carefree, irreverent air. "If it's a blessing, it isn't a curse. If it's a curse, you can't avoid it. No reason to miss such a spectacle. It's an 'old opponent,' after all—movie version only. Let's see what this 'Dragon King' is really up to." The moment his words fell, only a patch of warm sunlight remained on the rattan chair.

Spirit Pagoda headquarters, highest observatory.

Spirit Pagoda Master Qian Gu Dongfeng stood with his hands behind his back, his ornate robes fluttering faintly in the wind stirred by the energy disturbance. He watched the tribulation clouds, which felt oppressive even from Mingdu. His face showed little emotion, but a trace of gravity and calculation flashed deep within his eyes. Deputy Tower Master Leng Yaozhu stood half a step behind him, her expression equally solemn.

"Tower Master, all the major powers will certainly go. We..." Leng Yaozhu began.

Qian Gu Dongfeng raised a hand, cutting off her question. His voice was steady, yet carried unquestionable resolve. "Whether the king of soul beasts succeeds or fails in this tribulation, it will profoundly affect the continent's balance, especially the relationship between Soul Spirits and soul beasts, which is closely tied to our Spirit Pagoda. We must witness it ourselves, assess the risks, and prepare early. Come, Yaozhu. Let us see what this old dragon intends to do, and just how far... it can go." His words were filled with the desire for control and far-reaching calculation of one in a high position.

War God Hall.

The First War God, the Boundless Sea Douluo Chen Xinjie, had just concluded a high-level meeting when the Federation's emergency orders reached his hands. He stood atop the highest platform of the War God Hall, his military uniform immaculate and his gaze sharp as lightning as he stared toward the Star Dou Great Forest. Feeling the vast heavenly might in the distance, which made even his battle intent faintly boil despite the great distance, this peak powerhouse who lived for combat showed no fear. Instead, a sharp glint of excitement appeared in his eyes.

"King of soul beasts... Di Tian..." he murmured, slowly clenching his fist as space twisted faintly in his palm. "The Federation wants me to 'observe'? Perfect. I have long wanted to see for myself whether the legendary Golden-Eyed Black Dragon King truly deserves the title of Beast God!" Before his words had faded, the space before him was violently torn apart by an incomparably domineering force. He stepped inside and vanished into the spatial rift, heading straight for the Star Dou Great Forest. His actions were clean and decisive, fully displaying a soldier's nature.

Somewhere on the continent, in an unknown abyss of darkness—the headquarters of the Holy Spirit Cult.

There was no tension or curiosity regarding the heavenly tribulation here, only deathly cold silence and strange focus. From the shadows at the highest point, a hoarse voice whose gender could not be distinguished slowly rose, carrying a hint of amused interest. "Di Tian is undergoing a tribulation? Heh... interesting. But a dragon clan tribulation has limited reference value to us. The past? It has no meaning."

The owner of the voice seemed entirely unconcerned with the distant upheaval of heaven and earth. Their attention was fully focused elsewhere. Looking downward, deep within this massive underground complex, a huge blood pool sealed beneath layers of evil runes bubbled continuously.

Within the blood pool, a Mutated Blue Silver Emperor completely unlike ordinary Blue Silver Grass swayed eerily. Dark crimson and pitch-black patterns covered its entire body. Every blade of grass seemed to breathe, devouring the indescribable nutrients and energy within the blood pool. Around it, countless evil soul master researchers clad in black robes silently and fervently recorded data and adjusted the formation.

"Your task is to accelerate research on 'it.'" The voice from the shadows sounded again, leaving no room for doubt. "The disturbances outside have nothing to do with us. The true 'gift' needs time before it can be presented perfectly."

Core region of the Star Dou Great Forest, Eye of the Storm.

The commotion on the outskirts and the shock among the major powers seemed unrelated to this region. Bi Ji, Myriad Demon King, Crimson King, Zi Ji, and Bear Lord had long since retreated to a safe area at the edge of the lightning tribulation's range. They were not idle. Each of them had activated high-precision energy collection and shielding devices that had been specially modified and disguised as ordinary protective soul tools. The energy of the tribulation lightning—especially the power of the lightning tribulation containing a trace of the laws of heaven and earth—was incomparably precious. If they could capture even a little of it, its value for their future cultivation, soul tool research, and even dealing with tribulations that might one day come for them would be immeasurable.

Meanwhile, Demon Spirit had already escorted the not-yet-fully-recovered Huo Yuhao safely back to the secret chamber of Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop in Eastsea City through a prearranged hidden spatial passage. At this moment, Huo Yuhao and Demon Spirit sat before a soul tool screen, which switched between live feeds from various news stations as they closely monitored the situation.

At the center of the storm, Di Tian stood with his head raised. He had long since dismissed his human form, revealing part of his true black dragon body—a draconic humanoid form over thirty meters tall, covered in thick black dragon scales etched with flowing dark-golden patterns. A slight sweep of his dragon tail carved deep trenches into the ground. He stared up at the Nine-Colored Tribulation Clouds overhead as they descended lower and their pressure grew ever more terrifying. Not only did he show no fear, but his dark-golden dragon eyes instead burned with blazing excitement and the arrogance of one who looked down upon the world!

He could clearly sense powerful auras rapidly approaching from every direction across the continent, stopping beyond the "safe distance" at the forest's perimeter like honored guests seated in an audience.

"Ha ha ha ha!" Di Tian suddenly threw back his head and laughed. His dragon-like laughter pierced through the thunder about to erupt and echoed clearly between heaven and earth. Through the secret techniques of certain high-level soul masters, it even faintly reached the ears of those "spectators" on the outskirts. "Quite a crowd! So the 'friends' of the human world have all come to watch the show? Fine! Then see with your own eyes what the might of the dragon clan truly is! What... true power is!"

His laughter was full of exhilaration, wildness, and absolute confidence and indifference—as if he were saying that he underwent this tribulation here, while all others existed merely as supporting players. This heavenly tribulation, which made all living beings tremble, seemed to be nothing more than a grand performance for him to display his power to the world!

Rumble—!

As if Di Tian's arrogance had thoroughly enraged it, the center of the Nine-Colored Tribulation Clouds suddenly blazed with light. The dazzling radiance instantly overexposed every live broadcast feed! Immediately afterward, a Nine-Colored Chaos Thunder as thick as a pillar supporting the heavens descended, its color impossible to describe precisely. Within it, countless dragon-shaped bolts of lightning seemed to race and roar. Tearing apart the sky, it carried the ultimate will of judgment and destruction as it viciously struck toward the unyielding black dragon silhouette below!

At the exact instant the lightning fell—

Crackle—!!!

Every soul tool screen broadcasting the event, regardless of location or how powerful its signal source was, was instantly disrupted by the violent energy of heaven and earth and the laws of the lightning tribulation. After the images twisted violently, they all turned into blinding static and noisy interference!

The signal had been cut off!

The lightning tribulation had officially begun!

And the confrontation between Di Tian and the heavenly tribulation—the truly fate-deciding, world-shaking scene—was no longer something ordinary technology could witness. Only supreme powerhouses standing at the edge of the scene could resist the aftershocks with their own cultivation and behold this unprecedented tribulation! At this moment, the continent's nerves were stretched to their limit!