The Destruction of Seven Divine Realms

By the Lake of Life in the core region of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Space rippled faintly as Di Tian's towering figure quietly emerged. He had removed his black dragon mask, and his face bore a trace of exhaustion, though even more evident were the satisfaction of successfully establishing his authority and a lingering caution.

"Wahahahaha! Big Brother, that was so satisfying!" Bear Lord's thunderous laughter exploded first. His massive body emerged from the forest as he pounded his chest hard, his face brimming with excitement and pride. "Did you see it? Chen Xinjie, that old bastard, frozen in midair and unable to move! And Qiangu Dongfeng's face, like he was about to drip bitter juice! Hahaha, he looked like he'd swallowed a nest of armored hedgehogs whole and didn't dare spit them out!"

Scarlet King swayed his three heads as he ran over, carrying several smoking, clearly damaged high-grade Soul Tool recorders in his jaws. His tone was somewhat pained. "Those final law-level fluctuations from the heavenly tribulation captured a few fragmented clips. The energy level was terrifyingly high... but five of the latest 'Heavensight Mirror Type III' units were blown up in exchange. Bi Ji is cleaning up the rest behind us."

Bi Ji came over afterward, the hem of her emerald-green dress brushing over the scorched earth and bringing a fresh breath of life. She held a relatively intact recording core in her hands, concern and lingering fear on her gentle face. "Di Tian, are you all right? That final claw from the Golden Dragon King phantom made my heart tremble even through the recorder. And the method you used to restrain Chen Xinjie... that seemed to be more than mere spatial power?"

Di Tian waved a hand to indicate that he was fine and said in a deep voice, "Just a little trick. I borrowed the chaotic laws of that 'blessing.' It could only hold for a few seconds. If they had seen through it, or if they had all attacked together, I could only have retreated." He looked toward Zi Ji and Myriad Demon King. "How were your observations?"

Zi Ji brushed back her long purple hair and analyzed calmly, "Humans will not give up monitoring us. Building a 'wall'—a physical or Soul Tool barrier to cordon off the area—is inevitable, and that actually saves us trouble. A high wall can keep out most curious ordinary people and low-level Soul Masters. Combined with our own Myriad Phenomena jammers, the core region can truly become our 'laboratory' and private territory. The vacuum period after the Spirit Pagoda withdraws is the perfect opportunity for us to speed up our arrangements."

A shrewd smile appeared on Myriad Demon King's aged face, and the trees around him seemed to whisper alongside him. "Zi Ji is right. They build the wall, and we 'help' reinforce it while conveniently burying our little toys deeper. But Di Tian, that final move really frightened them. For a while, those old fellows will not dare act rashly. They will focus on observation and negotiations. We can take this chance to push forward the Film and Television Project's spin-off ventures, as well as several collaborations with the Deep Space Dragon Domain."

Di Tian nodded. "Mm. Have the children on the outskirts keep a lower profile these next few days. Before the monitoring stations withdraw, do not leave them any leverage. The true contest is not decided now." He gazed in the direction of Eastsea City, his eyes profound. "Our 'director' and 'screenwriter' should have watched this 'live performance' too."

Eastsea City, in a hidden living room behind the Rain Spirit Grilled Fish Shop.

An emergency news broadcast was playing on the Soul Tool television's light screen. The footage shook somewhat, clearly filmed secretly from afar, yet it still clearly showed one awe-inspiring figure after another soaring into the sky from the direction of the Star Dou Great Forest, turning into streams of light and rapidly vanishing beyond the horizon. At their head were Sky-Crossing Douluo Yun Ming, Vast Sea Douluo Chen Xinjie, Spirit Pagoda Master Qiangu Dongfeng, Tang Sect Vice Sect Master Zang Xin, and others. Even through the screen, one could feel the gravity, shock, and even a trace of lingering terror surrounding their departure.

The host's excited voice trembled. "...Unbelievable! The continent's foremost powerhouses gathered in Star Dou and are suspected to have come into contact with Beast God Di Tian after his tribulation! Judging from the speed and direction in which the honored elders departed, no conflict apparently occurred, but the atmosphere was extraordinarily tense! Footage captured at great personal risk by our frontline reporter shows that the tribulation clouds above Star Dou's core region have dispersed, but the remaining energy is abnormally terrifying. Massive scorched areas and signs of spatial distortion have appeared around the forest's perimeter! Spirit Pagoda headquarters has just issued a brief statement, saying it is 'evaluating a new basis for dialogue with the Soul Beast leader.' The Tang Sect and Shrek Academy have yet to respond... What realm has Beast God Di Tian truly reached? Will the continent's entire landscape change drastically because of this? We will continue following the story!"

Click. Huo Yuhao turned off the television, and the room fell silent. He leaned against a couch, his face still somewhat pale, but his eyes were astonishingly bright as his fingers lightly tapped against his knee.

"Xiaoling," he suddenly said, a faint smile at the corner of his lips, "what do you think the effect would be if we took that final scene the news did not capture, but we recorded—the instant Di Tian stood proudly at the eye of the storm, with the Nine-Colored Tribulation Clouds and the Golden Dragon claw behind him, hands clasped behind his back as he looked down on everything—and made it into the ultimate boss entrance CG in a game? Or an animated character illustration for a limited summon?"

Demon Spirit was holding a Soul Tool tablet and rapidly recording the encrypted data stream sent back from Star Dou. At his words, she immediately looked up, her eyes curving like crescents. "That would be amazing, Brother Yuhao! That shot was practically made for a 'God Rank Descent'! Its impact would absolutely be perfect! And then..." She blinked mischievously. "In the game's story, we could have the God of Emotions or a player-controlled 'Child of Destiny' go through endless hardships before finally 'defeating' an Uncle Di Tian like that in some epic dungeon... Hehe, Faith Power would come pouring in! I've even thought of the name. The expansion can be called 'Dragon God Trial: Calamity of the Black Sun'!"

Huo Yuhao laughed and shook his head. This girl was always so enthusiastic about "harvesting faith." He pondered for a moment. "This material is indeed rare. But we need to handle it carefully. We must emphasize Di Tian's strength and majesty, yet we cannot make players feel that the God of Emotions won too easily. That would weaken the realism and their sense of awe. Faith requires worship, yearning, and emotional resonance, not merely the thrill of 'defeating someone powerful.'"

He calculated the timing. "Based on Zi Ji's business projections and the Spirit Pagoda's efficiency, it will take at least half a year for the new isolation wall to be built and public opinion to settle down initially. Half a year is enough for us to polish this 'major game event.'" He paused, thinking of the changes in Di Tian after absorbing the Golden Dragon Origin. "Aside from Di Tian, Zi Ji also possesses pure dragon blood. She cultivates darkness and strength. If she could receive some compatible blessings, she might reach her bottleneck sooner. It is just that the order of those blessings and the risks involved..."

Just as Huo Yuhao sank into thought, an unexpected change erupted!

An extremely faint yet incomparably familiar spiritual fluctuation, carrying vast oceanic resonance and sacred presence, suddenly rang directly in the depths of his soul. It came and went like a candle flame that could be extinguished at any moment.

"Yu...hao..."

Huo Yuhao's pupils constricted sharply! It was Poseidon Tang San's voice! But why was it so weak, fragmented, and filled with indescribable exhaustion and... ill omen?

"Xiaoling! Maximum-grade shielding! Now!!" Huo Yuhao shouted sharply. At the same time, he immediately closed his eyes and plunged all his consciousness into his Sea of Spirit.

Demon Spirit reacted with astonishing speed and did not even ask why. Her petite form instantly turned into a wisp of green smoke and rushed toward the hidden Soul Tool nodes throughout the room. The next instant, a low hum sounded. Layer upon layer of composite barriers, invisible to the naked eye yet capable of isolating all detection below God Rank, rose at maximum power, enveloping the entire room and even the depths underground as if temporarily erasing them from the world.

Within the Sea of Spirit, Huo Yuhao saw a sight that shook him to his core.

Tang San's phantom floated there, but he was utterly battered! His once dazzling azure Sea God divine armor had become dim and cracked, as though it had been corroded by some terrifying force. His divine body was wrapped in decayed gray energy and Void fractures that did not belong to the Douluo system, each sight enough to make one's heart tremble. What he radiated was no longer the aura of an ocean that embraced all things, but nearly extinguished sorrow and struggle.

"Fa...Father-in-law! What happened to you?!" Huo Yuhao's voice trembled. He could not imagine what kind of catastrophe could drive someone as powerful as Poseidon Tang San into such a state!

"Yuhao... listen... time is short..." Tang San's phantom became even more transparent, his voice as weak as scraps of fluff in the wind. "After you and Wulin fell into the lower realm... we had only just stabilized the Divine Realm... begun repairs... less than a moment later... the Space-Time Turbulence... arrived..."

With Tang San's laborious words, a fragmented and horrifying scene was forcibly poured into Huo Yuhao's consciousness.

The Douluo God Realm, whose foundation had already been damaged by the Golden Dragon King's frenzied absorption of origin power, was as fragile as a paper boat in a storm before a violent, colossal Space-Time Turbulence. The Divine Realm barrier groaned beneath unbearable pressure. Vast portions of divine territory began collapsing and being annihilated. The scale and power of that turbulence far exceeded anything ever recorded!

"The Divine Realm... ravaged by the Golden Dragon King... simply could not... exist within turbulence... of that scale..." Tang San's voice was filled with bitterness and lingering fear. "No wonder... you forcibly descended to the lower realm... yet your Divine Godhood was not sealed... at the instant the turbulence struck... the Divine Realm Core... could barely protect itself... how could it have... any strength left... to carry out... the lower-realm sealing..."

Huo Yuhao finally understood. So that was it! This was the only accidental "stroke of luck" amid that calamity.

"Destruction... and Life..." Tang San continued. With difficulty, he gathered two faint yet innately noble halos in his hands, one purple and one green. They were the marks of the Destruction Godhood and Life Godhood, yet they were now masterless! "They... used Creation Power... once again... this time... it was true... sacrifice... Divine Cores burned... they gave everything... forcibly compressed... the Divine Realm... as it was about to collapse... then turned their remaining power... into the final 'shelter'..."

In the scene, purple and green light intertwined into a net, wrapping around the rapidly shrinking core of the Divine Realm and resisting the tearing turbulence. That light was mournful and brilliant, and then... gradually faded.

Huo Yuhao's throat tightened. He wanted to say something, but Tang San stopped him with a look.

"We... were swept away... blown toward... an unknown... black hole region... there... we encountered... survivors... from other Divine Realms..." Behind Tang San, countless tiny points of light appeared like stars. Each represented a Godhood, though most were dim. They marked the gathered strength of surviving gods from multiple Divine Realms. "The struggle... for survival... was brutal... but our... Douluo God Realm... endured until the end... gained... the leadership... and escaped..."

Behind that brief account lay a Divine Realm war and flight of unimaginable brutality. Huo Yuhao could not bear to think further.

However, Tang San's tone suddenly became more urgent, more terrified. "But... the Void... the Void... found us!!"

"What?!" Huo Yuhao's divine soul shook violently. He noticed that among the points of light Tang San had shown earlier, representing the different Divine Realms, several had been especially bright. They contained key-shaped phantoms bearing unique law auras. Now, they trembled violently before shattering and going dark one after another!

"The keys... authorities... of the six Divine Realms..." Tang San's voice was filled with despair. "Yuhao... do you understand... this means... those six Divine Realms... that encountered us... fought us... and ultimately joined with us... their Core Flames... may... all have been... taken by the Void..."

A chill erupted from the depths of Huo Yuhao's soul and swept through his entire body. Six Divine Realms... completely destroyed?! What kind of enemy was that?!

"Yuhao... the companions from the Great God Circle... entrusted their inheritance nexuses... and some of their dependents... to us... they... paid the price of self-destruction... temporarily... drove back the Void... and bought us... a sliver of survival..." Tang San's phantom began collapsing like a sand sculpture, yet he struggled to deliver his final message. "But... we cannot escape... the tracking mark... has already..."

"But... it doesn't matter!" Tang San's voice suddenly rose, carrying a final trace of resolve and hope. "These... nexuses... all preserve... the most essential Divine Godhood marks... and civilization Core Flames... as long as... the Douluo Plane still exists... as long as... the inheritance continues... we... still have hope... of returning!"

He looked deeply at Huo Yuhao, as though he wanted to carve every last entrustment into his soul. "Yuhao... I leave them to you... Wulin... Douluo Continent... and... these... hopes..."

Before his words could end, the key phantoms representing the final inheritances of the different Divine Realms suddenly broke free from Tang San's fading phantom. They became seven-colored streams of light and plunged irresistibly into the depths of Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit. They did not merge with Huo Yuhao's shattered God of Emotions Divine Godhood. Instead, they formed a complex, solid new sealing system, layer upon layer, temporarily reinforcing and suppressing the unstable "Triangular Divine Core Seal" within him that could backfire at any moment. A burden of guardianship as heavy as a galaxy descended with them.

"Ei... eight years? B-by all reason... only eight days should have passed... in the Divine Realm..." Huo Yuhao finally asked the enormous question in his heart. Why had eight years passed in the lower realm while the Divine Realm seemed to have lived through ages?

"No... Yuhao..." Tang San's phantom had become as faint as green smoke. "The Douluo God Realm... had long since left... its native plane... time... at the edge of a black hole... under the Void's pursuit... follows no fixed law... in that region... we fought and drifted... perhaps one or two months... outside... perhaps only one or two days passed... but the Void's corruption... accelerates... all... 'wear'..."

At last, with infinite longing and concern, he looked toward the Void, as though he could see through the planes to the child who had grown up in Aolai City. "Yuhao... take care of... Wulin... take care of... the Douluo Plane... if... if the Void's tendrils... truly... find their way here... remember..."

Tang San exhausted his final strength and stared at Huo Yuhao. Each word was deliberate, carrying endless reluctance and resolve.

"Run! Don't look back! Take the Core Flames... and run!"

As the last syllable fell, Tang San's phantom shattered inch by inch like an illusion reflected in broken water, silently becoming the finest particles of light and vanishing within Huo Yuhao's Sea of Spirit without leaving the slightest trace. It was as though that transmission of information, crossing endless dangers and bearing destruction and hope, had never happened.

Only the heavy sealing system newly embedded in his mind, those cold yet precious "Divine Realm Core Flame keys," and the enormous shadow cast over the entire plane by the words "the Void" silently told the whole story.

Huo Yuhao slowly opened his eyes. His face was even paler than before, and fine cold sweat had seeped from his temples. He looked at Demon Spirit, who stood tensely guard nearby with worry filling her eyes. His lips moved several times, yet he found himself temporarily unable to speak.

Outside the window, Eastsea City had just lit up for the evening. The night market was bustling, and people discussed the anomalies in Star Dou, the departure of the powerful, and future prices. It was ordinary and lively. No one knew that just moments ago, a warning from the edge of destruction and a burden concerning the survival of the entire plane had quietly fallen upon the shoulders of a severely wounded god.

A storm was coming, and the wind had already filled the tower. Yet the greatest storm might not arise from conflict within the continent, but from the vast, cold depths of the cosmos—from the unknown, terrifying existence called the Void.