Those Who Left, Those Who Remained (4,000 Words)

Some are happy, some are sad; smiles can change.

While Huo Yuhao was overjoyed, Da Ming and the others were not so happy.

After entering his own small dimension, Er Ming quickly sealed off the passage to prevent anyone from pursuing him.

After doing all this, he looked at Ah Yin and said worriedly, "Once they recover their strength, we'll probably have an even harder time resisting them."

"But how long can this delay last? They'll recover sooner or later. Now that the Abyss is nearby, having two gods as potential allies is a mixed blessing."

Ah Yin sighed, "Moreover, we should be glad that the Divine Realm is not here now, and that order is in chaos. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if the Fire God and the others saw that I had obtained the position of the Life Core."

Even if the Divine Realm and the Xiao San still existed, she might not necessarily be severely punished.

"What about the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud?"

Da Ming frowned. "Why did they take the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud? Will this affect Tang San's plans?"

Ah Yin was silent for a moment, then shook her head slightly. "It should be fine. After all, that Divine Tool has existed in the Sea God Pavilion for thousands of Ten Thousand Years. It's probably not a backup plan against the Abyss."

Tang San's Divine Sense: Feed me peanuts.

"The only possible impact of losing the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud is that it will cause trouble for the return of the Divine Realm and the relocation of the Douluo Continent, but this impact is not significant."

"After all, Brother Hao and I can both serve as coordinates for the return of the Divine Realm. Even the divine positions of gods like the Fire God can serve as beacons for the return of the Divine Realm. The Divine Realm and the planes under its jurisdiction are connected far too deeply. Almost all the Gods have left their mark on the planes where they rose to power, so there's no need to worry about the Divine Realm lacking coordinates for its return."

"As for why they took the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud— "

At this point, Ah Yin paused and looked at Da Ming Er Ming.

"The Divine Realm governs 108 planes. Why do you think there are so many Divine Consciousness that have landed on the Douluo Continent?"

Er Ming looked bewildered, while Da Ming said thoughtfully, "Could it be because of the Sea God Divine Position?"

Ah Yin nodded slightly. "Yes, but not entirely. I think there are two reasons why this happened."

"Firstly, the shattering of the Sea God Divine Position has led some Divine Consciousness escaped the Divine Realm to harbor thoughts of trying to find Divinity Fragment the Sea God Divine Position in the Douluo Continent, in order to advance further."

"Secondly, before the Divine Realm was swept away, Xiao San sent my grandson, who carried the Golden Dragon King God Core, to the Douluo Continent. The commotion at that time may have attracted the attention of those gods who had left the Divine Realm— "

Er Ming suddenly exclaimed, interrupting Ah Yin's words.

"Wait, Xiao Wu is pregnant again? And what's with the Golden Dragon King God Core?"

Ah Yin glanced at him helplessly, signaling him to calm down.

"It's a long story."

Ah Yin sighed softly, "To put it simply, after the Golden Dragon King was killed, his Divine Core merged with Xiao Wu's newborn child, preparing to self-destruct. Xiao San and the others rescued him and sealed the Divine Core —but even with the seal, the Divine Core was unstable in the Divine Realm, which is filled with Xianling Qi. So, for the child's safety, and for a possible turning point, Xiao San sent him back to the Douluo Continent."

Da Ming and Er Ming were dumbfounded.

The amount of information was too much for them to process at once.

"Where is that child now? Is he safe?" Da Ming asked in a somewhat urgent tone.

Ah Yin smiled wryly, "I'm just like you; I don't often travel outside, and I don't dare to go out."

Three homebody beasts.

"After all, if the Abyss Plane discovers that the Life Core is conscious, it could bring disaster, so I haven't had any contact with that child. But I heard about a child who went to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well at Shrek, it should be him."

"That child's name is Tang Wulin. He's now a personal disciple of Xiong Jun of the Spirit Pagoda, so he must be doing quite well."

Upon hearing this, Da Ming recalled the scene of Xiong Jun's previous life-or-death battle with him, and his eyes twitched.

Oh no, will that kid become his enemy from now on?

Compared to his restraint, Er Ming was much more direct, pounding his chest and shouting, "Wulin, how could you recognize a thief as your father! Tang San, why didn't you just send that child to the Shrek Academy?!"

If Wulin were on their side, they could not only take good care of him as he grew up, but also gain a promising ally in the future, a world of difference from their current situation where they might become enemies. (Tang Wulin: Haven't you thought about me being implicated and wanted by the Federation?)

Seeing the two of them looking so distressed, Ah Yin knew that they had always treated Xiao Wu's child as their own, and since she herself was also feeling sad, she took the initiative to skip the topic.

"That's the situation. I believe the Gods were drawn here for these two reasons. The Sea God Divine Position and the things the Divine Realm inexplicably sent to the Douluo Continent, Little Wulin, are likely great opportunities in their eyes. And that's certainly true. Putting aside the Sea God Divine Position, the Golden Dragon King God Core is indeed a great opportunity!"

"As you all know, the Divine Realm Divine Realm in a state of flux back then. It could no longer accommodate more Divine Position, which was the main reason why the God of Destruction proposed expanding the Divine Realm and disagreed with the Xiao San. Under these circumstances, most of the deities' Divine Position were inherited."

"Instead of returning to the original plane where there's not much faith, it's better to come to the Douluo Continent, which seems to offer great opportunities. Maybe we can go further there."

For example, her granddaughter Tang Wutong, and the other members of the original Shrek Seven Monsters (excluding Xiao San), have almost no faith in the Douluo Continent, and many people don't even know what gods they became.

This situation is common in the Divine Realm; after all, those who Self-Created Godhood through faith, like the First Generation Sea God and the first Angel God, are becoming increasingly rare. To put it bluntly, most deities in the Divine Realm are living off their predecessors.

In this situation, many gods have few followers in their own hometowns, so going back there wouldn't bring them much benefit. They might as well try their luck in the Douluo Continent.

Da Ming frowned and asked, "Then what you said before, that the Fire God and the others took the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud, must have been for these two opportunities, right? I understand that the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud is helpful in finding the fragments of the Sea God Divine Spark."

"As for Wulin, those two deities are both in the Spirit Pagoda. Having seen the Golden Dragon King, they may have already discovered his special abilities! Are they planning to use the Vast Sea Cosmic Shroud to break the Golden Dragon King Seal and absorb the energy within? Wouldn't that put Wulin in danger?"

Er Ming became anxious upon hearing this, "Why don't we go and take Wulin away now?"

As he spoke, he tried to open a dimensional portal to travel to the outside world, find Tang Wulin, and rescue him from the clutches of evil.

"No!"

Ah Yin regretted telling them about Tang Wulin and quickly stopped them, saying, "After I learned about Wulin, I specifically looked into it. Huo Yuhao and Gu Yuena, these two extraordinary geniuses, appeared by his side when Wulin was nine years old. At the time, I didn't think much of it, but now that I know they are gods, I'm shocked. They probably already knew about Wulin's special abilities back then."

Otherwise, a mere level three innate Blue Silver Grass wouldn't be worth the Spirit Pagoda's attention, which led to Xiong Jun's instruction. This is also one of the reasons why I didn't have too many doubts when Er Ming revealed the Fire God; the Fire God's abnormality was already evident at that time.

For the past six years, Huo Yuhao —also known as the God of Fire God —has maintained a good relationship with Wulin. If it were only for the Golden Dragon King God Core, there would be no need to maintain such a relationship; he must have other plans. I think even if he were to take out the Golden Dragon King God Core, it wouldn't be what you imagine."

Ah Yin's tone was serious, "Of course, I will not place my hopes on his mercy. But do not forget that the Golden Dragon King caused such a terrible disaster in the Gods Divine Realm, leading to Ragnarok. How dangerous is his Divine Core? How could the seal set up by the God King be a child's play? There must have been restrictions and backup plans. Do not ignore these things because you are worried about losing your composure."

If you rush there now, not only will you fail to save Wulin, but you might also alert him, escalate the conflict, and truly put Wulin in danger! Taking Wulin away from the Spirit Pagoda requires careful consideration."

Ah Yin's words calmed the two beasts down.

Da Ming took a deep breath, burying his worries in his heart, and turned his gaze to the Shrek teachers and students in the small plane.

Although interrupted by Huo Yuhao, Er Ming still managed to take more than a dozen people with him. However, there weren't many strong individuals among them. The most noteworthy were the Inner Court's Grandmaster Lan Muzi and Grandmaster Tang Yinmeng. There wasn't a single Super Douluo among them.

The Limit Douluo and Elders of the Shrek Academy were all left in Shrek City.

Now, these "survivors" are gathered together in fear and unease, looking at Da Ming, Er Ming, and Ah Yin with bewildered, sad, and hopeful eyes.

They lost their academy, their teachers, and their friends, like rootless duckweed. Now, Ah Yin and the two Beast Kings have become their only remaining support and possible direction.

Finally, Lan Muzi was the first to control her emotions and approach the three of them, asking in a low voice, "Seniors, how are my teacher— the Light and Dark Douluo —and the others?"

He was Long Yeyue's disciple by name. Because he had entered early, he only knew that Er Ming's appearance had intimidated the Federation's powerful figures, but he was completely clueless about the subsequent developments of Sea God Island.

However, the fact that no more Shrek Academy students were brought in clearly indicates that something has gone wrong.

Er Ming out of his daze and looked at him with a complicated expression. "Just as she was about to enter the passage, she was knocked into the water by a reincarnated deity. The Federation has two reincarnated deities overseeing things, so I couldn't provide assistance to more people. I don't know what happened after that, but I'm afraid the outcome is grim."

A reincarnation of a deity?

Lan Muzi's eyes widened, and the person eavesdropping behind him gasped.

After a long while, Lan Muzi clenched his fist, his nails digging deep into his palm, blood seeping from between his fingers. Behind him, there were the sounds of teeth chattering, suppressed gasps, but mostly a deathly silence.

"Can I know who those gods are?" Lan Muzi's voice was squeezed out through clenched teeth.

"Huo Yuhao, Gu Yuena, it was Huo Yuhao who knocked your teacher into the water." Er Ming glanced at Ah Yin, "The former should be the reincarnation of the God of Fire God First Rank God in the Divine Realm."

He learned these two names from Ah Yin; he didn't know their current names before.

Lan Muzi looked dazed as she recalled the boys and girls she had once met.

Unexpectedly, it was they who delivered the final blow to Shrek, and he was even more surprised that those two were actually gods.

He harbored hatred, but when he thought of the immense power of the gods and the Federation representatives, his hatred was like a pot of cold water poured on a burning ember, leaving only cold ashes, and a sense of powerlessness washed over him.

Da Ming sighed. "You should now be the most prestigious leader among you. What are your plans?"

Lan Muzi was speechless, then said with a wry smile, "I'll listen to everything—"

He paused mid-sentence, seemingly remembering something, and looked up to ask, "Do you two know about the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well? It's also part of the academy's foundation, currently guarded by the Tang Sect. Although I imagine it's also under the Federation's watchful eye, they can't move the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Of course, given Shrek's current situation, they don't need to bother relocating."

"I want to talk to the Ferocious Beast in the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. In this situation, any help we can get is valuable."

Although Shrek and the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well had an agreement that they could only enter once every hundred years, the current situation was special, so they had no choice but to break the agreement.

Da Ming, Er Ming, and even Ah Yin were all immediately impressed.

I almost forgot, Shrek has such a treasure trove.

"Once we've settled everyone else in, we'll go check out the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well."

The Da Ming made the decision.

Lan Muzi nodded, then glanced one last time at the void of the small dimension, seemingly looking at Shrek.

What has become of that place now?

His friends, teachers, and the Pavilion Master —are they alive or dead?

In the void, the intersection of the two figures was beyond the reach of the naked eye; only the aftershocks of Destruction silently proclaimed the level of the battle.

Clang--!

It wasn't the clang of metal clashing, but a heavy, explosive sound as space was forcibly torn apart and the Laws were briefly disrupted. The dazzling silver of the Atlas Spear—

The light from the sword, along with the deep, dark glow of the Black Dragon Sword, clashed fiercely once more!

Yun Ming's figure drifted back dozens of feet, each step leaving behind spiderweb-like silver ripples in the void—a sign that he was forcibly releasing the terrifying force that had invaded his body into space. The muscles of his right arm, which held the spear, trembled slightly beneath the silver armor.

In contrast, Di Tian remained completely still. The Black Dragon Sword in his hand seemed not to be a weapon, but rather an extension of his dragon claw, a part of his majesty.

The advantages are evident in every detail.

"The number one person in the Douluo Continent —that was truly an overstatement in the past."

The Heaven Supporting Douluo, covered in wounds, looked at Di Tian with a bitter smile on his lips.

He witnessed the terrifying power of the Di Tian during this battle.

He was no match for Di Tian even though he temporarily relied on external forces to break through to the God Rank. Before breaking through to the God Rank, he was also certain that he was no match for Di Tian either.

"No, I think that the first being in this world to reach the realm of True God is truly deserving of the title of the number one person in the Douluo Continent! After all, I am not a true True God now, while you, even if you have only temporarily reached that level, are undoubtedly True God."

Di Tian wore an expression of admiration, though he also bore a few scars on his body.

Yun Ming was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.

Then, the bitter smile stained with blood at the corner of his mouth gradually melted away, turning into a relieved and honest expression.

Yes, the desire to win or lose, to compare oneself to others, becomes superfluous dust at this moment when one has given everything and touched the realm one has sought throughout one's life.

Yun Ming felt the power within him rapidly slipping away, like sand through his fingers, impossible to hold onto. He looked at Di Tian and extended a final invitation. "Let's settle this with one move. How about it?"

Di Tian's vertical pupils contracted slightly. He could clearly sense that the God Rank power within Yun Ming's body, which was forcibly enhanced and as turbulent as boiling water, was converging and compressing towards the tip of the Atlas Spear- Supporting Spear like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

"Good."

Di Tian slowly uttered a single word, sheathed the Black Dragon Sword, and an even deeper and more domineering aura emanated from him.

I will treat you with the utmost respect.

Yun Ming's own light and Di Tian converged in the sky.

No further explanation is needed.

The next instant -

Yun Ming made a move.

His movements appeared extremely slow, as if each movement required the expending of all his strength. The Atlas Spear followed his movements, thrusting forward and unleashing a burst of golden light that completely enveloped him.

"Qingtian, Sun-Shooting!"

Di Tian's right hand transformed into a dragon claw, revealing scales one by one. Behind him, a vast black dragon's shadow slowly emerged, and above this black dragon's shadow, a Seven Colors halo shimmered.

"Dragon God Claw!"

A dazzling light enveloped the entire Shrek City at that moment.