Inviting the guest into the urn (4,000 words)

Upon hearing Oscar's question, Huo Yuhao realized that he was unaware of the Ten Thousand Year Plan, and couldn't help but smile.

"The Abyss Plane was an enemy that invaded Douluo Continent six thousand years ago. Its strength was no weaker than that of the Douluo Continent, and it contained gods and 108 emperors—"

"External enemies? Six thousand years ago?"

Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Tang Wutong frowned immediately upon hearing these two keywords.

The first two seemed to realize something but said nothing, but Tang Wutong asked directly, "How is this possible? If it was an invasion of the Douluo Continent six thousand years ago, why didn't the Divine Realm pay any attention?"

The Divine Realm needs the Power of Faith the mortal realm, and also has the responsibility to protect it.

Six thousand years ago— the Divine Realm was still there!

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow upon hearing Tang Wutong's question.

Why? What else could it be?

If it's not the timeline's fault, then it's Tang San's fault; someone always has to take the blame.

Speaking of which, Huo Yuhao has to complain about the timeline of the Dragon King's Legend.

Six thousand years before the Dragon King's Legend era, the Abyss Invasion Douluo Continent. According to the Abyssal Sage King, he could no longer sense the Divine Realm at that time, which led to many conspiracy theories.

Indeed, the war in the Divine Realm began twenty years after Tang Wutong and Huo Yuhao became gods in the original novel. According to the saying that one day in the Divine Realm is equivalent to one year on Earth, at least seven thousand years had passed in the Douluo Continent. When the Abyss Invasion the Douluo Continent, the Divine Realm was still clearly still there. The Abyss Plane could not sense the Divine Realm, so it could only be that Tang San was behind it.

As for what Tang San said to the Abyssal Sage King before the ending of the Dragon King's Legend —that the Divine Realm was swept away by Space-Time Turbulence Ten Thousand Years Ago ago— the Divine Realm disappeared not long after the Peerless Tang Sect era? Who would believe that?

Huo Yuhao, anyway, didn't believe it.

However, if the Abyss can make Tang San take the blame, then the gap between the two subsequent timelines is not acceptable.

Two thousand years ago, the divine powers of Destruction and Life Divine Power fell from the Divine Realm onto Devil Island, which clearly corresponds to the sacrifice of Life and Destruction to protect the Divine Realm.

Then, fifteen years later, Tang Wulin arrived in the Douluo Continent.

The Destruction of Life and death, and Tang Wulin's being sent to the lower realm, would obviously have been completed within a day in the Divine Realm, which would translate to at most a year in the lower realm. However, the timeline of the Douluo Continent has somehow jumped back so many years—

This blame has nothing to do with Tang San; it can only be placed on the Space-Time Turbulence.

Otherwise, it's a timing bug.

Thinking this, Huo Yuhao glanced at Ning Rongrong and Oscar, "You two should have the answer to why the Abyss was able to invade Douluo Continent."

"Aunt Rongrong, do you know?"

Tang Wutong looked at the two of them, her brows furrowed.

The two fell silent for a moment, and before they could speak, Gu Yuena said, "What else could it be? You should know the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python, right? They're carrying out the Sea God's grand plan, waiting for an opportunity related to the Abyss Plane. During this process, the intervention of a powerful deity will alert the Abyss Plane."

"This is why we said before that we don't want a war between gods to happen. If an overly intense war between gods occurs, alerting the Abyss, the consequences would be unpredictable."

Tang Wutong was stunned, her expression complex.

Gu Yuena's words essentially made everything clear.

The Abyss Plane was brought here by her father, Tang San. Moreover, he was planning everything even when the Divine Realm still existed, and he even concealed it from the God Realm Committee!

It was clearly a big deal, but Tang Wutong didn't doubt Gu Yuena's words because she felt that her father was capable of doing it.

After all, he's been meddling in the affairs of the lower realms for quite some time now.

Oscar sighed. "So that's how it is. So, the reason you and Da Ming Er Ming became enemies was because of Xiao San's plan?"

"That's one way to put it." Huo Yuhao thought for a moment and nodded. "After all, if it weren't for the plan, those two probably wouldn't have made a move, and we naturally wouldn't have had to confront them."

If Da Ming Er Ming were willing to stay hidden in the smaller planes, they wouldn't come knocking on their door.

Upon hearing this, Tang Wutong felt somewhat relieved about Huo Yuhao's beating of Er Ming.

So, her cheapskate father also bears half the blame for this.

"The calamity of the Abyss remains unresolved, for gods reside within it."

Huo Yuhao stared at the three of them. "Over the past six thousand years, countless people have died in the Douluo Continent because of the Abyss. And because of the Abyss's dimensional characteristics, the dead can be resurrected. It's not to say there's no loss at all, but it's not far off—I wonder what the three of you think about this?"

In the past six thousand years, only people have died on the Douluo Continent, while there have been no losses on the Abyss Plane. Those who sacrificed themselves on the Douluo Continent were necessary sacrifices for the implementation of Tang San's plan.

How should they view this?

Tang Wutong and the other two fell into a brief silence.

Ning Rongrong lowered her eyes, seemingly lost in thought. Oscar frowned slightly, his fingers tapping lightly on the edge of the stone bench.

And Tang Wutong ----

She took a deep breath and suddenly said in a low voice, "Sacrifice is acceptable, but being sacrificed is not! No matter how much benefit his plan might bring to the Douluo Continent, that has nothing to do with the dead. From the perspective of those who were kept in the dark and sacrificed, this is undoubtedly wrong!"

One cannot preach lofty principles only when one is not being used as a victim.

From the perspective of those who sacrificed their lives, the right and wrong of this matter are obvious.

Ning Rongrong suddenly looked up, frowning, and said, "Wutong, Third Brother should have his own—"

"Aunt Rongrong, please don't try to persuade me," Tang Wutong interrupted her. "I know you two are close, I know you're partners who have fought side by side, and you may think he has his reasons. But he's also my father, and I know what kind of person he is to some extent."

Believe in the power of the gods, but not in their mercy.

Back when Shrek was in such a state, her father still went to help them up, and even divine intervention caused the Sun Moon Empire to change its name. Although she was on the side of Douluo Three Kingdoms and Shrek Academy at the time, and Tang San was her father, Tang Wutong simply couldn't bring herself to say that Tang San was right.

They felt the Sun Moon Empire shouldn't have been unified, so what was the point of having a divine intervention to stop the war, rename the Sun Moon Empire, and then abandon it? Was it just wishful thinking?

Sometimes she really couldn't understand what the other person was thinking.

Huo Yuhao was amazed by Tang Wutong's answer.

This one—she really isn't Princess Tang, she must be Wang Dong'er!

Princess Tang was not so opinionated, nor would she have said such a thing.

Oscar patted Ning Rongrong on the shoulder, paused for a moment, and slowly said, "We really can't defend the Xiao San in this matter. He—maybe he had his reasons, but for those who sacrificed for this, saying these things is meaningless."

As he spoke, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Judging from their words, they are considering things from the perspective of the Douluo Continent. Douluo Continent has paid a heavy price to resist the Abyss Plane, which may be why they do not want a war of gods to break out, lest the Abyss become alert and even escape.

After all, wouldn't the people of the Douluo Continent have sacrificed themselves in vain?

In the Douluo Continent, people die and contribute their efforts, only to have the Abyss Plane walk away unscathed—the thought alone is infuriating and unacceptable.

Since such an enemy exists in the Douluo Continent now, and the grudges between Da Ming Er Ming, Huo Yuhao, and others are relatively restrained due to the Abyss Plane, there is even less need for them to fight each other.

Seeing that Oscar seemed to relax a bit, Huo Yuhao's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded slightly, "It's rare for the Food God to think this way."

Through this question, he gained a basic understanding of the three people's attitudes.

Ning Rongrong was relatively protective of Tang San; Oscar was more objective, but out of brotherly affection, he gave Tang San face; as for Tang Wutong ----

Huo Yuhao glanced at her again.

This person was very clear-headed and dared to speak frankly. Apart from not using any vulgar language, he basically didn't give Tang San any face.

This attitude was somewhat unexpected.

"I think I understand your attitudes."

Huo Yuhao's gaze swept over the three of them. "So, are there any other questions? If I can answer them, I'd be happy to help you—by the way, how do you three plan to calculate the value of this information? Will it be included in the exchange for the items from Qiankun Asking Love Valley, or will it be paid for separately?"

Seeing Tang Wutong staring at him, Huo Yuhao smiled. "As I said before, information has value. Surely you won't renege on your promise?"

Tang Wutong raised an eyebrow, then gave a light snort, "Who's going to renege on their debt? I just have some questions I want to ask, we'll settle them together later."

Huo Yuhao smiled and gestured for them to proceed.

Seeing this, Tang Wutong's expression turned serious. "Why was Shrek wiped out? I want to know the details."

Although she wasn't that concerned about Shrek, she was still quite curious about the specific reasons for its destruction.

"This issue has been widely discussed outside; you'll find out when you go out," Huo Yuhao said, for some reason, as a special reminder.

"Since it's so widely known, its value probably isn't high."

Tang Wutong didn't mind, "Just say it."

Perhaps the reasons behind this have already been widely discussed outside, but the person in front of me clearly has a broader perspective than the average person and should know more inside information.

"----That's a long story, it could even be traced back Ten Thousand Years Ago. Ten Thousand Years Ago, to avoid being destroyed by the Sun Moon Empire —which had by then been renamed the Heaven Dou Empire by the Sea God — the Star Luo Empire and other nations continuously explored overseas, discovered two continents, and began to migrate and establish nations on the outer continents. Shrek had a deep connection with them----"

After listening to Huo Yuhao's explanation, the three gradually gained a better understanding of the history of the Douluo Continent and also understood why Shrek Academy was destroyed.

"Treason and collusion with the enemy?"

Tang Wutong closed her eyes, a complex expression on her face.

"Shrek still sees themselves as the aloof, neutral force they were ten Ten Thousand Years Ago."

In her view, the reason Shrek perished was very simple: they didn't sit properly.

Ten Thousand Years Ago, although Shrek was helping the Douluo Three Kingdoms fight against the Sun Moon Empire, it did not actually belong to the Douluo Three Kingdoms and was a neutral force that was detached from the world.

But now, the entire Douluo Continent has been unified and is managed by the Federation. Shrek Academy is already a part of the Douluo Federation, but judging from its actions, it still considers itself a neutral force and is even capable of helping enemy countries—its destruction can only be said to be reasonable.

Ning Rongrong and Oscar exchanged a glance, remaining silent, somewhat dazed.

Because they thought of the Spirit Hall.

What was the ultimate fate of that once mighty behemoth that dominated the continent and commanded all others? It was attacked by all sides and crushed by the wheels of history.

While Shrek and the Spirit Hall are not entirely the same, they do share some similarities—both once stood at the pinnacle of the continent, both believed themselves to be aloof, and both clung to their glory amidst the tides of time, only to find themselves long since left behind.

Yesterday's Spirit Hall, today's Shrek.

The world is a great Reincarnation.

Oscar snapped out of his daze, feeling a mix of emotions.

Shrek was destroyed, and he couldn't find the reason why.

And what about them?

The Angel God, representing the Spirit Hall, perished along with the Spirit Hall, heralding the beginning of a new era. Now that Shrek has been destroyed, what fate awaits these gods who represent Shrek Academy?

If a new era begins, will these remnants of the old regime still have a place to stand?

In this new era, are there truly ships to carry them?

While Oscar was pondering, Ning Rongrong glanced at him and said to Huo Yuhao, "We have no problems for now. Let's talk about the Qiankun Asking Love Valley Qiankun Asking Love Valley. You tell us what you can offer in exchange for it, and we'll calculate the cost of this information later."

Upon hearing this, Huo Yuhao nodded. "Alright, then so be it."

He looked at Ning Rongrong and Oscar, narrowing his eyes, "Both of you are gods who came to Douluo after the War of the Divine Realm. You must need resources to improve your cultivation or recover from your injuries, right?"

Ning Rongrong's eyes narrowed, realizing that the other party had seen through her state, but she wasn't surprised.

After all, gods who come down from the Divine Realm are more or less injured.

"That's right, so what can you offer?"

"I naturally have no way to heal the injuries inflicted by the Golden Dragon King. However, I do have resources to improve my cultivation."

Huo Yuhao gave Oscar a focused look. "Although the Douluo Continent isn't weak in the current plane, its level cap is fixed. Generally speaking, it's impossible to break through to the God Rank. Even if someone has Divine Position and their understanding of God Rank Laws remains, it's still very difficult to continue improving by simply absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth."

"I can give you two choices. One is to use my position in the Federation to help you obtain permission to spread your faith. I can build statues for you on the Douluo Continent and collect Power of Faith —after all, you know the situation at Shrek. Without our help, it would be very difficult for you to obtain Power of Faith, given your relationship with Shrek."

None of the three objected.

Shrek was destroyed; without the persuasion of the gods in the Federation camp, the Federation certainly wouldn't have supported them in acquiring faith.

"Secondly, I have access to a secret realm containing God Rank resources. I can give you the opportunity to enter, but I cannot guarantee that you will be able to obtain them."

Huo Yuhao smiled and said, "As you three know, the situation in the Douluo Continent is similar. I also need resources, but Qiankun Asking Love Valley isn't essential to me, so I can only offer these two."

"I understand. After all, you're unlikely to give us truly good things. If you did, I'd suspect you had ulterior motives."

Tang Wutong muttered, looking at Oscar and Ning Rongrong, "Aunt Rongrong, Uncle Oscar, how do we choose?"

Ning Rongrong and Oscar exchanged a glance and began to communicate telepathically.

Faith won't work; accepting the first condition is tantamount to directly joining them. Moreover, given Shrek's reputation outside the Douluo Continent, whether we can gain faith, and how much faith we can gain, is still unknown.

But the second option also has a problem. Although God Rank resources, if they were really easy to obtain, they would have taken them themselves—could there be a trap involved, and they want us to go and clear it for them?

You mean, he wants to use us to pave the way for him?

It's not impossible, but it's not necessarily a bad thing. If there really God Rank resources in that secret realm, even just a small share would be enough to help you recover significantly. However, if you can't get them and just hand over Qiankun Asking Love Valley for nothing, that would be a huge loss; they would need to offer a guaranteed minimum return.

The two shared Tang Wutong's view: precisely because what Huo Yuhao offered wasn't overly extravagant, it seemed more genuine. If he had promised a complete Divine Tool all at once, they would have suspected him of having ulterior motives.

Moreover, their previous conversation made them realize that Huo Yuhao and his companion did indeed have concerns, and that a battle would not benefit either side.

Therefore, although they remained vigilant, they did not suspect it was a trap, but rather that there was something fishy about this secret realm.

Moreover, if a secret realm is used as a trap, it will surely be destroyed once the battle begins. Is it really worth exchanging a secret realm for Qiankun Asking Love Valley, a one-for-one trade?

Surely there couldn't be a secret realm in the Douluo Continent that even they couldn't destroy, right?

If so, Ning Rongrong said she really wanted to see it.

"We choose the second option, but we hope to explore together and split the spoils equally. And if we don't get the resources, we need a guaranteed minimum return. Qiankun Asking Love Valley is being given to you directly; we can't just leave empty-handed."

Upon hearing this answer, a barely perceptible smile appeared in Huo Yuhao's eyes.

"This is a reasonable demand."