Lying Low Didn't Mean Growing Stronger

Watching the group leave, Huo Yuhao tapped his fingers on the table.

The situation in the Abyss Passage is currently relatively stable. Perhaps the Abyss Plane will take action after Wulin begins to absorb Abyss energy, but it shouldn't be a major problem.

He will take action.

As for the Star Luo Empire, Star Luo Empire still has the national strength; let the Federation proceed steadily for now.

As for Dou Ling ----

Huo Yuhao looked at Rong Lingji, who had appeared silently at the door.

"You've arrived. Are you ready?"

Rong Lingji did not answer immediately, but glanced at Huo Yuhao a few times, recalling his adopted daughter's words and actions.

After the Federation Conference, he met with Rong Tianling, who said that Huo Yuhao's identity was special and had frightened her. However, she didn't directly reveal Huo Yuhao's identity, which made him very curious.

He was also very curious about Huo Yuhao's situation—who exactly was this deity, and whether his guess was correct!

Unfortunately, Rong Tianling was bound by a restriction, and a very complete one at that. Rong Tianling only sighed and had no real intention of communicating Huo Yuhao's identity to him, so he could only investigate on his own.

But obviously, you can't see anything with the naked eye.

"Should we ask later?"

Thinking this, Rong Lingji walked in, shook his head with a hint of helplessness, and replied, "I'm ready. But you really are being impolite, dumping such a troublesome task on me right away."

Sending me to investigate and infiltrate Dou Ling —that would have been fine in the past, but now, there's a high chance a Dou Ling is overseeing Douling!

"I've already explained the whole story to you. The Dou Ling is the most likely location for the Holy Spirit Cult's blood sacrifice, and there must be a force there to stop the blood sacrifice at the crucial moment."

Huo Yuhao smiled slightly, "And just as you said, that place is now the headquarters of the God of Slaughter. If something really happens, there are very few people who can stop it. Sending you there represents my recognition of your abilities."

"Besides, your adopted daughter has connections to Dou Ling, so you're the most suitable person to go. You wouldn't want your adopted daughter's hometown to be sacrificed, would you?"

The strategy adopted at the previous Federation meeting regarding the Dou Ling was primarily based on investigation and infiltration. This involved dispatching personnel to investigate intelligence regarding blood sacrifices, Holy Spirit Cult strongholds, and the movements of the God of Slaughter, while simultaneously arranging for powerful individuals to infiltrate and wait for an opportunity to disrupt the Holy Spirit Cult's operations.

Dou Ling are currently not suited for direct attacks.

Dou Ling is a weak nation. If the Douluo Federation were to launch a full-scale attack on Dou Ling, the Holy Spirit Cult might just turn on them and start a blood sacrifice. By then, it would be too late for the Federation to react. That's why the Federation decided on a strategy of infiltration first, followed by sabotage.

Upon hearing Huo Yuhao bring up his adopted daughter, Rong Lingji was speechless for a moment.

Seeing this, Huo Yuhao smiled and continued, "Since you're ready, then prepare to go to the Dou Ling Empire with the Dark Department personnel—I've already communicated with the Dark Department, and I'll hand over the credentials to you now."

Infiltration missions are naturally handled by the Dark Department.

Rong Lingji shook his head helplessly, "Can doing this really avoid the blood sacrifice? Such a vast continent, there aren't many places we can protect. Besides, the Holy Spirit Cult's target isn't necessarily the Dou Ling Empire; the Star Luo Continent and the Douluo Continent could also be targets."

If the Holy Spirit Cult truly resorts to any means to carry out blood sacrifices and harvest souls, let alone the other two continents, even protecting the entire Douluo Federation will not be an easy task. With so many towns and villages, there will inevitably be places that cannot be protected.

"We were just doing our best."

Huo Yuhao said, "Moreover, large-scale blood sacrifices require a large population. You should keep an eye on the largest towns in the Dou Ling Empire Dou Ling Empire, especially the capital Heaven Dou City. As for the others, don't worry about them; just wait for the right opportunity."

The capital of the Dou Ling Empire is also called Heaven Dou City.

In a sense, the world seems to have a strong preference for the term "Heaven Dou," and it has been passed down for many years.

Upon hearing this, Rong Lingji and Huo Yuhao exchanged a glance, pondering in their hearts.

Are there any other arrangements?

"Okay, I understand." He didn't ask any further questions. After obtaining the evidence and the location of the Dark Department Guard's stronghold from Huo Yuhao, he turned and walked towards the door.

Halfway there, Rong Lingji stopped and turned to Huo Yuhao. "I heard you revealed your identity at the previous meeting, and I'm quite curious too. Could you tell me about it? If it needs to be kept secret, I won't reveal it."

Huo Yuhao raised an eyebrow, then smiled and said, "Telling you won't hurt. My Titled Douluo is— Ling Bing!"

Rong Lingji had expected to hear about Huo Yuhao's identity in the Divine Realm, but instead heard about Titled Douluo, leaving him stunned.

Having lived in the Douluo Continent for so many years, he naturally knew the unique characteristics of this world. Every Titled Douluo had their own Titled Douluo, but what did that have to do with Huo Yuhao's identity?

Wait, Ling Bing?!

Rong Lingji's eyes widened suddenly. "Isn't this the Titled Douluo of the First Generation Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda? He's a famous figure in the Douluo Continent. Would the Spirit Pagoda allow you to use his Titled Douluo —no, wait, the identity that would surprise Tianling so much—"

Could you be the Spirit Ice Douluo himself?!

He quickly realized what was happening, turned around, and returned to Huo Yuhao's desk, looking him up and down with a horrified expression.

"You're the one who rejected my father's Divine Position Ten Thousand Years Ago? You're still alive?!"

How is that possible?

"That's right."

Huo Yuhao nodded, looking at Rong Lingji shocked expression, and smiled, "To be honest, I was also quite surprised to see you. I haven't spent much time with Senior Rong Nianbing. After I refused the Divine Position, he only gave me a few pointers and then we lost contact. I never expected him to tell his descendants about this—and I certainly didn't expect it to arouse your curiosity, bringing you from the Divine Realm to the Douluo Continent."

Seeing that Huo Yuhao had admitted it and even recounted the experiences of Rong Nianbing and Spirit Ice Douluo, Rong Lingji began to believe in the other party's identity, but her tone was still full of disbelief.

"But didn't you fail to become a god and perish Ten Thousand Years Ago? Even if there are other hidden reasons for this, and you survived, how did you manage to live to this day if you didn't become a god?"

His father had told him that after Spirit Ice Douluo rejected the Emotion God Position, he attempted to Self-Created Godhood, but ultimately perished.

Even if his father heard about this from Sea God Tang San, the Sea God, the Sea God wouldn't make a mistake regarding the life and death of the Son of Destiny in the Douluo Plane.

Even if there were a mistake, and Spirit Ice Douluo didn't become a god, how did he live to see Ten Thousand Years later?

The lifespan of Limit Douluo is only a few hundred years, right?

To tell a human that they've lived for Ten Thousand Years is less accurate than telling them they've become a god!

In other words, Huo Yuhao was the Child of the Plane the Douluo Plane, and was observed by the Sea God and his father. Otherwise, he might have suspected that Huo Yuhao had secretly become a god Ten Thousand Years Ago, or that he himself was a powerful god reincarnated.

"He had some skills and survived."

Huo Yuhao saw through Rong Lingji's thoughts and said with a smile, "Are you curious about my methods?"

Rong Lingji was taken aback by those words. He was indeed curious, but directly asking about someone's methods of self-preservation would be incredibly tactless.

He shook his head with a wry smile, "No need. Your Spirit Ice Crown possesses such abilities even before becoming a god; it is truly admirable."

As he said this, he looked at Huo Yuhao with a hint of awe.

If Huo Yuhao were a god, he could convince himself to accept many things, but Spirit Ice Douluo simply didn't become a god.

How could he not understand the significance of someone who, without attaining godhood, feigned death under the occasional watchful eyes of some deities in the Divine Realm, living from Ten Thousand Years Ago to the present, and was still able to create that terrifying Divine Tool —possessing abilities surpassing even those of gods despite not being one himself?

How could he remain calm and unafraid in the face of such a being?

He could have become a god but didn't; instead, he lingered in the Douluo Continent for Ten Thousand Years. Compared to the Holy Spirit Cult and the Abyss Plane, Rong Lingji felt that the person in front of him was more like a mastermind hiding behind the scenes, orchestrating events for eternity.

If Huo Yuhao hadn't acted with integrity, and if it weren't for the fact that his father had a good relationship with the other party, he probably would have run away with Rong Tianling immediately.

Huo Yuhao: "You flatter me. Is there anything else you'd like to know? I'll tell you everything."

"No need, I'd rather not know."

Rong Lingji's lips twitched, and he turned and left.

Tianling and those little guys from the Federation probably still think Huo Yuhao is a god.

It must be said that sometimes ignorance is bliss.

After the door closed and the office fell silent again, Huo Yuhao smiled slightly and leaned back in his chair.

He naturally wouldn't place all his hopes for thwarting the Holy Spirit Cult's blood sacrifice plan on the Dark Department and Rong Lingji —the truly crucial One Ring lay with Old Yi.

However, this matter cannot be rushed.

It will take time for Old Yi to gain the trust of the Holy Spirit Cult.

His immediate priority is to complete the modification of those few Godslayer-level Soul Cannon Shell, enhance his cultivation foundation, and—guard the Abyss Passage.

"I wonder if Wulin's actions will be able to provoke the Abyssal Sage King to take action, just like in the original story—"

Huo Yuhao thought to himself.

After leaving Spirit Transmission, Rong Lingji took the credentials given to him by Huo Yuhao and went to the Dark Department.

The Dark Department service's offices were located on the third basement level of the building north of the Federation Parliament. The exterior was unassuming, but the interior was heavily fortified.

After he presented his credentials, he was guided by an expressionless member of the Dark Department through several soul-guided detection gates, eventually arriving at a closed conference room.

Na Nali and Ha Luosa are both here.

When they saw Rong Lingji enter with the credentials given to him by Huo Yuhao, their expressions changed slightly.

"I thought they were going to send a powerful expert we knew, but it turned out to be a completely unfamiliar Limit Douluo — the Spirit Pagoda's foundation is truly profound."

Ha Luosa gave Rong Lingji a deep look.

He sensed a threat from Rong Lingji.

Without a doubt, this is a Limit Douluo!

Limit fighters have hidden strengths, which shows that the Spirit Pagoda has learned the essence of the Spirit Ice Douluo and probably has quite a lot of hidden resources—thankfully, they are allies.

Otherwise, you wouldn't even know how you got taken down by this kind of old man.

"Strictly speaking, I am not Limit Douluo of the Spirit Pagoda." Rong Lingji smiled and shook his head, handing over the certificate.

Ha Luosa took it, examined it carefully, and after confirming that it was correct, handed it back to Rong Lingji, his tone slightly softening. "Since it was arranged with that person, the Dark Department will naturally cooperate. May I ask how you are addressed?"

"Rong Lingji."

Na Nali blinked, then suddenly remembered something. "The surname Rong? That's a very rare surname. You and Lord Rong Tianling— "

"I am her adoptive father," Rong Lingji replied succinctly, without elaborating further.

Ha Luosa and Na Nali exchanged a glance, and seeing that he didn't want to say more, they didn't press him further.

Please have a seat.

Na Nali pointed to the chair opposite her, took out a document about the Dou Ling Empire, and said in a much more formal tone than usual, "You will be involved in Dou Ling's operations. How much do you know about them?"

Rong Lingji sat down and went straight to the point. "It's just some of the publicly available information, and we also know that there's a deity among them. Is there anything we need to be particularly careful about?"

"Given your strength, aside from that deity and the Holy Spirit Cult, there's nothing else to worry about. After all, the Dou Ling Empire itself is too weak."

Ha Luosa, who had infiltrated the Dou Ling for several years, spoke a truth that was heartbreaking for the Dou Ling Empire but one it had to admit.

Currently, among the three nations in the Douluo Plane, the Douluo Federation is the strongest, followed by the Star Luo Federation, and then the Dou Ling Empire.

This can be seen from the population alone: the population of the Douluo Federation is ten times that of the Dou Ling, and the Star Luo Federation is three times that of the Dou Ling.

The weakness of the Dou Ling Empire is a legacy of history.

The Dou Ling Empire originated from the Heaven Dou Empire. More than 10,000 years ago, the Heaven Dou Empire split into the Heavenly Soul Empire and the Dou Ling Empire. This split naturally led to a significant decline in the national strength of both sides.

The Dou Ling Empire fared the worst. After its split, among the original Douluo Three Kingdoms — the Star Luo Empire, the Heavenly Soul Empire, and the Dou Ling Empire — the Dou Ling Empire was the weakest.

Ironically, after the emergence of the Sun Moon Empire, neither the Heavenly Soul Empire nor the Dou Ling Empire actively learned Soul Tool Technology. The former was relatively strong because it had the Body Sect to maintain its prestige, but the Dou Ling Empire was truly the weakest in the current version.

Yet, the weakest of these two factions Dou Ling Empire, was the first to discover the Dou Ling Continent where people could migrate. Through this migration, they managed to survive until this era, together with the Star Luo Empire.

But simply surviving doesn't mean you've become stronger.

Dou Ling made hasty preparations for the migration, only transferring a little over three thousand people. In order to expand the population rapidly, there were even many cases of inbreeding in the early days, resulting in a high incidence of deformed children. The later development was also unsatisfactory. After all, Martial Soul are related to bloodlines, and a country that has developed with such a small population naturally has relatively few powerful Martial Soul.

Moreover, Dou Ling was already lagging behind in Soul Tool Technology. In addition, the Douluo Federation imposed a Soul Tool Technology blockade on the Dou Ling Empire and the Star Luo Federation. Even with the Tang Sect's funding, the Tang Sect provided mostly finished products, so the development of Soul Tool Technology was still unsatisfactory.

In conclusion, they naturally couldn't even get close to catching up with the Douluo Federation.

However, the Star Luo Federation, having made thorough preparations during its immigration process and relocated a large population, possessed many excellent Soul Master bloodlines. Furthermore, the Soul Tool Technology of its predecessor, the Star Luo Empire, surpassed that of the Dou Ling Empire, resulting in its development far exceeding that of the Dou Ling Empire.

In Ha Luosa's view, it was also a force that could cause some trouble for the Federation. At least if it were the Star Luo Federation, their Dark Department would have to be more careful when infiltrating it.

Although Ha Luosa said it was nothing to worry about, Rong Lingji still took the information from Na Nali and started reading it. The more he read, the stranger his expression became.

"The Dou Ling Empire currently only has three Red Level Mecha, the highest cultivation level being a Level 98 Super Douluo, with no Limit Douluo. It has a standing army of 400,000, approximately 10,000 Mecha, and two naval fleets—why is the information so detailed? Are there high-ranking Federation spies there?"

Seeing Rong Lingji looking over, Ha Luosa spoke in a strange tone.

"I once led a team to infiltrate—but I didn't pay much attention to these details. This information was obtained from Shrek Academy. The Dou Ling Empire once highly valued the assistance provided by the Tang Sect, and the two sides had a very good relationship. Over time, the Tang Sect uncovered some information, and Shrek, for some reason, stayed behind."

"We also have information from the Star Luo Empire, but it's nowhere near as detailed as this."

Rong Lingji:

He remembers that Shrek Academy was wiped out because of treason, right?

So, after being wiped out, they sold out the core secrets of the Star Luo Empire and Dou Ling?

Anyone who didn't know better would think he was a double agent.

Amused, Rong Lingji shook his head, put down the documents, and looked up to ask, "When does the Dark Department plan to depart?"

Seven days later.