The blood-red fissure stretching across the heavens-the Heavenly Rift-pointed straight toward the bitterly cold Far North of the Douluo Continent.
An anomaly that shook the entire plane naturally stirred more than panic and speculation in the mortal world. The Divine Realm, suspended high above mortal existence, was likewise alarmed by this sudden upheaval.
Within the God Realm Committee, vast divine senses had just intertwined, attempting to probe that ominous blood-red scar. Tang San, who held the dual godhood of the Sea God and Asura God, knitted his brows tightly. Purple lightning wreathed the God of Destruction, while worry filled the Goddess of Life's eyes. All the gods stood ready for battle.
Yet before their divine senses could reach the Douluo Continent, a voice tinged with sinister charm and mockery rang out from the Heavenly Rift. "Heh heh, mighty gods of the Divine Realm, this isn't the time for you to sit back and watch the show. For now... why don't you all get some sleep?"
Before the voice faded, an indescribable pitch-black aura, seemingly born of the deepest nightmares, flooded the entire Divine Realm like a surging tide.
This power was not pure destruction, but the ultimate expression of "hypnosis" and "stillness." Even God King-level beings as powerful as Tang San, the God of Destruction, and the Goddess of Life felt their divine souls grow heavy at that instant. Their wills ground uncontrollably to a halt, and one after another, they fell asleep!
The voice gave a soft "Oh?" Its divine sense swept over the sleeping gods before settling on several First-Level Gods among them.
"Right, the attributes of your godhood seem pretty suitable for this kid. In that case, let me give you a 'sweet dream.'"
An even stranger power, known as "Dream Demon," quietly seeped into those First-Level Gods' dreams. This power could not only force its targets to sleep, but also weave and control their dreams, silently influencing or even rewriting their perceptions.
"That bootlicker from before wasn't worth saving at all. Rather than help him, I might as well pick someone else outright. Kid, cultivate hard. For at least five years, you won't have to worry about that sneaky bastard. He'll be sleeping for at least five Divine Realm days. I left an interesting cultivation method in your head, one I just created. Give it a try."
Only after doing all this did the being behind the Heavenly Rift seem satisfied. The black mist shrouding the Divine Realm slowly settled, dragging the entire realm into an eerie silence.
Meanwhile, in the Core Circle of the Far North.
A monumental upheaval capable of reshaping the continent was already unfolding there.
The Far North had Three Great Heavenly Kings.
They were the Heavenly Snow Woman, with nearly seven 100,000 Years of cultivation; the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, with nearly four 100,000 Years; and the Titan Snow Demon King, with over two 100,000 Years.
They were all Ferocious Beasts whose names resounded throughout the world. The first two even ranked third and seventh respectively among the Top Ten Ferocious Beasts.
Not long ago, the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion had already become Huo Yuhao's second martial soul.
After the Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion disappeared, the Heavenly Snow Woman had searched for her for some time without success. Having failed to condense yin-yang complementary dual soul cores in her attempt to reach seven hundred thousand years, she believed she had no chance of surviving her coming seven-hundred-thousand-year tribulation.
She therefore found a hundred-thousand-year snow lotus and used its power to seal away most of her cultivation, allowing her to transform into a human.
Unexpectedly, just as she transformed and entered the transitional state between Soul Beast and human-the Soul Beast embryo form-she encountered a Level 9 Soul Engineer from the Sun Moon Empire.
To a Soul Master, a Soul Beast embryo was a priceless treasure. Not only could it easily provide a soul bone and a soul ring over a hundred thousand years old.
Directly absorbing a Soul Beast embryo even offered a chance of absorbing the Soul Beast inside as a second martial soul.
Since that Level 9 Soul Engineer had already reached the Titled Douluo realm and had no empty soul ring slots, he could not absorb the embryo. He could only use the Sun Moon Empire's Level 9 Soul Tool, the God-Sealing Platform, to try to seal it away.
In truth, this man intended to betray the Sun Moon Empire and join the Star Luo Empire. He had little choice: the Sun Moon Empire had too many Level 9 Soul Engineers, and competition was too fierce. Although he held some standing there, it was hardly lofty.
But if he went to the Star Luo Empire, he would be second to none.
Better the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix.
With that thought in mind, the Level 9 Soul Engineer decided to offer the Soul Beast embryo as an introductory gift, as well as his pledge of allegiance to the Star Luo Empire.
"Despicable human! You dared ambush me during my transformation!" Furious spiritual fluctuations emanated from the Snow Empress's embryo as her remaining power fought desperately against the God-Sealing Platform's suction.
"Hmph, Snow Empress, if you were at your peak, I would naturally flee at the mere sight of you. But how much strength do you have left now? Be a good girl and become my stepping stone to greater heights!" The Level 9 Soul Engineer laughed wildly and drove his soul tool at full power. The God-Sealing Platform shone ever brighter, gradually suppressing the Snow Empress's resistance.
Just as the Snow Empress was about to be completely sealed away.
The sky was suddenly torn open by blood-red light. A massive transparent meteor, wrapped in a chill that froze the soul, thundered down like heavenly punishment!
Its target was none other than that Level 9 Soul Engineer, without the slightest deviation!
"What?" The Soul Engineer barely managed a scream of utter terror before the meteor struck him dead-on.
The Titled Douluo's protective soul power was like paper before that meteor, instantly ground to dust!
Within the Heavenly Rift, the sinister voice seemed to mutter, "Oops, didn't control my strength properly. Looks like my throw went a little wide, and I accidentally crushed a little ant. I'd better keep this from Little Tian, or he'll start nagging me again!"
As he murmured, the blood-red fissure in the sky rapidly closed, as though it had never appeared, leaving only the Far North's eternal wind and snow.
The meteor hit the ground, and its outer layer of transparent crystal quietly melted, revealing a boy curled up inside. His face was identical to that of Dai Youheng in Star Luo City. His eyes were tightly shut, and he seemed to still be asleep.
The Snow Empress's embryo hovered in the air, her remaining spiritual power filled with shock and bewilderment. She could clearly sense that the boy inside the meteor possessed no particularly powerful energy fluctuations. Yet... how had he fallen from the sky? And how had he instantly annihilated a Titled Douluo?
But the Snow Empress had no time to ponder. Her transformation had been forcibly interrupted, and she had also suffered the impact of the God-Sealing Platform's power. The embryo form she had maintained through the hundred-thousand-year snow lotus began to grow dangerously unstable. Her vast power of origin was rapidly spilling away, and her soul teetered on the verge of collapse.
In the end... can I still not escape this calamity...? Sorrow welled up within the Snow Empress. But no matter what, this is better than being enslaved by humans!
Her gaze fell on the boy who had emerged from the meteor.
Perhaps... this is my only chance to survive!
Driven into a desperate corner, the Snow Empress made a decision similar to the Sky Dream Ice Silkworm's-sacrifice!
A dazzling red sacrificial formation instantly lit up beneath her embryo. As though it had found an outlet, her vast power of ultimate ice surged toward the sleeping boy. The power of the hundred-thousand-year snow lotus protected the core of her soul, allowing her, during the sacrifice, to
keep her consciousness from perishing.
Yet the moment the sacrifice began, the Snow Empress realized something was wrong.
The boy's body... was utterly empty. He had not even awakened his martial soul!
She carefully examined his bone age and discovered that the boy was already fourteen!
Fourteen years old, and he still hasn't awakened his martial soul? Could... could this boy be someone from outside this world? The Snow Empress was stunned, and helplessness washed over her. Her luck today was truly abysmal. Being ambushed during her transformation was bad enough, but when she tried to find a host through sacrifice, she had chosen someone who did not even have a martial soul!
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