Regret

(Important matter.)

This book is at risk of being removed from shelves, and it will be difficult for Little Jiang and Wulin's story to continue.

This book represents three months of the author's hard work, and even though it's completely unrecognizable, I still want an ending.

Starting from this chapter, Little Jiang reverts to his male form; his female form will almost exclusively appear in battle. (For other details, please see the author's notes.)

Thump! Thump! Thump!

My heart was pounding like a drum in my chest.

"W-what happened?"

Jiang Mingyuan felt a sudden pang of heartache for no apparent reason.

[...]

[...]

[Sizzle...! Sizzle...!]

Jiang Mingyuan felt utterly confused, a jumble of static piercing his mind.

[Buzz... Host... Complete the core... Please hurry... Take care!]

It was as if there was no time left to let the seedlings grow on their own. A massive amount of disordered and chaotic information was frantically flooding into Jiang Mingyuan's mind.

Jiang Mingyuan felt that his mind had undergone a complete transformation.

Jiang Mingyuan's mind went blank, two lines of tears slid down his cheeks, and he remained frozen in place, his expression one of astonishment and disbelief.

Xie Xie was the first to notice something was wrong.

"Hey! What's wrong with you? It can't be that serious, can it? Tang Wulin just won first place, is that all the fuss about? Wait! Jiang Mingyuan!"

Xie Xie waved his arms in front of Jiang Mingyuan, trying to bring him to his senses.

"Jiang Mingyuan! Jiang Mingyuan! Teacher Wu! Come quick!"

When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I saw was the ceiling.

It was white, a little yellowish, and not a place he was familiar with.

Jiang Mingyuan blinked; the ceiling was still there.

He tried to move his fingers, and he could. But it was very difficult, as if all the energy in his body had been completely exhausted, and he couldn't support any movement at all.

"Water, is anyone home?"

A hoarse, faint sound was squeezed out with difficulty from his throat.

"Brother Yuan! You're finally awake!"

Tang Wulin's urgent voice reached his ears, and a completely new color finally appeared in Jiang Mingyuan's blurry vision.

It's Wulin.

Jiang Mingyuan finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Five minutes later.

Jiang Mingyuan sat on the hospital bed with a small table in front of him. Tang Wulin had asked Uncle Mu Ye to prepare a lot of nutritious and restorative meals for him.

"Eat slowly, Brother Yuan, I have more here if you're not full."

Although Jiang Mingyuan's skin was still pale and he had an IV tube inserted in the back of his hand, he was now wolfing down his food in a manner completely indistinguishable from a normal person.

"Wulin, how long have I been asleep?" Jiang Mingyuan blurted out as he shoveled rice into his mouth, not even having swallowed it yet.

Tang Wulin sat on the edge of the bed and handed him a glass of warm water.

You've been sleeping for half a month.

Half a month!

"How's the match going?"

"Don't worry." A pleasant sound came from outside the corridor. Jiang Mingyuan's ears twitched; it was several different footsteps.

Xie Xie, Xu Xiaoyan, Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi pushed open the door and walked in.

"There were so many participants that the first round of eliminations officially ended yesterday. You and Tang Wulin successfully advanced. You have no idea! Tang Wulin participated in one-on-one battles, fought two opponents by himself, and also participated in team battles. He's practically a war god."

Jiang Mingyuan breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't care how Shrek's team battle went. But he had promised to win the championship in the two-person competition with Tang Wulin. He would feel guilty if something happened because of him.

The people from Eastsea City chatted for a few more minutes, and then the doctor came to examine Jiang Mingyuan's body.

No matter how many checks are performed, there will ultimately be only one result.

Jiang Mingyuan's physical condition not only showed no abnormalities, but actually improved significantly.

"Hehe. I guess I've turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise. By the way, don't you guys still have a competition? You guys go ahead and compete, don't worry about me. I'll finish up my discharge paperwork and then come find you."

After saying goodbye to everyone, the ward fell silent instantly.

Jiang Mingyuan closed his eyes and quietly felt the changes happening in his body.

He found that his senses had become exceptionally sharp, or more accurately, that his spiritual level had undergone a leap.

According to the Douluo Continent's system of classifying spiritual power, it can be roughly divided into the following categories from low to high:

Spirit Origin Realm, Spirit Connection Realm, Spirit Sea Realm, Spirit Abyss Realm, Spirit Domain Realm, Divine Origin Realm.

Although there was no definitive test, Jiang Mingyuan knew that his mental strength level might have reached the Divine Origin Realm.

When he opened his eyes again, they emitted bursts of golden light. He saw that the space in front of him was no longer an ordinary hospital room, and his ability to perceive all things in the world had increased by more than one level.

Jiang Mingyuan casually waved his hand in front of him. The [Elemental Affinity] ability was activated.

A mirror of ice, as thin as a cicada's wing yet capable of clearly reflecting images, appeared before my eyes.

"You're back again. Sorry I only let you rest for such a short time."

Another series of quiet footsteps echoed down the corridor.

Jiang Mingyuan released his Divine Sense, and the figure in the corridor appeared in his eyes.

"Xiaoyue, come in."

With a creak, the door was gently pushed open, and a chubby-cheeked little girl poked half her body in, her eyes brimming with tears—tears of excitement.

"Dad!"

Jiang Xiaoyue strode over and rushed to the bedside. She threw herself onto Jiang Mingyuan's lap and burst into tears.

This little girl almost thought she had lost her only family member in the world.

"Okay, I'm fine now. Stop crying, or you'll cry your eyes out."

After completing the discharge procedures, Jiang Mingyuan took Jiang Xiaoyue's hand and walked out of the hospital gate. The bright sunshine shone on them, warm and comforting.

Jiang Mingyuan was like a car that had been parked for a long time, desperately needing to stretch his legs.

He gently touched his storage ring, and Meteor was released.

"Xiaoyue, get in the car!"

The meteor streaked across the wide street, leaving a long trail behind it.

Jiang Mingyuan recalled the situation he had just sensed within his body.

His Sea of Consciousness can now be described as a truly boundless Wang Yang.

The cozy little home in the Sea of Consciousness, and the Death God Demon Puppet guarding it, remained as usual; the only problem was with the sun in the sky.

The true form of that sun was actually a broken divine heart, guarded there by a phoenix and a dragon in turn.

Now, that sun has undergone a transformation; one half still shines with light upon the Sea of Consciousness, while the other half has turned into endless darkness.

The pair of Phoenix disappeared at some point.

Jiang Mingyuan figured out the reason for the problem.

After the broken Divine Core fully fused with its own body, it absorbed the Power of Destruction that the system had initially obtained from Tang Wulin.

Under the influence of the Power of Destruction, the lingering thoughts within this Creation Divine Core that had not yet dissipated were stirred up.

From the depths of despair comes the dawn. The ultimate Power of Creation transforms into the ultimate Power of Destruction.