Only after processing the information did Xiao Chen slowly collect himself. He looked up at the pale golden orb before him and cut straight to the point:
"Just tell me the terms of the deal. As long as they're reasonable, I'll agree."
Since even the Plane Spirit itself could not deal with it, he had no need to beat around the bush.
Rather than keep probing, he might as well settle the deal quickly so he would know which direction to work toward.
The orb trembled slightly, and the aged voice rang out again, reaching Xiao Chen's ears clearly:
"Gain control of your Command Block as soon as possible, and stop it from devouring the Douluo Plane."
It stared at Xiao Chen as though waiting for his response, afraid he would refuse.
Before Xiao Chen could speak, the Plane Spirit's voice rang out again. This time, it was filled with intense hatred and turned hysterical. "And eliminate Tang San!"
"Tang San?" Something stirred in Xiao Chen's mind, and surprise appeared on his face.
He had not expected the Plane Spirit to know Tang San would return. That was not right. Where had it learned that?
The orb fluctuated violently, as though mentioning Tang San had touched its reverse scale. The aged voice was filled with anger and urgency:
"That's right, Tang San. Child, don't be misled by the legends of the Sea God."
"Sea God Tang San is the enemy of the Douluo Plane, our great enemy!"
"He is the source of Douluo's calamities!"
Its tone calmed slightly, but still carried profound hatred:
"I already learned from Tang Hao that Tang San will return sooner or later."
"As long as Tang San remains, Douluo will never know peace."
Watching the Plane Spirit's hysteria, Xiao Chen merely shrugged without saying much.
Impressive, aren't you, Brother San? You've got enemies by the handful.
Xiao Chen had no objection to eliminating Tang San, and the reason was simple. He had taken the Golden Dragon King Divine Core, his Martial Soul had beaten up Tang San's father, and he had destroyed the divine consciousness. Honestly, with things already at this point, Xiao Chen would find no peace of mind without eliminating Tang San.
"Sure," Xiao Chen said calmly, without the slightest hesitation. "As you said, my Martial Soul has already offended Tang Hao beyond reconciliation. One more Tang San won't make a difference."
"They're all enemies anyway. One more or one less makes no difference to me."
Honestly, this condition from the Plane Spirit was as good as no condition at all. Even if it had said nothing, he would still go eliminate Tang San.
Still, since the Plane Spirit had brought it up, it was part of the deal. If they were going to strike a deal, the Plane Spirit certainly had to put up something of equivalent value.
Hearing Xiao Chen agree, the orb instantly brightened, its tone brimming with wild joy and excitement:
"Good, good! As long as you can get rid of Tang San, I'll accept it even if your Command Block devours the Douluo Plane!"
Xiao Chen inwardly clicked his tongue at those words. It clearly hated Tang San deeply.
It would rather have the plane devoured than let Tang San live. It was ready to blow itself up along with him.
Still, that was good. The more the Plane Spirit hated Tang San, the greater his payment would be. All he needed was to receive the benefits after reaching an agreement.
"Then what do I get? You can't expect me to work for free."
Xiao Chen changed tack and went straight to the point. He did not do business at a loss. If he had to give something, he had to receive a corresponding return.
Granted, even if the Plane Spirit had not mentioned these two conditions, he would have acted on them once he knew.
But there was no reason to turn down free benefits. The Plane Spirit was quite satisfied anyway.
The orb flickered slightly, afraid Xiao Chen would change his mind. "Don't worry. I'll give it to you right now."
"The timing is perfect. You're about to break through, and you happen to have an open Soul Ring slot."
As its words fell, a gentle yet immense stream of Soul Power slowly emerged from the orb, flowing softly into Xiao Chen's body like the warm sunshine of spring.
This Soul Power was exceptionally pure, without the slightest impurity. It carried the aura of the Plane Origin and was utterly unlike any Soul Power on the Douluo Continent.
Xiao Chen instantly grew wary. The Soul Power within him quietly circulated as he tried to examine this incoming Soul Power and avoid any hidden dangers.
After all, this fellow had tried to probe his soul earlier. Now that it was suddenly gifting him Soul Power, caution was best.
Xiao Chen examined it for a while without finding anything unusual. Only when the Command Block inside him showed no reaction either did he relax.
The next second, Xiao Chen's Soul Power Level instantly broke through, climbing straight to level forty-three and making him a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor in one leap.
Four Soul Rings slowly rose from beneath Xiao Chen's feet and circled his body.
Black! Black! Black! Gold!
The first three were black Ten Thousand Year Soul Rings, while the fourth was a brilliant Golden Soul Ring, radiating dazzling light and the oppressive might of the Plane Origin.
Looking at that brilliant Golden Soul Ring, Xiao Chen smiled faintly. His fourth Soul Ring was finally taken care of:
"That's fairly generous. I'm satisfied."
"This is only part of it. I'll give you a few more things later," the Plane Spirit's voice rang out again, carrying a hint of pride.
"Wait." Xiao Chen hurriedly spoke, interrupting the Plane Spirit.
"What is it?" the Plane Spirit asked in confusion.
"You probed my soul without permission earlier, didn't you?" Xiao Chen said matter-of-factly. "Let's settle that now to avoid trouble later."
The Plane Spirit: "..."
Damn it. If I'd known this brat would repay even a bared tooth, I should never have probed his soul.
Now that Xiao Chen had brought it up to its face, it could not evade the matter and could only nurse its headache in silence.
After turning the tables and killing Tang Hao, it had immediately come to find Xiao Chen and had brought very little with it. It could not produce suitable compensation on the spot, so it could only outsource the matter.
After a moment's thought, it suddenly remembered the Golden Ancient Tree and immediately had an idea.
Old friends really were useful. Nothing could be more fitting than having the Golden Ancient Tree provide compensation.
At the thought of the Golden Ancient Tree, the Plane Spirit grew gloomy...
"I didn't bring that much with me. If you want compensation, you'll have to visit Sea God Island at Shrek Academy and find the Golden Ancient Tree. I'll let it know, and it'll give you appropriate compensation."
Xiao Chen raised his brows slightly at that and was about to speak when the Plane Spirit's voice rang out again. "Right, even without the compensation, you still have to visit Sea God Island."
"Why?" Xiao Chen replied.
"You'll know when the time comes. It's inconvenient to say more now." The Plane Spirit offered no further explanation.
Are they sick? Why does everyone love speaking in riddles? Xiao Chen nearly exploded with anger.
He hated this habit of leaving things half-said more than anything. Although he could guess that the Plane Spirit wanted him to help the Golden Ancient Tree deal with Ah Yin, that was because he knew the original story.
If someone else went there knowing nothing, wouldn't they just be delivering their head? Wasn't this making trouble for no reason?
Xiao Chen took a deep breath, suppressed his displeasure, and stopped pressing the matter.
Since the Plane Spirit refused to say more, no amount of questioning would help.
"Anything else you want to ask? I need to hurry back and resist the Command Block's erosion."
The Plane Spirit's voice was urgent. Since Xiao Chen had agreed, there was no point in staying here. It had to hurry back to stabilize the plane's origin and resist the Command Block's devouring.
Xiao Chen steadied himself and asked, "How long can you hold out?"
"I don't know." The Plane Spirit answered bluntly, without the slightest hesitation.
Xiao Chen's brows knitted tightly as he continued, "What will happen to me after the Command Block devours the Douluo Plane?"
"You're the Command Block's master. If even you don't know, how would I?" The Plane Spirit sounded somewhat helpless. If he knew, he would have said so long ago.
Xiao Chen's heart sank, and he pressed again, "Then what about everyone else? Will they all definitely die?"
"If the Command Block only devours the Plane Origin and leaves the Douluo Plane itself alone, then of course everyone will die when the plane collapses."
"But if even the plane is completely devoured, I don't know what will happen either." The Plane Spirit's tone grew heavier. It truly did not know, though by that point, it would already be long dead itself.
"Then what do you know?" The Plane Spirit angered Xiao Chen into laughter.
The Plane Spirit: "..."
"Do your best."
Only after a long silence did the Plane Spirit slowly utter those words. Then the orb gradually grew insubstantial, countless motes of light scattering once more and fading into the air like stardust. That ancient, boundless aura vanished with them, and the room returned to complete tranquility.
Staring in the direction where the Plane Spirit had vanished, Xiao Chen could only laugh in anger. He had thought that if he truly could not accomplish it, he could rely on the Plane Spirit as a fallback.
Now, it seemed there was no need. Relying on it as a fallback was no different from being finished.
Forget it. I'd better take a look at my fourth Soul Skill. Judging by this brilliant Golden Soul Ring, it shouldn't be bad.
He patiently calmed himself and examined his fourth Soul Skill. Yet when he sensed its effects, his pupils instantly contracted, and disbelief appeared on his face.
It's actually this!
This is bad. I've really become an Evil Soul Master.
No, no. My heart is full of justice. It's just that my Soul Skill has an unusual effect. How could I be an Evil Soul Master?
Still, this Soul Skill truly defied the heavens. Looking at it that way, the Plane Spirit had given him something genuinely good. He had to make a trip to Sea God Island.
But he had no desire to get in through an entrance exam. After all, Shrek's dean, who also served as its examiner, was quite a piece of work.
Compared with passing an exam to enter Shrek, fighting his way into Shrek would be much easier.
After that, Xiao Chen thought no further and lay back down on the bed. After hearing so much from the Plane Spirit in the middle of the night, it was time to sleep.
Saving the world and all that could wait until he woke up.
Before you continue