Douluo Continent.
Shrek Academy.
The scorching sun cast a blinding light onto the crude training ground.
Yu Xiaogang and Flender stood side by side in the shade, watching the seven young men and women running laps ahead with satisfaction and pride thinly veiled on their faces.
Dai Mubai's evil eyes were full of perfunctoriness; Ma Hongjun was panting heavily; Oscar rubbed his fingers, seemingly pondering a new sausage recipe.
Meanwhile, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing, who had newly joined Shrek Academy yesterday, carried the raw awkwardness and edge of newcomers.
"These are the monsters of my Shrek Academy," Yu Xiaogang said with his hands clasped behind his back, absolute confidence leaking from his voice. "Flender, just watch!"
"Under my professional guidance, they will surely become the strongest battle team in the entire Douluo Continent..."
"No exceptions!"
Flender pushed the crystal glasses on the bridge of his nose and nodded in agreement. "Xiaogang, you truly deserve to be the number-one theory master of the entire Douluo Continent."
"Your disciple Tang San, with his twin... cough, innate full soul power, coupled with that miraculous hidden weapon skill..."
"I honestly can't think of anyone among his peers who could be his match."
"Even placed in the whole world, no... even if there are other worlds, he is definitely the most genius one of all!"
Tang San in the distance heard this, his gaze calm, but deep within his eyes flashed a trace of absolute confidence and arrogance.
He was the most genius one, whether in the Tang Sect of his past life or the Douluo World.
Even if other worlds existed, it would still be the same!
However, right at that moment-
Rumble!!!
A deafening roar, sounding like the creation of the heavens, exploded in everyone's ears without warning.
The sky above the entire Shrek Academy... no, the sky above the entire Douluo World abruptly darkened!
"What is happening?"
Everyone looked up in curiosity and terror.
They saw the originally clear sky split like glazed glass as a huge fissure cut across the firmament!
Deep within the endless gloomy void, an incomparably massive heavenly screen scroll, seemingly outlined by pure golden light, slowly unfolded.
An unspeakable, terrifying aura swept down like a tidal wave, enveloping the entire Douluo Continent...
All space and time, past and future.
At this moment, whether it was Qian Daoliu, the Peerless Douluo in deep seclusion within Spirit Hall, or Bo Saixi, the High Priest gazing at the horizon far away on Sea God Island.
Even Beast God Di Tian, Ice Empress, Mu En, Long Xiaoyao, and Electrolux in different space-times...
Every existence standing at the apex of the Douluo World felt an irresistible fear and trembling instinctively well up from the depths of their souls!
The next second.
A grand, cold, completely emotionless voice rang in the depths of every living being's heart like a decree of the Heavenly Dao:
[The Myriad Worlds Sky Screen has descended upon the Douluo Continent!]
[Randomly connecting the Myriad Worlds...]
[Ding! The target selected for this connection is: the Shrouding the Heavens World from the Myriad Worlds]
[The Sky Screen will randomly select individuals to enter the Shrouding the Heavens World, and broadcast it to the entire Douluo Continent!]
[If the selected person successfully survives in the Shrouding the Heavens World for a full three months, they can choose to return to the Douluo Continent temporarily or permanently, and can bring back all the power, knowledge, and items acquired during that period!]
(Note: The most basic survival requirements of the Shrouding the Heavens World will be automatically adapted for the selected person.)
Douluo World...
After a brief shock and dead silence, the crowd erupted into complete uproar!
"Shrouding the Heavens World?"
Tang San's brows twitched slightly, the light of the Purple Demon Eye flashing and vanishing in his eyes. "Never heard of it. Is it a minor pocket realm belonging to the Douluo Continent?"
"Seems somewhat interesting."
"If there are opportunities within it, I shall let those primitive natives witness the power of my Tang Sect Hidden Weapons!"
Yu Xiaogang, on the other hand, looked at the huge heavenly screen in the sky. He was startled at first, but soon blazing light also erupted in his eyes:
"Flender! Did you hear that? Another world!"
"The natives are all stupid and ignorant, and this is precisely the most supreme stage to test the Ten Core Competencies of Martial Soul!"
"If the natives of that world can also believe in my theories and prove that my theories hold true across all the myriad worlds, let's see what those old fossils in the clan have to say for themselves then!"
"But..." Flender said with some worry. "What if that world called Shrouding the Heavens doesn't have martial souls?"
"No martial souls at all? How low-tier could such a world be? Wouldn't a bunch of monkeys live there?" Yu Xiaogang's eyes were full of mockery.
Inside Spirit Hall, within the Pope Palace.
High above on the papal throne, Bibi Dong lightly tapped the scepter with her slender fingers. A trace of surprise flashed across her peerlessly beautiful face, but it was soon replaced by grace and dignity.
"Shrouding the Heavens World? The name sounds imposing, but it's probably just some small world..."
"How could it compare to Douluo Continent, with its divine inheritances?"
As she thought this, she turned her head slightly and coolly instructed Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, who stood at her side. "Yue Guan, pass down the order. Any Soul Master of my Spirit Hall who is fortunate enough to be chosen to enter this world..."
"Must do everything in their power to seize every opportunity and stroke of Fortune for my Spirit Hall."
"If the natives resist or refuse to comply-there's no need to ask permission. Kill them all!!!"
In the Star Luo Empire, Huo Yuhao felt his own frail Soul Power, still stuck at level nine. Gazing up at the Heavenly Screen, hope kindled within him as well:
"My Soul Power cultivates so slowly. If this Shrouding the Heavens World really holds opportunities, maybe I could..."
Qian Renxue, Zhu Zhuqing, Gu Yuena, Wang Dong'er, Wang Qiu'er, Ice Empress, Snow Empress...
Countless powerhouses and prodigies from Douluo Continent, after their initial shock, felt intense curiosity, anticipation, and greed surge within them.
Almost everyone was rubbing their hands together, ready to sweep through the Shrouding the Heavens World and seize its opportunities.
Meanwhile, far beyond the Heavenly Screen, there was a vast and utterly different world-the Shrouding the Heavens World.
Burial Emperor Star.
Above the Southern Region of the Eastern Wasteland, beyond the clouds of the nine heavens.
A vast heavenly palace hung silently in the air.
This was White Jade Capital, the Heavenly Court's battle weapon and the Heavenly Emperor's palace, personally forged by Heavenly Emperor Hao, who ruled the heavens and suppressed the myriad domains.
White Jade Capital was not a palace of the kind ordinary people imagined.
Its foundation was forged from Xuanhuang Mother Qi, its walls cast from stars, and its roof tiles gleamed like glaze, reflecting all creation.
Each palace towered as though reaching into chaos. Its covered corridors wound around, and its eaves pierced the void.
Rainbow bridges linked every palace. Beneath them flowed not water, but fragments of time and rivers of stars formed from Dao principles.
Though the entire heavenly palace stood in utter silence, it naturally radiated the supreme majesty that made all living things bow and all worlds pay homage.
And deep within the palace...
Atop the towering Star-Picking Tower, where one could look down upon the circling stars of the heavens, a figure lay with his head on a beauty's lap.
The beauty was, naturally, peerlessly lovely-the finest in the Big Dipper, the current Saintess of the Jade Lake Holy Land.
The man's white hair, like frost, fell to his shoulders. His face was as handsome as a young man's, yet bore the marks of time.
Of course, what drew the eye most was his pupils-
A pair of golden Double Pupils. As they opened and closed, it seemed the universe was born and destroyed, the starry river collapsing...
He was the sole Great Emperor of this age, Lord of the Heavenly Court, revered by the myriad races of the heavens as-Heavenly Emperor Hao, Lin Hao.
At that moment, he held a wondrous herb in his palm.
The plant was only three inches tall, yet its shape resembled a white tiger roaring at the sky. Divine radiance like colored glaze enveloped its body, while rich deathless Qi and vast life essence formed wisps of white mist that swirled around it.
It seemed that with a single breath, it could revive a withered star or bring life to a dead land.
"The White Tiger Divine Medicine..."
"If I took it, living a second lifetime would be easy. It could extend an Emperor's life by at least ten thousand years."
Lin Hao murmured, his Double Pupils utterly calm.
After all, though an Immortal Divine Medicine was rare, it was not something he needed.
He had far too many ways to live another lifetime.
After a moment of silence, he turned his wrist, and the divine medicine vanished into his sleeve.
"The time isn't right yet."
A faint, enigmatic smile tugged at Lin Hao's lips as he looked at the woman. "Tantai, tell me..."
"Everyone knows I've entered my twilight years, my blood and Qi are declining, and I'm already at the end of my strength."
Lin Hao's gaze pierced through the many palace halls of White Jade Capital and across the endless starry river, settling on the Life Forbidden Zones lurking at the Cosmic Frontier, where more than one age had been buried.
There, ancient wills were awakening within Divine Source, stirring and whispering.
"Tell me, how many 'fish' can we lure out of those forbidden zones?"
The woman smiled and shook her head. "Guyue doesn't know."
"Undying Heavenly Emperor... can you hold back?"
"And what of those Supremes who slashed themselves and lay dormant through the ages... Would they truly not be tempted by the chance to kill a 'twilight' Great Emperor and seize the origin of his Emperor's life to extend their own?"
Lin Hao chuckled.
But just then-
[ Ding! The host has come into contact with a dimensional fluctuation and meets the conditions for system binding... Douluo Continent Disciple Recruitment and Concubine-Taking System loading... ]