Douluo Continent: The Underworld Emperor Halosa Lets Three Fly

Chapter 162 Undercurrents (5.8K)

Douluo Continent, on the edge of the core area of ​​the far north.

The cold wind was like a knife, swirling up a sky full of crystalline snowflakes that danced wildly under the gray-white sky.

This once absolute forbidden zone for humanity has, after thousands or even tens of thousands of years of the development of soul-guided technology, seen scattered traces of explorer camps, or rather, official bases, appearing in these areas.

But deep within the core area, it remains frozen and desolate, with a biting chill that can instantly freeze high-level Soul Masters.

Deep within a strangely shaped coniferous forest covered in thick snow and ice, space distorted silently, and a figure in pure white staggered out.

Yali.

Her long golden hair flew wildly in the wind, and her thin white dress remained completely unfrosted despite the bitter cold.

The immense life force of a quasi-god peak circulated within her body, forming an invisible warm barrier that kept out the cold air that could freeze steel.

However, her face was paler than the surrounding snow and ice. Her golden eyes, which once held endless warmth and compassion, now stared blankly at this unfamiliar, frozen world, as if a part of her soul remained in that cold metal cage.

"This is..." Yali subconsciously released her vast spiritual power, which spread out in all directions like an invisible tide.

The millennia-old Xuanbing marrow slowly flowing beneath the ice layer, the fierce aura of the soul beasts lurking on the distant ice plains, and the scattered human soul power fluctuations from further away flooded into her mind like a torrent.

"The far north—" she murmured to herself, her voice barely audible in the howling wind and snow.

Having determined her location, a powerful, complex emotion of returning to her homeland instantly overwhelmed her, causing her eyes to well up with tears.

I'm back, I'm really back! Beneath my feet lies the solid frozen soil of Douluo Continent, and in the air comes the long-lost, cold yet free spirit!

But this freedom comes with heavy shackles.

Her right hand was tightly gripping something—a roughly shaped, ancient-looking skull figurine that felt cold to the touch.

The hollow eye sockets and the wide-open mouth reminded her of that eerie and cold face.

An overwhelming sense of resentment and humiliation surged into Yali's heart, and she suddenly clenched her fingers! Her knuckles made a soft "crackling" sound due to excessive force, and the veins on the back of her fair hand became visible.

But only then would she feel a little bit of satisfaction, knowing that one day she would hold Harosa by the throat, not just a skeleton figurine.

"Harosa!" she gritted her teeth, as if she wanted to crush the name along with the whole thing!

However, the material of this seemingly rough skull figurine is far beyond what one would expect.

No matter how hard Yali tried, it wouldn't budge, not even leaving a scratch. Instead, the cold touch was like a leech, constantly reminding her of that unbearable experience and her helpless situation.

Just as Ya Li's emotions were fluctuating violently and her soul power surged with resentment, a buzzing sound rang out!

Two eerie lights suddenly shone from the depths of the empty eye sockets of the skull figurine in her palm!

The jet-black and crescent-white light flowed and merged inside the skull like living things, emitting a faint yet incredibly clear aura of reincarnation.

Immediately afterwards, a cold, steady voice, seemingly resounding directly in the depths of Yali's soul, appeared without warning:

"The far north is bitterly cold and not a place to stay for long."

It was indeed Harosa's voice!

Yali's body stiffened abruptly, as if bitten by a venomous snake, and she instinctively wanted to throw the figurine away violently.

But the voice, carrying an undeniable will, continued to echo in her mind:

"The first step to becoming the core of life in the Douluo Continent lies in divinity." The life force accumulated within you has reached the peak of a quasi-god, but your mortal body is ultimately unable to bear the weight of the plane's origin.

You need an opportunity, a chance to ignite the divine fire on your native Douluo Continent and touch the threshold of godhood. Only then will you have a greater chance of creating your own godhood in the God Realm of Rebirth and becoming the life core of the Douluo Continent.

Harosa paused for a moment, as if giving Yali time to process the information, or perhaps assessing her reaction.

"What is the opportunity?" Ya-li's voice was dry and hoarse, with a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

She forced herself to calm down, analyzing the information in Harosa's words. Igniting the divine fire—a local opportunity—this was indeed the shackle that she, and Yunming and the others, had dreamed of but could not break through.

If she could truly find an opportunity in this realm, even if guided by this demon, it might not be a bad way out for her. Only the price—

"The opportunity lies with you, not with external things. You have the strength and talent to become a god, but you lack the ambition to do so. However, the Star Dou Great Forest is a good place."

The skull figurine glowed faintly, and Harosa's voice carried an all-knowing indifference, "Go there. There you'll find what you need. It will guide you."

"Remember, it's about enlightenment. Once your mindset is broken, you'll achieve divinity."

As soon as she finished speaking, the jet-black and moon-white light in the skull figurine's eye sockets quickly dimmed, returning to its lifeless, rough appearance. It was as if everything that had just happened was merely Yali's illusion.

But Yali knew it wasn't an illusion. The cold touch and the warning branded deep in her soul were incredibly real.

She looked down at the small skull in her palm, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

Humiliation, anger, resentment, a sliver of hope, and a sense of wariness and bewilderment about the unknown "opportunity" were all intertwined.

Star Dou Great Forest—once a paradise for soul beasts, it is no longer what it once was due to human expansion.

What is the "thing" that Harosa is referring to? A trap? Or—is there really some opportunity that will allow her to touch the threshold of godhood?

My heart? But my heart died decades ago—

You killed him with your own hands.

The cold wind whipped up her skirt and long hair, making her look like a delicate yet fragile glass statue in this icy world.

After a long while, she took a deep breath of the icy, bone-chilling air, gripped the skull figurine that seemed to be mocking her tightly, and stuffed it into her bosom, close to her body.

The bewilderment in his eyes gradually faded, replaced by an almost tragic determination.

Whether it's a trap or an opportunity ahead, she must keep going. For Brother Yunming, for Shrek Academy, for Douluo Continent, and for—that faint hope of breaking free from her shackles.

She took one last look at the vast snowfield, then her figure flashed, transforming into a faint golden streak of light, tearing through the wind and snow, and sped off towards the Starry Sky Forest in the south of the continent.

The Spirit Pagoda headquarters, top floor, top-secret conference room.

The atmosphere here is the complete opposite of the desolate and lifeless landscape of the far north.

The thick soundproof soul-guided material isolated all external noise, and the soft soul-guided light shone down, making the expensive soul beast leather sofa, the smooth conference table, and the murals on the walls symbolizing the glory of the Spirit Pagoda appear exceptionally solemn.

The air was filled with a faint, invigorating scent of soul energy.

There were only seven or eight people sitting around the long table, but each of them was someone whose mere stomp of the foot could shake the entire Soul Master world.

In the main seat, Qian Gu Die Ting, with his white hair and beard and an ancient face, closed his eyes to rest, his breath deep and still as a deep mountain.

The person sitting next to him was the current head of the Spirit Pagoda, Qian Gu Dongfeng, a man with a sinister aura and sharp eyes.

Leng Yaozhu sat upright in the center, her well-tailored purple dress highlighting her mature charm. Her expression was calm, and her fingertips unconsciously tapped lightly on the smooth tabletop, as if she was thinking about something unrelated to the meeting.

The others, some with auras as vast as the sea, others with eyes as sharp as eagles, were all true high-level core members of the Spirit Pagoda.

"Ahem." Qian Gu Dong Feng cleared his throat, breaking the silence in the room. All eyes instantly focused on him.

"Enough with the small talk." Qian Gu Dongfeng's voice was deep and direct, carrying a sense of confidence in controlling the overall situation. "The negotiations between Deputy Tower Master Leng and the Holy Spirit Cult have been very successful. The two fixed-position soul-guided cannons, 'Devouring Heaven and Earth' and 'Destroying Heaven and Earth,' have been secretly delivered to that group of madmen as agreed."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone present, lingering for a moment on Leng Yaozhu, who nodded slightly in confirmation.

"However," Qian Gu Dongfeng's lips curled into a cold smile, "the controller is still in our hands. We've completed most of the core mission of this 'cleansing' of Shrek Academy. The next operation needs to be even more covert and cautious."

His fingers tapped lightly on the table, making a soft, rhythmic sound that seemed to resonate in everyone's heartstrings.

"Within the Federation, naturally some are happy to see this happen, and some have even provided convenience. But the superficial appearances must be perfect!" Qian Gu Dongfeng's voice suddenly turned stern. "The credit for turning Shrek City into a wasteland must go to those rats from the Holy Spirit Cult! And our Spirit Pagoda must, absolutely must not, have any connection whatsoever! All clues must point to them! Understand?"

"Understood!" the crowd responded in unison, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and ruthlessness. The destruction of Shrek Academy, the behemoth that had weighed heavily on the Spirit Tower for millennia, was finally about to come to an end!

At this moment, sitting to the left of Qian Gu Dong Feng, a middle-aged man dressed in an elegant scholar's robe and with a refined demeanor frowned slightly and said, "Tower Master, wasn't the original plan that after the bombing, our Spirit Pagoda would also need to send out elites to cooperate with the Holy Spirit Cult to completely wipe out the remaining Shrek Academy experts? Especially Yun Ming, Cang Xin, and Cao Dezhi. If they escape, the consequences will be endless." He was the deputy tower master in charge of intelligence and assassination, and he knew all too well the terror of top experts.

Before Qian Gu Dongfeng could answer, Qian Gu Dieting, who had been resting with his eyes closed in the main seat, slowly opened them. As those seemingly cloudy old eyes opened and closed, it was as if lightning flashed, and an invisible pressure instantly enveloped the entire conference room, making even the air seem to freeze.

"Hmph, naive." Qian Gu Die Ting's voice was old and hoarse, yet carried a chilling majesty. "What do you think a half-step god is? A cabbage by the roadside?"

His cloudy gaze swept over the scholar-official, causing the man to instinctively lower his head.

"I, relying on the power of 'Soul Spirit Body Forging,' have expended countless efforts to barely reach this realm, and I know its terror all too well." Qian Gu Die Ting's voice carried a hint of barely perceptible apprehension. "Yun Ming, a prodigy, his realm is unfathomable, probably infinitely close to that threshold! Cang Xin, the Tang Clan Master, possesses profound foundations and unpredictable methods, and has also been mired in this realm for many years. Not to mention Cao Dezhi! The commander of the Federation's Blood God Legion, decisive in battle, with overwhelming combat power, he is also a half-step god!"

He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp as lightning: "The bombing of Shrek City is already a monumental event! If, during the bombing, they manage to capture even the slightest trace of a powerful member of our Spirit Pagoda directly intervening—guess what, Cao Dezhi, who would risk everything for the Tang Sect, wouldn't transform into the most insane vengeful ghost? A madman without any powerful forces to hold him back, possessing strength reaching the half-step godhood, and mastering the art of killing, if he's determined to exact revenge on our Spirit Pagoda—"

Qian Gu Die Ting didn't continue, but the temperature in the meeting room seemed to drop several degrees instantly. Everyone could imagine the terrible consequences—the Spirit Pagoda might not be destroyed, but its core leadership, important branch pagodas, and precious resource points would inevitably suffer incalculable losses and terrorist attacks! Cao Dezhi was absolutely capable of doing it!

The scholar-official deputy tower master broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly said, "Old tower master, you are wise! It was my oversight!"

Qian Gu Die Ting slowly leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, as if his earlier sharpness had been an illusion, and said calmly, "As for the Holy Spirit Cult—hmph, don't forget, our Spirit Pagoda also possesses the highest-level kill order against evil soul masters. Shrek City has been destroyed, and the Holy Spirit Cult's crimes are irrefutable. As one of the guardians of the continent, our Spirit Pagoda will naturally be filled with righteous indignation and do everything in our power to wipe out the evil. They—are nothing but trash destined to be swept away."

These words set the tone for the subsequent "severance." The Holy Spirit Cult was merely a pawn to be used and discarded, and also a perfect scapegoat.

Seeing that his father had finished speaking, Qian Gu Dongfeng took over the conversation, his voice regaining its previous composure: "Therefore, after the bombing, our Spirit Pagoda's mission is not to participate in the war, but to 'relief' and 'aftermath'!"

He surveyed the crowd, his eyes gleaming with shrewdness: "As fellow members of the Federation, how can our Spirit Pagoda stand idly by when Shrek City suffers such a calamity? Naturally, we must dispatch a rescue team with a large amount of supplies to provide support immediately."

"Shrek City is densely populated, teeming with powerful individuals, and the Golden Tree is a repository of millennia of faith and spiritual energy. If it were to be hit by two god-slaying level fixed-position soul-guided cannons—heh heh." Qian Gu Dongfeng let out a cold, enigmatic laugh, "Then how vast and pure will the resulting deathly power and resentment be?"

Upon hearing this, apart from Leng Yaozhu who remained indifferent, everyone else's eyes instantly flashed with an undisguised greed!

"The sequence of vengeful spirits!" someone whispered.

The "Wraith" sequence of spirits is the core and most successful part of the Spirit Tower's "Spirit Body Forging" project, and it is currently the top-tier sequence that only the highest level within the tower knows about and pursues!

Unlike ordinary spirits, they possess greater plasticity, growth potential, and integration with the human body, making them a key medium for breaking through limits and even reaching higher realms!

Qian Gu Die Ting was able to break through the limit largely thanks to the top-level "vengeful spirit" soul in his body that had been tempered by the power of death countless times!

However, creating and nurturing "vengeful spirits" requires a massive amount of highly refined death energy as "nourishment."

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Under federal oversight and public pressure, the Spirit Pagoda was unable to collect this power on a large scale and openly. It could only secretly create some "accidents" at sea or extract it from some hidden ancient battlefield ruins. The efficiency was extremely low, and it could barely supply the needs of Qian Gu Die Ting alone.

The destruction of Shrek City will instantly annihilate billions of lives! Countless powerful beings will be filled with resentment! And when the ancient golden tree, symbolizing life and faith, is destroyed, the vast and complex life energy and death energy that dissipate will be intertwined. This is simply a "feast" bestowed by the heavens and cannot be replicated!

"At that time," Qian Gu Dong Feng's voice was seductive, "it will be necessary for everyone present to personally lead teams, under the guise of 'rescue,' to penetrate deep into the core area. Using our specially crafted soul tools, we will collect as much of the scattered, unclaimed, and pure death power as possible! For the future of the Spirit Pagoda, for the growth of the 'Wraith' sequence, and for your own—paths!"

"Yes, Tower Master!"

"I will certainly do my utmost!"

"Shrek—good riddance!" The excited responses rose and fell. The thought that they might also obtain a powerful "vengeful spirit" soul and touch the old tower master's realm filled everyone with excitement, as if they could see a bright future.

As for the millions of wronged souls in Shrek City? They were merely inevitable sacrifices on the path to power!

Shrek deserves to die!

Only Leng Yaozhu, amidst the excitement of the crowd, had a faint, almost imperceptible look of confusion and detachment in the depths of her eyes.

The sequence of vengeful spirits—she hadn't been without attempts to contact them. But each time, those spirits, condensed from pure deathly resentment, displayed a strange—fear—when they approached her?

Even humble submission?

It was as if she had encountered a natural enemy, not a compatible partner. Her martial spirit and physique seemed incompatible with this power, even subtly repelling it.

The meeting continued, with in-depth discussions on details such as how to collect the power of death more covertly and efficiently, how to play the role of a "savior of grief and anger" in federal public opinion, and how to ensure that the Holy Spirit Cult cannot turn against them.

Cold calculations and greedy schemes flowed silently in this luxurious yet secluded conference room.

Shrek City, Poseidon Lake.

The afterglow of the setting sun cast a warm orange-red hue on the lake, making it shimmer.

The enormous golden tree, like a giant umbrella reaching for the sky, exudes a soft aura of life through its branches and leaves, radiating a comforting warmth.

This is Shrek's sacred ground, the core where countless faiths converge.

However, on one of the most robust and massive branches of the ancient Buddha tree, which resembled a platform, a solitary figure broke the tranquility and peace.

Yunming.

He was not wearing the magnificent robes that symbolized the authority of the Pavilion Master, but rather a simple white robe, sitting cross-legged.

The setting sun cast its glow on his handsome but weary face, but it could not dispel the deep, heavy worry that clung to his brow.

His deep, star-like eyes gazed at the still lake, but his brows were tightly furrowed, as if bearing an invisible weight. An indescribable sense of unease, like a cold, venomous snake, coiled around his heart, growing clearer and stronger with each passing moment.

This feeling had never truly disappeared since Yali's disappearance. But in recent days, especially today, this unease, like a surging undercurrent, almost overwhelmed him.

"Why—." Zhe Ming murmured to himself, his slender fingers unconsciously stroking the rough yet warm bark of the ancient tree beneath him, trying to draw some comfort from it.

"Why has the life fluctuation of the Yellow-Collar Ancient Tree recently also carried a subtle—disorder?"

"You've connected with the core of life in this dimension; have you sensed something?"

"Is it the Abyss Plane or—him?"

As the head of the Refreshing Pavilion, he has the deepest connection with the Golden Ancient Tree.

He could clearly feel the immense life force of the ancient tree, along with a faint, almost imperceptible sense of stagnation, as if shrouded in some invisible shadow.

This feeling was extremely subtle; if he hadn't reached a state of spiritual perfection and been deeply bound to the ancient tree of Huangcou, he would have been almost unable to perceive it.

What is the source of this unease? Is it Ya-li? Where is she? Is she still alive?

Or is something even more terrifying, an unseen shadow brewing, about to descend upon Shrek Castle?

Zhe Ming raised his head, gazing at the horizon gradually swallowed by twilight. The last rays of the setting sun vanished, leaving the sky a deep indigo blue. In Shrek City, the lights of the Tong family's residence flickered on, presenting a scene of peaceful prosperity.

The tranquility of this place, though perceived by Buddha Zheming, is as fragile as a sheet of paper before a storm.

That intense, almost tangible premonition weighed heavily on his heart, making even the mighty Qitianluo, who stood at the pinnacle of the Buddhist continent, feel an unprecedented sense of suffocation and bewilderment.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath of the air, which carried the moisture of the lake and the fragrance of ancient trees, and forcibly suppressed his turbulent emotions. He tried to merge his spiritual energy with the ancient tree to more carefully investigate the source of the anomaly. However, the shadow seemed to be neither arrogant nor fearful, yet it left no trace.

Night completely enveloped Tishen Lake. Only the ancient Huangcou tree emitted a soft glow, illuminating the solitary and solemn figure on its branches, as heavy as a mountain.

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