Lu Jingming was not particularly strong, but she had appeased the Demon Empress. After all, the Demon Empress was both a formidable fighter and a valuable piece on the chessboard.
Hatred and resentment were human nature, and Lu Jingming had no reason to interfere.
And he had not lied. Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhujing had indeed been captured by him, and were now nothing more than test subjects for Ruan Mei. Ruan Mei was not part of the Herta, and her humanity was fragile; her values and worldview were different from ordinary people. In Ruan Mei's hands, even if Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhujing survived in the end, it was impossible to say if that would be a blessing or a curse.
The Demon Empress took a few steps back, inhaled deeply, her chest heaving violently. She no longer looked at Dai Mubai or Zhu Zhujing—she was afraid of losing control. She turned her face away, her sharp gaze falling on Huo Yuhao, who had been watching the battle from afar.
"I owe you one."
With those words, she didn't hesitate a second longer. Her entire body transformed into a dazzling purple thunderbolt, splitting the sky and vanishing to the horizon in the blink of an eye. The fury wrapped within that thunder seemed as if it could burn all the clouds along her path.
From afar, Huo Yuhao watched the lingering thunder, a powerless and bitter smile on his lips. Of course, he knew a debt had been incurred.
In the beginning, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhujing had backed him into a corner, and to fight the two gods, he had sought help through the World Serpent's passage. Whether it was the Demon Empress, who left in anger at this moment, the Snow Empress who stood quietly beside Lu Jingming, or Lu Jingming himself who had orchestrated everything to its conclusion, he owed them all a tremendous favor.
At their level, a debt of gratitude was heavier than any contract, and would have to be repaid in some form in the future.
"Be careful. Your troubles are far from over."
As Huo Yuhao pondered this, Lu Jingming's calm voice sounded in his ear. He snapped back to reality, met her deep crimson eyes, and nodded solemnly.
"I understand. Thank you for this time. I've noted down this favor."
His troubles... weren't just never-ending.
If his and Xiao Wu's situation became known to the God Realm and that man, a terrifying storm would certainly follow. Lu Jingming had already ascended to godhood, far ahead of him, but he had yet to take the final step. To face the wrath of Sea God Tang San, whose anger could overturn the world, and to protect the person most important to him, he had to become stronger—strong enough to rival that God King.
After all, he hadn't just challenged the authority of a God King, but insulted the most fundamental taboo of humanity.
Lu Jingming seemed to see right through his heart, but said little, merely glancing away.
To him, Huo Yuhao was an important piece in his grand scheme. His growth would determine how smoothly some arrangements played out, but regardless of the outcome, it would not shake the foundation of his grand design.
The enjoyment Huo Yuhao brought him was interesting, but that was all.
Ignoring him, he turned, naturally taking the Snow Empress's wrist.
The Snow Empress's body tensed for a moment, then relaxed. Her icy blue eyes rippled slightly as she allowed herself to be gently led away.
Soon after, Lu Jingming extended his palm toward Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhujing, who lay on the ground. A gentle, sacred white light flowed from his palm, enveloping the two like running water.
Under the cover of this light, their wounds seemed to heal, the tattered godly vestments disintegrated into points of light, revealing ordinary clothes beneath. In the next instant, the light contracted into a beautiful orb, about the size of a fist, and quietly returned to Lu Jingming's hand.
Inside the orb, it was as if its own world existed, with Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhujing's forms sealed within, sleeping in eternal time.
As the God of Wisdom and Life, creating miniature spaces and sealing living beings was as natural as breathing for him after ascending the throne.
After finishing everything, he was about to leave with the Snow Empress.
"Let's go. I'll take you to the new Haiyuan City. It's been a long time since we visited."
His voice was gentle as ever, as if the icy gaze from moments before had been nothing but an illusion.
The Snow Empress said nothing, only murmured a soft "Mm." Her long white hair fluttered in the wind, brushing against Lu Jingming's arm. She lightly patted it and squeezed his hand.
The two of them stepped forward. The space beneath their feet rippled like water, their figures gradually blurring and turning transparent, before finally vanishing without a trace into the reborn land.
Only when the oppressive force that ruled and dominated the world had completely vanished did Huo Yuhao exhale a long, turbid breath, the tension in his spine instantly released.
Only then did he notice that cold sweat had soaked his back and heart at some point.
Lu Jingming had put tremendous pressure on him.
It wasn't a suppression of power, but a complete overlooking of the level of life itself—like a human gazing up at the starry sky, able to feel nothing but awe, with no room for resistance.
"Hah... they're finally gone!"
The exaggerated voice of the Skydream Iceworm echoed in Huo Yuhao's spiritual sea, brimming with the joy of the rest of his life.
"My goodness, Yuhao, this man surnamed Lu is far too terrifying. He's an ally for now, but from now on, we must be careful. This man... he's not human at all, but a monster in human skin. No, even scarier than a monster!"
"The big bug is right."
The ancient, solemn voice of Electrolux slowly sounded, cutting off the Skydream Iceworm's babble.
"He's only just become a god, yet with first-class divine power, he could so easily defeat the Netherworld White Tiger. Such a terrifying character is unprecedented even in my world."
Electrolux's tone was filled with deep amazement.
He was only a remnant of divine consciousness, but with Huo Yuhao's increased spiritual power and long cultivation with the Core of the Herrscher, he had recalled much of his past.
Though he had never ascended to godhood, when he held power and had created half a plane, his combat strength was no less than that of any first-class god on the Douluo Continent. The reason he had not become a god was not that he couldn't, but that he didn't want to.
Yet, even so, Electrolux had silently deduced in his heart many times, always coming to the same conclusion: Even if he returned to his peak, with the Eternal Tower in hand, and facing Lu Jingming who just held the transcendent artifact "Black Abyss White Flower," he would have no hope of victory.
"His power does not manifest in the authority of a god, but in his strength and essence."
Electrolux's voice grew low and quiet, as if dissecting an unprecedentedly terrifying being for his disciple.
"Yuhao, remember this man surnamed Lu. He is completely different from the gods you know. He holds two godhoods—just like the legendary Sea God Tang San from your world."
"But there is a difference. Tang San's two godhoods, Sea God and Asura God, should not be used at the same time, for that is a burden only a God King should bear."
"But the man surnamed Lu is different. His two godhoods are not simple, and he is very likely able to use them simultaneously. The combined power of two godhoods is not as simple as one plus one equals two."
"Eternity, thunder, and lightning... it's not just about controlling thunder and lightning. The word 'Eternity' means he has touched upon the authority of time itself. Even thunder and lightning are among the world's fundamental forces."
"And the other godhood is even more terrifying—the God of Wisdom and Life. 'Wisdom' symbolizes the understanding and analysis of all laws, and 'Life' symbolizes 'creation' from nothing."
"He can easily reverse the Netherworld White Tiger's divine skills, transforming their attacks into life energy, and restoring the land. His control over his own power surpasses that of most gods."
"And then there are the two transcendent artifacts, the Black Abyss and White Flower... The authority of creation and destruction converge within them; their existence may even transcend the category of artifacts."
Each word from Electrolux weighed on Huo Yuhao's heart like a mountain.
He had thought that by merging with the Core of the Herrscher and mastering the authorities of Spirit and Illusion, he was already walking a different path.
But now, it seemed that Lu Jingming was walking an even stronger path.
"So, Yuhao, you must accelerate your progress."
Electrolux's tone grew solemn.
"Your future enemy is not just God King Tang San—this 'ally' by your side is also a threat. His very existence is the greatest danger to anyone who defies his will. If you do not ascend to the throne as soon as possible and push the power of the Herrscher to the limit... I'm afraid you won't even qualify to stand upright before him."
Huo Yuhao stood silently, the evening breeze ruffling the tips of his hair. He listened to the words of Electrolux and the Skydream Iceworm.
He clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms.
Pressure, danger, shock... all sorts of emotions intertwined, but rather than crushing him, they became an unprecedented driving force, burning fiercely in his chest.
In his heart, he saw Xiao Wu's gentle smile and their infant child.
And his mother's soul, which had fallen into Tang San's hands.
Yes, he had to become strong.
To protect, one needed the power to face any hardship.
If Lu Jingming was the pioneer of a new era, then he, Huo Yuhao, would become the strongest of this new era.
He took a deep breath, the last traces of confusion fading from his eyes, replaced by a steely determination.
He turned away, never again looking at the lush grasslands behind him, and walked off in a different direction from Lu Jingming and the Demon Empress.
…
Heavenly Soul Empire, Northwestern Border
The gentle slopes of the mountains wound like crawling dragons, isolating the hustle and bustle of civilization and its ever-flowing currents. Here, the peaks were perilous, piercing the sky and shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. Anyone who entered by mistake would lose their way within half a day and die of exhaustion in the deep ravines.
This forbidden land, deep in the clouds and unknown to most, was the hidden domain of the Clear Sky Sect.
A man and a woman, ignoring these natural barriers that could have deterred any soul master, ambled leisurely along the treacherous mountain paths as if taking a stroll.
They neither flew nor used any soul skills, simply measuring the land with their feet, as if seeking roots with every step.
The man was tall, his weathered face exuding strength. His black robe fluttered in the mountain wind, and each step he took seemed to resonate with the heartbeat of the entire range—steady as the mountains themselves.
He was the once-legendary Clear Sky Douluo, now a god in the Divine Realm—Tang Hao.
Beside him, the woman was beautiful, dressed in a flowing long blue gown like a mountain stream; the passage of years had left no trace on her face. She was barefoot, a bracelet of blue and silver grass wrapped around her white ankles. With each step on the hard stone, delicate blue and silver grass shoots would spring from the rocks, only to fade away with her passing.
She was the Blue Silver Empress, aged a hundred thousand years, Tang San's mother, now a member of the gods—Ah Yin.
"It's still the same here."
Tang Hao inhaled the scent of grass and wood, the cold breath of the rocks, his voice low and husky.
"How many years has it been? The mountains and winds here haven't changed at all."
His eyes were complicated, filled with nostalgia, guilt, and a faintly timid sense of alienation. This was the homeland he had once abandoned, yet it haunted him still.
Ah Yin gently held his hand, warmth of life flowing from her palm.
"It's good to be back. This is your root, and also Xiao San's root."
They made no attempt to conceal their presence or aura.
That was why, as soon as they entered the core alert zone of the Clear Sky Sect, the entire sect was rocked by an urgent alarm.
Dong! Dong! Dong!
Gongs echoed across the mountains, tension thick in the air as if facing a mortal enemy.
In the next moment, seven or eight powerful auras soared into the sky. Several streaks shot down from the mountain-top ancestral hall, landing a hundred meters ahead of Tang Hao and Ah Yin, blocking their way.
The three leaders were all white-haired elders, their soul power fluctuating with immense majesty, each bearing the title of "Douluo." The middle-aged figures behind them were at least at the Soul Douluo level.
This was the legacy of the Clear Sky Sect after years of seclusion, not to be underestimated.
But at this moment, the faces of these usually imposing elders were marked with weariness and worry. As they eyed the two strangers warily, they found themselves unable to gauge their depths, and their vigilance only deepened.
"Who comes here? Why have you intruded into the hidden domain of the Clear Sky Sect?"
One elder asked in a low voice, his palm slightly raised as the phantom of the colossal Clear Sky Hammer appeared behind him, though he did not strike immediately. The pressure from the two strangers was even greater than facing the Sect Master himself.
This was no ordinary matter.
Tang Hao gazed at the familiar martial spirit, the alienation in his eyes slightly easing, replaced by the gentleness of an elder looking at the younger generation.
He did not reply, simply lifting his right hand slowly.
Buzz—
A pitch-black, simple-styled hammer appeared silently in his palm, as if condensing the weight of heaven and earth itself.