The heavy palace doors slowly closed, shutting out all noise from the outside world.
At Chen Yi's signal, everyone else withdrew, leaving only six figures in the hall—symbolizing the highest power and secrets of the continent.
Chen Yi, Chu Shanhe, the Grand Elder, Golden Crocodile, Qian Daoliu, and Bibi Dong sat in separate rows.
"So, what do you want from me?"
Once everyone was seated, Bibi Dong spoke first. Her voice was calm and steady.
The moment she spoke, all eyes turned to Chen Yi.
Chen Yi slowly looked at the five people present, his gaze finally settling on Qian Daoliu. He took a deep breath and decided not to hide the news any longer.
"In truth, that demon spirit... is the Angel God."
"What?!"
The words struck like thunder from a clear sky!
Qian Daoliu suddenly stood up. His previously calm expression instantly turned to one of disbelief. His golden eyes fixed intently on Chen Yi, as if searching for any trace of a joke on his face.
"What did you say?! The demon spirit that triggered the interdimensional war and brought about the demonic invasion... is the ancestral god of my Angel bloodline?!"
"Chen Yi, this joke isn't funny... not funny at all!"
Not only Qian Daoliu, but Chu Shanhe, the Grand Elder, the Golden Qilin Douluo, and even Bibi Dong all wore expressions of disbelief.
In the faith of the Douluo Continent, the Angel God was an extremely sacred and majestic existence—the source of the Spirit Hall's faith and a symbol of justice and light.
Yet that demon spirit—evil, chaotic, filled with destruction and corruption... the two could never be connected!
"Exactly," Chen Yi met Qian Daoliu's sharp gaze without flinching, his own expression growing even more solemn.
"It may be hard to accept, but this is the truth."
He then recounted what he had learned through communication with the demon spirit in the Demon Realm: how the Angel God had been ambushed and betrayed by Asura and Poseidon, how her power had been divided, how her remaining soul had fallen into another world, and how she had gradually transformed under endless pain and the erosion of resentment.
As Chen Yi began describing his experiences, the atmosphere in the main hall grew heavy.
They heard how their ancestral god had been betrayed, caught in a conspiracy, and after death, his remaining soul had suffered endless torment, eventually turning into that inhuman, ghostly form.
Thud—!
Qian Daoliu's eyes instantly turned blood-red. The soul power he had been suppressing erupted uncontrollably, surging out like a dam breaking.
Violent soul power mixed with boundless killing intent rampaged through the hall, cracking the sturdy pillars and floor!
"Poseidon! Asura! You beasts! You damned beasts!!!"
Qian Daoliu looked up at the sky and let out a heart-wrenching roar. His voice was filled with piercing pain and limitless hatred.
Tears flowed endlessly from the eyes of the usually dignified and composed elder.
The ancestral god he had worshipped and devoted his life to had met such a tragic end.
If Chen Yi had not reacted quickly and immediately released his divine power to suppress the soul force and roar Qian Daoliu had unleashed in the hall, the commotion would have already spread throughout Spirit Hall, causing unnecessary panic and speculation.
The Grand Elder, Chu Shanhe, and Golden Crocodile watched in silence as Qian Daoliu, seemingly driven mad, poured out his pain. They understood the shock. The Angel God meant far too much to Qian Daoliu.
Bibi Dong's expression was also extremely complicated. She had once hated the Angel Clan and vented her anger on Qian Daoliu.
But upon learning the Angel God's fate, even as a woman, she could not help feeling a chill run down her spine. The world of gods was truly not a good place.
After a while, Qian Daoliu's hoarse cries gradually subsided. As if all strength had left him, he collapsed back into his chair. In an instant, he seemed to have aged at least ten years. His eyes were hollow and filled with sorrow.
Seeing this, Bibi Dong regained her composure and spoke again, bringing the conversation back to reality.
"So, the reason you called me here... was for the matter of the fusion of holy and evil?"
Combining what Chen Yi had previously revealed—that restoring the Angel position required an evil authority to balance the holy—with the characteristics of the Rakshasa position, Bibi Dong instantly guessed part of Chen Yi's intention.
Chen Yi nodded solemnly and asked, "Indeed. How far have you progressed in the Rakshasa God's trials?"
"How much time do we have until we can truly inherit the divine thrones?"
Bibi Dong hid nothing and answered frankly, "I am ready at any time."
During this period, not only had she eliminated the hidden dangers left from previous investigations, but through the purification operations across the entire mainland, she had gained a deeper understanding of the Rakshasa God's evil power.
The Rakshasa God had clearly told her that she could complete the final holy trial and officially inherit the Rakshasa God position whenever she wished.
Hearing this, a smile finally appeared on Chen Yi's face.
"In that case, I have a request... I ask that the Spider Empress offer a sacrifice."
Bibi Dong nodded lightly and said nothing more. As she stood up, faint purple-black divine power flashed around her. Her figure transformed into a streak of light and flew straight toward the passageway.
As they watched Bibi Dong leave, everyone in the hall secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Once Bibi Dong became a god, the Douluo Continent's combat strength would rise qualitatively once more, which would be extremely important for dealing with any future threats from the divine realm.
Moreover, her imminent ascension meant that the plan for Qian Renxue to restore her position as the Angel God could be implemented sooner.
Chen Yi then turned his gaze to Qian Daoliu, whose aura was weakening, and spoke with concern.
"Grand Worship, you overused the sacrificial secret techniques during the great war, damaging your foundation. If you are not rescued soon, in your current state... you may not live to see the day Xue'er returns after restoring her godhood."
Now that hope had emerged for repairing or regenerating the Angel Godhood, there was no need for Qian Daoliu to sacrifice himself to open the final divine trial for Qian Renxue as in the original story. Therefore, Chen Yi had to find a way to prolong the life of this diligent but exhausted elder.
As he spoke, he glanced at Chu Shanhe beside him. Chu Shanhe's expression was equally serious.
"And Sect Master, during that fierce battle, maintained the third awakening state of the Golden level for a long time. That must have consumed a massive amount of your life force."
"If you do not receive proper treatment and adjustment, considering your current weakened state... unfortunately, you have only about twenty years left."
Like sacrifice, Golden Awakening was also a desperate measure that burned one's life force to rapidly increase combat power in a short time.
The difference was that Golden Awakening could be turned on and off automatically, making the burden on the body relatively easier to control. However, the cumulative damage from long-term maintenance or repeated use was similarly fatal.
Sacrifice, on the other hand, wasted a certain number of years of life in a single act and could not be stopped midway; its cost was far more severe and direct.
Hearing this, Chu Shanhe grinned, looking remarkably generous.
"Haha, it's no big deal, no big deal! I've lived a fulfilling life. Just seeing a young man like you emerge from the sect is worth it, even if my lifespan is shortened by a few years."
Chen Yi sighed and shook his head with a nod.
"Later, I will use divine power, life energy, and rare precious medicinal herbs to treat everyone's bodies and restore your depleted life force."
"While I cannot make you young again, it should not be difficult to firmly rebuild your foundations."
Chu Shanhe's eyes lit up. He slapped his thigh and laughed.
"Understood! Understood! Then I'll leave my old life in your hands!"
After calming Qian Daoliu and Chu Shanhe, Chen Yi's expression grew serious once more. He looked around at everyone and said in a low voice,
"Furthermore, relying on military force to suppress the various powers on the mainland is ultimately not a long-term solution for stability."
"The Douluo Continent is ultimately composed of hundreds of millions of ordinary citizens. Soul masters are only a minority. To govern the world, maintain order, and develop people's livelihoods, a well-developed state system is ultimately required."
Everyone in the hall understood Chen Yi's intention and their expressions turned solemn.
The Spirit Hall and Body Sect could intimidate the soul master world, but governing a vast empire, handling complex administration, developing the economy and culture, and ensuring the livelihood of ordinary citizens... these could not be solved by force alone.
What was needed were effective institutions, a professional bureaucratic group, and a comprehensive system of laws and policies.
"Therefore," Chen Yi continued, "I believe we need to reconstruct, or integrate and optimize, the governance system of the mainland."
"The old systems of the two great empires may serve as reference, but to eliminate injustices and establish a new political system, radical reforms are necessary."
He looked at Qian Daoliu and Golden Crocodile, then at Chu Shanhe and the Grand Elder.
"During the transition period, military force may be needed to maintain basic stability and remove stubborn resistance to reform."
"I promise," Chen Yi declared in a firm, resolute voice, "once we overcome this most difficult transitional period and establish a stable new order, I will never mistreat my friends!"
"In this new era, you will surely receive the status and glory you deserve!"
The people in the hall, including Qian Daoliu who had only just begun to recover from his grief, all wore solemn expressions and replied in unison.
"Understood!"
"We vow to follow Sect Master and build a prosperous era!"
...
In the God Realm, a forbidden land for the gods.
Poseidon's face was pale, and his aura was even more unstable and chaotic than before. He sat cross-legged on a cold black stone. The once-brilliant blue-gold divine light had dimmed, and anger was etched between his brows.
He desperately tried to squeeze fragments of blood energy from his wounded divine body and send them toward the seal not far ahead.
However, the blood energy he released from his body quickly weakened and eventually dissipated completely into the air, never reaching its destination.
He had worked hard for a long time and expended much essence, yet he had only managed to send out a tiny, negligible amount!
"Damn Life Goddess! You bitch! You whore!"
Poseidon's eyes were filled with rage. When the Life Goddess had banished him to the forbidden land of the gods, she had imposed special restrictions on him, making even the slightest movement extremely difficult.
"Hah... hah..." Poseidon panted, finally giving up the futile effort. If he continued like this, he would exhaust himself before achieving his goal.
"No... I must recover first."
…
Meanwhile, deep within the Asura Temple.
The Asura God slowly opened his blood-red eyes. He looked toward an inconspicuous shadow in the corner of the hall, where black blood-like light writhed and struggled. A blood-red light flashed in his eyes.
"He actually... reached the god level. Truly astonishing," the Asura God muttered in a tone devoid of joy or anger.
"However... I will be heading there soon as well."
As he spoke, his gaze locked onto the direction of the Douluo Continent.
"Chen Yi..."
"I will be waiting for you... in the God Realm."
The moment he finished speaking, the Asura God closed his eyes once more. At the same time, he grabbed the black blood-like light sphere writhing in the air.
Ignoring its increasingly violent resistance, he forcibly pushed it into the divine position within his body.