Under Zhu Ziyang's astonished gaze, the World instantly lost its color. Everything seemed to be paused, and the entire space-time fell into an eerie stillness. The Demon Emperor, Snow Empress, Ice Empress, Second Shuang, Demon Sovereign, Demon Whale Maiden, and even Zhang Lexuan behind Zhu Ziyang, and Jiang Nannan and Qian Lingyi further back, all became like statues.
In the entire World, it seemed only Zhu Ziyang still maintained his perception of the flow of time and space.
A humanoid phantom slowly appeared before Zhu Ziyang. The phantom's appearance, gender, and race were indiscernible; even in Zhu Ziyang's perception, it was a fluid, water-like form, very strange and unique.
The previously indescribable voice came from this humanoid phantom.
Zhu Ziyang looked at the humanoid phantom with great vigilance. From the abilities and methods displayed by this phantom, it must be a being above the God level. However, it seemed to bear him no ill will, otherwise, with its ability to stop time and space, there would be no need for it to expose itself to him!
So, Zhu Ziyang asked, "Who are you? What is your relationship with this Demon Sovereign?"
"I have a relationship with this beast, and I don't," the humanoid phantom said, its voice devoid of any emotion. "How should I put it, I also have a relationship with you, and I don't?"
"..." Zhu Ziyang was momentarily at a loss for words, stunned for a moment, then said, "So, who exactly are you?"
"I am the Spirit of the Planet. You may also call me the World Will of the Douluo World." The humanoid phantom's body rapidly shifted with flowing colors, and its voice entered Zhu Ziyang's ears.
"Spirit of the Planet? World Will?" Zhu Ziyang was stunned, then looked at the humanoid phantom with a sense of awe he couldn't quite explain.
"As the inheritor of the God of Death, you should know what the World Will signifies, right?" The Spirit of the Planet, the World Will, continued.
"Mm!" Zhu Ziyang nodded silently, recalling the information about the World Will in his memory. The World Will, the manager of a World, is the symbol of the starry sky in this World, and even the heavens shining above the heads of the beings in this World!
Zhu Ziyang's heart tensed. He didn't understand the World Will's intention in appearing before him. Logically, the World Will shouldn't appear casually!
"So, what is your purpose in seeking me?" Zhu Ziyang unconsciously used honorifics. No matter what, the World Will could be considered the guardian of all beings in the Douluo World. Before he ascended to Godhood, this relationship would not be severed.
"There's really nothing much. I just want to ask you to spare these two Demon Whales," the World Will said.
"Why?" Zhu Ziyang narrowed his eyes, feeling a bit displeased. Even the World Will couldn't so presumptuously demand him to do something!
"These two Demon Whales still have a purpose for the Douluo World," the World Will said. "Don't worry, I naturally won't let you make concessions for nothing."
"What are you prepared to trade?" Zhu Ziyang's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing the World Will's words, and he asked.
"The library must have helped you quite a bit!" the World Will said. Whether it was Zhu Ziyang's illusion or the truth, there was actually a hint of glee in the World Will's voice.
"How do you know..." Zhu Ziyang's mind trembled upon hearing this, then he instantly understood, realizing, "I wondered how that library could collect so many books. So that's it! Indeed, besides the World Will, no other power could accomplish this. As the World Will, the library has indeed helped me, but you should know that its help isn't enough for me to make concessions."
"Of course!" the World Will said. "To be honest, your growth to this point, even obtaining the God Position of Death, was something I hadn't initially anticipated. But fate is like that; even I, the World Will, cannot interfere with fate. And what I chose... *sigh*, never mind. Let's talk about the compensation for your concession!"
Zhu Ziyang was very interested in the World Will's interrupted words, but soon, his interest was drawn to the two items the World Will produced.
He saw the World Will extend its hand, and two gem-like objects appeared in its palm.
One was a pure white, rhomboid crystal, radiating a sacred, bright aura. There were some cracks at the four corners of the crystal, extending towards the center, but ultimately failing to shatter the sparkling central part of the crystal.
The other was a gray, spherical orb, emitting gray currents around its body. Within the gray currents, faint colorful streams of light diffused. The surface of the orb was smooth and intact, but its interior was filled with dense cracks, which was very peculiar.
"This is..." Zhu Ziyang narrowed his eyes, his gaze unwavering, staring intently at the two items the World Will had brought out. His heart was greatly shaken, and his face was filled with an expression of disbelief.
"As you thought, these are the Rakshasa God King's Godhood and the Angel God's Godhood!" the World Will said, its voice devoid of joy or sorrow, without a ripple of emotion, as if it were not presenting two Godhoods, but two ordinary gems. "After the God War ended, both Godhoods were damaged and unable to escape on their own. That's why I took them into the World's origin. After ten thousand years of nurturing and repair, although they lost their original level, they are still two Second-rank Divinities.
I think using them to exchange for your concession should be enough."
"Heh heh, two Godhoods for the life of the Demon Sovereign. It seems the Demon Sovereign is very crucial to your plan!" Zhu Ziyang did not immediately take the two Godhoods but instead pondered the World Will's intentions behind this action.
"I don't deny it," the World Will said. "But this has nothing to do with you. Are you, who is about to ascend to the God Realm, also planning to emulate your predecessors and forcibly interfere with the affairs of the Douluo Continent?"
"Oh! All right, I agree!" Upon hearing the World Will's words, Zhu Ziyang immediately understood its intention. As the Will of the Douluo World, how could it not know Mu En's last words? In fact, it was highly likely that it knew the true reason for Mu En's Death.
"Thank you," the World Will said. "The Sea God has always regarded the Douluo World as his private domain. As a human from the Douluo Continent, your God Position of the God of Death has not received his approval. Therefore, when you ascend to the God Realm, you will inevitably face his hostility and even difficulties. I hope you can win."
"You seem to really want me to win?" Zhu Ziyang asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Heh heh!" the World Will let out a cold, emotionless laugh and said, "That one's ambition is too great."
"Is that so?" Zhu Ziyang said thoughtfully.
"Alright, I'll leave now. I hope you ascend to Godhood soon!" the World Will said, its form gradually becoming ethereal. In just a blink of an eye, it vanished, like a wisp of air, scattering into the heavens and earth as the World began to operate again.
Zhu Ziyang felt a momentary cheer. If not for the two Godhoods warming his palm, he would have almost believed that everything just now was his hallucination.
"Please, please spare my mother!" The Demon Whale Maiden's plea once again entered Zhu Ziyang's ears, bringing him back to reality.
Zhu Ziyang subconsciously pressed the two Godhoods close to the other shore flower mark on his brow. To his surprise, the two Godhoods actually entered the God Position inheritance ground. His heart was filled with curiosity, and he lost interest in the two Demon Whales before him. So, without even glancing at the Demon Whale Maiden, he turned and left, leaving behind a sentence: "You may go. You are forbidden to appear in this sea area again!"
Seeing Zhu Ziyang leave, the Soul Spirits immediately followed. Although they were puzzled as to why Zhu Ziyang suddenly gave up on killing the pair of Demon Whales, they always obeyed Zhu Ziyang's commands, so they didn't hesitate too much and immediately followed him.
The Demon Whale Maiden looked blankly at the departing Zhu Ziyang, an expression of disbelief filling her pretty face. She murmured, "He really... let us go?"
"Go, quickly go!"
The Demon Sovereign's weak voice reached the Demon Whale Maiden's ears. The Demon Whale Maiden was instantly overcome with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, crying out, "Mom, are you okay?"
"Baby, quick, quickly leave here!" The Demon Sovereign's voice was full of weakness, with fear in its weakness, and unwillingness in its fear, saying, "That young man... is a God!"
"God!" The Demon Whale Maiden instantly lost herself in thought. God, that word was so familiar. Wasn't her father killed because of that word? Now they had encountered a God again, but they had lived. Why didn't Dad encounter such a kind God back then?
The Demon Whale Maiden followed the Demon Sovereign into the deep sea. It was foreseeable that for the next few millennia, this mother and daughter would not appear near the Douluo Continent.