Carrying doubts and an incredible conjecture, Ji Xuanqiu took a deep breath and strode into the Spirit Transmission Tower headquarters.
Hua Yichen and Soul-Calming Douluo exchanged a glance, equally puzzled, and followed closely behind.
Inside the Tower, the staff still wore traces of shock on their faces, as if they'd just witnessed something unbelievable.
Though the three, full of questions, noticed this, they didn't dwell on it and headed straight for the upper-level conference room.
Along the way, they encountered Tianfeng Douluo Leng Yaozhu and Dragon God Douluo Gu Ruiqiu walking together. (Gu Ruiqiu: No need to emphasize the title!)
The two were conversing quietly. Seeing Ji Xuanqiu and the others, Leng Yaozhu nodded slightly: "Senior Ji, you've come as well."
Given the importance of this meeting, most of the Tower's higher-ups had arrived, even those from the Abyss Passage. This was thanks to Huo Yuhao and Tang Wulin—ever since the Douluo Federation had gained the ability to devour Abyss energy, the Abyss no longer dared to launch Abyss tides.
Ji Xuanqiu nodded. "Tower Master Qianku invited me. Have all the others arrived?"
"Almost everyone." Leng Yaozhu replied.
Hua Yichen had arrived the latest. After all, Mingdu was in the western Douluo Continent, while he guarded the Eastsea Spirit Transmission Tower—one east, one west, almost spanning the entire continent. It naturally took him longer to get here.
Before Hua Yichen's arrival, all the branch Tower Masters had already arrived, staying at the Tower or in Mingdu residences like Soul-Calming Douluo and Ji Xuanqiu, waiting for the meeting to begin.
"So I really am the latest?" Hua Yichen smiled helplessly, but he was used to it. He set it aside and asked, "I heard Lord Huo Yuhao went to the Extreme North. Has he returned?"
Leng Yaozhu was about to say she didn't know when Gu Ruiqiu answered: "Before I met Tower Master Leng, I ran into Huo Yuhao and the others. They've already arrived. Huo Yuhao went to the top floor; the others should have gone straight to the conference room."
Gu Ruiqiu's voice trailed off as she involuntarily recalled the scene of meeting Huo Yuhao and his group earlier. Her heart sank.
As one of the Four Great Spirit Transmission Envoys, she naturally had to attend this meeting. She'd originally planned to wait with Gu Yuena for Huo Yuhao and the others to return, then come together. But Gu Yuena had given her a pitying look and said meaningfully, "You go ahead—you might be able to avoid today's trouble."
She hadn't understood at the time. Not until she'd run into Huo Yuhao's group and seen Su Tong, Ye Guyi, and Ji Juechen standing there alive.
Then she understood.
The first-generation Tower members she'd "defamed" over the years weren't dead at all! Huo Yuhao had gone to the Extreme North to unseal and awaken them!
This was something she'd never expected.
She was genuinely happy that these "old friends" were still alive, but also deeply sorrowful about her own situation.
Ye Guyi and Ji Juechen had greeted her calmly when they met. But Su Tong was different—she'd given Gu Ruiqiu a look of shared suffering mixed with reproach that made her deeply uncomfortable. She'd hurried away and run into Leng Yaozhu.
Without a doubt, Su Tong had been disciplined by Huo Yuhao, and she probably wouldn't escape Su Tong's reckoning either. Who told her to add new embellishments to the "unofficial histories" Su Tong had started?
And that wasn't even the worst part.
Worse, in the future, even more "victims" might return. The thought of that scene made Gu Ruiqiu not want to imagine it.
As expected, what goes around comes around, Gu Ruiqiu lamented inwardly.
Of course, she couldn't share these thoughts with others—she could only bear them silently.
Hearing that Huo Yuhao and the others had arrived, Hua Yichen and the group asked no more questions and headed to the conference room. Gu Ruiqiu also composed herself and followed silently—no matter how flustered she felt, she couldn't miss today's meeting.
Arriving at the thirtieth floor, they saw three figures emerging from a lounge ahead, conversing.
It was Heart Image Douluo Han Tianyi, Fist Emperor Douluo, and Heavenly Maiden Douluo Ji Mengjie. (Note: In the original, Li Mengjie's personality changed drastically after being rejected by her beloved, becoming a femme fatale who played with men, earning the title "Demoness Douluo." But in this story, due to the Spirit Transmission Tower's influence, that never happened. Her title "Heavenly Maiden" comes from her original self-proclaimed nickname.)
Li Mengjie: "Isn't Tower Master Qianku stepping down a bit early? Lord Huo Yuhao's achievements are remarkable, but he has no experience managing the Tower. Shouldn't he accumulate some first?"
Though Huo Yuhao had served as a Spirit Transmission Envoy, he'd actually participated in very little Tower affairs.
Fist Emperor Douluo glanced at her: "What's the point of telling us that?"
With Huo Yuhao's achievements and the fact he'd saved his friend, Fist Emperor Douluo had no objections to him inheriting the Tower Master position.
Li Mengjie shrugged: "I wouldn't actually bring that up in the meeting—that would be disrespectful."
Han Tianyi smiled: "Don't worry. Since Tower Master Qianku made this decision, he must have his reasons. A few administrative matters shouldn't be difficult for a deity."
Huo Yuhao wasn't truly an eighteen-year-old youth. His mental age was certainly older than theirs, and he'd likely seen more of the world than they'd eaten salt.
A few administrative tasks couldn't possibly stump him.
Li Mengjie was silent for a moment, then nodded, though a hint of doubt remained. "True. But a deity—"
She had nothing against Huo Yuhao personally. But having a deity of mysterious origins inherit the Tower Master position inevitably made one wonder about his intentions.
Why had he joined the Tower and been steadily gaining power? Where would he lead the Tower in the future?
Aside from those close to Huo Yuhao, others who didn't know him well naturally had such concerns.
Li Mengjie was about to voice her doubts when her peripheral vision caught several figures approaching from the end of the corridor. She immediately swallowed her words.
"Senior Ji."
Han Tianyi was the first to greet him, his tone respectful with a hint of surprise.
He hadn't expected this person to have been invited as well.
Ji Xuanqiu nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the three before settling on Li Mengjie.
He opened his mouth as if to warn her about something, but ultimately shook his head and only said, "It's best not to say certain things during the meeting."
If his conjecture was correct, he feared Li Mengjie would suffer a social death on the spot.
"I understand." Li Mengjie nodded.
She hadn't planned to bring up those concerns in the meeting anyway. Disrespecting Lord Huo Yuhao at a Tower Master meeting would be terribly foolish.
The group didn't delay further and quickly arrived at the conference room.
Before Ji Xuanqiu pushed open the door, he was still imagining various ways to question Snow Empress. He never expected to see three figures who only existed in history sitting right there in the conference room.
Su Tong, Ye Guyi, Ji Juechen.
Not portraits, not sculptures—but living people who seemed to have stepped straight out of history.
Ji Xuanqiu's steps halted at the door, his pupils contracting sharply.
Behind him, Tianfeng Douluo, Hua Yichen, Han Tianyi, and the others followed his gaze and also froze in place.
"Is that—" Tianfeng Douluo's voice was barely a whisper, but it trembled. "Ancestors Su Tong, Ye Guyi, and Ji Juechen from ten thousand years ago? How is that possible?"
Hua Yichen, Han Tianyi, and the others didn't answer because they couldn't speak.
Soul-Calming Douluo suddenly understood why the staff on the first floor had looked so shocked.
Seeing this, Gu Ruiqiu suddenly felt better—she wasn't the only one who'd been startled.
By now, many had already arrived in the conference room. The Eighteen Heavenly Pillar Tower Masters, the Four Great Spirit Transmission Envoys, and some retired elders—because Snow Empress and the others had only recently arrived, not much earlier than Ji Xuanqiu and his group, most eyes were now fixed on those three figures, their faces mirroring the same shock and disbelief.
Those faces, those auras—identical to the portraits passed down through Tower history.
But how could this be?
How could people from ten thousand years ago still be alive?
At Qianku Dicing's strong insistence, Qianku Qingfeng had also been included in the meeting. He wanted to ask questions but didn't know where to begin.
The hall was silent enough to hear a pin drop.
Even Xiong Jun, the Ten Thousand Demon King, and other Star Dou spirit beasts who hadn't received advance notice showed shock in their eyes.
Huo Yuhao surviving to the present was already surprising enough. They'd never expected the first-generation members to have survived as well.
But how?
Bi Ji's gaze fell on Snow Empress and Gu Yuena, who had brought them in, seeking answers from them.
Just then, Ji Xuanqiu broke the suffocating silence with his dry voice.
"Sword Fanatic... Ancestor?"
If before, hearing from Soul-Calming Douluo that the three ancestors had appeared in the Extreme North had left him with doubts, now—with them seated in the Tower's important meeting, occupying the seats representing the Tower's higher-ups—all doubt seemed to vanish. Yet he still wanted to hear the answer from them.
Ji Juechen looked up at the voice, his gaze falling on Ji Xuanqiu. Sensing the powerful yet restrained, return to nature sword intent emanating from him, a sharp light flashed in his eyes.
The next moment, a sword qi—formless and intangible, yet condensed to the extreme—appeared precisely before Ji Xuanqiu.
It couldn't harm Ji Xuanqiu, whose cultivation and sword path had surpassed Ji Juechen's. But Ji Xuanqiu didn't brush it off casually. In everyone's eyes, an unmatched sword light flashed briefly from him, touching the essence of the sword. The sword intent vanished in an instant, yet made many present feel a faint sting.
"So this is the Sword God realm?"
Ji Juechen savored that sword light, some understanding dawning. But for once, he didn't fully sink into the sword path. He looked up at Ji Xuanqiu, nodded slightly, and his tone carried a hint of approval: "Not bad. You've already surpassed the master."
They were his descendants after all—he couldn't help but care. Seeing them surpass him naturally pleased him.
And Ji Juechen's words seemed to answer everything.
Hua Yichen, Leng Yaozhu, and the others felt their minds buzzing.
Their ancestors, the Tower's predecessors, had miraculously come from ten thousand years ago to this era!
"Thank you for your praise, Sword Fanatic Ancestor."
Ji Xuanqiu took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions. He bowed deeply to Ji Juechen, Su Tong, and Ye Guyi, his voice resonant and solemn: "Junior Ji Xuanqiu greets the three ancestors!"
In the hall, the Tower members on the human side, startled awake, rose one after another and bowed to the three figures: "We greet the three ancestors!"
Voices rose and fell, converging into a tide that echoed through the conference hall.
On the spirit beast side, they also rose solemnly, paying their respects to these old friends from ten thousand years ago in their own way.
Su Tong waved her hand, smiling brightly: "Alright, alright, no need for such formality. Everyone, sit down."
If you're this formal now, what will happen when Teacher's identity is revealed later?
Ji Juechen also nodded. "Everyone, sit."
With the Ancestor's words, Ji Xuanqiu could only straighten up. He exchanged glances with Tianfeng Douluo, Hua Yichen, and the others—whose eyes still held the same shock as the staff downstairs—and silently took his seat.
At this point, Qianku Qingfeng also came back to himself and looked at the three. "Three ancestors—historically, you never became deities. How did you—"
He didn't finish, but everyone understood his meaning. Their gazes also turned to Su Tong.
"You'll understand soon enough." Su Tong blinked, a meaningful smile playing at her lips.
Hearing this, they could only suppress their questions and the excitement of meeting their predecessors, waiting quietly for the meeting to begin.
After sitting down, Tianfeng Douluo and Hua Yichen noticed that the seating arrangement was different this time.
The conference table was long, with the central head seat empty.
On the left sat Snow Empress, Su Tong, Ye Guyi, Ji Juechen, Little White—
On the right sat Gu Yuena, Emperor Tian, Bi Ji, Xiong Jun—
Previously, seats were determined by one's position and strength in the Tower. But this time, there was clearly another principle.
The left and right seemed to represent the Tower's two major components—the Extreme North and Star Dou—much like the seating arrangement of the original first-generation Tower. (Su Tong, Ye Guyi, and Snow Empress had belonged to the same faction ten thousand years ago.)
"Is it because of the three ancestors?" Leng Yaozhu wondered silently.
Perhaps it was their return that had restored the seating to its ten-thousand-year-old arrangement.
But—
Leng Yaozhu's gaze fell on Gu Yuena, a trace of confusion passing through her eyes.
If that were truly the case, why was Na'er seated at the head of the right side, ahead of Emperor Tian?
Though no one would object given Gu Yuena's strength and status, it still felt somewhat incongruous.
Ji Xuanqiu shared similar doubts to Leng Yaozhu, but he didn't dwell on them.
Because when he saw the seating arrangement reminiscent of ten thousand years ago, the conjecture in his heart grew clearer.
His excitement at meeting Ji Juechen and the others now burned even brighter.
Perhaps today he would witness history!
With that thought, Ji Xuanqiu's gaze fixed on the doorway, waiting for that figure to appear.
Soul-Calming Douluo noticed his focus, thought of how Huo Yuhao had appeared alongside the three ancestors in the intelligence, and seemed to understand something. His pupils contracted as he too stared at the door.
Some, catching on from their unusual behavior and other clues, began to guess the truth. The rest, unaware, grew increasingly puzzled, feeling the atmosphere growing stranger.
In this peculiar mood, time slipped by.
As the scheduled meeting time approached, all other attendees had arrived. At the same time, three figures appeared at the door.
They were Huo Yuhao and the father-son duo of Qianku.
After stepping into the conference room, Qianku Dicing and Qianku Dongfeng noticed Su Tong and the others and immediately understood the meaning of Huo Yuhao's earlier words.
With complex emotions, they bowed to the three, then took their seats.
But Qianku Dongfeng, the current Tower Master, didn't take the head seat to preside over the succession ceremony. Instead, he sat below. This puzzled many who were unaware of the situation.
Just then, Su Tong looked at Huo Yuhao, her lighthearted words reaching everyone's ears: "Teacher, everyone's here. Let's begin."
"Teacher?!"
Those two words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly stirring up waves.
In the hall, many widened their eyes in disbelief, looking at Su Tong, then sharply turning to Huo Yuhao.
The second Tower Master, Frost Douluo Su Tong—a first-generation member, the first Tower Master's disciple—was calling Huo Yuhao "Teacher"?
Could it be that—
A secretary's pen clattered onto the table. She didn't even notice.
Leng Yaozhu's mouth fell open, her gaze somewhat hollow as she stared at Huo Yuhao.
Hua Yichen, thinking of the possibility, felt his eyelids twitching wildly, his mind blank.
Ji Xuanqiu's pupils contracted sharply, then a wry smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Just as he'd thought.
The conjecture in his heart had finally been confirmed.
Huo Yuhao glanced helplessly at the smiling Su Tong, shook his head slightly, and walked toward the long-vacant head seat.
He sat down calmly, Gu Yuena and Snow Empress flanking him, the three first-generation members seated on the left, Emperor Tian and the others solemnly on the right.
Huo Yuhao's gaze swept across the room—some with complex expressions, some barely concealing their shock, some barely containing their excitement.
"You may have already figured it out. According to the Tower's succession rules, you may call me Spirit Transmission Douluo. But I would prefer you call me—Spirit-Ice!"
As his calm words fell, an extreme chill radiated from him. The temperature in the conference hall plummeted, as if space itself might freeze.
Amidst this cold, nine figures appeared beside him.
Skydream Iceworm, Ice Empress, Evil Emperor, Octagonal Mystic Ice Grass, Liya, and several other Spirit Souls—all present.
Skydream hovered midair, golden and radiant, cheerfully watching the Tower's higher-ups. It wouldn't miss such a scene.
Nine Spirit Souls manifest together, their pressure like a tide sweeping through the hall, resonating with the extreme cold.
Snapping back from their shock, everyone's gazes converged on the figure at the head seat.
Qianku Dongfeng took a deep breath and rose first, leading with barely suppressed excitement: "Junior Qianku Dongfeng welcomes the return of the Spirit-Ice Ancestor!"
The Tower Masters, Spirit Transmission Envoys, and elders who had fully grasped the situation rose one by one, bowing.
The rustle of robes, the scrape of chairs, the sound of held breaths—all merged into a silent tide.
"Welcome the return of the Spirit-Ice Ancestor!"
Among them, Li Mengjie—who had earlier questioned Huo Yuhao's succession—shouted the loudest and most fervently. If not for the timing, she would have declared "the Spirit-Ice Ancestor's return means the Holy Spirit Cult and Abyss Plane are nothing but dirt" to prove her unwavering respect.
Voices rose and fell, gradually converging into a unified tide that echoed through the conference hall.
Though his mind was still blank, Hua Yichen didn't fall behind, bowing with the rest.
He still felt as if he were dreaming—the talent he'd personally brought into the Tower, the person he'd once mentored, was not only a deity but the founder of the Spirit Transmission Tower and the Spirit Soul system?
He had mentored the creator of Spirit Souls in contracting Spirit Souls?
Such a fact left him between laughter and tears. Thinking of all his past interactions with Huo Yuhao, he felt so embarrassed he wished he could find a hole to crawl into.
But at the same time, an indescribable joy and excitement rose in his heart.
After all, he was the first Tower higher-up to have known the Ancestor upon his return!
That honor made any embarrassment trivial. At this thought, a smile unconsciously appeared at the corner of Hua Yichen's mouth.
After bowing, Ji Xuanqiu looked up at Huo Yuhao, his heart full of emotion.
Ten thousand years had passed. The Spirit-Ice had returned.
Today would be recorded in history!
***
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