"Bi Ji, contact the Life Goddess and tell her I want to meet her face to face…"
Dan Heng spoke.
Bi Ji was stunned. She had communicated with the Life Goddess before and knew that a spatial-temporal black hole existed between the Divine Realm and the Douluo Plane.
That was precisely why the gods couldn't descend.
If Dan Heng was to go to the Divine Realm, wouldn't that mean he'd have to bypass the black hole?
"Brother-in-law, don't take the risk. It's not worth it…" Bi Ji panicked.
Even the gods in the Divine Realm were helpless against this issue.How could she possibly watch Dan Heng throw himself into danger?
Dan Heng smiled faintly and shook his head. "It's fine."
"No, no, no… I won't allow it…"
Bi Ji clung to Dan Heng's arm, afraid he would suddenly disappear.
Her big eyes were full of worry.
Dan Heng sighed softly and said, "Bi Ji, that black hole in space-time? I created it."
"???"
Bi Ji was stunned. Her eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Dan Heng, unable to utter a word.
The Life Goddess had told her that the black hole was an apocalyptic threat, the most dangerous crisis currently facing the Divine Realm.
But now Dan Heng was saying he created it?
Just how powerful was Dan Heng?
Bi Ji bit her lip, unable to even imagine such strength.
"Come with me. We'll be quick," Dan Heng suggested.
Bi Ji snapped out of her shock. This was the first time she realized just how powerful Dan Heng was.
If she accompanied him, she'd feel more at ease.
"What about Bao'er?"
"She can come too," Dan Heng said casually.
He was confident he could protect Bao'er from any harm—even inside a spatial-temporal black hole, nothing would happen to her.
"Well… alright then."
Bi Ji closed her eyes and connected with the Life Goddess.
Not long after, she opened them again and gave Dan Heng the coordinates the Life Goddess had left.
Dan Heng clenched his left fist. A faint green light flickered. Intense energy erupted from his palm, and he slammed it forward.
"BOOM…!!!"
A sudden burst of light.
A pitch-black spatial rift opened before them.
"This is…?" Bi Ji was dumbfounded.
"Once we enter, we'll be outside the Douluo Plane," Dan Heng reminded her. "Hold onto me."
Bi Ji quickly grabbed Dan Heng's shoulder and stepped into the rift with him.
Moments later—
Dan Heng moved at incredible speed through layered dimensions and arrived at the Life Goddess's divine temple.
Beneath the Tree of Life, the Life Goddess was pacing back and forth, anxiously waiting.
Suddenly, a wave of spatial energy rippled.
Dan Heng appeared with Bi Ji and Bao'er.
Seeing them, the Life Goddess let out a sigh of relief. "I've already enveloped this place with divine power. No one else will notice…"
She glanced at Bi Ji and smiled. "As I expected, you haven't let me down. You're the perfect successor for my legacy."
Unlike other gods, the Life Goddess was a primordial being—born with consciousness and divinity.
Bi Ji immediately felt shy upon seeing the Life Goddess and lowered her head, instinctively feeling close to her.
It was the instinct of all living things.
Even enemies found it hard to hate the Life Goddess.
The goddess's gaze then fell on Bao'er.
Bao'er waved at her, clearly wanting a hug.
The Life Goddess's expression lit up with joy and tenderness. She gently reached out and cradled Bao'er in her arms, handling her with extreme care, as if she might break.
Holding Bao'er, the Life Goddess's eyes reddened with emotion.
It was envy—and deep longing.
Her greatest wish had always been to have a child with the God of Destruction, but due to their conflicting natures, it was impossible for them to conceive.
"What a lovely daughter…"
The Life Goddess raised her hand, and a twig from the Tree of Life floated down, gently touching Bao'er's forehead.
With that, she bestowed upon Bao'er a God King's Blessing.
Bao'er, as the source of life for the Douluo Plane, was one level below the Life Goddess herself. Their powers were of the same origin. This blessing greatly enhanced her life force.
"Mr. Dan Feng, I'm so glad you have a wife and child now… I used to worry that you'd lose yourself in the endless passage of time without a human anchor."
The Life Goddess spoke gently.
Dan Heng gave a slight nod. He had a good impression of her.
"Life Goddess, I've come about what you mentioned. I don't wish to be enemies with the Divine Realm, nor do I want any conflict… but if they interfere with my life, then I'll be forced to use violence."
Dan Heng said flatly.
The Life Goddess sighed and asked softly, "Do you have a plan, Mr. Dan Feng?"
"I'm not an omniscient or omnipotent god. I just have power. I could banish the Divine Realm to another world… or let it be swept away by the chaos of time and space."
Dan Heng replied.
The Life Goddess nodded slightly, a troubled look appearing on her face.
"I understand… But if you reveal yourself, the other gods will become even more paranoid. The stronger you are, the more they'll fear you."
"Mr. Dan Feng, I… I do have a plan. I hope, for my sake, you'll cooperate. It will ensure the Divine Realm never interferes with you again…"
She looked at him with hopeful eyes.
If not for the Life Goddess, Bao'er and Longlong would never have been born.
And Gu Yuena's injuries—those had been healed thanks to her as well.
These were debts of gratitude.
Dan Heng didn't care about other gods, but he couldn't repay kindness with betrayal. He wouldn't let the Life Goddess suffer because of him.
"Tell me."
Meanwhile, the Soul Master Tournament resumed.
First was the Spirit Hall Team vs. Blue Tyrant Team.
For the first time, Zhu Zhuqing appeared and led her team to a hard-fought victory. Almost everyone was exhausted—only Zhu Zhuqing and her sister remained standing.
They had won—but barely.
Zhu Zhuqing even used her Fifth Soul Skill and activated the Killing God Domain, although she didn't maintain it throughout.
The referee announced Blue Tyrant's win.
Zhu Zhuyun, Xiao Wu, and the others cheered excitedly.
Zhu Zhuqing, however, glanced at the audience but didn't spot Dan Heng. She sighed quietly.
On the other side, the Spirit Hall team members had been healed and were lying on stretchers. Each wore a complex expression.
Especially Hu Liena and the others—they were the "Golden Generation" of Spirit Hall and were supposed to be unbeatable, yet had stopped at the top four!
Yan grumbled, "If only we'd done this… and then that… maybe we could've drained Zhu Zhuqing more, even traded lives… Damn, we were so close!"
Xie Yue lowered his head, staring at the sky, mentally replaying the match. Did they ever really have a chance?
Though the Blue Tyrant Team seemed to give their all…
Zhu Zhuqing appeared to be mostly supporting them. Even as a main force, she let everyone else shine.
But what if… Zhu Zhuqing's individual power far exceeded the entire team?
What if the Blue Tyrant Team was actually holding her back?
That thought made Xie Yue's heart skip a beat. Perhaps that was the real answer!
"Shut up! We lost. What's the point in arguing now…"
Hu Liena said coldly.
The atmosphere immediately fell back into gloom.
In the Spirit Hall stands, Qian Renxue was visibly distracted. Her team had lost, but she didn't seem to care.
"Young Master, are you alright?" asked Chrysanthemum Douluo, surprised.
"I'm fine…"
Qian Renxue snapped back to attention and forced a smile.
But she couldn't stop thinking about Bibi Dong's insane plan.
She was truly a lunatic!!!
The second match was Shrek Team vs. Heaven Dou Imperial Team.
The outcome was even more decisive. Shrek won in a landslide.
Ma Hongjun soared above the field, flames bursting forth, radiating intense heat.
His phoenix cries echoed, fierce and majestic.
Below, Tang San and the others watched him show off and shook their heads helplessly.
Floating in the air like a blazing ball of lava, Ma Hongjun shouted:
"Did you see that?! I, Ma Hongjun! From Shrek Academy! Disciple of Dean Flender! Defeated the Heaven Dou Team! We're in the finals! Shrek Academy is the best!"
His bold voice echoed across the entire arena.
Everyone remembered the flamboyant and arrogant fat man—and the name Shrek Academy.
Dai Mubai laughed and cursed, "Fatty, that's enough. Time to come down."
Davis stopped Dai Mubai and said, "Let him talk. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. The more famous Shrek becomes, the more support we'll get…"
The brothers kept glancing at Tang San, still confused about why Ma Hongjun said he was so handsome.
Tang San's expression changed slightly as he looked up at Ma Hongjun.
He kept praising Shrek Academy—but raised the name of Flender, not Yu Xiaogang, his own teacher.
"Some people said I, Ma Hongjun, was finished! That I'd have to cut off my balls to keep my cultivation! But I say NO! I kept my family jewels! And I STILL led my team to victory! I REFUSE to bow down! Not to you—and not to fate!"
Ma Hongjun roared at the top of his lungs.
The Dai brothers' faces instantly turned green—this fat guy was way too good at talking nonsense.
Too vulgar!
If people found out they did something like that, wouldn't they just die from shame?
"You're dead meat, you damn fatty!"
Ning Rongrong stomped her foot, covered her face, and ran off the stage.
Ma Hongjun, on the other hand, was feeling exuberant. He really needed this victory today!
He could finally hold his head high!
And Dan Heng actually wanted his "lusty lazy egg"? Like hell he'd give it up!
As it turned out, Dan Heng was just spouting nonsense!
Looking down, what was with Tang San's expression? Was he looking down on him?
Just wait…
One day, he was going to take that smug bastard down a notch!
After all, wasn't it that bastard Yu Xiaogang who screwed him over like this?
Below the stage, Zhu Zhuqing and her close friends didn't look too pleased at the performance of the Shrek team.
Huo Wu gritted her teeth and said angrily, "So smug, just because they got lucky!"
Shui Yue'er clung to Zhu Zhuqing's arm and said earnestly, "Zhuqing, you have to avenge us later! Teach those bastards a hard lesson!"
Meng Yiran furrowed her brows and said, "The Shrek team's strength… seems to be above the expected level. That Ma Hongjun can actually contain power equivalent to a Soul Emperor, and with a top-tier martial soul. Even the Spirit Hall team might not be their match, right?"
Zhu Zhuqing lowered her gaze and thought for a moment.
There was no doubt—based on their current performance, the Shrek team did have what it took to be ranked second.
In fact, excluding Zhu Zhuqing herself, the average level of the Blue Tyrant team was quite a bit lower.
"We will win," Zhu Zhuqing suddenly said.
All the girls looked at her in surprise.
Zhu Zhuqing had always been quiet, especially when it came to anything related to soul duels.
But now she was the one making a bold declaration?
Zhu Zhuqing clenched her delicate fists, her expression resolute. She wasn't really speaking to the others—it was more like she was making a promise to someone else.
"I… will win!"
But the one on Zhu Zhuqing's mind was Dan Heng.
In two years, she would reach the Soul Emperor level.
Which meant, just as her teacher had said before, she would have to leave this home.
So she had to win the championship—to present a satisfying "answer sheet" to her teacher!
At that thought, a hint of sorrow welled up in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.
Images of every familiar blade of grass and tree at home appeared in her mind. Things she had once taken for granted suddenly became precious, like something was trying to pull her back.
At the hotel.
Dan Heng and Bi Ji had returned, and he went to find Gu Yuena.
Gu Yuena didn't ask where Dan Heng had been. She took Bao'er in her arms and doted on her for a while. The mother and daughter were warm and affectionate—peaceful and full of joy.
Looking at the two of them, Dan Heng spoke gently:
"Wife, after the Soul Master Tournament is over, let's go live in seclusion for a while, shall we?"
Gu Yuena was slightly stunned, surprised by Dan Heng's words. But she didn't hesitate and nodded. "Alright! I'll follow whatever my husband says!"
Dan Heng smiled slightly, the two exchanging affectionate glances.
Gu Yuena then prepared to send Bao'er out again. She was just about to call for Bi Ji, but swallowed the words.
"Husband, I'll go out and speak to Zi Ji and the others for a moment."
"Alright." Dan Heng nodded.
Gu Yuena left the room carrying Bao'er.
As the door closed behind her, her figure instantly vanished.
The next moment, she reappeared on the rooftop of the building across the street, right behind a purple-haired girl.
"Young lady, peeking on a married couple's private life… isn't a very good habit."
Gu Yuena said flatly.
The purple-haired girl was Bai Chenxiang. Her body tensed up instantly.
"Who are you? What do you want?" Gu Yuena asked.
But Bai Chenxiang didn't say a word—her body completely frozen.
Gu Yuena frowned slightly and tapped her on the shoulder. Bai Chenxiang's body flickered and turned around to face her.
At that moment, Bai Chenxiang seemed to collapse—like all the strength had been drained from her body. She slumped weakly to the ground, spirit completely exhausted.
"???" Gu Yuena was slightly startled. She hadn't done anything to her!
"W-Why am I here?"
Bai Chenxiang muttered in confusion, as if she had just woken up.
Looking at Bai Chenxiang's expression, Gu Yuena could tell—this wasn't an act. She had really lost part of her memory?
She had no idea what she had just been doing?
"You don't remember? Who did you meet before this?" Gu Yuena asked with a hint of curiosity.
Bai Chenxiang looked up at Gu Yuena, a trace of awe flashing through her eyes. She had never seen such a beautiful older sister before.
"I… I don't know, I can't remember anything…"
Bai Chenxiang shook her head in a daze.
"Do you even remember who you are?"
Bai Chenxiang gave a small "mm" and hugged her head. "I don't remember anything…"
(End of this chapter)