The Golden Ancient Tree's intention?
A Yin?
Su Ming was confused.
How did A Yin get to know Tang Wulin behind his back?
"Never mind Wu Lin's matter. I came for another reason. Our academy is also prepared to participate in your Ten-Thousand Spirit Platform project. I wonder if we can discuss cooperation."
Ten-Thousand Spirit Platform?
"Elder Feng, Shrek can simply come to the Ten-Thousand Spirit Platform for experiences when needed."
Su Ming refused.
They also wanted to participate in the project? To do what?
Replicate a copy?
"Elder Feng, you are one of the few blacksmiths who has mastered the Spirit Fusion Method. If you wish to cooperate with the Ten-Thousand Spirit Platform in the name of the Blacksmith Association, assisting Spirit Masters with forging within the platform, we can discuss that. But regarding the construction of the Ten-Thousand Spirit Platform itself, I currently have no plans to involve personnel from any organization other than the Blacksmith Association and the Spirit Transmission Pagoda for this project."
Feng Wuyu's face showed embarrassment.
Although he had anticipated this outcome, the Sea God Pavilion still wanted to try.
He sighed, didn't forcefully try to persuade further, and turned to leave.
Watching Feng Wuyu depart, a deep, thoughtful look flashed in Su Ming's eyes.
Shrek was getting a bit too greedy.
It wasn't necessarily that individuals were greedy, but a culture fostered over a long period.
An academy had grown so large it had become a faction unto itself. That in itself was one thing, but it was still being led by its reputation to develop. Look at Shrek Academy now—what had it become?
A veritable independent Spirit Master world!
If Shrek Academy were completely isolated from the outside world now, only needing regular supplies of Spirit Souls, Spirit Ascension Platform slots, and rare metals, its internal operations could continue perfectly well. Its members' cultivation wouldn't be hindered at all.
And these three things it lacked were precisely impossible to prohibit.
Even if the Spirit Transmission Pagoda went to all-out war with Shrek Academy, it couldn't possibly propose measures banning the provision of Spirit Souls to all Shrek Academy disciples.
In the original storyline, after Shrek was destroyed, all the students escaped, surviving for years in an underground shelter. Not only was their cultivation unaffected, they each progressed by leaps and bounds.
All they needed was to send someone out periodically to procure supplies.
This was something Shrek had to do for its own survival.
But for Su Ming, it was something he had to prevent.
He couldn't allow Shrek to continue this unchecked expansion.
"Cooperation on the Ten-Thousand Spirit Platform? I'll just refuse. But A Yin over there isn't being honest, starting to recognize Tang Wulin as a grandson. It seems she's hooked up with Old Tang."
Su Ming entered his consciousness space, looking at the portion belonging to the Plane's Will, at that sliver of life core belonging to the Golden Ancient Tree. There was no trace of A Yin's will activity within it.
"It seems it's contact on the physical plane. Did Old Tang leave some contingency plan at Shrek Academy, not returning for a long time, which caught A Yin's attention?"
Regardless, this forced Su Ming to begin self-reflection.
"There's still quite a bit of A Yin's power within my Spirit Rings. I need to start purging it. Must hurry to the Abyss and use the Abyss's world energy to help cleanse myself."
Cleansing oneself required a medium, and the Abyss was a good tool for that.
Su Ming felt that heading into the Abyss, invoking a Heavenly Tribulation there, and using it to baptize himself would set his mind at ease.
As for Abyssal energy entering his body, he could return to the Douluo Plane and undergo another Heavenly Tribulation baptism.
Heavenly Tribulations weren't something that couldn't be undergone. As long as it wasn't the God Ascension Tribulation, then the Heavenly Tribulation was a good thing that could penetrate every minuscule part of the body.
Not just for cleansing; it could even deliver things.
Didn't Su Ming back in the Douluo 2 era use the Heavenly Tribulation to help distribute the Snow Empress's power throughout his body?
He hurriedly selected talents within the Pagoda, shuttled back and forth between the Spirit Transmission Pagoda and the Blacksmith Association a couple of times, confirmed the Ten-Thousand Spirit Platform had smoothly entered the development phase, and Su Ming finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Time to go to the Abyss!"
Qian Gu Dongfeng's office.
Looking at the letter of recommendation before him, Qian Gu Dongfeng's face was grim as he signed it.
"You're only a Spirit Emperor. There's no need to be in such a hurry to go to the Abyss to earn merits."
He emphasized the word "merits" heavily.
Just started a project, and now going to boost achievements and reputation—the threat Su Ming posed to him was becoming glaringly obvious.
"No need for the Pagoda Master to concern himself."
Su Ming took the invitation letter.
With this letter of recommendation, upon arriving at the Blood God Legion, he could start directly as a Major, and it could also stack with assessment scores, perhaps allowing him to become a Blood God immediately upon joining.
Blood God, the very core of the Blood God Legion.
After Su Ming left, Qian Gu Dongfeng's expression turned terrifyingly dark.
"Only a Spirit Emperor, yet daring to go to the Blood God Legion. Truly has no idea how to die."
His gaze was fierce.
Over the past two days, he had tried again to win over Leng Yaoju. The other party showed no intention of allying, and even Gu Yuena had begun distancing herself from Qian Gu Zhangting, not engaging in conversation with him.
Just a while ago, they were chatting quite well. At the very least, Qian Gu Zhangting got responses when he probed.
"Su Ming, Gu Yuena... The next Pagoda Master can only be chosen from between them. And if Su Ming doesn't die, it will be hard for Gu Yuena to align with my Qian Gu family. My Qian Gu family also has no need to meddle in the struggle between those two."
But was he willing?
How could he possibly hand over power?
In Qian Gu Dongfeng's mind, several figures suddenly flashed.
"The Abyss... The Holy Spirit Cult took a batch of Abyssal information from me last time. I wonder when they plan to make their move," Qian Gu Dongfeng thought to himself.
Although another plan was more important, if Su Ming didn't die, Qian Gu Dongfeng would find no peace.
The Blood God Legion had a rule: after reaching the Blazing Fire Basin, one had to trek on foot, ascending the mountain where the Blood God Legion was stationed, to join and enter the legion. After passing the newcomers assessment, one's military rank would be evaluated.
Walking through the Blazing Fire Basin, Su Ming wasn't in a hurry.
Along the way, he was attacked by Sand Demon Worms more than once.
The Sand Demon Worm was a unique Spirit Beast found in deserts. It relied on secretions from its body to convert all of a target's energy into liquid, which it then absorbed and digested.
If Sand Demon Worms proliferated excessively, it would cause deserts to spread rapidly.
Other deserts were fine, but only within the Blazing Fire Basin, where Sand Demon Worms were breeding rampantly, had the desert been continuously expanding over the years.
"This is what they call 'within a hundred steps, there is sure to be an antidote.' The battlefield between the Abyss and the Douluo Plane is nearby, so Sand Demon Worms breed rampantly within this Blazing Fire Basin."
The Sand Demon Worm's ability was effective against the Abyssal Plane.
Of course, it wasn't effective now, so the Plane was frantically investing in Sand Demon Worms, even at the cost of ecological damage, to make them breed. The goal was obviously to induce mutation in the Sand Demon Worms.
Unfortunately, the Plane's Will itself could only guide a very limited amount of power. The Sand Demon Worms ran rampant but hadn't mutated into suitable individual specimens.
Su Ming examined the corpses of the Sand Demon Worms, confirmed there were no successfully mutated individuals, and didn't waste any more time, heading towards the Blood God Legion.
Whether there were Sand Demon Worms or not was the same anyway.
"I can devour Abyssal energy myself. That's enough."
As long as Su Ming could devour it, he wouldn't have to worry about there being too much Abyssal energy to handle.
***
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