Divine Realm, Life Domain.
Rare flowers and precious herbs bloomed everywhere, spiritual springs flowed quietly, and the air was filled with the fresh scent of plants. Chen Yi strolled through a garden deep within the divine realm with his wives.
They all seemed in good spirits. Of course, they were always in good spirits.
"By the way…" Dugu Yan took a bite of the transparent spiritual fruit in her hand, tilted her head, and asked curiously, "We haven't seen Teacher in a while. What has he been busy with lately?"
Ever since Chen Yi revived Thunder God from the river of time, the former God King had completely abandoned all duties and was now enjoying a leisurely retirement.
Chen Yi had initially wanted to entrust him with managing the Thunder God Temple, but the old man firmly refused, saying, "I worked so hard to raise you so you could work and I could live comfortably."
Chen Yi chuckled softly at the memory.
His laughter immediately drew everyone's attention. Qian Renxue raised her golden eyes, filled with curiosity. Shui Bing'er's cold gaze also carried a probing look. Ye Lingling said nothing but watched him with gentle eyes.
"Yi, was there something wrong with what I said?" Dugu Yan asked, puzzled.
Chen Yi shook his head, but the smile on his lips deepened. "No, I just… remembered something funny."
"What is it?" Shui Bing'er rarely spoke first, but her voice was clear and cold like an ice spring.
Chen Yi did not keep them in suspense. Smiling, he said, "Teacher is probably helping take care of the children of two older Seniors right now."
After Chen Yi helped resolve the divine conflict between the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life, the two soon had children.
"Teacher… seemed a bit bored, and coincidentally, neither of my two Seniors is very good at caring for children. So this honorable job of childcare fell to Teacher."
"I see." Ye Lingling covered her mouth and giggled. "Then Teacher is…"
"Busy with activity," Chen Yi finished for her.
Hearing this, all the girls smiled. Even the usually cold and aloof Shui Bing'er smiled faintly.
"By the way," Ye Lingling suddenly suggested, "I haven't seen Ling Jin in a long time either. Why don't we go check on him?"
The proposal was immediately approved. Dugu Yan clapped in delight, Shui Bing'er nodded lightly, and Qian Renxue looked at Chen Yi. Since all his wives were going, he naturally had no objections.
Thus, the group of five left the garden and headed deeper into the Life Domain.
After passing through a bamboo forest filled with spiritual energy and crossing a small hill blooming with exotic flowers, a courtyard bathed in soft divine light appeared. It was not large, but warmth permeated every corner.
Ancient trees stretched their branches, their swaying leaves casting dappled green light like sunlight filtering through.
However, this peaceful scene was shattered by a somewhat frantic shout.
"Little Jin'er! Come here quickly! Drink this Chaos Origin Liquid!"
Chen Yi and the others looked toward the sound. On the other side of the courtyard, a majestic figure was chasing a chubby little boy.
The purple robe fluttering with lightning surrounding him was none other than the ancient Thunder God.
And the chubby boy running ahead at full speed was none other than the son of the God of Destruction and the Goddess of Life—Ling Jin.
"No!" the chubby boy shouted as he ran. His short legs moved with unbelievable speed.
"It tastes awful, and one sip makes me feel sick for days! I absolutely won't drink it!"
Thunder God's beard bristled with anger, but he was completely helpless against this little devil.
At that moment, the chubby boy spotted Chen Yi and his group watching the show with smiles from afar. His eyes lit up. He immediately changed direction, ran over, and jumped into Chen Yi's arms.
"Big Brother—"
Chen Yi hugged the little bundle of flesh and couldn't help laughing loudly.
The little boy had inherited the God of Destruction's thick purple hair and the Goddess of Life's emerald-green eyes. His features were delicate and adorable. At this moment, he frowned and looked at Chen Yi with pitiful eyes.
"Wouldn't it be good to try the Origin Liquid?" Chen Yi asked with a smile. "It's very beneficial for you."
Ling Jin pouted unhappily. "It doesn't taste good. After drinking it, I feel sick for days and can't do anything. It's not fun at all."
He paused, then added, "Besides, Dad said real men don't drink such tasteless stuff!"
Chen Yi: "…"
Thunder God, who had been chasing from afar, stopped. His expression became quite interesting.
"Your father is lying!" Thunder God walked over irritably. "When he was young, didn't he want to drink? It was because there was no wine. Otherwise, he would have drunk more than anyone!"
Little Ling Jin peeked out from Chen Yi's arms, made a face at Thunder God, and said, "I don't believe it! Mom said Uncle was even more mischievous than me when he was little, and Dad said the same!"
Thunder God's face darkened.
The girls in Chen Yi's arms couldn't help laughing. Dugu Yan laughed the loudest, and even Shui Bing'er turned her face away, her shoulders shaking slightly.
Thunder God took a deep breath to calm himself. "Nonsense! I was known for being very sensible back then! That was just your mother comforting you!"
My disciple is right here. I absolutely cannot allow this young man to ruin my reputation in the future.
The several goddesses behind him also gathered around, looking at the adorable little boy with affection. Dugu Yan reached out to pinch his chubby cheek and laughed, "Oh, this child is quite clever."
Shui Bing'er said nothing, but a gentle smile appeared in her eyes.
"Stop talking nonsense! Come here and drink this water!"
Ling Jin shrank back and looked around. The goddesses were all smiling at him, but none spoke up for him. Even Ye Lingling, who usually doted on him the most, only smiled gently without any intention of intervening.
The little boy was completely in despair.
He pouted, stuck half his head out from Chen Yi's arms, resignedly reached out, took the jade bowl Thunder God handed him, and gulped down the Origin Liquid in a few swallows.
After finishing, he immediately pushed the bowl back into Thunder God's hand, shrank into Chen Yi's arms, and frowned slightly. Clearly, he was already beginning to feel discomfort as the liquid entered his body.
Seeing this, Ye Lingling gently raised her hand. Soft emerald light flowed from her fingertips, raining down on Ling Jin like spring rain. In an instant, the violently churning Origin Liquid in the young boy's body calmed down and began to slowly and gently nourish his limbs and bones.
The frown between Ling Jin's brows gradually relaxed, and relief appeared on his small face. Soon, he fell into a deep sleep in Chen Yi's warm embrace.
The group smiled at each other and slowly walked deeper into the courtyard.
Thunder God walked beside Chen Yi and casually asked, "By the way, where are your children? Why didn't you bring them?"
Chen Yi looked down at the soundly sleeping Ling Jin in his arms and said gently, "Those mischievous little monkeys can't sit still. So I sent them to the Douluo Continent."
"Douluo Continent?" Thunder God raised an eyebrow.
"Hmm." Chen Yi nodded. "This is a good opportunity to test the knowledge they've accumulated over the years. It will make things easier for us when they inherit our positions later."
Hearing this, Thunder God glanced at him sideways. "Aren't you relaxed enough now? You're the laziest person in the divine world."
"Nonsense," Chen Yi said innocently. "Teacher, that's wrong. I'll go to Senior's place and sue you for defamation."
"Hahahaha…"
...
Douluo Continent.
Tens of thousands of years had passed. This land that had witnessed countless legends now welcomed a new era.
Humanity had long left their home planet and built countless cooperative planets across the vast Milky Way. The soul power cultivation system had deeply integrated with technological civilization. Warships sailed the sea of stars, and soul masters waged wars on alien planets.
Yet Douluo Continent remained the most revered ancestral planet—the birthplace and spiritual home of all human civilization.
Martial City, the Thunder God's origin, had become the cultural and educational center of the entire federation. In particular, Grand Martial Academy was recognized as the federation's premier higher education institution, a holy land that countless talented youths dreamed of entering.
On this day, five teenagers stood outside the main gate of Grand Martial Academy, their eyes filled with excitement and anticipation.
The teacher in charge of receiving them stood beside the five children, gazing at them with deep emotion.
These five children were the most talented new students this year.
Qian Yu's true form was a martial soul with the legendary Angel bloodline flowing within him. The fusion of true form and Angel characteristics created an invincible physique; few at the same level could break his defense.
Shui Changling and Shui Qinghe were twin siblings. Both were ultimate ice users, and the purity of their ice attribute surpassed even the rare Level 100 powerhouses in the federation.
Ye Qingyi was praised by the examining teacher as a super genius support once in a century.
Dugu An wielded unpredictable and bizarre poison techniques. Even more astonishingly, he and Ye Qingyi possessed a martial soul fusion skill. When the two combined forces, their combat power rivaled a Soul Douluo.
These five children would have caused a storm no matter which era they were born in.
"Understood," the teacher snapped out of her thoughts, smiled, and pointed at the majestic school gate. "That is Grand Martial Academy. For the next few years, you will live and study here."
The five children nodded and walked into the school.
After crossing the wide square, the teacher led them to a solemn and dignified place. Dozens of tall stone statues stood there, each lifelike and radiating faint reverence.
"They are the sages produced by my Grand Martial Academy over the centuries, and of course, the guardians of my Douluo Continent."
The teacher then had each of the five children bow one by one.
"Thunder God Chen Yi, one of the God Kings of the Divine Realm, ended the ancient wars of the gods and created an entirely new cultivation system."
"The Holy Evil Angel, Qian Renxue, the beloved one who fought alongside the Thunder God, and also one of the God Kings of the Divine Realm."
"Her Majesty, the Ice Goddess Shui Bing'er, who controls the ultimate laws of ice."
"Her Majesty the Goddess of Abundance, Ye Lingling, the ultimate sublimation of the Nine Heart Begonia martial soul, revered as the first pillar of the Divine Realm."
"The Angel God, who laid the foundation of the Angel bloodline."
"His Majesty Yuan Hua, the God of Emotions and Grand Elder of the Body Sect, whose spiritual power commands reverence throughout the heavenly realm."
The teacher counted the statues one by one, her voice growing increasingly pious. Finally, she walked to a stone statue slightly different from the others and bowed deeply.
"She is said to be the first Angel Goddess." Her voice was deep and solemn. "She ended the ancient chaos and laid the foundation of the soul master system. The Thunder God's reforms and today's prosperous golden age are all thanks to her."
Qian Yu and the others listened quietly, warmth and pride welling up in their hearts.
At that moment, Shui Qinghe suddenly asked hesitantly, "Teacher, what happened to the Body Sect and the Spirit Hall? We looked outside for a long time but didn't see them at all."
She was the most introverted among the five siblings and had a soft voice, but her question piqued everyone's curiosity.
The teacher turned around, looked at the quiet little girl, and a gentle smile appeared in her eyes.
"Slacking off at home?" She laughed. "This part should have been learned in history class."
Shui Qinghe's face reddened slightly and she lowered her head.
The teacher stopped teasing her and said seriously, "In that era of explosive productivity, the leaders of the Body Sect and Spirit Hall made a decision that shook the continent. They carried out thorough reforms and decided to make all inheritances public and transparent."
She paused, her voice filled with heartfelt admiration.
"Thanks to their selflessness, the golden age arrived. It was another glorious era following Thunder God's era, where gods stood shoulder to shoulder.
"After the reforms were completed, the leaders of the two major forces, fearing that their prestige would affect the establishment and development of the new system, resolutely chose to live in seclusion."
The teacher's voice became distant and melodic.
"They used powerful supernatural forces to create an independent world, moved their entire clans there, and never appeared in public again.
"However, whenever Douluo Continent faced critical situations such as foreign invasions or dimensional crises, they appeared time and again to turn the tide."
She smiled faintly.
"So although they have left this world, they live on in people's hearts. Like these statues, they will stand here forever, watching over the students who grow across generations."
Qian Yu gazed at the vast sky in the distance and murmured, "So that's how it is…"
At that moment, Dugu An suddenly pointed in one direction and asked curiously, "Teacher, what is that?"
Everyone looked where he pointed.
In a corner of the academy square stood a giant gorilla specimen nearly ten zhang tall.
It was a massive black ape with arms longer than its knees and bulging muscles. Despite having died many years ago, its ferocious expression and lingering terrifying aura still inspired awe.
The teacher glanced at it with a complicated expression.
"That is the legendary giant ape that once clashed fiercely with Lord Thunder God," he said slowly. "When the Beast God era arrived, this soul beast was sent to Lord Thunder God as a gift in gratitude for its contributions to the soul beast race."
He paused, then continued, "However, soul beasts do not drop soul rings when killed, so it was not actually killed. But later, when the heavenly tribulation descended, it could not survive and died under the lightning tribulation."
Looking at the giant specimen, the teacher said quietly, "To commemorate the history of that era when humans and animals coexisted with contradictions yet intertwined, later generations erected it here as a permanent specimen."
"Oh, I see."
The voices of the boys and girls echoed across the square of Grand Martial Academy, lingering for a long time.
Sunlight illuminated their young faces, highlighting the curiosity, anticipation, and pride in their eyes.
They knew that the sages standing in the statues, the powerful figures recorded in legends, and those once forgotten by the world but whose names became known—all were connected to them by blood.
And here, they would carve their own legends.
…