Sea God Island had vanished, and the once sparkling Sea God Lake had completely dried up.
Looking out, all that remained was a bottomless, giant pit, black as ink, as if it led straight to the center of the earth.
This abyss, over ten kilometers in diameter and thousands of feet deep, still had soil crumbling from its edges, emitting a suffocating aura of deathly silence.
On the scorched earth, not a trace of life could be found.
"Sister Yali..." Fang Yang said softly.
Ya Li knelt on the scorched earth, tears silently streaming down her face, her entire being as if her Soul had been extracted.
Fang Yang sighed helplessly, "Actually, the Pavilion Master isn't dead."
Ya Li suddenly looked up, her tear-filled eyes fixed on Fang Yang, her once bright eyes now bloodshot.
Her lips trembled, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "Re... Really?"
"Yes, he just can't appear right now."
Fang Yang's tone was calm, and he reached out to point at the sky-supporting spear in Ya Li's arms, "If you don't believe me, you can feel it."
Ya Li then came back to her senses, as if grasping at a last straw.
She quickly circulated her spirit power and injected it into the sky-supporting spear.
The spear body trembled slightly, and a familiar warm aura emanated from the hilt, like a silent embrace.
Though faint, that aura was truly present, it was Yun Ming's spirit power fluctuation, as if he had never left.
Tears welled up again, but this time, they were not of despair.
"Sister Yali, you wouldn't want the Pavilion Master to worry, would you?" Fang Yang said softly.
Ya Li took a deep breath and nodded forcefully, raising a hand to wipe away the tear stains on her face.
Although her eyes were still red and swollen, a light had rekindled in them.
Gu Yuena, Na'er, and Xu Xiaoyan, who had been standing quietly to the side, said nothing.
Fang Yang spoke, "Na'er, you stay with Sister Yali."
"Okay."
Na'er nodded gently and walked to Ya Li's side, gently supporting her arm.
Fang Yang's gaze turned to the distance, where Luo Guixing and others were walking towards them, supporting each other.
Their clothes were somewhat torn, and their faces bore the exhaustion of having survived a disaster.
"Are you all right?" Fang Yang went to meet them.
"We're fine."
Luo Guixing shook his head, his voice a little hoarse, "It's just... all of this happened too suddenly."
Just then, Ye Xinglan's figure flashed, and she suddenly threw herself into Fang Yang's arms.
Her shoulders trembled slightly, clearly still not recovered from the previous danger.
Fang Yang was slightly startled, then gently patted her back.
Yuanen Yehui and Wu Sido exchanged glances, both with a hint of helplessness in their eyes, but neither said anything more.
"It's okay now, it's over."
Fang Yang gently comforted Ye Xinglan in his arms.
"Mm."
Ye Xinglan nodded, then released her grip, a faint blush appearing on her face... Not long after, dawn broke.
The rising sun cast golden light upon this scorched earth, but it could not dispel the gloomy, deathly silence.
In the distance, several figures broke through the air, led by representatives of the Sun Moon Federation and the Spirit Transfer Pagoda.
Qian Gu Dongfeng was the first to land at the edge of the abyss, his gaze sweeping over the ruins.
His tone carried a hint of disbelief: "What's going on? Shrek Academy... just gone, like that?"
"Pagoda Master Qian Gu arrived very quickly." Fang Yang's tone was calm, devoid of any emotion.
Qian Gu Dongfeng said nothing, only let out a soft chuckle.
"Fang Yang, Gu Yue, are you two alright?" Leng Yaozhu walked over quickly, looking at the two with concern.
Her gaze swept over Fang Yang and Gu Yue respectively, carrying undisguised worry.
Gu Yuena shook her head gently, "We're fine."
Leng Yaozhu then breathed a sigh of relief, turning to look at the abyss, her brow tightly furrowed: "What exactly happened? How could Sea God Island..."
"Let me explain..."
Ya Li stood up; although her eyes were still red and swollen, her voice had regained its usual composure.
She held the sky-supporting spear, her gaze firm as she looked at everyone, "The situation is this..."
As Ya Li narrated, everyone gradually understood the truth of the matter.
The powerhouses of the Federation took a deep breath and solemnly bowed to Ya Li: "Understood, Holy Spirit Douluo (His Holiness/Her Holiness), I have understood the course of events."
"The Federation will immediately convene an emergency meeting to discuss follow-up matters."
Qian Gu Dongfeng gave Ya Li a deep look, said nothing, and turned to leave with the people from the Spirit Transfer Pagoda.
"Next, we need to address the issue of Shrek Academy." Fang Yang spoke, his gaze falling on the remaining buildings of Shrek Academy.
Hearing this, everyone looked at Fang Yang, awaiting his next instruction.
Fang Yang remained silent, slowly walking to the base of the shattered Golden Ancient Tree.
He squatted down, placing his palm gently on the scorched tree roots.
A soft green light emerged from his hand, pure life energy, slowly injecting into the remnants of the ancient tree's roots.
To everyone's surprise, not long after, a new green leaf sprouted from the base of the Golden Ancient Tree.
That vibrant green stood out remarkably on this scorched earth, like a ray of hope in the darkness.
"Thank you, my lord, for your timely rescue."
A weak voice came from the roots of the ancient tree, filled with deep gratitude.
"It's nothing."
Fang Yang spoke lightly, standing up and looking into the distance, "This is just the beginning."
The next moment, his figure appeared above Sea God Island.
He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upwards, and a pitch-black flame materialized out of thin air.
The flame was as deep as night, yet it exuded a heart-palpitating suppressive force.
"Incinerate!"
Fang Yang's voice was calm but carried an undeniable power.
The black flame responded, spreading like a tide in all directions, quickly enveloping the entire Shrek City and the former site of Shrek Academy.
The flames burned fiercely on this scarred land. The scorched soil gradually shed its impurities in the fire, revealing fresh earth beneath.
Even the deathly silence lingering in the air gradually dissipated under the purification of the flames.
After an unknown period, the black flames gradually extinguished. What appeared before everyone was a completely renewed land.
Although the buildings were incomplete, the scorch marks were gone, the soil had returned to its original color, and fresh air once again flowed through the atmosphere.
"Deep Sea Vortex!"
As Fang Yang's voice echoed, flames, a Fusion of sky blue and deep blue, transformed into a sky-filling rain of fire, slowly sprinkling down.
This rain of fire was completely different from ordinary flames; not only did it lack any scorching sensation, but it also carried a refreshing coolness.
Each drop of flame that fell on the scorched earth bloomed with a crystalline blue radiance.
Under the nourishment of the flame rain, the dried-up Sea God Lake site began to ripple with shimmering light.
Clear water gushed from deep within the earth, gradually gathering to form a lake.
The lake water rose at a visible speed, quickly returning to its former size, sparkling like a jewel in the morning sun.
The newly reborn Sea God Lake shimmered, with a faint mist hovering over its surface, forming a stark contrast to the previous desolate scorched earth.
The lake water was crystal clear to the bottom, and the newly grown aquatic plants at the bottom could be faintly seen gently swaying.
Fang Yang slowly descended to the lake shore, looking at the scene of revived vitality before him, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
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