Time flies like a shuttle, and the sun and moon pass like an arrow. Three years have passed in the blink of an eye since Yu Yuanchen returned to the Sun Moon Continent with his children.
For the Douluo Federation, these three years have been a period of high-speed development and rapid change; for the top-tier existences participating in the Planar Passage project, they have been three years of racing against time and giving their all.
In truth, the project was not originally intended to progress this quickly. However, during the production of the pseudo-Hell Gate Soul Tool, Qian Daoliu discovered that blindly stacking the quantity of Soul Tools did not yield satisfactory results.
Simply put, if one unit of the replica was added to support the Hell Gate, the effect of the Hell Gate would rise by one level. But if one wanted to raise the effect by another level, it would require the addition of seven units of the replica. Qian Daoliu deemed this efficiency too low and thus proposed a new plan.
Qian Daoliu broke down the grand project of constructing a stable Planar Passage into three relatively independent yet closely related core steps:
Step One: Precise Positioning. With the Hell Gate as the core, supplemented by a specially developed Planar Beacon Stabilizer array, its sole function is to maximize and stabilize the Saint Demon Mark extracted from the origin of the Evil Emperor. Using this as a guide, it triggers the hidden Space Law, crossing the endless void to lock onto the precise coordinates of the Saint Demon Continent.
Step Two: Tearing the Barrier. This step is handled by another independent Space Fission Amplifier array. They do not participate in positioning; instead, they focus solely on locking the coordinates and then converting the Soul Power poured into the Hell Gate by numerous powerhouses into the Power of Space. By resonating, superimposing, and focusing at a specific frequency, they form a terrifying destructive force sufficient to briefly tear through the solid barrier between two large planes.
Step Three: Constructing the Passage. This is the most complex and dangerous step, undertaken by the newly developed Dimensional Channel Stability Anchor array. The moment the spatial rift is forcibly torn open, these stability anchors must immediately activate, releasing a powerful spatial solidification field. It is like erecting a relatively stable "bridge" within the violent turbulent void, ensuring the passage does not collapse instantly and can withstand subsequent traversal.
Under Qian Daoliu's strategic adjustments, the Federal Research Institute abandoned the initial approach of "comprehensive imitation and quantity stacking," turning instead to a brand-new plan of "functional specialization and synergistic efficiency."
This concept of "division of labor and fulfilling one's duties" greatly improved efficiency. The imitation Soul Tools no longer sought to be all-encompassing but instead pushed a single function to the extreme, causing a qualitative leap in the performance of the overall array.
However, although the increase in efficiency meant a reduced demand for high-grade spatial attribute metals—the core materials—the time originally allocated for forging, which was seven or eight years, had now been compressed to three.
The pressure once again weighed on Tang Chen like a mountain. But it did not matter; Yu Yuanchen would take action.
After returning to the Sun Moon Continent, Yu Yuanchen had a rare period of relative leisure while handling federal affairs and guiding his children's cultivation.
He recalled his early interest in the art of forging, and since the concept of Spirit Forging had originated from his own suggestion, he was moved to practice it himself.
Thus, the Archon of the Federation quietly became a "special apprentice" in the research institute's Forging Workshop. The instructor, naturally, was Tang Chen.
Tang Chen was naturally happy to see this. Yu Yuanchen's comprehension and realm far exceeded ordinary people, and he possessed the cheating tool that was the Spirit Origin Realm Spiritual Power. Guiding Yu Yuanchen while teaching his son Tang Wei was not a burden for him, but rather a rare form of exchange.
Yu Yuanchen's learning process could be described as lightning-fast. Because he did have some foundation in forging in his early years, he did not follow the step-by-step approach of starting with basic hammer techniques but instead directly activated a "high-dimensional perspective."
When Tang Chen performed Soul Forging, he quietly unfolded his Spirit Domain to "Return to Origin." He did not imitate the movements but directly observed the essence of the process: the flow of energy within the metal at a microscopic level, its fusion, and the awakening of its spirituality.
With such a high vantage point, combined with his profound understanding of energy and matter, Yu Yuanchen's speed of progress left even Tang Chen dumbfounded.
The spiritual resonance that ordinary forgers needed years or even decades to comprehend was mastered by Yu Yuanchen in just one month. He completed Spirit Forging with ease, and the metal he forged shone with brilliant spiritual light and was of extremely high quality. Subsequently, he launched an assault on the higher realm of Soul Forging.
Soul Forging is no longer just a combination of technique and strength; it involves insights into the origin of materials and the laws of heaven and earth. It requires branding one's own "inheritance" (Spiritual Power and will) into the metal, endowing it with a true "soul."
For Yu Yuanchen, this was actually simpler than Spirit Forging. His Spirit Origin Realm Spiritual Power, his insight into the laws, and his control over his own will all far exceeded those of ordinary Soul Douluo or even Titled Douluo.
Three months later, when a piece of Soul Forge Grade Void Iron—flowing with dark gold luster, appearing to breathe with life, and faintly establishing a spiritual connection with Yu Yuanchen—was born on the forging table, the entire Forging Workshop fell into dead silence.
Tang Chen looked at Yu Yuanchen. Although he knew this was due to Yu Yuanchen's "cheating" methods, his expression was still indescribably complex, eventually turning into a wry smile and heartfelt praise: "Old Yu, you... really... sigh, I have studied forging for half my life, and I only entered the realm of Soul Forging after ten years of bitter practice. You did it in just three months... truly, comparing people is enough to infuriate one!"
Yu Yuanchen shook his head and said, "It is not the same, Brother Tang. I was able to progress so quickly because I had you, Brother Tang, as an object to learn from. If I really had to research it from scratch on my own, it wouldn't be this good."
Tang Chen felt a little better inside.
With this, Yu Yuanchen became the second Soul Forging Grandmaster in the Federation after Tang Chen! Moreover, he was a Soul Forging Grandmaster with strength even greater than Tang Chen's!
Yu Yuanchen's breakthrough instantly changed the situation. Facing the massive material gap, Tang Chen did not say a word and directly "conscripted" this newly promoted Soul Forging Grandmaster. With two Soul Forging Grandmasters working together, the efficiency was more than doubled!
What was even more speechless was that while these two big shots were frantically churning out Soul Forged metal, they also complained that the Spirit Forgers below were too slow. They actually "found time" to work together, filling the gap for all the Spirit Forge Grade metals required by the project with unimaginable speed and quality!
It was precisely under this "abnormal" level of efficiency that the material accumulation work, originally expected to take ten years or even longer, was declared complete in just three short years!
All preparations were fully in place!
On this day, in the central region of the Sun Moon Continent, on a wasteland designated as an absolute forbidden zone.
A composite Soul Tool array, shocking in its scale, had been completed. At the core of the array was the Hell Gate, which had been reinforced multiple times, its surface runes flowing with dark gold and silver-white luster.
Surrounding it, three rings of imitation Soul Tools with various functions stood like stars surrounding the moon. There were thousands of them, connected by countless thick energy conduits, forming an incredibly complex and precise whole. The air was filled with dense spatial energy fluctuations, causing the surrounding scenery to slightly distort.
Yu Yuanchen, Qian Daoliu, and Tang Chen stood solemnly in front of the array. Their auras were as steady as mountains, their gazes as sharp as lightning, waiting for the final moment to arrive.
Before long, powerful spatial fluctuations arrived from the horizon. A massive spatial rift tore through the sky, and the massive black dragon body of Beast God Di Tian descended first. His majestic dragon eyes swept over the Soul Tool array below, a hint of solemnity flashing through them.
Immediately following, the massive vertical pupil phantom of the Evil Eye Tyrant Lord also appeared out of thin air, its spiritual fluctuations filled with excitement and trepidation.
Finally, a slender silver figure appeared silently beside Di Tian. She wore a simple silver long dress, her beauty not of this world, her amethyst-like eyes calm and waveless, as if containing the mysteries of the universe and the stars.
It was Gu Yuena, using the alias "Gu Yue." She did not deliberately release her aura, but just by standing there, she naturally became the center of heaven and earth, causing even Di Tian and the Evil Emperor to unconsciously restrain their own pressure.
Yu Yuanchen's gaze met Gu Yuena's for a brief moment. He felt a chill in his heart; three years had passed, and the Silver Dragon King's aura had become even more deep and unfathomable. Although her aura was also at the Titled Douluo level, she felt even more dangerous to him than Di Tian and the Evil Emperor combined. He remained calm on the surface and nodded slightly in greeting: "Miss Gu Yue, I trust you have been well."
Gu Yuena's cold gaze lingered on Yu Yuanchen for a moment. Seeming to notice the more harmonious and powerful Thunder Divine Essence within his body, a trace of imperceptible surprise flashed in her eyes, and she nodded slightly in response. She continued to play the role of "Gu Yue," the mysterious yet powerful collaborator from the Myriad Beast Sect.
Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen also stepped forward to pay their respects. The atmosphere seemed harmonious but hid an indescribable tension. Five of the world's peak powerhouses had gathered, all to open a path to an unknown world.
"Let us begin." As the leader of the project, Yu Yuanchen spoke in a deep voice, breaking the silence.
He stepped forward, arriving directly in front of the Hell Gate. Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen, Di Tian, the Evil Emperor, and Gu Yuena stood at the five key nodes of the Soul Tool array according to the positions practiced beforehand.
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath and slowly raised his hands. Within his Dantian, the True Essence Core, which had initially transformed into a "Spirit Origin Core," suddenly burst into brilliant light. Pure and vast Thunder Divine Essence poured into the Hell Gate like a bursting flood!
Hum--!
The Hell Gate trembled violently, and the mysterious runes on the doors lit up one by one, emitting a deep, ghostly light. A powerful suction force was generated from within the gate, beginning to frantically draw in the massive energy gathered by the Soul Tool array below.
"Positioning array, activate!" Qian Daoliu shouted, and holy Angel Soul Power was injected into the node where he stood. Instantly, the thousands of "Planar Beacon Stabilizers" in the innermost ring around the Hell Gate lit up with milky-white radiance. These rays of light, as if alive, intertwined into a huge net of light, shrouding the Hell Gate.
At the center of the light net, a silver-gray point of light was guided to emerge; it was the "Saint Demon Mark" sealed within the imitation portal. Under the reinforcement of the stabilizer array, this faint mark seemed to be magnified ten thousand times, emitting a clear and unique planar fluctuation!
Yu Yuanchen closed his eyes and focused, his Spirit Origin Realm Spiritual Power merging with the Thunder Divine Essence. Like the most precise probe, it followed this fluctuation and spread into the depths of the endless void! His consciousness seemed to cross layers upon layers of spatial barriers, passing countless dead star fragments, and continuously extending toward the direction he sensed in the dark!
This is an incredibly mentally taxing process. The void is no smooth path; it is filled with chaotic energy currents and spatial folds. If not for the Hell Gate acting as a carrier and the support of the entire Positioning Array, it would be impossible to complete such an ultra-long-distance positioning by individual power alone.
Time passed bit by bit, and fine beads of sweat seeped from the forehead of Yu Yuanchen, yet he remained as steady as a boulder.
Suddenly, he snapped his eyes open, and Purple Gold Lightning erupted from them!
"Found it!"
In his perception, the outline of a plane—immensely vast, radiating chaos and darkness, yet containing vibrant life force and the aura of some ancient order—appeared clearly before his "eyes"! It was none other than the Saint Demon Continent!
"Fission Array, output at full power!" Tang Chen roared, his tyrannical Clear Sky Hammer intent merging into his soul power as he smashed it fiercely toward the node beneath his feet! Di Tian, the Evil Emperor, and Gu Yuena also struck at the same time!
Di Tian pressed his dragon claw into the void, his vast Dragon Power carrying a sharpness capable of tearing through space! The Evil Emperor's massive vertical pupils shone brilliantly, the Power of Time and Space distorting the void! Gu Yuena merely raised a finger and pointed lightly, and a wisp of silver light, seemingly faint but containing the artistic conception of the supreme Space Law, submerged into the array!
The second ring of the Space Fission Amplifier array was instantly pushed to its limit! Thousands of amplifiers erupted with blinding light, gathering, compressing, and resonating the terrifying energy output by the five powerhouses, finally transforming it into a beam of dark light, condensed to the extreme and seemingly capable of slicing the world open, which slammed into the Hell Gate!
The Hell Gate emitted an unbearable humming sound, and the dim light within the gate suddenly turned violent! A tiny, twisted black crack slowly emerged in the center of the gate! From the other side of the crack, a heart-palpitating, chaotic aura could be faintly felt!
"Now! Stability Anchor, activate!" Yu Yuanchen shouted, forming hand seals to inject his final bit of Thunder Divine Essence into the Hell Gate while simultaneously focusing all his effort on guiding the fission energy to that single point!
Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen, Di Tian, the Evil Emperor, and Gu Yuena also held nothing back, pushing their own power to the peak!
The third ring, the most numerous array of Dimensional Channel Stability Anchors, erupted with unprecedented light! Countless silver-white beams shot out from these anchors, like millions of tough threads, forcibly wrapping around and anchoring the edges of the newly torn, highly unstable spatial rift!
Sshhh, sshhh, sshhh—!
The void turbulence struck the force field formed by the stability anchors like billions of sharp blades, emitting a harsh, tearing sound. The entire soul guidance array shook violently, and the earth trembled as if it might collapse at any moment.
Pale gold blood seeped from the corner of Yu Yuanchen's mouth, but his eyes remained firm as he frantically drove his Spirit Origin Core to maintain control over the Hell Gate and the entire array. Qian Daoliu and the others also had pale complexions, clearly suffering from immense consumption.
Silver light swirled in Gu Yuena's eyes. Though she appeared to be exerting little effort, that wisp of silver light acted like a Dinghai Shenzhen; whenever the rift was about to lose control and expand, she would guide the energy in the most exquisite way to forcibly stabilize it. Her control over the Space Law had already reached an unfathomable realm.
With everyone supporting with all their might, that spatial rift, which had originally been as thin as a hair and twisted, finally stabilized slowly and gradually expanded, eventually forming a circular channel about three meters in diameter, with seven-colored light flowing along its edges and a dark, deep interior!
The moment the channel took shape, an aura distinct from the Douluo Plane rushed toward them! The aura was mixed with dense Dark Element, chaotic Demonic Energy, and a kind of ancient and vast will!
Success!
The Planar Passage was finally opened, at least initially!
Yu Yuanchen slowly withdrew his hands, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and looked at the stabilized channel, his eyes filled with irrepressible excitement. Qian Daoliu, Tang Chen, Di Tian, the Evil Emperor, and even Gu Yuena all had strange lights flickering in their eyes.
The door to a new world had been opened!
However, everyone knew clearly that this was merely the first step. Whether the channel was stable enough, how long it could be maintained, and what the situation was on the other side—everything remained an unknown.
───────────────
Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan