Time flies, and a full year has quietly passed since Yu Yuanchen and his four companions descended upon the Saint Demon Continent and fought their first battle against the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu in the Meteor Mountain Range.
For the Temple Alliance, this past year has been a precious, rare opportunity to catch their breath and accumulate strength.
Under the deterrent presence of Yu Yuanchen, the "Foreign God" who stands guard over the Temple Alliance, the large-scale offensives of the demon race have significantly slowed, drastically reducing the pressure on the front lines.
The entire Alliance has seized this rare opportunity to go all-out in reorganizing their troops, preparing for war, repairing mountain passes, and cultivating new talent. The legacies of the Six Great Temples have also shown signs of a new lease on life through their "exchanges" with Yu Yuanchen and his group.
However, beneath the calm surface, undercurrents remain turbulent. Everyone knows that the demon race's dormancy is only temporary; that vindictive Demon God Emperor will never let things rest. The storm is still brewing.
Deep within the Alliance headquarters, inside the private meditation chamber dedicated to Yu Yuanchen.
Space ripples slightly, and the phantom of a gate—ancient in design, constructed entirely of dark silver metal, and engraved with countless profound space runes—slowly emerges in the center of the room.
It is the Hell Gate, a reinforced artifact. After a year of waiting, it has finally finished cooling down and can once again open the planar passage.
Yu Yuanchen stands before the gate with his hands behind his back, his expression focused. As he forms seals with his hands, a vast and boundless Thunder Divine Essence pours into the Hell Gate like a tide.
The runes on the gate light up one by one, emitting stable space fluctuations. The scene inside the gate gradually shifts from chaos to clarity, vaguely revealing a familiar sight on the other side—a secret research facility beneath Dragon City in the Douluo Federation.
"The passage is stable; we can begin," Yu Yuanchen says in a deep voice, his words traveling clearly through the space channel to the other side.
A moment later, a slender figure steps out from within the gate.
She is dressed in a pale green long dress with silver trim. Her figure is graceful, her face breathtakingly beautiful, and her temperament is both elegant and ethereal. A pure and vast Life Aura radiates from her entire being—it is Ye Zhilan!
"Brother Yuanchen!" Ye Zhilan's beautiful eyes shimmer. Seeing Yu Yuanchen waiting before the gate, a bright and moving smile blooms on her face as she hurries forward.
"Zhilan, it has been a year." Yu Yuanchen opens his arms and gently pulls his wife into his embrace. Feeling that familiar warmth and scent, the longing from a year of separation instantly vanishes into thin air.
He carefully senses Ye Zhilan's aura and asks with concern, "Did your breakthrough go smoothly?" The reason Ye Zhilan could not come a year ago was precisely because she had sensed the opportunity to break through to a Level 99 Titled Douluo.
Ye Zhilan smiles sweetly, and as she releases a trace of her aura, a vast, sea-like, and vibrant soul power fluctuation ripples outward. She has reached the pinnacle of the mortal realm, just one step away from the spirit-level, and her foundation is incredibly solid, carrying the purity and vastness unique to the Plant God Position.
"It was a natural progression. Moreover, my understanding of the Plant God Position has deepened, and I have gained some clues regarding the eighth trial, 'Repair Divine Position'," she says with confidence. "It's just a pity that I missed coming to this world with you."
There is a hint of regret in her tone, but it is overshadowed by the joy of her breakthrough and the satisfaction of their reunion.
"It doesn't matter; breaking through safely is what's most important. The situation here is complex, so arriving a bit later may not be a bad thing," Yu Yuanchen says warmly, gently patting his wife's back. "Now that you have reached the limit and have the protection of a divine position, you have enough strength to protect yourself in this world."
This is the very reason Yu Yuanchen only brought Ye Zhilan over. It is not that he lacks the ability to bring others, but because the Saint Demon Continent is, after all, not the Douluo Plane.
The five of them, including Ye Zhilan, are all powerful and possess spirit-level means of protection (Di Tian is the son of the Light Dragon King and the Dark Dragon King and possesses the Dragon God's personally taught divine skill, the Dragon God Claw; Gu Yuena is the Silver Dragon King in human form; and Yu Yuanchen, his two companions, and Ye Zhilan are all inheritors of divine positions). They have the confidence to protect themselves even deep within enemy lines, but the others lack such capabilities.
He briefly informs Ye Zhilan about what has happened over the past year and their speculations regarding the Planar Spirit. Ye Zhilan's brows knit slightly as she listens, but she soon returns to a calm state, her eyes flashing with wisdom.
"A Planar Spirit... how bizarre. It seems we must be even more cautious," she says softly, then smiles. "However, since we are here, we must make the best of it. Using this world's cultivation system to solidify our foundations and explore the unknown is also a stroke of fortune."
"That is exactly the case," Yu Yuanchen laughs. "Zhilan, it just so happens that you can help with the matter regarding Di Tian. Over the past year, at Gu Yuena's request, he has been researching the similarities and differences between the Summoner system and the Way of Beast Taming at the Soul Temple, and he is quite overwhelmed. Since you have arrived and have the deepest understanding of the laws of life and contracts, this matter is best suited for you.
"Furthermore, the Priest System of this world is unique in its research on healing, purification, buffs, and medical skill. It has much in common with your Sacred Heart Immortal Begonia Martial Soul, which may help you solidify your foundation and draw inferences about other things."
Upon hearing this, Ye Zhilan's eyes light up. "The Summoner and Priest systems? That sounds very interesting. As it happens, I am quite interested in this, so leave it to me."
Just then, Yu Yuanchen seems to sense something. He raises an eyebrow, and his divine sense quietly spreads out, communicating with another hidden spiritual imprint located somewhere in the demon territory.
A moment later, he retracts his divine sense, a strange smile appearing on his face.
"What is it?" Ye Zhilan notices the change in her husband's expression and asks.
"It's that guy, the Evil Emperor," Yu Yuanchen shakes his head, his tone carrying a mix of amusement and helplessness. "If it weren't for the fact that I had to bring you over today, which involves the special fluctuations of the Hell Gate, I would have almost forgotten that there were six of us when we arrived."
He immediately tells Ye Zhilan the content of his mental communication with the Evil Emperor.
A moment later, Ye Zhilan covers her mouth and chuckles, her eyes shimmering. "The Evil Emperor... he almost became an 'honored guest' of the demon race? This Moon Demon God certainly has a good eye."
It turns out that just a few days ago, when the Hell Gate finished cooling down and Yu Yuanchen was preparing to bring Ye Zhilan over, he suddenly remembered that there was someone else who had come with them—the Evil Eye Tyrant Lord, the Evil Emperor.
Ever since they parted ways at the Meteor Mountain Range a year ago, this guy had been completely silent. Yu Yuanchen had been so busy with cultivation and dealing with Alliance affairs that he had almost forgotten about him!
Consequently, Yu Yuanchen used the soul tool he had left with the Evil Emperor to attempt contact. It was only through this contact that he learned the Evil Emperor had caused a rather amusing misunderstanding.
Time traces back to a year ago. After the Evil Emperor parted ways with Yu Yuanchen and the others, he relied on the senses deep within his bloodline to successfully find his kin—the Evil Eye clan of the Saint Demon Continent—in a dangerous place on the edge of the demon territory known as the "Evil Demon Swamp."
The Evil Eye clan of this world is far inferior in strength to the Evil Eye Tyrant clan of the Douluo Continent, with their strongest members being only at the level of a peak Soul Douluo.
The return of the Evil Emperor, especially his incredibly profound cultivation and his bloodline that transcends all limits, immediately caused the entire Evil Eye clan to boil with excitement, and they revered him as their supreme emperor!
The Evil Emperor enjoyed the feeling of being surrounded by stars, began to integrate the clan, and guided some of the promising younger generation, living quite comfortably.
What surprised him even more was that upon returning to his homeland and fulfilling his obsession, his state of mind became clear. His spiritual power, which had been stuck at a bottleneck for countless years, broke through as a matter of course. Although he failed to condense a divine sense, the total volume and qualitative change of his spiritual power had already entered the realm of the Spirit Origin Realm.
However, good times did not last long. The massive spiritual fluctuations triggered by the Evil Emperor's breakthrough caught the attention of a passing Moon Demon Race expert.
This Moon Demon Race expert possessed Tier 9 strength and was shocked that the Evil Eye clan could produce such a terrifying existence, so he immediately reported the information to the Moon Demon God Agares.
The Moon Demon God Agares, ranked second among the Seventy-Two Pillar Demon Gods of the demon race, has unfathomable strength and is very skilled in mental illusions; he is the right-hand man most relied upon by the Demon God Emperor Feng Xiu. Upon hearing the news, he personally descended upon the Evil Demon Swamp.
After some secret observation and tentative mental clashes, a raging storm was set off in Agares's heart. The spiritual power of this Evil Eye Tyrant Lord, who called himself the "Evil Emperor," had already vaguely touched the threshold of the spirit-level.
Even if he were to use the Moon Demon God Pillar, he had no confidence in being able to take him down. After all, at this level, everyone has a trick or two up their sleeve, and no one knows exactly what trump cards the other side is hiding.
At this time, it is a period of great unrest. A year ago, the battle between the Demon God Emperor and that foreign god, Yu Yuanchen, ended without a clear winner, but it is an undeniable fact that the Demon God Emperor was injured and forced to retreat.
Subsequently, the Temple Alliance spread the news that they had a spirit-level expert sitting in command. Although the Alliance still appeared to be strong on the outside but weak on the inside, it was clear they had reached some kind of agreement with Yu Yuanchen. This meant that it had become extremely difficult for the demon race to quickly trample the Alliance.
Agares is meticulous and immediately harbored thoughts of making friends and winning him over. If he could pull this newly promoted "Emperor of the Evil Eyes" into the demon camp, it would undoubtedly greatly enhance the high-end combat power of the demon race, giving them more confidence when dealing with the mysterious Yu Yuanchen and his companions.
Furthermore, the Evil Eye clan is a native species of the Saint Demon Continent, and it would be logical for them to join the demon race after being tainted by Demonic Energy. Agares never imagined that the Evil Emperor was actually in league with Yu Yuanchen.
As for the Evil Monarch, he was a newcomer who knew nothing of the situation on the continent. He had been in seclusion for a breakthrough at the time, perfectly missing the great battle between Yu Yuanchen and the Demon God Emperor. Having learned from his subordinates in the Evil Eye race that the Demon Race was powerful and that the Demon God Emperor was suspected of possessing god-level strength, he was naturally filled with apprehension.
Facing the active overtures of Agares, a powerhouse of the same level and the second-in-command of the Demon Race, the cunning Evil Monarch adopted the principle of avoiding unnecessary trouble while taking the opportunity to gather information, and thus began to play along.
Consequently, the two "old foxes," each harboring their own ulterior motives, hit it off immediately. On the surface, they spoke happily, calling each other "Brother Agares" and "Brother Evil Monarch," and their relationship "warmed up" rapidly.
Agares promised to provide the Evil Eye race with certain resources and territory, while the Evil Monarch expressed his willingness to maintain a "friendly" relationship with the Demon Race. Of course, this so-called "friendliness" was limited to words; both sides knew full well that it was merely an expedient measure of mutual exploitation.
Just as the Evil Monarch was becoming immersed in the feeling of being an "overlord" and his "friendship" with Agares was growing "deeper," a communication from Yu Yuanchen arrived.
When the Evil Monarch sensed Yu Yuanchen's divine sense fluctuations—vast as a sea of stars and far more unfathomable than they had been a year ago—and heard him casually mention that he had broken through to the god-level, had "sparred" with the Demon God Emperor and gained the upper hand, as well as the hair-raising speculation regarding the Planar Spirit, this Evil Eye Tyrant Lord nearly popped his massive vertical pupils out of their sockets!
"A misunderstanding! A massive misunderstanding!" The Evil Monarch was so terrified that his spiritual body fluctuated unstably. After receiving the notification from Yu Yuanchen, he finally realized that his fraternizing with Agares looked like a sign of defecting to the enemy; he assumed Yu Yuanchen had come to discipline him.
After all, judging by Yu Yuanchen's tone, he had not only reached the god-level but had also easily repelled the Demon God Emperor immediately after his breakthrough. His strength was truly terrifying, and he could not afford to let him misunderstand.
The Evil Monarch hurriedly poured out the entire sequence of events, fearing that if Yu Yuanchen were displeased, he might send a "divine punishment" across the endless void.
Upon learning the details, Yu Yuanchen was also left between laughter and tears. After a moment of contemplation, he did not blame the Evil Monarch; instead, a gleam of light flashed in his eyes as a plan formed.
"In that case, continue to play along with that Moon Demon God," Yu Yuanchen transmitted his voice. "There is no need to deliberately pry; just maintain the surface relationship and let things take their course. At a critical moment, this 'hidden piece' of yours might play an unexpected role."
Hearing this, the Evil Monarch groaned inwardly. Acting as a spy? This job carried no small amount of risk! But facing Yu Yuanchen's unquestionable tone and the other's now-unfathomable strength, how could he dare to say no? He could only brace himself and agree.
Yu Yuanchen also knew he should offer some benefits; otherwise, it would be bad if he accidentally pushed the Evil Monarch toward the Demon Race, even if the possibility was slim.
Yu Yuanchen immediately promised not to let the Evil Monarch do anything dangerous, only asking him to pass on inside information, and promised to share his own experience of becoming a god with him. Only then did the Evil Monarch settle down. (In truth, Yu Yuanchen had already told Gu Yuena and the others after his breakthrough; it was just that the Evil Monarch had left for the Saint Demon Continent and missed out on the free lesson.)
After informing Ye Zhilan about this episode with the Evil Monarch, the couple looked at each other and smiled, both finding the matter quite interesting.
"In that way, we have unexpectedly planted a nail inside the Demon Race," Ye Zhilan laughed. "Although its effect may not be great, it might provide some information at a critical moment."
"Mm, it counts as an unexpected joy," Yu Yuanchen nodded. "However, the true game still relies on strength to speak."
Having dealt with the small episode regarding the Evil Monarch, Yu Yuanchen turned his gaze to Ye Zhilan and smiled: "Alright, the inside agent is in place. Next, it is time to welcome you properly."
Several days later, after a low-key welcome banquet held for Ye Zhilan at the alliance headquarters, Yu Yuanchen invited Di Tian to his quiet room.
"Di Tian, there is something I need to discuss with you," Yu Yuanchen said, getting straight to the point.
Di Tian's massive dragon eyes looked at Yu Yuanchen, waiting for what followed.
"I hope you can make a trip to the Demon Emperor Palace and meet that Demon God Emperor, Feng Xiu," Yu Yuanchen said, his words shocking.
A trace of surprise flashed in Di Tian's eyes, but he did not interrupt.
Yu Yuanchen continued: "The surface purpose is to state our stance."
Yu Yuanchen's gaze was deep. "We are, after all, people from another world. We came to this realm only for the sake of cultivation and do not wish to interfere too much in the affairs of this world, nor do we want to escalate the conflict with the Demon Race. You going there as a fellow member of the dragon race will better demonstrate our sincerity."
"As for helping the Temple Alliance, it was purely because the Demon God Emperor struck first, and we had received some benefits from the humans, so we were just retaliating. Just say that on the surface; it doesn't matter if they believe it or not."
"And the underlying purpose?"
"The underlying purpose is naturally to issue a warning. Convey our suspicions regarding the potential intentions of the Planar Spirit to him in a subtle way. There is no need to be too explicit; just making him feel suspicious is enough."
Di Tian immediately understood Yu Yuanchen's intention: "You want the Demon Race and the Planar Spirit to be suspicious of each other, to have dogs biting dogs?"
"Exactly. The Demon God Emperor is no fool; he just hadn't thought in this direction before," Yu Yuanchen nodded. "If the Demon Race shifts a portion of their attention toward the Planar Spirit, the pressure on us will naturally decrease. We still need time."
Di Tian pondered for a moment and nodded: "Agreed. When shall I depart?"
"There is no rush. Prepare yourself; you may leave whenever you wish. However, this trip may have risks, so be sure to be careful. If the situation becomes impossible, prioritize your own safety," Yu Yuanchen cautioned.
"Rest assured," a trace of pride flashed in Di Tian's dragon eyes. "As fellow members of the dragon race, he cannot keep me there."
With the plan decided, Di Tian left to prepare.
Three days later, a subtle yet powerful dragon might quietly left the alliance headquarters, tore through space, and fled toward the direction of the Demon Race's core territory.
As for Ye Zhilan, she officially took over the research work of the Soul Temple and the Priest Temple. Her powerful life perception and profound understanding of the laws of contracts soon displayed astonishing talent in these two fields, leaving the elders of the Soul Temple and the Priest Temple in awe, their attitudes becoming increasingly respectful.
Yu Yuanchen continued his cultivation of drawing from various strengths, while simultaneously splitting off a wisp of divine sense to silently monitor the progress of the Evil Monarch and Di Tian's lines.
Within the alliance headquarters, undercurrents surged. Another key piece had been placed on Yu Yuanchen's chessboard. And far away in the depths of the Demon Capital Heart City, the Demon God Emperor was still unaware that an invisible storm targeting his fate and that of the entire Demon Race was quietly closing in.
The storm was still gathering.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan