In the magical garden, imbued with the breath of abundant life, the Goddess of Life stood quietly beneath a sacred tree wrapped in colorful halos, her long aqua-green dress trailing softly. Before her, a mirror's surface rippled like water, and reflected within it was the towering Angel statue of the Douluo Continent's Spirit Hall.
A faint, complex regret and sorrow lingered on her beautiful face.
"Angel… What a pity." She sighed. "If he hadn't died halfway, with his heart, his qualifications, and his pure faith, he should have been able to safely grow up until now. There would have been no chance of defeat… Not even a sliver, not even at the level of the 'Eight Rings.'"
Beside her, the God of Destruction wore a cold, imposing expression. Hearing the Goddess of Life's sigh, he snorted coldly, a sharpness flashing in his vivid red eyes.
"Back then, the Angel's death was far too strange," he said. "There were no signs of intense battle at the scene, nor any fluctuations of residual divine power from other gods. Even the abnormal radiation from the collapse of a god's personality subsided quickly…"
"I went back and checked many times, but found nothing of value—no anomalies at all."
For the God of Destruction, who presides over destruction and is extremely sensitive to changes in energy and rules, this "no anomaly" was itself the greatest anomaly.
A peak main god, strong enough to rank among the top five under the Divine King, fell quietly and inexplicably. The origin of his godhood showed strange cycles and changes—a great irony to the order and rules of the God Realm, and a source of confusion even to him.
The God of Destruction continued, his voice tinged with obvious dissatisfaction and suspicion. "At that time, the core of the God Realm was under the joint control of two people, good or evil. With the supervisory power mobilized by the core and their own strength, they should have noticed something, but after many inquiries…"
He gritted his teeth, recalling the scene with hatred. "They avoided each other, always saying they were busy with balancing the God Realm's energy. But they noticed nothing at all. How could that be true?!"
The Goddess of Life reached out with a slender hand and gently held the angry God of Destruction's fist. A soft vitality flowed into him, soothing his restless anxiety. She sighed again, deep worry dwelling in her beautiful eyes.
"Maybe… there's something behind this incident that even we haven't seen. Some unknown secret."
After saying this, her gaze returned to the angel statue in the mirror, her eyes growing more complex. The fall of the Angel God was like a thorn, always pricking at the hearts of some in the God Realm.
Now, as chaos in the lower world increases again and a new successor appears, the ripples of that once silent tragedy slowly spread, perhaps one day causing an unpredictable storm.
…
The capital of the empire—Heaven Dou City—set on the plains and primarily white in color, once again welcomed the figure of Chen Yi after many years.
Compared to the iron-blooded strength of Star Luo City and the sacred solemnity of Spirit Hall City, Heaven Dou City carried the depth of history and the grace of nobility, along with its own unique impulse and luxury.
Chen Yi, wearing a simple purple shirt, strolled leisurely down the bustling street, a slight misfit in the lively environment.
A few days earlier, after the much-anticipated awards ceremony at Douluo Hall in Spirit Hall, Chen Yi had parted ways with Sect Master Chu Shanhe and the others. Chu Shanhe, together with Xie Xiaoqing, Ye Cien, and several powerful supporters from Spirit Hall's "friendly assistance," returned to the sect to handle its affairs.
Chen Yi's cultivation had now reached the peak of the fifty-eighth level Soul King, with a deep accumulation of soul power and a soul ring configuration beyond common sense. Especially in terms of spiritual power, he was only half a step away from condensing the domain of "form and essence."
However, this last half-step could only be achieved without seclusion—by walking among the red dust, sharpening oneself in the world, and finding that unique "chance."
It's worth noting that the awards ceremony at Douluo Hall included two interesting episodes.
First, regarding the title of Nine-Heart Douluo Ye Cien. Originally, due to the features of the Nine-Heart Begonia, it was appropriate to give him the title "Saint Heart Douluo." However, many soul masters from the auxiliary and healing branches present at the ceremony, upon witnessing Ye Cien display the "Titled Douluo" level Nine-Heart Begonia and sensing the majestic breath of life within, grew excited. Respected veteran healers jointly suggested that while "Saint Heart" sounded elegant, it did not signify the healing power that surpassed the heavens, nor the epoch-making significance of being the continent's first "Titled Douluo" in the auxiliary branch in thousands of years.
Collectively, they wished to change the title to "Undying," indicating healing so strong it could withstand even death. Thus, "Undying Douluo" would be more revered and legendary.
This proposal was immediately approved, greeted with cheers from most attendees. In front of countless passionate, expectant gazes, Ye Cien, with his gentle personality, smiled wryly and nodded in acceptance. Thus, the name "Undying Douluo Ye Cien" spread like wings across the continent as the ceremony ended, completely eclipsing even the reputation of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Master Ning Fengzhi among healing soul masters. It was said Ning's expression that day was quite remarkable.
Second, there was the "sincerity" demonstrated by Grand Priest Qian Daoliu and Spirit Hall. To ease relations with the Body Sect and even hint at future cooperation, Qian Daoliu took the initiative to recall several powerful warriors with Body martial souls to Martial City, under the banner of "exchange, learning, and exploring the path of Body together."
At first, Chu Shanhe and the others saw this only as a gesture of goodwill from Qian Daoliu and didn't think much of it. But when Spirit Hall's "exchange scholars" arrived, even with the sect master and chief elder's knowledge and composure, they couldn't help but marvel in secret.
These Body-type martial souls were of high quality, far exceeding expectations. One of them, in particular, had reached the pinnacle of Soul Douluo, only a step away from the Douluo title. The chief elder was thrilled—the person's foundation was solid, their soul power condensed, and a breakthrough to level ninety was almost certain, with limitless potential for the future.
Even more rare, their martial soul was closely linked with spiritual power. If stimulated by the secret method of the Body school's second awakening, the potential would be unimaginable.
For the Body Sect, reaping such a powerful eye-type Body martial soul was a great joy. The soul ring of this martial soul was secretly recorded by the sect master and would be observed and cultivated after returning to the sect.
Leaving these disturbances aside for the moment, Chen Yi was now strolling peacefully through Heaven Dou City. He casually found a clean, orderly restaurant, sat by the window on the second floor, ordered several of the city's specialty dishes, and a pot of black tea.
The dishes arrived quickly, looking attractive and smelling fragrant. Chen Yi tasted them slowly; they were indeed delicious, but to him, just another good meal.
His choice to come to Heaven Dou City was, of course, not merely for nostalgia or culinary enjoyment.
Chen Yi vaguely remembered that, in the original storyline of Douluo Continent, there was once a genius with a body-type martial soul within the bounds of Heaven Dou City.
After leaving customs, Chen Yi had asked the sect elders but didn't name names. According to the timeline, if that genius's fate hadn't been dramatically altered by the butterfly effect, he should be appearing at this very moment—perhaps studying in Heaven Dou City.
A key goal of Chen Yi's journey was to find this person. With the potential of his martial soul, if introduced to the Body Sect, he could become the sect's top combat force in the future.
As for how to find him, Chen Yi already had a plan. There was no rush—he set down his chopsticks, finished his tea, and looked out the window.
The afternoon sunlight shone just right over Heaven Dou City; the streets were bustling, full of energy and calm befitting the imperial capital. Beneath this prosperity lay countless possibilities and opportunities.
After his meal, Chen Yi settled the bill and walked toward the city's largest forest.
…
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