A blue-robed youth suddenly appeared on a bustling street.
Strangely—
Not a single passerby noticed him.
Seeing the vivid smoke and fire of the human world again,
Huo Yuhao slowly exhaled a long breath.
"That mystical space… I was only there for an hour."
"But to me…"
"It feels like a lifetime ago."
"Brother Tian Meng."
"I'm here."
He tilted his head upward toward the sky and said softly:
"This time, we're going to rule our own fate."
"Good."
...
Star Dou Forest
Li Zhexian stepped out of the white hole in a single stride.
He turned back toward the slowly collapsing white hole, a faint smile appearing on his handsome face.
"I hope this time… you truly take control of your own destiny."
"Zhexian! / Brother Zhexian!"
Da Ming, Er Ming, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing rushed over, relief flashing in their eyes when they saw him completely unharmed.
"Brother Zhexian, if Da Ming and I hadn't stopped it, that evil tiger would've bolted the moment you were gone."
Er Ming pointed at the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger, whose blood-red pupils flickered with a hint of panic.
Li Zhexian looked at the tiger.
The Dark Demon Evil God Tiger let out a roar, as if trying to explain.
But then—
He heard Li Zhexian say:
"You helped me comprehend the power of time.
If you wish to leave, then go."
"ROAR—!"
A burst of wild joy surged across the tiger's vicious face.
Just as it was about to nod—
It suddenly saw… the human youth placing a hand on his sword hilt.
"…"
Humiliation flashed in its blood-red eyes.
In the end, it gritted its teeth and shook its head.
Li Zhexian stepped forward, patted its head, and smiled:
"Following me is no disgrace."
"You grow stronger by devouring living beings."
"As it happens, the three empires are at war. The Spirit Hall's Spirit Masters are yours to devour as you please. You may well become the first hundred-thousand-year Evil God Tiger."
Hearing this—
The tiger's resistance visibly weakened.
...
Li Zhexian did not linger.
After bidding farewell to Da Ming and Er Ming, he prepared to leave the Star Dou Forest.
The battles around the Lake of Life over the past two days had caused great damage, and the two overlords needed to gather plant-type spirit beasts to restore the devastated area, so they did not escort him far.
"Brother Zhexian, if you ever need help, just send word to Star Dou!"
"My brother and I will come assist you!"
Passing through the vast mountain forest—
Skydream Ice Worm sighed sighed within his spiritual sea:
"Humans and spirit beasts have been mortal enemies since ancient times."
"Zhexian, to gain the friendship of spirit beasts is truly no easy feat."
Li Zhexian's gaze flickered.
This time, he didn't speak through his spiritual sea—
he spoke aloud:
"The fundamental conflict between humans and spirit beasts lies in Spirit Masters needing to kill spirit beasts to obtain Spirit Rings."
"If that conflict could be resolved… or at least greatly reduced…"
"Humans and spirit beasts need not remain enemies."
"Zhexian?! / Brother Zhexian, you have a method?!"
Xiao Wu and Tian Meng exclaimed at the same time.
Even the silent Dark Demon Evil God Tiger looked at Li Zhexian in shock.
"I do."
Li Zhexian answered firmly:
"I simply lack a suitable spirit beast to prove it with."
"When the time is right, I will show you."
"This method…"
"Will overturn the entire Spirit Ring system."
The moment he said these seemingly arrogant words—
He ignored the stunned reactions of Tian Meng and Xiao Wu.
Instead, his eyes lowered naturally to the ground beneath them.
"Di Tian should be able to hear this."
...
Deep inside the underground palace—
Since awakening from sensing Li Zhexian's comprehension of time sword intent, Di Tian had been monitoring the outside world.
"A method to stop humans from hunting Spirit Beasts?"
"Heh…"
A trace of disdain flashed across those dark-gold dragon eyes.
"A mere youth, speaking wild fantasies."
"To overturn the Spirit Ring system?"
"Even gods cannot do that."
His deep voice rumbled through the underground palace…
Yet the longer he spoke, the quieter his tone grew.
Within his words—
A faint glimmer of hope emerged, subtle enough even he did not fully notice.
If it were any other human—even a Titled Douluo—making such a claim, he would scoff outright.
But it was Li Zhexian saying it.
The boy he had watched from afar… the boy who had shocked him again and again.
"Perhaps…"
"You truly can create miracles."
"If you can save the spirit beast race from their doomed fate…"
"Then you would be our god."
"Worshipping you… would not be impossible."
...
Bursting out of the Star Dou Forest—
Li Zhexian sat on the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger's broad back.
Sword-qi flowed from his fingertips, carrying Zhu Zhuqing and Xiao Wu through the air.
The two girls couldn't sit on the tiger's back—
And even when Li Zhexian first got on,
the Dark Demon Evil God Tiger bared its fangs.
It only became obedient after two punches.
Inside his spiritual sea—
Just as they crossed beyond Star Dou territory, Skydream Ice Worm suddenly cheered with excitement:
"Hahahaha!"
"We're out! Out of Star Dou!"
"Brother is finally free again!"
Li Zhexian chuckled:
"Listening to you, it sounds like something in Star Dou was watching you closely."
Tian Meng fell silent.
After a long while…
It said quietly:
"Zhexian… listen carefully. Don't ask anything—just listen."
"I know a divine butterfly in Star Dou. She was born because of you… and she's been living very well in the forest."
Li Zhexian froze.
"A divine butterfly?"
"When did I ever—"
Before he could finish asking,
He suddenly remembered—
Back when he cultivated at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well…
That strange butterfly that absorbed the Yin-Yang aura and transformed alongside him.
"At the time, I thought the little thing's origins were unusual."
"I didn't expect it to end up in Star Dou."
The moment that thought settled—
Many things suddenly made sense.
He finally understood—
Why, when he hunted his fourth Spirit Ring…
That ten-thousand-year Calamity Bloom suddenly emerged from the ground.
"Judging from Brother Tian Meng's tone, that little guy must be living incredibly well."
"We'll meet again someday…"
When that final thought faded—
A faint shadow flashed between Li Zhexian's brows.
He unconsciously reached out and took Zhu Zhuqing's hand.
Zhu Zhuqing looked up, smiling:
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
...
Star Luo Empire
Wangtian City
BOOM—!
A deafening explosion tore through the sky.
The Star Luo Empire's Marquis of Triumph, an Level 89 powerhouse who had slain eight Spirit Douluo of the Spirit Hall and was on the verge of breaking through to Titled Douluo on the battlefield—
had his heart pierced by a ghostly figure that appeared out of nowhere.
At the instant his heart was crushed,
Half the sky darkened into a blood-cloud,
as if sending off a general who had fought for his empire to his final breath.
With the death of the Marquis of Triumph—
The troops collapsed like a breached dam.
Wangtian City was lost.
This city was a vital military stronghold.
Once it fell—
The heartland of Star Luo lay exposed.
The enemy only needed to take a few more populous cities to threaten the imperial capital directly.
If the enemy captured just a few more major cities, they could march straight for the imperial capital itself.
Since the outbreak known as the "Shattered Lands Incident,"
The Star Luo Empire—once a mighty power dominating the continent—
Had been driven to collapse after just half a year
by the Martial Soul Empire's soul-master legions.
...
Star Luo Imperial Capital
The emperor, Dai Zhen, tall and imposing, folded the blood-stained urgent military report.
He stood still with eyes closed for a long time.
Fresh blood slipped from the corner of his mouth as he rasped:
"Request aid from Heaven Dou…"