Xuan Zi grabbed the gourd of liquor he carried, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp. Only the burning liquid sliding down his throat seemed capable of suppressing the complex emotions churning within him.
His seemingly clouded eyes slowly swept over the faces present, some familiar, some not. When his gaze passed over the young faces of Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Ma Hongjun—individuals who would leave a vibrant legacy in the history he knew—a sense of indescribable emotion and world-weariness flashed deep in his eyes.
He put down the liquor gourd, his voice resonant, yet unable to conceal the fatigue brought by crossing through time and space:
"I am Xuan Zi, Titled Douluo Gluttony. I am not a person of this world, but come from ten thousand years in the future, from another... Douluo Continent whose historical trajectory is largely similar to yours, yet has already diverged in the details."
He paused, as if pondering how to explain this unimaginable concept to a group of ancients.
"In our era, Shrek Academy has stood for ten thousand years, recognized as the number one Academy on the continent. The Clear Sky Hammer of the Clear Sky School still intimidates all directions, the radiance of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda has never dimmed, and the roar of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon echoes through the skies."
He gestured to Ma Xiaotao, Han Ruoruo, and the others beside him, whose expressions varied.
"They are all contemporary elites of my Shrek Academy."
"Ten thousand years in the future?!"
"Another world?!"
"Shrek Academy... became the continent's number one?"
Even though everyone present were powerful individuals who reigned over their own domains and were used to facing major crises, they were still shaken by this earth-shattering information. Gasps of surprise rose uncontrollably.
This completely overturned the boundaries of their understanding of the world.
Yu Xiaogang shot up from his seat, his body trembling slightly from excitement and the violent collision of thoughts, his voice hoarse with disbelief:
"Parallel world... This, this is also in my theoretical research... How is this possible..."
He tried to use the theories he had researched throughout his life to frame this reality, but found that his proudly held knowledge system seemed so pale and powerless at this moment, utterly unable to explain this living example.
Tang San frowned deeply, his Purple Demon Eyes instinctively operating to carefully observe every detail about Xuan Zi and the others.
He was the quickest to accept the notion of visitors from another world, after all, wasn't his own soul from another world?
However, the fact that these visitors came from a future parallel world made the implications even more complex and profound.
Xuan Zi ignored the shock of the crowd and continued in a low voice:
"We did not come here voluntarily. It was due to a massive accident that we were swept into this realm by a spatial-temporal passage. The reason we intervened was only because, according to the historical records we know, the 'Spirit Hunting Operation' launched by the Spirit Hall resulted in the tragedy of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon School's annihilation and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School's severe debilitation. Countless lives were lost. Since we have the capability, we cannot stand by and watch the same tragedy repeat itself in this realm."
His gaze turned towards the pale-faced Yu Yuanzhen and the solemn-looking Ning Fengzhi.
"Saving the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon School and helping the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School defend against the sneak attack were both done for this reason."
Yu Yuanzhen, enduring his injuries, cupped his fists and said in a deep voice. Though his voice was weak, it was full of sincerity.
"Senior Xuan Zi and your esteemed companions, your righteous intervention and timely aid saved my School from the brink of annihilation. Yu Yuanzhen and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon clan will never forget this kindness."
Ning Fengzhi also nodded elegantly, his tone solemn: "This favor, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School holds in our hearts."
Just then, Ma Hongjun could no longer contain himself. He leaped up, his fingers trembling slightly as he pointed at Ma Xiaotao, who stood silently nearby. His round, plump face was filled with astonishment, excitement, and an indescribable sense of kinship:
"Wait, wait! You... your name is Ma Xiaotao? Your spirit is... Phoenix? And... this feeling is so similar to my Evil Fire Phoenix, yet different—more... more pure, more powerful, without that restless agitation. Senior Xuan Zi said you are Shrek students from ten thousand years later. Are you, are you really..."
His eyes widened. A guess, both absurd and filled with a bloodline-linked resonance that made his heart pound, uncontrollably surged into his mind.
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao rose elegantly.
She was tall and exquisitely beautiful. Facing this ancestor, the true source of her family's recorded lineage, her heart was also filled with an ineffable sense of novelty.
She smiled slightly. She did not release her spirit, but the crimson Phoenix aura naturally flowing around her became clearer. That pure and noble coercion, as if bathed in holy flame, caused Ma Hongjun's Evil Fire Phoenix spirit to resonate intensely. Involuntarily, crimson flames also rose from Ma Hongjun, the two forces of the same origin but different quality faintly echoing in the hall.
Like Ma Xiaotao, his evil fire had also been cleansed by the immortal herb long ago. It was only due to the difference in cultivation level that he couldn't compare to Ma Xiaotao, and his spirit wasn't the Ultimate Fire, leaving him a step behind.
"That's right."
Ma Xiaotao's voice was clear and carried a hint of emotion.
"According to the records of our family's heritage, the source of my bloodline is indeed the first Evil Fire Phoenix Spirit Master, Ancestor Ma Hongjun. As for my spirit, it has undergone an evolution, shedding the troubles of the Evil Fire and transforming into the True Fire Phoenix."
"You... you are really my... descendant?!"
Ma Hongjun's mouth hung open. He pointed at his nose, looked at the stunning woman before him whose strength clearly far surpassed his own current level, and then subconsciously touched his own chubby face. He was dumbfounded for a moment, the immense informational shock almost crashing his brain.
Oscar, standing nearby, found it amusing and pinched his arm hard. The pain made Ma Hongjun "Aow!" out a cry, bringing him back to his senses. He scratched his head, looked at Ma Xiaotao, and an involuntary silly grin mixed with pride, shyness, and disbelief appeared on his face.
Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong couldn't help but huddle together, curiously observing Ma Xiaotao and exchanging whispers of astonishment.
Dai Mubai withdrew his gaze from the dramatic scene and looked back at Xuan Zi. As a Star Luo Imperial Prince, he was more concerned with the imminent crisis. He asked in a deep voice:
"Senior Xuan Zi, since you are from the future, your understanding of the Spirit Hall—no, the Spirit Empire—must far exceed ours. What is their future trajectory? How exactly should we deal with two Divine-level powerhouses? Is there any way to break this stalemate?"
Xuan Zi's expression grew even heavier upon hearing this. He slowly shook his head, his tone weighted:
"This is precisely the most crucial and troublesome part of the issue. The history we know, and everything currently unfolding in this realm, have already developed enormous deviations. One could even say it has become... completely unrecognizable."
His gaze swept over everyone, finally resting on the deeply frowning Tang San, carrying a trace of reluctance, but he spoke anyway.
"According to the historical trajectory we know, there was absolutely no large-scale outbreak of the so-called 'Filth Spots' in this era. It was absolutely impossible for Qian Renxue and Bibi Dong to both achieve godhood at this moment, and Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao... should never have perished at this time."
"Father!"
Tang San's face instantly turned ashen. He fiercely gripped the armrest of his chair, his knuckles white from the force, and boundless grief and towering fury instantly surged in his eyes.
Xiao Wu, beside him, felt his body tremble and tightly held his hand, offering silent support with a pained expression.
Not only Tang San, but the Clear Sky School Master, Tang Xiao, Titled Douluo Sky Roar, also subconsciously clenched the armrest. The wooden armrest cracked under the pressure.
Although Tang Hao had angered the previous Clear Sky School Master, their father, to death, Tang Xiao had never blamed Tang Hao. He never believed Tang Hao was at fault; the fault lay with the Spirit Hall.
However, for the safety of the Clear Sky School, he had no choice but to remove Tang Hao's name from the School's roster to give Spirit Hall an explanation.
At the moment he learned of Tang Hao's death, his grief was no less than Tang San's. And after the Spirit Empire was established, it was he who overruled dissenting opinions, choosing to reopen the mountain gate and unite with the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon School and the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile School to fight against the Spirit Empire.
He was clearly aware that when the Spirit Empire defeated all opponents and unified the entire continent, the former number one School in the world, the Clear Sky School, would not be able to stand apart.
Even if they chose to live in seclusion, it would be the same; the Spirit Empire would not let them go.
The atmosphere in the main hall solidified again, and a sense of unease permeated the air.
Just then, Ning Fengzhi's gentle, yet subtly knowing voice broke the heavy silence:
"Regarding why history has changed so drastically, Fengzhi has a guess."
His wise gaze swept across the room, finally fixing on Xuan Zi and the others.
"I wonder, have you all ever heard of the 'Jade Pavilion'?"
Xuan Zi's expression changed, and he said solemnly:
"The Jade Pavilion? Not only have we heard of it, but one could say we are even 'more familiar' with it than you. When the Jade Pavilion was first founded in our world, our Shrek Academy contributed significantly."
Ning Fengzhi nodded slightly, confirming his conjecture. He sighed:
"As expected. The Jade Pavilion's origin is mysterious. The Simulated Universe they control, those transcendental Soul Tools, and the miraculous Stigmata are all far beyond current technology. Originally, I thought they were an isolated school that had received the legacy of ancient ruins, but now, in the face of this 'Parallel World' concept, that guess seems overly conservative and laughable."
"Your intuition is very accurate."
Xuan Zi's voice was low.
"This Jade Pavilion is ninety-nine percent a faction from our world—a subordinate organization of Sea Abyss City. Now it seems the situation is more complex than we imagined. We were accidentally drawn into the spatial-temporal passage, but they... they likely possess a method to travel between the two parallel worlds with relative stability, and it's even possible... they have been laying groundwork in this realm for a long time."
This deduction sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Freely traversing parallel worlds? What a terrifying capability.
Sword Douluo Chen Xin spoke up at this moment, his gaze sharp as a sword, directed straight at Xuan Zi and the others.
"Since you belong to the same world, have you heard of the names 'Titled Douluo Snow Moon' and 'Lu Jingming'?"
"Titled Douluo Snow Moon?!"
"Lu Jingming?!"
Han Ruoruo gasped in shock, quickly exchanging glances with Ma Xiaotao, Xu Sanshi, and the others. Their eyes were filled with shock, but even more so with a sense of "as expected."
Ning Fengzhi keenly captured their violent emotional fluctuations and immediately pressed on: "Judging by your reactions, you know them?"
Xuan Zi's face had already darkened to the point where it looked like water might drip off. How could he not know?
Back in the Star Dou Great Forest, he had personally experienced the unparalleled swordsmanship of Titled Douluo Snow Moon. The might of that single strike had severely wounded him, requiring a long time to recover, making the memory vividly fresh.
Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath, suppressing the inner turmoil, and explained on behalf of the group:
"Titled Douluo Snow Moon is one of the peak powerhouses in our world, a Rank 99 Limit Douluo. His swordsmanship cultivation has reached the point of perfection, earning him the title of Sword God of his era."
She paused, her tone becoming more complicated.
"And Lu Jingming... he is the universally acknowledged number one of the younger generation in our era. His talent and strength are unfathomable. His true identity is the Lord of Sea Abyss City, and also... the true mastermind behind the Jade Pavilion."
The Lord of Sea Abyss City, the true mastermind of the Jade Pavilion—these two identities exploded like two thunderbolts again in the main hall of the Star Luo Imperial Palace.
All the clues seemed to connect at this moment. A massive shadow, spanning parallel worlds, with deep-seated plans and unfathomable strength and influence, slowly emerged before everyone. The sense of oppression it brought even momentarily eclipsed that of the Spirit Empire.
"Rank 99, is it?"
Sword Douluo Chen Xin slightly frowned, muttering softly.
A Rank 99 Titled Douluo was undoubtedly the peak of humanity, terrifying to the extreme, but as a swordsman dedicated to the sword throughout his life, he instinctively felt that the essence of Titled Douluo Snow Moon could not be summarized by a simple numerical rank.
He had faced Titled Douluo Snow Moon in the Simulated Universe, and that astonishingly profound realm of swordsmanship was definitely not of the mortal world.
But this was, after all, only based on his intuition. Since he had not witnessed it firsthand, it was difficult to confirm, so he could only temporarily suppress this trace of doubt in his heart.
What Xuan Zi narrated next—the history of their world—was more like a thought-storm sweeping through the hall, completely engulfing everyone, making their hearts sway, unable to remain composed.
His voice was resonant, carrying the sense of ancientness that transcended time, as he slowly recounted the mythical and epic chapters that unfolded in that original historical trajectory.
How Tang San underwent the Seagod Nine Trials, ultimately inheriting the Seagod Divine Seat, and also cultivating the decisive Asura God Divine Seat, becoming a dual-god entity, wielding supreme authority over the world.
How Xiao Wu shared the Asura God Divine Seat with Tang San, her body acting as the sheath, bound by life and death.
How Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing obtained the Divine Seats of the God of War and the God of Speed.
How Oscar and Ning Rongrong, as a Food System and Support System, received the legacies of the God of Cookery and the Nine-Colored Goddess.
How Ma Hongjun was also able to shed the Evil Fire and achieve the God of Phoenix, soaring through the nine heavens.
Finally, at the fateful Battle of Jialing Pass, Tang San, with his dual Divine Seats, engaged in a world-shattering Three Gods Battle against the already-deified Bibi Dong (Rakshasa God) and Qian Renxue (Angel God), ultimately winning and establishing the foundation for ten thousand years of peace thereafter.
Although Xuan Zi undoubtedly concealed certain crucial details and core secrets within his narrative, this vivid, clear mythological account was enough to plunge the hall into a dead silence, where a dropped pin could be heard.