As the former hundred-thousand-year Blue Silver Empress and the possessor of Life Divinity, Ah Yin's perception of life energy far surpassed that of ordinary people.
The Golden Tree of Shrek Academy had originally been brought by Tang San and planted on Sea God Island. Ah Yin had even left a strand of her divine sense within it; she was more than familiar with the aura of the Golden Tree.
Although the aura of that particular avatar had completely vanished, at this moment, she clearly sensed the origin essence of the Golden Tree from the woman before her named Phantylia.
Upon hearing Ah Yin's words, the expressions of Tang Hao, Ning Rongrong, and Oscar changed instantly.
"So it was you, you witch!"
Tang Hao could no longer suppress the fury in his heart. With a thunderous roar, the Clear Sky Hammer—pitch-black and heavy as a mountain—appeared in his palm.
God-level pressure, mixed with the icy killing intent of the Deathgod Domain, swept toward Phantylia like a physical storm. He looked ready to hammer her into a bloody pulp at the slightest provocation.
Ning Rongrong and Oscar released their martial souls simultaneously. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and the divine power of the God of Cooking complemented each other, prepared to support Tang Hao in delivering a lightning strike at any moment.
They never expected that the culprit behind the destruction of Shrek Academy—the one who had severed their channels for gathering intelligence from the lower realm—would appear before them so brazenly.
However, faced with the undisguised hostility and killing intent of four gods, Phantylia remained composed. She merely fluttered her fan more vigorously, her smiling eyes curving into beautiful crescents.
"Oh my, don't be so wary, everyone."
Her voice remained enchanting, as if she didn't feel the terrifying pressure capable of crushing mountain ranges.
"I admit, the destruction of Shrek Academy was indeed related to me. And that interesting Golden Tree... I did indeed 'accept' it with pleasure."
Her candid admission caused Tang Hao's movements to momentarily stall.
"However," Phantylia's tone shifted. She lightly waved her fan, speaking with a hint of temptation. "I can tell you exactly what happened here. In fact, I even know where the person you are looking for is."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly dousing part of the fire in Tang Hao's heart while simultaneously raising his vigilance.
"What is your goal? Why should we believe you?" Ning Rongrong stepped forward, her voice cold and clear.
The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda in her hand emitted a soft glow, enveloping everyone in nine-colored divine light as she remained alert for any sudden movements from the enemy. As the Goddess of Nine Colors, she instinctively felt repulsed by this woman who exuded an aura of mystery and danger. Her intuition told her that the other party definitely harbored ill intentions.
"An enemy who destroyed Shrek and ruined Brother San's plans is now offering us intelligence? Don't you think that's ridiculous?" Ning Rongrong glared at her, her words sharp.
"Hehe, little girl, sometimes the enemy of an enemy can become a temporary friend." Phantylia remained noncommittal toward Ning Rongrong's questioning. She used her fan to hide the smile at the corners of her mouth, her eyes sizing up Ning Rongrong with interest.
"As for my purpose... it's quite simple. I just want to watch a more exciting, more grand drama unfold. And you, as well as the person you're looking for, happen to be indispensable protagonists in this great play."
"Whether you believe me or not is up to you. Of course, you could choose to strike now. Though I am modest, I doubt you could stop me if I wished to leave. But if that happens, you'll likely be left wandering this continent like headless flies, searching for ethereal clues."
Phantylia's words were like a serpent's tongue, precisely flicking at the group's most sensitive nerves.
Tang Hao's knuckles turned white as he gripped the Clear Sky Hammer, a battle raging in his mind. Reason told him not to trust a single word from this mysterious woman. But his granddaughter's death and news of Xiao Wu were clues he couldn't afford to ignore.
"Fine. Speak," Tang Hao finally retracted the Clear Sky Hammer, his voice still icy. "But you'd better not play any tricks. Otherwise, even if I have to chase you to the ends of the earth, I, Tang Hao, will kill you."
"Oh, that's more like it." Phantylia let out a soft laugh, seemingly indifferent to Tang Hao's threat. "Since we are cooperating, I shall naturally show enough sincerity."
She paused, her gaze sweeping over Ah Yin, who looked grief-stricken over the loss of her granddaughter. Her tone carried a trace of mischievous pity.
"First, regarding your precious granddaughter, Tang Wutong. And the Great Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, Niu Tian, and the Second Sect Master, Tai Tan. They did indeed die in Heavenly Soul City, during an interesting game called the 'Holy Grail War.'"
"And the ones who personally killed them are the rising and most powerful force on the Douluo Continent today—Sea-Abyss City."
"Sea-Abyss City." Ning Rongrong and Oscar looked at each other, seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. Their original goal had been Sea-Abyss City, but they had changed course after sensing the auras of Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.
"As for that little rabbit you care so much about..." Phantylia turned her gaze back to Tang Hao, intentionally dragging out her words. "She isn't in Sea-Abyss City. She is currently in the hands of a young man named Huo Yuhao."
"Huo Yuhao?" Tang Hao frowned. He had no memory of that name either.
"This Huo Yuhao is no simple character," Phantylia's tone became playful. "He is a member of a vast and mysterious organization called 'World Serpent.' His codename is the Eighth Throne, the 'King of Spirit.'"
"And this 'World Serpent' organization has an extraordinarily close relationship with the Sea-Abyss City I mentioned earlier."
Sea-Abyss City... Huo Yuhao... World Serpent... King of Spirit...
A series of unfamiliar names and information exploded in the minds of Tang Hao and the others like thunderclaps, making it difficult for them to process for a moment.
But Ning Rongrong was the first to react, sharply catching the most crucial term.
"Throne? ...'King of Spirit'?" Her face turned incredibly pale. "The title you just mentioned..."
Phantylia admired the shock on her face, her smile deepening. "Oh? It seems you've thought of something?"
Ning Rongrong didn't answer, but a stormy sea of realization was churning in her heart. She suddenly remembered the earth-shattering rebellion in the God Realm.
Back then, the sealed Golden Dragon King had broken free and wreaked havoc upon the God Realm, calling himself the "King of Destruction." And the fourth member of the Shrek Seven Devils, Ma Hongjun, who had turned traitor, was called the "King of Pestilence" by the Golden Dragon King.
King of Destruction... King of Pestilence... and now, there was a King of Spirit.
These similar titles, carrying such specific connotations of "Kings," could not possibly be a mere coincidence.
A terrifying yet logical hypothesis surfaced in the minds of Ning Rongrong, Tang Hao, Ah Yin, and Oscar simultaneously.
Could it be that, in the shadows they were unaware of, there had always existed a massive organization composed of powerful beings named "Kings" who were enemies of the God Realm? Was "World Serpent" the name of this organization?!
At the thought of this possibility, a chill ran down their spines. If this was true, the scale of this game was far larger and more dangerous than they had imagined.
"Hehehe, it seems you all understand now." Phantylia watched their shocked expressions and let out a satisfied, pleasant chuckle. "Indeed, things are far more complex and interesting than you imagine."
"Well then, my sincerity has been shown, and the intelligence has been shared." Phantylia stretched, revealing her graceful curves. "Your enemies are at Sea-Abyss City on one side, and the 'King of Spirit' of World Serpent on the other. Your two companions should also have been taken to Sea-Abyss City by now. What you do next is your own business."
"As for our cooperation..." Phantylia's gaze became meaningful. "I am in no hurry for an answer. After all, you still don't trust me, and I did destroy Shrek and ruin Sea God Tang San's plans, didn't I?"
Her words caused the faces of Tang Hao and the others to change again.
"But it doesn't matter. You will soon realize that your enemies are far stronger than you imagine. And I will be the only valuable ally you can possibly gain."
After speaking, Phantylia gave them no chance to ask more questions. She lightly waved the fan in her hand, and the space around her rippled once more.
"Oh, by the way, if you ever change your minds and wish to cooperate with me, just crush this, and I will naturally receive the message."
A jade plaque shimmering with an eerie purple light appeared out of thin air, floating before Ning Rongrong.
"Until next time, my dear guests."
With a final parting word filled with playfulness and deep meaning, Phantylia's figure faded like ink dissolving in water, eventually vanishing completely from the wasteland, leaving only a faint, lingering fragrance that made one feel lightheaded.
Tang Hao and the three others stood silently in place for a long time.
Desolate, silent, and cold.
This was a pocket dimension forcibly opened, clinging to the barriers of the Douluo Plane. There was no sun, moon, or stars here, no wind or snow, and even the basic sense of time felt blurred and sluggish.
A boundless darkness, seemingly capable of swallowing all light, was the eternal theme of this space. Only in the far reaches of the void would a dim remnant of a star—captured from some destroyed world—flicker like a candle in the wind before being completely extinguished and assimilated by the silence.
This space was the purest and most direct manifestation of the concept of destruction.
In the center of the space, a figure floated quietly. She wore a simple yet futuristic silver-white bodysuit, her white hair looking like frozen starlight without a single blemish. Her face was as exquisite as a perfect sculpture, but it was also cold, devoid of any living warmth. Her eyes were like two collapsing stars—deep, indifferent, seemingly unable to reflect any color of the world.
She was Celenova, one of the Lord Ravagers, one of the sharpest blades under the command of Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction.
At that moment, the dead void before her rippled like a calm lake disturbed by a stone. In the center of the ripples, space was silently torn open, and a graceful, seductive figure stepped out.
She was dressed magnificently, holding an exquisite fan, with a charming yet eerie smile on her face, as if she had just finished attending a grand banquet.
It was Phantylia.
Her appearance was like a splash of intense, vibrant, yet jarring color upon a monotonous, black-and-white canvas of destruction.
"Those pathetic insects from the God Realm are of no use."
Celenova didn't even turn her head. Her cold, indifferent voice echoed directly through the space, devoid of emotion or inflection. "They are no match for Sea-Abyss City, and certainly no match for that man."
The man she spoke of was, naturally, Lu Jingming.
"Oh my, I know that, of course." Phantylia covered her mouth with her fan and let out a melodious laugh, her tone full of pleasure and playfulness. "But if a good play follows the script from beginning to end, wouldn't it be terribly dull?"
"Giving these pathetic protagonists a bit of false hope, only to have them fall into even deeper despair during their self-righteous struggles... those expressions, that ending... only then can it be called a true drama, don't you think?"
She walked slowly to Celenova's side, her gaze seemingly cast toward the distant, dying star remnants. But deep in her eyes, the scene she had just directed was being replayed.
Tang Hao's fury, Ah Yin's sorrow, Ning Rongrong's vigilance... in her eyes, these were the most beautiful and touching emotions, the perfect embellishments for her grand play.
Celenova remained noncommittal. She understood her colleague's wicked nature all too well. Phantylia always acted like a high-and-mighty playwright, toying with hearts and manipulating destinies, treating all living beings as marionettes on her stage and drawing her own unique brand of destruction from their pain and despair.
Using Tang Hao and the others as pawns to disrupt the board and add variables—perhaps even using these beings from the God Realm to spy on and plot against the Douluo God Realm that hung high above all planes—this was very much Phantylia's style.
However, Celenova didn't care. Although she and Phantylia used vastly different methods—one being pure, efficient destruction toward a goal, the other being a ritualistic destruction pursuing process and aesthetics—their ultimate goal was the same: to walk the Path of Destruction.
"Beyond this star system, I have discovered an independent energy plane."
Celenova didn't seem interested in continuing the boring topic. She shifted to her own plans, her voice as cold and stagnant as ever.
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