"Many thanks to the Lord for your assistance." The crisis involving the Treasure-Seeking Beast was resolved, and seeing that Yuanen Yehui was safe, Er Ming quickly bowed to Xia Yi and Gu Yue to express his gratitude.
"If you want to thank someone, thank him. If not for his Moon-Gazing Palm, even if I made a move, it would've been quite troublesome," Gu Yue said with a smile, glancing at Xia Yi.
"It was just a small effort. Be more careful next time. It's fortunate this happened in Sky City, where I could act immediately. If it were somewhere else, it could've been dangerous." Xia Yi waved his hand and turned to glare at Gu Yue. "You're just trying to throw me into the spotlight, aren't you?"
"Your Lordship is right," Er Ming replied respectfully.
"She seems about to break through to Titled Douluo," Gu Yue said, turning her head to look at Yuanen Yehui, who was still regulating her breath. Her eyes narrowed again.
Yuanen Yehui's aura had already reached level 89, just one step away from becoming a Titled Douluo.
That was why Er Ming had sought a head spirit bone for her—to enhance her spiritual power and ensure nothing would go wrong.
"Yehui is indeed at level 89 now," Er Ming admitted stiffly.
"I remember after Yuanen Yehui returned home, she stayed with her father the whole time. Why did you bring her to Sky City now? Are you trying to lure demons into Sky City? And you just happened to choose a time when the Bright Dragon King isn't here. What exactly are you planning?" Gu Yue's voice turned sharp.
Previously, Er Ming and Yuanen Zhentian had taken Yuanen Yehui back home. Er Ming not only helped Yuanen Zhentian break through to the quasi-god level but also used his similar bloodline power to heal Yehui's father, Yuanen Tiandang, who had been crippled.
He even helped Yuanen Tiandang break through to the Limit Douluo level.
Later, Leng Yaozhu approached Yuanen Zhentian and invited him to serve as the Deputy City Lord of Sky City.
To accept this post, Yuanen Zhentian immediately passed the clan leadership to the now-recovered Limit Douluo, Yuanen Tiandang.
Yuanen Zhentian then went to Sky City to take up the position.
Yuanen Tiandang stayed with the Titan Giant Ape Clan to handle clan affairs.
Yuanen Yehui, having been separated from her father for many years, naturally stayed with the family.
So her coming to Sky City wasn't strange.
What was strange was the timing—she had come right when she was about to break through.
And just as the Bright Dragon King had returned to the Origin of Creation and was no longer overseeing Sky City.
The Treasure-Seeking Beast had previously transformed into a hundred-thousand-year head spirit bone—if Yuanen Yehui successfully absorbed it, she would directly break through to Titled Douluo.
"Your Lordship, within the Douluo Plane, Da Ming and I are restricted by the planar laws. Even now, our power is still limited to the quasi-god level. We don't have full confidence facing the Demon Plane. That's why we brought Yuanen Yehui to Sky City," Er Ming explained stiffly.
He and Da Ming had been resurrected by Tang San. Their divine-level power had been granted by Tang San. When they left the God Realm, Tang San had stipulated that they could not exert divine power within the Douluo Plane.
There was only one way to break this restriction—to abolish the power Tang San gave them and start cultivating from scratch.
But giving up all their power to start over—Da Ming and Er Ming didn't have the courage for that yet.
"A mere Demon Plane? With Lord Heavenly Phoenix and Lord Dark Phoenix here, what could possibly go wrong?" Gu Yue sneered coldly. "Even if you're afraid of mishaps, shouldn't you have informed Xia Yi and me in advance after bringing Yuanen Yehui to Sky City?"
Gu Yue glanced out the window and continued, "There are traces of a formation barrier still visible out there. I'm guessing you tried to isolate Yuanen Yehui using that barrier to keep us from knowing. If the Treasure-Seeking Beast hadn't disrupted your plan, we might still be unaware she was about to break through to Titled Douluo."
"I'll give you one last chance to explain. What exactly are you trying to do?" Gu Yue asked coldly.
Facing her fierce gaze, Er Ming took a deep breath, realizing he couldn't hide it any longer. He had to answer truthfully:
"Your Lordship, the Fallen Angel is Yuanen Yehui's martial soul. Because of this martial soul, the Titan clan suffered greatly, and Yehui's father had his cultivation crippled. Even though I helped him break through to Limit Douluo, there's virtually no chance for him to ever reach the quasi-god level. I want to enter the Demon Plane to see if there's any opportunity that might help her father."
"I don't think that's too much to ask," Er Ming said in a low voice.
"It's not unreasonable. If there's really some special opportunity in the Demon Plane, Yuanen Yehui does have the right to claim it first," Xia Yi nodded and looked up at Er Ming, coldly saying, "But you should've discussed it with Yue'er and Juer instead of trying to hide Yuanen Yehui. What, do you think we're unreasonable people?"
"I wouldn't dare," Er Ming quickly denied. "Among soul beasts, strength reigns supreme. If Lord Heavenly Phoenix and the Silver Dragon Lord really enter the Demon Plane, I wouldn't dare compete for any opportunity they uncover."
"Heh. The Demon Plane may only be a mid-level plane, slightly inferior to the Douluo Plane, but it's still a complete world. Do you really think the two of you can conquer it alone?" Gu Yue looked at Er Ming with contempt and coldly said, "Sure, they retreated whenever they saw a Douluo powerhouse, and their overall strength may not match ours—but have you considered the possibility that the Demon Plane has its own Plane Lord or Life Core? If you rush in, it's suicide. Not only will you die, but Yuanen Yehui might die with you."
In truth, Gu Yue had already guessed Da Ming and Er Ming's intentions.
They were probably trying to monopolize the Demon Plane.
In the Douluo Plane, they couldn't take it on with just their quasi-god strength. That's why they brought Yuanen Yehui to Sky City.
But the fact that they dared bring her here showed they hadn't allied with Tang Hao and Ah Yin.
If they'd hidden Yuanen Yehui somewhere in the Douluo Plane or taken her to Long Yeyue and Chen Xinjie, Gu Yue wouldn't be speaking so civilly now.
Gu Yue didn't object to Er Ming's reasoning. Logically, Yuanen Yehui did have the right to claim the Demon Plane. After all, the Fallen Angel martial soul belonged to her.
But trying to take over an entire plane? That was easier said than done.
The Abyss Plane and the Abyssal Sage King were strong, weren't they?
Even they fought the Douluo Plane for six thousand years and still couldn't conquer it.
Even with Da Ming and Er Ming's help, could the entire Titan clan actually take the Demon Plane?
Gu Yue really didn't know where their confidence came from.
Even if the Demon Plane had no Plane Lord and Da Ming and Er Ming had the strength to dominate it—could that pathetic barrier they created really block Leng Yaozhu's perception?
Leng Yaozhu had already set her sights on the Demon Plane. She had definitely left a mark on Yuanen Yehui. The moment Yehui opened the Demon Gate, Leng Yaozhu would know.
Gu Yue truly didn't understand where Da Ming and Er Ming got such naïve self-assurance.
"I overlooked that!" Hearing Gu Yue's words, both Da Ming and Er Ming were startled. They had only considered the energy within the Demon Plane, never imagining it might have a Plane Lord or a Life Core.
"Forget it, I'll help you this time." Gu Yue looked at Yuanen Yehui and raised her hand. Boundless spiritual energy from the heavens and earth surged into her body.
Without the hundred-thousand-year soul bone, this was the only way to help Yehui break through to Titled Douluo quickly.
Yuanen Yehui's soul power surged rapidly, quickly surpassing level 89 and reaching level 90.
"We need to retreat, or the Demon Plane might detect us," Gu Yue said. With a wave of her hand, everyone instantly vanished from the room.
The Demon Plane preyed on the weak. If it sensed strong protectors near Yehui, it likely wouldn't construct the Demon Gate.
The moment they vanished, a faint crystalline glow appeared on Yehui's skin. Her soul power flowed naturally, purifying itself and rapidly condensing into a soul core. The core pulsed rhythmically, and gentle soul power surged like a river.
A yellowish glow appeared around her body, and one by one, her soul rings emerged. The ninth soul ring finally appeared!
At this moment, she—Yuanen Yehui—had achieved the title of Titled Douluo!
For some soul masters, the journey from level 89 to Titled Douluo could take years, even decades.
Reaching level 90, condensing a soul core, and forming a ninth soul ring—even absorbing a soul spirit—could be major obstacles.
But for a genius like Yuanen Yehui, her soul vortex had long been stabilized, and forming a soul core was no challenge.
In other words, as long as her soul power was sufficient, she was guaranteed to break through.
The moment she became a Titled Douluo, the yellow glow vanished—replaced by pitch-black dark energy.
Her nine soul rings reappeared—this time, for her Fallen Angel martial soul.
A dense darkness instantly invaded her spiritual world, causing dizziness.
In a daze, she saw someone—the person she yearned for day and night.
The figure of that person, calling her name with open arms and eyes full of love.
"Mom!" Yehui cried and rushed toward her. That figure had appeared many times in her dreams.
Night Hui—Yuanen Yehui's mother.
But no matter how hard she tried, she could never embrace her. There was always a gap between them.
Then she saw her mother transform—eyes turning deep purple like swirling vortexes. Giant wings spread from her back. Amid screams of pain, two long curved horns sprouted from her forehead. Her body expanded, and terrifying dark energy erupted.
Absolute darkness—absolute chaos!
"Darkness shall descend. Only in corruption can freedom be found. Awaken, my daughter—awaken the endless magic in your blood!" the voice echoed, seductive and alluring, pulling Yehui into the depths of darkness.
An overwhelming sense of power surged through her body, making her tremble.
Dark energy pierced into her body, transforming her.
A cold, frenzied will penetrated her spiritual sea, trying to merge with it. Along with it came a flood of bloodlust, fear, madness, and other negative emotions.
Her desire to kill, her thirst for blood—in that moment, it all surged.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes. Her mother had vanished. She was still in the lounge. But now, her aura had turned utterly dark—darker than the night outside.
Her deep purple eyes shimmered with light. Even more terrifying, a strong aura of death radiated from her.
From her back, giant wings slowly emerged. Her nine soul rings were all dyed in purple-black.
From her head, two curved horns had already sprouted, and dense dark elements filled the training room.
"Roar!" A low growl escaped her throat. With a slight flap of her wings, she stood. All the dark energy gathered into her body, sealing off the outside.
With a leap, Yuanen Yehui burst out the window. Her purple-black eyes glanced around. With a powerful flap, she soared into the sky, flying far away, her body surrounded by spatial-distorting darkness—power from another world pouring into her.
In moments, she was showing signs of breaking into the Super Douluo level.
The sensation was exhilarating—her power was rising rapidly.
Finally, she locked onto a distant, empty mountaintop. Folding her wings, she dove like a meteor, spreading her wings only 20 meters from the ground, gently landing on the peak.
"Darkness shall descend. Only in corruption can freedom be found." She murmured in a deep voice.
With her chant, strange purple magic patterns appeared. Her ninth soul ring shone brightly, forming a massive purple-black magic circle on the ground.
As the light rose, a giant purple-black portal appeared.
Her ninth soul skill—Demon Path: a gate to the Demon Plane!
Meanwhile, in Shrek City, within the Spirit Pagoda...
Leng Yaozhu abruptly looked up from her documents.
"A mid-level plane... don't disappoint me."
Gu Yue was right—Leng Yaozhu had long placed a mark on Yuanen Yehui. The moment she opened the Demon Gate, she would know.
"She's in Sky City? Good. That way, no civilians of the Douluo Plane will be affected."
Leng Yaozhu had never underestimated the Demon Plane.
A plane's final resistance could be terrifying. Who knew what trump cards the Demon Plane held?
Still—could its foundation really be stronger than the soul beasts'?
In Sky City, with powerful soul beasts present, even if the Demon Plane wanted mutual destruction, it was just a foolish dream.