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Time flew by quickly, passing like a flash.
In the Bright Capital Supreme Negotiation Hall, Cao Dezhi entered with his briefcase, leading Shrek experts like Guo Xiaoxu and Turbid World to their seats. Opposite them were various Federation experts, with Qiangu Dongfeng and Leng Yaozhu representing the Spirit Transfer Pagoda as witnesses.
Cao Dezhi looked straight ahead and said, "As you wish, our Tang Sect will withdraw from the Federation, retaining only some inherent assets and forces."
Turbid World's expression was cold as he said in a muffled voice, "Our Shrek will also leave the continent. You've won; Shrek City's twenty thousand years of autonomous history ends here."
Yu Guanzhi, who was presiding over the negotiation, showed a satisfied smile and raised his hand. "Then on behalf of the Federation, I wish you all a smooth journey. It just so happens that the Star Luo Empire mission's visit is about to end, and the Federation is planning a return visit delegation."
"Perhaps our fleets can even be neighbors."
Cao Dezhi smiled. "Very well then. However, even now, I still want to tell you all: do not recklessly start a war. Doing so will only bring about destruction."
"What's the point of saying this now?"
Yu Guanzhi retorted, "In Zaixing's words, if you were willing to stand on the same front as us, the Federation could take down the two continents at a very small cost. There wouldn't be any destruction at all."
"In that case, the war wouldn't even break out!"
Cao Dezhi's brow furrowed, and Turbid World's face turned a sickly shade of purple.
Luan Hongchen yawned and said, "The dove faction's funding comes from the Tang Sect; you supported the dove faction as spokespeople for your interests. Since you've cast aside all shame, we won't show any more courtesy either."
"Peace is just a slogan for your profit-making. You've never seen yourselves as part of the Federation. Fine then, you can scram—get as far away as possible!"
Cao Dezhi took a deep breath and nodded. "Correct. In our view, the Tang Sect has never belonged to the Federation; therefore, it's impossible for us to give everything for you. Today we part ways. Take care of yourselves."
He stood up and shook his head, saying with some regret, "A pity. I thought Zaixing would be here today; I still had some things to say to him."
Luan Hongchen said mockingly, "His tragic state is all thanks to you and the Le Family. The betrayal of those fools from the Le Family had your shadow behind it, didn't it? The Tang Sect is truly the Tang Sect, making us cut off our own arm."
The Southern Families were finished, and the Southern Legion followed suit; its reconstruction hasn't been completed to this day.
Guo Xiaoxu snorted. "We wouldn't dare take the credit. We didn't expect you to be so ruthless as to slaughter the Southern Families to the last person. We were never the same kind of people after all."
Turbid World followed the group out without a word, his face ashen.
Qiangu Dongfeng watched the spectacle with a smile, clapping his hands in praise. "Congratulations to the Federation. Shrek City, that state within a state, has finally vanished. From now on, there will be no more internal constraints within the Federation."
Yu Guanjun, who was backstopping the meeting, shook his head slightly. "It's too early to say that. With twenty thousand years of history, Shrek's influence will last for at least several centuries."
"Regarding the Blood God Legion, they are unwilling to withdraw everyone. There are also their graduates in every major legion; we'll need a long time for the handover."
Xu Pojun massaged his temples with a headache. "Especially those residents in the Shrek Inner City. Millions of people have lived there for generations; they are Shrek die-hards and simply don't recognize the Federation's rules."
According to his thoughts, wouldn't it be better if the Holy Spirit Cult just blew up all these people who couldn't be used by the Federation? Shrek's migration would take some people away, but there would definitely be those left behind who couldn't leave, making the governance pressure too great.
He could even imagine that the officials sent by the Federation would be met with all kinds of outward obedience but inward defiance, unable to implement policies at all. They couldn't exactly use the army for large-scale suppression of the populace.
Leng Yaozhu smiled. "Didn't Zaixing suggest that the Federation provide convenience and help Shrek Academy with the migration, sending all the Shrek people willing to follow them to the Star Luo Continent? I think it can still be handled."
Xu Pojun said with heartache, "But how much money will that cost? Can the Federation really transport tens of millions of people for them?"
Luan Hongchen chuckled. "We can provide subsidies."
Xu Pojun said angrily, "You're not in charge of logistics so you don't feel the pain. Don't come complaining to me when the military budget is low in the future!"
Luan Hongchen smiled. "My Mortal World family has no power in the military anyway, so it doesn't matter. Sending them away is better than having internal strife later."
Kong Yao agreed. "That's exactly the logic. If they want to scram, send them all away to avoid internal weakness."
Xu Pojun was speechless, missing his Shrek Tang Ascension Plan more and more. Something that could be solved with two god-slaying class cannon shells, yet this group of people insisted on fulfilling their duty to the utmost.
Qiangu Dongfeng smoothed things over, saying, "Speaking of nephew Zaixing, I wonder where he is now? This Pagoda Master is also very concerned."
"Sigh, why did nephew Zaixing have to do it? Burning eighty years of Lifespan in his prime; he's been recovering for almost a year now."
o
Yu Guanzhi raised an eyebrow. "Brother Qiangu, what do you mean by this?"
Qiangu Dongfeng said, "I believe this return visit to Star Luo is a good opportunity to scout some intelligence. Nephew Zaixing is very capable and would be very suitable to participate."
"If he doesn't go, it would be somewhat of a regret."
Kong Yao smiled. "You're quite concerned about Zaixing."
Qiangu Dongfeng smiled. "After all, nephew Zaixing has helped me many times. My father specifically instructed me before he went into seclusion."
Kong Yao and Yu Guanzhi nodded, moving past the topic to discuss the latest soul tool technology research between the Federation and the Spirit Transfer Pagoda.
Above Shrek's Sea God Island, Feng Zaixing stepped onto golden clouds, walking down from the peaceful cloud layer.
His pale gray hair draped over his shoulders, seemingly stirring the brilliant golden flowing wind. His handsome and mature face looked no more than fifteen or sixteen years old, his eyes like bright stars settled with a hint of world-weariness as he stepped into the Sea Gods Pavilion.
His body was surrounded by wisps of profound mental thoughts. The light element was his most obedient subordinate; through changes in color, it completely concealed his figure, making him invisible and traceless.
No one inside the Sea Gods Pavilion noticed his existence. On the first floor, the first thing that met the eye was a long golden tree table. Feng—
Zaixing clearly had no interest in viewing historical artifacts, heading straight to the second floor and to the room at the very end.
Inside the room, Ya Li lay quietly on a tree bed, her face as pale as porcelain, with black Qi swirling between her brows. Beside her sat a man with similarly gray hair, his expression haggard, his eyelids trembling.
Yun Ming stood up and looked, his expression surprised. "You were actually able to bypass Long Yeyue's mental force sensing and enter here silently."
Feng Zaixing said, "I have already burned a hundred years of Lifespan. If my mental force hadn't made some progress, it would be too much of a loss."
"That's true." Yun Ming sighed and stood up to make way. "Please. I hope you really can heal Ya Li."
"Mhm." Feng Zaixing stepped to the bedside and said to Yun Ming, "This trip is secret. I hope Long Yeyue, Cai Yueer, and those people won't find out."
Yun Ming said calmly, "Rest assured."
Divine Origin Realm mental force erupted, sealing the space of the Sea Gods Pavilion.
Feng Zaixing wasn't worried about Yun Ming playing tricks here either. He flipped his right hand in front of him and clenched his left hand into a fist at his waist, and pure white sacred Twelve-Winged Angel wings unfurled behind him.
One spirit ring after another drifted up from beneath his feet along with ripples of soul light. Feng Zaixing used an illusion to make them all appear golden, seven in a row, manifesting his cultivation at the Spirit Saint Realm.
Yun Ming was very close and sensed it clearly. "A fifteen-year-old Spirit Saint. There are only a handful of people in history who have achieved this; the last one was Halossa."
He himself was a genius of his generation—Titled Douluo at twenty-three, Super Douluo at twenty-six, Limit at thirty-one, and Quasi-God at thirty-five—but at the same age, his cultivation was not as high as Feng Zaixing's.
"It was traded for with my life; it's not worth mentioning."
With no outsiders present, Feng Zaixing's tone was exceptionally calm. His sixth spirit ring flashed, and the Twelve-Winged Angel triggered the Healing Angel's power, bringing down a torrential Life Holy Light of emerald-gold that shone upon the unconscious Ya Li.
Instantly, the dark evil Qi between Ya Li's brows flickered violently, resisting Feng Zaixing's Life Holy Light. Wisps of evil light reflected into his eyes, causing Feng Zaixing to frown slightly.
Before his eyes seemed to be countless vicious ghosts shrieking and resentful souls baring their fangs, roaring and crying out grievances in his ears, trying to drag him down into the Infinite Hell.
At the same time, Ya Li's Prayer Angel appeared automatically under the stimulation; it was a small, withered angel with a weak aura of soft golden light.
Yun Ming's face was pained. A doctor cannot heal himself; the Demon God Sword Qi had invaded the Spirit, and he was helpless.
Feng Zaixing's eyes shone brightly. His arms moved in front of him, drawing a circle. A golden ring suddenly appeared in the Void Realm, encircling Ya Li and the Prayer Angel, extracting wisps of Demon God Sword Qi in an unimaginably miraculous way.
The moment the Demon God Sword Qi appeared, the air showed a terrifying scene of being corroded, as if ghosts were roaring and thrashing about.
"Damned Holy Spirit Cult!" Feng Zaixing cursed. He suddenly increased his Spirit power, and his seventh spirit ring flashed slightly. The dense golden light in the room began to differentiate, quickly becoming as thick as mist.
As the holy and demonic clashed, a sizzling sound of burning echoed in the room. Strands of dead souls were purified under the Holy Light, and a loud, ethereal holy song emerged from the Twelve-Winged Angel, purifying everything.
The Demon God Sword Qi was water without a source. Having been suppressed for a long time by Yun Ming's own cultivation and the energy of the ancient tree of life, and now facing Feng Zaixing's powerful counter, it soon vanished completely under Yun Ming's excited gaze.
Boom
Tide-like Spirit light flowed into Ya Li and the Prayer Angel's bodies. Ya Li's face gradually regained some color, and her Spirit merged back into her body. Her eyelashes fluttered, and she gradually woke up.
"Ming, Brother Ming?"
Ya Li woke up and called out.
"I'm here, I'm here!" An uncontrollable wild joy surged onto Yun Ming's face. He hurried forward to grab Ya Li's hand, his body trembling involuntarily.
His eyes flickered, and tears appeared. Heaven knows how much torment he had suffered while guarding Ya Li for so long!
Cough cough
Feng Zaixing's hands fell back in front of him as he withdrew his Spirit and coughed twice. He said clearly, "She still needs rest; don't get too excited."
Yun Ming respected the medical advice greatly and hurriedly asked, "How can she fully recover?"
Feng Zaixing shook his head. "The Spirit and external injuries have already healed. Now she has internal deficiency; just nurse her back to health for a few months."
Ya Li saw Feng Zaixing's face clearly and said in surprise, "You—how can it be you?"
"Just a cooperation, is it so strange?" Feng Zaixing said indifferently. "You brought this on yourselves by courting death. Speaking of which, you owe me a favor. I don't expect you to pay it back; just leave the ancient tree of life behind."
Ya Li was confused. Yun Ming said solemnly to Feng Zaixing, "Please wait outside for a moment."
"Fine."
Feng Zaixing nodded and walked out of the Sea Gods Pavilion, releasing his mental force to observe the entire city.
A moment later, a voice came from behind him.
"Shrek City is the number one city in the world, even above Bright Capital. How does it feel?"
Yun Ming walked over, his eyes shining, his previous dejection swept away.
"The prosperous scenery is excellent. A pity, though, that it comes from sucking the blood of the entire Federation."
Feng Zaixing turned his head. "The resources in the central region of the continent are vast; it was once the prime land of the Douluo Continent, yet there are only two first-tier cities, Shrek City and Heaven Dou City."
"Eighty-five percent of the central resources are sucked away by Shrek City, Heaven Dou City and surrounding cities take ten percent, and the remaining cities share the last five percent. You absorb resources like a black hole and don't pay taxes to the Federation; it's no wonder the Hawk Faction is going crazy."
Yun Ming smiled. "True. This is the foundation laid by the First Seven Monsters. The generation of the Spirit Ice Douluo made this city even more glorious."
Feng Zaixing nodded. "Indeed, winner takes all. But the Dou Ling and Star Luo Empires were defeated in the end. Even though the Sun Moon Empire changed into a Federation, your existence is the Parliament's biggest headache."
"I have already persuaded the Federation's upper echelons to help you relocate. If you're going to leave, leave cleanly."
Yun Ming was silent for a moment, then sighed slightly. "I admit defeat to you. But aren't you worried the Sea God and the God Realm will return? There should be records of the Sea God's descent ten thousand years ago in the Federation's archives, right?"