Chapter 238 The White World: Is there really no such thing as the Valley of Love and Destiny?
The pink mist in the sky was washed away amidst the violent tremors, and the oppressive color that had suffocated the beings of the dark world finally faded away.
Instead, a pure, pristine white light emanated from them. This light, devoid of any aggression, brought a sense of inexplicable peace to the civilians of the dark world who had been consumed by anger and sorrow.
And at this moment...
In the underworld...
Even though the heavens had given a hint of a dimensional shift, the discussions on the land of the Dark World still revolved around the bloody ending from before.
"Is Wang Dong'er really dead?" A young soul master from the underworld stared blankly at the fading blood-red scene, his voice trembling slightly.
"Detonating one's divine consciousness to commit suicide, in theory there should be no way to revive, right? Poor Wang Dong'er, she was perfectly fine, but because of Cupid's prank, she died a natural death."
"I really don't understand, what is Cupid trying to achieve? Why does he have to disgust people for no reason? Is that what he enjoys?"
Another middle-aged Soul Master snorted coldly, his disgust undisguised.
"I don't understand it either."
"However, compared to this..."
"I'm more concerned about what Huo Yuhao will do next."
"He lost all his dignity, betrayed his hatred, and in the end, he couldn't even protect the person he loved. If it were me, I would probably have gone completely insane after such a blow."
While many people are filled with a morbid curiosity about what will happen next in the dark world, even more people feel physically disgusted by the plot that is based on manipulating human nature.
On the other side...
"Finally... we're back in the White World." Inside the tavern, an old man let out a long sigh of relief, as if he had pushed open a door leading to an abyss.
"I hope to see something different over there. If the White World also creates a Qiankun Wenqing Valley, then all the gods in the world will probably really be devils."
"I don't think so," someone nearby retorted. "Have you forgotten Bai Xuanzi? He was a god too."
"Moreover, that man could forcefully suppress a war between two great empires, how could he possibly allow such a disgusting thing to happen to his disciple?"
"If it's the underworld, then Hei Xuanzi is useless and powerless to stop it."
"But Xuanzi of the White World is not someone you can mess with."
"Furthermore, Huo Yuhao from the White World never went to a wretched place like Sunset Forest. If he didn't go there, how could he trigger this kind of hellish test?"
And at this moment.
[In the scene depicting the sky.]
The scene shifts, and the oppressive, conspiracy-shrouded atmosphere of the dark world vanishes completely. What comes into view is the brightly lit, sacred, and solemn White Shrek Academy.
The surface of Poseidon Lake was as calm as the finest sapphire, shimmering with delicate light.
The air in the White World was filled with a peaceful power, an unprecedented period of peace that this continent had enjoyed since the end of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Tournament and Bai Xuanzi's solo intervention to stop the war.
The camera slowly zooms in, sweeping across Shrek Academy's spacious playground.
Unlike those in the underworld, the students there weren't forced to survive brutal killing missions. They walked towards the school building in groups, each with a youthful energy and tranquility on their face.
"Yuhao, I still don't quite understand this question about the micro-circulation of ice-attribute soul power within the meridians."
In a clean and bright study room, Wang Dong'er tilted her head slightly, her short, light blue-pink hair fluttering in the breeze. She held a pen in her hand, pointing to a section of the textbook, her tone filled with focused inquiry, rather than the sorrow born of the pressure of life and death that one might feel in the dark world.
Huo Yuhao sat to the side, his eyes now clear and bright, devoid of any gloom or hostility.
He patiently reached out and gently placed his hand on the back of Wang Dong'er's hand, guiding her to feel the flow of soul power.
"Don't rush, Dong'er. This stage requires a calm mind." Huo Yuhao smiled gently, his voice clear as a spring. "Our teacher said that cultivation is not only about increasing soul power, but also about cultivating the mind. As long as the foundation is solid, these bottlenecks will eventually disappear."
The timeline at this point is clearly revealed through comparison.
In the underworld, this should have been a dead end where Huo Yuhao led Wang Dong'er and the others to escape Mingdu and then enter Qiankun Wenqing Valley. But in the righteous world, none of this ever happened.
They continued their training and studies at the academy as always. They felt neither the guilt of destroying the countless civilians of Mingdu, nor the humiliation of being caged and toyed with by the gods.
At the top of the Sea God Pavilion, Bai Xuanzi stood with his hands behind his back, his deep gaze sweeping across the lake's surface, as if he could see through the mists of time and space.
He simply stood there quietly, his very presence like an insurmountable mountain, keeping all divine malice and worldly strife outside Shrek Academy.
And in the dark world.
As the Soul Masters of the Dark World watched the ordinary yet heartwarming scene in the sky, many began to feel a dull ache in their hearts.
This comparison is simply too cruel.
"Look, Wang Dong'er from the White World looks so beautiful when she smiles." A female Soul Master from the Black World looked at the scene, and tears streamed down her face without her realizing it.
"She didn't need to commit suicide, she didn't need to cry out in despair on the stone platform, she just needed to sit in the classroom and study the circulation of soul power. This kind of life has become a luxury for Wang Dong'er on our side."
"I told you, with Bai Xuanzi around, filthy things like Qiankun Wenqing Valley can't even get into the White World."
A titled Douluo was filled with emotion.
"In the White World, Huo Yuhao doesn't need to sell his dignity to gain power, because his teacher Bai Xuanzi is the source of power himself, and this power is protective, not exploitative."
"Bai Huoyuhao is really lucky." The crowd discussed among themselves, their tone filled with sympathy for Hei Huoyuhao and envy for Bai Huoyuhao.
"The same person can be treated like a dog by the gods in the dark world, but can learn and grow like a real person in the white world."
This discussion spread to every corner of the underworld.
"Indeed, the difference between having a truly protective and powerful elder is like heaven and earth."
Inside Shrek Academy, Hei Xuanzi looked at Bai Huoyuhao, who was gently instructing Wang Dong'er in the sky, and then at Bai Xuanzi, who was calm and composed in the distance. His hands clenched tightly once again.
This dimensional comparison across dimensions was like a resounding slap across his face.
There's nothing we can do; he's the one being compared to.
(End of chapter)