Chapter 36: The Radical Qian Gu Dong Feng and the Federation Councilors

"If it weren't for that near-death experience and the long recovery time it required, the Underworld Emperor Harosa could have reached the Quasi-God realm of Limit Douluo at least fifty years earlier."

"With those two leading the charge, my orders within the sect have been passed down more smoothly than ever before—something truly rare."

"That's also why I was able to return so quickly."

"However, what surprised me was that the Spirit Pagoda and some Federation councilors, upon hearing about the plan to destroy Shrek Academy, were even more enthusiastic than most of the evil soul masters in the Holy Spirit Cult. They practically wanted to implement the plan immediately."

"This part truly puzzles me," she said, her eyes beneath the black hood shifting toward Di Tian. She believed he could clear up her confusion.

"The Spirit Pagoda's involvement is easy to explain—the one leading the collaboration with the Holy Spirit Cult is the current Pagoda Master, Qian Gu Dong Feng."

"This man appears to be shrewd and pragmatic, but in reality, he is someone deeply swayed by his emotions."

"He and Yun Ming, the current Sea God Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy, are from the same generation, yet Yun Ming has always suppressed him in terms of cultivation."

"Furthermore, since his youth, Qian Gu Dong Feng has harbored feelings for a woman named Leng Yaozhu, the current Vice Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda."

"Unfortunately, the feeling was never mutual."

"Leng Yaozhu's affections were for Yun Ming, not Qian Gu Dong Feng."

"As for what happened next, you can probably guess—it's no different from the melodramatic stories found in novels."

"Yun Ming and Ya Li of Shrek Academy are renowned across the continent as an immortal couple, envied by many."

"Leng Yaozhu, meanwhile, became just another woman who got rejected by Yun Ming. Even after spending over a hundred years pining for him alone, she still refused to give Qian Gu Dong Feng a chance."

"Tsk tsk tsk, what an unfortunate story."

"Haha~"

"On top of that, Qian Gu Dong Feng was once slapped by Dragon Moon Douluo Long Yeyue, the Vice Pavilion Master of the Sea God Pavilion. But in the end, he never managed to get his revenge."

"A man so easily swayed by emotions—who turned his unrequited love for Leng Yaozhu into hatred for Yun Ming, and resentment for Shrek Academy after being slapped by Long Yeyue—well, it's not hard to understand his actions now, is it?"

"As for why some members of the Sun-Moon Federation's council hate Shrek Academy so much?"

"Well, perhaps a more precise question would be: Among the Federation councilors, aside from those who lean toward Shrek Academy, why do the majority of them wish to see it wiped off the map?"

"Rather than calling Shrek Academy a school, it's more accurate to say it's a small kingdom."

"It wields absolute authority over the district where Shrek City is located, including taxation, laws, city defense, and countless other powers. It only nominally acknowledges itself as part of the Sun-Moon Federation, yet the Federation has no real influence over it."

"In truth, no unified government would tolerate the existence of a 'state within a state.' Let alone one as powerful as Shrek Academy, which holds enough strength to overthrow the entire Federation if it wished."

"As for those councilors who are even more extreme than the evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult, the reason likely stems from another incident."

"The current strongest being on the continent, Yun Ming, once waged war over a woman—challenging and defeating three God-ranked mecha pilots alone, and seizing his now-wife, Ya Li, from a mysterious organization within the Federation."

"Ya Li was being groomed as the successor of that secret organization."

"Her story of saving countless people during the great plague that swept across the continent is known far and wide."

"But do you think a secret organization in the Federation would really be focused on humanitarian efforts? If it were, it wouldn't be known as a 'secret organization.'"

"Would such an organization choose Ya Li as its heir simply because she was a benevolent healer?"

"Of course not."

"Ya Li has a characteristic that has been overshadowed by her reputation as a healer—a trait that makes her unique. Her martial soul, Praying Angel, can only cultivate by absorbing the power of faith."

"Throughout history, there have been legends of humans ascending to godhood through faith. These legends are true—just like the first Sea God, Poseidon, and the first Angel God, countless years ago."

"After Yun Ming and Ya Li married, he gradually faded from public view. The once-mighty continent's strongest warrior, who used to challenge the world with his Sky Spear, suddenly went into seclusion. Decades later, he managed to condense a 'Half-God' position."

"Meanwhile, the mysterious organization within the Federation, after losing Ya Li, disappeared from the public eye. No longer did they make any earth-shattering moves."

"The reason should be obvious."

"Forget about humans—if I were the leader of that organization, I too would hate Yun Ming and Shrek Academy to the core."

Upon hearing Di Tian's explanation, aside from being momentarily shocked at the revelation that Yun Ming possessed a Half-God position, the rest of her expression remained rather peculiar.

How did Di Tian know so much about human affairs, especially their love lives? He spoke as if he were the literal worm in their stomachs, knowing every intricate detail.

Of course, she didn't ask.

If Di Tian had wanted to explain, he would have done so already. If he didn't want to, asking wouldn't get her anywhere.

Just as she was about to inquire about Yun Ming's Half-God position, Di Tian preemptively responded:

"Yun Ming's Half-God position will never succeed. He lacks the ability to condense a perfect divine position in the short term, and the faith power Ya Li gathers through healing isn't strong enough to forcibly catalyze it into a true god position."

"They are still far from true godhood. Even if they spent their entire lives trying, they may never achieve it."

Pausing for a moment, Di Tian added, "Of course, they won't have the time to spend their entire lives trying."

With that, the Demon Empress remained silent.

She knew herself well—becoming a god through faith was impossible for her.

She and the evil soul masters of the Holy Spirit Cult were inherently at odds. In the depths of the ocean, she was nothing but a harbinger of slaughter.

No one would grant her faith, neither through good nor evil intentions.

As she fell into contemplation, Di Tian finished his thorough inspection of Xue Ling's Four-Word Battle Armor and God-ranked Mecha, confirming that there were no hidden tamperings.

Then, he turned to the Demon Empress and said, "Once your Four-Word Battle Armor and God-ranked Mecha are completed, you must carefully inspect them."

"You may even want to shatter one part of the armor to check for hidden traps before having Zhen Hua and Mu Ye repair it afterward."

"Furthermore, Four-Word Battle Armor and God-ranked Mechas have the potential to evolve into divine weapons. After ensuring their integrity, you can slowly nurture them. By the time the Blood River Godslaying Array is complete and you ascend to godhood, you should be able to directly elevate them into divine artifacts."

As he spoke, Di Tian conjured his own armor in midair—a dazzling black-gold set.

Seeing this, the Demon Empress' crimson pupils flickered with astonishment.

She could feel it—Di Tian's armor was far superior to any Four-Word Battle Armor she had ever seen!

(End of Chapter)