Douluo, my clone Groudon

Chapter 216 Clear the Suspicion
"Gula says you have nothing to do with the Abyss. How will you prove it?"

Cai Yue'er's voice echoed within the Sea God Pavilion. Her long, silvery-white hair moved without wind, and the pressure of the Super Douluo enveloped the Abyss Avatar's head as if it were a tangible force.

"Proof?" The avatar suddenly grinned, a smile that sent a chill down the spines of everyone present. "Alright."

His mouth split almost to his ears, revealing two rows of razor-white teeth. With a crisp "crack," his jawbone expanded out of the way in a bizarre way, like the gaping maw of some deep-sea monster.

He took a sudden step forward, a step that seemed to stomp on everyone's hearts. The ground of the entire Sea God Pavilion trembled violently, and the drooping branches of the golden tree rustled.

Dark red patterns spread from beneath his collar, crawling across his entire body like living creatures and forming eerie totems on his skin. A suffocating pressure swept through the hall, and the air was filled with the metallic stench of blood.

Suddenly, the two elders erected a soul power shield to block the dark smoke.

"See it clearly!"

With a flick of his arms, a gigantic phantom suddenly appeared behind him—a terrifying maw that seemed capable of swallowing the heavens and earth, with endless darkness surging between its interlocking fangs.

Strangely, beneath this abyssal aura, a bottomless maw was devouring the abundant light-attribute energy within the Sea God's Pavilion. The golden light spots, which should have suppressed the darkness, not only failed to purify it but were instead greedily absorbed by the maw like nourishment. Even the light of the Golden Tree dimmed slightly at this moment.

"Impossible! The Abyss Martial Soul is not restrained at all!" Cai Yue'er exclaimed, a ball of silver light already gathering in her hand, ready to strike at any moment.

"Don't rush." ​​Yun Ming raised a hand, his movement was very light, but it instantly froze Cai Yue'er's attack.

A strange light flashed in the eyes of the Sea God Pavilion Master, his deep gaze seemingly able to see through all illusions: "I did not sense the nauseating corrosive aura of the abyss."

The avatar let out a wild laugh, the sound waves making the wooden table in the Sea God Pavilion hum. "That's right! My power does indeed come from the abyss, but—" He suddenly stopped laughing, his eyes sharp as knives, his pupils reflecting boundless darkness, "not from this world."

As he spoke, he suddenly ripped open the front of his shirt. To everyone's astonishment, the skin on his chest rippled like water, then burst forth with a deep darkness.

This darkness was so pure it was breathtaking, as vast as the chaos at the beginning of the universe. It contrasted sharply with the light of the Sea God's Pavilion, yet they blended together miraculously without any repulsion.

“This is impossible…” Old Xu’s teacup fell to the ground, the scalding tea splashing onto his robe without him noticing. “It’s understandable that the power of the abyss isn’t restrained by light, but it would never merge with divine power… unless…”

"Ignorant."

The avatar snorted coldly, ignoring Old Xu's ashen face, and suddenly plunged his right hand into his own chest. The sound of flesh tearing was horrifying, but there was no trace of pain on his face.

Amidst the astonished gazes of the crowd, he forcefully pulled a pulsating silver light from his body, within which countless stars could be vaguely seen flowing.

"Look more clearly." His voice suddenly became ethereal and distant, as if it came from another dimension. "Before the great power of space and time, the abyss is at my disposal, and the stars are under my control."

He tossed the ball of silver light into the air, and the moment it exploded, the entire interior of the Sea God Pavilion was filled with starlight. Everyone felt as if they were in a vast starry sky, with a swirling Milky Way beneath their feet and a dazzling nebula above their heads. "This is the truth!"

Gula's true form then slowly spoke: "His existence proves that the power of the abyss can be harnessed without being corrupted." He then gave Yun Ming a meaningful look, "Just like darkness and light, they are two sides of the same coin."

He paused, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Of course, he's just a special case." Yun Ming's pupils constricted. As the strongest being in the world, he understood better than anyone what this demonstration meant—if the power of the abyss could truly be controlled in this way without being corrupted, then the strategy for confronting the abyss plane would be completely transformed.

But Gula's last words plunged him into despair. Exceptions mean they cannot be replicated.

But was he really telling the truth? Yun Ming couldn't tell at this point either.

"Enough." Yun Ming suddenly stood up, a simple movement that shattered the entire starry illusion as if it were glass.

His presence seemed to freeze the air within the Sea God Pavilion. "Shrek Academy will continue to monitor you. Don't do anything unnecessary. Now, you may leave."

Gula smiled slightly, and the Abyss Avatar was drawn back into his body like smoke.

As he turned around, he clearly heard Yun Ming's last soul power transmission, which exploded directly in his spiritual sea: "No matter who you are, as long as I'm here, you'd better behave yourself in Shrek City."

Stepping out of the Sea God's Pavilion, Gula looked up at the golden light atop the golden tree canopy. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting dappled shadows on his face.

He muttered to himself, his voice barely audible: "Behave? Not necessarily. After all, even your revered ancestor Tang San wasn't exactly a peaceful fellow back in the day..."

"Sect Master, are we just going to let him go like this?"

Cai Yue'er clenched her fists in resentment, and the remaining starlight in front of her gradually faded away.

Old Lin also stood up, his back bent, the chair making a sharp sound as it hit the ground: "Yes, at least we should keep him in the inner courtyard for better observation. If he really is a spy sent by the Abyss..."

"No need."

Yun Ming's gaze pierced through the walls of the Sea God Pavilion, as if he could see Gula's departing figure in the distance. "It doesn't matter if we stay in the outer courtyard."

He turned to the crowd, his voice carrying an undeniable authority, "This matter ends here. Meeting adjourned."

After everyone had left, Yun Ming stood alone in the center of the Sea God Pavilion. He reached out and touched the spot where his avatar had just stood, and a wisp of golden light condensed at his fingertips. Within that light, a faint trace of black energy could be seen moving like a living thing.

“Isn’t this the power of the abyss of this world…” Yun Ming murmured softly, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes, “It seems that the continent is about to change.”

When Gula returned to the outer courtyard, the afterglow of the setting sun was shining on the ancient buildings of Shrek Academy. He stood in the center of the training ground, took a deep breath, and his soul power surged within him, from which five figures separated.

"Condense!" With a soft shout, five avatars lined up in front of him.

The Abyss Incarnation is entirely black, with eyes as dark as ink; the Killer Willow Incarnation has a slender figure and a cold, ruthless gaze; the Jade Banyan Tree Incarnation has skin with wood-like textures and exudes a natural aura; the Ghost King Vine Incarnation is shrouded in a dark halo; and the Azure Lotus Incarnation has a dignified appearance, surrounded by a faint Buddhist light.

(End of this chapter)