In the instant that it emerged from the water, a hint of exuberance seemed to have been added to the entirety of Shrek City, and the rich life energy in the air was affecting everyone from Shrek Academy, the Tang Sect, the Yuanen Family, and all of the other people residing in the new Shrek City.

All of them could clearly sense the massive benefits being brought to them by this life energy, and right at this moment, one figure after another flew out of the lake; these were none other than the seven old demons.

The old demons were all looking on with bewilderment and ecstasy in their eyes. Such immense life energy was naturally extremely beneficial to them, and it would undoubtedly prolong their lifespan. Even more importantly, even their very essence was being enhanced by this life energy, thereby making further breakthroughs or evolutions a greater possibility!

This was the true tree of life! How much life energy would’ve been required for the tree of life to grow so quickly and finally emerge from the lake?

“How big is this canopy, Boss? Only less than 10% of it has emerged, yet it’s already looking like a small island!” Old Demon Sloth asked.

Currently, the canopy of the tree of life was rapidly expanding, spreading its branches and leaves outward as it released even richer life energy. The Sea God’s Lake had been a clear blue color before, but now, it was intermingled with a hint of green, giving it a captivating turquoise color. The canopy of the tree was still growing, and at this point, the life energy it was giving off had become so rich that the air was beginning to take on a viscous quality.

The alluring life energy was making the seven old demons glow with radiant green light, and Old Demon Greed looked on with amazement and elation as he said, “We now have a Sea God’s Lake and a new Shrek City, but Shrek Academy is still missing a true core. Do you remember what the core of our academy was back when we left it?”

A surprised look appeared on Old Demon Sloth’s face. “Are you referring to the Sea God’s Island? Could it be that you’re planning…”

Old Demon Greed chortled, “This is a blessed opportunity from the heavens! Isn’t this massive canopy the perfect site to rebuild the Sea God’s Island upon? We can begin the initial process, and once Tang Wulin and the others return victoriously in the near future, the Sea God’s Island must be reconstructed!”

All of the seven old demons’ eyes lit up as they cast their eyes toward the north. Such a massive influx of life energy could only mean one thing: everything was going well on the front lines.

……

Tang Wulin’s hands were balled up into tight fists, and his mind was entirely occupied by the look in Guan Yue’s eyes prior to his passing.

Those eyes were filled with calmness and gratification. Making the ultimate sacrifice was certainly no easy decision, yet there had been no grief or hesitation on Guan Yue’s face; it was as if he had planned this all in advance, and everything had happened so naturally.

The sacrifices made by the two Limit Douluos secured victory in this first match and allowed more of the Battle Gods to survive.

At the expense of two Limit Douluos, the abyssal plane had been dealt an extremely heavy blow. Was it all worth it? From a strategic point of view, of course it was; one had to remember that the energy of the abyssal rulers was currently unable to get away.

With the twin dragon spears present on this battlefield, their abyssal energy would only be devoured by Tang Wulin and Gu Yuena, thereby causing more levels of the abyss to collapse.

However, Tang Wulin was finding it very difficult to come to terms with this situation on an emotional level. He was doing everything in his own power to remain calm. This battle was far too significant, and he would also be willing to sacrifice himself for such a noble cause, but the ones who had sacrificed themselves right now were Guan Yue and Dong Zi’an.

Tang Wulin hadn’t known Guan Yue for a very long time, but the guidance that Guan Yue had provided him with in the Battle God Hall was still clear in his mind.

It was Guan Yue who had guided him to attain spear essence, and as he held Guan Yue’s Sky Crossing Divine Spear in his hands, his emotions were fluctuating violently.

Your death won’t be in vain! The ultimate victory will belong to us!

Thus far, the human army had already lost four Limit Douluos, namely Chen Xinjie, Long Yeyue, Guan Yue, and Dong Zi’an; it was truly a bloodbath!

In addition to that, other powerful beings including the likes of Leng Yaozhu had also perished, and these were truly heavy losses for the human army.

However, the enemy had also been dealt extremely heavy blows. At this point, four of the abyssal plane’s sovereigns had perished, namely the second, four, eighth, and ninth sovereigns, and in addition to that, there were also over 10 abyssal emperors that had been killed. As a result, many levels of the abyssal plane had collapsed, whereas not even a single abyssal level had been destroyed in the battle 6,000 years ago.

The very core of the abyssal plane had been severely ravaged during this battle, and perhaps the human race really could permanently rid itself of the threat of the abyssal plane.

Never in any other generation had so many top-tier powerful beings emerged among the human race.

The advancements in battle armor, cultivation methods, and the Spirit Pagoda’s soul spirits were all contributing factors to the emergence of more and more powerful beings in the human race, and in addition to that, there was also the massive strides that had been made in soul technology.

Even the abyssal plane had failed to consider that the human race would become so powerful and so difficult to deal with.

The final godly strike that Guan Yue had unleashed prior to his death had struck down the incredibly powerful Demonic Puppet Sovereign before he even had a chance to make his presence felt on the battlefield, and even though two Limit Douluos had been sacrificed in exchange for only a single abyssal sovereign, everyone knew that all of the most powerful beings in the human army were in the Tang Sect, Shrek Academy, and the Spirit Pagoda, with the Battle God Hall bringing up the rear.

From the Battle God Hall’s perspective, this was already the smallest sacrifice they could’ve made to win this match.

The seven Battle Gods were standing next to one another, and their eyes were filled with intense sorrow as they bowed up toward the spot where Guan Yue’s body had disintegrated earlier.

Tears were swimming in Ao Rui’s eyes, and he could still clearly recall how Guan Yue had declared him to be his successor prior to this battle.

Looking back now, it was clear that Guan Yue had been preparing for this sacrifice well in advance; perhaps he had already made up his mind long ago that he was going to make a charge for the godly level at the cost of his own life during this battle.

In the end, he succeeded, and it was a monumental moment for the Soul Master world.

He had managed to ascend to a level that had eluded even Chen Xinjie and Yun Ming, and even though it had cost him his life, he had become the first person to reach the godly level in several millennia, with the exception of Demon Sovereign, who had used the Blood River Godslayer Array to achieve that objective.

Guan Yue had passed with no regrets, and the entire Battle God Hall was immensely proud of him.

Thus, victory in the first match went to the human army.

At the main control center.

Yu Guanzhi was trembling slightly with excitement in the wake of this first victory. As it turned out, he had made the right decision, and the human army had drawn first blood.

However, his sorrow was weighing more heavily on his heart. He knew what Dong Zi’an had been trying to convey with that final gaze; he was sacrificing his own life to wash away his dishonor.

Even though they had never seen eye to eye, Yu Guanzhi’s heart was currently filled with nothing but admiration for his old rival. Thinking back, Dong Zi’an had come from the most humble of backgrounds, but he had managed to claw his way up the ranks to become a Limit Douluo and the commander of the Western Legion. During this rise, he had sacrificed far more than more privileged individuals like Yu Guanzhi.