Time flew by. Two years and four months later.
Heaven Dou City.
Near noon, Chu Chengzhou squinted, lounging on a recliner in the front courtyard of his own manor, lazily basking in the sun.
"Dad, Dad, why did you turn into a salted fish again?"
Suddenly, a tender child's voice reached Chu Chengzhou's ears.
Turning his head, Chu Chengzhou saw his tiny little one standing at the hall entrance with hands on her hips, cheeks puffed out as she spoke.
"Haha, Xiao Youyou, do you know what a salted fish is?"
A loving smile appeared on Chu Chengzhou's face. He stood, picked up his little one, kissed her, and asked back.
Biting her finger and thinking for a moment, Chu Youyou said, "Mom said Dad is a salted fish."
"Nonsense. Mom lied to you. How could Dad be a salted fish? Dad is cultivating."
Chu Chengzhou refuted on the spot.
Some mere woman, what does she know?
"Bleh bleh bleh, I don't believe it. Dad is just slacking off."
Xiao Youyou made a face.
"Then you must not know that Dad can cultivate in his dreams."
Pinching his little one's cheeks, Chu Chengzhou put on a solemn face and bluffed.
"Not listening, not listening, blah blah. Right, Mom Xiao Wu said to call you to eat."
Covering her ears and shaking her head, Xiao Youyou still did not forget the real business.
"Haha, let's go. Time to eat."
Smiling, Chu Chengzhou carried his little one into the dining room.
The stronger a soul master's strength and the higher the level of their bloodline, the harder it is to have offspring. This can be seen from the long sparsity of the Angel family.
Five years ago, under his diligent sowing, Tang Yuehua finally became pregnant.
Marrying after already having the child would sound bad if word got out.
Without hesitation, Chu Chengzhou went straight to Sea God Island, pulled Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong away from their Sea God trials, then went to Spirit City and brought Qian Renxue, who was undergoing the Angel trials in the Angel secret realm, back to Heaven Dou City as well.
After that, following a month-long Asura field, Chu Chengzhou finally coaxed the would-be brides. He sent out a wide spread of wedding invitations and held a grand wedding, officially marrying his six girls home together.
Chu Chengzhou still remembered the strange atmosphere at the banquet, especially the way his second brother-in-law Tang Hao and his eldest nephew Tang San looked at him, as if they wanted to eat him alive.
No helping it. Among the six brides, not only was one the current Saintess of Spirit Hall, there was also the daughter of their enemy Qian Xunji.
Fortunately, Chu Chengzhou had foreseen and prepared for this. He had Xiao Guang activate time reversal in advance, reverting Ah Yin from sapling state to her state before the sacrifice. With Ah Yin persuading at the side, and given it was the wedding of their own younger sister and aunt, father and son could only pinch their noses and accept it.
Moreover, not only Tang Hao and Tang San, all conflicts among the relatives of the six brides were resolved by Chu Chengzhou alone.
After all, irreconcilable conflicts come down to blood-deep hatred. Since those people had already been brought back to life, hatred that could not be resolved before could naturally be resolved now.
Even if it could not be resolved, given the groom had the biggest fists under heaven, they could only choose to resolve it.
And the little bean, Chu Youyou, was the eldest daughter of Chu Chengzhou and Tang Yuehua.
However, in the five years since the grand wedding, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, Hu Liena, and Qian Renxue did not have children.
Besides being busy cultivating and having no time to give birth, the main reason was that their strength was too great, and the difficulty of reproduction with such bloodlines far exceeded ordinary people.
In the dining room, Xiao Youyou sat in the arms of the doting dad Chu Chengzhou. The family of eight gathered to eat lunch.
As for Chu Chengzhou's parents and grandparents, there were too many daughters-in-law and it might affect family harmony, so the four of them did not reside long-term in Heaven Dou City.
Worth mentioning, three years ago Chu Chengzhou's parents gave him a little sister.
Although since Xiao Youyou's birth his parents already counted as grandparent generation, the two had disappeared from the world for more than ten years. Even now their bone age had not reached thirty, so a second child was normal.
Xiao Youyou: my little sister is actually my aunt.
"Chengzhou, when can you become a god?"
Hu Liena, with a golden blood-colored sword mark between her brows, asked Chu Chengzhou.
Hearing this, the other five women also looked at Chu Chengzhou.
"Uh, soon. If nothing unexpected happens, in three days."
Glancing at his status panel, Chu Chengzhou said.
As early as a year ago, Xiao Wu had passed the Sea God's eighth trial. She only needed to complete the final ninth trial, pass the Seven Emotions test, and she could ascend to the Sea God's God Position.
Similarly, Qian Renxue had completed the Angel's eighth trial half a year earlier, just missing the final ninth trial.
It wasn't just Xiao Wu and Qian Renxue. After the wedding, Chu Chengzhou did not let Hu Liena continue to train on Sea God Island, but took her to the Slaughter City.
A Rank-95 Title Douluo in her twenties, with a 100,000-year tenth ring, a 700,000-plus-year eighth ring, and a one-million-year ninth ring. With such talent and strength, the Asura God did not say a word and directly bestowed the Asura God trials upon Hu Liena.
As for an incompatible martial soul?
Joking. To a god, even a martial soul can be granted. As long as the inheritor's talent and strength are sufficient, martial soul compatibility is all empty talk.
After that, with strength that touched the divine threshold after equipping Heavenly Refined battle armor, Hu Liena completed the Asura eighth trial two months before, needing only one last step to inherit the Asura God Position.
The reason the three had not yet completed their respective ninth trials to ascend, but were waiting for Chu Chengzhou to become a god, was that their soul bones were not yet at the optimal configuration.
For gods, one's divine soul rings can be elevated through cultivation into god rings.
But divine gear transformed from soul bones will basically remain at that tier forever once you become a god, unless you obtain heaven-defying opportunities.
Perhaps because it was originally a spiritual-type soul beast, after the Tianmeng Iceworm's sacrifice, even though Hu Liena's soul bone slots were not full, what dropped was still a head soul bone.
Yet Hu Liena already had the Evil Eye Tyrant head soul bone. She could not use the Tianmeng Iceworm head soul bone and gave it to Xiao Wu.
It can be said that Xiao Wu's soul bone setup was the most luxurious. Besides the million-year Tianmeng Iceworm head soul bone, the million-year Deep Sea Demon Whale torso bone, and the Qiankun Ears external soul bone that can auto-upgrade, the four limb bones were all hundred-thousand years.
Yes, just like Tang San in the original, Xiao Wu's target for the Sea God's eighth trial was the million-year Deep Sea Demon Whale King. By decree of the great Lord God, the Deep Sea Demon Whale King sacrificed to Xiao Wu, becoming her million-year ninth ring and torso soul bone.
Hu Liena's soul bones were a step below Xiao Wu's. Besides the Evil Eye external soul bone, she carried a million-year Evil Eye Tyrant head soul bone and five hundred-thousand-year soul bones.
A million-year Evil Eye Tyrant head soul bone?
After Hu Liena advanced to a nine-ring Title Douluo, Chu Chengzhou removed her Evil Eye Tyrant head soul bone. He refined it, spent seven months to upgrade it to a million years, then had Hu Liena refine it again.
As for Qian Renxue, the Angel soul bones were all 99,999 years. After collecting six Angel soul bones, they transformed into a hundred-thousand-year Angel soul bone set.
In the eyes of ordinary soul masters, soul bones of at least a hundred thousand years are priceless treasures dreamt of.
But in Chu Chengzhou's view, if you want them to transform into divine gear upon ascending, hundred-thousand-year soul bones are still too low. You need a full set of million-year soul bones.
A full set of million-year soul bones is not easy to obtain. Even with a cheat, Chu Chengzhou could not simply pull out a set at will.
At his current AFK plug-in's efficiency, parking a soul bone for one day increases its years by a thousand. Starting from zero, a single million-year soul bone needs a thousand days of AFK, nearly three years.
Because only soul bones he himself has refined can be placed into the AFK slot, and he cannot AFK more than one of the same slot at once, plus he himself needs a set of million-year soul bones, there was no time before he became a god to arrange full sets for his three girls.
So, Chu Chengzhou put his brain to work and thought of a crooked path.
Where do million-year soul bones come from?
Either drop from million-year soul beasts, or upgrade via the plug-in.
There are many girls, and the plug-in alone cannot cover it. But dropping them from million-year soul beasts is not hard.
Once he became a god, the Spirit Summon of the Ancient Tree of Life, Xiao Qing, would reach the Beast God level. Then with the divine ability Great Resurrection, he could revive million-year soul beasts.
At that time, kill the Tianmeng Iceworm and the Deep Sea Demon Whale King a few more times, and million-year soul bones would be as many as needed.
Anyway, when a soul master ascends, the soul bones transform into divine gear under the baptism of laws. All soul bones in the body shift to match the attribute of one's God Position, so there is no need to consider the soul bone skills or attributes. As long as the years are in place, it is enough.
Chu Chengzhou: perfect.
Three days later.
As the progress bar of the Law of Chaos in the status panel's laws column was about to fill, Chu Chengzhou flew to a barren mountain a hundred li outside Heaven Dou City.
Half an hour later, under the might of the status panel, complete comprehension of the Law of Chaos, which can create all things and annihilate all things, surged into Chu Chengzhou's mind.
At once, world rules descended. A cyan droplet representing the Law of Chaos sank into Chu Chengzhou's mind, leaving a droplet-shaped cyan mark between his brows.
After a long while, immersed in the Law of Chaos, Chu Chengzhou came back to himself.
"The level 100 bottleneck really is gone."
Sensing that the formless bottleneck that limited him had vanished, Chu Chengzhou smiled.
Then his True Spirit Domain blossomed, and with the domain skill Command the Heavens and Earth activated, he seemed to become the center of the world. Endless heaven and earth energy converged, forming a gigantic vortex above his head.
Soon, Chu Chengzhou's aura surged. Under the backflow of countless torrents of heaven and earth energy, he officially advanced to level 100.
With level 100 attained, his body, soul, and soul power all underwent earth-shaking changes.
The mortal body, mortal soul, and soul power that could rival an ordinary level 100 but had not yet undergone qualitative change began to transform into divine body, divine soul, and divine power.
Meanwhile, Chu Chengzhou's efficiency at devouring heaven and earth energy skyrocketed again. The huge vortex above rapidly expanded, and in a blink it covered the sky.
Next, the True Spirit Banner martial soul emerged on its own, and nine pure gold million-year soul rings shone.
As endless energy was devoured, outside the nine pure gold soul rings around him, an illusory soul ring of hazy gray gradually took shape.
With the domain skill Command the Heavens and Earth and the Nine Breaths Breathing that rapidly refines all energy for his own use, Chu Chengzhou's speed at devouring heaven and earth energy was extremely fast.
After a quarter of an hour, beyond the nine rings, the originally illusory tenth ring solidified completely, turning gray-gold.
With the tenth ring condensed, Chu Chengzhou transformed from mortal to god.
Then, the droplet-shaped cyan mark between his brows lit up. Chu Chengzhou drew upon the Law of Chaos, and chaotic power welled up around him. He began to condense a God Position and step into true divinity.
The next moment, world rules descended again. A gray pillar of light, carrying intent to create and to destroy all things, shot into the sky and enveloped Chu Chengzhou.
Under the might of the world rules, a somewhat illusory gray thirty-six-faceted rhomboid crystal appeared, then sank into Chu Chengzhou's body.
In an instant, the Chaos God Position settled upon him, and Chu Chengzhou felt a stir within.
Abruptly, a gray radiance bloomed from him, and then seven more lights of different colors emerged from his torso, skull, and limbs.
Right after, the seven lights separated from his body. Under the baptism of the Law of Chaos, the seven million-year soul bones that automatically detached from within him underwent new changes.
The platinum light mass rose, and the external soul bone Holy Light Dragon Armor, which had once brimmed with holy light, now exuded the aura of chaos. In a blink, it turned into a dragon of chaos roaming the nine heavens.
A draconic cry rang out. The dragon of chaos transformed into a chaotic streak and merged into the Nine Heavens Chaos Armor of green-jade hue that Chu Chengzhou wore.
At once, a hot current surged. Chu Chengzhou felt a billowing power flow from the Nine Heavens Chaos Armor into his body, merging with the transformed chaotic divine power within. His strength, already skyrocketing from ascension, leaped again.
Following the Holy Light Dragon Armor, the remaining six million-year soul bones each revealed their corresponding beast forms, shifted to the chaos attribute, then one by one turned into chaotic streaks and sank into the Nine Heavens Chaos Armor.
When the seven soul bones returned to place, the Nine Heavens Chaos Armor burst into dazzling chaotic radiance. As the glow flashed, the armor that had looked like green jade transformed into chaos-tinged gray-gold divine gear.
At the same time, the droplet-shaped cyan mark at Chu Chengzhou's brow turned gray-gold, its shape changing into a small gray-gold banner.
A thunderous boom.
With soul bones transformed and merged with the battle armor to become chaos divine gear, a blazing gray-gold flame ignited on Chu Chengzhou.
As the gray-gold flames roared, the True Spirit Banner martial soul floating before him and the nine pure gold million-year rings that had yet to complete their transformation all turned gray-gold, shifting toward the chaos attribute.
In a blink, the dull gray True Spirit Banner turned into a gray-gold great flag, and the originally pure gold million-year soul rings also transformed to gray-gold.
At once, vast divine might spread from Chu Chengzhou, filling a thousand li.
Suddenly, information surged into his mind, and Chu Chengzhou raised an eyebrow.
"So my AFK plug-in is actually an innate treasure born of my previous universe, containing the Dao of Breaking Limits?"
Staring at the strange motelike colored light deep in his sea of consciousness, Chu Chengzhou was surprised.
He had searched for traces of his AFK plug-in before and found nothing. He had not expected that after ascending to the Chaos God Position, the plug-in would reveal its true form and actively feed him this information.
At this moment, Chu Chengzhou learned the principle behind the AFK upgrades.
This innate treasure contains the Dao of Breaking Limits. When he parks a martial soul, soul ring, or soul bone for AFK upgrading, it step by step breaks their limits, evolving the martial soul and increasing the years of the soul rings and soul bones.
The same goes for various ultimate techniques. Those optional, throwaway self-created soul skills, after breaking limits again and again, finally became divine techniques with extraordinary effects.
As for the status panel, it is the outward presentation of this innate treasure containing the Dao of Breaking Limits, appearing to make it convenient for Chu Chengzhou, the master of the treasure, to view his own changes.
"As expected, I, Chu Chengzhou, am not some 'little Chu scumbag.'
Innate treasure, possessed by the virtuous. If the treasure recognizes me as its master, then I am virtuous, and the virtuous are not scum."
Chu Chengzhou could not help thinking to himself.
Afterward, the first through ninth divine rings around him shone, and nine Spirit Summons appeared together.
"Not bad. They really have become Beast Gods."
Sensing the Beast God level aura of the nine Spirit Summons, Chu Chengzhou nodded, satisfied.
After he ascended to the Chaos God Position and the soul rings transformed into divine rings, a million-year soul ring condenses a million-year Spirit Summon equivalent to a million-year soul beast. With a million-year divine ring, the Spirit Summon is naturally equivalent to a Beast God.
Of course, his nine Beast God Spirit Summons differ from normal Beast Gods. Although they command their respective laws, they have not condensed corresponding God Positions, but rather possess a virtual God Position.
The virtual God Position's rank is the same as Chu Chengzhou's own Chaos God Position, and the Spirit Summons' strength henceforth will be directly linked to his own.
Level 100 is not the pinnacle of the Douluo universe. There are higher levels above. When Chu Chengzhou rises to level 110, the nine Spirit Summons will automatically rise to level 110.
"Tenth divine skill, Chaos Unification."
With a low shout, Chu Chengzhou's tenth divine ring shone. As surging chaotic divine power moved, the nine Spirit Summons turned into streaks of different colors and merged into him.
In an instant, Chu Chengzhou's aura surged. A hazy gray chaotic qi rose around him. His divine might was like a prison, like a god-king descending to the world.
"Divine Ability: Destruction God Claw."
With a slap of his hand, a pitch-black sky-spanning giant claw that seemed able to destroy all things condensed, shot toward the heavens, and disappeared beyond the sky.
"Tsk. Looking across the world and finding no opponent. Loneliness like snow."
Clicking his tongue, feeling the power of the divine ability he had borrowed from the fourth Spirit Summon, the Golden Behemoth, Chu Chengzhou sighed.
The tenth divine skill, Chaos Unification, is similar to a spirit-into-self trait. Specifically, the nine Spirit Summons merge with the body, strength stacks ninefold, and while in Chaos Unification he can freely use the divine abilities of the nine Spirit Summons.
After that, he exited Chaos Unification, put away the Spirit Summons, and with a turn of thought, Chu Chengzhou opened the status panel.
[Status Panel]
[Host: Chu Chengzhou]
[God Position: Chaos Sovereign (???)]
[Divine Power: Level 100 True God]
[Divine Martial Soul: Chaos Banner]
[Divine Rings: gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold, gray-gold]
[First Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Ancient Tree of Life (Divine Ability: Great Resurrection)]
[Second Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Bai Ze (Divine Ability: Auspicious Light)]
[Third Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Vermilion Bird (Divine Ability: Flames of Nirvana)]
[Fourth Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Golden Behemoth (Divine Ability: Destruction God Claw)]
[Fifth Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Black Tortoise (Divine Ability: Black Tortoise Divine Shield)]
[Sixth Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Earth Titan (Divine Ability: Titan Divine Fist)]
[Seventh Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Dark Devilgod Tiger (Divine Ability: Life-and-Death Arena)]
[Eighth Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Dragon of Space (Divine Ability: Control Space)]
[Ninth Divine Skill, Spirit Summon: Dragon of Time (Divine Ability: Time Reversal)]
[Tenth Divine Skill: Chaos Unification]
[Domain: Chaos Domain]
[Divine Core: Yin-Yang Complementary Triple Chaos Divine Core]
[Artifact: Chaos Divine Set (super artifact)]
[Skills: omitted.]
[AFK: omitted.]
Seeing the question marks after God Position: Chaos Sovereign, Chu Chengzhou frowned.
"What does that mean?"
His Chaos Sovereign Position was condensed from the Law of Chaos. Was it not even worthy of a rank name?
Soon, a feedback message returned to Chu Chengzhou's mind.
"So the unworthy one is the God King tier. Not bad."
Receiving the information that the God Position had surpassed the God King level and reached an unprecedented height, hence the question marks, Chu Chengzhou nodded, satisfied.
He thought so. How could the Chaos God Position, condensed from the Law of Chaos, the fusion of the eleven basic elements, fail to reach even the God King level?
Thinking a bit, Chu Chengzhou slightly adjusted the God Position entry.
[God Position: Chaos Sovereign (Eternal God Emperor)]
God Kings are the highest. Since my Chaos Sovereign God Position surpasses the God King level, calling it Eternal is fine. Upgrading King to Emperor is only right.
One month later, with a million-year Tianmeng Iceworm head bone and five million-year Deep Sea Demon Whale soul bones, Qian Renxue ascended to the Angel God Position as a first-level Lord God, wielding the super artifact Angel Divine Set and the artifact Angel Holy Sword.
Another half month later, with a million-year Qiankun Ears external soul bone, a million-year Tianmeng Iceworm head bone, and five million-year Deep Sea Demon Whale soul bones, Xiao Wu ascended to the Sea God Position as a first-level Lord God, wielding the super artifact Sea God Divine Set and the Sea God Trident.
Another half month later, with a million-year Evil Eye external soul bone, a million-year Evil Eye Tyrant head soul bone, and five million-year Deep Sea Demon Whale soul bones, Hu Liena ascended to the Asura God Position as a God King, wielding the super artifact Asura Divine Set and the Asura Demon Sword.
Douluo Year 2655. With blazing heavenly might descending, the Chaos Sovereign forged the super artifact Nine Heavens Chaos Bow.
Douluo Year 2660. The Chaos Sovereign created the Life-Bound Soul Ring Condensation Method and spread it across the continent. From then on, all soul masters could condense life-bound soul rings, whose years rise with the soul master's own endurance.
Douluo Year 2675. Tang Yuehua cultivated the Soul Law, condensed the Mind God Position, and achieved first-level Mind Lord God.
Douluo Year 2677. Zhu Zhuqing cultivated the Darkness Law, condensed the Darkness God Position, and achieved first-level Darkness Lord God.
Douluo Year 2680. Xiao Wu cultivated the Water-Space Fusion Law. The Sea God Position advanced to the God King level.
Douluo Year 2683. Qian Renxue cultivated the Time Fusion Law. The Angel God Position advanced to the Radiance God Position, becoming a Radiance God King.
Douluo Year 2690. Ning Rongrong cultivated the Rainbow Law formed from Fire, Wood, and Water, the three primary colors red, green, and blue. She ascended to the Rainbow God Position as a Rainbow God King.
Douluo Year 2692. Tang Yuehua cultivated the Soul-Time Fusion Law. The Mind God Position advanced to the God King level.
Douluo Year 2695. Zhu Zhuqing cultivated the Dark-Space Fusion Law. The Darkness God Position advanced to the Nether God Position, becoming a Nether God King.
Douluo Year 2700. The Chaos Sovereign created the Earthly Divine Kingdom Secret Art and the Pantheon Secret Art, opened an earthly Divine Kingdom that steadily expanded, and formed the Chaos Pantheon. Within the Divine Kingdom, all pantheon members are masters of heaven and earth. Note: as the master of the Chaos Pantheon, the Chaos Sovereign retains all rights of interpretation.
Time: Douluo Year 2710.
Place: former Spirit City, now Douluo Empire capital, Douluo City.
Event: Divine Kingdom Ascension Plan.
As the last super artifact-grade formation flag of the full Heavenly Cycle was planted, the Heavenly Cycle Star Ascension Array began to operate.
Watching the radiance of countless suns, moons, and stars gather from the cosmic sky, and sensing the heaven and earth energy of Douluo Star, which he had refined into his Divine Kingdom, begin to rise steadily, a smile appeared on Chu Chengzhou's face.
Looking back at the Chu clan in Douluo City whose population had topped one hundred, Chu Chengzhou smiled and cursed outright, "Screw the God Realm. I'm not going."
(The End.)
T/N: Thank you to everyone for reading this, it's been fun translating this. If anyone has any fics they have found that is, not being translated, dropped, or has extremely poor translation please say so, looking for more stuff to pick up.