I've also recently started a new translation, please check it out and show your support! Douluo: AFKing to Become a God
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Zang Xin's martial soul was the Sentimental Sword, which made him highly sensitive to killing intent. Maintaining his composure, he turned his gaze toward Damask Tulip.
"Interesting. You want to kill me."
His statement carried certainty.
Zang Xin was utterly astonished. What exactly was the Child of Nature that it would make these ferocious beasts risk breaking ties with the Tang Sect to follow an outsider?
Before he could dwell on it, a dragon roar suddenly erupted from beneath the icy and fiery springs. Two phantom figures—one crimson and the other deep blue—burst out of the water. The fire dragon soul's claws tore open spatial rifts, while the water dragon soul's breath froze time itself.
Both the Water Dragon King and Fire Dragon King had once reached the God King realm. After their fall, their bodies evolved into the sacred Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well. Even their residual souls, when combined, could unleash power equivalent to a demigod.
At this moment, Damask Tulip and the six beasts had already agreed to take a bold gamble. They weren't aiming to defeat Zang Xin, only to drive him back so they could escape the Ice and Fire Secret Realm with their newly acknowledged master.
As the crimson dragon soul's claws tore through space, the entire secret realm reverberated with the sound of shattering glass.
Gu La could even see fragments of stars flowing through the cracks in the void. The refracted shards of space created kaleidoscopic illusions. Wherever the deep blue dragon soul's breath passed, countless prismatic ice crystals formed in mid-air, slowing everything within them to a crawl.
Zang Xin's expression shifted slightly. Without the original plotline where Gu Yue suppressed the dragon souls, he would have to face them head-on.
Little Ice and Little Fire went to gather immortal herbs, while Gua Gua shielded Gu La. "Master, let's go!"
Gu La raised his hands helplessly, a look of resignation on his face. "You're going to get me into serious trouble!"
Damask Tulip and the three beasts struggled to control the dragon souls, gradually falling into a disadvantageous position. They threatened, "Human, let us leave, or we'll force the dragon souls to self-destruct and destroy the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well! Your Tang Sect will lose this treasure forever!"
Zang Xin's calm demeanor finally faltered. If the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well were destroyed, the losses would be incalculable, and he would become a sinner to the Tang Sect.
"Never! None of you will leave!"
Zang Xin's Sentimental Sword transformed into a seven-foot green blade, its spine inscribed with intricate runes resembling three thousand strands of sentiment. As the water and fire dragon souls' breaths were about to engulf him, his red soul ring flared brightly.
Fifth Soul Skill: Retrospect!
Zang Xin had once entered the inner circle of the Tang Sect and received the highest level of cultivation based solely on his first soul skill. His sword wasn't designed for brute force but rather for spiritual control.
Activating his fifth soul ring placed him in a Retrospect state, granting him instant immunity to all forms of energy attacks. Once an energy attack hit his body, the Retrospect effect would instantly activate, relocating him directly in front of the attacker along the trajectory of their attack.
The sound of the sword rang out like the clear notes of a jade chime. Zang Xin's figure suddenly blurred within the dragon breath. Dodging the water and fire dragon kings' breaths, he appeared before the dragon souls with a single leap, unleashing two sword slashes that tore through space, briefly immobilizing the dragon souls. He then swung his sword toward Damask Tulip.
"Sentimental beings are left with nothing but regret!"
The domain formed by the fusion of his Four-Character Battle Armor and martial soul stirred the emotions of Damask Tulip and the three beasts. They became overwhelmed with fear of heavenly tribulation, uncertainty about the future, and euphoria at the prospect of eternal life under the Child of Nature…
Their movements slowed, and it seemed they were about to be struck.
Xiao Qiu's golden pupils flashed, awakening the three beasts. Xiao Huo, being farther away, hadn't regained her senses yet. Petals from her true form fell one by one, each burning with crimson flames. Sacrificing her true form, she activated the dragon souls, their roots sinking deep into the center of the spring:
"For thousands of years! Do you think we're willing to remain your medicinal garden forever? If you refuse to give up, then perish with us!"
Damask Tulip and the other ferocious beasts had long harbored resentment from being bred by the Tang Sect, constantly giving up their offspring and fragments of themselves. Now, stirred by the Sentimental Domain, they were prepared to self-destruct, taking everything with them!
At this critical moment, a jade-green pattern suddenly lit up on Gu La's forehead. The green glow emanating from his palm calmed the raging Blazing Apricot immediately, and even the rampaging dragon souls in the air paused momentarily.
"Hear me out."
Seeing the timing was right, Gu La stepped in to mediate the conflict.
He didn't want to face the Tang Sect's pursuit just yet; otherwise, even his teacher wouldn't be able to protect him.
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Zang Xin stopped—he had no choice but to stop. Gu La's eyes had turned a brilliant gold, exuding supreme divine might.
Though Zang Xin had never seen a god, he instinctively knew that if a deity were to open their eyes, they would resemble Gu La in this moment.
'Divine might? But how is this possible? Didn't the godly realm vanish?'
Zang Xin couldn't wrap his head around it. Finally noticing the temporal-spatial energy radiating from Gu La, his heart raced as a realization struck him: "A future deity?"
Even after centuries of mental discipline, his composure wavered, his throat dry. With great effort, he maintained his calm: "…Senoir, are you a god?"
"Yes."
Gu La had borrowed Groudon's power once again to pull off this bluff. Having done it before, he now borrowed a pair of "divine eyes", integrating ghostly techniques into his gaze to intimidate Zang Xin with divine presence.
The cost was merely temporary blindness, negligible given Gu La's immense mental strength—a far better outcome than paralysis.
Zang Xin had countless questions but hesitated for a moment before asking the most pressing one: "How does one ascend to godhood in the future?"
Gu La pondered for a moment, gazing skyward. He used his mastery over the earth to completely seal off the secret realm. Zang Xin's heart skipped a beat, fearing for a moment that Gu La intended to silence him permanently.
But Gu La made no further moves, slowly opening his mouth to say:
"The godly realm suffered calamity and has been utterly shattered. The gods can barely save themselves. Humanity must find its own path."
"The Douluo Continent stands on the brink of a millennium-long upheaval. A god uses the continent as a chessboard, drawing in the Abyss Plane to trigger the Doulu Plane's consumption of the Abyss, intending to elevate it."
"Wait!"
Zang Xin narrowed his eyes, enunciating each word carefully: "My Lord, are you saying the Abyss Plane was summoned by a god?"
The Sentimental Douluo, known for his hatred of evil, had once been a frontline assassin. He knew how many humans on the Doulu Continent had been killed by the Abyss Plane. If Gu La spoke the truth, he couldn't bear to imagine what humanity's sacrifices amounted to—a cruel joke?
"I'm not lying to you. A certain god believes that upon their return, they can resurrect those who died on the Doulu Continent, and humanity will naturally be grateful."
Gu La spoke honestly. Tang San absolutely held such intentions, and even if someone uncovered the truth, Tang San had resurrected most people. Because of this, few had grounds to accuse him. After all, people were brought back to life, the Doulu Plane ascended, and many became true gods as a result.
Zang Xin didn't believe a god would deceive him. He thought of his deceased friends and mourned their sacrifices.
"Unforgivable! Such demonic acts do not deserve divinity!"
Gu La continued playing the role of a divine prophet. "Heh, everyone has selfish desires. Can you guarantee that you won't act out of self-interest if you ascend to godhood? That you won't seek benefits for your family or descendants?"
"I cannot guarantee it, but that doesn't justify using humanity as pawns."
Zang Xin's eyes turned blood-red, his murderous intent tightly reined in. Though his expression remained indifferent, those who knew him well could tell he was beyond enraged and ready to unleash a massacre.
"Who is He?"
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