The dust on the Martial Arts Arena slowly dissipated, leaving behind a scene of utter devastation and two somewhat disheveled figures. Qian Daoliu's golden hair was stained with dirt, his Angel Sacred Sword propped against the ground as he struggled to catch his breath; Tang Chen was even worse off, leaning heavily on his Clear Sky Hammer, blood still drying at the corner of his mouth, his aura withered. Both men looked toward the purple-gold figure standing ahead, whose posture remained as steady as a mountain and whose aura was as calm as ever, their eyes filled with complex, indescribable emotions.
Three parts of it were dejection—the helplessness of having given their all yet failing to shake a mountain; three parts were unwillingness—the suffocation of being a heaven-gifted genius who was nonetheless always suppressed; and four parts were resignation—the clear realization that this figure had already reached a height they could not hope to attain in the short term. No matter how much fighting spirit or grand ambition they possessed, in the face of such an absolute gap in strength, it could only turn into a sigh.
"Monster..." Qian Daoliu spat out the word in a low voice, wiping the sweat from his brow. Yet, there was no resentment in his eyes, only the relief of someone who had been thoroughly beaten into submission. He was proud by nature, but he was not someone who couldn't accept defeat; Yu Yuanchen's strength was indeed beyond his current reach.
Tang Chen breathed heavily, shaking his head with a bitter smile: "Damn it... this kid, I'm afraid he's long since left our level behind." He struggled to stand straight, the backlash from his Explode Ring causing his entire body to ache, but the frustration of being left so far behind hurt even more.
However, both Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen were individuals with iron wills and stable foundations in their Martial Way. After a brief moment of despondency, their eyes reignited with fighting spirit.
So what if they couldn't beat Yu Yuanchen? Soul Power cultivation was for themselves, not for others. The struggle of the Great Dao was a fight against fate; how could they let their resolve be tarnished just because one person was stronger? Their respective ideals and paths would not change because of today's defeat.
Their gazes met in the air inadvertently, and they somehow read the same thought in each other's eyes: "Losing to a freak like Yu Yuanchen is one thing, I accept it! But between you and me, this isn't over!" An invisible fire of competition was quietly ignited between the two newly ascended Titled Douluo.
Just then, Yu Yuanchen walked over slowly. The lightning around him had completely vanished, and he had returned to his usual appearance. With a faint smile on his face, he said, "The fight is over. Would the two of you be interested in sharing a drink?"
Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen were both stunned, not expecting Yu Yuanchen to extend an invitation. Qian Daoliu immediately straightened his slightly disheveled robes with elegance and nodded: "It is exactly what I wished for, I dared not ask." Tang Chen grinned, revealing teeth stained with blood: "Drink! Of course I'll drink! I want to see if your tolerance for alcohol is as monstrous as your strength!"
That night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse. In a secluded pavilion behind the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, a few plates of exquisite side dishes were set upon a stone table. Three jars of aged fine wine had been unsealed, and the mellow aroma of the liquor permeated the night breeze.
Yu Yuanchen, Qian Daoliu, and Tang Chen sat in a circle, temporarily casting aside their sect affiliations and thoughts of victory or defeat, raising their cups to the moon. After a few bowls of strong liquor, the atmosphere gradually livened up, no longer as tense as it had been during the day.
Qian Daoliu gently swirled the amber liquid in his cup, looking at the bright moon in the sky. His eyes were distant as he spoke first, his voice clear and refined: "My path is inherited from my ancestor. The Six-winged Angel acts as a shepherd on behalf of the Gods, purifying the world. My wish is to fully inherit the Angel God Position, ascend to the God Realm, continue the glory of my clan, and protect the light of faith so that it never fades." His words carried an innate nobility and sense of mission; this was the heritage flowing through the Angel bloodline.
Hearing this, Yu Yuanchen smiled slightly. Now that his strength was sufficient, he no longer deliberately concealed certain things and spoke frankly: "Brother Qian has high aspirations. Inheriting a God Position is indeed a shortcut to the heavens." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the two of them, his tone calm yet carrying an indescribable confidence: "As for me, through a stroke of luck, I have also received the inheritance of a deity."
As soon as these words were spoken, Qian Daoliu's eyes flashed; he wasn't too surprised, as he had already guessed as much. Tang Chen, however, widened his eyes in shock, nearly choking on his wine: "What? You kid really got a God Position inheritance? Which god? The Thunder God?" He looked at Qian Daoliu again, feeling his nose turn a bit red.
Yu Yuanchen was noncommittal, simply continuing: "Receiving this inheritance means I have a guaranteed chance to become a god. However..." He changed the subject, a sharp light erupting in his eyes as if lightning were flickering between life and death: "The God Realm is vast, and there are levels even among gods. Since I have entered this door, how could I be content with mediocrity? My ambition is perhaps a bit larger. If I am not to become a god, so be it; but if I do, I must reign supreme among them!"
The plain words contained unparalleled dominance and determination, causing both Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen to tremble inwardly. Reign supreme among gods! What arrogance, and what confidence!
For a time, the pavilion was silent, save for the rustling of wind through the leaves. Qian Daoliu looked deeply at Yu Yuanchen, and the last trace of competitive spirit in his heart faded away; for a person like this, his stage was no longer limited to this continent. Tang Chen gulped down a large mouthful of wine, smacked his lips, and muttered: "Comparing myself to you, kid, is just asking for trouble."
Immediately after, a look of frustration appeared on his face, and he sighed: "Fine, you two—one is born with hope, the other is picked by a god the moment he steps out. Only I am still a 'nobody'!"
"Our Clear Sky Sect has a long history, but our ancestors only left behind vague, unverified clues, talking about god islands overseas and ice palaces in the far north. It all sounds like fairy tales." He scratched his head, looking somewhat irritable: "How exactly is one supposed to walk this Path to Godhood?"
Seeing Tang Chen's distress, Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu exchanged a smile. At their level, there was no need to hoard information.
Qian Daoliu elegantly sipped his wine and said: "Brother Tang, there is no need to be anxious. There are generally two paths to godhood. The first is to inherit an existing God Position, pass the God Trials, and gain the recognition of the deity to inherit their power and authority, like my Angel lineage. The second is to create one's own God Position, which requires gathering vast Power of Faith and imprinting one's own path into the Laws of heaven and earth. This method is much more difficult, but also much freer."
Yu Yuanchen added: "The Power of Faith is the foundation of godhood, especially for creating one's own position. The purer and more vast the faith, the faster the God Position condenses, and the more solid the foundation."
Tang Chen listened thoughtfully, his brows furrowed: "Faith... that stuff is ethereal. Isn't the faith on the continent already mostly carved up?"
"Exactly." Yu Yuanchen nodded, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes as he took the opportunity to propose a plan he had been considering for a long time: "Therefore, we need an opportunity—an opportunity that can benefit all soul masters in the world while simultaneously gathering faith."
He looked at the two of them and said solemnly: "After the Seven Sects Selection, I intend to make the 'Soul Core Condensation Method'—which we three have jointly deduced and perfected—public, and pass it on to all soul masters in the world!"
"What?" Qian Daoliu and Tang Chen were both shocked. The Method of Soul Cores was a heaven-defying technique that could greatly enhance a soul master's combat power and change the entire cultivation system. Once made public, the impact would be immense!
Yu Yuanchen explained: "Although I proposed the concept and the foundation, and discussed the prototype with my family, it would not have reached such perfection without the two of you bringing out your respective sect's foundations for verification, and later breaking through and providing feedback from your unique perspectives. To the outside world, we can claim this is the result of our joint efforts."
He paused, looking at them meaningfully: "Once this method spreads and benefits the vast number of soul masters, the complex Power of Faith generated—while not much for any individual due to the scattered sources—will be long-lasting and widespread. This merit of creation and the virtue of spreading the path will be enough to condense a deep layer of 'divine aura' and 'source of faith' upon the three of us, which will be of immense benefit for our future impact on the divine realm! Especially for you, Brother Tang; if you intend to create your own God Position, this can lay a crucial foundation!"
Qian Daoliu's eyes flashed with wisdom, and he immediately understood the crux of the matter. The faith of the Angel God was mainly concentrated in the Martial Soul Hall and its surrounding areas; if he could add this merit of "spreading the path," it would also be beneficial for his perfect inheritance of the Angel God Position. He nodded slightly: "Brother Yu's proposal is excellent. Benefiting the world while benefiting ourselves—it can be called a win-win."
Tang Chen's breathing grew rapid! He had been worrying about how to obtain the Power of Faith, and Yu Yuanchen had just handed him a great gift! If the Method of Soul Cores could truly be promoted, as one of the "creators," he would inevitably receive a share of the faith! This was undoubtedly pointing him toward a broad and smooth path!
"Damn it! We must do this!" Tang Chen slapped the stone table, making the wine bowls jump, his excitement evident.
But after the excitement passed, Tang Chen calmed down and frowned: "However, is the faith brought by the Method of Soul Cores enough for me to create my own God Position?" He knew how difficult it was to forge a new path to godhood.
Yu Yuanchen had already anticipated this question and smiled, hinting: "Brother Tang, besides being the Clear Sky Douluo, what other identity do you have?"
Tang Chen was stunned: "Me? I'm also a blacksmith! In our Clear Sky Sect, who doesn't know how to forge..." He stopped mid-sentence, a look of disbelief erupting in his eyes! "You mean... forging?!"
"Correct!" Yu Yuanchen affirmed. "Most low-level soul masters and commoners in the world need weapons, armor, and farm tools. The path of forging is closely related to their lives, yet it forms its own system. Its only drawback is its low status because it is useless to mid-to-high-level soul masters, but isn't this your opportunity? If you lead the rise of blacksmiths, they will naturally believe in you."
Yu Yuanchen continued: "Moreover, the source of that faith is relatively independent and has no master yet! If you can promote the innovation of forging techniques, improve the overall equipment level of soul masters in the world, and even... use this as a foundation to attempt to communicate with the Laws of heaven and earth, opening a path of the 'God of Forging' centered on 'power' and 'skill,' wouldn't that be much more reliable than aimlessly searching for god inheritances or fighting old gods for faith?"
Yu Yuanchen had his own secret agenda. His energy was limited; he focused on the Martial Way of Thunder, and while he had dabbled in forging, he couldn't devote all his efforts to it. If he could guide Tang Chen, the future Clear Sky Douluo, to focus on forging, his control over "power" and the natural advantage of the Clear Sky Hammer would surely greatly advance the level of forging in this world.
When Tang Chen hit a bottleneck, he could then offer a few "pointers" based on concepts from his past life—like "spirit forging," "inscriptions," and "enchantments." Not only might it feed back into his own growth, but he might even be able to skim some of the faith dividends from the development of the "Path of Forging." Why not? This was called investing in the future.
Tang Chen felt as if he had been enlightened. He stood up abruptly, pacing back and forth in the pavilion in excitement: "Right! Forging! Why didn't I think of that! I might not be able to beat you two in a fight for now, but when it comes to smithing, I have confidence! Promoting the development of forging—this faith would be well-deserved, and no one would fight me for it!" The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, as if he saw a golden path unfolding before him.
He even subconsciously glanced at Qian Daoliu, thinking to himself: Steal the faith of the Angel God? Forget it, forget it. Their ancestors contributed to the continent, and we Tangs are people of principle; we don't do that! Right, it's definitely not because the Clear Sky Sect can't beat the Martial Soul Hall; he, Tang Chen, is just someone who respects his elders.
Besides, creating his own path is more solid! Of course, if he really couldn't create it, it wouldn't hurt to secretly look for those god inheritance clues the ancestors mentioned... This isn't called being a coward; it's called being flexible!
Watching Tang Chen's excitement as he found his life's goal, Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu exchanged a smile and raised their cups to drink together.
Under the moonlight, the three most outstanding young men of the era temporarily set aside their rivalry and, due to shared interests and visions for the future, reached a preliminary alliance. One had a clear goal of inheriting a God Position; one was ambitious and sought to reign supreme among gods; one was carving a new path. Their paths were already different, but their meeting tonight had planted a profound foreshadowing for the future landscape of the continent.
The wine jars gradually emptied, and the moon sank to the west. A fierce battle and a heartfelt conversation had not only laid the foundation for the Method of Soul Cores to be passed down, but had also ignited a roaring flame in Tang Chen's heart to open a path with his hammer. The future of the continent, because of the pact of these three heroes under the moon, quietly turned toward a brand-new direction.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan