One year ago.
The prisoner transport carriage moved slowly along the bumpy stone road. The wheels ground over the potholes, emitting a monotonous and oppressive sound, much like the heartbeat of Yu Xiaogang at this moment—heavy and desperate.
The interior of the carriage was dim and damp, the air thick with the smell of mold and the faint, metallic scent of blood wafting from his own wounds.
He curled up in the corner, the cold iron bars digging painfully into his body, but compared to the physical agony, the resentment and humiliation gnawing at his heart like a viper made him feel as if he were on the verge of madness.
Through the gaps in the bars, he could see the desolate landscape rapidly receding outside.
Yu Xiaogang's teeth chattered as he gritted them, his fingernails digging deep into his palms until they bled. "Why... why is it that even though I am... clearly of the direct bloodline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, I am now being treated like a stray dog, escorted back to the place that abandoned me to face so-called 'judgment'?"
The cold, disgusted gaze of Bibi Dong flashed through his mind, followed by the merciless fists and kicks of the law enforcement captain, and the looks of disdain or pity from those around him... All of this acted as fuel, causing the fire of resentment in his heart to burn even more fiercely.
"Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... if you had been willing to give me a little more resources and a little more patience back then, how could I have ended up like this? Bibi Dong... you bitch, just because you have good talent, you dare to humiliate me like this!
And those who look down on me... you all just wait! As long as I, Yu Xiaogang, still have a breath left, one day... one day I will make all of you pay the price!"
Endless dark thoughts churned and fermented in his heart. He seemed to have already envisioned the miserable scene of his future return to Dragon City, where his cold and ruthless father, Yu Yuanzhen, would casually cast him off to some remote corner (or so he assumed) to spend the rest of his life. No! He was not reconciled! He could not just accept his fate like this!
Just as he was on the verge of being completely swallowed by despair and resentment—
Hum!
An indescribable, terrifying pressure that reigned supreme over all things descended without warning! Time seemed to freeze at this moment! The few Soul Masters escorting the carriage, along with the horses pulling it, instantly had their eyes go dull and their movements solidify, as if they had turned into statues. The sound of the wind, the chirping of insects, and all other noises vanished, and the world fell into a dead silence.
Every hair on Yu Xiaogang's body stood on end, and a tremor originating from the depths of his soul swept through him! He widened his eyes in terror, only to see the iron bars of the carriage, along with the entire roof, silently melting and annihilating like snow under the sun! He was thus exposed to the broad daylight!
A blurry phantom, seemingly condensed from pure, dark-red killing intent, appeared silently before him.
The phantom's features were indistinguishable, save for a pair of indifferent, deep eyes that seemed to contain mountains of corpses, seas of blood, and the end of the universe, all calmly watching him. Under the gaze of these eyes, Yu Xiaogang felt as small as a speck of dust, his very thoughts on the verge of freezing.
"Yu Xiaogang." A cold, emotionless voice resonated directly in the depths of his soul.
"You... who are you?!" Yu Xiaogang's teeth chattered, and he could barely utter a complete sentence. This pressure was countless times more terrifying than any Titled Douluo he had ever felt, or even the aura his father, Yu Yuanzhen, occasionally revealed in his memories! This was... a god-level existence?!
"There is no need for you to know my identity," the voice said indifferently. "You only need to know that I am the God King who governs the laws of the God Realm. With a single thought, I can decide the life and death of all living beings; with a single glance, I can observe the rise and fall of ten thousand worlds."
God King?! Yu Xiaogang's mind went blank, and he almost thought he was hallucinating! A God King! That was a legendary, supreme existence! How could... how could one come looking for a piece of trash like him?
"You... Your Majesty God King... what business do you have with me?" Yu Xiaogang suppressed his fear, prostrating himself on the ground and asking with a trembling voice. Yet, an absurd expectation could not help but rise in his heart... Could it be... could it be that my luck has turned, and I have actually gained the favor of a God King?
The dark-red phantom (Asura Divine Sense) seemed to see through his thoughts, a trace of extremely subtle, imperceptible mockery flashing in its eyes, but its voice remained flat: "Your bloodline still has a shred of merit. You are of the direct bloodline of the Yu Family of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, yet it is a pity that your Martial Soul mutated maliciously and your character is subpar, wasting such a good origin."
"A shred of merit?" An unspeakable humiliation surged in Yu Xiaogang's heart, but it was overshadowed by a morbid sense of anticipation. A God King! A God King had noticed him; did this mean... he still had a chance?
"Your Majesty, please see clearly! This junior... this junior does indeed possess the direct bloodline of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and should have... should have had peerless talent! It is only because... because the sect was unfair and the world was ignorant that this junior has fallen to this state!" He clung to this like a life-saving straw, hurriedly complaining and blaming everything on the outside world.
The Asura Divine Sense sneered even more in its heart. Trash is always trash, forever only capable of blaming others. It sensed the thin yet pure trace of the Yu Family bloodline within Yu Xiaogang, which originated from the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. This bloodline was indeed special and had a chance to awaken the prototype of the Super Martial Soul, the "Golden Sacred Dragon."
In fact, in this current era, without god-level power, an ordinary child at the age of six would be unable to withstand the burden brought by a Super Martial Soul. Under normal circumstances, after awakening such a soul, the body would be unable to bear the immense pressure, and the sentient Super Martial Soul would autonomously weaken itself, resulting in a flawed Super Martial Soul.
However, these flaws were not impossible to compensate for through later cultivation. It was just that, given Yu Xiaogang's foundation, he couldn't even manage to awaken a flawed Golden Sacred Dragon, leading to a backlash that caused his Martial Soul to mutate maliciously, losing even the talent he should have had and causing his Innate Soul Power to drop to a mere half-level.
One must know that even if Yu Xiaogang had not worked hard since childhood and had been lazy in his training, his Innate Soul Power should never have been lower than level five based solely on the talent his bloodline provided.
It was a pity that this child's foundation was too poor; he didn't even have the qualifications to bear the flawed prototype, resulting in a backlash and a malicious mutation of his Martial Soul. He was thoroughly wasted. If he had trained diligently since childhood, who knows what kind of scene Yu Xiaogang might have been in today.
However, it was precisely this "waste" status, along with his situation of being expelled from the sect and ignored by all, that made it choose him. He was a perfect, easily overlooked "bloodline incubator."
"All past events are merely tempering," the Asura Divine Sense said in a flat tone, yet it carried a hint of seduction. "Your suffering is not the fault of the heavens, but rather because your potential has not been stimulated. Your origin Martial Soul is not this piece of trash Three-Pound Cannon, but should be... the Golden Sacred Dragon!"
"Golden Sacred Dragon?!" Yu Xiaogang shook violently, an unbelievable light erupting in his eyes! The Golden Sacred Dragon! That was the legendary Super Martial Soul of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan! It was not even a bit inferior to the Thunder Sacred Dragon.
Could it be... could it be that I was originally supposed to awaken the Golden Sacred Dragon? That's it! It must be! It was because the sect didn't give me the best resources and because I was treated unfairly that the Martial Soul mutation failed!
At this moment, Yu Xiaogang completely believed the words of the "God King" before him, attributing all his misfortunes to the outside world and imagining himself as a true dragon that should have been soaring through the nine heavens.
"However, your body and soul have been eroded too much by worldly filth and can no longer bear the might of the Sacred Dragon," the Asura Divine Sense changed the subject. "If you wish to return to the right path and awaken your hidden bloodline, you must use extraordinary methods and endure extraordinary suffering."
"Your Majesty! No matter what suffering, no matter the cost, this junior is willing to endure it!" Yu Xiaogang kowtowed excitedly. "I only ask that Your Majesty give this junior a chance! A chance to prove myself to those who look down on me!"
"Good," the Asura Divine Sense said faintly. "I can bestow upon you a Divine Skill called 'Malicious Feedback.' This skill can absorb the evil thoughts and resentment of the world and transform them into pure soul power to help you rapidly increase your cultivation level. Especially... the evil thoughts and resentment that grow within your own heart; they are the most effective, a great tonic."
Absorbing evil thoughts to cultivate? Yu Xiaogang was slightly startled; this sounded... somewhat evil? But the temptation to increase his cultivation was too great, and he immediately cast this doubt to the back of his mind.
"However, this method goes against the harmony of heaven and has its price," the Asura Divine Sense continued. "Absorbing evil thoughts, especially your own, will continuously erode your Life Origin and shorten your lifespan. An ordinary Soul Sage can live up to one hundred and twenty years. If you use this method to cultivate, even if you reach the realm of a Soul Sage, you will likely only have forty or fifty years of life left."
"Shorten my life?!" Yu Xiaogang's complexion turned pale. Forty or fifty years? Did that not mean that even if he became a Soul Sage, he wouldn't have many years left to live?
"Furthermore, the erosion of evil thoughts will also consume your Spiritual Origin, making it difficult for your Spiritual Power to grow, or even causing it to stagnate. And although this method can help you rapidly increase your soul power, it cannot break through the upper limit of your talent.
Your aptitude, after being slightly improved by my divine power, can at most support you in cultivating to the Soul Sage realm. After becoming a Soul Sage, unless you encounter a greater opportunity, you will never make any progress for the rest of your life."
Soul Sage? Only a Soul Sage? And only able to live for forty or fifty years? Spiritual Power difficult to grow? This series of limitations was like a bucket of ice water, cooling most of Yu Xiaogang's enthusiasm. The price... was simply too high!
The Asura Divine Sense took in his hesitation, feeling disdain in its heart, but its tone remained unchanged as it threw out the final bait: "However, do you know that this method is a ladder to a powerful god position? I observe that you have a deep affinity with the law of 'Evil Thoughts.'
If you can use this method to temper yourself and condense divinity, you may one day inherit the 'Rakshasa God Position' that governs the evil thoughts and judgments of the world! Once you become a god, your lifespan will be infinite, your power boundless, and the humiliations of the past can be wiped away with a flick of a finger! At that time, what will a mere few decades of lost lifespan matter?"
Rakshasa God Position! Becoming a god!
These two terms exploded in Yu Xiaogang's mind like a thunderclap! Becoming a god! That was the realm of people like his great-uncle Yu Yuanchen and Qian Daoliu! If he could truly become a god... then every price he paid now would be worth it!
He seemed to have already envisioned the scene after he became a god, where he would trample the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, make Bibi Dong kneel and beg for mercy, and make everyone who had once looked down on him crawl at his feet! Intense desire and a twisted sense of revenge instantly overwhelmed his fear of a shortened life.
"Besides," the Asura Divine Sense added at the right moment, its tone carrying a hint of unquestionable majesty, "do you think you have any other choice? If you cultivate step-by-step, you will find it difficult to even break through to the Soul Elder realm in this life, ending your days as a mediocre mortal—how is that any different from an ant? Accepting my gift, though dangerous, offers a glimmer of a chance for transcendence. How you choose depends on your own thought."
No choice! Yu Xiaogang trembled all over. That's right, did he have any other choice? Returning to Dragon City, the best outcome would be being sent to some corner to wait for death. But before him lay a "shortcut" to the pinnacle of power, even if it was covered in thorns...
"I'll risk it!" A flash of madness crossed the eyes of Yu Xiaogang as he kowtowed heavily. "This junior is willing! Many thanks to Your Majesty the God King for bestowing this opportunity! This junior will certainly not fail Your Majesty's high expectations!"
"Very good." The Asura Divine Sense seemed to nod in satisfaction. Immediately, it transformed into a stream of dark red light, instantly submerging into the center of Yu Xiaogang's brow!
"Urghhh--!"
Yu Xiaogang let out a shrill, miserable scream, feeling a terrifying energy—cold, tyrannical, and filled with endless negative emotions—surge into the depths of his soul! At the same time, a gentle yet overbearing divine power was remodeling his body, clearing his clogged meridians and elevating his inferior aptitude. The interweaving of pain and relief nearly caused him to faint.
A moment later, the transformation was complete. Yu Xiaogang lay limp on the ground, drenched in sweat as if drained of all strength. Yet, he could clearly feel that the Soul Power in his body, which had been stagnant for so long, was actually stirring, and its quality seemed to have condensed a fraction! More importantly, a bizarre ability had appeared in his mind--Malicious Feedback!
"This matter is concluded; take care of yourself." The voice of the Asura Divine Sense became ethereal. "Remember, this method is your absolute secret and must not be spread. When your cultivation reaches the level of a Soul Sage, I will come to find you again to tell you the subsequent steps for transformation and even becoming a god."
As the words fell, that terrifying pressure receded like a tide. The frozen time around him resumed its flow. Several escorting Soul Masters and the carriage driver blinked in confusion, seemingly unaware of what had just happened, only feeling as if they had been in a trance for a moment. They looked toward the prisoner carriage, only to find the roof missing and Yu Xiaogang nowhere to be found!
"Where is he?!"
"Not good! The prisoner has escaped!"
"Quick, chase him!"
In the midst of the chaos, no one noticed a figure hidden in the shadows, already quietly fleeing into the distance.
Several months ago, in a cheap hotel room in the western district of Martial Soul City.
Yu Xiaogang sat cross-legged on a hard wooden bed, his body wreathed in a layer of extremely faint, yet cold and hateful, grayish-black mist. His eyes were tightly shut, his brows locked in a frown, and the muscles on his face twitched from time to time, appearing exceptionally painful and full of struggle.
In his perception, within a ten-meter radius, countless tiny threads of energy filled with negative emotions were drifting out from other rooms in the hotel and from the hearts of pedestrians on the street—the annoyance of a guest arguing over room rates, the frustration of a peddler with poor business, the anxiety of passersby in a hurry... these were all "evil thoughts."
And the primary source was the emotions erupting like a volcano from within his own heart—his jealousy toward Tang Hao and Qian Xunji, his resentment toward the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, his covetousness and indignation toward Bibi Dong, and his unwillingness to accept all the humiliations of the past...
Under the guidance of the Malicious Feedback divine skill, these intense negative emotions transformed into streams of pure yet cold energy, continuously pouring into his meridians and being refined into Soul Power.
This process was not comfortable. Those negative emotions were like maggots on bone, constantly assaulting his mind and attempting to drag him into deeper darkness.
His Spiritual Power was like a candle in the wind, struggling to maintain clarity, yet he could feel a slow and continuous consumption.
What made him palpitate even more was that every time he finished cultivating, he could vaguely perceive that his Life Force seemed to have ebbed away a little; although faint, it accumulated over time...
"Hold on! Yu Xiaogang! This is your only chance!" He gritted his teeth and roared in his heart. "As long as I have power, everything will change! What does losing some lifespan matter? As long as I become a god, all of this can be recovered!"
However, reality was cruel. Although the Asura Divine Sense had improved his talent, it only gave him the potential to theoretically cultivate to the level of a Soul Sage. The transition from level 29 to level 30 was a minor bottleneck.
After the initial ecstasy of obtaining the divine skill, Yu Xiaogang had harbored a fluke mentality, not wanting to lose too much lifespan, and attempted to rely on his "improved" talent to cultivate and break through normally. He lived frugally, bought some low-grade pills, and went into seclusion for half a year.
The result was that while it went well initially, once his Soul Power reached the peak of level 29, it remained motionless! That layer of the bottleneck was like an iron wall; no matter how he struck at it, there was no sign of loosening.
In his despair, he did not realize that the Asura Divine Sense had placed a restriction on him—he could only feel progress and subsequently break through to level 30 when he relied on Malicious Feedback to absorb evil thoughts, thereby causing Yu Xiaogang to abandon the idea of cultivating on his own.
After all, the Asura God was not running a charity. Although he had improved Yu Xiaogang's talent, at best it was barely the level of innate seven-rank Soul Power. If he were to cultivate slowly, it would take until the end of time.
Just as he was anxious and desperate, the news of the duel between Tang Hao and Qian Xunji spread across the continent. Two great geniuses were to fight in Martial Soul City! This news was like the final straw that crushed the last of Yu Xiaogang's sanity. The jealousy and resentment in his heart reached their peak!
He secretly returned to Martial Soul City, the place that had brought him countless humiliations, yet possessed the largest population and thus no shortage of "evil thoughts." He rented this cheapest hotel and began to frantically operate Malicious Feedback!
Until today, the peak duel that the whole city was watching—the Clear Sky Douluo Tang Hao challenging the son of the Angel, Qian Xunji—was about to unfold. Yu Xiaogang knew this was the perfect opportunity for him to absorb evil thoughts. The entire Martial Soul City was currently permeated with fanaticism, anticipation, and... the jealousy and dark emotions hidden in countless corners.
He quietly arrived at the outer spectator stands where he could see the central Great Soul Arena from afar, blending into the crowd. When the duel began and the earth-shattering battle between Tang Hao and Qian Xunji erupted, the whole arena boiled over. As glory and brilliance threatened to drown everything else, the negative emotions in Yu Xiaogang's heart also reached their peak!
He watched the two god-like figures on the stage, watched them enjoy immense glory, and then thought of himself hiding in the dark like a rat in a gutter. Intense jealousy and resentment burned his internal organs like poisonous fire!
"Tang Hao... Qian Xunji... you two are truly infinitely glorious..." Yu Xiaogang's face was distorted, the poisonous fire in his heart nearly burning him to ashes. "Why... why can you enjoy the attention of the masses, while I have to hide here like a rat in a gutter, absorbing these disgusting emotional energies!"
Extreme jealousy transformed into the most potent "nourishment." The Soul Power in his body surged and condensed at an unprecedented speed, slamming into that barrier!
Crack!
It was as if something had shattered! An aura several times stronger than before erupted from Yu Xiaogang! The grayish-black mist surged violently and was then forcibly sucked into his body!
Level 30! He had finally broken through!
Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes abruptly, bloodshot and filled with a sickly excitement and a mad glint! He felt the growing Soul Power in his body; although accompanied by a sense of weakness in his spirit and life, the increase in power was real. Furthermore, according to his perception, this increase was likely more than one level; after he absorbed his Third Soul Ring, he would definitely be more than level 31.
"Hahaha! I broke through! I finally broke through!" He laughed hoarsely, appearing as if deranged. "A Soul Elder! I am a Soul Elder now! Tang Hao! Qian Xunji! Just you wait! This is only the beginning!"
"Martial Soul City... Bibi Dong... Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan... everyone who looked down on me..." Yu Xiaogang licked his cracked lips, the resentment in his eyes nearly turning into substance. "I, Yu Xiaogang, have returned! This time, I will use the 'malice' of all of you as my stepping stone to reach the peak! Just wait, the good show... has only just begun!"
Enduring the weakness and the hidden pain of his life force slipping away from the depths of his soul, he retreated from the crowd like a ghost, disappearing into the depths of the intricate alleys of Martial Soul City. He steeled his bones, gritted his teeth, and endured the humiliation.
Deep in the endless void, the Purple Blazing Dragon City Secret Realm.
Yu Yuanchen slowly opened his eyes. Deep within his pupils, chaotic divine light swirled, as if reflecting the scene inside that cheap hotel in Martial Soul City. A faint, inscrutable smile curled the corner of his mouth.
"Asura... in the end, you still couldn't resist placing a piece. Though you chose a... 'suitable' candidate."
He naturally sensed the actions of the Asura God King's strand of divine sense, as well as everything he had done to Yu Xiaogang. That so-called "Malicious Feedback," that method of improving aptitude while setting restrictions... all were within his perception.
"Golden Sacred Dragon Bloodline... hehe, it is pitifully thin, making it easy to meddle with without being easily detected." Yu Yuanchen shook his head lightly. How could he not know about the meager bloodline in Yu Xiaogang's body? It was just that he had never bothered to pay it any mind. Now that Asura wanted to make a move with it, he was happy to see it happen.
To follow the enemy's plan requires a "price." And Yu Xiaogang was undoubtedly a perfect price. This child's character was already twisted and hopeless; rather than letting him continue to commit sordid acts in the name of the Yu Family, it was better to let him become a useful pawn, a hidden piece that could counter Asura in the future. As for his life or death... Yu Yuanchen did not care. The path was chosen by himself, and the consequences must be borne by himself.
Yu Yuanchen tapped his fingertip lightly against the void. "Asura has calculated well, using the smallest cost to cultivate a short-lived and easily controlled 'bloodline incubator.' After he dies, that bit of 'nourished' bloodline might actually be of some use."
"Very well, I will let you be proud for a moment." Yu Yuanchen's gaze turned toward the direction of the God Realm, as if piercing through endless space to see that Slaughter Divine Palace. "When my Yuan Chen Divine Spark is completely perfected, and the trend of the Path of Divine Spark is established, we shall see how much wind and waves this 'pawn' of yours can stir up."
He closed his eyes again, his mind sinking into the comprehension of the laws of the universe. The game of the Douluo Plane seemed to have become even more interesting because of this move by Asura, and he seemed to have some guesses about Asura's true purpose.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan