Ye Xinglan: For Na'er, Calling You Brother Isn't Impossible

"Liujing, you and Na'er rarely get the chance to visit Heaven Dou City. Stay here for a few days. I'll speak to your uncle."

After returning from the grilled fish shop, the four of them entered the tranquil villa. Ye Changming smiled as he spoke to Nan Liujing.

Nan Liujing smiled. "Then I'll gladly accept."

"Na'er, sleep with me tonight."

Ye Xinglan seemed extremely excited. She simply adored Na'er, who was as cute as a porcelain doll.

Na'er liked this sister too, so naturally, she did not refuse.

Ring, ring, ring.

An urgent phone ringtone echoed through the living room. Nan Liujing initially thought it was his own phone, but Uncle Ye had already pulled his from his pocket and answered it.

He did not know who was on the other end or what they said, but Ye Changming's usual composure immediately vanished. He seemed to have received good news. "No problem. I'll come over the day after tomorrow."

Ye Xinglan asked curiously, "Dad, who was it?"

Ye Changming smiled. "Your Uncle Zhen."

"Uncle Zhen?" Ye Xinglan's eyes lit up. "Does that mean he wants you to go to the Blacksmith Association and receive the final Three-word Battle Armor component?"

Ye Changming smiled. "If Uncle Sun and I hadn't happened to encounter him when he was being hunted down by Evil Soul Masters, and chosen to help him, forging that good connection, then with his current status as a Divine Craftsman, most of the orders he takes would be Heaven Forging. A mere Three-word Battle Armor like mine wouldn't even make the list."

Nan Liujing listened from the side, his thoughts turning slightly.

In the original timeline, Zhen Hua seemed to have become a Divine Craftsman at thirty-seven. By the time Tang Wulin met him, eight years had already passed. Didn't that mean he had only just become a Divine Craftsman now?

Ye Changming checked the time. "It's getting late. You three children should wash up and sleep early. In a couple of days, I'll take you to the Blacksmith Association for a look."

Putting on the air of a big sister, Ye Xinglan led Na'er upstairs to the second floor.

Nan Liujing chose another room for himself.

He filled the bathtub with hot water, stepped inside, and comfortably soaked in it.

Having successfully completed the first heavenly lightning cleansing, he closed his eyes. There was something he wanted to ask the Thunder God.

"Senior?"

No one responded.

Nan Liujing opened his eyes, somewhat puzzled. But when he looked toward the wall in front of him, he saw through the blurry reflection in the tiles that a dark blue lightning mark had appeared between his brows at some point.

His brow furrowed, and he instinctively reached up to touch his forehead.

The instant he touched it, the space in the bathroom abruptly twisted, pulling his consciousness into his sea of spirit.

A phantom figure stood before Nan Liujing.

"Senior." Nan Liujing hurriedly bowed.

The Thunder God's Remnant spoke. "I once promised that if you completed the heavenly lightning cleansing, I would tell you everything about the Heavenly Tribulation Bead. Listen carefully."

Nan Liujing's expression became solemn as he listened attentively.

"The Heavenly Tribulation Bead is a primordial divine artifact of the universe. If it must be assigned a rank, then it is something beyond even a Divine Artifact. Before I obtained it, it had already had several owners. Without exception, all of them stepped into the realm of God Kings."

Beyond a Divine Artifact?

Nan Liujing was speechless.

"The Heavenly Tribulation Bead possesses several traits. It can automatically sense opportunities. Once it locks onto someone, it can directly seize or replicate a certain ability or bloodline they possess. I imagine you have already experienced this through that Candy Martial Soul."

Nan Liujing understood this deeply and nodded to himself.

The Golden Dragon Body had brought him an enormous surprise. Without even using his first soul skill, he could easily kill a thousand-year Green Bush Wolf.

The Thunder God's Remnant continued, "Every time you seize or replicate something, you will face a heavenly lightning cleansing. If you encounter ten opportunities, then you will receive ten heavenly lightning cleansings. However, aside from the first cleansing, which is special and must be faced within three days, the others can temporarily be stored within the Heavenly Tribulation Bead. Before becoming a god, you may face them whenever you wish. At that time, you need only call upon the Heavenly Tribulation Bead."

"Heavenly tribulations can be stored?" Nan Liujing's eyes widened. This completely overturned everything he knew.

The Thunder God ignored his shock. "The reason the first heavenly lightning cleansing must come within three days is related to another powerful ability of the Heavenly Tribulation Bead: the Plane Imprint. A Plane Imprint is a form of identity verification created when you bypass the recognition of your plane's ruler and forcibly receive the mark of the universe's will."

"Once you possess this imprint, you will be like one favored by the plane in the future, receiving the support of all the plane's fundamental laws. Even if the plane's ruler realizes that an anomaly has appeared, there will be nothing he can do."

If storing heavenly tribulations was a tremendous surprise, then disregarding the plane's ruler was like a volcanic eruption. Nan Liujing's heart instantly burned with excitement.

During the Dou San era, there was no God Realm, nor would Tang San be remotely watching over everything. The greatest threat was Tang Hao. If he could avoid Tang Hao's surveillance, his path of cultivation would become much safer.

Moreover, he knew exactly how powerful the identity of one favored by the plane was.

Relying on that favor, the Nether Emperor became a Titled Douluo at nineteen.

With the support of his grandparents, Tang Wulin gained the blessing of the Child of Nature. When Heaven Forging, his elemental affinity gave him a terrifyingly high success rate.

It was something Zhen Hua did not even dare dream of.

Even though he was already a Divine Craftsman, he did not dare claim that every forging attempt would result in Heaven Forging. Besides, Heaven Forging was immensely damaging to the body, completely unlike Tang Wulin's situation, where he suffered almost no occupational injuries at all.

"But none of those are the Heavenly Tribulation Bead's strongest ability." The Thunder God's Remnant suddenly changed the subject.

Nan Liujing immediately set aside his thoughts and listened seriously once more.

The Thunder God's Remnant smiled. "Do you know how many ranks of gods there are?"

Nan Liujing answered based on knowledge that was not much of a secret on Douluo Continent. "According to historical records, there are third-class gods, second-class gods, first-class gods, and the most powerful God Kings."

"It seems gods have appeared several times in your world. Otherwise, you would not know the classifications in such detail." The Thunder God nodded. "But one part of your records is inaccurate."

"Above God Kings, there is another rank: Cosmic God Kings. Their Spiritual Sense can sweep across several enormous galaxies, and even across the distance between galaxies, their divine power can tear open space and forcibly erase or suppress their enemies."

"But though Cosmic God Kings and God Kings differ by only two words, the difference between them is like heaven and earth. Crossing that divide is harder than going from a mortal to a God King. Even I have only heard that before the God Realm was born, there was supposedly a Creation God. Whether that legend is true or false, however, cannot be confirmed."

"And yet, the Heavenly Tribulation Bead is an anomaly. It can draw the universe's origin into itself and transform it into Innate Qi. If you reach the peak of the God King realm and believe the time is right, you can use that Innate Qi to achieve a breakthrough."

"But if you fail to break through, the Heavenly Tribulation Bead will suffer the backlash of the universe's will and leave you. Only after countless ages will it gather again and descend into the world. By then, though, no one knows which lucky person will obtain it."

Nan Liujing hurriedly asked, "Did any of the Heavenly Tribulation Bead's previous owners succeed?"

The Thunder God shook his head. "The highest they reached was the God King realm. The previous inheritor of the Heavenly Tribulation Bead told me this."

Nan Liujing's expression darkened. It seemed breaking through from a God King to a Cosmic God King was even more difficult than he had imagined.

If he could not obtain power beyond that of a God King, then ten thousand years from now, he would have to face a group of peak God Kings led by Tang San.

Given Tang San's personality, his eyes would surely turn red on the spot as he panted like a bull and roared, 'You dare disrupt my Ten Thousand Year Plan? You have already earned the right to die!' Then he would charge over with the Sea God's Trident.

Oh, no. Huo Yuhao had already been properly conditioned by now. Tang San would probably make him take the lead.

"I have already told you everything I know about the Heavenly Tribulation Bead." The Thunder God looked at Nan Liujing. "Do you know who I am?"

Nan Liujing did not pretend otherwise. "You should be the legendary Thunder God. I heard that the soul spirit I obtained, that Thunderous Nethervine, was born through relying on your Bloodline Power."

"Thunderous Nethervine. That is quite a pleasant name. They were immortal herbs I cultivated in the God Realm. I originally intended to refine them into divine artifacts, but before they could fully mature, I perished. They fell into your plane along with me. Without the nourishment of Immortal Spirit Qi, I imagine they were gradually assimilated into soul beasts."

The Thunder God sighed, then his expression turned serious.

"I have told you so much because I intend to pass my divine position on to you. Are you willing?"

"This junior is willing." Nan Liujing did not hesitate in the slightest. He had long guessed how one became a god and had even guessed why the Thunder God deliberately used the method of becoming a god to entice him.

Nan Liujing's straightforward answer instead made the Thunder God sigh. He laughed bitterly. "With the Heavenly Tribulation Bead, even if you do not inherit my divine position, you can still form one of your own. But selfishness has taken hold of me. I hoped to find a junior who could help me raise the Thunder God's position to the level of a God King and fulfill my long-cherished wish."

"I lived uprightly all my life, yet this is the first time I have beaten around the bush with a junior. It truly is shameful."

Nan Liujing's expression turned solemn. "Senior, that is not right. If you had not helped me, I would have died long ago from my shattered soul. I promise you that if I truly become a god one day, I will enter the world under the name of the Thunder God."

The Thunder God was also a straightforward person and immediately said, "Since you have said that, it would be improper for me to keep hesitating. I have already condensed my Spiritual Sense into a Divine Position Inheritance Mark and hidden it within your sea of spirit. Once you are strong enough, you can use the inheritance mark to travel to the place where I perished and receive the true inheritance."

As he spoke, he paused, then said in a deep voice, "If one day you can reach that final step, then change your divine name and use Heavenly Tribulation as your title. That would not betray the Heavenly Tribulation Bead's aid."

"Alright." Nan Liujing answered without hesitation. Since he intended to climb to the peak, he would inevitably encounter Tang Hao and Ah Yin, and he would certainly encounter Tang San in the future.

Succeed, or die trying.

Mortals endure tribulations and ascend to become gods. Using that as his name was not a bad idea.

After leaving his sea of spirit, Nan Liujing stared at the mist-filled bathroom in silence for a long time.

The Thunder God was gone. At least, he no longer existed within Nan Liujing's sea of spirit.

It was somewhat like when Huo Yuhao encountered Electrolux.

"If I have the chance, I will revive you so that we may admire the sights beyond the God King realm together."

Nan Liujing stood up from the bathtub. Soul Power spread from his body, instantly evaporating the water droplets. Looking at the inheritance divine mark between his brows gradually fading into concealment in the mirror, his expression remained calm.

Two days passed quickly.

As the sky had only just begun to brighten, Nan Liujing had already come alone into the courtyard and sat down cross-legged.

The villa's small courtyard contained many rare plants. Their aura could calm the mind and steady one's qi, greatly benefiting cultivation.

A light breeze brushed against him, stirring his hair. His handsome face carried a tranquil expression.

"Whoosh."

He inhaled and exhaled. There was nothing special about it, yet it was as though an invisible force had drawn Nan Liujing into nature itself. His consciousness was flower, grass, wind, and earth. His entire aura seemed to become formless, yet also seemed to be everywhere, immensely profound and mysterious.

Exceptionally pure Heaven and Earth Origin Energy circulated through his meridians, centered on his dantian as it completed cycle after cycle.

In the first-floor living room, a slightly astonished gaze tinged with purple had been watching Nan Liujing all along. It belonged to Ye Changming.

As a Soul Douluo whose Spiritual Power had reached the middle stage of the Spirit Abyss Realm, he keenly sensed that Nan Liujing's current state was unusual.

It was as though he had entered Unity of Heaven and Man.

This child is remarkable. Ye Changming thought to himself. Should I bring him into the sect? No, Uncle Sun's identity is special. He will most likely have this child join the Spirit Pagoda. If I take the initiative to mention it, I might only make things difficult for him.

After thinking it over, he turned and went into the kitchen.

The Ye Family's ancestral residence was not here, but in Nine Treasures City near Heaven Dou City. Back then, the Ye Family's ancestor had been a guardian elder of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile School. Though the family later left the sect, the two families had remained friends for generations, so they had never moved away.

No one knew how much time passed.

A ticklish sensation came from the tip of his nose. Nan Liujing said fondly, "Na'er, your brother is cultivating."

"I'm not Na'er." A crisp, pleasant voice rang out.

Nan Liujing opened his eyes and saw a delicate, fair oval face before him. The girl's skin was smooth and warm like jade, flushed with a healthy glow. Her rosy lips curved into a mischievous smile, and she held a blade of grass in her hand. That was presumably what she had used to tickle him.

Ye Xinglan smiled faintly. "Breakfast is ready. We still need to go to the Blacksmith Association later."

"I'll be right there."

Only then did Nan Liujing realize that the sky around him had already grown bright.

Watching Ye Xinglan's high ponytail swaying behind her as she walked away, he thought to himself, This Plane Imprint really is extraordinary. That special cultivation state just now nearly increased my cultivation speed several times over.

He stood up from the ground, and Soul Power surged from his body, scattering all the dust away.

Over the past two days, Ye Xinglan and he had taken Na'er around Heaven Dou City to have fun during the day. At night, the two of them sparred in the villa's underground training ground.

Na'er, meanwhile, pulled out chips and drinks and watched as a spectator.

"I wonder what martial soul you'll awaken, Na'er." Ye Xinglan said indistinctly around a mouthful of fragrant bread.

Nan Liujing heard it as soon as he arrived. In his memories, Na'er had not awakened a martial soul. Only after Di Tian and the others took her away did she gain the Silver Dragon Spear Martial Soul.

The course of this life had already been changed by him. He did not know whether things would change because of it.

Na'er took a small sip of warm milk and asked, "Sister Xinglan, if I awaken a martial soul, can I spar with you like Brother does?"

Ye Xinglan nodded confidently. "That's right. But I've cultivated much longer than you, so you won't be able to beat me."

That damned competitive spirit.

Na'er did not even drink her milk anymore. Confused, she asked, "Why do I have to beat Sister?"

Ye Xinglan froze at the question. "Because we're soul masters. Soul masters need to decide victory and defeat."

Na'er became even more confused. Turning to look at her brother, she asked, "Brother, do soul masters have to decide victory and defeat? I don't want to fight Sister. I want to protect Sister the way you protect me."

You...

Ye Xinglan's heart took a direct hit. Her azure eyes widened as she looked at the earnest, soft-spoken Na'er. Without any hesitation, she directly proposed a deal to Nan Liujing. "Nan Liujing, how about we make a deal?"

Man, I've taken a liking to your little sister.

"No." Nan Liujing coldly refused.

Ye Xinglan raised a brow.

"But you can acknowledge me as your brother. Then you and Na'er would become real sisters, wouldn't you?" Nan Liujing finally revealed his true intentions. He waited for Ye Xinglan to roll her eyes at him, but to his surprise, she suddenly fell silent and simply kept eating.

It felt like punching cotton, leaving Nan Liujing feeling somewhat powerless instead. That was not right. This girl actually did not argue back.

"Eat." Ye Changming came over carrying fried eggs, forcibly ending the debate over who was the sister and who was the brother.

Nan Liujing had already been starving, while Na'er was an even bigger foodie. In an instant, she forgot about the sibling dispute she had started and happily focused on eating.

Ye Xinglan, on the other hand, fell into a dilemma, and the delicious food in her mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

Acknowledge him as her brother?

Ew, that was too embarrassing.

But Na'er was so sweet, and she could not bear to give her up.

Staring at Nan Liujing, Ye Xinglan clenched her fists tightly.

But for Na'er's sake, should she give it a try?