On the Douluo Continent, inside a Mimicry Training Ground at Spirit Hall, where the aura of light was thick.
"Phew..."
A dragon as large as a hill lay sprawled on the ground. Deep but not unpleasant breaths rumbled through its body.
Dazzling golden scales lined its body, each one seeming to reflect ten thousand rays of light.
Though the dragon slept, its aura had not weakened in the slightest. Any weaker soul master or Soul Beast that came before it would likely be knocked unconscious by its overwhelming draconic might.
Yet beneath that pressure, a tall figure sat quietly cross-legged on the ground.
His long golden hair was tied simply behind his head. With sharp brows, bright eyes, a straight nose, and a handsome face marked by resolve, he was captivating at first sight.
Beside the dragon, he looked tiny, smaller even than one of its claws. Yet the pressure he radiated came from the same source as the dragon's, as though the two were one.
Suddenly, the seated man spread his arms. Soul Power surged through his body like a gale, drawing all the surrounding light into him.
In an instant, the area seemed to plunge into a dark abyss.
The moment the disturbance began, several figures arrived at the edge of the Cultivation Ground.
They stared at the scene inside, stunned.
"Big brother, he's about to become a god!"
Golden Crocodile Douluo, the Second Elder of the Worship Hall, could not help turning to Qian Daoliu, the Hall's First Elder.
Of the two Rank 99 Titled Douluo present, one had caused this phenomenon. The others could only ask the other for an explanation.
"I... don't know."
Under everyone's gaze, Qian Daoliu shook his head. He was Rank 99, just one rank away from becoming a god at Rank 100, but that single rank concealed far too much he did not understand.
"Xiao Gang..."
Among the crowd, Bibi Dong, dressed in an elegant gown, watched the Cultivation Ground with anticipation. If the timing had been right, she would already have rushed in.
After a short wait, the darkness within the Mimicry Training Ground gradually faded, and light shone over it once more.
At the same time, Yu Xiaogang opened his eyes and slowly rose from his seated position.
He felt the power within his body and clenched his fist, satisfied.
"Not bad. Another step forward. Soon, I'll be able to inscribe light across my entire body. When that happens, I'll be able to fight even a Level One God!"
Yu Xiaogang was full of confidence. The Godhead Inheritance passed me over? Then I'll surpass the gods with my own strength!
"Xiao Gang!"
As Yu Xiaogang thought about becoming a god, an excited voice suddenly rang out.
His expression softened at the sound. He opened his arms and let her throw herself into his embrace.
Feeling the warmth of the woman in his arms, Yu Xiaogang reflected that his life this time around had turned out well.
"Ahem. If you two want to get affectionate, save it for later. First, tell us old fellows what happened."
Qian Daoliu watched the pair cling to each other and coughed twice, interrupting them.
"Grand Pontiff, it's the method of becoming a god I mentioned before. I made a breakthrough today."
Yu Xiaogang briefly explained what had happened.
"You still haven't given up on it? Can that method really make you a god?"
Qian Daoliu looked at Yu Xiaogang in surprise.
"The gods of the Douluo Continent are simply powerful humans. As long as you find a way to keep growing stronger, becoming a god isn't difficult."
"The hard part is finding that way."
Yu Xiaogang sighed. Looking back on his life, he seemed always to have taken the difficult road.
Just as everyone was about to discuss it further, something happened.
Bzzz!
A hum that seemed to rise from within them rang in the ears of everyone across the Douluo Continent.
Then a pitch-black Heavenly Screen appeared in the sky. No matter where anyone stood, they could see it simply by looking up.
"What the hell is that?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo narrowed his eyes at the Heavenly Screen.
"Could it be some expert's soul skill?"
The Third Offering, Azure Luan Douluo, offered a guess.
"Hard to say. Let's watch."
Qian Daoliu spoke calmly. Given Spirit Hall's strength, they feared no danger short of a god descending upon them.
Soon, the black Heavenly Screen changed. Words appeared on it, understandable even to those who could not read.
[Heavenly Screen manifested. Parallel World detected. A comparison between two Douluo worlds will now begin.] [Relevant information has been transmitted to viewers' minds. The subjects of comparison will be selected shortly.]
As the words appeared, information about the Parallel World surfaced in everyone's mind.
"Hiss... Another Douluo Continent exactly like ours, except that one person's choice might have changed the whole world?"
The Fourth Worship Master, Mighty Lion Douluo, sucked in a sharp breath. The Heavenly Screen had given them so much to take in.
They could hardly believe that another version of each of them existed in a different world.
"Big brother, do you think there's a Parallel World where I'm the Grand Pontiff?"
Golden Crocodile Douluo thought it over, then approached Qian Daoliu to ask.
"Heh. What, hoping to see me call you big brother?"
Qian Daoliu asked with a smile.
"Hahaha! Just tell me that wouldn't be something to see."
Golden Crocodile Douluo laughed in reply.
Nearby, Bibi Dong looked at Yu Xiaogang with curiosity.
"Xiao Gang, do you think we're still together in the Parallel World?"
Yu Xiaogang raised a hand and rubbed her head, answering with mock annoyance.
"Even if we aren't, what does that have to do with us? We're together here!"
Bibi Dong hugged Yu Xiaogang tighter, her face glowing with happiness, and he held her just as tightly.
But as he held Bibi Dong, his thoughts turned to what he knew of the original Douluo Continent story from the various edited clips he had seen before crossing over.
Although Yu Xiaogang had crossed over into this world, he had never read the complete Douluo Continent novel or watched the entire anime. His knowledge of the story was rudimentary.
Even so, he knew a few key things.
There was Tang San, the protagonist; Shrek, his team; and Spirit Hall, the villainous organization.
And there was Tang San's useless teacher, Yu Xiaogang.
So when he first crossed over and learned he had become Yu Xiaogang, he had panicked.
Fortunately, he had been well-read before crossing over. Combining ideas from his old life with what he learned about this world's power system, he had managed to change his fate.
Looking back, his life on the Douluo Continent had been quite an adventure.
I wonder who they'll compare. If it's me and the original Yu Xiaogang...
At the thought, Yu Xiaogang shook his head and laughed.
If the two of them were compared, everyone's jaws would drop.
And as though summoned by his thoughts, the Heavenly Screen made its selection.
Yu Xiaogang had barely finished thinking it when the subjects of the comparison appeared.
[First subjects of comparison: Dark World Master Yu Xiaogang and White World Dragon God Douluo Yu Xiaogang!]
Before you continue