For Na'er, Calling You Brother Isn't Out of the Question

All right.

"Liujing, you and Na'er rarely get 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 won't stand on ceremony."

"Na'er, sleep with me."

Ye Xinglan looked excited. She loved Na'er, who was as adorable as a porcelain doll.

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

Ring, ring, ring.

A shrill phone ringtone echoed through the living room. Nan Liujing thought it was his own phone, only to see Uncle Ye pull his out first and answer it.

He had no idea who was on the other end or what they said, but Ye Changming's composure immediately vanished. It seemed he had received good news. "No problem. I'll come over the day after tomorrow."

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

Ye Changming smiled. "Your Uncle Zhen."

"Uncle Zhen?" Ye Xinglan's eyes lit up. "Is he asking you to go to the Blacksmith Association to 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 by Evil Soul Masters and decisively helped him, forming a good bond, then with his current status as a Divine Craftsman, most of the orders he took would be Heavenly Forging. A Three-word Battle Armor order like mine would never have reached him."

Nan Liujing listened from the side, deep in thought.

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 go to bed early. In a couple of days, I'll take you to the Blacksmith Association."

Looking every bit the 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 in, and soaked comfortably.

Having successfully completed his first Heavenly Thunder Baptism, he closed his eyes and asked the Thunder God what he had wanted to ask.

"Senior?"

No one answered.

Nan Liujing opened his eyes, somewhat puzzled. But when he looked at the wall ahead, he saw through the blurry reflection in the tiles that a Dark Blue lightning mark had appeared on his brow at some point.

He frowned and instinctively raised a hand to touch his forehead.

The instant he touched it, the space in the bathroom suddenly twisted, drawing his consciousness into the Sea of Consciousness.

A phantom figure stood before Nan Liujing.

"Senior." Nan Liujing hurriedly bowed.

The Thunder God's Remnant Consciousness said, "I once promised you that if you completed the Heavenly Thunder Baptism, I would tell you everything about the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl. Listen carefully."

Nan Liujing's expression turned solemn as he listened intently.

"The Heavenly Tribulation Pearl is a cosmic innate Divine Artifact. If it must be ranked, it is an existence beyond a Super Divine Artifact. Before I obtained it, it had already had several masters. Without exception, every one of them stepped into the realm of God King."

Beyond a Super Divine Artifact?

Nan Liujing was speechless.

"The Heavenly Tribulation Pearl's abilities include automatically sensing opportunities. The abilities or bloodlines possessed by anyone it locks onto can be directly plundered or replicated. I imagine you have already experienced this through that Candy Martial Soul."

Nan Liujing understood this deeply and nodded inwardly.

The Golden Dragon Body had brought him an immense surprise. Without using his First Soul Skill, he could easily kill a Thousand-Year Green Bush Wolf.

The Thunder God's Remnant Consciousness continued, "Every time you plunder or replicate something, you will face a Heavenly Thunder Baptism. If you encounter ten opportunities, you will undergo ten Heavenly Thunder Baptisms. However, aside from the first Heavenly Thunder Baptism, which is special and must be faced within three days, the others can temporarily be stored within the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl. Before becoming a god, you can face them whenever you wish. At that time, you only need to call upon the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl."

"Heavenly Tribulations can be stored?" Nan Liujing's eyes widened. This completely overturned his understanding.

The Thunder God ignored his shock. "The reason the first Heavenly Thunder Baptism must arrive within three days has to do with another powerful ability of the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl: the Plane Imprint. A Plane Imprint is an identity certification formed when you bypass the recognition of this plane's Plane Lord and forcibly accept the mark of the Cosmic Will."

"Once you possess this imprint, you will receive the support of all the plane's Origin Laws in the future, just like someone favored by the plane. Even if the Plane Lord discovers that an anomaly has appeared, he will be powerless to do anything."

If storing Heavenly Tribulations was a huge surprise, then ignoring the Plane Lord was like a volcanic eruption. Nan Liujing's heart instantly burned with excitement.

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

Besides, he knew exactly how powerful the status of one favored by the plane was.

The Nether Emperor had relied on that favor to become a Titled Douluo at nineteen years old.

With the support of his grandparents, Tang Wulin had gained the blessing of the Child of Nature. When conducting Heavenly Forging, his elemental affinity made his success rate terrifyingly high.

It was something Zhen Hua would never dare imagine.

Even though he was already a Divine Craftsman, he would not dare claim that every forging attempt would succeed at Heavenly Forging. Moreover, Heavenly Forging was extremely damaging to the body, completely unlike Tang Wulin, who practically suffered no occupational injuries.

"But none of those are the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl's most powerful ability." The Thunder God's Remnant Consciousness suddenly changed the subject.

Nan Liujing immediately cast aside his thoughts and listened intently once more.

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

Using knowledge that was not much of a secret on Douluo Continent, Nan Liujing answered, "According to historical records, there seem to be Third-level Gods, Second-level Deities, Rank 1 Gods, and the strongest God Kings."

"It seems gods have appeared in your world many times. Otherwise, you would not know such detailed classifications." The Thunder God nodded. "But one point in your records is inaccurate."

"Above God Kings, there is another level: Cosmic God Kings. Their divine sense can sweep across several vast galaxies, and even from galaxies away, their divine power can tear through space to forcibly erase or suppress enemies."

"But although Cosmic God King and God King differ by only two words, the gap between them is heaven and earth. Crossing it is more difficult than your journey from mortal to God King. Even I have only heard the legend that before the God Realm was born, there was once a Creation God. But whether it was true or false cannot be confirmed."

"Yet the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl is an anomaly. It can absorb the Cosmic Origin and transform it into Innate Qi. If you reach the God King Peak and believe the time is right, you can use this Innate Qi to complete your breakthrough."

"But if you fail to break through, the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl will suffer backlash from the Cosmic Will and leave you. Only after countless years will it condense and descend into the world again. But by then, who knows which lucky person will obtain it."

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

The Thunder God shook his head. "The highest any of them reached was God King. The previous senior who inherited the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl told me this."

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

If he could not gain strength beyond a God King, then ten thousand years later, he would have to face a group of Peak God Kings led by Tang San.

Given Tang San's personality, he would definitely turn red-eyed, pant like a bull, and roar, "You dare disrupt my Ten Thousand Year Grand Plan? You have chosen the Path to Death!" Then he would stab over with the Sea God's Trident in hand.

Oh, no. Huo Yuhao had already been properly trained by now. Tang San would probably send him in first.

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

Nan Liujing did not pretend ignorance. "You should be the legendary Thunder God. I heard that the Soul Spirit I obtained, that Thunderclap Nether Vine, was born through your Bloodline Power."

"Thunderclap Nether Vine. That is quite a nice name. They were Immortal Herbs I cultivated in the God Realm. I originally intended to refine them into Divine Artifacts, but unfortunately, they had not matured before I fell. They also ended up in your plane. Without the nourishment of Immortal Spirit Qi, they were likely gradually assimilated into Soul Beasts."

The Thunder God sighed, then turned serious.

"I have said so much because I intend to pass the God Position on to you. Are you willing?"

"This junior is willing." Nan Liujing did not hesitate in the slightest. He had long guessed the method of becoming a god, and he had even guessed why the Thunder God had deliberately mentioned knowing such a method to entice him.

Nan Liujing's straightforwardness instead made the Thunder God sigh. With a self-mocking smile, he said, "With the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl, even if you do not inherit my God Position, you can still form your own God Position. But selfishness has taken hold of me. I hope to find a junior who can help me raise the Thunder God Position to the God King level and fulfill my long-cherished wish."

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

Nan Liujing's expression became solemn. "Senior, that is not right. If not for your help, I would have died long ago from my shattered soul. I promise you that if I truly become a god one day, I will certainly appear before the world in the name of the Thunder God."

The Thunder God was also a straightforward person. He immediately said, "Since you have put it that way, it would be improper for me to keep hesitating. I have condensed my divine sense into a God Position Inheritance Mark and hidden it within your Sea of consciousness. Once you are strong enough, you can use the Inheritance Mark to travel to the place where I fell and receive the true inheritance."

As he spoke, he paused and said in a deep voice, "If one day you can take that final step, change your divine name and use Heavenly Tribulation as your title. That will also live up to the Heavenly Tribulation Pearl's aid."

"All right." Nan Liujing answered decisively. Since he planned to climb to the peak, he was bound to encounter Tang Hao and Ah Yin, and he would certainly encounter Tang San in the future.

Succeed, or die trying.

A mortal undergoes tribulation and ascends to godhood. There was nothing wrong with using that as his name.

After withdrawing from the Sea of Consciousness, 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 Consciousness.

It was rather like when Huo Yuhao encountered Electrolux.

"If I have the chance, I will revive you, and we can admire the sights beyond God King together."

Nan Liujing rose from the bathtub. Soul Power dispersed from his body, instantly evaporating every droplet of water. Looking at the Divine Inheritance Seal on his brow gradually concealing itself in the mirror, his expression remained calm.

Two days passed quickly.

Just as the sky began to brighten with a pale glow, Nan Liujing came alone to the courtyard and sat cross-legged.

The villa's small courtyard contained many relatively rare plants. Their aura calmed the mind and stabilized one's qi, greatly benefiting cultivation.

A gentle breeze brushed his face and stirred his hair. His handsome features carried a tranquil expression.

"Hoo."

He inhaled and exhaled, nothing out of the ordinary. Yet in the Netherworld, it seemed as though a force was drawing Nan Liujing into nature. His consciousness became flowers, grass, wind, and earth. His entire aura seemed to turn invisible, yet also seemed to be everywhere, profoundly mysterious.

Incomparably pure Heaven and Earth Yuan Power circulated through his meridians, centered on his dantian as it completed cycle after cycle.

From the first-floor living room, a slightly surprised pair of violet-tinged eyes watched Nan Liujing. It was Ye Changming.

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

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

"This child is remarkable," Ye Changming thought. "Should I bring him into the sect? No, Old Sun has a special identity. He will most likely have this child join the Spirit Pagoda. If I bring it up first, it will only make things difficult for him."

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

The Ye Family's ancestral residence was not here, but in Nine Treasures City near Heaven Dou City. The Ye Family's ancestors had once served as guardian elders of the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect. They had later left the sect, but the two families had remained friendly for generations, so they had never moved away.

No one knew how much time passed.

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

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

Nan Liujing opened his eyes and saw an exquisite, snow-white oval face. The girl's skin was smooth as jade, flushed with healthy color. A mischievous smile curled at the corners of her rosy lips, and she held a blade of grass in her hand. That was likely what she had used to tickle him.

Ye Xinglan smiled faintly. "Breakfast is ready. We're going to the Blacksmith Association afterward."

"I'll be right there."

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

Watching Ye Xinglan's high ponytail sway back and forth as she walked away, he thought to himself:

"This Plane Imprint truly is extraordinary. That special cultivation state just now nearly accelerated my cultivation progress severalfold."

He rose from the ground, Soul Power surging over his body and blasting away all the dust.

Over the past two days, he and Ye Xinglan had taken Na'er around Heaven Dou City during the day, while at night, the two of them sparred in the villa's underground Training Hall.

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

"I wonder what Martial Soul you'll awaken, Na'er." Ye Xinglan bit into a fragrant loaf of bread and spoke indistinctly.

Nan Liujing heard her as soon as he arrived. In his memories, Na'er had not awakened a Martial Soul. It was only after Di Tian and the others took her away that she gained the Silver Dragon Spear Martial Soul.

The course of this life had already been changed by him. He did not know whether that would change as well.

Na'er took a small sip of hot milk and asked, "Sister Xinglan, if I awaken a Martial Soul, will I be able to spar with you like Brother does?"

Ye Xinglan nodded, her face full of confidence. "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 stopped drinking her milk and asked in confusion, "Why do I need to beat Sister?"

Ye Xinglan froze at the question. "Because we're Soul Masters. Soul Masters should determine victory and defeat."

Na'er looked even more confused. She turned to her brother. "Brother, do Soul Masters have to determine 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 Blue eyes widened as she stared at the earnest, baby-voiced Na'er. Without the slightest hesitation, she made a proposal to Nan Liujing. "Nan Liujing, how about we make a deal?"

Man, I've got my eye on your little sister.

"No." Nan Liujing coldly refused.

Ye Xinglan raised an eyebrow.

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

It felt like punching cotton, leaving Nan Liujing somewhat powerless instead. That was not right. This girl had not even retorted.

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

Nan Liujing had long been hungry, and Na'er was even more of a foodie. She immediately forgot the brother-sister dispute she had started and happily began eating.

Ye Xinglan, on the other hand, fell into a dilemma. Even the delicious food in her mouth became tasteless.

Acknowledge him as her brother?

Ugh, too embarrassing.

But Na'er was so well-behaved that she could not bear to give up.

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

But for Na'er... should she give it a try?